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Coronavirus cases skyrocketed to more than a million worldwide in just five days as numbers continue to accelerate from week to week, according to Johns Hopkins University figures.
Reported cases increased by 1,046,200 from July 6 to July 10, compared to an increase of 994,400 during the five days from July 5 to July 9.
The total number of global cases exceeded 13 million on Monday, growing by 1,061,600 between July 8-13.
Although some countries that were affected at the start of the outbreak have managed to contain the virus, the number of cases worldwide has accelerated fairly steadily.
There have now been more than half a million deaths from the virus worldwide, according to JHU data.
The director-general of the World Health Organization warned on Monday that “it will not return to normal in the foreseeable future.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Geneva that there were no shortcuts to getting out of this pandemic, and that while we can expect an effective vaccine, he should focus on using the tools that are now available to suppress transmission and save lives.
“We need to reach a sustainable situation where we have adequate control of this virus without completely closing our lives, or turning from one confinement to another,” said Tedros.
He told reporters that there was a “roadmap to a situation where we can control the disease and get on with our lives” that would require three things: a focus on reducing mortality and suppressing transmission; an “empowered and committed community” that takes individual steps to protect the entire community; and strong government leadership and communication.
Two countries accounted for half of all new cases added worldwide on Sunday, he said in the briefing.
“Yesterday, 230,000 cases of Covid-19 were reported to the WHO. Almost 80% of those cases were reported from just 10 countries, and 50% came from just two countries,” he said.
Tedros did not name the countries, but the WHO data indicated that he was referring to the United States and Brazil. According to the JHU case count, the United States, India and Brazil accounted for more than 112,000 new cases on Sunday.
The United States has the highest confirmed numbers in the world, with at least 3.4 million registered cases and at least 135,615 deaths. Brazil has almost 2 million confirmed cases and India is close to one million.
“Let me be frank: too many countries are heading in the wrong direction,” said Tedros.
“If governments do not clearly communicate with their citizens and develop a comprehensive strategy focused on suppressing transmission and saving lives; if populations do not follow the basic principles of physical distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, there is only one way to do it. go. It will get worse and worse and worse. “
“But it doesn’t have to be this way,” he added. “It is never too late to control the virus, even if there has been an explosive transmission.”
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