COVID-19 Infections Increasing Rapidly... 200,000 New Cases Daily

Worldometer Reports Over 11.34 Million Cases... US Records Highest Daily Infection Count

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] The global spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is accelerating further. On the 2nd and 3rd of this month, the number of daily confirmed cases exceeded 200,000 on both days, marking the highest levels since the outbreak of COVID-19.

In South Korea as well, more than 50 infection cases have been reported daily on average since July began, and the scientific community has raised concerns about the possibility of even faster spread due to mutant viruses, increasing worries both domestically and internationally.

According to the international statistics site Worldometer on the 5th, the number of new COVID-19 infections on the 2nd alone reached 209,379. On the 3rd, it was 209,028, marking two consecutive days with over 200,000 cases. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases to over 11.34 million.

The increase in infection cases is being confirmed worldwide. Not only in the United States, which has the highest number of infections, but also in nearby Japan, cases are spreading.

In the United States, daily confirmed cases reached 57,497, setting a record for the highest number of daily infections, according to media reports on the 4th (local time). States such as Florida, where new cases surged by 43%, as well as Arizona, California, and Texas, are experiencing rapid increases in confirmed cases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the total number of infections in the U.S. has reached 2,785,023.

In Japan, 274 new infections were reported in a single day, the highest number since the emergency declaration was lifted. In Spain, cities have been locked down again. Authorities in the northeastern Catalonia region declared on the 4th (local time) that lockdown measures would be implemented in the Lleida area, which has a population of 200,000 and is experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19. Approximately 350 new confirmed cases were reported there last week.

In South Korea, daily confirmed cases have exceeded 50 for four consecutive days this month, drawing attention to whether Stage 2 social distancing measures will be introduced. In response, the government announced on the 4th that the situation has developed into the highest risk level within Stage 1 social distancing. Additionally, the proportion of so-called 'dark figure patients'?cases with unknown infection routes?has exceeded 13%, raising further concerns.

Research results have also been presented indicating that the virus causing COVID-19 is being replaced by a mutant strain with a faster transmission rate. On the 2nd (local time), the journal Cell published an analysis from a study involving scientists from multiple countries, confirming through genetic sequencing, tests on humans and animals, and laboratory cell cultures that mutant viruses are more commonly found and have stronger infectivity.