The global confirmed cases of coronavirus pandemic have surged to a whopping fifty million on Sunday, following a record surge in new cases in several nations across the world. According to the data compiled by the John Hopkins University, more than 1.2 million people have died after contracting the respiratory disease.
However, the health experts have maintained that the original number of infections and fatalities could be much higher, citing the beleaguered testing and healthcare facilities in many countries. Meanwhile, RushHourDaily reported that the second wave of infections has accounted for almost a quarter of the new infections.
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Europe, which has recorded more than 10.5 million confirmed infections, is again a hotspot after being the first epicenter of the pandemic earlier this year. On Sunday, French health officials recorded a total of 38,615 new infections – many less than last day’s record surge of 86,852 infections.
Additionally, it has recorded 40,439 deaths so far. In a bid to curb the further spread of the virus, the government has imposed a national lockdown that is expected to remain in place until the first week of December. Meanwhile, Britain faces the strictest lockdown in Europe also recorded 20,572 new confirmed cases with a total of 40, 044 deaths so far.
But the health authorities in the US also painted a grim picture of the outbreak in America. They have recorded a total of 125,000 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours for three consecutive days, and North and South Dakota remain at the top in terms of the highest death rate in terms of per capita.
But the President-elect Joe Biden has vowed an effective response to the pandemic, unlike his rival, who repeatedly downplayed the virus since the first case was reported. Besides, he has also publicly criticized the national mandate on facemasks and social distancing measures imposed by several Democratic-ruled states.
Biden has promised to set up a coronavirus taskforce as early as Monday and expected to begin its meetings in the next few days. Political experts suggest that Biden aims to take the lead in tackling the pandemic when it’s at the peak in the US. Doctor Scott Gottlieb, the former US Food and Drug Administration commissioner, told the news reporters that the infections in the US are likely to decrease by late January.
