jerusalempost--2020-04-04--Israel's death toll reaches 44 - number 44 is 5 victim from nursing home

Israel Police and the IDF are gearing up to enact military-enforced closures on more haredi (ultra-Orthodox) cities and neighborhoods, at the request of the Health Ministry. The move comes just days after the government approved such a closure on Bnei Brak, a haredi city of 200,000, and as the number of cases of coronavirus infection in Israel surged to 7,851.
Among the places under discussion are Elad, Modi’in Illit, Migdal Ha’emek and several haredi neighborhoods in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh. At the ministry’s request, government officials are scheduled to convene and make a final decision about any new closures by Sunday.
Jerusalem, home to close to one million people, has the highest rate of infection in the country, with 1,132 people as of Friday.
Currently there are 120 cases of coronavirus in Elad, a city of 46,760 people, according to the Health Ministry. Beit Shemesh has 118 cases out of 120,812 people, Migdal Ha’emek has 82 out of 26,058, and Modi’in Illit has 91 out of a population of 73,808.
The government is also considering placing closures on at least two secular cities, Channel 12 reported: Ashkelon, which has 170 cases in the city of 139,032 and Tiberias, which has 83 cases in the city of 44,353.
More than 1,000 police began enforcing a lockdown on Bnei Brak on Friday, setting up roadblocks at all entrances and exits to the city to contain the spread of the deadly fast-spreading virus. Residents are banned from leaving except under special circumstances.
According to reports, police are using drones and other monitoring methods to enforce the lockdown.
Bnei Brak has more coronavirus cases per capita than any other city in Israel, according to the Health Ministry. On Friday, 1,061 residents were diagnosed with the virus there – up 513 people in the last three days.
At a meeting of the Knesset coronavirus committee last week, Maccabi Health Services CEO Prof. Ran Saar said that his fund handles the healthcare of half of the city’s residents and, “according to various indications, about 38% of the residents of Bnei Brak are ill, which is 75,000 people.”Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion denied that such a decision would be made. He said that he opposed it, because it would cause unnecessary panic and discriminate against haredim.
Despite the latest restrictions, one resident who tested positive for coronavirus was found on Thursday night staying at Bnei Brak’s Ponevezh Yeshiva with another 16 men in order to pray. Police intervened.
Then, on Friday night, the police were forced to crack down Jerusalem’s haredi Mea She’arim neighborhood. Police reported that dozens of people there were violating the Health Ministry’s social distancing regulations. When approached, many people threw stones at the police.
Police used stun grenades to deal with the disturbances and arrested 10 suspects. In addition, 30 fines were written to people who did not keep to the strict laws and health regulations.
ZAKA Search and Rescue volunteers also reported visiting the homes of more than 60 confirmed coronavirus cases among haredi communities during this Shabbat in order to ensure they immediately self-isolate, after they did not answer the phone call from the Health Ministry to confirm that they have the virus.
Police said they also had to crack down on more than 50 people who did not obey Health Ministry guidelines and arrived at the beach on Saturday.
These violations come as the number of seriously ill and dead continues to climb. As of Saturday night, 126 people are in serious condition, including 108 who are breathing with ventilators.
Eight more people died over the weekend and another person Sunday morning, bringing the country’s coronavirus death toll to 45. These latest victims come on the backdrop of what was the most deadly day so far for coronavirus in the country: On Thursday, 10 people passed away from the disease.
The Health Ministry has been working to increase testing across the country and especially in potentially problematic towns and cities to help understand the scope of the country’s challenge. In the last two weeks, testing has increased from an average of 1,000 tests per day to 3,000, then 5,000 and ultimately close to 8,000 tests per day. The goal, according to the government, is to reach 30,000 people screened per day.
However, on Friday, the Health Ministry was forced to narrow the criteria for being tested, reporting a shortage of reagents (the chemical compound used for coronavirus testing).
The new guidelines explain that if one is suffering from a temperature above 38° Celsius, a cough, difficulty breathing, or any other respiratory symptoms that correspond to the virus, the person may only be screened if he or she has spent time abroad or in the Palestinian territories in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms.
As for asymptomatic cases, one is only eligible to be tested if he or she has stayed in the vicinity of a confirmed coronavirus patient for over 15 minutes or has returned from a country with a high rate of COVID-19 infections.
OF THE nine people who died over the weekend and Sunday morning, four were former residents of the Mishan senior living facility in Beersheba, raising the total number of residents who died of the virus to six.
Moreover, there are at least four people diagnosed with the virus at the Mishan senior living facility in Holon and several more at complexes in Rishon Lezion and Bat Yam, media reported. Channel 12 noted that despite the infections in the Holon center, residents say that no one is in isolation.
Israel’s nursing homes have been hit hard by the novel coronavirus. Scores of residents have been infected, at least 10 have died and additional patients remain in serious condition. Last week at a meeting of the Knesset coronavirus task force, Health Ministry director-general Moshe Bar Siman Tov said the country has around 26,000 beds in geriatric centers and the people who fill them are at the greatest risk.
“We are trying to bring the Home Front Command into these institutions,” he said. “We requested assistance from the Defense Ministry.”
But the Homefront Command has said it will not be accepting responsibility for the country’s nursing homes, according to Ynet.
"They belong to the Welfare and Health Ministries," Home Front Command Commander Brigadier General Itzik Bar told Ynet. "We do not have nurses... I do not know how to manage a nursing home."
Families and tenants have demanded that all nursing homes be inspected, focusing on those in which patients were already found to be carriers, but so far, tests are being done sparingly.
Among those who passed away Thursday, it was revealed, was Rabbi Yekutiel Yehuda (Zalman) Cohen, a 90-year-old rabbi who was considered among the leaders of the Vizhnitz hassidic sect. He was a Holocaust survivor who survived the Auschwitz-Birkenau and Buchenwald concentration camps.
Assuta Ashdod Medical Center reported Friday that the 22-year-old who was in serious condition has further deteriorated. Anesthetized and ventilated, he has been transferred from Assuta to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
The country is working to increase its supply of ventilators to treat the sickest people as well as protective gear to ensure that medical personnel will be safe when helping these patients. As of Friday, 2,874 medical professionals were in isolation, including 1,224 who were infected.
Worldwide, more than 1,170,150 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to the World Health Organization, including more than 64,000 deaths.
SPEAKING AT a press briefing Friday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom called on all countries “to ensure core public health measures are fully funded, including case-finding, testing, contact tracing, collecting data and communication and information campaigns.”
He acknowledged that the world is “in a shared struggle to protect both lives and livelihoods,” but confirmed that “the best way for countries to end restrictions and ease their economic effects is to attack the virus, with the aggressive and comprehensive package of measures that we have spoken about many times before: find, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact.
“If countries rush to lift restrictions too quickly,” he cautioned, “the virus could resurge, and the economic impact could be even more severe and prolonged.”
Anna Ahronheim, Tamar Beeri and Idan Zonshine contributed to this report.


jerusalempost--2020-04-04--43rd victim die from coronavirus in Israel, a total of 3 on Saturday

The same evening , the National Emergency Authority published a procedure for approving entry and exit from the restricted area @ @ @ @ @ Friday , numbers 37-40 , who were all elderly people .
Samson Assuta Ashdod University @ @ @ @ @ 22-year-old who was in serious condition has further deteriorated .
He is anesthetized and ventilated @ @ @ @ @ Assuta to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center .
The country is working to beef up @ @ @ @ @ treat the sickest people and protective gear to ensure that medical personnel will be safe @ @ @ @ @ As of Friday , 2,874 medical professionals were in isolation , including 1,224 who were @ @


jerusalempost--2020-04-04--Iran's coronavirus death toll rises to 3,452

Iran 's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak climbed to 3,452 on Saturday , with 158 more fatalities recorded over @ @ @ @ @ Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpur said .
The total number of cases diagnosed with the @ @ @ @ @ whom 4,103 are in critical condition , he said on state TV .
Iran is @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic in the Middle East .

Iran's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak climbed to 3,452 on Saturday, with 158 more fatalities recorded over the past 24 hours, Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpur said.
DUBAI -
The total number of cases diagnosed with the disease reached 55,743, of whom 4,103 are in critical condition, he said on state TV. Iran is the country worst affected by the pandemic in the Middle East.


jerusalempost--2020-04-04--Trump fires intelligence community watchdog who handled Ukraine complaint

In a letter to key lawmakers , Trump said he planned in 30 days to remove the official , Michael Atkinson , saying , `` it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors-general .
This is no longer the case with regard to this inspector-general , '' he said .
A US official said Thomas Monheim , a career intelligence professional , would serve as acting inspector-general for the time being .
Atkinson , a Trump appointee , had determined that a whistleblower 's report was credible in alleging that Trump abused his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s interference in the 2020 US election for his political benefit .
Atkinson was also concerned that Trump potentially exposed himself to “ serious national security and counter-intelligence risks ” when he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden and his son during a phone call last year on July 25 , according to a Justice Department legal opinion .
Democrats heaped criticism on Trump for firing Atkinson , particularly as the country reels from the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` In the midst of a national emergency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again attempting to undermine the integrity of the intelligence community by firing yet another intelligence official simply for doing his job , '' said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner , the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee .

In a letter to key lawmakers, Trump said he planned in 30 days to remove the official, Michael Atkinson, saying, "it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors-general. This is no longer the case with regard to this inspector-general," he said.
A US official said Thomas Monheim, a career intelligence professional, would serve as acting inspector-general for the time being.
Atkinson, a Trump appointee, had determined that a whistleblower's report was credible in alleging that Trump abused his office in attempting to solicit Ukraine’s interference in the 2020 US election for his political benefit.
Atkinson was also concerned that Trump potentially exposed himself to “serious national security and counter-intelligence risks” when he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden and his son during a phone call last year on July 25, according to a Justice Department legal opinion.
After contentious partisan hearings, the Democratic-led House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump, but the Republican-led Senate acquitted him of the charges in early February.
Democrats heaped criticism on Trump for firing Atkinson, particularly as the country reels from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In the midst of a national emergency, it is unconscionable that the president is once again attempting to undermine the integrity of the intelligence community by firing yet another intelligence official simply for doing his job," said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump notified Congress on Friday that he is firing the inspector general of the US intelligence community who was involved in triggering an impeachment probe of him last year.


jerusalempost--2020-04-04--Israel's coronavirus death toll reaches 42, number of infected 7,589


jerusalempost--2020-04-04--Coronavirus death toll in Israel rises to 41


jerusalempost--2020-04-04--ESPN2 to air 12-hour esports block

ESPN2 to air 12-hour esports block

A live telecast of the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix will headline ESPN2 's 12-hour marathon of esports programming on Sunday .
With the sports world largely shuttered due to the coronavirus , the ESPN family of networks have been turning to alternative programming to fill the air time .
On Sunday , the focus shifts to esports .
The virtual F1 race will include regular circuit drivers Charles Leclerc , Alex Albon , George Russell , Lando Norris and Nicholas Latifi , among others .
The event will be contested on an electronic version of Melbourne 's Albert Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Australian Grand Prix this weekend .
On March 22 , Guanyu Zhou won the F1 Esports Bahrain Virtual Grand Prix , the series ' first online competition .
ESPN2 will also have live coverage of the continuation of the first round of the NBA 2K Players Tournament , with NBA players on the controllers .
The matchups that will air are Montrezl Harrell vs. Domantas Sabonis , Donovan Mitchell vs. Rui Hachimura , Devin Booker vs. Michael Porter Jr. , and Andre Drummond vs. DeMarcus Cousins .
Other titles that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Madden , Rocket League and Apex Legends .
The full ESPN2 schedule of esports events on Sunday ( times ET ) :

A live telecast of the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix will headline ESPN2's 12-hour marathon of esports programming on Sunday.
With the sports world largely shuttered due to the coronavirus, the ESPN family of networks have been turning to alternative programming to fill the air time. On Sunday, the focus shifts to esports.
The virtual F1 race will include regular circuit drivers Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, George Russell, Lando Norris and Nicholas Latifi, among others.
The event will be contested on an electronic version of Melbourne's Albert Park, which would have been the site of the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. On March 22, Guanyu Zhou won the F1 Esports Bahrain Virtual Grand Prix, the series' first online competition.
ESPN2 will also have live coverage of the continuation of the first round of the NBA 2K Players Tournament, with NBA players on the controllers. The matchups that will air are Montrezl Harrell vs. Domantas Sabonis, Donovan Mitchell vs. Rui Hachimura, Devin Booker vs. Michael Porter Jr., and Andre Drummond vs. DeMarcus Cousins.
Other titles that will be featured on the Sunday broadcast schedule are Madden, Rocket League and Apex Legends.
The full ESPN2 schedule of esports events on Sunday (times ET):
Noon -- Madden NFL20 Classic, from August 2019
1 p.m. -- Madden NFL20 Club Championship, from December 2019
2 p.m. -- Madden NFL20 Challenge, from February 2020
3 p.m. -- F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix, live
4:30 p.m. -- Season 8 Rocket League World Championship, from December 2019
6 p.m. -- NBA 2K Players Tournament, live
10 p.m. -- EXP Apex Legends Pro-Am, from July 2019


jerusalempost--2020-04-04--Trump invokes Defense Production Act to stop export of masks

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed an order directing his administration to stop N-95 face masks and other personal protective equipment needed in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic from being exported to other countries.In a statement, Trump said his order under the Defense Production Act "is another step in our ongoing fight to prevent hoarding, price gouging, and profiteering by preventing the harmful export of critically needed PPE."


jerusalempost--2020-04-04--Mainland China reports 19 new confirmed coronavirus cases

Of the new cases , 18 involved travelers arriving from abroad , the National Health Commission said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China to 81,639 as of Friday .

Mainland China reported on Saturday 19 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, down from 31 a day earlier, including one new infection in central Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak in the country.
Of the new cases, 18 involved travelers arriving from abroad, the National Health Commission said in a statement. The new infections bring the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China to 81,639 as of Friday.
China also reported four new deaths, raising the death toll to 3,326 as of Friday.


jerusalempost--2020-04-03--Panama registers 1,673 coronavirus cases, 41 deaths

Panama's health ministry said on Friday that it had registered 1,673 coronavirus cases in the Central American country, an increase of 198 cases from the previous day, and a total of 41 deaths.


jerusalempost--2020-04-03--Honduran authorities seek land for possible coronavirus mass graves

President Juan Orlando Hernandez , whose government imposed a strict curfew in an attempt to stop the spread , has @ @ @ @ @ just the beginning '' of coronavirus in Honduras and that things were about to become @ @ @ @ @ '' `` Local governments must locate land suitable for mass graves in case mass burials @ @ @ @ @ of corpses exceeds capacity , '' said a statement issued by the National Risk Management @ @ @ @ @ across the country , including the buzzing capital Tegucigalpa and the northern city San Pedro @ @ @ @ @ obeyed social distancing rules or the curfews imposed on March 15 , a Reuters witness @ @ @ @ @ detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year but has since infected @ @ @ @ @ , killing more than 50,000 , a Reuters tally showed .

Honduran authorities on Friday ordered mayors to locate land suitable for mass graves as concerns over the possible death toll from the fast-spreading coronavirus in the poor Central American nation mount.
President Juan Orlando Hernandez, whose government imposed a strict curfew in an attempt to stop the spread, has warned that "this is just the beginning" of coronavirus in Honduras and that things were about to become "much more difficult."
"Local governments must locate land suitable for mass graves in case mass burials are needed because the number of corpses exceeds capacity," said a statement issued by the National Risk Management System.
In several cities across the country, including the buzzing capital Tegucigalpa and the northern city San Pedro Sula, people have not obeyed social distancing rules or the curfews imposed on March 15, a Reuters witness said.
Coronavirus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year but has since infected more than one million people, killing more than 50,000, a Reuters tally showed.
Honduras has so far registered 222 cases and 15 deaths.