Worldwide virus cases hit grim milestone

THE number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has topped 16 million. According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the US leads the count with 4.1 million, followed by 2.3 million in Brazil and 1.3 million in India.

The US also has the highest number of deaths with 146,460, followed by 86,449 in Brazil and 45,823 in the UK.

In the US, New York state leads with 32,608 deaths.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he believes “the vicious virus” may have entered the country. He placed the city of Kaesong, near the border with South Korea, under total lockdown after a person was found with suspected Covid-19 symptoms.

In South Korea, the number of new cases fell back to below 60, a day after it reported 100-plus for the first time in nearly four months.

The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 58 additional cases over the past 24-hour period, taking the total to 14,150 with 298 deaths.

Twelve of the newly confirmed cases were locally infected while the rest came from overseas.

Health authorities said the 113 cases on Saturday were mostly imported infections found among cargo ship crews and hundreds of South Korean construction workers airlifted out of virus-ravaged Iraq.

Vietnam reimposed restrictions in one of its most popular beach destinations after a second person tested positive for the virus, the first locally transmitted cases in the country in more than three months.

Authorities in Da Nang banned gatherings of more than 30 people in public places as well as all sport, cultural and religious events in the city of 1.1 million. Theme parks, beauty salons, bars and clubs were also ordered to shut.