Sept. 5 (UPI) — Coronavirus worldwide, despite nearly 65,000 deaths and nearly 4.3 million cases in the past week, is leveling off with 8% declines for each category, with every continent dropping except Europe in fatalities.
Some places have shown increases, including Canada, which has had a fraction of the cases and deaths of its southern neighbor, the United States.
The pandemic’s death toll has reached 4,579,498 deaths and 221,394,352 cases so far Sunday, according to Worldometers.info.
The United States remains the world leader in deaths at 665,858 with a 1% drop in one week and cases at 40,765,356 with a 7% decline from seven days ago. Its 8,504 deaths and 1,041,602 cases in the past week were the most in the world, according to Worldometers.info. On Saturday, the United States reported 527 deaths and 56,170 cases though most states don’t report data on weekends.
Conversely, Canada’s deaths increased 9% and cases rose 19%. But the numbers are a fraction of the United States and Mexico with 118 fatalities and 24,953 infections over seven days.
Canada ranks 26th worldwide in deaths with 27,016, including 10 Saturday, and 28th in cases with 1,513,189, including 1,977 most recently. Canada’s deaths record is 257 on Dec. 29 and the cases mark is 11,383 on Jan. 3, and a total of 1,468,813.
Mexico is fourth in the world in deaths with 262,868 as there was nearly no change in one week with 5,071, including 647 Saturday. The nation’s cases declined 18% with 93,977, including 15,586 most recently for 15th at 3,420,880.
Deaths are way down in Mexico from a one-day record of 1,803. The cases record of 28,953 was set Aug. 19.
North America’s death toll was 1,008,506 with a decline of 2% and cases were down 9% to 48,943,281.
Overall, the United States has the highest rates per million — 1,998 deaths and 122,314 cases. Canada is at 709 for deaths and 38,684 for deaths; Mexico is 2,014 for deaths and 262,868 for cases.
Worldwide, the numbers are 587.4 deaths per million and 28,391 cases per million.
Brazil, which is second in the world with 583,362 deaths has a 2,722 per million and is third in the world in cases at 20,877,864 with 97,408 cases per million. Outside the Western Hemisphere, India with the second largest population in the world at 1.4 billion, is runner-up in cases with 32,988,673, including 23,639 per million and third in deaths at 440,533 at 316 per million.
Canada has the best vaccination rate of the three largest countries in North America with Canada’s one-shot vaccination rate has risen to 74.5% for the total population, according to Bloomberg tracking. In the United States, it is 62.3% and Mexico’s vaccination rate is 45.7%, though it was the first Latin American nation to begin vaccinating people.
Worldwide, vaccination doses grew by 260 million in one week to 5.46 billion with the world’s population of 7.9 billion.
Europe has administered 100 doses per 100 people, followed by North America at 95, South America at 85, Asia at 78, Oceania at 58 and Africa at 7.8, according to tracking by The New York Times. Most vaccines require two shots with boosters also occurring.
Despite strong vaccination numbers, modeling by the Public Health Agency of Canada shows boosting rates among young people and continuing masking and social distancing, the nation would avoid record cases in the fall.
If the current rate of COVID-19 transmission holds, the country could be reporting as many as 15,000 new daily cases by the middle of this month. But decreasing spread by 25% could cause the case numbers to plateau, and then decrease later in September.
More than 84% of eligible people had received at least one dose 77% percent were fully vaccinated, according to data through the end of last month.
“We have a window of opportunity to rapidly accelerate vaccine uptake and close the protection gap in younger age groups with the lowest vaccine coverage,” Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said at a news conference Friday.
Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec are in the process of implementing vaccine passports.
In North America, the United States’ non-essential travel ban with Canada and Mexico has been extended to Sept. 21. It began one year ago in March. Earlier, Canada announced it was reopening to vaccinated Americans.
Mexico has never closed its air borders or required incoming travelers to go into mandatory quarantine.
But state tourism ministers want the federal government to implement new coronavirus-related health and safety protocols. They want travelers to present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate or a negative test result.
Hotspots include tourist destinations such as Cancun and Los Cabos.
In South America, there have been 1,134,961 deaths, decreasing 10% and 37,063,401 cases, going down 15%.
In South America, three nations are in the top 10 for deaths. Besides Mexico, Peru is fifth at 198,447 and Colombia 10th at 125,250. Argentina is 12th with 112,444 deaths and Chile 20th with 37,090.
Over one week Brazil’s fatalities have dropped 10% with 609 Saturday and infections 13% with 21,804 most recently.
On Saturday, Colombia reported 72 deaths, Argentina added 88, Peru gained 27. Chile added 23 Sunday.
Chile has the highest vaccination rate on the continent at 75.5% with Brazil 65.3%, Argentina 62.7%, Colombia at 47.2% and Peru 31.7%. The Lambda variant was first detected in Peru in August 2020.
The vast majority of Brazil’s administered vaccines were by China’s Sinovac Biotech
On Saturday, Brazil’s federal health regulator Anvisa suspended the use of more than 12 million doses of a vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech produced in an unauthorized plant.
Meanwhile, researchers in Brazil have found venom from the Jararacussu pit viper slowed down the reproduction of coronvirus in monkey cells, according to a study.
Although India is a prime manufacturer of vaccines, the nation has only vaccinated 38% of its population with at least one dose and 11.4% fully.
But India administered 180 million doses in August, more doses than all G7 countries put together with 101 million.
“Yet another achievement! With more than 180 million vaccine doses administered in the month of August, India leaves a mark on the global map of leading its way in vaccinating its population on priority,” the government posted on Twitter.
The highly contagious Delta variant was first detected in India last October and has become the dominant strain worldwide.
On Sunday, India reported 308 deaths with a weekly 22% gain, and 42,766 cases, which is up 8%. The records are 4,529 deaths and 30,948 cases.
In Asia, cases have reached a world-high 71,291,938 and deaths are 1,053,610, which is third behind Europe and South American but ahead of North America. Deaths decreased 13% and infections went down 6%.
Indonesia, which wasn’t in the top 10 for most deaths until a few weeks ago, moved past Britain last week into seventh place with 135,861, including 392 Sunday. And daily cases were 5,403 and 13th overall. But fatalities are down 32% and cases dropped 42%. Its daily records were 56,757 cases and 2,069, both in July.
Indonesia’s vaccination rate is 24.7% for one dose.
Also in the top 20 for most deaths is Iran in 13th with 110,74, rising 610 after a record 709 Aug. 24 with an 8% weekly drop. And cases decreased 18% in the past week. The nation reported 25,870 cases Sunday with the record 50,228 Aug. 17.
Iran’s vaccination rate is 22.4% for one dose.
In Japan, where the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics ended Sunday, cases continue to surge. On Sunday, infections grew by 12,908 for a total of 1,575,219 with a record 25,492 three weeks ago.
Deaths increased 30 to 16,359 in 38th place. Fatalities increased by 38% but cases dropped 19% in one week.
Until late July, cases hadn’t gone above 10,000 in one day. Before then, the record was 7,855 on Jan. 9.
Despite the surge, Japan’s cases percentage is lower than elsewhere.
Japan has 12,355 infections per million and 129 deaths per million.
But Japan is lagging in vaccinations with 58.4% of the population getting at least one dose, according to tracking by Bloomberg.
The nation will issue online vaccination certificates starting in December.
The state of emergency, including a soft lockdown, is slated to end in Tokyo and other regions on Sept. 12.
The pandemic began in late 2019 in Mainland China, but the nation has reported only a few deaths in the past 12 months and stands in 75th at 4,636 behind Ethiopia with 4,749. China added 28 cases Sunday and had administered more than 2.1 billion doses, the most in the world and dwarfing India with more than 687 million and the United States with more than 373 million, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University.
South Korea’s rate is 57.8% of its population. The nation has 2,321 deaths, including six more Sunday, and a rise of 1,490 cases after a record 2,219 Aug. 11.
On Friday, South Korea extended social distancing restrictions to Oct. 3 with a Thanksgiving holiday later this month.
But the curfew on cafes and restaurants in the capital area was extended one hour to 10 p.m. And families are allowed to gather in groups of up to eight people in the week of the Sept. 21 Chuseok holiday.
Turkey is seventh in the world for cases at 6,478,663, including 20,033 Saturday, and 18th in deaths at 57,837, including 278 most recently.
Israel, which is considered part of Asia, has a death toll of 7,154 with 25 reported Saturday and 8,663 cases with the record 20,523 Wednesday. Until late last month, Israel only twice exceeded 10,000. The nation has vaccinated 66.4% of its population with at least one dose.
Despite the good vaccination rate, Israel has one of the world’s highest infection rates: 119,507 per million people, slightly less than the United States 122,314.
On Saturday, Israel’s national coronavirus czar called for the country to make plans to eventually administer fourth doses of vaccine with modifications to better handle variants, including the highly contagious Delta. Most nations hadn’t even begun to administer a third booster.
“Given that that the virus is here and will continue to be here, we also need to prepare for a fourth injection,” Salman Zarka told Kan public radio. “This is our life from now on, in waves.”
Last week, the Health Ministry announced that the Green Pass system, which allows entry into certain gatherings and public places for those who are vaccinated or have recovered from the coronavirus, will expire six months after the holder received their second or third dose.
In the European Union, 65.3% of the population has been given at least one dose, including 78.9% in Spain, 75.2% in France, 71.3% in Italy, 65.6% in Germany. Also in Europe, it’s 72.2% in Britain, 50.9% in Poland, 30.2% in Russia and 23.2% in Ukraine.
Europe has three nations in the top 10. Russia is sixth with 187,200, Britain eighth with 133,229, Italy ninth with 129,515. Also, France is 11th with 114,856, Germany 14th with 92,856, Spain 15th with 84,795, Poland 17th with 75,379 and Ukraine 19th with 53,983.
Europe’s deaths grew by 4% for a current total of 1,180,714 and cases dropped 3% at 55,950,626.
Coronavirus remains at a high level in Russia, which reported 793 deaths Sunday after a record 819 on Aug. 14. Cases were 18,645 compared with the record 29,935 in December. In the past week, the increase in deatsh was virtually unchanged and cases went up 2%.
Also most recently: Britain 68, Italy 49, France 83 (Saturday), Germany seven, Ukraine 17 and Poland none. Spain doesn’t release data on the weekend.
Britain’s 207 deaths reported Wednesday were the mot since 231 March 9. The record was 1,824 on Jan. 20.
On Sunday, Britain reported 37,0111 cases, below the record of 67,775 on Jan. 8.
The 27-nation European Union announced Tuesday it was recommending removing the United States from its “safe travel” list, meaning American travelers would face restrictions that include quarantine and testing. It is up to each nation to implement the change. Israel also was added to the list.
The EU launched the vaccine certificate, which allows for free movement of travelers between its countries though each nation can implement restrictions
The United States continues to have a travel ban for European travelers since one year ago March with a quarantine, including being fully vaccinated.
People who have been fully vaccinated can visit England without needing to quarantine.
In Africa deaths dropped 15% for a week with the total 199,438 and cases were down 22% at 7,972,396.
South Africa is in 16th place with 83,343 deaths, including 182 Saturday And cases rose 8,410 most recently.
Tunisia has the second most deaths with 23,773, ahead of Egypt with 16,776.
South Africa has vaccinated just 16.6% of its population with at least one shot.
Only nine African nations have met the World Health Organization goal of vaccinating 10% of their population by the end of this month.
Africa received nearly 21 million vaccine doses last month through the COVAX solidarity initiative, which equaled the previous four months combined.
“The inequity is deeply disturbing. Just 2% of the over 5 billion doses given globally have been administered in Africa,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said in a news report by the United Nations. “Yet recent rises in vaccine shipments and commitments shows that a fairer, more just global distribution of vaccines looks possible.”
Africa has 16.72% of the world’s population.
Oceania, with only 42.3 million people, has 2,254 deaths with a decrease of 11%, or 168 in one week, and cases are 171,989, up 12,547 with a decrease of 6%.
New Zealand’s deaths increased by one to 26 on Saturday, the first one reported since Feb. 16 and Australia’s toll increased to 1,039, with three reported Sunday and 43 in a week after 15 the previous week.
New Zealand reported 20 cases Sunday and Australia was up 1,606, one day after a record 1,742 Until August, the record was 71 on one year ago July. Most of the cases are in New South Wales, which includes Sydney.
Sydney has been in a lockdown for two months and it is scheduled to end Friday.
Victoria, which includes Melbourne, has a lockdown that was extended until Sept. 23.
“What we must do is suppress case numbers sufficiently to buy us time to get people vaccinated. What that means is that we can’t ease restrictions today in any profound way,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said last week. “We are in for a difficult time, a challenging time over these coming weeks.”
Australia has vaccinated 49.9% of its population and New Zealand is at 49.1%.
Fiji, with a 62.4% vaccinated rate, has 508 deaths, a rise of 29 in the past week with none Sunday, and four by May 3. Cases have climbed from 121 on May 3 to 47,865, including 156 most recently. Fiji has 903,457 residents.
Guam, a territory of the United States with under 200,000 residents, has 151 deaths and 11,199 cases, including 93 Saturday.
Last week, Guam was added to the list of nations the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Prevention says to avoid traveling.
And Guam has suspended its “Air V&V” for “vacation and vaccination” that attracted mostly tourists from Taiwan.
“I’ve done everything that’s still open to tourists, from shooting and hiking to jet skiing, kayaking, scuba diving and surfing,” Jimmy Lin, a Taiwanese resort owner, told The Washington Post the night before he headed home late last month, fully vaccinated, and into mandatory two-week quarantine.
“For someone who’s used to city life, Guam feels like paradise, but only for the first week or two. If I had to spend longer here, I would probably get bored.”