US sets daily record for Covid cases

For the third day in a row, the United States on Saturday notched a record number of coronavirus cases in 24 hours, reaching nearly 230,000 new infections, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

In that same stretch the US recorded 2,527 Covid-related deaths, according to real-time data provided by the Baltimore-based university at 0130 GMT yesterday.

The United States -- the country with the most coronavirus cases and deaths in the world -- has seen a dramatic resurgence in its epidemic in recent weeks.

US health officials warned of a surge after millions of Americans traveled to celebrate last week's Thanksgiving holiday despite pleas from authorities to stay home.

For two weeks, the US has regularly topped 2,000 deaths per day, as it had in the spring at the height of the first wave of the country's outbreak.

The number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 is also steadily increasing, especially in the most populous states of California, Florida, New York and Texas, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

The coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 1,528,919 people around the world since the end of last year, according to a tally by AFP yesterday.

The United States is the most affected country with 281,199 deaths. Brazil follows with 176,628 dead, India is next with 140,182, Mexico with 109,456, and the United Kingdom 61,014 fatalities.

South Korea raised its health alert in Seoul after the detection of 631 new cases, a record in nine months. That will mean a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, professional sports competitions being held behind closed doors and restaurants having to close at 9:00 pm.

"We are facing the biggest crisis in our fight against Covid-19," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun says.               

OXYGEN SHORTAGE

In Pakistan, at least six Covid-19 patients died after "criminal negligence" resulted in a delayed supply of oxygen to a hospital in northwest, officials said, as the country battles a second wave of the epidemic.  

More than 200 patients -- including nearly 100 with coronavirus -- were left for hours with limited supplies of oxygen at a government-run hospital in Peshawar.

"The sad incident happened due to lack of central oxygen supply in the hospital," provincial health minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra told a press conference, confirming the deaths.

Some Italian regions begin relaxing restrictions including Tuscany, Campania and Val d'Aosta. Residents can now move freely but without leaving their region.

Retail businesses -- excluding restaurants and bars -- reopen. Abruzzo is the only Italian region where people can only leave their homes for work, health reasons or to bring their children to school.

Other countries will also see holiday restrictions, with Switzerland banning Christmas caroling in the streets and Madrid canceling most New Year events in the city center.

Portugal's second wave has begun to subside, but authorities said they decided to keep restrictions in force so they can be relaxed over the festive period.