The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday May 20, the largest number of new cases of Covid-19 in the world in a single day since the start of the pandemic, saying it feared its consequences in countries the poorest.
"We 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 figure for a single day since the start of the epidemic ", alarmed Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the organization.
"We still have a long way to go in the # COVID19 pandemic.
In the last 24h, there have been 106,000 cases reported to WHO - the most in a single day since the outbreak began. Almost two thirds of these cases were reported in just four countries "- @ DrTedros
"Almost two thirds of these cases have been reported in four countries," he added during a virtual press conference from WHO headquarters in Geneva.
Rising cases in poor countries
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus did not specify which countries they were but, according to the latest WHO report published on its website, they are the United States, Russia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, closely followed by India, Peru and Qatar.
"We are very concerned about the growing number of cases in the low- and middle-income country," where the health system is weak or nonexistent and physical distancing measures more difficult to implement, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
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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.
Human development index down
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) thus estimated, on Wednesday, in a report, that the human development index, which jointly measures education, health and standard of living, was on the way to reduce this year, for the first time in decades because of the health, social and economic consequences of the pandemic.
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The milestone of five million cases worldwide will soon be reached, added Michael Ryan, WHO director of health emergencies.
Leaving 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.
With AFP and Reuters
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