Covid-19 cases across the world are on an upswing again, primarily because of an upsurge across European countries. Experts say other regions are likely to follow, with a continued transmission across the world.
Over 90 per cent of the Covid-19 cases in Europe are being reported in the United Kingdom and parts of Russia. Over 50,000 Covid-19 cases were recorded in the UK for the first time since July 17, according to Our World in Data, a scientific online publication that focuses on poverty, disease, hunger, and climate change.
India has reported one of the lowest Covid-19 cases per million population in the world (77) in the past seven days -- much lower than many other countries of the Western Hemisphere.
Europe contributed 98,103 new active Covid-19 cases, the highest share in the world, in the past 7 days. It is also the highest level since November last year. Further, European countries have shown a steady growth rate of new Covid-19 cases in the past 14 days.
Norway, Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium have all seen an increase of over 70 per cent confirmed active new Covid-19 cases in the previous two weeks. Three of the top five countries reporting the most deaths globally - Russia, Ukraine and Romania - are in Eastern Europe.
The effect of the removal of restrictions, coupled with the rise of the Delta variant, is resulting in an upsurge of new Covid-19 cases, although the high vaccination rate has decreased hospital admissions. Another widely cited reason is the UK was far ahead in vaccinating its population but it is currently facing higher infections as the vaccine's protection against the Covid-19 virus wanes significantly after five or six months.
Even countries that successfully contained Covid-19 infections earlier this year, like China and South Korea, are seeing an increase in their daily counts. China had 36 new cases on Sunday, while South Korea registered 1,477 new Covid-19 cases.
The US' daily new Covid-19 cases (7 day average) were 72,843, witnessing a declining trend in its active Covid-19 cases. This is the lowest number of active cases the US has registered since July 2021. Its weekly growth rate of active Covid-19 cases has decreased by 14 per cent. While, Brazil registered 12,185 cases yesterday, its growth rate of active cases increased by 24 per cent.
Most countries witnessing a resurgence in Covid-19 cases have at least 30 per cent of their population fully vaccinated (except Ukraine). The UK, Germany, and Turkey, with over 50 per cent of their population fully vaccinated, have registered 4,867, 1,138, and 2,322 new active cases per million people, respectively.
Romania and Ukraine have recorded 5,472 and 3,237 active cases per million people, respectively, which is the highest in the region. Romania and Ukraine have the lowest proportion of the fully vaccinated population at 30 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively.
In comparison, only 21 per cent of Indians are fully vaccinated. Experts say the standard lag time in the last two Covid-19 waves have been 4 to 6 weeks, and India must prepare itself for a consequential increase in active cases in the coming months.