Global coronavirus cases top two million, doubling in under two weeks

Reported COVID-19 cases around the world surpassed two million on Monday, doubling in 11 days as World Health Organization officials caution patience. 

Covid-19 has infected more than 2,019,320 people around the world and killed at least 119,483 people, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

Worldwide coronavirus cases reached one million and the global death toll surpassed 50,000 on April 2. 

The world knew almost nothing about the virus in December, when reports of a new coronavirus started to surface in Wuhan, China. Since then, it has spread to nearly every country in the world, disrupting daily life for millions under lockdown measures meant to curb the virus’ rapid spread.

Even as the spread of the virus appears to be slowing in several hard-hit countries, including Italy, Spain and the U.S., the WHO on Monday warned against lifting restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus too early. 

“While Covid-19 accelerates very fast, it decelerates much more slowly. In other words, the way down is much slower than the way up,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference at the organization’s Geneva headquarters on Monday. “That means control measures must be lifted slowly and with control. It cannot happen all at once.”

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