france24--2020-05-04--Researchers predict US Covid-19 death rate will nearly double due to easing

People rest and enjoy the day at Central Park maintaining social distancing norms , during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) in the Manhattan borough of New York City , U.S. , May 2 , 2020 .
A new forecast projects nearly 135,000 deaths due to COVID-19 in the United States through the beginning of August mainly due to reopening measures under way , the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ( IHME ) at the University of Washington said on Monday .
The forecast U.S. death toll through early August totalled 134,475 , a midrange between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The revised projection almost doubles the number of deaths foreseen in the United States since the last estimate in mid-April .
The new projections reflect rising mobility and the easing of social distancing measures expected in 31 states by May 11 , said the IHME , whose models are used by the White House .
The increasing contacts among people will promote transmission of the coronavirus , it said .
`` This new model is the basis for the sobering new estimate of U.S. deaths , '' said IHME director Christopher Murray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The IHME said its new model assumes that public health orders that are currently in place will stay in place until infections are minimised .
The IHME 's forecast increases the projected number of deaths in the U.S. by more than 62,000 , with a rise of more than 8,700 deaths in New Jersey and more than 7,800 in New York state for the same period , up from estimates released last month .
Murray said understanding the effect of temperature on transmission of the virus `` is rapidly evolving.
” “ At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects of temperature on transmission are important , yet minimal .
As we move into summer and temperatures rise , we will learn more and will revise our projections if it is statistically relevant .
”

A newly revised coronavirus mortality model predicts nearly 135,000 Americans will die from Covid-19 by early August, almost double previous projections, as social-distancing measures for quelling the pandemic are increasingly relaxed, researchers said on Monday.
People were out at Central Park in the Manhattan borough of New York on May 2, 2020, as lockdown measures to stop the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) began to ease.
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The ominous new forecast from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) reflect "rising mobility in most U.S. states" with an easing of business closures and stay-at-home orders expected in 31 states by May 11, the institute said.
"We expect that the epidemic in many states will now extend through the summer," the IHME director, Dr. Christopher Murray, said in a statement.
The projections reinforced warnings from public health experts that a rising clamour to lift restrictions on commerce and social activities – in hopes of healing a ravaged economy – could exact a staggering cost in terms of human lives.
The novel coronavirus is already known to have infected almost 1.2 million people in the United States, including 68,762 who have died from Covid-19, the respiratory illness it causes, according to Reuters' own tally.
The institute's predictive coronavirus model, periodically revised to account for changing circumstances and scientific insights surrounding the pandemic, has become an influential data point often cited by the White House and public health authorities in gauging the crisis.
The IHME projections are presented as a statistical range of outcomes. The latest forecast predicts the cumulative number of U.S. deaths from COVID-19 will run from as few as 95,092 to as many as 242,890 by Aug. 4 – with 134,475 lives lost representing the most likely, middle ground.
By comparison, the previous revision issued on April 29 put the middle-case figure at 72,400 deaths, within a range between 59,300 and 114,200 fatalities.
Eased social distancing
The upward spike reflects increasing human interactions as more states begin to ease social-distancing requirements – the chief public health tool available to curb the spread of a highly contagious virus for which there is no vaccine and no cure.
The relaxation of social-distancing rules will more than offset any decline in transmissions that might come from warmer weather and stronger containment measures, such as more wide-scale testing and tracing the contacts of infected people so they too can be tested and isolated, Murray said.
The revised IHME projections coincided with disclosure of an internal Trump administration forecast predicting a surge in Covid-19 cases killing 3,000 Americans a day by the end of May, up from a current daily toll that a Reuters tally places at around 2,000.
That projection, first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by a Reuters source, also forecast about 200,000 new coronavirus cases each day by the end of the month, up from the current rate of about 25,000 cases every 24 hours.
Trump’s predictions
Asked about the confidential forecast, White House spokesman Judd Deere said: “This is not a White House document, nor has it been presented to the Coronavirus Task Force or gone through interagency vetting."
President Donald Trump has given varying predictions for the number of people in the United States who will succumb to Covid-19. As recently as Friday, he said he hoped fewer than 100,000 Americans would die, and had talked last week of 60,000 to 70,000 deaths.
But on Sunday night, the president acknowledged the death toll may climb much higher.
“We’re going to lose anywhere from 75, 80 to 100,000 people. That’s a horrible thing,” he told Fox News.
In New York, the state that accounts for about a third of all U.S. infections, Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday outlined plans to ease restrictions on a regional basis.
Without giving a specific time frame, Cuomo told a daily briefing that construction, manufacturing and the wholesale supply chain would be allowed to start up under the first phase of a four-step return to normality.
A second phase would permit insurance, retail, administrative support and real estate businesses to open again, followed by restaurants, food services, hotels and accommodation businesses in the third stage, Cuomo said.
In the final phase, arts, entertainment and recreation facilities and education would restart.
Cuomo suggested that rural parts of New York might be relaxed ahead of "higher-risk regions," including New York City.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday he would ease the state's stay-at-home orders by Thursday, expanding the number of retail businesses that can provide curbside services.
"This is an optimistic day, as we see a little bit of a ray of sunshine," Newsom told a news conference.
Florida began a gradual restart of its economy on Monday. In the first phase, retail merchants and restaurants will open, with indoor patronage limited to 25% of capacity. Eateries are also allowed to open outdoor seating with social distancing, and medical practices can resume elective surgeries and procedures.
In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine was allowing construction and manufacturing to reopen on Monday, and letting office workers return.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-04--France’s Covid-19 death toll tops 25,000 following 24-hour spike

The coronavirus death toll in France topped 25,000 on Monday following a new jump in the daily death toll from the disease .
France 's health ministry said 25,201 people were now confirmed to have died from the virus in the country in hospitals and nursing homes .
Over the last 24 hours , 306 people died from Covid-19 , double the figure of 135 from the day earlier .
According to the latest figures , the more positive recent trends continued , with 123 fewer patients suffering from the coronavirus in intensive care to make a total of 3,696 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were also 267 fewer patients in hospital for coronavirus treatment , making a total of 25,548 , the ministry said .
The spike in the daily death toll came as French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on Monday stood by a plan to begin easing the country 's lockdown May 11 despite concerns the government is moving too fast to reopen schools as well as doubts over the availability of face masks .
On Sunday , more than 300 mayors from the greater Paris region , including Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo , penned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urging him to delay school returns , saying they need more time for the vast reorganisation of classrooms and daily routines .
Among the myriad new measures is a limit of just 15 students per class , which could require teachers to ensure distance learning for those unable to come to school .
Officials in other regions -- in particular the hard-hit northeastern quarter of France -- have also said they will not open up schools next week .
But Philippe said the school closures had been a `` catastrophe for the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that academic failure and dropouts risked becoming a `` time bomb '' .

The coronavirus death toll in France topped 25,000 on Monday following a new jump in the daily death toll from the disease.
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France's health ministry said 25,201 people were now confirmed to have died from the virus in the country in hospitals and nursing homes. Over the last 24 hours, 306 people died from Covid-19, double the figure of 135 from the day earlier.
According to the latest figures, the more positive recent trends continued, with 123 fewer patients suffering from the coronavirus in intensive care to make a total of 3,696 receiving such urgent treatment.
Nationwide, there were also 267 fewer patients in hospital for coronavirus treatment, making a total of 25,548, the ministry said.
France set to ease restrictions
The spike in the daily death toll came as French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on Monday stood by a plan to begin easing the country's lockdown May 11 despite concerns the government is moving too fast to reopen schools as well as doubts over the availability of face masks.
On Sunday, more than 300 mayors from the greater Paris region, including Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, penned an open letter to President Emmanuel Macron urging him to delay school returns, saying they need more time for the vast reorganisation of classrooms and daily routines.
01:42
Among the myriad new measures is a limit of just 15 students per class, which could require teachers to ensure distance learning for those unable to come to school.
Officials in other regions -- in particular the hard-hit northeastern quarter of France -- have also said they will not open up schools next week.
But Philippe said the school closures had been a "catastrophe for the most vulnerable children and adolescents", adding that academic failure and dropouts risked becoming a "time bomb".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-04--French Foreign Legion soldier dies in combat in Mali

Operation Barkhane is engaged in an anti-terrorist operaton in Africa ’ s Sahel region .
A French Foreign Legion soldier @ @ @ @ @ Mali , the Élysée presidential palace announced in a press release on Monday .
First @ @ @ @ @ killed in action on Monday during an operation against armed terrorist groups in Mali , @ @ @ @ @ .
Clement 's death came days after another French Foreign Legion soldier , Brigadier Dymyto @ @ @ @ @ sustained during fighting in Mali .
France started its military operations there in 2013 , @ @ @ @ @ help regain territory seized by Islamist extremists who had hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in the @ @ @ @ @ regions the previous year .
The French military succeeded in this initial task – but @ @ @ @ @ since spread throughout Mali and across the border to Niger and Burkina Faso .

A French Foreign Legion soldier was killed in combat in Mali, the Élysée presidential palace announced in a press release on Monday.
Operation Barkhane is engaged in an anti-terrorist operaton in Africa’s Sahel region.
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First Class Legionnaire Kévin Clement was killed in action on Monday during an operation against armed terrorist groups in Mali, the French presidential office said.
Ce lundi 4 mai, lors d’une opération visant un groupe armé terroriste au Mali,le 1re classe Kévin Clément du #1REC, est mort pour la France dans l’accomplissement de sa mission au sein de l’opération #Barkhane. https://t.co/8FZwkYN9D9 — Armée de Terre (@armeedeterre) May 4, 2020
Clement's death came days after another French Foreign Legion soldier, Brigadier Dymyto Martynyouk, died of injuries sustained during fighting in Mali.
France started its military operations there in 2013, after Mali asked it to help regain territory seized by Islamist extremists who had hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in the country’s northern desert regions the previous year.
The French military succeeded in this initial task – but the deadly jihadist insurgency has since spread throughout Mali and across the border to Niger and Burkina Faso.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-04--Peru's opposition leader Keiko Fujimori freed from prison

Peruvian politician Keiko Fujimori wears a face mask -against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus- while leaving Santa Monica jail in Lima on May 04 , 2020 Peru 's opposition leader Keiko Fujimori was released on Monday from a 15-month pre-trial detention on corruption charges after just three months , an AFP reporter witnessed .
Fujimori , who left the woman 's prison in the capital Lima on bail wearing a face mask and white gloves , had earlier announced on Twitter that she would head straight from the facility to take a coronavirus test before going home .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a court granted her bail of 70,000 soles ( $ 20,000 ) .
Fujimori had asked to be released due to fears she might contract the novel coronavirus in the Chorrillos women 's jail .
`` The first thing I 'm going to do after leaving and ( before ) arriving home is undergo a molecular test so as not to put my family at risk , '' mother of two Fujimori wrote on Twitter .
She was jailed in January just two months after being released from a previous 13-month pre-trial detention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Fujimori is accused of accepting $ 1.2 million in illicit party funding from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht for her unsuccessful 2011 presidential election campaign .
Odebrecht is embroiled in a wide-ranging corruption scandal and has admitted to paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to win juicy contracts in 12 countries .
At least $ 29 million was paid to Peruvian officials from 2004 , including to bribe four former presidents , the company has said .
Alejandro Toledo , Ollanta Humala , Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and the late Alan Garcia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peruvian television showed images of an employee of a private laboratory waiting outside Fujimori 's home to test her for the novel coronavirus .
She has been barred from living in the same house as her American husband Mark Villanella as he is under investigation in the same case .

Peru's opposition leader Keiko Fujimori was released on Monday from a 15-month pre-trial detention on corruption charges after just three months, an AFP reporter witnessed.
Peruvian politician Keiko Fujimori wears a face mask against the spread of the coronavirus while leaving Santa Monica jail in the Chorrillos district of Lima on May 4, 2020.
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Fujimori, who left the woman's prison in the capital Lima on bail wearing a face mask and white gloves, had earlier announced on Twitter that she would head straight from the facility to take a coronavirus test before going home.
The 44-year-old's release came four days after a court granted her bail of 70,000 soles ($20,000).
Fujimori had asked to be released due to fears she might contract the novel coronavirus in the Chorrillos women's jail.
"The first thing I'm going to do after leaving and (before) arriving home is undergo a molecular test so as not to put my family at risk," mother of two Fujimori wrote on Twitter.
She was jailed in January just two months after being released from a previous 13-month pre-trial detention.
Once Peru's most popular politician, Fujimori is accused of accepting $1.2 million in illicit party funding from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht for her unsuccessful 2011 presidential election campaign.
Odebrecht is embroiled in a wide-ranging corruption scandal and has admitted to paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to win juicy contracts in 12 countries.
At least $29 million was paid to Peruvian officials from 2004, including to bribe four former presidents, the company has said.
Alejandro Toledo, Ollanta Humala, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and the late Alan Garcia have been implicated in the scandal.
Peruvian television showed images of an employee of a private laboratory waiting outside Fujimori's home to test her for the novel coronavirus.
She has been barred from living in the same house as her American husband Mark Villanella as he is under investigation in the same case.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-04--Syrian army says Israeli jets struck military outposts near Aleppo

Israel says it was the first country to use F-35 fighter jets in combat Syrian air defences thwarted an Israeli missile attack on a research centre and a military base in the northern province of Aleppo state media said on Monday in the fifth such strikes in two weeks on suspected Iranian targets .
The Syrian army said in a statement that Israel hit military barracks in al Safirah in the eastern Aleppo countryside .
Earlier , state television had said a research centre was targeted .
The army said it was now assessing the damage caused by the strikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was stepping up raids in Syria at a time when world attention and the region , including Syria , were distracted by the coronavirus pandemic .
An Israeli army spokeswoman declined to comment on the report .
Western intelligence sources say Iranian-backed militias have long been entrenched in Aleppo province where they have bases and a command centre and installed advanced weapons , part of a growing presence across government-controlled Syria .
The Scientific Studies and Research Center is one of several facilities where Western intelligence and opposition sources suspect Syria with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chemical weapons they accuse Syria of having used against civilians in rebel-held areas .
Damascus and its ally Moscow deny they have used chemical weapons that have killed hundreds of civilians in the course of the nine-year conflict and blame jihadist rebels for such attacks .
Israel has previously struck several military research facilities believed to have been a centre for chemical and biological weapons .
Israeli helicopters fired several rockets from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on targets inside southern Syria known to be a base for Lebanon 's Hezbollah militia , Syria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government does not say Iranian bases are targeted when it announces details of Israeli raids .
Major blasts in an ammunition depot near Homs city on the same day were also believed to be from an Israeli strike , a war monitor and intelligence sources said .
Israel has acknowledged in recent years it has conducted many raids inside Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011 where it sees Iran 's presence as a strategic threat .
Regional intelligence sources say that Israel 's escalating strikes on Syria are part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and part of the anti-Iran policy that has undermined in the last two years Iran 's extensive military power without triggering a major escalation .
Israeli defence minister Naftali Bennett told Israeli media last week that Israel would step up its campaign against Iran in Syria .
Separately , a regional intelligence source said Israeli jets are believed to have hit Iranian-backed militias entrenched in the border town of Albukamal near the border with Iraq where Iraqi Shi ’ ite paramilitary groups have a strong foothold .
The U.S. military last January struck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Syria along that border area in what U.S. officials then said was a response to escalating provocations from Iran .
Iran 's support alongside Russia has helped Syrian President Bashar al Assad turn the tide against a military opposition that had seized large tracts of territory and sought to overthrow his authoritarian rule .

Syrian air defences thwarted an Israeli missile attack on a research centre and a military base in the northern province of Aleppo, state media said on Monday, in the fifth such strikes in two weeks on suspected Iranian targets.
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The Syrian army said in a statement that Israel hit military barracks in al Safirah in the eastern Aleppo countryside. Earlier, state television had said a research centre was targeted. The army said it was now assessing the damage caused by the strikes.
A regional intelligence source said Israel was stepping up raids in Syria at a time when world attention and the region, including Syria, were distracted by the coronavirus pandemic.
An Israeli army spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.
Western intelligence sources say Iranian-backed militias have long been entrenched in Aleppo province, where they have bases and a command centre and installed advanced weapons, part of a growing presence across government-controlled Syria.
The Scientific Studies and Research Center is one of several facilities where Western intelligence and opposition sources suspect Syria, with the help of Iranian researchers, is working on developing chemical weapons that they say Bashar al-Assad's forces have used against civilians in rebel-held areas.
Damascus and its ally Moscow deny they have used chemical weapons that have killed hundreds of civilians in the course of the nine-year conflict and blame jihadist rebels for such attacks.
Israel has previously struck several military research facilities believed to have been centres for chemical and biological weapons.
Israeli helicopters fired several rockets from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on targets inside southern Syria known to be a base for Lebanon's Hezbollah militia, Syria and intelligence sources said.
The Syrian government does not say Iranian bases are targeted when it announces details of Israeli raids.
Major blasts in an ammunition depot near Homs city on the same day were also believed to be from an Israeli strike, a war monitor and intelligence sources said.
'US-sanctioned shadow war'
Israel has acknowledged in recent years it has conducted many raids inside Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011 where it sees Iran's presence as a strategic threat.
Regional intelligence sources say that Israel's escalating strikes on Syria are part of a shadow war sanctioned by Washington and part of the anti-Iran policy that has undermined in the last two years Iran's extensive military power without triggering a major escalation.
Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett told Israeli media last week that Israel would step up its campaign against Iran in Syria.
Separately, a regional intelligence source said Israeli jets are believed to have hit Iranian-backed militias entrenched in the border town of Albukamal near the border with Iraq where Iraqi Shi’ite paramilitary groups have a strong foothold.
The US military struck Iran-backed militia groups last January in areas in Iraq and Syria along that border area in what US officials then said was a response to escalating provocations from Iran.
Iran's support alongside Russia has helped Assad turn the tide against a military opposition that had seized large tracts of territory and sought to overthrow his authoritarian rule.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-04--France sticks by lockdown easing plan despite mayors’ ‘forced march’ concerns

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe presents the government 's coronavirus lockdown easing plan to before the Senate , May 4 , 2020 .
French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on Monday stood by a plan to begin easing the country 's coronavirus lockdown May 11 despite concerns the government is moving too fast to reopen schools as well as doubts over the availability of face masks .
France is due to emerge on May 11 from a lockdown that began March 17 to combat the coronavirus , with kindergartens and primary schools to re-open as part of a staggered easing process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet the emergency , but its social and economic cost is colossal , '' Philippe told senators while laying out his government 's strategy .
`` We 're at a decisive moment , we can not remain in confinement , '' he said .
`` Economic life must resume imperatively and quickly . ''
But officials have drawn fire from critics who say the country is not ready to cope with the strict social distancing and other protective measures that will be required after May 11 to avoid a flare-up of the epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25,000 on Monday with 306 people dying from the disease in 24 hours , according to health officials .
The number of hospitalisations and ICU admissions has been falling in France for more than two weeks .
In a symbolic display of its objection , the French Senate on Monday evening voted against the plan in an 89-81 vote with 174 abstentions .
On Sunday , more than 300 mayors from the greater Paris region , including Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo , penned an open letter to President Emmanuel Macron urging him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more time for the vast reorganisation of classrooms and daily routines .
Among the myriad new measures is a limit of just 15 students per class , which could require teachers to ensure distance learning for those unable to come to school .
`` Preparations for the end of the lockdown are being imposed at a forced march , even though we still lack the necessary information , '' the mayors wrote .
Officials in other regions -- in particular the hard-hit northeastern quarter of France -- have also said they will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philippe said the school closures had been a `` catastrophe for the most vulnerable children and adolescents '' , adding that academic failure and dropouts risked becoming a `` time bomb '' .
In a shift from last week , however , he said face masks would be required for secondary students only in cases where sufficient social distancing can not be ensured .
Macron said final details of the post-lockdown plan would be unveiled Thursday , adding that he `` understood all the worries '' .
Lifting the lockdown is `` an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a return to normal '' , he said , while announcing that France would contribute €500 million to the international hunt for a vaccine .
The government is also facing fresh criticism over its policies on face masks , which officially went on sale to the public Monday -- even though people across France have managed to procure them despite the requisition of all stocks and production since March .
Philippe rejected claims by health workers who have accused retailers of building up stocks , even as many hospitals are still scrambling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of Covid-19 cases .
`` There were never any hidden stocks : Huge orders were placed , and it takes a certain amount of time before they can be made available , '' he told the Senate .
As masks went on sale to the general public , however , criticism shifted to the prices being asked for both disposable surgical masks as well as washable fabric versions .
`` Let 's say a surgical masks costs 60 cents , and you need three per day to use them correctly -- for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ euros a day , so you 'd be spending more than 200 euros [ 216 euros ] a month , '' said Alain Bazot , president of the UFC-Que Choisir consumer group .
If you add in the costs of sanitising hand gel , `` that 's not possible '' , he told AFP .
German Montes , a Chilean who lives in France and who had just bought masks outside a grocery store in Rosny-sous-Bois , north of Paris , complained : `` They 're making profits during a pandemic , it @ @ @ @ @

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on Monday stood by a plan to begin easing the country's coronavirus lockdown May 11 despite concerns the government is moving too fast to reopen schools as well as doubts over the availability of face masks.
French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe presents the government's coronavirus lockdown easing plan to before the Senate, May 4, 2020.
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France is due on May 11 to emerge from a lockdown to combat the coronavirus that began on March 17, with kindergartens and primary schools to re-open as part of a staggered easing process.
"This confinement was necessary to meet the emergency, but its social and economic cost is colossal," Philippe told senators while laying out his government's strategy.
"We're at a decisive moment, we cannot remain in confinement," he said. "Economic life must resume imperatively and quickly."
But officials have drawn fire from critics who say the country is not ready to cope with the strict social distancing and other protective measures that will be required after May 11 to avoid a flare-up of the epidemic.
France's Covid-19 death toll topped 25,000 on Monday with 306 people dying from the disease in 24 hours, according to health officials. The number of hospitalisations and ICU admissions has been falling in France for more than two weeks.
In a symbolic display of its objection, the French Senate on Monday evening voted against the plan in an 89-81 vote with 174 abstentions.
Paris area mayors slam 'forced march'
On Sunday, more than 300 mayors from the greater Paris region, including Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, penned an open letter to President Emmanuel Macron urging him to delay school returns, saying they need more time for the vast reorganisation of classrooms and daily routines.
Among the myriad new measures is a limit of just 15 students per class, which could require teachers to ensure distance learning for those unable to come to school.
"Preparations for the end of the lockdown are being imposed at a forced march, even though we still lack the necessary information," the mayors wrote.
Officials in other regions -- in particular the hard-hit northeastern quarter of France -- have also said they will not open up schools next week.
But Philippe said the school closures had been a "catastrophe for the most vulnerable children and adolescents", adding that academic failure and dropouts risked becoming a "time bomb".
In a shift from last week, however, he said face masks would be required for secondary students only in cases where sufficient social distancing cannot be ensured.
Macron said final details of the post-lockdown plan would be unveiled Thursday, adding that he "understood all the worries".
Lifting the lockdown is "an indispensable step" but "it's not a return to normal", he said, while announcing that France would contribute €500 million to the international hunt for a vaccine.
Criticisms over face mask supplies
The government is also facing fresh criticism over its policies on face masks, which officially went on sale to the public Monday -- even though people across France have managed to procure them despite the requisition of all stocks and production since March.
Philippe rejected claims by health workers who have accused retailers of building up stocks, even as many hospitals are still scrambling to secure enough to cope with the wave of Covid-19 cases.
"There were never any hidden stocks: Huge orders were placed, and it takes a certain amount of time before they can be made available," he told the Senate.
As masks went on sale to the general public, however, criticism shifted to the prices being asked for both disposable surgical masks as well as washable fabric versions.
"Let's say a surgical masks costs 60 cents, and you need three per day to use them correctly -- for a family of four that's 7.20 euros a day, so you'd be spending more than 200 euros [216 euros] a month," said Alain Bazot, president of the UFC-Que Choisir consumer group.
If you add in the costs of sanitising hand gel, "that's not possible", he told AFP.
German Montes, a Chilean who lives in France and who had just bought masks outside a grocery store in Rosny-sous-Bois, north of Paris, complained: "They're making profits during a pandemic, it's just crazy."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-05-04--EU-led telethon raises €7.4 billion for vaccine financing – without US

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen holds a press conference on the EU response to the COVID-19 crisis at the EU headquarters in Brussels on April 15 , 2020 .
Celebrities , world leaders and philanthropists pledged some 7.4 billion euros ( $ 8.1 billion ) on Monday for research into coronavirus vaccines , treatments and testing during an EU-led videoconference that was snubbed by the United States .
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen , who hosted the conference , said a vaccine was the best chance of beating the COVID-19 disease , which has so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people around the world -- 140,000 of them in Europe .
Major European powers , along with Japan and Canada , made the biggest pledges but the lack of US representation raised the prospect of an uncoordinated competition to develop and produce a vaccine .
Some wealthy American individuals did take part , and pop star Madonna 's million-dollar contribution was feted by EU officials .
The conference narrowly missed its target of 7.5 billion euros -- although a handful of contributors did not put a sum on their pledges -- but UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be needed , putting the final sum required near 38 billion euros .
`` These funds are a kind of down payment for the development of new tools at the speed needed , '' Guterres told the conference .
`` But to reach everyone everywhere we likely need five times that amount . ''
Nonetheless , World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed the fundraising as a powerful show of `` global solidarity '' .
The donations came from around 40 countries , the UN , research institutes and philanthropic bodies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the initiative was undermined by the absence of the United States , with President Donald Trump at loggerheads with the WHO over its handling of the pandemic .
Trump -- fighting for reelection in November -- said on Sunday the United States would have a coronavirus vaccine ready by the end of the year .
His prediction was met with scepticism in some quarters , with Germany 's Health Minister Jens Spahn warning it could take years for anyone to develop a vaccine .
While putting an upbeat gloss on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were disappointed the US did not take part .
`` The EU responded favourably to a call for global action , the US refused .
They are the ones who are isolating themselves , '' one official said .
`` We 're only at the start of the process .
We hope the American government will join the common effort . ''
A senior US official said Washington welcomed the telethon effort but insisted many of the organisations making pledges had already received substantial American support .
Pressed on why the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU event `` one of many '' and said Washington was `` at the forefront of those international efforts '' .
But other leaders are concerned that Trump 's `` America First '' approach could lead to a counterproductive transatlantic race to find a vaccine and called instead for a collaborative approach .
While British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the world `` must work together to build an impregnable shield around all our people '' , his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe urged the international community to `` unite to overcome the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it was vital that once a vaccine has been developed , it is treated as `` global public property '' with access available for `` the whole of the planet '' .
In March , Germany was forced to insist that the rights to coronavirus vaccine research were not for sale after reports Trump wanted the US to buy exclusive access to one being developed by a German biotech firm .
In recent days the Trump administration has stepped up pressure on China , where the outbreak began , claiming it originated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan .
Without mentioning Washington , China implicitly hit back at the donor conference , where it was represented by its ambassador to the EU .
`` Multilateral cooperation in fighting the virus , confidence and solidarity are much more valuable than gold , '' ambassador Zhang Ming said .
`` Panic and blame game are not useful at all . ''
Isabelle Marchais of the Delors Institute thinktank said the US was ready to `` put all its forces into the battle '' to win a `` vaccine war '' .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 100 vaccine research projects were going on , including eight clinical trials in the US , China and Europe .
`` Given the stakes in the current pandemic , some companies -- particularly American and Chinese ones -- are ready to start production before the end of clinical trials in order to be the first ones to get the vaccine to market , '' she wrote .
Of the 7.5 billion euros , four billion will go on vaccine development , two billion on the search for a treatment and 1.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .

Celebrities, world leaders and philanthropists pledged some 7.4 billion euros ($8.1 billion) on Monday for research into coronavirus vaccines, treatments and testing during an EU-led videoconference that was snubbed by the United States.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen holds a press conference on the EU response to the COVID-19 crisis at the EU headquarters in Brussels on April 15, 2020.
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European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who hosted the conference, said a vaccine was the best chance of beating the COVID-19 disease, which has so far killed nearly a quarter of a million people around the world -- 140,000 of them in Europe.
▶ 'We can only defeat Covid-19 with a vaccine', EU's Ursula von der Leyen tells FRANCE 24 https://t.co/NbZ4gjzs9A pic.twitter.com/Nik0Q7Gfmf — FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) May 1, 2020
Major European powers, along with Japan and Canada, made the biggest pledges but the lack of US representation raised the prospect of an uncoordinated competition to develop and produce a vaccine.
Some wealthy American individuals did take part, and pop star Madonna's million-dollar contribution was feted by EU officials.
'A down payment'
The conference narrowly missed its target of 7.5 billion euros -- although a handful of contributors did not put a sum on their pledges -- but UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that much more would be needed, putting the final sum required near 38 billion euros.
"These funds are a kind of down payment for the development of new tools at the speed needed," Guterres told the conference. "But to reach everyone everywhere we likely need five times that amount."
Nonetheless, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed the fundraising as a powerful show of "global solidarity".
The donations came from around 40 countries, the UN, research institutes and philanthropic bodies including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
But the initiative was undermined by the absence of the United States, with President Donald Trump at loggerheads with the WHO over its handling of the pandemic.
Trump -- fighting for reelection in November -- said on Sunday the United States would have a coronavirus vaccine ready by the end of the year.
His prediction was met with scepticism in some quarters, with Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn warning it could take years for anyone to develop a vaccine.
US 'isolating themselves'
While putting an upbeat gloss on the event in public, privately EU officials were disappointed the US did not take part.
"The EU responded favourably to a call for global action, the US refused. They are the ones who are isolating themselves," one official said.
"We're only at the start of the process. We hope the American government will join the common effort."
A senior US official said Washington welcomed the telethon effort but insisted many of the organisations making pledges had already received substantial American support.
Pressed on why the United States was staying away, the official called the EU event "one of many" and said Washington was "at the forefront of those international efforts".
But other leaders are concerned that Trump's "America First" approach could lead to a counterproductive transatlantic race to find a vaccine and called instead for a collaborative approach.
While British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the world "must work together to build an impregnable shield around all our people", his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe urged the international community to "unite to overcome the crisis".
French President Emmanuel Macron said it was vital that once a vaccine has been developed, it is treated as "global public property" with access available for "the whole of the planet".
'Vaccine war'
In March, Germany was forced to insist that the rights to coronavirus vaccine research were not for sale after reports Trump wanted the US to buy exclusive access to one being developed by a German biotech firm.
In recent days the Trump administration has stepped up pressure on China, where the outbreak began, claiming it originated in a laboratory in the city of Wuhan.
Without mentioning Washington, China implicitly hit back at the donor conference, where it was represented by its ambassador to the EU.
"Multilateral cooperation in fighting the virus, confidence and solidarity are much more valuable than gold," ambassador Zhang Ming said. "Panic and blame game are not useful at all."
Isabelle Marchais of the Delors Institute thinktank said the US was ready to "put all its forces into the battle" to win a "vaccine war".
In an analysis published Monday, she said more than 100 vaccine research projects were going on, including eight clinical trials in the US, China and Europe.
"Given the stakes in the current pandemic, some companies -- particularly American and Chinese ones -- are ready to start production before the end of clinical trials in order to be the first ones to get the vaccine to market," she wrote.
Of the 7.5 billion euros, four billion will go on vaccine development, two billion on the search for a treatment and 1.5 billion for producing tests, the EU said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-04--France refuses Amazon’s Covid-19 emergency fund request

France 's labour ministry on Monday refused a request by Amazon for emergency funds to pay its employees during the coronavirus crisis , after the retail giant shut its warehouses over a French court ruling ordering the company to deliver only essential goods until its health protocols were revised .
The ministry said Amazon France had asked to benefit from coronavirus crisis funds that cover about 84 percent of net pay for workers facing temporary layoffs because of a drop in business .
Amazon France confirmed it sought the funds to cover salaries for some 10,000 employees at its six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The online retailer has been locked in a battle with labour unions which say not enough was done to mitigate contagion risk for staff working in close proximity to process a flood of orders amid the nationwide lockdown , which saw traditional shops shuttered .
Last month , an appeals court upheld a ruling that sharply curtailed Amazon 's operations and ordered management to review safety measures .
The court said only digital products , office equipment , groceries , medical and personal care products could be delivered in the meantime .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the order , and completely shut down the six sites from mid-April until May 5 , though it maintained full pay for employees .
`` The recent decision by the Court of Versailles has obviously had an impact on our French operations ... As a result , we filed for the help that other companies in France have benefited from , '' the company said in a statement .
`` Our logistics operations are technically complex and the court 's fine of 100,000 euros ( $ 109,000 ) for any infraction means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on the order of 0.1 percent of the total , could lead to over one billion euros of fines per week , '' it said .
The world 's largest online retailer is facing mounting scrutiny as it juggles a surge in online orders during government lockdowns to curb the pandemic and employees ' safety , and France has become a major battleground .
France is the only country where Amazon has shut all of its so-called fulfillment centres after unions complained that they were still too crowded and filed a legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for employment aid `` absolutely scandalous '' and accused the firm of getting around the court order by fulfilling French orders from its other warehouses in Europe .
Dozens of employees had staged walkouts at several sites before the ruling to demand better workplace protection during the Covid-19 outbreak .
Amazon reported last week that despite a surge in orders worldwide because of virus lockdowns , its profit dropped 29 percent in the first quarter of this year , to $ 2.5 billion , because of Covid-19 expenses , including measures for `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in the process of recruiting some 175,000 more employees to cope with surging demand .

France's labour ministry on Monday refused a request by Amazon for emergency funds to pay its employees during the coronavirus crisis, after the retail giant shut its warehouses over a French court ruling ordering the company to deliver only essential goods until its health protocols were revised.
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The ministry said Amazon France had asked to benefit from coronavirus crisis funds that cover about 84 percent of net pay for workers facing temporary layoffs because of a drop in business.
Amazon France confirmed it sought the funds to cover salaries for some 10,000 employees at its six main distribution sites in the country.
The online retailer has been locked in a battle with labour unions which say not enough was done to mitigate contagion risk for staff working in close proximity to process a flood of orders amid the nationwide lockdown, which saw traditional shops shuttered.
Last month, an appeals court upheld a ruling that sharply curtailed Amazon's operations and ordered management to review safety measures. The court said only digital products, office equipment, groceries, medical and personal care products could be delivered in the meantime.
But Amazon said it was impossible to comply with the order, and completely shut down the six sites from mid-April until May 5, though it maintained full pay for employees.
All French fulfillment centres shut
"The recent decision by the Court of Versailles has obviously had an impact on our French operations... As a result, we filed for the help that other companies in France have benefited from," the company said in a statement.
"Our logistics operations are technically complex and the court's fine of 100,000 euros ($109,000) for any infraction means that even accidental shipping of non-authorised products, on the order of 0.1 percent of the total, could lead to over one billion euros of fines per week," it said.
The world's largest online retailer is facing mounting scrutiny as it juggles a surge in online orders during government lockdowns to curb the pandemic and employees' safety, and France has become a major battleground.
France is the only country where Amazon has shut all of its so-called fulfillment centres after unions complained that they were still too crowded and filed a legal challenge.
'Absolutely scandalous'
Unions called Amazon's request for employment aid "absolutely scandalous" and accused the firm of getting around the court order by fulfilling French orders from its other warehouses in Europe.
Dozens of employees had staged walkouts at several sites before the ruling to demand better workplace protection during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Amazon reported last week that despite a surge in orders worldwide because of virus lockdowns, its profit dropped 29 percent in the first quarter of this year, to $2.5 billion, because of Covid-19 expenses, including measures for "keeping employees safe".
The company is in the process of recruiting some 175,000 more employees to cope with surging demand.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-04--Hezbollah slams German ban as ‘submission to America’s will’

The head of Lebanon 's Hezbollah movement on Monday condemned Germany 's ban on his group as bowing to US pressure and insisted it was not active in the country .
Germany designated Hezbollah a `` Shiite terrorist organisation '' on Thursday as its security forces raided mosques and associations linked to the group .
In a televised speech , Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah called it a `` political decision that reflects Germany 's submission to America 's will and to pleasing Israel '' .
`` When we say we are not active in Germany , we are being 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Iranian-backed group .
Hezbollah was established in 1982 during the Lebanese civil war and fought a devastating 2006 war with Israel .
The US and Israel have long designated it a terrorist group and urged allies to follow suit .
Like the European Union , Germany had until now outlawed only Hezbollah 's military wing while tolerating its political arm , a major force in the Lebanese parliament .
Nasrallah on Monday said he expected more EU countries to follow Germany 's example .
The Hezbollah chief also condemned German authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group and called on the Lebanese government to protect its nationals in Germany .
Nasrallah 's speech came days after the Lebanese government approved a long-awaited plan that was used to apply for an International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) programme to help the country through an acute economic crisis .
Responding to the crisis plan , Nasrallah said it was a `` big , important step '' .
But he warned that any talks with the IMF must not blindly surrender the country to terms it can not bear .
Nasrallah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the years and must now step in to help .
He urged the government , which signed a request for IMF assistance last week , to find solutions for the weakening local currency and sky-rocketing prices .

The head of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement on Monday condemned Germany's ban on his group as bowing to US pressure and insisted it was not active in the country.
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Germany designated Hezbollah a "Shiite terrorist organisation" on Thursday as its security forces raided mosques and associations linked to the group.
In a televised speech, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah called it a "political decision that reflects Germany's submission to America's will and to pleasing Israel".
"When we say we are not active in Germany, we are being 100 percent honest," said the leader of the Iranian-backed group.
Hezbollah was established in 1982 during the Lebanese civil war and fought a devastating 2006 war with Israel.
The US and Israel have long designated it a terrorist group and urged allies to follow suit.
Like the European Union, Germany had until now outlawed only Hezbollah's military wing while tolerating its political arm, a major force in the Lebanese parliament.
Nasrallah on Monday said he expected more EU countries to follow Germany's example.
The Hezbollah chief also condemned German authorities for raiding mosques and associations linked to the group and called on the Lebanese government to protect its nationals in Germany.
Rescue plan 'a big step forward'
Nasrallah's speech came days after the Lebanese government approved a long-awaited plan that was used to apply for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme to help the country through an acute economic crisis.
Responding to the crisis plan, Nasrallah said it was a "big, important step". But he warned that any talks with the IMF must not blindly surrender the country to terms it cannot bear.
Nasrallah said local banks had made huge profits over the years and must now step in to help. He urged the government, which signed a request for IMF assistance last week, to find solutions for the weakening local currency and sky-rocketing prices.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-04--Covid-19: 'We don't have a strategy of herd immunity,' Swedish FM tells FRANCE 24

Sweden 's Foreign Minister Ann Linde spoke to FRANCE 24 about the Covid-19 pandemic and the specific approach put in place in her country - avoiding lockdown and relying on trust and discipline .
She also discussed the issues of EU borders and European solidarity .
`` We do n't have a strategy of herd immunity , '' Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told FRANCE 24 when asked about her country 's specific approach to the Covid-19 pandemic .
`` What is in our strategy is that we do n't want to stop all transmission ; we want to flatten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managed ( ... ) And for example there is still around 20 percent of the intensive care places that is free .
And that means that even if it 's very hard hit , the healthcare system has been able to put up with this enormous pressure , '' Linde explained .
`` We recommended ( to ) people not to go to the most popular tourist destinations in Sweden during Easter and there was a 96 percent decrease in people going to those destinations , '' she added .
> > Watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Sweden bets on herd immunity

Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde spoke to FRANCE 24 about the Covid-19 pandemic and the specific approach put in place in her country - avoiding lockdown and relying on trust and discipline. She also discussed the issues of EU borders and European solidarity.
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"We don't have a strategy of herd immunity," Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told FRANCE 24 when asked about her country's specific approach to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"What is in our strategy is that we don't want to stop all transmission; we want to flatten the curve. And that we have managed (...) And for example there is still around 20 percent of the intensive care places that is free. And that means that even if it's very hard hit, the healthcare system has been able to put up with this enormous pressure," Linde explained.
"We recommended (to) people not to go to the most popular tourist destinations in Sweden during Easter and there was a 96 percent decrease in people going to those destinations," she added.
>> Watch our Debate show: Worth the risk? Sweden bets on herd immunity
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france24--2020-05-04--France under lockdown: Staying in shape and Paris sightseeing, with a difference

France under lockdown : Staying in shape and Paris sightseeing , with a difference In this week 's French Connections @ @ @ @ @ Godula continue to explore how the French are coping with life in lockdown .
How @ @ @ @ @ ?
Surprising as it may be , according to a study , the French have @ @ @ @ @ as you would think .
Another perhaps surprising fact : the sale of alcohol has @ @ @ @ @ , what does Paris look like under lockdown ?
Join Flo as she takes you @ @ @ @ @ you 've never seen it before .

France under lockdown: Staying in shape and Paris sightseeing, with a difference
05:27 FRENCH CONNECTIONS © FRANCE 24
In this week's French Connections, Florence Villeminot and Genie Godula continue to explore how the French are coping with life in lockdown. How are people staying in shape? Surprising as it may be, according to a study, the French haven't gained as much weight as you would think. Another perhaps surprising fact: the sale of alcohol has actually gone down. Meanwhile, what does Paris look like under lockdown? Join Flo as she takes you sightseeing around the capital like you've never seen it before.


france24--2020-05-04--‘We can’t afford to scale back’: S. Africa faces poaching threat amid Covid-19 lockdown

Despite a country-wide lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic , South Africa ’ s anti-poaching rangers remain on patrol , protecting one of the country ’ s most valuable resources at a time when conservationists fear a lack of tourists may be putting rare animals at greater risk from illegal hunting .
Though most South Africans have been ordered to stay at home during the lockdown to contain the spread of the virus , anti-poaching rangers have been designated key workers .
On foot , in jeeps and by helicopter , they continue to scour the country ’ s vast national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We haven ’ t scaled back on our anti-poaching activities or wildlife security and conservation management .
We can ’ t afford to do that , we also made a commitment to our partners that we won ’ t do that , ” Ian Nowak , the general manager at Balule Reserve within Greater Kruger Park , told AFP .
“ And our job is to protect the raw material , which is the nature , conservation , as well as the ecosystem , and that ’ s what we ’ ll do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , lockdown or not . ''
Normally , the park would be full of tourists on safari at this time of year but it is now mostly empty .
Conservationists fear the poaching threat may have increased as a result , both from illegal traders and people out of work who , because of the pandemic , may turn to hunting bush meat to survive .
`` During this time , usually with the lodges being busy , there ’ s a lot more eyes and ears out there as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s eyes and ears that pick things up , tracks or whatever , ” said Rian Ahlers , a warden at Balule Reserve .
“ That ’ s not there at the moment .
So we need to be a lot more proactive than what we were in the past . ''
Rhinos are a particular concern , with their horns fetching high prices on the Asian black market .
At least nine rhinos have been reported killed in South Africa since the lockdown began in mid-March .
South Africa is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world ’ s Rhino population : in 2019 nearly 600 of the animals were killed by poachers in the country , though that number has been falling , thanks in part to more funding for anti-poaching measures .

Despite a country-wide lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic, South Africa’s anti-poaching rangers remain on patrol, protecting one of the country’s most valuable resources at a time when conservationists fear a lack of tourists may be putting rare animals at greater risk from illegal hunting.
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Though most South Africans have been ordered to stay at home during the lockdown to contain the spread of the virus, anti-poaching rangers have been designated key workers. On foot, in jeeps and by helicopter, they continue to scour the country’s vast national parks for signs of poachers.
"We haven’t scaled back on our anti-poaching activities or wildlife security and conservation management. We can’t afford to do that, we also made a commitment to our partners that we won’t do that,” Ian Nowak, the general manager at Balule Reserve within Greater Kruger Park, told AFP.
“And our job is to protect the raw material, which is the nature, conservation, as well as the ecosystem, and that’s what we’ll do and we’ll carry on doing that, lockdown or not."
Normally, the park would be full of tourists on safari at this time of year but it is now mostly empty. Conservationists fear the poaching threat may have increased as a result, both from illegal traders and people out of work who, because of the pandemic, may turn to hunting bush meat to survive.
"During this time, usually with the lodges being busy, there’s a lot more eyes and ears out there as well. Not necessarily anti-poaching eyes and ears but it’s eyes and ears that pick things up, tracks or whatever,” said Rian Ahlers, a warden at Balule Reserve.
“That’s not there at the moment. So we need to be a lot more proactive than what we were in the past."
Rhinos are a particular concern, with their horns fetching high prices on the Asian black market. At least nine rhinos have been reported killed in South Africa since the lockdown began in mid-March.
South Africa is home to around 80 percent of the world’s Rhino population: in 2019 nearly 600 of the animals were killed by poachers in the country, though that number has been falling, thanks in part to more funding for anti-poaching measures.
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france24--2020-05-04--Iranian poultry farmers bury thousands of chicks alive as Covid-19 hits demand

WARNING : SOME READERS MAY FIND THE FOLLOWING FOOTAGE SHOCKING '' They are killing these chicks to increase the market price and to get more money , ” wrote one Twitter user .
“ There is nothing more vile than human beings.
” No official estimate of the number of chicks killed over the last week in Iran has been released , however , the Iranian Association of Poultry Farmers reacted to the scandal on April 18 by banning farmers from killing poultry for economic reasons .
However , the France 24 Observers spoke to one poultry farmer who said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced with a stark choice -- either fire their workers and temporarily close their farms or cull some of their flock .
`` [ It ’ s ] an economic mafia -- in the midst of a pandemic and an economic crisis , they kill these chickens in mass to increase the price , ” alleges the man who posted this video .
He cites the name of one farm where he says that 232,000 chicks were killed over a period of two days .
“ This is the first time in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian farmers who have to get rid of stock '' '' They are killing chickens to regulate the market , ” says this social media user .
According to the Statistical Centre for Iran , the average market price for chickens in January , just before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic , was 12,800 tomans per kilo , or 77 euro cents .
By April , the price had fallen to 9,500 tomans , equivalent to 57 euro cents , a decrease of nearly 25 % .
`` No one knows what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' This farmer in Urmia , which is located in northwestern Iran , is protesting in front of the governor ’ s office because he doesn ’ t have anything left to feed his chickens .
This video shows farmers destroying their eggs so they don ’ t get too many chicks .
Kaveh responded to this criticism : Before judging , you need to know what you are talking about .
Lots of zoonotic diseases [ Editor ’ s note : diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans ] can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giving these chickens away could cause another health crisis in addition to the one we are already experiencing .
These chickens need to be vaccinated first , and that costs money .
And chicks need special care .
Around 90 % of them would die in the first few days if we just gave them away .
There are similar reasons for why we can ’ t just let these animals go wild .
They might spread diseases to other animals , including Newcastle disease [ Editor ’ s note : a disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chickens . ]
This could kill a variety of species in nature .
The videos of farmers slaughtering chicks ended up having an impact .
On April 19 , President Hassan Rohani ordered the Minister of Intelligence Mahmoud Alavi to identify and charge the farmers responsible for these mass killings .
Article by Ershad Alijani Many people on social media didn ’ t buy the economic arguments made by the farmers and reacted angrily on Twitter or Telegram .
`` They could give these chicks to poor families who could feed and raise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” one commented .
Another suggested that the chickens should be “ set free so that they can participate in the natural cycle and be eaten by predators.
” Kaveh responded to this criticism : The videos of farmers slaughtering chicks ended up having an impact .
On April 19 , President Hassan Rohani ordered the Minister of Intelligence Mahmoud Alavi to identify and charge the farmers responsible for these mass killings .
People across Iran have been shocked by grisly videos posted online in mid-April that show chicken farmers burying thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videos led to a massive outcry , one farmer told the FRANCE 24 Observers why the economic crisis caused by Covid-19 left many of his fellow farmers with no choice.Thousands of chicks became the latest collateral damage of the Covid-19 epidemic that is sweeping Iran .
At least 6,277 people in Iran have died of the virus and 98,647 have fallen ill , according to official statistics announced May 4 .
However , many medical staff working in Iran , as well as international NGOs , have cast doubt on these numbers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher.A dozen or so upsetting videos posted online show farmers tossing newborn chicks into plastic sacks .
Most of the baby animals seem to be alive , judging from their peeping .
People across Iran reacted in horror to these videos and the methods used by the farmers .

Iran
Images of poultry farmers destroying stocks of chicks caused controversy on social networks in Iran. One farmer told the France 24 Observers his colleagues have no other choice, because the COVID-19 pandemic has hit demand and caused feed prices to rise.
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People across Iran have been shocked by grisly videos posted online in mid-April that show chicken farmers burying thousands of baby chicks alive. While the videos led to a massive outcry, one farmer told the FRANCE 24 Observers why the economic crisis caused by Covid-19 left many of his fellow farmers with no choice.
WARNING: SOME READERS MAY FIND THE FOLLOWING FOOTAGE SHOCKING
Thousands of chicks became the latest collateral damage of the Covid-19 epidemic that is sweeping Iran. At least 6,277 people in Iran have died of the virus and 98,647 have fallen ill, according to official statistics announced May 4. However, many medical staff working in Iran, as well as international NGOs, have cast doubt on these numbers, claiming that they are in reality much higher.
A dozen or so upsetting videos posted online show farmers tossing newborn chicks into plastic sacks. Most of the baby animals seem to be alive, judging from their peeping. People across Iran reacted in horror to these videos and the methods used by the farmers.
میلیونها جوجه را زنده به گور میکنند تا قیمت مرغ بالا برود.
انسان رذل ترین و کثیف ترین موجودی است که پا بر روی کره خاک گذاشته، کاش چاله ای برای دفن کردن خود انسان وجود داشت. pic.twitter.com/7YEeAcyV9Y آندره بالکونسکی (@alirazavi779) April 17, 2020
"They are killing these chicks to increase the market price and to get more money,” wrote one Twitter user. “There is nothing more vile than human beings.”
No official estimate of the number of chicks killed over the last week in Iran has been released, however, the Iranian Association of Poultry Farmers reacted to the scandal on April 18 by banning farmers from killing poultry for economic reasons.
However, the France 24 Observers spoke to one poultry farmer who said that he and his fellow farmers were faced with a stark choice-- either fire their workers and temporarily close their farms or cull some of their flock.
و باز هم مافیای اقتصادی
تنها واژه ای که می توانم به کار ببرم تاسفه
در این اوضاع بیماری، تحریم، وضعیت معاش؛ نابودی این حجم عظیم از جوجه های تازه متولد شده بخاطر بالا بردن قیمت مرغ!!! pic.twitter.com/U3IhRgZG9H مامان امیر محمد (@parifarokhe) April 18, 2020
"[It’s] an economic mafia-- in the midst of a pandemic and an economic crisis, they kill these chickens in mass to increase the price,” alleges the man who posted this video. He cites the name of one farm where he says that 232,000 chicks were killed over a period of two days.
“This is the first time in my life that I’ve heard of Iranian farmers who have to get rid of stock"
Kaveh (not his real name) owns a small poultry farm in northern Iran. Luckily, there is still demand for his poultry from local markets, so he hasn’t culled any chicks. However, he said that he has lost revenue.
This is the first time in my life that I’ve heard of Iranian farmers who have to get rid of their stock. In general, chicken farmers follow a strict calendar that is dictated by the market. They need to know the number of birds that the market will need at least 40 days in advance [Editor’s note: That’s how long it takes for a chick to be hatched, grow up and be sent to the slaughterhouse]. Any obstacle that gets in the way of this system and schedule can lead to economic losses. At the moment, there are problems at all different stages of the production system. In Iran, 90% of chicken feed is imported. The pandemic has slowed production in countries like China and has also led to transportation issues. Chicken feed has actually become a rare commodity, which is particularly problematic for large poultry farms. The price of chicken feed has skyrocketed. Before Covid-10, I could buy enough to feed my animals for about 3,000 tomans a kilo [18 euro cents]. The price has doubled. At the same time, I can’t sell my chickens to distributors for more than 6,200 tomans a kilo [37 euro cents]. If you add in the expenses, then I end up losing 3,000 tomans per chicken.
#جوجه_زباله_نیست
گفته می شود؛ برخی مرغداری‌ها به دلیل جلوگیری از افزایش عرضه و در نتیجه کاهش قیمت مرغ، جوجه ها را بصورت زباله دفع می کنن.
به خاطر سودجویی هر بلایی سر زمین و سایر موجودات درونش در میاریم بعد اسممون هم اشرف مخلوقاته. pic.twitter.com/QaUQSHF7W3 پدر اژدها (@mehdijam56) April 17, 2020
"They are killing chickens to regulate the market,” says this social media user.
According to the Statistical Centre for Iran, the average market price for chickens in January, just before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, was 12,800 tomans per kilo, or 77 euro cents. By April, the price had fallen to 9,500 tomans, equivalent to 57 euro cents, a decrease of nearly 25%.
"No one knows what will happen in the next 40 days"
We are in the middle of a pandemic. The restaurants, the fast food chains, even the prisons who were our customers are no longer buying. The main importers of our products, Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar, aren’t buying either. What are we supposed to do? Feed the chicks until they weigh between 1.2 and 1.8 kilos, which is the market standard? Only to never sell them?
فیلم/ فریادهای تولیدکننده جوجه یکروزه جلوی استانداری: وزارت کشاورزی خوراک دارد اما به تولیدکننده نمیدهد، جوجه هایم را جلوی استانداری آذربایجان غربی آورده ام تا رایگان توزیع کنم! pic.twitter.com/gYqldZuR3U نودِ اقتصادی (@NavadeEghtesadi) April 20, 2020
This farmer in Urmia, which is located in northwestern Iran, is protesting in front of the governor’s office because he doesn’t have anything left to feed his chickens.
We don’t see things getting any better in the near future. No one knows what might happen in the next 40 days. Will we be able to buy chicken feed at a decent price? Will we be able to export it abroad? Will there be a second wave of Covid-19? Lots of my fellow farmers have already killed their chicks. Faced with the choice of either killing them or spending the money to feed them for 40 days, only to then have to sell them for next to nothing, most of them decided to kill them.
واسه كشتن ???????????? گفتندبرای خوراك طيور در مضیقه بودند ، چیزی که قابل قبول نیست وقتی روستائیانی هستند که میتونند جوجه ها رو نگهداری کنند
الان تخم مرغ ها رو معدوم میکنند ،درحالی که شکم های گرسنه زیادی در ایران وجود دارند
آیا دستهایی برای گرانتر کردن مرغ و تخم مرغ هست ؟؟؟#روحانی pic.twitter.com/1FuR8esq2V Forough ????????????⚕???????? (@dr_forough) April 19, 2020
This video shows farmers destroying their eggs so they don’t get too many chicks.
Of course, this footage is just horrible. They could use a much less painful method to kill the animals. But these farmers have to choose between letting their employees go or killing these chicks.
Videos spark widespread criticism of farmers
Many people on social media didn’t buy the economic arguments made by the farmers and reacted angrily on Twitter or Telegram. "They could give these chicks to poor families who could feed and raise them themselves and then eat them later,” one commented. Another suggested that the chickens should be “set free so that they can participate in the natural cycle and be eaten by predators.”
Kaveh responded to this criticism:
Before judging, you need to know what you are talking about. Lots of zoonotic diseases [Editor’s note: diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans] can be transmitted from chickens to humans. Giving these chickens away could cause another health crisis in addition to the one we are already experiencing. These chickens need to be vaccinated first, and that costs money. And chicks need special care. Around 90% of them would die in the first few days if we just gave them away. There are similar reasons for why we can’t just let these animals go wild. They might spread diseases to other animals, including Newcastle disease [Editor’s note: a disease that causes digestive problems and listlessness in chickens.] This could kill a variety of species in nature.
The videos of farmers slaughtering chicks ended up having an impact. On April 19, President Hassan Rohani ordered the Minister of Intelligence Mahmoud Alavi to identify and charge the farmers responsible for these mass killings.
Article by Ershad Alijani


france24--2020-05-05--UK is Europe’s worst-hit country by Covid-19, as official death toll tops 32,000

A cyclist at Broadway Market in London on May 3 , 2020 , amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease ( Covid-19 ) .
Britain has overtaken Italy to report the highest official death toll from coronavirus in Europe with more than 32,000 deaths , figures released on Tuesday showed .
The high death toll could increase political pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson , who waited longer than other European leaders to order a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus in March .
Weekly figures from Britain 's national statistics office added more than 7,000 deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the United Kingdom to 32,313 .
The figure is one of several methods for calculating deaths and is difficult to compare with other countries , but it offers the clearest sign yet that Britain could emerge as the worst-hit country in Europe , despite being hit later than other countries .
Opposition parties have raised questions about Johnson 's initial decision to delay a lockdown at a time when hospitals in Italy were already being overrun .
They also say his government was too slow to introduce mass testing and provide enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure for deaths from coronavirus may be even higher .
The Office of National Statistics said 33,593 more people had died than average up to April 24 in England and Wales , compared to 27,365 cases in which coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificates .

Britain has overtaken Italy to report the highest official death toll from coronavirus in Europe with more than 32,000 deaths, figures released on Tuesday showed.
A cyclist at Broadway Market in London on May 3, 2020, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
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The high death toll could increase political pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who waited longer than other European leaders to order a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus in March.
Weekly figures from Britain's national statistics office added more than 7,000 deaths in England and Wales, raising the total for the United Kingdom to 32,313.
The figure is one of several methods for calculating deaths and is difficult to compare with other countries, but it offers the clearest sign yet that Britain could emerge as the worst-hit country in Europe, despite being hit later than other countries.
Opposition parties have raised questions about Johnson's initial decision to delay a lockdown at a time when hospitals in Italy were already being overrun.
They also say his government was too slow to introduce mass testing and provide enough protective equipment to hospitals.
The true figure for deaths from coronavirus may be even higher. The Office of National Statistics said 33,593 more people had died than average up to April 24 in England and Wales, compared to 27,365 cases in which coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificates.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-05--‘Today is wonderful’: Relief in Lagos as Nigeria emerges from Covid-19 lockdown

Nigerians take to the roads again in Lagos on May 4 , 2020 , after five weeks in lockdown over the coronavirus outbreak .
Africa ’ s biggest city , Lagos , returned to work on Monday at the end of a five-week coronavirus lockdown .
In the metropolis of 20 million , where exuberance and poverty live side by side , relief at being able to earn money once again was almost palpable , despite Nigeria 's mounting Covid-19 toll .
All shops seemed to be open , car parks were full and street hawkers selling cool drinks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wares on street corners as before , said AFP reporters .
Adewale Oluwa reopened his fruit and vegetable stall , carefully setting out a fine array of tomatoes .
By 10 am , his customers were out in force and laughter was in the air as old acquaintances spotted each other .
`` We were so impatient '' for the confinement to end , Oluwa said .
Minibus stations were as busy as before the lockdown , although touts wore masks as they called out to passengers .
Many people said they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 million out of Nigeria 's nearly 200 million population live below the poverty threshold .
For those without savings or working in the informal sector , the lockdown was a cruel blow .
`` It was really a big loss , '' Oluwa said .
`` You know , we sell perishable ( food ) , so we need to open every day .
So to lock down for weeks was ( a ) big issue for us . ''
Bus driver Ganiyu Ayinla said : `` It 's been over one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can now make money to take care of my family , '' he said , smiling as he braked at a busy stop to pick up passengers .
From the Ajegunle Tollgate , an area bordering Ogun State , a long queue of passengers waited to board .
Security agents and transport union officials were on hand to ensure drivers complied with directives requiring social distance , face masks , hand washing and use of hand sanitisers before boarding .
`` We will only allow passengers with a nose mask to enter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for water , soap and hand sanitisers for their passengers can operate .
Buses are also required to carry not more than 60 percent of their capacity , '' a police officer who gave his name as George , told AFP .
He said his team had prevented some 50 buses flouting the order on Monday morning .
Huge numbers of people rushed to the reopened banks to get money – many did not have an ATM card to withdraw from a cash machine .
`` Look at this mess , there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driver , Anderson Kiagbodo , observing hundreds of people milling outside a branch of GT Bank , with security guards standing impotently nearby .
`` Do n't be surprised if the spread of the virus explodes after this . ''
The stay-at-home order applied to Lagos , neighbouring Ogun state and the Nigerian national capital Abuja .
But in the face of mounting social distress and discontent , President Muhammadu Buhari last week ordered a `` phased and gradual easing , '' replacing the lockdown with an overnight curfew .
The relaxation has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given how easily the coronavirus spread and the poor state of Nigeria 's health system .
According to official figures , nearly 2,500 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Nigeria , leading to 87 deaths .
But as elsewhere , the true scale of the epidemic could be much greater , given the paucity of testing .
In the northern state of Kano , investigators determined that a spate of fatalities – previously described as `` mysterious deaths '' by the authorities – was largely caused by Covid-19 .
`` Coronavirus is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths in Kano , '' Nasiru Sani Gwarzo , whose team carried out door-to-door research , said on Sunday .
Gwarzo did not provide a figure for the fatalities , although gravediggers say they have been burying dozens of corpses per day .
Kano had seen a series of high-profile deaths including academics , bureaucrats , businessmen and traditional leaders .

Africa’s biggest city, Lagos, returned to work on Monday at the end of a five-week coronavirus lockdown.
Nigerians take to the roads again in Lagos on May 4, 2020, after five weeks in lockdown over the coronavirus outbreak.
Advertising Read more
In the metropolis of 20 million, where exuberance and poverty live side by side, relief at being able to earn money once again was almost palpable, despite Nigeria's mounting Covid-19 toll.
All shops seemed to be open, car parks were full and street hawkers selling cool drinks, grilled meat and vegetables were pitching their wares on street corners as before, said AFP reporters.
Adewale Oluwa reopened his fruit and vegetable stall, carefully setting out a fine array of tomatoes. By 10 am, his customers were out in force and laughter was in the air as old acquaintances spotted each other.
"We were so impatient" for the confinement to end, Oluwa said.
"Today is wonderful."
Minibus stations were as busy as before the lockdown, although touts wore masks as they called out to passengers.
‘Month of hunger’
Many people said they were glad to be back earning money – 80 million out of Nigeria's nearly 200 million population live below the poverty threshold.
For those without savings or working in the informal sector, the lockdown was a cruel blow.
"It was really a big loss," Oluwa said.
"You know, we sell perishable (food), so we need to open every day. So to lock down for weeks was (a) big issue for us."
Bus driver Ganiyu Ayinla said: "It's been over one month of hunger and suffering.
"I can now make money to take care of my family," he said, smiling as he braked at a busy stop to pick up passengers.
Guidelines for the eased lockdown!
Abuja • Lagos • Ogun | May 4th, 2020. pic.twitter.com/yFIjHgJcxK — Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) May 3, 2020
From the Ajegunle Tollgate, an area bordering Ogun State, a long queue of passengers waited to board.
Security agents and transport union officials were on hand to ensure drivers complied with directives requiring social distance, face masks, hand washing and use of hand sanitisers before boarding.
"We will only allow passengers with a nose mask to enter. And only drivers that make provision for water, soap and hand sanitisers for their passengers can operate. Buses are also required to carry not more than 60 percent of their capacity," a police officer who gave his name as George, told AFP.
He said his team had prevented some 50 buses flouting the order on Monday morning.
Huge numbers of people rushed to the reopened banks to get money – many did not have an ATM card to withdraw from a cash machine.
"Look at this mess, there's no social distancing," said a driver, Anderson Kiagbodo, observing hundreds of people milling outside a branch of GT Bank, with security guards standing impotently nearby.
"Don't be surprised if the spread of the virus explodes after this."
From lockdown to curfew
The stay-at-home order applied to Lagos, neighbouring Ogun state and the Nigerian national capital Abuja.
But in the face of mounting social distress and discontent, President Muhammadu Buhari last week ordered a "phased and gradual easing," replacing the lockdown with an overnight curfew.
The relaxation has triggered deep concern in some quarters, given how easily the coronavirus spread and the poor state of Nigeria's health system.
According to official figures, nearly 2,500 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Nigeria, leading to 87 deaths.
But as elsewhere, the true scale of the epidemic could be much greater, given the paucity of testing.
In the northern state of Kano, investigators determined that a spate of fatalities – previously described as "mysterious deaths" by the authorities – was largely caused by Covid-19.
"Coronavirus is presently the major cause of the mass deaths in Kano," Nasiru Sani Gwarzo, whose team carried out door-to-door research, said on Sunday.
Gwarzo did not provide a figure for the fatalities, although gravediggers say they have been burying dozens of corpses per day.
Kano had seen a series of high-profile deaths including academics, bureaucrats, businessmen and traditional leaders.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-05--WHO says no proof from US on ‘speculative’ claims virus came from Wuhan lab

The World Health Organization ( WHO ) is `` assured that this virus is natural in origin '' .
The World Health Organization said Monday that Washington had provided no evidence to support `` speculative '' claims by the US president that the new coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab .
`` We have not received any data or specific evidence from the United States government relating to the purported origin of the virus – so from our perspective , this remains speculative , '' WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told a virtual briefing .
Scientists believe the killer virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China late last year , possibly from a market in Wuhan selling exotic animals for meat .
Top US epidemiologist Anthony Fauci echoed the WHO 's statement in an interview published Monday evening by National Geographic .
`` If you look at the evolution of the virus in bats and what 's out there now , ( the scientific evidence ) is very , very strongly leaning toward this could not have been artificially or deliberately manipulated , '' Fauci told the magazine .
`` Everything about the stepwise evolution over time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evolved in nature and then jumped species , '' he said .
US President Donald Trump , increasingly critical of China 's management of the outbreak , claims to have proof it started in a Wuhan laboratory .
And US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said `` enormous evidence '' backed up that claim , although the US intelligence community last week said it would continue to study whether the outbreak stemmed from infected animal contact , or a lab accident .
China has vehemently denied suggestions the lab was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we would be very willing to receive any information that purports to the origin of the virus , '' Ryan said , stressing that this was `` a very important piece of public health information for future control .
`` If that data and evidence is available , then it will be for the United States government to decide whether and when it can be shared , but it is difficult for the WHO to operate in an information vacuum in that regard , '' he added .
The UN health agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Trump over accusations it initially downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak to shield China – has repeatedly said the virus clearly appears to have originated naturally from an animal source .
WHO expert Maria Van Kerkhove stressed during Monday 's briefing that there were some 15,000 full genome sequences of the novel coronavirus available , and `` from all of the evidence that we have seen ... this virus is of natural origin . ''
While coronaviruses generally originate in bats , both Van Kerkhove and Ryan stressed the importance of discovering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over to humans , and what animal served as an `` intermediary host '' along the way .
`` We need to understand more about that natural origin , and particularly about intermediate hosts , '' Ryan said .
It was important to know `` so that we can put in place the right public health and animal-human interface policies that will prevent this happening again , '' he stressed .
> > Covid-19 : How scientists are keeping politics out of the global race for a vaccine The WHO said last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part in Chinese investigations into the animal origins of the pandemic , which in a matter of months has killed more than 250,000 people worldwide .
`` We have offered , as we do with every case in every country , assistance with carrying out those investigations , '' Ryan said Monday .
`` We can learn from Chinese scientists , '' he said .
But he warned that if questions about the virus 's origin were `` projected as aggressive investigation of wrongdoing , than I believe that 's much more difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political issue .
`` Science needs to be at the centre , '' he said .
`` If we have a science-based investigation and a science-based enquiry as to what the origin species and the intermediate species are , then that will benefit everybody on the planet . ''

The World Health Organization said Monday that Washington had provided no evidence to support "speculative" claims by the US president that the new coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is "assured that this virus is natural in origin".
Advertising Read more
"We have not received any data or specific evidence from the United States government relating to the purported origin of the virus – so from our perspective, this remains speculative," WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told a virtual briefing.
Scientists believe the killer virus jumped from animals to humans, emerging in China late last year, possibly from a market in Wuhan selling exotic animals for meat.
Top US epidemiologist Anthony Fauci echoed the WHO's statement in an interview published Monday evening by National Geographic.
"If you look at the evolution of the virus in bats and what's out there now, (the scientific evidence) is very, very strongly leaning toward this could not have been artificially or deliberately manipulated," Fauci told the magazine.
"Everything about the stepwise evolution over time strongly indicates that (this virus) evolved in nature and then jumped species," he said.
BREAKING: #Fauci in exclusive @NatGeo interview today: No scientific evidence the #coronavirus was made in a Chinese lab.
He also warns against reopening states too fast, and says we must spend summer prepping tests, ventilators & PPE for fall wave https://t.co/FrCGOhg2gT — Indira Lakshmanan (@Indira_L) May 5, 2020
US President Donald Trump, increasingly critical of China's management of the outbreak, claims to have proof it started in a Wuhan laboratory.
And US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said "enormous evidence" backed up that claim, although the US intelligence community last week said it would continue to study whether the outbreak stemmed from infected animal contact, or a lab accident.
China has vehemently denied suggestions the lab was the source.
"Like any evidence-based organization, we would be very willing to receive any information that purports to the origin of the virus," Ryan said, stressing that this was "a very important piece of public health information for future control.
"If that data and evidence is available, then it will be for the United States government to decide whether and when it can be shared, but it is difficult for the WHO to operate in an information vacuum in that regard," he added.
Science at the centre
The UN health agency – which has also faced scathing criticism from Trump over accusations it initially downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak to shield China – has repeatedly said the virus clearly appears to have originated naturally from an animal source.
WHO expert Maria Van Kerkhove stressed during Monday's briefing that there were some 15,000 full genome sequences of the novel coronavirus available, and "from all of the evidence that we have seen... this virus is of natural origin."
While coronaviruses generally originate in bats, both Van Kerkhove and Ryan stressed the importance of discovering how the virus that causes COVID-19 crossed over to humans, and what animal served as an "intermediary host" along the way.
"We need to understand more about that natural origin, and particularly about intermediate hosts," Ryan said.
It was important to know "so that we can put in place the right public health and animal-human interface policies that will prevent this happening again," he stressed.
>> Covid-19: How scientists are keeping politics out of the global race for a vaccine
The WHO said last week it wanted to be invited to take part in Chinese investigations into the animal origins of the pandemic, which in a matter of months has killed more than 250,000 people worldwide.
"We have offered, as we do with every case in every country, assistance with carrying out those investigations," Ryan said Monday.
"We can learn from Chinese scientists," he said.
But he warned that if questions about the virus's origin were "projected as aggressive investigation of wrongdoing, than I believe that's much more difficult to deal with. That is a political issue.
"Science needs to be at the centre," he said.
"If we have a science-based investigation and a science-based enquiry as to what the origin species and the intermediate species are, then that will benefit everybody on the planet."
(AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-05-04--Who pays for it? Europe’s response to Covid-19 crisis

Who pays for it ?
Europe ’ s response to Covid-19 crisis Is it already too late for the European @ @ @ @ @ and prevent a repeat of the debt spiral triggered by the financial crisis in 2008 @ @ @ @ @ Trichet and ex-Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis sharply disagree on whether there ’ s still @ @ @ @ @ reach a consensus and fill the global leadership vacuum in the face of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ co-founder of Jubilee 2000 , argues that the best way out of the crisis is @ @ @ @ @ at decent wages .
How to turn this crisis into an opportunity ; to review @ @ @ @ @ of doing business and the role of citizens and governments ?
> > The Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ and for how long ?
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Who pays for it? Europe’s response to Covid-19 crisis
43:38 THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24
Is it already too late for the European Union to seize the initiative and prevent a repeat of the debt spiral triggered by the financial crisis in 2008? Former ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet and ex-Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis sharply disagree on whether there’s still time for the EU to reach a consensus and fill the global leadership vacuum in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Ann Pettifor, co-founder of Jubilee 2000, argues that the best way out of the crisis is to put citizens to work at decent wages.