VOA常速英语:世卫组织认为新冠肺炎情况会变得越来越糟

As coronavirus infections surpassed 13 million globally, with more than a half a million deaths, the World Health Organization is sounding a new alarm.Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction.The head of the world body insist, without mandating basic outbreak control methods, such as physical distancing, wearing masks or staying home, and sick.There's only one way for this pandemic to go.It's going to get worse and worse.His remarks come as WHO reported yet another worldwide record of more than 230,000 new cases in 24 hours on Sunday.10 countries accounted for 80% of that total.More than half of the new confirmed cases came from the United States and Brazil.Countries are losing gains meant, as proven measures to reduce risk are not implemented or followed.We are seeing this across the Americas, South Asia and several countries in Africa.South Africa accounts for most of the confirmed cases in Africa, with nearly 300,000 cases, including more than 4000 deaths, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Amid a surge in hospitalizations, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation Sunday.We are now recording well over 12,000 new cases every day, that is the equivalent of 500 new infections every hour of the day.He reinstated a series of measures, including banning liquor sales to minimize hospitalization, due to alcohol related injuries and ordoring a nighttime curfew.The South African president also made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks when in public.

In the US, several states are rolling back reopening plans.In California, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered bars and indoor restaurant dining to shut down statewide, and also ordered churches, gyms and hair salons to close in the hardesthit counties.We're continuing to see hospitalizations rise in the state, we're continuing to see a modest increase in ICUS and number of beds represented by ICU patients for the state of California and we continue to experience an increase in the rate of positivity here in the state of California.A nail salon owner says, the new order will not only affect him but so many others.If we don't make no money to pay the rent, the landlord shop will shut too.So everybody has a problem, yeah.And also we don't have an income and then the family, our family has the problem too.Something the WHO had touched on this week.We need to reach a sustainable situation where we have adequate control of this virus without shutting down our lives entirely.Or lurching from lock down to lock down, which has a hugely detrimental impact on societies.And the measures put in place in country by country so far have had varying degrees of success or failure.Mary Ann Machado VOA News Washington