(TibetanReview.net, Apr14’20) – As the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases across the world is less than 75,000 shy of crossing the grim milestone of 2 million infections as of Apr 14, China which suppressed information about SARS-Cov-2 virus which has caused the pandemic and then lied and suppressed news about it in the initial stage of its outbreak in late 2019 – thereby opening a floodgate of its spread within the country and export to the outside world – has reported 86 new “imports” of the infection on Apr 13.
The novel coronavirus is 10 times more deadly than swine flu, which caused a global pandemic in 2009, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) Apr 13.
“We know that Covid-19 spreads fast, and we know that it is deadly, 10 times deadlier than the 2009 flu pandemic,” scmp.com Apr 14 quoted WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as saying in a virtual briefing from his office in Geneva.
A tally from the Coronavirus Resource Center of the US-based Johns Hopkins University shows that the number of reported cases worldwide had roughly doubled since Apr 2, reaching a total of more than 1,925,811 million infections and 119,818 deaths, while a total of 458,565 had recovered, as of 2:20:55 PM (GMT-4) on Apr 14. The previous day’s cumulative totals tallied by the same source at about the same time were 1,854,464 infections, 114,979 deaths, and 438,236 recoveries.
The United States, the worst affected country, accounts for more than 33 per cent of the global total infections and the country has also suffered the most number of deaths. The country hopes to reach its peak this week as more signs of stabilization emerged.
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In his fourth address to the nation in the last one month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Apr 14 that the three-week nationwide lockdown which was to end on Apr 14 would continue till May 3. He said the lockdown will be enforce more strictly, pointing out that the Covid-19 infection was spreading at an astonishing rate despite all efforts that had been made thus far.
However with strict enforcement there might come a relaxation on Apr 20 in specific districts showing improvement in the situation. The purpose will be to ease the hardships for daily wage earners, the farm sector and essential services. But restrictions could be re-imposed later if fresh cases appear in those areas.
“We will issue detailed guidelines tomorrow. We are making attempts so that farmers and the poor are least affected. With patience, we can defeat the coronavirus,” Modi was quoted as saying.
India reported the highest ever number of daily new infections on Apr 14 morning. As of Apr 13 at 8:00 AM (+5.30 GMT), the country had a cumulative total of 10,363 infections and 339 deaths with 1,036 recoveries (including one migration), according to data reported by the country’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. These represented record 1,211 new infections and 31 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Although India reported the sharpest ever daily increase in the number of infections, the country’s Ministry of Health said in its daily briefing Apr 13 that no new cases were detected in 25 districts from 15 states in the past 14 days.
Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state with 2,334 (+349) infections, followed by Delhi with 1,510 (+359) infections, Tamil Nadu with 1,173 (+130) infections, Rajasthan with 873 (+69) infections, Madhya Pradesh with 604 (+40) infections, Telangana with 562 (+58) infections, Uttar Pradesh with 558 (+75) infections, Gujarat with 539 (+23) infections, Andhra Pradesh with 432 (+5) infections, Kerala with 379 (+3) infections, Jammu & Kashmir with 270 (+25) infections, Karnataka with 247 (+15) infections, West Bengal with 190 (+38) infections, Haryana with 185 (+0) infections, and Punjab with 167 (+16) infections.
Other badly hit states/Union Territories were Bihar, 65 (+1); Odisha, 54 (+0); Uttarakhand, 35 (+0); Himachal Pradesh, 32 (+0); Chattisgarh, 31 (+0), Assam, 31 (+2); Jharkhand, 24 (+5), Chandigarh, 21 (+0); Ladakh, 15 (+0); Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 11 (+0).
Besides, Puducherry (7), Goa (7), Manipur (2), Tripura (2), Nagaland (1), Mizoram (1), and Arunachal Pradesh (1) and had reported cases.
Maharashtra also had the most number of deaths at 160 (+11), followed by Madhya Pradesh, 43 (+7); Gujarat, 26 (+1); Delhi, 28 (+4); Punjab, 11 (+0); Tamil Nadu 11 (+1); Telangana, 16 (+7); Andhra Pradesh, 7 (+0); West Bengal, 7 (+0); Karnataka, 6 (+0); Uttar Pradesh, 5 (+0); Jammu & Kashmir, 4 (+0); Haryana, 3 (+0), Rajasthan, 3 (+0); Kerala, 3 (+1), and Jharkhand, 2 (+0). Besides Bihar, Odisha, HP and Assam had 1 death each.
(Source: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/)
In Himachal Pradesh, the number of active cases was reported to be 15. The state’s Additional Chief Secretary, Health, RD Dhiman, had said Apr 13 that 97 of the 100 samples were negative while the results of the remaining were awaited, reported The Tribune Apr 13.
A total of 915 people, including 383 persons associated with the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin, New Delhi, and 532 of their primary contacts, had been quarantined, the newspaper said.
The Tablighi Jamaat congregation accounts for a large chunk of infections in Maharashtra and Delhi as well as in some other states.
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Across the world the countries with more than 1,000 cumulative infections as of Apr 14 at 02:20:55 PM (GMT-4) were: 582,594 US; 170,099 Spain; 159,516 Italy; 137,877 France; 130,072 Germany; 89,571 United Kingdom; 83,303 China; 73,303 Iran; 61,049 Turkey; 30,589 Belgium; 26,712 Netherlands; 25,688 Switzerland; 25,680 Canada; 23,723 Brazil; 21,102 Russia; 16,934 Portugal; 14,102 Austria; 11,868 Israel; 10,948 Sweden; 10,647 Ireland; 10,564 Korea, South; 10,541 India; 9,784 Peru; 7,645 Japan; 7,529 Ecuador; 7,525 Chile; 7,049 Poland; 6,633 Romania; 6,605 Norway; 6,513 Denmark; 6,494 Australia; 6,059 Czechia; 5,716 Pakistan; 5,223 Philippines; 5,014 Mexico; 4,934 Saudi Arabia; 4,817 Malaysia; 4,557 Indonesia; 4,521 United Arab Emirates; 4,054 Serbia; 3,472 Panama; 3,372 Ukraine; 3,292 Luxembourg; 3,281 Belarus; 3,231 Qatar; 3,167 Dominican Republic; 3,064 Finland; 2,918 Singapore; 2,852 Colombia; 2,613 Thailand; 2,277 Argentina; 2,272 South Africa; 2,190 Egypt; 2,145 Greece; 1,983 Algeria; 1,763 Morocco; 1,712 Moldova; 1,711 Iceland; 1,650 Croatia; 1,512 Hungary; 1,378 Iraq; 1,373 Estonia; 1,366 New Zealand; 1,361 Bahrain; 1,300 Kuwait; 1,212 Slovenia; 1,179 Kazakhstan; 1,148 Azerbaijan; 1,077 Bosnia and Herzegovina; 1,070 Lithuania; 1,067 Armenia; and 1,054 Uzbekistan.
Other countries and regions with 100 or more infections were reported to be: 854 North Macedonia; 848 Cameroon; 816 Slovakia; 813 Oman; 803 Bangladesh; 726 Cuba; 726 Tunisia; 712 Diamond Princess; 695 Bulgaria; 665 Afghanistan; 662 Cyprus; 657 Latvia; 646 Andorra; 632 Lebanon; 626 Cote d’Ivoire; 612 Costa Rica; 566 Ghana; 548 Niger; 515 Burkina Faso; 483 Uruguay; 467 Albania; 430 Kyrgyzstan; 407 Honduras; 393 Taiwan*; 391 Jordan; 384 Malta; 371 San Marino; 354 Bolivia; 343 Nigeria; 324 Mauritius; 319 Guinea; 308 West Bank and Gaza; 298 Djibouti; 296 Georgia; 291 Senegal; 283 Kosovo; 278 Montenegro; 265 Vietnam; 235 Congo (Kinshasa); 218 Sri Lanka; 208 Kenya; 189 Venezuela; 167 Guatemala; 159 Paraguay; 149 El Salvador; 136 Brunei; 127 Rwanda; 123 Mali; 122 Cambodia; 113 Trinidad and Tobago; and 106 Madagascar.
Concerning the countries or cities with 100 or more deaths, the figures were shown to be: 20,465 Italy; 17,756 Spain; 14,967 France; 11,329 United Kingdom; 7,349New York City New York US; 4,585 Iran; 3,903 Belgium; 3,221 Hubei China; 3,194 Germany; 2,823 Netherlands; 1,355 Brazil; 1,296 Turkey; 1,138 Switzerland; 919 Sweden; 910 Nassau New York US; 760Wayne Michigan US; 568 Suffolk New York US; 557 Westchester New York US; 543 Cook Illinois US; 535 Portugal; 482 Bergen New Jersey US; 433 Essex New Jersey US; 399 Indonesia; 384 Austria; 365 Ireland; 360 Quebec Canada; 358 India; 355 Ecuador; 347 Oakland Michigan US; 335 Philippines; 332 Mexico; 332 Romania; 326 Los Angeles California US; 313 Algeria; 296 King Washington US; 291 Ontario Canada; 285 Denmark; 262 Fairfield Connecticut US; 251 Poland; 244 Orleans Louisiana US; 241 Rockland New York US; 240 Macomb Michigan US; 236 Hudson New Jersey US; 222 Korea, South; 217Union New Jersey US; 216 Peru; 204 Middlesex New Jersey US; 190 Philadelphia Pennsylvania US; 186 Jefferson Louisiana US; 177 Dominican Republic; 171Orange New York US; 170 Russia; 164 Egypt; 162 Morris New Jersey US; 149 Middlesex Massachusetts US; 147 Czechia; 143 Japan; 141 Ocean New Jersey US; 136 Passaic New Jersey US; 135 New Haven Connecticut US; 134 Norway; 133 Hartford Connecticut US; 127 Monmouth New Jersey US; 126 Morocco; 123 Marion Indiana US; 122 Hungary; 117 Israel; 112 Colombia; 109 Miami-Dade Florida US; 102 Hampden Massachusetts US; 101 Essex Massachusetts US; 101 Clark Nevada US; and 100 Unassigned Massachusetts US.
(Source: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html)
The total number of deaths in the United States as a whole as of Apr 14 at 02.53 PM (GMT+8) was 23,649 compared to 22,109 the day before. (Source: scmp.com)
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In China, the National Health Commission reported Apr 14 morning that the mainland had three domestically transmitted new infections on Apr 13, but 86 what it called imported additional infections, taking the cumulative total of such imports to 1,464 as of Apr 13-end.
Mainland China reported no death on Apr 13.
It reported 3 new suspected cases, with the total of such cases now standing at 72.
Of the mainland’s total reported confirmed cases of 82,249 as of Apr 13-end, 1,170 were still being treated, 77,738 had been discharged after recovery, and 3,341 had died of the disease, reported the official chinadaily.com.cn Apr 14.
The total of number of severe cases was reported to be 116, a decline by 5 over the previous day’s total.
(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
The Chinese party-government’s infection and death figures are seen as gross underreports outside the country while its suppression of information during the initial outbreak of the pandemic has been a source of anger not only in the outside world but also among the Chinese people.
