I n the United States, a White House staffed by xenophobes is using the coronavirus to strengthen border controls it has long wanted to embrace. In Israel and Singapore, governments are invoking the crisis over Covid-19 to track movements of people on cell phones.

In Iran, a government obsessed with control has used the epidemic to deploy security forces around the country to clear the streets. Meanwhile in Hungary, a right-wing leader who has built his political career on demonising immigrants told his counterparts there was a “clear link” between migrants and the coronavirus.

Across the world, public health officials, frontline medical professionals and local politicians are attempting to contain one of the worst pandemics in modern history.

But they are often brushing up against ideologically-minded national leaders who appear to be attempting to exploit coronavirus to impose measures they’ve long sought, even if it imperils lives.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 11 August 2020 French Prime Minister Jean Castex is helped by a member of staff to put a protective suit on prior to his visit at the CHU hospital in Montpellier AFP via Getty World news in pictures 10 August 2020 Locals harvest their potatoes as Mount Sinabung spews volcanic ash in Karo, North Sumatra province, Indonesia Antara Foto/Reuters World news in pictures 9 August 2020 Doves fly over the Peace Statue at Nagasaki Peace Park during the memorial ceremony held for the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing EPA World news in pictures 8 August 2020 Anti-government protesters try to remove concrete wall that installed by security forces to prevent protesters reaching the Parliament square, during a protest against the political elites and the government after this week's deadly explosion in Beirut AP World news in pictures 7 August 2020 A protester throws a stone towards Israeli forces in the village of Turmus Aya, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, following a march by Palestinians against the building of Israeli settlements AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 August 2020 A woman yells as soldiers block a road for French President Emmanuel Macron's visit the Gemmayzeh neighborhood. The area in Beirut suffered extensive damage from the explosion at the seaport AP World news in pictures 5 August 2020 Damage at the site of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon Reuters World news in pictures 4 August 2020 A large explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut. The blast, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt in several parts of the city AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 August 2020 A general view shows the new road bridge in Genoa, Italy ahead of its official inauguration, after it was rebuilt following its collapse on August 14, 2018 which killed 43 people Reuters World news in pictures 2 August 2020 Empty stall spaces are seen hours before a citywide curfew is introduced in Melbourne, Australia EPA World news in pictures 1 August 2020 People take part in a demonstration by the initiative "Querdenken-711" with the slogan "the end of the pandemic - the day of freedom" to protest against the current measurements to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Berlin, Germany AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 July 2020 Pilgrims circumambulating around the Kaaba, the holiest shrine in the Grand mosque in Mecca. Muslim pilgrims converged today on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat for the climax of this year's hajj, the smallest in modern times and a sharp contrast to the massive crowds of previous years Saudi Ministry of Media/AFP World news in pictures 30 July 2020 The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission lifts off at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The mission is part of the USA's largest moon to Mars exploration. Nasa will attempt to establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon by 2028 through their Artemis programme EPA World news in pictures 29 July 2020 A woman refreshes herself in a outdoor pool in summer temperatures in Ehingen, Germany dpa via AP World news in pictures 28 July 2020 Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak speaks to the media after he was found guilty in his corruption trial in Kuala Lumpur AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 July 2020 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un poses for a photograph after conferring commemorative pistols to leading commanding officers of the armed forces on the 67th anniversary of the "Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War". Which marks the signing of the Korean War armistice KCNA via Reuters

“This is unacceptable,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wrote in response to reports of waits as long as eight hours for travellers crowded at the city’s international airport. “The reactionary, poorly planned travel ban has left thousands of travellers at [O’Hare Airport] forced into even greater health risk.

“No one has time for your incompetence,” she wrote, addressing Donald Trump and the Customs and Border Protection service.

The coronavirus crisis has severely strained health services across the world and is posing a grave challenge to the world economy, with stock markets collapsing and businesses idling workers. But experts are warning that it could also reshape politics by hardening authoritarian systems and eroding democracy in some countries, especially in fragile nations where would-be tyrants have been seeking to consolidate their power.

On Monday, a group of United Nations-affiliated experts issued a stark warning that emergency measures over coronavirus should not be used by governments for political ends.

“While we recognise the severity of the current health crisis and acknowledge that the use of emergency powers is allowed by international law in response to significant threats, we urgently remind states that any emergency responses to the coronavirus must be proportionate, necessary and non-discriminatory,” said the experts, who include nearly a dozen UN special rapporteurs on protections of human rights and democratic freedoms.

“Emergency declarations based on the Covid-19 outbreak should not be used as a basis to target particular groups, minorities, or individuals,” said the statement. “It should not function as a cover for repressive action under the guise of protecting health nor should it be used to silence the work of human rights defenders.”

There are already numerous signs that governments are potentially exploiting the epidemic for their own advantage. Months-long anti-government protests in Iraq, Algeria, and Lebanon that have been a severe thorn in the side of the elites have been suspended.

In Turkey, the conservative Islamist-rooted government has ordered bars, nightclubs and libraries to close over coronavirus fears, but is allowing shopping malls, stores and restaurants to remain open.

In India, the coronavirus outbreak is being used by members of Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party to demonise peaceful mostly Muslim protesters who have staged a sit-in against controversial new citizenship laws since mid-December. On Tuesday, prominent local party figure Kapil Mishra said the protesters’ failure to disband immediately made them “like terrorists on a suicide mission” and “a direct threat to the lives of millions of Delhi citizens”.

Leaders facing critical leadership challenges such as Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel and Romania’s prime minister Ludovic Orban found their political problems vanishing, at least temporarily.

“It was a vote carried under extraordinary circumstances, where there was no room for opposition or debate,” Vlad Alexandrescu, a Romanian parliamentarian, said of an emergency vote on Saturday to give the embattled premier full powers.

Mr Netanyahu, meanwhile, was spared the indignity of appearing in court on Tuesday across three corruption cases after his hearings have been postponed for two months due to coronavirus restrictions on large gatherings.

The expansion os its powers ... is a dangerous precedent and a slippery slope Maya Fried, Association for Civil Rights

Although his chief elections rival ex-army chief Benny Gantz has been awarded the task of attempting to build the next government, Mr Netanyahu has not squandered the platform a national emergency brings.

He has dominated TV screens, giving almost daily primetime addresses updating the country on new restrictions as well as reassuring his citizens. In a decision pushed through overnight on Tuesday, the cabinet sidestepped the parliament to allow Shin Bet to use technology developed to target Palestinian militants to tap the metadata of mobile phones used by suspected Coronavirus patients, and anyone “within the vicinity” of them.

“Not only is it an invasion of privacy but also the executive branch bypassed the legislative branch, we will file our petition tomorrow,” said Maya Fried, a spokesman for the Association for Civil Rights, which is challenging the move in court. “The expansion of its powers to a strictly civilian issue is a dangerous precedent and a slippery slope.”

Numerous countries have meanwhile tightened controls on the media, issuing stark warnings against and threatening to revoke accreditation of anyone questioning official numbers as spreading misinformation. Egypt on Tuesday revoked the press credentials of The Guardian’s Cairo correspondent over a piece that reported research questioning the state’s numbers on coronavirus cases.

The monarchy in Jordan on Tuesday ordered the closure of all print news outlets, and a curfew deploying the army to the entrance of the cities, citing coronavirus.

Citing coronavirus fears, some countries have barred family visits for prisoners, including those held on political or security charges.

“What you’re seeing is autocratic regimes that are using traditional autocratic methods because that’s what they’ve always used and autocracy is what brought them to their failures,” says Rami Khouri, a scholar at the American University of Beirut. “They falsify numbers of corona cases just as they falsify election returns, saying everything is fine and the few cases we have are all foreigners.”

To be sure, some of the panic and reaction over coronavirus is well founded. The coronavirus pandemic is a unique crisis, and there is understandable confusion over how governments ought to respond. Public health experts have praised the efforts of some authoritarian systems such as Singapore in responding to the crisis.

The monarchy in Morocco, a developing country especially vulnerable to coronavirus because of its strong ties to pandemic-stricken France and Spain, has reacted forcefully to the crisis, with a population submitting to drastic measures quickly enacted to contain the virus. “People are generally obedient and respectful of the monarchy,” says Nassim Assef, a public health specialist in Rabat.

“Autocratic governments have the advantage to respond appropriately because they don’t have to deal with checks and balances,” says Erica Frantz, a professor of political science at Michigan State University and the author of the 2018 book, Authoritarianism: What Everyone Needs to Know.

But autocratic leaders often don’t have the people’s best interests in mind, she says, citing Mr Trump’s initial decision to exclude the United Kingdom from a Europe-wide travel ban to reward fellow traveller Boris Johnson.

“You see miracles and disasters happening more often in autocracies,” she says. “All the events in the US over coronavirus are indicative of the dangers of concentration of powers. He has hollowed out institutions, and filled them in with people who are his friends. They have very little experience and competence, and that leads to policies that are erratic and not well informed.”

Just as dictators have used crises such as the 1933 burning of the German Reichstag to concentrate power throughout history, there are grave concerns that the coronavirus pandemic could be used to impose permanent measures.

In the Philippines, for example, opposition lawmakers and critics have voiced fear the authoritarian right-wing government of Rodrigo Duterte will be loath to remove restrictions on the freedom of movement and assembly that appear in synch with his goals. On Tuesday he declared a “state of calamity” for six months, far longer than any other country has suspended public life.

Political scientists say that while crises sometimes bring people together and unify them for a common cause, they also present an opportunity for authoritarian leaders to impose policies they’ve long sought on otherwise reluctant people.

“These crises are risky for democracies more than anything,” says Frantz. “I see these crises as opportunities for governments to crack down. We really need to pay attention to crisis events that can be used for transitions from democracy to take place.”