thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Dubai’s Emirates cuts passenger flights to 13 destinations

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - Long-haul carrier Emirates said Sunday it has dramatically cut its passenger flight destinations from 145 locations to just 13 countries .
It ’ s a pivotal move that reflects the dramatic slowdown in traffic through the airline ’ s hub in Dubai , the world ’ s busiest international airport , due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus .
The state-owned carrier said it will keep flying to the U.S. , the U.K. , Japan , Australia and Canada , among a few other select destinations .
The company had just hours earlier announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but said it reversed that decision after receiving requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travellers .
The United Arab Emirates , which is home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi , has all but closed its borders to travellers with exceptions for those transiting through or for returning Emirati citizens .
The state-owned carrier said it will continue to operate cargo flights through its fleet of Boeing 777 freighters for the transport of essential goods , including medical supplies across the world .
It also said the company would reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for three months , but will not cut jobs .
Airlines around the globe have greatly reduced their capacity in response to the pandemic and travel regulations .
Many carriers are struggling to cover their costs and pay salaries with their fleets grounded and countries shutting their borders to travellers .
Only a handful have completely suspended flights , such as Royal Jordanian , which is conducting only cargo flights to comply with government regulations and entry bans .
Panama ’ s Copa Airlines announced Saturday that it has suspended all of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also terminated its regular flights this week on a temporary basis .
But some suspensions are permanent , given the drop in demand : Trans State Airlines , which had already planned to close by the end of the year , will cease operations in April because of the impact of coronavirus .
In the Middle East , airlines have lost more than $ 7 billion in revenue as of March 11 , according to the International Air Transport Association .
The group says 16,000 passenger flights have been cancelled in the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emirates said in a statement it has tried to maintain passenger flights “ for as long as feasible “ to help travellers return home amid all the travel bans , restrictions and lockdowns .
Emirates Group CEO and Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum had said in an initial statement Sunday that the company found itself in a situation where it “ can not viably operate passenger services until countries re-open their borders and travel confidence returns.
” He described the situation as “ an unprecedented crisis ” and said “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the virus and the illness it causes , called COVID-19 , which has infected more than 300,000 people around the world .
Most people only experience minor flu-like symptoms and recover within a few weeks , but the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those who appear well .
It can cause severe illness , including pneumonia and even death in some patients , particularly in the elderly and those with underlying health problems .
Al Maktoum said the company was doing well financially at the start of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus “ has brought all that to a sudden and painful halt over the past six weeks.
” Emirates Group , which also operates an airport ground services company called dnata at locations around the world , had previously urged employees to take paid and unpaid leave .
Basic salaries for the majority of Emirates Group employees were being reduced for three months , with cuts ranging from 25-50 % .
The company said employees will continue to be paid other allowances during this time .
Junior-level employees would be exempt from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Emirates , Tim Clark , and the president of dnata , Gary Chapman , will take a full basic salary cut for three months .
Emirates posted profits in its most recent fiscal year of $ 237 million , down from $ 762 million the year before .
The airline ’ s aggressive expansion and growth helped transform its hub at Dubai International Airport into the world ’ s busiest for international passengers .
Emirates carried around 58 million passengers last year .


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--India halts its lifeblood train network to try to stop virus

NEW DELHI - As India expanded its virus-containment measures and halted its lifeblood train network , the federal government warned Monday of strict legal action for those who flout the rules .
“ Please save yourself , save your family , ” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted in Hindi , calling for states to follow the preventive measures issued by the federal government to contain the spread of the virus .
The strict legal action vowed wasn ’ t immediately clear .
Other places have simply sent violators home , since alternatives like detention would create crowded conditions where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak , authorities have gradually started to lock down many of the country of 1.3 billion people , sending stock markets to record lows .
Parliament adjourned its session , and India ’ s civil aviation authority banned all commercial flights within India starting Wednesday .
International flights were kept from landing from Sunday until at least March 31 .
At least 80 districts where cases of infection have been detected are under stringent lockdown .
Police and health care were operating , but commercial establishments have closed except for essential services .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to online transactions and reduced their office staff .
The government has fervently appealed for people to practice social distancing and wash their hands often .
But Modi ’ s call for a 14-hour voluntary curfew on Sunday was the first nationwide effort at social isolation practices the World Health Organization believes are critical to slowing the outbreak to a level that doesn ’ t overwhelm health care systems .
Lockdowns in other places have lasted at least two weeks , which is believed to be the maximum incubation period of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday were deserted as citizens stayed indoors heeding Modi ’ s call .
But key train stations were packed with thousands of migrant workers suddenly out of work and trying to head to their villages , risking carrying the infection to the nation ’ s vast hinterland .
Late Sunday , train services were suspended until March 31 while crowds were still waiting to board .
The suspension included major long-distance trains and public transit in India ’ s big cities , exempting only freight .
The New Delhi Railway Station , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
India has at least 415 active cases of infection with the new coronavirus and seven deaths from COVID-19 , the illness it causes .
Many were linked to foreign travel , but indigenous spread of the disease is considered inevitable in India , where tens of millions live in dense urban areas with irregular access to clean water .
Experts have said the number of confirmed cases seemed low for the world ’ s second-most populous country , amid concerns that India is not testing enough people .
The bulk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international travellers and their contacts , but in recent days the government has expanded it to people in hospitals with respiratory symptoms such as pneumonia .
“ Our biggest challenge is how do we break this chain of transmission , ” Lav Agarwal , a senior health ministry official , said at a briefing in New Delhi on Sunday .

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thetorontostar--2020-03-23--Pompeo in Kabul in effort to revive flagging peace process

KABUL - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Kabul on an urgent visit Monday to try to move forward a U.S. peace deal signed last month with the Taliban , a trip that comes despite the coronavirus pandemic , at a time when world leaders and statesmen are curtailing official travel .
Since the signing of the deal , the peace process has stalled amid political turmoil in Afghanistan , with the country ’ s leaders squabbling over who was elected president .
President Ashraf Ghani and his main rival in last September ’ s presidential polls , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s president in dueling inauguration ceremonies earlier this month .
Pompeo met separately with Ghani and was meeting with Abdullah before going to meet together with both Afghan leaders .
His schedule also has Ghani and Abdullah coming together for a one-on-one meeting , presumably to discuss a possible compromise .
The United States pays billions every year toward the Afghan budget , including the country ’ s defence forces .
Afghanistan barely raises a quarter of the revenue it needs to run the country , giving Pompeo considerable financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overcome the impasse .
The political turmoil has put on hold the start of intra-Afghan peace talks that would include the Taliban .
Those talks are seen as a critical next step in the peace deal , negotiated to allow the United States to bring home its troops and give Afghans the best chance at peace .
“ We are in a crisis , “ a State Department official told reporters accompanying Pompeo .
“ The fear is that unless this crisis gets resolved and resolved soon , that could affect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this country that ( has ) stood in this 40-years-long war .
And our agreement with the Talibs could be put at risk.
” The official briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. concerns .
The U.S. and NATO have already begun to withdraw some troops from Afghanistan .
The final pullout of U.S. forces is not dependent on the success of intra-Afghan negotiations but rather on promises made by the Taliban to deny space in Afghanistan to other terror groups , such as the insurgents ’ rival Islamic State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S.- and the Taliban signing the peace deal in Qatar on Feb. 29 , Afghanistan sunk into a political crisis with Ghani and Abdullah squaring off over election results and Ghani refusing to fulfil his part of a promise made in the U.S.-Taliban deal to free up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners .
The insurgents were for their part , to free 1,000 Afghan officials and soldiers they hold captive .
The exchange was meant to be a good-will gesture by both sides to start the negotiations .
The urgency of Pompeo ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the State Department has warned American citizens against all international travel , citing the spread of the new coronavirus .
Pompeo has cancelled at least two domestic U.S. trips because of the outbreak , including one to a now-cancelled G7 foreign ministers meeting that was to have taken place in Pittsburgh this week .
That meeting will now take place by video conference .
Pompeo ’ s last overseas trip in late February was to Doha , Qatar , for the signing of the U.S.-Taliban peace deal he is now trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worsened , causing many nations to close their borders and airports and cancel international flights , Pompeo and the State Department have come under increasing criticism for not doing enough to help Americans stranded overseas get home .
On Saturday , just hours before he departed on his unannounced trip to Afghanistan , Pompeo was roundly attacked on social media for a photo he posted to his personal Twitter account of him and his wife , Susan , at home working on a jigsaw puzzle with a scene from the Tom Cruise film @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screen .
“ Susan and I are staying in and doing a puzzle this afternoon .
Pro tip : if you ’ re missing the beach , just throw on Top Gun !
” the caption read .
Many of the critics took Pompeo to task for apparently not working while thousands of Americans are struggling to find transportation home from various countries .
Washington ’ s peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad , who has been trying to jumpstart talks between Afghans on both sides of the conflict — the next critical step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the two sides are talking about the prisoner exchange .
The intra-Afghan negotiations were never going to be easy but since Washington signed the peace deal with the Taliban , it has struggled to get the Afghan government to at least offer a unified position .
Pompeo ’ s visit is also extraordinary for the fact that the U.S. , like the United Nations , had earlier said it would not again be drawn into mediating between feuding Afghan politicians .
While the Afghan election committee this time gave the win to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commission charged widespread irregularities to challenge Ghani ’ s win .
In Afghanistan ’ s previous presidential election in 2014 , also marred by widespread fraud and deeply disputed results , Ghani and Abdullah emerged as leading contenders .
Then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry mediated between the two and eventually cobbled together a so-called unity government , with Ghani as president and Abdullah holding the newly created but equal in statue post of the country ’ s chief executive .
However , the Ghani-Andullah partnership was a difficult one , and for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary paralysis leading up to the September balloting .
Gannon reported from Islamabad .
Associated Press writer Matt Lee in Washington contributed to this report .

Rahim Faiez And Kathy Gannon - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--MH17 trial briefly resumes in near empty courtroom

THE HAGUE , Netherlands - The trial of three Russians and a Ukrainian charged with multiple murder for their alleged roles in shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014 resumed briefly Monday as the presiding judge read out a number of preliminary decisions .
The courtroom was almost empty due to restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus .
Decisions on several requests by prosecutors for further investigations were delayed to give defence lawyers for one of the defendants more time to prepare .
Among decisions taken by the court since the trial opened on March 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give lawyers for family members of the 298 victims access to limited parts of the investigation dossier .
After a hearing of just under 45 minutes , the case was adjourned until June 8 , when defence lawyers for one of the suspects will be allowed to make preliminary objections such as challenging the Dutch court ’ s jurisdiction to stage the trial .
None of the suspects is attending the trial and only one — Russian Oleg Pulatov — has appointed defence lawyers to represent him .
When the trial opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packed with lawyers , judges , family members of victims and media .
But on Monday judges sat separated from one another by an empty seat , the number of prosecutors , lawyers and other staff was reduced and family and media were not allowed to attend .
The flight , known as MH17 , was shot down July 17 , 2014 , by a Buk missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatist rebels as it flew from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia .
All 298 passengers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russia denies involvement .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-23--School districts take unplanned plunge into online learning

NEW YORK - In a whirlwind week , teachers came up with digital versions of everything from high-school English discussions to kindergarten gym classes , city officials scrambled to find laptops for students in need , and parents grappled with how they would keep kids ’ attention on schoolwork .
The New York City school system , the nation ’ s largest with 1.1 million students , is taking the plunge into online education on Monday , joining districts around the U.S. in an unplanned , unprecedented test of virtual teaching during the coronavirus shutdowns .
Among the many wondering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilson Almonor , a junior who travelled an hour from his Bronx home to his Manhattan high school Thursday to try to get a loaner laptop .
He left empty-handed , though he said he was told he ’ d get a call this week about a loaner tablet .
“ I ’ m not used to online classes .
I don ’ t know if it ’ s going to really help me , ” said Almonor , who is concerned about keeping up with his Advanced Placement classes and staying on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ ll ask questions of teachers in the digital cloud .
Plus , “ when we are in school , we ’ re learning but we ’ re also having fun , ” said Almonor , who arrived from Haiti in 2018 to join his mother , who works with the elderly .
Virtual school — sometimes known by “ distance learning ” or other terms — has existed for decades .
But it ’ s far from ubiquitous in U.S. schools because of digital inequities among students , concerns about implications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ready or not , schools everywhere are getting a crash course .
In the U.S. , more than 118,000 public and private schools in 45 states have closed , affecting 53 million students , according to a tally kept by Education Week .
“ We ’ re about to go into the very big unknown , but we ’ re excited , ” New York City schools chancellor Richard Carranza said Friday .
To him , it ’ s an opportunity to take the concept to a grand scale .
Some other experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say too few U.S. educators have been trained to teach effectively online , and no one should expect too much of stopgap programs rolled out within days during a stressful time for teachers , students and families .
“ It has the potential to be awesome , but not this way , ” said Michael Young , a University of Connecticut professor who specializes in education technology .
Educators , too , acknowledge that distance learning can only go so far .
In suburban Atlanta , the Fulton County school district has sped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices to some of its 94,000 students .
Superintendent Mike Looney credits teachers with delivering inventive and rigorous online instruction .
Still , “ I don ’ t want to give anyone the false pretense that the digital learning tools are as effective as a classroom teacher , ” he said .
Some school districts , including Philadelphia ’ s , have decided against requiring online learning during their shutdowns , saying it wouldn ’ t be fair to students without computers and high-speed internet at home .
They ’ re distributing packets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carranza said the school system will start distributing 25,000 tablets Monday , while working toward getting 300,000 in all and making pencil-and-paper packets available in the meantime .
Students also can work on smartphones , though their small screens aren ’ t ideal .
Schools and teachers have been strategizing about how best to engage their students , sharing pointers in training sessions and Facebook groups .
“ It won ’ t be perfect .
But we need to get this done , ” teachers union president Michael Mulgrew said .
Jane Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Brooklyn , plans to post videos for students to view on their own schedules .
She intends to check in with individual students regularly but thinks convening a virtual class would be unworkable for families who might be sharing devices or juggling school time with parents ’ work hours .
“ Everybody has to understand the challenges , and we have to make allowances for them , ” Paul says .
John Bernor , on the other hand , is going to try to preserve real-time discussions among his 11th-grade English students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear up questions and misconceptions .
He realizes that students at his technology-focused Manhattan high school might be caring for younger siblings and sharing devices , so he ’ s making allowances , too .
He ’ ll record the discussions , and he ’ s prepared for typos from students working on phones .
“ This might not be the time when I ’ m harping on ‘ you used the wrong ‘ there , ’ ” he said .
Broome Street Academy , a Manhattan charter high school where nearly half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing , already had emphasized getting students connected for extra help online before the crisis .
Eighty-five per cent showed up when Broome Street started remote-only learning March 16 , said Eric Weingarten , CEO of The Door , the social services group that runs the school .
But he worries that students may miss out on legal , mental health , medical and other help that are normally right down the hall but now virtual at The Door , now shut until at least March 30 .
“ We have these built-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t as easy to provide , ” he said .
Parents , too , are having a distance learning experience — carving out space for their own work and their kids ’ , trying to keep small ones engaged through a school day , making sudden peace with screen time .
With second- and third-grade sons , Dr. Steven Radowitz isn ’ t sure how effective online education can be for their age group .
“ I really don ’ t want them in front of a screen , but I guess we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Manhattan primary care physician said .
Andrea Francis and her 11-year-old son , Ayden , are ready to go .
She ’ s not working because of medical problems and didn ’ t have a computer , but his Manhattan school loaned them one Thursday , and he was itching to get on it for his math club ’ s webinar .
But with school out at least through April 20 and middle school starting next year , Ayden doesn ’ t want to miss out on the school dance , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else that goes with being in school in person .
“ I ’ m not going to be with my friends , ” he mused .
“ And I ’ ll miss my school and learning , even though we ’ re still getting work.
” Associated Press journalists John Minchillo and Karen Matthews in New York and Jeff Amy in Atlanta contributed to this report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--War-torn Syria braces for lockdown after first virus case

DAMASCUS , Syria - Syrians rushed to stock up on food and fuel Monday amid fears that authorities would resort to even stricter measures after reporting the first coronavirus infection in the country , where the healthcare system has been decimated by nearly a decade of civil war .
The arrival of the global pandemic in Syria as well as the Gaza Strip has raised concerns it could run rampant in some of the most vulnerable areas in the Middle East .
War-torn Libya and Yemen , which have yet to report any cases , are also a source of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East is unfolding in Iran , where state TV reported another 127 deaths on Monday , bringing the total number of fatalities to 1,812 amid more than 23,000 confirmed cases .
Iran has faced widespread criticism for not imposing stricter quarantine measures early on .
It is also suffering under severe U.S. sanctions .
Lines formed outside grocery stores , banks and petrol stations across the Syrian capital , Damascus , as people braced for wider closures .
The government has already closed restaurants , cafes and other businesses , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s famed Hamidiyeh souk , a network of covered markets running through the Old City , was deserted after the government ordered all shops closed on Sunday .
Authorities said border crossings with Lebanon and Jordan would close at midday .
Damascus International Airport was closed to commercial traffic after a final flight arrived from Moscow .
State-run newspapers issued their last print edition and will only be available online .
Countries across the Middle East have ramped up restrictions on daily life in an effort to contain the global pandemic .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The United Arab Emirates , home to the world ’ s busiest international airport , said it was suspending all passenger and transit flights for two weeks .
Dubai ’ s airport is a vital hub connecting Western nations with Asian countries and Australia , and suspending transit flights there affects travellers around the world .
Most people only experience mild symptoms from the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus and recover within weeks .
But it is highly contagious and causes severe illness in some patients , particularly the elderly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can carry and spread the virus without showing any symptoms .
More than 340,000 people have been infected worldwide , and nearly 15,000 have died .
Nearly 100,000 people have recovered .
Syria has close ties to Iran , which is a key ally of the government in the civil war , and Shiite pilgrims frequently travel between the two countries .
Syria ’ s Health Ministry reported the first case of coronavirus in areas controlled by the government late Sunday – a 20-year-old woman it said had arrived from another country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care system has been ravaged by nearly a decade of war that has displaced millions of people and spawned rampant poverty .
Hospitals and clinics across the country have been destroyed or damaged .
The government is also under heavy international sanctions linked to its conduct during the war .
An open-ended curfew into effect Monday in parts of northern and eastern Syria , which are controlled by a Kurdish-led civilian administration .
It was not immediately clear how that would affect hundreds of U.S. troops stationed in the region .
Gaza , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Pakistan , has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007 .
The coastal territory is home to more than 2 million people but it only has around 60 respirators , and all but 15 are already in use , according to Abdelnasser Soboh , director of the World Health Organization ’ s Gaza office .
Afghanistan reported its first death on Sunday , a man in his 40s .
The war-torn country has reported 34 confirmed cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 800 infections and four deaths , authorities have asked people to self-quarantine for two weeks .
The government has said it hopes it won ’ t have to order a mandatory lockdown .
Many people seem to be ignoring the advice , and instead going about daily life wearing face masks that provide little if any protection .
Others have resorted to panic buying , fearing a curfew could soon be imposed .
Nearly all the cases in Pakistan have been linked to travel to Iran .
Authorities have quarantined more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mainly pilgrims , and are testing them for the virus .
In Egypt , state-run television reported that Maj. Gen. Safea Abdel-Halim Dawood , who took part in efforts to disinfect public places in recent days , had died from the virus .
The death of another senior officer who had taken part in those efforts was reported on Sunday .
Egypt has reported around 330 cases and 16 deaths .
Mroue reported from Beirut .
Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem ; Nasser Karimi in Tehran , Iran ; Munir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cairo and Aya Batrawy in Dubai , United Arab Emirates , contributed to this report .
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 .

Albert Aji And Bassem Mroue - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--Presidents in health crises: Trump more hands-on than many

WASHINGTON - Woodrow Wilson was more focused on the end of World War I than a flu virus that was making its way around the globe , ultimately sickening hundreds of thousands of Americans , including the president himself .
George W. Bush stood with a bullhorn on a pile of rubble after the 9-11 attacks on lower Manhattan and promised that the people who were responsible “ will hear all of us soon.
” Barack Obama was in office for just a few months when the first reports came in about the H1N1 virus , which would eventually be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus .
Most American presidents will confront a crisis — or crises — before they leave office , whether it is a natural disaster , war , economic downturn , public health threat or terrorism .
What matters is how they respond , historians say .
“ The number one thing a president can do in a moment like this is try to calm the nation , ” said Julian Zelizer , a presidential historian at Princeton University .
It ’ s what Franklin D. Roosevelt did during an extraordinary 12 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bleak period of Depression-era unemployment , a severe Midwest drought known as the Dust Bowl and battle against the Nazis and Japanese in World War II .
During the influenza of Wilson ’ s time , which killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide , including about 675,000 in America , presidents were not involved in public health issues in the same way that President Donald Trump has become engrossed in the U.S. effort against the new coronavirus .
Such issues were left for public health professionals at the state and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public statement whatsoever , ” said John M. Barry , author of “ The Great Influenza , ” a book about the 1918 flu .
“ He was entirely focused on the war .
Period.
” In fact , Wilson was so focused on the post-war peace talks that he was a party to in Paris that he , too , ended up stricken with the flu .
He recovered .
Trump , on the other hand , seems intent on being the public face of the effort against what has become his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump , who has no scientific or medical training , now leads a daily White House briefing on coronavirus efforts by a task force he tapped the vice-president to lead .
Trump styles himself as a “ wartime president ” fighting an “ invisible enemy ” responsible for hundreds of deaths and thousands of infections in the U.S. - numbers that will continue to rise as the virus spreads — and a dramatic upheaval of everyday life .
Millions of people have been ordered or urged to stay home for the foreseeable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like going to restaurants , shopping malls or movies in a bid to slow the virus .
But Trump ’ s crisis management has earned mixed reviews , with praise from many supporters and criticism from detractors , including mayors and governors who are desperate for Trump to more robustly use his authority to help them get much-needed protective gear and supplies for doctors and nurses .
The president ’ s early attempts to minimize the severity of the situation , and to suggest that it was under control , have been panned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urgent tone .
But the damage has been done , said Scott Morrison , of the Center for Strategic and International Studies , citing lack of public trust due to Trump ’ s early handling of the situation .
“ Not having trust and confidence is a huge liability heading into something this catastrophic , ” said Morrison , senior vice-president and director of the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS .
Obama was a few months into his first term in 2009 term when reports started coming in that April about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that month , assembled a team and ultimately declared both a public health emergency and a national emergency to deal with the threat .
“ This is obviously a very serious situation , and every American should know that their entire government is taking the utmost precautions and preparations , ” Obama said as he opened a White House news conference that month .
He said public health officials had recommended that schools with confirmed cases consider temporarily closing , and that he had asked Congress for $ 1.5 billion in emergency funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and to build a supply of antiviral drugs and other equipment .
“ Everyone should rest assured that this government is prepared to do whatever it takes to control the impact of this virus , ” Obama said .
Dr. Howard Markel , director of the University of Michigan ’ s Center for the History of Medicine , said Obama was “ very hands on ” during H1N1 — but not as visibly as Trump .
Obama ’ s director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted daily briefings from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back because he allowed his experts to run the show , ” Markel said of Obama .
“ He didn ’ t have to be in front of the podium , but you knew he was there.
” Nearly 12,500 deaths due to the H1N1 flu were reported in the U.S. between April 2009 and April 2010 , when the World Health Organization declared an end to the pandemic .
Obama spent nearly $ 1 billion and sent U.S. military personnel to West Africa to help with the response to an outbreak of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way through his first year in office , Bush became a wartime president the instant hijackers recruited by the al-Qaida militant network flew commercial airliners with passengers into the World Trade Center , the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field on Sept. 11 , 2001 .
Days later , Bush stood atop the rubble and memorably spoke for the nation .
“ I can hear you !
” Bush blared through the bullhorn as emergency responders cheered .
“ The rest of the world hears you !
And the people – and the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of us soon.
” Weeks after that appearance , Bush authorized military airstrikes against Taliban military installations and al-Qaida training camps in Afghanistan .
U.S. military engagement in Afghanistan continues to this day .
Bev Banks contributed to this report .
Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter : https : //www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Darlene Superville - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--US futures, world shares sink as virus crisis deepens

BANGKOK - U.S. futures slipped more than 3 % on Monday and share benchmarks in many world markets logged sharp losses as governments tightened restrictions to fight the coronavirus pandemic .
Stocks fell in Paris , Frankfurt and London after a brutal session in Asia on Monday .
Japan ’ s Nikkei 225 index was the outlier , gaining 2.0 % after the International Olympic Committee and Japanese officials indicated they are considering postponing the Tokyo Games , due to begin in July .
India ’ s Sensex plummeted 11.3 % after a sharp drop on the open triggered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s benchmark plunged 7.8 % after the city-state announced a sharp increase in confirmed infections and its first two deaths .
Shares also fell nearly 8 % in Bangkok .
Japan ’ s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe acknowledged that a postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Games could be unavoidable as Canada and Australia added to the immense pressure that has been mounting on organizers by saying they wouldn ’ t send athletes to Tokyo unless the Olympics are postponed for a year .
In the U.S. , top-level negotiations between Congress and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted against advancing a nearly $ 2 trillion economic rescue package .
Another vote was expected Monday .
The Democrats said the bill was tilted too much toward aiding corporations and would not do enough to help individuals and healthcare providers weather the crisis brought on by the pandemic .
By 4:45 a.m. EST , the S & P 500 future contract was down 3.4 % at 2,209.70 .
The future for the Dow dropped 3.6 % to 18,351.00 .
Germany ’ s DAX lost 3.8 % to 8,580.56 and Britain ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Paris , the CAC 40 shed 2.8 % to 3,935.15 .
Markets reopened to an altered business landscape Monday as lockdowns and closures intended to halt the spread of the new coronavirus expanded over the weekend to include many cities around the world and the number of people infected surged past 336,000 .
“ Risk aversion appears here to stay as investors become more fearful that this could be the worst global recession during peacetime , ” Edward Moya of Oanda said in a commentary .
“ Every passing day it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seems financial markets will remain nervous until we see the infection rate improve in both the U.S. and Europe , “ Moya said .
Sydney ’ s S & P/ASX 200 fell 5.6 % to 4,546.00 after plunging more than 8 % sharply just after the open .
Australia announced a 66.4 billion Australian dollar ( $ 38.5 billion ) stimulus package on Sunday .
That ’ s in addition to an earlier mandated $ 10 billion package and other stimulus from the central bank .
South Korea ’ s Kospi lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Hang Seng index shed 4.9 % , to 21,696.13 , while the Shanghai Composite index slipped 3.1 % to 2,660.17 .
The Nikkei was at 16,887.78 .
Shares also fell in Taiwan and Southeast Asia .
Stocks fell sharply on Wall Street and the price of oil sank again Friday as New York became the latest state to decide that nearly all workers should stay home to limit the spread of the coronavirus .
California and several other states in the U.S. and a growing number of countries have also imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & P 500 lost 4.3 % to 2,304.92 on Friday while the Dow skidded 4.6 % to 19,173.98 .
The Nasdaq composite index lost 3.8 % to 6,879.52 .
This week will bring fresh data that are likely to underscore the damage to Asian economies from the outbreak of the virus that originated in China .
A sharp surge in cases and in deaths across the region , especially in Southeast Asia , have also raised the level of alarm .
Shutdowns mean less demand for oil .
U.S. crude has dropped about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a barrel last week for the first time since February 2002 .
However , on Monday benchmark crude was up 8 cents at $ 22.71 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
Brent crude , the international standard , dropped 99 cents to $ 25.99 per barrel .
Ultimately , investors say they need to see the number of new infections stop accelerating for the market to end its prolonged , bouncing tumble to lows not seen for a decade .
The S & P 500 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retirement accounts and the measure preferred by professional investors , is down 31.1 % since reaching a record high a month ago .
Last week marked its biggest weekly loss since October 2008 during the global financial crisis .
Investors have continued to seek safety in U.S. government bonds , driving their yields broadly lower .
The 10-year Treasury yield , which influences interest rates on mortgages and other consumer loans , slid to 0.79 % Monday from 0.94 % late Friday .
At nearly $ 2 trillion , the U.S. rescue package @ @ @ @ @ @ @ households and shore up the U.S. economy , the world ’ s biggest .
But markets have continued to fall as scores of other governments and many central banks have acted as they try to stave off or at least alleviate the impact of a recession .
Many investors are waiting for markets to fall further before plunging back in , said Naeem Aslam of Avatrade .
Should the market drop by another 10 % to 20 % , the overall decline from recent peaks would be over 50 % , and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Aslam said .
Meanwhile , demand for the U.S. dollar has been soaring .
The dollar was at 110.10 Japanese yen on Monday , down from 110.83 yen late Friday .
The euro fell to $ 1.0651 from $ 1.0697 .
More than 14,400 people have died of the coronavirus worldwide , while nearly 100,000 people have recovered .
For most people , the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough , and those with mild illness recover in about two weeks .
Severe illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elderly and people with existing health problems , and recovery could take six weeks in such cases .

Elaine Kurtenbach - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--The Latest: China slams US for ‘scapegoating’ over virus

WELLINGTON , New Zealand - The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic , which has infected more than 341,000 people and killed over 14,700 .
The COVID-19 illness causes mild or moderate symptoms in most people , but severe symptoms are more likely in the elderly or those with existing health problems .
More than 98,800 people have recovered so far , mostly in China .
— China slams US for ‘ scapegoating ’ over viru — U.S. Secret Service employee tests positive for the coronavirus .
BEIJING — China ’ s foreign ministry says the U.S. is “ completely wasting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in attacking the global coronavirus outbreak that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan .
Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing Monday that the U.S. has attempted to “ discredit others and look for a scapegoat to shift its responsibilities.
” He added that the U.S. should “ stop politicizing the epidemic , stop stigmatizing and defaming China and other countries.
” China ’ s health ministry says Wuhan has now gone five consecutive days without a new infection , showing the effectiveness of draconian travel restrictions that are slowly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time , China is stepping up measures to prevent the virus from being brought back from overseas , requiring international flights into Beijing to first stop at airports outside the capital for inspection .
TIRANA , Albania — Albania has reported three more deaths from the coronavirus .
The country did not report a single case until two weeks ago , and had said that it expected a surge in cases this week .
The Health Ministry has reported the deaths of a 71-year-old late Sunday night and a 43-year old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Albania ’ s death toll to four .
The country has confirmed 89 cases .
Albania is in a lockdown , with all borders closed , and schools , cafes , restaurants , gyms , and public and private transport shut .
All shops except for groceries and pharmacies are also closed .
WARSAW , Poland — Polish police say they have carried out inspections of nearly 80,000 people subjected to forced quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic and found 318 cases of people violating the quarantine .
The Polish government has enacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of COVID-19 .
Last week the government increased penalties for quarantine non-compliance from 5,000 zlotys ( $ 1,180 ) to 30,000 zlotys ( $ 7,075 ) .
The authorities also extended an initial two-week closure of all schools in the country for an additional two weeks , lasting through Easter .
Additionally , they introduced a phone app to track those in home quarantine .
So far , Poland , with a population of 38 million people , has 649 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and seven deaths .
National police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last day police inspected 79,196 people in quarantine and discovered 318 irregularities .
LONDON — British justice officials have put new jury trials on hold as the court system places safety measures in place amid the coronavirus crisis .
Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett said in a statement Monday that jurors summoned this week are being contacted to ask them to remain at home .
Burnett said ongoing jury trials will also be paused to make sure arrangements are in place to make certain they can continue to operate safely .
WASHINGTON — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has tested positive for the coronavirus .
The agency said in a statement early Monday that it will continue to monitor the employee ’ s condition .
The employee is in quarantine .
The agency says it determined after an assessment that the employee has had no contact with other employees or anyone the agency is responsible for protecting for nearly three weeks .
The Secret Service provides security protection for President Donald Trump and his family , among other high-ranking U.S. officials .
PARIS — Airbus is cancelling planned dividend payments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 billion ) in new credit to give the European aircraft giant more cash to weather the COVID-19 crisis .
Airbus said Monday that withdrawing the proposed 2019 dividend payment of 1.8 euros ( $ 1.90 ) per share will save the company 1.4 billion euros ( $ 1.5 billion ) .
The approval from Airbus ’ directors for 15 billion euros in new borrowing is on top of an existing 3 billion euro ( $ 3.2 billion ) revolving credit facility .
Airbus said that it “ has significant liquidity available to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , ” and that the firm “ intends to secure business continuity for itself even in a protracted crisis.
” COLOMBO , Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka ’ s government has banned nonessential travel across the Indian Ocean island nation , in the latest measure to contain the spreading of the coronavirus .
The government is allowing the transport of rice and other essential items .
Also on Monday , a statement from the president ’ s office said the government has banned the transporting of tourists .
Tourism is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WELLINGTON , New Zealand — Office workers are hauling computers and plants to their cars and shoppers are stripping shelves bare of coffee , flour and toilet paper before New Zealand starts a four-week lockdown .
“ I know it will feel daunting , ” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said , but she said the move was meant to save lives .
People must stay home and all non-essential businesses and activities cease when the lockdown begins late Wednesday night .
The decision came as health officials announced another 36 confirmed cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most were tied to travel overseas , but crucially , two of the cases could not be traced and officials believe they are evidence of a local outbreak .
New Zealand , which has a population of 5 million , already has closed its borders to all but citizens and residents .
New Zealand also considers itself a gateway to South Pacific island nations that would be devastated if the virus took hold there , given their isolation and poor health systems .
Only a handful of virus cases have been identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including two in Fiji and one in Papua New Guinea .
CANBERRA , Australia — A fourth Australian federal lawmaker has tested positive for the coronavirus .
South Australia state Senator Rex Patrick , from the minor Center Alliance party , said on Monday he tested for COVID-19 after being in contact with infected government Senator Andrew Bragg two weeks ago .
Bragg , from New South Wales state , is among 35 guests who became infected at a March 6 wedding south of Sydney .
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected days after returning from Washington , where he met President Donald Trump ’ s daughter Ivanka and U.S. Attorney General William Barr .
Queensland state government Senator Susan McDonald announced days later that she was also infected .
None of the four is in the national capital Canberra , where a scaled-down Parliament is meeting to pass economic stimulus spending measures to soften the virus ’ s economic blow .
JAKARTA , Indonesia — Indonesia has changed towers built to house athletes in the 2018 Asian Games to emergency hospitals .
Four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24,000 Asian athletes have been redesigned to a coronavirus hospital with a 3,000-bed capacity in the country ’ s hard-hit capital , where new patients have surged in the past week .
President Joko Widodo on Monday officially launched the hospital as an army plane carrying 9 tons of health supplies , including 105,000 protective tools , masks and sanitizers for medical personnel arrived from China .
Widodo ’ s administration has been criticized as slow to deal with the virus ’ spread , which could overwhelm the health care system in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Indonesia , which has the third-largest population in Asia after China and India , reported 514 COVID-19 cases with 48 deaths , including six doctors and a nurse who died while helping patients with a lack of protective tools .
Widodo has ruled out the possibility of imposing a lockdown on Jakarta and has instead ordered mass testing to contain the coronavirus disease spread and has prepared about 200 hospitals run by government , military and police as well as private as the country braces for an anticipated surge in COVID-19 patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abe announced Monday that Japan will require a 14-day quarantine to all visitors from the United States , including the Japanese and Americans , effective Thursday and until the end of April .
Abe made the announcement at a government task force on the coronavirus , citing the escalating COVID-19 infections around the world , especially in the U.S. and Europe in recent weeks .
Japan on Sunday raised a travel advisory for the U.S. , urging the Japanese citizens not to make nonessential trips to the U.S .
He said the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to make nonessential trips to Japan , requiring a 14-day quarantine for entrants .
Abe said Monday ’ s quarantine requirement is in line with measures taken by other countries , including the U.S. and shows Japan ’ s commitment to join international effort to stop the further spread of the coronavirus .
He said Japan will continue to launch “ flexible border control measures without hesitation ” and urged his ministers to keep their caution levels up high .
MANILA , Philippines — The Philippine Congress is holding an emergency session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declare a national emergency and allow the president to swiftly punish local officials who defy orders and grant him a standby power to take over private companies amid the coronavirus crisis .
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea told the House of Representatives on Monday that the government also needed the authority to realign huge funds to fight the outbreak .
Senators said the government may need at least 200 billion pesos ( $ 4 billion ) in the next two months to deal with the contagion .
“ The power to take over is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the event the crisis reaches its worst when our most critical institutions are nearing a total shutdown , ” Medialdea told legislators , the majority of whom participated online as a health precaution .
Left-wing groups opposed extra powers for President Rodrigo Duterte , fearing abuse .
The opposition said the government should focus on providing “ safety nets ” for the poor and workers who were ordered to stay home under a lockdown of the northern Philippines , which is home to more than 50 million people .
Philippine officials have reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but fear COVID-19 cases may spike soon after China donated 100,000 testing kits and other countries promised to help the Philippines strengthen its capability to test more people for the virus .
ISLAMABAD — Authorities in southern Pakistan on Monday began a two-week complete lockdown , as the number of positive coronavirus tests jumped to 799 across Pakistan .
Health officials reported sixth deaths from infection .
Murad Ali Shah , the chief minister in the southern Sindh province , has imposed a ban on movement of people , saying the measure was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Imran Khan has avoided a nationwide lockdown , but he urged people to stay at homes voluntarily .
So far six people have died because of the virus and among those was a young doctor who went home and suddenly died in the north .
Authorities say they are trying to import equipment for the safety of doctors who have expressed concern over lack of facilities in tackling infected patients .
In many areas of Pakistan , people stayed home on the national day Monday .
Pakistan has already postponed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president Arif Alvi and Khan have asked people to show unity to fight the coronavirus .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--2020 Watch: Can President Donald Trump reclaim control?

ATLANTA - The coronavirus outbreak has grounded the 2020 presidential race — but not ended it .
What we ’ re watching heading into a new week of what we used to call the campaign trail : Days to next set of primaries ( if Alaska , Hawaii and Wyoming don ’ t reschedule ) : 12 Call it the Bully Pulpit Rule : The terms of any incumbent presidential election start at the White House .
Donald Trump , whose chief political skill always has been media domination , seems ready-made for that .
The Republican president also has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden is the Democrats ’ nominee-in-waiting , but Bernie Sanders remains in the race , with no official end in sight .
Yet with all that going for Trump , the COVID-19 pandemic finally has presented the former reality television star with a very real crisis .
The leader of the free world , no matter how many White House briefings he gives , can not simply define , overwhelm or intimidate a deadly communicable disease as if it ’ s a conventional political opponent .
And not even an American president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump has all the advantages of incumbency .
Now , he ’ s forced to confront the pitfalls .
The president has been consistent about pledging action to confront the coronavirus but inconsistent in his follow-through .
He ’ s called himself “ a wartime president ” and said he ’ s invoking the Defence Production Act , yet there ’ s no evidence the administration has directed private sector production to meet shortages in medical supplies including gloves , masks and ventilators .
He ’ s backed the idea of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including direct payments to a large swath of Americans .
Yet the president doesn ’ t seem to be a central figure in negotiations .
Trump has allowed Dr. Anthony Fauci to become a household name .
But the president disagreed openly with the federal government ’ s top infectious disease expert during nationally televised briefings .
Trump has plenty of opportunities to shift from reflexive cheerleader to commanding executive , but he doesn ’ t appear to be there yet .
There is little evidence his political base will punish him for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the electorate alone can ’ t ensure his reelection .
Can Democrats break through the coronavirus cacophony ?
A quasi-national quarantine has Biden grounded in his Delaware home .
But he told donors on a Sunday telephone fundraiser that he ’ s remade his recreation room into a television studio and that he planned , beginning late Monday morning , to give the first of what will become regular briefings .
Sanders is using online addresses to try to stay in the news .
The most recent one was a Sunday evening effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York .
National party leaders are taking their crack at it , as well .
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez and others are holding a tele-conference Monday to mark the 10th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act becoming law .
The 2010 health insurance overhaul — and Trump ’ s efforts to gut it — were expected to be a defining issue of the fall campaign .
But see the Bully Pulpit Rule above .
None of those Democrats is president .
When will Biden officially launch his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday evening teased at a way he could make headlines , telling donors he ’ d “ start that vetting process ” for his running mate “ very soon , meaning in a matter of weeks.
” Biden indicated he ’ ll look at “ six or seven people.
” If he ’ s giving donors those kinds of details , it ’ s almost certain that the wheels have started turning inside the campaign .
Biden ’ s already committed to picking a woman .
Even amid a pandemic , any movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the headlines .
What is Sanders ’ next move ?
The Vermont senator knows he won ’ t be the Democratic nominee .
But at 78 , Sanders also knows this is his last round in the presidential spotlight .
And the coronavirus outbreak presents him a new justification for his call to remake the American economy and political system .
He offered a window into his thinking during his online event Sunday night .
“ In this unprecedented moment in American history , we must act in an unprecedented way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ livestream .
He repeated his longstanding ideas ( a single-payer government insurance system ) and added some new specifics .
He called for payments of “ $ 2,000 monthly , every month , every man , woman and child until the crisis is over.
” But he never took a shot at Biden .
He sounded more like a senator discussing Capitol Hill business than a presidential candidate .
What voting changes are next ?
There ’ s growing pressure for states to expand vote-by-mail systems , both for upcoming primaries and for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Washington state already use mail voting for everyone .
But there are logistical , psychological and political barriers in other states .
Several have delayed primaries , but there are plenty of signs that the COVID-19 threat will not have abated by the end of primary season .
And it ’ s virtually impossible to push back the general election .
The date is set statutorily by Congress , but Inauguration Day , Jan. 20 , is locked in by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution .
Not long ago , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about his stewardship of the economy , a validation of his promise to “ make America great again.
” From the start of his campaign , Biden also invited a referendum on Trump , arguing that the president threatened the very “ soul of the nation.
” With seven months and change until Election Day , it ’ s clear : Both men will get their wish .
2020 Watch runs every Monday and provides a look at the week ahead in the 2020 election .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ podcast , “ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--Group: Egypt’s security forces ‘disappear, torture’ children

CAIRO - Egyptian security forces under President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi have arbitrarily arrested , forcibly disappeared and tortured children as young as 12 while prosecutors and judges turned a blind eye , an international rights group said Monday .
Human Rights Watch called on the U.S. , France and other European Union countries to halt their support to Egyptian security forces until authorities take measurable steps to end the abuses and hold accountable those responsible .
“ Children are describing being waterboarded and electrocuted on their tongues and genitals , and yet Egypt ’ s security forces are facing no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , associate children ’ s rights director at HRW .
A spokesman for Egypt ’ s Interior Ministry , which overseas the police , was not immediately available for comment .
In a 43-page report , the New York-based group said it documented abuses against 20 children who were between the age of 12 and 17 at the time of arrest .
Fifteen of them said they were tortured in pretrial detention , usually during interrogation while held incommunicado , HRW said .
Seven children said security officers tortured them with electricity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The group quoted a boy it said was arrested at age 16 as telling a relative that he worried he might “ never marry or be able to have children ” because of what security officials had done to him in detention .
HRW said it and Belady , a non-governmental organization aiding street children , corroborated statements from the children , their families and defence lawyers , using court documents , appeals to authorities , medical records , and videos .
“ The harrowing accounts of these children and their families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repression has subjected children to grave abuses , ” said Aya Hijazi , co-director of Belady .
Hijazi is a dual U.S.-Egyptian citizen who has been held in detention for nearly three years over accusations related to Belady , which is Arabic for “ our nation.
“ She was arrested along with her husband and six others in May 2014 on charges of abusing children ; she was acquitted and released three years later .
According to the HRW ’ s report , Belal B. was 17 years old when Egyptian security officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confinement at a Cairo police station .
“ I knew nothing about my parents and they knew nothing about me , ” he was quoted by HRW as saying .
Officers then “ tied me to a chair for three days , ” causing severe pain , he added .
The group said Egypt ’ s criminal justice system has failed to “ seriously investigate the children ’ s allegations of torture and ill-treatment.
” The report alleged that a prosecutor in one case threatened to send a boy “ back to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the boy refused to make a confession .
Egypt ’ s government has since the military ’ s 2013 overthrow of an elected but divisive president — the Muslim Brotherhood ’ s Mohammed Morsi — launched a crackdown on dissent , jailing thousands of Islamists , along with secular , pro-democracy advocates , It has also imposed tight control of the media and rolled back freedoms won in a 2011 uprising .


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--Israeli forces open fire, killing Palestinian throwing rocks

JERUSALEM - Israeli forces shot and killed a 32-year-old Palestinian man early on Monday who was hurling rocks at Israeli troops , the Palestinian health ministry and the Israeli military said .
The military said it thwarted an attack and opened fire at a number of suspects who were throwing rocks at Israeli vehicles on a highway in central West Bank , near the town of Qaliqilya .
It says one of the suspects was killed while another was wounded and escaped .
Clashes often erupt in the West Bank between Israelis and Palestinians but have dipped considerably since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , daily life has largely shut down with more then 1,200 people testing positive for the new virus .
One patient has died and 24 are in serious condition .
In the West Bank , 57 cases have been diagnosed so far , the majority of them in Bethlehem .
The Palestinian prime minister has ordered a lock down and in Gaza , two cases have been diagnosed in patients who returned from Pakistan .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-23--Tokyo Olympics seem sure to happen -- but in 2021, not 2020

TOKYO - The Tokyo Olympics are going to happen — but almost surely in 2021 rather than in four months as planned .
This became clear after the IOC on Sunday announced it was considering a postponement .
Major Olympic nations like Canada and Australia have added pressure by saying they will not go if the games are staged this year .
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach sent a letter to athletes explaining the decision and why it might take so long , while also acknowledging the extended timeline might not be popular .
“ I know that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open , ” he wrote .
“ I also know that this rational approach may not be in line with the emotions many of you have to go through.
” The IOC ’ s move seemed inevitable for a week with pressure mounting from all quarters — athletes , sponsors , broadcasters and more than 200 national Olympic committees , and international sports federations .
Shortly after Bach ’ s statement , the Canadian Olympic Committee said it won ’ t send teams to the Olympics unless the games are postponed by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was advising its athletes to prepare for an Olympics in 2021 .
The Australian committee ’ s executive board agreed unanimously that “ an Australian Team could not be assembled in the changing circumstances at home and abroad.
“ World Athletics President Seb Coe sent a letter to Bach saying that holding the Olympics in July “ is neither feasible nor desirable.
” He outlined a number of reasons , including competitive fairness , the likelihood athletes would overtrain if given a compressed schedule and the uncertainty caused by orders in many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workout venues .
National Olympic committees in Brazil and Slovenia had also called for postponement until 2021 .
Norway ’ s Olympic body said it did not want athletes going to Tokyo until the global health crisis is under control .
The United States governing bodies of swimming and track — two of the three top-tier Summer Games sports — had called on their national Olympic officials to push for a postponement .
Japan ’ s politicians fell in line quickly on Monday as they awakened to Bach ’ s move .
Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking at a parliamentary session , said a postponement of the Tokyo Olympics would be unavoidable if the games can not be held in a complete way because of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ If it is difficult to hold ( the Games ) in a complete way , a decision of postponement would be unavoidable , ” he said .
Abe said he hoped the IOC would make a decision early if it is postponed , because the process would involve a lot of work and should start as soon as possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what to do over the next four weeks , and in that process that word ( postponement ) may be included , “ she said .
The IOC holds most of the cards in any rescheduling , spelled out in a Host City Contract signed in 2013 between the IOC , the Japanese Olympic Committee and the city of Tokyo .
Japan is officially spending $ 12.6 billion to organize the Olympics , but a national audit put the figure at more than twice that much .
The bill is sure to increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of the spending if from the public treasury .
The IOC has a reserve fund of about $ 2 billion to tide itself over , and also has insurance against postponement or cancellation .
“ The public is expecting and supports postponement , so it won ’ t be a big deal , “ Jeff Kingston , who studies Japanese politics at Temple University in Tokyo , said in an email to Associated Press .
“ People are way more worried about the economic consequences and their jobs and if the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director Michael Payne said the delay might work to the advantage of the IOC and Japan .
“ What better platform is there going to be than the Olympic Games when the world has pulled through the virus , ” Payne told AP in an interview Sunday , just before the IOC announcement .
“ You ’ ve got a dynamic that will be even more powerful for Japan and the rest of the world .
But you are going to have a tough road getting there.
” The Olympic torch arrived Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it set to begin on Thursday from that area but is in doubt .
On Sunday , thousands crowed one northern city to view the flame .
Spectators have been asked to show restraint , and there ’ s speculation the relay could be delayed .
Organizers on Monday said a decision on whether to proceed with the relay could wait .
As of Sunday , Japan had 1,719 confirmed cases of the virus , including 712 from a cruise ship , with 43 deaths .
While Japan has so far managed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts say they have found a growing number of clusters in urban areas with untraceable infections .

Stephen Wade And Mari Yamaguchi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--Virus pandemic an unprecedented test for a young generation

CHICAGO - For Jalen Grimes , the virus pandemic is stirring up a slew of emotions .
“ Annoyed “ is the first one the 13-year-old Chicagoan mentions .
“ Scared , confused , worried.
” She was supposed to be enjoying the end of her eighth-grade year , a rite of passage in states like Illinois , with a graduation and a school trip that are not likely to happen .
That ’ s hard enough .
But her father is also about to be deployed as a paramedic , a more dangerous than usual job in these times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also has been on call a lot and is prone to pneumonia .
And then there are her grandparents .
“ It ’ s a lot of fear with family members and stuff , ” Jalen said .
“ I think a lot of us don ’ t think it will affect us , but it ’ s a worry.
” As this crisis unfolds , her generation likely be tested like never before , especially those whose families are already on the edge , financially and health-wise .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their mortality , possibly , what the world offers , what security looks like , ” said Cathy Cohen , a political science professor at the University of Chicago , who regularly tracks the views of young people .
In pre-pandemic surveys , she has found that these young adults already sense that they won ’ t have as much as their parents have .
Some like to portray them as coddled and entitled .
But this is a generation that also has grown up with its share of stress — school shootings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Recession , climate change .
Young adults , older than Jalen , remember the terror attacks of 9-11 and know how it feels when the world changes in an instant .
Now comes this global event that German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the biggest challenge since World War II .
Meanwhile , Aaron Pallas , a researcher at Columbia University , said he could think of only “ one major historical precedent ” for what we might be facing — the Great Depression .
Studies have shown that “ kids in these circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is typical , ” said Pallas , a professor of sociology and education .
It ’ s still early , of course .
But even younger children can sense that something unusual is going on .
So far , Kathleen McShane , a trauma therapist and mother of three on the South Side of Chicago , said her 6- and 9-year-old mostly have questions about their routine .
Why is soccer cancelled ?
When can they have a play date ?
As she and her husband work from home , she posted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care of themselves amid these new stresses .
“ We need to make sure the parents are OK , so the families are OK , ” said McShane , who ’ s among therapists who are providing sessions with clients via video chat , when telemedicine is covered by insurance ( which isn ’ t always the case ) .
She is anticipating more crises brought on by marital discord , financial stress and other impacts exacerbated by this pandemic .
Teens and young adults might better understand these impacts , though Lance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is currently “ sheltering in place ” in San Francisco , said he stills sees many people his age trying to “ wrap their heads around ” what ’ s happening .
“ It ’ s hard to keep up , ” said Sell , whose freshman classes at Lehigh University abruptly ended , as they did for students across the world .
“ But people are definitely spooked.
” This week , he took a walk on a beach , a good distance from others , to clear his head .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also report connecting with friends via video chat , a few organizing mass “ Zoom parties , ” named for the popular video chat service .
From the comfort of their homes , they are singing karaoke for one another , sharing jokes and talents .
Even as many bars and restaurants close , others are resisting the calls to stay home , “ still mad about their social lives , ” says Clare Sulentic , a 23-year-old graduate student at St. Ambrose University in Iowa , who moved home with her parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She hopes more people , young or older , will take social distancing seriously as coronavirus cases increase .
She too thinks about her grandparents , including a grandfather who ’ s getting cabin fever .
In the long term , both she and Sell worry about their prospects when they eventually graduate .
“ I wanted to get a great job in a cool city , ” said Sulentic , who ’ s studying speech language pathology .
“ Will that still happen ?
” Jalen Grimes , the teen in Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good news about high school in a week .
She ’ s awaiting word on whether she got into the selective-enrolment public high school of her choice — a big deal for Chicago eighth graders .
Meanwhile , she ’ s working on more schoolwork than she might have anticipated in a circumstance like this , while helping her parents look after her 7-year-old sister , Sydney .
Her mom , Laura Grimes , is now able to work from home but is both teaching college students and running therapy sessions by video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a lot of call for that these days .
It ’ s a blessing that she and her husband “ didn ’ t lose our jobs , ” she said .
“ But it ’ s meant that we have not been able to be present , and I worry about the stress of that.
” Grimes likens it to her own time as a third grader in Iran when her father , a government ammunition specialist , stayed after the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was was overthrown , while she and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I learned really heavy things … and didn ’ t really know what to do with that , ” Grimes said of dealing with riots and bomb scares .
“ This will be that for them , ” she added of her children .
“ This is a level of reality that , for a lot of privileged Americans , we have never had to deal with.
” Martha Irvine , an AP national writer and visual journalist , can be reached at mirvine @ ap.org or at http : //twitter.com/irvineap .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--Grieving and saying goodbye in the time of coronavirus

CHICAGO - Tucked deep in the obituary for Charles Recka was an announcement that a Mass celebrating his 87 years of life “ will be held at a later date.
” Such notices are increasing amid the coronavirus pandemic , as an untold number of burials around the globe go forward with nothing more than a priest , a funeral home employee and a single loved one .
While in some places , bodies of people who have died from COVID-19 are stacking up at hospitals and people are buried quickly in the clothes they died in , Recka ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells a different story : One of families whose grief just happened to arrive amid a pandemic that has them terrified to even share a church pew with loved ones , let alone hug them .
Recka ’ s daughter , Dawn Bouska , sees no choice but to prevent her twin 11-year-old boys and their 14-year-old sister from getting any closer to their grandmother than the other side of the window at the senior living centre where she lives .
“ I don ’ t know if these kids are carriers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk losing my mom , ” said Bouska , 52 , of Naperville , Illinois .
“ At the time she needs to be hugging these kids more than ever it ’ s unsafe to do so.
” Recka ’ s experience is part of the new normal when it comes to funerals .
Daughters of a retired police officer don ’ t dare get on a plane to fly to Chicago for his funeral out of fear they could be separated from their children for weeks if they are placed under quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have stopped holding memorial services altogether , after first telling older veterans to stay away .
When services are held , families are left to decide which few relatives should be allowed to attend .
In parts of Italy hardest hit by the virus , funerals , witnessed by a relative or two , last five minutes and end without any embraces , just the few people who were there hurrying back to their cars .
Some cemeteries aren ’ t allowing any graveside services at all .
“ We just take deceased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Terry Harmon , owner of Chapman Funeral Home in Orange , California , where a nearby cemetery recently said burials would be attended by one relative and one clergy .
For David Cerqua , it means the children and grandchildren of his brother , Dennis , who died March 14 after a long bout with cancer , won ’ t see the funeral .
Plans had called for the appearance of honour guards from two police departments where he once worked and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary , where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ For them not to see how those organizations honour their father is tough , “ said Cerqua , who drove from Texas to Illinois to be with his brother ’ s widow .
“ It ’ s heartbreaking.
” “ His oldest daughter in Arizona has a daughter with special needs and her husband ’ s a paramedic “ who must stay home , he said .
” ’ She can ’ t bring her daughter because she worries if she gets quarantined she could run out of medicine she needs ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her husband gets called out they can ’ t leave their daughter by herself.
” The Rev .
Marshall Hatch , a minister in Chicago , decided to stop presiding over funerals after a service at his church attracted 400 people .
In the ensuing days , as the government kept reducing the number of people allowed at public events , he couldn ’ t shake the memory of all those mourners hugging each other .
“ I thought , ‘ What did we just do ?
’ “ Hatch said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had evidence of an unspecified number of infections linked to two funerals .
Some funerals are being delayed altogether .
Country singer Reba McEntire recently postponed one for her mother , posting on social media that “ we will continue to monitor the situation and let you know as soon as possible about future plans to celebrate her life.
” When singer Kenny Rogers died Friday , his family posted a statement saying it planned a private service , with a public memorial to be held at a later date .
Others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At Bill Simpson Jr. ’ s funeral home in Sheridan , Michigan , mourners can sign online guest books and watch services that are livestreamed .
A funeral home in Jackson , Tennessee , pulled out many chairs to encourage social distancing .
A note encourages mourners to use their own pens to sign guest books .
In San Antonio , mourners can drive by Mission Park Funeral Chapels and Cemeteries , look inside to see family members and the casket or urn , paying their respects from their cars .
“ ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Simpson said .
Jill Wine-Banks , an author from Chicago , said she and a group of friends had a meal delivered to a college friend whose husband died after his small , family-only funeral .
“ It ’ s terrible when you need a community that you can not have a community , ” she said .
“ I ’ m talking to my friend every day .
That ’ s not the same thing as giving her a hug.
“ For Dawn Bouska , whose hopes of being with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vanished with a notice that all the residents in her mother ’ s senior living facility must stay in their rooms and can ’ t have guests , there is only worry for her mother and little gestures like buying dice so her mother could play Yahtzee with the family via FaceTime .
“ This is a worrisome change for my family as now my mom truly will be alone , ” she wrote in an email .
Bouska ’ s mother , Patricia Recka , said she ’ s disappointed that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They will still visit , and we will be able to do face time on the phone , ” explaining that her family will be able to talk to her and see her through her window .
“ We still have each other , ’ ’ Recka said .
“ God knows what he ’ s doing.
” The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Don Babwin And Amy Taxin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Croatia quake injures 17 amid partial coronavirus lockdown

ZAGREB , Croatia - A strong earthquake in Croatia on Sunday caused panic , the evacuation of hospitals and widespread damage including to the capital ’ s iconic cathedral — all amid a partial coronavirus lockdown .
A 15-year-old was reported to be in critical condition and 16 other people were injured , authorities said .
The European seismological agency , EMSC , said the 5.3 earthquake struck a wide area north of the capital , Zagreb , at 6:23 a.m. ( 0523 GMT ) .
The epicenter was 7 kilometres ( 4 miles ) north of Zagreb at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
At least four weaker temblors followed the initial quake .
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said the earthquake was the biggest in Zagreb in the last 140 years .
Many buildings cracked and walls and rooftops were damaged .
Streets were littered with debris .
Concrete slabs fell on cars and chimneys landed in front of entrances .
Footage from the scene showed mothers dressed in nightgowns hugging their newborn babies in a parking lot as they evacuated a damaged maternity hospital amid freezing temperatures .
The women , newborn babies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ location with the help of the army .
Zagreb ’ s iconic cathedral was also damaged , with the top of one of its two spires collapsing .
The cathedral was rebuilt after it toppled in the 1880 earthquake .
Power was cut as people ran out of their homes .
Several fires were also reported .
Residents shared photos of belongings falling off shelves , broken bottles and glass inside homes .
Officials first said a 15-year-old was killed , but doctors later said that she was in critical condition and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They gave no immediate details on the extent of other injuries .
The earthquake struck amid a partial lockdown of the capital because of the spread of the coronavirus .
People were told to avoid public areas , such as parks and public squares , but had little choice as they fled their residences .
Up to five people are allowed to be together while keeping a distance .
Health Minister Vili Beros warned people to keep a 2-meter ( 7-foot ) “ social distance “ as requested by decrees passed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of COVID-19 .
There are 235 coronavirus cases confirmed so far in Croatia .
“ Earthquakes are dangerous , but coronavirus is even more so , “ Beros said , as people rushed out of their homes to congregate in city parks .
” Earthquakes are more important than the coronavirus .
If the earthquake hits , and you are under a door , you worry about yourself first and then the mask later , ” Paul , a man from Peru who lives in Zagreb , told a local TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name .
Plenkovic , the prime minister , urged citizens to remain calm and return to their homes where possible in the central parts of Zagreb , which sustained the most damage .
“ We have two parallel crisis that contradict each other , ” Plenkovic said after an emergency meeting of Croatia ’ s top officials .
Croatian soldiers wearing masks and carrying shovels could be seen helping efforts to clear the damage on the streets of Zagreb .
Top officials toured the damaged areas as some citizens criticized city authorities over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old part of the city , some of which date to the 19th century .
“ We will try to clear the streets as soon as possible , ” the prime minister said .
“ Stay outside your homes and keep distance.
” Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said the situation was complicated by the restrictive virus-related measures in place .
“ We face two simultaneous crises , one is unpredictable and the other is invisible , “ Bozinovic said .
“ There are rules for when there is an earthquake , but when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time when there is a global pandemic , then it ’ s a much more complex situation , ” he said .
Associated Press writers Dusan Stojanovic and Jovana Gec in Belgrade , Serbia , contributed to this report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Colorado orders businesses to reduce employees in offices

DENVER - Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis on Sunday ordered non-critical businesses to cut the number of employees working together in offices and other workplaces by at least half .
He also urged state residents to also do their part to reduce their potential exposure to the coronavirus by doing things like only shopping once a week and jogging less frequently and at different hours .
Polis said the state will set an example with more than half of its employees who do not work in round-the-clock operations , like prisons , working from home starting Monday .
He urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing telecommuting when possible or staggering shifts if it ’ s not .
The order for private employers will take effect Tuesday with exceptions for several industries , including health care , manufacturing , banking and infrastructure .
Polis said the aim of the order and the previous restrictions on businesses like restaurants and bars and gatherings of more than 10 people is to slow the spread of the virus until the the state can deploy more widespread testing and obtain badly needed medical equipment .
The state wants to handle the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Italy , he said .
Colorado may need 7,000 more ventilators when the outbreak reaches its peak , Polis said .
The governor acknowledged the orders can not be enforced by police , just the fear of the “ grim reaper.
” “ The consequences are very much life and death for your friends , your loved ones and maybe even yourself , ” he said .
While a total of 591 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in 29 of Colorado ’ s 64 counties as of Sunday , Polis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is likely in the thousands .
Six people have died .
Meanwhile , to help control the spread of the virus near Rocky Mountain National Park , hotels , motels and vacation rentals in and around Estes Park will close starting at noon Monday as the tourism-dependent community discourages people from visiting .
The order is set to stay in effect through April 17 .
Local workers , long-term residents of short-term facilities and people who are quarantined are exempt .
The age and health of a significant number of the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having serious complications from COVID-19 .
The move came at the urging of Estes Park ’ s hospital , according to an announcement from the town and Larimer County .
“ This is an incredibly difficult decision made with the health of the people in our community in mind — our number one priority , ” Estes Park town administrator Travis Machalek said in the statement .
The park closed Friday at the county ’ s request .
Colorado has seen spread of the disease in areas near its mountain ski resorts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
All ski areas have been shut down because of the outbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Workers crowd trains for home as Indian cities close further

NEW DELHI - As cities and factories were closing in virus-control measures , Indian migrant workers crowded a railway station to reach their home villages Sunday , suggesting social distancing could be difficult in the world ’ s second-most populous country .
The scene Sunday in Uttar Pradesh state was just one of many examples of crowding on the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called on Indians to stay home for a 14-hour “ people ’ s curfew ” to halt the spread of the virus .
In answer to his call for people to collectively cheer front-line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cacophony was heard in the capital as people clapped , rang bells , banged pots and pans , played music and exploded fireworks , sending crows and parakeets streaming from treetops , and stray dogs and cows into the deserted streets .
But elsewhere in Delhi and in India ’ s financial capital of Mumbai , people could be seen pressed together in close quarters .
Afterward , the government of Delhi , a federal territory , issued weeklong stay-at-home orders , cancelling public transport services , closing shops , offices , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing people to leave their homes only for basic necessities .
Services such as police and health care were exempted from the rule .
No commercial airplanes from abroad are allowed to land in India for a week starting Sunday .
Delhi joined the neighbouring state of Haryana , home to the multinational corporate hub of Gurugram , as well as the states of Rajasthan , Bihar , Uttarakhand , Telangana and the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir with near-total bans on public movement .
India has at least 329 active cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven deaths from COVID-19 , the illness it causes .
Earlier Sunday , thousands of people from Mumbai and elsewhere in the western state of Maharashtra , jostled at a railway station in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh , India ’ s most populous state .
Police struggled from a distance to control the crowds , who were waiting to be taken to their villages by buses and taxis that appeared unlikely to come .
“ We are playing with our health by crowding railway stations and bus stands , ” Modi said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all passenger train services until March 31 , although freight services will continue .
It was unclear what this would mean for people stranded at railway stations .
In recent days , migrant workers hauling backpacks have swarmed overcrowded trains across many Indian cities , an exodus among panic-stricken day labourers that has sparked fears the virus could spread to the countryside .
The typical bustle of New Delhi , meanwhile , was otherwise silent on Sunday , with nearly empty buses and taxis plying the city ’ s lightly trafficked roads , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ churches locked , and building guards with scarves tied around their faces seated outside on plastic chairs watching empty streets .
A road in New Delhi near a Sufi shrine where hundreds of pilgrims often camp was empty except for an occasional passing car .
While some Indian states had already issued stay-in-place orders and closed borders , Sunday was India ’ s first nationwide effort at social isolation practices that the World Health Organization believes are critical to flattening the infection curve worldwide .
Officials said 23 people have recovered from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread in India .
While the coronavirus can be deadly , particularly for the elderly and people with other health problems , for most people it causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
Some feel no symptoms at all and the vast majority recover .
India ’ s government has made fervent appeals to the public to practice social distancing and good hand hygiene .
India also was one of the first countries to essentially shut its borders and deny entry to all but a select few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indigenous spread of the disease in India , where tens of millions live in dense urban areas with irregular access to clean water , is inevitable .
Associated Press journalist Rajesh Kumar in Prayagraj , India , contributed to this report .

Emily Schmall And Sheikh Saaliq - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-23--Florida governor orders New York travellers to quarantine

TALLAHASSEE , Fla. - Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis said Monday he is issuing an executive order mandating that anyone arriving on a flight from New York City and the surrounding area submit to self-quarantine for two weeks as he tries to avoid issuing a statewide shutdown similar to other states .
DeSantis said in an address from his Tallahassee office that more than 100 such flights arrive daily in Florida and he believes each contains at least one person infected with the new coronavirus .
He said he has been in contact with federal officials about curtailing such flights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response .
He said arriving passengers will be screened by health officials and law enforcement and told they must self-quarantine .
He said those travellers will not be allowed to stay with family or friends , because that is one way the virus is spread .
He did not say specifically how the self-quarantine would be enforced , but Florida law says it is a second-degree misdemeanour to violate a quarantine order that could result in a 60-day jail sentence .
“ It is actually a criminal offence if you violate the quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountable here in the State of Florida if they buck the law , “ DeSantis said .
He said earlier that he spoke about the issue Sunday night with President Donald Trump , who recently changed his official residence from Manhattan to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach .
Miami , Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach in particular have a close relationship with New York City , earning South Florida the nickname “ The Sixth Borough ” to complement Manhattan , the Bronx , Brooklyn , Queens and Staten Island .
Many residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Yankee baseball games are even broadcast on local radio .
This is the time of year many transplants ’ families visit .
Asked about the order at a news conference , New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said “ I understand it .
We are the epicenter.
” But he said he has mixed feelings about travel restrictions in general .
“ I ’ m not sure it ’ s the most enlightened approach.
” He noted that many Floridians have “ deep , deep ” ties to New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of people in Florida are going to be put off by it.
” As of Monday evening , more than 1,200 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Florida and 17 have died , an increase of four since Sunday .
State officials did not immediately return calls Monday evening seeking information on how many of those diagnosed in Florida recently arrived or returned from New York or had contact with someone who did .
DeSantis also said Monday he wants to avoid imposing a statewide lockdown like California , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying he still believes targeting the counties hardest hit by the virus for the most extreme measures is preferable .
DeSantis said about a third of Florida ’ s 67 counties have no confirmed cases and another third have few , so he doesn ’ t yet see the need to impose a near shutdown on their businesses that have been imposed in large counties such as Miami-Dade , Broward and Palm Beach where the disease has spread into the community .
Most of the counties with few or no infections are smaller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limits or surrounding Lake Okeechobee .
“ It would be a very blunt instrument .
When you ’ re ordering people to shelter in place you are consigning a number – probably hundreds of thousands of Floridians to lose their jobs , ” DeSantis said .
“ You ’ re throwing their lives potentially into disarray , and if that were something necessary statewide because the health comes first , that would be one thing .
But if you look at Florida ’ s situation right now , this is not a virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state.
” He said states that have issued orders to stay home have seen large numbers of residents refusing to comply .
“ New York City , it ’ s like the party never ended — you ’ ve got people congregating all over the place , ” DeSantis said .
He said such people realize ” a governor is not going to start imprisoning people just because they leave their house.
” DeSantis has ordered such statewide closures as bars and gyms and limited restaurants to takeout and delivery .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only nonessential businesses but also beaches , marinas and parks .
State parks have been closed .
Some Florida Democrats are calling on the Republican governor to impose a statewide stay-at-home order .
The virus causes only minor flu-like symptoms in most people , who recover in a matter of weeks .
But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness or death in some patients , particularly the elderly and those with existing health problems .
AP writer Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale contributed to this report .
Follow AP coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Terry Spencer And Brendan Farrington - The Associated Press