Global COVID-19 Cases Surpass 19 Million With Over 700,000 Deaths: Report

Paris:

Coronavirus instances worldwide handed 19 million Thursday, as European nations imposed new journey restrictions and containment measures with fears rising over a second wave of infections.

The international determine, compiled by AFP from official sources at 2300 GMT, was pushed by surges in Latin America and India — and a brand new milestone in Africa because the continent hit a million instances.

Global deaths from the pandemic have topped 700,000, and Europe stays the hardest-hit area worldwide with greater than 200,000 fatalities because the virus first emerged in China late final 12 months.

More than half of Africa’s instances are in South Africa, which has the fifth highest variety of infections on this planet, after the US, Brazil, India and Russia.

Nevertheless the African continent stays one of many least affected, in line with the official figures, with solely Oceania registering fewer COVID-19 instances.

As governments throughout the globe battle to salvage economies ravaged by months of lockdown, many have been pressured to have a look at new measures to curb outbreaks of COVID-19 since they lifted preliminary containment orders.

In Australia, the second-largest metropolis Melbourne entered the nation’s hardest lockdown but on Thursday, closing non-essential companies and requiring a whole bunch of 1000’s extra folks to remain residence.

The pandemic has killed at the least 712,315 folks worldwide with the United States recording probably the most deaths with nearly 160,000, adopted by Brazil with almost 100,000. Globally, 40 % of all instances have been recorded within the two international locations.

Germany is the newest to introduce obligatory assessments for travellers coming back from designated danger zones, beginning on Saturday, as fears develop over rising case numbers blamed on summer time holidays and native outbreaks.

Germany’s checklist of “risk zones” at the moment consists of most non-EU international locations, in addition to sure provinces in Belgium and Spain.

Neighbouring Austria on Thursday introduced it might situation a journey warning for mainland Spain, changing into the newest nation to take action amid an increase in new coronavirus instances within the fellow EU member.

Finland additionally launched new controls on arrivals from some EU international locations, together with Belgium, the Netherlands and Andorra, placing a cease to vacationers arriving from there and imposing a 14-day quarantine on different returnees.

“The situation is extremely delicate,” the well being ministry’s strategic director Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki stated, including that “some sort of second stage has begun.”

“Whether we can expect a smaller wave or a larger wave depends on how we respond.”

Britain has reimposed quarantine for vacationers from Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas.

Norway introduced Thursday that France could be thought of a purple zone because of the resurgence of coronavirus instances there, that means all travellers arriving from France face a compulsory ten-day quarantine.

Switzerland, Monaco and the Czech Republic have been additionally hit with comparable restrictions, in addition to two Swedish areas, the Norwegian international affairs ministry stated.

“The infectious situation can change quickly, as can the restrictions,” Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide stated.

The United States bucked the development regardless of its personal hovering dying rely, lifting a blanket warning in opposition to all international journey.

“Health and safety conditions (are) improving in some countries and potentially deteriorating in others,” the State Department stated in an announcement.

Business struggles

Many nations are seeing new outbreaks, forcing native or citywide lockdowns and different quarantine measures.

Poland will re-impose obligatory face masks in all public areas in 9 districts amid a brand new excessive in infections.

The restrictions will come into power from Saturday and also will have an effect on sports activities and cultural occasions in these areas, primarily within the south and east.

Greece’s authorities on Wednesday introduced a “wake-up week” on COVID-19, tightening restrictions after the regular rise in largely home infections.

Officials have blamed the rise on overcrowding in golf equipment and social occasions.

The new virus outbreaks are forcing officers into an uncomfortable trade-off between public well being and the necessity to deliver economies again to life.

German airline Lufthansa on Thursday grew to become the newest to disclose the fallout from the pandemic, saying pressured layoffs and a 1.5 billion euro ($1.7 billion) loss within the second quarter.

Announcing its worst quarter within the firm’s historical past, Lufthansa stated within the three months to June its passenger numbers had collapsed by 96 % in comparison with final 12 months.

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