MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2020) The death toll from the coronavirus infection in the world topped 942,000, almost 30 million cases of infection were detected, and over 20.3 million of those patients were cured, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University, which tracks and compiles data from Federal and local authorities, media and other sources.
As of 19:30 GMT Thursday, the number of cases globally is 29,976,621, including 942,758 fatalities.
The United States still has the highest case count in the world, with 6,650,570, including 197,244 fatalities and 2,525,573 recoveries.
The G20 nations believe that equal access to the vaccine against coronavirus is a key element to overcome the pandemic and sustain global economic recovery, according to a joint statement of the G20 health and finance ministers released following their online meeting.
The vaccine against COVID-19 developed by Russia's research center Vector does not provide life-long immunity, but guarantees immunity that will last at least six months, Alexander Ryzhikov, the head of the center's zoonotic diseases and flu department, said.
Russia's research center Vector has successfully completed the first phase of its COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, the vaccine was proven absolutely safe, Ryzhikov also said. At least 3,000 volunteers will take part in the third stage of trials, he added.
Russia is ready to cooperate with foreign partners on COVID-19 vaccine development, the foreign ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, confirmed.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) considers inoculating its population with the first Russian vaccine against COVID-19 once trials are completed, Joseph Kindundu Mukombo, economic counselor at the country's embassy in Moscow, told Sputnik.
One of the first two medications for outpatient COVID-19 treatment in Russia, dubbed Coronavir, has been greenlighted for sale in pharmacies, company R-Pharm, which manufactures the drug, told Sputnik.
The Belarusian Health Ministry said on Thursday it had received all the documents needed for launching the clinical trials of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V.
Indian Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan said that India would have a vaccine against the coronavirus disease by early next year.
A small group of rich countries that represents only 13 percent of the world's population have already bought up more than half of the promised doses of COVID-19 vaccines from leading pharmaceutical companies, the Oxfam charity said.
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge expressed on Thursday concerns over the COVID-19 surge in Europe, noting that weekly cases now exceeded those reported during the March peak of the pandemic, which should serve as a "wake-up call."
A spike of novel coronavirus cases in Canada could jeopardize the country's ability to keep the spread of the pandemic at "manageable levels," Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said.
The COVID-19-related fatality rate in Yemen stands at an alarming 30 percent, while the number of people affected by the disease may reach up to 1 million, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
India has confirmed 97,894 new cases of the coronavirus over the past 24 hours marking the largest daily increase in any country since the beginning of the outbreak, with the total number of those infected having reached 5,118,254, the country's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.
Austria will ban indoor gatherings of more than 10 people starting on Monday due to the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the country, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said.
South Africa will ease a number of coronavirus-related restrictions amid "gradual, but steady, decline in new infections, hospitalisations and deaths" and move to alert level 1, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
A US House resolution approved in a 243-164 vote targets threats and attacks against Asian-Americans inspired by the novel coronavirus origin in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Congresswoman Grace Meng said.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex is to receive a complaint via the special Law Court of the Republic (CJR) from the "Victimes Coronavirus COVID-19 France" association for the poor management of the health crisis, lawyer Fabrice Di Vizzio representing the organization, said.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) greatly appreciates the help Russia provided it during both the coronavirus and Ebola outbreaks, hoping that cooperation in the health sector will only deepen, Joseph Kindundu Mukombo, economic counselor at the country's embassy in Moscow, told Sputnik.
