Coronavirus, Italy returns to yellow: attention to reopening and gathering risks
Coronavirus.
Brazil, new record of monthly deaths.
Fire in hospital in Iraq, 82 dead
Coronavirus.
Over 3 million dead in the world.
In San Paolo night shifts in the cemeteries.
Coronavirus.
Germany: emergency brake in force.
India: nearly one million cases in three days
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April 26, 2021 On the wave of variants, and especially the impressive impact that the mutated virus is having on the Indian population, the numbers of the Covid-19 pandemic remain at the
highest levels
globally. In the 24 hours between 6pm on Saturday and the same time yesterday, WHO - whose data are based exclusively on the official bulletins of the various national health authorities - recorded
830,806 infections
,
12,940
of which
proved to be lethal. This is a record number for a public holiday, due to the fact that a significant fraction of reports at the weekend are usually late.
Yet, even yesterday the number of
confirmed
infections did not fall below the
800 thousand mark
, confirming the decidedly worrying moment on the disease front (just Thursday the WHO had registered a peak of over 874 thousand infections and 14 thousand victims). Southeast Asia accounted for over 44% of new infections (365,986). North and South America (228,852) and Europe (165,146) follow.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, since its appearance, the new coronavirus has caused over three million deaths worldwide, with a total of 3,106,435 victims out of 146,836,524 infections.
The United States remains by far the most affected nation with 572,200 deaths out of 32,077,196 infections, followed by Brazil with 390,797 victims. The tragic ranking continues with Mexico (214.947), then with India (192.311) while in fifth position is Great Britain, (127.681) followed by Italy (119.238) then Russia (108.232), France (102.887) and Germany (81,671).
India
The eyes of the world are currently on India where a serious humanitarian crisis is underway. For the fifth consecutive day in the country there are over 300,000 new infections in 24 hours. Specifically, there were 352,991 new cases in one day, a figure that exceeds the global record set the previous day. The deaths are 2,812.
The last week has seen a cumulative 89% increase in deaths from Covid-19 in India and a total of 2.2 million new cases, the highest seven-day increase recorded by any country, the Guardian reports. The total toll exceeded
17 million infections
. These are the highest numbers since the start of the pandemic.
According to experts, however, these are underestimates, which do not include unconfirmed cases and many deaths attributed to pre-existing diseases. Crematoriums and burial places are overwhelmed, while pyres burn relentlessly, often no longer respecting traditional religious practices. "We burn them as they come, it's like being at war," said Mamtesh Sharma, head of a center in Bhopal. His crematorium counted 110 deaths on Saturday, but the local government spoke of 10. The hospitals are full and the families of the sick are shuttling around looking for places to hospitalize them, often seeing them die on the street. Oxygen supplies have run out, in a situation that contrasts with the government's claims that "no one in the country runs out of oxygen".
The growth in infections is also particularly virulent, with 16% of active cases having to be hospitalized, causing the health system to collapse.
New Delhi is the most affected city
: alone, the capital registers 25,000 cases a day with a positive rate of 35%. Authorities in the Indian capital have announced that they will provide the Covid vaccine free of charge to anyone over the age of 18. "Today we have given the green light to purchase 13.4 million vaccines," said Governor Arvind Kejriwal, quoted by local media. "We will make an effort to ensure they are purchased early and given to people as soon as possible," he added.
Removed critical posts from Twitter
Narendra Modi's government is heavily criticized for allowing big events like Hindu festivals or election rallies and is now in the eye of the storm for ordering Twitter to remove critical posts on crisis management. According to reports from the 'BBC', a spokesperson for the social media confirmed that the viewing of some content in India has been blocked. The San Francisco platform did not specify what content was removed, but Indian media claim that among the censored tweets are a West Bengal politician who held Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly responsible for the Covid deaths and an actor who criticized Modi for holding political rallies while the virus is rampant.
Twitter, explained the 'BBC', said it had revised the publication of some content after receiving a "valid legal request". An Indian official argued that the blocked material is misleading or could trigger panic. "It is necessary to act against those users who misuse social media during this serious humanitarian crisis for unethical purposes," he told the newspaper 'The Hindu'
Aid for India.
As the country fights a catastrophic wave of coronavirus, the world takes action to help. From the US Anthony Fauci, medical advisor to the Biden administration, said Washington is actively seeking to increase aid, by sending oxygen, tests, drugs and protective equipment. The EU announced the activation of the Civil Protection Mechanism, while the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was "alarmed". And London has launched a first shipment of aid, including ventilators and oxygen concentrators, while other expeditions will follow in the week. France, Germany and Canada have also pledged support for India.
Japan
Thelast official bulletin updated yesterday by the Japanese Ministry of Health recorded 4
.609 new infections nationwide
and 51 confirmed deaths. The number of critically ill patients admitted to the ICU has risen to 864, bringing the occupancy rate of available beds to a record level of 127%. The prefecture of Osaka, in western Japan, is confirmed first for the number of infections with 1,050 new cases, followed by the capital Tokyo (635 infections) with an average of infections increased by 24% compared to last week. Starting today, both prefectures, together with Kyoto and Hyogo, are subject to
total lockdown until May 11
in an attempt to stem the infections and proceed with the holding of the Olympics in less than three months.
United States
The rate of anti-Covid vaccinations in the US is falling despite the spread of highly contagious variants of the virus, which keeps the number of new cases high at around
50,000 per day
. The number of administrations, which had peaked at 3.38 million per day, dropped to 2.86 million, the lowest level since March 31, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. it stopped growing on April 13, when Johnson & Johnson's vaccine was temporarily stopped to examine the correlation with thrombosis risks. The FDA gave the new green light on Friday, limiting itself to a further warning about the risks that are still considered lower than the dangers of Covid.
Brazil
Brazil reached 67,977 deaths from Covid-19 over the weekend since the beginning of April, surpassing the March record when 66,573,000 deaths attributable to the new coronavirus were recorded. Despite this new monthly record, the death curve is stabilizing. "In the last two weeks there has been a stabilization of cases and deaths from Covid-19," the Fiocruz Foundation, an organization dependent on the Ministry of Health, said in its epidemiological bulletin on Friday. In total, Brazil has 389,492 victims since the appearance of its first case of Covid-19 in February 2020, numbers that have made it the second country with the most deaths in the world from the pandemic behind the United States.
Thailand
In Bangkok, cinemas, parks and gyms have been closed as the country faces a new, worst, wave of the pandemic. The shortage of hospital beds, together with the lack of security of adequate supplies of the coronavirus vaccine, have prompted the government to impose the new restrictions, which however do not provide for a lockdown, curfew or travel bans within the national territory. According to health workers, the measures are not enough to ease the pressure on hospitals. Thai health authorities recorded 2,048 new cases and eight deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's total toll to 57,508 cases and 148 deaths. The Thai capital has seen a rapid increase in infections since the beginning of April. L'The latest measure introduced to curb the spread of the virus is a fine of up to 20,000 baht (equivalent to $ 636) for those who do not wear masks indoors or outdoors in 48 provinces including Bangkok.
As of Monday, 31 types of venues in the capital have been closed for two weeks, including cinemas, parks and gyms, and meetings of more than 20 people have been banned. Shopping malls and department stores may remain open for limited hours. Thailand has also banned entry for visitors from India, with the exception of its own citizens. The ban, which will take effect on May 1. Thai citizens seeking to return home will still be allowed entry on scheduled repatriation flights.