Countries from the US to South Africa to India are struggling to hold down rising rates of the coronavirus, as global deaths from Covid-19 surged past 600,000 in a sign of how far off the world remains from a return to normalcy.

While the US leads global infections, South Africa now ranks as the fifth worst-hit country in the pandemic with 350,879 cases — roughly half of all those confirmed on the African continent. Its struggles are a sign of trouble to come for nations with even fewer health care resources.

According to AP, India reported a 24-hour record surge of 38,902 new cases, taking the country’s total to 1,077,618. Elsewhere in Asia, China confirmed 13 new cases in the northwestern city of Urumqi while South Korea reported less than 40 additional cases for a second straight day.

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