hotair--2020-03-20--Here's what's in store for New York starting this week; <span class='red'>Update: "Deluge" begins</s

Here's what's in store for New York starting this week; Update: "Deluge" begins

Sky News went to northern Italy to see what it looks like when an entire region ’ s hospitals are filled with people dying in a pneumonia epidemic .
This is what they found .
Watch , then read on .
One projection this morning estimated that all beds in New York City hospitals will be occupied by this coming Tuesday .
The Wall Street Journal says the situation is already dire , with New York doctors noticing the same thing as the Italian doctors in the Sky News clip : People sick with COVID-19 go downhill fast .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Mangala Narasimhan , a doctor at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center , part of Northwell Health , the largest hospital system in New York .
“ I ’ ve been in ICU care for 15 years , and this is the worst I have ever seen things.
” … With the onslaught has come a surprise for many health-care workers : Far more young people than they expected are falling very ill .
According to data published Friday morning by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city at the time involved patients under the age of 50… The swiftness in which patients turn from mildly sick to struggling to breathe and requiring a ventilator is shocking , health-care workers said .
“ Things have gotten really bad this past week , ” one Manhattan nurse said .
“ We ’ re all on edge.
” It would be a small mercy if the age disparity in death rates also extended to hospitalizations , with few younger adults needing ER care so that gurneys were open for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re seeing in NYC , though .
It may be that the percentage of under-50s who need emergency care is small relative to the percentage that ’ s infected , but the raw number isn ’ t .
And that wouldn ’ t be great news even if it were true , as it would mean a lot of under-50s who don ’ t need the ER to recover are out there passing the virus around .
Anyway , now we know why Cuomo finally gave that shelter-in-place order .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients right now is to strangle all activity in New York .
NYC is giving its economy high doses of radiation in hopes of sending its COVID-19 cancer into remission .
The remission had better start soon : The Journal ’ s story also flagged a major shortage of protective equipment in New York , with some doctors forced to reuse masks and gowns .
The most urgent shortage is the shortage of masks since they ’ re the most basic form of protection for medical personnel .
And we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now : How will that shortage be eased ?
One near-term way to do it is start buying back masks from dentists and veterinarians and redeploying them to hospitals .
Another is to have the FDA ease off on inspection protocols : According to Tom Rogan , there are pallets of medical supplies — including masks — sitting in warehouses right now that can ’ t go out because an FDA inspector hasn ’ t approved them yet .
The bill Trump signed on Wednesday will also help by allowing manufacturers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear of legal liability .
And then there ’ s the “ wartime mobilization ” factor , with 3M announcing today that it ’ s doubled its mask production to roughly 100 million per month .
There are masks in Chinese factories too , of course .
But they ’ re hoarding those masks for themselves : China made half the world ’ s masks before the coronavirus emerged there , and it has expanded production nearly 12-fold since then .
But it has claimed mask factory output for itself .
Purchases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world ’ s supply from elsewhere .
Now , worries about mask supplies are rising .
As the virus ’ s global spread escalates , governments around the world are restricting exports of protective gear , which experts say could worsen the pandemic… Other manufacturers say the Chinese government is still claiming all the masks that their factories in the country make .
“ Mask exports are still not authorized , but we are following the situation every day , ” said Guillaume Laverdure , chief operating officer of Medicom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks a day at its Shanghai factory .
It ’ s curious that the ChiComs are still clinging to protective equipment at a moment when they ’ re crowing about having zero native infections of coronavirus .
Either they ’ re lying about having contained the disease and want the masks for a second wave or they ’ re deliberately withholding masks in order to worsen the crisis in the west , a little “ bonus ” for the world after the Chinese government ’ s incompetence and secrecy gifted it a pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course — they ’ re lying about having the epidemic under control and they want to make things as painful as possible for the U.S. and Europe .
I don ’ t mean to suggest by focusing on the shortage in NYC that this isn ’ t a problem everywhere .
It is .
New York is the site of the biggest outbreak right now but the Times reported last night that a clinic in St. Paul , Minnesota is considering closing down entirely because they lack protective gear for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lack of gear to fighting a war without ammo .
Some doctors are reusing the same mask over and over with intermittent treatments of Lysol in hopes that that ’ ll keep them protected .
Meanwhile , the feds ’ order for 500 million N95 masks imagines incremental delivery over a span of … 18 months , which is right around the time we should be getting past this crisis anyway thanks to a vaccine .
It ’ s all too little and much too late .
Good luck to heroic MDs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treating the sick but in trying not to die themselves .
And to pharmacists too : They also need masks to produce sterile medications for vulnerable groups like senior citizens .
Not gon na have a ready supply for awhile .
Update : It ’ s already bad .
I can ’ t imagine what it ’ ll be like on Monday .
In the Bronx , doctors at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center say they have only a few remaining ventilators for patients who need them to breathe .
In Brooklyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say they are so low on supplies that they are reusing masks for up to a week , slathering them with hand sanitizer between shifts… As it prepares for the worst-case projections , the state is asking retired health care workers to volunteer to help .
The city is considering trying to turn the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan into a makeshift hospital .
“ The most striking part is the speed with which it has ramped up , ” said Ben McVane , an emergency room doctor at Elmhurst Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a small trickle of patients to a deluge of patients in our departments.
” State officials think the peak won ’ t come until … early May .

Sky News went to northern Italy to see what it looks like when an entire region’s hospitals are filled with people dying in a pneumonia epidemic. This is what they found. Watch, then read on.
One projection this morning estimated that all beds in New York City hospitals will be occupied by this coming Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal says the situation is already dire, with New York doctors noticing the same thing as the Italian doctors in the Sky News clip: People sick with COVID-19 go downhill fast.
“We’re getting pounded,” said Mangala Narasimhan, a doctor at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, part of Northwell Health, the largest hospital system in New York. “I’ve been in ICU care for 15 years, and this is the worst I have ever seen things.”… With the onslaught has come a surprise for many health-care workers: Far more young people than they expected are falling very ill. According to data published Friday morning by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 56% of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the city at the time involved patients under the age of 50… The swiftness in which patients turn from mildly sick to struggling to breathe and requiring a ventilator is shocking, health-care workers said. “Things have gotten really bad this past week,” one Manhattan nurse said. “We’re all on edge.”
It would be a small mercy if the age disparity in death rates also extended to hospitalizations, with few younger adults needing ER care so that gurneys were open for the elderly. That’s not what they’re seeing in NYC, though. It may be that the percentage of under-50s who need emergency care is small relative to the percentage that’s infected, but the raw number isn’t. And that wouldn’t be great news even if it were true, as it would mean a lot of under-50s who don’t need the ER to recover are out there passing the virus around.
Anyway, now we know why Cuomo finally gave that shelter-in-place order. The only way to slow the stream of patients right now is to strangle all activity in New York. NYC is giving its economy high doses of radiation in hopes of sending its COVID-19 cancer into remission.
The remission had better start soon:
Here’s the latest influenza surveillance data from NYC. These are people in hospitals reporting Influenza Like Ilness (ILI). As you can see we’ve now shot past the peak of flu season. This is why this is not like the flu. pic.twitter.com/WRw1tTxa3H — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) March 19, 2020
This is what NYC needs by early April: * 3m N95 masks
* 50m surgical masks
* 15k ventilators
* 25m each of:
– surgical gowns
– cover-alls
– gloves
– face masks We make none of these things in NYC. We need the federal gov't to mobilize production immediately. — Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) March 19, 2020
The Journal’s story also flagged a major shortage of protective equipment in New York, with some doctors forced to reuse masks and gowns. The most urgent shortage is the shortage of masks since they’re the most basic form of protection for medical personnel. And we don’t want medical personnel to be without protection right now:
THREAD: How can we protect healthcare workers? Evidence suggests risks of #COVID19 to providers grow when healthcare systems get overwhelmed. In Italy 9% of all infections are among medical personnel. In Lombardy alone, 20% of providers were infected. https://t.co/X4AW974blR 1/n pic.twitter.com/jPk04SVa27 — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 19, 2020
How will that shortage be eased? One near-term way to do it is start buying back masks from dentists and veterinarians and redeploying them to hospitals. Another is to have the FDA ease off on inspection protocols: According to Tom Rogan, there are pallets of medical supplies — including masks — sitting in warehouses right now that can’t go out because an FDA inspector hasn’t approved them yet. The bill Trump signed on Wednesday will also help by allowing manufacturers to sell masks directly to health-care workers without fear of legal liability. And then there’s the “wartime mobilization” factor, with 3M announcing today that it’s doubled its mask production to roughly 100 million per month.
There are masks in Chinese factories too, of course. But they’re hoarding those masks for themselves:
China made half the world’s masks before the coronavirus emerged there, and it has expanded production nearly 12-fold since then. But it has claimed mask factory output for itself. Purchases and donations also brought China a big chunk of the world’s supply from elsewhere. Now, worries about mask supplies are rising. As the virus’s global spread escalates, governments around the world are restricting exports of protective gear, which experts say could worsen the pandemic… Other manufacturers say the Chinese government is still claiming all the masks that their factories in the country make. “Mask exports are still not authorized, but we are following the situation every day,” said Guillaume Laverdure, chief operating officer of Medicom, a Canadian manufacturer that makes three million masks a day at its Shanghai factory.
It’s curious that the ChiComs are still clinging to protective equipment at a moment when they’re crowing about having zero native infections of coronavirus. Either they’re lying about having contained the disease and want the masks for a second wave or they’re deliberately withholding masks in order to worsen the crisis in the west, a little “bonus” for the world after the Chinese government’s incompetence and secrecy gifted it a pandemic to begin with. Could be both, of course — they’re lying about having the epidemic under control and they want to make things as painful as possible for the U.S. and Europe.
I don’t mean to suggest by focusing on the shortage in NYC that this isn’t a problem everywhere. It is. New York is the site of the biggest outbreak right now but the Times reported last night that a clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota is considering closing down entirely because they lack protective gear for their staff. One doctor in California compared the lack of gear to fighting a war without ammo. Some doctors are reusing the same mask over and over with intermittent treatments of Lysol in hopes that that’ll keep them protected. Meanwhile, the feds’ order for 500 million N95 masks imagines incremental delivery over a span of … 18 months, which is right around the time we should be getting past this crisis anyway thanks to a vaccine.
It’s all too little and much too late. Good luck to heroic MDs and RNs everywhere, not just in treating the sick but in trying not to die themselves. And to pharmacists too: They also need masks to produce sterile medications for vulnerable groups like senior citizens. Not gonna have a ready supply for awhile.
Update: It’s already bad. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like on Monday.
In the Bronx, doctors at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center say they have only a few remaining ventilators for patients who need them to breathe. In Brooklyn, doctors at Kings County Hospital Center say they are so low on supplies that they are reusing masks for up to a week, slathering them with hand sanitizer between shifts… As it prepares for the worst-case projections, the state is asking retired health care workers to volunteer to help. The city is considering trying to turn the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan into a makeshift hospital. “The most striking part is the speed with which it has ramped up,” said Ben McVane, an emergency room doctor at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens. “It went from a small trickle of patients to a deluge of patients in our departments.”
State officials think the peak won’t come until … early May.


hotair--2020-03-20--Trump yells at NBC News reporter Peter Alexander during coronavirus briefing

Allahpundit mentioned this earlier but it appears this section of today ’ s briefing is really getting a lot of attention online .
During today ’ s White House coronavirus briefing NBC News reporter Peter Alexander said , “ Nearly 200 dead , 14,000 who are sick , millions , as you witnessed , who are scared right now .
What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared ?
” Trump replied , “ I say that you ’ re a terrible reporter .
That ’ s what I say .
I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I think it ’ s a very bad signal that you ’ re putting out to the American people .
“ The American people are looking for answer and they ’ re looking for hope and you ’ re doing sensationalism and the same with NBC and Concast…That ’ s really bad reporting and you ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism.
” Naturally , many in the media are rallying around their colleague : And politicians on the left are already using this to bash the president : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The question itself is the kind of thing most politicians have to deal with and most of them get pretty good at simply redirecting questions like this , even ones they find obnoxious .
Alexander was asked about the exchange on MSNBC and said he thought he was tossing the president a softball , i.e .
a chance to reassure people who are scared : As Alexander pointed out , later in the briefing he asked the same question to VP Pence and Pence gave a very different answer : Objectively , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It keeps the focus optimistic and doesn ’ t create a fresh distraction which the president ’ s critics can use to make the media the story instead of the virus .
Was there a bit of Acosta in that question from Alexander ?
Sure , but Trump should be used to handling that by now .
Recent polls show that Trump is doing well with voters since he has gotten more serious about the threat of the coronavirus .
His positive outlook is probably part of that .
Arguably , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts warrant in some cases , but I think , generally speaking , Americans prefer optimism to doom and gloom .
But you can ’ t let one question throw you off your game the way Trump did here .
He did a much better job yesterday when reporters kept asking why he calls it the “ Chinese virus ” and he calmly explained that he didn ’ t like China suggesting US soldiers were to blame .
Those were good answers .
Lashing out at the reporters would not have been helpful @

Allahpundit mentioned this earlier but it appears this section of today’s briefing is really getting a lot of attention online. During today’s White House coronavirus briefing NBC News reporter Peter Alexander said, “Nearly 200 dead, 14,000 who are sick, millions, as you witnessed, who are scared right now. What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?”
Trump replied, “I say that you’re a terrible reporter. That’s what I say. I think it’s a very nasty question. And I think it’s a very bad signal that you’re putting out to the American people.
“The American people are looking for answer and they’re looking for hope and you’re doing sensationalism and the same with NBC and Concast…That’s really bad reporting and you ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism.”
Here’s the exchange.
Naturally, many in the media are rallying around their colleague:
The president's attacks on our colleague are unfounded and the important mission we all have is to provide clear, factual information for the American public. That is the priority. — Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) March 20, 2020
Here's who @PeterAlexander is: after putting in a long day at the White House or delivering news on @TODAYshow or @NBCNightlyNews, he stops you to ask how you're doing, how your kids are. The decency you see on TV is just him coming through. It's why @NBCNews viewers trust him. — Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) March 20, 2020
CNN’s John King called it “bulls**t” on air:
Wow. Here’s John King describing Trump’s attack on Peter Alexander as “bullshit” pic.twitter.com/7HvcMgwENb — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 20, 2020
And politicians on the left are already using this to bash the president:
A real president would answer: We will tap into the immense talents of the American people to find effective treatments and a vaccine and produce all the ventilators and gear we need. We’ll respect and care for each other even at a distance. That‘s how we’ll get through this. https://t.co/IQM2IG3XQ5 — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 20, 2020
Unfortunately, the critics have a point. The question itself is the kind of thing most politicians have to deal with and most of them get pretty good at simply redirecting questions like this, even ones they find obnoxious. Alexander was asked about the exchange on MSNBC and said he thought he was tossing the president a softball, i.e. a chance to reassure people who are scared:
As Alexander pointed out, later in the briefing he asked the same question to VP Pence and Pence gave a very different answer:
I offered both Pres Trump and VP Pence an opportunity to reassure Americans. Simple question: “What do you say to Americans who are scared?” Trump, to me: “I say, you’re a terrible reporter.” Pence, an hour later: “Don’t be afraid. Be vigilant.” — Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) March 20, 2020
Objectively, that’s a much better response. It keeps the focus optimistic and doesn’t create a fresh distraction which the president’s critics can use to make the media the story instead of the virus. Was there a bit of Acosta in that question from Alexander? Sure, but Trump should be used to handling that by now.
Recent polls show that Trump is doing well with voters since he has gotten more serious about the threat of the coronavirus. His positive outlook is probably part of that. Arguably, he’s being more positive than the facts warrant in some cases, but I think, generally speaking, Americans prefer optimism to doom and gloom. But you can’t let one question throw you off your game the way Trump did here. He did a much better job yesterday when reporters kept asking why he calls it the “Chinese virus” and he calmly explained that he didn’t like China suggesting US soldiers were to blame. Those were good answers. Lashing out at the reporters would not have been helpful.


hotair--2020-03-20--Fauci: Don't get your hopes up for hydroxychloroquine just yet

I didn ’ t see all of today ’ s presser but apparently Trump ’ s irresistible urge towards hype collided with Fauci ’ s professional duty to provide accurate scientific information to produce this extremely Trumpy line : In hindsight I think it was a well-meaning mistake for Tucker Carlson to tout the limited data out of France on hydroxychloroquine on Wednesday night .
He ’ s been a voice of reason at Fox on the threat from the virus ; no one faults him for grasping at hope in such a bleak moment .
I ’ ve done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this very post .
The problem is that Tucker has one very special viewer and that viewer ( a ) has enormous influence over what many millions of people believe and ( b ) is prone to putting the happiest possible spin on everything he ’ s involved with .
Telling Trump that chloroquine holds promise is practically begging him to hype it as a potential miracle cure .
Here ’ s Fauci trying to manage MAGA Nation ’ s expectations today .
Watch , then read on .
At bottom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which we ’ re all already familiar from political polling : Outliers exist .
Sometimes you get a bad sample .
The polling average is always better than any individual poll because results that are replicated in multiple surveys are more likely to be correct than some one-off survey that may have used bad methodology .
Same here with the promising French study on hydroxychloroquine .
Maybe it really is 100 percent effective in tandem with an antibiotic in curing COVID-19 .
Or maybe , for whatever quirky reason , the French patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what clinical trials are for : The more “ polls ” we take of hydroxychloroquine , the more confident we can be in its approval rating , so to speak .
Those clinical trials are already being organized : The University of Minnesota is asking 1,500 people to sign up to a clinical trial to determine if hydroxychloroquine , a malaria medication , is effective in treating coronavirus .
The trial is being led by Dr. David Boulware .
He is asking for 1,500 people who have been recently exposed to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take part .
Ideally , they want to treat healthcare workers to hopefully provide a prevention from then catching the virus .
The French study suggests that chloroquine is effective in reducing illness among people who are already sick .
Boulware is interested in the drug as a prophylaxis : If you give it to front-line medical personnel before they make contact with coronavirus patients , will it keep them from getting sick ?
A sort of makeshift vaccine , in other words ?
Meanwhile , two pharmaceutical companies , Mylan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hydroxychloroquine , with Teva planning to donate six million doses to wholesalers due to “ urgent ” demand by the end of the month .
We ’ re going to have battlefield data soon on whether this drug works or not .
Although since it hasn ’ t been approved by the FDA yet for general use as a COVID-19 treatment , it ’ s only the most dire nothing-left-to-lose patients who ’ ll get it initially , I presume .
That ’ s not the only magic bullet doctors are focused on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news today about remdesivir , Gilead ’ s experimental antiviral drug : On Tuesday evening , the President of Italy ’ s Liguria region Giovanni Toti said the area had seen ‘ the first real case of coronavirus cured ’ , a 79-year-old man who was treated with remdesivir .
He is due to return to his home in Lombardy soon .
Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization said last month : “ There ’ s only one drug right now that we think may have real efficacy .
And that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which distributed the drug on a compassionate use basis to several hundred patients globally , expects to start its own late-stage trials this month .
Fauci ’ s cautions about clinical trials and proper scientific method are well taken , but given that hospitals in New York are about to be overrun , it ’ s impossible to imagine doctors not using remdesivir aggressively on far-gone “ compassionate use ” patients if they get good results early .
Imagine the FDA trying to hold back supply if , say , 80 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were expected to die experience a turnaround and recover .
Republicans don ’ t normally support having the feds cut thousand-dollar checks to every adult in the country , but these aren ’ t normal times .
Similarly , scientists and bureaucrats don ’ t normally condone expanding use of a drug on humans before it ’ s been clinically tested — but these aren ’ t normal times .
Especially when those same bureaucrats are under intense fire for having moved too slowly already in this crisis by not expanding testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While treatments are being tested , there ’ s also a global race to develop the first vaccine .
China claims to have 1,000 scientists working on it and is already recruiting , uh , “ volunteers ” for a clinical trial .
They ’ d love to win this moon race for propaganda reasons , to prove the alleged superiority of their system to the west ’ s .
Will they share the vaccine if they get there first ?
Quote : “ Any new vaccine that proves potent against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , China and Europe already — is sure to be in short supply as governments try to ensure that their own people are the first in line.
” In lieu of an exit question , here ’ s another moment from today ’ s briefing : Trump weirdly snapping at a reporter for asking a softball question about people being scared .

I didn’t see all of today’s presser but apparently Trump’s irresistible urge towards hype collided with Fauci’s professional duty to provide accurate scientific information to produce this extremely Trumpy line:
https://twitter.com/davidgura/status/1241040195060936704
In hindsight I think it was a well-meaning mistake for Tucker Carlson to tout the limited data out of France on hydroxychloroquine on Wednesday night. He’s been a voice of reason at Fox on the threat from the virus; no one faults him for grasping at hope in such a bleak moment. I’ve done it myself and will do it again in this very post. The problem is that Tucker has one very special viewer and that viewer (a) has enormous influence over what many millions of people believe and (b) is prone to putting the happiest possible spin on everything he’s involved with. Telling Trump that chloroquine holds promise is practically begging him to hype it as a potential miracle cure.
Here’s Fauci trying to manage MAGA Nation’s expectations today. Watch, then read on.
Dr. Fauci quickly corrects Trump’s misstatements about hydroxychloroquine pic.twitter.com/Piim1PQSdh — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 20, 2020
FAUCI: “The president feels optimistic about something — his feeling about it.” pic.twitter.com/wNzgV7P6EF — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 20, 2020
At bottom, Fauci’s making a point with which we’re all already familiar from political polling: Outliers exist. Sometimes you get a bad sample. The polling average is always better than any individual poll because results that are replicated in multiple surveys are more likely to be correct than some one-off survey that may have used bad methodology. Same here with the promising French study on hydroxychloroquine. Maybe it really is 100 percent effective in tandem with an antibiotic in curing COVID-19. Or maybe, for whatever quirky reason, the French patients who recovered were outliers. That’s what clinical trials are for: The more “polls” we take of hydroxychloroquine, the more confident we can be in its approval rating, so to speak.
Those clinical trials are already being organized:
The University of Minnesota is asking 1,500 people to sign up to a clinical trial to determine if hydroxychloroquine, a malaria medication, is effective in treating coronavirus. The trial is being led by Dr. David Boulware. He is asking for 1,500 people who have been recently exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 to come forward to take part. Ideally, they want to treat healthcare workers to hopefully provide a prevention from then catching the virus.
The French study suggests that chloroquine is effective in reducing illness among people who are already sick. Boulware is interested in the drug as a prophylaxis: If you give it to front-line medical personnel before they make contact with coronavirus patients, will it keep them from getting sick? A sort of makeshift vaccine, in other words? Meanwhile, two pharmaceutical companies, Mylan and Teva, are ramping up production of hydroxychloroquine, with Teva planning to donate six million doses to wholesalers due to “urgent” demand by the end of the month. We’re going to have battlefield data soon on whether this drug works or not. Although since it hasn’t been approved by the FDA yet for general use as a COVID-19 treatment, it’s only the most dire nothing-left-to-lose patients who’ll get it initially, I presume.
That’s not the only magic bullet doctors are focused on. There’s more anecdotal good news today about remdesivir, Gilead’s experimental antiviral drug:
On Tuesday evening, the President of Italy’s Liguria region Giovanni Toti said the area had seen ‘the first real case of coronavirus cured’, a 79-year-old man who was treated with remdesivir. He is due to return to his home in Lombardy soon. Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization said last month: “There’s only one drug right now that we think may have real efficacy. And that’s remdesivir.” Drug maker Gilead, which distributed the drug on a compassionate use basis to several hundred patients globally, expects to start its own late-stage trials this month.
Fauci’s cautions about clinical trials and proper scientific method are well taken, but given that hospitals in New York are about to be overrun, it’s impossible to imagine doctors not using remdesivir aggressively on far-gone “compassionate use” patients if they get good results early. Imagine the FDA trying to hold back supply if, say, 80 percent of the first 50 patients given this drug who were expected to die experience a turnaround and recover. Republicans don’t normally support having the feds cut thousand-dollar checks to every adult in the country, but these aren’t normal times. Similarly, scientists and bureaucrats don’t normally condone expanding use of a drug on humans before it’s been clinically tested — but these aren’t normal times.
Especially when those same bureaucrats are under intense fire for having moved too slowly already in this crisis by not expanding testing when it might have made a difference.
Another remdesivir success story:
Chris Kane, 55, was diagnosed with the coronavirus and hospitalized at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, this month. “He was really sick,” his wife, Susan Kane, told NBC News. “They put him on oxygen right away.”… Susan Kane said remdesivir appeared to work quickly for her husband, too. “On the very next day, he said: ‘You know, I think it’s lifting. I think I’m starting to feel better,'” she recalled.
While treatments are being tested, there’s also a global race to develop the first vaccine. China claims to have 1,000 scientists working on it and is already recruiting, uh, “volunteers” for a clinical trial. They’d love to win this moon race for propaganda reasons, to prove the alleged superiority of their system to the west’s. Will they share the vaccine if they get there first? Quote: “Any new vaccine that proves potent against the coronavirus — clinical trials are underway in the United States, China and Europe already — is sure to be in short supply as governments try to ensure that their own people are the first in line.”
In lieu of an exit question, here’s another moment from today’s briefing: Trump weirdly snapping at a reporter for asking a softball question about people being scared.


hotair--2020-03-20--Turnaround: Majority now approves Trump's coronavirus crisis management in ABC poll

What a difference a week makes .
Until a week or so ago , Donald Trump and his administration had tried to downplay the coronavirus crisis , and voters largely rejected it in ABC ’ s last poll .
After a series of get-tough measures that has Trump now discussing the COVID-19 fight as a “ war , ” the public has rallied to the president .
A double-digit majority now approve of Trump ’ s handling of the crisis in the latest ABC/Ipsos survey : A majority of Americans now approve of President Donald Trump ’ s handling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new survey , as the administration has issued stricter federal guidelines in recent days and the president has adopted a more public-facing role in combating the disease .
An ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday reports that 55 percent of respondents approve of Trump ’ s management of the public health crisis , while 43 percent disapprove .
The latest figures represent a boost in the president ’ s rating from the previous iteration of the survey , published one week ago , which showed only 43 percent approval for Trump and 54 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes in the wake of a variety of measures the president has taken since last Friday to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19 within the United States .
Trump has been widely criticized for his initial response to the pandemic as well as his administration ’ s inability to quickly ramp up testing in the U.S. Trump has declared a national emergency , expanded the European travel ban , urged people to avoid group gatherings of more than 10 people , signaled his support for dispensing checks to affected Americans , and invoked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has stopped short of actually triggering the statute .
The lesson here : Tone matters .
The administration misread public sentiment at first , and likely thought they could lead it themselves .
They wisely reconsidered and started taking a less partisan and more serious tone , as well as added daily briefings by Trump himself to outline in detail all the steps they have been taking .
The dramatic turnaround in polling reflects that strategy change , and perhaps also the success the White House has had in employing a forward strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crisis , people want leaders to take charge .
Almost as importantly , they want to see leaders take charge .
That would explain the big change from one week to the next in this ABC/Ipsos poll series .
It also makes mince meat of the media ’ s obsession over Trump ’ s use of “ Chinese virus ” this past week .
Clearly , that ’ s not what Americans think is the most pressing issue of this crisis .
With that heightened focus comes heightened concerns , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether that ’ s from Trump ’ s shift or just over news of the disease ’ s progression .
A week ago , 66 % were concerned that they or someone they know would be infected with the coronavirus , with 26 % very concerned .
This week it ’ s 79 % with 34 % very concerned .
This might have something to do with heightened concerns , too .
Look how dramatically the workplace environment has changed over the last week : There ’ s a 19-point drop in people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a week .
A little over two-thirds of that drop are able to work from home , but almost a third are no longer employed as a result .
Furthermore , the social-engagement cancellation level has skyrocketed from 26 % to 72 % in one week as well .
People are bound to feel more unsettled in this rapidly shifting crisis , which is why they respond to a display of strong leadership — and don ’ t respond to missing leadership .
It ’ s possible to overdo it , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider while mulling over a national-shutdown order .
This is also likely a short-term boost , a rally-around-the-leader-who ’ s-leading effect that will evaporate if the administration can ’ t find some short-term wins and longer-term success in curtailing the disease ’ s spread and lethality .
In the meantime , though , this gives Trump significant political capital in dealing with Congress to get the kind of emergency action he needs .

What a difference a week makes. Until a week or so ago, Donald Trump and his administration had tried to downplay the coronavirus crisis, and voters largely rejected it in ABC’s last poll. After a series of get-tough measures that has Trump now discussing the COVID-19 fight as a “war,” the public has rallied to the president. A double-digit majority now approve of Trump’s handling of the crisis in the latest ABC/Ipsos survey:
A majority of Americans now approve of President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey, as the administration has issued stricter federal guidelines in recent days and the president has adopted a more public-facing role in combating the disease. An ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday reports that 55 percent of respondents approve of Trump’s management of the public health crisis, while 43 percent disapprove. The latest figures represent a boost in the president’s rating from the previous iteration of the survey, published one week ago, which showed only 43 percent approval for Trump and 54 percent disapproval. The uptick in public sentiment comes in the wake of a variety of measures the president has taken since last Friday to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19 within the United States. Trump has been widely criticized for his initial response to the pandemic as well as his administration’s inability to quickly ramp up testing in the U.S. Trump has declared a national emergency, expanded the European travel ban, urged people to avoid group gatherings of more than 10 people, signaled his support for dispensing checks to affected Americans, and invoked the Defense Production Act — although he has stopped short of actually triggering the statute.
The lesson here: Tone matters. The administration misread public sentiment at first, and likely thought they could lead it themselves. They wisely reconsidered and started taking a less partisan and more serious tone, as well as added daily briefings by Trump himself to outline in detail all the steps they have been taking. The dramatic turnaround in polling reflects that strategy change, and perhaps also the success the White House has had in employing a forward strategy of transparency in the crisis.
In a crisis, people want leaders to take charge. Almost as importantly, they want to see leaders take charge. That would explain the big change from one week to the next in this ABC/Ipsos poll series. It also makes mince meat of the media’s obsession over Trump’s use of “Chinese virus” this past week. Clearly, that’s not what Americans think is the most pressing issue of this crisis.
With that heightened focus comes heightened concerns, however, although it’s tough to know whether that’s from Trump’s shift or just over news of the disease’s progression. A week ago, 66% were concerned that they or someone they know would be infected with the coronavirus, with 26% very concerned. This week it’s 79% with 34% very concerned.
This might have something to do with heightened concerns, too. Look how dramatically the workplace environment has changed over the last week:
There’s a 19-point drop in people working in their normal place of employment in a week. A little over two-thirds of that drop are able to work from home, but almost a third are no longer employed as a result. Furthermore, the social-engagement cancellation level has skyrocketed from 26% to 72% in one week as well.
People are bound to feel more unsettled in this rapidly shifting crisis, which is why they respond to a display of strong leadership — and don’t respond to missing leadership. It’s possible to overdo it, which is something the White House has to consider while mulling over a national-shutdown order. This is also likely a short-term boost, a rally-around-the-leader-who’s-leading effect that will evaporate if the administration can’t find some short-term wins and longer-term success in curtailing the disease’s spread and lethality. In the meantime, though, this gives Trump significant political capital in dealing with Congress to get the kind of emergency action he needs.


hotair--2020-03-20--Kinsa's website mapping areas of "atypical illness" in the U.S. is now live

If you read this post from Wednesday about using smart thermometers to insta-detect local outbreaks of COVID-19 , you already know exactly what this is .
If you didn ’ t , stop here and read it .
It ’ s worth it .
Here ’ s their new website , as promised : healthweather.us .
Bookmark it .
All of the data on the map comes from Kinsa smart thermometers , which log temperatures of users and then relay that data to Kinsa HQ to be aggregated and logged .
The company can “ see ” clusters of fever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words .
And now we can too .
You can use the map to view “ observed illness ” or “ atypical illness , ” which compares the current rate of fever to what the rate is in normal times based on historical data .
( Scroll down beneath the map and you ’ ll see a graph showing just how far the current rate deviates from the normal rate . )
You can also search by zip code or county to see what your own backyard looks like , or view the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York is the focus of most of the country ’ s attention because of the soaring number of positive tests there , but if Kinsa is right then we have a big — big — problem brewing in Florida .
Which is the last place anyone wants a big coronavirus problem given the disproportionate number of senior citizens there .
One problem with the map is that there ’ s insufficient data for many counties .
Not everyone has a Kinsa at home , of course , and poorer places may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run a little more expensive than the cheapest options on the market .
I assume the company ’ s customers also skew younger since older people who are less tech-savvy might shy away from smart thermometers .
Nor does the map ( yet ) have a feature that lets you see growth in atypical illness in real time .
A week from now , it ’ d be nice to be able to view at a glance which counties have experienced an increase in atypical illness over the past seven days .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change over time , though .
Check this out : King County was the site of one of the biggest outbreaks in America earlier this month .
You can see the rate of illness rise out of the “ typical ” range … and then begin to fall , to the point where it ’ s now tracking back in range .
I repeat my question from yesterday : Has Seattle flattened the curve ?
Here ’ s the data for Manhattan .
As you can see , the rate of illness is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate is coming down .
I checked the other four boroughs of NYC and they ’ re all following the same trend , atypical but declining back towards typical rates in the past few days .
Social distancing seems to be working .
For now .
The Kinsa site could be a valuable resource , and the more people who use their product , the greater it ’ ll be .
Good luck finding thermometers for sale anywhere right now , though .
I ’ ll leave you with this thought : According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are a little over 14,000 confirmed cases in the United States .
According to the best estimates of modelers , though , there were something like 80,000 actual cases as of three days ago , in line with the official numbers from China .

If you read this post from Wednesday about using smart thermometers to insta-detect local outbreaks of COVID-19, you already know exactly what this is. If you didn’t, stop here and read it. It’s worth it.
Here’s their new website, as promised: healthweather.us. Bookmark it. All of the data on the map comes from Kinsa smart thermometers, which log temperatures of users and then relay that data to Kinsa HQ to be aggregated and logged. The company can “see” clusters of fever among its customers instantly, in other words. And now we can too.
You can use the map to view “observed illness” or “atypical illness,” which compares the current rate of fever to what the rate is in normal times based on historical data. (Scroll down beneath the map and you’ll see a graph showing just how far the current rate deviates from the normal rate.) You can also search by zip code or county to see what your own backyard looks like, or view the whole United States if you like.
New York is the focus of most of the country’s attention because of the soaring number of positive tests there, but if Kinsa is right then we have a big — big — problem brewing in Florida. Which is the last place anyone wants a big coronavirus problem given the disproportionate number of senior citizens there.
One problem with the map is that there’s insufficient data for many counties. Not everyone has a Kinsa at home, of course, and poorer places may be less likely to have them since they run a little more expensive than the cheapest options on the market. I assume the company’s customers also skew younger since older people who are less tech-savvy might shy away from smart thermometers. Nor does the map (yet) have a feature that lets you see growth in atypical illness in real time. A week from now, it’d be nice to be able to view at a glance which counties have experienced an increase in atypical illness over the past seven days.
The little graph beneath the map does show change over time, though. Check this out:
King County was the site of one of the biggest outbreaks in America earlier this month. You can see the rate of illness rise out of the “typical” range … and then begin to fall, to the point where it’s now tracking back in range. I repeat my question from yesterday: Has Seattle flattened the curve?
Here’s the data for Manhattan. As you can see, the rate of illness is very much atypical — but:
That rate is coming down. I checked the other four boroughs of NYC and they’re all following the same trend, atypical but declining back towards typical rates in the past few days. Social distancing seems to be working. For now.
The Kinsa site could be a valuable resource, and the more people who use their product, the greater it’ll be. Good luck finding thermometers for sale anywhere right now, though. I’ll leave you with this thought: According to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracking website, there are a little over 14,000 confirmed cases in the United States. According to the best estimates of modelers, though, there were something like 80,000 actual cases as of three days ago, in line with the official numbers from China.


hotair--2020-03-20--Seeing germs: How viruses spread from person to person

You may remember the guy in this video below .
Mark Rober is the engineer who created the porch pirate glitter bomb back in December of 2018 .
He also created a sequel last year .
Rober ’ s most recent video , which was published Wednesday , is about how easily germs can spread from person to person and from your hands to your face .
In order to simulate this , Rober used a glowing powder that is invisible under normal light but which fluoresces under a black light .
This particular experiment took place in a school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an office , a grocery store or anywhere more than a dozen people gather together in a given space .
As you ’ ll see , Rober started by putting the powder on the hands of just two people , the teacher and one student .
After a while he used his black light to see where signs of the “ infection ” had been left behind and , not surprisingly , it was everywhere .
That didn ’ t come as much of a surprise .
The really creepy part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) is what comes next .
If you ’ ve ever had a dog or cat that has had some sort of surgery , you ’ re already familiar with the cone of shame .
We put these on our animals with the idea that , unlike us , they aren ’ t smart enough to control their natural inclination to nibble at any stitches they might have .
But it turns out when it comes to not touching our own faces in the midst of a pandemic , we ’ re probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rober put the powder on his own hands and then did his very best not to touch his face for a few hours .
The result : A complete failure .
Despite his sense that he was making an extraordinary effort to remember not to touch his face , it turned out he got the invisible powder everywhere .
I suspect if we were to wear bulky mittens as the human equivalent of a cone of shame , must of us would be shocked at how often we were sticking the mittens in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only thing that works is some social distancing and that ’ s why California , New York , and other areas are simply telling everyone to stay home and wash your hands frequently .

You may remember the guy in this video below. Mark Rober is the engineer who created the porch pirate glitter bomb back in December of 2018. He also created a sequel last year. Rober’s most recent video, which was published Wednesday, is about how easily germs can spread from person to person and from your hands to your face.
In order to simulate this, Rober used a glowing powder that is invisible under normal light but which fluoresces under a black light. This particular experiment took place in a school setting but the same thing obviously applies to an office, a grocery store or anywhere more than a dozen people gather together in a given space.
As you’ll see, Rober started by putting the powder on the hands of just two people, the teacher and one student. After a while he used his black light to see where signs of the “infection” had been left behind and, not surprisingly, it was everywhere.
That didn’t come as much of a surprise. The really creepy part of this video (at least to me) is what comes next. If you’ve ever had a dog or cat that has had some sort of surgery, you’re already familiar with the cone of shame. We put these on our animals with the idea that, unlike us, they aren’t smart enough to control their natural inclination to nibble at any stitches they might have.
But it turns out when it comes to not touching our own faces in the midst of a pandemic, we’re probably no better than dogs and cats. Rober put the powder on his own hands and then did his very best not to touch his face for a few hours. The result: A complete failure. Despite his sense that he was making an extraordinary effort to remember not to touch his face, it turned out he got the invisible powder everywhere.
I suspect if we were to wear bulky mittens as the human equivalent of a cone of shame, must of us would be shocked at how often we were sticking the mittens in our own faces.
So really, the only thing that works is some social distancing and that’s why California, New York, and other areas are simply telling everyone to stay home and wash your hands frequently.


hotair--2020-03-20--ICE halts deportations, DOJ closes immigration courts due to COVID-19

On Wednesday , U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) announced a temporary halt in some of its deportation efforts in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
The agency ’ s priority will be to focus on those determined to be a safety risk or under mandatory deportation order due to criminal history .
In other words , now is the time to focus on those who pose the most danger to local communities while encouraging those needing testing or treatment to seek it without fear of being rounded up for deportation .
ICE released a statement explaining the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as outlining what the priorities will be going forward .
To ensure the welfare and safety of the general public as well as officers and agents in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response , U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) will temporarily adjust its enforcement posture beginning today , March 18 , 2020 .
ICE ’ s highest priorities are to promote life-saving and public safety activities .
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations ( ERO ) will focus enforcement on public safety risks and individuals subject to mandatory detention based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who do not fall into those categories , ERO will exercise discretion to delay enforcement actions until after the crisis or utilize alternatives to detention , as appropriate .
Homeland Security Investigations will continue to carry out mission critical criminal investigations and enforcement operations as determined necessary to maintain public safety and national security .
Examples include investigations into child exploitation , gangs , narcotics trafficking , human trafficking , human smuggling , and continued participation on the Joint Terrorism Task Force .
This work will be conducted based on ability to coordinate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Justice and intake at both the U.S .
Marshals Service and Bureau of Prisons .
Consistent with its sensitive locations policy , during the COVID-19 crisis , ICE will not carry out enforcement operations at or near health care facilities , such as hospitals , doctors ’ offices , accredited health clinics , and emergent or urgent care facilities , except in the most extraordinary of circumstances .
Individuals should not avoid seeking medical care because they fear civil immigration enforcement .
It makes sense for now for immigration enforcement resources to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aliens .
Those who pose less risk or are living normal lives – except for being in the country illegally – should seek testing and treatment if it is warranted in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 to others .
Emergency situations require prioritizing responses .
Investigations will continue into child exploitation , gangs , narcotics trafficking , human trafficking , and terrorism .
There are approximately 37,000 current immigration detainees .
ICE will focus on people who are subject to mandatory detention because of their criminal convictions .
Essentially this puts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was on during the Obama administration – the “ felons not families ” approach of deportations .
Claiming “ widespread misreporting , ” on Thursday Acting Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli clarified the temporary policy .
The policy protects ICE agents from unnecessary exposure to the virus as well as continuing to uphold the law .
“ The health and safety of Americans is paramount .
Thus , ICE will , as it has during other times of crisis , conduct enforcement operations that protect our communities and uphold our laws .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prioritize arresting and removing criminal aliens and other aliens who pose a threat to public safety , just as it always has during President Trump ’ s administration , ” he said .
“ That does not mean that no other removable aliens will in fact be removed , but during the current public health situation , removals will be done in such a way as to minimize the exposure of our agents and of the removable aliens we are encountering , ” he said .
“ ICE will exercise its law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dangers presented by COVID-19 , while maintaining the safety and security of the communities it has sworn to protect.
” Immigration lawyers and labor unions representing ICE prosecutors and immigration judges joined together to call for a suspension of immigration court schedules .
Court officials have canceled all hearings except for those already detained .
As of Tuesday , there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in ICE detention facilities .
In order to keep it that way , visits to detainees have been suspended .
Nonetheless , a lawsuit has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to protect them from COVID-19 , citing the close quarters .
The detainees are mostly adults but some are elderly and there are some families with children .
ACLU ’ s National Prison Project is working for the release of detainees .
Attorneys cite that lives are endangered in the close quarters of detention centers .
If that ’ s the case , all prisoners should be released from jails and prisons , right ?
Some jails across the country are beginning to do that with those prisoners who pose the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular criminals , not illegal aliens – in order to reduce the spread of the virus .
I don ’ t think it ’ s a realistic solution on a large scale but difficult times call for tough decisions .
Immigration courts are some of the last to be closed .
Adjustments have been made to the courts that are open .
DOJ has closed immigration courts across the country until April 10 .
For the first time since the government shutdown last year , immigration courts are postponing hearings of cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court employees are expected to stay home and offices are closed to the public .
So , whatever courts that do remain open are being called upon to close by immigration judges and lawyers .
The union released a statement .
An immigration court in my city is closed .
Not all are closed yet across the country .
The new guidelines will reduce traffic in the courts that remain open .

On Wednesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a temporary halt in some of its deportation efforts in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The agency’s priority will be to focus on those determined to be a safety risk or under mandatory deportation order due to criminal history.
In other words, now is the time to focus on those who pose the most danger to local communities while encouraging those needing testing or treatment to seek it without fear of being rounded up for deportation. ICE released a statement explaining the temporary changes in operations, as well as outlining what the priorities will be going forward.
To ensure the welfare and safety of the general public as well as officers and agents in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will temporarily adjust its enforcement posture beginning today, March 18, 2020. ICE’s highest priorities are to promote life-saving and public safety activities. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) will focus enforcement on public safety risks and individuals subject to mandatory detention based on criminal grounds. For those individuals who do not fall into those categories, ERO will exercise discretion to delay enforcement actions until after the crisis or utilize alternatives to detention, as appropriate. Homeland Security Investigations will continue to carry out mission critical criminal investigations and enforcement operations as determined necessary to maintain public safety and national security. Examples include investigations into child exploitation, gangs, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, human smuggling, and continued participation on the Joint Terrorism Task Force. This work will be conducted based on ability to coordinate and work with prosecutors from the Department of Justice and intake at both the U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Prisons. Consistent with its sensitive locations policy, during the COVID-19 crisis, ICE will not carry out enforcement operations at or near health care facilities, such as hospitals, doctors’ offices, accredited health clinics, and emergent or urgent care facilities, except in the most extraordinary of circumstances. Individuals should not avoid seeking medical care because they fear civil immigration enforcement.
It makes sense for now for immigration enforcement resources to be used on the most dangerous illegal aliens. Those who pose less risk or are living normal lives – except for being in the country illegally – should seek testing and treatment if it is warranted in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 to others. Emergency situations require prioritizing responses. Investigations will continue into child exploitation, gangs, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, and terrorism. There are approximately 37,000 current immigration detainees. ICE will focus on people who are subject to mandatory detention because of their criminal convictions. Essentially this puts ICE back on the footing the agency was on during the Obama administration – the “felons not families” approach of deportations.
Claiming “widespread misreporting,” on Thursday Acting Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli clarified the temporary policy. The policy protects ICE agents from unnecessary exposure to the virus as well as continuing to uphold the law.
“The health and safety of Americans is paramount. Thus, ICE will, as it has during other times of crisis, conduct enforcement operations that protect our communities and uphold our laws. This means that ICE will continue to prioritize arresting and removing criminal aliens and other aliens who pose a threat to public safety, just as it always has during President Trump’s administration,” he said. “That does not mean that no other removable aliens will in fact be removed, but during the current public health situation, removals will be done in such a way as to minimize the exposure of our agents and of the removable aliens we are encountering,” he said. “ICE will exercise its law enforcement authority in a manner that accounts for the dangers presented by COVID-19, while maintaining the safety and security of the communities it has sworn to protect.”
Immigration lawyers and labor unions representing ICE prosecutors and immigration judges joined together to call for a suspension of immigration court schedules. Court officials have canceled all hearings except for those already detained. As of Tuesday, there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in ICE detention facilities. In order to keep it that way, visits to detainees have been suspended. Nonetheless, a lawsuit has been filed asking for the release of detainees in order to protect them from COVID-19, citing the close quarters. The detainees are mostly adults but some are elderly and there are some families with children. ACLU’s National Prison Project is working for the release of detainees. Attorneys cite that lives are endangered in the close quarters of detention centers.
If that’s the case, all prisoners should be released from jails and prisons, right? Some jails across the country are beginning to do that with those prisoners who pose the least danger to the general population – regular criminals, not illegal aliens – in order to reduce the spread of the virus. I don’t think it’s a realistic solution on a large scale but difficult times call for tough decisions.
Immigration courts are some of the last to be closed. Adjustments have been made to the courts that are open. DOJ has closed immigration courts across the country until April 10. For the first time since the government shutdown last year, immigration courts are postponing hearings of cases of immigrants who are not in detention. Court employees are expected to stay home and offices are closed to the public. So, whatever courts that do remain open are being called upon to close by immigration judges and lawyers. The union released a statement. An immigration court in my city is closed. Not all are closed yet across the country. The new guidelines will reduce traffic in the courts that remain open.


hotair--2020-03-20--Breaking: Cuomo reverses, imposes "pause" order to shelter in place

Just yesterday , Andrew Cuomo sharply dismissed the idea of a lockdown for the state of New York .
Despite repeated calls from Bill de Blasio , Cuomo had insisted that “ fear and panic ” were more dangerous than the coronavirus .
After Gavin Newsom became the first governor to order a lockdown , though , Cuomo changed his mind .
“ We need everyone to be safe , ” Cuomo declared in a press conference , “ otherwise no one can be safe ” : “ We need everyone to be safe , otherwise no one can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So we ’ re going to put out an executive order today : New York state on pause : Policies that Assure Uniform Safety for Everyone.
” Civil fines and mandatory closures for businesses that don ’ t comply with the new mandate will be enforced , Cuomo announced .
“ These provisions will be enforced , ” he said .
“ These are not helpful hints .
This is not if you really want to be a great citizen .
These are legal provisions .
They will be enforced .
There will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any business that is not in compliance .
Again , your actions can affect my health .
That ’ s where we are.
” “ This is the most drastic action we can take , ” Cuomo added .
That may not be quite true , but it ’ s pretty close .
Now that New York and California are under a lockdown order , that means nearly 20 % of all Americans are more or less confined to quarters , with exceptions for grocery runs , pharmacy visits , health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also means that businesses outside of essential services can no longer have employees come to the office , with Cuomo threatening to start levying fines for violators : All workers in non-essential businesses across New York state are required to stay home , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo just announced .
He said there will be a civil fine and mandatory closure for any business “ that is not in compliance.
” At the same time , Cuomo warned landlords to be patient for the next 90 days : That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Will they work ?
It depends on how targeted they end up being , but with nearly 1 in 5 Americans under shelter-in-place orders , we will find out very soon .
How long will these measures need to remain in place ?
Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC ’ s Savannah Guthrie on Today that it might take several weeks for all this to play out .
Younger Americans need to take this more seriously , Fauci says , and that might take a while — which means so will these mandates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said Friday that Americans will most likely have to continue staying at home and practicing social distancing for “ at least several weeks ” amid the coronavirus outbreak .
“ If you look at the trajectory of the curves of outbreaks and other areas , at least going to be several weeks , ” Fauci said in an interview with Savannah Guthrie on the “ TODAY ” show .
“ I can not see that all of a sudden , next week or two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be over .
I don ’ t think there ’ s a chance of that .
I think it ’ s going to be several weeks .
”

Just yesterday, Andrew Cuomo sharply dismissed the idea of a lockdown for the state of New York. Despite repeated calls from Bill de Blasio, Cuomo had insisted that “fear and panic” were more dangerous than the coronavirus. After Gavin Newsom became the first governor to order a lockdown, though, Cuomo changed his mind.
“We need everyone to be safe,” Cuomo declared in a press conference, “otherwise no one can be safe”:
"This is the most drastic action we can take." New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces that "only essential businesses" will be functioning, adding that there will be a 100% workforce reduction of non-essential services. https://t.co/WXLjCOmGEr pic.twitter.com/qUvL8iURck — ABC News (@ABC) March 20, 2020
“We need everyone to be safe, otherwise no one can be safe,” Cuomo said. “So we’re going to put out an executive order today: New York state on pause: Policies that Assure Uniform Safety for Everyone.” Civil fines and mandatory closures for businesses that don’t comply with the new mandate will be enforced, Cuomo announced. “These provisions will be enforced,” he said. “These are not helpful hints. This is not if you really want to be a great citizen. These are legal provisions. They will be enforced. There will be a civil fine and mandatory closure for any business that is not in compliance. Again, your actions can affect my health. That’s where we are.”
“This is the most drastic action we can take,” Cuomo added. That may not be quite true, but it’s pretty close. Now that New York and California are under a lockdown order, that means nearly 20% of all Americans are more or less confined to quarters, with exceptions for grocery runs, pharmacy visits, health care facilities, and take-out food. It also means that businesses outside of essential services can no longer have employees come to the office, with Cuomo threatening to start levying fines for violators:
All workers in non-essential businesses across New York state are required to stay home, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo just announced. He said there will be a civil fine and mandatory closure for any business “that is not in compliance.”
At the same time, Cuomo warned landlords to be patient for the next 90 days:
Cuomo announces moratorium on evictions for both residential and business tenants for 90 days. — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) March 20, 2020
That’s what the bailouts are supposed to cushion. Will they work? It depends on how targeted they end up being, but with nearly 1 in 5 Americans under shelter-in-place orders, we will find out very soon.
How long will these measures need to remain in place? Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie on Today that it might take several weeks for all this to play out. Younger Americans need to take this more seriously, Fauci says, and that might take a while — which means so will these mandates.


hotair--2020-03-20--Tucker Carlson: If Richard Burr profited from inside knowledge about the epidemic, he should resign

John wrote about this last night so read his post as essential background if you ’ re late to this story .
Political junkies have been poring over the financial disclosures of other senators since Burr ’ s transactions became known last night to see who else might have cashed in on intelligence briefings about the threat from the epidemic .
Some seemingly suspicious transactions may be innocent : For instance , Ron Johnson offloaded a bunch of stock a few weeks ago , but that appears to have been a private sale related to a family business .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , Johnson told reporters today .
That seems like a false positive .
Still , Burr ’ s not the only senator who has explaining to do today .
More on that in a second .
First , watch Tucker insist that Burr must go — assuming that he really did sell his stock because he knew a crash was coming , of course .
Burr ’ s under suspicion because he sold an unusually large portion of his stock holdings just a few weeks ago , after the Senate had begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I write this , he ’ s issued a statement asserting that he ’ s done nothing wrong and welcoming an ethics committee review of his sales : How could the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee , who ’ s receiving intel on coronavirus , rely “ solely ” on public reports about the virus ?
There was a full Senate briefing on the subject by government officials as far back as January 24 .
Anyway , as I say , he ’ s not the only senator on the hot seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the newest member of the Senate , Kelly Loeffler , had also unloaded a bunch of stock recently .
Loeffler ’ s fabulously wealthy ( and married to the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange ) so her sales don ’ t represent a meaningful share of her net worth .
But the timing is suspicious : Her first sale was initiated on January 24 , the very day of the Senate briefing .
And that was the first stock sale Loeffler had initiated since joining the Senate months before .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Guess which .
That first transaction was a sale of stock in the company Resideo Technologies valued at between $ 50,001 and $ 100,000 .
The company ’ s stock price has fallen by more than half since then , and the Dow Jones Industrial Average overall has shed approximately 10,000 points , dropping about a third of its value .
It was the first of 29 stock transactions that Loeffler and her husband made through mid-February , all but two of which were sales .
One of Loeffler ’ s two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and $ 250,000 in Citrix , a technology company that offers teleworking software and which has seen a small bump in its stock price since Loeffler bought in as a result of coronavirus-induced market turmoil .
Teleworking software is a goooood stock to own right now .
But are critics presuming too much about Loeffler ’ s culpability ?
Per the Daily Beast , she also bought shares of Oracle during this period , which hasn ’ t fared well during the market downturn .
And Loeffler herself claims that other people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assume the Senate Ethics Committee will check up on that .
Is Loeffler quietly passing along information she ’ s learned in the Senate to her financial advisors ?
How blind is this de facto blind trust ?
Doug Collins , who ’ s challenging her from the right in Georgia ’ s upcoming jungle primary ( and who was Trump ’ s preferred choice for the vacant Senate seat that ultimately went to Loeffler ) , isn ’ t waiting around for the results of the investigation : Burr has said previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another term , so if he wants to finish out his tenure with voters of all stripes cursing his name , he ’ s free to do that .
Loeffler , however , might see her nascent political career end over this .
David French framed the problem here exactly right .
If it ’ s true that they traded on what they knew about COVID-19 , the profiteering is the least offensive part of it .
The most offensive part is profiteering amid their own catastrophic failure as members of the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this or even to sufficiently warn the rest of us of how severe it might be : Here ’ s Loeffler 10 days ago sounding very chill indeed about what was inbound : Lots of Republicans stuck to happy talk about the crisis until very recently , most famously Trump himself .
That ’ s the missing ingredient in Tucker ’ s spiel : He ’ s right to be angry at Burr , he ’ s right that cashing in on a deadly plague is abhorrent , but he overlooks the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of his own party and Carlson ’ s own network if he had spent February shouting from the mountaintops that a disease was about to bring America to its knees .
Burr would have been blamed by Trump and MAGA fans for tanking the market and for trying to deliberately damage the president — a charge he ’ s faced before for not using his power as intel chairman to undermine the Mueller probe and , more recently , to object to John Ratcliffe ’ s nomination as DNI .
Why is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoax to hype a minor health threat ?
Why can ’ t he be loyal ?
Fear of irritating TrumpWorld is no excuse for Burr , Loeffler , or any other Republican for having bitten their lips if they had reason to know how bad this would be .
Their duty to the public supersedes their duty to the president or to their party .
If they couldn ’ t man up , they should be tossed from office for it .
But if we ’ re going to point fingers about unconscionable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we take note of all of the different pressures that contributed to that silence .
I ’ m all for having every major official in the U.S. government and their close relatives submit their financial records to an auditor for evidence of suspicious transactions since the first inklings of a crisis in January .
There ’ s no reason to think Republicans alone are suspect ; let ’ s see those Democratic cards too .
But if members of Congress are showing their cards , the president , his advisors , and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s see who the plague profiteers are and vote their asses out .

John wrote about this last night so read his post as essential background if you’re late to this story. Political junkies have been poring over the financial disclosures of other senators since Burr’s transactions became known last night to see who else might have cashed in on intelligence briefings about the threat from the epidemic. Some seemingly suspicious transactions may be innocent: For instance, Ron Johnson offloaded a bunch of stock a few weeks ago, but that appears to have been a private sale related to a family business. The deal had been in the works since 2018, Johnson told reporters today. That seems like a false positive.
Still, Burr’s not the only senator who has explaining to do today.
More on that in a second. First, watch Tucker insist that Burr must go — assuming that he really did sell his stock because he knew a crash was coming, of course.
Tucker Carlson calls for Senator Burr to resign and await prosecution for insider trading if he cannot provide a reasonable explanation for his actions. He goes on to say it appears that Senator Burr betrayed his country in a time of crisis pic.twitter.com/q7yJa5wjuA — Acyn (@Acyn) March 20, 2020
Burr’s under suspicion because he sold an unusually large portion of his stock holdings just a few weeks ago, after the Senate had begun receiving ominous briefings about COVID-19. As I write this, he’s issued a statement asserting that he’s done nothing wrong and welcoming an ethics committee review of his sales:
My statement in response to reports about recent financial disclosures: pic.twitter.com/J4kye5a4ok — Richard Burr (@SenatorBurr) March 20, 2020
How could the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who’s receiving intel on coronavirus, rely “solely” on public reports about the virus? There was a full Senate briefing on the subject by government officials as far back as January 24.
Anyway, as I say, he’s not the only senator on the hot seat. Last night the Daily Beast noticed that the newest member of the Senate, Kelly Loeffler, had also unloaded a bunch of stock recently. Loeffler’s fabulously wealthy (and married to the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange) so her sales don’t represent a meaningful share of her net worth. But the timing is suspicious: Her first sale was initiated on January 24, the very day of the Senate briefing. And that was the first stock sale Loeffler had initiated since joining the Senate months before.
She purchased some stocks that day too. Guess which.
That first transaction was a sale of stock in the company Resideo Technologies valued at between $50,001 and $100,000. The company’s stock price has fallen by more than half since then, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average overall has shed approximately 10,000 points, dropping about a third of its value. It was the first of 29 stock transactions that Loeffler and her husband made through mid-February, all but two of which were sales. One of Loeffler’s two purchases was stock worth between $100,000 and $250,000 in Citrix, a technology company that offers teleworking software and which has seen a small bump in its stock price since Loeffler bought in as a result of coronavirus-induced market turmoil.
Teleworking software is a goooood stock to own right now. But are critics presuming too much about Loeffler’s culpability? Per the Daily Beast, she also bought shares of Oracle during this period, which hasn’t fared well during the market downturn. And Loeffler herself claims that other people are managing her assets for her:
As confirmed in the periodic transaction report to Senate Ethics, I was informed of these purchases and sales on February 16, 2020 — three weeks after they were made. — Senator Kelly Loeffler (@SenatorLoeffler) March 20, 2020
I assume the Senate Ethics Committee will check up on that. Is Loeffler quietly passing along information she’s learned in the Senate to her financial advisors? How blind is this de facto blind trust?
Doug Collins, who’s challenging her from the right in Georgia’s upcoming jungle primary (and who was Trump’s preferred choice for the vacant Senate seat that ultimately went to Loeffler), isn’t waiting around for the results of the investigation:
People are losing their jobs, their businesses, their retirements, and even their lives and Kelly Loeffler is profiting off their pain? I'm sickened just thinking about it. — Doug Collins (@CollinsforGA) March 20, 2020
Burr has said previously that he won’t run for another term, so if he wants to finish out his tenure with voters of all stripes cursing his name, he’s free to do that. Loeffler, however, might see her nascent political career end over this. David French framed the problem here exactly right. If it’s true that they traded on what they knew about COVID-19, the profiteering is the least offensive part of it. The most offensive part is profiteering amid their own catastrophic failure as members of the federal government to adequately prepare the country for this or even to sufficiently warn the rest of us of how severe it might be:
The potential insider trading is dreadful and possibly criminal, but what could elevate this to a historic scandal is the idea that senators may have known enough to be alarmed for themselves yet still projected rosy scenarios to the public AND failed to make sure we were ready. https://t.co/PeMktkEPFA — David French (@DavidAFrench) March 20, 2020
Here’s Loeffler 10 days ago sounding very chill indeed about what was inbound:
Concerned about #coronavirus? Remember this: The consumer is strong, the economy is strong, & jobs are growing, which puts us in the best economic position to tackle #COVID19 & keep Americans safe. Update following meeting with @realdonaldtrump, @VP, & @StevenMnuchin1: pic.twitter.com/H9t2D6x19k — Senator Kelly Loeffler (@SenatorLoeffler) March 10, 2020
Lots of Republicans stuck to happy talk about the crisis until very recently, most famously Trump himself. That’s the missing ingredient in Tucker’s spiel: He’s right to be angry at Burr, he’s right that cashing in on a deadly plague is abhorrent, but he overlooks the fact that Burr would have been lambasted by members of his own party and Carlson’s own network if he had spent February shouting from the mountaintops that a disease was about to bring America to its knees. Burr would have been blamed by Trump and MAGA fans for tanking the market and for trying to deliberately damage the president — a charge he’s faced before for not using his power as intel chairman to undermine the Mueller probe and, more recently, to object to John Ratcliffe’s nomination as DNI. Why is Richard Burr participating in this new media hoax to hype a minor health threat? Why can’t he be loyal?
Fear of irritating TrumpWorld is no excuse for Burr, Loeffler, or any other Republican for having bitten their lips if they had reason to know how bad this would be. Their duty to the public supersedes their duty to the president or to their party. If they couldn’t man up, they should be tossed from office for it. But if we’re going to point fingers about unconscionable silence, let’s make sure we take note of all of the different pressures that contributed to that silence.
I’m all for having every major official in the U.S. government and their close relatives submit their financial records to an auditor for evidence of suspicious transactions since the first inklings of a crisis in January. There’s no reason to think Republicans alone are suspect; let’s see those Democratic cards too. But if members of Congress are showing their cards, the president, his advisors, and their relatives should also disclose. Let’s see who the plague profiteers are and vote their asses out.


hotair--2020-03-20--Homeland Security secretary: US, Mexico to close border to "non-essential travel" as early as today;

Homeland Security secretary: US, Mexico to close border to "non-essential travel" as early as today; Update: Agreement reached, AFP reports

This might come as a surprise to many who argue that closing the southern border is all but impossible .
After reaching agreement with Canada to close the northern border to all but trade and the most essential travel , the US and Mexico may announce a similar agreement as early as today .
Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told reports this morning at the White House that the coronavirus pandemic has both countries worried about spread through unnecessary border crossings : U.S. officials are expected to announce new restrictions on the Southern border Friday as they try to halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. and Mexico have been working on plans to limit cross-border traffic , according to officials on both sides of the border .
The plan is expected to look much like restrictions already announced on all-but-essential travel and trade between the U.S. and Canada .
“ We ’ re looking at both our northern and our southern border , ” Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told reporters at the White House , explaining that the restrictions were aimed at “ eliminating non-essential travel across that border.
” “ We want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues , heath care workers continue to be able to traverse that border .
But tourism , some recreational activities and other things needs to stop during this crisis , ” he said .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced last night on Twitter that talks over border restrictions had started .
The main point , Pompeo emphasized , was that trade had to continue as normal even as all other traffic across the border stopped : One has to assume that Mexico has taken a far more aggressive posture on its southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been since getting pushed into a get-tough attitude by Trump last year .
Mexico ’ s policies have always been harsh on illegal immigration for those who weren ’ t just transiting through to the US from Central America .
Now , with this viral outbreak , Mexico has even more incentive to cooperate with strong-borders policies in Washington .
That will make for an interesting environment when this crisis passes , too .
Until the last couple of years , many largely assumed that control of movement across the border was well-nigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that argument will have been proven false , with large implications for public policy .
Of course , this outbreak is already changing attitudes about open-borders policies elsewhere , and any success of these changes now will likely change them even further here .
The hints of a closure has Americans lining up to get back into the US , The Sun reports this morning : HUNDREDS of Americans rushed to cross into the U.S. from Mexico , as the border is set to close today amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will restrict travel , as officials work to limit international travel amid the COVID-19 outbreak .
Pictures show cars lined up in a gridlock as the border was expected to close Friday for an undisclosed amount of time .
In bumper-to-bumper lines , people made a rush for the border as they tried to cross before travel to and from Mexico is shut Friday .
Americans stuck in other corners of the world got good news this morning , however .
The State Department is ready to launch Repatriation Airlines , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time as a no-frills service : The State Department is beginning to put together charter flights for Americans stranded overseas during the coronavirus pandemic , with Morocco and Peru scheduled soon — even as others stuck in Guatemala took matters into their own hands .
… The first flights out of Morocco , which closed its borders on March 14 , started Friday morning , according to the U.S. embassy there .
U.S. citizens are able to hop a flight from Marrakesh for $ 1,485 .
The flights will stop in London before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stranded Americans — citizens and legal permanent residents only — must sign up by emailing .
Congressional offices were alerted of the flights Thursday night , according to one aide who received details via a State Department email .
The border closings and the unprecedented Level 4 health crisis alert will create some pandemonium for a couple of weeks .
Hopefully it prevents much worse inside the US .
Update : AFP reports that an agreement has been reached on the closure , but details will have to wait .

This might come as a surprise to many who argue that closing the southern border is all but impossible. After reaching agreement with Canada to close the northern border to all but trade and the most essential travel, the US and Mexico may announce a similar agreement as early as today. Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told reports this morning at the White House that the coronavirus pandemic has both countries worried about spread through unnecessary border crossings:
U.S. officials are expected to announce new restrictions on the Southern border Friday as they try to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. and Mexico have been working on plans to limit cross-border traffic, according to officials on both sides of the border. The plan is expected to look much like restrictions already announced on all-but-essential travel and trade between the U.S. and Canada. “We’re looking at both our northern and our southern border,” Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told reporters at the White House, explaining that the restrictions were aimed at “eliminating non-essential travel across that border.” “We want to make sure that cargo continues, trade continues, heath care workers continue to be able to traverse that border. But tourism, some recreational activities and other things needs to stop during this crisis,” he said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced last night on Twitter that talks over border restrictions had started. The main point, Pompeo emphasized, was that trade had to continue as normal even as all other traffic across the border stopped:
#Mexico Foreign Secretary @m_ebrard and I have been working closely on travel restrictions that balance protecting our citizens from further transmission of #COVID19. Together, we can reduce public health risks and prioritize essential cross-border commerce and trade. — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) March 20, 2020
One has to assume that Mexico has taken a far more aggressive posture on its southern border, even tougher than it has been since getting pushed into a get-tough attitude by Trump last year. Mexico’s policies have always been harsh on illegal immigration for those who weren’t just transiting through to the US from Central America. Now, with this viral outbreak, Mexico has even more incentive to cooperate with strong-borders policies in Washington.
That will make for an interesting environment when this crisis passes, too. Until the last couple of years, many largely assumed that control of movement across the border was well-nigh impossible to control. If this succeeds, that argument will have been proven false, with large implications for public policy. Of course, this outbreak is already changing attitudes about open-borders policies elsewhere, and any success of these changes now will likely change them even further here.
The hints of a closure has Americans lining up to get back into the US, The Sun reports this morning:
HUNDREDS of Americans rushed to cross into the U.S. from Mexico, as the border is set to close today amid the coronavirus pandemic. The border will remain open mainly for trade and will restrict travel, as officials work to limit international travel amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Pictures show cars lined up in a gridlock as the border was expected to close Friday for an undisclosed amount of time. In bumper-to-bumper lines, people made a rush for the border as they tried to cross before travel to and from Mexico is shut Friday.
Americans stuck in other corners of the world got good news this morning, however. The State Department is ready to launch Repatriation Airlines, which will operate for a limited period of time as a no-frills service:
The State Department is beginning to put together charter flights for Americans stranded overseas during the coronavirus pandemic, with Morocco and Peru scheduled soon — even as others stuck in Guatemala took matters into their own hands. … The first flights out of Morocco, which closed its borders on March 14, started Friday morning, according to the U.S. embassy there. U.S. citizens are able to hop a flight from Marrakesh for $1,485. The flights will stop in London before landing in 10 different U.S. cities. Stranded Americans — citizens and legal permanent residents only — must sign up by emailing [email protected]. Congressional offices were alerted of the flights Thursday night, according to one aide who received details via a State Department email.
The border closings and the unprecedented Level 4 health crisis alert will create some pandemonium for a couple of weeks. Hopefully it prevents much worse inside the US.
Update: CBS News reported this before Wolf’s comments:
CBS News has learned the Trump administration plans to close the southern border to all non-essential travel. POTUS is pushing the @US_FDA to fast-track drugs to treat #coronavirus. Meanwhile, lawmakers are working on a plan to give cash to Americans.
@weijia reports. pic.twitter.com/Ys7WEXplM4 — CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 20, 2020
Update: AFP reports that an agreement has been reached on the closure, but details will have to wait.