October ‘worst month of pandemic’ as cases approach 50 million worldwide

8 November 2020, 16:25

Global coronavirus infections are approaching 50 million as a new tally suggests October was the worst month of the coronavirus pandemic so far.

According to the latest figures, a quarter of all cases recorded so far came in October as a second wave of coronavirus has surged across the world.

The world reached 400,000 daily confirmed cases on October 15; 500,000 on October 26, and 600,000 on Friday.

The global death toll also hit a daily record of 11,024 confirmed deaths on Wednesday.

On Sunday the UK reported 20,572 cases in the UK, down from 23,254 on the same day last week.

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This included 18,293 cases in England, 1,115 in Scotland, 744 in Wales and 420 in Northern Ireland.

Across the UK 156 deaths were reported on Sunday within 28 days of a positive test.

Europe is the worst affected region globally, with 51% of the worldwide new infections during October, reports suggest.

Around one million infections are recorded in Europe every three days.

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On Saturday, French Prime Minister Jean Castex visited an ICU ward and tweeted: "The second wave has arrived here brutally, violently."

France saw a record 86,852 cases on Saturday, setting a new record for a third day in a row, although the health ministry added there had been accidental under-reporting earlier in the week.

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Around 28,000 people are being treated in hospital with Covid-19 in the country, with roughly 3,000 in intensive care.

Meanwhile, the US has become the first country to report more than 100,000 daily cases, with 126,742 recorded on Saturday, the third day in a row that new cases topped 120,000.