democracynow--2020-04-03--Protect Immigrant Communities: Fear Mounts of Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak in U.S. Border Camps, ICE Jai

Protect Immigrant Communities: Fear Mounts of Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak in U.S. Border Camps, ICE Jails

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has joined thousands of medical professionals and immigrant rights groups to demand that ICE , Immigration and Customs Enforcement , release detainees from immigration jails as the coronavirus continues to spread .
At least four asylum seekers and five ICE agents have tested positive for COVID-19 .
The number is likely to be far higher .
More than 37,000 immigrants are jailed in crowded facilities across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are working to prepare crowded encampments of asylum seekers across the U.S.-Mexico border for a potentially catastrophic outbreak of COVID-19 .
Under Trump administration ’ s “ Remain in Mexico ” policy , tens of thousands of asylum seekers , from regions like Central America and Africa , have been stranded in Mexican border cities waiting for their asylum cases to resolve in U.S. courts .
This is José Estrada , a Honduran asylum seeker staying at a border shelter in Ciudad Juárez , Mexico .
AMY GOODMAN : A medical aid organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says there are at least five people with COVID-19 symptoms , no access to coronavirus test kits .
For more , we ’ re going to Laura Molinar .
She is founder and executive director of the group Dreams Without Borders de Tejas , Sueños Sin Fronteras de Tejas , a Latinx , women of color-led collective providing support to immigrant and asylee women , children and families .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
, Laura .
If you can start off by talking about this latest call by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brother of the presidential candidate , calling for the release of ICE detainees ?
This follows the former ICE director , under Obama , calling for their release .
We ’ re talking about close to 40,000 people in ICE jails .
And ICE unilaterally , without even the president ’ s approval , could release them .
Is that right ?
LAURA MOLINAR : Yes .
Yes , he could .
Definitely .
AMY GOODMAN : So , if you could talk about the significance of this and what it would mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released ?
LAURA MOLINAR : Yes .
So , we ’ re talking about adults , elders , children as young as 1 month , 2 months old , that are currently being detained in ICE detention .
And my collective , Sueños Sin Fronteras , I mean , we believe that detention , jails , especially right now , need to be shut down immediately .
And we ’ re are committed to achieving this goal and supporting the Hispanic Congressional Caucus with their statements that detainees need to be released immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
AMY GOODMAN : And , Laura , can you talk about what ’ s happening along the border ?
I mean , there ’ s ICE detention facilities , but there are also these asylee , these refugee camps on the U.S.-Mexico border .
LAURA MOLINAR : Yes .
So , the majority of our work here in South Texas , it ’ s been in Matamoros , Reynosa , also parts of Del Rio and Piedras Negras .
And yes , I mean , it ’ s a humanitarian crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And we have heard from several of our program partners in Matamoros that there ’ s no real way to prepare for an outbreak at the encampments .
And it ’ s essentially impossible to practice social distancing and to safely quarantine .
So , many of the volunteer physicians and nurses at the encampments in Matamoros are simply taking it day by day and working as hard as they can to mitigate the risks and prevent the spread of infection .
And so , some of the challenges that they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matamoros , is that they need access to PPE , testing , medication , sanitizer and other essential supplies .
Medical teams working at the encampments do not have the capability to operate as an ICU .
And they ’ re basically preparing themselves to administer palliative and end-of-life care , in the case that an outbreak occurs .
And to my knowledge , there is not any COVID-19 testing available in border towns such as Matamoros , and Mexican cities do not have the resources and healthcare to handle the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
AMY GOODMAN : And can you talk more about mutual aid , a term that people are hearing more about , how communities at the grassroots level are helping ?
I mean , here we are alone together , where part of the protection is being apart from people .
Yet what people are doing along the border , what kind of help do you need from people all over ?
LAURA MOLINAR : It ’ s a great question .
So , right now Sueños Sin Fronteras , our mission is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women and families arriving from the border , but not just asylum seekers .
We assist women and families that have recently been released from detention centers in South Texas , also the undocumented community that is living here in South Texas .
In Texas , there are 4.7 million immigrants living here , and that makes up approximately about 17 % of the total population here in Texas .
Many of these individuals do not have healthcare .
They do not qualify for healthcare or certain social services .
And so the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And our health advocate model here at Sueños Sin Fronteras , we aim to address these barriers and gaps through care coordination and resources and health education .
So , right now we have launched a mutual aid fund for immigrant women and families , not only at the encampments , but also being released from detention , and also just the general undocumented population here in Bexar County .
And this mutual aid will help provide food , groceries , housing assistance , hygiene and health supplies and education to vulnerable immigrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , other parts of the border .
AMY GOODMAN : Laura Molinar , I want to thank you so much for being with us .
We ’ ll continue to follow this critical issue , founder and executive director of Sueños Sin Fronteras de Tejas , Dreams Without Border of Texas , speaking to us from San Antonio .
And that ’ s it for our show .
Please cover your face .
It ’ s an altruistic act .
Whether you use a scarf , however you do it , cover your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside .
We all have to protect each other by protecting ourselves .
Democracy Now !
is working with as few people on site as possible .
The majority of our amazing team is working from home .
My condolences to our Democracy Now !
fellow , Adriano Contreras , who just lost his beloved uncle , Gilberto Castillo , who was 92 years old .
Adriano , our condolences go out to your whole family , all the very best , and to your aunt .
Democracy Now !
is produced with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guzder , Libby Rainey , Nermeen Shaikh , Carla Wills , Tami Woronoff , Charina Nadura , Sam Alcoff , Tey-Marie Astudillo , John Hamilton , Robby Karran , Hany Massoud , Adriano Contreras and María Taracena .
Our general manager is Julie Crosby .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
Thanks so much for joining us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has joined thousands of medical professionals and immigrant rights groups to demand that ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, release detainees from immigration jails as the coronavirus continues to spread. At least four asylum seekers and five ICE agents have tested positive for COVID-19. The number is likely to be far higher. More than 37,000 immigrants are jailed in crowded facilities across the United States.
Meanwhile, immigration advocates are working to prepare crowded encampments of asylum seekers across the U.S.-Mexico border for a potentially catastrophic outbreak of COVID-19. Under Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, tens of thousands of asylum seekers, from regions like Central America and Africa, have been stranded in Mexican border cities waiting for their asylum cases to resolve in U.S. courts. This is José Estrada, a Honduran asylum seeker staying at a border shelter in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
JOSÉ ESTRADA: [translated] It is a big concern for all of those who are waiting for a court hearing date. I was meant to have a hearing on the 30th. And because of coronavirus, it has been postponed. All of our cases here, everyone is very concerned.
AMY GOODMAN: A medical aid organization in a Matamoros, Mexico, encampment says there are at least five people with COVID-19 symptoms, no access to coronavirus test kits.
For more, we’re going to Laura Molinar. She is founder and executive director of the group Dreams Without Borders de Tejas, Sueños Sin Fronteras de Tejas, a Latinx, women of color-led collective providing support to immigrant and asylee women, children and families.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Laura. If you can start off by talking about this latest call by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, led by Joaquin Castro, the brother of the presidential candidate, calling for the release of ICE detainees? This follows the former ICE director, under Obama, calling for their release. We’re talking about close to 40,000 people in ICE jails. And ICE unilaterally, without even the president’s approval, could release them. Is that right?
LAURA MOLINAR: Yes. Yes, he could. Definitely.
AMY GOODMAN: So, if you could talk about the significance of this and what it would mean? Who are we talking about being released?
LAURA MOLINAR: Yes. So, we’re talking about adults, elders, children as young as 1 month, 2 months old, that are currently being detained in ICE detention. And my collective, Sueños Sin Fronteras, I mean, we believe that detention, jails, especially right now, need to be shut down immediately. And we’re are committed to achieving this goal and supporting the Hispanic Congressional Caucus with their statements that detainees need to be released immediately and detention centers need to be shut down.
AMY GOODMAN: And, Laura, can you talk about what’s happening along the border? I mean, there’s ICE detention facilities, but there are also these asylee, these refugee camps on the U.S.-Mexico border.
LAURA MOLINAR: Yes. So, the majority of our work here in South Texas, it’s been in Matamoros, Reynosa, also parts of Del Rio and Piedras Negras. And yes, I mean, it’s a humanitarian crisis. The situation is terrifying and deadly. And we have heard from several of our program partners in Matamoros that there’s no real way to prepare for an outbreak at the encampments. And it’s essentially impossible to practice social distancing and to safely quarantine. So, many of the volunteer physicians and nurses at the encampments in Matamoros are simply taking it day by day and working as hard as they can to mitigate the risks and prevent the spread of infection.
And so, some of the challenges that they’re experiencing right now, particularly in Matamoros, is that they need access to PPE, testing, medication, sanitizer and other essential supplies. Medical teams working at the encampments do not have the capability to operate as an ICU. And they’re basically preparing themselves to administer palliative and end-of-life care, in the case that an outbreak occurs. And to my knowledge, there is not any COVID-19 testing available in border towns such as Matamoros, and Mexican cities do not have the resources and healthcare to handle the spread of infection. And it’s terrifying.
AMY GOODMAN: And can you talk more about mutual aid, a term that people are hearing more about, how communities at the grassroots level are helping? I mean, here we are alone together, where part of the protection is being apart from people. Yet what people are doing along the border, what kind of help do you need from people all over?
LAURA MOLINAR: It’s a great question. So, right now Sueños Sin Fronteras, our mission is to increase health and healing for immigrant women and families arriving from the border, but not just asylum seekers. We assist women and families that have recently been released from detention centers in South Texas, also the undocumented community that is living here in South Texas. In Texas, there are 4.7 million immigrants living here, and that makes up approximately about 17% of the total population here in Texas. Many of these individuals do not have healthcare. They do not qualify for healthcare or certain social services. And so the need for mutual aid is paramount.
And our health advocate model here at Sueños Sin Fronteras, we aim to address these barriers and gaps through care coordination and resources and health education. So, right now we have launched a mutual aid fund for immigrant women and families, not only at the encampments, but also being released from detention, and also just the general undocumented population here in Bexar County. And this mutual aid will help provide food, groceries, housing assistance, hygiene and health supplies and education to vulnerable immigrant families in Bexar County and South Texas, other parts of the border.
AMY GOODMAN: Laura Molinar, I want to thank you so much for being with us. We’ll continue to follow this critical issue, founder and executive director of Sueños Sin Fronteras de Tejas, Dreams Without Border of Texas, speaking to us from San Antonio.
And that’s it for our show. Please cover your face. It’s an altruistic act. Whether you use a scarf, however you do it, cover your mouth and your nose when you go outside. We all have to protect each other by protecting ourselves.
Democracy Now! is working with as few people on site as possible. The majority of our amazing team is working from home.
My condolences to our Democracy Now! fellow, Adriano Contreras, who just lost his beloved uncle, Gilberto Castillo, who was 92 years old. Adriano, our condolences go out to your whole family, all the very best, and to your aunt.
Democracy Now! is produced with Renée Feltz, Mike Burke, Deena Guzder, Libby Rainey, Nermeen Shaikh, Carla Wills, Tami Woronoff, Charina Nadura, Sam Alcoff, Tey-Marie Astudillo, John Hamilton, Robby Karran, Hany Massoud, Adriano Contreras and María Taracena. Our general manager is Julie Crosby. I’m Amy Goodman. Thanks so much for joining us.


democracynow--2020-04-03--How Taiwan Contained COVID-19: Early Action, Technology & Millions of Face Masks

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , as we turn to a country that ’ s successfully staved off the worst of the coronavirus pandemic : Taiwan .
Despite being just a hundred miles from mainland China with regular flights to and from Wuhan , Taiwan has managed to contain the spread of COVID-19 through early action and aggressive measures , such as ramped-up production of medical supplies , advanced tracking of quarantined citizens .
Taiwan has so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under 350 confirmed cases .
Most schools and businesses remain open .
For more on Taiwan ’ s strategy and what the world can learn from it , we ’ re joined by Dr. Jason Wang .
He ’ s the director of the Center for Policy , Outcomes and Prevention and associate professor of pediatrics and medicine at Stanford University , joining us from the Stanford area in California .
Professor Wang , thanks so much for being with us .
Lay out the story from the beginning .
December happens .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan .
What happens next ?
And what specifically does Taiwan do , just next door ?
DR. C. JASON WANG : Yes .
So , last year , there was a rumor of a new coronavirus , so the Taiwanese government sent some doctors from their CDC to investigate in Wuhan .
And they noticed that this could lead to an epidemic , or now a pandemic .
So they were on high alert and vigilant .
And so , as early as January 1st , they started to board on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the symptoms and signs of passengers , so if they had fever or respiratory symptoms , and tried to take aggressive action .
And later on , they stopped all flights from Wuhan and also other Alert 3 , Level 3 alert , areas .
So , they managed to triage passengers in the airport .
So , if somebody is coming from Level 3 alert areas , they are asked to do 14 days of quarantine , and during which time the government brings them food and checks up on them three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get sicker , then the government will help them to get care in a special route , away from the main hospitals , so basically triage them to a special fever clinic .
Now , if somebody decides to break quarantine , they will give them a big fine .
Now , they also integrated their National Health Insurance program with the immigration and customs database .
And so , they sent batch files from the immigration database , the last 14 days only , because they want to protect private information .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ days to the National Health Insurance data center .
And then , when a doctor sees the patient , the doctor will be like , “ Oh , you ’ ve been to Wuhan in the last 14 days.
” So they may check up on you , make sure that doctors and nurses are all gowned up with the protective gear , and then they could order the appropriate tests , including COVID-19 .
And so this allows the frontline health workers to be protected .
DR. C. JASON WANG : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : I want to just stop for a second , Professor Wang .
The issue of protective gear , such a massive problem in the United States right now , President Trump boasting we ’ ve had the best response and the earliest response in the world .
Now people are learning about the words “ supply chain , ” who are outside of the business world .
AMY GOODMAN : Explain what it was that Taiwan did , how it managed to get PPE to all its frontline — to , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of its frontline workers , and the issue of tests , why the U.S. has fallen so far short and Taiwan surged ahead , again , next door to China .
DR. C. JASON WANG : Yeah .
So , I think , early on , they know that the importance of managing capacity and also to distribute the resources appropriately .
So , really early , in January , they had a quick count of all the stockpiles in the country .
And they said , you know , “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , there ’ s 23 million people in Taiwan , so there ’ s less than two masks per person .
So , immediately they said , “ No export of surgical masks outside of Taiwan right now , because we need to make more.
” So , then they quickly got together all the suppliers of the three different layers of materials for the surgical mask and say , you know , “ You can ’ t sell this right now .
We ’ ve got to make more.
” So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines of production just for masks .
Within three weeks , they ramped up the production from 2 million a day to 10 million a day .
Now , today they could probably make 11 million to 12 million a day .
They are donating 10 million masks to the United States and also to Europe .
So this is a case of , during special times , the government started to manage the capacity of critical supplies for people who are fighting in the frontlines .
And I think this is very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of experience .
They experienced SARS , so they know that there ’ s going to be a shortage of PPEs very soon , and people are going to start hoarding masks .
So , right now if you are in Taiwan , you could take your National Health Insurance card , and you could get masks .
You could get 10 masks per week .
So normal citizens could get 10 masks per week .
So you could still go to school .
You could go to work .
You could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t hoard masks , because you have to use your insurance card to get the masks .
AMY GOODMAN : So , can you talk about the importance of public education ?
We only have a few minutes .
While President Trump was saying there were 15 cases in the United States , sure to go down to zero , and now admitting that in the United States what we ’ re likely to see is between 100,000 and a quarter of a million people die of COVID-19 , talk about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But also talk about something that ’ s troubling a lot of people , the surveillance of its citizens , of the people who live in Taiwan , the kind of surveillance technology that they ’ re using to track people .
DR. C. JASON WANG : Yeah .
So , first of all , the public education component .
So , early on , after SARS , they recognized that , you know , you need an informed citizenry in a democracy .
So , government needs to have policies , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the government .
So it ’ s a joint effort .
So they spend a lot of time telling people what quarantine is , why is it important to stay at home when you ’ re on quarantine , and how to wash your hands .
And so , you know , the vice president is an epidemiologist who used to be the former minister of health during SARS .
So , he , from the podium of the president , basically was teaching the public how to wash hands and when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that — they did a lot of effort over the last two or three months — is daily .
This is daily on all the public service announcements .
The other thing , about the tracking device , is that they — it ’ s a balance between privacy and protection of the public .
So , basically , when you ’ re under quarantine , they don ’ t want you to go and take the Metro and infect other people .
So now they are using less and less invasive technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t go out of that vicinity , because they don ’ t want you to go infect the public .
AMY GOODMAN : So they ’ re tracking you by Bluetooth .
DR. C. JASON WANG : They are changing it .
They used to track you by GPS — right ?
— around your home .
But now they are changing it to a less aggressive form .
So they are adjusting , as well .
And also , you can ’ t track people forever .
Under their Communicable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special power given to the government only during the crisis , and it expires .
And so they have a law to govern that kind of use of technology .
It is not random that the government decides to implement .
It ’ s a bipartisan effort that amended the Communicable Disease Control Act after SARS .
So this is something that the whole population agreed on .
Let me tell you , so in terms of the democracy , in January of this year , 75 % of the eligible voters voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted in the presidential election .
So , if you don ’ t have the public support , you can ’ t do what you want .
And right now the current administration and the minister of health has 90 % of public support in the polls , 90 % .
AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Wang , we have 30 seconds .
What can the United States and the rest of the world learn from Taiwan ?
Its schools open now .
We ’ re talking about five COVID deaths altogether ?
DR. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think the U.S. has enormous capacity .
Right now the local , state and federal government has to act together in a coordinated way very quickly to contain the virus .
And this includes setting the right tempo .
You need to go fast .
You need to pull all of the resources together .
We have more talent here and more capability than anywhere else in the world .
I ’ m totally confident , if we pull ourselves together , that we could do this .
And we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wang , director of the Center for Policy , Outcomes and Prevention , associate professor of pediatrics and medicine at Stanford University , speaking to us from his home in California to protect against community spread .
When we come back , we look at the tens of thousands of immigrants detained in immigration jails and stuck in encampments on the U.S.-Mexico border .
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called for ICE to release its detainees .
ICE detains close to 40,000 people .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ Waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded the song in response to Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte ’ s oppression of the poor who are demanding rice promised them since the Philippines went under lockdown amidst the pandemic .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, as we turn to a country that’s successfully staved off the worst of the coronavirus pandemic: Taiwan. Despite being just a hundred miles from mainland China with regular flights to and from Wuhan, Taiwan has managed to contain the spread of COVID-19 through early action and aggressive measures, such as ramped-up production of medical supplies, advanced tracking of quarantined citizens. Taiwan has so far seen just five deaths and just under 350 confirmed cases. Most schools and businesses remain open.
For more on Taiwan’s strategy and what the world can learn from it, we’re joined by Dr. Jason Wang. He’s the director of the Center for Policy, Outcomes and Prevention and associate professor of pediatrics and medicine at Stanford University, joining us from the Stanford area in California.
Professor Wang, thanks so much for being with us. Lay out the story from the beginning. December happens. There’s the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. What happens next? And what specifically does Taiwan do, just next door?
DR. C. JASON WANG: Yes. So, last year, there was a rumor of a new coronavirus, so the Taiwanese government sent some doctors from their CDC to investigate in Wuhan. And they noticed that this could lead to an epidemic, or now a pandemic. So they were on high alert and vigilant. And so, as early as January 1st, they started to board on the flights coming from Wuhan to check on the symptoms and signs of passengers, so if they had fever or respiratory symptoms, and tried to take aggressive action. And later on, they stopped all flights from Wuhan and also other Alert 3, Level 3 alert, areas. So, they managed to triage passengers in the airport. So, if somebody is coming from Level 3 alert areas, they are asked to do 14 days of quarantine, and during which time the government brings them food and checks up on them three times a day. And if they get sicker, then the government will help them to get care in a special route, away from the main hospitals, so basically triage them to a special fever clinic. Now, if somebody decides to break quarantine, they will give them a big fine.
Now, they also integrated their National Health Insurance program with the immigration and customs database. And so, they sent batch files from the immigration database, the last 14 days only, because they want to protect private information. So they only send the last 14 days to the National Health Insurance data center. And then, when a doctor sees the patient, the doctor will be like, “Oh, you’ve been to Wuhan in the last 14 days.” So they may check up on you, make sure that doctors and nurses are all gowned up with the protective gear, and then they could order the appropriate tests, including COVID-19. And so this allows the frontline health workers to be protected.
AMY GOODMAN: Uh —
DR. C. JASON WANG: The other thing — yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to just stop for a second, Professor Wang. The issue of protective gear, such a massive problem in the United States right now, President Trump boasting we’ve had the best response and the earliest response in the world. Now people are learning about the words “supply chain,” who are outside of the business world.
DR. C. JASON WANG: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: Explain what it was that Taiwan did, how it managed to get PPE to all its frontline — to, I can’t say all, but most of its frontline workers, and the issue of tests, why the U.S. has fallen so far short and Taiwan surged ahead, again, next door to China.
DR. C. JASON WANG: Yeah. So, I think, early on, they know that the importance of managing capacity and also to distribute the resources appropriately. So, really early, in January, they had a quick count of all the stockpiles in the country. And they said, you know, “We have 44 million surgical masks.” And so, there’s 23 million people in Taiwan, so there’s less than two masks per person. So, immediately they said, “No export of surgical masks outside of Taiwan right now, because we need to make more.” So, then they quickly got together all the suppliers of the three different layers of materials for the surgical mask and say, you know, “You can’t sell this right now. We’ve got to make more.” So, then they quickly established 60 different lines of production just for masks. Within three weeks, they ramped up the production from 2 million a day to 10 million a day. Now, today they could probably make 11 million to 12 million a day. They are donating 10 million masks to the United States and also to Europe.
So this is a case of, during special times, the government started to manage the capacity of critical supplies for people who are fighting in the frontlines. And I think this is very important. I think it’s because of experience. They experienced SARS, so they know that there’s going to be a shortage of PPEs very soon, and people are going to start hoarding masks. So, right now if you are in Taiwan, you could take your National Health Insurance card, and you could get masks. You could get 10 masks per week. So normal citizens could get 10 masks per week. So you could still go to school. You could go to work. You could take the Metro. And you can’t hoard masks, because you have to use your insurance card to get the masks.
AMY GOODMAN: So, can you talk about the importance of public education? We only have a few minutes. While President Trump was saying there were 15 cases in the United States, sure to go down to zero, and now admitting that in the United States what we’re likely to see is between 100,000 and a quarter of a million people die of COVID-19, talk about what Taiwan was saying to its people. But also talk about something that’s troubling a lot of people, the surveillance of its citizens, of the people who live in Taiwan, the kind of surveillance technology that they’re using to track people.
DR. C. JASON WANG: Yeah. So, first of all, the public education component. So, early on, after SARS, they recognized that, you know, you need an informed citizenry in a democracy. So, government needs to have policies, but the citizens need to comply and help out the government. So it’s a joint effort. So they spend a lot of time telling people what quarantine is, why is it important to stay at home when you’re on quarantine, and how to wash your hands. And so, you know, the vice president is an epidemiologist who used to be the former minister of health during SARS. So, he, from the podium of the president, basically was teaching the public how to wash hands and when to wear a mask, So, that — they did a lot of effort over the last two or three months — is daily. This is daily on all the public service announcements.
The other thing, about the tracking device, is that they — it’s a balance between privacy and protection of the public. So, basically, when you’re under quarantine, they don’t want you to go and take the Metro and infect other people. So now they are using less and less invasive technology, including Bluetooth, so that you can’t go out of that vicinity, because they don’t want you to go infect the public.
AMY GOODMAN: So they’re tracking you by Bluetooth.
DR. C. JASON WANG: They are changing it. They used to track you by GPS — right? — around your home. But now they are changing it to a less aggressive form. So they are adjusting, as well. And also, you can’t track people forever. Under their Communicable Disease Control Act, this is a special power given to the government only during the crisis, and it expires. And so they have a law to govern that kind of use of technology. It is not random that the government decides to implement. It’s a bipartisan effort that amended the Communicable Disease Control Act after SARS. So this is something that the whole population agreed on.
Let me tell you, so in terms of the democracy, in January of this year, 75% of the eligible voters voted in the presidential election. Seventy-five percent voted in the presidential election. So, if you don’t have the public support, you can’t do what you want. And right now the current administration and the minister of health has 90% of public support in the polls, 90%.
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Wang, we have 30 seconds. What can the United States and the rest of the world learn from Taiwan? Its schools open now. We’re talking about five COVID deaths altogether?
DR. C. JASON WANG: Yeah. So, I think the U.S. has enormous capacity. Right now the local, state and federal government has to act together in a coordinated way very quickly to contain the virus. And this includes setting the right tempo. You need to go fast. You need to pull all of the resources together. We have more talent here and more capability than anywhere else in the world. I’m totally confident, if we pull ourselves together, that we could do this. And we need to.
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Jason Wang, director of the Center for Policy, Outcomes and Prevention, associate professor of pediatrics and medicine at Stanford University, speaking to us from his home in California to protect against community spread.
When we come back, we look at the tens of thousands of immigrants detained in immigration jails and stuck in encampments on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called for ICE to release its detainees. ICE detains close to 40,000 people. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “Waiting” performed by Zero Eviction. They recorded the song in response to Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s oppression of the poor who are demanding rice promised them since the Philippines went under lockdown amidst the pandemic.


democracynow--2020-04-03--As Virus Spreads in Philippines, So Does Authoritarianism: Duterte Threatens Violence Amid Lockdown

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org .
We ’ re broadcasting from the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States , New York City .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
But we ’ re turning now to look at the coronavirus pandemic in Asia .
In the Philippines , authoritarian President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he ’ s ordered soldiers to shoot to kill residents if they resist a strict lockdown on the island of Luzon .
His order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quezon City shanty town staged a protest , saying they ’ ve gone hungry without food promised when the lockdown began more than two weeks ago .
The Philippines death toll is 136 with more than 3,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases .
As those numbers grow , nurses and doctors report drastic lack of personal protective equipment .
Seventeen frontline medical workers have died .
This week , Democracy Now !
spoke with ER nurse Aris Santos Serrano , who works in a hospital near Manila .
The one consideration is the PPEs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , since there is only limited number of supplies provided for us , it is really difficult to attend patients .
Our current situation right now , it ’ s like in my department they are allotting one PPE for one COVID nurse .
So that ’ s difficult , because if a patient will come with a very critical condition , it is hard for one nurse only to attend to that patient .
With the scarcity , it ’ s like I ’ ve been told earlier — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with my bosses — and it ’ s like our stock of PPEs and N95 masks would last for like three to four days .
Our enhanced community quarantine will still be two weeks , two more weeks to run , and we are still expecting the cases to rise up .
It ’ s really sad , because there are doctors who are dying right now in my country .
AMY GOODMAN : While the Philippines has seen a surge in cases , Indonesia is now reporting the second most fatalities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nearly as many have died in South Korea , which saw an early surge in cases but has been widely praised for its efforts to flatten the curve .
Singapore , Hong Kong and Taiwan have also had some success in containing the virus .
Later in the broadcast , we ’ ll talk about Taiwan , but for right now we ’ re going to Singapore , where we ’ re joined by Natashya Gutierrez , editor-in-chief of VICE Asia .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
, Natashya .
Thank you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off by talking about the situation in the Philippines ?
NATASHYA GUTIERREZ : Yes , absolutely .
So , you know , it ’ s just heartbreaking to hear that account of that nurse , because it ’ s exactly true .
We ’ re hearing frontliners not even being protected , and so there ’ s questions .
And how can doctors curb this virus if they themselves are in danger ?
And in the Philippines , we ’ re talking a country of 100 million people .
March 16 , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luzon .
That ’ s 57 million people .
And that was only just the third country , after Italy and China , to have had such extreme measures put in place .
And President Rodrigo Duterte at that time had declared a state of emergency for six months .
Note that this is the longest state of emergency any leader has declared .
And so , now it ’ s still that way .
People can only go out for essentials , meaning just food and groceries , once a week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and continue to make people nervous are the wide deployment of military and police on the streets .
There ’ s a curfew in the Philippines .
People are unable to leave their house between 8 p.m. to 5 a.m .
The president has also asked for emergency powers to reallocate funds of 200 billion pesos — that ’ s about $ 4 billion U.S. — to help the poor .
But as mentioned earlier in the program , there are riots , because it ’ s not clear where this money will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear plan from the government .
And so , I would say that currently the overall general sentiment in the Philippines has been one of disappointment and confusion over the government ’ s actions .
Many people are asking for clarity regarding the government ’ s plan .
AMY GOODMAN : And can you talk more about Duterte , who ’ s known of boasting about raping people , to personally murdering people , using this moment of the pandemic to expand his authoritarian powers ?
NATASHYA GUTIERREZ : That ’ s exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of concern over President Duterte ’ s actions .
It ’ s not a secret that he is someone who has authoritarian tendencies .
He has declared a deadly , brutal drug war — sorry , war against drugs .
And this has actually targeted mostly the urban poor .
And sadly , we ’ re seeing the same with the pandemic .
We ’ re seeing that the people who are getting arrested are the poorest of the poor .
We ’ ve had politicians , senators break their stay-at-home notices , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far as entering a hospital and putting frontliners at risk .
And yet he has not been arrested , has not been apprehended , and the Department of Justice said that we should treat him with compassion .
Meanwhile , we ’ re seeing people breaking quarantine who are being put in dog cages .
We ’ re seeing arrests of homeless people .
So , again , the ones who are really suffering in this sort of a militaristic operation are the poorest of the poor .
And , of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests for emergency powers , again , it ’ s just making people quite nervous , because that ’ s just added powers .
And yet , the Filipino people are not seeing any major differences or any confidence , I guess , in the government to see that they ’ re actually using the funds properly .
AMY GOODMAN : These comments that Duterte made — “ Shoot them dead .
I will not hesitate .
My orders are to the police , to the military , also with the village officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where there ’ s violence and your lives are in danger , shoot them dead , ” he said .
NATASHYA GUTIERREZ : Yes , he said this two days ago , and this is very reminiscent of the way he also directed police to kill people who are using drugs .
And the scary part is , as soon as he did say that , you know , from the beginning of his term in 2016 , we then suddenly saw a lot of killings .
So we ’ re hoping that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the officials and authorities will understand how difficult this pandemic is for some informal settlers , people who can ’ t even have the luxury of practicing social distancing measures , and just treating them with justice , hopefully .
But it ’ s what makes a lot of people nervous , because we ’ ve seen it in the past happen , specifically with the drug war .
AMY GOODMAN : Compare what ’ s happening in the Philippines to Indonesia , as well as where you are , in Singapore .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , I think the number one thing that the government has done from the get-go is clear communication .
Obviously , it ’ s a small country , unlike the Philippines , unlike Indonesia .
It has 5 million people .
It has a fairly cohesive government and very strong medical resources .
But , you know , from the get-go , they implemented what every outbreak response should be .
That ’ s early case detection , aggressive and thorough contact tracing , and isolation or strict quarantine .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evolved .
When we saw more imported cases , they gradually closed borders .
Just this afternoon , just four hours ago , Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also announced more extreme social distancing measures , which is essentially a partial lockdown , starting Tuesday .
That ’ s after we saw an increase in the number of local transmissions .
So we ’ re seeing a government that is nimble , that is adjusting , that is clear in their communication .
What ’ s been consistent throughout is constant reassurance through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but as well as economic stimulus plans and a consistent messaging on things as simple as food will not run out .
They ’ ve clearly explained their policies , which is such a drastic difference from what ’ s happening in the Philippines .
And residents are quite happy with the response of the government here .
As for Indonesia , that is the fourth-largest population in the world .
We ’ re talking 200 million people .
And I think what happened with Indonesia was that when a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency or perhaps announcing their first cases , Indonesia was very much in a state of limbo , announcing that it was business as usual .
Bali was open to tourists .
And it made people quite nervous , because how can a country that big , an island of 17,000 people , possibly not have a single case ?
And most people assumed that it was because they were not mass testing .
And only , I think , about two days ago , or even just yesterday , did President Joko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But until now , Jakarta and major cities remain not on lockdown .
There is no national lockdown , despite the fact that its mortality rate is now at 9.4 % for COVID-19 .
AMY GOODMAN : Natashya Gutierrez , I want to thank you so much for being with us , editor-in-chief of VICE Asia .
But we are not leaving Asia right now .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. We’re broadcasting from the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, New York City. I’m Amy Goodman. But we’re turning now to look at the coronavirus pandemic in Asia. In the Philippines, authoritarian President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he’s ordered soldiers to shoot to kill residents if they resist a strict lockdown on the island of Luzon. His order came after residents of Manila’s Quezon City shanty town staged a protest, saying they’ve gone hungry without food promised when the lockdown began more than two weeks ago. The Philippines death toll is 136 with more than 3,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. As those numbers grow, nurses and doctors report drastic lack of personal protective equipment. Seventeen frontline medical workers have died.
This week, Democracy Now! spoke with ER nurse Aris Santos Serrano, who works in a hospital near Manila.
ARIS SANTOS SERRANO: The situation right now is a little bit difficult because of the surge of patients that we are having right now in our country, the Philippines. … I’m working in a Level 1 hospital, so we usually do not cater ICU type of patients, but since of the surge, we are obliged to at least treat emergency cases for patients who are showing symptoms of COVID-19.
The one consideration is the PPEs. We need to have them. But, of course, since there is only limited number of supplies provided for us, it is really difficult to attend patients. Our current situation right now, it’s like in my department they are allotting one PPE for one COVID nurse. So that’s difficult, because if a patient will come with a very critical condition, it is hard for one nurse only to attend to that patient. With the scarcity, it’s like I’ve been told earlier — I had a meeting with my boss, with my bosses — and it’s like our stock of PPEs and N95 masks would last for like three to four days. Our enhanced community quarantine will still be two weeks, two more weeks to run, and we are still expecting the cases to rise up. It’s really sad, because there are doctors who are dying right now in my country.
AMY GOODMAN: While the Philippines has seen a surge in cases, Indonesia is now reporting the second most fatalities in Asia after China with 181 dead. Nearly as many have died in South Korea, which saw an early surge in cases but has been widely praised for its efforts to flatten the curve. Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan have also had some success in containing the virus. Later in the broadcast, we’ll talk about Taiwan, but for right now we’re going to Singapore, where we’re joined by Natashya Gutierrez, editor-in-chief of VICE Asia.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Natashya. Thank you for joining us. Can you start off by talking about the situation in the Philippines?
NATASHYA GUTIERREZ: Yes, absolutely. So, you know, it’s just heartbreaking to hear that account of that nurse, because it’s exactly true. We’re hearing frontliners not even being protected, and so there’s questions. And how can doctors curb this virus if they themselves are in danger?
And in the Philippines, we’re talking a country of 100 million people. March 16, we saw a lockdown in the island of Luzon. That’s 57 million people. And that was only just the third country, after Italy and China, to have had such extreme measures put in place. And President Rodrigo Duterte at that time had declared a state of emergency for six months. Note that this is the longest state of emergency any leader has declared. And so, now it’s still that way. People can only go out for essentials, meaning just food and groceries, once a week. But I think what made many nervous and continue to make people nervous are the wide deployment of military and police on the streets. There’s a curfew in the Philippines. People are unable to leave their house between 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The president has also asked for emergency powers to reallocate funds of 200 billion pesos — that’s about $4 billion U.S. — to help the poor. But as mentioned earlier in the program, there are riots, because it’s not clear where this money will go. There has not been any clear plan from the government. And so, I would say that currently the overall general sentiment in the Philippines has been one of disappointment and confusion over the government’s actions. Many people are asking for clarity regarding the government’s plan.
AMY GOODMAN: And can you talk more about Duterte, who’s known of boasting about raping people, to personally murdering people, using this moment of the pandemic to expand his authoritarian powers?
NATASHYA GUTIERREZ: That’s exactly right. There’s a lot of concern over President Duterte’s actions. It’s not a secret that he is someone who has authoritarian tendencies. He has declared a deadly, brutal drug war — sorry, war against drugs. And this has actually targeted mostly the urban poor.
And sadly, we’re seeing the same with the pandemic. We’re seeing that the people who are getting arrested are the poorest of the poor. We’ve had politicians, senators break their stay-at-home notices, their quarantine, one even going so far as entering a hospital and putting frontliners at risk. And yet he has not been arrested, has not been apprehended, and the Department of Justice said that we should treat him with compassion. Meanwhile, we’re seeing people breaking quarantine who are being put in dog cages. We’re seeing arrests of homeless people. So, again, the ones who are really suffering in this sort of a militaristic operation are the poorest of the poor.
And, of course, again, as mentioned earlier, his requests for emergency powers, again, it’s just making people quite nervous, because that’s just added powers. And yet, the Filipino people are not seeing any major differences or any confidence, I guess, in the government to see that they’re actually using the funds properly.
AMY GOODMAN: These comments that Duterte made — “Shoot them dead. I will not hesitate. My orders are to the police, to the military, also with the village officials, if there are troubles or occasions where there’s violence and your lives are in danger, shoot them dead,” he said.
NATASHYA GUTIERREZ: Yes, he said this two days ago, and this is very reminiscent of the way he also directed police to kill people who are using drugs. And the scary part is, as soon as he did say that, you know, from the beginning of his term in 2016, we then suddenly saw a lot of killings. So we’re hoping that that is not the case, that the officials and authorities will understand how difficult this pandemic is for some informal settlers, people who can’t even have the luxury of practicing social distancing measures, and just treating them with justice, hopefully. But it’s what makes a lot of people nervous, because we’ve seen it in the past happen, specifically with the drug war.
AMY GOODMAN: Compare what’s happening in the Philippines to Indonesia, as well as where you are, in Singapore.
NATASHYA GUTIERREZ: In Singapore, you know, I think the number one thing that the government has done from the get-go is clear communication. Obviously, it’s a small country, unlike the Philippines, unlike Indonesia. It has 5 million people. It has a fairly cohesive government and very strong medical resources. But, you know, from the get-go, they implemented what every outbreak response should be. That’s early case detection, aggressive and thorough contact tracing, and isolation or strict quarantine. It was very quick to act as the situation evolved. When we saw more imported cases, they gradually closed borders. Just this afternoon, just four hours ago, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also announced more extreme social distancing measures, which is essentially a partial lockdown, starting Tuesday. That’s after we saw an increase in the number of local transmissions.
So we’re seeing a government that is nimble, that is adjusting, that is clear in their communication. What’s been consistent throughout is constant reassurance through not just the words of this government, but as well as economic stimulus plans and a consistent messaging on things as simple as food will not run out. They’ve clearly explained their policies, which is such a drastic difference from what’s happening in the Philippines. And residents are quite happy with the response of the government here.
As for Indonesia, that is the fourth-largest population in the world. We’re talking 200 million people. And I think what happened with Indonesia was that when a lot of the other countries started declaring states of emergency or perhaps announcing their first cases, Indonesia was very much in a state of limbo, announcing that it was business as usual. Bali was open to tourists. And it made people quite nervous, because how can a country that big, an island of 17,000 people, possibly not have a single case? And most people assumed that it was because they were not mass testing. And only, I think, about two days ago, or even just yesterday, did President Joko Widodo declare a state of emergency. But until now, Jakarta and major cities remain not on lockdown. There is no national lockdown, despite the fact that its mortality rate is now at 9.4% for COVID-19.
AMY GOODMAN: Natashya Gutierrez, I want to thank you so much for being with us, editor-in-chief of VICE Asia. But we are not leaving Asia right now.


democracynow--2020-04-03--"Our Bodies Are On the Line": NYC Nurses Demand Protective Gear as COVID-19 Death Toll Skyrockets

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : We ’ re broadcasting from the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States .
We ’ re broadcasting from New York City .
As the coronavirus death toll in the U.S. passes 6,000 , medical workers nationwide have been forced to work shifts of up to 16 hours , are reporting chaotic scenes of overflowing hospitals and bodies quickly filling refrigerated trucks serving as makeshift morgues .
In response , nurses in California , Florida , Kansas , Missouri , Nevada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s largest hospital chains for a , quote , “ lack of preparedness ” amid the coronavirus pandemic .
They ’ re calling on HCA Healthcare to provide tests , personal protective equipment , known as PPE , for nurses , doctors and other staff .
Here in New York City , where more than 1,500 people have died , nurses and doctors at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx protested Thursday over the lack of PPE .
Today another protest is underway in front of Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better staffing and COVID-19 testing for frontline staff .
For more , we ’ re going live to that protest now , where we ’ re joined by Tre Kwon , an ICU nurse at Mount Sinai West , a member of the COVID-19 Frontline Workers Task Force at Mount Sinai Hospital .
Kwon ended her maternity leave early to help her colleagues address the pandemic , which is overwhelming New York City hospitals .
Tre Kwon is member of Left Voice .
She ’ s outside Mount Sinai now .
Tre , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describe where you are , who you ’ re with and what you ’ re demanding right now ?
TRE KWON : Hi , Amy .
I ’ m a nurse here at Mount Sinai .
We ’ re in front of the emergency room here .
We ’ re spilling out into the sidewalk to demand protective personal equipment , ventilators and adequate safety protocol for healthcare workers on the frontline .
We formed this task force because we saw that the whole saying of , you know , “ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Cuomo , Trump and other politicians and even CEOs are claiming , is totally bogus .
We are the ones who have our bodies on the line .
We are the ones who are putting our families at risk and ourselves at risk at our job .
We ’ re demanding attention now .
Instead of rapidly responding to this pandemic with the appropriate ventilators and protective gear , they ’ re actually blaming nurses and even accusing folks of hoarding supplies .
Cuomo , who ’ s trying to scramble now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Javits Center , he ’ s doing the big talk , but he ’ s actually the one who ’ s been closing down hospitals over the last decade .
He ’ s been the kingpin of hospital mergers .
He ’ s also the one to even now propose Medicaid cuts during a pandemic crisis .
So , we see that the solution is not going to be presented by these demagogues , who are even now passing a $ 2 trillion stimulus package for corporations with pitiful relief for working-class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ’ re really inspired by the actions of Jacobi Medical Center nurses in the Bronx , Montefiore nurses in the Bronx , and Amazon workers who walked out .
We ’ re in solidarity with Chris Smalls , who has faced retaliation for his organizing .
AMY GOODMAN : Tre Kwon , can you talk about the COVID-19 Frontline Workers Task Force , what exactly it is ?
And can you respond to President Trump repeatedly tweeting and speaking at his daily news conference suggesting that the hospitals in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mayor of New York City , de Blasio , says that New York City will run out of ventilators in just a few days ?
TRE KWON : Amy , the COVID Frontline Workers Task Force , we formed over the last week when we saw that our demands were not being met .
It is an interdisciplinary task force of healthcare workers on the frontline — residents , doctors , nurses .
We invite all healthcare workers to form those kinds of worker-led assemblies and committees at their hospitals .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by independent , rank-and-file nurses , this initiative was totally planned by us , for us .
We invite the union leaderships to take up these kinds of organizings and support it fullheartedly .
In fact , this morning , the whole claim Trump ’ s saying that we ’ re hoarding supplies is absolutely absurd .
In the hospitals that we are working at now , we have to reuse and reuse .
We have to use one gown , for some folks , for the entire shift .
We have negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ensured that they are actually effectively isolating airborne particles .
We have to use one face shield , and we ’ re supposed to wipe that with hydrogen peroxide once we come in and out of a patient ’ s room .
Meanwhile , we ’ re in crisis with patients being intubated left and right .
We have , as you know , morgues filling up .
So this claim is absolutely absurd , and it ’ s a total lie .
De Blasio , he ’ s calling attention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not just ventilators .
Sinai , up until a few days ago , only had several days left of protective personal equipment .
Seven days was what we were told three or four days ago .
So , we don ’ t know where the situation is now .
And we see also that the response that we ’ re getting this morning , we were told , coincidentally , that with the calling of our action , Mount Sinai executives are now finally responding to our demands to extend the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that we can recover and come back to work and not infect our patients , not infect our peers .
And they also are supposedly offering free testing for healthcare workers ; however , have not told us when that ’ s going to begin and how we ’ re going to be able to access that testing .
And it ’ s only after H+H hospitals have announced the same policy .
AMY GOODMAN : Tre Kwon , can you talk about your own personal experience ?
You ’ re astounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You were supposed to be on maternity leave for six months ?
TRE KWON : Well , Amy , you probably know that this country doesn ’ t provide paid maternity leave for the working class and birthing folks .
So , I was going to stay out for five to six months just to spend time with my baby , and use my savings .
I went per diem during pregnancy , because I was feeling really sick and dehydrated , and I had medical conditions during pregnancy , because we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shifts .
We were already chronically short-staffed before this pandemic hit .
But I came back a few weeks ago because I was home full of worry and obsessed with what was going on with my co-workers , anxious like the rest of us watching on our TVs and computers at home .
And I could not stay home anymore while I heard my co-workers and colleagues scrambling on the frontlines .
You know , maybe it ’ s a risk to myself , maybe it ’ s a risk to my baby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m a nurse .
I think that it ’ s my duty to take care of patients , to some extent , what I can do .
AMY GOODMAN : You have released a statement of purpose , which notes , “ Under the Defense Production Act , the president could take over 3M , Honeywell and Kimberly-Clark , the largest manufacturers of N95 masks and other protective equipment.
” Explain that further .
TRE KWON : So , what ’ s really necessary , Amy , my opinion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationalized and put under total public control — actually , democratic workers ’ control .
That would be the only rational way to respond to this crisis .
GM — all these corporations are sitting around waiting for their package from the federal government .
And they ’ re right to wait for that , because , historically , that ’ s what has happened .
But ultimately , what is required is centralized , coordinated planning , but not under the hands of Trump .
Trump is yet another billionaire boss bigot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own interests .
So it really needs to be under the control of the public , the working class .
So , I mean , this is an idea , and I think that in this crisis it ’ s finally becoming really concrete , why does healthcare need to be national , public and a human right , why can we not have corporations in charge of determining who gets care .
People are too afraid to go to the hospital , because — even with COVID , because they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain behind them after they die .
AMY GOODMAN : Tre Kwon , I want to thank you for being with us , ICU nurse at Mount Sinai West , member of the COVID-19 Frontline Workers Task Force at Mount Sinai Hospital .
She is standing in front of her hospital right now , involved in a protest .
I wish you the very best .
You and all of your colleagues are heroes , defending the lives of everyone , even beyond your particular hospital .
I wish your baby all health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you so much .
When we come back , we look at the response to the coronavirus in Asia , from the Philippines to Singapore to Taiwan .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ Heart of Gold ” by the legendary jazz pianist and composer Ellis Marsalis Jr .
He died of complications from COVID-19 at the age of 85 .
Ellis Marsalis , one of New Orleans ’ best-loved musicians and the father of six sons , including the legendary jazz artists Branford and Wynton Marsalis .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: We’re broadcasting from the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States. We’re broadcasting from New York City. As the coronavirus death toll in the U.S. passes 6,000, medical workers nationwide have been forced to work shifts of up to 16 hours, are reporting chaotic scenes of overflowing hospitals and bodies quickly filling refrigerated trucks serving as makeshift morgues. In response, nurses in California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada and Texas are protesting one of the nation’s largest hospital chains for a, quote, “lack of preparedness” amid the coronavirus pandemic. They’re calling on HCA Healthcare to provide tests, personal protective equipment, known as PPE, for nurses, doctors and other staff. Here in New York City, where more than 1,500 people have died, nurses and doctors at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx protested Thursday over the lack of PPE. Today another protest is underway in front of Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, calling for more protective equipment, better staffing and COVID-19 testing for frontline staff.
For more, we’re going live to that protest now, where we’re joined by Tre Kwon, an ICU nurse at Mount Sinai West, a member of the COVID-19 Frontline Workers Task Force at Mount Sinai Hospital. Kwon ended her maternity leave early to help her colleagues address the pandemic, which is overwhelming New York City hospitals. Tre Kwon is member of Left Voice. She’s outside Mount Sinai now.
Tre, welcome to Democracy Now! Can you describe where you are, who you’re with and what you’re demanding right now?
TRE KWON: Hi, Amy. I’m a nurse here at Mount Sinai. We’re in front of the emergency room here. We’re spilling out into the sidewalk to demand protective personal equipment, ventilators and adequate safety protocol for healthcare workers on the frontline. We formed this task force because we saw that the whole saying of, you know, “We’re all in this together,” that Cuomo, Trump and other politicians and even CEOs are claiming, is totally bogus. We are the ones who have our bodies on the line. We are the ones who are putting our families at risk and ourselves at risk at our job. We’re demanding attention now.
Instead of rapidly responding to this pandemic with the appropriate ventilators and protective gear, they’re actually blaming nurses and even accusing folks of hoarding supplies. Cuomo, who’s trying to scramble now to build beds across Central Park and in Javits Center, he’s doing the big talk, but he’s actually the one who’s been closing down hospitals over the last decade. He’s been the kingpin of hospital mergers. He’s also the one to even now propose Medicaid cuts during a pandemic crisis. So, we see that the solution is not going to be presented by these demagogues, who are even now passing a $2 trillion stimulus package for corporations with pitiful relief for working-class folks.
We’re here, and we’re really inspired by the actions of Jacobi Medical Center nurses in the Bronx, Montefiore nurses in the Bronx, and Amazon workers who walked out. We’re in solidarity with Chris Smalls, who has faced retaliation for his organizing.
AMY GOODMAN: Tre Kwon, can you talk about the COVID-19 Frontline Workers Task Force, what exactly it is? And can you respond to President Trump repeatedly tweeting and speaking at his daily news conference suggesting that the hospitals in New York are hoarding equipment and ventilators, while the mayor of New York City, de Blasio, says that New York City will run out of ventilators in just a few days?
TRE KWON: Amy, the COVID Frontline Workers Task Force, we formed over the last week when we saw that our demands were not being met. It is an interdisciplinary task force of healthcare workers on the frontline — residents, doctors, nurses. We invite all healthcare workers to form those kinds of worker-led assemblies and committees at their hospitals. Just as the Jacobi Medical Center was led by independent, rank-and-file nurses, this initiative was totally planned by us, for us. We invite the union leaderships to take up these kinds of organizings and support it fullheartedly.
In fact, this morning, the whole claim Trump’s saying that we’re hoarding supplies is absolutely absurd. In the hospitals that we are working at now, we have to reuse and reuse. We have to use one gown, for some folks, for the entire shift. We have negative pressure rooms that have not been tested and ensured that they are actually effectively isolating airborne particles. We have to use one face shield, and we’re supposed to wipe that with hydrogen peroxide once we come in and out of a patient’s room. Meanwhile, we’re in crisis with patients being intubated left and right. We have, as you know, morgues filling up. So this claim is absolutely absurd, and it’s a total lie. De Blasio, he’s calling attention to the lack of ventilators, but it’s not just ventilators. Sinai, up until a few days ago, only had several days left of protective personal equipment. Seven days was what we were told three or four days ago. So, we don’t know where the situation is now.
And we see also that the response that we’re getting this morning, we were told, coincidentally, that with the calling of our action, Mount Sinai executives are now finally responding to our demands to extend the quarantine to the appropriate 14 days, so that we can recover and come back to work and not infect our patients, not infect our peers. And they also are supposedly offering free testing for healthcare workers; however, have not told us when that’s going to begin and how we’re going to be able to access that testing. And it’s only after H+H hospitals have announced the same policy.
AMY GOODMAN: Tre Kwon, can you talk about your own personal experience? You’re astounding. You gave birth three months ago. You were supposed to be on maternity leave for six months?
TRE KWON: Well, Amy, you probably know that this country doesn’t provide paid maternity leave for the working class and birthing folks. So, I was going to stay out for five to six months just to spend time with my baby, and use my savings. I went per diem during pregnancy, because I was feeling really sick and dehydrated, and I had medical conditions during pregnancy, because we can barely take a break during our shifts. We were already chronically short-staffed before this pandemic hit.
But I came back a few weeks ago because I was home full of worry and obsessed with what was going on with my co-workers, anxious like the rest of us watching on our TVs and computers at home. And I could not stay home anymore while I heard my co-workers and colleagues scrambling on the frontlines. You know, maybe it’s a risk to myself, maybe it’s a risk to my baby, but this is what I am. I’m a nurse. I think that it’s my duty to take care of patients, to some extent, what I can do.
AMY GOODMAN: You have released a statement of purpose, which notes, “Under the Defense Production Act, the president could take over 3M, Honeywell and Kimberly-Clark, the largest manufacturers of N95 masks and other protective equipment.” Explain that further.
TRE KWON: So, what’s really necessary, Amy, my opinion, is that manufacturing industry needs to be nationalized and put under total public control — actually, democratic workers’ control. That would be the only rational way to respond to this crisis. GM — all these corporations are sitting around waiting for their package from the federal government. And they’re right to wait for that, because, historically, that’s what has happened. But ultimately, what is required is centralized, coordinated planning, but not under the hands of Trump. Trump is yet another billionaire boss bigot who’s also looking out for his own interests. So it really needs to be under the control of the public, the working class. So, I mean, this is an idea, and I think that in this crisis it’s finally becoming really concrete, why does healthcare need to be national, public and a human right, why can we not have corporations in charge of determining who gets care. People are too afraid to go to the hospital, because — even with COVID, because they’re afraid of the bills that will remain behind them after they die.
AMY GOODMAN: Tre Kwon, I want to thank you for being with us, ICU nurse at Mount Sinai West, member of the COVID-19 Frontline Workers Task Force at Mount Sinai Hospital. She is standing in front of her hospital right now, involved in a protest. I wish you the very best. You and all of your colleagues are heroes, defending the lives of everyone, even beyond your particular hospital. I wish your baby all health, your family all safety. Thank you so much.
When we come back, we look at the response to the coronavirus in Asia, from the Philippines to Singapore to Taiwan. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “Heart of Gold” by the legendary jazz pianist and composer Ellis Marsalis Jr. He died of complications from COVID-19 at the age of 85. Ellis Marsalis, one of New Orleans’ best-loved musicians and the father of six sons, including the legendary jazz artists Branford and Wynton Marsalis.


democracynow--2020-04-03--Headlines for April  3, 2020

Headlines for April  3, 2020

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says the city has just six days until its hospitals will run out of ventilators crucial to keeping critically ill COVID-19 patients breathing .
His warning came as the House Oversight Committee reported just 9,500 ventilators remain in the national stockpile , with another 3,200 set to arrive by April 13 — far short of what will be needed to treat COVID-19 patients in emerging hot spots like New Jersey , Michigan , Illinois and Louisiana .
President Trump has promised to deliver 100,000 new ventilators , but most will not be available until late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump tweeted , “ Massive amounts of medical supplies , even hospitals and medical centers , are being delivered directly to states and hospitals by the Federal Government .
Some have insatiable appetites & are never satisfied.
” Trump ’ s son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner , who ’ s been tapped to lead much of the administration ’ s coronavirus response , made a rare TV appearance at a White House press briefing Thursday .
Jared Kushner : “ The notion of the federal stockpile was it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not supposed to be states ’ stockpiles that they then use.
” With the national stockpile of medical equipment nearly exhausted , Tennessee ’ s Department of Health has advised hospital workers to prepare to use swim goggles as eye protection ; plastic bags as gloves ; and tissues , gauze and diapers as masks .

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says the city has just six days until its hospitals will run out of ventilators crucial to keeping critically ill COVID-19 patients breathing. His warning came as the House Oversight Committee reported just 9,500 ventilators remain in the national stockpile, with another 3,200 set to arrive by April 13 — far short of what will be needed to treat COVID-19 patients in emerging hot spots like New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois and Louisiana.
President Trump has promised to deliver 100,000 new ventilators, but most will not be available until late June at the earliest. On Thursday, Trump tweeted, “Massive amounts of medical supplies, even hospitals and medical centers, are being delivered directly to states and hospitals by the Federal Government. Some have insatiable appetites & are never satisfied.”
Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner, who’s been tapped to lead much of the administration’s coronavirus response, made a rare TV appearance at a White House press briefing Thursday.
Jared Kushner: “The notion of the federal stockpile was it’s supposed to be our stockpile. It’s not supposed to be states’ stockpiles that they then use.”
With the national stockpile of medical equipment nearly exhausted, Tennessee’s Department of Health has advised hospital workers to prepare to use swim goggles as eye protection; plastic bags as gloves; and tissues, gauze and diapers as masks.


democracynow--2020-04-02--"There Aren't Enough Tests": As Pandemic Intensifies, Global South Prepares for the Worst

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The War and Peace Report , our coronavirus special every day right now as we broadcast from the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States , right here in New York City .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Nermeen Shaikh .
We ’ re going to end the hour by continuing to look at the growing threat the pandemic poses to the Global South .
Monday , the United Nations warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economies in poorer nations , estimating more than $ 220 billion of income will be lost as the virus spreads — a blow that could decimate food security , education and human rights .
Billions of people from Africa to Latin America to South Asia and elsewhere work in the informal economy , leaving them particularly vulnerable to the global economic crisis that COVID-19 has sparked .
The virus is also expected to overwhelm weak health systems and worsen the already stark divide between rich and poor .
To talk more about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , assistant professor of global health and microbiological sciences at Columbia University , executive director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute .
If you could give us a global picture , Professor , of what we ’ re seeing right now in the Global South ?
At this point , the numbers do not compare to what we ’ re seeing , for example , in the United States , the epicenter .
Now , here the testing is terrible , the access to testing , and there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But in the Global South , are we not seeing numbers because of almost complete lack of access to tests , or are there other reasons ?
YANIS BEN AMOR : First of all , good morning , and thank you for having me on your show .
So , I would say that there ’ s two reasons why there seems to be a delay in what ’ s happening in Africa .
Apologies for the sound ; I am taking the call from home .
So , first of all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit the world in successive waves .
Obviously , it started in Wuhan , China .
And it is possible that Chinese Americans , Chinese Italians , Chinese French who were in China for the New Year or the Chinese New Year ended up coming back with the infection , or Americans , French , Italians , Spaniards who were in China for the New Year ended up bringing the infection back into Europe , into America , and starting a second wave .
We are now seeing a third wave hitting Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tourism or American tourism into India and into Africa .
In fact , the first case in Nigeria was linked to an Italian tourist .
So , I would say that one of the reasons why there is — there seem to be less cases in Africa and in India is because of a delay .
In fact , Italy was behind China .
We in the United States are considered to be 10 days behind Europe .
And Africa may be 10 to 15 days behind us .
But what you mentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing enough people in the United States .
They are not testing enough people in Europe .
It is impossible to imagine that the numbers that are reported by WHO every day are an accurate depiction of what ’ s actually going on .
At the beginning of the crisis , let ’ s say a month ago , the Africa CDC said that only four out of the 54 countries in Africa would be able to diagnose coronavirus .
Now we ’ re in a much better situation .
Forty-six out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test .
But do they have the tests ?
They don ’ t .
And I am talking to colleagues across Africa , whether it ’ s in Nairobi or in Accra or in Johannesburg , and they ’ re suffering the same problems that we have in the United States : There aren ’ t enough tests .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : On the other hand , Yanis Ben Amor , you ’ ve also suggested that because of Ebola , certain countries in Africa may be better prepared to deal with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like COVID-19 .
Could you talk about that ?
YANIS BEN AMOR : Absolutely .
So , I would say that the situation in Africa is still a little bit mysterious as to how it ’ s going to unfold .
And I ’ m going to explain why there are two positive trends and three negative trends .
And no expert can really predict .
So , it seems that the African continent has been preparing for outbreaks , for epidemics , for many years .
In 2014 , 2015 , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in Guinea and Liberia , and a lot of the African countries , neighboring but also continent-wide , prepared for sentinel systems to make sure that they would be able to detect their first Ebola cases and that they would put in place systems so that whenever they had a case , they would put them in quarantine , and they would do contact tracing , which is , whenever you have a case , you go around and you see any person that has been in contact , and then you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was effectively done with SARS back in 2002 and 2003 .
That was a lot easier with SARS , because everybody who was infectious was some symptomatic .
And that is not the case with this coronavirus , with SAR-CoV-2 , because the infectiousness seems to be starting 48 hours to 24 hours before the apparition of symptoms .
And in fact , many , many cases are even considered to be asymptomatic , so they are spreading the infection without knowing it .
So , the African continent has been preparing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they have the systems in place , but , as I told earlier , they need to have the diagnostic tests .
So , they would be able to run the tests , but if the tests are not available , just like in the best hospital in New York City , you are not able to distinguish who has a regular flu , who has a pneumonia , from who has coronavirus .
So , Africa has another interesting advantage .
If you look at — AMY GOODMAN : And we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YANIS BEN AMOR : Sorry .
So , Africa has a very young population , so it ’ s very difficult to see how the disease will evolve .
The median age in Africa is about 20 years , compared to China , which is about 40 , or in Europe , which is about 45 .
So , we know that the disease affects young people a lot less .
The problem — the problems are , there are many other diseases , like HIV , malaria , tuberculosis , malnutrition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Social distancing , as was discussed by your previous contributor — YANIS BEN AMOR : Social distancing is not going to be possible .
It ’ s going to be possible for the urban rich , but not for the majority of the population .
AMY GOODMAN : Yanis Ben Amor , we thank you so much for being with us , assistant professor of global health and microbiological sciences at Columbia University , executive director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute .
And that does it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come in .
We ’ ve just gotten the record number on unemployment .
U.S. unemployment claims have hit 6.6 million , another record high , as layoffs continue amidst the pandemic .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Nermeen Shaikh , from New York City .
Thanks so much .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report, our coronavirus special every day right now as we broadcast from the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, right here in New York City. I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh.
We’re going to end the hour by continuing to look at the growing threat the pandemic poses to the Global South. Monday, the United Nations warned the pandemic is poised to devastate fragile economies in poorer nations, estimating more than $220 billion of income will be lost as the virus spreads — a blow that could decimate food security, education and human rights. Billions of people from Africa to Latin America to South Asia and elsewhere work in the informal economy, leaving them particularly vulnerable to the global economic crisis that COVID-19 has sparked. The virus is also expected to overwhelm weak health systems and worsen the already stark divide between rich and poor.
To talk more about this, we go to Yanis Ben Amor, assistant professor of global health and microbiological sciences at Columbia University, executive director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute.
If you could give us a global picture, Professor, of what we’re seeing right now in the Global South? At this point, the numbers do not compare to what we’re seeing, for example, in the United States, the epicenter. Now, here the testing is terrible, the access to testing, and there is that divide between rich and poor. But in the Global South, are we not seeing numbers because of almost complete lack of access to tests, or are there other reasons?
YANIS BEN AMOR: First of all, good morning, and thank you for having me on your show.
So, I would say that there’s two reasons why there seems to be a delay in what’s happening in Africa. Apologies for the sound; I am taking the call from home. So, first of all, it seems that the coronavirus pandemic has hit the world in successive waves. Obviously, it started in Wuhan, China. And it is possible that Chinese Americans, Chinese Italians, Chinese French who were in China for the New Year or the Chinese New Year ended up coming back with the infection, or Americans, French, Italians, Spaniards who were in China for the New Year ended up bringing the infection back into Europe, into America, and starting a second wave. We are now seeing a third wave hitting Africa and India, possibly because of European tourism or American tourism into India and into Africa. In fact, the first case in Nigeria was linked to an Italian tourist. So, I would say that one of the reasons why there is — there seem to be less cases in Africa and in India is because of a delay. In fact, Italy was behind China. We in the United States are considered to be 10 days behind Europe. And Africa may be 10 to 15 days behind us.
But what you mentioned is also true. We are not testing enough people in the United States. They are not testing enough people in Europe. It is impossible to imagine that the numbers that are reported by WHO every day are an accurate depiction of what’s actually going on. At the beginning of the crisis, let’s say a month ago, the Africa CDC said that only four out of the 54 countries in Africa would be able to diagnose coronavirus. Now we’re in a much better situation. Forty-six out of the 54 countries have the equipment to test. But do they have the tests? They don’t. And I am talking to colleagues across Africa, whether it’s in Nairobi or in Accra or in Johannesburg, and they’re suffering the same problems that we have in the United States: There aren’t enough tests.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: On the other hand, Yanis Ben Amor, you’ve also suggested that because of Ebola, certain countries in Africa may be better prepared to deal with an epidemic or, indeed, a pandemic like COVID-19. Could you talk about that?
YANIS BEN AMOR: Absolutely. So, I would say that the situation in Africa is still a little bit mysterious as to how it’s going to unfold. And I’m going to explain why there are two positive trends and three negative trends. And no expert can really predict.
So, it seems that the African continent has been preparing for outbreaks, for epidemics, for many years. In 2014, 2015, there was the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, in Guinea and Liberia, and a lot of the African countries, neighboring but also continent-wide, prepared for sentinel systems to make sure that they would be able to detect their first Ebola cases and that they would put in place systems so that whenever they had a case, they would put them in quarantine, and they would do contact tracing, which is, whenever you have a case, you go around and you see any person that has been in contact, and then you also put them in quarantine. This was effectively done with SARS back in 2002 and 2003. That was a lot easier with SARS, because everybody who was infectious was some symptomatic. And that is not the case with this coronavirus, with SAR-CoV-2, because the infectiousness seems to be starting 48 hours to 24 hours before the apparition of symptoms. And in fact, many, many cases are even considered to be asymptomatic, so they are spreading the infection without knowing it. So, the African continent has been preparing for an outbreak. So, in theory, they have the systems in place, but, as I told earlier, they need to have the diagnostic tests. So, they would be able to run the tests, but if the tests are not available, just like in the best hospital in New York City, you are not able to distinguish who has a regular flu, who has a pneumonia, from who has coronavirus.
So, Africa has another interesting advantage. If you look at —
AMY GOODMAN: And we just have 30 seconds, Yanis.
YANIS BEN AMOR: Sorry. So, Africa has a very young population, so it’s very difficult to see how the disease will evolve. The median age in Africa is about 20 years, compared to China, which is about 40, or in Europe, which is about 45. So, we know that the disease affects young people a lot less. The problem — the problems are, there are many other diseases, like HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, malnutrition, and they are going to negatively impact.
Social distancing, as was discussed by your previous contributor —
AMY GOODMAN: Ten seconds.
YANIS BEN AMOR: Social distancing is not going to be possible. It’s going to be possible for the urban rich, but not for the majority of the population.
AMY GOODMAN: Yanis Ben Amor, we thank you so much for being with us, assistant professor of global health and microbiological sciences at Columbia University, executive director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute.
And that does it for our show. These numbers have just come in. We’ve just gotten the record number on unemployment. U.S. unemployment claims have hit 6.6 million, another record high, as layoffs continue amidst the pandemic. I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh, from New York City. Thanks so much.