Pandemicia coronavirus report #46
Epidemic
The pandemic is well into its main phase as the Northern Hemisphere prepares for winter. Global cases are passing 50 million as US cases cross 10 million.
The following countries currently have exponential advances in new cases taking place:
USA, Russia, France, Spain, Italy, Iran, Germany, Poland, Canada, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Morocco, Switzerland, Portugal, Austria, Sweden, Hungary, Jordan, Japan, Lebanon, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Azerbaijan, Serbia, Algeria, Greece, Denmark, Malaysia, Macedonia, Norway, Lithuania, Albania, Kosovo, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Cyprus.
Several countries in the area including UK have managed to quell significant outbreaks through strategic lockdowns. Sub-saharan Africa has so far done extremely well in suppressing outbreaks.
It appears the virus does indeed favour cold weather as some predicted, and this has probably been one cause of its more rapid advance in the refrigerated environments of meatworks and perhaps its slower acquisition in the tropics (though Manaus in the Amazon gives the lie to this).
The Algerian president is ill with COVID-19, and so is the head of White House staff.
The Algerian president is ill with COVID-19, and so is the head of White House staff.
Response
After seven consecutive days with no coronavirus cases, the "Ring of Steel" has been dropped around Melbourne. Virtually all businesses have re-opened, with considerable care for social distancing.
The Australian company CSL has commenced manufacturing several vaccines in the expectation that Phase III trials will be successful. These are the Astrazeneca Oxford vaccine and the University of Queensland vaccine. In the meantime, the Australian government has locked in agreements with two more companies, Pfizer and Novovax. The total investment is now $3.2 billion.
The Australian company CSL has commenced manufacturing several vaccines in the expectation that Phase III trials will be successful. These are the Astrazeneca Oxford vaccine and the University of Queensland vaccine. In the meantime, the Australian government has locked in agreements with two more companies, Pfizer and Novovax. The total investment is now $3.2 billion.
All farmed mink in Denmark are to be culled after a mutated form of the virus infected handlers.
A federal program to inspect nursing homes 'aggressively' in the USA in the early days of the epidemic cleared 80% of them. Subsequently there were 290,000 cases and 43,000 deaths among residents and staff.
A federal program to inspect nursing homes 'aggressively' in the USA in the early days of the epidemic cleared 80% of them. Subsequently there were 290,000 cases and 43,000 deaths among residents and staff.
France and Germany announced new lockdowns on 29 October as hospitals continued to fill.
With US cases now rising to almost 130,000 a day across the country, some of the worst-hit communities continue to refuse to wear masks.
With US cases now rising to almost 130,000 a day across the country, some of the worst-hit communities continue to refuse to wear masks.
Australians stranded in the Philippines are trying to charter a boat to return home, as flights rcontinue to be cancelled.
Geopolitical
While Donald Trump has not conceded defeat in the US election, the Biden/Harris Democrat team have made victory speeches. They have promised to rejoin the Paris climate accord, and the WHO, while concentrating on fixing the pandemic mess left by the exiting President. Even the conservative media baron Rupert Murdoch has cut Trump adrift, and other media outlets have refused to cover some of his more outrageous attacks on the democratic process.
Most commentators hope the USA will now resume its leadership of a liberalising world. However, "The era of liberal U.S. hegemony is an artifact of the Cold War’s immediate afterglow. Trump’s transactional approach to foreign policy, by contrast, has been the norm for most of U.S. history."
Some 87% of black voters voted for Biden and Harris. The registration of hundreds of thousands of new black voters in Georgia has led to a near-victory for the Democrats, in the middle of a "sea of red".
Most commentators hope the USA will now resume its leadership of a liberalising world. However, "The era of liberal U.S. hegemony is an artifact of the Cold War’s immediate afterglow. Trump’s transactional approach to foreign policy, by contrast, has been the norm for most of U.S. history."
Some 87% of black voters voted for Biden and Harris. The registration of hundreds of thousands of new black voters in Georgia has led to a near-victory for the Democrats, in the middle of a "sea of red".
The State election in Queensland was comfortably won by the incumbent on 1 Nov. She has maintained a strong line for keeping State borders closed. The populist party of Pauline Hanson lost half its support, while Greens made considerable gains. In general, strong and successful action by leaders continues to be gratefully endorsed by the electorate, despite their having to endure economic hardship.
China has continued to deny Australia exports, as relations continue to worsen. This originally stems from the Australian government effective;y accusing the Chinese of starting the pandemic.
Economy
The property market in Australia has begum to rise again. Several actions of the government to stimulate it are bearing fruit. Most of the new buyers are first-home buyers and investors have withdrawn for the time being. Home lending rates for major banks are now below 2% for the first time in history. Unfortunately this easy money policy only benefits those who are already in a good situation.
"our central bank has had no choice but to go all in – turbo-charging the printing press, providing effectively free money at 0.1 per cent for governments, banks, building societies and credit unions. In real terms, allowing for even a little inflation, the money is actually cheaper than free."
Not one of 1500 Australians registered for farmwork received a job offer, despite farmers claiming to be desperate for labour. It appears they will only hire backpackers. Undocumented workers have long been exploited by the horticulture industry.
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