World leaders to blame for huge virus death toll

Alot can happen in 8 seconds. Apit-stop in Indy Car can take 8 seconds. It’s also the required length of time to qualify for points on the back of a rodeo bull.

According to the World Health Organisation, however, Covid-19 is killing one person every 8 seconds around the world. Whatahorrifying statistic. It seems as if the virus is ramping up, not slowing down.

Inmyview, the blame for this pandemic lies squarely on the shoulders of world leaders.

The leaders of Brazil and the United States have a lot to answer for. Their blatantly neglectful handling of the virus has resulted in their citizens dying needlessly.

Uspresident Donaldtrump continues to downplay the virus despite having been hospitalised with it himself.

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro also tested positive but earlier encouraged businesses to open despite lockdown orders put in place by local governors.

Samewith Trump, whotweeted about “liberating” stateswhose governors had issued stay-at-home orders.

European countries are facing morelockdowns, which Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation’s Europe director, says are proving effective.

England and France are currently in their second lockdowns this year.

Germanyis in a partial lockdown. In Greece, people must get permission to leavehomeby sending text messages for daily requirements.

The list goes on.

Iwonder if they, and other countries still being ravaged by the virus, would have fared better had their leaders listened to the experts, the science and taken stronger measures earlier.

We’ll probably never know. Living innewzealand sometimes feels like being in the eye of the storm. We’ve been looking from the inside out, observing the conditions around the world in which the virus has been allowed to rage and thrive.

World leaders have been slow to actwhenthey see what’s been working and what hasn’t.

While our country’s lockdown felt restrictive at the time, wehave been kept relatively safe because weall understood just what was at stake— andweacted as one.

That has been proved by the very fact thatweare enjoying the freedomswenowhave.

So even with the promise of possible vaccines on the horizon, the next six months or so look grim for the rest of the world.

I’m grateful to be here innew Zealand.