COVID-19 Outbreak: Weekly Global Report for Friday, May 21, 2021
AdvaMed recognizes that its members, particularly those with global government affairs responsibilities, are tracking COVID-19 related developments around the world to assess the public health and economic impacts on their businesses. Knowing that companies are consuming information from a variety of sources, AdvaMed's global team would like to provide members with a weekly snapshot of the key statistics, policy developments and advocacy initiatives underway in our priority markets. If you have any suggestions, we welcome your feedback.
Global
- Weekly COVID-19 statistics: global cases increased by around 4.5 million to reach a total of 165 million cases. Deaths around the world have exceeded 3.4 million. The countries with the most reported cases continue to be the U.S. (33 million), India (25.7 million) and Brazil (15.8 million).
- U.S. cases exceeded 33 million with deaths increasing to 588,000.
- Staff Contact: Ralph Ives (rives@advamed.org).
China
- Overview: China’s vaccination efforts have ramped up markedly in recent weeks. Over 449 million Chinese citizens have received a COVID vaccine jab as of May 20—the largest number of vaccinations of any country. China aims to vaccinate 40% of its population (560 million) by the end of June. China is currently administering around 10-15 million doses a day.
- Weekly COVID-19 statistics: China’s total COVID cases now stand at 102,798, an increase of 124 cases over the previous week. The number of reported deaths remained unchanged over the previous week at 4,846.
- China’s vaccines: In late February, China’s regulator approved for general use a third and fourth vaccine produced by CanSino Biologics and Sinopharm. This follows China’s approval of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine on Dec. 31 last year and Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine on Feb. 5.
- Beijing leads in vaccine roll-out: The Chinese capital has administered over 26.61 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with the vaccination rate among people aged 18 and over reaching 76.71 percent, as of May 9.
- BioNTech vaccine: A unit of Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical has agreed to form a US$200 million joint venture with German partner BioNTech to build a plant in China capable of supplying up to 1 billion doses a year. Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Industry Development will contribute up to US$100 million of assets including cash and a manufacturing facility, while BioNTech will chip in the license and know-how to produce the vaccine. With the announcement, BioNTech’s vaccine is poised to become the first foreign vaccine widely available in China.
- WHO approves Sinopharm vaccine: The World Health Organization has added the Sinopharm vaccine to its list of approved COVID-19 jabs, boosting the credentials of the China-made dose amid doubts over its efficacy. The emergency use listing for the shot, developed in partnership with the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, is for a two-dose regimen for all adults aged 18 and over, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general. It is the first vaccine of any kind made in China to receive emergency use authorization from the WHO. The approval is a signal to countries that the Sinopharm vaccine is safe to use and means that the jab will be added to the WHO’s vaccine procurement program Covax. Alejandro Cravioto, chair of the WHO’s strategic advisory group of experts on immunization, said the panel had made “a thorough assessment” of the vaccine, and that there was “enough evidence” it was safe and reduced cases of severe or symptomatic disease by at least 79 per cent.
- Vaccine diplomacy: According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China is providing free vaccines to 69 countries and commercially exporting them to 28 more. China had exported 115 million doses by the end of March, according to Airfinity—a British company that provides real-time life-science intelligence.
- Some travel restrictions between the U.S. and China eased: China said it was willing to resume a travel exchange with the United States following an announcement by the U.S. that it was easing some coronavirus travel bans. The U.S. has announced it will allow students and professionals in various categories and from various countries, including China, to enter the country. The announcement comes more than a year after the US suspended entry for travelers who had been in mainland China 14 days before travelling because of the Covid-19 outbreak.
- Updated estimates on 2020 hospital visits: according to the National Health Commission, the total number of hospital visits/medical consultations in January through September 2020 reached 3.9 billion, a decrease of 15.3% over the same period in 2019. It is important to note that this percentage decrease has gotten progressively smaller since June, perhaps indicating Chinese patients have become more comfortable in visiting medical institutions in the second half of 2020.
- S. aims to shape new WHO report on COVID’s origins: Experts from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of State, the Agriculture Department and five other federal agencies are developing recommendations to be submitted to the WHO for its planned second phase of the inquiry into how the new coronavirus started spreading. The U.S. is expected to push back on a hypothesis promoted by China that the virus could have spread via frozen-food products, according to people familiar with the work. Instead, the experts are expected to urge the release of more data as well as more testing of animals and humans for early evidence of the new coronavirus, including in parts of southern China where related viruses were previously found.
- China’s Economy: The National Bureau of Statistics released economic data for April, showing industrial output growth of 9.8 percent year-on-year, down from 14.1 percent in March. Retail sales recorded 17.7 percent growth, below analyst expectations and almost halving from the 34.2 percent recorded the previous month. In addition, fixed asset investment growth decreased from the 25.6 percent recorded in Q1 to 19.9 percent. Finally, the surveyed jobless rate showed a minor improvement of 0.2 percent from March to 5.1 percent.
- S.-China relations: Policy reviews of Trump-era sanctions, initiatives, and Executive Orders on China are underway across U.S. government, with the White House providing oversight. The Commerce Department and Treasury Department have already begun reviewing existing export controls and financial sanctions against PRC entities, respectively. USTR has yet to commence its “top-to-bottom” review of the Phase One agreement, the 301 tariffs, and trade policy towards China more generally. USTR Tai, in a recent Congressional hearing, recognized that “time is of the essence” as it relates to USTR’s review.
- Staff Contact: Kyle Churchman (kchurchman@advamed.org)
India
- Weekly COVID-19 statistics – 25,771,405 total cases, 3,129,878 active cases/287,122 deaths/ discharged 22,355,440 (John Hopkins & MoHFW) as compared to 23,702,832 total cases, 3,710,525 active cases/258,317 deaths/ discharged 19,734,823 (John Hopkins & MoHFW) last week. 18,70,09,792 people have been vaccinated.
- India registered a 13 percent decrease in new Covid-19 cases in the past week but the number of fresh infections was still the highest around the world, the WHO has said. The number of new cases and deaths continued to decrease with just over 4.8 million new cases and just under 86,000 new deaths reported globally in the past week, a 12 percent and 5 percent decrease respectively compared to the previous week.
- Bharat Biotech is set to begin the phase II and III clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin in children in the age group of 2 to 18 years in the next 10-12 days, informed VK Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog on Tuesday, May 18. "Covaxin has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), for Phase II/III clinical trials in the age group of 2 to 18 years. I have been told that trials will begin in the next 10-12 days," Paul said during a press conference.
- Ganga Ram hospital Chairperson Dr. DS Rana on Tuesday, May 18, said that Remdesivir is also being considered to be dropped from Covid-19 treatment soon as there is no evidence of its effectiveness in treating Covid-19 patients. This move comes after, the use of convalescent plasma has been dropped from the recommended treatment protocols for Covid -19, according to an advisory from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
- The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) on Wednesday, May 19, recommended that the Covid vaccination should be deferred by three months after clinical recovery of the illness. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NEGVAC's fresh recommendations are based on the evolving situation of the Covid-19 pandemic and emerging global scientific evidence and experience.
- PathShodh Healthcare, a start-up incubated at the Society for Innovation and Development (SID) at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a semi-quantitative electrochemical Elisa test for Covid-19 IgM and IgG antibodies. PathShodh has received the license from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to manufacture the test for sale, IISc said in a press release.
- The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday, May 19, said that only symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of Covid-19 positive patients are advised for home testing by Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT).
- The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday, May 19 approved self-use Rapid Antigen Test for Covid-19 developed by molecular diagnostics company. Named CoviSelf (PathoCatch), the indigenously developed test has been designed for home testing and is advisable only for symptomatic individuals and people who came in contact with lab-tested Covid positive patients.
- India's Biological E. will produce the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine alongside its own candidate, its managing director told Reuters on Tuesday, May 18, which could boost the country's overall supplies amid a shortage.
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is developing guidelines to treat black fungus or Mucormycosis, sources said on Tuesday, May 18. Cases of black fungus have been reported in the country including Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.
- India is unlikely to resume major exports of Covid-19 vaccines until at least October as it diverts shots for domestic use, three government sources said, a longer-than-expected delay set to worsen supply shortages from the global COVAX initiative.
- A team of alumni, students and professors from IIT-Bombay has come up with an innovative way to reuse exhaled air to enhance the life of oxygen cylinders for Covid-19 patients. The proposed method will help bring down the average use of over nine oxygen cylinders in a day for a critical patient to one or two, they said.
- The use of convalescent plasma has been dropped from the recommended treatment protocols for COVID-19, according to the latest guidelines released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday, May 17.
- Five of six Indian companies, that have entered into manufacturing arrangements with sovereign fund Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V, may seek a waiver for conducting local Phase-3 clinical trials.
- Eli Lilly and Company said on Monday, May 17 it has issued an additional royalty-free, non-exclusive voluntary license to Natco Pharma, a local pharmaceutical manufacturer of generic medicines. Natco will collaborate with Lilly to accelerate the availability of baricitinib in India and improve local treatment options for patients battling Covid-19 patients.
- The first batch of anti-Covid drug 2-DG, developed by the DRDO, will be released on Monday, May 17 by defence minister Rajnath Singh and health minister Harsh Vardhan, officials said.
- With Covid-19 now spreading to villages, the Centre on Sunday, May 16, issued new guidelines for containment of the virus in peri-urban and rural areas by enabling communities, strengthening primary level healthcare infrastructure at all levels to intensify Covid-19 response, while continuing to provide other essential health services.
- Staff Contact: Abby Pratt (apratt@advamed.org).
Japan
- Weekly COVID-19 statistics – 705,933 reported cases and 12,078 reported deaths compared to 667,563 reported cases and 11,315 reported deaths the previous week.
- The total number of serious cases in Japan continues to increase each day.
- Japan extended its state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka, and several other prefectures for several more weeks due to the continuing high number of cases.
- The majority of new cases are among people younger than 50, with people in their 20s accounting for one-quarter of new cases.
- The number of people across Japan who cannot gain admittance to hospitals already full and are instead dying at home from worsening Covid-19 has significantly increased since March.
- Prefectural governments are urging hospitals to open up more Covid-19- dedicated beds, which is putting further pressure on patients to avoid elective surgeries.
- Japan will provide final approval to the Moderna vaccine and the Astra Zeneca vaccine on May 21. The Pfizer vaccine was approved in February.
- Moderna will provide 50 million doses of the vaccine by September. It is slated to be used at mass vaccination centers in Tokyo and Osaka, as well as elsewhere. AstraZeneca has contracted to provide 120 million doses, which the government will stockpile for later use.
- Japan began vaccinating people age 65 or above on April 12. Supplies of vaccines are extremely low and it appears unlikely that Japan will achieve its goal of vaccinating all of its 36 million senior citizens by the end of June. So far, less than 1% of the population has received a vaccine dose.
- The central government has asked companies to reduce the number of workers going to the office by 70% and facilitate telecommuting and staggered commuting hours.The Japanese government has decided to maintain its controls for foreign nationals entering the country. Reciprocal business travel arrangements that were forged with China, South Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam remain suspended. While Tokyo’s restrictions on foreign entries except for returning nationals remain in place, the government will make exceptions for athletes entering the country for the upcoming Olympic Games.
- Staff Contact: Phil Agress (PAgress@AdvaMed.org).
Korea
- South Korea’s numbers are down from last week (last week’s number is in parens). They are reporting 646 new cases per day (715). The upsurge in daily infections came as the country's inoculation drive showed little progress recently due to tight supply of vaccines. New deaths have returned to just 4 per day. South Korea has had some inconsistency in its trends of late, but continues to avoid the dramatic spikes that many other countries are experiencing.
- South Korea has 134,117 total cases, 8,542 active cases, with 1,916 deaths. Total cases per million population have remained low compared to most of the world but Korea is now significantly over the 2,000 threshold with 2,614 cases per million. (S. Korea ranks as one of the lowest among the more highly populated countries). Deaths per million remain comparatively low as well at just 37.
- Vaccination centers across Korea will resume first-dose administrations of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, and AstraZeneca’s the following week, health officials said Wednesday.
- The distribution of first doses has been suspended for the last three weeks as people with second appointments were given priority amid a tight supply. According to Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency guidelines, it’s not suitable to postpone the second of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine for any longer than 21 days. For the AstraZeneca vaccine, which also requires two doses, the recommended interval is longer at 12 weeks.
- The Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol told a government COVID-19 response meeting that vaccinations were expected to speed up as supply is restored. Pfizer shipped 438,000 doses of its vaccine to Korea at around 1 a.m. Wednesday, and over 5 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine were set to become available between now and the first week of June, according to the ministry.
- Nearly half of people aged between 60 and 74, who become eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccination next month, have scheduled an appointment as of Tuesday midnight, according to KDCA updates. The rate is higher for people over 75, 85 percent of whom have booked an appointment for the Pfizer vaccine.
- The government aims to deliver one shot to more than 13 million people before the end of June. So far, around 3.74 million people, or 7.3 percent of the population, have received their first dose. This means that starting this weekend, at least 231,000 doses will have to be administered each day to get to that goal. Over the last seven days, an average of 80,031 vaccine doses was given daily.
- Young South Koreans who have received their initial shots of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine are calling for access to the Pfizer vaccine for their second shots, now that people under 30 are no longer eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine over rare blood clot risks.
- Of the around 135,000 people in their 20s who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine, most are health care workers. As such, they were at the top of the vaccine priority list when the immunization campaign kicked off in late February. Now they are wondering if they should get a second dose when use of the vaccine has been discontinued for people in their age group -- not just in Korea, but also in several other countries including France, Germany and the UK.
- Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare still maintains that people younger than 30 who received a first AstraZeneca shot complete their immunization with a second of the same vaccine.
- South Korea does not have test kits to diagnose a form of blood clot that is now listed as a rare side effect of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, sources in the health care sector told The Korea Herald.
- Health officials said in recent government briefings that the country has yet to confirm any cases of the post-vaccination blood-clotting syndrome termed thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or TTS. But Korea is still waiting for an immunological test that is used in a TTS diagnosis to be imported into the country, according to a laboratory medicine specialist at a major hospital. The hospital is among the few institutions designated by the government to run these tests.
- The chief of the International Vaccine Institute said Thursday that he feels positive about the possibility of South Korea becoming an Asian manufacturing hub for COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Jerome Kim, director general of the Seoul-based IVI, made the remarks during a conservation with Korea Society President Tom Byrne, released via YouTube. When asked if Korea has what it takes to become an Asian vaccine production hub in 6 to 9 months, he responded: “I think the short answer is yes.”
- This is a link to detailed South Korea’s vaccine delivery timeline, highlighting both delivered and expected to be delivered vaccines for 2021. http://res.heraldm.com/content/image/2021/04/15/20210415000913_0.jpg
- South Korea remains under fairly strict social distancing requirements. A nationwide ban on gatherings of 5 people or more continues. Level 2 requirements are in place for Seoul and its surrounding area, with Level 1.5 for other parts of the country. Level 2 requirements include prohibitions on ‘high risk’ activities, mandatory mask wearing for all indoor and high risk outdoor activities, ceasing operations in restaurants and bars after 9 pm, and strict percentage capacity limits on schools, religious services and sporting events.
- South Korea continues to impose suspension of direct flights from Britain.
- Foreigners arriving at South Korean airports face a mandatory 14-day quarantine procedure and must present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of their departure to the nation.
- Foreigners from Britain and South Africa who fail to present negative PCR test results will be banned from entering the nation, and incoming Korean nationals without test results will be isolated in temporary living facilities for two weeks upon their arrival in the nation, the KDCA said.
- Resources: http://ncov.mohw.go.kr/en/.
- Staff Contact: Joseph Gatewood (jgatewood@advamed.org).
ASEAN
Cases
- ASEAN now has 3,770,762 reported cases and 74,768 reported deaths compared to 3,630,329 reported cases and 72,129 reported deaths last week.
- The ASEAN region continues to see a surge in new cases, driven by sharp spikes in the number of cases in Malaysia and Thailand.
- Thailand: The number of cases and deaths reported by Thailand continues to grow rapidly. Reported cases grew from 88,907 to 119,585 over the past week and reported deaths have increased from 486 to 703 over that time.
- Malaysia: Malaysia is struggling to handle a third wave of infections. Reported cases have grown from 458,077 to 492,302 over the past week. Total deaths have grown from 1,788 to 2,099 over that timeframe. Malaysia’s government declared a new nationwide partial lockdown effective May 12 as new COVID-19 cases continue to rise ahead of the celebration of the end of Ramadan. Social activities including dining out are banned, along with interstate travel except for medical, work, or other approved reasons through June 7.
- Indonesia: The growth in cases in Indonesia has slowed since February, but the government expects a spike following the post-Eid travel throughout the country. Indonesia is now reporting 1,758,898 total cases, up from 1,728,204 last week. It is reporting 48,877 total deaths, up from 47,617 the previous week. Indonesia accounts for nearly two-thirds of total deaths in ASEAN since the start of the pandemic.
- Philippines: The Philippines is now reporting 1,165,155 total cases, up from 1,124,724 last week. Total reported deaths have increased from 18,821 to 19,641 over that time.
- Cambodia: After a recent surge in cases, the growth rate of new cases is now declining. Reported cases have increased to 23,282 from 20,695 over the past week and reported deaths grew from 136 to 159 over that period.
- Laos: Laos has reported a continued growth in total cases from 1,417 to 1,737 over the past week. It reported its second death from COVID last week.
- Vietnam: Cases of COVID-19 infection grew from 3,658 to 4,720 over the past week. The total number of deaths grew from 35 to 37.
- Singapore: After months of COVID-19 control, Singapore has seen the emergence of 11 active clusters of cases in recent weeks, including several concerning variants. However, the growth in cases was small, increasing from 61,419 to 61,689 over the past week. The total number of deaths remained unchanged at 31.
Vaccinations
- Indonesia is currently in the second stage of vaccinations following the vaccination of medical workers in the first stage. It is administering the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines.
- Indonesia has secured orders for 600 million doses of vaccine from four producers. This includes between 13.7 million and 23.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX system. The vaccines will arrive in two phases: 25-35% of doses in Q1 2021, and 65-75% in Q2. The Ministry of Health said this vaccine can be used for those who are over 60, unlike the Sinovac vaccine, currently in use in Indonesia. President Jokowi has set a target of finishing the vaccination process within this year.
- Malaysia approved both AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines for emergency use on March 2. Mass vaccinations began on February 24 using the Pfizer vaccine and the government aims to vaccinate 80% of its 32 million population by next February.
- Malaysia has agreed to buy 25 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine. It has also signed agreements for 18.4 million doses of vaccines produced by Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute and China's Sinovac.
- The Philippines began its immunization program after receiving its first batch of the COVID-19 vaccine (600,00 doses of Sinovac Biotech's CoronaVac, donated by China). It is due to receive another 25 million doses of CoronaVac this year.
- However, there is little public support for the inoculation drive. Polls show that fewer than one third of Filipinos are willing to be vaccinated due to fears of the potential side effects.
- Singapore began its vaccination program in January with seniors aged 70 and above and more than 50,000 active taxi and private-hire car drivers eligible for the shot. Those aged 60 and above became eligible at the end of March. Nearly 15% of Singapore’s population is fully vaccinated, by far the highest percentage in ASEAN. The government announced that it will increase the spacing of vaccines to 6-8 weeks in order to allow more people to receive a first shot sooner.
- Thailand's COVID-19 vaccination program began on March 1. Only 1% of its citizens have been vaccinated so far. Thailand has granted emergency use authorization for the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac vaccines, although only the latter two are actually available. Astra Zeneca plans to begin local production in Thailand in June.
- Thailand's Food and Drug Administration has approved Siam Bioscience as a manufacturing facility for the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine. Thailand plans to export the vaccines to eight Southeast Asian countries.
- Vietnam received its first batch of vaccines (117,000 doses from AstraZeneca) in late February. It aims to obtain 90 million COVID-19 vaccine doses this year, including 30 million through COVAX, 30 million from AstraZeneca, and the rest from ongoing negotiations with Pfizer and Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. Meanwhile, a Vietnamese pharmaceutical company has begun second phase trials on a coronavirus vaccine. If trials are successful, it is expected to be approved for emergency use in May.
- Indonesia has closed its border to foreign nationals to mitigate the increased spread of COVID-19. The policy provides exemptions for holders of diplomatic visas and official visas related to foreign officials at the ministerial level, holders of limited stay permits, and permanent resident permits.
- Cambodia is expected to begin a large-scale vaccination campaign in June.
Travel
- Singapore will accept visitors using a mobile travel pass containing digital certificates for COVID-19 tests and vaccines beginning in May. It will accept the International Air Transport Association (IATA) mobile travel pass.
- As of February 1, Singapore suspended its Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) arrangements with Malaysia, Germany, and South Korea for three months due to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Travelers who have already been approved to enter Singapore under these RGLs can continue to do so. The move does not affect Singapore’s Periodic Commuting Arrangement with Malaysia, which includes longer-term workers and business travel. Following this latest suspension, only the green lanes with Brunei and a few cities in China remain open.
- Singapore and Hong Kong agreed to postpone their travel bubble that had been scheduled to start May 26 due to an outbreak of cases in Singapore. The two countries will release updated plans by June 13.
- As of April, Thailand reduced its mandatory quarantine from 14 to seven days for foreigners arriving in the country who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. Vaccinations must be administered within three months of the travel period and visitors will still be required to show negative COVID-19 test results within three days of their departure. Those not yet inoculated but with coronavirus-free certificates would be quarantined for 10 days.
- Vietnam has temporarily restricted the entry of foreigners and overseas Vietnamese to focus on COVID-19 preventative measures. It has also increased the quarantine period for incoming travelers and close contacts of confirmed cases to 21 days.
- Staff Contact: Phil Agress (PAgress@AdvaMed.org)
Europe
- Most of Europe continues with large numbers of cases, but the rate of increase continues to slow. There have been significant improvements this week. Italy continues to be on a positive trend, and France and Belgium are showing improvement. Total cases in Europe are down significantly from the previous week. Many countries are showing decrease in cases, notable exception being UK with a significant percentage increase (this is a bit misleading since UK is starting from a lower baseline). The UK numbers overall, however, continue to be much better than those within comparable EU member states.
- Increases in new cases per day (New Daily Cases) tend to benchmark increasing COVID incidence. We’ve put the new daily case numbers in the chart below so you can see the numbers in comparison. Here are the current figures with prior week figures in parentheses. France 19,050 (21,498); Spain 6,080 (6,418); Russia 7,920 (8,217); UK 2,696 (2,284), Italy 5,501 (7,852); Germany 11,881 (13,833); and Belgium 1,819 (2,456).
- In terms of total cases, see chart below for the specific numbers. France remains in the lead followed by Russia, the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland and Ukraine. Czech Republic and the Netherlands round out the top 10 countries with the largest number of total cases in Europe. Note that Germany is now ahead of Spain in total cases.
- In terms of cases per million in Europe, Czech Republic is 3rd worst in Europe with 154,330. Sweden is 8th worst with 103,910. France is 12th with 90,479, Belgium 13th at 87,688. Spain is 20th with 77,526. Italy is 26th with 69,100, and the UK is 28th with 65,286.
- Russia's reported numbers on COVID, despite its Sputnik vaccine, remain problematic at 4,965,676 (second to France) and 116,965 deaths. Russia reports one of the lowest death rates in the world at just 801 per million). By comparison, Germany with one of the better track records for the larger Western European countries, has approximately 1.3 million fewer cases and reports 87,405 deaths and a death rate of 1,040 per million. Russia has authorized the one-shot Sputnik Light version of its COVID vaccine for use.
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