csmonitor--2020-05-18--For US-China groups, the adversary is COVID-19 – not a country

“ I ’ ve been in this country for 33 years , and I have never seen the Chinese community so mobilized , engaged , generous , ” says Haipei Shue , president of the nonprofit civic engagement group United Chinese Americans .
The reasons are many , but amid deteriorating U.S.-China relations , and a recent spike in anti-Asian racist attacks , some Chinese Americans feel a need “ to prove they are as American as others .
...
It is very upsetting and sad , ” he says .
Major companies like Microsoft are pitching in , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at a time when many feel scrutinized .
While government face-offs continue , a wide array of American and Chinese organizations are stepping into the void , helping doctors and health experts learn from each other , donating protective equipment , and raising millions to support front-line workers .
Those efforts are especially widespread in Seattle , where COVID-19 first hit the United States hard .
The novel coronavirus has only heightened tensions between Beijing and D.C. , as leaders try to deflect blame .
There are valid concerns – yet some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been squandered .
As top Chinese doctors in Wuhan detailed best practices from their battle against the coronavirus , about 300 American health experts – including a dozen from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) – listened intently by videoconference .
“ During the early stage of the outbreak , you can … never imagine how the patients rushed the hospital , ” Dr. Peng Zhiyong , intensive care unit director at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University , told the U.S. scientists , hospital chiefs , and public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United States had fewer than 50 COVID-19 deaths and 2,000 confirmed cases , a number that would soon balloon .
China had been fighting the outbreak for months .
But such direct information sharing between Chinese and American practitioners was unexpectedly limited , said organizer Li Lu .
“ I was surprised , ” said Mr. Li , the Seattle-based investor and philanthropist who arranged the event .
Worsening U.S.-China tensions and a raging blame game over the virus between Washington and Beijing meant “ two months of valuable experiences [ from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Mr. Li told the group .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
When the world most needs to join forces against a common threat , the two superpowers , gripped by nationalist impulses , have squandered the opportunity to lead , analysts say .
Instead they have “ engaged in a deeply counterproductive rhetorical battle to see who can be more sanctimonious in blaming the other side , ” says Jessica Chen Weiss , associate professor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping both face a domestic legitimacy crisis for failing to keep their people safe from the virus , and “ are seeking to deflect blame onto a rival , ” says Mira Rapp-Hooper , senior fellow for Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations .
Nevertheless , a wide variety of American and Chinese organizations and individuals are stepping into the void .
Often behind the scenes and unreported , they are carrying out vital cooperation ranging from scientific exchanges and donations of protective equipment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus doesn ’ t recognize political disputes , nor national boundaries … nor ideologies , ” nor trade wars , says Mr. Li , chairman of Himalaya Capital Management .
“ With this virus we have now found a real worthy adversary.
” Groups ranging from corporations and mom-and-pop businesses to local governments and nonprofits are bridging the divide .
They are also pushing back against a broader economic decoupling of China and the United States , advanced by some leaders in Beijing and Washington .
Many in both countries see decoupling as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they predict , such a policy could worsen internal divisions .
“ It would decouple Washington from the rest of the United States , because the rest of the United States is not ready to decouple from China , ” says Scott Kennedy , a senior adviser on China ’ s economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies .
More than 100 leading U.S. academics , executives , and foreign policy experts , including prominent Republicans and Democrats , signed an April letter urging a joint fight against the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese academics .
Despite rising competition and valid concerns on either side , “ no effort against the coronavirus , ” says the U.S. letter , “ will be successful without some degree of cooperation between the United States and China.
” Such goodwill initiatives are widespread in Seattle , where COVID-19 first hit the United States hard .
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation helped fund China ’ s front-line responders and vaccine researchers as part of a global $ 100 million donation in February .
Microsoft procured masks and other supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ’ s help to send stockpiles of protective gear to the Seattle area .
Early this year , Mr. Li started the Guardians of the Angeles Charitable Foundation , inspired by the death of Chinese doctor and virus whistleblower Li Wenliang , to help protect medical workers .
The foundation has contributed $ 4 million in medical supplies to more than 100 hospitals in China , and has raised $ 4.5 million for a similar U.S. effort , donating to 60 hospitals in 13 states .
Chinese and American cities are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ties .
In Seattle ’ s waterfront industrial district , the fire department last month welcomed 10,000 respirator masks donated to the city by the coastal metropolis of Hangzhou .
“ That ’ s a few weeks ’ worth for the entire department , so the impact is big , ” says Seattle Fire Department warehouse chief Sundae Garner , adding that the department had only one pallet left in stock .
Washington state has relied heavily on donations for protective gear , with 20 % of N95 respirator masks donated , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Washington State China Relations Council .
The WSCRC ’ s new sister charitable organization handled the mask import from Hangzhou , overcoming major bureaucratic hurdles in both China and the United States , says Man Wang , director of the council .
Groups like WSCRC with ties in both countries have proven particularly proactive .
Seattle-based entrepreneur Lv Lili , head of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Washington state , spearheaded campaigns to donate medical supplies in China and locally .
The chamber most recently helped launch a “ # FoodWithLove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 15,000 free meals to front-line health care workers and police in the Seattle area .
“ I love this city , I love the people here , and I want the environment to be better , ” says Ms. Lv , who arrived from China in 2014 .
The food is donated and prepared by 15 local restaurants and delivered daily by Chowbus to 26 hospitals , clinics , testing sites , and police stations .
The goal is to raise donations to pay for future meals , to help keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing their best to help fight the coronavirus and get through this hard time , we ’ re just doing what we can , ” says Liu Zhixiong , whose family operates Frying Fish restaurant in Bellevue .
Despite suffering a 60 % to 70 % decline in business , Mr. Liu is donating hundreds of free meals to first responders .
“ They are doing something we are not brave enough to do , ” he says .
Receiving 30 meals of spicy tofu and stir-fried green beans from Frying Fish one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Spingler calls the “ # FoodWithLove ” deliveries “ pretty unprecedented.
” “ The officers really enjoy it , ” he says .
“ The food will be gone in an hour or so.
” A similar scene unfolded at the University of Washington virology lab , where program coordinator Lisa Rider emerged from the around-the-clock COVID-19 test analysis facility to collect 50 meals and two ornate cakes from Chengdu Memory restaurant in Seattle ’ s Chinatown .
“ It ’ s been a godsend , particularly for people who are working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rider , whose lab analyzes about 1,500 tests a day .
The Dolar Shop , a Chinese hot pot chain , is distributing 100 free meals to the public from its Bellevue restaurant and another 150 meals to hospitals and first responders each day .
Chinese Americans feel a special responsibility , says Haipei Shue , president of United Chinese Americans , a nationwide nonprofit focused on boosting civic engagement .
“ I ’ ve been in this country for 33 years , and I have never seen the Chinese community so mobilized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
The reasons are many , but amid deteriorating U.S.-China relations , heightened scrutiny of ethnic Chinese , and a recent spike in anti-Asian racist attacks , Chinese Americans feel insecure , he says , “ like they have a target on their back.
” They want to go the extra mile to help , in part “ to prove they are as American as others .
...
It is very upsetting and sad , ” he says .
United Chinese Americans of Washington ( UCAWA ) rallied 65 local organizations to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pivoted to do the same for Seattle , while raising $ 140,000 for EvergreenHealth Foundation in Kirkland , the first U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We are clearly living in an interconnected world , and the pandemic calls for more international cooperation , ” says Hong Qi , secretary of UCAWA .
“ We don ’ t feel like the government and public officials should ... play the blaming game , ” says Ms. Qi , who arrived in Seattle 30 years ago and has worked as a civil servant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering should compel the United States and China to rise above their differences , says Mr. Li , who has overcome his share of adversity .
Having survived Mao Zedong ’ s radical Cultural Revolution and the massive 1976 Tangshan earthquake , he emerged as a student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests .
After the military crackdown , he escaped China for the United States , where he is now a successful hedge fund manager , and last month was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of the two governments , if you feel the pain , people on both sides , you [ do ] what you ought to do , ” says Mr. Li , who describes himself as “ 100 % Chinese and 100 % American.
” A popular line from Chinese poetry expresses it best , he says : “ Though mountains and rivers separate nations , together we share the same sky.
” Editor ’ s note : An earlier version of this story misspelled Liu Zhixiong ’ s name .
As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is free .
No paywall .

“I’ve been in this country for 33 years, and I have never seen the Chinese community so mobilized, engaged, generous,” says Haipei Shue, president of the nonprofit civic engagement group United Chinese Americans. The reasons are many, but amid deteriorating U.S.-China relations, and a recent spike in anti-Asian racist attacks, some Chinese Americans feel a need “to prove they are as American as others. ... It is very upsetting and sad,” he says.
Major companies like Microsoft are pitching in, as are Asian-American civic groups and mom-and-pop businesses, at a time when many feel scrutinized.
As China and the U.S. argue, we risk overlooking something obvious: beating the virus will take cooperation. Many people, especially Chinese Americans, are trying to connect doctors, gear, and donors between two countries.
While government face-offs continue, a wide array of American and Chinese organizations are stepping into the void, helping doctors and health experts learn from each other, donating protective equipment, and raising millions to support front-line workers. Those efforts are especially widespread in Seattle, where COVID-19 first hit the United States hard.
The novel coronavirus has only heightened tensions between Beijing and D.C., as leaders try to deflect blame. There are valid concerns – yet some experts fear the chance for life-saving cooperation has been squandered.
As top Chinese doctors in Wuhan detailed best practices from their battle against the coronavirus, about 300 American health experts – including a dozen from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – listened intently by videoconference.
“During the early stage of the outbreak, you can … never imagine how the patients rushed the hospital,” Dr. Peng Zhiyong, intensive care unit director at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, told the U.S. scientists, hospital chiefs, and public health officials.
It was mid-March. The United States had fewer than 50 COVID-19 deaths and 2,000 confirmed cases, a number that would soon balloon. China had been fighting the outbreak for months. But such direct information sharing between Chinese and American practitioners was unexpectedly limited, said organizer Li Lu.
Why We Wrote This As China and the U.S. argue, we risk overlooking something obvious: beating the virus will take cooperation. Many people, especially Chinese Americans, are trying to connect doctors, gear, and donors between two countries.
“I was surprised,” said Mr. Li, the Seattle-based investor and philanthropist who arranged the event. Worsening U.S.-China tensions and a raging blame game over the virus between Washington and Beijing meant “two months of valuable experiences [from China] are largely lost in America,” Mr. Li told the group.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
When the world most needs to join forces against a common threat, the two superpowers, gripped by nationalist impulses, have squandered the opportunity to lead, analysts say. Instead they have “engaged in a deeply counterproductive rhetorical battle to see who can be more sanctimonious in blaming the other side,” says Jessica Chen Weiss, associate professor of political science at Cornell University.
President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping both face a domestic legitimacy crisis for failing to keep their people safe from the virus, and “are seeking to deflect blame onto a rival,” says Mira Rapp-Hooper, senior fellow for Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Nevertheless, a wide variety of American and Chinese organizations and individuals are stepping into the void. Often behind the scenes and unreported, they are carrying out vital cooperation ranging from scientific exchanges and donations of protective equipment to financial and practical support.
Ann Scott Tyson/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Couple Lucy Gao and Liu Zhixiong, owners of Frying Fish, pose in their family-run restaurant in Bellevue, Washington, April 28, 2020. Despite suffering a 60 to 70% decline in business, Mr. Liu is donating hundreds of free meals to first responders.
“The virus doesn’t recognize political disputes, nor national boundaries … nor ideologies,” nor trade wars, says Mr. Li, chairman of Himalaya Capital Management. “With this virus we have now found a real worthy adversary.”
Groups ranging from corporations and mom-and-pop businesses to local governments and nonprofits are bridging the divide. They are also pushing back against a broader economic decoupling of China and the United States, advanced by some leaders in Beijing and Washington.
Many in both countries see decoupling as self-defeating. In the United States, they predict, such a policy could worsen internal divisions. “It would decouple Washington from the rest of the United States, because the rest of the United States is not ready to decouple from China,” says Scott Kennedy, a senior adviser on China’s economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
More than 100 leading U.S. academics, executives, and foreign policy experts, including prominent Republicans and Democrats, signed an April letter urging a joint fight against the coronavirus, following a similar appeal signed by 100 Chinese academics. Despite rising competition and valid concerns on either side, “no effort against the coronavirus,” says the U.S. letter, “will be successful without some degree of cooperation between the United States and China.”
Fueling the frontline
Such goodwill initiatives are widespread in Seattle, where COVID-19 first hit the United States hard. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation helped fund China’s front-line responders and vaccine researchers as part of a global $100 million donation in February. Microsoft procured masks and other supplies for China, and in March enlisted China’s help to send stockpiles of protective gear to the Seattle area.
Early this year, Mr. Li started the Guardians of the Angeles Charitable Foundation, inspired by the death of Chinese doctor and virus whistleblower Li Wenliang, to help protect medical workers. The foundation has contributed $4 million in medical supplies to more than 100 hospitals in China, and has raised $4.5 million for a similar U.S. effort, donating to 60 hospitals in 13 states.
Chinese and American cities are also leveraging sister city relationships and other municipal ties.
In Seattle’s waterfront industrial district, the fire department last month welcomed 10,000 respirator masks donated to the city by the coastal metropolis of Hangzhou.
Ann Scott Tyson/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption A Seattle Fire Department warehouse worker poses April 29, 2020, by 10,000 respirator masks that were donated to the city of Seattle by the city of Hangzhou in China's coastal Zhejiang Province.
“That’s a few weeks’ worth for the entire department, so the impact is big,” says Seattle Fire Department warehouse chief Sundae Garner, adding that the department had only one pallet left in stock.
Washington state has relied heavily on donations for protective gear, with 20% of N95 respirator masks donated, says J. Norwell Coquillard, executive director of the Washington State China Relations Council. The WSCRC’s new sister charitable organization handled the mask import from Hangzhou, overcoming major bureaucratic hurdles in both China and the United States, says Man Wang, director of the council.
Groups like WSCRC with ties in both countries have proven particularly proactive.
Seattle-based entrepreneur Lv Lili, head of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Washington state, spearheaded campaigns to donate medical supplies in China and locally. The chamber most recently helped launch a “#FoodWithLove” drive that has so far delivered more than 15,000 free meals to front-line health care workers and police in the Seattle area.
“I love this city, I love the people here, and I want the environment to be better,” says Ms. Lv, who arrived from China in 2014. The food is donated and prepared by 15 local restaurants and delivered daily by Chowbus to 26 hospitals, clinics, testing sites, and police stations. The goal is to raise donations to pay for future meals, to help keep restaurants afloat.
“Everybody’s doing their best to help fight the coronavirus and get through this hard time, we’re just doing what we can,” says Liu Zhixiong, whose family operates Frying Fish restaurant in Bellevue. Despite suffering a 60% to 70% decline in business, Mr. Liu is donating hundreds of free meals to first responders. “They are doing something we are not brave enough to do,” he says.
Receiving 30 meals of spicy tofu and stir-fried green beans from Frying Fish one recent night, Bellevue police Capt. Robert Spingler calls the “#FoodWithLove” deliveries “pretty unprecedented.” “The officers really enjoy it,” he says. “The food will be gone in an hour or so.”
Ann Scott Tyson/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption A Chowbus driver delivers two ornately decorated cakes and 50 meals from Chengdu Memory, a Seattle Chinatown restaurant, to the University of Washington Virology Lab in South Lake Union, Washington, April 28, 2020. The free meals are part of the #FoodWithLove drive organized by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Washington State.
A similar scene unfolded at the University of Washington virology lab, where program coordinator Lisa Rider emerged from the around-the-clock COVID-19 test analysis facility to collect 50 meals and two ornate cakes from Chengdu Memory restaurant in Seattle’s Chinatown. “It’s been a godsend, particularly for people who are working the midnight shift,” says Ms. Rider, whose lab analyzes about 1,500 tests a day.
The Dolar Shop, a Chinese hot pot chain, is distributing 100 free meals to the public from its Bellevue restaurant and another 150 meals to hospitals and first responders each day.
Help across borders
Chinese Americans feel a special responsibility, says Haipei Shue, president of United Chinese Americans, a nationwide nonprofit focused on boosting civic engagement. “I’ve been in this country for 33 years, and I have never seen the Chinese community so mobilized, engaged, generous,” he says. The reasons are many, but amid deteriorating U.S.-China relations, heightened scrutiny of ethnic Chinese, and a recent spike in anti-Asian racist attacks, Chinese Americans feel insecure, he says, “like they have a target on their back.” They want to go the extra mile to help, in part “to prove they are as American as others. ... It is very upsetting and sad,” he says.
United Chinese Americans of Washington (UCAWA) rallied 65 local organizations to obtain protective gear for China, then pivoted to do the same for Seattle, while raising $140,000 for EvergreenHealth Foundation in Kirkland, the first U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are clearly living in an interconnected world, and the pandemic calls for more international cooperation,” says Hong Qi, secretary of UCAWA. “We don’t feel like the government and public officials should ... play the blaming game,” says Ms. Qi, who arrived in Seattle 30 years ago and has worked as a civil servant promoting election participation.
The sheer human suffering should compel the United States and China to rise above their differences, says Mr. Li, who has overcome his share of adversity. Having survived Mao Zedong’s radical Cultural Revolution and the massive 1976 Tangshan earthquake, he emerged as a student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests. After the military crackdown, he escaped China for the United States, where he is now a successful hedge fund manager, and last month was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
“No matter what happens on the level of the two governments, if you feel the pain, people on both sides, you [do] what you ought to do,” says Mr. Li, who describes himself as “100% Chinese and 100% American.”
A popular line from Chinese poetry expresses it best, he says: “Though mountains and rivers separate nations, together we share the same sky.”
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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misspelled Liu Zhixiong’s name.
As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-05-18--Greece at the vanguard of cautious tourism reopening

Greeks flocked to the seaside this weekend when more than 500 beaches reopened , as the country sought to walk the fine line between protecting people from COVID-19 while reviving the tourism sector that many depend on for their livelihoods .
For many in Greece , it was a first foray into a big public venue since the country began easing its lockdown earlier this month , and it also coincided with the first heatwave of the year .
Sun-seekers were required to respect distancing rules , which even stipulated how far umbrellas must be kept apart .
No more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ square meters ( 10,750 sq ft ) , while umbrella poles had to be four meters ( 13 ft ) apart , with canopies no closer than one meter , according to a government-issued manual , complete with diagram .
At Alimos , a popular beach just south of Athens , people queued up from the early morning to nab their spot in the sunshine .
`` This is the best thing for us elderly ... to come and relax a bit after being locked in , '' Yannis Tentomas , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settled down under an umbrella .
He said he was complying with distancing rules , adding : `` It 's like a gun to the head . ''
The manager of the beach , Nikos Venieris , said visitors were following the rules so far and he hoped they would continue to do so during the summer .
`` We 're traveling an unknown road , and we do n't know where it 's going to end up , '' he added .
At a neighboring beach a drone buzzed over sun-loungers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distances from each other .
The lifting of the lockdown comes as countries around Europe and the world look to ease restrictions imposed to curb the pandemic , in an attempt to resurrect their economies .
Greece has reported a fraction of the COVID-19 cases of neighboring countries – more than 2,800 infections with 160 deaths .
From May 4 , it began a phased-in easing of the lockdown that had been in place since mid-March .
The country of 11 million people is one of the most dependent in Europe on tourism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its economic output .
Following the reopening of Greek beaches , people will be permitted to attend Church Mass from May 17 , while archaeological sites , including the Acropolis , will reopen for visitors on Monday , May 18 .
From Monday , travel across mainland Greece and to Crete will be allowed , and from May 25 to the islands .
`` This is a crucial turning point in our efforts and we must succeed , '' said Nikos Hardalias , Greece 's civil protection minister .
Tourism officials say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July .
`` The message is that Greece is a very safe and hospitable country .
We invite them and are waiting for them to come , as long as they follow the rules , '' Alimos Mayor Andreas Kondylis said .
Greece 's lockdown , plus the shutdown of much of the world , and most air travel , is likely to have a profound effect on a country only just starting to recover from a decade of financial turmoil and austerity .
Authorities expect anything between a 5 % and 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , before recovering in 2021 .
Portugal ’ s government plans to reopen beaches on June 6 as it eases confinement measures put in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak , reports Bloomberg .
Rules will include keeping a distance of 1.5 meters ( 5 feet ) between people and signs will indicate how full each beach is , Prime Minister Antonio Costa said at a Lisbon news conference on Friday .
Beaches may be closed again if they get too crowded .
The government already allowed beach access for some sports .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlantic coast , accounts for about 15 % of the economy and 9 % of employment .
The country has been less affected by the pandemic than Italy or neighboring Spain .
In Indonesia , the island of Bali – a major tourist destination – is emerging as another success story in handling the pandemic .
Bali ’ s governing structure of village committees has been credited with stemming the virus ’ s spread .
“ The villages have a very strong influence on the community .
Whatever the elders in the villages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ngurah Wijaya , adviser to the Bali Tourism Board , told Bloomberg News .
“ This has enabled the government to impose its policies down to the community level effectively.
” But Bali has no plans to allow international visitors to return until October .
Hawaii authorities are continuing to crack down on tourists who are visiting beaches , shopping and generally flouting strict requirements that they quarantine for 14 days after arriving .
On Saturday , it was reported that a New Yorker was arrested after he posted photos of himself on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around Waikiki at night .
His bail was set at $ 4,000 .
Visitors sign a document agreeing to remain in a hotel room or residence .
They aren ’ t allowed to leave for anything other than medical emergencies .
That means no grocery shopping , no strolls on the beach , no hotel housekeeping services .
Hawaii currently has no plans to lift the quarantine on non-residents until the end of June .
This story was reported by Reuters .
Reporting By Lefteris Papadimas ; Writing by Michele Kambas ; Editing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Greeks flocked to the seaside this weekend when more than 500 beaches reopened, as the country sought to walk the fine line between protecting people from COVID-19 while reviving the tourism sector that many depend on for their livelihoods.
For many in Greece, it was a first foray into a big public venue since the country began easing its lockdown earlier this month, and it also coincided with the first heatwave of the year.
Sun-seekers were required to respect distancing rules, which even stipulated how far umbrellas must be kept apart.
No more than 40 people were allowed per 1,000 square meters (10,750 sq ft), while umbrella poles had to be four meters (13 ft) apart, with canopies no closer than one meter, according to a government-issued manual, complete with diagram.
At Alimos, a popular beach just south of Athens, people queued up from the early morning to nab their spot in the sunshine.
"This is the best thing for us elderly ... to come and relax a bit after being locked in," Yannis Tentomas, who is in his 70s, said as he settled down under an umbrella.
He said he was complying with distancing rules, adding: "It's like a gun to the head."
The manager of the beach, Nikos Venieris, said visitors were following the rules so far and he hoped they would continue to do so during the summer.
"We're traveling an unknown road, and we don't know where it's going to end up," he added.
At a neighboring beach a drone buzzed over sun-loungers, with loudspeakers urging people to keep safe distances from each other.
The lifting of the lockdown comes as countries around Europe and the world look to ease restrictions imposed to curb the pandemic, in an attempt to resurrect their economies.
'TURNING POINT'
Greece has reported a fraction of the COVID-19 cases of neighboring countries – more than 2,800 infections with 160 deaths. From May 4, it began a phased-in easing of the lockdown that had been in place since mid-March.
The country of 11 million people is one of the most dependent in Europe on tourism, which generates about a fifth of its economic output.
Following the reopening of Greek beaches, people will be permitted to attend Church Mass from May 17, while archaeological sites, including the Acropolis, will reopen for visitors on Monday, May 18. From Monday, travel across mainland Greece and to Crete will be allowed, and from May 25 to the islands.
"This is a crucial turning point in our efforts and we must succeed," said Nikos Hardalias, Greece's civil protection minister.
Tourism officials say they hope to welcome back foreign holidaymakers in July.
"The message is that Greece is a very safe and hospitable country. We invite them and are waiting for them to come, as long as they follow the rules," Alimos Mayor Andreas Kondylis said.
Greece's lockdown, plus the shutdown of much of the world, and most air travel, is likely to have a profound effect on a country only just starting to recover from a decade of financial turmoil and austerity.
Authorities expect anything between a 5% and 10% decline in economic output this year, before recovering in 2021.
PORTUGAL'S REOPENING
Portugal’s government plans to reopen beaches on June 6 as it eases confinement measures put in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak, reports Bloomberg.
Rules will include keeping a distance of 1.5 meters (5 feet) between people and signs will indicate how full each beach is, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said at a Lisbon news conference on Friday. Beaches may be closed again if they get too crowded. The government already allowed beach access for some sports.
Tourism, including on Portugal’s Atlantic coast, accounts for about 15% of the economy and 9% of employment. The country has been less affected by the pandemic than Italy or neighboring Spain.
In Indonesia, the island of Bali – a major tourist destination – is emerging as another success story in handling the pandemic.
Bali’s governing structure of village committees has been credited with stemming the virus’s spread. “The villages have a very strong influence on the community. Whatever the elders in the villages said, people will abide,” Ngurah Wijaya, adviser to the Bali Tourism Board, told Bloomberg News. “This has enabled the government to impose its policies down to the community level effectively.”
But Bali has no plans to allow international visitors to return until October.
Hawaii authorities are continuing to crack down on tourists who are visiting beaches, shopping and generally flouting strict requirements that they quarantine for 14 days after arriving. On Saturday, it was reported that a New Yorker was arrested after he posted photos of himself on Instagram surfing, sunbathing, and walking around Waikiki at night. His bail was set at $4,000.
Visitors sign a document agreeing to remain in a hotel room or residence. They aren’t allowed to leave for anything other than medical emergencies. That means no grocery shopping, no strolls on the beach, no hotel housekeeping services. Hawaii currently has no plans to lift the quarantine on non-residents until the end of June.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by Reuters. Reporting By Lefteris Papadimas; Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Pravin Char.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-18--Monday Sunrise Briefing: A gradual reopening of tourist spots

What can we learn from Greece , Bali , Portugal , Florida , and Hawaii ?
The gradual reopening of tourist destinations for locals is underway .
Greece , which has been under lockdown for two months and has seen few cases of COVID-19 , reopened more than 500 beaches Saturday with strict social distancing rules , including police drones overhead .
The Acropolis reopens today .
Tourism is central to many island and coastal economies and Greece hopes to reopen to international visitors by July .
`` We invite them ... as long as they follow the rules , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Wednesday , Vice President Mike Pence plans to visit Florida , where today marks the start of next phase of the state ’ s reopening with restaurants and museum capacity rising from 25 to 50 percent , and theme parks may submit plans for reopening .
2 .
Iran ’ s gasoline lifeline to Venezuela .
Five tankers carrying Iranian gasoline worth about $ 45 million are bound for Venezuela , a provocative move apparently aimed at getting Washington ’ s attention .
“ We have n't seen anything like this before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press .
Both nations are struggling under tough U.S. sanctions .
Venezuela , an oil producer , is in desperate need of gasoline and other refined fuel products to keep the country functioning amid an economic collapse under socialist President Nicolas Maduro .
Iran may be inviting a U.S. confrontation - which could boost global oil prices .
`` If the United States , just like pirates , intends to create insecurity on international waterways , it would be taking a dangerous risk and that will certainly not go without repercussion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday .
3 .
Disloyalty purge ?
Democrats and a few Republicans are upset over President Donald Trump ’ s firing of another inspector general , this time at the U.S. State Department .
There are more than 75 federal inspector generals , who are charged with the detection and prevention of fraud , waste , abuse , and mismanagement .
In this case , Mr. Trump announced late Friday that he was firing Steve Linick , an Obama administration appointee who had reportedly begun an investigation into whether Secretary of State Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ errands , such as walking his dog .
Mr. Trump said Mr. Linick no longer had his “ full confidence.
” Democrats called it “ an illegal act of retaliation ” that undermined the accountability and integrity of the government .
In recent weeks , Mr. Trump has removed three other federal watchdogs .
Helping homeless youth .
A pantheon of Broadway stars , as well as Dolly Parton , Jon Bon Jovi , and Meryl Streep , are participating in performances to raise funds for Covenant House , a nonprofit that provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youth in the U.S .
The show is at 8 p.m .
ET on Amazon Prime Video , iHeartRadio Broadway , Facebook and YouTube , among other sites .
Another 2020 primary election .
Oregon voters have until 8 p.m. to drop off ballots with election clerks in the presidential primary election .
The predominantly Democratic state has had mail-only ballots for two decades , but as of Friday just under 25 percent of the electorate had voted .
How ’ s the rescue going ?
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Fed Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Senate committee about the multi-trillion-dollar federal rescue packages for individuals and businesses .
Helping kids living in poverty .
Blake Shelton , Ed Sheeran , Kelly Clarkson , Meghan Trainor , James Taylor and Adrienne Warren are among the performers scheduled to participate in the annual “ Red Nose Day Special '' to raise money for American children who live in poverty .
At 9 p.m. on NBC .
Window on Chinese power .
After being postponed by the coronavirus in March , the National People 's Congress is due to start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that China is ready to return to normality .
The body is mostly a rubber stamp on Communist Party leadership decisions , but the gathering of nearly 3,000 lawmakers can offer insights about economic and military policy shifts , as well as leadership changes .
Democratic deadline .
Hawaii canceled its in-person April primary and set a Saturday deadline for mail-in ballots .
The state requires anyone arriving from out of state to quarantine for 14 days and recently arrested a New Yorker for violating the ban .
One of the difficult sacrifices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a warm embrace .
But in Rockford , Illinois , Carly Marinaro and her five kids decided they ’ d gone long enough without a squeeze from great grandma .
Mrs. Marinaro built a “ Hug Time ” device - essentially , a thin-plastic wall made with a PVC frame , a window insulation kit , and large-animal veterinary gloves .
“ We could have put a plastic bag over you or over them ... ” Mrs. Marinaro explained to her grandmother , Rose Gagnon , as she approached the front yard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nana !
And cries of , “ It ’ s hug time !
” Nana stepped up and put her arms into the contraption .
“ Ooooh I love you , I love you , ” Ms. Gagnon said , embracing her great grandson while an impatience great-granddaughter hopped up and down saying “ my turn , my turn !
” The video of that first embrace has been viewed on Facebook more than 9.7 million times .
“ I wanted to cry because I couldn ’ t believe that this was happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ms. Gagnon later told WIFR-TV in Rockford , Illinois .
Innovation triumphs over COVID-19 fears .
And nothing can stop a Nana ’ s love from being expressed .
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers : ‘ In each other ’ s shadows ’ : Behind Irish outpouring of relief for Navajo In tonight ’ s Daily Edition , watch for our roundup of the best children 's picture books for Spring .
Finally , check out the Monitor ’ s selected stories from Friday 's subscription-only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ famine : Can world meet food crisis fast enough ?
• Why maternity hospital attack is pushing Afghans toward ‘ tipping point ’ • ‘ In each other ’ s shadows ’ : Behind Irish outpouring of relief for Navajo • Tired of Netflix ?
Museums and theaters bring the arts home .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
This is a beta test - an experiment with an early Monday news update .
Please give us your feedback @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what you think .
Thank you !

What can we learn from Greece, Bali, Portugal, Florida, and Hawaii? The gradual reopening of tourist destinations for locals is underway. Greece, which has been under lockdown for two months and has seen few cases of COVID-19, reopened more than 500 beaches Saturday with strict social distancing rules, including police drones overhead. The Acropolis reopens today. Tourism is central to many island and coastal economies and Greece hopes to reopen to international visitors by July. "We invite them ... as long as they follow the rules," one Greek mayor told Reuters. On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence plans to visit Florida, where today marks the start of next phase of the state’s reopening with restaurants and museum capacity rising from 25 to 50 percent, and theme parks may submit plans for reopening.
2. Iran’s gasoline lifeline to Venezuela. Five tankers carrying Iranian gasoline worth about $45 million are bound for Venezuela, a provocative move apparently aimed at getting Washington’s attention. “We haven't seen anything like this before,” one oil analyst told the Associated Press. Both nations are struggling under tough U.S. sanctions. Venezuela, an oil producer, is in desperate need of gasoline and other refined fuel products to keep the country functioning amid an economic collapse under socialist President Nicolas Maduro. Iran may be inviting a U.S. confrontation - which could boost global oil prices. "If the United States, just like pirates, intends to create insecurity on international waterways, it would be taking a dangerous risk and that will certainly not go without repercussion," Iran's Nour news agency said Saturday.
3. Disloyalty purge? Democrats and a few Republicans are upset over President Donald Trump’s firing of another inspector general, this time at the U.S. State Department. There are more than 75 federal inspector generals, who are charged with the detection and prevention of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. In this case, Mr. Trump announced late Friday that he was firing Steve Linick, an Obama administration appointee who had reportedly begun an investigation into whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used an aide to do personal errands, such as walking his dog. Mr. Trump said Mr. Linick no longer had his “full confidence.” Democrats called it “an illegal act of retaliation” that undermined the accountability and integrity of the government. In recent weeks, Mr. Trump has removed three other federal watchdogs.
Why We Wrote This Good morning! Welcome to your Monday, May 18, 2020, sunrise briefing. Here are three news events from this past weekend (while you may have been attending a drive-in movie, bird watching, and enjoying an offline life). Also, what to look for in the news this week.
AP Photo/Kathy Willens View caption Hide caption New social circles: People relax in marked circles for proper social distancing at Domino Park in Brooklyn, Sunday, May 17, 2020, in New York.
Look Ahead
Monday, May 18
Helping homeless youth. A pantheon of Broadway stars, as well as Dolly Parton, Jon Bon Jovi,and Meryl Streep, are participating in performances to raise funds for Covenant House, a nonprofit that provides shelter and food for homeless and runaway youth in the U.S. The show is at 8 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video, iHeartRadio Broadway, Facebook and YouTube, among other sites.
Tuesday, May 19
Another 2020 primary election. Oregon voters have until 8 p.m. to drop off ballots with election clerks in the presidential primary election. The predominantly Democratic state has had mail-only ballots for two decades, but as of Friday just under 25 percent of the electorate had voted.
How’s the rescue going? Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell are scheduled to testify to a Senate committee about the multi-trillion-dollar federal rescue packages for individuals and businesses.
Thursday, May 21
Helping kids living in poverty. Blake Shelton, Ed Sheeran, Kelly Clarkson, Meghan Trainor, James Taylor and Adrienne Warren are among the performers scheduled to participate in the annual “Red Nose Day Special" to raise money for American children who live in poverty. At 9 p.m. on NBC.
Friday, May 22
Window on Chinese power. After being postponed by the coronavirus in March, the National People's Congress is due to start today. It’s a signal that China is ready to return to normality. The body is mostly a rubber stamp on Communist Party leadership decisions, but the gathering of nearly 3,000 lawmakers can offer insights about economic and military policy shifts, as well as leadership changes.
Saturday, May 23
Democratic deadline. Hawaii canceled its in-person April primary and set a Saturday deadline for mail-in ballots. The state requires anyone arriving from out of state to quarantine for 14 days and recently arrested a New Yorker for violating the ban.
Innovation Watch
Carly Marinaro via Facebook View caption Hide caption Finally, a hug! Rose Gagnon embraces her great-grandchildren through a plastic sheet in Rockford, Illinois.
One of the difficult sacrifices in this era of social distancing is a warm embrace.
But in Rockford, Illinois, Carly Marinaro and her five kids decided they’d gone long enough without a squeeze from great grandma. Mrs. Marinaro built a “Hug Time” device - essentially, a thin-plastic wall made with a PVC frame, a window insulation kit, and large-animal veterinary gloves.
“We could have put a plastic bag over you or over them ...” Mrs. Marinaro explained to her grandmother, Rose Gagnon, as she approached the front yard to peels of “Nana! Nana! Nana! And cries of, “It’s hug time!”
Nana stepped up and put her arms into the contraption. “Ooooh I love you, I love you,” Ms. Gagnon said, embracing her great grandson while an impatience great-granddaughter hopped up and down saying “my turn, my turn!”
The video of that first embrace has been viewed on Facebook more than 9.7 million times. “I wanted to cry because I couldn’t believe that this was happening. It just means a lot,” Ms. Gagnon later told WIFR-TV in Rockford, Illinois.
Innovation triumphs over COVID-19 fears. And nothing can stop a Nana’s love from being expressed.
Hidden gem
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers:
‘In each other’s shadows’: Behind Irish outpouring of relief for Navajo
Sneak preview
In tonight’s Daily Edition, watch for our roundup of the best children's picture books for Spring.
Finally, check out the Monitor’s selected stories from Friday's subscription-only Daily Edition:
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This is a beta test - an experiment with an early Monday news update. Please give us your feedback via the link below and let us know what you think. Thank you!


csmonitor--2020-05-20--Millions in India, Bangladesh head for safety amid cyclone, virus

A powerful cyclone slammed ashore on Wednesday along the coastline of India and Bangladesh , where more than 2.6 million people fled to shelters in a frantic evacuation made all the more challenging by the coronavirus pandemic .
Cyclone Amphan , the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane , was packing winds of up to 105 miles per hour with maximum gusts of 118 mph .
Authorities warned it could cause extensive damage to flimsy houses and a storm surge could push seawater 15 miles inland , flooding cities including Kolkata .
Coconut trees swayed wildly , electric poles lay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rain pounded fishing villages , and rivers surged as the storm battered the coast .
`` The next 24 hours are very crucial .
This is a long haul , '' said M. Mohapatra , India 's meteorological chief .
The region , with 58 million people in the two bordering countries , has some of the most vulnerable communities in South Asia : poor fishing communities in the Sunderbans and over a million Rohingya refugees living in crowded camps in Cox 's Bazar in Bangladesh .
The cyclone could have devastating consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by impacting supply lines and crippling relief measures , said T. Sundaramanan , a health systems consultant in Pondicherry in southeast India .
Tuhin Ghosh , director of the School of Oceanographic Studies at Jadavpur University , said the pandemic 's lockdown has already sapped people 's resilience .
`` Because they are economically down , they are not getting enough food .
...
When another disaster comes , then it 's a double impact . ''
The cyclone made landfall between Digha , a seaside resort in West Bengal , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the storm was likely to pass through the Sunderbans , one of the largest mangrove forests in the world , India 's meteorological department said .
The forests could act as a vital line of defense by dissipating some of the energy from the waves that would otherwise crash into the coastline , said K.J .
Ramesh , the department 's former chief .
But the isolated communities in the vast mangrove forests are among the most vulnerable .
Mr. Ghosh said houses could be inundated and mud homes had already washed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people to safety .
India 's West Bengal state moved nearly 300,000 and Odisha state another 148,486 , officials said .
In refugee camps in Cox 's Bazar , where the first 10 coronavirus cases were confirmed last week , authorities and U.N. workers prepared 50 shelters and assigned 256 volunteer units .
Areas at risk of landslides were stabilized with bamboo and concrete walls .
But the combination of the virus and cyclone could lead to a `` new humanitarian crisis , '' said Manuel Pereira , deputy chief of mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bangladesh .
`` We know that if people are forced to seek communal shelter , they 'll be unable to maintain physical distancing and run the risk of contracting or transmitting the virus , '' Mr. Pereira said .
Masks and hand sanitizers were hastily added to emergency items in the shelters .
Authorities in Bangladesh had assigned a medical team in each shelter , said Bangladesh 's Junior Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman .
Sobrato Das , a fisherman on Mousuni Island in India , close to the Sunderbans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said `` very few people are wearing masks . ''
He said children were crying and women desperately tried to cover their faces with their saris while trying to maintain some distance from each other .
Some cyclone shelters in West Bengal were being used to quarantine virus patients and migrant workers returning to their homes .
The state government asked for trains transporting migrants to be suspended , Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said .
Some schools were turned into shelters , news reports said .
Some in the cyclone 's path saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm .
In the seaside resort of Digha , many people feared going to the shelters , fisherman Debasis Shyamal said .
`` They have been home for weeks , and are afraid of going into a crowd where they could get infected . ''
The densely populated city of Kolkata , which has nearly 1,500 coronavirus cases , was likely to see flooding , while some centuries-old buildings in the northern half of the city could collapse due to the strong winds , officials warned .
Mr. Ghosh , whose home in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by heavy rain and winds , said that Kolkata had `` probably never witnessed this kind of cyclone . ''
The cyclone is bearing down during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan , and some Bangladeshis who fasted during the day reportedly waited until the early morning hours Wednesday before heading for the shelters .
The region is no stranger to devastating cyclones .
Mr. Ramesh , the former chief of India 's weather agency , said it was n't the frequency of cyclones but their intensity that has increased due to changing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused by the temperature of the sea 's surface .
Warm ocean water is where storms get their energy , and the amount of heat trapped in the top 2,300 feet of the seas has increased .
`` As a result , cyclones are intensifying faster than before , '' he said .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Mr. Alam reported from Dhaka , Bangladesh .
AP writers Sheikh Saaliq , Chonchui Ngashangva , and Emily Schmall in New Delhi contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

A powerful cyclone slammed ashore on Wednesday along the coastline of India and Bangladesh, where more than 2.6 million people fled to shelters in a frantic evacuation made all the more challenging by the coronavirus pandemic.
Cyclone Amphan, the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane, was packing winds of up to 105 miles per hour with maximum gusts of 118 mph. Authorities warned it could cause extensive damage to flimsy houses and a storm surge could push seawater 15 miles inland, flooding cities including Kolkata.
Coconut trees swayed wildly, electric poles lay scattered on the roads of Kolkata, rain pounded fishing villages, and rivers surged as the storm battered the coast. "The next 24 hours are very crucial. This is a long haul," said M. Mohapatra, India's meteorological chief.
The region, with 58 million people in the two bordering countries, has some of the most vulnerable communities in South Asia: poor fishing communities in the Sunderbans and over a million Rohingya refugees living in crowded camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.
The cyclone could have devastating consequences for India's fight against the coronavirus by impacting supply lines and crippling relief measures, said T. Sundaramanan, a health systems consultant in Pondicherry in southeast India.
Tuhin Ghosh, director of the School of Oceanographic Studies at Jadavpur University, said the pandemic's lockdown has already sapped people's resilience. "Because they are economically down, they are not getting enough food. ... When another disaster comes, then it's a double impact."
The cyclone made landfall between Digha, a seaside resort in West Bengal, and the Hatiya Islands in Bangladesh. The eye of the storm was likely to pass through the Sunderbans, one of the largest mangrove forests in the world, India's meteorological department said.
The forests could act as a vital line of defense by dissipating some of the energy from the waves that would otherwise crash into the coastline, said K.J. Ramesh, the department's former chief.
But the isolated communities in the vast mangrove forests are among the most vulnerable. Mr. Ghosh said houses could be inundated and mud homes had already washed away.
Bangladesh has evacuated around 2.4 million people to safety. India's West Bengal state moved nearly 300,000 and Odisha state another 148,486, officials said.
In refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, where the first 10 coronavirus cases were confirmed last week, authorities and U.N. workers prepared 50 shelters and assigned 256 volunteer units.
Areas at risk of landslides were stabilized with bamboo and concrete walls. But the combination of the virus and cyclone could lead to a "new humanitarian crisis," said Manuel Pereira, deputy chief of mission for the International Organization for Migration in Bangladesh.
"We know that if people are forced to seek communal shelter, they'll be unable to maintain physical distancing and run the risk of contracting or transmitting the virus," Mr. Pereira said.
Masks and hand sanitizers were hastily added to emergency items in the shelters. Authorities in Bangladesh had assigned a medical team in each shelter, said Bangladesh's Junior Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman.
Sobrato Das, a fisherman on Mousuni Island in India, close to the Sunderbans, described the shelters as crowded and said "very few people are wearing masks."
He said children were crying and women desperately tried to cover their faces with their saris while trying to maintain some distance from each other.
Some cyclone shelters in West Bengal were being used to quarantine virus patients and migrant workers returning to their homes.
The state government asked for trains transporting migrants to be suspended, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. Some schools were turned into shelters, news reports said.
Some in the cyclone's path saw a choice between the virus and the storm.
In the seaside resort of Digha, many people feared going to the shelters, fisherman Debasis Shyamal said. "They have been home for weeks, and are afraid of going into a crowd where they could get infected."
The densely populated city of Kolkata, which has nearly 1,500 coronavirus cases, was likely to see flooding, while some centuries-old buildings in the northern half of the city could collapse due to the strong winds, officials warned. Mr. Ghosh, whose home in the city's south was being lashed by heavy rain and winds, said that Kolkata had "probably never witnessed this kind of cyclone."
The cyclone is bearing down during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and some Bangladeshis who fasted during the day reportedly waited until the early morning hours Wednesday before heading for the shelters.
The region is no stranger to devastating cyclones. Mr. Ramesh, the former chief of India's weather agency, said it wasn't the frequency of cyclones but their intensity that has increased due to changing climate patterns.
He said this was caused by the temperature of the sea's surface. Warm ocean water is where storms get their energy, and the amount of heat trapped in the top 2,300 feet of the seas has increased. "As a result, cyclones are intensifying faster than before," he said.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. Mr. Alam reported from Dhaka, Bangladesh. AP writers Sheikh Saaliq, Chonchui Ngashangva, and Emily Schmall in New Delhi contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-21--Burundi holds high-stakes presidential election amid virus

A crucial election appeared peaceful on Wednesday in the East African nation of Burundi , where President Pierre Nkurunziza is stepping aside after a divisive 15-year rule but will remain `` paramount leader '' in the country that often rejects outside scrutiny .
The vote is one of the most important transfers of power in Burundi since independence in 1962 .
Some observers worry that disputed results could lead to the kind of violence that marked the previous vote in 2015 .
Few face masks were seen , even on the ruling party 's candidate , in crowded lines of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands .
Burundi has been criticized for not appearing to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously .
Mr. Nkurunziza himself attended crowded political rallies .
The country has 42 confirmed virus cases but testing has been limited .
`` We are not afraid because the organizers did not require us to distance 1 meter , '' voter Ndayishimiye Innocent said .
`` They saw that God is with us . ''
Regional observers were not present after being told that arriving foreigners would face a 14-day quarantine .
Citizens and journalists said access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual private network .
`` The government is cutting social media so that we do n't tell the world what is happening , '' voter Jean Pierre Bazikamwe said .
Mr. Nkurunziza praised the election because `` no foreigner came to trouble them as it happened in the past . ''
Ahead of the vote , government agents were accused of harassing the main opposition party , the CNL , whose leader Agathon Rwasa , the deputy parliament speaker , was believed to be in a close race with Mr. Nkurunziza 's chosen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ndayishimiye .
Police accused Mr. Rwasa of making `` incendiary and defamatory '' remarks and inciting revolt .
Mr. Ndayishimiye called on all candidates to accept the results .
`` You can not refuse the decision of Burundians who voted because you also are included in them , '' he said .
Analysts have said Mr. Ndayishimiye , a retired general , would be a front for Mr. Nkurunziza and other powerful ruling party members .
Mr. Rwasa condemned the social media cuts , saying it could be a way of committing election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people 's will .
`` If we are satisfied we will say it , but if we are not we will also say it , '' he said .
One electoral commission official , Zirabura Ferdinand , dismissed concerns : `` As you can see , everything is in order and we expect everything to move along freely and fairly . ''
But demonstrations marked the vote in 2015 , when Mr. Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term that some called unconstitutional .
On Wednesday the president said people would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past they did it due to ignorance '' and asserted that `` they wo n't commit the same mistake . ''
The deadly turmoil after the 2015 vote badly damaged global relations , and Burundi became the first country to leave the International Criminal Court after it started investigating abuses .
The U.N. human rights office reported more than 300 extrajudicial killings and was kicked out of the country .
Burundi 's government has denied it targets its people .
Last week , the World Health Organization 's top official in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic response .
If none of the seven candidates receives more than 50 % of the vote , a runoff election will occur within weeks .
More than 5 million people were registered to vote in the country of nearly 12 million .
Many Burundians were surprised that Mr. Nkurunziza would step aside after a referendum in 2018 extended the length of a presidential term to seven years .
The polls will usher in the post-Pierre Nkurunziza era .
But voters also cast ballots for lawmakers and local level representatives .
Internet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were blocked early Wednesday morning .
Burundians stood in long lines outside polling stations , which opened shortly after six am , most centers had hand washing points for people arriving to vote and election officials had some protective equipments in some instances .
After casting his ballot , Nkurunziza praised Burundians for the peaceful conduct of the process which he reiterated had been fully funded with local finances .
He also stressed that politics was meant to serve the greater benefit of the populace .
He arrived at the polling station on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wore a track suit of his club Aleluya FC with a brown cow boy hat with the Burundian flag .
Preliminary results are expected by May 25 .
Critics and rights groups have warned that Mr. Nkurunziza is unpredictable and the election could be a mere formality .
`` We are not going to have a credible election , '' said Stephanie Wolters , an analyst with the South African Institute of International Affairs .
`` If Ndayishimiye is elected , he will have to invite political opposition , civil society back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national dialogue with the opposition . ''
Some voters reflected the skepticism and uncertainty .
`` I know my vote wo n't be counted but I have to make a change .
That is why I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to come to vote , '' said one , Suzane Bucumi .
`` During the civil war [ from 1993 to 2005 that killed about 300,000 people ] I lost my parents and we were not spending nights in our homes .
I must vote for Evriste Ndayishimiye because it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said voter Marie Nduwimana .
`` We thank the CNDD-FDD because these recent 15 years we have security , '' said Melance Hakizimana , who added that `` in a family there must be a heir to organize the affairs . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Material from Al Jazeera was used in this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

A crucial election appeared peaceful on Wednesday in the East African nation of Burundi, where President Pierre Nkurunziza is stepping aside after a divisive 15-year rule but will remain "paramount leader" in the country that often rejects outside scrutiny.
The vote is one of the most important transfers of power in Burundi since independence in 1962. Some observers worry that disputed results could lead to the kind of violence that marked the previous vote in 2015.
Few face masks were seen, even on the ruling party's candidate, in crowded lines of voters though some paused to wash their hands. Burundi has been criticized for not appearing to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously. Mr. Nkurunziza himself attended crowded political rallies. The country has 42 confirmed virus cases but testing has been limited.
"We are not afraid because the organizers did not require us to distance 1 meter," voter Ndayishimiye Innocent said. "They saw that God is with us."
Regional observers were not present after being told that arriving foreigners would face a 14-day quarantine. Citizens and journalists said access to social media was not possible without a virtual private network.
"The government is cutting social media so that we don't tell the world what is happening," voter Jean Pierre Bazikamwe said.
Mr. Nkurunziza praised the election because "no foreigner came to trouble them as it happened in the past."
Ahead of the vote, government agents were accused of harassing the main opposition party, the CNL, whose leader Agathon Rwasa, the deputy parliament speaker, was believed to be in a close race with Mr. Nkurunziza's chosen successor in the ruling CNDD-FDD, Evariste Ndayishimiye. Police accused Mr. Rwasa of making "incendiary and defamatory" remarks and inciting revolt.
Mr. Ndayishimiye called on all candidates to accept the results. "You cannot refuse the decision of Burundians who voted because you also are included in them," he said.
Analysts have said Mr. Ndayishimiye, a retired general, would be a front for Mr. Nkurunziza and other powerful ruling party members.
Mr. Rwasa condemned the social media cuts, saying it could be a way of committing election fraud. He called for respecting the people's will. "If we are satisfied we will say it, but if we are not we will also say it," he said.
One electoral commission official, Zirabura Ferdinand, dismissed concerns: "As you can see, everything is in order and we expect everything to move along freely and fairly."
But demonstrations marked the vote in 2015, when Mr. Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term that some called unconstitutional.
On Wednesday the president said people would not oppose the results this time "because in the past they did it due to ignorance" and asserted that "they won't commit the same mistake."
The deadly turmoil after the 2015 vote badly damaged global relations, and Burundi became the first country to leave the International Criminal Court after it started investigating abuses. The U.N. human rights office reported more than 300 extrajudicial killings and was kicked out of the country. Burundi's government has denied it targets its people.
Last week, the World Health Organization's top official in Burundi was kicked out amid concerns about the pandemic response.
If none of the seven candidates receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will occur within weeks. More than 5 million people were registered to vote in the country of nearly 12 million.
Many Burundians were surprised that Mr. Nkurunziza would step aside after a referendum in 2018 extended the length of a presidential term to seven years.
Africa News reported:
The polls will usher in the post-Pierre Nkurunziza era. But voters also cast ballots for lawmakers and local level representatives. Internet connectivity for social media and messaging apps were blocked early Wednesday morning. Burundians stood in long lines outside polling stations, which opened shortly after six am, most centers had hand washing points for people arriving to vote and election officials had some protective equipments in some instances. After casting his ballot, Nkurunziza praised Burundians for the peaceful conduct of the process which he reiterated had been fully funded with local finances. He also stressed that politics was meant to serve the greater benefit of the populace. He arrived at the polling station on a bicycle surrounded by his guards, he wore a track suit of his club Aleluya FC with a brown cow boy hat with the Burundian flag. Preliminary results are expected by May 25.
Critics and rights groups have warned that Mr. Nkurunziza is unpredictable and the election could be a mere formality.
"We are not going to have a credible election," said Stephanie Wolters, an analyst with the South African Institute of International Affairs. "If Ndayishimiye is elected, he will have to invite political opposition, civil society back into the country and also participate in the national dialogue with the opposition."
Some voters reflected the skepticism and uncertainty.
"I know my vote won't be counted but I have to make a change. That is why I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to come to vote," said one, Suzane Bucumi.
Ruling party supporters disagreed.
"During the civil war [from 1993 to 2005 that killed about 300,000 people] I lost my parents and we were not spending nights in our homes. I must vote for Evriste Ndayishimiye because it is the CNDD-FDD who ended the war," said voter Marie Nduwimana.
"We thank the CNDD-FDD because these recent 15 years we have security," said Melance Hakizimana, who added that "in a family there must be a heir to organize the affairs."
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Material from Al Jazeera was used in this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-04-23--Should insurance cover business losses during a pandemic?

A once-bustling bar and grill tucked below a Michigan Avenue overpass famously inspired a `` Saturday Night Live '' skit starring John Belushi and Bill Murray .
But the money the Billy Goat Tavern is losing during the coronavirus outbreak is no joke .
The tavern and millions of other shuttered businesses nationwide have turned to their insurers to help recoup their losses following state-mandate closures , which combined may exceed $ 300 billion a month .
But insurers have widely rejected the claims , so the Billy Goat joined a growing line of businesses , including barbershops and casinos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay .
`` These businesses are in the most trying times in their history and are going to their insurance company to get what they paid for , '' said Chris Esbrook , a lawyer for the landmark tavern , which opened in 1934 and , as legend goes , cursed the Chicago Cubs .
Insurers say policies for natural or man-made disasters do n't cover virus outbreaks that bring economies to a standstill , and high-stakes battles in courtrooms coast to coast are sure to follow .
What 's at stake could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if insurers do n't pay and the insolvency of big-name insurance companies if they do .
`` Pandemic outbreaks are uninsured because they are uninsurable , '' David A. Sampson , president of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association , said this month .
No revenue is flowing into the Billy Goat , which previously drew hundreds of tourists a day , including some who remember the best-known line from a series of late 1970s SNL skits in which restaurant staff rebuffs patrons ordering anything but the house specialties : `` Cheezborger , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pepsi ! ''
As many as 30 million small businesses straining to survive with little to no revenue could submit virus-related claims worth up to $ 430 billion , the insurance association estimated .
Those unprecedented numbers would be multiple times higher than claims following the Sept. 11 attacks .
The expectation is that insurers will continue to reject the vast majority of claims , triggering waves of lawsuits from businesses in nearly every town and city .
Such a filing frenzy could add to holdups in courts when they reopen fully after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuits filed to date is one by the Choctaw Nation casinos in Oklahoma and another by the Los Angeles law firm of celebrity attorney Mark Geragos .
`` You pay insurance for decades for precisely the unthinkable , and when it happens these insurance companies do the unconscionable '' by rejecting claims , Mr. Geragos told The Hollywood Reporter .
Forcing insurers to pay hundreds of billions of dollars a month could quickly deplete the $ 800 billion set aside to cover future home , auto , and other losses , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Billy Goat , which expanded from its flagship site to include establishments around Chicago , says he has little sympathy for insurers .
`` They are in the business of selling people insurance for exactly this kind of situation , '' Mr. Esbrook said .
`` They ca n't now cry they 're poor when the very situation they are insuring arises . ''
President Donald Trump recently expressed sympathy for businesses asking insurers to pay up for business interruption coverage .
`` When they finally need it , the insurance company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give it , ' '' he said at a coronavirus task force news conference .
`` We ca n't let that happen . ''
Similar conflicts are playing out in Europe and Asia , though they are n't likely to see the torrent of lawsuits sure to come in the litigious United States .
The question on which many cases will hinge is whether the presence of the virus in or near a business can be categorized as direct physical damage , something that would otherwise be clearly covered .
It 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proving a microscopic virus was ever even on a business 's premises , never mind damaged it , could pose a challenge to plaintiff attorneys .
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last week may have inadvertently helped business owners make their case when it upheld a state order closing nonessential businesses during the pandemic , likening the coronavirus to hurricanes in its ruling .
`` COVID-19 pandemic is , by all definitions , a natural disaster and a catastrophe of massive proportions , '' the majority opinion said .
Insurance companies say most policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's operations specifically exclude pandemics .
Such exclusions became more common after a SARS virus outbreak in the early 2000s devastated businesses in parts of Asia .
A message seeking comment from the insurer the Billy Goat is suing , Society Insurance , was n't returned .
A note to policyholders on the website of Travelers Indemnity , the insurer Mr. Geragos is suing , reads like a blanket denial of virus shutdown claims because they 're `` not a result of direct physical loss or damage . ''
It also cites virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exclusions do n't mean businesses do n't have valid claims , the business lawyers contend .
They point to separate policy provisions requiring that insurers pay losses when civil authorities intervene during emergencies and order businesses to close .
The Billy Goat Tavern 's legal team says their case may be that much stronger because their insurer did not write in a virus exclusion and then still denied coverage .
Pressure on insurers is n't only coming in the form of lawsuits .
State lawmakers , including in Illinois , New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would dictate insurers accept business claims for coronavirus damage , in some cases even if policies exclude pandemics .
Industry advocates say such mandates could drain insurance funds needed to pay claims during upcoming hurricane season and when other natural disasters inevitably strike .
The laws , they argue , also would undermine the contract law upon which free markets rely .
`` If elected officials require payment for perils that were excluded , never underwritten for , and for which no premium was ever collected , catastrophic results will occur , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies .
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 .

A once-bustling bar and grill tucked below a Michigan Avenue overpass famously inspired a "Saturday Night Live" skit starring John Belushi and Bill Murray. But the money the Billy Goat Tavern is losing during the coronavirus outbreak is no joke.
The tavern and millions of other shuttered businesses nationwide have turned to their insurers to help recoup their losses following state-mandate closures, which combined may exceed $300 billion a month. But insurers have widely rejected the claims, so the Billy Goat joined a growing line of businesses, including barbershops and casinos, suing insurers to force them to pay.
"These businesses are in the most trying times in their history and are going to their insurance company to get what they paid for," said Chris Esbrook, a lawyer for the landmark tavern, which opened in 1934 and, as legend goes, cursed the Chicago Cubs.
Insurers say policies for natural or man-made disasters don't cover virus outbreaks that bring economies to a standstill, and high-stakes battles in courtrooms coast to coast are sure to follow. What's at stake could be the survival of thousands of businesses if insurers don't pay and the insolvency of big-name insurance companies if they do.
"Pandemic outbreaks are uninsured because they are uninsurable," David A. Sampson, president of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, said this month.
No revenue is flowing into the Billy Goat, which previously drew hundreds of tourists a day, including some who remember the best-known line from a series of late 1970s SNL skits in which restaurant staff rebuffs patrons ordering anything but the house specialties: "Cheezborger, cheezborger, cheezborger! No Coke ... Pepsi!"
As many as 30 million small businesses straining to survive with little to no revenue could submit virus-related claims worth up to $430 billion, the insurance association estimated. Those unprecedented numbers would be multiple times higher than claims following the Sept. 11 attacks.
The expectation is that insurers will continue to reject the vast majority of claims, triggering waves of lawsuits from businesses in nearly every town and city. Such a filing frenzy could add to holdups in courts when they reopen fully after the pandemic eases.
Among dozens of lawsuits filed to date is one by the Choctaw Nation casinos in Oklahoma and another by the Los Angeles law firm of celebrity attorney Mark Geragos.
"You pay insurance for decades for precisely the unthinkable, and when it happens these insurance companies do the unconscionable" by rejecting claims, Mr. Geragos told The Hollywood Reporter.
Forcing insurers to pay hundreds of billions of dollars a month could quickly deplete the $800 billion set aside to cover future home, auto, and other losses, according to the insurance association.
The attorney for the Billy Goat, which expanded from its flagship site to include establishments around Chicago, says he has little sympathy for insurers.
"They are in the business of selling people insurance for exactly this kind of situation," Mr. Esbrook said. "They can't now cry they're poor when the very situation they are insuring arises."
President Donald Trump recently expressed sympathy for businesses asking insurers to pay up for business interruption coverage.
"When they finally need it, the insurance company says, 'We're not going to give it,'" he said at a coronavirus task force news conference. "We can't let that happen."
Similar conflicts are playing out in Europe and Asia, though they aren't likely to see the torrent of lawsuits sure to come in the litigious United States.
The question on which many cases will hinge is whether the presence of the virus in or near a business can be categorized as direct physical damage, something that would otherwise be clearly covered. It's a question courts haven't definitively answered.
Proving a microscopic virus was ever even on a business's premises, never mind damaged it, could pose a challenge to plaintiff attorneys.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last week may have inadvertently helped business owners make their case when it upheld a state order closing nonessential businesses during the pandemic, likening the coronavirus to hurricanes in its ruling.
"COVID-19 pandemic is, by all definitions, a natural disaster and a catastrophe of massive proportions," the majority opinion said.
Insurance companies say most policies that cover unanticipated interruptions to a business's operations specifically exclude pandemics. Such exclusions became more common after a SARS virus outbreak in the early 2000s devastated businesses in parts of Asia.
A message seeking comment from the insurer the Billy Goat is suing, Society Insurance, wasn't returned.
A note to policyholders on the website of Travelers Indemnity, the insurer Mr. Geragos is suing, reads like a blanket denial of virus shutdown claims because they're "not a result of direct physical loss or damage." It also cites virus exclusions in its policies.
But such exclusions don't mean businesses don't have valid claims, the business lawyers contend. They point to separate policy provisions requiring that insurers pay losses when civil authorities intervene during emergencies and order businesses to close.
The Billy Goat Tavern's legal team says their case may be that much stronger because their insurer did not write in a virus exclusion and then still denied coverage.
Pressure on insurers isn't only coming in the form of lawsuits.
State lawmakers, including in Illinois, New York, and New Jersey, have proposed laws that would dictate insurers accept business claims for coronavirus damage, in some cases even if policies exclude pandemics.
Industry advocates say such mandates could drain insurance funds needed to pay claims during upcoming hurricane season and when other natural disasters inevitably strike. The laws, they argue, also would undermine the contract law upon which free markets rely.
"If elected officials require payment for perils that were excluded, never underwritten for, and for which no premium was ever collected, catastrophic results will occur," said Charles Chamness, president of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.
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--2020-03-30--Live from anywhere: Musicians find new ways to connect with fans

Crowded House ’ s Neil Finn is broadcasting a daily show on Mixlr.com .
“ It sure helps to put focus and meaning in the day , ” he wrote to fans recently , “ and I like feeling connected to all of you there in isolation right now.
” Live events from stadium shows to symphonic concerts have been among the first to face the economic impact of COVID-19 .
Many performers , and the crews that back them , are relying on support from a variety of newly created relief funds and from fans who are mobilizing online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s at stake amid the silence .
Many musicians are also performing online concerts .
She thought she might attract 500 people , but the group now has more than 32,000 members .
“ It ’ s about the performance , ” she says , “ but it ’ s also about the community.
” Being stuck at home is an unusual experience for Candace Fowler and her husband , Southerners who attend at least 200 live concerts a year .
In a bid to help struggling musicians , Ms. Fowler began listing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created Facebook group , Viral Music – Because Kindness Is Contagious .
A few songs into his recent solo acoustic set at Boston ’ s Club Passim , John Paul White cracked a wry joke about the empty seats .
Though the 100-capacity show on March 11 sold out in advance , some ticket buyers hadn ’ t shown up .
The fan nearest the stage was wearing a face mask .
Mr. White implored the audience to support musicians who would soon be affected by the COVID-19 shutdown .
Two days later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including three financially lucrative shows in Canada , was canceled as live venues across North America closed .
“ I definitely took a loss , ” says the Americana songwriter , who spent two days driving home to Alabama because his wife didn ’ t want him to fly .
“ But I got a lot of friends that had records coming out and were getting ready to start their album-release tours , which is like they ’ re going out to harvest their crops .
Without those crops , a significant part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have day jobs and they don ’ t have writing , publishing deals.
” [ Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall . ]
Live events from stadium shows to symphonic concerts have been among the first to face the economic impact of COVID-19 .
Many performers , and the crews that back them , are relying on support from a variety of newly created relief funds and from fans who are mobilizing online to help , aware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the silence .
Hundreds of musicians are also performing online concerts , via couches and empty rehearsal spaces , to bring in income and remind people of the value of both their music and live performances .
“ Until we are free to return to the people who come to see us and consume our art in a live venue , it ’ s going to be very , very difficult for musicians to make a living , ” says Ray Hair , president of the American Federation of Musicians of the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Musicians key off an audience .
That ’ s when we ’ re the most emotional , and many times that ’ s when we ’ re the most spontaneous and the most creative.
” Dozens of national and state-based aid groups are raising money to assist musicians with medical and other financial needs .
Musicares , the Recording Academy ’ s charitable foundation , announced a $ 2 million fund March 17 .
Since then , industry groups such as Warner Music Group , Spotify , Amazon , and YouTube have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Forbes magazine says the loss to the global music business will be at least hundreds of millions of dollars and maybe even as much as $ 5 billion .
During the shutdown , bands and individual musicians are setting up webcams in their garages and living rooms .
For some , it ’ s an opportunity to spread some cheer .
Crowded House ’ s Neil Finn and his family of musicians rehearse songs ahead of his daily show on Mixlr.com .
“ It sure helps to put focus and meaning in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected to all of you there in isolation right now , ” he wrote to fans .
But for others the online shows are a matter of economic necessity .
Last week , Erykah Badu and her band charged fans $ 1 to drop in on the first of a series of concerts in her living room .
“ I got a house full of masked engineers , musicians , techs , who are all out of work , ” she said .
Grassroots efforts are also helping musicians .
Stageit , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a front-row seat to a backstage experience , ” has been hosting singer-songwriters such as Caleb Caudle , Lori McKenna , and Jill Sobule for an ongoing “ Shut-in & Sing ” virtual festival .
Viewers can decide how much to pay for tickets .
Other streaming sites offer virtual tip jars .
Artist Home , a company in the Pacific Northwest geared toward helping newcomers break into the regional music circuit , is streaming “ Songs of Hope and Healing ” concerts by those affected by COVID-19 .
The company has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers who offer lessons on Skype and Zoom .
“ A lot of our working musicians are music teachers already .
But then a lot of the ones who are finding themselves out of work are turning to it , ” says Kevin Sur , founder of Artist Home .
“ If you ’ re stuck inside or if schools are shut down for six weeks , here ’ s a perfect way to go about teaching yourself a new skill.
” The boom of online performances got the attention of music fan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Atlanta and New Orleans .
Being stuck at home is an unusual experience for Ms. Fowler and her husband , who attend at least 200 live concerts a year .
In a bid to help struggling musicians , she began listing schedules of online shows at her newly created Facebook group , Viral Music – Because Kindness Is Contagious .
It also includes links to artists ’ stores and other resources .
“ I thought maybe I ’ d end up with 500 or so members and then it just exploded , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now has more than 32,000 members .
“ It ’ s about the performance , but it ’ s also about the community .
And so we ’ re able to cling to a little bit of that through this.
” Similarly , actor and playwright Nick Green started The Social Distancing Festival website , which offers a schedule of online music shows worldwide , as well as dance , theater , and visual arts performances .
Mr. White , who co-founded a tiny indie record label called Single Lock , is grateful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him to organize upcoming livestreaming shows for himself and his acts .
It ’ s no substitute , he says , for gigs in which he and fans are in the same space .
But the upside is that underserved followers in , say , Saskatchewan have an opportunity to see him .
The virtual gigs are also a handy advertisement for proper live shows when venues open again .
“ I think people are going to realize how much live music supplements their lives and how much they need it when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. White , who came to prominence as half of the now-disbanded duo The Civil Wars .
“ And I think musicians are going to also really value that part of their career and realize the value and the weight of it.
” [ Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall . ]

Crowded House’s Neil Finn is broadcasting a daily show on Mixlr.com. “It sure helps to put focus and meaning in the day,” he wrote to fans recently, “and I like feeling connected to all of you there in isolation right now.”
Live events from stadium shows to symphonic concerts have been among the first to face the economic impact of COVID-19. Many performers, and the crews that back them, are relying on support from a variety of newly created relief funds and from fans who are mobilizing online to help, aware of what’s at stake amid the silence. Many musicians are also performing online concerts.
Could the shuttering of venues generate a renewed appreciation of live music? As fans and industry groups rush to help out-of-work musicians, many performers get creative about keeping their art alive.
She thought she might attract 500 people, but the group now has more than 32,000 members. “It’s about the performance,” she says, “but it’s also about the community.”
Being stuck at home is an unusual experience for Candace Fowler and her husband, Southerners who attend at least 200 live concerts a year. In a bid to help struggling musicians, Ms. Fowler began listing schedules of online shows at her newly created Facebook group, Viral Music – Because Kindness Is Contagious.
A few songs into his recent solo acoustic set at Boston’s Club Passim, John Paul White cracked a wry joke about the empty seats. Though the 100-capacity show on March 11 sold out in advance, some ticket buyers hadn’t shown up. The fan nearest the stage was wearing a face mask. Mr. White implored the audience to support musicians who would soon be affected by the COVID-19 shutdown.
Two days later, the rest of his tour, including three financially lucrative shows in Canada, was canceled as live venues across North America closed.
“I definitely took a loss,” says the Americana songwriter, who spent two days driving home to Alabama because his wife didn’t want him to fly. “But I got a lot of friends that had records coming out and were getting ready to start their album-release tours, which is like they’re going out to harvest their crops. Without those crops, a significant part of their year is gone. They don’t have day jobs and they don’t have writing, publishing deals.”
Why We Wrote This Could the shuttering of venues generate a renewed appreciation of live music? As fans and industry groups rush to help out-of-work musicians, many performers get creative about keeping their art alive.
[Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.]
Live events from stadium shows to symphonic concerts have been among the first to face the economic impact of COVID-19. Many performers, and the crews that back them, are relying on support from a variety of newly created relief funds and from fans who are mobilizing online to help, aware of what’s at stake amid the silence. Hundreds of musicians are also performing online concerts, via couches and empty rehearsal spaces, to bring in income and remind people of the value of both their music and live performances.
“Until we are free to return to the people who come to see us and consume our art in a live venue, it’s going to be very, very difficult for musicians to make a living,” says Ray Hair, president of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM). “Musicians key off an audience. That’s when we’re the most emotional, and many times that’s when we’re the most spontaneous and the most creative.”
Alysse Gafkjen/Courtesy of Sacks & Co. View caption Hide caption Americana musician John Paul White recently had to cancel his spring tour.
Dozens of national and state-based aid groups are raising money to assist musicians with medical and other financial needs. Musicares, the Recording Academy’s charitable foundation, announced a $2 million fund March 17. Since then, industry groups such as Warner Music Group, Spotify, Amazon, and YouTube have donated to the fund. Even so, Forbes magazine says the loss to the global music business will be at least hundreds of millions of dollars and maybe even as much as $5 billion.
During the shutdown, bands and individual musicians are setting up webcams in their garages and living rooms. For some, it’s an opportunity to spread some cheer. Crowded House’s Neil Finn and his family of musicians rehearse songs ahead of his daily show on Mixlr.com. “It sure helps to put focus and meaning in the day, and I like feeling connected to all of you there in isolation right now,” he wrote to fans.
But for others the online shows are a matter of economic necessity. Last week, Erykah Badu and her band charged fans $1 to drop in on the first of a series of concerts in her living room. “I got a house full of masked engineers, musicians, techs, who are all out of work,” she said.
Grassroots efforts are also helping musicians. Stageit, a web-based performance platform that bills itself as “a front-row seat to a backstage experience,” has been hosting singer-songwriters such as Caleb Caudle, Lori McKenna, and Jill Sobule for an ongoing “Shut-in & Sing” virtual festival. Viewers can decide how much to pay for tickets. Other streaming sites offer virtual tip jars.
Artist Home, a company in the Pacific Northwest geared toward helping newcomers break into the regional music circuit, is streaming “Songs of Hope and Healing” concerts by those affected by COVID-19. The company has also created a database that lists music teachers who offer lessons on Skype and Zoom.
“A lot of our working musicians are music teachers already. But then a lot of the ones who are finding themselves out of work are turning to it,” says Kevin Sur, founder of Artist Home. “If you’re stuck inside or if schools are shut down for six weeks, here’s a perfect way to go about teaching yourself a new skill.”
The boom of online performances got the attention of music fan Candace Fowler, who divides her time between Atlanta and New Orleans. Being stuck at home is an unusual experience for Ms. Fowler and her husband, who attend at least 200 live concerts a year. In a bid to help struggling musicians, she began listing schedules of online shows at her newly created Facebook group, Viral Music – Because Kindness Is Contagious. It also includes links to artists’ stores and other resources.
“I thought maybe I’d end up with 500 or so members and then it just exploded,” says Ms. Fowler, whose group now has more than 32,000 members. “It’s about the performance, but it’s also about the community. And so we’re able to cling to a little bit of that through this.”
Similarly, actor and playwright Nick Green started The Social Distancing Festival website, which offers a schedule of online music shows worldwide, as well as dance, theater, and visual arts performances.
Mr. White, who co-founded a tiny indie record label called Single Lock, is grateful for how easy technology has made it for him to organize upcoming livestreaming shows for himself and his acts. It’s no substitute, he says, for gigs in which he and fans are in the same space. But the upside is that underserved followers in, say, Saskatchewan have an opportunity to see him. The virtual gigs are also a handy advertisement for proper live shows when venues open again.
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“I think people are going to realize how much live music supplements their lives and how much they need it when it’s gone,” says Mr. White, who came to prominence as half of the now-disbanded duo The Civil Wars. “And I think musicians are going to also really value that part of their career and realize the value and the weight of it.”
[Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.]