COVID-19 cases top 200 million worldwide as Delta variant poses threat

The number ofCOVID-19infections recordedworldwidepassed200millionon Thursday, an AFP count showed, as the pandemic surges around the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region where the Australian city ofMelbournelockeddownagain.

Authorities in Australia's Melbourne announced another lockdown as Sydney continued to witness a surge in coronavirus coronavirus cases.

Victoria'sPremier Daniel Andrews said there was "no alternatives to lockdown".

"This thing moves so fast. There is no debate or discussion about this - theDelta variantmoves at lightning speed and by the time you get the people they have already infected, all the people they live with," Victoria premier Dan Andrews said.

"We can't allow that to happen otherwise we are locked down untilChristmas," the Victorian premier informed.

At least half of Australia will be underlockdownwhen Victoria enters into a lockdown later on Thursday.

Meanwhile,Sydneycontinued to witness a surge in coronavirus cases as New South Wales recorded 262 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday which was the highest since the pandemic began along with five deaths.

Officials said people in New South Wales will receive additional 180,000Pfizer-BioNTechdoses next week as the government considers relaxing restrictions on August 29 for the vaccination campaign.

New South Waleshas reported 4,300 cases in the last seven weeks with Sydney's southwest area becoming the epicentre of the virus as officials extended stay-at-home restrictions to neighbouring areas.

The authorities urged people to bevaccinatedas Newcastle and Hunter region announced a week-long lockdown.

Australia has vaccinated just 20 per cent of its population even as it closed its border since the pandemic began and put mandatorytravel quarantine.

The Delta variant has been running rampant in Southeast Asia, with Thailand recording 20,000 new dailycasesfor the first time on Wednesday, and again on Thursday.

The country also announced 160 deaths in 24 hours, as exhausted morgue workers struggle to cope with the mounting bodies.

"I've seen our personnel faint quite a few times lately so fatigue is definitely starting to set in and we're almost at our limits," forensic scientist Thanitchet Khetkham told AFP.

Indonesia's totalCoviddeath toll passed 100,000 on Wednesday after it recorded 1,739 of the 10,245 fatalities registeredworldwide, the global toll rising past 4.25million.

Japan's capital Tokyo had a new record number of dailycaseswith 5,042, just three days before the end of the Olympics.

Africa also posted a new record with the 6,400 deaths in the week to August 1 representing the continent's most since the start of the pandemic, the World Health Organization said.