As of 9 am, July 17, 2020:
World count: 13,654,445 cases, 7,622,505 recoveries, 586,174 deaths
There are now 13,654,445 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 worldwide. The United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases, with 3,533,905 infections, followed by Brazil (2,012,151) and India (968,876).
There have been 586,174 deaths from the coronavirus all over the globe since the pandemic began. The US has the highest number of deaths in the world, with 138,358 fatalities from Covid-19, followed by Brazil (76,688), and the United Kingdom (45,119).
7,622,505 people worldwide have recovered from the coronavirus.
Singapore: 248 additional cases, 268 discharged, 11 community cases
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on July 16 that there are 248 new Covid-19 cases in the country, of which 11 are community cases and four are imported cases. The other 233 cases are of Work Permit holders living in dormitories. Singapore now has 47,126 confirmed cases, with an additional 268 discharged from hospital. A total of 43,256 individuals have recovered.
Of the active coronavirus cases in Singapore, 146 are in hospital. 3,697 are in community facilities. Twenty-seven people in Singapore have died of complications due to Covid-19 infection.
Brazil: Covid-19 infections now over 2 million
In less than one month, Brazil’s confirmed coronavirus cases have doubled, and on July 16 (Thursday) the country breached the two million mark, when 45,403 new cases were reported. Brazil now has a total of 2,012,151 coronavirus infections. Only 27 days have passed since the country’s case count reached one million, with over 40,000 new cases reported daily. Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro, has also been infected with the coronavirus. As infections continue to spread, anger has grown against his administration, as he had minimized the risks of the disease from the beginning. While new cases have begun to decline or at least stabilize in large cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, fresh outbreaks in other regions continue to be reported.
Japan: Tokyo sees highest number of daily infections on July 16
Japan’s capital, Tokyo, saw 286 confirmed new coronavirus cases, its largest jump in infections since the pandemic began. Japan now has a total of 23,602 cases, (22,890 on land and 712 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.) To date, 998 people in Japan have died of the coronavirus. Tokyo raised its alert level to the highest of four levels due to the uptick in cases. Elsewhere Japan, Osaka and Kanagawa are also noting record highs in new cases.
Hong Kong: 3rd wave of infections due to virus mutation, relaxed restrictions
Experts in Hong Kong have said that the city’s third wave of infections are due to the easing of restrictions as well as a potential mutation in the virus that made it more infectious. While the number of infections had gone down to single digits or even zero for weeks, 67 new cases were recorded on Thursday, July 16. Gabriel Leung, Dean of Medicine faculty at the HKU, said that the new mutation causes the virus to multiply at a higher rate, as the protein that makes the virus attach to human cells has become more transmissible. It does not seem to make patients more ill, however. John Nicholls, a clinical professor in pathology at HKU, said, “We need to be cautious about this and do more sequencing to see if the virus in Hong Kong is this ‘mutated’ virus.” Hong Kong has a total of 1,655 confirmed cases and 10 deaths.
India: Highest daily jump of 32,695 new cases recorded
On July 16, India saw its highest daily jump in new cases so far, with 32,695 new confirmed cases. The country now has 968,876 infections and 24,915 deaths. The Indian Council of Medical Research says that there have been more than 12.7 million tests administered in India since the pandemic began. —/TISG
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