Global COVID stats worsen, WHO says
Case figures, deaths up again after drops
COVID-19 deaths and cases are on the rise again globally in a setback that is triggering another round of restrictions and dampening hopes for an almost normal summer.
The World Health Organization reported Wednesday that deaths climbed last week after nine straight weeks of decline. It recorded more than 55,000 lives lost, a 3 percent increase from the week before.
Cases rose 10 percent last week to nearly 3 million, with the highest numbers recorded in Brazil, India, Indonesia and Britain, WHO said.
The reversal has been attributed to low vaccination rates, the relaxation of mask rules and other precautions, and the spread of the more-contagious delta variant, which WHO said has been identified in 111 countries and is expected to become globally dominant in the coming months.
Amid the surge, the death toll in hard-hit Argentina approached 100,000. Daily coronavirus deaths in Russia hit record highs this week.
In Belgium, COVID-19 infections, driven by the delta variant among the young, have almost doubled over the past week.
Britain recorded a one-day total of more than 40,000 new cases for the first time in six months.
In Myanmar, crematoriums are working morning to night. In Indonesia, which recorded almost 1,000 deaths and over 54,000 new cases Wednesday, up from around 8,000 cases per day a month ago, people near Jakarta are pitching in to help gravediggers keep up.
“As the diggers are too tired and do not have enough resources to dig, the residents in my neighborhood decided to help,” Jaya Abidin said. “Because if we do not do this, we will have to wait in turn a long time for a burial.”
Tokyo is under a fourth state of emergency ahead of the Summer Games this month, with infections climbing fast and hospital beds filling up. Experts have said caseloads could rise above 1,000 before the Olympics and multiply to thousands during the games.
The spike has led to additional restrictions in places such as Sydney, Australia, where the 5 million residents will remain in lockdown through at least the end of July, two weeks longer than planned.
South Korea has placed the Seoul area under its toughest distancing rules yet because of record case levels.
Parts of Spain, including Barcelona, moved to impose an overnight curfew.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said masks will be required on buses and trains even after other restrictions in England are lifted next week.
Italy warned all those going abroad that they might have to quarantine before returning home.
WHO acknowledged that many countries are now facing “considerable pressure” to lift all remaining precautions but warned that failing to do it the right way will just give the virus more opportunity to spread.