Global pandemic accelerating
Daily US cases soar past 50,000 as WHO delivers warning
New daily coronavirus cases in the US soared past 50,000 for the first time on Wednesday, as the World Health Organization (WHO) delivered a grave warning that the global pandemic is accelerating.
Restaurants, bars and beaches in the world’s worst-hit nation closed from California to Florida, as states reeling from yet another surge in the deadly virus braced for Independence Day festivities.
Global infections have hit their highest level in the past week, WHO data showed, with chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying new cases topped “160,000 on every single day.”
The grim milestone came as the European Union (EU) left the US, Brazil and Russia off its final list of nations safe enough to allow residents to enter its borders.
With more than 52,000 new COVID-19 cases in the US alone in the past 24 hours, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, several US states imposed 14-day quarantines on visitors in the buildup to the July 4 long weekend celebrations.
California suspended indoor dining at restaurants in Los Angeles and several counties, while New York scrapped plans to allow restaurants to seat customers inside from next week.
US President Donald Trump reiterated his belief that the contagion will “at some point... sort of just disappear, I hope.”
The rollbacks came as the EU reopened its borders to visitors from 15 countries.
But with over 10 million infections worldwide and more than 500,000 deaths, the pandemic is “not even close to being over,” the WHO warned.
Data provided by the UN health agency for the seven days from June 25 until Wednesday showed the highest number of new daily cases ever recorded came on Sunday, when over 189,500 new cases were registered worldwide.
With more than 52,000 new COVID-19 cases in the US alone in the past 24 hours, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, several US states imposed 14-day quarantines on visitors in the buildup to the July 4 long weekend celebrations.