The Latest: Israeli defense chief quaratines after exposure

JERUSALEM - Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz says he is going into quarantine over concerns he was recently exposed to a COVID-19 carrier.

Gantz, who also serves as alternative prime minister, says he feels well and is isolating out of a sense of responsibility. He says he will work remotely until he receives his coronavirus test result and an epidemiological investigation is concluded.

The announcement comes as Israel is coping with a fresh wave of infections. The government this week reimposed new restrictions on the public to quell contagion. Gatherings have been limited and reception halls, restaurants, bars, theaters, fitness centers and pools have been ordered to shut down again.

Just weeks ago, Israel appeared to have contained its initial outbreak after imposing strict measures early on during a first wave of infections. But after reporting just a handful of new cases a day in early May, it has experienced a steady uptick in cases following an easing of restrictions. Currently, Israel is reporting upward of 1,000 new cases a day, higher than its peak during the previous wave.

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HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

- Window into virus surge: Death, recovery at Houston hospital

- Australia isolates virus-prone state, Serbs oppose lockdown

- Trump pushes state, local leaders to reopen schools in fall

- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he is confident that he will swiftly recover from the new coronavirus thanks to treatment with hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug that has not been proven effective against COVID-19.

- Six months after COVID-19 started spreading around the globe, desperation rather than information is still driving many decisions about how to treat the disease. Two drugs have been shown to help but key questions remain about their use.

- Africa now has more than a half-million confirmed coronavirus cases. The continent-wide total is now over 508,000 after South Africa recorded another day of more than 10,000 confirmed cases as a new global hot spot.

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Follow all of AP's pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

BELGRADE, Serbia - Serbian police say 23 people have been detained and scores of police officers and demonstrators injured in clashes that erupted over announced return of lockdown measures against the new coronavirus.

Police director Vladimir Rebic told the state RTS television that police are working to identify more people who took part in the rioting in central Belgrade that left 43 police officers and 17 demonstrators injured.

Thousands of people came out in the streets on Tuesday evening after autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic announced that a curfew will be imposed for the entire weekend in Belgrade. Serbia on Tuesday reported the highest single-day death toll of 13 amid 299 new COVID-19 cases.

Clashes erupted after some supporters of right-wing groups stormed the parliament during protests. Police responded by throwing loads of tear gas.

Vucic has described the virus situation in Belgrade as 'œalarming,'ť saying hospitals in Belgrade were full. But many in Serbia blame the populist strongman for lifting the previous lockdown measures just so he would cement his grip on power after parliamentary elections. He has denied those claims.

Rebic says 'œhooligans'ť threw rocks, bottles and other objects at police and set on fire five police vehicles. Videos from the scene showed police beating up some of the demonstrators and detaining them.

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NEW DELHI - Authorities in Mumbai, one of India's worst-hit cities, are allowing people to get tested for COVID-19 without a doctor's prescription.

Other major Indian cities are still requiring a prescription, even though low testing rates have been a concern in the country that now has the third most cases in the world.

'œWe want to test as many people as possible,'ť said Iqbal Singh Chahal, a senior administrative official in Mumbai.

More than 5,000 people have died because of the virus in Mumbai, a western coastal city known as India's financial capital and home to the Bollywood film industry.

India has started to improve its testing rates though it still needs to do more as its outbreak surges. A country of 1.3 billion people, India has been conducting a little less than 7,400 tests per million population.

More than 200,000 samples are being tested every day now, compared to just a few hundred when the exercise had begun in March, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research, India's top medical research body.

India reported 482 new deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 20,642. It also recorded 22,752 new infections, increasing the total to 742,417. Only the United States and Brazil have more.

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ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's daily infection rate dropped below 3,000 for the second straight day, though medical experts caution it may be due to less testing.

Barely 21,000 tests for the coronavirus are carried out each day, compared to a peak of nearly 33,000. Still some medical professionals, particularly in the eastern city of Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province where nearly 60% of the country's 220 million people live, are suggesting the virus may have peaked in June.

Pakistan's prime minister has mandated masks but enforcement and use are erratic and social distancing is limited. Still the government has implemented lockdowns on at least 800 markets, businesses and residential areas where hospots of the infection have emerged.

As of Wednesday, Pakistan has recorded 237,489 infections with 2,980 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours among 21,951 tests conducted. So far 4,922 people have died of the virus, with 80 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has resisted complete lockdowns, saying they would hit the poorest hardest. The poverty rate in Pakistan has climbed from around 30% to 40%, according to economists.

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CANBERRA, Australia - Prime Minister Scott Morrison says a shutdown of Australia's second-largest city is necessary and promised continuing financial support for businesses that fear they won't survive a second lockdown.

The Victoria state government said Melbourne and part of its surrounds will lock down for six weeks from Wednesday night because the rate of coronavirus spread was unsustainable. The state also reported another 134 coronavirus cases.

Morrison said the federal government's medical advice concurred the move was necessary but he hoped the time frame could be shorter.

Australia's seven other states and territories would continue to relax pandemic restrictions, the prime minister said.

'œLet's remember that seven states and territories around the country remain in a very strong position when it comes to our response to COVID-19,'ť Morrison said. 'œThat's what we're seeking to continue to protect.'ť

Breaches of infection controls at Melbourne hotels where international travelers are required to isolate for 14 days have been blamed for much of the disease spread. Morrison said he wanted to reduce the numbers of exemptions from Australia's travel ban because of the strain on hotel quarantine.