It was also the first time many of us saw the extraordinary powers the government has to limit our liberties in the name of public health. It was jarring to go from that lively experience to our new COVID-19 reality, with businesses and schools shuttered and other gatherings barred. Government too slow to give up COVID powersĭays before states around the country started locking down in March 2020, I was in New Orleans celebrating my husband’s birthday. Opinions in your inbox: Get exclusive access to our columnists and the best of our columnsĪs the Biden administration winds down the treatment of COVID-19 as an emergency by May 11 and as Americans, more than 70% vaccinated, have mostly gone on as if the pandemic has ended, the USA TODAY Opinion team looks back on the lockdown and how our lives have changed. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports nearly 104 million cases and more than 1.1 million deaths. Three years later, with uneven distribution of tests, vaccines and treatments, the world has recorded about 677 million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 7 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. On March 15, states began implementing shutdowns. That same day, President Donald Trump issued a travel suspension from Europe for 30 days. COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic." On March 11, the World Health Organization announced: "In the past two weeks, the number of cases of COVID-19 outside China has increased 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has tripled. There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people have lost their lives. Anthony Fauci, America’s point man on infectious diseases, spoke with (us) about the latest coronavirus developments." As a published synopsis of the interview said: "With China taking extreme measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19 and previously quarantined American cruise ship passengers returning to the United States, Dr. 17, 2020, the USA TODAY Editorial Board met with the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The WESP was released two days after the latest World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects report, which drew similar conclusions, predicting that, given the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to disrupt economic activity in the near term.On Feb. In many countries, the pace of job creation is not enough to offset the earlier employment losses. Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Asia, are projected to see a slow recovery of jobs. These shortages in developed economies are adding to other pressures, such as inflation, and supply-chain challenges.Īt the same time, employment growth in developing countries remains weak, amid lower vaccination progress and limited stimulus spending. Labour force participation in the United States and Europe remain at historically low levels, as many who lost jobs or left the labour market during the pandemic, have not yet returned. Jobs, slow to re-appearĮmployment levels are projected to remain well-below pre-pandemic levels during the next two years, and possibly beyond. These countries are in urgent need of further and coordinated international support for debt relief, the report notes.Īn employee arranges vegetables in a supermarket in Indonesia. Many low-income developing countries, are facing unsustainable external debt burdens, amid sharp interest rate rises.Īdditional borrowing during the pandemic and increasing debt-servicing costs, have put many of them on the verge of a debt crisis. However, in light of rising inflation, several central banks have begun to unwind their extraordinary monetary response to the crisis. The special financial measures put in place by many governments since the pandemic – such as bailouts, improved social protection and job support – should, says the report, stay in place to ensure a strong recovery. In contrast, the economies of richer countries are expected to almost fully recover by next year. The number of people living in extreme poverty is projected to remain well-above pre-pandemic levels, with poverty projected to increase further in the most vulnerable economies: in Africa, the absolute number of people living in poverty is projected to rise through 2023. Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean are projected to see significantly lower growth, compared to pre-pandemic projections, leading to more poverty and less progress on sustainable development and climate action. The report predicts that developing countries will take a greater long-term hit that wealthier nations.
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