thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Travellers rush to Moroccan airports for evacuation flights

RABAT , Morocco - Foreigners stranded in locked-down Morocco are getting on evacuation flights Friday as governments try to repatriate their citizens after days of travel frustration .
Visitors from around the world have found themselves stuck in Morocco since the North African country suspended all international passenger flights and passenger ships to and from its territory beginning Sunday .
The U.S. government announced special chartered flights for U.S. citizens leaving Friday , after growing complaints from several hundred American students and tourists scattered in cities around Morocco .
Some have been sleeping on floors in the Marrakech airport , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last hotels open in Rabat .
Some say they are running out of blood pressure pills and other medicines .
The French government had repatriated 13,000 of its citizens by Thursday , and is working on getting up to 7,000 more out .
“ Last flights for France , ” the French ambassador tweeted Friday to French citizens , sharing information on where seats are still available .
France is the biggest source of tourists in Morocco and has deep economic and cultural ties to the North African country reaching back to colonial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press on Thursday that the U.S. government had done little to help them , and they were forced to seek guidance from other governments or find their own way home despite limited escape routes .
The U.S. ambassador tweeted a video promising to help , and the evacuation flights were announced overnight .
There are stranded travellers of all nationalities around the world , but evacuation assistance and guidance has varied widely from government to government .
Morocco ’ s Interior Ministry declared a health emergency late Thursday , barring anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work or to shop at groceries or pharmacies , and requiring that they present a document to justify their movement to police .
In its latest figures , Morocco lists 63 confirmed coronavirus cases , including two deaths .


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Egypt activist who urged prisoner release amid virus freed

CAIRO - The mother of a prominent Egyptian activist was released from detention after her arrest the previous day for staging a protest demanding that prisoners be released amid the coronavirus pandemic , her daughter said .
Laila Soueif , the mother of imprisoned 38-year-old activist Alaa Abdel Fattah , was released late Thursday after being arrested a day earlier along with her daughter , sister and another female activist .
The women had rallied outside the headquarters of Egypt ’ s Cabinet in downtown Cairo raising banners reading : “ Release prisoners.
” The four women were charged with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on protests with their small gathering and of spreading false news about Egypt ’ s over-crowded correctional facilities .
The prosecutor ordered the release of the four detainees late Wednesday on bail .
However , Soueif remained in custody and was taken to the State Security Prosecutors ’ office for further questioning before she , too , was released , her youngest daughter , Sanaa Seif , wrote on her Facebook page .
Seif did not participate in the protest .
Abdel Fattah ’ s family have all been vocal rights activists in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ software engineer , grew into a figurehead of the pro-democracy protest movement on social media during the 2011 uprising that removed longtime President Hosni Mubarak .
Abdel Fattah served a five-year prison sentence for violating Egypt ’ s protest ban .
In September , not long after his release , he was arrested again amid a widespread crackdown that followed minor protests demanding current President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi step down , although he did not participate in them .
Human rights advocates around the globe are echoing demands to reduce incarceration arguing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the virus , which leads to the disease COVID-19 .
Several Middle Eastern countries that were hit by the novel virus have already started releasing prisoners , including Iran and Bahrain .
So far , Egypt ’ s government has registered seven fatalities among 256 confirmed cases of the infectious disease , none of them inmates .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Cuomo emerges as Democratic counter to Trump virus response

NEW YORK - Before President Donald Trump stepped into the White House briefing room to provide an update on the coronavirus , an opening act was broadcast across cable news of another chief executive calmly reciting statistics and safety tips .
For the second straight day , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s matter-of-fact and slightly scolding demeanour from an epicenter of the pandemic was a stark contrast Thursday to the often haphazard and hyperbolic messages coming from Trump .
“ I tell my daughters : Make decisions based on risk versus reward , ” the Democrat said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young people to go out in crowds on spring break is so unintelligent and reckless , I can ’ t even begin to express it .
Stay home .
Stop the spread .
Save lives.
” Through daily briefings and scores of media appearances , Cuomo has emerged as one of the key faces responding to the pandemic .
He is one of several governors thrust into the spotlight as cases surge , forcing a reordering of American life without schools , sporting events or large crowds .
The decisions to cancel events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to governors , like Ohio ’ s Mike DeWine , a Republican , who postponed the state ’ s primary this week , and Michigan ’ s Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat , who drew Trump ’ s ire for criticizing the federal response .
But it has been Cuomo ’ s daily briefings that have become must-see TV .
Twice this week , the White House ’ s own coronavirus briefing was delayed until Cuomo concluded his own update , providing vital information to a public largely shut in at home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His appearances drew praise from some unlikely sources .
“ I continue to be impressed with the briefings given by @ realDonaldTrump and his world-class experts , ” tweeted Rudy Giuliani , the president ’ s personal attorney .
“ Similarly , my Governor , Andrew Cuomo who is keeping us well informed.
” Meanwhile , an unexpected online fan club has popped up , full of adoring Twitter posts during the governor ’ s briefings and one Jezebel article Thursday titled “ Help , I Think I ’ m In Love With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a remarkable show of affection for a governor who has long been more respected than loved , one who is in his third term in an overwhelmingly Democratic state yet has never been embraced by the party ’ s liberal base , who at times have grown frustrated with his centrist approach .
He has twice toyed with running for president but never launched a campaign .
Still , his very public tactics have positioned him as the Democratic counter to Trump even as the party begins to coalesce around Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has a nearly insurmountable delegate lead in the Democratic contest , has largely kept a low profile limited to short speeches , remarks and other events livestreamed to supporters who are being advised to stay home for the foreseeable future .
As Cuomo conducts briefings from the state capital in Albany , he has vacillated between being Trump ’ s foil and his unlikely ally .
The two Queens natives have traded barbs on Twitter while also conferring in late-night phone calls placed from the White House residence .
“ Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Governors .
Went very well .
Cuomo of New York has to ‘ do more , ’ ’ ’ Trump tweeted Monday .
A short time later , Cuomo responded : “ I have to do more ?
No -- YOU have to do something !
You ’ re supposed to be the President.
” But the two men spoke several times the next few days and Cuomo made a point , in national television interviews , of expressing his appreciation for Trump ’ s responsiveness even as he urged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The best news is , I think the federal government has now really gotten this and they ’ re engaged , ” Cuomo said Thursday on MSNBC ’ s “ Morning Joe.
” “ I said to the president , you step up , you help my state , you help my people , you help this country , and I will put my hand out in partnership 100 % because politics be darned right now , right ?
” The president , hours later from the White House briefing room , noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo is being very , very generous , saying such nice things about us.
” Cuomo has steered his state through crisis before , including the devastation wrought by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 .
He has long been drawn to proposing sweeping government projects and taking a hands-on approach to emergency responses .
He worked for his father , three-term Gov .
Mario Cuomo , and oversaw the response to numerous disasters as secretary of housing and urban development for President Bill Clinton .
He long has feuded with New York City Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who once worked for Cuomo at HUD .
Ruthless when wielding political power , Cuomo has at times appeared to quash de Blasio ’ s policy proposals out of sport , and the two men have continued their rivalry during the coronavirus crisis .
Cuomo upstaged and undermined de Blasio by ordering the city ’ s schools to close mere minutes before the mayor was set to make the announcement , and , this week , the governor took pains to rebut the mayor ’ s plan for the nation ’ s largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst of the outbreak .
Cuomo ’ s performance this week , to some , echoed how another polarizing New York politician commanded the national stage when the commander-in-chief was missing in action .
Giuliani , then mayor of New York City , was the face of American grief and resolve on Sept. 11 , 2001 , when President George W. Bush was being scrambled to safety on Air Force One in the hours after the terror attacks .
Cuomo ’ s leadership this week has been reminiscent of Giuliani in that moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arzt , a New York Democratic consultant who was Mayor Ed Koch ’ s press secretary and has worked with both Cuomo and Trump .
“ People are yearning for leadership , and they are not getting it from the Oval Office , ” said Arzt .
“ Andrew really does well in a crisis .
And here he is , someone taking the lead and showing on the state level what needs to be done nationally .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Tulips from Amsterdam? Not in times of coronavirus crisis

LISSE , Netherlands - The pots of chrysanthemums stacked in Henk van der Slot ’ s barn in the Netherlands bulb fields were supposed to decorate St. Peter ’ s Square at the Vatican over Easter .
But with border restrictions and lockdowns spreading around the globe as governments fight the coronavirus pandemic , the pope will have to go without his usual donation of Dutch flowers this year .
He ’ s not the only one .
“ The coronavirus is a disaster for the Dutch flower industry ... 85 % of the turnover at our marketplace … is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , press officer at Royal FloraHolland , a co-operative of growers that trades some 12 billion plants and flowers each year .
That ’ s a huge hit for the Dutch flower industry , whose exports last year were worth more than 6 billion euros .
According to government figures , the Netherlands has a 44 % share of the world trade in floriculture products and accounts for 77 % of flower bulbs sold worldwide .
Some Dutch farmers have resorted to giving away tulips to health care workers as a token of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not only growers in the Netherlands who are hurting .
The pain has spread to farmers elsewhere in Europe and to African nations like Kenya and Ethiopia which have developed significant flower industries .
In Kenya the grading hall at Maridadi Flowers farm , where 120 people usually work , is deserted .
The few staff still there cut roses and load them onto carts that are pushed to a dumping site where huge mounds of discarded flowers — 230,000 to 250,000 each day —pile up .
Owner Jack Kneppers , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for decades , said about 80 % of his staff of 720 is now at home .
He is keeping a skeleton staff to maintain the plants at the farm near the shores of Lake Naivasha , 90 kilometres ( 55 miles ) north of the capital , Nairobi .
“ This is costing us about half a million dollars a month to maintain the company , ” Kneppers said .
“ If this continues for much longer we have to start laying off people because we can ’ t afford this.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility in Aalsmeer near Amsterdam , rows of flower racks stand empty .
Workers driving electric trolleys shift boxes of flowers around , but only a fraction of the usual numbers are being traded .
The co-operative , which had turnover last year of 4.7 billion euros , is asking suppliers to send only around 25 % of their usual number of flowers to be auctioned to prevent tipping unsold flowers into shredding machines .
Frans van der Slot , Henk ’ s cousin , is keeping his tulips in cold storage for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ride out the worst of the slump .
He ’ s hoping sales will recover around Easter on April 12 , but if there ’ s no rebound , he will have to dump most of his harvest .
Earlier this week he threw out a batch of bulbs because it wasn ’ t economically viable to plant them .
“ They fed them to cows , ” he said .
“ They were first-class bulbs.
” The coronavirus crisis couldn ’ t have hit at a worst time .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Netherlands burst into vibrant colours as tulips and other flowers bloom .
Sunday is Mother ’ s Day in Britain , but even that has not helped an industry brought to its knees .
Kenya ’ s farmers sell some 70 % of their produce to Europe .
“ As we speak right now figures are changing every day , but by yesterday we were operating at 30 % , that means 70 % lower than we have ever done , ” said Clement Tulezi , CEO of the Kenya Flower Council .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s ever seen .
One of his workers , Carol Gikundi , a single mom with three children who also cares for her mother , is worried .
“ We are scared our jobs , ” she said .
” We ’ re scared also for our employees because all our dependents are currently looking up to us and we are not certain of our jobs due to the outbreak.
” In the Netherlands , Frans van der Slot has set up a stall outside his farm to sell flowers he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Dutch tricolour flag flaps in the wind above a sign urging passers-by to “ Buy local tulips Now.
” A bunch of 50 flowers costs 5 euros ( $ 5.40 ) , far less than they sell for in stores and markets across the Netherlands .
“ Stopping isn ’ t an option , ” said Van der Slot .
“ Then I have to let my business go bankrupt and I lose all my savings.
” The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Mike Corder And Joe Mwihia - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Virus pandemic’s reach worsens; 10,000 dead worldwide

PARIS - The U.S. warned Americans to avoid all international travel and told citizens abroad to return now or face an “ indefinite ” absence , and California ’ s governor asked all 40 million residents to stay home , to try to slow a pandemic toll that on Friday surpassed 10,000 people worldwide .
Wuhan , China , where the outbreak began , offered a ray of hope with no new infections reported for a second day in a row and only 39 cases reported nationwide — all of them brought from the outside , the government said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of East and West have shifted , a Chinese Red Cross official heading an aid delegation to Milan castigated Italians for failing to take their national lockdown seriously .
Sun Shuopeng said he was shocked to see so many people walking around , using public transportation and eating out in hotels .
“ Right now we need to stop all economic activity , and we need to stop the mobility of people , ” he said .
“ All people should be staying at home in quarantine.
” But globally , governments are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down residents with the need to keep food , medicine and other essentials flowing .
French President Emmanuel Macron urged employees to keep working in supermarkets , production sites and other necessary businesses amid stringent restrictions of movement .
“ We need to keep the country running ” , Macron said .
Italy surpassed China in deaths from the outbreak , and Iran ’ s official toll was rising quickly as well amid fears it is underreporting the scale of the pandemic .
Iran accused the United States of helping spread the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperately needed medicine and medical equipment .
In other words , while the U.S. is trying to curb the virus internally , it is helping the spread of the virus externally , “ Iran ’ s U.N. mission said in a statement .
Worldwide , the death toll from COVID-19 passed 10,000 and infections exceeded 244,000 , according to a Johns Hopkins University tally .
Italy , with 60 million citizens , has recorded 3,405 deaths , exceeding the 3,248 in China , a country with a population over 20 times larger .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , the elderly are particularly susceptible to serious symptoms .
Italy has the world ’ s second-oldest population , and the vast majority of its dead — 87 % — were over 70 .
Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit , a virologist at Germany ’ s Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , offered another reason for Italy ’ s high death rate : “ That ’ s what happens when the health system collapses.
“ More than 86,000 people have recovered , mostly in China , but the pace is much slower than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks or so for mild cases but can be up to six weeks for those that turn serious , according to the World Health Organization .
Nations are imposing ever-stricter border controls and lockdowns to keep people at home and keep away outsiders , hoping to slow the spread of the virus while preparing for an onslaught of sick patients .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a looming global recession “ perhaps of record dimensions.
” In California , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said that if strong action wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 40 million residents could contract the virus over the next eight weeks .
He expanded restrictions on nonessential movement outside of homes , saying it was necessary to control the spread of the virus , which was threatening to overwhelm California ’ s medical system .
Similar restrictions are in place in virus hotspots like Italy , Spain and central China .
The Trump administration upgraded its already dire warning to Americans against all international travel , and the State Department announced new restrictions on the issuance of passports to U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are scattered in cities around the country , sleeping on floors in the Marrakech airport , holed up in one of the last hotels open in Rabat and banding together on a Facebook group — U.S. Citizens Trapped in Morocco .
“ The airport in Marrakech is crowded .
People are touching shoulder to shoulder and many are sleeping on the floor , ” said student Corrine Schmaedeke , who managed to get a ticket Thursday to fly home after eight cancellations .
“ The U.S. Embassy did nothing to help us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information was coming instead from the British Embassy .
At home , the U.S. Army prepared mobile military hospitals for deployment in major cities , and motorists waited in long lines for nurses to swab their nostrils at new U.S. drive-thru testing sites .
Deaths have reached at least 205 and New York City is rapidly becoming a U.S. epicenter , with more than 4,000 cases .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said the state needs to acquire thousands of ventilators , which would help the critically ill breathe , before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference with Trump , governors complained they were having difficulty obtaining such things as swabs and protective gear for doctors and nurses .
“ We literally have people in China shopping for ventilators which is one of the largest manufacturers , ” Cuomo said .
Damage to the world ’ s largest economy kept increasing , with the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits surging by 70,000 last week .
Congress is weighing a proposed $ 1 trillion emergency package that would dispense relief checks to households in as many as two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consist of payments of $ 1,000 per adult and $ 500 for each child .
And New York Mayor Bill de Blasio lashed out at the president as “ the Herbert Hoover of your generation , “ referring to the man who was president when the stock market crashed in 1929 and the Depression set in .
A Houston hospital that opened its doors to drive-thru testing quickly saw a line of hundreds of vehicles stretching more than a mile .
At a white tent , workers in masks and head-to-toe protective gear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find out whether she had the virus .
“ I have an 80-year-old dad , and I haven ’ t been around him for the same reason , ” she said .
” I don ’ t know what I have.
“ Perry reported from Wellington , New Zealand .
Associated Press reporters around the world 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 .

Lori Hinnant And Nick Perry - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Coronavirus task force offers an even keel to a zigzag Trump

WASHINGTON - They meet in the windowless Situation Room , every day but Sunday , drawing an overflow crowd .
Fueled by coffee , doughnuts and data , members of the White House coronavirus task force fill the secure basement conference room to parse new disease patterns as they weigh next steps in the fight against a virus that has dramatically altered American lives .
On one recent morning , renowned infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci was conferenced in by telephone when he shared news that landed like a gut punch : World Health Organization data showed that younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates than previously reported .
Barely an hour later , Dr. Deborah Birx , the task force co-ordinator , stood at the White House lectern to sound the alarm publicly .
“ There are concerning reports coming out of France and Italy about some young people getting seriously ill , and very seriously ill in the ICUs , ” she said at Wednesday ’ s briefing .
It was hardly the first stomach-churning revelation to require a shift in guidance from the roughly 18-member task force , whose daily briefings from the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for those closely tracking the disease ’ s spread in the U.S .
Led by Vice-President Mike Pence , rotating members of the task force take the podium for the briefings , often joined in recent days by President Donald Trump himself .
It has made for some discordant images : officials packed in shoulder-to-shoulder as they instruct Americans to practice social distancing .
By late in the week , the officials were at least paring back their numbers on the riser and spacing themselves out somewhat .
But they were still contending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undercut their carefully crafted , stick-to-the-science messages .
On Thursday , for example , the Republican president took the mic to offer a rosy outlook for using existing drugs to fight the coronavirus , only to have the Food and Drug Administration later play clean-up , issuing a statement that there are no FDA-approved drugs to treat , cure or prevent COVID-19 .
And then there ’ s the president ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner .
He ’ s been pursuing his own coronavirus efforts on a separate track , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up mobile virus test sites .
The task force , for its part , soldiers on — brainstorming options , fielding calls from worried governors , trying to publicly explain the president ’ s thinking — and sometimes working to change it .
Five people involved with the task force described its operations to The Associated Press , speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss internal operations .
From one day to the next , ideas that once seemed inconceivable to the task force — like shutting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rolled out to the public only to days later seem grossly inadequate .
When officials saw skyrocketing infection levels in Italy and cases bubbling up nearby , political leaders at one point recommended a Level 3 travel warning advising against non-essential travel to most of the continent .
Some in the room were stunned , however when medical professionals in the group wanted to go even further .
It was an “ aha ” moment that drove home the gravity of the situation — and that idea was underscored when the news media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the State Department issued a global Level 4 warning against all travel .
While Trump has been faulted for his early efforts to play down the severity of the outbreak and for his loud airing of grievances against detractors during a time of crisis , the work of the task force in recent weeks has been largely met with praise .
Fauci has trended on Twitter .
Birx has been praised for her thoughtful , plain-spoken responses ( and her endless array of colorful scarves . )
And Pence has gotten credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open lines of communication with state officials .
Even so , the panel has had to contend with criticism over shortages of tests and medical equipment , the shifting advice on the potential threat to young adults and other matters .
The early days of the task force were more muddled .
When it was first created in January , the task force was seen as something of an inter-agency jumble .
Health and Human Services Alex Azar , with whom Trump has sparred , was the titular head of a panel that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney .
Deputies of various agencies were represented but there was little consensus and a daunting array of bureaucratic hurdles .
Much of that changed after Feb. 26 , when Trump ordered Pence to take control of the response .
At that point , most Americans still weren ’ t focused on the looming public health emergency .
Just a day earlier , Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Americans during a briefing that they had to prepare themselves for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drew the ire of Trump , who was still trying to portray the outbreak as well contained and hoping to minimize the impact on the stock market .
Pence moved quickly , bringing on Birx , a doctor who regards Fauci as her mentor , to serve as his top adviser on the pandemic .
And he expanded the task force to include officials who had been excluded earlier , including several who had feuded with Azar .
He also added Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a potentially catastrophic economic impact .
He also shifted staff work back to agencies as he reshaped the task force into a decision-making body modeled in part on the National Security Council .
The decision to hold meetings in Situation Room was designed in part to cut down on extra staff and to prevent leaks .
Task force meetings have developed a familiar routine : Pence opens with the agenda for the day and turns it over to Birx , who provides an update on the outbreak along with CDC chief Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limits its discussion to no more than three subjects that need decisions , matters ranging from which agency will run point on an issue to whether to restrict travel from another country .
Trump doesn ’ t usually attend , although he turned up more often in recent days as American life has been disrupted by the crisis .
So has Kushner , who last week was brought into the response effort after weeks of advising Trump to minimize the crisis to prevent public panic .
At the same time , the task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cutting out deputies and staff if their bosses are represented .
And while the task force originally met almost entirely in person , going forward there will be more leniency for calling in to promote social distancing , one aide said .
While Kushner ’ s effort to work with outside businesses has drawn scrutiny as being part of a rival effort to combat the virus , officials described it as a complementary effort to the task force .
They cast the Kushner group as a sandbox where the businesses can work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 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 .
The 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 .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Jill Colvin And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Africa, Latin America fragile targets for coronavirus spread

DAKAR , Senegal - The West African nation of Mali has roughly one ventilator per 1 million people — 20 in all to help the critically ill with respiratory failure .
In Peru , with more than 32 million people , about 350 beds in intensive care units exist .
The coronavirus is now moving into parts of the world that may be the least prepared .
Some countries in Africa and Latin America lack the equipment or even trained health workers to respond .
Many of their nations are slamming shut borders and banning large gatherings in the hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Italy and the U.S. , but local transmission of the virus has begun .
Containing that spread is the new challenge .
Africa has less than 800 confirmed cases and Latin America under 2,000 , but an early response is crucial as fragile health systems could be quickly overwhelmed .
With such limited resources , experts say identifying cases , tracing and testing are key .
“ We have seen how the virus actually accelerates that after a certain ... tipping point .
So the best advice for Africa is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday .
“ We have different and significant barriers to health care in Africa , which could be a real challenge , ” said Dr. Ngozi Erondu , a senior research fellow at the Chatham House Center for Global Health Security .
Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa do not have the isolation wards or large number of health care workers to respond to a surge of COVID-19 patients , she said .
Liberia and Burkina Faso only have a few ventilators for their millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Kenya-based Center for Public Health and Development , said most countries in Africa can ’ t afford ventilators .
Even if ventilators were provided by other countries , it ’ s not sufficient because of the lack of qualified people to use them .
“ It ’ s complex , it ’ s very very complex because the patients that end up on ventilators require round the clock care by larger teams , “ he said .
Many patients could do well with just oxygen , he said , but close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries don ’ t have reliable oxygen supplies .
Oxygen concentrators can be used , but given the frequent electricity cuts in many countries , oxygen generators and pressure cylinders are needed because they can function while power is out .
The WHO regional Africa director , Dr. Matshidiso Moeti , said the lack of ICU facilities and ventilators is one of the biggest challenges facing the continent .
“ We have been able to identify importing a field hospital-type of facility that can be set up and equipped with some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
Training has begun in Republic of Congo and Senegal so health care workers will be ready to operate it , and World Bank funding is being made available , she said .
It ’ s not all grim .
Elsie Kanza , head of Africa at the World Economic Forum , said many countries are deploying lessons learned from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-2016 that killed well over 10,000 people .
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was created to respond to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 43 countries can test for the coronavirus , it said .
In addition , Chinese billionaire Jack Ma this week pledged to donate 1.1 million testing kits , 6 million masks and 60,000 protective suits and face shields to share among all African countries .
Meanwhile , Senegal is helping to develop a fast COVID-19 test that is expected in June .
But some including Adama Dempster , a human rights advocate in Liberia , warned that support for African nations ’ efforts might dry up if cases soar .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries that are so powerful and have the sophistication to deal with things like this are themselves concerned about their own situation , ” she said .
Africa isn ’ t the only continent worried about what ’ s to come .
Several countries in Latin America are among the least prepared in the world for a pandemic , with healthcare systems already stretched thin .
Peruvian Minister of Defence Walter Martos told local America TV on Monday that the nation has less than 400 respirators available .
“ It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Really , we don ’ t have the infrastructure that developed nations do.
” Peru and other nations in Latin America are looking to the experience in Europe as a cautionary tale and hoping to curtail the spread of coronavirus cases before they overwhelm hospitals .
Epidemiologist Cristian Díaz Vélez said those measures could potentially create a slower rise in cases that is more manageable for Peru ’ s medical system .
He said the country has around 300 to 350 beds in intensive care units , half of which are now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our healthcare system , ” he said , if cases skyrocket .
Other countries in Latin America could fare far worse .
Venezuela ranks 176th of 195 nations worldwide in preparedness for a health crisis , according to the Global Health Security Index , a project of the John Hopkins Center for Health Security and the Nuclear Threat Initiative .
The nation ’ s healthcare system has been crippled by years of economic contraction , political chaos and a humanitarian crisis , with rising infant mortality rates and critical shortages of water and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 4.5 million people have fled – one of the largest exoduses in the world today – could exacerbate the spread of the virus throughout the region .
That is of particular concern in Colombia , where nearly 2 million Venezuelans now live .
Hospitals along the border have seen their capacity stretched .
The coronavirus pandemic could tip them further over the edge .
“ The health system obviously has a capacity that could be clearly surpassed , in Colombia and in any country in Latin America , ” said Dr. Alfonso @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Infectious Diseases .
AP reporters Clarence Roy-Macaulay in Freetown , Sierra Leone , Jonathan Paye-Layleh in Monrovia , Liberia , Babacar Dione in Dakar , Senegal , Sam Mednick in Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso ; Christine Armario in Bogota , Colombia , and Maria Cheng in London contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Guinea defies virus for vote that could keep leader in power

CONAKRY , Guinea - The West African nation of Guinea is defying the coronavirus pandemic to hold a controversial referendum on Sunday that could allow the president to stay longer in power .
Nearly 5 million voters are registered for the vote , which also will choose 14 National Assembly members .
President Alpha Conde , whose second and currently final term ends in December , might win the chance to stand for two more seven-year terms .
Some civil society groups urge authorities to postpone the vote until the end of the pandemic .
Guinea has two cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agency for Health Security .
However , the ruling party has said the cases can not prevent the rest of the county from voting .
The election won ’ t spread the virus , spokesman Amadou Damaro Camara said .
A coalition of opposition and civil society groups , the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution , which has been demonstrating against the referendum , has called for another demonstration on Saturday and Sunday against the election .
When asked if calling for mass gatherings was the right thing to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s spokesman Sekou Koundouno said they had no other choice .
They have said this year they will use all means necessary to prevent the vote on a referendum .
More than 36 people have died in demonstrations against the referendum since October , along with at least one gendarme .
“ It is up to the government to take all practical health measures against coronavirus .
It is not up to a social entity like ( us ) , ” he said .
Conde , first elected in 2010 , is barred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the constitution .
While the amended constitution would keep a two-term limit and increase terms from five years to seven , Conde has implied that his previous terms served would not count .
Faced with the risk of the virus and potential violence , many residents have left the capital , Conakry .
“ I ’ m going to Sierra Leone .
My kids go to school , but I got them out , ” said Assiatou Bobo Sow , a clothes merchant surrounded by her children at the train station .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we prefer this to avoid coronavirus or a stray bullet.
” Dr. Sakoba Keita , co-ordinator of the National Agency for Health Security , asserted that the virus can be avoided during the election if voters keep a meter away from each other .
While many fled , others remained , saying they will vote .
Some pointed to the country ’ s resilience in the devastating Ebola outbreak in 2014-16 that killed well over 10,000 in Guinea , Liberia and Sierra Leone .
“ There has been Ebola in Guinea .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to school right ?
People went to mosques , right ?
To the church , right ?
“ asked Mansa Fofana , a car salesman in Conakry .
“ Let ’ s stop telling us that coronavirus can prevent daylong elections .
I ask the president to keep the election date and not postpone it .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--US, Mexico discuss halting much of cross-border travel

SAN DIEGO - The United States and Mexico are working on plans to halt much of cross-border travel without disrupting trade during the coronavirus outbreak , officials said .
Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Thursday he proposed steps to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that “ won ’ t paralyze economic activity and keep the border open to commerce and work.
” He promised details on Friday .
Pompeo said on Twitter that he was working closely with his Mexican counterpart “ on travel restrictions that balance protecting our citizens from further transmission of # COVID19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks and prioritize essential cross-border commerce and trade.
” U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials briefed business leaders Thursday on plans to prohibit nonessential travel , similar to a measure announced earlier this week on the Canadian border , said Paola Avila , chair of the Border Trade Alliance , a business group .
The measure would effectively close the U.S. to all tourist and recreational visits along the Mexican border , said Avila , who participated in a conference call with CBP officials .
Administration officials said the U.S. would announce it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were still being worked out and subject to change , she said .
U.S. officials provided a long list of “ essential ” workers that would be unaffected going to and from their jobs , including farmworkers , restaurant and grocery store employees and bus drivers , said Avila .
Mexico was preparing similar restrictions on visitors from the United States .
U.S .
Homeland Security Department officials didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday .
Keeping trade flowing , as the U.S. and Canada agreed to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the U.S. ’ s largest trading partner , just ahead of Canada .
The U.S. accounts for about 75 % of Mexican exports , including autos , computers and medical devices .
While halting travel for students , shoppers , families and many workers would be a major blow to border economies , the impact has already been felt .
The State Department on Thursday issued a new travel alert urging Americans not to go abroad under any circumstances and to return home if they are already abroad unless they plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom ordered the state ’ s 40 million residents to stay at home , restricting nonessential movements .
“ People are not crossing anyway , ” said Avila , who is also the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce vice-president for international business affairs .
This is the right thing to do .
If you don ’ t have to cross , don ’ t. ” The U.S. has also been considering whether to immediately turn back to Mexico anyone who crosses the border illegally , including asylum-seekers .
President Donald Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a measure “ very soon , ” relying on a law that says he can deny entry to people or reject cargo if the U.S. surgeon general determines there is a “ serious danger ” of bringing a communicable disease to the United States .


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Italy’s virus epicenter grapples with huge toll, some hidden

BERGAMO , Italy - The priest gave a final benediction .
There were no flowers , no embraces .
Francesca Steffanoni and her mother hurried away from Bergamo ’ s main cemetery , their furtive farewell lasting no more than 5 minutes .
Bergamo is the epicenter of the hardest-hit province of Italy ’ s hardest-hit region , Lombardy , the site of hundreds of coronavirus deaths .
Families here are deprived of a bedside farewell with virus-stricken loved ones , or even a traditional funeral , and the cemetery is so overwhelmed by the number of dead that military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region for cremation this week .
Steffanoni had taken her mother to watch as the coffin containing an 82-year-old relative — a widower with a heart condition , struck down with the virus — was driven inside the imposing gates .
They wore masks and gloves ; they kept their distance .
“ In theory , we should not have gone .
But it was one of her last relatives who remains , ” Steffanoni said .
According to unofficial figures , more than 600 people infected with the virus have died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the Italian Alps and accounts for more than a quarter of all deaths in Lombardy , even though it represents only a tenth of the region ’ s population of 10 million .
“ We are confronting the biggest COVID emergency after Wuhan , ” said Dr. Luca Lorini , head of intensive care at Bergamo ’ s main hospital , named for native son Pope John XXIII , where nearly 500 beds are dedicated to people suffering severe symptoms of the virus , 80 of those in intensive care .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the numbers thus far don ’ t tell the whole story .
Provincial mayors are sounding an alarm that the virus-related toll fails to reflect a spike in deaths in the general population among those who have not been tested .
Last week alone , 400 people died in Bergamo and 12 neighbouring towns — four times the number who died the same week the previous year , according to the Bergamo mayor ’ s office .
Only 91 of those had tested positive for the virus .
People on the front lines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials , funeral operators , city administrators and union leaders , told The Associated Press that Bergamo ’ s crisis might have been prevented had their individual requests to create a red zone around the area as early as Feb. 23 been heeded .
Instead , strict containment measures were extended to Bergamo only on March 8 , two weeks later , without ever isolating two valley towns where the outbreak was first recorded .
“ When the virus arrived here , there was no containment and it spread through the valleys very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the normal flu .
We doctors knew it was not , ” Lorini said .
Funeral parlours already were registering an alarming increase in deaths starting in January and February , an anomaly they signalled to officials , said Antonio Ricciardi , head of a local funeral parlour association .
His business handled 611 funerals from March 1-18 , when the usual pace is just over 100 in a full month .
After the first death in nearby Alzano Lombardo was recorded and other cases confirmed on Feb. 23 , doctors at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency ICU to handle virus patients .
That was two days after the lockdown of 10 towns in southern Lombardy , which has been largely declared a success and served as a model for the nationwide shutdown instituted March 9 .
No official explanation has been given for the decision not to extend red-zone status to Bergamo .
Regional welfare official Giulio Gallera acknowledged the question but said he didn ’ t want to place blame , adding “ we are in a situation in which the entire region has substantially adopted particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential FIOM metalworkers union said she believes the area ’ s economic significance played a role in the decision not to place a red zone around towns at the mouth of the Seriana Valley , home to steel production and artisanal workshops .
“ I think the business interests weighed heavily on the decision , “ said Como , who lives in Bergamo .
In the epidemic ’ s fourth week , Lorini estimates that the true number of infected in the area is 5 to 10 times the official figure of 4,645 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people who show up at a screening area at the hospital with severe symptoms , missing people who are sick at home .
“ We believe the true numbers ( of COVID-19-related deaths ) are hidden , ” said Francesco Alleva , spokesman for Bergamo ’ s mayor .
“ Because many people are dying at home or in structures for the elderly , and they have never been tested for the virus.
” That uncertain toll is at the heart of officials ’ constant appeals for people to stay home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people not to go out except for true necessities , such as work or grocery shopping .
To further discourage people from leaving their homes , Mayor Giorgio Gori this week turned off the public wi-fi and closed down gambling machines in tobacco shops , which remain open and where people can also pay some bills .
Though the increase in positive diagnoses has narrowed from some 500 a day this past weekend to over 300 on Thursday , Lorini said it would take until at least next week to determine if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The inability to comfort virus-stricken family members in the hospital or even attend a funeral has been among the most wrenching aspects of the still-unfolding emergency .
Hospital wards try to help by phoning updates to loved ones and allowing phone calls when patients start to recover .
But when death is near , Lorini said , a visit would be “ a useless explosion of contagion.
” “ It is terrible to lose a loved one and not be able to hug them .
But that is what has happened in epidemics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also happen for the next thousand years , ” Lorini said .
Once a loved one with the virus dies , family members are not permitted to choose a favourite outfit for burial .
By government decree , the dead are buried in the clothes they died in , wrapped in sterile blankets and placed inside coffins as quickly as possible .
“ There is a huge psychological issue for family members who can not see the body , ” Ricciardi said .
“ Without a body , it is hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll hits in full force with just a glance at the local newspaper , L ’ Eco di Bergamo , which has seen the number of pages dedicated to death notices multiply from one to nine , 10 , even 11 pages .
In a notice in Wednesday ’ s edition , the family members of Bruno Maffeis , who died at age 66 , expressed a “ heartfelt thank you to the doctors and personnel of Pope John Hospital in Bergamo , and in particular to Dr. Carlo Fino for his generous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , the funeral will be celebrated at a future date to be decided , ” the notice said .
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 Barry And Luca Bruno - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Music festival, barbecue championship postponed in Memphis

MEMPHIS , Tenn. - The Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest in Memphis , Tennessee , have been postponed because of the new coronavirus outbreak .
Memphis in May officials said in a statement Thursday that the two cornerstones of the city ’ s monthlong tourist event have been called off but will be rescheduled for later dates .
The music festival and the barbecue cooking contest are held every year during the Memphis in May celebration in this Mississippi River city .
They attract music fans and barbecue cooking teams from around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Avett Brothers , Lil Wayne and The Smashing Pumpkins were among the musical acts scheduled to perform at the music festival .
Other Memphis in May events , including the Great American River Run and an international salute to the African country of Ghana , also have been postponed .
Memphis relies heavily on tourism revenue from Memphis in May .
Organizers said they had been instructed by city officials that the events can ’ t be held as originally scheduled .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ 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 .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-20--In pandemic, word definitions shift and new lexicon emerges

PHILADELPHIA - Newscasts bring word of “ hot zones ” and “ lockdowns.
” Conversations are littered with talk of “ quarantines ” and “ isolation.
” Leaders urge “ social distancing ” and “ sheltering in place ” and “ flattening the curve.
” In an instant , our vocabulary has changed — just like everything else .
It seems like just days since people were looking up “ caucus ” for clarity on the American political process or “ acquit ” to decode the Senate ’ s verdict in President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the difference between epidemics and pandemics , ventilators and respirators , seeking some black-and-white answers in the face of total uncertainty .
“ Words matter , ” says John Kelly , a senior research editor at Dictionary.com .
“ They provide comfort and order amid chaos .
They provide solidarity in an age of social distancing.
” A look at the fast-evolving lexicon of the coronavirus pandemic : Trump , who spent weeks brushing off the severity of the crisis , is now touting himself as “ a wartime president ” leading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Andrew Cuomo is equating ventilators to “ missiles ” in the battle .
French President Emmanuel Macron has bluntly declared : “ We are at war.
” Around the world , words typically used in relation to nuclear fallout , active shooters , deadly storms and war are now being deployed to discuss disease .
John Baugh , a linguist at Washington University in St. Louis , says doctors are desperate to shake the public to attention , using metaphors they think can convey the seriousness of the problem .
Politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be trying to capitalize on catastrophe .
“ They ’ re intended to grab attention , whether it ’ s politically motivated or for some other reason , ” Baugh said .
After the virus gripped China , onlookers saw a “ lockdown ” at the outbreak ’ s epicenter of Wuhan , with public transit coming to a halt , monitors enforcing orders keeping people inside and officials going door-to-door searching for infected people to be forced into quarantines .
As COVID-19 moved west , though , the meaning of such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitions of disaster jargon has been as varied as the public ’ s interpretations .
Cuomo , whose state has the largest number of virus cases in the U.S. , created a “ containment zone ” in New Rochelle last week .
Paired with an order dispatching the National Guard — though only for cleaning and food distribution — the phrase conjured images of mass quarantine even as businesses remained open and people were free to come and go .
Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have subsequently aired different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions in the biggest American city , with the mayor urging residents to prepare to “ shelter in place ” and the governor criticizing the idea and the language .
Cuomo has dismissed “ shelter in place ” as a relic of the Atomic Age , when people were trained to get to an interior windowless room until they got an “ all clear ” message .
“ Now , that ’ s not what people really mean , but that ’ s what it sounds like , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that nobody understands and only incites panic.
” With people clamouring to know what ’ s next , it ’ s important that a San Francisco “ shelter in place ” not be confused with a Wuhan “ lockdown , ” but it ’ s hard to get the same message projected everywhere .
“ People are using different terms somewhat interchangeably , ” said Dr. Irwin Redlener , an expert on disaster preparedness and public health at Columbia University .
The tug-of-war over terminology echoes the patchwork of measures that state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kathleen Hall Jamieson cringes when scientists toss out statements of “ morbidity ” and “ mortality ” in the same breath , when public officials warn of “ asymptomatic ” people posing a threat , and when news conferences are peppered with words like “ vector ” and “ transmission.
” “ They are incomprehensible to many in the public , ” said the University of Pennsylvania communications expert , who co-edited “ The Oxford Handbook of the Science of Science Communication.
” “ Public health officials , “ she said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into intelligible language.
” That means saying something like “ not showing any symptoms ” instead of “ asymptomatic , ” using simple verbs like “ spread ” versus “ transmit , ” and opting for the clarity of “ hand-washing ” over “ hygiene.
” But Hall Jamieson marvels at how Dr. Anthony Fauci and others have managed to get the public to grasp a complicated medical concept with the phrase “ flattening the curve , ” often accompanied by visual hand cues .
And many see “ social distancing ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet — easily understood phrasing that ’ s helped communicate to millions that they need to keep a safe berth to avoid spreading the virus .
“ That ’ s really taken off , ” says Eric Acton , a linguist at Eastern Michigan University , “ and ( it ’ s ) a term that probably will have a life that outlives this outbreak.
” “ We now have a name for the disease , ” the head of the World Health Organization , Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , announced on Feb. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t exactly roll off the tongue , and no obivous acronym like AIDS or SARS or MERS has arisen as a replacement .
Seeking to rebrand , Trump and his allies have taken to calling it the “ Chinese virus , “ which many consider racist .
Alaska Rep. Don Young played on the coronavirus ’ linguistic similarity to a libation often consumed with a lime wedge , dismissing it as a “ beer virus ” overblown by media hysteria .
And others bored with the limitations of COVID-19 and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes it — severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 — have come up with their own shorthand .
“ One of my students just referred to the virus as “ The Ronies , ” Acton said Thursday after a research group meeting conducted virtually .
Online , where people are chronicling their “ quarantini ” mixology ( typically Emergen-C and a favoured spirit ) , “ Rona ” is being popularized to refer to the pandemic .
There are doubts it will gain widespread use .
“ The genie ’ s out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ratzan , editor-in-chief of the Journal of Health Communications .
“ It ’ s either COVID-19 or just the coronavirus.
” Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Jennifer Peltz in New York ; Marina Villenueve in Albany , New York ; Mark Thiessen in Anchorage , Alaska ; Elaine Ganley in Paris ; and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin .
Matt Sedensky can be reached at msedensky @ ap.org or , on Twitter , at @ sedensky .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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--2020-03-20--Filthy lucre: Paper money shunned for fear of virus spread

NEW YORK - In a world suffering a pandemic , cash is no longer king .
A growing number of businesses and individuals worldwide have stopped using banknotes in fear that physical currency , handled by tens of thousands of people over their useful life , could be a vector for the spreading coronavirus .
Public officials and health experts have said that the risk of transferring the virus person-to-person through the use of banknotes is small .
But that has not stopped businesses from refusing to accept currency and some countries from urging their citizens to stop using banknotes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bookstore in Chicago , sent an email to customers last week asking individuals not to use cash .
A chain of diners in Washington State has also stopped accepting cash .
And delivery services like Grubhub , Door Dash , and others have instituted “ no contact ” deliveries , and have either stopped offering cash as a payment option or are actively discouraging it .
Experts say cash does carry a risk of transmitting the virus , but the risk from cash so far is small compared with other transmission routes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak found the virus can live on cardboard for up to 24 hours and up to three days on plastic and stainless steel .
The researchers , however , did not test whether it can live on banknote paper .
The presence of live virus particles on banknotes does not mean they are a health hazard , public health experts said .
Virus particles are unlikely to return to the air , or aerosolize , once on a surface .
“ It ’ s not impossible that there might be traces of virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your hands it should provide adequate protections , you shouldn ’ t need anything else , ” said Julie Fischer , a professor at the Center for Global Health Science and Society at Georgetown University , on C-SPAN .
Other devices used to pay for items are just as likely to be vectors for disease transfer .
Credit and debit cards are made of plastic and metal .
ATMs are touched by hundreds of human hands a day .
And there have been studies that show smartphones are heavily contaminated with bacteria because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Reserve has taken efforts to make sure the money supply is not contaminated .
Banknotes that circulated in Europe and Asia are being quarantined for seven to 10 days as a “ precautionary measure , ” according to a Federal Reserve spokesperson .
While businesses are discouraging cash usage , there have been reports of customers making large withdrawals from ATMs in several parts of the country .
Some banks have had to order additional cash from the Fed or keep ATMs stocked at higher levels to allow larger customer withdrawals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S .
In South Korea , which has been more successful in stemming the outbreak , the country ’ s central bank took all banknotes out of circulation for two weeks or , in some cases , burned paper money .
Iran is suffering the worst outbreak of the virus in the Middle East .
Using cash there is common , but in recent weeks many people have avoided it and banks have announced that they will not accept cash from customers .
Iranians often have multiple debit cards but cash is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buying bread in bakeries or leaving a tip .
Many people have started even being careful in how they hand over debit cards , as contactless payment methods haven ’ t caught on there .
Christopher Rugaber in Washington , D.C , and Nassar Karimi , in Tehran , Iran , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--One-two punch of new virus, falling oil prices threaten Iraq

BAGHDAD - The economic fallout from the coronavirus coupled with a sudden drop in oil prices is threatening to catapult Iraq into an unprecedented crisis .
The crude-exporting country is struggling to finance measures to contain the pandemic amid a leadership void in the federal government , and the unexpected oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia is further exacerbating budget shortfalls as losses accrue daily in trade , commerce , tourism and transportation .
“ This epidemic is striking our economy more than it is striking our health , ” said Thamir Gharib , a hotel owner in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southern Iraq that hummed with religious pilgrims all year long is now ghostly quiet .
Gone are the dozens of buses primarily from neighbouring Iran , the Gulf and Europe carrying visitors to the Imam Hussein shrine and filling up Karbala ’ s hotels and restaurants .
Revenues from tourists who travelled to holy sites in Iraq accounted for nearly 8 % of the country ’ s GDP , according to figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council .
But as the global pandemic takes hold of the country , religious tourism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hotel doors — like others in Karbala and the nearby city of Najaf — are shuttered .
A potentially weeks-long curfew went into effect in the capital Baghdad on Tuesday night , further compounding economic losses .
“ If we calculate the damages with the fall of oil prices , it ’ s no less than $ 120-130 million per day , ” said Mudher Saleh , financial adviser to the prime minister .
“ It is necessary to legislate an emergency budget in the short term that provides financial sustainability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs , ” he added .
But Iraqi officials appear to be slow to heed these calls amid a deepening political crisis as rival blocs sparred for weeks over the naming of the next prime minister , precipitating a void in the country ’ s top leadership .
On Tuesday , former governor of Najaf , Adnan al-Zurfi , was named premier-designate but it remained to be seen whether political blocs will approve his Cabinet line-up .
Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi ’ s government has been functioning in caretaker status since his December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Previous premier-designate Mohammed Allawi withdrew his candidacy amid delays and political dysfunction .
“ The prime minister has absolved himself of political leadership and is acting as an administrator .
Politically we don ’ t have any leadership or consensus , ” said Sajad Jiyad , a Baghdad-based analyst .
Other officials expressed optimism that oil prices would bounce back in a matter of months and that Iraq could rely on central bank reserves in the meantime .
Based on assessments from the bank and the Finance Ministry these reserves stand between $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the fact that government orders to contain the virus will impact the ability of parliament to pass legislation .
“ Sessions are impossible as all internal flights are cancelled and no public gatherings are allowed , ” said Kurdish lawmaker Sarkawt Shamseddine .
Oil prices were already suffering shock from the virus outbreak and plunged further when Saudi Arabia began heavily discounting its crude and announced plans to increase output .
The move came after Russia refused to sign on to a plan proposed by the Saudis to cut output and manage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this month .
Oil currently trades at around $ 26 per barrel , the lowest in 18 years and about half of what Iraq has projected to fund the state budget for this year .
If prolonged , Baghdad will be unable to pay public sector employees and deliver basic services .
Iraq ’ s deficit , which is estimated at $ 40 billion , would also double , Iraqi officials said .
Iraq relies on oil exports to fund over 90 % of state revenue .
The proposed 2020 budget projected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political deadlock has delayed its passing , casting more uncertainty over Iraq ’ s economic future .
Already , the economic challenges are having an impact .
Last week , Health Minister Jaafar Allawi said in televised comments that $ 150 million per month was still needed to purchase equipment and materials to fight the virus .
To meet these needs the Finance Ministry said it was accepting donations from banks , government and private institutions .
Kuwait has pledged $ 10 billion .
Meanwhile , virus cases continue to rise , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Health Ministry .
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus , although it can kill the elderly or those with other underlying illnesses .
Transport , trade , tourism and commerce are among the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic , according to senior Iraqi officials , experts and businessmen .
The movement of goods has decreased by at least 30 % , said Iraq ’ s Transport Minister Abdullah Laibi .
Crucial imports of goods from neighbouring countries Turkey and Iran are down by two-thirds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing an effect .
Ahmed Rahim , 25 , a grocer in Baghdad said the price of Iran-imported onions for example has nearly doubled .
The construction sector in northern Iraq , which relies heavily on Iranian labour has also halted big commercial projects in the wake of border closures .
International companies have been unable to rotate staff in and out of the company due to flight suspensions .
In response , many Chinese oil companies across Iraq have declared their inability to fulfil contracts because of the unexpected pandemic , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations .
China , where the virus first originated , is deeply entrenched in Iraq ’ s energy sector and is a major importer of Iraqi crude .
Iraqi officials fear Beijing ’ s falling demand for crude in light of the coronavirus might also impact state revenues .
But as many ongoing Chinese projects in the country are funded on the back of future oil sales , officials said they expected Beijing to cut back on imports from other Middle East countries before reaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s commercial centres said they have had to let go staff because of plunging revenues .
Muhammed Najm estimated sales from his perfume shop in the capital ’ s main Shorja Market dropped by 60 % in the wake of the coronavirus .
“ We do not have anything , and the state has no solutions , “ he said .
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 .

Qassim Abdul-Zahra And Samya Kullab - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Olympic flame lands in Japan as doubts grow over Tokyo Games

MATSUSHIMA AIR BASE , Japan - The Olympic flame on Friday completed its difficult journey from Greece to Japan .
That signified a small , symbolic victory for the IOC and local organizers , who maintain the Tokyo Olympics will open on July 24 amid a chorus of doubters who believe they should be postponed or cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ For the first time in 56 years , the Olympic torch is heading to Tokyo and I hope that the Olympic torch will illuminate the path of hope for many people , ” organizing committee President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceremony at an air base in northern Japan .
Mori of course was referring to Tokyo ’ s famous 1964 Olympics .
Tokyo was also to have been the venue for the 1940 Olympics , which were cancelled by World War II .
“ We will work closely with the International Olympic Committee , the Japanese government , and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government , “ he said , and based on the World Health Organization ’ s advice , “ we will ensure a safe and secure games.
” The flame , carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached Japan aboard a white aircraft painted with the inscription “ Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay ” along its side .
The tail section was adorned with the refrain “ Hope Lights our Way .
The aircraft was welcomed on the tarmac by a small contingent of organizing committee officials .
Two of Japan ’ s most famous Olympians — three-time wresting gold medallist Saori Yoshida and three-time judo gold medallist Tadahiro Nomura — received the flame for the lighting ceremony .
The two climbed portable stairs and entered the aircraft before emerging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burning inside .
They handed it over at the base of the stairs to Mori , who delivered a brief acceptance speech in a gusting wind .
Yoshida and Nomura then took the torch and ignited a large cauldron on the tarmac of the air base .
Mori referred to the “ difficult situation “ with the virus , and then thanked the IOC and Greek officials that the “ hand-over ceremony was able to be held ” with the Olympics set to open in just over four months .
The flame arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly 250 kilometres ( 150 miles ) from Tokyo , that was devastated by the 2011 earthquake , tsunami and meltdown of three nuclear reactors that has left many still living in temporary quarters .
The flame will stay in northern Japan for almost a week until the torch relay begins officially on March 26 from Fukushima prefecture .
It will be put on public display in the three prefectures most affected by the disaster — Miyagi , Iwate and Fukushima , Even if the Olympics and Paralympics don ’ t start as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used as a symbol and a rallying point for the Japanese public .
In a conference call on Wednesday , IOC President Thomas Bach got support for holding course , but is also getting push back from athletes who can ’ t train , are confused about the qualification process , and worry about their health .
Critics are also complaining about the unfairness of qualifying , which might give some athletes advantages over others .
Worldwide the death toll surpassed 10,000 and infections topped 240,000 , including 86,000 people who have recovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
The Japanese news agency Kyodo released a survey on Monday showing 69.9 % of those questioned did not believe the Olympics will open as scheduled because of the virus .
The four-month torch relay could be fraught with problems , particularly for sponsors which have invested millions for the publicity .
The torch relay in Greece , following the symbolic lighting on March 12 , was stopped during the second day and did not resume because of large crowds .
Japanese organizers have asked crowds to be “ restrained ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are not .

Haruka Nuga And Koji Ueda - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--A pot shop at your door: Home delivery surges amid outbreak

SAN FRANCISCO - One company rushed to expand its delivery fleet .
Another has seen sales triple .
The global coronavirus pandemic has left millions of people locked out of bars , restaurants and theatres , but it ’ s been an unexpected boost for some U.S. pot shops .
Marijuana users in the nation ’ s largest legal pot shop , California , and elsewhere are on a buying binge , as they stock up for potential quarantines or simply light up in search of relief during anxious times and government lockdowns .
New York , San Francisco and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cities labeling dispensaries “ essential ” businesses that can remain open during virus lockdowns , in some cases with limitations .
Sales increases also are being witnessed in Colorado and Washington , according to cannabis data company Headset .
Dispensaries , meanwhile , have been quick to accommodate virus-wary customers , boosting delivery and pickup options .
In California , the online delivery marketplace Eaze said order volume jumped 38 % on Monday , compared to the annual average , and deliveries overall saw an identical jump .
Deliveries to first-time customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online directory has documented a big jump in delivery and pickup orders , too , and found California saw a 66 % increase in order volume in the second week of March , compared to the first week .
Glass House Group CEO Kyle Kazan bought several Priuses to put more delivery vehicles on the road to keep up with demand .
With many consumers reluctant to go out for fear of getting sick , practicing social distancing or ordered to stay inside by government , “ we are going to have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Kazan , whose company includes a cultivation arm and four California dispensaries .
“ It ’ s not much different than Amazon , “ Kazan said .
At The Herbery , which operates two stores in Vancouver , Washington , sales have spiked about 30 % since last Friday , when Gov .
Jay Inslee announced widespread school closures and other measures to deal with the outbreak .
One store saw sales double on a single day , said owner Jim Mullen .
“ People are buying four or five items instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ People are asking what the legal limit is .
We ’ re seeing bulk buying and people stocking up on products.
” In California , many stores have been forced to close their doors or limit sales over health fears , but marijuana shops have been deemed essential businesses in key markets across California where shelter-in-place orders have been issued , including in San Francisco .
Around the state it ’ s a case-by-case basis that is changing daily , but it appears much of the legal market is up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find toilet paper , bread and other staples hard to find .
Los Angeles , the state ’ s biggest market , on Thursday issued an order designating cannabis dispensaries “ essential activities “ because “ they provide services that are recognized to be critical to the health ... of the city , ” even as it shuttered gyms .
Meanwhile , in New York , health officials notified medical marijuana dispensaries Tuesday that they are considered essential businesses and can stay open even if others are shuttered — as yet , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operator Etain has seen more patients requesting 30-day supplies , instead of weekly , particularly before it became clear that dispensaries would stay open , chief operating officer Hillary Peckham said .
With a significant jump in home-delivery orders for next week , the family-owned company is adding delivery days .
Meanwhile , it ’ s encouraging people who pick up their medications to make appointments so it can limit dispensary crowds .
The sustained marijuana sales in the midst of a virus outbreak mark a victory for California ’ s 27-month-old legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flood the gap if the legal market was abruptly shut down .
San Francisco briefly shuttered it pot shops at the start of a lockdown in the region , before allowing sales to resume .
“ I ’ m very grateful that they ’ ve had it open , simply because I deal with anxiety and I know a lot of people that really depend on the medical marijuana , ” said Jackie Cornelius , a customer shopping at The Green Cross dispensary .
Sales for the Oakland-based Ganga Goddess delivery service had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month , but “ at the end of last week it just exploded , ” said CEO Zachary Pitts .
“ Our sales have tripled , ” he added .
“ It ’ s been insane levels of business.
” Pitts and other industry experts see a simple logic at work .
Cannabis can be consumed safely at home — it doesn ’ t require a social setting , or a trip to a mall — so deliveries make sense .
Companies are not just seeing a boost in new revenue — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and customers safe , with such measures as providing hand sanitizer in a cash-heavy business and limiting the number of customers in shops .
Meanwhile , the state has been allowing dispensaries to apply for the right to provide curbside pickups — a sort of drive-thru pot shop previously banned in California .
In the midst of a health crisis , a curbside pickup “ is so much more preventative , ” said Los Angeles dispensary owner Jerred Kiloh , who closed his sales floor Wednesday after setting up a curbside sales operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ window on busy Ventura Boulevard .
“ Imagine completely changing your entire business structure in 24 hours , ” said Kiloh , who heads the United Cannabis Business Association .
Kiloh has implemented a range of sanitation steps for his shop , from routinely cleaning surfaces in the lobby , where customers can pick up orders , to requiring employees who carry out curbside orders to wear medical gloves .
At the Vancouver , Washington , shops , the number of customers inside is being limited , so people sometimes have to wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ ve got Purell by the cash registers — we ’ re handling cash every day , “ owner Mullen said .
The jump in income has been welcome for many long-struggling California businesses , which have been competing against a robust illicit market and shouldering hefty state and local taxes since broad legal sales kicked off in January 2018 .
At The Apothecarium dispensary in San Francisco , store manager Cali Manzello said the threat of temporarily losing legal sales set off a buying splurge .
“ People knew they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only the time of being maybe trapped at home for these few weeks , but just to feel good , ” Manzello said .
Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this report .

Michael R. Blood And Haven Daley - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Stores set up senior shopping hours amid coronavirus fears

RICHMOND , Va. - As senior citizens deal with anxiety about the coronavirus , grocery store chains and other retailers have come up with a way to ease their fears : shopping times reserved exclusively for them .
Target , Whole Foods , Walmart and Dollar General , as well as supermarkets in Europe , began dedicating early morning shopping times for older customers this week .
The theory is that allowing seniors to shop among smaller crowds could reduce their chances of acquiring the virus and give them first crack at buying hand sanitizer and other products that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopping .
The idea seems to have worked well in smaller shops but backfired in some larger stores , where big crowds made “ social distancing “ difficult .
“ If you didn ’ t have coronavirus before you got there , you probably do now , “ said Roger Glenn Miller , 82 , after he showed up Thursday morning at a Stop & Shop grocery store in North Providence , Rhode Island , along with about 200 other seniors .
Don Gregson , 81 , had a similar experience at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he expected to shop with a small group of seniors but instead found aisles crowded with people .
When he saw the number of people in the store , Gregson slipped on a surgical mask he carries in his pocket , then bought 4 gallons ( 15 litres ) of distilled water for the machine he needs for sleep apnea .
“ I ’ m sure they were trying to do the right thing , but somehow the planning went astray , ” he said .
The Massachusetts-based chain , which is offering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , said in a statement that it is asking its customers to consider staggering the days they shop “ to ensure a less crowded environment .
as well as for everyone to exercise caution and social distancing while shopping.
” Ernest Hodge , 72 , had a much smoother experience at a Dollar General store just north of Richmond .
Hodge showed up at 8 a.m. sharp Wednesday , wearing a face mask and blue rubber gloves to protect himself .
He was able to shop among just a half-dozen other seniors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including disinfecting wipes , spray cleaner and bottled water .
Hodge said he was happy when he heard about the special shopping hours because he is trying to limit his exposure to people .
“ I get off work , I go home .
I don ’ t come out again unless it ’ s a must , ” he said .
Dollar General is reserving the first hour of shopping every day for seniors at its more than 16,000 stores .
Target has set aside an hour every Wednesday morning for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those with underlying medical conditions .
Walmart said it will host an hourlong “ senior shopping event ” every Tuesday for customers 60 and older , one hour before stores open to the general public .
In South Africa , the supermarket chain Pick n Pay said this week that it will open all its markets an hour early every Wednesday for shoppers over 65 .
And Sainsbury ’ s , one of the largest supermarket chains in the United Kingdom , reserved the first hour of shopping in its stores Thursday for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gibson , 72 , from Crofton Park , southeast London , went to his local superstore in Bell Green , where he said he had a “ relatively trauma-free ” experience except for the fact that some younger shoppers appeared to ignore the request to reserve the hour for senior citizens .
Most of the products he was looking for were there , though many canned items were “ leaping off the shelves ” and he couldn ’ t get the medicines that he and his 73-year-old wife want “ for love or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
The vast majority of people recover .
The outbreak has caused more than 10,000 deaths out of nearly 245,000 cases worldwide .
William Petri , a professor in the University of Virginia ’ s Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health , said setting aside dedicated times for seniors to shop makes sense .
Petri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who are infected don ’ t have symptoms right away but are still infectious .
“ That ’ s an even better reason to try to isolate those who are most vulnerable , like the elderly , from younger people through dedicated shopping hours , ” Petri said .
Better yet , Petri said , would be for seniors to get groceries delivered to their homes .
Associated Press staffers Pan Pylas contributed from London , and David Goldman , from Providence , Rhode Island .
The Associated Press receives support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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--2020-03-20--2 new coronavirus deaths reported in Missouri on Friday

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
- Two more Missourians died from the coronavirus , officials said Friday , and the number of confirmed cases of the illness nearly doubled in one day .
St. Louis County officials said a woman in her 60s , who suffered from multiple health problems prior to being diagnosed with COVID-19 , died at a hospital .
Officials don ’ t yet know if she had travelled or how she became exposed to the virus .
Earlier Friday , on the other side of the state , Jackson County officials said a woman in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travelled , raising concerns about community spread , which is when experts can ’ t figure out how a person caught the disease .
The deaths were the second and third in Missouri , following the death of a Boone County resident in their 60s announced Wednesday .
The total number of confirmed cases in Missouri rose to 47 by the state ’ s count , up from 28 a day earlier .
But that didn ’ t include five new cases announced in Kansas City , as well as new cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing the unofficial total to 54 .
The jump was largely attributable to private lab test results being reported to the state .
Among the new cases is a Missouri legislator .
House leaders , in a statement , did not identify the lawmaker or offer details about their condition but said efforts are underway to notify House members and staff who may have had contact .
The University of Missouri also said two employees tested positive and have quarantined themselves at home .
No other details about the employees were released .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow the spread , announcing that gatherings of more than 10 people will be banned , effective Saturday .
He stressed that the order won ’ t require businesses to close and includes exceptions for hospitals , pharmacies , grocery stores , and government and religious services .
Some public health officials in the state want Parson to force people to stay home .
The Kansas City Star obtained a letter dated Friday from the Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence , a group of public health departments representing half of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican governor to require that residents can only leave home for medical reasons , work or to get food .
One of the new cases in south-central Missouri ’ s Pulaski County also “ does not appear to be travel related , ” the county health department said in a statement on Facebook .
The patient is in isolation and the health department is trying to figure out who may have had close contact with the sick person .
Missourians left without a job due to all the closures won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the state , which announced that all job centres are now closed to in-person services for at least a week .
People seeking unemployment insurance can call the Department of Labor and State Industrial Relation ’ s hotline at 1-800-320-2519 or go to uinteract.labour.mo.gov .
For most people , the 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 .
Branson city leaders banned social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including performances and shows in the tourist destination .
Businesses will be allowed to stay open if they don ’ t exceed 25 % of occupancy .
Two major tourist attractions , Silver Dollar City and The Branson Belle river boat , have temporarily suspended operations .
Ballentine reported from Jefferson City and Salter reported from St. Louis .
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 .

Margaret Stafford, Summer Ballentine And Jim Salter - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Major Waikiki hotel temporarily closing amid virus outbreak

HONOLULU - One of Waikiki ’ s largest hotels said Friday that it will close for at least the next few weeks in response to the coronavirus .
The Hale Koa Hotel is an 818-room hotel run by the U.S. military for service members , veterans and their families .
It occupies 72 acres of prime beachfront in Waikiki , the centre of tourism in Hawaii .
“ It is now apparent that this crisis requires collective action to slow its progression in the United States .
Guests will be asked to return to their home station as soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the hotel said in a statement on its website .
There have been no reported cases of the disease at the hotel .
It is waiving cancellation and early departure fees .
It ’ s continuing to accept reservations for dates after April 15 but said it will make a determination on reopening when it ’ s safe for guests and staff .
Gov .
David Ige has asked travellers to postpone their vacations for the next 30 days as the state tries to slow the spread of the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have tested positive for the disease .
All had either travelled out of state or had close contact with someone who did .
Other state leaders , including House Speaker Scott Saiki , Lt. Gov .
Josh Green and a Senate special committee on the virus , have called on Ige to take a tougher stance , saying he should impose a two-week quarantine on arriving passengers .
Saiki also called for “ an immediate statewide shutdown ” for the next 15 days .
The Honolulu City Council said the governor should order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to immediately halt all advertising campaigns luring travellers with discounted rates .
Ige has directed bars and clubs to close and for restaurants to only serve takeout or delivery meals .
State and county officials have closed parks .
Popular visitor destinations like the USS Arizona and Iolani Palace have closed .
Other states , including California , New York and Illinois , have ordered people to stay at home except to get essentials .

Audrey McAvoy And Jennifer Sinco Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Stranded cruise ship passengers describe chaotic flight home

ATLANTA - On a chaotic flight home , some passengers who had been stranded for days aboard a cruise ship after being exposed to the coronavirus suffered breathing problems , many coughed and several fainted with no food or medical personnel provided , travellers said Friday .
“ It was a suicide mission , ” said passenger Jenny Harrell , of Fredericksburg , Virginia .
“ It was a mass triage with absolutely no direction and the crew going , ‘ What should we do now ?
’ ” Decisions were left up to the passengers , said Harrell , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past and helped a physician who was also among the passengers .
The jet carrying 359 people , including hundreds of American and Canadian passengers from a Costa Cruises ship flying home from France , landed at Atlanta ’ s international airport as emergency responders , and health and customs officials deployed to screen them for the coronavirus .
Three people on the flight tested positive for the coronavirus before landing but had no symptoms , the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hadn ’ t been tested , and one passenger was sent to a local hospital .
Harrell , 51 , said she isolated two other passengers who were having breathing problems .
One had a chronic lung disease and needed to be hooked to a ventilator , she said .
Another passenger had an asthma attack and several others fainted , apparently from low blood sugar levels .
Harrell said many travellers were coughing and she helped treat people who had a fever .
“ There should have been medical personnel on that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luminosa passengers also complained they were given no food other than orange juice and crackers in more than 24 hours — the time it took to disembark in Marseille , France , to fly to Atlanta , and be cleared by officials .
At one point , Harrell said , the flight attendants handed her the cabin microphone .
“ I basically took over the plane , ” she said .
“ I couldn ’ t even make this up for a movie.
” In another instance , the co-pilot asked her and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , instead of continuing all the way to Atlanta .
“ We didn ’ t have a choice .
We had been turned away for the last eight days , ” Harrell said .
For many , the flight was a culmination of an already harrowing journey that began on March 5 in Fort Lauderdale .
Some passengers said they wanted to cancel the trans-Atlantic cruise , but the company refused to give them a refund , assuring them it was safe to go three days before the U.S. State Department issued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on cruise ships .
On March 8 , an Italian woman disembarked in Puerto Rico with breathing problems .
She and her husband , who also got off the boat , were hospitalized and tested positive for the new coronavirus .
Since the new cases came to light , the Costa Luminosa was denied entry to several countries .
The 1,400 passenger ship was finally allowed permission to dock in Marseille , France , under strict quarantine conditions .
The local administration for the Marseille region said in a statement that 36 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The screening process for the passengers who got on the flight to the U.S. isn ’ t clear , but Harrell said many of the passengers were visibly sick when they boarded the jet .
“ They just wanted us to get home so we could be taken care of here , ” she said .
“ Everybody , basically , on that flight had medical conditions.
“ After the plane landed , Harrell called 911 because CDC officials wanted to start screening , but she demanded food first .
She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long process before they had anything to eat .
The CDC said all passengers were screened and “ three passengers who were reportedly tested previously and found to be positive for COVID-19 were separated from other passengers.
” Federal officials are working with Georgia authorities to determine a plan for those passengers .
Harrell said officials measured their temperatures , but only certain passengers were tested for the virus .
She was cleared to fly back home to Virginia , where she was told to stay home for 14 days .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

Adriana Gomez Licon And Jeff Martin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--New York bans gatherings, nonessential workers to stay home

ALBANY , N.Y. - New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced sweeping orders Friday that will severely restrict gatherings of any size for the state ’ s more than 19 million residents and will require workers in nonessential businesses to stay home .
No more play dates .
No more pickup basketball .
No more subway rides except if absolutely necessary .
The Democratic governor said the “ drastic action ” was needed to check the rapid spread of the coronavirus virus in a state with more than 7,000 confirmed cases , the most in the nation .
New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , come a day after California decided to all but confine its population in the biggest lockdown in the U.S. “ No , this is not life as usual , ” Cuomo said at a news conference .
“ Accept it , and realize it , and deal with it.
” New York officials said more than 1,200 people have already been hospitalized since the outbreak , and new restrictions are needed to keep the health care system from being overwhelmed .
Johns Hopkins University put the state ’ s fatality count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by public health officials .
“ It is incumbent on all of us , young and old , and especially the young , who might think they are invincible , to stay the heck indoors , “ said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot .
Under the rules , nonessential gatherings of people of any size or for any reason are cancelled or postponed , including parties and celebrations .
Workers seen as essential to keeping society functioning were exempt .
The category was somewhat expansive , including delivery workers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with many others including teachers , cops and health care workers .
People will be able to walk outside or take part in non-contact activities , but should not be “ playing basketball with five other people , ” Cuomo said .
The restrictions will ban parents from bringing kids to play dates at friends ’ houses or to playgrounds , if they can ’ t guarantee ample space with other people .
Public transit will keep running , but people besides essential workers should only use it when absolutely necessary .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet away from others when they are out in public , Cuomo said .
The new restrictions were met with resignation by people across the state , where museums , clubs and many restaurants are already shuttered and big gatherings were already prohibited .
“ There ’ s a season for everything .
And right now , the season is to just lay low , stop spreading this viral thing around , “ said Eddy Dobosiewicz , of Buffalo , who just got a haircut before barbers close this weekend .
” And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I promise all we ’ re going to have a party.
” Edjo Wheeler , 49 , who runs an art centre in New York City , said he knows a couple of people who are already flat on their back with what feels like an awful flu .
“ That makes me walk around with my hands in my pocket to make sure I ’ m not touching things .
I might have it , and I might be able to pass it on to somebody else , “ Wheeler said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me getting it .
I ’ m not really the in-danger population , but we all have to co-operate.
” For most people , the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
The vast majority of people recover .
But for some it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , or death and stricter rules were put in place for people over 70 , people with compromised immune systems and those with underlying illness .
They should prescreen all visitors and aides by taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
All vulnerable people should wear a mask when around others , and everyone in their presence should wear a mask .
Additionally , only essential businesses can have workers commuting to their jobs or in their offices , Cuomo said .
The order tightens previous work-from-home restrictions and exempts a long list of businesses as essential , including health facilities , utilities , airports , food makers , grocery stores , farms , convenience stores , laundromats , funeral homes and banks .
Cuomo said there will be fines and mandatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ These provisions will be enforced ” he said .
“ These are not helpful hints.
” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said police officers would be out “ reminding people , educating people , warning people ” about the rules and would be empowered to break up large groups .
Cuomo ’ s decision won strong backing from Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s infectious disease chief and member of the White House coronavirus task force .
Fauci also issued a direct appeal to his fellow New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ re tough .
I was in New York City on Sept. 11 , 2001 , and I know what the New Yorkers can do , ” said Fauci .
“ So please , co-operate with your governor , co-operate with your mayor .
It ’ s very important.
” Associated Press writers Karen Matthews and AP photographer John Minchillo contributed from New York .
AP writer Carolyn Thompson contributed from Buffalo , N.Y. , and AP writer Darlene Superville contributed from Washington .
The Associated Press receives support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Marina Villeneuve And Michael Hill - The Associated Press