Washington Post (May 5)
“Now Japan faces its very worst fear: flopping on the world stage.” In COVID-19 vaccinations, this “nation famed for first-world logistical competence is running dead last among the 37 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development…. This dismal performance isn’t just imperiling the Olympics — or the world’s third-biggest economy. It’s challenging basic notions about whether Japan can change at all.”
Tags: COVID-19, Dead last, Dismal, Flopping, Imperiling, Japan, Logistical competence, OECD, Performance, Vaccinations
Crain’s Chicago Business (May 4)
CME’s last commodity trading pits “shut over a year ago because of COVID-19, and the exchange announced today that they won’t reopen.” CME “had already closed floor trading for most futures contracts in Chicago and New York in 2015 as open outcry had fallen to just 1% of total volumes. The options pits in Chicago, with history stretching back 173 years, were the exchange’s last bastion for old-school commodities floor traders.”
Tags: Chicago, CME, Commodity trading, COVID-19, Exchange, Futures, New York, Open outcry, Options pits
Supply Chain Management Review (April 27)
“Global manufacturing and supply chains were severely disrupted by the COVID-19 global pandemic, forcing companies to adapt and plan for a new business reality.” This year, however, the industry “is already quickly rebounding with investments in digital transformation aimed at improving speed, resilience and sustainability. While areas of concern persist, most report that lessons from the pandemic have paved the way for new innovations.”
Tags: Adapt, COVID-19, Disrupted, DX, Investments, Manufacturing, Pandemic, Rebounding, Resilience, Speed, Supply chains, Sustainability
Seattle Times (April 25)
“Even as optimism abounds in the United States, where cases are in steep decline and the vaccine supply has begun to exceed the demand,” fueled on by new variants, the pandemic “has reached one of its bleakest points.” Last week brought a record 5.7 million new COVID-19 infections worldwide, “nearly double the seven-day average in late February. The death toll — now approaching 3.1 million — grew by more than 87,000.”
Reuters (April 23)
“India has slender room to act if economic activity follows its medical infrastructure into a virus-induced state of collapse…. Optimists hope antibodies and vaccines will cause the Covid-19 contagion to burn out quickly. The government will have a hard time softening the financial pain if it doesn’t.”
Tags: Antibodies, Collapse, Contagion, COVID-19, Economic activity, India, Medical infrastructure, Vaccines, Virus-induced
Los Angeles Times (April 12)
“The COVID-19 death toll in California has surpassed 60,000, an alarming statistic that comes even as conditions in the state continue to improve.” Though grim, California’s per capita death toll is lower “than that of the other most populous states” and there is cause for hope. Deaths are now down to 104 – 120 per day and the state will open vaccinations up to everyone 16 or older from April 14.
Tags: Alarming, California, COVID-19, Deaths, Grim, Hope, Populous, Statistic, Vaccinations
Wall Street Journal (March 29)
“The downward trend in personal bankruptcies bucks predictions by analysts and economists that disruptions from Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions early in the pandemic would lead to a sharp increase in filings. Economists and bankruptcy lawyers say federal suspensions of evictions, home foreclosures and student-loan obligations have helped limit bankruptcies—though they worry bankruptcy rates could go up after aid ends.”
Tags: Analysts, COVID-19, Disruptions, Downward, Economists, Evictions, Foreclosures, Lockdowns, Pandemic, Personal bankruptcies, Predictions, Restrictions, Student loans, Trend
The Guardian (March 21)
“Covid-19 is a global problem that must be dealt with globally, for until we are all safe, no one is safe. Indulging in vaccine nationalism will only postpone the day when we can return to a life unfettered by lockdowns, social distancing and all the other restrictions of our current Covid winter.”
Tags: COVID-19, Global problem, Life unfettered, Lockdowns, Postpone, Safe, Social distancing, Vaccine nationalism
ABC News (March 17)
“Optimism is spreading in the U.S. as COVID-19 deaths plummet and states ease restrictions and open vaccinations to younger adults. But across Europe, dread is setting in with another wave of infections that is closing schools and cafes and bringing new lockdowns.”
Tags: COVID-19, Deaths, Dread, Europe, Infections, Lockdowns, Optimism, Restrictions, Spreading, U.S., Vaccinations, Wave
USA Today (March 16)
“Millions of adults get vaccinated against COVID-19 in the USA each day, but trials are still underway to determine the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines in children.” There is optimism that the results of the trials for 12-15 year olds will be in prior to the start of the new school year in September.
Tags: Adults, Children, COVID-19, Effectiveness, Results, Safety, School year, Trials, U.S., Underway, Vaccines
