This archive report was first published on 4 July 2020.
As of Friday, the global coronavirus case count had reached a staggering 11 million, marking a significant milestone in the spread of the disease. According to a Reuters tally, this number is more than double the annual figure for severe influenza illnesses recorded by the World Health Organization.
Despite the alarming rise in cases, many hard-hit countries are easing lockdowns and making adjustments to work and social life that could last for a year or more until a vaccine is available. However, some countries are experiencing a resurgence in infections, leading authorities to partially reinstate lockdowns, a pattern that experts warn could be recurring into 2021.
The United States reported a new daily global record of over 55,400 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, with several U.S. governors halting plans to reopen their state economies in the face of a surge in cases. Almost a quarter of the known global deaths have occurred in the United States, with nearly 129,000 fatalities linked to the disease.
Latin America, where Brazil has 1.5 million cases, makes up 23% of the global total of people infected. India has become the new epicenter in Asia, rising to 625,000 cases. Asia and the Middle East have around 12% and 9% respectively, according to the Reuters tally.
Health experts caution that the official data likely does not tell the full story, with many believing that both cases and deaths have likely been underreported in some countries. The first death linked to the new coronavirus was reported on January 10 in Wuhan, China, before infections and fatalities surged in Europe, then the United States, and later Russia.
Published on July 4, 2020, at 11:05:23 AM.
