and the Stock Market experience a June Swoon.
BEIJING (Reuters) – June 28. Global coronavirus cases exceeded 10 million today.
(Reporting by Cate Cadell; Editing by Daniel Wallis and William Mallard)
According to a Reuters tally, marking a major milestone in the spread of the respiratory
disease that has so far killed almost half a million people in seven months.
The figure is roughly double the number of severe influenza illnesses recorded annually,
according to the World Health Organization
The milestone comes as many hard-hit countries are easing lockdowns while making extensive
alterations to work and social life that could last for a year or more until a vaccine is available.
Some countries are experiencing a resurgence in infections, leading authorities to partially reinstate lockdowns, in what experts say could be a recurring pattern in the coming months and into 2021. North America,
Latin America and Europe each account for around 25% of cases, while Asia and the Middle East
have around 11% and 9% respectively, according to the Reuters tally, which uses government reports.
There have been more than 497,000 fatalities linked to the disease so far, roughly the same as the number
of influenza deaths reported annually. The first cases of the new coronavirus were confirmed on Jan. 10 in Wuhan in China, before infections and fatalities surged in Europe, then the United States, and later Russia.
The pandemic has now entered a new phase, with India and Brazil battling outbreaks of over 10,000 cases a day, putting a major strain on resources. The two countries accounted for over a third of all new cases in the past week. Brazil reported a record 54,700 new cases on June 19. Some researchers said the death toll in
Latin America could rise to over 380,000 by October, from around 100,000 this week.
The total number of cases continued to increase at a rate of between 1-2% a day in the past week, down from rates above 10% in March. Countries including China, New Zealand and Australia have seen new outbreaks in the past month, despite largely quashing local transmission. In Beijing, where hundreds of new cases were linked to an agricultural market, testing capacity has been ramped up to 300,000 a day.
The United States, which has reported the most cases of any country at more than 2.5 million, managed to slow the spread of the virus in May, only to see it expand in recent weeks to rural areas and other places that were previously unaffected. In some countries with limited testing capabilities,
case numbers reflect a small proportion of total infections.
Roughly half of reported infections are known to have recovered.
Coronavirus cases in the U.S. topped 2.5 million Saturday as new states saw record spikes this week in their daily coronavirus infection rate. According to John Hopkins University data Saturday, the U.S. reached 2,507,874 cases — accounting for a quarter of the world’s almost 10 million cases.
Several states around the U.S. — including Florida, Texas and Arizona — saw alarming new records in their daily coronavirus infection rates, with Florida reporting 20 percent of the country’s
45,000 daily increase on Saturday.
Florida
The state’s Department of Health reported more than 9,600 new cases of COVID-19,
surpassing Friday’s record high of nearly 9,000 cases and marking the third time this week
the Sunshine State topped the previous daily infection rate.
FLORIDA SEES THIRD DAY OF RECORD-HIGH CORONAVIRUS CASES IN ONE WEEK
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez announced that all beaches in his county will
be closed July 3 through July 7, and potentially longer.
“The closure may be extended if conditions do not improve and people do not follow New Normal rules requiring masks to be worn always inside commercial establishments and outdoors when social distancing
of at least 6 feet is not possible,” Gimenez told Floridians in a statement Friday.
The state’s alcohol regulatory board also announced a statewide ban on in-person alcohol consumption in bars.
State officials believe the spike in cases is attributed to young demographics meeting in social settings without practicing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines of keeping a 6-foot distance and wearing a mask, as the guidelines are not enforced statewide.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press briefing Friday that he does not believe instituting a statewide regulation on masks is the right decision to make.
PENCE POSTPONES FLORIDA, ARIZONA CAMPAIGN EVENTS AMID INCREASE IN CORONAVIRUS CASES THERE
“We’ve advised that’s something that could make an impact,” DeSantis said. “At the same time,
to do police and put criminal penalties on that is something that probably would backfire.”
Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced this week that the state is pausing all reopening plans at this time,
in an attempt to stunt the rapid increase in coronavirus cases seen recently.
The governor on Friday signed an executive order suspending rafting and tubing businesses.
Bars and similar establishments that receive more than 51 percent of their gross business from
the sale of alcoholic beverages were also forced to close, to the dismay of many business owners.
And dine-in restaurants will be required to seat only 50 percent capacity by June 29,
down from the current 75 percent capacity that had been implemented.
Arizona
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who lifted the state’s stay-at-home orders in May,
is now asking residents to again stay home to prevent a larger increase in cases.
Arizona reported 3,600 new cases Saturday and is ramping up the state’s hospital preparedness.
Vice President Mike Pence, the leader of the White House Task Force, was asked this week if he saw a correlation between the states that reopened early and the states now seeing spikes in coronavirus cases.
“I think there will be a temptation for people to look at these Sunbelt states that have been reopening and putting people back to work and suggest that the reopening has to do with what we’re seeing
in the last week or so,” Pence said. Pence announced that he was postponing his campaign tour in
Florida and Arizona on Saturday, due to the rising COVID-19 numbers in those states.
However, a spokesperson for Pence told Fox News that he will still be traveling to Florida,
Texas and Arizona next week to meet with governors and assess the situation on the ground.
Only two US states are reporting a decline in new coronavirus cases compared to last week —
Connecticut and Rhode Island. A staggering rise was reported in 36 states, including Florida,
which some experts have cautioned could be the next epicenter.
Florida reported 9,585 new coronavirus cases Saturday, a single-day record high
since the start of the pandemic. The number rivals that of New York’s peak in daily cases in early April.
While Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state’s surge in cases in the past week was the result of a “test dump,” officials there and across the US have also warned of an increase in cases among younger groups.
That’s all as the US broke another record, reporting the highest number of new cases in a single day
Friday with at least 40,173 new infections. But the daunting numbers could just be the tip of the iceberg:
A new survey by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the total number of coronavirus infections across the US could actually be six to 24 times greater than reported.
As cases spike, US travelers are “unlikely” to be allowed into the European Union as the bloc
begins opening up to international travel, several EU diplomats told CNN.
Officials in parts of the US are now trying to reel in the spread of the virus — which many experts have said is spiraling out of control — by making pleas to the country’s young population to keep their distance,
urging the use of face masks and halting reopening plans.
The US has now hit more than 2.5 million infections and at least 125,539 deaths,
according to Johns Hopkins University.
Your coronavirus questioned, answered here
Where new cases are on the rise
The 36 states seeing a rise in cases include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Cases are trekking steady in Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska,
New Hampshire New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota and Virginia.
States hit pause on reopening
At least 12 states halted or rolled back their reopening plans in hopes of curbing the spread of the virus. Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee announced Saturday he’s hitting the pause button on the state’s reopening plan due to rising cases. Some counties were preparing to enter the fourth phase of reopening,
“which would essentially mean no restrictions,” the governor’s office said in a statement.
“Phase 4 would mean a return to normal activity and we can’t do that now,” the statement said.
“This is an evolving situation and we will continue to make decisions based on the data.”
These are the state that require face masks
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week he’d pause any further phases to reopen the state. “I ask all Texans to do their part to slow the spread of Covid-19 by wearing a mask, washing their hands regularly, and socially distancing from others. The more that we all follow these guidelines, the safer our state will be and
the more we can open up Texas for business.”
A day later, Abbott also said he was closing bars and limiting restaurant capacity.
Arizona’s governor has also announced the state’s reopening is on pause as a result of a major spike in cases. “We expect that our numbers will be worse next week and the week following,” the governor said.
Track the coronavirus
Pleas to young groups In recent days, officials across the US have reported a rise in cases among younger groups. In Mississippi, officials pointed to fraternity parties as one of the drivers behind the state’s cases. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week there’s been an increase in younger groups testing positive for the virus. “There is a sense that a lot of young people, well you’re young so you feel a little bit more invincible but, respectfully, often that can be a selfish mindset,” Newsom said.
In Florida, DeSantis said while the median age for those infected with the virus in March was in the 60s,
in the past two to three weeks it’s dropped to people in their early 30s.
The governor urged younger groups to be vigilant, saying while they may not be at risk for serious complications, they can pass the virus on to someone who is. The state’s community transmission,
he said, is “being driven by that 18 to 35-year-old group.”
“You have a responsibility to be careful if you’re in contact with somebody who is more vulnerable,” he said. “We’ve been stressing avoiding the three Cs which are:
1. closed spaces with poor ventilation, 2. crowded places with many people nearby and
3. close-contact settings, such as close-range conversations.”
To prevent infection and to slow transmission of COVID-19, do the following:
1. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, or clean them with alcohol-based hand rub.
2. Maintain at least six feet distance between you and people coughing or sneezing.
3. Avoid touching your face.
4. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
5. Stay home if you feel unwell.
6. Refrain from smoking and other activities that weaken the lungs.
7. Practice physical distancing by avoiding unnecessary travel and staying away from
large groups of people.
Bonus: Get Plenty of exercise and sunshine (11am and 3 pm.)