Nigeria
Feminist Coalition, a Nigerian nonprofit that spearheaded support for the #EndSARS campaign against police brutality in the country, asked supporters to stay home amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The Nigeria Center for Disease Control has said there are currently in excess of 62,000 cases of COVID-19. Feminist Coalition wrote on its social media channels: “Following the President’s address, we hereby encourage all young Nigerians to stay safe, stay home, and observe the mandated curfew in your state.” Stranger’s Guide has previously reported that in response to skepticism in the country over the pandemic, some Nigerians attempted to counter denialism with social media campaigns using hashtags such as #COVIDStopsWithMe. (Nairametrics)
India
Supporters at two rival political rallies in Bihar—including one for current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—flouted election commission rules on social distancing, and were filmed either not wearing masks at all or with masks pulled down. In live video streamed on Prime Minister Modi’s YouTube channel, supporters gathered in large numbers could be seen violating guidelines. This came two days after the election commission warned political parties in Bihar against violation of COVID-19 related health guidelines. Last week, Stranger’s Guide reported on a survey of people living in 18 Indian cities that revealed less than half wore masks in public. (Deccan Herald)
Belgium
Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder has asked all Belgium military personnel not on missions to deploy to help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. With Belgium’s hospitals under strain, the military will provide ambulances, transport for medical staff and temporary field hospitals. Hospital workers in Liege, Belgium’s third largest city, have been asked to carry on working even if they’ve tested positive for the coronavirus, so bad is the situation in the city. (VRT)
Germany
Berlin police broke up a party with 600 partygoers in the Mitte district after it was found to be flouting strict rules imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Police said attendees weren’t wearing masks or social distancing, and when they intervened they were attacked with bottles. The illegal party took place in James-Simon-Park. The party was billed as an open-air event and organizers initially said only 250 tickets would be sold. It comes at a time when Germany is battling a second wave of COVID-19. (Rbb24)
Colombia
Despite a six-month lockdown helping to slow down transmission of the coronavirus, a spike in cases in Colombia now means the country has reached a terrible milestone: 1 million confirmed cases. This makes it the second country in Latin America to report that figure in under a week. Argentina reached 1 million cases on Monday, while both Mexico and Peru are expected to announce similar statistics in the coming weeks. Colombia has had nearly 30,000 COVID-19 deaths, including an estimated 200 doctors and other health workers. (NBC)
