India confirms another 75,800 coronavirus cases as death toll passes 100,000
4 October 2020, 19:24
The Health Ministry raised the country’s confirmed total to more than 6.5 million on Sunday and said at least 101,782 people have died of Covid-19.
India has registered 75,829 confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, a day after the death toll passed 100,000.
The Health Ministry raised the country’s confirmed total to more than 6.5 million on Sunday and said at least 101,782 people have died of Covid-19.
India is still registering the highest number of daily cases globally but, with the recovery rate at more than 83%, the number of those cured has passed 5.5 million, the Health Ministry said.
India also has a low fatality rate of 1.56%, which is nearly half the global one.
The Health Ministry credited increased testing in the country for a sustained low death rate – India has carried out nearly 79 million tests so far, according to official data.
The country is preparing to reopen cinemas and entertainment parks with limited capacity from October 15, in an effort to revive the economy.
Health experts warn the move has the potential for the virus to spread during the forthcoming religious festival and winter season.
Meanwhile, South Korea reported 64 new cases of the coronavirus, the fourth straight day its increase was below 100, possibly reflecting the fewer number of tests conducted during one of the biggest holidays of the year.
The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Sunday took the national caseload to 24,091, including 421 deaths.
Thirty-eight of the new cases were reported from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, which has been at the centre of a viral resurgence since August.
Health workers have struggled to track transmissions tied to churches, hospitals, schools and offices.
Seventeen of the new cases were linked to international arrivals, mostly from other Asian countries such as the Philippines, India, and Bangladesh.
There are concerns that infections could rise in coming weeks because of increased travel during the five-day Chuseok harvest holiday that continued throughout Sunday.
In Australia, the premier of Victoria called on citizens to “stay the course” after large groups flooded beaches and parks at the weekend in defiance of strict lockdown regulations.
The state, emerging from a major winter spike in coronavirus cases, relaxed lockdown regulations last weekend but still allowed only five people from up to two households to congregate outside.
Many ignored those regulations on Saturday and crowded parks and beaches, causing Premier Daniel Andrews to remind Victorians not to be selfish and maintain social distancing.
Victoria reported only 12 new coronavirus cases and one death on Sunday, well down on the peaks of winter.
“We are so, so close,” Mr Andrews said. “Let’s not any of us do anything that might undermine the very positive numbers. Once we get them low, we can keep them low and we can open up again if we don’t do anything silly or anything selfish right now.”
He said the situation in Victoria is “delicately poised” as the state moves toward further easing of lockdown rules.
“It’s sunny, yes, and people love to go to the beach when it’s sunny, but there’s a global pandemic on,” he said.
“Surely, there’s a greater urge to see this thing, to defeat it and to have a normal summer and have a Covid normal Christmas and 2021.”
In Italy, the government is weighing up whether to require people to wear masks outdoors nationwide amid a steady, nine-week increase in coronavirus infections.
Already several individual regions have imposed outdoor mask mandates in a bid to curb the rebound in infections.
On Sunday, Italy added another 2,578 confirmed cases, far fewer new daily infections than in neighbouring France or Spain, but cause for concern in the onetime European epicentre of the pandemic.
Another 18 people died, bringing Italy’s toll to 35,986, the second highest in Europe after Britain.
