rio de janeiro the world health organization warned friday of a new and dangerous phase of the coronavirus pandemic as infections continued to surge in the americas with brazil registering more than one million casescolombia and mexico also passed bleak milestones as their death tolls topped 2000 and 20000 respectively showing how the virus continues ravaging the americas and parts of asia even as europe starts to ease out of lockdownthe measures imposed to halt the spread of the disease have caused crippling economic damage but the who warned against giving in to isolation fatiguethe world is in a new and dangerous phase many people are understandably fed up with being at home but the virus is still spreading fast who chief tedros adhanom ghebreyesus told a virtual press conferencethe virus has now killed more than 458000 people and infected 86 million worldwidea vaccine remains months off at best despite several trials and scientists are still making daily discoveries about the virus its symptoms and the extent to which it may have spread before being identifiedbrazil which has the secondhighest number of infections and deaths after the united states reported a oneday record of nearly 55000 new infections becoming the second country to pass one million casesthe health ministry said the jump was caused by instability in its reporting system which delayed previous days figures for some statesbrazils death toll now stands at nearly 49000 and has risen by more than 1000 each of the past four days though its curve finally appears to be starting to flattenauthorities in mexico city meanwhile pushed back a planned reopening of the economy from next week to the following saying the rate of infection was still too highand argentina which is reeling from the economic impact of the health crisis bought more time to negotiate its 66 billion debt restructuring with creditors who agreed to extend the deadline once again to july 24in europe researchers in italy said they had found evidence the virus was present there in december months before its first confirmed cases and about the same time the disease was first reported in chinaresearchers discovered genetic traces of sarscov2 as the virus is officially known in samples of waste water collected in milan and turin at the end of last year and bologna in january the iss institute saiditalys first confirmed cases were not until februaryitaly was the first european country to be hit by the virus and the first in the world to impose a nationwide lockdown in early marchiss italys top health agency also urged caution after last week seeing warning signs of virus transmission following two outbreaks in romemany european countries followed italy into lockdown and most have only recently begun reopeningfacing the biggest recession in eu history leaders held a virtual summit on the european commissions proposal for a 750 billion euro 840 billion rescue fundhowever they fell short of reaching a dealopposition is fierce from the frugal four netherlands sweden denmark