• US tops world in COVID cases
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States now has more COVID-19 infections than any other country, and a record number of newly unemployed people, as the coronavirus crisis deepens around the world.
The US has registered more than 82,000 cases and 1,195 deaths. Healthcare systems in even the most developed nations are being stretched to breaking point with grim warnings they could soon be overwhelmed — and a prediction that 1.8 million could die from the disease this year.
China, which appeared to have broken the back of its outbreak, will bar foreigners from today as it frets over a surge in imported cases, illustrating the difficulty of containing a virus in an interconnected world.
The move comes as Wuhan, the city where the new coronavirus first emerged late last year, readied to ease severe movement restrictions in place for two months.
Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus, he confirmed on Twitter yesterday.
“Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now selfisolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this,” Johnson said on Twitter.
More than 530,000 people globally have been sickened by the disease, one sixth of them in the US, which on Thursday edged out Italy as the worstaffected nation.
“We are waging war on this virus using every financial, scientific, medical, pharmaceutical and military resource, to halt its spread and protect our citizens,” US President Donald Trump said.
With about 40 percent of Americans under lockdown, Trump urged citizens to do their part by practicing social distancing: “Stay home. Just relax, stay home.”
Even with the kind of strict measures being implemented, researchers at Imperial College London said Thursday the global death toll could be staggering.
Their model shows 1.86 million people could die, with nearly 470 million infected this year.
Failure to act swiftly in imposing lockdowns and strict social distancing could make those numbers far higher, they warned.
“Our analysis highlights the challenging decisions faced by all governments in the coming weeks and months, but demonstrates the extent to which rapid, decisive and collective action now could save millions of lives,” the researchers said.