COVID-19 Update
On the Global Pandemic for Week Ending May 2
Number of Cases Worldwide
As of May 2, the worldwide statistics for
COVID-19
pandemic as
reported by Worldometer were:
- Total reported cases: 3,426,382. This is
570,683
more than
the total reported on April 25 of 2,855,699. The
increase in
cases in the previous week was 568,376.
- Total active cases: 2,091,944. This is 250,668
more than the
number reported on April 25 of 1,841,276. The
increase in total
active cases in the previous week was 297,259.
- Closed cases: 1,334,438. This is 320,015 more
than the
number reported on April 25 of 1,014,423. This
compares to an
increase in the previous week of 271,117.
- Deaths: 240,488. This is 41,956 more deaths
than
on April
25, when the toll was 198,532. This compares to an
increase in
the previous week of 41,064.
- Recovered: 1,093,950. This is up 278,059 from
the April 25
figure of 815,891 and compares to an increase the
previous week
of 230,053 recoveries.
There were 94,550 new cases from April 30 to May
1. This
compares to the one-day increase in cases from
April 23 to 24 of
105,825 new cases.
The disease was present in 212 countries and
territories, up
from 210 the week prior. Of these, 63 had less
than 100 cases, as
compared to April 25 when there were 68 countries
with less than
100 cases. There are four countries/territories
without active
cases, down from six the previous week. They are
the Malvinas (13
cases, all recovered), Greenland (11 cases, all
recovered); Saint
Barthélemy (6 cases, all recovered); Anguilla (3
cases, all
recovered).
The five countries with the highest number of
cases on May 2
are noted below, accompanied by the number of
cases and deaths
per million population:
USA: 1,131,030 (903,714 active;
161,563 recovered;
65,753 deaths) and 3,417 cases per million; 199
deaths per
million
- April 25: 926,530 (763,855 active; 110,432
recovered; 52,243 deaths) and 2,799 cases per
million; 158 deaths
per million
Spain: 242,979 (75,714 active;
142,441 recovered;
24,824 deaths); 5,197 cases per million; 531
deaths per
million
- April 25: 223,759 (105,149 active; 95,708
recovered;
deaths 22,902) and 4,786 cases per million; 490
deaths per
million
Italy: 207,428 (100,943 active;
78,249 recovered;
28,236 deaths) and 3,431 cases per million; 467
deaths per
million
- April 25: 192,994 (106,527 active; 60,498
recovered;
deaths 25,969) and 3,192 cases per million; 430
deaths per
million
UK: 177,454 (149,600 active;
recovered N/A; 27,510
deaths) and 2,614 cases per million; 405 deaths
per million
-
April 25: 143,464 (123,614 active; recovered N/A;
19,506 deaths)
and 2,113 cases per million; 287 deaths per
million
France: 167,346 (92,540 active;
50,212 recovered;
24,594 deaths) and 2,564 cases per million; 377
deaths per
million
- April 25: 159,828 (94,090 active; 43,493
recovered;
deaths 22,245) and 2,449 cases per million; 341
deaths per
million
The U.S. alone has about 33.28 per cent of all
cases worldwide
as compared to 32.44 on April 25. Cases in Europe
comprise 41.16
per cent of all cases worldwide, as compared to
43.46 on April
25.
A notable change is that the UK is now the
country
with the third
highest number of reported cases, worldwide,
whereas the week
before it was the fifth highest in Europe. This is
the result of
the rate of new infections in the UK remaining
relatively stable,
while the rate of new cases and total number of
active cases in
Spain, Italy and France have noticeably declined.
Cases in Top Five Countries by Region
In Europe on May 2, the country with the fifth
highest number
of reported cases after the four listed above, is
Germany:
Germany: 164,077 (30,441
active; 126,900 recovered;
6,736 death) and 1,958 cases per million; 80
deaths per
million
- April 25: 155,054 (39,466 active; 109,800
recovered;
5,788 deaths) and 1,851 cases per million; 69
deaths per
million
In the UK, nearly 130 Members of Parliament have
signed on to
a letter that raises concerns about the increased
coronavirus
risk posed by allowing non-essential workplaces,
including
construction sites, to stay open. The British and
Irish trade
union Unite estimates that only around a quarter
of the UK's
construction sites have suspended work amid the
pandemic. The
union has called for tougher measures to be taken
to enforce
safety, and to ensure that workers are not
compelled to work on
non-essential projects. "There are a number of
projects that are
critical infrastructure like building hospitals,
but others, like
luxury flats being built, are not critical in
nature," said Ian
Woodland, Unite's national construction officer.
Construction workers in the UK are often
self-employed,
irregularly employed by agencies, or employed by
subcontractors,
conditions which may result in them being left out
of paid
furlough schemes or not receiving government
subsidies for the
unemployed. This precarity can have dangerous
consequences, Unite
points out. "Blacklisting has been a problem in
the UK as well,
with workers afraid to raise issues due to the
precarity of their
job," Woodland says. "They could get a tap on the
shoulder and be
told they're not needed on site anymore. So
there's a possibility
that health and safety issues are not being
reported as a
result."
Unite is calling for increased medical facilities
on
worksites, free coronavirus testing and treatment,
reduced
workforces and a higher number of shifts to
facilitate social
distancing, and for workers to be able to speak
out without
reprisal about risky conditions.
In Eurasia on May 2:
Turkey: 122,392 (65,326 active;
53,808 recovered; 3,258
deaths) and 1,451 cases per million; 39 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 104,912 (80,575 active; 21,737
recovered; 2,600 deaths)
and 1,244 cases per million; 31 deaths per million
Russia: 114,431 (100,042
active; 13,220 recovered;
1,169 deaths) and 784 cases per million; 8 deaths
per
million
- April 25: 74,588 (67,657 active; 6,250
recovered;
681 deaths) and 511 cases per million; 5 deaths
per million
Kazakhstan: 3,597 (2,650
active; 922 recovered; 25
deaths) and 192 cases per million; 1 death per
million
- April
25: 2,564 (1,910 active; 629 recovered; 5 deaths)
137 cases per
million; 1 death per million
Armenia: 2,148 (1,138 active;
977 recovered; 33 deaths)
and 725 cases per million; 11 deaths per million
- April 25:
1,677 (846 active; 803 recovered; 28 deaths) 566
cases per
million; 9 deaths per million
Uzbekistan: 2,086 (865 active;
1,212 recovered; 9
deaths) and 62 cases per million; 0.3 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 1,862 (1,147 active; 707 recovered; 8
deaths)
In Turkey, more than 15,000 construction workers
in Istanbul
have been let go from their jobs on large
projects. Most were
laid off without receiving any compensation,
during one two-week
period in March as sites began halting operations
or reducing
their workforces, the construction workers' union
Dev-Yapi-Is
says. The union estimates that around 295,000
people are employed
in construction in Istanbul, and more than a
million countrywide.
Workers and labour advocates say those who remain
employed have
been offered few protections against coronavirus
in an
already-dangerous occupation where it is difficult
to enforce
social distancing.
"Masks are distributed at some construction
sites,
but not
many. Both knowledge about how to use these masks
and especially
the number available, are very insufficient. No
other precautions
are taken," says Dr. Ercan Duman, a member of the
Occupational
Health and Workplace Medicine Commission of the
Istanbul Chamber
of Physicians. A recent report by the
Confederation of
Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK), which
includes
Dev-Yapi-Is, indicates that DISK members have
tested positive for
COVID-19 at a rate three times higher than the
average rate per
1000 people tested among the general public in
Turkey.
A directive for workers to sit apart while eating
on
construction sites is considered meaningless given
the poor
hygiene standards in makeshift canteens.
Videos and photos circulated on social media by
unions in
Turkey and their supporters show workers crammed
into cafeterias
and sleeping 10 to a room in on-site dorms. "The
street is
cleaner. You live in filth. It's contrary to human
dignity, one
worker is quoted as saying," Istanbul construction
worker
Özkan
told the newspaper Equal Times that when
concerns
are
raised about workplace issues, employers first
stall for time,
then dismiss those who dared to complain. "After
that, you're not
going to be hired at any other worksite," he says.
Unions in
Turkey have reported that workers are also being
fired if they
don't sign declarations agreeing not to hold their
employer
responsible if they contract coronavirus while on
the job.
In Istanbul and other large cities, the vast
majority of the
construction workforce is made up of internal
migrants from
smaller towns and rural provinces. When workers
were laid off
earlier in the pandemic without compensation, many
returned to
their hometowns, potentially contributing to the
spread of the
virus. Since Turkey halted most intercity travel
in late March,
those who lose their jobs are marooned in the
cities where they
had worked, often with little financial or social
support.
In West Asia on May 2:
Iran: 95,646 (13,237 active;
76,318 recovered; 6,091
deaths) and 1,139 cases per million; 73 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 89,328 (15,485 active; 68,193 recovered;
5,650 deaths)
and 1,064 cases per million; 67 deaths per million
Saudi Arabia: 24,097 (20,373
active; 3,555 recovered;
169 deaths) and 692 cases per million; 5 deaths
per million
-
April 25: 16,299 (13,948 active; 2,215 recovered;
136 deaths) and
468 cases per million; 4 deaths per million
Israel: 16,101 (6,720 active;
9,156 recovered; 225
deaths) and 1,860 cases per million; 26 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 15,148 (8,791 active; 6,159 recovered;
198 deaths)
1,750 cases per million; 23 deaths per million
Qatar: 14,096 (12,648 active;
1,436 recovered; 12
deaths) and 4,893 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million
- April 25: 9,358 (8,419 active; 929 recovered; 10
deaths) and
3,248 cases per million; 3 deaths per million
UAE: 13,038 (10,384 active;
2,543 recovered; 111
deaths) and 1,318 cases per million; 11 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 9,281 (7,457 active; 1,760 recovered; 64
deaths) and
938 cases per million; 6 deaths per million
The migrant workforce is very large in Qatar and
the United
Arab Emirates, with many working in construction,
and they are greatly
affected by the pandemic.
"Construction has been deemed an essential
industry in the UAE
and protections for non-citizens are being rolled
back through
allowances for employers to cut workers' wages,"
says Isobel
Archer, a project assistant at the London-based
Business &
Human
Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC). Though the
measures in the UAE
call for obtaining the mutual consent of the
employee,
already-vulnerable migrant workers have little
power to
negotiate, she says.
"Both countries have taken measures to close
social venues and
cancel or postpone events, so they're clearly
aware that
coronavirus is a huge public health issue," Archer
adds. "That's
why it's so alarming that there's this distinction
being made in
the UAE with migrant workers."
Developer Emaar Properties recently announced
that
it would
suspend major projects in Dubai, while Qatar has
directed
private-sector employers to restrict working hours
on
construction sites and increase health and
occupational safety
measures to protect against the spread of the
coronavirus. But
seven of 14 construction companies surveyed by
BHRRC on what
steps they are taking to protect migrant workers
did not respond,
and none of those that did had adequate plans in
place, a BHRRC
press release informs
"The pandemic is really highlighting the need for
reform on
issues that have been repeatedly investigated by
NGOs," Archer
says. Concerns have long been raised about abuse
and exploitation
of migrant labour in Gulf countries, where workers
on projects
such as Qatar's 2022 World Cup facilities often
live in cramped,
unsanitary conditions on huge labour camps.
In South Asia on May 2:
India: 37,257 (26,027 active;
10,007 recovered; 1,223
deaths) and 27 cases per million; 0.9 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 24,942 (18,664 active; 5,498 recovered;
780 deaths) 18
cases per million; 0.6 deaths per million
Pakistan: 18,092 (13,324
active; 4,351 recovered; 417
deaths) and 82 cases per million; 2 deaths per
million
- April
25: 12,227 (9,216 active; 2,755 recovered; 256
deaths) 55 cases
per million; 1 death per million)
Bangladesh: 8,238 (7,894
active; 174 recovered; 170
deaths) and 50 cases per million; 1 death per
million
- April
25 :4,998 (4,745 active; 113 recovered; 140
deaths) 30 cases per
million; 0.9 deaths per million
Afghanistan: 2,335 (1,957
active; 310 recovered; 68
deaths) and 60 cases per million; 2 deaths per
million
- April
25: 1,463 (1,228 active; 188 recovered; 47 deaths)
and 38 cases
per million and 1 death per million
Sri Lanka: 690 (521 active; 162
recovered; 7 deaths)
and 32 cases per million; 0.3 deaths per million
- April 25:
440 (315 active; 118 recovered; 7 deaths) and 21
cases per
million; 0.3 deaths per million
In Southeast Asia on May 2:
Singapore: 17,101 (15,817
active; 1,268 recovered; 16
deaths) and 2,923 cases per million; 3 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 12,693 (11,725 active; 956 recovered; 12
deaths) 2,170
cases per million; 2 deaths per million
Indonesia: 10,551 (8,160
active; 1,591 recovered; 800
deaths) and 39 cases per million; 3 deaths per
million
- April
25: 8,607 (6,845 active; 1,042 recovered; 720
deaths) and 31
cases per million; and 3 deaths per million
Philippines: 8,772 (7,109
active; 1,084 recovered; 579
deaths) and 80 cases per million; 5 deaths per
million
- April
25: 7,294 (6,008 active; 792 recovered; 494
deaths) and 67 cases
per million; 5 deaths per million
Malaysia: 6,071 (1,758 active;
4,210 recovered; 103
deaths) and 188 cases per million; 3 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 5,742 (1,882 active; 3,762 recovered; 98
deaths) 177
cases per million; 3 deaths per million
Thailand: 2,960 (187 active;
2,719 recovered; 54
deaths) and 42 cases per million; 0.8 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 2,907 (309 active; 2,547 recovered; 51
deaths) 42 cases
per million; 0.7 deaths per million
In East Asia on May 2:
China: 82,874 (599 active;
77,642 recovered; 4,633
deaths) and 58 cases per million; 3 deaths per
million
- April
25: 82,816 (838 active; 77,346 recovered; 4,632
deaths) 58 cases
per million; 3 deaths per million
Japan: 14,305 (10,875 active;
2,975 recovered; 455
deaths) and 113 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million
-
12,829 (10,954 active; 1,530 recovered; 345
deaths) 101 cases per
million; 3 deaths per million
South Korea: 10,774 (1,454
active; 9,072 recovered; 248
deaths) and 210 cases per million; 5 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 10,718 (1,843 active; 8,635 recovered;
240 deaths) 209
cases per million; 5 deaths per million
Taiwan: 429 (99 active; 324
recovered; 6 deaths) and 18
cases per million; 0.3 deaths per million
- April 25: 429 (148
active; 275 recovered; 6 deaths) and 18 cases per
million; 0.3
deaths per million
In North America on May 2:
USA: 1,131,030 (903,714 active;
161,563 recovered;
65,753 deaths) and 3,417 cases per million; 199
deaths per
million
- April 25: 926,530 (763,855 active; 110,432
recovered; 52,243 deaths) and 2,799 cases per
million; 158 deaths
per million
Canada: 55,061 (28,919 active;
22,751 recovered; 3,391
deaths) and 1,459 cases per million; 90 deaths per
million
-
43,888 (26,117 active; 15,469 recovered; 2,302
deaths) and 1,163
cases per million; 61 deaths per million
Mexico: 19,224 (5,942 active;
11,423 recovered; 1,859
deaths) and 149 cases per million; 14 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 12,872 (4,502 active; 7,149 recovered;
1,221 deaths) and
100 cases per million; 9 deaths per million
In Central America and the Caribbean on May 2:
Dominican Republic: 7,288
(5,588 active; 1,387
recovered; 313 deaths) and 672 cases per million;
29 deaths per
million
- April 25: 5,749 (4,719 active; 763 recovered;
267
deaths) 530 cases per million; 25 deaths per
million
Panama: 6,532 (5,768 active;
576 recovered; 188 deaths)
and 1,514 cases per million; 44 deaths per million
- April 25:
5,338 (4,865 active; 319 recovered; 154 deaths)
and 1,237 cases
per million; 36 deaths per million
Cuba: 1,537 (759 active; 714
recovered; 64 deaths) and
136 cases per million; 6 deaths per million
- April 25: 1,285
(820 active; 416 recovered; 49 deaths) and 113
cases per million;
4 deaths per million
Honduras: 804 (617 active; 112
recovered; 75 deaths)
and 81 cases per million; 8 deaths per million
- April 25: 591
(478 active; 58 recovered; 55 deaths) and 60 cases
per million; 6
deaths per million
Costa Rica: 725 (364 active;
355 recovered; 6 deaths)
and 142 cases per million; 1 death
- April 25: 687 (465
active; 216 recovered; 6 deaths) and 135 cases per
million; 1
death per million
In South America on May 2:
Brazil: 92,109 (47,660 active;
38,039 recovered; 6,410
deaths) and 433 cases per million; 30 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 54,043 (22,684 active; 27,655 recovered;
3,704 deaths)
and 254 cases per million; 17 deaths per million
Peru: 40,459 (28,206 active;
11,129 recovered; 1,124
deaths) and 1,227 cases per million; 34 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 21,648 (13,518 active; 7,496 recovered;
634 deaths) and
657 cases per million; 19 deaths per million
Ecuador: 26,336 (23,360 active;
1,913 recovered; 1,063
deaths) and 1,493 cases per million; 60 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 22,719 (20,777 active; 1,366 recovered;
576 deaths) and
1,288 cases per million; 33 deaths per million
Chile: 17,008 (7,756 active;
9,018 recovered; 234
deaths) and 890 cases per million; 12 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 12,306 (5,805 active; 6,327 recovered;
174 deaths) and
644 cases per million; 9 deaths per million
Colombia: 7,006 (5,141 active;
1,551 recovered; 314
deaths) and 138 cases per million; 6 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 4,881 (3,653 active; 1,003 recovered;
225 deaths) and
96 cases per million; 4 deaths per million
In Africa on May 2:
South Africa: 5,951 (3,453
active; 2,382 recovered; 116
deaths) and 100 cases per million; 2 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 4,220 (2,668 active; 1,473 recovered; 79
deaths) and 71
cases per million; 1 death per million
Egypt: 5,895 (4,029 active;
1,460 recovered; 406
deaths) and 58 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million
- April
25: 4,092 (2,723 active; 1,075 recovered; 294
deaths) and 40
cases per million; 3 deaths per million
Morocco: 4,569 (3,315 active;
1,083 recovered; 171
deaths) and 124 cases per million; 5 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 3,889 (3,232 active; 498 recovered; 159
deaths) and 105
cases per million; 4 deaths per million
Algeria: 4,154 (1,880 active;
1,821 recovered; 453
deaths) and 95 cases per million; 10 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 3,127 (1,304 active; 1,408 recovered;
415 deaths) and
71 cases per million; 9 deaths per million
Nigeria: 2,170 (1,751 active;
351 recovered; 68 deaths)
and 11 cases per million; 0.3 deaths per million
- April 25:
1,182 (925 active; 292 recovered; 35 deaths)
In Oceania on May 2:
Australia: 6,767 (929 active;
5,745 recovered; 93
deaths) and 265 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 6,695 (1,243 active; 5,372 recovered; 80
deaths) and
263 cases per million; 3 deaths per million
New Zealand: 1,479 (208 active;
1,252 recovered; 19
deaths) and 307 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million
-
April 25: 1,461 (325 active; 1,118 recovered; 18
deaths) and 303
cases per million; 4 deaths per million
Guam: 142 (5 deaths)
- April 25: 136 (5 deaths)
French Polynesia: 58 (7 active;
51 recovered) and 206
cases per million
- April 25: 57 (16 active; 41 recovered) and
203 cases per million
New Caledonia: 18 (1 active; 17
recovered)
- April
25: 18 (1 active; 17 recovered)
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 15 - May 2, 2020
Article Link:
COVID-19 Update: On the Global Pandemic for Week Ending May 2
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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