The social stratification by wealth in the United States is deeper and more dangerous than by income, according to a report by the nonprofit organization Oxfam America.
According to the organization, the combined wealth of U.S. billionaires has grown by nearly a third since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020 and by 86.3% since 2013, to $4.51 trillion. Their number has increased by nearly 60% in 10 years to more than 700.
“The surge in wealth during the pandemic followed the injection of trillions of dollars into financial markets to save them from collapse,” the report noted. – “This new money, albeit much needed to sustain economies, ended up in the hands of the super-rich, who took advantage of the spike in stock prices in the absence of barriers in the form of fairer taxation that would have distributed this wealth more evenly.
In addition, the U.S. has a “permanent underclass”: nearly one-third of all workers and half of employed women of color earn less than $15 an hour, Oxfam points out. The disparity in wealth between races has widened since the 1980s and is approaching that of the 1950s.
“To reduce and eliminate the structural barriers that exist in our economy and to ensure that opportunities are open to everyone, it is vital to impose a super wealth tax,” the organization stresses.
Ukraine has recorded 25,062 COVID-19 cases, 37,432 recoveries and 297 fatalities in the past 24-hour period, the Ukrainian Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
“Ukraine saw 25,062 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 in a 24-hour period on February 22. New cases included 2,427 children and 665 medical workers. As many as 62,935 people have been inoculated against COVID-19. Of them, 16,844 received the first dose of a two-shot vaccine, and 27,071 the second one in this 24-hour period. As many as 598 people were given an additional dose, and 18,422 a booster dose. As many as 3,140 people have been admitted to hospitals, 297 patients have died, and 37,432 have recovered over the past 24 hours,” the Health Ministry’s press service said in the morning bulletin on Telegram.
Cumulatively, Ukraine has recorded 4,783,835 cases of COVID-19. The cumulative number of recoveries was at 4,023,033 as of Wednesday. The country’s COVID-19 death toll has climbed to 105,229.
Since the vaccination campaign began, 15,712,650 people have been inoculated in Ukraine. Of them, 15,175,097 have received two doses of a two-shot vaccine. As many as 27,458 people have been given an additional dose and 701,836 a booster dose, according to the Ukrainian Health Ministry.
Ukraine has reported 33,330 new cases of COVID-19, in addition to 27,441 recoveries and 259 deaths in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Health Ministry said on Thursday.
“Over the past day, Ukraine has recorded 33,330 new cases of COVID-19, including 2,837 children and 961 medical workers, while 66,082 people have been vaccinated, among them 18,504 who received the first dose, 28,948 who received the second dose, 606 who received an additional dose, and 18,024 who received a booster shot. In the past 24 hours, 3,284 people have been hospitalized, 259 have died, and 27,441 have recovered,” the ministry said on Telegram.
There were 31,513 new cases of COVID-19 in Ukraine the day before.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ukraine has seen a total of 4,637,260 COVID-19 cases, including 3,866,755 recoveries and 103,824 deaths.
As many as 15,613,689 people have been vaccinated for COVID-19 in Ukraine to date.
Ukraine has registered 31,513 new cases of COVID-19, as well as 27,684 recoveries and 310 related deaths, in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
“Over the past day, Ukraine has recorded 31,513 new cases of COVID-19, including 2,872 children and 992 medical workers, while 65,805 people have been vaccinated for COVID-19, among them 18,247 people who received the first dose, 29,307 who received the second dose, 542 who received an additional dose, and 17,709 who received a booster shot. In the past 24 hours, 3,640 people have been hospitalized, 310 have died, and 27,684 have recovered,” the ministry said on Telegram.
There were 29,724 new infections in Ukraine the day before.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ukraine has seen a total of 4,603,930 cases of COVID-19, including 3,839,314 recoveries and 103,565 deaths.
As many as 15,613,185 people have been vaccinated for COVID-19 in Ukraine to date.
Ukraine has registered 7,312 new cases of COVID-19, as well as 16,521 recoveries and 275 deaths in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Health Ministry said on Thursday.
“Over the past day, December 22, Ukraine has recorded 7,312 new cases of COVID-19 (including 585 children and 182 medical workers), while 117,443 people have been vaccinated for COVID-19, among them 39,071 who received their first shot of a vaccine, 78,101 who completed their vaccination, and 271 who received a booster shot. In the past 24 hours, 1,691 persons have been hospitalized, 275 have died, and 16,521 have recovered,” the ministry said on Telegram.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ukraine has seen a total of 3.630 million coronavirus infections, including 3.393 million recoveries and 94,184 deaths.
As of this date, 14,500,520 people have been vaccinated for COVID-19 in Ukraine, among them 14.501 million who have received their first shot of a vaccine, 13.220 million who have completed their vaccination, and 596 who have received a booster shot. As many as 27.721 million shots have been administered to date.
Ukraine has overcome the third wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov has said.
“Finally, I can state that we have overcome the third wave of the pandemic. From tomorrow, there will not be a single region with a ‘red’ level of epidemic danger in Ukraine,” he said on his Facebook page.
Stepanov said that, as planned, on Friday there will be a meeting of the State Commission on Environmental Safety, Manmade Disaster and Emergency Response, which can cancel the “red” level of epidemic danger in Sumy region.
The minister said that the third wave of COVID-19 claimed more lives compared to the first two, and during this period the healthcare system worked with tension, there was not enough oxygen in medical institutions.
“The late March and the early April were the hardest. The capacities at Lviv Chemical Plant [supplying medical institutions with oxygen] were overloaded and at some point some of the production capacities stopped. However, we managed to restore them overnight. We did not leave a single person without oxygen. For example, one of the city hospitals in Kyiv, before the pandemic, needed 3 tonnes of oxygen per month, and during the third wave – 5.5 tonnes per day,” he said.
According to Stepanov, at the peak of the epidemic, there were 44,000 patients in hospitals on oxygen therapy; while a year earlier there were 3,500 beds with oxygen in Ukraine.
At the same time, the minister recalled the need for further compliance with anti-epidemic measures.
“No ‘barbecue’ costs life and health. Therefore, take care of yourself, because the virus is just waiting for you to take off the mask,” the minister said.
