csmonitor--2020-05-22--An unlikely truce: Cape Town gangs deliver food amid lockdown

Preston ’ s new face mask is emblazoned with the stars and stripes of the U.S. flag .
While protecting him from the coronavirus , it would normally also put him in danger in Manenberg , one of a number of violent and poor neighborhoods on the outskirts of Cape Town known as the Cape Flats .
The mask 's colors identify Preston as a member of the Americans , a criminal gang usually unwelcome on the turf of the rival Hard Livings gang .
“ They ’ d shoot me , '' he says with what appears to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But today , he 's working side-by-side with other notorious gang members to deliver bread , flour , and vegetables to poor families who are struggling during South Africa 's coronavirus lockdown , which has closed industries and left many in Manenberg without work .
Preston stands in a courtyard with the other gang members amid an unlikely truce , bowing his head as Danny , a senior member of the Hard Livings , says a prayer .
Caps are removed and tattooed arms are held behind backs .
“ We [ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help , ” Danny said .
“ And we have got no problem [ with each other ] , you see .
No problem.
” The project was started by Andie Steele-Smith , an Australian known as the “ gang pastor.
” They ride in the back of his pickup truck and trailer , leaping off to carry items to homes and soup kitchens .
Mr. Steele-Smith said that “ as soon as these guys were given an opportunity to do something good , they grabbed the opportunity with both hands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can.
” The gangs also benefit , getting some food as well as the chance to stay relevant in tough times .
They also seem to enjoy the role of modern-day Robin Hoods .
Still , these men are drug dealers and many are killers .
A lot of them have tattoos that identify them as members of prison “ Numbers ” gangs , which experts say are far more violent .
One who does n't think much of their good deeds is J.P. Smith , who works in the mayor 's office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and security .
He says their real business is murder , extortion , trafficking in drugs and guns , protection rackets , and corrupting police and judges , noting there were 900 gang-related killings in the Cape Town area last year .
“ None of that goes away because the gangsters suddenly pretend to do something nice , ” Mr. Smith said .
“ The trauma they ’ ve inflicted on communities for decades won ’ t be forgotten for a couple of loaves of bread.
” Manenberg resident Cristal van Rensburg says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Her brother and other relatives also are in gangs , and she says she often sees her cousins ' killers on the street .
“ In the beginning it was difficult , ” she said .
“ It ’ s not a good feeling to lose someone and know that person who hurt your family is walking past you every day .
You see in Manenberg , that ’ s part of life.
” Despite its beauty , Cape Town was ranked last year as the 11th most-dangerous city in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice , which compiled the list , Cape Town had 2,868 homicides in 2018 , the second-most on the list behind Caracas , Venezuela .
An attempted truce has accompanied the food distribution , and Mr. Smith said police have reported a decrease in trouble in Manenberg in recent weeks .
But the grim reality is still evident .
During the food delivery , the pickup truck encounters people who say a man has been stabbed to death , and the victim is a member of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santjie , a local leader of the gang who is riding on Mr. Steele-Smith 's truck , had earlier made a comment that has become suddenly relevant : “ Life here is very quick .
It 's very quick.
” Residents of Manenberg seem to live either in government-built housing blocks called “ the courts ” or in haphazard houses on unmarked streets .
The headquarters of the Americans is a multistory labyrinth with “ Welcome 2 United States ” scrawled on it .
Across the street is more graffiti , misspelled and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The neighborhood was created by South Africa 's apartheid government in the 1960s as a dumping ground for poor non-whites who were evicted from Cape Town 's prime land .
Mr. Steele-Smith describes it as “ forgotten ” and lacking hope .
Danny , Preston , and Santjie , who spoke to The Associated Press on condition that only their first names are used because they belong to criminal gangs , say they have much in common : All have been shot and all have been to prison .
Danny says he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder and armed robbery .
The other two do n't specify their crimes .
Santjie , the youngest of the three , has been “ in and out ” numerous times , he says .
All three saw joining gangs as natural – boys are recruited in their early teens or younger .
Preston says he may eventually quit his gang , but Danny warns : “ If you turn your back on your gang , you ’ re a target.
” Leaving a gang means giving up protection .
A local saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a Cape Flats gang is death .
The Rev .
Eric Hofmeyer used to be a member of the Hard Livings gang , joining when he was 9 but getting out at age 21 in the 1980s .
He says he survived two stabbings by rival gangs and also escaped death when police interrupted an attempt by his own gang to kill him .
He says the food project shows that the new generation is open to change .
“ I believe there is a way out for those young men , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Preston’s new face mask is emblazoned with the stars and stripes of the U.S. flag.
While protecting him from the coronavirus, it would normally also put him in danger in Manenberg, one of a number of violent and poor neighborhoods on the outskirts of Cape Town known as the Cape Flats. The mask's colors identify Preston as a member of the Americans, a criminal gang usually unwelcome on the turf of the rival Hard Livings gang.
“They’d shoot me," he says with what appears to be a smile, his eyes crinkling.
But today, he's working side-by-side with other notorious gang members to deliver bread, flour, and vegetables to poor families who are struggling during South Africa's coronavirus lockdown, which has closed industries and left many in Manenberg without work.
Preston stands in a courtyard with the other gang members amid an unlikely truce, bowing his head as Danny, a senior member of the Hard Livings, says a prayer. Caps are removed and tattooed arms are held behind backs.
“We [the gangs] did decide to work together to help,” Danny said. “And we have got no problem [with each other], you see. No problem.”
The project was started by Andie Steele-Smith, an Australian known as the “gang pastor.” They ride in the back of his pickup truck and trailer, leaping off to carry items to homes and soup kitchens.
Mr. Steele-Smith said that “as soon as these guys were given an opportunity to do something good, they grabbed the opportunity with both hands and are just wringing it for everything they can.”
The gangs also benefit, getting some food as well as the chance to stay relevant in tough times. They also seem to enjoy the role of modern-day Robin Hoods.
Still, these men are drug dealers and many are killers. A lot of them have tattoos that identify them as members of prison “Numbers” gangs, which experts say are far more violent.
One who doesn't think much of their good deeds is J.P. Smith, who works in the mayor's office of Cape Town in charge of safety and security. He says their real business is murder, extortion, trafficking in drugs and guns, protection rackets, and corrupting police and judges, noting there were 900 gang-related killings in the Cape Town area last year.
“None of that goes away because the gangsters suddenly pretend to do something nice,” Mr. Smith said. “The trauma they’ve inflicted on communities for decades won’t be forgotten for a couple of loaves of bread.”
Manenberg resident Cristal van Rensburg says two cousins were killed by gang members. Her brother and other relatives also are in gangs, and she says she often sees her cousins' killers on the street.
“In the beginning it was difficult,” she said. “It’s not a good feeling to lose someone and know that person who hurt your family is walking past you every day. You see in Manenberg, that’s part of life.”
Despite its beauty, Cape Town was ranked last year as the 11th most-dangerous city in the world. According to the Mexico City-based Citizen Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice, which compiled the list, Cape Town had 2,868 homicides in 2018, the second-most on the list behind Caracas, Venezuela.
An attempted truce has accompanied the food distribution, and Mr. Smith said police have reported a decrease in trouble in Manenberg in recent weeks.
But the grim reality is still evident.
During the food delivery, the pickup truck encounters people who say a man has been stabbed to death, and the victim is a member of a gang known as the Clever Kidz.
Santjie, a local leader of the gang who is riding on Mr. Steele-Smith's truck, had earlier made a comment that has become suddenly relevant: “Life here is very quick. It's very quick.”
Residents of Manenberg seem to live either in government-built housing blocks called “the courts” or in haphazard houses on unmarked streets.
The headquarters of the Americans is a multistory labyrinth with “Welcome 2 United States” scrawled on it. Across the street is more graffiti, misspelled and perhaps mistaken: “God loves Manenburg.”
The neighborhood was created by South Africa's apartheid government in the 1960s as a dumping ground for poor non-whites who were evicted from Cape Town's prime land. Mr. Steele-Smith describes it as “forgotten” and lacking hope.
Danny, Preston, and Santjie, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition that only their first names are used because they belong to criminal gangs, say they have much in common: All have been shot and all have been to prison.
Danny says he was behind bars for 29 years for murder and armed robbery. The other two don't specify their crimes. Santjie, the youngest of the three, has been “in and out” numerous times, he says.
All three saw joining gangs as natural – boys are recruited in their early teens or younger.
Preston says he may eventually quit his gang, but Danny warns: “If you turn your back on your gang, you’re a target.”
“A traitor,” Preston agrees.
Leaving a gang means giving up protection. A local saying goes that the only sure way out of a Cape Flats gang is death.
The Rev. Eric Hofmeyer used to be a member of the Hard Livings gang, joining when he was 9 but getting out at age 21 in the 1980s. He says he survived two stabbings by rival gangs and also escaped death when police interrupted an attempt by his own gang to kill him.
He says the food project shows that the new generation is open to change.
“I believe there is a way out for those young men,” he said.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-21--Past crises brought change. What will this pandemic bring?

“ During the war , before buying something we ’ d ask ourselves , ‘ Do I really need this ?
’ I think this will be a good experience for this generation.
” Like many of those who have lived through wars , depressions , or other public health threats , the crises shaped values systems that they rely on during this pandemic , says Raymond Charlès , who also lived through World War II as a child .
He says he believes the forced shutdowns could help today ’ s generation learn to live with less .
Odile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zone of France during the war .
She says that the era was one of constant scarcity .
“ We had ration stamps to buy food , but it was very limited.
” Heads of state like French President Emmanuel Macron have likened the current situation to previous war eras .
Those who lived through the uncertainty of World War II feel it intimately .
Crises have been the catalyst for major shifts , personal and structural .
Public health systems were established after the 1918 flu pandemic .
Widespread social welfare policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now that many are undergoing the biggest crisis of their lifetimes – a pandemic with unknown health and economic consequences – they are finding their limits tested .
Jerry Apps was pulling his sled home from his one-room country school in rural Wisconsin on a January afternoon in 1947 when he started to feel ill .
Within days his family knew it was polio , the worst public health threat in American communities of the postwar era .
While his father helped him largely regain use of his legs , there was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or helping his folks on the farm .
He grappled with worthlessness throughout his childhood , he says .
But at the urging of a teacher , he joined a typewriting class .
He was the only boy and says he excelled because his fingers were strong from milking cows .
Another teacher , recognizing his suffering on the sidelines of the sports he loved , urged him to broadcast the games instead .
He believes without polio he wouldn ’ t have gotten to college – or had a career as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
Crises have been the catalyst for major shifts , personal and structural .
Public health systems were established after the 1918 flu pandemic .
Widespread social welfare policies were created after World War II .
Now that many in the world are undergoing the biggest crisis of their lifetimes – a pandemic with unknown health and economic consequences – their limits are being tested like Mr. Apps ’ s once were .
“ For a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tough stretch right now , and they need to find a little optimism , ” Mr. Apps says .
“ When I had polio , I was the most miserable , ornery , unhappy-feeling kid you could ever imagine .
And my dad , he never said , ‘ Get over it.
’ He just said , ‘ Tomorrow ’ s going to be a better day .
Next year is going to be a better year .
Let ’ s get on with it.
’ ” “ I ’ ve had my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve had a wonderfully good life , my goodness.
” The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare some of society ’ s urgent weaknesses , from inequality to lax health and labor protections to environmental degradation , and many are hoping it forces change around the world when it ’ s done .
It ’ s far too soon to know how deep or lasting any shifts will be .
Historians say transformations are often oversimplified and romanticized in collective memory .
But many individuals are recalibrating goals , values , and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been shepherded by heads of state , who have likened the current situation to previous war eras .
Politicians around the globe have asked their citizens to shelter at home , with a loss of freedom over movement and labor – something unthinkable just two months ago .
And in doing so , they have invoked ideas of national sacrifice .
French President Emmanuel Macron told the country that it was “ at war ” with the coronavirus ahead of France ’ s first lockdown period on March 17 .
And in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even though it was difficult to stay confined and deal with shortages while being on the “ front lines ” of the virus , the country had “ mobilized ” and a “ production schedule , just like in times of war , [ had ] been put in place.
” Queen Elizabeth , in an address to the British people in April , invoked the spirit of World War II when she told the nation , “ We will meet again , ” a reference to a British song from the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olivier Wieviorka , a French historian who specializes in the study of World War II , says there are parallels between then and now , in shortages , restrictions , and sacrifice .
And those who lived through the uncertainty of the era feel it intimately .
Odile Diconne was a child in Remigny in the Burgundy region in the occupied zone of France during World War II .
She says that , with her father locked up as a prisoner of war , the era was one of constant scarcity .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it was very limited .
We would try to grow what was lacking in our garden , but it was a difficult period.
” Total darkness obscured the streets of her neighborhood every evening , as families shuttered themselves inside for the German army-imposed curfew .
Ms. Diconne and her family would black out their windows with paper and escape to the basement as shelling pounded down nearby .
And yet , in some ways she finds today ’ s lockdowns more psychologically challenging .
“ It ’ s harder now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , speak to the neighbors , ” says Ms. Diconne .
“ During the war , schools and churches remained open .
We were relatively free.
” Like many of those who have lived through wars , depressions , or other public health threats , the crises shaped values systems that they rely on during this pandemic , says Raymond Charlès , who was born in 1933 in Brittany , France , and also lived through World War II as a child .
He says he believes the forced shutdowns could help today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less .
“ During the war , before buying something we ’ d ask ourselves , ‘ Do I really need this ?
’ I think this will be a good experience for this generation , who always have everything they want right away.
” “ Things are going to change , ” says Mr. Wieviorka , the historian , “ but it won ’ t be a big bang or a major change from one day to the next.
” What comes out of this ?
The current lockdown has created a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminiscent of wartime when neighbors would help tend each other ’ s farms or share food , says Richard Berrong , who has produced three documentaries on World War II and is a French professor at Kent State University in Ohio .
“ Solidarity was a really important element of the occupation , ” he says .
Within the first month of lockdown in the United Kingdom , more than 750,000 volunteers had signed up to community groups to take care of Britain ’ s more vulnerable people .
In Canada , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to help those in need .
But there are limits to the parallels , argues Mark Humphries , a historian at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario who wrote “ The Last Plague : Spanish Influenza and the Politics of Public Health in Canada.
” “ It ’ s very easy for politicians to say , ‘ We ’ re in a war , this is about national sacrifice , ’ and then use that to try and allude to previous conflicts and make the argument that we need to do what people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these things get very muddy and murky very quickly.
” In Canada , for example , in both world wars , conscription became a divisive issue that roiled the nation .
He says that during World War I there was a longing for the war to be “ a cleansing fire which would burn away all the old problems.
” That idealism faded quickly as political divisions resurfaced .
He says that a lot of the goodwill today around sacrifice could erode as people weigh the financial and social costs of shutdowns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be very careful in assuming that what comes out of this is a unifying thing , ” he says .
Yet Mr. Apps says that the individual growth that comes at any period of change should be used to refocus thinking on those things in society that need to change , like a lack of safety nets for many workers .
“ I firmly believe that this is that rare opportunity once again to think carefully about where we want to be and not spend all of our time thinking about how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he says .
“ That ’ s not the right question .
This is our opportunity to be something better than we were.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

“During the war, before buying something we’d ask ourselves, ‘Do I really need this?’ I think this will be a good experience for this generation.”
Like many of those who have lived through wars, depressions, or other public health threats, the crises shaped values systems that they rely on during this pandemic, says Raymond Charlès, who also lived through World War II as a child. He says he believes the forced shutdowns could help today’s generation learn to live with less.
Odile Diconne was a child in the occupied zone of France during the war. She says that the era was one of constant scarcity. “We had ration stamps to buy food, but it was very limited.”
The coronavirus pandemic is just the latest in a long line of global crises. And as those earlier events have shown, there is hope for a better world tomorrow – and it starts with each individual.
Heads of state like French President Emmanuel Macron have likened the current situation to previous war eras. Those who lived through the uncertainty of World War II feel it intimately.
Crises have been the catalyst for major shifts, personal and structural. Public health systems were established after the 1918 flu pandemic. Widespread social welfare policies were created after World War II. Now that many are undergoing the biggest crisis of their lifetimes – a pandemic with unknown health and economic consequences – they are finding their limits tested.
Jerry Apps was pulling his sled home from his one-room country school in rural Wisconsin on a January afternoon in 1947 when he started to feel ill. Within days his family knew it was polio, the worst public health threat in American communities of the postwar era.
While his father helped him largely regain use of his legs, there was no more basketball, baseball, track, or helping his folks on the farm.
He grappled with worthlessness throughout his childhood, he says. But at the urging of a teacher, he joined a typewriting class. He was the only boy and says he excelled because his fingers were strong from milking cows. Another teacher, recognizing his suffering on the sidelines of the sports he loved, urged him to broadcast the games instead. He believes without polio he wouldn’t have gotten to college – or had a career as a historian and author.
Why We Wrote This The coronavirus pandemic is just the latest in a long line of global crises. And as those earlier events have shown, there is hope for a better world tomorrow – and it starts with each individual.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
Crises have been the catalyst for major shifts, personal and structural. Public health systems were established after the 1918 flu pandemic. Widespread social welfare policies were created after World War II. Now that many in the world are undergoing the biggest crisis of their lifetimes – a pandemic with unknown health and economic consequences – their limits are being tested like Mr. Apps’s once were.
“For a lot of people it’s a very tough stretch right now, and they need to find a little optimism,” Mr. Apps says. “When I had polio, I was the most miserable, ornery, unhappy-feeling kid you could ever imagine. And my dad, he never said, ‘Get over it.’ He just said, ‘Tomorrow’s going to be a better day. Next year is going to be a better year. Let’s get on with it.’”
“I’ve had my bad days, but boy, I’ve had a wonderfully good life, my goodness.”
Ideas of national sacrifice
The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare some of society’s urgent weaknesses, from inequality to lax health and labor protections to environmental degradation, and many are hoping it forces change around the world when it’s done.
It’s far too soon to know how deep or lasting any shifts will be. Historians say transformations are often oversimplified and romanticized in collective memory. But many individuals are recalibrating goals, values, and their own understanding of freedom.
That has been shepherded by heads of state, who have likened the current situation to previous war eras. Politicians around the globe have asked their citizens to shelter at home, with a loss of freedom over movement and labor – something unthinkable just two months ago. And in doing so, they have invoked ideas of national sacrifice.
French President Emmanuel Macron told the country that it was “at war” with the coronavirus ahead of France’s first lockdown period on March 17. And in an April 13 address, he said that even though it was difficult to stay confined and deal with shortages while being on the “front lines” of the virus, the country had “mobilized” and a “production schedule, just like in times of war, [had] been put in place.”
Queen Elizabeth, in an address to the British people in April, invoked the spirit of World War II when she told the nation, “We will meet again,” a reference to a British song from the war. “Better days will return.”
Olivier Wieviorka, a French historian who specializes in the study of World War II, says there are parallels between then and now, in shortages, restrictions, and sacrifice. And those who lived through the uncertainty of the era feel it intimately.
Odile Diconne was a child in Remigny in the Burgundy region in the occupied zone of France during World War II. She says that, with her father locked up as a prisoner of war, the era was one of constant scarcity. “We had ration stamps to buy food, but it was very limited. We would try to grow what was lacking in our garden, but it was a difficult period.”
Damian Dovarganes/AP View caption Hide caption Cartons of eggs are for sale at a Trader Joe's grocery store in Los Angeles on May 14, 2020. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, egg demand has increased. A sign reads: "A great way to show kindness to our neighbors is to limit yourself to 2 units of any item. We are all in this together."
Total darkness obscured the streets of her neighborhood every evening, as families shuttered themselves inside for the German army-imposed curfew. Ms. Diconne and her family would black out their windows with paper and escape to the basement as shelling pounded down nearby. And yet, in some ways she finds today’s lockdowns more psychologically challenging.
“It’s harder now to not be able to go out, speak to the neighbors,” says Ms. Diconne. “During the war, schools and churches remained open. We were relatively free.”
Like many of those who have lived through wars, depressions, or other public health threats, the crises shaped values systems that they rely on during this pandemic, says Raymond Charlès, who was born in 1933 in Brittany, France, and also lived through World War II as a child. He says he believes the forced shutdowns could help today’s generation learn to live with less.
“During the war, before buying something we’d ask ourselves, ‘Do I really need this?’ I think this will be a good experience for this generation, who always have everything they want right away.”
“Things are going to change,” says Mr. Wieviorka, the historian, “but it won’t be a big bang or a major change from one day to the next.”
What comes out of this?
The current lockdown has created a sense of solidarity among communities that is reminiscent of wartime when neighbors would help tend each other’s farms or share food, says Richard Berrong, who has produced three documentaries on World War II and is a French professor at Kent State University in Ohio. “Solidarity was a really important element of the occupation,” he says.
Within the first month of lockdown in the United Kingdom, more than 750,000 volunteers had signed up to community groups to take care of Britain’s more vulnerable people. In Canada, a group of “caremongers” has sprung out to help those in need.
But there are limits to the parallels, argues Mark Humphries, a historian at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario who wrote “The Last Plague: Spanish Influenza and the Politics of Public Health in Canada.”
“It’s very easy for politicians to say, ‘We’re in a war, this is about national sacrifice,’ and then use that to try and allude to previous conflicts and make the argument that we need to do what people did in the past. ... But these things get very muddy and murky very quickly.” In Canada, for example, in both world wars, conscription became a divisive issue that roiled the nation.
He says that during World War I there was a longing for the war to be “a cleansing fire which would burn away all the old problems.” That idealism faded quickly as political divisions resurfaced. He says that a lot of the goodwill today around sacrifice could erode as people weigh the financial and social costs of shutdowns.
“I think that we have to be very careful in assuming that what comes out of this is a unifying thing,” he says.
Yet Mr. Apps says that the individual growth that comes at any period of change should be used to refocus thinking on those things in society that need to change, like a lack of safety nets for many workers.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“I firmly believe that this is that rare opportunity once again to think carefully about where we want to be and not spend all of our time thinking about how we can be exactly like we were,” he says. “That’s not the right question. This is our opportunity to be something better than we were.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-01-26--China increases health measures as US prepares evacuation

A new viral illness being watched with a wary eye around the globe accelerated its spread in China on Sunday with 56 deaths so far , while the U.S. Consulate in the city at the epicenter announced it will evacuate its personnel and some private citizens aboard a charter flight .
China ’ s health minister said the country was entering a “ crucial stage ” as “ it seems like the ability of the virus to spread is getting stronger.
” Ma Xiaowei declined to estimate how long it would take to bring the situation under control , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should bring results “ at the lowest cost and fastest speed.
” President Xi Jinping has called the outbreak a grave situation and said the government was stepping up efforts to restrict travel and public gatherings while rushing medical staff and supplies to the city at the center of the crisis , Wuhan , which remains on lockdown with no flights , trains or buses in or out .
The epidemic has revived memories of the SARS outbreak that originated in China and killed nearly 800 as it spread around the world in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come amid China ’ s busiest travel period of the year , when millions crisscross the country or head abroad for the Lunar New Year holiday .
The latest figures reported Sunday morning cover the previous 24 hours and mark an increase of 15 deaths and 688 cases for a total of 1,975 infections .
The government also reported five cases in Hong Kong and two in Macao .
Small numbers of cases have been found in Thailand , Taiwan Japan , South Korea , the U.S. , Vietnam , Singapore , Malaysia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.S. has confirmed cases in Washington state , Chicago , and most recently Southern California .
Canada said it discovered its first case , a man in his 50s who was in Wuhan before flying to Toronto .
Taiwan , Singapore , and South Korea each reported one new case Sunday , while Thailand reported three new cases .
A notice from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said there would be limited capacity to transport U.S. citizens on a Tuesday flight from Wuhan that will proceed directly to San Francisco .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not enough seats , priority will be given to to individuals “ at greater risk from coronavirus.
” The French Consulate also was considering an evacuation of its nationals from the city .
It said it ’ s working on arranging a bus service to help French citizens leave Wuhan .
French automaker PSA Group said it will evacuate its employees from Wuhan , quarantine them and then bring them to France .
Japan was also making preparations to fly its nationals out of Wuhan .
Chinese travel agencies have been told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern is growing over the potential impact of millions of people traveling back to the cities after the Lunar New Year holiday ends on Thursday .
China ’ s National Health Commission said anyone traveling from Wuhan is now required to register with community health stations and quarantine themselves at home for 14 days — the virus ’ maximum incubation period .
Beijing has decided to delay the start of classes after the Lunar New Year holiday ends , the official Beijing Daily reported on its website .
That will extend to all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universities .
Hong Kong announced similar measures on Saturday and on Sunday two of that territory ’ s biggest attractions , Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park , announced they were closing for the time being .
A proposal to possibly quarantine suspected cases and others at a still-unoccupied public housing complex in the Hong Kong suburb of Fanling sparked a protest by area residents .
Though largely peaceful , they were joined by black-clad protesters like those who have clashed with police during months of anti-government protests and those protesters set a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the buildings .
The fire was extinguished without appearing to cause major damage .
Police later moved in n to disperse the group , using pepper spray on occasion .
In the heart of the outbreak where 11 million residents are already on lockdown , Wuhan banned most vehicle use , including private cars , in downtown areas starting Sunday .
The city will assign 6,000 taxis to neighborhoods to help people get around if they need to .
China cut off trains , planes , and other links to the city Jan. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown to 16 surrounding cities with a combined population of more than 50 million – greater than that of New York , London , Paris , and Moscow combined .
Wuhan is building two makeshift hospitals with about 1,000 beds each to handle the growing number of patients .
The city has said the first is expected to be completed Feb. 3 .
Medical workers in Wuhan have been among those infected and local media reported a doctor died on Saturday morning .
The 62-year-old physician was hospitalized on Jan. 18 and died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said medical supplies are being rushed to the city , including 14,000 protective suits , 110,000 pairs of gloves and masks and goggles .
Videos have circulated online showing throngs of frantic people in masks lined up for examinations and there have been complaints that family members had been turned away at hospitals that were at capacity .
The National Health Commission said it is bringing in medical teams to help handle the outbreak and the Chinese military dispatched 450 medical staff , some with experience in past outbreaks , including SARS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detected last month , the virus is believed to have originated in a type of wild animal sold at a Wuhan market to be consumed as food .
Chinese authorities announced a temporary ban on the trade of wild animals Sunday , saying they will “ severely investigate and punish ” violators .
They also called on the public to refrain from eating wild animal meat .
Investigators are closely observing whether the virus was mutating , but thus far found “ no obvious signs , ” that it is doing so , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Control , Gao Fu , told reporters .
That could make it easier to develop vaccines against the virus , something the center is already working on .
Xinhua quoted center official Xu Wenbo as saying the they had isolated the virus and were identifying seed strain .
The rapid increase in reported deaths and illnesses does not necessarily mean the crisis is getting worse but could reflect better monitoring and reporting of the virus .
Those who have died have mostly been middle-aged or elderly people , sometimes suffering from other conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is not clear how lethal the new coronavirus is or even whether it is as dangerous as the ordinary flu , which kills tens of thousands of people every year in the U.S. alone .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writer Rob Gillies in Toronto , researcher Henry Hou and video journalist Dake Kang in Beijing and Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , contributed to this report .

A new viral illness being watched with a wary eye around the globe accelerated its spread in China on Sunday with 56 deaths so far, while the U.S. Consulate in the city at the epicenter announced it will evacuate its personnel and some private citizens aboard a charter flight.
China’s health minister said the country was entering a “crucial stage” as “it seems like the ability of the virus to spread is getting stronger.”
Ma Xiaowei declined to estimate how long it would take to bring the situation under control, but said travel restrictions and other strict measures should bring results “at the lowest cost and fastest speed.”
President Xi Jinping has called the outbreak a grave situation and said the government was stepping up efforts to restrict travel and public gatherings while rushing medical staff and supplies to the city at the center of the crisis, Wuhan, which remains on lockdown with no flights, trains or buses in or out.
The epidemic has revived memories of the SARS outbreak that originated in China and killed nearly 800 as it spread around the world in 2002 and 2003. Its spread has come amid China’s busiest travel period of the year, when millions crisscross the country or head abroad for the Lunar New Year holiday.
The latest figures reported Sunday morning cover the previous 24 hours and mark an increase of 15 deaths and 688 cases for a total of 1,975 infections.
The government also reported five cases in Hong Kong and two in Macao. Small numbers of cases have been found in Thailand, Taiwan Japan, South Korea, the U.S., Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, France, and Australia.
The U.S. has confirmed cases in Washington state, Chicago, and most recently Southern California. Canada said it discovered its first case, a man in his 50s who was in Wuhan before flying to Toronto. Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea each reported one new case Sunday, while Thailand reported three new cases.
A notice from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said there would be limited capacity to transport U.S. citizens on a Tuesday flight from Wuhan that will proceed directly to San Francisco. It said that in the event there are not enough seats, priority will be given to to individuals “at greater risk from coronavirus.”
The French Consulate also was considering an evacuation of its nationals from the city. It said it’s working on arranging a bus service to help French citizens leave Wuhan.
French automaker PSA Group said it will evacuate its employees from Wuhan, quarantine them and then bring them to France.
Japan was also making preparations to fly its nationals out of Wuhan.
Chinese travel agencies have been told to halt all group tours, and concern is growing over the potential impact of millions of people traveling back to the cities after the Lunar New Year holiday ends on Thursday.
China’s National Health Commission said anyone traveling from Wuhan is now required to register with community health stations and quarantine themselves at home for 14 days — the virus’ maximum incubation period.
Beijing has decided to delay the start of classes after the Lunar New Year holiday ends, the official Beijing Daily reported on its website. That will extend to all schools in the capital from kindergartens to universities.
Hong Kong announced similar measures on Saturday and on Sunday two of that territory’s biggest attractions, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park, announced they were closing for the time being.
A proposal to possibly quarantine suspected cases and others at a still-unoccupied public housing complex in the Hong Kong suburb of Fanling sparked a protest by area residents. Though largely peaceful, they were joined by black-clad protesters like those who have clashed with police during months of anti-government protests and those protesters set a fire in the lobby of one of the buildings.
The fire was extinguished without appearing to cause major damage. Police later moved in n to disperse the group, using pepper spray on occasion.
In the heart of the outbreak where 11 million residents are already on lockdown, Wuhan banned most vehicle use, including private cars, in downtown areas starting Sunday. The city will assign 6,000 taxis to neighborhoods to help people get around if they need to.
China cut off trains, planes, and other links to the city Jan. 22, and has steadily expanded the lockdown to 16 surrounding cities with a combined population of more than 50 million – greater than that of New York, London, Paris, and Moscow combined.
Wuhan is building two makeshift hospitals with about 1,000 beds each to handle the growing number of patients. The city has said the first is expected to be completed Feb. 3.
Medical workers in Wuhan have been among those infected and local media reported a doctor died on Saturday morning. The 62-year-old physician was hospitalized on Jan. 18 and died a week later.
Xinhua News Agency also said medical supplies are being rushed to the city, including 14,000 protective suits, 110,000 pairs of gloves and masks and goggles.
Videos have circulated online showing throngs of frantic people in masks lined up for examinations and there have been complaints that family members had been turned away at hospitals that were at capacity.
The National Health Commission said it is bringing in medical teams to help handle the outbreak and the Chinese military dispatched 450 medical staff, some with experience in past outbreaks, including SARS and Ebola, Xinhua reported.
First detected last month, the virus is believed to have originated in a type of wild animal sold at a Wuhan market to be consumed as food.
Chinese authorities announced a temporary ban on the trade of wild animals Sunday, saying they will “severely investigate and punish” violators. They also called on the public to refrain from eating wild animal meat.
Investigators are closely observing whether the virus was mutating, but thus far found “no obvious signs,” that it is doing so, head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, Gao Fu, told reporters.
That could make it easier to develop vaccines against the virus, something the center is already working on. Xinhua quoted center official Xu Wenbo as saying the they had isolated the virus and were identifying seed strain.
The rapid increase in reported deaths and illnesses does not necessarily mean the crisis is getting worse but could reflect better monitoring and reporting of the virus. Those who have died have mostly been middle-aged or elderly people, sometimes suffering from other conditions that weaken their ability to fight back.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
It is not clear how lethal the new coronavirus is or even whether it is as dangerous as the ordinary flu, which kills tens of thousands of people every year in the U.S. alone.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Rob Gillies in Toronto, researcher Henry Hou and video journalist Dake Kang in Beijing and Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-03-27--When tornadoes are only the first of your worries

“ With the tornado , it ’ s about rolling up your sleeves and getting dirty and helping your neighbor out and moving stuff .
Now we ’ re talking about keeping yourself [ isolated ] , ” says William Swann , director chief of Nashville ’ s Office of Emergency Management .
“ So how do we keep things moving and keep balance ?
” Immediately following the tornado , over 26,000 people volunteered to help .
They flooded the streets , making quick work of downed trees and debris , and began to set up massive distribution centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now they ’ re all being told to stay home .
For Nashville , the tornadoes and pandemic have been a sort of one-two punch , leaving many scrambling to find shelter at a time when people are being told to stay home .
It has also added another layer of difficulty to the tornado recovery process .
Around 1 o ’ clock in the morning on Tuesday , March 3 , a cluster of tornadoes swept through middle Tennessee , leaving at least two dozen people dead and destroying thousands of homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the heart of Nashville .
Just two days later , Tennessee reported its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus .
It was 1 o ’ clock in the morning when it struck .
Winston Morelock and his wife , Wilma Faye , were in bed in their home in East Nashville that they ’ d shared for 42 years .
The tornado sirens pierced through the night , and then they stopped .
There was no sound , Mr. Morelock recalls , and then “ all at once it was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chunks of wood , and parts of the ceiling flew everywhere .
Mr. Morelock pulled the mattress over himself and his wife just as the roof and side of their house was ripped away by the swirling storm .
“ The next morning , at first light , when I saw what was left of our home , I fell apart and started to cry , ” Mr. Morelock says .
“ I was in shock .
Shaking all over .
Crying .
We came so close to death.
” A cluster of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , March 3 , killing at least two dozen people , with thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed and streets impassable with debris and downed power lines .
Many more were left without power and some have just recently gotten it back on .
It was the kind of natural disaster that typically makes the national news for days .
Hordes of volunteers quickly flooded the streets where the tornado struck , moving debris , helping residents salvage belongings , and setting up food stations to help sustain those picking through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nashville – and the Morelocks , who are both in their 70s – soon faced another crisis : a pandemic .
And this crisis meant the city would have to tell everyone to go home .
[ Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall . ]
On March 5 , just two days after the tornado , Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee announced that the state had its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus .
The patient resided in Williamson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just a few days later , Davidson County , which contains Nashville , confirmed its first case .
Now , Tennessee has more than 900 confirmed cases , many in Davidson County .
When calls for social distancing swept the nation as concerns about the coronavirus rose earlier this month , middle Tennessee was still reeling from the tornadoes .
Houses were still roofless , people were still crashing on friends ’ and family ’ s couches or in hotels , and volunteers were still gathering by the hundreds to help with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show up physically for one another in a time of need , now grapples with an unprecedented challenge .
How does a city deal with a natural disaster and a pandemic at the same time ?
“ With the tornado , it ’ s about rolling up your sleeves and getting dirty and helping your neighbor out and moving stuff .
Now we ’ re talking about keeping yourself [ isolated ] , ” says William Swann , director chief of Nashville ’ s Office of Emergency Management .
“ So how do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
...
It ’ s going to take a lot of prayer and a lot of hard work and a lot of patience.
” In the hours after the tornadoes , volunteers quickly swarmed the devastated neighborhoods looking for ways to help .
Roving bands toting chainsaws made quick work of downed trees blocking the roads .
Volunteers set up sandwich-making stations so residents wouldn ’ t have to think about how to eat while surveying the damage to their homes .
Nonprofit organizations already engaged in the affected communities , like Gideon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly organized to canvass the neighborhoods to check on residents and determine what more needed to be done .
In the days following the tornadoes , Hands On Nashville , an organization that served as a sort of clearing house for volunteers in the wake of the tornadoes , saw some 26,000 people sign up to volunteer on their website , says Lindsey Turner , director of communications at Hands On Nashville .
Over the following weekend , people were actually told to stay home , find other ways to help , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had overwhelmed the system .
So many people had shown up that the streets became clogged and it was difficult for utility vehicles to get through to restore the power and do the heavier lifting .
“ The turnout from this city and the way that they have all come together , it has been incredibly overwhelming , ” says Carter Jane Pond .
Her apartment building in the Germantown neighborhood of Nashville was sideswiped by the tornado .
Over the weekend after the tornado , Ms. Pond recalls , hundreds of volunteers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several of them helped Ms. Pond and her boyfriend move all of their salvageable belongings into a storage unit in about five hours .
“ There were two people in the closet packing up all of our clothes , two people in the bathroom , three people unmounting our television , two people in the kitchen , ” in addition to the couple and a friend , she says .
“ Empathy can be very overwhelming .
It was truly a sight to behold.
” All of those hands made quick work of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swann , and the city was able to shift to the heavy equipment phase two weeks after the tornado .
FEMA joined the effort too , setting up booths throughout the area for survivors to come apply for federal disaster assistance .
But over the weekend , FEMA reduced those in-person activities , allowing tornado survivors to apply online or via the phone without going to a recovery center .
At the same time , the governor called for all schools in Tennessee to close last week to help mitigate the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novel coronavirus .
And since Monday , March 23 , Nashville has been under a “ safer at home order , ” which closes all nonessential businesses and encourages residents to stay home .
Still , volunteer efforts continued , even amid that changing tone .
The focus had shifted from debris removal to donations , and organizations like Hands On Nashville , Gideon ’ s Army , and others established distribution centers for tornado victims to pick up donated food and supplies .
Initially those spaces operated somewhat like a free grocery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tee Wilson , director of communications at Gideon ’ s Army .
But as concerns spread , it quickly became apparent that adhering to social distancing guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would make it impossible to continue to rely on large groups of people in the same warehouse together .
“ It ’ s definitely frustrating in a lot of ways because we were in the thick of responding to lots and lots of disparate kinds of needs , and suddenly [ the coronavirus ] hit and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the process of reevaluating how it is volunteers can help in the recovery effort , ” Ms. Turner of Hands On Nashville says .
“ It ’ s definitely a work in progress , and everything is changing so quickly.
” As the second week after the tornado came to a close , Hands On Nashville shifted to a drive-up model , where volunteers work in smaller groups and deliver requested supplies to visitors ’ cars .
In North Nashville , Gideon ’ s Army opted for a delivery model , bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The tricky part is getting the word out and checking on people who the organization hasn ’ t already connected with , says Kate Briefs , disaster relief volunteer coordinator for Gideon ’ s Army .
Immediately following the tornado , Gideon ’ s Army had volunteers canvassing the directly and obviously affected neighborhoods , but the plan was to repeat that and go farther into areas that had lost power or that the tornado impacted in another indirect way .
With face-to-face contact reduced to a minimum , fewer volunteers bucking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks or other protection tools available , that isn ’ t really possible anymore .
Instead , Gideon ’ s Army has shifted to a virtual system , working to build a network and a hotline for people to request assistance for themselves and others .
But that doesn ’ t mean prioritizing tornado recovery over coronavirus prevention or halting their work , says Ms. Briefs .
“ When we see this pandemic , we just think , OK , it ’ s time to level up , ” she says .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creative to support our community as effectively as possible ?
” For Tom Larson , the tornado and the coronavirus have truly been a one-two punch .
When the tornado hit , Mr. Larson had Airbnb guests staying upstairs in his home in East Nashville .
When he realized this wasn ’ t just any storm , the guests , Mr. Larson , and his wife , Misty , hurried into the basement .
As Mr. Larson turned to close the door , it was yanked out of his hand by the tornado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with it .
His guest – a preacher – grabbed onto his robe and pulled him to safety .
“ The tornado was so traumatic , ” Mr. Larson says .
Most of the Larsons ’ home was destroyed , taking their Airbnb income with it .
And more financial woes were yet to come .
Like many in Nashville , Mr. Larson is a musician – a drummer – and plays gigs around Music City .
Music is the backbone of Nashville ’ s culture , and underpins its vibrant tourist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , residents and visitors alike have lots of music to choose from , and Airbnb does a brisk business in the city – especially in East Nashville .
Last week , many music venues and bars began to close even before being ordered to by the city .
All of Mr. Larson ’ s gigs were canceled .
Service workers also reliant on the tourist economy have begun to be laid off as businesses shutter for the pandemic .
This leaves questions about how these residents might be able to afford rebuilding .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it ’ s so confusing , ” Mr. Larson says .
“ We ’ re just taking it day to day.
” For Ms. Pond , the coronavirus was not top of mind until she and her boyfriend had moved into a new apartment last week .
“ The tornado was my priority No .
1 , ” Ms. Pond says .
“ It feels like now that I ’ m in a home and finally have a second to breathe , I am actually taking coronavirus seriously.
” Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotel since the tornado , the couple had no food and lacked some necessities lost in the tornado , so excursions have been necessary .
Despite having family in the area , the Morelocks have been staying alone in a hotel .
They wear masks whenever they are out and about , prepare their own meals at the hotel , are mindful to wash their hands and stay away from other people as much as possible .
“ It is very worrisome , ” Mr. Morelock says .
“ We have a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , plus the virus.
” Still , he says , surviving the tornado strengthened his beliefs , and , “ I have faith that God will help us with these problems somehow.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

“With the tornado, it’s about rolling up your sleeves and getting dirty and helping your neighbor out and moving stuff. Now we’re talking about keeping yourself [isolated],” says William Swann, director chief of Nashville’s Office of Emergency Management. “So how do we keep things moving and keep balance?”
Immediately following the tornado, over 26,000 people volunteered to help. They flooded the streets, making quick work of downed trees and debris, and began to set up massive distribution centers for donated food and supplies. But now they’re all being told to stay home.
How does a city deal with a natural disaster and a pandemic at the same time? In Nashville, residents are getting creative about how to help each other pick up the pieces after a spate of tornadoes.
For Nashville, the tornadoes and pandemic have been a sort of one-two punch, leaving many scrambling to find shelter at a time when people are being told to stay home. It has also added another layer of difficulty to the tornado recovery process.
Around 1 o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, March 3, a cluster of tornadoes swept through middle Tennessee, leaving at least two dozen people dead and destroying thousands of homes and businesses, many of which were in the heart of Nashville. Just two days later, Tennessee reported its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus.
It was 1 o’clock in the morning when it struck. Winston Morelock and his wife, Wilma Faye, were in bed in their home in East Nashville that they’d shared for 42 years.
The tornado sirens pierced through the night, and then they stopped. There was no sound, Mr. Morelock recalls, and then “all at once it was on top of us.”
Broken glass, chunks of wood, and parts of the ceiling flew everywhere. Mr. Morelock pulled the mattress over himself and his wife just as the roof and side of their house was ripped away by the swirling storm.
Why We Wrote This How does a city deal with a natural disaster and a pandemic at the same time? In Nashville, residents are getting creative about how to help each other pick up the pieces after a spate of tornadoes.
“The next morning, at first light, when I saw what was left of our home, I fell apart and started to cry,” Mr. Morelock says. “I was in shock. Shaking all over. Crying. We came so close to death.”
A cluster of tornadoes swept through middle Tennessee before dawn on Tuesday, March 3, killing at least two dozen people, with thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed and streets impassable with debris and downed power lines. Many more were left without power and some have just recently gotten it back on.
It was the kind of natural disaster that typically makes the national news for days. Hordes of volunteers quickly flooded the streets where the tornado struck, moving debris, helping residents salvage belongings, and setting up food stations to help sustain those picking through the wreckage of their lives.
But Nashville – and the Morelocks, who are both in their 70s – soon faced another crisis: a pandemic. And this crisis meant the city would have to tell everyone to go home.
John Partipilo View caption Hide caption Winston Morelock and his wife Wilma Faye were still shaken after a tornado shredded their home in East Nashville, March 3, 2020. "I thought we were dead but God had his hand around us".
[Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.]
On March 5, just two days after the tornado, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced that the state had its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus. The patient resided in Williamson County, just south of Nashville. Just a few days later, Davidson County, which contains Nashville, confirmed its first case. Now, Tennessee has more than 900 confirmed cases, many in Davidson County.
When calls for social distancing swept the nation as concerns about the coronavirus rose earlier this month, middle Tennessee was still reeling from the tornadoes. Houses were still roofless, people were still crashing on friends’ and family’s couches or in hotels, and volunteers were still gathering by the hundreds to help with the recovery.
This community, primed to show up physically for one another in a time of need, now grapples with an unprecedented challenge. How does a city deal with a natural disaster and a pandemic at the same time?
“With the tornado, it’s about rolling up your sleeves and getting dirty and helping your neighbor out and moving stuff. Now we’re talking about keeping yourself [isolated],” says William Swann, director chief of Nashville’s Office of Emergency Management. “So how do we keep things moving and keep balance? ... It’s going to take a lot of prayer and a lot of hard work and a lot of patience.”
A surge of volunteers
In the hours after the tornadoes, volunteers quickly swarmed the devastated neighborhoods looking for ways to help. Roving bands toting chainsaws made quick work of downed trees blocking the roads. Volunteers set up sandwich-making stations so residents wouldn’t have to think about how to eat while surveying the damage to their homes. Nonprofit organizations already engaged in the affected communities, like Gideon’s Army in North Nashville, quickly organized to canvass the neighborhoods to check on residents and determine what more needed to be done.
In the days following the tornadoes, Hands On Nashville, an organization that served as a sort of clearing house for volunteers in the wake of the tornadoes, saw some 26,000 people sign up to volunteer on their website, says Lindsey Turner, director of communications at Hands On Nashville. Over the following weekend, people were actually told to stay home, find other ways to help, or volunteer at a later date because volunteers had overwhelmed the system. So many people had shown up that the streets became clogged and it was difficult for utility vehicles to get through to restore the power and do the heavier lifting.
“The turnout from this city and the way that they have all come together, it has been incredibly overwhelming,” says Carter Jane Pond. Her apartment building in the Germantown neighborhood of Nashville was sideswiped by the tornado.
Over the weekend after the tornado, Ms. Pond recalls, hundreds of volunteers showed up to her apartment building. Several of them helped Ms. Pond and her boyfriend move all of their salvageable belongings into a storage unit in about five hours.
“There were two people in the closet packing up all of our clothes, two people in the bathroom, three people unmounting our television, two people in the kitchen,” in addition to the couple and a friend, she says. “Empathy can be very overwhelming. It was truly a sight to behold.”
Getting creative
All of those hands made quick work of the small-scale debris cleanup, says Mr. Swann, and the city was able to shift to the heavy equipment phase two weeks after the tornado. FEMA joined the effort too, setting up booths throughout the area for survivors to come apply for federal disaster assistance. But over the weekend, FEMA reduced those in-person activities, allowing tornado survivors to apply online or via the phone without going to a recovery center.
At the same time, the governor called for all schools in Tennessee to close last week to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. And since Monday, March 23, Nashville has been under a “safer at home order,” which closes all nonessential businesses and encourages residents to stay home.
Still, volunteer efforts continued, even amid that changing tone. The focus had shifted from debris removal to donations, and organizations like Hands On Nashville, Gideon’s Army, and others established distribution centers for tornado victims to pick up donated food and supplies.
Initially those spaces operated somewhat like a free grocery store, staffed with volunteers, says Tee Wilson, director of communications at Gideon’s Army. But as concerns spread, it quickly became apparent that adhering to social distancing guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would make it impossible to continue to rely on large groups of people in the same warehouse together.
“It’s definitely frustrating in a lot of ways because we were in the thick of responding to lots and lots of disparate kinds of needs, and suddenly [the coronavirus] hit and we had to completely reevaluate and are still in the process of reevaluating how it is volunteers can help in the recovery effort,” Ms. Turner of Hands On Nashville says. “It’s definitely a work in progress, and everything is changing so quickly.”
As the second week after the tornado came to a close, Hands On Nashville shifted to a drive-up model, where volunteers work in smaller groups and deliver requested supplies to visitors’ cars. In North Nashville, Gideon’s Army opted for a delivery model, bringing supplies to those affected by the tornado.
The tricky part is getting the word out and checking on people who the organization hasn’t already connected with, says Kate Briefs, disaster relief volunteer coordinator for Gideon’s Army. Immediately following the tornado, Gideon’s Army had volunteers canvassing the directly and obviously affected neighborhoods, but the plan was to repeat that and go farther into areas that had lost power or that the tornado impacted in another indirect way. With face-to-face contact reduced to a minimum, fewer volunteers bucking social distancing measures, and not many masks or other protection tools available, that isn’t really possible anymore. Instead, Gideon’s Army has shifted to a virtual system, working to build a network and a hotline for people to request assistance for themselves and others.
But that doesn’t mean prioritizing tornado recovery over coronavirus prevention or halting their work, says Ms. Briefs. “When we see this pandemic, we just think, OK, it’s time to level up,” she says. “How do we need to be more creative to support our community as effectively as possible?”
John Partipilo View caption Hide caption Tom Larson surveys the damage to his East Nashville home, March 4, 2020. He and his wife Misty are staying in a nearby rental. The couple was heartened by the number of volunteers who came out to help in the tornadoes' wake. "Now because of the virus no one can help even if they wanted to," says Mr. Larson. "It's mind boggling."
“Taking it day to day”
For Tom Larson, the tornado and the coronavirus have truly been a one-two punch.
When the tornado hit, Mr. Larson had Airbnb guests staying upstairs in his home in East Nashville. When he realized this wasn’t just any storm, the guests, Mr. Larson, and his wife, Misty, hurried into the basement. As Mr. Larson turned to close the door, it was yanked out of his hand by the tornado and the winds threatened to pull him along with it. His guest – a preacher – grabbed onto his robe and pulled him to safety.
“The tornado was so traumatic,” Mr. Larson says.
Most of the Larsons’ home was destroyed, taking their Airbnb income with it. And more financial woes were yet to come.
Like many in Nashville, Mr. Larson is a musician – a drummer – and plays gigs around Music City. Music is the backbone of Nashville’s culture, and underpins its vibrant tourist industry. Any night of the week, residents and visitors alike have lots of music to choose from, and Airbnb does a brisk business in the city – especially in East Nashville.
Last week, many music venues and bars began to close even before being ordered to by the city. All of Mr. Larson’s gigs were canceled. Service workers also reliant on the tourist economy have begun to be laid off as businesses shutter for the pandemic. This leaves questions about how these residents might be able to afford rebuilding.
“This is really pressing on us, and it’s so confusing,” Mr. Larson says. “We’re just taking it day to day.”
“A second to breathe”
For Ms. Pond, the coronavirus was not top of mind until she and her boyfriend had moved into a new apartment last week.
“The tornado was my priority No. 1,” Ms. Pond says. “It feels like now that I’m in a home and finally have a second to breathe, I am actually taking coronavirus seriously.”
Still, she adds, after living in a hotel since the tornado, the couple had no food and lacked some necessities lost in the tornado, so excursions have been necessary.
Despite having family in the area, the Morelocks have been staying alone in a hotel. They wear masks whenever they are out and about, prepare their own meals at the hotel, are mindful to wash their hands and stay away from other people as much as possible.
“It is very worrisome,” Mr. Morelock says. “We have a lot of stress about the tornado and insurance, plus the virus.”
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Still, he says, surviving the tornado strengthened his beliefs, and, “I have faith that God will help us with these problems somehow.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-03-20--How do you do social distancing in a refugee camp?

“ So if there are no hand-washing facilities in Syria a year from now , how can you get rid of this virus ?
It ’ s a perfect example of ideals and interests intertwined.
” The question matters beyond the Middle East .
Successfully fighting the virus means investing in one another ’ s health , leaving no places for it to hide .
The recognition of that has already led to unusual offers of help .
Some Persian Gulf nations are reaching out to Iran , a sworn enemy , to help contain the illness there .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that spirit to expand .
The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council is particularly concerned about Syria and its refugees .
Recent shelling in the rebel stronghold of Idlib has sent one million more residents fleeing .
They join Syrian refugees in camps that often house 10 people in a small tent .
“ How can you do constant hand-washing , if your water ration is three liters per day , and that ’ s supposed to go to drinking and cooking ?
” he asks .
As the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are dealing with the coronavirus , Jan Egeland has a different question .
What about the rest of the world ?
Syrians now entering their 10th year of war could be forgiven for believing they have already faced the modern equivalent of the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse .
But the millions of refugees and internally displaced Syrians are bracing for yet another trial : the coronavirus .
Even technologically advanced nations like China , Italy , and the United States are struggling to stop the spread of COVID-19 .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict – many of them having endured a cold winter in tents , lack of basic hygiene , and malnourishment – may be uniquely vulnerable to the global pandemic .
[ Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall . ]
Experts say there is still a window to act to take life-saving health and hygiene measures .
And one key is for Western donors to recognize that preventing an uncontrolled regional outbreak improves their own long-term risk calculations at home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries around the world remain engulfed by their own domestic needs .
And even before the coronavirus , humanitarian efforts in the Middle East were beset by years of conflict ; donor fatigue ; neglect as populations filled sprawling camps or moved , newly homeless , toward safer borders ; and weak governments besieged by popular protests in Iraq , Lebanon , and Syria .
The trajectory of the virus suggests that it will hit areas with high concentrations of refugees – such as Syria , Afghanistan , Yemen , and Venezuela , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norwegian Refugee Council ( NRC ) .
“ Then my open question to any decision-maker ... trying to curb the spread of the virus : How can you do social distancing , if you live in a refugee camp with 10 people per small tent ?
” “ How can you do constant hand-washing , if your water ration is three liters per day , and that ’ s supposed to go to drinking and cooking ?
And how , ” he continues , “ are you supposed to care for the infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no health care ?
” Grim conditions in opposition-controlled Idlib , Syria , highlight the depths of the challenges ahead .
Recent bombardment of this last , shrinking rebel enclave has forced one million people from their homes .
Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran have captured nearly half of the enclave since renewing an offensive last December with relentless bombing .
That forced into even tighter quarters the 3 million people in Idlib – among them Islamist militants , including former Al Qaeda affiliates , trucked there as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regions were defeated .
The latest United Nations situation report for northwest Syria , published Monday , notes : “ Inadequate land for the formation of new camps and sites leave many new IDPs [ internally displaced people ] in overcrowded conditions without formalized camp support.
” It adds that , “ access to food has become an increasing concern.
” Indeed , some 1.5 million people in Idlib depend on food aid , and in January alone , 1,227 trucks crossed the border with supplies from Turkey , the largest number in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 5 by Turkey and Russia , both of which have troops deployed in and around the province , still holds .
But the U.N. notes that even before the December offensive began , the population of Idlib was “ already extremely vulnerable.
” The World Health Organization says Syria ’ s health system – especially after years in which government and allied forces targeted health infrastructure behind rebel lines – is “ on its knees.
” Beyond Syria ’ s borders , neighbors Turkey , Lebanon , and Jordan have absorbed millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have this perfect storm .
When we needed the health system the most , it was bombed .
When people were supposed to be able to quarantine and distance themselves , they had to flee their houses to temporary , crowded camps , ” says Mr. Egeland .
“ So as bad as it is in Italy and China and increasingly in the rest of Europe , I can not see why it would not be 10 times worse when you have none of the mitigating measures that we have , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ease the impact is still within reach , if donors can see the need for a holistic approach .
“ What can we do ?
Water and sanitation .
It ’ s not rocket science .
It ’ s a logistical challenge , ” says Mr. Egeland , whose 14,000 field workers with NRC aim to double to 4 million the number of people across multiple war zones they reach with water and sanitation .
That means more latrines , and 10 times more running water points for washing , and decongesting camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to displaced people .
It means expanding health care , public hygiene campaigns , and building quarantine facilities – all actions the NRC says may keep the virus at bay in the Middle East , and so make it less likely to persist there as a threat to the rest of the world .
The need to act is urgent , experts say .
“ You have 6 million refugees from Syria , 6 million internally displaced in Syria – including a million recently in Idlib – another 1.5 million displaced in Iraq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsustainable conditions that , by all indications , ” are consistent with transmission of the virus , says Julien Barnes-Dacey , head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations in Brussels .
Another key factor is the governments of Syria , Lebanon , and Iraq , all “ hollowed out ” over recent years by multiple layers of crises and short on leadership and resources , says Mr. Barnes-Dacey .
But that very concern may be causing some shift in regional thinking , with Exhibit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epicenter of the virus in the Middle East – by the United Arab Emirates and some other Persian Gulf states , despite long-simmering tensions with Iran .
The Islamic Republic is host to 9 out of 10 of the 21,000-plus confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the Middle East , and a number of its leadership elite are among more than 1,800 citizens who have died .
Suffocating U.S. sanctions have complicated both medical exports to Iran and the cash transfers to pay for them .
The UAE nevertheless expressed its support for Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work and efforts to survive this global challenge.
” It made two shipments of medical supplies to Iran , including two planeloads carrying thousands of pairs of gloves , masks , and other equipment , on March 16 .
“ They recognize obviously that what happens in Iran doesn ’ t stay in Iran , and it can easily overflow across the Gulf , ” says Mr. Barnes-Dacey .
Such moves are “ first and foremost about self-preservation , and [ Persian Gulf states ’ ] desire to ensure that the situation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But it points to a model of possible regional collaboration that could be a constructive way of reinforcing efforts to contain and manage the situation , ” says Mr. Barnes-Dacey .
“ If Arab Gulf states are prepared to do something with Iran , it suggests that fault lines and conflict lines will likely be deprioritized in the case of a threat that challenges everyone equally.
” On a wider scale , that is the case the NRC ’ s Mr. Egeland is making to donor countries like the U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the need to look now at easing the effect of the virus among the most vulnerable refugees and displaced in Syria and beyond .
“ Why make strongholds for the virus , anywhere in the world , when we live in a global world with global pandemics ?
” he says .
“ If it gets a stronghold in camps with half a million people ... it means it can always come back .
“ If hand-washing is a mitigating factor in New York City , it ’ s also important for New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Syria , because it started with patient zero in Wuhan , and now we are sitting in quarantine in Oslo , ” says Mr. Egeland , who is under mandatory quarantine there after a visit to South America .
“ So if there are no hand-washing facilities in Syria a year from now , how can you get rid of this virus ?
It ’ s a perfect example of ideals and interests intertwined.
” [ Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free @ @ @ @ @

“So if there are no hand-washing facilities in Syria a year from now, how can you get rid of this virus? It’s a perfect example of ideals and interests intertwined.”
The question matters beyond the Middle East. Successfully fighting the virus means investing in one another’s health, leaving no places for it to hide. The recognition of that has already led to unusual offers of help. Some Persian Gulf nations are reaching out to Iran, a sworn enemy, to help contain the illness there. The need, Mr. Egeland says, is for that spirit to expand.
Western societies are taking extraordinary measures to address the coronavirus. But what are Syrians in refugee camps and war zones to do? It’s an important question – for everyone.
The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council is particularly concerned about Syria and its refugees. Recent shelling in the rebel stronghold of Idlib has sent one million more residents fleeing. They join Syrian refugees in camps that often house 10 people in a small tent. “How can you do constant hand-washing, if your water ration is three liters per day, and that’s supposed to go to drinking and cooking?” he asks.
As the world’s attention focuses on how technologically advanced societies are dealing with the coronavirus, Jan Egeland has a different question. What about the rest of the world?
Syrians now entering their 10th year of war could be forgiven for believing they have already faced the modern equivalent of the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
But the millions of refugees and internally displaced Syrians are bracing for yet another trial: the coronavirus.
Even technologically advanced nations like China, Italy, and the United States are struggling to stop the spread of COVID-19. But the rudimentary camps full of Syrian victims of conflict – many of them having endured a cold winter in tents, lack of basic hygiene, and malnourishment – may be uniquely vulnerable to the global pandemic.
Why We Wrote This Western societies are taking extraordinary measures to address the coronavirus. But what are Syrians in refugee camps and war zones to do? It’s an important question – for everyone.
[Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.]
Experts say there is still a window to act to take life-saving health and hygiene measures. And one key is for Western donors to recognize that preventing an uncontrolled regional outbreak improves their own long-term risk calculations at home.
That will be a challenge, as countries around the world remain engulfed by their own domestic needs.
And even before the coronavirus, humanitarian efforts in the Middle East were beset by years of conflict; donor fatigue; neglect as populations filled sprawling camps or moved, newly homeless, toward safer borders; and weak governments besieged by popular protests in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria.
The trajectory of the virus suggests that it will hit areas with high concentrations of refugees – such as Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Venezuela, says Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). “Then my open question to any decision-maker ... trying to curb the spread of the virus: How can you do social distancing, if you live in a refugee camp with 10 people per small tent?”
“How can you do constant hand-washing, if your water ration is three liters per day, and that’s supposed to go to drinking and cooking? And how,” he continues, “are you supposed to care for the infected and quarantine the vulnerable, when there is no health care?”
Grim conditions in opposition-controlled Idlib, Syria, highlight the depths of the challenges ahead. Recent bombardment of this last, shrinking rebel enclave has forced one million people from their homes. Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran have captured nearly half of the enclave since renewing an offensive last December with relentless bombing.
That forced into even tighter quarters the 3 million people in Idlib – among them Islamist militants, including former Al Qaeda affiliates, trucked there as part of cease-fire deals brokered when other rebel-held regions were defeated.
The latest United Nations situation report for northwest Syria, published Monday, notes: “Inadequate land for the formation of new camps and sites leave many new IDPs [internally displaced people] in overcrowded conditions without formalized camp support.”
It adds that, “access to food has become an increasing concern.” Indeed, some 1.5 million people in Idlib depend on food aid, and in January alone, 1,227 trucks crossed the border with supplies from Turkey, the largest number in seven years.
Felipe Dana/AP View caption Hide caption A boy walks out of a heavily damaged building where he is currently living, in Idlib, Syria, March 12, 2020. Idlib is the last urban area still under opposition control in Syria, located in a shrinking rebel enclave in the northwestern province of the same name. Syria’s civil war, which entered its 10th year March 15, 2020, has shrunk in geographical scope – focusing on this corner of the country – but the misery wreaked by the conflict has not diminished.
A tenuous cease-fire brokered March 5 by Turkey and Russia, both of which have troops deployed in and around the province, still holds. But the U.N. notes that even before the December offensive began, the population of Idlib was “already extremely vulnerable.”
The World Health Organization says Syria’s health system – especially after years in which government and allied forces targeted health infrastructure behind rebel lines – is “on its knees.” Beyond Syria’s borders, neighbors Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan have absorbed millions of refugees.
“In Syria you have this perfect storm. When we needed the health system the most, it was bombed. When people were supposed to be able to quarantine and distance themselves, they had to flee their houses to temporary, crowded camps,” says Mr. Egeland.
“So as bad as it is in Italy and China and increasingly in the rest of Europe, I cannot see why it would not be 10 times worse when you have none of the mitigating measures that we have,” he says.
But the solution that can ease the impact is still within reach, if donors can see the need for a holistic approach.
“What can we do? Water and sanitation. It’s not rocket science. It’s a logistical challenge,” says Mr. Egeland, whose 14,000 field workers with NRC aim to double to 4 million the number of people across multiple war zones they reach with water and sanitation.
That means more latrines, and 10 times more running water points for washing, and decongesting camps by tripling or quadrupling the space devoted to displaced people. It means expanding health care, public hygiene campaigns, and building quarantine facilities – all actions the NRC says may keep the virus at bay in the Middle East, and so make it less likely to persist there as a threat to the rest of the world.
The need to act is urgent, experts say.
“You have 6 million refugees from Syria, 6 million internally displaced in Syria – including a million recently in Idlib – another 1.5 million displaced in Iraq, all of them living in oppressively unsustainable conditions that, by all indications,” are consistent with transmission of the virus, says Julien Barnes-Dacey, head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations in Brussels.
Another key factor is the governments of Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, all “hollowed out” over recent years by multiple layers of crises and short on leadership and resources, says Mr. Barnes-Dacey.
But that very concern may be causing some shift in regional thinking, with Exhibit A being unexpected support for Iran – epicenter of the virus in the Middle East – by the United Arab Emirates and some other Persian Gulf states, despite long-simmering tensions with Iran.
The Islamic Republic is host to 9 out of 10 of the 21,000-plus confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the Middle East, and a number of its leadership elite are among more than 1,800 citizens who have died. Suffocating U.S. sanctions have complicated both medical exports to Iran and the cash transfers to pay for them.
The UAE nevertheless expressed its support for Iran and “highlighted the importance of collective work and efforts to survive this global challenge.” It made two shipments of medical supplies to Iran, including two planeloads carrying thousands of pairs of gloves, masks, and other equipment, on March 16.
“They recognize obviously that what happens in Iran doesn’t stay in Iran, and it can easily overflow across the Gulf,” says Mr. Barnes-Dacey.
Such moves are “first and foremost about self-preservation, and [Persian Gulf states’] desire to ensure that the situation in Iran is containable,” he says.
“But it points to a model of possible regional collaboration that could be a constructive way of reinforcing efforts to contain and manage the situation,” says Mr. Barnes-Dacey. “If Arab Gulf states are prepared to do something with Iran, it suggests that fault lines and conflict lines will likely be deprioritized in the case of a threat that challenges everyone equally.”
On a wider scale, that is the case the NRC’s Mr. Egeland is making to donor countries like the U.S. and members of the European Union, about the need to look now at easing the effect of the virus among the most vulnerable refugees and displaced in Syria and beyond.
“Why make strongholds for the virus, anywhere in the world, when we live in a global world with global pandemics?” he says. “If it gets a stronghold in camps with half a million people ... it means it can always come back.
“If hand-washing is a mitigating factor in New York City, it’s also important for New York City that there are hand-washing facilities in Syria, because it started with patient zero in Wuhan, and now we are sitting in quarantine in Oslo,” says Mr. Egeland, who is under mandatory quarantine there after a visit to South America.
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“So if there are no hand-washing facilities in Syria a year from now, how can you get rid of this virus? It’s a perfect example of ideals and interests intertwined.”
[Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.]