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15th June 2020
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COVID-19 REPORT
SUMMARY
• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases globally is now over 8 million with 436,293 deaths, according to Worldometer.
• China has turned to mass testing and district lockdowns in Beijing after a jump in cases connected with a wholesale food market in the capital.
• In line with World Health Organisation advice anyone travelling by bus, plane, train, or ferry must wear a face covering in the UK from today. The face mask should cover you from the tip of your nose to your chin.
• Non-essential shops open in the UK today, 15th June. The Mayor of London’s office has provided a reminder on how to act including: washing your hands before and after; use hand sanitiser while you are out; use a face covering if you cannot keep a safe distance from others
• Border controls were relaxed across Europe today. Most of Spain however remains closed to foreign travellers with the exception of the Balearic islands who have started to see an influx of German tourists. Spain is allowing only 10,000 German holidaymakers in and German tourists were also noted heading to Denmark causing an 8km back log of traffic across the border. Denmark is accepting tourists from Iceland, Germany, and Norway (not Sweden) for 6 nights or more.
• In Greece, passengers arriving from airports deemed high-risk will be tested and quarantined for up to 14 days, depending on the result. Restrictions remain for passengers from Britain and Turkey. Arrivals from other airports will be randomly tested.
GLOBAL MAP OF CASES OF COVID-19
Source: Centre for Disease Control and Prevention 15.06.2020
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COVID-19 REPORT
UK UPDATE
For an interactive map of COVID-19 deaths in England & Wales click here.
• A group of conservatives in the Welsh parliament have called for a recovery fund of £250 million to help support the hardest hit communities.
• EasyJet’s first flight since the imposition of lockdown is due to take place on 15th June, flying from London to Glasgow, following a total of 310 flights scheduled for the week. Most of these flights will be domestic, however, some will be travelling to continental Europe. Ryanair also hope to increase their flights with the plan to have 40% of its previous schedule running by July.
• The government’s ‘support bubble’ scheme came into effect on 13th June which has allowed adults living alone or a single parent with children under the age of 18 can be treated as a single household for lockdown restrictions.
• Trade Unions and MP’s have called on the government to unveil their emergency plan for returning pupils to school. The government has so far faced much criticism for its plan to get children back to school, with some accusing Boris Johnson of depriving children their right to basic education.
• It has emerged that 69 pages covering 7 recommendations were removed from the Public Health England report which reviewed the impact of COVID-19 on BAME people. The British Medical Association has demanded an explanation as to why these recommendations were not included in the final report.
• Shops in England selling non-essential goods can reopen on Monday 15th June for the first time in almost three months.
TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES
295,889
TOTAL DEATHS 41,698
UK DAILY CASES 1,514
LIVE STATISTICS
UK WIDE – Public Health England SCOTLAND - Scottish Government
NORTHERN IRELAND: NISRA
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REGIONAL UPDATES
(Johns Hopkins University, 2020)
(Worldometer, 10.06.2020) *Above figures via Worldometer. Figures will vary between sources.
CLICK HERE FOR GRAPH DETAILS
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE REPORTED CASES
COUNTRIES/REGIONS 213
PATIENTS RECOVERED 4,148,309
TOTAL DEATHS 436,293
TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES
8,028,846
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ASIA China An area of the Chinese capital Beijing has been put under strict lockdown after the city’s first COVID-19 case in more than 50 days. The outbreak has been linked to the city’s largest wholesale market. A total of 45 people has tested positive out of 517 tested with plans to test 10,000 market staff. Lockdowns have been imposed in 11 nearby neighbourhoods. India The Indian COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen, having recorded its biggest daily jump in confirmed infections on the 13th June, reporting an additional 11,458. In Delhi they are having to use train carriages as make-shift wards. 500 railway carriages are being made available to create 8,000 more beds. 40 hotels and 77 banquet halls will also be used amid a package of new emergency measures. The total number of over 320,000 cases put India fourth in the world after the US, Brazil, and Russia. Nepal Demonstrations in the capital, Kathmandu, over the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic have continued. Ten people have been arrested with seven foreigners being accused of ‘interfering in internal affairs’. Thailand Researchers in Thailand have begun testing horseshoe bats in Chanthaburi province for coronavirus after fears that they may pose a risk to local residents. Thailand was the first country outside of China to report a case of COVID-19.
AFRICA Algeria Algeria will continue to relax its COVID-19 restrictions on 14th June, allowing for the reopening of businesses and the resuming of public transport in the cities. Curfews will be shortened in 29 provinces, whilst ending completely in a further 19. Sudan Humanitarian workers and medical personnel believe COVID-19 is spreading unchecked through the western region of Darfur. Officials say the elderly are falling sick at astonishing rates. Doctor’s in the few functioning hospitals in the war-torn region have reported an influx of patients with symptoms of loss of taste, breathing troubles, and fevers.
AMERICAS Brazil The City of São Paulo has announced plans to exhume and temporarily store bodies buried a long time ago in order to free up space for the COVID-19 dead. As of writing, Brazil have a reported death toll of just under 43,000.
Chile The Chilean President has replaced his health minister amid controversy over the country’s COVID-19 death figures. Chile is facing its toughest month so far and currently has the highest number of confirmed cases per million in Latin America.
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El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has announced that El Salvador would begin to relax its restrictions, some of the strictest on the continent, and re-open its economy from 16th June. The President also announced that airports would not open until 6th August.
United States of America President Donald Trump has postponed his first post-COVID-19 lockdown election rally. It was supposed to be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma but falls on the holiday commemorating the end of US slavery. The location also saw one of the worst massacres of black people in US history in 1921. Donald trump has moved the rally one day later out of respect for the ongoing anti-race campaigns in the US.
EUROPE For a full list of changes to travel restriction in Europe please click here. The list is frequently updated.
Austria As part of measures to rebuild the economy post-COVID-19, Austria have announced plans to make one-off payments of €450 to those who are unemployed and €360 per child under 18 to families. The government have also announced plans to cut the lowest income tax bracket from 25% to 20% as well as cutting VAT for those in the culture sector to 5%. France France has reported under 30 fatalities due to COVID-19 for the fourth day in a row. Italy Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, has said that Italy must use the COVID-19 pandemic to reform the country including reforms to ‘simplify bureaucracy, push digital investments and green energy, improve education, support the poorest, and bring more women into the workforce’. The country is expected to receive roughly €170 billion of the European Commission’s proposed recovery fund totalling €750 billion.
AUSTRALIA / OCEANIA Australia Discontent over the continued lockdown restrictions in Australia continue to grow with many questioning whether the risks of ending lockdown still outweigh the risks. The Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has announced the reopening of stadiums and outdoor venues in July for up to 10,000 people, however, restrictions are likely to still be imposed in some individual states. It is expected that in July restaurants, cafes, pubs, and clubs will be open but restricted to 50 people and weddings will be limited to 20 guests. Other indoor venues will not face numerical restrictions but will have to adhere to the 4 square meter rule. New Zealand New Zealand have gone 22 days now without recording a new case of COVID-19 in the country. It also has no known active cases or anyone in hospital with the virus. All restrictions have now been lifted in the country with live sports also now resuming.
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MIDDLE EAST Iran President Rouhani has announced that compliance with health protocols is around 20%, down from 80% last month. The country continues to struggle with COVID-19 outbreaks and has had to reimpose restrictions that had previously been gradually relaxed.
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IN OTHER NEWS
BLACK LIVES MATTER Protests inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement continue to be seen across the world with rallies seen in Taiwan, Switzerland, Australia, and UK to name a few. In some places protests turned violent with Police in Paris firing tear gas at protesters to prevent a march through the centre of the city. The first half of the protest was largely peaceful; however, skirmishes began to break out between protesters and riot Police seeing the throwing of projectiles by protesters and riot police charges. In London, peaceful demonstrations by anti-racism protestors in support of the Black Lives Matter movement took place at Hyde Park and Marble Arch. However, a counter-protest in Parliament Square, by those claiming to be defending statues such as Winston Churchill, as well as the Cenotaph, turned violent with members of the far-right attacking Police. Over 100 people were injured, and six police officers suffered minor injuries from projectiles thrown, including bottles, smoke bombs and fireworks. The violence, which resulted in Waterloo Station having to be temporarily closed, has since been condemned by both the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition. Minor issues between protesters and counter-protesters also occurred in Newcastle and Brighton.
ASIA Philippines On 12th June Filipinos took to the streets to protest against a new controversial anti-Terrorism bill. The bill has been a cause for alarm for human rights activists who have said that the bill could be used to introduce ‘draconian and arbitrary provisions’, including arrest without warrant to target government detractors. Nepal On 13th June, the Nepalese lower house of parliament approved a new map of the country with the inclusion of a 50 mile road connecting its northern Uttarakhand state with Lipulekh on the border with Tibet; territory they have long disputed with India. India’s Foreign Ministry have rejected the new map claiming that the inclusion of Indian territory is not based on historical fact or evidence. North Korea Tensions between North and South Korea have escalated further with the North warning of possible military action in any retaliation measures. The tensions have arisen due to North Korean defectors in the South sending propaganda and food across the border.
AFRICA Libya Territory recaptured from Khalifa Haftar’s forces in the ongoing civil war in Libya has revealed the use of mass graves raising fears as to how extensive the human rights violations are in territories controlled by Haftar. UN Secretary General Antonia Guterres has called on Libya’s UN-backed government to secure the grave sites, identify the victims, establish cause of death, and return the bodies to next of kin. The Secretary General has also called for an investigation into the mass graves. Nigeria On 13th June, Islamic militants conducted twin attacks in Monguno and Nganzai, located in Nigeria’s Borno state,
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killing 20 soldiers, over 40 civilians, and injuring many more. The attacks have been claimed by the Islamic State West Africa Province. Tunisia A migrant boat has sunk off the coast of Tunisia, killing at least 61 people. It is thought that those on the boat were primarily from sub-Saharan Africa and trying to reach Italy. With 53% of migrants and refugees having lost their jobs due to COVID-19 restrictions in Tunisia. Vincent Cochetel, the UNHCR’s special envoy for central Mediterranean, fears that many more could attempt the crossing.
AMERICAS United States of America Eight people were shot and injured in San Antono, Texas, on 12th June after an inebriated man who was turned away from a bar opened fire on the building.
EUROPE Russia The Russian Defence Minister and Russian Foreign Minister visited Turkey on 14th June to discuss coordination on regional issues with the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The two countries are currently backing different sides in the Libyan civil war with Turkey supporting the UN-recognised Government of National Accord and Russia backing the Libyan National Army. United Kingdom The UK have reaffirmed their support for the International Criminal Court as an independent body after US President Donald Trump approved economic and travel sanctions against some of the organisations employees. The sanctions approved have targeted those involved in an investigation into potential war crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan. The UK have announced that checks on EU goods coming into the country will be phased in next year in order for firms to have ‘time to adjust’. The EU has said full checks on UK exports would begin at the start of 2021. Despite the UK having said they would not pursue an extension past 31st December, it has been revealed that 54% of British people surveyed feel that an extension should be requested.
AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA Australia Diplomatic relations between Australia and China have further stagnated after China announced an Australian man, arrested seven years ago, would be sentenced to death on drug trafficking charges. Tensions have continued to escalate between the two countries after Australia called for an international inquiry into the source and spread of COVID-19. China have since banned or imposed tariffs on key Australian exports.
MIDDLE EAST Lebanon Protests in Lebanon have continued due to continued unrest at the government’s inability to deal with the country’s economic crisis. The Lebanese pound has lost an estimated 70% of its value since October 2019 which has led to price hikes, job cuts, and the freezing of citizens’ dollar savings.
