World Coronavirus Dispatch: How Wuhan remembers its outbreak one year on

US falls short on vaccination goals, Vienna's classic New Year concert plays on despite curbs, China sets up infection prevention squad and other-pandemic related news across the globe

China sets up infection prevention squad in hospitals 

China has constituted a team of experts to help prevent infections in hospitals across the country. The team will monitor public events, advise on prevention of infections in hospitals among others. Infections in hospitals have been responsible for sporadic virus clusters in the country. Beijing has advised people to stay put as infections rose in recent days. China is also planning a powerful new disease control agency as part of public health reforms in the aftermath of the pandemic. Read here

Let's look at the global statistics

Global infections: 82,745,324

Change Over Yesterday: 759,047

Global deaths: 1,805,521

Nations with most cases: US (19,744,734), India (10,266,674), Brazil (7,619,200), Russia (3,100,018), France (2,657,624).

Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center

How pandemic strengthened the Chinese Communist party

Far from creating unrest through the rank of organisation and political divisions within the China's Communist Party, the pandemic has actually strengthened it. The boost was led by crushing the coronavirus outbreak by late March as compared to some of the western countries, that still have no idea how to tame the virus. The party’s efforts in containing the outbreak helped it to tighten political grip and breathe new life into its grassroots. Highly contagious virus meant that the anti-government unrest in Hong Kong, a potential threat to the political bosses in China had to end. The streets became quieter, something that would have made Xi Jinping elated. The party stopped being on the backfoot and is on the offensive to change the narrative of coronavirus origins and aggressively pursuing vaccine diplomacy, convincing African countries to buy their shots. How far this will make the West trust China remains to be seen. Read here

Trump admin admits missing vaccination goals

The United States missed reaching its vaccination goals, which scientists and experts had predicted before the rollout. Complex vaccination procedures, raging virus and distribution challenges led to the lag. Initially, the Trump administration had targeted to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of the year, something which is unlikely to be met until at least next month, officials had admitted recently. With covid-related deaths touching record highs, day after day, with no reprieve, and after a more contagious mutant detected in two states, how quickly the country vaccinates its population will determine its ability curb the virus. Read here

Vienna's classic New Year concert has eerie-sounding this year

Vienna Philharmonic, an event that started in 1939, enthralled many over the years on the New Year's eve and this year is no different despite the many restrictions surrounding the pandemic, except that there will be no live audiences for the first time in the concert history. The New Year concerts over the years has become a symbol of Austrian culture. Classical music is crucial to the country's tourism, and despite many odds this year, the authorities tried to keep the show going, through emergency support and increasing cultural budget to support artists and cultural organisations. Read here

One year on, what is happening in Wuhan now

Exactly a year ago, Wuhan's health authorities reported the World Health Organization (WHO) about a mysterious virus wrecking havoc in the city and resulting in pneumonia-related deaths. A year later, the streets are bustling with people, restaurants are packed, signs that the city has reached pre-pandemic normalcy. The story documents life in Wuhan and why many people are still cautious about what they can and cannot say about what happened a year ago and the lessons they learned from the devastating outbreak. Read here