Coronavirus: Latest Global Developments

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: - Europe surge 'great concern' - The World Health Organization says soaring numbers of Covid-19 cases in Europe is of "great concern", but that the situation is still better than the peaks in April

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Oct, 2020 ) :Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: - Europe surge 'great concern' - The World Health Organization says soaring numbers of Covid-19 cases in Europe is of "great concern", but that the situation is still better than the peaks in April.

"Daily numbers of cases are up, hospital admissions are up," said the WHO's regional director for Europe Hans Kluge. But "we are not" in the situation experienced in March and April.

- More than 1.09 million dead - The coronavirus has killed at least 1,093,624 people since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT Thursday based on official sources.

At least 38,571,770 cases have been registered. Of these, at least 26,662,700 are now considered recovered.

The hardest hit country is the United States, with 216,904 deaths, followed by Brazil with 151,747, India with 111,266, Mexico with 84,898, and the United Kingdom with 43,155 deaths.

- Tighter curbs for London - Some nine million people in the British capital are facing more stringent restrictions because of a rising number of cases of the virus.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says that from midnight Friday different households in the capital will not be allowed to mix indoors.

- German cases surge - New daily infections in Germany soar to 6,638, a level not seen since the start of the pandemic.

The alarming jump in numbers comes just hours after Chancellor Angela Merkel announces new limits on people gathering at events as well as mandatory mask wearing in crowded places.

- Massive Chinese screening - Almost 10 million people in the Chinese city of Qingdao have now been screened for the coronavirus, as authorities rush to quash an outbreak of 13 cases.

Deputy mayor Luan Xin says more than 9.9 million samples have been collected and 7.6 million results returned, adding that no new cases had been found.

- Minister's home searched - French police search the home of Health Minister Olivier Veran as part of an inquiry into the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Veran is one of several current or former ministers being probed over their response to the pandemic following complaints by victims of Covid-19 that they were slow to act to check its spread.

- Herd immunity 'dangerous' - Proponents of allowing the coronavirus to circulate in the hope of achieving herd immunity are promoting a "dangerous fallacy" devoid of scientific proof, 80 health experts say in an open letter published in The Lancet medical journal.

The letter comes after numerous US media this week reported that senior Trump administration officials had voiced support for an online declaration advocating herd immunity which gathered more than 9,000 signatories worldwide.

- HK, Singapore travel bubble - Hong Kong and Singapore announce a "milestone arrangement" allowing residents to travel freely between the two financial hubs as long as they test negative for the coronavirus.

The two cities said the deal would be implemented within weeks.