It’s 8 a.m. in New York and 1 p.m. in London. Here’s the latest on the pandemic. 

There have been more than 10.8 million confirmed cases of coronavirus globally, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Of these cases, more than 2.7 million are in the US, which saw more than 52,000 new Covid-19 cases Thursday, the highest daily jump in cases for the second day in the row.

A forecast by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that nearly 148,000 people could die from coronavirus in the country by July 25. The US has reported more than 128,000 Covid-related deaths so far.

Here’s the latest on the pandemic:

Trump set for another massive event during national pandemic: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump head to Mount Rushmore National Memorial on Friday to celebrate an early Fourth of July at a gathering of an estimated 7,500 people. No social distancing is planned for the event — despite the record-high new coronavirus cases in the United States.

UK PM expresses “bitter regret” over deaths in care homes: Boris Johnson has said that he “bitterly” regrets the number of coronavirus-related deaths seen in care homes, telling radio station LBC that there were “far too many” lives lost. On Thursday, the UK’s Office for National Statistics said that almost 20,000 care home resident deaths in England and Wales, recorded from the start of the pandemic until mid-June, involved Covid-19.

New version of coronavirus spreads faster — but doesn’t make people sicker, study confirms: A global study has found strong evidence that a mutated new form of the coronavirus has spread from Europe to the US. The mutation makes the virus more likely to infect people, but does not seem to make them any sicker than earlier variations, an international team of researchers reported Thursday.

EU launches legal action against member states over passenger refunds: The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against 10 European Union member states for failing to protect the rights of passengers when journeys have had to be cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.