Trump Resumes Campaign... US COVID-19 Cases Surpass 8 Million

Worldometer Reports 8.03 Million Cumulative COVID-19 Cases in the US
UK and France Daily Cases Exceed 10,000...Concerns Over Hospital Bed Shortages

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] On the 12th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he tested negative for COVID-19 and would resume his presidential campaign. On the same day, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the United States surpassed 8 million. In 31 out of 50 states, cases are surging rapidly, raising concerns about a shortage of intensive care unit (ICU) beds in some areas. In Europe, as the resurgence of COVID-19 intensifies, lockdown measures have been reinstated in some countries such as the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic.

According to the global statistics site Worldometer, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. reached 8,036,644, exceeding 8 million as of that day. The cumulative death toll was recorded at 220,008. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that the number of COVID-19 patients is rapidly increasing mainly in the Midwest region, including Wisconsin, Wyoming, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and Arkansas.

CNN reported that Idaho recorded the highest positive test rate at 23.5% among those tested for COVID-19, and South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin also showed positive rates exceeding 20%. In North Dakota, due to the surge in cases, only about 20 ICU beds are currently available, raising concerns about a shortage of hospital beds.

Not only the United States but also Europe is struggling with the resurgence of COVID-19. France recorded 16,101 new daily cases on the 11th, and the United Kingdom reported 12,872 new daily cases, with over 10,000 cases occurring, comparable to the peak during the COVID-19 pandemic in April. In France, the number of ICU patients reached 1,539, the highest since May, and in the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) announced that the number of ICU patients in northern England increased sevenfold over the past four weeks, indicating a significant rise in severe cases. Concerns about hospital bed shortages are also growing.

Due to the resurgence of COVID-19, some European countries, including the UK and the Czech Republic, announced the reinstatement of lockdown measures. The UK government announced that the sale of alcohol in pubs and bars in Liverpool, northwest England, where COVID-19 is rampant, will be banned, and social distancing measures restricting indoor meetings with outsiders will be implemented in Greater Manchester and other areas. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared before the House of Commons that day and emphasized, "This country will be tested in the coming months," and "There is no doubt that we will overcome this together."

In the Czech Republic, with daily cases surging to 3,105 on the same day, lockdown measures were implemented limiting indoor sports, social, and religious events to 10 people and outdoor events to 20 people. According to the Czech government, schools have been completely banned from in-person classes, and public institution work hours are limited to 5 hours per day and 2 days per week under the lockdown measures.

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