Impressive virus numbers show normal life is still far away

By Cara Anna | Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa on Saturday became one of the five countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, as impressive new infection numbers around the world were a reminder that a return to normal life is still far from sight .

The country’s 350,879 cases account for about half of all confirmed infections on the African continent, and their struggles are a sign of trouble for nations with fewer health care resources. South Africa now follows the US, Brazil, India and Russia in the number of infections, beating Peru, after health authorities announced 13,285 new cases.

“The simple fact is that many South Africans are sitting ducks because they cannot comply with World Health Organization protocols to improve hygiene and social distancing,” warned the foundation of the former South African archbishop and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Desmond Tutu and his wife, Leah. in a sentence.

The development comes a day after the World Health Organization reported a record of new infections in a single day at more than 237,000. Daily death tolls have reached new highs in several US states, and infections in India exceed 1 million. Experts believe the actual numbers worldwide are higher due to a paucity of evidence and data collection problems in some nations.

On Saturday, the world marked Mandela Day, remembering Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, another Nobel Peace Prize winner, and his legacy of fighting inequality. However, the country remains the most unequal in the world, and health officials have warned that the pandemic will expose it.

South Africa’s new coronavirus epicenter, Gauteng province, is home to the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria and a quarter of the country’s population, with many poor people living in overcrowded conditions amid a freezing winter in the southern hemisphere.

Mandela’s message is “more relevant than ever,” said WHO chief for Africa Matshidiso Moeti, calling for equitable access to care.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who gave the Nelson Mandela Annual Conference, said that “COVID-19 has been compared to an x-ray, revealing fractures in the fragile skeleton of the societies we have built,” adding that countries Developed countries have “failed to provide the necessary support to help the developing world in these dangerous times.”

According to Johns Hopkins University data, confirmed virus cases worldwide exceeded 14.1 million and deaths are close to 600,000. Infections are on the rise in US states like Florida, Texas, Arizona, fueled by the incidental rise in coronavirus blocks and the resistance of some Americans to wearing masks.

In the United States, teams of military doctors have been deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals flooded with patients. The increase in infections means that millions of American children are unlikely to return to classrooms full time in the fall.

In India, an increase of 34,884 new cases was reported as local governments continue to reimpose specific blockades in various parts of the country.

In Iran, the president made the surprising announcement that up to 25 million Iranians could have been infected, the state news agency IRNA reported. Hassan Rouhani cited a new study from the Ministry of Health that has not been released. Iran has the worst outbreak in the Middle East with more than 270,000 confirmed cases.

In Bangladesh, confirmed cases exceeded 200,000, but experts say the number is much higher as the country lacks adequate laboratories for testing. Most people in rural areas have stopped wearing masks and are crowding shopping malls ahead of the Eid al-Adha Islamic festival this month.

Meanwhile, scientists poured cold water on the hope of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the country can return to normal at Christmas.