This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
As the world grapples with the ongoing pandemic, the United States and Europe are facing fresh challenges in the form of surging coronavirus cases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US recorded 37,667 cases and 692 deaths in 24 hours, with nearly 122,000 lives lost overall – the highest toll in the world.
Twenty-nine states are now facing a rebound in cases, with Texas being among the most aggressive in reopening in early June.
Republican Governor Greg Abbott had been confident that Texas had escaped the worst of the US outbreak, but was forced to halt the state's phased reopening and move to free up hospital beds.
'The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses,' said Abbott, an ally of President Donald Trump, who has faced stark criticism for his handling of the crisis.
'This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread.'
Experts blame a patchwork of responses at the official level, the politicization of face masks and physical distancing, and the widespread onset of 'quarantine fatigue' among restless Americans.
US health officials now believe based on antibody surveys that some 24 million people may have already been infected – 10 times higher than the officially recorded figure of around 2.4 million.
They say the demographics of the outbreak are changing as younger people engage in more risky behavior out of a desire to return to their pre-pandemic 'normal.'
As the world struggles to balance public health needs with the devastating global economic impact, governments are still trying to find a delicate balance.
There was more grim news for the world's airlines, with Australia's Qantas announcing it was cutting 6,000 staff and Germany's Lufthansa moving closer to a $10 billion state rescue.
