COVID-19 Status by Country... US 'Slowdown' Japan 'Spread'

COVID-19 Global Cases Reach 2.3 Million, Deaths 160,000
US "Peak Passed" Hopes... Europe Also Shows Signs of Stabilizing
Abe Urges "Please Refrain from Going Out"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) slows down, the United States has begun to ease lockdown measures. On the other hand, Japan, which has recently emerged as a new hotspot of the outbreak, continues to see a steep increase in cases, raising concerns.

According to the real-time international statistics site Worldometer as of the afternoon of the 19th, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide is 2,332,471, with 160,784 deaths.

◆ United States "The peak of the spread has passed," begins phased easing of lockdown = According to Worldometer, as of the afternoon of the 18th (local time), the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States was 738,913. The death toll was recorded at 39,015.

The number of new confirmed cases is decreasing. On the 14th, 30,720 cases; 15th, 30,342 cases; 16th, 29,567 cases; 17th, 32,165 cases; and 18th, 29,057 cases were reported.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on the day, "We continue to see many positive signs that the virus has passed its peak," and announced that some states would begin easing lockdown measures starting next week. Earlier, on the 16th, he announced a three-phase guideline for normalizing economic activities, stating that the specific application and implementation would be decided by the governors.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson issued an executive order on the same day to form a task force (TF) to prepare a sector-specific economic reopening plan, following the announcement of a phased economic restart starting May 4. Alaska plans to announce an economic reopening plan for the retail sector next week, and three states?New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut?will allow yacht marinas to open.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Japan "Concerns over medical system collapse"... Prime Minister Abe "Please refrain from going out" = In Japan, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased by more than 500 for four consecutive days, and as of midnight on the 19th, the cumulative confirmed cases surpassed those of South Korea. According to NHK's aggregation of announcements from local governments, 584 new confirmed cases were reported in Japan the previous day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases, including 712 passengers from the cruise ship "Diamond Princess," to 11,145.

South Korea's confirmed cases were recorded at 10,661. However, according to Worldometer's count as of the afternoon of the same day, Japan's confirmed cases stood at 10,296, still fewer than South Korea.

Japan's daily confirmed cases, based on NHK's count, were 482 on the 14th, 549 on the 15th, 574 on the 16th, 555 on the 17th, and 584 on the 18th, generally remaining in the 500s.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expanded the state of emergency declaration, which had been limited to seven prefectures including Tokyo, to all 47 prefectures nationwide on the 16th, as the rapid increase in COVID-19 infections pushed the medical system to the brink of collapse. At a press conference the following day, he mentioned, "There are cries for help from medical sites," and appealed, "I ask you all again. Please refrain from going out."

◆ Europe also sees a slowdown in the spread = In Europe, the number of COVID-19 deaths has reached 100,000. According to Worldometer, as of the morning of the 19th (GMT), the total number of COVID-19 deaths in European countries such as Spain, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom was 99,875.

By country, Italy had the highest death toll at 23,227, followed by Spain (20,639), France (19,323), and the United Kingdom (15,464), each with more than 10,000 deaths.

Although the number of new confirmed cases in Italy and Spain, which have the highest number of cases, dropped to the 3,000 range the previous day, indicating a slowdown in the spread within Europe, there is still a cautious atmosphere regarding a possible resurgence.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.