On the Global Pandemic for Week Ending June 6Number of Cases WorldwideAs of June 6, the worldwide statistics for COVID-19 pandemic as reported by Worldometer were: - Total reported cases: 6,869,085. This is 816,824 more than the total reported on May 30 of 6,052,261. This compares to the increase in cases in the previous week of 731,427. - Total active cases: 3,106,916. This is 97,238 more than the number reported on May 30 of 3,009,678. The increase in total active cases compared to the previous week was 198,384. - Closed cases: 3,762,169. This is 719,586 more than the number reported on May 30 of 3,042,583. This compares to an increase in the previous week of 529,552. - Deaths: 398,586. This is 31,299 more deaths than on May 30, when the toll was 367,287. This compares to an increase in the previous week of 27,026. - Recovered: 3,363,583. This is up 688,287 from the May 30 figure of 2,675,296 and compares to an increase the previous week of 502,589 recoveries. There were 130,529 new cases on June 5, a new all-time high number, exceeding the previous high mark of 129,663 reached the day before. The number of new daily cases ranged between 104,576 to 130,529 over the past week. The disease was present in 213 countries and territories, the same as the week prior. Of these, 42 countries had less than 100 cases, as compared to May 23 when there were 48 countries with less than 100 cases. There are 21 countries/territories without active cases this week, the same number as the previous week. They are the Isle of Man (336 cases; 312 recovered; 24 deaths); Montenegro (324 cases; 315 recovered; 9 deaths); Faeroe Islands (187 cases, all recovered); Aruba (101 cases; 98 recovered; 3 deaths); French Polynesia (60 cases, all recovered); Macao (45 cases; all recovered); Eritrea (39 cases, all recovered); Timor-Leste (24 cases, all recovered); Fiji (18 cases, all recovered); Saint Kitts and Nevis (15 cases, all recovered); Greenland (13 cases, all recovered); the Malvinas (13 cases, all recovered); the Turks and Caicos (12 cases; 11 recovered; 1 death); the Seychelles (11 cases, all recovered); Montserrat (11 cases, 10 recovered; 1 death); Papua New Guinea (8 cases; all recovered); British Virgin Islands (8 cases; 7 recovered; 1 death); Caribbean Netherlands (7 cases; all recovered); St. Barth (6 cases, all recovered); Anguilla (3 cases, all recovered); Saint Pierre et Miquelon (1 case, recovered). The five countries with the highest number of cases on May 30 are noted below, accompanied by the number of cases and deaths per million population: USA: 1,965,912 (1,115,789
active; 738,729 recovered; 111,394 deaths) and 5,942 cases per million;
337 deaths per million Brazil: 646,006 (308,875
active; 302,084 recovered; 35,047 deaths) and 3,041 cases per million;
165 deaths per million Russia: 458,689 (231,576
active; 221,388 recovered; 5,725 deaths) and 3,143 cases per million;
39 deaths per million Spain: 288,058 (active and
recovered N/A; 27,134 deaths) and 6,161 cases per million; 580 deaths
per million UK: 283,311 (active and
recovered N/A; 40,261 deaths) and 4,175 cases per million; 593 deaths
per million Looking at the countries with the highest rate of daily new cases over the past week, in Brazil, the rate of daily new cases, daily deaths and total active cases continue to increase. Over the past week, the number of new daily cases ranged from 14,556 to an all-time high of 31,890, In the U.S., the rate of daily new cases fluctuated between 20,724 and 25,393, similar to the week before. India's rate of daily new cases is rising and has surpassed that of Russia, ranging between 7,761 and 9,889 over the past week. In Russia, daily new cases ranged 8,536 to 9,268 over the past week, similar to the week before. Looking at the other countries with the highest daily new cases on June 5, they are in decreasing order: Mexico, 4,442; Chile: 4,207; Peru, 4,202; 3,377; Pakistan, 3,985; Iran, 2,886; and Bangladesh, 2,828. Of these countries, Brazil, India, Mexico, Pakistan and Bangladesh have increasing rates of daily new cases and daily deaths. Iran's daily new cases are increasing, although the daily new deaths have yet to rise accordingly. The number of daily new cases in Chile and Peru appear to have peaked in the course of the past week. Cases in Top Five Countries by RegionIn Europe on June 6, the three other European countries with the highest number of reported cases after Spain and the UK, listed above, are Italy, France and Germany: Italy: 234,531 (36,976 active;
163,781 recovered; 33,774 deaths) and 3,879 cases per million; 559
deaths per million Germany: 185,414 (7,751 active;
168,900 recovered; 8,763 deaths) and 2,213 cases per million; 105
deaths per million France: 153,055 (53,440 active;
70,504 recovered; 29,111 deaths) and 2,345 cases per million; 446
deaths per million Senior public health officials in the UK have accused the government of lifting coronavirus restrictions too quickly. The Association of Directors of Public Health said ministers were "misjudging" the decision on easing the lockdown at a "critical moment," the Independent reported on June 1. The organization also questioned whether the relaxation of the rules and guidance was supported by science. The children's commissioner has called for summer schools to be set up to help pupils catch up on the work they have missed. Anne Longfield said the most vulnerable children were at risk of falling behind as a result of spending up to six months at home. Also in the UK, the Office for National Statistics, reporting on pandemic figures for the week ending May 22, said on June 2 that 12,288 deaths were registered that week in England and Wales, 24 per cent more than normal for a week in mid-May. When data for Scotland and Northern Ireland are included, it means 61,920 more people than normal have died across the UK in this period. This puts the number of deaths per million at 929, which is among the highest rates worldwide. The Guardian reported on June 4 that a test-and-trace system to be implemented by Britain's National Health Service (NHS), ostensibly aimed at preventing a second wave of the pandemic, it not expected to be fully operational until September or October. The Guardian's report states: "Tony Prestedge, the chief operating officer of the NHS scheme, admitted in a webinar to staff that the programme would be 'imperfect' at launch, adding that he hoped it would be operational at a world-class level within three to four months. "It comes as a leaked email from the chief executive of Serco -- one of the main companies contracted to deliver the service -- revealed how he doubted the scheme would evolve smoothly but said he wanted it to 'cement the position of the private sector' in the NHS supply chain. "The disclosures come as scientists said lockdown measures should not be eased until the test-and-trace service is well established. The system, which tracks those who have contracted coronavirus and anyone they have been in contact with, before asking them to self-isolate, was rolled out across England last week with the help of 25,000 contact tracers." In France, the economy is expected to shrink a record 11 per cent this year because of the pandemic, which is worse than the government's previous forecast of an 8 per cent contraction, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on June 2. The government has progressively revised upwards the damage caused by the pandemic and the latest estimate will be included in a recovery budget that will be submitted to ministers on June 10. France began removing lock-down restrictions on May 11. Some 300,000 cafés, bars and restaurants were allowed to reopen for regular business on June 2 but in Paris they remain limited to outside seating only. Le Maire said that businesses would continue to benefit from a government solidarity fund until the end of the year to help cover fixed costs. The government is trying to avert a string of retail bankruptcies by seeking buyers for big clothing chains Camaieu, Conforama and La Halle, which employ thousands of people, Le Maire said. Minister Le Maire had previously announced sector-specific support plans for the tourism and car industries earlier this month. He said measures for the aerospace industry were being prepared for next week and the start-up and building sectors would follow afterwards. Le Maire also announced that traditional mid-year sales by retailers would be pushed back to July 15 instead of June 24. He said the delay had been requested by small-business owners who needed more time to prepare after being closed for more than two months. French automaker Renault announced on May 29 that it plans to cut 15,000 jobs worldwide "as part of a $2.2 billion cost-cutting plan to cope with reduced sales over the next three years," news agencies report. Under the plan, some 4,600 of those jobs would go in France, where 48,500 of its overall workforce of 180,000 employees are based. The cuts would affect just under 10 per cent of Renault's workforce. The company also plans to slash its annual production to 3.3 million vehicles, down from its current figure of 4 million. In related news, Renault struck a deal with Japanese car-maker Nissan, with whom it has a strategic partnership, that will see the Renault take the lead in Europe "as the whole auto industry grapples with expensive shifts in electromobility and autonomous driving systems, as well as the impact of the pandemic," Politico reports. Nissan also announced the closure of its factory in Barcelona. The factory dates back to 1920 but has only been owned by Nissan since 1980. Nissan has already cut 600 jobs from its Barcelona operation "to reduce costs." In its announcement, Nissan said it will now redirect its resources toward Japan, China and the United States, "giving ground to Renault in continental Europe." The production of vans will be shifted from Barcelona to Renault's French factories. About 3,000 direct jobs and between 25,000 and 30,000 indirect jobs depend on Barcelona's Zona Franca (free trade zone) factory. Spain and Catalonia had offered an injection of up to 100 million euros -- about a third of what Nissan needed to invest to build a new electric vehicle at the Barcelona factory, which would ensure its long-term viability, Politico writes. It adds: "The government argues that closing the factory would cost the company more than 1 billion euros in compensation to workers and suppliers, as well as the repayment of 25 million euros in taxpayer money handed to Nissan over the last 12 years. Madrid says that it would be cheaper for Nissan to invest and save the site. The government also warned that leaving Barcelona and Spain equals 'abandoning the European Union, with the consequent reputational damage in a market of more than 500 million people.' "Nissan's decision does not directly affect the future of the company's other sites in northern Spain, including Ávila, where it produces spare parts, and Cantabria, where it manufactures electric vans." In Eurasia on June 6, Russia tops the list of five countries with the highest cases in the region, with the figures reported above, followed by: Turkey: 168,340 (30,292 active;
133,400 recovered; 4,648 deaths) and 1,998 cases per million; 55 deaths
per million Kazakhstan: 12,511 (5,556
active; 6,903 recovered; 52 deaths) and 667 cases per million; 3 deaths
per million Armenia: 12,364 (8,454 active;
3,720 recovered; 190 deaths) and 4,173 cases per million; 64 deaths per
million Azerbaijan: 6,860 (2,907
active; 3,871 recovered; 82 deaths) and 677 cases per million; 8 deaths
per million In West Asia on June 6: Iran: 167,156 (29,281 active;
129,741 recovered; 8,134 deaths) and 1,992 cases per million; 97 deaths
per million Saudi Arabia: 95,748 (24,490
active; 70,616 recovered; 642 deaths) and 2,753 cases per million; 18
deaths per million Qatar: 65,495 (24,511 active;
40,935 recovered; 49 deaths) and 23,326 cases per million; 17 deaths
per million UAE: 37,642 (17,031 active;
20,337 recovered; 274 ) and 3,809 cases per million; 28 deaths per
million Kuwait: 30,644 (12,123 active;
18,277 recovered; 244 deaths) and 7,183 cases per million; 57 deaths
per million In Iran, a second surge of COVID-19 infections continues. On June 4, the country recorded the highest number of new daily cases, with 3,574, as part of three consecutive days of more than 3,000 new daily cases. The previous high mark dates back to March 30, when it recorded 3,186 new daily cases. Nonetheless, after two months of restrictions, mosques, churches, ports, business activities, restaurants and cafes will be allowed to re-open from June 7, Al Jazeera reports. Xinhua reports that the key border crossing between Iran and Turkey in Bazargan in northwestern Iran has reopened for trade after a three-month closure due to the pandemic. Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on June 3 in an interview with Iranian state TV news that "More serious compliance with physical distancing and more serious and smarter use of masks is an absolute necessity in the days ahead." Nine of Iran's 31 provinces are now considered "red zones" or carry a virus alert warning, Jahanpur said. In Yemen, the United Nations warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could cause more deaths, disease and famine than the war being waged on it by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition over the last five years. "There is a high probability that a pandemic resurgence will occur very soon in the country," UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Chief Lise Grande warned on June 5. The alert came shortly after the organization announced a cut in financial aid to Yemen. "Of the U.S.$2.42 billion the UN has requested from its donors [to aid Yemen], only U.S.$1.35 billion will be received," Grande said. "Yemen is experiencing the world's worst crisis, with 24 million people depending on humanitarian aid to stay alive," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. At least 180 out of 369 hospitals in Yemen will close within three weeks due to a lack of economic resources, news agencies report. Meanwhile, water and sanitation services for 8.5 million people, including 3 million children, will be disrupted. As of June 6, Yemen has reported 469 cases (335 active; 23 recovered; 111 deaths) but given the situation of its health care system, it is suspected the disease is spreading widely without being detected. On May 28, the European Union renewed its inhuman sanctions against Syria for another year despite the pandemic. The sanctions were first initiated in 2011 as part of the imperialists' efforts at regime change, that also included arming terrorist groups to foment civil war, at a terrible cost to the Syrian people. The sanctions ban oil imports and certain investments and technology transfers. As recent statements from the governments of Russia, Iran and Yemen point out, the sanctions interfere with the ability of the Syrian government to provide health care for the people in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and must be lifted immediately. As of June 6, Syria has reported 124 cases (65 active; 53 recovered; 6 deaths). In South Asia on June 6: India: 237,566 (116,843 active;
114,073 recovered; 6,650 deaths) and 172 cases per million; 5 deaths
per million Pakistan: 93,983 (59,467
active; 32,581 recovered; 1,935 deaths) and 426 cases per million; 9
deaths per million Bangladesh: 63,026 (48,855
active; 13,325 recovered; 846 deaths) and 383 cases per million; 5
deaths per million Afghanistan: 19,551 (17,411
active; 1,820 recovered; 320 deaths) and 503 cases per million; 8
deaths per million Sri Lanka: 1,801 (899 active;
891 recovered; 11 deaths) and 84 cases per million; 0.5 deaths per
million Time magazine reported on June 1 about the situation in Mumbai, India, which it says is the "epicenter of India's worsening coronavirus outbreak, [and where the health care system] is overwhelmed as COVID-19 patients pour in and hospital staff work around the clock. Medical care for non-coronavirus patients has basically been shut off due to a lack of resources. "'We are opening new wards daily but they get filled by end of day with COVID-19 patients. It is pretty bad right now,' said Saad Ahmed, a resident doctor at state-run King Edward Memorial Hospital in central Mumbai. 'All wards are now COVID-19 wards and they are full to the capacity.' "Despite a strict two-month-long lockdown, the outbreak in India's financial capital has snowballed, with the city now accounting for more than a fifth of India's over 5,400 deaths and 190,600 infections. The pandemic's center is shifting away from New York and Europe to nations like Brazil and India, where under-funded health care infrastructure and poor living conditions provide fertile ground for the virus. India's virus death toll overtook China's on Thursday [May 28]. "A Twitter video in early May showed corpses of virus victims left on beds next to patients in a hospital ward in Mumbai's state-run Lokmanya Tilak Hospital. The hospital probed the incident and replaced its dean. Pictures recently emerged of bodies left unattended in the hallways of King Edward Memorial hospital. "Bodies have piled up in hospitals in the last few weeks after family members refused to claim them out of a fear of infection, said Madhuri Ramdas Gaikar, a nurse at the King Edward Memorial Hospital. The intense fear around the virus has created a new class of untouchables in India, with the infected and their families being shunned by their neighbors or shunted out of rented apartments. [...] "Hospitals' emergency wards are seeing twice the number of patients they have beds for, said a doctor in a state-run hospital who did not want to be named fearing repercussions from her employer. That meant one oxygen station had to service multiple patients and some were forced to share beds, she said. "The other bottleneck is in critical care facilities and health care staff -- doctors, nurses, lab technicians and cleaning staff -- as many are infected or quarantined. "'Critical patients are struggling hard to get beds everywhere in Mumbai,' said Vikas Oswal, a private sector chest physician who also sees patients in the state-run Shatabdi Hospital. 'It takes 12-16 hours to find a single bed. Beds get filled up immediately with next patient in queue.' "Even as India started implementing a phased exit from the world's biggest lockdown, Maharashtra -- the state where Mumbai is located -- on Sunday [May 31] extended the stay-at-home measures in the metropolis to June 30. Some small relaxations will kick in from June 5 in Mumbai such as allowing shops and markets to open on alternate days. "[...] Mumbai's situation is compounded -- some say created -- by the reluctance of its massive and better-equipped private health system to get involved in virus care out of a fear of infection. "There was a shortage of beds for Intensive Care Units, or ICUs, and critical care initially when the pandemic broke out but it has largely been mitigated now, according to Sanjay Oak, a physician heading Mumbai's virus task force set up in April by the Maharashtra government. "The state government has taken over 80 per cent of general category beds and all the ICU beds in the city's private health care facilities, Oak said in an email. These beds 'are displayed and alloted through a common dash board' at an affordable price, he said. "Despite these efforts, some patients are still getting crowded out." In Southeast Asia on June 6: Singapore: 37,527 (13,294
active; 24,209 recovered; 24 deaths) and 6,418 cases per million; 4
deaths per million Indonesia: 30,514 (18,806
active; 9,907 recovered; 1,801 deaths) and 112 cases per million; 7
deaths per million Philippines: 21,340 (15,905
active; 4,441 recovered; 994 deaths) and 195 cases per million; 9
deaths per million Malaysia: 8,303 (1,551 active;
6,635 recovered; 117 deaths) and 257 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million Thailand: 3,104 (75 active;
2,971 recovered; 58 deaths) and 44 cases per million; 0.8 deaths per
million In East Asia on June 6: China: 83,030 (67 active;
78,329 recovered; 4,634 deaths) and 58 cases per million; 3 deaths per
million Japan: 17,064 (1,185 active;
14,972 recovered; 907 deaths) and 135 cases per million; 7 deaths per
million South Korea: 11,719 (915
active; 10,531 recovered; 273 deaths) and 229 cases per million; 5
deaths per million Taiwan: 443 (7 active; 429
recovered; 7 deaths) and 19 cases per million; 0.3 deaths per million China reported the highest daily increase in coronavirus cases in nearly three weeks with 16 new infections discovered on May 31, as the number of so-called imported cases jumped in southwestern Sichuan province. The National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement on June 1 that all the new cases involved travellers from overseas, 11 of which were reported in Sichuan. China reported two confirmed cases on May 29, both of which were imported. Chinese state television reported that the Sichuan cases came on a flight from Egypt, and another six asymptomatic cases were found on the same flight. China does not count asymptomatic cases as confirmed COVID-19 infections. The NHC also reported 16 new asymptomatic cases on the mainland for May 31, compared with three a day earlier. In North America on June 6: USA: 1,965,912 (1,115,789
active; 738,729 recovered; 111,394 deaths) and 5,942 cases per million;
337 deaths per million Mexico: 110,026 (18,266 active;
78,590 recovered; 13,170 deaths deaths) and 854 cases per million; 102
deaths per million Canada: 94,790 (34,120 active;
52,932 recovered; 7,738 deaths) and 2,513 cases per million; 205 deaths
per million Mexico has now overtaken Canada for the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in North America. The rates of daily new cases and deaths are increasing, with a record high 4,442 new cases on June 5 and a record high number of deaths, 1,092, on June 4. In the U.S., amidst the mass protests against police brutality and impunity, it is reported that besides causing mass injuries through arbitrary attacks on people with rubber-coated bullets, batons and chemical weapons, police are also jeopardizing the public health and safety by refusing to wear facemasks to stop the spread of the coronavirus, and are also violating social distancing guidelines through the use of kettling tactics and detention conditions that put people into crowded conditions. This raises the possibility of a spike in COVID-19 cases in the coming days. Notably, the protests at state capitol buildings in March and April by those deeming the pandemic a hoax, with participants openly carrying firearms and refusing to abide by social distancing measures, carried out their activities without intervention by the police. As Vera Eidelman, Staff Attorney and Carl Takei,
Senior Staff Attorney of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
point out in a June 1 statement, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, "police
failures to facilitate peaceful protest also increase health risks for
police, protesters, bystanders, and the community at large. Specific
police tactics like kettling -- essentially trapping protesters and
bystanders into a limited, often crowded area with only one point of
exit controlled by officers -- and mass arrests have been the subjects
of past ACLU lawsuits. Today, they are even more troubling because they
heighten the risk of infection by forcing large numbers of people
closer together. On June 2, the National Nurses United (NNU), representing 230,000 nurses across the U.S issued a warning "to demand hospitals and the government follow strict guidelines before any further reopening measures are taken." They are demanding to be part of the decision-making process for the process of reopening, and outlined various conditions based on their experience that will permit reopening without worsening the situation. An example of states reopening prematurely without cases first steadily decreasing is Texas, where 1,949 new cases were reported on May 31, the state's highest figure yet, a day when Texas was number 7 on the list of most affected states in the U.S., according to NPR. In Central America and the Caribbean on June 6: Dominican Republic: 18,708
(6,447 active; 11,736 recovered; 525 deaths) and 1,726 cases per
million; 48 deaths per million Panama: 15,463 (5,374 active;
9,719 recovered; 370 deaths) and 3,588 cases per million; 86 deaths per
million Guatemala: 6,485 (5,216 active;
1,053 recovered; 216 deaths) and 362 cases per million; 12 deaths per
million Honduras: 5,971 (5,046 active;
677 recovered; 248 deaths) and 604 cases per million; 25 deaths per
million El Salvador: 2,934 (1,600 active; 1,281 recovered; 53 deaths) and 452 cases per million; 8 deaths per million Cuba on June 1 reported 38 new cases of COVID-19, the highest number of confirmed cases in the prior 28 days, of which 32 were linked to an outbreak at the Epoca department store in Havana. A large portion of the meeting of the Prevention and Control Task Force held that day, led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, was devoted to analysis of the causes of this transmission event, which has had major repercussions. President Díaz-Canel stressed that not only had this outbreak occurred just as Cuba was expecting to begin the recovery stage, but that in the previous four days Cuba had had more than 20 cases a day, constituting a real setback in the timeline for controlling the disease. "The reality is that there has been negligence," he said. Governor of Havana Province, Reinaldo Garcia Zapata, added that in the last two days, of the 57 cases diagnosed in the province, 44 are related to the event at the Epoca department store, which has changed the epidemic's evolution in the capital. He noted that of the 168 patients confirmed in the prior two weeks in Havana, 106 are related to this transmission event. Prime Minister Marrero insisted that there can be no relaxation of any prevention measures, calling on residents to increase discipline and responsibility, adding that all practices must be reviewed in detail, meticulously. Since the June 1 spike in cases, the number of new daily cases in Cuba has ranged from nine to 15. As of June 6, Cuba has recorded 2,133 total cases (202 active; 1,848 recoved; 83 deaths). Overall, the Cuban people have excelled in not only protecting themselves, but are also breaking new ground in treatments for COVID-19, and providing selfless assistance to countries around the world. In South America on June 6: Brazil: 646,006 (308,875
active; 302,084 recovered; 35,047 deaths) and 3,041 cases per million;
165 deaths per million Peru: 187,400 (103,024 active;
79,214 recovered; 5,162 deaths) and 5,689 cases per million; 157 deaths
per million Chile: 122,499 (25,420 active;
95,631 recovered; 1,448 deaths) and 6,412 cases per million; 76 deaths
per million Ecuador: 41,575 (17,473 active;
20,568 recovered; 3,534 deaths) and 2,359 cases per million; 201 deaths
per million Colombia: 36,635 (21,852
active; 13,638 recovered; 1,145 deaths) and 721 cases per million; 23
deaths per million The political and health crises in Brazil continue to worsen. President Jair Bolsonaro on June 5 threatened to pull Brazil out of the World Health Organization (WHO), unless it ceases to be a "partisan political organization," after the UN agency warned governments about the risk of lifting lockdowns before slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus. A record high daily COVID-19 fatalities on June 3 pushed Brazil's death toll past that of Italy, for the third highest figure worldwide. At a press conference in Geneva on June 5, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris, when asked about efforts to loosen social distancing orders in Brazil despite rising daily death rates and diagnoses, said a key criteria for lifting lockdowns was slowing transmission. "The epidemic, the outbreak, in Latin America is deeply, deeply concerning," she told a news conference in Geneva. She said among six key criteria for easing quarantines, "one of them is ideally having your transmission declining." On June 2, when asked for a word for the relatives of the COVID-19 victims, Bolsonaro replied that "I regret all the dead but it is everyone's destiny." Local news outlets recalled what Bolsonaro said in 1999, while a federal deputy for the Christian Democratic Party, when he wanted to eliminate those who did not share his vision of the world: "Through the vote, you cannot change anything in this country, absolutely nothing! Unfortunately, it will only change if one day we have a civil war here and doing the work the dictatorship did not do: kill some 30,000 people... Some innocent people will die, but innocent people die in a war." Bolsonaro continues to argue for quickly lifting isolation orders put in place by state and municipal governments, arguing that their economic costs outweigh public health risks and that these measures alone are responsible for the dire state of Brazil's economy and on this basis must be ended. However, newspaper Brasil de Fato reported on June 2 that according to economists, the drastic reduction in the number of formal jobs registered in 2020 stems from the 2017 labour reform. It reports that: "According to the General Index of Employed and Unemployed People (CAGED by its Brazilian Portuguese acronym), Brazil has lost 860.503 formal jobs between January and April. The number of people hired from the last month is below the number layoffs -- 598.596 to 1.459.099. In comparison to April 2019, the layoff index is 17.2 per cent higher and the number of people hired is 56.5 per cent lower. "These results suggest that the rise in unemployment started before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the numerous claims by Jair Bolsonaro that preventive social isolation measures would cause the deterioration of the job market. Since the approval of the labor reform that has been active since 2017, specialists have been vocal about the lack of protection for workers. "Criticism has intensified with the new flexibilization proposed to fight the economic crisis stemming from the virus. The Provisional Measure 936 suspends contracts, reduces wages and working hours, among other actions. The economist Marcelo Manzano, from the Perseu Abramo Foundation, states that the data from CAGED presents a scenario of grave deterioration. "He also reminds us that the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD by its Brazilian Portuguese acronym) has revealed an increase of over 3.7 million informal workers between February and April. According to the economist, there has been a serious lack of job market structuring. "'What does the data tell us? First, the 2017 labor reform -- conducted in an opportunist way, under the premise that we would have a larger volume of jobs in the country if hiring laws are flexibilized and costs are reduced -- has failed completely. It did not just generate jobs, but in moments of crisis it has become a lot easier to fire people, and a lot harder to guarantee any kind of stability or security at work, which is so important for workers' families.' [...] "The CAGED data also shows that São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro have registered the largest number of layoffs. The only sector that has had a positive hiring and layoff index was agriculture. Construction, retail, industry, and services have all presented negative results. Today, Brazil has almost 13 million unemployed people and around 6.5 million informal jobs." On June 2, teleSUR reported that the country's Supreme Court has ordered the disclosure of the contents of a "secret" cabinet meeting on April 22, where Bolsonaro called for the population to be armed so as to oppose the actions of governors and mayors during the COVID-19 for quarantine measures, which he has also characterized as leading toward a dictatorship. In Venezuela, the government has since 2011 built some 3,100,000 homes as part of the Great Housing Mission, work that continues despite the scourge of the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, President Nicolás Maduro informed on May 28. He also signed a document to guide the necessary resources to complete the construction of 400,000 homes in 2020. The Venezuelan president announced that the construction sector is included within the productive, commercial and financial reactivation process as of June 1, as part of easing the social isolation measures implemented in mid-March to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The Great Housing Mission was established in 2011 by initiative of then President Hugo Chávez (1954-2013), to help families hit hard by torrential rains in late 2010 and early that year. In Africa on June 6: South Africa: 43,434 (19,438
active; 23,088 recovered; 908 deaths) and 733 cases per million; 15
deaths per million Egypt: 31,115 (21,791 active;
8,158 recovered; 1,166 deaths) and 31 cases per million; 11 deaths per
million Nigeria: 11,844 (7,815 active;
3,696 recovered; 333 deaths) and 58 cases per million; 2 deaths per
million Algeria: 9,935 (2,792 active;
6,453 recovered; 690 deaths) and 227 cases per million; 16 deaths per
million Morocco: 8,132 (646 active;
7,278 recovered; 208 deaths deaths) and 221 cases per million; 6 deaths
per million The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced on June 1 that a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease is occurring in the Wangata health zone, Mbandaka, in Équateur province. The WHO reports that "The announcement comes as a long, difficult and complex Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is in its final phase, while the country also battles COVID-19 and the world's largest measles outbreak." The WHO report continues: "Initial information from the Ministry of Health is that six Ebola cases have so far been detected in Wangata, of which four have died and two are alive and under care. Three of these six cases have been confirmed with laboratory testing. It is likely more people will be identified with the disease as surveillance activities increase." "This is a reminder that COVID-19 is not the only health threat people face," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "Although much of our attention is on the pandemic, WHO is continuing to monitor and respond to many other health emergencies." This is the Democratic Republic of the Congo's 11th outbreak of Ebola since the virus was first discovered in the country in 1976. The city of Mbandaka and its surrounding area were the site of Democratic Republic of the Congo's ninth Ebola outbreak, which took place from May to July 2018. "It's happening at a challenging time, but WHO has worked over the last two years with health authorities, Africa CDC and other partners to strengthen national capacity to respond to outbreaks," said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. "To reinforce local leadership, WHO plans to send a team to support scaling up the response. Given the proximity of this new outbreak to busy transport routes and vulnerable neighbouring countries we must act quickly." The WHO is already on the ground in Mbandaka supporting the response to this outbreak, as part of capacity built during the 2018 outbreak. The team supported the collection and testing of samples, and reference to the national laboratory for confirmation. Contact tracing is underway. Work is ongoing to send additional supplies from North Kivu and from Kinshasa to support the government-led response. A further 25 people are expected to arrive in Mbandaka on June 2. The WHO is also working to ensure that essential health services are provided to communities despite these emergency events. The Democratic Republic of the Congo's 10th outbreak of Ebola, in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces, is in its final stages. On May 14, the Ministry of Health began the 42-day countdown to the declaration of the end of that outbreak. New outbreaks of Ebola are expected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo given the existence of the virus in an animal reservoir in many parts of the country, the WHO reports. In Oceania on June 6: Australia: 7,255 (463 active;
6,690 recovered; 102 deaths) and 285 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million New Zealand: 1,504 (1 active;
1,481 recovered; 22 deaths) and 301 cases per million; 4 deaths per
million Guam: 171 cases (1 death) French Polynesia: 60 (all
recovered) and 214 cases per million New Caledonia: 20 (2 active; 18
recovered) 70 cases per million (With files from Reuters, Al Jazeera, Xinhua, teleSUR, Granma, France 24, DW, Politico, WHO)
This article was published in Article Link:   Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca |
