Warnings as virus cases surge globally
The United States and Europe battled a resurgence of coronavirus cases yesterday, with Texas ordering bars to close and warnings mounting worldwide over lifting lockdowns too soon.
Britons were told to avoid packed beaches while a major Australian city faced a surge in infections that prompted a warning against the hoarding of toilet roll.
But Sweden lashed out at the World Health Organization for listing it among at-risk European countries, in a sign of the sensitivities at play as countries try to manage the pandemic.
More than 489,000 people worldwide have died from Covid-19 since it emerged in China late last year and cases are expected to reach 10 million across the globe within the next week.
Countries have been balancing the need to reopen economies shattered by coronavirus shutdowns with the need to maintain sufficient measures to prevent a feared second wave.
India registered its biggest single-day increase in Covid-19 cases, recording 17,296 infections in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said yesterday morning.
In the US, after hitting a two-month plateau, the rate of new cases is now soaring in southern and western states.
The United States recorded 37,667 cases and 692 deaths in 24 hours, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, with nearly 122,000 lives lost overall -- by far the highest confirmed toll in the world.
In Latin America, Brazil had close to 55,000 deaths and 1.2 million infections, while Mexico on Thursday surpassed 25,000 fatalities.
The World Health Organization warned Thursday that Europe is not yet in the clear, saying 11 nations faced a "very significant resurgence" that could push health systems "to the brink once again."
In Britain, people were urged to abide by social distancing rules after tens of thousands swarmed the seaside resort of Bournemouth during a heatwave.
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