Just a few months ago, a woman named Princess Dumebi worked as a street performer on Hollywood Boulevard. However, after the coronavirus pandemic hit California, she – like hundreds of thousands of other people in the country – lost her job. But she refused to stay at home doing nothing – instead, she started cooking to feed the homeless in the area. Angelina Bagdasaryan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice
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Month: April 2020
Malawian Leaders Cut Their Salaries for COVID-19 Fight – Critics Say It’s Not Enough
Malawi’s president has ordered a 10 percent pay cut for himself and his 32-member cabinet to cushion the impact of coronavirus on the economy. But critics say the wage cuts are too small for a country that depends largely on donor funding, and where the virus is starting to be felt. Malawian officials announced the country’s first death from COVID-19 Tuesday. The patient, a 31-year-old Asian woman, who resided in Blantyre, had recently returned from India, where it is believed she contracted the virus. The number of coronavirus cases now stands at eight, and medical experts say they are following up with about 100 people who had contact with the patients.President Peter Mutharika declared COVID-19 a national disaster last month before the country even registered its first case.In his latest address on the pandemic over the weekend, Mutharika announced several measures to help cushion the economic impact of the disease.Those include a string of tax breaks for businesses, a reduction in fuel prices and an increase of risk allowance for health workers.“I am also directing the treasury to do the following. One, reduce the salaries of the president, cabinet ministers and deputy ministers by 10 percent for three months and direct the resources to the fight against the Corona various,” Mutharika said.Malawi has now began feeling the impact of COVID-19. Doreen Hartely, a Blantyre resident is washing her hands with soap as a preventive measure against the coronavirus. (L. Masina/VOA)Government records show that Mutharika earns about $3,600 a month while his ministers earn about $1,073.The vice president has also pledged to donate his estimated $1,266 monthly salary for the next three months.However, some critics say the wage cuts are too small. The president, vice president and cabinet members earn large sums of money beyond their salaries through allowances and other benefits.Humphreys Mvula is a social commentator based in Blantyre.“The money is peanuts. In my view I would love to see the president and the group look at cutting down expenditures incurred; cost of fuel, cost of telephones, cost of huge fuel bills,” said Mvula. “And why can’t they look at an amount which is bigger that should really be seen as serious contribution?”Mvula said the government should also consider extending the wage cuts to all other political appointees on the public payroll. Political analyst Vincent Kondowe supports the wage cut but questions how such funds will be directed to the fight against COVID-19. “Are these resources which are going to be released from salary cuts going to reach the vulnerable people and cushion them against the negative impact that has come about because of COVID-19? History teaches us how [good] intentions by government have not ended up bearing any fruits,” said Kondowe.Citing the coronavirus, the government on Tuesday indefinitely suspended voter registration for the presidential election slated for July 2.So far, officials have not changed the election date. The poll is a re-run of last year’s election, which the Constitutional Court nullified, citing massive irregularities.
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Ukraine Fights Fires in Chernobyl Zone, Says no Radiation Jump
Local authorities in Ukraine have dismissed residents’ concerns that forest fires near the Chernobyl nuclear power station have led to unsafe radiation levels.The radiation levels in the capital Kyiv and the exclusion zone established around the plant in 1986, after an explosion there that caused the world’s worst nuclear accident, “did not exceed natural background levels,” the zone’s authorities said.The emergency service said it was still fighting the fires but the situation was “fully under control.”After the explosion in April 1986, people were evacuated and resettled from the 30 km (19 mile) exclusion zone around the nuclear plant, and the zone is still strictly controlled.The fires began on Friday evening in the western part of the exclusion zone and spread to nearby forests, some of which are in the part of the zone that still has higher radiation.Footage shot by the emergency service shows forests covered with dense smoke, burning grass and shrubs.The emergency service said the area affected had increased to 35 hectares by Tuesday afternoon, and planes and helicopters were being used to fight the blaze.The fires follow unusually dry weather but police also say they have identified a 27-year old local resident accused of deliberately setting fire to garbage and grass.
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UK’s Johnson Is Stable in ICU with Virus, Received Oxygen
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in stable condition Tuesday in a hospital intensive care unit with the coronavirus, and while he is not on a ventilator, he is receiving oxygen, his spokesman said.Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has taken over many of Johnson’s duties temporarily while he is being treated at St. Thomas’ Hospital. Britain has no official post of deputy prime minister.The 55-year-old Johnson is the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19. He was admitted to the hospital late Sunday with a fever and cough that persisted 10 days after he was diagnosed with the virus and was moved to the ICU Monday evening after his condition worsened.”The prime minister has been stable overnight and remains in good spirits. He is receiving standard oxygen treatment and is breathing without any other assistance,” said Johnson’s spokesman, James Slack.He said Johnson was not receiving mechanical ventilation or “noninvasive respiratory support.” He would not give details of what form of oxygen treatment the prime minister was getting.Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said Johnson was “receiving the very, very best care from the team at St. Thomas’ and our hopes and prayers are with him and with his family.””It was a shock yesterday to hear the news of his going into intensive care,” said Gove, who is in isolation at home after a family member showed mild coronavirus symptoms. “All of us just want him to pull through — he is the leader of our country. He is a big-hearted, generous-spirited guy. who believes in public service. We are rooting for him.”Johnson’s fiancee, Carrie Symonds, who is pregnant, is herself recovering from coronavirus symptoms.Raab said “the government’s business will continue” despite the prime minister’s hospitalization.He said Johnson had asked him “to deputize for him where needed in driving forward the government’s plans to defeat coronavirus.”The deterioration of Johnson’s health took many in Britain by surprise. On Monday afternoon, he tweeted that he was in good spirits and thanked the National Health Service for taking care of him and others with the disease.The government faced calls Tuesday to be more transparent about Johnson’s condition amid concerns it had underplayed how serious it was.It’s not common for details about the health of British prime ministers to be made public, except at times of crisis. Even then, information has sometimes been scanty. When Winston Churchill suffered a debilitating stroke in 1953, the government kept it secret until Churchill recovered.Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II was being kept informed about Johnson’s condition. Buckingham Palace said the monarch “said they were in her thoughts and that she wished the prime minister a full and speedy recovery.”The queen’s son, Prince Charles, who tested positive for the virus but has recovered, and grandson Prince William also sent messages of support.Johnson had been quarantined in his Downing Street residence since being diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26.He continued to work throughout his illness, to the concern of some of his colleagues. With the U.K. still approaching the peak of the coronavirus outbreak and the government facing criticism it did not act soon enough to put the country into lockdown, Johnson and his ministers are under intense pressure.Johnson chaired daily meetings on the outbreak until Sunday. He released several video messages during his 10 days in isolation urging Britons to stay home and observe social distancing measures to help slow the spread of the virus.Concerns had been growing about Johnson’s welfare ever since he posted a message Friday in which he appeared red-eyed and flushed, saying he was feeling better though was still feverish.Johnson’s former communications director, Will Walden, said the prime minister tended to try to soldier on through illness rather than taking a break.”He’s pretty stoic and can be a bit bloody-minded about that kind of thing,” Walden told the BBC.
News that Johnson had been transferred to intensive care drew an outpouring of support from around the world.U.S. President Donald Trump said “Americans are all praying for his recovery.” “He’s been a really good friend,” Trump said at a White House briefing. “He’s been really something very special — strong, resolute, doesn’t quit, doesn’t give up.”Trump said he asked two “leading companies” to contact officials in London about therapeutics that could be of help. He did not identify the companies, but said “we have contacted all of Boris’ doctors, and we’ll see what’s going to take place, but they are ready to go.”French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted he was sending support to Johnson, his family and “the British people at this difficult time. I wish him well.”Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram wishing Johnson a full and quick recovery, the Kremlin said. “I’m positive that your energy, optimism and sense of humor will help combat the disease,” Putin wrote.The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most people, but for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia and lead to death.The government said Monday that 51,608 people had been confirmed to have the coronavirus in Britain, and 5,373 have died.Britain’s unwritten constitution does not have a clear rule for what happens if a prime minister becomes incapacitated or dies. Seven prime ministers have died in office, but the most recent was in 1865.Johnson delegating Raab to fill in for him clarifies things for now, but it does not mean Raab would automatically take over permanently should a new leader be needed. If it became clear Johnson could not return to his job, the Conservative Party could elect a new leader, who would become prime minister.
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Sex. Drugs. Virus. Venezuela Elites Still Party in Pandemic
They whiled away the week on a sex- and drug-fueled romp: dancing on white-sand beaches and frolicking on a paradisaical Caribbean island with prostitutes from Europe, some snapping selfies with famous reggaeton artists.But unbeknownst to several children of Venezuela’s ruling elite, the coronavirus was spreading among them. For some of Venezuela’s high-flying “Bolichicos” — the privileged offspring of the socialist revolution — the party hasn’t stopped amid a widening pandemic in a country already gripped by crisis.To date, the virus has claimed only seven confirmed fatalities in Venezuela. But the potential is high for the pandemic to overwhelm an already crippled health system, where hospitals lack water, electricity and supplies. It’s not clear how many people got sick last month on the Los Roques archipelago. But a raucous party that became a cluster of infections has raised concerns at the highest level of the government and drawn condemnation from Venezuelans locked down at home for weeks.”There was a party, on an island, and practically everyone at the party is testing positive,” embattled leader Nicolás Maduro said on state TV March 20. Three days later, as embarrassing Instagram posts leaked out under the hashtag #CoronavirusParty, he downplayed it. “Who is going to criticize a party? They didn’t know they were sick,” said Maduro, who was indicted by the U.S. last month on narcotics charges.Whether it’s crowded Miami beaches during spring break or clandestine raves in Spain and Italy in the pandemic’s early days, parties among the young and rich have been tough to tamp down. In Latin America, the world’s most unequal region, jet-setting elites are blamed for importing the virus. In Mexico, for example, nearly 20 people were found to be infected after returning from a ski trip to Vail, Colorado. But it’s the poor — lacking medical care and struggling to hold down informal jobs — who bear the brunt.In Venezuela, engulfed by food and medicine shortages that have forced 5 million to flee, lavish celebrations are even more vexing. Such pockets of wealth are also harder to see amid incessant propaganda extolling the hardworking poor. The festivities in Los Roques were organized by several government-connected businessmen, according to two people familiar with the gatherings who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. While neither of the two people who spoke to The Associated Press were at the party, they have attended other gatherings with the same group and are in contact with several of those who went.Among the young revelers was Jesús Amoroso, son of Maduro’s top anti-corruption official, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for allegedly undermining Venezuela’s democracy. The two people said Venezuelan prostitutes from Madrid and London were flown in just before air travel was closed to Spain, one of the nations hit hardest by the pandemic. A smaller group crossed paths with two famous Puerto Rican reggaeton artists, Zion and Justin Quiles, who are seen with Amoroso on a sun-struck powerboat in photos and videos on social media. A spokeswoman said Zion and Quiles were in the islands to shoot a video and didn’t attend any social event. Both tested negative for the virus. In a nation plagued by misery, Los Roques is an oasis for the few who can afford it, including aides and relatives of top officials who travel by private plane to the band of tiny islands. Parties in the cluster of tiny islands have become more popular, with Miami, Madrid and New York out of reach after U.S. sanctions cut off access to foreign bank accounts and easy travel. Among them are Maduro’s sons, according to the two people, although none attended the latest gathering. Usually, the parties feature psychedelic 2C-B drugs — known as “pink cocaine” for its high price and pink, powdery substance, the two people said. One of them provided a video of the recent soiree, showing bikini-clad women dancing on March 11 at a beachfront home rented from an exiled Venezuelan banker. According to a third person familiar with the situation, the next day a larger entourage set out in several boats to a popular spot that locals call “Corrupt Cay.” They didn’t know the virus was spreading.”Certainly one of the girls had the virus and nobody knew,” a local resident and partygoer said in an audio message leaked on social media. The person, whose authenticity was verified by one of the two people who used to attend the parties, recounted how he and his girlfriend had to be evacuated with high fevers. He said six people tested positive for the virus. The party ended with a hangover: Everyone was tested, and some, embarrassed, closed their social media accounts.Others defended their actions.”Suck it gossipers,” Amoroso said on Instagram with a photo showing him in front of a luxury SUV, middle fingers raised. Last week, police arrested several people who were in Los Roques, including the suspected madam for the upscale prostitutes, after breaking up a multiday party in an upscale Caracas home. Officers found a handgun, ecstasy pills and eight women belonging to a suspected prostitution ring, according the police report. Of the 18 arrested for violating Maduro’s ban on large gatherings, two tested positive for the virus, according to police. The scandal still rankles people in the Caracas slum of Petare. Miguel Rengifo, who drives a motorcycle-taxi, said he’s appalled at reports of the rich throwing parties while the country is on lockdown.”We’re struggling to eat, but they’re running free, drinking, chasing girls without a second thought about the rest of us,” the 38-year-old said. “Here, we are fighting just to get by.”
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Philippine Health Workers Battle Coronavirus, Harassment
When Philippine health workers end their daily hospital shifts, they trade the risks of COVID-19 for the risks that they could have bleach thrown in their faces or be chased from public areas. Many workers report they are being evicted from homes, refused rides on buses, and kicked out of restaurants as their fellow citizens worry about coming into contact with them and contracting the ailment caused by the coronavirus.Critics say the disregard goes all the way to the top, with President Rodrigo Duterte saying these health professionals are “lucky” to die for the nation, even as he condemns the discrimination.The Department of Health has said it would investigate the treatment of health workers. And the capital city of Manila has approved an ordinance outlawing discrimination against workers and COVID-19 patients. The recently approved ordinance calls for a fine of nearly $100 and six months in prison.“We are receiving reports of our health care workers around the country being attacked physically, including being thrown bleach and splashed with chlorine,” the department said in a statement. “Additionally, there are reports of health care workers being refused access to basic services such as public transport and laundry, blocked and fined at checkpoints and evicted from their homes.”In February, the Philippines became the first nation to report a death from COVID-19 outside of China, where it first emerged. Since then, the virus has spread to infect 3,764 people in the Southeast Asian nation, leading to nearly 180 deaths at last report and threatening to overwhelm the health care system.FILE – Hospital workers wearing protective masks prepare to sleep on pews at a funeral chapel that serves as a temporarily shelter for them amid the coronavirus spread, in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines, April 1, 2020.As in the Philippines, health workers have been infected or killed while fighting the virus in nations from France to Vietnam to Pakistan. In the United States, they complain of being dismissed for protesting their hospitals’ hygiene policies; in China, one of the earlier deaths was of a doctor who tried to warn of the coming emergency.The Philippines faces a lack of gloves, surgical masks and coveralls which the government is moving to source now for workers. Local health care workers have tried to improvise, such as by making facial coverings for themselves.“Nothing will happen for us if we always wait for supplies or donations from abroad,” Senator Imee Marcos said.Marcos called on the Department of Health, along with the Department of Trade and Industry, to expedite the approval process for businesses that have made proposals to supply personal protective equipment, or PPE.On Monday, Duterte approved an order that gives health workers an extra 25% in pay, including for part-time and casually employed workers.He also warned citizens last week not to harass health care workers and said police would intervene if they witnessed such discrimination. “These acts cannot be tolerated,” the Department of Health said. It also sought to assure the public that it should not worry about becoming infected from workers, saying, “As medical professionals, our health care workers are taking extra precautions to ensure infection prevention and control.”
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New Zealand PM Declares Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, ‘Essential Workers’
New Zealand’s Prime Minister has announced the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny are “essential workers,” allowing them to do their jobs despite national lockdown rules due to the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking at a news briefing in Wellington, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday that while the two mythical characters would be free to make their rounds, she cautioned they will be extremely busy and might not make it to every household. She encouraged families to help all children by drawing an Easter egg putting it in the window for other children to “find” while out on their daily exercises. New Zealand has already embraced an international trend of putting teddy bears in the window for children to spot as they go for walks. Ardern suggested families put their Easter egg drawings next to the bears. The south Pacific nation remains in lockdown as part of an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, closing most businesses and limiting outside activities to daily exercise and performing essential duties.
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Dog Fostering Rises While Americans Stay Home
A silver lining of the current pandemic is that rescue dogs are finding foster homes at higher than normal rates right now, according to the Humane Rescue Alliance, an animal welfare organization in Washington, DC.More people have also reached out about adopting than was the case pre-coronavirus, says Ashley Valm, director of adoptions at the organization’s two shelters. Lucky dog Just ask Tom Drescher and his wife, Becky Nolin, who, after browsing online for a few months, finally settled on a terrier Pitbull mix named Goldie. “My wife and I had been talking for quite a while about the idea of adopting a dog,” Drescher told VOA during an interview via Zoom. With both now working from home, they decided it was a perfect time to make the move. “We kept coming back to Goldie’s profile because the photos were charming and there was a streamed video of her and we decided that it would make sense for us to get over to the Humane Rescue Alliance shelter,” said Drescher. WATCH:Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
A dog waiting to find its forever home in its kennel at a Washington-area shelter operated by the Humane Rescue Alliance. (Courtesy Humane Rescue Alliance)Valm said while the shelters are doing everything they can to prepare for more animals, she hopes people will use this opportunity to help ease that burden. “I think right now a lot of people are struggling with anxiety, uncertainty, maybe an adjustment in their routine, workload, working from home — there’s a lot to be focused on,” she said. “And adopting an animal – or taking an animal into your home as a foster – can provide some relief just in the form of having something positive to focus on.” Tom Drescher couldn’t agree more. “I think for all of us, there’s a lot of uncertainty about how our lives look now, and that continues to be true in lots of ways,” he said. “But having Goldie around and as a companion, it’s given us something to do that feels really rewarding.” Drescher added, “If you’re wondering whether or not it will in fact provide the boost of enjoyment and entertainment and love in your life, for us it definitely does and it’s definitely worth it.”
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Taiwan Tells Agencies Not to Use Zoom on Security Grounds
Taiwan’s cabinet has told government agencies to stop using Zoom Video Communications Inc’s conferencing app, the latest blow to the company as it battles criticism of its booming platform over privacy and security.Zoom’s daily users ballooned to more than 200 million in March, as coronavirus-induced shutdowns forced employees to work from home and schools switched to the company’s free app for conducting and coordinating online classes.However, the company is facing a backlash from users worried about the lack of end-to-end encryption of meeting sessions and “zoombombing,” where uninvited guests crash into meetings.If government agencies must hold video conferencing, they “should not use products with security concerns, like Zoom,” Taiwan’s cabinet said in a statement on Tuesday. It did not elaborate on what the security concerns were.The island’s education ministry later said it was banning the use of Zoom in schools.Zoom did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Taiwan would be the first government formally advising against use of Zoom, although some U.S. schools districts are looking at putting limits on its use after an FBI warning last month.Zoom Chief Executive Officer Eric Yuan last week apologized a-message-to-our-users to users, saying the company had fallen short of the community’s privacy and security expectations, and was taking steps to fix the issues.Zoom competes with Microsoft’s Teams, Cisco’s Webex and Google’s Hangouts.Taiwan’s cabinet said domestically-made conferencing apps were preferred, but if needed products from Google and Microsoft could also be considered.Zoom’s shares dipped 1% in premarket trading on the Nasdaq. They have lost nearly a third of their market value since touching record highs late March.
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How to Hold an Election in a Pandemic, South Korean Style
South Korea has been widely praised as a global model for how to contain the coronavirus. Now, it is trying to show the world how to vote during the pandemic. The country is holding a legislative election April 15.Dressed in his official blue campaign jacket, South Korean lawmaker Lee Hae-sik is sweeping the sidewalk and picking up trash along with several volunteers.
He says his party told him to hold a social distancing-approved campaign. So here he is, cleaning the street and disinfecting public surfaces. He says these are his main campaign activities now.
South Korea is moving ahead with its legislative election, even during a time of social distancing.
Gone are the noisy street rallies that are a hallmark of South Korean elections. Instead, the two-week campaign is more subdued, with candidates focusing much of their efforts online.
Voting will look different too. At polling stations, face masks, plastic gloves, and temperature checks will be required. Anyone showing symptoms will vote at a separate booth. Many coronavirus patients will be voting by mail.
Some problems couldn’t be fixed. Because of lockdowns overseas, only about half of Korean voters living in foreign countries will be able to vote.
But there was never any serious consideration of delaying the election, says candidate Shin Beom-chul. He says the conditions may not be very ideal, but they’re the same for everyone. So he thinks the vote should proceed.
The vote is a midterm test for President Moon Jae-in. Moon’s approval ratings have gone up as his government is seen as having taken measures to successfully contains the virus. But analyst Jeong Han-wool says Moon isn’t in safe yet territory yet, especially because of South Korea’s fragile economy.
But so far, the outbreak has not forced South Korea’s economy to shut down, as in other countries.
And now its democracy is also finding a way to move forward, even during a pandemic.
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Ex-Chad Leader Temporarily Released from Jail Due to Coronavirus Quarantine
Chad’s former dictator Hissene Habre has been granted a two months reprieve from his life sentence by a judge in Senegal, where he was convicted of crimes against humanity. His lawyer reportedly requested the humanitarian leave because he is in his 70’s, and the elderly are urged to show extreme caution to avoid infection. The judge said Senegal authorities are using the Cap Manuel prison in Dakar to hold new inmates in solitary confinement while in coronavirus quarantine, in order to avoid any potential spreading of the virus. Habre will spend his 60 day leave at his home in Quakam, a district of Dakar. The French News Agency (AFP) said an association of victims of his regime criticized the decision to release the former Chadian leader, arguing “the health crisis should not be used as an excuse for the early release of Hissene Habre.” So far, Senegal has recorded 226 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and two people have died.
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Nigerian Actress, Husband Charged with Violating Lockdown Restrictions
A Nigerian court has ordered actress Funke Akindele-Bello to perform community service after she pleaded guilty to violating a lockdown restriction by hosting a birthday party for her husband while publicly promoting a ‘Stay Home’ campaign. Following their arrest, the couple appeared in court on Monday on charges of breaking the Lagos State Infectious Disease 2020 regulation and were ordered to pay a fine and perform 14 days of community service. The couple’s defense began to unravel on Saturday when the husband, AbdulRasheed Bello, posted a video of the party on his social media account. pic.twitter.com/WSqvTBbFwU— funke Akindele Bello (@funkeakindele) April 5, 2020His wife was criticized for disregarding the measure she had encouraged the public to follow after Nigeria banned social and public gatherings for more than 20 people in three cities to slow the spread of the coronavirus last month. So far, Nigeria’s Center for Disease and Control has recorded more than 200 cases of the coronavirus and five people have died from the disease.
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Coronavirus Keeps Johnson Hospitalized, Brings Emergency Order to Japan
Japan prepared Tuesday to declare a coronavirus emergency in parts of the country, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remained hospitalized with COVID-19 and U.S. officials looked for signs the outbreak might be starting to slow in some of the nation’s hardest-hit regions. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his decision to enact a state of emergency in Tokyo and six other prefectures was based on a need to protect people amid a situation that is “gravely” affecting lives and the economy. The measure is due to be in effect for about one month, and comes coupled with a government stimulus package worth about $1 trillion. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a meeting about the measures against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo, Japan, April 6, 2020.Johnson was hospitalized Sunday after his symptoms persisted while he was in isolation. His office said Monday his condition deteriorated and that he was moved to the intensive care unit, but not placed on a respirator. Britain has seen a spike in its coronavirus toll, reporting 600 deaths Sunday and 400 more on Monday. The United States has experienced about 11,000 deaths, making it the country with the third-highest official death tally, behind only Italy and Spain. More than 40 percent of the U.S. deaths have been in the state of New York, and the majority in New York City. The state’s Governor Andrew Cuomo reported a potential sign of progress in containing the spread of the coronavirus with a drop in hospitalizations and critically ill patients. But he stressed the need to not let up on public distancing efforts, announcing an extension of closures for schools and non-essential businesses through the end of the month. “We underestimate this virus at our own peril,” Cuomo said. “Now is not the time to slack off.” In South Korea, steady progress remained with 47 new infections reported Tuesday, but officials there also remain concerned about a reversal and urged people to stay at home. There is also consideration of using electronic wristbands to track those under self-quarantine because of the virus. A similar idea was authorized Monday in the U.S. state of West Virginia, where a judge in the country with the most cases there approved local authorities to put ankle monitors on people who test positive but refuse to go into quarantine to protect others. Progress in some European nations has led to some of the first steps to reverse lockdown measures and begin to return to some semblance of normal life. Denmark, following a similar announcement this week from Austria, says it will reopen daycares, kindergartens and primary schools beginning April 15. Middle and high school would follow on May 10. Researchers work on a vaccin against the new coronavirus at the Copenhagen’s University research lab in Copenhagen, Denmark.The virus has upended presidential primary voting in the United States, but the Midwestern state of Wisconsin is going ahead with its election Tuesday after a court order overturned a decision by the state’s governor to postpone the voting until June. In Poland, lawmakers approved a plan to hold their May 10 presidential election entirely by mail-in voting. The measure also allows for the possibility of delaying election day if that is deemed necessary. The bill must still pass the country’s senate and be signed by the president. New Zealand has been on lockdown for about one-and-a-half weeks, but that did not stop Health Minister David Clark from taking his family for a walk on the beach. He apologized for breaking the stay-at-home orders, calling himself “an idiot.” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said under normal circumstances she would have fired Clark, but that given the coronavirus emergency she needs senior health officials in place, and instead stripped him of some of his duties.
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Curbside Service Picking up at US Animal Hospitals
Harriet Lankford steps out of her car with her dog at Belle Haven Animal Medical Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Instead of taking her pup into the veterinary clinic, she stands by her vehicle looking a little confused as to what to do next. Soon, receptionist Rose Gonzales comes out wearing a medical mask and gloves and escorts the pet inside for a routine examination. Like grocery stores and restaurants, veterinary practices in the United States, including Belle Haven, recently began using a pet “curbside service” for safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.Woman comforting a dog at Belle Haven Animal Medical Center.“We want to be here for the animals but we need to do it in a way the keeps both our staff and clients healthy” by keeping the pet owners out of the building, explained hospital administrator Danielle Gallagher. She said before the curbside services, some clients were hesitant about being in the waiting room. Lankford called this new normal a “necessary adjustment” as she remained in her car waiting for the veterinarian to call her with the results and to pay over the phone with a credit card, before her dog is returned to her. Virginia is among the states that have issued a stay-at-home order with exceptions that include people who take care of animals. About 85 million Americans, some 70% of households, have pets. “I am grateful to the animal hospitals, Lankford said, “because animals still get sick and they’re a big part of our family, and if they were shut down it would be disastrous.” Pamela Wyville, another customer, is “thrilled Belle Haven is still open while respecting social distancing because we love our animals and want them to get good health care.” In Arlington, Virginia, Caring Hands Animal Hospital veterinarian and medical director, Michael Robinson, said “as precautions against the coronavirus got ramped up, we asked clients to stay outside the building to minimize human contact, which led to curbside services. “It’s allowed the staff to feel more secure and minimize their fears they might be at risk,” he clarified. It’s also helped the clients by letting them know they don’t have to hesitate bringing in their pet.” And that includes puppies. “We’ve been seeing an increase in the number of puppies,” he said, “and I wonder if during this period of social isolation, people think it’s a good time to get a puppy.” Curbside checking at EMMAvet in Alexandria, Virginia has meant changes in the “entire veterinary experience” said veterinarian-owner Rebecca Jarvinen. “While the urgent care service is the same, I miss talking to people in person and offering them a cup of coffee while they wait,” she said. Now they’re stuck in their cars or sitting on a bench near the front door worrying about their pets.”Photo of Veterinarian Veronica Javinen at EMMApet. Photo courtesy of EMMAvet.Besides phone calls, she is also using telemedicine to communicate with established clients through videoconferencing for things like a minor foot injury to a dog or cat. But she added that without seeing the patient in person, it has limitations. Robinson said he is often asked if COVID-19 can be transmitted from a human to companion animal and vice versa. He explains that supporting evidence indicates it is not possible but recommends following medical guidelines that people who think they have the virus should distance themselves from their pets. But now Robinson and other veterinarians are waiting to see what the next guidelines will be since COVID-19 has infected a tiger and likely other tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo in New York that probably came from a zoo employee. Despite the epidemic increasing in Virginia and elsewhere in the U.S., Jarvinen and Robinson said they will do whatever they can to remain open. “I can’t imagine not being here to help dogs and cats during this pandemic,” said Jarvinen. “I swore an oath just like a human doctor to care for and protect animals” Robinson added. “So even when a pandemic hits, I still uphold the oath.”
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Cameroon City Makes Wearing Mask Mandatory in Fight Against Coronavirus
The mayor of one Cameroon city says wearing a mask will be mandatory to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus that has already infected 658 people across the country and nine others have died. Roger Mbassa Ndine, mayor of the coastal city of Douala, made the announcement Monday as crews began fanning out across the city Monday to pass out washable masks, in a new awareness campaign that will take them to other boroughs in the coming days. Nemache Celestin, a Douala teacher, welcomes the mayor’s decision to make wearing a mask compulsory, saying “Cameroon and Africa do not have enough resources to deal with this pandemic.” She said “everyone must do everything to protect us from the pandemic.” In recent days, police in Cameroon began arresting people who ignored measures aimed at curtailing the spread of the coronavirus. Despite government warnings, officials say a majority of Cameroonians are not taking the coronavirus seriously, and authorities are taking steps to enforce social distancing rules. President Sassou-Nguesso declared a state of health emergency, with a curfew from 8 pm to 5 am and everyone must stay at home, with the exception of people who provide essential services and goods.
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Every US Hospital Could Soon be Treating COVID, US Study Says
Every hospital in the United States may soon be treating coronavirus cases, the government’s Health and Human Services agency says in a new report. Right now, three out of four hospitals are treating confirmed or suspected cases and are dealing with such problems as shortages of equipment, not enough protective gear for doctors and nurses, and hospital workers who are burned out and worried about their own safety. “Health care workers feel like they’re at war right now,” a New York hospital administrator told the investigators. “They are seeing people in their 30s, 40s, 50s dying…this takes a large emotional toll.” In another new government report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its first study Monday on coronavirus in kids — the largest such U.S. study so far during the outbreak. It says children make up only 1.7% of U.S. coronavirus cases and while the illness is generally mild in kids, some do require hospitalization. Three children are known to have died from coronavirus. The most common COVID-19 symptoms in children are shortness of breath, fever and cough. The number of cases has been slightly higher in boys than in girls. The results in the U.S. study are similar to the same kind of study in China and says social distancing by all ages is highly recommended. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health, another federal agency, says it is expending its study into a drug called remdesivir, which successfully treated other coronaviruses, SARS and MERS, in animal tests. Remdesivir was given intravenously and when given early enough, it prevented infection and lessened the severity of the diseases.In this Monday, March 2, 2020 file photo, Gilead Sciences CEO Daniel O’Day speaks at a meeting with President Donald Trump, members of the Coronavirus Task Force, and pharmaceutical executives in the Cabinet Room of the White House.The NIH is currently testing the drug on more than 400 human patients while its manufacturer, California-based Gilead Sciences, has given it to 1700 patients. Dr. Libby Hohmann of Massachusetts General Hospital says she would enroll members of her family in the studies “in a heartbeat,” saying the lack of approved medications for COVID-19 is “terrifying”. U.S. President Donald Trump said at Monday’s coronavirus briefing that he told New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that the Navy hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, can now be used for treating COVID patients from New York and New Jersey, The Comfort is docked in New York Harbor. Trump deployed the ship last month to take some of the pressure off New York hospitals treating non-coronavirus patients. But with so few needing treatment for other illnesses at this time, the ship also will now be used for COVID-19 patients. Cuomo calls it a “welcome relief.” Israel will be on complete lockdown during the Passover holiday which begins Wednesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday. “Every family will sit down for Seder night on its own. Celebrate only with the immediate family that’s at home with you now,” Netanyahu said in a nationally televised message. He had earlier announced a lockdown for Easter and Ramadan later this month. A group of 24 current and former diplomats, including a U.S. secretary of state and two former defense chiefs, say they want President Trump to suspend some sanctions against Iran, which has the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East – more than 60,000 cases. They say they are not asking Trump to lift the sanctions, just ease them so Iran can get the tools, training, and aid it needs to fight the virus. Easing the sanctions “could potentially save the lives of hundreds of thousands of ordinary Iranians and, by helping to curb the virus’s rapid spread across borders, the lives of its neighbors, Europeans, Americans and others,” the diplomats say. “Reaching across borders to save lives is imperative for our own security and must override political differences among governments,” it adds. Signatories include the former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, former US defense secretaries William Cohen and Chuck Hagel, and former NATO Secretary General George Robertson. The Trump administration has resisted earlier calls to ease sanctions on Iran.
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Australian Court Dismisses Cardinal’s Sex Abuse Convictions
Australia’s highest court has dismissed the convictions of the most senior Catholic found guilty of child sex abuse. High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel announced the decision of the seven judges on Tuesday in the appeal of Cardinal George Pell. The decision means he will be released from Barwon Prison outside Melbourne after serving 13 months of a six-year sentence. Pope Francis’ former finance minister was convicted by a Victoria state jury in 2018 of sexually abusing two 13-year-old choirboys in a back room of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne in December 1996 while he was archbishop of Australia’s second-largest city. Pell was also convicted of indecently assaulting one of the boys by painfully squeezing his genitals after a Mass in early 1997. Pell had been ordered to serve three years and eight months behind bars before he became eligible for parole. The High Court found that the Victorian Court of Appeal was incorrect in its 2-1 majority decision in August to uphold the jury verdicts. Pell was regarded as the Vatican’s third-highest ranking official when he voluntarily returned to Melbourne in July 2017 determined to clear his name of dozens of decades-old child abuse allegations. All the charges were dropped by prosecutors or dismissed by courts in preliminary hearings over the years except the cathedral allegations. Pell was tried on the charges twice in 2018, the first County Court trial ending in a jury deadlock. Pell did not testify at either trial or at the subsequent appeals. But the juries saw his emphatic denials in a police interview that was video recorded in a Rome airport hotel conference room in October 2016. “The allegations involve vile and disgusting conduct contrary to everything I hold dear and contrary to the explicit teachings of the church which I have spent my life representing,” Pell read from a prepared statement. Australian Cardinal George Pell leaves at the end of a meeting with the victims of sex abuse, at the Quirinale hotel in Rome, Italy, March 3, 2016.He also pointed out that he had established a world-first compensation scheme for victims of clergy, the Melbourne Response, months before the crimes were alleged to have occurred. As police detailed the abuse allegations, Pell responded: “Absolutely disgraceful rubbish. It’s completely false. Madness.” Pell was largely convicted on the testimony of one of the choirboys, now in his 30s with a young family. He first went to police in 2015 after the second victim died of a heroin overdose at the age of 31. Neither can be identified under state law. Director of Public Prosecutions Kerri Judd told the High Court last month that the surviving choirboy’s detailed knowledge of the layout of the priests’ sacristy supported his accusation that the boys were molested there. Pell’s lawyers argued that Pell would have been standing on the cathedral steps chatting with churchgoers after Mass when his crimes were alleged to have occurred, was always with other clerics when dressed in his archbishop’s robes, could not have performed the sexual acts alleged while wearing the cumbersome garments and could not have abused the boys in the busy priests’ sacristy without being detected. Much of the two-day hearing focused on whether the jury should have had a reasonable doubt about Pell’s guilt and whether he could have time to molest the boys in five or six minutes immediately after a Mass. The appeals court found in a 2-1 majority in August that Pell had had enough time to abuse the boys and that the unanimous guilty verdicts were sound. Judd said the “two big points” raised by Pell’s lawyers against the prosecution case were evidence that Pell had been chatting with members of the congregation on the steps of the cathedral after the Masses when the abuses could have occurred and that he only had windows of five or six minutes to commit the abuses undetected. Pell’s lawyer Bret Walker told the High Court that all that the prosecution had to do at his trial and appeals court hearing was to prove that Pell being left alone while robed or not talking with congregants after Mass was “possible” to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. “That … is a grotesque version of the reversal of onus of proof, if all the Crown has to do is to prove the possibility of something,” Walker said. Judd argued that the charges were proved beyond reasonable doubt. “The High Court found that the jury, acting rationally on the whole of the evidence, ought to have entertained a doubt as to the applicant’s (Pell’s) guilt with respect to each of the offenses for which he was convicted,” the court said in a statement.
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Some Justice for Sudan Officers Executed in 1990
The Sudanese military has said it will return the remains of 29 officers who were executed three decades ago to their families. The men were arrested in April 1990 and accused of taking part in an alleged coup plot against then-president Omar al-Bashir. As Naba Mohiedeen reports for VOA from Khartoum, families of the executions now want to see Bashir and his aides brought to justice.
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Wuhan Residents Mourn and Breathe Sigh of Relief as Lockdown Ends
Residents in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the original epicenter of the coronavirus, are breathing a sigh of relief as a mandatory lockdown is over and some of the other restrictions have been gradually lifted. They also are mourning those who lost their lives to the illness. VOA correspondent Mariama Diallo reports.
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Turkish Lockdown Calls Grow as Epidemic Continues
With Istanbul the epicenter of Turkey’s COVID-19 epidemic, the city is becoming the political battleground over how to defeat the virus. Istanbul’s mayor is calling for a city shutdown, but the Turkish president insists the wheels of the economy must continue to turn. Every day, millions of people in Istanbul go to work, potentially running a gantlet of infection. While the city’s schools and entertainment venues are closed like the rest of the country, many factories and businesses continue to function. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
Istanbul shop keeper Burak believes there needs to be a full lockdown of Istanbul, but says compensation needs to be worked out by the government. (Dorian Jones/VOA)”The businesses should all be closed,” said shopkeeper Burak, who only wanted to be identified by his first name. “But if they are closed, stores like mine will not be able to pay their rents, cover the expenses for their personnel. There is no clear explanation for how the solution will be to cover our costs. “The government has mentioned that there will be a part-time payment solution,” he added. “My colleagues and some other friends in other businesses already applied more than two weeks ago for this procedure, but they haven’t got any answers till today.” Burak said the economy was weak before the epidemic. “I think our government also got caught in a financially difficult situation. That’s why I think they will be prolonging the postponing of the shutdown as much as they can, to win time,” he said. In a possible sign of limited state funds, Erdogan last week launched a national public appeal for donations to help support those worst affected by the epidemic. While resisting calls for a complete lockdown, the Erdogan government is enforcing a curfew on those younger than 20 and for those older than 65. Despite such moves, the coronavirus grip on Turkey tightens. The city accounts for most of the country’s deaths and infections. Many commuters wear masks distributed by the Istanbul city authority to contain COVID-19, but Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is calling for a lockdown of the city. (Dorian Jones/VOA)In a desperate bid to control the virus, authorities issued masks to users of public transport, some of whose hours have now been curtailed. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) says Ankara must enforce a complete lockdown on the city, saying there are still too many people on the streets. “A 15% mobility in Istanbul means more than 2 million people, and this is very frightening,” he said. “It’s as much as the population of a prominent city in Europe. It is clear this current mobility is posing a threat, and this is why we say that we need a strict measure.” Imamoglu says Istanbul, home to 16 million people, is now the front line for Turkey’s battle against the virus. But he fears that too much time may have been lost. “It’s very important because the measures you take for 16 million people and your methods of stopping the pandemic will save Turkey,” he said, “since it is clear Istanbul has become the center of the pandemic in Turkey. If we had declared a stay-at-home order a week ago, we could have been in a very different position today. This is why we are insisting (for a shutdown).” Millions of people in Istanbul still commute to work despite the city being the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, as President Erdogan insists the “wheels of economy still need to turn.” (Dorian Jones/VOA)Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners says the cost of shutting down Turkey’s largest city might be a price too high to pay for the government. “Tax revenues are not coming in anymore, and you are shutting down industries with potentially 4 and 5 million workers,” Yesilada said. “Even if the law doesn’t dictate it, ethics, as well as good governance, will dictate that you pay some kind of compensation to these people so they don’t starve or protest on the streets and the budget equation becomes unmanageable.” But with reports that Erdogan’s top medical advisers are also calling for a more extensive curfew, Erdogan appeared to open the door for such a move. “We won’t need further measures if all our citizens keep themselves in voluntary quarantine,” Erdogan said Sunday. “However, we may have to take much more advanced measures if the pandemic spreads and our citizens don’t pay attention to the rules, such as staying at home, social distancing and hygiene.” But some analysts warn that time may be running out for Istanbul and the country for the government to find the right balance to fighting the virus. “There is no way you can fight it unless you impose a Chinese-style, Italian-style very stringent curfew,” Yesilada said. “But Erdogan has a small window of opportunity to enforce the curfew, because when summer comes, when the heat is 40 degrees in people’s small houses, you are not going to keep people in their homes. It’s going to be impossible to enforce the curfew.”
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US Designates Russian White Supremacist Group as Terror Organization
The United States has designated the white supremacist group Russian Imperial Movement (RIM,) as a global terrorist organization, an unprecedented move that reflects increasing concerns about violent white supremacists with transnational connections.In Monday’s State Department announcement, three of RIM’s leaders — Stanislav Anatolyevich Vorobyev, Denis Valliullovich Gariev and Nikolay Nikolayevich Trushchalov — have also been designated global terrorists.The move comes after the first anniversary of the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The March 15, 2019, attack was linked to a global rise in white supremacism and alt-right extremism since 2015. “These historic designations are just one part of the administration’s broader efforts to counter white supremacist terrorism abroad,” Nathan Sales, the State Department’s coordinator for counterterrorism and ambassador-at-large, said Monday.“We’re bringing all of our counterterrorism tools to this fight — information-sharing, counter-messaging, combating terrorist travel, engaging with tech companies and building partner capacity — to protect soft targets like synagogues and mosques,” Sales added.The designation denies RIM and its leaders access to the U.S. financial system. Any assets they may have in the U.S. are now frozen. Americans will also be banned from financial dealings with the group. The State Department said Monday’s designation not only makes it “substantially more difficult” for RIM to move money throughout the international financial system, but also makes it easier for U.S. officials at the borders to stop RIM-related individuals from traveling to the U.S.”White supremacist groups are increasingly transnational in nature. This is an important first step by this administration, both in terms of substance and public messaging,” said Seamus Hughes, deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University.RIM provides paramilitary-style training to neo-Nazis and white supremacists. The organization also attempts to rally like-minded Europeans and Americans against perceived enemies. RIM has two training facilities in St. Petersburg, which likely are being used for woodland and urban assault, tactical weapons, and hand-to-hand combat training, according to the State Department. FILE – Members of the Russian Imperial Movement, a nationalist group in Russia, pose for a picture with weapon simulators at a training base in Saint-Petersburg, Feb. 28, 2015. In August 2016, two Swedish men traveled to St. Petersburg and underwent 11 days of paramilitary-style training provided by RIM. A few months later, these men and another person conducted a series of terrorist attacks in the Swedish city of Gothenburg, including a bomb attack outside a café and the bombing of a migrant center.When asked about RIM’s outreach and potential connections to domestic white supremacist groups in the U.S., Sales said while Washington does not have the authority to designate groups or individuals on the basis of constitutionally protected speech, blacklisting RIM enables U.S. authorities to keep these terrorists off U.S. soil and denies them resources that could harm U.S. interests.“We’ve seen what RIM-trained terrorists can do in Europe. We want to make sure that RIM is not able, or any terrorist group is not able, to accomplish something similar here in the United States, that is to say providing training that could enable violent attacks and deadly attacks here on the homeland,” Sales told reporters in a telephone briefing on Monday.Some analysts say the rise of white supremacy in Western society and far-right groups in Europe has been part of a disinformation campaign by the Russian government, taking advantage of anything they can do to create divisiveness in Western societies.VOA’s National Security correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this story.
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Botswana President Wants to Extend COVID-19 State of Emergency to Six Months
Botswana’s president has proposed extending a state of emergency in the southern African country to last six months. President Mokgweetsi Masisi says the measure is needed because people are not complying with restrictions on movement to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Critics worry the plan, if initiated, would put too much power in the hands of the president.Botswana’s parliament will convene on Wednesday to deliberate on Masisi’s proposal.The president wants the state of emergency, declared last week in reaction to the outbreak of the coronavirus, to last six months.Initially, Masisi had announced a 28-day lockdown period after the southern African country recorded its first six coronavirus cases, including one death, last week.“I will cause, therefore, to be a meeting of parliament at which I will seek the endorsement of parliament to extend the state of public emergency for a total period of six months, for the single purpose of dealing with COVID-19, totally based on the signs available and the advice we got from our experts,” he said. FILE – Customers wearing masks queue at a supermarket in Gaborone, Botswana, March 31, 2020.Under the state of emergency, the president will hold absolute power.Local political analyst Lawrence Ookeditse argues such a move would pose a risk to the country’s democracy.”For a republic, for a democracy and for a country in which the leading president and the leading party won an election on the basis of the rule of law, I think it’s too long a period of time. It brings in a period of instability and uncertainty,” he said. Masisi said the rule of law will be respected during the state of emergency. “Those who are schooled in law advised that it is not a suspension of the constitution, neither will it be a total abrogation of rights people hold, as courts will function. Any matter can be taken to court if anybody believes their rights have been unduly oppressed,” he said. Masisi’s ruling Botswana Democratic Party has control of the National Assembly, after winning 38 of the 57 seats in parliament in last October’s general election.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Moved to Intensive Care
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to the intensive care unit of a London hospital after his coronavirus symptoms worsened Monday, just a day after he was admitted for what were said to be routing testsJohnson was admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital late Sunday, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.”Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital,” his office said in a statement.Downing St, said Johnson was conscious and does not require ventilation at the moment, but was in the intensive care unit in case he needed it later.It said Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputize for him.Hours earlier, Johnson tweeted that he was in good spirits after spending a night in hospital.The prime minister’s spokesman said Johnson had spent a comfortable night and remained in charge of government despite being admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital after COVID-19 symptoms of a cough and fever persisted.Johnson sent out a tweet thanking the National Health Service for taking care of him and others in this difficult time.”On the advice of my doctor, I went into hospital for some routine tests as I’m still experiencing coronavirus symptoms,” Johnson said in the tweet. “I’m in good spirits and keeping in touch with my team, as we work together to fight this virus and keep everyone safe.”.Johnson’s spokesman, James Slack, refused to say what kind of tests Johnson was undergoing. He insisted that “the PM remains in charge of the government.””He is receiving updates in hospital and is continuing to receive a (ministerial red) box” of files and briefing papers, Slack said,The 55-year-old leader had been quarantined in his Downing Street residence since being diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26 — the first known head of government to fall ill with the virus.He continued to preside at daily meetings on the outbreak until Sunday and has released several video messages during his 10 days in isolation.Raab chaired the meeting Monday.Britain has no official post of deputy prime minister, but Raab has been designated to take over should Johnson become incapacitated.Speaking at the government’s daily coronavirus press briefing, Raab said Johnson was being “regularly updated,” but admitted he had not spoken to him since Saturday.”He’s in charge, but he’ll continue to take doctors’ advice on what to do next,” Raab said.Johnson was admitted to the hospital as a message to the nation from Queen Elizabeth II was being broadcast Sunday evening. The 93-year-old monarch urged the public to show resolve and follow advice to stay inside.Concerns had been growing about Johnson’s welfare ever since he posted a message Friday saying that he was feeling better, though was still feverish. The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most people, but for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia and lead to death.The government said Monday that 51,608 people had been confirmed to have the coronavirus in Britain, 5,373 of whom have died.One of the advantages of being in the hospital is that it will allow doctors to directly monitor Johnson’s condition. Derek Hill, a professor of medical imaging science at University College London said that since COVID-19 causes difficulty breathing, one test performed on people with the disease is lung imaging with ultrasound or CT scans to see how badly they might be affected.”Some people are rapidly discharged,” he said. “Some others can quickly deteriorate and need help breathing. We have no reason to believe the PM needs such help.”Hill said there are various types of breathing help, depending on the person and the difficulties.”The reasons some people get seriously ill with COVID-19 while others have minor symptoms is not yet fully understood,” Hill said. “But doctors managing these patients report that more men than women have serious problems, and patients who are overweight or have previous health problems are at higher risk.”
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China Claims Zero Infections in Its Military
While militaries around the world are seeing their soldiers fall victim to the coronavirus, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the world’s largest standing army, claims it remains virus-free.”China Confirms No Cases of Coronavirus Infection in Military,” said a headline in an official military publication on March 3. There has been no public update on military infections since.In addition to its 2 million-strong active-duty military troops, the country also has an 800,000-strong armed police force. During the height of the crisis, tens of thousands of soldiers, medics and support personnel were deployed into some of the most infected areas of China, including Wuhan, to fight on the front lines.But the disease has never made it to PLA barracks, according to China’s official data and reports.When asked why there were no cases of infection, Chen Jingyuan, health division director of the Logistic Support Department under the Central Military Commission, said in a press conference last month it was because the Chinese military’s strengthened prevention measures have been completely successful.”We have strengthened personnel training on disease response measures, imposed restrictions on unnecessary personnel movements, and canceled unnecessary gatherings,” Chen said. He said the outbreak has actually “improved the combat readiness of the Chinese military, instead.”Mounting skepticismAs known coronavirus cases topped over 1 million worldwide, many countries’ armed forces have reported infections. In the United States, roughly a month since the first service member tested positive for coronavirus in South Korea, the U.S. military reportedly has about 1,000 confirmed cases. Elsewhere, countries including France, Great Britain, Japan and South Korea are also seeing a steady rise in infection in their armed forces.In some countries, top generals were not spared from the coronavirus. Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., chief of staff of the Philippines armed forces, and Jaroslaw Mika, general commander of Poland’s armed forces, both have tested positive.FILE – General Jaroslaw Mika marches before U.S. soldiers during the welcome ceremony at the Polish military base in Zagan, Poland, Jan. 12, 2017.”We are seeing all over the world that militaries are being impacted just like the rest of societies,” said Zack Cooper, a former U.S. official working on China-related issues at the White House and the Department of Defense. “So, I would expect that to be the case in China, as well.”Cheng Chi-wen, editor-in-chief of Asia-Pacific Defense, a leading Asia defense magazine published in Taiwan, noted that there are several PLA units based in and around Wuhan, including airborne troops, a reserve anti-aircraft artillery battery and the central depot of the Joint Logistic Support Force.In such an army town, “Tens of thousands of the soldiers and their family members were interacting with local residents all the time,” Cheng said in a telephone interview.Speaking about the PLA’s virus-free claim, Timothy Heath, a senior international and defense researcher for the policy think tank RAND Corporation, told VOA in an email that “no one would expect that, and nobody would believe it.”He said the claim is especially dubious because the PLA has been making a serious effort to fight the coronavirus.Are military infections counted?Since Jan. 21, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) has been releasing its daily national account of coronavirus cases. The commission says the statistics in their reports are reported to them by each one of China’s provincial governments.In other countries, infections among soldiers are usually tallied under the local government count where the soldiers are living. However, under China’s current political structure, provincial governments have no jurisdiction over PLA units that reside in their areas.Soldiers work at a nursing station in the intensive care section of a military field hospital at the CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle, Washington, April 5, 2020.”The PLA medical personnel and units that detect infectious diseases report them to the military chain-of-command, not civilian,” said Drew Thompson, a senior research fellow at National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and a former U.S. Defense Department official responsible for managing bilateral relations with China.”The PLA is not subject to oversight by local authorities in these circumstances, even though PLA units often have close relationships with local governments where they operate,” he said in an email to VOA.Military experts interviewed by VOA in the United States and in Taiwan for this report pointed out that NHC’s reports never said there was any data received from the military. The experts believe the figures do not include military infections.Transparency vs. national securityEvery government struggles to balance transparent communications with national security concerns during major crises.The U.S. military recently decided to stop providing some of the more detailed data about coronavirus infections among their personnel, citing concerns that the information might be used by adversaries as the virus spreads.Cooper, now a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said that it is understandable that the U.S. and China are sensitive about infection numbers. He said keeping information about infections in the PLA concealed “is in Beijing’s interest, just as protecting similar information in the U.S. military is in Washington’s interest.”On the other hand, analysts say although some of the more mission-specific information will be withheld to prevent compromising operational security, the Pentagon will keep providing broader data about infections in the armed forces. They say accurate counts of infection and death rates from the virus have worldwide public health implications.FILE – Captain Brett Crozier addresses the crew as commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in San Diego, California, March 1, 2020.Last week, the commander of a U.S. aircraft carrier was relieved of command after a letter he wrote to senior military officials pleading for help with an onboard outbreak leaked to the press. Capt. Brett Crozier was accused of failing to follow the U.S. Navy’s chain of command and for exhibiting “poor judgment.”A slew of videos showing hundreds of sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt cheering Crozier were posted on social media, becoming a national news story in the U.S.Retired Taiwanese Lt. Gen. Wu Sz-hua said in every country, politics will inevitably be involved in military decisions, and they all have different political considerations regarding the release of information about the epidemic.”It is expected that China takes extra precaution measures to ensure such data is classified,” said Wu, who was deputy commander of the Taiwanese army under former Nationalist Party President Ma Ying-jeou.”It is a safe bet that infection rates within the PLA are a state secret,” said Thompson, the former Pentagon official.
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