Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
China, South Korea Report A Spike In Coronavirus Cases; Mexican Government Isn't Tracking Wave Of Deaths
The Associated Press: China, S. Korea See New Virus Cases As World Lockdowns Ease
China and South Korea both reported more coronavirus infections Friday after reopening economies damaged by devastating outbreaks. Around the globe, governments are opting to accept the risks of easing pandemic-fighting restrictions that left huge numbers of people without income or safety nets. (Tong-Hyung and Kurtenbach, 5/8)
The New York Times: Hidden Toll: Mexico Ignores Wave Of Coronavirus Deaths In Capital
The Mexican government is not reporting hundreds, possibly thousands, of deaths from the coronavirus in Mexico City, dismissing anxious officials who have tallied more than three times as many fatalities in the capital than the government publicly acknowledges, according to officials and confidential data reviewed by The New York Times. The tensions have come to a head in recent weeks, with Mexico City alerting the government to the deaths repeatedly, hoping it will come clean to the public about the true toll of the virus on the nation’s biggest city and, by extension, the country at large. (Ahmed, 5/8)
The Associated Press: Amid Pandemic, The World's Working Poor Hustle To Survive
From India to Argentina, untold millions who were already struggling to get by on the economic margins have had their lives made even harder by pandemic lockdowns, layoffs and the loss of a chance to earn from a hard day’s work. More than four out of five people in the global labor force of 3.3 billion have been hit by full or partial workplace closures, according to the International Labor Organization, which says 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy “stand in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed.” (Batrawy and Schmall, 5/7)
Reuters: New Zealand Says It Backs Taiwan's Role In WHO Due To Success With Coronavirus
New Zealand on Friday weighed in on the debate around whether Taiwan should be allowed to join the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying the country has a lot to offer given its success in limiting the spread of the coronavirus. “Taiwan has something to offer at the WHO right at the moment,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said at a news conference when asked if New Zealand would support Taiwan’s inclusion in WHO as an observer. (5/7)
Reuters: Pakistan Coronavirus Cases Surge Past 25,000, Pace Quickens: Reuters Tally
Coronavirus cases in Pakistan surged past 25,000 on Friday, just hours before the government was due to lift lockdown measures, with the country reporting some of the biggest daily increases in new infections in the world. Officials reported 1,764 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours on Friday, taking the total to 25,837. Deaths rose by 30 to 594. (5/7)
Reuters: World Bank Approves $506 Million In Pandemic Aid For Ecuador
The World Bank’s board of directors on Thursday approved $506 million in emergency loans and grants for Ecuador to help the Andean country grapple with one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Latin America, the Bank said in a statement. The aid includes a flexible $500 million loan to help Ecuadorian authorities cover budget needs during the crisis and to promote economic recovery. It is a variable-spread loan with a 28-year maturity period and an 11-year grace period. (5/7)
CIDRAP: COVID-19 Surges In Russia, Brazil; WHO Warns Of Huge Death Toll In Africa
With an ongoing surge of COVID-19 activity, Russia's total is now the world's fifth highest, as cases soared in parts of Brazil, another pandemic hot spot. And in another development, the World Health Organization (WHO) today warned that smoldering uncontained outbreaks in the first pandemic year in Africa could kill as many as 190,000 people. (Schnirring, 5/7)
