Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 31.88 million, death toll over 975,000

At least 31,883,444 people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 975,065 people have died, a Reuters tally showed.

Workers wearing protective suits bury a coffin at the burial area provided by the government for victims of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Pondok Ranggon cemetery complex, as the outbreak continues in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 24, 2020. Photo: Reuters

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

The World Health Organization referred to the outbreak as a pandemic on March 11.

Canada entered a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and cases continued to rise across the hard-hit Latin American region, while a raft of lacklustre data from major global economies revived concerns about the resilience of an economic recovery.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

At least 6,917,263 cases of the highly contagious novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States and its territories while at least 200,878 people have died, according to a Reuters tally of state and local government sources as of September 24, 2020, 2:38 pm. The US diagnosed its first COVID-19 case in Washington state on January 20.  

Likewise, India follows the US with a total of 5,732,518 coronavirus cases with 91,149 death, according to Reuters’ interactive graphic tracking the global spread.  

Likewise, Brazil has the third-highest 4,624,885 coronavirus cases while 138,977 people have died. 

ASIA-PACIFIC

— Australia’s Victoria state said the number of new daily infections was close to a three-month low, buoying hopes that restrictions will be eased sooner than expected.

— Indonesia reported 4,465 new cases on Wednesday, its biggest daily rise.

AMERICAS

— US President Donald Trump said he may or may not approve any new, more stringent FDA standards for an emergency authorisation of a COVID-19 vaccine.

— Mexico’s death toll rose to 74,949 on Wednesday, according to health ministry data, while Brazil recorded 33,281 additional confirmed cases in the past 24 hours.

— Canada “is at a crossroads” as a second wave emerges in four large provinces, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, adding that, “we’re on the brink of a fall that could be much worse than the spring.”

EUROPE

— German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier became the country’s second cabinet member to enter quarantine, while data showed that confirmed cases increased by 2,143 to 278,070.

— Germany added regions in 11 European countries to the list of destinations it classifies as coronavirus risk zones.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

— Israel’s cabinet decided to tighten the lockdown after PM Benjamin Netanyahu voiced alarm that a surge in infections was pushing the nation to “the edge of the abyss”, the YNet news site said.

— The United Arab Emirates reported its highest daily number of infections since the start of the pandemic at 1,083 new cases.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

— Johnson & Johnson began a 60,000-person trial of an experimental single-shot COVID-19 vaccine that, if proven effective, could simplify distribution of millions of doses compared with leading rivals requiring two doses.

— Britain will host clinical trials where volunteers are deliberately infected with the new coronavirus to test the effectiveness of vaccine candidates, the Financial Times reported.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

— The coronavirus crisis is lasting longer than expected and it will take some countries years to return to growth, the No. 2 official at the International Monetary Fund said.

— US Federal Reserve policymakers vowed to keep interest rates near zero, while business activity cooled in September, with gains at factories offset by a retreat at services industries.

— Euro zone business growth ground to a halt this month as fresh restrictions to quell a resurgence in infections slammed the services industry into reverse.

— Some Bank of Japan board members warned a resurgence in the pandemic could delay an economic recovery and destabilise its banking system by pushing more companies under, minutes from the bank’s July rate review showed.

— Chinese consumers are slowly opening their wallets again – but the hard days of lockdowns still weigh on many shell-shocked lower-income households, who prefer to hold on to their cash.

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