npr--2020-03-31--Outbreak On U.S. Aircraft Carrier 'Accelerating,' Commander Warns Pentagon

The commander of an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier docked in Guam that has been struck by a coronavirus outbreak has sent the Pentagon a strongly worded plea for urgent assistance .
`` The spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating , '' USS Theodore Roosevelt commander Capt .
Brett Crozier writes in a letter dated March 30 .
`` Decisive action is required now in order to comply with CDC and [ U.S. Navy ] guidance and prevent tragic outcomes . ''
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly confirmed on March 26 that at least eight of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had tested positive for COVID-19 , five of whom had been removed from the ship .
He added that while the vessel would be docked in Guam , those aboard would not be allowed to venture beyond the pier .
Officials tell NPR that the aircraft carrier , whose home port is San Diego , now has more than 50 known cases of infected sailors .
The ship 's commander writes that except for a `` handful '' of senior officers ' staterooms , none of the ship 's quarters meet the recommended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited number of the aircraft carrier 's sailors have been moved ashore to locations in Guam .
Those who are sick with COVID-19 have been moved to hospitals while the rest have been placed in sites with restricted movement , although Crozier notes that only one of these places complies with U.S. Navy guidance calling for isolation in rooms with their own bathrooms .
`` Infected Sailors reside in these off-ship locations , '' he writes in the letter , which was first reported by The San Francisco Chronicle .
`` Two Sailors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bay gymnasium equipped with cots . ''
Noting that group quarantine wo n't work , Crozier is blunt in his assessment of current conditions : `` The environment most conducive to the spread of the disease is the environment the crew of the TR is in right now , both aboard ship and ashore , '' he writes , going on to describe `` large amounts of Sailors in a confined space , '' `` open , shared berthing , '' shared restrooms , mess halls and workspaces , and meals cooked and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Every member of the ship 's crew was to be tested , despite the shortage of test kits reported last week .
But Crozier says such tests are no guarantee that sailors are free of the coronavirus and that he believes the focus on testing is `` inappropriate . ''
`` The COVID-19 test can not prove a Sailor does not have the virus ; it can only prove that a sailor does , '' writes the commander .
`` Based on data since TR 's first case , approximately 21 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently moving into group restricted movement ashore are currently infected , will develop symptoms over the next several days , and will proceed to infect the remainder of their shore-based restricted group . ''
Noting that the current strategy of removing some crew from the aircraft carrier while trying to clean it will slow the spread of the virus but fail to eradicate it , Crozier recommends removing 90 % of the crew and isolating them ashore for two weeks .
The remaining crew would run the ship 's nuclear reactor and do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` a necessary risk . ''
`` Keeping over 4,000 young men and women on board the TR , '' he adds , `` is an unnecessary risk and breaks faith with those Sailors entrusted to our care . ''
Crozier ends his four-page letter requesting `` all available resources '' to find quarantine-compliant rooms for his entire crew `` as soon as possible . ''
`` This will require a political solution but it is the right thing to do , '' he concludes .
`` We are not at war .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Asked about Crozier 's letter during a CNN interview Tuesday , acting Navy Secretary Modly said he appreciated the input from the ship 's commander and promised that the Navy would `` get to work immediately '' on the issues he raised .
`` We 've been working actually the last several days to move those sailors off the ship and to get them into accomodations in Guam , '' Modly said .
`` The problem is that Guam does n't have enough beds right now , and so we 're having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see if we can get some hotel space , create some tent-type facilities there . ''
Not all those on board the Roosevelt , he added , would be removed immediately .
`` The key is to make sure that we can get a set of crew members that can man all those critical functions on the ship , make sure they 're clean , get them back on , clean the ship , and get the other crew members off , '' he told CNN .
`` And that 's the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very methodical .
We 're absolutely accelerating it as we go . ''
In a statement e-mailed to NPR , the Navy had this response to Crozier 's letter : `` Navy leadership is moving quickly to take all necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of the crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt , and is pursuing options to address the concerns raised by the commanding officer . ''

Outbreak On U.S. Aircraft Carrier 'Accelerating,' Commander Warns Pentagon
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bullit Marquez/AP Bullit Marquez/AP
Updated at 5:08 p.m. ET
The commander of an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier docked in Guam that has been struck by a coronavirus outbreak has sent the Pentagon a strongly worded plea for urgent assistance.
"The spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating," USS Theodore Roosevelt commander Capt. Brett Crozier writes in a letter dated March 30. "Decisive action is required now in order to comply with CDC and [U.S. Navy] guidance and prevent tragic outcomes."
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly confirmed on March 26 that at least eight of the Roosevelt's more than 4,000 crew members had tested positive for COVID-19, and five had been removed from the ship. He added that while the vessel would be docked in Guam, those aboard would not be allowed to venture beyond the pier.
Officials tell NPR that the aircraft carrier, whose home port is San Diego, now has more than 50 known infected sailors.
The ship's commander writes that except for a "handful" of senior officers' staterooms, none of the ship's quarters meet the recommended guidelines for isolation and quarantine.
A limited number of the aircraft carrier's sailors have been moved ashore to locations in Guam. Those who are sick with COVID-19 have been moved to hospitals while the rest have been placed in sites with restricted movement, although Crozier notes that only one of these places complies with U.S. Navy guidance calling for isolation in rooms with their own bathrooms.
"Infected Sailors reside in these off-ship locations," he writes in the letter, which was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. "Two Sailors have already tested positive in an open bay gymnasium equipped with cots."
Noting that group quarantine won't work, Crozier is blunt in his assessment of current conditions: "The environment most conducive to the spread of the disease is the environment the crew of the TR is in right now, both aboard ship and ashore," he writes, going on to describe "large amounts of Sailors in a confined space," "open, shared berthing," shared restrooms, mess halls and workspaces, and meals cooked and served by "exposed personnel."
Every member of the ship's crew was to be tested, despite the shortage of test kits reported last week. But Crozier says such tests are no guarantee that sailors are free of the coronavirus, and that he believes the focus on testing is "inappropriate."
"The COVID-19 test cannot prove a Sailor does not have the virus; it can only prove that a sailor does," writes the commander. "Based on data since TR's first case, approximately 21% of the Sailors that tested negative and are currently moving into group restricted movement ashore are currently infected, will develop symptoms over the next several days, and will proceed to infect the remainder of their shore-based restricted group."
Noting that the current strategy of removing some crew from the aircraft carrier while trying to clean it will slow the spread of the virus but fail to eradicate it, Crozier recommends removing 90% of the crew and isolating them ashore for two weeks. The remaining crew would run the ship's nuclear reactor and do sanitizing, tasks which the commander calls "a necessary risk."
"Keeping over 4,000 young men and women on board the TR," he adds, "is an unnecessary risk and breaks faith with those Sailors entrusted to our care."
Crozier ends his four-page letter requesting "all available resources" to find quarantine-compliant rooms for his entire crew "as soon as possible."
"This will require a political solution but it is the right thing to do," he concludes. "We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die."
Asked about Crozier's letter during a CNN interview Tuesday, Modly said he appreciated the input from the ship's commander and promised that the Navy would "get to work immediately" on the issues he raised.
"We've been working actually the last several days to move those sailors off the ship and to get them into accommodations in Guam," Modly said. "The problem is that Guam doesn't have enough beds right now, and so we're having to talk to the government there to see if we can get some hotel space, create some tent-type facilities there."
Not all those on board the Roosevelt, he added, would be removed immediately.
"The key is to make sure that we can get a set of crew members that can man all those critical functions on the ship, make sure they're clean, get them back on, clean the ship and get the other crew members off," he told CNN. "And that's the process we're going through. It's very methodical. We're absolutely accelerating it as we go."
In a statement emailed to NPR, the Navy had this response to Crozier's letter: "Navy leadership is moving quickly to take all necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of the crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt, and is pursuing options to address the concerns raised by the commanding officer."


npr--2020-03-31--After Surge In Cases, Michigan Now 3rd In Country For Coronavirus Deaths

After Surge In Cases , Michigan Now 3rd In Country For Coronavirus Deaths Michigan now ranks third in the country for coronavirus-related deaths , trailing only New York and New Jersey , after the Midwest state on Tuesday reported a new surge of cases .
State officials confirmed another 1,117 cases , bringing the coronavirus tally in Michigan to 7,615 .
Officials on Tuesday said the virus claimed the lives of 75 more people , pushing up the number of COVID-19 fatalities to 259 .
More than 80 % of total cases are in the three populous Detroit metro-area counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer last week ordered all of the state 's nearly 10 million residents to stay indoors and closed all nonessential businesses to slow the spread of the virus .
Bracing for infection to continue ballooning , Whitmer on Monday night asking for out-of-state medical volunteers to help the state combat the fast-moving crisis .
`` If you 're a health professional anywhere in America , Michigan needs you , '' Whitmer said in a video posted to Twitter .
`` Detroit , Mich. , needs you especially . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than any other country in the world , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
The tracker confirms that more than 3,600 Americans have so far died from the global pandemic , a death toll that now exceeds the number of people who died in the Sept. 11 , 2001 attacks .

After Surge In Cases, Michigan Now 3rd In Country For Coronavirus Deaths
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michigan Office of the Governor via AP Michigan Office of the Governor via AP
Michigan now ranks third in the country for coronavirus-related deaths, trailing only New York and New Jersey, after the Midwest state on Tuesday reported a new surge of cases.
State officials confirmed another 1,117 cases, bringing the coronavirus tally in Michigan to 7,615.
Officials on Tuesday said the virus claimed the lives of 75 more people, pushing up the number of COVID-19 fatalities to 259.
More than 80% of total cases are in the three populous Detroit metro-area counties of Oakland, Macomb and Wayne.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last week ordered all of the state's nearly 10 million residents to stay indoors and closed all nonessential businesses to slow the spread of the virus.
Bracing for infection to continue ballooning, Whitmer on Monday night asking for out-of-state medical volunteers to help the state combat the fast-moving crisis.
"If you're a health professional anywhere in America, Michigan needs you," Whitmer said in a video posted to Twitter. "Detroit, Mich., needs you especially."
The U.S. now has more than 181,000 infections, more than any other country in the world, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The tracker confirms that more than 3,600 Americans have so far died from the global pandemic, a death toll that now exceeds the number of people who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.


npr--2020-03-31--Should We All Be Wearing Masks In Public? Health Experts Revisit The Question

Should We All Be Wearing Masks In Public ?
Health Experts Revisit The Question A few months ago , it may have seemed silly to wear a face mask during a trip to the grocery store .
And in fact , the mainline public health message in the U.S. from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been that most people do n't need to wear masks .
But as cases of the coronavirus have skyrocketed , there 's new thinking about the benefits that masks could offer in slowing the spread .
The CDC says it is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recommendation to encourage broader use .
At the moment , the CDC website says the only people who need to wear a face mask are those who are sick or are caring for someone who is sick and unable to wear a mask .
But in an interview with NPR on Monday , CDC Director Robert Redfield said that the agency is taking another look at the data around mask use by the general public .
`` I can tell you that the data and this issue of whether it 's going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being aggressively reviewed as we speak , '' Redfield told NPR .
Other prominent public health experts have been raising this issue in recent days .
Wearing a mask is `` an additional layer of protection for those who have to go out , '' former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told NPR in an interview .
It 's a step you can take — on top of washing your hands and avoiding gatherings .
In a paper outlining a road map to reopen the country , Gottlieb argues that the public should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period of social distancing , for the common good .
`` Face masks will be most effective at slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 if they are widely used , because they may help prevent people who are asymptomatically infected from transmitting the disease unknowingly , '' Gottlieb wrote .
Gottlieb points to South Korea and Hong Kong — two places that were shown to manage their outbreaks successfully and where face masks are used widely .
A prominent public health leader in China also argues for widespread use of masks in public .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control and Prevention , George Gao , told Science that the U.S. and Europe are making a `` big mistake '' with people not wearing masks during this pandemic .
Specifically , he said , mask use helps tamp down the risk presented by people who may be infected but are n't yet showing symptoms .
If those people wear masks , `` it can prevent droplets that carry the virus from escaping and infecting others , '' Gao told Science .
The argument for broadening the use of face masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about asymptomatic spread during this pandemic .
It turns out that many people who are infected with the virus have no symptoms — or only mild symptoms .
What this means is that there 's no good way to know who 's infected .
If you 're trying to be responsible when you go out in public , you may not even know that you 're sick and may be inadvertently shedding the virus every time you talk with someone , such as a grocery store clerk .
`` If these asymptomatic people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be helpful to reduce the transmission in the community , '' says Elaine Shuo Feng , an infectious disease epidemiology researcher at the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford .
Given the reality of asymptomatic spread , masks may be a good socially responsible insurance policy , Gottlieb argues .
`` [ Wearing masks ] protects other people from getting sick from you , '' he says .
But there is still a big concern about mask shortages in the United States .
A survey released Friday from the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of 213 cities did not have an adequate supply of face masks for first responders and medical personnel .
At this point , experts emphasize that the general public needs to leave the supply of N95 medical masks to health care workers who are at risk every day when they go to work .
And supplies are also tight for surgical masks , the masks used everywhere from dentists ' offices to nail salons and that are even handcrafted .
`` We need to be very mindful that the supply chain for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Gottlieb says .
`` So you really do n't want to pull any kind of medical masks out of the system . ''
Given current shortages , it may be too soon to tell the general public to start wearing surgical masks right now .
`` We certainly do n't have enough masks in health care , '' says William Schaffner , an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University .
`` I would n't want people to go out and buy them now , because we do n't want to siphon them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does that leave us ?
Some research has shown that cotton T-shirt material and tea towels might help block respiratory droplets emitting from sick people , even if the effect is minimal .
`` Homemade masks , shawls , scarves and anything that you can conjure up at home might well be a good idea , '' says Schaffner .
`` It 's not clear that it 's going to give a lot of protection , but every little bit of protection would help . ''
But experts say homemade masks may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ properly .
That 's why Gottlieb says the CDC should issue guidelines advising people on how to construct their own cotton masks .
`` Cotton masks constructed in a proper way should provide a reasonable degree of protection from people being able to transmit the virus , '' he told NPR .
There 's no definitive evidence from published research that wearing masks in public will protect the person wearing the mask from contracting diseases .
In fact , randomized controlled trials — considered the gold standard for testing the effectiveness of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results from those trials were inconclusive , says Feng .
But Feng points out that randomized clinical trials have not shown significant effects for hand hygiene either .
`` But for mechanistic reasons , we believe hygiene can be a good way to kill pathogens , and WHO still recommends hand hygiene , '' she says .
And those randomized studies were looking at how the face mask could protect the wearer , but what experts are arguing is that face masks may prevent infected but asymptomatic people from transmitting the virus to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by data on this point .
One meta-analysis reviewing mask use during the SARS epidemic found that wearing masks — in addition to other efforts to block transmission , including hand-washing — was beneficial .
Another meta-analysis of mask use to prevent influenza transmission was not conclusive but showed masks possibly help .
The research may not be conclusive , but researchers we interviewed agreed that mask use is better than nothing .
`` There are some modest data that it will provide some modest protection , '' Schaffner says .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can get . ''
Concern over presymptomatic spread in the community has also led some hospitals to change their policies and extend the use of masks to nonclinical employees and visitors .
Last week , Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston took the unusual step of giving surgical or procedural face masks to all employees who go into the hospital to work , even if they do n't provide care to patients , the hospital 's Infection Control Unit associate chief , Erica Shenoy , told NPR .
`` This runs very contrary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she says .
`` But we felt that with the unprecedented nature of the pandemic , this is the right decision at this time . ''
She says if an employee were to get sick while at work , `` the face masks would serve to contain the virus particles and reduce the risk of patients and others working at our facilities . ''
On March 29 , the University of California , San Francisco , also started giving surgical masks to all staff , faculty , trainees and visitors before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UCSF system .
Feng cautions that if people do start wearing face masks regularly in public , it is important to wear them properly .
She notes that the World Health Organization has a video on how to practice correct hygiene when putting on or taking off a mask .
Saskia Popescu , an infectious disease researcher and biodefense consultant , is skeptical that healthy members of the public need to start wearing masks regularly — she says people should follow current CDC guidelines .
But she emphasizes that if you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have to wear it appropriately . ''
That means , she says , `` you have to discard it when it gets damp or moist .
You want to stop touching the front of it .
Do n't reach under to scratch your nose or mouth . ''
Otherwise , she warns , wearing masks could give `` a false sense of security . ''

Should We All Be Wearing Masks In Public? Health Experts Revisit The Question
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Updated March 31, 8:25 p.m. ET
A few months ago, it may have seemed silly to wear a face mask during a trip to the grocery store. And in fact, the mainline public health message in the U.S. from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been that most people don't need to wear masks.
But as cases of the coronavirus have skyrocketed, there's new thinking about the benefits that masks could offer in slowing the spread. The CDC says it is now reviewing its policy and may be considering a recommendation to encourage broader use.
At the moment, the CDC website says the only people who need to wear a face mask are those who are sick or are caring for someone who is sick and unable to wear a mask.
But in an interview with NPR on Monday, CDC Director Robert Redfield said that the agency is taking another look at the data around mask use by the general public.
"I can tell you that the data and this issue of whether it's going to contribute [to prevention] is being aggressively reviewed as we speak," Redfield told NPR.
And Tuesday, President Trump weighed in suggesting people may want to wear scarves. "I would say do it," he said, noting that masks are needed for health care workers. "You can use scarves, you can use something else," he said.
On Tuesday Dr. Deborah Birx, who serves as the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, said the task force is still discussing whether to change to the recommendation on masks.
Other prominent public health experts have been raising this issue in recent days. Wearing a mask is "an additional layer of protection for those who have to go out," former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told NPR in an interview. It's a step you can take — on top of washing your hands and avoiding gatherings.
In a paper outlining a road map to reopen the country, Gottlieb argues that the public should be encouraged to wear masks during this current period of social distancing, for the common good.
"Face masks will be most effective at slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 if they are widely used, because they may help prevent people who are asymptomatically infected from transmitting the disease unknowingly," Gottlieb wrote. Gottlieb points to South Korea and Hong Kong — two places that were shown to manage their outbreaks successfully and where face masks are used widely.
A prominent public health leader in China also argues for widespread use of masks in public. The director general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, George Gao, told Science that the U.S. and Europe are making a "big mistake" with people not wearing masks during this pandemic. Specifically, he said, mask use helps tamp down the risk presented by people who may be infected but aren't yet showing symptoms.
If those people wear masks, "it can prevent droplets that carry the virus from escaping and infecting others," Gao told Science.
The argument for broadening the use of face masks is based on what scientists have learned about asymptomatic spread during this pandemic.
It turns out that many people who are infected with the virus have no symptoms — or only mild symptoms.
What this means is that there's no good way to know who's infected. If you're trying to be responsible when you go out in public, you may not even know that you're sick and may be inadvertently shedding the virus every time you talk with someone, such as a grocery store clerk.
"If these asymptomatic people could wear face masks, then it could be helpful to reduce the transmission in the community," says Elaine Shuo Feng, an infectious disease epidemiology researcher at the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford.
Given the reality of asymptomatic spread, masks may be a good socially responsible insurance policy, Gottlieb argues. "[Wearing masks] protects other people from getting sick from you," he says.
But there is still a big concern about mask shortages in the United States. A survey released Friday from the U.S. Conference of Mayors finds that about 92% of 213 cities did not have an adequate supply of face masks for first responders and medical personnel.
At this point, experts emphasize that the general public needs to leave the supply of N95 medical masks to health care workers who are at risk every day when they go to work.
And supplies are also tight for surgical masks, the masks used everywhere from dentists' offices to nail salons and that are even handcrafted.
"We need to be very mindful that the supply chain for masks is extremely limited right now," Gottlieb says. "So you really don't want to pull any kind of medical masks out of the system."
Given current shortages, it may be too soon to tell the general public to start wearing surgical masks right now. "We certainly don't have enough masks in health care," says William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University. "I wouldn't want people to go out and buy them now, because we don't want to siphon them off from health care."
Where does that leave us? Some research has shown that cotton T-shirt material and tea towels might help block respiratory droplets emitting from sick people, even if the effect is minimal.
"Homemade masks, shawls, scarves and anything that you can conjure up at home might well be a good idea," says Schaffner. "It's not clear that it's going to give a lot of protection, but every little bit of protection would help."
But experts say homemade masks may not be effective if not constructed and handled properly.
That's why Gottlieb says the CDC should issue guidelines advising people on how to construct their own cotton masks. "Cotton masks constructed in a proper way should provide a reasonable degree of protection from people being able to transmit the virus," he told NPR.
There's no definitive evidence from published research that wearing masks in public will protect the person wearing the mask from contracting diseases. In fact, randomized controlled trials — considered the gold standard for testing the effectiveness of an intervention — are limited, and the results from those trials were inconclusive, says Feng.
But Feng points out that randomized clinical trials have not shown significant effects for hand hygiene either. "But for mechanistic reasons, we believe hygiene can be a good way to kill pathogens, and WHO still recommends hand hygiene," she says.
And those randomized studies were looking at how the face mask could protect the wearer, but what experts are arguing is that face masks may prevent infected but asymptomatic people from transmitting the virus to others. It's hard to come by data on this point. One meta-analysis reviewing mask use during the SARS epidemic found that wearing masks — in addition to other efforts to block transmission, including hand-washing — was beneficial. Another meta-analysis of mask use to prevent influenza transmission was not conclusive but showed masks possibly help.
The research may not be conclusive, but researchers we interviewed agreed that mask use is better than nothing. "There are some modest data that it will provide some modest protection," Schaffner says. "And we can use all the protection we can get."
Concern over presymptomatic spread in the community has also led some hospitals to change their policies and extend the use of masks to nonclinical employees and visitors. Last week, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston took the unusual step of giving surgical or procedural face masks to all employees who go into the hospital to work, even if they don't provide care to patients, the hospital's Infection Control Unit associate chief, Erica Shenoy, told NPR.
"This runs very contrary to what we normally do in infection control," she says. "But we felt that with the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, this is the right decision at this time." She says if an employee were to get sick while at work, "the face masks would serve to contain the virus particles and reduce the risk of patients and others working at our facilities."
On March 29, the University of California, San Francisco, also started giving surgical masks to all staff, faculty, trainees and visitors before they enter any clinical care building within the UCSF system.
Feng cautions that if people do start wearing face masks regularly in public, it is important to wear them properly. She notes that the World Health Organization has a video on how to practice correct hygiene when putting on or taking off a mask.
Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease researcher and biodefense consultant, is skeptical that healthy members of the public need to start wearing masks regularly — she says people should follow current CDC guidelines. But she emphasizes that if you are going to wear a mask, "you have to wear it appropriately." That means, she says, "you have to discard it when it gets damp or moist. You want to stop touching the front of it. Don't reach under to scratch your nose or mouth."
Otherwise, she warns, wearing masks could give "a false sense of security."


npr--2020-03-31--A Baaaad Crew Takes Over A Welsh Town: A Herd Of Goats

The seaside town of Llandudno in northern Wales has gone quiet during the coronavirus crisis , like so many other @ @ @ @ @ The streets are mostly deserted , except for one daring crew who are wandering around @ @ @ @ @ 's a herd of wild Kashmiri goats that have roamed down from the nearby coastal @ @ @ @ @ up in town occasionally , but according to locals quoted by the BBC , they @ @ @ @ @ the town 's coronavirus lockdown : eating shrubs and flowers , running through the streets @ @ @ @ @ , and generally giving `` free entertainment '' to the townspeople .

A Baaaad Crew Takes Over A Welsh Town: A Herd Of Goats
Enlarge this image toggle caption Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images
The seaside town of Llandudno in northern Wales has gone quiet during the coronavirus crisis, like so many other communities around the globe. The streets are mostly deserted, except for one daring crew who are wandering around the shuttered storefronts.
It's a herd of wild Kashmiri goats that have roamed down from the nearby coastal headland. The goats show up in town occasionally, but according to locals quoted by the BBC, they've become quite bold during the town's coronavirus lockdown: eating shrubs and flowers, running through the streets, hanging out on lawns, and generally giving "free entertainment" to the townspeople.


npr--2020-03-31--At Least 5 Rabbis From Ultra-Orthodox N.J. Community Have Died From Coronavirus

At Least 5 Rabbis From Ultra-Orthodox N.J. Community Have Died From Coronavirus At least five rabbis from the close-knit ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Lakewood , N.J. , have died in the past few days from coronavirus , reports from local media say .
Lakewood is a town of about 100,000 with an Orthodox Jewish population that is thought to be approaching 70 percent of the total population .
Despite very high infection rates in Lakewood , some residents of the town have prioritized religious imperatives over the stay-at-home order that Gov .
Phil Murphy instituted on Mar .
21 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ police have broken up at least three wedding celebrations , a group of some 35 men studying Talmud together , as well as another party of 40 to 50 people in Lakewood .
As of Tuesday afternoon , Ocean County , which includes Lakewood , had reported 1,022 positive cases of coronavirus .
As of Monday afternoon , the town of Lakewood had 371 positive cases — much higher than most other communities in the county .
As NPR 's Daniel Estrin noted on Tuesday , there is a mirrored struggle going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Israel have also issued fines and ordered people to disperse as haredi ( strictly observant Orthodox ) Jews similarly ignore social distancing guidelines , despite high infection rates .
But as the Israeli newspaper Haaretz observed last week , there is a growing fear that the infection rate in Lakewood and in other ultra-Orthodox communities will spur anti-Semitic incidents and sentiments .
In New York City alone , more than half of the hate crimes recorded in 2019 were against Jewish people .
Last Friday , police arrested a man who threatened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not following the state 's ban on gatherings .
With Passover — one of the most important Jewish holidays of the year — starting at sundown on Apr .
8 , prominent rabbis in Lakewood have called for their followers to `` remain at home and avoid , to the maximum extent feasible , any outside interactions . ''
The pre-Passover period is usually filled with shopping errands , as observant Jews remove chametz ( any potentially leavened foods ) from their homes and swap them out for non-leavened foods and make other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rabbis said , this year 's festival must be different : `` Our responsibility is to refrain from any nonessential outside interactions , including especially in-store shopping . ''

At Least 5 Rabbis From Ultra-Orthodox N.J. Community Have Died From Coronavirus
At least five rabbis from the close-knit ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Lakewood, N.J., have died in the past few days from coronavirus, reports from local media say.
Lakewood is a town of about 100,000 with an Orthodox Jewish population that is thought to be approaching 70 percent of the total population. Despite very high infection rates in Lakewood, some residents of the town have prioritized religious imperatives over the stay-at-home order that Gov. Phil Murphy instituted on Mar. 21.
Over the past two weeks, local police have broken up at least three wedding celebrations, a group of some 35 men studying Talmud together, as well as another party of 40 to 50 people in Lakewood.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Ocean County, which includes Lakewood, had reported 1,022 positive cases of coronavirus. As of Monday afternoon, the town of Lakewood had 371 positive cases — much higher than most other communities in the county.
As NPR's Daniel Estrin noted on Tuesday, there is a mirrored struggle going on in Israel among ultra-Orthodox communities. Police in Israel have also issued fines and ordered people to disperse as haredi (strictly observant Orthodox) Jews similarly ignore social distancing guidelines, despite high infection rates.
But as the Israeli newspaper Haaretz observed last week, there is a growing fear that the infection rate in Lakewood and in other ultra-Orthodox communities will spur anti-Semitic incidents and sentiments. In New York City alone, more than half of the hate crimes recorded in 2019 were against Jewish people.
Last Friday, police arrested a man who threatened to harm the haredim of Lakewood for not following the state's ban on gatherings.
With Passover — one of the most important Jewish holidays of the year — starting at sundown on Apr. 8, prominent rabbis in Lakewood have called for their followers to "remain at home and avoid, to the maximum extent feasible, any outside interactions."
The pre-Passover period is usually filled with shopping errands, as observant Jews remove chametz (any potentially leavened foods) from their homes and swap them out for non-leavened foods and make other preparations in their households.
However, the rabbis said, this year's festival must be different: "Our responsibility is to refrain from any nonessential outside interactions, including especially in-store shopping."


npr--2020-03-31--Spain's Health Staff Are Catching The Coronavirus As Protective Gear Runs Short

Spain 's Health Staff Are Catching The Coronavirus As Protective Gear Runs Short Spain is one of the country 's worst-hit by the new coronavirus pandemic .
As its hospitals race to save patients ' lives , many health workers themselves are catching COVID-19 .
By last Friday , more than 9,400 medical personnel were infected , which was nearly 15 % of all confirmed cases at the time .
As of Tuesday , Spain registered over 94,400 cases — more than China 's infections — and the world 's second highest death toll at over 8,200 .
The public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , as housebound residents go to their windows and balconies to applaud the health care providers .
Doctors say they appreciate the public 's gesture but that hospitals still urgently need supplies .
Hospitals need more COVID-19 test kits , ventilators , intensive care unit beds and even basic protective gear , says emergency physician Tomás Toranzo , president of the Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions .
`` The government is constantly lying , '' says Toranzo , who works in a hospital in Salamanca , in western Spain .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't come . ''
Last week , Health Minister Salvador Illa announced a $ 480 million deal to buy surgical masks , gloves and rapid test kits from Chinese companies — but health officials later said many of the test kits were faulty .
Medical staff have taken to reusing material and creating makeshift protective gear out of plastic bags or raincoats .
Spain 's public health system is well-regarded .
But after the 2008 economic crisis , the government cut billions of dollars in funding , resulting in layoffs and overwhelmed hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exacerbating the problem .
`` We 're left without ventilators , without material , '' says Rocío de Paz , a doctor in emergencies and primary care in Barcelona 's Hospital del Mar .
`` And often we 're not protected from getting infected . ''
De Paz says the hospital 's protocols are changing every day , sometimes several times a day .
Many units are being repurposed for intensive care — including operating rooms .
`` What makes me angry is having people die because the system is overwhelmed , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health professionals believe the number of coronavirus cases is much higher than the official count because there is n't enough testing .
De Paz is working more than ever and feels exhausted .
She suspects the government is romanticizing medical work to hide that its actions have been insufficient — and she does n't want to be labeled a hero , she says .
`` You do n't feel like a hero , you feel like you 've been invited to a war and left to fend for yourself , '' says De @ @

Spain's Health Staff Are Catching The Coronavirus As Protective Gear Runs Short
Enlarge this image toggle caption Manu Fernandez/AP Manu Fernandez/AP
Spain is one of the countries worst-hit by the new coronavirus pandemic. As its hospitals race to save patients' lives, many health workers themselves are catching COVID-19.
By last Friday, more than 9,400 medical personnel were infected, which was nearly 15% of all confirmed cases at the time. As of Tuesday, Spain registered over 94,400 cases — more than China's infections — and the world's second highest death toll at over 8,200.
The public shows its gratitude to medical staff each night, as housebound residents go to their windows and balconies to applaud the health care providers. Doctors say they appreciate the public's gesture but that hospitals still urgently need supplies.
Hospitals need more COVID-19 test kits, ventilators, intensive care unit beds and even basic protective gear, says emergency physician Tomás Toranzo, president of the Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions.
"The government is constantly lying," says Toranzo, who works in a hospital in Salamanca, in western Spain. "They promise more material, but it doesn't come."
Last week, Health Minister Salvador Illa announced a $480 million deal to buy surgical masks, gloves and rapid test kits from Chinese companies — but health officials later said many of the test kits were faulty.
Medical staff have taken to reusing material and creating makeshift protective gear out of plastic bags or raincoats.
Spain's public health system is well-regarded. But after the 2008 economic crisis, the government cut billions of dollars in funding, resulting in layoffs and overwhelmed hospitals. Now, the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating the problem.
"We're left without ventilators, without material," says Rocío de Paz, a doctor in emergencies and primary care in Barcelona's Hospital del Mar. "And often we're not protected from getting infected."
De Paz says the hospital's protocols are changing every day, sometimes several times a day. Many units are being repurposed for intensive care — including operating rooms.
"What makes me angry is having people die because the system is overwhelmed," says De Paz. She and many health professionals believe the number of coronavirus cases is much higher than the official count because there isn't enough testing.
De Paz is working more than ever and feels exhausted. She suspects the government is romanticizing medical work to hide that its actions have been insufficient — and she doesn't want to be labeled a hero, she says.
"You don't feel like a hero, you feel like you've been invited to a war and left to fend for yourself," says De Paz.


npr--2020-03-31--Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Is 'Still Not Satisfied' With Trump Administration Response

Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan Is 'Still Not Satisfied ' With Trump Administration Response A day after issuing a stay-at-home directive to Maryland residents , Republican Gov .
Larry Hogan said he and other governors are still `` not satisfied '' with federal assistance in response to the coronavirus crisis .
Hogan , who is also the chair of National Governors Association , issued the directive on Monday as did leaders in nearby Virginia and Washington , D.C. , to combat an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the mid-Atlantic region .
Hogan spoke to NPR 's Rachel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's no longer a lack of coronavirus testing kits and about the governor 's own efforts in his state which , as of March 31 , has 1,661 confirmed cases and 18 deaths .
How is Maryland preparing to help residents who test positive for COVID-19 ?
There 's nobody in America that 's prepared .
And we 've been working very hard on that for more than three weeks .
We have a hospital surge plan , which we 're in the process of [ implementing ] .
... We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our hospital bed capacity ; we 've now opened , with the help of FEMA and our Maryland National Guard , a field hospital in the Baltimore convention center .
We 're opening closed hospitals .
... We 've added already 2,400 additional hospital beds across the state but we 're working to add a total of 6,000 .
With respect to the personal protective equipment and masks and ventilators and all of those things that your hearing about : Every single state in America has a shortage .
... We 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level but there are simply not enough of them .
President Trump recently said he wanted state leaders to be appreciative of federal efforts to help them .
Are governors able to communicate with him in a way that 's productive in this moment ?
Here 's the good news : We have now had six conversations with all of the nation 's governors , with the president and vice president and his top team .
We just had another one yesterday .
... We 're pretty frank and direct in these discussions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need and what the issues and problems are .
And they lay out some of the things that they are doing .
We have made progress .
... We do appreciate some of the actions that have been taken .
But we 're still not satisfied with some of the others .
Gov .
Whitmer [ Democrat of Michigan ] and I did an op-ed in the Washington Post today together talking about what governors need and one of the things we need is ... more production and distribution and coordination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing and ventilators .
Was Trump correct when he suggested recently that states have enough testing kits ?
That 's just not true .
I know that [ the federal government has ] taken some steps to create new tests , but they 're not actually produced and distributed out to the states .
It 's an aspirational thing , and they 've got some new things in the works but they 're not actually on the streets and no state has enough testing .
Hear a longer interview with Gov .
Hogan @ @ @ @ @

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Is 'Still Not Satisfied' With Trump Administration Response
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Countess/Getty Images J. Countess/Getty Images
A day after issuing a stay-at-home directive to Maryland residents, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said he and other governors are still "not satisfied" with federal assistance in response to the coronavirus crisis.
Hogan, who is also the chair of National Governors Association, issued the directive on Monday as did leaders in nearby Virginia and Washington, D.C., to combat an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the mid-Atlantic region.
Hogan spoke to NPR's Rachel Martin about President Trump's claim that there's no longer a lack of coronavirus testing kits and about the governor's own efforts in his state which, as of March 31, has 1,661 confirmed cases and 18 deaths.
How is Maryland preparing to help residents who test positive for COVID-19?
There's nobody in America that's prepared. And we've been working very hard on that for more than three weeks. We have a hospital surge plan, which we're in the process of [implementing]. ... We're trying to ramp up 70 percent increase in our hospital bed capacity; we've now opened, with the help of FEMA and our Maryland National Guard, a field hospital in the Baltimore convention center. We're opening closed hospitals. ... We've added already 2,400 additional hospital beds across the state but we're working to add a total of 6,000.
With respect to the personal protective equipment and masks and ventilators and all of those things that your hearing about: Every single state in America has a shortage. ... We've been pushing these things at the federal level but there are simply not enough of them.
President Trump recently said he wanted state leaders to be appreciative of federal efforts to help them. Are governors able to communicate with him in a way that's productive in this moment?
Here's the good news: We have now had six conversations with all of the nation's governors, with the president and vice president and his top team. We just had another one yesterday. ... We're pretty frank and direct in these discussions and we tell the president exactly what we need and what the issues and problems are. And they lay out some of the things that they are doing. We have made progress. ...
We do appreciate some of the actions that have been taken. But we're still not satisfied with some of the others. Gov. Whitmer [Democrat of Michigan] and I did an op-ed in the Washington Post today together talking about what governors need and one of the things we need is ... more production and distribution and coordination of these materials and supplies: PPEs, testing and ventilators.
Was Trump correct when he suggested recently that states have enough testing kits?
That's just not true. I know that [the federal government has] taken some steps to create new tests, but they're not actually produced and distributed out to the states. It's an aspirational thing, and they've got some new things in the works but they're not actually on the streets and no state has enough testing.
Hear a longer interview with Gov. Hogan on Morning Edition here.


npr--2020-03-31--Economy On Lockdown: Jobless Rate Could Be Highest Since WWII

Economy On Lockdown : Jobless Rate Could Be Highest Since WWII With millions of American workers suddenly idled in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus , the United States appears poised to go from the lowest unemployment rate in half a century to the highest since World War II .
Forecasters at Oxford Economics project some 20 million people will lose their jobs in the coming weeks , as the unemployment rate climbs to 12 % .
Goldman Sachs is even gloomier , predicting a jobless rate of 15 % — although forecasters say the headline number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent people from being part of the labor force and looking for work .
Goldman now expects an even sharper contraction in the U.S. economy than it was predicting a couple of weeks ago , with GDP shrinking at an annual rate of 9 % in the quarter that just ended , and a jaw-dropping 34 % in the next three months .
That would be by far the steepest drop in economic activity on record .
Many of the job losses are likely to be concentrated in retail , restaurants and hospitality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places have been shuttered as Americans are urged to `` hunker down '' at home .
This week , big retailers including Macy 's , Gap and Kohl 's furloughed tens of thousands of workers .
`` It 's just been like really financially scary because I had to immediately file for unemployment , I had to immediately file for food stamps , '' Ro Worrall , who sold cosmetics at a Macy 's store in Portland , Ore. , told Morning Edition .
`` If I do n't have a new job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm gon na do .
The layoffs mark an abrupt reversal for what had been an uncommonly robust job market , with unemployment of just 3.5 % in February .
The decline will begin to show up on Friday when the Labor Department releases March employment numbers .
But because that report is based on surveys conducted three weeks ago — before the bulk of the coronavirus crackdown — it will merely hint at what 's to come .
Forecasters expect the report to show a modest decline of about 100,000 jobs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a record 3.28 million people applied for unemployment .
Goldman Sachs says the following week may have been even worse , with as many as 5.5 million newly jobless people filing claims .
If , as some of these ominous forecasts project , unemployment climbs to 12 % or 15 % , that would be the highest on record since World War II .
The previous peak was in 1982 , when it reached 10.8 % .
Unemployment during the Great Depression approached 25 % .
In addition to the hit to services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturing during the second quarter , driven in part by the shutdown of auto plants .
Food and beverage manufacturers , however , are enjoying increased demand , as are manufacturers of medical equipment .
With millions of people out of work , and others anxious about their employment , Goldman also expects to see a dent in consumer spending in the coming months .
But the investment bank predicts the economy will start to rebound by mid-summer , with GDP growing at an annual rate of 19 % in the third quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first appeared , the economy has begun to recover , although activity has not returned to pre-pandemic levels .

Economy On Lockdown: Jobless Rate Could Be Highest Since WWII
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Margot/AP Ben Margot/AP
With millions of American workers suddenly idled in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the United States appears poised to go from the lowest unemployment rate in half a century to the highest since World War II.
Forecasters at Oxford Economics project some 20 million people will lose their jobs in the coming weeks, as the unemployment rate climbs to 12%. Goldman Sachs is even gloomier, predicting a jobless rate of 15% — although forecasters say the headline number could be lower, if stay-at-home orders prevent people from being part of the labor force and looking for work.
Goldman now expects an even sharper contraction in the U.S. economy than it was predicting a couple of weeks ago, with GDP shrinking at an annual rate of 9% in the quarter that just ended, and a jaw-dropping 34% in the next three months. That would be by far the steepest drop in economic activity on record.
Many of the job losses are likely to be concentrated in retail, restaurants and hospitality. Hotels, stores and other gathering places have been shuttered as Americans are urged to "hunker down" at home.
This week, big retailers including Macy's, Gap and Kohl's furloughed tens of thousands of workers.
"It's just been like really financially scary because I had to immediately file for unemployment, I had to immediately file for food stamps," Ro Worrall, who sold cosmetics at a Macy's store in Portland, Ore., told Morning Edition. "If I don't have a new job, I don't know what I'm gonna do.
The layoffs mark an abrupt reversal for what had been an uncommonly robust job market, with unemployment of just 3.5% in February.
The decline will begin to show up on Friday when the Labor Department releases March employment numbers. But because that report is based on surveys conducted three weeks ago — before the bulk of the coronavirus crackdown — it will merely hint at what's to come. Forecasters expect the report to show a modest decline of about 100,000 jobs.
The week after that March survey, a record 3.28 million people applied for unemployment. Goldman Sachs says the following week may have been even worse, with as many as 5.5 million newly jobless people filing claims.
If, as some of these ominous forecasts project, unemployment climbs to 12% or 15%, that would be the highest on record since World War II. The previous peak was in 1982, when it reached 10.8%. Unemployment during the Great Depression approached 25%.
In addition to the hit to services, Goldman expects a steep drop in manufacturing during the second quarter, driven in part by the shutdown of auto plants. Food and beverage manufacturers, however, are enjoying increased demand, as are manufacturers of medical equipment.
With millions of people out of work, and others anxious about their employment, Goldman also expects to see a dent in consumer spending in the coming months. But the investment bank predicts the economy will start to rebound by mid-summer, with GDP growing at an annual rate of 19% in the third quarter.
In China, where the coronavirus first appeared, the economy has begun to recover, although activity has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.


npr--2020-03-31--Walmart To Start Checking Workers' Temperatures

Walmart plans to start checking workers ' temperatures as they clock in and to offer them gloves and masks , the company said on Tuesday as it announced a series of new measures to safeguard against the coronavirus .
Retail workers across the country have been raising concerns about their safety — including protests and walk-offs — as their low-wage hourly and gig work is declared essential .
That means they have to continue working and interacting with others while most of the country is asked to isolate at home .
`` I do n't know how to weigh the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility of making sure that my parents are safe , '' said a Walmart worker from New Mexico named Lily .
She told NPR 's National Conversation with All Things Considered on Friday that she lives with her elderly parents , who are in the high-risk category for COVID-19 .
`` I 'm scared that , going every day to work , I am putting them in danger . ''
Walmart has been adding plexiglass guard shields around cash registers in stores around the country .
Now it says that in the coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and masks to those workers in warehouses and stores who want them .
`` We know not only our associates , but our customers as well will be more comforted by the fact that they have access to the more general medical mask , '' Walmart executive Dan Bartlett told reporters on Tuesday .
The process will be voluntary , he said , because the official health guidelines do not recommend masks for those who are not sick , out of concern that they might provide a false sense of security .
Walmart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week to keep its workers supplied , Bartlett said .
The retail giant is also trying to get shoppers to be more mindful about how they act in stores .
Walmart plans to add one-way aisles , like the company does for Black Friday , as well as announcements reminding people to keep a six-foot distance from each other .
Supermarkets continue to see spikes of shopping — including mass runs on eggs and other foods , but also toilet paper .
`` I ca n't explain it , '' Bartlett said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling enough toilet paper for every individual American to have their own roll .
It 's just an astonishing volume that we 're going through . ''
The company is urging shoppers to be `` prudent , '' both for their own but also the workers ' sake , limiting both how often they visit , how many people they bring , how much time they spend in stores and the quantity of stuff they buy .
Walmart , along with Amazon and other retail and food-delivery companies , is hiring thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are expediting the hiring process and encouraging people who recently lost jobs in hotels and other hard-hit industries to apply .
Bartlett said Walmart on average is making 5,000 hires a day , already bringing on board `` just shy of 50,000 '' in less than two weeks .

Walmart To Start Checking Workers' Temperatures
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Rourke/AP Matt Rourke/AP
Walmart plans to start checking workers' temperatures as they clock in and to offer them gloves and masks, the company said on Tuesday as it announced a series of new measures to safeguard against the coronavirus.
Retail workers across the country have been raising concerns about their safety — including protests and walk-offs — as their low-wage hourly and gig work is declared essential. That means they have to continue working and interacting with others while most of the country is asked to isolate at home.
"I don't know how to weigh the responsibility of going to work with the responsibility of making sure that my parents are safe," said a Walmart worker from New Mexico named Lily. She told NPR's National Conversation with All Things Considered on Friday that she lives with her elderly parents, who are in the high-risk category for COVID-19. "I'm scared that, going every day to work, I am putting them in danger."
Walmart has been adding plexiglass guard shields around cash registers in stores around the country. Now it says that in the coming weeks, it will start distributing gloves and masks to those workers in warehouses and stores who want them.
"We know not only our associates, but our customers as well will be more comforted by the fact that they have access to the more general medical mask," Walmart executive Dan Bartlett told reporters on Tuesday.
The process will be voluntary, he said, because the official health guidelines do not recommend masks for those who are not sick, out of concern that they might provide a false sense of security. Walmart might need more than 7 million masks a week to keep its workers supplied, Bartlett said.
The retail giant is also trying to get shoppers to be more mindful about how they act in stores. Walmart plans to add one-way aisles, like the company does for Black Friday, as well as announcements reminding people to keep a six-foot distance from each other.
Supermarkets continue to see spikes of shopping — including mass runs on eggs and other foods, but also toilet paper.
"I can't explain it," Bartlett said. "Every five days we're selling enough toilet paper for every individual American to have their own roll. It's just an astonishing volume that we're going through."
The company is urging shoppers to be "prudent," both for their own but also the workers' sake, limiting both how often they visit, how many people they bring, how much time they spend in stores and the quantity of stuff they buy.
Walmart, along with Amazon and other retail and food-delivery companies, is hiring thousands of new workers to keep up with demand. They are expediting the hiring process and encouraging people who recently lost jobs in hotels and other hard-hit industries to apply. Bartlett said Walmart on average is making 5,000 hires a day, already bringing on board "just shy of 50,000" in less than two weeks.


npr--2020-03-31--Watch Live: Coronavirus Task Force Details What Data Led To Extension Of Guidelines

Watch Live : Coronavirus Task Force Details What Data Led To Extension Of Guidelines America must brace for 100,000 or more people to die in the coming months in the coronavirus pandemic , the White House 's response team warned on Tuesday .
`` As sobering a number as that is , we should be prepared for it , '' said Dr. Anthony Fauci , a top immunologist helping steer White House policy on the disaster .
`` No one is denying the fact that we are going through a very , very difficult time right now . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the modeling and other data that compelled President Trump to extend virus countermeasures deeper into the spring .
The briefing is underway now .
Watch the briefing live .
Fauci and another top physician , Dr. Deborah Birx , renewed their pleas for Americans to observe social distancing and other precautions in order to try to depress the rate of infections and deaths .
`` This is not a number we need to accept .
We can influence this to a varying degree , '' Fauci said .
Trump , however , suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told that 100,000 could be a floor and not the ceiling .
`` They 're very sobering yeah , '' the president said of the estimates .
`` When you see 100,000 people and that 's a minimum number ... and they said it 's unlikely you 'll be able to attain that .
Think of what would have happened if we did n't do anything . ''
The president had earlier described an imaginary scene of full church pews on Easter Sunday — but then acknowledged Sunday that federal guidelines for social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remain in place through April 30 .
`` It 's life and death , frankly , '' Trump said .
`` It 's a matter of life and death . ''
Public health officials warn that infections and deaths may not peak for the next few weeks ; it is n't clear when except that the disaster will get worse .
`` I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead , '' Trump said .
`` This is going to be three weeks that we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members used Tuesday 's briefing to detail the metrics that informed those warnings and prompted Trump to extend the countermeasure guidelines .
Birx showed reporters at the White House a chart on Tuesday that showed what she called a `` blue mountain '' of deaths hitting a peak of around 2.2 million — a projection of what could have taken place without any countermeasures .
Social distancing and other protocols cause that estimated curve to be shallower , which is why they 're so essential , Birx said .
She and Fauci said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject to change based on the ongoing response .
But she also warned that the `` stark reality '' of the coronavirus justifies the grave warning Trump gave and underscores why she said Americans must continue to isolate and take the other precautionary measures .
The United States is still climbing the statistical curve of infections as the virus spreads into and within new regions such as the South and the Midwest .
A statistical curve of mortality will follow and likely abate over a longer period of time , officials say .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep apart , wash their hands , and take the other steps that public health officials have urged , Birx said .
`` It 's communities that will do this , '' she said .
`` There 's no magic bullet .
There 's no magic vaccine or therapy .
It 's just behaviors . ''
In terms of the types of countermeasures required , the officials on Tuesday said nothing more is likely needed beyond what 's already recommended : The closure of restaurants and businesses and other public places ; avoiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forth .
`` We hope it 's enough , '' Trump said .
`` We hope we 're at a level where we can say , 'let 's go . '
'' The number of test-confirmed cases nationwide is nearing 200,000 , and more than 3,400 Americans have died as of Tuesday afternoon , per Johns Hopkins University .
Fauci told reporters that the coming weeks ' worth of data might be grim , but he said that the nation must hold fast .
Suggestions for Washington state and elsewhere show that social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stops transmissions .
`` We 're going to continue to see things go up , '' Fauci said .
`` We can not be discouraged by that , because the mitigation is actually working . ''
The United States ca n't `` take its foot off the accelerator and put it onto the brakes — I know that 's what we can do over the next 30 days . ''
Americans in many places are under more stringent restrictions than those in the federal guidelines .
Governors and mayors have ordered people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close through May and into June in some cases .
Others , including Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis , have n't yet .
Trump was asked whether he 'd get involved with those leaders ' decisions .
Not unless he felt that was necessary , the president said .
`` Unless we see something obviously wrong , we 're going to let the governors do it , '' he said .
For a time , Trump and Vice President Pence sustained a vision of a phase in which at least some locations could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring portions of the economy back to life .
Trump and Pence said they did n't want the cure to be worse than the disease and they likened the old projections for coronavirus fatalities to the annual tolls taken in car accidents or by the seasonal flu .
The new data , however , have cooled that ardor .
Trump alluded on Tuesday to what he now says `` people were saying '' about simply enduring the pandemic and made clear he rules out that approach .
`` A lot of people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 'think of it as the flu . '
But it 's not the flu , it 's vicious . ''
The pandemic not only is a public health disaster but an economic catastrophe .
Already millions of people have filed for unemployment benefits nationwide .
Washington is beginning to implement a $ 2 trillion relief program and members of Congress are discussing the prospect of more such legislation .
Prospect for an era of masks One question on Tuesday was whether the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might open the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most Americans wear masks outdoors .
Dr. Robert Redfield , the CDC director , told NPR member station WABE in Atlanta that roughly 25 % of coronavirus sufferers may be asymptomatic and continue to transmit the virus .
That could compel the CDC to recommend that when people go outside their homes , they should cover their faces in case they 're carrying the virus and do n't know it , Redfield acknowledged .
No such actual recommendation is yet in place , and Redfield told WABE that anything the CDC issues would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
Trump suggested on Tuesday that he might support guidelines for using face coverings in public , positing that people might be able to wear scarves .

Coronavirus Task Force Details 'Sobering' Data Behind Its Extended Guidelines
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 7:40 p.m. ET
America must brace for 100,000 or more people to die in the coming months in the coronavirus pandemic, the White House's response team warned Tuesday.
"As sobering a number as that is, we should be prepared for it," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top immunologist helping to steer White House policy on the disaster. "No one is denying the fact that we are going through a very, very difficult time right now."
The White House's coronavirus task force detailed the modeling and other data that compelled President Trump to extend virus countermeasures deeper into the spring.
Fauci and another top physician, Dr. Deborah Birx, renewed their pleas for Americans to observe social distancing and other precautions to try to depress the rate of infections and deaths.
"This is not a number we need to accept. We can influence this to a varying degree," Fauci said.
Trump, however, suggested that he has been told that 100,000 could be a floor and not the ceiling.
"They're very sobering, yeah," the president said of the estimates. "When you see 100,000 people and that's a minimum number ... and they said it's unlikely you'll be able to attain that. Think of what would have happened if we didn't do anything."
"Hard days" lie ahead
The president had earlier described an imaginary scene of full church pews on Easter Sunday — but then acknowledged Sunday that federal guidelines for social distancing and other mitigation measures would need to remain in place through April 30.
"It's life and death, frankly," Trump said. "It's a matter of life and death."
Public health officials warn that infections and deaths may not peak for the next few weeks; it isn't clear when, except that the disaster will get worse.
"I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead," Trump said. "This is going to be three weeks that we haven't seen before."
Task force members used Tuesday's briefing to detail the metrics that informed those warnings and that prompted Trump to extend the countermeasure guidelines.
The "blue mountain"
Birx showed reporters at the White House on Tuesday a chart that showed what she called a "blue mountain" of deaths hitting a peak of around 2.2 million — a projection of what could have taken place without any countermeasures at all.
Social distancing and other protocols cause that estimated curve to be shorter in height, which is why they're so essential, Birx said. She and Fauci said the models they've cited still were subject to change based on the ongoing response.
But she also warned that the "stark reality" of the coronavirus justifies the grave warning Trump gave and underscores why she said Americans must continue to isolate and take the other precautionary measures.
The United States is still climbing the statistical curve of infections as the virus spreads into and within new regions such as the South and the Midwest. A statistical curve of mortality will follow and likely abate over a longer period of time, officials say.
Americans must continue to stay home, keep apart, wash their hands and take the other steps that public health officials have urged, Birx said.
"It's communities that will do this," she said. "There's no magic bullet. There's no magic vaccine or therapy. It's just behaviors."
In terms of the types of countermeasures required, the officials said nothing more is likely needed beyond what's already recommended: the closure of restaurants, businesses and other public places; avoiding groups; washing hands; and so forth.
"We hope it's enough," Trump said. "We hope we're at a level where we can say, 'Let's go.' "
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The number of test-confirmed cases nationwide is nearing 200,000, and more than 3,800 Americans have died as of Tuesday evening, per Johns Hopkins University.
Fauci told reporters that the coming weeks' worth of data might be grim, but he said that the nation must hold fast. Data from Washington state and elsewhere show that social distancing makes the statistical curves shorter in height and stops transmissions.
"We're going to continue to see things go up," Fauci said. "We cannot be discouraged by that, because the mitigation is actually working."
The United States, he added, can't "take its foot off the accelerator and put it onto the brakes — I know that's what we can do over the next 30 days."
Life in isolation
Americans in many places are under more stringent restrictions than those in the federal guidelines. Governors and mayors have ordered people to stay at home and business to close through May and into June in some cases.
Others, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, haven't yet. Trump was asked Tuesday whether he'd get involved with those leaders' decisions.
Not unless he felt that was necessary, the president said. "Unless we see something obviously wrong, we're going to let the governors do it," he said.
For a time, Trump and Vice President Pence sustained a vision of a phase in which at least some locations could relax their efforts on pandemic mitigation to bring portions of the economy back to life.
Trump and Pence said they didn't want the "cure" to be worse than the disease, and they likened the old projections for coronavirus fatalities to the annual tolls taken in car accidents or by the seasonal flu.
The new data, however, have cooled that ardor.
Trump alluded on Tuesday to what he now says "people were saying" about simply enduring the pandemic and made clear he rules out that approach.
"A lot of people have said, 'Ride it out' and 'Think of it as the flu.' But it's not the flu — it's vicious."
The pandemic is not only a public health disaster but an economic catastrophe.
Already millions of people have filed for unemployment benefits nationwide. Washington is beginning to implement a $2 trillion relief program, and members of Congress are discussing the prospect of more such legislation.
Prospect for an era of masks
One question on Tuesday was whether the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might open the door partly toward normalization with a recommendation that most Americans wear masks outdoors.
Dr. Robert Redfield, the CDC director, told NPR member station WABE in Atlanta that roughly 25% of coronavirus sufferers may be asymptomatic and continue to transmit the virus.
That could compel the CDC to recommend that when people go outside their homes, they should cover their faces in case they're carrying the virus and don't know it, Redfield acknowledged.
No such actual recommendation is yet in place, and Redfield told WABE that anything the CDC issued would be informed by science and data about the pandemic.
Trump suggested on Tuesday that he might support guidelines for using face coverings in public, positing that people might be able to wear scarves.


npr--2020-04-01--Don't Nag Your Husband During Lock Down, Malaysia's Government Advises Women

Do n't Nag Your Husband During Lock Down , Malaysia 's Government Advises Women Malaysia has the largest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia , with more than 2,900 and counting .
This week Malaysia 's government also had a serious public relations issue after an ill-conceived plan went online .
Malaysia 's Ministry for Women , Family and Community Development issued a series of online posters on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag # WomenPreventCOVID19 .
It advised the nation 's women to help with the country 's partial lock down by not nagging their husbands .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being `` sarcastic '' if they asked for help with household chores .
And it urged women working from home to dress up and wear makeup .
`` ( It ) is extremely condescending both to women and men , '' Nisha Sabanayagam , a manager at the advocacy group All Women 's Action Society told Reuters .
`` These posters promote the concept of gender inequality and perpetuate the concept of patriarchy . ''
`` How did we go from preventing baby dumping , fighting domestic violence to some variant of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yinshaoloong .
`` Avoid wearing home clothes .
Dress up as usual , put on make-up and dress neatly .
OMG !
This is what Rina , our Minister of Women , Family & Community Development thinks is important during the # COVID19 lockdown ? ''
tweeted # honeyean .
After this torrent of abuse , the ministry abruptly relented late Tuesday and abandoned its campaign .
It said its suggestions were simply aimed at `` maintaining positive relationships among family members during the period they are working from home . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people and promised to `` remain cautious in the future . ''
Women 's groups around the world have warned the lock downs could result in a rise in domestic violence , and some governments are reaching out to women in need .
The latest World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap index puts Malaysia at 104 out of 153 countries when it comes to women 's political empowerment and economic participation .
The ministry 's advice to women was not the only governmental misstep as it confronted the coronavirus .
The country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specified that only the `` head of the household '' should leave the house to purchase necessities .
While the order did not indicate whether that person was male or female , men took it upon themselves to brave the grocery store .
It did n't work out so well for many .
Facebook posts showed male heads of households having a tough go of it in the aisles , either staring in confusion at lists in their hands or taking instruction over their cellphones from central command back home .
Malaysian Cheanu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others in his Facebook post headlined , `` Attention All Men ! ''
He advised shoppers `` like me , do n't forget to fully charge your phone before you execute your mission .
Also , get enough sleep the night before so you can stay calm over the phone to minimise disruptions during your operation . ''
The supermarket chain Tesco Malaysia recognized there was a problem , and swiftly came to the hapless male shopper 's aid with a how-to guide .
It proclaimed , `` Now all husbands can shop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here at Tesco , we have your back ! ''
In the week or so since that announcement , men may be getting a little better at the supermarket .
With yesterday 's swift climb down on its original announcement , the women 's affairs ministry is apparently learning , too .

Don't Nag Your Husband During Lockdown, Malaysia's Government Advises Women
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development/Government of Malaysia Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development/Government of Malaysia
Malaysia has the largest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia with more than 2,900 and counting. This week, Malaysia's government also had a serious public relations issue after an ill-conceived plan went online.
Malaysia's Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development issued a series of online posters on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #WomenPreventCOVID19. It advised the nation's women to help with the country's partial lockdown by not nagging their husbands.
The ministry also advised women to refrain from being "sarcastic" if they asked for help with household chores. And it urged women working from home to dress up and wear makeup.
"(It) is extremely condescending both to women and men," Nisha Sabanayagam, a manager at the advocacy group All Women's Action Society, told Reuters. "These posters promote the concept of gender inequality and perpetuate the concept of patriarchy."
The posters drew swift ridicule online.
"How did we go from preventing baby dumping, fighting domestic violence to some variant of the Obedient Wives Club?" wrote @yinshaoloong.
"Avoid wearing home clothes. Dress up as usual, put on make-up and dress neatly. OMG! This is what Rina, our Minister of Women, Family & Community Development thinks is important during the #COVID19 lockdown?" tweeted @honeyean.
After this torrent of abuse, the ministry abruptly relented late Tuesday and abandoned its campaign. It said its suggestions were simply aimed at "maintaining positive relationships among family members during the period they are working from home."
The ministry acknowledged that the advice could have offended some people and promised to "remain cautious in the future."
Women's groups around the world have warned that the lockdowns could result in a rise in domestic violence, and some governments are reaching out to women in need. The latest World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap index puts Malaysia at 104 out of 153 countries when it comes to women's political empowerment and economic participation.
Challenged by produce
The ministry's advice to women was not the only governmental misstep as it confronted the coronavirus. The country's movement control order on March 18 specified that only the "head of the household" should leave the house to purchase necessities.
While the order did not indicate whether that person was male or female, men took it upon themselves to brave the grocery store.
It didn't work out so well for many.
Facebook posts showed male heads of households having a tough go of it in the aisles, either staring in confusion at lists in their hands or taking instruction over their cellphones from central command back home.
Malaysian Cheanu Chew made fun of both himself and others in his Facebook post headlined "Attention All Men!" He advised: Shoppers "like me, don't forget to fully charge your phone before you execute your mission. Also, get enough sleep the night before so you can stay calm over the phone to minimise disruptions during your operation."
The supermarket chain Tesco Malaysia recognized there was a problem and swiftly came to the hapless male shopper's aid with a how-to guide.
It proclaimed, "Now all husbands can shop." And assured them, "Here at Tesco, we have your back!"
In the week or so since that announcement, men may be getting a little better at the supermarket. And with the swift climbdown on its original announcement, the women's affairs ministry is apparently learning, too.


npr--2020-04-01--No Caps, No Gowns: For Many In The Class Of 2020, Commencement Is Called Off

No Caps , No Gowns : For Many In The Class Of 2020 , Commencement Is Called Off It was a pretty normal St. Patrick 's Day .
Nathan Stewart and a couple of friends were hanging out , drinking a few beers , soaking up senior spring at the University of Virginia .
Then an email landed in their inboxes : Classes were moving online and graduation was indefinitely postponed .
`` Honestly , my friends and I just immediately started crying , '' says Stewart .
Throughout his four years at UVA , graduation had been a major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were having tough days , they 'd tell each other , `` Just wait till graduation day .
We 're all walking across the stage together and we 'll get our diplomas .
It 'll be so worth it then . ''
Now , he says he feels burned out .
His research job on campus was discontinued — that was his only source of income — so Stewart is figuring out how to pay the rent on his off-campus apartment .
That 's on top of all his classes shifting online .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ aspect of it , in the midst of it being emotional , is just really difficult , '' he says .
`` The hard thing , too , is that you ca n't place your anger or sorrow on anybody because nobody knows what they 're doing . ''
As he and his friends were sitting around drinking , stewing over the bad news , he remembers thinking : `` 'You know what 's crazy ?
The administration is probably doing the exact same thing : Sitting on somebody else 's couch , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'What the hell are we going to do ? '
`` Nathan Stewart is right .
Administrators and college presidents are scrambling to figure out what to do about graduation this year .
How can they acknowledge students ' hard work and success , while still maintaining social distancing amid the outbreak of coronavirus ?
Many colleges across the country have outright cancelled graduations , others , such as Harvard and Miami University in Ohio , have scheduled virtual ceremonies .
Some students have taken things into their own hands and created their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — through Minecraft .
Still others , like Trinity Washington University , a small private school in Washington , D.C. , has said it 's looking for a date in June to reschedule an in-person ceremony .
`` If we ca n't do it in June , we are very committed to doing a commencement ceremony , full regalia , full pomp and circumstance , '' says Patricia McGuire , president of Trinity .
`` When we get to do it , it 's going to be the biggest darn party we 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who 's set to graduate from Trinity this May , heard the news about postponing graduation , she was heartbroken : `` I have been waiting for this day since I was little . ''
For Mendez , graduating from college was n't always a sure thing .
After high school she took some time off , before heading to college in Wisconsin .
She stayed for two years , then moved back home to North Carolina .
`` I was gon na give up on school altogether , just cause it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But a scholarship paved the way for her to start at Trinity three years ago , and now , she 's got enough credits to graduate with a degree in biology .
`` I feel like I 've been always trying to prove myself to my family , like , I 'm going to do this , I 'm going to do this . ''
Her family was planning to finally visit campus for her graduation ceremony .
Instead , their travel plans are cancelled .
She 's lucky that her part-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing in some money , and says her future plans to become a veterinarian may be on hold for a bit .
Celebrating graduation was n't really about her , says Monica Ferrufino , who 's finishing up at California State University , Los Angeles .
It was really going to be for her parents .
`` When they cancelled graduation , it was exactly 60 days prior to our scheduled commencement , '' she explains .
She knows that because her mother and father kept track , counting down the days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When she told them it was off , her mom cried .
`` My parents did n't get to finish high school , '' she says , `` so for them , seeing their daughter graduating college was just beyond their dreams . ''
When Yolanda Norman , a professor at the University of Houston , started hearing from students disappointed about graduation , she immediately thought of her own missed graduation years ago .
`` I do n't just empathize with what 's happening , I really know what it feels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says Norman .
So she started crowdsourcing a list of ways families and schools can still celebrate .
`` Someone said : 'Can we just please have a graduation and stand six feet apart ? '
`` she says , laughing .
`` It 's not going to happen , but it would be awesome . ''
Also on Norman 's list : a national ceremony hosted by a fellow first-generation college student , first lady Michelle Obama .
And of course the more likely option , gradations over video chat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know students ' families are going to celebrate them .
You better believe we 're gon na have a lot of videos of backyard graduations , house graduations and quarantine graduations . ''
She says her hope is that schools curate and share these videos so other students , parents and faculty can share in the joy .
`` I 'm gon na get the degree either way . ''
`` It 's just a ceremony , '' says Alexandrea Mares , who lives with her grandparents and attends California State University , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she 's far more concerned with keeping herself and her family healthy .
`` You know what ?
My health and their health is what matters most , '' she says .
`` At the end of the day , it 's the degree that you get and I 'm gon na get the degree either way at the end of the semester . ''
That 's not to say she is n't extremely proud of her six-year journey : `` Even though we 're not having a graduation , I 'm still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail and hang it up on the wall . ''
She 's planning on having a graduation party indoors , with just her and her grandparents .
Because she says , those are the people who really matter .

No Caps, No Gowns: For Many In The Class Of 2020, Commencement Is Called Off
Enlarge this image LA Johnson/NPR LA Johnson/NPR
It was a pretty normal St. Patrick's Day. Nathan Stewart and a couple of friends were hanging out, drinking a few beers, soaking up senior spring at the University of Virginia. Then an email landed in their inboxes: Classes were moving online and graduation was indefinitely postponed.
"Honestly, my friends and I just immediately started crying," says Stewart. Throughout his four years at UVA, graduation had been a major motivator. When he and his friends were having tough days, they'd tell each other, "Just wait till graduation day. We're all walking across the stage together and we'll get our diplomas. It'll be so worth it then."
Now, he says he feels burned out. His research job on campus was discontinued — that was his only source of income — so Stewart is figuring out how to pay the rent on his off-campus apartment. That's on top of all his classes shifting online. "Trying to balance out the financial aspect of it, in the midst of it being emotional, is just really difficult," he says. "The hard thing, too, is that you can't place your anger or sorrow on anybody because nobody knows what they're doing."
As he and his friends were sitting around drinking, stewing over the bad news, he remembers thinking: "You know what's crazy? The administration is probably doing the exact same thing: Sitting on somebody else's couch, drinking a few beers, saying, 'What the hell are we going to do?' "
Nathan Stewart is right. Administrators and college presidents are scrambling to figure out what to do about graduation this year. How can they acknowledge students' hard work and success, while still maintaining social distancing amid the outbreak of coronavirus?
Many colleges across the country have outright cancelled graduations, others, such as Harvard and Miami University in Ohio, have scheduled virtual ceremonies. Some students have taken things into their own hands and created their own ceremonies — on a reconstructed campus — through Minecraft.
toggle caption LA Johnson/NPR
Still others, like Trinity Washington University, a small private school in Washington, D.C., has said it's looking for a date in June to reschedule an in-person ceremony.
"If we can't do it in June, we are very committed to doing a commencement ceremony, full regalia, full pomp and circumstance," says Patricia McGuire, president of Trinity. "When we get to do it, it's going to be the biggest darn party we've ever had."
When Sandra Mendez, who's set to graduate from Trinity this May, heard the news about postponing graduation, she was heartbroken: "I have been waiting for this day since I was little."
For Mendez, graduating from college wasn't always a sure thing. After high school she took some time off, before heading to college in Wisconsin. She stayed for two years, then moved back home to North Carolina. "I was gonna give up on school altogether, just cause it was way expensive," she says.
But a scholarship paved the way for her to start at Trinity three years ago, and now, she's got enough credits to graduate with a degree in biology. "I feel like I've been always trying to prove myself to my family, like, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this."
Her family was planning to finally visit campus for her graduation ceremony. Instead, their travel plans are cancelled. She's lucky that her part-time job at Trader Joe's is still bringing in some money, and says her future plans to become a veterinarian may be on hold for a bit.
"My parents were devastated."
Celebrating graduation wasn't really about her, says Monica Ferrufino, who's finishing up at California State University, Los Angeles. It was really going to be for her parents.
"When they cancelled graduation, it was exactly 60 days prior to our scheduled commencement," she explains. She knows that because her mother and father kept track, counting down the days, crossing each one off on their calendar. When she told them it was off, her mom cried. "My parents didn't get to finish high school," she says, "so for them, seeing their daughter graduating college was just beyond their dreams."
Some ideas to celebrate
When Yolanda Norman, a professor at the University of Houston, started hearing from students disappointed about graduation, she immediately thought of her own missed graduation years ago. "I don't just empathize with what's happening, I really know what it feels like to have this moment taken away," says Norman. So she started crowdsourcing a list of ways families and schools can still celebrate.
toggle caption LA Johnson/NPR
"Someone said: 'Can we just please have a graduation and stand six feet apart?' " she says, laughing. "It's not going to happen, but it would be awesome."
Also on Norman's list: a national ceremony hosted by a fellow first-generation college student, first lady Michelle Obama. And of course the more likely option, graduations over video chat with friends and family. "I know students' families are going to celebrate them. You better believe we're gonna have a lot of videos of backyard graduations, house graduations and quarantine graduations." She says her hope is that schools curate and share these videos so other students, parents and faculty can share in the joy.
"I'm gonna get the degree either way."
"It's just a ceremony," says Alexandrea Mares, who lives with her grandparents and attends California State University, Northridge. Right now, she says she's far more concerned with keeping herself and her family healthy. "You know what? My health and their health is what matters most," she says. "At the end of the day, it's the degree that you get and I'm gonna get the degree either way at the end of the semester."
That's not to say she isn't extremely proud of her six-year journey: "Even though we're not having a graduation, I'm still excited to get my diploma in the mail and hang it up on the wall."
She's planning on having a graduation party indoors, with just her and her grandparents. Because, she says, those are the people who really matter.