Delta variant surge causes havoc

• India overtakes US in total number of vaccines administered

• New Delhi reports 3,129 deaths from 'black fungus' 

• Italy drops mask rules

Work-from-home restrictions were reimposed in Moscow yesterday as Russia tried to contain a deadly coronavirus wave fuelled by the Delta variant, while several Asian nations also tightened curbs to contain growing outbreaks.

While many wealthy countries have brought down infections through rapid vaccinations, outbreaks are still raging from Thailand and Indonesia to South America -- many fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant that was first detected in India.

Russia has seen an explosion of new cases in the last two weeks because of this variant, with its largest cities Moscow and Saint Petersburg posting record deaths yesterday for the second consecutive day.

Covid-19 is known to have claimed nearly four million lives worldwide since it first emerged in China in late 2019, and it is still spreading with multiple variants now in circulation. The Delta variant is now in 85 countries and is the most contagious of any identified so far, according to the World Health Organization.

The virus also remained on the march across the Asia-Pacific.

Thailand from yesterday reimposed restrictions on restaurants, construction sites and gatherings in the capital Bangkok and its suburbs because of a spike in cases.

Indonesia is battling one of the worst outbreaks in Asia, reporting a daily record 21,000 new cases on Sunday.

To the south, Australia was also fighting fresh outbreaks spurred by the Delta variant in areas not used to living under strict Covid-19 rules.

Residents of the country's biggest city Sydney are under stay-at-home orders for two weeks.  And in Darwin in the north a 48-hour lockdown -- due to end today -- was extended to Friday after a cluster linked to an outback gold mine grew to seven cases.

Fresh restrictions were also announced Sunday in South Africa, where President Cyril Ramaphosa said "health facilities are stretched to the limit".

India yesterday said it has achieved another milestone in Covid-19 vaccination drive by overtaking the USA in total number of vaccine doses administered. The Health Ministry said a total of 32.36 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive that began on January 16.

Meanwhile, Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan yesterday said a total of 3,129 people have died of mucormycosis (black fungus) infections in India so far.

In Europe, all of Italy became a mask-free, "low-risk" zone from yesterday, a day sfter Spain took similar decision.