As many as 73.9 million (73,952,265) people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,644,996 have died, according to a worldodometer tally. It reported that there have been 51,965,404 cases of global recoveries. Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world with over 73 million confirmed cases in 190 countries and more than 1.6 million deaths. The virus is surging in many regions and countries that had apparent success in suppressing initial outbreaks are also seeing infections rise again. The US has recorded 254,848 new coronavirus cases and 1,358 virus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, according to Johns Hopkins University. The tally showed that the confirmed cases nation-wide reached 16,520,408 cases and at least 300,494 deaths, the highest figures in the world. Furthermore 110,549 people were hospitalized for coronavirus, setting a new record for hospitalizations in the US, according to COVID Tracking Project. The US ranks first globally in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths. India and Brazil have the second and third highest case tallies, recording some 9.9 and 7 million cases respectively. Infections have been reported in more than 218 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. Daily cases have now fallen in many European countries after steep rises in October. Lockdowns and other restrictions were reintroduced in some of the worst-affected regions to help bring numbers down. Russia on Wednesday confirmed 26,509 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours pushing the national tally to 2,734,454. Authorities said 596 people had died overnight, taking the official death toll to 48,564. The coronavirus operations centre said 26,490 people recovered in the past 24 hours to teach 2,176,100. In Berlin, German health authorities reported on Wednesday 952 deaths and 27,728 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said the country's death toll increased to 23,427 cases and the total confirmed cases those to 1,379,238. Germany responded to the second wave of the deadly pandemic by shutting hospitality businesses as well as leisure and sports facilities. Schools and non-essential shops have, however, remained open. In London, the tally of confirmed coronavirus-induced fatalities across the UK grew by 506 to 64,908, heath authorities said on Tuesday. Some 18,450 more COVID-19 cases were also registered in the country over the last 24 hours, pushing the overall count to over 1.888 million, said the Department of Health. In Rome, the tally of confirmed coronavirus-induced fatalities rose to 65,857 on Tuesday after registering 846 more deaths in 24 hours in Italy. The Ministry of Health said 14,844 more infections were confirmed in the same period, to raise the total in one of the world's worst-affected countries to 1,870,576. Italy has overtaken Britain as the country with the highest death toll from the outbreak in Europe. In Madrid, a total of 388 patients dies from the novel coronavirus and 10,328 people were diagnosed with the virus in 24 hours. Tuesday's figures pushed the caseload to 1,762,212 and death toll to 48,401, Spain's Ministry of Health said. In Brussels, total infections of coronavirus cases in Belgium on Wednesday increased to 611,422 with 2,211 new infections reported by Belgian health authorities. Up to 124 more deaths from COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours raising the total death toll to 18,178. In New Delhi, India said on Wednesday that 387 people died due to COVID-19 while 26,382 new cases of the coronavirus were registered in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 9,932,547, data from the Health Ministry showed. Deaths due to COVID-19 totaled 144,096. According to the ministry, 9,456,449 people recuperated from the pandemic as it spread to 35 states. India has the world's second-highest caseload, but daily infections have dipped steadily since hitting a peak in September. In Seoul, South Korea reported 1,078 more COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, its highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic, raising the total caseload to 45,442, according to the Yonhap agency. The country reported 12 additional deaths, raising the total to 612, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Of the locally transmitted cases, Seoul accounted for 373 cases and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province took up 320. In Tokyo, Japan reported on Wednesday 2,041 new cases of coronavirus over the last 24 hours, raising the nation's total number to 185,589, the Health Ministry and local authorities said. The country's cumulative death toll rose by 44 to stand at 2,714. Tokyo added 678 new infections, marking its highest daily tally, which brought the total cases in the Japanese capital to 48,668. In Latin America, Brazil has nearly seven million confirmed cases and the world's second highest death toll. The country is currently seeing a second surge in infections. Argentina, Colombia and Mexico have also recorded more than one million cases and all three countries are still seeing very high numbers of daily confirmed cases. Peru is also approaching the milestone of one million cases, although daily cases are falling. The country has one of the highest deaths rates in the world. Africa has recorded more than two million cases, but the true extent of the pandemic there is not known as testing rates are low. South Africa, with more than 800,000 cases and nearly 23,000 deaths, is the worst affected country on the continent. Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia and Tunisia are the only other African countries to officially record more than 100,000 cases. In Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population said on Tuesday that 523 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus and 23 patients died over the past 24 hours. The figures took the country's tally to 122,609 infections and 6,966 deaths the ministry said. Another 318 patients have been discharged from the hospitals, bringing the overall recoveries to 105,450. Meanwhile, Mauritania's Ministry of Health said Tuesday that 296 persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the country's caseload to 11,431. Eight more fatalities in the last 24 hours pushed the death toll from the viral illness to 236. The report said, 130 patients have been discharged from hospitals, raising the overall recoveries to 8,248 cases. — Agencies
