Cream falls to the bottom in Covid crisis

Topping the Johns Hopkins University data charts on the Covid-19 pandemic represents utter failure for a major power. It means those governments have been unable to respond to the challenge with competence and a responsible outlook, despite advantages of wealth and expertise.

They have been unable to adequately protect their citizens. Their people have suffered more than they might otherwise have. A disaster of poor values, judgment, leadership, planning, and organisation has occurred.

The tables of coronavirus cases and deaths have changed as the pandemic has spread. Apart from China, where the virus first appeared, countries had time to prepare for their own outbreak. Iran, Italy, and Spain for a while were the key areas of concern outside Asia. Some countries had mitigating factors, such as Italy with its older vulnerable population.

But, nearly six months on, the four countries at the top in case numbers are there by no accident. The United States, Brazil, Russia and the United Kingdom all have political systems under pressure, and a populist leader in charge.

As the US headed towards the grim milestone of 100,000 coronavirus dead over the Memorial Day long weekend, its commander in chief played golf in Virginia and his campaign planned to fly “Keep America Great” banners across eight beaches.

President Donald Trump, who was slow to prepare for a US outbreak and whose China and Europe travel bans proved ineffective, is in media-distraction, damage-limitation, and finger-pointing mode, focusing on political ratings in election year.

With 1.6 million cases, Covid-19 has exploited America’s sprawling dysfunction: its partisan divide, economic inequality, broken health system and incompetent, cynical leadership in Washington.

In Britain, where cases number 258,500 and the death toll is 36,757, the political decay is just as obvious. Boris Johnson is battling to save his spin doctor Dominic Cummings. The Brexit architect breached restrictions by twice travelling 425km from London to Durham, with coronavirus symptoms, at the height of the pandemic to seek child-care help from extended family.

People observing the rules have made sacrifices such as not being able to be with dying loved ones and other family members. Health workers have stayed in care homes with residents or away from their families to avoid infecting them.

Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland tweeted: “Dominic Cummings made his name denouncing what he regarded as a hypocritical Westminster elitism contemptuous of ordinary people. Now he is the face of it.”

The Tory Government’s response to Covid-19 has been slow and muddled. Johnson’s approval ratings are sliding just as new opposition leader Keir Starmer impresses. The pandemic illustrates the dangers of Britain’s decision to walk away from the safety of the European Union, as doubts about the global leadership of the US and China harden.

With Covid-19, the top ratings aren’t what Trump and co would want them to be.

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