Global COVID-19 Cases Exceed 48.5 Million, Death Tally Crosses 1231610

Washington: The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped the 48.5 million mark, while the deaths have surged to more than 1,231,610, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

As of Friday morning, the total caseload and death toll stood at 48,590,825 and 1,231,616, respectively, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 9,604,077 and 234,904, respectively, according to the CSSE.

India comes in second place in terms of cases at 8,364,086, while the country's death toll soared to 124,315.

The other top 15 countries with the maximum amount of cases are Brazil (5,590,025), Russia (1,699,695), France (1,648,989), Spain (1,306,316), Argentina (1,217,028), the UK (1,126,469), Colombia (1,117,983), Mexico (943,630), Peru (911,787), Italy (824,879), South Africa (732,414), Iran (654,936), Germany (619,186), Chile (516,582), and Iraq (489,571), the CSSE figures showed.

Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of fatalities at 161,106.

The countries with a death toll above 10,000 are Mexico (93,228), the UK (48,210), Italy (40,192), France (39,088), Spain (38,486), Iran (36,985), Peru (34,671), Argentina (32,766), Colombia (32,209), Russia (29,285), South Africa (19,677), Chile (14,404), Indonesia (14,348), Ecuador (12,730), Belgium (12,331), Iraq (11,175), Germany (11,006), Turkey (10,639) and Canada (10,432).

Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has decided to hold on December 3-4 a special session on galvanising international cooperation to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The special session of United Nations General Assembly on the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic is a historic moment, and a test, for multilateralism. It will be defined by our collective action on one of the most critical issues of our time," Volkan Bozkir, president of the 75th session of the UNGA, said in his remarks before the adoption of the Modalities Resolution for the 31st Special Session of the General Assembly on the Covid-19 pandemic, reported Xinhua news agency.

(IANS)