22 March
Globally, the total confirmed cases of Covid-19 have reached over 123,292,000, with over 2,716,000 deaths and 82,372,000 recoveries.
The US and Brazil continue to hold the top two spots for total confirmed Covid-19 cases.
India has the third highest number of total confirmed cases, trailing Brazil by a little over 350,000 cases.
Trends in total deaths follow a similar pattern, with the US exceeding 542,000 deaths, followed by Brazil, Mexico, and India.
Brazil in particular has seen steep increases in both daily confirmed cases and deaths, with daily deaths exceeding 5,000 in the last several days and far surpassing previous peaks for that country.
France has reinstated a partial lockdown, affecting 21 million people in 16 areas, as the country faces a sharp rise in cases.
Daily confirmed cases in France surpassed 70,000 toward the end of last week, a level not seen since the end of October last year.
Poland has also closed non-essential shops and hotels for three weeks as cases rise.
The B.1.1.7 variant of the virus, first discovered in the UK, is the likely driver for these increases in infections as it continues to spread throughout Europe.
Shaina Stacy, PhD, MPH, Senior Epidemiologist at GlobalData