Just a few weeks ago, much of the world seemed poised to leave COVID-19 behind.
U.S. President Joe Biden declared the U.S. close to independence from the virus. Britons hit the dance floor to celebrate "Freedom Day.” Singapore’s legendarily strict government signaled it would begin to loosen its zero-cases approach and make life and travel more manageable.
But if those places were ready to be done with COVID-19, the virus wasn’t done with them.