Nations seek to contain virus as cases top 26mn
US refuses to clear $62mn in dues to WHO; UN data shows Covid-19 will push 47mn more women into poverty by 2021
The Covid-19 pandemic continued to spread as the number of infections crossed 26 million globally on Thursday, while fatalities topped 863,000.
The US, the worst-hit country with more than 6 million cases and over 185,000 deaths, said it won’t pay around $62 million in dues owed to the World Health Organization. The announcement came after the US said it won’t participate in a WHO-run project to develop a vaccine.
Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert, said that seven US states that have seen upticks in cases--North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois-should be particularly vigilant over the Labor Day holiday.
The pandemic continued to hammer the global economy, with the US budget deficit set to hit $3.3 trillion. UN data showed the pandemic will push 47 million more women and girls into extreme poverty by 2021.
UK eyes testing success
Britain is investing in a virus test that gives results in 20 minutes, touting it as a major milestone. Health secretary Matt Hancock said the government is expanding trials of two new rapid tests, a no-swab saliva test and another that gives results in minutes. Meanwhile, only six people in Hong Kong tested positive out of a batch of 128,000 residents who had undergone the masstesting programme that began on Tuesday.
China, where the pandemic began, is continuing to open up. International fliers from eight countries deemed safe began arriving on Thursday in Beijing for the first time since March.
There was uproar in Australia after the arrest of pregnant woman who promoted anti-lockdown protests on Facebook. Zoe Buhler said she didn’t know she had broken any law when she was handcuffed by police and led away from her home.
Nepal police fire tear gas to stop rally amid surge
Police in Nepal used tear gas and water cannon on Thursday to break up a religious rally that defied a ban on public gatherings. About 2,000 residents had poured into a major thoroughfare of Lalitpur near capital Kathmandu, to pull a chariot of a rain god, a ritual celebrated for generations. Covid infections in the country had increased to 42,877, with 257 deaths.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said although the pandemic is a disaster on a global scale, it is not the deadliest disease that could befall mankind and lessons learnt during this emergency must be documented for future outbreaks.
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