World Coronavirus dispatch: Delta variant accounts for 83% of US cases

UK suffers worst death toll in months, Delta variant accounts for 83 per cent of US cases, Virus spread grows in France

Delta variant makes up over 80% of US Covid cases, says CDC

US health officials said the more contagious Delta variant now accounts for more than 80 per cent of new coronavirus cases in the country, a dramatic increase that has underscored how quickly the more contagious strain is spreading.The Delta variant, first discovered in India, has rapidly spread through a number of countries, including those with high vaccination rates, including the US and UK, alarming health officials and raising fears that restrictions will need to be reimposed to curb the spread. Read more

Let's look at the global statistics

Global infections: 190,099,159

Global deaths: 4,101,337

Vaccine doses administered: 3,660,068,372

Nations with most cases: US (34,137,733), India (31,174,322), Brazil (19,391,845), France (5,934,314), Russia (5,931,925).

Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center

UK suffers worst death toll in months

The UK has reported its worst daily death toll since March, even as England lifts almost all Covid measures, the government in Westminster has said. A further 96 people died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday; the highest reported daily figure since 24 March. It brings the UK’s total to 128,823. Read more

Spread of infections in France increases by 150% in a week

New infections in France are increasing at an unprecedented rate due to the Delta variant, after 18,000 cases were reported for the previous 24 hours, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The level of infections is the highest since mid-May, when the country was emerging from a third nationwide lockdown. France, which is bracing for a fourth wave of infections because of the spread of the Delta variant, has been racing to get as many people vaccinated as possible. Read more

Hong Kong, Singapore to review travel bubble date in late-August

Hong Kong’s government said on Tuesday authorities will review a planned air travel bubble with Singapore in late August, given the recent surge of Covid-19 cases in Singapore. Both governments would review the target date “taking into account the effectiveness of the enhanced infection control measures implemented by Singapore and the global situation at that time,” Hong Kong’s government said in a statement. Read more

South Australia to enter lockdown; Victoria lockdown extended

South Australia will go into lockdown from Tuesday after the state's coronavirus outbreak was confirmed to be the Delta variant, while Victoria's lockdown will be extended for a further seven days. Victoria's lockdown will be extended for seven days until 11.59pm on Tuesday, July 27. Read more