(Reuters) – Coronavirus-related deaths worldwide exceeded 3 million on Tuesday, according to a Reuters count, as the latest global flare-up of COVID-19 infections challenges vaccination efforts around the world.
Globally, COVID-19 deaths are on the rise again, especially in Brazil and India. Health officials blame more contagious variants first discovered in the UK and South Africa, along with public fatigue with lockdowns and other restrictions.
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According to a Reuters count, it took more than a year for the global coronavirus death toll to reach 2 million. The next 1 million deaths were added in about three months.
According to an analysis by Reuters, Brazil is the world leader in the daily average number of reported new deaths and is responsible for one in four deaths worldwide each day.
The World Health Organization acknowledged the dire state of the country due to the coronavirus and said the country is in a very critical condition with an overwhelmed healthcare system.
“Indeed, a very serious situation is currently underway in Brazil, where we have a number of states in critical condition,” WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove told a briefing last Thursday, adding that many intensive care units in hospitals make up more than 90%. full.
India reported a record increase in COVID-19 infections on Monday, becoming the second country after the United States to publish more than 100,000 new cases per day.
India’s hardest-hit state, Maharashtra, began closing shopping malls, cinemas, bars, restaurants and places of worship on Monday as hospitals are overrun with patients.
The European region, which includes 51 countries, has the highest death toll with nearly 1.1 million.
Five European countries, including the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Italy and Germany, make up about 60% of the total deaths from coronavirus in Europe.
The United States has the highest number of deaths of any country in the world at 555,000 and accounts for about 19% of all deaths from COVID-19 in the world. The number of cases has risen in the past three weeks, but health officials believe the country’s rapid vaccination campaign could prevent a rise in deaths. One third of the population has received at least one dose of a vaccine.
According to the latest figures from research and data provider Our World in Data, at least 370.3 million people or nearly 4.75% of the world’s population will have received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine by Sunday.
However, the World Health Organization is urging countries to donate more doses of approved COVID-19 vaccines to help meet vaccination goals for the most vulnerable in poorer countries.