London — The global tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases was moving closer to the 25-million mark on Sunday, with the US keeping the dubious honor of topping the tally at 5,960,596, a tally by the John Hopkins coronavirus tracking center showed.
The worldwide death toll also surged to 841,507, with the US again having the most number at 182,752,
Brazil kept its dubious distinction as 2nd placer in both number of cases and deaths, registering 3,846,153 while crossing the grim threshold of 120,000 people killed by Covid-19 on Saturday, with no end in sight to the crisis.
Unlike in Europe and Asia, where the virus hit hard and then subsided, Brazil’s outbreak is advancing at a slow but devastating pace, said Christovam Barcellos, a researcher at public health institute Fiocruz.
“Brazil is unique in the world. Since the start of the pandemic, its curve has been different from other countries’, much slower,” he told AFP.
“It has stabilized now, but at a very dangerous level: nearly 1,000 deaths and 40,000 cases per day…. And Brazil still isn’t past the peak.”
India, currently the third worst hit, has the world’s fastest growing number of recorded cases, now at 3.5 million, and more than 62,000 pandemic deaths.

But the government faces pressure to free up the economy as millions have lost jobs since nationwide restrictions were first imposed in March.
The Home Affairs Ministry said that gatherings of up to 100 people would be allowed with face masks and social distancing at cultural, entertainment, sports and political events from next month.
Metro train services will also be allowed to resume “in a graded manner” in major cities.
The coronavirus has badly hit mega cities such as Mumbai and New Delhi, but is now surging in smaller cities and rural areas.
The new government guidelines ordered schools and colleges to remain closed but students can meet teachers on a voluntary basis on school premises if needed.
The government has resisted a mass campaign by students to postpone entrance exams for medical and engineering colleges due to be taken by about two million students next month.
Students say they fear catching the virus in exam halls across the country. Authorities say they are taking special measures for the exams.
Mexico’s health ministry on Saturday reported 5,974 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infections and 673 additional fatalities, bringing the total to 591,712 cases and 63,819 deaths.
The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

(From – AFP & Reuters )