Coronavirus Watch

Global Statistics

More than 300,000 people have now died because of Covid-19 in the United States, with the latest milestone coming amid record daily fatalities and the national rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The US, which has recently been reporting around 2,200 deaths per day, recorded more than 3,000 deaths on one day for the first time on 9 December.COVID-19 vaccinations are officially under way in the United States Monday after the first inoculations were administered following Friday’s Emergency Use Authorization by Food and Drug Administration.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is expected to immunize up to 25 million people by the year-end with an initial roll-out of about 2.9 million doses sent across the United States this week.  The start of vaccinations less than a year into its development is seen not only as a medical miracle but also as a turning point in mitigation efforts in a country that has suffered the most infections and death anywhere in the world. As the United States becomes only the sixth country after the UK, Bahrain, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use, a development process being hailed as a medical miracle given the breakneck speed at which we arrived at Friday’s Emergency Use Authorization.

Brazil has registered 416 further Covid-19 deaths and 25,155 new confirmed cases over the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Monday. The South American country has now registered a total of 181,835 Covid-19 deaths and 6,927,145 total confirmed cases of coronavirus.

The UK reported 20,263 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, taking the total figure over the past seven days to 131,708, up 21.6% compared with the previous seven-day number, official data showed.

France reported 3,063 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours, sharply down from Sunday’s 11,533, but the number of people admitted to hospital with the disease went up for the third consecutive day.

Canada began vaccinating its citizens against Covid-19 on Monday, following the UK and the US state of New York. Five front-line workers in Ontario were among the first Canadians to receive the vaccine at one of Toronto’s hospitals.

South Africa’s COVID-19 infections have increased to 866 127 with 5 163 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The country accounts for 53,01% of the continent’s cases. 175 deaths have been reported, this brings the total to 23 451 deaths. President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed South Africans following a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the country. He announced measures to reduce infections as the country heads into the festive season.

• The Garden Route & Sarah Bartmaan district municipalities join Nelson Mandela Bay as COVID-19 hotspots
• All drivers of public transport must ensure passengers wear masks
• All gatherings (including religious gatherings) must not exceed a capacity of 100 people indoors and 250 outdoors
• No parties or festivals at beaches, no New Year’s Eve parties

The President added that all of the above will be reviewed in early January 2021 under the National State of Disaster

Zimbabwe recorded 112 new cases of the virus to bring the total caseload to 11 358. A total of 9 554 recoveries have been reported and the national recovery rate is at 84,1%. 2 new deaths were recorded hence the death toll is now at 309 deaths.

Metal Prices Asia/Europe/NY markets

14/12/2020

(Source: Kitco)