-The United States by Friday has registered the most infections -- close to 10 million and a fifth of the world's total, and deaths at over 230,000.
-From Europe to the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, lockdowns have been re-imposed in cities, with updated health protocols and fundraising events held to help tackle the pandemic in Africa.
-Countries should fight as one in face of COVID-19.
BEIJING, Nov. 7 -- It has been nearly a year since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, with the world witnessing soaring daily cases of over 400,000 for half a month.
While many countries are striving to flatten the curve through strict controls and a scientific attitude, others are mired in skyrocketing cases and deaths due to politicizing and downplaying the pandemic.
Facing such a dire situation, the international community needs to pull together and take a persistent, substantial and science-based approach to end the pandemic.
HARDEST-HIT
Global COVID-19 infections topped 49 million on Friday, an increase of 10 million cases in roughly 20 days, according to data by Johns Hopkins University.
People wearing face masks play chess at Bryant Park in New York, the United States, Nov. 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)
The United States by Friday has registered the most infections -- close to 10 million and a fifth of the world's total, and deaths at over 230,000.
Overshadowed by yet another grim estimate, a recent study by the University of Washington showed that the coronavirus death toll in the U.S. would reach just shy of 400,000 by Feb. 1.
The worsening situation, said Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been caused in particular by the "divisiveness" of different U.S. states in following health recommendations, such as wearing masks.
"If everyone had done that uniformly, I don't think we would be in the position we're in right now," the U.S. top infectious expert said, adding that "people were ridiculed for wearing masks. It depended on which side of a political spectrum you were at."
U.S. President Donald Trump, who had said the country was doing "very well" in handling the pandemic, tested positive himself for COVID-19 on Oct. 1.
The virus has also rampaged through high-ranking U.S. officials, including White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, the president's top aide Stephen Miller, Republican Senators Thom Tillis, Mike Lee and Ron Johnson, as well as top military officials.
While withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) and playing a game of blame-shifting, the Trump administration has been criticized for its handling of the health emergency.
The U.S. move is a "strategic mistake," which is "dangerous, irresponsible, immoral and self-defeating," and an attempt to blame its failure in handling COVID-19 on the WHO and China, said Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist with The Philippine Star.
