New Events

The pandemic is dominating the news cycle, and it’s hard to find out anything other than virus news. Further, this week I started with my last Perspectives lesson and ended by giving briefings on the virus impact on agencies, the church, and movements around the world. So I had very little time for scanning and Roundup production.

Next week, I will begin shifting my scanning & coverage. I am intentionally trying to select articles that have a direct impact on long-term mission work. I will be augmenting this with a greater mix of non-coronavirus material, so we can keep the wider vision of finishing the task in view. For local coverage, I recommend seeking out a mix of mainstream news and local reporters.

Dashboard: 244k known cases, 10k+ deaths, 82k recovered – Johns Hopkins, NYT Tracker 
… Doubling Rate outside of China – every 3 to 6 days, depending on the country

Key report from UK research center models scenarios – Link 
… all measures needed, likely until vaccine found …

Countries

Restrictions on movement grow in an attempt to contain the virus – Link 
… around the world, governments getting tougher – can it be maintained? Link 
… Many countries and even large states are beginning to lockdown (e.g. CA, likely NY, TX)

Afghanistan: Coronavirus complicates war and peace – Link 
… tensions over the border with Iran, with 15,000/day coming in to Afgh.

China, US increasingly antagonistic; China expels journalists – Link

France orders all nonessential businesses closed, movement curtailed – Link 
… European countries turning to border closures …

Spain’s hospital system getting overwhelmed

Iran: Virus “could kill millions” – Link 
… “out of hand … no one believes the government’s numbers” – Link 
… Iranians defy authorities in bid to access holy sites – Link 
… current cases are 2x available beds – Link

Iraq has border issues with Iran over virus entering – Link

India curbs visas, all Indian nationals arriving to be quarantined – Link 
… tries to curb mass pilgrimage – Link 
… worries India could be ‘next big hotspot’ – Link

Italy’s health care system groans under virus, a warning to the world – Link

Jordan closes Amman – Link 
… initiates a nationwide state of emergency, sweeping restrictions on movement – Link

Kuwait urges Muslims to pray at home – Link

Malaysia closes borders – Link

Nigeria institutes limited border closure – Link 
… Africa braces for the coronavirus, slowly – Link 
… Cases spreading across Africa – Link

Oman suspends all tourist visas – Link

Russia tightening borders

Saudi bans all international flights – Link 
… closes malls, bans serving food in restaurants, cafes – Link

Spain weighs liberties against coronavirus – Link

South Sudan has first coronavirus death – Link

UAE announces visa suspensions, flight restrictions – Link

US, Canada close border to non-essential travel, restrict travel – Link 
… they did the same thing with Mexico, sorry, gathering fast, don’t have link …

US went to Level 4 global travel warning notice – Link 
… State Department’s advice: all Americans to avoid travel abroad. Any Americans abroad should return home or shelter in place for indefinite duration …

UK will close all schools, colleges, nurseries – Link

Churches

Another cluster of cases in South Korea related to a church – Link 
… big church services will probably get closed down in many places …

“Prayer in the time of coronavirus” – worshipping in empty pews – Link

Italian priests are discovering social media as “an instrument of prayer” – Link

Sunday without church: in crisis, a nation asks, “What is community”? Link

#Other Events (not on the radar) Nepal makes yoga mandatory for school children – Link 
… some Muslims fear it will promote Hinduism … Covid-19 making it harder to grow food in China – Link 
… government straining to get supplies to farmers … Indonesia: thousands of Muslim pilgrims ignore virus risk to gather – Link 
… “we are more afraid of God… something more than the body, which is the soul…” # New Data Infographic: a visual history of pandemics – Link 
… from 165 AD to now … 1 billion children out of school – Link # New Longreads ‘Wash our hands? Some people can’t wash their kids for a week’ – Link 
… refugee camps, etc., going to get hit, and hit hard … ‘When the checkpoints come’: A coronavirus police state in America – Link 
… look at this as a worst-case scenario… I think it’s improbable but not impossible.