The Overseas Situation Report Tuesday 11 January 2022
by Mike Evans
“Comment is free but facts are sacred”
– C.P. Scott
For this report we are looking at the latest information released by the World Health Organisation which details the state of the virus across the world and is a factual account of how the world is coping, or not, with the pandemic. As with most reports there is usually a lag with the current data and this report shows the situation up to the 2nd of January 2022.
During the week 27 December 2021 to 2 January 2022, following a gradual increase since October, the global number of new cases increased sharply by 71% as compared to the previous week, while the number of new deaths decreased by 10%. This corresponds to just under 9.5 million new cases and over 41 000 new deaths reported during the last week. As of 2 January, a total of nearly 289 million cases and just over 5.4 million deaths have been reported globally.
All regions reported an increase in the incidence of weekly cases, with the Region of the Americas reporting the largest increase (100%), followed by the South-East Asia Region (78%) and the European Region (65%). The African Region reported a weekly increase in the number of new deaths (22%), while all the other regions reported a decrease as compared to the previous week.
The European Region continued to report the highest incidence of weekly cases (577.7 new cases per 100 000 population), followed by the Region of the Americas (319.0 new cases per 100 000 population). Both regions also reported the highest weekly incidence in deaths of 2.4 and 1.1 per 100 000 population, respectively, while all other regions reported <1 new death per 100 000. The highest numbers of new cases were reported from the United States of America (2 556 690 new cases; 92% increase), the United Kingdom (1 104 316 new cases; 51% increase), France (1 093 162 new cases; 117% increase); Spain (649 832 new cases; 60% increase) and Italy (644 508 new cases; 150% increase).
The African Region reported over 294,000 new cases, with a similar increase in incidence as the previous week (7%). Increases in case incidence of over 50% as compared to the previous week were observed in over half of countries (28 out of 49; 57%) in the Region. The highest numbers of new cases were reported from South Africa (60 142 new cases; 101.4 new cases per 100 000 population; a 48% decrease), Ethiopia (28 590 new cases; 24.9 new cases per 100 000 population; a 43% increase) and Mozambique (26 860 new cases; 85.9 new cases per 100 000; a 298% increase). The Region reported over 1100 new weekly deaths, a 22% increase as compared to the number reported during the previous week. The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from South Africa (425 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000 population; similar to the previous week), Zimbabwe (132 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; a 28% increase) and Algeria (55 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; an 12% increase).
The Region of the Americas reported over 3.2 million new cases, an increase of 100%, as compared to the previous week. The trends are largely driven by the incidence of cases in the United States of America and over 70% of the countries (39 of 56 countries) reported increases of over 50%. The highest numbers of new cases were reported from the United States of America (2 556 690 new cases; 772.4 new cases per 100 000; a 92% increase), Argentina (229 192; 507.1 new cases per 100 000; a 290% increase) and Canada (180 587 new cases; 478.5 new cases per 100 000; a 90% increase). Over 10 000 new deaths were reported, a 18% decrease as compared to the number reported during the previous week. The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from the United States of America (8004 new deaths; 2.4 new deaths per 100 000; a 22% decrease), Brazil (664 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; a 16% decrease), and Mexico (646 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; a 31% increase)
After reporting a relatively stable number of weekly cases over the past two months, countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region reported a 40% increase in the number of new weekly cases, with over 107 000 cases reported. Half of the countries (11/22) reported increases in cases of over 50%, with the highest increases reported from Morocco (9833 vs 2959 new cases, a 232% increase); Kuwait (2812 vs 888 new cases, a 217% increase) and Bahrain (3159 vs 1108 new cases, 185% increase). The highest numbers of new cases were reported from Lebanon (20 029 new cases; 293.4 new cases per 100 000; a 70% increase), the United Arab Emirates (14 963 new cases; 151.3 new cases per 100 000; a 164% increase) and Jordan (12 856 new cases; 126.0 new cases per 100 000; a 28% decrease). The weekly incidence of deaths in the Region decreased by 7%, while the highest numbers of new deaths were reported from the Islamic Republic of Iran (291 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; an 8% decrease), Jordan (240 new deaths; 2.4 new deaths per 100 000; a 5% decrease) and Egypt (197 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; a 23% decrease).
The European Region reported just under 5.4 million new cases, a 65% increase as compared to the previous week. The weekly incidence of deaths decreased by 6%, as compared to the previous week, with over 22 000 new deaths reported. Weekly increases in cases of over 50% were reported by 43% (26/61) of countries in the Region, with the highest increases reported from Montenegro (9093 vs 1299 new cases, a 353% increase), Greece (170 029 vs 39 594 new cases, a 329% increase) and Cyprus (19 311 vs 5135 new cases, a 276% increase). The highest numbers of new cases were reported from the United Kingdom (1 104 316 new cases; 1626.7 new cases per 100 000; a 51% increase), France (1 093 162 new cases; 1680.8 new cases per 100 000; a 117% increase) and Spain (649 832 new cases; 1372.9 new cases per 100 000; a 60% increase). The highest numbers of new deaths continue to be reported from the Russian Federation (6300 new deaths; 4.3 new deaths per 100 000; a 10% decrease), Poland (3265 new deaths; 8.6 new deaths per 100 000; a 15% increase), and Germany (1791 new deaths; 2.2 new deaths per 100 000; a 16% decrease).
After a declining trend in the number of weekly cases since the end of July 2021, the South-East Asia Region reported an increase in case incidence of 78%, corresponding to over 135 000 new cases. However, the number of new weekly deaths decreased by 9%, with over 2400 new deaths reported. Half of the countries (5/10) reported weekly increases in the number of new cases of over 10%. After India, the highest increases in new cases were reported by Bangladesh (3213 vs 2170 new cases, a 48% increase) and the Maldives (1188 vs 907 new cases, a 31% increase). The highest numbers of new cases were reported from India (102 330 new cases; 7.4 new cases per 100 000; a 120% increase), Thailand (19 588 new cases; 28.1 new cases per 100 000; a 6% increase) and Sri Lanka (4286 new cases; 20,0 new cases per 100 000; an 8 increase). The highest numbers of new deaths continued to be reported from India (2088 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; an 8% decrease), Thailand (140 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; a 31% decrease), and Sri Lanka (135 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; similar to the previous week).
The Western Pacific Region reported over 329 000 new cases, a 38% increase, as compared to the previous week. The incidence of deaths decreased by 10% as compared to the previous week, with over 2700 new weekly deaths reported. Nearly one-third of the countries in the Region (8/27, 30%) reported an increase in case incidence of over 50%, with the highest increases reported from the Philippines (9124 vs 833 new cases, a 995% increase), Fiji (1614 vs 192 new cases, a 741% increase) and Australia. The highest numbers of new cases were reported from Australia (138 240 new cases; 542.1 new cases per 100 000; a 203% decrease), Viet Nam (109 637 new cases; 112.6 new cases per 100 000, similar to the previous week), and the Republic of Korea (31 615 new cases; 61.7 new cases per 100 000; a 25% decrease). The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from Viet Nam (1603 new deaths; 1.6 new deaths per 100 000; similar to the previous week), the Republic of Korea (449 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; a 14% decrease), and the Philippines (358 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; a 30% decrease).
As I started this report with the note that the data is already a week behind, I can update in headline figures the situation up to 9/1/2022.
There has been a further increase in cases across the world in the past week with a 48% increase worldwide which equates to 15.867 million new cases. Europe saw a 33% increase in cases in the week, North America a 28% increase, Asia a 152% increase, South America a 175% increase, Africa a 6% increase and Oceania a 217% increase. The past week has seen huge increases in cases in India, Argentina, Brazil and the Philippines.
It is obvious to everyone reading this that the threat of the pandemic still exists, and we should all do all we can to help combat this disease.
Until the next time Stay Safe.
Total Cases Worldwide – 308,260,853
Total Deaths Worldwide – 5,507,807
Total Recovered Worldwide – 259,763,490
Total Active Cases Worldwide 42,989,556 (13.9% of the total cases)
Total Closed Cases Worldwide – 265,271,297
Information and Resources:
https://www.worldometer.info/coronavirus/
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/weekly-trends/#countries