WUHAN, China, — The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus has surpassed 115,000, with the death toll reaching more than 4,200, as countries around the world continue to grapple with the challenges of containing the pandemic.
On Wednesday, China reported a slight increase in new daily cases, overturning several consecutive days of fewer new infections. The rise, from 19 on Monday to 24 on Tuesday, has been attributed to individuals returning from overseas, underscoring the difficulties faced by governments as the virus continues to spread rapidly across multiple continents.
Neighboring Japan and South Korea also saw an uptick in numbers Tuesday, with Japan reporting 54 more cases — one of the biggest single-day jumps since the outbreak began, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.
Authorities in South Korea, meanwhile, confirmed 242 new cases, bringing the national total to 7,755.
Japan now has 1,264 confirmed cases and 19 deaths. A total of 568 of the confirmed cases are on land and the remaining 696 cases are from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
As with China, the infection rate in South Korea had slowed in recent days, bringing hope that the situation was beginning to stabilize. Though one of the world’s worst-hit countries, South Korea has been lauded for its widespread testing drive, which has so far seen around 200,000 people screened for the virus. However, new outbreaks linked to a call center in Seoul and the country’s military are likely to alarm officials.
China’s Hubei province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, will allow businesses to gradually come back online and will resume some public transportation services, the provincial government said in a statement Wednesday.
Of the 80,778 people to have contacted the virus inside mainland China since the outbreak was first identified in December, 61,475 have recovered, according to the country’s National Health Commission.
Western countries are also struggling with their own worsening outbreaks. The number of cases in the US has now reached at least 1,000, with numerous states declaring emergencies.
In Europe, cases have now been confirmed in every member nation of the European Union. Italy remains on total lockdown as its healthcare system struggles to cope, while nearby countries like Germany and France report alarming spikes in daily cases.
In a speech earlier this week, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reiterated that different countries are facing “different scenarios,” with each requiring a tailored response. “It’s not about containment or mitigation — which is a false dichotomy. It’s about both,” said Tedros.
Italy is still under lockdown
The entire country of Italy was put under lockdown on Monday, extending drastic measures and restrictions that had previously only been in place in the north.
Since the outbreak arrived in Italy in late February, travelers have brought the virus from there to several European nations and to other regions of the world, including the US and Middle East.
Tuesday saw the biggest rise in coronavirus deaths since the outbreak began in the southern European nation. At least 168 people died in the past 24 hours, said Angelo Borrelli, head of Italy’s Civil Protection Agency, on Tuesday.
That brings the national total to 10,149 cases and 631 deaths.
The US reaches 1,000 cases
The situation appears to be worsening in the US, which reached 1,000 cases on Wednesday.
The number of patients identified has doubled since Sunday alone, indicating a dramatic exponential rise in infections. At least 31 people have died.
Washington state, where a nursing home in Kirkland was at the center of the outbreak, is still the hardest hit. California and New York aren’t far behind, with more than 100 cases each, and Massachusetts is creeping toward the 100-case mark as well.
