huffpost--2020-03-26--Governors Forced To Flatter Or Fight Trump For Needed COVID-19 Supplies

Facing an unprecedented public health crisis , governors are trying to get what they need from Washington , and fast .
But that means navigating the disorienting politics of dealing with Trump , an unpredictable president with a love for cable news and a penchant for retribution .
“ We are doing very well with , I think , almost all of the governors , for the most part , ” he said during a town hall on Fox News on Tuesday .
“ But you know , it ’ s a two-way street .
They have to treat us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his focus on treatments ” for the virus and thanked him for sending masks and gloves to California .
He said the president was “ on top of it ” when it came to improving testing and said Trump was aware “ even before I offered my own insight ” of the state ’ s need for more testing swabs .
Trump has kept a close eye on the coronavirus media coverage and noted which local officials were praising or criticizing him , according to three aides who spoke on condition on anonymity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss the president ’ s private deliberations .
In conversations , Trump has blasted Whitmer and praised Newsom , they said .
There ’ s no evidence that Trump has held up a governor ’ s request for assistance for personal or political reasons .
Still aides say it ’ s understood that governors who say nice things about the federal response are more likely to be spared public criticism from the White House or threats of withheld assistance .
Trump approved California ’ s request for a statewide disaster declaration within hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also has sent a Naval medical ship as well as eight field hospitals .
New Jersey will be getting four field hospitals after a phone call between the president and Democratic Gov .
Phil Murphy , who has not criticized the president during the crisis .
Republican governors are navigating particularly difficult waters , knowing that any comments viewed as critical of the president could anger Trump ’ s loyal fans in their state .
Some Republicans spoke out against Trump ’ s talk of reopening the U.S. economy by Easter in mid-April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , head of the nonpartisan National Governors Association , called the White House messaging “ confusing.
” GOP Gov .
Mike DeWine of Ohio , who lead on the early action , described himself as “ aligned ” with Trump , but then also noted the state ’ s model did not show cases peaking until May 1 .
DeWine appealed to Ohioans to continue to stay home to limit the spread of the virus .
It ’ s unusual to see a president and governors publicly feuding and name-calling while their country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In past recent crises , presidents and state leaders have gone out of their way to show that politics plays no role in disaster response , and to project the appearance of cooperation .
In 2005 , as Republican President George W. Bush ’ s administration received criticism for its handling of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans , there was never a sense he was withholding help for personal reasons , said former Sen. Mary Landrieu , D-La .
In this moment , some governors have zigzagged between compliments and confrontation , knowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , D-N.Y. , was frustrated last week that Trump had not stepped up the federal response to hard-hit regions , he tried a counterintuitive approach , going on cable news to praise Trump for changing his tone about the severity of the virus .
In a call to the White House , Cuomo delivered the same grateful message privately , according to two officials with knowledge of the conversation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly talk about the private discussions .

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — At first, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker tried to play nice. He limited criticisms of the federal government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and asked for medical supplies through official channels.
But nothing came, so he went on television. The first-term Democrat blasted the Trump administration Sunday on CNN for failing to help states obtain masks, gloves and other protective gear.
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It got President Donald Trump’s attention. After a Twitter feud and some mudslinging (Pritzker compared Trump to a “carnival barker”), the two got on the phone Monday, and Trump promised Illinois 250,000 masks and 300 ventilators.
Facing an unprecedented public health crisis, governors are trying to get what they need from Washington, and fast. But that means navigating the disorienting politics of dealing with Trump, an unpredictable president with a love for cable news and a penchant for retribution.
Republicans and Democrats alike are testing whether to fight or flatter, whether to back channel requests or go public, all in an attempt to get Trump’s attention and his assurances.
At stake may be access to masks, ventilators and other personal protective gear critically needed by health care workers, as well as field hospitals and federal cash. As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., put it, “I can’t afford to have a fight with the White House.”
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Underlying this political dance is Trump’s tendency to talk about the government as though it’s his own private business. The former real estate mogul often discusses government business like a transaction dependent on relationships or personal advantage, rather than a national obligation.
“We are doing very well with, I think, almost all of the governors, for the most part,” he said during a town hall on Fox News on Tuesday. “But you know, it’s a two-way street. They have to treat us well.”
On a private conference call Thursday with Trump, governors from both parties pressed the president for help — some more forcefully than others.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, urged Trump to use his full authority to ramp up production of necessary medical equipment, according to an audio recording of the call obtained by AP. But Trump said the federal government is merely the “backup.”
“I don’t want you to be the backup quarterback, we need you to be Tom Brady here,” Inslee replied, invoking the football star and Trump friend.
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West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, meanwhile, was lavish in his praise.
“We’re just so appreciative, but we really need you,” Justice told Trump.
California’s Gavin Newsom, usually a fierce Trump critic, is among those who have gone out of their way not to lay the federal government’s failings during the coronavirus outbreak at Trump’s feet.
Newsom complimented Trump for “his focus on treatments” for the virus and thanked him for sending masks and gloves to California. He said the president was “on top of it” when it came to improving testing and said Trump was aware “even before I offered my own insight” of the state’s need for more testing swabs.
It’s an approach informed by Newsom’s past dealing with Trump during devastating wildfires. While Trump always has approved California’s requests for disaster declaration following fires, just days into Newsom’s tenure last year Trump threatened the state’s access to disaster relief money.
Trump has kept a close eye on the coronavirus media coverage and noted which local officials were praising or criticizing him, according to three aides who spoke on condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the president’s private deliberations. In conversations, Trump has blasted Whitmer and praised Newsom, they said.
There’s no evidence that Trump has held up a governor’s request for assistance for personal or political reasons. Still aides say it’s understood that governors who say nice things about the federal response are more likely to be spared public criticism from the White House or threats of withheld assistance.
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Trump approved California’s request for a statewide disaster declaration within hours of Newsom asking on Sunday. Trump also has sent a Naval medical ship as well as eight field hospitals. New Jersey will be getting four field hospitals after a phone call between the president and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who has not criticized the president during the crisis.
Republican governors are navigating particularly difficult waters, knowing that any comments viewed as critical of the president could anger Trump’s loyal fans in their state. Some Republicans spoke out against Trump’s talk of reopening the U.S. economy by Easter in mid-April. Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, head of the nonpartisan National Governors Association, called the White House messaging “confusing.”
GOP Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, who lead on the early action, described himself as “aligned” with Trump, but then also noted the state’s model did not show cases peaking until May 1. DeWine appealed to Ohioans to continue to stay home to limit the spread of the virus.
Those close to DeWine say he understands the importance of picking his battles.
“I think he recognizes this unprecedented once-in-a-century situation is bigger than politics,” said Ryan Stubenrauch, a former DeWine policy and campaign staffer.
It’s unusual to see a president and governors publicly feuding and name-calling while their country teeters on the brink of disaster. In past recent crises, presidents and state leaders have gone out of their way to show that politics plays no role in disaster response, and to project the appearance of cooperation. In 2005, as Republican President George W. Bush’s administration received criticism for its handling of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, there was never a sense he was withholding help for personal reasons, said former Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.
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“I never had to worry that President Bush would be angry with me, personally, so he wouldn’t help the people of my state,” she said. “I knew he wasn’t a petty leader.”
In this moment, some governors have zigzagged between compliments and confrontation, knowing the president responds to both. When Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., was frustrated last week that Trump had not stepped up the federal response to hard-hit regions, he tried a counterintuitive approach, going on cable news to praise Trump for changing his tone about the severity of the virus.
In a call to the White House, Cuomo delivered the same grateful message privately, according to two officials with knowledge of the conversation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly talk about the private discussions.
Trump later expressed happiness to aides and advisers that Cuomo had said such nice things about him, according to two White House officials and Republicans close to the West Wing.
A week later, when Cuomo delivered an urgent, frustrated plea for ventilators Tuesday, he didn’t mention Trump by name. Shortly after, a White House official said 4,000 more ventilators would be shipped to New York.
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But later that day, Trump vented to aides, complaining that Cuomo made it seem like Washington had abandoned him, according to those White House officials and Republicans.
His anger broke through during the town hall. When Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator for the coronavirus response, was describing testing problems and mentioned New York’s high transmission rate, Trump interjected, trying to push Birx to criticize Cuomo: “Do you blame the governor for that?”
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huffpost--2020-03-27--We Made So Much Progress On Plastic Bags. Coronavirus Could Undo It All.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY via Getty Images A food delivery man with food in plastic bags on the Upper East Side in New York on February 28 , ahead of the statewide ban on plastic bags that took effect March 1 .
Less than six months ago , Massachusetts was on the verge of passing a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags .
At least 130 towns and cities across the commonwealth had already limited their use , and in November the bill banning these bags passed the state senate by an overwhelming margin .
It seemed like everything was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state in the country to ban this major source of plastic pollution ― one that requires millions of barrels of oil to produce and kills an estimated 100,000 marine animals each year .
As we scramble to understand more about COVID-19 and how it spreads , the plastics industry appears to be taking advantage of this confusion by pushing back against remaining state and municipal bans with a public relations campaign that highlights the supposed dangers of reusable bags .
A proliferation of op-eds and news releases suggests that the industry seeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against plastic pollution have led to a swath of bans on single-use plastic .
The pressure is organized and intense .
On March 18 , the Plastics Industry Association sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar , which was later published by Politico .
The letter made the case that “ single-use plastics are the safest choice ” and asked the department to “ speak out against bans on these products as a public safety risk.
” The mobilization of the plastics industry to lobby against anti-pollution legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior research specialist at the environmental nonprofit Greenpeace .
“ This fits the pattern that we ’ ve seen for years from industry , but I actually found this one personally offensive , ” she told HuffPost .
Schlegel is the co-author of a research brief published Thursday , which accuses the plastics industry of “ exploit [ ing ] the COVID-19 emergency to create fear about reusable bags.
” Acknowledging the anxiety both shoppers and grocery workers feel about the virus , Schlegel added that a temporary pause on plastic bag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sense .
Still , she said , “ what we ’ re seeing is an attempt to roll back legislation and sort of go back in time.
” As with much of what the public hears about COVID-19 , it ’ s hard to parse fact from panic ; a decision that feels prudent one day can appear reckless just a few days later , as cases mount and scientists report new findings .
And the science is far from definitive on how long the virus can survive on surfaces .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ People in the medical community are starting to offer advice about bringing groceries home—take everything out of the bags , get rid of the disposable bags , wipe all your containers down , make sure you thoroughly wash fruit and vegetables .
Could we err on the side of caution for the time being ?
Yeah , that would be reasonable .
But it ’ s something that we ’ re still figuring out.
” Simanek noted that a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , known to scientists as SARS-CoV-2 , could remain viable or potentially infectious on copper for four hours , on cardboard for 24 hours , on stainless steel for two days and on plastic for up to three days .
While the researchers did not test the virus ’ s stability on cloth , in general viruses are less likely to be transmitted by soft surfaces than hard ones .
What does this mean for shoppers and grocers ?
Simanek said it would be hard to draw conclusions , but “ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bags down , could be washing their cloth bags with more frequency .
That ’ s probably always recommended , but not necessarily done—we usually take our groceries out and stuff those bags back in our car.
” Researchers have found that reusable bags do carry pathogens , although there is no evidence about whether they might transmit the virus that causes COVID-19 .
A 2010 study out of the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University School of Public Health that analyzed 84 reusable bags , found that 97 % of consumers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half of bags , when randomly spot-checked , were contaminated with the bacteria E. coli .
This much-cited study was funded by the American Chemical Council , an industry group that counts plastics manufacturers among its members .
“ Our organization has been educating lawmakers on the sanitary benefits of traditional plastic grocery bags long before COVID-19 became a global health risk , ” the group ’ s executive director , Matt Seaholm , told HuffPost .
“ State and local government leaders are choosing to suspend these bag bans and taxes because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at the very least , offer a little additional protection for grocery workers and shoppers.
” It ’ s not an argument Greenpeace ’ s Schlegel buys .
The Arizona study is part of a pattern , she said , noting that other recent studies about the supposed dangers of reusable grocery bags have also been funded by the plastics industry .
These studies are among the ones cited recently by rightwing pundits , industry spokespeople and think tanks to argue that plastic bags are safer during the pandemic .

A food delivery man with food in plastic bags on the Upper East Side in New York on February 28, ahead of the statewide ban on plastic bags that took effect March 1. TIMOTHY A. CLARY via Getty Images
There are very few winners in a global pandemic, but it seems that the plastics industry might be one.
Less than six months ago, Massachusetts was on the verge of passing a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. At least 130 towns and cities across the commonwealth had already limited their use, and in November the bill banning these bags passed the state senate by an overwhelming margin. It seemed like everything was on track for Massachusetts to become the sixth state in the country to ban this major source of plastic pollution ― one that requires millions of barrels of oil to produce and kills an estimated 100,000 marine animals each year.
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All that, however, was before the coronavirus. Instead of signing a plastic bag ban, this week Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, empowered by a state of emergency, signed an order that bars shoppers from bringing reusable bags to the grocery store and overrides all municipal restrictions on single-use plastic bags.
While public health officials believe that the disease is primarily transferred by person-to-person contact, the possibility that the virus that causes COVID-19 can remain on surfaces for long periods of time convinced the governor that the risk was simply not worth it.
Some states are banning shoppers from bringing reusuable bags to the grocery stores over COVID-19 fears. Fiona Goodall via Getty Images
As we scramble to understand more about COVID-19 and how it spreads, the plastics industry appears to be taking advantage of this confusion by pushing back against remaining state and municipal bans with a public relations campaign that highlights the supposed dangers of reusable bags. A proliferation of op-eds and news releases suggests that the industry seeks to rescue its reputation after successful environmental campaigns against plastic pollution have led to a swath of bans on single-use plastic.
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The pressure is organized and intense. On March 18, the Plastics Industry Association sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, which was later published by Politico. The letter made the case that “single-use plastics are the safest choice” and asked the department to “speak out against bans on these products as a public safety risk.”
Meanwhile, the American Legislative Exchange Council, which promotes a conservative agenda in statehouses and is partially funded by plastics manufacturers, is touting model legislation that would let states overrule local bag bans (it had already inspired bills in six states before COVID-19).
And as officials roll back bag bans nationwide, including in Maine and New Hampshire, the rightwing media and conservative think tanks (many with ties to or funding from the plastics industry) are pushing for more single-use plastics and joining the offensive against reusable bags.
Other single-use plastics In addition to plastic bags are also seeing a boost during the pandemic, with companies like Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts banning reusable cups.
The mobilization of the plastics industry to lobby against anti-pollution legislation is unsurprising, said Ivy Schlegel, a senior research specialist at the environmental nonprofit Greenpeace. “This fits the pattern that we’ve seen for years from industry, but I actually found this one personally offensive,” she told HuffPost. Schlegel is the co-author of a research brief published Thursday, which accuses the plastics industry of “exploit[ing] the COVID-19 emergency to create fear about reusable bags.”
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Acknowledging the anxiety both shoppers and grocery workers feel about the virus, Schlegel added that a temporary pause on plastic bag bans and the use of reusables might make sense. Still, she said, “what we’re seeing is an attempt to roll back legislation and sort of go back in time.”
Single-use plastic is a major contributor of pollution in the ocean. It is often found in the stomachs of whales, sea turtles and other marine species. Jao Cuyos via Getty Images
As with much of what the public hears about COVID-19, it’s hard to parse fact from panic; a decision that feels prudent one day can appear reckless just a few days later, as cases mount and scientists report new findings. And the science is far from definitive on how long the virus can survive on surfaces.
“There haven’t been any scientific studies and CDC has definitely not made any blanket recommendations about not using reusable bags,” said Amanda Mae Simanek, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin’s Zilber School of Public Health.
There is guidance for safer shopping, she said. “People in the medical community are starting to offer advice about bringing groceries home—take everything out of the bags, get rid of the disposable bags, wipe all your containers down, make sure you thoroughly wash fruit and vegetables. Could we err on the side of caution for the time being? Yeah, that would be reasonable. But it’s something that we’re still figuring out.”
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Simanek noted that a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week found that the virus that causes COVID-19, known to scientists as SARS-CoV-2, could remain viable or potentially infectious on copper for four hours, on cardboard for 24 hours, on stainless steel for two days and on plastic for up to three days. While the researchers did not test the virus’s stability on cloth, in general viruses are less likely to be transmitted by soft surfaces than hard ones.
What does this mean for shoppers and grocers? Simanek said it would be hard to draw conclusions, but “I think people could be wiping their plastic reusable bags down, could be washing their cloth bags with more frequency. That’s probably always recommended, but not necessarily done—we usually take our groceries out and stuff those bags back in our car.”
Researchers have found that reusable bags do carry pathogens, although there is no evidence about whether they might transmit the virus that causes COVID-19. A 2010 study out of the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University School of Public Health that analyzed 84 reusable bags, found that 97% of consumers never washed their bags, even though half of bags, when randomly spot-checked, were contaminated with the bacteria E. coli. This much-cited study was funded by the American Chemical Council, an industry group that counts plastics manufacturers among its members.
A member of ALEC, the council also created Progressive Bag Affiliates, now known as the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, a lobbying organization that has pushed back against bag bans for years—and is stepping up its efforts now.
“Our organization has been educating lawmakers on the sanitary benefits of traditional plastic grocery bags long before COVID-19 became a global health risk,” the group’s executive director, Matt Seaholm, told HuffPost. “State and local government leaders are choosing to suspend these bag bans and taxes because this simple change could save lives or, at the very least, offer a little additional protection for grocery workers and shoppers.”
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It’s not an argument Greenpeace’s Schlegel buys. The Arizona study is part of a pattern, she said, noting that other recent studies about the supposed dangers of reusable grocery bags have also been funded by the plastics industry. These studies are among the ones cited recently by rightwing pundits, industry spokespeople and think tanks to argue that plastic bags are safer during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the irony is that the New England Journal of Medicine study found the virus actually persists longer on plastic than on any other material, suggesting reusable bags are far from the most dangerous surface at the grocery store.
“We now know that plastic presents health risks at every stage along its life cycle, from its beginning in oil and gas, all the way to disposal,” Schlegel said. “This virus is a very convenient excuse to go back in time to when plastic was believed to be the most sanitary thing. That’s a myth the plastics industry has been pushing for years. But it’s not actually true.”


huffpost--2020-03-27--Prince George, Prince Louis And Princess Charlotte Made The Cutest Video For Health Workers

Prince George , Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte are doing their part to thank those on the frontlines fighting COVID-19 .
The little royals made an appearance on the Kensington Palace social media accounts to participate in the Clap for Our Carers campaign , which swept the country on Thursday night .
Millions of British people all over the country clapped together to thank those working for the National Health Service ( NHS ) amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ To all the doctors , nurses , carers , GPs , pharmacists , volunteers and other NHS staff working tirelessly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : thank you , ” the caption on the video read .
While George , 6 , clapped away , Charlotte , who is 4 , had a goofy grin and clap going and even let out a giggle at the end of the video .
Little Louis , who turns 2 on April 23 , looked up at his older siblings at one point as if to say , “ What ’ s going on ?
” Prince Edward and Sophie , Countess of Wessex , along with their children , made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical workers for their “ fantastic work ” before the family applauded .
The royal family has a connection to the pandemic , as Clarence House confirmed on Wednesday that Prince Charles tested positive for coronavirus but that he is experiencing “ mild symptoms.
” Camilla , Duchess of Cornwall , is separately self-isolating from her husband while the two stay at their estate in Scotland .
On Thursday , the Prince of Wales sent out a message of thanks to his supporters .
“ Thank you for all your ‘ Get Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Clarence House said on its social media accounts , accompanied by a photo of the prince .
“ He is enormously touched by your kind words.
” He also joined the rest of Britain in clapping for carers on Thursday , in an Instagram story posted alongside a separate video from Camilla .
It is the prince ’ s first appearance since he tested positive : After it was announced that the prince had coronavirus , some speculated that he caught it by interacting with Prince Albert of Monaco , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The two attended the same event in London on March 10 .
The leader of Monaco later addressed the speculation in a radio interview Thursday with the French radio station RTL .
“ I was already there on the other side of the table , so we greeted each other from afar ... .
So I don ’ t think I can be accused of having contaminated him , ” Albert said with a laugh .
“ But there were a lot of people , not only around that table but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

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Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte are doing their part to thank those on the frontlines fighting COVID-19.
The little royals made an appearance on the Kensington Palace social media accounts to participate in the Clap for Our Carers campaign, which swept the country on Thursday night.
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Millions of British people all over the country clapped together to thank those working for the National Health Service (NHS) amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“To all the doctors, nurses, carers, GPs, pharmacists, volunteers and other NHS staff working tirelessly to help those affected by #COVID19: thank you,” the caption on the video read.
While George, 6, clapped away, Charlotte, who is 4, had a goofy grin and clap going and even let out a giggle at the end of the video.
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Little Louis, who turns 2 on April 23, looked up at his older siblings at one point as if to say, “What’s going on?”
Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, along with their children, made a similar video, with Edward thanking medical workers for their “fantastic work” before the family applauded.
The royal family has a connection to the pandemic, as Clarence House confirmed on Wednesday that Prince Charles tested positive for coronavirus but that he is experiencing “mild symptoms.” Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is separately self-isolating from her husband while the two stay at their estate in Scotland.
On Thursday, the Prince of Wales sent out a message of thanks to his supporters.
“Thank you for all your ‘Get Well Soon’ messages for His Royal Highness,” Clarence House said on its social media accounts, accompanied by a photo of the prince. “He is enormously touched by your kind words.”
Thank you for all your ‘Get Well Soon’ messages for His Royal Highness. He is enormously touched by your kind words. pic.twitter.com/PRjqHWBWj8 — Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) March 26, 2020
He also joined the rest of Britain in clapping for carers on Thursday, in an Instagram story posted alongside a separate video from Camilla. It is the prince’s first appearance since he tested positive:
Instagram
After it was announced that the prince had coronavirus, some speculated that he caught it by interacting with Prince Albert of Monaco, who confirmed he tested positive some days before. The two attended the same event in London on March 10.
The leader of Monaco later addressed the speculation in a radio interview Thursday with the French radio station RTL.
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“We greeted each other from afar, each of us on opposite ends of the table,” Albert said.
“I never shook his hand,” the royal added. Charles, who is 71, was pictured giving out “namaste” greetings as early as March 9, one day before the two met.
“I was already there on the other side of the table, so we greeted each other from afar .... So I don’t think I can be accused of having contaminated him,” Albert said with a laugh. “But there were a lot of people, not only around that table but also in the atrium of that convention center.”
Prince Albert was the first head of state to test positive but the second royal, after Karl von Habsburg, the Archduke of Austria.


huffpost--2020-03-27--Coronavirus Live Updates: Read The Latest About The COVID-19 Outbreak

Cabin crew in the U.K. will help staff the new hospitals built to deal with the coronavirus pandemic .
Staff at Virgin Atlantic and EasyJet have been invited to volunteer at the new 4,000-bed clinic being built at the Excel center in east London , and those planned in Birmingham and Manchester in England .
The news came as EasyJet announced it was grounding its entire fleet due to “ unprecedented travel restrictions ” caused by the Covid-19 outbreak , with bosses saying “ there can be no certainty of the date for restarting commercial flights.
” New York state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic surpassed 1,000 on Sunday , less than a month after the state ’ s first confirmed infection .
New York City reported Sunday evening that its death toll had risen to 776 .
The state ’ s total coronavirus fatalities aren ’ t expected to be officially released until Monday , but the at least 250 additional deaths recorded outside the city as of Sunday morning makes New York ’ s total at least 1,026 .
The first known case in New York state was confirmed March 1 in a health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By March 20 ― when Gov .
Andrew Cuomo issued a stay-at-home order for the state ― 35 New Yorkers had been killed by COVID-19 .
Nine days later , that number has exceeded 1,000 .
Coronavirus has ripped through New York at lightning speed , making it the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States .
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that the city had just one week ’ s worth of medical supplies to care for infected residents , and that area hospitals are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian PM ‘ Feeling Much Better ’ After Contracting Coronavirus — 3/29/20 , 5:40 p.m .
ET Sophie Grégoire Trudeau , the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , said she has recovered from COVID-19 after falling ill earlier this month .
The former TV host revealed the news on her social media accounts on Saturday evening .
“ The good news is I have a clear bill of health now , ” Grégoire Trudeau said in an Instagram video .
“ So I ’ m super happy .
So it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unclear exactly how Grégoire Trudeau contracted the highly contagious virus .
She participated in an arena event in London earlier this month .
Actor Idris Elba also attended the function and later tested positive for COVID-19 .
Maria Mercader , the veteran CBS News journalist who for decades helped the network deliver breaking news around the world , died from coronavirus on Sunday at age 54 .
Mercader had been on medical leave for an unrelated issue since late February , and died from COVID-19 in a New York hospital .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and related illnesses for over 20 years , “ and was an inspiration each time she returned to work after a setback threatened to end her life.
” Mercader started at CBS News in 1987 in the network ’ s Page Program before helping produce several high-profile stories while working on the foreign and national desks .
Her most recent role was director of talent strategy , helping lead the network ’ s efforts in pushing workplace diversity for the past four years .
“ Even more than her talents as a journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Susan Zirinsky , the president of CBS News , said in a statement .
“ Maria was part of all of our lives.
” China Donates Medical Supplies To Canada To Fight COVID-19 : Embassy — 3/29/20 , 5:15 p.m .
ET Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said health authorities will not cut any corners when it comes to ensuring masks provided by China meet the necessary standards for protecting Canadian health care workers from COVID-19.The comment follows reports that the Dutch government is recalling around 600,000 defective masks that were recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to various hospitals in the Netherlands .
China has donated medical supplies to help Canada fight the coronavirus , according to a tweet from the Chinese embassy on Saturday .
New York City Setting Up Emergency Field Hospital In Central Park ― 3/29/20 , 5 p.m .
ET New York City is setting up an emergency field hospital in Central Park to help treat coronavirus patients , giving another sobering look at the severity of the crisis in the city .
Volunteer workers with international Christian relief organization Samaritan ’ s Purse could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meadow to help with overflow from the Mount Sinai health system , according to the Gothamist .
The organization is the same one that opened an emergency field hospital in northern Italy earlier this month .
The field hospital will have 68 beds specially equipped with generator-powered respiratory care and ICU capability .
The first patients will likely come from Mount Sinai Brooklyn and Mount Sinai Queens , according to a press release from Samaritan ’ s Purse .
The hospital is expected to be fully operational by Tuesday .
“ People are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of beds , and the medical staff are overwhelmed , ” Samaritan ’ s Purse President Franklin Graham said in a statement .
“ We are deploying our Emergency Field Hospital in New York to help carry this burden.
” New York City currently has more than 32,300 confirmed coronavirus cases and 678 deaths , Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday .
Cuomo Says Trump ’ s Comments On New York Quarantine “ Really Panicked People ” — 3/29/20 , 1 p.m .
ET New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with calls from nervous New Yorkers after President Trump said he was considering an “ enforceable quarantine ” of New York and surrounding areas .
A few hours after sharing this idea with reporters , Trump announced his support of a travel advisory instead .
“ I can ’ t tell you how many people called all night long about the mandatory quarantine comment that the president made as he was getting into a helicopter , ” Cuomo said at a press conference Sunday .
“ People are so on edge , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Official : COVID-19 Could Kill Over 100,000 In U.S. — 3/29/20 , 11:45 a.m ET The coronavirus could infect millions of Americans and potentially kill hundreds of thousands of people nationwide , Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told CNN ’ s “ State Of The Union ” on Sunday .
He noted , however , that the estimate isn ’ t a “ firm idea ” but is based off of scientific models .
“ The model is only as accurate as your assumptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at what we ’ re seeing now , I would say between 100 and 200,000 ... deaths .
We ’ re going to have millions of cases .
I just don ’ t think that we really need to make a projection when it ’ s such a moving target , that you could so easily be wrong and mislead people .
”

Cabin crew in the U.K. will help staff the new hospitals built to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Staff at Virgin Atlantic and EasyJet have been invited to volunteer at the new 4,000-bed clinic being built at the Excel center in east London, and those planned in Birmingham and Manchester in England.
The news came as EasyJet announced it was grounding its entire fleet due to “unprecedented travel restrictions” caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, with bosses saying “there can be no certainty of the date for restarting commercial flights.”
Read more
— James Martin
New York State’s Coronavirus Death Toll Surpasses 1,000 — 3/29/20, 10:25 p.m. ET
New York state’s death toll from the coronavirus pandemic surpassed 1,000 on Sunday, less than a month after the state’s first confirmed infection.
New York City reported Sunday evening that its death toll had risen to 776. The state’s total coronavirus fatalities aren’t expected to be officially released until Monday, but the at least 250 additional deaths recorded outside the city as of Sunday morning makes New York’s total at least 1,026.
The first known case in New York state was confirmed March 1 in a health care worker who had recently returned from Iran. By March 20 ― when Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a stay-at-home order for the state ― 35 New Yorkers had been killed by COVID-19. Nine days later, that number has exceeded 1,000.
Coronavirus has ripped through New York at lightning speed, making it the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that the city had just one week’s worth of medical supplies to care for infected residents, and that area hospitals are in desperate need for ventilators.
— Sanjana Karanth
Wife Of Canadian PM ‘Feeling Much Better’ After Contracting Coronavirus — 3/29/20, 5:40 p.m. ET
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said she has recovered from COVID-19 after falling ill earlier this month. The former TV host revealed the news on her social media accounts on Saturday evening. “The good news is I have a clear bill of health now,” Grégoire Trudeau said in an Instagram video. “So I’m super happy. So it’s all good.”
It’s unclear exactly how Grégoire Trudeau contracted the highly contagious virus. She participated in an arena event in London earlier this month. Actor Idris Elba also attended the function and later tested positive for COVID-19.
—Jon Rumley
CBS News Journalist Maria Mercader Dies From Coronavirus — 3/29/20, 5:25 p.m. ET
Maria Mercader, the veteran CBS News journalist who for decades helped the network deliver breaking news around the world, died from coronavirus on Sunday at age 54.
Mercader had been on medical leave for an unrelated issue since late February, and died from COVID-19 in a New York hospital. According to CBS, she had been fighting cancer and related illnesses for over 20 years, “and was an inspiration each time she returned to work after a setback threatened to end her life.”
Mercader started at CBS News in 1987 in the network’s Page Program before helping produce several high-profile stories while working on the foreign and national desks. Her most recent role was director of talent strategy, helping lead the network’s efforts in pushing workplace diversity for the past four years.
“Even more than her talents as a journalist, we will miss her indomitable spirit,” Susan Zirinsky, the president of CBS News, said in a statement. “Maria was part of all of our lives.”
—Sanjana Karanth
China Donates Medical Supplies To Canada To Fight COVID-19: Embassy — 3/29/20, 5:15 p.m. ET
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said health authorities will not cut any corners when it comes to ensuring masks provided by China meet the necessary standards for protecting Canadian health care workers from COVID-19.The comment follows reports that the Dutch government is recalling around 600,000 defective masks that were recently shipped from China and had been distributed to various hospitals in the Netherlands.
China has donated medical supplies to help Canada fight the coronavirus, according to a tweet from the Chinese embassy on Saturday.
—Sima Shakeri
New York City Setting Up Emergency Field Hospital In Central Park ― 3/29/20, 5 p.m. ET
New York City is setting up an emergency field hospital in Central Park to help treat coronavirus patients, giving another sobering look at the severity of the crisis in the city.
Volunteer workers with international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse could be seen assembling tents in the East Meadow to help with overflow from the Mount Sinai health system, according to the Gothamist. The organization is the same one that opened an emergency field hospital in northern Italy earlier this month.
The field hospital will have 68 beds specially equipped with generator-powered respiratory care and ICU capability. The first patients will likely come from Mount Sinai Brooklyn and Mount Sinai Queens, according to a press release from Samaritan’s Purse. The hospital is expected to be fully operational by Tuesday.
“People are dying from the coronavirus, hospitals are out of beds, and the medical staff are overwhelmed,” Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham said in a statement. “We are deploying our Emergency Field Hospital in New York to help carry this burden.”
New York City currently has more than 32,300 confirmed coronavirus cases and 678 deaths, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday.
― Sanjana Karanth
Cuomo Says Trump’s Comments On New York Quarantine “Really Panicked People” — 3/29/20, 1 p.m. ET
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said his office was flooded with calls from nervous New Yorkers after President Trump said he was considering an “enforceable quarantine” of New York and surrounding areas. A few hours after sharing this idea with reporters, Trump announced his support of a travel advisory instead.
“I can’t tell you how many people called all night long about the mandatory quarantine comment that the president made as he was getting into a helicopter,” Cuomo said at a press conference Sunday. “People are so on edge, it really panicked people.”
— Nina Golgowski
Top Public Health Official: COVID-19 Could Kill Over 100,000 In U.S. — 3/29/20, 11:45 a.m ET
The coronavirus could infect millions of Americans and potentially kill hundreds of thousands of people nationwide, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN’s “State Of The Union” on Sunday.
He noted, however, that the estimate isn’t a “firm idea” but is based off of scientific models.
“The model is only as accurate as your assumptions,” Fauci said. “Looking at what we’re seeing now, I would say between 100 and 200,000 ... deaths. We’re going to have millions of cases. I just don’t think that we really need to make a projection when it’s such a moving target, that you could so easily be wrong and mislead people.”


huffpost--2020-05-11--Experts Predict What School Could Look Like When It Reopens

It probably won ’ t follow the typical schedule .
“ Even after schools open , if we have a second wave of this virus , they may have to close again.
” - Dr. Sally Goza , president of the American Academy of Pediatrics “ Share the information you know for sure in a developmentally appropriate way .
If your child asks you something you don ’ t know , be honest and avoid vague jargon , ” said Rachel Busman , a psychologist and senior director of the Child Mind Institute ’ s Anxiety Disorders Center .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ That ’ s a great question .
We don ’ t have all the information yet .
I ’ ll be sure to tell you more as I find out.
’ ” Get ready for shortened or staggered days .
So instead of having 30 kids in class for a full day , students might come in ten at a time for a few hours .
That way , Perkins said , schools could limit class size using the teachers and classrooms they already have available .
That kind of schedule would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he acknowledged , but it may be the best option available .
“ We ’ ll ask parents and faculty to be wearing masks and we ’ ll do temperature checks at the door , ” said Lee Scott , chairwoman of the educational advisory board at The Goddard School , a private early education provider .
The school expects to stagger when parents can drop their children off and to make sure the parents are in and out fast .
Teachers will likely wear masks .
Kids might too .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s proposed guidelines for reopening schools , which were obtained by The Associated Press , the agency called for cloth masks for all teachers .
It ’ s unclear whether those guidelines will be taken up by state and local governments , but it seems likely that many teachers will be wearing masks .
( The AAP ’ s guidance for reopening schools says that masks may be one strategy used to limit the spread of COVID-19 , but doesn ’ t provide much detail beyond that . )
Subject-wise , school could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I think unfortunately it ’ s going to have to be a discussion of ‘ What is an acceptable amount of education ?
’ ” said Perkins .
“ Right now , we build in a lot of non-cognate areas , like physical education , the arts .
Those are so important .
But I think it ’ s going to be a question of ‘ What is absolutely required ?
’ ” Digital learning is not going away .
Because school days could be abbreviated , and because the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waves , experts say that parents and kids should be prepared for the likelihood that remote learning will not end with the current academic year .
Especially if children are not physically in class for full days , schools will need to rely on digital learning to fill in some gaps .
Educators will likely spend a lot of time measuring learning loss .
Kids will still be dealing with some really complex emotions .
Parents can help .
“ When kids are worried , we want to ask why and get more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Busman said .
“ For example , if a child says that they are scared to go back to school , say , ‘ I really want to understand that more .
What are you most worried about ?
’ ” “ There ’ s a lot of anxiety .
It ’ s not possible to put a 4-year-old child in school and tell him to stay 6 feet away from another child or don ’ t touch high-contact surfaces .
It ’ s not going to happen , ” said Dashoush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in a situation where we ’ re setting them up for failure and probably amplifying anxiety they ’ re already feeling .
”

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The vast majority of schools in the United States have closed their doors for the remainder of the academic year, an “unprecedented disruption” to K-12 education that has left parents and kids wondering when things will get back to normal ― and questioning what “normal” will mean amid a pandemic.
HuffPost Parents spoke to five experts in health and education, who ― while repeatedly emphasizing that the situation is changing by the day ― offered their predictions about what school might look like for kids whenever it starts again.
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It probably won’t follow the typical schedule.
No one knows whether school will start again in September. New York City’s education chancellor has said there’s a 50/50 chance that his city’s schools will reopen in the fall.
Other parts of the country are considering earlier start times. In Missouri, policymakers are mulling a summer reopening to help mitigate learning loss and to get ahead of potential disruptions later in the year. Health officials have spoken of the possibility of a spike in COVID-19 cases this fall.
So a typical academic year schedule seems unlikely. And certainly everything could change as doctors learn more about the health risks posed to children by a rare inflammatory syndrome possibly linked to the coronavirus.
“Even after schools open, if we have a second wave of this virus, they may have to close again.” - Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics
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“Even after schools open, if we have a second wave of this virus, they may have to close again,” said Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which recently issued guidelines about reopening schools that it will be regularly updating.
“There may be rolling closures, where they’re open, then they’re closed, then they’re open again,” she said.
Parents should be honest with their kids about that possibility, the experts advise, so children are not counting on things moving forward in the usual way.
“Share the information you know for sure in a developmentally appropriate way. If your child asks you something you don’t know, be honest and avoid vague jargon,” said Rachel Busman, a psychologist and senior director of the Child Mind Institute’s Anxiety Disorders Center. “It’s OK to say, ‘That’s a great question. We don’t have all the information yet. I’ll be sure to tell you more as I find out.’”
Get ready for shortened or staggered days.
In order to keep children, teachers and other school staff safe, public health officials say it will be critical to not crowd large numbers of kids together. One way schools might avoid that is by adjusting the daily schedule so that kids attend on alternating days or in shorter shifts each day.
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“I think we could see teachers who are now doing three shifts [of students] a day, with two or two-and-a-quarter hours per shift,” said Brian Perkins, an associate professor of practice in education leadership and director of the Summer Principals Academy at Columbia University’s Teachers College.
So instead of having 30 kids in class for a full day, students might come in ten at a time for a few hours. That way, Perkins said, schools could limit class size using the teachers and classrooms they already have available. That kind of schedule would place an incredible burden on parents, he acknowledged, but it may be the best option available.
Even in schools with smaller classes, experts say that parents can assume the traditional drop-off routine is a thing of the past.
“We’ll ask parents and faculty to be wearing masks and we’ll do temperature checks at the door,” said Lee Scott, chairwoman of the educational advisory board at The Goddard School, a private early education provider. The school expects to stagger when parents can drop their children off and to make sure the parents are in and out fast.
Teachers will likely wear masks. Kids might too.
In the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s proposed guidelines for reopening schools, which were obtained by The Associated Press, the agency called for cloth masks for all teachers. It’s unclear whether those guidelines will be taken up by state and local governments, but it seems likely that many teachers will be wearing masks. (The AAP’s guidance for reopening schools says that masks may be one strategy used to limit the spread of COVID-19, but doesn’t provide much detail beyond that.)
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It’s possible that in some places, kids will be expected to wear masks as well, though that probably depends a lot on their age.
“I highly doubt that schools are going to require children under 5 to wear masks,” said Scott.
“If children want to wear masks, that’s of course perfectly fine, but making them wear masks is a different protocol,” she added.
Subject-wise, school could be cut down to the absolute basics.
If school days are shorter or kids attend only a few days a week, school districts are going to have to make difficult decisions about what they have time for.
“I think unfortunately it’s going to have to be a discussion of ‘What is an acceptable amount of education?’” said Perkins. “Right now, we build in a lot of non-cognate areas, like physical education, the arts. Those are so important. But I think it’s going to be a question of ‘What is absolutely required?’”
He anticipates that schools will prioritize language arts and math, followed by science and history. Unfortunately, a lot of other subjects simply won’t fit on the schedule.
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It is also likely that after-school care, arts programs and athletics will be shelved — which, again, will hugely complicate life for many working parents.
“Sporting events, practices and conditioning sessions will be limited in many locations,” the AAP says in its guidelines.
Digital learning is not going away.
Because school days could be abbreviated, and because the next school year could stop and start in waves, experts say that parents and kids should be prepared for the likelihood that remote learning will not end with the current academic year. Especially if children are not physically in class for full days, schools will need to rely on digital learning to fill in some gaps.
“Situations like this shine a light on inequalities that already existed in our society and that are reflected in the education system.” - Nermeen Dashoush, an early childhood education professor at Boston University
That means the challenge of ensuring that children have access to reliable internet service and devices will not go away either. Schools and educators will continue to grapple with the many ways in which COVID-19 has heightened existing inequities.
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“Situations like this shine a light on inequalities that already existed in our society and that are reflected in the education system,” said Nermeen Dashoush, an early childhood education professor at Boston University and chief curriculum officer at MarcoPolo Learning.
Educators will likely spend a lot of time measuring learning loss.
Whenever school reopens — and however changed, or not, it is — teachers will need to spend more time than usual getting a sense of where their students are and helping many of them catch up.
“I think the big question is going to be: How are we going to push kids forward in a way that helps them catch up after missing kindergarten or a third of first grade year?” said Perkins.
Teachers will need to gauge where children are and find ways to overcome what could, in many cases, be a pretty profound learning loss. A huge challenge will simply be carving out the time to measure students’ progress.
Kids will still be dealing with some really complex emotions.
Children’s worlds have been upended by the pandemic, and both parents and schools should understand that the transition back will not be a simple one. Several of the experts noted that children may experience unprecedented separation anxiety after spending months at home. Kids may be confused about why school is so different now. They might have lost loved ones to the coronavirus. They might be afraid of catching it themselves.
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Parents can help. “When kids are worried, we want to ask why and get more information instead of assuming we know,” Busman said. “For example, if a child says that they are scared to go back to school, say, ‘I really want to understand that more. What are you most worried about?’”
Schools are going to have to check in on kids’ emotional wellbeing, too, and to walk the sometimes fine line between promoting safety and being overly strict. It will be a real-time experiment.
“There’s a lot of anxiety. It’s not possible to put a 4-year-old child in school and tell him to stay 6 feet away from another child or don’t touch high-contact surfaces. It’s not going to happen,” said Dashoush. “We can’t put them in a situation where we’re setting them up for failure and probably amplifying anxiety they’re already feeling.”
Experts are still learning about the novel coronavirus. The information in this story is what was known or available as of press time, but its guidance around COVID-19 could change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations.
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huffpost--2020-05-12--Whole Foods Splurged On Expensive Thermal Imaging Cameras, But Employees Question Their Effectivenes

Whole Foods Splurged On Expensive Thermal Imaging Cameras, But Employees Question Their Effectiveness

The cameras appeared last week and are being used to make sure employees don ’ t have one of the primary symptoms of COVID-19 .
But according to nine Whole Foods employees who spoke with HuffPost , some employees are operating the cameras without any official training .
The workers requested anonymity for fear of retribution from the company , which is owned by Amazon .
Whole Foods workers told HuffPost they think the money the company spent on the cameras should have been allocated to them directly — not to pricey equipment .
FLIR cameras cost between $ 6,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FLIR spokesman told HuffPost that “ the higher the price of the camera , the better the resolution , better accuracy and the ability to use at a greater distance.
” A Whole Foods spokesperson said employees can request additional masks if needed .
“ Team Members are given a mask at the beginning of every shift and we have clear guidance to Team Members to dispose of their mask and ask for a replacement if their mask has become contaminated , saturated , or damaged at any point during their shift , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exchange from swing shift to night shift , the camera was stored in an office upstairs and we used laser thermometers we ’ d been using , ” he said .
“ The reason being that store leadership feels that this piece of equipment is too expensive to be left unattended when they are not present .
Why do we have this fucking thing if we can ’ t use it for one-third of the time ?
” This article initially cited its unnamed source as saying the company policy was that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to return to work .
After publication , the source said the policy , in fact , is that employees must be fever-free for 72 hours prior to returning to work .
This article has also been updated throughout with additional information from Whole Foods .

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Whole Foods locations across the country have spent thousands on expensive thermal imaging cameras, part of a nationwide rush on so-called “fever detectors” intended to screen out sick workers. But not all employees at the supermarket chain are happy about how the new gadgets work — and with how much they cost.
The cameras appeared last week and are being used to make sure employees don’t have one of the primary symptoms of COVID-19. But according to nine Whole Foods employees who spoke with HuffPost, some employees are operating the cameras without any official training. The workers requested anonymity for fear of retribution from the company, which is owned by Amazon.
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In late April, Reuters reported that Whole Foods was using FLIR brand cameras, which two employees confirmed to HuffPost. On its website, FLIR recommends that anyone operating a camera receive a certification to do so — a training process that Whole Foods workers say isn’t happening.
“I received no instruction on how to use it,” an employee at a Whole Foods in Washington state said of the camera. He is responsible for checking the temperatures of workers coming in for the next shift and learned from a coworker how to turn on and aim the device.
A Whole Foods representative said that users didn’t need certifications in thermal imaging to operate the “user-friendly” devices and that it had collaborated with the manufacturers to develop “comprehensive” standard operating procedures for employees.
A Whole Foods employee in Maine told HuffPost that his coworkers have been learning how to use the cameras “on the go.” Employees at stores in Los Angeles; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and northern California had no knowledge of training happening in their stores either, though the stores have the cameras.
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Whole Foods workers told HuffPost they think the money the company spent on the cameras should have been allocated to them directly — not to pricey equipment. FLIR cameras cost between $6,000 and $15,000 each, and an FLIR spokesman told HuffPost that “the higher the price of the camera, the better the resolution, better accuracy and the ability to use at a greater distance.”
During the pandemic, Whole Foods has been paying employees an additional $2 per hour and increased overtime pay — but both forms of higher compensation are set to expire May 17.
“They definitely do not provide enough hazard pay,” the employee in northern California told HuffPost. “$2 extra an hour does not cover a potentially lethal disease.”
“I don’t think it’s enough hazard pay really, especially considering there have been at least two confirmed cases at my store,” said the employee from the Chapel Hill store. “The camera doesn’t make me feel safe, it makes me feel like I’m under surveillance and it’s uncomfortable to me.”
A Whole Foods Market spokesperson said that while cameras have not arrived in all stores yet, “every location, including those that currently have thermal imagers, have handheld thermometers available.”
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“The thermal imagers are both user friendly and have a working range that allows for social distancing,” the spokesperson said. “We also developed and provided stores with standard operating procedures and comprehensive guidance for use.”
In response to questions about some employees’ preference for more hazard pay and PPE, a Whole Foods spokesperson told HuffPost that the company has “been evaluating and evolving our safety measures in real-time” and that it maintains an “open door policy” and encourages “direct dialogue between Team Members and leadership in all of our stores.”
The spokesperson also did not say how many cameras the company purchased or how much it paid for them. They did note that the stores are using imagers from multiple manufacturers but that these are not in use at every location.
Thermal cameras work by measuring skin surface temperatures. According to the National Library of Medicine, the average temperature of a forehead is 34 degrees Celsius or 93 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Washington state employee indicated that management has instructed them not to let employees in with skin temperatures “greater than 100 degrees” based on the thermal camera — meaning an employee would have to test far over the 93-degree threshold in order to be sent home.
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If an employee’s temperature reads over 100 Fahrenheit, they need to be fever-free for 72 hours to be able to report to work again, the employee said.
Whole Foods employees say they are not being penalized right now for calling in sick, though they aren’t paid for that time off. The company does offer paid time off to employees if they have a confirmed or presumed case of COVID-19 or are placed into quarantine.
According to FLIR’s website, “many factors” can affect the accuracy of thermal cameras — including “focus, distance, the emissivity of the target, the ambient environment, and the speed at which the temperatures are acquired.”
Distance is an important variable. FLIR recommends the cameras be used 1 to 2 meters away from the person they’re reading, or between about 3 and 6 feet. Of the employees HuffPost spoke to, six said that their stores use the cameras about 6 feet away from the people they’re reading, in order to adhere to social distancing protocols.
In a screenshot of a video obtained by HuffPost from the Washington state employee, the reading appeared to register the temperature of a person in front of it as 88.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
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A FLIR thermal imaging camera being used in a Whole Foods store. HuffPost US
FLIR’s Frequently Asked Questions page notes that its cameras cannot detect the coronavirus, but are used to identify elevated skin temperature so that people can “then be screened by medical professionals using additional tools such as an oral thermometer.”
Purvi Parikh, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at NYU Langone Health, told HuffPost that the cameras are “a good way to screen employees” when they arrive at work, “provided the company is using one of the more accurate brands” approved by the FDA — which FLIR’s cameras are.
However, “many COVID-19 patients do not develop a fever,” said Koushik Kasanagottu, an internal medicine resident at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
“This screening measure would miss a lot of asymptomatic carriers that could potentially spread the virus,” he said. “However, it certainly is promising and would help us identify individuals with a more pronounced expression of COVID-19 who develop a fever.”
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While the cameras offer some sense of protection, they’re not foolproof. And since they’re only being used to screen employees, they also offer no protection from exposure to the customers that these essential workers encounter day after day.
An employee from a store in Commack, New York, told HuffPost via Twitter that the lack of testing for customers is concerning. Whole Foods has a new policy that asks customers to wear masks while shopping, and provides them at store entrances for customers who don’t bring their own.
But there’s no “enforcement of the social distancing/mask on in store at all times policy because there is no security in the store,” the employee wrote. “The customers BARELY follow the guidelines, and become rude and agitated often if they’re reminded.”
Whole Foods has been providing workers with masks, gloves and face shields as needed. Many workers said they felt their stores were providing them with enough personal protective equipment.
But a worker at a store in northern California said the company is providing employees with one mask a day, and the worker wished they could have more.
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“If we can give customers a mask, we can give team members more than one mask a day,” the worker said.
A Whole Foods spokesperson said employees can request additional masks if needed. “Team Members are given a mask at the beginning of every shift and we have clear guidance to Team Members to dispose of their mask and ask for a replacement if their mask has become contaminated, saturated, or damaged at any point during their shift,” the spokesperson said.
The employee from Maine said the company gave employees T-shirts to thank them for working during a global health crisis. “I’d rather have a few more dollars,” the worker said. “I think a lot of it is how things look, ya know?”
Whole Foods is giving workers a new work uniform shirt with "hero" on the front and "hardcore" on the back as hundreds of workers have gotten sick and at least 2 have died from coronavirus for just a $2 an hr wage increase pic.twitter.com/2OJzD1sD9T — Michael Sainato (@msainat1) April 23, 2020
The Washington state employee called the cameras “performative corporate bullshit” and said he’d prefer that the “money for that fucking camera was in my pocket,” particularly because, at least in his store, the camera isn’t being used all the time.
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“In the exchange from swing shift to night shift, the camera was stored in an office upstairs and we used laser thermometers we’d been using,” he said. “The reason being that store leadership feels that this piece of equipment is too expensive to be left unattended when they are not present. Why do we have this fucking thing if we can’t use it for one-third of the time?”
The Whole Foods spokesperson said the daily temperature checks in stores and facilities are “an additional preventative measure to support the health and safety of our employees, who continue to provide a critical service in our communities.”
“None of this equipment has network connectivity, and no personal identifiable information will be visible, collected, or stored,” the spokesperson added.
Whole Foods employees have become essential workers during the global health crisis and have increasingly become more vocal about their working conditions.
Earlier this month, a coalition of workers at Whole Foods, Amazon, Instacart, Walmart, Target, Shipt and FedEx held a strike to demand hazard pay, better access to personal protective equipment on the job, and expanded leave policies so they can stay home with pay if they feel ill. Their demands have yet to be met.
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Even though the Maine employee told HuffPost that the $2 per hour bump in pay they’ve received for working during the pandemic “doesn’t really balance with the number of people I closely interact with on the daily,” most of the workers HuffPost spoke to expressed concern that the bonus ends on May 17.
Whole Foods did not respond to HuffPost’s question about whether it would extend the bonus. Grocery chain Kroger has already informed its employees that their temporary pay bump of $2 per hour is ending on that same day.
“Why is hazard pay ending?” asked the worker at the Washington state Whole Foods. “Has the hazard ended? I don’t fucking think so.”
This article initially cited its unnamed source as saying the company policy was that employees need a negative COVID-19 test in order to return to work. After publication, the source said the policy, in fact, is that employees must be fever-free for 72 hours prior to returning to work. This article has also been updated throughout with additional information from Whole Foods.


huffpost--2020-05-12--Just One Ill Choir Singer Infected 52 Others With Coronavirus: Study

SHORELINE , Wash. ( AP ) — Disease trackers are calling a choir practice in Washington state a superspreader event that illustrates how easily the coronavirus can pass from person to person .
The act of singing itself may have spread the virus in the air and onto surfaces , according to a report from Skagit County Public Health published Tuesday .
“ One individual present felt ill , not knowing what they had , and ended up infecting 52 other people , ” said lead author Lea Hamner , calling the outbreak a tragedy .
Two choir members died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice of the Skagit Valley Chorale .
The rehearsal was held nearly two weeks before the state ’ s stay-at-home order .
Other superspreader events are known : A Chicago cluster of 16 cases , including three deaths , stemmed from a funeral and a birthday party .
South Korea is investigating an outbreak linked to nightclubs reopening earlier this month .
The singers sat 6 to 10 inches apart in different configurations during the 2 1/2 hour rehearsal at a church in Mount Vernon , Washington , about 60 miles north of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Choir members had no physical contact , although some snacked on cookies and oranges or helped stack chairs , they told investigators .
The virus could have spread when exhaled droplets landed on those items .
Another theory ?
A fine mist of virus particles emitted during singing could have contributed , the report suggests .
Some people emit more particles than others and such emissions can happen with loud talking or , possibly , singing .
The virus is thought to primarily spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or sneezes .
The singers felt their first symptoms — cough , fever , muscle pain or headaches — one to 12 days after the practice .
The sick singers ’ average age was 69 and most were women , nearly matching the demographics of choir practice attendees .
Understanding how the coronavirus spreads is important for preventing and tracking the disease it causes .
The CDC recommends avoiding large groups , wearing cloth masks in public and staying at least 6 feet apart from others .
The Associated Press Health and Science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

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SHORELINE, Wash. (AP) — Disease trackers are calling a choir practice in Washington state a superspreader event that illustrates how easily the coronavirus can pass from person to person.
The act of singing itself may have spread the virus in the air and onto surfaces, according to a report from Skagit County Public Health published Tuesday.
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“One individual present felt ill, not knowing what they had, and ended up infecting 52 other people,” said lead author Lea Hamner, calling the outbreak a tragedy.
Two choir members died of COVID-19 after attending the March 10 practice of the Skagit Valley Chorale. The rehearsal was held nearly two weeks before the state’s stay-at-home order.
Other superspreader events are known: A Chicago cluster of 16 cases, including three deaths, stemmed from a funeral and a birthday party. South Korea is investigating an outbreak linked to nightclubs reopening earlier this month.
The singers sat 6 to 10 inches apart in different configurations during the 2 1/2 hour rehearsal at a church in Mount Vernon, Washington, about 60 miles north of Seattle, according to the report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Choir members had no physical contact, although some snacked on cookies and oranges or helped stack chairs, they told investigators. The virus could have spread when exhaled droplets landed on those items.
Another theory? A fine mist of virus particles emitted during singing could have contributed, the report suggests. Some people emit more particles than others and such emissions can happen with loud talking or, possibly, singing.
The virus is thought to primarily spread through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
The singers felt their first symptoms — cough, fever, muscle pain or headaches — one to 12 days after the practice. The sick singers’ average age was 69 and most were women, nearly matching the demographics of choir practice attendees.
Understanding how the coronavirus spreads is important for preventing and tracking the disease it causes. The CDC recommends avoiding large groups, wearing cloth masks in public and staying at least 6 feet apart from others.
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huffpost--2020-06-23--Chuck Schumer Faces The Progressive Surge

Senate Democrats ’ political operation , previously led by former Nevada Sen. Harry Reid and now by Schumer , has not lost a primary since the 2010 election cycle , but must fend off left-wing candidates in both Kentucky and Colorado over the course of the next week .
And after originally declining to pick sides in a contested House primary in his home state , Schumer endorsed House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel , who is desperately trying to fend off a challenge from educator Jamaal Bowman .
These coalitions ’ potential strength has only grown as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death of George Floyd have exposed systemic inequalities in health care and policing .
If the left can successfully re-create them in the years to come , almost every Democratic politician in America ― up to and including those as powerful as Schumer ― could face serious primary challenges .
“ From New York to Kentucky , there ’ s a multiracial slate of progressive candidates that are surging , ” said Sochie Nnaemeka , the New York state director of the Working Families Party , which is backing Booker and Bowman .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ message that politics as usual won ’ t get us heading in the right direction.
” Progressives are targeting a number of primaries in New York .
The Working Families Party and other left-leaning groups are optimistic about Mondaire Jones ’ chances to replace retiring Rep. Nita Lowey in a district representing a swath of suburbs to the north of the city .
Adem Bunkeddeko is mounting a second challenge to Clarke in a Brooklyn-based seat after losing by less than 2,000 votes in 2018 .
And there are two dueling progressive candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is the nation ’ s most Democratic .
But it ’ s the battle for Engel ’ s seat where Schumer has expended the most political capital .
In early June , Schumer made it clear he hadn ’ t picked sides between Engel and Bowman as the latter picked up political momentum .
Schumer ’ s declaration forced Engel to remove his state ’ s senior senator from an online list of campaign endorsers .
Schumer has long been more conciliatory toward the left wing of the party than other Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keith Ellison for Democratic National Committee chair in 2016 , gave both Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren roles in Senate leadership , and voted with Sanders and other progressive senators against a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada late last year .
“ I think the important thing moving forward is to take the left seriously , ” he continued .
“ It ’ s going to be the place where the most energizing ideas are coming from , and where a lot of the grassroots money is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term political goal of reclaiming the Senate majority is now within his grasp .
President Donald Trump ’ s continued political decline has increased Democrats ’ chances of winning Senate seats even in red-tinted states like Georgia and Iowa , and Schumer ’ s political operation has matched or outspent Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s in most states .
And after some early recruiting struggles , he managed to convince two former presidential candidates ― former Colorado Gov .
John Hickenlooper and Montana Gov .
Steve Bullock ― to run for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 2018 Senate map , which was heavy on Democratic incumbents running for re-election , meant Schumer has largely been able to avoid the party ’ s Trump-era ideological battles until this year .
So far , the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee-backed candidates have cruised , easily winning in Iowa and North Carolina against a mostly disorganized left wing of the party .
But that may change in Kentucky and Colorado .
Senate Democrats have long viewed victory in the Bluegrass State as unlikely , but believed McGrath ’ s incredibly strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than $ 40 million , compared to McConnell ’ s $ 23 million , according to Federal Election Commission records ― could help pin McConnell down and prevent him from aiding other GOP incumbents financially .
Senate Democrats are still confident McGrath can hold off Booker , though they acknowledge the race will be far closer than previously expected .
Booker ’ s participation in Black Lives Matter protests in recent weeks has helped galvanize support , rallying progressives both in Kentucky and nationally to his cause .
One of his ads features @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t participated in the protests .
If the race in Kentucky is mostly about draining McConnell ’ s resources , the contest in Colorado on June 30 is essential to Democratic victory in the battle for the Senate .
It was seen as a coup when Schumer convinced Hickenlooper , a popular former governor and mayor of Denver , to drop out of the presidential race and run for Senate against vulnerable incumbent GOP Sen. Cory Gardner .

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A slew of ideological battles within the Democratic Party over the coming weeks, stretching from the Bronx to the hollers of eastern Kentucky to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, will test Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s ability to dictate primary outcomes both nationally and in his home state.
Senate Democrats’ political operation, previously led by former Nevada Sen. Harry Reid and now by Schumer, has not lost a primary since the 2010 election cycle, but must fend off left-wing candidates in both Kentucky and Colorado over the course of the next week. And after originally declining to pick sides in a contested House primary in his home state, Schumer endorsed House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel, who is desperately trying to fend off a challenge from educator Jamaal Bowman.
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Both Bowman’s bid in New York’s 16th District and the Kentucky contest ― which pits Schumer-backed former fighter pilot Amy McGrath against progressive state Rep. Charles Booker ― point to a still-emerging alliance between Black and Latino voters and progressive groups that could spoil the Democratic establishment’s ability to swat aside primary challenges.
These coalitions’ potential strength has only grown as the coronavirus pandemic and the protests following the death of George Floyd have exposed systemic inequalities in health care and policing. If the left can successfully re-create them in the years to come, almost every Democratic politician in America ― up to and including those as powerful as Schumer ― could face serious primary challenges.
“From New York to Kentucky, there’s a multiracial slate of progressive candidates that are surging,” said Sochie Nnaemeka, the New York state director of the Working Families Party, which is backing Booker and Bowman. “Primary voters are sending a clear message that politics as usual won’t get us heading in the right direction.”
L. Joy Williams, a New York Democratic strategist and consultant for New York Rep. Yvette Clarke’s re-election bid, was blunt about the potential impact progressive wins could have on Schumer.
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“It will have an immediate impact in terms of people thinking about whether he is vulnerable,” she said.
Schumer’s office declined to comment. Any attempt to unseat Schumer, who remains popular throughout the state, would be a monumental uphill battle. Persistent rumors have suggested Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the pioneer of modern left-wing primary challenges, could run against Schumer in 2022.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is navigating increasingly powerful ideological currents this primary cycle as progressive challengers face off against establishment candidates. Win McNamee via Getty Images
Progressives are targeting a number of primaries in New York. The Working Families Party and other left-leaning groups are optimistic about Mondaire Jones’ chances to replace retiring Rep. Nita Lowey in a district representing a swath of suburbs to the north of the city. Adem Bunkeddeko is mounting a second challenge to Clarke in a Brooklyn-based seat after losing by less than 2,000 votes in 2018. And there are two dueling progressive candidates in the race for a Bronx-based district that is the nation’s most Democratic.
But it’s the battle for Engel’s seat where Schumer has expended the most political capital. In early June, Schumer made it clear he hadn’t picked sides between Engel and Bowman as the latter picked up political momentum. Schumer’s declaration forced Engel to remove his state’s senior senator from an online list of campaign endorsers.
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Schumer’s neutrality couldn’t last: Pro-Israel groups count both men as crucial allies, and are desperately working to keep Engel in office. Dov Hikind, a former New York assemblyman, questioned Schumer’s pro-Israel credentials.
A little over a week later, Schumer told the Jewish Insider he was supporting the incumbent.
Schumer has long been more conciliatory toward the left wing of the party than other Democratic leaders. He backed now-Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for Democratic National Committee chair in 2016, gave both Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren roles in Senate leadership, and voted with Sanders and other progressive senators against a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada late last year.
“Chuck is responsive to these kinds of pressures when he pays attention to them,” said Adam Jentleson, a Democratic strategist who was a top aide to Reid. “There’s a misplaced confidence in the centrist vision of the party based on [former Vice President Joe] Biden’s victory in the primary.”
“I think the important thing moving forward is to take the left seriously,” he continued. “It’s going to be the place where the most energizing ideas are coming from, and where a lot of the grassroots money is coming from.”
And Schumer’s long-term political goal of reclaiming the Senate majority is now within his grasp. President Donald Trump’s continued political decline has increased Democrats’ chances of winning Senate seats even in red-tinted states like Georgia and Iowa, and Schumer’s political operation has matched or outspent Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s in most states. And after some early recruiting struggles, he managed to convince two former presidential candidates ― former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock ― to run for Senate instead.
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Still, the structure of the 2018 Senate map, which was heavy on Democratic incumbents running for re-election, meant Schumer has largely been able to avoid the party’s Trump-era ideological battles until this year. So far, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee-backed candidates have cruised, easily winning in Iowa and North Carolina against a mostly disorganized left wing of the party.
But that may change in Kentucky and Colorado. Senate Democrats have long viewed victory in the Bluegrass State as unlikely, but believed McGrath’s incredibly strong fundraising ― she’s raised more than $40 million, compared to McConnell’s $23 million, according to Federal Election Commission records ― could help pin McConnell down and prevent him from aiding other GOP incumbents financially.
Early last week, Schumer told reporters he believed McGrath would triumph, happily explaining how a super PAC controlled by McConnell had reserved $10 million worth of airtime in the state. Later in the week, he ignored a HuffPost reporter’s questions about his confidence in his prized recruit.
“Progressive voters, and voters as a whole, are embracing and running toward the most systemic policy changes.” - Sochie Nnaemeka, Working Families Party
Senate Democrats are still confident McGrath can hold off Booker, though they acknowledge the race will be far closer than previously expected. Booker’s participation in Black Lives Matter protests in recent weeks has helped galvanize support, rallying progressives both in Kentucky and nationally to his cause. One of his ads features McGrath struggling to answer why she hasn’t participated in the protests.
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McGrath has hit back with an electability argument.
“She’s Kentucky’s best chance to move on from Mitch McConnell,” an announcer says at the start of McGrath’s latest ad. “Polling shows she’s the only Democrat who can beat him.”
If the race in Kentucky is mostly about draining McConnell’s resources, the contest in Colorado on June 30 is essential to Democratic victory in the battle for the Senate. It was seen as a coup when Schumer convinced Hickenlooper, a popular former governor and mayor of Denver, to drop out of the presidential race and run for Senate against vulnerable incumbent GOP Sen. Cory Gardner.
Instead, Hickenlooper has made multiple gaffes in recent weeks as his lone remaining primary rival, former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, has repeatedly attacked him from the left on climate change and other issues.
After Romanoff released an ad on Friday attacking Hickenlooper over an ethics violation, a quickly formed super PAC fired back with an ad attacking Romanoff’s immigration record.
🚿 It’s pure & simple: we need the strongest Democrat to defeat @CoryGardner. Help us win the #cosen primary—and bring a fresh, progressive voice to the Senate—by supporting our grassroots campaign.
Watch our new ad & chip in here to keep it on the air 👉 https://t.co/JN0IDvA3il pic.twitter.com/1VZCNOK04G — Andrew Romanoff (@Romanoff2020) June 19, 2020
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The super PAC, Let’s Turn Colorado Blue, won’t have to make its donors public until after the primary because it began spending after the pre-primary FEC filing deadline. Groups affiliated with Schumer have used similar tactics in the past to temporarily hide their donors.
The race between Hickenlooper and Romanoff has not become the flashpoint the Kentucky contest has. While both Warren and Sanders endorsed Booker, Sanders has remained neutral in Colorado and Warren has sided with Hickenlooper.
In part, this is because Romanoff doesn’t have sterling progressive credentials, even if he now supports the Green New Deal and “Medicare for All.” In 2014, he aired an ad touting his support for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution while running for House, and he voted against in-state college tuition for undocumented college students in the legislature.
Even if Schumer’s Senate picks survive, however, it’s clear the left is growing more capable of causing headaches for the establishment.
“Progressive voters, and voters as a whole, are embracing and running toward the most systemic policy changes,” Nnaemeka said. “That’s the ground we’re operating on now, and I don’t think it’s going to shift.”
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