npr--2020-04-28--States Expand Internet Voting Experiments Amid Pandemic, Raising Security Fears

Election officials nationwide are preparing for what may the highest election turnout in modern history in the middle of a pandemic .
In response , several states will be turning to a relatively new and untested form of internet-based voting to aid the voters who may have the most trouble getting to the polls .
In the latest demonstration of the technology , Delaware will allow voters with disabilities to return their ballots electronically in its primary election next month , becoming the second U.S. state to do so .
The decision comes despite grave warnings from the cybersecurity community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safeguards to protect the integrity of an election .
NPR is the first to report the development , which has yet to be announced publicly .
Both the state , and the Seattle-based company administering the technology , Democracy Live , confirmed the decision , although they dispute the term `` internet voting '' for the cloud-based system .
Earlier this year , West Virginia passed a bill to allow the use of the technology for disabled voters , after becoming the first state to allow overseas and military voters to use an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Delaware will also allow overseas and military voters to use the technology .
A third state , New Jersey , is considering making the technology available for voters with disabilities and overseas voters , according to an election official with knowledge of the state 's plans .
A state elections spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment .
The developments are sure to worry election security advocates .
Until the pandemic struck , their efforts were focused on cybersecurity following the 2016 election , when Russian operatives successfully hacked election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many states have increased their security protocols and generally moved away from all-electronic voting systems back towards paper ballots .
Those in favor of Democracy Live 's system argue that it is a paper-based system , because when a voter elects to electronically submit their ballot , an election official must print it out before it 's counted .
But most security experts scoff at that concept because the ballot is transmitted via the internet before it reaches the stage where it 's printed , leaving it potentially vulnerable to cyber manipulation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we worry about worst-case scenarios , and the downside risk of the Democracy Live model is really bad , '' said Doug Jones , a computer science professor , and election security expert at the University of Iowa .
`` If the voter is marking the ballot using a device , it 's an online ballot-marking system , and if the physical ballot is not printed by the voter , it 's online voting . ''
Still , there are signs that the general public may be becoming more open to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TargetSmart , a data analytics firm that works with Democrats , found that a plurality of voters support internet voting as a response to the coronavirus crisis .
But advocates of internet voting technology are clear that they do n't see it stopping with relatively small slices of the electorate such as overseas voters and voters with disabilities , or being restricted to times of crisis .
They see it as the future of voting .
`` You know , eventually we ca n't hold back the tide .
We 're going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the CEO and founder of Democracy Live .
`` Next generation voters are going to demand next generation voting technologies . ''
The pandemic took hold in the U.S. in the middle of primary season during a presidential election year .
Officials around the country are scrambling with how to make sure the democratic process does n't become a casualty .
Many voters are concerned about the potential health risks of casting ballots in-person .
During Wisconsin 's recent controversial primary , voters wearing masks stood in long lines to cast ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crafted by election officials .
State health officials say at least 36 voters and poll workers have subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 .
In response , many jurisdictions and states are looking for alternatives to in-person voting .
While ballots cast by mail are viewed by many as highly accessible , they leave some people behind , says Eric Bridges , the executive director of the American Council of the Blind .
Bridges authored a letter to congressional leaders earlier this month pushing for online voting , which was signed by more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disability advocacy groups .
`` To complete a paper ballot one is required to , at the least , read standard text , physically write and/or fill in the ballot choices , seal and certify the ballot via a signature on the envelope , and mail the ballot back to the appropriate voting official to be counted , '' Bridges wrote .
`` Each of these steps may act as a barrier to voting for voters who are blind and disabled . ''
The Democracy Live system that will be used this summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mark their ballots on their own accessible devices , meaning voters can fill them out without help and send them in using whatever technology suits their specific physical needs .
Typically , voters with these sorts of needs have had to travel to a polling place to use an accessible voting machine , but the pandemic may make that difficult this year .
Bridges does n't think politicians have purposefully or maliciously failed to take the needs of voters with disabilities into consideration by expanding mail-in voting .
`` It does n't make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be to be completely honest , '' Bridges said .
`` It 's just sort of like we were n't even considered ; there was n't even a debate that took place where we could serve and volley . ''
When asked about security concerns with the technology , he said that 's not his job , that 's the role of security firms and the government .
`` We want access , '' Bridges said .
`` It 's not really up to the American Council of the Blind to ensure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots electronically is still in a pilot phase , with the states taking it one election at a time .
But Finney said he expects at least five states to offer his company 's ballot return technology to voters with disabilities in November 's general election .
It 's a major development to expand the use of such systems beyond just military and overseas voters , since many of those voters already vote by what are considered insecure methods like email and fax .
Disabled voters in many instances will be choosing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a completely paper system .
The Democracy Live ballot return system stores a voter 's ballot and then allows an election official to access and print it .
`` It 's a loaded term ... Really what this is , is a secure portal .
If anything , it 's a document storage application , '' Finney said .
`` When people think of online voting , they 're thinking it 's all being tabulated online . ''
But a number of cyber security experts disputed that characterization when presented with it by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a load of bull**** , '' said Joe Kiniry , a principal scientist at Galois , the company contracted by the federal government to develop a secure and open source voting machine .
The phrase online voting encompasses any voting system where `` voter choices are transmitted over a wide area network , '' Kiniry said , and has nothing to do with how those ballots are counted .
`` Online voting is not a loaded term , '' Kiniry said .
`` It has a very simple definition that has been widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 40 years . ''
Cities , counties and states are largely free to use whatever voting technology they want because elections are run at the local level with very limited federal oversight .
In the case of online voting , there 's also very little financial risk .
Tusk Philanthropies , a nonprofit funded by multimillionaire Bradley Tusk , is funding many of the pilots with an aim at expanding internet voting and increasing turnout in U.S. elections .
His organization has funded the West Virginia pilot program , and other local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Washington .
Tusk told NPR earlier this year that he hopes to fund as many as 50 mobile voting pilots in the coming five years .
`` Everyone who does n't want this to happen is never going to say , 'We oppose mobile voting because we do n't want higher turnout , ' '' Tusk said in January .
`` They 're going to say , 'It 's not safe . '
And if we have proven 30 , 40 , 50 times over that it is safe , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and arguments to fly . ''
Election security experts say that rigorous independent auditing is needed in order to reassure the public the results are legitimate .
That 's lacking in the case of Democracy Live , says Sen. Ron Wyden , D-Ore. , who has opposed online voting for many years .
Wyden does believe voters with disabilities should have access to software that allows them to mark their own ballot using their own accessible machine , but he thinks those ballots should then be mailed in , not returned electronically .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ online voting , when leading experts have warned specifically that this technology is dangerous and before a system has passed an audit by independent experts , '' Wyden said in a statement to NPR .
`` So far none of these products has passed that test .
It is far too risky to gamble the Constitutional rights of voters with disabilities on unproven tech . ''
West Virginia dropped its previous online voting vendor after a number of independent investigators cited security issues with its system .
Overall , the amount of voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2020 is still expected to be miniscule ; Finney expects less than 10,000 voters nationwide .
And he says he does n't think the systems should be used more widely until there have been more pilots .
But many election officials say they should n't be used at all .
One state election director who requested anonymity in order to speak candidly called the technology `` the third rail '' of voting systems because they ignite such controversy .
Similarly , Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman gives two reasons for why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against various efforts to expand internet voting .
`` The internet is not secure , and we know this more today than I did 20 years ago , '' Wyman says .
The second problem has less to do with technology , but is tougher to solve she says : convincing voters in a close election that the results are legitimate when they do n't understand the underlying technology .
Ahead of a highly polarized presidential election , Wyman says it 's not the time to introduce new technology .
`` We ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology we can not guarantee is secure , and right now , in 2020 , we can not guarantee that any electronic transmission of a ballot is secure , '' Wyman said .
`` While it seems like electronic voting would really solve a lot of problems , it would create far more mistrust than I think we have the risk appetite for . ''

States Expand Internet Voting Experiments Amid Pandemic, Raising Security Fears
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Election officials nationwide are preparing for what may the highest election turnout in modern history in the middle of a pandemic. In response, several states will be turning to a relatively new and untested form of Internet-based voting to aid the voters who may have the most trouble getting to the polls.
In the latest demonstration of the technology, Delaware will allow voters with disabilities to return their ballots electronically in its primary election next month, becoming the second U.S. state to do so. The decision comes despite grave warnings from the cybersecurity community that the technology doesn't offer sufficient safeguards to protect the integrity of an election.
NPR is the first to report the development, which has yet to be announced publicly. Both the state, and the Seattle-based company administering the technology, Democracy Live, confirmed the decision, although they dispute the term "Internet voting" for the cloud-based system.
Earlier this year, West Virginia passed a bill to allow the use of the technology for disabled voters, after becoming the first state to allow overseas and military voters to use an app to vote in the 2018 midterms. Delaware will also allow overseas and military voters to use the technology.
A third state, New Jersey, is considering making the technology available for voters with disabilities and overseas voters, according to an election official with knowledge of the state's plans. A state elections spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
The developments are sure to worry election security advocates. Until the pandemic struck, their efforts were focused on cybersecurity following the 2016 election, when Russian operatives successfully hacked election networks in multiple states. Since then, many states have increased their security protocols and generally moved away from all-electronic voting systems back toward paper ballots.
Those in favor of Democracy Live's system argue that it is a paper-based system, because when a voter elects to electronically submit their ballot, an election official must print it out before it's counted.
But most security experts scoff at that concept because the ballot is transmitted via the Internet before it reaches the stage where it's printed, leaving it potentially vulnerable to cyber manipulation.
"In the computer security business, we worry about worst-case scenarios, and the downside risk of the Democracy Live model is really bad," said Doug Jones, a computer science professor and election security expert at the University of Iowa. "If the voter is marking the ballot using a device, it's an online ballot-marking system, and if the physical ballot is not printed by the voter, it's online voting."
Still, there are signs that the general public may be becoming more open to the idea. A survey this month by TargetSmart, a data analytics firm that works with Democrats, found that a plurality of voters support Internet voting as a response to the coronavirus crisis.
But advocates of Internet voting technology are clear that they don't see it stopping with relatively small slices of the electorate such as overseas voters and voters with disabilities, or being restricted to times of crisis. They see it as the future of voting.
"You know, eventually we can't hold back the tide. We're going to get there," said Bryan Finney, the CEO and founder of Democracy Live. "Next generation voters are going to demand next generation voting technologies."
Who paper leaves behind
Enlarge this image toggle caption Morry Gash/AP Morry Gash/AP
The pandemic took hold in the U.S. in the middle of primary season during a presidential election year. Officials around the country are scrambling with how to make sure the democratic process doesn't become a casualty.
Many voters are concerned about the potential health risks of casting ballots in person. During Wisconsin's recent controversial primary, voters wearing masks stood in long lines to cast ballots, sometimes relying on DIY safety measures crafted by election officials. State health officials say at least 36 voters and poll workers have subsequently tested positive for COVID-19.
In response, many jurisdictions and states are looking for alternatives to in-person voting.
While ballots cast by mail are viewed by many as highly accessible, they leave some people behind, says Eric Bridges, the executive director of the American Council of the Blind.
Bridges authored a letter to congressional leaders earlier this month pushing for online voting, which was signed by more than 70 national, state and local disability advocacy groups.
"To complete a paper ballot one is required to, at the least, read standard text, physically write and/or fill in the ballot choices, seal and certify the ballot via a signature on the envelope, and mail the ballot back to the appropriate voting official to be counted," Bridges wrote. "Each of these steps may act as a barrier to voting for voters who are blind and disabled."
The Democracy Live system that will be used this summer allows voters with disabilities to access and mark their ballots on their own accessible devices, meaning voters can fill them out without help and send them in using whatever technology suits their specific physical needs.
Enlarge this image toggle caption NPR screenshot of Democracy Live demo NPR screenshot of Democracy Live demo
Typically, voters with these sorts of needs have had to travel to a polling place to use an accessible voting machine, but the pandemic may make that difficult this year.
Bridges doesn't think politicians have purposefully or maliciously failed to take the needs of voters with disabilities into consideration by expanding mail-in voting.
"It doesn't make it any less frustrating or angering to be completely honest," Bridges said. "It's just sort of like we weren't even considered; there wasn't even a debate that took place where we could serve and volley."
When asked about security concerns with the technology, he said that's not his job, that's the role of security firms and the government.
"We want access," Bridges said. "It's not really up to the American Council of the Blind to ensure that these systems are secure."
'Risk appetite'
Returning ballots electronically is still in a pilot phase, with the states taking it one election at a time. But Finney said he expects at least five states to offer his company's ballot return technology to voters with disabilities in November's general election.
It's a major development to expand the use of such systems beyond just military and overseas voters, since many of those voters already vote by what are considered insecure methods like email and fax. Disabled voters in many instances will be choosing to electronically transmit their ballot instead of using a completely paper system.
The Democracy Live ballot return system stores a voter's ballot and then allows an election official to access and print it.
Finney, however, doesn't prefer the term "online voting."
"It's a loaded term. ... Really what this is, is a secure portal. If anything, it's a document storage application," Finney said. "When people think of online voting, they're thinking it's all being tabulated online."
But a number of cybersecurity experts disputed that characterization when presented with it by NPR.
"Sorry, but what a load of bull****," said Joe Kiniry, a principal scientist at Galois, the company contracted by the federal government to develop a secure and open source voting machine.
The phrase "online voting" encompasses any voting system where "voter choices are transmitted over a wide area network," Kiniry said, and has nothing to do with how those ballots are counted.
"Online voting is not a loaded term," Kiniry said. "It has a very simple definition that has been widely agreed upon in the research community for about 40 years."
Cities, counties and states are largely free to use whatever voting technology they want because elections are run at the local level with very limited federal oversight.
In the case of online voting, there's also very little financial risk. Tusk Philanthropies, a nonprofit funded by multimillionaire Bradley Tusk, is funding many of the pilots with an aim at expanding Internet voting and increasing turnout in U.S. elections.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch
His organization has funded the West Virginia pilot program and other local pilots in Utah, Oregon, Colorado and Washington.
Tusk told NPR earlier this year that he hopes to fund as many as 50 mobile voting pilots in the coming five years.
"Everyone who doesn't want this to happen is never going to say, 'We oppose mobile voting because we don't want higher turnout,' " Tusk said in January. "They're going to say, 'It's not safe.' And if we have proven 30, 40, 50 times over that it is safe, it's a lot harder for those objections and arguments to fly."
Election security experts say that rigorous independent auditing is needed in order to reassure the public the results are legitimate. That's lacking in the case of Democracy Live, says Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who has opposed online voting for many years.
Wyden does believe voters with disabilities should have access to software that allows them to mark their own ballot using their own accessible machine, but he thinks those ballots should then be mailed in, not returned electronically.
"It is simply irresponsible to allow online voting, when leading experts have warned specifically that this technology is dangerous and before a system has passed an audit by independent experts," Wyden said in a statement to NPR. "So far none of these products has passed that test. It is far too risky to gamble the constitutional rights of voters with disabilities on unproven tech."
West Virginia dropped its previous online voting vendor after a number of independent investigators cited security issues with its system.
Overall, the amount of voters using some form of Internet ballot return in 2020 is still expected to be minuscule; Finney expects less than 10,000 voters nationwide. And he says he doesn't think the systems should be used more widely until there have been more pilots.
But many election officials say they shouldn't be used at all. One state election director who requested anonymity in order to speak candidly called the technology "the third rail" of voting systems because they ignite such controversy.
Similarly, Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman gives two reasons for why she has pushed back for 20 years against various efforts to expand Internet voting.
"The Internet is not secure, and we know this more today than I did 20 years ago," Wyman says.
The second problem has less to do with technology, but is tougher to solve she says: convincing voters in a close election that the results are legitimate when they don't understand the underlying technology.
Ahead of a highly polarized presidential election, Wyman says it's not the time to introduce new technology.
"We can't put our election at risk to technology we cannot guarantee is secure, and right now, in 2020, we cannot guarantee that any electronic transmission of a ballot is secure," Wyman said. "While it seems like electronic voting would really solve a lot of problems, it would create far more mistrust than I think we have the risk appetite for."


npr--2020-04-28--Japan To Allow Dentists To Conduct Coronavirus Tests

Japan To Allow Dentists To Conduct Coronavirus Tests Japan will begin allowing dentists to take nose and throat swab samples to test patients for the novel coronavirus , according to The Japan Times .
Japan currently conducts about 9,000 polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) tests for the virus daily and the move for dentists with special training to administer the tests is aimed at relieving the burden on doctors and boosting capacity in hopes of reaching Prime Minister Shinzo Abe 's goal of 20,000 per day .
The decision comes after an expert panel recommended it to the Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Times says , citing informed sources .
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported the recommendation on Sunday .
Until now , dentists have n't been authorized to conduct such tests , but Japan 's state of emergency over COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus , led to consideration of the special measure .
Japan has the highest number of dentists per capita in Asia , according to the World Health Organization .
After battling coronavirus early in the pandemic , Japan appeared to have largely stemmed the tide of the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country has seen its number of confirmed cases increase , apparently due in part to increased testing .
There have been some 13,600 confirmed cases in Japan , with 385 deaths .
The new cases have stretched Japan 's health care infrastructure in some places .
For instance , seven out of eight beds in the intensive care unit of St. Luke 's International Hospital in Tokyo are currently taken up by COVID-19 patients .
`` If we max-out eight beds , we ca n't place patients who suddenly take a turn for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one bed open , '' Fumie Sakamoto , who manages the 500-room hospital 's infection control division , told Reuters .
`` Our ICU is now really only for COVID patients , '' she said .
Earlier this month , Japan declared its first modern state of emergency over the pandemic and later extended the order .

Japan To Allow Dentists To Conduct Coronavirus Tests
Enlarge this image toggle caption Etsuo Hara/Getty Images Etsuo Hara/Getty Images
Japan will begin allowing dentists to take nose and throat swab samples to test patients for the novel coronavirus, according to The Japan Times.
Japan currently conducts about 9,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for the virus daily, and the move for dentists with special training to administer the tests is aimed at relieving the burden on doctors and boosting capacity in hopes of reaching Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's goal of 20,000 per day.
The decision comes after an expert panel recommended it to the Health Ministry at a meeting on Sunday, the Times says, citing informed sources. Japanese broadcaster NHK reported the recommendation on Sunday.
Until now, dentists haven't been authorized to conduct such tests, but Japan's state of emergency over COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, led to consideration of the special measure.
Japan has the highest number of dentists per capita in Asia, according to the World Health Organization.
After battling coronavirus early in the pandemic, Japan appeared to have largely stemmed the tide of the virus. In recent weeks, however, the country has seen its number of confirmed cases increase, apparently in part because of increased testing. There have been some 13,600 confirmed cases in Japan, with 385 deaths.
The new cases have stretched Japan's health care infrastructure in some places. For instance, 7 in 8 beds in the intensive care unit of St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo are currently taken up by COVID-19 patients.
"If we max out eight beds, we can't place patients who suddenly take a turn for the worse, so we always keep one bed open," Fumie Sakamoto, who manages the 500-room hospital's infection control division, told Reuters.
"Our ICU is now really only for COVID patients," she said.
Earlier this month, Japan declared its first modern state of emergency over the pandemic and later extended the order.


npr--2020-04-27--Calif. Governor Warns That Packed Beaches Put Coronavirus Pandemic Progress At Risk

High temperatures drew large crowds to beaches along the California coastline over the weekend , and Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday that photos of the packed shorelines show `` what not to do . ''
That behavior could put the progress the state has made in battling the coronavirus pandemic in jeopardy , the governor warned at a news conference .
`` I can not impress upon you more , to those Californians watching , that we ca n't see the images like we saw , particularly on Saturday in Newport Beach and elsewhere , in the state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This virus does n't go home because it 's a beautiful sunny day around our coasts . ''
Many counties across the state have shut down beach access in the face of the pandemic but Orange , Ventura and Santa Cruz county beaches have largely remained open .
Still , officials in Ventura county commended beachgoers for adhering to social distancing guidelines and the governor admitted the majority of open beaches saw good behavior .
Modifications of the statewide order , are `` weeks , not months away , '' the governor said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order is `` driven by data and behavior . ''
`` The only thing that will set us back is people stopping to practice physical distancing and appropriate social distancing , '' Newsom said .
`` That 's the only thing that 's going to slow down our ability to reopen this economy . ''
Newsom urged Californians to continue to heed the state 's stay-at-home order , which was put in place in March , and has yet to expire .
On Monday , Bay Area officials announced an extension of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of Monday , 43,600 Californians have been sickened with coronavirus and over 1,700 have died .
While those numbers have continued to rise over the last month , the number of patients with COVID-19 in hospitals has leveled in the last week .
The governor 's warning comes as states such as Georgia and South Carolina are reopening access to many businesses and beaches .
Newsom also mentioned in the briefing more aggressive enforcement was likely in those beach communities that saw high traffic .
Law enforcement and local officials in Orange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the coming days to discuss potential tactics or additional orders to limit beach access .

Calif. Governor Warns That Packed Beaches Put Coronavirus Pandemic Progress At Risk
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
High temperatures drew large crowds to beaches along the California coastline over the weekend, and Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that photos of the packed shorelines show "what not to do."
That behavior could put the progress the state has made in battling the coronavirus pandemic in jeopardy, the governor warned at a news conference.
"I cannot impress upon you more, to those Californians watching, that we can't see the images like we saw, particularly on Saturday in Newport Beach and elsewhere, in the state of California," Newsom said. "This virus doesn't go home because it's a beautiful, sunny day around our coasts."
Many counties across the state have shut down beach access in the face of the pandemic, but beaches in Orange, Ventura and Santa Cruz counties have largely remained open.
Still, officials in Ventura County commended beachgoers for adhering to social distancing guidelines, and the governor admitted the majority of open beaches saw good behavior.
Modifications of the statewide order are "weeks, not months away," the governor said, but any gradual loosening of that order is "driven by data and behavior."
"The only thing that will set us back is people stopping to practice physical distancing and appropriate social distancing," Newsom said. "That's the only thing that's going to slow down our ability to reopen this economy."
Newsom urged Californians to continue to heed the state's stay-at-home order, which was put in place in March and has yet to expire. On Monday, Bay Area officials announced an extension of their shelter-in-place order through May.
As of Monday, 43,600 Californians have been sickened with coronavirus and more than 1,700 have died. While those numbers have continued to rise over the past month, the number of patients with COVID-19 in hospitals has leveled in the past week.
The governor's warning comes as states such as Georgia and South Carolina are reopening access to many businesses and beaches.
Newsom also mentioned in the briefing more aggressive enforcement was likely in those beach communities that saw high traffic. Law enforcement and local officials in Orange and Santa Cruz counties plan to meet in the coming days to discuss potential tactics or additional orders to limit beach access.


npr--2020-04-27--Boeing CEO Sees Years Of Recovery From Coronavirus Ahead For Aviation Industry

Boeing CEO Sees Years Of Recovery From Coronavirus Ahead For Aviation Industry Boeing 's chief executive is painting a dire picture of the air travel industry , telling shareholders in a virtual annual meeting on Monday that it may take several years for commercial airlines to recover from the huge drop-off caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
That means Boeing will need to borrow more money to stay afloat , and significant job and production cuts could be coming to the company 's airplane manufacturing plants .
`` The health crisis is unlike anything we have ever experienced , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far the air travel industry has fallen .
With passenger demand down more than 95 % from early March , airlines in the U.S. have parked more than 2,800 planes , and airlines globally are on pace to lose $ 314 billion this year , according to the International Air Transport Association .
As a result , Calhoun says airlines are `` grounding fleets , deferring airplane orders , postponing acceptance of completed orders , and slowing down or stopping payments . ''
Calhoun says , `` It will take two to three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels and an additional few years beyond that for the industry 's long-term growth trend to return . ''
When the turmoil in the airline industry does stabilize , he says `` the commercial market will be smaller , and our customers ' needs will be different . ''
The Boeing chief executive , who just assumed the role in January after more than decade on Boeing 's board of directors , says the company will need to borrow more money over the next six months to stay afloat and keep paying suppliers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 737 Max plane crashes that killed 346 people and it had drawn down a nearly $ 14 billion credit line last month , before the coronavirus pandemic took a further toll on its business .
Company executives have been in talks with officials at the U.S. Treasury Department about a possible government loan made available by the $ 2.3 trillion coronavirus relief act that Congress passed last month , but Boeing has balked at terms that could give the government an equity stake in the aerospace giant .
Most of Boeing 's plants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the pandemic , but production cuts are likely at the facilities , as airlines no longer need the new planes they 've ordered .
Job cuts could be coming too , which Calhoun could outline on Wednesday , when Boeing releases first quarter earnings .

Boeing CEO Sees Years Of Recovery From Coronavirus Ahead For Aviation Industry
Enlarge this image toggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Boeing's chief executive is painting a dire picture of the air travel industry, telling shareholders in a virtual annual meeting on Monday that it may take several years for commercial airlines to recover from the huge drop-off caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
That means Boeing will need to borrow more money to stay afloat, and significant job and production cuts could be coming to the company's airplane manufacturing plants.
Boeing CEO David Calhoun presented the grim outlook.
"The health crisis is unlike anything we have ever experienced," Calhoun said, before detailing just how far the air travel industry has fallen. With passenger demand down more than 95% from early March, airlines in the U.S. have parked more than 2,800 planes, and airlines globally are on pace to lose $314 billion this year, according to the International Air Transport Association.
As a result, Calhoun says airlines are "grounding fleets, deferring airplane orders, postponing acceptance of completed orders, and slowing down or stopping payments."
Calhoun says, "It will take two to three years for travel to return to 2019 levels and an additional few years beyond that for the industry's long-term growth trend to return." When the turmoil in the airline industry does stabilize, he says "the commercial market will be smaller, and our customers' needs will be different."
The Boeing chief executive, who just assumed the role in January after more than decade on Boeing's board of directors, says the company will need to borrow more money over the next six months to stay afloat and keep paying suppliers. Boeing was already reeling from two 737 Max plane crashes that killed 346 people and it had drawn down a nearly $14 billion credit line last month, before the coronavirus pandemic took a further toll on its business.
Company executives have been in talks with officials at the U.S. Treasury Department about a possible government loan made available by the $2.3 trillion coronavirus relief act that Congress passed last month, but Boeing has balked at terms that could give the government an equity stake in the aerospace giant.
Most of Boeing's plants have now reopened after brief shutdowns due to the pandemic, but production cuts are likely at the facilities, as airlines no longer need the new planes they've ordered. Job cuts could be coming too, which Calhoun could outline on Wednesday, when Boeing releases first quarter earnings.


npr--2020-04-28--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: New Symptoms, Economy And Virtual Celebrations

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions : New Symptoms , Economy And Virtual Celebrations On this broadcast of The National Conversation , @ @ @ @ @ your questions about the list of new symptoms of COVID-19 that the Centers for Disease @ @ @ @ @ .
We 'll also answer your questions about the economy and mental health , and @ @ @ @ @ at how people are still having celebrations virtually .

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: New Symptoms, Economy And Virtual Celebrations
Enlarge this image toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
On this broadcast of The National Conversation, an infectious disease doctor answers your questions about the list of new symptoms of COVID-19 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out. We'll also answer your questions about the economy and mental health, and we'll take a look at how people are still having celebrations virtually.


npr--2020-04-28--Leaving Off Mask At Mayo Clinic, Pence Said He Wanted To Look Workers 'In The Eye'

Leaving Off Mask At Mayo Clinic , Pence Said He Wanted To Look Workers 'In The Eye' Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday responded to criticisms that he defied Mayo Clinic policy by not wearing a mask during his visit to the campus , saying he complied with federal guidelines and felt it his duty to speak to workers at the facility unencumbered by a facial covering .
`` As vice president of the United States I 'm tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis , and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines .
The CDC recommends wearing cloth face masks in public to help prevent transmitting the virus to others .
`` And since I do n't have the coronavirus , I thought it 'd be a good opportunity for me to be here , to be able to speak to these researchers , these incredible health care personnel , and look them in the eye and say thank you . ''
Instructions on the Mayo Clinic website request that all patients , visitors and personnel bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
In a tweet eventually deleted but captured in screenshots and by the Internet Archive 's Wayback machine , the Mayo Clinic wrote that it had `` informed @ VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today . ''
The Mayo Clinic visit is one of two trips Pence will conduct this week as the White House seeks to ease back into travel .
Trump himself has not publicly worn face masks during press briefings and other events , saying earlier this month : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one myself .
It 's a recommendation .
They recommend it . ''
`` I do n't know .
Somehow , I do n't see it for myself , '' Trump said during an April 3 coronavirus task force briefing .

Leaving Off Mask At Mayo Clinic, Pence Said He Wanted To Look Workers 'In The Eye'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Mone/AP Jim Mone/AP
Vice President Pence responded to criticisms that he defied Mayo Clinic policy by not wearing a mask during his visit Tuesday to the campus, saying he complied with federal guidelines and felt it was his duty to speak to workers at the facility unencumbered by a facial covering.
"As vice president of the United States, I'm tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus," he told reporters, saying he is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
The CDC recommends wearing cloth face masks in public to help prevent transmitting the virus to others.
"And since I don't have the coronavirus, I thought it'd be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say 'thank you.' "
Instructions on the Mayo Clinic website request that all patients, visitors and personnel bring and wear a face mask to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
In a tweet eventually deleted but captured in screenshots and by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, the Mayo Clinic wrote that it had "informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today."
The Mayo Clinic visit is one of two trips Pence will conduct this week as the White House seeks to ease back into travel.
President Trump has not publicly worn face masks during press briefings and other events, saying earlier this month: "I just don't want to wear one myself. It's a recommendation. They recommend it."
"I don't know. Somehow, I don't see it for myself," Trump said during an April 3 coronavirus task force briefing.


npr--2020-04-28--What Is WHO And What Does It Do?

What Is WHO And What Does It Do?

What Is WHO And What Does It Do ?
The World Health Organization describes its job as `` the global guardian of health . ''
It is now possibly facing the most devastating global health threat in its 72-year history : the novel coronavirus pandemic .
WHO is devoting hundreds of millions of dollars and an all-hands-on-deck approach to the effort to vanquish the virus .
And it is being accused of failing to uphold its mission .
On April 14 , President Trump put a temporary halt on U.S. funding for the agency , pending an investigation to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covering up the spread of the coronavirus . ''
( China responded by making an additional $ 30 million contribution as a show of support for WHO ) .
Here 's a look at the agency at the eye of the pandemic .
How did it start ?
As World War II was winding down , countries came together to form the United Nations and voted to create a global health agency as a U.N. arm .
And so in 1948 the World Health Organization was founded for `` the attainment by all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health . ''
As a specialized agency of the U.N. , WHO has as its directive `` to act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work , '' according to the agency 's Constitution .
WHO replaced several regional health authorities that had been established in Europe and the Americas in the early 1900s to help prevent the spread of diseases such as smallpox and typhus .
WHO started with 55 member states and has now grown to include 194 member states and two associate members ( Puerto Rico and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the World Health Assembly , which sets WHO policy , approves and supervises its budget and elects a director-general to lead WHO for five-year terms .
Its budget is set for two-year periods , and stood at $ 6.3 billion for 2018 and 2019 .
The money comes from dues and voluntary contributions from member states as well as money from nonprofit groups like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ( which is also a funder of NPR and this blog ) and Rotary International .
For its COVID-19 response , WHO initally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and plans to significantly increase the amount to fund its services providing `` advice , supplies and leadership '' in the pandemic .
WHO has a staff of 7,000 that includes scientists , medical doctors and public health specialists as well as experts in economics , statistics and emergency relief .
The agency is headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland and has offices in more than 150 countries around the world .
The current director-general is Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , a former minister of health in Ethiopia .
He is WHO 's first leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not a physician — Tedros has a Ph.D. in community health .
He started his term in 2017 .
At a press conference on April 22 , Michael Ryan , director of WHO 's Health Emergencies program , summed up the organization 's overarching mission : `` The mandate we have [ is ] to establish global standards and to give strong advice to countries regarding rational public health measures . ''
To achieve these goals , WHO does not typically give out grants or loans or send doctors and others from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical treatments .
Rather , `` what it does do is get on the ground to provide direction , advice , help trace disease outbreaks and provide additional support when needed , '' says Jennifer Kates , director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation .
One of WHO 's primary roles is to provide countries with science-based recommendations for health policy , which are often published on its website .
`` There will be guidelines on what kind of essential medicines there should be , what kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be the regimens to use in relation to HIV in different countries , taking into account the resources available , '' says Rifat Atun , professor of global health systems at Harvard University , `` Countries are not under any obligation legally to follow these guidelines , but many do in relation to epidemics . ''
WHO is governed by its member states — it does not have legal authority to enter countries without permission or to force countries to take its advice .
For instance , in February , WHO sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joint mission '' with Chinese researchers to look into the steps the country was taking to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 .
WHO emphasized that the mission was agreed to by both parties , and that the members were invited by both WHO and China .
`` The power that we have is the power to persuade through science , persuade through evidence , persuade by demonstrating what other countries are doing and showcasing good examples of good practice , '' said Ryan on April 22 .
`` Beyond that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no power to put any form of pressure on the country to change what is their sovereign will . ''
What is WHO 's role in the COVID-19 pandemic ?
Under the International Health Regulations , a global legal agreement revised in 2005 and signed by all WHO members , countries are required to report to WHO any disease outbreaks that are unexpected or of unknown cause and have significant risk of international spread .
China reported a cluster of pneumonia cases to WHO on December 31 , 2019 .
`` Based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what is expected from WHO is declaring the 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern ' as early as possible , '' said Tedros on April 22 .
That PHEIC designation is an official alert that triggers a set of responses .
WHO can help guide the country and gauge whether its response is effective .
And it can bring in international assistance for training , surveillance and other measures .
But all of this can only be done `` at the request of a State Party . ''
Timing is tricky .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's partly a political decision , '' says Atun , `` If you act too early , you may contain the epidemic but people may say 'There was no need [ to act so early ] . '
But if you act too late countries will say 'You are too late and we 're now facing the consequences . '
'' WHO declared the coronavirus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30 , when there were no reported deaths outside of China but a sharp increase in the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back , I think we declared the emergency at the right time , and when the world had enough time to respond , '' Tedros said on April 22 .
Weeks later , in its role as an international standard-bearer , WHO officially named the disease `` COVID-19 . ''
In the months since , WHO has requested information that countries are bound to provide under international health regulations — for instance , explanations of why travel bans are needed to stop disease spread .
WHO has also asked countries — including China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they 're required to provide under the international health regulations .
Drawing from publications and discussions with researchers globally , WHO has published reams of COVID-related public health advice on topics ranging from diagnostic tests and the public use of masks to how religious leaders can assess the risks of holding social and religious gatherings during Ramadan and how countries can manage risks as they lift their lockdowns .
The agency has also developed online courses to train health-care workers to diagnose and treat COVID-19 patients .
WHO has sent more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other advisers into countries to help guide COVID-19 responses .
It is also raising money for and organizing a global COVID-19 supply chain to get diagnostic tests , medical equipment and aid workers to places that need them .
`` We estimate this supply chain may need to cover more than 30 % of the world 's needs in the acute phase of the pandemic , '' Tedros said at a press conference April 10 , calling on donors to support the initiative .
And the agency is helping to organize global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines .
In February , WHO brought medical doctors , virologists , modelers and epidemiologists together in a global research forum to establish a unified set of priorities and timelines for COVID-19 research .
On April 24 , WHO announced a pledge campaign for global collaboration asking researchers , donors and manufacturers to agree to work together and commit to equitable distribution of vaccines and medicines .
WHO 's handling of the SARS ( severe acute respiratory syndrome ) outbreak in 2003 was considered a success .
`` WHO acted fairly quickly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic did not extend to all countries in the world , '' says Atun .
Effects of the SARS outbreak were concentrated in Asia ; 8,000 people were sickened , and around 800 died before the epidemic ended in 2004 .
But the concerns raised over WHO 's current performance are not the first criticisms for a WHO response to a health emergency .
In the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic , WHO received mixed reviews .
In post-pandemic analysis requested by WHO , an international committee found that , while WHO provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow pandemic flu transmission and helped monitor the virus 's spread , its messaging around the severity of the pandemic was unclear and its failure to coordinate effective vaccine distribution led to countries receiving them too late to be truly helpful .
And the WHO response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa was widely panned .
`` [ In ] the Ebola outbreak , the WHO was criticized for not responding quickly enough in declaring a public health emergency of international concern , '' says Raphael Lencucha , a global health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed the scale of the problem , then lacked the staff and funds to lead an effective response , NPR reported in 2005 .
`` [ Back then , ] the focus was on the WHO in responding in a timely way , '' says Lencucha , `` And in the case of COVID , similar criticisms are being waged . ''
Now , U.S. officials say WHO was too trusting of China in the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and slow to sound the alarm .
On April 15 , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objections '' to travel bans from China was `` a horrible , tragic mistake '' that resulted in `` quickly unleashing the contagion around the world . ''
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says China withheld timely information about the outbreak from WHO , which means to him that `` the World Health Organization 's regulatory arm clearly failed during this pandemic . ''
WHO officials say they welcome `` after-action '' assessments of their performance in emergencies .
`` We do them for every outbreak response and I 'll look forward ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn to do better , where we can improve our response , '' said WHO official Michael Ryan on April 15 .

Explainer: What Does The World Health Organization Do?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images
Updated on May 19 at 8:51 a.m. ET
The World Health Organization describes its job as "the global guardian of health."
It is now possibly facing the most devastating global health threat in its 72-year history: the coronavirus pandemic. WHO is devoting hundreds of millions of dollars and an all-hands-on-deck approach to the effort to vanquish the virus.
And it is being accused of failing to uphold its mission.
On April 14, President Trump put a temporary halt on U.S. funding for the agency, pending an investigation to see if WHO is "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."
On May 18, Trump sent a letter to the agency's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, vowing to end U.S. funding for and participation in the world body if WHO fails to "commit to major substantive improvements in the next 30 days."
Here's a look at the agency at the eye of the storm.
How did it start?
toggle caption AP Photo/PhotoPress Bilderdienst
As World War II was winding down, countries came together to form the United Nations and voted to create a global health agency as a U.N. arm.
And so in 1948 the World Health Organization was founded for "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health." As a specialized agency of the U.N., WHO has as its directive "to act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work," according to the agency's constitution.
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WHO replaced several regional health authorities that had been established in Europe and the Americas in the early 1900s to help prevent the spread of diseases such as smallpox and typhus. WHO started with 55 member states and has now grown to include 194 member states and two associate members (Puerto Rico and Tokelau).
The member states form the World Health Assembly, which sets WHO policy, approves and supervises its budget, and elects a director-general to lead WHO for five-year terms. Its budget is set for two-year periods and stood at $6.3 billion for 2018 and 2019. The money comes from dues and voluntary contributions from member states as well as money from nonprofit groups such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (which is also a funder of NPR and this blog) and Rotary International.
For its COVID-19 response, WHO initially requested $675 million from donors and plans to significantly increase the amount to fund its services providing "advice, supplies and leadership" in the pandemic.
WHO has a staff of 7,000 that includes scientists, medical doctors and public health specialists, as well as experts in economics, statistics and emergency relief. The agency is headquartered in Geneva and has offices in more than 150 countries around the world.
The current director-general is Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a former minister of health in Ethiopia. He is WHO's first leader from Africa and its first director-general who is not a physician — Tedros has a Ph.D. in community health. He started his term in 2017.
What is WHO's mission?
At a press conference on April 22, Michael Ryan, director of WHO's Health Emergencies program, summed up the organization's overarching mission: "The mandate we have [is] to establish global standards and to give strong advice to countries regarding rational public health measures."
To achieve these goals, WHO does not typically give out grants or loans or send doctors and others from its staff to countries to provide hands-on medical treatments.
Rather, "what it does do is get on the ground to provide direction, advice, help trace disease outbreaks and provide additional support when needed," says Jennifer Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
One of WHO's primary roles is to provide countries with science-based recommendations for health policy, which are often published on its website. "There will be guidelines on what kind of essential medicines there should be, what kind of essential diagnostics there should be, what might be the regimens to use in relation to HIV in different countries, taking into account the resources available," says Rifat Atun, professor of global health systems at Harvard University, "Countries are not under any obligation legally to follow these guidelines, but many do in relation to epidemics."
WHO is governed by its member states — it does not have legal authority to enter countries without permission or to force countries to take its advice.
For instance, in February, WHO sent international experts to China on a "joint mission" with Chinese researchers to look into the steps the country was taking to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. WHO emphasized that the mission was agreed to by both parties, and that the members were invited by both WHO and China.
"The power that we have is the power to persuade through science, persuade through evidence, persuade by demonstrating what other countries are doing and showcasing good examples of good practice," Ryan said on April 22. "Beyond that, WHO has no power to enforce, no power to put any form of pressure on the country to change what is their sovereign will."
What is WHO's role in the COVID-19 pandemic?
Under the International Health Regulations, a global legal agreement revised in 2005 and signed by all WHO members, countries are required to report to WHO any disease outbreaks that are unexpected or of unknown cause and have significant risk of international spread.
China reported a cluster of pneumonia cases to WHO on Dec. 31, 2019. "Based on the [International Health Regulations], what is expected from WHO is declaring the Public Health Emergency of International Concern as early as possible," Tedros said on April 22.
That PHEIC designation is an official alert that triggers a set of responses. WHO can help guide the country and gauge whether its response is effective. And it can bring in international assistance for training, surveillance and other measures. But all of this can only be done "at the request of a State Party."
Timing is tricky. "It's partly a technical decision. It's partly a political decision," Atun says. "If you act too early, you may contain the epidemic but people may say, 'There was no need [to act so early].' But if you act too late countries will say, 'You are too late and we're now facing the consequences.' "
WHO declared the coronavirus a PHEIC on Jan. 30, when there were no reported deaths outside of China but a sharp increase in the number of countries reporting cases.
"Looking back, I think we declared the emergency at the right time, and when the world had enough time to respond," Tedros said on April 22.
Weeks later, in its role as an international standard-bearer, WHO officially named the disease COVID-19.
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In the months since, WHO has requested information that countries are bound to provide under international health regulations — for instance, explanations of why travel bans are needed to stop disease spread. WHO has also asked countries — including China — for timely and accurate outbreak data that they're required to provide under the international health regulations.
Drawing from publications and discussions with researchers globally, WHO has published reams of COVID-related public health advice on topics ranging from diagnostic tests and the public use of masks to how religious leaders can assess the risks of holding social and religious gatherings during Ramadan and how countries can manage risks as they lift their lockdowns. The agency has also developed online courses to train health care workers to diagnose and treat COVID-19 patients.
WHO has sent more than 70 teams of response coordinators, epidemiologists and other advisers into countries to help guide COVID-19 responses. It is also raising money for and organizing a global COVID-19 supply chain to get diagnostic tests, medical equipment and aid workers to places that need them. "We estimate this supply chain may need to cover more than 30% of the world's needs in the acute phase of the pandemic," Tedros said at a press conference April 10, calling on donors to support the initiative.
And the agency is helping to organize global research into treatment drugs and potential coronavirus vaccines. In February, WHO brought medical doctors, virologists, modelers and epidemiologists together in a global research forum to establish a unified set of priorities and timelines for COVID-19 research. On April 24, WHO announced a pledge campaign for global collaboration asking researchers, donors and manufacturers to agree to work together and commit to equitable distribution of vaccines and medicines.
Performance over the years
WHO's handling of the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak in 2003 was considered a success. "WHO acted fairly quickly and issued guidance to restrict travel. The epidemic did not extend to all countries in the world," Atun says. Effects of the SARS outbreak were concentrated in Asia; 8,000 people were sickened, and around 800 died before the epidemic ended in 2004.
But the concerns raised over WHO's current performance are not the first criticisms for a WHO response to a health emergency.
In the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic, WHO received mixed reviews. In post-pandemic analysis requested by WHO, an international committee found that, while WHO provided useful guidance to countries on how to slow pandemic flu transmission and helped monitor the virus's spread, its messaging around the severity of the pandemic was unclear and its failure to coordinate effective vaccine distribution led to countries receiving them too late to be truly helpful.
And the WHO response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa was widely panned. "[In] the Ebola outbreak, the WHO was criticized for not responding quickly enough in declaring a public health emergency of international concern," says Raphael Lencucha, a global health researcher at McGill University. WHO initially dismissed the scale of the problem, then lacked the staff and funds to lead an effective response, NPR reported in 2015.
"[Back then,] the focus was on the WHO in responding in a timely way," Lencucha says. "And in the case of COVID, similar criticisms are being waged."
Now, U.S. officials say WHO was too trusting of China in the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and slow to sound the alarm. On April 15, President Trump said the organization's earlier "objections" to travel bans from China was "a horrible, tragic mistake" that resulted in "quickly unleashing the contagion around the world." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says China withheld timely information about the outbreak from WHO, which means to him that "the World Health Organization's regulatory arm clearly failed during this pandemic."
WHO officials say they welcome "after-action" assessments of their performance in emergencies. "We do them for every outbreak response and I'll look forward ... to look and see where we can learn to do better, where we can improve our response," WHO official Michael Ryan said on April 15.


npr--2020-04-28--Coronavirus Has Now Killed More Americans Than Vietnam War

Coronavirus Has Now Killed More Americans Than Vietnam War In not even three months since the first known U.S. deaths from COVID-19 , more lives have now been lost to the coronavirus pandemic on U.S. soil than the 58,220 Americans who died over nearly two decades in Vietnam .
Early Tuesday evening ET , the U.S. death toll reached 58,365 , according to Johns Hopkins University .
While the number of lives lost in the U.S. during the pandemic and the U.S. death toll in that war are roughly the same now , the death rate from the coronavirus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stands at about 17.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants .
During 1968 , the deadliest year for the U.S. in Vietnam , the death toll of 16,899 occurred at about half the pandemic 's rate — 8.5 troops were killed for every 100,000 U.S. residents .
The pandemic has also been marked by nationwide death tolls surpassing 2,000 on six days this month .
The highest daily toll for Americans fighting in the Vietnam War was on Jan. 31 , 1968 , when 246 U.S. personnel were killed during the Tet Offensive .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrasts — between that conflagration and what 's unfolding now .
It was television that brought a war on the other side of the world into Americans ' living rooms for the first time , as on-the-ground reporters chronicled the grinding mayhem of Vietnam for evening network news shows .
By the same token , this pandemic may be the first ever to be televised on a daily basis .
But while the five presidents — from Dwight Eisenhower to Gerald Ford — who held office during the Vietnam conflict only occasionally spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American public has seen President Trump casting himself as a wartime leader and dominating lengthy news conferences televised live nightly from the White House .
The claims Trump has made in his pandemic pronouncements — from saying his administration had `` tremendous '' control over the virus to promising it would `` miraculously '' go away to accusing the news media of trying to `` inflame '' the outbreak — have done little to boost his credibility .
Fewer than a quarter of the respondents in a recent nationwide poll professed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Likewise , as early as 1966 , critics of President Lyndon Johnson 's upbeat portrayals of an increasingly unpopular war pointed to a `` credibility gap . ''
It was defined by then-Sen. Ernest Gruening , D-Alaska , as `` a euphemism for what actually goes on — namely , that the American people are being misled by their government officials . ''
Vietnam has n't reported a single COVID-19 death , and as of April 24 , it had 268 confirmed cases .
A closer parallel to the total of lives lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. may be the 2017-2018 flu season , the deadliest in the past decade .
There were 61,000 influenza-related deaths nationally reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a roughly eight-month period .

Coronavirus Has Now Killed More Americans Than Vietnam War
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Nacion/NurPhoto via Getty Images John Nacion/NurPhoto via Getty Images
In not even three months since the first known U.S. deaths from COVID-19, more lives have now been lost to the coronavirus pandemic on U.S. soil than the 58,220 Americans who died over nearly two decades in Vietnam.
Early Tuesday evening ET, the U.S. death toll reached 58,365, according to Johns Hopkins University.
While the number of lives lost in the U.S. during the pandemic and the U.S. death toll in that war are roughly the same now, the death rate from the coronavirus in America is considerably higher. It now stands at about 17.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
During 1968, the deadliest year for the U.S. in Vietnam, the death toll of 16,899 occurred at about half the pandemic's rate — 8.5 troops were killed for every 100,000 U.S. residents.
The pandemic has also been marked by nationwide death tolls surpassing 2,000 on six days this month. The highest daily toll for Americans fighting in the Vietnam War was on Jan. 31, 1968, when 246 U.S. personnel were killed during the Tet Offensive.
There are other parallels — as well as contrasts — between that conflagration and what's unfolding now.
It was television that brought a war on the other side of the world into Americans' living rooms for the first time, as on-the-ground reporters chronicled the grinding mayhem of Vietnam for evening network news shows.
By the same token, this pandemic may be the first ever to be televised on a daily basis.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stone/AP Stone/AP
But while the five presidents — from Dwight Eisenhower to Gerald Ford — who held office during the Vietnam conflict only occasionally spoke to the nation about the clash, the American public has seen President Trump casting himself as a wartime leader and dominating lengthy news conferences televised live nightly from the White House.
The claims Trump has made in his pandemic pronouncements — from saying his administration had "tremendous" control over the virus to promising it would "miraculously" go away to accusing the news media of trying to "inflame" the outbreak — have done little to boost his credibility. Fewer than a quarter of the respondents in a recent nationwide poll professed a high level of trust in Trump.
Likewise, as early as 1966, critics of President Lyndon Johnson's upbeat portrayals of an increasingly unpopular war pointed to a "credibility gap." It was defined by then-Sen. Ernest Gruening, D-Alaska, as "a euphemism for what actually goes on — namely, that the American people are being misled by their government officials."
Vietnam hasn't reported a single COVID-19 death, and as of April 24, it had 268 confirmed cases.
A closer parallel to the total of lives lost so far to the pandemic in the U.S. may be the 2017-2018 flu season, the deadliest in the past decade. There were 61,000 influenza-related deaths nationally reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a roughly eight-month period.


npr--2020-04-28--Hospital Ship USNS Comfort Scheduled To Sail From New York City

Hospital Ship USNS Comfort Scheduled To Sail From New York City The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort is scheduled to depart New York City on Thursday after deploying there to help with the coronavirus pandemic .
U.S. Northern Command announced on Tuesday that the Comfort , which arrived in Manhattan on March 30 , would return to its berth in Norfolk , Va. Other military personnel , ships , aircraft and facilities will remain involved in the disaster response , and the Comfort itself will continue to stand by .
`` Even as USNS Comfort departs NYC , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain prepared for future tasking , '' the statement said .
`` The Navy , along with other U.S. Northern Command dedicated forces , remains engaged throughout the nation in support of the broader COVID-19 response . ''
There was no immediate information about a prospective second deployment for the Comfort or whether the ship might sail to another destination within the United States or somewhere abroad .
The Comfort often undertakes medical missions to the Caribbean , Central American and elsewhere .
The ship 's roughly 1,000 patient beds were first to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sufferers in greater New York , with the idea that they would free up space on land for pandemic victims .
Later , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo and public health officials asked that the ship , which had not seen many cases , begin taking suspected pandemic patients , the first of which came aboard on April 6 .
There was no immediately available accounting about how many total patients the Comfort accommodated during its deployment to New York .
The Comfort 's sibling , the West Coast-based hospital ship USNS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help with the pandemic there .
The crew of the Mercy also had to try to manage a COVID-19 outbreak among its own personnel .

Hospital Ship USNS Comfort Scheduled To Sail From New York City
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chief Petty Officer Gary Keen/U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Gary Keen/U.S. Navy
The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort is scheduled to depart New York City on Thursday after deploying there to help with the coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. Northern Command announced on Tuesday that the Comfort, which arrived in Manhattan on March 30, would return to its berth in Norfolk, Va.
Other military personnel, ships, aircraft and facilities will remain involved in the disaster response, and the Comfort itself will continue to stand by.
"Even as USNS Comfort departs NYC, the ship and its embarked medical task force remain prepared for future tasking," the statement said. "The Navy, along with other U.S. Northern Command dedicated forces, remains engaged throughout the nation in support of the broader COVID-19 response."
There was no immediate information about a prospective second deployment for the Comfort or whether the ship might sail to another destination within the United States or somewhere abroad. The Comfort often undertakes medical missions to the Caribbean, Central American and elsewhere.
The ship's roughly 1,000 patient beds were first to be used as spillover capacity for non-coronavirus sufferers in greater New York, with the idea that they would free up space on land for pandemic victims.
Later, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and public health officials asked that the ship, which had not seen many cases, begin taking suspected pandemic patients, the first of which came aboard on April 6. There was no immediately available accounting about how many total patients the Comfort accommodated during its deployment to New York.
The Comfort's sibling, the West Coast-based hospital ship USNS Mercy, deployed to Los Angeles to help with the pandemic there. The crew of the Mercy also had to try to manage a COVID-19 outbreak among its own personnel.


npr--2020-04-28--NBA Says Teams Can Reopen Practice Facilities In Early May, If Local Rules Allow

NBA Says Teams Can Reopen Practice Facilities In Early May , If Local Rules Allow As states begin to lift stay-at-home orders put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus , the NBA says it will relax league restrictions next month , clearing the way for players to train at some team facilities .
Beginning on May 8 , players will be able to train and receive treatment at team buildings — as long as it can be done safely and as long as the facility is in a jurisdiction that is n't under a shelter-in-place order , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules changes would allow teams to make their practice facilities available for use by the team 's players for workouts or treatment on a voluntary , individual basis if the team 's facility is in a city that is no longer subject to a government restriction , '' the league said in a statement .
In any area where a team ca n't open its facilities , the NBA adds , `` the league will work with the team to identify alternatives . ''
The NBA 's move to reopen facilities , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decision on the league 's return to regular season games is imminent .
It has been shuttered since March 11 , after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert became the league 's first active player known to test positive for COVID-19 .
Though the NBA plans to ease some restrictions , it also made it clear it would push the date back if future developments warrant .
The NBA also stipulated that the opening of team practice and training facilities is not a return to precoronavirus normalcy , adding that certain social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than four players are allowed at a facility at one time , and practices and scrimmages are prohibited .
Players continue to be barred from using non-team facilities for training , like public fitness centers or health clubs .
News of the partial reopening comes days after media outlets reported the NBA was eyeing Friday as a possible date to restart limited team operations .
Reporter Adrian Wojnarowski , who covers the NBA for ESPN , reported via Twitter that the decision to unlock practice facilities was not unanimous among franchises .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ teams about idea of re-opening practice facilities in selected states and municipalities , team officials tell ESPN .
Competitive balance has n't been issue — player/staff safety has , '' Wojnarowski said .
He added that other franchises were `` embracing idea '' of providing a `` safe and monitored team environment '' for players .
Georgia was among the first states to reopen some nonessential businesses that were shut down because of the virus , reopening barbershops and nail salons late last week .
But executives with the Atlanta Hawks signaled that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopening , telling The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they want to see how Georgia 's loosening of restrictions plays out before making a decision .
`` We 're going to put the health of our players and staff at the forefront , '' said Travis Schlenk , the Hawks general manager .
The Hawks practice facility has been closed since March 18 , the AJC reports .

NBA Says Teams Can Reopen Practice Facilities In Early May, If Local Rules Allow
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images
As states begin to lift stay-at-home orders put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the NBA says it will relax league restrictions next month, clearing the way for players to train at some team facilities.
Beginning on May 8, players will be able to train and receive treatment at team buildings — as long as it can be done safely and as long as the facility is in a jurisdiction that isn't under a shelter-in-place order, NBA officials said.
"The potential rules changes would allow teams to make their practice facilities available for use by the team's players for workouts or treatment on a voluntary, individual basis if the team's facility is in a city that is no longer subject to a government restriction," the league said in a statement.
In any area where a team can't open its facilities, the NBA adds, "the league will work with the team to identify alternatives."
The NBA's move to reopen facilities, while a significant step, does not mean a decision on the league's return to regular season games is imminent. It has been shuttered since March 11, after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert became the league's first active player known to test positive for COVID-19.
Though the NBA plans to ease some restrictions, it also made it clear it would push the date back if future developments warrant.
The NBA also stipulated that the opening of team practice and training facilities is not a return to precoronavirus normalcy, adding that certain social distancing protocols need to be followed. No more than four players are allowed at a facility at one time, and practices and scrimmages are prohibited.
Players continue to be barred from using non-team facilities for training, like public fitness centers or health clubs.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rick Bowmer/AP Rick Bowmer/AP
News of the partial reopening comes days after media outlets reported the NBA was eyeing Friday as a possible date to restart limited team operations.
Reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, who covers the NBA for ESPN, reported via Twitter that the decision to unlock practice facilities was not unanimous among franchises.
"NBA has received significant pushback from teams about idea of re-opening practice facilities in selected states and municipalities, team officials tell ESPN. Competitive balance hasn't been issue — player/staff safety has," Wojnarowski said.
He added that other franchises were "embracing idea" of providing a "safe and monitored team environment" for players.
Georgia was among the first states to reopen some nonessential businesses that were shut down because of the virus, reopening barbershops and nail salons late last week.
But executives with the Atlanta Hawks signaled that the franchise was taking a cautious approach to reopening, telling The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they want to see how Georgia's loosening of restrictions plays out before making a decision.
"We're going to put the health of our players and staff at the forefront," said Travis Schlenk, the Hawks general manager.
The Hawks practice facility has been closed since March 18, the AJC reports.


npr--2020-04-28--Trump Signs Order To Beef Up Meat Production After Coronavirus Hits Plants

Trump Signs Order To Beef Up Meat Production After Coronavirus Hits Plants President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday aimed at addressing concerns about meat shortages .
The order invokes the Defense Production Act to ensure beef , pork , poultry and egg plants keep running .
`` It is important that processors of beef , pork , and poultry ( `` meat and poultry '' ) in the food supply chain continue operating and fulfilling orders to ensure a continued supply of protein for Americans , '' the order reads .
`` However , outbreaks of COVID-19 among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the reduction in some of those facilities ' production capacity .
The United Food and Commercial Workers union — the largest union for workers in the plants — had called on major meat-producing companies to take immediate action to protect workers after thousands have become infected with the virus .
At least 13 workers have died .
Earlier this month , one of the country 's largest pork-producing plants , in Sioux Falls , S.D.
, closed indefinitely after nearly 300 of its employees tested positive for the coronavirus .
Tyson Foods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plants and a beef plant .
Trump told reporters at the White House that he is working on a plan `` to solve any liability problems '' for meat processors .
Iowa 's Gov .
Kim Reynolds and two prominent Republican senators from her state — Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Joni Ernst — have urged the administration to use the Defense Production Act to help farmers and the industry .

Trump Signs Order To Beef Up Meat Production After Coronavirus Hits Plants
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 8:45 p.m. ET
President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday aimed at addressing concerns about meat shortages.
The order invokes the Defense Production Act to ensure beef, pork, poultry and egg plants keep running.
"It is important that processors of beef, pork, and poultry ("meat and poultry") in the food supply chain continue operating and fulfilling orders to ensure a continued supply of protein for Americans," the order reads. "However, outbreaks of COVID-19 among workers at some processing facilities have led to the reduction in some of those facilities' production capacity.
The United Food and Commercial Workers union — the largest union for workers in the plants — had called on major meat-producing companies to take immediate action to protect workers after thousands have become infected with the virus. At least 13 workers have died.
Earlier this month, one of the country's largest pork-producing plants, in Sioux Falls, S.D., closed indefinitely after nearly 300 of its employees tested positive for the coronavirus. Tyson Foods has said it would close two pork plants and a beef plant.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he is working on a plan "to solve any liability problems" for meat processors.
Iowa's Gov. Kim Reynolds and two prominent Republican senators from her state — Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Joni Ernst — have urged the administration to use the Defense Production Act to help farmers and the industry.


npr--2020-04-28--San Francisco Enlists A Key Latino Neighborhood In Coronavirus Testing

As public health experts plead for cities and states to dramatically increase the scale and speed of testing and contact tracing for the coronavirus , researchers in San Francisco , backed by dozens of volunteers , have launched an ambitious effort to test everyone older than 4 years old in a big part of one hard-hit neighborhood .
They 're calling the effort `` Unidos en Salud – United in Health . ''
Epidemiologists and others at the University of California , San Francisco are trying to determine how deeply the virus has penetrated this one , densely populated section @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gentrifying but still predominantly Latino neighborhood .
`` Right now , all of our information is really coming from people who are sick , '' says Dr. Gabriel Chamie , a professor of infectious disease and medicine at UCSF , who is helping to lead the testing study .
`` That 's sort of the tip of the iceberg .
We know that .
To what extent or what size that iceberg is , outside of the hospital , needs to be determined .
The purpose of this study is to understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without symptoms '' in the surrounding area .
The goal is to test everyone over age 4 who lives in the census tract — more than 5,700 residents — simultaneously for both an active infection ( using PCR tests , via nasal and throat swab ) and for recent past exposure to the virus ( using antibody tests , via a finger-prick blood sample ) .
That sort of double-testing of each person provides important information not only about active infections in the neighborhood right now , but also about the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past and may or may not have developed symptoms .
California still has only tested a little over 1 % of the state 's population .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has repeatedly pledged to ramp up testing and contact tracing where testing has been limited or non-existent .
That includes some rural areas of the state , as well as some communities that are largely African-American and Latino — groups that have been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus in the U.S. And the state recently became the first in the nation , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that all asymptomatic people in certain high-risk settings — such as residents and staff in nursing homes and in prisons — get tested for the virus .
These tests go further .
`` What we 're doing here , essentially , in this small census tract is what the country needs to be able to do to open back up , '' says Jon Jacobo , who is with the Covid19 Latino Task Force , which mobilized volunteers , nonprofits and Latino community groups to help with the testing project .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing , the isolation , the follow up , the contact tracing .
And until we can do that , '' he says , `` things are not going to go back to normal . ''
The testing for this project , which began last Saturday in several schools and parks , is scheduled to run through the end of the day Tuesday , with some follow-up , as needed , for people unable to leave their homes .
The Mission District , an area surrounding San Francisco 's 18th century Mission Dolores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardest hit by the virus , so far , mirroring the growing income inequality and health care disparities in the city .
Latinos are 15 percent of San Francisco 's population but make up more than 25 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases , according to data from the county 's department of public health .
The county health director , Dr. Grant Colfax , on Monday said San Francisco needs two- to three-times more testing than current levels before relaxing public health stay-at-home orders and other social distancing measures .
Few U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rural Telluride , Colo. , is one town that gave a majority of its residents antibody tests , in hopes of determining what percentage of people had a history of infection with the virus .
The effort 's usefulness to Telluride was blunted , however , by an unforeseen three-week delay in getting test results back .
`` OK , we all need to social distance '' a volunteer in San Francisco told people Monday , in a long line that stretched around the Mission 's Garfield Square .
Nurses , doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white pop-up tents on a field that in the days before the coronavirus would have been filled with soccer games and kids .
`` Any symptoms like fever ?
Any dry coughing ? ''
asked medical student Fabian Fernandez , as he also tried to put people at ease while they waited for the nasal swab and finger-prick blood sample of each test .
`` I mean some people [ are ] joking , like 'is this gon na be like a microchip you 're implanting ? '
`` Fernandez said of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I think , for the most part , people understand that what we 're doing here is really important to understand the demographics of this virus . ''
UCSF researchers hope to have the results of the PCR tests within 72 hours .
The antibody test results , however , will take three to four weeks .
In light of the pandemic , the study is being fast-tracked , UCSF researchers say , and they hope to publish their results by the end of May .
The tests are free to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partnership with the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub and a separate philanthropic initiative that helped expand UCSF 's capacity to process coronavirus tests .
Turnout has been good so far , the UCSF researchers say .
By the end of the day Monday , more than 2,500 residents had been tested .
To get people to show up , a small army of volunteers for the project hit the streets starting Saturday , knocking on doors and passing out flyers in English and Spanish — offering information about the project going on at testing sites set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attention of locals including Norma Garcia .
`` I think it 's good for me to know , to take precautions — to protect other people , my neighbors , my community , '' she says .
Wearing protective masks as they waited in line for a test Monday , Mission residents Jeanette Gehrig and Ian Schillebeeckx , both trained scientists , said they jumped at the chance to get tested when they saw the flyer about it .
`` Most people being tested have symptoms .
So the positive rate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` So I think just getting a better sense of how many people in this area actually have it or have had it — it 'll be useful . ''
People who test positive will get follow up `` contact tracing '' phone calls and texts from UCSF experts who , as NPR 's reported , are working with the city 's health department and the Latino Task Force .
They will be asked to self-quarantine for two weeks .
Jacobo with the Latino Covid19 Task Force , who lives in the neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to testing for some in the community .
They might be the family 's sole income earner , he says , and fear the 14-day quarantine and the loss of income if they test positive — they do n't want to know if they have the virus .
`` Maybe you 're undocumented and ca n't miss work and do n't get federal stimulus checks .
So there 's just this whole complication of some of the fears and the angst and the anxiety .
And so we 're trying our best to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , 'look , at its core this can be life or death , ' `` Jacobo says .
Jonathan Marquez got the message .
He was in line with two relatives .
The 19-year-old said they wanted to get tested for peace of mind and to help keep themselves and co-workers safe .
Some people in his community , he noted , are working two or three jobs to get by financially — often in front-line delivery and cleaning work .
`` An example [ in ] my family — two of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Marquez said .
`` So it 's like not only for them , but the people they work with .
Get tested , be a little more safe – and , hopefully , get back to work as soon as possible . ''
The 19-year-old college student also works at the San Francisco Giants ' Oracle Park during baseball season .
Marquez said he wants to know as much as he can before school and baseball return .
Marquez just does n't know when that 'll be .

San Francisco Enlists A Key Latino Neighborhood In Coronavirus Testing
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Westervelt/NPR Eric Westervelt/NPR
As public health experts plead for cities and states to dramatically increase the scale and speed of testing and contact tracing for the coronavirus, researchers in San Francisco, backed by dozens of volunteers, have launched an ambitious effort to test everyone older than 4 years old in a big part of one hard-hit neighborhood. They're calling the effort "Unidos en Salud – United in Health."
Epidemiologists and others at the University of California, San Francisco are trying to determine how deeply the virus has penetrated this one, densely populated section of San Francisco's Mission District, a gentrifying but still predominantly Latino neighborhood.
"Right now, all of our information is really coming from people who are sick," says Dr. Gabriel Chamie, a professor of infectious disease and medicine at UCSF, who is helping to lead the testing study. "That's sort of the tip of the iceberg. We know that. To what extent or what size that iceberg is, outside of the hospital, needs to be determined. The purpose of this study is to understand the value of expanding testing to people without symptoms" in the surrounding area.
The goal is to test everyone over age 4 who lives in the census tract — more than 5,700 residents — simultaneously for both an active infection (using PCR tests, via nasal and throat swab) and for recent past exposure to the virus (using antibody tests, via a finger-prick blood sample). That sort of double-testing of each person provides important information not only about active infections in the neighborhood right now, but also about the number of people who have been exposed in the past and may or may not have developed symptoms.
California still has only tested a little over 1% of the state's population.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly pledged to ramp up testing and contact tracing where testing has been limited or non-existent. That includes some rural areas of the state, as well as some communities that are largely African-American and Latino — groups that have been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus in the U.S.
And the state recently became the first in the nation, according to Newsom's office, to recommend that all asymptomatic people in certain high-risk settings — such as residents and staff in nursing homes and in prisons — get tested for the virus.
These tests go further.
"What we're doing here, essentially, in this small census tract is what the country needs to be able to do to open back up," says Jon Jacobo, who is with the Covid19 Latino Task Force, which mobilized volunteers, nonprofits and Latino community groups to help with the testing project.
"We need to be able to do the testing, the isolation, the follow up, the contact tracing. And until we can do that," he says, "things are not going to go back to normal."
The testing for this project, which began last Saturday in several schools and parks, is scheduled to run through the end of the day Tuesday, with some follow-up, as needed, for people unable to leave their homes.
The Mission District, an area surrounding San Francisco's 18th century Mission Dolores, is the part of San Francisco hardest hit by the virus, so far, mirroring the growing income inequality and health care disparities in the city. Latinos are 15 percent of San Francisco's population but make up more than 25 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to data from the county's department of public health.
The county health director, Dr. Grant Colfax, on Monday said San Francisco needs two- to three-times more testing than current levels before relaxing public health stay-at-home orders and other social distancing measures.
Few U.S. cities have tried to test nearly everyone. Rural Telluride, Colo., is one town that gave a majority of its residents antibody tests, in hopes of determining what percentage of people had a history of infection with the virus. The effort's usefulness to Telluride was blunted, however, by an unforeseen three-week delay in getting test results back.
"OK, we all need to social distance" a volunteer in San Francisco told people Monday, in a long line that stretched around the Mission's Garfield Square. Nurses, doctors and volunteers in protective gear hurried around white pop-up tents on a field that in the days before the coronavirus would have been filled with soccer games and kids.
"Any symptoms like fever? Any dry coughing?" asked medical student Fabian Fernandez, as he also tried to put people at ease while they waited for the nasal swab and finger-prick blood sample of each test.
"I mean some people [are] joking, like 'is this gonna be like a microchip you're implanting?' " Fernandez said of the nasal swab, and chuckles. "But I think, for the most part, people understand that what we're doing here is really important to understand the demographics of this virus."
UCSF researchers hope to have the results of the PCR tests within 72 hours. The antibody test results, however, will take three to four weeks. In light of the pandemic, the study is being fast-tracked, UCSF researchers say, and they hope to publish their results by the end of May.
The tests are free to the public — paid for by UCSF in partnership with the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub and a separate philanthropic initiative that helped expand UCSF's capacity to process coronavirus tests.
Turnout has been good so far, the UCSF researchers say. By the end of the day Monday, more than 2,500 residents had been tested. To get people to show up, a small army of volunteers for the project hit the streets starting Saturday, knocking on doors and passing out flyers in English and Spanish — offering information about the project going on at testing sites set up around the neighborhood.
That caught the attention of locals including Norma Garcia. "I think it's good for me to know, to take precautions — to protect other people, my neighbors, my community," she says.
Wearing protective masks as they waited in line for a test Monday, Mission residents Jeanette Gehrig and Ian Schillebeeckx, both trained scientists, said they jumped at the chance to get tested when they saw the flyer about it.
"Most people being tested have symptoms. So the positive rate is artificially high," Gehrig said. "So I think just getting a better sense of how many people in this area actually have it or have had it — it'll be useful."
People who test positive will get follow up "contact tracing" phone calls and texts from UCSF experts who, as NPR's reported, are working with the city's health department and the Latino Task Force. They will be asked to self-quarantine for two weeks.
Jacobo with the Latino Covid19 Task Force, who lives in the neighborhood, says that's been an obstacle to testing for some in the community. They might be the family's sole income earner, he says, and fear the 14-day quarantine and the loss of income if they test positive — they don't want to know if they have the virus.
"Maybe you're undocumented and can't miss work and don't get federal stimulus checks. So there's just this whole complication of some of the fears and the angst and the anxiety. And so we're trying our best to work through that and message the fact that, 'look, at its core this can be life or death,' " Jacobo says.
Jonathan Marquez got the message. He was in line with two relatives. The 19-year-old said they wanted to get tested for peace of mind and to help keep themselves and co-workers safe. Some people in his community, he noted, are working two or three jobs to get by financially — often in front-line delivery and cleaning work.
"An example [in] my family — two of my family members work cleaning houses," Marquez said. "So it's like not only for them, but the people they work with. Get tested, be a little more safe – and, hopefully, get back to work as soon as possible."
The 19-year-old college student also works at the San Francisco Giants' Oracle Park during baseball season. Marquez said he wants to know as much as he can before school and baseball return.
Marquez just doesn't know when that'll be.