This archive report was first published on 20 June 2020.
COVID School Lockdowns Fuel Rise in Violence Against Children, UN Warns ¶
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, a new United Nations report has sounded the alarm on the alarming increase in violence against children due to school lockdowns.
According to the report, about a billion children suffer from physical, sexual, or psychological abuse each year, with the problem exacerbated by the pandemic's isolation measures.
World Health Organization Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that 'there is never any excuse for violence against children.'
Meanwhile, in Iran, officials have announced plans to resume regular Friday prayers in Tehran next week, despite a surge in coronavirus cases.
Iran has reported over 198,000 confirmed cases and more than 9,200 deaths as of Thursday, according to trackers at Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus research center.
Brazil is quickly becoming the world's new coronavirus hot spot, with over 978,000 cases and 50,000 deaths reported by the country's health ministry on Thursday.
Experts at the University of Washington's School of Medicine have warned that Brazil's death toll could surpass that of the United States as early as next month.
Canadian officials have reported a slowing outbreak, with the number of confirmed cases climbing to just under 102,000 on Thursday and more than 8,300 deaths.
Major restrictions remain in place in the country's two biggest cities, Montreal and Toronto, while Californians are now required to wear face masks in most indoor and outdoor settings, as ordered by Governor Gavin Newsom.
President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by suggesting that many people wear masks to 'signal disapproval of him,' and has declined to wear a face mask in public due to his concerns about being seen by the press.
