Global Covid cases rise by daily record of 400,000

Global coronavirus cases rose by more than 400,000 for the first time late on Friday, a record oneday increase as much of Europe enacts new restrictions to curb the outbreak.

The coronavirus causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease.

Europe, which successfully tamped down the first surge of infections, has emerged as the new coronavirus epicentre in recent weeks and is reporting on average 140,000 cases a day over the past week.

As a region, Europe is reporting more daily cases than India, Brazil and the United States combined.

Of every 100 infections reported around the world, 34 were from European countries, according to a Reuters analysis.

The increase is partly explained by far more testing than was done in the first wave of the pandemic.

The region is currently reporting 1mn new infections about every nine days, and has reported more than 6.3mn cases since the pandemic began.

Major European countries – the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Netherlands and Spain – accounted for about half of

Europe’s new cases in the week to October 18, according to Reuters tally.

The five countries reporting the most deaths in Europe are the UK (43,429), Italy (36,427), Spain (33,775), France (33,134), and Russia (23,723), according to a Reuters tally.

France is reporting the highest seven-day average of new cases in Europe, with 19,425 infections per day followed, by the UK, Russia, Spain and the Netherlands, in worst-affected European countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron ordered a third of France’s population be put under nightly curfew on Wednesday, with the measure taking effect this weekend.

Several European countries are closing schools, cancelling elective surgeries and enlisting student medics as the authorities face a Covid-19 resurgence.

Russia is moving students to online learning and Northern Ireland is closing schools for two weeks and restaurants for four.

In Spain, authorities in Catalonia ordered nightspots and restaurants to close for 15 days and limited the numbers of people allowed in shops.

The Czech Republic has also shifted schools to distance learning and plans to call up thousands of medical students.

Hospitals are cutting non-urgent medical procedures to free up beds.

Polish health officials have warned the country is on the brink of a disaster as a record 6,526 new coronavirus infections and 116 deaths were reported this week.

Poland is ramping up training for nurses and considering creating military field hospitals.

Germany has reported new daily records three times this week, reporting more than 7,000 daily cases for the first time on Thursday.

It reported a record 7,830 new cases yesterday, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.

By European standards, Germany has experienced relatively low infection and death rates so far during the pandemic, but Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned there could be 19,200 infections per day if current trends continue.

Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic said yesterday that the eurozone member will test every resident ages 10 and up for the coronavirus, amid an uptick in infections.

“Testing will be free of charge,” he told reporters in the country of 5.4mn people, without specifying whether it will be mandatory or voluntary.

“If we manage to pull this off, we can set an example for the entire world,” Matovic said.

A pilot run in certain areas is scheduled for next weekend, while the main testing will take place in late October and early November.

The government declared a state of emergency earlier this month in response to a surge in infections and deaths.

Yesterday the health ministry reported nearly 2,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the total to more than 28,000. Eleven infected individuals also died, putting the total death toll at 82.

Latin America is the worstaffected region with about 27% of total Covid-19 cases, followed by Asia, North America and Europe, according to a Reuters analysis.

In the United States, which has the largest total number of both cases and deaths in the world, new infections are edging higher along with the most number of hospitalised coronavirus patients since early September.

Efforts to develop a vaccine hit snags, with Johnson & Johnson pausing its trial after an unexplained illness in a study participant.

AstraZeneca’s US trial has remained on hold for more than a month.

Russia, which recorded a record daily increase in cases, has meanwhile granted regulatory approval to a second vaccine.