Global Covid-19 cases surpass 150M-mark; India posts record-high infections

The world’s Covid-19 cases have have now surpassed the 150-million mark. Last Saturday it was reported to have  climbed to 152,113,753, with over 19.4 million people currently undergoing treatment, according to a global data aggregator.

The United States recorded the highest number of confirmed cases with over 33.1 million, followed by India with 19.16 million, and Brazil with 14.66 million infections since the pandemic began.

India, currently battling a surge in cases and a potentially more transmissible variant of coronavirus, posted record-high daily new infections at 402,110 in the past 24 hours, bringing to 3,272,256 its active cases to date.

Worldometer tally showed that India has the world’s fourth highest number of deaths at 211,853. It also posted a total of 3,522 new fatalities in the past 24 hours.

New cases and deaths soared in India after it experienced a catastrophic wave of infections that started in February 2021, overwhelming hospitals and crematoriums.

In the past few days, several countries, including the US, have sent medical help to the populous Asian country.

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia has the highest number of active cases (100,250), followed by the Philippines (72,248), Malaysia (29,631), Thailand (28,745), Cambodia (8,494), Myanmar (7,642), Timor-Leste (1,064), Laos (770), Singapore (398), Vietnam (359), and Brunei (6).

CountryPopulation (2019 data)Total recoveriesTotal casesTotal deathsActive cases
Indonesia270.63 million1,526,9781,672,88045,652100,250
Singapore5.80 million60,75161,17930398
Cambodia16.49 million5,20013,790965,200
Philippines110 million957,0511,046,65317,35472,248
Malaysia31.95 million380,442411,5941,52129,631
Thailand69.63 million38,07567,04422428,745
Myanmar54.05 million131,966142,8173,2099,642
Vietnam96.46 million2,5482,94235359
Laos7.17 million518210770
Brunei433,00021522436
Timor-Leste1,339,1601,2092,27631,064

Worldometers’ data also show that while Indonesia and the Philippines have the highest number of confirmed cases ub Southeast Asia, the two countries have also recorded a significantly high number of recoveries at 1,526,978 and 957,051, respectively.

On vaccination, April 28 figures from the Our World in Data showed that Indonesia ranks first in the number of people vaccinated. Out of its 270.63 million population, 4.4 percent or 19.23 million have received their shots.

Following Indonesia is Singapore who already vaccinated 2.21 million people, Cambodia at 2.11 million, the Philippines at 1.8 million, Malaysia at 1.36 million, Thailand at 1.28 million, Myanmar at 1.04 million, Vietnam at 318,792, Laos at 184,384, and Brunei at 2,323.