debate on Corona virus
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The corridors of power are all agog with the sole topic of coronavirus. While Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has held a series of meetings on the pandemic, a meeting held by Additional Chief Secretary P.V. Ramesh was by far the most interesting. Dr Ramesh, a doctor of medicine, is known for his wide medical knowledge and tremendous articulation of his thoughts.
Those in attendance were left speechless when Dr. Ramesh recounted the story of ‘Patient 31’ who took the coronavirus to South Korea, and was singularly responsible for several thousands becoming infected in that country. While the IAS officer’s narration was striking, he made a crucial error — he referred to ‘Patient 31’ as a man whereas the patient was actually a 61-year-old woman who later died of coronavirus.
A tough fight
The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time and the greatest challenge we have faced since World War Two. Since its emergence in Asia late last year, the virus has spread to every continent except Antarctica.
We have now reached the tragic milestone of one million deaths, and the human family is suffering under an almost intolerable burden of loss.
“The climbing death toll is staggering, and we must work together to slow the spread of this virus.” - UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner.
But the pandemic is much more than a health crisis, it's also an unprecedent socio-economic crisis. Stressing every one of the countries it touches, it has the potential to create devastating social, economic and political effects that will leave deep and longstanding scars. UNDP is the technical lead in the UN’s socio-economic recovery, alongside the health response, led by WHO, and the Global Humanitarian Response Plan, and working under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinators.Every day, people are losing jobs and income, with no way of knowing when normality will return. Small island nations, heavily dependent on tourism, have empty hotels and deserted beaches. The International Labour Organization estimates that 400 million jobs could be lost.
The World Bank projects a US$110 billion decline in remittances this year, which could mean 800 million people will not be able to meet their basic needs.