The global COVID-19 total topped 8 million cases today, driven by accelerating activity in Latin America and other parts of the world, as health officials in Beijing closed schools and ordered lockdowns to curb the further spread of a recently detected cluster.
It took only 8 days for the pandemic total to climb from 7 million to 8 million, 1 day less than it took to rise from 6 million to 7 million. The global number of cases today stands at 8,092,109, and 438,806 people have died from their infections, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
Hot spots in Latin American border areas
At a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) media briefing today, its director, Carissa Etienne, MBBS, MSc, said 3.8 million COVID-19 cases have been reported in the Americas, making up nearly half of the global total.
"We are fast approaching 4 million cases, and the epidemic is still accelerating in the region," she said, noting a mosaic of scenarios among countries and even within some countries. The United States makes up 54% of cases in the Americas, and Brazil accounts for 23%.
Etienne raised concerns about rapid spread in countries such as French Guiana, where cases climbed from 140 to 1,326 in a month, fueled by activity from bordering countries. She said inequality and poverty make big cities in Latin America vulnerable and that health officials are increasingly worried about rising illness numbers in border areas, which have few health services and little testing but are home to large numbers of vulnerable migrants and indigenous people. Examples include Brazil's northern border with Guyana and Suriname and the Amazonian region where Venezuela, Brazil, and Colombia intersect.
"This is a cause for serious concern and immediate action," she said. "Countries must work together to strengthen within and across frontiers. We have done it before." Etienne urged countries to boost primary health services in the border areas, adequately train and supply healthcare workers, share epidemiologic information, and boost testing capacity.
More illnesses in Beijing cluster
A COVID-19 cluster linked to a large wholesale seafood and vegetable market in Beijing grew by 27 more cases in the city, with reports of related illnesses in bordering provinces of Hebei, Liaoning, and Sichuan; school closures; and targeted lockdowns. China's National Health Commission today reported 40 new cases today, 32 local cases and 8 imported illnesses. Of the local cases, 27 are from Beijing, 4 from Hebei, and 1 from Sichuan. So far, 106 cases have been reported.
Lockdowns have been ordered for at least 11 neighborhoods around the market, two other markets linked to cases have been shuttered, and more than 17 neighborhoods around those markets have been locked down, as well as the residential area of Shichachai, which is also a tourist location, CNN reported.
City officials today raised the COVID-19 emergency alert to the second-highest level, cancelled schools and universities, and closed entertainment venues, the South China Morning Post reported. Also, testing is under way among residents of the affected areas.
Elsewhere in China, Shanghai officials announced that travelers from mid- to high-risk parts of China will be quarantined for 14 days because of concerns about the virus spreading from Beijing, Reuters reported.
Africa, Japan, India, New Zealand cases
COVID-19 cases in Africa rose 30% last week, the same as the week before, as cases in the region reached about 173,000, the World Health Organization's (WHO's) African regional office said today in its weekly outbreaks and health emergencies report. The region reported its highest daily total on June 14, with 4,302 cases.
Most of the activity is driven by 10 countries, with South Africa reporting the highest number and consistently reporting more than 3,000 cases each day for the last 2 weeks, the WHO said. The distribution of cases hasn't changed much over the past 2 weeks. Twenty-seven countries are reporting community transmission, and imported cases within the region and infections in quarantine sites and prisons are still on the rise.
In other global COVID developments:
- Tokyo's COVID-19 cases have been rising over the past few days, raising worries about a new wave of cases, Kyodo News Yesterday the city reported 48 new cases, its highest total since May 5. Cases have been rising slowly since restrictions were eased on May 25.
- In India, one of the current hot spots, health officials in the country's southern Tamil Nadu state announced a total lockdown for four districts, including the state capital city of Chennai, CNN Tamil Nadu is the Indian state with the second highest number of cases, reporting 46,504.
- New Zealand, after 8 days with no cases, reported two new infections, both of which involved travelers who were quarantined and were allowed to leave early for compassionate reasons, Reuters
