(Reuters) – Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
Asymptomatic but not infectious
After testing 9.9 million of 11 million people in a vast testing campaign that began on May 14, the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak began, has found no new cases of people suffering from the disease and 300 asymptomatic carriers of the virus.
China does not count people who are infected with the virus but do not show symptoms of the disease as confirmed cases.
Officials told reporters that the asymptomatic carriers had been found not to be infectious; masks, toothbrushes, phones, door handles and elevator buttons that they touched had no traces of the virus.
Lapses in U.S. election dry run
Confusion, missing mail-in ballots and long lines at some polling centres marred primary elections on Tuesday in eight U.S. states and the District of Columbia, the biggest test yet of voting during the coronavirus outbreak.
Serving as a dry run for the Nov. 3 general election, the exercise offered a glimpse of the challenges ahead on a national scale if that vote is conducted under a lingering threat from COVID-19.
Faster bounce-back seen for Asian retailers
While no major fashion firms have been spared, Japan’s Fast Retailing, owner of the Uniqlo brand reputed for its long shelf-life and value-for-money items, looks well-placed to cope with the coronavirus crisis better than rivals.
One reason could be Fast Retailing’s greater Asia presence. Asia accounts for three-quarters of Uniqlo’s annual revenue and Fast Retailing has expanded aggressively in China with 750 Uniqlo stores.
“Asia is going to be much faster to bounce back in terms of willingness to spend, which will favour operators with a big presence in Asia,” said Honor Strachan, retail analyst at research firm GlobalData.
NBA eyes mid-Oct season finish
The National Basketball Association has targeted Oct. 12 as the last possible date to complete the 2019-20 season, which has been on hold since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN reported on Tuesday. The NBA finals typically conclude around mid-June.
Both the NBA and players association were still discussing details on a return-to-play format, said the report, which cited unnamed sources.
Expect more injuries in EPL
Newcastle United club doctor Paul Catterson says he expects players to suffer more injuries than usual when the Premier League resumes on June 17 following the coronavirus disruption.
“The players have been running on treadmills and working indoors for eight weeks so that transition is a different stimulus for the body,” Catterson told the BBC. The league was suspended on March 13 due to the pandemic.
Surviving in the bush
A bushcraft course that teaches basic survival skills and offers insight into traditional indigenous cultures is proving popular as city folk turn to nature with the easing of Australia’s coronavirus lockdown.
Course participants learn solar and celestial navigation, how to erect a shelter, build a fire and forage for edible plants, sometimes within a timed environment designed to emulate the pressure of a real survival situation.
At least one participant found it was good to get away from the stress of supermarket runs.
“I’m feeling like I’m detoxing a little from that sphere of the world,” said George Hamza.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
