One of the most frightening things about the novel coronavirus pandemic is the speed with which it’s swept around the globe. That was made even more clear Monday, when the number of coronavirus-related deaths and infections outside of China overtook the number within it. Worldwide infections have risen above 87,000, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University reported by the Associated Press, while cases inside China stood at just over 80,000. Deaths outside China have reportedly risen to more than 3,241, compared to at least 3,208 inside it. The shocking figures are largely down to the outbreak in Italy, where there are nearly 25,000 confirmed infections and more than 1,800 deaths. The World Health Organization has described Europe as the new center of the pandemic. But, while the focus of the pandemic is shifting away from Asia, officials there have urged people to remain vigilant. “If we loosen our grip on the quarantine, it could be a matter of time for the embers of small-scale cluster infections to be revived,” a South Korean newspaper warned.
