csmonitor--2020-05-05--Test, trace, isolate: Role of apps in combating coronavirus

As governments around the world consider how to monitor new coronavirus outbreaks while reopening their societies , many are starting to bet on smartphone apps to help stanch the pandemic .
But their decisions on which technologies to use – and how far those allow authorities to peer into private lives – are highlighting some uncomfortable tradeoffs between protecting privacy and public health .
`` There are conflicting interests , '' said Tina White , a Stanford University researcher who first introduced a privacy-protecting approach in February .
`` Governments and public health [ agencies ] want to be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of COVID-19 , but people are less likely to download a voluntary app if it is intrusive , she said .
Medical researchers say that containing infectious disease outbreaks boils down to a simple mantra : test , trace , and isolate .
Today , that means identifying people who test positive for the novel coronavirus , tracking down others they might have infected , and preventing further spread by quarantining everyone who might be contagious .
That second step requires an army of healthcare workers to question coronavirus carriers about recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and potentially isolated .
Smartphone apps potentially speed up that process by collecting data about your movements and alerting you if you 've spent time near a confirmed coronavirus carrier .
The more detailed that data , the more it could help regional governments identify and contain emerging disease `` hot spots . ''
But data collected by governments can also be abused by governments – or their private-sector partners .
Some countries and local governments are issuing voluntary government-designed apps that make information directly available to public health authorities .
In Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downloaded such an app touted by the prime minister , who compared it to the ease of applying sunscreen and said more app downloads would bring about a `` more liberated economy and society . ''
Utah is the first U.S. state to embrace a similar approach , one developed by a social media startup previously focused on helping young people hang out with nearby friends .
Both these apps record a digital trail of the strangers an individual encountered .
Utah 's goes even further , using a device 's location to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ user has visited .
The app is `` a tool to help jog the memory of the person who is positive so we can more readily identify where they 've been , who they 've been in contact with , if they choose to allow that , '' said Angela Dunn , Utah 's state epidemiologist .
A competing approach under development by tech giants Apple and Google limits the information collected and anonymizes what it pulls in so that such personalized tracking is n't possible .
Apple and Google have pushed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ model , offering an app-building interface they say will work smoothly on billions of phones when the software rolls out sometime in May .
Germany and a growing number of European countries have aligned with that approach , while others , such as France and the UK , have argued for more government access to app data .
Most coronavirus-tracking apps rely on Bluetooth , a decades-old short-range wireless technology , to locate other phones nearby that are running the same app .
The Bluetooth apps keep a temporary record of the signals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the app is later confirmed to have COVID-19 , public health authorities can use that stored data to identify and notify other people who may have been exposed .
Apple and Google say that apps built to their specifications will work across most iPhones and Android devices , eliminating compatibility problems .
They have also forbidden governments to make their apps compulsory and are building in privacy protections to keep stored data out of government and corporate hands and ease concerns about surveillance .
For instance , these apps rely on encrypted `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone ; these are n't stored in government databases and are designed to conceal individual identities and connections .
Public-health officials are n't even in the loop ; these apps would notify users directly of their possible exposure and urge them to get tested .
In the United States , developers are pitching their apps directly to state and local governments .
In Utah , the social media company Twenty sold state officials on an approach combining Bluetooth with satellite-based GPS signals .
That would let trained health workers help connect the dots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's unlikely that automated alerts are going to be enough , '' said Jared Allgood , Twenty 's chief strategy officer and a Utah resident , citing estimates that the peer-to-peer models would need most people participating to be effective .
North and South Dakota are pursuing a similar model after a local startup repurposed its existing Bison Tracker app , originally designed to connect fans of North Dakota State University 's athletic teams .
Regardless of the approach , none of these apps will be effective at breaking chains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. can ramp up coronavirus testing and hire more health workers to do manual outreach .
Another big limitation : many people , particularly in vulnerable populations , do n't carry smartphones .
In Singapore , for instance , a large migrant worker population lives in cramped dorms , makes about $ 15 a day , and powers the city 's previously booming construction industry – but smartphone usage in this group is low .
When the Southeast Asian city-state launched its tracing app in March , total confirmed COVID-19 cases were well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a rash of new infections in worker dormitories pushed that number to more than 18,000 , triggering new lockdown policies .
`` If we can find a way to automate some of the detective work with technology , I think that would be a significant help , '' said Nadia Abuelezam , a disease researcher at Boston College .
`` It wo n't be all we need . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Zen Soo in Hong Kong ; Rod McGuirk in Canberra , Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Utah ; Kelvin Chan in London ; James MacPherson in Bismarck , North Dakota ; and Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls , South Dakota , 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 .

As governments around the world consider how to monitor new coronavirus outbreaks while reopening their societies, many are starting to bet on smartphone apps to help stanch the pandemic.
But their decisions on which technologies to use – and how far those allow authorities to peer into private lives – are highlighting some uncomfortable tradeoffs between protecting privacy and public health.
"There are conflicting interests," said Tina White, a Stanford University researcher who first introduced a privacy-protecting approach in February. "Governments and public health [agencies] want to be able to track people" to minimize the spread of COVID-19, but people are less likely to download a voluntary app if it is intrusive, she said.
Medical researchers say that containing infectious disease outbreaks boils down to a simple mantra: test, trace, and isolate. Today, that means identifying people who test positive for the novel coronavirus, tracking down others they might have infected, and preventing further spread by quarantining everyone who might be contagious.
That second step requires an army of healthcare workers to question coronavirus carriers about recent contacts so those people can be tested and potentially isolated.
Smartphone apps potentially speed up that process by collecting data about your movements and alerting you if you've spent time near a confirmed coronavirus carrier. The more detailed that data, the more it could help regional governments identify and contain emerging disease "hot spots." But data collected by governments can also be abused by governments – or their private-sector partners.
Some countries and local governments are issuing voluntary government-designed apps that make information directly available to public health authorities.
In Australia, more than 3 million people have downloaded such an app touted by the prime minister, who compared it to the ease of applying sunscreen and said more app downloads would bring about a "more liberated economy and society." Utah is the first U.S. state to embrace a similar approach, one developed by a social media startup previously focused on helping young people hang out with nearby friends.
Both these apps record a digital trail of the strangers an individual encountered. Utah's goes even further, using a device's location to help track which restaurants or stores a user has visited.
The app is "a tool to help jog the memory of the person who is positive so we can more readily identify where they've been, who they've been in contact with, if they choose to allow that," said Angela Dunn, Utah's state epidemiologist.
A competing approach under development by tech giants Apple and Google limits the information collected and anonymizes what it pulls in so that such personalized tracking isn't possible.
Apple and Google have pushed for public health agencies to adopt their privacy-oriented model, offering an app-building interface they say will work smoothly on billions of phones when the software rolls out sometime in May. Germany and a growing number of European countries have aligned with that approach, while others, such as France and the UK, have argued for more government access to app data.
Most coronavirus-tracking apps rely on Bluetooth, a decades-old short-range wireless technology, to locate other phones nearby that are running the same app.
The Bluetooth apps keep a temporary record of the signals they encounter. If one person using the app is later confirmed to have COVID-19, public health authorities can use that stored data to identify and notify other people who may have been exposed.
Apple and Google say that apps built to their specifications will work across most iPhones and Android devices, eliminating compatibility problems. They have also forbidden governments to make their apps compulsory and are building in privacy protections to keep stored data out of government and corporate hands and ease concerns about surveillance.
For instance, these apps rely on encrypted "peer-to-peer" signals sent from phone to phone; these aren't stored in government databases and are designed to conceal individual identities and connections. Public-health officials aren't even in the loop; these apps would notify users directly of their possible exposure and urge them to get tested.
In the United States, developers are pitching their apps directly to state and local governments. In Utah, the social media company Twenty sold state officials on an approach combining Bluetooth with satellite-based GPS signals. That would let trained health workers help connect the dots and discover previously hidden clusters of infection.
"It's unlikely that automated alerts are going to be enough," said Jared Allgood, Twenty's chief strategy officer and a Utah resident, citing estimates that the peer-to-peer models would need most people participating to be effective.
North and South Dakota are pursuing a similar model after a local startup repurposed its existing Bison Tracker app, originally designed to connect fans of North Dakota State University's athletic teams.
Regardless of the approach, none of these apps will be effective at breaking chains of viral infections unless countries like the U.S. can ramp up coronavirus testing and hire more health workers to do manual outreach.
Another big limitation: many people, particularly in vulnerable populations, don't carry smartphones.
In Singapore, for instance, a large migrant worker population lives in cramped dorms, makes about $15 a day, and powers the city's previously booming construction industry – but smartphone usage in this group is low. When the Southeast Asian city-state launched its tracing app in March, total confirmed COVID-19 cases were well under 1,000. Then in early April, a rash of new infections in worker dormitories pushed that number to more than 18,000, triggering new lockdown policies.
"If we can find a way to automate some of the detective work with technology, I think that would be a significant help," said Nadia Abuelezam, a disease researcher at Boston College. "It won't be all we need."
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. AP writers Zen Soo in Hong Kong; Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia; Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City, Utah; Kelvin Chan in London; James MacPherson in Bismarck, North Dakota; and Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-13--Should jobless renters be evicted or forgiven during pandemic?

As U.S. states start to ease coronavirus lockdowns , one group warns that its troubles are worsening without enough financial support : renters .
`` All of these companies are getting bailouts – we need a bailout , too ! ''
said Sami Bourma , a chef and Uber driver in the Washington area who has been unable to work since late March .
The father of two has not paid his monthly rent of about $ 1,800 on his one-bedroom apartment in the past two months , along with what he said are hundreds of others in his apartment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenants are urging both policymakers and the property owner to make rent contingent on income through the pandemic and in the months of recovery that are to follow .
The property owner , Bell Partners , did not respond to a request for comment .
`` I do n't have much money in my account .
And no one knows how long the pandemic will take , so what options do I have ? ''
Mr. Bourma told the Thomson Reuters Foundation .
About 43 million households in the United States are renters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council , an industry group .
Like Mr. Bourma , almost half of renters by mid-April were already experiencing difficulty paying for housing , food , or medical care , according to the Urban Institute think tank .
That is more than twice the figures for homeowners .
Covering the housing for vulnerable tenants would cost about $ 100 billion , according to some estimates , and housing advocates are now rallying around a federal proposal to make that amount available in upcoming emergency funding .
In the meantime , nearly 200,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bourma , refused to pay their rent , according to a tracker called We Strike Together – bolstered by some campaigns across entire cities or states .
`` If May 1 is hard [ when rent payments are typically due ] , June 1 will be harder without any action , '' said said Maurice Weeks , co-executive director of the Action Center on Race and the Economy , a nonprofit that helped set up the tracker .
Rent strikes amid the pandemic have not been confined to the United States , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Australia , Canada , Britain , France , and beyond .
The current housing crisis for U.S. renters is unprecedented in recent decades , housing experts say , as is the level of cohesion it has inspired across the country .
`` For people who have been in housing for the past 50 years , the impact that most of us can remember is the foreclosure crisis [ after the 2008-09 crisis ] , but the magnitude of this is greater , '' said Dianne Enriquez of the nonprofit Center for Popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a serious ripple effect , industry groups have warned – including negatively affecting tenant credit histories , potentially making it harder for people to rent in the future .
`` Rent strikes are counterproductive and ultimately harmful to all residents , '' said Bob Pinnegar , head of the National Apartment Association , an industry group .
`` Bankrupting property owners is going to create many more problems than it would solve , '' he said in emailed comments , noting that federal assistance is `` urgently '' needed for both renters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of rent goes to building owners or investors , he added , with most covering mortgages , taxes , maintenance , and more .
`` By causing financial hardship for the owners , people participating in a rent strike will further exacerbate the housing affordability crisis the country was grappling with prior to this pandemic , '' he said .
A spokesman for the U.S. department of housing and urban development said it would work with Congress on `` ways to provide economic relief for Americans who are struggling to make ends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As yet , mass rent strikes have remained more of a threat than a reality : About a fifth of renters did not pay by May 6 , according to the National Multifamily Housing Council , roughly the same as the previous month .
But the fact remains , said Ms. Enriquez , that `` even if they 're not calling it a rent strike , most tenants in this country are simply unable to pay rent . ''
On Friday , the United States announced that more than 20 million people lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unemployment rate of 14.7 % – the highest since the Great Depression of 1929-32 .
There are parallels with the response by renters , too , researchers say .
Nine decades ago , as millions lost their homes amid spiking unemployment , the U.S. Communist Party undertook a national effort that included mass rent strikes – ending only when direct federal assistance allowed people to pay their rents , he said .
`` Today , tens of millions of people can not pay rent or mortgages , '' said Fordham University historian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strikes .
`` Activists all over the country are urging rent strikes and contemplating eviction resistance until the crisis facing the incomeless is resolved , '' he added .
Local and federal authorities scrambling to protect renters have temporarily halted evictions in several states including New York and California .
But such actions only push a major problem down the road , critics warn – potentially leading to mass evictions .
`` There are lots of municipal leaders who recognize that when these eviction moratoriums are lifted , we 'll have massive homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the Minneapolis City Council .
That concern has led Mr. Ellison and others to push for the outright cancellation of rent amid the pandemic , with landlords to be reimbursed by the government .
`` We 've used emergency powers at the state level to prevent evictions , and so I 've asked the [ Minnesota ] attorney general to look into using emergency powers to work out a similar deal when it comes to rent , '' he said by phone .
A letter he sent last month to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support that Mr. Ellison said surprised him , including majority backing from the city councils of Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul , as well as municipal leaders from around the state .
`` There 's been lots of discussion of the costs of rent cancellation , but if we have hundreds of thousands of people becoming homeless at the end of this crisis , I do n't know how we 'll pay for a solution to that , either , '' said Mr. Ellison .
A federal legislative proposal would cancel rent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting in April .
Some say rent cancellation needs to extend beyond the pandemic .
`` There is also going to be a time of recovery .
A lot of businesses wo n't be able to reopen immediately , or they might start out a bit slower , '' said Tiana Caldwell , a business trainer and housing activist in Kansas City , Missouri .
But until such a policy is in place , Ms. Caldwell feels she has no choice : She is not paying her rent .
Ms. Caldwell has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-March .
Nor has her husband , who stopped going to work to ensure he does not bring the virus home and infect Ms. Caldwell , who has underlying health issues .
The couple 's situation underscores how widespread the current vulnerability is , she said : `` It 's more than just the poor .
...
There are many , many people who are just one emergency away from being homeless . ''
This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

As U.S. states start to ease coronavirus lockdowns, one group warns that its troubles are worsening without enough financial support: renters.
"All of these companies are getting bailouts – we need a bailout, too!" said Sami Bourma, a chef and Uber driver in the Washington area who has been unable to work since late March.
The father of two has not paid his monthly rent of about $1,800 on his one-bedroom apartment in the past two months, along with what he said are hundreds of others in his apartment complex in Alexandria, Virginia.
The tenants are urging both policymakers and the property owner to make rent contingent on income through the pandemic and in the months of recovery that are to follow.
The property owner, Bell Partners, did not respond to a request for comment.
"I don't have much money in my account. And no one knows how long the pandemic will take, so what options do I have?" Mr. Bourma told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
About 43 million households in the United States are renters, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council, an industry group.
Like Mr. Bourma, almost half of renters by mid-April were already experiencing difficulty paying for housing, food, or medical care, according to the Urban Institute think tank.
That is more than twice the figures for homeowners.
Covering the housing for vulnerable tenants would cost about $100 billion, according to some estimates, and housing advocates are now rallying around a federal proposal to make that amount available in upcoming emergency funding.
In the meantime, nearly 200,000 people across the country have, like Mr. Bourma, refused to pay their rent, according to a tracker called We Strike Together – bolstered by some campaigns across entire cities or states.
"If May 1 is hard [when rent payments are typically due], June 1 will be harder without any action," said said Maurice Weeks, co-executive director of the Action Center on Race and the Economy, a nonprofit that helped set up the tracker.
Rent strikes amid the pandemic have not been confined to the United States, with related organizing taking place in recent weeks in Australia, Canada, Britain, France, and beyond.
The current housing crisis for U.S. renters is unprecedented in recent decades, housing experts say, as is the level of cohesion it has inspired across the country.
"For people who have been in housing for the past 50 years, the impact that most of us can remember is the foreclosure crisis [after the 2008-09 crisis], but the magnitude of this is greater," said Dianne Enriquez of the nonprofit Center for Popular Democracy.
But nonpayment of rent can have a serious ripple effect, industry groups have warned – including negatively affecting tenant credit histories, potentially making it harder for people to rent in the future.
"Rent strikes are counterproductive and ultimately harmful to all residents," said Bob Pinnegar, head of the National Apartment Association, an industry group.
"Bankrupting property owners is going to create many more problems than it would solve," he said in emailed comments, noting that federal assistance is "urgently" needed for both renters and owners.
On average only 9% of rent goes to building owners or investors, he added, with most covering mortgages, taxes, maintenance, and more.
"By causing financial hardship for the owners, people participating in a rent strike will further exacerbate the housing affordability crisis the country was grappling with prior to this pandemic," he said.
A spokesman for the U.S. department of housing and urban development said it would work with Congress on "ways to provide economic relief for Americans who are struggling to make ends meet during these unprecedented times."
As yet, mass rent strikes have remained more of a threat than a reality: About a fifth of renters did not pay by May 6, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council, roughly the same as the previous month.
But the fact remains, said Ms. Enriquez, that "even if they're not calling it a rent strike, most tenants in this country are simply unable to pay rent."
On Friday, the United States announced that more than 20 million people lost their jobs in April, resulting in an unemployment rate of 14.7% – the highest since the Great Depression of 1929-32.
There are parallels with the response by renters, too, researchers say.
Nine decades ago, as millions lost their homes amid spiking unemployment, the U.S. Communist Party undertook a national effort that included mass rent strikes – ending only when direct federal assistance allowed people to pay their rents, he said.
"Today, tens of millions of people cannot pay rent or mortgages," said Fordham University historian Mark Naison, who has studied rent strikes.
"Activists all over the country are urging rent strikes and contemplating eviction resistance until the crisis facing the incomeless is resolved," he added.
Local and federal authorities scrambling to protect renters have temporarily halted evictions in several states including New York and California.
But such actions only push a major problem down the road, critics warn – potentially leading to mass evictions.
"There are lots of municipal leaders who recognize that when these eviction moratoriums are lifted, we'll have massive homeless problems," said Jeremiah Ellison, a member of the Minneapolis City Council.
That concern has led Mr. Ellison and others to push for the outright cancellation of rent amid the pandemic, with landlords to be reimbursed by the government.
"We've used emergency powers at the state level to prevent evictions, and so I've asked the [Minnesota] attorney general to look into using emergency powers to work out a similar deal when it comes to rent," he said by phone.
A letter he sent last month to Minnesota state leaders received a flood of support that Mr. Ellison said surprised him, including majority backing from the city councils of Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul, as well as municipal leaders from around the state.
"There's been lots of discussion of the costs of rent cancellation, but if we have hundreds of thousands of people becoming homeless at the end of this crisis, I don't know how we'll pay for a solution to that, either," said Mr. Ellison.
A federal legislative proposal would cancel rent and suspend mortgage payments through the pandemic, starting in April.
Some say rent cancellation needs to extend beyond the pandemic.
"There is also going to be a time of recovery. A lot of businesses won't be able to reopen immediately, or they might start out a bit slower," said Tiana Caldwell, a business trainer and housing activist in Kansas City, Missouri.
But until such a policy is in place, Ms. Caldwell feels she has no choice: She is not paying her rent.
Ms. Caldwell has not been able to do her job since mid-March. Nor has her husband, who stopped going to work to ensure he does not bring the virus home and infect Ms. Caldwell, who has underlying health issues.
The couple's situation underscores how widespread the current vulnerability is, she said: "It's more than just the poor. ... There are many, many people who are just one emergency away from being homeless."
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 Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-06-05--The Dogs of Chernobyl: Are virtual tours the future of tourism?

“ When you go through a crisis , like they did in 1986 or like we are now , the unimportant things in life fall away , ” he said .
“ You ’ re left with just the stuff that really matters.
” The dogs are the great-great-grandpups of the family dogs that residents were forced to leave behind when they were evacuated in 1986 .
Mr. Hixson offers tours to raise money for , and awareness about , the hundreds of stray dogs that roam the Chernobyl “ exclusion zone , ” the 18-mile-wide area around the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still forbidden .
Like Airbnb ’ s “ Dogs of Chernobyl , ” a one-hour , canine-themed tour at the site of the world ’ s worst nuclear disaster , now available on a computer screen near you .
As I watched from my home in Johannesburg , our guide in Chernobyl , Lucas Hixson , gave a virtual tour of the exploded reactor .
Then he panned his phone camera down so we could catch a glimpse of a pack of shaggy stray dogs gathered near the dome ’ s entrance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ industries , but few have been as undone as tourism .
As the pandemic has worn on , tourist sites around the world have scrambled to arrange virtual versions of their offerings .
“ It ’ s a beautiful day here in Chernobyl , ” Lucas Hixson announced one sunny afternoon last month , turning to face the group of tourists gathered in front of him .
It was a day much like this one in April 1986 , he continued , when a safety test at the power plant here went awry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human history .
As he spoke , I looked around .
It was , indeed , a perfect day .
The sky was blue , and the fields on all sides a lush green .
Birds chirped .
Clouds floated like wisps of cotton over the decommissioned nuclear reactors in the distance .
Or at least , that ’ s how it all seemed from my computer screen .
I was in my house in Johannesburg , and this tour , like seemingly everything else in my pandemic life , was actually a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Hixson was explaining what happened in the hours after the explosion : First responders rushed to the scene .
Nearly everyone else living in the area , meanwhile , was hastily evacuated , told to take only what they needed for a three-day trip .
In truth , they would never return .
“ This is a place where you can learn about the most important things in life , because the most important things are the ones people were forced to leave behind when they fled , ” Mr. Hixson continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his virtual audience a better view of the soaring concrete dome behind him , which was built to contain the exploded reactor .
Then he panned down so we could catch a glimpse of the real reason we were all here – a pack of shaggy stray dogs gathered near the dome ’ s entrance , loudly chomp-chomp-chomping their way through a small mountain of dog food .
Welcome to the “ Dogs of Chernobyl , ” a one-hour , canine-themed tour at the site of the world ’ s worst nuclear disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near you .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
COVID-19 dealt a heavy blow to many industries , but few have been as thoroughly undone as tourism .
As the pandemic has worn on , national parks , museums , and historic sites around the world have scrambled to arrange virtual versions of their offerings , from 360 photos to Facebook live events with experts .
But few are as intimate as Airbnb ’ s “ Online Experiences , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups into the kitchens of professional chefs , the home gyms of Olympic athletes , and today , the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl , Ukraine .
A few months ago , Mr. Hixson , an American specialist in nuclear decontamination who runs a nongovernmental organization called the Clean Futures Fund ( CFF ) , was giving his tours with the dogs of Chernobyl in person .
They were a way of raising money for , and awareness about , the hundreds of stray dogs that roam the Chernobyl “ exclusion zone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant , where permanent human habitation is still forbidden .
The dogs are the great-great-grandpups of the family dogs that residents were forced to leave behind when they were evacuated in 1986 .
Fleeing families tacked notes to their doorways , with pleading messages like “ Don ’ t kill our Zhulka .
She ’ s a good dog , ” according to “ Chernobyl Prayer , ” a collection of oral histories .
And the dogs themselves attempted to follow their humans , “ howling , trying to get on the buses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were pushing them out again , kicking them .
They ran after the buses for ages.
” Soldiers later circled the zone , shooting any dogs they found , for fear they ’ d been poisoned by radioactivity .
But some survived , and nearly 40 years later , a few hundred of their scruffy descendants still roam the power plant site and the nearby workers ’ town of Pripyat , where some houses still have dishes laid out and the newspaper folded on the table from the day of the evacuation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , all in-person tours were canceled .
But when Airbnb approached Mr. Hixson about moving his tour online , he was game .
Feeding a few hundred dogs daily , after all , isn ’ t a cheap operation .
And Mr. Hixson was also looking for ways to bankroll CFF ’ s annual sterilization and vaccination drive , which has helped bring the population of stray dogs in Chernobyl down by several hundred over the last three years .
On a recent afternoon , he jumped out of his car in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s administrative buildings .
On the other end of his Zoom call that day were a bureaucrat in Tasmania , an anthropologist in Finland , and a teacher in Hong Kong .
As Mr. Hixson stepped into the road , two dogs ran up to him , their tails vibrating with excitement .
He pointed to the pack , introducing today ’ s tour group to each dog : “ That ’ s Sasha , Kelly , Barry , Mary , and Terry .
There ’ s Bruiser .
That ’ s Rosco.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bag of dog food onto the sidewalk in front of them , Mr. Hixson explained what he hoped today ’ s tour group would take away from their experience .
“ When you go through a crisis , like they did in 1986 or like we are now , the unimportant things in life fall away , ” he said .
“ You ’ re left with just the stuff that really matters.
” At his feet , a scruffy German Shepherd poked her long wet nose up toward the camera , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

“When you go through a crisis, like they did in 1986 or like we are now, the unimportant things in life fall away,” he said. “You’re left with just the stuff that really matters.”
The dogs are the great-great-grandpups of the family dogs that residents were forced to leave behind when they were evacuated in 1986. Mr. Hixson offers tours to raise money for, and awareness about, the hundreds of stray dogs that roam the Chernobyl “exclusion zone,” the 18-mile-wide area around the power plant, where permanent human habitation is still forbidden.
Across industries, the coronavirus is inspiring innovation. In tourism, some operators are shifting from physical to virtual tours and using the opportunity to bring attention to noteworthy causes.
Like Airbnb’s “Dogs of Chernobyl,” a one-hour, canine-themed tour at the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, now available on a computer screen near you. As I watched from my home in Johannesburg, our guide in Chernobyl, Lucas Hixson, gave a virtual tour of the exploded reactor. Then he panned his phone camera down so we could catch a glimpse of a pack of shaggy stray dogs gathered near the dome’s entrance.
COVID-19 dealt a heavy blow to many industries, but few have been as undone as tourism. As the pandemic has worn on, tourist sites around the world have scrambled to arrange virtual versions of their offerings.
“It’s a beautiful day here in Chernobyl,” Lucas Hixson announced one sunny afternoon last month, turning to face the group of tourists gathered in front of him.
It was a day much like this one in April 1986, he continued, when a safety test at the power plant here went awry, triggering the worst nuclear disaster in human history.
As he spoke, I looked around. It was, indeed, a perfect day. The sky was blue, and the fields on all sides a lush green. Birds chirped. Clouds floated like wisps of cotton over the decommissioned nuclear reactors in the distance.
Why We Wrote This Across industries, the coronavirus is inspiring innovation. In tourism, some operators are shifting from physical to virtual tours and using the opportunity to bring attention to noteworthy causes.
Or at least, that’s how it all seemed from my computer screen. I was in my house in Johannesburg, and this tour, like seemingly everything else in my pandemic life, was actually a Zoom call.
Back in Chernobyl, Mr. Hixson was explaining what happened in the hours after the explosion: First responders rushed to the scene. Nearly everyone else living in the area, meanwhile, was hastily evacuated, told to take only what they needed for a three-day trip.
In truth, they would never return.
Courtesy of Clean Futures Fund View caption Hide caption A worker at Chernobyl holds two small puppies a few weeks after the nuclear disaster in 1986.
“This is a place where you can learn about the most important things in life, because the most important things are the ones people were forced to leave behind when they fled,” Mr. Hixson continued, shifting his phone camera to give his virtual audience a better view of the soaring concrete dome behind him, which was built to contain the exploded reactor.
Then he panned down so we could catch a glimpse of the real reason we were all here – a pack of shaggy stray dogs gathered near the dome’s entrance, loudly chomp-chomp-chomping their way through a small mountain of dog food. Welcome to the “Dogs of Chernobyl,” a one-hour, canine-themed tour at the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, now available on a computer screen near you.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
COVID-19 dealt a heavy blow to many industries, but few have been as thoroughly undone as tourism. As the pandemic has worn on, national parks, museums, and historic sites around the world have scrambled to arrange virtual versions of their offerings, from 360 photos to Facebook live events with experts. But few are as intimate as Airbnb’s “Online Experiences,” which brings viewers live in small groups into the kitchens of professional chefs, the home gyms of Olympic athletes, and today, the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine.
Courtesy of Clean Futures Fund View caption Hide caption Several hundred dogs live in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, descendants of the family dogs left behind when people were forced to evacuate after the nuclear disaster here in April 1986. The workers here have adopted the dogs in a way, and save scraps from their own meals to feed them.
A few months ago, Mr. Hixson, an American specialist in nuclear decontamination who runs a nongovernmental organization called the Clean Futures Fund (CFF), was giving his tours with the dogs of Chernobyl in person. They were a way of raising money for, and awareness about, the hundreds of stray dogs that roam the Chernobyl “exclusion zone,” the 18-mile-wide area around the power plant, where permanent human habitation is still forbidden.
The dogs are the great-great-grandpups of the family dogs that residents were forced to leave behind when they were evacuated in 1986. Fleeing families tacked notes to their doorways, with pleading messages like “Don’t kill our Zhulka. She’s a good dog,” according to “Chernobyl Prayer,” a collection of oral histories. And the dogs themselves attempted to follow their humans, “howling, trying to get on the buses. Mongrels, alsatians. The soldiers were pushing them out again, kicking them. They ran after the buses for ages.” Soldiers later circled the zone, shooting any dogs they found, for fear they’d been poisoned by radioactivity.
But some survived, and nearly 40 years later, a few hundred of their scruffy descendants still roam the power plant site and the nearby workers’ town of Pripyat, where some houses still have dishes laid out and the newspaper folded on the table from the day of the evacuation.
When COVID-19 restrictions began here in late March, all in-person tours were canceled. But when Airbnb approached Mr. Hixson about moving his tour online, he was game.
Feeding a few hundred dogs daily, after all, isn’t a cheap operation. And Mr. Hixson was also looking for ways to bankroll CFF’s annual sterilization and vaccination drive, which has helped bring the population of stray dogs in Chernobyl down by several hundred over the last three years.
Screen Grab/Courtesy of Clean Futures Fund View caption Hide caption In this screen grab during a Zoom meeting, Lucas Hixson, co-founder of the NGO Clean Futures Fund, pets a dog during a virtual tour called 'Dogs of Chernobyl' in Chernobyl, Ukraine, part of Airbnb's 'Online Experiences' platform.
On a recent afternoon, he jumped out of his car in front of one of the plant’s administrative buildings. On the other end of his Zoom call that day were a bureaucrat in Tasmania, an anthropologist in Finland, and a teacher in Hong Kong. As Mr. Hixson stepped into the road, two dogs ran up to him, their tails vibrating with excitement.
He pointed to the pack, introducing today’s tour group to each dog: “That’s Sasha, Kelly, Barry, Mary, and Terry. There’s Bruiser. That’s Rosco.”
As he spread the contents of a bag of dog food onto the sidewalk in front of them, Mr. Hixson explained what he hoped today’s tour group would take away from their experience.
“When you go through a crisis, like they did in 1986 or like we are now, the unimportant things in life fall away,” he said. “You’re left with just the stuff that really matters.”
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At his feet, a scruffy German Shepherd poked her long wet nose up toward the camera, her tail swishing as if in silent agreement.
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csmonitor--2020-06-03--Was the Swede virus approach best? Chief scientist backtracks.

Sweden 's chief epidemiologist showed contrition on Wednesday as criticism mounted over the Scandinavian country 's hotly debated method of fighting the coronavirus , which has resulted in one of the highest death rates per capita in the world .
Sweden has stood out among European nations and the world for the way it has handled the pandemic , not shutting down the country or the economy like others but relying on citizens ' sense of civic duty .
Swedish authorities have advised people to practice social distancing , but schools , bars , and restaurants have been kept open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 50 people have been banned .
Official advice tells anyone not “ vulnerable ” to stay home only if symptomatic , and to socially distance when out .
We ’ re not actively seeking herd immunity , they say .
But equally , we don ’ t want to suppress the virus by locking down , testing , and tracing .
`` I think there is potential for improvement in what we have done in Sweden , quite clearly , '' Anders Tegnell of the Public Health Agency told Swedish radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people , has seen 4,468 deaths linked to COVID-19 , which is far more than its Nordic neighbors and one of the highest death rates per capita in the world .
Denmark has had 580 coronavirus deaths , Finland has seen 320 , and Norway has had 237 , according to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University .
`` If we were to encounter the same disease again , knowing precisely what we know about it today , I think we would settle on doing something in between what Sweden did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has done , '' said Mr. Tegnell , considered the architect of the unique Swedish pandemic approach .
Authorities in Sweden , including Mr. Tegnell , have been criticized – and have apologized – for failing to protect the country 's elderly and nursing home residents .
But Mr. Tegnell said on Wednesday it was still unclear what the country should have done differently .
He also said other nations are unable to tell exactly what measures affected the outcome of their outbreaks because they threw everything at it in one go .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you start easing the measures , we could get some kind of lesson about what else , besides what we did , you could do without a total shutdown , '' Mr. Tegnell said .
Asked if the country 's high death toll has made him reconsider his unique approach to the pandemic , Mr. Tegnell answered `` yes , absolutely . ''
`` I 'm not walking around thinking that we have a real disaster here in Sweden , '' Jan Arpi , a sales executive , told The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more or less under control , but we have to be even more careful now with the learning we have got from how the virus is spread , especially among the elderly people . ''
Sweden 's infection rate of 43.24 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants is lower than Spain 's ( 58.06 ) , and Italy 's ( 55.39 ) , but is higher than the reported rates in the United States ( 32.14 ) and Brazil ( 14.29 ) , according to the Johns Hopkins University .
In a first-person account AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from home in Sweden during the lockdown and his efforts to understand the nation 's approach to the coronavirus : In Sweden , a vast acceptance of the strategy [ to remain open ] has swept across the nation .
Parties left to right have rallied behind the authorities .
Noteworthy dissent has come from 22 scientists , demanding more restrictions and testing , but they have been broadly dismissed as unhelpful and obsessive .
Researcher Gina Gustavsson suggests this stems from the country ’ s pride in its democracy , openness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy is to challenge Swedes ’ most cherished values .
There ’ s a pride in staying open and trusting the experts .
Ina Hallström argues this faith has meant people widely believe that the fast rising levels of death we ’ re witnessing are inevitable – when that might not necessarily be the case .
These deaths have exposed cracks in the Swedish nation , leaving some in disproportionately affected groups wondering how much their lives really matter .
Swedish-Somalis , seven times overrepresented in April ’ s case numbers , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linking this to “ illiteracy.
” Instead , they point to socioeconomic factors ; an inability to work remotely and overcrowded households .
Last week , the country 's former state epidemiologist , Annika Linde , said that in retrospect she believes an early lockdown could have saved lives while political pressure has forced the government to bring forward an investigation into the handling of the crisis .
The moves recommended by Mr. Tegnell have made Sweden a bit of a local pariah and did n't spare the Swedish economy .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak began and unemployment , which now stands at 7.9 % , is expected to climb higher .
Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson has said Sweden 's economy , which relies heavily on exports , will shrink 7 % in 2020 and the Scandinavian country was headed for `` a very deep economic crisis . ''
A party close to government calls for change .
Health Minister Lena Hallengren indicates testing and tracing may be ramped up .
Last week , neighboring Norway and Denmark said they were dropping mutual border controls but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` travel bubble . ''
Danes said they will reopen the border next month to residents of neighboring Germany , as well as to Norway and Iceland , as it accelerates the easing of its coronavirus lockdown .
However , Denmark , which has a bridge that goes directly to Sweden , has postponed a decision on whether to reopen to Swedish visitors until after the summer .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen , Denmark and Phelan Chatterjee in Stockholm , Sweden contributed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Sweden's chief epidemiologist showed contrition on Wednesday as criticism mounted over the Scandinavian country's hotly debated method of fighting the coronavirus, which has resulted in one of the highest death rates per capita in the world.
Sweden has stood out among European nations and the world for the way it has handled the pandemic, not shutting down the country or the economy like others but relying on citizens' sense of civic duty. Swedish authorities have advised people to practice social distancing, but schools, bars, and restaurants have been kept open the entire time. Only gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned.
Official advice tells anyone not “vulnerable” to stay home only if symptomatic, and to socially distance when out. We’re not actively seeking herd immunity, they say. But equally, we don’t want to suppress the virus by locking down, testing, and tracing.
"I think there is potential for improvement in what we have done in Sweden, quite clearly," Anders Tegnell of the Public Health Agency told Swedish radio.
Sweden, a nation of 10.2 million people, has seen 4,468 deaths linked to COVID-19, which is far more than its Nordic neighbors and one of the highest death rates per capita in the world. Denmark has had 580 coronavirus deaths, Finland has seen 320, and Norway has had 237, according to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University.
"If we were to encounter the same disease again, knowing precisely what we know about it today, I think we would settle on doing something in between what Sweden did and what the rest of the world has done," said Mr. Tegnell, considered the architect of the unique Swedish pandemic approach.
Authorities in Sweden, including Mr. Tegnell, have been criticized – and have apologized – for failing to protect the country's elderly and nursing home residents.
But Mr. Tegnell said on Wednesday it was still unclear what the country should have done differently. He also said other nations are unable to tell exactly what measures affected the outcome of their outbreaks because they threw everything at it in one go.
"Maybe we know that now, when you start easing the measures, we could get some kind of lesson about what else, besides what we did, you could do without a total shutdown," Mr. Tegnell said.
Asked if the country's high death toll has made him reconsider his unique approach to the pandemic, Mr. Tegnell answered "yes, absolutely."
"I'm not walking around thinking that we have a real disaster here in Sweden," Jan Arpi, a sales executive, told The Associated Press. "I think we have it more or less under control, but we have to be even more careful now with the learning we have got from how the virus is spread, especially among the elderly people."
Sweden's infection rate of 43.24 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants is lower than Spain's (58.06), and Italy's (55.39), but is higher than the reported rates in the United States (32.14) and Brazil (14.29), according to the Johns Hopkins University.
In a first-person account AP journalist Phelan Chatterjee shared his experiences working from home in Sweden during the lockdown and his efforts to understand the nation's approach to the coronavirus:
In Sweden, a vast acceptance of the strategy [to remain open] has swept across the nation. Parties left to right have rallied behind the authorities. Noteworthy dissent has come from 22 scientists, demanding more restrictions and testing, but they have been broadly dismissed as unhelpful and obsessive. Researcher Gina Gustavsson suggests this stems from the country’s pride in its democracy, openness, and scientific research. To challenge the strategy is to challenge Swedes’ most cherished values. There’s a pride in staying open and trusting the experts. Ina Hallström argues this faith has meant people widely believe that the fast rising levels of death we’re witnessing are inevitable – when that might not necessarily be the case. These deaths have exposed cracks in the Swedish nation, leaving some in disproportionately affected groups wondering how much their lives really matter. Swedish-Somalis, seven times overrepresented in April’s case numbers, have slammed the Christian Democrats’ leader for linking this to “illiteracy.” Instead, they point to socioeconomic factors; an inability to work remotely and overcrowded households.
Last week, the country's former state epidemiologist, Annika Linde, said that in retrospect she believes an early lockdown could have saved lives while political pressure has forced the government to bring forward an investigation into the handling of the crisis.
The moves recommended by Mr. Tegnell have made Sweden a bit of a local pariah and didn't spare the Swedish economy. More than 76,000 people have been made redundant since the outbreak began and unemployment, which now stands at 7.9%, is expected to climb higher.
Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson has said Sweden's economy, which relies heavily on exports, will shrink 7% in 2020 and the Scandinavian country was headed for "a very deep economic crisis."
A party close to government calls for change. Health Minister Lena Hallengren indicates testing and tracing may be ramped up.
Last week, neighboring Norway and Denmark said they were dropping mutual border controls but would keep Sweden out of a Nordic "travel bubble."
Danes said they will reopen the border next month to residents of neighboring Germany, as well as to Norway and Iceland, as it accelerates the easing of its coronavirus lockdown. However, Denmark, which has a bridge that goes directly to Sweden, has postponed a decision on whether to reopen to Swedish visitors until after the summer.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark and Phelan Chatterjee in Stockholm, Sweden 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--2020-03-30--Pandemic dilemma: Emergency surveillance won’t be easy to unplug

Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin , a United Nations special rapporteur for human rights , says emergency powers , once enacted , are rarely rolled back .
“ Even if they are created on the basis of being temporary aberrations , they essentially become permanent additions to the legal architecture of the state , ” she warns .
“ There are interests and obviously appetites for governments to take advantage of this opportunity to test out tracking and privacy-breaking technologies , ” says Alex Gladstein , chief strategy officer at the Human Rights Foundation .
Technology – including surveillance drones , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trackers – has emerged as a powerful weapon in the battle against COVID-19 .
But its rapid deployment raises important ethical questions reminiscent of those raised by the war on terror .
Governments are turning to telecommunications companies , social media platforms , and app developers for help monitoring individuals who contracted the virus and identifying at-risk clusters – with and without consent .
The coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp focus the work of doctors , nurses , and delivery workers .
Less obvious , but equally significant , is the work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : surveillance .
As they scramble to bring the pandemic under control , governments around the world are implementing or considering the use of sophisticated , and at times intrusive , monitoring techniques .
The coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp focus the work of doctors , nurses , and delivery workers .
Less obvious , but equally significant , is the work of those in an altogether different field : surveillance .
As they scramble to bring the pandemic under control , governments around the world are implementing or considering the use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , monitoring techniques .
Technology – including surveillance drones , facial recognition algorithms , and smartphone geolocation trackers – has emerged as a powerful weapon in the battle against COVID-19 .
But its rapid deployment raises important ethical questions reminiscent of those raised by the war on terror .
Many observers are voicing the concern that extraordinary measures implemented today will become permanent .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , we ’ ve removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing is an explosion of emergency or exceptional laws across the globe , ” says Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin , a law professor and the United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism .
Emergency powers , once enacted , are rarely rolled back , she says .
“ Even if they are created on the basis of being temporary aberrations , they essentially become permanent additions to the legal architecture of the state , ” she warns .
International law makes provisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a crisis , but the danger is overreach .
Professor Ní Aoláin says it worries her that many of the legislative measures being adopted around the world have a “ pre-cooked ” quality .
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán seized on the COVID-19 crisis to cement executive powers .
In the United Kingdom , there are concerns that the government ’ s emergency powers under the Coronavirus Act – a document more than 300 pages long – will relax restrictions on mass surveillance .
Israel wants its intelligence services to track those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have spread from Europe , collectively the epicenter of the pandemic , to the United States , the country with the most confirmed cases .
Governments are turning to telecommunications companies , social media platforms , and app developers for help monitoring individuals who contracted the virus and identifying at-risk clusters – with and without consent , with and without anonymizing personal data .
Human rights and privacy advocates say a cautionary tale on mass surveillance taken to the extreme can be found in China , which even before the pandemic had employed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , home to the ethnic Uyghur minority .
Wuhan , a city of 11 million people in Hubei Province and the point of origin of the coronavirus outbreak , had been placed under full lockdown , and appears to be emerging from the crisis .
But a phone app now determines whether Chinese citizens should remain in quarantine or have the right to move freely , all while sharing personal data with local authorities .
“ There are interests and obviously appetites for governments to take advantage of this opportunity to test out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alex Gladstein , chief strategy officer at the Human Rights Foundation , a global nonprofit that focuses on authoritarian regimes .
“ Even in open societies , like Taiwan and South Korea , you are unfortunately seeing very aggressive surveillance tracing of people in quarantine or who are positive.
” Health of the many The practice of surveilling and restraining those believed to be contagious is nearly as old as civilization itself .
Chapter 13 of Leviticus details which dermatological symptoms call for forcible isolation by public authorities .
Writing in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coined the motto “ salus populi suprema lex esto ” – “ the health of the people should be the supreme law ” – a phrase that John Locke , writing nearly 1,700 years later , would characterize as a foundational principle of government .
“ There is an old-fashioned law that the health of the many outweighs the rights of the individual , ” says Howard Markel , a physician and historian of medicine at the University of Michigan .
“ We ’ re all neighbors .
We ’ re all responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of quarantine dates to 14th-century Venice , Italy , when some arriving ships would be required to sit at anchor for 40 days – quaranta giorni in Italian – in an attempt to contain the bubonic plague .
The rise of germ theory in the 19th century further cemented the ethos that broad police powers were justified in the face of infectious disease .
By 1905 , in response to a smallpox outbreak in Cambridge , Massachusetts , the U.S. Supreme Court established that the rights of the individual must be subordinate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most famous example of overreach by public health officials is the story of Irish immigrant Mary Mallon , better known as Typhoid Mary .
A cook for wealthy families in the New York City area at the turn of the 20th century , she was an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever .
After several members of the families she cooked for fell ill , authorities identified her and forcibly quarantined her on North Brother Island .
Three years later , Ms. Mallon was released on the condition that she not work as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food , and was placed back in quarantine for the rest of her life – all told , nearly three decades in isolation .
Her plight represents “ the quintessential example of what happens when public health comes into conflict with civil rights , ” says medical historian Judith Walzer Leavitt , author of the 1997 book “ Typhoid Mary : Captive to the Public ’ s Health.
” Most of the stringent public health laws remained intact through the rise of the civil rights and civil liberties movements of the 1960s and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HIV/AIDS epidemic near the end of the 20th century that the tension between privacy and public health came to the forefront .
Reflecting on the lessons learned from that epidemic , UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Shannon Hader argues that trust , engagement , and the cooperation of communities are indispensable to truly conquer COVID-19 , as is the ready access to services for those who need them .
With trust , she adds , comes the most reliable data .
“ In the HIV response , we ’ ve seen effective surveillance systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have strict protections and have had no breaches of confidentialities , ” says Dr. Hader .
“ Yes , there are absolutely ways – even with new technologies and artificial intelligence – to do sound and important public health surveillance that does not compromise the health and safety of individuals.
” From the World Health Organization in Geneva to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , efforts are underway to develop apps that could help contain the pandemic .
One challenge is that privacy laws around the world have struggled to keep pace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognition , biometrics , artificial intelligence , and big-data analysis .
But Joe Cannataci , the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to privacy , says that a data-driven response to the coronavirus is possible while still adhering to ethical standards .
“ We shouldn ’ t be surprised that in exceptional circumstances exceptional measures should be taken , ” says Professor Cannataci from his home office in Malta , where he is adhering to a precautionary 14-day quarantine after extensive travel .
“ The problem is , however , do we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have the right oversight systems in place ?
” Roughly a third of countries worldwide have no privacy laws at all .
Experts consider Europe ’ s General Data Protection Regulation , which came into force in 2018 , as the closest thing to an international gold standard .
However , as Professor Cannataci points out , it does not apply to security services .
What does apply , at least in the context of the 47 states of the Council of Europe plus eight other ratifying nations , is Convention 108 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveillance that is necessary , proportional , and provided for by law in a democratic society .
The right safeguards , in his view , would take the form of a supervising authority that is independent and set up by law , and includes both legal and technological experts in the authorization process for surveillance operations .
“ You have to have very clearly specified data searches , very clearly specified surveillance , and very clearly specified time periods , ” says Professor Cannataci .
“ You can ’ t do this all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you leave the system in place , and instead of saying coronavirus , instead of flagging the people with coronavirus , you flag all those people who are critical of the government , ” he adds .
“ The tools can be so misused that they would make 1984 look like kindergarten .
Big Brother would become Little Brother compared with what the state can do.
” As many countries explore surveillance options , Israel stands out for its explicit intention to repurpose technology designed to tackle suspected terrorists to instead track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
The Israeli government approved emergency powers for its internal security agency to do so , but met immediate pushback from private and civil rights advocates who find the measure too extreme .
The Supreme Court stepped in , issuing an order to bar the use of such technology until a parliamentary committee can be set up to oversee its workings .
But the parliament has not been functioning amid a power struggle between the caretaker government and the opposition following the most recent elections .
In the meantime , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the FBI , continues to use cellphone data to trace where coronavirus-positive people have been and who they would have come into contact with .
Israelis joke that if you have an extra blue check on your WhatsApp messaging app , that means Shin Bet has read the message as well .
Critics of the policy worry it will put a damper on political expression and mobilization .
“ When people know they are monitored , they regulate their behavior , ” notes Michael Bar-Sinai , a computer science and privacy researcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ So if Big Brother is watching you , you always try to behave in a way that would not annoy Big Brother , especially when your democracy is very fragile as we see now .
It could prevent people from self-organizing in their own self-interest.
” Yohanan Plesner , president of the Israel Democracy Institute and a former lawmaker , does not buy the slippery-slope argument of critics that tracking citizens in the age of the coronavirus necessarily marks a decline in Israel ’ s democracy .
He sees it as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health , provided it is used for a limited time and with parliamentary oversight .
“ I don ’ t think privacy is an absolute value , and public health is also an important goal .
Since every individual has a cellphone , we can make good use of this to save lives.
” Staff writer Eoin O ’ Carroll in Amherst , Massachusetts , and correspondent Dina Kraft in Tel Aviv , Israel , contributed reporting .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , we ’ ve removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s free .

Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin, a United Nations special rapporteur for human rights, says emergency powers, once enacted, are rarely rolled back. “Even if they are created on the basis of being temporary aberrations, they essentially become permanent additions to the legal architecture of the state,” she warns.
“There are interests and obviously appetites for governments to take advantage of this opportunity to test out tracking and privacy-breaking technologies,” says Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer at the Human Rights Foundation.
In an emergency, picking health over privacy as a higher value seems like a no-brainer. But what happens when the emergency passes? That’s a complicating factor that weighs heavily for rights advocates.
Technology – including surveillance drones, facial recognition algorithms, and smartphone geolocation trackers – has emerged as a powerful weapon in the battle against COVID-19. But its rapid deployment raises important ethical questions reminiscent of those raised by the war on terror. Governments are turning to telecommunications companies, social media platforms, and app developers for help monitoring individuals who contracted the virus and identifying at-risk clusters – with and without consent.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp focus the work of doctors, nurses, and delivery workers. Less obvious, but equally significant, is the work of those in an altogether different field: surveillance. As they scramble to bring the pandemic under control, governments around the world are implementing or considering the use of sophisticated, and at times intrusive, monitoring techniques.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp focus the work of doctors, nurses, and delivery workers. Less obvious, but equally significant, is the work of those in an altogether different field: surveillance.
As they scramble to bring the pandemic under control, governments around the world are implementing or considering the use of sophisticated, and at times intrusive, monitoring techniques.
Technology – including surveillance drones, facial recognition algorithms, and smartphone geolocation trackers – has emerged as a powerful weapon in the battle against COVID-19. But its rapid deployment raises important ethical questions reminiscent of those raised by the war on terror.
Why We Wrote This In an emergency, picking health over privacy as a higher value seems like a no-brainer. But what happens when the emergency passes? That’s a complicating factor that weighs heavily for rights advocates.
Many observers are voicing the concern that extraordinary measures implemented today will become permanent.
Editor’s note: As a public service, we’ve removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.
“The single largest, immediate challenge we are seeing is an explosion of emergency or exceptional laws across the globe,” says Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin, a law professor and the United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
Emergency powers, once enacted, are rarely rolled back, she says. “Even if they are created on the basis of being temporary aberrations, they essentially become permanent additions to the legal architecture of the state,” she warns.
An opportunity seized?
International law makes provisions for states to limit citizens’ rights during a crisis, but the danger is overreach. Professor Ní Aoláin says it worries her that many of the legislative measures being adopted around the world have a “pre-cooked” quality.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán seized on the COVID-19 crisis to cement executive powers. In the United Kingdom, there are concerns that the government’s emergency powers under the Coronavirus Act – a document more than 300 pages long – will relax restrictions on mass surveillance. Israel wants its intelligence services to track those who have the virus.
Emergency measures have spread from Europe, collectively the epicenter of the pandemic, to the United States, the country with the most confirmed cases. Governments are turning to telecommunications companies, social media platforms, and app developers for help monitoring individuals who contracted the virus and identifying at-risk clusters – with and without consent, with and without anonymizing personal data.
Human rights and privacy advocates say a cautionary tale on mass surveillance taken to the extreme can be found in China, which even before the pandemic had employed that measure to repress dissent in Xinjiang, home to the ethnic Uyghur minority.
Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in Hubei Province and the point of origin of the coronavirus outbreak, had been placed under full lockdown, and appears to be emerging from the crisis. But a phone app now determines whether Chinese citizens should remain in quarantine or have the right to move freely, all while sharing personal data with local authorities.
“There are interests and obviously appetites for governments to take advantage of this opportunity to test out tracking and privacy-breaking technologies,” says Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer at the Human Rights Foundation, a global nonprofit that focuses on authoritarian regimes. “Even in open societies, like Taiwan and South Korea, you are unfortunately seeing very aggressive surveillance tracing of people in quarantine or who are positive.”
Health of the many
The practice of surveilling and restraining those believed to be contagious is nearly as old as civilization itself. Chapter 13 of Leviticus details which dermatological symptoms call for forcible isolation by public authorities. Writing in the first century B.C., the Roman statesman Cicero coined the motto “salus populi suprema lex esto” – “the health of the people should be the supreme law” – a phrase that John Locke, writing nearly 1,700 years later, would characterize as a foundational principle of government.
“There is an old-fashioned law that the health of the many outweighs the rights of the individual,” says Howard Markel, a physician and historian of medicine at the University of Michigan. “We’re all neighbors. We’re all responsible for one another.”
Our modern conception of quarantine dates to 14th-century Venice, Italy, when some arriving ships would be required to sit at anchor for 40 days – quaranta giorni in Italian – in an attempt to contain the bubonic plague. The rise of germ theory in the 19th century further cemented the ethos that broad police powers were justified in the face of infectious disease. By 1905, in response to a smallpox outbreak in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the U.S. Supreme Court established that the rights of the individual must be subordinate to reasonable public health measures.
Thomas Peter/Reuters View caption Hide caption A software engineer works on a facial recognition program that identifies people when they wear a face mask, at the development lab of the Chinese electronics manufacturer Hanwang (Hanvon) Technology in Beijing, March 6, 2020.
Perhaps the most famous example of overreach by public health officials is the story of Irish immigrant Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary. A cook for wealthy families in the New York City area at the turn of the 20th century, she was an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever. After several members of the families she cooked for fell ill, authorities identified her and forcibly quarantined her on North Brother Island. Three years later, Ms. Mallon was released on the condition that she not work as a cook. But she returned to preparing food, and was placed back in quarantine for the rest of her life – all told, nearly three decades in isolation.
Her plight represents “the quintessential example of what happens when public health comes into conflict with civil rights,” says medical historian Judith Walzer Leavitt, author of the 1997 book “Typhoid Mary: Captive to the Public’s Health.”
Most of the stringent public health laws remained intact through the rise of the civil rights and civil liberties movements of the 1960s and 1970s. It was only with the HIV/AIDS epidemic near the end of the 20th century that the tension between privacy and public health came to the forefront.
Reflecting on the lessons learned from that epidemic, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Shannon Hader argues that trust, engagement, and the cooperation of communities are indispensable to truly conquer COVID-19, as is the ready access to services for those who need them.
With trust, she adds, comes the most reliable data.
“In the HIV response, we’ve seen effective surveillance systems with extremely private information put into place that have strict protections and have had no breaches of confidentialities,” says Dr. Hader. “Yes, there are absolutely ways – even with new technologies and artificial intelligence – to do sound and important public health surveillance that does not compromise the health and safety of individuals.”
Need for oversight
From the World Health Organization in Geneva to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, efforts are underway to develop apps that could help contain the pandemic. One challenge is that privacy laws around the world have struggled to keep pace with technological advances that have delivered facial recognition, biometrics, artificial intelligence, and big-data analysis.
But Joe Cannataci, the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to privacy, says that a data-driven response to the coronavirus is possible while still adhering to ethical standards.
“We shouldn’t be surprised that in exceptional circumstances exceptional measures should be taken,” says Professor Cannataci from his home office in Malta, where he is adhering to a precautionary 14-day quarantine after extensive travel. “The problem is, however, do we have the right safeguards in place? Do we have the right oversight systems in place?”
Roughly a third of countries worldwide have no privacy laws at all. Experts consider Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, which came into force in 2018, as the closest thing to an international gold standard. However, as Professor Cannataci points out, it does not apply to security services.
What does apply, at least in the context of the 47 states of the Council of Europe plus eight other ratifying nations, is Convention 108. This imposes the obligation to introduce surveillance that is necessary, proportional, and provided for by law in a democratic society.
The right safeguards, in his view, would take the form of a supervising authority that is independent and set up by law, and includes both legal and technological experts in the authorization process for surveillance operations. “You have to have very clearly specified data searches, very clearly specified surveillance, and very clearly specified time periods,” says Professor Cannataci. “You can’t do this all the time.”
“The risks are that you leave the system in place, and instead of saying coronavirus, instead of flagging the people with coronavirus, you flag all those people who are critical of the government,” he adds. “The tools can be so misused that they would make 1984 look like kindergarten. Big Brother would become Little Brother compared with what the state can do.”
Self-censorship
As many countries explore surveillance options, Israel stands out for its explicit intention to repurpose technology designed to tackle suspected terrorists to instead track down information that is useful in fighting the coronavirus.
The Israeli government approved emergency powers for its internal security agency to do so, but met immediate pushback from private and civil rights advocates who find the measure too extreme. The Supreme Court stepped in, issuing an order to bar the use of such technology until a parliamentary committee can be set up to oversee its workings.
But the parliament has not been functioning amid a power struggle between the caretaker government and the opposition following the most recent elections. In the meantime, the Shin Bet, Israel’s version of the FBI, continues to use cellphone data to trace where coronavirus-positive people have been and who they would have come into contact with. Israelis joke that if you have an extra blue check on your WhatsApp messaging app, that means Shin Bet has read the message as well.
Critics of the policy worry it will put a damper on political expression and mobilization.
“When people know they are monitored, they regulate their behavior,” notes Michael Bar-Sinai, a computer science and privacy researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. “So if Big Brother is watching you, you always try to behave in a way that would not annoy Big Brother, especially when your democracy is very fragile as we see now. It could prevent people from self-organizing in their own self-interest.”
Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute and a former lawmaker, does not buy the slippery-slope argument of critics that tracking citizens in the age of the coronavirus necessarily marks a decline in Israel’s democracy.
He sees it as an innovative and possibly effective tool for safeguarding public health, provided it is used for a limited time and with parliamentary oversight.
“I don’t think privacy is an absolute value, and public health is also an important goal. Since every individual has a cellphone, we can make good use of this to save lives.”
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Staff writer Eoin O’Carroll in Amherst, Massachusetts, and correspondent Dina Kraft in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed reporting.
Editor’s note: As a public service, we’ve removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-03-12--Virus creates global experiment in lower carbon-emission habits

As coronavirus sweeps the Seattle area , the University of Washington this week closed its classrooms in a bid to contain the spread of the disease .
But lecturer Ian Schnee 's philosophy class for 300 students took place as scheduled on Monday – just online .
Eighty tuned in live , with more expected to watch the recording later .
Mr. Schnee 's other lessons also happened virtually , with 20 students joining a video-streaming chatroom to share answers to logic problems and ask questions before upcoming exams .
`` I could share my desktop and other students could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the office whiteboard , he said .
`` Doing it virtually was a pretty rich experiment . ''
Recently , some of the university 's 40,000 students and professors have been exploring options to curb planet-warming emissions , in part through greater use of video-conferencing technology .
But restrictions triggered by coronavirus have swiftly turned some of those ideas into a large-scale , real-time trial .
`` It 's become de facto a massive experiment in education , '' Mr. Schnee told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by telephone .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
As a growing coronavirus pandemic shuts down conferences , transport , schools , and sporting events worldwide , it is also nudging people toward new behaviors and technologies that may have lasting influence on the emissions driving climate change .
Not all the shifts are positive .
The threat of contracting the virus , for instance , is pushing some public transport users into taxis to avoid crowds - though others are taking to bicycles and other green means of getting around .
And a global slowdown in air travel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , could bounce back with a delayed surge in demand for flights if the virus tails off , climate experts warn .
But as organizers of conferences , political negotiations , and classes scramble to switch to digital events – and even doctors consult online to try to avoid spreading the virus – huge amounts of fossil-fuel emissions from travel , in particular , are being avoided , creating a knock-on effect that could persist .
Japan is one example of a country getting its first real taste of working from home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adopted that option .
`` Japan does n't have a 'working at home ' policy .
People go to work whether they are sick or not , '' said Niklas Höhne of the German-based NewClimate Institute , which supports action to address climate change .
`` But now with coronavirus , they ca n't do that , so they are learning to work at home – and they might continue doing it .
It might lead to a consistent change in behavioral patterns and lower emissions , '' said the emissions reductions expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Amazon , Microsoft , Facebook , and Google all have urged or allowed staff to work remotely .
`` There 's definitely a tele-commuting movement going on , not just at the university but all around Seattle , '' Mr. Schnee said .
When classrooms shut for at least two weeks starting on Monday at the University of Washington , `` it was so sudden a lot of students felt at sea and a lot of faculty were scrambling , '' he said .
But three days on , `` there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] , and an acceptance that even though it 's not their normal experience they can pull it off , '' the lecturer said .
They might even acquire the skills to be comfortable continuing with it , he predicted .
Kelly Levin , an emissions specialist with the Washington-based World Resources Institute ( WRI ) , said the coronavirus experience could spur a rethink about whether big international meetings are worth the huge environmental and financial costs .
`` This is giving us some space to pause and re-evaluate , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit some groups , from disabled participants to those who ca n't travel for family or other reasons .
Colin Marshall , who organizes seminars for the University of Washington 's philosophy department , said a pre-virus commitment to begin having 15 % `` virtual '' speakers had allowed them to land an April guest they had otherwise failed for years to attract .
Technology offers the possibility `` to make academia more equitable and just better , '' he said .
`` More people will be in a position to be involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' But virtual conferencing is not well suited to everyone , warned Anna Schulz , who works on climate policy with some of the world 's least-developed countries for the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development .
Where internet is patchy or unreliable – a problem in many poorer parts of the world – holding negotiations or conferences online would `` further marginalize vulnerable voices , '' she said .
As she and colleagues prepare for November 's United Nations climate summit in Glasgow , `` we 're in the process of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the face of an inability to meet with people , '' she said .
As the pandemic stretches around the globe , there may be time for new habits to take hold , some of them lower-carbon .
`` Behavioral sciences suggest a disruption is one of the few things that can disturb habits , '' WRI 's Ms. Levin said .
But how much the coronavirus will cut emissions – or reduce in a lasting way high-carbon activities such as flying – remains unclear , analysts said .
`` There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Ms. Levin said .
This story was reported by The Thomson Reuters Foundation .

As coronavirus sweeps the Seattle area, the University of Washington this week closed its classrooms in a bid to contain the spread of the disease.
But lecturer Ian Schnee's philosophy class for 300 students took place as scheduled on Monday – just online. Eighty tuned in live, with more expected to watch the recording later.
Mr. Schnee's other lessons also happened virtually, with 20 students joining a video-streaming chatroom to share answers to logic problems and ask questions before upcoming exams.
"I could share my desktop and other students could share theirs," the same as with the office whiteboard, he said. "Doing it virtually was a pretty rich experiment."
Recently, some of the university's 40,000 students and professors have been exploring options to curb planet-warming emissions, in part through greater use of video-conferencing technology.
But restrictions triggered by coronavirus have swiftly turned some of those ideas into a large-scale, real-time trial.
"It's become de facto a massive experiment in education," Mr. Schnee told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by telephone. "It's like a crash course in new technology."
As a growing coronavirus pandemic shuts down conferences, transport, schools, and sporting events worldwide, it is also nudging people toward new behaviors and technologies that may have lasting influence on the emissions driving climate change.
Not all the shifts are positive. The threat of contracting the virus, for instance, is pushing some public transport users into taxis to avoid crowds - though others are taking to bicycles and other green means of getting around.
And a global slowdown in air travel, which has curbed emissions so far this year, could bounce back with a delayed surge in demand for flights if the virus tails off, climate experts warn.
But as organizers of conferences, political negotiations, and classes scramble to switch to digital events – and even doctors consult online to try to avoid spreading the virus – huge amounts of fossil-fuel emissions from travel, in particular, are being avoided, creating a knock-on effect that could persist.
Japan is one example of a country getting its first real taste of working from home, in a culture that has never adopted that option.
"Japan doesn't have a 'working at home' policy. People go to work whether they are sick or not," said Niklas Höhne of the German-based NewClimate Institute, which supports action to address climate change.
"But now with coronavirus, they can't do that, so they are learning to work at home – and they might continue doing it. It might lead to a consistent change in behavioral patterns and lower emissions," said the emissions reductions expert.
In virus-hit Seattle, big employers such as Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and Google all have urged or allowed staff to work remotely.
"There's definitely a tele-commuting movement going on, not just at the university but all around Seattle," Mr. Schnee said.
When classrooms shut for at least two weeks starting on Monday at the University of Washington, "it was so sudden a lot of students felt at sea and a lot of faculty were scrambling," he said.
But three days on, "there's much less skepticism [among professors], and an acceptance that even though it's not their normal experience they can pull it off," the lecturer said.
They might even acquire the skills to be comfortable continuing with it, he predicted.
Kelly Levin, an emissions specialist with the Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI), said the coronavirus experience could spur a rethink about whether big international meetings are worth the huge environmental and financial costs.
"This is giving us some space to pause and re-evaluate," she said, noting virtual meetings also can benefit some groups, from disabled participants to those who can't travel for family or other reasons.
Colin Marshall, who organizes seminars for the University of Washington's philosophy department, said a pre-virus commitment to begin having 15% "virtual" speakers had allowed them to land an April guest they had otherwise failed for years to attract.
Technology offers the possibility "to make academia more equitable and just better," he said. "More people will be in a position to be involved in things that weren't before."
But virtual conferencing is not well suited to everyone, warned Anna Schulz, who works on climate policy with some of the world's least-developed countries for the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development.
Where internet is patchy or unreliable – a problem in many poorer parts of the world – holding negotiations or conferences online would "further marginalize vulnerable voices," she said.
As she and colleagues prepare for November's United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, "we're in the process of trying to rethink what diplomacy looks like in the face of an inability to meet with people," she said.
As the pandemic stretches around the globe, there may be time for new habits to take hold, some of them lower-carbon.
"Behavioral sciences suggest a disruption is one of the few things that can disturb habits," WRI's Ms. Levin said.
But how much the coronavirus will cut emissions – or reduce in a lasting way high-carbon activities such as flying – remains unclear, analysts said.
"There are a lot of unknowns right now," Ms. Levin said.
This story was reported by The Thomson Reuters Foundation.