White House experts leading the national fight against the contagion have recommended wearing face coverings in public to prevent transmission of the illness. But Trump had repeatedly avoided wearing a mask, even after staffers at the White House tested positive for the virus and as more aides have taken to wearing them. The country posted yet another daily record of confirmed cases on Saturday night, with 66,528 new infections, while the death toll rose by almost 800 to nearly 135,000. The United States is the country worst hit by the illness, followed by Brazil -- which surpassed 70,000 deaths on Friday. Schools in the city will be closed from Monday after the city recorded "exponential growth" in locally transmitted infections.

Source: Daily Nation July 12, 2020 03:45 UTC