COVID-19
Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 213 million
More than 213.07 million people have been infected by COVID-19 globally and 4.6 million have died, data on Wednesday showed.
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.
India meanwhile on Wednesday reported 37,593 new infections of the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the federal government said in a statement adding that deaths rose by 648, taking the toll to 435,110.
In Australia, authorities are struggling to control a third wave of the virus and have locked down more than half of its 25 million population, including its largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne.
Sydney’s COVID-19 infections hit a daily record on Wednesday, putting parts of the health system under pressure.
Japan, which is hosting the Paralympic Games, is also struggling to contain a new outbreak and is expected to expand a state of emergency to eight more prefectures, taking the total to 21.