huffpost--2020-03-24--Coronavirus Live Updates: Read The Latest About The COVID-19 Outbreak

LOADING ERROR LOADING
COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11.
The virus has killed more than 21,000 people worldwide and continues to spread at a rapid pace. Efforts to curb the outbreak have led to the global disruption of daily life and the economy, as schools and workplaces shutter in hopes of slowing transmission.
HuffPost reporters around the world are tracking the pandemic and the measures being taken to flatten the curve of transmission.
Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below. (To see the latest updates, you may need to refresh the page. All times are Eastern. For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here.)
HuffPost US
More alarming figures are emerging from Spain where officials have announced another 769 deaths overnight, a new record in the number of fatalities recorded in 24 hours.
Advertisement
HuffPost Spain reports (in Spanish) that the death toll in the country now stands at 4,858. The total number of those infected rose to 64,059 from 56,188 on Thursday.
— James Martin
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for the coronavirus, Downing Street has announced. No.10 had previously said Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, would take over Johnson’s duties should the prime minister become too ill to remain in charge.
“Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus,” Johnson wrote on Twitter. “I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this. #StayHomeSaveLives.”
Matt Hancock, the U.K. health secretary, also announced today that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
— James Martin
HuffPost US
Advertisement
Delhi has begun placing quarantine stickers on the houses of people suspected of being infected with coronavirus, leading to harassment and vilification of the city’s residents, HuffPost India reports.
A photo of a sticker placed on a flight attendant’s house with her personal details has been circulated on WhatsApp, and a video in which she is identified by her name and falsely called COVID-19 positive has been shared on social media.
“My safety and my image are under attack. People are saying that I’m corona-positive and humiliating me. One can’t live like this. Society will boycott you if they think you are corona-positive,” she said.
HuffPost India reports that the flight attendant is among many victims of public shaming and ostracising occurring in the country as the number of coronavirus cases rises.
— James Martin
Hundreds have died and more than 1,000 have been sickened in Iran by ingesting methanol in the mistaken belief that it protects against the new coronavirus, AP reports.
Advertisement
“Other countries have only one problem, which is the new coronavirus pandemic. But we are fighting on two fronts here,” said Dr. Hossein Hassanian, an adviser to Iran’s Health Ministry. “We have to both cure the people with alcohol poisoning and also fight the coronavirus.”
The Islamic Republic has reported over 32,300 cases and more than 2,300 deaths from the virus.
— Liza Hearon
New York City public health officials said Thursday that nearly half of all coronavirus infections in the city were in residents 44 and younger.
According to data up until 5 p.m., officials said 44% of infections were in the 18-to-44 age bracket, a total of 10,145 cases. And 34% percent were in people ages 45 to 64, with 19% among those 65 and older. The report adds to growing concern that the coronavirus doesn’t primarily affect older people and those with underlying health conditions.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released last week showed nearly 40% of people sick enough to be hospitalized were ages 20 to 54.
The risk of dying, however, remains significantly higher in older people and those with underlying conditions.
Advertisement
— Nick Visser
The United States has hit a grim milestone, becoming the country with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world.
The U.S. had more than 82,000 reported cases across all 50 states and U.S. territories as of late Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. It has now surpassed the coronavirus case totals of China and Italy, previously the highest in the world. After those two nations, the next highest case numbers are in Spain, France, Germany and Iran.
More than 1,000 people in the U.S. so far have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Several countries still have more deaths linked to COVID-19 than the U.S., including Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France, per the World Health Organization.
— Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
The $2 trillion stimulus bill passed by the Senate late Wednesday includes some $75 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, despite initial Republican attempts to ax such funding from the proposal.
Advertisement
The bill also includes $75 million each for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, $50 million for museums and libraries, and $25 million for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The move is surprising as the Trump administration has consistently sought to cut funding to the NEA and other arts organizations, with Republicans dismissing their budgets as frivolous.
But President Donald Trump defended the latest funding for the Kennedy Center — which is closed until at least May 10 — saying the organization does a “beautiful” and “incredible job.”
— Nick Visser
After four consecutive days of falls in new infections had created cautious optimism that containment measures in Italy had begun to “flatten the curve,” the country today reported its highest number of new cases since March 21. The total number of confirmed cases in Italy rose by 6,153 to 80,539, pushing the global total over half a million, based on a count kept by Johns Hopkins University. Italy now has almost as many cases as China.
— James Martin
Organizers for the Indianapolis 500, the world’s longest-standing auto race, have postponed the spectacle until Aug. 23 in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
Advertisement
The race was originally scheduled to take place May 24 and typically hosts around 300,000 spectators.
“The Month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is my favorite time of year, and like our fans, I am disappointed that we have had to reschedule the Indianapolis 500,” Roger Penske, who bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in January, said. “However, the health and safety of our event participants and spectators is our top priority, and we believe that postponing the event is the responsible decision with the conditions and restrictions we are facing.”
— Lydia O’Connor
The U.K. has announced a support package for self-employed people that will cover 80% of average earnings over the past three years. Finance Minister Rishi Sunak told a press conference in Downing Street that he recognized people who work for themselves were “deeply anxious” as the spread of the virus shut down businesses.
It comes as ministers were under increasing pressure to offer the self-employed a package of support on par with that handed to workers.
— James Martin
Nearly 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, as nonessential businesses across the U.S. have shuttered to help curb the spread of the virus.
Advertisement
The number is quadruple the previous record set in 1982, the Associated Press reported. Unemployment claims are expected to continue to rise, as the pandemic worsens across the U.S. and much of the world.
Economists said the economy is all but certain to enter a recession, and the U.S. unemployment rate could rise to 13% by May — higher than the 10% it was during the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009.
— Marina Fang
Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell said Thursday the federal government should heed the advice of medical experts and focus on curbing the spread of the coronavirus before reopening the economy.
“We would tend to listen to the experts,” Powell told NBC’s “Today.” “I think the first order of business will be to get the spread of the virus under control and then resume economic activity.”
“I think the first order of business will be to get the spread of the virus under control and then resume economic activity.” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell tells @savannahguthrie pic.twitter.com/7sXrNpLECv — TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 26, 2020
Advertisement
Powell’s statement throws cold water on Trump’s recent push to ease social distancing measures potentially in the next few weeks to boost the economy. “We can’t have the cure be worse than the problem,” the president has said.
Meanwhile, public health experts have warned that lifting coronavirus restrictions now would overwhelm the health care system and could kill millions of people.
― Hayley Miller
Spain has recorded 655 fatalities over the past 24 hours as the total death toll from the epidemic in the country rose to over 4,000. The number of reported deaths from the virus rose to 4,089 from 3,434 on Wednesday, while the overall number of coronavirus cases soared to 56,188 from 47,610.
However, the country’s health ministry reported that the daily death toll was down from over 700 on Wednesday, while HuffPost Spain reports (in Spanish) that 7,015 people have now recovered.
Spain is Europe’s second-worst hit country behind Italy, with its death toll passing China on Wednesday.
Advertisement
— James Martin
Tokyo has asked people to stay home this weekend to slow the spread of coronavirus after new daily cases in the Japanese capital rose to 41. HuffPost Japan reports (in Japanese) that Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said the city is on the verge of an explosive increase in infections and must make the effort to stop them from going out of control.
The 41 confirmed new cases Wednesday was by far the largest single-day rise since the beginning of the outbreak and comes after daily increases of 16 and 17. The surge in infections comes after the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government agreed to put back the Tokyo Olympics to 2021. More than 10 of the cases confirmed Wednesday were from untraceable infection routes — a sign that clusters of local cases are silently expanding, Koike said. Tokyo now has about 200 confirmed cases.
— James Martin
HuffPost US
The governors of Brazil’s 26 states have defied controversial advice from President Jair Bolsonaro for a “return to normality,” and instead unanimously agreed to maintain policies of social isolation.
HuffPost Brazil reports (in Portuguese) that Bolsonaro had claimed that the “cure” of widespread shutdowns to contain the spread of the coronavirus is worse than the disease. However, Brazil’s governors claimed Bolsonaro’s instructions would endanger Latin America’s largest population and said they would continue with their strict measures.
Advertisement
— James Martin
HuffPost US
HuffPost France reports (in French) that questions are being raised over the European Union’s effectiveness in managing the coronavirus crisis. A study shows that 88% of people in Italy, the world’s hardest-hit country, consider that the E.U. is not helping them in the face of the epidemic.
Le HuffPost writes that Eurosceptics have rushed into the breach and questions where the “famous solidarity” of pro-EU politicians has gone. European leaders will meet via video conference this today.
— James Martin
All Mormon temples worldwide will be shuttered starting Thursday to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saints said in a statement.
“After careful and prayerful consideration, and with a desire to be responsible global citizens, we have decided to suspend all temple activity churchwide,” the statement said. “This is a temporary adjustment, and we look forward to the day when the temples will reopen.”
Advertisement
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, temple weddings, as well as Mormon missionaries’ plans, will be scuttled as a result of the new restrictions.
— Dominique Mosbergen
One million people in California have applied for unemployment benefits this month as businesses across the state are hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
To alleviate some of the economic hardship felt by residents, Newsom said many banks and financial institutions — including Wells Fargo, Citibank, U.S. Bank and JPMorgan Chase — had agreed to delay foreclosures and offer a 90-day grace period for mortgage payments.
— Dominique Mosbergen
More than 1,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center. Almost 300 of those deaths were reported in New York, the current epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S.
Advertisement
The number of cases nationwide has surpassed 68,000, according to the university’s tally, making the U.S. the third worst-hit country. Italy has more than 74,000 cases, and China, where the outbreak began but has since been contained, has reported more than 81,000 infections.
— Dominique Mosbergen
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Wednesday at the daily White House briefing on the coronavirus pandemic that the virus “very well might” become a “seasonal, cyclic thing.”
Noting that in the Southern hemisphere, more COVID-19 cases are starting to appear in places moving into their winter season, Fauci said: “If, in fact, they have a substantial outbreak, it will be inevitable that we need to be prepared that we’ll get a cycle around the second time.”
He emphasized the need to develop a vaccine as well as to run randomized control trials to determine which drugs can treat the virus.
“I know we’ll be successful in putting this down now, but we really need to be prepared for another cycle,” Fauci said.
Advertisement
— Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
President Donald Trump spent part of his Wednesday evening press conference accusing the media of pushing for social distancing guidelines in hopes that they would hurt his chance of reelection.
“I think there are certain people that would like it not to open so quickly,” he said of the U.S. economy, which has been stunted during the coronavirus outbreak as people stay home from work. “I think there are certain people that would like it to do financially poorly because they think that would be very good as far as defeating me at the polls.”
Directing his accusations at the reporters in the room, he said, “There are people in your profession that would like that to happen. I think it’s very clear. I think it’s very clear that there are people in your profession that write fake news.”
Trump made similar remarks on Twitter earlier Wednesday. “The LameStream Media is the dominant force in trying to get me to keep our Country closed as long as possible in the hope that it will be detrimental to my election success,” he wrote. “The real people want to get back to work ASAP. We will be stronger than ever before!”
Since the start of the week, the president has emphasized his desire to relax nationwide social distancing guidelines in order to stimulate the economy. His own public health advisers, meanwhile, have urged against rushing back to business as usual or setting a firm date for an end to the guidelines.
Advertisement
— Lydia O’Connor
The governors of Idaho and Minnesota issued statewide “stay-at-home” orders on Wednesday, joining at least 18 other states with similar restrictions. Minnesota’s order will remain in effect for 14 days, while Idaho’s will last for 21 days.
― Hayley Miller
The 74th annual Tony Awards has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date, organizers for the event announced Wednesday. The awards ceremony to honor excellence in live Broadway theater had been scheduled to air live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 7.
― Hayley Miller
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson today thanked the 405,000 people who have answered a call to volunteer for Britain’s National Health Service, exceeding the government’s target of 250,000 in just one day.
Johnson said during a press conference at 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s residence, that the volunteers “will be driving medicines from pharmacies to patients; they will be bringing patients home from hospital; very importantly they will be making regular phone calls to check on and support people who are staying on their own at home.”
It comes as the U.K. announced that the public will be able to conduct coronavirus antibody tests at home within a matter of days, rather than weeks or months.
Advertisement
— James Martin
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York currently has enough protective equipment for its hospitals’ health care workers for the next couple of weeks and that the state’s “single greatest challenge” is a ventilator shortage.
The state has 11,000 ventilators but needs 30,000, he said. If extra resources can be provided to New York amid its crisis, Cuomo said, he “will return the favor” and provide the equipment to the next viral hot spot.
“There’s no doubt that we have a greater challenge here in New York ― density, numbers, and one of the most intense economies. So that all needs to be taken into consideration,” he said.
― Nina Golgowski
Cuomo: New York City To Close Some Streets For Pedestrians, May Close Parks — 3/25/20, 11:35 a.m. ET
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York will reduce social density by closing some New York City streets to cars, giving pedestrians more room to walk. To prevent the coronavirus from spreading in city parks, there will be mandatory social distancing at playgrounds and no close contact sports permitted, including basketball. If people don’t comply with this, playgrounds will be closed.
— Nina Golgowski
Sharon Peacock, director of the National Infection Service at Public Health England, said kits to test for antibodies to the coronavirus will be available to the public within days, rather than “weeks or months,” HuffPost U.K.’s Ned Simons reported.
Advertisement
The tests will allow doctors and nurses to go back to work if they’ve developed antibodies to the disease, Peacock said. An initial 3.5 million kits have been ordered, with more on the way, and people will be able to order the finger-prick tests on Amazon or go to their local Boots pharmacy to have them done.
— Liza Hearon
The death toll in Spain shot up by more than 700 on Wednesday, surpassing China, and is now second only to Italy. In the steepest increase in deaths since the outbreak hit the country, Spain’s health ministry reported that fatalities rose from 2,696 to 3,434, with the overall number of cases soaring from 39,673 to 47,610 on Tuesday. Despite the growing toll, HuffPost Spain reported that officials do have some hope that data could soon reveal a “flattening of the curve,” but that it was still too early to tell if containment efforts are working.
— James Martin
Prince Charles, 71-year-old heir to the British throne, has tested positive for the coronavirus, Clarence House said. He has been displaying mild symptoms but “but otherwise remains in good health.” Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was also tested and does not have the virus. The couple are self-isolating in Scotland, HuffPost’s Lee Moran reports.
The Queen and Prince Philip have been spending the coronavirus lockdown at Windsor Castle. Prince Charles last saw his mother briefly on March 12, the BBC reported.
— Liza Hearon
HuffPost US
Advertisement
As Brazil’s largest city went into lockdown, President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday took aim at the “hysteria” over the coronavirus and urged that life must continue and jobs be preserved.
In an address to the nation, HuffPost Brazil reports (in Portuguese) that Bolsonaro urged mayors and state governors to roll back lockdown measures that have brought Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo to near standstills. “We must return to normality,” he said. “The few states and city halls should abandon their scorched-earth policies.”
Bolsonaro has faced increasing criticism for his cavalier attitude toward the virus, which he has dismissed as a “fantasy” and a “small flu” despite its infecting over 300,000 people worldwide and killing tens of thousands.
— James Martin
Prisons are one of the last institutions in Canada that have not seen a quick, coordinated response to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, an extremely dangerous situation activists are demanding be addressed before it’s too late.
Advertisement
“My fear is there will be asymptomatic transmission [of COVID-19], and it will tear like wildfire through prisons,” Dr. Claire Bodkin told HuffPost Canada Bodkin has experience providing medical care in a Hamilton, Ontario, jail and is part of a research team looking at prison health care.
“We need a coordinated national response to this, but instead it’s every institution doing its own thing, and that’s not an acceptable standard of care.”
In Canada, there are on average 40,000 adults incarcerated in provincial jails or federal prisons every day, according to Statistics Canada. Inmates already have poorer health than the general Canadian population: Research suggests they experience higher rates of tuberculosis, cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes and HIV, which makes them more vulnerable to COVID-19’s most severe symptoms of pneumonia and difficulty breathing.
— Samantha Beattie
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), in a press conference on Facebook Live late Tuesday, urged everyone, particularly young people, to follow the state’s orders on social distancing to help stem the spread of coronavirus.
“It’s a reminder to everybody to take this seriously,” Newsom said, adding that the statewide “stay at home” directive includes staying off the beaches and out of parks.
Advertisement
“I cannot impress upon young people out there more — how critical they are to getting us to the other side by practicing social distancing.”
The governor noted the state’s first death of someone under 18 from coronavirus: A teenager in Lancaster, near Los Angeles, was confirmed dead of COVID-19 on Tuesday.
“We had the tragic loss of a young life, a teen,” Newsom said, noting that half of those who tested positive so far in the state were 18 to 49 years old. “This health crisis... it can impact anybody and everybody.”
As of early Tuesday, more than 2,100 people in California had tested positive for coronavirus and 40 had died.
— Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
Vancouver, Canada, is getting loud in support of essential service workers and frontline health care workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Advertisement
Every night at 7, the streets of the city’s West End neighborhood echo with applause and cheers from thousands of residents on their apartment balconies. And their spirit is clearly contagious.
— Andree Lau
Vice President Mike Pence announced at a news conference Tuesday that Apple is donating a whopping 9 million N95 masks to hospitals treating coronavirus patients.
“At this moment in time, Apple went to its warehouses and is donating 9 million N95 masks to health care facilities and all across the country to the national stockpile,” Pence said. “There is a level of generosity that I know is inspiring to the president, and it’s truly inspiring to all those who are working on the White House task force.”
It’s not clear why Apple has so many N95 masks, which are capable of filtering out microscopic particles, bacteria and viruses.
Health care workers on the frontline of COVID-19 have been struggling with a nationwide shortage of the N95 masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to safely treat infected patients.
Advertisement
― Lydia O’Connor
At a White House briefing on the coronavirus pandemic late Tuesday, Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said that people who leave New York City should self-quarantine for 14 days to avoid spreading COVID-19 further.
“We remain deeply concerned about New York City,” Birx said, noting that about 56% of all new cases in the U.S. are coming out of New York and that nearly one-third of deaths are in that state alone. Vice President Mike Pence then repeated the instruction for those who travel outside New York to self-isolate for two weeks, noting that infection rates for coronavirus in the New York metropolitan area are roughly 1 in 1,000 people.
At the same briefing, President Trump said New York was “definitely a hot spot” for the virus. In New York, there were more than 25,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, as of Tuesday, and more than 200 dead — far surpassing other states.
— Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
Warner Bros. announced it is postponing the release of “Wonder Woman 1984” to Aug. 14 instead of June 5. The studio is also delaying “In the Heights” until further notice. Directed by “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon M. Chu, the adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s debut musical was supposed to open in theaters on June 26.
Advertisement
The postponements are the first signs that many industries and cultural events could remain halted until at least June. Up until now, most of the movies that had pushed their theatrical release dates had been movies slated for this spring. But with the pandemic continuing to worsen across much of Europe and North America, it leaves industries like Hollywood in a state of uncertainty. Public health and government officials have warned that the lockdowns and closures of nonessential businesses currently in place could remain for many weeks or even months.
In the U.S. and Canada, most movie theaters have been closed since last week. The two biggest chains, AMC and Regal, shuttered their more than 1,100 locations, with AMC closing for at least six to eight weeks, and Regal closing until further notice.
“We made Wonder Woman 1984 for the big screen and I believe in the power of cinema,” the film’s director Patty Jenkins tweeted in response to the postponement. “In these terrible times, when theater owners are struggling as so many are, we are excited to re-date our film to August 14th 2020 in a theater near you, and pray for better times for all by then.”
— Marina Fang
Nurses and doctors in Spain have demanded action after the country reported its sharpest daily increase in cases on Tuesday, with about 14% of the nearly 40,000 infections among health workers. The SATSE nursing union said Madrid’s hospitals were on “the verge of collapse” and needed urgent support, while a doctors union said it had filed a lawsuit demanding protective equipment within 24 hours. The capital’s Palacio de Hielo mall, home to an Olympic-sized ice rink (link in Spanish), began operating as a makeshift mortuary after authorities said facilities were unable to cope. Spain is Europe’s worst-hit country after Italy and has recorded 2,696 deaths.
— James Martin
Advertisement
President Donald Trump pinned all blame for the shortage of available ventilators in New York state — which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. — on Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) during a Fox News town hall on Tuesday afternoon.
With more than 25,000 cases across the state, Cuomo has said repeatedly that his team is “scouring the globe” for ventilators to treat the most severely affected patients. They are aiming to amass about 40,000 of the devices, but have so far secured just 7,000, Cuomo said Tuesday morning. The governor criticized federal authorities for refusing to release a federal stockpile of 20,000 ventilators, and also for refusing to enforce the Defense Production Act, which would require American manufacturers to begin churning out the devices to help combat the crisis.
Less than two hours later, Trump produced a printout of a headline critical of New York authorities, handing the sheet of paper to Fox News host Bill Hemmer. The printout is believed to reference a column by Betsy McCaughey, a former lieutenant governor of New York. According to McCaughey, Cuomo passed up an opportunity to add thousands of ventilators to its stockpile in 2015, years before COVID-19 appeared.
“They can’t blame us for that,” Trump said. He also dug in his heels on his earlier suggestion that the “cure” can’t be worse than “the problem,” saying that the country is “not built to shut down” despite warnings from public health experts that a return to normal would be detrimental to the nation’s health care system.
“The faster we go back, the better it’s going to be,” Trump claimed. Later, he said he wanted to see the country “opened up and just rearing to go by Easter.”
Advertisement
— Sara Boboltz
U.S. President Donald Trump may be focused on restarting the American economy, but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government’s objective is to keep people alive and healthy.
In Trudeau’s daily national address, from outside his home where he remains in self-isolation after his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, contracted COVID-19, the Canadian leader suggested the two neighboring countries are charting different courses.
“We are continuing, in Canada, to base our decisions and our recommendations and our guidelines to Canadians on science,” Trudeau said. “Our priority is keeping Canadians alive and healthy and that is what we will continue to focus on in Canada.”
— Althia Raj
A new hospital in London will be opened to help the U.K. cope with the coronavirus crisis, the government confirmed. The Excel in the capital’s Docklands area, which is currently used for conferences, will be transformed into the National Health Service Nightingale Hospital, providing space for 2,000 beds.
It will be opened and run with the help of the military, health secretary Matt Hancock confirmed at a press conference in Downing Street on Tuesday. The U.K. death toll hit 422 on Tuesday, with 87 more people with the disease having died in 24 hours.
Advertisement
— James Martin
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who leads the state with the most COVID-19 cases in the U.S., issued an urgent plea at his daily press conference, warning that the rate of growth for cases continues to increase and will peak in “14 to 20 days,” making it essential that the state strengthen its hospital capacity and obtain much-needed medical supplies.
“We’re not slowing it, and it’s accelerating on its own,” Cuomo said, explaining that experts describe it not as a “freight train” but a “bullet train.”
“They say ‘flatten the curve, flatten the curve.’ We’re not flattening the curve,” he added. “We have exhausted every option available to us.”
In addition to shutting down nonessential businesses and greatly increasing testing, the state is retrofitting facilities such as New York City’s Javits Center to use them as extra hospitals, recruiting more medical staff and using hotels and empty college dorms for extra beds.
Cuomo estimated the state will need an additional 140,000 hospital beds and 30,000 ventilators. Warning that the state could not do enough on its own to stem the spread of the virus, the governor did not mince words in criticizing the federal government’s response.
Advertisement
“Where are they? Where are the ventilators?” Cuomo said, after calling on Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to release a federal stockpile of ventilators.
Cuomo also blasted the Federal Emergency Management Agency for sending the state only 400 ventilators.
“You pick the 2,600 people who are going to die because you only sent 400 ventilators!” he said, practically yelling.
The governor called on the federal government to encourage states to collaborate, as each state will reach its peak in cases at different times and will require the same resources. He called New York “the canary in the coal mine.”
“I will take personal responsibility for transporting the ventilators,” he said. “I’ll send ventilators, I’ll send health care workers, our professionals ... Let’s learn from each other and help each other.”
Advertisement
Without directly mentioning Trump, Cuomo referred to the president’s suggestion Monday that the economy could reopen sooner than expected.
Although he acknowledged the need to consider the economy, Cuomo said it’s important to “focus on the looming crisis” of the growth in COVID-19 cases and ensuing hospital shortages.
“We are not putting a dollar value on human lives. First order of business: Save people’s lives,” Cuomo said, reiterating that there can be an “economic startup strategy that is consistent with a public health strategy.”
On Monday, Cuomo had suggested allowing young people to return to work sooner and testing people who have recovered to ensure they’re no longer carriers of the virus.
— Marina Fang
India To Go Under Complete Lockdown At Midnight — 3/24/20, 11:00 a.m. ET
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the entire country would be placed under a full lockdown for 21 days starting at midnight, insisting that this was the only way to tackle the highly infectious disease. As he explained the concept of exponential transmission through data, Modi said India would pay a high price if people didn’t follow social distancing measures.
However, Modi did not announce any economic relief package, raising concerns about how people with low incomes will survive if they are unable to work for 21 days. News reports have said that poor migrant laborers who have been trying to reach their homes in the midst of the lockdown have been harassed and beaten up by the police. The prime minister also did not clearly outline how Indians could access food, medicine and other essential goods. Many parts of India have already been under a strict lockdown as the number of COVID-19 patients has risen to 519 across the country. Ten people have died so far.
— Sharanya Hrishikesh
The International Olympic Committee and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have agreed to delay the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo until the summer of 2021 at latest, Abe told reporters after speaking with IOC President Thomas Bach. It’s the latest global event to be upended by the pandemic. Read more here.
HPUK March 24 HuffPost US
Advertisement
From today, people in the U.K. must stay at home, with few exceptions. Tens of thousands of nonessential shops are to close. Other premises being shuttered are libraries, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and places of worship. Hotels and campsites will now join pubs, cafes and restaurants in being closed to slow the disease’s spread. And, while parks will remain open for exercise, all social events including weddings and baptisms will be stopped. Funerals, however, can continue. Here is a full guide to the U.K. lockdown. — James Martin China To Lift Lockdown In Most Of Virus-Hit Hubei Province — 3/24/20, 3:40 a.m. ET Chinese authorities announced Tuesday they would end a two-month lockdown of most of the virus-hit Hubei province at midnight, The Associated Press reported. People with a clean bill of health will be allowed to leave, the provincial government said. The city of Wuhan, where the outbreak started in late December, will remain locked down until April 8. China barred people from leaving or entering Wuhan starting Jan. 23 in a surprise middle-of-the-night announcement and expanded it to most of the province in succeeding days. Train service and flights were canceled and checkpoints set up on roads into the central province. The drastic steps came as a new coronavirus began spreading to the rest of China and overseas during the Lunar New Year holiday, when many Chinese travel. The virus raged for weeks in Wuhan; however, the outbreak has gradually been brought under control there, and Hubei has seen almost no new infections for more than a week. — James Martin Johns Hopkins Official Attacks Trump For Wanting To Ease Restrictions Meant To Curb Coronavirus ― 3/23/20, 10:45 p.m. ET The director of Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Health Security criticized President Donald Trump and his allies in a lengthy Twitter thread on Monday for wanting to ease economic and social restrictions meant to ease the spread of coronavirus.
In last 24 hrs there've been prominent US voices calling for a stop to social distancing, citing rationale that they're worse than impact of COVID itself. It’s worth looking very closely at that claim, where we are in US COVID epidemic and what happens if we stop. 1/x — Tom Inglesby (@T_Inglesby) March 23, 2020
“In last 24 hrs there’ve been prominent US voices calling for a stop to social distancing, citing rationale that they’re worse than impact of COVID itself,” Tom Inglesby tweeted. “These big social distancing measures take time to work. … To drop all these measures now would be to accept that COVID pts will get sick in extraordinary numbers all over the country, far beyond what the US health care system could bear.” The remarks came hours after the White House’s daily coronavirus briefing, in which Trump claimed that the U.S. will see more deaths by keeping the restrictions in place than by COVID-19 itself. ― Sanjana Karanth Trump Claims U.S. Will See More Death By Keeping Economy Shut Than By Coronavirus ― 3/23/20, 9:55 p.m. ET President Donald Trump’s insistence on downplaying the coronavirus risks reached dangerous levels on Monday as he scoffed at medical advice and proposed opening up the economy despite skyrocketing case numbers. There are “certain hot spots like New York,” and the federal government has to work on those spots, “but at the same time, at a certain point, we have to get open, and we have to get moving,” Trump said. He added that “we can do two things at one time” before again bringing up flu deaths and motor vehicle fatalities. “We have a very active flu season, more active than most. It’s looking like it’s heading to 50,000 or more deaths ― deaths, not cases. Fifty-thousand deaths ― which is, that’s a lot,” he said. “And you look at automobile accidents, which are far greater than any numbers we’re talking about. That doesn’t mean we’re going to tell everybody no more driving of cars. So we have to do things to get our country open.” As reporters pushed the president on why he would open up businesses when the country is seeing COVID-19 deaths occur at a faster rate, Trump said that more people would die from economic and social restrictions than from allowing the virus to spread. “You have suicides over things like this, when you have terrible economies,” he said, adding that “the cure has been very tough.” ― Sanjana Karanth


huffpost--2020-03-16--No, Keri Hilson, 5G Did Not Cause Coronavirus [Update]

“ We ’ re being bamboozled , ” Riley said .
“ We ’ re being made to believe so many things that is not the truth .
It ’ s not for me to say , I feel like my brothers and sisters need to know .
The corona , everybody know by now what it really is .
It ’ s really about this new world order that they ’ re trying to put in with these G5 connections.
” Last week , several cell towers were set ablaze in the U.K. in acts that were most likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the towers wasn ’ t even used for 5G , but for 2G , 3G and 4G networks serving thousands of people in the Birmingham area .
A spokesperson told the outlet that the damage to that tower was “ significant.
” “ People have been trying to warn us about 5G for YEARS .
Petitions , organizations , studies ... what we ’ re going thru is the affects [ sic ] of radiation , ” Hilson tweeted on Sunday night , March 15 .
“ 5G launched in CHINA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped dead .
See attached & go to my IG stories for more .
TURN OFF 5G by disabling LTE !
!
!
” On Instagram , Hilson shared a nearly nine-minute video of Dr. Thomas Cowan , a holistic physician based in San Francisco , giving a lecture linking 5G to the virus .
In her caption , she also suggested that African countries aren ’ t dealing with the virus as severely because “ Africa is not a 5G region , ” even though dozens of cases have been confirmed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Egypt and other countries on the continent .
And some experts have told CNN that the African countries could get hit the hardest by the virus .
“ This is not a conspiracy , it ’ s not a phone , ” Miles-Richardson said about COVID-19 .
“ Coronavirus is an I-Class virus .
There are many and this is an emerging one .
So we ’ re learning about it , and it ’ s not the first time we ’ ve had one emerge , so I think that folks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fall out the sky .
But the fact of the matter is the last two coronaviruses that we were concerned about emerged similarly ... SARS and MERS .
This is yet another.
” A New York Times article last July reported that concerns that new technology is “ likely to be a serious health hazard ” stems partly from research in 2000 by physicist Bill P. Curry .
In a graph , he purportedly showed that as the frequencies from wireless services increased , so did radiation to the brain .
Curry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but his chart was proven faulty .
Experts on the biological effects of electromagnetic radiation explained that his research didn ’ t take the human skin ’ s shielding effect as protection into consideration , according to the Times .
So How Did Some People Link 5G To The Coronavirus ?
Miles-Richardson said a few things are at play here .
One major challenge she ’ s noted since the initial outbreak is that the public health community , especially its leaders , haven ’ t made information as accessible and palatable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public .
She said the emphasis on testing and deaths has led to paranoia and people wanting to be able to gain control .
“ All social media is certainly not bad , but social media is as good as its source , and so there are a lot of things that are floating around in social media that people are picking up , ” she told HuffPost .
“ And a lot of it is in jest , which is frustrating because it ’ s not a funny situation , but a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about if you ’ re Black and you had this experience then you ’ re immune and people are starting to take that to heart.
” Hilson has 4.2 million Twitter followers and 2.3 million Instagram followers , so her spreading of misinformation has huge implications .
The 37-year-old doubled down on raising doubts about the cause of the coronavirus , saying on a March 16 Instagram post , “ Could this be causing a contagious virus , or could it not be a virus at all , and companies/countries are sworn to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scary ?
” “ Certainly someone who is a star or somebody who has that kind of a platform , folks want to latch onto somebody they can trust and they feel like they can trust this person and it ’ s just not founded , ” she said .
“ It ’ s not founded on anything that makes sense , but folks don ’ t have anything else to latch onto.
” “ I think that we have to do that , places like Morehouse School of Medicine , and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church leaders and get that to our radio stations and to the types of outlets that people of color listen to , ” she said .
“ There are many churches who moved to online formats on Sunday , but there were many churches who had folks in the building and it ’ s not the time for that .
It ’ s the time for social distancing , but if they don ’ t get that information in a way they can receive it , then it ’ s not heeded .
@

LOADING ERROR LOADING
UPDATE: April 6 ― Keri Hilson may have deleted her social media posts about 5G wireless technology being linked to the coronavirus, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t spreading dangerous misinformation.
On Sunday, music producer Teddy Riley claimed that the virus was being spread through cellular towers in an Instagram Live chat with Charlamagne Tha God.
Advertisement
“We’re being bamboozled,” Riley said. “We’re being made to believe so many things that is not the truth. It’s not for me to say, I feel like my brothers and sisters need to know. The corona, everybody know by now what it really is. It’s really about this new world order that they’re trying to put in with these G5 connections.”
Other celebrities, including rapper M.I.A. and actor Woody Harrelson, have also been sharing false information on their platforms. And the 5G conspiracy theory has been spreading rapidly.
Last week, several cell towers were set ablaze in the U.K. in acts that were most likely arson, NBC reported. At least one of the towers wasn’t even used for 5G, but for 2G, 3G and 4G networks serving thousands of people in the Birmingham area. A spokesperson told the outlet that the damage to that tower was “significant.”
NBC also reported on a video of a U.K. woman harassing two engineers laying 5G fiber optic cables. In the video, which is getting attention on Twitter, the woman accuses them of laying wires that kill people.
Advertisement
PREVIOUSLY:
Just when we thought we were done with damage control from the lie that Black people can’t contract COVID-19, Keri Hilson comes along with more dangerous misinformation about the coronavirus.
Keri Hilson shared a conspiracy theory on social media claiming that 5G service is linked to the coronavirus outbreak. Prince Williams via Getty Images
The “Pretty Girl Rock” singer shared a series of tweets with screenshots and videos that implied that the creation of 5G cellular service is directly related to the spread of COVID-19.
“People have been trying to warn us about 5G for YEARS. Petitions, organizations, studies ... what we’re going thru is the affects [sic] of radiation,” Hilson tweeted on Sunday night, March 15. “5G launched in CHINA. Nov 1, 2019. People dropped dead. See attached & go to my IG stories for more. TURN OFF 5G by disabling LTE!!!”
People have been trying to warn us about 5G for YEARS. Petitions, organizations, studies...what we’re going thru is the affects of radiation.
5G launched in CHINA. Nov 1, 2019. People dropped dead. See attached & go to my IG stories for more. TURN OFF 5G by disabling LTE!!! pic.twitter.com/wzLH8cXStZ — Keri Hilson (@KeriHilson) March 16, 2020
Advertisement
On Instagram, Hilson shared a nearly nine-minute video of Dr. Thomas Cowan, a holistic physician based in San Francisco, giving a lecture linking 5G to the virus. In her caption, she also suggested that African countries aren’t dealing with the virus as severely because “Africa is not a 5G region,” even though dozens of cases have been confirmed in Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt and other countries on the continent. And some experts have told CNN that the African countries could get hit the hardest by the virus.
The singer’s posts went viral, as many people online called her out for spreading misinformation. But an alarming number of people commented on and shared her posts as if Hilson was providing credible information.
Hilson’s assertion is wrong and dangerous, experts told HuffPost. Dr. Stephanie Miles-Richardson, the associate dean of graduate education in public health at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, said she was “shocked” and “taken aback” when she read Hilson’s claims.
“This is not a conspiracy, it’s not a phone,” Miles-Richardson said about COVID-19. “Coronavirus is an I-Class virus. There are many and this is an emerging one. So we’re learning about it, and it’s not the first time we’ve had one emerge, so I think that folks are trying to make up reasons for this to fall out the sky. But the fact of the matter is the last two coronaviruses that we were concerned about emerged similarly ... SARS and MERS. This is yet another.”
Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, also chimed in to debunk the theory Hilson shared.
Advertisement
“COVID-19 is caused by a virus that came through a natural animal source and has no relation to 5G or any radiation linked to technology,” he told HuffPost via email.
A New York Times article last July reported that concerns that new technology is “likely to be a serious health hazard” stems partly from research in 2000 by physicist Bill P. Curry. In a graph, he purportedly showed that as the frequencies from wireless services increased, so did radiation to the brain. Curry’s theory spread far and wide, but his chart was proven faulty. Experts on the biological effects of electromagnetic radiation explained that his research didn’t take the human skin’s shielding effect as protection into consideration, according to the Times.
So How Did Some People Link 5G To The Coronavirus?
Miles-Richardson said a few things are at play here. One major challenge she’s noted since the initial outbreak is that the public health community, especially its leaders, haven’t made information as accessible and palatable as it needs to be for the public. She said the emphasis on testing and deaths has led to paranoia and people wanting to be able to gain control.
The other issue is how fast wrong information can spread on social media. Miles-Richardson said this is especially harmful for communities who seek social media for information.
“All social media is certainly not bad, but social media is as good as its source, and so there are a lot of things that are floating around in social media that people are picking up,” she told HuffPost. “And a lot of it is in jest, which is frustrating because it’s not a funny situation, but a lot of it is cute little anecdotes about if you’re Black and you had this experience then you’re immune and people are starting to take that to heart.”
Advertisement
Hilson has 4.2 million Twitter followers and 2.3 million Instagram followers, so her spreading of misinformation has huge implications. The 37-year-old doubled down on raising doubts about the cause of the coronavirus, saying on a March 16 Instagram post, “Could this be causing a contagious virus, or could it not be a virus at all, and companies/countries are sworn to pass it off as something much less scary?”
Why Hilson’s Comments Are Dangerous
Her comments are dangerous given how much scientists and doctors still don’t know about COVID-19. It’s especially irresponsible considering that Black people likely face a greater risk of dying from the virus and Hilson’s fanbase is predominantly Black.
Miles-Richardson said she understands how mistrust in larger institutions can lead Black communities to seek information from those who look like them at a time when information about the virus hasn’t been as widespread as it should be.
“Certainly someone who is a star or somebody who has that kind of a platform, folks want to latch onto somebody they can trust and they feel like they can trust this person and it’s just not founded,” she said. “It’s not founded on anything that makes sense, but folks don’t have anything else to latch onto.”
To combat misinformation, Miles-Richardson said credible information about the pandemic needs to disseminated more widely in places and from sources that Black people trust.
Advertisement
“I think that we have to do that, places like Morehouse School of Medicine, and then get that to our churches, our church leaders and get that to our radio stations and to the types of outlets that people of color listen to,” she said. “There are many churches who moved to online formats on Sunday, but there were many churches who had folks in the building and it’s not the time for that. It’s the time for social distancing, but if they don’t get that information in a way they can receive it, then it’s not heeded.”


huffpost--2020-03-07--'Daily Show’ Rips Trump’s Coronavirus Response With Scathing ‘Pandumbic’ Warning

President Donald Trump is “ patient zero ” of a looming “ pandumbic ” in a scathing , spoof news @ @ @ @ @ Daily Show With Trevor Noah ” on Friday .
The 68-second clip ― a parody @ @ @ @ @ the ongoing coronavirus outbreak ― criticizes Trump ’ s haphazard handling of the crisis by @ @ @ @ @ the “ misinformation virus ” that is “ transmitted directly ” from Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ earshot .
”

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.


huffpost--2020-03-17--How To Create A Schedule For Kids Home From School

So there ’ s a pandemic brewing outside , you ’ re working from home for the foreseeable future , and your kids ’ school has been cancelled for , at the very least , the next few weeks .
A natural question many parents might have is : How on earth can we make this work ?
A ton of parents , the world over , are now in the position where they effectively have to homeschool their kids , in most cases while dealing with their own adult responsibilities .
That ’ s a daunting task , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Well , try to make it work .
And the most important component , experts say , is a schedule .
“ Made this schedule to keep myself and my family sane through the unprecedented weeks ahead , ” she wrote on Facebook .
“ Funny how everything works - it ’ s gotten picked up by behavior groups , doctors , teachers , and has been shared more than 10k times that I know of .
I feel like I just got an official mom trophy 😂 ” Setting up expectations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be beneficial to kids and can help establish structure , Melanie Auerbach , director of student support at D.C. ’ s Sheridan School , told The Washington Post .
So having rules , like telling them they need to get dressed every day ( no pajamas ! )
and that they need to respect your authority in a school setting can help make it easier for everyone .
Generally speaking , sticking to a schedule that ’ s relatively similar to the one they have at school is probably a good bet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re getting up at the same time they usually do , and having lunch at the same time they usually do , it will feel more like their regular school life .
Use the info you already know about your kids As a parent , you have an advantage on teachers , because of how much you already know about your kids .
Think about how and when they learn best .
Are they most alert in the morning , or do they work best in the afternoon ?
Is there anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard ?
That ’ s all useful info to put into your schedule .
And while parents are clearly in charge of the schedule , it ’ s also a good idea to give kids some input , too .
Spending a little more time on the subjects they ’ re most interested in can keep them engaged , and offer a ton of educational and social benefits .
Kids need breaks .
Make sure to factor in down time , alone time , and outdoor play ( if possible ) so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and have fun .
It ’ s also a good idea to build in a lunch break where they ’ re not working .
This is an unprecedented situation , and most parents don ’ t have experience doing this .
So give yourself a break if you don ’ t stick precisely to your schedule .
There are actually some benefits to spending all this time together .
Auerbach suggests finding ways to get creative with learning , like getting kids to put on plays , teach their parents some of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skills to use while cooking .
Lots of things that aren ’ t explicitly academic can be learning opportunities , like taking a walk and looking at the trees and flowers .
Alexandra Stockwell , who homeschools her four kids , recommends taking some quarantine time to do family activities you might otherwise not have time for , like making home videos or writing letters of support to seniors living in isolation .
Some more tips and resources

Westend61 via Getty Images A ton of parents are now in the stuck at home working while their kids are off school for the foreseeable future. But not all hope is lost.
So there’s a pandemic brewing outside, you’re working from home for the foreseeable future, and your kids’ school has been cancelled for, at the very least, the next few weeks. A natural question many parents might have is: How on earth can we make this work?
A ton of parents, the world over, are now in the position where they effectively have to homeschool their kids, in most cases while dealing with their own adult responsibilities. That’s a daunting task, but there are ways to make it work. Well, try to make it work. And the most important component, experts say, is a schedule.
Advertisement
Watch: What is social distancing? Story continues after video.
And plenty of parents are taking matters into their own hands, including HuffPost Canada’s editor-in-chief Andree Lau.
Facing 3 weeks at home together, we set up a schedule for the kids. Partly for my sanity, but it's helped ease a lot of their anxiety — routines are reassuring. (Weekends are still for fun!) Here's a copy if you need ideas: pic.twitter.com/YFLufZfyIs — Andree Lau (@alau2) March 14, 2020
Another that’s been circulating around online, nicknamed the “COVID-19 Daily Schedule,” was created by photographer Jessica McHale.
Advertisement
″Made this schedule to keep myself and my family sane through the unprecedented weeks ahead,” she wrote on Facebook. “Funny how everything works - it’s gotten picked up by behavior groups, doctors, teachers, and has been shared more than 10k times that I know of. I feel like I just got an official mom trophy 😂”
Love this! Credit to Jessica McHale Photography. pic.twitter.com/1miomd1KDI — Missy Kling (@MissyKling) March 14, 2020
Another parent shared their options for kids aged three to seven:
Anyone need a schedule for their kids ages 3-7 for the coming weeks - here's ours. #covid #pcghomeschool pic.twitter.com/HucAK9zhIj — Neda Laiteerapong, MD, MS (@nedalai) March 15, 2020
Writer and artist Sarah Lazarovic made this creatively oriented schedule for herself, her husband and their two kids, ages six and nine.
Sarah Lazarovic A daily schedule for two kids (ages 6 and 9) and their parents.
Advertisement
If you’re trying to figure out how to create a schedule for your kid, here are some tips.
Set a routine
Setting up expectations in the same way teachers do can be beneficial to kids and can help establish structure, said Melanie Auerbach, director of student support at D.C.’s Sheridan School, to The Washington Post. So having rules, like telling them they need to get dressed every day (no pyjamas!) and that they need to respect your authority in a school setting can help make it easier for everyone.
So many educational resources online
Generally speaking, sticking to a schedule that’s relatively similar to the one they have at school is probably a good bet, according to Time Magazine. If they’re getting up at the same time they usually do, and having lunch at the same time they usually do, it will feel more like their regular school life.
Use the info you already have about your kids
As a parent, you have an advantage on teachers, because of how much you already know about your kids. Think about how and when they learn best. Are they most alert in the morning, or do they work best in the afternoon? Is there anything specific that really motivates them to work hard? That’s all useful info to put into your schedule.
And while parents are clearly in charge of the schedule, it’s also a good idea to give kids some input, too. Spending a little more time on the subjects they’re most interested in can keep them engaged, and offer a ton of educational and social benefits.
Advertisement
Build in breaks, recess, and lunch
Kids need breaks. Make sure to factor in down time, alone time, and outdoor play (if possible) so that kids can recharge, chill out, and have fun. It’s also a good idea to build in a lunch break where they’re not working.
Be realistic
This is an unprecedented situation, and most parents don’t have experience doing this. So give yourself a break if you don’t stick precisely to your schedule.
Make it fun
There are actually some benefits to spending all this time together. Auerbach suggests finding ways to get creative with learning, like getting kids to put on plays, teach their parents some of their favourite subjects, or put their math skills to use while cooking. Lots of things that aren’t explicitly academic can be learning opportunities, like taking a walk and looking at the trees and flowers.
Alexandra Stockwell, who homeschools her four kids, recommends taking some quarantine time to do family activities you might otherwise not have time for, like making home videos or writing letters of support to seniors living in isolation.
Some more tips and resources
Make sure you talk to your kids about what’s going on. They might not fully understand what the coronavirus is, but they’re definitely picking up on some of the stress and anxiety floating around, and might have heard some misinformation from their friends. Make sure to talk to them about what’s happening in an age-appropriate way, and really listen to their concerns.
Look for summer reading lists. Many schools, libraries, book store or other online resources can suggest books for your child’s age group.
Many schools, libraries, book store or other online resources can suggest books for your child’s age group. Check out your province’s ministry of education website. They can likely provide you with some info about what’s going on and the education priorities for your child’s grade, and may also have some local tips for parents in your area.
They can likely provide you with some info about what’s going on and the education priorities for your child’s grade, and may also have some local tips for parents in your area. Check out this endless list of resources. There are dozens and dozens of educational tool online, many of which are free or are offering discounted rates during the outbreak. Check out Amazing Educational Resources, which is updated with new links every few hours.


huffpost--2020-03-27--In Iran, False Belief A Poison Fights Virus Kills Hundreds

TEHRAN , Iran ( AP ) — Standing over the still body of an intubated 5-year-old boy wearing nothing but a plastic diaper , an Iranian health care worker in a hazmat suit and mask begged the public for just one thing : Stop drinking industrial alcohol over fears about the new coronavirus .
The boy , now blind after his parents gave him toxic methanol in the mistaken belief it protects against the virus , is just one of hundreds of victims of an epidemic inside the pandemic now gripping Iran .
Iranian media report nearly 300 people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far by ingesting methanol across the Islamic Republic , where drinking alcohol is banned and where those who do rely on bootleggers .
An Iranian doctor helping the country ’ s Health Ministry told The Associated Press on Friday the problem was even greater , giving a death toll of around 480 with 2,850 people sickened .
“ Other countries have only one problem , which is the new coronavirus pandemic .
But we are fighting on two fronts here , ” said Dr. Hossein Hassanian , an adviser to Iran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures to the AP .
“ We have to both cure the people with alcohol poisoning and also fight the coronavirus.
” For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , or death .
As of now , there is no known cure for COVID-19 , the illness caused by the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus and search for effective medicines and a vaccine .
But in messages forwarded and forwarded again , Iranian social media accounts in Farsi falsely suggested a British school teacher and others cured themselves of the coronavirus with whiskey and honey , based on a tabloid story from early February .
Mixed with messages about the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers , some wrongly believed drinking high-proof alcohol would kill the virus in their bodies .
The Islamic Republic has reported over 29,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,200 deaths from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country in the Middle East .
International experts also fear Iran may be under-reporting its cases , as officials for days played down the virus ahead of a parliamentary election .
That fear of the virus , coupled with poor education and internet rumors , saw dozens sickened by drinking bootleg alcohol containing methanol in Iran ’ s southwestern Khuzestan province and its southern city of Shiraz .
Videos aired by Iranian media showed patients with IVs stuck in their arms , laying on beds otherwise needed for the fight against the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian media also reported cases in the cities of Karaj and Yazd .
In Iran , the government mandates that manufacturers of toxic methanol add an artificial color to their products so the public can tell it apart from ethanol , the kind of alcohol that can be used in cleaning wounds .
Ethanol is also the kind of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages , though its production is illegal in Iran .
Some bootleggers in Iran use methanol , adding a splash of bleach to mask the added color before selling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with consumable alcohol to stretch supply , other times it comes as methanol , falsely advertised as drinkable , Hovda said .
Methanol also can contaminate traditionally fermented alcohol .
“ The virus is spreading and people are just dying off , and I think they are even less aware of the fact that there are other dangers around , ” Hovda said .
“ When they keep drinking this , there ’ s going to be more people poisoned.
” Other Muslim nations that ban their citizens from drinking also see such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the only one in the pandemic so far to turn toward it as a fake cure .
In Buddhist Cambodia , police said they seized 4,200 liters ( 1,100 gallons ) of methanol from a man who unwittingly planned to make toxic hand sanitizer because of the virus outbreak .
“ Every year during Nowruz , or the Persian New Year holidays that begin March 21 , my customers double , ” said Rafik , an Iranian-Armenian who makes vodka in the basement of his Tehran home .
He spoke on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used for fear of arrest .
“ This year , because of corona , it jumped up by four- or five-fold .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Standing over the still body of an intubated 5-year-old boy wearing nothing but a plastic diaper, an Iranian health care worker in a hazmat suit and mask begged the public for just one thing: Stop drinking industrial alcohol over fears about the new coronavirus.
The boy, now blind after his parents gave him toxic methanol in the mistaken belief it protects against the virus, is just one of hundreds of victims of an epidemic inside the pandemic now gripping Iran.
Advertisement
Iranian media report nearly 300 people have been killed and more than 1,000 sickened so far by ingesting methanol across the Islamic Republic, where drinking alcohol is banned and where those who do rely on bootleggers. An Iranian doctor helping the country’s Health Ministry told The Associated Press on Friday the problem was even greater, giving a death toll of around 480 with 2,850 people sickened.
The poisonings come as fake remedies spread across social media in Iran, where people remain deeply suspicious of the government after it downplayed the crisis for days before it overwhelmed the country.
“Other countries have only one problem, which is the new coronavirus pandemic. But we are fighting on two fronts here,” said Dr. Hossein Hassanian, an adviser to Iran’s Health Ministry who gave the higher figures to the AP. “We have to both cure the people with alcohol poisoning and also fight the coronavirus.”
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
Advertisement
The pandemic has swept across the world, overwhelming hospitals, crippling economies and forcing governments to restrict the movements of billions of people. Particularly hard hit has been Iran, home to 80 million people.
As of now, there is no known cure for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Scientists and doctors continue to study the virus and search for effective medicines and a vaccine.
But in messages forwarded and forwarded again, Iranian social media accounts in Farsi falsely suggested a British school teacher and others cured themselves of the coronavirus with whiskey and honey, based on a tabloid story from early February. Mixed with messages about the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, some wrongly believed drinking high-proof alcohol would kill the virus in their bodies.
The Islamic Republic has reported over 29,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,200 deaths from the virus, the highest toll of any country in the Middle East. International experts also fear Iran may be under-reporting its cases, as officials for days played down the virus ahead of a parliamentary election.
That fear of the virus, coupled with poor education and internet rumors, saw dozens sickened by drinking bootleg alcohol containing methanol in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province and its southern city of Shiraz. Videos aired by Iranian media showed patients with IVs stuck in their arms, laying on beds otherwise needed for the fight against the coronavirus, including the intubated 5-year-old boy. Iranian media also reported cases in the cities of Karaj and Yazd.
Advertisement
In Iran, the government mandates that manufacturers of toxic methanol add an artificial color to their products so the public can tell it apart from ethanol, the kind of alcohol that can be used in cleaning wounds. Ethanol is also the kind of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, though its production is illegal in Iran.
Some bootleggers in Iran use methanol, adding a splash of bleach to mask the added color before selling it as drinkable. Sometimes it is mixed with consumable alcohol to stretch supply, other times it comes as methanol, falsely advertised as drinkable, Hovda said. Methanol also can contaminate traditionally fermented alcohol.
Methanol cannot be smelled or tasted in drinks. It causes delayed organ and brain damage. Symptoms include chest pain, nausea, hyperventilation, blindness and even coma.
Hassanian said his figures included reports from coroner’s offices around Iran also counting those who died outside of hospitals from the poisonings.
“Unfortunately in some provinces, including Khuzestan and Fars, deaths from drinking methanol has exceeded the number of deaths from the new coronavirus,” he said.
Advertisement
Dr. Knut Erik Hovda, a clinical toxicologist in Oslo, said to expect more methanol poisoning victims.
“The virus is spreading and people are just dying off, and I think they are even less aware of the fact that there are other dangers around,” Hovda said. “When they keep drinking this, there’s going to be more people poisoned.”
Even before the outbreak, methanol poisoning had taken a toll in Iran. One academic study found methanol poisoning sickened 768 people in Iran between September and October 2018 alone, killing 76.
Other Muslim nations that ban their citizens from drinking also see such methanol poisoning, although Iran appears to be the only one in the pandemic so far to turn toward it as a fake cure. In Buddhist Cambodia, police said they seized 4,200 liters (1,100 gallons) of methanol from a man who unwittingly planned to make toxic hand sanitizer because of the virus outbreak.
Muslim drinkers in Iran can be punished with cash fines and 80 lashes. However, minority Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians can drink alcoholic beverages in private.
Advertisement
While police occasionally announce alcohol busts, the trade in nontoxic alcohol also continues. Locally made Iranian arak from fermented raisins, known as Aragh sagi, sells for $10 for a 1.5-liter bottle. Imported vodka sells for $40 a bottle.
“Every year during Nowruz, or the Persian New Year holidays that begin March 21, my customers double,” said Rafik, an Iranian-Armenian who makes vodka in the basement of his Tehran home. He spoke on the condition that only his first name be used for fear of arrest. “This year, because of corona, it jumped up by four- or five-fold.”
Farhad, a self-described heavy drinker who lives in central Tehran, said alcohol remains easy to find for those looking for it.
“Even you can find it offered when you are walking down the street, “ he said.
Since 1979, Iran’s 40 alcohol factories have seen their production changed to pharmaceutical needs and sanitizers. Others had been left idle, like the abandoned Shams alcohol factory east of Tehran.
But now, in a time when even some mosques in Iran hand out high-proof alcohol as a sanitizer, officials plan to start work again at Shams to produce 22,000 liters of 99% alcohol a day.
Advertisement
___
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Mehdi Fattahi in Tehran and Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed.
___


huffpost--2020-03-19--HBO Max Delays 'Friends' Reunion Special: Report

The show was scheduled to be filmed on Monday and Tuesday on the Warner Bros .
Studio lot in Burbank @ @ @ @ @ plans apparently were shelved as part of the nationwide social distancing caused by the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ Reporter that the taping has been delayed until at least May .
HBO Max officials @ @ @ @ @ a HuffPost request for comment .
HBO Max , the new streaming home for the @ @ @ @ @ to debut in May and the reunion special was supposed to have kicked things off @ @ @ @ @ stars Matthew Perry , Courteney Cox , Lisa Kudrow , Matt LeBlanc , David Schwimmer @ @ @ @ @ each being paid between $ 3 million and $ 4 million for appearing on the @ @ @ @ @ also feature series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The show was scheduled to be filmed on Monday and Tuesday on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank, California, but those plans apparently were shelved as part of the nationwide social distancing caused by the pandemic.
Advertisement
Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the taping has been delayed until at least May. HBO Max officials did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment.
HBO Max, the new streaming home for the classic sitcom, is set to debut in May and the reunion special was supposed to have kicked things off with a bang.
Series stars Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston are reportedly each being paid between $3 million and $4 million for appearing on the hour-long special, which will also feature series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman.


huffpost--2020-03-19--How To Eat Healthy While Working From Home

Successful freelancers swear by routines — washing your face , putting on real clothes and setting smartphone boundaries — and those recommendations extend to eating .
Nutritional therapist and longtime work-from-homer Wilma MacDonald told HuffPost that snacking here and there is the biggest mistake she sees new remote workers make .
She recommends setting up your day like any regular working day , with a lunch break , a few smaller breaks and a focus on the most important meal : breakfast .
“ Eat breakfast away from your desk before you start work , ” MacDonald said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nut butter and fruit , or avocado and eggs on toast .
Protein-rich breakfasts keep you full and keep your sugar levels balanced so you ’ re not looking for a snack in an hour.
” Lucille Whiting , founder of jewelry brand Sophia Alexander , has juggled working from home with five kids for the past 14 years .
She recognizes schedules are a bit crazy , but finds following the needs of her children works best .
“ I try to eat when the children are eating , so breakfast with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon nap and dinner all together in the evening , ” she told HuffPost .
“ I buy or make cakes and biscuits for the children after mealtimes , but often make just enough for them to help me avoid temptation.
” When You Can , Eat Away From Your Desk It ’ s easy to think eating breakfast or lunch at your desk could help you end the day early , but work-from-home veterans know it rarely works this way .
There ’ s always something more to do , and your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s why MacDonald suggests eating all meals away from not just your desk , but your tech .
Whiting agrees — she institutes a no-tech at dinnertime rule — but she will work through lunch when her kids are occupied .
For her , parenting while working from home is all about being flexible .
“ Having a total break from work helps clear my mind , but if I ’ m on my own when the children are sleeping or out , I almost always eat lunch at my desk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s always the temptation to keep working and get as much done as possible .
Having the children around gives my day a healthy structure.
” Those new to the work-from-home lifestyle are often astounded by how much coffee they drink .
If you brew a pot , you don ’ t want to waste any , and you end up drinking way more than you ever would at work .
Surprisingly , this isn ’ t the worst thing you could do for your health .
The FDA says 400 milligrams ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coffee ) is typically safe , depending on the person .
The important thing is timing .
“ If you drink caffeine , have your coffee between 9 and 11 a.m. , ” MacDonald said .
“ This is the best time to have caffeine so that it doesn ’ t interrupt your natural sleep and wake cycle by triggering a release of adrenaline and setting you up for a crash in an hour.
” Coffee gets people out of bed in the morning , but the same can ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the CDC showed most American adults between 20 to 60 years old drink barely enough water , while adults over age 60 drink less than recommended .
In addition to hydration benefits , MacDonald says water can help people feel full , because thirst is often mistaken for hunger .
You don ’ t want to overdo it with snacking , but you also don ’ t want to starve yourself .
That ’ s why MacDonald recommends taking personal inventory prior to hitting the refrigerator .
“ Before you head to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ Are you eating because you ’ re hungry or because you ’ re bored , stressed , annoyed or lonely ?
We eat our emotions from time to time .
Feel those feelings — especially now — then have a drink of water.
” When it is hunger , not procrastination or emotions , MacDonald leans on go-to snacks like chopped carrots , pepper , celery with hummus , or stuffed dates with nut butter .
“ Smoothies are also good to have because they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boost of goodness , ” she said .
“ Start with a base of a green vegetable , add fruit , some protein like chia seeds or protein powder , and some fat like nut butter.
” Whiting says fruit is her favorite snack , and it ’ s something her children can enjoy , too .
“ I have loads of apples and pears around , which is easy with small children , ” she said .
“ I buy a lot so they have healthy things to snack on , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hungry between meals.
” But sometimes , snacking isn ’ t the answer .
Judy Bartkowiak , author and neuro-linguistic programming ( NLP ) trainer and 30-year work-from-home veteran , sticks to a disciplined , no-snack approach .
“ I eat a big healthy breakfast , and stick to eating three times a day , ” she told HuffPost .
“ That way , I don ’ t even think of going to the fridge during the work day except to get something at lunchtime.
” Nutrition is highly personal , and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for another .
That ’ s why MacDonald recommends journaling during your first few weeks working at home .
“ Keep track of how you ’ re feeling over the course of the day energy-wise , and keep a food diary to see any patterns emerging , ” she said .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Working from home during the coronavirus pandemic means distractions like water coolers and small talk are in the rearview mirror, but in the era of social distancing, one major work-from-home distraction remains: the refrigerator.
Have a deadline? Sure, but first, you should probably check on last night’s leftovers — just for a quick little bite. Starting a project? You’ll need brain food, obviously. Of course, you’ve already had breakfast (and lunch — and snacks).
Advertisement
Food can be a remote worker’s worst enemy, and sometimes the efficiency of working from home leads to people straight-up forgetting to eat at all.
Since overeating and undereating aren’t sustainable habits, we talked with veteran remote workers about their tried-and-true strategies for eating healthily while working from home.
Stick To A Schedule
Successful freelancers swear by routines — washing your face, putting on real clothes and setting smartphone boundaries — and those recommendations extend to eating. Nutritional therapist and longtime work-from-homer Wilma MacDonald told HuffPost that snacking here and there is the biggest mistake she sees new remote workers make. She recommends setting up your day like any regular working day, with a lunch break, a few smaller breaks and a focus on the most important meal: breakfast.
“Eat breakfast away from your desk before you start work,” MacDonald said. “Think of something like warm oats with nut butter and fruit, or avocado and eggs on toast. Protein-rich breakfasts keep you full and keep your sugar levels balanced so you’re not looking for a snack in an hour.”
Advertisement
Prostock-Studio via Getty Images Try not to eat within reach of your desk while working remotely. It's important to take mental breaks and unplug.
Lucille Whiting, founder of jewelry brand Sophia Alexander, has juggled working from home with five kids for the past 14 years. She recognizes schedules are a bit crazy, but finds following the needs of her children works best. “I try to eat when the children are eating, so breakfast with my toddler, lunch together before his afternoon nap and dinner all together in the evening,” she told HuffPost. “I buy or make cakes and biscuits for the children after mealtimes, but often make just enough for them to help me avoid temptation.”
When You Can, Eat Away From Your Desk
It’s easy to think eating breakfast or lunch at your desk could help you end the day early, but work-from-home veterans know it rarely works this way. There’s always something more to do, and your focus dwindles without dedicated breaks. That’s why MacDonald suggests eating all meals away from not just your desk, but your tech.
Whiting agrees — she institutes a no-tech at dinnertime rule — but she will work through lunch when her kids are occupied. For her, parenting while working from home is all about being flexible. “Having a total break from work helps clear my mind, but if I’m on my own when the children are sleeping or out, I almost always eat lunch at my desk,” she said. “There’s always the temptation to keep working and get as much done as possible. Having the children around gives my day a healthy structure.”
Set Caffeine Boundaries And Increase Hydration
Those new to the work-from-home lifestyle are often astounded by how much coffee they drink. If you brew a pot, you don’t want to waste any, and you end up drinking way more than you ever would at work. Surprisingly, this isn’t the worst thing you could do for your health. The FDA says 400 milligrams (the equivalent of four to five cups of coffee) is typically safe, depending on the person. The important thing is timing.
Advertisement
“If you drink caffeine, have your coffee between 9 and 11 a.m.,” MacDonald said. “This is the best time to have caffeine so that it doesn’t interrupt your natural sleep and wake cycle by triggering a release of adrenaline and setting you up for a crash in an hour.”
yagmradam via Getty Images Try not to drink coffee after 11 a.m., to avoid disturbing your sleep cycle.
Coffee gets people out of bed in the morning, but the same can’t be said for water. A 2016 report by the CDC showed most American adults between 20 to 60 years old drink barely enough water, while adults over age 60 drink less than recommended. In addition to hydration benefits, MacDonald says water can help people feel full, because thirst is often mistaken for hunger.
Whiting’s go-to hydration trick is to make water easily accessible. “I keep a pint glass of water on the worktop at all times,” she said. “The glass sitting there acts as a reminder, and it helps me avoid unnecessary snacking when I’m not really hungry.”
Keep Healthy Snacks Ready
You don’t want to overdo it with snacking, but you also don’t want to starve yourself. That’s why MacDonald recommends taking personal inventory prior to hitting the refrigerator. “Before you head to the snacks, check in with yourself,” she said. “Are you eating because you’re hungry or because you’re bored, stressed, annoyed or lonely? We eat our emotions from time to time. Feel those feelings — especially now — then have a drink of water.”
Advertisement
When it is hunger, not procrastination or emotions, MacDonald leans on go-to snacks like chopped carrots, pepper, celery with hummus, or stuffed dates with nut butter. “Smoothies are also good to have because they’re hydrating and you’re getting a boost of goodness,” she said. “Start with a base of a green vegetable, add fruit, some protein like chia seeds or protein powder, and some fat like nut butter.”
Whiting says fruit is her favorite snack, and it’s something her children can enjoy, too. “I have loads of apples and pears around, which is easy with small children,” she said. “I buy a lot so they have healthy things to snack on, and I buy extra for whenever I get hungry between meals.”
But sometimes, snacking isn’t the answer. Judy Bartkowiak, author and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) trainer and 30-year work-from-home veteran, sticks to a disciplined, no-snack approach. “I eat a big healthy breakfast, and stick to eating three times a day,” she told HuffPost. “That way, I don’t even think of going to the fridge during the work day except to get something at lunchtime.”
Keep A Food Journal
Nutrition is highly personal, and what works for one person may not work for another. That’s why MacDonald recommends journaling during your first few weeks working at home. “Keep track of how you’re feeling over the course of the day energy-wise, and keep a food diary to see any patterns emerging,” she said.
At the same time, self-isolation due to a pandemic is different than casually working from home. It’s all about adapting to these emotional weeks and months, and taking life in stride.
Advertisement


huffpost--2020-05-06--Supreme Court Appears Divided In Critical Birth Control Case

At issue is a regulation under the Affordable Care Act that requires employer-provided health insurance to include coverage for birth control without a copay .
This is the third time that the contraceptive mandate has reached the Supreme Court , but the first since Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh joined the bench .
The current case centers on rules issued after President Donald Trump took office that would allow almost any employer to opt out of providing birth control coverage by citing religious or moral objections .
Pennsylvania and New Jersey sued , and the rules were blocked by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Little Sisters of the Poor , an order of Catholic nuns , appealed .
Women will have to hunt for other ways to be covered , she added , and if they are not covered by a government program , to pay out of their own pocket for contraceptives .
But Kavanaugh , whose vote could be key in deciding the case , said , “ There are very strong interests on both sides here , which is what makes the case difficult.
” “ There ’ s religious liberty for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s the interest in ensuring women ’ s access to health care and preventive services , which is also a critical interest , ” the conservative justice said .
“ So the question becomes , who decides how to balance those interests ?
” The Obama administration exempted houses of worship and provided a compromise for other religious nonprofits so that they didn ’ t have to offer coverage but employees could still get contraceptives .
Under the accommodation , religious nonprofits notified their insurers of their objection and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This accommodation was extended to some for-profit corporations as a result of a 2014 case , Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores .
The rules issued by the Trump administration in 2017 broadly expanded who could opt out of providing birth control coverage , and also made it optional for employers to provide an accommodation for employees to access birth control .
“ What this case is about is not the resolution of a long-running dispute , but rather the assertion of vast agency authority at the expense of Congress and the courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Michael Fischer .
U.S .
Solicitor General Noel Francisco , who argued on behalf of the Trump administration , said the exemptions are authorized under the ACA and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act , and were issued “ in the best traditions of this country ’ s commitment to religious liberty.
” When cost is not a barrier to birth control , patients are better able to choose the method that meets their needs and have access to it consistently and affordably , said Kristyn Brandi , board chair of Physicians for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential component of health care .
Its necessary coverage should not be lost to the whim of employers , ” she said .
“ It not only allows people to plan and space their pregnancies in a way that is best for their health and their families , but also helps manage a variety of health conditions.
” “ It ’ s deeply concerning that in the middle of a public health crisis , the Trump administration is continuing to defend a policy that threatens access to birth control for millions of women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acting president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund .
“ This case highlights the lengths the administration will go to attack people ’ s fundamental right to control their own bodies , at a time when we should be coming together to support one another .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The Supreme Court appeared divided Wednesday during arguments in a major case pitting women’s access to free contraceptive care against employers’ claims of religious liberty.
At issue is a regulation under the Affordable Care Act that requires employer-provided health insurance to include coverage for birth control without a copay. This is the third time that the contraceptive mandate has reached the Supreme Court, but the first since Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh joined the bench.
Advertisement
The current case centers on rules issued after President Donald Trump took office that would allow almost any employer to opt out of providing birth control coverage by citing religious or moral objections. Pennsylvania and New Jersey sued, and the rules were blocked by lower courts. The Trump administration and the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Catholic nuns, appealed.
Arguments in Trump v. Pennsylvania, consolidated with Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania, were conducted via telephone conference and aired live due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg participated from a Maryland hospital where she is currently being treated for an infection caused by a gallstone.
Ginsburg said the Trump administration’s decision to weaken the mandate “tossed to the wind entirely Congress’ instruction, which is that women need and shall have seamless, no cost, comprehensive coverage.”
Advertisement
The Supreme Court this week heard arguments by phone for the first time ever. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Women will have to hunt for other ways to be covered, she added, and if they are not covered by a government program, to pay out of their own pocket for contraceptives.
That’s “exactly what Congress didn’t want to happen,” she said.
But Kavanaugh, whose vote could be key in deciding the case, said, “There are very strong interests on both sides here, which is what makes the case difficult.”
“There’s religious liberty for the Little Sisters of the Poor and others, there’s the interest in ensuring women’s access to health care and preventive services, which is also a critical interest,” the conservative justice said. “So the question becomes, who decides how to balance those interests?”
The birth control mandate has been hotly litigated since its creation.
The Obama administration exempted houses of worship and provided a compromise for other religious nonprofits so that they didn’t have to offer coverage but employees could still get contraceptives. Under the accommodation, religious nonprofits notified their insurers of their objection and the insurers would then provide the contraceptive care. This accommodation was extended to some for-profit corporations as a result of a 2014 case, Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores.
Advertisement
But some religious objectors were not appeased by the compromise, arguing that even the step of notifying the insurer forced them to violate their beliefs.
The rules issued by the Trump administration in 2017 broadly expanded who could opt out of providing birth control coverage, and also made it optional for employers to provide an accommodation for employees to access birth control.
Much of Wednesday’s hearing centered on whether the Trump administration had the legal authority to expand the exemption under the ACA and another federal law, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
“What this case is about is not the resolution of a long-running dispute, but rather the assertion of vast agency authority at the expense of Congress and the courts,” said Pennsylvania Chief Deputy Attorney General Michael Fischer.
U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, who argued on behalf of the Trump administration, said the exemptions are authorized under the ACA and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and were issued “in the best traditions of this country’s commitment to religious liberty.”
Advertisement
Some of the justices appeared frustrated that the two sides have been unable to come to a compromise.
“Is it really the case that there is no way to resolve those differences?” Chief Justice John Roberts asked at one point.
The last time the mandate was heard at the court, in 2016, the justices sent it back to the lower courts and urged the parties to find a resolution.
“Contraception is an essential component of health care. Its necessary coverage should not be lost to the whim of employers.” - Kristyn Brandi, Physicians for Reproductive Health
Experts in reproductive health oppose the Trump rules and warn that allowing employers to deny coverage based on their personal beliefs will jeopardize the crucial gains made under the Affordable Care Act.
Advertisement
Before the ACA, contraceptives made up about 30% of women’s total out-of-pocket health care costs, according to the National Women’s Law Center. In 2013, the mandate saved women more than $1.4 billion in out-of-pocket expenses for birth control pills.
When cost is not a barrier to birth control, patients are better able to choose the method that meets their needs and have access to it consistently and affordably, said Kristyn Brandi, board chair of Physicians for Reproductive Health.
“Contraception is an essential component of health care. Its necessary coverage should not be lost to the whim of employers,” she said. “It not only allows people to plan and space their pregnancies in a way that is best for their health and their families, but also helps manage a variety of health conditions.”
Nearly all women use contraception at some point in their lives.
“It’s deeply concerning that in the middle of a public health crisis, the Trump administration is continuing to defend a policy that threatens access to birth control for millions of women,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “This case highlights the lengths the administration will go to attack people’s fundamental right to control their own bodies, at a time when we should be coming together to support one another.”
A ruling in the case is likely to come this summer.