The pandemic appears to be entering its final phase – Stern measures in Uganda – The upcoming People’s Convoy – Evening statistics
The number of new coronavirus cases around the world fell 21% in the last week. It is the third consecutive week of declining COVID cases. The number of new COVID deaths fell 8% to about 67,000 worldwide, the first time that weekly deaths have fallen since early January. The WHO’s Europe chief Dr. Hans Kluge said the region is now entering a “plausible endgame” for the virus and said there is now a “singular opportunity” for authorities to end the acute phase of the pandemic. There are still areas in which the virus is increasing. Cases have risen in Africa, Hong Kong, and the island nations of the Western Pacific.
A proposed bill would subject anti-vaxxers in Uganda to a fine of 4 million Ugandan shillings (about $1137, approximately what an average wage-earner receives in a 3-month period) or six months in prison. Uganda contains about 45 million people and up to this point has received 16 million vaccinations. It has endured severe lockdowns over the past two years, although restrictions have been lifted during the past month. About 15 million Ugandan students were shut out of schools during this period, the longest educational lockdown endured by any nation on account of the pandemic.
Trudeau has taken action at last and the protestors who have been harassing residents of Ottawa for weeks on end have been dispersed by police in riot gear. Tamara Lich, a key organizer of the protest, is now in prison and has been denied bail. A similar protest convoy is now en route to DC, where it is to be hoped that our federal government will show more backbone than Canada’s. The organizers of this so-called People’s Convoy claim that they do not intend to disrupt roads or bridges as the protestors did in Canada. But officials are worried about the possibility of a replay of the events last year on January 6th and they are making preparations accordingly. The D.C. Metropolitan Police has added 500 officers to its deployment for every day in early March, while the U.S. Capitol Police and the municipal government has requested the Department of Defense to call in the National Guard for assistance as well.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 427,953,228; # of deaths worldwide: 5,923,983; # of cases U.S.: 80,263,693; # of deaths; U.S.: 963,303.