Lockdowns may return as pandemic enters new phase
Global coronavirus cases neared 10 million on Sunday according to a Reuters tally, marking a major milestone in the spread of the respiratory disease that has so far killed almost half a million people in seven months.
The figure is roughly double the number of severe influenza illnesses recorded annually, according to the World Health Organization.
The milestone will come as many hard-hit countries are easing lockdowns while making extensive alterations to work and social life that could last for a year or more until a vaccine is available.
Some countries are experiencing a resurgence in infections, leading authorities to partially reinstate lockdowns, in what experts say could be a recurring pattern in the coming months and into 2021.
North America, Latin America and Europe each account for around 25 percent of cases, while Asia and the Middle East have around 11 percent and 9 percent respectively, according to the Reuters tally, which uses government reports.
There have been more than 497,000 fatalities linked to the disease so far, roughly the same as the number of influenza deaths reported annually.
The pandemic has now entered a new phase, with India and Brazil battling outbreaks of over 10,000 cases a day, putting a major strain on resources.
The two countries accounted for over a third of all new cases in the past week. Brazil reported a record 54,700 new cases on June 19.
Some researchers said the death toll in Latin America could rise to over 380,000 by October, from around 100,000 this week.
The total number of cases continued to increase at a rate of between one-two percent a day in the past week, down from rates above 10 percent in March.
The US has surpassed 2.5 million coronavirus cases, as efforts to reopen the world’s economic powerhouse were dramatically set back by a surge of new infections in states such as Florida.
On Saturday alone the US recorded more than 43,000 new cases, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. US deaths now exceed 125,000, approximately one-fourth the world total of over 495,000.
The tension between reopening battered economies – efforts pushed in the US by President Donald Trump – and public health is a source of debate in nearly every country.
In Iran, which has struggled to curb its outbreak even as it gradually lifted restrictions from April, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “something must be done” to prevent coronavirus causing economic issues.
The EU on Saturday pushed back a decision on a list of “safe countries” from which travelers can visit Europe – a list which could exclude the US.
While in India, densely populated cities have been particularly hard hit. The country set a daily record Saturday with 18,500 new cases and 385 deaths. Total infections are at 509,000, with more than 15,600 deaths.
A couple wearing face masks walks past a homeless man in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Tuesday, as sectors of the economy are being reopened following restrictions to halt the spread of coronavirus. Foreigners will need to pay a $3,000 deposit for “COVID-19 service charges” at the airport upon arrival. Photo: AFP
