Record 350,000 coronavirus cases reported worldwide in one day
9 October 2020, 23:46
A record new worldwide daily high of 350,000 coronavirus cases was reported on Friday, the World Health Organisation announced.
The new daily high surpasses the record set earlier this week by nearly 12,000 infections, as the virus continues to spread across the world for the tenth month.
Friday’s tally includes more than 109,000 cases for Europe alone, with 13,864 reported in the UK.
In a press conference, WHO emergencies chief Dr Michael Ryan acknowledged “there are no new answers” and called for governments to bolster their test and contract tracing systems.
"The majority of people in the world are still susceptible to this disease," Dr Ryan warned.
He added that the WHO wants countries to avoid the punishing lockdowns that have devastated economies, but that governments must ensure the most vulnerable people are protected.
As the virus continues to surge across Europe and elsewhere he also acknowledged that restrictive measures could be warranted too.
Dr Ryan said lockdowns "may be unavoidable where the disease has got out of control again, but we shouldn't accept that in every country, the return of cases should be seen with an immediate return of the need for lockdown restrictions".
The comments from the UN health agency come as the UK’s patchwork of local lockdown measures continues to spread across the country.
Pub-goers get in last orders before a 16-day shutdown in Scotland
On Friday, the city of Bangor in north Wales became the latest area to face local lockdown measures, with Boris Johnson expected to announce further measures for Northern England on Monday.
Nottingham has taken the unenviable title as the “coronavirus capital” of the UK, with 760.6 cases per 100,000 people recorded in the seven days to October 6.
In central Scotland, encompassing Edinburgh and Glasgow, pubs called their last orders and locked up, as tough new coronavirus restrictions came into force at 6pm on Friday.
In a huge blow to the industry, restaurants and pubs in the area will be shuttered until at least 25 October, although cafes are allowed to stay open until 6pm.
Meanwhile, in Paris Covid-19 patients now occupy 40 percent of intensive care beds, as cases topped 18,000 for a second consecutive day.
In Spain the national government declared a state of emergency in Madrid, with 563 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the region, more than twice Spain's national average of 256.
