Tag: coronavirus

Italy to lock down Milan, Venice and more to contain coronavirus; U.S. cases pass 400

Washington Post logoTo contain coronavirus, Italy will limit movement across much of its northern region, including the cities of Milan and Venice. The measures, the most drastic outside of China, place significant restrictions on 16 million people in a broad area that is Italy’s economic engine.

The virus also continued to spread in the United States, with cases surpassing 400 and reaching more than 30 states, as well as Washington, D.C.

An attendee at the Conservative Political Action Conference — a major annual right-wing gathering held in Maryland in February and attended by President Trump and Vice President Pence — tested positive Saturday for the virus, the host organization said, as the U.S. death toll rose to 19.  Continue reading.

Here are 7 ridiculous and disturbing moments from Trump’s visit to the CDC

AlterNet logoAs the administration tries to cope with the ballooning coronavirus crisis, President Donald Trump visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday to assess the response.

Unfortunately, the visit did not inspire confidence in the president’s management of the situation. In fact, it included more of the disinformation campaign Trump has been engaging in to diminish the negative impact the reality of the crisis might have on his public standing.

Here are seven of the most ridiculous and disturbing moments: Continue reading.

What went wrong with the coronavirus tests in the U.S.

Washington Post logoSince Renee Schwartz developed shortness of breath and a severe cough two weeks ago, she has been trying desperately to get a coronavirus test. She has already been tested for the flu — she was negative — and other problems have been ruled out. But while her doctor thinks a test is warranted, she told Schwartz she does not have access to any tests.

“I feel like crap,” said Schwartz, 60, of North Hills, Calif. “I want to know, why can’t I get this test?”

While the stories of people who are sick but can’t get tested get widespread attention, President Trump presented the situation very differently on a Friday afternoon visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Fox News is spreading Trump’s coronavirus lies faster than the infection itself

AlterNet logoPresident Trump said that Russian interference in the 2016 election a hoax perpetrated by the Democrats to destroy his presidency. He claimed his impeachment was a Democratic hoax too and last week he said the coronavirus — or at least media coverage of the coronavirus — was one as well.

None of those were hoaxes. But that doesn’t mean hoaxes don’t exist. In fact, when it comes to the coronavirus crisis, disinformation, propaganda and hoaxes abound. Ironically, one of the sources is, you guessed it, Russia.

According to the Washington Post:

A top State Department official said Thursday that Russia is behind “swarms of online, false personas” that sought to spread misinformation about coronavirus on social-media sites, stressing the “entire ecosystem of Russian disinformation is at play.” …

The tweets themselves floated a number of harmful conspiracy theories — suggesting, for example, that the coronavirus had been created by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation or was the result of a bioweapon. Some of the tweets linked to YouTube videos, according to the State Department document, suggesting the problem went beyond Twitter

Continue reading.

New coronavirus phase puts spotlight on White House pick

The Hill logoThe White House is counting on a retired Army colonel and former Obama appointee to help lead the administration’s response to the coronavirus as the outbreak spreads across the country and claims more lives.

Former colleagues of Dr. Deborah Birx, who recently served as the State Department’s global AIDS coordinator, say President Trump and Vice President Pence have landed on someone with the qualifications to tackle the biggest public health crisis the nation has faced in years.

“She is somebody that knows how to manage the whole of the U.S. government to move it toward a particular goal. If the White House lets her do that, it could be exactly the kind of coordination that has been lacking up to this point,” said Matthew Kavanaugh, who directs Georgetown’s Global Health Policy and Governance Initiative and knows Birx from his years working on global HIV policy. Continue reading.

Are Officials Protecting Detained Immigrants From COVID-19?

Immigration officials say they are implementing new procedures at detention centers across the country in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, but advocates and experts worry that more needs to be done in order to protect the health of those inside.

On Thursday, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said in an email that the agency was using “existing procedures” to keep detainees safe from COVID-19, the disease caused by a strain of coronavirus that originated in China, as well as other communicable diseases.

The spokesperson said the agency had issued guidance to all employees “that outlines the current comprehensive use of Personal Protective Equipment including guidance regarding wearing masks in the appropriate circumstances.” Continue reading.

Washington’s recession-fighting toolbox is nearly empty as US economy braces for possible coronavirus outbreak

Investors, policymakers, businesses and the general public are increasingly concerned the coronavirus’ rapid spread will lead to a recession. While this outcome is hard for economists like me to predict, we do know one thing: The U.S. is not prepared to fight a deep recession.

Policymakers basically have two methods for reversing a downturn: monetary stimulus, primarily through reduced borrowing costs; and fiscal stimulus, when the government spends more or cuts taxes.

Unfortunately, the U.S. currently has dim prospects for success with either option. Continue reading.

At CDC, Trump Blurts Damning Remark About Coronavirus Ship

President Donald Trump has an odd habit of confirming critics’ worst fears about him by just blurting out his inner feelings.

On Friday, while appearing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Trump did just that when he revealed he wanted to keep passengers on a cruise ship exposed to Covid-19, the new coronavirus, quarantined on the vessel — not for public safety reasons or to reduce the spread of the disease — but so that they wouldn’t count as American cases of the illness.

“I like the numbers being where they are,” Trump said. “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship! That wasn’t our fault. And it wasn’t the fault of the people on the ship either.” Continue reading.

As Death Toll Mounts, Governments Point Fingers Over Coronavirus

New York Times logoThe head of the World Health Organization said it was “not a time for excuses,” but some countries have been busily exchanging blame.

An Iranian official claimed without evidence that the epidemic could be an American bioweapon, after some U.S. officials said the same about China. Saudi Arabia said its cases were Iran’s fault. South Korea lashed out at Japan over travel restrictions and responded in kind.

At a time of global crisis, when the new coronavirus has infected more than 100,000 people, killed more than 3,400, and all but shut down whole industries, the world’s scientists and public health officials are working together across ideological and national borders to try to stop the epidemic.

But as the virus continues its rapid spread, political leaders in many countries seem to have seized on a different question: Who can be blamed? Continue reading.

Coronavirus outbreak threatens record stretch of job growth

The Hill logoThe U.S. economy has added jobs every month for more than 10 years straight, defying expectations with a record stretch of prosperity.

But the resilient labor market is facing dire threats from the steadily expanding coronavirus outbreak, posing a major risk for President Trump as he runs a reelection campaign claiming unprecedented economic success.

With more than 230 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across 21 states, Americans across the country are facing school and office closures, canceled events, social withdrawal and potential shortfalls of vital imports from China and elsewhere. Continue reading.