Global new Covid-19 cases rising after long decline, says WHO
Published on: Wednesday, March 03, 2021
By: Bernama
Travellers wear facemasks at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. (Photo: AFP)
Moscow: The number of new global cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has risen over the past week after a long decline, reported Sputnik news agency, quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a statement.
"Over 2.6 million new cases were reported last week, a 7 per cent increase compared to the previous week, following six consecutive weeks of declining numbers. The global case increase was driven by increases in the Eastern Mediterranean (14 per cent), South-East Asia (9 per cent), Europe (9 per cent) and the Americas (6 per cent)," the WHO said.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Possible reasons for this increase include the continued spread of more transmissible variants of concern (VOCs), relaxation of public health and social measures (PHSM) and fatigue around adhering to PSHM measures," it said.
The WHO said the weekly death toll figures kept decreasing.
"The number of global new deaths continues to decrease, with over 63,000 new deaths reported last week, a 6 per cent decrease as compared to the previous week," it said.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
ADVERTISEMENT
* Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out the subscription plans available
