Coronavirus Watch

Global Statistics

Over 9.1 million cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed worldwide, as cases have reached 9,192,712. 138,975 new cases were recorded yesterday.

In the United States, 31,496 new coronavirus cases were reported to bring the total number of cases to 2,388,153 and 363 deaths were reported to bring the total number of deaths to 122,610.

Monday 22 June marks the second consecutive day Mexico recorded a higher daily death count than Brazil. The country now has 180, 545 confirmed cases.  Brazil’s health ministry reported an additional 748 deaths on Monday, bringing that country’s official coronavirus death toll to 51,407. 

India, with the fourth highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, recorded over 12,000 daily new cases for the sixth consecutive day. The country registered 312 new coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 14,015.  

Thirteen people tested positive for Covid-19 in Beijing, to bring the total number of new cases to 249. Mainland China reported 22 new cases of Covid-19 including nine imported cases and the 13 cases reported in Beijing were locally transmitted, according to the country’s National Health Commission. No new deaths were reported.

Africa recorded 9,168 new cases to bring the total number of cases to 318,321 while 223 new deaths were recorded to bring the total deaths to 9,168. According to the World Health Organization, South Africa accounts for nearly half of Africa’s coronavirus infections.

Nigeria and Ghana are next on the list, having recorded over 20,000 and 14,000 cases respectively.

South Africa has now passed the 100 000 mark as the country now has a cumulative 101,590 after 4,288 new cases were recorded. 61 new deaths were recorded and the death toll is now at 1,991.  The Covid-19 pandemic is reaching its “peak” in the Western Cape. It took 95 days for South Africa to record its first 50 000 Covid-19 cases. In the last 14 days, that number has doubled to more than 100 000.

Eswatini recorded 8 new cases to bring the total number of cases to 643; and 1 new death was recorded bringing the total death toll to 6.

Zimbabwe recorded new cases of the virus as 23 new cases recorded yesterday to bring the total number of cases to 512; the number of recoveries is still at 64 and the number of active cases is 442.

Lesotho recorded a jump of 8 cases to bring the total number of cases to 12. This is after 5 weeks of the number of cases being at 4.

Gold spikes to highest since 2012 amid fears of second virus wave

Gold headed toward the highest since 2012, supported by concerns over a second wave of coronavirus infections and ongoing expectations of a flood of stimulus measures.

There are increasing signs that the virus is continuing to rapidly spread as governments work to reopen their economies. The metal also has found support from increasing monetary stimulus, including the Bank of England adding to its bond buying program last week and the Federal Reserve signaling rates will remain low. Increased amounts of monetary stimulus tend to boost zero-yield gold as a hedge against declining interest rates.

“Gold appears poised for breakout,” Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at ThinkMarkets in London, said in an emailed note. “While gold is undoubtedly boosted by haven flows due to the economic damage caused by the pandemic as well as concerns over a second wave, there is little doubt that the metal is also finding good support from central bank money flooding the financial markets.” Aljazeera

Metal Prices Asia/Europe/NY markets

23/06/2020

(Kitco)