Pandemic has forced 100 million into poverty as global solidarity ‘missing in action’: UN chief | CBC News

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WATCH | Russia focuses on post-COVID-19 therapy, not restrictions:

Russia focuses on post-COVID-19 therapy over restrictions

Instead of increasing COVID-19 restrictions and boosting vaccinations to reduce cases and deaths, Russia is pouring resources into unproven therapies for people who’ve had the virus. 5:59

The United Nations chief says the pandemic has forced more than 100 million people into poverty and left over four billion people with little or no social support, health care or income protection.

Secretary General Antonio Guterres told an International Monetary Fund panel Monday that global solidarity “is missing in action” and people living in conflict-affected and poor countries are suffering most of all.

In Guterres’s words, “Vaccine inequality is a moral outrage that is condemning the world to millions more deaths and prolonging an economic slowdown that could cost trillions of dollars, hitting the poorest countries hardest of all.”

Guterres says indications the world is in a substantial economic recovery mask the huge divergence between the situations in rich countries and in the least-developed nations.

What’s happening across Canada

WATCH | Cornwall residents on why they have one of Ontario’s lowest vaccination rates:

Cornwall has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Ontario. Residents tell us why

Residents of Cornwall, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Ontario, say many in their community are hesitant because of concerns about side effects and influence from right-wing politicians. 3:04

What’s happening around the world

As of early Tuesday, more than 238.3 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus-tracking tool. The reported global death toll stood at more than 4.8 million.

In Asia, India on Tuesday recommended emergency use of Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 shot in children under 12 years of age, making the vaccine maker the first in the country to get such an approval after a review of its trial data for the two-18 age group. The decision comes as India shifts its focus to vaccinating children, having already rolled out more than 950 million doses to adults among its population of nearly 1.4 billion.

In Oceania, Sydney’s COVID-19 cases fell to the lowest in two months on Tuesday. Meanwhile, New Zealand expects 
to administer a record 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses in a single day during a mass immunization drive on Oct. 16.

In Europe, Russia reported 973 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday, its highest single-day toll since the start of the pandemic, and the government voiced concern at the pace and intensity of new infections.

In Africa, Egypt’s public prosecution said on Sunday it had ordered the arrest of three people after thousands of unused COVID-19 vaccines were found dumped along a water channel.