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Myanmar garment workers pushed into sex work, France could extend emergency & other Covid news

As the Covid-19 pandemic shows no signs of letting up, ThePrint highlights the most important stories on the crisis from across the globe.

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New Delhi: The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world — the latest count being over 4.2 crore cases and more than 11 lakh deaths. 

Lack of jobs and poverty amid the pandemic has forced women garment workers in Myanmar to engage in sex work. The France government has proposed to extend the state of health emergency until February. And China sees economic rebound in September.  

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

Covid pushes Myanmar garment workers into sex work 

The pandemic has forced hundreds of garment factories in Myanmar to shut shop, leaving thousands of women workers jobless, reports The Guardian. An increasing number of women are being driven into sex work due to lack of jobs and poverty. 

According to Hnin Hnin Yu, founder of a group called Sex Workers in Myanmar, more women have entered the sex trade during the pandemic despite a drop-off in clients, says the report. 

Myanmar has recorded 41,008 cases of Covid and 1,005 deaths so far.


Also read: ‘Look at India, it’s filthy, the air is filthy’ — Trump, once again, at presidential debate


Retail sales in China experience rebound after pandemic

Several months into the pandemic, consumers in China are increasingly willing to spend on products and goods again, reports South China Morning Post 

The month of September recorded an increase in car sales, sale of cosmetics and jewellery, among other items.

“Still, the recovery in Chinese consumer spending remains weak and uneven, mainly led by high-end consumption, raising questions about the extent to which ‘revenge spending’ — the result of pent-up demand for purchases by shopping-deprived consumers — is responsible for the recent improvement,” says the report.

China has recorded 85,747 cases of Covid and 4,634 deaths.

California’s Covid cases fall after summer spike 

As the number of Covid cases rise across the US, California is recording a fall, reports The New York Times. These numbers come amid the state’s plan to allow businesses to reopen. 

As of Wednesday, the nation’s most populous state was averaging 3,924 new cases each day over the past week, down from a peak of more than 10,000 in late July,” the report says. 

The US has recorded 86,61,651 Covid cases and 2,28,381 deaths.


Also read: What to watch for in China’s 5-year plan as its economy also shifts to ‘atmanirbhar’


France may extend health emergency until February

The French government has proposed to extend the state of health emergency until February, giving the state additional powers to contain the virus, reports The Connexion.

A state of health emergency was imposed on 16 October for the second time this year after March. 

“Under the rules, the government has the right to limit — and even ban — public movement, and impose further confinement in parts of the country, or the whole of it. Restrictions are also allowed more locally,” says the report. 

France has recorded 9,99,043 cases and 34,210 deaths.  

‘50% patients lie during epidemiological questioning’

Israel’s Home Front Command revealed that at least 50 per cent of Covid patients lie during investigations by epidemiologists, reports The Jerusalem Post. 

“The tracing of the chain of infection has been severely impacted by people lying during investigations, Home Front Command said, adding that it could not properly track the people they may have been in contact with,” says the report. Due to this, the government wasn’t able to warn people to quarantine.

Israel has recorded 3,08,247 Covid-19 cases and 2,319 deaths.

Canada’s Alberta tries rapid Covid testing for travellers  

The Alberta government in Canada has announced that international travellers will now be tested for Covid. Simultaneously, doctors have announced that there would be restrictions on surgeries that weren’t urgent to ease the burden on the healthcare system, reports National Post

“On Thursday, the province (Alberta) reported 427 new cases — a record since the pandemic began. There are now 3,519 active cases in the province. Dr Deena Dinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said a source of the spike the province is seeing now is Thanksgiving,” says the report. 

Canada has recorded 2,09,148 Covid cases and 9,862 deaths. 

What else we are reading:

‘Covid parties’ could become the norm, immunology expert says: The Guardian 

It may not be a ‘blockbuster’ cure, but remdesivir is the first drug officially approved to treat Covid-19: The New York Times


Also read: 150-175 million people will fall into extreme poverty due to Covid fallout, says UN expert


 

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