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Oliver Lamb explores the increasing international tensions, as allegations regarding the source of the virus are made from various sides. While the infection rate appears to be slowing in some countries, there are fears that certain world leaders are easing lockdown measures prematurely. This article also describes the alternative approaches Europeans had to take when celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
It was a VE Day like no other. Instead of mass celebrations to mark 75 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe, Friday saw quiet, scaled-down ceremonies. In many ways, though, the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns made the occasion all the more poignant. The remaining veterans of World War II, having survived such terrible conflict, are now among those most at risk from the virus; and the rest of us, who grew up in an era of peace and prosperity, are experiencing something of the sacrifices made by that revered wartime generation.
The Second World War was an order of magnitude greater than the current crisis. But the numbers of COVID-19 are dizzying enough. At the beginning of Saturday 2 May the global confirmed case count stood at 3,398,000 with 239,000 deaths; a week later those figures had risen to 4,009,000 and 276,000.*
As previous updates describe, China and Europe are over the worst and are easing restrictions. Some places, however, are easing restrictions despite the continued acceleration of the disease. One such country is Pakistan, whose prime minister, Imran Khan, announced on Thursday that certain businesses could reopen from the weekend – subject, of course, to social distancing guidelines. Dozens of US states, too, are reopening, despite warnings from health experts that such moves are too early and risk a resurgence of the virus.
However, health is just one factor weighing on politicians’ minds. The other is the ongoing economic devastation. The unofficial but authoritative Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy announced on Wednesday that 122 million Indians lost their jobs in April alone; the country’s unemployment rate has risen from 8.7% before lockdown to a record 27% today. That unusually high figure is probably attributable to the fact that 90% of working Indians are in informal jobs. Halfway across the world, the Brookings Institution reported on Thursday that one in five American households are struggling to obtain enough food.
Meanwhile, the crisis has worsened international discord. China and the West continue to engage in a war of words; President Trump and his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, claimed this week that the virus escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Evidence suggests that ground zero of the pandemic was in fact a nearby Wuhan wet market. The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, while rejecting the lab-origin thesis, has called for an international inquiry into the origins of the virus. The Global Times, a Chinese state-run newspaper, responded by calling Australia “gum stuck to the bottom of China’s shoe”. The Chinese ambassador to Australia has warned that pushing for an inquiry may prompt the Chinese people to boycott Australian goods. Whether this is a serious threat or merely hyperbole, it marks a sharp deterioration in Chinese-Australian ties.
There are divisions within societies, too. On Friday, the UN said the crisis had sparked a “tsunami of hate”. Africans in the Chinese city of Guangzhou have reportedly been forced out of their houses; community leaders say the vast majority of Africans in the city are in quarantine or on the streets. After a Muslim congregation was linked to clusters of cases across India, Islamophobic memes and hashtags trended. Additionally, a report by Israeli researchers suggested that some people are scapegoating Jews for the pandemic, and accusing Jews of profiting from it.
There was, however, a show of international unity on Monday, when leaders of more than 40 countries (the US was not among them) attended a summit by videoconference. They pledged around £6.5 billion for the development of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics. That is one of the many differences between the Second World War and the war against coronavirus: this time: there can be no victory until there is victory for all.
*figures taken from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
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