As many as 68.7 million (68,700,724) people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,566,040 have died, according to a worldodometer tally. It reported that there have been 47,639,783 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. 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. In New Delhi, India reported 32,080 new cases of the coronavirus, taking its total to 9.74 million, data from the Health Ministry showed on Wednesday. India has the world's second-highest caseload, but daily infections have dipped steadily since hitting a peak in September. Of its 9.74 million total cases, around 370,000 are active patients, currently infected with COVID-19. Daily cases have stayed below the 50,000-mark since Nov. 8, despite a busy festival season that saw crowded markets and streets. Deaths rose by 402, the ministry said, with the total now at 141,360. In Moscow, Russia recorded on Wednesday 559 additional coronavirus deaths and 26,190 new infections in a span of 24 hours. Overall infections increased to 2,541,199 cases, while the death toll surged to 44,718 fatalities, the anti-coronavirus crisis center said. The total number of healed cases increased to 2,007,792 after adding 26,266 fresh recoveries. In Berlin Germany said Wednesday 590 persons died of coronavirus while 20,815 people tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said total deaths reached 19,932 and registered infections topped 1,218,524. In Paris, France's Ministry of Health reported Tuesday that 491 coronavirus deaths, while 13,713 more people contracted the disease over the past 24 hours. France, the first country in Europe to surpass two million coronavirus cases, now has a death toll of 56,352, out of a total of 2,309,621 people who have been infected, according to government data. In Brussels, total infections of coronavirus cases in Belgium on Wednesday increased to 594,572 with 1,957 new infections reported by Belgian health authorities. Up to 121 more deaths from COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours raising the total death toll to 17,507. The number of daily coronavirus deaths in Ukraine jumped to 276 from the previous record of 257 fatalities registered in November, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said on Wednesday. He also said 12,585 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 845,343 cases with 14,204 deaths. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in Dec. 20 In Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday reported 21 new coronavirus deaths and 1,039 more cases in the last 24 hours. The caseload and death toll from the disease have risen to 149,135 and 1,136 respectively, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.The overall recoveries rose to 93,110. The Lebanese ministerial coronavirus committee has decided to continue closing some tourist and entertainment sectors, and opening other partially. It also maintained the curfew from 11.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. 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. 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 Tuesday that 434 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus and 23 patients died over the past 24 hours. The figures took the country's tally to 119,81 infections and 6,813 deaths the ministry said. Another 210 patients have been discharged from the hospitals, bringing the overall recoveries to 103,913. * In Khartoum, Sudan recorded on Wednesday 213 additional COVID-19 cases and six fatalities over the past 24 hours. Overall infections increased to 20,084 cases, while the death toll hit 1,307 as total of 11,344 people healed, the Ministry of Health said. In august, Sudan started to gradually lift the lockdown imposed on Khartoum, since April 18, to contain the virus. * Meanwhile, Mauritania's Ministry of Health said Tuesday that 197 persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus bringing the country's caseload to 9,876. Three more fatalities, registered over the past 24 hours, pushed the death toll from the viral illness to 197. Forty-one more coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospitals, raising the total recoveries to 7,904. — Agencies
