Covid cases top 40m globally

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide passed 40 million yesterday, as fresh measures to combat the spread of the virus came into effect in several European countries. 

The latest global milestone came just hours after the number of people who have died from Covid-19 passed 250,000 in Europe, as the pandemic rampages across much of the continent.

Worldwide, the virus has claimed 1,114,860 lives since it first emerged in China late last year. Since then, at least 40,064,580 cases of coronavirus have been registered, of whom at least 27,549,400 are now considered recovered, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 11:00 GMT yesterday.

On Sunday, 4,198 new deaths and 323,553 new cases were recorded worldwide. Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were India with 579 new deaths, followed by United States with 509 and Iran with 337.

The United States is the worst-affected country with 219,676 deaths, followed by Brazil with 153,905, India with 114,610, Mexico 86,167 and Britain 43,646.

A raft of European nations including Italy, Switzerland and Belgium took desperate new measures to try to combat a second wave of coronavirus infections.

Many governments are seeking to avoid the full-on lockdowns imposed in the first wave as they battle to keep their economies going but in some countries, people are chafing against the new restrictions on daily life.

In Belgium, where hospitalisations rose 100 percent in just the last week, bars and restaurants were closed yesterday for a month and a curfew will be reinforced overnight.

"Managers, chefs, dish-washers, everyone is suffering," Angelo Bussi said as he put the key in the lock of his Brussels restaurant late Sunday.

"We don't feel like anyone cares. It breaks my heart," he told AFP before shrugging and walking off into the night. "Ah, well there we are, see you in a month."

Belgium's second major lockdown comes after Prime Minister Alexander de Croo warned the situation was "much worse" than in March when there was an almost complete confinement.

Italy, the initial epicentre of Europe's outbreak, also announced fresh curbs including earlier closures for bars and restaurants and a push to increase working from home.

"We cannot waste time," Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said, also flagging bans on amateur team sports and local festivals.

In Poland, where around half the country is now designated as a coronavirus "red zone", the government said the national stadium would double as a field hospital to help ease the strain on overwhelmed health care facilities.

Switzerland meanwhile made mask-wearing compulsory in indoor public spaces and put limits on public gatherings after infections doubled over the last week.

"The second wave is here, earlier and stronger than we expected, but we are prepared," Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset said.

France imposed its own overnight curfew from the weekend in nine cities including Paris, affecting 20 million people, with a record 32,400 new infections reported on Saturday. 

About 6 million more people in the United Kingdom will face tougher lockdowns in coming days as Wales and Manchester, the country's third largest city, mull additional restrictions as the outbreak accelerates.

Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford yesterday announced that the country would impose a full "firebreak" lockdown for two weeks from Friday in a bid to reduce soaring coronavirus cases.

In England, about 28 million people -- half of the population – have been already subjected to tight social restrictions.

Meanwhile, Slovenia declared a 30-day state of emergency after cases more than doubled in the past week from the previous week. Austria is limiting gatherings to a maximum of six people indoors and 12 outside.

While European nations imposed new restrictions, a lockdown as eased in Austalia's second-biggest city of Melbourne yesterday, as residents flocked to reopened hair salons and golf courses that had been closed for more than 100 days.

The number of daily cases rose to 700 in August in the state of Victoria of which Melbourne is the capital, but following months of a strict lockdown it has fallen as low as one, with four recorded yesterday.

Israel has also lifted restrictions that banned people from travelling more than a kilometre from home as well as closing kindergartens, beaches and national parks.

Saudi Arabia eased more of its own virus restrictions when it allowed worshippers to re-enter Islam's holiest site for prayers on Sunday for the first time since March.

The Grand Mosque in Makkah is the site of the annual hajj pilgrimage that draws Muslims from around the world but only 10,000 people were allowed to take part this year, a far cry from the 2.5 million in 2019.

But African nation Tunisia yesterday declared a nationwide curfew starting from today.

Numerous political figures have contracted the virus in recent days, including veteran chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who is in a "critical" condition and in a medically induced coma, the Jerusalem hospital treating him said.

A vaccine remains the great hope to end the cycle of imposing and lifting lockdowns across the world, and the United Nations yesterday said it would stockpile a billion syringes worldwide by the end of 2021 for that purpose.

"Vaccinating the world against Covid-19 will be one of the largest mass undertakings in human history, and we will need to move as quickly as the vaccines can be produced," UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said.