LONDON – The United Kingdom reintroduced new coronavirus restrictions on parts of northern England on Thursday amid a surge in cases, which is also occurring in Europe and Asia, fueling fears of a second wave.
“I am concerned about a second wave. I think you can see a second wave starting to roll across Europe, “UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told British broadcaster Sky News, which like NBC News is owned by Comcast Corp.
The UK reported 846 new positive cases on Thursday, the highest number of daily infections since June 28.
More than 4 million people in Greater Manchester, the largest urban region in the north of England, and other parts of the region are again under tighter closure measures. They have been ordered not to mix with other homes, although they can still go to the pub and work.
“The problem with this virus is that it thrives on the social contact that makes it worth living,” Hancock told Sky. “I fully understand the human impact of this, but unfortunately this is how the virus is transmitted.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Friday that plans to reopen high-risk public spaces, such as casinos, theaters and sports venues, will be postponed until August 1 until at least August 15.
“I have said that our plan to reopen society and the economy is conditional,” Johnson said at a press conference. “With those numbers increasing, our assessment is that we should now press the brake pedal … to keep the virus under control.”
The requirement to wear face covers in stores will also extend to other public places like museums and movie theaters, he said.
Worldwide, the number of coronavirus cases has exceeded 17.3 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 673,000 people have died.
Elsewhere in Europe, Germany reported 902 new cases Thursday, an increase from the Robert Koch Institute, which is tracking the country’s data, called “worrying.” Another 870 cases were reported on Friday.
At least one of the outbreaks in the country is related to agricultural workers in the Bavarian Dingolfing-Landau district, forcing a company to quarantine its employees, the institute said.
Meanwhile, Germany has also teamed up with Britain to implement stricter travel regulations for people arriving from parts of Spain.
The UK move to require travelers from Spain to be quarantined for 14 days was announced last weekend with immediate effect after the country reported a series of outbreaks, wreaking havoc on Brits there on vacation.
On Thursday, the Spanish Ministry of Health reported the biggest daily jump in new cases since the blockade ended with more than 1,000 new infections for the second consecutive day.
The United States, by comparison, saw an increase of about 58,000 confirmed cases in 24 hours between Thursday and Friday, according to the NBC News count.
There have also been spikes in coronavirus cases across Asia.
In Japan, 463 new cases were reported on Friday in the capital Tokyo, in addition to the 367 new cases reported the previous day.
The city government is now asking restaurants and bars to reduce their opening hours until August in an effort to limit the spread. A decal system has also been introduced to highlight restaurants and shops that are safe for the public.
“Our life has changed. Our lifestyle has changed. Therefore, our behavior must also change,” said Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.
Koike warned that if the situation worsens, he can call for a regional state of emergency, although it would not be as restrictive as previous measures taken to keep the economy going.
The Vietnam Health Ministry reported its biggest daily increase since the first cases emerged in January with 45 new infections confirmed on Friday. It threatens the country’s impressive trajectory by containing the virus.
No deaths from coronavirus have yet been reported in Vietnam, and before the virus resurfaced this week, the country had recorded 100 days without a case of local transmission.
Hong Kong reported 3,151 new cases on Friday. Follow chief executive Carrie Lam’s warnings earlier this week that the territory was on the verge of a significant outbreak.
The territory was initially praised for weathering the first two waves of the pandemic. An increase in cases that started earlier this month caused new restrictions, including mandatory masks both indoors and outdoors.
The United States remains the worst-affected country with nearly 4.4 million cases and more than 150,000 deaths, according to the NBC News tracker.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Andy Eckardt, Mai Nishiyama and Reuters contributed
