COVID-19 patients receive treatment in Bangalore, India on April 30, 2021. (Photo: THX/VNA)

The United States remains the most severely affected country, with more than 590,000 deaths and 33.2 million infections, followed by India and Brazil. 

Europe’s infection rate has decreased 19% over the past week. The European Commission (EC) has urged EU countries to allow entry for vaccinated people and people from countries where the pandemic is under control.

At the same time, the emergence of coronavirus variants calls for continued vigilance, the Commission said, proposing a new ‘emergency brake’ mechanism that would limit the risk of such variants entering the EU.

Asia’s total infections increased 7% last week. In the past 24 hours, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan reported between 4,700 and 7,200 new cases.

The new SARS-CoV-2 variant that first appeared in India has spread to at least 17 other countries. Several countries have banned entry for people from India.