Coronavirus cases reach more than 8 million worldwide as outbreak expands in Latin America
- Infections in Latin America account for 21 per cent of all cases
- As Europe reopens, Beijing outbreak shows need for vigilance
Global cases of the novel coronavirus reached over 8 million on Monday, as infections surge in Latin America, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
About 25 per cent of those cases, or 2 million infections, are in the United States, though the fastest growing outbreak is in Latin America which now accounts for 21 per cent of all cases.
Brazil’s Covid-19 cases and deaths have surged to make it the No 2 hotspot in the world, behind only the United States.
Although Brazil’s official death toll from the pandemic has risen to nearly 44,000, the true impact is likely far greater than the data show, health experts said, citing a lack of widespread testing in Latin America’s largest country.
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In the United States, which has over 116,000 deaths, testing is still ramping up months after the start of the outbreak. After cases declined in much of the United States for weeks, many areas are now reporting record new cases and hospitalisations.