23 August
Globally, the total confirmed cases of Covid-19 have reached over 211,986,000 with more than 4,434,000 deaths reported.
In the US, daily confirmed cases reached an all-time high since January of this year, with over 225,000 daily confirmed cases reported.
This influx in cases has been primarily driven by the Delta variant and has hit states with lower vaccination rates particularly hard.
Vaccinations for Covid-19 in the US are also on the rise, with about half a million Americans receiving their first dose each day in recent weeks.
To date, approximately 52% of the US population has been fully vaccinated.
In Australia, daily confirmed cases are on the rise and surpassed 800 towards the end of last week, a level not seen in the country since last year.
As in many other parts of the world, the continued spread of the Delta variant is the likely culprit behind the surge in daily cases.
To curb a Delta outbreak in Sydney, Australia’s largest city, the city’s lockdown has been extended for another month.
Overall, Australia has seen over 44,000 total confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.
In New Zealand, daily confirmed cases remained relatively low in August, staying below 20 daily confirmed cases.
Nevertheless, a strict lockdown in the country has been extended until at least next Tuesday to prevent further transmission of the Delta variant.
The lockdown is in keeping with New Zealand’s strategy throughout the pandemic: to nearly completely stamp out the presence of Covid-19 in the country.
To date, New Zealand has seen just over 3,000 total confirmed cases and just under 30 total deaths.
Shaina Stacy, PhD, MPH, Senior Epidemiologist at GlobalData
