English pubs reopen, but little normal elsewhere in world

WHO says more than half of all new infections coming from Americas

JOHANNESBURG— Pubs, hair salons and movie theatres across England reopened Saturday as part of Britain’s biggest step toward post-outbreak normal, while South Africa and other parts of the world signalled anything but — reporting another day of record confirmed coronavirus cases.

Many people relished the easing of restrictions on public life that had shuttered U.K. restaurants and bars, although a trade group estimated that only about half of England’s pubs elected to open on the first possible day. The ones that decided to start pouring at the earliest hour allowed — 6 a.m. — had customers to serve.

“Let’s not blow it now,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said as some in England rushed to restaurants or barbers for the first time in more than three months.

Critics pointed to the experience elsewhere in Europe and in some U.S. states, where the reopening of bars and restaurants is blamed for a spike in infections from patrons losing their inhibitions among strangers and abandoning social distancing after imbibing a few drinks.

Reinforcing the concern the British government had been too hasty: the World Health Organization said its member nations reported more than 212,000 new COVID-19 cases to the UN health agency Saturday, the highest single-day increase since the start of the pandemic. WHO said more than half of the new confirmed infections were reported from the Americas region, which includes Brazil and the United States.

In South Africa, a growing hot spot as the pandemic picks up speed in parts of Africa, confirmed cases have climbed to more than 177,000, with a record 9,063 reported in the most recent 24-hour period.

If Africa’s most developed country is struggling to manage the pandemic, that’s ominous for less-prepared African nations. Confirmed cases across the 54-nation continent are now above 433,000.

India also reported its highest single-day spike, with 22,771 new confirmed cases for a total of more than 648,000, including 18,655 deaths.

Russia marked a milestone as the death toll rose above 10,000. The national coronavirus task force also reported 6,632 new infections, raising the total for the outbreak to 674,515.

Russia’s caseload is the world’s third largest behind the United States and Brazil, but its reported deaths are lower than many other countries.

Officials have denied speculation that the figures are being manipulated. Tokyo confirmed 131 new cases, exceeding 100 for the third day in a row and hitting a new two-month high.