csmonitor--2020-03-25--Global giving: Easing coronavirus fears with kindness

We ’ ve asked Monitor reporters around the world to point out the helpers in their own communities .
They ’ ve vetted charities , from food banks to animal shelters , assisting hard-hit communities around the world .
Times of crisis can bring out the worst in people , but they also , undoubtedly , draw out humanity ’ s best instincts too .
From residents of cities across Europe stepping onto their balconies each evening to applaud the country ’ s health care workers ; to perfume , alcohol , and clothing companies pivoting to produce hand sanitizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual acts like buying a sick neighbor groceries or checking in on an elderly friend , people around the world are reacting to fear and uncertainty with solidarity and kindness .
As Fred Rogers famously said , “ When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news , my mother would say to me , “ Look for the helpers .
You will always find people who are helping.
” Times of crisis can bring out the worst in people , but they also , undoubtedly , draw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From residents of cities across Europe stepping onto their balconies each evening to applaud the country ’ s healthcare workers ; to perfume , alcohol , and clothing companies pivoting to produce hand sanitizers and face masks ; to simple , individual acts like buying a sick neighbor groceries or checking in on an elderly friend , people around the world are reacting to fear and uncertainty with solidarity and kindness .
As Fred Rogers famously said , “ When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , “ Look for the helpers .
You will always find people who are helping.
” We ’ ve asked Monitor reporters around the world to point out the helpers in their own communities .
They ’ ve vetted charities , from food banks to animal shelters , assisting hard-hit communities around the world .
We ’ ve included a description of the work each charity is doing , and how you can donate .
What do you do with hundreds of half-pints of chocolate milk when a Boston-area school suddenly shuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonprofit started in 2012 and powered almost entirely by volunteers , with only five paid staff .
They salvage 1,500 pounds of food a day from grocery stores and redistribute it to people who need it , from low-income seniors to community college students .
Now , the crisis is testing their creativity as they try to figure out what to do with half-gallons of cream from a local ice cream shop and pre-made sandwiches from a closing school , while many of their regular donating stores have less to hand over due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 250 volunteers have risen to the occasion .
“ More volunteers have had to jump in in ways they didn ’ t before , ” says co-founder Julie Kremer , who is also unpaid .
“ It ’ s wonderful .
They ’ re so dedicated .
...
They come at the drop of a hat.
” Click here to donate to Food Link .
Cora Bailey can tell how her society is doing by how it cares for its dogs .
And right now , thing aren ’ t looking good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Welfare ( CLAW ) , has taken in 60 surrendered dogs this week – four times the normal figure .
Their owners , who come mostly from South Africa ’ s working class , told her they lost their jobs as businesses closed and families told their gardeners , builders , and cleaners to stay home without pay amid the country ’ s growing coronavirus outbreak .
Operating from a cluster of decaying buildings in the abandoned gold mining company town , CLAW is a catch-all charity for the shack settlements that surround @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vet clinic and animal shelter , it provides emergency assistance ( including food , clothing , and medicine ) to local residents , and lately , hundreds of peanut butter and banana sandwiches daily to fill the stomachs of out-of-school kids with nowhere else to get a midday meal .
As South Africa ’ s economy continues to tumble , Ms. Bailey says it is poor communities like this one that will feel the effects most strongly .
“ We know we ’ re all putting ourselves at risk to be here , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willy-nilly and abandon the people who count on us , ” she says .
Click here to donate to Community Led Animal Welfare .
Earthquakes , fires , drought – California has seen it all .
But nothing like the novel coronavirus , which has caused an unprecedented disruption in daily life here .
Residents across the state are now being told to shelter in place , and the governor expects public schools won ’ t reopen until fall .
Under these conditions , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti never misses an opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get through the COVID-19 crisis .
The Mayor ’ s Fund provides support for families affected by the coronavirus ( child care , meals etc . )
, equipment for health response , and help for the homeless , such as sanitizing stations .
The city of San Francisco has a similar fund .
These , and other funds that are helping California communities cope with the outbreak and its vast fallout , can be found at Philanthropy California , an alliance of more than 600 foundations , corporate funders , individual philanthropists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Click here to find funds in California .
Then click on `` response funds . ''
Mr. Riss , a retired bank employee , runs Relais Alimentaire , a local food bank in the northern French town of Bayeux .
He relies on donations of produce near its sell-by date from supermarkets .
But as panic-buying swept the town , those supermarkets had nothing left to sell , let alone give away .
Then a solution arrived , “ a bolt from the blue , heaven-sent , ” says Mr. Riss .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ France , the government closed all schools indefinitely on Monday , leaving many with a week ’ s worth of food in their kitchens .
“ This is bad for the schools , but it ’ s good news for us , ” Mr. Riss says .
“ We feed about 300 people every week , and now we are supplying a homeless shelter which used only to provide breakfast .
But with the new lockdown , they have to cook three meals.
” The school food “ was a one-off , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Mr. Riss says .
With the canned goods and other nonperishables that Relais Alimentaire has in stock “ we are good for about two weeks , ” he says .
“ Then we ’ ll see.
” Click here to donate to Relais Alimentaire .
Seattle ’ s award-winning Recovery Café , founded in 2003 , has made its mark serving hundreds of thousands of meals and providing other critical services to people recovering from trauma – such as homelessness , addiction , or abuse .
Far more than a food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcoming community where every person contributes to others ’ healing .
Or , as founding director K. Killian Noe says simply : It is a place where people are “ both deeply known and deeply loved.
” Today , although the café ’ s interior is closed , its work continues , providing meals for pickup seven days a week .
Donations can be made here .
Solid Ground , another Seattle-area nonprofit , works to end poverty and its root causes , and helps more than 75,000 households a year with programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other needs .
Solid Ground , building on more than 40 years of experience , now operates 22 programs across King County and Washington state .
In the current crisis , Solid Ground has innovated to continue its work , for example by coordinating prepackaged food deliveries and providing school lunch pickup for families with children who need meals .
It is also providing transportation to additional shelter spaces for people experiencing homelessness .
Click to donate to Recovery Cafe and Solid Ground .
Few organizations understand the needs and vulnerabilities of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to flee their homes like the Oslo-based Norwegian Refugee Council .
That also makes the NRC one of the best at recognizing the challenges of stopping the spread of the coronavirus in cramped refugee camps , such as those in Syria , where water is limited and social distancing a dream .
To help fight the COVID-19 outbreak – and prevent camps especially in the Middle East from threatening the rest of the world through uncontrolled spread – NRC aims to double from 2 million to 4 million the number of people it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deepen health and public awareness campaigns in places where such lifesaving information can be scarce .
Click here to donate to Norwegian Refugee Council .
Working to fight child poverty in Germany since 1995 , Die Arche ( “ The Ark ” ) is facing new challenges as families are thrust together like never before .
Across the country , school ’ s out because of COVID-19 , and 90 % of the adults the charity assists are unemployed .
“ We are afraid the children will face major problems : Sexual violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says press liaison Wolfgang Büscher .
“ I met a family yesterday , a single mother [ living ] in four rooms with 12 children suddenly home .
They have time , but no idea what to do with their kids.
” During normal times , the organization ’ s staff help about 4,500 kids daily with leisure activities and learning , but during the coronavirus crisis their focus has shifted toward delivery of food as well as cellphones and SIM cards directly to the children .
“ So a child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s experiencing violence , ” says Mr. Büscher .
Click here to donate to Die Arche .
The Central Texas Food Bank serves a 21-county area that ’ s about twice the size of Massachusetts .
Last year it provided food for about 50,000 people each week .
Since a state of emergency was declared in Texas over the coronavirus pandemic , CEO Derrick Chubbs says they ’ re already seeing a “ dramatic increase ” in the need for their services , especially for “ mobile pantries.
” Mr. Chubbs said a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently served 400 .
To meet that growing need the CTFB is putting together emergency boxes of food that people can pick up at mobile locations to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 .
Risk of spread is also hampering the organization ’ s use of volunteers , with an average of 80 volunteers each shift last year now restricted to 10 .
Thus the best way people can help is with monetary donations ( $ 1 can supply four meals ) online .
They can also volunteer online .
CTFB stocks its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so if you live in Central Texas , Mr. Chubbs asks that if you ’ re not food insecure you purchase only the groceries you need .
Click here to donate to Central Texas Food Bank .
In Mexico , the culinary guide and website Culinaria Mexicana is rallying to help the food and hospitality industry face the repercussions of widespread closures and an expected quarantine .
It ’ s organizing lists of restaurants and bars and encouraging patrons to buy “ gastronomic bonds ” to support them .
That may be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 20 to $ 40 ) that the restaurants can use to pay their staff , pay rent , or keep the electricity on .
The restaurants , in turn , will offer perks .
For some , that means a party once the pandemic is under control and life returns to normal .
Others are promising cooking classes , or restaurant swag , like sweatshirts .
There is no central donation platform , but those interested in helping are asked to reach out to locales directly .
Culinaria Mexicana is curating a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norma Listman , co-chef and founder of the Mexican-Indian fusion restaurant Masala y Maiz encourages people to donate or lend a hand to restaurants no matter where they are in the world .
“ Support the restaurant or the places that have marked something special to you .
Remember that restaurant , whether on vacation in Mexico or Italy , and support the place that gave you a memorable experience so that we can keep building those experiences.
” Click here to find a list of restaurants in Mexico accepting gastronomic bonds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ public service , we ’ ve removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Times of uncertainty can be a wellspring of solidarity. As anxieties over the coronavirus intensify, communities across the globe are fighting fear with kindness. Our correspondents around the globe offer ways to help.
We’ve asked Monitor reporters around the world to point out the helpers in their own communities. They’ve vetted charities, from food banks to animal shelters, assisting hard-hit communities around the world.
Times of crisis can bring out the worst in people, but they also, undoubtedly, draw out humanity’s best instincts too. From residents of cities across Europe stepping onto their balconies each evening to applaud the country’s health care workers; to perfume, alcohol, and clothing companies pivoting to produce hand sanitizers and face masks; to simple, individual acts like buying a sick neighbor groceries or checking in on an elderly friend, people around the world are reacting to fear and uncertainty with solidarity and kindness. As Fred Rogers famously said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
Times of crisis can bring out the worst in people, but they also, undoubtedly, draw out humanity’s best instincts too. From residents of cities across Europe stepping onto their balconies each evening to applaud the country’s healthcare workers; to perfume, alcohol, and clothing companies pivoting to produce hand sanitizers and face masks; to simple, individual acts like buying a sick neighbor groceries or checking in on an elderly friend, people around the world are reacting to fear and uncertainty with solidarity and kindness. As Fred Rogers famously said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
We’ve asked Monitor reporters around the world to point out the helpers in their own communities. They’ve vetted charities, from food banks to animal shelters, assisting hard-hit communities around the world. We’ve included a description of the work each charity is doing, and how you can donate.
Food Link, Boston
Why We Wrote This Times of uncertainty can be a wellspring of solidarity. As anxieties over the coronavirus intensify, communities across the globe are fighting fear with kindness. Our correspondents around the globe offer ways to help.
Recommended by: Christa Case Bryant
What do you do with hundreds of half-pints of chocolate milk when a Boston-area school suddenly shuts down? Call Food Link, a nonprofit started in 2012 and powered almost entirely by volunteers, with only five paid staff. They salvage 1,500 pounds of food a day from grocery stores and redistribute it to people who need it, from low-income seniors to community college students. Now, the crisis is testing their creativity as they try to figure out what to do with half-gallons of cream from a local ice cream shop and pre-made sandwiches from a closing school, while many of their regular donating stores have less to hand over due to increased consumer demand. But their nearly 250 volunteers have risen to the occasion. “More volunteers have had to jump in in ways they didn’t before,” says co-founder Julie Kremer, who is also unpaid. “It’s wonderful. They’re so dedicated. ... They come at the drop of a hat.”
Click here to donate to Food Link.
Community Led Animal Welfare, Johannesburg
Recommended by: Ryan Lenora Brown
Cora Bailey can tell how her society is doing by how it cares for its dogs. And right now, thing aren’t looking good. Her organization, Community Led Animal Welfare (CLAW), has taken in 60 surrendered dogs this week – four times the normal figure. Their owners, who come mostly from South Africa’s working class, told her they lost their jobs as businesses closed and families told their gardeners, builders, and cleaners to stay home without pay amid the country’s growing coronavirus outbreak.
Operating from a cluster of decaying buildings in the abandoned gold mining company town, CLAW is a catch-all charity for the shack settlements that surround it. In addition to a free vet clinic and animal shelter, it provides emergency assistance (including food, clothing, and medicine) to local residents, and lately, hundreds of peanut butter and banana sandwiches daily to fill the stomachs of out-of-school kids with nowhere else to get a midday meal. As South Africa’s economy continues to tumble, Ms. Bailey says it is poor communities like this one that will feel the effects most strongly. “We know we’re all putting ourselves at risk to be here, but we can’t just close willy-nilly and abandon the people who count on us,” she says.
Click here to donate to Community Led Animal Welfare.
California community funds, California
Recommended by: Francine Kiefer
Earthquakes, fires, drought – California has seen it all. But nothing like the novel coronavirus, which has caused an unprecedented disruption in daily life here. Residents across the state are now being told to shelter in place, and the governor expects public schools won’t reopen until fall.
Under these conditions, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti never misses an opportunity to highlight a fund to help Angelenos get through the COVID-19 crisis. The Mayor’s Fund provides support for families affected by the coronavirus (child care, meals etc.), equipment for health response, and help for the homeless, such as sanitizing stations. The city of San Francisco has a similar fund.
These, and other funds that are helping California communities cope with the outbreak and its vast fallout, can be found at Philanthropy California, an alliance of more than 600 foundations, corporate funders, individual philanthropists, and government agencies in the state.
Click here to find funds in California. Then click on "response funds."
Relais Alimentaire, Bayeux, France
Recommended by: Peter Ford
Michel Riss had a problem.
Mr. Riss, a retired bank employee, runs Relais Alimentaire, a local food bank in the northern French town of Bayeux. He relies on donations of produce near its sell-by date from supermarkets. But as panic-buying swept the town, those supermarkets had nothing left to sell, let alone give away.
Then a solution arrived, “a bolt from the blue, heaven-sent,” says Mr. Riss.
In Bayeux, like the rest of France, the government closed all schools indefinitely on Monday, leaving many with a week’s worth of food in their kitchens.
“This is bad for the schools, but it’s good news for us,” Mr. Riss says. “We feed about 300 people every week, and now we are supplying a homeless shelter which used only to provide breakfast. But with the new lockdown, they have to cook three meals.”
The school food “was a one-off, but it came just at the right time,” Mr. Riss says. With the canned goods and other nonperishables that Relais Alimentaire has in stock “we are good for about two weeks,” he says. “Then we’ll see.”
Click here to donate to Relais Alimentaire.
Recovery Cafe and Solid Ground, Seattle
Recommended by: Ann Scott Tyson
Seattle’s award-winning Recovery Café, founded in 2003, has made its mark serving hundreds of thousands of meals and providing other critical services to people recovering from trauma – such as homelessness, addiction, or abuse. Far more than a food kitchen, the café is an unconditionally welcoming community where every person contributes to others’ healing. Or, as founding director K. Killian Noe says simply: It is a place where people are “both deeply known and deeply loved.” Today, although the café’s interior is closed, its work continues, providing meals for pickup seven days a week. Donations can be made here.
Solid Ground, another Seattle-area nonprofit, works to end poverty and its root causes, and helps more than 75,000 households a year with programs to address homelessness, hunger, and other needs. Solid Ground, building on more than 40 years of experience, now operates 22 programs across King County and Washington state. In the current crisis, Solid Ground has innovated to continue its work, for example by coordinating prepackaged food deliveries and providing school lunch pickup for families with children who need meals. It is also providing transportation to additional shelter spaces for people experiencing homelessness.
Click to donate to Recovery Cafe and Solid Ground.
Norwegian Refugee Council, global
Recommended by: Scott Peterson
Few organizations understand the needs and vulnerabilities of the 70-plus million people around the world forced to flee their homes like the Oslo-based Norwegian Refugee Council. That also makes the NRC one of the best at recognizing the challenges of stopping the spread of the coronavirus in cramped refugee camps, such as those in Syria, where water is limited and social distancing a dream.
To help fight the COVID-19 outbreak – and prevent camps especially in the Middle East from threatening the rest of the world through uncontrolled spread – NRC aims to double from 2 million to 4 million the number of people it helps with water and sanitation, and deepen health and public awareness campaigns in places where such lifesaving information can be scarce.
Click here to donate to Norwegian Refugee Council.
Die Arche, Germany
Recommended by: Lenora Chu
Working to fight child poverty in Germany since 1995, Die Arche (“The Ark”) is facing new challenges as families are thrust together like never before. Across the country, school’s out because of COVID-19, and 90% of the adults the charity assists are unemployed. “We are afraid the children will face major problems: Sexual violence, physical violence, nothing to eat,” says press liaison Wolfgang Büscher. “I met a family yesterday, a single mother [living] in four rooms with 12 children suddenly home. They have time, but no idea what to do with their kids.” During normal times, the organization’s staff help about 4,500 kids daily with leisure activities and learning, but during the coronavirus crisis their focus has shifted toward delivery of food as well as cellphones and SIM cards directly to the children. “So a child can call us directly if he’s experiencing violence,” says Mr. Büscher.
Click here to donate to Die Arche.
Central Texas Food Bank, Texas
Recommended by: Henry Gass
The Central Texas Food Bank serves a 21-county area that’s about twice the size of Massachusetts. Last year it provided food for about 50,000 people each week. Since a state of emergency was declared in Texas over the coronavirus pandemic, CEO Derrick Chubbs says they’re already seeing a “dramatic increase” in the need for their services, especially for “mobile pantries.” Mr. Chubbs said a mobile pantry that typically serves 100 people recently served 400. To meet that growing need the CTFB is putting together emergency boxes of food that people can pick up at mobile locations to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19. Risk of spread is also hampering the organization’s use of volunteers, with an average of 80 volunteers each shift last year now restricted to 10. Thus the best way people can help is with monetary donations ($1 can supply four meals) online. They can also volunteer online. CTFB stocks its pantries with food from grocery stores, so if you live in Central Texas, Mr. Chubbs asks that if you’re not food insecure you purchase only the groceries you need.
Click here to donate to Central Texas Food Bank.
Bono Gastronómico, Mexico City
Recommended by: Whitney Eulich
In Mexico, the culinary guide and website Culinaria Mexicana is rallying to help the food and hospitality industry face the repercussions of widespread closures and an expected quarantine. It’s organizing lists of restaurants and bars and encouraging patrons to buy “gastronomic bonds” to support them. That may be a donation of 500 or 1000 pesos ($20 to $40) that the restaurants can use to pay their staff, pay rent, or keep the electricity on.
The restaurants, in turn, will offer perks. For some, that means a party once the pandemic is under control and life returns to normal. Others are promising cooking classes, or restaurant swag, like sweatshirts. There is no central donation platform, but those interested in helping are asked to reach out to locales directly. Culinaria Mexicana is curating a list that’s updated daily.
Norma Listman, co-chef and founder of the Mexican-Indian fusion restaurant Masala y Maiz encourages people to donate or lend a hand to restaurants no matter where they are in the world. “Support the restaurant or the places that have marked something special to you. Remember that restaurant, whether on vacation in Mexico or Italy, and support the place that gave you a memorable experience so that we can keep building those experiences.”
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Click here to find a list of restaurants in Mexico accepting gastronomic bonds.
Editor’s note: As a public service, we’ve removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-03-24--After weeks of speculation, Abe postpones 2020 Olympics to 2021

The Tokyo Olympics were postponed until 2021 , ending weeks of speculation that the games could not go ahead as scheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The International Olympic Committee made the decision to postpone on Tuesday after speaking with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and local organizers .
The IOC said the games will be held `` not later than summer 2021 '' but that they will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics .
`` In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today , the IOC President and the Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021 , to safeguard the health of the athletes , everybody involved in the Olympic Games , and the international community , '' the IOC said in a statement .
Before the official announcement , Mr. Abe said Mr. Bach had agreed with his proposal for a one-year postponement .
`` President Bach said he will agree '100 % , ' and we agreed to hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Abe said , saying holding the games next year would be `` proof of a victory by human beings against the coronavirus infections . ''
The decision came only a few hours after local organizers said the torch relay would start as planned on Thursday .
The Olympic flame – that arrived on March 12 from Greece – was to be carried in a lantern and transported by a vehicle along what organizers hoped would be empty roadsides , and with curious onlookers practicing social distancing to avoid spreading the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ For the time being , the flame will be stored and displayed in Fukushima , '' organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori said .
`` The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present , '' the IOC statement said .
`` Therefore , it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 . ''
The Olympics have never before been postponed , and have only ever previously been canceled in wartime in 1916 due to World War I , and in 1940 and 1944 due to World War II .
The IOC and Tokyo organizers said they hope the decision to postpone will help the world heal from the pandemic .
This decision to postpone comes after facing increasing international pressure from other countries , according to Time magazine : The athletics governing body U.S.A Track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Games ’ postponement in an open letter on March 21 , and Norway and Brazil ’ s national Olympic committees endorsed the same idea on March 20 and 21 respectively .
Even President Donald Trump had asked for the Olympic Games to be postponed .
Escalating the pressure , Canada warned on Monday that it wouldn ’ t send its athletes to the Tokyo Olympics unless the Games were delayed until 2021 .
The announcement to postpone comes as a relief to Canadian athletes like sprinter Andre De Grasse , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulled out due to coronavirus concerns .
Mr. De Grasse was once a basketball point guard , but is now by many measures Canada 's top sprinter , and is slated for a top spot at the Olympics now that Usain Bolt is no longer competing .
`` It 's going to be a bummer and a disappointment if the Olympics went on without us , '' said Mr. De Grasse , who has seven Olympic and world championship medals to his credit .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

The Tokyo Olympics were postponed until 2021, ending weeks of speculation that the games could not go ahead as scheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The International Olympic Committee made the decision to postpone on Tuesday after speaking with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and local organizers.
The IOC said the games will be held "not later than summer 2021" but that they will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games, and the international community," the IOC said in a statement.
Before the official announcement, Mr. Abe said Mr. Bach had agreed with his proposal for a one-year postponement.
"President Bach said he will agree '100%,' and we agreed to hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the summer of 2021 at the latest," Mr. Abe said, saying holding the games next year would be "proof of a victory by human beings against the coronavirus infections."
The decision came only a few hours after local organizers said the torch relay would start as planned on Thursday. The Olympic flame – that arrived on March 12 from Greece – was to be carried in a lantern and transported by a vehicle along what organizers hoped would be empty roadsides, and with curious onlookers practicing social distancing to avoid spreading the coronavirus. Those plans have also changed.
"For the time being, the flame will be stored and displayed in Fukushima," organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori said.
"The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present," the IOC statement said. "Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020."
The Olympics have never before been postponed, and have only ever previously been canceled in wartime in 1916 due to World War I, and in 1940 and 1944 due to World War II.
The IOC and Tokyo organizers said they hope the decision to postpone will help the world heal from the pandemic.
This decision to postpone comes after facing increasing international pressure from other countries, according to Time magazine:
The athletics governing body U.S.A Track and Field (USATF) called for the Games’ postponement in an open letter on March 21, and Norway and Brazil’s national Olympic committees endorsed the same idea on March 20 and 21 respectively. Even President Donald Trump had asked for the Olympic Games to be postponed. Escalating the pressure, Canada warned on Monday that it wouldn’t send its athletes to the Tokyo Olympics unless the Games were delayed until 2021.
The announcement to postpone comes as a relief to Canadian athletes like sprinter Andre De Grasse, who had trouble sleeping after hearing his country had pulled out due to coronavirus concerns. Mr. De Grasse was once a basketball point guard, but is now by many measures Canada's top sprinter, and is slated for a top spot at the Olympics now that Usain Bolt is no longer competing.
"It's going to be a bummer and a disappointment if the Olympics went on without us," said Mr. De Grasse, who has seven Olympic and world championship medals to his credit.
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 Time magazine 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--2020-04-27--Dutch teenagers complete virus-induced trans-Atlantic crossing

Greeted by relieved parents , pet dogs , flares , and a cloud of orange smoke , a group of 25 Dutch high school students with very little sailing experience ended a trans-Atlantic voyage Sunday that was forced on them by coronavirus restrictions .
The children , ages 14 to 17 , watched over by 12 experienced crew members and three teachers , were on an educational cruise of the Caribbean when the pandemic forced them to radically change their plans for returning home in March .
That gave one of the young sailors , 17-year-old Floor Hurkmans , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adventure .
“ Being flexible , because everything is changing all the time , ” she said as she set foot on dry land again .
“ The arrival time changed like 100 times .
Being flexible is really important.
” Instead of flying back from Cuba as originally planned , the crew and students stocked up on supplies and warm clothes and set sail for the northern Dutch port of Harlingen , a five-week voyage of nearly 7,000 kilometers ( 4,350 miles ) , on board the 60-meter ( 200-foot ) top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived home , the students hung up a self-made banner saying “ Bucket List ” with ticks in boxes for Atlantic Ocean crossing , mid-ocean swim , and surviving the Bermuda triangle .
The teens hugged and chanted each other ’ s names as they walked off the ship and into the arms of their families , who drove their cars alongside the yacht one by one to adhere to social distancing rules imposed to rein in the spread of the virus that forced the students into their long trip home .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of social distancing took some getting used to .
“ At home you just have some moments for yourself , but here you have to be social all the time to everyone because you ’ re sleeping with them , you ’ re eating with them , you ’ re just doing everything with them so you can ’ t really just relax , ” she said .
Her mother , Renee Scholtemeijer , said she expects her daughter to miss life on the open sea once she encounters coronavirus containment measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that after two days she ’ ll want to go back on the boat , because life is very boring back at home , ” she said .
“ There ’ s nothing to do , she can ’ t visit friends , so it ’ s very boring.
” The twin-masted Wylde Swan glided into Harlingen harbor late morning Sunday , its sails neatly stowed .
Onlookers gathered on a sea wall to watch the arrival set off flares and a smoke grenade that sent an orange cloud drifting over the glassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organized the cruise , runs five educational voyages for about 150 students in all each year .
Crossing the Atlantic is nothing new for the Wylde Swan , which has made the trip about 20 times .
The company ’ s director , Christophe Meijer , said the students were monitored for the coronavirus in March to ensure nobody was infected .
He said he was pleased the students had adapted to life on board and kept up their education on the long voyage .
“ The children learned a lot about adaptivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also their normal school work , ” he said .
“ So they are actually far ahead now of their Dutch school colleagues .
They have made us very proud.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writer Mike Corder in The Hague 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 .

Greeted by relieved parents, pet dogs, flares, and a cloud of orange smoke, a group of 25 Dutch high school students with very little sailing experience ended a trans-Atlantic voyage Sunday that was forced on them by coronavirus restrictions.
The children, ages 14 to 17, watched over by 12 experienced crew members and three teachers, were on an educational cruise of the Caribbean when the pandemic forced them to radically change their plans for returning home in March.
That gave one of the young sailors, 17-year-old Floor Hurkmans, one of the biggest lessons of her impromptu adventure.
“Being flexible, because everything is changing all the time,” she said as she set foot on dry land again. “The arrival time changed like 100 times. Being flexible is really important.”
Instead of flying back from Cuba as originally planned, the crew and students stocked up on supplies and warm clothes and set sail for the northern Dutch port of Harlingen, a five-week voyage of nearly 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles), on board the 60-meter (200-foot) top sail schooner Wylde Swan.
As they arrived home, the students hung up a self-made banner saying “Bucket List” with ticks in boxes for Atlantic Ocean crossing, mid-ocean swim, and surviving the Bermuda triangle.
The teens hugged and chanted each other’s names as they walked off the ship and into the arms of their families, who drove their cars alongside the yacht one by one to adhere to social distancing rules imposed to rein in the spread of the virus that forced the students into their long trip home.
For Ms. Hurkmans, the impossibility of any kind of social distancing took some getting used to.
“At home you just have some moments for yourself, but here you have to be social all the time to everyone because you’re sleeping with them, you’re eating with them, you’re just doing everything with them so you can’t really just relax,” she said.
Her mother, Renee Scholtemeijer, said she expects her daughter to miss life on the open sea once she encounters coronavirus containment measures in the Netherlands.
“I think that after two days she’ll want to go back on the boat, because life is very boring back at home,” she said. “There’s nothing to do, she can’t visit friends, so it’s very boring.”
The twin-masted Wylde Swan glided into Harlingen harbor late morning Sunday, its sails neatly stowed. Onlookers gathered on a sea wall to watch the arrival set off flares and a smoke grenade that sent an orange cloud drifting over the glassy water.
Masterskip, the company that organized the cruise, runs five educational voyages for about 150 students in all each year. Crossing the Atlantic is nothing new for the Wylde Swan, which has made the trip about 20 times.
The company’s director, Christophe Meijer, said the students were monitored for the coronavirus in March to ensure nobody was infected.
He said he was pleased the students had adapted to life on board and kept up their education on the long voyage.
“The children learned a lot about adaptivity, also about media attention, but also their normal school work,” he said. “So they are actually far ahead now of their Dutch school colleagues. They have made us very proud.”
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Mike Corder in The Hague 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--2020-04-24--After shooting, Nova Scotia finds ways to grieve under lockdown

It is this kind of act that Michael Ungar of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University in Halifax says helps communities recover .
“ When you have communities where people know each other , they look out for each other .
There ’ s a sense of neighborhood.
” Cees van den Hoek set up sheets of lattice outside Portapique ’ s former church , which he owns .
He says people who want to express their condolences from afar can mail him cards , which he ’ ll put up at this “ mail-in memorial.
” A Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Ultimate Online Nova Scotia Kitchen Party ( Covid19 Edition ) , ” has turned into a musical memorial of haunting tributes , including several with bagpipes .
Instead , the community 's grief will be expressed in a virtual vigil over Facebook and myriad other ways as it improvises their shared consolation amid the pandemic .
The mass shooting in Nova Scotia that left 22 dead is the sort of tragedy one would expect to be followed by full churches and community halls – neighbors gathered to grieve together .
But that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also grappling with one of the highest per-capita infection rates of COVID-19 in Canada .
The heart , perched on a bare cliff overlooking the highway outside Nova Scotia ’ s capital , Halifax , is called Valery .
“ It stands for courage , valor , ” says Ed McHugh , who built the 11-foot-tall wooden symbol with friends .
They raised Valery , traced with red twinkle lights so it can be seen at night , last week .
It was a tribute to front-line workers and a rallying symbol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the highest per-capita infection rates of COVID-19 in Canada .
But this week , Mr. McHugh and his friend George Purcell climbed through the woods from his home , a bucket of ropes and zip ties in hand .
They raised a blue and white Nova Scotia flag next to the heart as a double mark of hope after the Maritime province became the site of Canada ’ s largest-ever mass shooting across April 18 and 19 .
“ Our hearts are broken in this province , ” Mr. McHugh says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ back together – even for the 30 seconds when you ’ re driving on the highway behind my house – is important.
” The shooting took 22 lives in a 13-hour spree of terror across 16 crime scenes in which houses were torched and residents gunned down at random – something that would be terrifying anyplace , but especially rural Nova Scotia .
And at a time of historic shutdown over COVID-19 , when social distancing measures have shuttered schools , businesses , and borders , residents accustomed to keeping their front doors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their homes – the very place where some of the victims were killed .
“ People are already anxious and out of their routines and distant from other people , ” says Michael Ungar , director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University in Halifax .
“ The way people cope with a mass shooting or other significant community stressors , is to get together .
… People do things that reassert control and predictability over their lives .
And of course , all of those processes , which are normally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grips with this kind of tragedy , are largely being changed or not occurring at all.
” But this wind-swept province is used to hard times , and is leaning on centuries of perseverance and a culture of kinship to overcome the obstacles that the pandemic presents .
On Friday , when churches and community halls would normally be full , when neighbors would be walking together holding candles or drinking coffee at one another ’ s kitchen tables , grief and mourning will be expressed in a virtual vigil over Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared consolation in myriad other ways .
“ I really do feel that if I can play a small part , to be just a little shining moment , ” says Mr. McHugh , “ so that you can reflect and say , ‘ You know what ?
There is still good in the world.
’ ” To get to Portapique , where the gunman began his spree Saturday night dressed as a Mountie in a faux police car – the motives are still unclear – one leaves Valery ’ s perch and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center of the province .
Then the road turns west and follows the meandering shore of the Bay of Fundy where the world ’ s highest tide washes over broad beaches .
Decades of urban migration following a decline in industries such as forestry and farming have turned many of the once bustling towns around here into sleepy places dependent on an influx of summer visitors .
Yet communities are tightknit , the list of victims revealing the social fabric of the community , with a school teacher , nurses , a retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dead .
“ Everyone ’ s all intertwined , one way or another , ” says Cees van den Hoek , who grew up in the area .
He owns Portapique ’ s former church and uses it as storage for the antique business he runs .
But in the days after the shooting , he had another idea .
“ I thought about all the people at home that wanted to express their feelings , and I had probably the ideal spot to do it , in the heart of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , Mr. van den Hoek set up 4-by-8 sheets of lattice , attached to fence posts outside the simple , white building .
He says people who want to express their condolences from afar – or who can ’ t come near , because of social distancing – can mail him cards , which he ’ ll put up at this “ mail-in memorial.
” “ It just gives people a little outlet , to help them deal with what they ’ re going through now.
” It is this kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Change Your World : The Science of Resilience and the True Path to Success , ” says helps communities recover .
And despite the trauma that Nova Scotia is facing , from isolation , global uncertainty , economic anxiety , and now the kind of trigger event that upturns any community , he says this one can lean on its resilience built over decades .
“ When you have communities where people know each other , they look out for each other .
There ’ s a sense of neighborhood , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do better because those networks are already present.
” He says they ’ ll reassert their collective identity – which is already on minds here .
Anita MacLellan has been helping with the “ Colchester – Supporting Our Communities ” Facebook page that is hosting Friday ’ s vigil .
But she ’ s also focused forward .
For the past four years , she ’ s served on the board of the Cliffs of Fundy Aspiring Geopark , which has been working toward UNESCO Global Geopark status .
That decision was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be delayed because of the pandemic .
If and when they start receiving visitors , Ms. MacLellan says it ’ ll be an opportunity to present themselves beyond this tragedy .
“ This story will remain a part of our history .
But we ’ re going to have to work extra hard at getting the word out there , that this is not who we are.
” On Sunday , Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil spoke in similar terms .
“ It may change us a little , but it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the province .
For now , residents are working toward redefining what it means to overcome tragedy , when the playbook has changed .
As the head of the Debert and Area Community Association , Marie Benoit would normally be opening her doors , as she did when an employee of the municipality was killed in a car crash and Ms. Benoit leaped into action with a fundraiser for her family .
But following the mass shooting , in which the perpetrator shot two people in Debert , Ms. Benoit can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money for victims ’ families .
So they are improvising instead .
On Monday she participated in a candlelight vigil with her family .
As many locals lit flames , a brilliant sunset , the kind they haven ’ t seen for years , lit the sky .
A Facebook page called “ Ultimate Online Nova Scotia Kitchen Party ( Covid19 Edition ) ” that was created to combat isolation has turned into a musical memorial of haunting tributes , including several with bagpipes .
( One of the victims of the shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their home , had played the fiddle on the page in late March . )
Back on the highway to Halifax , Mr. McHugh and Mr. Purcell affix their flag firmly to a pole with zip ties to protect against the wind .
Mr. Purcell climbs onto the heart to attach the pole .
“ Don ’ t let me down now , Valery , ” he says .
The two have scarcely stood back to examine their work when horns started to sound from cars passing below .
Mr. McHugh waves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that still has many good old-fashioned values .
You know , take care of your neighbor , look out for each other , be kind , ” he says .
“ There ’ s still a lot of that in this province .
And my goodness , I hope we never lose it .
”

It is this kind of act that Michael Ungar of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University in Halifax says helps communities recover. “When you have communities where people know each other, they look out for each other. There’s a sense of neighborhood.”
Cees van den Hoek set up sheets of lattice outside Portapique’s former church, which he owns. He says people who want to express their condolences from afar can mail him cards, which he’ll put up at this “mail-in memorial.” A Facebook page created to combat isolation, called “Ultimate Online Nova Scotia Kitchen Party (Covid19 Edition),” has turned into a musical memorial of haunting tributes, including several with bagpipes.
Suffering Canada's deadliest mass shooting was a hammer blow for a community already struggling with the coronavirus lockdown. But Nova Scotia is finding ways to grieve – and to persevere.
Instead, the community's grief will be expressed in a virtual vigil over Facebook and myriad other ways as it improvises their shared consolation amid the pandemic.
The mass shooting in Nova Scotia that left 22 dead is the sort of tragedy one would expect to be followed by full churches and community halls – neighbors gathered to grieve together. But that's not happening, because the province is also grappling with one of the highest per-capita infection rates of COVID-19 in Canada.
The heart, perched on a bare cliff overlooking the highway outside Nova Scotia’s capital, Halifax, is called Valery. “It stands for courage, valor,” says Ed McHugh, who built the 11-foot-tall wooden symbol with friends.
They raised Valery, traced with red twinkle lights so it can be seen at night, last week. It was a tribute to front-line workers and a rallying symbol for the province, grappling with one of the highest per-capita infection rates of COVID-19 in Canada.
But this week, Mr. McHugh and his friend George Purcell climbed through the woods from his home, a bucket of ropes and zip ties in hand. They raised a blue and white Nova Scotia flag next to the heart as a double mark of hope after the Maritime province became the site of Canada’s largest-ever mass shooting across April 18 and 19.
Why We Wrote This Suffering Canada's deadliest mass shooting was a hammer blow for a community already struggling with the coronavirus lockdown. But Nova Scotia is finding ways to grieve – and to persevere.
“Our hearts are broken in this province,” Mr. McHugh says. “Anything to try and mend hearts back together – even for the 30 seconds when you’re driving on the highway behind my house – is important.”
The shooting took 22 lives in a 13-hour spree of terror across 16 crime scenes in which houses were torched and residents gunned down at random – something that would be terrifying anyplace, but especially rural Nova Scotia. And at a time of historic shutdown over COVID-19, when social distancing measures have shuttered schools, businesses, and borders, residents accustomed to keeping their front doors open have been forced to hunker down in their homes – the very place where some of the victims were killed.
“People are already anxious and out of their routines and distant from other people,” says Michael Ungar, director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University in Halifax. “The way people cope with a mass shooting or other significant community stressors, is to get together. … People do things that reassert control and predictability over their lives. And of course, all of those processes, which are normally part of the healing and that coming to grips with this kind of tragedy, are largely being changed or not occurring at all.”
But this wind-swept province is used to hard times, and is leaning on centuries of perseverance and a culture of kinship to overcome the obstacles that the pandemic presents. On Friday, when churches and community halls would normally be full, when neighbors would be walking together holding candles or drinking coffee at one another’s kitchen tables, grief and mourning will be expressed in a virtual vigil over Facebook. And the community is improvising their shared consolation in myriad other ways.
“I really do feel that if I can play a small part, to be just a little shining moment,” says Mr. McHugh, “so that you can reflect and say, ‘You know what? There is still good in the world.’”
“Everyone’s all intertwined”
To get to Portapique, where the gunman began his spree Saturday night dressed as a Mountie in a faux police car – the motives are still unclear – one leaves Valery’s perch and continues for nearly an hour through the center of the province. Then the road turns west and follows the meandering shore of the Bay of Fundy where the world’s highest tide washes over broad beaches.
Decades of urban migration following a decline in industries such as forestry and farming have turned many of the once bustling towns around here into sleepy places dependent on an influx of summer visitors. Yet communities are tightknit, the list of victims revealing the social fabric of the community, with a school teacher, nurses, a retired volunteer fireman, and a Mountie among the dead.
Tim Krochak/Reuters View caption Hide caption Denise Caume and her dog, Mimi, are seen in front of a makeshift memorial for the victims of Sunday’s mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia, on April 23, 2020.
“Everyone’s all intertwined, one way or another,” says Cees van den Hoek, who grew up in the area. He owns Portapique’s former church and uses it as storage for the antique business he runs. But in the days after the shooting, he had another idea. “I thought about all the people at home that wanted to express their feelings, and I had probably the ideal spot to do it, in the heart of the community,” he says.
On Tuesday, Mr. van den Hoek set up 4-by-8 sheets of lattice, attached to fence posts outside the simple, white building. He says people who want to express their condolences from afar – or who can’t come near, because of social distancing – can mail him cards, which he’ll put up at this “mail-in memorial.”
“It just gives people a little outlet, to help them deal with what they’re going through now.”
It is this kind of act that Dr. Ungar, who authored “Change Your World: The Science of Resilience and the True Path to Success,” says helps communities recover. And despite the trauma that Nova Scotia is facing, from isolation, global uncertainty, economic anxiety, and now the kind of trigger event that upturns any community, he says this one can lean on its resilience built over decades.
“When you have communities where people know each other, they look out for each other. There’s a sense of neighborhood,” he says. “Those communities tend to do better because those networks are already present.”
He says they’ll reassert their collective identity – which is already on minds here.
Anita MacLellan has been helping with the “Colchester – Supporting Our Communities” Facebook page that is hosting Friday’s vigil. But she’s also focused forward. For the past four years, she’s served on the board of the Cliffs of Fundy Aspiring Geopark, which has been working toward UNESCO Global Geopark status. That decision was supposed to come this spring, but will be delayed because of the pandemic.
If and when they start receiving visitors, Ms. MacLellan says it’ll be an opportunity to present themselves beyond this tragedy. “This story will remain a part of our history. But we’re going to have to work extra hard at getting the word out there, that this is not who we are.”
On Sunday, Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil spoke in similar terms. “It may change us a little, but it cannot define us,” he told the province.
“Good old-fashioned values”
For now, residents are working toward redefining what it means to overcome tragedy, when the playbook has changed. As the head of the Debert and Area Community Association, Marie Benoit would normally be opening her doors, as she did when an employee of the municipality was killed in a car crash and Ms. Benoit leaped into action with a fundraiser for her family.
But following the mass shooting, in which the perpetrator shot two people in Debert, Ms. Benoit can’t organize a gathering or events to raise money for victims’ families.
So they are improvising instead. On Monday she participated in a candlelight vigil with her family. As many locals lit flames, a brilliant sunset, the kind they haven’t seen for years, lit the sky. A Facebook page called “Ultimate Online Nova Scotia Kitchen Party (Covid19 Edition)” that was created to combat isolation has turned into a musical memorial of haunting tributes, including several with bagpipes. (One of the victims of the shooting, a teen killed with her parents in their home, had played the fiddle on the page in late March.)
Back on the highway to Halifax, Mr. McHugh and Mr. Purcell affix their flag firmly to a pole with zip ties to protect against the wind. Mr. Purcell climbs onto the heart to attach the pole. “Don’t let me down now, Valery,” he says.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
The two have scarcely stood back to examine their work when horns started to sound from cars passing below. Mr. McHugh waves.
“We’re a province that still has many good old-fashioned values. You know, take care of your neighbor, look out for each other, be kind,” he says. “There’s still a lot of that in this province. And my goodness, I hope we never lose it.”


csmonitor--2020-04-08--Daily for April 8, 2020

Daily for April 8, 2020

Christopher Sakezles didn ’ t expect to enter the business of making face-mask respirators in a pandemic .
But here he is .
Last week he decided to tap his Tampa , Florida-based company ’ s expertise in 3D printing to make protective gear for front-line workers .
The first small shipment is now just days away .
“ I ’ m a medical device engineer by vocation .
The plan was always to move back into medical device design , ” alongside the business of synthetic cadavers for education , Dr. Sakezles says .
But not this product .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re witnessing firsthand the beauty of the American system right here .
We ’ re all members of the same family .
I ’ m one small part of that , ” he says .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
In fact , the unexpected shift for SynDaver is one piece in a vast mosaic of adaptation by companies across America , and worldwide .
While focused on medical and personal protective equipment , which are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a kind of “ wartime economy ” is emerging in the fight against the COVID-19 virus .
It ’ s a “ MacGyver ” moment for everyone from shop-floor technicians to university students .
But , as in a time of military conflict , the logistical demands are vast – raising questions about whether the federal government should be playing a stronger role guiding production and distribution of key supplies .
With desperate pleas rising from state governors , the U.S. is entering what may become a period of maximum stress on overloaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York , Florida , and Louisiana .
Many experts say that , despite efforts by past administrations to prepare for a pandemic , President Donald Trump has failed on many of the basic tasks in an existing playbook that includes coordinating emergency supplies .
“ There ’ s a lot of ingenuity .
… Everyone wants to help out , and also wants to keep their business going , ” says David Kendall , a health policy expert at the center-left think tank Third Way .
But “ the federal government needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and making sure that everything is getting distributed efficiently and fairly.
” In New York City , 3,200 deaths have already been attributed to COVID-19 .
In Maryland , Republican Gov .
Larry Hogan is decrying a shortage of COVID-19 tests .
And many governors are lamenting their need to bid against one another for supplies they have for weeks been urging the federal government to deliver to them .
“ They call this the Airbridge ” to obtain vital supplies , but the Trump administration is using private companies as distributors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois , told “ PBS NewsHour ” Monday .
“ We ’ re bidding , unfortunately , for all of these items of equipment against the federal government and against the other states and against other countries.
” Some corporations such as Medtronic , a global maker of ventilators used in hospitals , have similarly said they would like federal guidance on where to send their limited supplies in the U.S .
Experts on both ends of the political spectrum argue that a pandemic is a rare and pressing national crisis that calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just state or private marketplace response .
“ The president didn ’ t want to own this .
So he didn ’ t want to be in charge .
His instinct at the beginning was this is a state problem , ” says Katrina Mulligan , managing director for national and international security at the left-leaning Center for American Progress in Washington .
President Trump early on downplayed the likely severity of COVID-19 ’ s threat to America .
Since February he and his administration have sent mixed signals to corporations as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for failing to have built their own stockpiles of essential items .
Tapping his son-in-law , Jared Kushner , to oversee key actions has also frayed public trust in whether a national stockpile of medical equipment is being deployed based on states ’ needs or perhaps partly based on political concerns .
“ The federal government should have initiated Defense Production Act ( DPA ) industrial measures when the virus first surfaced in Wuhan to hedge against the possibility of the medical emergency we now face , ” says Mackenzie Eaglen , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute , by email .
Federal responsibilities include assessing supply needs , she adds , and having “ purchase agreements put in place for surge production to execute when needed.
” The DPA , dating from the Korean War in the 1950s , allows the federal government to steer American industry for reasons of national security , such as by requiring companies to prioritize government contracts over those with other customers .
Mr. Trump has used the act before , including for disaster relief as well as materials for Pentagon weaponry .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of business lobbying or his own views , he was initially reluctant to deploy that tool .
In recent days , he has invoked the act to demand that General Motors produce ventilators for patients in intensive care , and that manufacturer 3M make more N95 masks for hospital workers .
Coupled with an upwelling of action by the private sector responding to the apparent needs , this means a surge in production is beginning .
The “ wartime ” analogy is being almost universally invoked , yet supplies are ramping up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs in hard-hit states , notably in the Northeast .
Necessity is the mother of invention Still , the response of private sector companies has been remarkable and widespread .
GM was starting to make ventilators even before the DPA was invoked .
Other firms are also entering that market .
And a contest called the CoVent-19 Challenge , organized with support from Massachusetts General Hospital physicians , aims to stimulate invention of a rapid-fire way of making existing ventilators serve two patients rather than one .
Similar actions are happening in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines .
And of course , for respirators or face masks and shields .
“ Companies like mine can move quickly to help .
… We ’ re absolutely rising to meet the need , ” says Dr. Sakezles .
In some ways , says Chris Edwards of the libertarian Cato Institute , what ’ s needed from the government now is clear communication and getting out of industry ’ s way .
“ It ’ s widely agreed now that the FDA really screwed up by trying to keep a monopoly on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , with the Food and Drug Administration having relaxed its rules , there ’ s the promise of easing that important shortage as companies respond to the demand , he says .
In U.S. history , wartime economies have involved similar dramatic pivots by industry .
Still , manufacturers can ’ t turn on a dime .
In World War II , it took Ford Motor Co. a year and a half from initial contract to actual production of B-24 bombers .
But President Franklin Roosevelt , with an eye on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had called for a military production drive in May 1940 , long before Pearl Harbor .
“ Eight weeks ago , 10 weeks ago , ” security expert Ms. Mulligan says , a survey of states could have revealed “ exactly what our shortfalls were likely to be and where .
And we could have used the Defense Production Act to place a giant government order.
” Now , instead , the production surge is building in a less orderly fashion .
But it is happening .
And for many companies , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and potential revenue at a time when “ stay home ” orders have slashed their ordinary business .
ABC Imaging in Alexandria , Virginia , is a nationwide printing company with a new product line : face shields , alongside books and store displays .
Public service was the inspiration .
As Medi Falsafi , the company ’ s president tells it , his wife , Luda , suggested they make some face shields and donate them to the local hospital where their son was born 17 years ago .
The orders started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire COVID-19 line : banners and adhesive “ stand here ” decals for grocery stores , plexiglass shields for checkout lines , and temporary walls for makeshift hospitals .
The company ’ s survival still hangs by a thread .
After having to lay off 250 employees , the remaining staff of 200 are working at reduced salaries .
But “ it ’ s been a rewarding thing ” to pivot toward the national emergency , says Mr. Falsafi .
“ Helping people is wonderful.
” Staff writer Francine Kiefer contributed to this @ @ @ @ @ @

How ad hoc supply workarounds became US pandemic response Collapse
Christopher Sakezles didn’t expect to enter the business of making face-mask respirators in a pandemic. But here he is.
Last week he decided to tap his Tampa, Florida-based company’s expertise in 3D printing to make protective gear for front-line workers. The first small shipment is now just days away.
“I’m a medical device engineer by vocation. The plan was always to move back into medical device design,” alongside the business of synthetic cadavers for education, Dr. Sakezles says. But not this product. Not this moment in time.
“We’re witnessing firsthand the beauty of the American system right here. We’re all members of the same family. I’m one small part of that,” he says.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
In fact, the unexpected shift for SynDaver is one piece in a vast mosaic of adaptation by companies across America, and worldwide. While focused on medical and personal protective equipment, which are in desperately short supply nearly everywhere, a kind of “wartime economy” is emerging in the fight against the COVID-19 virus. It’s a “MacGyver” moment for everyone from shop-floor technicians to university students.
But, as in a time of military conflict, the logistical demands are vast – raising questions about whether the federal government should be playing a stronger role guiding production and distribution of key supplies.
With desperate pleas rising from state governors, the U.S. is entering what may become a period of maximum stress on overloaded health care systems in hard-hit areas like New York, Florida, and Louisiana. Many experts say that, despite efforts by past administrations to prepare for a pandemic, President Donald Trump has failed on many of the basic tasks in an existing playbook that includes coordinating emergency supplies.
“There’s a lot of ingenuity. … Everyone wants to help out, and also wants to keep their business going,” says David Kendall, a health policy expert at the center-left think tank Third Way. But “the federal government needs to be helping organize that supply chain and making sure that everything is getting distributed efficiently and fairly.”
In New York City, 3,200 deaths have already been attributed to COVID-19. In Maryland, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is decrying a shortage of COVID-19 tests. And many governors are lamenting their need to bid against one another for supplies they have for weeks been urging the federal government to deliver to them.
Ted Brummond/University of Wyoming/AP View caption Hide caption Mechanical engineer Tyler Heckenlively works on making a hospital mask using a 3D printer at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, March 27, 2020. The school's makerspace is contributing to production of face shields as well as surgical masks.
“They call this the Airbridge” to obtain vital supplies, but the Trump administration is using private companies as distributors, J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, told “PBS NewsHour” Monday. “We’re bidding, unfortunately, for all of these items of equipment against the federal government and against the other states and against other countries.”
Some corporations such as Medtronic, a global maker of ventilators used in hospitals, have similarly said they would like federal guidance on where to send their limited supplies in the U.S.
Experts on both ends of the political spectrum argue that a pandemic is a rare and pressing national crisis that calls for a strong federal role, not just state or private marketplace response.
“The president didn’t want to own this. So he didn’t want to be in charge. His instinct at the beginning was this is a state problem,” says Katrina Mulligan, managing director for national and international security at the left-leaning Center for American Progress in Washington.
Mixed signals, frayed trust
President Trump early on downplayed the likely severity of COVID-19’s threat to America. Since February he and his administration have sent mixed signals to corporations as well as the public – often blaming states for failing to have built their own stockpiles of essential items.
Tapping his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to oversee key actions has also frayed public trust in whether a national stockpile of medical equipment is being deployed based on states’ needs or perhaps partly based on political concerns.
“The federal government should have initiated Defense Production Act (DPA) industrial measures when the virus first surfaced in Wuhan to hedge against the possibility of the medical emergency we now face,” says Mackenzie Eaglen, a security expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, by email. Federal responsibilities include assessing supply needs, she adds, and having “purchase agreements put in place for surge production to execute when needed.”
The DPA, dating from the Korean War in the 1950s, allows the federal government to steer American industry for reasons of national security, such as by requiring companies to prioritize government contracts over those with other customers.
Mr. Trump has used the act before, including for disaster relief as well as materials for Pentagon weaponry. But in response to the coronavirus, whether because of business lobbying or his own views, he was initially reluctant to deploy that tool. In recent days, he has invoked the act to demand that General Motors produce ventilators for patients in intensive care, and that manufacturer 3M make more N95 masks for hospital workers.
Coupled with an upwelling of action by the private sector responding to the apparent needs, this means a surge in production is beginning. The “wartime” analogy is being almost universally invoked, yet supplies are ramping up too late to meet some of the needs in hard-hit states, notably in the Northeast.
Necessity is the mother of invention
Still, the response of private sector companies has been remarkable and widespread. GM was starting to make ventilators even before the DPA was invoked. Other firms are also entering that market. And a contest called the CoVent-19 Challenge, organized with support from Massachusetts General Hospital physicians, aims to stimulate invention of a rapid-fire way of making existing ventilators serve two patients rather than one.
AJ Mast for General Motors/Reuters View caption Hide caption Workers clear furniture from a floor inside a General Motors building in Kokomo, Indiana, March 28, 2020. GM is partnering with Ventec Life Systems to produce ventilators.
Similar actions are happening in the quest for everything from hospital gowns to vaccines. And of course, for respirators or face masks and shields.
“Companies like mine can move quickly to help. … We’re absolutely rising to meet the need,” says Dr. Sakezles.
In some ways, says Chris Edwards of the libertarian Cato Institute, what’s needed from the government now is clear communication and getting out of industry’s way.
“It’s widely agreed now that the FDA really screwed up by trying to keep a monopoly on coronavirus testing,” Mr. Edwards argues. Now, with the Food and Drug Administration having relaxed its rules, there’s the promise of easing that important shortage as companies respond to the demand, he says.
Wartime pivots
In U.S. history, wartime economies have involved similar dramatic pivots by industry. Still, manufacturers can’t turn on a dime.
In World War II, it took Ford Motor Co. a year and a half from initial contract to actual production of B-24 bombers. But President Franklin Roosevelt, with an eye on the war in Europe and Asia, had called for a military production drive in May 1940, long before Pearl Harbor.
“Eight weeks ago, 10 weeks ago,” security expert Ms. Mulligan says, a survey of states could have revealed “exactly what our shortfalls were likely to be and where. And we could have used the Defense Production Act to place a giant government order.”
Now, instead, the production surge is building in a less orderly fashion. But it is happening. And for many companies, it’s offering a sense of purpose and potential revenue at a time when “stay home” orders have slashed their ordinary business.
ABC Imaging in Alexandria, Virginia, is a nationwide printing company with a new product line: face shields, alongside books and store displays.
Public service was the inspiration. As Medi Falsafi, the company’s president tells it, his wife, Luda, suggested they make some face shields and donate them to the local hospital where their son was born 17 years ago.
The orders started rolling in. Now he has an entire COVID-19 line: banners and adhesive “stand here” decals for grocery stores, plexiglass shields for checkout lines, and temporary walls for makeshift hospitals.
The company’s survival still hangs by a thread. After having to lay off 250 employees, the remaining staff of 200 are working at reduced salaries. But “it’s been a rewarding thing” to pivot toward the national emergency, says Mr. Falsafi. “Helping people is wonderful.”
Staff writer Francine Kiefer contributed to this story from Pasadena, California.


csmonitor--2020-04-08--How ad hoc supply workarounds became US pandemic response

A production surge is finally building , albeit in a less orderly way than many would wish .
But it is happening .
And for many companies , it ’ s offering a sense of purpose and potential revenue at a time when much of the economy is falling off a cliff .
“ There 's a lot of ingenuity ... [ but ] the federal government needs to be helping organize that supply chain and making sure that everything is getting distributed efficiently and fairly , ” says David Kendall , a health policy expert .
But the role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logistical effort has been haphazard , beset by inconsistent leadership and a seeming aversion to central planning in a crisis .
Repeated pleas from state governors for a coordinated national response have largely fallen flat .
Across the U.S. , hundreds of manufacturers are switching gears to produce medical and protective equipment for the fight against COVID-19 .
It ’ s a “ MacGyver ” moment for everyone from shop-floor technicians to university students .
Other companies are ramping up existing production lines of essential items like face masks and hand sanitizer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter the business of making face-mask respirators in a pandemic .
But here he is .
Last week he decided to tap his Tampa , Florida-based company ’ s expertise in 3D printing to make protective gear for front-line workers .
The first small shipment is now just days away .
“ I ’ m a medical device engineer by vocation .
The plan was always to move back into medical device design , ” alongside the business of synthetic cadavers for education , Dr. Sakezles says .
But not this product .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re witnessing firsthand the beauty of the American system right here .
We ’ re all members of the same family .
I ’ m one small part of that , ” he says .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
In fact , the unexpected shift for SynDaver is one piece in a vast mosaic of adaptation by companies across America , and worldwide .
While focused on medical and personal protective equipment , which are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a kind of “ wartime economy ” is emerging in the fight against the COVID-19 virus .
It ’ s a “ MacGyver ” moment for everyone from shop-floor technicians to university students .
But , as in a time of military conflict , the logistical demands are vast – raising questions about whether the federal government should be playing a stronger role guiding production and distribution of key supplies .
With desperate pleas rising from state governors , the U.S. is entering what may become a period of maximum stress on overloaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York , Florida , and Louisiana .
Many experts say that , despite efforts by past administrations to prepare for a pandemic , President Donald Trump has failed on many of the basic tasks in an existing playbook that includes coordinating emergency supplies .
“ There ’ s a lot of ingenuity .
… Everyone wants to help out , and also wants to keep their business going , ” says David Kendall , a health policy expert at the center-left think tank Third Way .
But “ the federal government needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and making sure that everything is getting distributed efficiently and fairly.
” In New York City , 3,200 deaths have already been attributed to COVID-19 .
In Maryland , Republican Gov .
Larry Hogan is decrying a shortage of COVID-19 tests .
And many governors are lamenting their need to bid against one another for supplies they have for weeks been urging the federal government to deliver to them .
“ They call this the Airbridge ” to obtain vital supplies , but the Trump administration is using private companies as distributors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois , told “ PBS NewsHour ” Monday .
“ We ’ re bidding , unfortunately , for all of these items of equipment against the federal government and against the other states and against other countries.
” Some corporations such as Medtronic , a global maker of ventilators used in hospitals , have similarly said they would like federal guidance on where to send their limited supplies in the U.S .
Experts on both ends of the political spectrum argue that a pandemic is a rare and pressing national crisis that calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just state or private marketplace response .
“ The president didn ’ t want to own this .
So he didn ’ t want to be in charge .
His instinct at the beginning was this is a state problem , ” says Katrina Mulligan , managing director for national and international security at the left-leaning Center for American Progress in Washington .
President Trump early on downplayed the likely severity of COVID-19 ’ s threat to America .
Since February he and his administration have sent mixed signals to corporations as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for failing to have built their own stockpiles of essential items .
Tapping his son-in-law , Jared Kushner , to oversee key actions has also frayed public trust in whether a national stockpile of medical equipment is being deployed based on states ’ needs or perhaps partly based on political concerns .
“ The federal government should have initiated Defense Production Act ( DPA ) industrial measures when the virus first surfaced in Wuhan to hedge against the possibility of the medical emergency we now face , ” says Mackenzie Eaglen , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute , by email .
Federal responsibilities include assessing supply needs , she adds , and having “ purchase agreements put in place for surge production to execute when needed.
” The DPA , dating from the Korean War in the 1950s , allows the federal government to steer American industry for reasons of national security , such as by requiring companies to prioritize government contracts over those with other customers .
Mr. Trump has used the act before , including for disaster relief as well as materials for Pentagon weaponry .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of business lobbying or his own views , he was initially reluctant to deploy that tool .
In recent days , he has invoked the act to demand that General Motors produce ventilators for patients in intensive care , and that manufacturer 3M make more N95 masks for hospital workers .
Coupled with an upwelling of action by the private sector responding to the apparent needs , this means a surge in production is beginning .
The “ wartime ” analogy is being almost universally invoked , yet supplies are ramping up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs in hard-hit states , notably in the Northeast .
Necessity is the mother of invention Still , the response of private sector companies has been remarkable and widespread .
GM was starting to make ventilators even before the DPA was invoked .
Other firms are also entering that market .
And a contest called the CoVent-19 Challenge , organized with support from Massachusetts General Hospital physicians , aims to stimulate invention of a rapid-fire way of making existing ventilators serve two patients rather than one .
Similar actions are happening in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines .
And of course , for respirators or face masks and shields .
“ Companies like mine can move quickly to help .
… We ’ re absolutely rising to meet the need , ” says Dr. Sakezles .
In some ways , says Chris Edwards of the libertarian Cato Institute , what ’ s needed from the government now is clear communication and getting out of industry ’ s way .
“ It ’ s widely agreed now that the FDA really screwed up by trying to keep a monopoly on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , with the Food and Drug Administration having relaxed its rules , there ’ s the promise of easing that important shortage as companies respond to the demand , he says .
In U.S. history , wartime economies have involved similar dramatic pivots by industry .
Still , manufacturers can ’ t turn on a dime .
In World War II , it took Ford Motor Co. a year and a half from initial contract to actual production of B-24 bombers .
But President Franklin Roosevelt , with an eye on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had called for a military production drive in May 1940 , long before Pearl Harbor .
“ Eight weeks ago , 10 weeks ago , ” security expert Ms. Mulligan says , a survey of states could have revealed “ exactly what our shortfalls were likely to be and where .
And we could have used the Defense Production Act to place a giant government order.
” Now , instead , the production surge is building in a less orderly fashion .
But it is happening .
And for many companies , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and potential revenue at a time when “ stay home ” orders have slashed their ordinary business .
ABC Imaging in Alexandria , Virginia , is a nationwide printing company with a new product line : face shields , alongside books and store displays .
Public service was the inspiration .
As Medi Falsafi , the company ’ s president tells it , his wife , Luda , suggested they make some face shields and donate them to the local hospital where their son was born 17 years ago .
The orders started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire COVID-19 line : banners and adhesive “ stand here ” decals for grocery stores , plexiglass shields for checkout lines , and temporary walls for makeshift hospitals .
The company ’ s survival still hangs by a thread .
After having to lay off 250 employees , the remaining staff of 200 are working at reduced salaries .
But “ it ’ s been a rewarding thing ” to pivot toward the national emergency , says Mr. Falsafi .
“ Helping people is wonderful.
” Staff writer Francine Kiefer contributed to this @ @ @ @ @ @

A production surge is finally building, albeit in a less orderly way than many would wish. But it is happening. And for many companies, it’s offering a sense of purpose and potential revenue at a time when much of the economy is falling off a cliff.
“There's a lot of ingenuity ... [but] the federal government needs to be helping organize that supply chain and making sure that everything is getting distributed efficiently and fairly,” says David Kendall, a health policy expert.
The White House has adopted the rhetoric of a wartime footing to combat the coronavirus. But private producers are largely going it alone, out of necessity and purpose.
But the role of the federal government in directing this logistical effort has been haphazard, beset by inconsistent leadership and a seeming aversion to central planning in a crisis. Repeated pleas from state governors for a coordinated national response have largely fallen flat.
Across the U.S., hundreds of manufacturers are switching gears to produce medical and protective equipment for the fight against COVID-19. It’s a “MacGyver” moment for everyone from shop-floor technicians to university students. Other companies are ramping up existing production lines of essential items like face masks and hand sanitizer.
Christopher Sakezles didn’t expect to enter the business of making face-mask respirators in a pandemic. But here he is.
Last week he decided to tap his Tampa, Florida-based company’s expertise in 3D printing to make protective gear for front-line workers. The first small shipment is now just days away.
“I’m a medical device engineer by vocation. The plan was always to move back into medical device design,” alongside the business of synthetic cadavers for education, Dr. Sakezles says. But not this product. Not this moment in time.
Why We Wrote This The White House has adopted the rhetoric of a wartime footing to combat the coronavirus. But private producers are largely going it alone, out of necessity and purpose.
“We’re witnessing firsthand the beauty of the American system right here. We’re all members of the same family. I’m one small part of that,” he says.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
In fact, the unexpected shift for SynDaver is one piece in a vast mosaic of adaptation by companies across America, and worldwide. While focused on medical and personal protective equipment, which are in desperately short supply nearly everywhere, a kind of “wartime economy” is emerging in the fight against the COVID-19 virus. It’s a “MacGyver” moment for everyone from shop-floor technicians to university students.
But, as in a time of military conflict, the logistical demands are vast – raising questions about whether the federal government should be playing a stronger role guiding production and distribution of key supplies.
With desperate pleas rising from state governors, the U.S. is entering what may become a period of maximum stress on overloaded health care systems in hard-hit areas like New York, Florida, and Louisiana. Many experts say that, despite efforts by past administrations to prepare for a pandemic, President Donald Trump has failed on many of the basic tasks in an existing playbook that includes coordinating emergency supplies.
“There’s a lot of ingenuity. … Everyone wants to help out, and also wants to keep their business going,” says David Kendall, a health policy expert at the center-left think tank Third Way. But “the federal government needs to be helping organize that supply chain and making sure that everything is getting distributed efficiently and fairly.”
In New York City, 3,200 deaths have already been attributed to COVID-19. In Maryland, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is decrying a shortage of COVID-19 tests. And many governors are lamenting their need to bid against one another for supplies they have for weeks been urging the federal government to deliver to them.
Ted Brummond/University of Wyoming/AP View caption Hide caption Mechanical engineer Tyler Heckenlively works on making a hospital mask using a 3D printer at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, March 27, 2020. The school's makerspace is contributing to production of face shields as well as surgical masks.
“They call this the Airbridge” to obtain vital supplies, but the Trump administration is using private companies as distributors, J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, told “PBS NewsHour” Monday. “We’re bidding, unfortunately, for all of these items of equipment against the federal government and against the other states and against other countries.”
Some corporations such as Medtronic, a global maker of ventilators used in hospitals, have similarly said they would like federal guidance on where to send their limited supplies in the U.S.
Experts on both ends of the political spectrum argue that a pandemic is a rare and pressing national crisis that calls for a strong federal role, not just state or private marketplace response.
“The president didn’t want to own this. So he didn’t want to be in charge. His instinct at the beginning was this is a state problem,” says Katrina Mulligan, managing director for national and international security at the left-leaning Center for American Progress in Washington.
Mixed signals, frayed trust
President Trump early on downplayed the likely severity of COVID-19’s threat to America. Since February he and his administration have sent mixed signals to corporations as well as the public – often blaming states for failing to have built their own stockpiles of essential items.
Tapping his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to oversee key actions has also frayed public trust in whether a national stockpile of medical equipment is being deployed based on states’ needs or perhaps partly based on political concerns.
“The federal government should have initiated Defense Production Act (DPA) industrial measures when the virus first surfaced in Wuhan to hedge against the possibility of the medical emergency we now face,” says Mackenzie Eaglen, a security expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, by email. Federal responsibilities include assessing supply needs, she adds, and having “purchase agreements put in place for surge production to execute when needed.”
The DPA, dating from the Korean War in the 1950s, allows the federal government to steer American industry for reasons of national security, such as by requiring companies to prioritize government contracts over those with other customers.
Mr. Trump has used the act before, including for disaster relief as well as materials for Pentagon weaponry. But in response to the coronavirus, whether because of business lobbying or his own views, he was initially reluctant to deploy that tool. In recent days, he has invoked the act to demand that General Motors produce ventilators for patients in intensive care, and that manufacturer 3M make more N95 masks for hospital workers.
Coupled with an upwelling of action by the private sector responding to the apparent needs, this means a surge in production is beginning. The “wartime” analogy is being almost universally invoked, yet supplies are ramping up too late to meet some of the needs in hard-hit states, notably in the Northeast.
Necessity is the mother of invention
Still, the response of private sector companies has been remarkable and widespread. GM was starting to make ventilators even before the DPA was invoked. Other firms are also entering that market. And a contest called the CoVent-19 Challenge, organized with support from Massachusetts General Hospital physicians, aims to stimulate invention of a rapid-fire way of making existing ventilators serve two patients rather than one.
AJ Mast for General Motors/Reuters View caption Hide caption Workers clear furniture from a floor inside a General Motors building in Kokomo, Indiana, March 28, 2020. GM is partnering with Ventec Life Systems to produce ventilators.
Similar actions are happening in the quest for everything from hospital gowns to vaccines. And of course, for respirators or face masks and shields.
“Companies like mine can move quickly to help. … We’re absolutely rising to meet the need,” says Dr. Sakezles.
In some ways, says Chris Edwards of the libertarian Cato Institute, what’s needed from the government now is clear communication and getting out of industry’s way.
“It’s widely agreed now that the FDA really screwed up by trying to keep a monopoly on coronavirus testing,” Mr. Edwards argues. Now, with the Food and Drug Administration having relaxed its rules, there’s the promise of easing that important shortage as companies respond to the demand, he says.
Wartime pivots
In U.S. history, wartime economies have involved similar dramatic pivots by industry. Still, manufacturers can’t turn on a dime.
In World War II, it took Ford Motor Co. a year and a half from initial contract to actual production of B-24 bombers. But President Franklin Roosevelt, with an eye on the war in Europe and Asia, had called for a military production drive in May 1940, long before Pearl Harbor.
“Eight weeks ago, 10 weeks ago,” security expert Ms. Mulligan says, a survey of states could have revealed “exactly what our shortfalls were likely to be and where. And we could have used the Defense Production Act to place a giant government order.”
Now, instead, the production surge is building in a less orderly fashion. But it is happening. And for many companies, it’s offering a sense of purpose and potential revenue at a time when “stay home” orders have slashed their ordinary business.
ABC Imaging in Alexandria, Virginia, is a nationwide printing company with a new product line: face shields, alongside books and store displays.
Public service was the inspiration. As Medi Falsafi, the company’s president tells it, his wife, Luda, suggested they make some face shields and donate them to the local hospital where their son was born 17 years ago.
The orders started rolling in. Now he has an entire COVID-19 line: banners and adhesive “stand here” decals for grocery stores, plexiglass shields for checkout lines, and temporary walls for makeshift hospitals.
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The company’s survival still hangs by a thread. After having to lay off 250 employees, the remaining staff of 200 are working at reduced salaries. But “it’s been a rewarding thing” to pivot toward the national emergency, says Mr. Falsafi. “Helping people is wonderful.”
Staff writer Francine Kiefer contributed to this story from Pasadena, California.