Europe's coronavirus cases pass 10 million mark

PARIS/WASHINGTON • The world saw more grim milestones in the Covid-19 pandemic as more than 10 million cases were reported in Europe since it first hit the continent at the beginning of the year, while the United States reported another record number of new infections.

Europe, with 52 countries, is now the third most affected region in the world after Latin America and the Caribbean with 11.2 million cases, according to a Friday tally by Agence France-Presse based on health authority figures.

Asia has 10.5 million cases.

Europe is recording 241,000 new cases a day - compared with 15,000 at the start of July - and represented roughly half of the previous week's global infections.

Some 14 European countries meanwhile registered a record number of hospitalisations linked to the virus last week.

Italy posted its own daily infection record on Friday, fuelling debate about whether it should follow France into a national lockdown. "Over 31,000 cases and 199 deaths. I ask you one question: what are you waiting for?" virologist Roberto Burioni tweeted.

Belgium, which has the most Covid-19 cases per capita in the world, said it would impose tighter lockdown rules from tomorrow, closing non-essential businesses and restricting household visits.

France's 65 million people woke up on Friday to a new lockdown, largely confined to their homes and needing written statements to leave. But some medics voiced fears that steady traffic and appreciable numbers of people on public transport in Paris showed people were not taking the lockdown as seriously a second time round.

"We don't have the choice, we are obliged to live, do our shopping and behave as if it is normal even if there are some safety measures," said 18-year-old Fabrice Angelique, who was buying headphones at a store selling books and electronics in Paris.

A total of 49,215 new cases were recorded over 24 hours in France, according to official figures on Friday.

In the Czech Republic, lawmakers voted to extend a state of emergency until Nov 20, while Iceland ordered bars and nightclubs to close and limited public gatherings to no more than 10 people.

But there has been resistance to measures to stop the virus, with clashes between protesters and police erupting on Friday in the Spanish city of Barcelona against new restrictions.

Number of new Covid-19 cases being logged daily in Europe now. It recorded 15,000 cases daily at the start of July.

Number of cases recorded in France over 24 hours on Friday. The country has gone back into lockdown.

Number of cases reported in the US over 24 hours on Friday, a new record.

And thousands of people rallied in Warsaw and across Poland, defying government orders and risking coronavirus contagion to voice their anger at a court ruling banning almost all abortions.

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin said he had no plans to introduce a sweeping lockdown, even as the country saw record tolls with reports of ambulance queues at hospitals and medical shortages.

The virus also continued its march through Latin America and the Caribbean, with the region passing 400,000 deaths on Friday, according to an AFP tally.

In North America, the US set a new all-time high for coronavirus cases confirmed in a single 24-hour period on Friday, reporting just over 100,000 new infections to surpass the record total of 91,000 posted a day earlier, a Reuters tally showed.

The spike comes just four days ahead of the US presidential election on Tuesday.

For Singaporean students who had returned to their universities in Europe and the US between August and last month when the pandemic appeared to be stabilising, the resurgence of the virus is disconcerting.

The Sunday Times spoke to students in Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the US in the past week.

They said they are worried, have taken precautions but are unable to predict how bad the situation will be.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS