huffpost--2020-03-19--The Coronavirus Is Making Mental Health In ICE Detention Even Worse

It is not clear that the man ’ s death was related to the coronavirus .
But unless the Trump administration releases people from immigrant detention during the pandemic , activists and legal groups warn , the nearly 40,000 immigrants in government custody could face serious mental health issues in addition to physical illness .
“ The added stress of the coronavirus potentially getting inside the center is deadly .
We anticipate that this won ’ t be the last death at Karnes unless ICE immediately releases all those detained at this detention center and in custody around the country.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about which family members the Honduran man was detained with or how long he had been held in the detention center .
BuzzFeed reported that the 27-year-old crossed the border as part of a “ family unit ” on Feb. 19 .
Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to HuffPost ’ s request for comment .
One man detained at Karnes said his wife has been unable to get medical care for her ovarian cysts and that “ I fear for our lives if the virus reaches us and we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaration taken by RAICES staff .
So far , four immigrants in ICE custody have been tested for the coronavirus , and one employee at a detention center in New Jersey was tested and went into self-quarantine .
On Tuesday , the agency said 10 more detained immigrants may have been exposed to COVID-19 , but ICE has not yet confirmed any cases in its facilities and did not immediately respond to HuffPost ’ s request for an update on these results .
On Monday , the American Civil Liberties Union filed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detainees at the immigrant detention facility in Tacoma , Washington , including immigrants who suffer from lung disease , autoimmune disorders and asthma .
The agency has the discretion to release any asylum-seekers who are not a risk to the community on parole or bond while they wait for their court dates .
ICE has said it ’ s working to stave off a possible outbreak by suspending visits to detention centers ― which makes people all the more isolated from their friends , families and legal aid ― and noted it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine facilities .
But it ’ s not administering proper care to people inside , according to advocates .
An immigrant told RAICES that hand sanitizer and masks aren ’ t available inside the Karnes detention center and that “ officials have not said anything to us about what is happening outside , or any extra precautions that we should take.
” Meza says immigrants at Karnes aren ’ t being tested for the coronavirus , despite the fact that she and other staff members have spoken to many people who are coughing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say their babies are sick as well .
A dirty and cramped detention center in the face of a pandemic is unsafe and inhumane .
Lucia Allain , Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services Karnes detention center , where the Honduran man was incarcerated , is one of three facilities in the U.S. where immigrant families are held together .
Meza said people ’ s medical needs are routinely ignored there .
HuffPost has reported on immigrants with brain tumors , cancer and psychiatric issues who have been denied proper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently 700 people being held at Karnes , and immigrants have told RAICES that they lack access to supplies for basic hygiene and that soap is in short supply .
Medical experts say a coronavirus outbreak in these facilities would be disastrous , since people live in close quarters , have compromised immune systems , and are not receiving quality medical care .
“ I am worried about additional preventable deaths that could occur , ” said Dr. Altaf Saadi , a neurologist and an asylum evaluator for the Physicians for Human Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s impossible for immigrants who are confined in small spaces with inadequate supplies that would allow them to follow government guidelines to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 .

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On Wednesday, a 27-year-old Honduran man reportedly killed himself while jailed at Karnes County Residential Center, an immigrant detention center in Texas.
It is not clear that the man’s death was related to the coronavirus. But unless the Trump administration releases people from immigrant detention during the pandemic, activists and legal groups warn, the nearly 40,000 immigrants in government custody could face serious mental health issues in addition to physical illness.
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“The mental health impact on people who are imprisoned for the crime of seeking a safe haven is overwhelming,” Lucia Allain, a spokesperson for the advocacy group Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, said in a statement.
“The added stress of the coronavirus potentially getting inside the center is deadly. We anticipate that this won’t be the last death at Karnes unless ICE immediately releases all those detained at this detention center and in custody around the country.”
RAICES has not yet released details about which family members the Honduran man was detained with or how long he had been held in the detention center. BuzzFeed reported that the 27-year-old crossed the border as part of a “family unit” on Feb. 19. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
But the man’s suicide highlights problems with medical care, including mental health treatment, at immigration detention facilities, which advocates say could be exacerbated by the coronavirus outbreak.
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“A dirty and cramped detention center in the face of a pandemic is unsafe and inhumane,” said Allain.
“It’s only a matter of time until there’s a positive test result within the detention center," says Andrea Meza, the director of family detention services at RAICES. David McNew via Getty Images
Immigrants at Karnes are panicked about a potential coronavirus outbreak, which is taking a big toll on their mental health, said Andrea Meza, the director of family detention services at RAICES. “They are scared and worried and feel trapped,” she told HuffPost. “They feel like sitting ducks.”
One man detained at Karnes said his wife has been unable to get medical care for her ovarian cysts and that “I fear for our lives if the virus reaches us and we are stuck here,” according to a declaration taken by RAICES staff.
So far, four immigrants in ICE custody have been tested for the coronavirus, and one employee at a detention center in New Jersey was tested and went into self-quarantine. On Tuesday, the agency said 10 more detained immigrants may have been exposed to COVID-19, but ICE has not yet confirmed any cases in its facilities and did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for an update on these results.
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On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit demanding ICE release its most vulnerable detainees at the immigrant detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, including immigrants who suffer from lung disease, autoimmune disorders and asthma. The agency has the discretion to release any asylum-seekers who are not a risk to the community on parole or bond while they wait for their court dates.
ICE has said it’s working to stave off a possible outbreak by suspending visits to detention centers ― which makes people all the more isolated from their friends, families and legal aid ― and noted it would use funding from Congress to set up quarantine facilities.
But it’s not administering proper care to people inside, according to advocates. An immigrant told RAICES that hand sanitizer and masks aren’t available inside the Karnes detention center and that “officials have not said anything to us about what is happening outside, or any extra precautions that we should take.”
Meza says immigrants at Karnes aren’t being tested for the coronavirus, despite the fact that she and other staff members have spoken to many people who are coughing and have respiratory illnesses, and who say their babies are sick as well.
“It’s only a matter of time until there’s a positive test result within the detention center,” she said as part of a RAICES panel on Wednesday, adding that the closest major hospital is over an hour away.
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“A dirty and cramped detention center in the face of a pandemic is unsafe and inhumane.” - Lucia Allain, Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services
Detention centers and border stations are notorious for subpar medical care. The Honduran man is the ninth immigrant to die in ICE custody since October, and last year, six immigrant children died in U.S. custody.
Karnes detention center, where the Honduran man was incarcerated, is one of three facilities in the U.S. where immigrant families are held together. Meza said people’s medical needs are routinely ignored there. HuffPost has reported on immigrants with brain tumors, cancer and psychiatric issues who have been denied proper treatment at the facility.
There are currently 700 people being held at Karnes, and immigrants have told RAICES that they lack access to supplies for basic hygiene and that soap is in short supply. Medical experts say a coronavirus outbreak in these facilities would be disastrous, since people live in close quarters, have compromised immune systems, and are not receiving quality medical care.
“I am worried about additional preventable deaths that could occur,” said Dr. Altaf Saadi, a neurologist and an asylum evaluator for the Physicians for Human Rights Asylum Network. Saadi said it’s impossible for immigrants who are confined in small spaces with inadequate supplies that would allow them to follow government guidelines to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.
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Since Iran temporarily released prisoners during the coronavirus outbreak and Britain is considering doing the same, the Trump administration should free detained immigrants, most of whom are not even facing criminal charges, according to RAICES.


huffpost--2020-03-19--Monaco’s Ruler, Prince Albert II, Tests Positive For The Coronavirus

PARIS ( AP ) — The palace of Monaco says its ruler , Prince Albert II , has tested positive for the new coronavirus but his health is not worrying .
Albert , 62 , appeared to be the first head of state who has publicly said he contracted the virus .
In a statement Thursday , the palace said he is being treated by doctors from the Princess Grace Hospital , named after his U.S. actress mother .
It says Albert is continuing to work from his home office in the palace and is in constant contact with members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Albert urged residents of his tiny Mediterranean principality to respect confinement measures .
Albert is the second child of Princess Grace — formerly Grace Kelly — and Prince Rainier of Monaco .
Albert became a five-time Olympic bobsledder and in recent years has been a global environmental campaigner .
Fluent in English and French , Albert graduated from Amherst College in Massachusetts with a degree in political science in 1981 , and is a member of the International Olympic Committee .
He and his wife , the former Charlene Wittstock , have @ @ @

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PARIS (AP) — The palace of Monaco says its ruler, Prince Albert II, has tested positive for the new coronavirus but his health is not worrying.
Albert, 62, appeared to be the first head of state who has publicly said he contracted the virus.
In a statement Thursday, the palace said he is being treated by doctors from the Princess Grace Hospital, named after his U.S. actress mother. It says Albert is continuing to work from his home office in the palace and is in constant contact with members of his government.
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In the statement, Albert urged residents of his tiny Mediterranean principality to respect confinement measures.
Albert is the second child of Princess Grace — formerly Grace Kelly — and Prince Rainier of Monaco. Albert became a five-time Olympic bobsledder and in recent years has been a global environmental campaigner.
Fluent in English and French, Albert graduated from Amherst College in Massachusetts with a degree in political science in 1981, and is a member of the International Olympic Committee.


huffpost--2020-03-19--U.S. Manufacturers Start Shutting Down Major Plants Due To Coronavirus

Detroit ’ s Big Three automakers announced Wednesday that they are ceasing production at their U.S. plants due to the coronavirus , showing how the economic damage from the pandemic is spreading beyond the service sector .
Ford said it would halt production at all North American facilities from the end of Thursday ’ s shift through March 30 .
GM said it would suspend work at its plants over the same time frame .
Fiat Chrysler said it will be idling its facilities through at least March 31 .
All three companies said they were working closely with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an orderly shutdown .
They plan to clean down the facilities and develop “ social distancing ” measures before reopening .
The union said closing down temporarily was the prudent thing to do to protect employees and their families .
Most of the job losses due to the worsening coronavirus outbreak have hit the hospitality sector , with hotels , restaurants and other gathering places closing down to limit transmission of the virus .
But as the plant closures show , the pandemic can disrupt pretty much any work that requires employees to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be done remotely .
The UAW said Tuesday that a worker at GM ’ s technical center in Warren , Michigan , tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
GM said it would reevaluate the closures on a week-by-week basis starting at the end of the month .
Ford had to close its assembly plant in Wayne , Michigan , Wednesday morning after a worker there tested positive .
The company said it was disinfecting the building and had encouraged anyone who ’ d had contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preliminary two-week shutdowns mirror the precautions taken by many school districts around the country .
In all cases , the closures could end up lasting much longer than expected .
Public health experts are warning that it could be months before the spread of the virus has been checked and life and work can return to normal .
Despite the measures taken by the Big Three , some other automakers were continuing production as scheduled .
Amanda Plecas , a spokesperson for Germany-based Volkswagen , told HuffPost its distribution centers and Tennessee production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We continue to monitor this evolving situation and will make any necessary adjustments to business operations with the health and safety of our employees as the top priority , ” Plecas said in an email .
A spokesperson for Nissan did not immediately respond via email to HuffPost ’ s question of whether the company is planning to curb production due to the pandemic .
But according to Payday Report , workers at the company ’ s plant in Canton , Mississippi , were still required to show up for work as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on edge .
They want to come to work cuz they feel that they have to get a paycheck , ” one worker told the news outlet .

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Detroit’s Big Three automakers announced Wednesday that they are ceasing production at their U.S. plants due to the coronavirus, showing how the economic damage from the pandemic is spreading beyond the service sector.
Ford said it would halt production at all North American facilities from the end of Thursday’s shift through March 30. GM said it would suspend work at its plants over the same time frame. Fiat Chrysler said it will be idling its facilities through at least March 31.
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All three companies said they were working closely with the United Auto Workers union to carry out an orderly shutdown. They plan to clean down the facilities and develop “social distancing” measures before reopening. The union said closing down temporarily was the prudent thing to do to protect employees and their families.
Most of the job losses due to the worsening coronavirus outbreak have hit the hospitality sector, with hotels, restaurants and other gathering places closing down to limit transmission of the virus. But as the plant closures show, the pandemic can disrupt pretty much any work that requires employees to be in close proximity and can’t be done remotely.
GM's assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan, is among those being temporarily shut down. Bill Pugliano via Getty Images
The UAW said Tuesday that a worker at GM’s technical center in Warren, Michigan, tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. GM said it would reevaluate the closures on a week-by-week basis starting at the end of the month.
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Ford had to close its assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan, Wednesday morning after a worker there tested positive. The company said it was disinfecting the building and had encouraged anyone who’d had contact with the worker to self-quarantine.
The preliminary two-week shutdowns mirror the precautions taken by many school districts around the country. In all cases, the closures could end up lasting much longer than expected. Public health experts are warning that it could be months before the spread of the virus has been checked and life and work can return to normal.
Despite the measures taken by the Big Three, some other automakers were continuing production as scheduled. Amanda Plecas, a spokesperson for Germany-based Volkswagen, told HuffPost its distribution centers and Tennessee production plant were “still in operation.”
“We continue to monitor this evolving situation and will make any necessary adjustments to business operations with the health and safety of our employees as the top priority,” Plecas said in an email.
A spokesperson for Nissan did not immediately respond via email to HuffPost’s question of whether the company is planning to curb production due to the pandemic. But according to Payday Report, workers at the company’s plant in Canton, Mississippi, were still required to show up for work as of Wednesday morning.
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“Everybody is on edge. They want to come to work cuz they feel that they have to get a paycheck,” one worker told the news outlet.


huffpost--2020-03-18--Calls Grow To Prohibit Coronavirus Bailouts From Rewarding Investors And Executives

WASHINGTON ― As Congress begins working on a huge fiscal package to prop up the economy and soften the blow for people who are suffering from the coronavirus epidemic and its effects on their livelihoods , Democrats are demanding that any taxpayer bailout to major industries include restrictions on corporate bonuses and stock buybacks .
The issue of corporate accountability remains fresh in many lawmakers ’ minds .
In 2009 , amid the Great Recession , the insurance company American International Group ( AIG ) handed out millions in bonuses after receiving a bailout from the federal government .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Capitol Hill and further soured the public on the idea of taxpayer-funded bailouts , especially to Wall Street .
To address the severe economic shock currently gripping the country , the Trump administration is working on an emergency stimulus proposal of at least $ 1 trillion that includes $ 50 billion in loans for the airline industry , which has been hit hard by the crisis .
The package calls for an additional $ 150 billion in loans for unnamed “ severely distressed sectors ” of the economy .
According to The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , casinos , cruise lines , and the oil and gas industry .
Other groups are also lining up for a lifeline , including restaurant chains , the nation ’ s mayors , and nonprofit groups .
But Democrats are calling on the Treasury Department to go even further , urging them to set specific conditions — that will apply beyond the coronavirus crisis — on taxpayer funds that go to corporations .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
, who recently dropped out of the 2020 presidential race , laid out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test ” for the bailouts on Tuesday .
The eight-point plan calls for companies who receive taxpayer funds to provide a $ 15 minimum wage , keep people on their payrolls , maintain collective bargaining agreements , and permanently ban stock buybacks , among other steps .
“ Funds must come with strings attached to ensure that the money goes to maintain payroll , not to enrich shareholders or pay executive bonuses , ” Warren said in an op-ed this week .
“ Giant corporations that receive substantial loans from taxpayers should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board seats for a representative elected by the company ’ s workers .
Violations should trigger criminal penalties and clawbacks.
” “ Let ’ s not forget that the reason many airlines are so short on cash right now is that they have spent billions on stock buybacks ― money they had to send out when they should have been saving it for a rainy day , for their customers and workers , ” Schumer said in a floor speech on Wednesday .
“ That issue should be addressed.
” Sen. Chris Murphy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There is no straight-face justification to give no-strings-attached cash to an industry that had the chance to use massive profits and tax cuts to build a rainy day fund , but instead used the money to pad investor returns and executive pay.
” Corporate stock buybacks skyrocketed after Trump signed the 2017 Republican tax cut into law .
In fact , over the last five years , 50 of the largest U.S. corporations repurchased a staggering $ 1.1 trillion of their own stock , according to a Wednesday memo from the advocacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t the only ones who are calling for conditions to bailouts for major industries that are severely affected by the economic crisis .
Keith Anderson , co-founder of investment firm BlackRock , suggested in a letter to The New York Times this week that stock warrants should be attached to any loans given by the federal government , similar to what a private investor would require when bailing out a troubled company .
“ The vast majority ” of these entities , Anderson wrote , “ have spent the last decade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outstanding shares — as Royal Caribbean Cruises and Delta and American Airlines have done — in an effort to increase their per-share earnings and their share prices.
” “ While I hope that the citizens of our country who are most in need and the small businesses that have no access to capital markets are in the front of the line for assistance , when it does come time to lend a hand to these public companies , any loan or bailout should also provide a reward to the citizens of our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he added .

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WASHINGTON ― As Congress begins working on a huge fiscal package to prop up the economy and soften the blow for people who are suffering from the coronavirus epidemic and its effects on their livelihoods, Democrats are demanding that any taxpayer bailout to major industries include restrictions on corporate bonuses and stock buybacks.
The issue of corporate accountability remains fresh in many lawmakers’ minds. In 2009, amid the Great Recession, the insurance company American International Group (AIG) handed out millions in bonuses after receiving a bailout from the federal government. The move prompted widespread criticism from both parties on Capitol Hill and further soured the public on the idea of taxpayer-funded bailouts, especially to Wall Street.
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To address the severe economic shock currently gripping the country, the Trump administration is working on an emergency stimulus proposal of at least $1 trillion that includes $50 billion in loans for the airline industry, which has been hit hard by the crisis. The package calls for an additional $150 billion in loans for unnamed “severely distressed sectors” of the economy. According to The Washington Post, those might include hotels, casinos, cruise lines, and the oil and gas industry. Other groups are also lining up for a lifeline, including restaurant chains, the nation’s mayors, and nonprofit groups.
“Certainly, the hotel industry, the cruise ship industry, the airlines, those are all prime candidates, absolutely,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the administration’s plans for targeted relief to businesses.
According to the Post, the administration’s fiscal proposal for certain industries does include limits “on increases in executive compensation until repayment of the loans.”
But Democrats are calling on the Treasury Department to go even further, urging them to set specific conditions — that will apply beyond the coronavirus crisis — on taxpayer funds that go to corporations.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who recently dropped out of the 2020 presidential race, laid out what she called a “progressive litmus test” for the bailouts on Tuesday. The eight-point plan calls for companies who receive taxpayer funds to provide a $15 minimum wage, keep people on their payrolls, maintain collective bargaining agreements, and permanently ban stock buybacks, among other steps.
“Funds must come with strings attached to ensure that the money goes to maintain payroll, not to enrich shareholders or pay executive bonuses,” Warren said in an op-ed this week. “Giant corporations that receive substantial loans from taxpayers should be required to set aside one or more board seats for a representative elected by the company’s workers. Violations should trigger criminal penalties and clawbacks.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), meanwhile, noted that many airline companies repurchased their own stocks to reward their investors when times were good.
“Let’s not forget that the reason many airlines are so short on cash right now is that they have spent billions on stock buybacks ― money they had to send out when they should have been saving it for a rainy day, for their customers and workers,” Schumer said in a floor speech on Wednesday. “That issue should be addressed.”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) added on Twitter: “There is no straight-face justification to give no-strings-attached cash to an industry that had the chance to use massive profits and tax cuts to build a rainy day fund, but instead used the money to pad investor returns and executive pay.”
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Corporate stock buybacks skyrocketed after Trump signed the 2017 Republican tax cut into law. In fact, over the last five years, 50 of the largest U.S. corporations repurchased a staggering $1.1 trillion of their own stock, according to a Wednesday memo from the advocacy group Economic Liberties Project.
But Democrats aren’t the only ones who are calling for conditions to bailouts for major industries that are severely affected by the economic crisis. Keith Anderson, co-founder of investment firm BlackRock, suggested in a letter to The New York Times this week that stock warrants should be attached to any loans given by the federal government, similar to what a private investor would require when bailing out a troubled company.
“The vast majority” of these entities, Anderson wrote, “have spent the last decade of unprecedented economic expansion buying back their outstanding shares — as Royal Caribbean Cruises and Delta and American Airlines have done — in an effort to increase their per-share earnings and their share prices.”
“While I hope that the citizens of our country who are most in need and the small businesses that have no access to capital markets are in the front of the line for assistance, when it does come time to lend a hand to these public companies, any loan or bailout should also provide a reward to the citizens of our country who are lending them money,” he added.


huffpost--2020-03-19--Displaced Families Tap Into Survival Instincts To Tackle COVID-19 Outbreak

Danny Hajjar ’ s parents grew up during the Lebanese Civil War , a 15-year multi-faceted war that killed nearly 150,000 people and displaced thousands more between 1975 and 1990 .
During that time , they witnessed prices skyrocket , businesses shutter and tensions between families and friends run high .
His family could not leave their home since waves of violence outside were common and unpredictable .
They finally made it to the U.S. in the 1980s .
Even though they no longer lived in a war zone , Hajjar , a 29-year-old account executive at a communications firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents ’ experience forever changed how they lived and dealt with any crisis that came their way ― including the coronavirus outbreak .
Now residing in Boston , Hajjar ’ s parents are prepared for anything , including the frequent power outages they face due to blizzards .
Their house is always stocked up with batteries , board games , candles and canned goods ― including chickpeas , an Arab home staple .
It was stocked well before even a whisper of the virus .
Throughout his life , Hajjar ’ s parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One such way meant they nagged him to carry cash for emergencies , a concept he said was foreign to him as a millennial .
“ They ’ ve always had everything ready should a disaster strike , ” said Hajjar .
“ I think , for me , it just all stems from the war .
Just always being prepared for the worst and having everything at your disposal so that if you need to hunker down and not move and not do anything , you are in a space where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few days.
” For many families like Hajjar ’ s who have fled wars and political instability , the scenes are far too familiar .
Some people are triggered and suffering from anxiety attacks , as their trauma revisits them .
Others feel privileged and say they feel more equipped to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak because of their past experiences .
Joseph Azam , 38 years old , lawyer in the Bay Area “ From a young age , it was sort of an understanding that I had in my family that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ The scarcity mindset isn ’ t new to us .
You ’ re sort of always feeling displaced or always feeling a little bit on edge and not trusting of your circumstances.
” “ For my family and for a lot of others like us , our last flight-or-flight instinct was when people were going door to door to conscript men and kidnapped people and bombs and gunfire were going off in the background , ” he said .
When the coronavirus outbreak hit the U.S. , civilians began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toiletries and other supplies from local grocery stores .
This panic triggered Shahnawaz ’ s father and he started to have flashbacks of the painful memories where they fled numerous countries and were unable to find food and health care each time they had to start over .
“ It really flashes back the memories for me , ” Shahnawaz said .
“ My grandfather used to tell me the stories about how they struggled , and now my dad tells me what he has gone through too .
So when these things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dad really becomes anxious.
” Shahnawaz ’ s father battles unstable blood pressure , often triggered by anxiety .
This month alone , he demanded his daughter take him to the emergency room to get tested for the coronavirus three times , despite showing no symptoms .
Each time , Shahnawaz has to calm him down , reassuring him that there are resources available to him if he needs it , unlike his time escaping political instability .
The family isn ’ t going anywhere this time , she tells him .
Rusul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Parkdale Centre in Toronto “ I ’ m so lucky to be living in Canada and we still have all the resources around us and we ’ re not starving and people are lining up for you know resources but it ’ s not as bad as what we went through back home , ” she said .

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Danny Hajjar’s parents grew up during the Lebanese Civil War, a 15-year multi-faceted war that killed nearly 150,000 people and displaced thousands more between 1975 and 1990. During that time, they witnessed prices skyrocket, businesses shutter and tensions between families and friends run high. His family could not leave their home since waves of violence outside were common and unpredictable.
They finally made it to the U.S. in the 1980s. Even though they no longer lived in a war zone, Hajjar, a 29-year-old account executive at a communications firm in Washington, D.C., says his parents’ experience forever changed how they lived and dealt with any crisis that came their way ― including the coronavirus outbreak.
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“I like to think that that has really just shaped everything they’ve done since then,” Hajjar told HuffPost. “My parents have always been prepared. They have very much been prepared for the worst, at all times.”
Now residing in Boston, Hajjar’s parents are prepared for anything, including the frequent power outages they face due to blizzards. Their house is always stocked up with batteries, board games, candles and canned goods ― including chickpeas, an Arab home staple. It was stocked well before even a whisper of the virus. Throughout his life, Hajjar’s parents constantly raised their children to be prepared. One such way meant they nagged him to carry cash for emergencies, a concept he said was foreign to him as a millennial.
“They’ve always had everything ready should a disaster strike,” said Hajjar. “I think, for me, it just all stems from the war. Just always being prepared for the worst and having everything at your disposal so that if you need to hunker down and not move and not do anything, you are in a space where you can kind of survive for a few days.”
For many families like Hajjar’s who have fled wars and political instability, the scenes are far too familiar. Some people are triggered and suffering from anxiety attacks, as their trauma revisits them. Others feel privileged and say they feel more equipped to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak because of their past experiences.
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HuffPost spoke to several individuals who have faced displacement or fled from such conditions about how they are dealing with the current pandemic. Interviews have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
“They’ve always had everything ready should a disaster strike,” said Danny Hajjar whose parents grew up amid the Lebanese Civil War. Photo provided by the Hajjar family.
Joseph Azam, 38 years old, lawyer in the Bay Area
Joseph Azam’s family fled the tumultuous war in Afghanistan in the 1980s –– first to India, then to Germany, and eventually to the U.S., where they now reside split between Washington State, California and New York.
The conflict in Afghanistan, which first began in 1979 when Soviet forces invaded the country, only escalated when several more countries got involved including Iran, Pakistan, China, and the United States. The brutal 9-year conflict killed over a million civilians.
“Granted for me and my parents, it was decades ago, but that stuff gets woven into your DNA,” Azam told HuffPost.
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“From a young age, it was sort of an understanding that I had in my family that instability was the only constant,” he said. “The scarcity mindset isn’t new to us. You’re sort of always feeling displaced or always feeling a little bit on edge and not trusting of your circumstances.”
Azam described watching others’ fight-or-flight instinct as one of privilege when he sees people in line at grocery stores. He said surviving the Afghanistan war allowed his parents to view pandemics like the current COVID-19 outbreak from a different perspective. It also taught him resilience.
“For my family and for a lot of others like us, our last flight-or-flight instinct was when people were going door to door to conscript men and kidnapped people and bombs and gunfire were going off in the background,” he said.
But now, he said, the coronavirus outbreak seems easier to handle in comparison.
It just becomes just “one more thread in this sort of several threads woven into the narrative of displaced people living a really interesting, kind of up-and-down life.”
Shabina Shahnawaz, 33, full-time student in Virginia
Starting over is a concept Shabina Shahnawaz’s family is very familiar with. Her family has fled a number of wars, partitions and political instability spanning several countries including Iran, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the U.S., where they settled just a decade ago.
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Each time they fled, they had to start over in a new land, looking for a new home and needing to stock with basic necessities and resources.
When the coronavirus outbreak hit the U.S., civilians began to panic-shop and wiped out food, toiletries and other supplies from local grocery stores. This panic triggered Shahnawaz’s father and he started to have flashbacks of the painful memories where they fled numerous countries and were unable to find food and health care each time they had to start over.
“It really flashes back the memories for me,” Shahnawaz said. “My grandfather used to tell me the stories about how they struggled, and now my dad tells me what he has gone through too. So when these things happen and things are uncertain, my dad really becomes anxious.”
Shabina Shahnawaz and her father now reside in Virginia after fleeing wars and political instability in several countries. Photo provided by Shabina Shahnawaz.
Shahnawaz’s father battles unstable blood pressure, often triggered by anxiety. This month alone, he demanded his daughter take him to the emergency room to get tested for the coronavirus three times, despite showing no symptoms. Each time, Shahnawaz has to calm him down, reassuring him that there are resources available to him if he needs it, unlike his time escaping political instability. The family isn’t going anywhere this time, she tells him.
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The biggest learning lesson for Shahnawaz is learning to stay calm during such high-strung times. She said the years of moving around as refugees have taught her to not panic easily, a strategy that has come in handy during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“What happened to my family has taught me to really calm down and keep ourselves together,” she said, all while taking it day by day, for the sake of her family’s mental health and their physical health.
Rusul Alrubail, 34, executive director at the Parkdale Centre in Toronto
In 1990, Iraq was placed under a massive economic sanction imposed by the United Nations Security Council after the country’s invasion of Kuwait.
The results were crippling ― inflation skyrocketed and unemployment hit a record high. The country saw a severe shortage of drugs and medical equipment, a lack of clean water and food.
By 1995, Rusul Alrubail and her family, who were in the capital at the time, were forced out by the dire situation coupled with incessant bombing.
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“I remember my grandpa going out and having to line up for hours to get like bags of rice and lentil and gallons of oil for the heat at home,” said Alrubail. She said those memories allow her to reflect and navigate through the current crisis in Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week a federal economic aid package worth $82 billion to help Canadian workers and businesses who suffered losses because of the pandemic.
“Going through that crisis mixed with trauma, mentally prepares you to kind of deal with something that’s at a smaller scale,” said Alrubail.
As a mother of two girls, Alrubail said she speaks to them about the outbreak and the importance of hygiene, but they’re just excited to be off from school ― an ignorance she’s grateful they have when she does not.


huffpost--2020-03-19--2 Generic Drugs Being Tested In U.S. In Race To Find Coronavirus Treatments

( Reuters ) — U.S. researchers , following the lead of scientists in other countries , have launched studies to see whether widely-available , low-cost generic drugs can be used to help treat the illness caused by the new coronavirus .
There are currently no vaccines or treatments for the highly-contagious COVID-19 respiratory illness , so patients can only receive supportive care for now .
But a 1,500-person trial , led by the University of Minnesota , began this week to see whether malaria treatment hydroxychloroquine can prevent or reduce the severity of COVID-19 .
Two other trials are studying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible treatment for the disease .
The malaria drug , also being tested in China , Australia and France , was touted earlier this week by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk , who recovered from malaria in 2000 after taking the medication .
“ We are trying to leverage the science to see if we can do something in addition to minimizing contacts , ” said Dr. Jakub Tolar , dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School and vice president for clinical affairs .
“ Results are likely in weeks , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus develop only mild flu-like symptoms , but around 20 percent can have more severe disease that can lead to pneumonia requiring hospitalization .
The fast-spreading virus , which emerged in China in December and is now in more than 150 countries , has infected more than 214,000 and killed over 8,700 people worldwide , including at least 145 in the United States .
Experts say it could take a year or more to have a preventive vaccine ready , so effective treatments are desperately needed .
A French team on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hydroxychloroquine showed that 25 % of patients given the drug still carried the coronavirus after six days , compared with 90 % of patients given a placebo .
Tolar said he bought 1,500 doses of hydroxychloroquine for a “ laughable ” amount of money .
“ We don ’ t need a multibillion-dollar investment .
It is part of the beauty of this approach , ” he said .
Also this week , the University of Minnesota launched two trials testing losartan - one to measure whether the hypertension drug reduces the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have been hospitalized , and another looking at whether the drug can limit the need for hospitalizations .
Losartan is an angiotensin receptor 1 ( AT1R ) blocker , which researchers say could play a role in blocking an enzyme used by the virus to bind to cells .
The New England Journal of Medicine earlier this month described how the drug was successfully used on the first patient infected by the novel coronavirus in the United States .
Results from a remdesivir trial in China could come early next month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the drug that previously failed as a potential Ebola treatment .
And the National Institutes of Health last month began testing it on patients in a U.S. trial .
“ We are focusing on high-risk patients , ” said Dr. Andre Kalil , infectious disease specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the U.S. trial ’ s lead investigator .
“ Our hope is that remdesivir will show that patients will be improving faster .
”

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(Reuters) — U.S. researchers, following the lead of scientists in other countries, have launched studies to see whether widely-available, low-cost generic drugs can be used to help treat the illness caused by the new coronavirus.
There are currently no vaccines or treatments for the highly-contagious COVID-19 respiratory illness, so patients can only receive supportive care for now.
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But a 1,500-person trial, led by the University of Minnesota, began this week to see whether malaria treatment hydroxychloroquine can prevent or reduce the severity of COVID-19. Two other trials are studying the blood pressure drug losartan as a possible treatment for the disease.
The malaria drug, also being tested in China, Australia and France, was touted earlier this week by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, who recovered from malaria in 2000 after taking the medication.
Besides having a direct antiviral effect, hydroxychloroquine suppresses the production and release of proteins involved in the inflammatory complications of several viral diseases.
“We are trying to leverage the science to see if we can do something in addition to minimizing contacts,” said Dr. Jakub Tolar, dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School and vice president for clinical affairs. “Results are likely in weeks, not months.”
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Most people infected with the new coronavirus develop only mild flu-like symptoms, but around 20 percent can have more severe disease that can lead to pneumonia requiring hospitalization.
The fast-spreading virus, which emerged in China in December and is now in more than 150 countries, has infected more than 214,000 and killed over 8,700 people worldwide, including at least 145 in the United States. Experts say it could take a year or more to have a preventive vaccine ready, so effective treatments are desperately needed.
A French team on Tuesday said initial results from a 24-patient trial of hydroxychloroquine showed that 25% of patients given the drug still carried the coronavirus after six days, compared with 90% of patients given a placebo.
Tolar said he bought 1,500 doses of hydroxychloroquine for a “laughable” amount of money. “We don’t need a multibillion-dollar investment. It is part of the beauty of this approach,” he said.
But he and others cautioned that people should not be using any prescription drugs without medical oversight.
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“These treatments should be used only in hospitals by critical care specialists,” said Dr. Russel Buhr, critical care pulmonologist at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Also this week, the University of Minnesota launched two trials testing losartan - one to measure whether the hypertension drug reduces the risk of organ failure for COVID-19 patients who have been hospitalized, and another looking at whether the drug can limit the need for hospitalizations.
Losartan is an angiotensin receptor 1 (AT1R) blocker, which researchers say could play a role in blocking an enzyme used by the virus to bind to cells.
Pharmaceutical companies are also working to develop treatments for COVID-19, including Gilead Sciences Inc’s experimental antiviral drug remdesivir, which is given to hospitalized patients via intravenous infusion over several days.
The New England Journal of Medicine earlier this month described how the drug was successfully used on the first patient infected by the novel coronavirus in the United States.
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Results from a remdesivir trial in China could come early next month, while Gilead has begun two international trials of the drug that previously failed as a potential Ebola treatment. And the National Institutes of Health last month began testing it on patients in a U.S. trial.
“We are focusing on high-risk patients,” said Dr. Andre Kalil, infectious disease specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the U.S. trial’s lead investigator. “Our hope is that remdesivir will show that patients will be improving faster.”
Companies including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Eli Lilly and Co and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co have begun to develop coronavirus treatment candidates, but human testing of their drugs has not yet started.
Anti-inflammatory drugs, like Regeneron’s Kevzara and Roche Holding AG’s Actemra, have been used to treat the lung inflammation caused by COVID-19.
But in a disappointment, Chinese investigators reported this week that Kaletra, a combination HIV drug sold by AbbVie , failed to improve outcomes for seriously ill COVID-19 patients.
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huffpost--2020-03-18--Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart Is First Member Of Congress To Test Positive For Coronavirus

Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart ( R-Fla. ) and Ben McAdams ( D-Utah ) both announced Wednesday that they have tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new coronavirus .
Hours later , Rep. Steve Scalise ( R-La . )
reported he was in self-quarantine .
In a statement , Diaz-Balart said he had developed symptoms of illness , including a high fever and headache , on Saturday .
On Wednesday , the Republican congressman was told he had tested positive for coronavirus .
“ I ’ m feeling much better , ” Diaz-Balart tweeted , urging people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal health guidelines to avoid spreading the virus .
Though he has been self-quarantined for several days , he was on the floor of the House voting on Friday , where he presumably came in contact with other lawmakers .
I 'm feeling much better .
However , it 's important that everyone take this seriously and follow @ CDCgov guidelines in order to avoid getting sick & mitigate the spread of this virus .
We must continue to work together to emerge stronger as a country during these trying times .
pic.twitter.com/g5W5vSQIyH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 18 , 2020 Later Wednesday , McAdams said he ’ d also tested positive for coronavirus .
The Utah Democrat said he ’ d developed “ mild , cold-like ” symptoms Saturday after returning from Washington , D.C .
He then quarantined himself at home starting Sunday .
On Wednesday , he got his positive test results .
Scalise said Wednesday night that he is self-quarantining “ out of an abundance of caution ” because he had an “ extended meeting ” with Diaz-Balart late last week .
“ Fortunately , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue working remotely on Congress ’ Coronavirus response , and will remain in close contact with the Trump administration ’ s Coronavirus task force , my colleagues in Congress , as well as local officials and health professionals in Louisiana to ensure that swift action to address the crisis continues , ” Scalise said in a statement .
Earlier this month , several Republican members of Congress self-quarantined after interacting with a person at the Conservative Political Action Conference who later tested positive for coronavirus .
President Donald Trump ’ s doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative for the virus after he came into contact with Fabio Wajngarten , an aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who was later diagnosed with COVID-19 .
As of Wednesday , there were over 100 reported fatalities from COVID-19 in the U.S. , with more than 7,000 cases diagnosed across all 50 states .
This article has been updated with Rep. Steve Scalise announcing he is in self-quarantine .

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Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) both announced Wednesday that they have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Hours later, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) reported he was in self-quarantine.
In a statement, Diaz-Balart said he had developed symptoms of illness, including a high fever and headache, on Saturday. On Wednesday, the Republican congressman was told he had tested positive for coronavirus.
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“I’m feeling much better,” Diaz-Balart tweeted, urging people to “take this seriously” and follow federal health guidelines to avoid spreading the virus.
Though he has been self-quarantined for several days, he was on the floor of the House voting on Friday, where he presumably came in contact with other lawmakers.
I'm feeling much better. However, it's important that everyone take this seriously and follow @CDCgov guidelines in order to avoid getting sick & mitigate the spread of this virus. We must continue to work together to emerge stronger as a country during these trying times. pic.twitter.com/g5W5vSQIyH — Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) March 18, 2020
Later Wednesday, McAdams said he’d also tested positive for coronavirus. The Utah Democrat said he’d developed “mild, cold-like” symptoms Saturday after returning from Washington, D.C. He then quarantined himself at home starting Sunday. On Wednesday, he got his positive test results.
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He, too, urged people to “take this seriously” and follow health officials’ recommendations.
Please read my statement on contracting #COVID19. I have self-quarantined since first having symptoms and consulted with my doctor. #utpol pic.twitter.com/upx4NcTvF8 — Rep. Ben McAdams (@RepBenMcAdams) March 19, 2020
Scalise said Wednesday night that he is self-quarantining “out of an abundance of caution” because he had an “extended meeting” with Diaz-Balart late last week.
“Fortunately, I am not experiencing any symptoms, and will continue working remotely on Congress’ Coronavirus response, and will remain in close contact with the Trump administration’s Coronavirus task force, my colleagues in Congress, as well as local officials and health professionals in Louisiana to ensure that swift action to address the crisis continues,” Scalise said in a statement.
My full statement regarding the news that a Republican Member of Congress tested positive for COVID-19: pic.twitter.com/veNSVuTuLW — Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) March 19, 2020
Earlier this month, several Republican members of Congress self-quarantined after interacting with a person at the Conservative Political Action Conference who later tested positive for coronavirus.
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President Donald Trump’s doctor said Saturday that the president had tested negative for the virus after he came into contact with Fabio Wajngarten, an aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who was later diagnosed with COVID-19.


huffpost--2020-03-19--Wireless Workers Aren't Thrilled To Be Handling Your Filthy iPhone Right Now

Workers in the store had been using rubber gloves left behind by the cleaning crew days earlier .
There were no caps on how many customers could be in the store at once .
At times this week , the crowd reached a dozen in the relatively small space , with children running around and touching the display electronics .
“ Myself and other employees really don ’ t want to touch other people ’ s phones , ” he said .
“ When you work in an industry where you have to work on someone ’ s device if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty unavoidable .
Everyone is looking at customers coming in as if they are already infected .
[ It ] has everyone scared and on edge.
” Workers around the country who don ’ t have the luxury of telecommuting have continued to clock in as the coronavirus outbreak spreads , wondering how essential ― and risky ― their work is during the public health crisis .
Employees in wireless retail are in a unique position , not only interacting face-to-face with customers but also handling objects that modern Americans now touch probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers cell phones “ high-touch surfaces ” that absorb germs and require regular cleaning , although many people never bother .
AT & T advised customers to spray a non-abrasive or alcohol-based disinfectant onto a cloth to wipe down phones during the pandemic .
The company also recommended people don ’ t pass phones around , although the company ’ s own employees have no other choice .
Cell service is essential for many people right now so they can reach their families , employers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases of COVID-19 grows .
An AT & T spokesperson said customers and first responders consider the company ’ s services “ invaluable at moments like this , ” and that AT & T was “ balancing the need to serve the public in our retail stores with the health and safety of our customers and our employees.
” But the AT & T employee said many customers were coming into the store for the most nonessential of reasons : to upgrade to the newest iPhone .
And although the company announced plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its stores during the crisis , keeping a select number of stores open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. , memos to employees over the past week show how the company ’ s concerns have evolved .
“ Let the customer open the door , greet them with a friendly and genuine hello from a safe distance ( 3-6 ft ) .
No handshakes please !
... Give the customer your undivided attention and eye contact .
Maintain your ‘ I can help you with that attitude , ’ while minimizing device @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Offer to wipe down the customer ’ s device with a sanitizing wipe as a courtesy.
” The memo advised workers to be sure to wash their hands after handling a customer ’ s device and to wipe down the store every two hours .
But it also reminded them to make new sales : “ provide the customer with the personalized solution that meets their needs , leveraging our most recent promotions.
” [ Italics added . ]
So far , the AT & T guidance has not limited the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at once .
A spokesperson for Verizon , which owns HuffPost , said it instituted a cap in its retail stores of no more than one customer per employee at a given time as of Tuesday .
If there is already a 1:1 ratio inside , a new customer must wait until another one leaves .
Like AT & T , Verizon cut back its number of open stores and their hours .
Many retailers have ramped up their paid sick leave policies amid pressure from the public and Congress .
AT & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak , providing paid time off for workers who have tested positive or shown symptoms of COVID-19 , have to deal with school or child care closures , are at high risk for the disease , or meet other criteria .

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An AT&T employee went to work Thursday dreading the task ahead of him: handling strangers’ grubby smartphones all day, wondering if his job had made him a vector for the coronavirus.
Workers in the store had been using rubber gloves left behind by the cleaning crew days earlier. There were no caps on how many customers could be in the store at once. At times this week, the crowd reached a dozen in the relatively small space, with children running around and touching the display electronics.
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The worker, who asked to speak anonymously for fear of getting in trouble, called cellphones “probably the dirtiest thing any human has on them at any time.”
“Myself and other employees really don’t want to touch other people’s phones,” he said. “When you work in an industry where you have to work on someone’s device if they have issues, it’s pretty unavoidable. Everyone is looking at customers coming in as if they are already infected. [It] has everyone scared and on edge.”
Workers around the country who don’t have the luxury of telecommuting have continued to clock in as the coronavirus outbreak spreads, wondering how essential ― and risky ― their work is during the public health crisis. Employees in wireless retail are in a unique position, not only interacting face-to-face with customers but also handling objects that modern Americans now touch probably more than anything else in their lives.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers cell phones “high-touch surfaces” that absorb germs and require regular cleaning, although many people never bother. AT&T advised customers to spray a non-abrasive or alcohol-based disinfectant onto a cloth to wipe down phones during the pandemic. The company also recommended people don’t pass phones around, although the company’s own employees have no other choice.
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Cell service is essential for many people right now so they can reach their families, employers and doctors as the number of U.S. cases of COVID-19 grows. An AT&T spokesperson said customers and first responders consider the company’s services “invaluable at moments like this,” and that AT&T was “balancing the need to serve the public in our retail stores with the health and safety of our customers and our employees.”
But the AT&T employee said many customers were coming into the store for the most nonessential of reasons: to upgrade to the newest iPhone. And although the company announced plans Wednesday to close more than 40% of its stores during the crisis, keeping a select number of stores open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., memos to employees over the past week show how the company’s concerns have evolved.
“Everyone is looking at customers coming in as if they are already infected.” - AT&T employe
A March 13 memo told workers to inform their health care providers and their supervisors if they feel sick, then offered tips on how to deal with customers in-store amid the pandemic.
“Let the customer open the door, greet them with a friendly and genuine hello from a safe distance (3-6 ft). No handshakes please! ... Give the customer your undivided attention and eye contact. Maintain your ‘I can help you with that attitude,’ while minimizing device handoffs between you and your customers…. Offer to wipe down the customer’s device with a sanitizing wipe as a courtesy.”
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The memo advised workers to be sure to wash their hands after handling a customer’s device and to wipe down the store every two hours. But it also reminded them to make new sales: “provide the customer with the personalized solution that meets their needs, leveraging our most recent promotions.” [Italics added.]
In a follow-up memo to employees on Wednesday, an AT&T executive walked back the sales push made by another company officer five days earlier.
“Let me stress that our focus is on serving customer needs in retail,” the more recent memo said. “New sales are not the priority right now.”
So far, the AT&T guidance has not limited the number of customers who can be in the store at once. A spokesperson for Verizon, which owns HuffPost, said it instituted a cap in its retail stores of no more than one customer per employee at a given time as of Tuesday. If there is already a 1:1 ratio inside, a new customer must wait until another one leaves. Like AT&T, Verizon cut back its number of open stores and their hours.
Many retailers have ramped up their paid sick leave policies amid pressure from the public and Congress. AT&T tailored one specifically for the coronavirus outbreak, providing paid time off for workers who have tested positive or shown symptoms of COVID-19, have to deal with school or child care closures, are at high risk for the disease, or meet other criteria.
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But as with most retailers, there are no special offers of paid leave for workers who are simply uncomfortable working right now for fear of spreading the virus.


huffpost--2020-03-28--U.S. Coronavirus Cases Exceed 100,000, Exacerbating Drug And Equipment Scarcity

NEW YORK ( Reuters ) ― Doctors and nurses on the front lines of the U.S. coronavirus crisis pleaded on Friday for more protective gear and equipment to treat waves of patients expected to overwhelm hospitals as the sum of known U.S. infections climbed well past 100,000 , with more than 1,600 dead .
Physicians have called particular attention to a desperate need for additional ventilators , machines that help patients breathe and are widely needed for those suffering from COVID-19 , the respiratory ailment caused by the highly contagious novel coronavirus .
Hospitals in New York City , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spots have also sounded the alarm about scarcities of drugs , medical supplies and trained staff while the number of confirmed U.S. cases rose by about 18,000 on Friday , the highest jump in a single day , to more than 103,000 .
“ We are scared , ” said Dr. Arabia Mollette of Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn .
“ We ’ re trying to fight for everyone else ’ s life , but we also fight for our lives as well , because we ’ re also at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States ranked sixth in death toll among the hardest hit countries , with at least 1,632 lives lost as of Friday night , a record daily increase of 370 according to a Reuters tabulation of official data .
Worldwide , confirmed cases rose above 593,000 with 27,198 deaths , the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported .
One emergency room doctor in Michigan , an emerging epicenter of the pandemic , said he was using one paper face mask for an entire shift due to a shortage and that hospitals in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventilators .
“ We have hospital systems here in the Detroit area in Michigan who are getting to the end of their supply of ventilators and have to start telling families that they can ’ t save their loved ones because they don ’ t have enough equipment , ” the physician , Dr .
Rob Davidson , said in a video posted on Twitter .
“ We are truly a hotbed of COVID-19 here in New Orleans , ” she said , adding that her hospital was trying to cope in part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” services that allow them to be evaluated from home .
Dr. Alexander Salerno of Salerno Medical Associates , a general medical practice with offices in northern New Jersey , described going through a “ broker ” to pay $ 17,000 for masks and other protective equipment that should have cost about $ 2,500 , and picking them up at an abandoned warehouse .
“ You don ’ t get any names .
You get just phone numbers to text , ” Salerno said .
“ And so you agree to a term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank account .
They give you a time and an address to come to.
” In addition to aiding hospitals , the package will send cash to businesses and unemployed workers suffering from the effects of stay-at-home orders that have had the side effect of strangling the economy .
A number of hotels in New York City , including the famed Plaza Hotel , the St. Regis and the Four Seasons , are making rooms available to medical workers fearful of carrying the virus home to their families after work , or to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo said .
At least two New York medical schools , New York University and Columbia , have said they will graduate their fourth-year students early so they can begin treating patients with the coronavirus right away .

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NEW YORK (Reuters) ― Doctors and nurses on the front lines of the U.S. coronavirus crisis pleaded on Friday for more protective gear and equipment to treat waves of patients expected to overwhelm hospitals as the sum of known U.S. infections climbed well past 100,000, with more than 1,600 dead.
Physicians have called particular attention to a desperate need for additional ventilators, machines that help patients breathe and are widely needed for those suffering from COVID-19, the respiratory ailment caused by the highly contagious novel coronavirus.
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Hospitals in New York City, New Orleans, Detroit and other virus hot spots have also sounded the alarm about scarcities of drugs, medical supplies and trained staff while the number of confirmed U.S. cases rose by about 18,000 on Friday, the highest jump in a single day, to more than 103,000.
That tally kept the United States as the world leader in the number of known infections, having surpassed China and Italy on Thursday.
“We are scared,” said Dr. Arabia Mollette of Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn. “We’re trying to fight for everyone else’s life, but we also fight for our lives as well, because we’re also at the highest risk of exposure.”
The United States ranked sixth in death toll among the hardest hit countries, with at least 1,632 lives lost as of Friday night, a record daily increase of 370 according to a Reuters tabulation of official data. Worldwide, confirmed cases rose above 593,000 with 27,198 deaths, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported.
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Even as hospital patient numbers steadily climbed, shortages of key medical supplies abounded.
One emergency room doctor in Michigan, an emerging epicenter of the pandemic, said he was using one paper face mask for an entire shift due to a shortage and that hospitals in the Detroit area would soon run out of ventilators.
“We have hospital systems here in the Detroit area in Michigan who are getting to the end of their supply of ventilators and have to start telling families that they can’t save their loved ones because they don’t have enough equipment,” the physician, Dr. Rob Davidson, said in a video posted on Twitter.
EMERGENCY POWERS
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday invoked emergency powers to require General Motors Co to start building ventilators after he accused the largest U.S. automaker of “wasting time” during negotiations.
He had previously resisted mounting calls for him to invoke the Defense Production Act, a Korean War-era statute that gives the president broad procurement powers in national emergencies, instead seeking to exert pressure on manufacturers to act voluntarily.
Sophia Thomas, a nurse practitioner at DePaul Community Health Center in New Orleans, where Mardi Gras celebrations late last month fueled an outbreak in Louisiana’s largest city, said the numbers of coronavirus patients “have been staggering.”
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“We are truly a hotbed of COVID-19 here in New Orleans,” she said, adding that her hospital was trying to cope in part by shifting some patients to “telehealth” services that allow them to be evaluated from home.
New York-area doctors say they have had to recycle some protective gear, or resort to the black market.
Dr. Alexander Salerno of Salerno Medical Associates, a general medical practice with offices in northern New Jersey, described going through a “broker” to pay $17,000 for masks and other protective equipment that should have cost about $2,500, and picking them up at an abandoned warehouse.
“You don’t get any names. You get just phone numbers to text,” Salerno said. “And so you agree to a term. You wire the money to a bank account. They give you a time and an address to come to.”
Nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York said they were locking away or hiding N-95 respirator masks, surgical masks and other supplies that are prone to pilfering if left unattended.
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“Masks disappear,” nurse Diana Torres said. “We hide it all in drawers in front of the nurses’ station.”
ECONOMIC RELIEF
After days of wrangling, the U.S. Congress passed a $2.2 trillion relief package on Friday, sending the bill to Trump, who promptly signed it into law.
In addition to aiding hospitals, the package will send cash to businesses and unemployed workers suffering from the effects of stay-at-home orders that have had the side effect of strangling the economy.
A number of hotels in New York City, including the famed Plaza Hotel, the St. Regis and the Four Seasons, are making rooms available to medical workers fearful of carrying the virus home to their families after work, or to non-critical care patients, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
Marney Gruber, an emergency doctor who works in multiple hospitals around New York City, said commonly used medications were in short supply and hospitals were running out of oxygen tanks.
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“These are staples in emergency medicine and ICUs – these are your bread and butter, truly, your very basic essentials,” Gruber said.
At least two New York medical schools, New York University and Columbia, have said they will graduate their fourth-year students early so they can begin treating patients with the coronavirus right away.
In the nation’s second-largest city, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said cases were spiking, putting the Southern California region on track to match New York City’s infection figures in the next five days.
The mayor spoke as he and California’s governor, who ordered all coronavirus-related evictions banned through May 31, toured a newly arrived naval hospital ship equipped with 1,000 patient beds at the Port of Los Angeles. Its sister vessel is to be deployed to New York Harbor in the near future.
At the Riverside County Fairground east of Los Angeles, California National Guard troops were setting up a 125-bed medical station to serve residents of the Coachella Valley, an area teeming with elderly retirees considered especially vulnerable to COVID-19.
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The U.S. military also is setting up field hospitals in Seattle and New York, the Pentagon said.


huffpost--2020-06-01--Congo Faces 2nd Ebola Outbreak In Northern Province

DAKAR , Senegal ( AP ) — Health officials have confirmed a second Ebola outbreak in Congo , the head of the World Health Organization said Monday , adding yet another health crisis for a country already battling COVID-19 and the world ’ s largest measles outbreak .
Congo also has yet to declare an official end to Ebola in its troubled east , where at least 2,243 people have died since an epidemic began there in August 2018 .
Now Congolese health authorities have identified six cases in the north near Mbandaka in Equateur province , including four fatalities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
A street shop-keeper is receiving a face mask as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus from a Filimbi activist in the city of Kinshasa on May 29 .
“ The country is also in final phase of battling Ebola in eastern DRC , COVID19 & the world ’ s largest measles outbreak , ” he tweeted .
This marks the second time Ebola has hit Equateur province in as many years : A 2018 outbreak there killed 33 people before the disease was brought under control in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known patient in Congo ’ s eastern outbreak was released in mid-May but the country now must go about another month without any new cases before an official end to the outbreak can be declared .
Congo also has confirmed 611 cases of COVID-19 , including 20 deaths , and the number is rising , according to figures released Monday by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
However , like many African countries Congo has conducted extremely limited testing , and observers fear the true toll may be far higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congolese community mobilizer who works with the aid group World Vision in Beni , eastern Congo , which became the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak , engages the public about coronavirus prevention on April 10 .

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DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Health officials have confirmed a second Ebola outbreak in Congo, the head of the World Health Organization said Monday, adding yet another health crisis for a country already battling COVID-19 and the world’s largest measles outbreak.
Congo also has yet to declare an official end to Ebola in its troubled east, where at least 2,243 people have died since an epidemic began there in August 2018.
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Now Congolese health authorities have identified six cases in the north near Mbandaka in Equateur province, including four fatalities, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted Monday.
A street shop-keeper is receiving a face mask as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus from a Filimbi activist in the city of Kinshasa on May 29. SAMIR TOUNSI via Getty Images
“The country is also in final phase of battling Ebola in eastern DRC, COVID19 & the world’s largest measles outbreak,” he tweeted.
This marks the second time Ebola has hit Equateur province in as many years: A 2018 outbreak there killed 33 people before the disease was brought under control in a matter of months.
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The last known patient in Congo’s eastern outbreak was released in mid-May but the country now must go about another month without any new cases before an official end to the outbreak can be declared.
Congo also has confirmed 611 cases of COVID-19, including 20 deaths, and the number is rising, according to figures released Monday by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, like many African countries Congo has conducted extremely limited testing, and observers fear the true toll may be far higher.


huffpost--2020-06-01--Here Are A Few Ways To Reduce Your Coronavirus Risk While Protesting

Of course , there ’ s much more work to be done to address and dismantle the systemic racism in the country , and protesting is part of that , pandemic or not .
It is also a specific kind of health risk : The coronavirus already disproportionately affects the Black community .
Police are using tear gas , which causes people to cough ( at the very least ) .
People may be in close contact with others who are not wearing masks .
Protesters are also being put in jail , where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last two and a half months along with the tragedies that we ’ ve seen in Black communities have been really devastating , ” Dr. Utibe R. Essien , an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , told HuffPost .
“ There ’ s a lot of anger , sadness and pain that our communities are experiencing right now , and I think the right to protest is one that we ’ ve been blessed with ... but it ’ s made more challenging in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ re Going Out To Protest “ The majority of folks that I was able to see out this weekend [ during protests ] were doing that , ” Essien said , adding that people who are infected with COVID-19 ( even those who are asymptomatic ) can spread the illness through speaking , coughing and sneezing .
“ Face coverings will help protect both yourself and others.
” To use it properly , rub the sanitizer all over the palms of both hands , as well as the backs of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Once the product dries completely , it should be fully effective in getting rid of germs .
Avoid touching your face if you can .
There are multiple reasons this is important .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not touching your face to avoid the spread of COVID-19 .
Your mouth , nose and eyes are all areas where the virus can enter your system , and you could spread it through contact with your hands .
A saline spritz can also help if you come into contact with pepper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glasses or goggles are recommended if you have them .
Glasses are better than contacts when protecting yourself against the coronavirus as well .
Consuming something on the go means you ’ ll have to take off your face covering and likely put your hands near your mouth or face .
Make sure you eat before you head out .
Additionally , Nanda said to drink plenty of water before you go and be cautious about drinking outside , too .
Don ’ t share food or drinks with others , as that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Consider staying home if you feel sick .
If you are showing any symptoms , consider staying home to protect others .
Keep in mind that a significant portion of coronavirus cases are asymptomatic and that there ’ s also a chance you may have been exposed to the virus but aren ’ t showing any signs .
Take precautions where appropriate , if you can .
There are many people who can ’ t protest , including those who are immunocompromised or living with someone else at high risk of getting sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t other ways to help .
Twitter user Mireille Harper wrote a guide on non-optical allyship , which is especially useful in this case : What To Do After Protesting Pay attention to any symptoms that arise .

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As people protest police violence and mourn George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black lives, health experts expect to see a spike in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks.
Of course, there’s much more work to be done to address and dismantle the systemic racism in the country, and protesting is part of that, pandemic or not. It is also a specific kind of health risk: The coronavirus already disproportionately affects the Black community. Police are using tear gas, which causes people to cough (at the very least). People may be in close contact with others who are not wearing masks. Protesters are also being put in jail, where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly.
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“The COVID-19 disparities that have occurred over the last two and a half months along with the tragedies that we’ve seen in Black communities have been really devastating,” Dr. Utibe R. Essien, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, told HuffPost. “There’s a lot of anger, sadness and pain that our communities are experiencing right now, and I think the right to protest is one that we’ve been blessed with ... but it’s made more challenging in this pandemic.”
Below are a few steps you can take to mitigate health consequences as much as possible when you’re protesting, as well as after you have already marched.
How To Protect Yourself If You’re Going Out To Protest
MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd near the White House on May 31, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
Wear a face mask or covering.
Maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between you and anyone not in your household is imperative for preventing the spread of the coronavirus. Obviously, that’s not always possible in a protest setting, Essien said.
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Experts do recommend that you wear face masks or face coverings as a way to help lower the potential for spread.
“The majority of folks that I was able to see out this weekend [during protests] were doing that,” Essien said, adding that people who are infected with COVID-19 (even those who are asymptomatic) can spread the illness through speaking, coughing and sneezing. “Face coverings will help protect both yourself and others.”
Carry hand sanitizer.
“Take hand sanitizer to disinfect regularly, especially after touching someone else or surfaces,” Dr. Neha Nanda, medical director of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship for Keck Medicine of USC, told HuffPost.
To use it properly, rub the sanitizer all over the palms of both hands, as well as the backs of your hands and in between your fingers. Once the product dries completely, it should be fully effective in getting rid of germs.
Avoid touching your face if you can.
There are multiple reasons this is important. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not touching your face to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Your mouth, nose and eyes are all areas where the virus can enter your system, and you could spread it through contact with your hands.
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Additionally, authorities are using pepper spray on protesters. A person’s first instinct might be to touch their eyes when this happens, but according to some experts, that can make it worse because it can further spread the substance.
For all the protestors, pepper spray is oil based. If you get sprayed DO NOT rub your eyes. Immediately blink as much as you can to wash out some of the oil with your own tears. Then, wash your eyes with baby shampoo and rinse copiously with water. Be safe. — Dr. Glaucomflecken (@DGlaucomflecken) May 31, 2020
A saline spritz can also help if you come into contact with pepper spray, The Atlantic reported. Safety glasses or goggles are recommended if you have them. Glasses are better than contacts when protecting yourself against the coronavirus as well.
Be careful about eating.
Essien advised “not eating out in the public on a protest trail” as another health precaution.
Consuming something on the go means you’ll have to take off your face covering and likely put your hands near your mouth or face. Make sure you eat before you head out. Additionally, Nanda said to drink plenty of water before you go and be cautious about drinking outside, too. Don’t share food or drinks with others, as that can increase the risk of transmission.
Consider staying home if you feel sick.
If you are showing any symptoms, consider staying home to protect others. Keep in mind that a significant portion of coronavirus cases are asymptomatic and that there’s also a chance you may have been exposed to the virus but aren’t showing any signs. Take precautions where appropriate, if you can.
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There are many people who can’t protest, including those who are immunocompromised or living with someone else at high risk of getting sick. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to help. Twitter user Mireille Harper wrote a guide on non-optical allyship, which is especially useful in this case:
For people who actively want to be support and be an ally right now, I have written a thread. pic.twitter.com/kTvDgXXO5L — Mireille Cassandra Harper (@mireillecharper) May 29, 2020
Dr. Danielle Hairston, a psychiatrist and the president of the American Psychiatric Association’s Black Caucus, also offered an outline on Twitter on how you can be an ally for racial trauma:
I have gotten ?s about this, so I present how to be an ally around racial trauma:
1. Be quiet
2. Listen
3. Acknowledge this is the real Black experience
4. Take action without asking a Black person to do the work
5. Don't mention 'Black on Black' crime ever@DrAyanaJordan — Dani Elle (@ADocNamedDani) May 29, 2020
Ok. Another addendum. How to be an #ally around racial trauma.
8. Don't ask a Black person "Are you sure?" when they identify an example of racism. Variations include: "maybe it was..." and "I don't think..."
Validate #blackexistence #mondaythoughts #mood https://t.co/lYU6HqKv9p — Dani Elle (@ADocNamedDani) June 1, 2020
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What To Do After Protesting
Ira L. Black - Corbis via Getty Images For people in the Black community especially, “we’re really beyond self-care ― it’s about self-preservation and self-protection,” said Dr. Danielle Hairston of protecting your mental health.
Continue to take health precautions.
Keep taking the steps to protect your health that you would anyway during the pandemic. Washing your hands, especially once you get home, is extremely vital, Essien said.
“Additionally, wear clothes that you can easily remove and wash immediately, and minimize the amount of jewelry, etc. to reduce the number of surfaces you need to disinfect once you return home,” Nanda said.
Essien also suggested wearing a face mask at home or when you go out elsewhere.
Pay attention to any symptoms that arise.
Monitor your symptoms as best as you can. “If anyone begins experiencing flu-like or COVID-19 symptoms including a cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath, muscle body aches, headaches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea, contact your medical provider for a consultation,” Nanda said.
And, if you’re able, take social distancing or self-isolation precautions. “If folks can lay low and have someone else go out and get the groceries, gas or other errands like that while watching symptoms, that would be preferred over going out and about in regular life,” Essien said.
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Don’t forget your mental health, either.
While this point isn’t directly related to coronavirus, it’s one worth making and repeating. Trauma, stress and burnout from activism is a very real issue. Mental health and physical health are connected, and people are more likely to get sick if they’re run down.
For people in the Black community especially, “we’re really beyond self-care ― it’s about self-preservation and self-protection,” Hairston told HuffPost.
She added that it’s crucial to log off, not watch the news and set boundaries with other people on what you can and cannot tolerate right now. “You have to step away. You have to recognize what is traumatizing, what is stressful, what is anxiety-provoking, what brings depression to you. You have to really know what you can handle,” she said.


huffpost--2020-06-01--Hong Kong Police Reject Application For Tiananmen Square Vigil

HONG KONG ( AP ) — Hong Kong police rejected an application Monday for an annual candlelight vigil marking the anniversary this week of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown , as residents rushed to apply for passports that could allow them to move to the United Kingdom .
Throngs of people lined up at DHL courier outlets across the city , many to send documents to the U.K. to apply for or renew what is known as a British National ( Overseas ) passport .
“ My BNO passport expired in 2004 , but at the time I didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said 40-year-old Peter Chan , who works in asset management and waited in line for more than two hours .
Chan said he was worried about political and security issues in Hong Kong stemming from an upcoming national security law as well as a push by the semi-autonomous territory ’ s legislature to enact a bill that would make it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem .
Even though there is rising anti-immigrant and anti-Asian sentiment in the U.K. , “ it ’ s still better than Hong Kong , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time in 30 years that the candlelight vigil , which draws a huge crowd to an outdoor space , is not held in Hong Kong .
The vigil marks the deadly military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing ’ s Tiananmen Square on June 4 , 1989 .
“ COVID-19 must not be used as an excuse to stifle freedom of expression , ” said Joshua Rosenzweig , the group ’ s deputy director for East and Southeast Asia .
“ With this ban , and a disastrous national security law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong ’ s Tiananmen vigil will ever be allowed to take place again.
” Hong Kong has reported five local infections of the coronavirus in the last two days , breaking a nearly two-week streak of no new cases outside of those brought in from abroad .
The rush to apply for passports came after Britain said last week that it might allow holders of the document to stay in the country for a year or more .
The proposal came after China ’ s legislature decided it would enact a national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move is aimed at clamping down on a pro-democracy movement that has at times resulted in violent clashes between protesters and the police .
Critics say the law erodes the “ one country , two systems ” framework that promised Hong Kong freedoms not found in mainland China for 50 years .
Protesters gesture with five fingers , signifying the `` Five demands - not one less '' in a shopping mall during a protest against China 's national security legislation for the city , in Hong Kong , on June 1 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) passport , which was issued to Hong Kongers when it was a British colony , allows them to visit the country for an extended period but falls short of offering them citizenship rights .
Currently , BNO passport holders can remain in the U.K. as visitors for six months without a visa .
But Britain ’ s plan to allow them to stay in the U.K. for a longer period could include options that offer a path to citizenship , according to British Home Secretary Priti Patel .

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HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police rejected an application Monday for an annual candlelight vigil marking the anniversary this week of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, as residents rushed to apply for passports that could allow them to move to the United Kingdom.
Throngs of people lined up at DHL courier outlets across the city, many to send documents to the U.K. to apply for or renew what is known as a British National (Overseas) passport.
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“My BNO passport expired in 2004, but at the time I didn’t renew it because I trusted China,” said 40-year-old Peter Chan, who works in asset management and waited in line for more than two hours.
Chan said he was worried about political and security issues in Hong Kong stemming from an upcoming national security law as well as a push by the semi-autonomous territory’s legislature to enact a bill that would make it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem.
Even though there is rising anti-immigrant and anti-Asian sentiment in the U.K., “it’s still better than Hong Kong,” he said.
“In Hong Kong, you never know what will happen tomorrow,” Chan said.
Protesters wave a Hong Kong colonial flag in a shopping mall during a protest against China's national security legislation for the city, in Hong Kong, on May 29, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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It would be the first time in 30 years that the candlelight vigil, which draws a huge crowd to an outdoor space, is not held in Hong Kong. The vigil marks the deadly military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.
The police, in a letter to organizers, said it would violate coronavirus social distancing rules that ban gatherings of more than eight people.
Organizer Lee Cheuk-yan, chair of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, expressed disappointment and urged people to light candles individually and observe a moment of silence.
Amnesty International said authorities should facilitate a socially distanced vigil rather than ban it.
“COVID-19 must not be used as an excuse to stifle freedom of expression,” said Joshua Rosenzweig, the group’s deputy director for East and Southeast Asia. “With this ban, and a disastrous national security law looming, it is not clear if Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigil will ever be allowed to take place again.”
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Hong Kong has reported five local infections of the coronavirus in the last two days, breaking a nearly two-week streak of no new cases outside of those brought in from abroad.
The rush to apply for passports came after Britain said last week that it might allow holders of the document to stay in the country for a year or more. The proposal came after China’s legislature decided it would enact a national security law for Hong Kong.
The move is aimed at clamping down on a pro-democracy movement that has at times resulted in violent clashes between protesters and the police. Critics say the law erodes the “one country, two systems” framework that promised Hong Kong freedoms not found in mainland China for 50 years.
Protesters demonstrated against the security law during lunchtime Monday at a luxury shopping mall in the Central business district, shouting pro-democracy slogans.
Protesters gesture with five fingers, signifying the "Five demands - not one less" in a shopping mall during a protest against China's national security legislation for the city, in Hong Kong, on June 1, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The British National (Overseas) passport, which was issued to Hong Kongers when it was a British colony, allows them to visit the country for an extended period but falls short of offering them citizenship rights.
Currently, BNO passport holders can remain in the U.K. as visitors for six months without a visa. But Britain’s plan to allow them to stay in the U.K. for a longer period could include options that offer a path to citizenship, according to British Home Secretary Priti Patel.
In Hong Kong’s eastern district of Quarry Bay, Vanessa Tai was among more than 40 people who stood in line at a DHL service point, many holding envelopes with application documents.
Tai, 24, said the BNO passport is a Plan B for Hong Kongers who are worried about losing their freedoms as China strengthens its control over the city.
“If I had a choice, I’d rather work and live in Hong Kong. I hadn’t considered emigrating or working overseas before this,” she said. “Nowadays, my family and I are seeking an alternative, just in case.”
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