COVID Cases Around the World Surge to 2.3 Million

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COVID Cases Around the World Surge to 2.3 Million
By: VOA News - 04-19-20
Re: https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pan...rge-23-million

Coronavirus cases have surged past 2.3 million around with world, with the U.S. seeing steady increases but some other countries reporting declining numbers.

Johns Hopkins University says the United States has seen more than 743,000 cases and nearly 40,000 deaths. The U.S. is the world’s epicenter.

China, which had been the global hot spot, reported 16 new cases Sunday.

South Korea reported just eight new cases Sunday. It is the first time in months it has reported a single digit case number.

Some countries are starting to ease strict social distancing guidelines put in place in an effort to contain the virus.

World Health Organization head Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned Sunday that while plans to ease social restrictions are encouraging, they must be phased in gradually and not seen as an end to the epidemic.

"Lifting so-called lockdown restrictions is not the end of the epidemic in any country; it’s just the beginning of the next phase,” he said.

Earlier the WHO said there is “no evidence” that people who have endured COVID-19 are immune to it.

But some doctors say although it is such a new disease, hard statistics on immunity exist.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 163 people who had the coronavirus have been re-infected.

Meanwhile, a group of 13 countries is calling for global cooperation to reduce the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Britain, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, and Turkey are among the nations who said in a joint statement “It is vital that we work together to save lives and livelihoods.” They vow to “work with all countries to coordinate on public health, travel, trade, (and) economic and financial measures in order to minimize disruptions and recover stronger.”

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa said the pandemic could claim 300,000 lives in Africa this year. But the World Health Organization estimates there are less than 2,000 ventilators available for the hundreds of millions of people in 41 African countries, fueling concerns that chronic shortages of ventilators and other essential supplies could be catastrophic.

Amid the global pandemic, musician Lady Gaga curated “One World: Together at Home” a two-hour virtual concert Saturday night, featuring a broad range of celebrities sending messages of hope

The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Lizzo, Oprah and Stephen Colbert were among the celebrities and entertainers who participated in a worldwide television broadcast to honor health care workers who are battling the contagion, often at great risk to their lives.

Indian Movie Star Shahrukh Khan, Chinese pianist Lang Lang, and Nigerian singer Burna Boy were also among the dozens of entertainers from across the globe who participated.

Global Citizen, a nonprofit organization, planned the event with the WHO.