Virus brings closings in US state, WHO warnings in Europe

As the coronavirus death toll mounts around the world, the U.S. state of Iowa closed bars in several of its largest counties in response to swelling numbers of confirmed virus cases and debates flared around the country over mask requirements.

Elected officials in a Mississippi city got into a dispute after some refused to wear masks, prompting the mayor to clear out the room and enforce social distancing between board members after the meeting restarted.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization’s top official in Europe said Thursday that rising infections among young people could spread to older people and cause an uptick in deaths. Dr. Hans Kluge said younger people are likely to come into closer contact with the elderly as the weather cools in Europe and families move activities inside.

More than 800,000 people across the world have died from the virus and more than 24.2 million have contracted it, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University — figures experts say understate the true toll because of limited testing, missed mild cases and other factors.

In Italy, the day-to-day increase in new cases rose again on Thursday. And a senior U.N. humanitarian official said reports of Syrian health care facilities filling up and increasing death notices and burials appear to show that actual cases of COVID-19 “far exceed official figures.”

IOWA CLOSES BARS

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered that all bars be closed in six of the state’s largest counties in response to surging numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases blamed in part on young people ignoring mask and social distancing recommendations in such establishments.

Reynolds ordered the action in Black Hawk, Dallas, Linn, Johnson, Polk and Story counties effective at 5 p.m. Thursday on a day when the state...