The new coronavirus pandemic is now in a "new and dangerous phase", the World Health Organization said Friday, according to AFP.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged nations and citizens to remain extremely vigilant, as the number of cases reported to the UN health agency hit a new peak.
"The pandemic is accelerating. More than 150,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported to WHO yesterday -- the most in a single day so far," Tedros was quoted as having told a virtual press conference.
He said that almost half of those cases were reported from the Americas, with large numbers also being reported from South Asia and the Middle East.
"The world is in a new and dangerous phase. Many people are understandably fed up with being at home. Countries are understandably eager to open up their societies and economies," he continued.
"But the virus is still spreading fast, it's still deadly and most people are still susceptible."
The novel coronavirus has killed at least 454,000 people and infected more than 8.5 million since the outbreak began in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.
In the US, while former epicenters New York and New Jersey have succeeded in controlling their outbreaks, the virus is now increasing in 20 states.
Despite the increase, leading government expert Anthony Fauci said on Thursday the United States does not require more widespread lockdowns to get its COVID-19 outbreak under control.
Also on Thursday, in an interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump said, “We are very close to a vaccine, close to therapeutics, really good therapeutics."
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)