huffpost--2020-03-21--Italy's Coronavirus Cases And Deaths Soar

The state is reviewing four possible locations for temporary hospitals , which would be operated by the Army Corps of Engineers .
The governor also said 1 million N-95 masks are being sent to New York City on Saturday , with another 500,000 masks going to Long Island .
He is also trying to find a supplier for more gowns , and clothing companies are converting to make masks .
New York has seen about 10,400 coronavirus cases , and about 1,600 people hospitalized .
Spread of the rapidly advancing virus has strained health care systems across the globe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population of 70 million are moving to restrict residents to their homes to prevent its spread .
California started restricting residents Friday , and New York and Illinois were to follow this weekend .
Connecticut and Oregon were preparing to do the same .
“ If we keep seeing daily increases of 23 % , this can not be withstood much longer , ” Meridiano said .
“ We are doubling up on our shifts .
We have strategies to hang in there this week , but beyond that we need the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of pressure , including emotional.
” City police officers check a truck driver in Fondi , near Rome , Friday , March 20 , 2020 .
A farm town which has the largest wholesale produce market serving Rome and Naples has been put under even more stringent lockdown than the rest of the country due to a cluster of COVID-19 cases .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms .
For some it can cause more severe illness .
( AP Photo/Andrew Medichini ) Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France in the spread of the virus , but the country ’ s overstretched health system is creaking .
The state-funded National Health Service has about 4,000 critical-care beds and some 5,000 ventilators , and officials say that ’ s far fewer than will be needed as the number of cases spikes in the coming weeks .
Britain , which has recorded 3,983 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 177 deaths , has already asked 65,000 retired nurses and doctors to return to work .

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Italy’s tally of coronavirus cases and deaths continues to soar, with officials on Saturday announcing new day-to-day highs: 793 dead and 6,557 cases.
The country, at the heart of western Europe’s rampaging outbreak, now counts 53,578 known cases.
Across the Atlantic, New York state officials considered establishing temporary hospitals on college campuses and in New York City’s main convention center in preparation for a possible onslaught of coronavirus patients, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.
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Cuomo said the government is seeking to increase hospital bed capacity by 50 percent — up to 25,000 more beds. Officials have also identified 2 million protective masks to send to hot spots.
The state is reviewing four possible locations for temporary hospitals, which would be operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. The governor also said 1 million N-95 masks are being sent to New York City on Saturday, with another 500,000 masks going to Long Island. He is also trying to find a supplier for more gowns, and clothing companies are converting to make masks.
“Everything that can be done is being done,” he said, adding, ’We are literally scouring the globe looking for medical supplies.”
New York has seen about 10,400 coronavirus cases, and about 1,600 people hospitalized. Spread of the rapidly advancing virus has strained health care systems across the globe, and three American states with a combined population of 70 million are moving to restrict residents to their homes to prevent its spread. California started restricting residents Friday, and New York and Illinois were to follow this weekend. Connecticut and Oregon were preparing to do the same.
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In Italy, more than 60 percent of the latest deaths occurred in the northern region of Lombardy, whose hospitals have been reeling under a staggering case load that has left intensive care beds hard to find and respirators in short supply.
Officials said that on Sunday a team of 65 Cuban doctors and nurses, with experience in battling Ebola outbreaks, will arrive in northern Italy to help in the hard-hit Lombardy town of Cremona.
Italian health officials realize they need to shorten the time between emergence of symptoms and diagnosis, said Silvio Brusaferro, the head of the national Superior Health Institute. Currently that lag is about five days, he said.
The new increases come nearly two weeks into a national lockdown in a desperate bid to contain the contagion.
Almost a week into tight restrictions on free movement and the closure of most shops in Spain, police intensified their efforts to enforce confinement rules with fines and extra patrols to stop city-dwellers with second homes in the country from leaving town for the weekend.
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Spain now has the third-highest number of infections worldwide. On Saturday it reported almost 5,000 new cases in the past day, bringing the total to nearly 25,000. The death toll rose to 1,326, up from 1,002 Friday.
As hospitals and nursing homes buckle under the burden of the virus outbreak, Spanish health authorities have acknowledged that some intensive care units in the hardest-hit areas are close to their limit, and warned that they expect infections to continue to rise before measures to reverse the trend have an effect.
The army was building a field hospital with 5,500 beds in a convention center in Madrid, where hotels are also being turned into wards for virus patients without serious breathing problems.
Dr. Olga Meridiano, who treated victims of a 2004 jihadist bomb attack in Madrid that killed nearly 200 people and wounded many times more, said nothing prepared her for the national health tragedy that Spain is now enduring.
“I have been through many situations,” she said from the central city of Guadalajara, where she works in a public hospital. “But nothing is like this.”
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“If we keep seeing daily increases of 23%, this cannot be withstood much longer,” Meridiano said. “We are doubling up on our shifts. We have strategies to hang in there this week, but beyond that we need the situation to improve because we professionals are bearing a lot of pressure, including emotional.”
In Germany’s southern state of Bavaria, town squares were empty. Pigeons outnumbered people in London’s usually bustling Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square a day after the British government ordered the closure of all bars, restaurants, movie theaters and other places where people congregate.
But shoppers still flocked to street markets in both countries, in a sign that restrictions were being interpreted in a patchwork fashion.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in Africa rose above 1,000 Saturday, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 40 of Africa’s 54 countries now have cases.
Almost 287,000 cases have been confirmed globally, including more than 11,900 deaths, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 89,000 people have recovered.
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For most people, the new virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority recover.
Officials in many countries are desperate to prevent — or at least limit — a repeat of what has happened in China and southern Europe. The coronavirus outbreak overwhelmed medical services in the central Chinese city of Wuhan earlier this year and now is pushing them to the limit in Italy, Spain and France.
Italy’s surging case numbers have frustrated health officials. Statements by authorities earlier on in the outbreak had raised hopes that new infections might soon start dropping off. But on Friday, officials reported further record increases, with 5,986 new cases and 627 new deaths. The country, which has Europe’s largest outbreak, now has at least 47,021 cases and 4,032 dead.
City police officers check a truck driver in Fondi, near Rome, Friday, March 20, 2020. A farm town which has the largest wholesale produce market serving Rome and Naples has been put under even more stringent lockdown than the rest of the country due to a cluster of COVID-19 cases. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Health Minister Roberto Speranza called for a “great alliance” between citizens and institutions, saying “what counts more is the behavior of every individual.” Giuseppe Sala, mayor of Milan, capital of the hardest-stricken region of Lombardy, tried to rally the city’s 1.4 million citizens, tweeting that “by now, we have understood, this is a marathon, not a sprint.”
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Germany’s southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg on Saturday offered to take in patients from the neighboring French region of Alsace that’s struggling with a surge of infections overwhelming hospitals.
Britain still lags behind Italy, Spain and France in the spread of the virus, but the country’s overstretched health system is creaking. The state-funded National Health Service has about 4,000 critical-care beds and some 5,000 ventilators, and officials say that’s far fewer than will be needed as the number of cases spikes in the coming weeks. Britain, which has recorded 3,983 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 177 deaths, has already asked 65,000 retired nurses and doctors to return to work.
Workers near Moscow are rushing to build a clinic to treat hundreds of coronavirus patients as Russia prepares for a wave of infections. Placards in the style of Soviet propaganda posters have been erected near the site, with one showing Mayor Sergei Sobyanin pointing at the viewer and the slogan “Builders — Minutes count!”
China has been sending aid to several European countries, promoting its expertise and experience gained from fighting the outbreak at home. An Air China flight carrying 18 tons of medical supplies including hundreds of thousands of surgical and protection masks landed in the Greek capital, Athens, Saturday morning.
As the pandemic has eased in Asia, China and other parts of the region are now trying to avoid importing cases from Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere.
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China reported Saturday that its mainland had no new home-grown cases of the disease for the third straight day, but 41 imported ones in the previous 24-hour period.
Restrictions on movement are being eased gradually in China as it tries to restart the economy without bringing back the disease. Officials in Wuhan are permitting supermarkets, convenience stores and some other retail businesses to reopen from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. if they are in areas with no confirmed or suspected cases.
In the U.S., the restrictions on movement take effect Saturday in Illinois and Sunday in New York. All workers in nonessential businesses will be required to stay home and gatherings of any size are banned in New York. Exceptions will be made for important errands, such as buying groceries and medicine, and for exercise.
The lockdowns in California and other states sent stock markets tumbling again. Wall Street had its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 900 points and down 17% for the week.
A Navy sailor assigned to United States Central Command headquarters in Florida has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said more than 220,000 Americans have been screened at airports while returning to the United States from coronavirus affected countries.
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Car maker BMW said it would shut down a huge manufacturing complex in South Carolina from April 3 to 19 and Nissan said it would suspend vehicle production at its two Mexican assembly plants from next Wednesday through April 14. Auto production has resumed in China, but only partially.
Turkey more than tripled the number of countries to which flights have been suspended to 68, as authorities banned picnics, barbecues and send-off gatherings for new soldiers.
Authorities in Cyprus turned away a boat carrying around 100 migrants, citing government directives banning the entry of foreign nationals to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Colombian President Iván Duque announced Friday night that everyone would be required to isolate in their homes for three weeks starting Tuesday. Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela already are in lockdown.
Some small relief came to the Madrid’s Severo Ochoa hospital on Saturday when an army emergency unit arrived to take 15 patients to a huge field hospital the military set up in a convention center in the capital.
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Otherwise, the hospital is working over capacity and receiving help from the local community: An educational center donated a load of masks and gloves. A group of football fan clubs brought hundreds of bottles of water.
For hospital spokesman Jorge Rivera, equally important is the support that normal citizens are showing the nation’s health workers each evening at 8 p.m. when Spaniards open their windows and applaud, shout, flash lights, and sometimes blast music to show their appreciation for their efforts.
“For us, it is a boost of adrenaline, for our morale,” Rivera said from work. “It says that we are all in this together, working to get through this emergency and recover our lives.”
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huffpost--2020-03-21--Lockdowns Multiply Globally As Virus Strains Health Systems

Three American states with a combined population of 70 million are moving to restrict residents to their homes to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus .
California started Friday and New York and Illinois were to follow this weekend .
Connecticut and Oregon were preparing to do the same .
For most people , the new virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The vast majority recover .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many countries are desperate to prevent — or at least limit — a repeat of what has happened in China and southern Europe .
The coronavirus outbreak overwhelmed medical services in the central Chinese city of Wuhan earlier this year and now is pushing them to the limit in Italy and Spain .
In Britain , which still lags behind Italy , Spain and France in the spread of the virus , the country ’ s overstretched health system is creaking .
The state-funded National Health Service has about 4,000 critical-care beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that ’ s far fewer than will be needed as the number of cases spikes in the coming weeks .
Britain has already asked 65,000 retired nurses and doctors to return to work .
Lisa Anderson , a consultant cardiologist at St George ’ s Hospital in London , sad “ there is a lack of protection for us which extends to a lack of plan of how to segregate patients clean and dirty , how to protect us and keep us away from the public.
” China reported Saturday that its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease for the third straight day , but 41 imported ones in the previous 24-hour period .
That followed a surge in cases in the territory of Hong Kong on Friday , including 35 imported ones .
Officials in Wuhan are permitting supermarkets , convenience stores and some other retail businesses to reopen from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. if they are in areas with no confirmed or suspected cases .
One person from each household is allowed to go out daily for a shopping trip of up to two hours .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would reopen Monday , but visitors have to wear masks and make reservations at least one day in advance .
Most major museums and attractions in China have been closed for nearly two months to stop the spread of the virus .
In the U.S. , the restrictions on movement take effect Saturday in Illinois and Sunday in New York .
All workers in nonessential businesses will be required to stay home and gatherings of any size are banned in New York .
Exceptions will be made for important errands , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercise .
The lockdowns in California and other states sent stock markets tumbling again .
Wall Street had its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis , with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 900 points and down 17 % for the week .
Car maker BMW said it would shut down a huge manufacturing complex in South Carolina from April 3 to 19 and Nissan said it would suspend vehicle production at its two Mexican assembly plants from next Wednesday through April 14 .
Auto production has resumed in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approaching one week of tight restrictions on free moment and the closure of most shops Saturday , as hospitals and nursing homes buckled under the burden of the virus outbreak .
Health authorities have acknowledged that some intensive care units in the hardest-hit areas , led by hospitals in Madrid , are reaching their limits .
By Friday , Spain had the third-highest number of infections worldwide , with nearly 20,000 confirmed cases , and 1,002 deaths .
Some privately owned factories in the country have joined in the effort to combat the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make much-needed masks , gloves and disinfectant gels for hospitals .

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BERLIN (AP) — Streets, squares and highways were deserted in large parts of the world Saturday as curfews and lockdowns multiplied in the face of a rapidly advancing virus that is severely straining many health systems.
Three American states with a combined population of 70 million are moving to restrict residents to their homes to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. California started Friday and New York and Illinois were to follow this weekend. Connecticut and Oregon were preparing to do the same.
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Once-bustling outdoor plazas fell quiet in Bavaria after it became the first German state to tell people to stay home, except to go to work, buy food, visit the doctor or exercise. Police reported fewer people breaching the curfew than in previous nights.
Colombia became the latest South American country to announce a lockdown, and Sri Lanka closed all expressways for a weekend curfew.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in Africa rose above 1,000 Saturday, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 40 of Africa’s 54 countries now have cases.
More than 275,000 cases have been confirmed globally, including over 11,000 deaths, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. At least 88,000 have recovered.
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For most people, the new virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority recover.
But with hospitals already under pressure, officials in many countries are desperate to prevent — or at least limit — a repeat of what has happened in China and southern Europe. The coronavirus outbreak overwhelmed medical services in the central Chinese city of Wuhan earlier this year and now is pushing them to the limit in Italy and Spain.
Germany’s southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg on Saturday offered to take in patients from the neighboring region of eastern France that’s struggling with a surge of infections overwhelming hospitals.
In Britain, which still lags behind Italy, Spain and France in the spread of the virus, the country’s overstretched health system is creaking. The state-funded National Health Service has about 4,000 critical-care beds and some 5,000 ventilators, and officials say that’s far fewer than will be needed as the number of cases spikes in the coming weeks. Britain has already asked 65,000 retired nurses and doctors to return to work.
Lisa Anderson, a consultant cardiologist at St George’s Hospital in London, sad “there is a lack of protection for us which extends to a lack of plan of how to segregate patients clean and dirty, how to protect us and keep us away from the public.”
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“Doctors have no faith in what is going on,” she told the BBC.
Britain has recorded 3,983 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 177 deaths.
China has been sending aid to several European countries, promoting its expertise and experience gained from fighting the outbreak at home. An Air China flight carrying 18 tons of medical supplies including hundreds of thousands of surgical and protection masks landed in the Greek capital, Athens, Saturday morning.
As the pandemic has eased in Asia, China and other parts of the region are now trying to avoid importing cases from Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere.
China reported Saturday that its mainland had no new home-grown cases of the disease for the third straight day, but 41 imported ones in the previous 24-hour period. That followed a surge in cases in the territory of Hong Kong on Friday, including 35 imported ones.
Restrictions on movement are being eased gradually in China as it tries to restart the economy without bringing back the disease.
Officials in Wuhan are permitting supermarkets, convenience stores and some other retail businesses to reopen from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. if they are in areas with no confirmed or suspected cases. One person from each household is allowed to go out daily for a shopping trip of up to two hours.
Advertisement
The Beijing Zoo said its outdoor areas would reopen Monday, but visitors have to wear masks and make reservations at least one day in advance. Most major museums and attractions in China have been closed for nearly two months to stop the spread of the virus.
In the U.S., the restrictions on movement take effect Saturday in Illinois and Sunday in New York. All workers in nonessential businesses will be required to stay home and gatherings of any size are banned in New York. Exceptions will be made for important errands, such as buying groceries and medicine, and for exercise.
The lockdowns in California and other states sent stock markets tumbling again. Wall Street had its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 900 points and down 17% for the week.
Car maker BMW said it would shut down a huge manufacturing complex in South Carolina from April 3 to 19 and Nissan said it would suspend vehicle production at its two Mexican assembly plants from next Wednesday through April 14. Auto production has resumed in China, but only partially.
A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for the coronavirus, the White House said. A spokeswoman said the person did not have close contact with either Pence or President Donald Trump.
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Colombian President Iván Duque announced Friday night that everyone would be required to isolate in their homes for three weeks starting Tuesday. The capital, Bogota, began its own lockdown Friday, leaving the city’s usually traffic-filled streets largely empty.
Colombia has 158 confirmed cases, and officials are hoping that drastic measures now will limit the number of new cases in the weeks ahead. Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela already are in lockdown.
Spain was approaching one week of tight restrictions on free moment and the closure of most shops Saturday, as hospitals and nursing homes buckled under the burden of the virus outbreak. Health authorities have acknowledged that some intensive care units in the hardest-hit areas, led by hospitals in Madrid, are reaching their limits.
By Friday, Spain had the third-highest number of infections worldwide, with nearly 20,000 confirmed cases, and 1,002 deaths. Some privately owned factories in the country have joined in the effort to combat the national emergency by converting their production lines to make much-needed masks, gloves and disinfectant gels for hospitals.
Spanish soldiers were deployed to disinfect airports and nursing homes, while police intensified their efforts to enforce confinement rules with fines and extra patrols to stop city-dwellers with second homes in the country from leaving town for the weekend.
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But there was concern about the possible unwanted side-effects that extended curfews around the world might have, including increased instances of domestic violence.
“The authorities know or should know that confinement measures will also cause casualties, among women and children,” Agnes Callamard, a U.N. appointed human rights expert, said on Twitter.
“An emergency plan to protect them is needed.”
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Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press reporters around the world contributed to this report.
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huffpost--2020-03-21--Sorry, But You Shouldn't Go To Your Friend's House While Social Distancing

We get it : You ’ re bored at home this weekend and would love to see your friends or family members that live nearby , especially given how stressed you are in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic .
You ’ re just one person , visiting a person or a handful of people you ’ re close to ; how much could it hurt ?
But healthy self-distancing doesn ’ t just mean avoiding bars and restaurants ( not that you can go to them now anyway , sorry ) ; it also means staying home and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You are playing with fire if you visit friends , ” said Jagdish Khubchandani , an associate chair and professor of health science at Ball State University .
“ At this point , we have to act like everyone is infected .
You can be a risk to yourself , your family , your friends , and the entire community.
” Khubchandani pointed to a new study out of China that suggests asymptomatic people spread COVID-19 the most .
Many cases are mild enough that you might not realize you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected people have shown symptoms after weeks of being asymptomatic .
“ The only people you should be seeing are those you can ’ t avoid : those living with you before this pandemic started and stable relationships like a significant other , ” Khubchandani said .
“ Even in those cases , it ’ s with all the precautions , hygiene , and distancing as much as possible.
” Seeing your friends IRL right now is kind of like playing a game of pool where coronavirus is the cue ball , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Science and Technology at Bryant University and an expert in immunology , virology , microbiology , and human health and disease .
Without a coronavirus vaccine , the only means we have to limit the spread of the virus is to prevent it from being able to go from one host to the next .
“ The virus needs a host to keep going , ” Hokeness said .
“ It can ’ t live on its own , so it needs you and your friends as a vehicle to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then has nowhere else to go , it stops right there.
” “ We are social beings .
We ’ re made to connect , ” she said .
“ It is a physiological experience for us to want and crave interaction with others .
What we are being asked to do during this time , in essence , goes against our entire makeup : Certainly , digital connecting can meet some of this need , but not completely.
” Yes , you may be experiencing high levels of pandemic-fuled FOMO and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to see your close friends or family .
But please don ’ t try to squeeze in one last get-together this weekend .
“ My advice to someone struggling with social distancing is to really sit with the fact that this is temporary , ” Higgins said .
“ While we don ’ t know for a fact when this will end , we can say with full certainty that it will , at some point .
Let that fact ground you and make these temporary decisions to stay in more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to focus inward , Higgins said .
As humans , we have an unending desire to stay in the loop with friends and family , but there ’ s not much to be kept in the loop about right now ; all of our social lives suck .
( If anything , take solace in the fact that you ’ re not alone in your desire for human contact .
Look at how many people are posting on social media right now ; we ’ re all going slightly crazy . )
Grab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday night rant and rave session about our ( temporary , as short-lived as possible ) new normal .
Have a group chat where you catalog all the weird things you ’ ve seen in the background of your co-workers ’ work-from-home setups during virtual meetings .
Pencil in a “ Love is Blind ” pod dating-esque Friday night dinner with your boyfriend .
( Netflix even has a browser extension where you can watch along with your friends and family . )

Mike Harrington via Getty Images At the height of the pandemic, don't be these people.
We get it: You’re bored at home this weekend and would love to see your friends or family members that live nearby, especially given how stressed you are in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. You’re just one person, visiting a person or a handful of people you’re close to; how much could it hurt?
A lot, in fact. Health experts urge you: Out of an abundance of caution, stay home.
As more and more cities and states move to establish stay-at-home executive orders ― California, New York ― we’re all looking for potential loopholes for connectivity. We’re grasping for normalcy.
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But healthy self-distancing doesn’t just mean avoiding bars and restaurants (not that you can go to them now anyway, sorry); it also means staying home and not visiting seemingly healthy friends at their homes.
“You are playing with fire if you visit friends,” said Jagdish Khubchandani, an associate chair and professor of health science at Ball State University. “At this point, we have to act like everyone is infected. You can be a risk to yourself, your family, your friends, and the entire community.”
Khubchandani pointed to a new study out of China that suggests asymptomatic people spread COVID-19 the most. Many cases are mild enough that you might not realize you’re infected, he said, and infected people have shown symptoms after weeks of being asymptomatic.
“You are playing with fire if you visit friends. At this point, we have to act like everyone is infected.” - Jagdish Khubchandani, Ball State University
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That’s why it’s so important to make your social circle as teeny-tiny and antisocial as possible right now.
“The only people you should be seeing are those you can’t avoid: those living with you before this pandemic started and stable relationships like a significant other,” Khubchandani said. “Even in those cases, it’s with all the precautions, hygiene, and distancing as much as possible.”
If you go see your S.O., you need to know that they haven’t been anywhere either.
Seeing your friends IRL right now is kind of like playing a game of pool where coronavirus is the cue ball, said Kirsten Hokeness, professor and chair of the Department of Science and Technology at Bryant University and an expert in immunology, virology, microbiology, and human health and disease.
“If the white ball is the virus and you have a table full of balls to target, the ‘virus’ has a lot of options,” she said. “Your friend, people your friend lives with, including anyone who’s older or has underlying conditions who’s more susceptible.”
“Start taking those balls off of the table until they are gone, and now it has nowhere to go.”
Without a coronavirus vaccine, the only means we have to limit the spread of the virus is to prevent it from being able to go from one host to the next.
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“The virus needs a host to keep going,” Hokeness said. “It can’t live on its own, so it needs you and your friends as a vehicle to keep spreading. If it infects someone and then has nowhere else to go, it stops right there.”
When you keep getting together, even in very small groups, “you run the risk of giving the virus one more chance to persist in the population,” Hokeness said.
Westend61 via Getty Images Now is the time to make video calls instead of meeting in person.
Why is social distancing so hard for some people to come to terms with? The answer lies in the first part of that now-ubiquitous phrase, said Liz Higgins, a family therapist and founder of Millennial Life Counseling in Dallas.
“We are social beings. We’re made to connect,” she said. “It is a physiological experience for us to want and crave interaction with others. What we are being asked to do during this time, in essence, goes against our entire makeup: Certainly, digital connecting can meet some of this need, but not completely.”
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Yes, you may be experiencing high levels of pandemic-fuled FOMO and anxiety about when you’ll next be able to see your close friends or family. But please don’t try to squeeze in one last get-together this weekend.
“My advice to someone struggling with social distancing is to really sit with the fact that this is temporary,” Higgins said. “While we don’t know for a fact when this will end, we can say with full certainty that it will, at some point. Let that fact ground you and make these temporary decisions to stay in more doable.”
Take this as an opportunity to focus inward, Higgins said. As humans, we have an unending desire to stay in the loop with friends and family, but there’s not much to be kept in the loop about right now; all of our social lives suck. (If anything, take solace in the fact that you’re not alone in your desire for human contact. Look at how many people are posting on social media right now; we’re all going slightly crazy.)
“The faster that we can quarantine and prevent the virus from having its next host to replicate in and spread, the faster we will be able to start to regain some normalcy.” - Kirsten Hokeness, professor and chair of the Department of Science and Technology at Bryant University
Find ways to maintain a sense of normalcy by using technology, including video conferencing apps. The New York Times reported that nearly 600,000 people downloaded Zoom on Sunday alone. Join them!
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Grab a glass of wine and have a Sunday night rant and rave session about our (temporary, as short-lived as possible) new normal. Have a group chat where you catalog all the weird things you’ve seen in the background of your co-workers’ work-from-home setups during virtual meetings. Pencil in a “Love is Blind” pod dating-esque Friday night dinner with your boyfriend. (Netflix even has a browser extension where you can watch along with your friends and family.)
Social distancing doesn’t mean you don’t get to be social. It just means you have to do it from home for the time being.
“The faster that we can quarantine and prevent the virus from having its next host to replicate in and spread, the faster we will be able to start to regain some normalcy,” Hokeness said.


huffpost--2020-05-23--Alabama's Coronavirus Outlook Is Worsening As State Reopens

“ You need to be staying 6 feet away from me , and haven ’ t I told you you have to wear a mask when you ’ re in this building ?
” University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban , himself wearing a mask emblazoned with “ Roll Tide , ” scolded the school ’ s elephant mascot in a video released as the state reopened more .
Perhaps Saban ’ s rant — which tied the prospects of fall football to disease control in a football-crazy state — will be the thing that makes people see a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where life is largely back to normal despite a deepening health crisis .
From the Gulf Coast to the lush Tennessee Valley , Alabama ’ s political leaders and health experts are struggling to make many residents see the continued need for social distancing , crowd limitations and wearing masks after Gov .
Kay Ivey reopened much of the economy .
Cases are on the increase , but health officials say it ’ s impossible to determine whether the rise is linked to additional testing or an actual increase in disease .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since early April , which has some health officials worried .
The situation in Alabama has become worse over the past 14 days , according to an AP analysis of testing data from The COVID Tracking Project .
New daily cases have risen to 307 from 268 , and the rate of daily tests coming back positive has increased from 6.7 % to 7.5 % .
The AP used seven-day rolling averages to account for daily variability in the testing data .
Data includes counts through Thursday .
The Republican governor , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modeled recommended behavior by regularly appearing publicly in a mask .
But she has urged residents to do what ’ s necessary to stem the spread of the disease while saying a vaccine could someday be created “ right here in sweet home Alabama.
” “ It takes all of us , y ’ all , being vigilant , and adhering to these social distancing guidelines in order to stop the spread of this disease , ” she said .
So far , it ’ s unclear whether Ivey ’ s calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an effect as businesses and other gatherings places reopen with restrictions on capacity and sanitation .
The parking lots outside some Birmingham-area restaurants and breweries are filling up again , and the state ’ s beaches have been packed since reopening April 30 .
About two dozen adults and children filled a reopened suburban playground Friday ; no one wore a mask , and no one was cleaning the slides and swings between uses .
Some people are trying to stay 6 feet ( 2 meters ) apart , as required under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t .
In many public places , it ’ s rare to see a covered face .
“ As I ’ ve gone out to some of these retail stores , I ’ ve noticed that people are not wearing masks , ” Dr. Rachael Lee , an infectious diseases expert with the University of Alabama at Birmingham , told an online news conference .
Omar Mohammad , a 17-year-old who skipped his own graduation from Spain Park High School in Hoover because of the pandemic , said people seem to have dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions .
“ I ’ ve seen people being like , ` I can go get my nails done , so it can ’ t be too bad , ’ ” he said .
As of Friday , more than 13,400 people had tested positive for the coronavirus in Alabama , and 533 had died .
Most people recover from COVID-19 , but patients with other health problems and the elderly are particularly susceptible .
Meanwhile , state unemployment has reached levels not seen in decades .
Alabama ’ s jobless rate jumped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic shutdown linked to the coronavirus pandemic , the worst in nearly 38 years , the state said .

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — With Alabama’s coronavirus caseload worsening while casinos, churches and more reopen, the state’s most recognizable person had some stern words about bringing COVID-19 under control.
“You need to be staying 6 feet away from me, and haven’t I told you you have to wear a mask when you’re in this building?” University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, himself wearing a mask emblazoned with “Roll Tide,” scolded the school’s elephant mascot in a video released as the state reopened more.
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Perhaps Saban’s rant — which tied the prospects of fall football to disease control in a football-crazy state — will be the thing that makes people see a need for renewed vigilance in a place where life is largely back to normal despite a deepening health crisis.
From the Gulf Coast to the lush Tennessee Valley, Alabama’s political leaders and health experts are struggling to make many residents see the continued need for social distancing, crowd limitations and wearing masks after Gov. Kay Ivey reopened much of the economy.
Cases are on the increase, but health officials say it’s impossible to determine whether the rise is linked to additional testing or an actual increase in disease. Yet state statistics also show hospitalizations are up since early April, which has some health officials worried.
The situation in Alabama has become worse over the past 14 days, according to an AP analysis of testing data from The COVID Tracking Project. New daily cases have risen to 307 from 268, and the rate of daily tests coming back positive has increased from 6.7% to 7.5%. The AP used seven-day rolling averages to account for daily variability in the testing data. Data includes counts through Thursday.
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In Jefferson County, the state’s most populous area with nearly 660,000 residents, officials cited increasing cases and hospitalizations Friday in announcing more stringent rules than those enacted by Ivey.
The Republican governor, like President Donald Trump, hasn’t modeled recommended behavior by regularly appearing publicly in a mask. But she has urged residents to do what’s necessary to stem the spread of the disease while saying a vaccine could someday be created “right here in sweet home Alabama.”
“It takes all of us, y’all, being vigilant, and adhering to these social distancing guidelines in order to stop the spread of this disease,” she said.
So far, it’s unclear whether Ivey’s calls for “personal responsibility” have had much of an effect as businesses and other gatherings places reopen with restrictions on capacity and sanitation.
The parking lots outside some Birmingham-area restaurants and breweries are filling up again, and the state’s beaches have been packed since reopening April 30. About two dozen adults and children filled a reopened suburban playground Friday; no one wore a mask, and no one was cleaning the slides and swings between uses.
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Some people are trying to stay 6 feet (2 meters) apart, as required under state orders, but others aren’t. In many public places, it’s rare to see a covered face.
“As I’ve gone out to some of these retail stores, I’ve noticed that people are not wearing masks,” Dr. Rachael Lee, an infectious diseases expert with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told an online news conference.
Omar Mohammad, a 17-year-old who skipped his own graduation from Spain Park High School in Hoover because of the pandemic, said people seem to have dropped their guard after state orders that loosened restrictions.
“I’ve seen people being like, `I can go get my nails done, so it can’t be too bad,’” he said.
Leaders in Republican-controlled, deeply conservative Alabama, like many states, are stuck between trying to revive a lagging economy and prevent the spread of disease.
As of Friday, more than 13,400 people had tested positive for the coronavirus in Alabama, and 533 had died. Most people recover from COVID-19, but patients with other health problems and the elderly are particularly susceptible.
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Meanwhile, state unemployment has reached levels not seen in decades. Alabama’s jobless rate jumped to 12.9% in April during the economic shutdown linked to the coronavirus pandemic, the worst in nearly 38 years, the state said.
The state’s overall health trend worries disease experts including Lee. Jefferson County had its highest case count yet this week, she said, and the capital of Montgomery, where about 200,000 people live, is looking like a disease hot spot.
“I’m actually concerned about the numbers,” she said. “As we have been watching over the past couple of weeks, those numbers have either been at the same level or they’re slowly going up.”


huffpost--2020-05-22--Poll: Many Americans See Room For Some Middle Ground On Reopening

AP Photo/Noah Berger Circles designed to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus by encouraging social distancing in San Francisco 's Dolores Park on May 21 , 2020 .
Most Americans continue to support measures to control the coronavirus outbreak , a new HuffPost/YouGov survey finds , with only about one-fifth chafing at the level of restrictions they personally face .
A significant number , however , see room for some reopening .
As the coronavirus outbreak first ballooned across the U.S. , dozens of polls found consistent , overwhelming support for a vigorous government response .
Now , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and piecemeal fashion , the way pollsters measure Americans ’ preferences could prove increasingly important .
The HuffPost/YouGov survey included three different questions about restrictions , each with a different number of options respondents could choose from .
They include : No single question is demonstrably the “ right ” way to ask about the restrictions , especially given the wide range of situations that Americans are currently living through .
But taken together , the results suggest there ’ s some nuance in public opinion on how and when to reopen the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public , meanwhile , says the level of restrictions in place where they live is about right , with 27 % saying there aren ’ t enough restrictions and 19 % that there are too many .
Americans ’ worries about coronavirus , which peaked in early April , have since largely stabilized , with 46 % currently saying they ’ re very concerned about the national outbreak , and about one-third that they ’ re very concerned they or a family member will catch the disease .
A 78 % majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay home as much as possible , down from a peak of 89 % .
About 44 % of Americans currently say they ’ d continue to stay home as much as possible even if all restrictions are lifted , with about 25 % saying they ’ d leave the house more but continue to take major precautions , and 6 % saying they ’ d go back to living normally .
Another 14 % say they ’ re not currently making an effort to stay home .
The public is closely split @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handling of coronavirus , with 45 % approving and 47 % disapproving .
Forty-three percent approve of the handling of the issue by the government as a whole , with 47 % disapproving .
A 64 % majority believe the outbreak will have a lasting effect on the United States , with just 21 % expecting things to soon get back to normal .
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey , using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted May 15-17 among U.S. adults , using a sample selected from YouGov ’ s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population .

Circles designed to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus by encouraging social distancing in San Francisco's Dolores Park on May 21, 2020. AP Photo/Noah Berger
Most Americans continue to support measures to control the coronavirus outbreak, a new HuffPost/YouGov survey finds, with only about one-fifth chafing at the level of restrictions they personally face. A significant number, however, see room for some reopening.
As the coronavirus outbreak first ballooned across the U.S., dozens of polls found consistent, overwhelming support for a vigorous government response. Now, with states across the country reopening in partial and piecemeal fashion, the way pollsters measure Americans’ preferences could prove increasingly important.
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The HuffPost/YouGov survey included three different questions about restrictions, each with a different number of options respondents could choose from. They include:
A binary question, which we’ve been tracking since late March, on whether state stay-at-home orders are currently the right or wrong decision. In response, 67% say these orders are the right decision and 21% that they are the wrong decision.
A question on Americans’ preferences for restrictions in their own area (asked of half the respondents), with one middle option. In response, 31% say there should be restrictions shutting down all nonessential businesses and activities. The lion’s share, 43%, say that there should be restrictions on some nonessential businesses and activities. Another 13% say that there shouldn’t be any restrictions.
A question on Americans’ preferences for restrictions in their own area (asked of the other half), with two middle options. In response, 26% say there should be restrictions shutting down all nonessential businesses and activities. Another 26% say there should be restrictions on most nonessential businesses and activities; 28% say there should be restrictions on a few nonessential businesses and activities. Just 11% want to see no restrictions at all.
Chart showing the results of a new HuffPost/YouGov survey on the coronavirus outbreak. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
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No single question is demonstrably the “right” way to ask about the restrictions, especially given the wide range of situations that Americans are currently living through. But taken together, the results suggest there’s some nuance in public opinion on how and when to reopen the country.
A 44% plurality of the public, meanwhile, says the level of restrictions in place where they live is about right, with 27% saying there aren’t enough restrictions and 19% that there are too many.
Americans’ worries about coronavirus, which peaked in early April, have since largely stabilized, with 46% currently saying they’re very concerned about the national outbreak, and about one-third that they’re very concerned they or a family member will catch the disease. A 78% majority currently say they’re trying to stay home as much as possible, down from a peak of 89%.
Chart showing the results of a new HuffPost/YouGov survey on the coronavirus outbreak. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
About 44% of Americans currently say they’d continue to stay home as much as possible even if all restrictions are lifted, with about 25% saying they’d leave the house more but continue to take major precautions, and 6% saying they’d go back to living normally. Another 14% say they’re not currently making an effort to stay home.
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The public is closely split in its ratings of Trump’s handling of coronavirus, with 45% approving and 47% disapproving. Forty-three percent approve of the handling of the issue by the government as a whole, with 47% disapproving.
A 64% majority believe the outbreak will have a lasting effect on the United States, with just 21% expecting things to soon get back to normal.
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups.
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted May 15-17 among U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population.
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HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here. Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors. YouGov’s reports include a model-based margin of error, which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling. If these assumptions are wrong, the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate.


huffpost--2020-05-23--Boris Johnson's Top Adviser Accused Of Flouting Coronavirus Lockdown Rules

LONDON ( AP ) — The British government faced accusations of hypocrisy on Saturday after the revelation that Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s top adviser , Dominic Cummings , traveled more than 250 miles to his parents ’ house during a nationwide coronavirus lockdown .
The Guardian and Mirror newspapers reported that Cummings , who lives in London , was seen at the property in Durham , northeast England , at the end of March .
A lockdown that began March 23 stipulated that people should remain at their primary residence , leaving only for essential local errands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anyone with symptoms was told to completely isolate themselves .
Durham Police said that officers went to a house on March 31 and “ explained to the family the guidelines around self-isolation and reiterated the appropriate advice around essential travel.
” Police did not mention Cummings by name .
Johnson ’ s office said in a statement that Cummings made the trip because his wife was showing coronavirus symptoms , he thought he was likely to also get sick , and relatives had offered to help look after the couple ’ s young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a house “ near to but separate from ” his extended family .
Cummings , a contentious figure who has a spiky relationship with the media , was one of the architects of the successful “ Brexit ” campaign to take Britain out of the European Union , and later was appointed Johnson ’ s top aide .
The government has previously said that Cummings spent some time off work with coronavirus symptoms .
He is one of a slew of senior British government figures to contract COVID-19 , including the prime minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care at a London hospital .
Cummings , 48 , is one of several senior U.K. officials who have been accused of flouting the lockdown rules that they advocated for the rest of the country .
Epidemiologist Neil Ferguson stepped down as a government scientific adviser earlier this month after a newspaper disclosed that his girlfriend had crossed London to stay with him during the lockdown .
In April , Catherine Calderwood resigned as Scotland ’ s chief medical officer after twice traveling from Edinburgh to her second home .
Dave Penman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA , said “ the prime minister needs to understand how heartbreaking this lockdown has been for so many families and the sacrifices that have been made up and down the country.
” He said Johnson must explain why “ it looks like there is one rule for those at the center of government and one rule for rest of the country.
” Britain 's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced widespread criticism over his government 's response to the pandemic , which saw him initially downplay the threat of the virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He later contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized for a week .

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LONDON (AP) — The British government faced accusations of hypocrisy on Saturday after the revelation that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s top adviser, Dominic Cummings, traveled more than 250 miles to his parents’ house during a nationwide coronavirus lockdown.
The Guardian and Mirror newspapers reported that Cummings, who lives in London, was seen at the property in Durham, northeast England, at the end of March. A lockdown that began March 23 stipulated that people should remain at their primary residence, leaving only for essential local errands and exercise, and not visit relatives. Anyone with symptoms was told to completely isolate themselves.
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Durham Police said that officers went to a house on March 31 and “explained to the family the guidelines around self-isolation and reiterated the appropriate advice around essential travel.” Police did not mention Cummings by name.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, right, and advisor Dominic Cummings, left. Cummings is accused of flouting coronavirus lockdown rules. TOLGA AKMEN via Getty Images
Johnson’s office said in a statement that Cummings made the trip because his wife was showing coronavirus symptoms, he thought he was likely to also get sick, and relatives had offered to help look after the couple’s young son. It said Cummings stayed in a house “near to but separate from” his extended family.
Downing St. said Cummings believed he had behaved “reasonably and legally.”
Cummings, a contentious figure who has a spiky relationship with the media, was one of the architects of the successful “Brexit” campaign to take Britain out of the European Union, and later was appointed Johnson’s top aide.
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The government has previously said that Cummings spent some time off work with coronavirus symptoms. He is one of a slew of senior British government figures to contract COVID-19, including the prime minister, who spent three nights in intensive care at a London hospital.
Cummings, 48, is one of several senior U.K. officials who have been accused of flouting the lockdown rules that they advocated for the rest of the country.
Epidemiologist Neil Ferguson stepped down as a government scientific adviser earlier this month after a newspaper disclosed that his girlfriend had crossed London to stay with him during the lockdown. In April, Catherine Calderwood resigned as Scotland’s chief medical officer after twice traveling from Edinburgh to her second home.
Dave Penman, the leader of civil servants union the FDA, said “the prime minister needs to understand how heartbreaking this lockdown has been for so many families and the sacrifices that have been made up and down the country.” He said Johnson must explain why “it looks like there is one rule for those at the center of government and one rule for rest of the country.”
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced widespread criticism over his government's response to the pandemic, which saw him initially downplay the threat of the virus and delay sending the country into lockdown. He later contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized for a week. ASSOCIATED PRESS


huffpost--2020-05-23--Coronavirus Is The Practice Run For Schools. But Soon Comes Climate Change.

Like McKneely , some educators , government officials and policy experts around the country say the coronavirus carries lessons for another global crisis of our time , climate change .
So far , the pandemic has revealed the challenges of conducting education remotely as well as uneven access to Wi-Fi and devices such as laptops .
Overcoming those difficulties could equip schools for a future in which severe floods and fires increasingly batter communities and pause in-person education .
The coronavirus could serve as a reminder to educators to reinforce the value of science education and the need for quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you ’ re thoughtful about it , ” she said , “ and you really start to think about closing the digital divide , making sure every kid has connectivity and devices , creating the curriculum strategies that are continuous , and helping teachers and other school staff understand what we have to do if schools are closed , then we can be better prepared for these eventualities that are going to become more and more frequent.
” Why Some Florida Districts Were At The Ready In January of this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the emerging coronavirus outbreak .
In the weeks that followed , the district surveyed parents about their technology needs , took an inventory of devices such as Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots , and assembled digital learning content under one portal that teachers and students could access easily .
Those efforts allowed the district of 520 schools and educational centers to transition relatively smoothly from traditional learning to distance learning when the school system shut on March 16 , Carvalho said .
By mid-April , about 111,000 devices and 11,000 hotspots had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of students are marked as present for remote classes ( meaning they logged in to the online portal ) , which is only a percentage point or two behind school attendance the previous year at this time , Carvalho said .
But even with online learning plans , school districts around the country could face an “ unprecedented historic academic regression ” unless they do more , he said .
To stave off this learning loss , Miami-Dade is adding summer sessions and working to identify vulnerable kids and pair them with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps .
In neighboring Broward County , Superintendent Robert Runcie said he had been receiving calls from school administrators in Chicago , Los Angeles and elsewhere , asking for advice on distance learning .
Like Miami-Dade , the Broward system was able to quickly ramp up remote learning in part because of provisions it had put in place in the event of hurricanes .
The coronavirus offers an opportunity to rethink how education is delivered in ways that could make school systems nimbler and more effective in serving students going forward , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waste a crisis , ” he said .
At Hall Middle School , in nearby Marin County , science teacher Rebecca Newburn said the disruptions to learning have forced her to streamline lessons and prioritize the content and skills that are most important .
“ Some things are going to get less attention this year , ” she said , but “ climate change is still super significant.
” Her students are learning to cite evidence in making arguments , a skill that seems even more relevant now as the two global crises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangers of ignoring science and facts .
She ’ s also trying to ensure that her kids are mentally resilient by taking breaks from learning to check in on their well-being and to process feelings .
“ This is going to be an ongoing challenge , ” Newburn said of the health and environmental issues that disrupt education .
“ Our curriculum and our schools are going to get disrupted multiple times , and the more we can be thoughtful and proactive about how we approach those disruptions and providing more stability and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better off we are all going to be.
” But In The South ... After living through Hurricane Katrina , McKneely , the charter school network CEO , knew to make student and staff mental health his first priority .
The first thing he did upon learning that schools would close because of the coronavirus was to establish phone contact with families and set up phone lines with social workers so that parents and kids felt informed and supported .
“ What we learned from Katrina is that our students experienced a bunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ It was the trauma of the new norm , of not being able to go to school , to see their classmates , their teachers .
We wanted to deal with that first.
” His schools are high-need , with more than 95 % of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch , a federal measure of poverty .
McKneely quickly discovered that the share of families who lacked Wi-Fi , laptops and other tools necessary to participate in remote learning was even greater than anticipated — some 40 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schools , provided some Chromebooks and hotspots that the school operator distributed to families .
But because of funding , logistical and other challenges , only about 28 % of those in need have received the equipment so far .
InspireNOLA also began trying to get teachers at all levels acquainted with the learning platform Google Classroom , which it had previously used for high school .
Now , McKneely said , his schools are trying to figure out a long-term plan for learning through emergencies .
They are determining how they might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s education — grading , social and emotional support , staff calls , lessons — online .
When schools reopen , they might do so with a different schedule : four days a week of in-person education and one virtual day , for example .
McKneely said he wants all his students to be accustomed to learning outside a school ’ s walls in the event of a second wave of the coronavirus or another Katrina .
What Experts Say We Need For Distance Learning

Illustration: JooHee Yoon for HuffPost
This story about climate change and education was produced as part of the nine-part series “Are We Ready? How Schools Are Preparing — and Not Preparing — Children for Climate Change,” reported by HuffPost and The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.
On the eve of each hurricane season, Jamar McKneely worries that this one will bring the next Katrina. McKneely was a teacher at Edna Karr High School in New Orleans when the 2005 hurricane devastated the city and closed his school for months.
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But instead of a deadly hurricane, this year brought another crisis that shut the city’s school system: the coronavirus pandemic. McKneely, who now leads InspireNOLA Charter Schools, is trying to use this latest emergency to prepare for future natural disasters and disease outbreaks that are worsening due to climate change. His schools have been scrambling to set up online learning, connect students with virtual counseling and get laptops into the hands of families — steps McKneely says will be invaluable if another hurricane disrupts education.
“We are building all of that now to make sure we’re better prepared,” he said. “For us it might be the coronavirus or the next epidemic, but it could easily be the next hurricane as well.”
Like McKneely, some educators, government officials and policy experts around the country say the coronavirus carries lessons for another global crisis of our time, climate change. So far, the pandemic has revealed the challenges of conducting education remotely as well as uneven access to Wi-Fi and devices such as laptops. Overcoming those difficulties could equip schools for a future in which severe floods and fires increasingly batter communities and pause in-person education. The coronavirus could serve as a reminder to educators to reinforce the value of science education and the need for quality mental health services for kids.
School leaders “should be keenly aware that this is not just a one-time thing,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the nonprofit Learning Policy Institute and of California’s State Board of Education.
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“If you’re thoughtful about it,” she said, “and you really start to think about closing the digital divide, making sure every kid has connectivity and devices, creating the curriculum strategies that are continuous, and helping teachers and other school staff understand what we have to do if schools are closed, then we can be better prepared for these eventualities that are going to become more and more frequent.”
Why Some Florida Districts Were At The Ready
Perhaps no school system had a distance learning plan in place that anticipated a shutdown on the scale of the coronavirus closures. But some places were more prepared than others. When Darling-Hammond looked around recently for school districts with online education plans that California might learn from, hurricane- and flood-prone districts in southern Florida stood out, she said.
The Miami-Dade school district, for example, adopted a plan back in 2012 to close the digital divide. It was initially designed to “obliterate digital deserts,” said Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, but the plan has also helped position the district to keep learning going amid disruptions like the flooding that routinely submerges parts of Miami.
“Because we are a coastal community prone to hurricanes, a coastal community prone to the arrival of literally dozens of thousands of children, immigrants,” Carvalho said, “we have naturally adapted to dealing with crises whether they are human crises, environmental crises or health crises.”
In January of this year, Carvalho told staff to keep an eye on the emerging coronavirus outbreak. In the weeks that followed, the district surveyed parents about their technology needs, took an inventory of devices such as Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots, and assembled digital learning content under one portal that teachers and students could access easily. Those efforts allowed the district of 520 schools and educational centers to transition relatively smoothly from traditional learning to distance learning when the school system shut on March 16, Carvalho said.
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By mid-April, about 111,000 devices and 11,000 hotspots had been distributed, he said. Approximately 92% of students are marked as present for remote classes (meaning they logged in to the online portal), which is only a percentage point or two behind school attendance the previous year at this time, Carvalho said. But even with online learning plans, school districts around the country could face an “unprecedented historic academic regression” unless they do more, he said. To stave off this learning loss, Miami-Dade is adding summer sessions and working to identify vulnerable kids and pair them with virtual tutors and mentors, among other steps.
In neighboring Broward County, Superintendent Robert Runcie said he had been receiving calls from school administrators in Chicago, Los Angeles and elsewhere, asking for advice on distance learning. Like Miami-Dade, the Broward system was able to quickly ramp up remote learning in part because of provisions it had put in place in the event of hurricanes. The coronavirus offers an opportunity to rethink how education is delivered in ways that could make school systems nimbler and more effective in serving students going forward, according to Runcie. “They say never waste a crisis,” he said.
Forest Fires Are Prompting California To Rethink Strategies
Across the country, in California, worsening fires, floods and droughts have forced some educators to contemplate a school calendar marked by natural disasters. Half of the 20 most destructive wildfires in state history have occurred since 2015. In the 2018 school year, roughly 1 in every 5 California school children missed at least one day because of a natural disaster, school maintenance issue, shooting or other emergency, according to an analysis by CalMatters.
That doesn’t mean that school districts were up to speed on distance learning, however. When schools closed for the coronavirus, an estimated 1.2 million kids statewide lacked access to Wi-Fi and computers. As of mid-April, schools had distributed supplies to meet about half of that need, said Darling-Hammond.
In Occidental, California, Matthew Morgan, superintendent of the Harmony Union School District, said the pandemic has exposed a big digital divide and online learning was slow to roll out. “We don’t have a distance learning plan that is operating on all cylinders,” he said in April.
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But filling those gaps, he said, could help if poor air quality from wildfires keeps kids from going to school. That’s been a reality the last few years. Sonoma County, where Harmony is located, has been pummeled by fires in recent years. The 2017 Tubbs Fire caused evacuations and killed more than 20 people in the county. Smoke from the deadly 2018 Camp Fire, which leveled the town of Paradise 200 miles north, compromised air quality in Sonoma. And last fall, the Kincade Fire forced the largest evacuation in Sonoma County history.
In other ways, the district is drawing on its experiences living through emergencies. The close relationships Harmony forged with local government agencies because of wildfires helped it keep families and staff informed as the coronavirus spread, he said.
At Hall Middle School, in nearby Marin County, science teacher Rebecca Newburn said the disruptions to learning have forced her to streamline lessons and prioritize the content and skills that are most important. “Some things are going to get less attention this year,” she said, but “climate change is still super significant.” Her students are learning to cite evidence in making arguments, a skill that seems even more relevant now as the two global crises of coronavirus and climate change underscore the dangers of ignoring science and facts. She’s also trying to ensure that her kids are mentally resilient by taking breaks from learning to check in on their well-being and to process feelings.
“This is going to be an ongoing challenge,” Newburn said of the health and environmental issues that disrupt education. “Our curriculum and our schools are going to get disrupted multiple times, and the more we can be thoughtful and proactive about how we approach those disruptions and providing more stability and support for students, I think the better off we are all going to be.”
But In The South ...
In the hurricane-prone Gulf, lessons from past disasters have helped schools think differently about which of their students’ needs to prioritize. But more work needs to be done to shrink the digital divide.
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After living through Hurricane Katrina, McKneely, the charter school network CEO, knew to make student and staff mental health his first priority. The first thing he did upon learning that schools would close because of the coronavirus was to establish phone contact with families and set up phone lines with social workers so that parents and kids felt informed and supported. “What we learned from Katrina is that our students experienced a bunch of separation, of loss,” he said. “It was the trauma of the new norm, of not being able to go to school, to see their classmates, their teachers. We wanted to deal with that first.”
Loss came quickly: On April 2, a beloved football coach at McDonogh 35, which is part of the charter school network, died of the coronavirus. The school held calls with staff members and students, arranged counseling hotlines and extended spring break to give families time to cope.
On the academic front, InspireNOLA schools were less prepared, McKneely said. They had a short-term plan in place: hand out homework packets to students of the sort that the schools provide over holidays. But there was no long-term plan, McKneely said. “We’re still learning how to fly as we’re flying,” he said.
His schools are high-need, with more than 95% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, a federal measure of poverty. McKneely quickly discovered that the share of families who lacked Wi-Fi, laptops and other tools necessary to participate in remote learning was even greater than anticipated — some 40%. The school district, NOLA Public Schools, provided some Chromebooks and hotspots that the school operator distributed to families. But because of funding, logistical and other challenges, only about 28% of those in need have received the equipment so far. InspireNOLA also began trying to get teachers at all levels acquainted with the learning platform Google Classroom, which it had previously used for high school.
Now, McKneely said, his schools are trying to figure out a long-term plan for learning through emergencies. They are determining how they might transition all aspects of the school’s education — grading, social and emotional support, staff calls, lessons — online. When schools reopen, they might do so with a different schedule: four days a week of in-person education and one virtual day, for example. McKneely said he wants all his students to be accustomed to learning outside a school’s walls in the event of a second wave of the coronavirus or another Katrina.
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Going forward, McKneely worries about not just another deadly hurricane, but another coronavirus outbreak before a vaccine is developed. But he has reasons for hope, recalling “how we came together to rebuild our city” after Katrina. He added: “I hope the same camaraderie, passion and commitment can be made to our students’ families to make sure their sense of normalcy as well as their advancement continues.”
What Experts Say We Need For Distance Learning
It’s hard to know exactly what distance learning might look like a few years from now, said Sujata Bhatt, a senior fellow with Transcend, a nonprofit that works with school systems to improve how they deliver education. Schools are still scrambling simply to cope with the immediate coronavirus crisis and meet students’ basic needs, she said, but the next school year could present opportunities to rethink how remote learning happens.
One big step forward would be universal broadband access, said Lillian Pace, vice president of policy and advocacy with the nonprofit KnowledgeWorks. Another is making sure teachers receive training on distance learning, through programs that prepare them for the profession as well as through ongoing professional development. “It’s going to have to be built in as a new baseline of entry into the profession,” said Pace.
Education systems will also have to adjust how they assess students and schools. Measures like seat time and attendance just won’t work the same way in a world facing so much disruption. Instead, we could see a shift toward evaluating students based on whether they’ve mastered certain skills, said Katherine Prince, senior vice president of strategic foresight with KnowledgeWorks. And schools will need to find ways to prioritize kids’ emotional and social well-being, she said, and provide them with the sense of working collaboratively with peers even when they’re stuck at home.
David Cook, who leads the Division of Innovation within the Kentucky Department of Education, has been working since 2011 to find ways to keep kids learning through snowstorms and floods. (Notably, climate change could reduce snowfall in the state but worsen flooding.)
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Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, 82 of the state’s school districts had in place a “nontraditional education” plan by which teachers prepared lessons that kids could access remotely if needed. Since March, the program has expanded to all of the state’s 172 districts. Now Cook is studying how to revise the program given that school closures of the future are likely to last weeks and months, not days. Whatever happens with this current crisis, Cook said, distance learning seems poised to be a bigger part of education going forward.
“The notion of everything happening in a building between 8 and 3,” he said, “is probably not something we’re going to go completely back to.”


huffpost--2020-05-08--Gallup, New Mexico, Under Extreme Lockdown After Massive COVID-19 Outbreak

GALLUP , N.M. ( AP ) — Like clockwork , payday arrives and tens of thousands of people from the Navajo reservation and other rural stretches along the New Mexico-Arizona border flood into Gallup , a freewheeling desert oasis of just 22,000 that can quickly quadruple in size with all the visitors .
As the modern-day trading post reels under a coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 1,400 and killed 31 in the city and surrounding rural county — overrunning a patchwork health care system — Gallup has gone into extreme lockdown .
Barricades are manned by state police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who doesn ’ t live there or face an emergency .
That has sent thousands of people scrambling for options other than the city ’ s coin operated bulk water station and monthly shopping runs to Walmart and Tractor Supply Co. Up to one-third of homes on remote stretches of the Navajo Nation lack full plumbing , and local grocery stores are mostly tiny and limited .
The roads into Gallup may open up Friday evening , but the rules allowing only essential shopping will remain , and the reservation has its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evenings and weekends .
Navajo police patrol for people breaking the rules .
The effectiveness of the lockdown , enacted by the governor and endorsed by Gallup ’ s fledgling mayor , is up for debate .
Infections are still mounting unabated inside town , with about 240 infections within one zip code and more than 2,650 on the Navajo Nation that extends into portions of Arizona and Utah .
If the Navajo Nation were its own state , it ’ d have the second highest per-capita rate of positive coronavirus cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They targeted the people around here .
They ’ re going to be coming to Gallup to shop , so they put a stop to that , ” said Johnnie Henry , who said two of his relatives on the Navajo Nation were apparently infected with COVID-19 while working at a hospital in Gallup .
“ We kind of look at each other and say , are we the ones bringing it ?
No , it ’ s all over .
At Gallup ’ s main hospital , Rehoboth McKinley Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken a toll on staff , with 32 infections among employees .
The hospital ’ s sole pulmonologist left Wednesday without a replacement , and patients with serious respiratory conditions are being flown to Albuquerque , said Chief Medical Officer Val Wangler .
Infections raced through a detox center in early April .
Now , free room and board are being offered at four local motels — including the famous El Rancho hotel visited by legendary actor John Wayne and President Ronald Reagan — to about 140 homeless patients who are quarantined .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a certification card that can let them back into shelters .
“ I ’ m so confused .
What is going to really work , if this doesn ’ t ?
” said state Sen. George Munoz of Gallup of the community lockdown .
He has taken to buying giant pallets of bottled water for indigenous communities with campaign funds .
“ I don ’ t know the answer.
” South of Gallup at Zuni Pueblo , a tribal community of 800 residents set amid red rock mesas , Lt. Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gallup lockdown further , noting that it keeps more pueblo members safely at home .
He said the tribe has stockpiled food staples and water to help support tribal members who have to quarantine after coming into contact with the virus .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
GALLUP, N.M. (AP) — Like clockwork, payday arrives and tens of thousands of people from the Navajo reservation and other rural stretches along the New Mexico-Arizona border flood into Gallup, a freewheeling desert oasis of just 22,000 that can quickly quadruple in size with all the visitors.
Not now.
As the modern-day trading post reels under a coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 1,400 and killed 31 in the city and surrounding rural county — overrunning a patchwork health care system — Gallup has gone into extreme lockdown. Barricades are manned by state police and the National Guard keeping out anyone who doesn’t live there or face an emergency.
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That has sent thousands of people scrambling for options other than the city’s coin operated bulk water station and monthly shopping runs to Walmart and Tractor Supply Co. Up to one-third of homes on remote stretches of the Navajo Nation lack full plumbing, and local grocery stores are mostly tiny and limited.
The roads into Gallup may open up Friday evening, but the rules allowing only essential shopping will remain, and the reservation has its own lockdown that prevents people from leaving on evenings and weekends. Navajo police patrol for people breaking the rules.
On Thursday, hundreds of cars idled at a roadblock in hopes of entering town, just before the lockdown was extended for three more days under provisions of the state Riot Control Act.
The effectiveness of the lockdown, enacted by the governor and endorsed by Gallup’s fledgling mayor, is up for debate. Infections are still mounting unabated inside town, with about 240 infections within one zip code and more than 2,650 on the Navajo Nation that extends into portions of Arizona and Utah. If the Navajo Nation were its own state, it’d have the second highest per-capita rate of positive coronavirus cases in the country, behind only New York.
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The dividing line traced by roadblocks also is tugging on sensitivities about birthrights and inequities, as Native American visitors worry about the social stigma of being locked out because of the contagion.
The outbreak on the huge Navajo reservation, the nation’s largest with 175,000 people, have made people in Gallup nervous. Many see hints of the long-running racism that has divided people in the town for centuries.
“They targeted the people around here. They’re going to be coming to Gallup to shop, so they put a stop to that,” said Johnnie Henry, who said two of his relatives on the Navajo Nation were apparently infected with COVID-19 while working at a hospital in Gallup. “We kind of look at each other and say, are we the ones bringing it? No, it’s all over.
“There’s a lot of people who want to go back into Gallup, but they’re afraid that they’re going to call us names ... say that we are the carriers.”
Inside Gallup, the streets are empty, with downtown thoroughfares largely free of cars. The lockdown idled pawn shops, halted informal jewelry sales by walking vendors, and thinned out crowds to a trickle at grocery stores and Walmart.
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“The lockdown has been awesome, you don’t have to worry about any crowds,” said Andrew Sandoval, a delivery worker for Home Depot, as he ducked into a grocery store to buy his wife a cup of coffee.
At Gallup’s main hospital, Rehoboth McKinley Christian, the battle against the virus has taken a toll on staff, with 32 infections among employees. The hospital’s sole pulmonologist left Wednesday without a replacement, and patients with serious respiratory conditions are being flown to Albuquerque, said Chief Medical Officer Val Wangler.
Meanwhile, the trajectory of the pandemic could hinge on Gallup’s homeless population — many of them castaways from the Navajo Nation who are afflicted by alcoholism.
Infections raced through a detox center in early April. Now, free room and board are being offered at four local motels — including the famous El Rancho hotel visited by legendary actor John Wayne and President Ronald Reagan — to about 140 homeless patients who are quarantined. They are tested repeatedly before being cleared with a certification card that can let them back into shelters.
Beyond Gallup, New Mexico’s statewide stay-at-home order and restrictions on nonessential businesses expire May 15 with uncertainty about what comes next.
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“I’m so confused. What is going to really work, if this doesn’t?” said state Sen. George Munoz of Gallup of the community lockdown. He has taken to buying giant pallets of bottled water for indigenous communities with campaign funds. “I don’t know the answer.”
Physician Caleb Lauber opens a conversation with one coronavirus-positive motel border in the Navajo language before administering a nasal swab test to see if the infection persists.
“There’s more than one benefit from doing this,” he said. “It allows us the opportunity to ensure that the community is protected.”
The program also is financially unsustainable, he said.
“The ideology is good and it makes sense, we just don’t have the funds.”
South of Gallup at Zuni Pueblo, a tribal community of 800 residents set amid red rock mesas, Lt. Gov. Carleton Bowekaty voiced enthusiastic support for extending the Gallup lockdown further, noting that it keeps more pueblo members safely at home. He said the tribe has stockpiled food staples and water to help support tribal members who have to quarantine after coming into contact with the virus.
He said a COVID-19 outbreak at the pueblo is far from contained, with about 55 infections and 2 deaths amid intensive testing, evening curfews and a daytime roadblock aimed at discouraging nonessential travel to and from the pueblo.
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An end to the lockdown in Gallup would likely mean stricter restrictions at Zuni, where Bowekaty says tribal members are struggling to come to terms with the need for social distancing in ceremonial life, including burials.
Thoughts have turned to preserving oral traditions that might be lost with more casualties to the coronavirus.
“How do we capture their knowledge if they pass on?” he asked.
___


huffpost--2020-05-23--How To Convince Your Landlord To Let You Pay Less Rent (For Now)

If you ’ re unable to pay your rent in full , you may be able to negotiate a deal with your landlord .
After all , “ a lot of people are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic ; landlords are likely to appreciate some type of payment rather than nothing , ” said Michael Foguth , founder of Foguth Financial Group in Brighton , Michigan .
Keep in mind , though , that just because you might be protected against eviction , it doesn ’ t mean you ’ re free to skip out on rent .
Tenants are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landlords and work out an agreement for coming up with what they owe within a reasonable amount of time , though there isn ’ t any official guidance on how long that is , exactly .
“ While a 90-day period was invoked to prohibit initiating eviction proceedings , any late payments would still be due to landlords leading to a back-rent pileup ; not to mention that landlords have bills and mortgages to pay as well , ” said Jeremy Kamm , an agent with Warburg Realty in New York City .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to prepare for a serious lack in rental income .
“ I advised my clients to reach out to their landlords and ask for a rental adjustment solely for a period that made the most sense for them financially.
” If you can afford it , it ’ s preferable that you pay at least some of the rent rather than skipping it completely .
After all , there ’ s a good chance your landlord isn ’ t some faceless corporate entity ― just another person trying to get by , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t receive rental income for an extended period , there ’ s a high risk that the electricity , gas , mortgage , insurance and other bills won ’ t get paid ― bad news for everyone involved .
If you can ’ t afford to pay your rent due to the COVID-19 crisis , it ’ s important to contact your landlord right away to work out some sort of resolution .
Kamm said that proactively reaching out will show your landlord that you have every intention of making good on your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likelihood that they ’ ll grant some necessary financial relief if you ’ ve faced a salary adjustment , furlough or temporary unemployment .
“ Refusing to pay a landlord their due rent , or requesting a discount that is completely unreasonable , does not often get you very far , ” Kamm said .
“ It shows hostility and a lack of respect for the landlord , and ignores the fact that we are all in this together and are all suffering one way or another.
” A face-to-face meeting would normally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic , making a phone call is acceptable .
“ Remain calm , respectful and appreciative when discussing rent with your landlord , ” said Leslie Tayne , a debt resolution attorney and author of the book “ Life & Debt : A Fresh Approach to Achieving Financial Wellness.
” “ Common courtesy and mutual respect go a long way , and they are likely struggling due to the pandemic as well.
” If you ’ re still employed and can afford your current rent payments , Tayne warned you shouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and use it as leverage for a rent reduction .
Be prepared to show proof of your financial hardship , such as the loss of your job , a salary reduction letter from your employer , unemployment benefits statements or recent pay stubs .
4 .
Come to the table with a plan .
“ Know how much you can afford to pay and what kind of assistance would be ideal from your landlord , ” Tayne said .
She suggested looking online for similar rent rates in your area , which can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If you ’ re struggling to pay rent because of the financial impact of COVID-19 , provide some information about your hardship , ” Tayne added .
“ Mention that you have been a good tenant and remind them how long you ’ ve lived there .
Don ’ t threaten to move out , but propose a rent reduction and see what they say.
” Foguth suggested you could negotiate a lower payment for the next few months with an escalation clause .
That means paying less now while you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are hopefully back on your feet .
For example , you could agree to pay 75 % of your rent for the next six months , and then pay 125 % of the rent amount for the following six months .
He added that as a renter , you may have some leverage if you agree to extend the lease by a few months or even a year .
Your landlord would likely appreciate this because they know somebody would be in the property longer , guaranteeing them rental income for a longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation might be a bit more complicated .
After all , you rely on each other to come through on financial obligations , otherwise everyone ’ s living arrangement is at risk .
It might be tempting to front them the money to avoid coming up short on rent , but that puts you in an awkward and potentially expensive position .
Roommates are considered “ co-tenants ” if they are listed on the lease , Tayne said .
That means they have equal responsibility for upholding the terms of the lease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be made co-tenants .
In fact , Tayne said it ’ s a good idea to have your rental agreement spell out each individual ’ s portion of rent in writing in case you end up in housing court .
If a roommate can ’ t afford their share of the rent , it ’ s essential to have a conversation with them right away since you could be on the hook if they fail to pay .
“ If you don ’ t have this agreement in place and one of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve tried to work something out , speak with your landlord to see what your options are , ” she said .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits. In fact, the unemployment rate today teeters near Great Depression levels. In turn, this widespread job loss has created another crisis: Tens of millions of tenants can’t afford to pay rent.
More than 43 million people rent their homes, according to 2016 Census Bureau data. Nearly half of rental units are owned by “individual investor landlords” — regular people who depend on rental income for their livelihood.
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If you’re unable to pay your rent in full, you may be able to negotiate a deal with your landlord. After all, “a lot of people are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic; landlords are likely to appreciate some type of payment rather than nothing,” said Michael Foguth, founder of Foguth Financial Group in Brighton, Michigan.
Here’s how to go about it:
1. Know your rights.
The first step is understanding what your options and rights are as a tenant, especially in light of new rules set in place by the stimulus package enacted in March, known as the CARES Act.
For example, a 120-day moratorium on evictions and late fees was placed on federally subsidized housing and properties financed through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or the Federal Housing Administration. However, this only applies to about a quarter of renters, as most rental properties are financed by private lenders.
Some states and cities have instituted their own eviction moratoriums. Additionally, if your lease is coming to an end, you may be able to stay longer without facing eviction.
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Keep in mind, though, that just because you might be protected against eviction, it doesn’t mean you’re free to skip out on rent. Tenants are still expected to reach out to their landlords and work out an agreement for coming up with what they owe within a reasonable amount of time, though there isn’t any official guidance on how long that is, exactly.
2. Communicate early.
“While a 90-day period was invoked to prohibit initiating eviction proceedings, any late payments would still be due to landlords leading to a back-rent pileup; not to mention that landlords have bills and mortgages to pay as well,” said Jeremy Kamm, an agent with Warburg Realty in New York City. As a result, many landlords were forced to prepare for a serious lack in rental income. “I advised my clients to reach out to their landlords and ask for a rental adjustment solely for a period that made the most sense for them financially.”
If you can afford it, it’s preferable that you pay at least some of the rent rather than skipping it completely. After all, there’s a good chance your landlord isn’t some faceless corporate entity ― just another person trying to get by, too. And if they don’t receive rental income for an extended period, there’s a high risk that the electricity, gas, mortgage, insurance and other bills won’t get paid ― bad news for everyone involved.
If you can’t afford to pay your rent due to the COVID-19 crisis, it’s important to contact your landlord right away to work out some sort of resolution. Kamm said that proactively reaching out will show your landlord that you have every intention of making good on your obligation, and it will increase the likelihood that they’ll grant some necessary financial relief if you’ve faced a salary adjustment, furlough or temporary unemployment.
3. Be respectful and honest.
Understand that in order for any negotiation to work, it must be a win-win for both parties. If you aren’t flexible or make unreasonable demands, you probably aren’t going to get much help.
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“Refusing to pay a landlord their due rent, or requesting a discount that is completely unreasonable, does not often get you very far,” Kamm said. “It shows hostility and a lack of respect for the landlord, and ignores the fact that we are all in this together and are all suffering one way or another.”
A face-to-face meeting would normally be appropriate. However, in light of the pandemic, making a phone call is acceptable. “Remain calm, respectful and appreciative when discussing rent with your landlord,” said Leslie Tayne, a debt resolution attorney and author of the book “Life & Debt: A Fresh Approach to Achieving Financial Wellness.” “Common courtesy and mutual respect go a long way, and they are likely struggling due to the pandemic as well.”
If you’re still employed and can afford your current rent payments, Tayne warned you shouldn’t take advantage of current events and use it as leverage for a rent reduction. Be prepared to show proof of your financial hardship, such as the loss of your job, a salary reduction letter from your employer, unemployment benefits statements or recent pay stubs.
4. Come to the table with a plan.
When negotiating a short-term change to your rental agreement, you should go into the conversation with a goal in mind.
“Know how much you can afford to pay and what kind of assistance would be ideal from your landlord,” Tayne said. She suggested looking online for similar rent rates in your area, which can provide you with leverage when negotiating. “If you’re struggling to pay rent because of the financial impact of COVID-19, provide some information about your hardship,” Tayne added. “Mention that you have been a good tenant and remind them how long you’ve lived there. Don’t threaten to move out, but propose a rent reduction and see what they say.”
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Foguth suggested you could negotiate a lower payment for the next few months with an escalation clause. That means paying less now while you’re struggling but more later when you are hopefully back on your feet. For example, you could agree to pay 75% of your rent for the next six months, and then pay 125% of the rent amount for the following six months.
He added that as a renter, you may have some leverage if you agree to extend the lease by a few months or even a year. Your landlord would likely appreciate this because they know somebody would be in the property longer, guaranteeing them rental income for a longer period.
Whatever you do, don’t negotiate blindly or agree to payments that you cannot afford to make, Tayne said.
5. Ensure roommates are held responsible, too.
If you have roommates, the situation might be a bit more complicated. After all, you rely on each other to come through on financial obligations, otherwise everyone’s living arrangement is at risk. It might be tempting to front them the money to avoid coming up short on rent, but that puts you in an awkward and potentially expensive position.
Roommates are considered “co-tenants” if they are listed on the lease, Tayne said. That means they have equal responsibility for upholding the terms of the lease, which is why all roommates should be made co-tenants. In fact, Tayne said it’s a good idea to have your rental agreement spell out each individual’s portion of rent in writing in case you end up in housing court.
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