As many as 68 million (68,055,468) people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,553,155 have died, according to a worldodometer tally. It reported that there have been 47,145,603 cases of global recoveries. Infections have been reported in more than 218 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. Coronavirus cases have surged over the past few months in several regions of the world and large numbers of new infections are being reported daily. The most recent figures show more than 500,000 new cases reported in 24 hours. In Rome, the Italian Cabinet called off its weekly meeting Monday after Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese tested positive for coronavirus. Lamorgese, who took a regular swab test Monday morning, left the meeting abruptly soon after being informed of he results, according to a statement from Chigi Palace. All Cabinet members were told of the cancelation of the meeting and were asked to use facemasks, keep social distancing and implement all necessary precautions. Lamorgese, as well as Justice Minister Alfonso Bonafede and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Luigi di Maio, who were sitting beside her, had to self-isolate, the statement added. The US has recorded almost 15 million cases and more than 280,000 deaths from coronavirus, the highest figures in the world. Daily cases have been at record levels since early November and there are now almost 100,000 people in hospital, more than in either of the two previous peaks of the pandemic. Most parts of the US state of California are under a strict new lockdown that will cover the Christmas holiday period. Many businesses will be closed, and people will be banned from meeting anyone outside their household. The outbreak has had a devastating impact on the US economy, although there are now some signs it is recovering. Nearly eight million Americans, many of them children and minorities, have fallen into poverty since May, according to researchers. In New Delhi, India reported 26,567 new coronavirus infections, data from the Health Ministry showed on Tuesday the lowest daily increase since July 10, according to the tally. Daily cases have been falling in India since hitting a peak in September. The country has 9.7 million cases, second-highest caseload in the world after the United States. Deaths rose by 385, the Health Ministry said, with the total now at 140,958. Russia confirmed 26,097 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours on Tuesday, including 5,232 in Moscow, pushing the national tally to 2,515,009. Authorities said 562 people had died overnight, taking the official death toll to 44,159. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 14,054 to 1,197,709 and the reported death toll rose by 423 to 19,342, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday. In Paris, France's Ministry of Health said Monday that 3,411 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, reflecting a sharp decline in the silly infection rate. The figure took to 2,295,908 the country's overall infections while 366 fatalities pushed the death toll to 55,521, it noted in a statement. On Thursday, the government set aside Euro1.5 billion (nearly $1,82 billion) to the social security budget to finance the vaccination campaign against coronavirus. In Vienna, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection on Tuesday declared that COVID-19 cases rose up to 305,704 cases after recording 2,377 positive cases during the past 24 hours. In addition, more than 362,000 patients were cured from the virus, whereas total deaths rose to reach 2,917. Austria began easing restrictions and closures that were announced early November. In Brussels, total infections of coronavirus cases in Belgium on Tuesday increased to 592,615 with 859 new infections reported by Belgian health authorities. Up to 66 more deaths from COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours raising the total death toll to 17,386. In Latin America, Brazil has more than 6.6 million confirmed cases and the world's second highest death toll. There are concerns the country is now facing a second wave of infections. Argentina, Colombia and Mexico have also recorded more than one million cases. Peru is also approaching that milestone, although daily cases are falling. Africa has recorded more than two million cases, although the true extent of the pandemic there is not known as testing rates are low. South Africa, with about 800,000 cases and more than 22,000 deaths, is still the worst affected country on the continent. Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia and Tunisia are the only other African countries to officially record more than 100,000 cases. In Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population said on Monday that 415 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus and 19 patients died over the past 24 hours. The figures took the country's tally to 118,847 infections and 6,790 deaths the ministry said. Another 202 patients have been discharged from the hospitals, bringing the overall recoveries to 103,703. In Tunis, Tunisia's Ministry of Health said Monday, that 327 people contracted the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours bringing the overall infections to 100,329. Thirty-five more patients succumbed to the illness, raising the country's death toll to 3,596. The recoveries went up 77,798, it added. Meanwhile, Mauritania's Ministry of Health said Monday that 163 persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus bringing the country's caseload to 9,679. Six more fatalities, registered over the past 24 hours, pushed the death toll from the viral illness to 194. Fourteen more coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospitals, raising the total recoveries to 7,863. — Agencies
