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France and Britain have reported new daily records of coronavirus infections, now both in five figures.
France reported nearly 17,000 new confirmed coronavirus infections on Saturday, some 5,000 more than the previous day, setting a new daily record.
The number of infections increased by 16,972 to a total of 606,625 cases, the Health Ministry said, more than the previous record of 16,096 recorded last week.
The number of deaths increased by 49 to 32,198.
There were 4,087 new cases of people hospitalized in the last seven days, including 849 in intensive care units. The figures are relatively stable compared to the previous report on Friday.
The rate of positive tests for coronavirus in France increased to 7.9 percent from 7.7 percent on Friday.
Brittany
Meanwhile, Britain reported 12,872 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, a record daily number for the country, and the government blamed the jump on a delay in reporting, saying the numbers in the coming days would include additional cases.
The government website said that a technical issue had delayed the publication of several new Covid-19 cases.
“This means that the total reported in the next few days will include some additional cases from the period between September 24 and October 1, increasing the number of reported cases,” he said.
At 12,872, the number of reported daily cases nearly doubled from the 6,968 reported on Friday, breaking the previous highest daily death toll of 7,143, recorded on Tuesday.
Britain is processing more than 200,000 Covid-19 tests a day compared to less than 100,000 at the start of the pandemic.
But the technical problem could be addressed by critics, who say the government has lost control of the virus amid a shortage of testing capacity.
The number of deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test fell to 49 on Saturday from 66 the day before.
India
India has passed a grim milestone in its fight against the coronavirus, and health authorities said the country has recorded more than 100,000 virus-related deaths.
The announcement of the Ministry of Health means that almost 10 percent of the more than one million people who die globally from the pandemic have died in India, only behind the United States and Brazil.
India has seen more than 6.4 million confirmed infections, recording more than 79,000 new cases in the last 24 hours.
An Indian woman wears a mask and walks in front of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Bangalore, India. Photograph: Jagadeesh / EPA
More than 34.5 million people have been reported to be infected with the new coronavirus worldwide and 1,027,823 have died, according to a Johns Hopkins tally.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government face criticism for failing to stop the march of the virus, which in September hit India more strongly than any other nation in the world.
Almost 41 percent of India’s total infections and 34 percent of Covid-19 deaths were reported in September, with an average of nearly 1,100 Indians dying every day.
As in many countries, Modi and his government have struggled to find a balance between the virus’s restrictions and the need to boost a contracting economy in which millions of people are recently unemployed.
Experts say 100,000 is likely an undercount. They say many deaths may have been attributed to other causes, especially in the early days of the pandemic when tests were low in a country with a population of 1.4 billion.
“The death figures in India do not reflect the true extent of the damage the virus has caused,” said Dr. T Jacob John, a retired virologist.
The first Covid-19 death in India was reported on March 12. Over the next five months, the disease killed 50,000 people. It only took 45 more days for that number to double, underscoring the severity of a pandemic that has inundated intensive care units and morgues and also contributed to the deaths of medical professionals.
The Indian Medical Association said on Friday that at least 500 doctors have died from coronavirus, adding that the death toll could be much higher.
Last month, the association accused the government of “indifference” after it said there was no complete data on the number of frontline health workers who had contracted the virus and died.
Spain
Some 4.8 million Madrilenians have been prevented from leaving the area since Friday night, making it the first European capital to close again due to the increase in coronavirus cases.
Restaurants and bars in the Spanish capital and nine satellite cities will close early and cut capacity in half in what has once again become Europe’s worst source of infection. The new restrictions, which began at 10 p.m., are not as strict as the previous shutdown in March, when people were banned from leaving their homes.
However, authorities advised residents not to move unless absolutely necessary.
The “Madrileños” were exasperated by political disputes between the central and regional governments, and anxious to know if the measures would work.
“We have been wearing masks for eight months and without discos or parties, and there is still contagion. So what kind of impact will these restrictions have? “Said Sonny van den Holstein, owner of the Sanissimo restaurant.
“People are confused, they hesitate to leave … they are afraid,” he said, when a customer called to cancel a reservation.
The conservative-led Madrid area authority reluctantly complied with the order of the socialist-led central government to ban travel except for school, work, health, or shopping.
Famous for its nightlife and generally lively tourist flow, Madrid’s bars and restaurants must close at 11pm. in place of the curfew before 1 am, while restaurants, gyms and stores are cutting their capacity in half.
Gatherings of more than six people are still prohibited. The new lock will last at least 14 days and could be extended if necessary. – AP / Reuters
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