thedenverpost--2020-04-27--A flood of business bankruptcies likely in coming months

NEW YORK — The billions of dollars in coronavirus relief targeted at small businesses may not prevent many of them from ending up in bankruptcy court .
Business filings under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy law rose sharply in March , and attorneys who work with struggling companies are seeing signs that more owners are contemplating the possibility of bankruptcy .
Companies forced to close or curtail business due to government attempts to stop the virus ’ s spread have mounting debts and uncertain prospects for returning to normal operations .
Even those owners receiving emergency loans and grants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be enough .
The most vulnerable companies include the thousands of restaurants and retailers that shut down , many of them more than a month ago .
Some restaurants have managed to bring in a bit of revenue by serving meals for takeout and delivery , but even they are struggling financially .
Small and independent retailers , including those with online stores .
are similarly at risk ; clothing retailers have the added problem of winter inventory that they are unlikely to sell with spring here and summer approaching .
Independent oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapse in energy prices also are strapped , as are other companies that were already burdened with high debt levels before the virus struck .
Jennifer Bennett , who closed one of her San Francisco restaurants on Wednesday , was still waiting for the financial aid she sought from the federal , state and city governments .
Even with the money , she doesn ’ t know if the revenue will cover the bills when she ’ s finally able to reopen Zazie — especially if she ’ s required to space tables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our occupancy is going to be cut 60 % to 65 % , ” Bennett says .
“ I fear bankruptcy is a possibility.
” Other small companies have similar anxieties , says Paul Singerman , a bankruptcy attorney with Berger Singerman in Miami .
“ There is no reliable visibility into when business operations will be able to resume the pre-COVID normal , ” Singerman says .
Even larger companies are in trouble , including already struggling retailers who had to shut their stores .
The jeans company True Religion filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying extended closures of its stores in the pandemic have hurt its business .
Recent reports say department store chains Neiman Marcus and J.C. Penney , which has struggled for years with slumping sales , could soon file for bankruptcy protection .
The number of Chapter 11 filings rose 18 percent in March from a year earlier , a dramatic swing from the 20 percent decrease in February , according to the American Bankruptcy Institute , a trade organization for attorneys and other professionals involved in bankruptcy proceedings .
The numbers don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but given that the vast majority of companies are small to mid-size , it does give an indication that smaller companies are struggling .
The federal government has already approved or given out more than 2 million loans and grants to small businesses totaling nearly $ 360 billion ; another $ 310 billion is on the way to one of the programs .
Still , the money may be at best a stopgap for companies with little to no revenue coming in .
And the new funds are expected to go so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t get loans .
There ’ s no way to predict how many companies will file for bankruptcy .
There were over 160,000 bankruptcy filings from 2008 to 2010 , during the Great Recession and its aftermath , according to statistics compiled by the federal court system .
The numbers don ’ t break out filings by company size .
The majority were for liquidations .
although some companies restructured their debt and continued operating under Chapter 11 .
Many companies , however , just shut their doors , and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Singerman says .
According to some estimates , 170,000 companies failed during the recession .
But the Small Business Reorganization Act , which took effect in February , may encourage more companies to seek Chapter 11 .
The law is aimed at allowing owners to retain their ownership rather than lose their companies to their creditors ; that is generally what happens in Chapter 11 .
The law also streamlines the reorganization process so a company is not wiped out by attorneys ’ fees , says Edward Janger , a professor at Brooklyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes bankruptcy law .
Another change under the law is that a bankruptcy judge can approve the reorganization over creditors ’ objections , Janger says .
Business owners will try to avoid bankruptcy by seeking leniency from landlords , lenders and vendors , bankruptcy attorney David Wander says .
But with their companies ’ financial troubles beyond their control because of the virus outbreak , many will file for Chapter 11 because the stigma that bankruptcy has long held will be gone , says Wander , a partner at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to happen in the coming months and it ’ s going to be ongoing , ” Wander says .

NEW YORK — The billions of dollars in coronavirus relief targeted at small businesses may not prevent many of them from ending up in bankruptcy court.
Business filings under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy law rose sharply in March, and attorneys who work with struggling companies are seeing signs that more owners are contemplating the possibility of bankruptcy.
Companies forced to close or curtail business due to government attempts to stop the virus’s spread have mounting debts and uncertain prospects for returning to normal operations. Even those owners receiving emergency loans and grants aren’t sure that help will be enough.
The most vulnerable companies include the thousands of restaurants and retailers that shut down, many of them more than a month ago. Some restaurants have managed to bring in a bit of revenue by serving meals for takeout and delivery, but even they are struggling financially. Small and independent retailers, including those with online stores. are similarly at risk; clothing retailers have the added problem of winter inventory that they are unlikely to sell with spring here and summer approaching.
Independent oil companies whose revenue was slammed by the collapse in energy prices also are strapped, as are other companies that were already burdened with high debt levels before the virus struck.
Jennifer Bennett, who closed one of her San Francisco restaurants on Wednesday, was still waiting for the financial aid she sought from the federal, state and city governments. Even with the money, she doesn’t know if the revenue will cover the bills when she’s finally able to reopen Zazie — especially if she’s required to space tables six feet apart for social distancing.
“Our occupancy is going to be cut 60% to 65%,” Bennett says. “I fear bankruptcy is a possibility.”
Other small companies have similar anxieties, says Paul Singerman, a bankruptcy attorney with Berger Singerman in Miami.
“There is no reliable visibility into when business operations will be able to resume the pre-COVID normal,” Singerman says.
Even larger companies are in trouble, including already struggling retailers who had to shut their stores.
The jeans company True Religion filed for Chapter 11 earlier this month, saying extended closures of its stores in the pandemic have hurt its business. Recent reports say department store chains Neiman Marcus and J.C. Penney, which has struggled for years with slumping sales, could soon file for bankruptcy protection.
The number of Chapter 11 filings rose 18 percent in March from a year earlier, a dramatic swing from the 20 percent decrease in February, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute, a trade organization for attorneys and other professionals involved in bankruptcy proceedings. The numbers don’t break out filings by company size, but given that the vast majority of companies are small to mid-size, it does give an indication that smaller companies are struggling.
The federal government has already approved or given out more than 2 million loans and grants to small businesses totaling nearly $360 billion; another $310 billion is on the way to one of the programs. Still, the money may be at best a stopgap for companies with little to no revenue coming in. And the new funds are expected to go so quickly that thousands of owners won’t get loans.
There’s no way to predict how many companies will file for bankruptcy. There were over 160,000 bankruptcy filings from 2008 to 2010, during the Great Recession and its aftermath, according to statistics compiled by the federal court system. The numbers don’t break out filings by company size. The majority were for liquidations. although some companies restructured their debt and continued operating under Chapter 11.
Many companies, however, just shut their doors, and that’s likely to be the case again, Singerman says. According to some estimates, 170,000 companies failed during the recession.
But the Small Business Reorganization Act, which took effect in February, may encourage more companies to seek Chapter 11. The law is aimed at allowing owners to retain their ownership rather than lose their companies to their creditors; that is generally what happens in Chapter 11. The law also streamlines the reorganization process so a company is not wiped out by attorneys’ fees, says Edward Janger, a professor at Brooklyn Law School in New York whose expertise includes bankruptcy law.
Another change under the law is that a bankruptcy judge can approve the reorganization over creditors’ objections, Janger says.
Business owners will try to avoid bankruptcy by seeking leniency from landlords, lenders and vendors, bankruptcy attorney David Wander says. But with their companies’ financial troubles beyond their control because of the virus outbreak, many will file for Chapter 11 because the stigma that bankruptcy has long held will be gone, says Wander, a partner at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron in New York.
“The tsunami is going to happen in the coming months and it’s going to be ongoing,” Wander says.


thedenverpost--2020-04-26--Jay Cutler, Kristin Cavallari getting divorced after 7 years of marriage

CHICAGO — Reality TV star Kristin Cavallari and former Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler are getting divorced .
Cavallari announced Sunday in an Instagram post that the couple are breaking up after seven years of marriage and a decade together .
• Grading each AFC team ’ s haul in the 2020 NFL draft • Broncos agree to terms with undrafted college free agents , including more depth at offensive line and quarterback • Broncos rookie Jerry Jeudy could be better in the NFL than he was at Alabama , coaches say • Broncos Insider : Jerry Jeudy proves his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roger Goodell ’ s • Pac-12 winners , losers , trends and takeaways from the 2020 NFL Draft “ We have nothing but love and respect for one another and are deeply grateful for the years shared , memories made , and the children we are so proud of , ” she wrote in a post accompanied by a photo of the two walking with their arms around each other .
Cutler played 12 seasons in the NFL with Denver , Chicago and Miami .
He was with the Bears from 2009-2016 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laguna Beach : The Real Orange County , ” which debuted in 2004 .
Her E !
Network series “ Very Cavallari ” following her life and marriage premiered in 2018 .
Cavallari and Cutler have three young children — two sons and a daughter .

CHICAGO — Reality TV star Kristin Cavallari and former Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler are getting divorced.
Cavallari announced Sunday in an Instagram post that the couple are breaking up after seven years of marriage and a decade together.
“We have nothing but love and respect for one another and are deeply grateful for the years shared, memories made, and the children we are so proud of,” she wrote in a post accompanied by a photo of the two walking with their arms around each other.
Cutler played 12 seasons in the NFL with Denver, Chicago and Miami. He was with the Bears from 2009-2016.
Cavallari gained fame on the series “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County,” which debuted in 2004. Her E! Network series “Very Cavallari” following her life and marriage premiered in 2018.
Cavallari and Cutler have three young children — two sons and a daughter.


thedenverpost--2020-04-26--Colorado retailers can open for curbside pickup Monday, new executive order says as stay-at-home exp

Colorado retailers can open for curbside pickup Monday, new executive order says as stay-at-home expires

Gov .
Jared Polis issued an executive order Sunday afternoon cementing rules for how Colorado will operate after the statewide coronavirus stay-at-home order expires at midnight .
The governor said Coloradans should continue to wear face masks and stay home as much as possible in a new phase he is calling “ safer at home.
” “ Together , Coloradans have been effective in leveling and flattening the curve , but life will remain much more dangerous than usual these next few months … , ” he said in a statement .
“ We all have a personal responsibility to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must find a way of living that is psychologically and economically sustainable for Coloradans.
” Retailers will be allowed to open for curbside pickup Monday and elective surgeries can resume .
Retailers and personal businesses such as hair salons can open to in-store customers Friday as long as they follow social distancing guidelines .
Bars and restaurants will initially stay closed except for takeout and delivery .
These rules are for counties that haven ’ t opted to keep stricter stay-at-home rules in place or received waivers from the state to loosen their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arapahoe , Jefferson and Boulder counties have all extended their local stay-at-home orders through May 8 .
Polis will hold a press conference Monday at 1:30 p.m. to further discuss the new guidelines , spokesman Conor Cahill said in a statement Sunday .
This story will be updated .
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

Colorado shops outside metro Denver can reopen for curbside pickup, real estate agents can show homes, and surgeries can resume Monday after Gov. Jared Polis on Sunday ordered a shift from “stay at home” to “safer at home.”
But Coloradans still should stay home as much as possible and wear face masks in public, Polis stressed.
Residents “have been effective” in slowing the spread of COVID-19, he said in a statement announcing three new executive orders just hours before a statewide stay-at-home order expired. “But life will remain much more dangerous than usual these next few months. …. We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread of the virus and must find a way of living that is psychologically and economically sustainable for Coloradans.”
Polis’ loosening of restrictions doesn’t apply in Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson and Boulder counties, where local authorities have extended stay-home orders through May 8.
State public health officials in recent weeks have said they are worried about a resurgence of COVID-19 between July and fall, when the seasonal flu typically turns up.
Colorado’s total confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 13,441 on Sunday and deaths rose to 680. Currently, 2,438 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide with “451 adult critical care ventilators in use” and 143 outbreaks inside facilities, state health officials said. Nationwide, the numbers rose to 939,000 cases and 53,000 deaths.
The challenge in a phased reopening of the state, Polis said in issuing the executive orders, will be finding and settling into a way of living that can be sustained over several months. The new order expires in late May, but he said it could be extended.
Starting Monday, potential homebuyers can resume viewing homes in person, and retailers can make sales with curbside pickup. Medical, dental and veterinary procedures can resume, following safety protocols.
On Friday, retail businesses can open as long as they implement guidelines to ensure physical distancing, the orders say.
On May 4, offices can reopen at 50% capacity if safety practices are ensured. The orders encourage businesses to rely on remote work when possible.
Still, many facilities shut down over the past six weeks must stay shut, including gyms, spas and nightclubs.
Under the orders, local governments can impose stricter rules to slow the spread of the virus and protect communities, as Denver and surrounding suburbs have done.
Local governments also can relax rules under the new state orders — if they prove to state officials that COVID-19 infection rates have declined over 14 days. Local officials would have to apply to the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment and include a plan approved by a local public health authority, local hospitals and elected officials. Eagle County has applied for and received permission for a relaxation of restrictions.
In Weld County, which has been hit hard with more than 1,200 confirmed cases and 69 deaths, local officials have said some businesses may reopen Monday in defiance of the governor’s orders.
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-04-26--COVID diaries Colorado: Denver City and County Building

Denver Post journalists joined colleagues from more than 40 news organizations across Colorado in a collaborative effort , COVID diaries Colorado : A day in the pandemic .
The project ’ s goal : To describe life on April 16 to show how much has changed in such a short amount of time as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
This is one of The Denver Post ’ s vignettes .
Read the full collaboration here .
Speaking in a basement room of a mostly quiet City and County building , Denver Mayor Michael Hancock told a dozen Emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others watching online that citizens need the safety and security only they can provide .
Hancock ’ s days are filled with meetings .
Questions and concerns pile up with each one .
More residents are ignoring the stay-at-home order he put in place through the end of April to control the spread of the virus .
How can Denver ease restrictions equitably ?
Will businesses hurt more if they open at half capacity ?
Should there be a curfew ?
The city government , like public agencies across Colorado , faces a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutdowns and potential furloughs of employees and other steps .
“ In every challenge , the people are looking for that group of people who are going to stand up and fight on their behalf , ” Hancock said .
“ We ’ re the people .
We ’ re the ones .
”

Denver Post journalists joined colleagues from more than 40 news organizations across Colorado in a collaborative effort, COVID diaries Colorado: A day in the pandemic. The project’s goal: To describe life on April 16 to show how much has changed in such a short amount of time as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
This is one of The Denver Post’s vignettes. Read the full collaboration here.
9:10 a.m.: Denver City and County Building
Speaking in a basement room of a mostly quiet City and County building, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock told a dozen Emergency Operations Center staff gathered before him and others watching online that citizens need the safety and security only they can provide.
Hancock’s days are filled with meetings. Questions and concerns pile up with each one.
More residents are ignoring the stay-at-home order he put in place through the end of April to control the spread of the virus. How can Denver ease restrictions equitably? Will businesses hurt more if they open at half capacity? Should there be a curfew?
The city government, like public agencies across Colorado, faces a dire loss of tax revenue from virus-prompted shutdowns and potential furloughs of employees and other steps.
“In every challenge, the people are looking for that group of people who are going to stand up and fight on their behalf,” Hancock said. “We’re the people. We’re the ones.”


thedenverpost--2020-04-26--Leprino Foods shuts down Fort Morgan plant amid “high number” of coronavirus cases

Leprino Foods shut down its Fort Morgan cheese plant Sunday after a “ high number ” of employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus , including asymptomatic workers .
The cheese plant will remain closed for at least five days so all employees can be tested and the facility can be cleaned , director of communications Kim DeVigil said in a statement Saturday .
About 350 people work at the cheese factory ; DeVigil declined to say Sunday how many had tested positive for COVID-19 , citing ongoing testing .
Testing began April 19 and continued throughout the week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been tested were to do so on Sunday , DeVigil said , with the goal of testing all plant employees by Monday .
Employees who would be at work but for the shutdown will be paid , DeVigil said , and employees older than 65 will be paid but asked to stay home from work until further notice .
DeVigil said the company ’ s testing at the plant was proactive , based on “ risk assessments ” and the spread of coronavirus in the community .
The testing was carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado Health Department .
DeVigil said the plant is checking employees ’ temperatures when they arrive and screening employees for symptoms , as well as adjusting “ attendance guidelines ” to ensure sick workers stay home .
All plant workers are required to wear a nose and mouth covering at all times , she said in the statement , and practice social distancing while on the job .
Sanitation at the plant has been increased , she said .
The plant ’ s closure follows the nine-day closure of the JBS beef plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are believed to have contracted COVID-19 .
That plant reopened Friday .
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox .

Leprino Foods shut down its Fort Morgan cheese plant Sunday after a “high number” of employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus, including asymptomatic workers.
The cheese plant will remain closed for at least five days so all employees can be tested and the facility can be cleaned, director of communications Kim DeVigil said in a statement Saturday.
About 350 people work at the cheese factory; DeVigil declined to say Sunday how many had tested positive for COVID-19, citing ongoing testing. Testing began April 19 and continued throughout the week, she said. Those employees who have not been tested were to do so on Sunday, DeVigil said, with the goal of testing all plant employees by Monday.
Employees who would be at work but for the shutdown will be paid, DeVigil said, and employees older than 65 will be paid but asked to stay home from work until further notice.
DeVigil said the company’s testing at the plant was proactive, based on “risk assessments” and the spread of coronavirus in the community. The testing was carried out on site with help from the Northeast Colorado Health Department.
DeVigil said the plant is checking employees’ temperatures when they arrive and screening employees for symptoms, as well as adjusting “attendance guidelines” to ensure sick workers stay home.
All plant workers are required to wear a nose and mouth covering at all times, she said in the statement, and practice social distancing while on the job. Sanitation at the plant has been increased, she said.
The plant’s closure follows the nine-day closure of the JBS beef plant in Greeley, where several hundred workers are believed to have contracted COVID-19. That plant reopened Friday.
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.


thedenverpost--2020-04-26--COVID diaries Colorado: Work & Class restaurant in Denver

Denver Post journalists joined colleagues from more than 40 news organizations across Colorado in a collaborative effort , COVID diaries Colorado : A day in the pandemic .
The project ’ s goal : To describe life on April 16 to show how much has changed in such a short amount of time as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
This is one of The Denver Post ’ s vignettes .
Read the full collaboration here .
By the time Tabatha Knop walked into her Larimer Street restaurant , her chefs had been there an hour , making carnitas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ venture out that day in the snow .
Knop ’ s schedule hadn ’ t changed much from five weeks ago , but her team had .
In early March , business was thrumming six nights a week for the destination-dinner spot .
Work & Class ’ motto has always been “ square meal , stiff drink , fair price.
” It sits across the street from sister restaurant Super Mega Bien , which Knop and her business partners shuttered for the duration of the coronavirus shutdown after laying off 57 employees in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve stopped counting the days , really ; we ’ re mostly just counting the weeks , ” Knop said .
“ Every day feels the same , sort of , at this point.
” The team on Friday would deliver 91 burritos to families in Curtis Park through that neighborhood association ’ s Meal Train .
Saturday ’ s orders included 200 meals for Swedish Medical Center .
Knop said a few more of her cooks volunteered to help with evening prep .
Even with Super Mega Bien closed , Knop was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nights prior , a window at the entrance was broken around 1 a.m. , “ but thank God ( whoever did it ) was not able to get in , ” Knop said .

Denver Post journalists joined colleagues from more than 40 news organizations across Colorado in a collaborative effort, COVID diaries Colorado: A day in the pandemic. The project’s goal: To describe life on April 16 to show how much has changed in such a short amount of time as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
This is one of The Denver Post’s vignettes. Read the full collaboration here.
7 a.m.: Work & Class restaurant in Denver
By the time Tabatha Knop walked into her Larimer Street restaurant, her chefs had been there an hour, making carnitas to fill breakfast burritos for whoever would venture out that day in the snow.
Knop’s schedule hadn’t changed much from five weeks ago, but her team had. In early March, business was thrumming six nights a week for the destination-dinner spot.
Work & Class’ motto has always been “square meal, stiff drink, fair price.” It sits across the street from sister restaurant Super Mega Bien, which Knop and her business partners shuttered for the duration of the coronavirus shutdown after laying off 57 employees in a single day.
“We’ve stopped counting the days, really; we’re mostly just counting the weeks,” Knop said. “Every day feels the same, sort of, at this point.”
The team on Friday would deliver 91 burritos to families in Curtis Park through that neighborhood association’s Meal Train. Saturday’s orders included 200 meals for Swedish Medical Center. Knop said a few more of her cooks volunteered to help with evening prep.
Even with Super Mega Bien closed, Knop was dealing with unexpected costs there. Two nights prior, a window at the entrance was broken around 1 a.m., “but thank God (whoever did it) was not able to get in,” Knop said.


thedenverpost--2020-04-26--Earth’s insect population shrinks by 27% in 30 years, according to study

KENSINGTON , Maryland — The world has lost more than one quarter of its land-dwelling insects in the past 30 years , according to researchers whose big picture study of global bug decline paints a disturbing but more nuanced problem than earlier research .
From bees and other pollinators crucial to the world ’ s food supply to butterflies that beautify places , the bugs are disappearing at a rate of just under 1 % a year , with lots of variation from place to place , according to a study in Thursday ’ s journal Science .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by some smaller localized studies , which had triggered fears of a so-called insect apocalypse .
But it still adds up to something “ awfully alarming , ” said entomologist Roel van Klink of the German Centre for Integrative Biology , the study ’ s lead author .
“ The decline across insect orders on land is jaw dropping , ” said Michigan State University butterfly expert Nick Haddad , who wasn ’ t part of the study .
“ Ongoing decline on land at this rate will be catastrophic for ecological systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , natural enemies of pests , decomposers and besides that , are critical to functioning of all Earth ’ s ecosystems.
” Insect declines are worst in North America , especially the Midwestern United States , and in parts of Europe , but the drop appears to be leveling off in the U.S. in recent years , said the study that pulled together earlier research on more than 10,000 species with data from 1,676 locations .
The Midwest lost 4 % of its bugs a year .
The big global losses seem to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ croplands , where bugs are losing their food and habitat , van Klink said .
University of Delaware entomologist Douglas Tallamy , who wasn ’ t part of the study , said he would drive through the Midwest where there were supposed to be lots of butterflies and other insects but would see only corn and soybeans in an insect desert .
Some outside scientists said the results made sense , but worried that the study lacked research and data from some large areas , such as the tropics and Africa .
Co-author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tracked butterflies for more than 30 years , recalled that when driving around Wisconsin a few decades ago , she would “ look out in a field and you ’ d see all these Sulphur butterflies around .
I can ’ t think of the last time that I ’ ve seen that.
” The study detailed quite different losses from place to place and from decade to decade .
That tells scientists that “ we ’ re not looking for a single stressor or we ’ re not looking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same way , ” said University of Connecticut insect expert David Wagner , who wasn ’ t part of the study .
What ’ s happening , he said , is “ absolutely intolerable.
” Van Klink didn ’ t find a link to climate change in the insect loss .
But he did see an overarching theme of creeping urbanization , which absorbs land where insects live and eat , and general loss of habitat from farming that takes away weeds and flowers bugs need .
While land bugs were dwindling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dragonflies and mosquitoes , are increasing at more than 1 % a year , the study found .
That ’ s faster than land bugs were disappearing .
But those thriving freshwater insects are a tiny percentage of bugs in the world .
That improvement of freshwater species , likely because rivers and streams got cleaner , shows hope , scientists said .
Swengel said she saw another sign of hope on a cloudy day last year in Wisconsin : she and her husband counted 3,848 monarchs , reflecting recent local efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ butterfly .
“ It was absolutely magnificent , ” she said .
“ It ’ s not too late.
” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

KENSINGTON, Maryland — The world has lost more than one quarter of its land-dwelling insects in the past 30 years, according to researchers whose big picture study of global bug decline paints a disturbing but more nuanced problem than earlier research.
From bees and other pollinators crucial to the world’s food supply to butterflies that beautify places, the bugs are disappearing at a rate of just under 1% a year, with lots of variation from place to place, according to a study in Thursday’s journal Science.
That’s a tinier population decline than found by some smaller localized studies, which had triggered fears of a so-called insect apocalypse. But it still adds up to something “awfully alarming,” said entomologist Roel van Klink of the German Centre for Integrative Biology, the study’s lead author.
“The decline across insect orders on land is jaw dropping,” said Michigan State University butterfly expert Nick Haddad, who wasn’t part of the study. “Ongoing decline on land at this rate will be catastrophic for ecological systems and for humans. Insects are pollinators, natural enemies of pests, decomposers and besides that, are critical to functioning of all Earth’s ecosystems.”
Insect declines are worst in North America, especially the Midwestern United States, and in parts of Europe, but the drop appears to be leveling off in the U.S. in recent years, said the study that pulled together earlier research on more than 10,000 species with data from 1,676 locations.
The Midwest lost 4% of its bugs a year. The big global losses seem to be around urban and suburban areas and croplands, where bugs are losing their food and habitat, van Klink said.
University of Delaware entomologist Douglas Tallamy, who wasn’t part of the study, said he would drive through the Midwest where there were supposed to be lots of butterflies and other insects but would see only corn and soybeans in an insect desert.
Some outside scientists said the results made sense, but worried that the study lacked research and data from some large areas, such as the tropics and Africa.
Co-author Ann Swengel, a citizen scientist who’s tracked butterflies for more than 30 years, recalled that when driving around Wisconsin a few decades ago, she would “look out in a field and you’d see all these Sulphur butterflies around. I can’t think of the last time that I’ve seen that.”
The study detailed quite different losses from place to place and from decade to decade. That tells scientists that “we’re not looking for a single stressor or we’re not looking a global phenomenon that is stressing insects in the same way,” said University of Connecticut insect expert David Wagner, who wasn’t part of the study. What’s happening, he said, is “absolutely intolerable.”
Van Klink didn’t find a link to climate change in the insect loss. But he did see an overarching theme of creeping urbanization, which absorbs land where insects live and eat, and general loss of habitat from farming that takes away weeds and flowers bugs need.
While land bugs were dwindling, freshwater insects, such as mayflies, dragonflies and mosquitoes, are increasing at more than 1% a year, the study found. That’s faster than land bugs were disappearing. But those thriving freshwater insects are a tiny percentage of bugs in the world.
That improvement of freshwater species, likely because rivers and streams got cleaner, shows hope, scientists said.
Swengel said she saw another sign of hope on a cloudy day last year in Wisconsin: she and her husband counted 3,848 monarchs, reflecting recent local efforts to improve habitat for the colorful migrating butterfly.
“It was absolutely magnificent,” she said. “It’s not too late.”
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.


thedenverpost--2020-04-26--Grading each AFC team’s haul in the 2020 NFL draft

A recap of the weekend ’ s virtual NFL draft for all 16 AFC teams : A — Doesn ’ t it feel like the Ravens should be penciled in for an A every year ?
In LB Patrick Queen ( No .
28 ) , RB J.K. Dobbins ( No .
55 ) and DT Justin Madubuike ( No .
71 ) , Baltimore improved its ability to run the ball and stop the run .
Always a winning strategy .
Third-round WR Devin Duvernay was third in the FBS with 106 receptions in 2019 .
B-minus — Buffalo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for WR Stefon Diggs , but GM Brandon Beane continued to strengthen an already impressive roster over the weekend .
A.J .
Epenesa ( 26 1/2 sacks in college ) filled the Bills ’ most-pressing need at edge rusher , and Zack Moss ( 4,067 career rushing yards ) is a solid , sturdy running back to pair with the shifty Devin Singletary .
A — Cincinnati ’ s draft ( and future ) will be defined by the success of QB Joe Burrow , but WR Tee Higgins ( second round ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and DE Khalid Kareem ( fifth ) were tremendous value picks .
B — It ’ s about to be put-up-or-shut-up time for QB Baker Mayfield , who will now have first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr. at left tackle and free-agent acquisition Jack Conklin at right tackle .
TEs Harrison Bryant ( fourth round ) and Austin Hooper will challenge opposing defenses , too .
But is Mayfield any good ?
B-plus — GM John Elway was tired of watching a punchless Broncos offense and now has one of the more impressive collections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Elway was enamored with WR KJ Hamler ’ s speed out of the slot , but his selection was a bit curious after adding Jerry Jeudy in the first round .
Still on the board at No .
46 were CBs Jaylon Johnson and Trevon Diggs , and the Broncos reached for CB Michael Ojemudia one round later .
F — Who could have guessed Bill O ’ Brien would be the first coach to lose his cool on live TV as the draft unfolded ?
Oh , that ’ s right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 14.4 yards per catch each of the last two seasons at Rhode Island ) will do more to replace DeAndre Hopkins in the coming seasons than the recently acquired Brandin Cooks .
Nothing too impressive otherwise .
B-plus — The Colts took a fourth-round gamble on QB Jacob Eason and will see if he can be a long-term option after Philip Rivers finishes his cameo .
Our answer : Nope .
But before that , they added three dependable , starter-quality players in WR Michael Pittman Jr. , RB Jonathan Taylor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fine haul .
C — The Jaguars have had nothing but drama surrounding top players of late , so it ’ s no surprise they put such an emphasis on high-character draft picks .
But did they do enough to improve an offense that averaged a pitiful 18.8 points per game last season ?
Answer : No .
Colorado WR Laviska Shenault Jr. was the only skill player taken in the first four rounds .
Is it time to Tank for Trevor ?
B-plus — Only five NFL running backs caught 75 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCaffrey ( 116 ) , Austin Ekeler ( 92 ) , Alvin Kamara ( 81 ) , Tarik Cohen ( 79 ) and Leonard Fournette ( 76 ) .
It won ’ t be long before Clyde Edwards-Helaire is in that company .
Best of luck to Vic Fangio and everyone else trying to slow that Chiefs offense .
D — You know the late Al Davis was applauding Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden for making the speedy Henry Ruggs III the first receiver chosen , but that selection along with CB Damon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
WR Bryan Edwards ( third round ) and CB Amik Robertson ( fourth round ) could end up being better players .
B-minus — The Chargers ’ draft was all about new face of the franchise Justin Herbert , who will likely learn behind QB Tyrod Taylor for at least half a season .
High marks for trading second- and third-round picks to get back into the first round and select LB Kenneth Murray , who had 257 tackles over the past two seasons .
A-minus — The Dolphins got their guy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in LT Austin Jackson ( No .
18 ) and CB Noah Igbinoghene ( No .
30 ) .
DE Justin Strowbridge was also a nice fifth-round pick-up in a productive draft .
But let ’ s be real : Miami ’ s future is now in Tua Tagovailoa ’ s left hand .
C — Such a Patriots draft .
Trade out of the first round and stockpile picks ( three apiece in the third and sixth rounds ) .
Choosing two tight ends ( Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene ) could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to tailor his offense in the post-Tom Brady era .
B-plus — A bunch of quality selections .
WR Denzel Mims ( second round ) , DE Jabari Zuniga ( third round ) and CB Bryce Hall ( fifth round ) should all outplay their draft positions .
One nitpick : The Jets should have gotten more help for QB Sam Darnold with the 125th pick ( WR Gabriel Davis and TE Colby Parkinson both went in the next eight picks ) instead of drafting his backup in James Morgan .
B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest Steelers receiver to be drafted outside of the first round and flourish .
He ’ s big with strong hands and knows how to attack the football .
Speaking of attacking , adding edge rusher Alex Highsmith to the T.J. Watt/Bud Dupree tandem is just plain scary .
B-minus — The Titans plugged holes at right tackle with Isaiah Wilson ( first round ) and cornerback with Kristian Fulton ( second ) .
Fulton is among the most-talented players in this draft .
Darrynton Evans will be a nice complement to @ @ @ @ @ @

A recap of the weekend’s virtual NFL draft for all 16 AFC teams:
A — Doesn’t it feel like the Ravens should be penciled in for an A every year? In LB Patrick Queen (No. 28), RB J.K. Dobbins (No. 55) and DT Justin Madubuike (No. 71), Baltimore improved its ability to run the ball and stop the run. Always a winning strategy. Third-round WR Devin Duvernay was third in the FBS with 106 receptions in 2019.
B-minus — Buffalo’s big offseason swing was trading for WR Stefon Diggs, but GM Brandon Beane continued to strengthen an already impressive roster over the weekend. A.J. Epenesa (26 1/2 sacks in college) filled the Bills’ most-pressing need at edge rusher, and Zack Moss (4,067 career rushing yards) is a solid, sturdy running back to pair with the shifty Devin Singletary.
A — Cincinnati’s draft (and future) will be defined by the success of QB Joe Burrow, but WR Tee Higgins (second round), LB Akeem Davis-Gaither (fourth) and DE Khalid Kareem (fifth) were tremendous value picks.
B — It’s about to be put-up-or-shut-up time for QB Baker Mayfield, who will now have first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr. at left tackle and free-agent acquisition Jack Conklin at right tackle. TEs Harrison Bryant (fourth round) and Austin Hooper will challenge opposing defenses, too. But is Mayfield any good?
B-plus — GM John Elway was tired of watching a punchless Broncos offense and now has one of the more impressive collections of talent this side of Kansas City. Elway was enamored with WR KJ Hamler’s speed out of the slot, but his selection was a bit curious after adding Jerry Jeudy in the first round. Still on the board at No. 46 were CBs Jaylon Johnson and Trevon Diggs, and the Broncos reached for CB Michael Ojemudia one round later.
F — Who could have guessed Bill O’Brien would be the first coach to lose his cool on live TV as the draft unfolded? Oh, that’s right … everyone. Fifth-round WR Isaiah Coulter (14.4 yards per catch each of the last two seasons at Rhode Island) will do more to replace DeAndre Hopkins in the coming seasons than the recently acquired Brandin Cooks. Nothing too impressive otherwise.
B-plus — The Colts took a fourth-round gamble on QB Jacob Eason and will see if he can be a long-term option after Philip Rivers finishes his cameo. Our answer: Nope. But before that, they added three dependable, starter-quality players in WR Michael Pittman Jr., RB Jonathan Taylor and S Julian Blackmon. That’s a fine haul.
C — The Jaguars have had nothing but drama surrounding top players of late, so it’s no surprise they put such an emphasis on high-character draft picks. But did they do enough to improve an offense that averaged a pitiful 18.8 points per game last season? Answer: No. Colorado WR Laviska Shenault Jr. was the only skill player taken in the first four rounds. Is it time to Tank for Trevor?
B-plus — Only five NFL running backs caught 75 or more passes last season: Christian McCaffrey (116), Austin Ekeler (92), Alvin Kamara (81), Tarik Cohen (79) and Leonard Fournette (76). It won’t be long before Clyde Edwards-Helaire is in that company. Best of luck to Vic Fangio and everyone else trying to slow that Chiefs offense.
Las Vegas Raiders
D — You know the late Al Davis was applauding Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden for making the speedy Henry Ruggs III the first receiver chosen, but that selection along with CB Damon Arnette at No. 19 felt premature. WR Bryan Edwards (third round) and CB Amik Robertson (fourth round) could end up being better players.
L.A. Chargers
B-minus — The Chargers’ draft was all about new face of the franchise Justin Herbert, who will likely learn behind QB Tyrod Taylor for at least half a season. High marks for trading second- and third-round picks to get back into the first round and select LB Kenneth Murray, who had 257 tackles over the past two seasons.
A-minus — The Dolphins got their guy at quarterback and added some interesting pieces in LT Austin Jackson (No. 18) and CB Noah Igbinoghene (No. 30). DE Justin Strowbridge was also a nice fifth-round pick-up in a productive draft. But let’s be real: Miami’s future is now in Tua Tagovailoa’s left hand.
C — Such a Patriots draft. Trade out of the first round and stockpile picks (three apiece in the third and sixth rounds). Choosing two tight ends (Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene) could be a peek into how Bill Belichick plans to tailor his offense in the post-Tom Brady era.
N.Y. Jets
B-plus — A bunch of quality selections. WR Denzel Mims (second round), DE Jabari Zuniga (third round) and CB Bryce Hall (fifth round) should all outplay their draft positions. One nitpick: The Jets should have gotten more help for QB Sam Darnold with the 125th pick (WR Gabriel Davis and TE Colby Parkinson both went in the next eight picks) instead of drafting his backup in James Morgan.
B — Expect to see Chase Claypool become the latest Steelers receiver to be drafted outside of the first round and flourish. He’s big with strong hands and knows how to attack the football. Speaking of attacking, adding edge rusher Alex Highsmith to the T.J. Watt/Bud Dupree tandem is just plain scary.
B-minus — The Titans plugged holes at right tackle with Isaiah Wilson (first round) and cornerback with Kristian Fulton (second). Fulton is among the most-talented players in this draft. Darrynton Evans will be a nice complement to Derrick Henry at running back.


thedenverpost--2020-04-26--As coronavirus lockdown eases, Italy ponders what went wrong

ROME — As Italy prepares to emerge from the West ’ s first and most extensive coronavirus lockdown , it is increasingly clear that something went terribly wrong in Lombardy , the hardest-hit region in Europe ’ s hardest-hit country .
Italy had the bad luck of being the first Western nation to be slammed by the outbreak , and its total of 26,600 fatalities lags behind only the U.S. in the global death toll .
Italy ’ s first homegrown case was recorded Feb. 21 , at a time when the World Health Organization was still insisting the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as infectious as the flu .
But there ’ s also evidence that demographics and health care deficiencies combined with political and business interests to expose the 10 million people in the northern Italian region of Lombardy in ways unseen anywhere else , particularly the most vulnerable in nursing homes .
Virologists and epidemiologists say what went wrong there will be studied for years , given how the outbreak overwhelmed a medical system considered one of Europe ’ s best .
In neighboring Veneto , the impact was significantly more controlled .
Prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame for the hundreds of dead in nursing homes , many of whom aren ’ t even counted in Lombardy ’ s official death toll of 13,325 .
By contrast , Lombardy ’ s front-line doctors and nurses are being hailed as heroes for risking their lives to treat the sick under extraordinary levels of stress , exhaustion , isolation and fear .
Even after Italy registered its first homegrown case , doctors didn ’ t understand the unusual way COVID-19 could present itself , with some patients experiencing a rapid decline in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was clinical information we didn ’ t have , ” said Dr. Maurizio Marvisi , a pneumologist at the San Camillo private clinic in hard-hit Cremona .
Because Lombardy ’ s intensive care units were filling up within days of Italy ’ s first cases , many primary care physicians tried to treat and monitor their patients at home , even putting them on supplemental oxygen .
That strategy proved deadly , since many people died at home or soon after being hospitalized , having waited too long to call an ambulance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ care in part because of its low ICU capacity : After years of budget cuts , Italy went into the emergency with 8.6 ICU beds per 100,000 people , below the average of 15.9 within the developed countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development .
As a result , Italy ’ s primary care physicians became the front-line filter of COVID-19 patients , an army of mostly self-employed general practitioners who work outside the public hospital system .
Since only those showing strong symptoms were being tested because Lombardy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these family doctors didn ’ t know if they themselves were positive , much less their patients .
The doctors also had no guidelines on when to admit the sick or refer them to specialists and didn ’ t have the same access to protective equipment as hospitals .
Some 20,000 Italian medical personnel have been infected and 150 doctors have died .
Two days after Italy registered its first case in the Lombardy province of Lodi , sparking a quarantine in 10 towns , another positive case was registered more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alzano in the province of Bergamo .
By March 2 , the Superior Institute of Health recommended Alzano and nearby Nembro be sealed off like the Lodi towns .
But political authorities never implemented that recommendation , allowing the infection to spread for a second week until all of Lombardy was locked down March 7 .
Asked why he didn ’ t seal off Bergamo province sooner , Premier Giuseppe Conte argued that Lombardy ’ s regional government could have done so on its own .
Lombardy ’ s governor , Attilio Fontana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ ’ it was made by both .
I don ’ t think that there was blame in this situation.
’ Lombardy has one-sixth of Italy ’ s 60 million people and is the most densely populated region , home to the business capital in Milan and the country ’ s industrial heartland .
Lombardy also has more people over 65 than any other region , as well as 20 % of Italy ’ s nursing homes , a demographic time bomb for COVID-19 infections .
“ Clearly , with the benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total shutdown in Lombardy , everyone at home and no one moves , ” said Andrea Crisanti , a microbiologist and virologist advising Veneto ’ s regional government .
But he acknowledged how hard that was , given Lombardy ’ s outsize role in Italy ’ s economy .
“ Probably for political reasons , it wasn ’ t done , ” he told reporters .
Unions and mayors of some of Lombardy ’ s hardest-hit cities now say the country ’ s main industrial lobby group , Confindustria , put enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , claiming the economic cost would be too great in a region responsible for 21 % of Italy ’ s GDP .
On Feb. 28 , a week into Italy ’ s outbreak and well after more than 100 cases had been registered in Bergamo , the province ’ s branch of Confindustria launched a social media campaign aimed at reassuring skittish investors .
It insisted the outbreak was no worse than elsewhere and that production in provincial steel mills and other industries were unaffected .
Even after the national government locked down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed factories to stay open , sparking strikes from workers worried that their health was being sacrificed .
“ It was a huge error .
They should have taken the example where the first cluster was found , ” said Giambattista Morali of the metalworkers ’ union in the Bergamo town of Dalmine .
While the regional government focused on finding new ICU beds , its testing capacity lagged and Lombardy ’ s nursing homes were left to fend for themselves .
Of particular attention to Milan prosecutors investigating deaths in care facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional government to allow recovering COVID-19 patients to be housed in nursing homes to free up hospital beds .
Another regional decree March 30 told nursing home directors to not hospitalize sick residents over 75 if they had other health problems and avoid further risking their health during transport .

ROME — As Italy prepares to emerge from the West’s first and most extensive coronavirus lockdown, it is increasingly clear that something went terribly wrong in Lombardy, the hardest-hit region in Europe’s hardest-hit country.
Italy had the bad luck of being the first Western nation to be slammed by the outbreak, and its total of 26,600 fatalities lags behind only the U.S. in the global death toll. Italy’s first homegrown case was recorded Feb. 21, at a time when the World Health Organization was still insisting the virus was “containable” and not nearly as infectious as the flu.
But there’s also evidence that demographics and health care deficiencies combined with political and business interests to expose the 10 million people in the northern Italian region of Lombardy in ways unseen anywhere else, particularly the most vulnerable in nursing homes.
Virologists and epidemiologists say what went wrong there will be studied for years, given how the outbreak overwhelmed a medical system considered one of Europe’s best. In neighboring Veneto, the impact was significantly more controlled.
Prosecutors are deciding whether to lay any criminal blame for the hundreds of dead in nursing homes, many of whom aren’t even counted in Lombardy’s official death toll of 13,325.
By contrast, Lombardy’s front-line doctors and nurses are being hailed as heroes for risking their lives to treat the sick under extraordinary levels of stress, exhaustion, isolation and fear.
Even after Italy registered its first homegrown case, doctors didn’t understand the unusual way COVID-19 could present itself, with some patients experiencing a rapid decline in their ability to breathe.
“This was clinical information we didn’t have,” said Dr. Maurizio Marvisi, a pneumologist at the San Camillo private clinic in hard-hit Cremona.
Because Lombardy’s intensive care units were filling up within days of Italy’s first cases, many primary care physicians tried to treat and monitor their patients at home, even putting them on supplemental oxygen. That strategy proved deadly, since many people died at home or soon after being hospitalized, having waited too long to call an ambulance.
Italy was forced to rely on home care in part because of its low ICU capacity: After years of budget cuts, Italy went into the emergency with 8.6 ICU beds per 100,000 people, below the average of 15.9 within the developed countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
As a result, Italy’s primary care physicians became the front-line filter of COVID-19 patients, an army of mostly self-employed general practitioners who work outside the public hospital system.
Since only those showing strong symptoms were being tested because Lombardy’s labs couldn’t process any more, these family doctors didn’t know if they themselves were positive, much less their patients.
The doctors also had no guidelines on when to admit the sick or refer them to specialists and didn’t have the same access to protective equipment as hospitals.
Some 20,000 Italian medical personnel have been infected and 150 doctors have died.
Two days after Italy registered its first case in the Lombardy province of Lodi, sparking a quarantine in 10 towns, another positive case was registered more than an hour’s drive away in Alzano in the province of Bergamo.
By March 2, the Superior Institute of Health recommended Alzano and nearby Nembro be sealed off like the Lodi towns. But political authorities never implemented that recommendation, allowing the infection to spread for a second week until all of Lombardy was locked down March 7.
Asked why he didn’t seal off Bergamo province sooner, Premier Giuseppe Conte argued that Lombardy’s regional government could have done so on its own. Lombardy’s governor, Attilio Fontana, said if there was a mistake, ‘’it was made by both. I don’t think that there was blame in this situation.’
Lombardy has one-sixth of Italy’s 60 million people and is the most densely populated region, home to the business capital in Milan and the country’s industrial heartland. Lombardy also has more people over 65 than any other region, as well as 20% of Italy’s nursing homes, a demographic time bomb for COVID-19 infections.
“Clearly, with the benefit of hindsight, we should have done a total shutdown in Lombardy, everyone at home and no one moves,” said Andrea Crisanti, a microbiologist and virologist advising Veneto’s regional government. But he acknowledged how hard that was, given Lombardy’s outsize role in Italy’s economy.
“Probably for political reasons, it wasn’t done,” he told reporters.
Unions and mayors of some of Lombardy’s hardest-hit cities now say the country’s main industrial lobby group, Confindustria, put enormous pressure on authorities to resist production shutdowns, claiming the economic cost would be too great in a region responsible for 21% of Italy’s GDP.
On Feb. 28, a week into Italy’s outbreak and well after more than 100 cases had been registered in Bergamo, the province’s branch of Confindustria launched a social media campaign aimed at reassuring skittish investors. It insisted the outbreak was no worse than elsewhere and that production in provincial steel mills and other industries were unaffected.
Even after the national government locked down all of Lombardy March 7, it allowed factories to stay open, sparking strikes from workers worried that their health was being sacrificed.
“It was a huge error. They should have taken the example where the first cluster was found,” said Giambattista Morali of the metalworkers’ union in the Bergamo town of Dalmine.
While the regional government focused on finding new ICU beds, its testing capacity lagged and Lombardy’s nursing homes were left to fend for themselves.
Of particular attention to Milan prosecutors investigating deaths in care facilities was the March 8 decision by the regional government to allow recovering COVID-19 patients to be housed in nursing homes to free up hospital beds.
Another regional decree March 30 told nursing home directors to not hospitalize sick residents over 75 if they had other health problems and avoid further risking their health during transport.


thedenverpost--2020-04-27--After COVID-19: Anxious, wary first responders back on job

The new coronavirus doesn ’ t care about a blue uniform or a shiny badge .
Police , firefighters , paramedics and corrections officers are just a 911 call away from contracting COVID-19 and spreading it .
With N95 masks hanging off their duty belts and disposable blue gloves stuffed in their back pockets , they respond to radio calls , make arrests and manage prisoners .
But their training never covered something quite like this — what has been called an “ invisible bullet.
” It ’ s sickened thousands of America ’ s first responders and killed dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they ’ re going back to work — back to the crime scene , back into the ambulance , back to the jail .
Going back to this deadly pandemic ’ s front lines .
They go with a lingering cough and lost weight .
They toss and turn at night , wondering if the claims of immunity are true .
They fear that picking up extra overtime shifts may expose them , and their families , to additional risks .
And then they pull on their uniforms and go back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HOUSTON — In Deputy Ravin Washington ’ s squad car , risk rides shotgun .
The threats she faces on her solo patrols are usually more immediate than reports of some new unseen virus .
On the beat in northwest Houston , Washington , 28 , has been in fights and drawn her gun .
In 2017 , three months after she finished the police academy , her partner at the time was shot in the leg .
But last month , she was following up on a robbery call when it suddenly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chest .
By the time she navigated her cruiser to her sister ’ s apartment , she could barely keep her hands on the wheel .
She had no idea what was wrong .
Certainty came a few days later after a nasal swab that felt like it poked her brain .
On March 25 , Washington tested positive — one of the first of about 180 Harris County Sheriff ’ s Office employees to be sickened .
In lonely isolation , her temperature spiked .
Her stomach roiled .
She lost her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from bed for days .
“ People don ’ t want to be around you , ” she said .
“ People don ’ t want to touch you.
” When she finally healed , she worried about getting sick again — about whether her colleagues would want her back .
She returned to patrol this month and found the situation suddenly reversed .
Her colleagues gave her hugs .
“ People feel like , ‘ Hey , you have the antibodies .
You ’ re the cure , ’ ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the familiar weight on her hips of a Taser , handcuffs and gun .
But her safety also depends on gloves and a mask .
“ It ’ s like you ’ re risking your life even more now.
” NEW YORK — Paramedic Alex Tull of the New York Fire Department feels out of breath after walking up a few flights of stairs and has a cough that just won ’ t quit .
After some recent chest pains , an X-ray showed lingering inflammation in his lungs .
As he goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bronx , he thinks about his own battle with the disease and his rush to return to duty late last month before he was fully healed .
At the height , about a quarter of the city ’ s 4,300 EMS workers were out sick .
Nearly 700 fire department employees have tested positive for the coronavirus and eight have died , including three EMS workers .
Tull , 38 , says he felt guilty convalescing at home for two weeks , flipping through Netflix and Hulu between naps as his colleagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Why did this have to happen to me ?
I want to be out there .
I want to get out there and help.
” But it wasn ’ t just a matter of loyalty for the 10-year fire department veteran .
A policy put in place as the virus ravaged the ranks mandated that personnel who no longer showed symptoms return to work as soon as possible .
“ I definitely went back to work earlier than maybe I should have , ” Tull said .
Without definitive proof that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease , Tull fears his nagging cough might infect his partner or their patients .
And with little more than a face mask and gloves for protection , he worries he ’ ll come down with the virus again .
“ Is my body ready for round two ?
I don ’ t know .
It is scary , ” Tull said .
AURORA , Ill. — Chief Kristen Ziman spent hours in a cramped conference room strategizing on ways to keep her 306 police officers safe from the coronavirus .
Digital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detectives running cases remotely — anything to keep them out of headquarters and away from each other .
Turns out , they needed to stay away from the chief .
Ziman , a patrol commander , her wife — a detective on the force — and Aurora ’ s mayor all contracted COVID-19 around the same time .
They most likely passed the virus during those planning meetings .
The rank-and-file , however , is fine .
“ If we had to be the sacrificial lambs , ” Ziman said , “ putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers safe , then I will gladly take it any day.
” The chief recorded videos from her home , sending them to the officers as part of routine operations plans .
She wanted them to comprehend the pandemic ’ s reality on the streets of Illinois ’ second-largest city .
“ This wasn ’ t one of those abstract concepts that ’ s happening to someone else , ” she said .
It was happening to some of their own .
The officers responded with text messages of well-wishes , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third floor — the home of her office and the infamous conference room — that makes Ziman laugh even through all this .
They ’ re calling it “ The Hotbox ” — and avoiding it altogether .
NEW YORK — Sgt .
Cary Oliva was frustrated watching the news of his coronavirus-stricken city from his sick bed .
The 31-year-old New York Police Department officer longed to be back at work helping with what was fast becoming one of the deadliest disasters in its history .
“ I felt like I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I was pretty eager to come back as soon as possible , as long as it was safe.
” In all , more than 4,600 employees at the nation ’ s largest police department have tested positive for the coronavirus .
Nearly 2,900 have recovered and returned to full duty .
At least three dozen died .
Oliva went back April 6 and immersed himself in a new police mission : educating the public about social distancing measures that experts say are vital to reducing the spread of infection .
Protective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby , Oliva spends his afternoons cruising by takeout restaurants and other businesses looking for gaps in social distancing protocols .
“ I dove right back into it , ” he said .
For correction officers , it means any duty that requires working directly with inmates .
Custody assistant Sonia Munoz ’ s line is a 184-bed inmate hospital ward at the Twin Towers jail , with its beige walls and powder blue doors .
It ’ s where she most likely contracted the coronavirus .
And passed it along to her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , Munoz , 38 , is safe .
She ’ s 10 pounds lighter , her thick uniform belt is tightened to the last notch , but she ’ s been transferred to an office gig , where she can line up three bottles of hand sanitizer on her desk and work alone .
Still , the line is there .
Any overtime shift could bring Munoz back .
Her mother , 3-year-old nephew and 94-year-old grandmother escaped illness last time , but they may not be so lucky again .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christopher Lumpkin , worries about .
On March 18 , he became the first member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department , which oversees the nation ’ s largest jail system , to test positive for COVID-19 .
He likely passed it to Munoz and three other custody assistants .
More than 60 sheriff ’ s personnel county-wide and at least 28 inmates have tested positive for the virus .
Using Facebook Messenger , Lumpkin and Munoz traded stories and symptoms , bedridden in their quarantined homes as the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for you guys as well , ” Lumpkin wrote .
Now , Lumpkin is recovered and back on the line .
He changes his gloves and sanitizes his hands each time he works with an inmate and keeps an extra mask hanging off his duty belt .
Munoz takes similar precautions in her office , separate from the inmates .
But she can ’ t avoid the line forever .
“ I have to go back to the lion ’ s mouth.
” Associated Press videojournalist Allen G. Breed in Raleigh , North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mone in Houston contributed to this report .
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

Stefanie Dazio, Michael R. Sisak, Jake Bleiberg

The new coronavirus doesn’t care about a blue uniform or a shiny badge. Police, firefighters, paramedics and corrections officers are just a 911 call away from contracting COVID-19 and spreading it.
With N95 masks hanging off their duty belts and disposable blue gloves stuffed in their back pockets, they respond to radio calls, make arrests and manage prisoners. But their training never covered something quite like this — what has been called an “invisible bullet.”
It’s sickened thousands of America’s first responders and killed dozens more.
But many have recovered, and they’re going back to work — back to the crime scene, back into the ambulance, back to the jail. Going back to this deadly pandemic’s front lines.
They go with a lingering cough and lost weight. They toss and turn at night, wondering if the claims of immunity are true. They fear that picking up extra overtime shifts may expose them, and their families, to additional risks.
And then they pull on their uniforms and go back to work.
Some of their stories:
THE RISK
HOUSTON — In Deputy Ravin Washington’s squad car, risk rides shotgun. The threats she faces on her solo patrols are usually more immediate than reports of some new unseen virus.
On the beat in northwest Houston, Washington, 28, has been in fights and drawn her gun. In 2017, three months after she finished the police academy, her partner at the time was shot in the leg.
But last month, she was following up on a robbery call when it suddenly felt like someone was sitting on her chest. By the time she navigated her cruiser to her sister’s apartment, she could barely keep her hands on the wheel. She had no idea what was wrong.
Certainty came a few days later after a nasal swab that felt like it poked her brain. On March 25, Washington tested positive — one of the first of about 180 Harris County Sheriff’s Office employees to be sickened.
In lonely isolation, her temperature spiked. Her stomach roiled. She lost her sense of taste and could barely rise from bed for days.
“People don’t want to be around you,” she said. “People don’t want to touch you.”
When she finally healed, she worried about getting sick again — about whether her colleagues would want her back.
She returned to patrol this month and found the situation suddenly reversed. Her colleagues gave her hugs. “People feel like, ‘Hey, you have the antibodies. You’re the cure,’” she said.
Back on patrol, Washington has the familiar weight on her hips of a Taser, handcuffs and gun. But her safety also depends on gloves and a mask.
“It’s like you’re risking your life even more now.”
GUILT
NEW YORK — Paramedic Alex Tull of the New York Fire Department feels out of breath after walking up a few flights of stairs and has a cough that just won’t quit. After some recent chest pains, an X-ray showed lingering inflammation in his lungs.
As he goes about his days treating coronavirus patients in the Bronx, he thinks about his own battle with the disease and his rush to return to duty late last month before he was fully healed.
At the height, about a quarter of the city’s 4,300 EMS workers were out sick. Nearly 700 fire department employees have tested positive for the coronavirus and eight have died, including three EMS workers.
Tull, 38, says he felt guilty convalescing at home for two weeks, flipping through Netflix and Hulu between naps as his colleagues risked their lives. He wondered: “Why did this have to happen to me? I want to be out there. I want to get out there and help.”
But it wasn’t just a matter of loyalty for the 10-year fire department veteran. A policy put in place as the virus ravaged the ranks mandated that personnel who no longer showed symptoms return to work as soon as possible.
“I definitely went back to work earlier than maybe I should have,” Tull said.
Without definitive proof that he’s immune from spreading or contracting the disease, Tull fears his nagging cough might infect his partner or their patients. And with little more than a face mask and gloves for protection, he worries he’ll come down with the virus again.
“Is my body ready for round two? I don’t know. It is scary,” Tull said.
THE HOTBOX
AURORA, Ill. — Chief Kristen Ziman spent hours in a cramped conference room strategizing on ways to keep her 306 police officers safe from the coronavirus.
Digital roll calls, solo squad cars, detectives running cases remotely — anything to keep them out of headquarters and away from each other.
Turns out, they needed to stay away from the chief.
Ziman, a patrol commander, her wife — a detective on the force — and Aurora’s mayor all contracted COVID-19 around the same time. They most likely passed the virus during those planning meetings.
The rank-and-file, however, is fine.
“If we had to be the sacrificial lambs,” Ziman said, “putting these plans in place to keep our officers safe, then I will gladly take it any day.”
The chief recorded videos from her home, sending them to the officers as part of routine operations plans. She wanted them to comprehend the pandemic’s reality on the streets of Illinois’ second-largest city.
“This wasn’t one of those abstract concepts that’s happening to someone else,” she said. It was happening to some of their own.
The officers responded with text messages of well-wishes, and a new nickname for the station’s third floor — the home of her office and the infamous conference room — that makes Ziman laugh even through all this.
They’re calling it “The Hotbox” — and avoiding it altogether.
ON THE SIDELINES
NEW YORK — Sgt. Cary Oliva was frustrated watching the news of his coronavirus-stricken city from his sick bed. The 31-year-old New York Police Department officer longed to be back at work helping with what was fast becoming one of the deadliest disasters in its history.
“I felt like I was on the sidelines,” he said. “I was pretty eager to come back as soon as possible, as long as it was safe.”
In all, more than 4,600 employees at the nation’s largest police department have tested positive for the coronavirus. Nearly 2,900 have recovered and returned to full duty. At least three dozen died.
Oliva went back April 6 and immersed himself in a new police mission: educating the public about social distancing measures that experts say are vital to reducing the spread of infection. Protective mask on his face and hand sanitizer nearby, Oliva spends his afternoons cruising by takeout restaurants and other businesses looking for gaps in social distancing protocols.
“I dove right back into it,” he said.
THE LINE
LOS ANGELES — In jail-speak, it’s called “the line.”
For correction officers, it means any duty that requires working directly with inmates. Custody assistant Sonia Munoz’s line is a 184-bed inmate hospital ward at the Twin Towers jail, with its beige walls and powder blue doors. It’s where she most likely contracted the coronavirus. And passed it along to her younger sister and her father.
Right now, Munoz, 38, is safe. She’s 10 pounds lighter, her thick uniform belt is tightened to the last notch, but she’s been transferred to an office gig, where she can line up three bottles of hand sanitizer on her desk and work alone.
Still, the line is there.
Any overtime shift could bring Munoz back. Her mother, 3-year-old nephew and 94-year-old grandmother escaped illness last time, but they may not be so lucky again.
It’s something her 27-year-old partner, Christopher Lumpkin, worries about.
On March 18, he became the first member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which oversees the nation’s largest jail system, to test positive for COVID-19. He likely passed it to Munoz and three other custody assistants. More than 60 sheriff’s personnel county-wide and at least 28 inmates have tested positive for the virus.
Using Facebook Messenger, Lumpkin and Munoz traded stories and symptoms, bedridden in their quarantined homes as the virus spread outside.
“I will pray for you guys as well,” Lumpkin wrote.
Now, Lumpkin is recovered and back on the line. He changes his gloves and sanitizes his hands each time he works with an inmate and keeps an extra mask hanging off his duty belt.
Munoz takes similar precautions in her office, separate from the inmates.
But she can’t avoid the line forever.
“I have to go back to the lion’s mouth.”
___
Associated Press videojournalist Allen G. Breed in Raleigh, North Carolina, and senior videojournalist John L. Mone in Houston contributed to this report.
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-04-27--Nonprofits work together to pool resources and expand reach

It was tough enough when the elderly woman in Colorado tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease that comes from the novel coronavirus ; it got downright difficult when her family wouldn ’ t let her into the house , forcing her to live in her car .
Within hours of learning of the woman ’ s plight , Charlotte Olson , the emergency manager for Colorado ’ s Department of Human Services , mobilized resources from a matrix of organizations that bind together in times of disaster .
“ The local human services director reached out and we connected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local agency on the aging , ” Olson recalled , saying she couldn ’ t identify the county or the woman because of privacy concerns .
“ She was placed into a hotel , given food , and will be helped until she ’ s out of isolation.
” The woman ’ s plight is just one of several anecdotes offered by dozens of volunteer organizations mobilized across the state since the pandemic onslaught , a seemingly never-ending stream of need , heartache and stress that Olson strives to stem .
Part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Organizations Active in Disasters , a tightly knit group of nonprofits whose primary function to work together is outlined in the state ’ s emergency management plan .
“ It ’ s so we ’ re not competing or duplicating resources , ” said Ian Anderson , COVOAD ’ s executive director and a regional director of emergency disaster services for The Salvation Army .
“ Typically government will have nonprofits in a supportive or lead role in their emergency plan and that requires coordination.
” Gov .
Jared Polis ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was clear there was a threat , but with a slight change .
The greatest challenge hasn ’ t been finding volunteers to help with food distribution or setting up temporary housing for the homeless during the COVID-19 crisis , Anderson said .
“ It ’ s been the limitation on our volunteers , who generally are retired and of the most vulnerable population , because of the coronavirus , ” he said .
“ It ’ s sad to tell a volunteer who ’ s been with us for years that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we want to keep them safe .
They very much want to help.
” With more than 300 agencies and nonprofits statewide , many of which have never worked together in a disaster setting because a pandemic isn ’ t what ’ s most trained for , Olson said , maintaining order can be challenging .
“ Every so often , some go off on a wild hair a little , but we regroup everyone and coordinate more effectively , ” Olson said .
“ I ’ d say the biggest challenge is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources at the same time .
Last year there were 13 fires in the state and that felt overwhelming .
Now we have 64 counties that all need food , with 200 % more people needing access to services.
” Although most of the need is around Denver ’ s populated metro area , the more serious need is in the state ’ s more rural counties .
“ Rural Colorado is being affected disproportionately because they don ’ t have many grocery stores ; they ’ re becoming food deserts , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are driving to Kansas or to Utah to get supplies because their local was sold out.
” Some situations rely on an all-out blitz .
That was the case when social service agencies statewide reported an alarming lack of diapers , baby formula and wipes .
“ It had never happened that big before , ” Olson said .
“ Suddenly thousands of cases came in and have been distributed out to the various places.
” It happened again in a northwest Colorado county where seven painters who were in the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day before Easter , anxious because five of them were sick .
It was 2 a.m. Five ultimately positive for COVID-19 and were hospitalized .
One would die .
The remaining two had no resources .
“ What ’ s heartening is the whole community stepped up for housing and feeding and services for these undocumented guys who really needed some help , ” Olson said .
The Salvation Army helped the two men settle into a nearby hotel room for the night , then another agency found them housing and food for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people stranded in Colorado , ” Olson said .
“ Families from Colombia and South America .
Some were on vacation ; some were employees at the resorts .
They can ’ t get home .
Every single day it ’ s a new challenge.
” Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

It was tough enough when the elderly woman in Colorado tested positive for COVID-19, the disease that comes from the novel coronavirus; it got downright difficult when her family wouldn’t let her into the house, forcing her to live in her car.
Within hours of learning of the woman’s plight, Charlotte Olsen, the emergency manager for Colorado’s Department of Human Services, mobilized resources from a matrix of organizations that bind together in times of disaster.
“The local human services director reached out and we connected them to the Salvation Army and the local agency on the aging,” Olsen recalled, saying she couldn’t identify the county or the woman because of privacy concerns. “She was placed into a hotel, given food, and will be helped until she’s out of isolation.”
The woman’s plight is just one of several anecdotes offered by dozens of volunteer organizations mobilized across the state since the pandemic onslaught, a seemingly never-ending stream of need, heartache and stress that Olsen strives to stem.
Part of that is working with the Colorado Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters, a tightly knit group of nonprofits whose primary function to work together is outlined in the state’s emergency management plan.
“It’s so we’re not competing or duplicating resources,” said Ian Anderson, COVOAD’s executive director and a regional director of emergency disaster services for The Salvation Army. “Typically government will have nonprofits in a supportive or lead role in their emergency plan and that requires coordination.”
Gov. Jared Polis’s office said the group was activated early when it was clear there was a threat, but with a slight change.
The greatest challenge hasn’t been finding volunteers to help with food distribution or setting up temporary housing for the homeless during the COVID-19 crisis, Anderson said.
“It’s been the limitation on our volunteers, who generally are retired and of the most vulnerable population, because of the coronavirus,” he said. “It’s sad to tell a volunteer who’s been with us for years that we can’t use them because we want to keep them safe. They very much want to help.”
With more than 300 agencies and nonprofits statewide, many of which have never worked together in a disaster setting because a pandemic isn’t what’s most trained for, Olsen said, maintaining order can be challenging.
“Every so often, some go off on a wild hair a little, but we regroup everyone and coordinate more effectively,” Olsen said. “I’d say the biggest challenge is that everyone is vying for the same resources at the same time. Last year there were 13 fires in the state and that felt overwhelming. Now we have 64 counties that all need food, with 200% more people needing access to services.”
Although most of the need is around Denver’s populated metro area, the more serious need is in the state’s more rural counties.
“Rural Colorado is being affected disproportionately because they don’t have many grocery stores; they’re becoming food deserts,” Olsen said. “We hear that people are driving to Kansas or to Utah to get supplies because their local was sold out.”
Some situations rely on an all-out blitz.
That was the case when social service agencies statewide reported an alarming lack of diapers, baby formula and wipes.
“It had never happened that big before,” Olsen said. “Suddenly thousands of cases came in and have been distributed out to the various places.”
It happened again in a northwest Colorado county where seven painters who were in the country illegally came into a local hospital the day before Easter, anxious because five of them were sick. It was 2 a.m. Five ultimately positive for COVID-19 and were hospitalized. One would die.
The remaining two had no resources.
“What’s heartening is the whole community stepped up for housing and feeding and services for these undocumented guys who really needed some help,” Olsen said.
The Salvation Army helped the two men settle into a nearby hotel room for the night, then another agency found them housing and food for two weeks.
“We still have people stranded in Colorado,” Olsen said. “Families from Colombia and South America. Some were on vacation; some were employees at the resorts. They can’t get home. Every single day it’s a new challenge.”
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-04-27--93% of CSU students living in dorms have gone home. Here’s what it’s like being one of the few remai

93% of CSU students living in dorms have gone home. Here’s what it’s like being one of the few remaining.

A sunny April day on the sprawling Colorado State University campus should beckon Frisbee tossers , study sessions on the grass and the foot traffic of tens of thousands of students nearing the end of the academic year .
Instead , the pandemic has left the Fort Collins campus a shadow of its former self , operating on minimum capacity to house students with nowhere else to go after the highly contagious new coronavirus prompted colleges across Colorado to switch to online learning and shutter their classrooms .
Senior Kaori Keyser is among the approximately 400 students left living in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally bustling with more than 6,000 students out of the university ’ s total enrolled population of more than 34,000 .
Keyser is employed on campus as a resident adviser , meaning she keeps a watchful eye on her dormitory and those who dwell within it .
The university asked students who were able to leave campus to head home to ease the spread of the respiratory illness , but officials requested student staff who were able to stay to stick around to do so to help with the remaining residents .
Keyser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but she receives Medicaid insurance in Colorado .
“ Not having health insurance right now is not something I ’ m trying to do , ” Keyser said .
What is she trying to do ?
Occupy endless hours in her teeny dorm room .
Keyser hopes she has enough yarn to sustain her burgeoning knitting projects .
The furniture in her dorm ’ s lobby has been removed to prevent congregating , so the 22-year-old and Jasmine — her registered emotional support cat — have been spending more time together than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between friends are frequent .
Being cooped up in a dorm room knowing human connection is just beyond her walls , yet out of reach , is an odd feeling , Keyser said .
“ It ’ s been about a month now , and there have definitely been highs and lows , ” Keyser said .
“ Sometimes I ’ m like , ‘ I haven ’ t had a meal with someone in a month , and I ’ d like to sit down for dinner.
’ But I can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll go for a run .
Sometimes I ’ ll just walk outside to get some sun and not be in my little box of a room.
” The environmental engineering major is finishing up her last year of college courses from her dorm , which is also where she ’ s eating meals and trying to stay sane as the remaining students on campus are encouraged to keep away from each other .
The nearly 400 students were consolidated into two residence halls on campus to make upkeep a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of university housing .
The quintessential college roommate is no more as students were placed in dorm rooms by themselves to follow social distancing best practices .
“ It ’ s just quieter , ” said Carolyn Bell , CSU ’ s director of housing & dining facilities .
“ You ’ re used to seeing so many students out and about .
It doesn ’ t feel like April in some ways on a college campus.
” The dining hall connecting the two operating dorms has tape on the floor marking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paths to ease congestion and mingling , said Liz Poore , CSU director of residential dining .
“ We went from serving 12,000 meals a day to 500 , so that ’ s a big jump , ” Poore said , adding there ’ s a much higher chance for a chef to whip up a special request if a student asks .
Hours in the dining halls , which were typically open all day , were reduced so staff could deeply clean multiple times a day , Poore said .
While operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and serving utensils like spatulas are swapped out every 30 minutes , Poore said .
Keyser was grateful for the dining hall employees , although she was beginning to burn out on the rotation of meal options .
A small moment of joy came along when Keyser fashioned chili cheese fries out of the few options available — a craving she was able to satiate .
Poore said there ’ s ongoing education telling students who leave the dining hall to take their food back to their rooms rather than congregate and eat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s really , really hard , ” Poore said .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s our human nature to do that , so we have to sometimes be reminded of those things.
” Amid all the changes and uncertainties , Keyser said most pressing was the fact that she didn ’ t know what she was going to do once the semester was over .
“ I think a lot of people are stressed about where their life is going because of the pandemic and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things , ” Keyser said .
“ It ’ s difficult to find a job right now .
Some people don ’ t have anywhere else to go .
There ’ s just a lot of uncertainty .
It ’ s weighing on a lot of people .
It ’ s definitely not what I expected the end of my senior year to be.
” Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

A sunny April day on the sprawling Colorado State University campus should beckon Frisbee tossers, study sessions on the grass and the foot traffic of tens of thousands of students nearing the end of the academic year.
Instead, the pandemic has left the Fort Collins campus a shadow of its former self, operating on minimum capacity to house students with nowhere else to go after the highly contagious new coronavirus prompted colleges across Colorado to switch to online learning and shutter their classrooms.
Senior Kaori Keyser is among the approximately 400 students left living in CSU’s dorms — a community normally bustling with more than 6,000 students out of the university’s total enrolled population of more than 34,000.
Keyser is employed on campus as a resident adviser, meaning she keeps a watchful eye on her dormitory and those who dwell within it. The university asked students who were able to leave campus to head home to ease the spread of the respiratory illness, but officials requested student staff who were able to stay to stick around to do so to help with the remaining residents.
Keyser’s home base is in Louisiana, but she receives Medicaid insurance in Colorado.
“Not having health insurance right now is not something I’m trying to do,” Keyser said.
What is she trying to do? Occupy endless hours in her teeny dorm room.
Keyser hopes she has enough yarn to sustain her burgeoning knitting projects. The furniture in her dorm’s lobby has been removed to prevent congregating, so the 22-year-old and Jasmine — her registered emotional support cat — have been spending more time together than usual. Phone calls and video conferences between friends are frequent. Being cooped up in a dorm room knowing human connection is just beyond her walls, yet out of reach, is an odd feeling, Keyser said.
“It’s been about a month now, and there have definitely been highs and lows,” Keyser said. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘I haven’t had a meal with someone in a month, and I’d like to sit down for dinner.’ But I can’t really do that now. Sometimes I’ll go for a run. Sometimes I’ll just walk outside to get some sun and not be in my little box of a room.”
The environmental engineering major is finishing up her last year of college courses from her dorm, which is also where she’s eating meals and trying to stay sane as the remaining students on campus are encouraged to keep away from each other.
“It’s just quieter”
The nearly 400 students were consolidated into two residence halls on campus to make upkeep a bit easier, said Helena Gardner, CSU director of university housing.
The quintessential college roommate is no more as students were placed in dorm rooms by themselves to follow social distancing best practices.
“It’s just quieter,” said Carolyn Bell, CSU’s director of housing & dining facilities. “You’re used to seeing so many students out and about. It doesn’t feel like April in some ways on a college campus.”
The dining hall connecting the two operating dorms has tape on the floor marking 6-foot distances and directing students with arrow paths to ease congestion and mingling, said Liz Poore, CSU director of residential dining.
“We went from serving 12,000 meals a day to 500, so that’s a big jump,” Poore said, adding there’s a much higher chance for a chef to whip up a special request if a student asks.
Hours in the dining halls, which were typically open all day, were reduced so staff could deeply clean multiple times a day, Poore said. While operating, surfaces are sanitized and wiped down and serving utensils like spatulas are swapped out every 30 minutes, Poore said.
“A lot of uncertainty”
Keyser was grateful for the dining hall employees, although she was beginning to burn out on the rotation of meal options. A small moment of joy came along when Keyser fashioned chili cheese fries out of the few options available — a craving she was able to satiate.
Poore said there’s ongoing education telling students who leave the dining hall to take their food back to their rooms rather than congregate and eat together like the good old days.
“It’s really, really hard,” Poore said. “I don’t think it’s our human nature to do that, so we have to sometimes be reminded of those things.”
Amid all the changes and uncertainties, Keyser said most pressing was the fact that she didn’t know what she was going to do once the semester was over.
“I think a lot of people are stressed about where their life is going because of the pandemic and how they’ll be able to handle things,” Keyser said. “It’s difficult to find a job right now. Some people don’t have anywhere else to go. There’s just a lot of uncertainty. It’s weighing on a lot of people. It’s definitely not what I expected the end of my senior year to be.”
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.