Warnings after virus surge in Europe, US

The World Health Organisation warned Thursday that Europe is not yet in the clear, saying 11 nations faced a “very significant resurgence” that could push health systems “to the brink once again.”  

The United States and Europe battled a resurgence of coronavirus cases Friday, with Texas ordering bars to close and warnings mounting worldwide over lifting lockdowns too soon.   

But Sweden lashed out at the World Health Organisation for listing it among at-risk European countries, in a sign of the sensitivities at play as countries try to manage the pandemic.   

More than 480,000 people worldwide have died from COVID-19 since it emerged in China late last year.   
Countries have been balancing the need to reopen economies shattered by coronavirus shutdowns with the need to maintain sufficient measures to prevent a feared second wave.   

In the United States, after hitting a two-month plateau, the rate of new cases is now soaring in southern and western states.  Texas governor Greg Abbott ordered bars to close on Frida. 

 
The United States recorded 37,667 cases and 692 deaths in 24 hours, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, with nearly 122,000 lives lost overall -- by far the highest confirmed toll in the world.  
WASHINGTON AFP 
June26, 2020