Coronavirus Watch

Global Statistics

Worldwide coronavirus cases crossed 40 million yesterday, according to a Reuters tally, as the onset of winter in the northern hemisphere fuelled a resurgence in the spread of the disease. Since the pandemic started, over 1.12 million people have died due to COVID-19, with the global fatality rate hovering around 2.8% of the total cases.

It took just 32 days to go from 30 million global cases to 40 million, compared with the 38 days it took to get from 20 to 30 million, the 44 days between 10 and 20 million, and the three months it took to reach 10 million cases from when the first cases were reported in Wuhan, China, in early January.

Record one-day increases in new infections were seen at the end of last week, with global coronavirus cases rising above 400,000 for the first time. There was an average of around 347,000 cases each day over the past week, compared with 292,000 in the first week of October.

The United States, India, and Brazil remain the worst affected countries in the world. COVID-19 cases in North, Central, and South America represent about 47.27% or nearly half of global cases. Around 247 cases are seen per 10,000 people in the United States. For India and Brazil, those numbers stand at 55 cases and 248 cases per 10,000 people respectively. Europe currently accounts for over 17% of the global cases and nearly 22% of the deaths related to the virus worldwide.

In the US, there have been around 8.4 million coronavirus infections and over 225,000 deaths. Across the world, over 40 million cases have been recorded. Cases in the US dipped to around 34,000 per day by early September, but are now averaging around 55,000 per day.

India’s cumulative tally of coronavirus infections stood at 7.59 million, with the number of active infections slipping below 800,000 for the first time in 1.5 months.

In Europe, more than 250,000 people have died, forcing tightened restrictions in several countries.

Ireland will be the first EU country to return to a coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Monday as he issued a nationwide “stay at home” order starting midnight on Wednesday. Schools however will remain open.

There are currently more new Covid-19 cases per million people recorded in the Czech Republic than in any other major country in the world. On Friday, more than 11,100 new cases were reported in a single day, a new record. In the first 17 days of October, more people have died of the virus in the Czech Republic than during the previous eight months of the epidemic combined.

South Africa recorded 1 461 new coronavirus cases. This brings the total number of cases to 705 254. The country has also recorded 61 new COVID-19 related fatalities, bringing the total number of deaths to 18 492. Recoveries now stand at 635 257 which translates to a recovery rate of 90%.

Zimbabwe recorded 12 new cases to bring the total number of cases to 8159. 1 new death was recorded in Bulawayo to bring the total number of deaths to 232. Recovered cases are now at 7,683 which brings the recovery rate to 94% and active cases went up to 244.

Metal Prices Asia/Europe/NY market

20/10/2020

(Source: Kitco)