New Delhi: The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world — the latest count is over 1.39 crore cases and more than 5.92 lakh deaths.

US and Brazil face record surge in the number of Covid-19 cases. Meanwhile, a blame game has started in UK’s Westminster, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to hash out the details of a 750 billion euro aid programme.

ThePrint brings you the most important global stories on the coronavirus pandemic and why they matter.

With more than 77,000 cases, US shatters single-day record

As the pandemic continues uncontrolled across several US states, the country recorded its highest number of daily cases with over 77,000 new infections Thursday, according to The New York Times. Meanwhile, the number of deaths rose by nearly 1,000 in the same period.

“This was the 11th time in the past month that the record had been broken. The number has more than doubled since June 24, when the country registered 37,014 cases after a lull in the outbreak had kept the previous record, 36,738, standing for two months. As of Wednesday, the country’s seven-day average case number exceeded 63,000, up from about 22,200 a month before,” notes the report.

US’ second coronavirus death surge on its way

For the past month, defenders of US government’s pandemic response highlighted the country’s relatively low and stagnant death rate. Now, as both the number of infections and hospitalisations skyrocket, a second coronavirus death surge is also taking place, reports The Atlantic.

“Despite political leaders trivializing the pandemic, deaths are rising again: The seven-day average for deaths per day has now jumped by more than 200 since July 6, according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic,” says the report.

“The deaths are also not happening in an unpredictable amount of time after the new outbreaks emerged. Simply look at the curves yourself. Cases began to rise on June 16; a week later, hospitalizations began to rise. Two weeks after that—21 days after cases rose—states began to report more deaths. That’s the exact number of days that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated from the onset of symptoms to the reporting of a death,” it adds.

Brazil’s cases cross 2 million, doubling in less than a month

On Thursday, Brazil’s total number of Covid-19 cases crossed the 2-million mark, and there are little signs of the pandemic slowing down in the country, reports the Straits Times.

“Just 27 days have passed since Brazil, which has the world’s second-largest outbreak after the United States, reached one million cases. In recent weeks, there have been nearly 40,000 confirmed new cases per day, according to government figures,” mentions the report.

It took the country only 28 days to move from 1 to 2 million infections. The number of deaths in Brazil are currently at 76,688.

“A patchwork of state and city responses has held up poorly in Brazil in the absence of a tightly coordinated policy from the federal government. Despite the rapid spread of the virus, Mr Bolsonaro (President Jair Bolsoanro), a far-right former army captain, has pressured local governments to lift lockdown restrictions,” notes the report.

Pandemic could help Angela Merkel save her legacy

Just until six months ago, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was looking waned down, and critics had begun calling her a “lame duck premier”. But the pandemic, and Merkel’s evident display of leadership not just in Germany but across the European Union, could now help save her vital political legacy, reports the G Zero Media.

Starting Friday, Merkel and other EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to hash out the details of a 750 billion euro aid program for countries reeling from the pandemic’s economic fallout. Currently, Germany has the six-month rotating presidency of the EU.

“If Merkel can pull off this recovery effort, holding the EU project together economically despite its deepening political divisions, it would be a remarkable legacy for a leader whose management of past crises has mostly deepened rifts within the 27-member bloc,” notes the report.

Inside Westminster’s coronavirus blame game

After UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised an independent inquiry into the government’s botched-up response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a long read in the Financial Times, the hunt is on for a scapegoat in Westminster, reports the Financial Times in a long read.

“Boris Johnson was enjoying a Sunday barbecue at 10 Downing Street when the blame game over Britain’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis formally began. News was leaking that he was about to oust the head of the civil service, Mark Sedwill, after months of tensions and hostile briefings over the way the country had dealt with the virus,” states the report.

“Johnson knows blame will soon start to be apportioned ahead of an eventual inquiry into the handling of the virus.  But when the blame is distributed, Johnson’s team will try to ensure it remains as far away from the prime minister as possible. Civil servants, scientists, public health officials and ministers are all being eyed as potential scapegoats for a searing episode that has seen 45,053 people die and, according to the OECD, left the British economy facing the biggest recession of any European nation,” it adds. 

Covid cause US to lose Iraqi Kurdish region to China

For decades, the US has enjoyed influence and popularity in Iraqi Kurdish area like no other global major power. But through the Covid-19 pandemic, China has been working hard to expand its influence in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq (KRI), reports the Al Jazeera.

“On March 8, the Chinese government sent 200,000 face masks to KRI to help the Kurdish Regional Government’s (KRG) efforts to stem the spread of the virus in the region. In the following weeks, Beijing delivered several other large batches of medical aid containing different types of personal protective equipment (PPE), medical devices and COVID-19 testing kits to the KRI,” mentions the report.

These aid shipments were highly publicised and celebrated in the KRI. Soon, these were followed with more assistance through Chinese medial teams and China’s companies chipping in to alleviate the pandemic situation in the region.

China and KSI’s diplomatic and trade relations only started in 2003, but the pandemic has given them a new momentum.

Netanyahu faces pushback on money-for-all coronavirus plan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing opposition from his officials and coalition members for the $1.75 billion grant proposal to alleviate the economic fallout because of the pandemic, reports the Al Jazeera.

“Netanyahu announced the 6 billion shekel ($1.75bn) package on Wednesday amid public anger and protests over his handling of the pandemic,” notes the report. “Under the plan, which requires cabinet approval, individuals and households without children will receive one-time payments of just 750 shekels ($218), while families will receive roughly $600 to $900, depending on the number of children they have.”

“But on Thursday, Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, of the centrist Blue and White party that has partnered with Netanyahu’s Likud in the government, said the money should instead be targeted at the poorest citizens,” it adds.

What else we are reading:

Ivanka Trump’s ‘let them eat cake’ economics:

The Slob-Chic Style of the Coronavirus Pandemic: 

The Influenza Masks of 1918:

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