Coronavirus updates and highlights: A quick look at the major developments

In Russia, new cases exceeded 10,000 for the first time, while the death toll in Britain mounted near that of Italy, the epicenter of Europes outbreak

Globally, more than 3.5 million people have been infected by the coronavirus, and close to 2.5 lakh people have died due to the pandemic. Speaking of the nations hit most with the infectious disease, the US tops the list with more than a million cases, followed by Spain (247,122), Italy (210,717), the UK (186,599), France (168,693) and Germany (165,664).

However, the US, Italy, and Spain among others have started thinking about re-opening as the virus spread seems to have slowed down. While millions of people took advantage of easing coronavirus lockdowns to enjoy the outdoors, some of the world’s most populous countries reported worrisome new peaks in infections Sunday, including India, which saw its biggest single-day jump yet, AP reports. The total number of Covid-19 cases in India has reached 42,533, with more than 2,500 cases being reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Statewise, Maharashtra has reported the most cases in the country (12,974), followed by Gujarat (5,428), Delhi (4,549), Madhya Pradesh (2,846), Rajasthan (2,772), Tamil Nadu (2,757), and Uttar Pradesh (2,626).

In major developments, we came across the news of the US President Donald Trump claiming that a vaccine to treat corona patients could be ready by end of this year. Trump believes as many as 100,000 Americans could die in the coronavirus pandemic, after the death toll passed his earlier estimates, but said he was confident a vaccine would be developed by the year’s end…Read More

Typhoon Hagibis leaves as many as 33 dead as Japan continues rescue

One woman fell to her death as she was being placed inside a rescue helicopter

Helicopters, boats and thousands of troops were deployed across Japan to rescue people stranded in flooded homes Sunday, as the death toll from a ferocious typhoon climbed to as high as 33. One woman fell to her death as she was being placed inside a rescue helicopter. Typhoon Hagibis made landfall south of Tokyo on Saturday evening and battered central and northern Japan with torrents of rain and powerful gusts of wind. The typhoon was downgraded to a tropical storm on Sunday.

Public broadcaster NHK said 14 rivers across the nation had flooded, some spilling out in more than one spot. The Tokyo Fire Department said a woman in her 70s was accidentally dropped 40 meters (131 feet) to the ground while being transported into a rescue helicopter in Iwaki city in Fukushima prefecture, a northern area devastated by the typhoon.

Department officials held a news conference to apologize, bowing deeply and long, according to Japanese custom, and acknowledged the woman had not been strapped in properly. The government’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, which tends to be conservative in its counts, said late Sunday that 14 people died, 11 were missing and 187 were injured as a result of the typhoon. It said 1,283 homes were flooded and 517 were damaged, partially or totally.

Japanese media tallies were higher. Kyodo News agency reported that 33 people died and 19 were missing. “The major typhoon has caused immense damage far and wide in eastern Japan,” government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

News footage showed a rescue helicopter hovering in a flooded area in Nagano prefecture where an embankment of the Chikuma River broke, and streams of water were continuing to spread over residential areas…

Read More: Typhoon Hagibis