Africa sees a staggering spike in Covid-19 cases

The Navajo Nation has one of the highest infection rates in the US; Africa sees a major surge in Covid-19 cases. Tonight's Sentences was written by Catherine Kim. TOP NEWS The Navajo Nation's battle against Covid-19 Camerique/ClassicStock/Getty Images - Covid-19 is ripping through the Navajo Nation, which has the highest infection rate in the US following New York and New Jersey. [[NPR / Laurel Morales](] - As of Thursday, the Navajo Nation has 1,360 cases –– with an average age of 48 –– and 52 deaths, and experts say they've yet to reach their peak. [[ABC4 / Kaylee DeWitt](] - To combat the rapid spread of the virus, leaders have implemented strict measures: There's a daily lockdown from 8 pm to 5 am and an additional weekend curfew for 57 consecutive hours. And unlike many of the lockdowns in other states, these curfews are monitored by law enforcement. Officers are patrolling the area to spot violators, who could face jail time or fines. [[Durango Herald / Liz Weber](] - The people of the Navajo Nation are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 for many reasons, including preexisting health conditions. Obesity, asthma, heart disease, and diabetes are prevalent among the population. [[Vox / Rebecca Jennings](] - There's also a lack of water: The tribe reports that 15 percent of Navajo Nation homes don't have running water, although experts predict the real number could be 40 to 50 percent. Poor access to water makes it difficult for the people to follow the CDC's most basic recommendation to prevent the coronavirus: hand-washing. [[Arizona Republic / Debra Utacia Krol](] - Federal funding has also been inadequate, which was an issue even before the pandemic. Although Congress allocated $8 billion to Native tribes in the March coronavirus aid package (the CARES Act), the Navajo Nation is joining 10 other tribes to sue the government for making them share the funds with for-profit Alaska Native corporations. [[NPR / Laurel Morales](] - Hospitals in the Navajo Nation have prepared themselves early on but they're scared –– and for good reason. The population's death rate was four times that of other Americans during the H1N1 flu epidemic in 2009. And newly emerging data is showing that coronavirus also has an outsize impact on minority groups. [[NBC News / Kenzi Abou-Sabe, Cynthia McFadden, Christine Romo, and Jaime Longoria](] Africa fights coronavirus, hunger, and malaria - In the past week, Africa has seen a more than 40 percent rise in Covid-19 cases, which is a concerning sign for a continent already struggling with hunger and other diseases like malaria. [[Washington Post / Danielle Paquette](] - There are nearly 26,000 cases and 1,200 deaths as of Thursday, among a population of 1.3 billion. The problem, however, is the lack of tests means that there are likely more cases that are simply undetected. Fewer than 500,000 tests have been conducted over the past two months, which equates to about 325 tests per 1 million people. [[AP / Gerald Imray](] - The continent wants to conduct a million more tests in the next month, but there's one major problem: Africa's poor health care infrastructure. Although countries are trying to ramp up health services, it's been an uphill process during the pandemic. [[AP / Gerald Imray](] - And experts predict food insecurity could become a bigger issue than the virus as the pandemic drags on. Globally, 135 million people face acute food shortages, with a large chunk of those coming from Africa. The International Food Policy Research Institute predicts that 147 million people will be pushed into extreme poverty because of the coronavirus; 79 million of those at risk come from sub-Saharan Africa. [[Reuters / Thin Lei Win and Kim Harrisberg](] - Experts are also concerned about how Covid-19 has overshadowed the issue of malaria, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where 93 percent of the world's cases come from. The pandemic has led to significant disruption in anti-malaria campaigns and access to medicine, which could ultimately lead to more malaria outbreaks. [[Washington Post / Danielle Paquette](] - Africa could be on track to become the next global epicenter for the virus. Even under the best-case scenario, the continent could see up to 300,000 deaths due to Covid-19, according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa. The worst-case scenario: 3.3 million deaths. [[AP / Cara Anna](] MISCELLANEOUS Trump signed an executive order that temporarily blocks the issuance of green cards for the next 60 days –– but with a number of exceptions. [[NYT / Zolan Kanno-Youngs](] - As a growing number of meat processing plants close because of Covid-19, grocers are worried about an upcoming meat shortage. [[Miami Herald / Brooke Wolford](] - After President Trump suggested that injecting disinfectants "knocks (coronavirus) out in a minute," Lysol had to issue a statement reminding people that its products are not meant for the human body. [[NBC News / Lauren Egan](] - Another 4.4 million Americans filed unemployment claims last week, bringing the total to more than 26 million in the past five weeks. [[CNN / Anneken Tappe](] CROSSWORD OF THE DAY [Can you solve today's crossword?]( What’s a four-letter word for an alternate name for white ants or termites? [Solve today's new Vox crossword puzzle](, and stay tuned for more puzzles coming out Monday through Saturday. VERBATIM "Our federal government, since treaties were signed in the late 19th and early 20th century, has broken promise after promise after promise. And what we're seeing today is the accumulation of those broken promises and where it has left people." [[Allison Barlow, director of the Center for American Indian Health, on the Navajo Nation's vulnerability to Covid-19 due to lack of federal resources](] WATCH THIS Ezra Klein and Matt Yglesias on the failures of some popular epidemiological forecasts and a viral Silicon Valley essay urging America to build again. [[Spotify / Ezra Klein and Matt Yglesias](] [Read more from Vox](#) [Georgia’s unusual unemployment benefits rule lets some workers fall through the cracks]( [Why your pet is acting like a weirdo during quarantine, explained by animal behaviorists]( [Recipe queen Alison Roman’s popularity, explained by Alison Roman]( [Why you’re unlikely to get the coronavirus from runners or cyclists]( [The 7 best movies you can now watch at home]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. 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