A second wave of coronavirus is hitting much of the world, according to the World Health Organization – and this one is moving faster than the first.
According to the WHO, some 60% of all cases so far have been reported just in the past month.
“More than 10.3 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and more than 506,000 deaths,” said the organization's director-general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a briefing Wednesday afternoon. “For the past week, the number of new cases has exceeded 160,000 on every single day.”
Dr. Tedros said that flare-ups are to be expected as countries start to lift restrictions, “but countries that have the systems in place to apply a comprehensive approach should be able to contain these flare-ups locally and avoid reintroducing widespread restrictions.”
The WHO’s formula is to tackle coronavirus on multiple fronts: Isolate, test and care for every case; trace and quarantine every contact; equip and train health workers; and educate and empower communities to protect themselves and others.
“We are concerned that some countries have not used all the tools at their disposal and have taken a fragmented approach,” Tedros warned. “These countries face a long, hard road ahead.” He did not specify which countries he was referring to.
Israel had its highest number of new cases since the start of the pandemic on Wednesday: 868. The United States reported 50,000 new cases on Wednesday.
“But one of the lessons of the pandemic is that no matter what situation a country is in, it can be turned around,” Tedros continued. “It’s never too late.”