As more countries report a wider spread of the Coronavirus infections, the number of confirmed cases now nears 100 million. The virus has claimed the lives of more than two million people worldwide, as per the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University in the US. Coronavirus cases have surged over the past few months in several countries with large numbers of new infections reported daily.
The US has recorded more than 24 million cases and over 410,000 deaths from Coronavirus, the highest figures in the world.
India has more than 10.6 million cases, the second-highest in the world after the US. But the daily number has been falling since September and India’s vaccination program has now started.
Brazil has recorded more than eight million confirmed cases, the third-highest after India. But it has the world’s second-highest death toll with more than 216,000 fatalities.
The World Health Organization has warned that the virus will continue to spread rapidly in the coming months.
Meanwhile, with several vaccines now approved for use, 53 countries have rolled out mass vaccination. Of this, 43 are high-income nations and 10 are middle-income with none from the low-income nations.
China and the US have given the most doses overall, with more than 15 million each. The UK has administered more than five million doses.
Most countries are prioritizing the over 60s, health workers and people who have pre-existing medical conditions.
And with reports of new COVID-19 variants in the UK, Brazil and South Africa rapidly spreading worldwide, countries around the globe are bringing back lockdowns and other restrictions to curb infections.
Sonam Pem
