29th APRIL 2020 - Wilson James
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29th APRIL 2020 19
COVID-19 REPORT
SUMMARY
• The number of confirmed deaths as a result of COVID-19 is now at 3,147,626 with over 200,000 deaths
according to Worldometer.
• The UK are on track to record one of the worst COVID-19 fatality rates in Europe with Reuters reporting that,
when including community and care home deaths, the UK’s death toll stands at an estimated 24,000.
• The United States have now surpassed one million cases of COVID-19 with a reported 59,266 deaths.
• The introduction of a new continent wide African free trade agreement has been delayed due to disruptions
caused by this coronavirus outbreak. The trade deal was scheduled to begin on 1st July 2020 and would have
been the largest new trading bloc since the formation of the World Trade Organisation in 1994 comprising a 55-
nation free-trade zone with 1.3 billion people and creating a new $1.3 trillion economic bloc.
• Due to this ongoing coronavirus pandemic, World Health Organisation director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus, has warned that 14 vaccination campaigns have been postponed affecting 13 million people. As a
result of these vaccination delays, drives against polio, measles, cholera, human papillomavirus, yellow fever
and meningitis have not gone ahead.
GLOBAL MAP OF CASES OF COVID-19
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 27.04.2020
COVID -19/RAS/29th APRIL 2020 2
COVID-19 REPORT
UK UPDATE
TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES
161,145
TOTAL DEATHS
21,678
UK DAILY CASES
3,996
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE REPORTED CASES FROM
PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND
Source: Public Health England 28.04.2020
• The UK Government has announced that families of NHS staff who have died whilst working during this
coronavirus pandemic will receive payments worth £60,000. So far 134 frontline workers have passed away after
contracting COVID19. There have also been calls to extend this payment to other frontline workers such as bus
drivers, shop workers and prison officers.
• An investigation into a link between COVID-19 and a new inflammatory disease emerging in children has been
opened. The disease, described as an ‘infectious pathogen’ has the capacity to kill with symptoms including a
‘high temperature that lasts for five days or more, often with a rash and/or swollen glands in the neck’.
• Due to a collapse in demand as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions, British Airways have been forced to cut
12,000 jobs from its 42,000-person workforce.
• Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that testing for COVID-19 will be expanded to all over-65s who are
displaying symptoms of the virus.
COVID -19/RAS/29th APRIL 2020 3
COVID-19 REPORT
• The Scottish Government has introduced new measures in Scotland to combat this ongoing coronavirus
pandemic. In these new measures people have been recommended to wear facemasks when in enclosed public
spaces such as shops and public transport.
• COVID-19 related deaths in care homes have risen rapidly with the Office for National Statistics reporting 2,000
deaths in care homes in the week ending 17th April. It is believed that the total number of care home deaths are
over 3,000.
• In an effort to ‘bring as much transparency as possible’, the Health Secretary has announced that the government
would begin including care home deaths and deaths in the community as part of their published daily COVID-19
death toll. Up until now the daily data published by the government has only represented hospital deaths.
• Former Prime Minister Theresa May has said that the UK Government must take into account more than just the
direct damage caused by this coronavirus in any plan to end the lockdown. May spoke out on this matter whilst
MPs debated the Domestic Abuse Act, pointing to the surge in domestic violence that had occurred since the
lockdown started. In the first three weeks of the lockdown it was reported that calls to the National Domestic
Abuse helpline increased by 49%.
• NHSX, the digital wing of the National Health Service, has announced that an app which alerts users to others who
are infected with COVID-19 will be ready for development with three weeks. This follows a similar trend from
other governments who have released their own COVID-19 trackers, such as COVIDsafe in Australia.
• A mounting number of campaigners, led by GP Moosa Qureshi, have called for Matt Hancock to make a 57-page
report detailing the results of Exercise Cygnus. The exercise, ran in 2016, simulated how the UK would respond to
an influenza pandemic, the findings of which have been kept secret.
• It has been reported by Public Health England that alongside the 324 confirmed cases of COVID-19 inside English
and Welsh prisons there are a further 1,783 cases categorised as ‘possible/probable’. As part of the Ministry of
Justice’s strategy to contain COVID-19 infection rates within prisons, the 4,000 prisoners scheduled for an early
release may have been delayed. As of Monday (27th April) only 33 have been released.
• The Royal Mail has announced that there will be Saturday letter deliveries across the UK as a means of easing the
‘additional burden’ on staff caused by COVID-19.
• The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has introduced a micro-loan scheme for businesses, termed
‘bounce-back’ loans, which will allow businesses to borrow up to 25% of their turnover, up to a maximum of
£50,000.
COVID -19/RAS/29th APRIL 2020 4
Source: Public Health England 28.04.2020
5
WORLD UPDATES
TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES
3,147,626
TOTAL DEATHS
218,187
PATIENTS RECOVERED
961,871
COUNTRIES/REGIONS
210
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE REPORTED CASES
CLICK HERE FOR GRAPH DETAILS
Source: Centre for Systems Science and Engineering at John Hopkins University on 29.04.2020
*Figures will vary between sources
Worldometers 29.04.2020
COVID -19/RAS/29th April 2020 6
REGIONAL UPDATES
ASIA
Pakistan
On Tuesday (28th April), Pakistan recorded its deadliest day of this coronavirus pandemic with reports of at least
20 people dying. The country’s total death toll now stands at 301.
India
Assam, a state in north-eastern India, has begun to release ‘illegal immigrants’ from overcrowded detention centres in a
bid to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Nearly 25,000 fishermen have been stuck off the coast of Gujarat, west India. The fishermen have been stranded since
the 24th March when Prime Minister Modi announced a lockdown, leading to states sealing their borders in an effort to
control the pandemic.
Bangladesh
Despite a nationwide lockdown lasting until 5th May, thousands of textile workers have returned to factories raising
concerns that the spread of COVID-19 will increase.
AFRICA
Malawi
The Malawian High Court has once against ruled against the government and prevented any implementation of a
lockdown in order to prevent the spread of this coronavirus. Legal action against the government’s plans to
institute a lockdown were brought by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition who argued that the poor would be
negatively impacted by the lockdown as the government were offering no food rations.
Burundi
Campaigning has started in Burundi in preparation for the country’s presidential elections next month. It is feared
that the large political rallies associated with these elections will lead to a large spike in COVID-19 infections and
deaths in the country.
Somalia
It is feared that thousands of COVID-19 cases are going undocumented in Somalia due to medical labs within the
country being limited in the number of tests it can process. Whilst the documented number of COVID-19 cases in
Somalia is 528 it is believed the true number is much higher.
Senegal
Trials have begun in Senegal on a COVID-19 testing kit which costs only $1 and gives results in 10 minutes.
Nigeria
Lagos will begin a ‘phased and gradual’ easing of COVID-19 restrictions on 4th May. Elsewhere in the country, the
northern city of Kano has reported a rise in fatal cases of pneumonia, although local authorities are unsure as to
whether COVID-19 is responsible.
7
COVID -19/RAS/29th April 2020AMERICAS
Canada
Quebec has announced that it will slowly begin to reopen its economy in May, with elementary schools and
childcare facilities scheduled to reopen on 11th May. The Canadian province has been the hardest hit in Canada
accounting for 58% of the country’s COVID-19 deaths and 51% of all cases.
United States of America
On Tuesday, the Democratic leadership announced that they would not be returning to Washington D.C. as
scheduled next week to reconvene the House of Representatives. The majority leader, Democrat Steny Hoyer,
said he made the decision after consulting the House physician who advised that the risk of COVID-19 was still too
great.
In a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll published on Tuesday it was found that only 47% of American adults said they
were ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ likely to follow recommendations made by President Trump about this coronavirus.
The poll also found that a majority of Americans were concerned about how the virus was spreading.
Chile
The Chilean government has announced plans to go ahead with their controversial certificate scheme in which those
who have recovered from COVID-19 are able to return to work. The scheme appears to be in contradiction to World
Health Organisation advice who have said there is ‘no evidence’ that people who contract COVID-19 will be immune to
the disease.
Argentina
Argentina has declared that it has extended its commercial flight ban until the 1st September 2020 with the ban
including all internal and international commercial flights.
EUROPE
France
France is due to begin easing its lockdown measures on 11th May with Kindergartens and primary schools
opening, as well as shops and markets. Whilst COVID-19 restrictions will be lessening, France will also make face
masks compulsory on public transport and for school pupils aged 11-15.
Russia
Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, has admitted that the country is facing a shortage of PPE suitable for
battling this coronavirus pandemic. The Russian Government has also extended its lockdown until 11th May.
Italy
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has faced widespread criticism for what many are describing as Italy’s
‘snail-paced’ end to lockdown. Italy’s strategy to end the lockdown parks, factories and construction sites will
reopen from May 4th, followed by the reopening of shops on May 18th. Finally, restaurants, bars and hairdressers
will not open until June.
Germany
It has been reported that once again the country’s rate of infection has increased, going from 0.7 in mid-April up
to 1 on the 27th April – meaning that each infected person will pass the virus on to one other. This news comes at
a time when multiple German States begin plans to loosen lockdown.
8
COVID -19/RAS/29th April 2020AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA
New Zealand
New Zealand has begun to ease its lockdown restrictions, allowing residents to travel to work, spend more time
outside and order takeaway food. It has been reported that community transmission in the country has ceased
with only limited, isolated cases appearing.
MIDDLE EAST
Yemen
The United Nations has warned of an impending humanitarian crisis with there being ‘a very real probability’
COVID-19 is already in circulation within the fragile country. With Yemen already experiencing a funding shortfall,
an outbreak of this coronavirus in the country could leave Yemen’s large population of displaced people without
shelter.
Turkey
The Turkish government have announced plans to reopen the economy in late May with shopping malls and
markets beginning to gradually open as early as 11th May.
9
COVID -19/RAS/29th April 2020WILSON JAMES ADVISORY
Our Risk Advisory Service regularly publish articles and advisories covering a myriad of subjects. These
publications can be found within our Insights section on our Risk Advisory Service website.
The effect of China’s response to COVID-19 on foreign relations
COVID-19 has had a dramatic influence on the world from a health, economic and social impact, the effects of
which are being felt all over the globe. These are ongoing and as yet unquantifiable at the time of writing. Whilst
the virus has been widely publicised to have originated in Wuhan, China, questions towards its cause remain
unsupported by factual data and has led to several conspiracy theories. Furthermore, the subsequent response
to the pandemic of China’s government both domestically and towards other nations has posed questions as to
how responsible and therefore accountable they should be for its spread. How this has been taken and
reciprocated by other nations is now having profound implications for world relations at a time of global crisis.
Read more
Planning for risk in the 21st Century
For any business or enterprise, managing risk needs to start from the beginning, or at least at a point when risk
realisation has not become too prevalent. After all, a key objective of any business must be to create a secure and
safe environment for people to work in, and for the business to operate profitably. Too often, business’s primary
focus is directed towards financial growth and sustainability in demanding markets. This is, of course,
understandable and even laudable, but can mean that many businesses do not properly consider where the
actual threats to their survival may lie. Read more
The advantages of threat intelligence
It would be difficult to argue against the idea there now exists a convergence between the worlds of cyber and
physical security. Providers of physical security and the authors of security reviews should be aware of this
coming together and be prepared to offer solutions to clients that are practical and effective. Through the use of
Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Operational Threat Intelligence, providers can offer a more holistic solution
that meets the requirements of keeping a business sufficiently protected from threat actors that pose a physical
threat to an organisation’s people and assets. Read more
10
COVID -19/RAS/29th April 2020KEEPING WELL:
WILSON JAMES WEEKLY WEBINAR
Monday 4 May, 2pm
Maximising Your Time
How to ensure we are working effectively at home
• What’s getting in your way? Identify your distractions
• Urgent vs important matrix - prioritising your workload
• Getting things done - knowing how you work best
• How to say no
Guest speaker:
Mary Jane (MJ) Flanagan of mjinspire
MJ is a businesswoman, cultural change specialist,
thought leader and keynote speaker.
Click here to register
COVID -19/RAS/29th April 2020 11covid19@wilsonjames.co.uk / riskadvisory@wilsonjames.co.uk @WJltd @WJ_Ltd www.linkedin.com/company/wilson-james
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