WHERE THE WORLD IS ON THIRD COVID-19 WAVE

The global third wave of Covid-19 is here and getting stronger by the day, with the daily new cases touching 500,000 in the last two months. Experts attribute this rise to the Delta variant, first detected in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said this surge was a warning for India and the rest of the world.

Major European countries and the US are contributing to the third wave. Russia’s situation is nearly as bad as it was in winter with over 167 cases per million, the second highest in the world currently. The pace of new cases building up in the US, UK and Spain is also worrying.

While India and some other countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and South Africa are adding a significant number of cases each day, their curve is falling. Experts in India say that while a third wave may be imminent in August, it is likely to be milder than the second one.

In Asia, Japan, where the Olympics begin on July 23, is seeing a spike. Vietnam, until now a success story in containing Covid-19, is seeing a gradual growth. Iran, which was one of the first countries to witness a grave situation last year, is on the upswing again. The curve is also moving up in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia — a clear sign that countries need to keep their guard up.