Virus surges worldwide as public loses faith in authorities

WASHINGTON: A surge in coronavirus cases across the United States and Europe has forced governments to strengthen containment measures as a survey released on Saturday showed support for the handling of their pandemics has slipped.

The disease has now killed almost 635,000 people around the world and infected more than 15.5 million, according to an AFP tally, with America the hardest-hit nation.

For the second straight day on Friday the US reported more than 70,000 new cases and over 1,000 deaths as the virus takes hold in the country’s south and west.

A similar resurgence in Europe prompted the World Health Organization to sound the alarm over the spread, as Britain joined France, Germany and Austria in tightening rules on masks and rolling out greater testing.

Governments worldwide have struggled to contain the coronavirus despite long and arduous lockdowns imposed on millions of people, and a survey released on Saturday showed faith in authorities to be dwindling in six rich nations.

Populations in France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Sweden and the US widely believed death and infection figures to be higher than recorded, according to the study, which polled 1,000 people in each nation.

“In most countries this month, support for national governments is falling,” the report by the Kekst CNC communications consulting group said.

Europe accounts for a fifth of the world’s case count so far.

The WHO’S European chapter expressed concern on Friday about the rise in cases on the continent in the past two weeks and warned tighter restrictions may be needed. — AFP