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Japan
Regional Mobility and COVID
A recent study led by Dr. Keisuke Kondo at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade, and Industry in Japan, developed a spatial Susceptible–Exposed–Infectious–Recovered (SEIR) model to analyze the impacts of interregional mobility restriction on the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. In Japan’s rural areas, interregional movements were found to accelerate viral transmission. Thus, movement restrictions are vital to controlling the spread of the virus, as these regions tend to have reduced accessibility of healthcare resources. On the contrary, interregional movement restriction caused higher COVID-19 incidence rates in large cities, indicating that implementation of interregional mobility restrictions without limiting intraregional movements can actually increase the risk of transmission among urban residents. The study also revealed that a reduction in COVID-19 incidence can be achieved by regional lockdowns only when the viral transmission rate is persistently low. Ultimately, researchers found while regional mobility restriction policies prevented the wide geographical spread of the disease, they did little to reduce the overall national prevalence of COVID-19.
This map depicts COVID-19 cases in prefectures across Japan, in August and November of last year. Click on the map to learn more.
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Central African Republic
State Of Emergency
On Thursday, the Central African Republic (CAR) declared a 15-day state of emergency throughout the country as a coalition of armed groups seeks to overthrow the newly re-elected President Faustin-Archange Touadera. Officials stated the anti-government fighters, who now control two-thirds of the country, have surrounded the capital, Bangui. According to reports, the rebels attempted to storm the capital last week but were repelled by U.N. peacekeeping forces. The CAR army, backed by U.N., Russian and Rwandan troops, has been battling rebels since the December 27 presidential vote. The escalation comes as U.N. envoy Mankeur Ndiaye asked the U.N. Security Council for a substantial increase in the number of peacekeepers to give the mission greater mobility on the ground. Seven peacekeepers have been killed since last month and the fighting has forced nearly 60,000 people to flee the country, compounding an already dire refugee crisis in the region.This map depicts the location of Bangui the capital of the Central African Republic. Click on the map to expand.
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Libya
Migrant Boat Capsizes
Earlier this week, 43 people died after a boat carrying West African migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, the U.N. reported. An additional 10 people that survived that shipwreck were rescued by coastal security forces. The boat left the Libyan city of Zawya and reportedly capsized a few hours after departing. The cause was due to poor sea conditions after an engine failure. This is the first known migrant shipwreck of 2021. Last year, hundreds lost their lives in attempts to cross the Mediterranean. The actual number of people who died may have even been much higher in 2020 due to the limited ability to surveil these migration routes. The U.N. migration and refugee agencies called for an “urgent and measurable shift in the approach” to the situation in the Mediterranean, including an end to returning migrants to ports deemed to be unsafe.This map depicts the location of the Libyan city of Zawya, where the boat of migrants departed. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: With a thickness measuring 4,845 feet (1,477 m), which glacier holds the title of being the world’s thickest?
A: Taku Glacier
Located in Glacier Bay National Park, just beyond the capital city of Alaska, is Taku Glacier. Having a maximum depth just shy of 1,480 meters, it is the thickest known temperate glacier in the world. The Taku is a tidewater glacier that slowly advances over its outwash delta. The glacier covers 386 square miles (1000 km) and is accompanied by nearly 20 other major glaciers in Alaska’s Juneau Icefield. Although Taku has been gaining mass and spreading farther across the landscape for nearly half a century, photos from NASA’s Earth Observatory have revealed a noticeable decline in the glacier’s size. This is the first time the Taku Glacier has ever been recorded to be retreating since scientists began studying it in 1946.
Source
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Q: Which body of water connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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