US, Europe setting records for COVID-19 cases
The United States and European countries are setting records for coronavirus infections as a wave of cases washes over parts of the Northern Hemisphere, forcing some governments to impose new restrictions.
In the United States, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is at a two-month high, straining health care systems in some states.
The number of new COVID-19 cases last week rose 24 percent while the number of tests performed rose 5.5 percent.
US President Donald Trump, facing a tough re-election battle on November 3, lashed out again at reports that the coronavirus is surging.
He repeated his unfounded claim that COVID-19 cases are rising because there is more testing, an assertion not supported by data and one that has been rejected by health experts. In a Twitter post, Trump blamed testing for the surging rate: “Cases up because we TEST, TEST, TEST. A Fake News Media Conspiracy. Many young people who heal very fast. 99.9 percent. Corrupt Media conspiracy at all time high.”
In Europe, the picture was unrelentingly grim as a string of countries reported record increases, led by France, which posted more than 50,000 daily cases for the first time on Sunday, while the continent passed the threshold of 250,000 deaths.
Governments across the continent have been desperate to avoid the lockdowns which curbed the disease earlier in the year at the cost of shutting down their entire economies. But the steady rise in new cases has forced many in Europe to tighten restrictions.
“We are facing very, very difficult months ahead,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a meeting of leaders from her Christian Democrat party.
She plans “lockdown light” that will focus on closing bars, restaurants and public events.
“There’s no question that the European region is an epicenter for disease right now,” World Health Organization emergencies chief Michael Ryan said on Monday.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical expert on the pandemic, also voiced concern about the severe situation in Europe, in particular a surge in hospitalizations and rapidly filling intensive care units.
“In many cities we’re seeing beds filling up too quickly, and we’re seeing many projections saying the ICU beds will reach capacity in the coming days and weeks.”
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