World Sets Record For Daily Covid-19 Cases: WHO

Topline

The world set a new record for Covid-19 cases on Sunday, with 307,930 new confirmed infections reported globally by the World Health Organization, a jarring reminder that much of the world is still grappling with a severe outbreak.

Key Facts

Big Number

28.64 million. That’s the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide since the outbreak began, as of Sunday. The total death toll stood at 917,417.

Key Background

After an initial outbreak in the Chinese province of Hubei, Europe led the world in coronavirus cases and deaths over the spring. Europe managed to subdue the virus after imposing strict lockdowns, but the disease quickly began surging in the United States and several other countries, and Western Europe also experienced a resurgence as residents exited their lockdowns and began interacting more. WHO officials warn that Covid-19 cases will continue to rise if countries fail to encourage physical distancing and aggressively test for the virus.

Crucial Quote

“We are by no means out of the woods,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a speech earlier today. “If we do not keep transmission in check, more people will lose their lives, and there is the real risk of re-introducing so-called lockdown measures that have been so costly.”

Further Reading

World ‘Can’t Pretend Pandemic Is Over,’ WHO Chief Says (Voice of America)

India’s Covid Outbreak Is Now The World’s Fastest-Growing (New York Times)

Europe pushed the limit of how far to reopen. Now it may be too late to prevent a second virus wave (CNN)