World tops 2mn new daily Covid infections
New global case numbers have soared by 270% since the highly contagious Omicron variant was discovered in Nov
PARIS: The world recorded more than two million daily coronavirus cases on average between January 1 and 7 with figures doubling in 10 days, an AFP tally showed on Saturday.
An average of 2,106,118 new daily infections were reported over the seven-day period, shortly after the one million case threshold was passed in the week of December 23-29, 2021. New global case numbers have soared by 270% since the highly contagious Omicron variant was discovered in South Africa in late November.
But Covid-related deaths were at their lowest level since October 2020, with an average of 6,237 per day recorded in the period between January 1 and 7.
Although early studies suggest Omicron causes less severe illness, experts have warned the sheer volume of cases fuelled by the strain could still overwhelm health systems.
Countries around the world have reintroduced restrictions and ramped up vaccination programmes in a bid to stem the spread of the virus.
Europe, as well as the United States and Canada, are the world’s infection hotspots. The two regions respectively represented 49% and 33% of global Covid cases in the past week.
Covid cases skyrocketed by 47% in Europe and 76% in the United States and Canada compared with the previous week.
In the same period, Covid infections increased by 224% in Oceania, 148% in Latin America and the Caribbean, 116% in the Middle East and 145% in Asia.
The number of new cases reported in Africa remained stacompiled ble but, as elsewhere, were at their highest level since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
UK govt advised against fourth vaccine dose
UK government advisers have recommended against giving a fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine to nursing home residents and people over 80 because data shows that a third shot offers lasting protection against admission to the hospital.
For people over 65, protection against hospitalisation remains at about 90% three months after the third dose, according to data by the UK Health Security Agency. As a result, the joint committee on vaccination and immunization on Friday advised the government that there was no need to offer a fourth dose, or second booster, to vulnerable people at this time.
Australia’s daily Covid infections top 100,000
Australia reported more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases for the first time in a single day, as a backlog of home test results were included in the tally and states began reintroducing restrictions to help hospitals hit by the fast-spreading omicron variant.
Cases more than doubled in Victoria state to 51,356 on Saturday, as officials started counting results from rapid tests for the first time. Some 26,428 of the positive results came from the newly admitted tests, which were taken over the past week, according to health minister Martin Foley.
Nationwide, Australia recorded 116,025 new cases.
The surge comes as states including Victoria and New South Wales moved to suspend non-urgent surgeries and implemented new limitations on socialising.