By Recep Sakar
MELBOURNE (AA) – Australia confirmed 41 coronavirus fatalities Monday, the highest daily number since the beginning of the pandemic.
The number of cases in the country rose to 25,754 while the death toll reached 652, according to health officials. The number of recoveries stands at 21,011.
At a press conference in Melbourne, Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews said it is “hard to know” right now whether stage four virus restrictions will be eased after Sept. 13, when they are due to end.
Meanwhile, New Zealand reported nine more cases in the past 24 hours, raising its count to 1,738, including 22 deaths and 1,585 recoveries.
There are currently 131 active cases in the country, including two seriously ill patients.
The coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 845,000 lives in 188 countries and regions since originating in Wuhan, China in December. The US, Brazil, India and Russia are currently the worst-hit countries.
Over 25.1 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries exceeding 16.5 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.
