As of 9 am, August 1, 2020:
World count: 17,321,394 cases, 10,155,026 recoveries, 673,822 deaths
There’s now a total of 17,321,394 confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide. The United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases, with 4,638,044 infections, followed by Brazil (2,666,298) and India (1,638,870).
There have been 673,822 deaths from the coronavirus all over the globe since the pandemic began. The US has the highest number of deaths in the world, with 155,583 fatalities from Covid-19, followed by Brazil (92,568), and the United Kingdom (46,119).
10,155,026 people worldwide have recovered from Covid-19.
Singapore: 396 additional cases, 183 more discharged, 3 community cases
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on July 31 that there are 396 new Covid-19 cases in the country, of which 3 are community cases and 3 are imported cases. The other 390 cases are of Work Permit holders living in dormitories. Singapore now has a total of 52,205 confirmed cases, with an additional 183 discharged from hospital. A total of 46,491 individuals have recovered.
Of the active coronavirus cases in Singapore, 136 are in hospital, and none are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. 5,551 are in community facilities. Twenty-seven people in Singapore have died of complications due to the Covid-19 infection.
WHO: Daily high of 292,527 reported on July 31
Six months after being declared a public health emergency, a new record daily high 292,527 new Covid-19 cases were reported to the World Health Organization on Friday, July 31. The previous high had been reported on July 24, when 284,196 new coronavirus cases were recorded. 6,812 additional deaths wre also reported on July 31.
Frontline workers in full protective gear still at risk for infection
A new study from King’s College London has shown that medical personnel wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE) treating coronavirus patients are still at risk of catching the infection. Even with gloves, gowns and face masks, healthcare staff still have 3.4 times the risk of infection compared to the general population.
The study said, “A little over 20 percent of front-line health-care workers reported at least one symptom associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with 14.4 percent of the general population; fatigue, loss of smell or taste, and hoarse voice were especially frequent The data is clear in revealing that there is still an elevated risk of SARS-Co-V-2 infection despite availability of PPE.”
China: 100 new cases reported 3rd straight day
For the third day in a row, 100 new coronavirus cases have been reported in China, where the disease was first discovered in December of last year. 127 new coronavirus cases were reported on July 30, 112 of which are located in Xinjiang, the site of a recent outbreak. The rest were reported in Liaoning. Eleven asymptomatic patients were also reported on the same day.
Hong Kong: Legislative Council elections postponed
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, announced that the Legislative Council elections scheduled for September 6 have been postponed due to the recent rise of coronavirus cases in the city. Ms Lam, who called it the hardest decision she has had to make since the pandemic began, said that the Central People’s government expressed support for her decision.
Vietnam: First Covid-19 death reported
The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported the country’s first Covid-19 related death on July 31, a 70-year-old man, who died in the Hue Central Hospital. On July 9, he was admitted to Da Nang Hospital after showing symptoms of Covid-19 the previous day, and tested positive for the coronavirus on July 26. The country also reported 37 new coronavirus cases on July 31, and Vietam’s total case count is now at 546. —/TISG
Read also: Virus wreaks economic havoc as global cases top 17 million