Covid latest: Global cases top 140.6 million; France to impose quarantine on arrivals

Dubai - What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

By Web Report

Published: Sun 18 Apr 2021, 7:28 AM

Last updated: Sun 18 Apr 2021, 10:02 AM

Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Live map: Global spread of coronavirus

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Source: Johns Hopkins University

Brazil registers over 370,000 deaths

Brazil's Covid-19 death toll has reached 371,678 after 2,929 fatalities were registered in the past 24 hours, the country's Ministry of Health reported.

According to the Ministry, another 67,636 cases were registered in the same period, which increased the overall infection tally to 13,900,091, reports Xinhua news agency.

Brazil's death toll is currently the second highest in the world after the US, while te caseload in the third largest after the US and India.

The state of Sao Paulo, the most populous in the country, has been the most affected, with 2,739,823 cases and 88,097 deaths, followed by Rio de Janeiro, with 699,422 cases and 41,162 deaths. Covid-19 in Brazil currently has an incidence of 6,614 per 100,000 people.

Home quarantine mandatory for Kumbh Mela returnees

The Delhi government has issued an order making it mandatory for all residents of Delhi who visit the Kumbh in Haridwar to quarantine themselves at home for fourteen days on return. Anyone who violates the order will face legal action.

An order issued by Chief Secretary Vijay Dev states, "All those residents of Delhi, who have visited or are going to visit Kumbh, will be required to compulsory home quarantine themselves for 14 days on arrival to Delhi."

Global Covid-19 caseload tops 140.6 million

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 140.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Sunday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 140,433,831 and 3,008,043, respectively.

The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 31,627,701 and 566,893, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 14,526,609 cases.

The other countries with more than two million confirmed coronavirus cases are Brazil (13,900,091), France (5,321,176), Russia (4,640,537), the UK (4,401,176), Turkey (4,212,645), Italy (3,857,443), Spain (3,407,283), Germany (3,139,683), Argentina (2,677,747), Poland (2,675,874), Colombia (2,636,076), Mexico (2,299,939) and Iran (2,215,445), the CSSE figures showed.

In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 371,678 fatalities.

Germany to mourn 80,000 victims

Germany will hold a national memorial service on Sunday for its 80,000 victims of the coronavirus pandemic, sharing the pain of grieving families and those who died alone because of Covid curbs.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will join an ecumenical service in the morning at Berlin’s Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a memorial against war and destruction. They will later attend a ceremony at the capital’s Konzerthaus, where the president will make a speech.

With pandemic curbs still in force restricting the number of people who can attend, the ceremonies will be broadcast live on public television.

Regional leaders urged citizens to join in the remembrance including by lighting candles by their windows from Friday to Sunday.

Sunday’s ceremony comes as health authorities warn that many more will succumb to the virus, as Germany struggles to put down a vicious third wave gripping the country.

Europe’s biggest economy had come out of the first wave relatively unscathed but has struggled to take decisive action to end the current one fuelled mainly by the more contagious British variant.

Merkel’s government is seeking greater powers to impose tougher measures such as night-time curfews, in a bid to circumvent Germany’s powerful regional authorities, some of whom have resisted implementing tough restrictions. Merkel urged swift and decisive action.

France to impose quarantine on arrivals

France will impose a 10-day quarantine on arrivals from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and South Africa over concerns about variants of the coronavirus, the prime minister’s office announced Saturday.

Although flights from Argentina, Chile and South Africa will not be suspended, all arrivals from those countries will have to submit to the quarantine or face fines.

Chinese mainland reports 16 new imported cases

The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported 16 new Covid-19 cases, all of which are imported, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Sunday.

Of them, four each were reported in Guangdong and Shaanxi, two each in Shanghai and Sichuan, and one each in Inner Mongolia, Fujian, Henan and Yunnan, Xinhua news agency reported.

One new suspected Covid-19 case arriving from outside the mainland was reported in Shanghai, according to the commission. No new deaths related to Covid-19 were reported.

Africa's confirmed cases pass 4.4 million

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Africa has reached 4,408,245 as of Saturday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU), said the death toll from the pandemic stood at 117,378, while 3,951,191 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease, Xinhua news agency reported.

South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia and Egypt are among the African countries with the most cases in the continent, according to the Africa CDC.

UK records another 2,206 Covid cases, 35 deaths

Another 2,206 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,385,938, according to official figures released on Saturday.

The country also reported another 35 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 127,260. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 32.6 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures.