ISA Coronavirus Update (22nd of April)

Daily Summary

The number of diagnosed cases of the coronavirus (Covid-19) rose to nearly 2.6 million around the world, while the number of fatalities associated with the pandemic surpassed 178,000.

Italy appears to have seen the worst of this wave of the pandemic as the number of active cases of the coronavirus fell in that country for the first time since the beginning of the outbreak.  This prompted Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to announce that some lockdown measures would soon be lifted.  There are now 107,700 active coronavirus cases in Italy, while at least 24,600 people have died.

Russia become one of the centers of the coronavirus pandemic, with the number of cases in that country rising substantially.  In fact, the number of known cases of the virus in Russia rose from 24,500 one week ago to nearly 53,000 this week, an increase of 115%.  Most of the diagnosed cases have been found in and around Moscow, but it is believed that there are large numbers of undiagnosed cases in other areas of that vast country.

The number of cases of the coronavirus in Turkey continued to rise sharply in recent days, rising to nearly 100,000.  Meanwhile, there are reports that suggest that the actual number of cases in that country is much higher, particularly in the city of Istanbul.  So far, 2,250 people are known to have died from the coronavirus in Turkey.

Key Developments

The Threat of Devastating Food Shortages: The World Food Program (WFP) warned that some areas of the world could face unprecedented food shortages as a result of the disruptions to agriculture, shipping and food processing that have taken place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

US Immigration Ban: United States President Donald Trump announced that his recently-introduced immigration ban would last for the next 60 days and would apply to all immigrants seeking permanent residency in the US.

Trend to Watch

The growing backlash against China and its perceived role in the coronavirus pandemic is likely to sour relations between China and a number of countries in the coming months and could severely damage China’s international standing in the years ahead.

The Coming Days

Countries (and US states) that have resisted imposing stricter lockdown measures are likely to see further increases in the number of coronavirus cases within their borders.  We have already seen this trend play out in a host of countries in recent days.