Nations Can’t ‘Just Pretend The Pandemic Is Over,’ WHO Director Says
In the U.S., while new cases decline nationally, areas of the Midwest continue to surge. And hospitalizations and deaths among kids are rising.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Monday that people can鈥檛 鈥減retend the pandemic is over鈥 as countries lift restrictions put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.聽WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that countries should not reopen economies if they don鈥檛 have control over the virus. (Klar, 8/31)聽
Countries with significant active spread of coronavirus must prevent amplifying events, as opening up without the virus being under control would be a 鈥渞ecipe for disaster鈥, the World Health Organization said on Monday. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recognised that many people are getting tired of restrictions and want to return to normality eight months into the pandemic. (8/31)
Reports of new cases have fallen significantly around the country since July; they are now flat in 26 states and falling in 15 others. But in nine states, cases are still growing, and in some, setting records 鈥 especially in the Midwest. Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota all added more cases in a recent seven-day stretch than in any previous week of the pandemic. Together, they reported 19,133 new cases in the week ending Sunday, according to a New York Times database 鈥 6.4 percent of the national total, though the five states are home to only 4 percent of the population. In each, some of the biggest surges in new case numbers have come in college towns. (8/31)
The U.S. recorded its smallest number of daily coronavirus cases in months, continuing a slowdown in new infections. The number of new reported infections in the country fell below 34,000 on Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the lowest number since June 22. While Covid-19 cases remain elevated compared with the earliest days of the summer, they have been trending down in recent weeks. (Mendell, 9/1)
Also 鈥
Coronavirus-related hospitalizations and deaths of children and teens are on the rise, according to data compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Although data indicate younger children are less likely to catch or transmit the virus, the May 21-Aug. 20 dataset shows a similar rise across states. Complicating matters is the fact that states use different grouping strategies, with many putting infants and teens in the same category, The New York Times notes. (Budryk, 8/31)
