The World Health Organization (WHO) reported more than 210,000 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus worldwide on Saturday, marking a new peak in infections over a 24-hour period.
The agency’s data showed that 211,411 cases of the virus were confirmed worldwide, representing a 20 percent increase from the previous day. The previous peak in single-day infections was reported on June 28, when approximately 190,000 cases of the virus were confirmed worldwide.
As of Sunday, health officials had reported more than 11 million cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and approximately 530,000 deaths from it worldwide, according to a Johns University database. Hopkins.
The United States, Brazil, and India are experiencing the most pronounced outbreaks at the moment. Cases have increased in many parts of the US in recent weeks, prompting some states to pause reopening plans and enforce orders that force people to wear face masks in public.
The country reported more than 50,000 cases of the virus in a single day for the first time last Wednesday. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that 57,718 new cases and 661 new deaths were reported on Saturday. Florida alone reported more than 11,000 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, a new record for the state.
The steady increase in cases has led to a more aggressive push by federal and state leaders for Americans to wear face masks and adhere to social distancing. While President Trump
Donald John Trump protesters tear down the Christopher Columbus statue on Baltimore Independence Day star Bill Pullman, urging Americans to wear a “mask of freedom” on July 4. has downplayed the severity of the outbreak, top health officials have said the window is closing for the United States to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We have to act, and people as individuals have to act responsibly. We need social distance. We need to wear our face covers if we are in environments where we cannot social distance, particularly in these hot spots, “Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar said last week in addressing the upward trend in cases.
Outside of the US, Brazil has reported the most cases of coronavirus of any nation in the world. The country had reported about 1.5 million cases of the virus and approximately 64,000 deaths as of Sunday. WHO data shows that it has reported more than 40,000 new cases of the virus on three consecutive days.
India has also seen an increase in infections, reporting just over 24,800 confirmed cases on Saturday, according to the WHO. The figure marked a new high for the country, which has seen an upward trajectory in cases for weeks.
The new coronavirus is believed to have first appeared in Wuhan, China in December before rapidly spreading worldwide. The outbreak changed daily life in dozens of countries, leading to strict orders to stay home and other quarantine measures.
Many parts of Europe and Asia have relaxed restrictions from the start of the outbreak.
The WHO said in April that clinical trials had begun for three vaccines, with more than 70 in development. The agency is also conducting a comprehensive study on experimental treatments for COVID-19.
The agency announced Saturday that it suspended trials of hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug promoted by Trump, and HIV treatment lopinavir-ritonavir after finding they did not lower death rates for patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
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