Hawaii fire death toll nears 100, anger grows

LAHAINA - The death toll in Hawaii from the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century was expected to cross the 100-mark Sunday, fueling criticism that an inadequate official response contributed to the heavy loss of life.

Officials updated the toll to 93 late Saturday, but warned the figure was likely to rise as recovery crews with cadaver dogs continued the grim task of searching burned out homes and vehicles in the epicenter of Lahaina.

The historic coastal town on the island of Maui was almost completely destroyed by the fast-moving inferno early Wednesday morning, with survivors saying there had been no warnings.

When asked Sunday why none of the island's sirens had been activated, Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono said she would wait for the results of an investigation announced by the state's attorney general.

"I'm not going to make any excuses for this tragedy," Hirono, a Democrat, told CNN's "State of the Union."

"We are really focused, as far as I'm concerned, on the need for rescue, and, sadly, the location of more bodies."

More than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed as the fire tore through Lahaina, according to official estimates, wreaking $5.5 billion in damage and leaving thousands homeless.

"The remains we're finding are from a fire that melted metal," said Maui Police Chief John Pelletier. "When we pick up the remains... they fall apart."

Among the ruins in Lahaina, a town of more than 12,000 and former home of the Hawaiian royal family, an iconic, 150-year-old banyan tree remained standing but severely burned, AFP journalists saw.

President Joe Biden said on Sunday he was "looking at" the possibility of visiting the island.

- Questions over alert system -

The wildfire is the deadliest in the United States since 1918, when 453 people died in Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to the non-profit research group the National Fire Protection Association.

The death toll surpassed 2018's Camp Fire in California, which virtually wiped the small town of Paradise off the map and killed 86 people.

Maui suffered numerous power outages during the crisis, preventing many residents from receiving emergency alerts on their cell phones.

No emergency sirens were sounded, and many Lahaina residents have spoken of learning about the blaze because of neighbors running down the street.

"The mountain behind us caught on fire and nobody told us jack," resident Vilma Reed, 63, told AFP.

"You know when we found that there was a fire? When it was across the street from us."

Reed, whose house was destroyed by the blaze, said she was depending on handouts and the kindness of strangers, while sleeping in a car with her daughter, grandson and two cats.

In its emergency management plan last year, the State of Hawaii described the risk wildfires posed to people as being "low".

Some residents who fled the flames have also expressed anger at a roadblock put up preventing them from returning to their homes.

Maui police said members of the public would not be allowed into Lahaina while safety assessments and searches were ongoing -- even some of those who could prove they lived there.

Some residents waited for hours hoping to be allowed in to comb through the ashes or look for missing pets or loved ones.

When asked about growing anger at the response, Hirono told CNN she understood the frustration because "we are in a period of shock and loss."

Maui's fires follow other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave baking the US southwest.

Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc. Scientists say human-caused global warming is exacerbating natural hazards, making them both more likely and more deadly.

Agence France-Presse

More than 4.5 million dead, 216 million infected with COVID-19 worldwide

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 4,500,620 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1000 GMT (6 p.m. Philippine time) on Monday. 

At least 216,344,180 cases of coronavirus have been registered. 

The vast majority have recovered, though some have continued to experience symptoms weeks or even months later. The figures are based on daily reports provided by health authorities in each country. They exclude revisions made by other statistical organizations, which show that the number of deaths is much higher. 

The World Health Organization estimates that the pandemic's overall toll could be two to three times higher than official records, due to the excess mortality that is directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19. 

A large number of the less severe or asymptomatic cases also remain undetected, despite intensified testing in many countries. 

On Sunday, 6,952 new deaths and 446,872 new cases were recorded worldwide. 

Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were Russia with 792 new deaths, followed by Iran with 669 and Indonesia with 568. 

The United States is the worst-affected country with 637,539 deaths from 38,798,963 cases. 

After the US, the hardest-hit countries are Brazil with 579,308 deaths from 20,741,815 cases, India with 438,210 deaths from 32,737,939 cases, Mexico with 258,165 deaths from 3,335,700 cases, and Peru with 198,167 deaths from 2,148,419 cases. 

The country with the highest number of deaths compared to its population is Peru with 601 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Hungary with 311, Bosnia-Herzegovina with 298, Czech Republic with 284, Republic of North Macedonia with 282 and Montenegro with 273. 

Latin America and the Caribbean overall has 1,436,155 deaths from 43,158,763 cases, Europe 1,246,809 deaths from 62,896,600 infections, and Asia 775,755 deaths from 49,951,809 cases. 

The United States and Canada has reported 664,439 deaths from 40,288,517 cases, Africa 194,830 deaths from 7,748,732 cases, Middle East 180,936 deaths from 12,181,513 cases, and Oceania 1,696 deaths from 118,249 cases. 

As a result of corrections by national authorities or late publication of data, the figures updated over the past 24 hours may not correspond exactly to the previous day's tallies. 

Agence France-Presse

More than 2.9 million dead, 139 million infected with COVID-19 worldwide

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 2,987,891 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1000 GMT (6 p.m. Philippine time) on Friday. 

At least 139,008,120 cases of coronavirus have been registered. 

The vast majority have recovered, though some have continued to experience symptoms weeks or even months later. 

These figures are based on daily tolls provided by health authorities in each country and exclude later re-evaluations by statistical organizations, as has happened in Russia, Spain and Britain. 

On Thursday, 13,646 new deaths and 809,849 new cases were recorded worldwide. 

Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were Brazil with 3,560 new deaths, followed by India with 1,185 and United States with 974. 

The United States is the worst-affected country with 565,289 deaths from 31,495,652 cases. 

After the US, the hardest-hit countries are Brazil with 365,444 deaths from 13,746,681 cases, Mexico with 211,213 deaths from 2,295,435 cases, India with 174,308 deaths from 14,291,917 cases, and Britain with 127,191 deaths from 4,380,976 cases. 

The country with the highest number of deaths compared to its population is Czech Republic with 264 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Hungary with 254, Bosnia-Herzegovina 235, Montenegro 225 and Bulgaria 214.

Europe overall has 1,016,003 deaths from 47,440,536 cases, Latin America and the Caribbean 852,118 deaths from 26,812,010 infections, and the United States and Canada 588,779 deaths from 32,589,214 cases. 

Asia has reported 292,169 deaths from 20,566,289 cases, the Middle East 120,787 deaths from 7,161,469 cases, Africa 117,015 deaths from 4,397,613 cases, and Oceania 1,020 deaths from 40,992 cases. 

Since the start of the pandemic, the number of tests conducted has greatly increased while testing and reporting techniques have improved, leading to a rise in reported cases. 

However, the number of diagnosed cases is only a part of the real total number of infections as a significant number of less serious or asymptomatic cases always remain undetected. 

As a result of corrections by national authorities or late publication of data, the figures updated over the past 24 hours may not correspond exactly to the previous day's tallies. 

Agence France-Presse

Brazil reports 3,650 dead from COVID-19 in one day

Brazil set a new daily COVID-19 death toll record of 3,650 on Saturday, the health ministry said, as the pandemic spins out of control in Latin America's largest economy.

Since February, Brazil has seen record after record in fatalities and new cases of infection as the country second hardest hit anywhere in the world, after the United States, with more than 307,000 dead from the pandemic.

It broke through the threshold of 3,000 fatalities in one day on Tuesday.

The average daily toll over the past week is 2,400 -- more than triple what it was in early January.

The toll has risen steadily due to factors including people's abandoning social distancing norms and a new virus variant that emerged here and is believed to be more contagious than the original strain.

Another big problem is that the country's vaccination drive is moving slowly. So far only 5.9 percent of the population of 212 million has received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine.

President Jair Bolsonaro announced this week he was launching a crisis committee to deal with the pandemic, a change of course amid mounting pressure over a situation he has repeatedly minimized.

The announcements appeared to do little to tame criticism of Bolsonaro, who has flouted expert advice on lockdowns and face masks, pushed a drug regimen that scientists say does not work, and spoken out against vaccines.

Agence France-Presse

Mexico's coronavirus deaths surpass 100,000

MEXICO CITY - Mexico said Thursday its coronavirus death toll had risen above 100,000, becoming the world's fourth country to pass the grim milestone.

"Today in Mexico we have 100,000 people who have lost their lives due to COVID-19," deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell told a news conference.

The health ministry announced 576 more deaths in its daily update, taking the total to 100,104, behind only the United States, Brazil and India.

The overall number of infections registered now stands at 1,019,543 in the nation of more than 128 million, up 4,472 from the previous day.

While the number of daily infections has begun to rise again in recent weeks, the authorities say that deaths remain on a downtrend.

"There are infections, but fortunately... there are fewer deaths and that's the aim," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said this week.

But Malaquias Lopez, an epidemiologist and former health ministry official, said it was unclear if the situation was improving.

"We're at a point where we don't see a clear phase of descent. We don't know where it's going," he told AFP.

The government says poor diets and health problems including obesity, hypertension and diabetes are partly to blame for the high death toll.

"These conditions increase the possibility of a patient dying, it's true, but in Mexico they're almost a death sentence," said Lopez, who thinks the authorities have used the risk factors to deflect criticism of their handling of the pandemic.

Half of Mexico's workforce is in the informal sector and if they become sick they cannot afford to self-isolate, he said.

The government says the high number of deaths reflects its large population.

When it comes to deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, Mexico is in 11th place worldwide, based on official data.

The authorities acknowledge that the real number of coronavirus deaths is higher than the official toll due to the low level of testing.

Luis Vargas, a doctor working at a coronavirus testing site in Mexico City, said that recently people seemed to have become more nervous because a relative or friend had caught the virus.

He fears that many shoppers neglected to follow sanitary measures during the country's equivalent of the Black Friday sales this month.

"I think the number of cases is going to increase," he said.

Eighteen-year-old Aaron Romero, who was waiting to be tested and has symptoms of Covid-19, said his family had agreed not to get together at Christmas this year.

"It's strange and difficult, but it's for the best," he said.

Agence France-Presse

Greece shuts down all schools as COVID-19 deaths cross 1,000

ATHENS – Greece on Saturday announced the closure of primary schools, kindergartens and daycare centres as coronavirus deaths crossed a thousand.

Authorities reported  2,835 new coronavirus cases, taking the total to 72,510, and 38 new deaths, raising the toll to 1,035.

Since late October, the daily number of deaths in this country of nearly 11 million has quadrupled while the number of infections has doubled to around 3,000.

Out of the 533 total COVID-19 intensive care unit beds nationwide, 366 were occupied, authorities said Saturday.

The most hard-hit area is Thessaloniki in the north, the second largest city in Greece.

Earlier on Saturday, the government announced the closure of primary schools until the end of this month.

“Closing elementary schools was the last thing we wanted to do. This is a measure of how serious the situation is,” Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias said.

Secondary schools have already closed and all lessons have taken place remotely since Monday.

Most European countries have kept schools open during the second waves of cases that has hit the continent since September, unlike in March and April when they were shuttered during the first lockdowns.

The World Health Organization recommends that schools only be shut as a last resort.

“The coming weeks will be extremely critical”, Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Thursday.

The current restrictions started on November 7 and will last until November 30, although experts suggest it might be extended.

Since Friday night a curfew is in place from 9 pm to 5am all over Greece.

Agence France-Presse 

WHO fears spike in deaths after global COVID-19 surge

As ICUs see more patients, deaths may follow

GENEVA/ZURICH - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned against any complacency in the coronavirus death rate, saying with the increasing number of cases, mortality would also rise.

New cases are hitting 100,000 daily in Europe. Nearly 20,000 infections were reported in Britain, while Italy, Switzerland and Russia were among nations with record case numbers.

While deaths globally have fallen to around 5,000 per day from April's peak exceeding 7,500, WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said caseloads were rising in intensive care units.

"Mortality increases always lag behind increasing cases by a couple of weeks," Swaminathan said during a WHO social media event. "We shouldn't be complacent that death rates are coming down."

More than 38 million people have been reported infected globally and 1.1 million have died.

Despite the global push for a COVID-19 vaccine, with dozens in clinical trials and hopes for initial inoculations this year, Swaminathan reiterated that speedy, mass shots were unlikely.

Two candidates, from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca's U.S. trial, are paused on safety concerns, while manufacturing billions of doses of an eventual successful vaccine will be a colossal challenge demanding hard decisions about who gets inoculated first.

"Most people agree, it's starting with health care workers, and front-line workers, but even there, you need to define which of them are at highest risk, and then the elderly, and so on," Swaminathan said.

"A healthy young person might have to wait until 2022."

The WHO has said letting infection spread in hopes of achieving "herd immunity" is unethical and would cause unnecessary deaths. It urges hand-washing, social distancing, masks and -- when unavoidable, limited and targeted restrictions on movements -- to control disease spread.

"People talk about herd immunity. We should only talk about it in the context of a vaccine," Swaminathan said. "You need to vaccinate at least 70 percent of people … to really break transmission." 

-reuters-

Brazil surpasses 100,000 coronavirus deaths: officials

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil on Saturday surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths and three million cases of infection, according to the latest tally from the Ministry of Health.

With 100,477 fatalities and 3,012,412 confirmed cases, the South American country of 212 million people is the second hardest-hit country in the global pandemic, after the United States.

The health ministry reported 905 new deaths in the past 24 hours, as well as 49,970 new cases. 

But the official figures are most likely an undercount, with experts estimating that the total number of infections could be up to six times higher due to insufficient testing.

Brazil has seen 478 deaths per million people, a figure equivalent to that of the United States (487), but lower than that of Spain (609) or Italy (583).

Senate speaker Davi Alcolumbre announced four days of mourning in Congress to pay tribute to the country's 100,000-plus virus victims.

The coronavirus outbreak in Brazil is showing no signs of slowing as it enters is sixth month.

The country's first confirmed COVID-19 case was identified in Sao Paulo on February 26, with the first death on March 12, also in the city.

Agence France-Presse

India virus cases hit 1.5 million, but slum study casts doubt on official data

NEW DELHI - Coronavirus infections in India passed 1.5 million and deaths neared 35,000 on Wednesday, but test results in Mumbai cast further doubt on official data in the world's second-most populous nation.

Even as case numbers soar and more areas impose lockdowns, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this week India was in a "better position that other countries," and winning international praise.

The health ministry website -- which no longer includes total infections as the government puts more emphasis on recoveries -- on Wednesday reported almost 50,000 new infections and 768 more deaths.

The South Asian giant, home to some of the world's most crowded cities and where health-care spending per capita is among the world's lowest, passed 1 million cases only 12 days earlier.

But many experts have said India is not testing enough people, and that many coronavirus-linked deaths are not being recorded as such.

A study released Tuesday that tested for coronavirus antibodies reported some 57 percent of people in Mumbai's teeming slums have had the infection -- far more than official data suggests.

The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research's Ullas S. Kolthur, who was involved in carrying out the survey, said he was surprised by the results.

"At least in the slums, we think it is largely because social distancing wouldn't work simply because of the population density," Kolthur told AFP.

Last week, a similar study indicated that almost a quarter of people in the capital, New Delhi, have had the virus -- almost 40 times the official total.

There are, however, also doubts about the accuracy of such tests, since other coronaviruses -- not just the novel COVID-19 -- may also produce antibodies that could give a false positive result. 

The Mumbai survey also covered a relatively small sample of around 7,000 people.

India now has the third-highest number of cases in the world behind the United States and Brazil, although the official number of deaths in the South Asian nation is far lower.

As a proportion of its population, India also lags behind, with only 1,110 cases per million population compared to 13,148 for the United States, according to an AFP tally.

Agence France-Presse

More than 633,000 dead, 15.5 million infected with coronavirus worldwide

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has killed more than 633,000 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, with more than 15.5 million people infected, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT on Friday based on official sources.

The United States has the most deaths with 144,305, followed by Brazil with 84,082, Britain with 45,554, Mexico with 41,908 and Italy with 35,092.

India passes the 30,000 death mark to overtake France as the sixth worst-hit country.

- France imposes tests on 16 nations -

French prime minister Jean Castex announces on-the-spot tests for travellers visiting from 16 high-risk countries including the United States.

As France has not yet resumed general travel to and from these countries the tests will be for French citizens and residents.

Meanwhile, Germany decides to offer non-mandatory free tests to all returning travellers, as concerns grow over a rise in infections due to summer travel.

- US Republican convention off -

US President Donald Trump announces he is scrapping next month's Republican convention in Florida which was expected to nominate him as the party's candidate against Democrat Joe Biden for the November 3 election.

"The timing for this event is not right," he says, as the number of coronavirus cases in the world's worst-hit country tops four million, with a surge, particularly in southern and western states, including Florida.

- Britain imposes masks -

Britain joins the growing list of countries imposing the use of face masks. It is compulsory to wear a face covering in shopping centres, banks, takeaway outlets, sandwich shops and supermarkets, following the lead of Scotland.

- WHO worried about Europe -

The World Health Organization expresses concern over the resurgence of coronavirus cases on the European continent, saying countries should impose tighter restrictions if necessary.

The number of infections in Europe crossed three million on Thursday, a fifth of the world's cases. It remains the hardest hit in terms of deaths.

- Schlumberger to lay off 21,000 workers -

Texas-based oil services group Schlumberger says it expects to lay off more than 21,000 employees -- a quarter of staff, also reporting a $3.4 billion quarterly loss. Like other oil firms it has been hit by a trough in demand caused by coronavirus lockdowns.

- Disney in new box-office blow -

Disney announces that the pandemic has forced it to indefinitely postpone the release of big-budget film "Mulan," while pushing back upcoming instalments of "Star Wars" and "Avatar" by a year, in another blow to the box offices.

Agence France-Presse

UK COVID-19 death toll tops 54,000 including suspected cases: Reuters tally

LONDON - The United Kingdom's suspected COVID-19 death toll has hit 54,089, according to a Reuters tally of official data sources that underline the country's status as one of the worst hit in the world.

The Reuters tally comprises fatalities where COVID-19 was mentioned on death certificates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland up to June 12, and up to June 14 in Scotland. It also includes more recent hospital deaths.

Unlike the lower death toll published daily by the government, the death certificate figures include suspected cases.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which updates the figures on a weekly basis, said on Tuesday the number of deaths involving COVID-19 in England and Wales up to June 12 rose to 48,866.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due on Tuesday to announce cinemas, museums and galleries in England can reopen next month in a bid to revitalize the lockdown-hit economy.

But the large death toll means criticism over his handling of the pandemic - that Britain was too slow to impose a lockdown or protect the elderly in care homes - is likely to persist.

Johnson has said the government has followed the best scientific advice and in April described its response to the pandemic as an "apparent success".

Britain has the second-highest death toll in the world on a per capita basis, according to Reuters calculations based on deaths following confirmed coronavirus tests.

However, testing and methods of recording deaths differ between countries and British ministers say it will take some time before proper comparisons can be made.

The death toll issued daily by the government, which measures deaths where patients had tested positive for coronavirus, stood at 42,647 on Monday, up 15 on the day in the smallest increase since mid-March.

-reuters-

US sees nearly 700 more virus deaths in 24 hours

WASHINGTON - The United States lost another 687 people to the new coronavirus in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 pm (0030 GMT) Thursday, according a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

It marks the eighth day in which the daily toll from the virus has been fewer than 1,000, even as the US remains the country hardest-hit by the pandemic with a total of 118,381 deaths out of a total of 2,187,876 official cases. 

Some 20 states have seen a rebound in infections as the epicenter of the country's outbreak has moved from New York and the country's Northeast to the South and West. 

But the White House's chief infectious disease expert said Thursday he does not think new widespread containment measures will be necessary.

"I don't think we're going to be talking about going back to lockdown," said Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, when asked if some states should re-issue stay-at-home orders. 

"I think we're going to be talking about trying to better control those areas of the country that seem to be having a surge of cases."

Agence France-Presse

UK COVID-19 death toll nears 52,000, Reuters tally shows

LONDON - The United Kingdom's COVID-19 death toll neared 52,000 on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally of official data sources that highlighted the country's place as one of the worst hit in the world.

New data for England and Wales brought the toll to 51,766, the highest in Europe and putting the UK behind only the much larger United States in a pandemic that has killed more than 400,000 people around the world.

Such a large death toll has prompted criticism of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who opposition parties say was too slow to impose a lockdown or protect the elderly in nursing homes or to build a test and trace system.

The Reuters tally comprises fatalities where COVID-19 was mentioned on death certificates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland up to May 29, and up to May 31 in Scotland. It also includes more recent hospital deaths.

Unlike the lower death toll published daily by the government, the Reuters tally includes suspected cases - which gives a more accurate picture because testing was scarce early in the crisis.

Johnson's government has said it is making real progress in driving down the number of deaths that take place each day.

The UK death toll for confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 55 to 40,597 on Monday, the lowest rise since a lockdown was imposed in March.

Still, the death toll surpasses even some projections by the government's own scientific advisers.

In March, Britain's chief scientific adviser said keeping deaths below 20,000 would be a "good outcome." In April, Reuters reported the government's worst-case scenario was 50,000 deaths.

Epidemiologists say excess mortality - deaths from all causes that exceed the 5-year average for the time of year - is the best way of gauging deaths from a disease outbreak because it is internationally comparable.

Although these figures take longer to compile, Britain is faring badly here too.

About 64,000 more people than usual have died in the United Kingdom during this year's pandemic, according to the latest available data, an expert from the Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday.

-reuters-

More than 900 US virus deaths in past 24 hours: tracker

WASHINGTON - The coronavirus pandemic killed 922 people in the United States in the past 24 hours, according to figures released Friday by Johns Hopkins University.

The latest deaths bring the total in the United States to 109,042, and there have been more than 1.89 million cases, according to a real-time tally maintained by the Baltimore-based university at 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Saturday).

Some 491,000 people have recovered from the disease.

The United States has suffered by far the largest number of both COVID-19 deaths and infections.

On a per capita basis, however, several European countries -- including France, Italy and Spain -- have a higher death toll.

President Donald Trump said earlier Friday that the United States was "largely through" the pandemic and renewed his call on governors to ease lockdown measures in their states.

While the United States was suffering around 3,000 deaths a day in mid-April, that number has declined to around 1,000 deaths and 20,000 new cases a day at present.

According to researchers at the University of Massachusetts, which takes an average forecast from 9 different models, the coronavirus death toll will be around 127,000 by June 27.

Even though the spread of the disease has slowed, health care professionals worry that mass demonstrations against police brutality and racism taking place in cities across the US may lead to a new surge in infections in the coming weeks. 

Agence France-Presse

US records more than 1,000 virus deaths in 24 hours

WASHINGTON - The US recorded 1,021 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker Thursday at 8:30pm (0030 GMT Friday).

This brings the total number of deaths in the country to 108,120, with more than 1.87 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, the Baltimore-based university said.

About 485,000 people have recovered from the virus.

The US is by far the country worst-hit by the pandemic, both in total number of cases and death toll.

But relative to its population, several European countries -- including France, Italy and Spain -- have much higher death rates per capita than the United States.

But the virus is predicted to cause about 127,000 deaths in the US by June 27, according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts, who combined nine epidemiological models to generate the final toll.

Even if the pandemic has shown signs of slowing in the country since it peaked in mid-April, health professionals are worried that ongoing nationwide protests against police brutality and racism will trigger a resurgence in the coming weeks.

Agence France-Presse

US records 743 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours

WASHINGTON, United States - The United States on Monday recorded 743 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, bringing its total to 105,099 since the global pandemic began.

The country has officially logged 1,809,109 cases of COVID-19, the tracker set up by the Baltimore-based university showed at 8:30 p.m. (0030 GMT Tuesday).

The death toll and number of cases in the United States are by far the worst in the world.

The virus has killed at least 373,439 people around the world since it appeared in late 2019 in China, according to a report compiled by AFP from official sources.

In the United States, states have begun relaxing confinement measures intended to slow the spread of the virus in varying degrees.

But several major US cities have issued curfews in the face of violent protests sparked by the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed last week after a white officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes.

Agence France-Presse

UK coronavirus toll over 40,000; 10,000 deaths in care homes

LONDON - Britain's official coronavirus death toll is now over 40,000 with almost 10,000 dead in care homes in England and Wales alone, according to a statistical update released on Tuesday.

Some 40,902 deaths from coronavirus were registered by May 8, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), meaning the true toll will be even higher when deaths registered over the last 10 days are taken into account.

The ONS figures include deaths where COVID-19 is suspected or mentioned on the death certificate.

The government's official rolling tally, which was 34,796 as of Monday, only records deaths after positive tests.

Either way, Britain is the worst-hit country in Europe, and the government has been criticized heavily for its response to the outbreak.

The ONS figures show a sharp fall in coronavirus deaths in the week up to May 8, reinforcing ministers' claims that the country is past the peak.

Numbers in England and Wales fell from 6,035 to 3,930. Care home deaths accounted for 42.4 percent of the total -- up from 40.4 percent the week before.

Deaths in care homes fell at a slower rate than the population at large, and the total number of deaths in care homes in England and Wales now stands at 9,975.

A cross-party parliamentary committee looking into the government's handling of the crisis on Tuesday said testing had been "inadequate" in a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

"The decision to pursue an approach of initially concentrating testing in a limited number of laboratories and to expand them gradually... is one of the most consequential made during this crisis," they said.

"From it followed the decision on March 12 to cease testing in the community and retreat to testing principally within hospitals."

The decision meant residents in care homes could not get tests when the virus was at its most potent stage, they added.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told parliament he was encouraged that care home deaths were falling.

A total of 62 percent of care homes in England had no reported cases of COVID-19 at all, he added.

Just over a quarter (27 percent) of all deaths in England from the virus were in such places, compared with a European average of about half, he told MPs.

"We will not rest from doing whatever is humanly possible to protect our care homes from this appalling virus," he said. 

Agence France-Presse

Indonesia's gravediggers battle virus fears, stigma

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Gravedigger Junaidi Hakim shouts "hurry up" as he summons his weary colleagues in a never-ending race to bury novel coronavirus victims at a Jakarta cemetery.

The team switches quickly from digging fresh graves to burying the bodies -- aiming to get the task done in under 10 minutes to lessen the chance of getting infected themselves.

"The most worrying part is when we're unloading a coffin because we have to touch it," said 42-year-old Hakim, a father of four.

"We feel a bit relieved after it's buried."

Some 50 gravediggers at Pondok Ranggon cemetery -- one of two earmarked for COVID-19 victims in the Indonesian capital -- are working up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, for monthly wages of 4.2 million rupiah ($290).

They dig at least 20 fresh graves daily, marked with white wooden poles that list the name, birthdate and day the occupant died.

But they can hardly keep up with the influx of confirmed and suspected virus victims.

"The ambulances never stop bringing us bodies," said Hakim.

'HEART BREAKS'

The team struggles to keep up in the searing tropical heat, with sobbing relatives never far away.

Families are urged not to linger, robbing them of the chance to perform prayers for loved ones.

"My heart breaks seeing those crying families," said Minar, 54, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"I've been digging graves for 33 years now and I've never been this tired before. This is probably a test from God," he added.

The challenges are compounded in the fasting month of Ramadan when many in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim majority nation, don't eat or drink during daylight hours.

Naman Suherman said he is able to overcome gnawing thirst and hunger in the belief he's doing something "noble" for victims whose covered burial pits are sprinkled with pink flowers.

"What strengthens my faith on this job is knowing that I can help take the deceased to their final resting place," the 55-year-old gravedigger said.

How many people the virus has claimed across the Southeast Asian archipelago of more than 260 million is unclear.

An official death toll of 1,191 as of Monday is widely believed to be well below reality, and Indonesia has one of the world's lowest testing rates.

Government officials acknowledge data are patchy and incomplete.

At least 2,107 people have been buried under COVID-19 safety protocols in epicenter Jakarta alone -- nearly double the reported national toll.

Other cities have also seen unusually high burial figures in recent months, suggesting even more victims.

Volunteer database KawalCovid-19, which was created by health and technology professionals, has estimated there have been more than 3,000 virus deaths in just 16 of the country's 34 provinces.

'AFRAID OF ME'

That would be no surprise for the gravediggers at Pondok Ranggon cemetery who have seen their workload soar.

But most didn't know the risks, at first burying virus victims without protective equipment.

"Initially, none of us knew about coronavirus," said Minar.

"We didn't know what this disease was like until I learned from the television news that it was infectious.

"The next day I rushed to buy my own facemask. Several days later, we started getting personal protective equipment."

Despite those precautions, gravedigger Hakim says neighbors suddenly started keeping a wide berth since the first cases appeared in March.

"Although they don't say it out loud, I can feel they're keeping a distance," he said.

"Like they're afraid of me."

Agence Franc-Presse

India coronavirus infections surge past 100,000, deaths top 3,000

Coronavirus cases in India reached 100,000 on Tuesday, matching its number of intensive care beds, and the rate of increase of new infections showed little sign of slowing.

India reported 4,970 new cases over the previous 24 hours, taking its total to 101,139. Deaths rose by 134 to 3,163.

India's number of cases has easily outstripped that of China, where the virus emerged late last year and which has been one of Asia's infection hot spots.

China has reported nearly 83,000 cases but has kept its daily rise in new infections to single digits for the past week.

In contrast, new cases in India have risen by an average of more than 4,000 a day over the past week, according to a Reuters tally based on official data, despite a severe weeks-long lockdown.

India officially extended the lockdown on Sunday to May 31, although several states indicated they would allow businesses to reopen.

Health experts and officials are worried about the strain the epidemic is placing on India's over-stretched and under-funded hospital system.

Dhruva Chaudhry, president of the Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine, told Reuters last month that India probably had only about 100,000 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 40,000 ventilators.

Chaudhry warned there was not sufficient infrastructure or staff in the country of 1.35 billion people to handle a sharp spike in the number of critical patients.

While not every coronavirus patient needs an ICU bed, health experts worry about surging cases in India, particularly as many believe the official tally falls short of the reality.

India has not provided a detailed breakdown on the condition of people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, although authorities have reported that about 37,000 people have recovered.

India's death rate is less than that of some other big countries, at 3%, compared with about 6% for the United States, where some 89,000 people have died, and 14% for Britain. (Editing by Richard Pullin and Jacqueline Wong)

-reuters-

US records 820 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours: tracker

WASHINGTON - The United States on Sunday recorded 820 new coronavirus fatalities in the previous 24 hours, but the country's total death count neared 90,000, a Johns Hopkins University tracker reported.

The latest toll, marked at 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Monday), was the lowest since 776 daily deaths were recorded on May 10, but the count ranged as high as 1,894 in subsequent days.

According to the real-time tracker by Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins, the United States has 1,486,376 cases of novel coronavirus.

That figure and the death toll are by far the world's highest.

Agence France-Presse