6.19 crore covid 19 patients across the world, death rates increasing

NEW YORK: The global tally of coronavirus cases stands at 61,958,809. While 42,772,849 have recovered, 1,448,231 have died so far. The US, the worst-hit country, has 13,450,712 cases, and 271,025 have died from the disease there. The US reported more than 200,000 new coronavirus infections on Friday. It is followed by India, which has 9,351,224 cases, Brazil (6,238,350), Russia (2,215,533), France (2,196,119).

Modeling studies have revealed that about 60 to 70 per cent of the global population needs to be immune to curb or halt Covid-19 transmission, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said.

Noting the WHO cannot give the exact number of "the proportion of the population that would need to be immunized... The answer to that can come from modeling studies", Xinhua news agency quoted Katherine O'Brien, director of WHO's Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, as saying at a virtual briefing on Friday.

On Friday, India reported 41,353 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking its tally to 9,351,224. The country's death toll mounted to 136,238. At 1,808,550, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 881,086, Andhra Pradesh 866,000, Tamil Nadu 777,616 and Kerala 587,578. Delhi recorded 5,482 fresh Covid-19 cases in a day, while 98 more fatalities linked to the disease pushed the city's death toll to 8,909.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Pune today to review coronavirus vaccine development work at facilities there, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.