MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2020) The death toll from the coronavirus infection in the world topped 1.127 million, over 41 million cases of infection were detected, and almost 28 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 Wednesday, the number of cases globally is 41,033,707, including 1,127,797 fatalities.
The United States still has the highest case count in the world, with 8,300,451, including 221,550 fatalities and 3,295,426 recoveries.
Vaccination of Russians against coronavirus is the top priority, which is more important than export of vaccines, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. He urged entrepreneurs to become more actively involved in the production of the Russian coronavirus vaccine in order to ensure the required amount of this drug. The global market for Russian vaccine against the coronavirus is estimated at $100 billion annually, the Russian president said.
The monthly production of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V will reach up to 6 million doses by December, which will enable immunization of 70 percent of the national population within 10-12 months, the head of the Gamaleya research institute, which developed the vaccine, said.
Russian vaccine has been attacked in attempt to discredit it as part of the geopolitical vaccine battle, Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev said. Investment into Russia's vaccine against COVID-19 began back in January and also recalled that many investors were unaware of the severity of the pandemic back then, he added.
Russian State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector has shared its coronavirus tests with 40 other countries, the center's head Rinat Maksyutov said. Vector is working on a combined vaccine that would protect both against flu and COVID-19, Maksyutov also said.
Russia's coronavirus vaccine EpiVacCorona, developed the Vector research center, is absolutely safe both for elderly people and those suffering from allergies, Vector Director Rinat Maksyutov said.
Israeli Finance Minister Israel Katz has met with US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and asked his US counterpart to supply the COVID-19 vaccine to Israel as soon as the US receives it, Katz said, as quoted by his adviser Zina Roitman.
The National Health Surveillance Agency of Brazil (Anvisa) reported the death of a Brazilian volunteer who participated in the trials of COVID-19 vaccine, which was developed by the University of Oxford and the AstraZeneca laboratory, saying that the cause of death was not disclosed "for reasons of ethics and confidentiality." AstraZeneca said that it did not yet have an official position on the death of the volunteer and did not comment on this information.
Chinese coronavirus vaccine and Russia's Sputnik-V will be supplied to Venezuela in December and January 2021 to help the nation start massive vaccination of the most vulnerable categories of its citizens, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said.
Bolivian pharmaceutical firm Sigma Corp plans to produce up to 300,000 pills of Russian-developed COVID-19 medication Avifavir per day, the company's executive director, Sergio Pol, told Sputnik.
Italy recorded 15,199 new coronavirus cases, the highest one-day number since the beginning of the pandemic, the country's health ministry said.
Poland has registered 10,040 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, setting a new single-day record, the Health Ministry said.
Iran has confirmed 5,616 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, breaking its single-day record of infections for the second day in a row, Sima Sadat Lari, a spokeswoman for the Iranian Health Ministry, said.
The region of South Yorkshire, in northern England, will move from local COVID-19 alert level high to very high from Saturday, after seeing a rapid increase in the rate of coronavirus infections, the UK government announced.
Germany is approaching the introduction of full or partial quarantine due to the deteriorating epidemiological situation in the country, Markus Soder, the minister-president of the southern state of Bavaria, said.
The Swiss authorities are considering an introduction of harsher coronavirus-related restrictions starting next week due to a surge in the infection cases, Alain Berset, the head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs, said.
The Lithuanian government introduced a quarantine in 12 municipalities from October 26 to November 9 over a surge in COVID-19 cases, media reported.
The head of the Georgian government administration, Natia Mezvrishvili, said on Wednesday that citizens returning from abroad would no longer be required to quarantine for eight days into state-run facilities, as long as they present a negative COVID-19 test result.
The US economy may be forced into a slower and weaker recovery from the coronavirus pandemic if another stimulus bill is not passed soon, Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said.
Growing US-China tensions in trade, tech and geopolitical spheres may hamper post-coronavirus economic recovery alongside other risks such as the the second wave of the pandemic and social inequality, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.
The Spanish tourist sector will lose more than 106 billion Euros ($125 billion) this year, moving back to 1995 levels, in estimates released by the Spanish tourism association Exceltur.
The authorities in Greater Manchester will receive 60 million Pounds ($78.5 million) to help support businesses after the government forcibly raised the region to tier three, or very high, in England's new COVID-19 alert level system, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, adding that the funds will be distributed despite Mayor Andy Burnham's rejection of a deal.
UK local authorities are asking care homes across England to inform the amount of beds they can provide in their facilities for COVID-19 patients, as the United Kingdom is heading towards another peak of infections, the UK branch of Amnesty International said, citing leaked official documents.
Rinat Maksyutov, the head of the Russian State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector, which developed Russia's second COVID-19 vaccine, said that a more dangerous pandemic than the coronavirus one could hit the world in 5-10 years or later.
