Doubling Of Infections In Singapore Suggest Reopening Is Unrealistic In Other Nations; Disinformation Campaigns Claim COVID-19 Is U.S.-Made Bioweapon

The New York Times: Singapore Seemed To Have Coronavirus Under Control, Until Cases Doubled
Singapore did almost everything right. After recording its first coronavirus case on Jan. 23, the prosperous city-state meticulously traced the close contacts of every infected patient, while keeping a sense of normalcy on its streets. Borders were shut to populations likely to carry the contagion, although businesses stayed open. Ample testing and treatment were free for residents. But over the past few days, Singapore’s coronavirus caseload has more than doubled, with more than 8,000 cases confirmed as of Monday, the highest in Southeast Asia. (Beech, 4/20)

Politico: State Report: Russian, Chinese, And Iranian Disinformation Narratives Echoing Each Other
China, Iran and Russia are using the coronavirus crisis to launch a propaganda and disinformation onslaught against the United States, the State Department warns in a new report. The three governments are pushing a host of matching messages: that the novel coronavirus was an American bioweapon, that the U.S. was scoring political points off the crisis, that the virus didn’t come from China, that U.S. troops spread it, that America’s sanctions are killing Iranians, that China’s response was great while the U.S.’s was negligent, that all three governments are managing the crisis well, and that the U.S. economy can’t bear the toll of the virus. (Swan, 4/21)

The Associated Press: New Zealand Could Pull Off Bold Goal Of Eliminating Virus
While most countries are working on ways to contain the coronavirus, New Zealand has set itself a much more ambitious goal: eliminating it altogether. And experts believe the country could pull it off. The virus “doesn’t have superpowers,” said Helen Petousis-Harris, a vaccine expert at the University of Auckland. “Once transmission is stopped, it’s gone.” (Perry, 4/21)

The Washington Post: From Jacinda Ardern To Silveria Jacobs: How Female Leaders Are Battling The Coronavirus Pandemic
Silveria Jacobs is not messing around. When coronavirus cases started increasing in the Caribbean nation of Saint Maarten, the 51-year-old prime minister delivered blunt instructions. “Simply. Stop. Moving,” Jacobs said in a video address. “If you do not have the type of bread you like in your house, eat crackers. If you do not have bread, eat cereal, eat oats, sardines.” (Hassan and O’Grady, 4/20)

The Hill: Chile To Issue World’s First ‘Immunity Passports’ To People Who Have Recovered From Coronavirus 
Chile is expected to issue the world’s first “immunity passports” to people who have recovered from the coronavirus, marking them exempt from quarantines and other restrictions. The so-called immunity passports would allow those who have recovered from the coronavirus or tested positive for the presence of antibodies to return to work and help reopen the country, The Washington Post reported. Paula Daza, an undersecretary in the Chilean Health Ministry, said more than 4,600 people are already eligible for the digital or physical cards. (Coleman, 4/20)