Washington: The number of novel Coronavirus infections in the world crossed the 22 million-mark and spiked up to 22,058,697 on Wednesday, with the US reporting the highest number of infections and nearing 5.5 million (5,481,795). The US is followed by Brazil with the second-highest infections (3,407,354), and India at the third position (2,767,274).
The death toll due to the COVID disease rose to 779,533, with the US reporting the highest deaths in the world (171,799), followed by Brazil (109,888), Mexico (57,774), and India (52,889).
Globally, more than 14 million people have recovered from the infection (14,043,710), with the highest number of recovered in Brazil (2,751,246) and followed by India (2,037,871).
South African authorities are investigating government departments for graft over irregularities in Coronavirus-related tenders worth 5 billion rand ($290 million), the head of its Special Investigating Unit (SIU) told lawmakers on Wednesday.
A fresh outbreak of infections in Australia's Coronavirus hot zone of Victoria eased further on Wednesday, while the country agreed a deal to secure a potential COVID-19 vaccine that it plans to roll out cost-free to citizens. Australia has signed a deal with British drugmaker AstraZeneca to produce and distribute enough doses of a potential Coronavirus vaccine for its population of 25 million, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said late on Tuesday.
The Czech Republic will not take part in the World Health Organization-led COVAX plan to develop and distribute a vaccine against COVID-19 and will opt instead for an initiative of the European Union, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said on Wednesday.
Britain plans to bring in regular, population-wide testing for COVID-19 so it can suppress the spread of the virus and ease restrictions that have crippled its economy without triggering a second wave in one of the worst-hit countries in the world.
Iran's death toll from the new Coronavirus surpassed 20,000 on Wednesday with 153 deaths in the past 24 hours, the health ministry spokeswoman told state TV, as the number of total cases hit 350,279.
"The death toll has reached 20,125 …With 2,444 new infections in the past 24 hours, the total number of cases has reached 350,279," said Sima Sadat Lari.
Meanwhile, Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday her COVID-19 test taken a day earlier was negative, but she would continue to work remotely due to respiratory symptoms."
Nepal's authoritis in Kathmandu and surrounding districts imposed a one-week lockdown on Wednesday after a surge in Covid-19 cases. People are prohibited from leaving their homes. Offices and businesses are closed and traffic halted except for essential and emergency movement.
Brazil reported 47,784 new cases of the novel Coronavirus and 1,352 deaths from the disease caused by the virus in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
Brazil has now registered 3,407,354 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 109,888, according to ministry data, marking the world's worst
Coronavirus outbreak after the United States.