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Good morning! Welcome to TNG’s daily watch of happenings around the globe on clovid-19. Emman Ovuakporie, Regional Editor, TNG.
UNESCO estimates that, as of 24 March, 138 countries have closed schools nationwide, impacting over 1.3 billion children and youth. A further 11 countries have implemented localized school closures.
In the ensuing weeks, this will raise major challenges around equity: how will the most vulnerable students fare when schools are closed?
Understanding the risks of school closures for the most vulnerable
School closures in the context of this rapidly-spreading virus have been deemed necessary by health authorities across the globe, to both slow the spread of the disease and to mitigate the effects on health systems that will not be able to cope with potentially massive numbers of critically ill patients. In some contexts, confinement is becoming not only an act of civil solidarity, but an imperative measure for protecting public health.
However, confinement and school closures often have longer-term consequences, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized, magnifying already-existing disparities within the education system. In addition to the missed opportunities for learning, many children and youth lose access to healthy meals, and are subjected to economic and social stress.
Known global cases near 900,000
According to data collected by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, 887,067 people around the world have become infected, 44,264 of whom have died. They also count 185,541 people who have recovered.
However, it is thought the true scale of the outbreak is significantly greater as concerns are expressed that some countries, including China, have been underreporting their figures.
US intelligence accuses China of playing down crisis
American officials reportedly believe China has been underreporting the total number of cases and deaths.
The conclusions of a classified report from the intelligence community to the White House were revealed to Bloomberg by three anonymous officials who declined to detail its contents.
They reportedly say the thrust was that China’s concealment was deliberate and that the report was received by the White House last week.
UK death toll passes 2,300
The UK government has confirmed hundreds more deaths in hospitals, taking the total to 2,352; the youngest was aged just 13. However, figures from the Office for National Statistics have already revealed that dozens more people have been dying as a result of the pandemic in care homes and other settings, meaning the true total is likely to be considerably higher.
Ministers say 152,979 people in the UK have been tested and 29,474 have tested positive.
New York City death toll passes 1,000
Deaths from the coronavirus reached 1,096 in New York City as an emergency field hospital opened in Central Park. Data released by the city’s health department showed the virus was having a disproportionate effect in certain neighbourhoods, mainly Brooklyn and Queens.
Germany extends distancing measures
Physical distancing measures have been extended in Germany until at least 19 April, and will be re-evaluated on the Tuesday after Easter, Angela Merkel has said.
The German chancellor spoke after a telephone conference with the premiers of Germany’s 16 states on Wednesday afternoon, in which they agreed a draft resolution urging people “to keep contact with people beyond their own household to an absolute minimum, even during the Easter holidays, in accordance with the applicable rules,” according to German media cited by the broadcaster Deutsche Welle.