New study offers more evidence that hydroxychloroquine doesn't treat coronavirus

Hydroxychloroquine is seen on a shelf at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah, on May 20. George Frey/AFP/Getty Images

A new report has added to the growing body of evidence that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine does not help coronavirus patients get better. In fact, combining it with an antibiotic actually raises the risk of death by 27%, the study found.

The meta-analysis -- a study of studies -- looked at 29 different pieces of research on the drug, which was once heavily promoted by the White House and which Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro still touts.

The research was conducted by scientists from France’s research institute INSERM.

The US Food and Drug Administration has reversed its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine for use against coronavirus, and the National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization and European researchers have stopped supporting testing.

Japan's Health Ministry said it recorded 898 new cases of Covid-19 and 17 new virus-related deaths nationwide on Wednesday.

Of those new cases, 236 were from the capital Tokyo.

That brings the country's total to 65,380 cases and 1,239 deaths.

Mass testing is still underway, with nearly 10,000 tests conducted yesterday.

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The US federal government said Wednesday it’s investing nearly $2.5 million in efforts to create a needle-free coronavirus vaccine. 

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced four small grants to groups trying to make either oral vaccines against coronavirus, or patches that could painlessly deliver a vaccine.

The four new technologies are also "shelf-stable" -- unlike current coronavirus vaccine candidates, they don’t have to be kept under special conditions or temperatures, making them easier to store and deliver.

The four groups:

The World Health Organization is "alarmed" by the rapid spread of Covid-19 in Libya, the organization said in a statement on Wednesday.

In the past two weeks alone, the number of confirmed cases in the country has more than doubled, the statement said -- and since there are acute shortages of tests and laboratory capacity, the real number of cases is likely much higher.

Libya has confirmed nearly 12,000 coronavirus cases, including more than 200 deaths, according to the latest data available from Johns Hopkins University.

Worsening the problem is the fact that years of conflict in the region have damaged Libya's healthcare system; about half of all primary health care facilities are closed, the WHO statement said.

“We are alarmed at the rapid spread of the virus in the country,” said Elizabeth Hoff, WHO Representative in Libya, in the statement.

WHO added that it's working with Libyan authorities and other international organizations like UNICEF to respond to the crisis, launch public awareness campaigns, and stepping up testing efforts.

New Zealand said it would make not wearing a mask on public transport a finable offense.  

Offenders will be punished with a 300 New Zealand dollars ($198) infringement notice or a fine of up to a $1,000 New Zealand dollars ($658) imposed by the courts, the country's Health Minister Chris Hipkins announced Thursday in a statement.  

He said masks would be mandatory on public transport and planes from Monday, but taxis and school buses are excluded from the rule. 

The minister added that people with a disability or a physical or mental condition that makes face coverings unsuitable will be exempted, along with children under the age of 12.   

New cases: New Zealand reported seven new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections registered since the pandemic began to 1,351, the country’s director of public health Caroline McElnay said Thursday.  

Among the new infections, one was imported while the rest were locally transmitted.  

India recorded 75,760 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday -- the country's highest one-day jump in cases since the pandemic began, according to the Health Ministry.

That raises the country's total number of infections to 3.31 million. Of those, more than 2.5 million have recovered, leaving over 725,000 active cases, according to the ministry.

In India, not all patients require a test to be considered recovered. Patients with mild and moderate symptoms are considered no longer active after 10 days of symptom onset if they meet certain conditions, and a test to confirm that they no longer have the virus is not required. However, severe cases can only be discharged after one negative coronavirus test.

The death toll stands at 60,472, according to the ministry. 

Meanwhile, the state of West Bengal has extended its lockdown: The restrictions are now scheduled to expire on September 20.

During lockdown, only essential services will continue to operate, with the exception of industrial activity and some local transport. Schools will stay shut.

Some days will be designated "total lockdown" -- meaning no movement or commercial activity at all will be permitted. The complete list of these dates have not yet been released.

Indigenous Brazilian protesters removed their barricades from a key highway in Brazil’s Amazon on Wednesday, after 10 days of protest against the federal government.

The group has decided to end their protest until a decision is reached regarding a lawsuit filed by Pará state's Federal Public Attorney. The suit urges the government to renew a program that compensates communities for the environmental impact the highway has over their territory.

The indigenous group also has another demand: for the government to step up its efforts to contain Covid-19, which has ravaged their community.  

The Kayapó Mekragnoti people first blocked the highway last Monday, August 17, near the city of Novo Progresso to demand health assistance, medical supplies and food to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.   

The indigenous group kept the road open since Saturday as it negotiated with government officials. By Wednesday, August 26, the group decided to leave the highway for good and return home.   

The United States reported 44,109 new cases of Covid-19 and 1,222 new virus-related fatalities on Wednesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

That raises the national total to at least 5,821,819 cases and 179,708 deaths.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.

Follow CNN's live tracker of US cases here:

Mexico recorded 5,267 new cases of Covid-19 and 626 virus-related fatalities on Wednesday.

This raises the country's total to 573,888 cases and 62,076 deaths.

Mexico has reported the third-highest number of deaths from coronavirus, behind only the United States and Brazil, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Within Latin America, Mexico has seen the third-highest number of total cases, following Brazil and Peru.