New Delhi: The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world — the latest count being over 4.5 crore cases and more than 11 lakh deaths.
The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has led to an increase in female genital mutilation in Africa. Brazil researchers reveal that they are investigating 95 cases of suspected Covid-19 reinfections and Canada’s Ontario has slowed the infection.
ThePrint brings you the most important global stories on the coronavirus pandemic and why they matter.
Pandemic leads to increase in female genital mutilation in Africa
Domtila Chesang, a campaigner against female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage from Kenya, has revealed that her campaign hasn’t been effective since the pandemic, reports DW News.
“The focus is on Covid-19. That’s what most funding is going towards. So, there are more girls who are being subjected to harmful cultural practises in their communities,” she added.
In some cultures, FGM is considered a necessary rite of passage before a woman marries.
Chesang said that over 500 girls had been subjected to genital mutilation in April, May and June, which was when strict lockdowns had been in place.
Africa has recorded 17,70,644 cases of Covid-19 and 42,404 deaths.
Also read: Europe’s second round of lockdowns reveals the Covid failures we must fix
Brazil may have 95 cases of Covid-19 reinfection
Researchers in Brazil are looking into over 95 suspected cases of Covid-19 reinfection, reports Folha De S. Paulo.
“Discarding exams, however, makes the job difficult. Without the samples, scientists cannot sequence the genomes of viruses that may have infected patients to confirm that they are two separate infections, which is considered essential by international scientific journals such as Lancet,” notes the report.
Brazil has recorded 54,96,402 cases of Covid-19 and 1,59,033 deaths.
8 family members from Indonesia volunteer for human trials
A motorcycle-taxi driver Fadly Barjadi Kusuma and his seven family members signed up to volunteer to test a vaccine candidate against Covid-19 in Indonesia, reports The Straits Times.
The vaccine is being developed by Sinovac Biotech, which is a private Chinese pharmaceutical firm.
“Mr Fadly and his wife, Ms Mira Nurani, both 32, passed the health screening and were deemed eligible for the late-stage clinical human trial,” says the report.
Indonesia has recorded 4,04,048 cases of Covid-19 and 13,701 deaths.
Also read: EU should have acted faster, Angela Merkel tells Europe leaders as virus costs mount
Covid curve in Ontario might be flattening
Key public health advisors from Ontario, Canada suggested Thursday that the province had slowed down the growth of coronavirus, reports The Global and Mail.
Dr Adalsteinn Brown, dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, said that Ontario could expect a “steady state”of 800 to 1,200 cases a day.
“Although cases are continuing to grow, that growth has slowed and we are starting to see a more gentle curve there,” he said.
Canada has recorded 2,28,542 cases of Covid-19 and 10,074 deaths.
Scotland to impose harsher restrictions under five-level system
Under the Scottish government’s five-level Covid restrictions, tighter lockdowns and restrictions will be imposed in the country, reports The Guardian.
Millions of people in Scotland are facing a ban on drinking in bars, eating in restaurants and other kinds of indoor socialising in an effort to curb the virus.
Under the five-level system, level zero imposes easy controls on socialising, level one allows working in offices only for essential services, level two restricts sale of alcohol indoors, level three doesn’t allow indoor socialising and level four may impose stay at home rules.
Scotland has recorded 61,531 cases of Covid-19 and 2,791 deaths.
What else we are reading:
Amazon third-quarter earnings soar as pandemic sales triple profits: The Guardian
Kashgar confirms 22 new cases but says outbreak now under control: South China Morning Post
Also read: 200 days with no locally transmitted case — Covid record that makes Taiwan envy of world