AP, JOHANNESBURG
The number of people around the world who have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed 600,000 as countries from the US to South Africa to India struggle to contain infections. Hong Kong also warned of a resurgence in the virus as it issued tougher new rules on the wearing of masks.
Concerns are rising that the pandemic has found fresh legs over the past few weeks, with Johns Hopkins University recording a one-day high of 252,500 cases on Thursday, and a slightly lower 233,400 on Saturday.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The WHO gave a figure of 259,848 cases on Saturday, its highest yet.
While the US leads global infections, South Africa now ranks as the fifth-worst-hit country in the pandemic with more than 350,000 cases, or about half of all those confirmed on the continent.
Its struggles are a sign of potential trouble to come for nations with even fewer healthcare resources.
India, which has confirmed more than 1 million infections, yesterday reported a 24-hour record surge of 38,902 new cases.
In Europe, where infections are far from their peak in the spring, but local outbreaks are causing concern, leaders of the 27-nation EU haggled for a third day in Brussels over a proposed 1.85 trillion euro (US$2.1 trillion) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there is “a lot of good will, but there are also a lot of positions” in the talks, which have laid bare the fissures in the bloc about how the countries hit hardest by the pandemic, such as Italy and Spain, should be helped and under what conditions.
She said that the talks, which were initially scheduled to end on Saturday, could still end without a deal.
Confirmed global deaths from or with COVID-19 rose to more than 602,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. The US tops the list with more than 140,000, followed by more than 78,000 in Brazil, 45,000 in the UK and 38,000 in Mexico.
The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2 million, with 3.7 million accounted for by the US alone. Brazil has witnessed more than 2 million, while India has recorded more than 1 million. Experts believe the true numbers around the world are higher because of testing shortages and data collection issues in some nations.
Following a recent surge in cases, Hong Kong made the wearing of masks mandatory in all public places and told non-essential civil servants to work from home.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) said the situation in the territory is “really critical” and that she sees “no sign” that it is under control.
Police in Barcelona are limiting access to some of the city’s beaches, because sunbathers are ignoring regulations amid a resurgence of the coronavirus.
Authorities in Amsterdam are urging people not to visit the city’s famous red light district and have closed off some of the historic district’s narrow streets, because they were too busy.
Slaughterhouses also have featured in several outbreaks. Authorities in northwestern Germany’s Vechta County on Saturday said that 66 workers at a chicken slaughterhouse tested positive.
Cases in the Australian state of Victoria rose again yesterday, prompting a move to make masks mandatory in metropolitan Melbourne and the nearby district of Mitchell for people who leave their homes for exercise or to purchase essential goods.
Taiwan’s Lee Chia-hao (李佳豪) on Sunday won a silver medal at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, England, a career best. Lee, 25, took silver in the final of the men’s singles against world No. 1 Shi Yuqi (石宇奇) of China, who won 21-17, 21-19 in a tough match that lasted 51 minutes. After the match, the Taiwanese player, who ranks No. 22 in the world, said it felt unreal to be challenging an opponent of Shi’s caliber. “I had to be in peak form, and constantly switch my rhythm and tactics in order to score points effectively,” he said. Lee got
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