COVID-19 wave of infections, hospitalizations hits hard in US and beyond

The number of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations is continuing to soar in the US, Europe and elsewhere, with death tolls expected to rise [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Coronavirus case totals mushroom with colder temperatures [An abandoned mask is seen on the ground in front of the US Capitol building in Washington amid the global outbreak of the coronavirus, Nov. 11, 2020.]( Credit: Leah Millis/Reuters The number of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations continues to soar in the US, Europe and elsewhere, with death tolls expected to rise quickly as well. Wednesday’s tally of [1,893 American deaths]( from the coronavirus was the most since early May, with [more than 241,700 total US fatalities]( from the pandemic. As community spread grows at an exponential rate amid winter temperatures, health care resources are stretched thin. As colder weather forces people indoors for longer periods of time, the north of India is also experiencing a spike in positive cases. The capital of Delhi confirmed over 8,500 new cases Wednesday amid a concurrent rise in air pollution to dangerous levels. India has the world’s [second-highest volume of infections](, though the country’s numbers had been declining since mid-September. Delhi has banned fireworks over the Diwali holiday weekend to promote social distancing. And adding to the list of [world leaders infected]( by the coronavirus, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been hospitalized after coming down with COVID-19 earlier this week. A presidential spokeswoman said the precautionary move was taken to “[accurately isolate and not expose anyone](.” Ukraine’s finance and defense ministers, in addition to a top presidential aide, were also infected. The country’s cabinet voted Wednesday to impose a [national lockdown during weekends](. Few places around the globe remain [free from the coronavirus](. However, the South Pacific islands of Tonga, Kiribati, Samoa, Micronesia and Tuvalu have yet to report a single case. Antarctica is the only continent to steer clear of the virus. Authorities in both North Korea and Turkmenistan claim not to have seen any COVID-19 infections, but public health experts are skeptical. What The World is following The leaders of Japan, South Korea and Australia had their [first calls with US President-elect Joe Biden](, reaffirming close relations and expressing commitments to regional security and action on climate change. The three key allies joined many other heads of government around the world in recognizing Biden’s victory over incumbent Donald Trump, who has not conceded his election loss. The second typhoon in a week in a half has struck the Philippines. Typhoon Vamco — the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane — has [slammed into the northern island of Luzon](. The storm has killed seven people, cut power to millions and caused Manila’s worst flooding in years — all amid the coronavirus pandemic, where more than 402,000 cases have been reported. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte quickly left a virtual meeting of Southeast Asian nations to inspect damage from Vamco, minutes after giving a speech urging fellow leaders to combat the climate crisis immediately. --------------------------------------------------------------- Double your impact >> The World is participating in NewsMatch. From now until the end of the year, every dollar of support will be generously matched by a coalition of national funders. This means a gift of $50 will provide $100 of support for The World’s critical journalism. Many of you have stepped forward and shown your support for The World with thoughtful messages like this one: "Thank you for your admirable, quality reporting!" Thank you for your support. Visit [www.theworld.org/give]( to donate. [Match my donation]( --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [‘We will stand firm’ in fight for democracy in Hong Kong, former party chair says]( [Democratic legislator Wu Chi-Wai (right) announces to resign from the Legislative Council at a news conference, after Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Kwok Ka-ki, Kenneth Leung and Dennis Kwok were disqualified when Beijing passed a new resolution.]( Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters Wu Chi-wai, chairman of Hong Kong's Democratic Party, resigned Wednesday after the Hong Kong government disqualified four fellow party members in response to Beijing's latest crackdown on dissent. He believes Beijing's move [marks the end of the "one country, two systems" model for Hong Kong](. "We need the international community to really pay attention to the changing situation in Hong Kong," Wu Chi-wai said. "The whole substance of the 'one country' system that is stipulated in the basic law is completely changed by the Beijing government." "So, the situation is getting worse and worse," he added. "I really hope that the international community, on one hand, can put pressure on the Beijing government, [and] on the other hand, can pay attention to the changing situation in Hong Kong." [Wendy Sherman: Renegotiating Iran nuclear deal 'will be difficult, hard work']( [Former US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman and other officials meet during negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, March 26, 2015.]( Credit: Brendan Smialowski/Pool/Reuters Officials in Tehran say that for the US to jump back into the historic agreement with world powers, new sanctions would have to be undone and a price paid for recent economic damage. Ambassador Ambadassor Wendy Sherman was the lead negotiator on the deal. She told The World's Marco Werman that President-elect Joe Biden's incoming administration [won't be able to just turn back the clock](. "Circumstances have changed," Sherman said. "And even though the deal was kept together by our European allies and by Russia and China, in the last year, I would say it has started to unravel a bit. And although Iran has said it has taken reversible steps, nonetheless, we're not in the same place. So, this will be difficult, hard work." --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot We all know that pandas are cute. So when the popular K-pop girl band Blackpink filmed a video with a new baby panda in South Korea, there was a bit of awwww ... However, pandas come with strict handling regulations and are considered a vulnerable species by the World Wildlife Fund. But perhaps more notably, pandas are considered [Chinese national treasures]( and though China's government loans out the animals to boost diplomatic ties, mishandling them is a no-no. Today's lesson: Be extra careful with pandas. 🐼 [A screen grab of a tweet from Allkpop]( Credit: Courtesy of Twitter --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [An electronic Yoruban prayer song]( - [What went wrong with Italy’s efforts to control the coronavirus?]( - [Abortion rights are under attack in Italy]( - [China celebrates Singles Day]( - [China targets pro-democracy legislators in Hong Kong, prompting mass resignations]( - [International observers find no systemic fraud in US elections]( - [What Biden’s presidency means for the Iran nuclear deal]( - [Hungary proposes ban on same-sex adoption]( - [Several injured in explosion during WWI ceremony in Saudi Arabia]( - [Migrant father faces criminal charges after son drowns at sea]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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