10 NEWS The world at aglance
THEWEEK 28 March 2020Yellowknife,Canada
FirstNationstoself-isolate:Indigenouscommunitiesacross
northernCanadahavesealedthemselvesofffromtherestofthe
countrytopreventthespreadofCovid-19.Thecountry’s 1.
million-strongindigenouspopulation(Inuit,MétisandFirst
Nations)arebelievedtobeparticularlyvulnerabletothe
pandemicbecauseoftheirhighlevelsofpoverty,overcrowded
livingconditions,andpoorhealthcarefacilities.“Inuit
communitieshistoricallyexperienceddevastatinglossoflifedue
tolackofimmunitytopreventablediseasessuchasinfluenza,”
saidtheInuitCircumpolarCouncil,whichrepresents180, 000
InuitpeopleinCanada,Alaska,RussiaandGreenland.“Thebasic
conditionsthatcontributedtovulnerabilityinthepastcontinueto
existintoomanyofourcommunitiestoday.”NewYork
WarningfromNewYork:ThegovernorofNewYork,Andrew
Cuomo,haswarned thatthe state’snumber ofcoronaviruscases
isdoublingevery three days,faster thanpreviouslyrealised –and
urged the restof Americato see thecrisisthereasaharbinger of
what thecountryisfacing.NewYorkhadabout26,000 cases as
ofWednesday –accountingforalmosthalf theconfirmedcasesin
theUS,and6%globally(thoughthat’spartly becauseit istesting
intensively).“Therateofinfectionisspiking,”hesaid.“Theapex
ishigherthanwethoughtandtheapexissoonerthanwethought.
Thatisabadcombinationoffacts.”Inaswipe atthefederal
government, he added:“Youwant apat on theback forsending
400 ventilators?What arewegoing todo with400 ventilators
whenwe need30,000? You’re missing themagni tudeofthe
problem andtheproblemisdefinedbythe magnitude.”WashingtonDC
Protecttheeconomy:PresidentTrump’sapprovalratingsrose
sharplythisweek,despiteongoingdomesticcriticismofhis
handlingofthecoronaviruscrisis,andawarningfrom
theWorldHealthOrganisationthatiftheUSdoesn’t
actfast,itmaybecomethenextglobalepicentreof
thepandemic.AGalluppollfoundthat 4 9%ofUS
adultsapproveofthejobTrumpisdoing,upfrom 4 4%earlier
thismonth;60%ofallAmericans,and27%ofDemocratvoters,
arepositiveabouthisresponsetothevirus.However,itisnot
uncommonforpresidentstoachievehighratingsduringnational
emergencies:GeorgeW.Bush scored90% afewdaysafter 9 /11.
Thisweek,thenumber ofconfirmed Covid-19cases intheUS
roseto59,000,makingitthethirdworstaffectednation inthe
world,behind ChinaandItaly.However,the president has
continuedtoemphasise theneedtoprotectthe USeconomyby
liftingexistingrestrictions assoonaspossible –withEasteras
thecitedtarget. “Ourcountry wasnotbuilttobe shutdown,”
he said.OnTuesday,Vice-President Mike Penceconfirmed that
“atnopoint hastheWhite HouseCoronavirusTask Force
discussed anationwidelockdown”. Howeverthe administration
hasreportedlyissuedcontingency plansforintroducingmilitary-
ledrule ifthepandemicleadstoawidercivilemergency.Asof
Wednesday, therehadbeen808deathsin the USasaresultof
thecoronavirus.Brasília
Bolsonaro defiant:Brazil’s far-rig ht
president, JairBolsonaro,hasaccused
the media–aswell as state governors
who have issuedquar anti ne orders
–of“tricking” citizens about the
coronavirus.Across LatinAmerica,
countrieshave closedborders and
partiallyshut down cities, but
Bolsonarohas appearedtorevel in
flouting his owngovernment’sadvice on social distancing,and
has dismissed whathecalls “hysteria”overa“little flu”. Despite
hiscomments,the stategovernmentcovering São Paulo, Brazil’s
biggest city andfinancialhub, orderedthe shutdown of non-
essential services andbusinesseson Tuesday. Bolsonaro’sapproval
ratingshave slumpedover hi smuddled responsetot he crisis.Santiago
Plebiscite postponed:Chile’s
congresshasvoted to postpone a
hotly anticipatedreferendumona
newconstitutional settlement,to
stop ittaking placeatt he predicted
heightof coronavirus infections in the country.As of Wednesday,
therehad been 1,142 confirmed casesin Chil e–far more, per
capita, than inneighbouring countries.Originallyscheduled for
26 April,the referendumisnow provisionallyset for 26October.
Anew constitution, to replace the pro-businessPinochet-era
sett lement ,was acoredemand of the waveofoften violent
demonstrations thatconvulsedChil efromOctob er onwards. Last
week, President Sebastián Piñeraanno unceda90-day“state of
catastrophe” over Covid-19,granting the military extraordinary
powerstoenfor ce quarantinemeasuresand upho ld or der.Bogotá
Prisonriots:Riotseruptedinprisons
acrossColombialastweekend,as
prisonersprotestedagainstthe
authorities’allegedfailuretodoenough
tocontrolthespreadofthecoronavirus
injails.Intheworstoftheincidents,at
LaModeloprisoninBogotá,atleast
23 inmateswerekilled.JusticeMinister
MargaritaCabellosaidtheriotswerepartofa“massive”escape
attemptthathadbeenputdownbytheauthorities,andclaimed
therewas“nosanitationproblem”intheprison.Fearsaboutthe
spreadofthevirusinprisonshaveintensifiedinmanycountries:
therehavebeendeadlyriotsinVenezuela,amassescapeof
low-securityinmatesfromajailinBrazil,andprotestsinFrance.