As of 8 am, June 23, 2020:
World count: Over 9 million cases around the globe
4,493,661 recoveries, 470,665 deaths
There are now 9,057,555 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 worldwide. The United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases, with 2,355,269 infections, followed by Brazil (1,111,348) and Russia (592,280).
There have been 470,665 deaths from the coronavirus all over the globe since the pandemic began. The US has the highest number of deaths in the world, with 122,119 fatalities from Covid-19, followed by Brazil (51,407), and the United Kingdom (42,647).
4,493,661 people worldwide have recovered from the coronavirus.
Singapore: 218 additional cases, 648 more discharged, 1 community case
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on June 22 that there are 218 new Covid-19 cases in the country, of which 1 is a community cases. The other 217 cases are of Work Permit holders living in dormitories. Singapore now has a total of 42,313 confirmed cases, with an additional 648 discharged from hospital. A total of 35,590 individuals have recovered.
Of the active coronavirus cases in Singapore, 200 are in hospital, and 1 is in critical condition in intensive care. 6,497 are in hospitals or community facilities. Twenty-six people in Singapore have died of Covid-19 related causes, and ten people infected with the coronavirus have died from other causes.
US: More young people getting infected, could lead to wider spread
More and more young people are getting infected with the coronavirus in states in the south and west of the US, largely due to a refusal to observe social distancing rules. And while they have higher chances of showing no or few symptoms, they can still spread the illness to others, which is a cause for concern for infectious disease experts.
Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute said, “We have known that younger people are less likely to get sick and less likely to die from the virus. Those younger people have parents. They have grandparents, and they are going to go see those people. The more the virus spreads, the more everybody is vulnerable.”
South Africa: Over 100,000 Covid-19 cases
With 4,289 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, South Africa’s total case count is now at 101,590, and the country has had at least 1,991 deaths. South Africa now accounts for almost one-third of all of the continent’s infections.
Dr Mike Ryan said at a World Health Organization briefing on June 22, “We’ve seen increases of disease in some countries in excess of 50% in the last week and we’ve seen other countries with very, very stable numbers.” He added that Africa’s mortality rate is lower than in other areas. “What we haven’t seen yet are large increases in the number of deaths. So Africa, at this point, is still avoiding the large proportion of that, that have been associated with this disease in other continents.”
US: Democrats in Congress want to pass laws to keep vaccine prices down
Members of the US House of Representatives from the Democratic Party unveiled two new potential laws on June 22 that would keep the prices of taxpayer-funded treatments and vaccines for the coronavirus low. The US government released billions of dollars to drug companies for research treatments and vaccines but without the guarantee that these would be made available to Americans at affordable prices.
“Today we are saying that a public health crisis should not be allowed to become a for-profit bonanza for the pharmaceutical industry. Because taxpayers have contributed to this research and development, they should receive, in return, full transparency,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said.
The new laws would protect against drug price gouging for treatments and vaccines as well as the excessive pricing of drugs for illnesses that cause public health emergencies.
Saudi Arabia: Hajj pilgrimage to have limited participants
Due to the pandemic, the number of people at this year’s Hajj pilgrimage will be very limited, the Saudi Press Agency said on June 22. it has been decided that the Hajj will “take place this year with a limited number of pilgrims from all nationalities residing in Saudi Arabia only who are willing to perform Hajj,” said Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. “This decision is taken to ensure Hajj is safely performed while committing to all preventive measures to protect Muslims and adhere strictly to the teachings of Islam in preserving our health and safety.” The Hajj will begin at the end of July.—/TISG
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