The WHO reported on Wednesday the largest number of new Covid-19 cases in the world in a single day since the start of the pandemic, saying it feared its consequences in the poorest countries.
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“ We still have a long way to go in this Covid-19 pandemic. In the past 24 hours, 106,000 cases have been reported to WHO - the highest number for a single day since the start of the epidemic, "said the director general of the World Health Organization. " Almost two-thirds of these cases have been reported in four countries, " he added during a virtual press conference from WHO headquarters in Geneva. Mr. Tedros did not specify which countries were, but according to the latest WHO report published on his website, these are the United States, Russia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, followed closely by India, Peru and Qatar.
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" We are very concerned about the growing number of cases in the low- and middle-income country " where the health system is weak or non-existent and physical distancing measures more difficult to implement, said Tedros. These countries are also the most economically vulnerable to the collapse of trade and international travel, which deprives them in particular of an indispensable tourist windfall.
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The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) thus estimated Wednesday in a report that the human development index, which jointly measures education, health and standard of living, was on the way down this year, for the first time in decades because of the health, social and economic consequences of the pandemic. The milestone of five million cases worldwide will soon be reached, added Michael Ryan, WHO emergency health officials. Part of China five months ago, the pandemic of new coronavirus has circumnavigated the world, killing 323,370 people in its path, according to an AFP count.
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