bbc--2020-04-16--Coronavirus: 'Undocumented explosion' spreads around Brazil

At Vila Formosa , Latin America 's biggest cemetery , mourning loved ones has become somewhat fraught .
Families are strictly limited to an hour with the coffin in the chapel of rest and no more than 10 people are allowed in .
All in the name of curbing the spread of Covid-19 .
For gravediggers and undertakers , the rules have become even tighter .
When they prepare a burial , they 're handed a piece of paper - on the top right , there 's a code .
D3 means a suspected or confirmed coronavirus death .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective suits , masks and gloves .
Workers at Vila Formosa , in the Brazilian city of São Paulo , say they 're turning over more graves than normal .
On an average day , they bury about 40 bodies at the cemetery .
The weekend before last , that figure was about 60 .
`` The municipality bought 5,000 body bags and they 're hiring more people , too , '' says gravedigger Manuel Pereira .
But they 're bracing themselves for the weeks ahead .
Brazil 's health ministry says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until May or June .
In one corner of the cemetery , a coffin is removed from a hearse and six undertakers in white overalls walk over fresh red soil to a newly-dug grave .
Maria Odete died at the age of 77 from suspected coronavirus .
The family have come wearing masks and observing social distancing , a few hugs are given to those who need them , and just a short round of applause follows .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ STRESS : How to look after your mental health '' I 'm really sad and worried about the situation , '' says Sandro Nunes , her son .
He never imagined saying goodbye to his mother like this .
`` I was n't taking it too seriously before .
I thought it was the media stirring things up .
Then , when it happened to our family , we understood the severity of it . ''
Maria Odete 's family wo n't find out for sure whether or not she had Covid-19 until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is a pattern that 's being repeated every day across Brazil .
The country 's laboratories have a bottleneck of tens of thousands of tests .
They just do n't have the capacity at the moment .
As of 15 April , the health ministry had reported 1,736 deaths and more than 28,000 cases .
But Dr Carolina Lazari , medical chief of the molecular biology laboratory at Latin America 's biggest hospital , Hospital das Clínicas , says `` the ministry numbers are a photograph of the past '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ every million inhabitants .
In the US , for instance , this figure stands at 9,482 per million .
One of the challenges is that the country struggles to import sufficient quantities of ingredients for testing .
The whole world is competing for supplies to tackle the pandemic .
`` All we see is the tip of the iceberg , '' says Dr Lazari .
`` In Brazil we only test the patients that go to hospital and stay there - the more severe cases - but we do n't know how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Figures from Brazil 's Civil Registry show that there was a near 10 % rise in the number of people dying of acute respiratory syndrome in March compared with last year .
There 's concern that victims of coronavirus were not included in nationwide statistics , which underscores accusations that Brazil is under-reporting .
Daniel Tabak , an oncologist and haematologist behind a campaign to increase testing at the laboratory at Rio Federal University , thinks the country was slow in preparing for the virus .
Brazil 's first case was detected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world famous carnival , but the street parties hosting millions went ahead without any concern .
`` For a while , there was this idea that Brazil would n't be affected , '' he says .
`` There was a lack of urgency and preparation in buying kits in a more proactive manner . ''
Without the ability to test on a mass scale , experts point to social distancing as a way to curb the spread of the virus .
Although most states have heeded the health ministry 's advice of social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jeer at the severity of coronavirus and wants people to return to work .
Last weekend , Jair Bolsonaro met crowds of supporters in the capital , even wiping his nose before shaking an elderly lady 's hand .
`` [ It ] takes away the credibility of our health ministry , '' says Dr Lazari .
`` We have to think the same way and try and take the same measures to slow the spread of the virus . ''
With little data available , some scientists are modelling estimates to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
According one group of Brazilian researchers , there could be as many as 313,000 cases in Brazil - 15 times the official number .
• Why coronavirus is a class issue in South America '' People ask me when we are going to reach the top , when can people relax , '' says Domingos Alves , part of the team and a member of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo .
`` But anyone even guessing is being hasty .
We ca n't estimate how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climbing a mountain but you ca n't see the peak .
And that 's why it 's important to look at the rise .
Will we be similar to the US , to Italy ?
We do n't know - not with the data that 's available . ''
Where is Brazil headed to ?
Daniel Tabak says India could perhaps offer a better insight into how the virus will behave in Brazil .
`` In a population with 13 million people living in favelas , where there will be no systematic testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he says .
`` It 's a highly infectious disease that will get to crowded communities which still fight for basics such as water and soap . ''
He thinks there 's only one way to read the statistics .
`` Brazil has not exploded because this has simply not been recorded . ''

"But anyone even guessing is being hasty. We can't estimate how the curve is going up. Imagine you climbing a mountain but you can't see the peak. And that's why it's important to look at the rise. Will we be similar to the US, to Italy? We don't know - not with the data that's available."


bbc--2020-04-16--Coronavirus: Facebook alters virus policy after damning misinformation report

Facebook is changing how it treats Covid-19 misinformation after a damning report into its handling of the virus .
Users who have read , watched or shared false coronavirus content will receive a pop-up alert urging them to go the World Health Organisation 's website .
A study had indicated Facebook was frequently failing to clamp down on false posts , particularly when they were in languages other than English .
Facebook said the research did not reflect the work it had done recently .
The California tech firm says it will start showing the messages at the top of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
The messages will direct people to a World Health Organisation webpage where myths are debunked .
A Facebook spokesman said the move will `` connect people who may have interacted with harmful misinformation about the virus with the truth from authoritative sources , in case they see or hear these claims again off of Facebook '' .
The changes have been prompted by a major study of misinformation on the platform across six languages by Avaaz , a crowdfunded activist group .
Researchers say millions of Facebook users continue to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning on the platform .
The group found some of the most dangerous falsehoods had received hundreds of thousands of views , including claims like `` black people are resistant to coronavirus '' and `` Coronavirus is destroyed by chlorine dioxide '' .
Avaaz researchers analysed a sample of more than 100 pieces of Facebook coronavirus misinformation on the website 's English , Spanish , Portuguese , Arabic , Italian and French versions .
• It can take the company up to 22 days to issue warning labels for coronavirus misinformation , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the harmful content for the platform .
• 29 % of false content in the sample was not labelled at all on the English language version of the website • It is worse in some other languages , with 68 % of Italian-language content , 70 % of Spanish-language content , and 50 % of Portuguese-language content not labelled as false • Facebook 's Arabic language efforts are more successful , with only 22 % of the sample of misleading posts remaining unlabelled .
Facebook says it is continuing to expand its multilingual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with trusted organisations in more than 50 languages .
Fadi Quran , Campaign Director at Avaaz said : `` Facebook sits at the epicenter of the misinformation crisis .
`` But the company is turning a critical corner today to clean up this toxic information ecosystem , becoming the first social media platform to alert all users who have been exposed to coronavirus misinformation , and directing them to life-saving facts . ''
One of the falsehoods that researchers tracked was the claim that people could rid the body of the virus by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with salt or vinegar .
The post was shared more than 31,000 times before eventually being taken down after Avaaz flagged it to Facebook .
However , more than 2,600 clones of the post remain on the platform , with nearly 100,000 interactions and most of these cloned posts have no warning labels from Facebook .
Mark Zuckerberg , Facebook founder and chief executive , defended his company 's work in an online post saying : `` On Facebook and Instagram , we 've now directed more than two billion people to authoritative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and educational pop-ups , with more than 350 million people clicking through to learn more .
`` If a piece of content contains harmful misinformation that could lead to imminent physical harm , then we 'll take it down .
We 've taken down hundreds of thousands of pieces of misinformation related to Covid-19 , including theories like drinking bleach cures the virus or that physical distancing is ineffective at preventing the disease from spreading .
For other misinformation , once it is rated false by fact-checkers , we reduce its distribution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find duplicates . ''
Mr Zuckerberg insists that warning pop-ups are working , with 95 % of users choosing to not view the content when presented with the labels .
`` I think this latest step is a good move from Facebook and we 've seen a much more proactive stance to misinformation in this pandemic than during other situations like the US elections '' , says Emily Taylor , associate fellow at Chatham House and an expert at social media misinformation .
`` We do n't know if it will make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be worth a try because the difference between misinformation in a health crisis and an election is literally that lives are at stake , '' she said .

"If a piece of content contains harmful misinformation that could lead to imminent physical harm, then we'll take it down. We've taken down hundreds of thousands of pieces of misinformation related to Covid-19, including theories like drinking bleach cures the virus or that physical distancing is ineffective at preventing the disease from spreading. For other misinformation, once it is rated false by fact-checkers, we reduce its distribution, apply warning labels with more context and find duplicates."


bbc--2020-04-15--Why the WHO got caught between China and Trump

President Donald Trump has said he is going to halt US funding to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) because it had `` failed in its basic duty '' in its response to the coronavirus outbreak .
But what is the WHO and what does it do ?
A wash of colour overhead greets anyone entering the WHO headquarters in Geneva where the 194 flags of the organisation 's member states drape from the ceiling as - on sunny days , at least - beams of light flood the large open atrium .
This is from where the global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` the greatest test to the world since World War Two '' - is being co-ordinated .
The UN agency was founded in 1948 , and describes itself as the `` global guardian of public health '' .
Its stated goal is to ensure `` the highest attainable level of health for all people '' .
Over the last 11 years , it has overseen the global response to six international health emergencies , including the Ebola outbreak in west Africa in 2014 , the Zika outbreak in 2016 and - right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when to sound the `` global alarm '' during outbreaks • sets up worldwide research and development plans aimed at fast-tracking new treatments and vaccines • sends experts into the epicentres of disease in order to gather data on what works and what doesn't The WHO also has responsibility for a wide range of other health issues , including • wiping out vaccine-preventable diseases , such as polio • working to reduce the number of mothers and babies who die during childbirth .
But - and it 's a big but - the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can make recommendations to countries on what to do to improve the health of its citizens and prevent the outbreak of disease , but it ca n't enforce those recommendations .
Has the WHO mishandled this pandemic ?
It depends on who you ask .
If you ask Donald Trump , the answer is a resounding yes .
But Mr Trump himself is facing withering criticism of how he has dealt with the outbreak in the US - which now has more than 600,000 cases and 26,000 deaths .
He also has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far precedes Covid-19 .
• Fact-checking Trump 's claims about the WHO • The Ethiopian at the heart of the coronavirus fight However , the US leader is certainly not the first to criticise the WHO for its effusive praise of China 's response to the outbreak which continued even while others - including medics in the country - described how their early concerns about the virus were silenced by the authorities .
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , director general of the WHO , has repeatedly said he stands by his praise of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow the spread of the virus internationally , buying other countries time to prepare for what was coming .
And he , along with many other scientists , points out that China voluntarily shared the genetic code of the virus very quickly , allowing countries to start making diagnostic tests and working on vaccines .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health However , there has also been widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Devi Sridhar , professor of global public health at the University of Edinburgh , said : `` China did n't do a great job of telling the world [ about the early stages of the outbreak ] and it 's clear there were delays .
`` They tried to downplay this in the early days . ''
Prof Sridhar investigated the WHO 's much-criticised response to the west Africa Ebola epidemic , and describes herself as one of the WHO 's `` harshest critics '' .
But she added : `` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the WHO has been trying to do , given the difficult balancing act of trying to get countries to address this epidemic and take it seriously , while also trying to keep all countries at the table . ''
A major part of the WHO 's role is diplomacy .
Because it ca n't force countries to share information about outbreaks , it relies on nations themselves coming forward .
Prof Sridhar said the organisation could have got its `` five minutes of fame '' around the world if Dr Tedros had issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , but that could have hampered the global response to Covid-19 .
`` What would that have achieved ?
He still needs to go back a week later and ask China to share data . ''
She believes the WHO did put pressure on China to be more up-front in the early days of the outbreak - but that it did so behind the scenes .
`` I think there 's a big difference in diplomacy , between doing things publicly with the media - which is often just a performance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do things privately and actually advocate and get things moving . ''
This is n't the first time the WHO has faced criticism .
The UN agency was deemed to be slow to respond to the 2014 Ebola outbreak , declaring an international emergency only five months after the virus was first identified in Guinea .
But in 2009 , it was accused of the opposite - being quick to over-react on the H1N1 swine-flu outbreak , and unnecessarily declaring a global pandemic .
Last week , when President Trump floated the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr Tedros called for countries not to `` politicise this virus . ''
He also said he welcomed a review of the WHO 's response to the outbreak because `` we want to learn from our mistakes , from our strengths and move forward '' .
But he said the focus now should be on `` fighting this virus '' .
What impact could President Trump 's move have ?
The US is the biggest single donor to the WHO , which relies on a combination of members ' fees - based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those voluntary donations make up most of the agency 's $ 2.2bn ( £1.75bn ) annual budget .
Last year the US gave more than $ 400m .
Dr Jeremy Farrar , director of the UK 's Wellcome Trust , said the WHO needs `` more resources , not less '' to tackle the pandemic .
`` We are facing the greatest challenge of our lifetime .
No other organisation can do what they do .
`` This is a time for solidarity , not division . ''
And Prof Sridhar said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nose to spite its face '' .
`` If WHO is hampered by this - its ability to respond to Covid , but also to malaria , and TB and polio is hampered , too - we 're going to see the resurgence of all kinds of diseases that we thought were in the past . ''

But she added: "It's hard to fault a lot of what the WHO has been trying to do, given the difficult balancing act of trying to get countries to address this epidemic and take it seriously, while also trying to keep all countries at the table."


bbc--2020-04-17--Coronavirus at Smithfield pork plant: The untold story of America's biggest outbreak

How did the biggest cluster in the US emerge in a corner of South Dakota ?
Infections spread like wildfire through a pork factory and questions remain about what the company did to protect staff .
On the afternoon of 25 March , Julia sat down at her laptop and logged into a phony Facebook account .
She 'd opened it in middle school , to surreptitiously monitor boys she had crushes on .
But now , many years later , it was about to serve a much more serious purpose .
`` Can you please look into Smithfield , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an account called Argus911 , the Facebook-based tip line for the local newspaper , the Argus Leader .
`` They do have a positive [ Covid-19 ] case and are planning to stay open . ''
By `` Smithfield '' , she was referring to the Smithfield Foods pork-processing plant located in her town of Sioux Falls , South Dakota .
The factory - a massive , eight-story white box perched on the banks of the Big Sioux River - is the ninth-largest hog-processing facility in the US .
When running at full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per day , slicing , grinding and smoking them into millions of pounds of bacon , hot dogs and spiral-cut hams .
With 3,700 workers , it is also the fourth-largest employer in the city .
`` Thank you for the tip , '' the Argus911 account responded .
`` What job did the worker who tested positive have ? ''
`` We are not exactly sure , '' Julia wrote back .
`` OK , thanks , '' Argus911 replied .
`` We 'll be in touch . ''
The next day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published the story on its website : `` Smithfield Foods employee tests positive for coronavirus '' .
The reporter confirmed through a company spokeswoman that , indeed , an employee had tested positive , was in a 14-day quarantine , and that his or her work area and other common spaces had been `` thoroughly sanitised '' .
But the plant , deemed part of a `` critical infrastructure industry '' by the Trump administration , would remain fully operational .
`` Food is an essential part of all our lives , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , thousands of American family farmers and our many other supply chain partners are a crucial part of our nation 's response to Covid-19 , '' Smithfield CEO Kenneth Sullivan said in an online video statement released 19 March to explain the decision to keep factories open .
`` We are taking the utmost precautions to ensure the health and well-being of our employees and consumers . ''
`` There had been rumours there were cases even before that , '' she recalled .
`` I heard about people getting hospitalised from Smithfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mouth . ''
Julia does not work at the factory .
She is a graduate student in her 20s , stuck back at home after her university shut in response to the Covid-19 pandemic .
Her parents , two long-time Smithfield employees with whom she is especially close , told her what was happening at the factory that day .
She is just one of several adult children of factory workers - many the first-generation children of immigrants , some calling themselves Children of Smithfield - who have taken it upon themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` My parents do n't know English .
They ca n't advocate for themselves , '' said Julia .
`` Someone has to talk for them . ''
• Why US could be more at risk from coronavirus • Why are African Americans hit so hard by virus ?
Her family , like many others in Sioux Falls , did everything they could to avoid falling ill. Julia 's parents used up all their remaining vacation time to stay home .
After work , they took off their shoes outside and headed straight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cloth headbands at Walmart to pull over their mouths and noses while on the line .
For Julia , alerting the media was just the next logical step in trying to keep them all healthy , by creating public pressure to close the plant down and keep her parents home .
Instead , it marked the beginning of nearly three anxiety-filled weeks during which her mother and father continued to report to a factory they knew could be contaminated , to jobs they could not afford to lose .
They stood side-by-side less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on production lines , they passed in and out of crowded locker rooms , walkways and cafeterias .
During that time , the number of confirmed cases among Smithfield employees slowly mounted , from 80 to 190 to 238 .
By 15 April , when Smithfield finally closed under pressure from the South Dakota governor 's office , the plant had become the number one hotspot in the US , with a cluster of 644 confirmed cases among Smithfield employees and people who contracted it from them .
In total , Smithfield-related infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state , which is far outpacing its far more populous Midwestern neighbour states in cases per capita .
According to the New York Times , the Smithfield Foods case numbers have surpassed the USS Theodore Roosevelt naval ship and the Cook County Jail in Chicago , Illinois .
Those figures were released one day after the first Smithfield employee died in hospital .
`` He got that virus there .
He was very healthy before , '' his wife , Angelita , told the BBC in Spanish .
`` My husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die . ''
The Smithfield pork plant , located in a Republican-led state that is one of five in the US that has not issued any kind of shelter-in-place order , has become a microcosm illustrating the socioeconomic disparities laid bare by the global pandemic .
While many white-collar workers around the country are sheltering in place and working from home , food industry workers like the employees at Smithfield are deemed `` essential '' and must remain on the front lines .
`` These jobs for essential workers are lower paying than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some cases by significant margins .
So home health aides , cashiers - absolutely essential , on the front lines , have to physically report to work , '' said Adie Tomer , a fellow at the Brookings Institute .
`` They are more predominantly African American or Hispanic than the overall working populations . ''
The workforce at Smithfield is made up largely of immigrants and refugees from places like Myanmar , Ethiopia , Nepal , Congo and El Salvador .
There are 80 different languages spoken in the plant .
Estimates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 14-16 an hour .
Those hours are long , the work is gruelling , and standing on a production line often means being less than a foot away from your co-workers on either side .
The BBC spoke to half a dozen current and former Smithfield employees who say that while they were afraid to continue going to work , deciding between employment and their health has been an impossible choice .
`` I have a lot of bills .
My baby 's coming soon - I have to work , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight months pregnant .
`` If I get a positive , I 'm really worried I ca n't save my wife . ''
Food processing plants throughout the country are experiencing coronavirus outbreaks which have the potential to disrupt the country 's food supply chain .
A JBS meatpacking plant in Colorado has shut after five deaths and 103 infections among its employees .
Two workers at a Tyson Foods plant in Iowa also died , while 148 others were sickened .
The closure of a large meat processing facility like the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , stranding farmers without a place to sell their livestock .
About 550 independent farms send their pigs to the Sioux Falls plant .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health When announcing the shutdown , Smithfield CEO Sullivan warned of `` severe , perhaps disastrous , repercussions '' for the supply of meat .
But according to Smithfield employees , their union representatives , and advocates for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak that led to the plant closure was avoidable .
They allege early requests for personal protective equipment were ignored , that sick workers were incentivised to continue working , and that information regarding the spread of the virus was kept from them , even when they were at risk of exposing family and the broader public .
`` If the federal government wants the company to stay open , then whose responsibility is it to make sure these companies are doing what they have to do to keep them safe ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pasa Sioux Falls , a Spanish-language news source who said she 's been hearing from distraught Smithfield workers for weeks .
The BBC submitted a detailed list of questions and worker allegations to Smithfield , and they did not comment on the allegations put to them on individual cases .
`` First and foremost , the health and safety of our employees and communities is our top priority each and every day , '' the statement said .
`` Beginning in February , we instituted a series of stringent and detailed processes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strict guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) to effectively manage any potential Covid-19 cases in our operations . ''
The outbreak left people like Julia , whose mother has underlying , chronic health conditions , overwhelmed by the fear that her parents were putting their lives at risk in an attempt to keep their jobs .
`` My parents are all I have .
I have to think about potentially not having them in my life , '' she said , her voice breaking .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so there 's an actual track record of what the company is n't doing . ''
Ahmed first saw Neela on the Smithfield floor during one of their shifts .
He liked her skin , she liked his laugh .
When he started asking around about her , Ahmed learned that they were both from the same village in Ethiopia and they both spoke the same language , Oromo .
`` Wow , I 'm so excited .
In my breaktime , I keep searching where she work , '' Ahmed recalled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her line .
I say , 'Hey , what 's up . '
I tell her she 's beautiful . ''
Ahmed took Neela to a trendy New American restaurant .
They went on a week-long vacation to Wisconsin Dells , a campy Midwest vacation destination known for its water slides and hot springs .
They fell in love and got married .
Now Neela is eight months pregnant with their first child .
Although she quit Smithfield back in December , Ahmed continued going to work during the outbreak even though he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife and their unborn baby with the virus .
Because Neela started having difficulty walking in her third trimester , Ahmed needed to help her - they ca n't isolate from one another .
Ahmed says two of his friends in the plant have tested positive .
Then he began exhibiting symptoms himself .
`` Smithfield - they do n't care about employees , '' said Neela .
`` They only care about their money . ''
According to Kooper Caraway , president of the Sioux Falls AFL-CIO , union officials approached management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple measures to increase worker safety , including staggering shifts and lunch schedules , which can pack 500 workers into the factory cafeteria at once .
He said they also requested personal protective gear like masks and overcoats , temperature-checking at the doors and sanitation stations .
`` This was before anyone at the plant tested positive , '' said Caraway .
`` Management dragged their feet , did n't take worker demands seriously . ''
Tim was a new employee going through orientation when he heard about the first case from someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says after that initial announcement , the company got very quiet .
`` We did n't really hear nothing more about the coronavirus outbreak , '' he said .
`` We thought it was good . ''
Then , on 8 April , the South Dakota State Health Department confirmed there were 80 cases at the plant .
Multiple employees told the BBC that they found out from media reports , not from management at Smithfield .
`` I 've found out about some people having the virus in my department , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Julia 's mother , Helen .
A temperature checking station was erected under a white tent at the main entrance to the factory , but Reynoza and Caraway both said that they were told workers with running elevated temperatures were allowed to come into the factory anyway .
According to Helen , if workers wanted to avoid the temperature check , they could enter a side door .
Smithfield instituted other changes , like building cardboard cubicles around lunch table seats to create a barrier between workers , staggering shifts , and putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers said - and photos sent to the BBC seem to confirm - that personal protective equipment came in the form of beard nets to wear over their faces , which do not protect from airborne particles like a surgical or N95 mask would .
`` I have n't read anything from the CDC that says a hair net over your face will do much good , '' said Caraway .
Smithfield did not respond to questions about the beard nets or provide details about what PPE they made available to workers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stress on supply chains , we have been working around the clock to procure thermal scanning equipment and masks , both of which are in short supply '' .
At a JBS Plant in Worthington , Minnesota , 30 minutes away from Sioux Falls , union representatives said their company provided workers with `` gloves , surgical masks , face shields , overcoats '' , according to the Star Tribune .
They have not had a case yet .
A spokesman for Tyson Foods told the New York Times that their policy is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contact with anyone who is confirmed to have the virus .
In response , some employees started bringing their own masks to the plant .
Others began quarantining themselves from family .
Kaleb , who has been with Smithfield for 12 years , told the BBC that for the past two weeks , he 's been sealing himself in a room away from his wife , his six-month-old daughter and his three-year-old son because he ca n't be sure he is n't bringing the virus home with him everyday .
`` My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the door - he knock on the door .
'Hey , daddy you wan na come out ? '
I say , 'Go with your mom , ' '' he says .
`` I do n't have a choice .
What can I do ?
I want to try to save my family . ''
If employees like Kaleb were to quit , they would be ineligible for unemployment .
Advocates are hearing from visa-holders who fret that even if they were to apply for unemployment , they might be considered `` public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for permanent residency under a new rule enacted by the Trump administration last year .
The Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security ( Cares ) Act excludes anyone living in a mixed-status household with an undocumented family member .
`` They do not qualify for anything , '' said Taneeza Islam , the executive director of South Dakota Voices for Peace and an immigration lawyer .
`` Their choice is between putting food on the table , and going to work and getting exposed . ''
On 9 April , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement saying that the plant would close for three days over the Easter weekend for deep cleaning , and return to full capacity that Tuesday .
`` The company will suspend operations in a large section of the plant on April 11 and completely shutter on April 12 and April 13 , '' a statement from the company read .
But the BBC learned through interviews with workers and advocates that Smithfield employees were still being called into work on all three days .
Reynoza took videos showing the company parking lot filled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant .
Caraway said he learned subsequently that the plant was running at about 60-65 % capacity , meaning hundreds of workers were still coming in .
`` I have n't stopped working yet .
I worked Friday , Saturday , Sunday and they want me to come back today , '' Tim told the BBC on the Monday after Easter weekend .
`` I 'm terrified .
Terrified .
Like I 'm at a loss for words .
[ But ] I got four kids to take care of .
That income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head . ''
Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken , who said he was impressed and satisfied by the mitigation efforts taking place at Smithfield , admitted he felt surprised when he learned that the plant was still partially open .
`` There could have been more transparency by them on the measures they were taking , '' he said .
`` The message to the public did n't match the actual plan . ''
Smithfield began offering employees a $ 500 `` responsibility bonus '' if they finished their shifts through the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a `` bribe '' to work in unsafe conditions .
Sara Telahun Birhe , an organiser with Children of Smithfield , said her mother had previously decided she would not return , but changed her mind when she heard about the bonus .
`` We 're devastated by the idea that she 's going to go in just for $ 500 , '' Telahun Birhe said .
In its statement , Smithfield wrote that the bonus is part of Smithfield 's # ThankAFoodWorker initiative , adding : `` Employees who miss work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive the Responsibility Bonus . ''
In part due to the incomplete shutdown and in part due to the rising number of cases coming out of the plant , on 11 April both South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and TenHaken sent a joint letter to Smithfield calling for a 14-day `` pause '' in operations .
The next day , Smithfield leadership announced that they would comply - on 15 April , meaning there was still one more day of work in a building .
Caraway said workers who went in on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wages but there had been no deep clean .
`` They 're still going into a dirty building . ''
Smithfield did not respond to questions about when its Sioux Falls factory underwent deep cleaning , writing that `` our facilities are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized every single day '' .
Both of Julia 's parents were scheduled to work at Smithfield on Tuesday 14 April , its final day in business before the 14-day shutdown .
Then , on Saturday , Helen started to cough .
The next day , as fluffy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Julia insisted that her mother get tested .
Helen tried to put it off , saying it was nothing .
`` My mom just really hates going to the doctor , '' said Julia , who eventually won the argument and Helen went to a drive-in testing centre at the local hospital .
They stuck a swab into the back of each nostril and sent her home .
`` If I were to have Covid-19 , I clearly would have gotten it at the factory , '' she said .
`` This week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I 've eaten in two different cafeterias .
Just imagine every place I 've been in , touched inside that factory .
I 've been walking through the whole place . ''
On the Tuesday they were scheduled to return to work , Julia 's parents woke up at 4am like they normally do and called into Smithfield to explain that they could n't come while awaiting Helen 's test result .
The call finally came later that afternoon .
Julia spoke to the medical technician on her mother 's mobile phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face for a reaction .
When Julia heard the words `` positive for Covid-19 '' she gave them a thumbs up , which she meant to indicate `` positive '' .
Helen and Juan misunderstood , and reached out for one another , a gesture of celebration that horrified Julia as she scrambled to explain that , no , Helen does have the virus .
Her father retreated into the kitchen , where Julia glimpsed him trying to hold back tears .
On the same day that Helen received her results , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully political .
Mayor TenHaken formally requested that Governor Noem issue a shelter-in-place order for Sioux Falls ' surrounding counties as well as an isolation centre .
She denied both requests .
Despite the steep increase in cases , Noem also continued to decline to issue a shelter-in-place order in South Dakota , specifically saying that such an order would not have prevented the Smithfield outbreak .
`` That is absolutely false , '' she said .
Instead , she approved the first state test of hydroxychloroquine , a drug that President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment for coronavirus .
It was also the same day that Agustin Rodriguez Martinez , a quiet , deeply religious man originally from El Salvador , died from the illness , alone in hospital .
He was 64 , the first known death connected to the outbreak at Smithfield Foods .
Reynoza , a friend of his for the past decade , said that he rarely complained about his gruelling job sawing the legs off pig carcasses and that he doted on his wife Angelita , whom he knew for only a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 24 years .
`` He was her prince . ''
Angelita says she noticed something was off when her husband started coming home with the lunch she had packed him untouched .
He began experiencing symptoms on 1 April , seven days after the first case of coronavirus was reported publicly at the factory .
First there were the headaches , then aches and chills .
Next came the shortness of breath .
According to Angelita , on his final day of work at the factory , he was mopping the floors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he could no longer breathe .
Angelita brought him to hospital , but was not allowed to go with him .
She learned through her pastor that he was put on a ventilator almost immediately .
He was on it for 10 days before he died on 14 April .
`` I took him to the hospital and left with nothing , '' she said .
`` Now I have nothing . ''
Alongside her grief , Angelita is also angry at Smithfield Food for not closing the factory earlier .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our lives , '' she said in tears .
`` The owners do n't care about our pain .
Mothers are crying for their children .
Wives are crying for their husbands .
There are so many cases of the virus there . ''
The 73-year-old widow also shared that she has developed a cough .
Two days after her mother 's positive coronavirus diagnosis , Julia woke up on the couch with a headache , a cough and a dry throat .
For the first time since the pandemic arrived in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night but awoke feeling more exhausted than ever .
After calling the Covid hotline and informing them she was the daughter of a Smithfield worker , Julia pulled on her faux fur-trimmed parka , disinfected the steering wheel and gear shift in her mom 's car , and set out towards the drive-thru testing site .
She was in relatively good spirits , despite the fact that almost everything she had attempted to prevent when she tipped off the local newspaper nearly a month ago had come to pass .
The factory had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus and her father was exposed .
Her city had become the epicentre of the pandemic in the state of South Dakota .
People died .
And now , she might be sick , too .
`` I just wan na cry , '' she said , as she steered towards the hospital .
All over the city , Smithfield workers and their families were going through a similar experience .
The same day Julia 's mother got her diagnosis , Sara Telahun Birhe was relieved to find out that her mother 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ahmed got the call that he was infected , and the couple sealed themselves away from one another in separate bedrooms .
They communicate via text .
She makes him ginger tea and leaves it for him on the counter .
He obsessively disinfects everything he touches .
Tim said he worked his final shift at Smithfield while experiencing symptoms on Tuesday 14 April , and went in for a test the following day .
He is still awaiting results .
He said 20 people on his crew have tested positive .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off to get her test , officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were entering the Smithfield plant , along with representatives for the state and local health departments .
According to the South Dakota governor 's office , CDC officials were flown in from Washington DC to `` assess '' what it would take to safely reopen the plant .
Meanwhile , Smithfield announced the closure of two more of its facilities in Missouri and Wisconsin , where `` a small number of employees… have tested positive for Covid-19 '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the testing site opened , Julia was greeted by a line of 15 cars ahead of her .
`` I hate waiting in line , '' she muttered , sipping from her water bottle , every now and then emitting a soft cough .
After 30 minutes , she pulled up to what looked like a huge garage and a sign that instructed , `` have ID and insurance card ready '' .
`` OK , now I 'm anxious , '' she said .
`` I do n't want to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of her pulled into the bay , and a healthcare worker in a full protective suit , mask , gloves and face shield plunged a long swab into Julia 's right nostril and then her left .
She grimaced and shuddered .
`` Do you need a Kleenex ? ''
the tester asked .
`` Yes , please , '' said Julia .
With instructions to `` go home , stay home , do n't go anywhere , '' the bay doors opened and Julia pulled back out into the sunlight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually am crying , '' she said , pulling into a parking spot to collect herself .
Julia sat at the steering wheel watching cars go in and out of the parking lot .
She lamented the fact that now their household had a new potential infection , the clock on their quarantine had to restart .
`` I just want to go to TJ Maxx , '' she said , smiling .
After a few minutes , it was time to turn towards home , her parents , and the house Helen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plant in order to afford , where they would all quarantine together for at least the next 14 days .
`` Now it 's just a waiting game , '' said Julia .
`` I guess I ca n't get too in my head about it .
But I will . ''
She should have her results in five days .

"Can you please look into Smithfield," she typed in a message to an account called Argus911, the Facebook-based tip line for the local newspaper, the Argus Leader. "They do have a positive [Covid-19] case and are planning to stay open." By "Smithfield", she was referring to the Smithfield Foods pork-processing plant located in her town of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The factory - a massive, eight-story white box perched on the banks of the Big Sioux River - is the ninth-largest hog-processing facility in the US. When running at full capacity, it processes 19,500 freshly-slaughtered hogs per day, slicing, grinding and smoking them into millions of pounds of bacon, hot dogs and spiral-cut hams. With 3,700 workers, it is also the fourth-largest employer in the city.


bbc--2020-04-17--Coronavirus: Trump unveils plan to reopen states in phases

As Covid-19 continues to spread across the US , President Donald Trump has given governors guidance on reopening state economies in the coming months .
The guidelines for `` Opening up America Again '' outline three phases for states to gradually ease their lockdowns .
Mr Trump promised governors they would be handling the process themselves , with help from the federal government .
There has been a mixed reception to the plans , with a leading Democrat calling them vague and inconsistent .
The US currently has 654,301 confirmed cases and 32,186 deaths due to the virus , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen this month .
• A run through the 'warzone ' of New York • The daunting reality of getting US back to normal What did Trump say at the briefing ?
In his daily briefing on Thursday , President Trump declared `` the next front in our war - opening up America again '' .
`` America wants to be open and Americans want to be open , '' he said .
`` A national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution . ''
He said that a prolonged lockdown risked inflicting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He warned of a `` sharp rise '' in drug abuse , alcohol abuse , heart disease , and other `` physical and mental '' problems .
Mr Trump told reporters that healthy citizens would be able to return to work `` as conditions allow '' .
He said Americans would continue to be called upon to maintain social distancing measures and to stay home if they are unwell .
He said that reopening the US economy would be done `` one careful step at a time '' but he called on state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly , depending on what they want to do '' .
Shortly afterwards , leading Democrat Nancy Pelosi , Speaker of the House of Representatives , called the new guidelines `` vague and inconsistent '' .
She said the document did `` nothing to make up for the president 's failure to listen to the scientists and produce and distribute national rapid testing '' .
What is in the plan ?
The administration 's 18-page guidance document details three phases to reopen state economies , with each phase lasting , at minimum , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be seen here .
They include some recommendations across all three phases including good personal hygiene and employers developing policies to ensure social distancing , testing and contact tracing .
Phase one includes much of the current lockdown measures such as avoiding non-essential travel and not gathering in groups .
But it says large venues such as restaurants , places of worship and sports venues `` can operate under strict physical distancing protocols '' .
If there is no evidence of a resurgence of the coronavirus , phase two allows non-essential travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can reopen and bars can operate `` with diminished standing-room occupancy '' .
Under phase three , states which are still seeing a downward trend of symptoms and cases can allow `` public interactions '' with physical distancing and the unrestricted staffing of worksites .
Visits to care homes and hospitals can resume and bars can increase their standing room capacity .
Some regions could begin returning to normal after a month-long evaluation period , at the earliest , according to the document .
In places where there are more infections or where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take longer .
The co-ordinator of the White House coronavirus task force , Dr Deborah Birx , told Thursday 's briefing that as states worked through the three phases , they could allow for more and more employees to return to work in increments .
Phase three would be the `` new normal '' , she said , and would still include suggestions that vulnerable people should avoid crowded spaces .
The president has argued with governors in recent days about the timing of easing restrictions and reopening businesses - but he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to issuing guidelines .
During Thursday 's call , Mr Trump told governors : `` You 're going to call your own shots . ''
`` You 're going to be running it , we 're going to be helping you , '' he added .
On Wednesday , White House coronavirus task force leader Vice-President Mike Pence said 24 % of the counties in the US have had no reported coronavirus cases .
He added that half of US states have fewer than 2,500 cases .
The Trump administration had previously pencilled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen the nation , and on Wednesday Mr Trump said some states may be able to reopen earlier than that .
However , some health experts and state governors have cautioned against reopening the economy too soon .
On Tuesday , Dr Anthony Fauci , the government 's top infectious disease expert , told AP news 1 May was `` a bit overly optimistic '' for many areas of the country , as a strong testing and tracing system would be needed before social distancing measures were lifted .
What have US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo said on Thursday that his state would remain under stay-at-home orders until 15 May .
Officials in the state , which is the epicentre of the outbreak in the US , say the situation is showing signs of stabilising this week , though there are still hundreds of deaths daily .
The governors of Michigan , Ohio , Wisconsin , Minnesota , Illinois , Indiana and Kentucky have announced they will work together to reopen the region .
`` We recognise that our economies are all reliant on each other , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them so hardworking people can get back to work and businesses can get back on their feet , '' they said in a statement on Thursday .
There was no timeline offered , but the governors said they planned to phase in sectors of the economy .
In Michigan , which has seen over 1,700 deaths due to the virus , there has been pushback against Governor Gretchen Whitmer 's stringent lockdown measures .
On Wednesday , residents took to the streets after the governor announced the stay-at-home order would be extended .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany is easing restrictions , shops may open as early as next week • France has extended its lockdown to 11 May • Italy is allowing limited number of shops to reopen in less-affected regions • India has extended its lockdown until 3 May • The UK has extended lockdown for at least three more weeks • Denmark has said it intends to ease its lockdown faster than originally planned • Spain has allowed some businesses to return to work • A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health

"We recognise that our economies are all reliant on each other, and we must work together to safely reopen them so hardworking people can get back to work and businesses can get back on their feet," they said in a statement on Thursday.


bbc--2020-04-17--Royals say lockdown 'stressful' on mental health

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have spoken about their hopes the coronavirus outbreak will bring the global community together @ @ @ @ @ the BBC 's Tina Daheley , Catherine said the crisis would `` dramatically change how @ @ @ @ @ our front-line workers '' .
The pair emphasised the importance of the public protecting their @ @ @ @ @ .
Prince William went on to reveal how anxious he was when his father , @ @ @ @ @ was diagnosed with the virus .

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have spoken about their hopes the coronavirus outbreak will bring the global community together.
In an interview with the BBC's Tina Daheley, Catherine said the crisis would "dramatically change how we all value and see our front-line workers".
The pair emphasised the importance of the public protecting their mental health during the lockdown.
Prince William went on to reveal how anxious he was when his father, the Prince of Wales, was diagnosed with the virus.


bbc--2020-04-16--Coronavirus: America's $349bn fund for small firms runs out

America approved an unprecedented $ 349bn in relief last month aimed at helping small firms through the coronavirus lockdowns .
On Thursday , less than two weeks after the programme 's start , the money ran out , overwhelmed by demand .
The White House has requested an extra $ 250bn , but the relief has stalled as Democrats and Republicans in Congress fight over how to target the funds .
Now millions of business owners across the country are wondering how they will continue .
`` What I fear the most is not being able to survive , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York bakery Ovenly .
The business , which started in her kitchen in 2010 , has grown into four shops , 67 employees and some 150 wholesale clients , including major grocers like Whole Foods .
Its fifth location was supposed to open at the city 's biggest airport this month .
But in March Ms Kulaga shut her doors and laid off her staff , responding to health concerns and the drop in sales as the state restricted activity to try to slow the spread of the virus .
She has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the new federal programme , which offers loans that do not need to be repaid if firms use 75 % of the money for paying staff .
Companies can re-hire former employees who have been laid off to qualify .
`` We had serious momentum and when this happened , it 's obviously devastating , '' she said .
As many as a quarter of small businesses fear they will not be able to survive more than two months of shutdown , according to surveys by the Chamber of Commerce and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alter the economic landscape in America , where 30 million small businesses employ almost half the country 's workforce .
Main Street America , which represents commercial districts with about 300,000 small firms , found that 7.5 million firms employing more than 35 million people are at risk of failure in the next five months .
`` Small businesses are really losing faith that the government is going to be able to support them through this crisis , '' says Patrice Frey , the organisation 's president .
`` That translates into massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the American economy on the other side of this . ''
Washington , which approved the $ 349bn in small business loans last month as part of a bigger $ 2tn relief bill , is well aware it has a crisis on its hands .
Even before running out of money , the programme - called the Paycheck Protection Program because the loans do n't need to be repaid if firms use them primarily to keep workers on staff - had faced problems , including delays at some of the banks through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and criticism that the money was not reaching the smallest , most needy firms .
Delays have also beset a separate low-cost loan scheme offered directly by the Small Business Administration through an expansion of a programme created to address disasters like hurricanes .
The Federal Reserve has also announced its own `` Main Street '' loan programme .
But the central bank 's plan , while unprecedented , is expected to reach more mid-size firms , not the small `` mom-and-pop '' shops experts say face such risk .
• 'My firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a loan' The government and many banks say some problems should be expected given the speed of roll-out .
More than 1.6 million loan applications were approved for more than $ 339bn , the Small Business Administration said .
In the UK by comparison , banks and other financial institutions had loaned a total of about £1.1bn through the government scheme as of Wednesday .
`` I think it 's really kind of exceptional that the government could move that quickly and that effectively , '' JP Morgan Chase boss Jamie Dimon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank announced it had disbursed more than $ 9bn of roughly $ 37bn requested by some 300,000 applicants .
Ms Frey says those defences do n't `` change the reality on the ground , which is these businesses are on the edge and unless they receive more relief immediately and with fewer hoops to jump through , these businesses are simply going to dissolve . ''
New Yorker Fonda Sara , who has run the Zuzu 's Petals flower shop in Brooklyn for more than 40 years , is one of the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank about the pay cheque protection programme .
But even if she is ultimately approved for funds to cover wages for herself and another full-time staffer , Ms Sara says the help will do little to offset her losses as rent , utilities and other bills pile up while she misses out on spring - typically her busiest season .
`` No matter what financial aid I get from the city and the federal government , it will never be enough to sustain me or restore me , '' she says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is if when I reopen my sales return to the state they were in before the shutdown and honestly no one knows if that will happen . ''
Ms Kulaga , who is waiting for funds after being approved for a $ 410,000 pay cheque protection loan , said the rules for how the money should be spent - quickly and primarily on wages - means that it will be of limited use to companies like hers , which have already cut workers and do n't know when they will be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered re-hiring so that her staff receive the benefits , but `` if we are not re-opened in eight weeks they would have to be laid off again and have to reapply for unemployment benefits . ''
Meanwhile , the company 's other expenses are mounting .
While laying off staff was `` a difficult decision , it was one ... that was required in order to preserve our cash ... so that we can actually survive while we are closed and also be prepared to re-open when the time comes , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can reopen and I do believe that we can , but , at the same time the threat is real , '' she says .

Ms Kulaga, who is waiting for funds after being approved for a $410,000 pay cheque protection loan, said the rules for how the money should be spent - quickly and primarily on wages - means that it will be of limited use to companies like hers, which have already cut workers and don't know when they will be able to re-open.


bbc--2020-04-17--China's virus-hit economy shrinks for first time in decades

China 's economy shrank for the first time in decades in the first quarter of the year , as the virus forced factories and businesses to close .
The world 's second biggest economy contracted 6.8 % according to official data released on Friday .
The financial toll the coronavirus is having on the Chinese economy will be a huge concern to other countries .
China is an economic powerhouse as a major consumer and producer of goods and services .
This is the first time China has seen its economy shrink in the first three months of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1992 .
`` The GDP contraction in January-March will translate into permanent income losses , reflected in bankruptcies across small companies and job losses , '' said Yue Su at the Economist Intelligence Unit .
• Analysis : What China 's gloomy numbers tell us • Can we trust China claims of virus success ?
Last year , China saw healthy economic growth of 6.4 % in the first quarter , a period when it was locked in a trade war with the US .
In the last two decades , China has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % a year , although experts have regularly questioned the accuracy of its economic data .
Its economy had ground to a halt during the first three months of the year as it introduced large-scale shutdowns and quarantines to prevent the virus spread in late January .
As a result , economists had expected bleak figures , but the official data comes in slightly worse than expected .
Among other key figures released in Friday 's report : • Factory output was down 1.1 % for March as China slowly starts manufacturing again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month as many of shoppers stayed at home .
• Unemployment hit 5.9 % in March , slightly better than February 's all-time high of 6.2 % .
The huge decline shows the profound impact that the virus outbreak , and the government 's draconian reaction to it , had on the world 's second largest economy .
It wipes out the 6 % expansion in China 's economy recorded in the last set of figures at the end of last year .
Beijing has signalled a significant economic stimulus is on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its economy and recover .
Earlier this week the official mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party , the People 's Daily , reported it would `` expand domestic demand '' .
But the slowdown in the rest of the global economy presents a significant problem as exports still play a major role in China 's economy .
If it comes this will not be a quick recovery .
On Thursday the International Monetary Fund forecast China 's economy would avoid a recession but grow by just 1.2 % this year .
Job figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure had risen sharply , with the number working in companies linked to export trade falling the most .
China has unveiled a range of financial support measures to cushion the impact of the slowdown , but not on the same scale as other major economies .
`` We do n't expect large stimulus , given that that remains unpopular in Beijing .
Instead , we think policymakers will accept low growth this year , given the prospects for a better 2021 , '' said Louis Kuijs , an analyst with Oxford Economics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started letting factories resume production and letting businesses reopen , but this is a gradual process to return to pre-lockdown levels .
China relies heavily on its factories and manufacturing plants for economic growth , and has been dubbed `` the world 's factory '' .
Stock markets in the region showed mixed reaction to the Chinese economic data , with China 's benchmark Shanghai Composite index up 0.9 % .
Japan 's Nikkei 225 jumped 2.5 % on Friday , although this was largely due to gains on Wall Street after US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdowns .

The huge decline shows the profound impact that the virus outbreak, and the government's draconian reaction to it, had on the world's second largest economy. It wipes out the 6% expansion in China's economy recorded in the last set of figures at the end of last year.


bbc--2020-04-17--Coronavirus: Ecuador sees massive surge in deaths in April

Ecuador 's official coronavirus death toll is 403 , but new figures from one province suggest thousands have died .
The government said 6,700 people died in Guayas province in the first two weeks of April , far more than the usual 1,000 deaths there in the same period .
Guayas is home to Guayaquil - the nation 's largest city and the part of the country worst-hit by Covid-19 .
Footage obtained by the BBC showed residents forced to store bodies in their homes for up to five days .
They said authorities had been unable to keep up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving corpses wrapped in sheets in family homes and even in the streets .
Authorities last week began distributing thousands of cardboard coffins in Guayaquil .
A dedicated helpline was also set up for families that needed a corpse removed from their home .
Jorge Wated , the head of a police unit created to tackle the problem , said earlier this week that 771 bodies had been removed from houses in the city .
According to the government 's figures , 14,561 people have died in Guayas province since the beginning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally sees 2,000 deaths a month on average .
Ecuador as a whole has had 8,225 confirmed cases of coronavirus to date , according to Johns Hopkins University , though a lack of widespread testing means this is likely a significant undercount .
Ecuador 's vice president , Otto Sonnenholzer , apologised to the nation earlier this month for the government 's slow response to the pandemic .
`` We have seen images that should never have happened , and as your public servant I apologise , '' Mr Sonnenholzer said .
Guayaquil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of poverty - meaning many residents live in close proximity without the ability to regularly wash their hands or practise social distancing .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health

Authorities argue they were quick to impose strict regulations and people chose to disregard measures but experts argue more could be done - and one thing that could help is testing. While Ecuador is not the worst offender in the region, low testing rates have made it very difficult to understand how the virus has moved through communities, some of which have been devastated by the high death toll.


bbc--2020-04-17--Coronavirus: Africa could be next epicentre, WHO warns

Africa could become the next epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) has warned .
There was a sharp rise in cases in the past week .
There have been almost 1,000 deaths and more than 18,000 infections across Africa so far , although these rates are far lower than those seen in parts of Europe and the US .
The WHO says the virus appears to be spreading away from African capitals .
It has also highlighted that the continent does not have enough ventilators to deal with a pandemic .
• Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • How the spread of coronavirus is testing Africa The organisation 's Africa director , Dr Matshidiso Moeti , told the BBC that the organisation had witnessed the virus spreading from capital cities to “ the hinterland ” in South Africa , Nigeria , Ivory Coast , Cameroon and Ghana .
She said they were focusing on prevention rather than treating the virus because African countries do n't have the capacity to treat many coronavirus patients .
`` We want to minimise the proportion of people who get to the point of needing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we know that these types of facilities are not adequate by any means in the majority of African countries , '' she said .
`` I have to say the issue of ventilators is one of the biggest challenges that the countries are facing . ''
For patients critically ill with Covid-19 , access to a ventilator could be a matter of life or death .
The machines get oxygen into the lungs and remove carbon dioxide from the body when people are too sick to breathe on their own .
One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Africa was Zimbabwean journalist Zororo Makamba in March .
The local authorities in the capital , Harare , said that they did not have a ventilator to treat him .
There are also fears that the disease could spread rapidly in overcrowded areas where it is impossible to practise social distancing and where many do not have access to clean water and soap .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• LOCKDOWNS : Why they may not be the answer in Africa • STRESS : How to look @ @ @ @

Coronavirus: Africa could be next epicentre, WHO warns Published 17 April 2020
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, So far coronavirus deaths in Africa have been much fewer than in Europe and the US
Africa could become the next epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
UN officials also say it is likely the pandemic will kill at least 300,000 people in Africa and push nearly 30 million into poverty.
The past week in Africa has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.
There have been almost 1,000 deaths and almost 19,000 infections across Africa, so far much lower rates than in parts of Europe and the US.
The UN Economic Commission for Africa - which warned 300,000 could die - called for a $100bn (£80bn) safety net for the continent, including halting external debt payments.
The WHO says the virus appears to be spreading away from African capitals.
It has also highlighted that the continent lacks ventilators to deal with a pandemic.
More than a third of Africa's population lacks access to adequate water supplies and nearly 60% of urban dwellers live in overcrowded slums - conditions where the virus could thrive.
How bad is the situation in Africa?
There are almost 19,000 confirmed cases in Africa and at least 970 confirmed deaths across the whole continent, which has a population of about 1.3 billion.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Coronavirus: A father's fears in Kenya's crowded Kibera settlement
North Africa is the worst affected region. Algeria, Egypt and Morocco have all had more than 2,000 cases and at least 100 deaths. Algeria has had the most deaths, with 348.
Elsewhere, South Africa has also had more than 2,000 cases, with 48 deaths, while the continent's most populous nation, Nigeria, has had 442 cases and 13 confirmed deaths out of a population of some 200 million.
Get the latest on the BBC's live tracker.
Why are there fewer cases compared with Europe and the US?
WHO Africa director Dr Matshidiso Moeti told BBC Global Health correspondent Tulip Mazumdar that international travel played a part.
"If you look at the proportion of people who travel, Africa has fewer people who are travelling internationally," she said.
But now that the virus is in within Africa, she says that her organisation is acting under the assumption that it will spread just as quickly as elsewhere.
Where is the virus being spread now?
The WHO has witnessed the virus spreading from big cities to "the hinterland" in South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana, Dr Moeti said.
There are around 15 African countries where the virus has not spread far so, if these countries adopt strong social distancing measures, they could contain the virus, she added.
Health workers at risk
By Anne Mawathe, BBC Africa Health editor
Since the first case was reported in Africa, most of those infected have been concentrated in urban areas where health facilities and access to care is in close proximity.
This cannot be said of rural areas where treatment facilities are scarce or non-existent.
The fragile health infrastructure in the continent means that it will be doubly strained by an increasing number of new Covid-19 infections.
If the experiences of countries like Italy, Spain, France and the US are anything to go by, then Africa will struggle to manage an increasing number of people suffering from the virus especially those who need critical care.
Healthcare workers in different parts of the continent have complained about the lack of adequate personal protective equipment.
Covid-19 is a highly infectious disease and healthcare workers are at a higher risk of infection.
Tunisia already has 68 healthcare works infected, Liberia has 18 while Niger is reporting 32.
How bad could the situation get?
Provisional projections from the WHO suggest that more than 10 million people could be infected in the next 3-6 months, but that figure doesn't take into account public health measures that are being put in place.
What happens if the virus spreads further in Africa?
If Covid-19 is able to take hold on the continent, the consequences could be far more devastating than we've seen in Europe and the US, says our global health correspondent.
The WHO says there are only around five intensive care beds available for every one million people in most African countries, compared with around 4,000 beds for every million people in Europe.
Dr Moeti said the WHO was focusing on prevention rather than treating the virus, because many African countries don't have the capacity to treat many coronavirus patients.
"We want to minimise the proportion of people who get to the point of needing critical care in an ICU, because we know that these types of facilities are not adequate by any means in the majority of African countries," she said.
Dr Moeti said the lack of ventilators was "one of the biggest challenges" that African countries are facing.
Why are ventilators so important?
For patients critically ill with Covid-19, access to a ventilator could be a matter of life or death.
The machines get oxygen into the lungs and remove carbon dioxide from the body when people are too sick to breathe on their own.
One of the first recorded deaths from coronavirus in Africa was Zimbabwean journalist Zororo Makamba in March.
The local authorities in the capital, Harare, said that they did not have a ventilator to treat him.
What else is needed to contain the spread?
Dr Moeti pinpointed a few key things countries need to do:
Social distancing - the lockdowns
Contact tracing
Identifying cases early
Being able to quarantine and isolate
What is being done?
Several countries have enforced lockdowns.
In some countries, schools are been turned into healthcare facilities where people can be quarantined and even offered care.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Coronavirus lockdown challenges for Africa explained
Textile industries have been recalibrated to start manufacturing personal protective equipment such as medical gowns.
Earlier this week the UN Food Programme started distributing badly needed equipment around the continent from a new hub in Ethiopia's Bole airport.
The cargo included one million face masks, personal protective equipment, and ventilators.
And the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that it will roll out one million coronavirus testing kits to meet the continent's "big gap".


bbc--2020-04-16--Brian Dennehy: Versatile American actor dies at 81

US actor Brian Dennehy , whose chiselled jaw and towering figure featured in some 40 films , has died at the age of 81 , of natural causes in Connecticut .
On screen he played macho roles like the sheriff who jails Rambo in First Blood and portrayed the serial killer John Wayne Gacy in To Catch A Killer .
His work brought him a Golden Globe and six Emmy nominations .
But Dennehy was equally at home playing the classics on stage , and won two Tony Awards .
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda paid tribute to the man on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to see Brian Dennehy twice on stage , masterful in Love Letters , and monumentally heartbreaking in Death Of A Salesman .
A colossus .
What a loss . ''
Fellow American actor James Woods , who starred alongside him in Bestseller , mourned a `` beloved friend and colleague '' , tweeting : `` I 've never laughed so hard as we did every day on the set or off . ''
Born on 9 July 1938 in Bridgeport , Connecticut , he took up acting at the age of 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a high school in Brooklyn .
He played the title role in a production of Macbeth .
A scholarship at Columbia University followed and then five years of service in the US Marines .
Physically , Dennehy was an imposing man , standing at 6ft 3in ( 1.9m ) .
To fund his acting career in the 1960s he worked as a truck driver , a bartender and a salesman .
`` I had to make a life inside those jobs , not just pretend , '' he told The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film in 1977 with Semi-Tough , which starred Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson .
He was paid $ 10,000 a week for 10 weeks ' work and it `` looked like it was all the money in the world '' , he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press .
In 1991 came the TV movie To Catch A Killer for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special .
`` I try to play villains as if they 're good guys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ villains , '' he said in an interview the following year .
There were numerous roles in TV dramas including Dallas and Dynasty .
In 2007 he voiced the character of a rat called Django in the hit Pixar animation Ratatouille , delivering lines like `` Now shut up and eat your garbage '' .
Dennehy 's theatre work ranged from Shakespeare and Chekhov to the American greats like Miller and O'Neill : he won Tony Awards for Death Of A Salesman ( 1999 ) and Long Day 's Journey Into Night ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adaptation of Death of a Salesman earned him a Golden Globe .
He died from natural causes not related to coronavirus at his Connecticut home on Wednesday evening , with his wife Jennifer and son Cormac by his side , his agent told AFP news agency .
Brian Dennehy is also survived by four other children , three of them from a previous marriage .

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bbc--2020-04-17--Google blocking 18m coronavirus scam emails every day

Scammers are sending 18 million hoax emails about Covid-19 to Gmail users every day , according to Google .
The tech giant says the pandemic has led to an explosion of phishing attacks in which criminals try to trick users into revealing personal data .
The company said it was blocking more than 100 million phishing emails a day .
Over the past week , almost a fifth were scam emails related to coronavirus .
The virus may now be the biggest phishing topic ever , tech firms say .
Google 's Gmail is used by 1.5 billion people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of emails which impersonate authorities , such as the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , in an effort to persuade victims to download software or donate to bogus causes .
Cyber-criminals are also attempting to capitalise on government support packages by imitating public institutions .
Google claims that its machine-learning tools are able to block more than 99.9 % of emails from reaching its users .
The growth in coronavirus-themed phishing is being recorded by several cyber-security companies .
Barracuda Networks said it had seen a 667 % increase in malicious phishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been sending fake emails and text messages claiming to be from the UK government , the WHO , the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and even individual US officials , including President Trump .
`` Phishing attacks always share the common trait of inciting or depending on an emotion that causes us to act more hastily or think less about our actions at that moment in time , '' said independent security researcher Scott Helme .
`` The coronavirus pandemic is a highly emotional topic right now and cyber-criminals clearly know this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person might be more inclined to click through links or follow bad instructions if they use this lure . ''
Researchers have also found malicious websites and smartphone applications based on genuine coronavirus resources .
One malicious Android app claims to help track the spread of the virus , but instead infects the phone with ransomware and demands payment to restore the device .
Last week , the National Cyber Security Centre and the US Department of Homeland Security issued a joint advisory .
They said they had seen `` an increasing number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploiting the current Covid-19 pandemic for their own objectives '' .
The NCSC has published advice on its website to help people avoid becoming the victim of a scam .

"Phishing attacks always share the common trait of inciting or depending on an emotion that causes us to act more hastily or think less about our actions at that moment in time," said independent security researcher Scott Helme.


bbc--2020-04-17--Coronavirus: China outbreak city Wuhan raises death toll by 50%

The Chinese city of Wuhan , where the coronavirus originated last year , has raised its official Covid-19 death toll by 50 % , adding 1,290 fatalities .
Wuhan officials attributed the new figure to updated reporting and deaths outside hospitals .
China has insisted there was no cover-up .
It has been accused of downplaying the severity of its virus outbreak .
Wuhan 's 11 million residents spent months in strict lockdown conditions , which have only recently been eased .
The latest official figures bring the death toll in the city in China 's central Hubei province to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 4,600 .
China has confirmed nearly 84,000 coronavirus infections , the seventh-highest globally , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
The virus has had a huge impact on the Chinese economy , which shrank for the first time in decades in the first quarter of the year .
• Follow our live reporting from around the world What 's China 's explanation for the rise in deaths ?
In a statement released on Friday , officials in Wuhan said the revised figures were the result of new data received from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funeral homes and prisons .
Deaths linked to the virus outside hospitals , such as people who died at home , had not previously been recorded .
The `` statistical verification '' followed efforts by authorities to `` ensure that information on the city 's Covid-19 epidemic is open , transparent and the data [ is ] accurate '' , the statement said .
It added that health systems were initially overwhelmed and cases were `` mistakenly reported '' - in some instances counted more than once and in others missed entirely .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ early stages meant that many infected patients were not accounted for , it said .
A spokesman for China 's National Health Commission , Mi Feng , said the new death count came from a `` comprehensive review '' of epidemic data .
In its daily news conference , the foreign ministry said accusations of a cover-up , which have been made most stridently on the world stage by US President Donald Trump , were unsubstantiated .
`` We 'll never allow any concealment , '' a spokesman said .
Why are there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's revised figures come amid growing international concern that deaths in China have been under-reported .
Questions have also been raised about Beijing 's handling of the epidemic , particularly in its early stages .
In December 2019 , Chinese authorities launched an investigation into a mysterious viral pneumonia after cases began circulating in Wuhan .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health China reported the cases to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UN 's global health agency , on 31 December .
But WHO experts were only allowed to visit China and investigate the outbreak on 10 February , by which time the country had more than 40,000 cases .
The mayor of Wuhan has previously admitted there was a lack of action between the start of January - when about 100 cases had been confirmed - and 23 January , when city-wide restrictions were enacted .
Around that time , a doctor who tried to warn his colleagues about an outbreak of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr Li Wenliang later died from Covid-19 .
Wuhan 's death toll increase of almost exactly 50 % has left some analysts wondering if this is all a bit too neat .
For months questions have been asked about the veracity of China 's official coronavirus statistics .
The inference has been that some Chinese officials may have deliberately under-reported deaths and infections to give the impression that cities and towns were successfully managing the emergency .
If that was the case , Chinese officials were not to know just how bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , making its own figures now seem implausibly small .
The authorities in Wuhan , where the first cluster of this disease was reported , said there had been no deliberate misrepresentation of data , rather that a stabilisation in the emergency had allowed them time to revisit the reported cases and to add any previously missed .
That the new death toll was released at the same time as a press conference announcing a total collapse in China 's economic growth figures has led some to wonder whether this was a deliberate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these stories .
Then again , it could also be a complete coincidence .
But China has also been praised for its handling of the crisis and the unprecedented restrictions that it instituted to slow the spread of the virus .
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hashailed China for the `` speed with which [ it ] detected the outbreak '' and its `` commitment to transparency '' .
US President Donald Trump this week halted funding for the WHO , accusing it of making deadly mistakes and overly trusting China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers in this vast country called China , and that they have a certain number of cases and a certain number of deaths ; does anybody really believe that ? ''
Mr Trump said at the White House on Wednesday .
French President Emmanuel Macron has also questioned China 's handling of the coronavirus outbreak , saying it was `` naive '' to suggest the country had dealt better with the crisis , adding things `` happened that we do n't know about '' .
On Thursday , UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask the hard questions about how [ coronavirus ] came about and how it could n't have been stopped earlier . ''

The authorities in Wuhan, where the first cluster of this disease was reported, said there had been no deliberate misrepresentation of data, rather that a stabilisation in the emergency had allowed them time to revisit the reported cases and to add any previously missed.


bbc--2020-04-17--Coronavirus: Space crew return to very different Earth

A crew of three has returned from the International Space Station ( ISS ) to a very different planet they left last year .
No strangers to isolation , Russian Oleg Skrypochka and Jessica Meir from the US left Earth in September 2019 , well before Covid-19 emerged .
Another American , Andrew Morgan , has been on the ISS since July 2019 .
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the usual routine for returning space crews .
`` It 's quite surreal to see it unfolding on Earth below , '' Ms Meir told reporters during a recent video call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just as stunning as usual , so it 's hard to believe all of the changes that have taken place since we left . ''
• Coronavirus : What do all the terms mean ?
The trio touched down on Earth at 05:16 GMT , with Mr Skrypochka and Ms Meir having spent 205 days in space , and Mr Morgan 272 days .
A series of posts on the official ISS Twitter account described how the crew 's Soyuz ship split into three modules before the descent module reached the Earth 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early on Friday .
The capsule then landed successfully in Kazakhstan .
US space agency Nasa posted a video of the astronauts being met by a mask-wearing rescue team .
The search party has been in strict quarantine and are believed to have undergone tests for coronavirus immediately before going out to pick up the arrivals to ensure that they were not at risk of infecting them .
In normal circumstances the search team would pick up the crew and bring them to the closest airport , from where they would fly home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of emergency and most of the airports are closed .
The Baikonur space launch pad , leased by Russia from Kazakhstan , is still operating and the three crew members will be flown there .
The Russian will take a plane home while the Americans will be driven three hours south-east to Kyzylorda , from where a Nasa plane will fly them back to the US .
A replacement crew of two Russians and an American who flew to the ISS on 9 April also took the utmost precautions to avoid taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a half in quarantine before the launch .
Usually , a team of returning astronauts and cosmonauts will undergo a special rehabilitation program lasting several weeks .
After a long stay in zero gravity , the body needs time to get used to life in constant gravity .
But this time doctors have the additional task of protecting the crew from coronavirus .
`` It will be difficult to not give hugs to family and friends after being up here for seven months , '' Ms Meir said on the video call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she made history after completing the first ever all-female spacewalk with another Nasa astronaut , Christina Koch .
`` I think I will feel more isolated on Earth than here .
We 're busy with amazing pursuits and tasks and do n't feel the isolation , '' she added .
The ISS has been orbiting the Earth since 1998 .
Five partners are involved - the US , Russia , Japan , Canada and the European Space Agency .

"It's quite surreal to see it unfolding on Earth below," Ms Meir told reporters during a recent video call. "From here, Earth looks just as stunning as usual, so it's hard to believe all of the changes that have taken place since we left."


bbc--2020-04-17--Coronavirus: Denmark to reopen hairdressers as it loosens lockdown

It began with schools for young children this week , now Denmark will allow beauty salons , hairdressers and tattoo parlours to reopen on Monday .
Denmark moved fast to tackle the outbreak , imposing restrictions on movement early on 12 March , while neighbouring Sweden decided to steer clear of severe measures .
Companies that do go back to work will have to follow guidelines .
Any further easing will depend on Danes respecting social distancing rules .
`` No-one wants to keep Denmark closed a day more than is absolutely necessary , '' Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't go ahead faster than we are able to keep the epidemic under control . ''
What will open and what won't Hairdressers , dentists , tattooists and driving school instructors will be allowed to resume work .
Other professions include : The courts will reopen on 27 April .
Cafes , restaurants and schools for ages 12 and over will not .
Those who are allowed to go back to work but feel the time is not yet right will still be allowed to claim government compensation .
• Why Denmark is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also be carried out to enable family visits to vulnerable people , both the elderly and children .
As soon as details of the relaxation became clear , one of Denmark 's biggest online hairdresser booking systems , ordering.nu , crashed , Ekstra Bladet reported .
The newspaper suggested that Danes crying out for a haircut had all tried to book at the same time .
The decision on reopening came after political leaders , including opposition parties , reached a consensus based on advice from the SSI infectious diseases institute .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7,000 infections linked to coronavirus in a population of 5.8 million .
One in five of the reported infections involved health care workers .
Elsewhere in Europe , Austria allowed small shops to reopen on Tuesday while in Germany small shops of up to 800 sq m ( 8,600 sq ft ) will also be allowed to resume trading from Monday .
Spain allowed some construction and manufacturing to resume this week .
The lockdown across Europe has had a dramatic effect on the car industry .
New car sales fell by 55 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU states affected .
Meanwhile , the Swedish government has reacted to criticism of its decision to avoid strict measures aimed at tackling Covid-19 .
`` It 's a myth that life goes on as normal in Sweden , '' Foreign Affairs Minister Ann Linde told reporters , pointing out that many parts of society had shut down and that businesses were collapsing as a result of the pandemic .
Pubs , shops and schools are still open in Sweden but the government has barred gatherings of more than 50 people as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has seen 1,333 deaths in a population of 10 million .
The head of the public health agency , Johan Carlsson , said Sweden was relying on personal responsibility so `` all citizens need to comply with legislation and recommendations '' .
MPs passed a law on Thursday granting the government powers to push through measures over the next few weeks that involve closing businesses , limiting public gatherings and shutting down airports .
Scientists are divided on the government 's approach but polls suggest its popular with the public , the BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ministers have not indicated any lockdown is imminent .

The courts will reopen on 27 April. Cafes, restaurants and schools for ages 12 and over will not. Those who are allowed to go back to work but feel the time is not yet right will still be allowed to claim government compensation.


bbc--2020-04-17--Coronavirus: Macron questions China's handling of outbreak

French President Emmanuel Macron has questioned China 's handling of the coronavirus outbreak .
Mr Macron told the Financial Times it was `` naive '' to suggest China had dealt better with the crisis , adding things `` happened that we do n't know about '' .
More people have died in the US and several European countries than in China where the virus emerged .
The US and the UK have also cast doubt on China 's figures and the speed with which it responded or alerted others .
However , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than two million people have been infected and more than 145,000 have died .
The US , France , Italy and Spain are amongst the worst affected countries .
France has seen 141,000 cases of Covid-19 and nearly 18,000 deaths .
China has recorded 4,632 deaths - including an extra 1,290 deaths announced on Friday in the city of Wuhan , where the pandemic started and where a strict lockdown has only recently been lifted .
Local officials said early reporting there had been delayed and inaccurate .
President Macron 's interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw the summoning of the Chinese ambassador to Paris by the French foreign ministry to express disapproval over an article on the Chinese embassy 's website that said Western countries had left the elderly to die in care homes .
The article - by an unnamed diplomat - was seen by France as a reference to the situation in its care homes , which make up a large number of deaths attributed to the disease caused by coronavirus , Covid-19 .
• French care home fights to keep virus at bay • Are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
China dismissed the row as a `` misunderstanding '' .
Government spokesman Zhao Lijian said China had never made any negative comments about how France was coping with the epidemic `` and has no intention of making any '' .
Mr Macron was asked if China 's authoritarian response to bring the outbreak under control had exposed the weakness of Western democracies , and responded that there was no comparison between open societies and those where truth was suppressed .
`` Given these differences , the choices made and what China is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's not be so naive as to say it 's been much better at handling this , '' he said .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health '' We do n't know .
There are clearly things that have happened that we do n't know about . ''
He said that abandoning freedoms to fight the pandemic would threaten Western democracies .
`` We ca n't accept that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DNA on the grounds that there is a health crisis . ''
What is China being accused of ?
Many Western officials are coming under pressure to explain why the coronavirus outbreak is wreaking havoc on their populations - proportionally much smaller than China 's .
The UK and the US have led the charge that China 's figures and explanations can not be trusted .
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told a news conference on Thursday that `` hard questions '' would have be asked about how the outbreak started `` and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier '' .
He said there would have to be a `` deep dive '' into how the virus was able to spread from China and said it could not be `` business as usual '' after the crisis .
US President Donald Trump has also taken a harder line against China .
On Wednesday , asked why the US accounted for such a high proportion of the global death toll , he responded : `` Does anybody really believe the numbers of some of these countries ? ''
he said , naming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also looking into unverified reports that the coronavirus may have emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan rather than in a market in the city .
• Can we trust China claims of virus success ?
• Is there any evidence for coronavirus lab release theory ?
Fox News in the US , citing unnamed sources , has suggested that the coronavirus accidentally leaked from a Wuhan facility because of lax safety protocols .
The Washington Post newspaper has reported information obtained from diplomatic cables .
They show that , in 2018 , US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a Chinese research facility .
Officials sent two warnings to Washington about inadequate safety at the lab .
US intelligence agencies have taken an interest , the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Mark Milley said on Tuesday .
`` We 've had a lot of intelligence look at that .
And I would just say at this point , it 's inconclusive , although the weight of evidence seems to indicate natural .
But we do n't know for certain . ''
There is no evidence of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accidentally from a lab , says the BBC 's science editor Paul Rincon .
One online theory , that went viral in January , suggested the virus could have been engineered in a lab as a bioweapon .
This allegation has been repeatedly dismissed by scientists , who note that studies show the virus originated in animals - most likely in bats .

He said there would have to be a "deep dive" into how the virus was able to spread from China and said it could not be "business as usual" after the crisis.


bbc--2020-04-17--Weekly quiz: How exactly did Apollo 13 announce its plight?

It 's the weekly news quiz - how closely have you been paying attention to what 's been going on @ @ @ @ @ past seven days ?
If you can not see the quiz , follow this link @ @ @ @ @ quiz via this link .

It's the weekly news quiz - how closely have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world during the past seven days?


bbc--2020-04-17--Coronavirus: Reopening US 'a beautiful puzzle'

Do celebrities still matter in a crisis ?
The role of celebrities in this crisis - how much do we @ @ @ @

US President Donald Trump says some states can lift restrictions "literally tomorrow", but Dr Anthony Fauci warns the virus could rebound, adding: "It's not game over."