Belgium May Have The Most Accurate COVID-19 Death Count — But It Also Makes It One Of The Highest

The Washington Post: Why Belgium Has Recorded So Many Coronavirus Deaths
By the official numbers, Belgium has been the country hit hardest in the world by the coronavirus. The nation of 12 million has the highest mortality rate among confirmed cases, at 16.4 percent. And it has the most deaths in terms of its population: 78 deaths per 100,000 people, according to statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The United States, by comparison, has reported 27 coronavirus deaths per 100,000 people. Spain has reported 58. Italy has reported 52. (Birnbaum, 5/17)

The New York Times: Covid-19 Outbreak In Nigeria Is Just One Of Africa’s Alarming Hot Spots
In the northern Nigerian city of Kano, some people say they now get four or five death notices on their phones each day: A colleague has died. A friend’s aunt. A former classmate. The gravediggers of the city, one of the biggest in West Africa, say they are working overtime. And so many doctors and nurses have been infected with the coronavirus that few hospitals are now accepting patients. Officially, Kano has reported 753 cases and 33 deaths attributed to the virus. But in reality, the metropolis is experiencing a major, unchecked outbreak, according to doctors and public health experts. It could be one of the continent’s worst. (Maclean, 5/17)

The New York Times: How France Lost The Weapons To Fight A Pandemic
When President Emmanuel Macron repeatedly declared “war” on the coronavirus in March, he solemnly promised that France would support “front-line” health workers with “the means, the protection.” The reality was that France was nearly defenseless. The government’s flip-flopping policies on past pandemics had left a once formidable national stockpile of face masks nearly depleted. Officials had also outsourced the manufacturing capacity to replenish that stockpile to suppliers overseas, despite warnings since the early 2000s about the rising risks of global pandemics. (Onishi and Meheut, 5/17)

Reuters: Japan Braces For Worst Postwar Slump As Pandemic Tips Economy Into Recession
Japan’s economy slipped into recession for the first time in 4-1/2 years in the last quarter, putting the nation on course for its deepest postwar slump as the coronavirus crisis ravages businesses and consumers. Monday’s first-quarter GDP data underlined the broadening impact of the outbreak, with exports plunging the most since the devastating March 2011 earthquake as global lockdowns and supply chain disruptions hit shipments of Japanese goods. (Kihara and Kajimoto, 5/17)

Reuters: Salvadoran President Declares Emergency Without OK From Congress, Sparking Controversy
El Salvador’s attorney general on Sunday challenged a decree by President Nayib Bukele, who declared a state of emergency the previous evening to extend coronavirus measures without approval by congress. (Renteria, 5/17)

The Associated Press: Gangs Deliver Food In Poor Cape Town Area Amid Lockdown
Preston’s new face mask is emblazoned with the stars and stripes of the U.S. flag. While protecting him from the coronavirus, it would normally also put him in danger in Manenberg, one of a number of violent and poor neighborhoods on the outskirts of Cape Town known as the Cape Flats. The mask’s colors identify Preston as a member of the Americans, a criminal gang usually unwelcome on the turf of the rival Hard Livings gang. (Imray, 5/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Fearful And Wary, Italian City Ravaged By Coronavirus Slowly Re-Emerges
On a recent day, Juri Ambrosioni sold 250 coffees at his takeout place in the center of this northern Italian city, with patrons wearing face masks and standing patiently in line for their espresso or cappuccino fix. It was half the number Mr. Ambrosioni typically sold before the coronavirus pandemic struck northern Italy in March and closed its cafes and restaurants, putting a temporary end to Italians’ cherished ritual of tossing back an espresso with friends in the local piazza. (Sylvers, 5/17)

The Washington Post: Lebanon's Economic Crisis: Currency Collapse And Inflation Put Food Out Of Reach
The Lebanese love their food. Their elaborate spreads of grilled and sauteed meats, colorful salads and various vegetable dips, usually garnished with pine nuts, are a source of pride and the shared meals a symbol of generosity. Today, more than ever, food is on everyone’s mind — because there is so little to be had. From the butchers and taxi drivers of Beirut to the aficionados of Tripoli’s famed sweets to the anti-government protesters in the streets, hunger is on everyone’s tongue. (Dadouch, 5/17)

Kaiser Health News: Tourists, Beware: Foreign Visitors’ Travel Health Insurance Might Exclude Pandemics
It was evident that the fever, nausea and loss of appetite Vlastimil Gajdoš felt on his wedding day was not a mere case of cold feet. Gajdoš, 65, fell ill in Honolulu in March after arriving with his bride-to-be from the Czech Republic. He and Sylva Di Sandro, 58, intended to marry and honeymoon on the island. While they did tie the knot, they also engaged in serious battle with the novel coronavirus. He was in the hospital for two weeks, some of it in intensive care, on a ventilator. (Heredia Rodriguez, 5/18)