Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
With the new variants of Covid-19 spreading faster than ever before in several nations, the global corona cases have now topped 183 million.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count and fatalities reached 183,015,891 and 3,962,894, respectively, on Saturday morning.
To date, 3,128,422,118 vaccine doses have been administered across the world, reports UNB.
The US, the world's worst-hit country in terms of cases and deaths, has so far logged 33,693,352 infections and 605,309 fatalities, respectively, as per the JHU data.
Brazil registered 1,857 more deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 521,952, the health ministry said Friday.
A total of 65,165 new infections were detected during the period, raising the total caseload to 18,687,469, the ministry said.
India’s fatality toll reached 400,312, with 853 deaths in 24 hours, the federal government said on Saturday morning.
Besides, 46,617 new cases were reported during this period, pushing up the national tally to 30,458,251.
Situation in Bangladesh
As Covid-19 cases keep surging at a breakneck speed across Bangladesh, the country reported over 100 deaths for the sixth straight day on Friday.
The new number, 132 deaths, took the country's toll to 14,778. Bangladesh reported 143 deaths on Thursday, its highest-ever daily fatality from the pandemic, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
‘Dangerous period with Delta variant’
The head of the World Health Organization says the world is in “a very dangerous period” of the Covid-19 pandemic, noting the more contagious delta variant is identified in nearly 100 countries.
At a press briefing on Friday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the delta variant, first found in India, is continuing to evolve and mutate, and it is becoming the predominant Covid-19 virus in many countries.
“I have already urged leaders across the world to ensure that by this time next year, 70% of all people in every country are vaccinated,” he said, adding that would effectively end the acute phase of the pandemic.
He noted three billion doses of Covid jabs have already been distributed and, “it’s within the collective power of a few countries to step up and ensure that vaccines are shared.”
Of the vaccine doses given globally, fewer than 2.0 per cent have been in poorer countries.
Although rich countries, including Britain, the US, France and Canada, have pledged to donate 1 billion Covid-19 vaccines, WHO estimates 11 billion doses are needed to immunise the world.