Country, Other	Total Cases	New Cases	Total Deaths
World	149,319,238	+830,881	3,148,205
USA	32,927,091	+52,046	587,384
India	17,988,637	+362,902	201,165
Brazil	14,446,541	+76,085	395,324
France	5,534,313	+30,317	103,603
Russia	4,779,425	+8,053	108,980
Turkey	4,710,582	+43,301	39,057
UK	4,409,631	+2,685	127,451
Italy	3,981,512	+10,404	119,912
Spain	3,496,134	+7,665	77,855
Germany	3,326,778	+19,009	82,698
Argentina	2,905,172	+25,495	62,599
Colombia	2,804,881	+17,578	72,235
Poland	2,768,034	+5,709	65,897
Iran	2,438,193	+20,963	70,532
Mexico	2,329,534	+1,143	215,113
Ukraine	2,038,248	+7,915	42,950
Peru	1,775,062	+6,876	60,416
Indonesia	1,651,794	+4,656	44,939
Czechia	1,622,804	+2,575	29,119
South Africa	1,577,200	+880	54,237
Netherlands	1,472,674	+5,337	17,093
Canada	1,194,989	+7,071	24,065
Chile	1,179,772	+4,158	26,020
Romania	1,049,539	+2,019	27,683
Iraq	1,045,010	+7,152	15,348
Philippines	1,013,618	+7,204	16,916
Belgium	976,088	+1,670	24,065
Israel	838,217	+110	6,359
Portugal	834,991	+353	16,970
Pakistan	804,939	+4,487	17,329
Hungary	772,707	+1,253	26,984
Bangladesh	751,659	+3,031	11,228
Jordan	706,355	+1,815	8,707
Serbia	683,799	+2,145	6,286
Austria	612,170	+1,625	10,126
Japan	571,040	+3,319	10,004
Lebanon	522,763	+1,182	7,197
UAE	514,591	+2,094	1,578
Morocco	509,972	+507	9,005
Saudi Arabia	414,219	+1,045	6,922
Bulgaria	401,109	+1,850	16,182
Malaysia	398,451	+2,733	1,462
Slovakia	380,498	+488	11,572
Ecuador	375,329	+554	18,389
Panama	363,533	+368	6,216
Belarus	354,669	+823	2,512
Greece	337,723	+3,287	10,179
Croatia	324,833	+1,797	6,957
Azerbaijan	315,119	+1,307	4,429
Kazakhstan	311,400	+2,284	3,599
Nepal	307,925	+4,364	3,194
Georgia	305,850	+1,578	4,060
Tunisia	303,584	+1,957	10,444
Bolivia	298,778	+1,119	12,861
Palestine	293,466	+1,414	3,201
Paraguay	271,814	+2,461	6,094
Kuwait	269,681	+1,446	1,535
Dominican Republic	265,481	+78	3,462
Ethiopia	254,044	+924	3,605
Moldova	249,714	+329	5,762
Denmark	248,950	+624	2,479
Ireland	247,489	+420	4,884
Costa Rica	243,167	+1,927	3,186
Lithuania	242,970	+1,075	3,885
Slovenia	238,023	+807	4,221
Egypt	224,517	+1,003	13,168
Guatemala	223,025	+1,086	7,453
Armenia	214,064	+595	4,058
Honduras	207,320	+413	5,193
Qatar	203,599	+695	441
Venezuela	193,721	+1,223	2,082
Oman	191,398	+1,128	1,992
Uruguay	190,096	+2,747	2,452
Libya	176,254	+501	3,010
Bahrain	173,548	+972	626
Nigeria	164,912	+156	2,063
Kenya	157,492	+511	2,665
North Macedonia	151,122	+450	4,742
Myanmar	142,740	+18	3,207
Albania	130,736	+130	2,383
Algeria	121,344	+232	3,225
Estonia	120,836	+459	1,148
S. Korea	119,898	+511	1,820
Latvia	116,132	+596	2,110
Norway	111,686	+524	736
Cuba	103,524	+1,083	604
Sri Lanka	103,487	+1,111	655
Montenegro	96,930	+151	1,478
Kyrgyzstan	94,277	+247	1,589
Ghana	92,464	+118	779
Zambia	91,418	+40	1,249
China	90,610	+11	4,636
Uzbekistan	89,630	+275	646
Finland	86,161	+224	908
Cyprus	63,720	+760	303
Thailand	59,687	+2,179	163
Aruba	10,570	+15	98
Suriname	10,157	+76	201
Vietnam	2,857	+5	35

 

Retrieved from:  https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

 

 

 

Indian Prime Minister Modi's political party is holding rallies despite Covid-19 crisis

From CNN's Manveena Suri in New Delhi

 

Crowds of people gathered at rallies in Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation BJP Telangana

Members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are holding political rallies to drum up support ahead of municipal elections despite a devastating second wave of coronavirus gripping the country.

Campaigning is underway in parts of southern Telangana state for municipal elections. Images tweeted by the BJP Telangana official account on Monday show crowds of people gathered at rallies in Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation, with many of them not wearing masks or adhering to social distancing guidelines.

India reported 352,991 new coronavirus cases -- breaking yet another record for the highest single-day figure globally. Cases dipped slightly Tuesday, with 323,144 new patients reported.

The party's Twitter account later took down some of the tweets and photos showing wider shots of large crowds gathered in the streets for the rallies.

Modi and the BJP have come under fire for holding several rallies in eastern West Bengal state with thousands in attendance between March and April ahead of state polls.

Experts fear the Covid-19 pandemic in India is spiraling out of control thanks to a "perfect storm" of poor vaccine coverage, mass gatherings and the prevalence of more contagious variants of the virus. India has had a total of 17,636,307 Covid-19 cases and 197,894 deaths, according to a CNN tally

On April 22, the Election Commission of India tightened restrictions for the remaining phases of the West Bengal state assembly elections, banning road shows and vehicle rallies as well as large public meetings with more than 500 people after finding political parties and candidates were flouting public health guidelines.

Municipal elections come under state authorities, however, and the Telangana State Election Commission has advised that parties and candidates adhere to state guidelines pertaining to Covid-19. Telangana has not enacted strict anti-epidemic measures, only a curfew at night.

Telangana reported 10,122 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 411,905, according to state health department figures.

 

 

 

New Zealand is no longer the best place to ride out the pandemic, according to Bloomberg's ranking

From CNN's Julia Hollingsworth in Hong Kong

 

A border worker receives a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in Auckland, New Zealand, on February 20. Xinhua/Sipa USA

New Zealand's successful pandemic handling has won it international attention -- and has even seen Hollywood stars shift to its shores.

But according to Bloomberg's latest Covid resilience rankings, the island nation that's been held up as an example of how to handle Covid-19 is no longer the best place to ride out the pandemic.

For the first time since Bloomberg's rankings started last November, Singapore has topped the world -- knocking New Zealand off its perch with a score of 79.7 to New Zealand's 79.6.

Singapore, a country of 5.7 million, has reported more than 61,000 cases and 30 deaths, while New Zealand -- a country of about 5.1 million -- has reported just 2,601 cases and 26 deaths. Both countries have used strict border policies to almost entirely squash community transmission of Covid-19.

But there's something Singapore has over New Zealand: vaccinations. While Singapore has at least partially vaccinated more than a fifth of its population, New Zealand has vaccinated less than 3%.

The Bloomberg Resilience Score ranks countries on their fatality rate and cases per 100,000 over the past month, their total deaths per 1 million, their test positive rate and the level of vaccination. Australia, Israel and Taiwan rounded out the top five spots.

For now, New Zealand is only rolling out vaccines to border workers, staff at state-run quarantine facilities, and high-risk frontline workers or those living in high-risk places, although it plans to provide everyone in the country with a free vaccine.

And while the country's vaccination rate is lagging behind other places overseas -- the United States, for instance, has already at least partially vaccinated more than 41% of its population -- New Zealand isn't alone in the region for its low vaccination rate. For example, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Australia have all been relatively slow at vaccinating their populations.

Leaders in some countries have argued there is some value in not rushing vaccines out as it allows them time to observe side effects.

But experts say these countries still need to vaccinate their populations, as having huge numbers of unvaccinated people is a risk in a world where Covid mutates and changes so rapidly.

 

 

 

Catch up: Here are the latest Covid-19 headlines from the US and around the world

 

New guidance for fully vaccinated people in the US was released Tuesday as some states start relaxing Covid-19 restrictions. Meanwhile, new infections and virus deaths surge in India and other parts of the world.

Here are Tuesday's top headlines to get you caught up:

India: The country is experiencing the world's worst outbreak of Covid-19 infections, reporting at least 323,144 new cases Tuesday. Hospitals have run out of basic medical supplies, with many patients dying due to oxygen shortages. The government has been scrambling to respond to the crisis, with countries around the world offering aid. Here's how you can help.

New guidance: Fully vaccinated people can unmask outdoors if they are walking, running, hiking or biking alone or with members of their household, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those who are fully vaccinated can also go mask free while dining at an outdoor restaurant with friends from multiple households or small outdoor gatherings. Unvaccinated people should still wear a mask.

Travel: The State Department announced students, journalists, certain academics and those “who provide critical infrastructure support” from countries affected by Covid-19 travel restrictions may now come to the United States under a National Interest Exception.

Lifting restrictions: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced any fully vaccinated Ohioan will no longer have to quarantine if they are exposed to someone with Covid-19.

Vaccines: The White House said nearly 30 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be allocated this week. That is an increase from the previous two weeks. The Biden administration also announced measures to make it easier for college students to get their second dose in their home state.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine: The CDC says two additional people experienced a rare blood clotting condition after receiving the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, bringing to 17 the number of known cases of what the agency is calling thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). As of Friday, the CDC had reports of 15 confirmed cases among 8 million vaccinations. 

 

 

 

Covid-19 cases are also surging in India's neighboring Nepal

From journalist Asha Thapa in Kathmandu

 

A health worker holds an oxygen cylinder inside a Covid-19 hospital ward in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 26. Niranjan Shrestha/AP

Nepal is facing a surge in Covid-19 cases as its neighbor India is crumbling under a brutal second wave of the pandemic, according to Nepal’s department of health.

Nepal has recorded at least 4,364 new Covid-19 cases so far for Tuesday, up from 3,442 new cases on Monday, with the capital Kathmandu reporting the highest number of infections.

The border city of Nepalgunj in Lumbini province has become a Covid-19 hotspot, according to numbers posted by the Department of Health’s website.

In an effort to curb the spread of the disease, "prohibitory orders," or local lockdowns, have been imposed in cities such as Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur for 15 days, starting at 6 a.m. local time on Thursday.

There have been reports that some tourists were infected at Mount Everest’s base camp but the Nepalese government has denied such reports. 

Mira Acharya, the director of the department of mountaineering Nepal Tourism Board, told CNN that he had not received an official notice regarding potential Covid-19 infections of climbers at base camp.

 

Retrieved from: https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-vaccine-updates-04-28-21/index.html

 

 

Brazil’s health authority rejects importing Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine

By Manuela Andreoni and Bryan Pietsch

 

A Sputnik V vaccine production line in Saint Petersburg, Russia in February.Credit...Emile Ducke for The New York Times

 

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s health authority said late Monday that it would not recommend importing Sputnik V, the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Russia.

The need for vaccines is urgent in Brazil: The country has been battered by one of the world’s worst outbreaks, driven by the highly contagious P. 1 virus variant.

But the health authority, Anvisa, said that questions remained about the Russian vaccine’s development, safety and manufacturing. All five of Anvisa’s directors voted against importing the vaccine.

Data about Sputnik V’s efficacy was “uncertain,” Gustavo Mendes Lima Santos, Anvisa’s manager of medicine and biological products, said in a lengthy late-night presentation. He noted that “crucial questions” had gone unanswered, including those about potential adverse events.

Russia is using Sputnik V in its own mass vaccination campaign, and the vaccine has been approved for emergency use in dozens of countries. A peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet in February said the vaccine had an efficacy rate of 91.6 percent.

Brazil’s decision prompted a response at the highest level of the Russian government, which has been energetically promoting Sputnik V in Latin America at a time when the United States has limited its vaccine exports to reserve doses for its own citizens.

The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, said on Tuesday that the Russian government would try to win over the Brazilian regulators’ minds about the vaccine’s safety. “Contacts will continue,” Mr. Peskov said on a conference call with journalists. “If data is missing, it will be provided. There should be no doubt in this.”

The official Sputnik V Twitter account have also pushed back, with a post in Portuguese on Monday saying that the vaccine’s developers had shared “all the necessary information and documentation” with Anvisa. In another tweet, it said Anvisa’s decision “was of a political nature” and had “nothing to do with access to information or science.” It alleged that the United States had persuaded Brazil to deny approval.

Anvisa officials were under immense pressure to deliver a decision on Sputnik V, because Brazilian states had contracts to buy almost 30 million doses. The Supreme Court ordered Anvisa to make a decision.

“The days of yes to the vaccine and to treatments are celebrated,” Alex Machado, an Anvisa director, said. “There will inevitably be days of no.”

Gov. Camilo Santana of Ceará, one of the states with a Sputnik V contract, said on Twitter that he respected Anvisa’s decision but found it strange, given that Sputnik V is being used in other countries. “I will keep fighting for this authorization, in a safe manner, following all the rules,” he said.

The Gamaleya Research Institute, part of Russia’s Ministry of Health, developed the vaccine, also known as Gam-Covid-Vac. The shot has been entangled in politics and propaganda, with President Vladimir V. Putin announcing its approval even before late-stage trials had begun.

Ana Carolina Moreira Marino Araújo, the general manager of the Anvisa department that inspects vaccine development, said at the meeting that Brazilian officials could not perform a full inspection of the Russian facilities.

She said officials who were in Russia last week were denied access to the Gamaleya Institute and inspected only two factories, finding problems in one of them. She also said Russian officials had tried to cancel the agency’s visit.

“At this moment, the inherent risk in manufacturing couldn’t be overcome,” Ms. Araújo concluded.

 

Retrieved from:  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/world/covid-vaccine-brazil-russia-sputnik.html

 

 

 

Eyeing summer tourist season, Greece exempts more travelers from quarantine

By Niki Kitsantonis, Shashank Bengali, Raphael Minder and Andrew E. Kramer

 

Walking near the Acropolis in Athens last month.Credit...Byron Smith for The New York Times

 

Greece lifted quarantine requirements on Monday for arrivals from seven more countries, including Russia and Australia, continuing an easing of rules for foreign visitors before a formal reopening to tourists on May 15.

Last week, Greece ended quarantine restrictions for visitors from European Union member states as well as the United States, Britain, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates. The steps were similar to those put in place in March for arrivals from Israel, which has been far ahead of most of the world in vaccinations.

Greece is also stopping restrictions this week for visitors from New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, Rwanda and Singapore.

Greece had previously required arrivals to quarantine themselves for seven days. It is waiving that rule for passengers from the listed countries as long as they produce a vaccination certificate or the results of a negative PCR test conducted within 72 hours of their arrival.

After heavy economic losses in 2020, the Greek authorities are determined to save this year’s summer tourist season despite experiencing a severe third wave of coronavirus infections. Health officials have said the infection rate is stabilizing, though slowly. Greek health officials have reported more than 334,000 infections and more than 10,000 deaths from the virus, according to a New York Times database.

A new concern is the appearance of the coronavirus variant that is believed to be fueling the worsening outbreak in India. On Sunday, health officials recorded the second case of that variant in Greece, found in a 33-year-old foreign woman who had traveled to Dubai in early April.

Greece’s high infection rate remains a worry for some governments. The U.S. State Department has advised against travel to Greece, citing a “very high level” of coronavirus cases. Greek health officials have expanded testing in recent weeks as they gradually lift lockdown restrictions, with bars and restaurants scheduled to reopen on May 3 after a six-month hiatus.

 

Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/04/26/world/covid-vaccine-coronavirus-cases/eyeing-summer-tourist-season-greece-exempts-more-travelers-from-quarantine

 

 

 

Pakistan records more than 200 Covid deaths in a day for the first time

 

Pakistan recorded more than 200 Covid-19 deaths in a day for the first time since the start of the pandemic, as the government said it was considering stricter lockdowns.

Umar Farooq reports for Reuters from Islamabad that a total of 201 new deaths were recorded on Tuesday, bringing the country’s overall death toll from the virus to 17,530, according to the National Command Operation Center (NCOC), which oversees the government’s pandemic response. The previous highest daily death count was 157 recorded on 23 April.

Only about 2m vaccinations have been administered in Pakistan, and the country has struggled to procure supplies to cover enough of its population. Officials have said health care facilities are at risk of being overwhelmed. Pakistan has very limited health resources, with ventilators and oxygen in short supply.

Around 6,286 Covid-19 patients were being treated in 631 hospitals on Tuesday, and more than 70% of ventilators and oxygenated beds were occupied in hospitals in many major cities, according to the NCOC.

 

 A resident wearing a protective mask walks past Pakistan Army soldiers on patrol to enforce coronavirus disease safety protocols in Karachi. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

Stricter measures were taken in a handful of cities with the highest positivity rates this week, and health minister Faisal Sultan has warned that such steps could be extended to other areas if the public did not heed advice on social distancing, wearing masks, and other precautionary measures, especially during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan with the upcoming Eid holiday next month.

“Please keep your Ramadan and Eid simple this year, so we can fight this disease and get through this difficult situation,” Sultan said.

 

Retrieved from:  https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/apr/28/coronavirus-live-news-india-us-uk-biden-fauci-virus-risk-vaccine-delhi-covid-cases