Global Covid-19 caseload tops 202.6 mn; China, Cambodia report new cases

The global coronavirus caseload has topped 202.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 4.29 million amid a surge in Delta variant in Asia, though global vaccinations soared to over 4.33 billion, said Johns Hopkins University, which has been monitoring the global pandemic since the beginning.

In its latest update on Monday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) of the university revealed that the current global caseload, death toll stood and vaccination tally stood at 202,661,707, 4,293,555 and 4,339,912,422, respectively.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 35,762,751 and 616,827, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 31,934,455 cases.

The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (20,165,672), France (6,371,349), Russia (6,362,641), the UK (6,098,085), Turkey (5,895,841), Argentina (5,018,895), Colombia (4,838,984), Spain (4,588,132), Italy (4,396,417), Iran (4,158,729), Germany (3,797,849) and Indonesia (3,666,031), the CSSE figures showed.

In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 563,151 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (427,862), Mexico (244,420), Peru (196,873), Russia (162,109), the UK (130,624), Italy (128,220), Colombia (122,458), France (112,407), Argentina (107,459) and Indonesia (107,096).

China reports 81 new locally transmitted Covid cases

The Chinese mainland has reported 81 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, the National Health Commission said on Sunday. Of the locally transmitted cases, 38 were reported in Jiangsu, 24 in Henan, seven in Yunnan, six each in Hubei and Hunan, according to the commission.

Also reported were 15 new imported cases, of which six were reported in Shanghai, four in Yunnan, three in Guangdong and two in Sichuan, reports Xinhua news agency. Three suspected cases arriving from outside the Chinese mainland were newly reported in Shanghai on Saturday.

58 new Delta variant cases in Cambodia

Cambodia's Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced that another 58 new cases of the Delta Covid-19 variant were detected, taking the kingdom's total number of the such infections to 385.

Laboratory testing conducted by the Pasteur Institute in Cambodia found the Delta variant on 51 local people, including four health workers, and seven labourers returning from neighbouring Thailand, the MoH said in a statement.

The local infections were spotted in capital Phnom Penh and the provinces of Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, Battambang, Kandal, Kampong Thom and Ratanakiri. So far, Cambodia has reported a total of 81,891 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 1,562 deaths.

11 crew test Covid-19 positive in ship off New Zealand coast

Eleven of the 21 crew onboard container ship Rio De La Plata, currently at sea off the coast of New Zealand's Tauranga, tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday.

The Ministry of Health said in a statement that it is likely that at least some of the 11 crew are active cases of Covid-19 and further test results will help determine how many of the crew are likely to be historical cases and no longer infectious, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Public Health staff took the test swabs in Tauranga from the crew as part of the requirements for entry for the vessel to Napier, the ship's next stop. All of the crew onboard are reported to be well, with none reporting any symptoms.

As an additional precautionary measure, 94 port workers who as part of their work, spent time on the vessel while it was in port, are now being contacted, provided with advice, tested and stood down until a negative result return.