A rise in COVID deaths and cases was reported today. While another round of restrictions are slated to be imposed, that dispiriting setback has led to a fairly low morale in the world as the rise dampens hopes for normalcy's return. People who envisioned everyone living normally again are even despondent as COVID continues to be the bane of people's life.
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Despite people's hard work and hope that the world can stamp out the virus by the end of the year, the World Health Organisation reported yesterday that the number of deaths climbed last week after nine weeks of decline. More than 55,000 lives were lost, a 3 percent increase from last week.
Confirmed COVID cases worldwide rose 10 percent last week to nearly three million, with the highest numbers of cases recorded in Brazil, India, Indonesia and Britain.
The reversal has been attributed to sluggish vaccination rates in some countries, which stand to reason why tons of people are still prone to COVID.
Plus, the reportedly more contagious Delta variant is expected to become globally dominant in the coming months.
For some countries in which sluggish vaccination rates are reported, the spread of the Delta variant is extraordinarily worrisome.
In South America, the death toll in COVID-battered Argentina has surpassed 100,000. Admitting that the COVID situation in the country is far from ideal, Argentinian officials said they will try their very best to combat COVID, because they don't get a second chance to fight when COVID smells blood and moves in for the kill.
In Europe, COVID-19 infections have doubled over the past week. Britain, who only has 52.2 percent of the country's population fully vaccinated, recorded a single day high of more than 40,000 new cases for the first time in six months.
Back in the United States, to boost vaccination rate among teenagers and adolescents, actress Olivia Rodrigo, with whom the world is obsessed, appear at the start of the daily White House press briefing. A charismatic actress, Rodrigo said she wanted to help spread the message of the importance of getting inoculated, and also empower young Americans to get vaccinated to help curb the outbreak.
Olivia Rodrigo, American actress:
"It's important to have conversations with friends and family members encouraging all communities to get vaccinated, and actually get to a vaccination site which you can do more easily and ever before, given how many sites we have and how easy it is to find them at vaccines.gov."
Her visit came as the Biden administration is trying to prod young Americans into getting COVID shots. While many believe younger people are less likely to fall victim to COVID, the White House recommended them get a vaccine, because only when they are vaccinated will they be completely safe.
Despite having one of the world's highest vaccination rates, newly confirmed infections every day in America have doubled over the past week to an average of around 24,000, although deaths are still declining.
As a result of the recent spike in COVID infections, Australian officials have decided that it is prudent to extend the lockdown to at least the end of the month.
The World Health Organisation acknowledged that many countries' governments are caught between a rock and a hard place because of having to decide whether to lift anti-virus measures amid a spike in COVID deaths and cases. But it is still recommended that people get their shots as soon as possible. The WHO also added that failing to make the most suitable decision will only provide COVID with yet another opportunity to spread.
The recent rise in COVID infections worldwide came in spite of world leaders enticing people to get inoculated. Sluggish vaccination rates are now believed to be the culprits of the spread of the more contagious Delta variant, and the spike in COVID cases and deaths.
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