buzzfeednews--2020-05-01--Costco Is Loosening Coronavirus Crowd Restrictions. Employees Say It's Still Not Safe.

`` They are allowing up to 600 people in the store at a time .
Employees have to dodge people like it 's a minefield .
It ’ s just a complete breakdown at every level.
” Costco workers across the US say the company has loosened or abandoned social distancing measures in a bid to increase sales , putting them and customers at greater risk of contracting the coronavirus .
Over the past two weeks , more than a dozen employees in warehouses across California and New York , as well as in Texas , Oregon , Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida have told BuzzFeed News that upper management has increased the number of shoppers allowed inside , spiking door count numbers back to pre-coronavirus levels and making it even harder to maintain social distancing and ensure a safe , sanitized environment .
Several employees also told BuzzFeed News that corporate leadership visited their locations to do “ walks ” and ordered the removal of cones and tape used to keep customers in socially distanced lines outside the entrances .
In some cases , employees said they were told to have waiting shoppers stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more crowding .
“ [ Management ] is in fear of turning people away .
They still do not care that we are in the middle of a pandemic , ” an employee from Texas told BuzzFeed News .
“ They just want sales .
They are allowing up to 600 people in the store at a time .
Employees have to dodge people like it 's a minefield .
It ’ s just a complete breakdown at every level.
” Costco did not respond to BuzzFeed News ’ request for comment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said in the past that the company would not spend time engaging with “ media or other critics.
” In response to a BuzzFeed News investigation earlier this month , Jelinek told his employees in an internal email , “ we ’ ve undertaken countless and extraordinary changes in our warehouses … for the health , safety , and well being of our employees and members ” and called BuzzFeed News ’ reporting “ unfair , mostly unfounded , and sensationalistic in many ways.
” Over the past six weeks , BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees in an array of positions who have said that the retail giant ’ s delayed response to the coronavirus crisis left them unprotected and uninformed .
At least 62 workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and several have died after contracting the disease , according to interviews and internal memos obtained by BuzzFeed News .
In response to the pandemic , Costco has provided masks and gloves for employees , required plexiglass shields at registers , and mandated social distancing in break rooms .
The company also directed warehouses to post notices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended a $ 2-an-hour pay boost for warehouse workers until mid-May , and enabled employees to take coronavirus-related unpaid leaves of absence until the end of May .
The company also recently announced that it was returning to normal business hours on May 4 and that all employees and customers at its nearly 550 US locations would be required to wear masks inside the store — the largest American retailer yet to do so .
In March , Costco altered its shopping policy to “ allow no more than two people to enter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ordered limits on shoppers in the store after it came under fire for images and stories showing hoards of customers stocking up on supplies .
But workers say crowd-regulating measures are being abandoned despite the fact that their communities remain under stay-at-home orders and coronavirus case numbers continue to rise .
In new , internal operational guidelines sent to US managers on April 27 and obtained by BuzzFeed News , the company tweaked its messaging on store capacity , which employees say has resulted in packed warehouses .
In the updated internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warehouses to “ decide your capacity based on the number of registers ” and “ carefully control access.
” “ This might result in a long queue of members waiting to enter .
That is preferred to a huge bottleneck inside your building where we can not assure 6 feet between members , ” the March 31 guidelines state .
At the end of February and in the thick of the coronavirus panic , Costco saw a dramatic spike in sales and traffic .
But after the company enacted coronavirus safety measures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These developments slowed sales as compared to the first half of March , ” David Sherwood , the company ’ s assistant vice president of finance , told investors in early April .
In their April 27 update , the company altered language on capacity and instructed warehouse managers to keep lines short and moving by being prepared to open “ as early as needed to prevent the formation of a long line in the morning ” and control access while still “ maximizing throughput so members are serviced in a timely fashion.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the importance of social distancing , also states that warehouses across the country should admit 300 people at opening unless “ restricted to a lower amount by state or municipal order.
” After that , when the areas clear , door employees should “ admit more customers to a maximum of 600 people at a time.
” Employees told BuzzFeed News that the result has been an opening of “ floodgates ” and “ highly unsafe ” environments .
On April 20 , corporate leaders visited a warehouse in South San Francisco and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down ” the yellow caution tape used to organize people waiting to enter the store , according to three employees , one of whom also provided BuzzFeed News with photos .
“ They said the caution tape looked ugly , ” the worker told BuzzFeed News .
“ I asked them what are they doing to protect us ?
What about our safety ?
” Several employees walked out , already dismayed by the ballooning number of shoppers allowed inside , their colleagues said .
Photos of the warehouse show crowded aisles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer to each other than the recommended 6 feet .
At another warehouse in Hayward , California , several employees told BuzzFeed News their coworkers also walked out over the number of shoppers allowed inside .
Door count tallies provided to BuzzFeed News show that between 8:30 and 9 a.m. on April 28 , 784 people entered the warehouse .
By noon , 2,853 shoppers had entered .
Until recently , Costco employees had been recording each membership card that came through the door , which did not account for the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the same card .
At a warehouse in the Dallas–Fort Worth area , a supervisor described door count numbers as “ insane ” and said that “ the rules are out the window.
” Corporate had instructed managers in his area to allow up to 300 people to enter the door at opening and keep the maximum at 600 , according to a memo sent to BuzzFeed News .
`` Now they may not seem like a lot in our giant warehouses .
It is , especially with us reaching peak , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places like Home Depot who are only letting in 25 at a time here in Texas .
It is complete bullshit . ''
On April 14 , 3,483 people went through the doors , according to sheets given to BuzzFeed News .
The next day , the store had a total of 3,492 customers , which is about what the store had been averaging before the coronavirus forced stay-at-home orders .
The numbers have continued to grow , he said , with his store letting in about 300 people every half hour on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not closed off nonessential parts of the store , people often take their time milling around and looking at clothes , books , and other goods , so the number of shoppers is higher than the number entering .
“ While it looks like Costco is doing all it can , it ’ s all essentially for show , ” he said .
“ It doesn ’ t matter how wide you make your aisles , how many registers you take out .
If you are letting in as many people as you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread , endangering employees in the process.
” Workers in Colorado , Florida , Oregon , Minnesota , and Michigan detailed similar experiences .
In Connecticut , where the state has ordered store capacity to be capped at 50 % , a door employee who works in member services told BuzzFeed News a manager had instructed them to “ be flexible ” on the policy because of “ how bad ” the low door count numbers looked .
“ We don ’ t even bother keeping track of approaching capacity even though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Almost nothing has been done to address the severity of the vulnerable position in which the door employees find themselves .
At this point , I know it ’ s just a matter of time before I get the virus.
” Costco workers are not alone .
Food service workers at large corporations like Walmart , Trader Joe ’ s , and Kroger have also been sounding the alarm over their working conditions and say their stores have failed to follow social distancing rules .
`` It is extremely important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supermarkets and retail food markets in order to stop worker and community spread of COVID-19 , '' Peter Dooley , senior project coordinator at the National Conference on Worker Safety and Health , said in a statement .
`` We are generally seeing protections lessening over time in these establishments .
We need just the opposite — for businesses to involve workers and develop better effective protections plans for both workers and customers . ''
According to recent data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ) , grocery store workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , citing a lack of personal protective equipment , failure to enforce social distancing measures , and inadequate sanitization efforts .
Costco workers at three different locations reported to OSHA that their colleagues were sick or displaying symptoms and they were concerned for their own health .
One of the OSHA complaints came from a warehouse in Brooklyn , where four employees told BuzzFeed News that a colleague , Diego Agron Sr. , had died after testing positive for COVID-19 .
The warehouse told BuzzFeed News it would not comment on the death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 21 , the company confirmed that the “ beloved ” butcher , who had worked at the location for 10 years and always had “ a smile on his face , ” had died a few days earlier “ at home surrounded by his loved ones.
” Managers also said Human Resources is “ available with information on employee assistance program services and the CARE network for colleagues who may be feeling overwhelmed.
” “ He was a quiet , loving soul and a loving husband and a loyal employee , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News , saying his death was like a “ child that lost a close family member.
” “ At the end of the day we are more than employees , ” he said , “ we are family .
”

Costco workers across the US say the company has loosened or abandoned social distancing measures in a bid to increase sales, putting them and customers at greater risk of contracting the coronavirus.
Over the past two weeks, more than a dozen employees in warehouses across California and New York, as well as in Texas, Oregon, Michigan, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Florida have told BuzzFeed News that upper management has increased the number of shoppers allowed inside, spiking door count numbers back to pre-coronavirus levels and making it even harder to maintain social distancing and ensure a safe, sanitized environment.
Several employees also told BuzzFeed News that corporate leadership visited their locations to do “walks” and ordered the removal of cones and tape used to keep customers in socially distanced lines outside the entrances. In some cases, employees said they were told to have waiting shoppers stand in line inside the store, causing more crowding.
“[Management] is in fear of turning people away. They still do not care that we are in the middle of a pandemic,” an employee from Texas told BuzzFeed News. “They just want sales. They are allowing up to 600 people in the store at a time. Employees have to dodge people like it's a minefield. It’s just a complete breakdown at every level.”
Costco did not respond to BuzzFeed News’ request for comment, but its CEO, Craig Jelinek, has said in the past that the company would not spend time engaging with “media or other critics.” In response to a BuzzFeed News investigation earlier this month, Jelinek told his employees in an internal email, “we’ve undertaken countless and extraordinary changes in our warehouses … for the health, safety, and well being of our employees and members” and called BuzzFeed News’ reporting “unfair, mostly unfounded, and sensationalistic in many ways.”
Over the past six weeks, BuzzFeed News has spoken to about 150 Costco employees in an array of positions who have said that the retail giant’s delayed response to the coronavirus crisis left them unprotected and uninformed. At least 62 workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and several have died after contracting the disease, according to interviews and internal memos obtained by BuzzFeed News.
In response to the pandemic, Costco has provided masks and gloves for employees, required plexiglass shields at registers, and mandated social distancing in break rooms. The company also directed warehouses to post notices of confirmed COVID-19 cases in stores, extended a $2-an-hour pay boost for warehouse workers until mid-May, and enabled employees to take coronavirus-related unpaid leaves of absence until the end of May.


buzzfeednews--2020-05-01--The Rental Housing Industry Is On The Edge Of Disaster. Tenants And Landlords Await A Bailout.

It ’ s the start of May and the second time rent is due since the coronavirus shut down the economy .
And it ’ s a problem for an increasingly large number of Americans — including a disproportionate number who were lower-income workers and people of color — who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic .
One in four Americans were unable to pay their April rent in full or on time , according to survey data from Apartment List , and May could prove worse .
With the unemployment rate expected to average around 14 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 % through 2021 , it has become clear to the housing industry that tenants and landlords alike will need more relief from the government — and soon .
But more so , the economic fallout from the pandemic highlights the need for a more lasting solution to the housing affordability crisis .
“ People are in a panic , ” said New York state Sen. Michael Gianaris .
Since the Great Recession , financial stability has been regained disproportionately by homeowners and higher-income earners , and “ the overall trends in affordability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , with middle-income renters increasingly burdened , ” according to a report by a Federal Reserve analyst .
More than 40 % of renters were paying 35 % or more of their household income to rent , according to 2018 Census Bureau data , with the median monthly rent in the US just exceeding $ 1,000 .
While the last recession was a crisis for homeowners , this one may be better defined as a struggle for the country ’ s renters .
“ It ’ s the housing crisis of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just put on steroids now : how we need more affordable units , how we have housing insecurity like crazy in some of the largest job markets in the country , and now it ’ s just even worse , ” said Skylar Olsen , senior principal economist at Zillow .
In 2018 , 4 in 10 American adults said they would have difficulty covering an unexpected $ 400 expense in a Federal Reserve survey .
“ If layoffs numbers continue in the fashion they have been , and there is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second chomp out of the economy , no one has a huge fund they ’ re sitting on that they can deplete , ” said Igor Popov , chief economist at the listing site Apartment List .
“ A lot of families will face this Catch-22 of the need to move being very high and the cost of moving being untenable , ” he said , which is a huge concern in markets where the economy relies on industries like tourism that have nose-dived .
The coronavirus will exacerbate the pressure on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but are unable to move to more affordable markets because their jobs are not mobile .
“ It almost sounds too obvious to say , but the ability to work from home was the greatest predictor of whether you were able to pay your rent in April , ” Popov said .
While there will likely be some decline in rent prices and more households may consolidate for financial viability — for example , moving in with roommates or family during the pandemic — renters will remain burdened until the economy can safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenants more time .
“ There is going to be significant economic loss as a result of this .
Right now it is entirely being borne by the people who can least bear it , people at the bottom of the economic ladder , ” said Gianaris , who proposed suspending and forgiving rent for 90 days .
“ I am trying to set up some ground rules , in the absence of a massive infusion of aid , to spread that loss up the ladder as far as we can take it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chain to the banks and the big real estate companies and insurance companies who can handle it and are the entities who benefit most from federal assistance — either because they ’ re better at manipulating the system or the choices our federal government makes is geared towards helping those who need it the least.
” The CARES Act paused evictions in certain properties for 120 days for nonpayment ( local governments enacted their own moratoriums ) , but those rental bills will eventually come due .
Advocates are calling for tenant rent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re setting ourselves up for a housing catastrophe which will lead to homelessness , evictions , foreclosures , and I am trying to put some structure around it and set some ground rules so that doesn ’ t happen so the recovery will be smoother , ” said Gianaris .
“ There ’ s a significant effort to push the federal government in its next stimulus to provide a very significant amount of housing assistance.
” Anticipating the need for further relief , the apartment industry is asking Congress to pass a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet even this fund , which would be doled out in two 60-day chunks as proposed now , would rapidly be exhausted .
Millions of people are likely to remain unemployed for much longer .
Rep. Ilhan Omar has proposed a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments “ through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic ” that would also establish a relief fund for landlords who agree to “ fair renting terms ” ( such as a rent freeze ) for five years .
`` The longer we delay rent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing crisis will get , '' she said in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
`` It ’ s time for the government to step in to fund rent and mortgage payments during this crisis . ''
The government won ’ t fund landlords forever .
“ At some point , there will be a reckoning .
It ’ s just a matter of when , ” said Jim Lapides , a spokesperson for the National Multifamily Housing Council , an apartment industry group that advocates for developing more housing and funding programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tax Credit .
“ Perhaps all of this extra focus on people ’ s housing needs might create a renewed energy among policymakers to address [ affordability ] in a constructive way coming out of this , ” Lapides said .
Households with a high rent burden ( who spend more than 30 % of income on rent ) often have little in savings — one study showed many had less than $ 10 in savings in 2015 .
“ The long-term solution is allowing our communities to grow more dense over time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have now because ‘ density ’ is giving people the heebie-jeebies , but I am hoping it is short-lived , ” said Zillow ’ s Olsen .
“ It truly is the way to have more affordable housing over a long period of time.
” “ Housing costs in our big cities have been at a crisis point for years , but it ’ s been a struggle to get the attention of policymakers in the way that it should , ” Gianaris said .
“ Now , so many are hurting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing housing policy .
It would be a mistake to not learn lessons from this .
”

The coronavirus will exacerbate the pressure on lower-wage workers who need lower-cost housing, but are unable to move to more affordable markets because their jobs are not mobile. “It almost sounds too obvious to say, but the ability to work from home was the greatest predictor of whether you were able to pay your rent in April,” Popov said.
While there will likely be some decline in rent prices and more households may consolidate for financial viability — for example, moving in with roommates or family during the pandemic — renters will remain burdened until the economy can safely restart.
Legislators are trying to buy tenants more time. “There is going to be significant economic loss as a result of this. Right now it is entirely being borne by the people who can least bear it, people at the bottom of the economic ladder,” said Gianaris, who proposed suspending and forgiving rent for 90 days. “I am trying to set up some ground rules, in the absence of a massive infusion of aid, to spread that loss up the ladder as far as we can take it … to push the burden up the chain to the banks and the big real estate companies and insurance companies who can handle it and are the entities who benefit most from federal assistance — either because they’re better at manipulating the system or the choices our federal government makes is geared towards helping those who need it the least.”
The CARES Act paused evictions in certain properties for 120 days for nonpayment (local governments enacted their own moratoriums), but those rental bills will eventually come due. Advocates are calling for tenant rent strikes around the country. “We’re setting ourselves up for a housing catastrophe which will lead to homelessness, evictions, foreclosures, and I am trying to put some structure around it and set some ground rules so that doesn’t happen so the recovery will be smoother,” said Gianaris. “There’s a significant effort to push the federal government in its next stimulus to provide a very significant amount of housing assistance.”
Anticipating the need for further relief, the apartment industry is asking Congress to pass a $100 billion emergency rental assistance fund. Yet even this fund, which would be doled out in two 60-day chunks as proposed now, would rapidly be exhausted. Millions of people are likely to remain unemployed for much longer.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-30--Guatemalan Immigrants Are Caught Between ICE Detention Or Deportation. Either Way, They Fear Getting

Guatemalan Immigrants Are Caught Between ICE Detention Or Deportation. Either Way, They Fear Getting COVID-19.

`` It was horrible .
The food is bad , you ca n't sleep , and the toilet is in a cell you share with four people.
” Guatemalans facing deportation from the US are looking at two potentially dire fates : Either wait in Immigration and Customs Enforcement jails and risk exposure to the coronavirus , or be deported back to their country where they are quarantined inside a makeshift hospital with few resources .
Maria , 48 , has seen both .
`` It was horrible .
The food is bad , you ca n't sleep , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share with four people , ” she said about being held for 16 days in ICE custody in Florida .
Then , in mid-March , she was deported and sent to a medical facility to Guatemala City .
There , `` you suffer , ” she said .
“ There is n't enough medicine ...
There was n't enough water , and it ’ s really hot .
There are many needs.
” Maria told BuzzFeed News she developed a fever a few days after landing in Guatemala and tested positive for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s still not sure when she caught the virus .
Maria , who declined to give her full name fearing retaliation from the Guatemalan government , is one of at least 99 people deported from the US during a pandemic who tested positive for the virus , inciting a flurry of criticism that the Trump administration was exporting COVID-19 to other countries .
Guatemala ’ s government has temporarily stopped deportation flights three times since March .
The last pause , which has largely remained in place with a few exceptions for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 16 , after 44 deported Guatemalans on one flight tested positive for COVID-19 after being detained by ICE .
Out of 995 detainees tested around the US , 449 tested positive , according to ICE .
After the second time the country pushed back on deportations , the Trump administration threatened Guatemala and any country that refused to take deportees with visa sanctions .
Both governments are now working on a deportation process they can agree on , with Guatemala demanding the US improve how it screens deportees to ensure they test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency referred questions to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance , which did n't respond to requests for comment .
ICE said that since the outbreak of COVID-19 it has taken steps to protect all detainees , staff , and contractors by reducing the number of people in its custody , incorporating social distancing , and isolating new admissions for 14 days , among other measures .
ICE is expected to receive more than 2,000 COVID-19 tests each month from Health and Human Services to test some immigrants before deporting them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests for everyone it plans to deport .
`` The health and safety of migrants in our care and custody is of the highest priority for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement , '' the agency said in a statement .
`` DHS is committed to working with State Department partners and foreign governments to ensure that their citizens can return home in a safe manner that takes into account the unique challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presents to public health . ''
Maria ’ s symptoms were mild , just the fever and body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phone and in Spanish , she said she spent about 10 days at a hospital , but was then sent to a temporary facility at the Parque de la Industria convention center in Guatemala City , where conditions are so bad that it sparked confrontations between patients and hospital staff .
It 's as if they just threw a bunch of beds into a warehouse , Maria said about the makeshift hospital .
She said she was n't given a painkiller for her body aches .
There was no privacy .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned off from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Now , the lights are on 24 hours a day , because at least one person escaped from the facility , Nómada , a Guatemalan news outlet , reported .
Another Guatemalan man , who was deported from ICE custody and is currently inside the same temporary hospital , described the facility as very hot during the day because there 's no air-conditioning and then very cold at night .
He confirmed that the lights are never turned off .
BuzzFeed News agreed not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
Food often arrives late and is often not enough , the man said .
He was detained at the US border and sent to ICE detention for about 25 days before being deported .
While in US detention in different facilities in California and Arizona , he said detainees were n't given masks and ICE did n't implement social distancing measures .
Before being deported , he and other detainees were taken to the airport only to be sent back to detention twice .
`` They treated us like we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has since tested positive for COVID-19 in Guatemala .
Nómada also posted a video of patients asking officials why a sick man was hit after yelling and not listening to orders from authorities .
A patient told Nómada that the man had started screaming after having been ignored by medical staff and had then been handcuffed by national police , who also hit him on his chest and back .
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei went on national TV to deny the account , saying the scuffle had been the result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been struck — only one man had been handcuffed .
On Wednesday , Giammattei said there were 585 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country .
At least 99 of them were people who were deported from the US — about 17 % of the total cases .
While the deportation flights remain on pause , Guatemalans set to be deported are still held in ICE custody .
Advocates are pushing for immigrants to be released from detention into the US , and ICE has so far released nearly 700 immigrants it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a federal judge last week ordered ICE to conduct a nationwide review for more vulnerable immigrants in its custody .
ICE leaders had previously said they do n't plan to release any more detainees than they already have .
When Maria was in ICE custody , she said all she could think about was getting out before she contracted the coronavirus from a fellow detainee .
Maria said she ended up unintentionally signing her deportation order , believing it was a way to continue her immigration process in the US .
She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On April 20 , there were 4,613 Guatemalans in ICE custody , according to a letter from the country 's ministry of foreign relations .
There were also 1,105 children in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement .
Attorneys have been filing lawsuits to get immigrants in ICE detention released with some success .
It still leaves thousands in detention without a way out — with deportation not even a possibility .
Asylum-seekers and immigrants should n't have to choose between being deported or staying in ICE custody , said Joachim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of New Mexico who has filed a lawsuit seeking the release of detainees at high risk of contracting COVID-19 .
`` The option should n't be to go back to the place you were seeking asylum from or die here , '' Marjon told BuzzFeed News .
`` We as a country are aware of the dangerous nature of this virus and we 've already seen how it spreads through facilities like detention centers… The only way to mitigate the danger is to depopulate them . ''
ICE custody is civil detention and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marjon said , and immigrants should be given the chance to be released while they 're waiting for their case to conclude even if it means wearing an ankle monitor .
`` We 're essentially holding people awaiting the result of their case on a beach when we know there is a tidal wave coming , '' Marjon said .
Alex Mensing , a spokesperson for advocacy group Pueblo Sin Fronteras , said the US should release all people in ICE custody with at least temporary legal status .
`` Guatemala needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to get sick and then deporting them , '' Mensing told BuzzFeed News .
“ Also Guatemala needs to take responsibility for its citizens and receive them with adequate medical care . ''
Juan José Hurtado Paz y Paz , director of Asociacion Pop No ' j , a nonprofit that works with deported immigrants in Guatemala and indigenous communities , said organizations in Central America have also been advocating for releasing people .
The Trump administration is exporting the virus , Hurtado said .
`` They do n't care about these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Hurtado told BuzzFeed News .
`` Exporting the virus is disrespectful to life . ''
People are being sent back to a poor country that is even less equipped than the US to stop the spread of the coronavirus , Hurtado said .
Many of the people who immigrated from Guatemala to the US come from poor rural areas where people have to walk for hours to carry water back home .
These families often sleep in close quarters with several family members .
`` They are returning to the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just physical violence , but structural violence in marginalized communities , '' Hurtado said .
`` Only now they 're returning to even more precarious conditions because of the coronavirus . ''
Maureen Meyer , director for Mexico and migrant rights in the Washington Office of Latin America , said it 's very unlikely ICE will release more people on its own despite the growing number of COVID-19 cases in detention .
`` The efforts the US has taken have been clearly haphazard if so many people are testing positive when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News .
ICE told BuzzFeed News in a statement that any detainee scheduled for deportation who failed to pass a screening by a medical provider for COVID-19 symptoms was denied boarding .
But people who are sick due to the coronavirus don ’ t always show symptoms .
Guatemala does n't have a lot of chips to bargain with the Trump administration , but officials should at least be appealing to the US 's humanitarian interests , Meyer said .
The Guatemalan government should also ensure it has a process for accepting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people spreading the virus and should quarantine them in better conditions when necessary , Meyer said .
In the 1990s , the US deported hundreds of MS-13 gang members to unstable conditions in Central America still recovering from civil wars that allowed the criminal organization to flourish .
The gang 's violent tactics , poverty , and drought have in recent years prompted a sharp rise in migration to the US that the Trump administration has tried to stop .
`` Now we could be exporting a public health crisis , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do everything possible to avoid that from happening , '' Meyer said .
`` Even if the interest is only in future flows , it is in the best interest of the US to make sure these countries are stable and able to address this crisis effectively . ''
People sent back to Guatemala also have to contend with the stigma against deportees .
This month in Quetzaltenango , a city in Guatemala 's western highlands , residents threatened to burn down a temporary shelter housing recent deportees , afraid they would spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents from the lakeside community of Santa Catarina Palopó in Guatemala tried to attack the mayor and a man who had been deported despite having paperwork stating he had tested negative for COVID-19 .
It was another reason Maria declined to be identified for this story : She did n't want neighbors in the rural area she had moved back to to know she had recently been deported .
`` People look at you as if you 're some strange thing and fear you because you went through the deportation process , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable everywhere I 've been through this whole process , all the way from the US to Guatemala .
”

Asylum-seekers and immigrants shouldn't have to choose between being deported or staying in ICE custody, said Joachim Marjon, an attorney at the ACLU of New Mexico who has filed a lawsuit seeking the release of detainees at high risk of contracting COVID-19.
"The option shouldn't be to go back to the place you were seeking asylum from or die here," Marjon told BuzzFeed News. "We as a country are aware of the dangerous nature of this virus and we've already seen how it spreads through facilities like detention centers… The only way to mitigate the danger is to depopulate them."
ICE custody is civil detention and isn't meant to be punitive, Marjon said, and immigrants should be given the chance to be released while they're waiting for their case to conclude even if it means wearing an ankle monitor.
"We're essentially holding people awaiting the result of their case on a beach when we know there is a tidal wave coming," Marjon said.
Alex Mensing, a spokesperson for advocacy group Pueblo Sin Fronteras, said the US should release all people in ICE custody with at least temporary legal status.
"Guatemala needs to push back on the US forcing its people to get sick and then deporting them," Mensing told BuzzFeed News. “Also Guatemala needs to take responsibility for its citizens and receive them with adequate medical care."
Juan José Hurtado Paz y Paz, director of Asociacion Pop No'j, a nonprofit that works with deported immigrants in Guatemala and indigenous communities, said organizations in Central America have also been advocating for releasing people.
The Trump administration is exporting the virus, Hurtado said.
"They don't care about these people's lives. They're disposable," Hurtado told BuzzFeed News. "Exporting the virus is disrespectful to life."
People are being sent back to a poor country that is even less equipped than the US to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Hurtado said. Many of the people who immigrated from Guatemala to the US come from poor rural areas where people have to walk for hours to carry water back home. These families often sleep in close quarters with several family members.
"They are returning to the same conditions they fled from and that is not just physical violence, but structural violence in marginalized communities," Hurtado said. "Only now they're returning to even more precarious conditions because of the coronavirus."
Maureen Meyer, director for Mexico and migrant rights in the Washington Office of Latin America, said it's very unlikely ICE will release more people on its own despite the growing number of COVID-19 cases in detention.
"The efforts the US has taken have been clearly haphazard if so many people are testing positive when they get back home," Meyer told BuzzFeed News.
ICE told BuzzFeed News in a statement that any detainee scheduled for deportation who failed to pass a screening by a medical provider for COVID-19 symptoms was denied boarding. But people who are sick due to the coronavirus don’t always show symptoms.
Guatemala doesn't have a lot of chips to bargain with the Trump administration, but officials should at least be appealing to the US's humanitarian interests, Meyer said. The Guatemalan government should also ensure it has a process for accepting deportees that doesn't result in asymptomatic people spreading the virus and should quarantine them in better conditions when necessary, Meyer said.
In the 1990s, the US deported hundreds of MS-13 gang members to unstable conditions in Central America still recovering from civil wars that allowed the criminal organization to flourish. The gang's violent tactics, poverty, and drought have in recent years prompted a sharp rise in migration to the US that the Trump administration has tried to stop.
"Now we could be exporting a public health crisis, and we do have that responsibility to ensure we do everything possible to avoid that from happening," Meyer said. "Even if the interest is only in future flows, it is in the best interest of the US to make sure these countries are stable and able to address this crisis effectively."
People sent back to Guatemala also have to contend with the stigma against deportees.
This month in Quetzaltenango, a city in Guatemala's western highlands, residents threatened to burn down a temporary shelter housing recent deportees, afraid they would spread the virus. In another case, residents from the lakeside community of Santa Catarina Palopó in Guatemala tried to attack the mayor and a man who had been deported despite having paperwork stating he had tested negative for COVID-19.
It was another reason Maria declined to be identified for this story: She didn't want neighbors in the rural area she had moved back to to know she had recently been deported.
"People look at you as if you're some strange thing and fear you because you went through the deportation process," Maria said. "I've felt vulnerable everywhere I've been through this whole process, all the way from the US to Guatemala.”


buzzfeednews--2020-04-24--She Was A 93-Year-Old "Firecracker" Who Loved Fast Cars And Bingo Before She Died Of The Coronavirus

On March 27 , Ruth Harrington 's ashes were laid to rest at a plot next to her husband — the same day he was buried , in 2006 — and it also was their wedding anniversary .
Sally Yablonsky knows what strangers might think when they hear her mother was 93 years old when she died of the coronavirus — that she was old , that maybe it was her time , that her best years were behind her .
But to Yablonsky , and others who loved Ruth Harrington , this couldn ’ t be further from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” they say , who loved to speed down roadways and drop into bingo games , who lived alone on a large plot of land in Vestal in upstate New York and could outwalk her own daughter .
Yablonsky always thought she would live to 100 .
“ My mother was a very healthy 93-year-old .
She wasn ’ t frail in any way , ” Yablonsky said .
“ She lived on her own , she still drove .
Till the morning they took her , she was very healthy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ because by the time she arrived to the ER that morning , she had died within 30 hours of arriving at the hospital.
” Harrington died on March 24 , the second fatality in Broome County , which has now seen 12 people die of complications from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
The day before , she had been complaining of chills , and Yablonsky , thinking her mother had the flu or something similar , urged her to stay away from the hospital , worried she could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to stress to her , ‘ Mom , stay home , whatever you have , you 'll get through this , ’ ” Yablonsky said .
It was still the early days of the crisis , and she couldn ’ t believe it might be COVID-19 .
But Harrington pressed a medical alarm on her wristband in the early morning of March 23 .
Even then , she seemed okay , moving rugs for EMTs as they brought a stretcher into her home .
“ This wasn ’ t a dying woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EMTs pulled up to Harrington ’ s home , Yablonsky was waiting in the driveway .
“ I stood up on the back fender of the ambulance to look in at her and I was waving at her , ” she said .
“ Little did I know that would be the last time I ever saw her alive.
” Harrington ’ s decline was swift , and Yablonsky finds comfort in the fact that her mother didn ’ t suffer .
She was diagnosed with double pneumonia and the day she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not want to be put on a ventilator if it came to that .
As her oxygen levels dropped , a nurse called Yablonsky for a final phone call with her mother at 5 a.m. the next day , and they were able to tell each other they loved each other .
Later that morning , Harrington said she was hungry and was given pancakes and sausages .
She told her nurse she was cold , and she was given some heated blankets .
Then she drifted to sleep and didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died with dignity , ” Yablonsky said .
“ I really found comfort in the fact that she had the best medical care .
She had an isolated , private room .
They were n't busy .
The staff at this point , they were n't overworked ; they did n't have a thousand cases.
” One month later , Yablonsky is still in shock that her mother is gone .
Ruth Harrington was born on Dec. 11 , 1926 , in West Endicott , New York , and grew up in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brother .
In her teen years , she saw friends go off to fight in World War II .
After her father retired from working at the Endicott Johnson shoe company , he and his wife opened a mom-and-pop shop attached to a gas station .
It was there that Harrington would meet her husband , Richard , following a previous marriage from which she had one son , Bill .
In 1953 , Harrington and her husband got married and moved into a homestead he inherited from his family , and spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rickety farmhouse and caring for its hundreds of acres .
Yablonsky 's sister , Judy , was born in 1954 , and Yablonsky was born five years later .
Harrington was a meticulous keeper of the home — every night the plate setting had to be just right , the pot roast or spaghetti and meatballs cooked to perfection .
When Yablonsky was a kid , Harrington took up bowling and kept at it for 40 years .
She joined an all women ’ s league and , according to her longtime friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 150 , 160 .
“ That ’ s pretty good , ” Nier said .
Later , she became obsessed with bingo and played at least once a week , her last game coming just about two weeks before she died .
She loved the game so much that for one birthday , Yablonsky made her a cake and stuck a card in it that read : “ How do you get an 84-year-old woman to say the F-word ?
Have somebody yell Bingo.
” Nier thinks it was her love of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game — when they would go out to dinner , no matter the size of the group , it was always Harrington who divided up the check .
It ’ s not that there weren ’ t hard times .
Harrington ’ s oldest , Bill , served as an infantry medic during the Vietnam War , taking part in the brutal Battle of Hamburger Hill .
Yablonsky remembers her mother watching the news , getting increasingly upset .
“ She wore her emotions on her sleeve , ” Yablonsky said .
Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Harrington went through the pain of losing a child .
“ For a long time , it was , you know , ‘ it 's been 64 days since Bill died , ’ or ‘ 72 days since Bill died.
’ She remembered , she counted all the time , ” Rita said .
Still , Harrington stuck to her routine .
She was an early riser and spent her mornings with a cup of tea and her iPad , reading the Press & Sun-Bulletin , a newspaper from nearby Binghamton .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yablonsky called her every day , between 7 and 8 a.m. “ She was always busy , ” Yablonsky said .
She would get into bed around 11 p.m. — but get up around midnight to check her lottery numbers and play a game of solitaire on her iPad .
Harrington ’ s life is made up of the memories she made with family and friends — seeing Ringo Starr , just two years ago , with his all-star band ; going to see April the giraffe , with Yablonsky , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world became obsessed with watching a livestream of the animal ’ s impending delivery of a little calf ; the cards she would send her three kids , five grandchildren , six great-grandchildren , and many nieces and nephews for every occasion , not just Christmas and birthdays , but Halloween , Thanksgiving , and St. Patrick ’ s Day , too .
That ’ s why it doesn ’ t make sense that this vibrant woman — who burned rubber speeding out of her daughter ’ s driveway just a couple of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fast driving — is gone .
On March 27 , three days after she died , Harrington ’ s ashes were laid to rest at a plot next to her husband .
That was the same day that her husband was buried , in 2006 , and it also was their wedding anniversary .
Yablonsky sees poetry in that .
Harrington had bought herself a sleek black tombstone back in the ‘ 90s “ and we picked out a beautiful black — she would call it sexy — urn ” to sit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since they had been in contact with Harrington , Yablonsky and her son had been court-ordered into quarantine , but got special permission to drive to the cemetery and attend the brief ceremony .
Watching from her car , Yablonsky remembered how she used to tease her mom that one day she would deliver her eulogy , just as she did for her dad .
“ I always told my mom , at her eulogy , I would start ‘ Before we begin.
’ And then I would say , ‘ I said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' right now !
’ I tried to have a little bit of a sense of humor the day we buried her , but nobody else found it funny.
” “ I used to tease her that I was going to do that , and she would always say , ‘ Oh Sal !
’ ” Yablonsky is furious at the demonstrators who are emerging in cities around the country to protest the lockdowns meant to protect people from the spread of COVID-19 .
“ I really am angry with people who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel that if they have lived through anything that I have lived in the last month… ” she said .
“ Sure they have the right to protest but , you know , please do n't be stupid for yourself , for your family .
I see people having their children protest .
That 's not fair to those kids .
They do n't know the dangers of this .
I really pray for these people because I hope that those families do n't have to endure what my family has gone through.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out feeble elderly people .
My mother was not feeble .
My mother was full of life two days before she died from this.
” After her mother died , Yablonsky started a GoFundMe — she takes the donations and buys food from local restaurants that are suffering , and then has the food delivered to health care workers , police departments , ambulance crews , county sheriffs ’ offices , the funeral director ’ s office , and a nursing home .
Using Harrington ’ s initials , she called it Hugs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised $ 12,900 so far , well beyond what she imagined .
“ That 's really helped my heart heal , ” she said .
About five days after her mother died , Yablonsky left her home late at night to go get the mail .
“ As I was walking down my driveway , I had two shadows of myself walking down .
Now they 're short and heavy like me but I had two shadows and I got like a little , oh , I got a chill in my spine.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ told her husband and son what had happened — and her son said he always sees two shadows , because of the way their floodlights are set up .
But Yablonsky saw something different .
“ I had a life lesson — my mom is by my side .
I might not see her , but she 's always by my side .
”

Sally Yablonsky knows what strangers might think when they hear her mother was 93 years old when she died of the coronavirus — that she was old, that maybe it was her time, that her best years were behind her. But to Yablonsky, and others who loved Ruth Harrington, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Harrington was a “firecracker,” they say, who loved to speed down roadways and drop into bingo games, who lived alone on a large plot of land in Vestal in upstate New York and could outwalk her own daughter. Yablonsky always thought she would live to 100.
“My mother was a very healthy 93-year-old. She wasn’t frail in any way,” Yablonsky said. “She lived on her own, she still drove. Till the morning they took her, she was very healthy. And that was just the shock, because by the time she arrived to the ER that morning, she had died within 30 hours of arriving at the hospital.”
Harrington died on March 24, the second fatality in Broome County, which has now seen 12 people die of complications from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The day before, she had been complaining of chills, and Yablonsky, thinking her mother had the flu or something similar, urged her to stay away from the hospital, worried she could contract the virus there.
“I tried to stress to her, ‘Mom, stay home, whatever you have, you'll get through this,’” Yablonsky said. It was still the early days of the crisis, and she couldn’t believe it might be COVID-19.
But Harrington pressed a medical alarm on her wristband in the early morning of March 23. Even then, she seemed okay, moving rugs for EMTs as they brought a stretcher into her home. “This wasn’t a dying woman,” Yablonsky said.
When the EMTs pulled up to Harrington’s home, Yablonsky was waiting in the driveway. “I stood up on the back fender of the ambulance to look in at her and I was waving at her,” she said. “Little did I know that would be the last time I ever saw her alive.”


buzzfeednews--2020-03-02--All Your Questions About The Coronavirus And The Stock Markets Answered

`` If it was easy to predict , I would be rich and so would you . ''
`` Stock market crash ! ''
read the panicked headlines last week , after the spread of the coronavirus continued with outbreaks of COVID-19 , the disease the virus causes , in Iran , Italy , Japan , South Korea , and the United States .
The resulting fear caused the US stock market to have its worst week since the start of the 2008 recession .
But should people be stressing about the market upheaval ?
Is your money at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice on how the coronavirus is affecting the markets .
What exactly is going on and why is the stock market freaking out ?
Markets really do n't like uncertainty , because it makes it hard for businesses to plan .
So the spread of a potential global disease fuels huge panic .
Investors have been selling their stock to get their money out of the market , or into `` safer '' investments .
Last week $ 5 trillion was wiped from global financial markets .
The Dow — short for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 30 major blue-chip stocks that is often used as an indicator for the market itself — had its single biggest one-day drop in history , falling 1,191 points on Thursday .
But the drop felt even more dramatic because two weeks earlier the Dow hit a record high .
`` Part of the stock market decline is the result of stocks being overvalued , '' economist Mark Weisbrot , codirector of Center for Economic and Policy Research , a Washington think tank focused on economic policy , told BuzzFeed News — meaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correcting itself .
While it was the biggest point drop in history , there have been much larger drops in terms of percentage of the Dow overall .
For some historical comparison , the Dow dropped 4.4 % last Thursday , however during the Wall Street crash of 1929 , it dropped 13 % one day and 12 % the day after .
Plus , it 's not like years and years of investment gains got wiped out last week .
`` The stock market saw its worst week since the financial crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Greg McBride , chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com , in a statement .
`` But the market is still higher than it was as recently as last August . ''
Which stocks are being most affected ?
All of them !
But oil stocks plummeted as travel has been cut , factories across China closed , and manufacturing and deliveries halted .
`` For now , what we know for sure is that the month of February will record the worst oil demand contraction since the Great Recession , '' said Claudio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and agriculture analytics at S & P Global Platts , a financial information company , in a statement .
`` We also know that global aviation will be hit very hard across Asia and take months to get back in shape , '' said Galimberti .
Many companies in the US — including Twitter , CNN , and Amazon — have said they are cutting employee travel to try to reduce the disease 's spread .
How will COVID-19 outbreaks across the world affect the US ?
The US stock market is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economies are struggling .
`` The US is not completely insulated , of course , from the global economy , but it 's nowhere near as dependent as most people think it is , '' said Weisbrot , noting that imports only count for around 15 % of the US GDP ( gross domestic product , the value of all goods and services produced annually ) .
That means that 85 % of what we consume in this economy is made in the US and makes the country less vulnerable to international upheaval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` but most of what we consume is services , '' such as health care or transport , noted Weisbrot .
But US economic policies can determine how much other countries suffer from the coronavirus .
Weisbrot noted that US sanctions against Iran and Venezuela may contribute to the spread of the virus there , noting that in Venezuela `` it ’ s the sanctions that ’ s keeping this economy from having the basic infrastructure , including water , for people to be able to avoid a public health nightmare .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ On a day-to-day basis , there are n't stories written about the markets having an OK day , so we usually only read about either record highs or scary crashes .
`` I got a note today from a reporter saying , 'What are you going to do today to calm the markets ? '
'' Mick Mulvaney , the director of the Office of Management and Budget , said at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday .
`` Really what I might do today to calm the markets is tell people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours . ''
Weisbrot noted that the focus on the markets by the media was misguided , because `` the stock market is not the economy , and it shouldn ’ t be treated so much as such . ''
And it 's also investors who are panicking .
`` There ’ s a whole psychological component to all of this , '' said Weisbrot .
Frank Cappelleri , an executive director at Instinet , told the Wall Street Journal the market is being swayed by `` human emotions . ''
How does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and non-billionaire ?
`` The majority of people do n't own any stock at all , even in retirement accounts , '' said Weisbrot .
He noted that around 10 % of people own around 80 % of stocks , so only a small percentage of people — the wealthiest — are truly affected when a stock market crash happens .
A Gallup poll last September found just 55 % of Americans own stocks , including in a 401 ( k ) or IRA , the two most common forms of retirement accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prices are not necessarily a good thing for everyone , because it may reflect an increase in profits beneficial to a shareholder , but not reflect an increase in wage to a worker at the company .
`` The main concern should be actually to public health , '' said Weisbrot .
`` The two are related , but if you get the public health part right , the stock market will take care of itself . ''

"Stock market crash!" read the panicked headlines last week, after the spread of the coronavirus continued with outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease the virus causes, in Iran, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the United States.
The resulting fear caused the US stock market to have its worst week since the start of the 2008 recession.
But should people be stressing about the market upheaval? Is your money at risk? We look at the experts for advice on how the coronavirus is affecting the markets.
What exactly is going on and why is the stock market freaking out?
Markets really don't like uncertainty, because it makes it hard for businesses to plan. So the spread of a potential global disease fuels huge panic.
Investors have been selling their stock to get their money out of the market, or into "safer" investments. Last week $5 trillion was wiped from global financial markets.
The Dow — short for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, an index of 30 major blue-chip stocks that is often used as an indicator for the market itself — had its single biggest one-day drop in history, falling 1,191 points on Thursday.
But the drop felt even more dramatic because two weeks earlier the Dow hit a record high.
"Part of the stock market decline is the result of stocks being overvalued," economist Mark Weisbrot, codirector of Center for Economic and Policy Research, a Washington think tank focused on economic policy, told BuzzFeed News — meaning the drop was partly just the market correcting itself.
While it was the biggest point drop in history, there have been much larger drops in terms of percentage of the Dow overall. For some historical comparison, the Dow dropped 4.4% last Thursday, however during the Wall Street crash of 1929, it dropped 13% one day and 12% the day after.
Plus, it's not like years and years of investment gains got wiped out last week.
"The stock market saw its worst week since the financial crisis as coronavirus fears gripped markets," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, in a statement. "But the market is still higher than it was as recently as last August."


buzzfeednews--2020-03-02--The Coronavirus Newsletter - Monday, March 2

We ’ re not about sensationalizing things or freaking people out .
Every day , we ’ ll share what we know and what the experts are still figuring out .
This is the first edition of our new daily newsletter covering the coronavirus outbreak .
If you find it useful , you can sign up for it here .
And please pass it along to anyone else who you think might appreciate it !
There ’ s a lot we still don ’ t know about the coronavirus outbreak that is spreading across the world .
This newsletter will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do know in one place each day .
We ’ re not about sensationalizing things , freaking people out , or speculating about how bad it ’ s going to get .
Every day , we ’ ll share what we know , and what the experts are still figuring out , from here in the US and around the world .
What should we be focusing on ?
And what questions do you want answered ?
You can always get in touch : hellomobile @ buzzfeed.com .
And if you 're someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first firsthand , we ’ d also love to hear from you ( and you can reach out to us via one of our tip line channels ) .
And with that , here ’ s what we know as of Monday , March 2 .
Coronavirus in the US As of Monday afternoon , there have been 100 confirmed cases and 6 deaths in the US .
These numbers were accurate when we sent this out ; you can get the latest figures from our live tracker .
A deadly outbreak in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US was reported in Washington state on Saturday ; as of this afternoon , there have been six deaths there .
The outbreak is centered around Kirkland , a suburb east of Seattle , with authorities particularly concerned about an aged care facility where multiple people have tested positive and dozens of patients and staff have reported symptoms .
Four of the six dead were elderly residents of the facility .
Botched CDC tests delayed accurate case counts in the US Last week , the Washington Post reported that the CDC ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 was proving unreliable .
We followed up a few days later , reporting that CDC had acknowledged that its test didn ’ t work and that , in an unprecedented move , New York was pushing forward with developing a test on its own .
The CDC has now approved states moving forward with a different version of the test .
But some argue the damage has already been done — since the US has been late to test patients , we may already have outbreaks of COVID-19 that we just haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing data released this weekend after Washington began using the CDC test indicates that the state may already have more cases than currently recorded .
Travel restrictions On Saturday , President Donald Trump announced a full ban on travel to Iran ; noncitizens who have visited Iran in the previous 14 days will not be allowed to enter the US .
This weekend a “ Do Not Travel ” warning was issued for regions of Italy and South Korea where the virus is spreading ; a similar warning for mainland China remains in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a great piece on why you should prepare for a coronavirus outbreak — it ’ s not about panicking or stockpiling or locking yourself away .
It 's about how to be a good neighbor and a good citizen so that collectively , we can prevent the virus from spreading further .
“ We should prepare , not because we may feel personally at risk , but so that we can help lessen the risk for everyone , ” writes Zeynep Tufekci .
Tip of the day Don ’ t go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t really work the way you think they do .
“ The fact is , your typical surgical mask is not going to protect or prevent infection , '' one health expert told us .
`` The virus itself is so small that it can penetrate the mask . ''
They are very important for some people though , especially health workers and people who are already sick .
A shortage of them , caused by panicked buying , would only make the problem worse .
In plain words The single clearest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus works is in this talk by Singapore ’ s health minister — it ’ s worth two minutes of your time .
In South Korea , home to the most cases outside of China , authorities have rolled out a widespread program of testing — at least 80,000 tests have already been done and you can even get tested at drive-thru clinics .
South Korean officials will investigate the leaders of a religious sect that is at the center of the outbreak , saying they hid the names of some church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the outbreak .
The leader has since apologized .
In France , the Louvre museum in Paris was shut down on Sunday as staff held an emergency meeting to discuss the outbreak with management and health experts ; it ’ s still closed today and it ’ s not yet clear when it will reopen .
And because this is France , officials have warned the public to cut back on greeting each other with kisses .
Iran is in a very bad place .
Its economy has been devastated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government lacks credibility with the public .
Now , it is trying to contain a rapidly growing outbreak that is spreading even through the upper ranks of its own leadership .
On Monday , a team from the World Health Organization arrived in Tehran to help deal with the outbreak .
What happens next Multiple US states have said that they will expand the number of people being tested for the virus ; that means it will become much clearer this week how widespread it already is within the US .

A deadly outbreak in Washington state
The first coronavirus death in the US was reported in Washington state on Saturday; as of this afternoon, there have been six deaths there. The outbreak is centered around Kirkland, a suburb east of Seattle, with authorities particularly concerned about an aged care facility where multiple people have tested positive and dozens of patients and staff have reported symptoms. Four of the six dead were elderly residents of the facility.
Botched CDC tests delayed accurate case counts in the US
Last week, the Washington Post reported that the CDC’s test to determine whether patients had COVID-19 was proving unreliable. We followed up a few days later, reporting that CDC had acknowledged that its test didn’t work and that, in an unprecedented move, New York was pushing forward with developing a test on its own.
The CDC has now approved states moving forward with a different version of the test. But some argue the damage has already been done — since the US has been late to test patients, we may already have outbreaks of COVID-19 that we just haven’t identified yet. Early genetic testing data released this weekend after Washington began using the CDC test indicates that the state may already have more cases than currently recorded.
Travel restrictions
On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced a full ban on travel to Iran; noncitizens who have visited Iran in the previous 14 days will not be allowed to enter the US. This weekend a “Do Not Travel” warning was issued for regions of Italy and South Korea where the virus is spreading; a similar warning for mainland China remains in effect.
What we’re reading and watching
Preparing for an outbreak
Here’s a great piece on why you should prepare for a coronavirus outbreak — it’s not about panicking or stockpiling or locking yourself away. It's about how to be a good neighbor and a good citizen so that collectively, we can prevent the virus from spreading further. “We should prepare, not because we may feel personally at risk, but so that we can help lessen the risk for everyone,” writes Zeynep Tufekci.
Tip of the day
Don’t go panic-shopping for face masks — they don’t really work the way you think they do. “The fact is, your typical surgical mask is not going to protect or prevent infection," one health expert told us. "The virus itself is so small that it can penetrate the mask." They are very important for some people though, especially health workers and people who are already sick. A shortage of them, caused by panicked buying, would only make the problem worse.
In plain words
The single clearest explanation we’ve seen on how the coronavirus works is in this talk by Singapore’s health minister — it’s worth two minutes of your time.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-02--These Pictures Show The Buying Frenzy Ahead Of A Potential Coronavirus Outbreak In The US

On Saturday , a man in Washington state died after contracting COVID-19 , the illness caused by the new coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ in the US caused by the disease that is making its way across the globe @ @ @ @ @ China .
Health officials updated the death toll on Monday to six , with over @ @ @ @ @ .
With the global death toll surpassing 3,000 , many Americans have taken precautionary measures @ @ @ @ @ food items and emergency supplies for the possibility of a quarantine or a break in @ @ @ @ @ US city was under quarantine orders on Monday .
One of the items flying off @ @ @ @ @ , which , despite their high demand , have been deemed unnecessary for the general @ @ @ @ @ Organization and will not protect against the coronavirus .
These pictures capture the rush as @ @ @ @ @ , and wholesale stores to stock up on emergency supplies .

On Saturday, a man in Washington state died after contracting COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, marking the first death in the US caused by the disease that is making its way across the globe after originating in Wuhan, China. Health officials updated the death toll on Monday to six, with over 90 infected in the US.
With the global death toll surpassing 3,000, many Americans have taken precautionary measures by stocking up on nonperishable food items and emergency supplies for the possibility of a quarantine or a break in the supply chain. No US city was under quarantine orders on Monday. One of the items flying off the shelves was face masks, which, despite their high demand, have been deemed unnecessary for the general public by the World Health Organization and will not protect against the coronavirus.
These pictures capture the rush as Americans flooded groceries, pharmacies, and wholesale stores to stock up on emergency supplies.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-02--Uber Finally Told Its Drivers What To Do About Coronavirus: Wash Their Hands

The guidelines about the outbreak were sent to drivers via a push alert Saturday .
Over the weekend , Uber drivers finally received guidelines from the ride-hailing company about how to handle the coronavirus outbreak — they ’ re being asked to frequently wash their hands and , if they feel sick , to stay home .
Uber ’ s notification came after two US deaths — the total has now reached six , with 88 reported infections .
Both Washington state deaths occurred at the EvergreenHealth hospital in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland , where an outbreak of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents with existing health conditions .
An anonymous Uber driver based in Seattle provided BuzzFeed News with a screenshot of the coronavirus guidelines drivers received Saturday .
They included four bullet points : • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue , throw the tissue in the trash , and wash your hands .
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in your vehicle .
“ This is all that has been sent to us as drivers in the market where the first US death has been reported , ” the driver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be cool if they could do more , but I honestly do n't know what else they can do.
” The driver said that he ’ s currently wearing a filter mask and gloves in the car .
“ I was an EMT for a long time , ” he said .
“ I have asthma and a newborn at home.
” “ We are always working to help ensure the safety of our employees and everyone on the Uber platform , and we continue to be concerned by the ongoing spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News .
“ We remain in close contact with local public health organizations and will continue to follow their recommendations.
” The spokesperson said that at the moment there are no plans to compensate workers who take sick leave or to provide drivers with emergency equipment .
“ We are monitoring the situation in all the markets we operate , ” the spokesperson said .
Silicon Valley Rising , a campaign run by labor organizations , faith leaders , community-based organizations , and workers , released a statement about the coronavirus Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases in Silicon Valley , the coalition called on tech companies to provide gig workers with sick leave and affordable health care .
“ It would be cool if they could do more , but I honestly do n't know what else they can do.
” “ Affordable healthcare and paid sick days are basic human rights and essential to protecting public health , ” the statement read .
“ We call on all employers , particularly those in the tech sector , to fully include subcontracted and service workers in their Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , security officers , shuttle drivers , and people working in the gig economy frequently interact with large numbers of people in the course of their jobs.
” BuzzFeed News has reached out to popular delivery and ride-hail apps to find out what kinds of precautions have been put in place .
That post will be updated as we hear back .

Over the weekend, Uber drivers finally received guidelines from the ride-hailing company about how to handle the coronavirus outbreak — they’re being asked to frequently wash their hands and, if they feel sick, to stay home.
Uber’s notification came after two US deaths — the total has now reached six, with 88 reported infections. Both Washington state deaths occurred at the EvergreenHealth hospital in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, where an outbreak of coronavirus occurred at a nursing facility housing elderly residents with existing health conditions.
An anonymous Uber driver based in Seattle provided BuzzFeed News with a screenshot of the coronavirus guidelines drivers received Saturday. They included four bullet points:
If you feel sick, stay home.
Wash your hands frequently.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash, and wash your hands.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-02--Six People Have Died Of Coronavirus In Washington As New Cases Were Reported Across The US

A staff member blocks the view as a person is taken by a stretcher from a nursing facility in Kirkland , Washington .
Six people — all in Washington — have now died of coronavirus in the US as new cases were reported across the country , including in New York , Florida , Rhode Island , and New Hampshire .
The total number of cases in the US is now close to 100 .
Four of the six people who died are elderly residents of the Life Care nursing facility in Kirkland , all of whom had underlying health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state had 18 total confirmed cases , Washington 's Department of Health said .
A man and a woman in their seventies , and a woman in her eighties all died at the EvergreenHealth hospital on Sunday , King County officials said Monday .
The state had two previous deaths of two men in their seventies and fifties .
The total number of confirmed cases in King County is now 14 , including five deaths , health officials said Monday .
The concentration of cases in Kirkland , with many being non–travel related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have spread undetected for weeks .
Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency Saturday .
In Snohomish County , a man in his 40s who had been in critical condition due to the coronavirus died at EvergreenHealth hospital in Kirkland .
Health officials there also announced a new case : a female in her 40s who is currently being hospitalized .
On Friday , the county confirmed that a student at Jackson High School tested positive for the disease , prompting officials to close the campus over the weekend and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our team is still in the midst of the investigation , so we do not yet know the possible source of infection , ” said Dr. Chris Spitters , health officer for the Snohomish Health District .
“ While we understand that this recent news can be concerning , as is the increasing number of COVID-19 cases locally and globally , we want to encourage people to remain calm , prepared , and informed.
” The high school case suggests that `` local transmission of COVID-19 is occurring , '' the health district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to growing concern about the spread across counties , King County Executive Dow Constantine signed an Emergency Declaration on Monday to free up funds to and enable officials to take `` extraordinary measures '' to fight the outbreak , the government said .
The county is buying a motel to `` isolate patients in recovery as well as those in active treatment '' and is also placing modular units on public properties .
`` We have moved to a new stage in the fight to contain and mitigate this outbreak , '' Constantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman in her late thirties who traveled to Iran became New York 's first confirmed case on Sunday .
Rhode Island announced two presumptive positive coronavirus cases : a teenager and a man in his forties who were both on the same trip to Europe in mid-February .
( A presumptive positive case has tested positive by a public health laboratory and is pending confirmatory testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ) .
A Rhode Island woman in her thirties — who was on the same trip — is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials said .
Florida announced two presumptive positive coronavirus cases — one in Hillsborough County and another in Manatee County — prompting Gov .
Ron DeSantis to declare a public health emergency in the state on Sunday .
New Hampshire health officials on Monday said the state had its first confirmed case of coronavirus .
The individual , an adult from Grafton County , had recently traveled to Italy .
The patient is currently in home isolation and is not sick enough to be hospitalized , the state 's health officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 89,000 cases have been reported globally with more than 3,000 deaths .
Apart from China — the epicenter of the outbreak — Iran , South Korea , and Italy have seen a rapid increase in cases .
Washington health officials said they were not recommending closing schools or canceling activities .

Six people — all in Washington — have now died of coronavirus in the US as new cases were reported across the country, including in New York, Florida, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. The total number of cases in the US is now close to 100.
Four of the six people who died are elderly residents of the Life Care nursing facility in Kirkland, all of whom had underlying health conditions. As of Monday, the state had 18 total confirmed cases, Washington's Department of Health said.
A man and a woman in their seventies, and a woman in her eighties all died at the EvergreenHealth hospital on Sunday, King County officials said Monday. The state had two previous deaths of two men in their seventies and fifties.
The total number of confirmed cases in King County is now 14, including five deaths, health officials said Monday.
The concentration of cases in Kirkland, with many being non–travel related, raised concerns that the coronavirus may have spread undetected for weeks. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency Saturday.
In Snohomish County, a man in his 40s who had been in critical condition due to the coronavirus died at EvergreenHealth hospital in Kirkland. Health officials there also announced a new case: a female in her 40s who is currently being hospitalized. On Friday, the county confirmed that a student at Jackson High School tested positive for the disease, prompting officials to close the campus over the weekend and Monday for a thorough cleaning.
“Our team is still in the midst of the investigation, so we do not yet know the possible source of infection,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, health officer for the Snohomish Health District. “While we understand that this recent news can be concerning, as is the increasing number of COVID-19 cases locally and globally, we want to encourage people to remain calm, prepared, and informed.”
The high school case suggests that "local transmission of COVID-19 is occurring," the health district said in a press release.
Due to growing concern about the spread across counties, King County Executive Dow Constantine signed an Emergency Declaration on Monday to free up funds to and enable officials to take "extraordinary measures" to fight the outbreak, the government said. The county is buying a motel to "isolate patients in recovery as well as those in active treatment" and is also placing modular units on public properties.
"We have moved to a new stage in the fight to contain and mitigate this outbreak," Constantine said.
Across the country, a woman in her late thirties who traveled to Iran became New York's first confirmed case on Sunday. Rhode Island announced two presumptive positive coronavirus cases: a teenager and a man in his forties who were both on the same trip to Europe in mid-February. (A presumptive positive case has tested positive by a public health laboratory and is pending confirmatory testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). A Rhode Island woman in her thirties — who was on the same trip — is also being tested for the virus, state health officials said.
Florida announced two presumptive positive coronavirus cases — one in Hillsborough County and another in Manatee County — prompting Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a public health emergency in the state on Sunday.
New Hampshire health officials on Monday said the state had its first confirmed case of coronavirus. The individual, an adult from Grafton County, had recently traveled to Italy. The patient is currently in home isolation and is not sick enough to be hospitalized, the state's health officials said at a press conference.
More than 89,000 cases have been reported globally with more than 3,000 deaths. Apart from China — the epicenter of the outbreak — Iran, South Korea, and Italy have seen a rapid increase in cases.
Washington health officials said they were not recommending closing schools or canceling activities.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-02--I Posted A Photo Of Two Politicians Eating Curry, And In 24 Hours I Was Part Of A Soros Conspiracy T

I Posted A Photo Of Two Politicians Eating Curry, And In 24 Hours I Was Part Of A Soros Conspiracy Theory

KYIV — It was Sunday evening , and my friends and I were reminiscing about movies from the ’ 90s as we dug into bowls of fire red vindaloo , yellow chicken curry , and green spinach paneer at an Indian restaurant in the Ukrainian capital , Kyiv .
Someone had just mentioned the reported drop in US sales of the Corona beer we were drinking due to the outbreak of the coronavirus when two rather surprising dining companions strolled in and sat at a nearby table .
One of them was Ukraine ’ s prime minister , Oleksiy Honcharuk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s chief of staff , Andriy Yermak .
It was a shock to see them together because neither man is rumored to be terribly fond of the other .
As they settled in and ordered dinner , I did what any half-decent journalist would do when they spot a politician in a restaurant — especially when rumors are swirling , as they had been in recent days , about potentially seismic changes in the Ukrainian government that may include the dismissal of Honcharuk and other ministers — I snapped a few photographs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my dinner .
My friends and I tried to listen to their conversation for a few minutes , but it was hard to decipher exactly what they were discussing over the brassy jazz wafting from the restaurant ’ s sound system .
We were able to make out only a couple of things : the serious tone of their conversation ( they went from speaking in hushed whispers to raised voices at times ) and the name of a notorious and powerful oligarch , Ihor Kolomoisky .
The name of billionaire Kolomoisky — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the sights of the FBI and bankrolled private battalions to fight in eastern Ukraine — is one that makes you pay attention .
So I knew whatever it was they were talking about it was likely to be as spicy as the vindaloo on my plate .
As the owner of Ukraine ’ s largest television station , 1+1 , Kolomoisky also aired the comedy shows that made former actor Volodymyr Zelensky famous and helped propel him to the presidency .
And he has been leveraging that to get back the bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have a $ 5.5 billion black hole in its balance sheet .
A number of dubious actors have been helping him along the way , including most recently a lawmaker by the name of Oleksandr Dubinsky , who represents Zelensky ’ s ruling Servant of the People party .
Ever since he became president , Zelensky has tried to shake allegations that he ’ s helping Kolomoisky .
So hearing the oligarch ’ s name come up in conversation between two of the most senior people in government was certainly noteworthy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I tweeted about it with another photograph .
Then my friends and I went back to eating , and I didn ’ t think much more about the encounter until the next morning .

KYIV — It was Sunday evening, and my friends and I were reminiscing about movies from the ’90s as we dug into bowls of fire red vindaloo, yellow chicken curry, and green spinach paneer at an Indian restaurant in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Someone had just mentioned the reported drop in US sales of the Corona beer we were drinking due to the outbreak of the coronavirus when two rather surprising dining companions strolled in and sat at a nearby table. One of them was Ukraine’s prime minister, Oleksiy Honcharuk, and the other was the president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. It was a shock to see them together because neither man is rumored to be terribly fond of the other.
As they settled in and ordered dinner, I did what any half-decent journalist would do when they spot a politician in a restaurant — especially when rumors are swirling, as they had been in recent days, about potentially seismic changes in the Ukrainian government that may include the dismissal of Honcharuk and other ministers — I snapped a few photographs and tweeted them before getting back to my dinner.
My friends and I tried to listen to their conversation for a few minutes, but it was hard to decipher exactly what they were discussing over the brassy jazz wafting from the restaurant’s sound system. We were able to make out only a couple of things: the serious tone of their conversation (they went from speaking in hushed whispers to raised voices at times) and the name of a notorious and powerful oligarch, Ihor Kolomoisky.
The name of billionaire Kolomoisky — an alleged money launderer who is reportedly in the sights of the FBI and bankrolled private battalions to fight in eastern Ukraine — is one that makes you pay attention. So I knew whatever it was they were talking about it was likely to be as spicy as the vindaloo on my plate.
As the owner of Ukraine’s largest television station, 1+1, Kolomoisky also aired the comedy shows that made former actor Volodymyr Zelensky famous and helped propel him to the presidency. And he has been leveraging that to get back the bank he used to own that was found to have a $5.5 billion black hole in its balance sheet.
A number of dubious actors have been helping him along the way, including most recently a lawmaker by the name of Oleksandr Dubinsky, who represents Zelensky’s ruling Servant of the People party.
Ever since he became president, Zelensky has tried to shake allegations that he’s helping Kolomoisky. So hearing the oligarch’s name come up in conversation between two of the most senior people in government was certainly noteworthy. A moment after I heard it, I tweeted about it with another photograph. Then my friends and I went back to eating, and I didn’t think much more about the encounter until the next morning.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-02--We're Sorry, Says The Leader Of The Religious Sect At The Heart Of South Korea's Coronavirus Outbrea

We're Sorry, Says The Leader Of The Religious Sect At The Heart Of South Korea's Coronavirus Outbreak

The leader of a Christian sect has apologized for the role his followers played in spreading the coronavirus in South @ @ @ @ @ the normally reclusive head of the Shincheonji church , bowed low twice at a hastily @ @ @ @ @ We did our best but weren ’ t able to contain it fully , ” @ @ @ @ @ white face mask , told assembled journalists .
“ We immediately cooperated , but there @ @ @ @ @ can say , ” Lee said .
Public health officials say the church has hindered @ @ @ @ @ of the virus .

The leader of a Christian sect has apologized for the role his followers played in spreading the coronavirus in South Korea.
Lee Man-hee, the normally reclusive head of the Shincheonji church, bowed low twice at a hastily arranged news conference.
“We did our best but weren’t able to contain it fully,” the 88-year-old, wearing a white face mask, told assembled journalists.
“We immediately cooperated, but there’s really nothing I can say,” Lee said. Public health officials say the church has hindered efforts to contain the spread of the virus.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-18--Trump Announced New Measures To Fight The Coronavirus And Also Said It Wasn't Racist To Keep Calling

Trump Announced New Measures To Fight The Coronavirus And Also Said It Wasn't Racist To Keep Calling It The "China Virus"

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that , in an effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic , he will invoke the Defense Production Act , which will help increase the production of necessary medical supplies like ventilators .
“ It can do a lot of good things if we need it , ” he said of the DPA .
“ No matter what you have , it ’ s not enough .
If we need to use it , we ’ ll be using it at full speed ahead.
” Ahead of Wednesday ’ s White House briefing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump to invoke the act , as did Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders .
The White House also announced Wednesday that the Department of Housing and Urban Development is suspending all evictions and foreclosures until the end of April , and that Health and Human Services will issue a regulation that will allow doctors to practice across state lines .
Vice President Mike Pence asked Americans to postpone any elective surgeries , and formally announced that the US and Canada have mutually agreed to close the border to any nonessential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the China virus ” at the press conference and argued it wasn ’ t a racist term .
When a reporter noted that dozens of Chinese Americans have faced racist attacks because of the virus in recent weeks , the president doubled down .
“ It 's not racist at all , no .
Not at all , ” Trump said .
“ It comes from China .
”

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that, in an effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic, he will invoke the Defense Production Act, which will help increase the production of necessary medical supplies like ventilators.
“It can do a lot of good things if we need it,” he said of the DPA. “No matter what you have, it’s not enough. If we need to use it, we’ll be using it at full speed ahead.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s White House briefing, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Trump to invoke the act, as did Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
The White House also announced Wednesday that the Department of Housing and Urban Development is suspending all evictions and foreclosures until the end of April, and that Health and Human Services will issue a regulation that will allow doctors to practice across state lines. Vice President Mike Pence asked Americans to postpone any elective surgeries, and formally announced that the US and Canada have mutually agreed to close the border to any nonessential travelers.
Trump also called the coronavirus “the China virus” at the press conference and argued it wasn’t a racist term. When a reporter noted that dozens of Chinese Americans have faced racist attacks because of the virus in recent weeks, the president doubled down.
“It's not racist at all, no. Not at all,” Trump said. “It comes from China.”