Global Covid death toll passes 3 million – with latest million fatalities coming in three months 

Global coronavirus death toll passes 3 million – with the latest million fatalities coming in three months

  • Reuters figures show the global death toll from Covid stands at 3,001,210 people
  • It took more than a year for worldwide fatalities to surpass 2 million
  • It comes amid rising numbers of infections in India and Brazil despite vaccines 

The global death toll from Covid-19 has surpassed 3 million, with the latest million virus casualties coming in just three months.

It took more than a year for the worldwide toll to reach 2 million, according to Reuters data.

The latest resurgence of infections, especially in Brazil and India, comes despite vaccination efforts.  

The global death toll from Covid-19 has surpassed 3 million, with the latest million virus casualties coming in just three months

Health officials blame more infectious variants that were first detected in the UK and South Africa, along with public fatigue with lockdowns and other restrictions.  

Brazil is leading the world in the daily average number of new deaths reported and accounts for one in every four deaths worldwide each day, according to a Reuters analysis.

The World Health Organization acknowledged the nation’s dire condition due to coronavirus, saying the country is in a very critical condition with an overwhelmed healthcare system.

‘Indeed there is a very serious situation going on in Brazil right now, where we have a number of states in critical condition,’ WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove told a briefing last Thursday, adding that many hospital intensive care units are more than 90 per cent full.

India reported a record rise in Covid-19 infections on Monday, becoming the second nation after the United States to post more than 100,000 new cases in a day.

India’s worst-affected state, Maharashtra on Monday began shutting shopping malls, cinemas, bars, restaurants, and places of worship, as hospitals are being overrun by patients.

The European region, which includes 51 countries, has the highest total number of deaths at nearly 1.1 million.

Five European countries including the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Italy and Germany constitute about 60 per cent of Europe’s total coronavirus-related deaths.

The United States has the highest number of deaths of any country at the world at 555,000 and accounts for about 19 per cent of all deaths due to Covid-19 in the world. 

Cases have risen for the last three weeks but health officials believe the nation’s rapid vaccination campaign may prevent a rise in deaths. A third of the population has received at least one dose of a vaccine.

At least 370.3million people or nearly 4.75 per cent of the global population have received a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine by Sunday, according to latest figures from research and data provider firm Our World in Data.

However, the World Health Organization is urging countries to donate more doses of approved vaccines to help meet vaccination targets for the most vulnerable in poorer countries.