COVID-19 Global Death Toll Surpasses 300,000... Growing Concerns Over Easing Lockdown Measures

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As countries around the world, including Europe and the United States, continue to announce easing of lockdown measures amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, the global cumulative death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 300,000. Concerns about resurgence due to the easing of lockdown measures are also growing.

According to foreign media such as CNN, on the 14th (local time), the COVID-19 statistics from Johns Hopkins University in the United States showed that the global cumulative death toll exceeded 300,000, reaching 301,160. The cumulative number of confirmed cases was recorded at 4,420,743. The country with the highest number of deaths was the United States, with 85,489 deaths, accounting for more than 25% of the total deaths, followed by the United Kingdom (33,692 deaths), Italy (31,368 deaths), and Spain (27,321 deaths).

In the United States and Europe, analyses suggest that the peak of the COVID-19 spread ended around late April, but concerns about resurgence are increasing due to the easing of lockdown measures. In Europe, Russia's spread continues, with cumulative confirmed cases reaching 252,245, ranking second in the world after the United States (1,411,466 cases). Russia's death toll was recorded at 2,305.

In the United States, 47 states announced easing of lockdown measures starting last weekend. Accordingly, health authorities applied existing COVID-19 death prediction models and estimate that up to 147,000 people could die in the United States by August. Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) also urged a phased easing of lockdown measures to prevent resurgence, but due to concerns about a global economic recession and massive unemployment, countries in the United States and Europe are hastening to ease lockdown measures.

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