Xinhua News Agency, Geneva, February 11. News analysis: The cumulative number of new crown diagnoses in the world exceeds 400 million. Experts call for “unblocking” still need to be cautious
Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Qu
According to the latest epidemic data released by the World Health Organization on the 10th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of new crowns in the world has exceeded 400 million, and the cumulative number of deaths has exceeded 5.77 million.
Taking into account factors such as economic pressures and increased vaccination rates, some countries have already or are preparing to ease epidemic prevention restrictions. But the WHO’s latest weekly epidemic report shows that the number of new crown deaths worldwide is still growing rapidly. WHO experts have repeatedly emphasized recently that the epidemic is not over yet, and caution is still needed in “unblocking”.
The global epidemic remains severe
According to WHO data, as of 17:13 on the 10th Central European Time (0:13 on the 11th, Beijing time), there were 2,332,592 new confirmed cases of new crowns globally, with a total of 40,204,502 confirmed cases; 12,005 new deaths and cumulative deaths 5,770,023 cases.
WHO’s latest weekly epidemic report revealed two characteristics of the current global epidemic: First, the mutated new coronavirus Omicron strain has replaced the delta strain and has become the main global epidemic strain. Second, although the number of new confirmed cases is decreasing, the number of new deaths is increasing. In the week ended February 6, the number of newly confirmed cases worldwide decreased by 17% from the previous week, but there were nearly 68,000 new deaths, an increase of 7% from the previous week.
The United States is the country with the largest cumulative number of confirmed cases and cumulative deaths, with more than 76.44 million confirmed cases and more than 902,000 deaths, accounting for 19% and 15.6% of the global total, respectively.
A total of 10 countries in the world have accumulated more than 10 million confirmed cases, including the United States, India, Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, Italy, Germany and Spain; a total of 5 countries have accumulated more than 300,000 deaths, including the United States , Brazil, India, Russia and Mexico.
Some countries are gradually “unblocking”
Although the epidemic has not yet ended, some countries have gradually eased epidemic prevention restrictions recently out of their own considerations.
The Danish government announced on January 26 that most epidemic prevention restrictions will be lifted from February 1, such as the need to wear masks when entering supermarkets or using public transport. When the measure was announced, Denmark, with a population of less than 6 million, had more than 46,000 daily confirmed cases, but the Danish government believes that the country’s high vaccination rates already provide strong protection to the population. The Danish government also called for more attention and protection to the elderly and those with chronic diseases.
The British government has ended the plan B of the “Coronavirus: Autumn and Winter Plan” previously launched in response to the Omicron virus strain on January 27. From that day, people in England do not need to wear masks, and do not need to show them in public places and activities. Vaccine Pass. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on February 9 that he plans to end all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England in late February, including the self-isolation requirement for those who test positive for the new crown.
The New Zealand government announced a new “five-step” border reopening plan on February 3. It plans to gradually open the border at the end of February and fully reopen no later than October. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on February 7 that starting from the 21st of this month, Australia will reopen the country to foreign tourists who have completed the full course of vaccination once morest the new crown.
Experts advise caution
Some countries have “unblocked with the epidemic”, causing many experts to worry. Experts say the urge to return to normal life is understandable, but caution must be exercised.
Several states in the United States have recently announced that they will relax epidemic prevention and control measures, including the cancellation of “mask orders” in indoor places such as schools. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on the 9th that the number of hospitalized cases and the death rate of the new crown in the United States are still high, and the public is still recommended to wear masks in areas with a high risk of virus transmission.
The latest “unblocking” plan announced by the United Kingdom on the 9th also sparked strong opposition from many experts and scholars in the country. Some experts said that the move “is not guided by science” and “violates the basic principles of public health”, will put vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly at risk, and will lead to more people suffering from long-term symptoms of the new crown.
WHO experts have recently called for countries that have begun to lift restrictions to take a steady, slow approach to gradually “unblocking” as the number of deaths from the new crown continues to rise.
There is a view that the strong transmissibility of the Omicron strain leads to milder symptoms, coupled with widespread vaccination, it is neither possible nor necessary to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus once more expressed concern at a press conference a few days ago. “More virus spread means more deaths… It’s too early for any country (in the face of the epidemic) to surrender or declare victory at this time,” he said.
[Editor in charge: Xu Dan]
