At press time, active COVID-19 infections had been confirmed in 192 countries and territories, with more than 114.3 million cases and, resulting from those, more than 2.5 million deaths. The country with the most confirmed cases was the US, with 28.6 million. It was followed by India (11.1 million), Brazil (10.6 million) and Russia (4.2 million). At least 22 countries had recorded more than 1 million cases, and 13 had reported more than 2 million.
At press time, active COVID-19 infections had been confirmed in 192 countries and territories, with more than 101 million cases and, resulting from those, more than 2.2 million deaths. The country with the most confirmed cases was the US, with 25.8 million. It was followed by India (10.7 million), Brazil (9.0 million) and Russia (3.8 million). At least 19 countries had recorded more than 1 million cases at press time.
Following is an excerpt from a letter submitted by Susan Angel of San Rafael, California:
"My parents, Jean and Bud Marchant, and my husband, Jerry, and I were on the eve of embarking on a 12-day, September 2009 cruise from Istanbul to Venice when my father fell ill and was hospitalized in Istanbul. ..."
"I certainly empathize with Mrs. Zent’s experience of being disembarked unexpectedly from her cruise. My husband, Bob, and I have been disembarked unexpectedly not once but twice from cruises.
"The first time was in October 2018 while traveling on a Panama Canal trip aboard the Volendam of Holland America Line (877/932-4259; www.hollandamerica.com). ... At every step, I felt support from the ship's staff. ..."
The Caribbean island country of Jamaica introduced compulsory health insurance for all foreign visitors, called Jamaica Cares, on Nov. 1. The insurance will cost $40 per person and cover up to $50,000 in medical expenses in Jamaica. The health insurance cost will not be waived for those who have separate travel insurance.
The premium will be charged at the time the traveler fills out his travel authorization form, required before anyone can enter Jamaica. Travel authorizations can be filled out by visiting www.visitjamaica.com/travelauthorization.
The traveler’s afternoon tea recipe for jet lag when flying to Europe is intriguing (“English Tea for Jet Lag,” Sept. ’20, pg. 24). Luckily, I live in a city that offers a different solution.
Instead of taking an overnight flight to London, losing sleep and battling your way into the city during morning rush hour (only to find that your hotel room is not yet ready), take a daytime flight. Daytime flights are uncommon but available, at least from New York, Washington, DC, and Toronto, where I live.
Africa was declared free of wild polio (that is, cases of polio caused by nonhuman sources) by the Africa Regional Certification Commission on Aug. 25 after there had been no reported cases in Nigeria, the last country on the continent to have wild cases, since 2016. It is estimated that 95% of children in Africa have been vaccinated for the disease.
An ebola outbreak in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that began in August 2018 was declared, on June 25, to be over after no new cases had been discovered since April 27. However, a newer outbreak of ebola, which began on June 1, 2020, is still ongoing in the country’s northwest.
