Worldwide COVID-19 death surpasses 150,000

The worldwide death toll linked to the COVID-19 pandemic surpasses the 150,000-mark.

With more than 36,000 people that have died, the US accounts for almost a quarter of the recorded global fatalities.

Eighty-three (83) days after the first recorded death in Wuhan on January 9, death toll reaches 50,000. Another Eight more days and the fatalities climb to 100,000. And yet-again it took an additional eight days to go from 100,000 to 150,000.

The daily number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths worldwide is over 8,800. As of writing, the total global death tally is 154,350.

Life-and-death balance for vulnerable economies

Signs of the economic damage brought by COVID-19 is starting to be felt.

With global supply chain affected by border closures and travel bans, countries with vulnerable economies are foreseen to face a life-and-death situation.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that COVID-19 could spark another “lost decade” (2015 to 2025) in the Latin America and the Caribbean.

In the recent Caribbean COVID-19 Food Security and Livelihoods Impact Survey by CARICOM, seventy-three per cent (73%) of respondents said that their ability to carry out their livelihood was affected over the last two weeks.

Half of the survey respondents from eleven (11) Caribbean nations have faced a change in income because of job loss or reduced salary. People owning businesses or engaged in casual labour or small trade appear the most impacted.

Moreover, nearly half of the 4,537 respondents expect that there will be “moderate to severe” or “severe” future livelihood impact due to COVID-19.

The survey also showed that over 80% of food supplies in the Caribbean are imported. Imports include food and live animals, beverages and tobacco, oil seeds and oleaginous fruit, and animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes.