Oct. 10 (UPI) — Two large-population nations are going in opposite directions in their coronavirus situation. While Russian has surged to record levels in deaths and cases, India’s infections are the lowest in seven months and fatalities are just 3.5% of a record high this summer.
On Sunday, Russia reported a record 962 deaths and is fifth place in the world with 216,415. The nation hasn’t been below 700 deaths daily since July, according to tracking by Worldometers.info. And the 28,647 cases for a total of 7,775,365, which also is in fifth place, are below Saturday’s 29,362 and record 29,935 on Dec. 24.
Conversely, India reported 18,166 cases, the lowest in 214 days, for a total of 33,953,475, second behind the United States with 45,179,209. The Asian nation holds the world record of 414,188 cases in May.
India on Sunday added 214 deaths for a total of 450,589 since the start of the pandemic, only behind the United States with 733,058 and Brazil with 600,880. India set a world record of 6,148 deaths in June.
So far Sunday, deaths worldwide are 4,865,881 and cases are 238,586,213. Overall, fatalities dropped 7% and infections 8%.
The two nations’ weekly changes are divergent. Russia’s deaths rose 8% at 5,933, the second most behind the United States’ 10,176, and India’s dropped 6%. Russia’s cases rose 15% while India’s dropped 13%.
The two nations’ vaccination rates also differ.
Russia, which has created its own vaccines, including Sputnik 5, has inoculated 33.6% of its population with one shot, according to tracking by Bloomberg. In India, a prime world manufacturer of vaccines, it’s 49.4%.
Worldwide, vaccination doses grew by 160 million in one week to 6.49 billion with the world’s population of 7.9 billion, according to tracking by Bloomberg.
India, with the second-largest population in the world at 1.4 billion, has administered 950.6 million doses, which is far behind China, the largest population at 1.5 billion, at 2.2 billion shots. The United States, with a population of 333.5 million, is third with 400.3 million doses. Russia, with 146 million people, has only administered 94.4 million.
“The numbers are really very bad, and this is indeed a cause for concern. The main reason is the insufficient level of vaccination,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week.
Last Sunday, state TV presenter Dmitry Kiselyov said: “Here’s a vaccine for you. Here are masks and drugs. Here you go: new hospitals and doctors. But in response, citizens, for the most part, wanted to spit on themselves and others.”
India has been accelerating the number of vaccines, rising by 43 million in one week.
“India completes administration of 95 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses. Marching rapidly towards administering 100 crore vaccine doses,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya posted on Twitter on Sunday. “Get vaccinated quickly and encourage your friends and family to do the same.”
On April 1, people more than 45 years old could be vaccinated.
India accounts for 44.1% of Asia’s 77,125,340 cases, which ranks first among the continents, and 39.6% of 1,138,861 deaths, which ranks third behind Europe and South American but ahead of North America.
In the past week, Asia’s fatalities decreased 20% and infections 14%,
Indonesia ranks seventh in the world at 142,651 with an increase of 39, way down from a record 2,069 on July 27. The Asian nation’s cases are 14th at 4,227,932, including 894 Sunday, also way below the record 54,000 in July. Indonesia has vaccinated 36.8% of its population with at least one dose.
Iran is 11th at 122,592, including 222 Sunday. Iran’s one-shot vaccination rate is 43.6%.
Turkey is sixth in the world for cases at 7,4144,552, including 28,372 reported Sunday and 18th in deaths at 656,180, including 196 most recently. Turkey has a 65.5% vaccination rate.
In Japan, cases are a small fraction of 25,492 on Aug. 21 after the Summer Olympics ended on Aug. 8.
On Sunday, infections grew by 553 for a total of 1,710,658 and deaths went up 10 at 17,749.
Until late July, cases hadn’t gone above 10,000 in one day.
Japan’s case percentage is lower than elsewhere. Japan has 13,570 infections per million and 142 deaths per million. Worldwide, it’s 30,576 cases per million and 623.8 per million deaths. The United States’ figures are 2,198 fatalities per million and 135,482 infections per million.
Japan, which didn’t administer its first doses until February, has vaccinated 73% of the population.
It ended its state of emergency on Oct. 1.
“I’m determined to devote body-and-soul to overcome this national crisis with the people, carve out a new era and pass on to the next generation a country whose citizens are rich at heart,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday in his first policy speech to parliament.
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 tied for 77th at 4,636 with Zimbabwe. China added 57 cases Sunday.
China reports it has vaccinated 82.5% of its population with at least one dose.
Travel was down by a third on pre-coronavirus levels as China observed its “golden week” national holiday last week.
“Recent Covid outbreaks are also still weighing on domestic spending and this pressure is likely to linger for longer,” Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics, wrote in a note.
South Korea’s vaccination rate is 77.2%, and had a late start like Japan.
Cases rose 1,594 Sunday after a record 3,273 on Sept. 25. The nation has 2,575 deaths, including 15 more Sunday.
Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is taken from their home and placed in a residential treatment facility and sent to the hospital if it is serious.
Israel has a death toll of 7,904 with two reported Sunday, and 489 cases most recently with the record 20,523 Sept. 1. Israel has among the world’s worst infection rates: 139,936 per million.
With the fourth wave waning, Israel on Friday eased more restrictions on outdoor activities, including kayaking, rafting and Jeep trips. They will no longer require a Green Pass.
The nation’s one-shot vaccination rate is 68.2%. And booster shots are required for travelers and entry to public spaces for those 12 and older.
Israel is among 16 nations outside the 27-nation European Union participating in the bloc’s vaccine certificate program, meaning people who have been fully vaccinated can visit other member countries, including England, without needing to quarantine. Each nation can implement restrictions.
The EU has recommended removing the United States from its “safe travel” list, meaning American travelers would face restrictions that include quarantine and testing.
Europe leads the continents with 1,244,481 deaths, and it has gained 14% in a week. Cases are 60,395,965, which is second, with an 11% rise. It is the continent to rise in both categories.
Besides Russia, two other European nations are in the top 10 for fatalities: Britain eighth with 137,735
and Italy ninth with 131,301. Also, France is 12th with 117,052, Germany 14th with 95,029, Spain 16th with 86,778, Poland 17th with 75,869 and Ukraine 19th with 58,393.
In the past week, deaths decreased in Britain by 2% to 787, and 38 Sunday. Cases increased 6% with 34,950 Sunday.
England was the first nation in Europe to end most coronavirus restrictions — on July 19. Germany and Italy still restrict large crowds at events. In Spain, social distancing remains in schools with masks required from those 6 and older.
In Rome on Saturday, Thousands of protesters, including members of far-right groups, demonstrated iagainst the extension of thehealth pass system to all workplaces.
Romania’s 1,762 deaths in the past week were the second-most deaths behind Russia. Romania deaths rose by 211 Sunday to 39,420. Ukraine had 1,682 in the past week.
Other increases Sunday: Ukraine 162, Italy 46, France 8, Germany 3, Poland five. Spain doesn’t release data on the weekend.
In the European Union, the one-shot vaccination rate is 68.5%, including 81.2% in Spain, 78.0% in France, 75.7% in Italy, 68.6% in Germany. Also in Europe, it’s 73.6% in Britain, 52.4% in Poland and 30.2% in Ukraine.
In North America, the death toll was 1,104,344 with a weekly decrease of 10% and cases were down 19% to 54,330,494.
The United States’ deaths dropped 14% and cases 18%. On Saturday, the United States reported 581 deaths and 42,357 cases though most states don’t report data on weekends.
Mexico is fourth in the world in deaths at 281,958 with a 11% weekly increase and 348 recorded Saturday. The nation’s cases dropped 19% with 6,153 most recently for 15th at 3,720,545
Deaths are way down in Mexico from a one-day record of 1,803. The cases record of 28,953 was set Aug. 19.
Canada ranks 26th worldwide in deaths with 28,202, including 7 Sunday, and 28th in cases with 1,658,482, including 1,220 most recently. Canada’s deaths record is 257 on Dec. 29 and the cases mark is 11,383 on Jan. 3.
Canada has around one-third the rates per million than the United States with deaths 776 and cases 43,426.
Canada has the best one-shot vaccination rate of the three largest countries in North America at 77.5%. The United States is at 65.3% for one shot. Mexico’s percentage is 51.8%, though it was the first Latin American nation to begin vaccinating people.
The United States’ non-essential travel ban with Canada and Mexico has been extended through Oct. 21. It began one year ago in March. Earlier, Canada announced it was reopening to vaccinated Americans.
The U.S. government plans to ease air travel restrictions on all fully vaccinated foreign visitors starting in November.
In Mexico, Baja California is the only state with a high-risk level, orange, on the stoplight system. There are 22 yellow states, including Mexico and prime-tourist Yucatan, and nine low risk green states.
In Cancun, which is part of the Yucatan, last month was the busiest September ever for arrivals at the international airport. Just over 1.66 million passengers flew to Cancun, according to airport operator ASUR, which is a 94% spike compared to September last year and a 4.4% increase in 2019.
In South America, there have been 1,160,715 deaths, decreasing 14% and 38,017,721 cases, going down 8%.
Brazil decreased 11% in deaths to 600,880, which is second in the world, and 8% in cases to 21,567,181, which ranks third. Brazil reported 387 deaths and 16,51 cases Sunday.
Also in the top 10 for deaths. Peru is sixth at 199,641 and Colombia 10th at 126,585. Argentina is 13th with 115,458 deaths and Chile 22nd with 37,554.
On Sunday, Chile reported 10 more deaths. On Saturday, Peru added 26, Colombia 33 and Argentina 14. These numbers are way down from records: Peru with 1,154, Colombia with 754, Argentina with 791, Chile with 316.
Chile has the highest vaccination rate on the continent at 82.9% with Brazil at 73.2%, Argentina 67.1%, Colombia at 54.5% and Peru 50.0%.
“The rejection rate of vaccines is really low, it makes other countries jealous,” said Alexandre Naime Barbosa, head of epidemiology at Sao Paulo State University, told CNN. “That’s really important for Brazil to contain the pandemic.”
Venezuela’s 35.7% rate is among the lowest in South America but it ranks 80th in deaths at 4,606, including 14 Saturday. New weekly cases surpassed 10,000 for the first time at 10,260 according to government data.
“The demons are unleashed regarding a third wave,” Enrique Lopez-Loyo, president of the National Medicine Academy told Bloomberg. “Without a doubt we believe this is an explosion of the delta variant in Venezuela.”
Latin America is at 59% with at least one shot, according to New York Times tracking. The United States and Canada are at 67% with Europe at 57%, Asia-Pacific 55%, Middle East 37% and Africa 7.1%.
Specifically, South Africa has vaccinated just 22.6% of its population with at least one shot.
Africa has 16.72% of the world’s population but its share of vaccinations is less than 3% at 159.7 million doses.
In the continent, deaths dropped 19% for the week with a total of 214,273 and cases were down 28% at 8,460,137.
South Africa is 15th with 88,292 deaths, including 56 Saturday. And cases rose 816 most recently.
Tunisia has the second-most deaths with 24,996 ahead of Egypt with 17,658.
Oceania, with only 42.3 million people, has 3,192 deaths with a decrease of 19% in seven days, or 190, and cases are 255,835, up 19,238 with an increase of 10%.
New Zealand’s deaths rose by 1 to 28 in the past week. Australia’s toll increased to 1,432, with 11 reported Sunday and 101 in a week.
New Zealand added 61 cases Sunday and Australia was up 2,390 with a record 2,528 Saturday.
Australia has a vaccination rate of 68.9% with New Zealand at 69.1% among the entire population.
At midnight Monday, Greater Sydney eased some key restrictions for the fully vaccinated, including restaurants and non-essential businesses, after being in lockdown for 100 days.
“We know that as we open up, case numbers will increase,” New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said. “But what has been key to keeping people safe is our high vaccination rate.”
Victoria, which includes Melbourne, remains under lockdown.
Fiji, with a 68% vaccinated rate, has 653 deaths, a rise of 21 in the past week and one Sunday. On May 3 there were four fatalities. Cases have climbed from 121 on May 3 to 51,499, including 16 most recently. Fiji has 903,457 residents.
Guam, a territory of the United States with fewer than 200,000 residents, has 212 deaths with none Saturday and 14 in a week, and 16,109 cases, including 51 most recently. Its vaccination rate is 77.9% for the entire population, including 91.0% of those eligible, which is 12 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.