COVID-19 update

At press time, active COVID-19 infections had been confirmed in 188 countries and territories, with more than 11.5 million cases and more than 535,000 deaths resulting. A rise in newly reported cases occurred in some countries after quarantine restrictions were eased, including Germany, South Korea and India, leading to fears of a second wave of infections.

In Beijing, China, a cluster of cases that occurred in mid-June, traced back to a food market, caused the city to again impose a stay-at-home order. They were the first recorded locally transmitted cases in that city in 57 days.

South Korea announced that a second wave of infections had begun in May after multiple clusters of cases began appearing. Throughout April and until the May increases, the entire nation had reported, on average, less than one new case per day.

In Germany, authorities reimposed lockdowns on June 22 in two areas in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia after an outbreak occurred.

The World Health Organization declared that, worldwide, the number of new cases of COVID-19 reported on June 21, more than 183,000, was the largest ever recorded in a single day. Most of those were identified in Brazil.

Saudi Arabia announced on June 22 that it would not allow Hajj pilgrims from outside of the country to enter this summer and would limit the number of Saudi residents allowed inside the Great Mosque in Mecca at one time.