On the Global Pandemic for Week Ending May 23Number of Cases WorldwideAs of May 23, the worldwide statistics for COVID-19 pandemic as reported by Worldometer were: - Total reported cases: 5,320,834. This is 676,364 more than the total reported on May 16 of 4,647,961. This compares to the increase in cases in the previous week of 642,306. - Total active cases: 2,811,294. This is 243,311 more than the number reported on May 16 of 2,567,983. The increase in total active cases compared to the previous week was 214,088. - Closed cases: 2,513,031. This is 433,053 more than the number reported on May 16 of 2,079,978. This compares to an increase in the previous week of 428,218. - Deaths: 340,261. This is 31,276 more deaths than on May 16, when the toll was 308,985. This compares to an increase in the previous week of 33,316. - Recovered: 2,172,707. This is up 401,714 from the May 16 figure of 1,770,993 and compares to an increase the previous week of 394,902 recoveries. There were 107,716 new cases from May 21 to 22. This is the highest one day increase ever, underscoring the ongoing seriousness of the global situation, despite the fact that some countries have overcome the pandemic and others have significantly flattened the curve. This compares to the one-day increase in cases from May 14 to 15 of 99,405 new cases. The disease was present in 213 countries and territories, the same as the week prior. Of these, 48 countries had less than 100 cases, as compared to May 16 when there were 52 countries with less than 100 cases. There are 22 countries/territories without active cases this week, up from 15 the previous week. They are Mauritius (332 cases; 322 recovered; 10 deaths); Faeroe Islands (187 cases, all recovered); Trinidad and Tobago (116 cases; 108 recovered; 8 deaths); French Polynesia (60 cases, all recovered); Macao (45 cases; all recovered); Eritrea (39 cases, all recovered); Timor-Leste (24 cases, all recovered); Belize (18 cases; 16 recovered; 2 deaths); New Caledonia (18 cases, all recovered); Saint Lucia (18 cases, all recovered); Dominica (16 cases; all recovered); Saint Kitts and Nevis (15 cases, all recovered); the Malvinas (13 cases, all recovered); Montserrat (11 cases, 10 recovered; 1 death); Greenland (11 cases; all recovered); Seychelles (11 cases, all recovered); Papua New Guinea (8 cases; all recovered); Caribbean Netherlands (6 cases; all recovered); St. Barth (6 cases, all recovered); Western Sahara (6 cases, all recovered); Anguilla (3 cases, all recovered); Saint Pierre et Miquelon (1 case, recovered). The five countries with the highest number of cases on May 23 are noted below, accompanied by the number of cases and deaths per million population: USA: 1,645,353 (1,144,470 active; 403,228
recovered;
97,655 deaths) and 4,974 cases per million; 295
deaths per
million Russia: 335,882 (224,558 active; 107,936
recovered;
3,388 deaths) and 2,302 cases per million; 23
deaths per
million Brazil: 332,382 (175,836 active; 135,430
recovered;
21,116 deaths) and 1,565 cases per million; 99
deaths per
million Spain: 281,904 (56,318 active; 196,958
recovered;
28,628 deaths) and 6,030 cases per million; 612 deaths per
million UK: 254,195 (active and recovered N/A;
36,393 deaths)
and 3,747 cases per million; 536 deaths per
million The rate of new daily cases in the U.S. has levelled off somewhat at about 20,000, although it had 28,179 new cases on May 21. Russia, and especially Brazil, had a sharp increase in the rate of new daily cases. Russia added roughly 9,000 new cases per day since May 16. Brazil had its highest one day increase of 21,472 new cases on May 20, and went from the country with the fifth highest number of cases to the third highest in the course of the past week. These three countries alone account for about half of the total number of new cases per day in the past week. Cases in Top Five Countries by RegionIn Europe on May 23, the three other European countries with the highest number of reported cases after Spain and the UK, listed above, are Italy, France and Germany: Italy: 228,658 (59,322 active; 136,720
recovered;
32,616 deaths) and 3,781 cases per million; 539
deaths per
million France: 182,219 (89,721 active; 64,209
recovered;
28,289 deaths) and 2,792 cases per million; 433 deaths per
million Germany: 179,713 (12,361 active; 159,000
recovered;
8,352 deaths) and 2,146 cases per million; 100
deaths per
million Italy continued to see a downward trend in the novel coronavirus infections as of May 22, almost three weeks after the end of its national lockdown. The numbers are "encouraging," Health Minister Roberto Speranza tweeted on May 22. "They tell us the country has withstood the initial reopening on May 4." However, he cautioned that Italians "must not imagine that we have won. Maximum caution is needed. It takes very little to nullify the sacrifices made so far." Earlier in the day, Italy's National Institute of Health (ISS) President Silvio Brusaferro held a press conference, where he stated that "the epidemiological curve... clearly shows it is decreasing" and that "the number of asymptomatic cases is growing." This means that more and more swabs and contact-tracing activities are being carried out, he explained. Brusaferro also said that Italy's 20 regions can be divided into "three speeds" of infection since some have very few cases and others have "a significant number," but that "all are decreasing." Dr. Giovanni Rezza, former director of the ISS Infectious Diseases Department who is now Director-General for Preventive Health Care at the Ministry of Health said, "there are two major concerns" in passing from Phase One (lockdown) to Phase Two (post-lockdown): that people fail to follow anti-virus protocols, such as wearing masks and social distancing, and that health authorities fail to "quickly identify and contain" any new COVID-19 outbreaks. In Britain, the government is finally introducing a 14-day quarantine for almost all international travellers, beginning June 8, with anyone breaking the rules facing a $1,218 (a 1,000 pound) fine. The measure comes after hundreds of thousands of infections, tens of thousands of deaths, and the government's admission that it permitted hundreds of thousands of air passengers to enter the country without screening. Spain's daily death toll from the novel coronavirus was 56, its health ministry said on May 22, the sixth consecutive day of less than 100 deaths. The government announced on May 22 that lockdown measures would start to be relaxed in all regions as of May 25. Presently, Madrid, Barcelona and parts of Castile and Leon, that have been especially hard-hit by COVID-19, are the only places in Spain that remain under strict lockdowns. In these regions, making up 53 per cent of Spain's population, people will be able to sit at outdoor bar and restaurant terraces, attend gatherings of up to 10 people and go to houses of worship. The rest of the country will operate with even more relaxed measures, with cinemas, indoor restaurants and malls able to open with limited capacity. In France, local elections will take place on June 28, in a second round postponed from March 22, under the proviso that there isn't a spike in infections in the meantime, the government has announced. "After weighing the pros and cons, we believe that our democratic life must resume," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said at a press conference. Masks will be compulsory, and citizens visiting the polls will also be urged to come with their own pens for signing registries. In Eurasia on May 23, Russia tops the list of five countries with the highest cases in the region, with the figures reported above, followed by: Turkey: 154,500 (34,113 active; 116,111
recovered;
4,276 deaths) and 1,834 cases per million; 51
deaths per
million Kazakhstan: 7,919 (3,788 active; 4,096
recovered; 35
deaths) and 422 cases per million; 2 deaths per
million Armenia: 6,302 (3,289 active; 2,936
recovered; 77
deaths) and 2,127 cases per million; 26 deaths per
million Azerbaijan: 3,855 (1,410 active; 2,399
recovered; 46
deaths) and 381 cases per million; 5 deaths per
million Amidst a rapidly rising number of infections, Russia should expect to see a significant increase in death rate for this month's figures, officials said on May 22. "There will be a significant mortality increase in May," Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said at a government meeting with President Vladimir Putin. "The illness and chronic conditions don't always have a positive ending," Golikova said. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also said the capital's death toll for May would be "considerably higher than in April." His deputy Anastasia Rakova later explained that "the peak of mortality is usually delayed by two to three weeks after the peak of hospitalizations" for COVID-19. Official statements and news reports in more than 70 Russian regions show that at least 9,479 medical workers have been infected with the virus in the past month, and more than 70 have died. As in other countries, statistics are likely to be an underestimate, as a consistent criteria and methodology for attributing deaths to COVID-19 have not been implemented. As in other countries like the U.S. and Canada, news agencies report that Russian health care workers lack personal protective equipment and face reprisals for speaking out about their unsafe working conditions. Despite the still high daily rate of new infections of roughly 9,000, President Vladimir Putin said on May 22 that the coronavirus outbreak in Russia has begun to abate, creating a positive environment for easing restrictions. The daily rate of news cases peaked at 11,656 on May 11, and on May 21 was 8,849. Speaking during a video conference with top officials, Putin cited a decreasing number of new infections in Moscow and other regions. "The positive dynamic is not so fast as we would like it to be, sometimes even unstable, but it does exist," he said. He said a steady drop in new cases sets the stage for further lifting of restrictions, but he also emphasized the need to preserve hospital capacity in case of a new wave of contagion. Officials reported that the influx of COVID-19 patients, particularly those in grave condition, has fallen. Putin noted that the country's hospitals are capable of accommodating over 165,000 coronavirus patients, and they are currently two-thirds occupied. In West Asia on May 23: Iran: 133,521 (22,090 active; 104,072
recovered; 7,359
deaths) and 1,592 cases per million; 88 deaths per
million Saudi Arabia: 67,719 (28,352 active;
39,003 recovered;
364 deaths) and 1,949 cases per million; 10 deaths
per
million Qatar: 40,481 (32,569 active; 7,893
recovered; 19
deaths) and 14,078 cases per million; 7 deaths per
million UAE: 27,892 (13,853 active; 13,798
recovered; 241
deaths) and 2,824 cases per million; 24 deaths per
million Kuwait: 19,564 (13,911 active; 5,515
recovered; 138
deaths) and 4,589 cases per million; 32 deaths per
million Coronavirus is believed to be spreading throughout Yemen, where the health care system "has in effect collapsed," the United Nations said on May 22, appealing for urgent funding. Referring to aid agencies, Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told a Geneva briefing: "We hear from many of them that Yemen is really on the brink right now. The situation is extremely alarming, they are talking about that the health system has in effect collapsed." "They are talking about having to turn people away because they do not have enough (medical) oxygen, they do not have enough personal protective equipment," he said. As of May 22, Yemen had reported 184 cases and 30 deaths. "The actual incidence is almost certainly much higher," Laerke said. In South Asia on May 23: India: 126,308 (70,296 active; 52,258
recovered; 3,754
deaths) and 92 cases per million; 3 deaths per
million Pakistan: 52,437 (34,683 active; 16,653
recovered;
1,101 deaths) and 238 cases per million; 5 deaths
per
million Bangladesh: 32,078 (25,140 active; 6,486
recovered; 452
deaths) and 195 cases per million; 3 deaths per
million Afghanistan: 9,998 (8,742 active; 1,040
recovered; 216
deaths) and 258 cases per million; 6 deaths per
million Sri Lanka: 1,068 (399 active; 660
recovered; 9 deaths)
and 50 cases per million; 0.4 deaths per million India has registered some 6,568 new cases of the novel coronavirus on May 22, its largest one-day increase. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a lockdown, that started on March 25, to May 31, but restrictions have been eased in areas with lower numbers of cases, while state governments have been permitted to issue their own guidelines on some matters. The state of Kerala is one such region where cases have been low. It has 691 cases, three deaths and the highest recovery rate, nearly 90 per cent, in India, Al Jazeera reports. Al Jazeera interviewed Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, to find out how the state's communist party government achieved this result. Vijayan noted that: "First and foremost, it is the resolute support extended by the people of Kerala in the fight against COVID-19 that has helped the state to emerge on top of the situation. The state's early preparedness, focused health care interventions led by our public health system, effective lockdown measures assisted by law enforcement agencies, a special economic package well in advance, timely assistance for migrant labourers, decentralized initiatives through the local self-governments especially in taking care of those under quarantine and inter-departmental coordination, and so on have served as the pillars of the Kerala model against this pandemic. "Home quarantining of suspect cases, contact tracing of positive cases, adequate testing and specialized treatment have all ensured that positive cases have been treated effectively and cured. In a nutshell, all these have paved the way for our success in containing the virus. [...] "Kerala has been able to tackle the health emergency effectively because of our robust public health care system. COVID-19 has proved to the world that public health systems are absolutely essential. The synergy between our health services, forces and local governments have ensured that measures for both prevention and cure have been in tandem with one another. All these together, ensured that by the time we flattened the curve, Kerala had the highest recovery rate and one of the lowest death rates in the world." Regarding the measures taken in Kerala to mitigate the migrant crisis precipitated by the lockdown imposed by the central government, Vijayan explained: "The lockdown is a means to limit interaction between people so that the transmission of the virus can be curtailed. However, it is not a magic wand that can be waved to address the health emergency at hand. We will have to supplement it with identifying suspect cases, quarantining them, conducting adequate tests, treating positive cases and tracing their contacts. This is a cyclical exercise that has to be continued till all those under treatment are cured and all those under quarantine are ascertained to be negative. "Under a lockdown, people are forced to give up their livelihoods and the most adversely affected ones would be the daily wage labourers. Almost all of the guest workers in Kerala are wage labourers. To ensure that they strictly adhere to the lockdown protocols, their needs will have to be met. It is the duty of the state to ensure that their needs are met. Kerala did that. We arranged relief camps for them, with adequate health care support and supplies for personal hygiene. Based on their preference, we provided cooked food or essential materials to cook with. When travel was allowed by the central government, we even arranged for their travel back to their home states. Over 300,000 guest workers have been assisted through around 20,000 camps during this period." In Southeast Asia on May 23: Singapore: 31,068 (18,050 active; 12,995
recovered; 23
deaths) and 5,315 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million Indonesia: 21,745 (15,145 active; 5,249
recovered;
1,351 deaths) and 80 cases per million; 5 deaths
per million Philippines: 13,777 (9,737 active; 3,177
recovered; 863
deaths) and 126 cases per million; 8 deaths per
million Malaysia: 7,185 (1,158 active; 5,912
recovered; 115
deaths) and 222 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million Thailand: 3,040 (68 active; 2,916
recovered; 56 deaths)
and 44 cases per million; 0.8 deaths per million In East Asia on May 23: China: 82,971 (79 active; 78,258
recovered; 4,634
deaths) and 58 cases per million; 3 deaths per
million Japan: 16,513 (2,712 active; 13,005
recovered; 796
deaths) and 131 cases per million; 6 deaths per
million South Korea: 11,165 (705 active; 10,194
recovered; 266
deaths) and 218 cases per million; 5 deaths per
million Taiwan: 441 (23 active; 411 recovered; 7
deaths) and 19
cases per million; 0.3 deaths per million On May 18, the Chinese city of Shulan, a municipality of 700,000 people in Jilin province in the northeast of the country, was placed under strict lockdown after 19 new cases of COVID-19 were detected since May 7, according to a report from China Daily. Residential areas of Shulan with positive or suspected positive cases of the virus have been quarantined, with personnel assigned to prevent people from entering or exiting those areas, China Daily reported. Citing an announcement from local disease control officials, China Daily said supermarkets will deliver "daily necessities" to communities under isolation. In areas where cases of the new coronavirus have not been identified, the expanded restrictions issued May 18 allow one member of each household to purchase food or other products every two days. Shulan's health authorities believe the recent virus transmissions are connected to a 45-year-old woman with COVID-19. Investigations into how she contracted the disease are underway, given her lack of travel history or known exposure. In North America on May 23: USA: 1,645,353 (1,144,470 active; 403,228
recovered;
97,655 deaths) and 4,974 cases per million; 295
deaths per
million Canada: 82,480 (33,636 active; 42,594
recovered; 6,250
deaths) and 2,187 cases per million; 166 deaths
per million Mexico: 62,527 (12,813 active; 42,725
recovered; 6,989
deaths) and 486 cases per million; 54 deaths per
million In the U.S., where the situation remains dire politically and from a health perspective, various pandemic restrictions are nonetheless being lifted despite the conditions to safely do so not having been met, with the predictable result that new outbreaks are occurring, that could extend the crisis facing the country. The Washington Post reported on May 22: "All states and U.S. territories have eased restrictions on businesses and social activity, trying to restart economies battered by the novel coronavirus pandemic and weeks of stay-at-home orders that affected some 315 million Americans. "Public health experts warn that this increased activity is likely to cause a surge of new infections. 'There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control' by reopening too quickly, said infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci in Senate testimony May 12, 'leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided.' "Cases continue to rise in some of the states where governors have been most aggressive in opening public spaces and businesses that rely on close personal contact, such as salons and gyms. None have met the federal government's core recommendation of a two-week decline in reported cases." Regarding the failure of U.S. authorities to heed the guidance of the WHO and the experience of other countries including China by taking action in a timely manner, a recent study from researchers at Columbia University stated that if broad lockdown and social distancing measures had been imposed a week earlier, "the United States could have prevented 36,000 deaths through early May -- about 40 per cent of fatalities reported to date," the Washington Post reported. In Canada, the total number of cases has now reached virtually the same number as China, with a higher number of deaths, despite Canada's much smaller population. To put things further in perspective, in the Americas, Canada has the fourth highest number of cases, the fifth highest number of cases per million population, and the third highest number of deaths per million population. The rate of new daily cases has been more than 1,000 since March 30, with an all-time high reached on May 3 of 2,760 cases. As of May 22, Quebec has the highest number of cases at 46,141; followed by Ontario with 24,628; Alberta with 6,800; British Columbia with 2,507; Nova Scotia with 1,048; Saskatchewan with 627; Manitoba with 292; Newfoundland and Labrador with 260; New Brunswick with 121; Prince Edward Island with 27; the Yukon with 11; and the Northwest Territories with five. Nunavut has no cases. In Central America and the Caribbean on May 23: Dominican Republic: 13,989 (5,961 active;
7,572
recovered; 456 deaths) and 1,291 cases per
million; 42 deaths
per million Panama: 10,267 (3,697 active; 6,275
recovered; 295
deaths) and 2,384 cases per million; 68 deaths per
million Honduras: 3,477 (2,871 active; 439
recovered; 167
deaths) and 352 cases per million; 17 deaths per
million Guatemala: 2,743 (2,470 active; 222
recovered; 51
deaths) and 153 cases per million; 3 deaths per
million Cuba: 1,916 (204 active; 1,631 recovered;
81 deaths)
and 169 cases per million; 7 deaths per million In South America on May 23: Brazil: 332,382 (175,836 active; 135,430
recovered;
21,116 deaths) and 1,565 cases per million; 99
deaths per
million Peru: 111,698 (63,606 active; 44,848
recovered; 3,244
deaths) and 3,393 cases per million; 99 deaths per
million Chile: 61,857 (35,885 active; 25,342
recovered; 630
deaths) and 3,239 cases per million; 33 deaths per
million Ecuador: 35,828 (29,215 active; 3,557
recovered; 3,056
deaths) and 2,034 cases per million; 174 deaths
per million Colombia: 19,131 (13,874 active; 4,575
recovered; 682
deaths) and 376 cases per million; 13 deaths per
million South America has become an "epicentre" of the COVID-19 pandemic with Brazil the hardest hit country, the World Health Organization's Mike Ryan said on May 22. Brazil surpassed 20,000 deaths on May 21, with a record high of 1,188 daily deaths. There were 966 deaths on May 22, but overall the death rate is trending upwards. According to data from Brazil's health ministry, the number of deaths doubled in 11 days. Despite the situation, President Jair Bolsonaro on May 21 continued to call for lockdown measures imposed by state and municipal governments to be lifted. "Sao Paulo state, the economic and cultural capital of Brazil, is by far the most affected, with about a quarter of the country's deaths and infections," Agence France Presse reported on May 22. "Hospitals in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and various states across northern and northeastern Brazil are near collapse. "The authorities have been racing to set up field hospitals with more beds, but are struggling to build them fast enough." In Africa on May 23: South Africa: 20,125 (9,624 active; 10,104
recovered;
397 deaths) and 340 cases per million; 7 deaths
per million Egypt: 15,786 (10,705 active; 4,374
recovered; 707
deaths) and 155 cases per million; 7 deaths per
million Algeria: 7,918 (3,080 active; 4,256
recovered; 582
deaths) and 181 cases per million; 13 deaths per
million Morocco: 7,375 (2,605 active; 4,573
recovered; 197
deaths) and 200 cases per million; 5 deaths per
million Nigeria: 7,261 (5,033 active; 2,007
recovered; 221
deaths) and 35 cases per million; 1 death per
million The number of coronavirus cases in Africa has surpassed 100,000, the WHO has said, with infections reported in every country on the continent. That is up from 80,171 cases on May 16. In a May 22 press release, the WHO Africa stated: "Despite crossing this threshold, the pandemic, which has struck with such devastating force in much of the world, appears to be taking a different pathway in Africa. Case numbers have not grown at the same exponential rate as in other regions and so far Africa has not experienced the high mortality seen in some parts of the world. Today, there are 3,100 confirmed deaths on the continent. "By comparison, when cases reached 100,000 in the World Health Organization (WHO) European region, deaths stood at more than 4,900. Early analysis by WHO suggests that Africa's lower mortality rate may be the result of demography and other possible factors. Africa is the youngest continent demographically with more than 60 per cent of the population under the age of 25. Older adults have a significantly increased risk of developing a severe illness. In Europe nearly 95 per cent of deaths occurred in those older than 60 years. "African governments have made difficult decisions and were quick to impose confinement measures, including physical and social distancing, which will have significant socio-economic costs. These measures, which along with contact tracing, isolation, and increased hand washing have helped to slow down the spread of the virus. "'For now COVID-19 has made a soft landfall in Africa, and the continent has been spared the high numbers of deaths which have devastated other regions of the world,' said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. 'It is possible our youth dividend is paying off and leading to fewer deaths. But we must not be lulled into complacency as our health systems are fragile and are less able to cope with a sudden increase in cases.' "The continent has made significant progress in testing with around 1.5 million COVID-19 tests conducted so far. However, testing rates remain low and many countries continue to require support to scale-up testing. There is a need to expand the testing capacity in urban, semi-urban and rural areas, and provide additional test kits. "Cases continue to rise in Africa and while overall it took 52 days to reach the first 10,000 cases, it took only 11 days to move from 30,000 to 50,000 cases. About half of the countries in Africa are experiencing community transmission. More than 3,400 health care workers have been infected by COVID-19. It is important that health authorities prioritize the protection of health care workers from COVID-19 infection at medical facilities and communities. There is also a need to provide enough personal protective equipment to health care workers and raise their awareness as well as increase infection prevention and control in health facilities. "'Testing as many people as possible and protecting health workers who come into contact with suspected and confirmed cases are crucial aspects of this response. Despite global shortages, we are working hard to prioritize the delivery of testing kits and personal protective equipment to low- and middle-income countries that have the most vulnerable populations, based on the number of cases reported,' said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. "Despite the relatively lower number of COVID-19 cases in Africa, the pandemic remains a major threat to the continent's health systems. A new modelling study by WHO predicts that if containment measures fail, even with a lower number of cases requiring hospitalization than elsewhere, the medical capacity in much of Africa would be overwhelmed. "Now that countries are starting to ease their confinement measures, there is a possibility that cases could increase significantly, and it is critical that governments remain vigilant and ready to adjust measures in line with epidemiological data and proper risk assessment. In Oceania on May 23: Australia: 7,111 (515 active; 6,494
recovered; 102
deaths) and 279 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million New Zealand: 1,504 (28 active; 1,455
recovered; 21
deaths) and 312 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million Guam: 160 cases (5 deaths) French Polynesia: 60 (all recovered) and
214 cases per million New Caledonia: 18 (all recovered) (With files from Xinhua, Al Jazeera, Reuters, AFP, WHO, Washington Post)
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