france24--2020-03-31--France to rapidly ramp up production of face masks and respirators, Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron wearing a protective suit and a face mask visits the Kolmi-Hopen protective face masks factory , in Saint-Barthelemy-d'Anjou near Angers , France March 31 , 2020 .
France plans to quickly ramp up domestic production of face masks and respirators to respond to urgent needs of hospitals and caregivers during the coronavirus epidemic , French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday .
Macron said consumption of face masks in France had soared from four million per week to more than 40 million and the state 's pre-crisis inventory of 140 million masks was insufficient .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ import masks quickly and in great quantity from the other side of the world ... and that we did not need to store billions and billions of face masks , '' Macron said during a visit to the Kolmi-Hopen face mask factory near Angers , western France .
He added the world has changed and that there is now unprecedented tension on global markets and that France needed to boost domestic production to become self-sufficient .
France has ordered more than one billion face masks from China and the first orders are already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four face mask factories will also boost their combined output from 3.3 million per week before the start of the crisis to 10 million per week by end April , and production by new players such as car parts maker Faurecia , tyre maker Michelin and retailer Intermarché will push total output to 15 million per week , Macron said .
In addition , in three to four weeks the country will also be able to produce a million masks per day for people in other professions than the medical sector , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by respirator maker Air Liquide and including car parts maker Valeo , car maker PSA and Schneider Electric , will produce some 10,000 ventilators by mid-May .
Some 250 emergency rooms ventilators will be delivered in the coming eight days , he added .
France has also boosted its production of disinfecting hand gel from 40,000 litres per day to 500,000 litres per day .
The French government will fund the purchase of masks and ventilators with a €4 billion ( $ 4.4 billion ) boost to the state health budget .
Healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of FFP2 health masks at the country 's hospitals , where the death toll from the pandemic rose to more than 3,000 on Monday .
`` The public authorities and all those involved in the national production network should join forces to provide the 15 million FFP2 masks we need every day , '' wrote several doctors and other surgery personnel in a press release last week .
`` Our country is counting on us to face this pandemic , but it is unacceptable to make us take ill-considered risks because under our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as vulnerable as anyone else , '' they added .
Several companies have already donated masks to the government .
French luxury label LVMH says it has ordered 40 million health masks from a Chinese supplier to help France cope with the coronavirus outbreak .

France plans to quickly ramp up domestic production of face masks and respirators to respond to urgent needs of hospitals and caregivers during the coronavirus epidemic, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron wearing a protective suit and a face mask visits the Kolmi-Hopen protective face masks factory, in Saint-Barthelemy-d'Anjou near Angers, France March 31, 2020.
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Macron said consumption of face masks in France had soared from four million per week to more than 40 million and the state's pre-crisis inventory of 140 million masks was insufficient.
"Before, we believed that we could import masks quickly and in great quantity from the other side of the world ... and that we did not need to store billions and billions of face masks," Macron said during a visit to the Kolmi-Hopen face mask factory near Angers, western France.
He added the world has changed and that there is now unprecedented tension on global markets and that France needed to boost domestic production to become self-sufficient.
France has ordered more than one billion face masks from China and the first orders are already arriving, Macron said.
10 million masks per week
France's four face mask factories will also boost their combined output from 3.3 million per week before the start of the crisis to 10 million per week by end April, and production by new players such as car parts maker Faurecia, tyre maker Michelin and retailer Intermarché will push total output to 15 million per week, Macron said.
In addition, in three to four weeks the country will also be able to produce a million masks per day for people in other professions than the medical sector, he said.
Macron said a consortium led by respirator maker Air Liquide and including car parts maker Valeo, car maker PSA and Schneider Electric, will produce some 10,000 ventilators by mid-May.
Some 250 emergency rooms ventilators will be delivered in the coming eight days, he added.
France has also boosted its production of disinfecting hand gel from 40,000 litres per day to 500,000 litres per day.
The French government will fund the purchase of masks and ventilators with a €4 billion ($4.4 billion) boost to the state health budget.
Urgent need
Healthcare staff say they are in urgent need of FFP2 health masks at the country's hospitals, where the death toll from the pandemic rose to more than 3,000 on Monday.
"The public authorities and all those involved in the national production network should join forces to provide the 15 million FFP2 masks we need every day," wrote several doctors and other surgery personnel in a press release last week.
"Our country is counting on us to face this pandemic, but it is unacceptable to make us take ill-considered risks because under our coats, we are still human beings, as vulnerable as anyone else," they added.
Several companies have already donated masks to the government.
French luxury label LVMH says it has ordered 40 million health masks from a Chinese supplier to help France cope with the coronavirus outbreak.
01:29
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-31--Spain reports its highest daily coronavirus toll, with 849 new deaths

Healthcare workers push a patient on a stretcher at the emergency unit at 12 de Octubre Hospital in Madrid , Spain , on March 30 , 2020 , amid the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak .
Once again , Spain hit a new record with 849 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours on Tuesday although health chiefs said the rate of new infections was continuing its downward trend .
After Italy , Spain has suffered the world 's second most deadly outbreak which has now claimed 8,189 lives there .
The latest figures came a day after the death toll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be peaking .
Over the same period , the number of confirmed cases rose to 94,417 after another 9,222 people tested positive : a nearly 11-percent increase .
That figure was seen as a setback after a week in which the rate had been steadily failing , with Monday 's figures having shown a rise of just over 8.0 percent .
`` It 's true that today we have a slight increase in the number of cases , '' said Maria Jose Sierra , from the health ministry 's emergencies coordination unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuing '' , she added .
This time last week , the rate of new infections stood at around 20 percent .
Now on day 18 of an unprecedented four-week national lockdown to slow the spread of the virus , Spain has sought to dramatically ramp up testing .
It is sourcing kits from around the world in order to test some 50,000 people per day , up from the current 20,000 .
It has also ordered millions of euros worth of supplies to support its health care system , on the brink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seriously ill patients and a growing number of medical staff falling sick with the virus .
Madrid is the worst-hit area , counting 3,609 deaths and 27,509 infections .
The regional authorities there are using a massive exhibition centre and a string of hotels to house the sick , and setting up two temporary morgues for the dead , one inside an Olympic-sized ice skating rink .

Once again, Spain hit a new record with 849 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours on Tuesday although health chiefs said the rate of new infections was continuing its downward trend.
Healthcare workers push a patient on a stretcher at the emergency unit at 12 de Octubre Hospital in Madrid, Spain, on March 30, 2020, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
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After Italy, Spain has suffered the world's second most deadly outbreak which has now claimed 8,189 lives there. The latest figures came a day after the death toll fell slightly, raising hopes the epidemic could be peaking.
Over the same period, the number of confirmed cases rose to 94,417 after another 9,222 people tested positive: a nearly 11-percent increase.
That figure was seen as a setback after a week in which the rate had been steadily failing, with Monday's figures having shown a rise of just over 8.0 percent.
"It's true that today we have a slight increase in the number of cases," said Maria Jose Sierra, from the health ministry's emergencies coordination unit.
But the downward trend "is continuing", she added.
This time last week, the rate of new infections stood at around 20 percent.
Now on day 18 of an unprecedented four-week national lockdown to slow the spread of the virus, Spain has sought to dramatically ramp up testing. It is sourcing kits from around the world in order to test some 50,000 people per day, up from the current 20,000.
It has also ordered millions of euros worth of supplies to support its health care system, on the brink of collapse following the massive influx of seriously ill patients and a growing number of medical staff falling sick with the virus.
Madrid is the worst-hit area, counting 3,609 deaths and 27,509 infections.
The regional authorities there are using a massive exhibition centre and a string of hotels to house the sick, and setting up two temporary morgues for the dead, one inside an Olympic-sized ice skating rink.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-03-31--Coronavirus could 'run rampant' in poor countries, IRC chief Miliband warns

In an interview with FRANCE 24 , the president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee , David Miliband , shared his concerns for the world ’ s most vulnerable people – particularly the millions of refugees , internally displaced people and people living in war zones – amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The former British foreign minister warned that the disease could `` run rampant '' in poorer countries if sufficient measures were not taken in time .
`` We ’ ve seen how countries with advanced health and disaster management systems , across Europe and in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Miliband told FRANCE 24 .
`` Imagine what it ’ s going to be like where there is no proper health system , where there is no public health system – those are the places where the International Rescue Committee works . ''
`` They ’ re places where there are excessively high levels of population density , which we know is a major contributor to the spread of the disease , '' he said .
`` And they ’ re places where , because of acts of war or displacement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indeed . ''
Around the world , billions of people lack access to running water and soap , which offer a key form of protection against the virus .
The International Rescue Committee chief continued : `` We ’ ve been sounding the warning for some time now that although the recorded figures are low in Africa , in South Asia , in parts of the Far East like Bangladesh and Myanmar , the actual situation is worse and there is a limited period of time to put in place the most basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities , to make sure that this disease does not run rampant when it finally does arrive . ''
Miliband called on rich countries to provide emergency humanitarian aid to poorer countries .
`` They need to mobilise funds preemptively .
We can ’ t wait to react .
We ’ ve got to recognise that this is a disease of the connected world and it will affect every part of the world , '' he said .
Miliband also expressed concern about a potentially `` desperate situation '' in war-torn Syria .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have three and half million people packed into a densely populated area – a million people , as you rightly say , on the run since December – these are potentially desperate conditions in which very large numbers of people will get ill and very large numbers will lose their lives . ''
Finally , turning to the situation in Greece , where thousands of migrants are crammed into overcrowded camps on the Greek islands , Miliband urged both the European Union and Athens to live up to their responsibilities .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people on the move at the moment because borders are being closed and it ’ s imperative that we recognise that any human being is a potential carrier of this disease .
There ’ s no discrimination and there needs to be no discrimination in the extension of testing and healthcare to those who need it , '' he said .
`` We also need to see Europeans taking the most basic steps to ameliorate the danger that the disease runs amok in the Greek camps .
That requires action , not inaction @ @

In an interview with FRANCE 24, the president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband, shared his concerns for the world’s most vulnerable people – particularly the millions of refugees, internally displaced people and people living in war zones – amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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The former British foreign minister warned that the disease could "run rampant" in poorer countries if sufficient measures were not taken in time.
"We’ve seen how countries with advanced health and disaster management systems, across Europe and in the US, have struggled with the coronavirus," Miliband told FRANCE 24. "Imagine what it’s going to be like where there is no proper health system, where there is no public health system – those are the places where the International Rescue Committee works."
"They’re places where there are excessively high levels of population density, which we know is a major contributor to the spread of the disease," he said. "And they’re places where, because of acts of war or displacement, the infrastructure of support is very weak indeed."
Around the world, billions of people lack access to running water and soap, which offer a key form of protection against the virus.
The International Rescue Committee chief continued: "We’ve been sounding the warning for some time now that although the recorded figures are low in Africa, in South Asia, in parts of the Far East like Bangladesh and Myanmar, the actual situation is worse and there is a limited period of time to put in place the most basic hand-washing facilities, triaging facilities, isolation facilities, to make sure that this disease does not run rampant when it finally does arrive."
Miliband called on rich countries to provide emergency humanitarian aid to poorer countries.
"They need to mobilise funds preemptively. We can’t wait to react. We’ve got to recognise that this is a disease of the connected world and it will affect every part of the world," he said.
Miliband also expressed concern about a potentially "desperate situation" in war-torn Syria.
"The danger in Idlib, where you have three and half million people packed into a densely populated area – a million people, as you rightly say, on the run since December – these are potentially desperate conditions in which very large numbers of people will get ill and very large numbers will lose their lives."
Finally, turning to the situation in Greece, where thousands of migrants are crammed into overcrowded camps on the Greek islands, Miliband urged both the European Union and Athens to live up to their responsibilities.
"The truth is, there are fewer people on the move at the moment because borders are being closed and it’s imperative that we recognise that any human being is a potential carrier of this disease. There’s no discrimination and there needs to be no discrimination in the extension of testing and healthcare to those who need it," he said.
"We also need to see Europeans taking the most basic steps to ameliorate the danger that the disease runs amok in the Greek camps. That requires action, not inaction."
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france24--2020-03-31--Could high HIV rates worsen the coronavirus crisis in South Africa?

South Africa has been under lockdown since last Friday , but people still leave to leave their homes to collect social security The South African government is ramping up testing and preventative measures to tackle the spread of COVID-19 , but high rates of HIV infection could potentially put millions at risk .
With 1,326 confirmed cases of coronavirus and three deaths , South Africa appears to be the worst affected country on the continent .
In response , the government has enforced a 21-day lockdown and imposed draconian sanctions on those breaking the rules .
In an address to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , President Cyril Ramaphosa said , “ Never before in the history of our democracy has our country been confronted with such a severe situation.
” And HIV could make things much worse .
South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world .
According to the , there are 7.7 million people living with the virus in South Africa , including one in five adults aged 15-49 .
An estimated 2.5 million of those infected do not have access to the anti-retroviral drugs which ensure the healthy functioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern is that if you do not have a good immune system , your ability to ward off this infection could be compromised , ” professor Gray , president of the South African Medical Research Council , explained to FRANCE 24 .
Gray , who has never been busier and wakes up at night with panic attacks triggered by thoughts of the pandemic , also said that people with weak immune systems could remain infectious for longer periods of time .
But she emphasised that , in practice , it is too soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HIV will be on the Covid-19 contagion .
“ We are still gathering the data , ” she said .
There have , however , been a number of clues .
Before the outbreak of Covid-19 , the has found that people suffering from HIV are eight times as likely to require hospitalization for pneumonia due to an influenza ( flu ) virus and three times more likely to die from such infections .
Adding further risk , those infected by HIV are 16-27 times more likely to contract tuberculosis – a bacterial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The World Health Organization noted that those suffering from respiratory illnesses face increased risk from Covid-19 .
Researchers have already begun exploring whether HIV medication could combat Covid-19 .
Anti-retroviral drugs are already used to treat viruses such as hepatitis B .
For now , however , evidence of their effectiveness remains largely anecdotal .
Doctors in Japan and Thailand have treated Covid-19 with a combination of HIV drugs and flu medicine .
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association from March also showed positive results for patients treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2004 , a paper published in The Lancet found that these drugs , used in combination , showed “ substantial clinical benefit ” for patients suffering from SARS – an illness also caused by a coronavirus .
Other have found the HIV medication to be ineffective against Covid-19 .
Gray says much more testing is needed before these drugs can be used routinely in South Africa and across the world .
“ At this moment in time , it is all about tracking and modelling , ” she said .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gray is worried that a flu epidemic breaking out alongside COVID-19 would be “ catastrophic ” and that a global shortage of swabs , tests and protective equipment for health workers could hit poorer regions , such as Southern Africa , hardest .
Crowded living conditions in the country ’ s townships make contagion almost inevitable .
“ We don ’ t want a tragedy .
We ’ ve had enough tragedy in this country , ” she said .

The South African government is ramping up testing and preventative measures to tackle the spread of COVID-19, but high rates of HIV infection could potentially put millions at risk.
South Africa has been under lockdown since last Friday, but people still leave to leave their homes to collect social security
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With 1,326 confirmed cases of coronavirus and three deaths, South Africa appears to be the worst affected country on the continent. In response, the government has enforced a 21-day lockdown and imposed draconian sanctions on those breaking the rules.
In an address to the nation on Sunday, March 15, President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “Never before in the history of our democracy has our country been confronted with such a severe situation.”
And HIV could make things much worse.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world. According to the UN , there are 7.7 million people living with the virus in South Africa, including one in five adults aged 15-49. An estimated 2.5 million of those infected do not have access to the anti-retroviral drugs which ensure the healthy functioning of the immune system.
“The concern is that if you do not have a good immune system, your ability to ward off this infection could be compromised,” professor Gray, president of the South African Medical Research Council, explained to FRANCE 24.
Gray, who has never been busier and wakes up at night with panic attacks triggered by thoughts of the pandemic, also said that people with weak immune systems could remain infectious for longer periods of time. But she emphasised that, in practice, it is too soon to know what the concrete effects of HIV will be on the Covid-19 contagion. “We are still gathering the data,” she said.
There have, however, been a number of clues. Before the outbreak of Covid-19, the Academy of Science of South Africa has found that people suffering from HIV are eight times as likely to require hospitalization for pneumonia due to an influenza (flu) virus and three times more likely to die from such infections.
Adding further risk, those infected by HIV are 16-27 times more likely to contract tuberculosis – a bacterial lung disease highly prevalent in South Africa. The World Health Organization noted that those suffering from respiratory illnesses face increased risk from Covid-19.
Researchers have already begun exploring whether HIV medication could combat Covid-19. Anti-retroviral drugs are already used to treat viruses such as hepatitis B.
For now, however, evidence of their effectiveness remains largely anecdotal. Doctors in Japan and Thailand have treated Covid-19 with a combination of HIV drugs and flu medicine. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association from March also showed positive results for patients treated with lopinavir and ritonavir anti-retroviral drugs. In 2004, a paper published in The Lancet found that these drugs, used in combination, showed “substantial clinical benefit” for patients suffering from SARS – an illness also caused by a coronavirus.
Other studies have found the HIV medication to be ineffective against Covid-19. Gray says much more testing is needed before these drugs can be used routinely in South Africa and across the world. “At this moment in time, it is all about tracking and modelling,” she said.
As the Southern hemisphere heads into flu season, Gray is worried that a flu epidemic breaking out alongside COVID-19 would be “catastrophic” and that a global shortage of swabs, tests and protective equipment for health workers could hit poorer regions, such as Southern Africa, hardest. Crowded living conditions in the country’s townships make contagion almost inevitable.
“We don’t want a tragedy. We’ve had enough tragedy in this country,” she said.
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france24--2020-03-31--Hospital ships and makeshift morgues: New York prepares for coronavirus peak

The USNS Comfort docks in New York on Monday , March 30 , 2020 .
The US Navy hospital ship , the USNS Comfort , docked in New York Monday , while emergency care facilities and even a makeshift morgue have been set up around the city as it struggles to cope with the coronavirus pandemic .
The ship , which set sail from Virginia on Saturday , has space for 1,000 beds and twelve operating rooms .
It will treat those requiring intensive care unrelated to the coronavirus to free up much-needed space in the city ’ s hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the US with more than 33,000 confirmed cases .
Of more than 2,500 deaths in the country , nearly 800 have been in New York and the city is expecting a peak in cases in the next few weeks .
A number of other sites are also being turned into temporary hospitals , including a field hospital in Central Park with capacity for 68 patients .
Meanwhile , one of the city ’ s major hospitals has set up a makeshift morgue to deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refrigerated trucks have been sent to the city to temporarily store the bodies of the deceased .

The US Navy hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, docked in New York Monday, while emergency care facilities and even a makeshift morgue have been set up around the city as it struggles to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
The USNS Comfort docks in New York on Monday, March 30, 2020.
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The ship, which set sail from Virginia on Saturday, has space for 1,000 beds and twelve operating rooms.
It will treat those requiring intensive care unrelated to the coronavirus to free up much-needed space in the city’s hospitals for COVID-19 patients.
New York is at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the US with more than 33,000 confirmed cases.
Of more than 2,500 deaths in the country, nearly 800 have been in New York and the city is expecting a peak in cases in the next few weeks.
A number of other sites are also being turned into temporary hospitals, including a field hospital in Central Park with capacity for 68 patients.
Meanwhile, one of the city’s major hospitals has set up a makeshift morgue to deal with the expected spike in deaths, and refrigerated trucks have been sent to the city to temporarily store the bodies of the deceased.
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france24--2020-03-31--Paris's Orly airport to shut as passenger numbers plunge amid coronavirus crisis

A passenger walks outside a terminal at Orly Airport near Paris at Orly Airport near Paris before its closing to commercial flights today , due to the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) in France , March 31 , 2020 .
Paris ’ s Orly airport will shut down on Tuesday in light of the collapse in air traffic amid the coronavirus crisis .
France ’ s biggest airport for domestic flights , Orly will be closed until further notice at midnight – after hosting just ten flights and around 1000 passengers on Tuesday , as the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the stringent measures adopted to try and contain the transmission of the coronavirus .
Under normal circumstances , Orly hosts 600 flights and 90,000 passengers .
After its closure , the four companies still operating there ( compared to more than 100 before the coronavirus pandemic ) will move to France ’ s biggest airport Charles de Gaulle , on the other side of Paris .
Charles de Gaulle is also reeling from the coronavirus crisis , with around 10,000 passengers a day compared to 200,000 before the pandemic struck .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catastrophic ” , France ’ s National Commercial Aviation Federation warned on Tuesday , adding that the government ’ s proposals to help out distressed airlines are “ necessary but not sufficient ” .

Paris’s Orly airport will shut down on Tuesday in light of the collapse in air traffic amid the coronavirus crisis.
A passenger walks outside a terminal at Orly Airport near Paris at Orly Airport near Paris before its closing to commercial flights today, due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in France, March 31, 2020.
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France’s biggest airport for domestic flights, Orly will be closed until further notice at midnight – after hosting just ten flights and around 1000 passengers on Tuesday, as the number of people taking flights has plunged thanks to the stringent measures adopted to try and contain the transmission of the coronavirus.
Under normal circumstances, Orly hosts 600 flights and 90,000 passengers. After its closure, the four companies still operating there (compared to more than 100 before the coronavirus pandemic) will move to France’s biggest airport Charles de Gaulle, on the other side of Paris.
03:05
Charles de Gaulle is also reeling from the coronavirus crisis, with around 10,000 passengers a day compared to 200,000 before the pandemic struck.
The situation for French airlines is “simply catastrophic”, France’s National Commercial Aviation Federation warned on Tuesday, adding that the government’s proposals to help out distressed airlines are “necessary but not sufficient”.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-03-31--Covid-19 sparks deadly riots in Colombia’s prisons: "If the virus gets in here, we're done for"

A cell in La Picota prison .
This photo was taken by our Observer .
La Picota prison .
This photo was taken by our Observer .
Daniel , who is waiting for his extradition and sentencing , is currently incarcerated in La Picota , one of the prisons in Bogota where riots broke out [ we ’ ve changed his name to protect his identity ] .
He told our team about how the poor hygiene conditions in the prison make him terrified about the spread of Covid-19.Colombian Justice Minister Margarita Cabello says that our Observer 's fears are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the prisons that could justify an uprising , ” Cabello said .
However , the occupancy rate in Colombian prisons was at 152 % in 2017.After videos of the riots were shared on social media , an investigation was opened to determine , according to the public prosecutor ’ s department , “ Why prisoners had access to equipment that allowed them to share footage in real time.
” Daniel , who posted footage of the riots filmed by other prisoners , says that he mostly uses his phone to promote his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison .
He posts photos of his creations on Instagram

COLOMBIA
Prisoners attempt to escape from La Modela prison (screengrab) in Colombia. The photo at the right shows our Observer’s cell in La Picota prison (photo taken by our Observer).
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Violent riots broke out in prisons across Colombia on March 21 over prisoners’ fears about the spread of Covid-19 within overcrowded detention centres. One man incarcerated in Bogota told our team that, while the rest of the country is self-isolating in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus, prisons lack even the most basic hygiene measures.
Coordinated riots took place in 13 different detention centres across Colombia. The most violent clashes took place in La Modelo, one of the largest and most dangerous prisons in the capital, Bogota. At least 23 prisoners died in the riots and 90 people, including seven guards, were wounded. Some prisoners attempted to escape.
Numerous videos, likely filmed and posted on social media by prisoners, document both the violent clashes and escape attempts.
There is growing fear across the world about coronavirus reaching and spreading amongst incarcerated populations. Prison riots have taken place in Brazil, Italy and France over both restrictions implemented by authorities in an attempt to prevent the spread (including bans on prison visits and a halt on temporary release programs) as well as prisoners’ fears about the possibility of mass infection amongst the incarcerated.
By March 24, there were at least 306 cases of Covid-19 recorded in Colombia and at least three deaths. The entire country was put under a confinement order on March 25.
"There are six of us crammed into a cell meant for two"
Daniel, who is waiting for his extradition and sentencing, is currently incarcerated in La Picota, one of the prisons in Bogota where riots broke out [we’ve changed his name to protect his identity]. He told our team about how the poor hygiene conditions in the prison make him terrified about the spread of Covid-19.
We decided to protest in an attempt to demand that our rights be upheld and our dignity be respected. In my block, which is reserved for prisoners awaiting extradition, we just made noise by banging on the doors. So we didn’t do much. But in other parts of the prison, they protested by burning clothes and mattresses. I heard that two people tried to escape but were caught in the end. The prison hasn’t enacted any heath and hygiene measures, not even the most basic ones. We don’t have any real medical support. The guards don’t have gloves or masks even though they come in and out of the prison. Neither do the people who deliver us food. The prison administration doesn’t provide us with anything; it’s every man for himself. In my cell, we managed to get some masks and gloves smuggled in but not everyone has that chance. And I wasn’t able to get any hand sanitizer. If the virus gets in the prison, we’re done for. There are six of us crowded into cells meant for two. We live in extremely close proximity to each other. There are a lot of older people here. Some have even shown symptoms of the virus, but nothing is being done to have them examined.
A cell in La Picota prison. This photo was taken by our Observer.
La Picota prison. This photo was taken by our Observer.
Colombian Justice Minister Margarita Cabello says that our Observer's fears are unfounded.
“There is no sanitation issue in the prisons that could justify an uprising,” Cabello said. However, the occupancy rate in Colombian prisons was at 152% in 2017.
After videos of the riots were shared on social media, an investigation was opened to determine, according to the public prosecutor’s department, “Why prisoners had access to equipment that allowed them to share footage in real time.”
Daniel, who posted footage of the riots filmed by other prisoners, says that he mostly uses his phone to promote his business as a tattoo artist within the prison. He posts photos of his creations on Instagram.
I don’t understand how the debate could centre on the fact that we have phones. Becoming a tattoo artist saved me. It’s my work here. I want to make something positive out of this experience, which is why I share photos of my tattoos and life in prison. I’d like to do something with my tattoos when I get out.
Article by Pierre Hamdi.


france24--2020-03-31--Stacks of urns in Wuhan raise doubts about China's official virus toll

Stacks of urns in Wuhan raise doubts about China 's official virus toll The long lines of bereaved family members @ @ @ @ @ have renewed questions about the true scale of coronavirus casualties at the Chinese epicentre of @ @ @ @ @ explores how this has also renewed pressure on the Chinese government as it struggles to @ @ @ @ @ international news everywhere with you !
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Stacks of urns in Wuhan raise doubts about China's official virus toll
The long lines of bereaved family members outside funeral homes in Wuhan have renewed questions about the true scale of coronavirus casualties at the Chinese epicentre of the outbreak.
01:37 Stacks of cremation urns in Wuhan, China, March 2020. © FRANCE 24 screengrab.
Text by: Ellen GAINSFORD
Advertising Read more This report explores how this has also renewed pressure on the Chinese government as it struggles to control the narrative. Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app


france24--2020-03-31--Vulnerable people ‘more isolated than ever’ during France’s coronavirus lockdown

Two joggers go past a homeless person in France , the kind of vulnerable member of society whom social worker Johann Douaze has devoted his career to helping .
Despite the coronavirus pandemic raging across the globe , France ’ s social workers continue to do their jobs supporting vulnerable people .
One such worker , based in the town of Roanne in central France , expressed anxiety about the impact of confinement on the often fragile people with whom he is working .
Johan Douaze has been working in an accommodation and social reintegration centre since 2013 .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in France , help people in precarious situations to find housing , especially after evictions or difficult separations .
In the Roanne area they assist around 200 people , including former prisoners , whom Douaze helps to reintegrate into society .
But as France prepared for its third week under lockdown – which started on March 17 and has now been prolonged until at least April 15 – Douaze was worried : “ We support people who are psychologically fragile or even psychotic , and thanks to the coronavirus confinement measures they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to not forget them.
” > > How long will coronavirus social distancing measures be necessary ?
Being able to go outside is especially important for the people he works with .
“ Wandering about usually allows them to keep everything together and not go crazy .
And then they ’ re told to stay at home – they ’ re asked to do things that make no sense to them.
” “ They don ’ t take stock of what ’ s happening , ” Douaze explained .
“ The days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should , and anxiety builds .
We don ’ t have enough staff on the front line to help them and we ’ re afraid that they ’ ll find themselves completely alone .
We only spend 2 percent of our time with those we have to take care of ; the other 98 percent of the time they ’ re left alone with their anxiety .
It ’ s hard enough when everything ’ s going well .
So it ’ s all very complicated.
” In response to the lockdown measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it works , to protect both its staff and the people for whom they ’ re responsible .
“ We ’ ve adapted our way of working so that it ’ s now just one person per day , per department , ” Douaze said .
“ Every day , we try to call each person we ’ re caring for .
We stick to it , and when it feels like the system might break , we act.
” But he still feels helpless .
Resources in the French healthcare system have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively making cuts to the CHRS – for example , the psychiatric reception service has been closed .
“ It ’ s hard right now to get people hospitalised ; they only take really urgent cases , ” Douaze explained .
“ We ’ ve got a woman in one of our accommodation centres who ’ s going through a severe depressive episode ; she no longer eats , she doesn ’ t wash anymore , she doesn ’ t leave her room and she insults her roommates .
But psychiatric services can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation has become very serious indeed.
” Douaze also decried the lack of resources he and his colleagues are provided to protect themselves against the coronavirus .
Every day they have to meet people who might be carrying the disease .
“ When I arrived for work this morning , I only had one mask for the whole day , even though I ’ m out visiting people , ” he said .
“ We ’ re in a state of war and the situation requires many social workers to be mobilised so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what we ’ re doing and it means a lot to us .
But we need to have the resources that allow us to be present on the ground .
As things stand , we ’ re moving towards a situation in which social workers decide they can no longer be out and about , to the detriment of the people we ’ re looking after.
” “ We must have the means to protect our staff , otherwise people will jump ship .
The country can ’ t forget the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Douaze continued – although he emphasised that nursing staff must be the No .
1 priority when it comes to the distribution of masks and hand sanitiser .
“ For many of us it ’ s hard , but we can at least understand what ’ s going on , ” he said .
“ A lot of these people are completely adrift and some have ideas in their heads – for example , that all of this is essentially a conspiracy to force the Yellow Vest protesters to stay a home.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable people , Douaze is calling for solutions that take into account their specific needs and circumstances .
“ For instance , the people we look after usually receive money every two or three days to help them manage their finances .
But in this crisis , some get all of their money for the month in one go , and they ’ re unable to manage it – sometimes they spend everything and end up up with nothing .
Meanwhile , some shops refuse cash as a precaution against the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable people don ’ t have cards , so they lose out.
” “ Many of the people we support also receive food aid every day .
But for some , this isn ’ t happening anymore because there isn ’ t enough food and there aren ’ t enough people to distribute it .
The state needs to organise these food supplies and ensure that it reaches those in need.
” Looking at the broader context , Douaze argued that France is now “ paying the price for trends in psychiatric policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
“ They got rid of hospital beds ; instead they wanted to send staff to people ’ s homes .
But that doesn ’ t work at all in the current lockdown situation , ” he explained .
“ When the policy was to favour hospitalisations , there was less risk of a crisis breaking out as it is now .
We ’ re worried that if no solutions are found for vulnerable people , the safety net will have ceased to exist.
” Douaze was also worried about domestic violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been set up for women abused by their husbands , which is great .
But there are other things that need to be done : We ’ ve got people who are confined at home with people they should not be confined with .
In these situations , we have to hope that as little happens as possible.
” This article was adapted from the original in French .

Despite the coronavirus pandemic raging across the globe, France’s social workers continue to do their jobs supporting vulnerable people. One such worker, based in the town of Roanne in central France, expressed anxiety about the impact of confinement on the often fragile people with whom he is working.
Two joggers go past a homeless person in France, the kind of vulnerable member of society whom social worker Johann Douaze has devoted his career to helping.
Advertising Read more
Johan Douaze has been working in an accommodation and social reintegration centre since 2013. These organisations, known by the anacronym CHRS in France, help people in precarious situations to find housing, especially after evictions or difficult separations. In the Roanne area they assist around 200 people, including former prisoners, whom Douaze helps to reintegrate into society.
But as France prepared for its third week under lockdown – which started on March 17 and has now been prolonged until at least April 15 – Douaze was worried: “We support people who are psychologically fragile or even psychotic, and thanks to the coronavirus confinement measures they are more isolated than ever. Our mission is to not forget them.”
>> How long will coronavirus social distancing measures be necessary?
Being able to go outside is especially important for the people he works with.
“Wandering about usually allows them to keep everything together and not go crazy. And then they’re told to stay at home – they’re asked to do things that make no sense to them.”
‘Hard to get people hospitalised’
“They don’t take stock of what’s happening,” Douaze explained. “The days pass, not everybody behaves as they should, and anxiety builds. We don’t have enough staff on the front line to help them and we’re afraid that they’ll find themselves completely alone. We only spend 2 percent of our time with those we have to take care of; the other 98 percent of the time they’re left alone with their anxiety. It’s hard enough when everything’s going well. So it’s all very complicated.”
In response to the lockdown measures, the CHRS has changed the way it works, to protect both its staff and the people for whom they’re responsible. “We’ve adapted our way of working so that it’s now just one person per day, per department,” Douaze said. “Every day, we try to call each person we’re caring for. We stick to it, and when it feels like the system might break, we act.”
But he still feels helpless. Resources in the French healthcare system have been reallocated to fight the coronavirus, effectively making cuts to the CHRS – for example, the psychiatric reception service has been closed.
“It’s hard right now to get people hospitalised; they only take really urgent cases,” Douaze explained. “We’ve got a woman in one of our accommodation centres who’s going through a severe depressive episode; she no longer eats, she doesn’t wash anymore, she doesn’t leave her room and she insults her roommates. But psychiatric services can’t intervene – not until the situation has become very serious indeed.”
One face mask per day
Douaze also decried the lack of resources he and his colleagues are provided to protect themselves against the coronavirus. Every day they have to meet people who might be carrying the disease. “When I arrived for work this morning, I only had one mask for the whole day, even though I’m out visiting people,” he said.
“We’re in a state of war and the situation requires many social workers to be mobilised so that public services continue; that’s what we’re doing and it means a lot to us. But we need to have the resources that allow us to be present on the ground. As things stand, we’re moving towards a situation in which social workers decide they can no longer be out and about, to the detriment of the people we’re looking after.”
“We must have the means to protect our staff, otherwise people will jump ship. The country can’t forget the people caring for invisible members of society,” Douaze continued – although he emphasised that nursing staff must be the No. 1 priority when it comes to the distribution of masks and hand sanitiser.
“For many of us it’s hard, but we can at least understand what’s going on,” he said. “A lot of these people are completely adrift and some have ideas in their heads – for example, that all of this is essentially a conspiracy to force the Yellow Vest protesters to stay a home.”
Long-term policy problems
Like many others who work with vulnerable people, Douaze is calling for solutions that take into account their specific needs and circumstances.
“For instance, the people we look after usually receive money every two or three days to help them manage their finances. But in this crisis, some get all of their money for the month in one go, and they’re unable to manage it – sometimes they spend everything and end up up with nothing. Meanwhile, some shops refuse cash as a precaution against the coronavirus, preferring bank cards instead. But many vulnerable people don’t have cards, so they lose out.”
“Many of the people we support also receive food aid every day. But for some, this isn’t happening anymore because there isn’t enough food and there aren’t enough people to distribute it. The state needs to organise these food supplies and ensure that it reaches those in need.”
Looking at the broader context, Douaze argued that France is now “paying the price for trends in psychiatric policy that have been going on for years”.
“They got rid of hospital beds; instead they wanted to send staff to people’s homes. But that doesn’t work at all in the current lockdown situation,” he explained. “When the policy was to favour hospitalisations, there was less risk of a crisis breaking out as it is now. We’re worried that if no solutions are found for vulnerable people, the safety net will have ceased to exist.”
Douaze was also worried about domestic violence amid the lockdown. “A hotline has been set up for women abused by their husbands, which is great. But there are other things that need to be done: We’ve got people who are confined at home with people they should not be confined with. In these situations, we have to hope that as little happens as possible.”
This article was adapted from the original in French.
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france24--2020-04-01--Lack of compassion, more than resources, marks India’s deadly lockdown mismanagement

More than 20 migrant labourers have died trying to flee India ’ s coronavirus locked-down cities for their villages over the past few days .
Critics blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s hasty 21-day curfew call that , like many of his recent directives , was long on populist symbolism , but short on foresight or compassion .
It was the biggest human lockdown ordered at the shortest notice without adequate planning or preparation for the fallout of a sweeping policy measure that was weeks in the making .
In a televised address to the nation at 8pm on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Narendra Modi put 1.3 billion people under a three-week lockdown .
It was the world ’ s largest coronavirus directive – not even China , the world ’ s most populous country and source of the Covid-19 outbreak , imposed such a sweeping nationwide shutdown , with Beijing isolating only the worst-affected Hubei province .
The time frame was breathlessly tight : the measures would start at midnight , Modi announced , giving his people less than four hours to stock up and disregard earlier directives to avoid hoarding .
The scenes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most populous democracy in the days to come were reminiscent of post-war neorealist cinema or subcontinental “ Partition dramas ” based on history ’ s biggest human displacement following the 1947 division of British India .
Millions of migrant workers from India ’ s vast informal sector attempted to leave cities – where many simply live on work sites that were shutting down – for their villages .
With no jobs , homes , savings , social security or ability to earn daily wages in cities , the village offered the only chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down under Modi ’ s vague , emotionally charged but detail-free curfew order .
State borders closed .
Supply chains , in the absence of emergency measures , ground to a halt stalling the entry of food and essential goods .
With no access to food or transportation , India ’ s urban poor took to the streets , walking to distant villages in a flood of human misery .
More than 20 migrant labourers have died trying to walk to their villages over the past few days .
The democratic state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement arm viciously cracked down on homeless civilians disregarding “ stay at home ” orders .
‘ My conscience says you will forgive me ’ As social media lit up with clips of police brutality , Modi was forced to take to the airwaves again .
Days after ordering the lockdown , the Indian prime minister apologised to the country in a radio address .
“ I would firstly like to seek forgiveness from all my countrymen , ” began Modi before declaring , “ my conscience says you will forgive me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Indian leader then explained the coronavirus crisis was “ a battle of life and death ” and he did not have other options .
The mea culpa failed to impress Harsh Mander , director of the New Delhi-based Centre for Equity Studies and a leading Indian social activist and author .
“ I don ’ t think the apology amounted to an acknowledgment of the enormity of what has been done and there were no correctives offered .
The entire plan had the imagination of a middle-class person : people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their hands and stay home assuming they have homes and salaries going into bank accounts , ” said Mander in a phone interview with FRANCE 24 .
‘ Policies directed to protect the rich and middle class ’ A cursory glance at Indian economic statistics reveals this is not the case .
Nearly 81 percent of the Indian labour force works in the informal sector , according to the International Labour Organisation ( ILO ) .
Casual labourers account for one-third of the work force , according to the Indian Ministry of Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , domestics and a vast array of other low-skilled workers surviving on daily wages with no labour protection .
India has 1,238 confirmed coronavirus cases and 35 deaths , according to the latest tally , although the real figure is likely to be higher since testing is not widespread .
Experts agree that the Indian government needed to implement restriction measures .
Given the country ’ s poverty , population density and poor public services , it was not expected to be easy .
But critics say the authorities had enough time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown .
“ I would be willing to live with any difficulty that ’ s equally shared by victims .
But you can ’ t have policies directed to protect the rich and middle class on the backs of the intense suffering of the poor , ” said Mander .
“ If it was collectively planned , this could have been better coordinated , ” he added , noting , for instance , that the Modi administration did not even alert the chief ministers of India ’ s states and union territories “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the responsibility ” about the upcoming curfew .
The coronavirus crisis is plunging the world into an economic recession with inequalities set to deepen and vulnerable countries left to absorb the financial shock .
India , an emerging market , is not alone in feeling the economic pain .
But as an emerging economy with an extensive administrative service experienced in disaster management , it should not rank among the least prepared to cope .
On Sunday , as Modi was apologising for the mismanagement , Benin ’ s President Patrice Talon took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not be imposing similar confinement measures .
“ Rich countries are putting up huge amounts of money and some are even resorting to barely disguised monetary solutions , ” said Talon .
“ Benin does not have such means ...
If we take measures which starve everybody , they will quickly end up being defied and violated . ''
The crux of the problem in India , according to veteran journalist Sidharth Bhatia , lies in the Modi administration ’ s “ peremptory decision making , lack of planning and shoddy execution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added Bhatia in a column in The Wire , “ the complete lack of concern over the human cost , which has been colossal.
” Since he came to power in 2014 , Modi has opted for shock announcements with little preparedness that have left the populace scrambling to cope with the fallout – humanitarian and economic – of his populist moves .
On November 8 , 2016 , for instance , the prime minister made a surprise evening television appearance to announce that , starting after midnight , the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or no longer considered legal tender .
Economists estimate the move wiped at least one percent off India ’ s GDP and cost at least 1.5 million jobs .
Then on August 5 , 2019 , Modi suddenly scrapped Kashmir ’ s statehood and special status , plunging the disputed region into a communications blackout and human rights crackdown that drew international criticism .
By the end of the year , his rushed-through citizenship amendment measures sparked demonstrations across the country with protesters denouncing the right-wing Hindu nationalist leader ’ s anti-Muslim policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision making , the obvious question is , doesn ’ t anyone in the Modi government – and Narendra Modi himself – consider the human cost of such decisions ?
” asked Bhatia .
“ The imperious , firman [ or royal edict ] -like proclamations may appeal to him – it certainly pleases his devotees – but surely he would have thought about the suffering it causes ?
” Economic package too little , too late In the aftermath of the latest Modi shock move , as international media organisations and human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upheaval , Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hastily announced a $ 22.6 billion economic package that provides direct cash transfers and food security measures .
`` We do not want anyone to remain hungry , '' Sitharaman told a news briefing on Thursday .
While welcoming the announcement , experts noted that the measures should have been announced before the lockdown to prevent the panicked flight of migrants at bus stops and railway stations , which exacerbated public health risks .
In an open letter to the finance minister , more than 600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil society members detailed the shortfalls , including meagre allocations and inadequate disbursement mechanisms to reach vulnerable sections of the population who fall through the cracks of the country ’ s public distribution system ( PDS ) and anti-poverty programmes since they lack necessary documents .
Noting that the monthly cash allocations amount to less than two days of India ’ s statutory minimum wages , the equivalent of less than $ 5 per month , Mander , who was also one of the signatories to the letter , explained , “ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if at all , on two days ’ salary .
And that ’ s only for the ones with bank accounts .
The rest are just being asked to be obedient.
” In a March 31 op-ed in The Hindu daily , activists Nikhil Dey and Aruna Roy , a former Indian civil servant , criticised the government for not releasing food stocks to handle the emergency .
“ There is no excuse for hoarding the 58 million tonnes of current food grains stock when only four million tonnes are required by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dey and Roy .
Castigating the Modi administration ’ s “ contradictory and uncoordinated ” orders , Dey and Roy blasted the response of India ’ s government and its elites .
“ This lockdown is shaping itself as the expedient response of an elite terrified of falling victim to a virus .
There is clearly little imagination or application to work out a plan of action based on compassion and understanding of conditions on the ground .
This virus upends the sharp divide of the two India ’ s we have manufactured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear psychosis over a silent killer virus has also sparked backlashes against familiar and unfamiliar bogeys .
Foreign tourists and residents in the traditionally warm , welcoming country have reported a sudden hostility from locals who view the epidemic as an outside import .
In some villages and neighbourhoods in Goa , a popular tourist destination , vigilante groups have set up makeshift checkpoints refusing entry to non-residents , The Wire reported .
Then there are the familiar punching-bags .
Indian news headlines over the past two days have been dominated by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New Delhi , which set off several Covid-19 clusters .
Hours after the news broke this week , the hashtag # CoronaJihad went viral in the Indian Twittersphere , with some suggesting the epidemic was coordinated by India ’ s arch-enemy , Pakistan , and China .
Vigilantism , Islamophobia and police brutality have been on the rise and on public display during Modi ’ s second term in office , with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) stoking Hindu nationalism amid plummeting economic indices .
> > Read more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against coronavirus The Covid-19 pandemic threatens to unleash old responses to new fears , warns Mander .
“ Police treat poor people trying to survive as though they are criminals because that ’ s how they ’ re encouraged to think about them .
Even the middle classes are stigmatising them for spreading the virus .
The worst in society is emerging because the leadership is not leading with compassion , ” explained Mander .
But the epidemic has also sparked extraordinary acts of charity and social mobilisation to aid Indians stranded and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among several Indian activists , NGO and professionals stirred by the crisis who have been offering free meals to stranded migrants in Indian cities .
Speaking to FRANCE 24 from a vehicle carrying hot meals bound for another cluster of migrant labourers in New Delhi , Mander praised “ the young people , young volunteers who are taking risks ” to feed the destitute .
He is currently planning to expand the initiative to 10 other cities and reach thousands more vulnerable people .
But he is at pains to explain this initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is just a band-aid , not a solution .
“ This is not an issue that can be dealt with by charities .
It ’ s a step , but you can ’ t just say let civil society look after it .
It ’ s not like India ’ s poor are a fraction of the population , ” said Mander .
“ It ’ s the state ’ s duty , what we ’ re doing is just a tiny fraction of what needs to be done .
”

More than 20 migrant labourers have died trying to flee India’s coronavirus locked-down cities for their villages over the past few days. Critics blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hasty 21-day curfew call that, like many of his recent directives, was long on populist symbolism, but short on foresight or compassion.
Advertising Read more
It was the biggest human lockdown ordered at the shortest notice without adequate planning or preparation for the fallout of a sweeping policy measure that was weeks in the making.
In a televised address to the nation at 8pm on Tuesday, March 24, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi put 1.3 billion people under a three-week lockdown. It was the world’s largest coronavirus directive – not even China, the world’s most populous country and source of the Covid-19 outbreak, imposed such a sweeping nationwide shutdown, with Beijing isolating only the worst-affected Hubei province. The time frame was breathlessly tight: the measures would start at midnight, Modi announced, giving his people less than four hours to stock up and disregard earlier directives to avoid hoarding.
The scenes that unfolded in the world’s most populous democracy in the days to come were reminiscent of post-war neorealist cinema or subcontinental “Partition dramas” based on history’s biggest human displacement following the 1947 division of British India.
Millions of migrant workers from India’s vast informal sector attempted to leave cities – where many simply live on work sites that were shutting down – for their villages. With no jobs, homes, savings, social security or ability to earn daily wages in cities, the village offered the only chance of survival.
But public transportation was shut down under Modi’s vague, emotionally charged but detail-free curfew order. State borders closed. Supply chains, in the absence of emergency measures, ground to a halt stalling the entry of food and essential goods. With no access to food or transportation, India’s urban poor took to the streets, walking to distant villages in a flood of human misery. More than 20 migrant labourers have died trying to walk to their villages over the past few days.
The democratic state not only abandoned them, its law enforcement arm viciously cracked down on homeless civilians disregarding “stay at home” orders.
THIS-Heartbreaking!
Video from Badaun, UP
Poor boys who’re on foot from Gwalior, WERE MADE TO CRAWL by UP Police
Cops been asked to help distressed migrants, not ill treat them like this.
Many cops doing good work but this is unacceptable! @pranshumisraa #CoronavirusLockdown pic.twitter.com/YPllyphTO7 — Zeba Warsi (@Zebaism) March 26, 2020
‘My conscience says you will forgive me’
As social media lit up with clips of police brutality, Modi was forced to take to the airwaves again. Days after ordering the lockdown, the Indian prime minister apologised to the country in a radio address.
“I would firstly like to seek forgiveness from all my countrymen,” began Modi before declaring, “my conscience says you will forgive me." Populist apology out of the way, the Indian leader then explained the coronavirus crisis was “a battle of life and death” and he did not have other options.
The mea culpa failed to impress Harsh Mander, director of the New Delhi-based Centre for Equity Studies and a leading Indian social activist and author. “I don’t think the apology amounted to an acknowledgment of the enormity of what has been done and there were no correctives offered. The entire plan had the imagination of a middle-class person: people were asked to maintain social distance, wash their hands and stay home assuming they have homes and salaries going into bank accounts,” said Mander in a phone interview with FRANCE 24.
‘Policies directed to protect the rich and middle class’
A cursory glance at Indian economic statistics reveals this is not the case. Nearly 81 percent of the Indian labour force works in the informal sector, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Casual labourers account for one-third of the work force, according to the Indian Ministry of Labour and Employment, with vendors, construction workers, domestics and a vast array of other low-skilled workers surviving on daily wages with no labour protection.
India has 1,238 confirmed coronavirus cases and 35 deaths, according to the latest tally, although the real figure is likely to be higher since testing is not widespread. Experts agree that the Indian government needed to implement restriction measures. Given the country’s poverty, population density and poor public services, it was not expected to be easy.
But critics say the authorities had enough time and resources to avoid a lethally mismanaged lockdown.
“I would be willing to live with any difficulty that’s equally shared by victims. But you can’t have policies directed to protect the rich and middle class on the backs of the intense suffering of the poor,” said Mander. “If it was collectively planned, this could have been better coordinated,” he added, noting, for instance, that the Modi administration did not even alert the chief ministers of India’s states and union territories “who had to bear the brunt of the responsibility” about the upcoming curfew.
‘Imperious’ proclamations, brutal consequences
The coronavirus crisis is plunging the world into an economic recession with inequalities set to deepen and vulnerable countries left to absorb the financial shock. India, an emerging market, is not alone in feeling the economic pain. But as an emerging economy with an extensive administrative service experienced in disaster management, it should not rank among the least prepared to cope.
On Sunday, as Modi was apologising for the mismanagement, Benin’s President Patrice Talon took to the airwaves to explain why he would not be imposing similar confinement measures. “Rich countries are putting up huge amounts of money and some are even resorting to barely disguised monetary solutions,” said Talon. “Benin does not have such means...If we take measures which starve everybody, they will quickly end up being defied and violated."
The crux of the problem in India, according to veteran journalist Sidharth Bhatia, lies in the Modi administration’s “peremptory decision making, lack of planning and shoddy execution. There’s another,” added Bhatia in a column in The Wire, “the complete lack of concern over the human cost, which has been colossal.”
Since he came to power in 2014, Modi has opted for shock announcements with little preparedness that have left the populace scrambling to cope with the fallout – humanitarian and economic – of his populist moves.
On November 8, 2016, for instance, the prime minister made a surprise evening television appearance to announce that, starting after midnight, the nation’s 500 and 1,000-rupee notes would be demonetised or no longer considered legal tender. Economists estimate the move wiped at least one percent off India’s GDP and cost at least 1.5 million jobs.
Then on August 5, 2019, Modi suddenly scrapped Kashmir’s statehood and special status, plunging the disputed region into a communications blackout and human rights crackdown that drew international criticism. By the end of the year, his rushed-through citizenship amendment measures sparked demonstrations across the country with protesters denouncing the right-wing Hindu nationalist leader’s anti-Muslim policies.
“With such a pattern of decision making, the obvious question is, doesn’t anyone in the Modi government – and Narendra Modi himself – consider the human cost of such decisions?” asked Bhatia. “The imperious, firman [or royal edict] -like proclamations may appeal to him – it certainly pleases his devotees – but surely he would have thought about the suffering it causes?”
Economic package too little, too late
In the aftermath of the latest Modi shock move, as international media organisations and human rights groups detailed the extent of the upheaval, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hastily announced a $22.6 billion economic package that provides direct cash transfers and food security measures. "We do not want anyone to remain hungry," Sitharaman told a news briefing on Thursday.
While welcoming the announcement, experts noted that the measures should have been announced before the lockdown to prevent the panicked flight of migrants at bus stops and railway stations, which exacerbated public health risks.
In an open letter to the finance minister, more than 600 academics, economists, policy analysts and civil society members detailed the shortfalls, including meagre allocations and inadequate disbursement mechanisms to reach vulnerable sections of the population who fall through the cracks of the country’s public distribution system (PDS) and anti-poverty programmes since they lack necessary documents.
Noting that the monthly cash allocations amount to less than two days of India’s statutory minimum wages, the equivalent of less than $5 per month, Mander, who was also one of the signatories to the letter, explained, “That’s expecting the poor to manage, if at all, on two days’ salary. And that’s only for the ones with bank accounts. The rest are just being asked to be obedient.”
Elite fears and #CoronaJihad
In a March 31 op-ed in The Hindu daily, activists Nikhil Dey and Aruna Roy, a former Indian civil servant, criticised the government for not releasing food stocks to handle the emergency. “There is no excuse for hoarding the 58 million tonnes of current food grains stock when only four million tonnes are required by the PDS every month,” wrote Dey and Roy.
Castigating the Modi administration’s “contradictory and uncoordinated” orders, Dey and Roy blasted the response of India’s government and its elites. “This lockdown is shaping itself as the expedient response of an elite terrified of falling victim to a virus. There is clearly little imagination or application to work out a plan of action based on compassion and understanding of conditions on the ground. This virus upends the sharp divide of the two India’s we have manufactured,” the activists noted.
A fear psychosis over a silent killer virus has also sparked backlashes against familiar and unfamiliar bogeys. Foreign tourists and residents in the traditionally warm, welcoming country have reported a sudden hostility from locals who view the epidemic as an outside import. In some villages and neighbourhoods in Goa, a popular tourist destination, vigilante groups have set up makeshift checkpoints refusing entry to non-residents, The Wire reported.
Then there are the familiar punching-bags.
Indian news headlines over the past two days have been dominated by a Muslim religious event that began late February in New Delhi, which set off several Covid-19 clusters. Hours after the news broke this week, the hashtag #CoronaJihad went viral in the Indian Twittersphere, with some suggesting the epidemic was coordinated by India’s arch-enemy, Pakistan, and China.
After #Nizamuddin, those Tiktok videos and Islamists’ speeches worldwide, Indian agencies should seriously probe if #CoronaJihad is a ground reality. — Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) March 30, 2020
Vigilantism, Islamophobia and police brutality have been on the rise and on public display during Modi’s second term in office, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stoking Hindu nationalism amid plummeting economic indices.
>> Read more on India's cow urine fake cures against coronavirus
The Covid-19 pandemic threatens to unleash old responses to new fears, warns Mander. “Police treat poor people trying to survive as though they are criminals because that’s how they’re encouraged to think about them. Even the middle classes are stigmatising them for spreading the virus. The worst in society is emerging because the leadership is not leading with compassion,” explained Mander.
Acts of charity and humanity
But the epidemic has also sparked extraordinary acts of charity and social mobilisation to aid Indians stranded and destitute by the lockdown.
Mander is among several Indian activists, NGO and professionals stirred by the crisis who have been offering free meals to stranded migrants in Indian cities.
Speaking to FRANCE 24 from a vehicle carrying hot meals bound for another cluster of migrant labourers in New Delhi, Mander praised “the young people, young volunteers who are taking risks” to feed the destitute. He is currently planning to expand the initiative to 10 other cities and reach thousands more vulnerable people.
But he is at pains to explain this initiative, like several charity initiatives across India, is just a band-aid, not a solution. “This is not an issue that can be dealt with by charities. It’s a step, but you can’t just say let civil society look after it. It’s not like India’s poor are a fraction of the population,” said Mander. “It’s the state’s duty, what we’re doing is just a tiny fraction of what needs to be done.”
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france24--2020-04-01--UN chief says coronavirus worst global crisis since World War II

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres makes a statement at UN headquarters in New York City , New York , US , September 23 , 2019 .
The coronavirus pandemic is the worst global crisis since World War II , UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday , expressing concern that it could trigger conflicts around the world .
Guterres said that the scale of the crisis was due to `` a disease that represents a threat to everybody in the world and ... an economic impact that will bring a recession that probably has no parallel in the recent past .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts and the risk that it contributes to enhanced instability , enhanced unrest , and enhanced conflict are things that make us believe that this is the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War , '' he told reporters .
The New York-based United Nations was founded at the end of the war in 1945 and has 193 member states .
`` A stronger and more effective response ... is only possible in solidarity if everybody comes together and if we forget political games and understand that it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guterres added .
More than 40,000 people have been killed so far as the disease spreads across the world , and causes economic devastation .
`` We are far from having a global package to help the developing world to create the conditions both to suppress the disease and to address the dramatic consequences , '' Guterres warned , pointing to unemployment , the collapse of small firms and vulnerable people in the informal economy .
`` We are slowly moving in the right direction , but we need to speed up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we want to defeat the virus . ''
The UN on Tuesday created a new fund to help developing countries after last week appealing for donations for poor and conflict-hit nations .
Beyond traditional aid from rich countries `` we need to have innovative financial instruments , '' so that developing nations are able to respond to the crisis , Guterres said .
He warned that the coronavirus outbreak could return from poorer countries , especially in Africa , to hit wealthy countries again , and that millions could die .

The coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 30,000 lives in Europe alone, a global tally showed Wednesday, in what the head of the United Nations has described as humanity's worst crisis since World War II.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres makes a statement at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2019.
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Italy and Spain bore the brunt of the crisis, accounting for three in every four deaths on the continent, as the grim tally hit another milestone even though half of the planet's population is already under some form of lockdown in a battle to halt contagion.
Spain reported a record 864 deaths in 24 hours, pushing the country's number of fatalities past 9,000.
The toll is only dwarfed by Italy's, where the virus has killed nearly 12,500 people.
Since emerging in China in December, COVID-19 has spread across the globe, claiming over 43,000 lives and infecting more than 860,000 people, according to an AFP tally.
President Donald Trump has warned of a "very, very painful two weeks" as the United States registered its deadliest 24 hours of what he called a "plague".
In a scramble to halt the contagion, governments have shut schools, most shops, and ordered millions of people to work from home.
Cancellations of key events on the global calendar have swept both the sports and cultural worlds, with the Edinburgh arts festival the latest to be scrapped.
For UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the extraordinary upheaval spurred by the virus presents a real danger to the relative peace the world has seen over the last few decades.
The disease "represents a threat to everybody in the world and... an economic impact that will bring a recession that probably has no parallel in the recent past," he said.
"The combination of the two facts and the risk that it contributes to enhanced instability, enhanced unrest, and enhanced conflict are things that make us believe that this is the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War."
Economic desperation
With most business activity grinding to a halt for an undetermined period of time, scenes of economic desperation and unrest were emerging across the globe.
01:59
In Italy, queues were lengthening at soup kitchens while some supermarkets were reportedly pillaged.
Half a million more people now need help to afford meals, Italy's biggest union for the agriculture sector Coldiretti said, adding to the 2.7 million already in need last year.
"Usually we serve 152,525 people. But now we've 70,000 more requests," confirmed Roberto Tuorto, who runs a food aid association.
It was crucial to "ensure that the economic crisis unleashed by the virus doesn't become a security crisis," he warned.
The economic pain of lockdowns is especially acute in poorer nations.
In Tunisia several hundred protested a week-old lockdown that has disproportionately hit the poor.
"Never mind coronavirus, we're going to die anyway! Let us work!" shouted one protester in the demonstration on the outskirts of the capital Tunis.
Africa's biggest city Lagos was just into its second full day of lockdown on Wednesday -- but with some of the world's biggest slums, home to millions who live hand-to-mouth, containment will be a challenge.
Sharpening tone
Wary of a collapse of the world's economy, the globe's leading central bankers have pumped billions of liquidity into the system.
Last week, G20 leaders in turn said they were injecting $5 trillion into the global economy to head off a feared deep recession.
But with the spread of the virus far from abating, stock markets fell again in Asia and Europe on Wednesday.
In the European Union, the terms of a rescue plan threatened to divide the bloc.
Worst-hit Italy and Spain are leading a push for a shared debt instrument -- dubbed "coronabonds", but talk of shared debt is a red line for Germany and other northern countries.
The tone sharpened this week, with some Italian politicians even taking out an advertisement in a major German newspaper to remind Europe's biggest economy of WWII debts to jolt it into action.
Asymptomatic cases
The economic cost of the crisis was still piling up as lockdowns remain at the forefront of official disease-stopping arsenals -- a strategy increasingly borne out by science.
Researchers said China's decision to shutter Wuhan, ground zero for the pandemic, may have prevented hundreds of thousands of new cases.
"Our analysis suggests that without the Wuhan travel ban and the national emergency response there would have been more than 700,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases outside of Wuhan" by mid February, said Oxford University's Christopher Dye.
At the same time, focus is now turning to how asymptomatic cases may be fuelling the spread.
China on Wednesday said it has more than 1,300 asymptomatic coronavirus cases, the first time it has released such data following public concern over people who have tested positive but are not showing symptoms.
Experts agree that asymptomatic patients are likely to be infectious, but it remains unknown how responsible they are for spreading the deadly virus.
Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said in a state media interview last week that asymptomatic carriers could potentially infect "3 to 3.5 people each".
Germany and France were also ramping up testing of the population to establish how many already have immunity.
Painful choices
For now, the focus of the health sector in the hardest hit countries remains the scramble for available facilities to treat patients.
Emergency hospitals are popping up in event spaces while distressed medical staff make grim decisions about how to distribute limited protective gear, beds and life-saving respirators.
01:43
In scenes unimaginable in peacetime, around a dozen white tents were erected to serve as a field hospital in New York's Central Park.
But even with the extended capacity, doctors say they are still having to make painful choices.
"If you get a surge of patients coming in, and you only have a limited number of ventilators, you can't necessarily ventilate patients," Shamit Patel of the Beth Israel hospital said.
"And then you have to start picking and choosing."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-01--Carmakers join global race to make ventilators amid virus crisis

American auto manufacturers General Motors and Ford , French car companies PSA and Renault , and Formula 1 engineers have joined the ranks in response to a massive global shortage of the vital piece of medical equipment .
As hospitals around the world face a surge of patients with breathing difficulties from COVID-19 , the scarcity of ventilators has forced doctors to make life-or-death decisions .
Repurposing car factories for emergency production has drawn comparisons to World War II , when they were used to build tanks and fighter planes .
But some experts say that in this situation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ techniques and procedures from what a car factory normally sees .
US President Donald Trump used wartime economy analogies to justify his appeal to the automobile industry as the country grapples with a mounting number of coronavirus cases .
He ultimately used a 1950s law concerning defence production to force one of GM 's plants to make ventilators .
In France , meanwhile , a consortium of industrial companies has been created -- including PSA and automotive equipment supplier Valeo -- to manufacture `` 10,000 ventilators by mid-May '' , President Emmanuel Macron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mercedes has asked its Formula 1 team , which was idle due to postponed or cancelled Grand Prix races , to get to work .
The six-time world champion team built a less-invasive respiratory device in order to reserve ventilators -- which require breathing tubes and sedation -- for the most severely affected patients .
The team says it could manufacture some 1,000 units a day with the help of six other UK-based F1 teams which have committed to help build the devices .
A version of the device -- which increases air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is often used to treat sleep apnea -- has already been used in hospitals in Italy and China to help COVID-19 patients .
The `` Project Pitlane '' mission takes advantage of `` the core skills of the F1 industry : rapid design , prototype manufacture , test and skilled assembly , '' Formula 1 said in a statement .
Some look sceptically on the car industry 's entry into the world of medical equipment , however .
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists , a non-profit organisation founded after the creation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its symbolic `` Doomsday Clock '' , said in a recent article that car manufacturers are not best placed for assembling medical equipment .
`` Ventilators might resemble the pumps and air conditioners used in automobiles , but few automakers build their own -- they buy them from specialised producers , '' the group pointed out .
While carmakers have under-utilised production capacity at the moment , they are still dependent on suppliers who are often overseas , at a moment when supply chains have nearly ground to a halt , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ images of Ford assembly lines building World War II bombers can only get us so far in solving the ventilator problems of today , '' the group said .
But car manufacturers say they are up to the task .
Renault has put its `` technocentre '' outside of Paris , its largest research and development centre in France , to work on developing a prototype using state-of-the-art equipment such as 3D printers In the world race to get ahead of the coronavirus , time is of the essence .
For Formula 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it took fewer than 100 hours from the initial meeting to production of the first device , '' the team said .
This may be a typical lead time in motor racing , but not necessarily in other industries .

American auto manufacturers General Motors and Ford, French car companies PSA and Renault, and Formula 1 engineers have joined the ranks in response to a massive global shortage of the vital piece of medical equipment.
Advertising Read more
As hospitals around the world face a surge of patients with breathing difficulties from COVID-19, the scarcity of ventilators has forced doctors to make life-or-death decisions.
Repurposing car factories for emergency production has drawn comparisons to World War II, when they were used to build tanks and fighter planes.
But some experts say that in this situation, building critical care ventilators will require different techniques and procedures from what a car factory normally sees.
US President Donald Trump used wartime economy analogies to justify his appeal to the automobile industry as the country grapples with a mounting number of coronavirus cases. He ultimately used a 1950s law concerning defence production to force one of GM's plants to make ventilators.
General Motors MUST immediately open their stupidly abandoned Lordstown plant in Ohio, or some other plant, and START MAKING VENTILATORS, NOW!!!!!! FORD, GET GOING ON VENTILATORS, FAST!!!!!! @GeneralMotors @Ford — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2020
In France, meanwhile, a consortium of industrial companies has been created -- including PSA and automotive equipment supplier Valeo -- to manufacture "10,000 ventilators by mid-May", President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday.
For its part, Mercedes has asked its Formula 1 team, which was idle due to postponed or cancelled Grand Prix races, to get to work.
The six-time world champion team built a less-invasive respiratory device in order to reserve ventilators -- which require breathing tubes and sedation -- for the most severely affected patients.
The team says it could manufacture some 1,000 units a day with the help of six other UK-based F1 teams which have committed to help build the devices.
A version of the device -- which increases air and oxygen flow into the lungs and is often used to treat sleep apnea -- has already been used in hospitals in Italy and China to help COVID-19 patients.
The "Project Pitlane" mission takes advantage of "the core skills of the F1 industry: rapid design, prototype manufacture, test and skilled assembly," Formula 1 said in a statement.
Dependent on suppliers
Some look sceptically on the car industry's entry into the world of medical equipment, however.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a non-profit organisation founded after the creation of the atomic bomb and which is known for its symbolic "Doomsday Clock", said in a recent article that car manufacturers are not best placed for assembling medical equipment.
"Ventilators might resemble the pumps and air conditioners used in automobiles, but few automakers build their own -- they buy them from specialised producers," the group pointed out.
While carmakers have under-utilised production capacity at the moment, they are still dependent on suppliers who are often overseas, at a moment when supply chains have nearly ground to a halt, it said in its report.
"Facile images of Ford assembly lines building World War II bombers can only get us so far in solving the ventilator problems of today," the group said.
From Cars to Ventilators: A Historic Look at the Auto Industry’s Contributions During Crisis https://t.co/dEi6CaULoQ pic.twitter.com/HL18SN29wX — AutoPremiumSupply (@apsupplymiami) March 31, 2020
But car manufacturers say they are up to the task.
Renault has put its "technocentre" outside of Paris, its largest research and development centre in France, to work on developing a prototype using state-of-the-art equipment such as 3D printers
In the world race to get ahead of the coronavirus, time is of the essence.
For Formula 1 and University College London engineers, "it took fewer than 100 hours from the initial meeting to production of the first device," the team said.
This may be a typical lead time in motor racing, but not necessarily in other industries.
(AFP)
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