Coronavirus Pandemic: 2nd wave gloom darkens
Ireland in second lockdown as Germany faces record cases
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India's West Bengal hits record daily cases amid festival
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Bolsonaro shoots down plan to buy Chinese vaccine
Businesses closed across Ireland yesterday for a second national coronavirus lockdown, as record infection surges in Germany and Italy helped to spread gloom across the continent.
The virus has killed more than 1.1 million people and prompted an economic downturn -- the International Monetary Fund predicting a 4.4 percent drop in global output for 2020. At least 41,304,020 cases have been registered worldwide.
On Wednesday, 6,509 new deaths and 462,751 new cases were recorded worldwide. The countries with the most new deaths were the US with 990, followed by India with 702 and Brazil with 566.
Most European governments have been reluctant to reimpose national stay-at-home orders, after previous restrictions led to deep recessions and widespread bitterness.
But Ireland's five million people have been ordered to stay at home for six weeks, with non-essential businesses told to shut up shop, among other rules.
Germany and Italy are both facing record surges, registering their highest one-day tallies since the pandemic began. Italy has ordered curfews in regions that cover the capital Rome and business hub Milan.
Most European countries have already banned large gatherings and made face masks compulsory in certain areas.
In Belgium, which has one of the worst records of virus infections per person, Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes is being treated in intensive care after testing positive.
Meanwhile, the Indian state of West Bengal reported its biggest daily tally of new COVID-19 infections as thousands of people thronged the streets for a major Hindu festival that began last week.
West Bengal's health ministry reported 4,069 new COVID-19 cases late on Wednesday. India currently has a total of 7.71 million cases, the second highest in the world.
In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro said Wednesday his government would not in fact purchase a Chinese-developed vaccine against Covid-19, a day after his health minister announced a deal to buy millions of doses.