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 Worldwide COVID-19 deaths are rising once again, especially in
Brazil and India. Health officials blame more infectious variants
that were first detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa,
along with public fatigue with lockdowns and other restrictions.
(Open https://tmsnrt.rs/34pvUyi in an external browser for global
COVID graphic)
According to a Reuters tally, it took more than a year for the
global coronavirus death toll to reach 2 million. The next 1 million
deaths were added in about three months.
Brazil is leading the world in the daily average number of new
deaths reported and accounts for one in every four deaths worldwide
each day, according to a Reuters analysis.
The World Health Organization acknowledged the nation's dire
condition due to coronavirus, saying the country is in a very
critical condition with an overwhelmed healthcare system.
"Indeed there is a very serious situation going on in Brazil right
now, where we have a number of states in critical condition," WHO
epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove told a briefing last Thursday,
adding that many hospital intensive care units are more than 90%
full.
India reported a record rise in COVID-19 infections on Monday,
becoming the second nation after the United States to post more than
100,000 new cases in a day.
India's worst-affected state, Maharashtra on Monday began shutting
shopping malls, cinemas, bars, restaurants, and places of worship,
as hospitals are being overrun by patients.
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 The European region, which
includes 51 countries, has the highest total
number of deaths at nearly 1.1 million.
Five European countries including the United Kingdom, Russia,
France, Italy and Germany constitute about 60% of Europe's total
coronavirus-related deaths.
The United States has the highest number of deaths of any country at
the world at 555,000 and accounts for about 19% of all deaths due to
COVID-19 in the world. Cases have risen for the last three weeks but
health officials believe the nation's rapid vaccination campaign may
prevent a rise in deaths. A third of the population has received at
least one dose of a vaccine.
At least 370.3 million people or nearly 4.75% of the global
population have received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine by
Sunday, according to latest figures from research and data provider
firm Our World in Data.
However, the World Health Organization is urging countries to donate
more doses of approved COVID-19 vaccines to help meet vaccination
targets for the most vulnerable in poorer countries.
(Open
https://tmsnrt.rs/3tUM8ta in an external browser for global
COVID vaccination graphic)
(Reporting by Anurag Maan and Roshan Abraham in Bengaluru; Editing
by Lisa Shumaker and Andrew Heavens)
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