(VOVWORLD) - 46.4 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus, which has claimed 1.2 million lives worldwide, according to worldometers.info.
 A nearly empty Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo: Getty Images) |
The US, with 9.4 million cases, has been the hardest-hit by the pandemic, followed by India and Brazil.
The number of coronavirus-related hospitalisations hit record numbers in at least 14 European countries this week. The worst-hit countries have been the Czech Republic, followed by Romania, Belgium, and Poland. Many European countries have to reimpose lockdown.
UK prime minister Boris Johnson has announced a second month-long national lockdown for England, as the UK surpassed 1m infections on Saturday. The strict lockdown will see the closure of pubs, restaurants and non-essential businesses, including hair salons and gyms. Schools, universities and playgrounds will stay open. People will only be able to leave their homes for specific reasons.
As of Saturday, 22 thousand cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Poland after tens of thousands joined a protest over the government’s abortion ban. Hungary reported a record high of 4 thousand cases on Saturday, however, the country hasn’t banned public events. Austria has announced a night-time curfew from 8 pm to 6 am.