Europe sees half of world’s 4 million new coronavirus cases

WHO also noted the UK, above, was the first country in the region to record more than 50,000 deaths. (AFP)

• Significant spikes in cases and deaths were also seen in the Americas

LONDON: The World Health Organization says nearly 4 million new coronavirus cases were reported globally last week, with Europe accounting for nearly half of all cases.
In its latest epidemiological report on the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN health agency said for the first time in more than three months, cases in Europe have dropped about 10 percent, suggesting that recent lockdown measures across the continent are having an effect.
Still, WHO said that the number of deaths in Europe “increased substantially,” with more than 29,000 deaths last week. Significant spikes in cases and deaths were also seen in the Americas; Southeast Asia was the only region that saw a drop in cases and deaths.
In European countries, WHO said the sharpest rise in coronavirus cases was in Austria, which saw a 30 percent increase compared to the previous week. WHO also noted the UK was the first country in the region to record more than 50,000 deaths. Globally, the countries with the biggest number of cases were: the US, India, Italy, France, and Brazil.