The global tally for the coronavirus-borne illness climbed above 253.4 million on Monday, while the death toll edged above 5.10 million, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. continues to lead the world with a total of 47 million cases and 763,092 deaths. The U.S. is still averaging more than 1,100 deaths a day, according to a New York Times tracker, although cases and hospitalizations are declining, outside of hot spots that include Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado and New Mexico. Austria has moved ahead with its threat to order unvaccinated people to stay at home for an initial 10-day period, the Associated Press reported. The move prohibits unvaccinated people 12 and older from leaving their homes except for basic activities such as working, grocery shopping, going for a walk – or getting vaccinated. Authorities are concerned about rising infections and deaths and that soon hospital staff will no longer be able to handle the growing influx of COVID-19 patients.
“It’s our job as the government of Austria to protect the people,” Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg told reporters in Vienna on Sunday. “Therefore we decided that starting Monday … there will be a lockdown for the unvaccinated.”
India is second by cases after the U.S. at 34.4 million and has suffered 463,655 deaths. Brazil has second highest death toll at 611,283 and 21.9 million cases. In Europe, Russia has the most fatalities at 251,796 deaths, followed by the U.K. at 143,337.
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