Global death toll tops 6M as pandemic enters third year – latest updates

Sunday, March 6, 2022

Global death toll surpasses grim 6M mark

The global death toll from Covid-19 has eclipsed 6 million - underscoring that the pandemic, now in its third year, is far from over.

According to Worldometer, a tracking website, 6.02 million people have died so far due to Covid-19.

The milestone is the latest tragic reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic even as people are shedding masks, travel is resuming and businesses are reopening around the globe. 

Türkiye adds 170 more fatalities

Türkiye has reported 27,671 new coronavirus cases and 170 related deaths, according to official data.

The data showed that 50,241 recoveries were recorded in the past 24 hours, and as many as 348,146 virus tests were done.

To counter the spread of the virus, Türkiye has administered nearly 146 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines since it launched an immunisation drive in January 2021.

Italy records 35,057 fresh cases

Italy has reported 35,057 Covid-19 related cases, against 39,963 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths fell to 105 from 173.

Patients in hospital - not including those in intensive care - stood at 8,828 down from 8,974 a day earlier .

Italy has registered 155,887 deaths since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. 

France sees 32 deaths

France has reported 111,038 coronavirus deaths, up by 32.

According to official data, there were 2,079 people in intensive care units, up by four.

100M people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in Pakistan

Pakistan has announced that it hit the landmark of fully immunising 100 million people against coronavirus.

"Major milestone reached in national vaccination drive. 100 million Pakistanis are now fully vaccinated," Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar, who heads the country's anti-virus strategy, said on Twitter.

Out of a total 210 million population, he said, more than 127 million people have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

"We are very close to achieving vaccination of all (the) eligible citizens," he added.

China's Qingdao reports Omicron outbreak among students

The Chinese port city of Qingdao has reported 88 new coronavirus cases, all of them of the Omicron variant, fuelling China's highest number of daily locally transmitted cases so far this year.

The Qingdao outbreak was mainly among middle school students in Laixi county, the Qingdao Municipal Health Commission said.

Laixi county will implement a second round of mass testing on March 7, a Qingdao official said at a news conference, adding that there was no major risk of further outbreak.

Hong Kong residents urged not to panic ahead of mass testing

Hong Kong has reported 31,008 new Covid-19 cases and 153 deaths in the last day. 

The city's chief secretary said residents should not worry about a looming mass testing scheme, with details to be announced and authorities ensuring a steady supply of food.

The global financial hub is clinging to a "dynamic zero" coronavirus strategy as a massive spike in infections pushed hospitals, isolation centres and funeral parlours beyond capacity.

Germany reports over 100,000 cases

Germany has logged 116,889 new coronavirus cases, 51 deaths in the last 24 hours according to official figures.

Total figures have reached 15,790,989 confirmed cases and 124,102 coronavirus deaths, the Robert Koch Institute reported.

Saudi Arabia lifts most Covid restrictions

Saudi Arabia said Saturday it was lifting most Covid restrictions including social distancing in, public spaces and quarantine for vaccinated arrivals, moves that could facilitate the arrival of Muslim pilgrims.

The decision includes suspending "social distancing measures in all open and closed places" including mosques, the official Saudi Press Agency cited an interior ministry source as saying.

Masks will only be required in closed spaces, according to the decision, which came into effect on Saturday.

The Saudi kingdom, which is home to Islam's two holiest places in Mecca and Medina, will no longer require vaccinated travellers to provide a negative PCR or rapid test before their arrival in the kingdom or to quarantine, SPA said.

The Covid-19 pandemic has hugely disrupted Muslim pilgrimages, which are usually key revenue earners for the kingdom, bringing in some $12 billion annually.

China logs 329 cases

China reported 329 new confirmed coronavirus cases on the mainland on March 5, the national health authority said, compared with 281 cases a day earlier.

Of the new confirmed cases, 175 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, up from 102 the prior day. Eighty-eight of the new local cases were in Qingdao in the eastern Shandong province.

The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, stood at 209 cases versus 166 a day earlier.

There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll unchanged at 4,636.

As of March 5, mainland China had confirmed 110,868 cases.

Almost third of patients report lingering symptoms - study

Almost a third of people report at least one ongoing symptom between 6 and 12 months after their coronavirus infection, a survey of 152,000 people in Denmark has found.

The study includes one of the largest groups yet of people who were not hospitalised with Covid, and followed them for longer than other major studies, the researchers from Denmark's State Serum Institute (SSI) said.