Global COVID-19 caseload nears 73 million

Baltimore (Maryland) [US], December 15 : The global coronavirus caseload is on the brink of breaching the 73 million mark -- just three days after crossing the 70 million cases mark, as per the latest updates by Johns Hopkins University.
As of Tuesday, 10.50 am IST, the COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at JHU reported that the total COVID-19 cases around the world stand at 72,849,650 cases that is inclusive of 1,621,154 fatalities due to the pathogen.
As many as 41,257,161 patients -- who tested positive for the novel coronavirus -- have recovered from the disease worldwide, as reported by the live dashboard according to which, India continues to hold the top spot with regard to recoveries from COVID-19 reporting over 9.42 million recoveries across the country.
The United States continues to be the worst-affected country in the world with regard to most cases and most deaths from the virus in the world. Currently, the US caseload stands at 16,519,616 and the death toll stands at 300,479.
India and Brazil continue to be the second and third most-affected countries in the world reporting over 9.90 million cases and 6.92 million cases respectively. Brazil has the second-highest COVID-19 death toll after the US reporting 181,835 deaths in the South American nation.
Russia has reported 2,656,601 COVID-19 cases and 46,846 deaths from the virus. Meanwhile, France has reported 2,433,859 cases and 58,391 fatalities.
The United Kingdom has reported 1,874,867 cases and 64,500 people have died from the virus.
The efficacy of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine has been confirmed to be 91.4 per cent, based on data analysis of the final control point of clinical trials, announced the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on Monday.
President Donald Trump Monday congratulated the world after the administration of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country, which has recorded the highest number of cases globally.
Trump took to Twitter and announced, "First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations WORLD!."
The first batch of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been delivered to Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. "The first batch of doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Canada," Trudeau said on Twitter on Sunday.
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Monday (local time) lambasted Beijing for covering up the Coronavirus outbreak in China saying that the US and the world beginning to" build up its efforts to push back" and hold China accountable.