crikey--2020-04-01--Belgium didn’t ban group sex, and other debunked coronavirus misinformation

Fake news is spreading as fast as the coronavirus itself .
RMIT ABC Fact Check examines claims from lions in Russia to a sex ban in Belgium .
As the world grapples with an unprecedented health crisis , it is now more important than ever to ensure that the information we share is accurate and fact-based .
Fake news and misinformation seem to be spreading as fast and as far as the virus itself , infecting our newsfeeds and timelines at this crucial moment .
For this reason , RMIT ABC Fact Check has launched CoronaCheck , an email newsletter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest in fact-checking from around the world in relation to the coronavirus .
Read the latest edition below , and subscribe to have the next newsletter delivered straight to your inbox .
Our colleagues from the International Fact-Checking Network ( IFCN ) have been covering a lot of ground , from lions in Russia to shoppers in Australia .
In this edition of CoronaCheck we ’ ve covered what to do if you ’ re feeling ill ( hint — it ’ s unlikely to involve Facebook advice ) and investigated a viral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Melbourne Hospital .
We ’ ve also checked in with the US presidential election race , and brought you a light-hearted story from Belgium .
While teams of researchers around the world are working at full throttle to develop a coronavirus vaccine , Australians are heading to their local GP for this year ’ s flu shot .
But one Facebook post , shared more than 2500 times , claims that the flu vaccine increases your chances of getting the coronavirus by 36 % .
The claim has been deemed false by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quoted Dr David Webber , a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of North Carolina , as saying : The Royal Melbourne Hospital has taken to Twitter to distance itself from a message circulating online attributed to a “ friend who works for the Royal Melbourne Hospital in HR ” .
The message contains a number of claims , including that sipping water will help “ destroy ” the virus ( debunked here ) and that being able to breathe deeply is a sign that a person is not infected ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the message “ completely false ” and said : A collective madness seems to have gripped Australia , as evidenced by supermarket shelves left bare in the wake of an onslaught of panic shoppers .
One video shared on social media in recent days appears to show shoppers stockpiling baby formula at a Melbourne supermarket .
The video , posted to YouTube on March 18 , is undated .
Captions and comments on Facebook posts that feature the video suggest some viewers assumed the footage was captured during the coronavirus outbreak .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determined that while the video does show shoppers buying tins of formula , it was originally published on December 21 , 2019 — more than a week before the first reported cases of coronavirus .
Struggling with the thought of being locked inside your house for the foreseeable future ?
Tempted to sneak outside for a break ?
What if there were lions outside patrolling the streets ?
Would you want to leave ?
One viral story , complete with photos , claims that President Vladimir Putin released more than 500 lions onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside during the coronavirus pandemic .
Fact checkers at Reuters and Rappler marked the story as false and identified the photo of a lion on city streets as having been taken in South Africa in 2016 , when the animal was allowed to wander through Johannesburg as part of a film production .
Confused about what to do if you think you might have coronavirus ?
Incorrect advice and misinformation being spread on social media may be partly to blame .
Take , for example , a Facebook post claiming that Australians who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branch ” would be seen at home by a doctor for free .
Sounds too good to be true , right ?
Well , that ’ s because it is , according to AFP Fact Check , which found no evidence of any Australian state offering free GP visits .
If you do feel unwell and have symptoms matching those of coronavirus , the number you should call is the National Coronavirus Helpline : 1800 020 080 “ People who have never died before are now dying from coronavirus.
” That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and his likely opponent in this year ’ s US presidential election , Joe Biden .
But which one of them actually said it ?
Neither , according to PolitiFact , which found no evidence of the quote being used in any speech , campaign ad or media interview by either man .
They did discover , however , that Ernest Hemingway was apparently fond of the phrase ( sans the coronavirus reference , of course ) .
No , Belgium ’ s health minister did not ban “ non-essential group sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good idea to put such activities on hold for now .
That particular piece of fake news , contained in an article by World News Daily Report , was taken as gospel and shared widely on social media , including by verified accounts on Twitter .
But , as The Quint discovered , the article was actually satire — the tagline of World News Daily Report is “ where facts don ’ t matter ” .
We ’ ll keep saying it until it sticks : check the source !
• The Australian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Emergencies ( APPRISE ) • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( US ) Got a fact that needs checking ?
Tweet us @ ABCFactCheck or send us an email at [ email protected ]

As the world grapples with an unprecedented health crisis, it is now more important than ever to ensure that the information we share is accurate and fact-based. Fake news and misinformation seem to be spreading as fast and as far as the virus itself, infecting our newsfeeds and timelines at this crucial moment.
For this reason, RMIT ABC Fact Check has launched CoronaCheck, an email newsletter in which we will bring you the latest in fact-checking from around the world in relation to the coronavirus.
Read the latest edition below, and subscribe to have the next newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.


crikey--2020-04-01--Coronavirus opens “Pandora’s box” of problems for Australia’s illicit drug market

Amber has been a reporter for The Age , writer for ABC Comedy ’ s Tonightly , and creator of @ @ @ @ @ .
She was awarded the Jacoby-Walkley scholarship in 2018 , and was an Associate Producer @ @ @ @

Coronavirus has presented a potential crisis for illicit drug users, drying up supply and pushing people to more desperate measures.
While a shortage of illicit drugs might seem like a good thing, experts warn Australia could see a sharp rise in overdoses, putting pressure on already swamped health systems.
Isn’t a drug shortage a good thing?
A shortage of drugs opens up a “Pandora’s box of problems,” Melinda Lucas, a spokesperson for the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, told Crikey.


crikey--2020-04-02--Cruise Watch: what happens if we don’t stop the boats?

Before joining Crikey in 2018 , Kishor was an editor of the University of Sydney ’ s student paper Honi @ @ @ @ @ The Sydney Morning Herald on the state news beat , a casual legal reporter for @ @ @ @ @ Law and Journalism , and a research assistant at the Australian Human Rights Commission .
@ @ @ @ @ he is completing a law degree at the University of Sydney .
Kishor will be @ @ @ @ @ immigration , race and religion .

The fallout from the Ruby Princess disaster continues to haunt Australia, with a significant portion of our COVID-19 cases now connected with the cruise liner.
As several more ships circle Australian ports, governments face the challenge of what to do with passengers. COVID-19 has brought the cruise ship industry to its knees. But is that a bad thing?
The numbers
More than two weeks ago, the federal government put a 30-day ban on new cruise ships docking in Australia. But exceptions were made for those already headed to port.


crikey--2020-04-01--Trump is the virus: Australia pays the price for being America’s best buddy

US media and politics shape Australia 's politics , and the coronavirus data shows we 're now paying the price @ @ @ @ @ Ruby Princess , Australia had the United States .
The governmental dysfunction and chaotic health @ @ @ @ @ has not just made it the world leader in COVID-19 cases , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ to shifting the disease in Australia from challenge to emergency .

Before we had the Ruby Princess, Australia had the United States. The governmental dysfunction and chaotic health care of our favourite ally has not just made it the world leader in COVID-19 cases, it’s made it the key contributor to shifting the disease in Australia from challenge to emergency.
The COVID-19 data on the high level of overseas infections –particularly through US flight arrivals into Sydney — show that Australia is paying a large price for our social and political integration with North America. Particularly now, in the age of Trump.
The epidemic in the US has been marked with a profound systems failure — a jackpot of denialism from the top, politicisation of policy and implementation and a profoundly irresponsible right-wing media.


crikey--2020-04-01--No, Belgium didn’t ban group sex (and other debunked coronavirus misinformation)


crikey--2020-04-01--Pandemic opens “Pandora’s box” of problems for Australia’s illicit drug market


crikey--2020-04-02--So, you’re suddenly regretting your choice of tax haven (and other news you may have missed)

So , you ’ re suddenly regretting your choice of tax haven ( and other news you may have missed @ @ @ @ @ marooned , travel restrictions affect abortion access , and Thailand says no to April Fools @ @ @ @ @ , here are the stories you may have missed .

The havens and the haven-nots
As governments around the world leap into action to attempt to prevent businesses from collapsing and individuals from falling into dire poverty from COVID-19-related economic catastrodisasterageddon, there are concerns about those who will inevitably fall between the gaps.
Like, for example, international cruise lines.
Take Princess Cruises, for example, the part of the Carnival group which had almost transformed their image into purveyors of seaborne holiday and entertainment excellence rather than floating petri dishes. And then the Ruby Princess disgorged its viral load into Australia’s ports and look: as PR stunts go, giving the world a remake of Contagion was perhaps somewhat ill-considered.


crikey--2020-04-03--Virus Watch: we may be at a turning point (except in the USA)

Global cases of COVID-19 have cracked the 1 million mark. It’s particularly dire news in the United States, where numbers are skyrocketing thanks to an inadequate, underprepared health system and an initially indifferent presidential administration.
In Italy and Spain, it looks like the peak may have passed. And while deaths have risen in Australia in the past week, is there reason for some cautious optimism here?
One million cases
There are now more than 1 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, and more than 52,000 deaths according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.


crikey--2020-04-03--The virus has revolutionised life. Labor must present a radical plan for what comes next

The PM had no choice but to make childcare free .
If we do n't push permanent changes to how we live , this opportunity will be lost .
The Morrison government ’ s announcement of free childcare has prompted another round , amidst miserable circumstances , of deep gloating about the direction that politics and economics has taken .
The mild proposals by Labor that were described as “ communism ” have been swamped by a range of measures that have abolished the political claim of scarcity altogether .
Many of these have been designed specifically to hold things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s only when there is no real alternative — such as a six-month ban on evictions ( at the state level ) — that radical measures emerge .
The free childcare measure is one of those .
People who see it as some bold policy leap should consider that there was really no alternative .
But as these unavoidable moves pile up , it does seem that it will steadily become more difficult to wind back such measures once this is all over .
One suspects that ’ s especially so with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the worst in the world — expensive , patchy , poorly organised ; an avoidable disaster the product of its privatisation and then an “ industry ” -wide crash with ABC Childcare , the corporation/cult heavily enmeshed with the Liberal Party .
Childcare costs are part of the distinctly Australian squeeze , in which millions are told they ’ re earning high wages in a uniquely booming and robust economy , yet only see that money flow out in the other direction on non-discretionary costs — overpriced housing , power , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a racket , and everyone knows its a racket , but it ’ s just that bit short of dysfunctional to avert actual political damage .
Indeed , it can be played for advantage .
Because no systemic alternative is offered , the Coalition reaps political benefit from the neoliberal squeeze it imposes by offering tax cuts , and ekes out narrow victories in swing seats .
The advantage of such quickly evaporates because prices are raised to adjust , and round it goes .
Labor never offered a real alternative to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has spent a quarter century mostly out of power , and not even setting the agenda from opposition .
Even though the 2008 global crash made it clear that the system would be perpetually prone to ever greater crises , and even though the subsequent “ recovery ” was largely composed of quantitative easing money and waves of automation , embedding structural underemployment , Labor failed to commit to a process of reinventing social democracy , and developing a centre-left approach to transforming how we live and work .
Instead , both right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capitalist economic base , still based around the useless measure of GDP , and no reduction in the working week .
Right-left stability pacts then dictated a series of bolted-on policy initiatives demanded by the left as the price of their acquiescence to right control .
But these had no linking narrative , so they looked like a series of isolated big-ticket spends and tax grabs , with no underlying logic .
When that disastrous state helped Labor lose the last election , the right of the party took its chance to repudiate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberal clone , in the hope that it could crawl back into power due to Scomo ’ s incompetence .
Well now look , now look .
The virus itself has repudiated the type of capitalism Labor has been spending its political capital to sell , and Scott Morrison has reaped the reward .
Morrison looks like a leader , because he has become a leader .
That ’ s undeniable .
The early hesitations and the fumbles a la Ruby Princess have been bad , but hardly unusual the world over .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential supplies is bad , but won ’ t play as catastrophic .
The essence of leadership is audacity of action , followed by fidelity to the course of action you ’ ve taken .
If very forceful lockdowns by state governments have flattened the curve , and the sequence of JobKeeper initiatives and beyond have saved hundreds of thousands of households from fear and penury , then Morrison has become the sort of leader people put pictures of up over the fireplace .
Labor is… uh , I dunno .
Quite aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency , what ’ s the plan ?
You won ’ t find it in Jim Chalmers ’ s op-ed in The Guardian , which is two-thirds boilerplate “ time of testing ” guff , and one-third PowerPoint blather .
Having suggested we need radical new thinking , Chalmers then gives us “ six pillars ” of recovery ( “ prosperity ” , “ opportunity ” , “ sustainability ” , etc ) , which offer nothing by way of analysis of the predicament we ’ re in .
Having been the loudest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no new ideas at all , Chalmers is now desperate to get himself ahead of the parade that ’ s started .
Usual desperate pollie-trick .
Danger is , if you ’ re out of step , you ’ ll get trampled on .
The crucial and telling misstep is the “ prosperity ” point .
Should this process continue for months — until end of June as announced by the NSW Police ( and why the hell are the NSW Police announcing these things ? )
— then what exactly “ prosperity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For decades , Western publics have been conscripted into a no-choice lifestyle of long working hours , steadily rising costs and the impoverishment of public services , all leavened with a series of overpriced consumer pseudo-choices , to give the appearance of freedom , and deepen indebtedness .
No major party has offered an alternative , and the union movement has been too dozy to do so since Laurie Carmichael last tried in the 1980s .
Now ?
Now that ’ s all happened for millions of people in a rush .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shape of work has changed .
All those hours you were deprived of in the time poverty of “ prosperity ” ?
Here they are , all at once .
The regimented pseudo-factory discipline of office life — three hours work spread over nine hours ’ office presence — are exposed as bogus .
Despite the many irritations of lockdowns , people are slowly rediscovering what the day looks like when it ’ s a mix of work , free time , non-commodified necessary activity ( i.e .
childcare ) , and free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing gardening , DIY , and much more .
You can see why the powers-that-be hate it .
Because this is communism .
Communism is collective free time and free life-activity , and nothing more , nothing less , nothing else .
A communist dimension has entered daily life , and it will only continue to develop and transform our thinking about how we should live beyond the crisis .
That would involve some working out of how “ regimented ” and “ non-regimented ” jobs are worked out , and how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-essential .
But since the alternative is being marched back into bullshit overproduction for less money , it seems worth a try .
Jim Chalmers , with his prosperity gospel , is trying on John Curtin ’ s clothes , quoting Stuart MacIntyre ’ s great study of Labor ’ s post-war reconstruction .
But that was a democratic socialist industrial growth strategy for an underdeveloped country .
Simply aping that doesn ’ t make Labor now the new Curtins and Chifleys ; it makes them the backward right of the party ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and fought the Marxist-influenced Curtin , and the native radical Chifley , every step of the way .
Morrison ’ s political strategy is obvious .
Having led audacious moves in a “ special period ” , he will now make the “ snap-back ” to normality part of the leadership deal .
Labor ’ s only chance is to have a real alternative , which talks about what life is , what we can have , and how things can be done differently .
The Greens too , need to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ books and manifestos , Greens ?
The leadership is now composed of people , when I knew them , whose idea of fun was to read a 600-page commentary on Althusser ’ s interpretation of Spinoza .
There ’ s no excuse now for not getting a book out , and other materials , about where we should go from here .
If the Greens can ’ t do that now , we ’ ll know they got lost in the long march through the institutions .
Something has happened , and political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to it .
Those who want a more radical result from this crisis need to build on the great interruption .
This may be a distinct event .
Or COVID-20 may be here in two years time , followed by climate change .
Change is either a great opportunity for a better life , or a necessity for any sort of future life at all .

The Morrison government’s announcement of free childcare has prompted another round, amidst miserable circumstances, of deep gloating about the direction that politics and economics has taken.
The mild proposals by Labor that were described as “communism” have been swamped by a range of measures that have abolished the political claim of scarcity altogether. Many of these have been designed specifically to hold things in place at all cost. It’s only when there is no real alternative — such as a six-month ban on evictions (at the state level) — that radical measures emerge.
The free childcare measure is one of those. People who see it as some bold policy leap should consider that there was really no alternative.


crikey--2020-04-03--Childcare package could be the PM’s pink batts moment

Adam Schwab is a commentator , business director , and the co-founder of LuxuryEscapes.com .
He is also the author @ @ @ @ @ : Lessons from Australia ’ s Decade of Corporate Greed .

Could Scott Morrison’s $1.6 billion free childcare giveaway turn into the Liberal’s very own pink batts fiasco?
Morrison seemed somewhat confused on the purpose of the Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package — appearing to cite two very different reasons for its implementation.
First, he claimed the policy was about protecting parents: “This virus is going to take enough from Australians without putting Australian parents in that position of having to choose between the economic wellbeing of their family or the care and support and education of their children.”