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Top line
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.
The Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, attends a press conference … [+]
Key facts
New cases have increased gradually over the past two months, led by an increase in the Americas and India, as well as a slight rebound in some parts of Europe.
India led the world in new coronavirus infections on Sunday, adding more than 94,000 cases as the Covid-19 outbreak in the country continues to grow rapidly.
The United States reported 45,523 new cases and Brazil, 43,718; both countries posted slightly lower daily figures than during their peaks in late July.
Spain and France are battling a second wave of the virus, and the daily case count is skyrocketing above spring levels.
The WHO also reported 5,537 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, down from the mid-April global peak of 12,430.
Large number
28.64 million. That’s the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide since the outbreak began, through Sunday. The total death toll stood at 917,417.
Key Background
After an initial outbreak in China’s Hubei province, Europe led the world in coronavirus cases and deaths this spring. Europe managed to master the virus after imposing strict lockdowns, but the disease quickly began to emerge in the United States and several other countries, and Western Europe also saw a resurgence as residents came out of their lockdowns and began to interact more. WHO officials warn that Covid-19 cases will continue to rise if countries do not encourage physical distancing and conduct aggressive testing for the virus.
Crucial appointment
“We are by no means out of the woods,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a speech today. “If we don’t keep transmission under control, more people will lose their lives and there is a real risk of reintroducing so-called blocking measures that have been so costly.”
Other readings
The world ‘cannot pretend the pandemic is over,’ says WHO (Voice of America) chief
India’s covid outbreak is now the fastest growing in the world (New York Times)
Europe pushed the limit of how far to reopen. Now it may be too late to prevent a second wave of viruses (CNN)
