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HEALTH-VIRUS-WORLD
Coronavirus: latest global developments
PARIS, Aug 8, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Here are the latest developments in
the coronavirus crisis:
– Nearly 722,000 deaths –
The coronavirus pandemic has now claimed 721,902 lives since
December when it first surfaced in China, according to a global tally
compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT Saturday.
There have been nearly 19.5 million cases officially recorded in
196 countries and territories, with 11.5 million classed as recovered.
The United States is the country with the highest death toll at
161,358, followed by Brazil with 99,572 dead, Mexico 51,311, Britain
46,511 and India 42,518.
– Latin America overtakes Europe on death toll –
Latin America plus the Carribean is now the region with the worst
combined toll, counting 215,859 deaths compared to Europe’s 212,794.
Brazil second to the US, has just under 100,000 deaths caused by the virus.
Mexico meanwhile has topped 50,000 dead.
India meanwhile has chalked up some two million cases, with Africa
on one million.
– Turkmenistan agrees to WHO coronavirus sampling –
Turkmenistan, which officially has no coronavirus cases, has agreed
to let the World Health Organization (WHO) carry out independent
sampling of virus tests after it expressed “serious concern” over
rising pneumonia cases there.
A WHO mission visited the secretive gas-rich Central Asian state
last month and advised it to adopt measures including contact tracing
“as if COVID-19 were already circulating”.
– US job gains slow –
The US economy created 1.8 million new jobs in July, down sharply
from 4.8 million reported in June, showing a key element of any
recovery slowing as the country sees rising coronavirus cases and
deaths.
BSS/AFP/MRU/1847hrs