Yep, he has previous form in covering up (3 separate) Cholera epidemics in his home country of Ethiopia, before he was gifted the WHO job.
Candidate to Lead the W.H.O. Accused of Covering Up Epidemics - The New York Times
Yep, he has previous form in covering up (3 separate) Cholera epidemics in his home country of Ethiopia, before he was gifted the WHO job.
Candidate to Lead the W.H.O. Accused of Covering Up Epidemics - The New York Times
There may be token repercussions mostly to do with 'image', though I don't think China will be subject to any serious accountability. It cannot be categorically proven that the virus came from China, any more than the Spanish flu being Spanish which it clearly wasn't, and in a legal context this could be argued forever. Then, was it compounded by wholesale negligence, which even if you know for sure is still difficult to prove while the culprit is blaming you or an unknown other? Next, did the CPC act irresponsibly in trying to conceal it from the world - again, prove it, keeping in mind that every country responded differently and arguably irresponsibly, which defeats the argument that any other action the CPC could have taken would have resulted in a less tragic outcome; too many unknowns and more but that's enough for starters.
And by the time it's over these will be academic as the world dusts off, counts the damage and gets on with the business of recovery.
One way to hurt China without a pissing contest or meaningless posturing, is for the intl community to do what it should have done decades ago, which is diversify and stop basing the future of its progress on dependence to a single supplier, esp a backward one with ideologically opposed values. Takes time and would need to be done in a way that allows everybody to recover and move on, which I for one do not believe the current crop could manage, but you never know the big players might do more than score points by talking about it.
No point in blaming anyone. Just work on a fast and cheap means of testing and a vaccine.
Another nightmarish development.
Indonesia announces biggest daily rise in cases, 24 doctors die
JAKARTA (REUTERS) – Indonesia announced its biggest daily increase in novel coronavirus cases on Monday and a medical association said 24 doctors had now died after contracting the virus.
The rise in the death toll among doctors, which has doubled since last week, followed criticism of a lack of protective equipment in Indonesia.
The 218 new coronavirus cases took the number overall in Indonesia to 2,491. The 209 confirmed deaths among people who have contracted the virus is the highest number of fatalities in Asia outside China.
“The trend of (doctors dying) is heading for the sky,” said Halik Malik, a spokesman for the Indonesian Doctors Association which confirmed the doctors’ deaths from Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.
“The risk of medical workers getting infected is always there… but the point is medical workers need to be protected in any way,” said Malik.
A number of rights groups, including Amnesty International, have expressed concern at the high proportion of deaths among medical workers.
“The death of medical workers is not just a number, but an alarm for the country to fix their health system in an emergency situation,” a coalition of the groups said in a statement on Saturday (April 4).
Health experts have pointed to the high percentage of deaths among the number of confirmed cases as a sign the outbreak is much larger than official data suggests in the world’s fourth most-populous nation.
Indonesia’s own intelligence agency last week revealed that it expected coronavirus cases to peak in the next three months, surpassing 100,000 cases by July.
Indonesia ranks among world’s worst in coronavirus testing rate, together with Ethiopia, Bangladesh
President Joko Widodo told a cabinet meeting on Monday that personal protective equipment (PPE) had been distributed across Indonesia, though he said regional officials must monitor the arrival of the equipment in hospitals.
Indonesian healthcare workers have at time faced a lack of protective gear, with some doctors forced to wear raincoats and bring their own masks to protect themselves from the virus.
A deficit in hospital beds, medical staff and intensive care facilities has raised concern the coronavirus crisis could push Indonesia’s health system to the brink.
At least 10 Indonesian provinces, including the eastern provinces of Maluku and Papua, lack Covid-19 facilities, Doni Monardo, the head of Indonesia’s coronavirus taskforce, told parliament on Monday.
In recent weeks, Indonesia has converted a former Vietnam war era refugee camp on an uninhabited island off Sumatra, and a former athletes’ village into coronavirus treatment facilities.
Indonesia announces biggest daily rise in cases, 24 doctors die – Thai PBS World
^ that is bad news. &, it's obviously this month's bad wave - the third world/developing nations are just unable to manage, and they won't be getting any help from the so called top-tier/first world nations because they can barely look after themselves. Hopefully, at the end of this, the WHO will be completely re-vamped, so that it's actually capable of doing it's job and supporting nations around the world.
I'm not sure if the figures will be accurate this month (not saying they were before...), how can the likes of Indonesia/India, etc even collate the figures when their healthcare infrastructure is disintegrating?
Cycling should be banned!!!
@betty - the numbers in India, Indonesia, PI, TH and other developing countries are in reality much higher. There's not much testing done - mostly due to lack of test kits, equipment or personnel to do them. The PCR machine which is used in detection is quite expensive for research /educational institutions. In PI, only a few universities have it, and the personnel trained to do the tests.
Here, at the start of March, we only had 2000 test kits for a population of 107 M, as revealed in a Senate inquiry. Many suspected ppl not getting tested due to lack of kits. It was only a few days ago that we received some donated kits from SG, so we're doing more testing now and the numbers are rising. By Monday, we'll also be using locally made kits. Mass testing of suspected cases will be performed, so I expect cases to spike up.
I assume it's similar situation in other developing countries - lack of kits, lack of good healthcare facilities, lack of PPE for medical staff, etc.
^ makes sense, Katie
We will reach 1,000,000 active cases sometime today.
Some charts and facts from Sky News today: Coronavirus: New York death rate highest among globally comparable regions | World News | Sky News
Thank you for reminding us of where the largest % of the world's citizens live, Asia. Not far across the oceans.
Thank you for high lighting your countries, arguably one of the more developed Asian ones, issues.
Yet the most advanced country, alleged by many here on TD and MSM, chooses to issue threats to one of the most deprived, in health care for it's citizens, country in the world, India.
Modi, Trump and the Covid-19 drug
Posted on April 7, 2020 by M. K. BHADRAKUMAR
"We got to know from the US President Donald Trump today morning that his phone call to PM Modi on Sunday was to make a demand that India should lift its export ban on the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which is being used in America to treat COVID-19.
Modi apparently acceded impromptu to Trump’s demand. Just like that — without apparently ascertaining the advisability of lifting the export ban recommended by the Health Ministry.
Forty-eight hours later, Trump is getting impatient. He told the media, “I would be surprised if that [export ban] were his [Modi’s] decision. He’d have to tell me that. I spoke to him Sunday morning, called him, and I said we’d appreciate your allowing our supply to come out. If he doesn’t allow it [drug] to come out [of India], that would be okay, but of course there may be retaliation. Why wouldn’t there be? I would be surprised if he would, you know, because India does very well with the United States.”
Now, in substantive terms, what is all this hullabaloo about? To be sure, the GOI imposed an export ban on the drug on Saturday. This was done apparently on the basis of the Health Ministry’s considered assessment that if the drug were to be in short supply in the period ahead, that might severely affect the overall capacity to cope with the coronavirus pandemic in the coming months.
Getting wind of the export ban, Trump lost no time to call Modi [on a Sunday] demanding that the ban should be lifted so that supplies to the US could continue.
It appears that following Trump’s demand, the Prime Ministers Office worked overtime to have the export ban lifted partially so as to comply with Trump’s demand. We now hear that the Ministry of External Affairs has been put in charge of the decision to be made on a case to case basis as to who gets the drug, who doesn’t.
But, isn’t this a matter for the Health Ministry? There are no easy answers.
But you don’t have to know rocket science to figure out that under the present dispensation in South Block, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will be only too happy to carry out PM’s desire to comply with Trump’s demand. Which is why MEA has been put on the driver’s seat. Hey, isn’t the US a member of the Quad?
In fact, a rational decision should not overlook that the US is already holding on to a huge stockpile of this particular drug. It is far from the case that there is a shortage of this drug in America. But Trump wants to boost the reserve stock!
Now, why would he want to do that? Because, Trump is a street smart guy. And he is apprehensive — rightly so — that India’s own need of this particular drug will very soon go over the roof when tens of millions of Indians begin to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic and will rush to doctors seeking treatment, as predicted by experts.
Let me pose a question to PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar. In case a shortage of this drug appears in India in a near future, will they guarantee that they will get Trump to replenish from the American stockpile?
Now, if they cannot give such an assurance, they have no moral right to deplete the Health Ministry’s stock of this drug that might potentially deprive fellow citizens of medical treatment.
Clearly, Modi and Jaishankar’s loyalty should first be to the country and their effort should be to ensure that India’s access to this vital drug is preserved optimally.
The whole world is talking that India is very soon going to be the epicentre of Covid-19. If so, when the pandemic accelerates in India — and the signs are already aplenty — what is happening in America today will look like a picnic.
After neglecting the healthcare system all these years, the least the government can do when such a massive crisis is approaching, should be, for heaven’s sake, to do some advance planning. Preserve at least our own resources, keep at least what we are producing, that may help rescue the life of hapless Indian patients.
Do not let down our healthcare workers and leave them in the lurch in the barricades on the frontline.
In a democratic system, the elected government’s primary obligation should be toward the nation. The decision makers should understand that. No foreign policy consideration comes into play here. Nor should such considerations be allowed to come in the way of Modi fulfilling the expectations placed on him by this nation as it inches toward a crisis of monumental proportions.
The lives of tens and millions of Indians could be in serious jeopardy in a near future. And if this drug can make a difference — as the Chinese experiments suggest — there is no gainsaying the fact Modi should be the watchman at the gates to ensure that the country’s reserves are preserved and protected and made available to the countrymen.
History will not forgive this appalling decision to prioritise Trump’s needs and requirements over that of the Indian nation. "
Modi, Trump and the Covid-19 drug - Indian Punchline
Unfortunately his suggestion, to obtain a promise from goldilocks, he should know is worthless.
Last edited by OhOh; 07-04-2020 at 08:19 PM.
A tray full of GOLD is not worth a moment in time.
PHUKET: The provincial communicable disease committee on Tuesday issued an order requiring people going outdoors to always wear a face mask, or face a fine of up to 20,000 baht.
The order, signed by governor Pakkapong Tawipat, took effect immediately, until further notice.
Violation of this order is liable to a fine of up to 20,000 baht under Section 51 of the Communicable Diseases ct of 2015, and may be punishable under the executive decree for administration in emergency situations, which is currently in force.
Face masks compulsory in Phuket
The cabinet on Tuesday approved an Education Ministry proposal to postpone the reopening of all schools for the new semester from May 16 until July 1, as a measure to control Covid-19.
Government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat announced the decision.
She said the ministry will change learning methods to suit the curriculum at all levels for the 2020 school year.
Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan said classes would be moved online. The ministry would prepare both teachers and students for online classes, and take into consideration the capabilities and differences of each location.
“We have to admit that online learning cannot replace classroom learning, but it’s the best learning method in the current situation.
"It’s also a good opportunity for us to use the technology for learning in this digital era, so teachers can enhance their skills.
"As for provision of the equipment for online learning, we need to consider the suitability, the compatibility of technology today and the budget set aside for it,’’ Mr Nataphol said.
He gave no indication when online classes would begin.
Schools won't reopen until July 1
The source of Lombardia victims is a football game between Atalanta and Valencia (Spain).
‘A biological bomb’: The story of the Champions League game which sparked Italy’s coronavirus crisis | The Independent
Interesting read about how from one game in one stadium, it caused the epicenter in Northern Italy, and more than one third of the Valencia payers and staff took it to Spain.
Active cases 994,698.
Not long to go now.
Not the best kept secret:
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared on Tuesday a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus after an alarming growth in cases in urban areas.
The declaration, effective through May 6, will enable prefectural governors to take stronger preventive steps, ranging from instructing citizens to stay at home to restricting the operation of schools and other facilities, although there are no legal penalties for noncompliance.
Measures to be taken based on the first-ever such declaration in Japan could curtail people's rights and freedoms to some extent. But it will not lead to hard lockdowns on a scale seen in other countries hit by the virus like China and France due to the limits of the Japanese law.
"We're in a situation in which the spread of infections is rapid and widespread across the country, threatening to seriously impact people's lives and the economy," Mr Abe told a meeting of a government task force as he declared a state of emergency.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1895070/abe-declares-state-of-emergency
U.K.'s daily death toll spikes with 786 dead recorded in single day
The United Kingdom has recorded its highest daily death toll since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak with 786 news deaths recorded in a single day.
New figures released on Tuesday showed that as of 5 p.m. (midday ET) on Monday, 6,159 people hospitalized with the coronavirus had died in the U.K., up from 5,373 the day before.
As of Tuesday, the country had recorded some 55,242 cases of the disease.
U.K.'''s daily death toll spikes with 786 dead recorded in single day
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK is on the rise, with nearly 52,000 people now testing positive across the country. A total of 5,373 people confirmed to have had the virus have died.
The actual number of people with the respiratory infection in the UK is estimated to be much higher though - as only those in hospital and some NHS staff are currently tested.
More than 157,000 people in the UK have so far been tested and found not to have the virus.
Find out how many people have confirmed cases in your area:
How many confirmed cases are in your area?
Enter a postcode, English or Northern Irish council, or Scottish or Welsh NHS area to find out.
Please enter a postcode, or the name of a council
There are 323 confirmed cases in Manchester, out of a local population of 547,627
Note: Not all those with the virus will have been tested
Source: UK public health bodies. Figures last updated 09:00 GMT, 06 April
If you can't see the look-up click here.
The following charts and graphics will help you understand the situation in the UK and how the authorities are responding.
1. The number of UK cases is on the rise
The new coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease known as Covid-19, was first confirmed in the UK at the end of January.
While there were a number of people testing positive throughout February, figures in the UK began to increase at the beginning of March.
The number of confirmed cases is still increasing but seems to have flattened out around 4,000 a day. The most recent daily figure for new cases was 3,802, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.
The BBC's Head of Statistics, Robert Cuffe says the number of confirmed cases may rise as more NHS workers are tested. Scientists want the government to report new cases separately for NHS workers and hospitalised patients so that they can understand the trends, he adds.
On 23 March the government introduced a series of restrictions on people's movement in a bid to slow the virus's spread.
A number of temporary "Nightingale hospitals" are being set up across the country to increase the NHS's ability to deal with the crisis.
The new hospitals will treat patients in makeshift critical care units at:
- The ExCel exhibition centre in east London
- The NEC centre in Birmingham
- Manchester's Central Complex conference centre
- The SEC Centre in Glasgow
- The Belfast City Hospital
- The University of the West of England in Bristol
- The Harrogate Convention Centre
Another hospital will also be established at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff - though this is not classed as a Nightingale facility.
Work has also started to turn part of Birmingham Airport into a mortuary able to store at least 1,500 bodies, should the death toll rise significantly.
Retired NHS staff have been asked to return to work. A government appeal for volunteers to help deliver food and medicine to the vulnerable has prompted more than 750,000 responses.
Globally, authorities have confirmed more than 1.2m cases of the coronavirus and more than 70,700 deaths.
About half the global cases have been in Europe, though the US now has the most confirmed cases.
- A SIMPLE GUIDE: What are the symptoms?
- AVOIDING CONTACT: Should I self-isolate?
- EASY STEPS: How can I try to stay well?
- MAPS AND CHARTS: Visual guide to the pandemic
- VIDEO: The 20-second hand wash
2. UK deaths are also increasing
The number of people confirmed to have had coronavirus and died has risen by 439 to 5,373.
The BBC's Head of Statistics, Robert Cuffe, says despite the lower number of new deaths on Monday, it's still far too soon to say that we've seen a slow-down, let alone a passing of the peak.
The number of daily new deaths of people with confirmed coronavirus fell by almost a third across last weekend, only to be followed by a return to trend on the Tuesday, he said. It's possible that there are delays in reporting deaths at weekends that then hit the system later in the week.
The majority of those who have died having had coronavirus in the UK have been in England, with 4,897 deaths there.
In Scotland, 222 people have died so far, while the figure in Wales is 193. Northern Ireland has seen a total of 70 deaths.
Most deaths have been among the elderly.
Figures released by NHS England show that about half of deaths have been among people aged over 80.
How many confirmed cases are there in your area?
The UK's overall death figure, which is confirmed cases reported up to 17:00 BST the previous day, only includes people who died in hospital and tested positive for coronavirus.
It does not include deaths in the community, for example in care homes, or people who have died in their own homes.
This means that the true death toll will be higher.
3. But UK deaths are lower than other countries
At the moment, the number of confirmed cases and deaths in the UK remains lower than some other European countries.
For example, in Italy there have been more than 128,000 confirmed cases and more than 15,800 deaths.
But while the increase in the number of deaths each day appears to be slowing in Italy, in the UK the number is still doubling every three to four days.
4. We are testing more people, but not as many as other countries
Increasing the number of people being tested for coronavirus will play a key part in analysing its spread in the UK.
The government has faced criticism over a shortage of testing, including the inability to test NHS staff who have symptoms but are unsure if they have the virus.
In recent weeks, most of the tests have been reserved for seriously ill patients in hospital.
More than 10,000 tests per day are being carried out at the moment but the government has committed to increasing that number.
On Thursday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock set a new target of 100,000 tests per day by the end of April - a big jump from the previous target of 25,000 per day by mid-April.
At the moment, the UK is some way behind other countries.
South Korea, for example, has been able to test far more widely than the UK.
Despite having a slightly smaller population than the UK, it has twice as many labs and about two-and-a-half times the weekly testing capacity.
Testing depends not just on the number of labs, but on the availability of machines, test kits and the chemicals these kits need to work. These components are in high demand globally.
South Korea acted quickly to approve the production of testing kits, allowing it to build up a stockpile.
Italy and the US have also shown improvements in their testing capacity.
Who want to predict the date when it becomes two million?
1,031,819
Currently Infected Patients
Ah yes, too big to notice, I shall whip myself raw:
Current total infected 1428428
less dead 82020
less recovered 300198
=
Currently Infected Patients
1046210
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