Sequel to the daily surge in the cases of the novel coronavirus pandemic, worldwide figure of the infection has exceeded 10 million , according to AFP as at the weekend.In Nigeria, according to the figure provided for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NDDC), 24,077 people have been confirmed to be positive of the virus.
One million new cases were recorded in only six days, according to the AFP count, just as countries start to unwind punishing lockdowns that have devastated their economies and thrown millions out of work.
The worldwide death toll from the disease that first emerged in China about six months ago is also nearing 500,000 as fears grow of a full-blown second wave.
The United States, the hardest hit country, has surpassed 2.5 million cases alone, as efforts to reopen the world’s economic powerhouse were set back by a jump in new infections in states such as Florida.
On Saturday alone, the U.S. recorded more than 43,000 new cases, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. U.S. deaths now exceed 125,000, approximately one-quarter the world total of almost 499,000.
In the U.S. state of Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has conceded there has been an “explosion” in new cases.
On Saturday the “Sunshine State” notched 9,585 cases in 24 hours, a new daily record
Miami announced beaches will close over the July 4 holiday weekend and bars are also shutting their doors.
Infections are also up in some other parts of the world that have reopened, with Europe now registering over 2.6 million, according to the AFP tally based on official sources.
China on Sunday imposed a strict lockdown on nearly half a million people in a province surrounding Beijing to contain a fresh coronavirus cluster.
Beijing city official Xu Hejian told reporters that the situation was “severe and complicated,” warning that the city needed to continue tracing the spread of the virus.
Across the Atlantic, the EU on Saturday pushed back a decision on a list of “safe countries” from which travellers can visit Europe — a list which could exclude the U.S.
In India, densely populated cities have been particularly hard hit. The country set a daily record Saturday with 18,500 new cases and 385 deaths. Total infections are at 509,000, with more than 15,600 deaths.
In the Middle East, the governor of Bethlehem announced that the Palestinian city would temporarily close due to rising infections.
Iran, which has struggled to curb its outbreak even as it gradually lifted restrictions from April, has launched a mask-wearing campaign.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned Saturday that Iran’s economic problems would worsen if the coronavirus spreads unchecked.
The disease also continues to rampage through Latin America, with Peru topping 9,000 deaths Saturday.
Brazil — the second hardest-hit country after the U.S. — recorded 990 deaths on Saturday, the highest toll in the world that day, while Mexico recorded the second highest at 719.
Out of the 24,077 confirmed cases in Nigeria , 8625 have been discharged and 558 deaths recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 127,158 tests have been carried out as of June 28th, 2020 compared to 125,090 tests a day earlier.
