Global virus cases top 10.4 mn
Total number of fatalities due to COVID-19 stood at to 509,779 across the world
WASHINGTON DC: The overall number of global COVID-19 cases has increased to over 10.4 million, while the deaths have soared to more than 509,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Wednesday morning, the total number of cases increased to 10,434,835, while the fatalities stood at to 509,779, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
The US accounted for the world's highest number of infections and fatalities with 2,629,372 and 127,322, respectively, according to the CSSE. Brazil came in the second place with 1,402,041 infections and 59,594 deaths.
In terms of cases, Russia ranks third (646,929), and is followed by India (566,840), the UK (314,160), Peru (285,213), Chile (279,393), Spain (249,271), Italy (240,578), Iran (227,662), Mexico (220,657), Pakistan (209,337), France (202,063), Turkey (199,906), Germany (195,418), Saudi Arabia (190,823), South Africa (151,209), Bangladesh (145,483) and Canada (106,097), the CSSE figures showed.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the UK (43,815), Italy (34,767), France (29,846), Spain (28,355), Mexico (27,121), India (16,893) and
Iran (10,670).
An Australian state leader has welcomed some sense of stability in numbers of new Coronavirus cases detected daily in the nation's second largest city as more than 300,000 residents prepare to be locked down for a month.
There were 73 confirmed cases in Melbourne in 24-hours to Wednesday, up from 64 reported on Tuesday but less than 75 on Monday.
Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews says “it is pleasing that there is some sense of stability to these numbers.
China has reported just three new confirmed cases of Coronavirus, all in the capital Beijing where an outbreak last month appears to have run its course amid intense testing and case tracing. No new deaths were reported Wednesday, leaving the toll at 4,634 among 83,534 cases of COVID-19 recorded since the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
The National Health Commission said 421 people are in treatment with another 108 under monitoring for being possible cases or having tested positive for the virus without showing symptoms.
Africa's confirmed Coronavirus cases have surpassed 400,000 and deaths have crossed 10,000 as health officials warn the pandemic is picking up speed on the continent of 1.3 billion people.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention say confirmed cases are now above 404,000 on the 54-nation continent, while testing capabilities remain low because of shortages of materials.
The new milestones come as some countries loosen their
lockdowns and even reopen airports for international flights. South Africa leads the continent with more than 151,000 confirmed cases. An emerging hot spot is in Gauteng province, containing Johannesburg, with 28% of the country's cases. The Coronavirus tally in Pakistan reached 2,13,470 with the detection of 4,133 new cases in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Wednesday. As many as 1,00,802 Coronavirus patients have recovered so far, making it almost half of the total cases in the country, it said.
The viral infection has claimed 91 more lives in the
last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,395. Another 2,741 patients are in critical condition, the ministry said.
With the detection of 4,133 new cases, the Coronavirus tally in the country now stands at 2,13,470, it said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand reported a second consecutive day of no new cases after 2 new cases from abroad broke the country's 24 straight day record of no fresh cases. According to the health officials, the country has no known case of community transmission and currently has 22 active cases all of them foreign returnees.