WHO says Americas seen as new epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic

BRASILIA, Brazil－The Americas have emerged as the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, while keeping a close eye on the US' reopening.

"Now is not the time for countries to ease restrictions," said Carissa Etienne, WHO regional director for the Americas and head of the Pan American Health Organization, or PAHO.

The Americas have registered more than 2.4 million cases of the novel coronavirus and more than 143,000 deaths from the resulting COVID-19 respiratory disease.

By Tuesday, the US had an overall death toll of 98,875, and the number of infections stood at more than 1.68 million, the largest in the world.

Following is Brazil, which had reported 391,222 infections and 24,512 deaths. The country on Tuesday reported the highest daily COVID-19 death toll in the world at 1,039, the fifth straight day the country has topped the list.

Some PAHO directors warned that there are "very tough" weeks ahead for the region, and Brazil has a long way to go before it will see the pandemic end.

Meanwhile, a study by University of Washington warned that Brazil's total death toll could climb five-fold to 125,000 by early August.

The model projections also see deaths rising to nearly 20,000 in Peru, 12,000 in Chile, 7,000 in Mexico, 6,000 in Ecuador, 5,500 in Argentina and to 4,500 in Colombia by August.

In Panama, the government said on Tuesday that in June it will start to relax some measures imposed to curb the spread of the virus, permitting sectors such as construction, nonmetallic mining and pharmaceuticals to resume operations.

As part of the second stage of reopening the economy, the textile, electronics and electricity sectors will also be able to resume operations, Commerce Minister Ramon Martinez said.

The curfew will also be relaxed, and places of worship, parks and sporting facilities may reopen at up to 25 percent of capacity, he said.

In the US, the White House said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump remains committed to holding a Fourth of July celebration in the nation's capital even as Democratic lawmakers from the region warn that the area will not be ready to hold a major event.

Safety concerns

White House spokesman Judd Deere reiterated that Trump wants to hold an Independence Day celebration after members of Congress wrote on Tuesday to Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to raise their concerns about the safety of such an event.

The Washington DC-area members in their letter wrote that "such an event would needlessly risk the health and safety of thousands of Americans".

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Tuesday that the city won't be issuing any permits for large gatherings in the immediate future. The capital is still under a stay-home order, with plans to shift to Phase One of its reopening this upcoming weekend.

Separately, the New York Stock Exchange partially reopened its iconic trading floor after a two-month closure due to the pandemic.

But safety measures such as wearing masks and physical distancing are required in the exchange. People entering the building must have their temperature taken and fill in a questionnaire regarding their health condition.

The reopening of the trading floor came as infections in New York continued to trend down.

In another development, some military bases will be able to begin bringing back personnel and take the first major step toward a return to normal operations this week, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

The announcement came as the Pentagon laid out detailed plans that will govern how the department and its forces around the world will gradually and systematically begin to lift restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Defense officials did not say how many bases were involved or where they were, but said the locations would be made public.

Pentagon officials also on Tuesday released updated guidelines for military travel and deployments. The new rules lift mandatory dates banning travel, and now allow commanders to make decisions based on local conditions. The guidelines lay out requirements for 14-day isolation periods when moves occur.

Xinhua - Agencies