Global COVID-19 Cases Surpass 20 Million... In 223 Days (Update)

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) worldwide has surpassed 20 million. It has been 223 days since the first official report of pneumonia patients of unknown cause in Wuhan, China on December 31 last year.

According to the statistics site Worldometer, which aggregates the global COVID-19 situation, as of 8:05 a.m. on the 10th (Korean time), the cumulative number of confirmed cases is 20,000,367. It took only 43 days for the number of patients worldwide to double after surpassing 10 million on June 28.

By country, the United States has the highest number with 5.2 million cases. This is followed by Brazil with 3.04 million and India with 2.21 million. The combined number of patients in these top three countries accounts for more than half of the total, at 10.45 million.

Domestically, sporadic cluster infections continue, making the situation far from reassuring. In particular, community infections are spreading recently centered around churches in the Seoul metropolitan area.

In particular, infections that started at Banseok Church in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province are being transmitted in multiple waves ("Nth transmission") to various places such as daycare centers and workplaces. The total number of confirmed cases related to Banseok Church is currently 24.

Another church in Goyang City, Gippeum 153 Church, has a cumulative total of 20 confirmed cases. Confirmed cases have occurred consecutively at a door-to-door sales company located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where the pastor of this church belongs, and at an elementary school in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, where the pastor’s wife works.

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