As many countries struggle to rein in the highly transmissible Delta (B1617.2) COVID-19 variant, Australia and Japan reported new single-day highs, while situations stabilized in some parts of Africa and the Americas.Elsewhere, New Zealand reported 11 new cases in a growing cluster in the Auckland area.Australia and Japan cases surgeWith 754 new cases today, Australia reported its biggest daily total of the pandemic, according to Reuters.
Most of the burden is from an outbreak centered on Sydney in New South Wales state, which also reported a record single-day high of 681 cases.Sydney's outbreak is growing, despite a 7-week lockdown.