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Do not fill this in! === Politics === {{Main|Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics}} {{See also|Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international relations}} The pandemic affected political systems, causing suspensions of legislative activities,<ref name="20200313nationalpost">{{#invoke:cite news || url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-parliament-suspended-until-april-due-to-coronavirus-crisis |title=Federal government announces aggressive measures to battle COVID-19 as parliament suspended until April | vauthors = Tumilty R |date=13 March 2020 |newspaper=Nationalpost |access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> isolations or deaths of politicians,<ref name="20200318foreignpolicy">{{#invoke:cite web || url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-corridors-power-which-world-leaders-have-covid-19/ |title=Coronavirus in the Corridors of Power | vauthors = Mackinnon A, Palder D | date=18 March 2020 |website=Foreign Policy |access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> and rescheduled elections.<ref name="20200427nytimes">{{#invoke:cite news || vauthors = Corasaniti N, Saul S |url= https://www.nytimes.com/article/2020-campaign-primary-calendar-coronavirus.html |title=15 States Have Postponed Primaries During the Pandemic. One Has Canceled. |date=27 April 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=30 April 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Although they developed broad support among epidemiologists, NPIs (non-pharmaceutical interventions) were controversial in many countries. Intellectual opposition came primarily from other fields, along with heterodox epidemiologists.<ref name="74OHE">''The Economist'', 4 April 2020, p. 14.</ref> ====Brazil==== The pandemic (and the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil#Responses|response of Brazilian politicians]] to it) led to widespread panic, confusion, and pessimism in Brazil.<ref name="BenderdaSilvaBaum2022">{{#invoke:cite journal || last1=Sott | first1=Michele Kremer | last2=Bender | first2=Mariluza Sott | last3=da Silva Baum | first3=Kamila | title=Covid-19 Outbreak in Brazil: Health, Social, Political, and Economic Implications | journal=International Journal of Health Services | publisher=SAGE Publications | volume=52 | issue=4 | date=4 September 2022 | issn=0020-7314 | doi=10.1177/00207314221122658 | pages=442–454| pmid=36062608 | pmc=9445630 }}</ref> When questioned regarding record deaths in the country in April 2020, Brazilian President [[Jair Bolsonaro]] said "So what? I'm sorry. What do you want me to do about it?"<ref name="Conde 2020">{{#invoke:cite journal || last=Conde | first=Maite | title=Brazil in the Time of Coronavirus | journal=Geopolítica(s). Revista de estudios sobre espacio y poder | publisher=Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) | volume=11 | issue=Especial | date=11 May 2020 | issn=2172-7155 | doi=10.5209/geop.69349 | pages=239–249| s2cid=219439973 }}</ref> Bolsonaro disregarded WHO-recommended mitigation techniques and instead [[COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil#Comments by Bolsonaro|downplayed the risks of the virus]], promoted increased economic activity, spread [[COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil#Presidential responses|misinformation]] about the efficacy of masks, vaccines and public health measures, and distributed unproven treatments including [[Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine during the COVID-19 pandemic|hydroxychloroquine]] and [[ivermectin during the COVID-19 pandemic|ivermectin]].<ref name="BenderdaSilvaBaum2022"/> A series of [[List of Ministers of Health of Brazil|federal health ministers]] resigned or were dismissed after they refused to implement Bolsonaro's policies.<ref name="Londono2020">{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Londoño |first1=Ernesto |title=Another Health Minister in Brazil Exits Amid Chaotic Coronavirus Response |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/world/americas/brazil-health-minister-bolsonaro.html |access-date=14 June 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=15 May 2020}}</ref> Disagreements between federal and state governments led to a chaotic and delayed response to the rapid spread of the virus,<ref name="Dantas2020">{{#invoke:cite journal || last=Dantas | first=E. | title=Brazilian report on the coronavirus crisis: A clash of pandemics | journal=Medicine and Law | date=2020 | pages=153–160 | url=https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/global-literature-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/resource/pt/covidwho-824117 | language=pt | access-date=14 June 2023}}</ref> exacerbated by preexisting social and economic disparities in the country.<ref name="BenderdaSilvaBaum2022"/><ref name="CarnutMendesGuerra2020">{{#invoke:cite journal || last1=Carnut | first1=Leonardo | last2=Mendes | first2=Áquilas | last3=Guerra | first3=Lucia | title=Coronavirus, Capitalism in Crisis and the Perversity of Public Health in Bolsonaro's Brazil | journal=International Journal of Health Services | publisher=SAGE Publications | volume=51 | issue=1 | date=18 October 2020 | issn=0020-7314 | doi=10.1177/0020731420965137 | pages=18–30| pmid=33070682 | s2cid=224782017 }}</ref> Employment, investment and valuation of the [[Brazilian real]] plummeted to record lows.<ref name="BenderdaSilvaBaum2022"/><ref name="ReutersBrazil2020">{{#invoke:cite news ||title=Brazil stocks post steepest fall since 1998, real hits historic low 5.00 per dollar |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-markets/brazil-stocks-post-steepest-fall-since-1998-real-hits-historic-low-5-00-per-dollar-idUSKBN20Z3J1 |work=Reuters |date=12 March 2020 }}</ref> Brazil was also heavily affected by the Delta and Omicron variants.<ref name="AlcantaraNogueiraShuabTosta2022">{{#invoke:cite journal || last1=Alcantara | first1=Luiz Carlos Junior | last2=Nogueira | first2=Elisson | last3=Shuab | first3=Gabriel | last4=Tosta | first4=Stephane | last5=Fristch | first5=Hegger | last6=Pimentel | first6=Victor | last7=Souza-Neto | first7=Jayme A. | last8=Coutinho | first8=Luiz Lehmann | last9=Fukumasu | first9=Heidge | last10=Sampaio | first10=Sandra Coccuzzo | last11=Elias | first11=Maria Carolina | last12=Kashima | first12=Simone | last13=Slavov | first13=Svetoslav Nanev | last14=Ciccozzi | first14=Massimo | last15=Cella | first15=Eleonora | last16=Lourenco | first16=José | last17=Fonseca | first17=Vagner | last18=Giovanetti | first18=Marta | title=SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Brazil: how the displacement of variants has driven distinct epidemic waves | journal=Virus Research | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=315 | year=2022 | issn=0168-1702 | doi=10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198785 | page=198785| pmid=35461905 | pmc=9022374 }}</ref> At the height of the outbreak in the spring of 2021, 3,000+ Brazilians were dying per day.<ref name="BBCBrazilMarch2021">{{#invoke:cite news ||title=Covid: Brazil's daily deaths surpass 3,000 for first time |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56260570 |access-date=14 June 2023 |work=BBC News |date=24 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="NPRBrazilApril2021">{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Reeves |first1=Philip |title=Brazil COVID-19: 'Humanitarian Crisis' With More Than 3,000 Deaths A Day |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/04/15/987741403/brazil-covid-19-humanitarian-crisis-with-more-than-3-000-deaths-a-day |access-date=14 June 2023 |work=NPR |date=15 April 2021}}</ref> Bolsonaro's loss to [[Lula da Silva]] in the [[2022 Brazilian general election|2022 presidential election]] is widely credited to the former's [[Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro#Response to COVID-19 pandemic|mishandling of the pandemic]].<ref name="ChomskyPolychroniou2023">{{#invoke:cite book || last1=Chomsky | first1=Noam | last2=Polychroniou | first2=C.J. | title=Illegitimate Authority | publisher=Haymarket Books | date=9 May 2023 | isbn=978-1-64259-934-3 | page=}}</ref><ref name="EconomistBolsonaroLoss2022">{{#invoke:cite news || title=Jair Bolsonaro is poised to lose the Brazilian election | newspaper=The Economist | date=8 September 2022 | url=https://www.economist.com/briefing/2022/09/08/jair-bolsonaro-is-poised-to-lose-the-brazilian-election | access-date=14 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="Milhorance2022October">{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Milhorance |first1=Flávia |title=Bolsonaro, in defeat, may now face charges. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/30/world/americas/bolsonaro-charges-lost.html |access-date=14 June 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=30 October 2022}}</ref> ==== China ==== {{Further|China–United States relations#COVID-19}} Multiple provincial-level administrators of the [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) were dismissed over their handling of quarantine measures. Some commentators claimed this move was intended to protect CCP General Secretary [[Xi Jinping]].<ref name="vLpPa" /> The [[US intelligence community]] claimed that China intentionally under-reported its COVID-19 caseload.<ref name="20200402nytimes">{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Barnes|first1=Julian |title=C.I.A. Hunts for Authentic Virus Totals in China, Dismissing Government Tallies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/us/politics/cia-coronavirus-china.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2 April 2020}}</ref> The Chinese government maintained that it acted swiftly and transparently.<ref name="hMc3w">{{#invoke:cite news || url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-07/china-denies-cover-up-rejects-politicization-of-coronavirus?sref=nAHOTXiV |title=China Denies Cover-Up, Rejects 'Politicization' of Coronavirus |access-date=7 June 2020 |newspaper=Bloomberg.com|date=7 June 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||title=China says there has never been a cover-up on coronavirus outbreak |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-mofa-idCAKBN21Z0XC |access-date=6 June 2023 |work=Reuters |date=17 April 2020 }}</ref> Journalists and activists in China who reported on the pandemic were detained by authorities,<ref>{{#invoke:cite news||date=24 September 2020|title=Chen Qiushi: Chinese journalist missing since February 'under state supervision'|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-54277439|access-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite news||date=23 April 2020|title=Li Zehua: Journalist who 'disappeared' after Wuhan chase reappears|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-52392762|access-date=16 February 2021}}</ref> including [[Zhang Zhan]], who was arrested and tortured.<ref>{{#invoke:cite news||date=28 December 2020|title=Zhang Zhan: China jails citizen journalist for Wuhan reports|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55463241|access-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite web || date=10 December 2020|last1=Davidson|first1=Helen|title=Citizen journalist detained over Wuhan reporting 'restrained and fed by tube'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/10/citizen-journalist-detained-over-wuhan-reporting-restrained-and-fed-by-tube|access-date=16 February 2021|website=The Guardian}}</ref> ==== Italy ==== [[File:Palazzo Margherita lit in Italian flag to show solidarity under COVID-19 pandemic.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Palazzo Margherita lit in Italian flag to show solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic on 26 March 2020]] In early March 2020, the Italian government criticised the EU's lack of solidarity with Italy.<ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Boffey |first1=Daniel |title=Italy criticises EU for being slow to help over coronavirus epidemic |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/11/italy-criticises-eu-being-slow-help-coronavirus-epidemic |access-date=6 June 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=11 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Braw |first1=Elisabeth |title=The EU Is Abandoning Italy in Its Hour of Need |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/14/coronavirus-eu-abandoning-italy-china-aid/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |work=Foreign Policy |date=14 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="politico-corona">{{#invoke:cite news ||last1= Karnitschnig|first1=Matthew |title=China is winning the coronavirus propaganda war |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/coronavirus-china-winning-propaganda-war/ |work=Politico |date=18 March 2020}}</ref> On 22 March 2020, after a phone call with Italian Prime Minister [[Giuseppe Conte]], Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] ordered the [[Russian Armed Forces|Russian army]] to send military medics, disinfection vehicles, and other medical equipment to Italy.<ref name="reuters219081">{{#invoke:cite news ||title=Russian army to send coronavirus help to Italy after Putin phone call |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-italy/russian-army-to-send-coronavirus-help-to-italy-after-putin-phone-call-idUSKBN219081 |work=Reuters |date=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="20200328insideover">{{#invoke:cite news || vauthors = Vivaldelli R |title=Quelle polemiche infondate sugli aiuti russi all'Italia |url=https://it.insideover.com/politica/quelle-polemiche-infondate-sugli-aiuti-russi-allitalia.html |work={{Lang|it|[[Il Giornale]]}} |date=28 March 2020}}</ref> In early April, Norway and EU states like Romania and Austria started to offer help by sending medical personnel and disinfectant,<ref name="eumedicalteams">{{#invoke:cite news ||title=Coronavirus: EU Medical Teams deployed to Italy |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_613 |publisher=Europa (web portal) |date=1 July 2020}}</ref> and [[European Commission]] President [[Ursula von der Leyen]] offered an official apology to the country .<ref name="euapology">{{#invoke:cite news ||title=EU offers 'heartfelt apology' to Italy over coronavirus response |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/16/eu-offers-heartfelt-apology-italy-coronavirus-response-herd-immunity |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=1 July 2020}}</ref> ==== United States ==== [[File:Open Ohio Rally IMG 0910 (49799974031).jpg|thumb|Anti-lockdown [[Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|protesters]] rallied at [[Ohio Statehouse]] 20 April 2020.<ref name="Columbus Dispatch">{{#invoke:cite news ||vauthors=Rouan R |title=Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]] |date=20 April 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425004821/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200420/protesters-at-statehouse-demand-state-reopen-as-dewine-announces-schools-to-remain-closed |url-status=dead }}</ref>]] Beginning in mid-April 2020, protestors objected to government-imposed business closures and restrictions on personal movement and assembly.<ref name="5YqAF">"Coronavirus: Anti-Lockdown Protests Grow Across US". BBC News. 17 April 2020. [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417172715/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52330531 Archived] from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.</ref> Simultaneously, [[essential workers]] protested unsafe conditions and low wages by participating in a brief [[general strike]].<ref name="c114M">{{#invoke:cite web || vauthors = Russ H |title=Instacart, Amazon workers strike as labor unrest grows during coronavirus crisis |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-instacart-idUSKBN21H3AV |work=Reuters |access-date=24 July 2020 |date=30 March 2020}}</ref> Some political analysts claimed that the pandemic contributed to President [[Donald Trump]]'s [[2020 United States presidential election|2020]] defeat.<ref name="TrumpChances">{{#invoke:cite news || vauthors = Haberman M, Martin M, Jonathan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/us/politics/trump-vs-biden.html |title=Trump's Re-election Chances Suddenly Look Shakier |date=12 March 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=15 March 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="AtlanticChances">{{#invoke:cite news || vauthors = Lowrey A |title=The Economy Is Collapsing. So Are Trump's Reelection Chances. |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/most-important-number-trumps-re-election-chances/609376/ |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=The Atlantic |date=3 April 2020}}</ref> The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]] prompted calls for the United States to adopt social policies common in other wealthy countries, including [[universal health care]], [[universal child care]], [[paid sick leave]], and higher levels of funding for public health.<ref name="NYT Calls">{{#invoke:cite news || vauthors = Miller CC |title=Could the Pandemic Wind Up Fixing What's Broken About Work in America? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/upshot/coronavirus-future-work-america.html |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=10 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="Hill5">{{#invoke:cite news || vauthors = Swanson I |title=Five ways the coronavirus could change American politics |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/495761-five-ways-the-coronavirus-could-change-american-politics |access-date=3 May 2020 |work=The Hill |date=2 May 2020}}</ref><ref name="Ddn2P">{{#invoke:cite web ||last1=Cohen|first1=Michael| url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/13/opinion/americas-botched-response-coronavirus-is-problem-bigger-than-donald-trump/ |title=America's botched response to the coronavirus is a problem bigger than Donald Trump |website=[[The Boston Globe]]}}</ref> The [[Kaiser Family Foundation]] estimated that preventable hospitalizations of unvaccinated Americans in the second half of 2021 cost US$13.8 billion.<ref name="Amin">{{#invoke:cite news || vauthors = Amin K, Cox C |title=Unvaccinated COVID-19 hospitalizations cost billions of dollars |journal=Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker |date=22 December 2021 |url=https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/unvaccinated-covid-patients-cost-the-u-s-health-system-billions-of-dollars/#Preventable%20COVID-related%20hospitalization%20costs%20for%20unvaccinated%20adults%20in%20the%20U.S.,%20June-November%202021 |access-date=3 May 2022}}</ref> There were also protest in regards to vaccine mandates in the United States.<ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Hughes |first1=Trevor |title=As Biden vaccine mandates loom, protests for personal freedoms swell. What happens next? |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/10/29/biden-vaccine-mandates-loom-protests-personal-freedoms-swell/8539853002/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |work=USA TODAY}}</ref> In January 2022, the US Supreme Court struck down an OSHA rule that mandated vaccination or a testing regimen for all companies with greater than 100 employees.<ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Kimball |first1=Spencer |title=Biden administration withdraws Covid vaccine mandate for businesses after losing Supreme Court case |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/25/covid-vaccine-mandate-osha-withdraws-rule-for-businesses-after-losing-supreme-court-case.html |access-date=6 June 2023 |work=CNBC |date=25 January 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||title=National Federation of Independent Business v. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration |url=https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/national-federation-of-independent-business-v-osha/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |work=SCOTUSblog}}</ref> ==== Other countries ==== The number of journalists imprisoned or detained increased worldwide; some detentions were related to the pandemic.<ref>{{#invoke:cite news||author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=15 December 2020|title=Record number of journalists imprisoned in 2020 – report|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-global-rights-journalists-idUKKBN28P0DO|access-date=16 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite web||date=14 December 2020|last1=Berry|first1=Alex|title=Press freedom: Journalists end up in jail for reporting on coronavirus crisis|url=https://www.dw.com/en/press-freedom-journalists-end-up-in-jail-for-reporting-on-coronavirus-crisis/a-55929247|access-date=16 February 2021|publisher=Deutsche Welle}}</ref> The planned [[NATO]] "[[List of NATO exercises#2020|Defender 2020]]" military exercise in Germany, [[Poland]] and the [[Baltic states]], the largest NATO war exercise since the end of the [[Cold War]], was held on a reduced scale.<ref name="20200320spectator">{{#invoke:cite news||last1=Simes|first1=Dimitri |title=How coronavirus derailed the largest Nato exercise in 25 years |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how-coronavirus-derailed-the-largest-nato-exercise-in-25-years |work=The Spectator |date=20 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="20200319reuters">{{#invoke:cite news || vauthors = Emmott R |title=NATO scales down exercises due to coronavirus |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nato/nato-scales-down-exercises-due-to-coronavirus-idUSKBN21627V |access-date=21 October 2020 |work=Reuters |date=19 March 2020}}</ref> The Iranian government was heavily affected by the virus, which infected some two dozen parliament members and political figures.<ref name="D2Xpc" /><ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Berman |first1=Ilan |title=Will Iran's Regime Survive Coronavirus? |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/03/will-irans-regime-survive-coronavirus/ |access-date=7 June 2023 |work=National Review |date=12 March 2020}}</ref> Iran President [[Hassan Rouhani]] wrote a public letter to world leaders asking for help on 14 March 2020, due to a lack of access to international markets.<ref name="u2rRX" /> Saudi Arabia, which had launched a [[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen|military intervention in Yemen]] in March 2015, declared a ceasefire.<ref name="20200409foreignpolicy">{{#invoke:cite news || vauthors = Haverty D, Gramer R, Detsch J |title=Coronavirus Pandemic Forces a Cease-Fire in Yemen |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/09/coronavirus-pandemic-forces-cease-fire-yemen-humanitarian-crisis-saudi-arabia-houthis/ |access-date=21 October 2020 |work=Foreign Policy |date=9 April 2020}}</ref> Diplomatic relations between [[Japan–South Korea relations|Japan and South Korea]] worsened.<ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Sposato |first1=William |title=Japan and Korea Won't Let A Pandemic Stop Them Fighting |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/12/japan-and-korea-wont-let-a-pandemic-stop-them-fighting/ |access-date=7 June 2023 |work=Foreign Policy |date=12 March 2020}}</ref> South Korea criticised Japan's "ambiguous and passive quarantine efforts" after Japan announced travellers from South Korea must quarantine for two weeks.<ref name="HnqN4" /> South Korean society was initially polarised on President [[Moon Jae-in]]'s response to the crisis; many Koreans signed petitions calling for Moon's [[impeachment]] or praising his response.<ref name="imx38" /> Some countries passed emergency legislation. Some commentators expressed concern that it could allow governments to strengthen their grip on power.<ref name="20200331theguardian">{{#invoke:cite web || last1=Walker|first1=Shaun|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/31/coronavirus-is-a-chance-for-authoritarian-leaders-to-tighten-their-grip |title=Authoritarian leaders may use Covid-19 crisis to tighten their grip |website=The Guardian |date=31 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="20200330nytimes">{{#invoke:cite news ||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/world/europe/coronavirus-governments-power.html |last1=Gebrekidam|first1=Salem|title=For Autocrats, and Others, Coronavirus Is a Chance to Grab Even More Power |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=30 March 2020}}</ref> In Hungary, the parliament voted to allow Prime Minister [[Viktor Orbán]] to rule by decree indefinitely, suspend parliament and elections, and punish those deemed to have spread false information.<ref name="20200330cnn">{{#invoke:cite web || url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/30/europe/hungary-viktor-orban-powers-vote-intl/index.html |last1=Picheta|first1=Rob|title=Hungarian parliament votes to let Viktor Orban rule by decree in wake of coronavirus pandemic |publisher=CNN |date=30 March 2020}}</ref> In countries such as [[Egypt]],<ref name="dw53009293">{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Michaelson|first1=Ruth|title=Reporting on the coronavirus: Egypt muzzles critical journalists |url=https://www.dw.com/en/reporting-on-the-coronavirus-egypt-muzzles-critical-journalists/a-53009293 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |date=3 April 2020}}</ref> [[Turkey]],<ref name="20200401foreignpolicy">{{#invoke:cite news ||last1= Mchangama|first1=Jacob|title=Coronavirus Has Started a Censorship Pandemic |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/01/coronavirus-censorship-pandemic-disinformation-fake-news-speech-freedom/ |work=The Foreign Policy |date=1 April 2020}}</ref> and [[Thailand]],<ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||last1=Peck |first1=Grant |title=Some leaders use pandemic to sharpen tools against critics |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/coronavirus-crisis-provides-excuses-for-curbs-on-free-speech/ |access-date=7 June 2023 |work=The Seattle Times |date=16 April 2020}}</ref> opposition activists and government critics were [[Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic#Efforts to combat misinformation|arrested]] for allegedly spreading [[fake news]].<ref name="20200410straitstimes">{{#invoke:cite news ||title=Asia cracks down on coronavirus 'fake news' |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/coronavirus-asia-cracks-down-on-virus-fake-news |work=The Straits Times |date=10 April 2020}}</ref> In India, journalists criticising the government's response were arrested or issued warnings by police and authorities.<ref>{{#invoke:cite web || date=4 October 2020|last1= BAGRI|first1=NEHA|title=As COVID-19 spreads, India tries to control the narrative by targeting journalists|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-10-04/india-targets-journalists-who-report-on-covid-19|access-date=16 February 2021|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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