New Delhi: The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world — the latest count being over 5.6 crore cases and more than 1.3 lakh deaths.
Amid its battle against the second wave of the virus, Italy is facing a shortage of intensive care staff. Malaysian Prime Minister has admitted that the state polls in the country are responsible for the recent surge in infections and South Australia has recorded zero new cases in the past 24 hours.
ThePrint brings you the most important global stories on the pandemic and why they matter.
Italy facing shortage of intensive care staff amid second wave
Hospitals in Italy are struggling with a shortage of intensive care staff amid a severe second wave of coronavirus, reports The Guardian.
Since 1 November, admissions to ICUs have doubled in Italy to 3,612.
“While Italy has almost doubled the availability of intensive care beds to 9,931 and increased the number of ventilators, only 625 more anaesthetists and resuscitators have been hired since the beginning of the pandemic,” says the report.
Italy has recorded 12,72,352 cases of Covid-19 and 47,217 deaths, till now.
Also read: US FDA approves first at-home test kit for detecting Covid
Malaysian PM admits recent state polls caused Covid surge
Malaysia Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin Wednesday admitted that the state elections in September had contributed to the latest Covid surge in the country, reports The Straits Times.
He also proposed postponing the upcoming by-elections, scheduled for 5 December, for the same reason.
“The public in the last two months blamed free-mingling of politicians and voters in the two-week campaign before the 26 September Sabah polls for causing a new surge of infections in the Borneo state,” says the report.
Malaysia has recorded 50,390 cases of Covid-19 and 322 deaths.
Turkey in talks with Pfizer for 25 million vaccine doses
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca revealed that Turkey is in talks with US pharmaceutical company Pfizer for a million doses of its vaccine by the end of this year and 25 million doses by 2021, reports The Daily Sabah.
The final analysis of trial data by Pfizer indicated that its vaccine showed 95 per cent efficacy against Covid-19.
The US drugmaker said their vaccine protected people of all ages and ethnicities, with no significant safety problems so far in a trial that includes almost 44,000 participants.
Turkey has recorded 4,25,628 cases of Covid-19 and 11,820 deaths.
Also read: Trump administration blocking access to US resources hurts Covid fight, say Biden’s advisers
No new cases of Covid-19 recorded in South Australia
In the past 24 hours, there have been no new cases of coronavirus recorded in South Australia, reports The Age.
Thursday was the sixth day of lockdown in South Australia. Under the lockdown restrictions, residents aren’t allowed to leave their homes for anything other than essential services.
“The government revealed on Thursday there had been no cases diagnosed since Wednesday. The total number of cases remains 23,” noted the report.
Australia has recorded a total of 27,785 cases of Covid-19 and 907 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
New York schools to close after surge in cases recorded
Public schools in New York will be shut from Thursday as the city recorded a surge in Covid cases, reports The New York Times.
The shutdown was initiated after the city recorded a test positivity rate of 3 per cent.
“Moving to all-remote instruction will disrupt the education of many of the roughly 3,00,000 children who have been attending in-person classes and create child care problems for parents who count on their children being at school for at least part of the week,” the report says.
The US has recorded 1,18,73,727 cases and 2,56,254 deaths — the highest in the world.
Japan on ‘maximum alert’ after increase in infections
Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Saga Thursday said the country was on ‘maximum alert’ after it reported a record number of coronavirus infections, reports The Japan Times.
“Japan logged a daily record of 2,203 on Wednesday, with Tokyo also reporting a fresh record high of 493 cases in what experts say could be the third wave of the pandemic in the country,” says the report.
Japan has recorded 1,20,815 Covid cases and 1,913 deaths, so far.
What else we are reading:
How Singapore has differentiated itself amid Covid-19: The Straits Times
London labour market hit harder by Covid than rest of UK, finds report: The Guardian
Also read: Lockdown in remote Canadian territory, Mexico City’s new testing points & other Covid news