China reports 39 COVID-19 deaths, highest since emergence of virus

April 24 (UPI) -- COVID-19 is surging in Mainland China, where the virus first emerged in December 2019 after it had not reported any deaths in more than one year from January 2021 to late this March.

On Sunday, China announced 39 fatalities, all in Shanghai and the most since 41 on March 1, 2020. In the past week, there have been 89 fatalities for a total of 4,725 in 88th, behind Sudan with 4,929. At the end of last year, the death count was 4,636.

Cases also have been surging in China, nearly doubling since the start of the year. In 2021, there were 102,083 compared with 98,571 so far this year. The total is 200,654 in 110th. On April 16, there were 3,896, the most since 5,090 Feb. 13, 2020.

Those are confirmed cases with illness and 20,285 asymptomatic ones were reported Sunday for a total of 487,000.

In all, 509,365,131 cases have been reported worldwide, including 4,589,987 in the past week, for a 21% decrease in tracking by Worldometers.info on Sunday. And deaths rose by 16,969 over seven days, a 15% drop, for a cumulative 6,242,785.

Infections and fatalities decreased on every continent except cases up in North America and deaths rising in Africa.

Last week, daily cases dropped to 374,247 on Monday, the fewest since 343,028 Oct. 25 before the Omicron variant dominated. Also the day after Easter there were 1,638 deaths, the lowest since 1,431 March 20, 2020, during the start of the pandemic. One week ago, the cases' weekly average dropped below 1 million last week for the first time since 989,391 Dec. 28. This past week the daily average is 655,712.

Besides China, there has been a spike in some places in the world, including a 6% weekly cases rise in the United States though deaths are down 21%. The BA.2 variant, which has an increased level of transmissibility compared with the original Omicron strain, has become the dominant variant in the U.S. with around 75%. Omicron first was reported in South Africa on Nov. 25.

Most of the new cases have occurred in Shanghai, where the entire 25 million residents have been in a lockdown. The lockdown began a month ago in parts of the city, which is the financial capital, and then was expanded to everywhere.''

In the capital Beijing, with a population of 21.5 million, cases rose by 22 on Sunday -- all locally transmitted.

"The city has recently seen several outbreaks involving multiple transmission chains, and the risk of continued and undetected transmission is high. The situation is urgent and grim," municipal official Tian Wei told reporters Saturday. "The whole city must act immediately."

China has the world's largest population in the world at 1.5 billion.

Hong Kong reported 429 cases Sunday for a total of 1,201,860 with the record 56,827 on March 10, and 13 fatalities for a cumulative 9,249, including a record 294 March 11. Until this year, Hong Kong, an island of 7.6 million people that has separate governing and economic systems from Communist China, had reported only 163 deaths and 243,612 cases. In 2020, it was 148 deaths and 8,847 cases.

Hong Kong last week eased social distancing, including allowing leisure shopping, but it is prepared to make rapid testing more available.

A subvariant, BA.2.12.1, along with another version of Omicron, called BA.2.12, has led to a spike, including in upstate New York.

New York overall has had a spike, including more than 8,000 cases Friday.

"What we're seeing now with surges of cases is that there doesn't appear to be a concomitant increase in the severity of disease and hospitalizations," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview last week with the Nashville Tennessean.

And he said coronavirus will never go away.

"There's no chance we're going to eliminate SARS-CoV-2. We've only eliminated one viral human pathogen history -- smallpox. And then there are the ones we've eliminated in this country, which are polio and measles.

"The durability of protection SARS-CoV-2 [from vaccination and immunity from exposure] is not very long. And we have a situation where we have a lot of people not wanting to get vaccinated."

Elsewhere, deaths are up 44% in Canada, 10% in Germany and 3% in Britain. Cases also rose 18% in Spain and 126% in India, but they were at all-time low before it.

Asia had the biggest weekly decline in cases at 31% for a cumulative 146,981,066, followed by Africa 24% for 11,864,653, Europe at 20% for 189,170,435, South America 17% for 56,664,102, Oceania at 8% with 6,863,722 and North America rising 4% for 97,818,402

In deaths, South America decreased 23% for 1,293,012, followed by South America at 23% for 1,293,012, Asia at 22% for 1,419,524, North America at 17% for 1,456,529, Europe at 11% for 1,809,629 with Africa going up 6% for 253,697.

In all, more than 11.4 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, an increase of 100 million in a week with the world's population of 7.9 billion, according to Bloomberg tracking.

Broken down by world regions, the United States and Canada have administered at least one dose to 79% of the population, ahead of Latin America and Asia-Pacific at 78%, Europe at 68%, Middle East 55% and Africa at 20%, according to The New York Times tracking.

On Sunday, Korea reported 64,726 cases, the least since mid-February with the record 621,328 March 17. And deaths were 109. The record was 470 on March 24 with the mark until this year 109 on Dec. 23.

South Korea reported 617,718 cases in the past week, which second-most cases in the world behind Germany with 697,856 though it was a 41% weekly decline and deaths were fifth in the world with 1,135, a 37% decline, behind the United States, Britain, Russia and Germany. The nation is eighth in the world at 16,8965,194 cases with only 630,748 reported through the end of last year.

Deaths are 22,133 in 41st.

On Monday, South Korea will downgrade the situation from the highest on the four-tier system one spot, allowing eating inside movie theaters, indoor gyms and religious places. By the end of the month, the government will decide whether to downgrade the COVID-19 infectious disease level.

India's deaths are at pandemic lows but cases have been spiking, also after minimal levels.

On Sunday, India reported 2,593 cases for a total of 43,057,545 in second behind the United States, a gain of only 15,448 in one week. The record was 414,438 May 6, 2021.

India, which has the second-highest population in the world at 1.4 billion, reported only 342 deaths in one week after 66, including just none Monday with 44 Sunday for a total of 521,751, third behind the United States and Brazil. The last time there were zero was March 24, 200 with the record 6,148 last June when the Delta variant emerged there.

Amid the rise in infections, masks again are mandatory in some cities, including Delhi.

Elsewhere in Asia, Indonesia is ninth in deaths at 156,100, including 33 Sunday and 18th in cases at 6,044,150 with 382 Sunday. The records are 64,718 infections in Feburary and 2,069 last July.

Iran is 11th in deaths at 140,975, gaining 13 Sunday.

In the past week, Vietnam's cases dropped 46%. The Asian nation added 8,813 cases Sunday with the record 203,036 in March. The nation is 12th overall in the world with 10,563,502.

And deaths are 43,013 in 24th with 9 more Sunday.

Turkey is 10th in cases at 15,016,270 including 2,654 Saturday but 19th in deaths at 98,676 adding 16 Saturday.

Israel's indoor mask mandate ended Saturday night after allowing only 10 days, all in July 2021, since April 2020. Israel reported 6,649 cases Saturday, down from a record 83,739 in late January.

Following is the rank order of some nations' vaccination rates in Asia: Mainland China 90.5%, Hong Kong 88.6%, Singapore 88.1%, South Korea 86.9%, Malaysia 84%, Vietnam 82.3%, Japan 82.3%, Iran 76.3%, Indonesia 73.5%, Israel 72.8%, India 72.5%, Turkey 69.1% and Philippines 66.4%.

Four nations are in the top 10 for deaths: Russia fourth with 374,902 including 168 Sunday; Britain seventh at 173,352 with no data on weekends; Italy eighth at 162,688 with 79 Sunday and France 10th at 144,020 with 75 Saturday.

Germany is 13th in deaths at 134,646 including 22 Sunday but fifth in cases at 24,138,859, including 23,053 Sunday.

Germany had the third-most cases in the world in the past week but dropped 10%.

France had the third-most in the past week, 560,693, dropping 34%, and is at 28,244,977 in fourth overall in the world, adding 111,583 Saturday with the record 501,635 Feb. 1.

Italy is fourth worldwide in the past week with 421,040 and 56,263 Sunday for a total of 16,079,794 in ninth.

Britain ranks sixth in cases at 21,933,206.

Last week Britain reported spikes in deaths with the most in Europe at 1,487, including 646 Thursday, the highest since early February last year.

On Sunday, Russia's deaths were the least since 125 Oct. 12 2020, as well as 8,829 cases Sunday in seventh overall at 18,128,691.

Russia is lagging the world in vaccinations with 55.1% of its population with at least one dose of a domestic-produced vaccine, including Sputnik 5.

Two other Eastern European nations have low vaccination rates: Ukraine at 38% and Romania at 42.3%. Poland's rate is 59.8% and Czech Republic's is 65%.

Most nations in Europe are heavily vaccinated. In the European Union, it's 76%, including 87.4% in Spain, 85.1% in Italy, 84.2% in France, 83.1% in Denmark, 77.3% in Netherlands, 76.6% in Germany, 76.6% in Austria.

In Britain, only 29% of people hospitalized with coronavirus have fully recovered a year after they succumbed to infection, according to scientists and doctors at Leicester University in a study published by The Lancet. They also found that women had poorer recovery rates than men after hospitalization, with obesity also likely a factor.

"Given that more than 750,000 people have been hospitalized in the UK with COVID-19 over the past two years, it is clear from our research that the legacy of this disease is going to be huge," Rachael Evans, one of the study's authors, told The Guardian.

Symptoms included fatigue, muscle pain, poor sleep and breathlessness.

Restrictions have been lifted in Britain.

In London on Saturday, 94,000 fans at Wembley Stadium watched Tyson Fury retain his heavyweight title after beating Dillian Whyte by technical knockout in the sixth round.

The EU Digital COVID Certificate, which allows restriction-free travel across all EU and European Economic Area countries following proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test.

Spain, which has already relaxed some of its domestic restrictions, requires travelers from Britain, as to be fully vaccinated and have a negative test.

The United States and Mexico are in the top 10 for most deaths.

The United States' deaths dropped 17% in one week but cases were up 4%. On Saturday, the United States reported 77 deaths and 17,987 cases though only nine states reported data. Totals are 1,018,316 fatalities and 82,649,779 infections. The U.S. holds the world record for daily cases at 903,334 on Jan. 7.

The last time cases were under above 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 115,931 Feb. 22. The seven-day moving average is 44,308.

Mexico is fifth in the world in deaths at 324,117 with a weekly decrease of 49% and 57 recorded Saturday and the record 1,417 in late January a year ago. The nation's cases rose 28% with 802 most recently for 20th at 5,733,514

Canada's cases decreased 7% in one week with 3,820 Saturday after 19,589 Thursday, for 32nd with 3,695,585. The record was 55,359 in mid-January. Canada's deaths are up 44% and the nation ranks 26th worldwide with 38,777 including 24 Saturday with the record 257 on Dec. 29, 2020.

Canada has low rates per million with deaths at 1,011 and cases at 96,391. The United States is at 3,044 deaths per million compared with the world at 800.9 and 247,080 cases per million and the world at 65,347.

High on the world list in cases per million: Iceland 536,072, Denmark 607,799, Netherlands 467,096, Israel 434,735.

Canada has the best one-shot vaccination rate of the three largest countries in North America at 85.4%. The United States is at 76.7% for one shot. Mexico's percentage is 67.1%.

Starting Monday in Canada, unvaccinated children aged 5 to 11 traveling with a fully vaccinated adult won't need a COVID-19 test to enter the country.

All travelers must still wear a mask while traveling on federally-regulated means of transportation.

The United State last week dropped its mask mandate on public transportation.

In the top 10 for most deaths are Brazil in second at 662,663 and Peru sixth with 212,724 Colombia is 12th at 139,771.

Brazil reported 45 deaths Saturday with a record 4,211 early last April. Brazil's deaths declined 7% and cases were down 9% with 6,957 most recently, for a total of 30,346,654 in third. The record is 286,050 in early February.

Peru has the world's highest death rate at 6,293 per million people and 23 reported Saturday.

Chile has the best vaccination rate on the continent at 92% with Argentina 90.3%, Peru 86.3%, Brazil 86.1% and Colombia at 83.7%.

The Samba Parades for the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro began Wednesday, the first time since the pandemic with the year's delayed from February before Lent.

Oceania

Australia reported 4,769 cases Sunday with a record of 150,702 in mid-January and a 14% weekly drop. Until the Omicron surge, the record was 2,688 on Oct. 14. Overall, the nation has climbed to 21st in cases with 55,689,377

Deaths are 6,991 including 21 more Sunday. On Jan. 28, it set a daily record with 134.

Australia, which no longer is in lockdown, has vaccinated 86.6% of its population with at least one dose.

In New Zealand, cases increased 2% with the nation of 5 million people reporting only a few hundred cases a day before the Omicron variant, including a record 216 at the time on Nov. 24. On Sunday, New Zealand reported 5,714 cases, the lowest since late February, for a total of 824,867 with the record 24,106 March 2.

The nation added 9 deaths for a total of 636 with 68 at the start of March and an 84.3% vaccination rate.

The nation is on a traffic light system. The entire country is in Red, but on March 25 the system was changed to targeting restrictions "at those activities that reduce transmission the most." Outdoor gathering limits have been eliminated with masks not required there and vaccine passes no longer needed at events.

In South Africa, deaths rose 6% one week after decreasing 57% and cases were up 111% one week after going down 6%.

Overall, South Africa has reported 3,759,689 cases, in 30th worldwide, with 4,230 Saturday. The record was 37,875 during the Omicron surge.

South Africa has a 15.8% positivity rate, the most in more than three months.

"The public should exercise caution in interpreting these data as there may be changes in test patterns. An early warning indicator, wastewater detection surveillance, shows an increase in Gauteng," Dr. Adrian Puren, executive director of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, in a report by Business Tech.

The nation is 18th in deaths at 100,298, including 12 Saturday.

South Africa's vaccination rate is only 36.4% with Egypt at 45.5%.

Tunisia has the second-most deaths with 28,533 ahead of Egypt with 24,813

With winter approaching in the Southern Hemisphere, "there is a high risk of another wave of new COVID infections," according to the World Health Organization.