The COVID-19 pandemic is a global disaster. In just three months, it has spread across the planet. The scale and impact of the pandemic have been intensified by the indifference and criminal negligence of capitalist governments, which have wasted precious time.

An enormous amount of time has been lost, but the impact and extent of the pandemic depends on urgent responses that can be taken now. These measures must be centered on two absolutely critical priorities: First, to contain the spread of the virus as much as possible, and second, given that it has already acquired global dimensions, to provide emergency care for all who are ill and emergency assistance to all who are affected.

The essential principle that must guide the response to the crisis is that the needs of working people must take absolute and unconditional priority over all considerations of corporate profit and private wealth. It is not a matter of what the ruling class claims it can afford, but what masses of people need.

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