Geneva (AFP)
A record two million Covid-19 cases were recorded last week as the number of deaths fell by 10%, according to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO).
With the exception of Africa, all regions reported an increase in cases from September 14 to 20.
Globally, more than 30.6 million cases and 950,000 deaths have been reported to WHO since the onset of the disease in late December in China.
“From September 14 to 20, there were almost 2 million new cases of Covid-19, which is a 6% increase from the previous week, and the highest number of cases reported in a single week since the start of the epidemic. During the same period, the number of deaths has decreased by 10%, 37,700 deaths having been reported ", detailed the WHO in its weekly bulletin published on the night of Monday to Tuesday.
The number of cases diagnosed, however, only reflects a fraction of the actual number of infections.
Some countries only test severe cases, others prioritize testing for tracing, and many poor countries have limited testing capacity.
The WHO European region has seen the largest increase in deaths over the past week (+ 27% compared to the previous week).
The Americas, accounting for more than 38% of all new cases reported in the past week, remains the most affected, according to the table compiled by the WHO.
The region, however, reported a 22% decrease in deaths.
The Southeast Asian region, which accounts for 35% of new cases reported in the past week, has passed the 100,000 mark since the start of the pandemic, with 9,000 new deaths in the past week .
The Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific regions have both reported a slight increase in reported cases and deaths in the past three weeks.
In Africa, the epidemic continues to slow, with declines of 12% in cases and 16% in deaths.
© 2020 AFP