Reported Covid-19 cases around the globe have surpassed 5 million on Thursday. This grim milestone is matched by recent data demonstrating in the past two weeks alone, infections have skyrocketed over a million. This due in part by many countries begin easing strict social distancing guidelines and reopening.
What We Know:
- Almost two-thirds of the cases were reported in just four countries, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference at the agency’s Geneva headquarters. “We still have a long way to go in this pandemic.”
- The latest morbid milestone comes as the spread of the coronavirus across the world shows no signs of slowing down. Even as outbreaks in China and other countries appear to have abated, the pandemic has picked up speed in other parts of the world.
- The majority of new confirmed cases are coming from the Americas and led by the U.S., followed by Europe, according to the WHO’s daily report. The U.S. reported 45,251 new cases on Tuesday, according to the agency. Russia had the second most reported cases Tuesday at 9,263, according to the WHO.
- All 50 states in the U.S are beginning to reopen businesses even as models suggest it will lead to a steady rise in the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths over the next couple of weeks.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CNN on Sunday that reopening isn’t entirely dependent on a vaccine. The U.S. has tested a greater number of asymptomatic people compared with other countries, he said.
The U.S. is now conducting more than 300,000 tests per day and has run roughly 10 million tests total. That’s still a small portion of the country’s population of approximately 328 million people.
