Global coronavirus cases exceeded 11 million on Friday marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than half a million people in seven months.
The number of cases is more than double the figure for severe influenza illnesses recorded annually, according to the World Health Organization.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
WHO data shows that 11,386,433 coronavirus cases have been diagnosed worldwide so far. COVID-19 has so far killed 533,580 people and some 6,445,057 people have recovered from it.
Many countries, including Israel, are experiencing a second wave of infections, leading authorities to partially reinstate lockdowns that they have begun rolling back. Experts say this could be a recurring pattern in 2021.
Israel has so far recorded 29,170 cases of coronavirus with 1,500 patients diagnosed over the weekend. Some 17,816 people have recovered from the disease, while 32 patients are in serious condition. As of Friday, COVID-19 has killed 330 Israelis.
The United States reported more than 55,400 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, a new daily global record as infections rose in a majority of states. Several U.S. governors halted plans to reopen their state economies in the face of a surge in cases.
Almost a quarter of the known global deaths have occurred in the United States – nearly 129,000. A recent surge in cases has put President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis under a microscope and led several governors to halt plans to reopen their states after strict lockdowns.
Latin America, where Brazil has 1.5 million cases, makes up 23% of the global total of people infected. India has become the new epicenter in Asia, rising to 625,000 cases.
Asia and the Middle East have around 12% and 9% respectively, according to the Reuters tally, which uses government reports.
In some countries with limited testing capabilities, case numbers reflect a small proportion of total infections. Health experts caution that the official data likely does not tell the full story, with many believing that both cases and deaths have likely been underreported in some countries.
The pandemic has now entered a new phase, with India and Brazil battling outbreaks of over 10,000 cases a day, putting a major strain on resources.
Countries including China, New Zealand and Australia have experienced new outbreaks in the past month, despite largely quashing local transmission.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
