The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating,
with Thursday's 150,000 new cases the highest in a single day and nearly half
of those in the Americas, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
The world is in a new and dangerous
phase," Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual
briefing from WHO headquarters in Geneva. "The virus is still spreading
fast, it is still deadly, and most people are still susceptible."
More than 8.53 million people have been
reported infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 453,834 have died, a
Reuters tally showed as of 1326 GMT on Friday.
Tedros, whose leadership of the WHO has been
severely criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump, urged people to maintain
social distancing and "extreme vigilance."
As well as the Americas, a large number of
new cases were coming from South Asia and the Middle East, Tedros added.
WHO emergencies expert Mike Ryan drew
attention to the situation in Brazil, where he said there had been 1,230
additional COVID-19 deaths in the previous 24 hours.
About 12 percent of infections in Brazil
involved healthcare workers, he added, praising their bravery.
Brazil has the world's worst outbreak outside
the United States, with 978,142 confirmed cases and 47,748 deaths.
"DIFFICULT JOURNEY" TO VACCINE
With many nations easing restrictions but
fearful of a second wave of infections, Ryan urged a gradual and scientific
approach.
"Exiting lockdowns must be done carefully,
in a step-wise manner, and must be driven by the data," he said. "If
don't know where it is the chances are the virus will surprise you."
Ryan said the resurgence of new clusters did
not necessarily mean a second wave, while "second peaks" were also possible
in one wave. The emergencies expert praised Germany, China and South Korea for
their handling of the pandemic.
With trials underway around the world to find
medicines and a vaccine for COVID-19, WHO officials warned that large-scale
testing would be needed with side-effects carefully monitored.
"Although it is not impossible to find a
vaccine ... it's going to be a very difficult journey," Tedros said.
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