Coronavirus cases rose to 2.3 million around with world, with the U.S. seeing steady increases but several other countries reporting declining numbers.
The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center says over 735,000 cases and nearly 40,000 deaths have been recorded in the United States, now the epicenter of the virus that first broke out in China late last year.
China on Sunday reported 16 new cases.
South Korea, which early this year saw one of the first outbreaks outside of mainland China, reported only eight new cases — the first time the country has recorded new cases in the single digits in months.
Some countries have started to ease strict social distancing guidelines put in place in an effort to contain the virus.
WHO head Dr. Tedros Adhanom warned Sunday that while plans to ease social restrictions are encouraging, they must be phased in gradually and not seen as an end to the epidemic.
"Lifting so-called lockdown restrictions is not the end of the epidemic in any country; it’s just the beginning of the next phase,” he said.
Earlier, the WHO said Sunday there is “no evidence” that people who have endured COVID-19 are immune to it, dashing hopes of the creation of an antibody COVID test.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 163 people who had the coronavirus have been re-infected.
Amid the global pandemic, musician Lady Gaga curated “One World: Together at Home” a two-hour virtual concert Saturday night, featuring a broad range of celebrities sending messages of hope.
The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Lizzo, Oprah and Stephen Colbert were among the celebrities and entertainers who participated in a worldwide television broadcast Saturday to honor health care workers who are battling the contagion, often at great risk to their lives.
Indian Movie Star Shahrukh Khan, Chinese pianist Lang Lang, and Nigerian singer Burna Boy were also among the dozens of entertainers from across the globe who participated.
Global Citizen, a nonprofit organization, planned the event with the WHO.
Meanwhile, a group of 13 countries has called for global cooperation to reduce the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as infections and fatalities continue to climb worldwide.
The countries, which include Britain, Indonesia, Germany, Singapore, Turkey and Canada, said in a joint statement released Saturday that “It is vital that we work together to save lives and livelihoods.”
The collective, which also includes Italy, Brazil, France, Mexico, South Korea, Morocco and Peru, vowed to “work with all countries to coordinate on public health, travel, trade, [and] economic and financial measures in order to minimize disruptions and recover stronger.”
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa said the pandemic could claim 300,000 lives in Africa this year. But the World Health Organization estimates there are fewer than 2,000 ventilators available for the hundreds of millions of people in 41 African countries, fueling concerns that chronic shortages of ventilators and other essential supplies could be catastrophic.
