france24--2020-04-02--Putin extends Russia's 'stay off work' order through April to curtail virus

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation on the coronavirus outbreak in a televised speech in Moscow , Russia , March 25 , 2020 .
President Vladimir Putin has ordered most Russians to stay off work until the end of the month to curb the spread of the coronavirus .
Speaking in a televised address to the nation on Thursday , Putin said he was extending the non-working policy he ordered earlier for this week to remain in force throughout April .
He said there are exceptions for essential industries that will keep operating , and grocery stores and pharmacies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would be up to the regional authorities to decide which sectors should keep working in their areas .
He said Russia 's virus-prevention strategies have bought time and helped slow down the coronavirus outbreak but also warned that cases have n't yet peaked .
Russia had reported 3540 cases and 30 virus-related deaths as of Thursday , according to a Johns Hopkins University tally .
Experts have questioned how accurate those numbers are , given Russia 's vast size and shared borders with China and Europe .
Putin said that along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's also important to protect people 's incomes and prevent a spike in unemployment .
He emphasized that employees should continue receiving their regular pay during the non-working period .

President Vladimir Putin has ordered most Russians to stay off work until the end of the month to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation on the coronavirus outbreak in a televised speech in Moscow, Russia, March 25, 2020.
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Speaking in a televised address to the nation on Thursday, Putin said he was extending the non-working policy he ordered earlier for this week to remain in force throughout April.
He said there are exceptions for essential industries that will keep operating, and grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open.
Putin said that it would be up to the regional authorities to decide which sectors should keep working in their areas.
He said Russia's virus-prevention strategies have bought time and helped slow down the coronavirus outbreak but also warned that cases haven't yet peaked.
Russia had reported 3540 cases and 30 virus-related deaths as of Thursday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. Experts have questioned how accurate those numbers are, given Russia's vast size and shared borders with China and Europe.
Putin said that along with protecting the public's health, it's also important to protect people's incomes and prevent a spike in unemployment.
He emphasized that employees should continue receiving their regular pay during the non-working period.
(AP)
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france24--2020-04-02--Oil prices skyrocket as Trump claims Russia, Saudis plan to slash output

Oil prices rocketed Thursday after US President Donald Trump said Russia and Saudi Arabia planned to end their price war by slashing output .
But gains for Brent North Sea crude of nearly 46 percent cooled to around 20 percent as Russia denied it had spoken with Saudi Arabia , the world 's biggest exporter of crude .
After Trump tweeted that Saudi and Russia could slash production by up to 15 million barrels , Brent hit $ 36.29 per barrel , up almost 46 percent .
Gains were trimmed soon after , with Brent up 20.25 percent at $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gain of 23 percent to $ 24.98 .
With gains remaining substantial over Wednesday 's closing levels , `` traders are taking the view the two feuding nations ... will come to some agreement in term of lowering output '' , said David Madden , analyst at trading group CMC Markets UK .
Trump tweeted that he had spoken to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , who he claimed had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin .
`` I expect & hope that they will be cutting back approximately 10 Million Barrels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it happens , will be GREAT for the oil & gas industry ! ''
said Trump .
`` Could be as high as 15 Million Barrels , '' he added in a subsequent post .
But the Kremlin denied Putin had spoken to the crown prince .
`` No , there was no conversation , '' Putin 's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax news agency , adding that `` so far '' there were no plans for such talks .
Saudi Arabia did though call for a meeting of the OPEC+ oil producers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just one day after the kingdom boosted supplies to record levels .
The kingdom , which is the cartel 's kingpin , launched last month a vicious price war , after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia failed to clinch a deal to slash output as the deadly coronavirus battered oil demand .
Slashed global demand , along with the price war , sent oil prices to their lowest levels in 18 years this week .
WTI slumped below $ 20 , having lost around 65 percent of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began rebounding Thursday before Trump 's tweet , thanks to hopes of a Saudi-Russia deal and as China looks to increase its oil reserves .
China 's move helped to boost prices in a week when the oil market experienced an extremely rare situation .
Despite evaporating demand , production has continued apace as Russia and Saudi Arabia vie for market share , with the excess oil struggling to find space in overstretched storage facilities around the world .
This has resulted in some oils , including Wyoming Asphalt Sour , turning negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this week traded at `` four to five dollars .
With the transport cost it means that the price is negative '' , Per Magnus , head of analysis at Rystad Energy , told AFP .
Analysts meanwhile said the market remained hobbled by sliding demand because of business shutdowns , the grounding of air travel and other social distancing measures put in place to contain the deadly COVID-19 outbreak .
US shale oil producers , which had made the country self-sufficient , have been particularly hard hit by diving prices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were being bolstered also by reports that the US energy department may rent space in the country 's emergency oil reserves to local producers .
`` This would help drillers store excess crude , '' it said .

Oil prices rocketed Thursday after US President Donald Trump said Russia and Saudi Arabia planned to end their price war by slashing output.
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But gains for Brent North Sea crude of nearly 46 percent cooled to around 20 percent as Russia denied it had spoken with Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest exporter of crude.
After Trump tweeted that Saudi and Russia could slash production by up to 15 million barrels, Brent hit $36.29 per barrel, up almost 46 percent.
West Texas Intermediate soared around 35 percent to $27.39.
Gains were trimmed soon after, with Brent up 20.25 percent at $29.75 per barrel and WTI showing a gain of 23 percent to $24.98.
With gains remaining substantial over Wednesday's closing levels, "traders are taking the view the two feuding nations... will come to some agreement in term of lowering output", said David Madden, analyst at trading group CMC Markets UK.
Trump tweeted that he had spoken to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who he claimed had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I expect & hope that they will be cutting back approximately 10 Million Barrels, and maybe substantially more which, if it happens, will be GREAT for the oil & gas industry!" said Trump.
Just spoke to my friend MBS (Crown Prince) of Saudi Arabia, who spoke with President Putin of Russia, & I expect & hope that they will be cutting back approximately 10 Million Barrels, and maybe substantially more which, if it happens, will be GREAT for the oil & gas industry! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2020
"Could be as high as 15 Million Barrels," he added in a subsequent post.
But the Kremlin denied Putin had spoken to the crown prince.
"No, there was no conversation," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax news agency, adding that "so far" there were no plans for such talks.
Saudi Arabia did though call for a meeting of the OPEC+ oil producers to "stabilise the oil market", just one day after the kingdom boosted supplies to record levels.
The kingdom, which is the cartel's kingpin, launched last month a vicious price war, after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia failed to clinch a deal to slash output as the deadly coronavirus battered oil demand.
18 year lows
Slashed global demand, along with the price war, sent oil prices to their lowest levels in 18 years this week. WTI slumped below $20, having lost around 65 percent of its value in the first quarter.
Prices began rebounding Thursday before Trump's tweet, thanks to hopes of a Saudi-Russia deal and as China looks to increase its oil reserves.
China's move helped to boost prices in a week when the oil market experienced an extremely rare situation.
Despite evaporating demand, production has continued apace as Russia and Saudi Arabia vie for market share, with the excess oil struggling to find space in overstretched storage facilities around the world.
This has resulted in some oils, including Wyoming Asphalt Sour, turning negative on price.
Western Canadian Select had earlier this week traded at "four to five dollars. With the transport cost it means that the price is negative", Per Magnus, head of analysis at Rystad Energy, told AFP.
Analysts meanwhile said the market remained hobbled by sliding demand because of business shutdowns, the grounding of air travel and other social distancing measures put in place to contain the deadly COVID-19 outbreak.
US shale oil producers, which had made the country self-sufficient, have been particularly hard hit by diving prices.
ANZ Bank however said that US prices were being bolstered also by reports that the US energy department may rent space in the country's emergency oil reserves to local producers.
"This would help drillers store excess crude," it said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-02--Empty skies: How coronavirus has crippled air travel

From Europe to Asia and North America , the skies have been unusually empty of commercial aircraft in recent weeks as countries close borders and enforce travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic , forcing airlines worldwide to ground most of their fleets .
In the final week of March , commercial flights were down 55 percent on the year before , according to tracking site Flightradar24 .
At midday on March 30 Italy , one of the countries hardest hit by the virus , had just four flights in its airspace .
Airports have been left almost empty , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have closed entirely .
The situation has left many airlines facing financial disaster with the industry expecting annual losses of $ 252 billion ( €232bn ) , according to the International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) .
“ We are facing an unprecedented crisis at a level and order of magnitude that is unknown .
So , it is the most severe crisis we have been in for the last 20 years , worse than September 11 , worse than the 2008 financial crisis .
It is unprecedented , ” Alexandre de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Reuters .
The IATA is calling on governments to speed up bailouts for airlines such as the $ 58 billion ( €53bn ) rescue package announced by the US last week .
“ We have seen cost reductions , tax reliefs , so governments are trying to do the job .
What has now to be done and very fast is the cash , ” said De Juniac .
“ We urgently ask governments to implement and to inject cash by all means in the airlines business .
”

From Europe to Asia and North America, the skies have been unusually empty of commercial aircraft in recent weeks as countries close borders and enforce travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic, forcing airlines worldwide to ground most of their fleets.
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In the final week of March, commercial flights were down 55 percent on the year before, according to tracking site Flightradar24.
At midday on March 30 Italy, one of the countries hardest hit by the virus, had just four flights in its airspace.
Airports have been left almost empty, while some, including Orly in Paris, have closed entirely.
The situation has left many airlines facing financial disaster with the industry expecting annual losses of $252 billion (€232bn), according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
“We are facing an unprecedented crisis at a level and order of magnitude that is unknown. So, it is the most severe crisis we have been in for the last 20 years, worse than September 11, worse than the 2008 financial crisis. It is unprecedented,” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s CEO, told Reuters.
The IATA is calling on governments to speed up bailouts for airlines such as the $58 billion (€53bn) rescue package announced by the US last week.
“We have seen cost reductions, tax reliefs, so governments are trying to do the job. What has now to be done and very fast is the cash,” said De Juniac. “We urgently ask governments to implement and to inject cash by all means in the airlines business.”
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france24--2020-04-02--EU chief apologises to Italy but baulks at ‘coronabond’ request

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told Italy Thursday that European nations were ready to help it deal with the coronavirus , but stopped short of agreeing to Rome 's request for the bloc to start issuing a joint mutualised bond , dubbed `` coronabonds '' .
`` Today Europe is mobilising alongside Italy .
Unfortunately , this has not always been the case , '' von der Leyen wrote in Italy 's La Repubblica newspaper .
`` It must be recognised that in the early days of the crisis , in the face of the need for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought only of their own home problems . ''
Von der Leyen 's letter opened with an apology but ended with a list of the ways the EU was already helping Italy deal with the economic consequences of its three-week lockdown .
Italy has extended its closure of businesses and ban on public gatherings until April 13 to help stem infections that have already claimed a world-leading 13,155 lives .
`` In the past month , the European Commission has left no stone unturned to help Italy , '' she wrote .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a mutualised asset , or “ coronabonds ” to share some of the direct fiscal costs from the coronavirus pandemic .
Spain and France – two nations with rapidly climbing covid-19 tolls – have backed Italy 's plea for the new common debt instrument .
But Germany , Austria and the Netherlands oppose the idea .
Common debt instruments can theoretically dilute risk and lower the borrowing costs of indebted countries while slightly raising those of nations spending within their means .
Von der Leyen on Thursday said the EU `` will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 110 billion ) to the hardest hit countries , starting from Italy , to compensate for the reduction in the wages of those working on shorter hours '' .
She said the newly agreed initiative provides `` loans guaranteed by all member states – thus demonstrating European solidarity '' .
Von der Leyen concluded by proposing that `` every euro still available in the EU 's annual budget be spent on tackling the crisis '' .
‘ If we are a union , now is the time to prove it ’ Italian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Italy could agree to tap the European Union 's emergency war chest , the EMS , if its strict spending rules were dropped .
`` If we are a union , now is the time to prove it , '' Conte wrote in Germany 's weekly Die Zeit .
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire meanwhile said the EU should mobilise all of its existing crisis measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak and come up with new joint mechanisms to finance the recovery .
The European Stability Mechanism , the bailout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 436.8 billion ) in firepower , should be made available as a source of financing to countries with only minimal conditions attached and without stigma for using it , Le Maire told an online news briefing Thursday .

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told Italy Thursday that European nations were ready to help it deal with the coronavirus, but stopped short of agreeing to Rome's request for the bloc to start issuing a joint mutualised bond, dubbed "coronabonds".
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"Today Europe is mobilising alongside Italy. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case," von der Leyen wrote in Italy's La Repubblica newspaper.
"It must be recognised that in the early days of the crisis, in the face of the need for a common European response, too many have thought only of their own home problems."
Von der Leyen's letter opened with an apology but ended with a list of the ways the EU was already helping Italy deal with the economic consequences of its three-week lockdown.
Italy has extended its closure of businesses and ban on public gatherings until April 13 to help stem infections that have already claimed a world-leading 13,155 lives.
"In the past month, the European Commission has left no stone unturned to help Italy," she wrote.
But the German politician predictably made no mention of a mutualised asset, or “coronabonds” to share some of the direct fiscal costs from the coronavirus pandemic.
Spain and France – two nations with rapidly climbing covid-19 tolls – have backed Italy's plea for the new common debt instrument.
But Germany, Austria and the Netherlands oppose the idea.
Common debt instruments can theoretically dilute risk and lower the borrowing costs of indebted countries while slightly raising those of nations spending within their means.
Loan guarantees
Von der Leyen on Thursday said the EU "will allocate up to 100 billion euros ($110 billion) to the hardest hit countries, starting from Italy, to compensate for the reduction in the wages of those working on shorter hours".
She said the newly agreed initiative provides "loans guaranteed by all member states – thus demonstrating European solidarity".
Von der Leyen concluded by proposing that "every euro still available in the EU's annual budget be spent on tackling the crisis".
‘If we are a union, now is the time to prove it’
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said this week that Italy could agree to tap the European Union's emergency war chest, the EMS, if its strict spending rules were dropped.
"If we are a union, now is the time to prove it," Conte wrote in Germany's weekly Die Zeit.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire meanwhile said the EU should mobilise all of its existing crisis measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak and come up with new joint mechanisms to finance the recovery.
The European Stability Mechanism, the bailout fund with 400 billion euros ($436.8 billion) in firepower, should be made available as a source of financing to countries with only minimal conditions attached and without stigma for using it, Le Maire told an online news briefing Thursday.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-02--Outrage after migrant workers in India forcibly sprayed with disinfectant

Authorities have called for an investigation after a video of migrant workers in India being doused with bleach disinfectant went viral.A journalist at The Times of India first published the video on Twitter on 30 March .
To date , it has been viewed over 1.2 million times .
It shows three workers in protective equipment using hoses to spray chemical disinfectant at a group of people sitting on the ground .
Police officers watch , and one person wearing a protective mask takes a photo of the scene.The video was taken in Bareilly , a district in the northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disinfectant the health workers are using is a strong chemical solution normally used to disinfect buses .
After the video provoked outrage online , the district magistrate Nitish Kumar said on Twitter that action would be taken ‘ against those responsible for this ’ .
He also said that those who had been disinfected were under medical surveillance.The World Health Organisation has made it clear that spraying disinfectant substances on the body will not kill the virus if it has already entered the body.India imposed a nationwide lockdown on 25 March , leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had travelled across the country to find work stranded hundreds of miles from home.Work dried up and public transport was shut down .
In subsequent days , the country saw an exodus of migrant workers from cities trying to return to their villages , prompting different states to carry out these ‘ disinfection drives ’ .India ’ s government urged states across the country to seal their borders .
Now a week into the country ’ s 21-day lockdown , millions of day labourers are still stuck in cities and relying on free @ @ @ @ @

INDIA
Thousands of migrant workers are trying to get back home during India's lockdown, and officials spray a group of them with corrosive disinfectant. Photos from Twitter.
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Authorities have called for an investigation after a video of migrant workers in India being doused with bleach disinfectant went viral.
Who r u trying to kill, Corona or humans? Migrant labourers and their families were forced to take bath in chemical solution upon their entry in Bareilly. @Uppolice@bareillytraffic @Benarasiyaa @shaileshNBT pic.twitter.com/JVGSvGqONm Kanwardeep singh (@KanwardeepsTOI) March 30, 2020
A journalist at The Times of India first published the video on Twitter on 30 March. To date, it has been viewed over 1.2 million times. It shows three workers in protective equipment using hoses to spray chemical disinfectant at a group of people sitting on the ground. Police officers watch, and one person wearing a protective mask takes a photo of the scene.
The video was taken in Bareilly, a district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The disinfectant the health workers are using is a strong chemical solution normally used to disinfect buses. After the video provoked outrage online, the district magistrate Nitish Kumar said on Twitter that action would be taken ‘against those responsible for this’. He also said that those who had been disinfected were under medical surveillance.
The World Health Organisation has made it clear that spraying disinfectant substances on the body will not kill the virus if it has already entered the body.
India imposed a nationwide lockdown on 25 March, leaving tens of millions of migrant workers who had travelled across the country to find work stranded hundreds of miles from home.
Returning home. Anand Vihar, New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/ZHhQo2GsvU prawesh lama (@LamaPrawesh) March 28, 2020
Work dried up and public transport was shut down. In subsequent days, the country saw an exodus of migrant workers from cities trying to return to their villages, prompting different states to carry out these ‘disinfection drives’.
India’s government urged states across the country to seal their borders. Now a week into the country’s 21-day lockdown, millions of day labourers are still stuck in cities and relying on free meals provided by charities.


france24--2020-04-03--As coronavirus creeps into French care homes, a 'tsunami' of deaths go unnumbered

The French government on Thursday said at least 884 people had died at care homes from the coronavirus , its first estimate since the start of the epidemic .
Long a neglected branch of French healthcare , care homes for the elderly are accustomed to working in the shadows , their losses unremarked .
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads like wildfire , they are bracing for a “ bloodbath ” – the full scale of which may never be known .
For someone her age , Sarah Marcenot has an uncommon familiarity with the end of life .
At 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home in eastern France is used to accompanying the elderly in their twilight years .
But she has never witnessed death on this scale — so sudden , so sinister , so lonely .
Located in the Alsace region , the heart of France ’ s coronavirus outbreak , Marcenot ’ s nursing home has been operating in a vacuum for close to a month now .
Isolated in their rooms , its residents are dying one by one , their families kept at bay .
“ I ’ m terrified at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their rooms , far from everyone , ” she says in an interview with FRANCE 24 .
“ They only have us now , with whom to share their last breath.
” At Marcenot ’ s care home , near the city of Mulhouse , nine residents have died in the last week alone .
There are no test kits available to determine the cause of death , but seven of the victims presented the symptoms typical of Covid-19 , the deadly disease caused by the new coronavirus .
Other homes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have reported casualty numbers in the double digits .
With elderly people especially vulnerable to the virus , France ’ s more than 7,000 state-funded “ EHPAD ” care homes have been described as ticking time bombs .
“ The tsunami has entered the building , it ’ s a disaster , ” says Pierre Gouabault , a care home director , describing the catastrophe underway at one nursing home in the central Loire valley , where ten people have died in recent days and 19 others present symptoms .
With the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members among the infected , Gouabault , who runs a nearby nursing home , has stepped in as caretaker .
In a matter of days , he managed to cobble together a new team , hiring students from medical school and reserve nurses from across France .
It 's in crises like these , he says , “ that the true solidarity of a nation comes forward '' .
Gouabault has worked in an EHPAD long enough to remember the last time the public “ woke up ” to a tragedy unfolding at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sweltering summer of 2003 , as French holidaymakers lounged on the beaches , a deadly heatwave quietly preyed on the elderly left behind .
Officials spoke at first of dozens of casualties , then a few hundred .
It would be months before a shocked nation discovered the staggering death toll of more than 15,000 .
Years later , the paucity of figures has compounded fears that another carnage — this one even greater — is currently under way , far from the public eye .
Since the start of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daily tallies reported by the government , which only count the coronavirus deaths in France ’ s hospitals — where elderly patients are now seldom admitted , due to a desperate lack of beds .
A first , provisional estimate of “ at least 884 ” deaths at nursing homes was finally announced on Thursday , though officials cautioned that many homes were yet to report .
And in the absence of widespread testing of residents , it is not clear how the government plans to collect and verify the figures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month , the main association of EHPAD workers had warned that the epidemic “ could end up killing more than 100,000 people ” .
The lack of testing is just one in a long list of grievances voiced by staff at France ’ s EHPAD homes , long accustomed to being at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to healthcare funding and equipment .
“ Hospitals are the priority , nobody cares about nursing homes , ” says Marcenot .
“ We ’ re not doing real care work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow it .
We ’ re doing survival work.
” While the country ’ s hospitals are struggling with a desperate shortage of masks and other protective gear , several nursing homes have received none at all , despite catering to an especially vulnerable public with high rates of infection .
With the government unable to provide even basic protection to frontline workers , rules are being rewritten by the hour .
Masks were still “ mandatory ” only a few days ago , but they are now “ advised ” .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up on body bags before they too run out .
As one director told French daily Le Monde , “ It ’ s body bags instead of masks , the message is pretty clear.
” At a care home in the Maine-et-Loire department , near Angers , 43-year-old Muriel says staff have just one mask per day , generally a surgical mask offering limited protection .
“ The type of mask changes almost every day , depending on the donor , ” she says .
“ We received some from the local mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspectors who go looking for asbestos.
” Muriel was to strengthen the weekend team at the start of the crisis , and immediately assigned to the special isolation zone set up for residents with possible Covid-19 symptoms .
Her protective gear included gloves , glasses , a shower cap and a gown , which she shared with the person replacing her on the following shift .
Two weeks into the job , she resigned for fear of catching the virus and passing it on to her parents , with whom she is under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so soon , ” she says .
“ But I have to look after my parents .
My father is 75 and has Parkinson 's .
I was too scared I would bring the virus back with me.
” ‘ If we don ’ t care for them , then who will ?
’ What staff at France ’ s care homes lack in equipment and manpower they more than make up for in spirit and abnegation .
At an EHPAD in the Alpes-Maritimes department , in France ’ s southeasternmost corner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather the storm since late February .
Her care home has been spared so far , but staff are taking no chances .
The food hall has been converted into a “ field hospital ” , equipped with beds and ventilators .
Catherine has volunteered to work there as soon as the first case is declared .
“ It ’ s my calling , helping others , ” says the head nurse , who refused to let the youngest in her team volunteer .
If the virus gets inside , she will self-isolate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staying with them night and day .
For the time being , she self-isolates when she returns home , careful not to contaminate her family or the elderly in her care .
Back at Marcenat ’ s care home , 15 of the 25 staff members that cover day and night shifts have fallen ill since the start of the crisis .
But “ not once have we been short of staff , ” she says .
“ We ’ ve called in reinforcements , worked extra hours and pulled together .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whenever necessary.
” She says the four weeks of solitary confinement have taken a heavy toll on the morale of residents at the Alsatian care home , where isolation was enforced in early March — a week before the rest of France .
“ They ’ re lonely and depressed .
In somes cases a sliding syndrome [ a rapid deterioration of one ’ s health ] has kicked in , ” she says .
“ Many don ’ t understand why they are being kept in forced isolation , why they eat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nobody comes to see them.
” Marcenat and her colleagues organise skype sessions with the families whenever possible .
They also answer regular phone calls from anguished relatives eager for news .
“ The families give us a lot of encouragement .
They bring cakes and refreshments , and send us messages of support .
It ’ s heartwarming , ” says the young care worker , whose profession rarely enjoys much recognition and appreciation .
Like many health workers , Marcenat is not appreciative of the government ’ s handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts and months of strikes and protests over the dire state of hospitals and care homes across the country .
She ’ s angry at the authorities for reacting “ much too late ” .
“ We get no attention , our jobs are not valued , and we ’ re paid a pittance , ” says Marcenat , who earns little more than the minimum wage for performing a vital , taxing and increasingly dangerous task .
“ Now we have to put our lives in peril .
But if we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Long a neglected branch of French healthcare, care homes for the elderly are accustomed to working in the shadows, their losses unremarked. As the coronavirus pandemic spreads like wildfire, they are bracing for a “bloodbath” – the full scale of which may never be known.
The French government on Thursday said at least 884 people had died at care homes from the coronavirus, its first estimate since the start of the epidemic.
Advertising Read more
For someone her age, Sarah Marcenat has an uncommon familiarity with the end of life. At 25, the assistant nurse at a care home in eastern France is used to accompanying the elderly in their twilight years. But she has never witnessed death on this scale – so sudden, so sinister, so lonely.
Located in the Alsace region, the heart of France’s coronavirus outbreak, Marcenat’s nursing home has been operating in a vacuum for close to a month now. Isolated in their rooms, its residents are dying one by one, their families kept at bay.
“I’m terrified at the idea they’ll pass away alone in their rooms, far from everyone,” she says in an interview with FRANCE 24. “They only have us now, with whom to share their last breath.”
At Marcenat’s care home, near the city of Mulhouse, nine residents have died in the last week alone. There are no test kits available to determine the cause of death, but seven of the victims presented the symptoms typical of Covid-19, the deadly disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Other homes, including one in the nearby Vosges department, have reported casualty numbers in the double digits. With elderly people especially vulnerable to the virus, France’s more than 7,000 state-funded “EHPAD” care homes have been described as ticking time bombs.
Deaths uncounted
“The tsunami has entered the building, it’s a disaster,” says Pierre Gouabault, a care home director, describing the catastrophe under way at one nursing home in the central Loire valley, where 10 people have died in recent days and 19 others present symptoms.
With the home’s director and other staff members among the infected, Gouabault, who runs a nearby nursing home, has stepped in as caretaker. In a matter of days, he managed to cobble together a new team, hiring students from medical school and reserve nurses from across France. It's in crises like these, he says, “that the true solidarity of a nation comes forward".
Many care workers have volunteered to go into self-isolation with COVID-19 patients. © Stéphane de Sakutin, AFP
Gouabault has worked in an EHPAD long enough to remember the last time the public “woke up” to a tragedy unfolding at France’s nursing homes. During the sweltering summer of 2003, as French holidaymakers lounged on the beaches, a deadly heatwave quietly preyed on the elderly left behind. Officials spoke at first of dozens of casualties, then a few hundred. It would be months before a shocked nation discovered the staggering death toll of more than 15,000.
Years later, the paucity of figures has compounded fears that another carnage – this one even greater – is currently under way, far from the public eye.
Since the start of the pandemic, nursing homes have been excluded from the daily tallies reported by the government, which only count the coronavirus deaths in France’s hospitals – where elderly patients are now seldom admitted, due to a desperate lack of beds.
A first, provisional estimate of “at least 884” deaths at nursing homes was finally announced on Thursday, though officials cautioned that many homes were yet to report. And in the absence of widespread testing of residents, it is not clear how the government plans to collect and verify the figures.
In a letter to the health minister last month, the main association of EHPAD workers had warned that the epidemic “could end up killing more than 100,000 people”.
Body bags over masks
The lack of testing is just one in a long list of grievances voiced by staff at France’s EHPAD homes, long accustomed to being at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to healthcare funding and equipment.
“Hospitals are the priority, nobody cares about nursing homes,” says Marcenat. “We’re not doing real care work here, the conditions won’t allow it. We’re doing survival work.”
While the country’s hospitals are struggling with a desperate shortage of masks and other protective gear, several nursing homes have received none at all, despite catering to an especially vulnerable public with high rates of infection. With the government unable to provide even basic protection to frontline workers, rules are being rewritten by the hour. Masks were still “mandatory” only a few days ago, but they are now “advised”. Instead, EHPAD directors are encouraged to stock up on body bags before they too run out.
As one director told French daily Le Monde, “It’s body bags instead of masks, the message is pretty clear.”
At a care home in the Maine-et-Loire department, near Angers, 43-year-old Muriel says staff have just one mask per day, generally a surgical mask offering limited protection.
“The type of mask changes almost every day, depending on the donor,” she says. “We received some from the local mayor, from dentists and even from building inspectors who go looking for asbestos.”
Muriel was to strengthen the weekend team at the start of the crisis, and immediately assigned to the special isolation zone set up for residents with possible Covid-19 symptoms. Her protective gear included gloves, glasses, a shower cap and a gown, which she shared with the person replacing her on the following shift. Two weeks into the job, she resigned for fear of catching the virus and passing it on to her parents, with whom she is under lockdown.
“I feel ashamed quitting so soon,” she says. “But I have to look after my parents. My father is 75 and has Parkinson's. I was too scared I would bring the virus back with me.”
‘If we don’t care for them, then who will?’
What staff at France’s care homes lack in equipment and manpower they more than make up for in spirit and abnegation.
At an EHPAD in the Alpes-Maritimes department, in France’s southeasternmost corner, 54-year-old Catherine has been getting ready to weather the storm since late February. Her care home has been spared so far, but staff are taking no chances. The food hall has been converted into a “field hospital”, equipped with beds and ventilators. Catherine has volunteered to work there as soon as the first case is declared.
“It’s my calling, helping others,” says the head nurse, who refused to let the youngest in her team volunteer. If the virus gets inside, she will self-isolate with residents who have been infected, staying with them night and day. For the time being, she self-isolates when she returns home, careful not to contaminate her family or the elderly in her care.
A nurse wearing a surgical mask at a nursing home in Brest, Brittany. © Loic Venance, AFP
Back at Marcenat’s care home, 15 of the 25 staff members that cover day and night shifts have fallen ill since the start of the crisis. But “not once have we been short of staff,” she says. “We’ve called in reinforcements, worked extra hours and pulled together. And the management has slipped a gown on whenever necessary.”
She says the four weeks of solitary confinement have taken a heavy toll on the morale of residents at the Alsatian care home, where isolation was enforced in early March – a week before the rest of France.
“They’re lonely and depressed. In somes cases a sliding syndrome [a rapid deterioration of one’s health] has kicked in,” she says. “Many don’t understand why they are being kept in forced isolation, why they eat alone in their rooms, and why nobody comes to see them.”
Marcenat and her colleagues organise skype sessions with the families whenever possible. They also answer regular phone calls from anguished relatives eager for news.
“The families give us a lot of encouragement. They bring cakes and refreshments, and send us messages of support. It’s heartwarming,” says the young care worker, whose profession rarely enjoys much recognition and appreciation.
Like many health workers, Marcenat is not appreciative of the government’s handling of the crisis, coming after years of budget cuts and months of strikes and protests over the dire state of hospitals and care homes across the country. She’s angry at the authorities for reacting “much too late”.
“We get no attention, our jobs are not valued, and we’re paid a pittance,” says Marcenat, who earns little more than the minimum wage for performing a vital, taxing and increasingly dangerous task. “Now we have to put our lives in peril. But if we don’t, then who will?”
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france24--2020-04-03--France to re-format 2020 high school 'Bac' exam due to coronavirus

File photo of French Education Jean-Michel Blanquer who announced on April 3 , 2020 that the `` Bac '' exams would be re-formatted due to the coronavirus outbreak .
France will change the format of this year 's high-school baccalaureate exam – popularly dubbed the 'Bac ' – due to concerns over the coronavirus , said the country 's Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer on Friday .
Blanquer said in a televised address that the traditional exam would be replaced by other means such as regular progress checks in areas such as coursework and homework , and that France would ramp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for lost time .
French schools and universities have been shut since early March as part of a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus .
Blanquer added that a return of pupils to schools in early May was just a `` hypothesis '' for now .
The baccalaureate , a high stress test that makes national news every year , is an important rite of passage in France .
Introduced by Napoleon in 1808 , the Bac has been adapted over the years .
It now includes three different categories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carpentry ; technological , which is centered on computer sciences ; and the general baccalaureate .
A majority of students take the general baccalaureate , for which they must choose between three tracks : Literature ( L ) , Economic and Social Sciences ( ES ) , or Science and Maths ( S ) .
The centrepiece of the exam every year is the first and perhaps the hardest subject : philosophy .
Questions can range from `` Is it possible to escape time ? ''
to `` Does one sacrifice freedom by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are widely discussed across the nation .

France will change the format of this year's high-school baccalaureate exam – popularly dubbed the 'Bac' – due to concerns over the coronavirus, said the country's Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer on Friday.
File photo of French Education Jean-Michel Blanquer who announced on April 3, 2020 that the "Bac" exams would be re-formatted due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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Blanquer said in a televised address that the traditional exam would be replaced by other means such as regular progress checks in areas such as coursework and homework, and that France would ramp up classes in June to make up for lost time.
French schools and universities have been shut since early March as part of a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Blanquer added that a return of pupils to schools in early May was just a "hypothesis" for now.
The baccalaureate, a high stress test that makes national news every year, is an important rite of passage in France.
Introduced by Napoleon in 1808, the Bac has been adapted over the years. It now includes three different categories: professional, focused on trades like carpentry; technological, which is centered on computer sciences; and the general baccalaureate.
A majority of students take the general baccalaureate, for which they must choose between three tracks: Literature (L), Economic and Social Sciences (ES), or Science and Maths (S).
The centrepiece of the exam every year is the first and perhaps the hardest subject: philosophy. Questions can range from "Is it possible to escape time?" to "Does one sacrifice freedom by recognising one's duties?" and are widely discussed across the nation.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-03--Coronavirus ‘superhero’ survivors donate antibody-rich plasma hoping for cure

As she emerges from quarantine , recovered COVID-19 patient Diana Berrent is eager to join the battle against the pandemic and donate precious antibodies that researchers hope might help others .
In mid-March , the New Yorker woke up with a 102-degree ( 39 Celsius ) fever and intense chest heaviness , becoming one of the first from her Long Island neighborhood to test positive for coronavirus .
This week , Berrent was the first survivor in her state screened for antibodies -- immune system-generated proteins that can ward off viruses -- to contribute to initial tests seeking treatment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 51,000 people dead worldwide .
Convalescent plasma , the fluid in blood teeming with antibodies post-illness , has proven effective in small studies to treat infectious diseases including Ebola and SARS .
Now , the US Food and Drug Administration has greenlit physicians to experiment with the strategy as coronavirus patients fill hospitals and the nation 's positive caseload spikes to over 236,000 .
Bruce Sachias , chief medical officer of the New York Blood Center -- which will collect , test and distribute donations in the city -- said while there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleviate the current crisis , tests underway are not intended to yield golden-ticket solutions .
`` It 's really important for us to be very cognizant of the fact that we 're still in very new territory , '' he said .
Eldad Hod and Steven Spitalnik -- transfusion medicine doctors leading trials at Columbia University 's Irving Medical Center -- are cautiously optimistic but , like Sachias , emphasize the unknowns .
Spitalnik told AFP they believe `` within seven to 14 days after the onset of an infection , that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make high amounts of antibodies -- although exactly when the peak of antibody production will be , we do n't know . ''
He said some data suggests antibody production could peak around 28 days post-infection , and hopes the new research could provide a clearer picture .
Hod said each donation `` can potentially save three to four lives . ''
The primary goal now is acquiring a significant plasma stock , so researchers can conduct formal studies with control groups who would receive non-convalescent plasma , and others the antibody-packed donations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be distributed for `` compassionate use , '' Hod said -- to patients outside studies but for whom other strategies have failed .
They also aim to test treatments on already-hospitalized patients and as a preventative therapy in settings like nursing homes .
Spitalnik said that normally they would want `` highly controlled '' clinical trials , which take longer but are more definitive .
But `` this is a crisis , '' he said .
`` We understand and we are amenable to doing things that will take shorter amounts of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least some rigorous results . ''
Berrent is eager to open her personal blood bank and crossing her fingers in hope the process can prove life-saving .
`` We can be superheroes , '' the 45-year-old photographer told AFP .
`` These are unprecedented , frightening times where everything is beyond our control -- except for we as survivors can help , '' Berrent said .
`` We can be the ones running towards the fire in our own internally built hazmat suit .
And that is a tremendous opportunity -- how could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Berrent 's antibody levels met donation requirements -- but she is waiting on results of a nasal swab test to make sure any remnants of coronavirus have dissipated .
In the meantime , she 's started the more than 17,000-member Facebook group `` Survivor Corps '' to mobilize other survivors to share their immunity .
`` I ca n't wait to donate , '' Berrent said .
`` We need a forward-looking solution-based approach that offers hope because things are very , very bleak right now . ''
A Houston hospital has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into someone critically ill , though it 's still too early to determine efficacy .
Sachias said hundreds of people who believe they have recovered from COVID-19 have applied to help in New York , the US epicenter of the highly contagious virus that accounts for nearly half of related deaths stateside .
As their research gets underway , Hod said one silver lining of coronavirus ' global scale has been the boost to collaborative scientific efforts , saying data is being shared more openly than ever before .
`` I think a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put their egos aside ... and banded together to try and work together for the common good , '' he said .
`` And I think in the end , science will win . ''

As she emerges from quarantine, recovered COVID-19 patient Diana Berrent is eager to join the battle against the pandemic and donate precious antibodies that researchers hope might help others.
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In mid-March, the New Yorker woke up with a 102-degree (39 Celsius) fever and intense chest heaviness, becoming one of the first from her Long Island neighborhood to test positive for coronavirus.
This week, Berrent was the first survivor in her state screened for antibodies -- immune system-generated proteins that can ward off viruses -- to contribute to initial tests seeking treatment for the infection that's left more than 51,000 people dead worldwide.
Convalescent plasma, the fluid in blood teeming with antibodies post-illness, has proven effective in small studies to treat infectious diseases including Ebola and SARS.
Now, the US Food and Drug Administration has greenlit physicians to experiment with the strategy as coronavirus patients fill hospitals and the nation's positive caseload spikes to over 236,000.
Bruce Sachias, chief medical officer of the New York Blood Center -- which will collect, test and distribute donations in the city -- said while there is reason to believe plasma transfusions can help alleviate the current crisis, tests underway are not intended to yield golden-ticket solutions.
"It's really important for us to be very cognizant of the fact that we're still in very new territory," he said.
Crisis mode
Eldad Hod and Steven Spitalnik -- transfusion medicine doctors leading trials at Columbia University's Irving Medical Center -- are cautiously optimistic but, like Sachias, emphasize the unknowns.
Spitalnik told AFP they believe "within seven to 14 days after the onset of an infection, that people will develop an immune response and eventually make high amounts of antibodies -- although exactly when the peak of antibody production will be, we don't know."
He said some data suggests antibody production could peak around 28 days post-infection, and hopes the new research could provide a clearer picture.
Hod said each donation "can potentially save three to four lives."
The primary goal now is acquiring a significant plasma stock, so researchers can conduct formal studies with control groups who would receive non-convalescent plasma, and others the antibody-packed donations.
Initial plasma, however, will be distributed for "compassionate use," Hod said -- to patients outside studies but for whom other strategies have failed.
They also aim to test treatments on already-hospitalized patients and as a preventative therapy in settings like nursing homes.
Spitalnik said that normally they would want "highly controlled" clinical trials, which take longer but are more definitive.
But "this is a crisis," he said.
"We understand and we are amenable to doing things that will take shorter amounts of time -- but hopefully we'll yield at least some rigorous results."
Internal hazmat suit
Berrent is eager to open her personal blood bank and crossing her fingers in hope the process can prove life-saving.
"We can be superheroes," the 45-year-old photographer told AFP.
"These are unprecedented, frightening times where everything is beyond our control -- except for we as survivors can help," Berrent said.
"We can be the ones running towards the fire in our own internally built hazmat suit. And that is a tremendous opportunity -- how could you not take advantage of that?"
Berrent's antibody levels met donation requirements -- but she is waiting on results of a nasal swab test to make sure any remnants of coronavirus have dissipated.
In the meantime, she's started the more than 17,000-member Facebook group "Survivor Corps" to mobilize other survivors to share their immunity.
"I can't wait to donate," Berrent said. "We need a forward-looking solution-based approach that offers hope because things are very, very bleak right now."
'Science will win'
A Houston hospital has already transfused plasma from a recovered patient into someone critically ill, though it's still too early to determine efficacy.
Sachias said hundreds of people who believe they have recovered from COVID-19 have applied to help in New York, the US epicenter of the highly contagious virus that accounts for nearly half of related deaths stateside.
As their research gets underway, Hod said one silver lining of coronavirus' global scale has been the boost to collaborative scientific efforts, saying data is being shared more openly than ever before.
"I think a lot of the scientific community has tried to put their egos aside... and banded together to try and work together for the common good," he said.
"And I think in the end, science will win."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-03--French politicians accuse US of buying up Chinese face masks bound for France

File photo of boxes of protective face masks unloaded from an Air China plane in Athens , Greece , March 21 , 2020 .
A number of French politicians this week accused the US of buying up Chinese face masks previously ordered by France to cope with the coronavirus crisis .
But a senior US official on Thursday denied the reports , maintaining they were `` completely false ” .
The leader of the Ile-de-France region , which includes Paris and is among the worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak , accused unidentified Americans this week of swooping in with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised to French buyers .
`` We lost an order to the Americans who outbid us on a shipment that we had lined up , '' said Valérie Pécresse , the chief of France 's most populous region .
Pecresse claimed that while France pays on delivery for such supplies – crucial in the global fight against the pandemic – `` Americans pay cash '' without bothering to see the goods .
They were `` just looking to do business '' while the whole world is in a state of distress , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was made by the leader of the Grand Est region in northeastern France .
On Thursday , a planeload of Chinese-made face masks were bought right on the tarmac just as the much needed protective gear was about to set off for France , Jean Rottner , head of France ’ s worst-affected eastern region , told a French radio station .
`` We 're working around the clock to ensure these masks arrive , '' says Rottner , blaming unfair competition for delays .
`` Americans pay three or four times the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he maintained .
But a senior US administration official rejected the reports , AFP reported Thursday .
`` The United States government has not purchased any masks intended for delivery from China to France .
Reports to the contrary are completely false , '' said the official , who was not named in the report .
The French accusations of US snapping up masks came as the Trump administration looked set to reverse course on Friday on the use of face protections .
Americans are now being urged to use face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus outbreak following conflicting advisories from health officials and politicians .
The fierce international competition to acquire face masks has turned the products into the new white gold in the coronavirus age .
The French government has ordered 1.5 million face masks from China and has reserved all stocks for medical workers .
Authorities are also cracking down on a black market of the now precious items after they arrive in the country .
Face masks stocks arriving at French airports now receive police escorts to delivery points .
“ We 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the head of the operation at the back , to make sure no one can get in .
The goal is that the masques are n't stolen , that they 're not ambushed or anything , ” a French security official standing guard at an airport runway told FRANCE 24 .
France has only four companies that manufacture masks and they are currently running 24 hours a day , guarded by security officials .
They have increased production from 15 million masks per month to 40 million .
But that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million masks that public health officials say France now needs per week to tackle the coronavirus pandemic .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday asked officials to look into similar claims that masks were being diverted away from his country , calling such reports `` concerning '' .
`` We need to make sure that equipment that is destined for Canada gets to and stays in Canada , and I 've asked ministers to follow up on these particular reports , '' he told a press conference .
Ottawa has recognised that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not enough to meet demand , as it looks to care for a surge of infected patients and slow the spread of the virus .
Canada has earmarked Can $ 2 billion ( US $ 1.4 billion ) to buy medical equipment while asking local companies to pivot assembly lines to make masks , medical scrubs and ventilators .

A number of French politicians this week accused the US of buying up Chinese face masks previously ordered by France to cope with the coronavirus crisis. But a senior US official on Thursday denied the reports, maintaining they were "completely false”.
File photo of boxes of protective face masks unloaded from an Air China plane in Athens, Greece, March 21, 2020.
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The leader of the Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris and is among the worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak, accused unidentified Americans this week of swooping in with cash to secure face mask shipments already promised to French buyers.
"We lost an order to the Americans who outbid us on a shipment that we had lined up," said Valérie Pécresse, the chief of France's most populous region.
Pecresse claimed that while France pays on delivery for such supplies – crucial in the global fight against the pandemic – "Americans pay cash" without bothering to see the goods.
They were "just looking to do business" while the whole world is in a state of distress, she told LCI television.
Americans pay upfront 'in cash'
A similar accusation was made by the leader of the Grand Est region in northeastern France.
On Thursday, a planeload of Chinese-made face masks were bought right on the tarmac just as the much needed protective gear was about to set off for France, Jean Rottner, head of France’s worst-affected eastern region, told a French radio station.
"We're working around the clock to ensure these masks arrive," says Rottner, blaming unfair competition for delays. "Americans pay three or four times the amount we pay, and in cash," he maintained.
But a senior US administration official rejected the reports, AFP reported Thursday. "The United States government has not purchased any masks intended for delivery from China to France. Reports to the contrary are completely false," said the official, who was not named in the report.
The French accusations of US snapping up masks came as the Trump administration looked set to reverse course on Friday on the use of face protections. Americans are now being urged to use face masks outdoors to stem the spread of the coronavirus outbreak following conflicting advisories from health officials and politicians.
The new ‘white gold’
The fierce international competition to acquire face masks has turned the products into the new white gold in the coronavirus age.
The French government has ordered 1.5 million face masks from China and has reserved all stocks for medical workers.
Authorities are also cracking down on a black market of the now precious items after they arrive in the country. Face masks stocks arriving at French airports now receive police escorts to delivery points. “We've got our cars surrounding the convoy, with the head of the operation at the back, to make sure no one can get in. The goal is that the masques aren't stolen, that they're not ambushed or anything,” a French security official standing guard at an airport runway told FRANCE 24.
France has only four companies that manufacture masks and they are currently running 24 hours a day, guarded by security officials. They have increased production from 15 million masks per month to 40 million. But that’s still just a fraction of the 40 million masks that public health officials say France now needs per week to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Reports ‘concerning,’ says Canada’s Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday asked officials to look into similar claims that masks were being diverted away from his country, calling such reports "concerning".
"We need to make sure that equipment that is destined for Canada gets to and stays in Canada, and I've asked ministers to follow up on these particular reports," he told a press conference.
Ottawa has recognised that its stockpiles of protective medical equipment are not enough to meet demand, as it looks to care for a surge of infected patients and slow the spread of the virus.
Canada has earmarked Can$2 billion (US$1.4 billion) to buy medical equipment while asking local companies to pivot assembly lines to make masks, medical scrubs and ventilators.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-04-03--Greek hotels to become shelters for asylum-seekers amid virus fears

In this file photo from October 22 , 2019 , refugees and migrants wait to be transferred to camps on the mainland at the port of Elefsina near Athens , Greece .
As Covid-19 claims more lives around the world , NGOs are sounding the alarm over the conditions inside overcrowded migrant camps on Greece ’ s islands .
While the European Union is pledging more funding and the use of empty holiday accommodation to enforce “ social distancing ” for migrants , questions remain over whether enough is being done to keep both asylum-seekers and local populations safe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ house migrants ; 1,600 unaccompanied child asylum-seekers being relocated around eight European Union member states and €350 million in extra funding .
These were just some of the measures outlined by the European Commission on Thursday amid growing calls to improve conditions in Greece ’ s overcrowded migrant camps , and protect those being housed there from Covid-19 .
Two Greek ministers , two European Commissioners and the director of the European border agency Frontex were among those who took part in a video meeting on April 2 , organised by the European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greece ’ s Minister for Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi told participants that his country had recorded 1,500 cases of Covid-19 to date , and that twenty-one of those who had tested positive were migrants at the Ritsona camp close to Athens .
The positive test results are cause for deep alarm among refugees , as well as aid groups working in and with the camps .
As European states enforce social distancing measures among their citizens with the aim of halting the spread of Covid-19 , the United Nations High Commission for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have flagged up overcrowded conditions as the most pressing issue within migrant facilities .
The UNHCR says there is particular cause for concern on the Aegean islands , where Greek authorities acknowledge there are more than 35,000 people housed in sites intended for just 6,000 .
Greek authorities urged to transfer more people away The UNHCR is urging Greek authorities to transfer more people away from island reception centres .
But this idea was rejected Thursday by Mitarachi , who said that this would simply transfer people from areas currently unaffected by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already recorded .
For Imogen Sudbery , Europe director of Policy and Advocacy for the International Rescue Committeed , this stance is “ disappointing on several levels ” .
“ We have been flagging the lack of capacity on the mainland for at least three years , '' she told FRANCE 24 .
“ The European Commission and many other organisations have found that it would be perfectly feasible to put in place the necessary health screening arrangements ” for a transfer of asylum-seekers to the Greek mainland .
One day before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a report showing that Lesbos ’ Moria camp has a population density twenty times greater than that of the Diamond Princess , a cruise ship which became a notorious coronavirus cluster in March , with 712 of the 3711 people on board falling sick .
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johanssen described the crowded conditions on Greek islands as “ unbearable ” , as she outlined how the European Commission would like to invest a further €350 million .
This included building new “ multi-purpose ” reception centres for migrants on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more temporary accommodation in hotels and holiday homes to increase short-term capacity .
As for other ways of preventing a future coronavirus outbreak in existing facilities , Greek Migration and Asylum minister Mitarachi said that there are contingency plans .
These , he said , include quarantine areas within camps and in their vicinity – but little other detail was offered .
Agencies are exploring restarting the asylum process using Skype Mitarachi also insisted that Greek authorities have resumed processing of asylum requests as of April 1 .
The Greek government suspended these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU law – as Turkey permitted thousands of asylum-seekers to approach its borders with Greece and with Bulgaria .
Mr Mitarachi stated that agencies were “ exploring restarting the asylum process using Skype and other platforms ” to work through a backlog of approximately 125,000 asylum applications .
As the coronavirus pandemic accelerates in Europe and other member states restrict their asylum-processing operations , Sudbery says this issue remains a particular concern : “ It ’ s really critical we don ’ t see Covid-19 used as an excuse not to allow people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told FRANCE 24 .
“ Particularly in Greece , if you can ’ t show you have registered for asylum you then don ’ t have access to healthcare , food , and other basic provisions . ''

As Covid-19 claims more lives around the world, NGOs are sounding the alarm over the conditions inside overcrowded migrant camps on Greece’s islands. While the European Union is pledging more funding and the use of empty holiday accommodation to enforce “social distancing” for migrants, questions remain over whether enough is being done to keep both asylum-seekers and local populations safe.
In this file photo from October 22, 2019, refugees and migrants wait to be transferred to camps on the mainland at the port of Elefsina near Athens, Greece.
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Hotels and holiday apartments hired to temporarily house migrants; 1,600 unaccompanied child asylum-seekers being relocated around eight European Union member states and €350 million in extra funding. These were just some of the measures outlined by the European Commission on Thursday amid growing calls to improve conditions in Greece’s overcrowded migrant camps, and protect those being housed there from Covid-19.
Two Greek ministers, two European Commissioners and the director of the European border agency Frontex were among those who took part in a video meeting on April 2, organised by the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties committee.
Deep alarm among refugees
Greece’s Minister for Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi told participants that his country had recorded 1,500 cases of Covid-19 to date, and that twenty-one of those who had tested positive were migrants at the Ritsona camp close to Athens.
The positive test results are cause for deep alarm among refugees, as well as aid groups working in and with the camps.
As European states enforce social distancing measures among their citizens with the aim of halting the spread of Covid-19, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is among those to have flagged up overcrowded conditions as the most pressing issue within migrant facilities. The UNHCR says there is particular cause for concern on the Aegean islands, where Greek authorities acknowledge there are more than 35,000 people housed in sites intended for just 6,000.
Greek authorities urged to transfer more people away
The UNHCR is urging Greek authorities to transfer more people away from island reception centres. But this idea was rejected Thursday by Mitarachi, who said that this would simply transfer people from areas currently unaffected by Covid-19, to places where infections were already recorded.
For Imogen Sudbery, Europe director of Policy and Advocacy for the International Rescue Committeed, this stance is “disappointing on several levels”.
“We have been flagging the lack of capacity on the mainland for at least three years," she told FRANCE 24.
“The European Commission and many other organisations have found that it would be perfectly feasible to put in place the necessary health screening arrangements” for a transfer of asylum-seekers to the Greek mainland.
'Unbearable' conditions on Greek islands
One day before the meeting, the International Rescue Committee released a report showing that Lesbos’ Moria camp has a population density ten times greater than that of the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship which became a notorious coronavirus cluster in March, with 712 of the 3711 people on board falling sick.
Graphics: Mona Chalabi for IRC © Mona Chalabi for IRC
Graphics: Mona Chalabi for IRC © Mona Chalabi for IRC
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johanssen described the crowded conditions on Greek islands as “unbearable”, as she outlined how the European Commission would like to invest a further €350 million. This included building new “multi-purpose” reception centres for migrants on the Greek mainland, as well as renting more temporary accommodation in hotels and holiday homes to increase short-term capacity.
As for other ways of preventing a future coronavirus outbreak in existing facilities, Greek Migration and Asylum minister Mitarachi said that there are contingency plans. These, he said, include quarantine areas within camps and in their vicinity – but little other detail was offered.
Agencies are exploring restarting the asylum process using Skype
Mitarachi also insisted that Greek authorities have resumed processing of asylum requests as of April 1. The Greek government suspended these on March 1 – in contravention of EU law – as Turkey permitted thousands of asylum-seekers to approach its borders with Greece and with Bulgaria.
Mr Mitarachi stated that agencies were “exploring restarting the asylum process using Skype and other platforms” to work through a backlog of approximately 125,000 asylum applications.
As the coronavirus pandemic accelerates in Europe and other member states restrict their asylum-processing operations, Sudbery says this issue remains a particular concern: “It’s really critical we don’t see Covid-19 used as an excuse not to allow people to access the asylum system," she told FRANCE 24.
“Particularly in Greece, if you can’t show you have registered for asylum you then don’t have access to healthcare, food, and other basic provisions."
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france24--2020-04-03--US records 1,169 new coronavirus deaths, the highest one-day toll recorded in any country

REACT EMS paramedics put on protective gear before making contact with a potential coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) patient in Shawnee , Oklahoma , U.S. April 2 , 2020 .
The United States recorded 1,169 COVID-19 fatalities in a single day , the Johns Hopkins University tracker showed Thursday , the highest one-day death toll recorded in any country since the global pandemic began .
The toll reflected figures reported by the university between 8:30pm Wednesday ( 0030 GMT ) and the same time Thursday .
The grim record was previously held by Italy , where 969 people died on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded around 6000 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began .
Trump changes his position on masks US President Donald Trump 's administration appeared to join local officials on Thursday in advising Americans to wear masks when venturing out during the still-exploding coronavirus pandemic .
Speaking at a White House briefing , Deborah Birx , a member of Trump 's coronavirus task force , said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would issue guidelines in the coming days on the use of face coverings .
Birx however cautioned that Americans , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except for essential outings , should not develop a `` false sense of security '' that they are fully protected from the respiratory illness by wearing a mask .
Trump , answering questions from reporters at the same briefing , said only that `` if people want to wear them , they can . ''
Global cases surpassed 1 million on Thursday with more than 52,000 deaths , according to a Reuters tally based on country by country data .
White House medical experts have forecast that between 100,000 to 240,000 people could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sweeping lock-down orders .
The Trump administration , CDC and public health officials have all wavered on the issue of face masks since the pandemic broke out , initially telling healthy people such measures were unnecessary or even counter-productive .
In New York City , the center of the US outbreak , Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to wear face coverings , citing studies showing that the virus can be transmitted by infected people who are showing no symptoms .
`` What that means is when you put on that face covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de Blasio said .
The Democratic mayor suggested New Yorkers use scarves or other home-made masks because medical-grade protective gear was in short supply .
An emergency stockpile of medical equipment maintained by the US government has nearly run out of protective garb for doctors and nurses .
In New York City , where at least 1,400 people have been killed by the virus , hospitals and morgues struggled to treat the desperately ill and bury the dead .
New York City funeral homes and cemetery directors described a surge in demand not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city .
Crematories extended their hours and burned bodies into the night , with corpses piling up so quickly that city officials were looking elsewhere in the state for temporary interment sites .
`` We 've been preparing for a worst-case scenario , which is in a lot of ways starting to materialise , '' said Mike Lanotte , director of the New York State Funeral Directors Association .

The United States recorded 1,169 COVID-19 fatalities in a single day, the Johns Hopkins University tracker showed Thursday, the highest one-day death toll recorded in any country since the global pandemic began.
REACT EMS paramedics put on protective gear before making contact with a potential coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient in Shawnee, Oklahoma, U.S. April 2, 2020.
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The toll reflected figures reported by the university between 8:30pm Wednesday (0030 GMT) and the same time Thursday.
The grim record was previously held by Italy, where 969 people died on March 27.
The US has now recorded around 6000 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began.
Trump changes his position on masks
US President Donald Trump's administration appeared to join local officials on Thursday in advising Americans to wear masks when venturing out during the still-exploding coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking at a White House briefing, Deborah Birx, a member of Trump's coronavirus task force, said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would issue guidelines in the coming days on the use of face coverings.
Birx however cautioned that Americans, who have been admonished to stay at home except for essential outings, should not develop a "false sense of security" that they are fully protected from the respiratory illness by wearing a mask.
Trump, answering questions from reporters at the same briefing, said only that "if people want to wear them, they can."
Global cases surpassed 1 million on Thursday with more than 52,000 deaths, according to a Reuters tally based on country by country data.
White House medical experts have forecast that between 100,000 to 240,000 people could be killed even if Americans follow the sweeping lock-down orders.
The Trump administration, CDC and public health officials have all wavered on the issue of face masks since the pandemic broke out, initially telling healthy people such measures were unnecessary or even counter-productive.
Lack of resources
In New York City, the center of the US outbreak, Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to wear face coverings, citing studies showing that the virus can be transmitted by infected people who are showing no symptoms.
"What that means is when you put on that face covering you're protecting everyone else," de Blasio said. The Democratic mayor suggested New Yorkers use scarves or other home-made masks because medical-grade protective gear was in short supply.
An emergency stockpile of medical equipment maintained by the US government has nearly run out of protective garb for doctors and nurses.
In New York City, where at least 1,400 people have been killed by the virus, hospitals and morgues struggled to treat the desperately ill and bury the dead.
New York City funeral homes and cemetery directors described a surge in demand not seen in decades as cases surpassed 50,000 in the city.
Crematories extended their hours and burned bodies into the night, with corpses piling up so quickly that city officials were looking elsewhere in the state for temporary interment sites.
"We've been preparing for a worst-case scenario, which is in a lot of ways starting to materialise," said Mike Lanotte, director of the New York State Funeral Directors Association.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-03--Norway's PM calls for 'stronger multilateral cooperation' amid Covid-19 crisis

In an interview with FRANCE 24 , Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg discussed the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic in her country .
She also called for `` stronger multilateral cooperation '' and urged more countries to contribute to a multi-donor fund Norway has created at the United Nations to help developing nations deal with the consequences of the global health crisis .
Speaking to FRANCE 24 from Oslo , Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said the coronavirus situation in her country appeared to be getting under control .
`` The numbers we have are not increasing , they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norway has more than 5,000 cases of Covid-19 and at least 50 people have lost their lives .
Like many countries – but unlike its neighbour Sweden – Norway has taken strict measures to limit the spread of the virus .
Since March 12 , a nationwide lockdown has been in place and this has been extended until at least April 13 .
Asked about when the lockdown could be eased , Solberg said a decision would be taken on April 8 , but large public gatherings would likely remain banned for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a long time before the next large concert or big party will go on in my country , '' she told FRANCE 24 .
Asked about the prospect of a recession , Solberg said Norway was better equipped than most countries to deal with the economic fallout from the pandemic .
`` Norway has a very good financial situation ; we ’ ve been trying to compensate businesses for their loss of activity and their cost levels and of course we are giving quite good benefits to people who are out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the long-term effects might not be as big as for some other countries , '' she explained .
Norway has set up a new multi-donor fund under UN auspices to help developing countries deal with the long-term consequences of the pandemic and has already given 150 million Norwegian kronor ( €13.3 million ) .
Solberg urged more countries to take part in the fund .
`` What this crisis and the pandemic shows us is that we are so interconnected in this world that we need to work together .
There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this crisis without having a stronger international , multilateral cooperation , '' she told FRANCE 24 .
`` I think that Norway is not alone ...
The whole world is facing a crisis ...
It hits all part of the economy , all segments of our society and the whole world at the same time .
So it ’ s not just what we do in our country .
It ’ s also what other countries are doing .
I just hope that we will end up by cooperating more and not less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions that are decreasing cooperation these days where we really should be working on making the multilateral organisation function even better , '' she concluded .

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg discussed the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic in her country. She also called for "stronger multilateral cooperation" and urged more countries to contribute to a multi-donor fund Norway has created at the United Nations to help developing nations deal with the consequences of the global health crisis.
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Speaking to FRANCE 24 from Oslo, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said the coronavirus situation in her country appeared to be getting under control. "The numbers we have are not increasing, they are quite stable," she said. Norway has more than 5,000 cases of Covid-19 and at least 50 people have lost their lives.
Like many countries – but unlike its neighbour Sweden – Norway has taken strict measures to limit the spread of the virus. Since March 12, a nationwide lockdown has been in place and this has been extended until at least April 13. Asked about when the lockdown could be eased, Solberg said a decision would be taken on April 8, but large public gatherings would likely remain banned for a while. "I think it will be a long time before the next large concert or big party will go on in my country," she told FRANCE 24.
Asked about the prospect of a recession, Solberg said Norway was better equipped than most countries to deal with the economic fallout from the pandemic. "Norway has a very good financial situation; we’ve been trying to compensate businesses for their loss of activity and their cost levels and of course we are giving quite good benefits to people who are out of work in the short-term. That means that the long-term effects might not be as big as for some other countries," she explained.
Norway has set up a new multi-donor fund under UN auspices to help developing countries deal with the long-term consequences of the pandemic and has already given 150 million Norwegian kronor (€13.3 million). Solberg urged more countries to take part in the fund.
"What this crisis and the pandemic shows us is that we are so interconnected in this world that we need to work together. There’s no way that we can handle this crisis without having a stronger international, multilateral cooperation," she told FRANCE 24.
"I think that Norway is not alone... The whole world is facing a crisis... It hits all part of the economy, all segments of our society and the whole world at the same time. So it’s not just what we do in our country. It’s also what other countries are doing. I just hope that we will end up by cooperating more and not less because there are a lot of single actions that are decreasing cooperation these days where we really should be working on making the multilateral organisation function even better," she concluded.
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france24--2020-04-03--After wavering advice, Americans now urged to use face masks to slow coronavirus spread

A protective face mask is seen on the dashboard of an ambulance in Shawnee , Oklahoma , on April 2 , 2020 .
The Trump administration on Friday looked set to join local officials in advising Americans to wear masks when outside during the still-exploding coronavirus pandemic , as the US one-day death toll rose by more than 1,000 and the global case count crossed the 1 million mark .
Following a series of conflicting advice on the use of face masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic , the Trump administration is poised to recommend the use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoors .
Speaking at a White House briefing Thursday , Deborah Birx , a member of President Donald Trump 's coronavirus task force , said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) would in the coming days add a recommendation on masks to guidelines on protective measures .
But Birx said Americans , almost all of whom have been told to stay at home except for essential outings , should not develop a `` false sense of security '' that they are fully protected from the respiratory illness by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions from reporters at the briefing , said only `` if people want to wear them , they can . ''
The move came as the US on Thursday recorded 1,169 Covid-19 fatalities in a single day , according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker , in the highest one-day death toll recorded in any country since the global pandemic began in China late last year .
Global coronavirus cases surpassed 1 million on Thursday with more than 52,000 deaths , according to a Reuters tally based on country-by-country data .
The Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have all wavered on the issue of face masks since the pandemic broke out , initially telling healthy people such measures were unnecessary or even counter-productive .
The mayors of New York City and Los Angeles both urged residents to cover their faces .
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio cited studies showing the virus can be transmitted by infected people who are showing no symptoms .
`` What that means is when you put on that face covering you 're protecting everyone else , '' de Blasio said .
The Democratic mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home-made masks because medical-grade protective gear was in short supply .
An emergency stockpile of medical equipment maintained by the US government has nearly run out of protective garb for doctors and nurses .
US Navy captain who raised alarm relieved from post The US Navy relieved the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt after he wrote a scathing letter appealing for help to control a coronavirus outbreak onboard , US officials told Reuters on Thursday .
Asked about the captain during a news conference at the White House , Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it appeared the commander was being removed for trying to save the lives of sailors .
`` I do n't agree with that at all .
Not at all .
Not even a little bit , '' Trump said .
With an estimated 90 percent of Americans under unprecedented orders to remain at home , the US government reported that a record 6.6 million workers had filed for jobless benefits last week , double the previous all-time high set a week earlier .

The Trump administration on Friday looked set to join local officials in advising Americans to wear masks when outside during the still-exploding coronavirus pandemic, as the US one-day death toll rose by more than 1,000 and the global case count crossed the 1 million mark.
A protective face mask is seen on the dashboard of an ambulance in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on April 2, 2020.
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Following a series of conflicting advice on the use of face masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration is poised to recommend the use of cloth masks or face coverings when outdoors.
Speaking at a White House briefing Thursday, Deborah Birx, a member of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force, said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would in the coming days add a recommendation on masks to guidelines on protective measures.
But Birx said Americans, almost all of whom have been told to stay at home except for essential outings, should not develop a "false sense of security" that they are fully protected from the respiratory illness by covering their faces.
Trump, answering questions from reporters at the briefing, said only "if people want to wear them, they can."
The move came as the US on Thursday recorded 1,169 Covid-19 fatalities in a single day, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, in the highest one-day death toll recorded in any country since the global pandemic began in China late last year.
Global coronavirus cases surpassed 1 million on Thursday with more than 52,000 deaths, according to a Reuters tally based on country-by-country data.
NY, LA mayors early mask advocates
The Trump administration, CDC and public health officials have all wavered on the issue of face masks since the pandemic broke out, initially telling healthy people such measures were unnecessary or even counter-productive.
The mayors of New York City and Los Angeles both urged residents to cover their faces. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio cited studies showing the virus can be transmitted by infected people who are showing no symptoms.
"What that means is when you put on that face covering you're protecting everyone else," de Blasio said.
The Democratic mayor suggested New Yorkers use scarves or other home-made masks because medical-grade protective gear was in short supply.
An emergency stockpile of medical equipment maintained by the US government has nearly run out of protective garb for doctors and nurses.
US Navy captain who raised alarm relieved from post
The US Navy relieved the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt after he wrote a scathing letter appealing for help to control a coronavirus outbreak onboard, US officials told Reuters on Thursday.
Asked about the captain during a news conference at the White House, Trump said he did not agree with the suggestion that it appeared the commander was being removed for trying to save the lives of sailors.
"I don't agree with that at all. Not at all. Not even a little bit," Trump said.
With an estimated 90 percent of Americans under unprecedented orders to remain at home, the US government reported that a record 6.6 million workers had filed for jobless benefits last week, double the previous all-time high set a week earlier.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-03--UN issues its first coronavirus resolution as global cases surpass 1 million

( FILE PHOTO ) Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres speaks at the UN headquarters in New York .
The UN General Assembly on Thursday approved a resolution calling for `` international cooperation '' and `` multilateralism '' in the fight against Covid-19 , in the first text to come out of the international body since the outbreak began .
The resolution , which was approved by consensus , also stresses `` the need for full respect for human rights '' and that `` there is no place for any form of discrimination , racism and xenophobia in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was unsuccessful in opposing the resolution with its own text that was supported by four other countries .
The UN resolution stresses the central role of the body in the global health and economic crisis .
It was submitted by Switzerland , Indonesia , Singapore , Norway , Liechtenstein and Ghana , and adopted by 188 of the 193 states that make up the body , diplomats said .
The Russian text – which also discussed cooperation but included an implicit demand for a general lifting of international sanctions , seen as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – was supported by the Central African Republic , Cuba , Nicaragua and Venezuela .
Unlike the UN Security Council , the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly are not binding but have a strong political value depending on their support .
The resolution came as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases around the world soared past one million on Thursday and deaths topped 50,000 as Europe reeled from the pandemic and the United States reported the highest daily death toll so far of any country .
Despite more than half the planet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus claimed thousands more lives , with the US , Spain and Britain seeing the highest number of daily fatalities yet .
According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres , the coronavirus is `` the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War '' .
Just last week , as the pandemic spread around the world , killing thousands and infecting many more , Guterres warned that unless the world came together to fight the virus , millions of people could die .
On March 23 , he called for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable civilians in conflict zones from the ravages of the pandemic .
Few countries have heeded his appeal .
`` Unfortunately , hostilities have gone unabated , '' said Laetitia Courtois , the UN representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross ( ICRC ) .
On the Security Council , which has been silent since the start of the pandemic , the five permanent members ( the US , the United Kingdom , Russia , China and France ) are divided on reaching a resolution to support Guterres ' appeal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ solution , to the increasing exasperation of the 10 non-permanent members .
The US and China continue to clash over the origins of the virus that first emerged in central China late last year , which Washington wants to highlight .
Beijing and Moscow , which both have veto power , are also reluctant to see the Security Council – which is responsible for global peace and security – take up an issue that has until now been a primarily health and economic issue .
`` The Council missed an opportunity to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been life-saving – during the early stages of the pandemic , '' said Stephen Pomper , a policy director for the international thinktank Crisis Group and former director of multilateral affairs for President Barack Obama .

The UN General Assembly on Thursday approved a resolution calling for "international cooperation" and "multilateralism" in the fight against Covid-19, in the first text to come out of the international body since the outbreak began.
(FILE PHOTO) Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres speaks at the UN headquarters in New York.
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The resolution, which was approved by consensus, also stresses "the need for full respect for human rights" and that "there is no place for any form of discrimination, racism and xenophobia in the response to the pandemic".
Russia was unsuccessful in opposing the resolution with its own text that was supported by four other countries.
The UN resolution stresses the central role of the body in the global health and economic crisis. It was submitted by Switzerland, Indonesia, Singapore, Norway, Liechtenstein and Ghana, and adopted by 188 of the 193 states that make up the body, diplomats said.
The Russian text – which also discussed cooperation but included an implicit demand for a general lifting of international sanctions, seen as a brake on efforts to fight the virus – was supported by the Central African Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Unlike the UN Security Council, the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly are not binding but have a strong political value depending on their support.
The one million mark
The resolution came as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases around the world soared past one million on Thursday and deaths topped 50,000 as Europe reeled from the pandemic and the United States reported the highest daily death toll so far of any country.
Despite more than half the planet imposing some form of lockdown, the virus claimed thousands more lives, with the US, Spain and Britain seeing the highest number of daily fatalities yet.
According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the coronavirus is "the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War".
Just last week, as the pandemic spread around the world, killing thousands and infecting many more, Guterres warned that unless the world came together to fight the virus, millions of people could die.
On March 23, he called for an "immediate global ceasefire" to protect vulnerable civilians in conflict zones from the ravages of the pandemic.
Few countries have heeded his appeal.
US-China clashes over origins of virus
"Unfortunately, hostilities have gone unabated," said Laetitia Courtois, the UN representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
On the Security Council, which has been silent since the start of the pandemic, the five permanent members (the US, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and France) are divided on reaching a resolution to support Guterres' appeal.
They have yet to produce a concrete solution, to the increasing exasperation of the 10 non-permanent members.
The US and China continue to clash over the origins of the virus that first emerged in central China late last year, which Washington wants to highlight.
Beijing and Moscow, which both have veto power, are also reluctant to see the Security Council – which is responsible for global peace and security – take up an issue that has until now been a primarily health and economic issue.
"The Council missed an opportunity to be relevant – in a way that might have been life-saving – during the early stages of the pandemic," said Stephen Pomper, a policy director for the international thinktank Crisis Group and former director of multilateral affairs for President Barack Obama.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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