Global COVID-19 infections soared past 25 million on Sunday, as countries around the world further tightened restrictions to try to stop the rampaging pandemic.
A million additional cases have been detected globally roughly every four days since mid-July, according to an AFP tally, with India on Sunday setting the record for the highest single-day rise in cases with 78,761.
Even nations such as New Zealand and South Korea, which had previously brought their outbreaks largely under control, are now battling new clusters of infections.
Brazil’s grim tally
On the other side of the world, Latin America — the worst-hit region — is still struggling with its first wave, with COVID-19 deaths in Brazil crossing 1,20,000, second only to the United States.
Brazil’s curve “has stabilised now, but at a very dangerous level: nearly 1,000 deaths and 40,000 cases per day,” said Christovam Barcellos, a researcher at public health institute Fiocruz. “And Brazil still isn’t past the peak.”
More than 8,43,000 people have died of COVID-19 globally, and with no vaccine or effective treatment available yet, governments have been forced to resort to some form of social distancing and lockdowns to stop the spread of the virus.
Masks will become mandatory from Monday on public transport and flights in New Zealand, which went more than 100 days without local transmission before the current cluster emerged.
And tightened virus curbs kicked in on Sunday in South Korea, which is also battling fresh clusters — including in the greater Seoul region, home to half the country’s population.
In Iraq, thousands of Shia pilgrims wearing gloves and masks flooded the holy city of Karbala to mark Ashura, in one of the largest Muslim gatherings since the pandemic began.
Despite the grim numbers, there has been steady opposition to lockdowns and social distancing measures in many parts of the world, often because of their crushing economic cost. But resistance has also come from the extreme right and left of the political spectrum, as well as conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccine campaigners.
In Berlin on Saturday, thousands gathered to march against COVID-19 restrictions — but police later stopped the rally because many participants were not respecting social distancing measures.
Some cheer in New York
There was some cheer on Saturday in New York, once among the world’s biggest COVID-19 hotspots.
Visitors raised their arms, clapped and lined up to get tickets as New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its doors to the public in a festive atmosphere after a six-month closure. Tracy-Ann Samuel, who came with her daughters aged four and nine, said she couldn't wait to again be “surrounded by beautiful art”. “It means that there is some semblance of normalcy,” Ms. Samuel said. “The Met has been a part of New York history for over 150 years... So this is a big first step.”
