Global infections spike as Delta variant spreads

Australia's second-biggest city Melbourne yesterday extended lockdown despite growing anger among people as world struggles on to stamp out infections caused by the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus. 

Melbourne had been due to exit the lockdown today, the sixth for its five million people in stop-start battles against the coronavirus also seen elsewhere across the country have triggered frustration and discord.

Victoria state Premier Dan Andrews confirmed strict stay-at-home orders for Melbourne will remain in place until at least Aug 19 after authorities were unable to trace how several of the 20 people confirmed as new cases on Wednesday contracted Covid-19.

Australia has so far fared much better than many other countries in the developed world during the pandemic, with just under 37,000 Covid-19 cases. The death toll rose to 944 yesterday after two people, including a man in his 30s, died in Sydney.

The coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 4,314,196 people worldwide since the virus first emerged in late 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data.

The US is the worst-affected country with 618,137 deaths, followed by Brazil with 564,773, India with 429,179, Mexico with 245,476 and Peru with 197,102.

In China, drug regulator has approved the country's first mixed-vaccine trial, a company involved in the study said, as the rapid spread of the Delta variant raises concern about the efficacy of domestically produced jabs.

The trial will test the efficacy of combining an "inactivated" vaccine made by China's Sinovac with a DNA-based one developed by US pharmaceutical company Inovio, a statement issued on Tuesday said.

The WHO has said there is still not enough data to say whether using two different vaccines together is safe or can boost immunity.

Meanwhile, Russia's Health Minister Mikhail Murashko yesterday claimed that Sputnik V vaccine around 83 percent effective against the Delta variant of coronavirus.  The vaccine's developers in June said Sputnik V was around 90% effective against the Delta variant.

In Asia, South Korea yesterday reported more than 2,200 new daily Covid-19 cases, a record since the pandemic began, Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said.