E-Paper
Virus infects 200mn people
4 million new Covid cases were reported around the world in the past one week, WHO said
The Covid-19 pandemic crossed a grim milestone on Wednesday as the total number of coronavirus infections globally has now crossed the 200 million mark, according to the widely followed virus tracker Worldometer. The monitor also showed that the total number of coronavirus-related deaths around the world reached 4.26 million.
The World Health Organization (WHO), meanwhile, disclosed that more than 4 million new Covid-19 cases were reported globally in the last week, driven mostly by spikes in the Mideast and Asia. The UN health agency said on Wednesday infections have been increasing for more than a month, although the worldwide number of deaths dropped by about 8%.
In West Asia and further east, however, deaths increased by more than a third. In the last week, the highest numbers of coronavirus cases were reported by the US, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Iran. More than 130 countries have now reported cases of the fast-spreading Delta variant of the virus.
In Britain, the government will offer coronavirus vaccines to 16 and 17-year-olds in the coming weeks after an independent body of scientists that makes recommendations over the roll-out changed its advice.
In China, which is seeing its worst Covid outbreak since the start of the pandemic a year and a half ago, saw on Wednesday dozens more cases reported around the country and the sealing off of a key tourist city.
A Covid-19 hotspot was emerging in the city of Zhangjiajie. The city ordered residential communities sealed on Sunday. In an order on Tuesday, officials said no one could leave the city.
At the same time, China has begun to promote its vaccination campaign among minors as authorities try to control a surge in Delta cases. More than 450 people have been infected in two weeks, sending millions into lockdown. As many as 71 new domestic cases were reported on Wednesday for the previous day.
Indonesia recorded a grim milestone of more than 100,000 deaths from Covid-19 on Wednesday, data from the country’s health ministry showed.
In France, dozens of restaurants in Brittany have vowed to defy new rules requiring them to check whether diners have been vaccinated, tested negative for Covid-19 or recovered from the disease before serving them. From August 9 on, people will need to produce a Covid health pass for certain activities.
With inputs from Sutirtho Patranobis
