23rd October 2020 - Wilson James
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23rd October 2020 o19
HIGHLIGHTS
Worldwide cases of COVID-19 are at 42,009,491 with deaths numbering 1,142,942 as of 23rd October
according to Worldometer. 31,192,392 people have so far recovered from the virus.
The UK recorded its highest COVID-19 death toll since 5th June on 20th October with 241 deaths
reported. Whilst the Tuesday total is higher due to the weekend lag the figure is still the highest
recorded death count since the first wave of the pandemic.
Wales is to enter a strict national “firebreak” lockdown from 18:00 on Friday 23 rd October until 9th
November. People will be banned from meeting other households indoors or out, and pubs, restaurants,
and all other non-essential shops must close.
Greater Manchester has moved to Tier Three restrictions as of 00:01 on Friday 23rd October. Under very
high alert, household mixing is banned whether indoors or outdoors, both in public and private spaces.
Additionally, pubs and bars must close unless serving “substantial” meals, and other venues such as
betting shops and soft play centres have also closed. The decision was announced by Prime Minister
Boris Johnson on 20th October, but has sparked controversy as people fear local businesses will not
survive the lockdown due to insufficient aid from the government.
On 19th October, Argentina became the fifth country to surpass one million cases of COVID-19.
On 21st October, Spain became the first country in Europe to surpass one million COVID-19 cases and, as
of writing, has recorded 1,005,295 cases and 34,366 deaths.
Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party recorded a landslide win (with 49% of the vote) on 17 th October in New
Zealand, securing a second term in office for the incumbent Prime Minister. Prime Minster Ardern has
been praised for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and now has a healthy mandate to enact
Labour policies.
Poland’s constitutional court announced on Thursday 22nd October that abortions due to birth defects
are now unconstitutional. Abortions are still allowed due to health risks or the product of rape or abuse
but this latest ruling forces women to carry a seriously ill foetus with little or no chance of survival to full
term.
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WORLD NEWS -19/RAS/23rd October 2020COVID-19
TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES TOTAL DEATHS PATIENTS RECOVERED
42,009,491 1,142,942 31,192,932
23.10.2020 - Worldometer
COVID-19 – UK
The total confirmed UK COVID-19 cases as of 23rd October is 810,467 with 44,347 deaths according to
GOV.UK. As of 23rd October the European for Disease Prevention and Control have reported the 14-day
cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 for the UK to be 367.5.
Due to rising case numbers and increasing hospital admissions, Wales is to enter a strict “firebreak”
lockdown from 23rd October until 9th November. The rules will be similar to the national lockdown
measures back in March, with all catering venues and non-essential shops closing, and a ban on
household mixing whether indoors or outdoors. Leisure and community venues such as libraries and
gyms will also close, as well as places of worship, with exceptions for weddings and funerals. People are
asked to remain at home as much as possible, only leaving for essential shopping for food and
medication, to exercise outside, or to give care. Primary schools, however, are to open as normal on 2 nd
November following the half-term break, while secondary schools will reopen only for pupils in Years 7
and 8. Further guidance can be found on the government website by clicking here.
A number of regions in England, including London, were moved to the higher-risk Tier Two category on
Saturday 17th October, meaning over half of England’s population are now living under high or very high-
alert lockdown restrictions. The areas now under high alert are: London; York; Chesterfield; Barrow in
Furness, Cumbria; Erewash, Derbyshire; Elmbridge, Surrey; and most of Essex excepting Southend and
Thurrock. The new rules mean members of different households can no longer meet indoors, including
public places like pubs and restaurants.
A study by King’s College London has found that women aged 50-60 are at greatest risk of developing
‘long COVID’ and are eight times as likely to experience lasting COVID-19 symptoms in comparison to 18-
to 30-year olds.
Schools in Northern Ireland closed on Monday 19th October for an extended half-term break of two
weeks. Almost 1500 positive cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Northern Irish schools since they
reopened in August. Education minister Peter Weir explained the figure of 1491 cases takes into account
teachers and other staff as well as pupils.
The last patient to leave Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s intensive care unit during the first wave of COVID-
19 has died from cardiac arrest aged 47. Roehl Ribaya spent 60 days in intensive care, 48 of which were
on a ventilator. It is thought his death may be the result of the long-term effects of coronavirus.
Heathrow Airport is now offering rapid testing for passengers flying to destinations that require pre-
departure testing, such as Hong Kong and Italy. The aviation firms Collinson and Swissport have set up a
purpose-built testing facility at the airport; passengers will be required to book in advance and pay £80,
but results will be ready within an hour.
The energy regulatory body Ofgem is introducing new rules for energy providers this winter, offering
emergency funds for vulnerable customers struggling to pay their energy bills. From 15 th December,
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WORLD NEWS -19/RAS/23rd October 2020energy suppliers will be required to offer emergency credit to customers unable to top up their prepaid
meters. Customers in debt will be placed on more flexible repayment plans than are normally available.
A leaked NHS document has revealed that intensive care beds in Greater Manchester are almost at
capacity and some units in the regions 12 hospitals are already full.
It has been announced that a Nightingale hospital for COVID-19 cases will be reopened to help manage
the amount of people recovering from the virus in the north-west of England. The medical director for
Liverpool University hospitals, Dr Tristan Cope, has reported that Liverpool is now treating more patients
than it did at the height of the first wave of COVID-19 in April.
COVID-19- OTHER COUNTRIES
Bulgaria
From 22nd October, Bulgaria made the wearing of protective face masks mandatory in all outdoor spaces. The
new measure comes after the country recorded 1,024 infections on 20th October, the highest single day
increase since March.
Czech Republic
On 21st October, the Czech government closed most shops and services, and limiting movement to essential
trips, in the hopes of containing Europe’s fastest growing COVID-19 surge.
France
Cases in France have now risen above 930,000 as restrictions are tightened. Private gatherings (including
weddings) are now banned and shops in high risk areas are to close by 21:00. A nightly curfew in some areas
is enforced between 21:00 and 06:00.
Germany
German citizens have been warned against travel to neighbouring countries including Switzerland and
Austria as it reports over 10,000 daily cases for the first time. A surge in cases across Europe has resulted in
many hospitals being overrun and panic buying trends emerging again. “The situation overall has become
very serious,” Lothar Wieler, of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s infectious diseases agency, said in
Berlin, adding: “We still have a chance to slow a further spread of the virus.”
The Netherlands
The Dutch royal family have faced public backlash after they travelled to Greece last weekend, just as the
government announced a new partial lockdown which advises against unnecessary travel. King Willem-
Alexander and Queen Maxima flew out on 16th October on a government plane but returned the next day on
a scheduled KLM flight following the outcry. Prime Minister Mark Rutte has since issued a public apology for
intervening after admitting he was aware of the royals’ plans. Cases continue to rise in the Netherlands, with
over 8000 new infections recorded on Saturday 10th October – the highest total since the outbreak began.
New Zealand
On 21st October, New Zealand recorded 25 new cases of COVID-19, including two new community cases; the
first such cases since 25th September. 18 of the new infections have been reported to have come from
Russian and Ukrainian fishing crews who arrives on a charter flight from Moscow.
Republic of Ireland
The Irish government moved the country to the highest level of COVID-19 restrictions for a planned six
weeks, with a review after four weeks. The new restrictions came into effect at midnight on Wednesday 21 st
October to try and combat the rise in cases. Residents have been asked to stay at home as much as possible,
and are only allowed to travel up to 5km (3 miles) from home except for work (if unable to do so from home)
or essential purposes such as food shopping, education, or caregiving. The government has confirmed there
will be a penalty fine for non-essential travel outside of this zone.
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WORLD NEWS -19/RAS/23rd October 2020Saudi Arabia
For the first time in seven months Saudi citizens and residents have been able to return to the Grand Mosque
in Mecca to perform daily prayers. The Saudi authorities also began a second phase of reopening on 18th
October and have expanded the capacity of those coming to perform the sacred Islamic pilgrimage of Umrah
by 75%. From 1st November the government will allow citizens from other specific countries to perform
Umrah at 100% of the revised capacity.
United States of America
Worrying evidence of a third peak is causing concern in the US as cases surpassed 8.5 million on Thursday
22nd October. The COVID-19 pandemic is now shifting to the mid-west with states such as Texas, Illinois and
Wisconsin amongst the hotspots. The migration of the pandemic comes as US President Donald Trump
announced a vaccine would be ready before the presidential election on 3rd November; Pharmaceutical
company Pfizer has stated they will be unable to meet this deadline.
Useful Information Sources
UK wide – Public Health England
Scotland – Scottish Government
Northern Ireland – NISRA
COVID-19 deaths in England & Wales – ONS
COVID-19 Statistics – Worldometer – Johns Hopkins University
WORLD NEWS
Belarus
Protests continue to be seen throughout Belarus with tens of thousands marching in Minsk on 18th October.
Whilst officials threatened to use firearms against protesters this did not occur, although police are reported
to have used stun grenades and water cannons.
Bolivia
Evo Morales and his left-wing Movimiento al Socialismo party has won in Bolivia’s 19th October presidential
elections, winning more than 50% of the vote. Coming a distant second was centrist and former President
Carlos Mesa who received 30% of the vote.
Chile
Clashes have erupted in Chile as tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Sunday 18th October to mark
the anniversary of a pro-equality protest movement that rocked the country for two months last year. The
protest comes just one week before Chileans are due to vote in a referendum on whether or not to replace
the country’s constitution, written in its era of dictatorship. A new constitution was a key demand of the
protesters last year. While the demonstration began peacefully, the situation turned violent with a number of
instances of looting and vandalism. Two churches were set alight by masked protesters, leaving one almost
completely destroyed. In addition, Santiago police said 18 of their officers were injured at the event. Interior
Minister Victor Perez encourages Chileans to make their voices heard for the upcoming referendum, however,
he vowed to prosecute those involved in any violence or vandalism.
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WORLD NEWS -19/RAS/23rd October 2020France
Rallies have been seen across France to show solidarity with Samuel Paty, a secondary school teacher who
was beheaded by fundamentalists for discussing caricatures of the prophet Muhammed in his class. The
attacker was shot dead by police and a further nine people have been arrested following an investigation into
the attack.
Indonesia
A new jobs law proposed by President Widodo was met with protests by several thousand students and
workers in Jakarta on 20th October. The new law has been criticised for harming labour rights and the
environment.
Nigeria
Mass civil unrest is unfolding in Nigeria with strict curfews and martial law enforced as the largely young
population protest for the disbanding of the brutal Serious Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), accused of being
corrupt, murderous and authoritarian. The overwhelmingly peaceful protestors have been met with brutality
and abuse and although the unit has now been disbanded officers have been moved to other departments
without being held to account for their previous actions. Plans to replace the team with a Special Weapons
and Tactical Team are well underway. Calls for reform have come from around the globe as the situation
intensifies and protestors are shot by police firing directly into the peaceful crowd.
Saudi Arabia
The fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has filed a lawsuit against the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, accusing him of ordering the 2018 killing of Mr Khashoggi. The Washington Post
journalist was last seen entering the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, where he was to collect documents for his
upcoming marriage to Hatice Cengiz. Eight people were jailed by a Saudi Arabian court on Monday 7th
September for the murder, but the decision was criticised by Khashoggi’s family, a United Nations official, and
other human rights campaigners who said the investigation and trial were insufficient and has shielded more
senior officials who were allegedly involved. The Crown Prince denies his involvement in the killing.
Sudan
US President Donald Trump has announced he plans to remove Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism
list. The country has been on the watch list since 1993 when al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden lived there as
an official guest of the government. The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the government have
paid $335 million (£259 million) to the US as compensation for the 1998 bombing of US embassies in Africa
carried out by al-Qaeda, which left over 220 people dead. Mr Trump pledged to remove Sudan from the list
once the funds are received.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Ersin Tatar, the Ankara endorsed candidate, has one the presidential election in the TRNC with 51.74% of the
vote. Tatar, who has been described as a right-wing hardliner, has advocated for closer ties with Turkey and a
separate Turkish state on the island of Cyprus. Mustafa Akinci, a moderate who has long advocated for
reunification with Greek Cypriots, narrowly lost with 48.26% of the vote.
United States of America
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill has dismissed a third degree murder charge against Minneapolis police
office Derek Chauvin in George Floyd’s death. Judge Cahill denied motions to dismiss the charges against the
other three officers at the scene and reminded officer Chauvin he would still have to face second-degree
murder and manslaughter charges.
The final US presidential election debate took place Thursday 22nd October in Nashville, Tennessee with a
more substantive exchange than the previous debate in September. The COVID-19 pandemic was high up on
the list of topics with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden stating “anyone who is responsible for that
many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America” after Trump declared it would
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WORLD NEWS -19/RAS/23rd October 2020“go away” and claiming the worst affected states are run by Democratic governors. Climate change, BLM,
immigration and foreign policy were also on the agenda. When challenged on the controversy surrounding his
Son, Hunter, Biden refused to engage with Trump addressing the camera he said “It’s not about his family and
my family. It’s about your family, and your family is hurting badly.” President Trump is trailing in the polls as
47 million votes have already been cast and few undecided votes remain outstanding compared to the same
period in previous elections.
Vatican City
Pope Francis has become the first pontiff in the Catholic Church to endorse same sex marriages. During a
feature length documentary at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday 21st October Pope Francis announced
“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God.” LGBT charities have praised
the comments, however, conservative Catholics have called for clarity quoting the 2003 doctrine office
document which states the church’s respect for gays “cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual
behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions.”
INSIGHTS
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.
WHO IS TRUMP’S SUPREME COURT JUSTICE PICK AMY CONEY BARRETT?
On 27th September 2020, Amy Coney Barrett was unveiled by President Trump as his Supreme Court Justice
nomination to replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. At the event, Barrett paid homage to the late
Ginsburg pointing to the fact that Ginsburg ‘not only broke glass ceilings, she smashed them’. It is expected that
the Senate judiciary committee will convene on 12th October to begin the confirmation hearing process
although this could be delayed due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in the White House. The fact that the
process to replace justice Ginsburg has gone ahead in spite of it being so close to presidential elections has
been the topic of much controversy and has seen Democrats attempt to persuade their Republican partners not
to vote on the Supreme Court nomination. This is due to the same situation occurring in 2016 when President
Obama nominated liberal Merrick Garland to replace conservative Antonin Scalia. The Republican controlled
Senate refused to meet Garland to begin confirmation hearings arguing that nominating a Supreme Court
replacement should not be made in an election year; an argument they have now made a U-turn on.
Who is Amy Coney Barrett? 48-year-old Barrett was born in New Orleans and studied at Rhodes College before
attending Notre Dame Law School where she graduated in 1994 first in her class. After graduating Barrett
clerked for Judge Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, as well as for the conservative icon
Associate Justice Scalia, who she considers a mentor. In 2002, Barrett joined the Notre Dame Law School faculty
whose website lists her areas of expertise as federal courts, constitutional law, and statutory interpretation.
Barrett was also selected to serve in the Seventh Circuit Federal Appeals Court in 2017 by President Trump and
was also considered to be a contender for replacing Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court in 2018; a position
now filled by Brett Kavanaugh.
Barrett’s legal philosophy as an ‘originalist’, the belief that the Constitution should be interpreted as the original
authors intended them, have informed her legal decisions throughout her career, while she has also ruled in
favour of President Trump’s hard-line policies on immigration and ‘expansive gun rights’. Whilst Barrett has said
that her personal faith would not shape her legal rulings, LGBT groups have pointed to her membership of the
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WORLD NEWS -19/RAS/23rd October 2020conservative Catholic group, People of Praise, whose schools state a belief ‘that sexual relations should only
happen between heterosexual married couples’.
Due to the lifetime appointments of a Supreme Court Justice, the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett would
leave the Supreme Court a conservative leaning of 6-3. This would affect Americans for generations to come
and could jeopardise the gains made through abortion rights and the Affordable Care Act.
THE RISE IN ACTS OF MARITIME PIRACY DURING COVID-19
As has now been widely documented, COVID-19 has intruded in all aspects of life from the economy to the
psychology of society. Jobs have been made redundant, freedoms have been restricted and supply-chains have
been altered to adapt to a world in pandemic. One side effect of this, particularly in Africa and South East Asia,
has been a rise in piracy and armed robbery against ships as those badly affected by the societal impacts of
COVID-19 seek to take advantage of the changes implemented in maritime commerce. This article will look into
what aspects and where piracy is rising and why this might have been affected by COVID-19.
Whilst piracy saw its ‘golden age’ around the 17th Century it is still very much an issue today and prevalent in
the Gulf of Guinea, the Horn of Africa, and South East Asia. A correlation between decreased economic activity
and increased piracy has been reported mirroring research conducted by the RAND Cooperation who found
that people turn to piracy when economic opportunities are scarce. This has manifested in a significant uptick in
pirate activity in the tradition hotspots around the globe such as the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in which
authorities have witnessed piracy cases doubled from last year. Although it could be argued that the Horn of
Africa and Somalia brought global attention to the issue of modern-day piracy around the dawn of the last
decade it is Western Africa and the Gulf of Guinea that has become the continents new hotspot. The nature of
piracy in this region has also changed and has seen pirates begin to target crews instead of cargo. This trend
was first spotted in 2019 with the International Maritime Bureau reporting an increase in kidnapping of 50%
compared to 2018, calling it an ‘unprecedented rise’. This trajectory has continued into 2020 with the
organisation seeing a 40% increase in kidnappings in the region in the first nine months of 2020. In fact, the Gulf
of Guinea now accounts for 95% of all global maritime kidnappings! Read more.
WHAT IS THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME?
On the 9th October 2020, the food aid arm of the United Nations, the World Food Programme, won the 101 st
Nobel Peace Prize for ‘for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in
conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and
conflict’. At the announcement the Norwegian Nobel Committee acknowledged that the importance of the
World Food Programme (WFP) had increased due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with the WFP’s Executive
Director, David Beasley, pointing out that the award had ‘turned the global spotlight’ onto those suffering from
hunger and that ‘a global pandemic, with its brutal impact on economies and communities, is pushing millions
more to the brink of starvation’. It has been reported that the WFP beat 211 individuals and 107 organisations
to the prestigious medal and prize money bestowed on those ‘who have conferred the greatest benefit to
humankind’. Whilst rules under the Nobel Foundation dictate that nomination shortlists be locked for 50 years
it is thought that others who had been shortlisted include the 17-year-old climate change activist Greta
Thunberg and the World Health Organisation.
So, what does the World Food Programme do? Established in 1961 at the behest of President Eisenhower, and
based in Rome, the WFP is a UN agency which primarily concerns itself with food security and nutrition, helping
to provide aid and resources to the 821 million people in the world who do not have enough to eat. Currently,
the agency is operating in 88 countries and were able to reach a record 97 million people in 2019. However, the
WFP has also warned that these countries could see an increase of 82% in those who experience acute hunger
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WORLD NEWS -19/RAS/23rd October 2020and have called for more money to be donated in order for them to reach more people. In 2019 the WFP
received $8 billion from donor countries which it used to continue funding its programmes of resilience building
and capacity developing for countries with food insecurity, as well as emergency relief and food distribution.
The WFP has often been overlooked and underappreciated during its history as an agency but their winning a
prize, as well as UN Security Council Resolution 2417 which ‘recognized the formal link between hunger and
conflict’ in 2018, is a welcome acknowledgement of the work they do and further shows the importance of a
multilateral world aiming towards global equity.
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WORLD NEWS -19/RAS/23rd October 2020COVID19@wilsonjames.co.uk / riskadvisory@wilsonjames.co.uk @WJltd @WJ_Ltd www.linkedin.com/company/wilson-james
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