June 1 – Europe
Global Health: Coronavirus, or COVID-19
– Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical company starts the first COVID-19 antibody treatment trials in humans. The treatment uses monoclonal antibodies made from people who were sick with the coronavirus. They are meant to work as natural antibodies do in the body by blocking the virus.
– Russia records more than 400,000 total coronavirus infections with only Brazil and the U.S. recording more. The epidemic grows in regions outside of Moscow.
– Mexico, with almost 100,000 confirmed coronavirus infections and 10,000 deaths, urges people to practice social distancing in epicenters of the virus. About 5,000 companies that have implemented safety protocols will be allowed to reopen this week. The federal government has cleared businesses in the mining, construction and auto manufacturing sectors to resume operations.[1]
(Jun 2): A meta-analysis published in The Lancet finds that social distancing is the most effective way to slow the spread of the coronavirus — more so than face coverings and eye protection.
(Jun 3): Italy reopens its airports after two months of strict lockdown, allowing Italians to move freely between regions.
(Jun 4): The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is contributing $1.6 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, that helps provide vaccines to developing countries.
– The medical journal The Lancet retracts a large study on the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 because of potential flaws in the research data. The study finds no benefit to the drug and suggests it may even increase the risk of death.
– Brazil’s death toll from coronavirus reaches 34,000, making Brazil the third most affected country in the world. A lack of robust health services in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has made the coronavirus outbreak there particularly devastating.
– Iran reported over 3,000 new cases of coronavirus in each of the past two days, raising fears about a second spike.
(Jun 5): Israel is forced to close 87 schools and kindergartens, shortly after reopening, after a COVID-19 outbreak swept through classrooms. More than 244 students and school staff tested positive for the virus, while more than 6,800 have been ordered to quarantine at home. The government introduces a new policy that orders schools where a virus emerges to close.[2]
– The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the U.S. economy gained 2.5 million jobs in May and the unemployment rate dropped to 13.3 percent, down from 14.7 percent in April.
(Jun 6): China reports no new cases of local transmission in Beijing in at least 50 days, and as many as 90 days in some districts.
– India becomes the sixth worst hit country by the pandemic after another record-breaking daily spike in confirmed infections. The Indian Health Ministry reports total of 236,657 coronavirus cases. Despite this, India prepares to reopen shopping malls, hotels and religious places after a 10-week lockdown.[2]
– Coronavirus cases in the United States surpass 2 million with more than 110,000 deaths.
(Jun 8): New Zealand declares itself free of the coronavirus. The country last reported a new case 17 days ago, and had only 1,154 confirmed cases to date.
– Countries across Europe continue to ease their coronavirus lockdowns, with Ireland, Belgium, Denmark and Spain all relaxing their rules.
– A new modeling study of lockdown impacts in 11 nations by researchers at Imperial College London found that wide-scale lockdowns, including shop and school closures, reduced COVID-19 transmission rates in Europe enough to control its spread and may have averted more than three million deaths.
– New York City begins the first phase of reopening after nearly three months of coronavirus lockdown restrictions. (See article below)
– The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) finds that the United States entered officially in a recession in February amid stay-at-home orders and business closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. This downturn ends a historic 128-month economic growth that started in June 2009 after the Great Recession. The current recession is severe with unemployment at levels not seen since the Great Depression, but the NBER says this recession differs from previous ones because a virus rather than a weakness within the economy caused it.[3]
(Jun 9): Russia’s capital, Moscow, ends lockdown with some businesses allowed to open despite reporting 1,000 daily new coronavirus cases.[4]
(Jun 10): The pandemic triggered the most severe recession worldwide in nearly a century, causing enormous damage to people’s health, jobs and well-being, according to an analysis of global economic data by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
– Coronavirus deaths in Latin America surpass 70,000.
(Jun 11): The World Health Organization (WHO) says that it took Africa 98 days to reach 100,000 coronavirus cases, but only 18 days to double it. While one reason is an increased testing, more than half of the 54 countries on the continent are experiencing community transmissions. Ten countries are driving the rise in numbers and account for nearly 80 percent of all cases. The worst affected country is South Africa with a quarter of the total cases. More than 70 percent of the 5,600 total deaths have occurred in only five countries: Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Sudan.[5]
(Jun 20): While many states rolled back lockdowns, coronavirus cases are rising in 19 states across the South, West and Midwest. Florida and South Carolina break their single-day records for new cases. Infection levels for Missouri and Nevada also reach new highs. Texas experiences thousands of new COVID-19 hospitalizations and the most daily deaths.[6]
(Jun 25): Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pauses reopening the state.[7]
(Jun 28): The global total of reported deaths passes 500,000, while the confirmed number of cases surpasses 10 million.[8]
(Jun 30): The European Union approves a list of countries from where travelers will be allowed to visit the Union when it opens its external borders on July 1. The United States is not on this list. The list includes South Korea, Japan and, with a caveat, China. Those countries have been able to bring the coronavirus under control.[9] (See article below)
Our new normal in pictures
One graphic explains why Americans are facing an EU travel ban
New York City begins phase one of reopening
EU Sets New List Of Approved Travel Partners. The U.S. Isn’t On It
When Covid Subsided, Israel Reopened Its Schools
June 3 – Latin America: MEXICO
The Mayan Train Project
Mexican President López Obrador inaugurates the first part of the $6.8 billion construction of the Mayan Train project that aims to connect tourist destinations in the Yucatán Peninsula, including historic Mayan sites. The train will run about 950 miles from Palenque in Chiapas northeast towards Cancún in Quintana Roo via two routes that encircle the peninsula and a route that goes to Mexico City stopping at 15 stations. When is started two years ago, the project had a wide support of the local population, expecting to create 800,000 jobs and stimulate economic development around the 15 stations and solve the region’s migration problem. But since then the project has become controversial. The environmental activists worry about the negative impact the project will have on the area’s unique sites.[10]
More about the Mayan Train
June 9 – Middle East: BAHRAIN
Opposition
Bahrain releases from jail Nabeel Rajab, the country’s main human rights activist. In 2016, he was sentenced to five years in prison for criticizing on Twitter alleged torture at a Bahraini prison and the actions of the Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen’s civil war. The government accused him of spreading “fake news”, criticizing the government on social media, and “insulting a foreign country”. Human rights groups condemned Rajab’s treatment and a United Nations panel has called for his release. Rajab will serve the remainder of his sentence in a non-custodial setting.[11]
June 11 – Middle East: SYRIA
Anti-government protests
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad sacks Prime Minister Imad Khamis amid worsening economic crisis in Syria that has triggered anti-government protests. The protests started with demands of better living conditions, but quickly turned into calls for the Assad regime to step down. The Assad government blames Western sanctions for the fall of the value of Syria’s currency, which has led to soaring prices. The protesters also call for an end to corruption and the withdrawal of Iran-backed militiamen and Russian troops that helped the Syrian government regain control of most of Syria.[12]
June 19 – Europe: BELARUS
Elections and anti-government protests
Police in Belarus arrests protesters and journalists, including a reporter from Radio Free Europe, during a hundreds-strong rally against President Alexander Lukashenko’s reelection campaing for a sixth term. Lukashenko has been in power since 1994. His main rival Viktor Babaryko, as well as other opposition activists, journalists, and bloggers, have been recently arrested on trumped-up charges.[13]
Belarus suffering “brutal crackdown” as presidential election approaches – BBC News (Video 4:07 min)
June 25 – Europe: RUSSIA
Referendum
In a national referendum, 78 percent of the Russian voters approve more than 200 amendments to the Constitution of Russia. One of them will see presidential term limits reset, allowing President Vladimir Putin to run for the country’s top position again in 2024 and in 2030. Other changes grant former presidents immunity from prosecution, enshrine a reference in the constitution to God, offer pensions protection, and define marriage as a union of a man and a woman. The opposition says the referendum is illegitimate because of irregularities that include voter coercion and multiple voting. A video published by the opposition shows one polling station submitting ballots on behalf of a family that never voted before.[14]
Will Putin rule Russia forever? BBC News (Video 11:33 min)
June 25 – Africa: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Global Health: Ebola
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declares an end of the Ebola outbreak in its eastern provinces, which started in August 2018 and cost the lives of 2,280 people. To declare an outbreak over, 42 days have to pass since the last positive case is tested negative. A key factor in containing the spread of the disease has been an experimental Ebola vaccination campaign, which saw more than 320,000 people inoculated.
However, the country is currently dealing with new cases of a different strain of the Ebola virus in its northwestern area, where 13 people have already died since June 1. Because the Ebola virus exists in animals in many parts of DRC, these outbreaks are expected to reappear.[15]
How war and misinformation are complicating the DRC’s Ebola battle (video 8:36 min)
June 30 – North America: UNITED STATES
George Floyd national protests
A week after the death of George Floyd at the hands of four police officers in Minneapolis, MN widespread protests against police brutality continue across the United States. With much broader public support for Black Lives Matter this time, it is estimated that about 15 to 26 million people have participated in more than 4,700 demonstrations nationwide since the protests started on May 26. This makes it the largest movement in the country’s history, larger than the civil rights marches in the 1960s.[16] Governors in 28 states and the District of Columbia activate more than 20,400 National Guard troops to assist state and local law enforcement in support of civil unrest operations. The Trump Administration draws widespread criticism for its hardline militarized response to the protests.[17]
The protests have already led to some significant reforms. The Minneapolis City Council has pledged to dismantle the local police department and replace it with a community-led public safety system.[18] Lawmakers in New York have repealed a law that keeps police disciplinary records secret. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged to divert money from the city’s police department to social services. Cities and states across the country have passed laws banning chokeholds.[19] Other changes include a removal in some cities of monuments to the Confederate States of America, which fought to preserve the slavery. This extended later to a removal of other monuments representing systemic racism and the genocide of Native Americans.[20] In Mississippi, lawmakers voted to retire their state flag, which included a Confederate battle emblem.[21]
How the U.S.’s history has shaped today’s police brutality BBC video (3:24 min)
Protesters In Atlanta: Who They Are And What They Want