World Coronavirus Dispatch: The worst may still be coming, say WHO

Global M&A lowest since 2012, Gilead prices remdesivir at $2,340 a vial, US states halt re-opening of cities and other pandemic-related news from across the globe

The worst could still be coming in the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, six months on from when the outbreak began.
 

WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the virus would infect many more people if governments did not start to implement the right policies. His message remained "Test, Trace, Isolate and Quarantine". Read more here 
 

Let’s look at the global statistics: 



Total Confirmed Cases: 10,302,867

Change Over Yesterday: 155,896


Total Deaths: 505,518


Total Recovered: 5,235,908

Nations hit with most cases: US (2,590,582), Brazil (1,368,195), Russia (640,246), India (566,840) and UK (313,470)

Source: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center

Global M&A lowest since 2012: The value of M&A fell 50 per cent in the first half from the year-ago period, as the coronavirus pandemic brought global deal-making to an abrupt halt. Little more than $1 trillion of deals have been announced this year, making for the slowest first half since 2012. Read more here 
 

Gilead prices remdesivir at $2,340 per vial: Gilead Sciences has priced its Covid-19 remdesivir drug at $2,340 per patient for wealthier nations and agreed to send nearly all of its supply to the US over the next three months.  Remdesivir is expected to be in high demand as one of the only treatments so far shown to alter the course of Covid-19. Read more here 
 

US states halt re-opening of cities: With new cases surging in many parts of the country, at least a dozen states and cities are pulling back on reopening plans. Arizona, Florida and Georgia have put the brakes on re-opening plans, while New York and New Jersey are considering it. Read more here 
 

43 per cent US deaths tied to nursing homes, care facilities: Most of the country’s largest clusters have emerged in nursing homes, prisons and food processing facilities. At least 54,000 residents and employees have died from the coronavirus, accounting for 43 per cent of virus-related deaths in the US. Read more here 
 

Unemployment in Denmark highest in 8 years: Denmark’s unemployment rate rose to its highest level since the end of 2012 in May, as the coronavirus lockdown wiped out jobs. The rate rose to 5.6 percent, from 5.4% in April. Read more here 
 

Japan’s unemployment rate rises to 2.9 per cent: With 4 million inactive workers, the rate rose to 2 per cent in May, up from 2.6 per cent the month before. It is the country's highest unemployment rate in three years but still low compared to other countries in Asia and the West. Read more here 
 

Melbourne goes into lockdown as cases rise: Australia’s second-most populous state is imposing a four-week lockdown across parts of Melbourne, attempting to contain a spike in coronavirus infections. All flights to Melbourne may be diverted to other cities. Read more here

Specials

How coronavirus dealt a blow to tourism-dependent Bali
: While the halt to international travel has devastated holiday hot spots from Hawaii to Phuket in Thailand, Bali is more vulnerable than most. Tourism accounts for more than 60 per cent of the island’s economy, providing jobs for everyone from chefs and cleaners to self-employed guides and drivers. Some 6.2 million travelers flocked to the island’s beaches in 2019. This year, tourist arrivals slumped 22 percent to 1.04 million in the first quarter, even before the worst of the outbreak. Read more here 
 

Remote school is a nightmare: A few points to care about
 even for parents who can work from home, home schooling is often a crushing burden that’s destroying careers, mental health and family relationships. The government should treat the need to reopen schools as an emergency, says New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg. US’s CDCP has said if schools open students’ desks should be placed six feet apart. Some school are also exploring the possibility of outdoor classes where weather allows. Read more here