Coronavirus tally: Global cases of COVID-19 top 200 million and U.S. to require foreign travelers are vaccinated
The global tally for the coronavirus-borne illness headed above 200 million on Thursday, while the death toll climbed above 4.25 million according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. leads the world with a total of 35.3 million cases and in deaths with 614,785 as the highly infectious delta variant continues to spread fast, especially in states with low vaccination rates. New cases are rising sharply and and the U.S. is now averaging more than seven times as many cases a day as it was at the beginning of July, according to a New York Times tracker. The Biden administration is taking the first steps toward requiring nearly all foreign visitors to the U.S. to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, a White House official said Wednesday, the Associated Press reported. The requirement would come as part of the administration's phased approach to easing travel restrictions for foreign citizens to the country. No timeline has yet been determined, as interagency working groups study how and when to safely move toward resuming normal travel. India is second by cases at 31.8 million and third by deaths at 426,290 according to its official numbers, which are expected to be undercounted. Brazil is second in deaths at 559,607, but is third in cases at 20 million. Mexico has fourth-highest death toll at 242,547 but has recorded just 2.9 million cases, according to its official numbers. In Europe, Russia continues to pull ahead of the U.K. by deaths at 159,803, while the U.K. has 130,300, making Russia the country with the fifth-highest death toll in the world and highest in Europ
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