Thu 2 Jul 2020, 08:25 AM | Posted by editor
LETTER from Harry Hutchinson, Labour party Northern Ireland, Tyrone Peoples Assembly/Dail
We have ten million cases and half a million deaths worldwide, and with the Covid-19 now out of control in the Western, Middle Eastern, Asian and African continents. According to the World Health Organisation, the pandemic is “accelerating at 183,000 cases per day, the biggest increases in North and South America.”In the US many states are facing increases in infections, with 40,000 new cases a day, totalling almost 2.2m cases and over 126,000 deaths. Most US cases are linked to food processing, nursing homes and prisons. According to the New York Times, there are 282,000 cases linked to 12 facilities. In Latin America there are 2 million cases and Brazil has registered half of them.
Britain has the highest number of cases and deaths in Europe. Although the official figure we keep hearing in Britain is just under 43,000 deaths, the total is in reality much higher. Taking into account the increase in the number of deaths compared to the average of the same period in the past five years, it is over 65,000. South Africa has 100,000 infections, the highest in the continent, followed by Nigeria and Ghana with 20,000 and 14,000 respectively. Countries like Iran and India have recorded their highest daily death toll.
Second wave of infections
What is worse is that a second phase of the pandemic may now have begun. Beijing is in strict lockdown again, with 100 new cases. New lockdowns are taking place across Europe, including in countries like Germany, which had previously brought the virus under control. Contrastingly, some US states continue to lift the lockdown, despite a surge in new cases. Texas remains open despite over 3,000 new cases per day. Hospitals are again being overwhelmed with patients.
Predominately in the garment factories, Leicester has 69 recorded cases per 100,000 of population. These factories employ mainly workers from a migrant background, where workers have said that they were forced to return to work despite reporting sick. Overall, 18% of positive Covid-19 tests are in the ethnic minority population. Many of these workers earn £3 an hour but are told to hide their pay slips, so the company can furlough them at a higher rate. Rochdale has also the same number of cases as Leicester, followed by spikes in Barnsley and Bradford. Six other cities in Britain have reported similar spikes
The Government delayed the test results for the city councils of Leicester and Barnsley. For ten days Leicester city Council were held back from taking any action to control the outbreak of the virus as the Government refused to hand over test results.
A global approach is needed
The WHO have emphasized the need for a global approach to this pandemic, arguing that it cannot be contained in any one country alone. As lockdowns are being lifted, the virus is again spreading out of control amongst all groups, including young children. The policy of lockdown to control the virus was ignored or implemented late by the US, Britain and Brazil and all three are now paying the price in terms of infection cases and deaths. These countries have also refused to offer aid to the poorer countries in the Middle East and Africa, where the virus is now rampant. Thus, the genocide of capitalism is global.
