Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 25.28 million, death toll over 845,500
Aug 31, 2020 under World 513
At least 25,280,634 people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 845,850 people have died, a Reuters tally showed.
Girls wearing protective face masks wait to pray inside temple premises on the occasion of the annual harvest festival of Onam, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on the outskirts of Kochi, India, on August 31, 2020. Photo: Reuters
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.Â
The World Health Organization referred to the outbreak as a pandemic on March 11.Â
Meanwhile, Japan plans to secure enough coronavirus vaccines to inoculate its population four times over, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the European Commission was working on signing further contracts to secure vaccines.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
At least 6,009,992 cases of the highly contagious novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States and its territories while at least 183,134 people have died, according to a Reuters tally of state and local government sources as of August 31, 2020, 1:39 pm. The US diagnosed its first COVID-19 case in Washington state on January 20. Â
With the total infections in the United States topping six million on Sunday the virus’ spread increased in many Midwest states.
Likewise, Brazil follows the US with a total of 3,862,311 coronavirus cases with 120,828 death, according to Reuters’ interactive graphic tracking the global spread. Â
Likewise, India has the third-highest 3,621,245 coronavirus cases while 64,469 people have died.Â
ASIA-PACIFIC
— Japan’s factory output rose in July at the fastest pace on record, driven by automobiles and car parts, signalling a gradual recovery from the coronavirus-led blow.
— A more infectious mutation of the novel coronavirus has been found in Indonesia, the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology said.
— India reported 78,512 new infections on Monday, slightly fewer than its record set the previous day.
— The state at the epicentre of Australia’s second wave of COVID-19 infections said the number of new cases fell to a near two-month low.
EUROPE
— Government data on Sunday showed the United Kingdom had recorded 1,715 daily confirmed cases, the highest level since June 4.
— British finance minister Rishi Sunak is considering a sweeping set of tax increases to help fix the huge hole in the public finances, two newspapers said.
AMERICAS
— A majority of US states have rejected new Trump administration COVID-19 testing guidance in an extraordinary rebuke of the nation’s top agency for disease prevention.
— The head of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is willing to fast-track a COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible, the Financial Times reported him as saying in an interview published on Sunday.
— Total cases in Colombia surpassed 600,000 on Sunday, ahead of the end to more than five months of lockdown.
— Mexico’s death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 64,000 and the country reported 4,129 new infections.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
— Jordan reported 73 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, its highest daily tally since the start of the outbreak.
— The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said it would lend 70 million euros ($83.37 million) to Turkey to help the country deal with the pandemic.
— Schools in Nigeria’s commercial hub of Lagos will reopen next month.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
— Sinovac Biotech Ltd’s coronavirus vaccine candidate CoronaVac was approved for emergency use as part of a programme in China to vaccinate high-risk groups such as medical staff, a person familiar with the matter said.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
— Asian shares notched a 29-month high on Monday as investors wagered monetary and fiscal policies globally would stay super stimulatory, while an upbeat reading on China’s service sector augured well for continued recovery there.
— Four of China’s five largest state-owned banks said they have increased their provisions against bad debt to brace for future losses due to the COVID-19 impact.
— India’s economy likely suffered its largest quarterly slump on record, data is expected to show on Monday, as coronavirus-related lockdowns add to already-declining consumer demand and investment.
