Fears of a global new wave
FEARS of a global second wave of coronavirus were growing last night after health chiefs revealed the pandemic’s worst day was at the weekend.
With a huge leap in worldwide cases, particularly in the Americas, and an alarming rise in the German infection “R” number, worried medics at theWorld Health Organization (WHO) warned the crisis was far from over.
Latest figures showed that some 183,000 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed on June 21 – the biggest 24-hour jump since the crisis began.
This topped the previous high of 181,000 on Thursday, June 18.
Nearly a third of the new Covid-19 cases occurred in Brazil (54,771) followed by the US (36,617) and then India (15,413).
It means the Americas – which includes North, Central and South – have endured 219,000 fatalities and 4.2 million cases.
Overall, the number of confirmed infections worldwide has now topped 8.7 million, with 460,000 deaths recorded.
South Korea said it is going through a second wave of coronavirus.
And there was also an alarming spike in Germany where health officials revealed the coronavirus reproduction rate (R number) had jumped to 2.88, taking infections above the level needed to contain it over the longer term.
But it was stressed the sharp rise was mostly as a result of a single large outbreak in an abattoir after more than 1,300 employees tested positive for the virus.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of WHO, warned the Covid-19 pandemic had entered a “new and dangerous” phase, saying the virus was still spreading fast and is “still deadly”.
Dr Tedros urged people to maintain social distancing and extreme vigilance.