Worldwide coronavirus cases surpass 81.3mn amid fast spread of new variant

The new coronavirus has now infected over 81.3 million people and killed more than 1.7 million others across the globe, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

The new, more transmittable strain of the virus, which first emerged in the United Kingdom, also continues to spread, prompting border closures all around the world.

Cases of the mutated variant were confirmed in several European countries over the weekend as the European Union (EU) just kicked off a campaign to vaccinate the bloc’s 450 million people to defeat the viral pandemic.

The distribution of an initial 200 million doses of the vaccine, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, across the EU will be completed by September, according to a  spokesman for the European Commission.

The EU vaccination campaign began as several cases of the new variant were found in Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland — all linked to travelers from the UK.

Scientists call for UK lockdown

The Independent Sage, a group of independent scientists in Britain, urged that all regions of England be placed in tier-4 lockdown, meaning that non-essential shops, hairdressers, and leisure and entertainment venues be closed.

Some 24 million people, more than 40 percent of the population, are already living under tier-4 restrictions in England.

Lockdowns were introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well.

UK COVID-19 cases top 41,000

Britain reported 41,385 new cases on Monday.

There were 357 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the government’s coronavirus statistics portal.

“This very high level of infection is of growing concern at a time when our hospitals are at their most vulnerable,” said Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his scientific advisers warned last week that the nation would have a difficult time ahead as the new variant of the coronavirus spread rapidly in Britain.

Several countries have already closed their borders to British travelers to stop the spread of the new variant.

Japan closes border to 152 countries

Japan on Monday announced it was banning all new entries of foreign nationals from 152 countries as the new strain of the virus reached its shores.

The country reported its first cases of the mutated strain in five people who arrived from the UK in December.

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia banned international visitors from entering into the country for a two-week period.

The Philippines will also ban travelers from 19 countries and territories until mid-January.

India detects 6 cases of new strain

Indian authorities found six people infected with the mutated variant of the coronavirus.

All six patients — who returned from Britain in recent weeks — were being kept in isolation, according to the Indian Health Ministry.

“Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine,” the ministry said on Tuesday.

India also suspended all flights from Britain until the end of December. But the ministry said that about 33,000 passengers had arrived from Britain before the ban.

The nation, with 10.22 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, has had the second-highest caseload in the world — behind only the United States.

India has so far confirmed 148,153 coronavirus-related deaths.

Health officials reported 16,432 new cases on Tuesday, the lowest daily rise since June 25, according to the ministry.

The government is expected to start a vaccination drive for some 300 million people early next month.

US begins troops vaccination in Japan, South Korea

Meanwhile, the United States military began its first wave of vaccination against COVID-19 at the Yokota Air Base in Japan on Monday.

The US troops stationed in South Korea also received the first doses of coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday.

US Forces Korea (USFK), which includes around 28,500 US military personnel as well as thousands of other workers and family members, offered the first doses to “frontline health workers and first responders” in the force, a USFK official said.

The inoculation comes as South Korean officials reported a daily record of 40 deaths, and a surge in new cases as in the capital, Seoul.

Seoul plans to start its vaccinations in February, with health workers and vulnerable people being first in line.

The government said on Tuesday it would sign a deal with Moderna Inc to offer COVID-19 vaccines to 20 million people, according to the presidential office.

It unveiled a fresh 8.49-billion-dollar package to support small businesses and those vulnerable to unemployment due to the pandemic.

South Korea has also detected its first cases of the virus variant. So far, the nation has reported 58,725 cases of COVID-19, along with 3,164 deaths.

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