Coronavirus Watch

Global Statistics

The number of coronavirus cases across the world continues to increase rapidly as there are now over 60 million cases. 509,061 new cases were recorded and 11,361 new deaths were recorded to bring the total number of deaths to over 1,41 million.

There are at least 12.9 million cases nationwide and more than 265,000 people have died in the US since the pandemic’s start — more than any other country by far. For the week ending November 19, North Dakota reported an average of 1 769 daily new cases per 1 million residents, according to the tracking project. South Dakota recorded nearly 1 500 per million residents, Wisconsin and Nebraska around 1 200, and Kansas nearly 1 000. Even in New York’s worst week in April – with business closed and panic gripping the public – the state never averaged more than 500 new cases per million people. California never topped 253.

US Covid-19 cases could reach 20 million by Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, according to a new modeling forecast from Washington University in St. Louis.

Brazil registered a further 30,704 confirmed Covid-19 cases over the last 24 hours and 574 deaths, the health ministry said.

The South American nation has now registered 6,118,708 cases since the pandemic began and the official death toll has risen to 170,115, according to ministry data. A World Health Organization (WHO) special envoy on COVID-19 predicts a third wave of the pandemic in Europe in early 2021 if governments repeat what he said was a failure to do what was needed to prevent the second wave of infections. Europe briefly enjoyed sinking infection rates that are now surging again: Germany and France on Saturday saw cases rise by 33,000 combined, Switzerland and Austria have thousands of cases daily, while Turkey reported a record 5,532 new infections.

France will start easing its COVID-19 lockdown this weekend so that by Christmas, shops, theatres and cinemas will reopen and people will be able to spend the holiday with their families, President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday. In a televised address to the nation, Macron said the worst of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in France was over, but that restaurants, cafes and bars would have to stay shut until January 20 to avoid triggering a third wave.

Germany registered 13,554 new daily coronavirus infections within 24 hours — 865 less than Tuesday a week ago — according to data from the country’s infectious disease agency, the Robert Koch Institute. The reported death toll rose by 249 to 14,361. Germany’s total coronavirus case count now stands at 942,687. Its positivity rate stands at 9.6%, compared to 9.2% last week.

In mid-December, the lockdown will be lifted if the number of new cases has fallen to around 5 000 a day, Macron said, but a curfew would be imposed from 9 p.m. France registered over 9 000 cases on Tuesday, and crossed the 50 000 deaths milestone.

South Africa’s infections have increased to 772 252, with 2 493 new cases. The country’s COVID-19 death toll now stands at 21 083, with 115 new deaths since the last report.

Cases in Zimbabwe increased by 90 to bring the total cases to 9,398. 1 new death was recorded in Bulawayo. 9 new recoveries were recorded and the national recovery rate is at 89.5%.

Africa’s largest Covid treatment clinical trial launched by 13-country network

A network of 13 African countries has joined forces with global researchers to launch the largest clinical trial of potential Covid-19 treatments on the continent. The Anticov study, involving Antwerp’s Institute of Tropical Medicine and international research institutions, aims to identify treatments that can be used to treat mild and moderate cases of Covid-19 early and prevent spikes in hospitalisation that could overwhelm fragile and already overburdened health systems in Africa. The Guardian

Metal Prices Asia/Europe/NY market

25/11/2020

 (Source: Kitco)