Covid-19 Pandemic
 Here’s the latest news from the global pandemic. Florida reports record 15,300 new Covid cases Millionaires ask to be taxed to help pay for virus aidHong Kong reports a record 41 cases in new surge Our take on the latest developments For at least five years there have been media exposes, research reports and at least one official inquiry raising concerns about worker exploitation in Leicester, England, a city that has been at the heart of British garment manufacturing since the 17th century. To get some action taken, it only took a global pandemic. Last week Boohoo Group, the online purveyor of £5 ($6.33) dresses, faced allegations that some suppliers underpaid staff and forced them to work in factories during lockdown without proper ventilation or hand sanitizers. The reaction has been immediate and swift: Boohoo’s market value fell by 1.4 billion pounds last week, #boycottboohoo has trended on social media, seven U.K. authorities are carrying out inspections in Leicester to check for modern slavery offenses, and the online retailer has hired Alison Levitt, a former U.K. public prosecutor, for an independent review of its supply chain. Now, another company, Quiz Plc, has become entangled in the issue.  Photographer: Dana Pleasant/Getty Images North America Photographer: Dana Pleasant/Getty Images North America The question is, why now? What has happened that has made everyone sit up and notice, moreso say than when Mary Creagh, a British member of parliament, last year accused the government of ignoring evidence she had uncovered showing garment workers were “criminally underpaid.” Or when the University of Leicester published a 57-page report in 2015 detailing “widespread and severe violations of work and employment laws.” The answer has to be the pandemic. As a nation with a ghastly death toll from Covid-19 leaves months of lockdown, public health and safety concerns are paramount. The thought of workers forced to labor in secret in factories with closed doors and windows and no hand sanitizers has captured the imagination in a way that reports of employees taking home 3.50 pounds an hour has not. Even investors, who are sometimes slow to act on environmental, social and governance issues, are taking note. Standard Life Aberdeen, a large shareholder in Boohoo, sold down most of its stake and said the company’s response has been “inadequate.” In 2013, a garment factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that killed more than 1,000 people sparked worldwide criticism and drove some significant changes in the operations and transparency of global brands. It remains to be seen if the latest allegations will propel lasting change in Leicester’s garment industry, but if does it will be a rare positive from the pandemic.—Deirdre Hipwell Track the virus Covid-19 Deaths Get Worse in Black Communities If you’re Black in America, Covid-19 is more likely to kill you, and the disparity has only widened as cases have surged across the U.S. See why here.  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 Wealthy Investors Fear for Cash in Second Wave Majority anticipate traveling less and working remotely more. Detour Helps Russians Evade Virus Travel Ban Road to the beach involves a 14-hour round trip via Belarus. South Africa’s Coronavirus Booze Ban Is Back Ramaphosa restarts night-time curfew, says mask use inadequate. New York City Reports Day With No Virus Deaths Four months since the city reported its first Covid-19 fatality on March 11. 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 |
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