These stories are part of Global Voices’ special coverage of COVID-19 and offer a view on the pandemic from the perspective of our global community of contributors.
Stories about COVID-19 from June, 2020
Has COVID-19 provoked a crisis of faith in Georgia's Orthodox church?
As the Georgian Orthodox Church continued to hold prayers during lockdown, its critics hint at a new crisis of faith in church-state relations.
Rift over Solomon Islands’ new ‘One China’ policy makes chaos of COVID-19 response
"I call on the government to stop dancing to Beijing’s tune and prioritise our people’s health and safety."
In Brazil, COVID-19 death rate for black community is higher than for other populations
A study by Agência Pública shows that deaths and hospitalizations among black people with COVID-19 rose at a faster rate than among white people in Brazil.
India's digital ID system deepens exclusion of vulnerable communities amid pandemic
The use of Aadhaar-based authentication makes exclusions more likely.
Students arrested for demanding internet facilities in Balochistan
A number of students were manhandled, baton-charged and arrested in Quetta, Balochistan, for protesting against non-availability of internet after their classes shifted online due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Nationalists in North Macedonia use border closures to sow confusion and mistrust
Local media and politicians have distorted reopening policies in neighbouring countries for political gain.
Thailand's ‘youthquake': Activism in the time of COVID-19
Pro-democracy flash mob protests rocked Thailand in January and February. COVID-19 has shifted acts of resistance to cyberspace.
WHO urges Pakistan to reimpose lockdown after surge in cases
Pakistan has implemented new lockdown restrictions after a letter from the WHO urged the country to improve testing and control outbreak numbers.
People with disabilities left stranded during national lockdown in Uganda
In Uganda, the needs of marginalized people — especially those of persons with disabilities — were conspicuously absent in President Yoweri Museveni’s COVID-19 directives.
Beach destinations in Albania face an unusual summer tourist season
Last month Global Voices looked at preparations for an unusual tourist season in Albania. Now it is underway, with mixed results.
Sri Lanka prepares for twice-delayed poll amid militarized COVID-19 response
"The government will not hesitate to arrest opposition activists and voters for violating this or that anti-virus rule while giving a free pass to its own supporters."
Fish prices spike as Cameroon’s mangroves face total depletion
Cameroonians rely heavily on mangroves for fish and firewood, but exploiting its resources has pushed it to the brink. A spike in fish prices is largely blamed on mangrove depletion.
The Kano COVID-19 deaths: Forced relocations and disinformation creates widespread confusion (Part II)
Forced relocations of children contributed to the possible spread of COVID-19 and online disinformation along ethnoreligious lines added to the general confusion surrounding mass deaths in Kano State, Nigeria.
The Kano COVID-19 deaths: Stories untold (Part I)
Our research reconstructed the failure of authorities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Kano, which resulted in hundreds of deaths despite persistent mass media and social media documentation.
No medicine, no healing: Sudan’s pharmaceutical crisis
Since 2016, medicine prices in Sudan have risen exponentially. To make matters worse, the government’s central bank lacks the foreign currency necessary to import essential drugs from abroad.
Serbian parliamentary vote campaign taps Greek beaches, Chinese robots
"I love Serbia. Considering the fact that I am a kind of smart technology, it is obvious why I choose to be in Serbia."
Migrant workers face racism and rampant human rights violations across the Gulf
Migrant workers in the Gulf region are being subjected to a fierce campaign calling for their deportation that is riddled with racist speeches and hatred.
How Trump's ‘game-changer’ drug is boosting nationalism in Brazil and India
The claim that there’s a cure for COVID-19, but that powerful actors prevent access to it, allows these leaders to cast themselves as saviors.
A new game plays with ideas about how disinformation works in East Africa
"Chose Your Own Fake News" is an online game that teaches new internet users how to be more discerning about the information they receive and encounter in digital spaces.
Going far together: The East African diaspora steps up to address COVID-19 in their home region
To tackle the lack of information about COVID-19 and a shortage of PPE, members of East Africa’s diaspora in the US are taking action to help their homelands from afar.
Part II: Roadblocks to health care for women during COVID-19 in East Africa
Under COVID-19 curfew in Kenya, transport providers have either been unable or unwilling to transport pregnant women in labor to health facilities for fear of harassment by security agencies.
