UK records more than 40,000 daily Covid-19 cases for the first time since January

Global Covid-19 deaths have increased after declining for nine consecutive weeks, the World Health Organization said in its weekly epidemiological report published Tuesday. 

The cumulative global number of deaths now exceeds 4 million. 

The African region recorded a 50% increase in the number of deaths compared to last week and the South-East Asia region a 26% increase. The region of the Americas reported an 11% decrease in the number of deaths reported last week. 

Cases are also increasing, the report says, with nearly 3 million reported last week. This is a 10% increase compared with the week before. The cumulative number of globally reported cases is now over 186 million. Global Covid-19 incidence increased with an average of 400,000 cases reported daily, compared to 370,000 last week. 

All regions except for the Americas, which reported a 3% decline, reported an incidence increase. The largest incidence increase — 25% — was reported by the Eastern Mediterranean region, followed by the European region, which had a 20% increase compared to the week before. The African region had the smallest increase, 5%.

Brazil reported the highest number of new cases, followed by India, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and Colombia. The highest number of new cases per 100,000 population were reported from the British Virgin Islands, followed by the Seychelles, Cyprus, Jersey and Fiji. 

Cases of the Alpha variant has now been reported in 178 countries, with six newly reporting in the last week. One hundred and twenty three countries have reported the Beta variant, three in the last new week. The Gamma variant has been reported in 75 countries, three new in the last week. The Delta variant has been reported in 111 countries, with 15 new countries reporting cases in the last week. 

WHO notes that as surveillance activities to detect variants are strengthened, the number of countries reporting variants of concern continues to increase, and that distribution should be interpreted with consideration of surveillance limitations. 

“Nevertheless, an overall rise in Covid-19 cases due to the Delta variant is reported across all WHO regions,” the report says. “As of 13 July, at least 111 countries, territories and areas have reported detection of Delta variant, and this is expected to continue to increase, becoming the dominant variant globally in the coming months.”