vox--2020-04-17--Trump wants to talk about anything but his coronavirus response. His attacks on the WHO show it.

President Donald Trump ’ s latest spin is that while he always took the coronavirus seriously , his early efforts to respond to it were hampered by World Health Organization misinformation and a lack of warnings from American government officials .
He ’ s rewriting history .
On Friday morning , Trump , echoing something he saw on Fox News , accused the WHO of making “ several claims about the CoronaVirus that ere either inaccurate or misleading ” in January and February .
In fact , Trump was warned many times about the virus early on — both by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO .
But rather than heed those warnings , he spent January and February downplaying the threat .
He told Americans they had nothing to worry about because his government had it under control .
He only treated the pandemic with the seriousness it requires when it became undeniable that the country was headed into the crisis we ’ re now dealing with .
With a tough reelection fight looming and the economy in tatters , those facts are inconvenient for Trump .
He ’ s now trying to prematurely move on from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the memory hole .
Trump has done the same thing he ’ s accusing the WHO of doing America isn ’ t over the coronavirus hump yet .
A record 4,591 people died from the virus in a 24-hour period ending Thursday evening .
But Trump is cherry-picking statistics and ignoring the country ’ s lack of testing capacity to justify quickly reopening relatively unscathed parts of the country .
And as he does that , he ’ s trying to change the topic from his administration ’ s performance to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fair to criticize the WHO for a tweet it posted on January 14 citing “ [ p ] reliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities ” that found “ no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.
” That turned out to be devastatingly wrong .
But Trump should also look in the mirror .
On January 24 , for instance , he publicly praised China ’ s handling of the coronavirus , saying the US “ greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency.
” Most experts now believe the Chinese government was hiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And if Trump ’ s criticism is that the WHO spread dangerous misinformation , then he ’ s on thin ice there as well .
The president has regularly pushed unproven and potentially lethal drugs as miracle cures .
On Thursday , he posted tweets encouraging anti-stay-at-home-order protests in Minnesota and Michigan that could become vectors for spreading the virus .
While Trump is now trying to cast the WHO as a villain , the reality is that the US coronavirus response would ’ ve been much more effective had he actually followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendations about testing and social distancing .
Instead , Trump sat idly by while the virus spread across the country in a mostly undetected manner in February and only embraced social distancing in mid-March , when public healths experts begin to sound the alarm about the possibility that American hospitals could be overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients like ones in China and Italy were .
This isn ’ t to say the WHO is blameless .
The organization can also be fairly criticized for waiting until January 30 to declare coronavirus a public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discernible impact on Trump , who on that very same day proclaimed that “ we think we have [ the coronavirus ] very well under control.
” “ We have very little problem in this country at this moment — five — and those people are all recuperating successfully , ” Trump added .
“ But we ’ re working very closely with China and other countries , and we think it ’ s going to have a very good ending for us … that I can assure you.
” As we know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under control in the country at that time .
But Trump didn ’ t just ignore the WHO — he also ignored warnings coming from his own government .
During his press briefing on Thursday , Trump tried to portray himself as a victim .
He described himself as “ angry ” because “ people knew [ the coronavirus outbreak ] was happening and people didn ’ t want to talk about it.
” Those comments came days after Trump tried to push back on an in-depth New York Times report about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Health and Human Services Alex Azar “ told me nothing ” about the coronavirus until after Trump restricted travel from China — a commendable move but one that came after the virus was already spreading in the US .
Trump ’ s claim about Azar is at odds with what multiple unnamed senior administration officials told the Washington Post .
From a report published on March 20 : Although Trump now wants people to believe he wasn ’ t adequately warned , that same Post report says intelligence agencies “ were issuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February , ” with one unnamed US official telling the paper that “ Trump may not have been expecting this , but a lot of other people in the government were — they just couldn ’ t get him to do anything about it .
...
The system was blinking red.
” It ’ s not just that one report , either .
Trump also ignored White House memos prepared in January and February by his top trade adviser , Peter Navarro , including one addressed directly to him on February 23 warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is an increasing probability of a full-blown COVID-19 pandemic that could infect as many as 100 million Americans , with a loss of life of as many as 1-2 million souls.
” Not only did Trump not heed that warning , but he did the opposite by telling Americans there was nothing to worry about .
For instance , on February 26 — just three days after Navarro tried to sound the alarm — Trump held a news conference in which he suggested the coronavirus would soon go away on its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have 15 [ coronavirus cases ] , and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero , that ’ s a pretty good job we ’ ve done , ” Trump said .
( Less than two months later , the US now has nearly 700,000 cases and more than 31,000 deaths . )
On February 27 , as the US confirmed case count stood at 15 , Trump went even further , claiming of the coronavirus that “ one day — it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappear.
” He has now moved the goalposts from saying the virus will go away to insisting that if as many as 100,000 American deaths would be evidence he did a good job .
He ’ s criticizing the WHO not because he has good-faith concerns about the organization , but because it ’ s a useful distraction that is being amplified by loyal media outlets like Fox News .
The news moves fast .
To stay updated , follow Aaron Rupar on Twitter , and read more of Vox ’ s policy @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump’s latest spin is that while he always took the coronavirus seriously, his early efforts to respond to it were hampered by World Health Organization misinformation and a lack of warnings from American government officials. He’s rewriting history.
On Friday morning, Trump, echoing something he saw on Fox News, accused the WHO of making “several claims about the CoronaVirus that ere either inaccurate or misleading” in January and February.
Why did the W.H.O. Ignore an email from Taiwanese health officials in late December alerting them to the possibility that CoronaVirus could be transmitted between humans? Why did the W.H.O. make several claims about the CoronaVirus that ere either inaccurate or misleading.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020
In fact, Trump was warned many times about the virus early on — both by officials from his government and from the WHO. But rather than heed those warnings, he spent January and February downplaying the threat. He told Americans they had nothing to worry about because his government had it under control. He only treated the pandemic with the seriousness it requires when it became undeniable that the country was headed into the crisis we’re now dealing with.
With a tough reelection fight looming and the economy in tatters, those facts are inconvenient for Trump. He’s now trying to prematurely move on from the coronavirus and put his slow response down the memory hole.
Trump has done the same thing he’s accusing the WHO of doing
America isn’t over the coronavirus hump yet. A record 4,591 people died from the virus in a 24-hour period ending Thursday evening. But Trump is cherry-picking statistics and ignoring the country’s lack of testing capacity to justify quickly reopening relatively unscathed parts of the country. And as he does that, he’s trying to change the topic from his administration’s performance to the WHO.
To be clear, it’s fair to criticize the WHO for a tweet it posted on January 14 citing “[p]reliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities” that found “no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.” That turned out to be devastatingly wrong. But Trump should also look in the mirror.
On January 24, for instance, he publicly praised China’s handling of the coronavirus, saying the US “greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency.” Most experts now believe the Chinese government was hiding the full extent of the outbreak.
China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020
And if Trump’s criticism is that the WHO spread dangerous misinformation, then he’s on thin ice there as well. The president has regularly pushed unproven and potentially lethal drugs as miracle cures. On Thursday, he posted tweets encouraging anti-stay-at-home-order protests in Minnesota and Michigan that could become vectors for spreading the virus.
Almost no masks and no regard for social distancing guidelines outside of the Governor’s Residence. @MPRnews pic.twitter.com/8aMLHSHYzA — Evan Frost (@efrostee) April 17, 2020
While Trump is now trying to cast the WHO as a villain, the reality is that the US coronavirus response would’ve been much more effective had he actually followed some of the organization’s key recommendations about testing and social distancing. Instead, Trump sat idly by while the virus spread across the country in a mostly undetected manner in February and only embraced social distancing in mid-March, when public healths experts begin to sound the alarm about the possibility that American hospitals could be overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients like ones in China and Italy were.
This isn’t to say the WHO is blameless. The organization can also be fairly criticized for waiting until January 30 to declare coronavirus a public health emergency. But that declaration had no discernible impact on Trump, who on that very same day proclaimed that “we think we have [the coronavirus] very well under control.”
“We have very little problem in this country at this moment — five — and those people are all recuperating successfully,” Trump added. “But we’re working very closely with China and other countries, and we think it’s going to have a very good ending for us … that I can assure you.”
As we know now, the virus was anything but under control in the country at that time. But Trump didn’t just ignore the WHO — he also ignored warnings coming from his own government.
Trump was warned — but didn’t listen
During his press briefing on Thursday, Trump tried to portray himself as a victim. He described himself as “angry” because “people knew [the coronavirus outbreak] was happening and people didn’t want to talk about it.”
Trump says he's angry he wasn't told there was an epidemic: "And I was angry, because this should have been told to us. It should have been told to us early. It should have been told to us a lot sooner. People knew it was happening and people didn't want to talk about it." pic.twitter.com/XgWWaXAWTF — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) April 16, 2020
Those comments came days after Trump tried to push back on an in-depth New York Times report about his slow coronavirus response by tweeting that Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar “told me nothing” about the coronavirus until after Trump restricted travel from China — a commendable move but one that came after the virus was already spreading in the US.
The @nytimes story is a Fake, just like the “paper” itself. I was criticized for moving too fast when I issued the China Ban, long before most others wanted to do so. @SecAzar told me nothing until later, and Peter Navarro memo was same as Ban (see his statements). Fake News! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2020
Trump’s claim about Azar is at odds with what multiple unnamed senior administration officials told the Washington Post. From a report published on March 20:
Inside the White House, Trump’s advisers struggled to get him to take the virus seriously, according to multiple officials with knowledge of meetings among those advisers and with the president. Azar couldn’t get through to Trump to speak with him about the virus until Jan. 18, according to two senior administration officials. When he reached Trump by phone, the president interjected to ask about vaping and when flavored vaping products would be back on the market, the senior administration officials said.
Although Trump now wants people to believe he wasn’t adequately warned, that same Post report says intelligence agencies “were issuing ominous, classified warnings in January and February,” with one unnamed US official telling the paper that “Trump may not have been expecting this, but a lot of other people in the government were — they just couldn’t get him to do anything about it. ... The system was blinking red.”
It’s not just that one report, either. Trump also ignored White House memos prepared in January and February by his top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, including one addressed directly to him on February 23 warning in its very first sentence that “There is an increasing probability of a full-blown COVID-19 pandemic that could infect as many as 100 million Americans, with a loss of life of as many as 1-2 million souls.”
Not only did Trump not heed that warning, but he did the opposite by telling Americans there was nothing to worry about. For instance, on February 26 — just three days after Navarro tried to sound the alarm — Trump held a news conference in which he suggested the coronavirus would soon go away on its own in the United States.
“When you have 15 [coronavirus cases], and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done,” Trump said. (Less than two months later, the US now has nearly 700,000 cases and more than 31,000 deaths.)
On February 27, as the US confirmed case count stood at 15, Trump went even further, claiming of the coronavirus that “one day — it’s like a miracle — it will disappear.”
He has now moved the goalposts from saying the virus will go away to insisting that if as many as 100,000 American deaths would be evidence he did a good job. He’s criticizing the WHO not because he has good-faith concerns about the organization, but because it’s a useful distraction that is being amplified by loyal media outlets like Fox News.
The news moves fast. To stay updated, follow Aaron Rupar on Twitter, and read more of Vox’s policy and politics coverage.


vox--2020-04-17--Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign

Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign

Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , having won primaries in several key states and racked up endorsements from Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren , and Barack Obama , among others .
Biden started the 2020 campaign as an early frontrunner ; he placed first in a crowded field of Democrats in most early polls , then struggled in early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire .
But a win in the more diverse state of South Carolina revived his campaign and gave him momentum going into Super Tuesday , where he won several states and racked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Sen. Bernie Sanders in primaries in the month of March , Biden became the presumptive nominee when Sanders dropped out of the race in early April .
The road ahead for Biden will be challenging .
The nation is in the midst of dealing with a pandemic and facing a rapid and severe economic collapse and record unemployment .
Some progressives who supported Sanders are feeling disillusioned , and Biden will have to convince them that he ’ s a suitable candidate for them .
Follow below for all of Vox ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 presidential campaign .

Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, having won primaries in several key states and racked up endorsements from Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Barack Obama, among others.
Biden started the 2020 campaign as an early frontrunner; he placed first in a crowded field of Democrats in most early polls, then struggled in early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire. But a win in the more diverse state of South Carolina revived his campaign and gave him momentum going into Super Tuesday, where he won several states and racked up delegates. After competing for delegates with Sen. Bernie Sanders in primaries in the month of March, Biden became the presumptive nominee when Sanders dropped out of the race in early April.
The road ahead for Biden will be challenging. The nation is in the midst of dealing with a pandemic and facing a rapid and severe economic collapse and record unemployment. Some progressives who supported Sanders are feeling disillusioned, and Biden will have to convince them that he’s a suitable candidate for them.
Follow below for all of Vox’s coverage of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.


vox--2020-04-17--For restaurants, masks could be the new normal

A few months ago , at the beginning of cold and flu season , Erica Pietrzyk decided to have employees wear face masks while working at her Polish food stand Pietrzyk Pierogi in Detroit .
In her mind , the masks were the best way to protect customers and her employees from getting sick .
The patrons , however , were put off by the practice .
“ We determined that we would just stop it for the time being , because people are very uncomfortable with it , ” Pietrzyk says .
Now , amid the novel coronavirus epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it barely gets a second glance .
Restaurants and bars have long been held to some of the most stringent regulations for food safety , with health departments enforcing regulations for temperature control , handwashing , cross contamination , and the use of gloves to prepare food .
The novel coronavirus has made those procedures all the more important , as workers try to protect themselves and contain the disease ’ s spread .
And as some states and municipalities begin to contemplate life after the novel coronavirus surge , restaurant workers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Already cities like Austin , Miami , New York , and some parts of California have implemented new rules requiring essential workers such as restaurant employees , as well as the general public , to wear masks when they leave their homes .
More governments are starting to place deadlines for businesses and community members to gear up .
Despite the medical advisories and regulations , it still remains difficult to police individual behavior or ensure that people using masks are doing so properly , and even the president has been resistant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for many restaurants , masks — while initially not recommended by the CDC — feel like a vital required step to prevent community spread .
“ A lot of what the CDC and the health departments are telling people to do for the general public , ” Pietrzyk says of the recommendations for preventing COVID-19 infections , “ are things that we ’ ve always done because it ’ s what ’ s required of a food business.
” Wayne County , where Detroit is located , isn ’ t currently enforcing any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite having one of the largest outbreaks in the nation .
Still , many restaurant owners like Pietrzyk have already taken it upon themselves to make sure staff cover their faces .
Luciano DelSignore is the chef and co-owner of nine Michigan establishments with his business partner Michael Chetcuti .
At first , their restaurants had an “ if you have one , wear one ” policy for face coverings , but they ’ ve since ramped up efforts to provide employees with equipment , passing out bandanas to employees at Arbor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This week , the partners were able to acquire and distribute 300 masks to staff .
“ We ’ re trying to protect our employees .
We ’ re trying to protect the customers , ” DelSignore says , noting that at this point he wouldn ’ t feel comfortable purchasing carryout from an establishment where employees weren ’ t wearing masks .
“ I think that everybody feels the same way.
” However , there are still barriers to using them in a food industry setting .
In Pietrzyk ’ s kitchen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear masks throughout their shifts — a combination of N95 masks ( a higher-quality mask that filters out 95 percent of airborne particles including hazardous dust , gasses , and vapors ) , and painter ’ s masks that offer protection from everyday dust particles .
Pietrzyk says the N95s are costly , around $ 6.50 each .
The masks are also difficult to wear at times .
“ It ’ s hard to breathe with them on at some points , especially when you standing over hot boiling water , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to adapt his small restaurant Saffron De Twah to carryout-only service , chef Omar Anani closed on March 17 due to limited sales and difficulties ensuring employees could reach work safely .
He ’ s since refocused his efforts on providing meals to five different programs feeding frontline workers and unemployed service industry staff .
It ’ s grueling , mostly solitary , kitchen work that he does while wearing a rotating collection of masks .
“ A good quality mask is hard to find , ” Anani says , calling the shortage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ nightmare.
” The first set Anani acquired were handmade , but had elastic straps that were too short and didn ’ t fit his face .
He ’ s since acquired some better masks from local makers using double and triple layers of cloth with micron filters embedded .
A local distributor Motor City Seafood recently donated a few disposable masks to his kitchen .
From the beginning , Anani wanted to ensure he and his collaborators were wearing masks during food prep to prevent infection by an asymptomatic carrier .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to volunteer because they felt too anxious and claustrophobic wearing a face covering in the kitchen .
“ Just like you have the fight back on gloves in kitchens , you ’ re gon na have the same fight with masks , ” he says .
Right now , people are relying on masks to put them at ease , but they aren ’ t necessarily using them properly , Anani says .
“ It ’ s been a learning experience about masks , which I ’ d never thought I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Wearing a mask correctly requires practice and care .
Anani sought advice along the way on how to develop procedures by talking to friends and relatives in the medical field .
Yet , he ’ s observed other restaurant operators in interviews with masks dangling around their necks and over their heads .
“ You can ’ t wear the same mask like that over and over , ” he says .
“ The thing needs to be washed .
It needs to be single-use like a glove.
” Anani now keeps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding used masks .
The bag is placed in quarantine between washings .
He has enough masks at the moment to get him through two days of work .
Anani then takes the bag home and washes them in hot water and on high in the dryer .
Pietrzyk says she hopes that going forward , patrons will become more acclimated to the sight of service workers wearing face coverings .
“ I think for a lot of people it ’ s an adjustment period , ” she says .
And while it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point to truly imagine what business could look like in the coming weeks and months , DelSignore believes that face masks will likely become a regular part of the new uniform for restaurant employees .
“ They ’ re going to become a serious part of normal life , ” he says .
“ I think years from now people are going to be walking around wearing masks .
”

A few months ago, at the beginning of cold and flu season, Erica Pietrzyk decided to have employees wear face masks while working at her Polish food stand Pietrzyk Pierogi in Detroit. In her mind, the masks were the best way to protect customers and her employees from getting sick. The patrons, however, were put off by the practice. “We determined that we would just stop it for the time being, because people are very uncomfortable with it,” Pietrzyk says.
Now, amid the novel coronavirus epidemic, when employees don a mask, it barely gets a second glance.
Restaurants and bars have long been held to some of the most stringent regulations for food safety, with health departments enforcing regulations for temperature control, handwashing, cross contamination, and the use of gloves to prepare food. The novel coronavirus has made those procedures all the more important, as workers try to protect themselves and contain the disease’s spread. And as some states and municipalities begin to contemplate life after the novel coronavirus surge, restaurant workers are increasingly being told to wear masks.
Already cities like Austin, Miami, New York, and some parts of California have implemented new rules requiring essential workers such as restaurant employees, as well as the general public, to wear masks when they leave their homes. More governments are starting to place deadlines for businesses and community members to gear up. Despite the medical advisories and regulations, it still remains difficult to police individual behavior or ensure that people using masks are doing so properly, and even the president has been resistant to calls to a wear mask.
But for many restaurants, masks — while initially not recommended by the CDC — feel like a vital required step to prevent community spread. “A lot of what the CDC and the health departments are telling people to do for the general public,” Pietrzyk says of the recommendations for preventing COVID-19 infections, “are things that we’ve always done because it’s what’s required of a food business.”
Wayne County, where Detroit is located, isn’t currently enforcing any regulations requiring essential workers wear face masks, despite having one of the largest outbreaks in the nation. Still, many restaurant owners like Pietrzyk have already taken it upon themselves to make sure staff cover their faces.
Luciano DelSignore is the chef and co-owner of nine Michigan establishments with his business partner Michael Chetcuti. At first, their restaurants had an “if you have one, wear one” policy for face coverings, but they’ve since ramped up efforts to provide employees with equipment, passing out bandanas to employees at Arbor Brewing Company and Bigalora Wood-Fired Cucina.
This week, the partners were able to acquire and distribute 300 masks to staff. “We’re trying to protect our employees. We’re trying to protect the customers,” DelSignore says, noting that at this point he wouldn’t feel comfortable purchasing carryout from an establishment where employees weren’t wearing masks. “I think that everybody feels the same way.”
However, there are still barriers to using them in a food industry setting. In Pietrzyk’s kitchen, staff stand six feet apart and wear masks throughout their shifts — a combination of N95 masks (a higher-quality mask that filters out 95 percent of airborne particles including hazardous dust, gasses, and vapors), and painter’s masks that offer protection from everyday dust particles. Pietrzyk says the N95s are costly, around $6.50 each. The masks are also difficult to wear at times. “It’s hard to breathe with them on at some points, especially when you standing over hot boiling water,” she says.
After a week of trying to adapt his small restaurant Saffron De Twah to carryout-only service, chef Omar Anani closed on March 17 due to limited sales and difficulties ensuring employees could reach work safely. He’s since refocused his efforts on providing meals to five different programs feeding frontline workers and unemployed service industry staff. It’s grueling, mostly solitary, kitchen work that he does while wearing a rotating collection of masks.
“A good quality mask is hard to find,” Anani says, calling the shortage of N95 masks for essential workers a “nightmare.” The first set Anani acquired were handmade, but had elastic straps that were too short and didn’t fit his face. He’s since acquired some better masks from local makers using double and triple layers of cloth with micron filters embedded. A local distributor Motor City Seafood recently donated a few disposable masks to his kitchen.
From the beginning, Anani wanted to ensure he and his collaborators were wearing masks during food prep to prevent infection by an asymptomatic carrier. But at least one employee was no longer able to volunteer because they felt too anxious and claustrophobic wearing a face covering in the kitchen. “Just like you have the fight back on gloves in kitchens, you’re gonna have the same fight with masks,” he says.
Right now, people are relying on masks to put them at ease, but they aren’t necessarily using them properly, Anani says. “It’s been a learning experience about masks, which I’d never thought I’d learn about in my culinary career.”
Wearing a mask correctly requires practice and care. Anani sought advice along the way on how to develop procedures by talking to friends and relatives in the medical field. Yet, he’s observed other restaurant operators in interviews with masks dangling around their necks and over their heads. “You can’t wear the same mask like that over and over,” he says. “The thing needs to be washed. It needs to be single-use like a glove.” Anani now keeps a bag at the restaurant dedicated to holding used masks. The bag is placed in quarantine between washings. He has enough masks at the moment to get him through two days of work. Anani then takes the bag home and washes them in hot water and on high in the dryer.
Pietrzyk says she hopes that going forward, patrons will become more acclimated to the sight of service workers wearing face coverings. “I think for a lot of people it’s an adjustment period,” she says.
And while it’s hard for anyone at this point to truly imagine what business could look like in the coming weeks and months, DelSignore believes that face masks will likely become a regular part of the new uniform for restaurant employees. “They’re going to become a serious part of normal life,” he says. “I think years from now people are going to be walking around wearing masks.”
• All Coronavirus Coverage [E]


vox--2020-04-17--Fiona Apple’s new album sounds like 2020 feels

It ’ s not unusual for Fiona Apple fans to wait years and years for a new album from the iconoclastic singer-songwriter .
The shortest gap between Apple ’ s record releases was three years , with 1999 ’ s When the Pawn ... following her 1996 debut Tidal .
Indeed , in the 20 years between When the Pawn ... and 2019 , she had released just two additional albums .
But now it ’ s 2020 , and Apple has released Fetch the Bolt Cutters , her fifth album and first in eight years , since 2012 ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loves long album titles — hence all the ellipses . )
What ’ s most remarkable is that Bolt Cutters might be Apple ’ s best release in a 24-year career full of seemingly perfect albums — and that it feels eerily well-timed for an album that was actually recorded between 2015 and 2019 but which sort of feels like Apple maybe just recorded it yesterday .
Bolt Cutters is “ about ” a great many things ( if anyone can claim any Apple album , full of eclectic influences and ideas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of things ) .
It tackles women ’ s rage at the indignities we are forced to suffer under the patriarchy , Apple ’ s own ambivalence about entering her 40s ( except maybe that ambivalence is also fueled by the patriarchy ?
?
? )
, and the difficulty of finding lasting love at any age .
But what most resonates throughout Bolt Cutters is the feeling of being trapped somewhere , slowly unraveling , impotently furious about a world that is tearing itself apart without your consent .
The album sounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else is only too happy to be speeding toward a cliff .
It ’ s like not being able to sleep because you ’ re so worried about some indefinable something .
All of which , uh , might sound familiar at the moment .
It ’ s been a long time since an album arrived with the level of hype Fetch the Bolt Cutters has received Like a stereotypical woman in her 30s , I listen to very little new music .
The simple reason is that , at some point in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ d had enough new music , thank you very much .
But when my friend Hannah urgently sent me an emphatic message saying that I had to listen to Fetch the Bolt Cutters , well , who was I to say no ?
Hannah ’ s urgency was matched by that of seemingly the entire internet .
As I write this , the album has been out for a little over 12 hours , but it ’ s already generated the level of hype that albums rarely receive in the age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from artist ’ s individual single drops carry more weight than any complete album release could .
To be sure , some of the hype stems from this being Apple ’ s first album release in eight years .
But just as much comes from how good it is .
Apple ’ s music has always thrived on the intimacy she fosters with the listener .
Every choice she makes is designed to draw you into her world , to make you understand things her way for the length of time you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cutters takes this even further .
It was recorded in Apple ’ s home in Los Angeles , and songs frequently have the barking of dogs faintly ( or not so faintly ) painting the background of the soundscape .
You ’ re not just making sense of the world through her eyes ; you ’ re sheltering in place with her , looking out the window at a city turned into a ghost town .
The most obvious theme many will draw from Bolt Cutters is its overlap with the rise in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual harassment and sexual assault in the last several years .
The album ’ s best song , “ Under the Table , ” frequently turns to Apple snarling , “ Kick me under the table all you want/I won ’ t shut up , ” and it ’ s not hard to extrapolate this into a larger comment on women who feel as though they ’ ve gone unheard for too long .
Bolt Cutters keeps circling back to the idea of women drawing rage from the world and strength from each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stores of resilience .
That gives the album the sense of a cohesive , coherent statement on the state of the world today that not only enhances the power of all of its songs in isolation , but it also creates a whole greater than the sum of its already considerable parts .
But to boil Bolt Cutters down to that single idea is to miss the richness of what Apple is trying to do .
On the album ’ s title track , the chorus entirely consists of Apple repeating , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been in here too long.
” In the context of the song , it is a general plea to stop the planet because Apple would like to exit the ride , so exhausted is she by a life filled with the petty cruelties humans inflict on each other .
But in the context of a pandemic when none of us can leave our houses , it accidentally becomes so much more relevant than it might have in a timeline where we weren ’ t all stuck inside .
( The album was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple argued to release it right now instead .
Perhaps she , too , grasped just how relevant it would be . )
Perhaps Apple ’ s first major entry into the larger mainstream beyond fans of alternative music came in 1997 , when she won an MTV Video Music Award for the now-iconic , very ’ 90s video for “ Criminal ” ( still her biggest hit ) .
Taking the stage to give a speech , she said , “ Everybody that ’ s watching this world ?
This world is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ bullshit ” in a program that children could theoretically be watching got more attention than her ultimate message ( which was about staying true to your own inner muse ) , but in 2020 , it ’ s hard to say she was wrong .
I ’ m so mad , all of the time , and I no longer precisely know who to be mad at .
The sources of the pain so many of my fellow humans are forced to suffer seem at once obvious and older than any of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes sense , the world is going through the first act of several dozen post-apocalyptic movies at once , and we live in a country with a leadership that does not seem to care about anything other than consolidating power for itself .
We are governed by greedy , gluttonous children who are threatened by the mere suggestion that they might be greedy , gluttonous children , and here I am , stuck inside , with no power to do anything about it .
What am I going to do ?
Vote to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The world is bullshit .
Fetch the bolt cutters .
I ’ ve been in here too long .
Fetch the Bolt Cutters is available on all major music platforms , including Spotify , Apple Music , and Amazon Music .
One Good Thing is Vox ’ s recommendations feature .
In each edition , find one more thing from the world of culture that we highly recommend .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a @ @ @ @ @

It’s not unusual for Fiona Apple fans to wait years and years for a new album from the iconoclastic singer-songwriter. The shortest gap between Apple’s record releases was three years, with 1999’s When the Pawn... following her 1996 debut Tidal. Indeed, in the 20 years between When the Pawn... and 2019, she had released just two additional albums.
But now it’s 2020, and Apple has released Fetch the Bolt Cutters, her fifth album and first in eight years, since 2012’s The Idler Wheel... (Apple loves long album titles — hence all the ellipses.) What’s most remarkable is that Bolt Cutters might be Apple’s best release in a 24-year career full of seemingly perfect albums — and that it feels eerily well-timed for an album that was actually recorded between 2015 and 2019 but which sort of feels like Apple maybe just recorded it yesterday.
Bolt Cutters is “about” a great many things (if anyone can claim any Apple album, full of eclectic influences and ideas, to be “about” any handful of things). It tackles women’s rage at the indignities we are forced to suffer under the patriarchy, Apple’s own ambivalence about entering her 40s (except maybe that ambivalence is also fueled by the patriarchy???), and the difficulty of finding lasting love at any age.
But what most resonates throughout Bolt Cutters is the feeling of being trapped somewhere, slowly unraveling, impotently furious about a world that is tearing itself apart without your consent. The album sounds like being in a car where everybody else is only too happy to be speeding toward a cliff. It’s like not being able to sleep because you’re so worried about some indefinable something.
All of which, uh, might sound familiar at the moment.
It’s been a long time since an album arrived with the level of hype Fetch the Bolt Cutters has received
Like a stereotypical woman in her 30s, I listen to very little new music. The simple reason is that, at some point in the last few years, I decided I’d had enough new music, thank you very much. But when my friend Hannah urgently sent me an emphatic message saying that I had to listen to Fetch the Bolt Cutters, well, who was I to say no?
Hannah’s urgency was matched by that of seemingly the entire internet. As I write this, the album has been out for a little over 12 hours, but it’s already generated the level of hype that albums rarely receive in the age of streaming, where picking and choosing from artist’s individual single drops carry more weight than any complete album release could. To be sure, some of the hype stems from this being Apple’s first album release in eight years. But just as much comes from how good it is.
Apple’s music has always thrived on the intimacy she fosters with the listener. Every choice she makes is designed to draw you into her world, to make you understand things her way for the length of time you’re listening to her music. Bolt Cutters takes this even further. It was recorded in Apple’s home in Los Angeles, and songs frequently have the barking of dogs faintly (or not so faintly) painting the background of the soundscape. You’re not just making sense of the world through her eyes; you’re sheltering in place with her, looking out the window at a city turned into a ghost town.
The most obvious theme many will draw from Bolt Cutters is its overlap with the rise in women being open about their experiences with sexual harassment and sexual assault in the last several years. The album’s best song, “Under the Table,” frequently turns to Apple snarling, “Kick me under the table all you want/I won’t shut up,” and it’s not hard to extrapolate this into a larger comment on women who feel as though they’ve gone unheard for too long.
Bolt Cutters keeps circling back to the idea of women drawing rage from the world and strength from each other, and their own seemingly inexhaustible stores of resilience. That gives the album the sense of a cohesive, coherent statement on the state of the world today that not only enhances the power of all of its songs in isolation, but it also creates a whole greater than the sum of its already considerable parts.
But to boil Bolt Cutters down to that single idea is to miss the richness of what Apple is trying to do. On the album’s title track, the chorus entirely consists of Apple repeating, “Fetch the bolt cutters, I’ve been in here too long.” In the context of the song, it is a general plea to stop the planet because Apple would like to exit the ride, so exhausted is she by a life filled with the petty cruelties humans inflict on each other. But in the context of a pandemic when none of us can leave our houses, it accidentally becomes so much more relevant than it might have in a timeline where we weren’t all stuck inside. (The album was originally scheduled for release in October before Apple argued to release it right now instead. Perhaps she, too, grasped just how relevant it would be.)
Perhaps Apple’s first major entry into the larger mainstream beyond fans of alternative music came in 1997, when she won an MTV Video Music Award for the now-iconic, very ’90s video for “Criminal” (still her biggest hit). Taking the stage to give a speech, she said, “Everybody that’s watching this world? This world is bullshit.” Her use of the word “bullshit” in a program that children could theoretically be watching got more attention than her ultimate message (which was about staying true to your own inner muse), but in 2020, it’s hard to say she was wrong.
I’m so mad, all of the time, and I no longer precisely know who to be mad at. The sources of the pain so many of my fellow humans are forced to suffer seem at once obvious and older than any of us who are still alive. Nothing makes sense, the world is going through the first act of several dozen post-apocalyptic movies at once, and we live in a country with a leadership that does not seem to care about anything other than consolidating power for itself. We are governed by greedy, gluttonous children who are threatened by the mere suggestion that they might be greedy, gluttonous children, and here I am, stuck inside, with no power to do anything about it. What am I going to do? Vote to incrementally dismantle the entire fucking system?
The world is bullshit. Fetch the bolt cutters. I’ve been in here too long.
Fetch the Bolt Cutters is available on all major music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. For more of Emily’s thoughts on Fiona Apple’s latest release, listen to the episode of Vox’s Switched on Pop podcast that breaks down the album.
One Good Thing is Vox’s recommendations feature. In each edition, find one more thing from the world of culture that we highly recommend.


vox--2020-04-17--Covid-19’s devastating toll on black and Latino Americans, in one chart

It has been clear for some time that the coronavirus pandemic is killing black and Latino Americans at disproportionately high rates , but new data from the last few days reveals just how devastating the Covid-19 crisis has been for people of color .
Starting in New York City , the American epicenter of the outbreak : Black New Yorkers are dying at twice the rate of their white peers ; Latinos in the city are also succumbing to the virus at a much higher rate than white or Asian New Yorkers .
The same trends can be seen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mother Jones compiled data from all of the states that break out their coronavirus data by race and ethnicity .
The same thing we ’ re seeing in New York City is happening across the country : Black and Latino Americans get infected with Covid-19 at alarmingly high rates and more are dying than we would expect based on their share of the population .
A few horrifying examples from the charts you can find in the link above : • In Wisconsin , black people represent 6 percent of the population and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Louisiana , black people make up 32 percent of the state ’ s population but almost 60 percent of fatalities • In Kansas , 6 percent of the population is black and yet black people account for more than 30 percent of the Covid-19 deaths The proportions can change depending on the state , but the trends are consistent anywhere you look : Compared to their share of the population , greater numbers of people of color die than their white neighbors in this pandemic .
Why is that ?
Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black and Latino people are being put at risk more in their day-to-day lives ) and then there are the structural reasons ( long-standing economic and health disparities between white people and people of color ) .
On the first , the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in NYC is a useful and disturbing example .
As the New York Times reported last week , bus and subway workers have been hit hard by the coronavirus : 41 dead and more than 6,000 either diagnosed with Covid-19 or self-quarantining because they have symptoms that suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who works for the MTA ?
Black people and Latinos .
They account for more than 60 percent of the agency ’ s workforce in New York City , according to estimates from 2016 .
Black people in particular are overrepresented in the MTA ; they are 46 percent of the city ’ s transportation workers versus 24 percent of its overall population .
( White people , on the other hand , make up 30 percent of local MTA employees but 43 percent of NYC residents . )
This is , again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As Devan Hawkins wrote in the Guardian , black Americans are more likely than white Americans to be employed in the essential services that have been exempted from state stay-at-home orders , and they are more likely to work in health care and in hospitals .
In America as in other countries , health care workers make up a disproportionate share of Covid-19 cases .
So the steps states and cities have taken to restrict public activities and slow the spread of the coronavirus , while undoubtedly necessary and productive , have still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection and , ultimately , death during the pandemic .
Those risks are exacerbated by long-standing health inequities in America .
As Fabiola Cineas wrote for Vox last week , black Americans have historically had higher rates of heart disease , diabetes , and high blood pressure than white Americans — all of which make a patient more vulnerable to developing a severe case of Covid-19 and ultimately dying .
I would add that they are also more likely to be uninsured , again for both structural reasons ( all the states in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to expand Medicaid , which disproportionately hurts black people ) and because of the immediate crisis ( black people were more likely to lose their job in the recent surge in unemployment ) .
The same is true for Latinos .
And those are the macro trends .
All over the country , smaller controversies and policy choices also worsen the health of black Americans and weaken their ability to stay safe during the Covid-19 pandemic .
Even something as seemingly simple as clean water to wash hands can be hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as this reporting by Khushbu Shah for Vox on Detroit ( with 13,000 cases and 1,000 deaths in Wayne County ) reveals : Since 2014 , over 140,000 homes in Detroit have had their water service disconnected as part of a debt-payment program , according to records obtained by local news outlet the Bridge .
In 2019 , more than 23,000 accounts had their water shut off , and 37 percent still hadn ’ t had service restored as of mid-January .
With the virus spreading , the city promised to restore water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31 , had only done so for 1,050 of the 10,000 people who called with a water service problem ( 8,000 of those callers did not qualify for the Coronavirus Water Restart Plan , according to a city report ) .
“ They put the onus on the customer to have to go in and take affirmative steps [ to restore their water ] , so there are a lot of people who do not know , or secondly , don ’ t have the ability to go in and meet with someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alice Jennings , who is working to restore water to the city ’ s most vulnerable .
Her daughter , a Detroit teacher and a cancer survivor , is battling coronavirus .
Community groups , in the meantime , she said , are passing around five gallons of water to residents who don ’ t have water for drinking , cooking , or bathing , but Jennings doubts that residents are using the scarce water they have to wash their hands .
“ If the primary recommendation is ‘ wash your hands , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there ’ s no water in the house to wash your hands , ” the number of cases is certain to skyrocket , Jennings says .
For decades — centuries , really — America has failed the black and brown people who call it home .
Today , as the coronavirus continues to take its toll , they are stuck paying the price for that failure .
This story appears in VoxCare , a newsletter from Vox on the latest twists and turns in America ’ s health care debate .
Sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with more health care stats and news .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

It has been clear for some time that the coronavirus pandemic is killing black and Latino Americans at disproportionately high rates, but new data from the last few days reveals just how devastating the Covid-19 crisis has been for people of color.
Starting in New York City, the American epicenter of the outbreak: Black New Yorkers are dying at twice the rate of their white peers; Latinos in the city are also succumbing to the virus at a much higher rate than white or Asian New Yorkers. The same trends can be seen in infection and hospitalization rates, too.
Mother Jones compiled data from all of the states that break out their coronavirus data by race and ethnicity. The same thing we’re seeing in New York City is happening across the country: Black and Latino Americans get infected with Covid-19 at alarmingly high rates and more are dying than we would expect based on their share of the population.
A few horrifying examples from the charts you can find in the link above:
In Wisconsin, black people represent 6 percent of the population and nearly 40 percent of Covid-19 fatalities
In Louisiana, black people make up 32 percent of the state’s population but almost 60 percent of fatalities
In Kansas, 6 percent of the population is black and yet black people account for more than 30 percent of the Covid-19 deaths
The proportions can change depending on the state, but the trends are consistent anywhere you look: Compared to their share of the population, greater numbers of people of color die than their white neighbors in this pandemic.
Why is that? Well, there are the more acute reasons (black and Latino people are being put at risk more in their day-to-day lives) and then there are the structural reasons (long-standing economic and health disparities between white people and people of color).
On the first, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in NYC is a useful and disturbing example. As the New York Times reported last week, bus and subway workers have been hit hard by the coronavirus: 41 dead and more than 6,000 either diagnosed with Covid-19 or self-quarantining because they have symptoms that suggest an infection, as of April 8.
Who works for the MTA? Black people and Latinos. They account for more than 60 percent of the agency’s workforce in New York City, according to estimates from 2016.
Black people in particular are overrepresented in the MTA; they are 46 percent of the city’s transportation workers versus 24 percent of its overall population. (White people, on the other hand, make up 30 percent of local MTA employees but 43 percent of NYC residents.)
This is, again, true across cities and sectors. As Devan Hawkins wrote in the Guardian, black Americans are more likely than white Americans to be employed in the essential services that have been exempted from state stay-at-home orders, and they are more likely to work in health care and in hospitals. In America as in other countries, health care workers make up a disproportionate share of Covid-19 cases.
So the steps states and cities have taken to restrict public activities and slow the spread of the coronavirus, while undoubtedly necessary and productive, have still left people of color more exposed to infection and, ultimately, death during the pandemic.
Those risks are exacerbated by long-standing health inequities in America.
As Fabiola Cineas wrote for Vox last week, black Americans have historically had higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure than white Americans — all of which make a patient more vulnerable to developing a severe case of Covid-19 and ultimately dying.
I would add that they are also more likely to be uninsured, again for both structural reasons (all the states in the Deep South except for Louisiana have refused to expand Medicaid, which disproportionately hurts black people) and because of the immediate crisis (black people were more likely to lose their job in the recent surge in unemployment). The same is true for Latinos.
And those are the macro trends. All over the country, smaller controversies and policy choices also worsen the health of black Americans and weaken their ability to stay safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even something as seemingly simple as clean water to wash hands can be hard to come by for people of color, as this reporting by Khushbu Shah for Vox on Detroit (with 13,000 cases and 1,000 deaths in Wayne County) reveals:
Since 2014, over 140,000 homes in Detroit have had their water service disconnected as part of a debt-payment program, according to records obtained by local news outlet the Bridge. In 2019, more than 23,000 accounts had their water shut off, and 37 percent still hadn’t had service restored as of mid-January. With the virus spreading, the city promised to restore water to residents, but as of March 31, had only done so for 1,050 of the 10,000 people who called with a water service problem (8,000 of those callers did not qualify for the Coronavirus Water Restart Plan, according to a city report). “They put the onus on the customer to have to go in and take affirmative steps [to restore their water], so there are a lot of people who do not know, or secondly, don’t have the ability to go in and meet with someone,” says veteran civil rights lawyer Alice Jennings, who is working to restore water to the city’s most vulnerable. Her daughter, a Detroit teacher and a cancer survivor, is battling coronavirus. Community groups, in the meantime, she said, are passing around five gallons of water to residents who don’t have water for drinking, cooking, or bathing, but Jennings doubts that residents are using the scarce water they have to wash their hands. “If the primary recommendation is ‘wash your hands, continuously, wash your hands,’ and there’s no water in the house to wash your hands,” the number of cases is certain to skyrocket, Jennings says.
For decades — centuries, really — America has failed the black and brown people who call it home. Today, as the coronavirus continues to take its toll, they are stuck paying the price for that failure.
Correction: This post has been updated to remove inaccurate test and population data on Latinos in California and Arizona.
This story appears in VoxCare, a newsletter from Vox on the latest twists and turns in America’s health care debate. Sign up to get VoxCare in your inbox along with more health care stats and news.


vox--2020-04-17--What we can learn from the “second wave” of coronavirus cases in Asia

Share All sharing options for : What we can learn from the “ second wave ” of coronavirus cases in Asia Right now , if you fly to Hong Kong , you ’ ll have to turn over your saliva .
That is , if you ’ re already a resident .
If not , you can ’ t come in at all .
The saliva , of course , is for a coronavirus test , one of the measures the Hong Kong government has adopted — including banning non-residents from entry , and giving tracking bracelets tied to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in to try to control a small wave of new coronavirus cases that arose in recent weeks .
Hong Kong isn ’ t the only place in Asia that did a good job controlling its initial coronavirus outbreak only to see a resurgence of coronavirus cases .
Singapore and Taiwan were both seen as examples of how to handle the coronavirus outbreak : staunching the growth of infections , while largely keeping their economies open .
Instead , these places relied on tools such as robust testing , contact tracing to identify people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and may have been exposed to the virus , mass surveillance , isolation of the ill , and stringent travel restrictions .
It wasn ’ t exactly life as normal , but it wasn ’ t also a total shutdown , either .
This has changed , to varying degrees , as the threat of new cases rises both within these places ’ borders , and without .
Hong Kong had to adopt more stringent social distancing measures at the end of March , including strengthening travel rules and closing bars .
Singapore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has now imposed lockdown measures until May 4 and temporarily closed schools .
Taiwan hasn ’ t shut down , but it has put really stringent travel restrictions in place .
And this may be the world ’ s new normal , at least until an effective medical therapy is widely available that lessens the intensity of the disease , or the world acquires immunity , most likely through a vaccine .
Social distancing measures may be a recurring tool — intensifying , easing , and intensifying again as outbreaks surge , diminish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as the coronavirus is spreading somewhere , it can spread everywhere .
That is why no country has beaten the coronavirus yet .
“ We will not get rid of the disease until every country has a system to detect the disease and stop it near the origin , as or as close to the origin as possible , before it spreads , ” Olga Jonas , a senior fellow at the Harvard Global Health Institute who formerly helped to coordinate the World Bank ’ s response to avian and pandemic flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weak links have to be addressed in every country , ” she added .
Why Hong Kong , Taiwan , and Singapore saw another coronavirus wave — and will likely see more Hong Kong ’ s bump in coronavirus infections , beginning in March , was relatively small , and largely attributed to people returning from returning to the territory from places overseas where the coronavirus was then spreading rapidly , such as the United Kingdom , Europe , and the United States .
That created tensions in the territory , as residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Authorities also identified small clusters of local transmissions , including at Lan Kwai Fong , a district in Hong Kong with a lot of bars that ’ s popular for its nightlife .
In response to the new rise in cases , Hong Kong on March 25 fully closed its borders to non-residents for a two-week period , allowing exceptions for visitors from mainland China , Macau , and Taiwan as long as they hadn ’ t traveled anywhere else in the 14 days prior .
Schools had already been closed in Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam added new measures at the end of March , including a ban on gatherings of four or more people and the closure of arcades , gyms , and movie theaters .
Restaurants had to limit the number of people allowed inside , take the temperatures of everyone entering their establishments , and provide hand sanitizer to patrons .
In April , all bars and pubs were also ordered to close , followed on April 10 by beauty and massage parlors .
All of these orders will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 .
Hong Kong ’ s government also extended travel restrictions indefinitely and ordered that , starting April 8 , all travelers arriving to Hong Kong , symptomatic or not , would need to undergo a coronavirus test and then enter a 14-day quarantine .
As of April 17 , Hong Kong has just over 1,000 coronavirus cases ( up from 400 when the new restrictions began in late March ) , with just single-digit increases by the day .
At least one Hong Kong lawmaker has said it may be time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , attributed its spike to imported cases , warning Taiwanese people to avoid traveling outside the island and risk bringing the disease back .
On March 19 , Taiwan barred all foreign nationals ( with some exceptions , including for diplomats ) from entering the island .
The government also barred any travelers from transiting through Taiwan , and required any returnees to quarantine for 14 days .
As of April 14 , Taiwan had nearly 400 total cases , 338 of which came from outside the island .
Though it recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in more than month , Taiwan is not letting up travel restrictions until the pandemic is under control elsewhere .
“ Of course , we hope it has passed , ” Taiwan ’ s Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said at a press conference this week , according to Reuters .
“ But we still need to be on our guard .
Of course we feel happy at no new cases today.
” Singapore also dealt with a wave of imported cases .
Now , though , the city-state ’ s latest rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , who are often crowded together in dormitories .
Singapore has taken strict measures to sequester these workers , including by putting four facilities , containing some 50,000 people , under quarantine .
The government is also housing healthy workers who work in essential services in separate facilities , so they can continue to work .
Singapore also instituted in early April what it called a “ circuit breaker ” — basically a partial lockdown by a much nicer name .
Singapore hadn ’ t needed to do that before , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000 , it embraced more stringent measures .
Now , people can only go outside for essential services or to visit the doctor or do solo exercise , though people are required to keep their distance .
Restaurants are allowed to stay open for takeout or delivery only .
Schools are closed .
These measures will be in place until May 4 .
Singapore has over 5,000 total confirmed cases as of April 17 ; infections jumped more than 1,000 in just three days this week , a sign that the country does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As some critics have pointed out , Singapore ’ s treatment of migrants , and reluctance to let them put real roots down there , likely helped create this crisis that threatens the rest of the city-state , too .
“ Suppression and lift ” might become the new normal .
That is , if the world can get there .
Gabriel Leung , an infectious disease epidemiologist and dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong , described Hong Kong ’ s strategy as “ suppression and lift ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 .
“ [ T ] o see us through the next year or more , we must all prepare for several cycles of a ‘ suppress and lift ’ policy — cycles during which restrictions are applied and relaxed , applied again and relaxed again , in ways that can keep the pandemic under control but at an acceptable economic and social cost , ” Leung wrote .
Hong Kong , Singapore , and Taiwan are essentially following this course to varying degrees .
They ’ re using testing , contact tracing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures as something like a brake , in Leung ’ s words , to be applied when infections begin to surge , and then loosened up as it comes under control again .
It requires constant reaction , adaption , flexibility .
“ The bottom-line is that responding appropriately to the epidemic situation is a dynamic process requiring adjustments — loosening and tightening — as is appropriate , ” Keiji Fukuda , director and clinical professor of the public health department at the University of Hong Kong , told me in an email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoping to get back to normal as soon as possible , realistically , the optimal approach for countries and places will be to apply a dynamic process of monitoring and adjustment until vaccine becomes widely available.
” But those social distancing measures can be targeted much more effectively if the government has a much better idea where the outbreaks are occurring .
“ The take-away for me is that it has to involve case-based interventions , ” Jennifer Nuzzo , an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Case identification , case isolation , contact investigation , and monitoring of contacts .
Repeat.
” Nuzzo added that not every country has to do all the measures , “ but every country that has been successful has had aggressive case-based interventions.
” Of course , Hong Kong , Singapore , and Taiwan have advantages that a lot of other places don ’ t have .
They are relatively small — Hong Kong and Singapore each have populations slightly smaller than New York City ; Taiwan has the largest population of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Geography helps , too ; Taiwan and Singapore are small islands , and so it ’ s easier to control who ’ s coming across their borders than it is for the United States and Europe .
“ Advantages are certainly on geography , wealth , medical facilities and a relatively compliant population that follows the rules , ” Ramanan Laxminarayan , director and senior research scholar at the Center for Disease Dynamics , Economics , and Policy at Princeton University , wrote in an email .
These places , especially Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot from past virus outbreaks .
“ Hong Kong has invested heavily in preparedness for emerging infections since SARS in 2004 , ” Ben Cowling , professor at the school of public health at the University of Hong Kong , told me in an email .
“ The population are incredibly well informed about public health and have voluntarily changed their behaviors to complement the social distancing policies implemented by the government.
” So does this mean that some form of social distancing is inevitable until there is a vaccine , or an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus ?
The answer , sadly is , maybe .
As experts pointed out , no country has yet been able to totally stop the return of coronavirus .
“ This is a reminder that this virus is not going to go away .
You have to look at the experience of the last four months in Wuhan to realize that even the most extensive population-movement restrictions ever put in place for a public health issue in modern times has not ended virus transmission within China , ” Michael Osterholm , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota , told me .
Things like antibody tests will help people and governments know who was infected , and whether they have immunity to the disease , might also help to open up countries .
But social distancing — the lifting and easing — might still need to exist .
Because even if countries can successfully test and trace , these tools are much more effective if every country is doing them .
As long as the pandemic is active and alive somewhere around the world , the risk of new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or pandemic control in the world very much depends on the weak links , ” Jonas , the scientist at the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health , said .
“ The whole system is as good as its weakest links.
” Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

What we can learn from the “second wave” of coronavirus cases in Asia
Share All sharing options for: What we can learn from the “second wave” of coronavirus cases in Asia
Right now, if you fly to Hong Kong, you’ll have to turn over your saliva. That is, if you’re already a resident. If not, you can’t come in at all.
The saliva, of course, is for a coronavirus test, one of the measures the Hong Kong government has adopted — including banning non-residents from entry, and giving tracking bracelets tied to an app to those arrivals who are allowed in — to try to control a small wave of new coronavirus cases that arose in recent weeks.
Hong Kong isn’t the only place in Asia that did a good job controlling its initial coronavirus outbreak only to see a resurgence of coronavirus cases. Singapore and Taiwan were both seen as examples of how to handle the coronavirus outbreak: stanching the growth of infections, while largely keeping their economies open.
Instead of widespread lockdowns, these places relied on tools such as robust testing, contact tracing to identify people who came in contact with infected people and may have been exposed to the virus, mass surveillance, isolation of the ill, and stringent travel restrictions. It wasn’t exactly life as normal, but it wasn’t a total shutdown, either.
This has changed, to varying degrees, as the threat of new cases rises both within these places’ borders, and without.
Hong Kong had to adopt more stringent social distancing measures at the end of March, including strengthening travel rules and closing bars. Singapore avoided mass closures at first, but has now imposed lockdown measures until May 4 and temporarily closed schools. Taiwan hasn’t shut down, but it has put really stringent travel restrictions in place.
And this may be the world’s new normal, at least until an effective medical therapy is widely available that lessens the intensity of the disease, or the world acquires immunity, most likely through a vaccine. Social distancing measures may be a recurring tool — intensifying, easing, and intensifying again as outbreaks surge, diminish, and surge again.
Because as long as the coronavirus is spreading somewhere, it can spread everywhere. That is why no country has beaten the coronavirus yet.
“We will not get rid of the disease until every country has a system to detect the disease and stop it near the origin, as or as close to the origin as possible, before it spreads,” Olga Jonas, a senior fellow at the Harvard Global Health Institute who formerly helped to coordinate the World Bank’s response to avian and pandemic flu threats, told me.
“The weak links have to be addressed in every country,” she added.
Why Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore saw another coronavirus wave — and will likely see more
Hong Kong’s bump in coronavirus infections, beginning in March, was relatively small, and largely attributed to people returning to the territory from places overseas where the coronavirus was then spreading rapidly, such as the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States.
That created tensions in the territory, as residents blamed returning expats for the spread. Authorities also identified small clusters of local transmissions, including at Lan Kwai Fong, a district in Hong Kong with a lot of bars that’s popular for its nightlife.
In response to the new rise in cases, Hong Kong on March 25 fully closed its borders to non-residents for a two-week period, allowing exceptions for visitors from mainland China, Macau, and Taiwan as long as they hadn’t traveled anywhere else in the 14 days prior.
Schools had already been closed in Hong Kong until at least April 20, but Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam added new measures at the end of March, including a ban on gatherings of four or more people and the closure of arcades, gyms, and movie theaters. Restaurants had to limit the number of people allowed inside, take the temperatures of everyone entering their establishments, and provide hand sanitizer to patrons.
In April, all bars and pubs were also ordered to close, followed on April 10 by beauty and massage parlors. All of these orders will be in effect until at least April 23. Hong Kong’s government also extended travel restrictions indefinitely and ordered that, starting April 8, all travelers arriving to Hong Kong, symptomatic or not, would need to undergo a coronavirus test and then enter a 14-day quarantine.
As of April 17, Hong Kong has just over 1,000 coronavirus cases (up from 400 when the new restrictions began in late March), with just single-digit increases by the day. At least one Hong Kong lawmaker has said it may be time to loosen some restrictions again.
Taiwan, too, attributed its spike to imported cases, warning Taiwanese people to avoid traveling outside the island and risk bringing the disease back. On March 19, Taiwan barred all foreign nationals (with some exceptions, including for diplomats) from entering the island. The government also barred any travelers from transiting through Taiwan, and required any returnees to quarantine for 14 days.
As of April 14, Taiwan had nearly 400 total cases, 338 of which came from outside the island. Though it recently had no new cases for the first time in more than a month, Taiwan is not letting up travel restrictions until the pandemic is under control elsewhere.
“Of course, we hope it has passed,” Taiwan’s Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said at a press conference this week, according to Reuters. “But we still need to be on our guard. Of course we feel happy at no new cases today.”
Singapore also dealt with a wave of imported cases. Now, though, the city-state’s latest rise in cases is being attributed to migrant workers, who are often crowded together in dormitories. Singapore has taken strict measures to sequester these workers, including by putting four facilities, containing some 50,000 people, under quarantine. The government is also housing healthy workers who work in essential services in separate facilities, so they can continue to work.
Singapore also instituted in early April what it called a “circuit breaker” — basically a partial lockdown by a much nicer name. Singapore hadn’t needed to do that before, but as it saw cases surge past 1,000, it embraced more stringent measures. Now, people can only go outside for essential services, to visit the doctor, or do solo exercise, and are required to keep their distance. Restaurants are allowed to stay open for takeout or delivery only. Schools are closed. These measures will be in place until May 4.
Singapore has over 5,900 total confirmed cases as of April 18; infections jumped more than 1,000 in just three days this week, a sign that the country does not yet have infections under control again. As some critics have pointed out, Singapore’s treatment of migrants, and reluctance to let them put real roots down there, likely helped create this crisis that threatens the rest of the city-state, too.
“Suppression and lift” might become the new normal. That is, if the world can get there.
Gabriel Leung, an infectious disease epidemiologist and dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong, described Hong Kong’s strategy as “suppression and lift” in a New York Times op-ed on April 6.
“[T]o see us through the next year or more, we must all prepare for several cycles of a ‘suppress and lift’ policy — cycles during which restrictions are applied and relaxed, applied again and relaxed again, in ways that can keep the pandemic under control but at an acceptable economic and social cost,” Leung wrote.
Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan are essentially following this course to varying degrees. They’re using testing, contact tracing, travel restrictions, and social distancing measures as something like a brake, in Leung’s words, to be applied when infections begin to surge, and then loosened up as it comes under control again. It requires constant reaction, adaption, flexibility.
“The bottom-line is that responding appropriately to the epidemic situation is a dynamic process requiring adjustments — loosening and tightening — as is appropriate,” Keiji Fukuda, director and clinical professor of the public health department at the University of Hong Kong, told me in an email.
“While recognizing we are all hoping to get back to normal as soon as possible, realistically, the optimal approach for countries and places will be to apply a dynamic process of monitoring and adjustment until vaccine becomes widely available,” he told me.
But those social distancing measures can be targeted much more effectively if the government has a better idea where the outbreaks are occurring.
“The take-away for me is that it has to involve case-based interventions,” Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said, of any effective strategy to control coronavirus. “Case identification, case isolation, contact investigation, and monitoring of contacts. Repeat.”
Nuzzo added that not every country has to do all the measures, “but every country that has been successful has had aggressive case-based interventions.”
Of course, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan have advantages that a lot of other places don’t have. They are relatively small — Hong Kong and Singapore each have populations slightly smaller than New York City; Taiwan has the largest population of the three, at about 23 million. Geography helps, too; Taiwan and Singapore are small islands, so it’s easier to control who’s coming across their borders than it is for the United States and Europe.
“Advantages are certainly on geography, wealth, medical facilities and a relatively compliant population that follows the rules,” Ramanan Laxminarayan, director and senior research scholar at the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy at Princeton University, wrote in an email.
These places, especially Hong Kong and Taiwan, also learned a lot from past virus outbreaks. “Hong Kong has invested heavily in preparedness for emerging infections since SARS in 2004,” Ben Cowling, professor at the school of public health at the University of Hong Kong, told me in an email. “The population are incredibly well informed about public health and have voluntarily changed their behaviors to complement the social distancing policies implemented by the government.”
So does this mean some form of social distancing is inevitable until there is a vaccine, or an effective treatment to lessen the ferocity of the coronavirus? The answer, sadly, is maybe. As experts pointed out, no country has yet been able to totally stop the return of coronavirus.
“This is a reminder that this virus is not going to go away. You have to look at the experience of the last four months in Wuhan to realize that even the most extensive population-movement restrictions ever put in place for a public health issue in modern times has not ended virus transmission within China,” Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, told me.
Things like antibody tests will help people and governments know who was infected, and whether they have immunity to the disease, which might also help to open up countries. But social distancing — the lifting and easing — might still need to exist.
Because even if countries can successfully test and trace, these tools are much more effective if every country is doing them. As long as the pandemic is active and alive somewhere around the world, the risk of new cases emerging is everpresent.
“Epidemic or pandemic control in the world very much depends on the weak links,” Jonas, the scientist at Harvard, said. “The whole system is as good as its weakest links.”