Global Covid-19 caseload tops 239.5 mn


Washington: The global coronavirus caseload has topped 239.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 4.88 million and vaccinations soared to over 6.57 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Friday morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload, death toll and the total number number of vaccine doses administered stood at 239,573,207, 4,881,197 and 6,575,970,837, respectively.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 44,766,965 and 721,562, according to the CSSE.

In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 34,020,730 cases.  The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (21,612,237), the UK (8,356,596), Russia (7,773,388), Turkey (7,570,902), France (7,174,580), Iran (5,754,047), Argentina (5,270,003), Spain (4,980,206), Colombia (4,977,043), Italy (4,709,753), Germany (4,355,169), Indonesia (4,232,099) and Mexico (3,738,749), the CSSE figures showed.

Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are Brazil (602,099), India (451,435), Mexico (283,193), Russia (216,403), Peru (199,746), Indonesia (142,848), the UK (138,647), Italy (131,461), Colombia (126,759), Iran (123,498), France (118,111) and Argentina (115,633).

Meanwhile, Singapore reported 2,932 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, bringing the total tally in the country to 138,327, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release.
Of the new cases, 2,412 were in the community, 517 were in migrant worker dormitories, and three were imported cases.

A total of 1,511 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with 310 of serious illnesses requiring oxygen supplementation, and 46 in critical condition in intensive care units, said the MOH, Xinhua news agency reported.

Besides, 15 more cases have passed away from complications due to Covid-19 infection. They include a 23 year-old individual who had been partially vaccinated against Covid-19, and a 34 year-old individual who was unvaccinated.

The other 13 individuals who passed away were aged between 60 and 89 years. As of Wednesday, 84 per cent of the local population have received two doses of Covid-19 vaccines, and 85 per cent have received at least one dose.