In a chilling warning to the American public, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle has projected in a report that more than 500,000 people could die from the Covid-19 pandemic in the country by early spring despite the roll-out of a coronavirus vaccine.
“Even with expected vaccine roll-out, the US is forecast to see 539,000 deaths by April 1… In the US, the expected vaccine roll-out only reduces the toll by April 1 by 9,000 deaths,” Sputnik quoted IHME as saying. The IHME also said that the steady decline in Covid-19 infection rates around the world is expected to start in February.
The projection came as the US notched a record number of coronavirus cases in 24 hours for the third day running. A tally by Johns Hopkins University showed the world’s worst-hit country witnessed nearly 230,000 new infections and 2,527 Covid-related deaths on Saturday alone.
For two weeks, the US has regularly topped 2,000 deaths per day, as it had in the spring at the height of the first wave of the country’s outbreak.
The coronavirus has now killed more than 1.5 million people and infected 66 million around the world since emerging in China last year, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.
South Korea, meanwhile, raised its coronavirus alert to the second highest level in Seoul and surrounding areas on Sunday after new infections jumped from around 100 a day to more than 500 in recent weeks. All gatherings of more than 50 people will be banned and professional sports will be held behind closed doors with no spectators.
Italy is seeing a dramatic resurgence of infections after it largely tamped down an earlier outbreak by enforcing a strict lockdown, while Latin America and the Caribbean region have seen an 18% spike in cases in a week.
Other countries will also see holiday restrictions, with Switzerland banning Christmas caroling in the streets and Madrid cancelling most New Year events in the city centre.
In another development, Indonesia’s minister of social affairs, Juliari Batubara, has been arrested on suspicion of accepting $1.2 million in bribes linked to food aid distributed to people affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
