WHO says coronavirus enters ‘new and dangerous phase’ as daily cases hit record high
WHO says coronavirus enters ‘new and dangerous phase’ as daily cases hit record high

The coronavirus pandemic has entered a “new and dangerous phase” as daily Covid-19 cases hit record highs, the World Health Organization warned Friday.

The number of new cases reported Thursday “were the most in a single day so far” at 150,000, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference from the agency’s Geneva headquarters.

Almost half of the total cases were reported from the Americas, Tedros said, with a large number coming from Southern Asia and the Middle East.

“Many people are understandably fed up with being at home. Countries are understandably eager to open up their societies and economies. But the virus is still spreading fast. It is still deadly and most people are still susceptible,” he said, as reported by CNBC News.

The coronavirus has sickened more than 8.5 million people worldwide and killed at least 454,359, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.