Houston-Crude prices decline in early US trading Oct. 20 as renewed optimism surrounding US stimulus negotiations failed to overcome coronavirus-dimmed demand outlooks. At 1456 GMT, NYMEX November WTI was down 25 cents at $40.58/b and December Brent was 20 cents lower at $42.42/b. Concerns intensified overnight that a growing second wave of the coronavirus pandemic could herald a return to broad lockdowns, after Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin announced late Oct. 19 that Ireland would begin a six-week nationwide lockdown from Oct. 21. While a number of European countries have reimposed social restrictions in recent weeks, Ireland is the first to return to full lockdown. The cumulative number of coronavirus cases in Ireland over the past 14 days climbed to 254 per 100,000 persons, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In the US, the seven-day average of new coronavirus infections reached 57,415 on Oct. 19, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project, the highest level since Aug. 4.
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