1.98 lakh cases in Germany, Shanghai eases curbs: Global Covid updates in 8 points
Confirmed Covid cases in Germany went up by 1.98 lakh. Italy witnessed a single-day spike of 27,214 cases on Tuesday. In Shanghai, the Chinese government has decided to lift the lockdown further. Here are the top global Covid-19 updates.
Germany, France and Italy continue to fight a rise in daily infections and Covid-linked deaths, with Germany reporting nearly 2 lakh cases in a day. In China’s financial hub Shanghai, the government has decided to lift the lockdown further as it intensifies Covid-19 testing in the city. Meanwhile in India, a 66 per cent rise in cases was recorded in 24 hours as daily cases crossed the 2,000-mark for the second time this week to break a downward trend.
Here are the top global Covid-19 updates:
1. Confirmed Covid cases in Germany went up by 1.98 lakh to reach 23,658,211 on Tuesday. 348 new deaths were also reported by Reuters citing Robert Koch Institute data.
2. France reported 181 new deaths - a sharp increase from recent daily figures - and 25,465 new infections on Tuesday. France is currently struggling with a surge in the number of Covid-19 patients needing intensive care.
3. Italy witnessed a single-day spike of 27,214 cases on Tuesday, the health ministry said, while deaths rose to 127 as against 79 the previous day. 174,098 Covid tests were carried out on Tuesday, compared with a previous 105,739, the health ministry said.
4. Shanghai allowed an additional four million more people out of their homes Wednesday as curfew rules eased. A total of almost 12 million people in the city of 25 million are allowed to go outdoors following the first round of easing of restrictions last week, health officials said as per news agency AP.
5. On Wednesday, China's mainland witnessed 19,927 new cases. Shanghai accounted for 95% of the total, or 18,902 cases, of which only 2,495 had symptoms.
6. US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that "it's up to them" when asked whether people should keep wearing masks on aeroplanes. Cab service providers Uber and Lyft have also scrapped face mask mandates for their riders and drivers in the United States.
7. The BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron and its sublineage BA.2.12.1 is estimated to make up more than 90% of the coronavirus cases in the US as of last week, the US' Centers for Disease Control has said.
8. British prime minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday apologised to parliament after he was fined by police for breaking lockdown rules, saying he did not know a birthday gathering at the height of the pandemic was in breach of the rules he had set.
