Coronavirus latest: 600,000 dead around the world, including 140,000 in US

Worldwide, more than 14.3 million coronavirus cases have been recorded, and the death toll has doubled from two months ago
In the hardest-hit US counties, officials are running out of places to store bodies amid fears the pandemic is spinning out of control

Coronavirus pandemic

Agencies

Published: 1:56pm, 19 Jul 2020

Why you can trust SCMP

Deaths in the United States from the coronavirus pandemic surpassed 140,000 on Sunday as cases continued to rise in 43 out of 50 states, while fresh outbreaks in Spain have forced the country’s second-biggest city back into lockdown.

While the US leads global infections, South Africa now ranks as the fifth worst-hit country with 350,879 cases – roughly half of all those confirmed on the African continent.

On Sunday Hong Kong issued tougher new rules on wearing face masks as cases surged, Spain closed overcrowded beaches and Germany reported another outbreak at a slaughterhouse. India, which has now confirmed more than 1 million infections, reported a 24-hour record of 38,902 new cases.

Hong Kong to get major upgrade of coronavirus facilities

Pope Francis said “the pandemic is showing no sign of stopping” and urged compassion for those whose suffering during the outbreak has been worsened by conflicts.

The World Health Organisation said that 259,848 new infections were reported on Saturday, its highest one-day tally yet.

Confirmed global virus deaths risen to nearly 603,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins, with the US topping the list, followed by more than 78,000 in Brazil. Europe as a continent has seen about 200,000 deaths.

Since late June, the US has seen a resurgence in new cases and now, six weeks later, deaths have also begun rising, with the country losing about 5,000 people to the virus every week. By contrast, neighbouring Canada has reported 8,800 deaths in total since the pandemic started.

The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2 million, with 3.7 million in the United States and more than 2 million in Brazil.

Coronavirus: are two strains together deadlier than one?

Experts believe the pandemic’s true toll around the world is much higher because of testing shortages and data collection issues.

In the hardest-hit US counties, officials are running out of places to store bodies as their morgues fill up. Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to the state’s largest city, Phoenix, is bringing in 14 coolers to hold up to 280 bodies and more than double morgue capacity ahead of an expected surge in coronavirus fatalities.

A health care worker prepares to dispose of a used N95 respirator mask at a medical centre in Richmond, Texas. Photo: AFP

In Texas, the city of San Antonio and Bexar County have acquired five refrigerated trailers to store up to 180 bodies.

The appearance of such mobile morgues has fed the sense in some Southern states that the pandemic appears to be spinning out of control.

Spain tells millions to stay home as EU meets on virus rescue plan

Meanwhile Barcelona, one of Europe’s most visited cities, has effectively gone back into lockdown as Spain identified more than 150 new virus clusters across the country. Its Covid-19 death toll of 28,420 is one of the worst in Europe.

The regional government of Catalonia has urged nearly 4 million residents of metropolitan Barcelona to stay home unless absolutely necessary, banning gatherings of over 10 people and shutting cinemas, theatres and nightclubs, after the number of new cases tripled in a week.

Police officers guard a barrier to stop more people going on a beach in Barcelona on Saturday. Photo: AP

France, where masks will be compulsory in indoor public spaces from Monday, was closely watching coronavirus clusters in neighbouring Spain, Prime Minister Jean Castex said, less than a month after the border between the two countries was reopened.

When asked about possible border closures, Castex responded: “It is a real issue that we also need to discuss with the Spanish authorities”.

Brazil topped 2 million cases at the start of the weekend – although the World Health Organisation said Brazil’s contagion has “plateaued” with the rate of infection stabilising after 77,000 deaths.

It came as World Bank President David Malpass called for a debt suspension initiative for poorer coronavirus-hit countries to be extended through to the end of 2021. So far, 42 countries have applied for the initiative, asking for a cumulative US$5.3 billion in debt to be deferred.

Hospital technicians prepare medicines at a Covid-19 recovery ward in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: AFP

Addressing the impact of the virus on the world’s poorest, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the pandemic had revealed the “fragile skeleton” of societies and could push 100 million people into extreme poverty.

“Entire regions that were making progress on eradicating poverty and narrowing inequality have been set back years, in a matter of months,” he said.

Elsewhere, Australia’s second-biggest city of Melbourne announced it would make mask-wearing compulsory as the surrounding Victoria state registered nearly 3,000 active cases of Covid-19 despite a 10-day lockdown.

State Premier Daniel Andrews said more than 5 million people in Melbourne and neighbouring Mitchell Shire would be required to wear a mask or other face covering in public spaces from midnight on Wednesday into Thursday.

People wearing face masks walk while social distancing at Fitzroy Gardens in East Melbourne on Saturday. Photo: EPA

“Most of us wouldn’t leave home without our keys, we wouldn’t leave our home without our mobile phone,” he told a press conference.

“You won’t be able to leave home without your mask and then wear it where it is absolutely essential to stop the spread of this virus.”

Failure to comply with the new rule will mean a A$200 (US$140) fine – though Andrews said “common sense” discretion would be applied to activities such as running or visiting a bank.

Russia seals deal to make UK-developed vaccine despite hacking charges

As scientists around the world race to find a vaccine to halt the pandemic, Russia’s ambassador to Britain on Sunday rejected allegations by the United States, Britain and China that his country’s intelligence services have sought to steal information about vaccine efforts.

“I don’t believe in this story at all, there is no sense in it,” Ambassador Andrei Kelin said when asked in a BBC interview about the allegations. “I learned about their [the hackers’] existence from British media. In this world, to attribute any kind of computer hackers to any country, it is impossible.”

Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Associated Press

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: US death toll tops 140,000 as cases keep soaring

Post