Country, Other	Total Cases	New Cases	Total Deaths
World	32,401,723	+314,855	987,156
USA	7,185,471	+45,355	207,538
India	5,816,103	+85,919	92,317
Brazil	4,659,909	+32,129	139,883
Russia	1,128,836	+6,595	19,948
Colombia	790,823	+6,555	24,924
Peru	788,930	+6,235	31,938
Mexico	710,049	+4,786	74,949
Spain	704,209	+10,653	31,118
Argentina	678,266	+13,467	14,766
South Africa	667,049	+1,861	16,283
France	497,237	+16,096	31,511
Chile	451,634	+1,731	12,469
Iran	436,319	+3,521	25,015
UK	416,363	+6,634	41,902
Bangladesh	355,384	+1,540	5,072
Iraq	337,106	+4,471	8,799
Saudi Arabia	331,857	+498	4,599
Turkey	309,790	+1,721	7,785
Pakistan	308,217	+799	6,437
Italy	304,323	+1,786	35,781
Philippines	296,755	+2,180	5,127
Germany	281,345	+2,140	9,519
Indonesia	262,022	+4,634	10,105
Israel	212,115	+7,425	1,378
Ukraine	188,106	+3,372	3,757
Canada	149,094	+1,341	9,249
Bolivia	131,990	+537	7,731
Ecuador	131,146	+1,254	11,213
Qatar	124,425	+250	212
Romania	118,054	+1,639	4,591
Dominican	110,122	+385	2,076
Morocco	110,099	+2,356	1,956
Panama	108,726	+736	2,297
Kazakhstan	107,529	+79	1,699
Belgium	106,887	+1,661	9,959
Netherlands	103,141	+2,544	6,312
Egypt	102,513	+138	5,835
Kuwait	101,851	+552	592
Oman	95,907	+568	885
Sweden	90,289	+533	5,878
UAE	88,532	+1,002	407
Guatemala	87,933	+491	3,170
China	85,314	+7	4,634
Poland	82,809	+1,136	2,369
Japan	80,041	+273	1,520
Belarus	76,651	+294	802
Honduras	72,675	+369	2,222
Ethiopia	71,687	+604	1,148
Portugal	71,156	+691	1,931
Venezuela	70,406	+967	581
Costa Rica	69,459	+1,400	795
Nepal	69,301	+1,497	453
Bahrain	67,701	+687	231
Czechia	58,374	+2,910	567
Nigeria	57,849	+125	1,102
Singapore	57,654	+15	27
Uzbekistan	53,834	+559	446
Algeria	50,579	+179	1,703
Moldova	48,953	+721	1,252
Armenia	48,251	+374	945
Ghana	46,222	+69	299
Kyrgyzstan	45,757	+127	1,063
Austria	40,816	+832	783
Azerbaijan	39,686	+162	581
Palestine	37,591	+508	274
Kenya	37,489	+141	669
Paraguay	36,404	+833	743
Ireland	33,994	+318	1,797
Serbia	33,163	+83	745
Lebanon	32,819	+1,027	329
Libya	30,632	+535	474
El Salvador	28,201	+247	823
Australia	26,983	+9	861
Denmark	24,916	+559	645
S. Korea	23,341	+125	393
Hungary	21,200	+750	709
Cameroon	20,712	+22	418
Bulgaria	19,573	+290	785
Ivory Coast	19,501	+71	120
North Macedonia	17,200	+151	712
Greece	16,627	+341	366
Madagascar	16,191	+24	227
Croatia	15,572	+232	261
Senegal	14,816	+21	304
Zambia	14,491	+48	332
Sudan	13,592	+14	836
Norway	13,406	+129	270
Tunisia	13,305	+826	180
Albania	12,921	+134	370
Namibia	10,740	+77	119
Malaysia	10,576	+71	133
DRC	10,555	+18	271
Maldives	9,939	+54	34
French Guiana	9,790	+28	65
Montenegro	9,717	+289	154
Tajikistan	9,520	+45	74
Finland	9,379	+91	343
Myanmar	8,344	+1,052	150
Luxembourg	8,158	+68	124
Zimbabwe	7,752	+27	227
Slovakia	7,629	+360	41
Mozambique	7,399	+137	51
Uganda	7,064	+185	70
Jordan	6,591	+549	36
Malawi	5,747	+1	179
Jamaica	5,588	+193	77
Eswatini	5,375	+32	108
Cuba	5,310	+40	118
Hong Kong	5,057	+7	104
Slovenia	4,816	+122	145
CAR	4,804	+2	62
Suriname	4,789	+10	102
Rwanda	4,789	+10	27
Angola	4,475	+112	162
Georgia	4,399	+259	26
Trinidad and Tobago	4,235	+99	67
Lithuania	4,070	+138	89
Syria	3,966	+42	183
Aruba	3,756	+35	25
Thailand	3,516	+2	59
Malta	2,898	+42	27
Cyprus	1,663	+9	22

 

Retrieved from:  https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

 

 

 

Czech Republic records second-highest daily increase in coronavirus cases

From CNN's Simon Cullen in London

 

The Czech Republic has identified 2,913 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, according to data from the country’s Health Ministry, the second highest daily increase since the pandemic began.

Three more virus-related deaths were also recorded.

Like many countries in Europe, the Czech Republic has been experiencing a surge in cases in recent weeks.

At least 58,374 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the country since the pandemic began, killing 567 people, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

 

 

Israel records more than 7,500 new Covid-19 cases in highest single-day spike

From CNN’s Oren Liebermann in Jerusalem

 

Israel diagnosed 7,527 new coronavirus cases on Thursday -- a new daily high -- according to the country's Ministry of Health. It was the third straight day the country of fewer than 10 million people identified more than 7,000 cases.

The new figures come just as Israel is set to significantly tighten restrictions during the country’s second general lockdown. The measures take effect at 2 p.m. on Friday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to take any responsibility for the coronavirus crisis in Israel. He has blamed the public for flouting the rules, experts who disagreed with a full lockdown and “populist politicians.”

“The health system is groaning. The number of severe cases is taking off,” said Netanyahu on Thursday evening. “Against these things, I see people dancing, gathering and having meals at long, crowded tables, without masks. There is a limit. Wake up. Enough is enough. We are in a different reality. Something needs to be done and it must be done now.”

 

 

Bolsonaro signs decree for Brazil to join WHO's COVAX vaccine initiative

From CNN’s Taylor Barnes in Atlanta

 

 

President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro looks on during the ceremony in which Eduardo Pazuello takes office as Minister of Health amid the coronavirus pandemic on September 16, in Brasilia. Andressa Anholete/Getty Images

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signed a provisional decree on Thursday for Brazil to join a global effort to develop and distribute Covid-19 vaccines led by the World Health Organization.

The decree, published in the federal government’s Official Diary, says joining COVAX will give the country access to “safe and effective vaccines against Covid-19, without hindering eventual future participation in other mechanisms or procurement of vaccines through other modes.”

According to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil, Bolsonaro also earmarked 2.5 billion reais (about $450 million) for the initiative.

Brazil’s Covid-19 death toll is the second highest in the world, behind only that of the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University.

 

Retrieved from: https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-09-25-20-intl/index.html

 

 

 

Rio’s Carnival delayed for first time in over a century

By Teo Armus

 

For decades, there was almost nothing that could stop Rio de Janeiro from putting on its iconic Carnival, the largest such celebration in the world.

Even during two decades of military dictatorship in Brazil, partygoers continued packing the streets, even as much of the celebrated parade was reviewed by government censors.

But faced with a coronavirus pandemic that refuses to subsist, the festival — a global spectacle closely tied to Rio’s identity and economy — will be delayed for the first time in more than a century.

“We must await the coming months for definition about if there will be a vaccine or not, and when there will be immunization,” Jorge Castanheira, president of the city’s League of Samba Schools, LIESA, said at a news conference, according to the Associated Press. “We don’t have the safety conditions to set a date.”

While the announcement is hardly a surprise, it underscores just how much the pandemic has paralyzed Brazilian society since the country’s first case was reported in February — just one day after the end of this year’s Carnival, which generated $4 billion in revenue.

The Sambadrome, normally home to a massive annual parade organized by LIESA, has now become a homeless shelter, the AP reported. The samba schools that bring together underserved neighborhoods to build elaborate floats for that event — and teach music to hundreds of vulnerable children — have halted almost all social and cultural activities.

Although city officials have yet to rule out accompanying parties that take over the streets for Carnival, it is unlikely for large public events like these to return without a vaccine, they told the news agency.

The last time the event was postponed was in 1912, following the death of Brazil’s foreign relations minister.

 

 

 

After months of planning and billions in spending, will colleges’ virus prevention efforts get trashed by a few student parties?

By Susan Svrluga

 

University of Maryland students wait along Knox Road in College Park on Sept. 12 to get into Terrapin’s Turf, a popular bar just off campus. (Robb Hill for The Washington Post)

 

University officials planned for months for the resumption of fall classes amid the pandemic, with experts advising them on the rapidly evolving understanding of the novel coronavirus. They spent tens of billions of dollars creating massive testing programs, clearing out dorm space for quarantines, sticking reminder dots six feet apart on sidewalks, overhauling ventilation systems and crafting public health campaigns centered around feisty mask-wearing mascots.

But as cases of the coronavirus have popped up on campuses, forcing some schools to empty their dorms or switch to virtual classes, one factor cannot be ignored: Students like to party. And good luck reining that in.

College presidents, student leaders and local officials are trying a variety of approaches. Some — like the University of Maryland’s president — are dropping by popular bars near campus to hand out masks to students outside and remind them to stay safe. Others are moving to shut down socializing altogether, or berating fraternities who host parties. Others have gone so far as to kick students out for violating rules. All of this has created new tension over who really is to blame.

 

Retrieved from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/25/coronavirus-covid-live-updates-us/

 

 

 

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

Reuters

 

(Reuters) - U.S. coronavirus cases topped 7 million, accounting for more than 20% of the world's total, and infections rose sharply in Latin America, while European officials warned of a "twindemic" with flu as the continent grapples with a second COVID-19 wave.

AMERICAS

* Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are working on a $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that could be voted on next week, a key lawmaker said.

* Mexico surpassed 75,000 confirmed deaths, as the pandemic ravages Latin American nations with large informal economies where workers have grappled with the twin threats of hunger and contagion.

* Brazil recorded 32,817 additional confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, and 831 deaths from the disease.

* Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will issue decrees laying the legal groundwork for Brazil to join the global COVID-19 vaccine partnership known as COVAX.

EUROPE

* A surge in COVID-19 cases in Europe risks becoming a deadly double epidemic of flu and coronavirus infections, EU health officials warned.

* Spain's cumulative tally of confirmed infections passed 700,000 and authorities warned of tougher times ahead in the virus hotspot of Madrid.

* The number of people hospitalised in France for COVID-19 went above 6,000 for the first time in more than two months and the prime minister warned the government could be forced to reconfine areas.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* India's case tally surged to 5.82 million after it recorded 86,052 new infections in the last 24 hours.

* Health authorities in China's eastern city of Qingdao have found coronavirus contamination on some packages stored by a seafood importer.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Iran's death toll surpassed 25,000, the highest in the Middle East, with total cases spiking to 436,319.

* Israel tightened its lockdown after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said surging infections were pushing the nation to "the edge of the abyss".

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* The scientific head of the U.S. government program designed to speed development of COVID-19 vaccines said he supports stricter rules to grant emergency use of new inoculations against the coronavirus.

* Novavax started a late-stage trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in the UK in partnership with the government's Vaccines Taskforce.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

* U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers charged with guiding the economy through its worst collapse in a century diverged broadly this week over what to expect in coming months.

* G7 finance ministers are expected to signal their support for extending a debt relief programme aimed at helping the poorest countries weather the pandemic, three sources briefed on the issue said.

* The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased last week.

 

Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/world/factbox-latest-on-the-worldwide-spread-of-coronavirus-501686/

 

 

 

Myanmar’s caseload soars, threatening food distribution, as an election nears.

 

A quarantine center in Yangon, Myanmar, on Thursday.Credit...Shwe Paw Mya Tin/Reuters

 

With Myanmar’s coronavirus cases skyrocketing and its largest city mostly under lockdown, uncertainty is brewing over the potential effects on both the country’s urban food supply and a national election that is just 44 days away.

As of mid-August, the nation of 54 million people had reported only a few hundred cases. But since then, the national caseload has multiplied quickly, reaching 8,515 as of Friday. More than 1,000 infections were reported on Thursday alone.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, has one of the world’s lowest testing rates, which suggests that the virus had been spreading undetected for weeks.

“I think the government did not expect the scenario of rapidly rising cases,” said U Aung Thu Nyein, an independent political analyst. “They were complacent. They should have been conducting random tests since late April to find the undetected cases.”

All domestic flights have been grounded and about 50,000 people are in preventive quarantine. But the country’s health care system is woefully unprepared to handle the pandemic.

The largest city, Yangon, has reported about 90 percent of the country’s new cases. About 400 patients have been ordered to stay in tents inside a local soccer stadium.

Officials are also wrestling with how to supply food to the residents of Yangon, also known as Rangoon, so they can remain at home — a tall order in a country with limited resources.

“The government wants to provide support to all 7 million people in Yangon,” said U Khin Maung Lwin, a commerce ministry spokesman. “But it will take time and will be difficult in this time of rising positive cases.”

Another question is how to manage campaigning ahead of a general election that is set for November 8.

The country’s civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, whose political party, the National League for Democracy, won in a landslide five years ago, hopes to hold on to power.

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi suspended public appearances earlier this month just as the official campaign season began. But it may be to her benefit that campaigning is prohibited in Yangon, and Rakhine State, the site of the first major outbreak.

Democracy activists and the main opposition party have called for delaying the vote to give the candidates a chance to campaign, and to ensure that voters can cast their ballots safely.

“Despite the pandemic, the minimum norms of the democratic election process must be guaranteed,” said U Sai Ye Kyaw Swar Myint executive director of the People’s Alliance for Credible Elections, an independent election monitoring group. “There is a need to guarantee the rights of political parties and candidates to freely campaign and drum up support.

 

Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/world/covid-coronavirus.html?name=styln-coronavirus&region=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&impression_id=e88764f0-ff08-11ea-8c32-e156af5327c5&variant=1_Show

 

 

 

Summary

Here are the key developments from the last few hours:

· The global death toll passed 980,000 on Friday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. With the number of deaths confirmed daily averaging more than 5,000, it looks likely the toll will pass 1 million within days. There are 32m cases worldwide.

· The virus is continuing to mutate throughout the course of the pandemic, according to new research, with experts believing it is probably becoming more contagious. The study did not find that mutations of the virus had made it more lethal or changed its effects.

· India’s coronavirus case tally surged to 5.82 million after it recorded 86,052 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed on Friday.India has regularly been confirming daily case numbers above 80,000 since late August, according to Johns Hopkins University. A total of 1,141 people died of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the ministry said, taking mortalities to 92,290, which is a relatively low 1.6% of all cases.

· Brazil cancelled its carnival parade, which usually takes place in February, for the first time in 100 years. Rio’s League of Samba Schools, LIESA, announced that the spread of the coronavirus had made it impossible to safely hold the traditional event.Rio’s authorities are yet to announce a decision about the carnival street parties that also take place across the city. But its tourism promotion agency said in a statement to the Associated Press on 17 September that without a coronavirus vaccine, it was uncertain when large public events could resume.

· In Europe, the pandemic is worse now than at the March peak in several member countries, the European Union warned, as governments reimpose drastic measures. New infections are soaring once again, prompting the bloc’s disease control agency to flag seven countries of “high concern”. The EU’s health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, said in “some member states, the situation is now even worse than during the peak in March”.

· Israel further toughened its lockdown measures on Thursday after existing restrictions failed to bring down the infection rate. The country has 212,115 cases out of a population of just under 9 million: roughly equivalent to one case per 23 people.The new rules will close the vast majority of workplaces, shutter markets and further limit prayers and demonstrations.

· France set a new record for daily new cases. Health authorities reported 16,096 new confirmed cases on Thursday, a significant increase on the previous record of 13,498 and setting a fourth all-time high of daily additional infections in eight days.

· Australia’s coronavirus hot spot, Victoria, looks set to ease restrictions over the weekend. The two-week average of new infections in Melbourne dropped below 26, well below the 30-50 level which the state has set as a precondition to relax its strict curbs.

 

Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/sep/25/coronavirus-live-news-france-sees-record-new-cases-virus-may-be-becoming-more-contagious