Almost two million cases of coronavirus were diagnosed across the world last week — the highest total since the pandemic began as outbreaks across Europe continue to accelerate.
World Health Organization (WHO) figures show 1,998,897 infections were registered in the seven-day spell ending September 20. Almost a third (650,000) were in India.
The total marks a six per cent rise in a week, up from 1.84million, and is ‘the highest number of reported cases in a single week since the beginning of the epidemic’, the UN agency said.
But weekly deaths have yet to spike in line, sticking to around the 40,000 mark ever since they topped 51,000 during the darkest days of the crisis in April.
Experts say this is down to testing picking up more cases, doctors being better able to treat the disease and younger people — who aren’t as vulnerable to Covid-19 — driving flare-ups in Europe.
World Health Organization (WHO) figures show 1,998,897 infections were registered in the seven-day spell ending September 20. Almost a third (650,000) were in India
That marks a six per cent rise in a week and is ‘the highest number of reported cases in a single week since the beginning of the epidemic’, the UN agency said
Since the coronavirus first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, it has infected almost 31million people around the globe.
Data also shows it has killed nearly 960,000, according to the WHO. More than half of the deaths have occurred in North and South America.
The US — which has diagnosed 6.6million cases itself since the virus first landed on American soil — has seen almost 200,000 deaths.
Nearly every regions of the world saw new cases rise last week, with Europe and the Americas seeing new cases swell by 11 and 10 per cent, respectively.
Only Africa, which has remained relatively unscathed by the pandemic, dodged the upward trend, reporting a 12 per cent drop in fresh cases from a week earlier.
Even as cases shot up across much of the world, the number of new deaths is going down, the WHO statistics showed.
Last week, 37,700 deaths linked to the virus were recorded across the world, marking a decline of 10 per cent compared to the previous week.
The decline was driven by the Americas, where new deaths were 22 per cent lower than a week earlier, and by Africa where new deaths dropped 16 per cent.
The clear drop in deaths in the Americas region were driven mainly by decreases in Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador and Bolivia.
The US and Brazil, the second-worst hit nation, continued to report the most deaths, each reporting over 5,000 new deaths in the past week.
Europe, some of which is experiencing a second wave of infections, meanwhile saw its new death count shoot up to over 4,000 for the seven-day period.
Nearly every regions of the world saw new cases rise last week, with Europe and the Americas seeing new cases swell by 11 and 10 per cent, respectively
Since the coronavirus first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, it has infected almost 31million people around the globe. Data also shows it has killed nearly 960,000, according to the WHO. More than half of the deaths have occurred in North and South America
WHO statistics, published every week in a situation report, showed this was a 27 per cent hike compared to a week before.
In Europe, France (66,900), Spain (50,700) and Russia (40,600) reported the highest number of new cases in the past week.
The UK came fourth in the table, recording 25,184 infections between September 14 and 20.
Britain continues to count the highest number of cumulative deaths on the continent at nearly 42,000 since the beginning of the pandemic.