More than 49.55 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,245,761 have died, according to a Reuters tally. With 236,250 deaths and over 9.7 million confirmed cases, the United States tops the list of 20 countries with the highest recorded infections and deaths in the world, followed by India, Brazil and Russia. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. In New Delhi, India said on Sunday that 559 people died due to COVID-19 as 45,674 fresh cases were registered from different parts of the country in a span of 24 hours. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that the toll due to the coronavirus rose to 126,121 while the total number of positive case surged to 8,507,754. The ministry said that 7,868,968 people recuperated from the deadly disease as it spread to 35 Indian states. South Korea said new coronavirus cases fell below 100 on Saturday for the first time in four days as health authorities introduced a revised social distancing scheme, Yonhap reported. South Korea confirmed 89 COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 27,284, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). One more patient died, raising the death toll to 477. The number of daily virus cases had stayed in the triple digits from Wednesday through Friday. Of the 89 new cases Saturday, local infections stood at 72, while the rest are imported cases. The greater Seoul area — home to half of South Korea's 51 million population — accounted for 51 new cases out of 72 locally transmitted cases. South Korea had seen a recent uptick in the number of daily cases due to sporadic cluster infections from senior nursing homes and hospitals. On Saturday, South Korea reported 17 imported cases, raising the cumulated number of imported cases to 3,907.Of the 17 imported cases, 11 were foreigners and six were South Koreans. In Tokyo, Japan reported 1,323 new coronavirus cases on Saturday with record daily cases on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido and in the urban prefecture of Kanagawa, according to a Kyodo News tally based on official data. This came as experts warn the country faces higher infection risks as winter approaches. In Hokkaido, 187 cases were reported, exceeding 100 for a third straight day and prompting the local authorities to request nightlife establishments in the entertainment district of the capital Sapporo not to operate after 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the following morning. Under the measure introduced the same day and to be in place through Nov. 27, restaurants are not asked to shorten their business hours but are requested to refrain from serving alcohol after 10 p.m. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 respiratory illness, the Japanese government has been advocating an anti-coronavirus slogan of avoiding the "3 Cs": closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings. However, experts say that avoiding the 3 Cs will become difficult in winter when people tend to spend time in poorly ventilated rooms as temperatures drop. On Saturday, the Hokkaido government raised its own five-level pandemic alert to the third highest from the second, the officials said, meaning stronger measures are needed to prevent the strain on the medical system from increasing continuously. Among other regions, Kanagawa reported a record 137 cases while Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan saw 30 cases, also a daily record. In Tokyo, newly confirmed cases amounted to 294, surpassing 200 for a third straight day. The new cases on Saturday brought Japan's cumulative total to 108,150, including around 700 from the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama in February. In Amman, Jordan identified 3,554 confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, raising the tally to 104,802. Meanwhile, some 45 virus-induced fatalities raised the death toll to 1,181, the country's Health Ministry said in a statement. Meanwhile, Kuwait's confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 742 to 131,205 with four people having succumbed to the disease raising the death toll to 808 in the past 24 hours, the Kuwaiti Health Ministry said on Saturday. There are 114 people currently receiving intensive care for the virus out of a total 8,508 patients being hospitalized. Some 5,278 swab tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, out of a total of 960,725 so far, added the spokesman. The official reiterated the strict need to abide by health precautions, urging nationals and expatriates alike that following social distancing rules is the only way to keep the virus at bay. Earlier, the ministry said 626 people have recovered from the virus, upping the total number of those to have overcome the disease to 121,889. — Agencies
