Covid-19 Pandemic

Covid-19 Pandemic

Bloomberg Bloomberg   Here’s the latest news from the global pandemic. Italy plunged into recession by pandemic India becoming new epicenter as case numbers near Brazil’sFDA chief promises transparency in vaccine review   London calling on an outdated line   In March, almost everyone in Britain received a basic text message pushed out on the country’s mobile phone networks, telling them to “stay at home,” after Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared a national lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus. But that blanket message couldn’t be sent out simultaneously and took most of the day to deliver using aging SMS technology. The move came under criticism for its clunky pace and the confusion created when millions of people got a message from an unfamiliar number. That led to an opportunity for  scammers, who sent bulk messages of their own pretending to be government and health authorities, leading to a warning from communications regulator Ofcom. Now the government is trying a new tactic to get alerts out in a faster and more targeted way, as cities like Leicester with fast-rising infection rates are put under localized lockdowns and health advice gets more specific (or complicated). Officials are working with Britain’s mobile network operators to develop a ‘cell broadcast’ system, which can be tailored to certain locations and uses a separate channel to straightforward texting. That means it can function even when the main network is congested, according to the mobile phone industry group GSMA. The government has also been accused of fumbling its use of technology to test, trace and control the spread of Covid-19. In June it ditched plans to develop its own contract-tracing app protocol in favor of a version built around technology from tech giants Apple and Google. Britain had also already looked at the merits of cell broadcast but not committed to it, while other countries like New Zealand successfully rolled it out before 2020. Its uptake in the U.K. only after the crisis hit could be seen as another avoidable delay in using technology to control the spread of coronavirus.—Thomas Seal   Track the virus   Mapping the Outbreak Around the World     Sponsored Content by Siemens America’s factories, power plants, transportation and hospitals all need technology and our technology is only as powerful as the people deploying and maintaining it. Keeping America moving takes more than technology alone. It takes a human touch. Siemens Ingenuity for life.   What you should read   WHO Envoy Praises Sweden’s Virus Policy Nordic nation imposed far fewer restrictions on movement than others.   U.K.’s Energy Was Its Cleanest During Lockdown In the second quarter, carbon emissions fell by a third from a year earlier.   Hunger May Be Deadlier Than Covid This Year The world is hurtling toward an unprecedented hunger crisis.   Pandemic Halts Japanese Migration to Tokyo World’s biggest city saw first net loss of residents last month since 2013.   U.S. Airlines Stumble Ahead with Covid Plans Cash-strapped carriers struggling to regain public confidence.   Know someone else who would like this newsletter?  Have them sign up here. Have any questions, concerns, or news tips on Covid-19 news? Get in touch or help us cover the story. Like this newsletter? Subscribe for unlimited access to trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and gain expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close.   Follow Us Get the newsletter   You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg’s Coronavirus Daily newsletter. Unsubscribe | Bloomberg.com | Contact Us Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022