csmonitor--2020-03-16--'Despite whipping out the big guns' Dow dives 2,997 points

The U.S. stock market plunged more than 12 % Monday for its worst day in more than three decades as voices from Wall Street to the White House said the coronavirus is likely dragging the economy into a recession .
The S & P 500 has plummeted nearly 30 % since setting a record less than a month ago , and it 's at its lowest point since the end of 2018 .
Losses were steep Monday , accelerating in the last half hour of trading after President Donald Trump said the economy may be headed for a recession and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 10 people .
The plunge came even though the Federal Reserve rushed to announce a new round of emergency actions before markets opened for trading Monday .
The moves are aimed at propping up the economy and getting financial markets running smoothly again , but they may have also raised fears even further .
Investors are also waiting for the White House and Congress to offer more aid to an economy that 's increasingly shutting down by the hour .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 2,997 points , or 12.9 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 had its worst loss since the Black Monday crash of 1987 .
It surpassed Thursday 's loss of 10 % for the Dow .
The market 's losses the last few weeks are the steepest since the 2008 financial crisis dragged the economy into the Great Recession .
Mr. Trump and other professional investors say the stock market could bounce back strongly as soon as the health experts get the virus under control .
The problem is that no one knows when that could be , and broad swaths of the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the meanwhile , from parked airplanes to the nearly empty restaurant around the corner .
Monday 's selling began immediately on Wall Street , sharp enough to trigger a temporary trading halt for the third time in the last two weeks .
Losses were even sharper in Europe before paring , and major indexes there fell between 4 % and 6 % .
Oil lost 9.5 % and has more than halved this year .
The world 's brightest spot may have been Japan , where the central bank announced more stimulus for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.5 % .
`` It 's impossible to say when and how we 're going to reach bottom , '' said Danielle DiMartino Booth , chief executive officer of Quill Intelligence .
The spreading coronavirus is causing businesses around the world to shut their doors .
While that can slow the spread of the virus , it 's also taking cash out of the pockets of businesses and workers .
That has economists slashing their expectations for upcoming months , and Wells Fargo Securities said Monday it now projects the U.S. economy will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter .
Joel Prakken , chief U.S. economist at IHS Markit , projects the economy will shrink at a 5.4 % annualized rate during the quarter , which would be its worst performance since the depths of the Great Recession .
The best-case scenario for many investors is that the economic shock will be steep but short , with growth recovering later this year after businesses reopen .
Pessimists , though , are preparing for a longer haul .
The range of possible outcomes has Wall Street swinging wildly , and the S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day where it moved more than 9 % – two down and one up .
Strategists at Goldman Sachs say the S & P 500 could drop as low as 2,000 in the middle of the year , which would be a 41 % drop from its record set just a month ago .
Goldman expects the index to rally back to 3,200 at year end .
American Airlines and United Airlines both announced steep cutbacks to flights over the weekend as customers cancel trips and the U.S. government restricts travel .
Other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in demand from customers .
Restaurants , movie theaters , and other businesses that depend on drawing crowds appear to be next to get squeezed .
Several states and the country 's largest cities are ordering restaurants to close their doors to dine-in customers and do only takeout and delivery .
The Federal Reserve has been trying to do what it can to help the economy , and over the weekend it slashed short-term interest rates back to their record low of nearly zero .
It also said it also will buy at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and $ 200 billion of mortgage-backed securities to help calm the Treasury market , which is a bedrock for the world 's financial system and influences stock and bond prices around the world .
Trading in the market began to get snarled last week , with traders saying they saw disconcertingly large gaps in prices offered by buyers and sellers .
`` Despite whipping out the big guns , '' the Fed 's action is `` falling short of being the decisive backstop for markets , '' said Vishnu Varathan of Mizuho Bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have perceived the Fed 's response as panic , feeding into its own fears . ''
The yield on the 10-year Treasury slid to 0.74 % from 0.95 % late Friday , a sign that investors are flocking into investments seen as safe .
The Fed action came as major economies expanded travel curbs and closed more public facilities , raising the cost of efforts to contain the outbreak that has infected about 175,000 people worldwide .
China , where the coronavirus emerged in December , accounts for about half of those , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1,000 cases each .
Japan 's central bank similarly expanded asset purchases to inject money into the economy and promised no-interest loans to help companies cope with the crisis .
The measures came on top of announcements from other major central banks , including the European Central Bank and the Bank of England last week .
The S & P 500 fell 324.89 points , or 12 % , to 2,386.13 .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2,997.10 points , or 12.9 % , to 20,188.52 , and teh Nasdaq lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6,904.59 .
After the Fed unloaded its bazooka on markets late Sunday , investors are looking for more help from the U.S. government , according to Brian Nick , chief investment strategist at Nuveen .
That includes targeted aid to industries hit hard by the virus , as well as checks sent out to households .
`` We have to be careful that small businesses do n't get forgotten , '' said Jason Pride , chief investment officer of private wealth at Glenmede .
Lower interest rates following the Fed 's moves will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prices , but they 'll need more direct help .
Volatility appears to be the new normal following a dizzying week in which the Dow twice fell by more than 2,000 points and also record its biggest point gain ever – 1,985 points on Friday .
Last week 's drops also confirmed the end of the longest-ever bull market on Wall Street , which emerged from the financial crisis and ran for nearly 11 years .
Many investors expect markets to remain volatile as long as the number of new infections keeps accelerating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press .
AP Business Writer Joe McDonald contributed from Beijing .

The U.S. stock market plunged more than 12% Monday for its worst day in more than three decades as voices from Wall Street to the White House said the coronavirus is likely dragging the economy into a recession.
The S&P 500 has plummeted nearly 30% since setting a record less than a month ago, and it's at its lowest point since the end of 2018. Losses were steep Monday, accelerating in the last half hour of trading after President Donald Trump said the economy may be headed for a recession and asked Americans to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.
The plunge came even though the Federal Reserve rushed to announce a new round of emergency actions before markets opened for trading Monday. The moves are aimed at propping up the economy and getting financial markets running smoothly again, but they may have also raised fears even further. Investors are also waiting for the White House and Congress to offer more aid to an economy that's increasingly shutting down by the hour.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 2,997 points, or 12.9%, and like the S&P 500 had its worst loss since the Black Monday crash of 1987. It surpassed Thursday's loss of 10% for the Dow.
The market's losses the last few weeks are the steepest since the 2008 financial crisis dragged the economy into the Great Recession. Mr. Trump and other professional investors say the stock market could bounce back strongly as soon as the health experts get the virus under control. The problem is that no one knows when that could be, and broad swaths of the economy are grinding closer to a standstill in the meanwhile, from parked airplanes to the nearly empty restaurant around the corner.
Monday's selling began immediately on Wall Street, sharp enough to trigger a temporary trading halt for the third time in the last two weeks. Losses were even sharper in Europe before paring, and major indexes there fell between 4% and 6%. Oil lost 9.5% and has more than halved this year. The world's brightest spot may have been Japan, where the central bank announced more stimulus for the economy, and stocks still lost 2.5%.
"It's impossible to say when and how we're going to reach bottom," said Danielle DiMartino Booth, chief executive officer of Quill Intelligence.
The spreading coronavirus is causing businesses around the world to shut their doors. While that can slow the spread of the virus, it's also taking cash out of the pockets of businesses and workers. That has economists slashing their expectations for upcoming months, and Wells Fargo Securities said Monday it now projects the U.S. economy will fall into a recession in the April-through-June quarter.
Joel Prakken, chief U.S. economist at IHS Markit, projects the economy will shrink at a 5.4% annualized rate during the quarter, which would be its worst performance since the depths of the Great Recession.
The best-case scenario for many investors is that the economic shock will be steep but short, with growth recovering later this year after businesses reopen. Pessimists, though, are preparing for a longer haul. The range of possible outcomes has Wall Street swinging wildly, and the S&P 500 had its third straight day where it moved more than 9% – two down and one up.
Strategists at Goldman Sachs say the S&P 500 could drop as low as 2,000 in the middle of the year, which would be a 41% drop from its record set just a month ago. Goldman expects the index to rally back to 3,200 at year end.
American Airlines and United Airlines both announced steep cutbacks to flights over the weekend as customers cancel trips and the U.S. government restricts travel. Other travel companies have also seen sharp drops in demand from customers. Restaurants, movie theaters, and other businesses that depend on drawing crowds appear to be next to get squeezed. Several states and the country's largest cities are ordering restaurants to close their doors to dine-in customers and do only takeout and delivery.
The Federal Reserve has been trying to do what it can to help the economy, and over the weekend it slashed short-term interest rates back to their record low of nearly zero.
It also said it also will buy at least $500 billion of Treasury securities and $200 billion of mortgage-backed securities to help calm the Treasury market, which is a bedrock for the world's financial system and influences stock and bond prices around the world. Trading in the market began to get snarled last week, with traders saying they saw disconcertingly large gaps in prices offered by buyers and sellers.
"Despite whipping out the big guns," the Fed's action is "falling short of being the decisive backstop for markets," said Vishnu Varathan of Mizuho Bank in a report. "Markets might have perceived the Fed's response as panic, feeding into its own fears."
The yield on the 10-year Treasury slid to 0.74% from 0.95% late Friday, a sign that investors are flocking into investments seen as safe.
The Fed action came as major economies expanded travel curbs and closed more public facilities, raising the cost of efforts to contain the outbreak that has infected about 175,000 people worldwide. China, where the coronavirus emerged in December, accounts for about half of those, but a dozen other countries have more than 1,000 cases each.
Japan's central bank similarly expanded asset purchases to inject money into the economy and promised no-interest loans to help companies cope with the crisis. The measures came on top of announcements from other major central banks, including the European Central Bank and the Bank of England last week.
The S&P 500 fell 324.89 points, or 12%, to 2,386.13. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2,997.10 points, or 12.9%, to 20,188.52, and teh Nasdaq lost 970.28, or 12.3%, to 6,904.59.
After the Fed unloaded its bazooka on markets late Sunday, investors are looking for more help from the U.S. government, according to Brian Nick, chief investment strategist at Nuveen. That includes targeted aid to industries hit hard by the virus, as well as checks sent out to households.
"We have to be careful that small businesses don't get forgotten," said Jason Pride, chief investment officer of private wealth at Glenmede.
Lower interest rates following the Fed's moves will help them borrow cash at more affordable prices, but they'll need more direct help.
Volatility appears to be the new normal following a dizzying week in which the Dow twice fell by more than 2,000 points and also record its biggest point gain ever – 1,985 points on Friday. Last week's drops also confirmed the end of the longest-ever bull market on Wall Street, which emerged from the financial crisis and ran for nearly 11 years.
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Many investors expect markets to remain volatile as long as the number of new infections keeps accelerating.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP Business Writer Joe McDonald contributed from Beijing.


csmonitor--2020-03-20--Grocery clerks get a new title: Emergency responders

“ It ’ s brave of them being in contact with a lot of people , ” says Arian , one of the grateful customers leaving a supermarket in New York .
Increased sales – and especially panic-buying of staples like toilet paper – have strained not just workers in the stores but those delivering the goods .
In St. Louis and Washington state , labor unions and stores have agreed on providing special health care , scheduling , or pay provisions related to the outbreak .
They ’ re also smoothing the way for faster hiring during the emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota and Michigan designated grocery employees as emergency workers , which makes their children eligible for free care at schools .
They ’ re front-line workers in a national emergency that almost no one has experienced before .
And they ’ re being thanked and recognized .
Every day the nation ’ s 3 million food store workers deliver the goods , stock the shelves , and ring up the sales that keep America fed .
Now , the coronavirus pandemic has thrust them in a new light as they keep supermarkets open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day the nation ’ s 3 million food-store workers deliver the goods , stock the shelves , and ring up the sales that keep America fed .
Only now , the coronavirus pandemic has thrust them in a new light as they keep supermarkets open while other stores close down and offices empty out .
They ’ re front-line workers in a national emergency that almost no one has experienced before , first responders of food who are finding a sudden outpouring of thanks .
“ People have been appreciative , thanking us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an employee at Market Basket in the Boston suburb of Waltham , waiting to go home on the bus .
“ It ’ s brave of them being in contact with a lot of people , ” says Arian , a customer carrying a bag of milk , eggs , and yogurt from the Cherry Valley Farm Supermarket in Queens , New York .
( Neither man would give his last name ) .
In the past week , their work has spawned letters to the editor .
“ These workers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work environment – now including risk of exposure to the virus and dealing with worried and cranky customers – is certainly more challenging than usual , ” Deborah van den Honert wrote in a letter to the editor of the Boulder , Colorado , Daily Camera published Monday .
[ Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall . ]
Now , these workers at the low end of America ’ s pay scale are getting formal recognition .
This week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Michigan , and Vermont – designated grocery employees as emergency workers , which makes their children eligible for free care at schools .
In St. Louis , the local United Food and Commercial Workers ( UFCW ) union and grocers agreed to change the health and welfare fund so employees would not have copays for coronavirus tests , would get more short-term disability , and would get 90 % of their pay when diagnosed with the virus .
In addition , the union agreed to waive dues and fees for 45 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more workers .
In Washington state , UFCW and Teamsters have reached an agreement with Safeway/Albertsons and Fred Meyer/QFC grocery chains to continue paying for up to two weeks workers who had to stay home because they were diagnosed with the virus or ordered to self-quarantine .
The chains have also agreed to schedule workers more flexibly so they can get more overtime if they want it or have time off to take care of children at home , even using paid sick leave when staying home with them .
In exchange , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Everyone is really stepping up to the plate here , ” says Tom Geiger , special projects director for UFCW Local 21 in Seattle , in an email .
“ This is going to make it easier for workers and shoppers to stay healthier and get better during the pandemic.
” Hours have gotten longer and the work harder because of the crush of customers who are now eating predominantly at home and stocking up on toilet paper , bottled water , and hand sanitizer .
“ It ’ s been hectic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a manager of the Cherry Valley Farm Supermarket in Queens .
“ But overall , we ’ re prepared , pretty much .
We expected it to get like this.
” Many grocery chains around the country also extended hours this week , while others have reduced operating hours to allow workers to restock shelves without customers .
Some have created “ senior only ” shopping hours for those anxious about shopping in crowded stores .
Increased sales – and especially panic-buying of staples like toilet paper – have strained not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the goods .
With sales volumes running two and three times the norm at certain locations , SpartanNash , a food distribution company outside Grand Rapids , Michigan , said this week it was hiring displaced workers and students to keep its own stores and independent grocers in its 14-state distribution network adequately supplied .
On Monday , Amazon said it would hire an extra 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers and temporarily boost their pay $ 2 an hour through April to deal with the surge of online sales .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past week , ” says Lisa , a flex driver for Amazon in North Carolina , who declined to have her full name published .
“ The stores are very very panicky , very overwhelmed , unprepared.
” Typically , she picks up goods at Whole Foods and distribution centers and delivers them to customers .
She has taken to wearing black nitrile gloves , which she sanitizes often .
The tips from customers in the past week have been generous , she adds .
“ I don ’ t feel like I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in any particular danger any more so than , say , going to Walmart , ” she says .
“ Somebody has to [ deliver ] , and why not me ?
”

“It’s brave of them being in contact with a lot of people,” says Arian, one of the grateful customers leaving a supermarket in New York.
Increased sales – and especially panic-buying of staples like toilet paper – have strained not just workers in the stores but those delivering the goods.
In St. Louis and Washington state, labor unions and stores have agreed on providing special health care, scheduling, or pay provisions related to the outbreak. They’re also smoothing the way for faster hiring during the emergency.
This week, the governors of Minnesota and Michigan designated grocery employees as emergency workers, which makes their children eligible for free care at schools.
They’re in some of the lowest-paid occupations, yet the stockers and cashiers in food stores do tasks that are indispensable to life in a modern society. Now that’s being recognized in a way that often isn’t.
They’re front-line workers in a national emergency that almost no one has experienced before. And they’re being thanked and recognized.
Every day the nation’s 3 million food store workers deliver the goods, stock the shelves, and ring up the sales that keep America fed. Now, the coronavirus pandemic has thrust them in a new light as they keep supermarkets open while other stores close down.
Every day the nation’s 3 million food-store workers deliver the goods, stock the shelves, and ring up the sales that keep America fed. Only now, the coronavirus pandemic has thrust them in a new light as they keep supermarkets open while other stores close down and offices empty out. They’re front-line workers in a national emergency that almost no one has experienced before, first responders of food who are finding a sudden outpouring of thanks.
“People have been appreciative, thanking us for being open,” says Jim, an employee at Market Basket in the Boston suburb of Waltham, waiting to go home on the bus.
“It’s brave of them being in contact with a lot of people,” says Arian, a customer carrying a bag of milk, eggs, and yogurt from the Cherry Valley Farm Supermarket in Queens, New York. (Neither man would give his last name).
Why We Wrote This They’re in some of the lowest-paid occupations, yet the stockers and cashiers in food stores do tasks that are indispensable to life in a modern society. Now that’s being recognized in a way that often isn’t.
In the past week, their work has spawned letters to the editor. “These workers are often under-appreciated, and these days their work environment – now including risk of exposure to the virus and dealing with worried and cranky customers – is certainly more challenging than usual,” Deborah van den Honert wrote in a letter to the editor of the Boulder, Colorado, Daily Camera published Monday.
[Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.]
Now, these workers at the low end of America’s pay scale are getting formal recognition. This week, the governors of three states – Minnesota, Michigan, and Vermont – designated grocery employees as emergency workers, which makes their children eligible for free care at schools.
In St. Louis, the local United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union and grocers agreed to change the health and welfare fund so employees would not have copays for coronavirus tests, would get more short-term disability, and would get 90% of their pay when diagnosed with the virus. In addition, the union agreed to waive dues and fees for 45 days for new employees to help grocers hire more workers.
In Washington state, UFCW and Teamsters have reached an agreement with Safeway/Albertsons and Fred Meyer/QFC grocery chains to continue paying for up to two weeks workers who had to stay home because they were diagnosed with the virus or ordered to self-quarantine. The chains have also agreed to schedule workers more flexibly so they can get more overtime if they want it or have time off to take care of children at home, even using paid sick leave when staying home with them. In exchange, the chains can hire workers faster.
“Everyone is really stepping up to the plate here,” says Tom Geiger, special projects director for UFCW Local 21 in Seattle, in an email. “This is going to make it easier for workers and shoppers to stay healthier and get better during the pandemic.”
Hours have gotten longer and the work harder because of the crush of customers who are now eating predominantly at home and stocking up on toilet paper, bottled water, and hand sanitizer.
“It’s been hectic, crazy,” says Christian Rodriguez, a manager of the Cherry Valley Farm Supermarket in Queens. “But overall, we’re prepared, pretty much. We expected it to get like this.”
Many grocery chains around the country also extended hours this week, while others have reduced operating hours to allow workers to restock shelves without customers. Some have created “senior only” shopping hours for those anxious about shopping in crowded stores.
Increased sales – and especially panic-buying of staples like toilet paper – have strained not just workers in the stores but those delivering the goods.
With sales volumes running two and three times the norm at certain locations, SpartanNash, a food distribution company outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, said this week it was hiring displaced workers and students to keep its own stores and independent grocers in its 14-state distribution network adequately supplied. On Monday, Amazon said it would hire an extra 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers and temporarily boost their pay $2 an hour through April to deal with the surge of online sales.
“It’s very, very different in the past week,” says Lisa, a flex driver for Amazon in North Carolina, who declined to have her full name published. “The stores are very very panicky, very overwhelmed, unprepared.”
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Typically, she picks up goods at Whole Foods and distribution centers and delivers them to customers. She has taken to wearing black nitrile gloves, which she sanitizes often. The tips from customers in the past week have been generous, she adds.
“I don’t feel like I’m putting myself or my family in any particular danger any more so than, say, going to Walmart,” she says. “Somebody has to [deliver], and why not me?”


csmonitor--2020-03-19--From Milan to Miami, locked-in nations try to soften an economic blow

“ It ’ s like we ’ re firefighting – first dropping water on the whole building , ” says Ioana Marinescu , an economist at the University of Pennsylvania .
What ’ s not clear is whether fiscal policy will be strong enough to cushion the blow of a health emergency that has idled workers and emptied schools and offices .
Economists predict a severe contraction in economic activity and a surge in unemployment .
The challenge for policymakers is to keep workers attached to their employers so that businesses can rev up once the worst is over .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in itself solve that problem , which is why Congress may soon be cutting checks to American families so that spending doesn ’ t crash .
Germany , the United States , and other major economies have begun to inject money into their stricken economies , providing credit to companies like Ms. Sator ’ s .
She ’ s hesitant to go into debt , given the uncertainty in her industry and others , but relieved that policymakers are acting .
Katja Sator owns an auto-parts plant in Germany that is still running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automakers .
Technicians on the production lines work 2 meters ( 6 1/2 feet ) apart to reduce the risk from the coronavirus that has begun to decimate the global economy .
It ’ s a seemingly intractable dilemma , suddenly as salient in Berlin or Tokyo as it is in Washington : How do you save people ’ s economic livelihoods while telling those same people to stay home ?
A global recession , many forecasters say , is already here and is growing more severe by the day , as millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asia , and North America have been sidelined as governments take extreme measures to stem the COVID-19 pandemic .
Finally , though , actions by governments and central banks appear to be ramping up , not so much in an effort to prevent a recession as simply to weather a storm that could easily become more severe than the global financial crisis a decade ago .
Help can ’ t come soon enough for Dominik Wilkinson and his co-workers at a restaurant in the northern German town of Bielefeld .
The restaurant ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharply reduced hours , and there ’ s talk in town of curfews starting Friday .
A prolonged closure would be , “ death , in terms of revenue .
It ’ s basically the same for every small and medium-sized company , ” says Mr. Wilkinson , a shift manager .
[ Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall . ]
In the United States , the past few days have seen automakers mothball factories , hotel chains furlough tens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retailers trim store hours or go online only .
A Labor Department report today showed claims for unemployment benefits spiking to 281,000 last week .
Every day brings more turmoil in global stock and bond markets as investors seek safe havens , even as central banks cough up amounts not seen since the financial meltdown of 2008 .
Yet the situation ’ s very severity is spurring governments into action .
Relief measures range from mortgage or tax holidays to cash infusions for households , while also lending or simply giving money to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closures .
Analysts say these are precisely the kinds of measures that can help , but their effectiveness will hinge greatly on their magnitude and speed of delivery .
And what makes this crisis different , they add , is that a pandemic must also be tamed because the economic and health crises are intertwined .
The Group of Seven international economic organization has already issued a “ whatever it takes ” statement of determination .
The International Monetary Fund and World Bank are mobilizing help for developing nations .
But so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global leadership today can match the kind of concerted effort that emerged from the depths of the 2008 crisis .
“ A lot of people didn ’ t quite measure the gravity of the situation for a while , including myself to be honest , ” says Ioana Marinescu , an economist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia .
“ We have to think about supporting business .
That ’ s very important because if we allow businesses to fail , we are losing jobs .
... We ’ re also losing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic that has killed more than 9,000 people and spread to every continent except Antarctica .
Yet , if the economic side effects are left unaddressed , the result would be significant human hardship of another kind .
It is costly to rehire workers , let alone to start new businesses from scratch .
And the more workers lose jobs and paychecks now , the sharper the downward spiral .
So in the U.S. , members of Congress are considering emergency relief for the economy that could surpass $ 1 trillion in value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash handouts to families that can be spent as quickly as possible .
But in parallel , the Trump administration wants to bail out airlines and other hard-hit industries , and offer loans to help small businesses cope .
Other steps around the world include emergency loans in China and Japan , unemployment benefits for French workers forced into part-time status , and emergency legislation in Britain to halt evictions by landlords during the pandemic .
In Washington , a sense of urgency has blunted partisan edges , at least in part .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell successfully urged his colleagues to approve a measure , crafted by Democrats in the House , to expand unemployment benefits and paid sick leave , and to make tests for the coronavirus free .
“ More than usually , this touches many , many , many actors and not just the most vulnerable .
So I think that ’ s a reason to go broad ” with emergency support , says Dr. Marinescu .
“ It ’ s like we ’ re firefighting – first dropping water on the whole building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief going forward .
Last week , Germany green-lit a host of fiscal measures to offset the pandemic crunch .
Companies large and small can access increased credit , apply for funds to pay idled workers , and seek tax deferrals .
But Katja Sator , owner of a precision engineering company in the southwest state of Baden-Württemberg , worries the emergency aid only amounts to a “ mound of debt , ” whereas grants wouldn ’ t weigh down her balance sheet .
“ It ’ s great that we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can get new credit , ” says Ms. Sator , whose company , Frankenstein Präzision GmBH , makes precision parts for automakers and other industries .
“ But we have to pay everything back .
That means it ’ s not clear whether we ’ ll be in the red for the year if we have to close down production.
” She hasn ’ t laid anyone off , but she ’ s not extending temporary contracts .
Her production lines are still running , with technicians spaced 2 meters ( 6 1/2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the pandemic , central banks have in many cases acted faster since they are inherently nimbler than legislatures .
But unlike in 2008 , when the crisis began in an over-leveraged financial sector , the coronavirus has slammed into the real economy , which monetary policy alone is hard-pressed to rescue .
On Tuesday , the U.S. Federal Reserve reopened two programs last used during the global financial crisis a decade ago , to keep the flow of short-term credit from clogging .
And on Wednesday , European Central Bank President Christine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support efforts as the bank launched an $ 820 billion program to buy government and corporate debt .
For all the actions underway , the question economists raise is what will be enough in these extraordinary times .
Forecasting the depth of the slowdown is challenging ; recent estimates suggest up to a 14 % drop in U.S. economic output ( annualized ) in the second quarter .
Although the term “ fiscal stimulus ” often is used for recession-fighting programs , the goal today is really about helping individuals and businesses survive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come later .
The challenge is to contain the current damage by slowing the spread of COVID-19 while minimizing job losses and firm closures .
“ Right now what needs to happen is flattening the curve [ of the outbreak ] while still doing whatever it takes ... to keep the fabric of the economy and of society alive , ” says Fabio Ghironi , an economist at the University of Washington in Seattle .
That means economic rescue should include support for stretched health care systems , he says – something far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.S. and other governments are making some big efforts , but Dr. Ghironi and others argue much more will be needed .
Many less-developed economies face an especially hard time finding the resources for both a public-health crisis and an economic one .
In Mexico City , Julio Bisrreal Alcantaria stands beneath a lush green tree on the sidewalk beside his fruit truck slicing mangoes and papayas .
He hasn ’ t seen much of a slowdown in business due to the coronavirus , he says , but expects nationwide school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business hard .
“ I can make it about two weeks with slow sales , and then I ’ m in trouble , ” he says .
“ If kids aren ’ t in school and people aren ’ t going to their offices , I have no one to sell to.
” Mr. Bisrreal is one of the estimated 30 million Mexicans working in the informal economy – without social security or job protections .
As with gig economy workers in the U.S. , flexibility becomes moot if a pandemic forces people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s finance ministry has proposed lines of credit , debt refinancing , and helping small businesses stay afloat .
But “ there ’ s no real discussion ” in the legislature about economic stimulus , says Valeria Moy , an economist at Mexico ¿Como Vamos ?
, a think tank .
School closings aside , President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has resisted an economywide lockdown , arguing that it would hurt poor people .
There are “ pressures of all types .
Close the airport , shut down everything , paralyze the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press conference .
Worldwide , the stakes are high .
In Odemira , Portugal , Domingos Vicente owns a fruit distribution business with 40 employees , mostly migrants .
“ If my business shuts down , I won ’ t be able to pay them to stay at home not working , and they will not stay around , which means it will be hard to start over again once it ’ s possible and hire new workers .
That means trouble for the agricultural supply in Portugal.
” In Italy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , the government is helping employers meet their payrolls and freezing loan and mortgage payments for many who are affected by the crisis .
But as in other nations , the emergency programs take time to reach people and may not be enough .
That ’ s especially true for workers in the gig economy like Claudia Bellante , a freelance journalist in Milan .
Her husband , a photographer , has seen his work dry up .
He ’ ll be eligible for some emergency grants , but she won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are emergency measures for this time , but I worry when the pandemic ends we ’ re going to be in a very difficult place , ” Ms. Bellante says .
“ I doubt there will be enough money for everyone.
” Dr. Ghironi , the Italian-born economist at the University of Washington , says South Korea has shown how to fight the pandemic without economy-debilitating lockdowns by using prompt testing and infection tracing .
Whatever steps work , he says the public-health approach and economic rescue go hand in hand .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be injected , while the [ public health ] pieces of the mechanism are put in place , so the lockdown can be lifted as soon as possible.
” Lenora Chu in Berlin , Whitney Eulich in Mexico City , and Catarina Fernandes Martins in Castelo Branco , Portugal , contributed to this article .
[ Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
There is no paywall . ]

“It’s like we’re firefighting – first dropping water on the whole building,” says Ioana Marinescu, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania.
What’s not clear is whether fiscal policy will be strong enough to cushion the blow of a health emergency that has idled workers and emptied schools and offices. Economists predict a severe contraction in economic activity and a surge in unemployment. The challenge for policymakers is to keep workers attached to their employers so that businesses can rev up once the worst is over. Simply bailing out struggling companies may not in itself solve that problem, which is why Congress may soon be cutting checks to American families so that spending doesn’t crash.
Turmoil in financial markets reflects widespread fears over a global recession amid the coronavirus pandemic. How policymakers respond could be critical to the length and depth of such a recession.
Germany, the United States, and other major economies have begun to inject money into their stricken economies, providing credit to companies like Ms. Sator’s. She’s hesitant to go into debt, given the uncertainty in her industry and others, but relieved that policymakers are acting.
Katja Sator owns an auto-parts plant in Germany that is still running, despite a sudden halt at many automakers. Technicians on the production lines work 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) apart to reduce the risk from the coronavirus that has begun to decimate the global economy.
It’s a seemingly intractable dilemma, suddenly as salient in Berlin or Tokyo as it is in Washington: How do you save people’s economic livelihoods while telling those same people to stay home?
A global recession, many forecasters say, is already here and is growing more severe by the day, as millions of consumers and workers in Europe, Asia, and North America have been sidelined as governments take extreme measures to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, though, actions by governments and central banks appear to be ramping up, not so much in an effort to prevent a recession as simply to weather a storm that could easily become more severe than the global financial crisis a decade ago.
Why We Wrote This Turmoil in financial markets reflects widespread fears over a global recession amid the coronavirus pandemic. How policymakers respond could be critical to the length and depth of such a recession.
Help can’t come soon enough for Dominik Wilkinson and his co-workers at a restaurant in the northern German town of Bielefeld. The restaurant’s 40 staff members are already working sharply reduced hours, and there’s talk in town of curfews starting Friday. A prolonged closure would be, “death, in terms of revenue. It’s basically the same for every small and medium-sized company,” says Mr. Wilkinson, a shift manager.
[Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.]
In the United States, the past few days have seen automakers mothball factories, hotel chains furlough tens of thousands of workers, and major retailers trim store hours or go online only. A Labor Department report today showed claims for unemployment benefits spiking to 281,000 last week. Every day brings more turmoil in global stock and bond markets as investors seek safe havens, even as central banks cough up amounts not seen since the financial meltdown of 2008.
Yet the situation’s very severity is spurring governments into action. Relief measures range from mortgage or tax holidays to cash infusions for households, while also lending or simply giving money to businesses to prevent mass layoffs or permanent closures.
Analysts say these are precisely the kinds of measures that can help, but their effectiveness will hinge greatly on their magnitude and speed of delivery. And what makes this crisis different, they add, is that a pandemic must also be tamed because the economic and health crises are intertwined.
The Group of Seven international economic organization has already issued a “whatever it takes” statement of determination. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank are mobilizing help for developing nations. But so far it’s an open question whether global leadership today can match the kind of concerted effort that emerged from the depths of the 2008 crisis.
John Minchillo/AP View caption Hide caption Visitors to the state Department of Labor in New York are turned away at the door by personnel due to closures over coronavirus concerns, on March 18, 2020. Applications for jobless benefits are surging as governments have ordered millions of workers and shoppers to stay home.
“A lot of people didn’t quite measure the gravity of the situation for a while, including myself to be honest,” says Ioana Marinescu, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “We have to think about supporting business. That’s very important because if we allow businesses to fail, we are losing jobs. ... We’re also losing capital.”
Economic side effects
The top priority remains a pandemic that has killed more than 9,000 people and spread to every continent except Antarctica. Yet, if the economic side effects are left unaddressed, the result would be significant human hardship of another kind. It is costly to rehire workers, let alone to start new businesses from scratch. And the more workers lose jobs and paychecks now, the sharper the downward spiral.
So in the U.S., members of Congress are considering emergency relief for the economy that could surpass $1 trillion in value, of which about half may be cash handouts to families that can be spent as quickly as possible. But in parallel, the Trump administration wants to bail out airlines and other hard-hit industries, and offer loans to help small businesses cope.
Other steps around the world include emergency loans in China and Japan, unemployment benefits for French workers forced into part-time status, and emergency legislation in Britain to halt evictions by landlords during the pandemic.
In Washington, a sense of urgency has blunted partisan edges, at least in part. On Wednesday, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell successfully urged his colleagues to approve a measure, crafted by Democrats in the House, to expand unemployment benefits and paid sick leave, and to make tests for the coronavirus free.
“More than usually, this touches many, many, many actors and not just the most vulnerable. So I think that’s a reason to go broad” with emergency support, says Dr. Marinescu. “It’s like we’re firefighting – first dropping water on the whole building,” then thinking about more targeted relief going forward.
Markus Schreiber/AP View caption Hide caption A seasonal worker from Romania walks over an asparagus harvest field near Genthin, Germany, on March 18, 2020. This year some farms face shortages of seasonal labor as European Union countries tighten border crossings because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Last week, Germany green-lit a host of fiscal measures to offset the pandemic crunch. Companies large and small can access increased credit, apply for funds to pay idled workers, and seek tax deferrals.
But Katja Sator, owner of a precision engineering company in the southwest state of Baden-Württemberg, worries the emergency aid only amounts to a “mound of debt,” whereas grants wouldn’t weigh down her balance sheet.
“It’s great that we’re receiving help with liquidity and that we can get new credit,” says Ms. Sator, whose company, Frankenstein Präzision GmBH, makes precision parts for automakers and other industries. “But we have to pay everything back. That means it’s not clear whether we’ll be in the red for the year if we have to close down production.”
She hasn’t laid anyone off, but she’s not extending temporary contracts. Her production lines are still running, with technicians spaced 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) apart.
Limits to monetary policy
As markets react to the pandemic, central banks have in many cases acted faster since they are inherently nimbler than legislatures. But unlike in 2008, when the crisis began in an over-leveraged financial sector, the coronavirus has slammed into the real economy, which monetary policy alone is hard-pressed to rescue.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve reopened two programs last used during the global financial crisis a decade ago, to keep the flow of short-term credit from clogging.
And on Wednesday, European Central Bank President Christine LaGarde cited “no limits” to support efforts as the bank launched an $820 billion program to buy government and corporate debt.
For all the actions underway, the question economists raise is what will be enough in these extraordinary times. Forecasting the depth of the slowdown is challenging; recent estimates suggest up to a 14% drop in U.S. economic output (annualized) in the second quarter.
Although the term “fiscal stimulus” often is used for recession-fighting programs, the goal today is really about helping individuals and businesses survive this economic stallout. A rebound will come later. The challenge is to contain the current damage by slowing the spread of COVID-19 while minimizing job losses and firm closures.
“Right now what needs to happen is flattening the curve [of the outbreak] while still doing whatever it takes ... to keep the fabric of the economy and of society alive,” says Fabio Ghironi, an economist at the University of Washington in Seattle.
That means economic rescue should include support for stretched health care systems, he says – something far different from recessions with purely economic causes.
The U.S. and other governments are making some big efforts, but Dr. Ghironi and others argue much more will be needed.
Mangoes for sale
Many less-developed economies face an especially hard time finding the resources for both a public-health crisis and an economic one.
In Mexico City, Julio Bisrreal Alcantaria stands beneath a lush green tree on the sidewalk beside his fruit truck slicing mangoes and papayas. He hasn’t seen much of a slowdown in business due to the coronavirus, he says, but expects nationwide school closures starting this week to hit his business hard.
“I can make it about two weeks with slow sales, and then I’m in trouble,” he says. “If kids aren’t in school and people aren’t going to their offices, I have no one to sell to.”
Mr. Bisrreal is one of the estimated 30 million Mexicans working in the informal economy – without social security or job protections. As with gig economy workers in the U.S., flexibility becomes moot if a pandemic forces people indoors and consumer spending evaporates.
Mexico’s finance ministry has proposed lines of credit, debt refinancing, and helping small businesses stay afloat. But “there’s no real discussion” in the legislature about economic stimulus, says Valeria Moy, an economist at Mexico ¿Como Vamos?, a think tank.
School closings aside, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has resisted an economywide lockdown, arguing that it would hurt poor people. There are “pressures of all types. Close the airport, shut down everything, paralyze the economy. No,” he told a press conference.
Workers scramble for a foothold
Worldwide, the stakes are high. In Odemira, Portugal, Domingos Vicente owns a fruit distribution business with 40 employees, mostly migrants.
“If my business shuts down, I won’t be able to pay them to stay at home not working, and they will not stay around, which means it will be hard to start over again once it’s possible and hire new workers. That means trouble for the agricultural supply in Portugal.”
In Italy, the nation hardest hit in Europe by the virus, the government is helping employers meet their payrolls and freezing loan and mortgage payments for many who are affected by the crisis.
But as in other nations, the emergency programs take time to reach people and may not be enough. That’s especially true for workers in the gig economy like Claudia Bellante, a freelance journalist in Milan. Her husband, a photographer, has seen his work dry up. He’ll be eligible for some emergency grants, but she won’t.
“I understand these are emergency measures for this time, but I worry when the pandemic ends we’re going to be in a very difficult place,” Ms. Bellante says. “I doubt there will be enough money for everyone.”
Dr. Ghironi, the Italian-born economist at the University of Washington, says South Korea has shown how to fight the pandemic without economy-debilitating lockdowns by using prompt testing and infection tracing. Whatever steps work, he says the public-health approach and economic rescue go hand in hand.
“We need the resources and the stimulus to be injected, while the [public health] pieces of the mechanism are put in place, so the lockdown can be lifted as soon as possible.”
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Lenora Chu in Berlin, Whitney Eulich in Mexico City, and Catarina Fernandes Martins in Castelo Branco, Portugal, contributed to this article.
[Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. There is no paywall.]


csmonitor--2020-05-27--Twitter vs. Trump? President's tweets get fact-check warnings.

For the first time , Twitter has flagged some of President Donald Trump 's tweets with a fact-check warning .
On Tuesday , Twitter added a warning phrase to two Trump tweets that called mail-in ballots `` fraudulent '' and predicted that `` mail boxes will be robbed , '' among other things .
Under the tweets , there is now a link reading `` Get the facts about mail-in ballots '' that guides users to a Twitter `` moments '' page with fact checks and news stories about Mr. Trump 's unsubstantiated claims .
Until now , the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempts to enforce rules intended to promote civility and `` healthy '' conversation on its most prominent user .
Mr. Trump frequently amplifies misinformation , spreads abuse , and uses his pulpit to personally attack private citizens and public figures alike – all forbidden under Twitter 's official rules .
In a statement , Twitter said Mr. Trump 's vote-by-mail tweets `` contain potentially misleading information about voting processes and have been labeled to provide additional context around mail-in ballots . ''
Mr. Trump has never previously faced Twitter sanctions on his account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died by accident two decades ago in an office of then-GOP Rep. Joe Scarborough recently demanded that Twitter remove the president 's baseless tweets suggesting that Mr. Scarborough , now a fierce Trump critic , killed her .
Twitter issued a statement expressing its regret to the husband but so far has taken no action on those tweets .
Over the weekend , the president issued several tweets calling into question the legality of mail-in-ballots .
The storm of tweets followed Facebook and Twitter posts from Mr. Trump last week that wrongly claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 7.7 million registered voters .
Mr. Trump later deleted the tweet and posted an edited version that still threatened to hold up federal funds .
Twitter policy forbids sharing `` false or misleading information intended to intimidate or dissuade people from participating in an election or other civic process . ''
While it has previously flagged tweets conveying misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic , it has never before put warnings on tweets for any other reason .
Mr. Trump replied on Twitter , accusing the platform of `` interfering in the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as president , I will not allow this to happen . ''
His 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale said Twitter 's `` clear political bias '' had led the campaign to pull `` all our advertising from Twitter months ago . ''
Twitter has banned all political advertising since last November .
Mr. Trump 's Scarborough tweets offer another example of the president using Twitter to spread misinformation – in this case , about an accidental death that Mr. Trump persists in linking to the co-host of MSNBC 's `` Morning Joe '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Please delete these tweets , '' Timothy J. Klausutis wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey last week .
The body of Lori Kaye Klausutis was found in Mr. Scarborough 's Fort Walton Beach , Florida , congressional office on July 20 , 2001 .
Mr. Trump has repeatedly tried to implicate Mr. Scarborough in the death even though Mr. Scarborough was in Washington , not Florida , at the time .
There is no mystery to the death of Lori Klausutis .
Medical officials ruled that the aide , who had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she was n't feeling well , had fainted and hit her head .
Foul play was not suspected .
Mr. Klausutis wrote in his letter that he has struggled to move on with his life due to the ongoing `` bile and misinformation '' spread about his wife on the platform , most recently by Mr. Trump .
His wife continues to be the subject of conspiracy theories 20 years after her death .
Mr. Klausutis called his wife 's death `` the single most painful thing that I have ever had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels a marital obligation to protect her memory amid `` a constant barrage of falsehoods , half-truths , innuendo , and conspiracy theories since the day she died . ''
Mr. Trump 's tweets violate Twitter 's community rules and terms of service , he said .
`` An ordinary user like me would be banished , '' he wrote .
At Tuesday 's White House briefing , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany repeatedly refused to say why Mr. Trump was pressing the unfounded allegations or whether he would stop tweeting about them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Scarborough made about the case that she said were inappropriate and flippant .
Mr. Dorsey did not reply directly to Mr. Klausutis ' letter and has not taken any action on the president 's tweets .
In a statement , Twitter said it was `` deeply sorry about the pain these statements , and the attention they are drawing , are causing the family . ''
Mr. Scarborough has urged the president to stop his baseless attacks .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP Technology Writer Mae Anderson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

For the first time, Twitter has flagged some of President Donald Trump's tweets with a fact-check warning.
On Tuesday, Twitter added a warning phrase to two Trump tweets that called mail-in ballots "fraudulent" and predicted that "mail boxes will be robbed," among other things. Under the tweets, there is now a link reading "Get the facts about mail-in ballots" that guides users to a Twitter "moments" page with fact checks and news stories about Mr. Trump's unsubstantiated claims.
Until now, the president has simply blown past Twitter's half-hearted attempts to enforce rules intended to promote civility and "healthy" conversation on its most prominent user. Mr. Trump frequently amplifies misinformation, spreads abuse, and uses his pulpit to personally attack private citizens and public figures alike – all forbidden under Twitter's official rules.
In a statement, Twitter said Mr. Trump's vote-by-mail tweets "contain potentially misleading information about voting processes and have been labeled to provide additional context around mail-in ballots."
Mr. Trump has never previously faced Twitter sanctions on his account. The husband of a woman who died by accident two decades ago in an office of then-GOP Rep. Joe Scarborough recently demanded that Twitter remove the president's baseless tweets suggesting that Mr. Scarborough, now a fierce Trump critic, killed her. Twitter issued a statement expressing its regret to the husband but so far has taken no action on those tweets.
Over the weekend, the president issued several tweets calling into question the legality of mail-in-ballots. The storm of tweets followed Facebook and Twitter posts from Mr. Trump last week that wrongly claimed Michigan's secretary of state mailed ballots to 7.7 million registered voters. Mr. Trump later deleted the tweet and posted an edited version that still threatened to hold up federal funds.
Twitter policy forbids sharing "false or misleading information intended to intimidate or dissuade people from participating in an election or other civic process." While it has previously flagged tweets conveying misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never before put warnings on tweets for any other reason.
Mr. Trump replied on Twitter, accusing the platform of "interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election" and insisting that "as president, I will not allow this to happen." His 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale said Twitter's "clear political bias" had led the campaign to pull "all our advertising from Twitter months ago." Twitter has banned all political advertising since last November.
Mr. Trump's Scarborough tweets offer another example of the president using Twitter to spread misinformation – in this case, about an accidental death that Mr. Trump persists in linking to the co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show.
"My request is simple: Please delete these tweets," Timothy J. Klausutis wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey last week.
The body of Lori Kaye Klausutis was found in Mr. Scarborough's Fort Walton Beach, Florida, congressional office on July 20, 2001.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly tried to implicate Mr. Scarborough in the death even though Mr. Scarborough was in Washington, not Florida, at the time.
There is no mystery to the death of Lori Klausutis. Medical officials ruled that the aide, who had a heart condition and told friends hours earlier that she wasn't feeling well, had fainted and hit her head. Foul play was not suspected.
Mr. Klausutis wrote in his letter that he has struggled to move on with his life due to the ongoing "bile and misinformation" spread about his wife on the platform, most recently by Mr. Trump. His wife continues to be the subject of conspiracy theories 20 years after her death.
Mr. Klausutis called his wife's death "the single most painful thing that I have ever had to deal with" and said he feels a marital obligation to protect her memory amid "a constant barrage of falsehoods, half-truths, innuendo, and conspiracy theories since the day she died."
Mr. Trump's tweets violate Twitter's community rules and terms of service, he said. "An ordinary user like me would be banished," he wrote.
At Tuesday's White House briefing, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany repeatedly refused to say why Mr. Trump was pressing the unfounded allegations or whether he would stop tweeting about them. Instead, she focused on remarks that Mr. Scarborough made about the case that she said were inappropriate and flippant.
Mr. Dorsey did not reply directly to Mr. Klausutis' letter and has not taken any action on the president's tweets. In a statement, Twitter said it was "deeply sorry about the pain these statements, and the attention they are drawing, are causing the family."
Mr. Scarborough has urged the president to stop his baseless attacks.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP Technology Writer Mae Anderson contributed to this story from New York.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-02-03--WHO partners with Google to fight coronavirus misinformation

The World Health Organization is working with Google to ensure that people get facts from WHO first when they search for information about the new virus that recently emerged in China .
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the opening of WHO 's executive board meeting on Monday that social media platforms such as Twitter , Facebook , Tencent , and TikTok have also taken steps to limit the spread of misinformation and rumors about the virus and outbreak that first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December and has now spread to 23 other countries .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Google to make sure people searching for information about coronavirus see WHO information at the top of their search results , '' he said .
WHO officials like Mr. Tedros have heaped praise on China 's response repeatedly in public , echoed Beijing 's calls to avoid panic , sought to reinforce weaker health systems , and worked to dispel rumors that may have prompted xenophobic invective against Chinese citizens and even other Asians .
Ambassador Li Song , deputy permanent representative for China in Geneva , lashed out at flight cancellations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some countries to admit citizens of Hubei Province , where Wuhan is located , saying those moves went against WHO recommendations .
Mr. Li noted how Chinese President Xi Jinping , meeting with Mr. Tedros last week in Beijing , had said the coronavirus epidemic `` ‘ is a devil – we can not let the devil hide.
’ '' '' At the same time , the international community needs to treat the new virus objectively , fairly , calmly , and rationally , and not over-interpret it negatively and pessimistically , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` We need facts , not fear .
We need science , not rumors .
We need solidarity , not stigma . ''
Mr. Tedros recounted how his own daughter had advised him against the trip to Beijing , and that he tried to explain to her `` it 's OK , it 's not all over China . ''
`` Even in China , the virus is not evenly spread everywhere , and the risk is not the same , '' he said .
`` When I was in Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities is that our concentrated effort should be in the epicenters , or the sources of the virus . ''
Since the outbreak began , a number of misleading claims and hoaxes about the virus have circulated online .
They include false conspiracy theories that the virus was created in a lab and that vaccines have already been manufactured , exaggerations about the number of sick and dead , and claims about bogus cures .
On Sunday , WHO lamented that the outbreak and response have been accompanied `` by a massive ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some accurate and some not – that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it . ''
The report said WHO , the U.N. health agency , was working `` 24 hours a day to identify the most prevalent rumors that can potentially harm the public ’ s health , such as false prevention measures or cures . ''
`` These myths are then refuted with evidence-based information , '' it said , noting that WHO is providing myth busters on its social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tedros also reiterated his decision last week to classify the virus outbreak as a global emergency , saying the move was prompted by increased human-to-human spread of the virus to numerous countries and the fear it could have a significant impact on developing countries with weaker health systems .
As of Monday morning , the outbreak had infected more than 17,300 people , including 17,238 cases and 361 deaths confirmed in China , Mr. Tedros said .
Outside China , there were 151 confirmed cases in 23 countries , and one death , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Mr. Tedros said recent outbreaks including the new virus and Ebola demonstrated the shortcomings of the `` binary '' emergency system , calling it `` too restrictive , too simplistic , and not fit for purpose . ''
`` We have a green light , a red light , and nothing in-between , '' he said , adding that WHO was considering options to allow for an `` intermediate level of alert . ''
The WHO executive board , which is starting a six-day meeting , plans to hold a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .

The World Health Organization is working with Google to ensure that people get facts from WHO first when they search for information about the new virus that recently emerged in China.
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the opening of WHO's executive board meeting on Monday that social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Tencent, and TikTok have also taken steps to limit the spread of misinformation and rumors about the virus and outbreak that first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December and has now spread to 23 other countries.
"To that end, we have worked with Google to make sure people searching for information about coronavirus see WHO information at the top of their search results," he said.
WHO officials like Mr. Tedros have heaped praise on China's response repeatedly in public, echoed Beijing's calls to avoid panic, sought to reinforce weaker health systems, and worked to dispel rumors that may have prompted xenophobic invective against Chinese citizens and even other Asians.
Ambassador Li Song, deputy permanent representative for China in Geneva, lashed out at flight cancellations, visa denials, and refusals by some countries to admit citizens of Hubei Province, where Wuhan is located, saying those moves went against WHO recommendations.
Mr. Li noted how Chinese President Xi Jinping, meeting with Mr. Tedros last week in Beijing, had said the coronavirus epidemic "‘is a devil – we cannot let the devil hide.’"
"At the same time, the international community needs to treat the new virus objectively, fairly, calmly, and rationally, and not over-interpret it negatively and pessimistically, or deliberately create panic," Mr. Li said.
"We need facts, not fear. We need science, not rumors. We need solidarity, not stigma."
Mr. Tedros recounted how his own daughter had advised him against the trip to Beijing, and that he tried to explain to her "it's OK, it's not all over China."
"Even in China, the virus is not evenly spread everywhere, and the risk is not the same," he said. "When I was in Beijing, what we had discussed with the authorities is that our concentrated effort should be in the epicenters, or the sources of the virus."
Since the outbreak began, a number of misleading claims and hoaxes about the virus have circulated online. They include false conspiracy theories that the virus was created in a lab and that vaccines have already been manufactured, exaggerations about the number of sick and dead, and claims about bogus cures.
On Sunday, WHO lamented that the outbreak and response have been accompanied "by a massive ‘infodemic’ – an overabundance of information, some accurate and some not – that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it."
The report said WHO, the U.N. health agency, was working "24 hours a day to identify the most prevalent rumors that can potentially harm the public’s health, such as false prevention measures or cures."
"These myths are then refuted with evidence-based information," it said, noting that WHO is providing myth busters on its social media channels in China and beyond.
Mr. Tedros also reiterated his decision last week to classify the virus outbreak as a global emergency, saying the move was prompted by increased human-to-human spread of the virus to numerous countries and the fear it could have a significant impact on developing countries with weaker health systems.
As of Monday morning, the outbreak had infected more than 17,300 people, including 17,238 cases and 361 deaths confirmed in China, Mr. Tedros said. Outside China, there were 151 confirmed cases in 23 countries, and one death, reported in the Philippines on Sunday, he said.
Mr. Tedros said recent outbreaks including the new virus and Ebola demonstrated the shortcomings of the "binary" emergency system, calling it "too restrictive, too simplistic, and not fit for purpose."
"We have a green light, a red light, and nothing in-between," he said, adding that WHO was considering options to allow for an "intermediate level of alert."
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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.
The WHO executive board, which is starting a six-day meeting, plans to hold a special technical session on the coronavirus Tuesday.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-06-04--In India's slums, neighbors unite against a pandemic

There are no secrets in the tightly packed lanes of Dharavi , India ’ s largest slum .
Everyone knows when an alcoholic husband turns violent , when children are scolded , or when a family has its television turned up too loud .
So , news that someone had been hospitalized with the new coronavirus rocketed through the 1 square mile that is home to around a million of Mumbai ’ s poorest residents .
Born and bred in Dharavi , Kunal Kanase watched authorities ignore everyday disasters , like overflowing sewers and domestic violence .
He knew better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31-year-old student and community activist hounded government helplines trying to get authorities to quarantine the neighbor 's family .
Unable to get through , he tweeted at the Mumbai police , who quickly came to take the man 's family to a quarantine center .
“ I used to teach his two children and felt good for the family since they were relatively safer now , ” he said from the tiny two-room apartment he shares with his parents and younger brother .
Mr. Kanase is among many unsung heroes working to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people from the ravages of the coronavirus and the economically devastating nationwide lockdown that has left millions unable to feed themselves .
When a woman who lives just two houses – less than 10 feet away – from Mr. Kanase became sick with COVID-19 , he once again tried to notify authorities .
He was unsuccessful and no one ever came to test or isolate the six other members of the woman 's household .
Mr. Kanase would watch as health workers scrambled to stem the outbreak , suiting up to disinfect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shantytown to surveil people ’ s movements .
Dharavi has had more than 1,800 confirmed coronavirus cases , and is among Mumbai ’ s most affected pockets .
The caseload in the city known for Bollywood and the country ’ s most important stock exchange stood at more than 41,000 on Thursday , and has overwhelmed the under-funded health system .
Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra state in central India account for the largest share of the country ’ s more than 210,000 confirmed infections , of which more than 104,000 have recovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The rate of infection and the loss of life have been relatively small compared to the United States , United Kingdom , and other hard-hit countries .
But epidemiologists say India is still weeks away from peak coronavirus transmission .
Dharavi is known to the world as the setting of the 2008 Oscar-winning film “ Slumdog Millionaire . ''
Set between busy train tracks and the heavily polluted Mithi River , which separates the slum from Mumbai ’ s modern skyscrapers , the neighborhood is a maze of tiny alleys , each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many living in tin shacks .
Families or groups of migrant workers often pile into a single room .
Hardly anyone has a private bathroom .
Without reliable running water , the most worrying concern is sanitation .
The neighborhood was able to avoid another disaster this week when it was spared damage from a cyclone that hit the city .
Kiran Dighavkar , a Mumbai official who is overseeing medical workers and volunteers in Dharavi , said his staff is focused on cleaning the neighborhood 's 500 toilet complexes .
Each is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
“ These people have to come out twice a day , for food and to use the toilets .
So you can imagine how tough it is to practice social distancing , ” Mr. Dighavkar said .
Mr. Kanase and his team at Dharavi Diary , a group of young leaders who work to improve conditions in the slum , have been working to help those affected by the pandemic , handing out bags of rice , flour , cooking oil , and sugar – enough to feed a family for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources to provide for everyone and often must filter out the needy from the neediest .
Each day the slum 's poorest – often migrant workers originally from elsewhere in the country – line the main street waiting for food handouts from Dharavi Diary and other volunteers , groups , and government agencies .
India 's poor – in Dharavi and the rest of India – have born the brunt of the nationwide lockdown , which finally began to ease this week .
Many migrant workers fled cities for their native villages in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes walking for hundreds of miles .
For Mr. Kanase , the pandemic has highlighted how even in hardship this tightly knit community can come together to aid each other .
“ I live in Dharavi and I am proud of it , ” he said .
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 .

There are no secrets in the tightly packed lanes of Dharavi, India’s largest slum. Everyone knows when an alcoholic husband turns violent, when children are scolded, or when a family has its television turned up too loud.
So, news that someone had been hospitalized with the new coronavirus rocketed through the 1 square mile that is home to around a million of Mumbai’s poorest residents.
Born and bred in Dharavi, Kunal Kanase watched authorities ignore everyday disasters, like overflowing sewers and domestic violence. He knew better than to wait for help.
The 31-year-old student and community activist hounded government helplines trying to get authorities to quarantine the neighbor's family. Unable to get through, he tweeted at the Mumbai police, who quickly came to take the man's family to a quarantine center.
“I used to teach his two children and felt good for the family since they were relatively safer now,” he said from the tiny two-room apartment he shares with his parents and younger brother.
Mr. Kanase is among many unsung heroes working to protect some of India’s most vulnerable people from the ravages of the coronavirus and the economically devastating nationwide lockdown that has left millions unable to feed themselves.
When a woman who lives just two houses – less than 10 feet away – from Mr. Kanase became sick with COVID-19, he once again tried to notify authorities. He was unsuccessful and no one ever came to test or isolate the six other members of the woman's household.
Mr. Kanase would watch as health workers scrambled to stem the outbreak, suiting up to disinfect the squalid lanes and flying drones over the shantytown to surveil people’s movements.
Dharavi has had more than 1,800 confirmed coronavirus cases, and is among Mumbai’s most affected pockets.
The caseload in the city known for Bollywood and the country’s most important stock exchange stood at more than 41,000 on Thursday, and has overwhelmed the under-funded health system.
Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra state in central India account for the largest share of the country’s more than 210,000 confirmed infections, of which more than 104,000 have recovered. India has recorded about 6,000 deaths.
The rate of infection and the loss of life have been relatively small compared to the United States, United Kingdom, and other hard-hit countries. But epidemiologists say India is still weeks away from peak coronavirus transmission.
Dharavi is known to the world as the setting of the 2008 Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire." Set between busy train tracks and the heavily polluted Mithi River, which separates the slum from Mumbai’s modern skyscrapers, the neighborhood is a maze of tiny alleys, each one full of scores of people, many living in tin shacks. Families or groups of migrant workers often pile into a single room. Hardly anyone has a private bathroom.
Without reliable running water, the most worrying concern is sanitation. The neighborhood was able to avoid another disaster this week when it was spared damage from a cyclone that hit the city.
Kiran Dighavkar, a Mumbai official who is overseeing medical workers and volunteers in Dharavi, said his staff is focused on cleaning the neighborhood's 500 toilet complexes. Each is visited by at least 1,000 people a day.
“These people have to come out twice a day, for food and to use the toilets. So you can imagine how tough it is to practice social distancing,” Mr. Dighavkar said.
Mr. Kanase and his team at Dharavi Diary, a group of young leaders who work to improve conditions in the slum, have been working to help those affected by the pandemic, handing out bags of rice, flour, cooking oil, and sugar – enough to feed a family for two weeks. But they lack the resources to provide for everyone and often must filter out the needy from the neediest.
Each day the slum's poorest – often migrant workers originally from elsewhere in the country – line the main street waiting for food handouts from Dharavi Diary and other volunteers, groups, and government agencies.
India's poor – in Dharavi and the rest of India – have born the brunt of the nationwide lockdown, which finally began to ease this week. Many migrant workers fled cities for their native villages in the countryside rather than risk starvation, sometimes walking for hundreds of miles.
For Mr. Kanase, the pandemic has highlighted how even in hardship this tightly knit community can come together to aid each other.
“I live in Dharavi and I am proud of it,” he said.
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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--2020-06-04--How pandemic shifted meaning of a government’s ‘soft power’

New Zealand ’ s prime minister has been praised for providing direction , clarity , and empathy .
In Greece and Portugal , leaders and public health officials have also shone .
But the popular buy-in to measures in all three countries were crucial .
And with the immediate threat being seen as having passed , “ soft power ” connections may prove even more important .
In Taiwan , effective public policy was indispensable .
But so was public receptiveness and active participation and support in executing the strategy .
It is not the only explanation for success .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ power ” pattern .
The measure has cast a harsh light on some countries ’ efforts .
But it has highlighted success elsewhere : Taiwan , New Zealand , and Hong Kong ; southern European countries like Greece and Portugal ; Washington state in the U.S .
Yet amid COVID , it has come to describe a power resting not with governments , but the people they govern .
It draws on mutual trust , a shared sense of responsibility , and civic commitment .
The old definition of soft power is this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and communications programs governments have used to project not just raw power , but the power of ideas .
“ Soft power ” has long been part of the diplomatic toolbox in international affairs .
Yet COVID-19 is giving it a new meaning , which may help explain why some places have succeeded in containing the pandemic while others are badly struggling .
It could also provide an important guide to how different countries , or areas within them , will fare amid economic reopenings now underway , especially if they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
The old definition of soft power is this : the kind of foreign aid , cultural exchange , and communications programs governments have used to project not just raw power , but the power of ideas and of example .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
Yet in the age of COVID , it has come to describe a power resting not with governments , but the people they govern .
It draws on fellow-feeling , mutual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , civic commitment and pride .
It ’ s the connective tissue of community .
Amid the violent confrontations in the United States over recent days , it has been coming under enormous strain .
And it is proving a critical asset in the ongoing challenge of the pandemic , as nations around the world seek popular buy-in for drastic restrictions on economic activity and other aspects of everyday life to help contain the virus .
It ’ s a measure that has cast a harsh light on some countries ’ efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it has highlighted success elsewhere : Taiwan , for instance , New Zealand , and especially Hong Kong ; southern European countries like Greece and Portugal ; or particular regions of hard-hit nations , such as Washington state in the U.S .
It is not the only explanation for the success stories .
Practical steps have been key , including early response , clear messaging , and testing and tracking .
Yet there is a compelling “ soft power ” pattern in places where , at least so far , the battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ striking because the pandemic came at a time when politics in many countries have become more fractious and volatile .
Taiwan , which sits just 80 miles from China , was on the front line when the coronavirus began spreading from the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year .
Though politically at odds with Beijing , which has vowed to “ reunify ” it with the mainland , the island receives nearly 3 million Chinese visitors annually .
More than a million Taiwanese live or work in China .
Yet so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , with only seven lives lost .
Like in other countries that have managed to limit COVID-19 ’ s spread , effective public policy and public health measures were indispensable .
But so was the “ soft power ” component : public receptiveness , as well as active participation and support in making sure the strategy worked .
In Taiwan ’ s case , a shared identity has been strengthened in opposition to Chinese leader Xi Jinping ’ s public calls for reunification and his declaration last year that Beijing would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary , to achieve it .
Capturing the sense of cohesion in fighting the pandemic , Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung late last month led hundreds of people who had gathered at a beach resort in chants of “ We ’ re Taiwan !
” The crowd responded : “ We are proud !
” Elsewhere , the message may have been less explicit .
But the cooperative spirit has been no less important .
In New Zealand , Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been praised for providing direction , clarity , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID began to spread .
In Greece and Portugal – both only recently emerging from the effects of the world economic crash of 2008 – individual ministers and public health officials have also shone .
But the popular buy-in to measures announced in all three countries were crucially important .
Also shared has been a national pride in having so far kept case numbers far lower than in neighboring countries .
While the federal government in the U.S. has left much of the pandemic response to local governments , in states like Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , limiting the number of victims also hinged on communal support and participation .
In New York , too – although in New York City the pandemic had taken hold before major restrictions were announced – the effectiveness of the lockdown relied on a shared sense of “ New York strong.
” Yet the most dramatic example is Hong Kong .
Even more than Taiwan , it might have been expected to suffer hugely from the pandemic – not just because of the volume of traffic with mainland China , but because its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packed as in New York City .
To date , it has had barely a thousand COVID cases , and only four lives lost .
This is despite a halting response by the city ’ s government , which had no concerted strategy to deal with shortages of protective gear , for instance , and at one point discouraged people from wearing face masks .
The political background was many months of prepandemic public protests against the pro-Beijing government .
But that also powered the response .
Whether in providing protective equipment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tracking cases , even helping the residents of migrant hostels , the lead was taken by the people themselves – acting through the internet and social network connections established during the months of protest .
Elsewhere , governments remain the principal actors .
And in most countries that have been fighting back COVID-19 , a reopening is now underway .
For that to sustain itself , however , especially with the immediate threat being seen as having passed , “ soft power ” connections may prove even more important .
Editor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

New Zealand’s prime minister has been praised for providing direction, clarity, and empathy. In Greece and Portugal, leaders and public health officials have also shone. But the popular buy-in to measures in all three countries were crucial. And with the immediate threat being seen as having passed, “soft power” connections may prove even more important.
In Taiwan, effective public policy was indispensable. But so was public receptiveness and active participation and support in executing the strategy.
It is not the only explanation for success. Yet there is a compelling “soft power” pattern.
The measure has cast a harsh light on some countries’ efforts. But it has highlighted success elsewhere: Taiwan, New Zealand, and Hong Kong; southern European countries like Greece and Portugal; Washington state in the U.S.
Sometimes world events redefine a long-standing concept. In the case of soft power, it’s broadening to include a sense of civic strength – the kind seen in countries that moved quickly to confront COVID-19.
Yet amid COVID, it has come to describe a power resting not with governments, but the people they govern. It draws on mutual trust, a shared sense of responsibility, and civic commitment.
The old definition of soft power is this: the foreign aid, cultural exchange, and communications programs governments have used to project not just raw power, but the power of ideas.
“Soft power” has long been part of the diplomatic toolbox in international affairs. Yet COVID-19 is giving it a new meaning, which may help explain why some places have succeeded in containing the pandemic while others are badly struggling.
It could also provide an important guide to how different countries, or areas within them, will fare amid economic reopenings now underway, especially if they’re hit by further waves of COVID-19 cases.
The old definition of soft power is this: the kind of foreign aid, cultural exchange, and communications programs governments have used to project not just raw power, but the power of ideas and of example.
Why We Wrote This Sometimes world events redefine a long-standing concept. In the case of soft power, it’s broadening to include a sense of civic strength – the kind seen in countries that moved quickly to confront COVID-19.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
Yet in the age of COVID, it has come to describe a power resting not with governments, but the people they govern. It draws on fellow-feeling, mutual trust, a shared sense of responsibility, civic commitment and pride. It’s the connective tissue of community.
Amid the violent confrontations in the United States over recent days, it has been coming under enormous strain.
And it is proving a critical asset in the ongoing challenge of the pandemic, as nations around the world seek popular buy-in for drastic restrictions on economic activity and other aspects of everyday life to help contain the virus.
It’s a measure that has cast a harsh light on some countries’ efforts to limit the numbers of COVID victims. But it has highlighted success elsewhere: Taiwan, for instance, New Zealand, and especially Hong Kong; southern European countries like Greece and Portugal; or particular regions of hard-hit nations, such as Washington state in the U.S.
It is not the only explanation for the success stories. Practical steps have been key, including early response, clear messaging, and testing and tracking. Yet there is a compelling “soft power” pattern in places where, at least so far, the battle is being won – all the more striking because the pandemic came at a time when politics in many countries have become more fractious and volatile.
Taiwan, which sits just 80 miles from China, was on the front line when the coronavirus began spreading from the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. Though politically at odds with Beijing, which has vowed to “reunify” it with the mainland, the island receives nearly 3 million Chinese visitors annually. More than a million Taiwanese live or work in China. Yet so far, it has had fewer than 500 cases, with only seven lives lost.
Like in other countries that have managed to limit COVID-19’s spread, effective public policy and public health measures were indispensable. But so was the “soft power” component: public receptiveness, as well as active participation and support in making sure the strategy worked.
In Taiwan’s case, a shared identity has been strengthened in opposition to Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s public calls for reunification and his declaration last year that Beijing would not renounce the use of force, if necessary, to achieve it. Capturing the sense of cohesion in fighting the pandemic, Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung late last month led hundreds of people who had gathered at a beach resort in chants of “We’re Taiwan!” The crowd responded: “We are proud!”
Elsewhere, the message may have been less explicit. But the cooperative spirit has been no less important. In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been praised for providing direction, clarity, and empathy in locking down the country before COVID began to spread. In Greece and Portugal – both only recently emerging from the effects of the world economic crash of 2008 – individual ministers and public health officials have also shone. But the popular buy-in to measures announced in all three countries were crucially important. Also shared has been a national pride in having so far kept case numbers far lower than in neighboring countries.
While the federal government in the U.S. has left much of the pandemic response to local governments, in states like Washington, where the first significant outbreak occurred, limiting the number of victims also hinged on communal support and participation.
In New York, too – although in New York City the pandemic had taken hold before major restrictions were announced – the effectiveness of the lockdown relied on a shared sense of “New York strong.”
Yet the most dramatic example is Hong Kong. Even more than Taiwan, it might have been expected to suffer hugely from the pandemic – not just because of the volume of traffic with mainland China, but because its 7 million people are nearly as densely packed as in New York City. To date, it has had barely a thousand COVID cases, and only four lives lost.
This is despite a halting response by the city’s government, which had no concerted strategy to deal with shortages of protective gear, for instance, and at one point discouraged people from wearing face masks. The political background was many months of prepandemic public protests against the pro-Beijing government.
But that also powered the response. Whether in providing protective equipment, sourcing and almost universally wearing face masks, tracking cases, even helping the residents of migrant hostels, the lead was taken by the people themselves – acting through the internet and social network connections established during the months of protest.
Elsewhere, governments remain the principal actors. And in most countries that have been fighting back COVID-19, a reopening is now underway.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
For that to sustain itself, however, especially with the immediate threat being seen as having passed, “soft power” connections may prove even more important.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.