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 July, 2020
Nigerians counteract COVID-19 denialism with social media campaigns
Nigerians directly confront coronavirus denial headlong with counter-narratives that use ordinary language in campaigns devoid of the usual mistrust between citizens and governments.
In northern Syria, COVID-19 worsens an already dramatic humanitarian crisis
Despite the looming threat of COVID-19, military escalation has re-started in the form of a proxy war in Idlib, leaving peaceful civilians in ever-greater danger.
How Balinese communities in Indonesia are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic
"COVID-19 mini-wikithons provide a safe space for people to talk in their native Balinese language about their challenges and coping strategies of the pandemic in Balinese communities."
COVID-19 has accelerated digitalization but will Tunisia log on?
COVID-19 accelerated digitalization in Tunisia like no previous government could achieve, gaining more digital momentum in a single month than it had in prior decades due to corruption and inaction.
Zimbabwe governance crisis: Arrests over COVID-19 corruption and planned protests
The arrest of two prominent figures in Zimbabwe signal new levels of crisis in governance as the nation heads toward unprecedented economic decline and social unrest amid COVID-19 corruption.
Sri Lankan wildlife threatened by poaching during the pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, rising unemployment has been linked to the surge in illegal wildlife poaching.
Serbia protests point to crisis of legitimacy for Vučić government
Serbian authorities unleashed a wave of violence at recent protests in the capital, causing some to wonder whether the government is finally starting to lose its control over the narrative.
Yanomami mothers fight for the right to bury their children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
Amazônia Real's report located the bodies of Yanomami babies who died with COVID-19. They had been buried without their families' knowledge. One baby remained for two months in a cold storage facility.
Georgians approve of government's COVID-19 response but fear economic downturn, survey finds
A new survey reveals that Georgians approve of their leaders and institutions' response to COVID-19. Can the goodwill last until October's parliamentary elections?
A never-ending cycle of doctors’ strikes and funding debacles leaves Nigerians at the mercy of the pandemic
Events such as doctors’ strikes and funding debacles are bound to recur until the root cause of the problem is exorcised from Nigeria's public health system.
COVID-19 in Europe: The price of being rich
“ … higher incomes mean fewer children and more elderly people, and this age distribution runs smack into the face of an overwhelming force of nature.”
Rooftop cultural events allow Venezuelan residents to momentarily escape COVID-19 through art
"We want to dream. We are the generation that fights and loves its community, despite the social conflicts and inequalities, we live in a constant learning process."
Out of work, out of options: Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand scrape by during COVID-19
"Since my workplace was closed, I don’t have much money left, I don’t know where to find work. I live in a construction camp with my 4-year-old son."
Ecuador's transgender community decries lack of government aid during pandemic
"We aren't inherently vulnerable; it's the State that makes these populations vulnerable."
Female genital mutilation likely to rise in the Middle East amid COVID-19 pandemic
The pandemic disrupted FGM prevention measures in the Middle East, where the practice is widely underreported.
Black Lives Matter forces an IBM U-turn on facial recognition
Under pressure from Black Lives Matter movement activists, the company IBM has announced its withdrawal from the facial recognition software market
‘Invisible hands': How millions of domestic workers fare under COVID-19
"We are the invisible hands. Our work is not valued. We don’t exist for the families we serve nor do we exist for the state."
In Assad-controlled Syria, the official narrative is ‘no COVID-19 cases’
In order to maintain a facade of control, the Assad regime does whatever it takes to deny the presence of COVID-19 in the territories it controls.
Fruit picking in a pandemic: Europe's precarious migrant workers
Despite COVID-19, Eastern European seasonal labourers continued to toil on farms and in factories as before — sparking a fierce debate about the rights of migrants in wealthier EU states.
COVID-19 outbreak highlights unaccountability of American military based in Okinawa
Since July 11, COVID-19 transmission has been detected at U.S. bases throughout Okinawa.
As COVID-19 cases climb in Cameroon, a cleric claims his herbal cure works
In Cameroon, many doubted Archbishop Samuel Kleda's claim that he created an herbal cure for COVID-19, but he says he has cured over 1,500 people of coronavirus symptoms so far.
