COVID19 Global Updates: Cases Surpass 79.3 Million, Deaths Exceed 1.74 Million

Washington: : The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill. Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus crisis from around the globe on Friday.

The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 79.3 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 1.74 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Friday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 79,310,157 and 1,741,501, respectively.

The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 18,649,350 and 329,022, respectively, according to the CSSE.

India comes in second place in terms of cases at 10,123,778, while the country's death toll soared to 146,756.

The other countries with more than a million confirmed cases are Brazil (7,423,945), Russia (2,934,695), France (2,584,333), the UK (2,195,144), Turkey (2,100,712), Italy (2,009,317), Spain (1,854,951), Germany (1,614,336), Argentina (1,563,865), Colombia (1,559,766), Mexico (1,350,079), Poland (1,239,998), Iran (1,183,182), Ukraine (1,030,125) and Peru (1,000,153), the CSSE figures showed.

Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of fatalities at 189,982.

The countries with a death toll above 20,000 are Mexico (121,172), Italy (70,900), the UK (69,732), France (62,389), Iran (54,308), Russia (52,434), Spain (49,824), Argentina (42,314), Colombia (41,454), Peru (37,218), Germany (29,085), Poland (26,752), South Africa (25,983) and Indonesia (20,589).

London reports biggest rise in new Covid-19 cases

London has seen the highest increase in case rates per 100,000 population among various regions in England with 602.2 in week 51 compared to 361.8 in the previous week, according to the latest figures updated by the Public Health England (PHE).

The weekly report, which monitors Covid-19, influenza and other seasonal respiratory viruses in England, is based on data from week 51 (between December 14 and 20), and for some indicators daily data up to December 22, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.

Case rates per 100,000 have increased across all regions in England and are the highest in London with a rate of 602.2 per 100,000 population, according to the report.

Case rates have increased across all age groups as well, with the highest rate 434.6 per 100,000 population seen in those aged between 30 and 39, the figures also showed.

The hospital admission rate for Covid-19 was 18.66 per 100,000 in week 51, compared to 15.18 per 100,000 in the previous week, said the report.

Hospital admission rates for Covid-19 have increased in all regions except for the northeast of England but this region also has the highest rate of 23.44, said the PHE.

More than 2,100 Covid-19 patients were admitted to London hospitals in a week and cases soared by nearly 56,000, official figures have revealed.

The figures showed a growing number of people struck down with the virus needing hospital treatment, with 357 admitted to hospitals in the city on Dec. 18, and 366 the previous day.

Chile reports 2,395 new Covid-19 cases amid vaccination drive

Amid the just-launched vaccination drive against the coronavirus pandemic in Chile, an additional 2,395 people tested positive in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health.

Thursday's figure increased the overall caseload to 594,152, Xinhua news agency reported.

Besides the new cases, 75 fatalities were also reported in the same period, which took the total death toll to 16,303, the Ministry said.

Immunization began earlier in the day, following the arrival of the first 10,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

"This first stage (of vaccination) should not make us forget that the virus will continue to be present for a long time, to maintain physical distance, use a face mask and wash our hands," Health Minister Enrique Paris said in a statement.

"In the first quarter (of 2021) we are just going to have 5 million people vaccinated, and in the first half (of the year) we are going to reach 80 per cent of the population," he said.

(With IANS Inputs)