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As another wave of COVID-19 spreads around the world, Mongolia is particularly hard hit with the pandemic. Although Mongolia stayed free from this deadly virus for almost 10 months, thanks to drastic measures such as closing its borders, canceling international flights, closing all educational facilities, and even banning the national holiday of Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year) and Naadam Festival, the latest wave has brought an explosion of cases. Daily case counts first crossed the 100 mark in early March; now they routinely top 1,000. Over the past week, over 8,000 new cases were registered, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases above 26,000. This is highest number per million people in the Asia Pacific region.
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Government workers stand outside a blue tent used to coordinate transportation of travelers from Wuhan to designated quarantine sites in Beijing, China, Wednesday, April 15, 2020.
Credit: AP Photo/Sam McNeil
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A year ago, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Since it burst into the headlines in Wuhan, China, the virus has infected over 118 million people worldwide, killing 2.6 million. Beyond that, however, the associated lockdowns have devastated economies and shaken up established political orders – or solidified them in countries that have fared relatively well. Numerous analysts have identified the pandemic as a turning point in world history, with ramifications for everything from climate change to the global balance of power.
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