Iran
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world/coronavirus-iran-swamped-by-a-second-wave-after-lockdown-eased-to-save-jobs-9rt0359dx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsletter_144&utm_medium=email&utm_content=144_9596345&CMP=TNLEmail_118918_9596345_144
The number of deaths from coronavirus in Iran is nearly triple what Iran's government claims, a BBC Persian service investigation has found.
The government's own records appear to show almost 42,000 people died with Covid-19 symptoms up to 20 July, versus 14,405 reported by its health ministry.
The number of people known to be infected is also almost double official figures: 451,024 as opposed to 278,827.
The official numbers still make Iran the worst-hit in the Middle East.
In recent weeks, it has suffered a second steep rise in the number of cases.
The first death in Iran from Covid-19 was recorded on 22 January, according to lists and medical records that have been passed to the BBC. This was almost a month before the first official case of coronavirus was reported there
Daily number of deaths from Covid-19 in Iran
Official figures vs uncovered data, 22 January to 20 July 2020
.- 3/8/2020
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Where are cases and deaths rising?
Latin America is the epicentre of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization.
Brazil has the second highest number of cases in the world, after the US, and has recorded more than 100,000 deaths. Mexico, the second-most affected country in the region, has recorded more than 50,000 deaths.
Cases have also risen rapidly in Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Venezuela.
Outside Latin America, IRAN is another country that has been badly hit. Official figures show cases on the rise again and a death toll of nearly 20,000 - but documents leaked to the BBC Persiam servicesuggest the real number is actually more than double that.
In Africa, South Africa and Egypt have seen the largest outbreaks so far, with South Africa one of only seven countries in the world to record more than 500,000 confirmed cases.
Across the continent, there have been more than a million confirmed cases, although the true extent of the pandemic there is not known. Testing rates are reported to be low, which could distort official estimates.
India has world's highest daily cases and deaths
India has recorded about 2.5 million cases so far and is averaging more than 60,000 new infections every day at the moment.
The world's second most populous country has the fourth highest death toll, but is continuing to ease public restrictions despite the spike in cases.
Coronavirus cases rising again in Europe
Several countries across Europe have reported a recent rise in cases.
Spain, which was one of the worst affected countries in the early months of the pandemic, has seen a rise in new cases in recent weeks and experts there say the country has once again reached a "critical situation".
France, another country which saw a large number of cases and deaths in March and April before managing to restrict the spread of the virus, is also seeing a surge in infections. The average number of new daily cases there has doubled during the last three weeks to 2,000 a day. 14/8/2020
Turkmenistan
The Turkmenistani government, which insists that the country has not had a single case of coronavirus, recommended yesterday that residents wear masks because of the dangers of “dust”.
It also requested that people maintain a social distance of at least one metre, without explaining why. The announcement came after a World Health Organisation delegation arrived last week for a ten-day mission examining the country’s response to the pandemic. The tightly controlled oil-rich former Soviet state is one of the few countries yet to declare any coronavirus cases.
In a statement from the state information agency yesterday, the health ministry said that people should wear masks because of “high concentrations of dust” in the air.- 14/7/2020