A health worker examines a patient at a makeshift COVID-19 care center set up in an indoor sports stadium, in New Delhi, India, Sept 19, 2020. (ALTAF QADRI / AP)
SYDNEY / BAGHDAD / JERUSALEM / KUWAIT CITY / BEIRUT / TRIPOLI / ULAN BATOR / YANGON / WELLINGTON / RAMALLAH / DOHA / SINGAPORE / SEOUL / MANILA / ISTANBUL / DUBAI / HANOI / MUMBAI - India’s coronavirus case tally surged to 5.4 million as it added 92,605 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the federal health ministry showed on Sunday.
The country has posted the highest single-day caseload in the world since early August, and lags behind only the United States, which has 6.7 million cases in terms of total infections.
A total of 1,113 people died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said, taking mortalities to 86,752, which is a relatively low 1.6 percent of all cases.
Police patrol Elwood Beach during an anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne on Sept 19, 2020. (WILLIAM WEST / AFP)
Australia
Australia looked set to record its lowest daily increase in new coronavirus cases in three months on Sunday as a hard lockdown in the city of Melbourne brought the country’s virus epicentre down sharply.
The second-most populous state Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, reported 14 new infections in the 24 hours to Sunday morning, down from 21 new cases the day prior and its lowest since June 19.
That put Victoria, which has spent months under lockdown to slow a second wave of infections, on track to meet a target of keeping average daily increases below 50 by Sept 28 when the authorities have said they may lift restrictions.
Australia’s biggest state New South Wales, which has Sydney as the capital, reported two new cases, while the Queensland state also reported two, bringing the national total to 18, the lowest national tally since June 23. The five other states and territories had not reported daily case numbers by Sunday morning, but have reported no increases most days for weeks.
Melbourne has been under one of the toughest lockdowns in the world, including a nightly curfew, after a second outbreak in that state saw daily infection rates over 700 and prompted other states to close internal borders.
Victoria also recorded five additional deaths associated with the virus and NSW reported one new death in the prior 24 hours, taking the national death toll to 850, according to government data.
The country has reported just under 26,900 infections.
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Indonesia
A major isolation facility in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has almost reached maximum capacity and the government is preparing additional rooms to treat coronavirus patients, according to the nation’s COVID-19 task force.
Occupancy at Wisma Atlet’s Tower 5 is now at 91.8 percent and the government plans to open Tower 4 as a new isolation ward next week, the task force said in a statement on Sunday. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan recently ordered people found positive with the virus to be treated at official facilities to prevent infections between family members living at the same house.
Jakarta remains one of the outbreak epicenters, accounting for more than 25 percent of nationwide infections. Indonesia reported 3,989 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total tally 244,676, while fatalities from the disease surged to 9,553.
Iraq
The Iraqi health authorities on Saturday announced new decisions against the spread of the coronavirus as the total nationwide infections have reached 315,597, state-run al-Iraqiya channel reported.
The first new decision is to stop receiving foreign visitors arriving for religious events in Iraq, including the major ritual of the upcoming Arbaeen, according to the Iraqi Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
The Committee also confirmed "the necessity to expedite the payment of the first amount of money to purchase 20 percent of the first guaranteed vaccine approved by the World Health Organization."
It also decided to reopen mosques and amusement parks on condition that health prevention measures are strictly followed and social distancing rules maintained.
The new decisions came as the Iraqi Health Ministry reported 3,907 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, raising the total number of infections in the country to 315,597.
The ministry also confirmed 83 new fatalities from the infectious disease, taking the death toll to 8,491, while 4,234 more patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 249,539.
Acrobats perform as they wear face masks during a protest against government's decision to close beaches during the three-week nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sept 19, 2020. (ODED BALILTY / AP)
Israel
The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 30 new COVID-19 death cases on Saturday, bringing the total fatalities to 1,226.
This is the highest daily rise in death cases since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country in late February, as the previous record was 27, registered on Friday.
The COVID-19 cases in Israel rose by 4,531 within one day to a total of 183,602.
The number of patients in serious condition increased from 581 to a record high of 604, out of 1,244 patients currently hospitalized.
The number of recoveries reached 132,449, with 2,425 new recoveries, while active cases currently stand at 49,927.
On Friday, a full nationwide lockdown, aimed to curb the spread of COVID-19, took effect in Israel.
Kuwait
Kuwait on Saturday reported 521 new COVID-19 cases and one more death, raising the tally of infections to 99,049 and the death toll to 581, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Currently, 8,970 patients are receiving treatment, including 96 in ICU, according to the statement.
The ministry also announced the recovery of 722 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 89,498.
Lebanon
Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Saturday by 779 cases to 28,297, while the death toll went up by five to 286, the Health Ministry reported.
Director General of Rafic Hariri University Hospital Firas Abiad warned on Saturday that the daily increase in COVID-19 cases has been alarming, as Lebanon can only provide 60 beds in emergency rooms at hospitals for the time being.
Abiad urged the government to adopt a proper strategy to avoid a disastrous situation especially at a time when schools are about to reopen and there will be an increase in the number of flu cases in winter.
Libya
The National Center for Disease Control of Libya on Saturday reported 796 new COVID-19 cases, as the total confirmed cases in the country exceeded 27,000.
The center said in a statement that it received a total of 3,318 suspected samples, of which 796 were tested positive, adding that 472 patients have recovered and eight died.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Libya currently is 27,234, including 14,679 recoveries and 436 deaths, the center confirmed.
After the first case was announced in March, Libyan authorities closed the country's borders, shut down schools and mosques, banned public gatherings and imposed a curfew, in order to curb infections.
Mongolia
Mongolia reported one more COVID-19 case, bringing the total caseload in the country to 312, the country's health ministry said Sunday.
The latest case is a Russian transport driver who has recently entered Mongolia via Altanbulag border point, the ministry said in a statement.
So far, Mongolia has registered no local transmissions or deaths. Most infections were imported from neighboring Russia.
The ministry noted that 302 people have recovered, and 10 are under medical care at the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases, three of them in severe condition.
Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi (center) wearing a facemask and gloves, to halt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, waits with her dog to wave to supporters of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party as they drive past in Naypyidaw on Sept 19, 2020. (THET AUNG / AFP)
Myanmar
Myanmar reported 393 more new COVID-19 confirmed cases on Sunday morning, according to a release from the Ministry of Health and Sports.
The newly confirmed cases brought the number of infection cases of COVID-19 in the country to 5,263 in total.
Since the second wave of the outbreak starting Aug. 16, the number of infection cases and deaths has been increasing day by day in the country, especially in Yangon region.
According to the ministry's figures, 1,188 patients have been allowed to be discharged from the hospitals so far.
Myanmar reported its first two positive cases of COVID-19 on March 23 with 81 deaths being reported so far.
New Zealand
New Zealand reported four new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
Of the four new cases, two were community cases and two were at managed isolation facilities, said the ministry.
The current number of active cases in New Zealand has reduced to 71, including three patients in Auckland hospitals. The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 reached 1,464 in New Zealand.
Laboratories across New Zealand have conducted 5,417 tests, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 910,853, according to the ministry.
New Zealand is now at COVID-19 Alert Level 2 with additional restrictions on gatherings for its biggest city Auckland.
Palestine
Palestine on Saturday recorded five more fatalities from the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths to 291.
In a press statement, Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said that three fatalities were recorded in the West Bank, while two deaths were reported in East Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, the health ministry reported 726 new cases infected with the virus in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the coastal enclave, raising the total number of infections to 44,763.
Palestine currently has 13,234 active cases.
Meanwhile, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip warned of the increase in infections among the population.
The government in Gaza has eased the tight restrictions imposed on the coastal enclave, allowing the big malls, as well as shops of clothing, jewelry, shoes and others to open for 12 hours a day.
Qatar
The Qatari health ministry on Saturday announced 229 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number in the Gulf state to 123,146, official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
Meanwhile, 267 more recovered from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 120,089, while the death toll remained at 209, according to a ministry statement quoted by QNA.
The ministry reiterated the need to take preventive measures including staying at home and observing social distancing.
A total of 719,057 persons in Qatar have taken lab tests for COVID-19 so far.
Singapore
Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 15 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 57,558.
Of the new cases, five are imported cases, one is a community case and the rest are linked with the dormitories of foreign workers.
On Saturday, 71 more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities. In all, 57,142 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities, the ministry said.
There are currently 27 confirmed cases who are still in hospital. Of these, most are stable or improving, and none is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
Furthermore, 362 are isolated and cared for at community facilities. These are those who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19.
Altogether 27 people have passed away from complications due to the COVID-19 infection.
South Korea
South Korea reported 82 more cases of the COVID-19 as of Saturday midnight compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 22,975, health authorities announced Sunday.
The daily caseload fell below 100 in 38 days. It had grown in triple digits since Aug. 14 due to cluster infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province linked to church services and a massive rally held in central Seoul on Aug. 15.
Of the new cases, 28 were Seoul residents and 24 were people residing in Gyeonggi province.
Ten were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 3,077.
Five more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 383. The total fatality rate stood at 1.67 percent.
The Philippines
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 286,743 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 3,311 new daily cases on Sunday.
The DOH said that the number of recoveries also surged to 229,865 after 20,021 more patients have survived the disease.
The DOH added that 55 more patients have succumbed to the viral disease, bringing the death toll to 4,984.
Metro Manila topped the five regions or provinces with the highest number of daily confirmed cases reported on Sunday with 1,435, followed by Negros Occidental in the central Philippines, 261; Laguna province, south of Manila, 231; Rizal province, east of Manila, 204; and Cavite province, south of Manila, 174.
The Philippines has tested over 3.16 million people so far, according to DOH.
People wear their protective face masks while walking along a street in Ankara on Sept 18, 2020. (Adem ALTAN / AFP)
Turkey
Resurgent coronavirus cases in Turkey are fuelling tensions between doctors who say the official figures underplay the scale of the outbreak and politicians who accuse the country’s medical association of undermining efforts to contain it.
Turkey confirmed 1,538 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, raising the total diagnosed patients to 301,348 in the country, the Turkish Health Ministry announced.
Doctors across Turkey wore black ribbons this week to commemorate colleagues who have died, part of protests which also included a social media campaign with a message for the government: “You can’t manage it; we are exhausted”.
Many doctors question the official COVID-19 numbers, saying that although they don’t have their own independent nationwide data, the scale of cases they see at a local level does not tally with the bigger picture presented by the government.
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday announced 809 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 84,242.
At the same time, 722 more patients have recovered from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 73,512, UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention said.
It also confirmed one more death, pushing the country's death toll to 404.
The UAE was the first among the Gulf countries to report COVID-19 cases.
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Vietnam
Vietnam reported no new cases of COVID-19 infection on Saturday, with its total confirmed cases standing at 1,068 with 35 deaths from the disease so far, according to its Ministry of Health.
One more COVID-19 patient has been given all-clear, raising the total cured cases in the country to 942 as of Saturday, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, nearly 30,200 people are being quarantined and monitored in the country, the ministry said.
Vietnam has gone through more than two weeks without any COVID-19 cases in the community, according to the ministry.
Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi on Saturday morning saw the departure of the country's first regular international passenger flight after months-long shutdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnam News Agency reported.
