New wave pushes global coronavirus cases pass 50 million

09 Nov New wave pushes global coronavirus cases pass 50 million

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has shot past 50 million, with more than   1.25 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Europe, with more than 12.5 million cases and 305,700 deaths, is again a hotspot after being the first epicenter of the pandemic earlier this year.

In the US just under 10 million have tested positive. It has seen more than 125,000 cases per day three days in a row.

India and Brazil have also been hard hit.

The numbers in other countries don’t provide any relief:

• Portugal is to bring in a curfew across most of the country from Monday
• Switzerland is deploying 200 army reservists who have had four months of training to its hospitals to help with growing numbers of admissions
• Algeria has extended a curfew already in place in 20 of the country’s 48 regions to a further nine areas
• In Japan, gymnasts from four nations competed in Tokyo in an event seen as a trial run for next year’s postponed Tokyo Olympics. Competitors were tested daily for the virus and wore masks as they entered the arena, while spectators had their temperatures taken and were misted with disinfectant as they entered