This archive report was first published on 23 June 2020.
On June 22, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that global coronavirus infections had topped nine million, with the pandemic accelerating in many parts of the world.
According to the WHO, the greatest threat is not the virus itself, but the lack of global solidarity and leadership. The organization's director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made this statement at a virtual health forum organized in the United Arab Emirates.
As of June 22, Brazil had recorded over 50,000 deaths from the virus, with the true number believed to be far higher. The country's official death toll is second only to the United States, which has recorded 120,000 fatalities.
Many parts of the world, including Latin America and South Asia, are only beginning to feel the full force of the pandemic, while other regions are being hit with second waves. The WHO has called for a rapid increase in production of the steroid dexamethasone, which has been shown to have life-saving potential.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has announced that it will allow a 'very limited' number of pilgrims to its annual hajj ritual, which last year drew 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world. The hajj represents a potentially major source of contagion, and authorities have said that a hajj only involving pilgrims already in the kingdom will be permitted.
Europe, however, has continued to ease its restrictions. Thousands of French people danced and partied in the streets well into Monday for an annual music festival, in the first big blowout since the lockdown. Many felt the authorities were too lax, with Dr Gilbert Deray saying, 'This is not what a gradual end to the lockdown looks like.'
