As many as 80.8 million (80,815,441) people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,766,796 have died, according to a worldodometer tally. It reported that there have been 57,041,256 cases of global recoveries. Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world with over 80 million confirmed cases in 190 countries and more than 1.76 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 recorded 203,000 new coronavirus cases in the past 48 hours and 2,938 virus-related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The tally showed that the confirmed cases nationwide reached 18,680,653 cases and at least 339,355 deaths, the highest figures in the world. Furthermore there are a record 120,151 people currently hospitalized for coronavirus in the US, according to COVID Tracking Project. The US ranks first globally in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths. India and Brazil have the second and third highest case tallies, recording some 10 and 7 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. Daily cases have now fallen in many European countries after steep rises in October. Lockdowns and other restrictions were reintroduced in some of the worst-affected regions to help bring numbers down. In London, Britain said that the death toll from coronavirus has risen by 210 to 69,767, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Saturday. As many as 34,693 more lab-confirmed cases raised the country's overall count to nearly 2,256,000, according to the department's daily update. In Moscow, Russia reported 28,284 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 3,050,248 after it crossed the 3 million mark on the previous day, Reuters reported. Russia's coronavirus crisis center said 552 coronavirus patients had died in the last 24 hours and the overall national coronavirus death toll was at 54,778. They added 24,390 people recovered from the virus , raising the total number of recoveries to 2,450,829. The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Russia on Jan. 31, 2020 when two Chinese citizens in Tyumen (Siberia) and Chita (Russia Far east) tested positive for the virus. In Berlin, German health authorities reported on Sunday 356 deaths and 13,755 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said the country's death toll increased to 29,778 cases and the total confirmed cases those to 1,640,858. 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, French health authorities reported 3,093 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours today, on Saturday, sharply down from the 20,000+ figure recorded over the two days before Christmas Day (Dec. 25), Reuters reported. Yet, the number of people hospitalized for the disease increased by 85, at 24,477, the first increase in six days. France will launch its vaccination campaign on Sunday along with most other EU countries. Its COVID-19 death toll increased by 146 versus Friday, to 62,573, the seventh-highest globally. In Rome, Italy's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak hit 71,620 on Saturday after 261 more people succumbed to the disease over the past 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed. It is the lowest single day record since the peak of Nov. 2. Some 10,407 new cases were logged in the same period to raise the total in one of the world's worst-affected countries to 2,038,759, according to government figures. It noted 32,324 people recovered from the virus in the past day, taking the tally to more than 1,377,000 recoveries since the outbreak of the pandemic. In Brussels, total infections of coronavirus cases in Belgium on Sunday increased to 638,030 with 748 new infections reported by Belgian health authorities. They reported 69 more deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours raising the total death toll to 19,158. In Amsterdam, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the environment Saturday reported that 9.880 new coronavirus cases were reported in the Netherlands raising the total number of infections to 754,115. Also around 49 more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours raising the total deaths from COVID-19 to 10,974, said the institute. In Vienna, Austrian authorities announced Sunday that they recorded 1,408 new coronavirus cases raising the total number of confirmed infections to 351,892. More that 320,000 cases have recovered since the start of the pandemic, deaths have reached 5,881, said the country's Health Ministry. In New Delhi, India said on Sunday that 279 people died due to COVID-19 while 18,732 new cases of the coronavirus were registered in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that fatalities due to COVID-19 rose to 147,622 as the total number of positive cases mounted to 10,169,108. According to the ministry, 9,761,538 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 Tokyo, Japan reported on Friday 3,828 daily cases of novel coronavirus, raising the nation's total number 213,012, the Health Ministry and local authorities said. The country's cumulative death toll rose by 69 and stood at 3,153. Tokyo added 748 new infections, which brought the total cases in the Japanese capital to 53,130. The Tokyo metropolitan government raised its alert for medical preparedness to the highest level on its four-tier scheme, saying the healthcare system in Tokyo is on the verge of a crisis. It also urged residents to refrain from non-essential outings during the year end and the new Year holiday period. In Seoul, South Korea reported more than 1,100 daily new coronavirus cases today, on Saturday, despite all-out efforts to lower the curve of infections with the toughest distancing rules yet in place, Yonhap reported. The country reported 1,132 more COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, including 1,104 local infections, putting the total caseload at 55,902, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally is slightly lower than Saturday's new record high of 1,241. The death toll rose by 20 to 793. The country's daily COVID-19 caseload first breached the 1,000 mark on Dec. 13 and has hovered between 800 and 1,000, including a five-day streak of over 1,000 last week. South Korea is grappling to contain yet another wave of virus infections with the toughest social distancing rules banning gatherings of five or more people and shutting down popular venues around the Christmas and New Year's holiday season. The government has urged citizens to strictly comply with the distancing rules, warning that any violations will face a fine of up to 3 million won ($2,700). Meanwhile, Some 7.2 million people have been infected with the coronavirus in Brazil the country's Health Ministry said. On Saturday, Latin America's largest country recorded 50,177 new infections, bringing the new total to 7,213,155, and 706 new deaths in the past 24 hours. Until now, 186,356 people have died in Brazil in connection to the virus. Brazil ranks third in terms of infection numbers globally, behind the United States and India. On fatalities, Brazil ranks second behind the US. Argentina, Colombia and Mexico have also recorded more than one million cases and all three countries are still seeing very high numbers of daily confirmed cases. Peru is also approaching the milestone of one million cases, although daily cases are falling. The country has one of the highest deaths rates in the world. Africa has recorded more than two million cases, but the true extent of the pandemic there is not known as testing rates are low. South Africa, with more than 800,000 cases and nearly 23,000 deaths, is 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 1,189 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus and 43 patients died over the past 24 hours. The figures took the country's tally to 131,315 infections and 7,352 deaths the ministry said. Another 477 patients have been discharged from the hospitals, bringing the overall recoveries to 109,462. In Tunis, Tunisia's Ministry of Health on Saturday announced 41 deaths from the novel coronavirus and 1,652 more infections in 24 hours. The tally confirmed deaths and infections rose to 4,426 and 130,230 respectively since the outbreak of the virus. Meanwhile overall recoveries went up to 99,514. Meanwhile, Mauritania's Ministry of Health said Saturday that 152 persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the country's caseload to 13,516. Seven more fatalities in the last 24 hours pushed the death toll from the viral illness to 321. The report said, 278 patients have been discharged from hospitals, raising the overall recoveries to 10,065 cases. — Agencies
