Displaying items by tag: USA

As of 2^nd September, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stands at 25.7 million according to Johns Hopkins University. In addition to this, the current death statistic stands above 850,000.

Covid-19 hot spots

The US continues to be the country with the most cases and deaths related to Covid-19 globally with the aforementioned figures currently at over 6,000,000 and 180,000 respectively. Although the rate of infection has reduced over recent days and weeks from the high of 77,000 in a day, the daily case numbers are still slightly above those of the peak of the first spike.

After reserving $346 million in funding to purchase 100 million doses of the vaccine in development by the University of Oxford, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has commented that "no one can force anyone to get a vaccine." Brazil, currently heading towards 4 million cases holding the second highest number in the world after the US, has suffered from a steady average of roughly 1,000 deaths per day of people with the virus.

Coronavirus is similarly prevalent elsewhere in the Americas. Peru, Colombia, and Mexico each have over 600,000 cases a piece, whilst Argentina and Chile have more than 400,000 although these numbers may not tell the whole truth as some areas have a significant lack of testing. For example, Mexico has a test rate of just 10,000 tests per 1 million population compared to Spain where there are fewer cases and a test rate of nearly 200,000 tests per 1 million per population. Another issue infecting Latin America is misinformation related to coronavirus cures and preventative treatments. These home remedies spread on social media by influential figures, such as the use of industrial bleach, are unproven and potential harmful self-medications.

India is currently experiencing the highest rate of new coronavirus cases per day reaching its own 24-hour high of 85 thousand on 26^th August. Over the month of August, the country amassed nearly 2 million cases; the most reported in a month for any country in the world since the pandemic began. Despite these record statistics, the government continues to lift restrictions in an attempt to boost the economy after lockdown in March saw millions of jobs lost.

Large areas of Europe have managed to dramatically reduce the prevalence of coronavirus, although they have not managed to completely eradicate it. Spain and France are experiencing new outbreaks with regional lockdowns in place to attempt to cut off the spread. Ukraine has seen continued increases in case numbers after failing to minimise the virus after its first peak and the likes of Germany and the UK are observing gentle increases in daily new cases up to around 1,200.

It is still not well known how severe the situation is in Africa since there is a major lack in testing. The International Rescue Committee have said that they fear the continent is “fighting the epidemic in the dark” with limited data to work from hampering their response to the pandemic. South Africa continues to hold the most cases with around 630,000, followed by Egypt with 100,000 but the dramatic positive test result difference of 17% compared to 73% respectively hints at the reality on the continent. Other countries around the world struggling to contain the virus include Indonesia, the Philippines, and Israel, where the numbers of new cases and deaths remain high.

Has the curve flattened?

In some countries around the world where good social distancing has been practised, masks worn where necessary, efficient testing and quarantining has taken place, and test-and-trace systems have been implemented, the rate of infection has been shown to fall, and in some places, reduce to 0. This has been fully enacted by small countries and island nations and has seen positive results from larger countries such as Vietnam, Taiwan, and Iceland where the virus was once prominent.

In other countries, there has been impatience during lockdown, not waiting long enough for case rates to fall before reopening. This prevents a reduced rate of transmission, which doesn’t work towards the eradication of the virus. Through further restlessness and more easing of lockdown restrictions, the rate of transmission has increased again producing a so-called ‘second spike’ as shown by the recent dramatic increase in cases in the US or Israel.

The efforts that have been put in place by countries all over the world have reduced the impacts of the virus, though. Without the measures such as travel restrictions to and from zones with high case rates and social distancing designed to reduce transmission, the new numbers of cases would likely not have dropped, and the death toll would have been much higher by now.

Vaccine update

Over 165 vaccines are currently being developed by teams all over the world in the race to find a solution to the pandemic. 36 of these are currently in human trials, and at least 90 are in animal trials, to prove that they work as intended and are safe for wide-spread use.

A vaccine produced by the University of Oxford has been shown to trigger an immune response creating neutralising antibodies and T-cells in the recipient after a single dose in 90% of participants, although not without possible side-effects such as fever and headaches. Larger trials are taking place in countries such as Brazil where exposure to Covid-19 is high to ensure the vaccine is safe and effective, and then 47,000 volunteers from around the world will take part in “challenge trials” where they will be deliberately infected with coronavirus to observe the vaccine’s response.

Over 150 countries have pooled efforts and resources to set up the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, otherwise known as COVAX. The benefits of this are that all member parties can take advantage of successful vaccines produced from their collective library so that everyone will have access to a working product in the shortest time frame possible. In the event that a country’s own vaccine plans fall through, they will have a backup option in COVAX.

The U.S. has announced it has no plans to participate in the rest of the world’s co-operative effort and instead intends to work on its own to find a solution so that they “will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China," said Judd Deere, spokesman for the White House. If the nation’s own vaccine proves to be unsafe or ineffective, they will be vulnerable to an extended period of infection and unnecessary deaths. This comes after President Trump withdrew the country from the World Health Organisation claiming they "failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms" and also accusing China of receiving favourable treatment to cover up the virus’ origin.

Let’s Pray…
Let us continue to declare that the novel coronavirus is defeated by the blood of Jesus.

We pray for divine intervention and for God's name to be glorified even as each nation and government tries its best to flatten the curve and finally arrest this epidemic. 

We release wisdom, skill, and integrity upon our leaders. 

We pray for protection, wisdom and strength, for those working to bring treatment and comfort to the sick and their families.

We pray special grace and help for the vulnerable population and nations. We pray for refugees and displaced peoples. We pray against domestic violence and other crimes that have become rampant during lockdowns.

We pray for a safe, effective, and affordable vaccine to be released soonest but without including aborted baby cells in its creation or neglecting proper testing protocols.

We continue to release faith, hope, and love over the peoples of the world. May the Church seize this opportune time to manifest Jesus our Lord and Savior to those who are seeking answers and peace.

Pray: Lord God, the One who has Almighty power, we agree according to your promise in Matthew 18:18-20 that this virus will be stopped in its tracks. That the medical researchers will get a download from Heaven on how to quickly develop a vaccine to counteract COVID-19 and a cure for those who have become infected.

We also agree in prayer, asking that the Body of Christ worldwide will rise up in love and boldness, trusting in your blood to cover and protect us and throwing off fear, so that we can be available to serve, bless, and bear witness to those around us who are terrified and depressed at being infected.

Let us seize this unprecedented opportunity to make you known to those without hope in Christ!

Thank you for your promise that surely, you will be with us "always, even to the very end of the age” so that we can carry on with the mission you have given us for our world (Matthew 28:20).

September 2nd - October 11th

When there is no hope for a nation, when there is no remedy, God still has a holy prescription, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast…” That was the clarion sound God gave to us to mobilize TheCall DC on September 2nd, 2000. 400,000 people heard that sound and gathered to a vision born out of a prayer I prayed in 1999. That prayer was, "How can I turn America back to God?” September 2nd, 2020 is the 20th anniversary of that historic gathering and we are now at a hinge of history moment far surpassing the urgency of that day 20 years ago. The holy prescription has never been rescinded.

Last night the Lord rekindled the fire of that fast again in me through a dream. In the dream, President Trump and I were having a very heartfelt and intimate conversation. I could feel his vulnerability, almost yearning for me to enter into his moment of aloneness and crisis as he carried America on his heart. With deep emotion, I responded, “I am going to pour out my soul for you and America on a 40 day fast starting September 2nd!”

Recently I had been asking the Lord if I was to once again call a 40 day fast for America. I was hesitant because I’ve called so many fasts. I felt at that moment, a casual approach to the prophetic brings casualties. When God speaks, how dare one raise up any reasoning against it. What if this fast could be the tipping point moment for the answer to that prayer I prayed 20 years ago. Who knows? As it was in the book of Joel an abandonment to the prophetic is fraught with uncertainties but is this not the risk of faith where heroes arise from the dust of obscurity?

William Wilberforce said, “God has set before me two great objectives - the abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.” God has set before me two great objectives - God, end abortion and send such a great communion revival to America that the color line is washed away in the blood.

To that end, I expend my strength and pour out my soul. So I am compelled once again to blow the trumpet and call a fast. I cast my bread on the waters of the hearts of the thousands of those who ran with The Call for the past 20 years. I know there will be those hear the Nazirite fasting sound once again, and risk everything to become the hinge of history. From Sep 2nd - Oct 11^th.

Watch the video below

Please sign up to follow our prophetic history ( I will daily share our 35-year story and biblical reasoning that leads to my conviction that this revival and election season is the most important since the days of Abraham Lincoln, the civil war, and the abolition of slavery.)

More at: www.louengle.com/hinge-of-history/

Lou Engle Ministries

www.louengle.com

Powerful Hurricane Laura battered the Louisiana and Texas coastline, bringing unsurvivable storm surges up to 20 feet in Louisiana and Texas with 150 mph winds. Parts of Lake Charles will be underwater that no-one has seen before. 100,000 residents are at risk of flooding. Pray for the search and rescue operations as they swing into action. The storm is complicating evacuations in the midst of a pandemic, as officials send evacuees to hotel rooms. Pray for all evacuees now in fear for the future. Some first responders in Louisiana stood outside the sheriff's office for a moment of prayer before the hurricane made landfall. Over 270,000 homes in Texas and Louisiana are without power. Pray for hospitals and the vulnerable who need electric machines to survive. People refusing to evacuate were told, ‘Write your name, address, social security number and next of kin and put it in a Ziploc bag in your pocket. Pray that it does not come to this.’

Wisconsin’s governor called in the National Guard to help quell unrest after police shot unarmed Jacob Blake in the back seven times at close range. The incident was videoed and went viral on the internet sparking nationwide demonstrations and the postponement of major sporting events as players protested against the shooting. Trump’s administration made its sympathies clear: ‘We will always stand with the men and women who serve on the thin blue line of law enforcement.’ Meanwhile Rev Al Sharpton and his National Action Network are leading a march on Washington to demand action on police brutality. He said, ‘That policeman’s life was never under threat, and yet he shot multiple times. That’s why we’re marching.’ Some say, ‘Riots are not saving Black lives, they’re destroying lives, businesses and the social fabric of cities.’ Others reply, ‘There needs to be unrest in the streets as long as there’s unrest in our lives’. See

Dr Martin Luther King Jr said we must live together as brothers or perish together as fools. His niece Dr Alveda King said, ‘We're fighting over trying to reconcile separate races when we are only one race - the human race.’ Bishop Harry Jackson said, ‘We're seeing a readiness to respond to race across racial boundaries. But what's missing is in Galatians 3:26; we say there's neither Jew nor Greek, there's neither bond nor free. These distinctions can be solved by coming together in Christ.’ We can pray for Christians to lead the way with answers to the ills of society. We have the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide us. The church must find answers and right any wrongs that exist and then boldly become part of the national discussion on race relations in America. Bishop Williams added, ‘When someone needs blood, they don’t ask if it was black blood, white blood or Jewish blood; they need blood.’

Firefighters battling historic blazes in Northern California made progress towards getting the massive fires under control after temperatures cooled in the region. Lightning strikes, many of which sparked the fires, have decreased, and fire officials said they have had successes battling three blazes burning around the San Francisco Bay area as they prepare for a ‘marathon’ in the coming weeks to suppress the rest of the wildfires.

Californian firefighters are battling hundreds of wildfires across California amid the hottest temperatures ever recorded (130 °F, 54.4°C in Death Valley). The fires have burned 649,054 acres in 14 states. More than 16,700 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to fight the fires (see). In 72 hours, 10,849 lightning strikes hit California, starting 367 new fires. Rescue and firefighting resources are depleted as new fires continue to ignite. The deputy fire chief said this was not a normal situation; ‘We are doing as much as we can with the resources that we have’. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered, whole communities destroyed, and thousands more homes are threatened. Pray for firefighters and emergency teams to be protected; for co-ordinated relief accommodation for the homeless; comfort for those who have lost everything and healing for the injured. May God bring rain and cool weather into the region.

Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud related to We Build the Wall, a fundraising campaign to support the building of a border wall between the US and Mexico. Federal prosecutors allege that Bannon and three others ‘orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors’ in connection with the online crowdfunding campaign that raised more than £19m. Bannon promised that 100% of the money donated would be used for the project, but the defendants allegedly used hundreds of thousands of dollars in a manner inconsistent with the organisation's public representations. The trio faked invoices and sham ‘vendor’ arrangements in a bid to hide what was really happening.

A pro-life filmmaker is claiming censorship after his documentary was removed from Amazon Prime video ‘because of poor customer reviews’ despite the film receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews. Marcus Pittman’s movie, ‘Babies are Still Murdered Here,’ goes into the deep underpinnings of major national lobbyist groups. It asks why after 46 years babies are still being murdered. Amazon categorises reviews based on keywords: some keywords were pro-life, end abortion and pro-life movement. This may be why the film was removed. Amazon has faced allegations of censorship before. Last year it pulled books describing how a relationship with Jesus Christ helped people out of same-sex attractions, saying it was in ‘violation of our content guidelines’, but did not point out which parts were objectionable.

On 1 August, demonstrators in Portland damaged property and set fire to American flags and Bibles. Again, little law enforcement presence was visible, and no arrests were made. After weeks of similar violent rioting and nightly attacks, on 4 August federal officers saw their first night of state and local law enforcement support and experienced relative peace with crowds ‘subdued.’ Activity around the courthouse continues, but violence is diminishing after an increased state and federal law presence on the ground. It will remain until the authorities determine that the courthouse and other federal properties are safe. Although crowd sizes have dwindled from the thousands in July, observers on 6 August reported many people, including some with ‘press’ written on their outer garments (indicating journalists), continuing to throw glass and plastic bottles at police officers.