US, Europe battle fresh virus surges
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States on Thursday battled a resurgence of coronavirus cases in a number of states including Texas, while the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that several European countries were also facing dangerous upticks.
The pandemic — which has claimed more than 480,000 lives around the world — continued to pummel Latin America. Brazil, the hardest-hit country in the region, had close to 55,000 deaths and 1.2 million infections, while Mexico on Thursday surpassed 25,000 fatalities.
In the United States, after hitting a two-month plateau, the rate of new cases is now soaring in the south and west, with the confirmed infection rate nearing levels last seen in April.
Texas was among the most aggressive states in reopening in early June.Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had been confident that Texas had escaped the worst of the US outbreak.
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 toll in the world.
Abbott was forced Thursday to halt the state’s phased reopening and moved to free up hospital beds.
“The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses,” said Abbott, an ally of US President Donald Trump, who has faced stark criticism for his handling of the crisis.
“This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread.”
Twenty-nine states are now facing a rebound in cases.
Experts blame a patchwork of responses at the official level, the politicization of face masks and physical distancing, and the widespread onset of “quarantine fatigue” among restless Americans.
In search of that sense of normality, a few dozen tourists braved scorching heat in Paris to climb the Eiffel Tower’s iron stairs as it reopened to tourists — without the lifts, deemed too small for social distancing.
Norway, which has some of the most severe travel restrictions still in force, said Thursday it would aim to relax the measures with Schengen and EU nation
WHO regional director Hans Kluge warned that in 11 nations, “accelerated transmission has led to very significant resurgence that if left unchecked will push health systems to the brink once again in Europe.”
Parts of Lisbon reinstated lockdown measures, following in the path of two western German districts.
However, Europe’s current caseload compares favorably with that of the Americas, with the US and Brazil continuing to lead the world in confirmed cases and deaths.