Global Covid-19 Cases Top 9 Million

Global coronavirus infections rose to nine million on Monday, as the World Health Organization warned that the pandemic was accelerating, and Saudi Arabia said it would allow a "very limited" number of pilgrims to visit the haj next month.

France took its biggest step back to normality by allowing millions of children to return to school.

Yet after further easing lockdowns in Europe, cases are still increasing across the world, especially in Latin America, with more than 50,000 deaths in Brazil.

There are also reports of fresh occurrences in Sydney and Lisbon, as well as revived outbreaks in Beijing and other areas of Asia.

"The pandemic is still accelerating," WHO's director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual health forum organized by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Tedros said the greatest threat facing the world was not the virus itself, which has now killed over 465,000 people and infected nine million, but "the lack of global solidarity and global leadership." 

"We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world," he said. "The politicization of the pandemic has exacerbated it."

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly played down the threat, comparing the virus to a "little flu" and arguing the economic impact of shutdowns is worse than the virus itself.

Brazil is the second worst-affected country behind the United States, with more than 120,000 deaths on Monday, and political infighting prevented a unified policy.

Mexico, Peru, and Chile are all experiencing major crises—-Mexico City is being pressured to suspend preparations for a large re-opening of the economy as the country's death toll has hit more than 20,000.

With a vaccine still far away, the WHO has called for a rapid increase in production of the steroid dexamethasone, which has been shown to have the life-saving potential for critically ill patients.

'Very limited' haj 

Saudi Arabia announced that it would allow a "very limited" number of pilgrims to participate in its annual Haj Ritual, which last year attracted 2,5 million pilgrims from all over the world.

The Haj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, is a potentially major source of contagion.

The authorities on Monday said a haj only involving pilgrims already in the kingdom would be permitted.

In Europe, countries continued to ease their lockdown restrictions. 

Thousands of French danced and took part in the popular music festival on Monday, the first major blowout since the lockout.

Revelers packed the streets of Paris, most of them masks and social distances, to enjoy concerts in cafes and on the street corners.

Although there were none of the usual extravaganzas, many felt the authorities were too lax.

"This is not what a gradual end to the lockdown looks like," said Dr Gilbert Deray.

"I understand that the Festival of Music is something of a liberation, but did we really have to have it this year?"

Swimming pools and cinemas also reopened on Monday while children up to the age of 15 returned to school, attendance once again becoming compulsory. 

However, highlighting the continued threats, Portugal's Prime Minister, Antonio Costa, stated that limits on meetings of more than 10 persons should be reintroduced and that cafes and shops were required to shut at 8:00 p.m. in Lisbon.

Australians were warned on Monday to avoid travelling to Melbourne, as the second-biggest city tightened restrictions over fears of an upsurge in cases.

China, Germany and Japan are also battling new outbreaks with some reintroducing containment measures.

The spike in infections increased nervousness in global markets, which mostly fell on Monday on news of a worrying jump in fresh cases in several US states including California, Texas and Florida. 

German airline group Lufthansa, meanwhile, says it has backup plans ready in case shareholders reject a nine-billion-euro ($10.1 billion) pandemic rescue plan agreed with the state.

Sports stars tumble 

The sporting world has reemerged from the darkness, although it seems to take one back for every step forward.

Japan has announced that up to 5,000 fans will be able to attend football and baseball games as of July 10, but the presence of fans at other sporting events , particularly in the Balkans, seems to have caused problems.

Five players from Serbian club Red Star Belgrade tested positive for coronavirus after playing a match attended by 16,000 people, the club said on Monday.

Source: AFP