Today, the number of COVID-19 infections has surpassed 480,000 globally, which is nearly double last week’s total. Governments around the world have been preparing for restrictive measures that punish individuals who violate lockdown and social distancing rules. More than 22,000 have died as a result of the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The death toll has more than doubled from a week ago after Italy and Spain experienced big increases in fatalities. Overall, a quarter of those infected with the disease have successfully recovered.
Although new cases have slowed in Asian countries, they continue to see increases in “imported infections” among those who have recently returned from Europe and the US. In the US, COVID-19 infections have almost reached 70,000 including 1,050 deaths. The US now has the third-highest number of cases, following Italy and China, after New York City became a hotspot for the virus.
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