thetorontostar--2020-03-21--The Latest: Australia unveils stimulus package, beach shut

PERTH , Australia - The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic , which has infected more than 307,100 people and killed more than 13,000 .
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 92,300 people have recovered so far , mostly in China .
Australia has unveiled a 66.4 billion Australian dollar ( $ 38.50 billion ) stimulus package in a bid to ward off a recession and safeguard employment from the coronavirus pandemic .
The package includes cash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recipients .
The total economic assistance packages so far total almost 10 % of the country ’ s GDP .
Australia has recorded more than 1,000 cases of the virus as fears heighten that it is headed for its first recession in nearly three decades .
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says : “ We want to help businesses keep going as best they can or to pause instead of falling apart .
We want to ensure that when this crisis has passed Australia can bounce back.
” He says more draconian social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting Sunday .
Sydney ’ s iconic Bondi Beach was closed on Saturday after thousands of people flouted regulations that prohibit more than 500 people gathering .
SEOUL , South Korea — South Korea on Sunday reported 98 more cases of the new coronavirus , taking the total here to 8,897 .
Fatalities in South Korea increased by two to 104 , according to the state-run Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
HONOLULU — Hawaii ’ s governor has instituted a mandatory 14-day quarantine starting Thursday of all people travelling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight the spread of the coronavirus , Hawaii News Now reported .
The order applies to returning residents as well as visitors .
“ We need to come together as a community to fight this virus , ” Gov .
David Ige said at a news conference in the state capitol .
“ This mandate is the first of its kind in the nation .
We want this action to send the message to visitors and residents alike that we appreciate their love for Hawaii but we are asking them to postpone their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases of people with the coronavirus , bringing Hawaii ’ s total to 48 , according to Hawaii News Now .
Three of them are hospitalized .
The U.S. Army announced a soldier with the 25th Infantry Battalion based in Hawaii tested positive for the coronavirus , the first case linked to the Army community in the state , Hawaii News Now reported .
The soldier is in isolation .
SEATTLE — Target Corp. has apologized for selling face masks in Seattle stores while hospitals face a dire shortage .
Washington Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it received reports Saturday that the much-needed N95 masks were on Target shelves .
Target said on Twitter that the masks were being sold in error and that it was removing them from shelves and donating them to the Washington Department of Health .
The company said it would also search its inventory for additional masks to donate .
BRASILIA , Brazil — The U.S. Embassy in Brazil says it is making “ final arrangements ” to return home 103 American citizens and two permanent residents .
They are currently stranded aboard the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brazilian city of Recife .
The vessel has been in isolation and its passengers not allowed to disembark since a 78-year-old Canadian passenger tested positive for the coronavirus .
The embassy ’ s Saturday statement says a special charter flight will be sent out “ as soon as possible.
” NEW YORK — Columbia University ’ s chief surgeon , Dr. Craig Smith , has been raising alarms about the rapid surge of patients and dwindling supplies in daily letters to colleagues that are being posted to the Columbia surgery department ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projections estimate the number of coronavirus patients will continue to grow over the next 22 to 32 days , overwhelming the New York-Presbyterian system ’ s emergency rooms and intensive care units , even with measures taken to build new capacity .
The projections show the system ’ s hospitals needing 700 to 934 ICU beds when the outbreak reaches its peak .
Just Friday , Smith wrote , the system saw a 50 % increase in coronavirus patients , making for a total of 300 being treated and another 200 awaiting test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system are burning through about 40,000 masks a day -- about 10 times the normal amount .
“ Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to apologize profusely in a few weeks for having overestimated the threat , ” Smith wrote .
“ That would mean we never exceeded capacity , and that mortalities and morbidities rarely seen in non-pandemic circumstances were avoided .
The next month or two is a horror to imagine if we ’ re underestimating the threat.
” At NYU Langone Health , another hospital operator in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ busy ” and some patients are being treated in space retrofitted to expand capacity , spokesman Jim Mandler said Saturday .
WASHINGTON — Vice-President Mike Pence and his wife , Karen , have tested negative for the coronavirus .
The vice-president ’ s press secretary , Katie Miller , tweeted the results of the tests Saturday night .
Pence had announced earlier Saturday that , out of an abundance of caution , he and his wife would be tested for the virus .
A member of the vice-president ’ s staff had tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had said the staffer , who did not have close contact with either the president or vice-president , was doing well .
Still , Pence stood just a few feet from President Donald Trump at the podium during their press conference .
BEIJING — The Chinese city of Wuhan , where the global pandemic was first detected , went a fourth consecutive day on Sunday without reporting any new or suspected cases of the virus .
Elsewhere , the country reported 46 new cases over the previous 24 hours , 45 of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not say where the domestic case was found .
Another six deaths were also reported , one in Wuhan , four in the surrounding province of Hubei and one elsewhere .
China now recorded a total of 81,054 cases and 3,261 deaths .
A total of 72,244 people have been declared cured and released from hospital .
Wuhan must go 14 straight days without a new case in order for draconian travel restrictions to be lifted and the city remains isolated from the rest of the province , which is itself closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even while social distancing and quarantines for new arrivals remain the norm , China is striving to restore activity in the world ’ s second-largest economy .
Wuhan is a centre of China ’ s crucial auto industry and a special train carrying more than 1,000 employees of Dongfeng Motor Corporation arrived Saturday afternoon in the city for the first time since the outbreak .
All were sent directly by bus to factories or residential communities .
WASHINGTON — Washington DC has announced 21 new identified cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total to 98 .
The new infections include a cluster of young people , with 12 victims identified below the age of 40 .
District of Columbia health officials have long predicted that the local numbers would spike as more people were tested .
Earlier Thursday , they announced that a third member of the DC fire department had tested positive .
Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared a state of emergency and closed all schools through the end of the month .
The popular Cherry Blossom Festival has been postponed , White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Zoo , Smithsonian museum network and Kennedy Center have closed .
Washington ’ s tally doesn ’ t include people who may have been infected in Washington but live in nearby northern Virginia or southern Maryland .
MOSCOW — The Russian Defence Ministry says it is ready to fly its mobile medical teams and disinfection equipment to Italy to help it deal with the new coronavirus .
The ministry ’ s statement followed Saturday ’ s phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical personnel and equipment to help Italy contain the outbreak of the new coronavirus .
The Russian Defence Ministry says its transport planes stand ready to airlift eight mobile medical teams along with various medical equipment and aerosol disinfection trucks to Italy .
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had a call with his Italian counterpart Lorenzo Guerini , who said Italy was ready to receive Russian planes with medical personnel and equipment starting Sunday .
WASHINGTON — An inmate at a federal jail in New York City has tested positive for the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the federal prison system .
The federal Bureau of Prisons says the man is housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and complained of chest pains on Thursday , a few days after he arrived at the facility .
Officials say he was taken to a hospital and tested for COVID-19 .
The inmate was discharged from the hospital on Friday and returned to the jail , where he was immediately placed in isolation .
The Bureau of Prisons learned Saturday he had tested positive for COVID-19 .
The Palestinian Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip .
The ministry said early Sunday that the cases were for two people who returned recently from Pakistan .
The discovery increases fears of a potential outbreak in the crowded enclave , amid an overstretched health care system that struggles under years of an Israeli-Egyptian blockade and Palestinian political division .
ROME — Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has told the nation he is tightening the lockdown to fight the rampaging spread of the coronavirus , shutting down all production facilities except those that are “ necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goods ” for the country .
Conte said Italy is living through “ ïts gravest crisis since World War II.
” Conte said while it ’ s not easy to renounce habits , that sacrifice pales in comparison to the sacrifices made by other citizens , ranging from doctors and nurses to supermarket clerks and security forces .
Local authorities in Italy ’ s northern regions have been pleading with the national government to enact ever stricter measures .
The most hard-hit region , Lombardy , accounts for more than 60 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Italy ’ s economy has been stagnant for several years , and some in the country were reluctant to shut down industry , in a move that would deepen Italy ’ s economic crisis .
The new stricter measures will be in effect until April 3 .
PARDUBICE , Czech Republic — A giant transport plane landed late Saturday at an airport in the Czech Republic loaded with over 100 tons of much needed supplies for the medical sector to combat the outbreak of the coronavirus .
The transport was part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ministry said the plane was flying from the city of Shenzhen in south-eastern China with over 106 metric tons ( 117 tons ) of equipment .
The Czech Republic has 995 infected people with the coronavirus .
The flight was made possible by the Strategic Air Lift International Solution ( SALIS ) , whose goal is to provide to participating NATO allies a capability to transport heavy and outsized cargo .
LONDON — The British government is heightening its response to the new coronavirus , telling up to 1.5 million sick and vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with others for at least 12 weeks .
The government says people with certain health conditions — including recipients of organ transplants , people with cystic fibrosis , patients with blood or bone marrow cancer and some people on immune-suppressing drugs — should “ shield themselves ” from the spreading pandemic by living in isolation .
Special deliveries of groceries and medicine will be arranged by an alliance of public agencies , the military , food retailers and volunteers .
The move came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s health system would be “ completely overwhelmed ” without a “ heroic and collective national effort ” of social isolation to slow it .
Britain has 5,018 confirmed cases of the virus , and 233 deaths , an increase of more than 50 deaths from a day earlier .
NICOSIA , Cyprus — The eastern Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus has recorded its first death as a result of the cororavirus .
The Cyprus health ministry says the man , whose age was not given , had been suffering from long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The ministry says the patient appears to have contracted the virus from another carrier at a hospital where he was being treated for liver disease .
At latest count , there are 84 confirmed coronavirus cases in the internationally recognized south of ethnically divided Cyprus .
There are another 31 cases in the breakaway , Turkish Cypriot north .
Cyprus has banned entry to all foreign nationals except those who live and work in the country as well as diplomats .
It also has enacted a 14-day ban on inbound flights from 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.K .
The East African nation of Uganda has announced its first case of the coronavirus .
The West African nation of Ghana announced its first death .
Both countries are closing their borders , but the measures don ’ t apply to cargo .
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--2020-03-21--Trump writes to Kim offering help in virus fight, North Korea says

SEOUL , SOUTH KOREA—U.S .
President Donald Trump has sent a letter to North Korea ’ s leader , Kim Jong Un , expressing his willingness to help the North battle the coronavirus , North Korea said Sunday .
“ I would like to extend sincere gratitude to the U.S. president for sending his invariable faith to the Chairman , ” said Kim Yo Jong , the North Korean leader ’ s sister and policy aide , in a statement carried by the North ’ s state-run Korean Central News Agency .
She lauded Trump ’ s decision to write @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and proper action.
” In the letter , Trump “ wished the family of the Chairman and our people well-being , ” she said , referring to his brother by one of his official titles .
The White House confirmed that Trump had sent Kim Jong Un a letter but did not comment on its specifics .
Trump and Kim have repeatedly touted their unusual relationship .
They exchanged a number of personal letters before and after their first summit in Singapore in 2018 , and at one point Trump said he and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But relations between Pyongyang and Washington have cooled since the leaders ’ second summit , held in Vietnam last February .
Talks collapsed over differences regarding how quickly North Korea should dismantle its nuclear weapons program and when Washington should ease sanctions .
Since then , Kim has repeatedly said that North Korea was no longer interested in diplomacy with the United States unless it changed what he called its hostile policy , including sanctions .
He also warned that the North no longer felt bound by its self-imposed moratorium on testing nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , Kim attended the testing of two short-range ballistic missiles by his military .
Kim Yo Jong said Sunday that her brother had “ mentioned his special personal relations with President Trump again and appreciated the personal letter.
” But she said good personal relations between the two leaders were not enough to improve their countries ’ ties .
A senior Trump administration official , who insisted on anonymity , said the president ’ s letter was consistent with his efforts to engage world leaders during the coronavirus pandemic .
Officially , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , although it says it is waging an all-out campaign against the virus. Outside health experts fear that the country might be hiding an outbreak .

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thetorontostar--2020-03-21--Americans coping with the coronavirus are clogging toilets

Many Americans seem to be following the recommendations of public health officials to clean and sterilize countertops , doorknobs , faucets and other frequently touched surfaces in their homes .
The problem ?
Many are then tossing the disinfectant wipes , paper towels and other paper products they used into the toilet .
The result has been a coast-to-coast surge in backed-up sewer lines and overflowing toilets , according to plumbers and public officials , who have pleaded with Americans to spare the nation ’ s pipes from further strain .
Many say the woes besieging the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of toilet paper on store shelves , which is leading some to use paper towels , napkins or baby wipes instead .
Across the country — in Charleston , South Carolina ; northeastern Ohio ; Lexington , Kentucky ; Austin , Texas ; and Spokane , Washington — wastewater treatment officials have beseeched residents not to flush wipes down the toilet using the hashtag # WipesClogPipes .
“ Flushable wipes are not truly flushable , ” said Jim Bunsey , chief operating officer of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do not break up like regular toilet paper.
” The plumbing repair company Roto-Rooter issued a similar plea to its customers , and said that substituting facial tissue for toilet paper was “ another bad idea , ” unless it ’ s used in small amounts and flushed frequently .
The California State Water Resources Control Board warned this week that “ even wipes labeled ‘ flushable ’ will clog pipes and interfere with sewage collection and treatment throughout the state.
” “ Flushing wipes , paper towels and similar products down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities , creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic , ” it said .
The agency said wastewater treatment plants across California were reporting problems .
It noted that most urban sewage systems depend on gravity and water flow to move toilet paper and waste , and were not designed to accommodate disinfectant wipes and paper towels , which do not break down as easily and clog the system .
The board noted that clogged sewer lines are more than just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes during a pandemic .
Spills flow into lakes , rivers and oceans , where they can harm public health and the environment , it said .
Plumbers said they were fielding an increase in calls from people working from home and self-quarantining .
“ We have noticed an uptick in the amount of clogged main sewer lines and , when we dispatch our technicians , we are pulling baby wipes out of the line and we ’ re seeing paper towels and Lysol wipes , ” Mark Russo , vice president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and heating service in East Hanover , New Jersey , said on Saturday .
“ These items are things that should never be flushed down the toilet , ” he said .


thetorontostar--2020-03-21--Mexico navy copter down in police operation; 1 dead, 10 hurt

MEXICO CITY - Authorities in Mexico say a Mexican navy helicopter has crashed during an anti-kidnapping operation , killing a police officer and injuring 10 military personnel in the Gulf state of Veracruz .
The official Twitter account of Veracruz Gov .
Cuitláhuac García says the aircraft crashed Saturday in the mountainous Zongolica area while supporting state officers in the rescue of kidnapping victims .
The navy department says in a statement that the helicopter went down after taking off to move two kidnapping victims who had been rescued during an operation that resulted in the arrest of five suspects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a Veracruz state police officer .
It says the injured were eight sailors and two agents of militarized National Guard policing force .
The injured are reported in stable condition .
The crash happened in an area of the Veracruz mountains that has intense organized crime activity , both by big drug cartels and smaller groups engaged in the theft of fuel and other crimes .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-21--UN welcomes positive responses to fighting pause in Libya

TANZANIA , Tanzania - Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday welcomed positive responses from Libya ’ s warring parties to calls for a humanitarian pause in fighting to allow authorities to respond to the public health challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic .
The U.N. chief “ hopes that this will be translated into an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities , ” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said .
Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 , when a civil war toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi , who was later killed .
In the chaos that followed the country was divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital of Tripoli and parts of the country ’ s west is backed by Turkey and to a lesser degree Qatar and Italy as well as local militias .
On the other side is a rival government in the east that supports self-styled Gen. Khalifa Hifter , whose forces launched an offensive to capture the capital last April and are backed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt as well as France and Russia .
According to media reports , fear of the new coronavirus is widespread in Libya , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over concerns of a possible outbreak and Hifter ’ s forces worried that foreign mercenaries fighting alongside them may have the virus .
Last month , the U.N. Security Council endorsed a 55-point road map for ending the war in Libya that 12 key leaders agreed to at a conference in Berlin on Jan. 19 .
This past week , the U.N. Mission in Libya and a large number of international groups called on the opposing parties to declare an immediate humanitarian pause in hostilities and halt the transfer of military equipment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the pandemic .
Dujarric said the secretary-general welcomed the positive response from the government on March 18 and Hifter ’ s Libyan National Army on March 21 to calls for a humanitarian pause .
“ Given the already dire humanitarian situation in Libya and the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic , the secretary-general calls on the parties to join forces to address the threat and to ensure unhindered access of humanitarian aid throughout the country , ” the U.N. spokesman said .
Guterres urges both sides to accept the draft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Geneva last month , Dujarric said .


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Sen. Rand Paul tests positive for virus, forcing quarantines

WASHINGTON - Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has tested positive for the novel coronavirus , becoming the first case of COVID-19 in the Senate and raising fears about the further transmission of the virus among Republicans at the Capitol .
Paul , an eye surgeon , went into quarantine Sunday after learning his results .
He said he has not had symptoms and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events .
He said he was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person .
His announcement led Utah ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitt Romney — to place themselves into quarantine , stepping away from negotiations as the Senate worked on a $ 1.4 trillion economic rescue package for the coronavirus crisis .
At least five senators , including Paul , were in self-quarantine Sunday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said .
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema , a Democrat from Arizona elected in 2018 , chastised Paul on Twitter , saying his decision to return to the Capitol after he was tested — but before he learned the results — was “ absolutely irresponsible.
’ ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a fellow Senator ’ s choices/actions .
Never once.
’ ’ But she added : “ This , America , is absolutely irresponsible .
You can not be near other people while waiting for coronavirus test results .
It endangers others & likely increases the spread of the virus.
’ ’ Other senators , including Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , had gone into self-quarantine while they awaited the results of a coronavirus test .
Both were negative .
Responding to criticism on Twitter , Paul ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be clear , Senator Paul left the Senate IMMEDIATELY upon learning of his diagnosis .
He had zero contact with anyone & went into quarantine .
Insinuations ... that he went to the gym after learning of his results are just completely false & irresponsible !
’ ’ Paul ’ s office did not say when he was tested .
Representatives of his office could not immediately be reached for comment .
President Donald Trump called Paul “ a great friend ” and said he ’ s “ always there when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosis came after two House members , Reps. Mario Diaz Balart , R-Fla. , and Ben McAdams , D-Utah , tested positive for the virus .
Trump said the positive test results showed the virus was “ hiting quite close to home .
It ’ s a terrible thing that ’ s going on.
’ ’ Paul and other lawmakers “ are going to be fine , ’ ’ Trump said .
” I hope they ’ ll be fine.
’ ’ Paul , a deficit hawk , was among eight Senate Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week that provided more than $ 100 billion to boost testing for the coronavirus and guarantee paid sick leave for millions of workers .
He also was only Republican senator who opposed an earlier bill authorizing $ 8.3 billion for initial response to the coronavirus .
The senator was on Capitol Hill this past week , including at a luncheon Friday among GOP senators .
He spoke on the Senate floor on Wednesday afternoon , addressing the cornonavirus and a failed amendment he sponsored that would have paid for virus relief efforts by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman for Sen. Jerry Moran , R-Kan. , said Moran briefly saw Paul at the Senate gym Sunday morning and that he shared that information with GOP colleagues at a policy meeting .
Moran “ followed CDC guidelines and kept a safe distance between him and Sen. Paul , ’ ’ spokesman Tom Brandt said .
Moran has spoken with the attending physician at the Capitol and has been told he does not need to self-quarantine , Brandt said .
South Dakota Sen. John Thune , the second-ranking Republican senator , said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the attending physician about all senators who have been in contact with Paul .
Romney said he was praying for Paul and noted that Paul ’ s health is compromised .
Paul , 57 , broke several ribs in 2017 when a neighbour assaulted him over a long-standing landscaping dispute .
Paul , who was later awarded $ 580,000 in damages and medical expenses , had surgery last year to remove part of a lung damaged by the assault .
The Senate was in session Sunday seeking a bipartisan response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be the third measure Congress has approved in response to the coronavirus this month .
The White House has increasingly emphasized that testing should prioritize the elderly and health care workers who have symptoms of the virus .
While most cases of COVID-19 are mild and tens of thousands of people have recovered , older people and those with underlying health problems are at higher risk for more serious problems , such as pneumonia .
“ We don ’ t want everyone to go out and get a test because there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump told reporters Friday .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells people to seek testing if they have certain symptoms of the flu-like illness caused by the coronavirus — fever , cough and trouble breathing — and if they have travelled recently to an outbreak area or have been in close contact with someone who is infected .
They should first be tested for the flu and other routine infections .
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus .
According to the World Health Organization , people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover .
Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick 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 .


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--New York quiets as it becomes next virus hot spot

NEW YORK - No more play dates , no more picnics in the park with friends , no more pickup games of basketball .
No more commuting or using public transport — unless absolutely essential .
New York is implementing dramatic restrictions Sunday in an attempt to slow a pandemic that has swept across the globe and threatened to make the state one of the world ’ s biggest coronavirus hot spots .
As case numbers soar — or in anticipation that they will — officials worldwide warned of a critical shortage of medical supplies .
Spain was erecting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British health workers pleaded for more gear , saying they felt like “ cannon fodder , ” and President Donald Trump ordered mobile hospital centres be sent to Washington , California and New York .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo on Friday ordered all nonessential businesses in the state to close and nonessential workers to stay home , tightening even further restrictions put in place earlier in the week .
The order takes effect at 8 p.m. Sunday , but officials were urging New Yorkers to start following it immediately .
Cuomo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blasio also called for getting everything from masks to gowns , as well as doctors and other medical workers to New York .
De Blasio on Sunday asked Trump to have the U.S. military take over the logistics of making and distributing medical supplies .
Cuomo warned that hard-hit states are outbidding one another for ever scarcer supplies , sometimes doubling or tripling prices .
“ I can ’ t be blunt enough .
If the president doesn ’ t act , people will die who could have lived otherwise , ” de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Press.
” The top infectious disease expert in the U.S. promised New York City and the other hardest-hit places that critical supplies will not run out .
The medical supplies are about to start pouring in and will be “ clearly directed to those hot spots that need it most , ” Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said on CBS ’ “ Face The Nation.
” Hours later , Trump said he had ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ship mobile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York .
For New York , that would mean another 1,000 hospital beds .
“ No American is alone as long as we are united , ” Trump said .
Meanwhile , the U.S. Senate turned back a potential $ 1.4 trillion aid package on a procedural vote .
Democrats argued it was tilted toward corporations rather than workers and health care providers .
But negotiations continued .
The delay shook investors , as futures for U.S. stocks fell sharply at the start of trading Sunday .
Futures for the S & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ triggering a halt in trading shortly after opening .
Wall Street is coming off its worst week since 2008 , with the Dow down 17 % , many restaurants and bars nationwide closed and large swaths of the economy suddenly ground to a halt .
Worldwide , more than 330,000 people have been infected and nearly 14,400 have died , according to Johns Hopkins University .
About 150 countries now have confirmed cases .
There were more than 33,000 cases across the U.S. and more than 400 deaths .
New York state accounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City .
On Sunday , New York passed Washington state , the initial epicenter of the U.S. outbreak , in the number of fatal cases .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever or coughing .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
Some 93,800 people have recovered , mostly in China .
Cuomo has told hospitals to figure out ways to increase their current beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from health officials are that COVID-19 cases needing advanced medical care will top 100,000 in New York state in the next month or so .
Such a deluge could overwhelm hospitals in a city that has about 53,000 beds .
Hospitals started to feel the crush Sunday , creating emergency room overflows and dedicating COVID-19 wings , with officials in Brooklyn saying a number were becoming overwhelmed .
Health care workers said they were being asked to reuse and ration disposable masks and gloves .
“ The building is on fire , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chaotic and ever-changing guidance medical professionals have been given .
“ It ’ s a mad scramble.
” But in the face of an invisible threat rather than billowing smoke or blowing snow , New Yorkers were still gathering in large groups in parks , playing basketball or having block parties .
Similar scenes played out around the country .
Cuomo expressed exasperation Sunday that people were still ignoring orders to stay away from one another , saying he ’ s still seeing people acting like it was just another spring weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s arrogant .
It ’ s self-destructive .
It ’ s disrespectful to other people , “ Cuomo said .
“ It has to stop and it has to stop now.
” Along with the staggering numbers , there were individual reminders Sunday of the reach of the virus .
Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky became the first U.S. senator to announce he was infected .
Opera superstar Plácido Domingo announced he has COVID-19 , and German Chancellor Angela Merkel put herself into quarantine after a doctor who gave her a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , the coronavirus raged on .
Italy and Iran reported soaring new death tolls .
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte went on live TV to announce that he was tightening the country ’ s lockdown .
Italy now has more than 59,000 cases and 5,476 deaths .
‘ ’ We are facing the most serious crisis that the country has experienced since World War II , ’ ’ Conte told Italians during a broadcast at midnight .
Iran ’ s supreme leader refused U.S. assistance Sunday to fight the virus , citing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be an American plot .
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ’ s comments came as Iran faces crushing U.S. sanctions over its nuclear actions .
Iran says it has 1,685 deaths and 21,638 confirmed cases of the virus — a toll that experts from the World Health Organization say is almost certainly under-reported .
In many parts of the United States , officials were sounding the same not that New York leaders were : Stay away from large gatherings .
Officials called them different things — social distancing , sheltering in place , or in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ safer at home ” order .
“ We ’ re all in quarantine now .
Think about it , “ Cuomo said .
Enforcement of any of these orders is still up in the air .
Most locations simply broke up large gatherings and sent people home because one of the last things health officials wanted was putting people in confined spaces like jails .
Many governments were even releasing nonviolent inmates .
Nearly 40 inmates had been diagnosed as of Saturday with COVID-19 in the New York prison system including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned a huge jump in cases was likely coming .
The world kept shutting down , too .
The long-haul airline Emirates — a major East-West carrier — said it will suspend all passenger flights beginning Wednesday over the outbreak .
Singapore said it will fully shut its borders beginning Tuesday .
Sunday was Mother ’ s Day in Britain and the government had a stark message for millions : visiting your mother could kill her .
Instead of parties , lunch or tea , Prime Minister Boris Johnson implored Britons to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Britain made urgent pleas for more protective equipment as the number of coronavirus patients in U.K. hospitals soared to more than 5,000 .
Almost 4,000 medical workers signed a letter to the Sunday Times saying front-line staff felt like “ cannon fodder.
” They warned that medics would die if they did not receive better equipment .
In Spain , Europe ’ s hardest-hit country after Italy , intensive care units in some areas were close to their limits even before Sunday ’ s new tally of more than 28,500 infections and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,500 beds was going up in a convention centre in Madrid and health officials warned more than 10 % of the country ’ s health workers were now infected with coronavirus .
“ We can ’ t just repeat the slogans that we will get through this together , “ said Dr. German Peces-Barba , a lung specialist at Fundación Jiménez Díaz hospital in Madrid .
But there were some signs of hope .
The Chinese city of Wuhan — where the global pandemic was first detected and the first city to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day on Sunday without reporting any new or suspected cases .
Collins reported from Columbia , South Carolina .
Associated Press reporters Frank Jordans in Berlin ; Colleen Barry in Soave , Italy ; Joseph Wilson in Barcelona ; Yanan Wang in Beijing ; Antonio Calanni in Milan , Italy ; Frances D ’ Emilio in Rome ; Jill Lawless in London ; Jon Gambrell in Dubai ; researcher Henry Hou in Beijing and other AP reporters around the world contributed to this report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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

Jim Mustian And Jeffrey Collins - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--In a pandemic, religion can be a balm and a risk

BEIRUT—Down on Earth , the coronavirus outbreak was felling lives , livelihoods and normalcy .
A nation-spanning blessing seemed called for .
So up went a priest in a small airplane , rumbling overhead at an epidemiologically safe distance from the troubles below , wielding a sacred golden vessel from a cockpit-turned-pulpit .
Before his flight over Lebanon , a soldier at an airport checkpoint asked the Rev .
Majdi Allawi if he had a mask and hand sanitizer .
“ Jesus is my protection , ” said Allawi , who belongs to the Maronite Catholic Church .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solace of first resort for billions of people grappling with a pandemic for which scientists , presidents and the secular world seem , so far , to have few answers .
With both sanitizer and leadership in short supply , dread over the coronavirus has driven the globe ’ s faithful even closer to religion and ritual .
But what is good for the soul may not always be good for the body .
Believers worldwide are running afoul of public health authorities ’ warnings that communal gatherings , the keystone of so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to combat the virus ’ spread .
In some cases , religious fervour has led people toward cures that have no grounding in science ; in others , it has drawn them to sacred places or rites that could increase the risk of infection .
In Myanmar , a prominent Buddhist monk announced that a dose of one lime and three palm seeds — no more , no less — would confer immunity .
In Iran , a few pilgrims were filmed licking Shiite Muslim shrines to ward off infection .
And in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ televangelism with telemedicine , broadcasting himself , one trembling hand outstretched , as he claimed he could cure believers through their screens .
The anchors of religious practice have taken on a greater urgency just as religious authorities move to restrict them .
An Egyptian pharmacist , Ahmed Shaban , 31 , travelled to Saudi Arabia this month to make a pilgrimage to Prophet Muhammad ’ s birthplace and tomb .
Millions of Muslims throng the sites every year , many of them pausing to kiss the Kaaba , the black-and-gold cube in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacred shrine .
“ In times of hardship , fear or panic , ” Shaban said , “ either you think , ‘ How can God do this to us ?
’ or you run to him for protection and for guidance , to make it all make sense.
” The day Shaban ’ s visit was scheduled , the Saudi government suspended all pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina indefinitely .
This month , al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem closed for prayer , making it a clean sweep : Islam ’ s three holiest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason , at least from a medical standpoint : Coronavirus outbreaks have been linked to a South Korean church , a gathering of 16,000 faithful at a mosque in Malaysia and an Orthodox Jewish congregation in New Rochelle , New York .
But social distancing can leave the faithful feeling distant from God .
How do you receive the body and blood of Christ when the communion cup might be a vector ?
How do you feel the warmth of communal prayer , the experience that draws the faithful to houses of worship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blue light of a livestreamed service ?
Spiritual advisories from religious authorities sought to redirect believers ’ energies inward .
Rabbi David Lau , the Ashkenazi chief rabbi in Israel , called upon Jews to say 100 blessings daily , as King David did when confronted with a plague .
The Sephardic chief rabbi , Yitzhak Yosef , urged Jews to “ petition the Almighty to stop the epidemic and to leave his throne of judgment and sit instead on the throne of mercy.
” The Coptic patriarch of Egypt , Pope Tawadros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wake-up call to repent .
“ If there are differences between people , ” he said in a sermon , “ this is the time for reconciliation.
” In a world where so many routines have been obliterated , it is the rites themselves that many cherish .
“ I ’ m taking precautions in my life generally against the virus , but communion is the body and blood of God , ” said Monica Medhat , 26 , an executive at an Egyptian brewery who is a Coptic Christian .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” If anything , the times have strengthened her faith .
“ I believe everyone dies when they ’ re destined to die , ” she said .
“ It doesn ’ t matter if it ’ s from a virus or a car accident .
God help us all.
” People may have already unknowingly spread the virus in the name of piety .
Despite New York ’ s recent bans on large gatherings , several large weddings went ahead in Brooklyn ’ s Hasidic Jewish communities , which have reported a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iran is home both to one of the world ’ s worst outbreaks and to dozens of major Shiite Muslim shrines , which have remained open to crowds for weeks even as the coronavirus left the country shell-shocked .
When the government finally heeded health officials ’ pleas and shuttered two popular shrines in the cities of Mashhad and Qum on Monday , crowds of the faithful pushed in , Iranian state media reported , shouting , “ The president is damn wrong to do that !
” India has so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that starts Wednesday in honour of the god Ram , also known as Rama .
In normal times , it draws as many as 1 million people to Ayodha , which some believe to be the birthplace of Ram , in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh .
The state has asked devotees to celebrate at home this year .
Organizers , however , are carrying on .
“ People are getting the opportunity to have glimpses of Lord Rama , ” said Vinod Bansal , a national spokesman for the group , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not appropriate to deprive them of this opportunity.
” Many faiths are adapting to the new reality .
Houses of worship are closed or empty .
Holy water is splashed from individual bottles instead of a font .
Friday prayer has been cancelled across the Middle East .
Muezzins in the West Bank and Kuwait entreat the faithful to avoid the mosque and instead pray at home .
This will be the fourth week without Mass across Italy .
But in the Sicilian city of Palermo , the mountain sanctuary of Saint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saved Palermo from a plague in 1625 , remains open .
Under current government restrictions , Italians are not supposed to leave home except for emergencies .
But the Rev .
Gaetano Ceravolo , the sanctuary ’ s chief caretaker , said around 40 pilgrims had nevertheless trekked up to the shrine last Sunday , praying briefly and far apart from one another .
“ For us , she ’ s a friend , a point of reference , ” said Francesco Tramuto , a member of the group that has carried the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for three centuries .
“ Others may be devoted to the Virgin Mary , but for Palermo , she is the expert in plagues.
” In Israel , all three main Abrahamic faiths have sought to accommodate the faithful without endangering them .
The Western Wall ’ s plaza has been subdivided into smaller prayer areas to discourage large groups , and synagogues held services with smaller quorums and told the high-risk to stay home .
West Bank churches were closed .
On the Temple Mount in Jerusalem , known to Muslims as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pray only outside .
The internet offered a sterile way to worship from home .
The Pope ’ s Mass was livestreamed .
So was a burning rite to dissipate the virus at the Kinpusen-ji Buddhist temple in Japan .
South Korean churches offered YouTube-only services for the first time anyone could remember .
To the dismay of religious leaders in South Korea , whose congregations gathered through Japanese occupation and war , worship services have attracted unusual scrutiny there .
A majority of South Korea ’ s 8,800 cases have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the southeastern city of Daegu .
“ I am so sad that a place of prayer and solace has become a place of fear , ” said Kim Jeong-ja , 58 , a churchless churchgoer in Seoul .
“ I wonder how long this will last .
Praying online watching YouTube is not like going to your church on Sunday.
” Amid the coronavirus anxiety , it was perhaps inevitable that some would interpret the pandemic as a divine missive .
What it said was less clear .
Some Egyptian Muslims expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smiting non-Muslim countries by giving them the virus , apparently unaware that Egypt has registered nearly 200 cases and may have many more uncounted .
Some Islamists , especially supporters of the banned Muslim Brotherhood , cast the outbreak as punishment for the Egyptian public ’ s support of the military takeover that brought the country ’ s authoritarian leader , President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi , to power in 2013 .
Video emerged last week of Hindu activists in India drinking cow urine to stave off the coronavirus .
At the Lebanese government hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman recently arrived carrying a mixture of holy water and dirt dug from the mausoleum of Saint Charbel , who is revered among Lebanese Christians .
Some Christians were said to be drinking similar solutions as a precaution .
Hospital administrators tested the soil and , finding it unlikely to cause harm , consented to keep it for any patients who might find it comforting .
Who were they to judge ?
a hospital official said .
It was high time , in any case , for a miracle .


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--West Virginia tourism officials compile online dining guide

CHARLESTON , W.Va. - West Virginia tourism officials are letting the public know the services that restaurants are offering during the coronavirus scare .
More than 150 businesses statewide on listed on an online dining guide that gives updated hours of operation and available dining services , including carryout and delivery options , the state Division of Tourism said in a news release .
The Tourism Office is asking all restaurant owners to share their updated hours of operation .
Gov .
Jim Justice last week ordered the closure of bars , restaurants , casinos , gyms , health clubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salons and hair salons .
Bars and restaurants can still offer carry-out and food delivery services , as well as sell unopened beer and wine to people who buy food .
As of Sunday , West Virginia has 16 confirmed cases of the virus , health officials said .
That includes three individuals each from Jefferson and Kanawha counties , two each from Marshall , Mercer , Monongalia and Tucker , and one apiece in Jackson and Putnam .
All cases are travel related .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-22--DHS: Pandemic measures cut illegal border crossings by half

WASHINGTON - A Trump administration official said Sunday that illegal border crossings have dropped by half as the strictest U.S.-Mexico border policies yet went into place amid the coronavirus pandemic , but there was confusion about how it was all working .
Anyone caught crossing the border illegally is to be immediately returned back to Mexico or Canada , according to the new restrictions based on an order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Friday .
According to Mark Morgan , the acting head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection , the decision applies to all migrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take you into our custody , ” he said Saturday evening on Fox News .
“ We don ’ t know anything about you .
You have no documents , we ’ re not going to take you into our facilities and expose you to CBP personnel and the American people as well as immigrants , ” he said .
But Mexican officials have said they would only take people from Mexico and Central America and only those who are encountered straight away — not people already in custody .
Officials later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be taken back and that they expected to take in about 100 per day .
“ If people who are not Mexican or Central American are returned to us , Mexico would not accept them , ” Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Friday in Spanish .
“ The United States will take care of that.
” The majority of people crossing the border are from Central America , but not all .
For example , there were some 6,000 Brazilians and nearly 1,200 Chinese who arrived between January and February this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data .
But it ’ s not entirely clear what happens to those people .
Morgan said the migrants should be “ expeditiously “ returned to the country they came from .
CDC on Friday issued an order in effect for 30 days that bars anyone coming illegally in part because migrants are held in close quarters and there isn ’ t enough proper staffing or space to keep them at a safe distance and to screen for the illness .
Plus , migrants who are suspected of having COVID-19 are sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the CDC warned .
The borders remain open , according to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf , but only to facilitate trade ; the U.S. has about $ 3 billion per day with Canada and Mexico .
Tourists and shoppers were asked to stay home .
Wolf said Sunday on Fox News ’ “ Sunday Morning Futures ” that the number of migrants crossing illegally had plummeted , but it was important to “ keep supply chains open , ” but to do it in a careful and considerate way that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus.
“ Meanwhile , there was growing concern on the Mexican side of the border that the number of migrants stranded there would only increase , with shelters already at capacity .
“ We have 300 people in the shelter and we can no longer take it .
We have been a week without the United States asking for people and if they don ’ t ask , we are going to be overcrowded , ” said Héctor Joaquín Silva , director of the Senda de Reynosa shelter , which borders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t accepted more migrants and has kept the shelter in quarantine to avoid infections but that migrants continue to arrive in Reynosa .
Meanwhile , in the U.S. , immigrant advocates filed a lawsuit in Washington D.C. requesting the immediate release of migrant families from detention facilities over concerns of inadequate care and an environment ripe for an outbreak .
They say the country ’ s three detention centres where families are held — Berks in Pennsylvania , and Karnes and Dilley in Texas — have failed to take adequate measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement has wide latitude on when to release migrants .
Earlier this year , Homeland Security officials said they would detain families as long as possible in an effort to discourage migrants from crossing the border .
Most families are held 20 days .
“ The families who are detained in these detention centres facilities have no criminal history and do not pose any threat whatsoever to public safety and are not a flight risk — they all came to the United States to seek asylum and are actively pursuing the right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the advocacy groups wrote .
ICE has said it is working to contain any spread of the virus in its detention facilities .
The agency did not comment on the lawsuit .
Immigration courts are still operating , but with scattered closures and delays in some hearings .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast majority of people recover from the new virus .
According to the World Health Organization , people with mild illness recover in about two weeks , while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover .
Curbing immigration has been a signature policy of Trump ’ s , and he ’ s tried to block asylum seekers before but failed after courts ruled against him .
On Sunday , a text from his re-election campaign read : “ Pres .
Trump is making your safety his # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re closing BORDERS to illegals.
” Verza contributed to this report from Mexico City .
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 .

Colleen Long And Maria Verza - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--23 inmates dead after protest over virus fears in Colombia

BOGOTA - A deadly riot broke out in a prison in Colombia ’ s capital , leaving 23 inmates dead , authorities said Sunday , as tensions rise over the spread of the coronavirus in one of the most vulnerable locations : crowded , poorly kept penitentiaries .
Justice Minister Margarita Cabello described the events at the La Modelo prison in Bogota as an attempted prison escape , but advocates for inmates said officials had cracked down on inmates staging a peaceful protest over conditions they feared would exacerbate infections with the virus .
“ Today is a sad and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cabello said .
The conflict at La Modelo , which houses both suspects and convicts of crimes ranging from burglary to drug trafficking , began late Saturday evening .
Inmates shared videos online showing people outside their cells , yelling as shots rang out in the distance .
“ They have us abandoned here !
“ one inmate exclaimed .
“ They have us like dogs.
” On Sunday , evidence of the violence was still visible : The body of one man lay face-up on a roof , dressed in bright blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gray sweatshirt .
Family members , many wearing protective masks , gathered outside , clamouring for information .
“ We ’ re desperate because we don ’ t know anything , ” one woman cried .
Authorities did not provide a detailed account of how the inmates died , saying only that seven jail workers had also been injured , two critically .
Cabello said no inmates had escaped and that to date , none had been diagnosed with coronavirus either .
“ This was a criminal attempt to escape that was thwarted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
Jhon Leon , director of Judicial Solidarity , an organization that works to improve inmate conditions , said prisoners had planned a nationwide protest Saturday evening after complaining about the dire state of jails for two weeks without getting a reply .
The National Prison Movement , a group of inmates and their relatives , released a statement earlier in the week , saying Colombia ’ s prisons don ’ t have enough doctors and nurses on staff , nor sufficient medicines to treat basic illnesses .
“ Those deprived of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the policies and ineffective actions that have been taken , ” the group said .
Leon said about 5,000 people housed in the jail , some of whom are kept six to a cell while others sleep in hallways .
Prisoners want elderly inmates and those with preexisting conditions to be moved to other locations and be put in isolation , he said .
They also want more information on whether any inmates have been tested for the coronavirus .
“ This was a peaceful protest , ” Leon said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had confirmed 231 coronavirus cases and two deaths as of Sunday .
But with notoriously overcrowded and often violent prisons , many are concerned that the virus could spread quickly there .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever or coughing .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The government has taken a handful of initial measures , including barring relatives from visiting inmates .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of workers in certain areas to create more distance between people , allowing older workers and those with preexisting conditions to stay home and organizing disinfection cleaning crews .
One group of 10 inmates has been employed to create masks .
But human rights advocates want the government to go further , taking measures like freeing those about to finish their sentences or who are jailed as a preventative measure for non-violent crimes .
As of early 2019 , there were 120,000 inmates in Colombia ’ s jails , far beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoners .
The attorney general ’ s office , among other institutions , has found that inmates have trouble accessing basic services like clean water .
“ Colombia should take urgent action to mitigate the risks in the jails , ” said José Miguel Vivanco , Americas director for Human Rights Watch .
It ’ s an issue for many nations in the region and around the world : With nearly 1.5 million prisoners behind bars , Latin America ’ s packed jails are an ideal breeding ground for disease .
In Brazil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Sao Paulo state have escaped in recent days while family members of opposition activists jailed in Venezuela say they fear for their loved ones amid unconfirmed reports that four police officers at the country ’ s most notorious jail for political prisoners have come down sick with the illness .
In the U.S. , authorities across the country have been ordering the release of non-violent offenders and restricting the number of new detainees to prevent spread of the disease .
But such solutions have been slower to materialize in Latin America , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by violent gangs .
Associated Press video journalist Marko Alvarez in Bogota and Joshua Goodman in Miami contributed to this report .

Sergio Leon And Christine Armario - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Civil rights activist and Emmett Till relative dies at 50

CHICAGO - Airickca Gordon-Taylor , a relative of Emmett Till who spent her life educating others about the black teenage lynching victim ’ s legacy through her foundation , died at age 50 , according to family members .
Gordon-Taylor , of suburban Chicago , died early Saturday , hours after a hospital stay .
She had kidney problems for decades , including two transplants , according to her mother , Ollie Gordon , who was Till ’ s cousin .
“ She was a great advocate .
She was a fighter for equal justice , ” Gordon said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitment to keep the legacy of Emmett Till going.
” Gordon-Taylor , of Olympia Fields , also called herself Till ’ s cousin , but considered herself a surrogate daughter to his mother , whom she lived with for a time .
In 2009 , Gordon-Taylor named her foundation after Till ’ s mother , calling it the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation .
Its mission is to honour her and her only son .
Emmett Till was killed in 1955 while visiting relatives in Mississippi , his body found weighted down in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on an open-casket funeral in Chicago , where they lived , so the public could see the mutilated corpse .
An all-white jury acquitted two white men in the killing .
Gordon-Taylor ’ s work included youth empowerment , such as teaching young people oratory skills , and civil rights issues .
Most recently , she advocated in Washington , D.C. , for an anti-lynching bill named after Till .
“ Airickca dedicated her life ’ s work to lifting up the legacy of her cousin , Emmett Till , and she stood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost loved ones to racial violence in our country , “ said Kristen Clarke , head of the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , which works with the foundation .
” She fought for truth and justice , and worked tirelessly to promote racial healing.
” Family members said they hope to plan a public memorial event in the future .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Man with travel-related COVID-19 first to die in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah reported its first death related to COVID-19 on Sunday , a development that officials said underscored the need for people to voluntarily help slow the spread of the disease by washing their hands , practicing social distancing and staying home if they ’ re sick .
The unidentified man from Davis County who was over 60 years old had been at Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful , near Salt Lake City , for two days before his death , the Utah Department of Health and hospital operator Mountainstar HCA said in a joint announcement .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed to have been infected with the coronavirus while travelling , state epidemiologist Angela Dunn said .
She declined to provide details about where he had visited .
The man , who had been at home before going to the hospital , tested positive for having the coronavirus Saturday , Dunn said .
Health officials are working to identify and contact anyone who may have been in close contact with him .
Anyone who did will be asked to quarantine themselves , she said .
She urged those over 60 or who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others during the outbreak .
“ We are in this for the long haul , ” she said .
The family of the man who died followed the correct procedure by calling the hospital before he arrived to report his possible coronavirus diagnosis , Lakeview Hospital CEO Troy Wood said .
Workers met him in the hospital ’ s parking lot in full protective gear , limiting possible exposure .
Utah Gov .
Gary R. Herbert said he and his wife extended their deepest sympathies to the man ’ s family and friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be feeling right now puts into perspective the sacrifices we are all making to keep one another safe and healthy .
We encourage everyone to do their part by practicing safe health practices , including social distancing , “ Herbert said .
Utah reported 181 cases of the coronavirus as of Sunday .
Utah will still see more cases reported before the outbreak slows , Dunn said , describing the state as being in the “ acceleration phase.
“ However , she did not expect the state to have to issue a mandatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
“ We ’ re relying on people to have that discipline to stay at home , ” she said .


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Pandemic postcard from California: ‘Wish you weren’t here’

SANTA MONICA , Calif. - California has sold itself to the world with images of endless sunshine , the splendor of its natural beauty and iconic attractions .
No sales pitch , though , is a match for the coronavirus pandemic .
Even before Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered all the nearly 40 million residents to stay inside and shut down all but essential businesses , beaches were largely empty .
Disneyland was closed .
Ski lifts at mountains blanketed in deep , fresh snow were not running .
Wine country put a cork in tastings .
Yosemite National Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even highway visitor centres had barred their doors .
It ’ s almost like the Welcome to California signs were painted over with : “ Keep out.
” Countless trips had been cancelled and many were cut short once people realized how limited options were as restaurants and bars closed and entertainment venues shuttered .
The Laugh Factory comedy club marquee in Los Angeles reads : “ Laughter is the best medicine ... but don ’ t forget to wash your hands.
” Most of the state ’ s top destinations capitalize on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside to famous surf breaks along its scenic coast , or hiking trails in its many national and state parks or shopping in the tourist traps on Fisherman ’ s Wharf in San Francisco or in upscale boutiques on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills .
It didn ’ t help that it had rained on and off the past week , but the doom of the coronavirus outbreak overshadowed the gloom of cloudy skies to slow the flow of visitors to a trickle this week .
A scattering of people strolled Hollywood ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the names of their favourite stars embedded in the sidewalk , but window shopping was as good as it got once the stores closed early and restaurants in most destinations were limited to serving food to go .
Barbara Capelle , a French woman living in New York , and her lifelong friend , Marine Perrod from Paris , felt lucky to visit Alcatraz , the infamous former island prison off San Francisco , last weekend before it closed and ride the city ’ s famous cable cars before they came to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend shortened their road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway to Los Angeles by several days .
The scenery was beautiful despite the rain , but the main topic of conversation was coronavirus and they only spent a night in Carmel and blew off Santa Barbara in their haste to get earlier flights home .
When they arrived in Santa Monica , the welcome mat had been rolled up and the ambiance they hoped to find in a normally vibrant city had evaporated .
They had to order room service because eateries were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not very festive , “ Perrod said .
“ There is no vibe of the city , ” added Capelle .
Where local or regional disasters — earthquakes , mudslides , wildfires — have doomed segments of the tourism industry , COVID-19 threatens to crush California ’ s thriving tourist business as the outbreak leads to an untold number of hotel and flight cancellations .
International visits alone , already down 4 % to 8 % in the five months from September until late January , took a steep dive in February , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that promotes state tourism .
International arrivals were down 17 % a month ago over typical figures and had dropped nearly 60 % from a norm above 80,000 a week to just above 30,000 the week of March 8 — and that was nearly two weeks ago .
While hiking trails had remained open , Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks closed visitor centres , hotels , restaurants , food markets and campgrounds before finally closing the parks themselves Friday .
Under a coat of new fallen snow , Yosemite Valley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of closures began driving people out of the park .
Even in winter , the park has a steady stream of visitors gaping at the granite wonders of El Capitan , Half Dome and waterfalls that plunge thousands of feet .
“ The peace and quiet of a national park just can not be beat , ” said Chris Brunell , who had been photographing landscapes and not worrying about people getting in his frame during a three-week camping trip that ended abruptly Thursday when he and other campers were told to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely a once-in-a lifetime experience .
It would have been the same even with a couple hundred cars.
” After a very dry winter and the state moving into drought conditions , the March rainfall brought some relief and dumped deep snow on ski resorts that hadn ’ t seen a significant storm in about two months .
“ Apart from feeling a bit reluctant to get too enthusiastic and ignore the terrible things happening ( with coronavirus ) , you couldn ’ t as a skier not be excited about skiing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly , who had travelled from Massachusetts to spend a ski weekend with friends at Alpine Meadows near Lake Tahoe .
But boon turned to bust when most ski areas closed Sunday because of the outbreak and fear the virus could rapidly spread in lift lines and lodges .
Kelly altered his plans and flew home a day early , happy to return to his family .
On Tuesday morning , after days of on-and-off rain in Southern California , a magnificent double rainbow across Santa Monica Bay appeared as an optimistic sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , captured the image with his camera and then went to work at a bike rental shop across from the fenced-off Santa Monica Pier , a typically bustling attraction with restaurants , an arcade and a small amusement park that was already closed because of the outbreak .
Santa Monica beach was virtually empty , save for the occasional jogger , walker or cyclist on the bike path that runs for miles along the seaside communities of Los Angeles County .
A row of beach cruisers leaned on kickstands outside Sea Mist Rentals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ midafternoon , Greenslade had only seven bikes rented : one to a tourist from Israel and six to mothers entertaining stir-crazy homebound children .
By week ’ s end , the shop was among thousands of closed businesses in the Golden State .
The rainbow , long gone , had left no pot of gold .


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Nations’s capital trying to keep crowds from cherry blossoms

WASHINGTON - As signature cherry blossom trees go through peak bloom in the nation ’ s capital , officials in the District of Columbia are resorting to mass street closures to keep large crowds away in the face of the coronavirus pandemic .
Public officials are publicly pleading for low turnout and one prominent local chef has launched the # StayHomeCherryBlossomsChallenge to make low visitation numbers into some sort of community goal .
Health officials have said limiting public gatherings and keeping a distance of about 6 feet from others would help stop the spread of the disease which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Department closed down a a dozen different streets , bridges and traffic circles Sunday morning trying to limit the traditional crowds who pack the area around the Jefferson Memorial and the tree-lined Tidal Basin .
The iconic cherry blossoms reached peak bloom on Friday and should stay that way for about 10 days .
“ It ’ s getting weirder and weirder , ” said National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst of his unprecedented challenge to keep one of Washington ’ s crown jewels as empty as possible .
Officials are instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bloom cam and virtual video tours of the Tidal Basin .
“ It ’ s educational and it gets you close to the blooms ” said Karyn Le Blanc of the Cherry Blossom Festival .
The crowds , Litterst said , have already been “ a fraction of what we would see in a normal spring.
” Friday ’ s crowd ’ s were “ manageable ” he said , but Saturday brought a surge in visitors that convinced authorities to take extraordinary steps .
It appeared to be working : At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small clusters of three or four instead of larger groups .
The multiple closures caused a few loud traffic snarls , but in some areas families with strollers enjoyed the newly pedestrianized streets .
One man walked through the area in a white hazmat suit .
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser on Friday pleaded with both residents and visitors to stay inside despite the sunny forecast .
Washington ’ s Metro system closed down a pair of stations nearest to the Tidal Basin in the hopes of lessening crowds .
“ Don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be more nice days , ” Bowser said .
She declared a state of emergency and closed all schools through the end of April .
Health officials here say the total number of infections in the nations capital now stand at 97 , with the second virus-related death announced on Sunday .
Washington ’ s tally doesn ’ t include people who may have been infected in Washington but live in nearby northern Virginia or southern Maryland .
D.C.-based celebrity chef and philanthropist Jose Andres took to Twitter Sunday morning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tidal Basin .
Under the hashtag # StayHomeCherryBlossomsChallenge , Andres pledged to “ cook a huge Paella for thousands of Washingtonians ” next year if they kept the number down .
His followers rallied around and started posting pictures of the cherry blossoms in their yards and neighbourhood for all to virtually enjoy online .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of people recover from the new virus .
According to the World Health Organization , people with mild illness recover in about two weeks , while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover .
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 .

Ashraf Khalil And Jacquelyn Martin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Belgian with 20% lung capacity starts home mask sewing army

ANTWERP , Belgium - With only 20 % of normal lung capacity , Sien Lagae was extremely wary of viruses before anyone in Belgium heard of the coronavirus — and has long relied on caregivers to help her get dressed , clean her house and provide home health care services .
Then one of her caregivers mentioned she had just paid 10 euros ( $ 10.67 ) for a mask to protect herself and others from the virus .
Lagae ’ s hobbies happen to include sewing — and inspiration struck .
“ I suddenly had the idea to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she could protect herself and her patients better , ” Lagae said .
What started as a one-person operation about a week ago has mushroomed into a small army of home sewing Belgian mask makers .
Membership in Lagae ’ s Facebook page — “ Mondmaskers Naaien ” ( Sewing Mouth Masks ) — jumped to 3,000 two days after she started it and hit 5,300 on Friday .
In another boost to Belgium ’ s mask making production , the country ’ s Van De Velde lingerie company is now producing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the material to the company and Van De Velde provides the labour for free .
Lagae , 31 , from Torhout in western Belgium , created her first design from scratch .
Belgian medical authorities then gave her an approved design and advised her on materials to use .
She makes her masks using two layers of cotton fabric so they can be washed at 90 C ( 194 F ) and reused , taking care to ensure the masks fit well around the nose and chin .
Each member can produce about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t only women sewing .
“ We have plenty of men , ” she said .
There is no suggested quota for members , with Lagae stressing that “ every mask does count.
” “ So everyone who wants to help is welcome , even if you only make one a day , “ Lagae said .
It ’ s unclear how the protection provided by home-sewn , reusable masks compare to mass produced masks , but masks are in very short supply with the World Health Organization asking manufacturers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the coronavirus is mostly spread by respiratory droplets when people cough or sneeze , so masks provide a physical barrier to protect wearers .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever or coughing .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
About 93,800 people have recovered , mostly in China .
Among Belgium ’ s new mask makers is Anais Moyson , who is staying at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belgium ’ s virus lockdown , which asks people to stay home and limit contact to immediate family members .
Moyson saw home mask making as a way she could contribute to the effort to keep the virus at bay .
“ I had a lot of extra fabric at home , and also my sister-in-law works in a hospital as a midwife and they are affected by the shortage of masks , “ she said .
“ I will also bring some to my doctors in the neighbourhood and to the nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is sewing them for her relatives and friends .
“ The government first told us weeks ago they weren ’ t needed , then all of the sudden they say it ’ s better to wear them , ” she said .
“ Since I couldn ’ t find them anywhere I made ( one ) myself .
Everyone was laughing at me , and now all my friends want one.
” The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Israeli Supreme Court to rule on demand to reopen parliament

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’ s political opponents on Sunday asked Israel ’ s Supreme Court to force parliament to resume its full activities , despite restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus outbreak .
Parliament Speaker Yuli Edelstein , a member of Netanyahu ’ s ruling Likud party , last week suspended parliamentary activities , preventing the newly elected legislature from choosing a new speaker and forming committees .
Edelstein says the move is merely procedural given the state of emergency in the country and the health ministry guidelines prohibiting large public gatherings .
But opponents claim it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocking efforts to replace Edelstein and allow the newly elected anti-Netanyahu bloc from pushing through its legislative agenda .
“ The Knesset must get back to work at full throttle , both to secure transparency in decision-making and to oversee governmental decisions , ” said Avi Nissenkorn , a senior member of the opposition Blue and White party .
He spoke to spoke to journalists outside the Supreme Court ahead of the hearing .
“ We are here to ask the court to offer us relief , so that we can offer the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our roles as elected officials , ” he said .
Israel is facing a growing threat from the coronavirus pandemic , which comes on the heels of the country ’ s third inconclusive election in less than a year .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been infected by the coronavirus worldwide in about 150 countries and the virus has killed more than 13,000 people .
The number of those infected in Israel has multiplied greatly over the past week , reaching 1,071 detected cases so far with 18 patients in serious condition .
The country reported its first death over the weekend .
With the public largely confined to their homes , the economy in danger and tens of thousands of people losing their jobs , Netanyahu has called for the establishment of an emergency unity government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , the long-time leader even agreed to step down in 18 months as part of such an agreement .
But opposition leader Benny Gantz and his centrist Blue and White party consider the offer insincere and have expressed skepticism over Netanyahu ’ s power-sharing overtures , concerned that he will not follow through on his promises to cede power .
Gantz and his allies have accused Netanyahu of using the coronavirus crisis as cover to undermine the country ’ s democratic institutions .
With the country in near-shutdown mode , Netanyahu has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal trial and authorize unprecedented electronic surveillance of Israeli citizens .
Backed by a narrow majority , Gantz , a former military chief , was tasked last week by Israel ’ s president this week to try to form a new government and has three weeks left to do so .
In the meantime , he is trying to push through legislation in parliament that would in effect prevent the long-serving Netanyahu from serving as prime minister in the future .
The legislation would impose term limits on the prime minister and bar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Netanyahu , from being prime minister .
Likud said that if Edelstein , the parliament speaker , is “ deposed ” it will bring an end to unity negotiations and sentence Israel to yet another election , this time amid a global pandemic .
Blue and White retorted that the Likud “ ultimatum ” proved it was bent on dragging the country into another pointless election .
“ Since this country was founded , the speaker of the Knesset has always been elected by a Knesset majority , and this time will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Even amid the health scare , Israelis have taken to the streets to protest what they consider an assault on Israeli democracy .
It was amplified Sunday in an op-ed in the Yediot Ahronot daily penned by influential Israeli author Yuval Noah Harari and titled “ An Attempted Coup d ’ État.
“ “ The coronavirus will ultimately pass , whereas we will have to live the repercussions of decisions that are being made at the current juncture in time for many years to come , ” wrote Harari , author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : A Brief History of Humankind.
” “ As long as the Knesset ( parliament ) isn ’ t functioning , we are living in a dictatorship , ” he added .
Wary of losing his job as speaker , Edelstein has relied on his own legal council to argue that he has discretion on convening parliament , and he has dismissed allegations that he is railroading democratic procedures as “ spin.
” But in a formal response to the Supreme Court , Israel ’ s attorney general said the emergency measures should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out its duties .


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--As virus spreads, Africa gets supplies from China’s Jack Ma

ADDIS ABABA , Ethiopia - With the coronavirus increasing its spread across Africa , the continent received a much-needed care package from Chinese billionaire Jack Ma .
A cargo flight containing more than 6 million medical items arrived Sunday in Ethiopia ’ s capital , Addis Ababa .
The supplies from Ma , the founder of China ’ s e-commerce giant Alibaba , will be distributed to African countries in need of supplies to battle the spreading COVID-19 pandemic .
An Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight from Guangzhou , China arrived with 5.4 million face masks , 1.08 million testing kits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60,000 protective face shields , according to Ethiopian officials and the Jack Ma Foundation .
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last week pledged to distribute the supplies to other countries in Africa .
Ma has sent similar shipments of medical supplies to countries in Asia , Europe , North America and Latin America .
The virus has been relatively slow to reach Africa but has now spread to at least 43 of the continent ’ s 54 countries , with more than 1,100 cases confirmed .
In response many African countries are imposing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday and cancelled all visas to the country , closed schools and banned gatherings of more than 50 people .
Kenya announced new restrictions Sunday , after it confirmed eight new cases , bringing its total to 15 .
It closed all bars and restaurants as of midnight Sunday and halted all services at churches and mosques , saying that houses of worship had not implemented safe social distancing .
Kenya also suspended all international passenger flights effective Wednesday and closed the border posts to neighbouring Uganda , except for the transport of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. ambassador , Andrew Young , announced on his personal Twitter account Sunday that he has tested positive for the virus , He is in quarantine and local sources say he has not gone to a hospital .
Burkina Faso has 75 cases and four deaths as of Sunday , one of the highest number of deaths in sub-Saharan Africa .
Young is the first U.S. ambassador to say that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and the second ambassador in Burkina Faso to contract the virus , according to diplomats .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told AP he was positive , but was feeling fine .
Burkina Faso ’ s government has also been badly impacted by the virus with at least four Cabinet ministers confirmed as positive .
Burkina Faso ’ s president on Saturday announced a curfew and shut the borders for two weeks , but health officials are concerned the number of cases will grow exponentially in the coming weeks and could worsen the West African country ’ s already dire humanitarian crisis .
Almost 800,000 people are internally displaced due to attacks linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people are in need of aid .
“ The number of high level officials and VIPs who have tested positive is a concern , but I hope that this does not distract from the fact that this virus is indiscriminate in who it will infect , ” said Jackie MacLeod , head of mission for the International Rescue Committee in Burkina Faso .
“ We need to make sure that while this will bring more attention to Burkina Faso , this attention should not have an adverse affect on the humanitarian community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver aid to people who do not have access to same level of care as Ambassador Young.
” Rwanda and Tunisia have announced lockdowns , ordering people to stay at home except for essential reasons .
Nigeria , Africa ’ s most populous country with 190 million people , just three weeks ago announced the first coronavirus case in sub-Saharan Africa .
Now with 22 cases , it stopped all incoming international flights on Saturday .
Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways , two of Africa ’ s largest airlines , announced sweeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has stopped allowing foreigners to disembark from incoming international flights .
South Africa announced 34 new cases , bringing its total to 274 .
Normally bustling shopping malls in Johannesburg , Cape Town and other urban centres have few shoppers , many wearing face masks .
Although most people only experience minor flu-like symptoms from the coronavirus and recover within a few weeks , the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those who do not show symptoms .
It can cause severe illness , including pneumonia , in some patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This poses a threat to many African health systems , which experts warn do not have sufficient resources to cope with a large influx of patients needing isolation and intensive care .
Meldrum and AP photographer Denis Farrell contributed from Johannesburg .
Sam Mednick in Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso and Tom Bowker in Maputo , Mozambique , also contributed .
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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

Elias Meseret And Andrew Meldrum - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Last German honoured for saving Jews during Holocaust dies

BERLIN - Gertrud Steinl , the last surviving German honoured for saving Jews during the Holocaust , has died .
@ @ @ @ @ Sunday quoted the head of Nuremberg ’ s Jewish community , Andre Freud , saying @ @ @ @ @ the eve of her 98th birthday .
Steinl , a Sudeten German , was recognized @ @ @ @ @ the Nations , Israel ’ s highest honour to those non-Jews who risked their lives @ @ @ @ @ Holocaust .
According to an entry on the Yad Vashem website , Steinl was an @ @ @ @ @ of Stryj during World War II when a worker confided in her that she was @ @ @ @ @ woman , Sarah Shlomi ( née Froehlich ) , to live with her parents — @ @ @ @ @ t deported to a Nazi concentration camp .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-22--German Chancellor Angela Merkel in quarantine after doctor tests positive for coronavirus

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has gone into quarantine after being informed that a doctor who administered a vaccine to her has tested positive for the new coronavirus .
He said that Merkel had received a precautionary vaccine Friday against pneumococcal infection .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever or coughing .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
About 93,800 people have recovered , mostly in China .
Seibert said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular tests '' in the coming days and continue with her work from home for the time being .
Merkel had earlier expressed her gratitude to Germans who were following the rules on social distancing , saying it was important to remain at least 1.5 metres ( about five feet ) apart to reduce the likelihood of infection .
Merkel on Sunday thanked `` the overwhelming majority '' of Germans who were following rules on social distancing to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
`` I know that it means sacrifice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic and social costs that the lockdown is having .
`` I 'm moved by the fact that so many are abiding by these rules .
This way we show care for older and sick people , because the virus is most dangerous to them .
In short : we are saving lives with this . ''
Merkel said the lockdown had already affected her profoudly , too .
`` My life has also fundamentally changed and now consists largely of phone calls and video conferences , '' she said .
The development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free from the risk of infection .
`` With a certain distance the risk of infections is reduced almost to zero , '' Merkel told reporters .
`` Whether you are half a meter apart or 1.5 metres apart makes a huge difference . ''
Seconds later , she was informed that her doctor had tested positive for COVID-19 .
— 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--2020-03-22--Plácido Domingo has coronavirus amid Spain outbreak

MADRID - Plácido Domingo announced Sunday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus .
The 79-year-old opera singer ’ s illness comes after his own glittering career had recently been stained by sexual misconduct revelations .
The Spaniard said in a post on his personal Facebook account that “ I feel it is my moral duty to announce to you that I have tested positive.
” The tenor says he and his family are in self-isolation and that he is feeling well despite having fever and a cough .
“ I beg everyone to be extremely careful , follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequently , keeping at least a 6 foot distance from others , doing everything you can to stop the virus from spreading and please above all stay home if you can !
” he said .
Last year , multiple women accused Domingo of harassment and abusing his power while he held management positions at Los Angeles Opera and Washington National Opera in stories published by The Associated Press .
After first denying any wrongdoing , Domingo issued an apology last month when the American Guild of Musical Artists and LA Opera found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be credible .
He has since had a number of performances cancelled .
He also resigned as the director of the LA Opera .
Spain is the third hardest-hit country after China and Italy with 28,572 infections and 1,720 deaths in the virus outbreak .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever or coughing .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
Some 93,800 people have recovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has infected several leading politicians in Spain , and the prime minister ’ s wife , as well as caused the death of former Real Madrid soccer club president Lorenzo Sanz .
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--Germany bans groups of more than two in effort to stop coronavirus

BERLIN—Germany announced on Sunday new nationwide measures to limit contact between people — barring groups of more than two people , except for families , to contain the spread of the coronavirus .
Chancellor Angela Merkel said the new social-distancing rules , which will be put in place for at least two weeks , are among the strictest by any country on movement outside the home , as global infections surpassed 300,000 and the death toll topped 13,000 .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany had risen to more than 23,900 by Sunday , with more than 90 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public life and social contact and ensuring that the measures will be nationwide , ” the chancellor said , adding that the regulations would remain in place for at least two weeks .
“ Everyone should organize their movements according to these regulations.
” Under the new restrictions , restaurants , which were previously allowed to seat customers during the day at a safe distance from each other , will be allowed to stay open but provide only delivery and takeout services .
Hairdressers , massage studios and tattoo parlours must now close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after a telephone conference with the governors of Germany ’ s 16 states , fell in line with restrictions put in place by the state of Bavaria , which on Friday restricted all movement outside the home , except for trips for shopping , work , doctor ’ s visits and exercise .
The announcement came as officials prepared to make 150 billion euros ( more than $ 160 billion U.S. ) available to help the country weather the fallout .
Germany also planned to take on new debt for the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balanced budget after the 2008 financial crisis .
It will enact an exception to the law to allow the government borrow tens of billions of euros to help companies survive the looming recession and secure millions of jobs .
The measure is expected to be passed by Merkel ’ s government on Monday and voted on in Parliament later in the week .
Finance Minister Olaf Scholz justified the decision to borrow more than 10 times more than the country ’ s budget rules would normally allow , saying that “ 150 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it gives us the opportunities that we need now.
” “ We have a big challenge ahead of us , ” he told the public broadcaster ARD on Saturday .
Among the countries limiting crowds to promote social distancing and stall the transmission of the coronavirus , the U.S. federal government said this month that no more than 10 people should gather in one place .
Switzerland said people in groups of fewer than five must stay at least two metres apart , subjected to a fine for those flouting the rules .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on movement in public places this month , banning gatherings of more than five people .
Many Germans were still not following the social distancing guidelines set last week to stem the outbreak , leading to the further restrictions announced Sunday .
Merkel discussed the prospect of harder curfews with the leaders of Germany ’ s 16 states on Sunday afternoon .
Bavaria was the first German state to pass a curfew , after many Bavarians last weekend appeared to be taking a casual approach to social distancing .
The curfew , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism from some opposition politicians .
But others predicted that it could become a blueprint for measures elsewhere in the country .
Some cities needed no prompting to take tougher action : Freiburg , near Germany ’ s southwestern border with Alsace , France , where the virus has spread particularly aggressively , barred groups of people from gathering in public squares .
There have also been reports of “ corona parties ” held by youths in different corners of Germany , causing alarm among authorities in a country better known for adhering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youths in large groups drank alcohol and chanted , “ Corona , corona , ” had to be broken up by police .
Merkel , in a sobering televised address to the nation Wednesday , asked all in the country to avoid social contact in a spirit of solidarity with those most at risk in society .
Her chief of staff , Helge Braun , issued a sterner warning a day later .
“ We call on everyone to implement the measures so far passed , ” Braun said .
“ And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , avoiding ideally all social contacts.
” “ We will look at the behaviour of the population this weekend , ” he added .
“ Saturday is a decisive day.
” Merkel , meanwhile , demonstrated what responsible shopping looks like in times of the coronavirus , when she was spotted at her local supermarket in Berlin this weekend .
Keeping her distance from other shoppers , a smiling Merkel dropped cherries , soap , several bottles of wine and toilet paper — one pack — into her shopping cart , photos on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by card , effectively discarding another German tradition : paying cash .
Many stores have become averse to exchanging coins and notes during the outbreak .

Katrin Bennhold - The New York Times,Melissa Eddy


thetorontostar--2020-03-22--Hotels, rentals closing near Rocky Mountain National Park

DENVER - Hotels , motels and vacation rentals at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park are closing to help stem the spread of the coronavirus as the tourism-dependent community discourages people from visiting .
Under an order taking effect at noon Monday , all short-term lodging will be closed in Estes Park and the surrounding area .
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 ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complications from Covid-19 and 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 Machelek 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 which attract visitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ski areas have been shut down because of the outbreak .
At least six people have died because of the coronavirus in Colorado .
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