Global Covid cases cross 200m mark

The number of Covid-19 infections recorded worldwide passed 200 million yesterday, an AFP count showed, as Germany, France and Israel said they will go ahead with plans to administer vaccine boosters, disregarding an appeal by the World Health Organisation to hold off until more people are vaccinated around the world. 

The highly contagious Delta variant has driven the virus to return with a vengeance, the number of daily cases recorded worldwide rising by 68 percent since mid-June.

But as more of the world gets vaccinated against the coronavirus -- particularly in wealthy countries -- the number of deaths has increased at a slower rate, up 20 percent since the start of July, according to AFP's count.

MELBOURNE LOCKS DOWN

In Australia, which had initially fended off the virus by slamming shut its borders, almost two-thirds of the 25 million population were in lockdown yesterday as the country struggles to quash a Delta outbreak.

The country's two largest cities received a double blow in their efforts to retain "Covid Zero" status, with a record number of new cases in Sydney and Melbourne imposing its sixth lockdown.

Little more than a week after Melbourne's last lockdown ended, Victoria premier Daniel Andrews said he had "no choice" to lock down the city and the rest of the state.

Around two thousand protesters took to the streets chanting "no more lockdown", and the police responded in huge numbers, making arrests and using pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

MAJOR NATIONS STICK TO VACCINE BOOSTER PLANS

France yesterday became the latest country to announce it would rollout a third booster shot of a Covid vaccine from September, joining Israel and Germany.

President Emmanuel Macron's statement came just a day after the World Health Organization called on all nations to halt booster shots until at least the end of September to help ease the drastic inequity in dose distribution between rich and poor nations.

However Washington swiftly shot down the WHO's proposal.

"We definitely feel that it's a false choice and we can do both," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

SOUTHEAST ASIA RAVAGED

The Delta variant has been running rampant in Southeast Asia, with Thailand recording 20,000 new daily cases for the first time on Wednesday -- and again yesterday.

The country also announced 160 deaths in 24 hours, as exhausted morgue workers struggle to cope with the mounting bodies.

Indonesia's total Covid death toll passed 100,000 on Wednesday after it recorded 1,739 of the 10,245 fatalities registered worldwide, the global toll rising past 4.25 million.

Japan's capital Tokyo had a new record number of daily cases with 5,042, just three days before the end of the Olympics.

INDIA BATS FOR LOCAL CURBS

Meanwhile, the Indian government has asked state authorities to impose restrictions ahead of festivals across the country, warning that overcrowding could lead to "super spreader" events and a new surge in infections.

India has reported an average of 30,000 to 40,000 new coronavirus cases every day since July, and the federal government has warned that although cases have dipped from a high of 400,000 daily at the peak of the deadly second wave, the danger has not abated yet.

India's busy festival season begins this month, with several celebrations dotting the calendar until November, when the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, celebrated by millions, takes place.

Yesterday, India reported 42,982 new cases of COVID-19 and 533 deaths in the last 24 hours, the federal government said, taking its total caseload to 31.8 million.

US INFECTIONS AT 6-MONTH HIGH

The United States remains the country with the highest number of deaths and infections. However, it said that it plans eventually to begin allowing fully vaccinated foreigners back in.

A White House official said that the US administration wants to reopen to visitors from abroad in a "safe and sustainable manner," though without specifying a timeframe.

The country on Wednesday posted a six-month high for new Covid cases with over 100,000 infections reported, according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant ravages areas where people did not get vaccinated.

In the coming weeks, cases could double to 200,000 per day due to the highly contagious Delta variant, said top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci on Wednesday.

XI PROMISES 2B VACCINE DOSES

On the other end of the spectrum China, where the virus first emerged in December 2019, was tightening its borders after recording its most new cases in six months.

China's immigration authority announced it would stop issuing ordinary passports and other documents needed for exiting the country in "non-essential and non-emergency" cases -- but stopped short of issuing a blanket ban on overseas travel.

Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday said China will strive to provide 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines to other countries in 2021, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

In his written message to an international Covid-19 vaccine cooperation forum, Xi also said China would donate $100 million to the COVAX global vaccine distribution scheme, according to the CCTV report.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in late July that China had supplied over 700 million vaccine doses to other countries.