What the Rest of the World Can Learn From Greece’s Coronavirus Response
Greece has a fragile economy, a health system ravaged by austerity, and one of the world’s oldest populations. But somehow its residents have so far managed to escape the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic even as its European neighbors, like Italy and Spain, have not. Greece has reported only 2,245 confirmed cases and 116 deaths as of April 21—one of the lowest counts in the European Union.
TIME reporter Billy Perrigo and Middle East correspondent Joseph Hincks spoke with experts to find out why. There are two key factors: “Number one is that the government moved early and number two is that Greeks have abided by the rules from the beginning,” Perrigo says. Greece ordered schools, cafes, universities and most businesses to close in early March, when there were only 31 confirmed coronavirus cases in the country.
But, Perrigo cautions, there’s no guarantee there won’t be a drastic increase in infections if Greece begins relaxing restrictions. If Greece does face an explosion of cases going forward, they’re still “totally unprepared,” Perrigo says. Greece’s population is the second-oldest in the E.U. and its health care system would likely be overwhelmed if such a rise in cases were to occur; officials said in 2019 that there were only 560 ICU beds in the entire country of 11 million.
Of particular concern are the five refugee camps on the Greek islands, where around 40,000 people are held in legal limbo in squalid conditions. Although no confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported yet in these overcrowded camps, Perrigo notes they are a “ticking time bomb” if an outbreak does emerge as social distancing would be almost impossible.
There are lessons to be learned from Greece’s approach. However, for most countries, many of these lessons (like acting early) may come too late, Perrigo notes. Others may still have an impact. For example, other countries may want to look at how Greece was able to shape public opinion about lockdowns. Stella Ladi, an assistant professor in public management at Panteion University in Athens and Queen Mary, University of London, tells TIME that cultural factors may have played a role: in Greece “it’s not debatable whether health is more important than keeping your shop open,” Ladi says. “Health is more important and the shop comes second. It was not a contested issue like in other places.”
More than 2.4 million people worldwide had been sickened by COVID-19 as of 8 PM eastern time on Monday, April 20, and more than 169,000 had died.
Here is every country with over 20,000 confirmed cases, as of Monday 8 PM eastern time:
The U.S. benchmark price for crude oil sank below zero for the first time in history. Although oil prices won’t be negative forever, the oil industry will never be the same. The coronavirus pandemic has flooded companies with more supply than the world can burn and bankrupted small players. Experts worry that 2020 may turn out to be “the worst year in the history of global oil markets.”
Italy, one of the major global epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic, plans to begin easing lockdown measures starting May 4, Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte said Tuesday, according to the New York Times.
Clear skies during Germany’s lockdown have helped the country’s solar panels generate record amounts of electricity, the Associated Press reports. Fewer flights and lower air pollution may partly be why the skies are so blue. And the increase in solar energy means Germany’s coal plants’ profits may be slipping.
The Situation in the United States
More than 784,000 people in the U.S. had contracted COVID-19 as of 8 PM eastern time on April 20, and more than 42,000 had died from it.
U.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday that he would temporarily suspend immigration into the country but didn’t say when or how—only that he would sign an executive order to do so.
Meanwhile, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to head to the White House Tuesday afternoon as he and other governors are seeking billions in federal aid to help respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Some states are moving towards reopening some businesses even as coronavirus cases in the U.S. continue to increase. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order Monday that allowed for the re-opening of retail stores, including furniture stores, clothing stores and florist shops. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday that some businesses like gyms, tattoo parlors, hair salons, movie theaters and restaurants, could reopen on Friday. Both governors emphasized the need for social distancing even as the economy inched back to normalcy.
Concerns about voters in Wisconsin heading to the polls on April 7 despite federal stay-at-home guidance seem warranted as state officials have since identified seven cases linked to in-person voting, according to the Associated Press.
One of the latest casualties in a series of canceled events is the National Spelling Bee. It hasn’t been cancelled since 1945.
All numbers are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of April 20, 8 PM eastern time. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
What It Takes to Bring Americans Home During a Global Pandemic
Hundreds of U.S. officials are working to get Americans home before—and after—borders across the world slam shut because of the coronavirus pandemic. TIME reporter Kimberly Dozier spoke to a U.S. Consular Agent whose typical duties have changed almost overnight from stamping passports and registering American babies to tracking down Americans trying to return home. Read more here.
China’s Economy Will Probably Get Even Worse
Even though China is reporting significantly less coronavirus cases with each new day, it’s dealing with significant economic fallout. And it’s bound to get worse, reports Charlie Campbell, TIME’s East Asia correspondent. Read more here.
The Health Care Workers Who Put Their Bodies on the Line to Counter-Protest the Lockdown Protestors
Colorado-based photographer Alyson McClaran reveals the story behind her viral photos of who she believes to be health care workers standing in front of cars of those protesting the lockdowns. Experts have warned that preemptively reopening states will only cause more deaths from coronavirus. Read more here.
A Retired Navy Admiral Is Home; Now His Family Is On the Front
“My daughters both grew up and married physicians, and one of my girls is a registered nurse herself,” writes retired Admiral James Stavridis for TIME. “So suddenly I find myself not the one forward deployed in danger, but the one at home worried about my children as they face this ‘invisible enemy.’” Read more here.
Some American Citizens Married to Immigrants Have Been Blocked From Getting Stimulus Checks
More than 1 million U.S. citizens across the country will not get the stimulus checks intended to provide economic relief from the coronavirus pandemic because they are married to immigrants without social security numbers, the Los Angeles Times reports. Read more here.
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