The World

Social distancing measures have been effective at countering the coronavirus pandemic, but have paralyzed global vaccination efforts. Already millions of children have become vulnerable to polio, measles, yellow fever and other killers. And, the death of a tribesman in northwest Saudi Arabia has raised alarms about the government's plans to forcibly remove locals from their land in order to build a $500 billion futuristic city. Also, when the NHL postponed its season in early March, hockey fans were left in the lurch. That didn’t stop a family in Ontario, Canada, who decided to create their own end to the NHL season — from their basement.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted supply chains, prompting incidents of price gouging along with higher prices for fruits and vegetables around the world. How are poorer countries absorbing the costs? And, Israel's Supreme Court has weighed in on the country’s controversial COVID-19 digital tracking program. Also, dozens of French dentists are stripping down naked in their offices to protest the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the coronavirus crisis.

The curve may be starting to flatten in Europe and in the US, but a new report suggests in many crisis-hit countries around the world, the worst may yet be ahead. And, Chile has considered a plan to issue people with "immunity passports" allowing them to return to work — but it has raised controversy. Also, professional sports leagues in most countries around the world have been either postponed or canceled, but this is not the case for the CPBL, Taiwan’s professional baseball league.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is back on the job and urging the public to be patient with the lockdown restrictions. Meanwhile, the British parliament is back up and running though, without the traditional rancor for which the body is known. And, different countries are enforcing rules on self-isolation and quarantine differently. In the Philippines, a large part of the country is on lockdown with potentially deadly curfews. Also, the "Corona Diaries" gives people an opportunity to share their experiences of life under lockdown.

North of the US border in Canada, long-term care facilities for the elderly have been especially hard hit by the coronavirus. And, two Harvard University medical students are leading an initiative to raise awareness about COVID-19 and to debunk myths that are spreading in communities in South Asia and the Middle East. Also, as the pandemic continues to upend the lives of people around the world, many are using the simulation game Animal Crossing to find a sense of normalcy and connection.

From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 21. In these challenging times, sometimes you just need a pick-me-up — and fast. Luckily, residents of Calgary in western Canada literally have joy on speed-dial. High school students launched a hotline called Joy4All. Dial it, and you can hear local students share jokes, short stories and acts of kindness. The project is directed specifically toward seniors who may feel lonely while social distancing.

Health advocates say that by failing to track racial data of coronavirus patients, governments are missing a rare opportunity to track, pinpoint and find solutions for vast disparities. And, the coronavirus can only be tackled if wealthy nations work hand-in-hand with the developing world, says former UN Ambassador Samantha Power. Also, officials in Ghana are using drones to transport coronavirus test samples collected in rural areas to processing labs in the country’s two biggest cities.

In Europe, a number of countries are taking tentative steps to reopen amid the coronavirus crisis. The key concern is a relapse and no one at this point can be sure what will happen next. After almost a decade of civil war in Syria, two former Syrian government officials will go on trial in Germany. Also, from Afghanistan to the Philippines, Scotland, Serbia and more, environmentalists around the world are connecting online to celebrate Earth Day.

Late Monday night, US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to announce an executive order that will "temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!" On Tuesday, Trump seemed to back away from his controversial tweet, but is expected to announce plans for further restricting immigration to the US. And, Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel is one of the year’s most solemn of days. But in times of social distancing, with many survivors alone at home during this pandemic, it can be even harder. Also, Michelin-starred Italian chef Massimo Bottura has been taking to Instagram during the coronavirus lockdown and broadcasting live cooking classes from his kitchen.

Hassan Akkad is a BAFTA award-winning documentary filmmaker who filmed his journey as a Syrian refugee traversing Europe. But when the coronavirus hit London, where he lives, he decided to take on a new role: hospital cleaner. And in Mexico, radio stations in Indigenous communities are trying to fill critical coronavirus information gaps. In New York, bodega workers say they face shortages of face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers even as they work on the front lines of serving their communities. And scientists have found the coronavirus in human sewage, which means that the virus can multiply in the human gut. Host Marco Werman speaks with Gertjan Medema, a professor at the KWR Water Research Institute in the Netherlands, about the implications of this finding.