COVID Update

All over the world, the pandemic is resurging. The heavy quarantine measures that were set in place in the first half of 2020 are currently seen as excessive, and political discourses are conditioned by the fact that it won’t be economically viable to resume restrictions. Some reports state that there will be a spike in hunger related deaths in 2020, especially considering supply chain disruptions stemming from restrictive measures to deal with the pandemic, as opposed to real scarcity.

Taking this into account, Europe finds itself facing a second wave, with the numbers rising rapidly, including in regions previously with very high numbers of cases. Some countries are preparing surgical restrictive measures, as opposed to full lockdowns, so as to contain the spread while minimally affecting economic activity.

In the American case, the scenery is that of a third wave mounting, given that there was a spike during the Summer, when the pandemic was relatively under control in other locations. With these new data, some statistics show that mortality rates, despite the increasing number of cases, did not rise as in the initial wave. A likely explanation is the fact that the median age of those infected is reducing drastically, given that the proportion of infections is concentrated on younger age brackets, less likely to suffer the worst effects of the disease.

Protests in Thailand

Developing in Thailand is a mass protest situation in the capital, which have been mounting in the past few days and leading the government to declare a state of emergency. Protests are directed at the government in office, which resulted from a military coup in 2014, but the monarchy is also under fire – an act which notably is forbidden by law.

Other Stories

• Jacinda Ardern is set to be reelected Prime Minister of New Zealand after a historic victory
• Turkey is reported to have mobilized 70 tanks and artillery to the Syrian province of Idlib
• The President of Ukraine Volodymy Zelenskiy was in Turkey on an official visit, as well as the ministers of defense, foreign affairs, and economic development, commerce and agriculture, and also representatives from the navy and military-industrial businesses
• The Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov declared the Kremlin’s support to the constitutional changes proposed by Lukashenko, in Belarus
• The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned an Indian diplomat over instances of fire that reportedly killed two civilians. India claims it was a response to Pakistani aggression
• Tokyo is reinforcing subsidies for companies to move their bases out of China
• Kim Jong Un made an emotional speech, lamenting his failure to improve the living standards of the population, an act which is leaving analysts confused over the North Korean situation