Covid cases rage in US, S Africa
WHO reports new record in daily cases with US, India, Brazil, S Africa leading list
GENEVA: Covid-19 pandemic is finding fresh legs around the world, as confirmed deaths passed 600,000 and countries from the US to South Africa struggle to contain a surge of new infections,which crossed a daily record twice in two days.
Hong Kong issued tougher new rules on wearing face masks, Spain closed overcrowded beaches and Germany reported another outbreak at a slaughterhouse.
Global fatalities hit 601,549 according to Johns Hopkins University data. The US tops the list, followed by Brazil, UK and Mexico. The World Health Organization has reported record increase in global coronavirus cases, going up by 259,848 in 24 hours.
In Europe, where infections are far below their peak but local outbreaks are causing concern, leaders of the 27-nation European Union haggled for a third day in Brussels over a proposed 1.85 trillion-euro ($2.1 tn) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there is “a lot of good will, but there are also a lot of positions” in the talks, which have laid bare divisions about how the countries hit hardest by the pandemic, such as Italy and Spain, should be helped. She said the talks, which were initially scheduled to end on Saturday, could still end without a deal.
As scientists around the world race to find a vaccine to halt the pandemic, Russian envoy to UK on Sunday rejected allegations that his country’s intelligence services have sought to steal information about vaccine efforts.
Infections have been soaring in US states such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, with many blaming a haphazard, partisan approach to lifting lockdowns as well as the resistance of some Americans to wearing masks. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Sunday that the situation was so dire in his California city that authorities were considering a new stay-at-home order.
Following a new surge in cases, Hong Kong made the wearing of masks mandatory in all public places and told non-essential civil servants to work from home. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the situation is “really critical” and that she sees “no sign” that it’s under control.
Police in Barcelona have limited access to some of the city’s beloved beaches because sunbathers were ignoring social distancing regulations amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections. Authorities in Amsterdam urged people not to visit the city’s famous red light district and have closed off some of the historic district’s narrow streets because they are too busy.
Slaughterhouses also have featured in outbreaks in the US, Germany and elsewhere. Authorities in northwestern Germany’s Vechta county said 66 workers at a chicken slaughterhouse tested positive, though most appeared to have been infected in their free time. An earlier outbreak at a slaughterhouse in western Germany infected over 1,400 and prompted a partial lockdown.
Cases in the Australian state of Victoria rose again on Sunday, prompting a move to make masks mandatory in metropolitan Melbourne and the nearby district of Mitchell for people who leave their homes for exercise or to purchase essential goods.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said those who fail to wear a mask will be fined 200 Australian dollars ($140).
In Brazil, where cases crossed 2 million last week, state and city responses have held up poorly in the absence of a tightly coordinated policy from the federal government.
But President Jair Bolsonaro continued to be in denial mode, saying lockdown measures “kill” and have “suffocated” the country’s economy. “Without salaries and jobs, people die,” he said.