More than 62 million (62,048,552) people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,450,146 have died with total recoveries reaching 42,834,366, according to a global tally published on Saturday. Infections have been reported in more than 218 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. Coronavirus cases have surged over the past few months in several regions of the world and large numbers of new infections are being reported daily. The most recent figures show more than 580,000 new cases reported in 24 hours. The US has recorded almost 13 million cases and more than 260,000 deaths from coronavirus, the highest figures in the world. Daily cases have been at record levels since early November and there are now more than 90,000 people in hospital, more than in either of the two previous peaks of the pandemic. In New Delhi, Indian health authorities said on Saturday that 485 people died due to COVID-19 while 41,322 positive cases were reported from across the country in the last 24 hours. The Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement that deaths due to coronavirus rose to 136,200 while the total number of COVID-19 cases amounted to 9,351, 109. The Health Ministry said that 8,759,969 people recovered from the pandemic as it spread to 35 Indian states. In Europe, daily cases have risen in many European countries since July. France has recorded more than two million cases; Spain, Italy, Germany and the UK have all recorded more than one million cases. but all their numbers have either stabilized or started to fall in recent days. Russia recorded 27,100 new coronavirus cases and 510 deaths on Saturday. The new figures raised the total number of cases to 2,242,633 and 39,068 deaths, Russia health authorities said. They added that 27,296 recovered from the virus, raising the total number of recoveries too 1,739,470. The rate of new coronavirus infections slowed again in France on Friday, the day before shops could resume selling non-essential goods, Reuters cited Health Ministry data as showing. The number of daily new infections fell to 12,459, compared to 13,563 on Thursday and 22,882 last Friday. The cumulative reported total now stands at over 2.19 million. The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 fell by 662 to 28,648 and the number of people in intensive care by 135 to 3,883, continuing a downtrend of the past two weeks. President Emmanuel Macron said this week that a nationwide virus lockdown in place since Oct. 30 could be lifted on Dec. 15 if by then the number of new infections per day fell to 5,000 and the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care declined to between 2,500 and 3,000. The Health Ministry also reported 957 deaths from the virus on Friday, including a three-day batch of 564 deaths in retirement homes and a 24-hour tally of 393 in hospitals. On Thursday, 339 people died in hospitals. In Brussels, Belgium on Friday announced a slight easing of its coronavirus restrictions as the number of new coronavirus cases in the country begins to fall, DPA reported. From Dec. 1 all shops, including non-essential businesses, will be allowed to reopen, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced on Friday evening. Most of the country's other restrictions, including strict contact restrictions will remain in place over Christmas and likely until at least mid-January. Only the rules for single people will be relaxed over the festive season, when they will be allowed to invite two other people to their homes to celebrate. Belgium, which has a population of just 11.5 million, has been badly hit by the coronavirus crisis and has at times registered the highest number of cases per capita in Europe. In response, the country imposed strict lockdown at the beginning of the month. Numbers of infections, hospitalizations and deaths are now falling. However, the situation remains tense, said De Croo adding that the successes should not be jeopardized. "We would not survive a third wave," said the prime minister. Restaurants, pubs and cafes will remain closed, as will hairdressers and other shops with physical contact. In Vienna, Austria declared on Saturday recording 4,669 new infections with the COVID-19 caseload rising to 274,321. The Austrian Ministry of Health said on its website that more than 203,000 people have recovered, while deaths amounted to 3,018. — Agencies
