Covid-19: Cases rise as Delta variant spreads rapidly in Sri Lanka

People stand in a queue as they wait to receive a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Colombo, on Monday. Pic/AFP

The World Health Organization (WHO) in Sri Lanka said that Covid-19 cases were rising globally including in Sri Lanka as the country had noted a rise in infected patients in recent weeks, local media reported on Monday.

The WHO in Sri Lanka, in an official tweet, said that this increase in patients globally and in the country was driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant, increased social mixing and mobility, inconsistent Public Health and Social Measures (PHSM), and inequitable vaccination.

"Hard-won gains are in jeopardy and health systems are being overwhelmed," the WHO in Sri Lanka said.

Sri Lanka has in recent weeks recorded a high rise in patients with an average of over 2,000 Covid-19 patients being detected per day.

Health officials said this was due to the highly contagious Delta variant spreading rapidly in the country. Sri Lanka currently has an active patient count of 27,998 across the country and has recorded 4,508 deaths from the virus.

Last week, Deputy Director-General of Health Services Hemantha Herath said that the Delta variant, which was initially reported in capital Colombo, had now spread to all districts of the country.

‘Myanmar's 1.8 mn people vaccinated'

Myanmar has vaccinated over 1.8 million people against Covid-19 as of July 21 this year, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised statement. "Vaccines were administered in all regions and states from January 27 to July 21 this year, over 1.8 million people were vaccinated two times," Min Aung Hlaing said.

France expects 50 mn tourists this year

France hopes to see 50 million foreign holidaymakers in 2021, a 43 per cent increase from last year, thanks to a rebound in the European markets, Minister of State for Tourism Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said. "This year, we hope to welcome 50 million foreign tourists, against 35 million last year and 90 million in 2019. The summer is therefore a bearer of hope," Xinhua news agency quoted Lemoyne as saying to the French newspaper, Le Journal de Dimanche on Sunday.

Four more prefectures in Japan under emergency

People watch the fireworks in Minamisoma of Fukushima on Sunday. Pic/AFP

A state of emergency was on Monday imposed in Japan's Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama and Osaka prefectures, joining Tokyo and Okinawa, due to a resurgence in new Covid-19 cases. The state of emergency for the four new prefectures will last until August 31, reports Xinhua news agency. Meanwhile, the emergency period in Tokyo and Okinawa was also extended to August 31 from the originally planned August 22. The Japanese government is planning to roll out standards for easing restrictions with the progress of vaccination of the population. Under the state of emergency, establishments serving alcohol or offering karaoke services are asked to suspend their business, and those not serving liquor are requested to close at 8 pm.

2,50,495
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

19,84,72,488
Total no. of cases worldwide

42,27,757
Total no. of deaths worldwide

Source: WHO/Johns Hopkins

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