thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Coronavirus claims at least 7,000 lives in U.S. nursing homes

The first warning of the devastation that the coronavirus could wreak inside U.S. nursing homes came in late February , when residents of a facility in suburban Seattle perished , one by one , as families waited helplessly outside .
In the ensuing six weeks , large and shockingly lethal outbreaks have continued to ravage nursing homes across the country , undeterred by urgent new safety requirements .
Now a countrywide tally by The New York Times has found the number of people living in or connected to nursing homes who have died of the coronavirus to be at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In New Jersey , 17 bodies piled up in a nursing home morgue , and more than one-quarter of a Virginia home ’ s residents have died .
At least 24 people at a facility in Maryland have died ; more than 100 residents and workers have been infected at another in Kansas ; and people have died in centres for military veterans in Florida , Nevada , New York , Maine , Massachusetts , Oregon and Washington .
On Friday , New York officials for the first time disclosed the names @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had five or more deaths , including the Cobble Hill Health Center in Brooklyn , where 55 people have died .
At least 14 nursing homes in New York City and its suburbs have recorded more than 25 coronavirus-related deaths .
In New Jersey , officials revealed that infections have broken out in 394 long-term facilities — almost two-thirds of the state ’ s homes — and that more than 1,500 deaths were tied to nursing facilities .
Overall , about one-fifth of deaths from the virus in the United States have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care facilities , the Times review of cases shows .
And more than 36,500 residents and employees across the country have contracted it .
In interviews with more than two dozen workers in long-term care facilities , as well as family members of residents and health-care experts , a portrait emerged of a system unequipped to handle the onslaught and disintegrating further amid the growing crisis .
“ They ’ re death pits , ” said Betsy McCaughey , a former lieutenant-governor of New York who founded the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital-acquired infections .
“ These nursing homes are already overwhelmed .
They ’ re crowded and they ’ re understaffed .
One COVID-positive patient in a nursing home produces carnage.
” It is a tragedy that is continuing to unfold , and one that even the dire figures that are known only partially capture .
The number of cases at these facilities — which include nursing homes , assisted-living facilities , memory-care facilities , retirement and senior communities and long-term rehabilitation facilities — is almost certainly still higher since many facilities , counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The outbreaks have been spread across the sprawling senior-care industry , including at publicly run facilities , those run by non-profit groups and others managed by large corporations .
Some nursing homes with clusters have a history of safety violations , persistent staffing problems and limited amenities .
Other hard-hit facilities have sterling health records , luxurious living arrangements and pricey rents .
The virus is known to be more deadly to aging , immune-compromised people ; and small , confined settings like nursing homes , where workers frequently move from one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable to spreading infection .
But oversights and failures also have contributed to the crisis .
Virus tests and protective gear have been scarce inside many of these facilities , which are among the most overlooked players in the health-care system .
These homes , with staff members who receive less extensive training than those in hospitals , tend to struggle to slow infectious diseases .
Employees are often poorly paid workers who move between multiple jobs and return home to communities at risk of contracting the virus .
All of these factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making its way into at least 4,100 U.S. nursing homes and other long-term care facilities , despite increasingly desperate efforts to stop the spread .
Facilities were late to require workers and residents to wear masks — and some were still not enforcing such policies , workers and family members said .
Facing shortages of tests and masks , homes often waited , they said , until residents were showing symptoms of COVID-19 before testing them for the virus and isolating them from others , even if they had contact with people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and staff are being led to slaughter , ” said Judith Regan , an editor and publishing executive whose 91-year-old father , Leo Regan , lives at the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University .
At least 57 residents and 37 staff members there have tested positive for the virus , and 32 residents have died .
“ He is on the Titanic , but there are no lifeboats , ” Regan said .
Officials at the veterans home did not respond to requests for comment .
Employees at some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In California , 83 patients with the virus had to be evacuated from a nursing facility in Riverside County after only one of 13 scheduled certified nursing assistants appeared at work , public health officials said .
Sixteen employees and dozens of patients had tested positive days earlier .
Even now , protective gear is in short supply at many homes .
One nursing assistant at a Detroit nursing facility said she had been issued an N95 mask , but had to make it last three weeks .
With no gowns available , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being told to suit up in the same gowns that patients sleep in .
In Miami , Rosa Mercedes , a certified nursing assistant at a residential facility , waited in line in her car for a coronavirus test on Thursday at the Hard Rock Stadium .
She said her facility , which she declined to name , provides her with one mask each day as she feeds , bathes and helps multiple patients use the bathroom .
Now she has a cough and sore throat .
“ I don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have it , ” she said .
“ Everybody ’ s living in a nightmare.
” Nursing home industry officials acknowledged this week that many of their facilities were in crisis and said they lacked the protective equipment and testing that hospitals have received .
“ We don ’ t have what we need to stop this , ” said Mark Parkinson , president and chief executive of the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living , a trade organization that represents skilled nursing facilities and assisted-living homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We have got to have masks , and we don ’ t have masks.
” Parkinson said that federal health authorities have designated nursing homes and long-term care facilities at a lower priority level than hospitals , meaning a longer turnaround times for test results — a significant problem for slowing spread .
He said that many employees don ’ t have the option of isolating themselves from sick patients .
“ The cavalry hasn ’ t arrived , ” Parkinson said .
“ People will end up blaming nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it is the complete lack of prioritization that has put us in the position that we are in.
” Nursing home facilities have borne the brunt of a structural shift : hospitals , seeking to keep costs down , send more vulnerable patients into a growing industry of nursing homes .
Even before the pandemic , 380,000 people died each year from infection at long-term care facilities , according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , which regulates the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , issued new guidance last month , telling administrators to restrict all visitors , cancel group activities , shut down dining rooms and screen all residents and staff members for fevers and respiratory illnesses .
Families of nursing home residents said some of the new restrictions were enforced unevenly in some homes ; unlocked front doors in some places , for instance , have failed to stop visits .
And even where enforcement has been strict , staff members could still unwittingly carry the virus inside .
At Canterbury Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents rely on Medicaid to cover costs , triple rooms are not uncommon .
The facility has struggled to hire and retain nursing staff .
As recently as October , federal investigators found nearly two dozen deficiencies at the facility , including a lack of appropriate respiratory care for a resident and a lack of appropriate ulcer care .
When a few cases of the virus cropped up at Canterbury in mid-March , the state had only a few hundred test kits available , limiting officials ’ ability to figure out how far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Danny Avula , the local county ’ s health official .
By the time officials were able to test everyone a few weeks later , more than 60 residents tested positive , including some who did not show symptoms .
At least 46 of the facility ’ s estimated 160 residents have died from the virus , making it one of the deadliest clusters in the country .
“ Nursing homes were not designed to deal with this kind of crisis , ” Avula said .
Even in the best of times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and families of residents of some facilities heaped praise on staff members for risking their own lives to keep working .
The situation has led anxious families to agonize about whether to try to bring their loved ones home .
But many can not provide the extensive medical care that is required and fear exposing others to the virus .
As they wrestle with what to do , many say that they are being given little information about what is happening inside the homes .
“ It ’ s totally horrifying — I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Adam Zimmerman , whose 77-year-old mother lives in an acute-care facility near Los Angeles where cases of the virus have been identified .
He said he speaks by phone regularly with his mother , who has a tracheotomy and medical conditions , but has not been able to visit her in weeks .
At a facility in New York City , there had been no indication of a problem , a grandson of a resident said , until last week when he received a call that his grandfather , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ill .
He was coughing hard and had a fever .
By Sunday , he was dead .
Only later was the family told that the man had tested positive for the coronavirus , according to the grandson , who wanted to be identified only by his first name , Andrew , because his grandmother is still in the nursing home and has yet to be told of her husband ’ s death .
She , too , has tested positive for the virus , he said .
He said it broke his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I couldn ’ t even hold his hand , ” he said .
“ He couldn ’ t speak English , and he was just surrounded by strangers .
I can ’ t imagine how scared he must have been.
” Some facilities have found creative ways to combat the virus .
At the Park Springs Life Plan Community in Stone Mountain , Ga. , four staff members and one resident have tested positive for the virus , but they have fully recovered .
The facility decided to take a rare step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to live on the campus to avoid inadvertently carrying the virus into the facility from home .
Sixty workers volunteered .
Ginger Hansborough , the facility ’ s accounting director , who normally lives with a partner and his octogenarian mother , moved in , not only to protect residents at the facility , but also to protect her family .
“ I didn ’ t want to be the reason that anything happened to them , ” she said .

Farah Stockman - Matt Richtel, Danielle Ivory and Mitch Smith, The New York Times


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Mexican vigilante group threatens reporter, activist

MEXICO CITY - An armed vigilante group in southern Mexico has threatened a well-known human rights activist and a journalist , saying the two would be abducted and subjected to “ re-education.
” Mexico ’ s National Human Rights Commission condemned the threats and said protection should be provided for rights activist Manuel Olivares .
The vigilante group operates in the mountains of the southern state of Guerrero and has bragged in the past about employing professional hitmen .
Olivares has been active in seeking justice for residents of mountain towns who were forced to flee their homes due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the groups call themselves “ community police , ” but in fact have links to drug gangs .
The group that threatened Olivares is the United Front of Community Police of Guerrero State , and it claimed in a statement that Olivares and journalist Ezequiel Flores were allied with the group ’ s enemies , who it claims operate a drug gang .
While it said the rivals would be “ pursued and exterminated , ” it said the activist and journalist would be “ detained , ” re-educated “ based on custom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media .
Flores works for the news magazine Proceso .
The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Mexican authorities to protect Flores , as well .

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thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Judge: Tennessee can’t prevent abortions during coronavirus

NASHVILLE - A federal judge Friday night barred Tennessee from preventing abortions during a temporary ban on nonessential medical procedures to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman said the defendants didn ’ t show that any appreciable amount of personal protective equipment , or PPE , would be saved if the ban is applied to abortions .
In a hearing by phone Friday , attorneys representing several state abortion clinics argued that Tennessee women will face immediate harm if the ban on abortions is not lifted .
Alex Rieger , arguing for the Tennessee attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not being singled out but treated like any other procedure that is not necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury .
Gov .
Bill Lee issued an emergency order on April 8 banning those procedures for three weeks .
The goal of the ban is to preserve the limited supply of PPE for doctors fighting COVID-19 and to help prevent the community spread of the disease by limiting patient-provider interactions , Rieger said .
The two sides tangled over whether halting abortions would meet or undermine that goal .
Several other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judges in the past week have ruled to allow abortions to continue in Arkansas , Oklahoma , Ohio and Texas .
Genevieve Scott , an attorney with the Center for Reproductive Rights , argued that all pregnant women need care .
About 1 in 5 pregnant women require hospital visits before labour , and 15-20 % of pregnancies end in miscarriages .
Even those women without problems require prenatal care and tests .
All of that requires providers to use personal protective equipment and interact with patients , Scott said .
Rieger argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take place a couple of months down the road and that “ every piece of PPE we use now is a piece that is not available when this disease reaches its peak.
” Scott disputed that idea , saying the needs are immediate .
She also noted that there is no guarantee the executive order will not be extended .
“ Nothing in their arguments today suggests they really believe that in three weeks the issue will be resolved , ” she said .
Abortion clinics have already turned away dozens of patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion is delayed , the greater chance of complications , she said .
And the delay could prevent some woman from having an abortion altogether by pushing them past 20 weeks gestation , after which abortions generally are not available in Tennessee .
Rieger asserted that Tennessee has the power to restrict abortions in a public health emergency , citing a 1905 U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court held that requiring citizens to be vaccinated for smallpox was a legitimate exercise of the state ’ s police powers to protect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He suggested abortion providers don ’ t want to play by the rules that everyone else has to abide by .
“ They want abortion to carry on in Tennessee as if COVID had never happened , ” Rieger said .
“ Tennesseans are making extraordinary sacrifices .
Abortion providers don ’ t want to sacrifice.
” Scott argued that abortion has been recognized as a constitutional right .
And she said medical groups , including the College of Surgeons , which the state relied upon in crafting its executive order , recognize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be delayed .
“ The state is singling out abortion as the only essential care excluded by the executive order , ” she said .
Tennessee ’ s Republican governor often speaks of his Christian faith and has said he wants to enact some of the strictest abortion laws in the nation , including banning women from undergoing the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Trump consults faith leaders on phased-in reopening

NEW YORK - President Donald Trump held a call with faith leaders on Friday that included discussion about a phased-in return to broader in-person worship after weeks of religious services largely shifting online in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump ’ s call with faith leaders came one day after the White House included houses of worship among “ large venues ” that could be able to reopen while observing “ strict physical distancing protocols ” in the first stage of a three-part plan to reopen a U.S. economy that ’ s been frozen by the toll of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representatives of multiple Christian denominations as well as Jewish and Islamic leaders , according to a statement distributed by the White House .
Trump “ mentioned his memories as a young child attending Billy Graham ’ s service at Yankee Stadium , and acknowledged that while he has enjoyed watching services online from the White House , he told the faith leaders it is important for people to soon be able to once again come together , pray , and worship , “ the White House said in its statement .
Participants in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ featured discussion about how restarting in-person worship could work , without any conclusion reached , and underscored their commitment to not imperiling the health of the faithful .
Indeed , Trump has said that governors would be empowered to spearhead their states ’ paces of economic reopening .
Jack Graham , pastor of Texas-based Prestonwood Baptist Church , said the call included conversation about “ how would we go about bringing people back together , ” adding that those involved agreed that “ we ’ re going to do that carefully and gradually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Samuel Rodriguez , president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Council , said that religious institutions “ want to be a blessing and not a burden “ by not returning to practices that could “ cause more harm than good ” if taken up too early .
Rodriguez added that he hoped to see clergy and other faith leaders nationwide identified as essential workers , as well as a clear resumption of outdoor religious services that can be conducted with people remaining in their automobiles .
That sort of step would “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Cissie Graham Lynch of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan ’ s Purse , said churches would be committed to keeping their congregations safe and emphasized the importance of healing the spiritual pain caused by widespread social distancing restrictions imposed to fight the virus .
“ People are lonely , people are scared , ” Lynch said .
Those who participated in the call described Trump as closely engaged in the discussion .
“ We may be opening , but we ’ re putting safety first , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The faith leaders ’ conversation with Trump is not the only sign that religious leaders are beginning to explore how to resume in-person worship services .
The Christian executive search firm Vanderbloemen has launched ReopeningChurch.com and ReopeningSchool.com websites to start a conversation on that process .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--`LIBERATE!’: Trump pushes states to lift virus restrictions

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump urged supporters to “ LIBERATE ” three states led by Democratic governors Friday , apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home restrictions .
Some states under Republican leadership edged toward easing up the mandates aimed at stopping the coronavirus .
A day after laying out a road map to gradually reopen the crippled economy , Trump tweeted the kind of rhetoric some of his supporters have used to demand the lifting of the orders that have thrown millions of Americans out of work .
“ LIBERATE MINNESOTA !
” “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN !
” “ LIBERATE VIRGINIA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which he also lashed out at New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo for criticizing the federal response .
Cuomo “ should spend more time ‘ doing ’ and less time ‘ complaining , ’ ” the president said .
Responding to pleas from governors for help from Washington in ramping up testing for the virus , Trump put the burden back on them : “ The States have to step up their TESTING !
“ Trump claimed Friday that “ very partisan voices ” had spread “ false and misleading information ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he said “ we ’ ll help New York and all of the other states get even better on their testing.
” At the same time , at least two states took their first steps toward easing the restrictions .
In Florida , GOP Gov .
Ron DeSantis said municipalities could reopen beaches and parks if they could do so safely .
In Texas , Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott said stores could begin selling curbside , nonessential surgery could resume and state parks could reopen .
Sensitive about persistent questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had his health team lead an extensive briefing Friday outlining that adequate capacity exists to get states through the first phase of the guidelines for how they should reopen .
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to see businesses reopen quickly and claimed earlier this week that he had total authority over the matter , even though the lockdowns and other social-distancing measures have been imposed by state and local leaders , not Washington .
“ We may be opening but we ’ re putting safety first , ” Trump said .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of guidelines for easing restrictions over a span of several weeks in places that have robust testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases , assuring the nation ’ s governors : “ You ’ re going to call your own shots.
“ But governors of both parties suggested Friday that they would be cautious in returning to normal , with some warning that they can ’ t do it without help from Washington to expand testing .
“ The federal government can not wipe its hands of this and say , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for testing , ’ “ said Cuomo , a Democrat .
“ We can not do it without federal help.
” West Virginia Gov .
Jim Justice , a Republican ally of Trump ’ s , said he would listen to medical experts in deciding how to move forward .
“ I am not going to do something that I feel in my heart is the wrong thing that ’ s going to endanger our people , ” he said .
Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee , a Democrat , said Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put millions of Americans at risk of contracting COVID-19 .
“ The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly , ” Inslee said .
The clash between Trump and Cuomo was personal , with the president complaining the governor hasn ’ t said thanks for the help he has received from Washington .
Cuomo countered by saying : “ I don ’ t know what I ’ m supposed to do , send a bouquet of flowers ?
‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participating in a federal emergency.
’ ” Even in largely rural states with small populations , such as Wyoming , Maine and South Dakota , governors said they were not anxious to quickly resume business as usual .
“ Until we ’ ve got the testing up to speed — which has got to be part of the federal government stepping in and helping — we ’ re just not going to be there , ” said Wyoming Gov .
Mark Gordon , a Republican .
The University of Washington , whose computer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials at White House briefings , predicted Friday that Vermont , West Virginia , Montana and Hawaii could open as early as May 4 if they restrict large gatherings , test widely and quarantine the contacts of people who test positive .
Iowa , North and South Dakota , Nebraska , Utah , Arkansas and Oklahoma , however , are among states that would need to wait until mid-June or early July .
About half the states should wait until at least early June to reopen , and all should gauge the capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks , the institute said .
Worldwide , the outbreak has infected more than 2.2 million people and killed over 150,000 , according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on figures supplied by government health authorities around the globe , though it has becoming increasingly clear that the true numbers are much higher .
The official death toll in the U.S. neared 35,000 , with about 685,000 confirmed infections .
The shutdowns have inflicted heavy damage on economies around the world .
In the U.S. , the crisis has cost at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unemployment rate toward levels not seen since the Great Depression .
Many Americans , especially in rural areas and other parts of the country that have not seen major outbreaks , have urged governors to reopen their economies .
Protesters have taken to the streets in Ohio , Texas , North Carolina , Kentucky , Virginia and Michigan , where more than 3,000 turned out on Wednesday in what looked like one of the president ’ s rallies , with Make America Great Again hats and Trump flags .
Protests continued Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Gov .
Tim Walz of Minnesota and another in Idaho , where the governor is a Republican .
Public health experts have warned that easing the shutdowns must be accompanied by wider testing and tracing of infected people to keep the virus from coming back with a vengeance .
Meanwhile , China , confirming long-held suspicions , acknowledged that the coronavirus death toll in the one-time epicenter city of Wuhan was nearly 50 % higher than reported , amounting to more than 4,600 .
In Italy , Spain , Britain , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerged as governments revised their death tolls or openly questioned the accuracy of them .
Authorities said that almost everywhere , thousands have died with COVID-19 symptoms — many in nursing homes — without being tested for the virus , and have thus gone uncounted .
In Italy , for example , where the official toll has climbed past 22,000 , a government survey released Friday of about one-third of the country ’ s nursing homes found more than 6,000 residents have died since Feb. 1 .
It was unclear how many were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with an official count of about 14,600 dead , the country ’ s statistics agency said the actual number could be around 15 % higher .
Others think it will be far more .
The official death toll in New York City soared by more than half earlier this week when health authorities began including people who probably had COVID-19 but died without being tested .
Nearly 3,800 deaths were added to the city ’ s count .
Sedensky reported from Philadelphia .
Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Zeke Miller And Matt Sedensky - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--No plan in sight: Test troubles cloud Trump recovery effort

WASHINGTON - The United States is struggling to test enough people to track and control the spread of the novel coronavirus , a crucial first step to reopening parts of the economy , which President Donald Trump is pushing to do by May 1 .
Trump on Thursday released a plan to ease business restrictions that hinges on a downward trajectory of positive tests .
But more than a month after he declared , “ Anybody who wants a test , can get a test , “ the reality has been much different .
People report being unable to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical supply shortages are making it impossible to increase testing to the levels experts say is necessary to keep the virus in check .
“ There are places that have enough test swabs , but not enough workers to administer them .
There are places that are limiting tests because of the CDC criteria on who should get tested , “ said Dr. Megan Ranney , an emergency physician and associate professor at Brown University .
” There ’ s just so many inefficiencies and problems with the way that testing currently happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan envisions setting up “ sentinel surveillance sites ” that would screen people without symptoms in locations that serve older people or minority populations .
Experts say testing would have to increase as much as threefold to be effective .
The plan pushes responsibility for testing onto states .
“ The governors are responsible for testing , ” Trump told reporters at his daily briefing Friday .
He said the federal government would ship 5.5 million nasal swabs to states in the “ next few weeks ” to help address shortages .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors themselves , ” Trump said .
“ Mostly it ’ s cotton , it ’ s not a big deal.
” But state and local officials as well as lab managers say they can not expand testing until there are more supplies .
This week governors , physician groups and laboratory directors called on the Trump administration to address shortages of swabs , protective gear and highly specialized laboratory chemicals needed to analyze the virus ’ genetic material .
Hospitals and state health departments report scouring the globe to secure orders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abroad in a system that Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , D-N.Y. , described as “ mayhem.
” “ The federal government can not wipe their hands of this and say , ‘ Oh , the states are responsible for testing , ’ ” Cuomo said Friday as he complained of a shortage of chemicals manufactured in China .
“ I don ’ t do China relations .
I don ’ t do international supply chain.
“ Trump has denied that the U.S. has fallen short , asserting that the nation has the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world.
” Only in recent days has the U.S. surpassed the testing rate in South Korea , which has conducted about one test for every 100 people .
Vice-President Mike Pence boasted Thursday that the U.S. had completed more than 3 million tests , but in March he promised 5 million would be distributed by the middle of that month .
Pence told reporters Monday that if governors “ would simply activate ” underused high-capacity testing machines , “ we could double the amount of testing in the U.S. literally overnight.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Rhode Island , ” said Gov .
Gina Raimondo , D-R.I. Democratic Gov .
Laura Kelly of Kansas , whose state has one of the lowest per capita testing rates in the country , told CNN it has been difficult to get testing supplies .
Gov .
Jim Justice , R-W.Va. , a Trump ally , said testing needs to be stepped up before he can lift restrictions .
Jennifer Rodriguez , a pharmacy technician at a major retail chain in California , said she was sent home by her employer last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her company would not test her , and she spent hours on the phone trying to find a place that would , she said .
The San Luis Obispo County health department can only test 50 samples per day , and a spokeswoman said those tests are reserved for people who are hospitalized , first responders and those who have had contact with people who tested positive .
Rodriguez didn ’ t qualify .
Another clinic told her she might have to pay $ 150 if it determined she did not fit its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like medical workers , or even people on the front line , they should have some kind of priority , ” said Rodriguez .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
Lab officials and health experts told The Associated Press that supply shortages have prompted them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can leave out people who have symptoms but aren ’ t sick enough to be hospitalized , or people who have no symptoms and might unwittingly spread the virus .
Experts say it will be crucial to test those people if the economy is to reopen .
Ed Thornborrow , medical director of the University of California at San Francisco Clinical Microbiology Laboratory , said he wants to run 3,000 tests per day , but he can only do 100 to 250 now because he lacks enough nasal swabs .
He works constantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what I spend most of my time on these days , ” he said .
Meghan Delaney , chief of pathology and lab medicine at Children ’ s National Hospital in Washington , says shortages of chemicals known as reagents are constraining how many tests her lab can perform .
Vendors , in response , are restricting what hospitals can buy , said Dr. Robin Patel of the Mayo Clinic ’ s infectious disease laboratory .
“ It ’ s a little bit like rationing , ” Patel said .
In early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide testing via drive-thru sites at chains such as Walmart and Target , linked by a Google-affiliated website .
Six weeks later , the website is a pilot program available in just four California counties .
Few of the retailers ’ sites have opened , and executives from companies including Walgreens have said they are waiting for more direction from the federal government .
Trump ’ s “ testing czar , ” Dr. Brett Giroir , said Friday the U.S. would need to process 4.5 million tests per month to enter the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the White House ’ s reopening plan .
Currently the U.S. is conducting about 1 million tests per week , Giroir said .
“ We ’ re going to continue to push that further and further as we open up the laboratories and are able to open all the supplies we need , ” Giroir said .
Trump and his deputies have have promoted a 15-minute test developed by Abbott Laboratories as a “ game changer.
” Federal officials initially distributed 15 machines to each of nearly all the public health labs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 250 to the Indian Health Service .
Alaska received 50 .
But governors say they didn ’ t get enough cartridges needed to run large numbers of the tests .
Rhode Island received only 120 , much fewer than they were promised .
Raimondo said when the state tried to get more , Abbott and others that make the test cartridges directed her to the federal government , which in turn told her to go directly to the companies .
The state has now received 850 tests , far fewer than it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials declined to say how many cartridges were initially sent to states , but said more will be available as Abbott increases production .
The company says it is currently producing 50,000 cartridges daily and has shipped more than 600,000 to hospitals , emergency care clinics and other health care facilities nationwide .
The U.S. bungled its initial testing rollout due to flaws with the test kits developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Precious time was wasted in February as the test was corrected and redistributed .
Private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies weren ’ t fully enlisted in the effort until March .
The U.S. is currently testing roughly 145,000 people daily , for a total of 3.5 million results reported , according to state data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project .
Public health experts say capacity needs to be much higher , in part to repeatedly test essential workers and to isolate those who test positive and to track down their close contacts to prevent new outbreaks .
“ We still probably need to be doing three times more testing than we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Ashish K. Jha , director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard .
“ I don ’ t see America getting by anytime soon with 100,000 to 150,000 tests.
” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Matthew Perrone And Michelle R. Smith - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Biden looks to placate Sanders by letting him keep delegates

WASHINGTON - Seeking to avoid the bitter feelings that marred the 2016 Democratic convention , Joe Biden ’ s campaign is angling to allow Bernie Sanders to keep some of the delegates he would otherwise forfeit by dropping out of the presidential race .
Under a strict application of party rules , Sanders should lose about a third of the delegates he ’ s won in primaries and caucuses as the process moves ahead and states select the actual people who will attend the Democratic National Convention .
The rules say those delegates should be Biden supporters , as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party ’ s nomination .
Quiet talks between the two campaigns centre on allowing Sanders to keep some of his delegates , essentially a goodwill gesture from a presumptive nominee seeking to court Sanders ’ progressive supporters and unite the party .
It is not yet settled how many .
“ We feel strongly that it is in the best interest of the party to ensure that the Sanders campaign receives statewide delegates to reflect the work that they have done to contribute to the movement that will beat Donald Trump this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who wasn ’ t authorized to discuss private negotiations publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
“ We are in discussion with them now on how to best accomplish that.
” Sanders ’ campaign declined to comment on the talks .
“ Nothing to add from us , ” said Sanders spokesman Mike Casca .
In some ways , the delegate count is a moot point .
While he has yet to formally win the 1,991 delegates needed to claim the Democratic nomination on the first ballot at the party convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presumptive nominee .
All of his rivals — including Sanders — have endorsed him after ending their own campaigns .
But with the nomination essentially decided , who has how many delegates takes on a new meaning .
In 2016 , rowdy Sanders supporters booed some speakers and any mention of nominee Hillary Clinton at the party ’ s Philadelphia convention .
The disruptions were so embarrassing to the party that Sanders pleaded with his supporters not to stage protests on the floor .
By claiming the delegates that ought to belong to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut down on the number of Sanders ’ backers — some of whom have been slow to embrace the former vice-president — who could stage a replay of that divide .
Instead , he ’ s decided to try to attract Sanders ’ supporters rather than silence them .
For his part , Sanders wants as many delegates as possible to help shape the party ’ s platform and get Biden and the Democratic Party to embrace his democratic socialist agenda .
It is not unusual for rival presidential campaigns to negotiate over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2008 , Clinton and Barack Obama fought over how to divvy up delegates from disputed primaries in Michigan and Florida .
Clinton won both states .
However , the states had violated party rules by holding their primaries too early in the calendar and were therefore to be stripped of all their delegates .
Clinton ’ s supporters were furious over the outcome , which saw Obama getting delegates from both states even though he wasn ’ t even on the ballot in Michigan .
But at the national convention that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the motion during the roll call vote to nominate Obama by acclimation .
Democratic candidates win convention delegates based on their share of the vote in the party ’ s primaries and caucuses .
To date , Biden leads Sanders 1,293 to 937 .
Nearly two-thirds of delegates are won based on results in individual congressional districts and they stay with the candidates all the way to the convention .
It ’ s the other third of delegates — won based on statewide results — that are at issue .
To keep these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for president when the people who will serve as convention delegates are selected , usually at state party conventions , according to the party ’ s delegate selection rules .
Those rules say Biden should get 346 delegates won by Sanders , Elizabeth Warren , Mike Bloomberg , Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar .
Sanders ’ delegate count would fall to 628 .
Most states have yet to select the people who will attend the convention as delegates , and The Associated Press has not yet updated its delegate count to reflect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that should take place under party rules .
But some states , including Colorado , have updated their delegate counts based on those rules .
Sanders won the Colorado primary on March 3 and took the most delegates from the state .
But after he quit the race , the state party announced that Biden — the only candidate left — will end up with the most delegates from Colorado .
Biden will take 34 delegates from Colorado to the Milwaukee convention , including all those awarded statewide .
Sanders , meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine and Warren eight .
Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed to this report .

Stephen OhlemacHer - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Officials implore Tyson to close plant amid virus outbreak

DES MOINES , Iowa - More than a dozen Iowa elected officials on Friday implored Tyson Fresh Meats to close their Waterloo pork processing plant , saying the coronavirus is spreading among workers and is endangering both employees and the surrounding community .
Mayors , county officials and state legislators signed the letter that was sent to Tyson on Thursday .
The 19 officials said at a Friday news conference they had only received confirmation from the company that it had received the letter but no other action .
“ I ’ m really fearful that if Tyson management doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their workforce will either voluntarily stop coming to work or be too sick to work , ” Waterloo Mayor Quinten Hart said .
“ Our hope was that in a time of crisis when we ’ re all made equal that we would inherently do the ethical , morally right thing that wasn ’ t done.
“ Company spokeswoman Liz Croston said Tyson has been working with local , state and federal officials and is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines .
She said worker temperatures are taken before entering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been increased as has distancing between workers .
“ Our primary focus is protecting our people while continuing to fulfil our critical role of feeding families in this community and around the nation , while providing market continuity for hundreds of area hog farmers , ” Croston said .
The Waterloo area officials also accused Gov .
Kim Reynolds of misleading Iowans on the seriousness of the outbreak among the nearly 3,000 workers at the plant and for failure to take more aggressive action .
Hart said he contacted Reynolds ’ staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday morning seeking immediate closure of the plant .
Reynolds contacted him that afternoon , Hart said , assuring him the state was taking proactive measures .
Reynolds said at her daily news conference Friday that the state ’ s goal is to avoid closing the plant , which can process 19,000 pigs a day .
She said the state is working with Tyson to test employees at facilities in Columbus Junction and Waterloo , and to trace their connections to others to identify community spread .
Testing was completed Friday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two workers had died following an outbreak where at least 148 workers have been infected .
The plant has been closed since April 6 but the company hopes to reopen it next week .
Reynolds said 2,700 tests were sent to the Waterloo plant and they will be processed at a state laboratory over the weekend .
Iowa Department of Public Health Deputy Director Sarah Reisetter said the plant hasn ’ t reached the point of requiring closure .
“ We will continue to keep an eye on the data but that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities with the surveillance testing because we do believe that the CEOs at these companies want to do the right thing , want to keep their employees healthy , ” Reisetter said .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The outbreak at the Waterloo plant comes amid similar problems that have forced the closure of meat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pork plant in Sioux Falls , South Dakota , where hundreds of workers have tested positive ; a beef plant in Greeley , Colorado , where at least two workers have died ; and several meat plants in Pennsylvania where many workers are ill. On Friday , Tyson announced four workers had died at a poultry plant in Georgia after being infected with the coronavirus .
Álso Friday , there were 19 reported cases of the coronavirus identified at a large JBS pork plant in Worthington , Minnesota , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers at the facility .
State health officials said seven cases have been confirmed and the number is expected to rise .
The plant remains open .


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Brazil’s Bolsonaro takes risk with new minister for pandemic

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro made it clear on Friday that he wants his new health minister to help protect the country ’ s economy as the government seeks to curb the spread of the new coronavirus .
Nelson Teich , an oncologist , was sworn in as health minister after his predecessor , Luiz Henrique Mandetta , was fired by Bolsonaro , who has downplayed the threat of the COVID-19 disease .
Mandetta had garnered support for his handling of the pandemic , which included the promotion of broad isolation measures enacted by state governors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ business is a risk that I run , ” Bolsonaro said during a ceremony in the presidential palace in Brasilia .
If the pandemic escalates , he said , “ it lands on my lap .
But many people are aware that we need to open.
” Bolsonaro said Teich ’ s task is hard to accomplish .
“ Put my and Mandetta ’ s positions next to each another , then split the difference .
Then you will reach what interests all of us , ” Bolsonaro said .
Mandetta ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has said temporarily shutting down the economy would be devastating .
He has also repeatedly described the virus as a “ little flu , ” and touted the yet-unproven efficacy of an anti-malarial drug .
Bolsonaro also said he will recommend reopening the country ’ s borders with Paraguay and Uruguay .
The new minister provided little evidence of how he will handle the pandemic .
He did not mention the need for isolation during a five-minute speech .
“ The focus here is on people .
No matter how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy .
At the end it is always people , bringing a better life to society , ” he said .
“ I thank all that has been done in the previous management .
We will seek to continue and add to what has already been done.
” Teich ’ s career has focused on the business side of medicine .
He was founder of a group of oncology clinics and more recently has worked as senior health care consultant at a medical services company that bears his name , according to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ master ’ s degree in health economics , a masters in business administration and has done a management course for company owners Harvard University ’ s business school .
In another sign that many Brazilian governors and mayors will not heed the president ’ s call , Sao Paulo Gov .
João Doria extended the isolation recommendation in the country ’ s most populous and wealthiest state to May 10 .
“ Here we base our decisions on science .
We need to avoid the collapse of our health care system , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s new health minister might be limited .
Brazil ’ s Supreme Court has already ruled that governors and mayors are allowed to implement isolation policies , which Bolsonaro wanted to keep as an exclusive power of his office .
Teich ’ s predecessor had argued in favour of stay at home measures .
Carlos Melo , a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo , agreed that Bolsonaro is running a risk by changing his health minister shortly before Brazil ’ s peak in the pandemic .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths , Bolsonaro will say governors and mayors were alarmist and destroyed the economy , but many will still praise minister Mandetta for saving lives .
If many people die , and that seems to be what is in store for Brazil , Bolsonaro will get a lot of the blame by appointing a minister who does not know the public service , who comes from business , ” Melo said .
“ Bolsonaro trusts Teich not to outshine him .
But it will take time for him to adjust .
He will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t trust him .
Brazil will waste a lot of time that is pivotal to reduce damage , “ Melo said .
” Also , the president will have even more pressure from many of his core supporters , who are second-tier retail businessmen and depend heavily on business returning.
” While rising quickly , the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil remains relatively low in relation to the country ’ s massive population of 211 million .
It has the most cases in Latin America — more than 33,000 — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s peak is expected in May .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .
Following the health minister ’ s firing on Thursday , people in apartment buildings in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro could be heard yelling insults at Bolsonaro from their windows .
Similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was sworn in .
Many Brazilians had approved of the health ministry ’ s measures to curb the spread of the virus , and were critical of Bolsonaro ’ s approach .
In a text Teich wrote and shared on LinkedIn on March 24 , he lamented the polarization surrounding the virus response , which he said forces leaders to guess what will transpire and adopt radical positions , thus hampering capacity to face up to the situation .
Instead , success depends on collecting real-time data so as to adjust projections and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is worth saying that radical models and predictions generate more problems than solutions , ” Teich wrote , adding that an approach should be evaluated that starts with the economy and that aims to avoid death and suffering .
“ Creating polarization , imagining that on one side are the people and on the other is the money , could be a grave error in evaluating the problem.
” In another text published on LinkedIn on April 2 , Teich said he supported broad isolation measures , which Bolsonaro has lambasted .

David Biller And Mauricio Savarese - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Judge extends zookeeper’s deadline to challenge convictions

OKLAHOMA CITY - A former Oklahoma zookeeper who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a murder-for-hire plot and federal wildlife violations has been granted an extra month to argue why his lawsuit challenging the convictions shouldn ’ t be dismissed .
Joseph Maldonado-Passage , also known as “ Joe Exotic , ” filed a federal lawsuit last month against the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service , the U.S. Department of the Interior , the assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted him and several witnesses .
He ’ s seeking nearly $ 94 million in damages , claiming that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perjured testimony .
A federal judge decided to recommend dismissing his lawsuit and provided an April 28 deadline for objection filing .
On Thursday , U.S. District Judge Scott Palk extended that deadline to May 28 after Maldonado-Passage provided a handwritten letter requesting at least 30 days to respond , The Oklahoman reported Friday .
In the letter , Maldonado-Passage writes that he ’ s being isolated at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth , Texas , with “ ( no access to a computer , phone , email or library ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maldonado-Passage for trying to arrange the killing of Carole Baskin , a Florida animal sanctuary founder who criticized his treatment of animals .
She wasn ’ t harmed .
The former zookeeper , who maintains his innocence , was also sentenced for killing five tigers , selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records .
Maldonado-Passage is prominently featured in the recently released Netflix documentary “ Tiger King : Murder , Mayhem and Madness .
”


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Company: 4 Georgia poultry workers dead from coronavirus

SAVANNAH , Ga. - Four employees of a major poultry producer ’ s operations in rural southwest Georgia have died after becoming infected with the coronavirus , a company spokesman said Friday .
Tyson Foods spokesman Gary Mickelson said three of the employees worked at the company ’ s chicken processing plant in Camilla , while the fourth person worked in a supporting job outside the plant .
He declined to say how many workers there have tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new virus .
American workers who process the nation ’ s meat have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as they work shoulder-to-shoulder on production lines .
Several U.S. plants have closed because of outbreaks , including a large plant owned by Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls , South Dakota , that produced roughly 5 % of U.S. pork before it was shut down after more than 500 workers became infected .
Mickelson said two other Tyson Foods workers have died from the virus at its plant in Columbus Junction , Iowa .
“ We realize everyone is anxious during this challenging time and believe information is the best tool for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tyson ’ s senior vice-president for human resources , said in a statement .
“ That ’ s why we ’ re encouraging our team members to share their concerns with us , so we can help address them.
” Gonzalez said the company has improved safety measures at the Camilla plant by checking employees ’ temperatures , requiring workers to wear face coverings , installing dividers at work stations and providing more space in break rooms .
He said the company in March had “ relaxed our attendance policy to encourage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re sick.
” The Retail , Wholesale and Department Store Union , which represents 2,000 workers at the Georgia chicken plant , identified the three plant employees who died as women who had worked there for 13 to 35 years .
A statement from the union said many plant employees are “ sick or in quarantine.
” “ It ’ s too little too late here , ” Edgar Fields , president of the union ’ s Southeast Council , said in a statement Friday .
The Georgia Department of Public Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statewide have been linked to the virus .
Infections have been confirmed in more than 17,400 people .
About 20 % of them were hospitalized .
In Georgia ’ s rural southwest corner , where the Camilla plant is located , the rate of coronavirus infections and deaths have outpaced far more densely populated regions of the state .
The union said many plant employees live in neighbouring Dougherty County , which leads Georgia with 91 coronavirus deaths .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it can cause severe illness and be life-threatening .
The union has called on poultry processors to require employees to quarantine themselves for 14 days , and pay them sick leave , when they ’ re exposed to co-workers testing positive for the virus .
It also wants individual departments to be shut down for 72 hours and cleaned after a worker tests positive .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Nebraska pharmacist arrested in plot to firebomb competitor

ALEXANDRIA , Va. - A Nebraska pharmacist conspired with another man to use explosives to destroy a competitor ’ s pharmacy , a federal prosecutor said Friday .
Hyrum T. Wilson , 41 , of Auburn , was arrested and charged with conspiracy to use fire and explosives , conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and a firearms-related offence , the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Alexandria , Virginia , said in a news release .
Federal prosecutors said the plot was intended to destroy Wilson ’ s local competition , which he and William Anderson Burgamy IV believed would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business could obtain , thus allowing the men ’ s drug trafficking operation to continue and expand .
Officials said Wilson supplied thousands of prescription pills , including opioids , from his business to Burgamy , who prosecutors said operated as a Darknet vendor from August 2019 through April 2020 , and had thousands of illegal recorded sales on a major Darknet market .
Burgamy was charged last week and ordered detained .
The news release said the plot was uncovered through search warrants executed following Burgamy ’ s arrest .
If convicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life in prison .
It was not immediately clear whether either man had an attorney who could comment on the charges .


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--2nd teen charged in death of man pushed into Chicago train

CHICAGO - A Chicago man was ordered held without bond Friday after being charged with first-degree murder in the death of a former Marine who was allegedly pushed from a subway platform into a moving train .
Fajour Hodges , 19 , was arrested and charged Thursday in the April 7 death of 29-year-old Mamadou Balde , police said .
Hodges allegedly punched Balde and helped another young man who was previously charged in the attack push him into a moving Red Line train at a downtown “ L “ stop , killing him .
Hodges ’ arrest came less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ryan Munn , was ordered held without bail in Balde ’ s killing .
Prosecutors said Munn , 18 , has admitted taking part in the attack , which was captured on surveillance video .
The victim ’ s father , Al Balde , wiped away tears during Munn ’ s bail hearing on Sunday as the attack was recounted .
“ Throwing someone alive into a moving train , you will never , never hate someone more than that , ” he said .
Prosecutors said Balde was approaching passengers on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ station platform when he started talking to Hodges .
Balde smiled and jokingly put his arms up as if to fight and Hodges allegedly punched Balde in the face .
According to prosecutors , Munn jumped in and he and Hodges pushed Balde , who fell between two train cars and was dragged along the platform until he was killed when his head and upper body struck a metal partition inside a tunnel .
Defence attorney William Wolf said first-degree murder charges against Hodges was inappropriate because there is no indication his client @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to kill Balde .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--‘Holy Fire’ ceremony held in empty Jerusalem church

JERUSALEM - A small group of Christian clerics celebrated the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on Saturday as the coronavirus pandemic prevented worshippers from taking part in the ancient and mysterious ritual .
They entered the Edicule , a chamber built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was buried and rose from the dead after being crucified .
They emerged with candles lit by a mysterious fire that the faithful view as a divine message .
The source of the fire is a closely-guarded secret .
The clergymen , from different Orthodox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empty church , chanting prayers that echoed off the walls .
In previous years , the church would be packed with pilgrims , each holding candles and passing the light around until it illuminated the centuries-old walls .
The ceremony , along with other events in the Holy Week leading up to Easter , was scaled back in line with a ban on public gatherings .
Israel has reported more than 13,000 coronavirus infections and 158 deaths .
The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most patients , who recover within a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contagious and can cause severe illness or death , particularly in older patients or those with underlying health problems .
Israel says it made special arrangements with church leaders to allow the holy flame to be carried abroad to other Orthodox communities .
Because anyone entering Israel must go into quarantine , foreign dignitaries coming to pick up the flame will receive it on their planes and immediately return home .
The ritual dates back at least 1,200 years .
Orthodox churches celebrate Easter this week .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Nations debate easing lockdown as economic hardship grows

BERLIN - Facing rising unemployment and with many of their citizens struggling to make ends meet , governments around the world are wrestling with when and how to ease the restrictions designed to control the coronavirus pandemic .
Mandatory lockdowns to stop the spread of the new virus , which has so far infected more than 2.2 million people and for which there is no vaccine , have brought widespread hardship .
In a joint statement Saturday , a group of 13 countries including Canada , Brazil , Italy and Germany called for global co-operation to lessen the economic impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vital that we work together to save lives and livelihoods , ” they said .
The group , which also includes Britain , France Indonesia , Mexico , Morocco , Peru , South Korea , Singapore and Turkey , said it was committed to “ work with all countries to co-ordinate on public health , travel , trade , economic and financial measures in order to minimize disruptions and recover stronger.
” This includes maintaining “ air , land and marine transportation links ” to ensure the continued flow of goods including medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home of travellers , they said .
In the United States , the debate has taken on partisan tones ahead of this fall ’ s presidential elections .
Republican President Donald Trump urged supporters to “ liberate ” three states led by Democratic governors , tweeting the kind of rhetoric some have used to demand an end to stay-at-home orders that have thrown millions out of work .
There have been tentative signs that measures to curb the outbreak are working , with the rate of new infections slowing across Europe in response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Spain , some field hospitals were starting to be dismantled , while Germany said the number of people infected by each person with COVID-19 fell below one for the first time this week .
Still , most governments and public health officials remain cautious about relaxing the shutdowns , despite the mounting economic toll .
“ It ’ s wrong , sensationally wrong to communicate that there is a kind of conflict with health and safety on one side and economic resumption , “ said Domenico Arcuri , Italy ’ s extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters Saturday that “ without health , the ( economic ) revival will disappear in the batting of an eyelash.
” The Italian government ’ s decree , shutting down nonessential industries and businesses , runs through May 3 .
Health experts are advising that any easing must be gradual in the country that ’ s seen the most deaths so far in Europe , with nearly 23,000 fatalities and over 172,000 known cases .
Some Asian nations that until recently appeared to have the outbreak under control , including Singapore and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases Saturday .
Japan ’ s total case number rose above 10,000 on Saturday .
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed concern Friday that people were not observing social distancing and announced a 100,000-yen ( $ 930 ) cash handout to each resident as an incentive to stay home .
Iran , hard hit by the virus and international sanctions , allowed some businesses in the capital and nearby towns to re-open Saturday after weeks of lockdown .
Gyms , restaurants , shopping malls and Tehran ’ s grand bazaar will remain closed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s poorest regions , the pandemic is only just getting underway .
The continent has now recorded more than 1,000 coronavirus deaths , among them the Nigerian president ’ s chief of staff .
Top leaders of China ’ s ruling Communist Party called for deficit spending and a more flexible monetary policy after the economy shrank 6.8 % in the first three months of the year .
France ’ s lower house of parliament approved an emergency budget overnight that takes into account the government ’ s 110 billion-euro ( $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy from virus-related collapse .
The government has warned that France ’ s economy , one of the world ’ s biggest , could shrink 8 % this year and see its worst recession since World War II .
South Korea ’ s health minister , Kim Gang-lip , said Saturday that new guidelines could be issued soon that officials have said would allow people to engage in “ certain levels of economic and social activity.
” The East Asian country was among the 13 nations to issue the joint statement on protecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the importance and critical role of the scientific community in providing guidance to governments.
“ While most of those sickened by the virus recover , the outbreak has killed at least 154,000 people worldwide , according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on figures supplied by government health authorities around the globe .
The number all but certainly underestimates the actual toll .
Authorities said that almost everywhere , thousands have died with COVID-19 symptoms — many in nursing homes — without being tested for the virus , and have thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an official count of about 14,600 dead , the country ’ s statistics agency said the actual number could be around 15 % higher .
China on Saturday reported a nearly 40 % increase in its death toll to 4,632 victims , reflecting a major upward revision made the previous day by authorities in Wuhan , the nation ’ s hardest-hit city .
An Associated Press tally from news media reports and state health departments indicates 6,912 U.S. deaths have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a count .
The official death toll in the U.S. has topped 35,000 , with more than 700,000 confirmed infections .
Protesters fed up with the economy-strangling restrictions have taken to the streets in several U.S. states .
In Idaho , where the governor is a Republican , scores of protesters not wearing masks stood shoulder-to-shoulder Friday .
Some carried signs claiming the coronavirus is a hoax .
“ LIBERATE MINNESOTA !
” “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN !
” “ LIBERATE VIRGINIA , “ Trump said in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo , a Democrat , for criticizing the federal response .
Cuomo “ should spend more time ‘ doing ’ and less time ‘ complaining , ’ ” the president said .
Texas and Florida , which both have Republican governors , took first steps toward easing restrictions .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott said stores could begin selling curbside , nonessential surgery could resume and state parks could reopen .
In Florida , Gov .
Ron DeSantis said municipalities could reopen beaches and parks if they could do so safely .
Moritsugu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from around the world contributed to this report .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Frank Jordans And Ken Moritsugu - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Reinstate? Reassign? Navy to decide fate of fired captain

WASHINGTON - The Navy ’ s top admiral will soon decide the fate of the ship captain who was fired after pleading for commanders to move faster to safeguard his coronavirus-infected crew on the USS Theodore Roosevelt .
In the glare of a public spotlight , Adm. Mike Gilday will decide whether Navy Capt .
Brett Crozier stepped out of line when he went around his chain of command and sent an email pushing for action to stem the outbreak .
As of Friday , 660 sailors on the aircraft carrier , now docked at Guam , had tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One sailor has died , and more than 4,000 of the ship ’ s 5,000 crew members have been moved onto the island for quarantine .
Gilday ’ s review won ’ t be limited to Crozier .
It will also look at the command climate on the ship and higher up within the Pacific-based fleet , to determine if there are broader leadership problems in a region critical to America ’ s national security interests .
Gilday has many options as he reviews what was an extraordinarily rapid investigation by Adm. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ naval operations .
Burke and his staff finished the review in about a week , conducting interviews almost entirely online and by phone between Washington and Guam .
A look at some of Gilday ’ s options , and their benefits and pitfalls .
Gilday could decide that Crozier acted in the best interests of his crew and was unfairly removed .
He could reinstate him as captain of the Roosevelt .
That could generate a lot of support .
In a widely viewed video , Roosevelt crew members applauded and chanted Crozier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ship after being fired .
When Thomas Modly , the acting Navy secretary who fired Crozier , travelled to the ship and criticized him in a speech to the crew , he came under fire and had to resign .
President Donald Trump even suggested that while Crozier shouldn ’ t have sent the memo , he shouldn ’ t be destroyed for having a “ bad day.
” But reinstating Crozier has its problems .
It would put him back on a ship with Rear Adm. Stuart Baker , commander of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roosevelt is the lead ship .
Officials say they did not have a good relationship and that was among the problems that triggered Crozier ’ s memo .
Gilday may worry that putting them back together would exacerbate the ship ’ s toxic command climate .
Rather than return Crozier to the Roosevelt , Gilday could absolve him of wrongdoing and recommend he move on to another job .
Crozier could retain his rank and standing and perhaps command another ship , leaving open the possibility that he could gain promotion and continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sending him back into the chain of command that likely felt betrayed by his memo .
But it doesn ’ t provide the emotional lift of seeing a popular captain stride back onto the ship for which he risked his career .
Gilday could fault Crozier for doing the right thing the wrong way .
He could determine that Crozier was unfairly fired , but that he acted rashly and went outside his chain of command and therefore did not exhibit good leadership .
He could put a letter in Crozier ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career-ender .
Crozier could stay in the Navy and might move on to other jobs , but would probably not be promoted .
Gilday could determine that firing Crozier was appropriate .
Unless that ’ s overturned in an appeal process , that would end Crozier ’ s Navy career .
In most cases , senior officers simply retire after being relieved of command for cause .
But Gilday could also decide that the ship ’ s problems extended beyond Crozier .
He could recommend that Baker be fired or punished for not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gilday ’ s review could also dole out criticism for leaders who may have taken too long to recognize the Roosevelt ’ s outbreak as the deadly problem it became .
Those would include the 7th Fleet commander , Vice Adm. William R. Merz ; the Pacific Fleet commander , Adm. John C. Aquilino , or the most senior admiral in the Pacific , Adm. Phil Davidson , head of Indo-Pacific Command .
William Fallon , a retired four-star admiral and former commander of U.S. Pacific Command , says Gilday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Asia-Pacific region , where an aircraft carrier presence is central to U.S. strategy .
“ He ’ s making an administrative decision back here , but it has profound operational implications , ” Fallon said .
AND THEN THERE ’ S THE POLITICS : The backdrop to Gilday ’ s decision is a fraught political environment in Washington that has taken a toll on the Navy .
Modly became acting secretary last November when his predecessor , Richard Spencer , was forced out in a clash with the White House over Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of former Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher .
And Gilday had abruptly become chief when Spencer pushed out the admiral who was in line for the job .
Gilday , known as an honest , straight shooter , is expected to made a decision based on the facts and his judgment of what is best for the ship ’ s crew and the Navy .
But the decision expected early next week can ’ t be separated entirely from politics .
When Gilday reaches a decision , he will relay recommendations to acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also go to Defence Secretary Mark Esper .
More importantly , the Navy will alert members of Congress and the White House .
Any of those could weigh in on the matter .
Or , in Trump ’ s case , he could reverse it .
On April 4 , he publicly blasted the captain , saying Crozier ’ s letter pleading for more urgent action was “ terrible.
” Trump also criticized Crozier for the ship ’ s port visit in Vietnam , where crew members may have picked up the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision was made by Davidson .
Two days later , Trump took a more empathetic tack , saying , “ I ’ m not looking to destroy a person ’ s life , who ’ s had an otherwise stellar career , as I understand it.
” Trump said that as far as he could tell , Crozier had simply “ had a bad day .
”

Lolita C. Baldor And Robert Burns - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Asia Today: Singapore sees huge surge in new virus cases

BANGKOK - Singapore reported 942 new coronavirus cases on Saturday , a single-day high for the tiny city-state that pushed its total number of infections to 5,992 , including 11 deaths .
The number of cases in Singapore has more than doubled over the past week amid an explosion of infections among foreign workers staying in crowded dormitories .
This group now makes up around 60 % of Singapore ’ s cases .
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Saturday that it will take time to break the chain of transmission in the dorms .
He wrote on Facebook that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers were mild , as the workers are young .
Although cases in the dorms are expected to continue to rise amid ongoing virus testing , Lee said the government is building up its health care and isolation facilities to handle the load .
More than 200,000 migrant workers from Bangladesh , India and other Asian countries live in dormitories in Singapore that house up to 20 people per room with shared facilities .
Tens of thousands of workers have been quarantined in their dorms , while some have been moved to safer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were early signs that Singapore ’ s partial lockdown until May 4 is helping to bring the number of new cases down .
But he said the government is worried about hidden cases circulating in the population and urged citizens to do their part .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — JAPAN PASSES 10,000 CASES : Japan reported 556 new cases on Saturday , pushing its total to over 10,000 .
Nearly one-third of the cases come from Tokyo , where the daily surge has overburdened hospitals , triggering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week expanded his April 7 state of emergency in Tokyo and six urban prefectures to all of Japan .
In a news conference Friday , Abe expressed concern that people were not observing social distancing .
He announced a 100,000-yen ( $ 930 ) cash handout to each resident as an incentive to stay home .
— CHINA FIGHTS NEW INFECTIONS : China reported 27 new cases , as it tries to stem an upsurge in infections in a northeastern province bordering Russia .
Twenty of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including 13 Chinese nationals who had returned recently from Russia .
The land border with Russia has been closed .
China ’ s official death toll rose sharply to 4,632 , reflecting a major upward revision the previous day by authorities in Wuhan , the nation ’ s hardest-hit city .
— CHINA RAMPS UP SPENDING : The top leaders of China ’ s ruling Communist Party called for steps to pump up the economy after the biggest downturn since the 1960s in the first three months of this year .
A Politburo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday that the government must offset the impact of the pandemic with deficit spending and special bond issues .
The world ’ s second-largest economy shrank by 6.8 % from a year earlier in the first quarter of 2020 .
— SOUTH KOREA SEES SMALL RISE IN CASES : South Korea reported 18 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday , its lowest daily jump since Feb. 20 , continuing a downward trend .
Saturday ’ s figures brought the national totals to 10,653 cases and 232 virus-related deaths .
Vice Health Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hard-won gains , raising concern over continuing infections at hospitals and local transmissions health workers are unable to trace .
— NO MORE FOREIGNERS QUARANTINED IN NORTH KOREA : North Korea said it has released all foreign nationals from coronavirus quarantine .
The North ’ s official Korean Central News Agency also said Saturday that authorities released all citizens who had been quarantined in the provinces of South Phyongan and North Hwanghae , which are near Pyongyang , the capital , and the city of Rason bordering China and Russia .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people remained under the country ’ s 30-day quarantine .
The North has said there hasn ’ t been a single virus case on its territory , but the claim is questioned by many outside experts .
— SAILORS QUARANTINED IN TAIWAN : Taiwan is quarantining more than 700 officers and sailors after three tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from a nearly two-month training mission , Taiwan ’ s Centers for Disease Control said Saturday .
They include crews of all three ships — two warships and one refuelling ship .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pacific island country of Palau from March 12 to 15 , and returned on April 9 .
— GERMAN CRUISE LEAVES AUSTRALIA : A German cruise ship left Western Australia state after a three-week stay during which three people on board died of COVID-19 .
The Artania began its journey from Fremantle back to Europe .
A total of 79 crew and passengers have tested positive for the coronavirus .
They include a 42-year-old crewman from the Philippines who died in a Perth hospital on Thursday , raising the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people from the Artania died last week , one a passenger aged in his 70s and the other a 69-year-old crewman .
— INDONESIA SEES SPIKE IN CASES : Indonesia ’ s coronavirus cases have almost doubled in the past week , with the government reporting 325 new infections on Saturday to bring the total to 6,248 , including 535 deaths .
The surge has been driven by increasing cases in the capital , Jakarta , which has become the epicenter of the outbreak , recording more than half of the country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MANDATORY : Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a cellphone app to help trace people who have been in contact with an infected person will not be mandatory .
But in an interview on Friday , Morrison appeared not to rule out making the software mandatory if not enough Australians sign up to make it effective .
Media reports suggested the app needed 40 % of Australian users to sign up to make it work effectively .
The government is planning to launch the app within several weeks .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Iran lets some Tehran businesses reopen after virus lockdown

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran allowed some businesses in the capital and nearby towns to re-open Saturday after weeks of lockdown aimed at containing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East .
Iran was slow to respond to the pandemic and held off on imposing widespread restrictions even after other countries in the region with far fewer cases forced most businesses to close .
Iran has reported more than 80,000 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths .
Gyms , restaurants , shopping malls and Tehran ’ s grand bazaar will remain closed .
Shrines and mosques are also shuttered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains in place .
Government offices have reopened with a third of employees working from home , and schools and universities are still closed .
Traffic was heavy in Tehran early Saturday , the first day of the work week .
Authorities allowed businesses outside the capital to reopen a week ago .
The virus causes mild to moderate flu-like symptoms in most patients , who recover within a few weeks .
But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness or death , particularly in older patients or those with underlying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said they had to consider the economic consequences of quarantine measures , as the country struggles under severe sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump after he withdrew the U.S. from Tehran ’ s nuclear deal with world powers .
On Friday , U.N. human rights experts called on Iran to release political prisoners who could be vulnerable to infection inside the country ’ s detention facilities .
Iran has temporarily released 100,000 prisoners , but is still detaining many convicted on security charges , including several dual-nationals .
Rights groups say many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being held as bargaining chips for future negotiations with the West .
“ We recognize the emergency situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the problems it faces in fighting the pandemic , including reported challenges in accessing medical supplies due to sanctions , ” the UN experts said .
“ Some are at great risk from COVID-19 due to their age or underlying health conditions .
We call on the authorities to immediately release them.
” The experts highlighted the cases of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and defenders Narges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as dual nationals Ahmadreza Djalali , an Iranian-Swedish national ; Morad Tahbaz , an Iranian-British-American national ; and Kamran Ghaderi and Massud Mossaheb , two Iranian-Austrian nationals .
They said all seven have requested temporary release but have been rejected or not received a response .
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili denied nationality was a factor in the prisoner releases .
He was quoted by the Hamshahri daily as saying release is denied when it is forbidden by law or when “ their freedom puts our citizens ’ social , economic and psychological security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sudanese formed long lines outside bakeries and fuel stations early Saturday ahead of a round-the-clock curfew in the capital , Khartoum , that is set to last three weeks .
The country , which is still reeling from last year ’ s uprising that toppled longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir , has reported 66 cases , including 10 deaths .
An outbreak in Sudan would severely strain the health system , which has been weakened by decades of civil war and sanctions .
Authorities have also banned Friday prayers in Khartoum mosques , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region .
The transitional government sacked Khartoum ’ s governor , Lt. Gen. Ahmed Abdoun Hamad , after he objected to the ban .
In Israel , authorities closed off two small Arab towns in the north to prevent the spread of the virus .
Police said movement into and out of Deir al-Assad and neighbouring Bineh would be strictly limited .
Israel has increased testing in Arab areas in recent days , and the closures appeared to be linked to a spike in cases .
Arab citizens of Israel account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have long faced discrimination .
Israeli authorities have imposed similar closures on some ultra-Orthodox Jewish areas , where cases spiked after many disregarded health guidelines in the early days of the pandemic .
Israel , which imposed nationwide restrictions and ordered all non-essential businesses to close in mid-March , has reported more than 13,000 cases , including 158 deaths .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Africa deaths above 1,000, including Nigerian chief of staff

ABUJA , Nigeria - Africa now has more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 , the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday , while Nigeria said the president ’ s chief of staff had died .
A total of 52 of the continent ’ s 54 countries have reported the coronavirus , with the overall number of cases more than 19,800 .
Nigeria ’ s government said Abba Kyari , chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari , died Friday of COVID-19 .
“ May God accept his soul , ” the statement said .
Kyari had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most powerful government figure , His infection had been one of the highest-profile in Africa .
Several government ministers and a U.S. ambassador were infected with the virus earlier in Burkina Faso .
Kyari announced his illness last month , saying that “ I have made my own care arrangements to avoid further burdening the public health system , which faces so many pressures.
” He was reported to have been infected during a visit to Germany .
He was criticized for not isolating upon his return to Nigeria and accused of infecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has nearly 500 cases of the virus .
The World Health Organization on Friday noted a 51 % increase in cases in Africa and a 60 % jump in deaths in the past week .
But the WHO chief warned that because of a shortage of testing “ it ’ s likely the real numbers are higher than reported.
” The Africa CDC has said more than 1 million test kits will be rolled out starting next week .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Bashir Adigun And Haruna Umar - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Quake hits off islands south of Tokyo; no tsunami

TOKYO - A strong earthquake shook a Japanese island chain in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo on Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ of a tsunami and there were no reports of damage or injuries .
The magnitude @ @ @ @ @ in the Pacific Ocean west of the Ogasawara island chain , at a location about @ @ @ @ @ ) south of Tokyo , the Japan Meteorological Agency said .
The agency said the @ @ @ @ @ very deep at 450 kilometres ( 280 miles ) below the sea surface , posed @ @ @ @ @ .
The Ogasawara chain , made up of ancient undersea volcanoes and also called the @ @ @ @ @ UNESCO World Heritage site .
Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss @ @ @ @ @ Star .
Sign up for our free newsletters to get today 's top stories , @ @ @ @ @ more in your email inbox Sign Up Now


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Malaysia urged to allow Rohingya refugee boats to land

KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia - Human Rights Watch said Saturday that the coronavirus pandemic doesn ’ t justify Malaysia ’ s turning away of overloaded boats carrying Muslim Rohingya and risking the refugees ’ lives .
The New York-based rights group noted that Malaysia had recently pushed back to sea at least two boatloads of Rohingya refugees .
Despite Malaysia ’ s partial coronavirus lockdown that prevents foreigners from entering the country , Human Rights Watch said the pandemic should not be an excuse for a blanket policy of turning away boats in distress .
“ Malaysia ’ s claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean shockingly little when they push desperate refugees back to sea , ” said Phil Robertson , Human Rights Watch ’ s Asia director .
“ The COVID-19 pandemic does not create a justification for risking the lives of refugees on overcrowded boats.
” Predominantly Muslim Malaysia has previously protested the persecution of the Rohingya and sought justice for them .
But its navy on Thursday intercepted a boat with some 200 Rohingya refugees off its northern coast and prevented it from entering Malaysian waters .
The fate of that boat is unknown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials rescued a boatload of 382 starving Rohingya refugees .
Survivors said the boat had been turned away from Malaysian waters weeks earlier and that at least 30 people on board had died before the rescue .
Malaysia ’ s National Security Council on Saturday defended the decision by enforcement agencies to turn away the boat amid concerns that the refugees might be exposed to the coronavirus .
Malaysia , which has recorded 5,251 coronavirus cases with 86 deaths , has tightened border patrols to prevent illegal immigrants from sneaking in , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Imji Rahim , a senior official on the council ’ s COVID-19 task force , said that sending the refugees to detention camps could increase the risk of spreading the virus .
She said in an email reply to a query from The Associated Press that the refugees were given food and fresh water before being turned away .
Human Rights Watch , however , said Malaysia ’ s pushback policy violates international obligations to provide access to asylum seekers , and noted that the refugees could have been isolated or quarantined .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensified the misery of an estimated 600,000 Rohingya who remain in Myanmar and nearly a million living in refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution by Myanmar ’ s military .
“ The Malaysian government can both protect against the spread of the virus and ensure that those risking their lives at sea are rescued and given a chance to seek asylum , ” Robertson said .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Hong Kong police arrest democracy activists, media tycoon

Hong Kong police arrested at least 14 veteran pro-democracy lawmakers , activists and a media tycoon on Saturday on charges of joining unlawful protests last year calling for reforms .
Among those arrested were 81-year-old activist and former lawmaker Martin Lee and democracy advocates Albert Ho , Lee Cheuk-yan and Au Nok-hin .
Police also arrested media tycoon Jimmy Lai , who founded the local newspaper Apple Daily .
Lai , Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum — a former lawmaker from the Democratic Party — were charged in February over their involvement in a mass anti-government demonstration on Aug. 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ semi-autonomous Chinese territory against proposed extradition legislation exposed deep divisions between democracy-minded Hong Kongers and the Communist Party-ruled central government in Beijing .
The bill — which would have allowed Hong Kong residents to be sent to mainland China to stand trial — has been withdrawn , but the protests continued for more than seven months , centred around demands for voting rights and an independent inquiry into police conduct .
While the protests began peacefully , they increasingly descended into violence after demonstrators became frustrated with the government ’ s response .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lam has ignored their demands and used the police to suppress them .
The League of Social Democrats wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday that its leaders were among those arrested , including chairman Raphael Wong .
They were accused of participating in two unauthorized protests on Aug. 18 and Oct. 1 last year .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--47 children from Greek refugee camps arrive in Germany

BERLIN - A group of 47 unaccompanied children evacuated from refugee camps in Greece landed in Germany on Saturday , German officials said .
The Interior Ministry said the minors landed in Hanover on a flight from Athens .
They were all tested for the coronavirus before departure and will remain in two-week quarantine before moving on to other German states Germany ’ s interior minister , Horst Seehofer , said the evacuation was “ the result of months of preparation and intense talks with our European partners “ and expressed hope that other countries would also begin taking in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Afghanistan , Syria and Eritrea .
Four are girls and there are several siblings among the group .
Some of them have families waiting for them in Germany .
They were previously housed in refugee camps on the Greek islands of Lesbos , Samos and Chios that have been criticized as unsuitable for children by human rights activists .
“ The Greek government has been trying to sensitize other EU countries to ( the plight ) of the young children , who have fled war and persecution , to find new families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m glad this program is finally being implemented , ” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotsakis told reporters at the Athens airport , where he met the departing children , alongside the German ambassador to Greece , Ernst Reichel .
Mitsotakis added that he hoped over 1,500 minors would be relocated over the next months .
Germany pledged last month to take in at least 350 children living in Greek refugee camps as part of a joint European effort , but the plan has stalled in some countries due to the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ … that arrive in our country with great sensitivity .
But , at the same time , it has the obligation to guard and protect its borders .
We have proven , as a country , that we can do both , ” Mitsotakis said .
This was the second flight taking unaccompanied minor refugees to another European country .
On Wednesday , 12 children travelled to Luxembourg .
According to the United Nations Secretary-General ’ s spokesman , Stephane Dujarric , there were over 5,200 unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors in Greece in early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solutions , including expedited registration , family reunification and relocation.
“

Frank Jordans And Demetris Nellas - The Associated Press