Mexico reports more than 4,000 new Covid-19 cases

The government of the Australian state of New South Wales apologized on Monday for allowing thousands of passengers to disembark from the Ruby Princess cruise ship in March, despite Covid-19 fears.

The Ruby Princess was given permission in March to dock and offload its passengers in Sydney despite widespread concerns over the spread of coronavirus after some passengers displayed flu-like symptoms.

On Monday, the government said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure the errors are not repeated.

A special commission of inquiry found that 663 passengers from the ship subsequently tested positive for the novel coronavirus, while 28 Covid-19 deaths were associated with its passengers.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian also apologized, saying: “I recognize the hurt and suffering these mistakes caused, and I apologize for that.”

Japan reported its worst GDP on record as the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak dented consumption.

The world's third-largest economy shrank 7.8% in the second quarter compared with the previous quarter, the country's Cabinet Office said on Monday. That translated to an annual rate of decline of 27.8%, the worst since modern records started in 1980 and the third consecutive quarter of contraction.

Consumption, which accounts for more than half of Japan's economy, slumped 8.2% for the quarter as businesses across the country shuttered during a six-week national emergency in April and May.

External demand shaved three percentage points off GDP on the quarter as global trade dried up.

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China's National Health Commission reported that 22 new Covid-19 cases were identified throughout the country Sunday.

Another 37 asymptomatic cases were also recorded. China counts these cases separately.

A total of 84,849 cases of the novel coronavirus have been identified throughout China since the pandemic began.

The world may be in the midst of a global pandemic, but visitors to a new Beijing exhibition could be forgiven for thinking the battle has already been won.

A triumphant art show celebrating the "great spirit of the Chinese people" in fighting Covid-19 opened this month at the country's National Museum, near Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing.

Through a collection of almost 180 artworks, including sculptures, watercolors and dramatic oil paintings of heroic doctors, the exhibition aims to document the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan and its aftermath.

But given that the country heavily censors art, the contents of the museum's exhibition mirrors the official stance on China's containment of Covid-19.

Through images of aid workers, the exhibition's messaging also appears closely aligned with government narratives around the country's international response to the crisis -- or "demonstrat(ing) China's responsibility as a major country in dealing with ... a major public health emergency," as the foreword at the show's entrance proclaims, despite criticism of officials' early attempts to suppress news of the virus ahead of the busy Lunar New Year holiday in January.

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Gen. Robert Abrams speaks during an event in Panmunjom, South Korea, on July 27. Jeon Heon-Kyun/Pool/Getty Images

United States Forces Korea (USFK) has raised its health protection level following an uptick in the number of Covid-19 infections in South Korea.

USFK raised the protection level to level "Charlie" at 5 a.m. Korean time, which indicates the presence of sustained community transmission of Covid-19 across South Korea, according to a notice posted by the US Department of Defense.

South Korea has boasted one of the world's most successful responses to Covid-19. In a country of more than 50 million people, only 15,318 cases of Covid-19 and 305 virus-related deaths have been reported.

However, there has been a significant rise in cases throughout the country in recent days.

More than 600 new cases were reported across Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as daily infection numbers crossed the triple digit threshold for the first time since March.

As part of USFK's new measures, only essential individuals will be required to report for duty, while others will work remotely, USFK said in a statement.

Travel outside the military installations will only be authorized for official and necessary duties, it added. All individuals are also required wear a mask outside the installations.

Mexico recorded 4,448 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total number of cases identified in the country to 522,162.

The Health Ministry also added 214 new fatalities, raising the death toll to 56,757. Mexico has reported the third-highest number of deaths in the world from coronavirus, following only the United States and Brazil, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Only Brazil and Peru have recorded more Covid-19 cases than Mexico in Latin America, according to JHU's tally.

CNN is tracking worldwide coronavirus cases here:

The Australian state of Victoria recorded 25 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, the highest single-day increase in fatalities since the outbreak of the pandemic, Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said Monday morning.

Victoria also reported 282 new cases of the novel coronavirus from Sunday. The state has now confirmed 17,046 cases of the virus, while the death toll has increased to 334.

Australia has recorded a total of 23,570 coronavirus cases, including 421 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media during a press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand on August 17. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

New Zealand’s election has been delayed by four weeks, to October 17, because of concern over the spread of coronavirus in the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced.

The Prime Minister said the country’s “resurgence plan is in full swing” with high levels of testing and contact tracing, alongside restrictions on the community.

"However, it is clear that the reemergence of Covid in Auckland at the beginning of the formal campaign period has been cause for concern,” Ardern said.

What happened in New Zealand: The country reported 12 locally transmitted cases on Friday as it tackles a fresh outbreak that ended an enviable run of more than 100 days without any locally transmitted infections. The new cluster has prompted New Zealand to extend a lockdown on its most populous city, Auckland, as authorities scramble to trace the source of the outbreak.

The country had already spent five weeks under one of the world's strictest lockdowns, which closed most businesses and schools, and saw people stay at home. Ardern has warned she expects to see more cases. New Zealand has reported a total of 1,271 coronavirus cases and 22 deaths.

Ardern said Parliament will reconvene Tuesday and will be dissolved on September 6. She added that she does not intend to change the election date again.