News24com IN NUMBERS Covid-19 SA sees massive drop in cases as pandemic slows down across the world

See how the pandemic is progressing across the world.

Diego Cupolo/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Covid-19 pandemic slowed down for a third week in a row around the world. Here is the global state of play based on an AFP database.

Slowing down

The number of new daily cases decreased by six percent globally to 555 000 according to an AFP tally to Thursday.

The pandemic had gained ground since mid-June fanned by the highly contagious Delta variant which has become predominant in most countries. But for three weeks now it has been in decline.

READ | Covid-19: Here is govt's plan to keep primary school's safe

However, the confirmed cases only reflect a fraction of the actual number of infections, with varying counting practices and levels of testing in different countries.

Drop in most regions

The situation improved in most regions of the world this week, with a 20% drop in the number of cases in Asia, a 14% drop in Africa and the Middle East, 13% fewer in Latin America and the Caribbean and 4% fewer in Europe.

However, the number of cases increased by 12% in the United States and Canada and by three percent in Oceania, where the number of cases nevertheless remained small.

Biggest spikes

Botswana saw the biggest spike in the number of new cases, with a 97% increase. Romania followed with an 85% increase, Lithuania (54% more), Ukraine (53% more) and Serbia (50% more).

Biggest drops

At the other end of the spectrum, Japan saw the biggest drop with a 44% decrease in the number of cases, followed by Indonesia (37% fewer), South Africa (35% fewer), Morocco (33% fewer) and Argentina (32% fewer).

US has most infections 

The US remained by far the country with the biggest number of new cases, with 170 000 per day, an increase of 12%, followed by India with 29 600 cases, a decrease of 26%, and the United Kingdom with 29 600, a decrease of 23%.

Adriaan Basson | Why I chose to be vaccinated

On a per capita basis the country that recorded the most new cases this week was Israel with 760 cases per 100 000 inhabitants, followed by Serbia with 637 and Mongolia 588.

... And most deaths

The US also mourned the biggest number of deaths with 2 206 per day followed by Russia with 780 and Mexico with 600.

At a global level the number of daily deaths slightly increased by one percent to 9 171.

Vaccinations

With its homegrown three-dose vaccine, Cuba led the vaccination race this week among countries with more than one million inhabitants, inoculating 2.15% of its population every day.

Iran followed with 1.51%, South Korea (1.49%), New Zealand (1.20%) and Kosovo (1.08%).

Even though they are vaccinating more slowly, the United Arab Emirates has the most advanced vaccination drive, having administered 195 first or second doses per 100 inhabitants.

It is followed by Uruguay with 172, Israel 169, Qatar (161), Chile and Singapore (152), and Portugal (151). China announced on Thursday that it had completely vaccinated more than one billion people.

Share this post