Covid testing cuts Apache death rate

Available for over a year

It’s six months since the World Health Organisation declared the Covid-19 outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern. There are now a quarter of a million new confirmed cases every day and the total now stands at more than 16.5 million. We hear from the WHO’s Dr Margaret Harris about how cases are still rising fast in the United States, Brazil and India – and that even where there has been a drop in cases, testing and tracing should still continue in case of a spike in the number of infections. The White Mountain Apache community in rural Arizona saw its first case of Covid on 1st April. Dr Ryan Close explains how 'test, track and trace' has resulted in 25% fewer deaths in tribal members than in other parts of the state, even though indigenous populations often have poorer health outcomes. In the Chilean capital Santiago many neighbourhoods have been in quarantine since mid-March, making it one of the longest lockdowns of the whole pandemic. Restrictions are now easing in some places, but many of the 16% of the population who have disabilities feel they have been overlooked during lockdown. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Paula McGrath (Picture: A sign warns against the Covid-19 virus near the Navajo Indian nation town of Tuba City, Arizona. Photo credit: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images.)