Coronavirus: Second wave swells across US, Europe

Milan - More than 42.9 million people are reported to have been infected by the coronavirus globally and 1,151,929 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

The United States, Russia and France set new daily records for coronavirus infections as a second wave swelled across parts of the Northern Hemisphere, forcing some countries to impose new curbs.

More than 42.9 million people are reported to have been infected by the coronavirus globally and 1,151,929 have died, according to a Reuters tally. The United States has the highest number of deaths and infections.

Word that a vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc produced immune responses in both elderly and young people offered some positive news as autumn turns to winter in northern countries and people socialise indoors.

But British Health Secretary Matt Hancock cautioned that the vaccine would not be widely available until next year and said “we’re not there yet”.

The seven-day average of new daily cases in the United States has reached a record high of 69,494, while deaths, hovering around 800 per day, are on an upward trend.

In Europe the picture was unrelentingly grim as a string of countries reported record increases, led by France, which posted more than 50,000 daily cases for the first time on Sunday.

• Europe