Coronavirus digest: India virus deaths pass 100,000
October 3, 2020
More than 100,000 people have died of the coronavirus in India. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's diagnosis has thrown his re-election campaign into disarray. DW rounds up the latest.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/C. Anand
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India's Health Ministry says confirmed deaths from the coronavirus have reached 100,842, the third-highest death toll behind the United States and Brazil.
India has also recorded 6.47 million COVID-19 infections and is on track to overtake the US as the country with the most cases in the next few weeks.
September has been India's worst month since the pandemic began, with more than 1,000 people dying every day on average from the virus. Still, experts warn India's lower rates of testing compared to many other countries mean its real tally is likely much higher.
Earlier in the week, India's lead pandemic agency released a survey suggesting that as many as 60 million Indians could have contracted the virus. Health experts have also warned the situation could deteriorate further during the upcoming winter and religious festival season.
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says he was hospitalized for about two weeks with the coronavirus last month and has since recovered.
The 71-year-old self-exiled billionaire lives in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It's believed he contracted the virus at a food court.
Thaksin was elected prime minister in 2001 and was re-elected in 2005 before the army ousted him in a coup one year later. He fled Thailand in 2008 after being convicted on corruption charges.
Trump was flown to a military hospital on Friday evening after announcing that he and the first lady had tested positive for the coronavirus. The illness is the latest setback for the Trump campaign, which said the president's scheduled events would be canceled or postponed. The second presidential debate planned for October 15 was also in doubt.
Opinion polls show the Republican president trailing behind his Democratic rival Joe Biden, who now finds himself alone on the campaign trail. Trump had previously mocked Biden for wearing a mask and claimed the coronavirus threat was overblown.
The 74-year-old president is considered to be more at risk of having a severe case of illness, given his age.
French President Emmanuel Macron is the latest top-tier politician to come down with a case of COVID-19. He's the latest among several, perhaps unsurprisingly given politicians' busy schedules and frequent travel.
Image: Olivier Hoslet/REUTERS
Emmanuel Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for the virus on December 17. Following the diagnosis, he canceled all of his upcoming trips, including one to Lebanon, and said he would self-isolate for seven days. French Prime Minsiter Jean Castex was also set to isolate after coming into contact with Macron.
Image: Olivier Hoslet/REUTERS
Andrzej Duda
Polish President Andrzej Duda tested positive for coronavirus in October, as the country was facing surge in new infections. Duda, an ally of the ruling nationalist Law and Justice Party, was "feeling fine" at the time of the diagnosis. The day before officials announced his infection, the number of new cases in the country of 38 million hit a daily record of more than 13,600.
Image: Reuters/A. Szmigiel
Donald Trump
Donald Trump, who once said COVID-19 tests were "beautiful," tested positive for the coronavirus, along with his wife Melania, soon after senior aide Hope Hicks also contracted the virus. The infection came less than a month before November's presidential elections in the US.
Image: Doug Mills/abaca/picture alliance
Ambrose Dlamini
Prime Minister of Eswatini Ambrose Dlamini died at the age of 52 after contracting coronavirus. He was the first sitting leader to succumb to the virus.
Image: RODGER BOSCH/AFP
Valery Giscard d'Estaing
Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing died aged 94 on December 2 after contracting COVID-19. During his rule, he legalized abortion and brought the country high-speed trains. He also promoted cooperation among European nations, especially in tandem with the former West Germany, forging a strong rapport with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
Image: Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images
Silvio Berlusconi
The 83-year-old former Italian premier tested positive for the virus and is believed to be asymptomatic, his party announced on September 2. Two of Berlusconi's children as well as his 30-year-old girlfriend are also COVID-19 positive. The ex-premier tested positive after vacationing along Sardinia's coastline, where Italy's rich and famous have been known to flaunt mask policies.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Vojinovic
Jair Bolsonaro
Brazil's president, who has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the pandemic, contracted the virus in July. He was criticized for ignoring the safety measures recommended by health experts both before and after his diagnosis, including shaking hands and hugging supporters in crowds. His wife and sons also tested positive.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/E. Peres
Boris Johnson
In late March, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson came down with a coronavirus infection that landed him in the hospital for several days. Johnson spent a week at a hospital in London and three nights in intensive care where he was given oxygen and observed around the clock. He was released in mid-April and credited hospital staff with saving his life.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/S. Dawson
Michel Barnier
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, tested positive for the virus in March. The top Brussels official sent out a tweet in English as well as French saying he was doing well and "in good spirits." He added: "I am following all the necessary instructions, as is my team."
Image: Reuters/Y. Herman
Alexander Lukashenko
Belarus's embattled President Lukashenko told military officials on July 28 that he had survived an "asymptomatic" COVID-19 infection "on his feet," days before his contentious re-election. The claim met skepticism given its timing. He initially dismissed fears about the pandemic as a "psychosis" and went as far as suggesting cures such as drinking vodka, taking saunas and playing ice hockey.
Image: picture-alliance/Russian Look/V. Listsyn
Jeanine Anez
Bolivia's interim president Jeanine Anez announced on July 10 that she had the virus. "I feel well, I feel strong, I am going to keep working remotely from my isolation, and I want to thank all the Bolivians who are working to help us in this health crisis," the leader tweeted at the time.
Image: AFP
Juan Orlando Hernandez
The president of Honduras spent time being treated at a military hospital after falling ill with coronavirus in June. He received specialized care including receiving medicines via an intravenous drip. His wife and two presidential aids also tested positive. Hernandez left hospital in early July after his symptoms improved.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J. Martin
Alejandro Giammattei
The Guatemalan president told local radio on September 18 that he had tested positive for the virus. The 64-year-old, who has multiple sclerosis and uses canes to walk, said his symptoms were mild. The government said Giammattei plans on monitoring his health and continuing official duties from isolation.
Image: Johan Ordonez/AFP
Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was flown to Germany hospital for treatment after contracting the virus. The 74-year-old looked haggard and spent in his public appearance 47 days after testing positive.
Image: Ryad Kramdi/AFP
Luis Abinader
Luis Abinader, the newly elected president of the Dominican Republic, tested positive during his election campaign. He recovered before the July election and spent one week in isolation.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/O. Barria
Jens Spahn
German Health Minister Jens Spahn, who has led Germany's fight against the pandemic, tested positive for the coronavirus in October and had "cold-like symptoms." He went into immediate isolation and soon recovered. Despite a couple of self-isolation scares for Angela Merkel and other ministers, Spahn remains Germany's highest-profile political case to date.
Image: Daniel Karmann/dpa/picture alliance
Not an exhaustive list
This gallery does not include all major politicians who have contracted the coronavirus. Others, such as Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, are just some of the other top politicians who have contracted the virus.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Pedersen
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Canada says it will ease coronavirus border restrictions to allow foreign students as well as noncitizens who are in a relationship with a Canadian to enter the country.
A ban on nonessential international arrivals has been extended until the end of October, but a number of exceptions will apply from Thursday. Apart from international students and those in a romantic relationship, siblings, grandparents and adult children of Canadians and permanent residents will also be exempt from the rule.
Around 2,000 Venezuelans will take part in the trials, which are due to start this month in the capital, Caracas, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said.
The South American country has strengthened ties with Moscow amid US sanctions and after dozens of Western governments declared their support for opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Venezuela has reported more than 76,000 COVID-19 cases and 635 deaths, although the real figures are believed to be much higher.
Europe
The coronavirus pandemic has forced Germany to celebrate 30 years as a reunified country with a scaled-down event rather than a big public party.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier were due to attend an official ceremony in the city of Potsdam on Saturday to mark German Unity Day — when East and West Germany became one country at the end of the Cold War.
In the lead-up to the anniversary, Merkel thanked the activists and protesters who led the revolution that brought down the Berlin Wall in 1989.
Germany is experiencing an uptick in coronavirus cases, with more than 2,500 new infections and 19 deaths reported on Saturday.
The Spanish capital Madrid has entered a strict lockdown after a surge in new coronavirus cases. Under the new measures, set to last two weeks, people are not allowed to leave or enter the city and nine other areas in metropolitan Madrid without good reason.
Conservative regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso challenged the lockdown in court on Friday, arguing it should be put on hold until a final ruling can be handed down.
Around 6.6 million people are affected by the restrictions, which come after the Madrid area recorded 647 cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks.
Africa
Soldiers in South Africa who had been enforcing one of the world's strictest coronavirus lockdowns have returned to their barracks.
More than 75,000 troops were deployed across the country in April to help police implement measures to prevent the virus from spreading. Some were accused of using excessive force.
Despite the lockdown, South Africa emerged as the hardest-hit country on the continent with more than 676,000 infections and 16,866 deaths to date.
In a statement on Friday, the South African National Defense Force said the soldiers had "successfully contributed" to the anti-coronavirus effort, and that they would stand ready to assist in the event of a second wave.
