buzzfeednews--2020-05-03--A City Walked Back Its Face Mask Rule After Store And Restaurant Employees Received Threats

Shoppers wait in line outside a Walmart in Washington , DC , one of several cities to require face masks in businesses .
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The city of Stillwater , Oklahoma , will no longer require customers entering stores and restaurants to wear face masks after employees received violent threats — including one from a person who threatened a shooting .
The new requirements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , movie theaters , and gyms across the state were allowed to reopen by Oklahoma Gov .
Kevin Stitt in spite of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
The openings prompted Stillwater leaders to set a series of new safety requirements at local businesses , including that both customers and employees wear face masks .
But within three hours , city officials said , multiple businesses reported their employees were facing verbal abuse and violent threats over the new rule .
`` The City of Stillwater has attempted to keep people safe by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect others , '' city manager Norman McNickle said in a statement .
`` It is unfortunate and distressing that those who refuse and threaten violence are so self-absorbed as to not follow what is a simple show of respect and kindness to others . ''
People who objected to the face mask rule claimed that it was unconstitutional , which has n't yet been supported by courts , McNickle pointed out .
Last week , a lawsuit against Guthrie , Oklahoma 's measures requiring face masks and banning gatherings was dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CDC and Oklahoma 's health officials recommend face masks for preventing the spread of the coronavirus , particularly by people who may not know they 're infected .
`` The wearing of face coverings is [ a ] little inconvenience to protect both the wearer and anyone with whom they have contact , '' McNickle said .
`` And , an unprotected person who contracts the virus can infect their own loved ones and others . ''
Though the city is still urging everyone to wear face masks inside businesses , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers .
`` In that effort to insure the safety of others , we now have to weigh the safety of store owners and employees to threats of violence , '' McNickle said .
`` We can not , in clear conscience , put our local business community in harm ’ s way , nor can the police be everywhere . ''
But , just as they may require shirts or shoes for service , individual businesses can create their own face mask policies .
The citywide mandate was walked back Friday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media falsely said police were pulling over drivers and ticketing people for not wearing masks , according to the Stillwater Police Department 's Chief Jeff Watts .
That 's not true , he said , but the police department is responding to complaints about gatherings of 10 people or more .
And if a business chooses to require face masks , and a customer without one refuses to leave , police could be called on a trespassing complaint .
As for customers who are uncomfortable with a lack of face masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you enter a business and are uncomfortable with other patrons not wearing a face covering , '' Watts said , `` you have the option of leaving the business or continuing to shop . ''

The city of Stillwater, Oklahoma, will no longer require customers entering stores and restaurants to wear face masks after employees received violent threats — including one from a person who threatened a shooting.
The new requirements went into effect on Friday as restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms across the state were allowed to reopen by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt in spite of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The openings prompted Stillwater leaders to set a series of new safety requirements at local businesses, including that both customers and employees wear face masks.
But within three hours, city officials said, multiple businesses reported their employees were facing verbal abuse and violent threats over the new rule.
"The City of Stillwater has attempted to keep people safe by the simple requirement to wear a face covering to protect others," city manager Norman McNickle said in a statement. "It is unfortunate and distressing that those who refuse and threaten violence are so self-absorbed as to not follow what is a simple show of respect and kindness to others."
People who objected to the face mask rule claimed that it was unconstitutional, which hasn't yet been supported by courts, McNickle pointed out. Last week, a lawsuit against Guthrie, Oklahoma's measures requiring face masks and banning gatherings was dismissed by a federal judge.
Meanwhile, the CDC and Oklahoma's health officials recommend face masks for preventing the spread of the coronavirus, particularly by people who may not know they're infected.
"The wearing of face coverings is [a] little inconvenience to protect both the wearer and anyone with whom they have contact," McNickle said. "And, an unprotected person who contracts the virus can infect their own loved ones and others."
Though the city is still urging everyone to wear face masks inside businesses, it's no longer a citywide requirement for customers.
"In that effort to insure the safety of others, we now have to weigh the safety of store owners and employees to threats of violence," McNickle said. "We cannot, in clear conscience, put our local business community in harm’s way, nor can the police be everywhere."
But, just as they may require shirts or shoes for service, individual businesses can create their own face mask policies.
The citywide mandate was walked back Friday afternoon, but before then, rumors on social media falsely said police were pulling over drivers and ticketing people for not wearing masks, according to the Stillwater Police Department's Chief Jeff Watts.
That's not true, he said, but the police department is responding to complaints about gatherings of 10 people or more. And if a business chooses to require face masks, and a customer without one refuses to leave, police could be called on a trespassing complaint.
As for customers who are uncomfortable with a lack of face masks, they have a choice.
"If you enter a business and are uncomfortable with other patrons not wearing a face covering," Watts said, "you have the option of leaving the business or continuing to shop."


buzzfeednews--2020-04-13--Getting Dumped During A Pandemic

Getting Dumped During A Pandemic

In retrospect , it was never going to work between Josh ( not his real name ) and me .
He is vegan , and cheese is simply too important to my lifestyle for our relationship to have lasted long-term .
Still , when he dumped me via Zoom a few days ago , it still hurt even in the midst of a pandemic .
The breakup was about as humiliating as you would expect .
I feel like I deserve a trophy for both anticipating it and mentally preparing to handle it with as much composure as I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physically preparing — putting on a touch of foundation , some mascara , and a neutral lipstick before the call started .
I didn ’ t want the last thing he saw before he dumped me to be my blotchy red cheeks and sad , weird , and invisible redhead eyelashes .
The strangest thing about this situation is that Josh wasn ’ t even really my boyfriend .
I went on three perfect dates with him before the coronavirus outbreak shuttered our plans .
Three of my top five best kisses of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dates : when he walked me back to my car after our first date , when I kissed him outside the bathroom of a wine bar on our third date , and when on our second date , after sitting next to each other for an hour and a half not kissing while we watched a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse , we stepped inside an elevator and the second the doors closed were drawn to each other like magnets .
He was the first guy in a very long time that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chemistry , incredible banter , and a whole long bit about Stanley Tucci that obviously made me fantasize about the actor one day officiating our eventual marriage .
But then Josh had to go out of town for his brother ’ s wedding the first weekend of March .
We had plans to watch Mamma Mia !
Here We Go Again at his apartment the day after he returned .
Those plans got pushed back a few days because he decided to drive instead of fly because of the coronavirus .
And then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nervous that I had possibly been exposed when the daughter of a family friend tested positive for COVID-19 .
So we said we ’ d self-isolate , and see each other in two weeks .
Those two weeks came and went , and we decided to do a FaceTime date instead of a real date .
Then we did a Zoom date the following week because the quality was a little better than FaceTime , and another Zoom date the next week , and another the next .
So all together , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months .
I was fully aware that not getting to make out with the person you want to make out with is pretty low on the totem pole of problems facing our country right now , but it was frustrating nonetheless .
Despite not being allowed to put my face on his face , it felt lovely to have a confidant during this uncertain time , even if our relationship was also in this on-hold , limbo state where I didn ’ t even know when I ’ d see him again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , who was outside of my life , and who I connected strongly with felt like the only good and consistent thing happening for me .
I had recently decided to uproot my life and move back in with my parents across the country , and even though it was my choice and I feel very lucky and privileged to not be under any financial pressure right now and to have parents I get along with by and large , it does feel pretty shitty to be nearly 27 and back home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also feels pretty shitty to be in your childhood bedroom when you get a “ Hey are you free to talk later ?
” text , and then you make the call , only to have your dad yell something incomprehensible at you from downstairs and you have to yell back , “ I ’ m in the middle of something , Dad !
” and that something is being dumped .
It did n't help that the internet connection wasn ’ t great so we kept freezing , and I said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we were !
It was very surreal — I couldn ’ t help but think of the episode of 30 Rock where Liz Lemon and Floyd end their long-distance relationship the same way .
I ’ m no stranger to breakups .
It took me most of 2017 to get over my only serious relationship , and I ’ ve had a few smaller heartaches since then .
But there is something particularly bruising about this happening in the midst of a global public health crisis .
I can ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sheet cake and wine .
Crying over FaceTime to your sister isn ’ t the same as getting to wipe your snot on her shoulder IRL .
But the worst part of all is that in all my other breakups , I ’ ve had the comfort of being able to say “ FUCK HIM ” and commiserate with my friends who date men about how horrible they all are .
This time , I can ’ t do that , because this time it was actually really compassionate and nice for him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended a seven-year relationship last year , and I was the first person he ’ d dated since then .
He thought he was ready to date again , but he realized he wasn ’ t .
He didn ’ t ghost me , or gaslight me and tell me everything was fine when I could feel him pulling away , or drag this out for months and months with no end in sight until we were both just tired and dead inside .
He was honest and forthright , it was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I am miserable .
There is no easy way around it .
The only thing that made me feel a little better in a convoluted way was the “ nature is healing ” meme .
I chuckled to myself , that having dumb boy problems is my natural habitat .
In a world where nothing is certain , heartbreak finds a way .
And I think that ’ s beautiful.●

But then Josh had to go out of town for his brother’s wedding the first weekend of March. We had plans to watch Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again at his apartment the day after he returned. Those plans got pushed back a few days because he decided to drive instead of fly because of the coronavirus. And then those plans got cancelled because I was nervous that I had possibly been exposed when the daughter of a family friend tested positive for COVID-19. So we said we’d self-isolate, and see each other in two weeks. Those two weeks came and went, and we decided to do a FaceTime date instead of a real date. Then we did a Zoom date the following week because the quality was a little better than FaceTime, and another Zoom date the next week, and another the next. So all together, we talked everyday for a little under two months. I was fully aware that not getting to make out with the person you want to make out with is pretty low on the totem pole of problems facing our country right now, but it was frustrating nonetheless.
Despite not being allowed to put my face on his face, it felt lovely to have a confidant during this uncertain time, even if our relationship was also in this on-hold, limbo state where I didn’t even know when I’d see him again. To have someone I was getting to know, who was outside of my life, and who I connected strongly with felt like the only good and consistent thing happening for me. I had recently decided to uproot my life and move back in with my parents across the country, and even though it was my choice and I feel very lucky and privileged to not be under any financial pressure right now and to have parents I get along with by and large, it does feel pretty shitty to be nearly 27 and back home sleeping in my childhood bedroom.
It also feels pretty shitty to be in your childhood bedroom when you get a “Hey are you free to talk later?” text, and then you make the call, only to have your dad yell something incomprehensible at you from downstairs and you have to yell back, “I’m in the middle of something, Dad!” and that something is being dumped. It didn't help that the internet connection wasn’t great so we kept freezing, and I said, “we’re breaking up” and we were! It was very surreal — I couldn’t help but think of the episode of 30 Rock where Liz Lemon and Floyd end their long-distance relationship the same way.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-11--The People In Idaho’s Coronavirus Epicenter Have A Message For The Rest Of Us

The rural area around Sun Valley , Idaho , became one of the earliest hot spots of COVID-19 cases in the US .
Now , its residents can teach us something about what ’ s next .
Jennifer Liebrum told me to call her any time : “ I ’ ve got nothing else to do , ” she said , “ but lay in this room.
” She ’ d been in that room , fully isolated from the rest of her family , for nearly three weeks — ever since she started feeling sick , assumed it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t immediately quarantine herself , she ’ d risk infecting her 16-year-old daughter , who ’ d only recently entered remission after two years of treatment for leukemia .
Like a lot of people in Blaine County — made up of 2,661 square miles of mountains and wilderness , smack in the center of the bottom half of Idaho — Liebrum wears , as she puts it , “ a lot of hats.
” Since moving to the Wood River Valley in 2001 , she ’ s worked as an equine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a waiter .
Now she ’ s a writer , works at the middle school , and takes on the odd gig to supplement her family ’ s income .
That ’ s what she did on March 7 , when she did “ advance work ” for a wedding at River Run Lodge at Sun Valley , the ski resort that serves as an economic center of gravity for the area .
A significant number of people in the wedding party were from Seattle , including two health care workers .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 as something mostly isolated to a nursing home in Kirkland , Washington , and a handful of other cases ( Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee had yet to even ban meetings of 250 or more ) .
So when the first official positive test results for COVID-19 came back in Blaine County , on March 14 , there was an immediate impulse to try to figure out where it came from : Was it the Seattle wedding ?
The rollicking closing party for the National Brotherhood of Skiers , held the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeff ?
Debbie Bacca had attended the party and worked at the wedding .
She started feeling sick a few days later and made an appointment at the local hospital , where coronavirus testing kits had just become available .
Her results came back on Saturday , a week after the wedding : She was one of the first two official cases in Blaine County .
But as was the case in Seattle and many other places around the US , chances are high that the virus had already been in the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the wedding just served as vectors for its spread .
As Bacca put it , “ That lodge was a petri dish.
” By March 19 , five days later , the number of confirmed cases had risen to 16 , and shortly after , the county issued a stay-at-home order .
The hospital , which has just two ICU beds and one ventilator , was forced to temporarily close , as four of the seven emergency room doctors were quarantined after being exposed to the virus .
Two of them tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus to the county , where more than 40 % of houses are short-term rentals and second homes .
But it ’ s full-time residents who are figuring out how to deal with the aftermath .
By April 11 , there were 452 confirmed cases in Blaine County , and five people had died .
The area has one of the highest per capita infection rates in the US — higher , even , than New York City ’ s — and the fifth-highest deaths per capita .
But nearly a month since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of new cases has actually begun to decline .
And the high number of cases relative to the county ’ s population ( 23,000 ) is largely indicative of widespread testing that hasn ’ t been feasible for many cities .
For weeks in Idaho , like so many other places , you couldn ’ t get a test , regardless of your symptoms , unless you knew you ’ d been in direct contact with someone who had COVID-19 .
But in a small community like Blaine County , when just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens more who were exhibiting symptoms were able to get tested as well .
And the widespread ( official ) infection rate has a silver lining : Earlier this week , the city of Ketchum and the county announced an official collaboration with the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Seattle ’ s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to launch an antibody testing program .
In truth , Blaine County isn ’ t that different from any other community with an outbreak of COVID-19 .
The virus just hit it earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And as has been the case in every other place , systemic issues , from the lack of affordable housing to the digital divide , have emerged in even starker relief than before .
The stereotype of Sun Valley , in and outside of Idaho , is a town dominated by a bunch of rich , white , out-of-state skiers with second homes .
But Blaine County is far more than Sun Valley ( one of four “ major ” small towns in the area ) , and the lived reality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will sound familiar to people living in far more dense urban areas .
Idaho , as a whole , is 93 % white .
Yet 48 % of school-age children in the Blaine County school district , according to the school board chair , are Latino .
Almost half of students in the district qualify for free or reduced-price lunch .
The county seat of Hailey , population 8,282 , ranked ninth in the nation for most severe income inequality in a 2018 study from the Economic Policy Institute .
I had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ ve been a pharmacist for 20 years , and I ’ d never seen anything like this .
I knew it was going to come here and that it was going to be bad .
Starting in January , we overstocked on everything , from thermometers and gloves to hand sanitizer .
And when we saw that hand sanitizer was going to run out , we ordered the stuff to make it ourselves .
We had a meeting the week before the first positives came back .
We came up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday when the first case came back , we closed our doors and went curbside-only .
Emailed our mayor and within a day they had six “ temporary parking only ” signs out front of our business for people coming to pick up .
On Tuesday , we hired a bartender from the local bar and started free delivery all over the valley .
Our patients are in sync with it , and it ’ s working very smoothly .
People from the outside are still coming in .
They ’ re out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is usually when we get our town back — when the tourists leave .
But I had a friend going into the local grocery store , and she said , ‘ Look around — do you recognize anyone here ?
’ Not a soul .
The amount of prescriptions we ’ re getting from out of state , it ’ s ridiculous — New York , California , Washington , New York , California , Washington .
That ’ s really going to be our problem if we don ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to keep coming in and reinfecting .
My husband and I met when he was a state trooper , and I moved from Boise to be with him here .
I have two stepkids and a baby .
Back in January , February , everyone seemed kind of oblivious .
I mean , we ’ re in the middle of nowhere , Idaho — why would this disease come there ?
I wasn ’ t thinking about the tourist aspect ; those people normally just keep to themselves .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
My husband is essential .
It ’ s a blessing and a curse .
I used to have normal hours from Monday to Friday , 9–5 , and would cover overtime .
But now we ’ re working 12-hour shifts .
We ’ re attached to the sheriff ’ s office , but we can ’ t leave our little space .
There ’ s no one else allowed in .
No one ’ s gotten sick .
That ’ s a big miracle .
We have two busy seasons in town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was supposed to still be open at this point .
But I ’ m not even worried about the tourists coming back .
I ’ m worried about the locals who can ’ t keep up .
We have a small-town feel here , you know , because we are a small town .
And I know the restaurant owners .
I know they ’ re having to shut their doors .
How could they have protected themselves or prepared for something like this ?
The stimulus check from the government — I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s not even going to cover our mortgage , which is $ 1,300-something a month .
We can make that work because there ’ s two of us still working , but other people we know are paying $ 1,700 or more .
There are those people with second houses up here , but my husband and I can ’ t afford to go skiing on the mountain .
People love to come to our county , and now they ’ re terrified too .
But our community , in times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and try to make things work .
We all live in this wonderful place where we all get to go hiking and some of us can go skiing .
We just want the best for each other .
My parents are in their seventies , and last year they went on a big trip for their 50th wedding anniversary .
My dad got pneumonia when he got back and had to be intubated and life-flighted out of the area .
He ’ s a super-active guy , but he ’ s been on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ type 2 diabetes .
So when the virus started coming around , I was paying attention — ever since Christmas , especially since my dad has a bit of the cowboy attitude and kept skiing and doing everything all through January .
On March 17 , they got it — probably while grocery shopping in those few days before .
My dad had a progressively harder time breathing , and he kept upping his oxygen , and then he just realized he couldn ’ t manage it .
On March 20 , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were shutting down the hospital there , so they took him in an ambulance down to Twin .
[ Editor 's note : Twin Falls , the nearest metropolitan area , is about a 90-minute drive from Blaine County . ]
They tested him and got rushed results .
The infectious disease doc came in and said , “ You have COVID , and I don ’ t think you ’ re going to survive , because you only have 61 % of your lung capacity.
” They asked him , “ Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ do-not-resuscitate order ] ?
” He said yes .
“ Do you want to be put on a ventilator if needed ?
” He said yes .
I talked to him on the phone on Friday and Saturday , and I thought those conversations might be the last ones I ’ d ever have with him .
We took my mom to the ER on Saturday , and they tested her , did a chest X-ray and sent her home with antibiotics .
But she was home all by herself while my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made food and put it on the doorstep .
I made sure she answered texts and phone calls every few hours .
But she got worse , and that Wednesday , my brother and sister-in-law — who live next door to her — took her to get IV fluids .
Now my brother and sister-in-law have it .
Meanwhile , my dad was gradually improving .
He said it was so hard to be alone , with the only people he came into contact with wearing full protective gear .
He said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he ’ s a tough cookie .
He couldn ’ t get out of bed or go to the bathroom for nine days , but when they let him out , he took a shower , and came home — that was March 29 — and surprised everyone on the family Zoom call .
It was my parents ’ 51st anniversary .
My mom was just totally taken aback and so happy .
That was one of the hardest weeks of my life .
My worst nightmare when I started thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , came true .
One of my kids turns 4 on April 24 .
We ’ re just hopeful we can all be together .
In 2016 , I moved to this beautiful paradise .
It ’ s quiet here , and tranquil .
But it ’ s diverse too — even within the Hispanic community .
Americanized , people from Mexico , from Central America , from South America .
There ’ s a lot of opportunity here .
But there ’ s challenges too .
Like in every community , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are disengaged and disconnected .
There are so many resources here , but there has been a gap between those providing and those in need .
The reality here is that skiing , hiking , river rafting , all that incredible stuff — there ’ s a big percentage of people for whom that ’ s not reachable .
Of course you can go to the mountains any time of day , but people don ’ t understand that .
They think if they go to the hiking trails , maybe they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this in California , where I ’ m from , too : People see the mountains ; they know they ’ re right there , and they don ’ t go .
With COVID-19 , the big problem in my community is that dealing with the system is a challenge .
Monolingual people in my community don ’ t understand English .
There ’ s a disconnect , and information just has not reached them .
I helped with an article in our local newspaper , and the headline was straight to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis ’ over COVID-19.
” And that ’ s the truth .
There are mixed messages out there — from the national media , the local media , and then you have the rumor aspect of it .
But there ’ s also people out there working to counteract those rumors .
The city and county are being really proactive in getting out information in Spanish .
And they ’ re reaching out to us , asking , “ What do we need to do ?
” We ’ ve been doing interviews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s been helpful in pushing against the fear and the rumors .
But , you know , not everyone has the luxury to quarantine in a separate room .
That ’ s a real concern for the Hispanic community here .
And it ’ s hard to capture what it means for us , to quarantine your mom , your grandma , your dad , in that way .
When trouble like this happens in our community , you come together , you unify your family — but you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that room .
And that ’ s really hard .
And what about the other family members ?
They can ’ t just leave .
They ’ re scared of this unknown .
I have some families who believe that if they come out the door , the virus is there in the air .
The public health officials and the CDC need to educate more , get out more information .
In March , people maybe had some savings to cover their rent .
People got paid .
But this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be intense .
It ’ s going to shake us .
The need is going to be triple .
People are going to get to the reality : I still can not go back to work .
But we ’ re organizing and mobilizing .
We ’ re starting a leadership task force in our community and having our first meeting this week .
And that ’ s the thing I want people to know .
We are out there , boots on the ground .
We ’ re passing out care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working to support the school district .
We ’ re taking the initiative to support the Hispanic community and the community at large .
Right now , Hispanics are not just receiving or needing resources .
We are a resource .
You think that skiing is low-risk for the virus because you ’ re outdoors .
But you spend three-fourths of your time on a chairlift , turning to talk to the person next to you , or in a closed gondola .
The only thing worse than skiing is , like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big ol ’ Mardi Gras party .
And we had that , too , with the Brotherhood — they throw these incredible events that everyone wants to go to , and they ’ re nice enough to open them to the general public .
All these things , like weddings , that were beautiful things for people to attend — now we have to think of them in this different way .
Then it all just exploded that next week .
That ’ s when I started getting symptoms .
I was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m writing an article right now for the local newspaper that talks about mental health and how everyone ’ s scared and wants to blame other people .
How we don ’ t become our best selves when we ’ re scared .
But we were so lucky .
We don ’ t have a robust intensive care unit — so from the start , we were keeping the patients who didn ’ t need intensive care but sending everyone else to Boise or Twin .
If it was cloudy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of year , we wouldn ’ t have been able to fly them — which would ’ ve meant three hours on snowy roads if they were headed for Boise after Twin filled up .
What ’ s saved us here , too , is that we ’ re 20,000 people in a state of 2 million , and because the state hadn ’ t been hit as hard , we had the resources of the entire state at our disposal .
Doctors coming in , patients going out .
Where I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the communities are packed together .
Each one spills into the next .
If it hits a small town there , it ’ ll hit the entire state .
But here , we ’ re so isolated — it probably came here by plane , and it has largely stayed here .
The number of new cases is going down right now .
But the rate of hospitalized people will go up as people who tested positive get sicker .
I ’ m hopeful about the antibody testing — there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and another project that hasn ’ t been officially announced yet .
The ideal thing would be to test our entire county — because until we know what our rate of infection is and can find those asymptomatic people shedding the disease early in the infection , we ’ re operating in the dark .
If you were going to pick a small town to study , this would be the best one .
I feel like we ’ re in a movie — that ’ s what I ’ ve told everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be at the epicenter of all of this .
My husband was still working , because he ’ s a farrier , but he also works as a firefighter at the airport — they always have to have someone there , just because .
When I went and got the test and tested positive , I was like , you ’ re grounded , dude .
Welcome to my world .
I keep thinking back to when I got that test result back .
I document everything .
I take pictures of dog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself to take a picture at that moment .
I was just too sad .
Too incredibly sad .
Luckily , I could retrace my steps pretty easily .
Because of my daughter , we just don ’ t really run amok .
I had what I would consider a mild case , but I really expected that by the end I was going to spew something out of my body with a head .
It just knocks every organ in your body .
I feel like it goes around wondering what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone ’ s reading the internet and knows what ’ s going on , but they ’ re not .
My family ’ s out in Eureka Springs , Arkansas .
My family only really gets it now because I ’ m sick .
That ’ s how it ’ s going to spread — the awareness and the disease — is when someone you know gets sick .
And then it ’ s gon na snap their heads up .
And they ’ re going to be beyond terrified because they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re okay with isolating , that they can handle it .
That ’ s true .
But what they can ’ t handle is what ’ s going to happen when they ’ re shipped to these overwhelmed urban hospitals .
Every Friday , I have an afternoon ski session with a good friend .
On March 6 , we went to the Brotherhood Party .
It was just a blast .
They always have the best parties , and everyone in town looks forward to it .
But at that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dish .
I think we gave it to a bunch of them .
The next day , I worked the wedding of the people from Seattle .
When I got my positive test back , I told a few of my friends , and we alerted the people who ’ d been at the wedding .
I kept getting text messages from people , people who weren ’ t in my social or , let ’ s say , economic group .
I was like , leave me alone , because you wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you saw me walking down the street .
They had the state press conference , and they aired it on Facebook .
People were commenting on the side , and someone was saying , “ We need to know if this woman in Blaine County has been around old people.
” And another person asked where I lived , and someone else answered with the name of my neighborhood .
And I thought , Wait a minute .
That ’ s not fair .
It ’ s not as if I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the produce .
People wanted to know how someone like me , with relatively mild symptoms , got a test .
Well , I was the 5:15 appointment , and they had just gotten the tests in — so , lucky me .
I tell people : My cough was scary , and you ’ ve got to rest .
I ’ m four weeks from my first symptoms , and I had a funky day yesterday .
And , again , I had a mild case .
One thing I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home for four weeks is that I ’ m going to come out of this stronger and with a lot of clarity .
I have an amazing peer group , and people came and fed us for two weeks .
The owner of the local grocery store did my shopping and dropped it off at my house .
I got out , and people have been kind .
They ’ re like , “ Hey , you ’ re the first case , you ’ re famous !
” But that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be given .
There ’ s no use in finger-pointing about where this came from .
We ’ ve just got to get on with it and manage it the best we can .
I ’ m trying to push kindness over anything else .
Tolerance , empathy , patience — that reduces panic and produces a level of calm that ’ s more important than anything else right now .
Some of the decisions we make will be wrong , and some will be right .
But every decision will be well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with the next few months is turn this notoriety into something positive .
We ’ re officially working with two groups on an antibody study .
We ’ re so bad that we ’ re perfect for it — the perfect sample size for the rest of the country .
That ’ s felt good , because it ’ s something that we can do .
We can try to lead the charge for our county , for our state , and for the nation in finding a solution .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more information we can generate , the better decisions we can make about when to open .
We ’ re all always looking for a sense of purpose .
And our sense of purpose , as a community , has landed on our lap .
The only shame will be if we don ’ t see what ’ s on our lap and react to it .

Jennifer Liebrum told me to call her any time: “I’ve got nothing else to do,” she said, “but lay in this room.” She’d been in that room, fully isolated from the rest of her family, for nearly three weeks — ever since she started feeling sick, assumed it was the coronavirus, and knew if she didn’t immediately quarantine herself, she’d risk infecting her 16-year-old daughter, who’d only recently entered remission after two years of treatment for leukemia.
Like a lot of people in Blaine County — made up of 2,661 square miles of mountains and wilderness, smack in the center of the bottom half of Idaho — Liebrum wears, as she puts it, “a lot of hats.” Since moving to the Wood River Valley in 2001, she’s worked as an equine therapist, a ranch manager, and a waiter. Now she’s a writer, works at the middle school, and takes on the odd gig to supplement her family’s income. That’s what she did on March 7, when she did “advance work” for a wedding at River Run Lodge at Sun Valley, the ski resort that serves as an economic center of gravity for the area.
A significant number of people in the wedding party were from Seattle, including two health care workers. At that point, people were still thinking of COVID-19 as something mostly isolated to a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, and a handful of other cases (Washington Gov. Jay Inslee had yet to even ban meetings of 250 or more). So when the first official positive test results for COVID-19 came back in Blaine County, on March 14, there was an immediate impulse to try to figure out where it came from: Was it the Seattle wedding? The rollicking closing party for the National Brotherhood of Skiers, held the night before with music from DJ Jazzy Jeff?
Debbie Bacca had attended the party and worked at the wedding. She started feeling sick a few days later and made an appointment at the local hospital, where coronavirus testing kits had just become available. Her results came back on Saturday, a week after the wedding: She was one of the first two official cases in Blaine County. But as was the case in Seattle and many other places around the US, chances are high that the virus had already been in the area for some time. The closing party and the wedding just served as vectors for its spread. As Bacca put it, “That lodge was a petri dish.”
By March 19, five days later, the number of confirmed cases had risen to 16, and shortly after, the county issued a stay-at-home order. The hospital, which has just two ICU beds and one ventilator, was forced to temporarily close, as four of the seven emergency room doctors were quarantined after being exposed to the virus. Two of them tested positive. Tourists almost certainly brought the virus to the county, where more than 40% of houses are short-term rentals and second homes. But it’s full-time residents who are figuring out how to deal with the aftermath.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-14--She Died Of The Coronavirus Alone. All Her Children Wanted Was "To Tell Her That We Love Her One Las

She Died Of The Coronavirus Alone. All Her Children Wanted Was "To Tell Her That We Love Her One Last Time.”

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
When Donna Durkin , a mother and grandmother from New York , was first diagnosed with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , her son knew she would be “ too weak to fight it off.
” Donna — who had several underlying health conditions , including diabetes , and had been hospitalized with kidney failure three years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two days after she tested positive for the coronavirus , her children told BuzzFeed News .
She was 63 years old .
“ I knew , with everything going on and the type of conditions that she had , it was only a matter of time that she would get it , and I knew she would be too weak to fight it off , ” her son , Michael Durkin , told BuzzFeed News .
Her kids were not able to see her in the hospital , and she was too weak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Patients are completely whisked away , and , like , my brother was unable to go visit her at all .
It is completely shot .
It almost feels like it 's inhumane , ” her daughter , Danielle Durkin , told BuzzFeed News .
“ She did n't deserve what happened .
Like , she did n't deserve to be alone , and all we wanted was to tell her that we love her one last time.
” Donna went into the hospital Thursday , April 2 , and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , April 3 , her children told BuzzFeed News .
She died soon after on Sunday , April 5 .
“ She was a woman of simplicity , ” Michael said during a recent phone call with BuzzFeed News .

When Donna Durkin, a mother and grandmother from New York, was first diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, her son knew she would be “too weak to fight it off.”
Donna — who had several underlying health conditions, including diabetes, and had been hospitalized with kidney failure three years ago — died earlier this month, just two days after she tested positive for the coronavirus, her children told BuzzFeed News. She was 63 years old.
“I knew, with everything going on and the type of conditions that she had, it was only a matter of time that she would get it, and I knew she would be too weak to fight it off,” her son, Michael Durkin, told BuzzFeed News.
Her kids were not able to see her in the hospital, and she was too weak to even FaceTime them, they said.
“Patients are completely whisked away, and, like, my brother was unable to go visit her at all. It is completely shot. It almost feels like it's inhumane,” her daughter, Danielle Durkin, told BuzzFeed News. “She didn't deserve what happened. Like, she didn't deserve to be alone, and all we wanted was to tell her that we love her one last time.”
Donna went into the hospital Thursday, April 2, and her coronavirus test came back positive on Friday, April 3, her children told BuzzFeed News. She died soon after on Sunday, April 5.
“She was a woman of simplicity,” Michael said during a recent phone call with BuzzFeed News.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-14--Trans Activist Who Helped Hundreds Of Immigrants And Sex Workers Get Rights Has Died Of The Coronavi

Trans Activist Who Helped Hundreds Of Immigrants And Sex Workers Get Rights Has Died Of The Coronavirus

Lorena Borjas was a mentor and champion for the community of Latina transgender sex workers in Queens for almost two decades .
Lorena Borjas , a longtime advocate for transgender people , undocumented immigrants , and sex workers in Queens , New York , died of COVID-19 on March 30 .
She was 59 .
“ Lorena is and will always be that trans mother , who , although she lived through hard times and life was unfair to her , she always wanted better for us , ” Liaam Winslet , a transgender woman from Ecuador who sought asylum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s help , told BuzzFeed News .
Borjas was a mentor and champion for the community of Latina transgender sex workers in Queens for almost two decades .
She would distribute condoms to sex workers on the street , help them access HIV care , arrange lawyers and bail money when they got arrested , and help undocumented immigrants win legal status .
“ Everybody would have Lorena ’ s number on speed dial , ” said Cecilia Gentili , a transgender activist who first met Borjas in 2005 at a nightclub @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex worker who was arrested in the middle of the night could always count on Borjas to pick up the phone , Gentili said .
“ Early in the morning , she ’ d go to the courts to wait for the girls to see the judge — it makes such a difference when a judge looks at a sex worker and sees if they have someone behind her.
” Borjas did most of her activism without any formal organization behind her .
Borjas ran away from her home in Veracruz , Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and came to the US in 1981 after a few years living on the streets of Mexico City , Gentili said .
She got a green card when President Ronald Reagan granted amnesty to undocumented immigrants in 1986 .
But hard years followed for Borjas — a drug addiction and more dangerous sex work .
She also wound up in an abusive relationship with someone who forced her to do sex work against her will .
She got her life back on track in the late '90s , but arrests during these years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ green card .
But she later received a pardon from the governor of New York , and she became a citizen last year .
Her firsthand experience with sex work and the courts meant she knew what kind of help could make the biggest difference , Gentili said .
“ She was very interested in breaking the cycle that is arrest , jail time , immigration detention , deportation procedures , ” Gentili said .
“ She knew if she was able to pay the bail , the girls wouldn ’ t go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first step , you just keep going down.
” In 2011 , Borjas teamed up with Chase Strangio , who is now the deputy director for transgender justice at the ACLU ’ s LGBT & HIV Project , to start a fund to pay bail for undocumented sex workers .
This was at a time when the Obama administration had stepped up enforcement of immigration laws , and it was clear the need for support was greater than could be managed in an ad hoc manner , Strangio said .
The organization directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strangio estimated , and helped inspire the creation of other bail funds .
“ She was the driving force behind , I would [ estimate ] , hundreds of LGBTQ people getting immigration status over the last decade , ” Strangio said .
But all of Borjas 's experience navigating social services and bureaucracy didn ’ t make it easy for her to get care when she developed a fever and a cough on March 14 .
She called Gentili that morning to cancel a meeting to work on grant applications for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fever and a cough .
She didn ’ t want to go to the doctor , so Gentili got off the phone and called an ambulance for her .
The ambulance took her 2.5 miles away to the Long Island Jewish Medical Center campus in Forest Hills — her local hospital , Elmhurst , has been one of the most overwhelmed by the coronavirus .
Borjas ’ s English wasn ’ t very good , Gentili said , and the hospital didn ’ t provide enough Spanish interpreters , so she couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discharged her on March 16 after her symptoms improved , but Gentili said Borjas didn ’ t understand that she needed to quarantine herself .
Borjas also said in a text message to Gentili on March 16 that she 'd not gotten the results of her COVID test .
This contradicts what 's recorded in her chart , according to Long Island Jewish Medical Center spokesman Terry Lynam , who said records say Borjas was given her test results on the morning of March 15 .
But Gentili said she spoke directly with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who promised to be in touch when the results came in .
Borjas suddenly took a turn for the worse a few days later and was taken back to the hospital on March 25 and put on a ventilator .
She died on March 30 .
Borjas 's story is emblematic of the one facing her community at large during the pandemic .
People without health insurance are worried about unaffordable hospital bills , Winslet said , but also many transgender women and immigrants have had painful experiences with doctors in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go again .
Of 56 sex workers who applied to the emergency fund during the coronavirus outbreak , Winslet said , 29 reported than having symptoms but only three went to the hospital .
Borjas “ didn ’ t want to stay in the hospital , precisely because of her previous experiences , ” Winslet said .
“ There are many institutions that exclude us , that limit us , that silence us , and many times we are cast to the side… But we fight.
” Winslet is now helping keep alive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fund for sex workers , a transgender center still in development , and a trans rights collective .
That ’ s what Borjas wanted them to continue doing , Winslet said .
The last time they spoke , she recalled Borjas saying to her , “ if something happens , I want you to continue fighting with the girls .
Now you all have to do more for those who have nothing .
For the ones who need you .
”

Lorena Borjas, a longtime advocate for transgender people, undocumented immigrants, and sex workers in Queens, New York, died of COVID-19 on March 30. She was 59.
“Lorena is and will always be that trans mother, who, although she lived through hard times and life was unfair to her, she always wanted better for us,” Liaam Winslet, a transgender woman from Ecuador who sought asylum in the US in 2012 with Borjas’s help, told BuzzFeed News.
Borjas was a mentor and champion for the community of Latina transgender sex workers in Queens for almost two decades. She would distribute condoms to sex workers on the street, help them access HIV care, arrange lawyers and bail money when they got arrested, and help undocumented immigrants win legal status.
“Everybody would have Lorena’s number on speed dial,” said Cecilia Gentili, a transgender activist who first met Borjas in 2005 at a nightclub where Borjas organized HIV testing.
A sex worker who was arrested in the middle of the night could always count on Borjas to pick up the phone, Gentili said. “Early in the morning, she’d go to the courts to wait for the girls to see the judge — it makes such a difference when a judge looks at a sex worker and sees if they have someone behind her.”


buzzfeednews--2020-04-14--She’s The First Coronavirus Case On One Native Reservation. She’s Been Banished From Her Home.

The decision to ban the woman and her husband , both of whom are non-Native , has proved controversial .
`` As Lakota people , this is not our way to be hurtful and angry , '' one resident said .
Christopher was on his way home on April 7 to pick up a few things for his wife , Juliana , who had just been admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 , when he received a phone call telling him he could not return to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota where the couple lived and worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first confirmed coronavirus case .
And they would soon learn that her diagnosis , coupled with their recent trip out-of-state for Juliana ’ s surgery as state and city governments were taking aggressive measures to restrict movement over the virus , would cause them to be kicked out of their home .
Juliana and Christopher , who asked to be identified by their first names only , had plans to visit California , but they never actually made it there , according to Christopher .
On March 26 , the couple was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they found out the procedure was canceled .
They returned home the next day , when the tribal council ’ s stay-at-home order was issued , they said , and immediately quarantined themselves .
Juliana fell ill within the week and was tested for the coronavirus .
Days later , as she lay in a Rapid City hospital battling COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new coronavirus , the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council voted to banish the couple from the reservation .
`` We had none of our belongings , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you get kicked out of your house , you do n't have — all the things that you need : toothbrush , clothes , medication , CPAP machine — things that you need to live .
We had to replace all those items . ''
Juliana is originally from Brazil , and neither she or her husband is Native American .
They moved to the reservation in 2019 to teach at the Red Cloud Indian School , a private Jesuit institution .
Christopher said they felt welcomed by the Lakota people in Pine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The students , Christopher said , were well-behaved and came to school `` with such sweet spirits . ''
So when Christopher got a call from the school superintendent en route from the hospital to the reservation , he did not expect to be told not to come back , and that the school president had sealed off the couple 's house on the Red Cloud campus in Porcupine , South Dakota .
The next day , by a 10–9 vote — with President Julian Bear Runner acting as tie-breaker — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's governing body , voted to banish them from Pine Ridge .
`` That was a really hard decision to make , '' Bear Runner said in an interview with KILI radio Wednesday , April 8 .
`` Our members , the people that elected us to come into office put us in those positions to protect our health and our general welfare .
And for me , it was negligent that this individual would still leave after laws were already in place . ''
The Oglala Sioux Tribe had been bracing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reservation .
Chase Iron Eyes , a spokesperson for Bear Runner 's office and lead counsel for the Lakota People 's Law Project , told BuzzFeed News that Pine Ridge has been in something of a nonstop emergency mode , barely being able to recover from one disaster before another hits .
With support from the federal government lacking and levels of bureaucracy to overcome , many Native American tribes , already struggling with historical oppression and economic challenges , face the daunting task of protecting themselves from a global pandemic .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a constant state of crisis , '' Iron Eyes said about Pine Ridge .
In early March , Bear Runner declared a state of emergency on the reservation and requested help from the federal government to prepare for a coronavirus outbreak .
On March 27 , a shelter-in-place ordinance was issued , with exemptions for medical travel .
Days later , tribal leaders put into place a curfew and a border ordinance banning nonresidents from entering the reservation on nonessential business .
When the council got word on April 7 that Juliana was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , and that she recently purportedly traveled to California , a virus hotspot , they acted fast to banish the couple .
Banishment is a severe , but rare form of punishment that can apply to tribal members and nonmembers alike .
The last non-Native person to be banished from Pine Ridge Reservation was South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem , Iron Eyes said , over her support for legislation cracking down on Keystone XL Pipeline protesters .
The punishment is permanent , though the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council can rescind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can appeal .
For Christopher , finding out Juliana 's COVID-19 diagnosis then being told they were n't allowed to go home in the span of a couple of days was a difficult pill to swallow .
`` This was very hurtful , '' he said .
`` Especially in this economy .
And especially when you just want to recover from being sick . ''
Christopher said the tribal council got several details wrong in making their decision .
The couple did not set foot in California for the surgery , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Denver when they found out the procedure was canceled , then flew back .
He also said they traveled out of state on March 26 , one day before the shelter-in-place ordinance was issued , and the school had approved their travel .
When they came back from Denver , Christopher said they followed the school 's travel guidelines and self-quarantined for what was supposed to be 14 days .
But Juliana started feeling unwell , and once she checked all the boxes for COVID-19 symptoms , she went to get tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the tribal council 's decision to banish them , partly because they were n't interviewed or contacted by tribal leaders before the vote .
`` They have not spoken to us at all .
They never asked our side of the story or spoke to us directly , '' he said .
`` Even though we did everything we were asked to do and technically did not break any rules , '' Christopher said , `` we apologize that we traveled at this time and ask the community for forgiveness in not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banishment has proved controversial .
Many tribal members on and off the reservation have expressed their support for the council , praising the leaders for protecting their community .
But they 've also been criticized by those who say the decision is too harsh .
Anne Eagle Bull , an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux tribe whose children attend Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary , the K–8 school that ’ s part of the Red Cloud Indian School system where Juliana works , said the negative comments about Juliana and her husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lakota people , this is not our way to be hurtful and angry , '' she told BuzzFeed News .
`` If somebody 's taking the time to come to our reservation , which is — you know , often looked at as a Third World country , that says a lot about that person .
That that person has passion .
That that person is willing to sacrifice some things to come here . ''
Iron Eyes acknowledged that the banishment `` does n't appear to be very welcoming of us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the middle , '' he said .
Though Iron Eyes said he would have liked to see the couple 's case handled differently , he believes the vote has caused others on the reservation to take safety measures more seriously .
For now , Christopher said he 's grateful for the support they 've received from the Lakota community and the Red Cloud faculty .
Protestant churches in Rapid City have been `` of great help '' too , he said , sending them food , toiletries , and other essentials that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After banishing the couple , tribal leaders put the reservation on lockdown for 48 hours until April 10 .
It was reinstated for 14 days beginning April 11 .
On Tuesday , April 14 , the South Dakota Health Department sent Juliana a letter , which the couple shared with BuzzFeed News , informing her that she “ successfully completed a period of isolation and is no longer considered able to transmit the novel coronavirus.
” Bear Runner said the couple is welcome to appeal the council 's decision .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story , '' he explained in his April 8 interview .
`` But if you really think about it , if this person had accidentally come into contact with one of your loved ones ... you would be upset . ''
He also addressed concerns about whether Juliana 's banishment sets a precedent for non-Natives on the reservation who test positive for the coronavirus , saying the council wo n't banish them if they follow the rules .
`` Just do n't act negligent .
You know that it says shelter in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take place , '' he said .
Christopher said they know the council is only trying to protect their people , and they do n't have any bad feelings toward them for the decision .
He believes that in trying to make sure everyone follows the ordinances , the council `` had to make an example out of someone . ''
`` Unfortunately , '' he said , `` that was us . ''

Christopher was on his way home on April 7 to pick up a few things for his wife, Juliana, who had just been admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, when he received a phone call telling him he could not return to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota where the couple lived and worked.
Juliana was the reservation’s first confirmed coronavirus case. And they would soon learn that her diagnosis, coupled with their recent trip out-of-state for Juliana’s surgery as state and city governments were taking aggressive measures to restrict movement over the virus, would cause them to be kicked out of their home.
Juliana and Christopher, who asked to be identified by their first names only, had plans to visit California, but they never actually made it there, according to Christopher. On March 26, the couple was in Denver, en route to California, when they found out the procedure was canceled. They returned home the next day, when the tribal council’s stay-at-home order was issued, they said, and immediately quarantined themselves.
Juliana fell ill within the week and was tested for the coronavirus. Days later, as she lay in a Rapid City hospital battling COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council voted to banish the couple from the reservation.
"We had none of our belongings," Christopher told BuzzFeed News. "When you get kicked out of your house, you don't have — all the things that you need: toothbrush, clothes, medication, CPAP machine — things that you need to live. We had to replace all those items."
Juliana is originally from Brazil, and neither she or her husband is Native American. They moved to the reservation in 2019 to teach at the Red Cloud Indian School, a private Jesuit institution. Christopher said they felt welcomed by the Lakota people in Pine Ridge and grew close to their colleagues. The students, Christopher said, were well-behaved and came to school "with such sweet spirits."
So when Christopher got a call from the school superintendent en route from the hospital to the reservation, he did not expect to be told not to come back, and that the school president had sealed off the couple's house on the Red Cloud campus in Porcupine, South Dakota.
The next day, by a 10–9 vote — with President Julian Bear Runner acting as tie-breaker — the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, the reservation's governing body, voted to banish them from Pine Ridge.
"That was a really hard decision to make," Bear Runner said in an interview with KILI radio Wednesday, April 8. "Our members, the people that elected us to come into office put us in those positions to protect our health and our general welfare. And for me, it was negligent that this individual would still leave after laws were already in place."


buzzfeednews--2020-04-14--17 Harrowing Pictures From The Front Lines Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

`` I want these pictures and this story to be more than just statistics — I ’ d like people to really see what it looks like . ''
Across the nation , medical professionals are working tirelessly on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic to save lives despite the tremendous risk of illness and psychological distress .
Last week , BuzzFeed News reported that at least 5,400 health care workers have contracted the virus and dozens have died due to complications from COVID-19 .
Because of the lack of reliable testing and tracking , it 's likely that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US health care system already pushed to its brink , many in the line of duty are being asked to work long hours and to remain socially distant from their families and loved ones , while reports of dwindling supplies and lack of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) reveal an added danger to an already volatile situation .
Getty Images photographer and special correspondent John Moore has been documenting the ongoing health crisis since March 2020 , when a cluster of COVID-19 cases at Life Care Center in Kirkland , Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US .
As the virus continued its spread across the country , Moore shifted his focus to the emerging epicenter of New York and its health care workers fighting to save lives on the front lines of the pandemic .
Here , Moore shares with BuzzFeed News these powerful images and discusses what it 's like to cover America 's largest health crisis in a century .
Can you speak on how your coverage of the current health crisis started ?
John Moore : I ’ ve been in the business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social issues , immigration , and the Ebola epidemic of 2014 in West Africa .
I was recently in Australia covering the effect of the bushfires on wildlife in early February and at that point could not have imagined that I ’ d be covering the story that I ’ m covering now .
I had been back in the US for about a month when I was sent to Seattle to cover the early part of the COVID-19 epidemic in the Northwest .
I could see in some ways a harbinger in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the United States .
Downtown was emptied , the nearby Life Care Center in Kirkland , Washington , had dozens of deaths of seniors , and many medical personnel and first responders were being infected .
That situation would be repeated not only in New York City , but in many parts of the United States .
I could see this very early on .
The situation has evolved in that it ’ s become nationwide .
When I first began covering the pandemic in the US , it was more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all know that by the time it was obvious that Seattle had a problem , it had already spread to other parts of the US but had not yet been reported due to the time it takes for the virus to incubate .
I ’ ve seen this grow and become a national phenomenon .
When the epidemic started to spread in the New York City area , I came back and began concentrating my work on the suburbs .
While the main epicenter is in the city , the suburbs are highly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s where I concentrated my energy .
What precautions do you take when working in potentially dangerous environments ?
I first learned how to use personal protective equipment while covering the Ebola outbreak while in Liberia — of course , the viruses are very different .
Ebola has a much higher mortality rate but is more difficult to contract .
COVID-19 spreads easily but does not kill the majority of people it infects , so the protocols are different .
The level of PPE that I wear really depends on the situation I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll wear full PPE , which includes a full-faced ventilator , a Tyvek suit , two pairs of latex gloves , and usually something covering my boots .
I also generously use bleach spray , disinfecting sprays , and rubbing alcohol .
In other environments , only an N95 mask and gloves are required .
I should mention that although journalists covering this story are in danger , it ’ s nowhere near the level that health workers must endure .
They ’ re touching people constantly while caring for them , whereas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camera .
How are you able to separate the human impact and the anxiety of these hostile situations from your craft as a photojournalist ?
What gives me strength in this profession is the belief that what we do as photojournalists matter .
I believe that allowing people to see what ’ s happening on a human level helps the public empathize with those who are suffering .
I want these pictures and this story to be more than just statistics — I ’ d like people to see really what it looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very delicate story to cover and I try to photograph people in a way where they feel like they ’ re part of the story , that they ’ re taking part in the coverage .
I always try to handle the people I ’ m photographing in a sensitive way .
What do you want people to know about the health care workers you 've photographed ?
EMS workers are really the front-line first responders during this fight against COVID-19 .
They are the front of that front line and expose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They work extremely long hours and have great dedication for the sole purpose of saving people ’ s lives .
I think the public does appreciate what they do , but I think it ’ s also helpful for people to see photographs of these people in action .
These are individuals who often work not just 12-hour shifts , but near 24-hour shifts , and it ’ s extremely tiring work .
But they believe in what they ’ re doing and the public is much better off for them .

Across the nation, medical professionals are working tirelessly on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic to save lives despite the tremendous risk of illness and psychological distress. Last week, BuzzFeed News reported that at least 5,400 health care workers have contracted the virus and dozens have died due to complications from COVID-19. Because of the lack of reliable testing and tracking, it's likely that this number is severely underreported.
With the US health care system already pushed to its brink, many in the line of duty are being asked to work long hours and to remain socially distant from their families and loved ones, while reports of dwindling supplies and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) reveal an added danger to an already volatile situation.
Getty Images photographer and special correspondent John Moore has been documenting the ongoing health crisis since March 2020, when a cluster of COVID-19 cases at Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, became the epicenter of the outbreak in the US. As the virus continued its spread across the country, Moore shifted his focus to the emerging epicenter of New York and its health care workers fighting to save lives on the front lines of the pandemic.
Here, Moore shares with BuzzFeed News these powerful images and discusses what it's like to cover America's largest health crisis in a century.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-13--Immigrants Are Scared Of Getting Coronavirus Treatment Because Of Trump's Crackdown, Doctors And Law

Immigrants Are Scared Of Getting Coronavirus Treatment Because Of Trump's Crackdown, Doctors And Lawyers Say

A woman reaches for some bread at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church ’ s food shelf in Burnsville , Minnesota , which offers food , clothing , and other services to thousands of residents , including Latino and Russian immigrants .
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Physicians hearing from immigrants that they fear seeking medical care for symptoms associated with COVID-19 , the disease caused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from clients about whether seeking care for the disease puts their immigration status at risk .
Community organizations answering calls from immigrants wondering whether even obtaining COVID-19 testing will impact their ability to stay in the country .
The detailed accounts from doctors , lawyers , and community organizations come from the New York state attorney general 's filing with the Supreme Court on Monday in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration ’ s sweeping policy that allows the government to deny permanent residency to immigrants who officials believe are likely to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , housing vouchers , and Medicaid .
New York Attorney General Letitia James requested that the court rethink its decision in January allowing the policy to go into effect .
James argued that the court should lift the stay during the coronavirus pandemic or allow a federal court to block the rule due to the medical emergency that had already caused whole swaths of the United States to effectively shut down .
James said that the policy “ deters access to public benefits , including nutrition benefits , that are critical for both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to weather the economic crisis triggered by COVID-19 .
These irreparable harms have tipped the balance of the equities decidedly against maintaining the stay during the national emergency concerning COVID-19.
” In January , the five conservative justices voted to allow the Trump administration to implement the “ public charge ” policy as a legal challenge continued in the federal courts .
A federal judge in New York had instituted a nationwide injunction blocking the policy in October , just days after the Trump administration had hoped to roll it out .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government to reject granting permanent residency to immigrants who were determined to be a financial burden on society or a public charge — meaning they ’ re dependent on the government for financial support .
The new rule , however , alters how the government decides if someone is a public charge , allowing officials to deny green cards to those who are determined likely to use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ) , Section 8 housing vouchers and assistance , public housing , or most forms of Medicaid .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ change the face of immigration and chill people from seeking public benefits .
The filing explains that immigrants have already started to avoid any publicly funded health care program for fear of the consequences .
In recent weeks , the lawyers wrote , doctors have seen immigrants avoid “ COVID-19 testing and treatment altogether , even if they might be able to obtain publicly funded care , due to the substantial fear generated by the Public Charge Rule.
” The effects on COVID-19 prevention due to the public charge rule are not speculative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citing multiple declarations from doctors , attorneys , and community advocates .
Pedro Moreno , a doctor serving patients in parts of Monterey County — a region that 's home to farmworkers who have been unable to take time off work — believed many of his patients in the fields were already impacted by the disease .
“ I believe some of my farmworker patients have already been infected with COVID-19 by other farmworkers in the fields .
Unfortunately , many of them are afraid to seek medical care due to the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the infection in our community , ” he wrote in a declaration attached to the filing .
In Connecticut , Eden Almasude , a resident physician , wrote that he ’ s received similar concerns from immigrant patients .
“ As part of my work , I have received reports of multiple patients who had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 but were afraid to go to the hospital or even obtain COVID-19 testing because they were concerned about the public charge consequences of testing and treatment and feared that a huge hospital bill would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
“ Immigrants ’ concerns and fears are ongoing during this crisis.
” In Chicago , community advocates have received calls from immigrants who are “ expressing concern that receiving Covid-19 related medical testing or treatment for themselves , their families or their family members will subject them to public charge.
” In New York , advocates have heard that immigrants “ were afraid to seek out and obtain COVID-19 testing due to fear about how that might impact their status.
” In March , Department of Homeland Security officials clarified that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment , nor preventative care ( including vaccines , if a vaccine becomes available ) related to COVID-19 as part of a public charge inadmissibility determination ... even if such treatment is provided or paid for by one or more public benefits , as defined in the rule.
” But James and the advocates believe the clarification did not go far enough in assuring immigrants that seeking care would not adversely affect them .
In fact , they argued , the clarification bolstered the argument that the rule will dissuade immigrants from getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revising its application of the Public Charge Rule during the current COVID-19 crisis , USCIS has effectively acknowledged the Rule ’ s deterrent effect on immigrants ’ willingness to obtain necessary medical care , ” James wrote .
More than 4 million noncitizens were in families receiving SNAP benefits between 2014 and 2016 , according to an analysis by the Migration Policy Institute .
More than 39 million people were enrolled in the program in June 2018 , according to the Department of Agriculture ’ s most recent statistics .
It did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Physicians hearing from immigrants that they fear seeking medical care for symptoms associated with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Lawyers fielding questions from clients about whether seeking care for the disease puts their immigration status at risk. Community organizations answering calls from immigrants wondering whether even obtaining COVID-19 testing will impact their ability to stay in the country.
The detailed accounts from doctors, lawyers, and community organizations come from the New York state attorney general's filing with the Supreme Court on Monday in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s sweeping policy that allows the government to deny permanent residency to immigrants who officials believe are likely to use public benefits, such as food stamps, housing vouchers, and Medicaid.
New York Attorney General Letitia James requested that the court rethink its decision in January allowing the policy to go into effect. James argued that the court should lift the stay during the coronavirus pandemic or allow a federal court to block the rule due to the medical emergency that had already caused whole swaths of the United States to effectively shut down.
James said that the policy “deters access to public benefits, including nutrition benefits, that are critical for both immigrants and the country as a whole to weather the economic crisis triggered by COVID-19. These irreparable harms have tipped the balance of the equities decidedly against maintaining the stay during the national emergency concerning COVID-19.”
In January, the five conservative justices voted to allow the Trump administration to implement the “public charge” policy as a legal challenge continued in the federal courts. A federal judge in New York had instituted a nationwide injunction blocking the policy in October, just days after the Trump administration had hoped to roll it out.
The Immigration and Nationality Act has long allowed the government to reject granting permanent residency to immigrants who were determined to be a financial burden on society or a public charge — meaning they’re dependent on the government for financial support.
The new rule, however, alters how the government decides if someone is a public charge, allowing officials to deny green cards to those who are determined likely to use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Section 8 housing vouchers and assistance, public housing, or most forms of Medicaid.
Experts have said that the policy will change the face of immigration and chill people from seeking public benefits.
The filing explains that immigrants have already started to avoid any publicly funded health care program for fear of the consequences. In recent weeks, the lawyers wrote, doctors have seen immigrants avoid “COVID-19 testing and treatment altogether, even if they might be able to obtain publicly funded care, due to the substantial fear generated by the Public Charge Rule.”
The effects on COVID-19 prevention due to the public charge rule are not speculative or hypothetical, the attorneys argued, citing multiple declarations from doctors, attorneys, and community advocates.
Pedro Moreno, a doctor serving patients in parts of Monterey County — a region that's home to farmworkers who have been unable to take time off work — believed many of his patients in the fields were already impacted by the disease.
“I believe some of my farmworker patients have already been infected with COVID-19 by other farmworkers in the fields. Unfortunately, many of them are afraid to seek medical care due to the public charge rule, and are already spreading the infection in our community,” he wrote in a declaration attached to the filing.
In Connecticut, Eden Almasude, a resident physician, wrote that he’s received similar concerns from immigrant patients.
“As part of my work, I have received reports of multiple patients who had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 but were afraid to go to the hospital or even obtain COVID-19 testing because they were concerned about the public charge consequences of testing and treatment and feared that a huge hospital bill would leave their families destitute,” he wrote. “Immigrants’ concerns and fears are ongoing during this crisis.”
In Chicago, community advocates have received calls from immigrants who are “expressing concern that receiving Covid-19 related medical testing or treatment for themselves, their families or their family members will subject them to public charge.” In New York, advocates have heard that immigrants “were afraid to seek out and obtain COVID-19 testing due to fear about how that might impact their status.”
In March, Department of Homeland Security officials clarified that they would not consider “testing, treatment, nor preventative care (including vaccines, if a vaccine becomes available) related to COVID-19 as part of a public charge inadmissibility determination ... even if such treatment is provided or paid for by one or more public benefits, as defined in the rule.”
But James and the advocates believe the clarification did not go far enough in assuring immigrants that seeking care would not adversely affect them. In fact, they argued, the clarification bolstered the argument that the rule will dissuade immigrants from getting the care they need.
“By revising its application of the Public Charge Rule during the current COVID-19 crisis, USCIS has effectively acknowledged the Rule’s deterrent effect on immigrants’ willingness to obtain necessary medical care,” James wrote.
More than 4 million noncitizens were in families receiving SNAP benefits between 2014 and 2016, according to an analysis by the Migration Policy Institute. More than 39 million people were enrolled in the program in June 2018, according to the Department of Agriculture’s most recent statistics. It did not break out the numbers by immigration status.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-12--North Korea Hasn’t Reported Any Cases Of The Coronavirus. The Truth Could Be Very Different.

Last week , North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a note of sympathy to the South Korean president over the spread of the novel coronavirus there .
Kim ’ s letter carried more than a tinge of irony .
North Korea , which is technically at war with the South , has reported no cases at all .
By contrast , South Korea 's high numbers of cases are likely the result of its aggressive testing for the virus in order to get the outbreak under control .
But North Korea lacks the health care infrastructure and capacity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and is notoriously secretive about events inside the country , so it ’ s hard to know what it is really going on .
This has raised fears that its population of some 25 million is at risk , especially those in remote areas or suffering from preexisting health conditions .
North Korea has used the most restrictive set of measures in the world to contend with the coronavirus outbreak — a near-total closure of its borders starting in January , around the time when the virus appears to have begun to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is actively monitoring some 7,000 people for signs of the virus , and because movement within the country is already restricted for ordinary people , it likely has the capacity to restrict their movements further to try to prevent the spread of the disease .
But health care experts familiar with the situation inside the secretive country say North Korea may lack the needed amount of diagnostic machines and specific kits to test people for symptoms , leaving it reliant on assistance from China , Russia and the World Health Organization ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care system , they say , are incredibly under-resourced and close to collapse , putting its people at risk .
North Korea is heavily dependent on China — which is by far its largest trading partner and most important diplomatic ally — for the health of its economy .
Its border with China is porous , with migrants and merchants traveling back and forth regularly .
Because commerce with China makes up more than 90 % of North Korea ’ s total trade , encompassing everything from fuel to humanitarian aid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China for survival .
This includes both legitimate trade and illicit commerce that is forbidden by international sanctions but carried out at the border without any oversight .
The virus originated in the city of Wuhan in China ’ s Hubei province , but China did not begin restricting people ’ s movements until weeks after cases were first reported — likely in December 2019 .
During that time , an unknown number of people would have crossed the border between China and North Korea unchecked .
Cases of COVID-19 , the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to have come from this border region with China .
“ Despite the near-total closure of its borders — using the most restrictive set of measures we have seen anywhere — it is more likely than not that cases of COVID-19 are inside North Korea , ” said Kee Park , director of the US-based Korea Health Policy Project , in an email .
North Korea said this week via state media that it had placed about 10,000 people in quarantine , but released about 40 % because they did not show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media in the country and information is tightly controlled by the government , it is impossible to verify these claims .
A mishmash of factors — including lack of investment , a dearth of technological expertise , and international sanctions that have made it difficult to purchase many modern medical technologies — means that North Korea ’ s health care system is likely deeply underprepared for a viral outbreak .
Its population is also particularly vulnerable because of issues with health and nutrition in the countryside .
The UN special rapporteur for human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to allow medical and humanitarian specialists into the country because of problems with malnourishment .
While South Korea responded to the virus by testing more people per capita than anywhere else in the world , in practical terms there is no way that North Korea has the ability to carry out adequate levels of testing on its population .
Health care in North Korea is ostensibly free , but it ’ s really only the elites who live in the capital city of Pyongyang who can access good care .
Hospitals in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amenities , often including electricity , making it difficult to test for the virus .
One problem is that medical professionals can not diagnose the virus based on observing symptoms alone because early symptoms are similar to the common flu — fever and cough .
Lab testing using samples of saliva is needed .
Dr. Lee Myungken , a medical doctor who worked for a decade in North Korea on humanitarian aid and economic development projects , said it ’ s likely only Pyongyang houses the equipment required to carry out tests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea , where new infections are likely to originate near the China border .
Because of the country ’ s underdeveloped road and rail networks , Lee said , it would be very difficult to bring samples back to Pyongyang for testing in time .
In a March 2 press conference , Michael Ryan , an executive director at the WHO , said the agency had been in touch with North Korea about its response to the coronavirus outbreak , and that they were n't aware of any cases at the time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , supplies , and diagnostic equipment , subject to “ release sanctions.
” He said the WHO was “ ready to both strengthen our country office and send teams as needed.
” Other countries including Russia have offered test kits and other medical supplies to North Korea .
But it ’ s difficult to say whether this would be sufficient to address any potential outbreak .
“ The DPRK ( Democratic People ’ s Republic of Korea ) has obtained some testing kits of late from foreign countries , but this is likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people to get accurate results , ” said Chad O ’ Carroll , CEO of Korea Risk Group , adding it was “ probably a smart idea ” for North Korea to have shut its borders early .
“ However , given that China–DPRK trade constitutes 90 % of the country ’ s economic relationship — and there is significant movement of people over the border — it is likely the virus entered before the draconian border closure was imposed , ” he added .
Lee said North Korea ’ s health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent back by doctors working abroad .
Pyongyang sends doctors to work in various countries — mostly in the developing world that lack medical expertise — and uses their salaries to fund regional hospitals across North Korea .
But many of those countries have sent these doctors back , Lee said , after a recent round of international sanctions on North Korea and any country that trades with it .
Lee cited contacts within the North Korean doctors program for this information but declined to share specifics about their identities , out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closing its borders , North Korea has taken other steps to contend with the viral outbreak .
On Sunday it flew the staff of several diplomatic missions , as well as aid workers and business people , to Russia .
The government has also postponed an annual film festival , originally slated for September , by a month , and called off the Pyongyang marathon , one of the few international tourism events that brings people from outside the country .
As with so much that happens in North Korea , it may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out what impact the coronavirus has had in the world 's most secretive state .

While South Korea responded to the virus by testing more people per capita than anywhere else in the world, in practical terms there is no way that North Korea has the ability to carry out adequate levels of testing on its population. Health care in North Korea is ostensibly free, but it’s really only the elites who live in the capital city of Pyongyang who can access good care. Hospitals in other parts of the country lack basic amenities, often including electricity, making it difficult to test for the virus.
One problem is that medical professionals cannot diagnose the virus based on observing symptoms alone because early symptoms are similar to the common flu — fever and cough. Lab testing using samples of saliva is needed. Dr. Lee Myungken, a medical doctor who worked for a decade in North Korea on humanitarian aid and economic development projects, said it’s likely only Pyongyang houses the equipment required to carry out tests. It presents a particular quandary for North Korea, where new infections are likely to originate near the China border.
Because of the country’s underdeveloped road and rail networks, Lee said, it would be very difficult to bring samples back to Pyongyang for testing in time.
In a March 2 press conference, Michael Ryan, an executive director at the WHO, said the agency had been in touch with North Korea about its response to the coronavirus outbreak, and that they weren't aware of any cases at the time. Ryan said the WHO had sent equipment, supplies, and diagnostic equipment, subject to “release sanctions.” He said the WHO was “ready to both strengthen our country office and send teams as needed.” Other countries including Russia have offered test kits and other medical supplies to North Korea. But it’s difficult to say whether this would be sufficient to address any potential outbreak.
“The DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) has obtained some testing kits of late from foreign countries, but this is likely to only allow a very small number of people to get accurate results,” said Chad O’Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, adding it was “probably a smart idea” for North Korea to have shut its borders early.
“However, given that China–DPRK trade constitutes 90% of the country’s economic relationship — and there is significant movement of people over the border — it is likely the virus entered before the draconian border closure was imposed,” he added.
Lee said North Korea’s health care system relies in part on remittances sent back by doctors working abroad. Pyongyang sends doctors to work in various countries — mostly in the developing world that lack medical expertise — and uses their salaries to fund regional hospitals across North Korea. But many of those countries have sent these doctors back, Lee said, after a recent round of international sanctions on North Korea and any country that trades with it.
Lee cited contacts within the North Korean doctors program for this information but declined to share specifics about their identities, out of concern for their personal safety.
Beyond closing its borders, North Korea has taken other steps to contend with the viral outbreak. On Sunday it flew the staff of several diplomatic missions, as well as aid workers and business people, to Russia. The government has also postponed an annual film festival, originally slated for September, by a month, and called off the Pyongyang marathon, one of the few international tourism events that brings people from outside the country.
As with so much that happens in North Korea, it may be a long time before we find out what impact the coronavirus has had in the world's most secretive state.


buzzfeednews--2020-05-17--Eric Trump Said Coronavirus Shutdowns Are Part Of A Plot To Prevent Trump Campaign Rallies

BuzzFeed News has reporters across five continents bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
President Donald Trump 's son Eric accused Democrats of using the coronavirus to hurt his father 's campaign for reelection and claimed that after Election Day , the virus would `` magically '' disappear .
Eric Trump spoke Saturday night on Fox News to Judge Jeanine Pirro , calling for the need to reopen businesses across the US .
He also disputed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — contradicting the concerns of public health leaders , including White House officials .
Coronavirus cases continue to rise daily in the US , and almost 90,000 people have died so far .
After first calling for shutdowns to limit the spread of the virus , White House guidelines have said some regions may begin to reopen in phases — but only if they 're seeing a downward trend in new cases .
In spite of that , Eric Trump told Fox News that limits on large gatherings , which experts agree are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were about preventing the president from holding rallies .
`` They 're trying to deprive him of his greatest asset , which is the fact that the American people love him , the fact that he 's relatable , the fact that he can go out there and draw massive crowds , '' he said .

President Donald Trump's son Eric accused Democrats of using the coronavirus to hurt his father's campaign for reelection and claimed that after Election Day, the virus would "magically" disappear.
Eric Trump spoke Saturday night on Fox News to Judge Jeanine Pirro, calling for the need to reopen businesses across the US. He also disputed the threat the coronavirus proved to Americans — contradicting the concerns of public health leaders, including White House officials.
Coronavirus cases continue to rise daily in the US, and almost 90,000 people have died so far. After first calling for shutdowns to limit the spread of the virus, White House guidelines have said some regions may begin to reopen in phases — but only if they're seeing a downward trend in new cases.
In spite of that, Eric Trump told Fox News that limits on large gatherings, which experts agree are particularly risky while the virus is spreading, were about preventing the president from holding rallies.
"They're trying to deprive him of his greatest asset, which is the fact that the American people love him, the fact that he's relatable, the fact that he can go out there and draw massive crowds," he said.