The World Health Organization has reported another record in the increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases over a 24-hour period, at over 230,000. The previous global record was on Friday, with more than 228,000 fresh cases worldwide.
According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which relies on official government data, a total tally of close to 12.9 million cases were recorded worldwide by early on Monday, and 568,296 deaths.
The true global infection and death totals are likely to be higher due to delays in reporting, differing definitions and testing rates and suspected underreporting from some countries.
The UN health agency said on Sunday the United States again topped the list, with more than 66,000 cases recorded. Florida confirmed the highest one-day case rise ever for a US state on Sunday, with 15,000 new cases.
California had the previous record of daily positive cases – 11,694 – which was set on Wednesday. New York had 11,571 on 15 April. The numbers come at the end of a week where Florida reported 514 fatalities, an average of 73 a day. Three weeks ago, the state was averaging 30 deaths a day.
In Texas, a 30-year-old patient died after attending a ‘“Covid party”, believing the virus to be a hoax, a Texas medical official has said. Dr Jane Appleby, the chief medical officer at Methodist hospital in San Antonio, explained that a “Covid party” is a gathering held by somebody diagnosed with coronavirus to see if the virus is real and to see if anyone gets infected.
According to the WHO’s report, the biggest increases in cases were from the US, Brazil, India and South Africa.
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday the country would immediately return to a ban of the sale of alcohol to reduce the number of trauma patients so hospitals have more beds to treat Covid-19 patients.
Confronted by surging hospitalisations due to the coronavirus, South Africa is also reinstating a night curfew to reduce traffic accidents and has made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks in public.
Ramaphosa said that top health officials had warned of impending shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen as South Africa reaches a peak expected between the end of July and September.
South Africa accounts for 40% of all confirmed cases in Africa, with 264,184, including 3,971 deaths, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the WHO, global deaths remain steady at about 5,000 a day. But some countries are seeing their own fatality records tumble.
Mexico became the country with the fourth-highest number of deaths worldwide late on Sunday, overtaking Italy, with at least 35,006 fatalities over the course of the pandemic so far. Italy hasrecorded 34,954 deaths.
The Philippines broke its own one-day record for deaths reported, as the health ministry on Monday confirmed 162 new deaths. An official explained however that of the 162 casualties, more than half died in June and a third in July, adding that the ministry expected more to be reported amid data reconciliation efforts.
The ministry said total deaths had reached 1,534, while confirmed infections rose 2,124 to 56,259.
Other key developments include:
Australia’s worst-hit state, Victoria, recorded 177 new cases on Monday, down from 273 cases on Sunday and a record 288 on Friday. Chief health officer Brett Sutton said it was too early to say whether the lower count meant the spread was being contained.
The pandemic has caused an “unprecedented education emergency” with up to 9.7 million children affected by school closures at risk of never going back to class, Save the Children warned on Monday.
New Zealand’s health minister has voiced displeasure at Australia’s plan to resume deportations in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. A secure isolation hotel is being prepared in Auckland to quarantine 30 New Zealand deportees from Australia, eight of whom are being held in virus hotspot Melbourne.
Honduras will extend its curfew for another week in an effort to tame the pandemic, the security ministry said on Sunday. Honduras first imposed a curfew in March but the government has in recent weeks been talking about slowly reopening businesses to help the economy.