WHO reports record daily increase in global coronavirus cases

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases on Friday, with the total rising by 237,743 in 24 hours.

The biggest increases were from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to a daily report. The previous WHO record for new cases was 230,370 on July 12. Deaths have held steady and averaged less than 5,000 a day in July.

Total global coronavirus cases were approaching 14 million on Friday, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than 590,000 people in seven months.

The COVID-19 epidemic in United States is once more blowing up at an exponential rate, even as leaders of some of the worst-hit states resist mandatory mask measures.

Health authorities reported 78,000 new cases on Thursday, according to the database run by Johns Hopkins University. The number of patients hospitalized for the virus is at its highest level since April 23.

The death rate, which plummeted in May and June, has been rising since last week. Florida, the new epicenter, posted more than 11,000 new cases and 128 deaths on Friday.

Coronavirus is spreading to new parts of the country including Idaho, Tennessee and Mississippi. New York, the original US epicenter where more than 32,000 virus patients have died, moved to further ease its restrictions after bringing its outbreak under control.

President Donald Trump’s ratings have plummeted since the start of the pandemic. Only 38 percent of Americans approve of his handling of the crisis, against 51 percent in March, according to a Washington Post poll published Friday.

Trump aide Kellyanne Conway said Friday the cause for the decline is because the president has stopped giving daily briefings on the virus.

“The president’s numbers were much higher when he was out there briefing everybody on a day-by-day basis about the coronavirus,” she said, adding: “I think the president should be doing that.”

The task force briefings featuring Trump were halted in late April amid mounting criticism over his exaggerated and inaccurate claims about the public health response.