COVID-19 deaths could more than double to 2 million without collective action against the pandemic, the WHO has warned, as Australia’s prime minister urged any nation that develops a vaccine to share it with the world.
The number of cases worldwide has soared past 32.5 million, with deaths approaching 1 million, the global economy devastated, and major cultural and sports events disrupted.
However, despite the pandemic showing no signs of slowing, Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday struck a defiant note, saying that his country was determined to hold the postponed Tokyo Olympics next year.
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“One million is a terrible number, and we need to reflect on that before we start considering a second million,” WHO Health Emergencies Program executive director Michael Ryan told reporters on Friday when asked how high the death toll could rise.
“Are we prepared collectively to do what it takes to avoid that number? If we don’t take those actions ... yes, we will be looking at that number and sadly much higher,” he said.
The pandemic has spurred worldwide efforts to develop a vaccine to help defeat COVID-19, as well as efforts to try to ensure fair and widespread distribution.
“Whoever finds the vaccine must share it... This is a global responsibility and it’s a moral responsibility,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday in a message to the virtual UN General Assembly.
Without a vaccine or effective treatment, social distancing and lockdowns remain among the few options for governments to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, making large gatherings, such as spectator sports and music concerts, highly risky.
Authorities in Brazil — which has the world’s second-highest death toll — indefinitely postponed Rio de Janeiro’s carnival.
Just 1,000 fans a day are being allowed at the French Open, with organizers of one of the world’s biggest tennis events saying it means “millions of euros up in smoke.”
The WHO warning came as the US, the hardest-hit nation in the world, crossed 7 million cases — more than one-fifth of the global total, despite accounting for only 4 four percent of the world population.
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