lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Homeschooling surges amid coronavirus lockdown

March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The coronavirus lockdown has forced parents across the United States to turn to homeschooling as the only way to educate their kids .
On the evening of March 19 , almost all states decided to close all schools .
“ Combined with district closures in other states , at least 104,000 U.S. public and private schools are closed , are scheduled to close , or were closed and later reopened , affecting at least 47.9 million school students , ” according to Education Week .
At the same time , the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers is growing as social distancing becomes the necessary , new normal , ” wrote Lindsey M. Burke of The Heritage Foundation .
“ But policy actions by officials in school districts and state governments , as well as at the federal level , can maximize health and safety and provide learning opportunities for students , ” she is convinced .
LifeSiteNews reached out to the Home School Legal Defense Association ( HSLDA ) , an organization that for almost four decades has been fighting for the rights of parents to educate their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we have had inquiries and requests ranging from how to keep kids learning at home for two to three weeks and how do I juggle working from home with my kids learning from home … to how do I actually jump into full-time homeschooling on short notice , ” said Sandra Kim , HSLDA ’ s media relations manager .
Seton Home Study School , a large provider of resources for Catholic homeschooling families , is experiencing a similar situation .
“ Seton has been receiving a significant number of inquiries about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accredited home study school for the remainder of the year .
We have even changed one of our policies to make that easier to do in high school , ” Draper Warren , Seton ’ s director of admissions , told LifeSiteNews .
High school credits at Seton are now available for just a quarter of the school work , where before , the school online issued full or half credits .
Even though it is the middle of the school year , homeschooling is still an option .
“ It is absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the year or at any time , ” Warren emphasized .
“ Seton Home Study School is the largest Catholic homeschool provider , and our accredited school allows parents to move at their own pace and adopt whatever schedule works best for them .
This means that they can enroll and start school at any time.
” Kim explained , “ Many families must start homeschooling for a variety of reasons from bullying to health issues .
It ’ s just a matter of deciding what material to use and beginning from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families start homeschooling in the middle of the year is nothing uncommon .
While homeschooling is legal in all 50 states , “ each state has its own laws and specific requirements.
” Thus , Kim said , “ it ’ s important for parents to know and follow their state ’ s homeschool law.
” HSLDA was founded with the specific purpose of giving legal advice to homeschoolers .
Many parents have no alternative to homeschooling their children , given that most schools in the country closed down to stop the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , is not the only , and certainly not the best , argument to educate children in the home .
“ The first one tends to be a little shocking , ” he warned , “ but many families actually homeschool because of socialization , not in spite of it .
School environments can sometimes foster the notion that you are only supposed to be friends with others of your own age , and it can foster really severe generational gaps and a difficulty communicating with those of different ages.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created a huge online community for our students 13 and up to discuss the issues of the day and make like-minded Catholic friends .
Homeschoolers are also freed up to participate in more extra-curricular activities , ” Warren added .
The second for homeschooling is the academic performance of the students .
Schools have to move along all students at the same pace , whereas in a homeschooling environment , “ some can grasp concepts quickly while others can thrive with more review.
” In this context , Kim said , “ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , animals or space exploration , then it ’ s possible to explore that fully as well by wrapping other subjects like reading , writing , and math around those topics.
” Similarly , “ If math is difficult or not their favorite , then there are a thousand and one ways to make math more relevant , accessible , and engaging to them : whether sneaking math into solving real-life problems like cooking , grocery shopping , or building a project , or using creative manipulatives and movement games in the younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was homeschooled himself , mentioned “ religious and moral ” reasons .
“ Homeschooling allows parents to make religion a truly robust subject and guiding principle .
It also allows parents to avoid some of the more harmful philosophies being pushed onto our children in public schools.
” What is going to happen once the coronavirus epidemic is over and schools reopen ?
“ I think it will be interesting to see what conclusions parents will make after getting a chance to experiment with what learning from home could look like for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is already optimistic .
“ I expect this experience will have long-term repercussions for the entire field of education , ” he said .
“ This is true not just for K-12 students , but for college students as well .
I think a certain portion of families are going to have great experiences during this trial period of homeschooling , and absolutely want to continue .
”

March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The coronavirus lockdown has forced parents across the United States to turn to homeschooling as the only way to educate their kids.
On the evening of March 19, almost all states decided to close all schools.
“Combined with district closures in other states, at least 104,000 U.S. public and private schools are closed, are scheduled to close, or were closed and later reopened, affecting at least 47.9 million school students,” according to Education Week.
At the same time, the number of “online resources for families and teachers is growing as social distancing becomes the necessary, new normal,” wrote Lindsey M. Burke of The Heritage Foundation. “But policy actions by officials in school districts and state governments, as well as at the federal level, can maximize health and safety and provide learning opportunities for students,” she is convinced.
LifeSiteNews reached out to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), an organization that for almost four decades has been fighting for the rights of parents to educate their children in the home.
“Yes, we have had inquiries and requests ranging from how to keep kids learning at home for two to three weeks and how do I juggle working from home with my kids learning from home … to how do I actually jump into full-time homeschooling on short notice,” said Sandra Kim, HSLDA’s media relations manager.
Seton Home Study School, a large provider of resources for Catholic homeschooling families, is experiencing a similar situation.
“Seton has been receiving a significant number of inquiries about the possibility of parents transferring to our accredited home study school for the remainder of the year. We have even changed one of our policies to make that easier to do in high school,” Draper Warren, Seton’s director of admissions, told LifeSiteNews.
High school credits at Seton are now available for just a quarter of the school work, where before, the school online issued full or half credits.
Even though it is the middle of the school year, homeschooling is still an option.
“It is absolutely possible to start homeschooling in the middle of the year or at any time,” Warren emphasized. “Seton Home Study School is the largest Catholic homeschool provider, and our accredited school allows parents to move at their own pace and adopt whatever schedule works best for them. This means that they can enroll and start school at any time.”
Kim explained, “Many families must start homeschooling for a variety of reasons from bullying to health issues. It’s just a matter of deciding what material to use and beginning from there.” In other words, having families start homeschooling in the middle of the year is nothing uncommon.
While homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, “each state has its own laws and specific requirements.” Thus, Kim said, “it’s important for parents to know and follow their state’s homeschool law.”
HSLDA was founded with the specific purpose of giving legal advice to homeschoolers.
Many parents have no alternative to homeschooling their children, given that most schools in the country closed down to stop the coronavirus epidemic. The avoidance of a disease, however, is not the only, and certainly not the best, argument to educate children in the home.
Warren pointed out three main reasons.
“The first one tends to be a little shocking,” he warned, “but many families actually homeschool because of socialization, not in spite of it. School environments can sometimes foster the notion that you are only supposed to be friends with others of your own age, and it can foster really severe generational gaps and a difficulty communicating with those of different ages.”
“At Seton, we have actually created a huge online community for our students 13 and up to discuss the issues of the day and make like-minded Catholic friends. Homeschoolers are also freed up to participate in more extra-curricular activities,” Warren added.
The second for homeschooling is the academic performance of the students. Schools have to move along all students at the same pace, whereas in a homeschooling environment, “some can grasp concepts quickly while others can thrive with more review.”
In this context, Kim said, “If a child is more interested in say, animals or space exploration, then it’s possible to explore that fully as well by wrapping other subjects like reading, writing, and math around those topics.”
Similarly, “If math is difficult or not their favorite, then there are a thousand and one ways to make math more relevant, accessible, and engaging to them: whether sneaking math into solving real-life problems like cooking, grocery shopping, or building a project, or using creative manipulatives and movement games in the younger years.”
Finally, Warren, who was homeschooled himself, mentioned “religious and moral” reasons. “Homeschooling allows parents to make religion a truly robust subject and guiding principle. It also allows parents to avoid some of the more harmful philosophies being pushed onto our children in public schools.”
What is going to happen once the coronavirus epidemic is over and schools reopen?
“I think it will be interesting to see what conclusions parents will make after getting a chance to experiment with what learning from home could look like for their family,” Kim said.
Warren is already optimistic. “I expect this experience will have long-term repercussions for the entire field of education,” he said.
“This is true not just for K-12 students, but for college students as well. I think a certain portion of families are going to have great experiences during this trial period of homeschooling, and absolutely want to continue.”
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Priest finds small blessings in the middle of coronavirus pandemic

March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – With all the talk of infection rates , with businesses and schools locking down , with the stock market bouncing around wildly , and hoards of people trapped at airports trying to get back into the country , anyone can be excused for succumbing to a moment or two of panic .
It ’ s hard to take the long view when you ’ re in the middle of such an emergency as this .
But God has a way of making good come out of difficult times .
We saw it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Hurricane Irma .
Damage was extensive .
Loss was great .
People and communities were deeply hurt .
But after the cleanup , rebuilding , landscape restoration , and a period of economic recovery .
much was actually better than it had been before .
If we look behind the fear of coronavirus currently gripping the nation , we can spot a few genuine blessings .
There ’ s an element of irony in some of them , such as the slowdown in prostitution .
How long anxiety about contagion will depress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peepshows no one can say .
But we should applaud any improvement in our moral atmosphere , no matter how temporary .
The small signs of bipartisanship we ’ re seeing might be just as fleeting .
Certainly , public pressure hasn ’ t been sufficient to keep our politicians from trying to load all kinds of pork onto pandemic-response legislation .
But at least Washington is getting the message that the people want their government to take strong and effective action — and that means being willing to cooperate across party lines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Day of Prayer out of this crisis .
That ’ s no small thing in a highly secularized society where prayer is too-often mocked and God acknowledged only grudgingly .
Expressions of faith are more in evidence right now than at any time since the days after 9-11 , when churches were bursting at the seams .
Perhaps most importantly , the sudden appearance and rapid spread of coronavirus has provided an occasion for us to reflect on life and death — and some of the big issues related to those .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be human ; how we should be living as a community ; what we owe each other as neighbors ; what we really believe .
Large concerns can be read in some of the small , even silly , moments associated with the pandemic , such as the hoarding of toilet paper .
These little scenes raise important questions about how to reconcile our genuine needs with our obligations of charity .
After all , we really are in this together .
We tend to not spend much energy pondering such questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given a great opportunity to do so .
And that ’ s to everyone ’ s benefit .
There will be heartache associated with this crisis , no doubt .
Some people will suffer greatly — even to the loss of their lives .
Any of us could be touched by tragedy .
But those who come through may see new value in human existence .
They may rediscover faith .
They may come to a new relationship with God .
What a true grace that would be .
A priest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rev .
Michael P. Orsi currently serves as parochial vicar at St. Agnes Parish in Naples , Florida .
He is host of “ Action for Life TV , ” a weekly cable television series devoted to pro-life issues , and his writings appear in numerous publications and online journals .

PRAYER PLEDGE: Rally around the daily Rosary to stop the coronavirus Sign the petition here.
March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – With all the talk of infection rates, with businesses and schools locking down, with the stock market bouncing around wildly, and hoards of people trapped at airports trying to get back into the country, anyone can be excused for succumbing to a moment or two of panic.
It’s hard to take the long view when you’re in the middle of such an emergency as this. But God has a way of making good come out of difficult times.
We saw it in Florida, where I live, with Hurricane Irma. Damage was extensive. Loss was great. People and communities were deeply hurt. But after the cleanup, rebuilding, landscape restoration, and a period of economic recovery. much was actually better than it had been before.
If we look behind the fear of coronavirus currently gripping the nation, we can spot a few genuine blessings.
There’s an element of irony in some of them, such as the slowdown in prostitution. How long anxiety about contagion will depress patronage of streetwalkers, brothels, and peepshows no one can say. But we should applaud any improvement in our moral atmosphere, no matter how temporary.
The small signs of bipartisanship we’re seeing might be just as fleeting. Certainly, public pressure hasn’t been sufficient to keep our politicians from trying to load all kinds of pork onto pandemic-response legislation. But at least Washington is getting the message that the people want their government to take strong and effective action — and that means being willing to cooperate across party lines.
We’ve received a special National Day of Prayer out of this crisis. That’s no small thing in a highly secularized society where prayer is too-often mocked and God acknowledged only grudgingly. Expressions of faith are more in evidence right now than at any time since the days after 9-11, when churches were bursting at the seams.
Perhaps most importantly, the sudden appearance and rapid spread of coronavirus has provided an occasion for us to reflect on life and death — and some of the big issues related to those. We should think about what it means to be human; how we should be living as a community; what we owe each other as neighbors; what we really believe.
Large concerns can be read in some of the small, even silly, moments associated with the pandemic, such as the hoarding of toilet paper. These little scenes raise important questions about how to reconcile our genuine needs with our obligations of charity. After all, we really are in this together.
We tend to not spend much energy pondering such questions. But now we’ve been given a great opportunity to do so. And that’s to everyone’s benefit.
There will be heartache associated with this crisis, no doubt. Some people will suffer greatly — even to the loss of their lives. Any of us could be touched by tragedy.
But those who come through may see new value in human existence. They may rediscover faith. They may come to a new relationship with God.
What a true grace that would be.
A priest of the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, Rev. Michael P. Orsi currently serves as parochial vicar at St. Agnes Parish in Naples, Florida. He is host of “Action for Life TV,” a weekly cable television series devoted to pro-life issues, and his writings appear in numerous publications and online journals.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Abortion activists exploit coronavirus panic to demand abortion pills via webcam

March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – As societies around the world cope with the spread of the coronavirus , pro-abortion activists in both America and Europe see travel bans and the closing of “ nonessential ” businesses as a pretext to demand easier access to chemical abortions .
Last week , President Donald Trump waived various regulations to give patients and physicians the ability to meet remotely via webcam , to allow “ maximum flexibility to respond to the virus and care for patients ” without having to meet in person and potentially spread the virus .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complained that the move didn ’ t extend to so-called “ webcam ” abortions , in which doctors dispense abortion pills long-distance , eliminating the “ need ” to leave the house and pick up the pills after an in-person medical consultation .
“ Abortion is obviously a time-sensitive medical procedure .
It ’ s not an elective procedure that can just be rescheduled a month or two later , ” said abortionist Daniel Grossman , who directs the far-left Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health ( ANSIRH ) .
Yet the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA ’ s ) Office of Medical Affairs is holding firm , telling Vice in a statement that “ certain restrictions , known as a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy ( REMS ) , are necessary for mifepristone when used for medical termination of early pregnancy in order to ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh its risks.
” Across the pond , activist groups such as Alliance for Choice , Abortion Rights Campaign , and Abortion Support Network are making the same demand of the European Union , the Society for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) reported .
“ The opportunistic advances now being made by the shameless pro-abortion lobby , during a time of fear , suffering and hardship for so many , exposes just how debased the pro-abortion ideology is , ” SPUC director of communications Michael Robinson responded .
“ The pro-abortion lobby appears to be scrambling to exploit the current Coronavirus crisis .
They are disregarding the genuine fear of so many people and are treating this crisis as an opportunity to further their pro-abortion agenda.
” “ This national crisis is a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible are saved , not to be plotting to kill even more innocent children in their mothers ’ wombs , ” he declared .
Pro-lifers argue that abortion pills are n't truly safe for women even when “ properly taken , ” and administering them without full medical supervision only increases the danger .
Although they “ can not with certainty be causally attributed to mifepristone , ” the FDA warns that “ as of December 31 , 2018 , there were reports of 24 deaths of women associated with Mifeprex since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including two cases of ectopic pregnancy resulting in death ; and several cases of severe systemic infection ( also called sepsis ) , including some that were fatal.
” Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

The FDA is not giving in to pressure from abortionists to provide the lethal drug.
March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – As societies around the world cope with the spread of the coronavirus, pro-abortion activists in both America and Europe see travel bans and the closing of “nonessential” businesses as a pretext to demand easier access to chemical abortions.
Last week, President Donald Trump waived various regulations to give patients and physicians the ability to meet remotely via webcam, to allow “maximum flexibility to respond to the virus and care for patients” without having to meet in person and potentially spread the virus.
On Thursday, Vice’s Christine Grimaldi complained that the move didn’t extend to so-called “webcam” abortions, in which doctors dispense abortion pills long-distance, eliminating the “need” to leave the house and pick up the pills after an in-person medical consultation.
“Abortion is obviously a time-sensitive medical procedure. It’s not an elective procedure that can just be rescheduled a month or two later,” said abortionist Daniel Grossman, who directs the far-left Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH).
Yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Office of Medical Affairs is holding firm, telling Vice in a statement that “certain restrictions, known as a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS), are necessary for mifepristone when used for medical termination of early pregnancy in order to ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh its risks.”
Across the pond, activist groups such as Alliance for Choice, Abortion Rights Campaign, and Abortion Support Network are making the same demand of the European Union, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) reported.
“The opportunistic advances now being made by the shameless pro-abortion lobby, during a time of fear, suffering and hardship for so many, exposes just how debased the pro-abortion ideology is,” SPUC director of communications Michael Robinson responded. “The pro-abortion lobby appears to be scrambling to exploit the current Coronavirus crisis. They are disregarding the genuine fear of so many people and are treating this crisis as an opportunity to further their pro-abortion agenda.”
“This national crisis is a time to ensure that as many lives as possible are saved, not to be plotting to kill even more innocent children in their mothers’ wombs,” he declared.
Pro-lifers argue that abortion pills aren't truly safe for women even when “properly taken,” and administering them without full medical supervision only increases the danger.
Although they “cannot with certainty be causally attributed to mifepristone,” the FDA warns that “as of December 31, 2018, there were reports of 24 deaths of women associated with Mifeprex since the product was approved in September 2000, including two cases of ectopic pregnancy resulting in death; and several cases of severe systemic infection (also called sepsis), including some that were fatal.”
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--California on lockdown, social gatherings reporting system launched: Here’s the latest coronav

California on lockdown, social gatherings reporting system launched: Here’s the latest coronavirus news

LifeSite ’ s live coronavirus updates from March 13 to 19 are HERE .
March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The coronavirus crisis continues to rage around the world .
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a “ statewide order ” forcing the nearly 40 million people in the Golden State to stay at home and only leave for essential or medical business .
It is in effect until further notice .
The left-wing governor told his constituents , “ You can still take your kids outside , practicing common sense and social distancing .
You can still walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undertaken in England .
The Guardian reports : Boris Johnson took the extraordinary step of ordering pubs , clubs and restaurants across the UK to close on Friday , and announced an unprecedented wage-support scheme to try to prevent a consequent tsunami of job losses .
Announcing the decision in the fight against the coronavirus , the prime minister said he realised that it went against what he called “ the inalienable free-born right of people born in England to go to the pub ” .
Cardinal Robert Sarah , Prefect of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Easter Masses “ can not be transferred to another time , ” because of the coronavirus .
The annual Chrism Mass , usually celebrated on the Tuesday of Holy Week , may , however , be postponed by bishops to a later date .
Expressions of popular piety and processions common to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum may also take place later in the year , depending on the judgement of local ordinaries .
The cardinal suggested September 14 and 15 .
All public Masses in New Zealand are cancelled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-abortion World Health Organization is under scrutiny .
A London hospital declared a critical incident after its intensive care unit was overwhelmed with coronavirus patients .
Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow , part of the London North West University Healthcare Trust , sent a message to staff on Thursday night warning that it had run out of critical-care space .
The hospital said it called on neighbouring hospitals for help to take on additional patients .
The incident was stood down after 24 hours .
Six patients who have died at the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It comes as the NHS rushes to find an extra 30,000 bed spaces in order to establish makeshift intensive-care units ahead of an expected surge in coronavirus cases over the coming weeks .
Bishop Athanasius Schneider , one of the world ’ s foremost defenders of Catholic orthodoxy , has written a scathing examination of the situation in which Catholics around the world have found themselves , comparing it to life in the Soviet Union and Rome in the first centuries .
Millions of Catholics in the so-called free Western world will , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and especially during Holy Week and Easter , the culmination of the entire liturgical year , be deprived of any public acts of worship due to both civic and ecclesiastical reaction to the outbreak of Coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
The most painful and distressing of these is the deprivation of Holy Mass and sacramental Holy Communion .
The current atmosphere of an almost planetary panic is continuously fueled by the universally proclaimed “ dogma ” of the new coronavirus pandemic .
The drastic and disproportionate security measures with the denial of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , freedom of assembly , and freedom of opinion appear almost globally orchestrated along a precise plan .
Thus , the entire human race becomes a kind of prisoner of a world “ sanitary dictatorship , ” which for its part also reveals itself as a political dictatorship .
An important side-effect of this new “ sanitary dictatorship ” that is spreading throughout the world is the growing and uncompromising ban on all forms of public worship .
Beginning on March 16 , 2020 , the German government issued a ban on all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religions .
Such a drastic measure of strict prohibition of all forms of public worship was unimaginable even during the Third Reich .
St. Andrew Apostle , a parish in the Archdiocese of Washington , hosted “ drive-in Eucharistic Adoration ” with a five-foot monstrance and 150 cars in its parking lot .
One complaint of some Catholics in the Washington , D.C. area and the neighboring Diocese of Arlington is the lack of information about which parishes still have Confession or Adoration and when special events like this take place .
Dane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left-wing stronghold of Madison , has just launched an online tool for the express purpose of reporting to the authorities citizens who gather in groups of 10 or more .
Senators Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) , Dianne Feinstein ( D-CA ) , Richard Burr ( R-NC ) , and James Inhofe ( R-OK ) all dumped millions of dollars of stocks after being briefed on the coronavirus , it has been revealed .
Loeffler ’ s husband is the Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange .
Scientists are claiming that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using aborted fetal tissue is blocking coronavirus treatment research .
Army Times reports that National Guard “ activations [ are ] expected to rapidly increase ” and “ could be used for law enforcement.
” Pope Francis has granted special indulgences to coronavirus sufferers , the details of which can be read here .
A Texas abortionist is self-quarantining himself and worried fewer babies will be killed because of it .
Monaco ’ s Prince Albert II has the coronavirus , as does Catholic University of America president John Garvey .
Finally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about nine pro-life things you can do while stuck at home because of the coronavirus .

Live updates on the coronavirus and how it relates to pro-life issues, faith, and freedom.
LifeSite’s previous (and future) live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to issues our readers care about can be viewed HERE.
March 23, 2020, 6:00 p.m. EST: Texas has become the latest state to stop abortions due to the coronavirus crisis, deeming them not medically necessary.
Here is more information about the lockdown of Great Britain from LifeSite’s Dorothy Cummings McLean, who is based in Scotland.
The Catholic bishops of Portugal are going to consecrate their country to Jesus and Mary on March 25 (the Feast of the Annunication) at Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima and are inviting other prelates to do the same.
“Any other country can also join the initiative, simply by a request from its bishops’ conference to the bishops’ conference of Portugal,” ACI Digital/CNA reported.
Don Giuseppe Berardelli, 72-year-old priest from Casnigo (Bergamo), has died from coronavirus covid-19, he declined a ventilator, so that it go to someone younger, someone he didn't even know. A heroic and saintly act, may he rest in peace.https://t.co/fq34kUxB9p pic.twitter.com/ZdJe7NZd29 — Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) March 23, 2020
March 23, 2020, 4:54 p.m. EST: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put Great Britain on a national lockdown. “Gatherings with more than two people in public, excluding people you live with, will be stopped, as will weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies,” a London news report explained. Funerals are the exception to that.
A LifeSite article with more details is forthcoming.
March 23, 2020, 3:10 p.m. EST: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has just announced a national lockdown for 21 days. 56 million people live in South Africa. All businesses will be closed from midnight of Thursday, March, 26 through midnight of April 16.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are being postponed.
Ontario is shutting down all “non-essential” businesses for two weeks.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has ordered all schools, public and private, to remain closed for “at least” the rest of the academic year. He is also ordering a number of businesses to be closed.
“I want to be clear, essential businesses will remain open,” he insisted. “These are things like grocery stores, pharmacies, and banks. You will still be able to buy food and necessary supplies for you and your family. Restaurants can remain open for carryout, curbside, and delivery service only.”
“I also want to be clear about the expectations for essential businesses that remain open. Social distancing matters everywhere. So essential businesses that remain open have a responsibility to adhere to social distancing recommendations. You need to step up sanitizing practices on common surfaces,” Northam admonished.
March 23, 2020, 1:23 p.m. EST: Archbishop Gregory Michael Aymond of New Orleans has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Baltimore Sun reports:
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday he was ordering closed all non-essential businesses in the state, including retail stores that had been allowed to remain open. Hogan said the additional step was necessary to “slow the spread of COVID-19 in Maryland.” The order, which takes effect at 5 p.m. today, does not include essential or critical industries as defined by the federal government: health care, law enforcement, emergency workers, food, energy, water, transportation, public works, communications, government, critical manufacturing, financial services, chemicals and defense. Restaurant carry-outs, liquor stores and daycare centers are among the businesses that can remain open. Big box stores will remain open, but Hogan said he has asked local law enforcement to help those retailers deal with crowd control. The tighter restrictions were imposed in part because Maryland residents, Hogan said, continue to flout social distancing guidelines and ignore a ban on mass gatherings of more than 10 people. “Let me repeat, once again as strongly as I possibly can: if you are engaged in this activity, you are breaking the law and you are literally endangering the lives of your family friends and fellow citizens,” Hogan said.
March 23, 2020, 1:13 p.m. EST: Michigan, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Wisconsin have asked or are about to ask citizens to stay home unless they are going to the doctor, grocery store, or pharmacy.
Beginning at 11:59 p.m. tonight, Dallas County, Texas is under a “shelter-in-place” order from a judge.
March 22, 2020, 7:37 p.m. EST: Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is the first U.S. senator to test positive for the coronavirus.
Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, who was recently sentenced to 23 years for sexual assault and rape, also has the coronavirus.
A March 17 article from the New York Daily News says that New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees have been given letters authorizing them to travel. These letters can be shown to law enforcement, the article says, in the event that most citizens are restricted from traveling.
LifeSiteNews is unaware of any Catholic diocese in the United States that offered public Masses this weekend.
March 21, 2020, 6:46 p.m. EST: The first person known to have died of the coronavirus in Washington, D.C. is a Franciscan friar, Br. John-Sebastian Laird-Hammond, OFM. He lived at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land, a popular Catholic pilgrimage site in the nation’s capital, just a short distance from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He was 59 and had been suffering from leukemia.
Today, nearly one billion people – roughly one seventh of the world’s population – were confined at home, AFP News reported.
The Associated Press reported:
The coronavirus pandemic took an increasingly bleak toll Saturday in the U.S. and Europe, producing staggering caseloads in New York and Italy and setting off a desperate scramble to set up thousands of additional hospital beds as the disease notched another grim advance. Italy, at the heart of Europe’s rampaging outbreak, announced nearly 800 new deaths and 6,600 new cases — its biggest day-to-day increase yet. In New York, state officials sought out desperately needed medical supplies and hospital beds as confirmed coronavirus cases soared above 10,000 statewide, with 56 deaths. “Everything that can be done is being done,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, adding, “We are literally scouring the globe looking for medical supplies.” Across the world, streets, squares and highways in major cities were deserted as curfews and lockdowns multiplied to try to stop the spread of COVID-19. In the U.S., New Jersey and St. Louis were added to a growing list of areas where residents were ordered to stay home. Health care workers from Oklahoma City to Minneapolis sought donations of protective equipment. Staff at a Detroit hospital began creating homemade face masks for workers. Even rural hospitals were strained as people increasingly felt the pandemic closing in.
March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The coronavirus crisis continues to rage around the world.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a “statewide order” forcing the nearly 40 million people in the Golden State to stay at home and only leave for essential or medical business. It is in effect until further notice. The left-wing governor told his constituents, “You can still take your kids outside, practicing common sense and social distancing. You can still walk your dog.”
Similar measures are being undertaken in England. The Guardian reports:
Boris Johnson took the extraordinary step of ordering pubs, clubs and restaurants across the UK to close on Friday, and announced an unprecedented wage-support scheme to try to prevent a consequent tsunami of job losses. Announcing the decision in the fight against the coronavirus, the prime minister said he realised that it went against what he called “the inalienable free-born right of people born in England to go to the pub”.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, has declared that Easter Masses “cannot be transferred to another time,” because of the coronavirus. The annual Chrism Mass, usually celebrated on the Tuesday of Holy Week, may, however, be postponed by bishops to a later date. Expressions of popular piety and processions common to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum may also take place later in the year, depending on the judgement of local ordinaries. The cardinal suggested September 14 and 15.
All public Masses in New Zealand are cancelled.
Communist China’s relationship with the pro-abortion World Health Organization is under scrutiny.
The Independent reports:
A London hospital declared a critical incident after its intensive care unit was overwhelmed with coronavirus patients. Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, part of the London North West University Healthcare Trust, sent a message to staff on Thursday night warning that it had run out of critical-care space. The hospital said it called on neighbouring hospitals for help to take on additional patients. The incident was stood down after 24 hours. Six patients who have died at the hospital tested positive for the coronavirus infection. It comes as the NHS rushes to find an extra 30,000 bed spaces in order to establish makeshift intensive-care units ahead of an expected surge in coronavirus cases over the coming weeks.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider, one of the world’s foremost defenders of Catholic orthodoxy, has written a scathing examination of the situation in which Catholics around the world have found themselves, comparing it to life in the Soviet Union and Rome in the first centuries.
Schneider writes:
Millions of Catholics in the so-called free Western world will, in the coming weeks or even months, and especially during Holy Week and Easter, the culmination of the entire liturgical year, be deprived of any public acts of worship due to both civic and ecclesiastical reaction to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19). The most painful and distressing of these is the deprivation of Holy Mass and sacramental Holy Communion. The current atmosphere of an almost planetary panic is continuously fueled by the universally proclaimed “dogma” of the new coronavirus pandemic. The drastic and disproportionate security measures with the denial of fundamental human rights of freedom of movement, freedom of assembly, and freedom of opinion appear almost globally orchestrated along a precise plan. Thus, the entire human race becomes a kind of prisoner of a world “sanitary dictatorship,” which for its part also reveals itself as a political dictatorship. An important side-effect of this new “sanitary dictatorship” that is spreading throughout the world is the growing and uncompromising ban on all forms of public worship. Beginning on March 16, 2020, the German government issued a ban on all forms of public religious gatherings for all religions. Such a drastic measure of strict prohibition of all forms of public worship was unimaginable even during the Third Reich.
St. Andrew Apostle, a parish in the Archdiocese of Washington, hosted “drive-in Eucharistic Adoration” with a five-foot monstrance and 150 cars in its parking lot. One complaint of some Catholics in the Washington, D.C. area and the neighboring Diocese of Arlington is the lack of information about which parishes still have Confession or Adoration and when special events like this take place.
Dane County, Wisconsin, home to the left-wing stronghold of Madison, has just launched an online tool for the express purpose of reporting to the authorities citizens who gather in groups of 10 or more.
Senators Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Burr (R-NC), and James Inhofe (R-OK) all dumped millions of dollars of stocks after being briefed on the coronavirus, it has been revealed. Loeffler’s husband is the Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.
Scientists are claiming that the Trump administration’s ban on research using aborted fetal tissue is blocking coronavirus treatment research.
Army Times reports that National Guard “activations [are] expected to rapidly increase” and “could be used for law enforcement.”
Pope Francis has granted special indulgences to coronavirus sufferers, the details of which can be read here.
A Texas abortionist is self-quarantining himself and worried fewer babies will be killed because of it.
Monaco’s Prince Albert II has the coronavirus, as does Catholic University of America president John Garvey.
Finally, I’ve written a blog post about nine pro-life things you can do while stuck at home because of the coronavirus.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Coronavirus is threatening everyone’s very existence. Will LifeSite be here in three months?

EDINBURGH , Scotland , March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― As I sit at home , writing articles for LifeSiteNews , I have to say I miss the gym .
Like so many other people around the world , I ’ m practising social distancing , which in my case means sticking close to home as much as possible , going only to the local supermarket and going for walks instead of spin classes .
Exercise is necessary to body and mind , as fighting for the cause of life in a hostile world over the web is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not going to the gym , I ’ m also praying that the gym is still in business by the time I go downtown again .
Right now so many businesses are fighting for their lives .
So far I ’ ve written two emails to my favorite café and our favorite special-occasion restaurant asking how we can support them without dropping by .
The café suggested I buy bags of their parent company ’ s coffee online .
I suggested to the restaurant that they start a delivery service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the café manager , I can ’ t imagine Edinburgh without them .
I don ’ t want to give you the impression that my husband and I dine out every month , but it seems that we have landed on a number of mailing lists over the years .
So far I have received appeals from a Polish restaurant in London and a French restaurant in Edinburgh to come and eat a meal or at least buy a gift certificate .
They say they ’ ve removed a third of the tables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever … These are local treasures , well-reviewed , veteran institutions .
Will they be there in three months ?
Will everybody at LifeSiteNews be here in three months ?
It ’ s a gloomy question , but we ’ ve hit gloomy times .
Last night I went to the last public Mass permitted by the Scottish Bishops for goodness knows how long .
Never in my life have I imagined that I might not be able to go to Sunday Mass because the Bishops themselves had told priests to shut the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought maybe the Communists would invade and Catholics would have to go underground , but this pandemic was a contingency I never mentally prepared for .
Although I love Mass , I guess I took it for granted it would always be there .
We can ’ t take for granted that anything or anyone will always be there , and there are so many people I want to support right now .
My Latin Mass priest .
The crazy-fun instructors at my gym .
The mother-and-daughter beauticians who just opened a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff at the steakhouse where my husband and I had his birthday dinner .
The friendly American kid who started the café .
I ’ m going to continue to support them as much as I can .
The thing is , I ’ m scared of spending any money right now .
My husband , now working at home , is employed for a charity , too .
I ’ m almost tempted to regret dropping out of my government job all those years ago .
But we ’ re trusting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in LifeSiteNews ’ readers to support your favorite media team , the way that I ’ m going to support the local community that I love .
I ’ m proud and happy that I get to fight for life and freedom every day , especially as I see powerful people use the coronavirus epidemic to advance the culture of death , most recently with the outrageous pro-abortion legislation in New Zealand .
I ’ m also grateful that I ’ m part of such a great , faith-filled team and that every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together for each other , for our readers and allies , for our critics , and for those in most need of conversion .
The coronavirus pandemic and the loss to so many of us of public worship has only inspired us to pray harder and to work harder to get out the truth to our readers , ensuring that you get the news you won ’ t easily find anywhere else .
For some reason , the BBC was not as quick as we were to break the news of President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has proven successful .
Thanks to your support , both our team and our outreach have grown so much , and with your continued support , we can continue our work fighting the culture of death to restore a culture of life .
We ’ re all afraid of what the pandemic will do , but the cause of life must be fought .
In a world that is so desperate for hope , I ask you to consider making a regular contribution to our daily battle to change the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs 100 of our most committed readers to pledge a monthly gift of $ 10 and 50 of you to pledge a monthly gift of $ 25 to keep fighting the good fight with our articles and commentary .
That works out to between 33 and 83 cents a day , which is a lot less than I have to pay for a MSM paper !
If you are able to generously support our mission with a financial gift today , please follow this link to donate : https : //give.lifesitenews.com .

'We’re all afraid of what the pandemic will do, but the cause of life must be fought.'
EDINBURGH, Scotland, March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― As I sit at home, writing articles for LifeSiteNews, I have to say I miss the gym.
Like so many other people around the world, I’m practising social distancing, which in my case means sticking close to home as much as possible, going only to the local supermarket and going for walks instead of spin classes. Exercise is necessary to body and mind, as fighting for the cause of life in a hostile world over the web is both sedentary and stressful. So although I’m not going to the gym, I’m also praying that the gym is still in business by the time I go downtown again.
Right now so many businesses are fighting for their lives. So far I’ve written two emails to my favorite café and our favorite special-occasion restaurant asking how we can support them without dropping by. The café suggested I buy bags of their parent company’s coffee online. I suggested to the restaurant that they start a delivery service. To paraphrase what I said to the café manager, I can’t imagine Edinburgh without them.
I don’t want to give you the impression that my husband and I dine out every month, but it seems that we have landed on a number of mailing lists over the years. So far I have received appeals from a Polish restaurant in London and a French restaurant in Edinburgh to come and eat a meal or at least buy a gift certificate. They say they’ve removed a third of the tables and they’re cleaning more than ever … These are local treasures, well-reviewed, veteran institutions. Will they be there in three months?
Will everybody at LifeSiteNews be here in three months?
It’s a gloomy question, but we’ve hit gloomy times. Last night I went to the last public Mass permitted by the Scottish Bishops for goodness knows how long. Never in my life have I imagined that I might not be able to go to Sunday Mass because the Bishops themselves had told priests to shut the doors. When I was a kid I thought maybe the Communists would invade and Catholics would have to go underground, but this pandemic was a contingency I never mentally prepared for. Although I love Mass, I guess I took it for granted it would always be there.
We can’t take for granted that anything or anyone will always be there, and there are so many people I want to support right now. My Latin Mass priest. The crazy-fun instructors at my gym. The mother-and-daughter beauticians who just opened a salon on my street. The Argentinian staff at the steakhouse where my husband and I had his birthday dinner. The friendly American kid who started the café.
I’m going to continue to support them as much as I can. The thing is, I’m scared of spending any money right now. My husband, now working at home, is employed for a charity, too. I’m almost tempted to regret dropping out of my government job all those years ago.
But we’re trusting in God, and I’m trusting in LifeSiteNews’ readers to support your favorite media team, the way that I’m going to support the local community that I love. I’m proud and happy that I get to fight for life and freedom every day, especially as I see powerful people use the coronavirus epidemic to advance the culture of death, most recently with the outrageous pro-abortion legislation in New Zealand.
I’m also grateful that I’m part of such a great, faith-filled team and that every workday we have the opportunity to pray together for each other, for our readers and allies, for our critics, and for those in most need of conversion. The coronavirus pandemic and the loss to so many of us of public worship has only inspired us to pray harder and to work harder to get out the truth to our readers, ensuring that you get the news you won’t easily find anywhere else. For some reason, the BBC was not as quick as we were to break the news of President Trump’s backing of a coronavirus treatment that has proven successful.
Thanks to your support, both our team and our outreach have grown so much, and with your continued support, we can continue our work fighting the culture of death to restore a culture of life.
We’re all afraid of what the pandemic will do, but the cause of life must be fought. In a world that is so desperate for hope, I ask you to consider making a regular contribution to our daily battle to change the world.
The fundraising teams tell me that LifeSiteNews needs 100 of our most committed readers to pledge a monthly gift of $10 and 50 of you to pledge a monthly gift of $25 to keep fighting the good fight with our articles and commentary. That works out to between 33 and 83 cents a day, which is a lot less than I have to pay for a MSM paper!
If you are able to generously support our mission with a financial gift today, please follow this link to donate: https://give.lifesitenews.com.
Follow Dorothy Dorothy Cummings McLean is a Canadian journalist, essayist, and novelist. She earned an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Toronto and an M.Div./S.T.B. from Toronto’s Regis College. She was a columnist for the Toronto Catholic Register for nine years and has contributed to Catholic World Report. Her first book, Seraphic Singles, was published by Novalis (2010) in Canada, Liguori in the USA, and Homo Dei in Poland. Her second, Ceremony of Innocence, was published by Ignatius Press (2013). Dorothy lives near Edinburgh, Scotland with her husband.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--All priests, half of seminarians at traditional Catholic order infected by coronavirus

OPFENBACH , Germany , March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Almost all priests and roughly half of the seminarians currently at a German seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter ( FSSP ) , a traditionalist community of priests and seminarians , have been infected by the coronavirus .
On the evening of March 13 , the seminary had first announced that a priest , who stayed at the seminary as a guest , had contracted the virus .
At the time , the community , which is dedicated to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wigratzbad would take place without the seminarians joining .
“ With the powerful help of faith , hope and charity , we do not let ourselves be discouraged .
In a few days , the first healed ones will be able to take over from the newly sick , to maintain the spiritual and material life of the house , ” the seminary community wrote .
Since God only allows evil for the sake of a greater good , the community expressed its confidence in the Lord “ who alone is able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this earth.
” Since the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue had already been banned , the FSSP declared that only the celebrant would receive the Eucharist .
The faithful were encouraged to do a spiritual communion .
On the next day , the French blog of the seminary , which has a German-speaking and a French-speaking section , clarified that the priest first infected was from Italy .
“ The whole seminary has been in strict confinement for a week , because the disease spreads rapidly .
A dozen priests and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to completely reorganize schedules and services .
Cooks , cleaners , secretaries … we have to do everything by ourselves , but everyone is generous and adapts without difficulty.
” The community is using the quarantine to meditate on the meaning of life .
“ Life is short and fragile , and if one is worried about one ’ s health , one must be even more concerned about one ’ s salvation .
The invisible threat of illness stimulates us to trust more in God , and to increase our prayers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French blog wrote .
Earlier this week , the government prohibited gatherings of any kind in churches , meaning the public is now no longer able to participate in Mass in Wigratzbad .
This year , 90 seminarians are preparing for the priesthood in Wigratzbad .
The community received 30 new seminarians last fall .
Meanwhile , 59 religious sisters in Italy have been tested positive for coronavirus .
Just outside of Rome , one convent of the Daughters of St. Camillus , composed of 40 sisters , was isolated .
Additionally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. Paul , also located outside of Rome , were diagnosed with coronavirus .
According to a report by Catholic News Agency , 28 priests in Northern Italy have already died of coronavirus .
“ Avvenire , the Italian newspaper owned by the Italian bishops conference , attributes at least 28 of these priests ’ deaths to COVID-19 , and also notes two additional cases : that of Fr .
Guido Mortari , who died of pneumonia before he could get tested , and Fr .
Giorgio Bosini , who had a serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
The vast majority of priests who died were over 70 years old .
The youngest died at 54 .

The German seminary hosted a guest priest from Italy who brought the virus to the community.
PRAYER PLEDGE: Rally around the daily Rosary to stop the coronavirus Sign the petition here.
March 23, 2020 update: On March 19, the official French-speaking website of the seminary stated, “As expected, the virus did its work in the seminary, and now most priests and half of the seminarians are sick.” Priests and seminarians living in Wigratzbad were officially tested for coronavirus only on March 20. Nonetheless, a great number of them were showing symptoms at the time. After the weekend, on Monday, March 23, the seminary reported on “a marked improvement today at the seminary since the number of seriously ill patients is less than ten.”
OPFENBACH, Germany, March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Almost all priests and roughly half of the seminarians currently at a German seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a traditionalist community of priests and seminarians, have been infected by the coronavirus.
On the evening of March 13, the seminary had first announced that a priest, who stayed at the seminary as a guest, had contracted the virus. At the time, the community, which is dedicated to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, had stated that all Masses in Wigratzbad would take place without the seminarians joining.
“With the powerful help of faith, hope and charity, we do not let ourselves be discouraged. In a few days, the first healed ones will be able to take over from the newly sick, to maintain the spiritual and material life of the house,” the seminary community wrote.
Since God only allows evil for the sake of a greater good, the community expressed its confidence in the Lord “who alone is able to give meaning to our temporary existence on this earth.”
Since the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue had already been banned, the FSSP declared that only the celebrant would receive the Eucharist. The faithful were encouraged to do a spiritual communion.
On the next day, the French blog of the seminary, which has a German-speaking and a French-speaking section, clarified that the priest first infected was from Italy.
“The whole seminary has been in strict confinement for a week, because the disease spreads rapidly. A dozen priests and seminarians are showing flu-like symptoms, forcing us to completely reorganize schedules and services. Cooks, cleaners, secretaries … we have to do everything by ourselves, but everyone is generous and adapts without difficulty.”
The community is using the quarantine to meditate on the meaning of life.
“Life is short and fragile, and if one is worried about one’s health, one must be even more concerned about one’s salvation. The invisible threat of illness stimulates us to trust more in God, and to increase our prayers and penances even more,” the French blog wrote.
Earlier this week, the government prohibited gatherings of any kind in churches, meaning the public is now no longer able to participate in Mass in Wigratzbad.
This year, 90 seminarians are preparing for the priesthood in Wigratzbad. The community received 30 new seminarians last fall.
Meanwhile, 59 religious sisters in Italy have been tested positive for coronavirus.
Just outside of Rome, one convent of the Daughters of St. Camillus, composed of 40 sisters, was isolated. Additionally, 19 members of the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul, also located outside of Rome, were diagnosed with coronavirus.
According to a report by Catholic News Agency, 28 priests in Northern Italy have already died of coronavirus.
“Avvenire, the Italian newspaper owned by the Italian bishops conference, attributes at least 28 of these priests’ deaths to COVID-19, and also notes two additional cases: that of Fr. Guido Mortari, who died of pneumonia before he could get tested, and Fr. Giorgio Bosini, who had a serious underlying medical condition,” Courtney Mares wrote.
The vast majority of priests who died were over 70 years old. The youngest died at 54.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Twitter crackdown on coronavirus ‘misinformation’ includes censoring jokes

March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Twitter is among the major internet companies that have stepped up to play an active role in countering “ misinformation ” about the risks of and response to the coronavirus , although critics fear the measures it has announced could do more harm than good .
This week , the social media platform announced that it ’ s taking a “ wide range of actions on potentially abusive and manipulative content ” related to the subject , and to that end it is broadening his definition of “ harmful ” content .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ denial of global or local health authority recommendations ” ( such as discouraging people from engaging in “ social distancing ” ) ; descriptions of “ ineffective ” treatment or prevention methods , “ even if made in jest ” ; “ denial of established scientific facts ” from “ global and local health authorities ” ; urging people to go out to local businesses in defiance of government mandates ; statements such as “ ignore news about COVID-19 , it ’ s just an attempt to destroy capitalism by crashing the stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could “ incite people to action and cause widespread panic ” ; impersonation of official government bodies , including parody accounts ; and more .
While some of these rules are fairly straightforward , the language about humorous content can be seen as overreach , particularly if it affects obvious satire or jokes that , while potentially in poor taste , are obviously not meant to be taken as real information .
Twitter ’ s language also could potentially cross the line from halting the spread of misinformation into stifling legitimate debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response as well as the true threat of the virus , a relatively new and evolving situation on which the experts themselves are not of one mind .
Per “ social distancing ” recommendations , Twitter is taking on this task with reduced manpower , meaning it will be increasing its reliance on “ machine learning and automation ” to monitor and remove objectionable content .
The company acknowledges that artificial systems “ can sometimes lack the context that our teams bring , and this may result in us making mistakes , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the accounts whose content is removed by these systems .
Twitter is part of a joint effort by tech giants including Google , Facebook , LinkedIn , Microsoft , and Reddit to fight “ fraud and misinformation about the virus ” while “ elevating authoritative content on our platforms , and sharing critical updates in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world.
” Google ’ s own efforts in that regard have already produced some hiccups , such as inadvertently blocking legitimate news apps and even the U.S. Centers for Disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Google Play store .
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

There's the possibility that over-sensitivity to comments made in jest could lead to important discussions being muted.
PRAYER PLEDGE: Rally around the Cross to end the coronavirus pandemic Sign the petition here.
March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Twitter is among the major internet companies that have stepped up to play an active role in countering “misinformation” about the risks of and response to the coronavirus, although critics fear the measures it has announced could do more harm than good.
This week, the social media platform announced that it’s taking a “wide range of actions on potentially abusive and manipulative content” related to the subject, and to that end it is broadening his definition of “harmful” content.
Content that may be removed includes “denial of global or local health authority recommendations” (such as discouraging people from engaging in “social distancing”); descriptions of “ineffective” treatment or prevention methods, “even if made in jest”; “denial of established scientific facts” from “global and local health authorities”; urging people to go out to local businesses in defiance of government mandates; statements such as “ignore news about COVID-19, it’s just an attempt to destroy capitalism by crashing the stock market”; “unverified” claims that could “incite people to action and cause widespread panic”; impersonation of official government bodies, including parody accounts; and more.
While some of these rules are fairly straightforward, the language about humorous content can be seen as overreach, particularly if it affects obvious satire or jokes that, while potentially in poor taste, are obviously not meant to be taken as real information.
Twitter’s language also could potentially cross the line from halting the spread of misinformation into stifling legitimate debate about the wisdom of government’s response as well as the true threat of the virus, a relatively new and evolving situation on which the experts themselves are not of one mind.
Per “social distancing” recommendations, Twitter is taking on this task with reduced manpower, meaning it will be increasing its reliance on “machine learning and automation” to monitor and remove objectionable content. The company acknowledges that artificial systems “can sometimes lack the context that our teams bring, and this may result in us making mistakes,” so it will not be suspending any of the accounts whose content is removed by these systems.
Twitter is part of a joint effort by tech giants including Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Reddit to fight “fraud and misinformation about the virus” while “elevating authoritative content on our platforms, and sharing critical updates in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world.”
Google’s own efforts in that regard have already produced some hiccups, such as inadvertently blocking legitimate news apps and even the U.S. Centers for Disease Control from appearing in certain searches on the Google Play store.
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Website to report, punish gatherings of 10+ people goes live in Wisconsin

MADISON , March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Dane County , Wisconsin , home to the left-wing stronghold of Madison , has just launched an online tool for the express purpose of reporting to the authorities citizens who gather in groups of ten or more , in defiance of emergency measures ordered by Democrat Gov .
Tony Evers to contain the spread of the coronavirus .
This week , Evers ordered the closure of malls , bars and restaurants across the state , and ordered establishments such as churches , theaters , movie theaters , arenas , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or more people .
Public schools also remain closed until further notice .
So far , Wisconsin has seen three deaths and 206 known coronavirus cases .
On Thursday , Public Health Madison and Dane County launched an online form for people to “ report mass gatherings that are being held in Dane County ” to law enforcement .
WKOW notes that violations of Evers ’ order are punishable by up to a month in prison and/or a $ 500 fine .
Critics argue Evers ’ crackdowns on private gatherings go too far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security and the security of fundamental individual rights to freely worship , maintain and operate private businesses , and associate on private property is a delicate one , ” writes WISN radio host Dan O ’ Donnell .
“ And as compelling as the need to protect Wisconsin ’ s citizenry against Coronavirus may be , the need to protect the citizenry ’ s freedom will always take precedence.
” O ’ Donnell argues that the “ right of the collective to security can only infringe on the individual ’ s right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more restrictive than it needs to be , ” yet Evers has opted to “ take a sledgehammer to Coronavirus instead of using a scalpel.
” Evers “ has no special access to information about this pandemic , ” yet “ panicked and suspended our liberties without warning after private organizations and citizens had already adopted extreme measures to protect themselves , ” agrees Empower Wisconsin Foundation president Eric O ’ Keefe .
“ The dictates of Gov .
Evers do nothing to add to our protection .
Instead they have seized from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our lives.
” “ This is happening in ways invisible to him , as his approach prevents people from making their own decisions about how to survive the loss of their businesses , their jobs , or beloved relatives , ” O ’ Keefe continues .
“ We are social beings .
We need others to survive , and we need the freedom to associate with others in order to be fully alive.
” Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world @

MADISON, March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Dane County, Wisconsin, home to the left-wing stronghold of Madison, has just launched an online tool for the express purpose of reporting to the authorities citizens who gather in groups of ten or more, in defiance of emergency measures ordered by Democrat Gov. Tony Evers to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
This week, Evers ordered the closure of malls, bars and restaurants across the state, and ordered establishments such as churches, theaters, movie theaters, arenas, and fitness centers to bar gatherings of ten or more people. Public schools also remain closed until further notice. So far, Wisconsin has seen three deaths and 206 known coronavirus cases.
On Thursday, Public Health Madison and Dane County launched an online form for people to “report mass gatherings that are being held in Dane County” to law enforcement. WKOW notes that violations of Evers’ order are punishable by up to a month in prison and/or a $500 fine.
Critics argue Evers’ crackdowns on private gatherings go too far.
“The balance between protecting physical security and the security of fundamental individual rights to freely worship, maintain and operate private businesses, and associate on private property is a delicate one,” writes WISN radio host Dan O’Donnell. “And as compelling as the need to protect Wisconsin’s citizenry against Coronavirus may be, the need to protect the citizenry’s freedom will always take precedence.”
O’Donnell argues that the “right of the collective to security can only infringe on the individual’s right to liberty when that infringement isn’t more restrictive than it needs to be,” yet Evers has opted to “take a sledgehammer to Coronavirus instead of using a scalpel.”
Evers “has no special access to information about this pandemic,” yet “panicked and suspended our liberties without warning after private organizations and citizens had already adopted extreme measures to protect themselves,” agrees Empower Wisconsin Foundation president Eric O’Keefe. “The dictates of Gov. Evers do nothing to add to our protection. Instead they have seized from all of us our authority to conduct our lives.”
“This is happening in ways invisible to him, as his approach prevents people from making their own decisions about how to survive the loss of their businesses, their jobs, or beloved relatives,” O’Keefe continues. “We are social beings. We need others to survive, and we need the freedom to associate with others in order to be fully alive.”
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Pope grants special indulgences to Catholics affected by coronavirus, allows general absolution

VATICAN CITY , March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― Pope Francis has granted a plenary indulgence to Catholics directly affected by the coronavirus , upon meeting certain conditions , while the Vatican has clarified that priests can give general absolution to groups of Catholics caught up in the pandemic , as deemed necessary by the local bishop .
The Vatican ’ s Apostolic Penitentiary released two documents today , the first announcing a special indulgence for Catholics affected by Covid-19 , including the sick , their family members , health workers and anyone who takes care of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves at risk of falling ill .
The plenary indulgence , which remits those who fulfill its stipulations from temporal punishment in Purgatory , has the following conditions : • Spiritually uniting themselves to the Church through the celebration of Mass , or • The pious practice of the Via Crucis , or • Some other form of devotion , or • Reciting the Creed , the Lord ’ s Prayer and a pious invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Those who avail themselves of this indulgence must offer their demonstration in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charity towards brethren , with the intent of fulfilling the usual conditions ( sacramental confession , reception of Holy Communion , and prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father ) as soon as it is possible for them.
” The difficulties in participating in sacramental confession during a pandemic were addressed in the second document released by the Apostolic Penitentiary today .
Titled “ Note from the Apostolic Penitentiary regarding the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the current pandemic situation , ” the letter discusses physical safeguards for the confessor and the penitent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waiving individual confession in favor of general absolution .
Collective or general absolutions in the Catholic Church are normally strictly reserved for emergency situations , such as an impending disaster or the moments before a battle when a military chaplain has no time to hear individual confessions .
When circumstances allow , penitents who receive general absolution should pray an act of contrition , and , when grave sins are involved , should confess them individually as soon as possible .
The document released today reminds Catholics that “ even in the Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administered according to the norms of universal canon law and the instructions of the Ordo Paenitentiae [ Order of Penance ] .
” This means that general absolution , the granting of God ’ s forgiveness to a group of the faithful without a priest hearing their confessions first , will not be permitted without case-by-case decisions by bishops .
“ Individual confession represents the ordinary method for the celebration of this sacrament ( cf .
can 960 CIC ) , while general absolution , without previous individual confession , can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of death , there not being enough time to hear the confession of the single penitent , or a grave need ( cf .
can .
961 , § 1 , 2° CIC ) , whose consideration belongs to the diocesan bishop , taking into account the criteria agreed upon by the other members of the Episcopal Conference ( cf .
can .
455 , § 2 CIC ) , and [ ... ] the penitent 's intention to confess later and in person the serious sins that at the moment he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can .
962 , § 1 CIC ) , ” the bulletin reads .
However , because of the coronavirus epidemic , the Apostolic Penitentiary believes that in places where the virus runs rampant and is likely to reoccur , there will be “ grave need ” for general absolution .
However , this is at the discretion of a bishop , and if a priest believes that several faithful should be given general absolution together , his bishop should either be warned or informed “ as soon as possible.
” This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bishops are also responsible for the physical safety of priests and penitents , the document relates .
“ In the present pandemic emergency , it is up to the diocesan bishop to indicate to priests and penitents the prudent safeguards for individual celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation , such as the celebration in a ventilated place outside the confession box , the adoption of fitting distance , the recourse to protective masks ... while safeguarding the sacramental seal [ of Confession ] and the necessary discretion , ” it states .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the diocesan bishop to determine , for his own diocese and relative to the level of the pandemic contagion , when and where there is a grave need for granting general absolution .
It offers as an example the entrance to a hospital ward , saying that the priest ’ s voice should be amplified , so that the faithful can hear him .
The bishops are also asked to consider assembling groups of voluntary “ extraordinary hospital chaplains ” so that they can help “ guarantee the necessary spiritual assistance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be done in consultation with the hospitals and with reference to rules preventing the contagion from spreading .
The document also offered advice to those in a position where it is impossible to receive any form of absolution , counselling them that perfect contrition , coming from a love of God above all else , a sincere wish to be forgiven , and the firm intention of receiving individual confession when it is possible will obtain the forgiveness of sin , “ even mortal sins.
” Finally , the directive noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the history of the Church .
“ The Church has never before experienced so much the power of the communion of saints and lifted up to her Crucified and Risen Lord so many offerings and prayers , in particular the sacrifice of the Holy Mass , celebrated daily , even without the people , by priests , ” it proclaimed .
“ Like a good mother , the Church begs the Lord that humanity will be liberated from such a scourge , invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary , Mother of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her Spouse Saint Joseph , under whose patronage the Church has always walked in the world .
”

PRAYER PLEDGE: Rally around the daily Rosary to stop the coronavirus Sign the petition here.
VATICAN CITY, March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― Pope Francis has granted a plenary indulgence to Catholics directly affected by the coronavirus, upon meeting certain conditions, while the Vatican has clarified that priests can give general absolution to groups of Catholics caught up in the pandemic, as deemed necessary by the local bishop.
The Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary released two documents today, the first announcing a special indulgence for Catholics affected by Covid-19, including the sick, their family members, health workers and anyone who takes care of them “even with prayer”, putting themselves at risk of falling ill. The plenary indulgence, which remits those who fulfill its stipulations from temporal punishment in Purgatory, has the following conditions:
Detachment “from any sin”
Spiritually uniting themselves to the Church through the celebration of Mass, or
Reciting the Holy Rosary, or
The pious practice of the Via Crucis, or
Some other form of devotion, or
Reciting the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and a pious invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Those who avail themselves of this indulgence must offer their demonstration in a spirit of “faith in God and charity towards brethren, with the intent of fulfilling the usual conditions (sacramental confession, reception of Holy Communion, and prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father) as soon as it is possible for them.”
The difficulties in participating in sacramental confession during a pandemic were addressed in the second document released by the Apostolic Penitentiary today.
Titled “Note from the Apostolic Penitentiary regarding the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the current pandemic situation,” the letter discusses physical safeguards for the confessor and the penitent against infection and also the possibility of waiving individual confession in favor of general absolution.
Collective or general absolutions in the Catholic Church are normally strictly reserved for emergency situations, such as an impending disaster or the moments before a battle when a military chaplain has no time to hear individual confessions. When circumstances allow, penitents who receive general absolution should pray an act of contrition, and, when grave sins are involved, should confess them individually as soon as possible.
The document released today reminds Catholics that “even in the Covid-19 period, the sacrament of Reconciliation is administered according to the norms of universal canon law and the instructions of the Ordo Paenitentiae [Order of Penance].” This means that general absolution, the granting of God’s forgiveness to a group of the faithful without a priest hearing their confessions first, will not be permitted without case-by-case decisions by bishops.
“Individual confession represents the ordinary method for the celebration of this sacrament (cf. can 960 CIC), while general absolution, without previous individual confession, cannot be given except where there is immediate danger of death, there not being enough time to hear the confession of the single penitent, or a grave need (cf. can. 961, § 1, 2° CIC), whose consideration belongs to the diocesan bishop, taking into account the criteria agreed upon by the other members of the Episcopal Conference (cf. can. 455, § 2 CIC), and […] the penitent's intention to confess later and in person the serious sins that at the moment he was not able to confess (cf. can. 962, § 1 CIC),” the bulletin reads.
However, because of the coronavirus epidemic, the Apostolic Penitentiary believes that in places where the virus runs rampant and is likely to reoccur, there will be “grave need” for general absolution. However, this is at the discretion of a bishop, and if a priest believes that several faithful should be given general absolution together, his bishop should either be warned or informed “as soon as possible.” This is for the sake of spiritual safety.
Bishops are also responsible for the physical safety of priests and penitents, the document relates.
“In the present pandemic emergency, it is up to the diocesan bishop to indicate to priests and penitents the prudent safeguards for individual celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, such as the celebration in a ventilated place outside the confession box, the adoption of fitting distance, the recourse to protective masks … while safeguarding the sacramental seal [of Confession] and the necessary discretion,” it states.
The document also stipulates that it is up to the diocesan bishop to determine, for his own diocese and relative to the level of the pandemic contagion, when and where there is a grave need for granting general absolution. It offers as an example the entrance to a hospital ward, saying that the priest’s voice should be amplified, so that the faithful can hear him.
The bishops are also asked to consider assembling groups of voluntary “extraordinary hospital chaplains” so that they can help “guarantee the necessary spiritual assistance to the sick and the dying.” This should be done in consultation with the hospitals and with reference to rules preventing the contagion from spreading.
The document also offered advice to those in a position where it is impossible to receive any form of absolution, counselling them that perfect contrition, coming from a love of God above all else, a sincere wish to be forgiven, and the firm intention of receiving individual confession when it is possible will obtain the forgiveness of sin, “even mortal sins.”
Finally, the directive noted that we are in a situation unprecedented in the history of the Church.
“The Church has never before experienced so much the power of the communion of saints and lifted up to her Crucified and Risen Lord so many offerings and prayers, in particular the sacrifice of the Holy Mass, celebrated daily, even without the people, by priests,” it proclaimed.
“Like a good mother, the Church begs the Lord that humanity will be liberated from such a scourge, invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy and Health of the Sick and of her Spouse Saint Joseph, under whose patronage the Church has always walked in the world.”
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Why no one should believe communist China’s claim that coronavirus is under control

March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The Chinese Coronavirus has now spread to a reported 150 countries .
But the rulers of the country where the pandemic started have good news : They have , they declared , won a complete and total victory over the dangerous pathogen .
On Thursday , Chinese propaganda outlets reported that there had been “ no new infections of the novel coronavirus ” in Wuhan , which is ground zero in the global pandemic .
As for China as a whole , they cited the National Health Commission is saying that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Communist Party is now touting its “ success ” in stopping the virus in its tracks is a model for other countries to follow .
“ Learn from China , ” is the latest Party line .
Were all of this true , it would be the fastest end to a pandemic in human history .
It would also be a stirring tribute to the sheer efficiency of Chinese-style socialism and a redemption of sorts for the country that caused the problem in the first place .
But of course it isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sheer fabrication , no sturdier than the shoddy warehouses that were put up in a week to house the victims of the Wuhan virus .
It is just one more piece of Chinese propaganda to add to the ever-growing pile of lies that Beijing has been telling these past three months .
Ask yourselves what is the likelihood that China has actually reduced the number of new cases to zero , as it claims ?
That in the entire 1.3 billion people of China there is not a single new case ?
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening is about the same as the CCP discovering a cure for cancer , establishing a base on Mars , and inventing faster-than-light interstellar travel—all on the same day .
What the Communist leadership of that country did was much simpler .
It simply directed doctors across China to stop diagnosing and reporting new cases of the disease .
Overnight , new cases dropped to zero .
Who needs medicine , when you can just “ cure ” disease by fiat ?
The Beijing regime has worked hard over the past few weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly getting the epidemic under control .
For example , there is evidence that some local jurisdictions have been deliberately underreporting the number of patients who test positive for the virus .
Whether this is being done in response to a national directive , or simply to conform to the official narrative is not clear , but the result has been falling numbers of infected .
Remember the makeshift detention centers masquerading as “ hospitals ” that were built in a week ?
They have all been emptied out in a hurry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while reportedly still testing positive for the disease .
Their continued presence in the centers interfered with the narrative the Party was trying to promote , and so they had to be sent home .
Finally , at least one province is requiring all government offices to destroy all “ documents and data ” they may have received concerning the epidemic .
This , again , is being done so that the official narrative of unbridled success can stand unchallenged .
In Beijing , the hospitals have canceled all elective procedures .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still trying to cope with an influx of coronavirus patients .
There is little doubt that the disease continues to percolate through the population .
The only thing the Party ’ s effort to redeem itself in the eyes of the world has actually accomplished—aside from making hundreds of millions of people roll their eyes—is to make it more difficult for those in China who have the disease to find treatment .
In contrast to the Fake News out of China , there is real news from the United States and its allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shows promise as a possible treatment .
A French study shows that chloroquine and azithromycin ( your common “ Z-Pac ” ) stops the Wuhan virus cold .
Congressman Mark Green , a former flight surgeon , told FOX News ’ Shannan Bream last night that the drug “ cocktail ” “ is very promising .
One hundred percent of the virus gone in six days.
” Chloroquine may not only be effective in treating the Chinese Coronavirus but may also prevent one from catching the disease in the first place .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ many take chloroquine to protect themselves against it .
As the map shows ( view here ) , those African , South American , and South Asian countries that have malaria are reporting almost no cases of the virus .
This suggests that chloroquine might be used to prevent , as well as treat , the disease .
We will see .
I believe , under President Trump 's leadership , we will relatively soon have the Chinese Coronavirus under control in the United States .
We are trying out new treatments daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public-private partnerships to save lives in the U.S. and around the world .
I do not want to minimize the challenge that we now face as a people .
This Chinese Coronavirus can only be defeated if we all work together to protect one another from its spread .
It is a time to put aside our differences and focus on the tiny enemy that is invisible to the human eye .
At the same time , we should never forget that real enemy here is not the virus , but the corrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its evil and incompetence , unleashed this plague upon the world .
If the Chinese Communist Party had simply allowed medical professionals in China and around the world to do their job at the outset of the outbreak , the Chinese Coronavirus could have been confined to Wuhan proper .
Instead , they put politics first , lied to their own people and the world , and they are still lying today .
Everyone who falls ill or dies from the Chinese Coronavirus is a victim of the Chinese Communist Party .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all time .
I hope it will come to be known as the Chinese Communist Party Conronavirus .
One final point : I always knew that the United States would have to save the world from Chinese tyranny at some point .
I just did not imagine that it would be in this way and at this time .
But with God 's help and much prayer , we will prevail .
Steven W. Mosher @ StevenWMosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Threat to World Order .

'It is just one more piece of Chinese propaganda to add to the ever-growing pile of lies that Beijing has been telling these past three months.'
PRAYER PLEDGE: Pres Trump and VP Pence are right. We need prayer to fight coronavirus Sign the petition here.
March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The Chinese Coronavirus has now spread to a reported 150 countries. But the rulers of the country where the pandemic started have good news: They have, they declared, won a complete and total victory over the dangerous pathogen.
On Thursday, Chinese propaganda outlets reported that there had been “no new infections of the novel coronavirus” in Wuhan, which is ground zero in the global pandemic. As for China as a whole, they cited the National Health Commission is saying that “domestic transmissions are zero.”
The Chinese Communist Party is now touting its “success” in stopping the virus in its tracks is a model for other countries to follow. “Learn from China,” is the latest Party line.
Were all of this true, it would be the fastest end to a pandemic in human history. It would also be a stirring tribute to the sheer efficiency of Chinese-style socialism and a redemption of sorts for the country that caused the problem in the first place.
But of course it isn’t true at all. It is sheer fabrication, no sturdier than the shoddy warehouses that were put up in a week to house the victims of the Wuhan virus. It is just one more piece of Chinese propaganda to add to the ever-growing pile of lies that Beijing has been telling these past three months.
Ask yourselves what is the likelihood that China has actually reduced the number of new cases to zero, as it claims? That in the entire 1.3 billion people of China there is not a single new case? I would say that the likelihood of this happening is about the same as the CCP discovering a cure for cancer, establishing a base on Mars, and inventing faster-than-light interstellar travel—all on the same day.
What the Communist leadership of that country did was much simpler. It simply directed doctors across China to stop diagnosing and reporting new cases of the disease. Overnight, new cases dropped to zero.
Who needs medicine, when you can just “cure” disease by fiat?
The Beijing regime has worked hard over the past few weeks to create the narrative that it was quickly getting the epidemic under control. For example, there is evidence that some local jurisdictions have been deliberately underreporting the number of patients who test positive for the virus. Whether this is being done in response to a national directive, or simply to conform to the official narrative is not clear, but the result has been falling numbers of infected.
Remember the makeshift detention centers masquerading as “hospitals” that were built in a week? They have all been emptied out in a hurry, with many of the occupants sent home while reportedly still testing positive for the disease.
Their continued presence in the centers interfered with the narrative the Party was trying to promote, and so they had to be sent home.
Finally, at least one province is requiring all government offices to destroy all “documents and data” they may have received concerning the epidemic. This, again, is being done so that the official narrative of unbridled success can stand unchallenged.
In Beijing, the hospitals have canceled all elective procedures. This, too, suggests that they are still trying to cope with an influx of coronavirus patients.
There is little doubt that the disease continues to percolate through the population.
The only thing the Party’s effort to redeem itself in the eyes of the world has actually accomplished—aside from making hundreds of millions of people roll their eyes—is to make it more difficult for those in China who have the disease to find treatment.
In contrast to the Fake News out of China, there is real news from the United States and its allies. A common anti-malarial drug, chloroquine, shows promise as a possible treatment.
A French study shows that chloroquine and azithromycin (your common “Z-Pac”) stops the Wuhan virus cold. Congressman Mark Green, a former flight surgeon, told FOX News’ Shannan Bream last night that the drug “cocktail” “is very promising. One hundred percent of the virus gone in six days.”
Chloroquine may not only be effective in treating the Chinese Coronavirus but may also prevent one from catching the disease in the first place. In countries where malaria is common, many take chloroquine to protect themselves against it.
As the map shows (view here), those African, South American, and South Asian countries that have malaria are reporting almost no cases of the virus.
This suggests that chloroquine might be used to prevent, as well as treat, the disease. We will see.
I believe, under President Trump's leadership, we will relatively soon have the Chinese Coronavirus under control in the United States. We are trying out new treatments daily, and mobilizing our vast resources in public-private partnerships to save lives in the U.S. and around the world.
I do not want to minimize the challenge that we now face as a people. This Chinese Coronavirus can only be defeated if we all work together to protect one another from its spread. It is a time to put aside our differences and focus on the tiny enemy that is invisible to the human eye.
At the same time, we should never forget that real enemy here is not the virus, but the corrupt and tyrannical political system that, through its evil and incompetence, unleashed this plague upon the world.
If the Chinese Communist Party had simply allowed medical professionals in China and around the world to do their job at the outset of the outbreak, the Chinese Coronavirus could have been confined to Wuhan proper. Instead, they put politics first, lied to their own people and the world, and they are still lying today.
Everyone who falls ill or dies from the Chinese Coronavirus is a victim of the Chinese Communist Party. They will “own” this virus for all time. I hope it will come to be known as the Chinese Communist Party Conronavirus.
One final point: I always knew that the United States would have to save the world from Chinese tyranny at some point. I just did not imagine that it would be in this way and at this time.
But with God's help and much prayer, we will prevail.
Steven W. Mosher @StevenWMosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia: Why China’s Dream is the New Threat to World Order.
Follow Steven Steven Mosher is an internationally recognised authority on China and population issues as well as an acclaimed author and speaker and founder and head of the Population Research Institute. He was the first American social scientist to visit mainland China in 1979 where he witnessed women being forced to have abortion under the new “one-child-policy” which he then exposed to the world. Mr. Mosher was a pro-choice atheist at the time, but witnessing these traumatic abortions led him to reconsider his convictions and to eventually become a practicing, pro-life Roman Catholic. Mosher has appeared numerous times before the US Congress as an expert in world population, China and human Rights abuses. He has also made TV appearances on Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, 20/20, FOX and CNN news, as well as being a regular guest on talk radio shows across the nation. He is the author of the best-selling A Mother’s Ordeal: One woman’s Fight Against China’s One-Child-Policy. His latest book is Bully of Asia, exposing the threat of China to the entire world at this time. Articles by Steve have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, The New Republic, The Washington Post, National Review, Reason, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Freedom Review, Linacre Quarterly, Catholic World Report, Human Life Review, First Things, and numerous other publications. Steven Mosher lives in Virginia with his wife, Vera, and their nine children.
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