Coronavirus live news: Africa passes 1 million cases; deaths in US ‘could

China has logged 37 new coronavirus cases in the 24 hours to midnight on Thursday, the country’s health authority has announced – the same as the day before.

Of the new cases, 10 were imported infections involving travellers from overseas compared with seven such cases reported a day earlier.

Total number of infections in mainland China now stand at 84,565.

The mayor of Los Angeles has threatened to cut water and power supplies to houses where people hold large parties after a spate of gatherings violating Covid-19 restrictions at mansions in the Hollywood hills.

With bars and clubs shut due to the resurgence of coronavirus, some Angelenos have tried to get around the socialising problems by hosting private functions.

But city mayor Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday that large house parties “have essentially become nightclubs in the hills” arguing the events can become “superspreaders” of coronavirus as bars and nightlife in the city remain shut.

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Our Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips, has this dispatch from Brazil.

Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has sparked renewed outrage for telling Brazilians they should “get on with life” as the country prepares to mark another terrible Covid-19 milestone, of 100,000 deaths.

The far-right populist made the comments in a weekly broadcast on social media, as the official death toll rose to 98,493.

Flanked by his interim health minister who assumed his position after two predecessors left government after clashing with their boss over Covid-19, Bolsonaro said:

I’m sorry about all the deaths … but let’s get on with our lives – get on with our lives and look for a way of getting away with this problem.

Bolsonaro has been internationally condemned for his handling of the emergency and his decision to repeatedly undermine social distancing measures. But polls suggest his behaviour has yet to have a major impact on his popularity with about 30% of the country continuing to support him.

Bolsonaro’s stop-gap health minister, the army general Eduardo Pazuello, compared the pandemic to HIV. “HIV continues to exist … most [people who are HIV-positive] get treated – and life goes on. And it will be like this with coronavirus too,” he claimed.

Bolsonaro’s comments caused immediate outrage. “Your disregard for life is repugnant,” tweeted the left-wing senator Weverton…