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Coronavirus digest: Global deaths surpass 800,000

August 22, 2020

As global deaths hit a new gloomy milestone, India has reported another jump in cases as the virus spreads to southern states. Officials warn of new spikes during the festival season, which typically draws large crowds.

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People lower the coffin of a victim who died of COVID-19
Image: Reuters/F. Mascarenhas

Europe

Germany's number of coronavirus infections increased by 782 to 232,864 on Sunday, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's health authority. The nation also recorded two new deaths, increasing the death toll to 9,269 since the pandemic began.

Read more: Coronavirus digest: WHO hopes for end to pandemic within two years

Russia registered 4,921 new coronavirus infections, driving its national tally to 951,897. Health authorities said 121 people had died of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, raising the death toll to 16,310.

Ukraine reported a record daily high of 2,328 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the country's council of security and defense said. The tally surpassed the previous single-day record of 2,134. Ukraine has a total of 102,971 COVID-19 cases with 2,244 deaths.

Read more: 'We are not afraid': Young partygoers defy coronavirus rules for Berlin nightlife

A map of Europe showing coronavirus risk areas in Europe, as defined by Germany's Robert Koch Institute

Asia

India has registered another 24-hour jump in cases with 69,878 new infections, bringing the total close to 2,975,701, the Health Ministry said. COVID-19 deaths increased by 945 to 55,794. Worldwide, India has been reporting the biggest daily rise in cases for 18 consecutive days.

Cases are slowing down in New Delhi and Mumbai, but spreading across India's southern states. Health officials have warned India's festival season could trigger new outbreaks of the virus.

Read more: Positive indicators mask India's deepening coronavirus crisis

Authorities are under pressure to impose restrictions on large gatherings as festival season is underway, including the 11-day festival of the Hindu god Ganesh. The religious festival is usually celebrated with big public gatherings.

South Korea is closing nightclubs, bars and churches as well as banning large gatherings and attendance at sports events. The new measures were announced by Health Minister Park Neung-hoo on Saturday, following the ninth consecutive day of triple-digit case increase.

Read more: Coronavirus bounces back to threaten South Korea's health system

Americas

Mexico's Health Ministry said Saturday that the country has seen more than 60,000 deaths from the outbreak. The government has said that the real number of infected people is likely far greater than the number of confirmed cases, which currently stands at 556,216.

Argentina has joined Peru, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates in approving Phase 3 clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine developed by China National Biotec Group (CNBG), the company announced. To carry out the trial, CNBG requires research participants from other countries. The testing usually involves several thousand participants so scientists can gather data on the effectiveness of potential vaccines for final regulatory approvals.

World

Globally, the number of coronavirus deaths has surpassed 800,000 with almost 23 million confirmed cases. Officials believe the true numbers are far higher because of a lack of testing and reporting.

Children over 11 should wear face masks wherever adults wear them, the WHO has said in a report. The UN health agency recommended children over 11 wear masks in crowded settings.

The WHO and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) did not generally recommend children between ages 6 and 11 wear masks, but said they should be considered in increased risk areas such as schools.

The document also warns that there are situations when masks "can significantly interfere with the learning process and have a negative impact on critical school activities," and that younger children should not be made to wear masks, mainly because they cannot put them on and off correctly by themselves. Children up to 5 years old would need to be under constant supervision if they did wear masks, according to the document.

 

mvb/mm(Reuters, AP, dpa)