More than 312,000 people died worldwide, WHO warns of risk of Covid-19 re-emergence
The complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic in many countries, with the number of new infections and deaths from the virus constantly increasing, forced the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue an urgent warning about the risk of a second outbreak.
According to Worldometers, as of early morning on May 17 (Vietnam time), the new strain of Corona virus has attacked 213 countries and territories around the world, infecting more than 4.7 million people and causing at least 312,221 deaths. However, the world has also witnessed more than 1.8 million patients.Covid-19 recovered after treatment.
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| WHO warns countries to be on guard against the risk of a second Covid-19 outbreak. Photo: AP |
Many countries around the world have now ended or eased lockdown measures as the domestic pandemic situation shows signs of stabilizing. In Europe, one of the epicenters of the global Covid-19 pandemic, beaches have begun to reopen during the first heatwave. The continent is also preparing for the first matches of the German National Football Championship (Bundesliga) to return after more than a month of suspension.
However, WHO warned the above countries to be cautious, considering this as "a time to prepare, not to celebrate" to avoid the risk of a new wave of Covid-19 infections this coming winter.
China faces major challenges due to the risk of a second wave of the epidemic.
Dr. Zhong Nanshan, a renowned epidemiologist who is serving as a senior medical advisor to the Chinese government in the fight against Covid-19, said that the country is still facing a major challenge from the risk of a second wave of new coronavirus infections due to a lack of immunity.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Mr. Zhong acknowledged that mainland authorities should not be complacent about their initial success in containing the outbreak. After declaring the outbreak under control, Beijing eased its nationwide lockdown measures last month. Some schools and businesses across the country have been allowed to reopen.
However, in the face of a resurgence of new Covid-19 infections in the community in some localities, Chinese authorities had to lock down the city of nearly 11 million people, Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, in late April and are applying similar measures to Shulan city, in Jilin province, bordering North Korea.
As of the morning of May 17, China was overtaken by India as the largest epidemic area in Asia, with a total of 82,941 Covid-19 cases, an increase of 8 people compared to the previous day, and the total number of deaths remained the same for many days at 4,633 people.
Italy cautiously eases lockdown
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the country must cautiously reopen its economy, taking into account the risk of a resurgence of the epidemic curve. Conte's comments came as Italian health officials reported 153 new Covid-19 deaths on May 16, the lowest daily tally since the government began imposing a nationwide lockdown to contain the outbreak in March.
Local authorities have begun easing some restrictions and are expected to do so again early next week. Retail stores, restaurants and hotels are advised to check customers’ temperatures, require them to wear masks and maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Conte announced that Italy will also lift travel restrictions for visitors from European countries on June 3.
Italy is currently one of the "hotspots" of the Covid-19 epidemic with nearly 225,000 positive cases of the new Corona virus and at least 31,763 of them have died.
Barack Obama criticizes US officials for their response to the epidemic
Former US President Barack Obama on May 16 unexpectedly criticized a number of officials tasked with overseeing the country's fight against Covid-19.
According to AP, speaking to new graduates in a 2-hour live event broadcast on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, Mr. Obama emphasized that the Covid-19 epidemic showed that many US officials "didn't even try to take responsibility" for how to respond to the crisis caused by the new Corona virus.
Obama did not mention President Donald Trump or any US federal or state officials by name. However, the former president's new statements appear to show his dissatisfaction with what Washington is doing to prevent and combat the disease.
The US is still the country most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the total number of infections (more than 1.5 million people) and the total number of deaths (89,451 people) both the highest in the world, as of May 16.
