As many as 72.2 million (72,221,006) people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,613,868 have died, according to a worldodometer tally. It reported that there have been 50,607,364 cases of global recoveries. Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world with about 72 million confirmed cases in 190 countries and more than 1.5 million deaths. The virus is surging in many regions and countries that had apparent success in suppressing initial outbreaks are also seeing infections rise again. The US has recorded more than 15 million cases and nearly 300,000 deaths from coronavirus, the highest figures in the world. Daily cases have been at record levels since early November and there are now over 100,000 people in hospital, more than in either of the two previous waves. India and Brazil have the second and third highest case tallies, recording some 9.8 and 6.88 million cases respectively. Infections have been reported in more than 218 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. In Washington, the US recorded in the past 24 hours its highest number of coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic. According to the Johns Hopkins University, the US recorded 231,775 new COVID-19 cases and 3,309 deaths. The tally showed that the confirmed cases nationwide reached 15,851,735 and at least 295,539 deaths. Furthermore there are 108,000 people currently hospitalized with coronavirus, "an all-time record," according to COVID Tracking Project. The US ranks first globally in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths. In Moscow, Russia recorded on Sunday 488 additional coronavirus deaths and 28,080 new infections in a span of 24 hours. Overall infections increased to 2,653,928 cases, while the death toll surged to 46,941 fatalities, the anti-coronavirus crisis center said. The total number of healed cases increased to 2,106,235 after adding 20,277 fresh recoveries. In Berlin, German health authorities reported on Sunday 321 deaths and 20,200 new positive cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said the country's total death increased to 21,787 cases and the total confirmed cases rose to 1,320,716. Germany responded to the second wave of the deadly pandemic by shutting hospitality businesses as well as leisure and sports facilities. Schools and non-essential shops have, however, remained open. In Paris, France recorded 13,947 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Saturday, up from the previous daily tally of 13,406, Reuters cited data as publishing on a government website. The hospital death toll from COVID-19 rose by 199 to 57,761, compared with 304 deaths recorded on Friday. In London, the tally of confirmed coronavirus-induced fatalities across the UK grew by 519 to 63,506, heath authorities said on Saturday. Some 21,502 more COVID-19 cases were also registered in the country over the last 24 hours, pushing the overall count to over 1.830 million, said the Department of Health. In Rome, the tally of confirmed coronavirus-induced fatalities rose to 64,036 after registering 649 more deaths in 24 hours in Italy. The Ministry of Health said 19,903 more infections were confirmed in the same period, making up 10.1 percent of the daily medical tests. It added, the overall infections claimed to 1,825,775. The number of people being treated in hospitals dropped to 28,066, while ICU cases hit 3,199. In Brussels, total infections of coronavirus cases in Belgium on Sunday increased to 605,966 with 2,807 new infections reported by Belgian health authorities. Up to 110 more deaths from COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours raising the total death toll to 17,902. Meanwhile, Mexico's Health Ministry on Saturday reported 12,057 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 685 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,241,436 cases and 113,704 deaths, Reuters reported. The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases. The Mexico City's government on Saturday said shops in the center of the capital and other busy areas would temporarily have to close at 5 p.m. to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection as authorities battle a surge in cases. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said the city is now in a state of "emergency" but like President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, she has opted not to impose binding restrictions, instead urging residents to stay at home and reduce their socializing. Mexico City and its metropolitan area is the epicenter of the pandemic in Mexico, and new infections of coronavirus have reached record levels in recent weeks, with the government forecasting things will continue to get worse until January. On Saturday, the city government said that under the containment measures, in the historic center "non-essential" stores would have to close at 5 p.m. and shops there affiliated with retail association ANTAD would be shut on Mondays. The city said non-essential stores would also have to close at 5 p.m. in various other busy areas of the city, including parts of Polanco, Santa Fe and areas in or around Paseo de la Reforma, one of the principal avenues of the megalopolis. In New Delhi, India said on Sunday that 391 people died due to COVID-19 while 30,254 new cases of the coronavirus were registered in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 9,857,029, data from the Health Ministry showed on Sunday. Deaths due to COVID-19 touted to 143,019. According to the ministry, 9,357,464 people recuperated from the pandemic as it spread to 35 states. India has the world's second-highest caseload, but daily infections have dipped steadily since hitting a peak in September. In Seoul, President Moon Jae-in of S. Korea on Saturday vowed to use all available resources to stem the spread of the new coronavirus as the country's new daily infection number hit a record high of 950, Yonhap reported. Moon apologized for failing to promptly stabilize the COVID-19 situation despite tightened social distancing measures at the cost of economic damage. "We will consider this as an emergency situation and put all out efforts in a short period of time, using all available administrative ability," he said in a message posted on Twitter. On Saturday, South Korea reported 950 more COVID-19 cases, including 928 local infections, raising the total caseload to 41,736. In Latin America, Brazil has more than 6.88 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 Saturday that 478 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus and 21 patients died over the past 24 hours. The figures took the country's tally to 121,089 infections and 6,898 deaths the ministry said. Another 211 patients have been discharged from the hospitals, bringing the overall recoveries to 104,710. In Tunis the Tunisia's Ministry of Health said on Saturday that 1,289 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus bringing the country's caseload to 100,393. Thirty-five more fatalities were registered over the past 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 3,836 deaths. Meanwhile the overall recoveries went up to 84,218 after 1,056 patients recovered. In Amman, the Syrian Ministry of Health on Saturday said that 130 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus bringing the country's caseload to 9,041. Fifteen more fatalities over the past 24 hours raised the death toll to 506 while recoveries went up by 76 to 4,319, the ministry told the SANA news agency. In Khartoum, Sudan recorded on Sunday four deaths due to COVID-19 and 303 new infections during the past 24 hours. The total number of registered positive cases rose to 21,147 cases, while the death toll hit 1,344 as total of 12,227 people healed, the Ministry of Health said. Meanwhile, Mauritania's Ministry of Health said Saturday that 279 persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus bringing the country's caseload to 10,780. Seven more fatalities, registered over the past 24 hours, pushed the death toll from the viral illness to 222. Twenty-six more coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospitals, raising the total recoveries to 8,022. — Agencies
