As of 7 am, July 21, 2020:
World count: 14,608,517 cases, 8,201,516 recoveries, 608,420 deaths
There are now 14,608,517 confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide. The United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases, with 3,887,352 infections, followed by Brazil (2,102,559) and India (1,118,043).
There have been 608,420 deaths from the coronavirus all over the globe since the pandemic began. The US has the highest number of deaths in the world, with 142,956 fatalities from Covid-19, followed by Brazil (79,590), and the United Kingdom (45,318).
8,201,516 people worldwide have recovered from the coronavirus.
Singapore: 123 additional cases, 285 more discharged, 11 community cases
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on July 19 that there are 123 new Covid-19 cases in the country, of which 11 are community cases and two are imported cases. The other 110 cases are of Work Permit holders living in dormitories. Singapore now has a total of 47,778 confirmed cases, with an additional 285 discharged from hospital. A total of 44,371 individuals have recovered.
Of the active coronavirus cases in Singapore, 183 are in hospital, and none are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. 3,454 are in community facilities. Twenty-seven people in Singapore have died of complications due to Covid-19 infection.
Hong Kong: Carrie Lam says coronavirus spread now ‘out of control’
Hong Kong reported a record high of 108 new coronavirus cases on July 19. Chief executive Carrie Lam said, “I think the situation is really critical and there is no sign the situation is being brought under control.” Over 500 cases have been reported in the last fortnight, which is around one-third of the city’s total case count. Last month, Hong Kong’s daily cases had dwindled to the single digits and even zero, and authorities said that local transmissions had ended in late June.
At present, Hong Kong has 1,886 cases, and many restrictions that were eased earlier, have been restored. Twelve people have died, four of whom passed in the past two weeks. Around 2,000 isolation rooms are being built quickly near Hong Kong Disneyland as hospitals beds are filling up.
France: Health Minister issues warning over increasing circulation of coronavirus
Health Minister Olivier Veran said on July 20 that while France is “very far” from a second wave, there is a possibility of a resurgence in the national health crisis. The circulation of the coronavirus is increasing in the country, he said, adding that there are at least 400 active clusters around the country. “We are on an increasing slope in the circulation of the virus, even if we start from low contamination rates.”
A statement from the French Health Ministry read, “This is reflected in an increase in the number of calls to SOS doctors, visits to the emergency room, the number of clusters and hospitalizations. This moderate increase is due to the fact that a very insufficient proportion of patients with symptoms carry out a virological test and isolate themselves.”
Africa: WHO ‘very concerned’ coronavirus cases may accelerate
World Health Organization officials said on July 20 that the 364,328 coronavirus cases in South Africa could mean a wide spread of the infection throughout the continent. Dr. Mike Ryan, director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, said, “While South Africa is experiencing a very, very severe event, I think it is really a marker of what the continent could face if urgent action is not taken to provide further support.”
While South Africa has the highest number of infections in the region, Madagascar, Namibia, and Botswana have seen infection rates go up by over 50 percent recently. He added, “I’m very concerned right now that we’re beginning to see an acceleration of disease in Africa. And we all need to take that very seriously and show solidarity and support to those countries who may now be experiencing increasing numbers of cases and deaths.”
UK: Oxford vaccine is safe and shows early immune reaction
Good news on the development of a vaccine—early results from the Phase 1/2 trial of a coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford is showing that it is safe and produces an antibody response within 28 days and a T-cell response within 14 days.
University of Oxford Professor Andrew Pollard, the study’s lead author, said in a statement, “We hope this means the immune system will remember the virus, so that our vaccine will protect people for an extended period,” but that more research will be conducted “before we can confirm the vaccine effectively protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection, and for how long any protection lasts.” According to the WHO, 23 vaccines are in clinical trials all over the world.
UK: Hundreds of protestors demonstrate against wearing masks
In London, hundreds of people took to the streets on July 19 to protest against mandatory mask-wearing in stores, which will take effect on July 24. While wearing masks has been found to be the most effective way to control the disease, some believe that they are “mind control” devices or cut off the supply of oxygen to the brain. The demonstration at Hyde Park was organized by a group called Keep Britain Free. —/TISG