huffpost--2020-04-08--Can You See Friends If You Stay 6 Feet Apart? Here's What Experts Say.

First off , why is 6 feet apart the rule for social distancing ?
You can see a friend if @ @ @ @ @ apart ― but only under the right circumstances .
Yuan agreed that “ chatting from @ @ @ @ @ safe , ” as long as your neighbors are not actively sick and they have @ @ @ @ @ But if your neighbor has recently been visiting friends or family ( again , a @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve been going to and from work as an essential employee , it @ @ @ @ @ contact .
A major exception : No parks or beaches , even if you ’ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bottom line , the best option is still virtual visits .

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Social distancing has become the new normal for the majority of Americans in order to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Many folks across the country have been staying at home for the better part of a month, in accordance with directives from government and health officials.
When people need to leave their homes — to go to the grocery store or pharmacy, for example — health experts have advised maintaining a 6-foot distance from others.
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The rule has caused some people to wonder if it’s safe to see friends, chat with neighbors or go for “social distancing walks,” as long as the 6-foot distance is honored. While experts have urged people not to visit one another’s homes during the pandemic (sorry, but that’s not social distancing!), spending time in the great outdoors is undoubtedly a bit murkier.
To get some insight into the parameters of the 6-foot rule, we turned to medical experts. Ahead, find out what doctors have to say about the do’s and don’ts of staying 6 feet apart, and whether those socially distant walks are a good idea.
First off, why is 6 feet apart the rule for social distancing?
When someone coughs or sneezes, respiratory droplets can linger in the air and travel approximately 6 feet, hence the social distancing rule. Joshua Barocas, an infectious diseases physician at Boston Medical Center and assistant professor at Boston University School of Medicine, emphasizes that this rule is especially important for anyone exhibiting signs of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
“It’s important to remember that if you have symptoms, then you should stay at home,” he said. “Creating as much space between you and others [even in your home] is essential.”
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Even if you’re not feeling sick, keeping a distance from others is crucial. People can be asymptomatic carriers of the virus, and research shows those individuals are contributing greatly to the community spread of the coronavirus ― more than scientists originally thought.
Barocas also noted that some new data suggests that the droplets carrying the virus might actually be able to travel farther than 6 feet, which should push people to take additional precautions.
Tony Yuan, a physician and medical director at the online service Doctor On Demand, pointed out that if someone coughs or sneezes with force, or if there’s a strong gust of wind, the droplets can be carried for greater distances.
“There is no definite magic about 6 feet,” Barocas said. “But it is important to remain a safe distance away from others so that one decreases the likelihood of ‘running into’ a droplet.”
YakobchukOlena via Getty Images
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You can see a friend if you’re 6 feet apart ― but only under the right circumstances.
Spending time outside can vastly improve your mood, especially if cabin fever is beginning to creep in from all the time at home.
“Our mental health is as important as our physical health, and exercise is good for both,” said Carmen Kavali, a physician and board member with the advocacy group Physicians for Patient Protection. “Getting outside in fresh air is good for our souls and our bodies.”
The best way to reap these benefits is to do it alone. Again, experts say everyone should assume they already have been exposed to the virus at this point and should act like they’re stealth transmitters of the illness.
If it’s absolutely vital to your mental health that you do a social distancing walk with a friend, it must be under specific and extremely essential conditions.
“The first thing to remember is that if you feel ill, you should absolutely stay inside,” Barocas said. “Assuming that you have no symptoms, then walks around the block ... with someone who is asymptomatic is reasonable, as long as you are staying at least 6 feet apart.”
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Similarly, Yuan said that taking a walk with friends at a 6-foot distance can occur “as long as the other person is not actively coughing or sneezing.”
If you are planning a distanced walk or activity with someone you are not already isolating with, it’s best to pick a spot that won’t be crowded and to venture outside at off-hours to avoid as much contact with others as possible.
This same advice also holds true for other physically distant activities. For example, neighbors may seek to stay connected by arranging their lawn chairs in a very wide circle or talking from respective yards. The best recommendation is “the further away, the better,” Barocas said. “Creating as much space between you and others is essential.”
Yuan agreed that “chatting from a 6-foot distance should be safe,” as long as your neighbors are not actively sick and they have been self-isolating at home. But if your neighbor has recently been visiting friends or family (again, a bad idea), or they’ve been going to and from work as an essential employee, it’s best to avoid contact.
If you’re missing your neighborly bond, Barocas has another suggestion.
“We have seen pictures of people having dance parties on their porches,” he said, with each household sticking to their own porch. “This is absolutely safe,” he added, “and likely helps morale.”
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A major exception: No parks or beaches, even if you’re distanced from each other.
It’s one thing to go for a walk around your block with a friend, but visiting a public gathering place presents a much higher level of risk. The latter outings, even if you’re 6 feet apart, are a hard no — at least for the time being.
“It is nearly impossible to control the movements of others and when one person starts a trend, others tend to follow,” Barocas said. “For this reason, gatherings at parks and beaches should be discouraged.”
“A park or a beach may become a crowded space in a short period of time, which may make distancing yourself at least 6 feet from everyone else nearly impossible,” Yuan explained.
Given that Americans have also been advised to avoid gathering in groups of over 10 people, many public parks, playgrounds and beaches across the country are temporarily shutting down. These closures are ultimately designed to keep people safe.
“It is very difficult to practice effective social distancing in large crowds and these tend to occur at places like beaches,” Barocas said. “Stay-in-place orders and advisories were designed to limit this.”
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Adene Sanchez via Getty Images
Bottom line, the best option is still virtual visits.
To reiterate: This absolutely does not give you permission to be lax on social distancing. You should only utilize the option of seeing friends 6 feet apart if your mental health truly requires it. Ultimately, the safest way to socialize with friends and family right now is digitally from your respective homes.
“The number of infections is growing nearly exponentially on a daily basis,” Barocas said. “I am concerned about relaxing any restrictions at this point, as physical distancing seems to be our best defense.”
Yuan suggested that people schedule virtual happy hours, dinners, game nights and other kinds of hangouts to maintain important relationships and cope with the emotional ramifications of isolation.
“Most people are social creatures and therefore crave interaction and dialogue with other people,” he said, which you can accomplish through these digital endeavors.
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The bottom line is that the longer people wait to take social distancing seriously, the longer we’re all going to have to do it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t chat with your friends.
“Social media is bigger than ever right now, with people connecting over Zoom, TikTok, FaceTime, House Party and more,” Kavali said. “These are safe ways to gather with a group of friends until we can all give each other hugs again — hopefully sooner, rather than later.”


huffpost--2020-04-08--The Rudest Things You Can Do Right Now As A Neighbor

“ While it is always polite to consider how our actions may impact our neighbors , our behavior during a pandemic takes on increased importance , ” Jodi R.R .
Smith , president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting , told HuffPost .
“ When we are morally obligated to stay home , we have so many unknowns and our stress levels are on high alert .
What would have been a mere annoyance easily escalates into a major event.
” During this time , it ’ s important to have a heightened awareness of what you ’ re doing and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in mind , HuffPost asked Smith and other etiquette experts to break down some of the rude neighbor behavior people will want to be mindful of .
“ Be aware of noise levels , ” said Smith .
“ You might love to get up early and start your day with a Zoom Zumba class .
Doing Zumba before dawn was fine when you went to the gym , but now that you are Zumba-ing at home , it may present a problem when your floor is someone else ’ s ceiling.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your apartment , peek into the hallway , ” Smith said .
“ Be sure to give others a wide berth .
You certainly can call out a warm greeting , but be sure you are the requisite six or more feet away even for the shortest of conversations.
” “ If you ’ re approaching the elevator at the same time as someone else , be vocal about why you ’ re going to wait for the next car , ” said Elaine Swann , a lifestyle and etiquette expert founder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just say , ‘ Hey , I want to make sure we ’ re protecting each other , so I ’ m going to wait for the next car.
’ Verbalizing that will bring about much more peace and convey concern , as opposed to giving a shifty-eyed look , stepping to the side and saying nothing at all.
” “ As for standing in a large circle to socialize , while you may be technically six feet from each other , the medical community has been clear this is not the intent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some communities the police are being dispatched to move people along .
Our police have other pressing matters , so it ’ s better to videoconference your chats instead.
” Not Picking Up After Your Dog Swann suggested taking this time to open the lines of communication with neighbors by creating a contact chain of some sort .
That way , you ’ ll be able to get in touch digitally if there ’ s an issue in the area or if you need to ask someone to lower their noise level or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apps can be a great way to connect with each other , ” Swann said .
“ You could also share your contact information on their door and ask them to share theirs .
Just identify yourself and say , ‘ Hey , I live next to you and thought we could share our contact info .
That way we can communicate with each other via phone or text.
’ ” What To Do Instead She added , “ In fact , we know that one of the best ways to stay mentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think of others and do something for them .
From sharing a roll from your stockpile of toilet paper , to having your child draw a picture to slip under their door , to calling regularly just to say ‘ hello ’ there are plenty of ways to be kind and considerate to those living nearby .
”

Westend61 via Getty Images
As Americans practice social distancing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, people are spending most of their time at home. Whether you’re in a crowded apartment building or a more spaced-out suburban area, this is a time to be especially mindful of neighbor etiquette.
“While it is always polite to consider how our actions may impact our neighbors, our behavior during a pandemic takes on increased importance,” Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, told HuffPost. “When we are morally obligated to stay home, we have so many unknowns and our stress levels are on high alert. What would have been a mere annoyance easily escalates into a major event.”
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During this time, it’s important to have a heightened awareness of what you’re doing and how it affects those around you. With that in mind, HuffPost asked Smith and other etiquette experts to break down some of the rude neighbor behavior people will want to be mindful of.
Keep scrolling for nine faux pas to avoid amid the coronavirus pandemic, as well as some guidance for good neighbor etiquette.
Disregarding Noise Levels
“Be aware of noise levels,” said Smith. “You might love to get up early and start your day with a Zoom Zumba class. Doing Zumba before dawn was fine when you went to the gym, but now that you are Zumba-ing at home, it may present a problem when your floor is someone else’s ceiling.”
Try to reduce the amount of noise you’re making, especially at very late and early hours. This applies to apartment buildings, as well as suburban homes.
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“My boys are home from college and playing a lot of basketball. I make them stop by 8 p.m. because my neighbor can hear that constant hitting of the rim. The same goes for splashing in the pool. No splashing after a certain hour,” said Patricia Rossi, a civility expert, keynote speaker and author of “Everyday Etiquette.”
If you know your next-door neighbor has a newborn, try to be mindful of nap times and don’t send your children outside to run and play while they’re putting the baby down. If you like to blast music, make sure it’s off before bedtime.
Littering Used Gloves, Wipes And Masks
“Apparently there are some who still need reminding, littering during a pandemic is still littering,” said Smith.
Communities are reporting issues with discarded items like gloves appearing all over sidewalks and other neighborhood spaces. It’s important to safely dispose of such used items in trash cans.
“Apparently there are some who still need reminding, littering during a pandemic is still littering.” - Smith
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“Wipes in the markets along with used gloves and masks must be disposed of appropriately,” Smith noted. “In addition to rudely littering, there is a chance you are actively spreading germs to those passing by or certainly to those tasked with cleaning our streets and outdoor spaces.”
Disrespecting Personal Space
Neighbors should be mindful of each other’s space and adhere to public health guidelines about distance. This can be challenging, especially for people living in closer quarters like apartment buildings.
“When you prepare to exit your apartment, peek into the hallway,” Smith said. “Be sure to give others a wide berth. You certainly can call out a warm greeting, but be sure you are the requisite six or more feet away even for the shortest of conversations.”
The same goes for elevators. Let your neighbors take elevator rides alone and don’t take offense if someone chooses to wait for a later one rather than join you.
“If you’re approaching the elevator at the same time as someone else, be vocal about why you’re going to wait for the next car,” said Elaine Swann, a lifestyle and etiquette expert founder of the Swann School of Protocol. “Just say, ‘Hey, I want to make sure we’re protecting each other, so I’m going to wait for the next car.’ Verbalizing that will bring about much more peace and convey concern, as opposed to giving a shifty-eyed look, stepping to the side and saying nothing at all.”
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Hosting Gatherings
“Hosting parties, even small gatherings is definitely concerning at this time. Staying in, spending it with the people you live with, is simply good judgment and common sense from a health perspective,” said Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert, author of “Modern Etiquette for a Better Life” and founder of The Protocol School of Texas.
Disobeying health guidelines is disrespectful to your entire community, and there are ways to stay connected without putting others in danger.
“As for standing in a large circle to socialize, while you may be technically six feet from each other, the medical community has been clear this is not the intent,” Smith explained. “In some communities the police are being dispatched to move people along. Our police have other pressing matters, so it’s better to videoconference your chats instead.”
Messing Up Communal Areas
Neighbor etiquette is all about respecting shared spaces, whether that’s the sidewalk in a suburban area or the hallways or trash room in an apartment building. With that in mind, don’t leave messes in these areas.
“Make sure you leave spaces better than how you found them,” Rossi advised. “If you’re emptying your trash and coffee grounds spill out, have the decency to clean that up. Tidiness starts with you.”
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Maskot via Getty Images
Not Picking Up After Your Dog
In addition to littering, many people seem to have forgotten the rules when it comes to picking up after their dogs.
“We’re walking our dogs a lot more right now,” Rossi noted. “So pick up after your dog. It’s common sense.”
Stealing Your Neighbor’s Wi-Fi
As most people are working from home, home Wi-Fi networks are getting overloaded.
If you’re in the habit of using a someone else’s Wi-Fi without their consent, this may be the time to reconsider that choice.
“Don’t hijack your neighbor’s internet,” said Rossi.
Scowling
Times are stressful, but a little kindness goes a long way. With that in mind, refrain from scowling at neighbors you see when you’re outside your apartment or home.
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“I think it’s important that you smile and say hello more than ever,” said Rossi. “Even while you’re keeping your social distance, ask, ‘Are you OK?’ and really listen.”
Swann suggested taking this time to open the lines of communication with neighbors by creating a contact chain of some sort. That way, you’ll be able to get in touch digitally if there’s an issue in the area or if you need to ask someone to lower their noise level or request a grocery delivery.
“Neighborhood apps can be a great way to connect with each other,” Swann said. “You could also share your contact information on their door and ask them to share theirs. Just identify yourself and say, ‘Hey, I live next to you and thought we could share our contact info. That way we can communicate with each other via phone or text.’”
Ignoring Health Guidelines
You can show respect for your community by following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and state and local public health officials.
“Take the lead on social distancing.” - Swann
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“This is common sense,” Gottsman said. “Wash your hands, keep your hands away from your face, don’t touch high-touch areas, cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze if you must be in the hallway, and practice social distancing.”
If you encounter neighbors while you’re walking the dog or going for a run, do your part to keep a safe distance.
“Take the lead on social distancing,” Swann advised. “Don’t wait for the other person to maneuver. That means you have to stop and step to the side until the other person walks or runs by or take your dog a few feet away and allow others to pass through. Be proactive with your social distancing.”
What To Do Instead
In addition to avoiding rude behaviors, you can take this time to step up as a neighbor and help your community.
“During a pandemic, being a good neighbor may mean calling your elderly neighbor to see if they need anything while you are out running errands or even just to chat in case they are feeling lonely,” Smith explained. “This may be waving, from a distance, at the toddler down the hall as you walk by. This may be by organizing socially distant activities such as opening windows or standing on balconies to cheer on health care and municipal workers.”
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huffpost--2020-04-08--Quit Because Of Coronavirus? You Might Need A Doctor's Note To Get Unemployment.

The new law says someone is eligible for benefits if “ the individual has to quit his or her job as a direct result of COVID-19 , ” the disease caused by the virus that has already killed more than 10,000 Americans .
But the guidance the Trump administration released to states on how to implement the new rules suggests that workers are not eligible if they quit to avoid catching or spreading the virus .
The guidelines say that a person only “ has to quit ” if they ’ re absolutely forced to do it .
Workers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a family member catch the coronavirus , if their kid ’ s school shuts down or if their employer is forced to close , among other extenuating circumstances laid out in the guidance .
Senate Republicans complained about the coronavirus legislation ’ s unemployment provisions before they voted to support the measure , which also included direct payments to households , funding for hospitals and billions in business subsidies .
Republicans did not specifically complain about the new eligibility provisions ― which represented the biggest expansion of unemployment insurance since the program ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they said a separate provision boosting weekly benefits by $ 600 for four months would drive people to quit .
The unemployment argument encapsulates the bigger debate between public health experts who say people need to remain apart to control the pandemic and officials like President Donald Trump , who would rather see economic activity resume more quickly , even if it means more people die .
Kentucky , for instance , has advised people that the new eligibility standard “ includes individuals who have left their jobs because they have a reasonable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplace will cause a negative impact on their health and they want to stay home.
” “ Social distancing was not an option , ” Goud said .
“ When I tried to ask about hand sanitizer or increased cleaning of the iPads , I was told by my boss that we had no hand sanitizer and that he would clean the area and iPads twice a week.
” Bass Pro Shops have remained open in several areas because they sell guns , which state and local authorities have deemed “ essential ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed .
The company has said it ’ s taken steps in response to the pandemic , such as allowing no more than 50 customers in a store at a time .
Goud said he ’ s healthy , but at 51 years old , he felt he was at a higher risk of severe illness , and he didn ’ t want to expose his wife , either .
He said he thought it would be smart for him to heed the advice of public health experts and Kentucky Gov .
Andy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentuckians to stay home and apply for unemployment insurance if they lost their jobs .
“ I quit for my safety and the safety of my family , ” Goud said .
“ I took the advice of my family and governor , the latter promising a financial safety net if I complied with the guidelines .
I am not sure if that net will appear , but I had to jump anyway.
” “ If a grocery worker was exposed to someone who they can confirm was diagnosed , then that counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Evermore said in an email .
“ But again , with testing the way that it is going , that is hard to prove.
” Another example of someone who quit their job who would be eligible would be someone who has no sick leave , was diagnosed as having COVID-19 , recovered from the illness , “ and although the individual no longer has COVID-19 , the illness caused health complications that render the individual objectively unable to perform his or her essential job functions , with or without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that an Uber or Lyft driver who simply followed public health warnings and stopped driving to avoid spreading the virus would not qualify for benefits .
Rideshare drivers generally set their own schedules .
No city has ordered rideshare cars off the road as part of a social distancing campaign .
A rideshare driver would be eligible , the Labor Department spokesperson said , “ if the worker ’ s immune system is compromised by virtue of a serious health condition and is therefore advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he or she were to become infected by the coronavirus .
”

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People who quit their jobs are not usually eligible for unemployment insurance. The $2 trillion law Congress passed last month to help people weather the coronavirus pandemic changed that rule, but people who quit their jobs to dodge the disease may struggle to qualify.
The new law says someone is eligible for benefits if “the individual has to quit his or her job as a direct result of COVID-19,” the disease caused by the virus that has already killed more than 10,000 Americans.
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But the guidance the Trump administration released to states on how to implement the new rules suggests that workers are not eligible if they quit to avoid catching or spreading the virus. The guidelines say that a person only “has to quit” if they’re absolutely forced to do it.
Workers are eligible for the benefits if they or a family member catch the coronavirus, if their kid’s school shuts down or if their employer is forced to close, among other extenuating circumstances laid out in the guidance.
“Quitting as precaution is not one of them,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Labor Department told HuffPost in an email.
Senate Republicans complained about the coronavirus legislation’s unemployment provisions before they voted to support the measure, which also included direct payments to households, funding for hospitals and billions in business subsidies. Republicans did not specifically complain about the new eligibility provisions ― which represented the biggest expansion of unemployment insurance since the program’s creation in the 1930s ― but they said a separate provision boosting weekly benefits by $600 for four months would drive people to quit.
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“This bill creates an incentive for people to be unemployed for the next four months,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said.
The unemployment argument encapsulates the bigger debate between public health experts who say people need to remain apart to control the pandemic and officials like President Donald Trump, who would rather see economic activity resume more quickly, even if it means more people die.
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) speaks during a press conference at the US Capitol March 25, in Washington, D.C. ALEX EDELMAN via Getty Images
The Labor Department’s guidance seems designed to prevent people from quitting if they can avoid it, even if their job puts them at risk of exposure to the virus.
Sen Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said the guidance “forces workers to wade through significant red tape to prove their eligibility.”
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But it’s not clear if states will enforce that policy as strictly as the federal government has suggested. Unemployment insurance is a state-federal program where states have leeway to make their own rules within federal guidelines.
Kentucky, for instance, has advised people that the new eligibility standard “includes individuals who have left their jobs because they have a reasonable fear that exposure to COVID-19 at their workplace will cause a negative impact on their health and they want to stay home.”
(That message appeared on the state’s website last week, after the law had passed but before the new federal guidance had come out.)
David Goud of Louisville, Kentucky, said he quit his job at a Bass Pro Shops location in nearby Indiana at the end of March because he didn’t feel safe. His job involved using communal iPads to sign up customers for Bass Pro credit cards.
“Social distancing was not an option,” Goud said. “When I tried to ask about hand sanitizer or increased cleaning of the iPads, I was told by my boss that we had no hand sanitizer and that he would clean the area and iPads twice a week.”
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Bass Pro Shops have remained open in several areas because they sell guns, which state and local authorities have deemed “essential” even as other businesses have been ordered closed. The company has said it’s taken steps in response to the pandemic, such as allowing no more than 50 customers in a store at a time.
Goud said he’s healthy, but at 51 years old, he felt he was at a higher risk of severe illness, and he didn’t want to expose his wife, either. He said he thought it would be smart for him to heed the advice of public health experts and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D), who urged Kentuckians to stay home and apply for unemployment insurance if they lost their jobs.
“I quit for my safety and the safety of my family,” Goud said. “I took the advice of my family and governor, the latter promising a financial safety net if I complied with the guidelines. I am not sure if that net will appear, but I had to jump anyway.”
Goud said he applied for unemployment insurance last week, about a week after he quit, and has no idea if he’ll qualify.
HuffPost readers: Did you quit working because of coronavirus even though you weren’t sick or caring for a sick family member? Tell us about it ― email arthur@huffpost.com. Please include your phone number if you’re willing to be interviewed.
The federal guidelines allow precautionary quitting under some circumstances, said Michele Evermore, an unemployment policy expert with the National Employment Law Project. The only catch is that people will have to be able to prove a COVID-19 diagnosis.
“If a grocery worker was exposed to someone who they can confirm was diagnosed, then that counts as a legitimate precaution under the regs,” Evermore said in an email. “But again, with testing the way that it is going, that is hard to prove.”
Another example of someone who quit their job who would be eligible would be someone who has no sick leave, was diagnosed as having COVID-19, recovered from the illness, “and although the individual no longer has COVID-19, the illness caused health complications that render the individual objectively unable to perform his or her essential job functions, with or without a reasonable accommodation.”
The new law has also made unemployment insurance available for the first time to people who are self-employed, part-time workers and independent contractors ― including so-called “gig” workers such as rideshare drivers.
But the guidance suggests that an Uber or Lyft driver who simply followed public health warnings and stopped driving to avoid spreading the virus would not qualify for benefits. Rideshare drivers generally set their own schedules. No city has ordered rideshare cars off the road as part of a social distancing campaign.
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A rideshare driver would be eligible, the Labor Department spokesperson said, “if the worker’s immune system is compromised by virtue of a serious health condition and is therefore advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine in order to avoid the greater-than-average health risks if he or she were to become infected by the coronavirus.”
The rules are too narrow, said Andrew Stettner, an unemployment policy expert and senior fellow with The Century Foundation, though he said he hoped states would be reasonable with their implementation.


huffpost--2020-04-20--Coronavirus Live Updates: Read The Latest About The COVID-19 Outbreak

Lawmakers in Britain have brushed aside hundreds of years of tradition by staging the first-ever virtual session of Prime Minister ’ s Questions .
Under temporary measures drawn up by House of Commons authorities , members of Parliament were able to quiz the acting leader of the government on Wednesday through video chat .
The session took place in a sparsely populated Commons chamber , where tape was placed on the chamber floor to mark out where the small number of lawmakers who attended in person should walk .
Cards showing green ticks and red crosses also denoted where MPs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with social distancing rules of keeping a gap of two meters .
Under the temporary measures , Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab , standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson , answered questions for the first time from new opposition leader Keir Starmer .
A number of screens have been placed around the Commons chamber to allow the speaker and MPs in Westminster to see their remote-working colleagues .
California Says It ’ s First State To Prioritize Testing For Some Asymptomatic People — 4/22/20 8:30 a.m .
ET California public health officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people working or living in “ high risk settings , ” including hospitals , prisons and homeless shelters , The Associated Press reported .
State officials said the new guidelines make California the first U.S. state to prioritize testing for people who don ’ t have symptoms .
California IDs Coronavirus Deaths Weeks Earlier Than First Reported U.S. Case — 4/22/20 , 6 a.m. Santa Clara county in California said a medical examiner found that two people had died at home of COVID-19 on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17 , weeks before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State around Feb. 26 .
The findings are significant because it means that the virus was spreading in the U.S. even longer than previously thought .
Children To Be Allowed Outside As Spain Eases Lockdown /— 4/22/20 , 5:45 a.m .
ET A controversial bar on children leaving the home will be eased in Spain as the government begins to wind down its strict lockdown restrictions .
HuffPost Spain reports ( in Spanish ) that children up to 14 years of age will be given permission to go outside for walks from this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accompanied by an adult .
With the world ’ s second most infections , more than 200,000 , and Europe ’ s second-highest death toll , 21,282 , Spain has imposed one of the severest lockdowns .
It has begun taking tentative easing steps , including allowing some workers to return from last week , but most restrictions remain in force .
On Tuesday night , the government bowed to public pressure and said children under 14 would be able to take short walks outside under supervision .
The cabinet had initially said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents to buy food or medicine , provoking criticism on social media and pot-banging protests on balconies .
Coronavirus Vaccine Trials To Begin In UK On Thursday — 4/22/20 , 5:30 a.m .
ET U.K. trials of a coronavirus vaccine on people will begin Thursday , the government has announced .
Britain ’ s Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government-funded research at the University of Oxford had been accelerated due to the global pandemic .
“ In normal times , reaching this stage would take years and I ’ m very proud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Hancock said .
However , Britons have been warned that developing any treatment , including vaccines , will require lengthy testing periods on both animals and humans .
Professor Ravi Gupta , told HuffPost UK : “ We need to prepare for a world where we don ’ t have a vaccine .
To base public policy on the hope of a vaccine is a desperate measure .
We should hope for a vaccine but we shouldn ’ t expect one in the next year and a half .
“ Anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more Missouri Becomes First U.S. State To Sue China For Lying , Not Doing Enough About COVID-19 — 4/22/20 , 2:53 a.m .
ET Missouri is the first state to sue China for the country ’ s handling of the coronavirus outbreak .
State Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed the civil suit on Tuesday , alleging the Chinese government lied and didn ’ t do enough to prevent the spread of the virus during the early days of the crisis .
“ The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and did little to stop the spread of the disease , ” Schmitt said in a statement .
“ They must be held accountable for their actions.
” Legal experts say efforts to hold China accountable for its coronavirus response in U.S. courts aren ’ t likely to be successful .
Nurses Read Names Of Health Care Workers Who ’ ve Died In Pandemic During White House Protest — 4/22/20 , 2:20 a.m .
ET Nurses hailing from all over the U.S. held a protest in front of the White House on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their colleagues have had to endure on the front-lines of the COVID-19 pandemic .
During the demonstration , which was organized by the National Nurses United union , nurses held photos and read the names of healthcare workers who ’ ve become infected or died from coronavirus .
“ We are not heroes .
We ’ re human beings and we are susceptible just like everyone else is .
And if we are dying then we can ’ t take care of our patients , ” said Britta Breenan , a National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Hospital Center , CBS News reported .
“ We have had nurses from our hospital die from COVID-19 .
And they are not dignified deaths.
” CDC Director Warns Americans Of Potential Second Wave Of Coronavirus This Winter ― 4/21/20 , 9:25 p.m .
ET The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s director warned that a potential second wave of the novel coronavirus could be far more deadly than the current pandemic if it overlaps with the beginning of the winter flu season .
Government leaders at all levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for such a health crisis even as some states are planning to resurrect their economies , CDC Director Robert Redfield told The Washington Post in an interview published Tuesday .
“ There ’ s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through , ” Redfield told the Post .
“ And when I ’ ve said this to others , they kind of put their head back , they don ’ t understand what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus could be more harmful in a potential second wave because having concurrent outbreaks of the flu and COVID-19 would put immense pressure on the nation ’ s health care system .
Both viruses can cause respiratory illness and would require similar protective gear and medical equipment .
Part of the preparation for a potential second wave of COVID-10 includes persuading Americans to get their flu shots in the coming summer months so that public health officials can minimize the number of people requiring hospitalization during two respiratory outbreaks .
Redfield said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there to be a hospital bed available for your mother or grandmother that may get coronavirus.
” ― Sanjana Karanth William Barr : Feds Could Challenge States If Stay-At-Home Orders Go ‘ Too Far ’ — 4/21/20 , 7:24 p.m .
ET The Justice Department could join legal actions against states if it thinks that their coronavirus-related orders , including social distancing and stay-at-home rules , go “ too far , ” Attorney General William Barr said on Tuesday .
Barr said he was wary of speaking about “ hypothetical ” situations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to intervene if governors “ impinge ” on civil rights or the economy .
“ To the extent that governors ... impinge on either civil rights or on the national commerce ... then we ’ ll have to address that , ” the attorney general said in an interview with “ The Hugh Hewitt Show.
” Barr acknowledged that stay-at-home orders were necessary to fight the pandemic , but said they were “ strong measures ” that had a “ limited purpose of slowing down the spread.
” “ These are unprecedented burdens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest , ” Barr said .
“ I ’ m not saying it wasn ’ t justified .
I ’ m not saying in some places it might still be justified .
But it ’ s very onerous , as is shutting down your livelihood.
” If the Justice Department determines that a state has gone “ too far ” with its coronavirus-related orders , Barr said , it may “ try to jawbone ” governors into “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t work , the attorney general indicated that federal prosecutors could weigh in on civil lawsuits brought by state residents against their local orders .
He said the Justice Department could file a “ statement of interest ” siding with the plaintiffs .
Some U.S. Citizens Married To Undocumented Immigrants Won ’ t Receive Stimulus Checks : Report — 4/21/20 , 10:30 a.m .
ET Some American citizens expecting federal stimulus payments won ’ t receive them because their spouses are undocumented immigrants , the Los Angeles Times reported Monday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barring millions of tax-paying undocumented immigrants , as well as their spouses if they file taxes jointly , from receiving it .
About 1.2 million immigrants who lack legal status are married to a U.S. citizen , according to the Migration Policy Institute .
Only citizens , legal permanent residents and some immigrants with work authorization can expect stimulus payments , The Texas Tribune reported last week .
“ It ’ s just fundamentally unfair , and it ’ s really , really targeted to hurt , ” Randall Emery , president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocates for U.S. citizens married to immigrants , told the LA Times .
“ It ’ s such a basic thing that the government would protect its own citizens , and the government is really abandoning U.S. citizens when they need help the most , ” Emery added .
“ A lot of people really need this just to survive.
” For the first time since World War II , the Scripps National Spelling Bee is canceling its national finals due to the “ uncertainty around when public gatherings will be possible or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ’ s event indefinitely .
Organizers for the U.S. national spelling competition for middle school students , typically held each spring in Washington , D.C. , said in a statement that they had “ determined there is no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020 .
”

Lawmakers in Britain have brushed aside hundreds of years of tradition by staging the first-ever virtual session of Prime Minister’s Questions. Under temporary measures drawn up by House of Commons authorities, members of Parliament were able to quiz the acting leader of the government on Wednesday through video chat.
The session took place in a sparsely populated Commons chamber, where tape was placed on the chamber floor to mark out where the small number of lawmakers who attended in person should walk. Cards showing green ticks and red crosses also denoted where MPs should sit in a bid to comply with social distancing rules of keeping a gap of two meters.
Under the temporary measures, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, answered questions for the first time from new opposition leader Keir Starmer.
A number of screens have been placed around the Commons chamber to allow the speaker and MPs in Westminster to see their remote-working colleagues.
— James Martin
California Says It’s First State To Prioritize Testing For Some Asymptomatic People — 4/22/20 8:30 a.m. ET
California public health officials said local authorities should administer coronavirus tests to people working or living in “high risk settings,” including hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, The Associated Press reported.
State officials said the new guidelines make California the first U.S. state to prioritize testing for people who don’t have symptoms.
Read more here.
— Hayley Miller
California IDs Coronavirus Deaths Weeks Earlier Than First Reported U.S. Case — 4/22/20, 6 a.m.
Santa Clara county in California said a medical examiner found that two people had died at home of COVID-19 on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17, weeks before the first coronavirus-linked deaths were reported in Washington State around Feb. 26. The findings are significant because it means that the virus was spreading in the U.S. even longer than previously thought.
— Nick Visser
Children To Be Allowed Outside As Spain Eases Lockdown /— 4/22/20, 5:45 a.m. ET
A controversial bar on children leaving the home will be eased in Spain as the government begins to wind down its strict lockdown restrictions. HuffPost Spain reports (in Spanish) that children up to 14 years of age will be given permission to go outside for walks from this Sunday, as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
With the world’s second most infections, more than 200,000, and Europe’s second-highest death toll, 21,282, Spain has imposed one of the severest lockdowns. It has begun taking tentative easing steps, including allowing some workers to return from last week, but most restrictions remain in force.
On Tuesday night, the government bowed to public pressure and said children under 14 would be able to take short walks outside under supervision. The cabinet had initially said children would only be allowed to accompany parents to buy food or medicine, provoking criticism on social media and pot-banging protests on balconies.
— James Martin
Coronavirus Vaccine Trials To Begin In UK On Thursday — 4/22/20, 5:30 a.m. ET
U.K. trials of a coronavirus vaccine on people will begin Thursday, the government has announced.
Britain’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government-funded research at the University of Oxford had been accelerated due to the global pandemic. “In normal times, reaching this stage would take years and I’m very proud of the work taken so far,” Hancock said.
However, Britons have been warned that developing any treatment, including vaccines, will require lengthy testing periods on both animals and humans.
Professor Ravi Gupta, told HuffPost UK: “We need to prepare for a world where we don’t have a vaccine. To base public policy on the hope of a vaccine is a desperate measure. We should hope for a vaccine but we shouldn’t expect one in the next year and a half.
“Anyone who says we can is bonkers.” Read more
— Rachel Wearmouth and Chris York
Missouri Becomes First U.S. State To Sue China For Lying, Not Doing Enough About COVID-19 — 4/22/20, 2:53 a.m. ET
Missouri is the first state to sue China for the country’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
State Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed the civil suit on Tuesday, alleging the Chinese government lied and didn’t do enough to prevent the spread of the virus during the early days of the crisis.
“The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers and did little to stop the spread of the disease,” Schmitt said in a statement. “They must be held accountable for their actions.”
Legal experts say efforts to hold China accountable for its coronavirus response in U.S. courts aren’t likely to be successful.
— Dominique Mosbergen
Nurses Read Names Of Health Care Workers Who’ve Died In Pandemic During White House Protest — 4/22/20, 2:20 a.m. ET
Nurses hailing from all over the U.S. held a protest in front of the White House on Monday to call out the unsafe conditions they and their colleagues have had to endure on the front-lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the demonstration, which was organized by the National Nurses United union, nurses held photos and read the names of healthcare workers who’ve become infected or died from coronavirus.
“We are not heroes. We’re human beings and we are susceptible just like everyone else is. And if we are dying then we can’t take care of our patients,” said Britta Breenan, a National Nurses member and critical care nurse at Washington Hospital Center, CBS News reported. “We have had nurses from our hospital die from COVID-19. And they are not dignified deaths.”
— Dominique Mosbergen
CDC Director Warns Americans Of Potential Second Wave Of Coronavirus This Winter ― 4/21/20, 9:25 p.m. ET
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s director warned that a potential second wave of the novel coronavirus could be far more deadly than the current pandemic if it overlaps with the beginning of the winter flu season.
Government leaders at all levels must use the months ahead to prepare for such a health crisis even as some states are planning to resurrect their economies, CDC Director Robert Redfield told The Washington Post in an interview published Tuesday.
“There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,” Redfield told the Post. “And when I’ve said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don’t understand what I mean.”
The health official said the virus could be more harmful in a potential second wave because having concurrent outbreaks of the flu and COVID-19 would put immense pressure on the nation’s health care system. Both viruses can cause respiratory illness and would require similar protective gear and medical equipment.
Part of the preparation for a potential second wave of COVID-10 includes persuading Americans to get their flu shots in the coming summer months so that public health officials can minimize the number of people requiring hospitalization during two respiratory outbreaks. Redfield said that getting vaccinated for influenza “may allow there to be a hospital bed available for your mother or grandmother that may get coronavirus.”
― Sanjana Karanth
William Barr: Feds Could Challenge States If Stay-At-Home Orders Go ‘Too Far’ — 4/21/20, 7:24 p.m. ET
The Justice Department could join legal actions against states if it thinks that their coronavirus-related orders, including social distancing and stay-at-home rules, go “too far,” Attorney General William Barr said on Tuesday.
Barr said he was wary of speaking about “hypothetical” situations, but that the Justice Department would have to intervene if governors “impinge” on civil rights or the economy.
“To the extent that governors ... impinge on either civil rights or on the national commerce ... then we’ll have to address that,” the attorney general said in an interview with “The Hugh Hewitt Show.”
Barr acknowledged that stay-at-home orders were necessary to fight the pandemic, but said they were “strong measures” that had a “limited purpose of slowing down the spread.”
“These are unprecedented burdens on civil liberties right now. ... The idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest,” Barr said. “I’m not saying it wasn’t justified. I’m not saying in some places it might still be justified. But it’s very onerous, as is shutting down your livelihood.”
If the Justice Department determines that a state has gone “too far” with its coronavirus-related orders, Barr said, it may “try to jawbone” governors into “rolling them back.”
If that doesn’t work, the attorney general indicated that federal prosecutors could weigh in on civil lawsuits brought by state residents against their local orders. He said the Justice Department could file a “statement of interest” siding with the plaintiffs.
— Carla H. Russo
Some U.S. Citizens Married To Undocumented Immigrants Won’t Receive Stimulus Checks: Report — 4/21/20, 10:30 a.m. ET
Some American citizens expecting federal stimulus payments won’t receive them because their spouses are undocumented immigrants, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
The benefit requires a Social Security number, barring millions of tax-paying undocumented immigrants, as well as their spouses if they file taxes jointly, from receiving it. About 1.2 million immigrants who lack legal status are married to a U.S. citizen, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
Only citizens, legal permanent residents and some immigrants with work authorization can expect stimulus payments, The Texas Tribune reported last week.
“It’s just fundamentally unfair, and it’s really, really targeted to hurt,” Randall Emery, president of American Families United, a nonprofit that advocates for U.S. citizens married to immigrants, told the LA Times.
“It’s such a basic thing that the government would protect its own citizens, and the government is really abandoning U.S. citizens when they need help the most,” Emery added. “A lot of people really need this just to survive.”
— Hayley Miller
National Spelling Bee Finals Canceled — 4/21/20, 10:25 a.m. ET
For the first time since World War II, the Scripps National Spelling Bee is canceling its national finals due to the “uncertainty around when public gatherings will be possible or advisable,” after initially postponing this year’s event indefinitely.
Organizers for the U.S. national spelling competition for middle school students, typically held each spring in Washington, D.C., said in a statement that they had “determined there is no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020.”


huffpost--2020-05-07--Global Medical Community Fears Coronavirus Second Wave

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — As Europe and the U.S. loosen their lockdowns against the coronavirus , health experts are expressing growing dread over what they say is an all-but-certain second wave of deaths and infections that could force governments to clamp back down .
Elsewhere around the world , German authorities began drawing up plans in case of a resurgence of the virus .
Experts in Italy urged intensified efforts to identify new victims and trace their contacts .
And France , which hasn ’ t yet eased its lockdown , has already worked up a “ reconfinement plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave .
Many states have not put in place the robust testing that experts believe is necessary to detect and contain new outbreaks .
And many governors have pressed ahead before their states met one of the key benchmarks in the Trump administration ’ s guidelines for reopening ― a 14-day downward trajectory in new illnesses and infections .
“ If we relax these measures without having the proper public health safeguards in place , we can expect many more cases and , unfortunately , more deaths , ” said Josh Michaud , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington .
Lipkin said he is most worried about two things : the reopening of bars , where people crowd together and lose their inhibitions , and large gatherings such as sporting events , concerts and plays .
Preventing outbreaks will require aggressive contact tracing powered by armies of public health workers hundreds of thousands of people strong , which the U.S. doesn ’ t yet have , Lipkin said .
Worldwide the virus has infected more than 3.6 million people and killed over a quarter-million , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that experts agree understates the dimensions of the disaster because of limited testing , differences in counting the dead and concealment by some governments .
This week , the researchers behind a widely cited model from the University of Washington nearly doubled their projection of deaths in the U.S. to about 134,000 through early August , in large part because of the easing of state stay-at-home restrictions .
Newly confirmed infections per day in the U.S. exceed 20,000 , and deaths per day are running well over 1,000 .
In hard-hit New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down deaths dramatically even as confirmed infections continue to rise around the rest of the country , Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that some states may be reopening too quickly .
“ My message to the rest of the country is learn from how much effort , how much discipline it took to finally bring these numbers down and follow the same path until you ’ re sure that it ’ s being beaten back , ” he said on CNN , “ or else if this thing boomerangs , you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery a hell of a lot longer.
” Underscoring those economic concerns , the European Union predicted the worst recession in its quarter-century history .
And the U.S. unemployment rate for April , which comes out Friday , is expected to hit a staggering 16 percent , a level last seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after meeting with the country ’ s 16 governors that restaurants and other businesses will be allowed to reopen in coming weeks but that regional authorities will have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any county that reports 50 new cases for every 100,000 inhabitants within a week .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — As Europe and the U.S. loosen their lockdowns against the coronavirus, health experts are expressing growing dread over what they say is an all-but-certain second wave of deaths and infections that could force governments to clamp back down.
“We’re risking a backslide that will be intolerable,” said Dr. Ian Lipkin of Columbia University’s Center for Infection and Immunity.
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Elsewhere around the world, German authorities began drawing up plans in case of a resurgence of the virus. Experts in Italy urged intensified efforts to identify new victims and trace their contacts. And France, which hasn’t yet eased its lockdown, has already worked up a “reconfinement plan” in the event of a new wave.
“There will be a second wave, but the problem is to which extent. Is it a small wave or a big wave? It’s too early to say,” said Olivier Schwartz, head of the virus unit at France’s Pasteur Institute.
In the U.S., with about half of the states easing their shutdowns to get their economies restarted and cellphone data showing that people are becoming restless and increasingly leaving home, public health authorities are worried.
Many states have not put in place the robust testing that experts believe is necessary to detect and contain new outbreaks. And many governors have pressed ahead before their states met one of the key benchmarks in the Trump administration’s guidelines for reopening ― a 14-day downward trajectory in new illnesses and infections.
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“If we relax these measures without having the proper public health safeguards in place, we can expect many more cases and, unfortunately, more deaths,” said Josh Michaud, associate director of global health policy with the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington.
Cases have continued to rise steadily in places such as Iowa and Missouri since the governors began reopening, while new infections have yo-yoed in Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.
Lipkin said he is most worried about two things: the reopening of bars, where people crowd together and lose their inhibitions, and large gatherings such as sporting events, concerts and plays. Preventing outbreaks will require aggressive contact tracing powered by armies of public health workers hundreds of thousands of people strong, which the U.S. doesn’t yet have, Lipkin said.
Worldwide the virus has infected more than 3.6 million people and killed over a quarter-million, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that experts agree understates the dimensions of the disaster because of limited testing, differences in counting the dead and concealment by some governments.
The U.S. has recorded over 70,000 deaths and 1.2 million confirmed infections, while Europe has reported over 140,000 dead.
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This week, the researchers behind a widely cited model from the University of Washington nearly doubled their projection of deaths in the U.S. to about 134,000 through early August, in large part because of the easing of state stay-at-home restrictions. Newly confirmed infections per day in the U.S. exceed 20,000, and deaths per day are running well over 1,000.
In hard-hit New York City, which has managed to bring down deaths dramatically even as confirmed infections continue to rise around the rest of the country, Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that some states may be reopening too quickly.
“My message to the rest of the country is learn from how much effort, how much discipline it took to finally bring these numbers down and follow the same path until you’re sure that it’s being beaten back,” he said on CNN, “or else if this thing boomerangs, you’re putting off any kind of restart or recovery a hell of a lot longer.”
A century ago, the Spanish flu epidemic’s second wave was far deadlier than its first, in part because authorities allowed mass gatherings from Philadelphia to San Francisco.
“It’s clear to me that we are in a critical moment of this fight. We risk complacency and accepting the preventable deaths of 2,000 Americans each day,” epidemiologist Caitlin Rivers, a professor at Johns Hopkins, told a House subcommittee in Washington.
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President Donald Trump, who has pressed hard to ease the restrictions that have throttled the economy and thrown more than 30 million Americans out of work, pulled back Wednesday on White House plans revealed a day earlier to wind down the coronavirus task force.
He tweeted that the task force will continue meeting indefinitely with a “focus on SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN.”
Underscoring those economic concerns, the European Union predicted the worst recession in its quarter-century history. And the U.S. unemployment rate for April, which comes out Friday, is expected to hit a staggering 16 percent, a level last seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Governors continue to face demands, even lawsuits, to reopen. In Michigan, where armed demonstrators entered the Capitol last week, the Republican-led Legislature sued Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, asking a judge to declare invalid her stay-at-home order, which runs at least through May 15.
In hard-hit Italy, which has begun easing restrictions, Dr. Silvio Brusaferro, president of the Superior Institute of Health, urged “a huge investment” of resources to train medical personnel to monitor possible new cases of the virus, which has killed about 30,000 people nationwide.
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He said that contact-tracing apps — which are being built by dozens of countries and companies — aren’t enough to manage future waves of infection.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after meeting with the country’s 16 governors that restaurants and other businesses will be allowed to reopen in coming weeks but that regional authorities will have to draw up a “restriction concept” for any county that reports 50 new cases for every 100,000 inhabitants within a week.
Lothar Wieler, head of Germany’s national disease control center, said scientists “know with great certainty that there will be a second wave” of infections.
Britain, with over 30,000 dead, the second-highest death toll in the world behind the U.S., plans to extend its lockdown but has begun recruiting 18,000 people to trace contacts of those infected.
In other developments, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said nearly 5,000 coronavirus illnesses and at least 88 deaths have been reported among inmates in American jails and prisons. An additional 2,800 cases and 15 deaths were reported among guards and other staffer members.
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A 57-year-old immigration detainee at Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego died Wednesday from complications related to the coronavirus, authorities said, marking the first reported death from the virus among about 30,000 people in U.S. immigration custody. Otay Mesa has been a hotbed for the spread of the coronavirus, with nearly one in five detainees who have tested positive nationwide.
___
Johnson reported from Seattle. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
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huffpost--2020-05-07--U.S. Companies With Ample Cash Reserves Still Got Emergency Loans

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NEW YORK/BOSTON, May 7 (Reuters) - When American companies recently applied for U.S. government loans meant to help small businesses survive the coronavirus crisis, they had to certify they needed the cash to cover basic needs like salaries and rent.
The money, up to $10 million, was meant to tide them over for eight weeks. Some recipients, though, had considerable cash on hand.
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Forty-one publicly traded companies that got the emergency aid already had enough to cover basic expenses for two months or more when they applied for the funds, a Reuters analysis found― even if their revenue dropped to zero.
Thirty had three months or more of cash. Six had enough to last at least until December, according to the review, which was based on average monthly operating expenses from 2019.
All told, these relatively flush 41 companies were able to secure $104 million in government aid, at a time when legions of smaller companies with little in their coffers were being turned down. Seventeen of the 41 recipients had market capitalizations of at least $100 million.
“It’s disheartening to see relief spending go to companiesthat don’t appear to desperately need a lifeline,” said Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project On Government Oversight, a Washington-based non-profit that monitors government spending. “This shows just how urgently we need more oversight of this program and the rest of the federal government’s relief spending.”
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Reuters examined the latest available financial information for 276 publicly traded companies that applied for the forgivable loans in the first round of the U.S. government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in April. The list includes companies tracked by data provider FactSquared through the end of April.
A WIDELY CRITICIZED PROGRAM
The PPP program, crafted by Congress to aid small businesses, has come under wide criticism. One critique is that publicly traded companies who received the cash could have raised funds elsewhere, given their easier access to capital markets.
Until now, though, the accuracy of the borrowers’ claims about their financial needs to the government has not been closely scrutinized. The Reuters analysis is the most comprehensive to date.
As part of the loan application, company executives had to certify in good faith that “current economic uncertainty makes this loan necessary to support” their ongoing operations.
In regulatory filings and in press releases, some of the 41 recipients sounded a different note as they took the loans, signaling optimism about their finances. At least five of the 41 made statements attesting to solid financial health or projecting additional revenues because of the crisis.
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Among them was biotech company Athersys Inc. Itissued an upbeat outlook in an April 15 securities filing for a $50 million share offering, in which it also said it had secured a $1.3 million PPP loan.
“As of the date of this prospectus supplement, the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a significant adverse effect on our business,” the company wrote.
Other recipients issued bright outlooks. Medical device maker Repro Med Systems Inc and electronics supplier Micropac Industries Inc said the pandemic had not had a significant impact on their businesses.
Diagnostics company Enzo Biochem Inc said it expected COVID-19 related products to partially offset revenue declines.
Infectious disease testing business AccelerateDiagnostics Inc said its first-quarter sales were expected to rise - and entered into a collaboration for coronavirus testing.
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‘WE RISKED MISSING THE OPPORTUNITY’
In a statement to Reuters on Tuesday, Athersys said that it fully met the program certification requirements when it applied, due to the uncertain outlook and upcoming costly clinical trials.
It said it returned the money after the Treasury Department said in late April that many public companies were unlikely to satisfy the certification criterion.
The company was planning to disclose the loan’s return on Thursday, when it releases first-quarter financial results.
“There was uncertainty regarding whether we might be able to complete a financing, given market chaos and uncertainty, as well as other factors,” the company said in explaining why it sought the loan. “If we had not applied for the funding at the time we did, we risked missing the opportunity altogether.”
Micropac did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
On Tuesday morning, it said in a securities filing that it planned to return the loan. Enzo, Accelerate and Repro Med did not respond to requests for comment.
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The U.S. Treasury, which oversees the program, referred Reuters to Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s recent comments.
Mnuchin told reporters last week that he was shocked that some large companies had taken the loans, and said the certifications had been put in the loan application forms to force borrowers to read the requirements. He said there were 26,000 loans over $2million, and those would likely be audited.
The small business loan program was initially funded with $349 billion. Congress had to top it off with another $310 billion because the money, which was supposed to be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, ran out while many applicants were still awaiting the grants.
Mnuchin said on Monday that 2.2 million loans worth an average $79,000 had been made in the second round. The $104 million the 41 public companies were granted would have been enough to keep some 1,300 small businesses afloat with an average grant.
‘WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING?’
Jeff Lewis-Mathieu, co-owner of security systems installer Prairie Signal Company Inc, said his small Chicago-based business has been waiting for weeks in its application for a $40,000 PPP loan.
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Lewis-Mathieu said he is continuing to pay his two employees, but is not paying himself, and doesn’t know how long the business can survive after a roughly 50% drop in revenue. He said he has watched in frustration as larger public companies get millions of dollars in loans.
“When you see that, it’s like, ‘What the hell are they doing?’ They are sucking all the funds out that guys like me actually need,” Lewis-Mathieu said.
Part of the problem, some critics say, is the loose wording of the program’s rules. Virginia Canter, chief ethics counsel at nonprofit watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said the administration should have issued clearer guidance about who’s eligible.
“The government should have seen this coming and is now trying to clean it up,” Canter said.
The Treasury has offered amnesty to public companies that return any money they borrowed by May 14, saying it would deem they made the application in good faith if they did so.
Of the 41 companies identified by Reuters, 12 have said so far that they already had or planned to return the money by the deadline.In one case, the company said it declined the loan before receiving the money.
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Mnuchin said last month that companies could be subject to a Department of Justice investigation if they did not return the money.
Several white collar defense attorneys said prosecutors would likely probe the most egregious cases of conflicting representations and seek internal communications showing executives knew they didn’t really need the money.
“Federal regulators are going to be looking at discrepancies very closely. If there’s a big disconnect, subpoenas may be on the way,” said Michael Birnbaum, a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement attorney who is now at Morrison & Foerster LLP.
KEY TERMS LOOSELY DEFINED
Such cases may be hard to prove, however. Alan Wink, managing director at accounting firm EisnerAmper, said it was clear from the Reuters analysis that some healthy companies received PPP funds. But he noted that PPP terms were loosely defined by the government, and that key ones, like “current economic uncertainty” and “necessary,” were open to interpretation.
The Reuters analysis of borrowers’ needs has a limitation:The ratio of cash to average operating expenses used by the news agency does not provide a complete picture of a company’s financial health. The analysis is based on financial information disclosed through Wednesday morning.
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Still, Wink and two finance professors consulted for this article said the Reuters metric was a conservative way to assess the ability of a business to meet operating expenses.
Some of the companies that took loans said publicly they were financially secure, with some seeing increased demand for their products around the time they asked for the aid.
Athersys, for example, said its stem cell therapy was being tested on COVID-19 patients. The company’s shares have more than doubled since mid-March, giving it a market value of more than $500 million.
In its April 15 announcement, Athersys noted that it had $37.5 million in cash and cash equivalents as of April 9. That’s enough to cover nearly nine months of operating expenses, based on the company’s average expenses for 2019.
In its statement to Reuters, Athersys said the nine-month ratio did not present a complete picture of its financial condition and operational plans, which include two clinical trials.
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“Our historical spending is not an accurate indicator of our future needs given how our business is evolving,” the company said.
Repro Med said on Monday it was an essential business under New York guidelines and had seen net sales rise 27% in the first quarter.
The company said its devices, which are used to help inject drugs, allow high-risk patients to receive treatment at-home, “important advantages during these challenging times.”
“We have not experienced any material disruption to our business thus far,” Chief Executive Don Pettigrew said in the statement. The company, which has a market value of about $430 million, secured some $1.5 million under the PPP in late April.
A HEALTHY RISE IN REVENUE
Accelerate Diagnostics received a $4.78 million PPP loan onApril 14. The company has a market value of around $570 million.
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The next day, the company noted in a press release that first-quarter sales rose 28% to $2.3 million from the same period in 2019, based on preliminary figures. It also announced a new agreement to distribute its coronavirus antibody tests in the United States and abroad.
It said total cash and cash equivalents were $92 million as of March 31. That’s enough to cover average 2019 operating expenses for 13 months, the review found.
Another company, Enzo Biochem, said on April 9 it “expects COVID-19 related products and services to partially offset revenue declines” caused by the crisis.
The company, with a market value of about $130 million, said it had $48 million in cash as of March 31. That was enough to cover seven months of its average 2019 operating expenses.
The company applied for and got a PPP loan of nearly $7million, a regulatory filing shows. On April 23, it announced it had launched its first COVID-19 diagnostic test, sending its shares soaring.
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Micropac makes electronic components for the defense, medical and other industries. The company, with a market capitalization of about $34 million, had enough cash to cover eight months of average 2019 operating expenses as of February29, the review shows.
Micropac “has not experienced significant financial impact directly related to the pandemic,” it said in a regulatory filing on April 14. Three days later, it obtained nearly $2million in PPP funds.


huffpost--2020-05-07--New Study: No Evidence Hydroxychloroquine Benefits Coronavirus Patients

Hydroxychloroquine did not lower the risk of dying or needing a breathing tube in a comparison that involved nearly 1,400 patients treated at Columbia University in New York , researchers reported Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine .
Although the study is observational rather than a rigorous experiment , it gives valuable information for a decision that hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 patients have already had to make without clear evidence about the drug ’ s risks and benefits , some journal editors and other doctors wrote in an editorial .
“ It is disappointing that several months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet have results ” from any strict tests of the drug , they wrote .
Still , the new study “ suggests that this treatment is not a panacea.
” President Donald Trump repeatedly urged the use of hydroxychloroquine , which is used now for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis .
It has potentially serious side effects , including altering the heartbeat in a way that could lead to sudden death .
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned against its use for coronavirus infections except in formal studies .
Doctors at Columbia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the drug fared compared to 811 others who received hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin , a combo Trump also has touted .
In all , 180 patients required breathing tubes and 232 died , and the drug did not seem to affect the odds of either .
Patients given hydroxychloroquine were generally sicker than the others , but widely accepted methods were used to take that into account and still no benefit was seen for the drug .
Its use started within two days of admission for nearly all who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studies have said treatment may have started too late to do any good .
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health , which has launched two of its own trials comparing hydroxychloroquine to placebo ― the gold standard for establishing safety and effectiveness .
One study involves COVID-19 patients , and the other aims to see whether the drug can help prevent infections in health care workers exposed to the virus .
Both got started in April .

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A new study finds no evidence of benefit from a malaria drug widely promoted as a treatment for coronavirus infection.
Hydroxychloroquine did not lower the risk of dying or needing a breathing tube in a comparison that involved nearly 1,400 patients treated at Columbia University in New York, researchers reported Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Although the study is observational rather than a rigorous experiment, it gives valuable information for a decision that hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 patients have already had to make without clear evidence about the drug’s risks and benefits, some journal editors and other doctors wrote in an editorial.
“It is disappointing that several months into the pandemic, we do not yet have results” from any strict tests of the drug, they wrote. Still, the new study “suggests that this treatment is not a panacea.”
President Donald Trump repeatedly urged the use of hydroxychloroquine, which is used now for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It has potentially serious side effects, including altering the heartbeat in a way that could lead to sudden death.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned against its use for coronavirus infections except in formal studies.
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Doctors at Columbia tracked how 565 patients who did not get the drug fared compared to 811 others who received hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin, a combo Trump also has touted.
In all, 180 patients required breathing tubes and 232 died, and the drug did not seem to affect the odds of either.
Patients given hydroxychloroquine were generally sicker than the others, but widely accepted methods were used to take that into account and still no benefit was seen for the drug.
Its use started within two days of admission for nearly all who received it. Some critics of earlier studies have said treatment may have started too late to do any good.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, which has launched two of its own trials comparing hydroxychloroquine to placebo ― the gold standard for establishing safety and effectiveness.
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One study involves COVID-19 patients, and the other aims to see whether the drug can help prevent infections in health care workers exposed to the virus. Both got started in April.
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Marilynn Marchione can be followed on Twitter: @MMarchioneAP
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huffpost--2020-05-07--Baseball Season In South Korea Kicks Off With 'First Pitch' From Boy In A Bubble

South Korea ’ s baseball league has kicked off its season with a pandemic-era twist .
The Korea Baseball Organization opened the game between the Lotte Giants and KT Wiz on Tuesday with a “ socially distant first pitch ” from a boy inside a big , clear bubble .
Instead of throwing the ball , 9-year-old Lee Raon walked his bubble over to the catcher before the other players took the field .
Lee performed the ceremonial “ pitch ” before a stadium void of fans , Reuters reported .
Coaches and referees wore masks , and players must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The country ’ s baseball season launched after a five-week delay due to the coronavirus , which halted sporting events around the world .
Life in South Korea is beginning to return to normal as people go back to work , museums and libraries reopen , and professional sports such as baseball and soccer start back up .
South Korea has all but eliminated the spread of coronavirus after initially facing one of the worst early outbreaks .
The country , with a population of more than 50 million , has slowed its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanks to widespread tracing and testing measures .
As Major League Baseball in America remains shut down indefinitely , the KBO ’ s return might provide some relief to sports-starved U.S. audiences .
In a deal with ESPN , viewers outside of South Korea will have the opportunity to follow the Korean league .
Six games are set to be aired on the network each week .

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South Korea’s baseball league has kicked off its season with a pandemic-era twist.
The Korea Baseball Organization opened the game between the Lotte Giants and KT Wiz on Tuesday with a “socially distant first pitch” from a boy inside a big, clear bubble. Instead of throwing the ball, 9-year-old Lee Raon walked his bubble over to the catcher before the other players took the field.
Lee performed the ceremonial “pitch” before a stadium void of fans, Reuters reported. Coaches and referees wore masks, and players must have their temperatures taken before games.
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The country’s baseball season launched after a five-week delay due to the coronavirus, which halted sporting events around the world. Life in South Korea is beginning to return to normal as people go back to work, museums and libraries reopen, and professional sports such as baseball and soccer start back up.
KBO team uses a boy in a bubble for a socially distanced first pitch!!!! @wusa9 @WUSA9sports pic.twitter.com/fBCpgXSbPL — Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) May 5, 2020
South Korea has all but eliminated the spread of coronavirus after initially facing one of the worst early outbreaks. The country, with a population of more than 50 million, has slowed its daily new cases to just a handful thanks to widespread tracing and testing measures.
As Major League Baseball in America remains shut down indefinitely, the KBO’s return might provide some relief to sports-starved U.S. audiences. In a deal with ESPN, viewers outside of South Korea will have the opportunity to follow the Korean league. Six games are set to be aired on the network each week.
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huffpost--2020-04-05--Americans Brace For 'Hardest, Saddest' Week Of Their Lives

Amid the dire news , there were also glimmers of hope — the number of people dying appeared to be slowing in New York City , Spain and Italy .
The news was cautiously welcomed by leaders , who also noted that any gains could easily be reversed if people did not continue to adhere to strict lockdowns .
“ I hope in the years to come , everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge , ” she said .
“ And those who come after us will say that the Britons of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In New York City , the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic , daily deaths dropped slightly , along with intensive care admissions and the number of patients who needed breathing tubes inserted , but New York state Gov .
Andrew Cuomo warned that it was “ too early to tell ” the significance of those numbers .
Italy and Spain also got some encouraging news .
Italy registered its lowest day-to-day increase in deaths in more than two weeks — 525 , said Angelo Borrelli , the head of the national Civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also seemed to be slowing .
“ The vast majority of people are following the public health advice , which is absolutely critical , and staying at home , ” Hancock told Sky TV .
“ But there are a small minority of people who are still not doing that — it ’ s quite unbelievable , frankly , to see that.
” Italians have not been immune to lure of the good weather either .
Top Italian officials took to national television after photos were published showing huge crowds out shopping in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hard-hit Veneto city of Padua .
Lombardy Vice Gov .
Fabrizio Sala said cellphone data showed 38 % of the region ’ s people were out and about — the highest figure since March 20 .
Restrictions on movement vary from country to country .
In Germany and Britain , residents can get out to exercise and walk their dogs , as well as go to the supermarket , the post office and do other essential tasks .
Yet in Serbia and South Africa , dog walking is not allowed .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , which is spread by microscopic droplets from coughs or sneezes .
For most people , the virus causes mild to moderate symptoms such as fever and cough .
But for some , especially older adults and the infirm , it can cause pneumonia and lead to death .
The World Health Organization says 95 % of the known coronavirus deaths in Europe have been in people over 60 .
Speaking on CBS ’ s “ Face the Nation , ” Fauci said the prospect of a resurgence is why the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better prepared , including working to develop a vaccine and conducting clinical trials on treatments .

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NEW YORK (AP) — Americans braced for what the nation’s top doctor warned Sunday would be “the hardest and saddest week” of their lives while Britain assumed the unwelcome mantle of deadliest coronavirus hot spot in Europe after a record 24-hour jump in deaths that surpassed even hard-hit Italy’s.
Britain’s own prime minister, Boris Johnson, was hospitalized, 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19 in what his office described as a “precautionary step.”
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Amid the dire news, there were also glimmers of hope — the number of people dying appeared to be slowing in New York City, Spain and Italy. The news was cautiously welcomed by leaders, who also noted that any gains could easily be reversed if people did not continue to adhere to strict lockdowns.
And U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams offered a stark warning about the expected wave of virus deaths.
“This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment,’’ he told “Fox News Sunday.”
In a rare televised address to her country, meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II also appealed to Britons to rise the occasion, while acknowledging enormous disruptions, grief and financial difficulties.
“I hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge,” she said. “And those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.”
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In New York City, the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, daily deaths dropped slightly, along with intensive care admissions and the number of patients who needed breathing tubes inserted, but New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that it was “too early to tell” the significance of those numbers.
Italy and Spain also got some encouraging news. Italy registered its lowest day-to-day increase in deaths in more than two weeks — 525, said Angelo Borrelli, the head of the national Civil Protection agency. The pace of infection also seemed to be slowing.
Even so, Borrelli warned, “This good news shouldn’t make us drop our guard.”
Confirmed infections fell in Spain, too, and new deaths declined for the third straight day, dropping to 674 — the first time daily deaths have fallen below 800 in the past week.
“We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.
The outlook, however, remained bleak in Britain, which reported more than 600 deaths Sunday, surpassing Italy’s increase. Italy still has by far the world’s highest coronavirus death toll — almost 16,000.
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Johnson, meanwhile, has been hospitalized, though his office said it was not an emergency and that the 55-year-old Conservative will undergo tests.
There are concerns that Johnson’s government did not take the virus seriously enough at first and that spring weather will tempt Britons and others to break social distancing rules.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the U.K. might even ban outdoor exercise if people still ’’flout the rules.″
“The vast majority of people are following the public health advice, which is absolutely critical, and staying at home,” Hancock told Sky TV. “But there are a small minority of people who are still not doing that — it’s quite unbelievable, frankly, to see that.”
As the numbers of infections rose, the deputy head of Britain’s National Health Service Providers said the agency needed to focus on quickly increasing ventilator capacity and getting more protective equipment for health care workers.
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“I think that we are just a week away from the surge of this,’’ Saffron Cordery told Sky TV.
Italians have not been immune to lure of the good weather either. Top Italian officials took to national television after photos were published showing huge crowds out shopping in Naples, Rome, Genoa and even the hard-hit Veneto city of Padua. Lombardy Vice Gov. Fabrizio Sala said cellphone data showed 38% of the region’s people were out and about — the highest figure since March 20.
Health Minister Roberto Speranza told RAI state television that all the sacrifices Italians have made since the nationwide lockdown began on March 10 risked being reversed.
Restrictions on movement vary from country to country. In Germany and Britain, residents can get out to exercise and walk their dogs, as well as go to the supermarket, the post office and do other essential tasks. Yet in Serbia and South Africa, dog walking is not allowed.
In France, heat-seeking drones have been whizzing over Fontainebleau forest to identify rule-breakers after the former royal estate in the Paris suburbs was closed to the public.
In Sweden, authorities have advised the public to practice social distancing, but schools, bars and restaurants are still open.
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At the Vatican, Pope Francis celebrated Mass and blessed palms for Palm Sunday in a near-empty St. Peter’s Basilica. Usually tens of thousands of faithful would have crowded the square outside.
In New Orleans, Rev. Emmanuel Mulenga blessed palm fronds and put them on a table near the back of his Saint Augustine Catholic Church — so people could get them while also observing social distancing.
Worldwide, more than 1.2 million people have been confirmed infected and nearly 70,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. The true numbers are certainly much higher, due to limited testing, different ways nations count the dead and deliberate under-reporting by some governments.
The vast majority of infected people recover from the virus, which is spread by microscopic droplets from coughs or sneezes. For most people, the virus causes mild to moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. But for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia and lead to death. The World Health Organization says 95% of the known coronavirus deaths in Europe have been in people over 60.
The rapid spread of the virus in the United States has prompted a chaotic scramble for medical equipment and protective gear.
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An Associated Press review of federal purchasing contracts showed that federal agencies largely waited until mid-March — more than two months after the first warnings of a potential pandemic — to begin placing bulk orders of N95 respirator masks, mechanical ventilators and other equipment needed by front-line health care workers.
By that time, hospitals in several states were treating thousands of infected patients without adequate equipment and pleading for shipments from the national stockpile. Now that stockpile is nearly drained just as the numbers of patients requiring critical care is surging.
Rebekah Gee, who heads the Louisiana State University’s health care services division, would like to the federal government to be more involved and warned that the private and public sector have been competing with each other, leading to price increases.
Gee, who once ran the state’s Department of Health, said one of her colleagues went on eBay to buy gowns, while equipment her department ordered from China got stalled for weeks in Hong Kong.
“Our whole country is at war with this virus,” she said. “There’s only a certain number of ventilators in the world. This needs a coordinated approach, and right now that’s not happening.”
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Louisiana and the New Orleans area have been hard hit by the virus, and Gov. John Bel Edwards has repeatedly warned of looming shortages for ventilators and intensive care unit beds.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday that he hoped the pace of new infections would plateau soon, but that the virus is unlikely to be completely eradicated this year.
Speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Fauci said the prospect of a resurgence is why the U.S. is working so hard to be better prepared, including working to develop a vaccine and conducting clinical trials on treatments.
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D’Emilio reported from Rome. Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.