huffpost--2020-05-04--How Coronavirus Has Changed What It's Like To Give Birth In America

Elaine and Kevin , New Parents , New York City Kristin , Expecting Her Third Baby , New Jersey

Isabella Carapella for HuffPost Pregnancy and labor have changed in many ways because of COVID-19.
In a matter of weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has completely altered daily life for millions of Americans.
But perhaps nowhere have the changes been as sweeping — or as consequential — as in childbirth, a routine miracle that has been fundamentally altered by the virus.
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In March and April, as COVID-19 swiftly took hold in the United States, HuffPost Parents spoke with several soon-to-be parents and birth professionals to hear how their experiences and expectations changed by the week, the day, even the hour.
Their accounts offer a glimpse at how having a baby has been changed by the pandemic — and how, even amid chaos, life goes on. (Some of the people in this story spoke to us on condition we only use their first names or not use their names at all.)
Elaine and Kevin, New Parents, New York City
Conversation No. 1: April 14
Elaine: I was due on April 3, but the baby came a week and a half early. We’d heard on social media about a possible ban on partners in labor and delivery at our hospital in Brooklyn. But we were still shocked when our doctor confirmed the ban was happening.
I spent that whole day the ban was announced trying to get out of it. I called a birthing center in Brooklyn that said it would consider taking me and told me to fax over my records — but at about 2:30 that morning, I woke up. My water had broken. I was basically screaming at my husband: “I cannot do this. I cannot do this.” The ban was supposed to go into effect at 7 a.m. that day.
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We got to the hospital by 6:30 a.m. I was in active labor. I had to keep stopping and getting down on my hands and knees to deal with the contractions. We hoped we’d made it in time, and that Kevin was going to be able to come upstairs with me, but when we walked in, security told us he couldn’t.
Another woman came in at the same time for a scheduled [cesarean section], and the two of us were hysterical. Our husbands were saying: “Please take our temperatures. We’re not sick.” We were begging and crying, but they took me and this other woman up in the elevator together without them.
They told us I would not be alone, but there were definitely long stretches of time in triage when I was laboring completely on my own. In between contractions, I was calling other hospitals that hadn’t banned partners to see if anyone would take me. I called NYU in Brooklyn, and they said, “If you show up in the ER, we will deliver your baby.”
“They told us I would not be alone, but there were definitely long stretches of time in triage when I was laboring completely on my own.”
I had my hospital draw up the paperwork to say I was leaving against medical advice — but then the midwife from my doctor’s practice arrived. She got on the phone with my husband told him it wasn’t safe. I was 6 centimeters dilated the last time they checked, and she thought there was a good chance that if I left, I would have the baby in the car. She told me that now that’d she’d arrived, I would not be alone again.
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At that point, two other midwives from a different practice started helping me, too. They were so aghast at the new policy. The hospital had promised us an iPad so that Kevin could watch the birth, but it never came. The midwives were on the phone with him the whole time. They taped an iPhone up to the bed so he could see. They went above and beyond. I’m so thankful for them.
After was the hardest part. I had some tearing and had lost a lot of blood, and I hadn’t slept in a few days. I was just alone with this baby. The nurses were kind, but there was a lot of time when I was on my own.
I just felt dizzy and tired. I felt like garbage, really. I knew the nurses were busy, and I felt really guilty asking them to come in and help with things that I would have leaned on Kevin for, like going to the bathroom and changing diapers. There wasn’t a lot of joy.
Conversation No. 2: April 24
Elaine: It definitely hasn’t been a normal postpartum experience. No one can help us. The first few days were a blurry nightmare for me. I couldn’t really walk. I was having a hard time breastfeeding the baby.
When New York announced the executive order [saying women must be allowed one support person with them during labor], that was the worst day for me. I lost it. I felt enraged that the hospital had that policy for five days. And I felt so guilty. I felt like I had done something to make myself go into labor early. I felt like I had taken that experience from my husband.
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Kevin: I felt so guilty. I was in the hospital lobby on the phone with Elaine when she was alone in triage, and I was arguing with the woman there telling her: “You said she wasn’t going to be alone, and she’s alone.” The woman kind of kept arguing with me like, “No, she won’t be alone.” I was like, “What are you saying to me?! I am on the phone with her, and she is alone right now.”
It was raining and snowing, so after a while, I went back to our apartment, which felt so weird. I felt proud of Elaine — she was getting through it! — and I felt so guilty that I wasn’t there to support her. I felt helpless.
“The woman kind of kept arguing with me like, 'No, she won’t be alone.' I was like, 'What are you saying to me?! I am on the phone with her, and she is alone right now.'”
Elaine: Now that we are all home, I think Kevin has done a better job kind of keeping it together. I’m struggling more. At times I have become kind of obsessed with the news. Like, what are today’s death tolls? When is this going to end?
I don’t care at all about going into a restaurant or things going back to “normal.” I’d just like to be able to sit in a park with a few other new moms and talk about what we’re going through. I’d like to be able to take a long walk with my son outside without being afraid. I’d like him to meet our family.
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Anonymous, OB-GYN, New Jersey
Conversation No. 1: Sunday, March 29
I am a private practice OB-GYN in New Jersey. (I’m choosing to stay anonymous because otherwise, I would need to get permission from my boss.)
Things are really tricky right now. We have to work, but we’re trying to cut down the number of patients in the office to properly social distance. We prescreen everyone the day before they come into the office to see if they’re symptomatic. The hospital where I have delivery privileges is treating a lot of people for COVID-19, but we are not maxed out in our [intensive care unit].
My patients’ reactions to everything that is going on seem really ... polarized. Either people are really scared, and they don’t want to leave their homes, or they think it’s being blown out of proportion. I have had patients say to me, “Oh, I don’t need to wear a mask,” and I say, “No, no, I’m asking you to wear a mask.”
I have a 10-month-old, and I have completely isolated myself within my house. I have a routine. I change my clothes before I leave work. When I get home, I go straight to the bathroom and take off all of those clothes and put them in a bag. I take a long, hot, soapy shower. When I’m done, I disinfect everything in the bathroom. I change, put my mask on, and then sanitize my hands again.
I don’t pick my son up. I was really worried he was going to be afraid of the mask, but thankfully he thinks it’s funny. I don’t know that he notices how different things are because we play games. We’ll play hide-and-seek and peekaboo. We play this little footsie game through a gate.
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“I have had patients say to me, 'Oh, I don’t need to wear a mask,' and I say, 'No, no, I’m asking you to wear a mask.'”
I don’t know what the end of this is. I am so anxious every single day. I don’t sleep at night. I worry about getting sick and spreading it to other patients. I worry about spreading it to my family.
Conversation No. 2: April 16
My patients are way more cognizant of the importance of social distancing and wearing masks now. I’ve had a lot more patients call and say, “I don’t want to come in unless I have to.” We do far more telemedicine appointments than we ever have before. I think I saw seven patients that way yesterday.
In the hospital, we have specific rooms on labor and delivery for patients with a confirmed positive COVID test or who are PUIs [persons under investigation for the disease] — and they always have people in them.
There is a screening tent set up at the entrance to the hospital, and all pregnant women and their partner (they are allowed one person) get screened when they come in. They have to wear a mask during delivery. No one is allowed to leave the room.
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I have patients calling every single day to tell me how anxious they are. They’re asking me if I can prescribe them medication, and I have to explain that’s not what I do. I’m probably getting five, sometimes 10 calls like that a day, up from zero normally. People are scared. They’re scared for their babies.
I haven’t kissed my own baby in six weeks [starts to cry]. Luckily, he still thinks the mask is silly. He thinks mom is being so funny when I play these games with him. But it is hard.
Kim, Expecting Her Second Baby, Iowa
Conversation No. 1: April 11
I live in a smaller community of about 8,000 people, and we do not have anyone here who has tested positive for COVID-19. I’m taking every precaution I can. I’m not going out. I’m wearing a face mask. But my husband is an essential worker, and he has to go to work every day.
I got laid off two weeks ago. It was kind of a mutual decision. I work as an administrator in a real estate office. They knew I was nervous about coming in with people walking through the office and clients coming in.
I approached my boss and asked if I could work in a separate office or remotely, but it would be hard for me to do what I do. We agreed that I would leave the office for the month, but he guaranteed that he would hire me back after I have my baby. They can’t afford to furlough me.
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I applied for unemployment benefits, which will be about $200 to $300 less a month than what I usually make. But my husband and I saved for the last nine months, so we have a little bit of a cushion. If we didn’t have that, it would be very scary.
Conversation No. 2: April 25
My situation hasn’t changed that much. I’m still unemployed. They still don’t have any confirmed cases here in my county; however, the numbers in Iowa have been going up drastically, so it’s scary to watch them climb. I’m due in early May, and I’m anxious for sure. I hear stories about women testing positive and being separated from their babies.
We’re lucky to be behind other parts of the country that have had a lot of cases, but it’s scary to just be reading about it and waiting. I know I have to wear a mask when I go into the hospital, and I know that once my spouse is in with me he can’t leave.
“We’re lucky to be behind other parts of the country that have had a lot of cases, but it’s scary to to just be reading about it and waiting.”
We have decided the baby won’t meet our friends or family after, because it’s just not the right time. We’ve been helping everyone get set up on Zoom [laughs]. Everyone understands, but I’m really sad about it. I definitely have anxiety about taking the baby in for shots and stuff like that, because I believe there will be sick people everywhere here by then. We’re seeing it happen.
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Amy Johnson-Grass, Minnesota
Conversation No. 1: March 28
[Johnson-Grass is president of The American Association of Birth Centers and owner of Health Foundations Birth Center + Women’s Health Clinic.]
Interest in our birth center has skyrocketed. My staff is doing five to 10 consults a day, talking to women about what we offer. For us, that kind of volume is insane.
We’re accepting transfer patients up to the 39th week of pregnancy, if we can get all of their records and they meet all of our criteria, because to give birth in a birth center, you have to be low-risk. Safety is still our number one most important concern. We’re also trying to keep the birth center a place of “well.” We aren’t seeing any sick patients. We prescreen everyone before they come in. We want, as much as possible, to keep this one space of wellness for women.
Conversation No. 2: April 11
We’re still really busy. Right now, we’re looking at probably 40 deliveries a month. Usually, it is more like 20 to 30.
Recently, all of my focus has basically shifted to finding [personal protective equipment]. I have spent all of my time on the phone with nonprofits and emailing suppliers making sure we have what we need, not because we’re delivering a lot of COVID patients — if anyone is COVID-positive or under investigation, they deliver in the hospital — but because we want to make sure that we keep our families and our staff safe. We have a limited number of N95 masks, and we have enough gloves for now, but we don’t know how long this will go on.
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Conversation No. 3: April 25
Last week, there was a protest of people in Minnesota who oppose the stay-at-home orders, one block from the birth center. I went, because I wanted to see it with my own eyes, and I stood there and cried.
I wrote a Facebook post about it that later went viral: “I stood there thinking of all the healthcare providers that are putting their safety on the line for these people,” I wrote. “All the healthcare providers that are working with minimal PPE. The lack of testing for COVID-19 or antibody tests. How the selfishness of these people impacts the lives of so many.” It felt like a slap in the face.
“There was a protest of people in Minnesota who oppose the stay-at-home orders, one block from the birth center. I went, because I wanted to see it with my own eyes, and I stood there and cried.”
Beyond that, we’re just in this continual search for PPE — although I have been amazed by people’s generosity. We just got a box outside of our clinic door with surgical masks from a woman who had her daughter draw us a really lovely picture. We are covered for probably the next week or two.
Kristin, Expecting Her Third Baby, New Jersey
Conversation No. 1: March 23
It’s definitely a pretty ... interesting ... time to be pregnant. Right now, I don’t have a lot of information about how everything is changing at the hospital where I’m delivering because we have coronavirus here in New Jersey. My OB-GYN has definitely scaled back the number of appointments I have. A lot of the appointments they used to consider necessary aren’t right now.
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I am a little nervous because I tend to deliver large children, and the baby is definitely not getting measured as often as usual. My goodness, I don’t want to have an 11-pound baby [laughs]. But I am not exactly sure how this is all going to progress over the next four to five weeks.
Conversation No. 2: April 15
I’ve only had one appointment since we spoke. Entering the building was pretty interesting. They only have one or two people coming in at a time, and you have to get your temperature checked. Everyone was wearing a face covering.
We talked about what the experience is going to be like on [labor and delivery]. There’s a separate entrance for labor and delivery, and they try and have you in and out of there in 24 hours. It’s frightening to think about going into a hospital, but my OB-GYN told me: “You’re safer walking into the hospital than you are walking into a Target or a food store.”
I keep thinking that I feel so lucky this isn’t my first pregnancy. At my hospital, they are still allowing one support person in labor and delivery, and I hope that doesn’t change — obviously, I don’t want that to change — but even if it did, I think I would be OK.
If anything, I feel so lucky to have had this past month-and-a-half at home with my girls. We’ve been having tea parties. I’m getting a chance to play with them before the baby comes. That’s not something I would have been able to do otherwise, so I am trying to focus on the benefits of this time rather than focusing on the fears.
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Conversations have been edited and condensed
Experts are still learning about the novel coronavirus. The information in this story is what was known or available as of press time, but it’s possible guidance around COVID-19 could change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations.


huffpost--2020-04-21--Black Pastors Urge Trump To Focus On Virus's Heavy Impact On Minorities

A group of Black pastors is calling on President Donald Trump ’ s administration to address the racial and economic inequality that is making Black Americans and other minority communities far more vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic .
The 12 pastors from across the country signed a letter declaring that they are firsthand witnesses of what preliminary demographic data is suggesting ― that COVID-19 , the illness resulting from the virus , is killing Black Americans at disproportionately high rates .
The pandemic has exposed decades of “ structural racism and policy violence ” that have impeded Black communities ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Rev .
William J. Barber II , the prominent progressive Christian activist whose advocacy group Repairers of the Breach helped organize the letter .
“ We need to address these inequalities now and not just some time in the future if we ’ re going to address this pandemic , ” Barber said in an April 15 video press conference announcing the letter .
The Trump administration should set up testing sites and field hospitals in Black and poor communities hit hard by the virus , and release data on the impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marginalized racial groups , the pastors said .
Congress should pass a COVID-19 relief bill that focuses just on communities of color and poor , low-wealth communities , the pastors added .
“ We live in a country where skin color is hazardous to one ’ s health and mortality is not determined by one ’ s genetic code but instead by one ’ s ZIP code , ” Haynes said in the video .
“ We appeal to you to channel treatment and resources to those areas in our body politic that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection that has allowed this virus to spread disproportionately.
” Other signers of the letter include Rev .
Traci Blackmon , a Missouri pastor who leads justice initiatives for the United Church of Christ , Rev .
Amos Brown , president of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP , and Rev .
Terry Melvin , a labor leader from New York .
Most cities and states aren ’ t reporting race in their COVID-19 counts , so a clear , national picture of the situation across the U.S. is not yet available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alarming trend .
Counties that are majority-Black have almost six times the rate of coronavirus-related deaths than counties that are majority-white , according to a Washington Post analysis from early April .
On Easter Sunday , Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot said African Americans in her city accounted for 72 % of virus-related fatalities , even though they make up only 30 % of the population .
In Michigan , 40 % of coronavirus-related deaths were in the Black community , even though just 13.6 % of the state ’ s population is Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Black Americans and other marginalized racial groups have faced , the pastors wrote in their letter .
The clergy pointed out that Black Americans are overrepresented among the prison population and among low-wage essential workers who can ’ t do their jobs from home during the pandemic .
They often live in racially segregated inner cities and rural communities that have been “ neglected for decades , ” are disproportionately uninsured or underinsured , and face discrimination within health care settings , the pastors said .
In addition , the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the pandemic has led to “ avoidable and unnecessary death that is wreaking havoc on Black communities , ” the letter stated .
Trump acknowledged the virus ’ s disproportionate impact on Black communities in a White House task force briefing on April 7 .
He promised that Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma , would provide statistics about how COVID-19 is impacting Black communities in a “ couple of days.
” Verma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be available until early May .
The White House did not respond to HuffPost ’ s request for comment on the letter .
Rev .
Traci Blackmon is a minister for justice and local church ministries for the United Church of Christ , and the senior pastor of Christ The King United Church of Christ in Florissant , Missouri .
Blackmon , one of the letter ’ s signers , is the pastor of Christ The King United Church of Christ , a small church of about 80 congregants in Florissant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Blackmon said that her congregation is full of “ undervalued workers performing essential work ” ― cooks , cleaning staff , bus drivers , taxi drivers , hotel workers , grocery workers and mail carriers .
Five members of her church have been diagnosed with COVID-19 , she said .
Blackmon said three of those parishioners had to go to the hospital three times before they were given tests ― which means they were sent home to their families and communities while positive .
Blackmon said she is presiding over two funerals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease .
“ This is my reality , ” Blackmon said with tears in her eyes during the video call .
“ This is all of our reality as pastors and we will not be silent any more .
”

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A group of Black pastors is calling on President Donald Trump’s administration to address the racial and economic inequality that is making Black Americans and other minority communities far more vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 12 pastors from across the country signed a letter declaring that they are firsthand witnesses of what preliminary demographic data is suggesting ― that COVID-19, the illness resulting from the virus, is killing Black Americans at disproportionately high rates.
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The pandemic has exposed decades of “structural racism and policy violence” that have impeded Black communities’ health and access to care, according to Rev. William J. Barber II, the prominent progressive Christian activist whose advocacy group Repairers of the Breach helped organize the letter.
“We need to address these inequalities now and not just some time in the future if we’re going to address this pandemic,” Barber said in an April 15 video press conference announcing the letter.
The letter is addressed to America’s top politicians ― Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Surgeon General Jerome Adams and members of the White House coronavirus task force.
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The 12 pastors are demanding that these leaders ensure that racial minorities, low-wage essential workers, homeless individuals, and imprisoned people have access to protective gear, testing and health care.
The Trump administration should set up testing sites and field hospitals in Black and poor communities hit hard by the virus, and release data on the impact COVID-19 is having on Black and other marginalized racial groups, the pastors said. Congress should pass a COVID-19 relief bill that focuses just on communities of color and poor, low-wealth communities, the pastors added.
Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas who signed the letter, said “medical apartheid” and “ZIP code injustice,” are among the “preexisting conditions” that Black Americans face.
“We live in a country where skin color is hazardous to one’s health and mortality is not determined by one’s genetic code but instead by one’s ZIP code,” Haynes said in the video. “We appeal to you to channel treatment and resources to those areas in our body politic that have suffered the most from this national infection that has allowed this virus to spread disproportionately.”
Other signers of the letter include Rev. Traci Blackmon, a Missouri pastor who leads justice initiatives for the United Church of Christ, Rev. Amos Brown, president of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP, and Rev. Terry Melvin, a labor leader from New York.
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Rev. William Barber II is the pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and president of Repairers of the Breach, a faith-based advocacy group. JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images
Most cities and states aren’t reporting race in their COVID-19 counts, so a clear, national picture of the situation across the U.S. is not yet available. But initial studies point to an alarming trend.
Counties that are majority-Black have almost six times the rate of coronavirus-related deaths than counties that are majority-white, according to a Washington Post analysis from early April.
On Easter Sunday, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot said African Americans in her city accounted for 72% of virus-related fatalities, even though they make up only 30% of the population. In Michigan, 40% of coronavirus-related deaths were in the Black community, even though just 13.6% of the state’s population is Black.
These disparities reflect longstanding structural inequalities that Black Americans and other marginalized racial groups have faced, the pastors wrote in their letter. The clergy pointed out that Black Americans are overrepresented among the prison population and among low-wage essential workers who can’t do their jobs from home during the pandemic. They often live in racially segregated inner cities and rural communities that have been “neglected for decades,” are disproportionately uninsured or underinsured, and face discrimination within health care settings, the pastors said.
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In addition, the Trump administration’s “reckless and uncoordinated” response to the pandemic has led to “avoidable and unnecessary death that is wreaking havoc on Black communities,” the letter stated.
Trump acknowledged the virus’s disproportionate impact on Black communities in a White House task force briefing on April 7. He promised that Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma, would provide statistics about how COVID-19 is impacting Black communities in a “couple of days.” Verma said Monday that this data won’t be available until early May. The White House did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on the letter.
Rev. Traci Blackmon is a minister for justice and local church ministries for the United Church of Christ, and the senior pastor of Christ The King United Church of Christ in Florissant, Missouri. Michael B. Thomas via Getty Images


huffpost--2020-05-04--Coronavirus Live Updates: Read The Latest About The COVID-19 Outbreak

Hundreds Of Workers At Tyson Foods Factory In Iowa Test Positive For COVID-19 — 5/6/20 , 2:45 a.m .
ET At least 730 employees at a Tyson Foods factory in Perry , Iowa have tested positive for coronavirus , The Des Moines Register reported on Tuesday .
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health , a total of 1,600 workers at meatpacking plants have been infected .
A second Tyson plant in Indiana reported last week that nearly 900 employees had tested positive for the virus .
Other meatpacking facilities have emerged as hotspots , including a Smithfield Foods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add to a growing concern about the nation ’ s meat supply .
Some stores have already begun placing caps on the amount of fresh beef , pork and poultry customers can buy .
New York Reports More Than 1,700 Additional Deaths In Nursing Homes — 5/6/20 , 2:30 a.m .
ET New York officials have identified more than 1,700 additional deaths linked to coronavirus in the state ’ s nursing homes and adult care facilities .
According to The Associated Press , 22 nursing homes in the state have had at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The nursing homes , we said from day one , are the most vulnerable place , ” New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) said during a press conference on Tuesday .
The new figures mean at least 4,813 people have died from COVID-19 in nursing homes since March 1 .
The toll does not include the number of deaths from those who were transferred from the facilities to hospitals before they died , meaning the statistics are likely much higher .
Walt Disney Co .
Announces Plans To Reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5:45 p.m .
ET Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Chapek said Tuesday the company plans to reopen Shanghai Disneyland next week — albeit with limits in place aimed at preserving guest safety .
“ We will take a phased approach with limits on attendance , using an advanced reservation and entry system , controlled guest density using social distancing and strict government-required health and prevention procedures , ” Chapek said on an earnings conference call Tuesday .
“ These include the use of masks , temperature screenings and other contact tracing and early-detection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates that coronavirus shutdowns have cost it $ 1.4 billion so far .
Death Toll In U.S. Surpasses 70,000 — 5/5/20 , 2:55 p.m .
ET At least 70,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19 as of Tuesday , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
The nationwide death toll climbed by 10,000 deaths in less than a week after hitting 60,000 on April 30 .
More than 1.1 million cases of the coronavirus have been documented in the U.S. — roughly one-third of the total known cases worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House reportedly raised its fatality predictions on Monday to more than 134,000 virus-linked deaths in the U.S. by early August .
NYC Asks Doctors To Watch For Mystery Illness In Children Possibly Linked To Virus — 5/5/20 , 8:25 a.m .
ET New York City health officials on Monday issued a bulletin asking doctors to keep a lookout for young patients showing symptoms of a mystery illness possibly linked to COVID-19 .
At least 15 children , many of whom had the coronavirus , have been hospitalized in the city with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by doctors .
Cases have also popped in other states , according to the bulletin , and in the United Kingdom and Italy ― two European countries hit especially hard by the coronavirus .
Many of the children , ages 2 to 15 , show symptoms of toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease , a rare vascular condition in children that involves inflammation of the blood vessels and can cause long-term organ damage , the New York City ’ s health department said .
Other symptoms include a persistent fever , rash , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than half of the reported patients in New York City have required blood pressure support , officials said .
Five required mechanical ventilation .
No fatalities have been reported among these cases at this time .
London ’ s West End Theaters Extend Closures Through At Least June 28 — 5/5/20 , 8:19 a.m .
ET Theaters on London ’ s West End will remain dark until at least June 28 , and most stage productions will likely continue to be postponed “ on a rolling basis , ” the Society of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , SOLT , which oversees major London theater productions , stressed that the new date , pushed back from May 31 , “ does not mean theaters will reopen on June 29.
” “ If further cancellations are necessary , they will continue to be announced on a rolling basis .
Different theaters and productions are likely to reopen at different times , ” the group said .
New York City ’ s Broadway is currently closed through June 7 .
The Broadway League , which administers productions on the Great White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extend the closures since city and state officials are unlikely to allow large events and gatherings to resume any time soon .
In an interview Sunday , legendary British theater producer Cameron Mackintosh predicted that theaters in both London and New York are unlikely to reopen until at least early next year because it will be difficult for productions to enact social distancing procedures .
Pfizer Begins Human Testing Of Possible Coronavirus Vaccine — 5/5/20 , 8:15 a.m .
ET Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced Tuesday that it has begun testing an experimental vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.S.-based company , which is working jointly with Germany drugmaker BioNTech , said that if its tests are a success , a vaccine could be available as early as September .
“ The trial is part of a global development program , and the dosing of the first cohort in Germany was completed last week , ” Pfizer said in a press release .
UK Now Has Most Confirmed Coronavirus Deaths In Europe — 5/5/20 , 6 a.m .
The United Kingdom now has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus-related deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
Data released on Tuesday put the total at 29,710 as of April 24 , surpassing Italy ’ s total of 29,079 .
Since then , it is believed thousands more have died in the U.K. , as recorded in the daily statistics released by the government .
Only the U.S. with 68,934 has reported more deaths linked with coronavirus .
On Sunday the head of Britain ’ s statistics office warned against making comparisons with other countries , saying it was “ an unbelievably difficult thing to do.
” “ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting , the most transparent reporting , and the most timely reporting , because we include death registrations – we ’ ve been pushing our death registration reporting as fast as we possibly can , ” Sir Ian Diamond told the BBC .
Read more Easing Of Europe ’ s Longest Lockdown Gets Off To Slow Start — 5/5/20 , 4:10 a.m .
The easing of Europe ’ s longest lockdown began cautiously on Monday as 4.4 million Italians were allowed to return to work .
Despite fears that there would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HuffPost Italy reporter Gabriella Cerami writes ( in Italian ) that people returning to work acted responsibly and respected social distancing guidelines , while transport systems largely ran to plan .
Italy ’ s “ Phase 2 ” allows for construction sites and manufacturing operations to resume , while parks reopened and flower vendors returned to the Campo dei Fiori market for the first time since March 11 .
Mourners are allowed to attend funerals , with services limited to 15 people , while restaurants can offer take-out services .
Italy was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has one of the world ’ s highest death tolls at more than 29,000 deaths .
Britons Urged To Download New Tracing App ‘ To End Lockdown ’ — 5/5/20 , 3:15 a.m .
Trials of a new contact-tracing app which ministers say will save lives and help lift Britain out of lockdown begin in the U.K. today .
Everyone on the Isle of Wight , an island off the south coast of England , which has a population of about 140,000 , will be able to download the app from Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have access from Tuesday .
If the tests are successful it could be rolled out across the country within weeks as ministers seek to shape a strategy to allow some economic activity to resume , with the long-awaited “ roadmap ” for easing lockdown being published on Sunday .
So far , 28,734 people have died in hospitals , care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the U.K. Read more Australia And New Zealand Hold Talks On New ‘ Travel Bubble ’ — 5/5/20 , 3 a.m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says getting people back to work is “ the curve we need to address , ” as new figures revealed the country may have lost almost a million jobs between mid-March and mid-April .
The call comes as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday became the first world leader to join an Australian Cabinet meeting in more than 60 years as the countries held talks on creating trans-Tasman “ travel bubble.
” Australia and New Zealand have for more than a month closed their borders to all non-citizens and imposed mandatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both countries have a COVID-19 mortality rate of just 1 % , well below most other countries , with the number of new cases just a fraction of their March peaks .
Morrison said travel across the Tasman Sea between the neighbors would be the first international route re-started and would likely begin around the time domestic air travel restarts in earnest .
Ardern , however , said the move would take some time to work through .
“ When we feel comfortable and confident that we both won ’ t receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we won ’ t export them , then that will be the time to move , ” Ardern told reporters in Wellington .
Australia has recorded around 6,800 infections and 96 deaths , and New Zealand 1,137 cases and 20 fatalities .
Rules on social distancing have been eased slightly in New Zealand and in some Australian states and territories but restrictions on large gatherings and non-essential travel remain .
New COVID-19 Predictions Show Nearly 135,000 Deaths In U.S. By August ― 5/4/20 , 10:16 p.m .
ET Researchers from the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forecasts for the U.S. project nearly 135,000 deaths by August .
The university ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation , an influential model cited by government officials , revised its projections Monday to account for increasing mobility as states begin reopening the economy and easing restrictions .
At least 31 states are expected to ease social distancing measures by May 11 .
Researchers now estimate 134,475 deaths through the beginning of August , with a range of 95,092 to 242,890 .
The projection is nearly double what IHME was estimating as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70,000 deaths .
“ Increases in testing and contact tracing , along with warming seasonal temperatures — factors that could help slow transmission — do not offset rising mobility , thereby fueling a significant increase in projected deaths , ” the institute said in a statement .
IHME ’ s model assumed that restrictions currently in place would stay in place until infections were minimized .
Starting Monday , IHME will forecast U.S. numbers based on a new hybrid model to better predict a resurgence if and when social distancing guidelines are relaxed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s model used to estimate hospital resource demand and its model used to estimate disease transmission .
Japan Extends State Of Emergency Restrictions Through May — 5/4/20 , 2:10 p.m .
ET Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the country ’ s state of emergency restrictions would be extended through the end of May .
They had previously been set to expire Wednesday .
Japanese official Yasutoshi Nishimura had said earlier that while the number of new cases had decreased , “ unfortunately the decrease has not reached the targeted level.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed coronavirus cases and around 500 deaths so far — not nearly as high as those in the United States or several nations in Europe .
Japan ’ s restrictions have so far included shuttering schools , closing businesses and urging residents to stay home and respect social distancing .
Later this month , libraries , museums and other institutions may be allowed to reopen using certain distancing measures , and some regions deemed at lower risk for infections may be able to open other businesses , Agence France-Presse reported .
Broadway , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At Least Early Next Year , Top Theater Producer Predicts — 5/4/20 , 1:27 p.m .
ET New York City ’ s Broadway and London ’ s West End may have to remain dark until at least early next year , legendary theater producer Cameron Mackintosh said , because it will be extremely difficult to enact social distancing procedures to keep theatergoers , performers and staff safe .
“ The truth is , until social distancing doesn ’ t exist anymore , we can ’ t even plan to reopen , ” Mackintosh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Opera , ” “ Cats ” and “ Les Misérables , ” said Sunday in a BBC radio interview .
“ We will be back , but we need time to get back .
If we don ’ t hear [ about lockdowns lifting ] in a few weeks , I think the truth is we won ’ t be able to come back until early next year .
I think that ’ s quite clear .
And the longer it is until we can say social distancing is gone , the longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come back.
” In New York , theaters and stage productions are set to remain closed until at least June 7 , and in London , until at least May 31 .
Theater officials will likely have to extend those closures , since lawmakers in those cities — both hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic — seem unlikely to allow large events to resume anytime soon .
Huge UK Hospital Built To Treat COVID-19 Patients Will Close — 5/04/20 , 8:45 a.m .
ET A temporary hospital built in London will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beds in the U.K. falls .
The 4,000-bed Nightingale Hospital , opened by Prince Charles in London , was the largest critical care unit in the world .
It will remain on “ standby ” in the event of a second wave of coronavirus cases .
“ It is not likely that , in the coming days , we will need to be admitting patients to NHS Nightingale London while coronavirus in the capital remains under control , ” the spokesperson said .
“ That is obviously a very positive thing .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following the government ’ s advice.
” Meanwhile , doctors have been told that emergency cover across some parts of the U.K. is being stood down during the upcoming bank holiday weekend in a further tentative sign that the worst of the crisis may be over .
J .
Crew Becomes First Big Retailer To Fail During Coronavirus Pandemic — 5/4/20 , 7:15 a.m .
ET New York-based chain J .
Crew filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday , as the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the retailer ’ s financial difficulties amid consumers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , known for its preppy fashions , will hand over control to its creditors in exchange for eliminating its debt .
It will also permanently close some stores .
The brand Madewell will continue as part of the group .
Questions Over UK Lockdown As Europe Enters Next Phase — 5/04/20 , 6:10 a.m .
ET

— Dominique Mosbergen
Hundreds Of Workers At Tyson Foods Factory In Iowa Test Positive For COVID-19 — 5/6/20, 2:45 a.m. ET
At least 730 employees at a Tyson Foods factory in Perry, Iowa have tested positive for coronavirus, The Des Moines Register reported on Tuesday.
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, a total of 1,600 workers at meatpacking plants have been infected.
A second Tyson plant in Indiana reported last week that nearly 900 employees had tested positive for the virus. Other meatpacking facilities have emerged as hotspots, including a Smithfield Foods plant in South Dakota.
The cases add to a growing concern about the nation’s meat supply. Some stores have already begun placing caps on the amount of fresh beef, pork and poultry customers can buy.
— Nick Visser
New York Reports More Than 1,700 Additional Deaths In Nursing Homes — 5/6/20, 2:30 a.m. ET
New York officials have identified more than 1,700 additional deaths linked to coronavirus in the state’s nursing homes and adult care facilities.
According to The Associated Press, 22 nursing homes in the state have had at least 40 deaths due to the pandemic.
“The nursing homes, we said from day one, are the most vulnerable place,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said during a press conference on Tuesday.
The new figures mean at least 4,813 people have died from COVID-19 in nursing homes since March 1. The toll does not include the number of deaths from those who were transferred from the facilities to hospitals before they died, meaning the statistics are likely much higher.
— Nick Visser
Walt Disney Co. Announces Plans To Reopen Shanghai Disneyland Next Week — 5/5/20, 5:45 p.m. ET
Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Chapek said Tuesday the company plans to reopen Shanghai Disneyland next week — albeit with limits in place aimed at preserving guest safety.
“We will take a phased approach with limits on attendance, using an advanced reservation and entry system, controlled guest density using social distancing and strict government-required health and prevention procedures,” Chapek said on an earnings conference call Tuesday. “These include the use of masks, temperature screenings and other contact tracing and early-detection systems.”
The media and entertainment giant estimates that coronavirus shutdowns have cost it $1.4 billion so far.
― Ryan Grenoble
Death Toll In U.S. Surpasses 70,000 — 5/5/20, 2:55 p.m. ET
At least 70,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19 as of Tuesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The nationwide death toll climbed by 10,000 deaths in less than a week after hitting 60,000 on April 30.
More than 1.1 million cases of the coronavirus have been documented in the U.S. — roughly one-third of the total known cases worldwide. A model often cited by the White House reportedly raised its fatality predictions on Monday to more than 134,000 virus-linked deaths in the U.S. by early August.
— Hayley Miller
NYC Asks Doctors To Watch For Mystery Illness In Children Possibly Linked To Virus — 5/5/20, 8:25 a.m. ET
New York City health officials on Monday issued a bulletin asking doctors to keep a lookout for young patients showing symptoms of a mystery illness possibly linked to COVID-19.
At least 15 children, many of whom had the coronavirus, have been hospitalized in the city with a multi-system inflammatory syndrome not yet fully understood by doctors. Cases have also popped in other states, according to the bulletin, and in the United Kingdom and Italy ― two European countries hit especially hard by the coronavirus.
Many of the children, ages 2 to 15, show symptoms of toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease, a rare vascular condition in children that involves inflammation of the blood vessels and can cause long-term organ damage, the New York City’s health department said. Other symptoms include a persistent fever, rash, abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea.
More than half of the reported patients in New York City have required blood pressure support, officials said. Five required mechanical ventilation. No fatalities have been reported among these cases at this time.
— Hayley Miller
London’s West End Theaters Extend Closures Through At Least June 28 — 5/5/20, 8:19 a.m. ET
Theaters on London’s West End will remain dark until at least June 28, and most stage productions will likely continue to be postponed “on a rolling basis,” the Society of London Theatre announced Tuesday.
In a statement, SOLT, which oversees major London theater productions, stressed that the new date, pushed back from May 31, “does not mean theaters will reopen on June 29.”
“If further cancellations are necessary, they will continue to be announced on a rolling basis. Different theaters and productions are likely to reopen at different times,” the group said.
New York City’s Broadway is currently closed through June 7. The Broadway League, which administers productions on the Great White Way, will almost certainly have to extend the closures since city and state officials are unlikely to allow large events and gatherings to resume any time soon.
In an interview Sunday, legendary British theater producer Cameron Mackintosh predicted that theaters in both London and New York are unlikely to reopen until at least early next year because it will be difficult for productions to enact social distancing procedures.
— Marina Fang
Pfizer Begins Human Testing Of Possible Coronavirus Vaccine — 5/5/20, 8:15 a.m. ET
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced Tuesday that it has begun testing an experimental vaccine for the coronavirus in the United States.
The U.S.-based company, which is working jointly with Germany drugmaker BioNTech, said that if its tests are a success, a vaccine could be available as early as September.
“The trial is part of a global development program, and the dosing of the first cohort in Germany was completed last week,” Pfizer said in a press release.
— Nina Golgowski
UK Now Has Most Confirmed Coronavirus Deaths In Europe — 5/5/20, 6 a.m.
The United Kingdom now has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus-related deaths in Europe and the second-highest in the world.
Data released on Tuesday put the total at 29,710 as of April 24, surpassing Italy’s total of 29,079. Since then, it is believed thousands more have died in the U.K., as recorded in the daily statistics released by the government.
Only the U.S. with 68,934 has reported more deaths linked with coronavirus.
On Sunday the head of Britain’s statistics office warned against making comparisons with other countries, saying it was “an unbelievably difficult thing to do.”
“In this country we have...the best reporting, the most transparent reporting, and the most timely reporting, because we include death registrations – we’ve been pushing our death registration reporting as fast as we possibly can,” Sir Ian Diamond told the BBC. Read more
— Chris York
Easing Of Europe’s Longest Lockdown Gets Off To Slow Start — 5/5/20, 4:10 a.m.
The easing of Europe’s longest lockdown began cautiously on Monday as 4.4 million Italians were allowed to return to work.
Despite fears that there would be a chaotic start to life after lockdown, HuffPost Italy reporter Gabriella Cerami writes (in Italian) that people returning to work acted responsibly and respected social distancing guidelines, while transport systems largely ran to plan.
Italy’s “Phase 2” allows for construction sites and manufacturing operations to resume, while parks reopened and flower vendors returned to the Campo dei Fiori market for the first time since March 11. Mourners are allowed to attend funerals, with services limited to 15 people, while restaurants can offer take-out services. Italy was the first European country hit by the pandemic and has one of the world’s highest death tolls at more than 29,000 deaths.
— James Martin
Britons Urged To Download New Tracing App ‘To End Lockdown’ — 5/5/20, 3:15 a.m.
Trials of a new contact-tracing app which ministers say will save lives and help lift Britain out of lockdown begin in the U.K. today.
Everyone on the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England, which has a population of about 140,000, will be able to download the app from Thursday, while health service and council staff will have access from Tuesday.
If the tests are successful it could be rolled out across the country within weeks as ministers seek to shape a strategy to allow some economic activity to resume, with the long-awaited “roadmap” for easing lockdown being published on Sunday.
So far, 28,734 people have died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the U.K. Read more
— Chris York
Australia And New Zealand Hold Talks On New ‘Travel Bubble’ — 5/5/20, 3 a.m. ET
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says getting people back to work is “the curve we need to address,” as new figures revealed the country may have lost almost a million jobs between mid-March and mid-April.
The call comes as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday became the first world leader to join an Australian Cabinet meeting in more than 60 years as the countries held talks on creating trans-Tasman “travel bubble.”
Australia and New Zealand have for more than a month closed their borders to all non-citizens and imposed mandatory quarantines on anyone returning home from overseas. Both countries have a COVID-19 mortality rate of just 1%, well below most other countries, with the number of new cases just a fraction of their March peaks.
Morrison said travel across the Tasman Sea between the neighbors would be the first international route re-started and would likely begin around the time domestic air travel restarts in earnest. Ardern, however, said the move would take some time to work through.
“When we feel comfortable and confident that we both won’t receive cases from Australia, but equally that we won’t export them, then that will be the time to move,” Ardern told reporters in Wellington.
Australia has recorded around 6,800 infections and 96 deaths, and New Zealand 1,137 cases and 20 fatalities. Rules on social distancing have been eased slightly in New Zealand and in some Australian states and territories but restrictions on large gatherings and non-essential travel remain.
— Alicia Vrajlal
New COVID-19 Predictions Show Nearly 135,000 Deaths In U.S. By August ― 5/4/20, 10:16 p.m. ET
Researchers from the University of Washington said Monday evening that new COVID-19 forecasts for the U.S. project nearly 135,000 deaths by August.
The university’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, an influential model cited by government officials, revised its projections Monday to account for increasing mobility as states begin reopening the economy and easing restrictions. At least 31 states are expected to ease social distancing measures by May 11.
Researchers now estimate 134,475 deaths through the beginning of August, with a range of 95,092 to 242,890. The projection is nearly double what IHME was estimating as of Monday morning, which was roughly 70,000 deaths.
“Increases in testing and contact tracing, along with warming seasonal temperatures — factors that could help slow transmission — do not offset rising mobility, thereby fueling a significant increase in projected deaths,” the institute said in a statement.
IHME’s model assumed that restrictions currently in place would stay in place until infections were minimized. Starting Monday, IHME will forecast U.S. numbers based on a new hybrid model to better predict a resurgence if and when social distancing guidelines are relaxed. The hybrid will combine the IHME’s model used to estimate hospital resource demand and its model used to estimate disease transmission.
— Sanjana Karanth
Japan Extends State Of Emergency Restrictions Through May — 5/4/20, 2:10 p.m. ET
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the country’s state of emergency restrictions would be extended through the end of May. They had previously been set to expire Wednesday.
Japanese official Yasutoshi Nishimura had said earlier that while the number of new cases had decreased, “unfortunately the decrease has not reached the targeted level.”
The country has more than 14,800 confirmed coronavirus cases and around 500 deaths so far — not nearly as high as those in the United States or several nations in Europe.
Japan’s restrictions have so far included shuttering schools, closing businesses and urging residents to stay home and respect social distancing. Later this month, libraries, museums and other institutions may be allowed to reopen using certain distancing measures, and some regions deemed at lower risk for infections may be able to open other businesses, Agence France-Presse reported.
— Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
Broadway, West End Theaters May Not Reopen Until At Least Early Next Year, Top Theater Producer Predicts — 5/4/20, 1:27 p.m. ET
New York City’s Broadway and London’s West End may have to remain dark until at least early next year, legendary theater producer Cameron Mackintosh said, because it will be extremely difficult to enact social distancing procedures to keep theatergoers, performers and staff safe.
“The truth is, until social distancing doesn’t exist anymore, we can’t even plan to reopen,” Mackintosh, who produced “Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats” and “Les Misérables,” said Sunday in a BBC radio interview. “We will be back, but we need time to get back. If we don’t hear [about lockdowns lifting] in a few weeks, I think the truth is we won’t be able to come back until early next year. I think that’s quite clear. And the longer it is until we can say social distancing is gone, the longer it’ll be for the theater to come back.”
In New York, theaters and stage productions are set to remain closed until at least June 7, and in London, until at least May 31. Theater officials will likely have to extend those closures, since lawmakers in those cities — both hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic — seem unlikely to allow large events to resume anytime soon.
Read more here.
— Marina Fang
Huge UK Hospital Built To Treat COVID-19 Patients Will Close — 5/04/20, 8:45 a.m. ET
A temporary hospital built in London will be mothballed as demand for intensive care beds in the U.K. falls.
The 4,000-bed Nightingale Hospital, opened by Prince Charles in London, was the largest critical care unit in the world. It will remain on “standby” in the event of a second wave of coronavirus cases.
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the news Monday.
“It is not likely that, in the coming days, we will need to be admitting patients to NHS Nightingale London while coronavirus in the capital remains under control,” the spokesperson said. “That is obviously a very positive thing. We are grateful to everyone in London for following the government’s advice.”
Meanwhile, doctors have been told that emergency cover across some parts of the U.K. is being stood down during the upcoming bank holiday weekend in a further tentative sign that the worst of the crisis may be over.
Read more here.
— Nadine White
J. Crew Becomes First Big Retailer To Fail During Coronavirus Pandemic — 5/4/20, 7:15 a.m. ET
New York-based chain J. Crew filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, as the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the retailer’s financial difficulties amid consumers’ shift to online shopping.
The retailer, known for its preppy fashions, will hand over control to its creditors in exchange for eliminating its debt. It will also permanently close some stores. The brand Madewell will continue as part of the group.
— Liza Hearon
Questions Over UK Lockdown As Europe Enters Next Phase — 5/04/20, 6:10 a.m. ET


huffpost--2020-05-04--Nebraska Pushing Ahead With Plans To Hold In-Person Election Amid Pandemic

LINCOLN , Neb .
( AP ) — Nebraska is forging ahead with plans to hold the nation ’ s first in-person election in more than a month , despite health concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and allegations that political motivations are fueling opposition to an all-mail approach .
Barring an unexpected change , Nebraska ’ s primary will take place on May 12 — five weeks after Wisconsin held the last in-person balloting when courts sided with Republican legislators who pushed for that election to go forward .
Republicans who hold all statewide offices and control the Legislature have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots .
However , they argue state law requires polling sites to be open and that it ’ s important for voters to have a choice for how they vote , even amid health concerns .
As Secretary of State Bob Evnen put it last month , “ I don ’ t think Nebraskans are going to stay away from the polls or not vote because of a microbe.
” Gov .
Pete Ricketts agreed , arguing that to do otherwise would “ disenfranchise voters who want to go to the polls , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held despite wars and pandemics .
Others , however , questioned the motives behind the decision to hold the first statewide election since Wisconsin ’ s much-criticized April 7 primary and expressed doubt voting could safely take place .
Wisconsin health officials say more than 50 people who voted in person or worked the polls during the election have tested positive for COVID-19 .
The primary will decide a Democratic contest to pick a nominee to face Republican Rep. Don Bacon in the Omaha area ’ s 2nd Congressional District , traditionally the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats are competitive .
Voters will also pick candidates in dozens of ostensibly nonpartisan legislative races , which could help determine whether Republicans gain a super-majority in the Legislature .
Nebraska Democrats have asserted for weeks that Republican leaders don ’ t want to hold an all-mail election because of concern it would help Democrats , especially in the urban areas of Omaha and Lincoln .
Republicans have dismissed such claims , but Democrats point to statements by President Donald Trump who has said “ you ’ d never have a Republican elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states switched to vote-by-mail .
“ The only reason I can see the governor not doing it is for political reasons , ” she said .
“ The Republican playbook is always to suppress the vote .
They know that when fewer people vote , they win elections.
” Sen. Steve Lathrop , an Omaha Democrat , also criticized the decision to hold a polling place election but said that with the primary only a couple of weeks away , it ’ s too late to change course now .
Still , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who watched what happened in Wisconsin , where public health departments reported at least 19 people who voted or worked at the polls have tested positive for the coronavirus .
“ If you ’ re asking me as a public health official whether this increases the risk of transmission , the answer is definitive — yes , ” said Dr. Patrick Remington , director of the University of Wisconsin Madison ’ s Preventative Medicine Residency Program .
“ That is a scientific fact , no matter how much protective equipment people wear.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Civic Nebraska , a group that advocates for statewide voting-by-mail , said the state doesn ’ t have notification or tracking technology to let voters know whether their ballot has been sent , received or counted .
That could lead to ballots getting rejected without voters realizing it and undermining public confidence in voting by mail , he said .
“ As a vote-by-mail advocate , the worst thing that could happen is for our first vote-by-mail election not to go well , ” Miller said .
“ I want it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has 1,240 precincts statewide but some will be merged into one location to protect vulnerable residents , said Cindi Allen , a spokeswoman for Evnen .
For instance , a polling site normally located in an assisted living facility will likely get moved to another voting site with adequate space , such as a high school gym .
Allen said counties will decide .
Martha Brown , 83 , of Lincoln , said she hasn ’ t yet decided whether to work at the polls as she has done for more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her health and partly because she doesn ’ t want to end up having to enforce social-distancing requirements .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is forging ahead with plans to hold the nation’s first in-person election in more than a month, despite health concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and allegations that political motivations are fueling opposition to an all-mail approach.
Barring an unexpected change, Nebraska’s primary will take place on May 12 — five weeks after Wisconsin held the last in-person balloting when courts sided with Republican legislators who pushed for that election to go forward.
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Republicans who hold all statewide offices and control the Legislature have encouraged people to cast early, absentee ballots. However, they argue state law requires polling sites to be open and that it’s important for voters to have a choice for how they vote, even amid health concerns.
As Secretary of State Bob Evnen put it last month, “I don’t think Nebraskans are going to stay away from the polls or not vote because of a microbe.”
Gov. Pete Ricketts agreed, arguing that to do otherwise would “disenfranchise voters who want to go to the polls,” and noting that elections were previously held despite wars and pandemics.
Others, however, questioned the motives behind the decision to hold the first statewide election since Wisconsin’s much-criticized April 7 primary and expressed doubt voting could safely take place. Wisconsin health officials say more than 50 people who voted in person or worked the polls during the election have tested positive for COVID-19.
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The primary will decide a Democratic contest to pick a nominee to face Republican Rep. Don Bacon in the Omaha area’s 2nd Congressional District, traditionally the only U.S. House seat in Nebraska where Democrats are competitive. Voters will also pick candidates in dozens of ostensibly nonpartisan legislative races, which could help determine whether Republicans gain a super-majority in the Legislature.
Nebraska Democrats have asserted for weeks that Republican leaders don’t want to hold an all-mail election because of concern it would help Democrats, especially in the urban areas of Omaha and Lincoln. Republicans have dismissed such claims, but Democrats point to statements by President Donald Trump who has said “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again” if all states switched to vote-by-mail.
Jane Kleeb, chairwoman of the Nebraska Democratic Party, said Ricketts and the state GOP are concerned about any change that might boost Democratic turnout.
“The only reason I can see the governor not doing it is for political reasons,” she said. “The Republican playbook is always to suppress the vote. They know that when fewer people vote, they win elections.”
Sen. Steve Lathrop, an Omaha Democrat, also criticized the decision to hold a polling place election but said that with the primary only a couple of weeks away, it’s too late to change course now.
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“Given the seriousness of the pandemic, we should have turned this into a vote-by-mail election,” Lathrop said.
Officials plan to provide all poll workers with gloves, masks, hand sanitizer and wipes, and the state has purchased 50 additional ballot drop-off boxes for counties.
Still, the planned election concerns some public health officials who watched what happened in Wisconsin, where public health departments reported at least 19 people who voted or worked at the polls have tested positive for the coronavirus.
“If you’re asking me as a public health official whether this increases the risk of transmission, the answer is definitive — yes,” said Dr. Patrick Remington, director of the University of Wisconsin Madison’s Preventative Medicine Residency Program. “That is a scientific fact, no matter how much protective equipment people wear.”
Still, even some voting-rights advocates say they understand the difficulty of shifting to all-mail voting.
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State Sen. Adam Morfeld, a Democrat from Lincoln, said Nebraska “doesn’t have the mechanisms in place” for vote-by-mail.
And Westin Miller, public policy director of Civic Nebraska, a group that advocates for statewide voting-by-mail, said the state doesn’t have notification or tracking technology to let voters know whether their ballot has been sent, received or counted. That could lead to ballots getting rejected without voters realizing it and undermining public confidence in voting by mail, he said.
“As a vote-by-mail advocate, the worst thing that could happen is for our first vote-by-mail election not to go well,” Miller said. “I want it to go as smoothly as possible.”
More than 300,000 Nebraskans have requested absentee ballots, a level Evnen described as “unprecedented.” Given that, officials are predicting among the highest turnouts ever for a Nebraska primary.
What’s less clear is whether enough workers will show up to operate voting sites.
Nebraska has 1,240 precincts statewide but some will be merged into one location to protect vulnerable residents, said Cindi Allen, a spokeswoman for Evnen. For instance, a polling site normally located in an assisted living facility will likely get moved to another voting site with adequate space, such as a high school gym. Allen said counties will decide.
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Janice Walker, 73, of Lincoln, said she still plans to work at the polls but hopes for low in-person turnout and that people “use their heads and vote by mail.”
“If we have a nice, slow, boring day, that will be good for me,” she said. “It’s not a good situation for the workers.”
Martha Brown, 83, of Lincoln, said she hasn’t yet decided whether to work at the polls as she has done for more than a decade, partly out of concern for her health and partly because she doesn’t want to end up having to enforce social-distancing requirements.


huffpost--2020-05-04--This Is What It’s Like To Have A Loved One In ICE Detention During A Pandemic

I have three kids .
They are 11 , 9 , and the baby just turned 4 in March .
What ’ s really difficult is what happened before my husband was imprisoned .
He was the only one working , and then I got a job in a beauty salon because that was my profession in Brazil .
I went to work in the salon at the end of the week , Thursdays and Fridays , and left my little girl with a babysitter who lives across the street from me .
And one day when I left her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ babysitter , a sister [ “ Auntie ” ] and brother-in-law [ “ Uncle ” ] also live at that house .
And my baby is very intelligent and speaks clearly .
And she told me that Uncle had put his hands on her genitals .
She told me horrible things that it ’ s impossible to believe a child is talking about such things .
I left that place straight away , I would never use that babysitter again , and took my daughter to the police to do the police report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter on Feb. 13 , the same day my husband was arrested .
So he was going to go with me to the interview , but he was arrested , he couldn ’ t make it , and I was desperate , crying , and I still had to take my daughter to that interview because we ’ d already been waiting for a month .
So we got there , they took my daughter aside , and they didn ’ t let me take part in the interview with her .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a room with four people she ’ d never seen before — a translator , two professionals who I think were psychologists , and an investigator .
And as far as they informed me , they had asked her whether someone had touched her , and she had said “ no.
” When my husband was arrested , he had money in his wallet that he ’ d received from his job .
It was the money that we use to pay our electricity bill , so he had that .
And he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money .
To call us , there are times when he puts in $ 2 , there are times when he puts in $ 3 , we talk about 7-8 minutes , that ’ s the length of the call .
It ’ s what he told me , right ?
He can ’ t say very much , the connection is poor and there ’ s an echo .
We almost can ’ t have a real conversation .
He says nothing is being done [ about the coronavirus ] and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are so many people .
In his cell , there are four people , and inside [ his sector ] there ’ s more than 40 or 50 .
He says at 8 a.m. they open the doors and everyone goes out and eats in a cafeteria with tables and they have a set amount of time to eat .
After that , they go back in the cell , and there ’ s a schedule to go out again later .
I asked if he was using masks or if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said everything is continuing as normal .
Nobody communicates anything about it .
He ’ s very worried and also worried about us .
And we worry here , my children and I , because during this time , I lost my job here [ as a food vendor ] and I ’ m not working and I have two children [ ages 6 and 2 ; both U.S. citizens ] to raise , and I can ’ t go out anyway to look for work .
My son has asthma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened , he , the older one , is getting psychological therapy .
And my girl , the younger one , has a developmental delay and she gets therapy , but they haven ’ t been able to continue because of the virus .
She can ’ t talk and barely walks , and she was getting therapy before my husband was taken away .
I was last able to really speak with him a week ago .
And he told me he was worried because there are many sick people and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what they ’ re gon na do with us , if they ’ re going to let us out or not , ” he said , because there are so many sick people and no protection .
They don ’ t give them things to protect themselves , for example , masks and gloves .
Supposedly they say they should try to keep their distance , but they can ’ t keep their distance there .
He says they use the same bathrooms , “ We almost sleep together , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room , he says .
No , he says there ’ s no space at all .
And it makes me too worried that he ’ s there .
What I want is support so that these people who haven ’ t committed any crimes — my husband ’ s only crime was to cross the border , and aside from that , he hasn ’ t committed any crime .
He ’ s not a thief , he ’ s not a rapist , he hasn ’ t done bad things in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and struggling for my family .
I want help so that they can go free , and for people to support us so they ’ re released .
Because it ’ s not fair that they ’ re imprisoned during this pandemic .
And we don ’ t want them not to see their families and to die there because of this pandemic , we want help so they can be freed and together with their families .

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Catalina’s husband was arrested alongside nearly 700 other people in a massive ICE raid on food processing plants in Mississippi last summer. Marisa’s husband was on the way home from a construction job in Florida. ICE agents surprised Natalia’s husband two months ago during his routine immigration check-in with ISAP, a program that had been monitoring his whereabouts since he entered the U.S. without documents in 2018.
With the coronavirus spreading like wildfire in U.S. detention facilities, the three women have been worried and outraged for weeks over the lack of protection for their loved ones in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Though less than 2% of immigration detainees across the country had been tested for the coronavirus, 60% of those test results had come back positive as of April 21, the Miami Herald reported.
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Catalina’s husband is in a Louisiana detention facility with seven confirmed COVID-19 cases at last count, though the numbers ICE reports often lag far behind actual cases. Last month, ICE admitted that 350 detainees had been exposed to the coronavirus at Krome Processing Center in Miami, where Marisa’s husband is still imprisoned. He told her more than a week ago that he had a fever.
Despite a national movement to release people in detention facilities of all kinds, ICE had freed fewer than 700 immigrants as of mid-April. (After her interview with HuffPost, Natalia’s husband was one of them, and he rejoined his family on April 3.) Nearly 30,000 people were still in ICE detention as of April 25. Detainees are continuing to stage protests and hunger strikes, and their family members and allies outside are increasing the legal and political pressure on ICE to let more people go. In light of recent court rulings, Catalina and fellow activists are pushing for the release of her husband, Baldomero Orozco Juarez, on the basis of his chronic kidney problems.
Meanwhile, the three women told HuffPost about becoming their families’ lone providers and raising young children struggling to understand their fathers’ incarceration during a global pandemic. Marisa was a housekeeper, Natalia worked at a beauty salon and Marisa sold food — but because of the coronavirus, none of them could keep working. They’ve been relying on help from their churches, generous strangers, activists and fellow immigrants who are fighting beside them to free the people in ICE detention. Here’s what they want you to know about their experiences.
Responses in Spanish and Portuguese have been translated, condensed and edited. Marisa and Catalina’s real names were changed at their request to protect their identities.
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Marisa, 33, from Honduras
“Ruben was the one who paid the rent, and Ruben’s in jail.”
Ruben was arrested about two months ago; I don’t remember the exact date. He’s in Krome Processing Center [in Miami]. They arrested him while he was leaving work [in construction]; he was going home to where he lives in Panama City, which is six hours from where we live here in Louisiana. He was leaving work with a co-worker and the police stopped him, asked for his driver’s license, and since he doesn’t have one, they arrested him.
We have two kids; a 12-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl. Right now, we’re having a really hard time here. We have to pay rent, and here in the state of Louisiana, it’s not like other states [that have bans on evictions due to the coronavirus]. The owner of the house always calls me and says I owe her two months’ rent. Last month, she called and threatened that she was going to kick me out. I have two kids, and there’s no work; I work in housekeeping and the hotels are closed.
Ruben was the one who paid the rent, and Ruben’s in jail. My mom is here, an older woman in her 60s who has diabetes. We’re having a really hard time right now.
He calls me by telephone. Sometimes it’s really difficult because you have to add money for extra minutes, and since I’m not working, I don’t have money right now. Ruben is worried because they’ve already had patients there in Krome with symptoms of coronavirus, like a fever. Ruben called me just this morning and said he’s feeling bad and has a fever, and he doesn’t know anything and he’s worried because they still have him locked up.
They’re all in the same place. You’re supposed to keep your distance from people to avoid contagion, but in Krome, they aren’t doing that. The prisoners are all mixed together. And there are contagious people, there are people with the virus and people they’ve taken out of there who were sick.
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The first week or two weeks Ruben was there, they didn’t have any masks; they had nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. Then they started to see the news and realize what was going on and they started to give out masks, but it’s not the same. They don’t do it every day like they should. You’re not supposed to use masks multiple times; you have to disinfect them.
The prisoners don’t know anything. Sometimes, they can watch the news, but one day, Ruben said that they didn’t let them see it, they turned off the news. But they have to take care of the prisoners. These aren’t people who have killed. The only crime the father of my children committed was not having a document. He’s not a murderer or a criminal.
Abolish ICE Colorado, Sanctuary for All, American Friends Committee and Never Again Action take part in a car protest to call for the release of detained immigrants at the GEO Detention Center on April 3, 2020, in Aurora, Colorado. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Natalia, 33, from Brazil
“What’s really difficult is what happened before my husband was imprisoned.”
My husband has been detained since Feb. 13. They allege that he was detained because he had an order for deportation in 2005, when he tried to enter the country but didn’t manage. Right there during the crossing, they picked him up, he was imprisoned 60 days if I’m not mistaken, and then they deported him.
So, when we went to ISAP to do the check-ins that we’re asked to do, they arrested him there, saying that he already had a deportation order issued more than 10 days ago, but we weren’t informed of that. So we went there for the normal ISAP visit, and there, they had some people from immigration who took him by surprise.
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I was in a state of desperation because we had been doing everything they asked, we didn’t miss a single visit, we let them come to our home. It was a very big shock. It was very sad. They ask the maximum cooperation from us, and they could have at least told us that he had a deportation order for us to ask a lawyer for advice about what to do. And they didn’t tell us.
“The only crime the father of my children committed was not having a document.”
I have three kids. They are 11, 9, and the baby just turned 4 in March. What’s really difficult is what happened before my husband was imprisoned. He was the only one working, and then I got a job in a beauty salon because that was my profession in Brazil. I went to work in the salon at the end of the week, Thursdays and Fridays, and left my little girl with a babysitter who lives across the street from me. And one day when I left her there, at the house of that babysitter, a sister [“Auntie”] and brother-in-law [“Uncle”] also live at that house. And my baby is very intelligent and speaks clearly. And she told me that Uncle had put his hands on her genitals. She told me horrible things that it’s impossible to believe a child is talking about such things. I left that place straight away, I would never use that babysitter again, and took my daughter to the police to do the police report.
They scheduled an interview with my daughter on Feb. 13, the same day my husband was arrested. So he was going to go with me to the interview, but he was arrested, he couldn’t make it, and I was desperate, crying, and I still had to take my daughter to that interview because we’d already been waiting for a month. So we got there, they took my daughter aside, and they didn’t let me take part in the interview with her. They took her alone, took her to a room with four people she’d never seen before — a translator, two professionals who I think were psychologists, and an investigator. And as far as they informed me, they had asked her whether someone had touched her, and she had said “no.”
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But obviously she said that — she didn’t know those people. She had a hard time even telling me. So the investigator closed the case and said they were going to provide a psychologist and psychiatrist for her, but that also didn’t happen. So I find myself in a situation where my daughter suffered abuse, where other children run the same risk as my daughter; and I don’t want that for my children, I don’t want that for the child of any other mother, because it hurts too much.
That kind of person should be imprisoned, but instead, the person who’s imprisoned is my husband, who never did anything. And that’s revolting. I don’t have work, I can’t trust anybody to leave my daughter with, I sent a letter to the ICE officials explaining the situation, and they aren’t moved by anything.
When my husband was arrested, he had money in his wallet that he’d received from his job. It was the money that we use to pay our electricity bill, so he had that. And he was able to call me using that money. To call us, there are times when he puts in $2, there are times when he puts in $3, we talk about 7-8 minutes, that’s the length of the call. It’s what he told me, right? He can’t say very much, the connection is poor and there’s an echo. We almost can’t have a real conversation.
He says nothing is being done [about the coronavirus] and he’s even afraid because he says there are so many people. In his cell, there are four people, and inside [his sector] there’s more than 40 or 50. He says at 8 a.m. they open the doors and everyone goes out and eats in a cafeteria with tables and they have a set amount of time to eat. After that, they go back in the cell, and there’s a schedule to go out again later. I asked if he was using masks or if they were doing anything and he said no. He said everything is continuing as normal. Nobody communicates anything about it. He’s very worried and also worried about us.
A residential pod at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Tacoma, Washington. Immigrant detainees across the country say they lack adequate protective equipment and cleaning supplies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus behind bars. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Catalina, 37, from Guatemala
“My children need their father.”
My husband was detained on Aug. 7, 2019. He was detained in the raids. He wasn’t stealing, he wasn’t doing anything bad, he was just working, struggling for my family because he’s a good father, and he’s the one who works for the family, for my children. He was working in a plant in Mississippi.
Now he’s in Catahoula, Louisiana. And that has him desperate because like many people, they detained him back then and it has really affected him to be there. He’s gotten very sick, and I’m worried about him because since he’s been in jail he’s been in the hospital, in the emergency room, two times. And I worry about his health because they told him he has kidney problems and they’re not working well.
And we worry here, my children and I, because during this time, I lost my job here [as a food vendor] and I’m not working and I have two children [ages 6 and 2; both U.S. citizens] to raise, and I can’t go out anyway to look for work. My son has asthma, and with everything that’s happened, he, the older one, is getting psychological therapy. And my girl, the younger one, has a developmental delay and she gets therapy, but they haven’t been able to continue because of the virus. She can’t talk and barely walks, and she was getting therapy before my husband was taken away.
I was also seeing specialists because I have eye problems and they told me I needed cornea transplants, and we were planning what to do because I needed an operation. And all this happened and I still haven’t gone. I need my husband to go with me to the doctor because I can’t drive, because of my eye problems. My children need their father because I realize they are really suffering and they always ask about him.
Now he can’t call me, he said he doesn’t have money to call. On Friday, he called me like a minute and told me, “I don’t have a way to call you to know how you are,” he said. And I asked him how he was and he told me he was worried.
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I was last able to really speak with him a week ago. And he told me he was worried because there are many sick people and was like, “I don’t know what they’re gonna do with us, if they’re going to let us out or not,” he said, because there are so many sick people and no protection. They don’t give them things to protect themselves, for example, masks and gloves. Supposedly they say they should try to keep their distance, but they can’t keep their distance there. He says they use the same bathrooms, “We almost sleep together,” he says, 100 people sleep in one room, he says. No, he says there’s no space at all. And it makes me too worried that he’s there.
The last time he went [to the hospital] was almost 2 months ago, I think, and they took him out of jail and sent him to the emergency room. He was there two days, it was the third day when he called me. And when he was in the hospital, he told me, the virus had entered the jail.
He says they just remove people, and they don’t see some people again … I asked if they were doing tests and no, he said for example that sometimes they see a doctor, they already took him out and told him they were going to look at him because his back was hurting, he said, but they haven’t told him anything about that. “And since it hurts me a lot, I tell them to give me medicine or something,” he says, “and so what do they give you?” I say, and he says “they give me Ibuprofen for the pain.” Just ibuprofen to calm him a bit but no special medicine. It’s difficult to hear him because there’s an echo, and it breaks my heart to hear him and also he’s worried about us, just as we are for him.