Page 6 - aruba-today-20210116

A6 up front
Saturday 16 January 2021
'This is not a game': Global virus death toll hits 2 million

to beat back a resurgence
of the virus, and a new vari-
ant that is believed to be
more contagious is circu-
lating in Britain and other
countries, as well as the U.S.
Even in some of the wealth-
iest countries, the vaccina-
tion drives have been slow-
er than expected. France,
with the second-largest
economy in Europe and
more than 69,000 known vi-
rus deaths, will need years,
not months, to vaccinate
its 53 million adults unless it
sharply speeds up its rollout,
hampered by shortages,
red tape and considerable
suspicion of the vaccines.
Still, in places like Poissy, a
blue-collar town west of
Paris, the first shots of the
Pfizer formula were met
with relief and a sense that
there is light at the end of
the pandemic tunnel.
"We have been living inside
for nearly a year. It's not a
life," said Maurice Lachkar,
a retired 78-year-old acu-
In this Dec. 17, 2020, file photo, mourners attend the funeral of a woman who died from COVID-19 at a cemetery in the outskirts of
the city of Ghaemshahr, in northern Iran. puncturist who was put on
Associated Press the priority list for vaccina-
tion because of his diabe-
Continued from Front es of various COVID-19 vac- it is not enough to snuff out for 76 days, with over 3,800 tes and his age. "If I catch
cines have been admin- the virus in a few places. dead. the virus I am done."
Many experts are predict- istered around the world, "Even if it happens in a cou- "We are not fearful or wor- Maurice and his wife,
ing another year of loss according to the University ple of pockets, in a few ried as we were in the past," Nicole, who also got vacci-
and hardship in places like of Oxford. countries, it's not going to said Qin Qiong, a noodle nated, said they might even
Iran, India, Mexico and Bra- While vaccination drives in protect people across the shop owner. "We now live a allow themselves hugs with
zil, which together account rich countries have been world," Dr. Soumya Swami- normal life. I take the sub- their two children and four
for about a quarter of the hamstrung by long lines, nathan said this week. way every day to come to grandchildren, whom they
world's deaths. inadequate budgets and Health experts fear, too, work in the shop. ... Except have seen from a socially
"As a country, as a society, a patchwork of state and that if shots are not distribut- for our customers, who safe distance only once or
as citizens we haven't un- local approaches, the ob- ed widely and fast enough, have to wear masks, every- twice since the pandemic
derstood," lamented Israel stacles are far greater in it could give the virus time thing else is the same." hit.
Gomez, a Mexico City par- poorer nations, which can to mutate and defeat the It took eight months to hit 1 "It is going to be liberating,"
amedic who spent months have weak health systems, vaccine — "my nightmare million dead but less than he said.
shuttling COVID-19 patients crumbling transportation scenario," as Jha put it. four months after that to Throughout the developing
around by ambulance, networks, entrenched cor- U.N. Secretary General reach the next million. world, the images are strik-
desperately looking for va- ruption and a lack of relia- Antonio Guterres said the "What was never on the ho- ingly similar: rows and rows
cant hospital beds. "We ble electricity to keep vac- 2 million milestone "has rizon is that so many of the of graves being dug, hospi-
have not understood that cines cold enough. been made worse by the deaths would be in the rich- tals pushed to the limit and
this is not a game, that this Also, the majority of the absence of a global coor- est countries in the world," medical workers dying for
really exists." world's COVID-19 vaccine dinated effort." He added: said Dr. Bharat Pankhania, lack of protective gear.
Mexico, a country of 130 doses have already been "Science has succeeded, an infectious diseases ex- In Peru, which has the high-
million people, has re- snapped up by wealthy but solidarity has failed." pert at Britain's University est COVID-19 fatality rate
ceived just 500,000 doses of countries. COVAX, a U.N.- Meanwhile, in Wuhan, of Exeter. "That the world's in Latin America, hundreds
vaccine and has put barely backed project to supply where the scourge was dis- richest countries would of health care workers
half of those into the arms shots to developing parts of covered in late 2019, a glo- mismanage so badly is just went on strike this week to
of health care workers. the world, has found itself bal team of researchers led shocking." demand better pay and
That's in sharp contrast to short of vaccine, money by WHO arrived Thursday In rich and poor countries working conditions in a
the situation for its wealthier and logistical help. on a politically sensitive alike, the crisis has devas- country where 230 doctors
northern neighbor. Despite As a result, the World mission to investigate the tated economies, thrown have died of the disease.
early delays, hundreds of Health Organization's chief origins of the virus, which is multitudes out of work and In Brazil, authorities in the
thousands of people are scientist warned it is highly believed to have spread to plunged many into pov- Amazon rainforest's big-
rolling up their sleeves eve- unlikely that herd immunity humans from wild animals. erty. gest city planned to trans-
ry day in the United States, — which would require at The Chinese city of 11 mil- In Europe, where more than fer hundreds of patients
where the virus has killed least 70% of the globe to lion people is bustling a quarter of the world's out because of a dwindling
about 390,000, by far the be vaccinated — will be again, with few signs it was deaths have taken place, supply of oxygen tanks that
highest toll of any country. achieved this year. As the once the epicenter of the strict lockdowns and cur- has resulted in some peo-
All told, over 35 million dos- disaster has demonstrated, catastrophe, locked down fews have been reimposed ple dying at home.q