The World Health Organisation has reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 284,196 in 24 hours.
A street vendor in Rio de Janiero. Brazil is recording 40,000 new cases of coronavirus each day. Photo: AFP
Deaths rose by 9753, the biggest one-day increase since a record high of 9797 deaths on 30 April.
The previous WHO record for new cases was 259,848 on 18 July. Deaths have averaged 5000 a day in July, up from an average of 4600 a day in June.
The WHO reported 69,641 new cases in the United States, 67,860 in Brazil, 49,310 in India and 13,104 in South Africa. The largest increases in new deaths were 3876 in Peru, 1284 in Brazil, 1074 in the United States, 790 in Mexico and 740 in India.
Peru recently reviewed its Covid-19 data and in one day increased its total death toll by 3000 to a total of over 17,000 fatalities.
India on 17 July became the third country in the world to record more than 1 million cases of the new coronavirus, behind only the United States and Brazil. Epidemiologists say India is still likely months from hitting its peak.
Relatives pose with a newly wedded couple during a visit to the Holy Shrine of Kali Temple in Kolkata, India, where it is feared Covid-19 has not yet reached its peak. Photo: AFP
Cases in Brazil crossed the 2 million mark on 16 July, doubling in less than a month as the country adds nearly 40,000 new cases a day. A patchwork of state and city responses has held up poorly in Brazil, in the absence of a tightly coordinated policy from the federal government.
The United States, which leads the world with over 4 million cases, has also tried to curb the outbreak at the state and local level, with only limited success.
- Reuters