The Serious Side - part 7

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8121233/Donald-Trumps-former-doctor-heaps-praise-coronavirus-response.html

[size=34]Donald Trump's former White House physician heaps praise on the president's 'quick actions' over coronvirus and claims 'he has prevented the US becoming like Italy'[/size]

• Ronny Jackson praised Trump for 'doing everything he needed to do' over virus 
  
  
• He claimed US is now in line with South Korea and will avoid becoming like Italy 
  
  
• With 86 deaths, the US has already passed South Korea's death toll of 81 
  
  
• Trump has been widely-panned for responding too slowly to the pandemic 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE  and REUTERS
PUBLISHED: 08:41 EDT, 17 March 2020 | UPDATED: 08:59 EDT, 17 March 2020

     



Trump's former White House physician has heaped praise on his response to the coronavirus outbreak - saying his 'quick action' has prevented the US from becoming an infection hotspot like Italy or Iran.
Ronny Jackson, who was accused of lying over Trump's height and weight during a physical in 2018, said the President 'has done everything he needed to do.'
Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News, Jackson said: 'He put together a top-notch team and he was criticized.... despite that, he carried on and did what he needed to do for our country.'


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Dr Ronny Jackson, Trump's former White House medical adviser, has heaped praise on his response to the coronavirus outbreak - praising him for his 'quick actions'


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Trump has been widely-criticized for responding too slowly to the pandemic, which has so far killed 86 people across America
Among measures that Jackson praised was the ban on some travelers coming from China to the US that Trump put in place on January 31. 
Trump also banned travelers from Europe coming to the US last week, though experts warned it woud have little effect since the disease is already spreading person-to-person within America's borders. 
'What's going on in Italy and Iran is not going to happen here I think, because of the president's quick and decisive actions. I think we are going to be more in line with what's going on in South Korea,' he added.


'We are going to see that we got on it early ... the president stopped it quickly and it's going to save countless American lives.'
South Korea, with 8,200 confirmed infections and 81 deaths, had the worst outbreak of coronavirus anywhere in the world until it was overtaken by Italy last week.
The US already has 86 deaths from the virus amid widespread warnings that health authorities are under-estimating the number of infections at 4,600 because of problems with testing.
South Korea has been widely praised for one of the world's most-efficient testing regimes with up to 10,000 tests performed per day.
The US, meanwhile, has managed to test some 50,000 people since the outbreak began last month.


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Jackson claimed the US is now following the likes of South Korea - where only 81 people have died - and will avoid becoming like hotspot Italy


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The spread of the coronavirus outbreak in the US since the outbreak began in January
The Trump administration has been widely-criticized for its slow response to the pandemic, with Trump dismissing coronavirus as being similar to the flu and a 'Democrat hoax' only weeks ago.
However, that has rapidly changed in the last few days as the White House urged people to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people on Monday and called for bars, restaurants, and other public venues to close.    
Trump refrained from ordering sweeping public quarantines, lockdowns or curfews for the time being, even as some state and local authorities independently imposed mandatory restrictions.
'We're recommending things,' Trump told a White House news conference in issuing new coronavirus guidelines. 
'We haven't gone to that step yet' of ordering a lockdown. 'That could happen, but we haven't gone there yet.'
Trump also said he felt that postponements of primary elections, like those announced in Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana and Kentucky, were generally unnecessary. 
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on Twitter his administration was ordering polls closed on Tuesday in defiance of a state court ruling to the contrary.
The number of known coronavirus infections and deaths in the United States has paled in comparison with hot spots of the global pandemic, such as China, Italy or Iran. 


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Panic buying has led to store shelves being emptied across the US, as Trump urged people to calm down


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States began enacting their own lockdowns before Trump announced Monday that people should avoid all gatherings of more than 10 people (pictured, a closed church in Colorado)


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There has been widespread criticism of coronavirus testing across the US. While South Korea has been testing 10,000 per day, the US has tested less than 50,000 people total
But the tally of confirmed U.S. cases has multiplied quickly over the past few weeks, surpassing 4,600 and prompting fears American hospitals might soon be overwhelmed, as Italian medical centers have been strained to the breaking point.
At least 83 people in the United States had died of the virus, as of Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University and public health agencies, with the hardest-hit state, Washington, accounting for the bulk of the fatalities, including six more announced on Monday.
Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said health officials were relying on members of the millennial generation - those in their 20s to 40s, and representing the largest living adult cohort - to alter their social behavior for the good of the public.
Millennials, she said, are 'the ones that are out and about, and they're the most likely to be in social gatherings, and they're the most likely to be the least symptomatic' even if they are unwittingly infected and contagious, Birx told the briefing. 
Release of the latest 15-day plan for slowing the spread of the virus came as state and local government officials pleaded with the Trump administration to mount a coordinated response to the pandemic, as millions of workers and students were already hunkering down at home.
Besides recommendations to limit the size of gatherings and shut down public places in states where community spread of the virus is evident, Birx said one of the most important measures was for people who are sick to stay home.
'If everybody in America does what we ask for over the next 15 days, we will see a dramatic difference,' Birx said. The guidelines also call for entire households to self-quarantine even if just one family member is diagnosed.


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A padlock is seen on the door to Willie's Chicken Shack on Bourbon Street in compliance with an order from Louisiana's Governor John Bel Edwards to shut bars and restaurants state-wide


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Empty roads are seen in New Jersey after residents were told to stay home due to fears over coronavirus


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Times Square in New York was almost deserted on Monday as people stayed off the streets after Governor Cuomo ordered many businesses to shut down


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Inverted chairs are seen at the closed Tartinery cafe in Grand Central Terminal during rush hour as the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States
The unprecedented wave of closures and restrictions, which began to accelerate last week, took on fresh urgency as New Jersey 'strongly discouraged' all non-essential and non-emergency travel between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., starting on Monday.
The states of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut struck a regional agreement to close all movie theaters, casinos and gyms as of 8 p.m. Monday (0000 GMT). Restaurants and bars in the three states - where more than 22 million people live - will serve takeout and delivery only.
Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties on Monday ordered residents to stay at home for all but the most crucial outings until April 7. That directive came a day after California Governor Gavin Newsom urged adults older than 65, and their caretakers, to remain indoors whether or not they have underlying health conditions.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said efforts by state and local governments were insufficient to confront the coast-to-coast crisis.
'This is a national problem. It cannot be done in a piecemeal method,' Cuomo said, calling for bold action involving the military and Army Corps of Engineers to quickly create excess hospital capacity.
In the nation's capital, Washington, a deeply divided Senate was considering a multibillion-dollar emergency spending bill requiring sick leave for some workers and expanded unemployment compensation, while the Supreme Court postponed oral arguments for the first time in over a century.
Washington's mayor also announced restrictions on businesses, including curbs on bars and restaurants, in response to the outbreak. 
Some 64,000 schools were closed in at least 33 states, including in the nation's two biggest school systems - New York City and Los Angeles. School closures nationwide were disrupting instruction for at least 32.5 million students, according to Education Week.
State restrictions on restaurants and places of leisure, while in line with expert advice to slow the spread of the virus through 'social distancing,' will hit many lower-paid workers in the service industry.
Jessica Wilmot, owner of the Ancient Mariner pub in Ridgefield, Connecticut, said that while she felt closing shops was the right move, she worried about her mostly part-time staff who work paycheck to paycheck.
'Personally, I'm all for containment,' said Wilmot, noting that her revenues had already fallen about 40% last week from the prior week. 'But my business view is, I'm nauseous.' 
As traders on Wall Street reacted to drastic weekend measures from the Federal Reserve to stave off a global recession, U.S. stock markets plunged anew on Monday with the S&P 500 closing down 12%.
Major airlines sought a U.S. government bailout of more than $50 billion as the White House drafted a financial assistance package following the steep falloff in U.S. travel demand. 'We have to back the airlines,' Trump said on Monday. 'It's not their fault.' Separately, U.S. airports are seeking $10 billion in government assistance.
Trump, a Republican, declared a national emergency on Friday and has championed the U.S. government's response, saying his administration has done a 'a very fantastic job.' Democratic leaders have criticized him for playing down the crisis and issuing misleading or false statements.

Ah, another bootlicker. Maybe he's looking for the job of that other guy in uniform

This:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/kushner-repeatedly-advised-trump-the-media-was-exaggerating-coronavirus-threat-says-report

[size=34]Amazon is SUSPENDING shipments of all non-essential items and will prioritize medical goods needed during the coronavirus pandemic[/size]

• Amazon will stop stocking and shipping all non-medical and non-essential supplies from its warehouses until April 5 
  
  
• Medical goods, baby products and groceries will now be prioritized amid the coronavirus pandemic
  
  
• Some third-party sellers said the move will come as a blow to their businesses 
  
  
• This comes one day after Amazon revealed plans to hire an additional 100,000 employees in the US to meet the surge in demand from panicked shoppers
  
  
• Amazon has already run out of many cleaning supplies and is facing hefty delivery delays amid the mass panic 
  
  
• Online shopping is ramping up as officials impose curfews and lockdowns on areas most hit by the virus and people have gone into self-isolation  
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By RACHEL SHARP FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 12:23 EDT, 17 March 2020 | UPDATED: 12:31 EDT, 17 March 2020

     




Amazon is suspending shipments of all non-essential items in order to prioritize supplying medical goods needed during the coronavirus pandemic.  
The e-commerce giant will stop stocking and shipping all non-medical and non-essential supplies from its warehouses until April 5, it announced Tuesday.
The new measures come one day after Amazon revealed plans to hire an additional 100,000 employees in the US to meet the surge in demand from panicked shoppers. 
Concerned residents have been increasingly turning to online shopping to stockpile goods from the safety of their homes as the virus sweeps the country and households turn to self-isolation. 
Amazon announced that the spike in demand for essential goods means it will no longer accept new products from independent merchants to its warehouse service except for household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand items from now until April 5.


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Amazon will stop stocking and shipping all non-medical and non-essential supplies from its warehouses until April 5 in efforts to prioritize goods needed during the coronavirus pandemic
'We are seeing increased online shopping and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock,' said a company statement on its seller platform Seller Central. 
'With this in mind, we are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and ship these products to customers.'
High-demand products that will now be prioritized include: baby products, health and household items, beauty and personal care products, groceries, industrial items and pet supplies.


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A driver wears a protective mask while traveling in an Amazon delivery truck in New Rochelle, New York, on Thursday: The e-commerce giant announced the new measures to prioritize goods including groceries, medical supplies and baby food Tuesday


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Amazon revealed plans Monday to hire an additional 100,000 employees in the US to meet the surge in demand from panicked shoppers
Online shopping is ramping up as officials impose curfews and lockdowns on areas most hit by the virus.       
People have gone into self-isolation and are practicing social distancing to try to limit the spread of the virus, as cases top 4,736 and 93 have died so far across the US.


Amazon has already run out of many cleaning supplies and is facing hefty delivery delays amid the mass panic, warning shoppers that orders may take longer than two days to deliver. 
However, some third-party sellers said that the move to stop stocking certain goods will come as a blow to their businesses. 
The coronavirus outbreak has already posed a difficult time for sellers, many of which relied on Chinese factories that shut down at the height of the country's crisis. 



Coronavirus protection: Goods for sale on Amazon to help control the spread. People are turning to online shopping after they have gone into self-isolation and are practicing social distancing to try to limit the spread of the virus 



Protective gloves for sale on Amazon: Amazon has already run out of many cleaning supplies and is facing hefty delivery delays amid the mass panic
Michael Michelini, a partner at Alpha Rock Capital, which sells around 10 brands on Amazon, told the Wall Street Journal that the latest move 'makes things nerve-racking' because the firm won't know where to stock its shipments of shoe and car accessories coming in this week.
Amazon said that independent merchants will still be able to sell on Amazon without using its warehouses and that products already headed for its warehouses will be accepted.
This comes as Amazon revealed plans on Monday to hire 100,000 more workers in the US to help deal with 'the surge in demand from people relying on Amazon's service during this stressful time.'


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'We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year,' said Amazon's warehouse and delivery network manager, Dave Clark. 
The e-commerce firm said the new job openings are for a mix of full-time and part-time positions and include delivery drivers and warehouse workers, who pack and ship orders to shoppers. 
The Seattle-based company also said workers on at least $15, including those in warehouses and delivery centres, will receive a $2 an hour wage rise until the end of April. 
This will also apply to those in the UK and the European Union. 
Last week, Amazon also tweaked its time-off policy for hourly workers, telling them they could take as much time off as they wanted in March, although they would only be paid if they had earned time off.  
Additionally, Amazon said it would pay hourly workers for up to two weeks if they contracted the virus or needed to be quarantined.


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Kings Supermarket, New Jersey, with almost empty shelves on Sunday: Concerned residents are increasingly turning to online shopping now to stockpile goods from the safety of their homes as the virus sweeps the country and households turn to self-isolation

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8122293/Donald-Trump-wants-checks-Americans-IMMEDIATELY.html

[size=34]BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump wants checks for Americans IMMEDIATELY: Steve Mnuchin says everyone will get MORE THAN $1,000 within two weeks once he strikes Senate deal - and tax payments are deferred too[/size]

• President Trump wants to send cash to Americans suffering financially from the coronavirus crisis immediately 
  
  
• 'Americans need cash now and the president wants to give cash now,' Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday in the press briefing room '
  
  
• Mnuchin said he was previewing the plan to Capitol Hill Republicans and then would provide more details
  
  
• Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, floated a universal basic income-like stimulus of $1,000 a month during the outbreak 
  
  
• Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang centered his career on the concept of providing Americans with a universal basic income 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR and EMILY GOODIN, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER and NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 12:19 EDT, 17 March 2020 | UPDATED: 12:52 EDT, 17 March 2020

     


Donald Trump wants to send cash to Americans suffering from the coronavirus crisis immediately he said at the White House Tuesday.   
'The payroll tax holiday would get money to people over the next six to eight months. We're looking to send checks to Americans immediately,' explained Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in the press briefing room. 'Americans needs cash now and the president wants to give cash now.' 
'And I mean now - in the next two weeks,' Mnuchin added. 
Mnuchin said he was previewing the plan with Capitol Hill Republicans and would reveal more details later, but he suggested the amount could be more than $1,000. There would also be some income cut-offs. 'You don't need to send people who make a million dollars a year checks,' he said. 
Trump said of his administration's stimulus plans: 'We're going big.'  


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President Trump (left) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (right) said Tuesday they wanted to send Americans checks to keep the economy going amid the coronavirus outbreak 


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'We might': Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow said the Trump administration might get behind new proposals to give cash to American households.


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Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Monday he supports giving $1,000 each month to working Americans during the crisis
Mnuchin said some tax payments can also be deferred. 
The White House sped up its embrace of a universal basic income-like stimulus after economic adviser Larry Kudlow told DailyMail.com Monday said the administration 'might' get behind new proposals to give cash to American households. 
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney on Monday announced that he was for a plan to give American workers $1,000 each month during the outbreak. 
'We also urgently need to build on this legislation with additional action to help families and small businesses meet their short-term financial obligations, ease the financial burden on students entering the workforce, and protect health workers on the front lines and their patients by improving telehealth services,' the Utah senator said in a statement, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. 
'I will be pushing these measures as Senate discussions continue about an additional relief package,' he added.


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Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang campaigned on giving $1,000 each month to every American
The House last week was able to swiftly pass legislation responding to the coronavirus outbreak, after Mnuchin held talks with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 
It contains provisions on paid sick leave and three months of paid emergency leave during the crisis. It was not immediately clear if these were the provisions Kudlow was referring to.
Kudlow, asked about cash assistance,' said 'We might' provide it, and appeared to reference House provisions. 
‘We've got the, you know, in the bill, there are provisions, and was also executive authorities for short term unemployment insurance or compensation. That's a possibility,' he said.  
‘We have standby authority as I say, part of the $400 billion I was talking about is emergency authorities; there is FEMA funds; there is Treasury funds that could be used in a pinch. So the answer could be yes. I don't want to be definitive on that,' he added.
With no schedule for a vote on a package with an economic response to the coronavirus, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a weekend statement saying 'discussions are already underway' on key pillars.
'The Senate is eager to work with the Administration and the House to deliver the solutions our nation deserves,' McConnell said.
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin blasted on provisions in the House-passed bill requiring businesses of fewer than 500 employees and government employers to provide two weeks of paid sick leave. 
'I hope the Senate will approach this with a level head and pass a bill that does more good than harm — or, if it won’t, pass nothing at all,' Johnson said in a statement. 'The president and states already have adequate authority and funding to address the current situation,' he said.      
The idea of cash payments to Americans is one that was touted on the campaign trail by Democrat Andrew Yang, who wanted to give every American over 18 $12,000 each year. Democrat Cory Booker called for 'baby bonds' that would provide an initial $1,000 American Opportunity Account to roughly 4 million children, with the government making annual $2,000 contributions. 
Kudlow said the administration's aid proposals totaled $400 billion and would hit double that amount if a payroll tax holiday through the end of December gets enacted. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8121609/Director-Harvard-Global-Health-calls-national-quarantine-NOW.html

[size=34]Director of Harvard Global Health Institute calls for national quarantine NOW and warns 'many more people will die' if we wait any longer[/size]

• Ashish Jha said on Tuesday the hospitals and emergency rooms are 'not ready' 
  
  
• He urged the government to shut down the country now before it is too late 
  
  
• If we wait another week until we're 'forced' into it 'many more people will die'   
  
  
• Cities and states are issuing their own shutdowns, curfews and rules for residents
  
  
• President Trump said on Monday he was not considering a national shutdown 
  
  

By JENNIFER SMITH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 11:00 EDT, 17 March 2020 | UPDATED: 11:35 EDT, 17 March 2020

 

 

 

 

 

• [email=?subject=Read%20this:%20Director%20of%20Harvard%20Global%20Health%20Institute%20calls%20for%20national%20quarantine%20NOW%20and%20warns%20%27many%20more%20people%20will%20die%27%20if%20we%20wait%20any%20longer&body=Director%20of%20Harvard%20Global%20Health%20Institute%20calls%20for%20national%20quarantine%20NOW%20and%20warns%20%27many%20more%20people%20will%20die%27%20if%20we%20wait%20any%20longer%0A%0AThe%20Director%20of%20Harvard%20Global%20Health%20Institute%20is%20calling%20for%20a%20national%20quarantine%20to%20begin%20now%20and%20warns%20that%20%27many%20more%20people%27%20will%20die%20if%20the%20government%20waits%20any%20longer%20in%20implementing%20it.%C2%A0%C2%A0%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-8121609%2FDirector-Harvard-Global-Health-calls-national-quarantine-NOW.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top%0A%0A%0AMost%20Read%20Articles%3A%0A%0AUS%20lockdown%20NOW%2C%20crisis%20till%20August%3A%20Trump%20says%20there%20are%20%2715%20days%20to%20stop%20the%20spread%27%20and%20old%20must%20stay%20home%2C%20gatherings%20over%2010%20people%20end%2C%20and%20schools%2C%20offices%20bars%20and%20restaurants%20close%20to%20beat%20coronavirus%C2%A0%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-8118415%2FDonald-Trump-tells-America-lockdown-15-days-stop-coronavirus.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0APregnant%20women%20will%20be%20told%20to%20stay%20indoors%20for%20THREE%20MONTHS%20along%20with%20over%2070s%20to%20avoid%20catching%20the%20deadly%20coronavirus%2C%20Government%20announces%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-8118317%2FPregnant-women-told-stay-indoors-THREE-MONTHS-avoid-catching-coronavirus.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0ASan%20Francisco%20announces%20three%20week%20lockdown%3A%20Residents%20are%20BANNED%20from%20leaving%20home%20after%20midnight%20on%20Tuesday%20for%20anything%20but%20doctor%27s%20visits%20or%20grocery%20shops%20to%20fight%20coronavirus%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-8118417%2FSan-Francisco-announces-three-week-lockdown.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0A]e-mail[/email]
   
  
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The Director of Harvard Global Health Institute is calling for a national quarantine to begin now and warns that 'many more people' will die if the government waits any longer in implementing it.  
In an interview with Morning Joe on Tuesday,  Ashish Jha gave a grave forecast of the events to come. 
'Our hospitals and emergency rooms are not ready.  We have two choices. We can have a national quarantine now, for two weeks, get a grip on where things are and then reassess. 


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Ashish Jha gave a grave forecast of the events to come, saying: 'Our hospitals and emergency rooms are not ready'
Or we can not, [we can] wait another week and when things look really terrible, be forced into it.
'And that's going to last much longer.  Many more people will die. So those are really our two choices. Get ahead of it or wait until we're even further behind. 
'It's going to look like Italy. Essential businesses will stay open - grocery stores and pharmacies. 

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'But nonessential stuff, people have to stay at home. No public gatherings. Certainly no bars and restaurants. 
'It's going to be really hard and economically very tough but the alternative is economically even more devastating.
'We'e in between a rock and a hard place and we've got to make the right call,' he said. 
Over the weekend, former medicare boss Andy Slavitt said the hospitals would be overrun by March 23 - less than a week away. 


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Medical health personnel work at a drive-thru testing facility in Miami on March 16 


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There are nearly 5,000 cases of coronavirus in the US and 93 people have died 
Hospitals are trying frantically to get their hands on emergency supplies like N-95 masks and sterile gloves but are struggling after so many people stock-piled them in preparation for self-isolation.  


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President Trump said on Monday he was not considering a national shutdown 
President Trump is under mounting pressure to issue a national shut down. 
Governors and mayors, frustrated by his lack of action, have taken it upon themselves to enforce rules in their jurisdictions. 
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland have all closed bars, restaurants, casinos, gyms and movie theaters. 
San Francisco has been placed in lockdown by its mayor, and six counties in the Bay Area have been told to 'shelter in place'. 
New York Mayor Bil de Blasio said he was considering a shelter in place order on Tuesday morning but that the time had not come to issue it.
There are more than 400 cases of coronavirus in the city of New York alone. 
In Italy, the only things open have been hospitals, grocery stores and pharmacies for a week now. 
Spain is also in lockdown due to the fast-rising number of cases it is seeing. [/size]

If we don’t trust Trump how can anyone trust the peeps who work for him?  They cover his ass ad nauseam.  Notice all those bobbing heads behind him during his press conferences?  I have also been cringing this morning reading articles that have been giving Trump credit for finally acting ‘presidential’ at yesterday’s press conference.  He said what he should have said weeks ago.  And don’t believe for a moment that he wasn’t acting.  It’s all an act.  He probably felt he had no choice but to be honest. Seems that the stock market has been trying to send him signals to that effect.  Someone probably told him changing his tune could be a plus for his re-election campaign if they spin it just right.   It’s all about the optics.  Sickening.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8122447/All-states-make-coronavirus-tests-Trump-says.html

[size=34]ALL US states can now use their own coronavirus tests and Americans can 'see' their doctors via Skype and FaceTime at NO additional charge, Trump administration announces[/size]

• All states are now authorized to make and validate their own tests within their borders 
  
  
• New York has tested 10,000 people since being given permission to do this 
  
  
• Medicare and Medicaid will now cover telemedicine at no additional cost to allow people to have FaceTime and Skype appointments with doctors 
  
  
• The Trump administration urged Americans to cancel non-essential doctor appointments 
  
  
• More than 5,000 Americans have coronavirus and 94 have died  
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By NATALIE RAHHAL ACTING US HEALTH EDITOR
PUBLISHED: 14:25 EDT, 17 March 2020 | UPDATED: 15:13 EDT, 17 March 2020

     




All US states are now authorized to use their own coronavirus tests, the Trump administration announced Tuesday.  
Medicare patients will also now be able to use tele-medicine services through FaceTime and Skype at no additional charge in an effort to keep elderly Americans at home and safe from exposure to COVID-19, which has killed 94 people in the US. 
It comes after widespread outcry over a shortage of tests for the new disease that's spread like wildfire to 5,244 Americans, including deadly outbreaks among elderly people and nursing home patients. 
US state health officials are now also working to get remote testing facilities up and running, which would help to limit the influx of people potentially infected with coronavirus into broader health care facilities, where the virus can spread quickly. 


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President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that all US states are now allowed to make, approve and use their own coronavirus tests instead of waiting for FDA authorization 
The Trump administration waived certain medical privacy laws in order to facilitate better access to remote health care for at-risk Americans, and gave states the authority to do the same. 
Already, New York was granted similar permissions by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an effort to expand testing and contain the spread of the virus.  
On the heels of that expansion, some 10,000 people in New York have now been tested, Governor Cuomo said in a Tuesday press conference. 
States, too, are now allowed to expand telehealth coverage for their patients if they so choose.   
Both the expansion to telehealth access and test authorization are unprecedented actions in the US. 
'It's something that's never been done before,' said President Trump. 
So far, nearly 50,000 Americans have been tested for coronavirus, according to a community-built COVID Tracking Project. 
According to state reporting, more than 5,200 people are positive for the virus. The COVID Tracking Project documents more than 43,000 have tested negative, and the results of nearly 2,000 tests are pending. 


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New York was already granted special authorization for its own tests (pictured) and has since tested some 10,000 people, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday 





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Officials said drive through testing - like this site in Maryland - is being set up in 47 locations across 12 US states 
US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHS) head Dr Brett Giroir said during the Tuesday press conference that public health labs and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) labs had tested 31,878 people for coronavirus.
Associated clinical labs have tested 27,000 people,8,200 of which were performed yesterday. Dr Giroir said this underscored how quickly the process is being ramped up. 
Other hospitals have not yet reported their testing numbers, but Dr Giroir said he expects these in the next day or so. 
The USPHS is also working to set up 47 drive-thru labs in 12 states. It opened its first trial site yesterday and Dr Giroir admitted there were 'a lot of kinks.'  
In South Korea, where coronavirus has also been spreading rapidly, 3,692 people per one million residents have been tested for the virus. 
Italy lags behind, with 826 people per million being tested.  
Vice President Mike Pence said that CVS, Target and Walmart could also offer expanded remote testing across the US. 
'You don't need the results of testing [to follow] the 15 day coronavirus guidelines, which [are] advice for every American in every community,' said Pence.  
The federal government is urging Americans to work from home, if possible, practice social distancing, avoid gatherings of 10 or more people and refrain from eating or drinking at restaurants and bars. 
Officials are pleading, however, for drive-thru restaurants to remain open and the Trump administration said it is working with these establishments and others to provide financial and safety support.  


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More than 5,000 Americans have coronavirus and 94 have died of the virus 
Dr Deborah Birx also urged that Americans cancel all non-essential medical and dental procedures, both to limit potential exposures to the virus for patients and health care workers and in an effort to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed and overcome by the coronavirus.
Instead, the expansion of telehealth is intended to allow Americans to continue to access health care without face-to-face contact, which risks transmission of coronavirus. 
Some 76 percent of US hospitals are set up to provide telehealth services, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA). 
Medicaid in nearly all US states previously covered some form of telehealth, as do many private insurers, but Medicare - which covers 44 million Americans, mostly over the age of 65 - lags behind, the AHA says. 
Now, all patients will be covered at no additional cost, and loosened restrictions on privacy regulations in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) will allow doctors to communicate with patients using common services like FaceTime and Skype. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8123717/Americans-stuck-abroad-coronavirus-pandemic-say-State-Department-nothing.html

[size=34]Americans stuck abroad during the coronavirus pandemic say the State Department has done nothing to get them back home to the U.S.[/size]

• Americans traveling abroad as the coronavirus has spread around the world are struggling to return home
  
  
• It is proving hard to return to the United States with multiple worldwide travel restrictions and flight cancellations 
  
  
• Embassies around the globe are suggesting U.S. citizens return home as soon as is practically possible 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By JAMES GORDON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 
PUBLISHED: 20:34 EDT, 17 March 2020 | UPDATED: 20:59 EDT, 17 March 2020

     




Thousands of Americans are still stuck abroad in various countries around the world and are asking for help from officials to help them return home.
The request for aid comes as governments of various countries have restricted travel in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus as much as possible.
Phil and Jerri McMannis from Boston were on the last leg of a round-the-world trip and are currently stuck in Fez, Morocco after their flight for this Sunday was cancelled. So far, the couple have been unable to rebook. 
Morocco has suspended all international flights. It has 37 confirmed cases of the virus and one death.


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Phil and Jerri McMannis from Boston were on the last leg of a round-the-world trip and are currently stuck in Fez, Morocco unable to get back to the United States


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'The local people are offering to help and are talking to us, but our own government has said nothing,' said the McMannis'


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A group of American tourists have set up their own Facebook group after becoming stranded in Morocco 
'It's a scary situation, but we are doing the best we can to stay positive,' McMannis, 36, told NBC News on Tuesday.
'The local people are offering to help and are talking to us, but our own government has said nothing,' said McMannis.    
The State Department has said that they have 'successfully evacuated hundreds of U.S. citizens in the past few weeks, however, such flights do not reflect our standard practice and should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens abroad who may be impacted by the ongoing spread of COVID-19. U.S. citizens should make plans using commercial travel options.'
The U.S. Embassy has since organized 30 flights from Agadir and Marrakech to London over the coming days.
[size=10][size=18]Trump says Americans with coronavirus not allowed back in US




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The stranded group were given a small card with a few details on about how to contact the American embassy. It was shoved underneath the door of their hotel room
Another American family also stuck in Morocco is Mary Marland of Boulder, Colorado along with her husband and two children.
They had rebooked to come home on Sunday but like the McMannis' their flight was cancelled. 
'Information is unreliable. Every cancellation happened without a rebooking option, and I've spent hours on the phone will the airlines,' said Marland, 42.
The family say they have received no help from the U.S. government and are now resigned to staying at a hotel in Tangiers, but that might close very soon. 
'I am terrified of the idea that this is going to go on beyond this week,' she said.
[size=18]Coronavirus is 'worse than 9/11' for airlines says Treasury Secretary




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Another American family also stuck in Morocco is Mary Marland of Boulder, Colorado along with her husband, Milton and two children Kate and Jack


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The Marland family say they have received absolutely no help from the U.S. government and are now resigned to staying at a hotel in Tangiers, but that might close very soon
One traveler who managed to make it back to the States is 20-year-old Etta Moen. 
She was studying in Spain, which has become the fourth-most infected country with 12,000 cases and more than 500 deaths. 
The country has been under partial lockdown since Saturday with residents only allowed to leave their homes to go to work, buy food or visit a pharmacy or hospital.
She managed to return home back to Washington State after her semester abroad program was been canceled. 
Her trip back was relatively simple and she flew from Alicante via Barcelona and London before finally flying back to Seattle.
'It felt like taking a gamble booking a flight and not knowing if it would be canceled,' said Moen. 'I was checking the websites for all the airports and the airlines that I would be flying through every day.'


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20-year-old Etta Moen was studying in Spain, which has become the fourth-most infected country. She has managed to book herself onto a flight to London and then to Seattle
In neighboring France, 21-year-old Reid Richesin, from Birmingham, Alabama, is trying to get back to the U.S. from Paris after lockdown began at noon on Tuesday.
'It feels like everything is up in the air and could be canceled — we will just have to see,' he said from the airport. He is hoping to return to New York and will then head to Connecticut to stay with a friend.  
French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered France's citizens to stay home, only leaving their home to buy groceries, travel to work if absolutely necessary, exercise or for doctor and hospital visits.  
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has now risen to almost 188,000, and nearly 7,500 people have died. 


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21-year-old Reid Richesin, from Birmingham, Alabama, is trying to get back to the U.S. from Paris after a lockdown began at noon on Tuesday. He has been waiting at the airport


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The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has now risen to almost 188,000, and nearly 7,500 people have died

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8125711/Surgeon-General-says-longer-15-days-self-isolation-slow-coronavirus-spread.html

[size=34]Surgeon General says 15 days of lockdown 'won't be enough' to stop the coronavirus spread but pleads with Americans to 'pitch in' and do their part to stay indoors now to make sure we don't become Italy[/size]

• Surgeon General Jerome Adams said on Wednesday the 15 days recommended by Trump likely is not enough
  
  
• In order to avoid the US becoming Italy - which now has 31,000 cases - he said people must act now 
  
  
• He is urging Americans to stay at home where they can and to practice social distancing to flatten the curve 
  
  
• As of Wednesday morning, there were more than 6,000 cases of coronvirus in the US and 115 had died 
  
  
• Adams said the situation would be 'reassessed' in 15 days time and that it was possible to make a difference
  
  
• Trump, meanwhile, referred to the virus on Wednesday again as the 'Chinese Virus' - a phrase which is enraging world dignitaries 
  
  
• The economy has been plunged into a recession with tens of thousands of people already losing work 
  
  
• Trump has announced a stimulus plan which includes a $1k a month check for Americans - but some experts say far more is needed
  
  
• There is now an urgent need for ventilators, surgical masks and hospital beds across the country 
  
  
• Local politicians like New York Mayor Bill de Blasio are calling on Trump to mobilize the military to help  
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By JENNIFER SMITH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 08:17 EDT, 18 March 2020 | UPDATED: 10:45 EDT, 18 March 2020

     


The Surgeon General warned on Wednesday that it could take longer than 15 days to slow the spread of coronavirus but that Americans must 'pitch in' and do their part now to stay home and self-isolate if they want the deadly disease to die. 
Jerome Adams appeared on Today to make the plea, a day after President Trump issued a 15-day set of guidelines to people to work from home where possible and practice social distancing. 
Millions have heeded the advice and are avoiding going out. Some, like in cities where the pandemic spreading the quickest, are calling for harsher action, like a two-week national shutdown to force people indoors. 
On Tuesday, startling new data revealed that as many as 2million Americans may die if no further action is taken but that making people self-isolate now for 18 months could cut that figure to 200,000. 
There has not been a clear cut answer on how long Americans will have to continue living in this current state of crisis.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has said the current state of crisis could last nine months, whereas experts overseas say it could even longer.  
On Wednesday morning, Adams said that the practical advice for Americans was to stay at home for the next 15 days and avoid social gatherings but it would 'likely' take longer to stunt the spread of the virus. 
'If we can get America to pitch in for the next 15 days, we can flatten the curve. 
'Fifteen days is likely not going to be enough to get us all the way through, but we need to lean into it now to bend the curve over the next 15 days and at that point we will reassess. 
'What you're talking about is our 15 days to stop the spread. 
Scroll down for video 


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Surgeon General Jerome Adams said on Wednesday that people needed to stay at home for at least 15 days to make a dent in the spread of coronvirus but that it will likely be longer and that the country will have to 'reassess' 

TODAY

@TODAYshow





[ltr]“How long do you think people should expect to be at home?” @savannahguthrie to @Surgeon_General[/ltr]











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7:16 AM - Mar 18, 2020
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'We want them to avoid gatherings of 10 or more, unnecessary travel, work from home if at all possible. 
'When we look at the data, our numbers are where Italy's are two to three weeks ago. 
'Do we want to go the way of Italy or do we want to go the way of South Korea and China who were actually able to level off the peak and decrease the numbers,' he said, referring to the two countries' harsh approach which involved people self-containing weeks ago and staying home. 




Trump on Wednesday referred to the virus again as the 'Chinese Virus' and said he'd handled it well from the beginning 
Adams said he felt the nation was 'turning a corner' in the amount of people taking the virus seriously. 
'We're starting to turn a corner. People really are [sensing the urgency]. 
'I have a 15-year-old son and a 14-year-old son at home.  
'They don't care what dad says, even if he is the surgeon general, but by golly do they know that Kevin Durant just got diagnosed with the coronavirus and they're taking it seriously,' he said, referring to the Brooklyn Nets player who, along with three teammates, has the virus. 
'We want people to understand; chances are you don't have it and chances are if you do have it you will recover. 


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There are now more than 6,500 cases of coronavirus in the US and 115 people have died


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This graph shows the US's trajectory, in hot pink, and how it relates to Italy, green, and China, black, as opposed to South Korea and Japan which were able to stunt the virus


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He also shared a graph to illustrate how America's states related in terms of virus spread to to Italy and how far behind the are. New York has surpassed Italy's growth rate as has Washington 
'But what we don't want to do is to have you or anyone else out there spreading it,' he said.
There are 6,578 cases of coronavirus in the US right now and 115 people have died. 
In Italy, which went into self-isolation a week ago, 31,000 people are infected and more than 2,600 have died.
South Korea was able to flatten the curve of the virus spread and has now seen a downward trend in new cases for the fourth day in a row due to harsh and early rules that people must stay inside.  
President Trump on Wednesday referred to the illness as the 'Chinese Virus' and said he'd done a 'very good job from the beginning' by closing the country's borders to China. 
'I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the borders form China - against the wishes of almost all. 
'Many lives were saved. The Fake News new narrative is disgraceful & false!' he tweeted. 
His reference to it as the 'Chinese Virus' has incensed healthcare professionals and members of the public, let alone Chinese dignitaries. 
In the worst-hit cities and states like New York, officials are now contemplating a 'shelter in place' order to try to stunt the spread of the virus. 
Mayor Bill de Blasio said that he was 'almost' at the stage of recommending a 'shelter in place' order to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 
De Blasio needs Cuomo to agree to it before he can issue it in New York City, where cases are growing faster than anywhere else in the country.  


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Tourists in Times Square on Tuesday. People are being told to stay at home and not go out unless absolutely necessary 


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Many Americans are heeding the advice, staying home and practicing social distancing. Others, particularly in the younger generation, are ignoring it. Pictured, Spring Breakers in Miami on Tuesday. Health officials are appealing to younger people to stay home because even if they may not show symptoms or feel ill, they could be carrying the virus and unwittingly putting more vulnerable people at risk 


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Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and President Trump on Tuesday announced


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Ponte San Pietro Hospital in Italy, which is in one of the worst hit regions of the country. There are now more than 30,000 cases of the virus in Italy and more than 2,000 have died
Bars, restaurants, movie theaters, gyms and casinos in the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland are all now closed. 
In San Francisco, people have been told to go into lockdown for three weeks, avoiding all non-essential travel our outings. 
Trump on Tuesday announced a stimulus plan that would involve sending Americans checks for $1,000 each to try to help them through the economic hardship the virus is sending them towards. 
The country is being dragged into a recession, with unemployment skyrocketing as non-essential trades drop by the wayside. 
Already, people in service based industries are losing work and are already fearing how they will pay their bills. 
There is also a tremendous strain on the healthcare industry. 
Doctors and nurses are worried about how soon the virus will peak and how intensely it is going to peak. 
They are also reporting a shortage in essential medical supplies like face masks and gloves and - crucially - ventilators. 
The most frightening symptom of the virus is how it affects people's breathing. 
Those who have recovered from it or are recovering from it say they can barely breath. 
There is a woeful shortage of ventilators in the world as a result of it. President Trump said he was sourcing more but it is unclear where he plans to get them from. 
The other logistical problem is the shortage of hospital beds.
 

More than 2 million Americans could die of coronavirus if the US does NOTHING - but keeping people apart could cut fatalities to 200,000, study suggests
Social distancing of the entire US population, isolation of anyone infected with coronavirus and quarantines for their household members may be the only way to stem the pandemic - and these measures may need to be in place for 18 months, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Imperial College London say that if the whole population doesn't hunker down, between 1.1 million and 1.2 million Americans will likely die of coronavirus, even if they are treated.
Their study, published Monday, predicts how the coronavirus pandemic is likely to pan out, depending on how the US and UK respond.
If the US and UK did nothing, they estimate that 81 percent of each population would become infected, and 2.2 million Americans would die, along with 510,000 Britons.


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If the US  and UK were to do nothing to stop the spread of coronavirus, the number of people in need of ICU beds will quickly outpace the health care systems' capacities. But limiting social contact could drastically flatten the pandemic's curve, Imperial College of London found 
But keeping people away from each other could cut US deaths down to some 200,000, Mother Jones estimated. So far, more than 100 Americans have died since the coronavirus emerged in China in December.
The study's alarming findings underscore just how imperative following new US guidelines to stay out of bars and restaurants and not gather in groups of more than 10 for the next two weeks (at least) are to saving millions of lives.
The Trump administration's new guidelines - which followed a temporary moratorium on visits to nursing and retirement home facilities - were issued only for 15 days after their Monday announcement, but the Imperial College study suggests far longer efforts may be needed.
Even Trump himself drastically changed his tone and told Americans the pandemic may last in the US until July or August.
According to their assessment, Imperial College experts believe social contact may well need to be minimized until a vaccine is widely available - up to 18 months from now.
They examined the impact of two strategies - mitigation and suppression - on the spread of the virus. They also analyzed the effects of different levels of suppression tactics on the same.
In short: mitigation is not enough, and any country that can should practice suppression.
The main distinction between the two tactics is who should be practicing them.
Mitigation policies would mean 'combining home isolation for suspect cases, home quarantine of those living in the same household as suspect case and social distancing of the elderly and others at most risk of the disease,' the study authors wrote.
To be sure, this would help, cutting the number of deaths by about half and alleviating two-thirds of the strain on health care systems.
But under those conditions, hundreds of thousands of people in the US and UK alike would likely die in the pandemic, and ICU beds would be overwhelmed by many time over.
That leaves suppression.
If 'suppression' sounds rather Draconian, that's because it requires measures that are rather strict.
They're the kinds of restrictions on movement already being suggested - although not mandated - in the US: Closing down businesses venues that are social in nature, such as movie theaters, bars and restaurants and generally keeping people apart.
Fueling all of these measures is a goal of a transmission rate below one, meaning that each infected person passes coronavirus on to less than one other person on average.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8125051/Coronavirus-pandemic-18-months-100-page-federal-plan-warns.html

[size=34]Coronavirus pandemic will last 18 months or more, could come in several waves and cause a critical shortage of medical supplies, 100-page federal plan warns[/size]

• Plan, dated Friday, outlined how pandemic will play out and options for leaders
  
  
• Missive warned of several waves of infection that will last 18 months or more
  
  
• Infection could cause critical shortages of medicines, equipment, protective gear and staff as it sweeps across the nation 
  
  
• It urged Trump to use Korean War-era powers to force industries to respond  
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE 
PUBLISHED: 06:44 EDT, 18 March 2020 | UPDATED: 10:48 EDT, 18 March 2020

     


The coronavirus pandemic will last 18 months or more, could come in several waves and cause critical shortages of medicines, equipment, and staff, the government has been warned. 
A 100-page document, issued Friday as Donald Trump announced a state of emergency, says Washington should close schools and cancel public events to curb the spread of the virus.
The missive also urges the President to invoke Korean War-era powers to force industries to respond to the crisis by ramping up production of key items.


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The coronavirus pandemic will last 18 months or more, could come in several waves and cause critical shortages of medicines, equipment, and staff, the government has been warned


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A 100-page document, issued Friday as Donald Trump (pictured) announced a state of emergency, says Washington should close schools and cancel public events to curb the spread of the virus
[size=10][size=18]Trump says a nationwide lockdown would be a 'big step'




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Activating the Defense Production Act would force companies to accept and prioritize government contracts for items including ventilators, protective gear for medical workers, medicines and diagnostic tools such as testing kits, the plans says.
The document, a copy of which was seen by the New York Times, also warns that state and local government resources will be stretched and less reliable as the crisis goes on.
'These stresses may also increase the challenges of getting updated messages and coordinating guidance to these jurisdictions directly,' it says.
On Monday Trump urged Americans to avoid public gatherings of 10 or more people, but stopped short of a federally-enforced ban.
While individual states have shuttered schools and universities, there has been no order from Washington to do so yet.




Share
And Trump has also avoided invoking the Defense Production Act, despite widespread problems with testing that has been blamed on a lack of kits.
Asked Tuesday about invoking the act, Trump said: 'We’re able to do that if we have to. Right now, we haven’t had to, but it’s certainly ready.
'We’ll make that decision pretty quickly if we need it. We hope we don’t need it. It’s a big step.'
As of Wednesday morning there were almost 6,500 confirmed coronavirus infections in the US - more than double the 2,300 cases reported on Friday when the plan was issued.
Deaths have also climbed above 100, more than double the 48 reported Friday.
What the plan does not address is the economic impact of the crisis, which is being felt across the globe as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin warned that a recession has already begun.  
Mnuchin told senators in a Tuesday briefing that he believes the economic fallout from the coronavirus is potentially worse than the 2008 financial crisis, Bloomberg reports.
He then said that the virus could drive up the unemployment rate to 20 per cent, a level not seen since 1935.


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The missive also urges the President to invoke Korean War-era powers to force industries to respond to the crisis by ramping up production of key items
[size=18]Trump urges people to 'buy less, only what you need'




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Mnuchin lawmakers don't provide a swift financial response to wage workers and small- and medium-sized businesses to alleviate the problems.
A Treasury Department spokeswoman later denied that Mnuchin was making predictions, and was giving examples of what might happen if no action is taken.
'Secretary Mnuchin used several mathematical examples for illustrative purposes, but he never implied this would be the case'.
Regardless, economists for Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley say that a global recession has likely already begun, with the only question remaining how severe the pullback will be, and how long it will last.
'We expect the recession to be front-loaded, with a recovery in [the second half of the year],' said Goldman Sachs' chief economist in a note to clients.
'This assumes that infections will slow significantly by the end of April as the lockdowns and other mitigation measures bear fruit.'
Late Tuesday West Virginia also confirmed its first case of coronavirus, meaning all 50 states have now reported at least one case.
Meanwhile seven million Californians have been ordered to shelter in place, countless 'non-essential' businesses have been effectively shuttered and more cities - including in New York - are considering ordering similar measures.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has confirmed that the number of coronavirus cases in the Big Apple has surged to 923 with 10 deaths.
'This is moving very fast. We should all be very concerned about how we find a way to slow down the trajectory of this virus,' de Blasio said.
'The idea of shelter in place now has to be considered.' 
For the next two weeks, the Trump administration has asked that all Americans practice social distancing, which means avoiding gatherings of 10 or more people.
Although it falls short of an order, the new guidelines ask that anyone with even mild symptoms stay home for those two weeks in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Experts have widely agreed that the US as a whole has surpassed a tipping point in the coronavirus pandemic, and now the infection has spread to all 50 states in the US.
As cases surged last week, Trump declared a national state of emergency and Tuesday announced additional measures to expand testing.
Now, all US state scan make, validate and use their own tests rather than wait for the FDA's approval.
The president also announced that telemedicine must now be covered at no additional costs to publicly insured Americans in an effort to lighten the burden on health care systems and reduce social contact and coronavirus transmission.
Still, testing has lagged woefully in the US.
As of Tuesday afternoon, less than 50,000 Americans had been tested for the infection, while South Korea and Italy are testing thousands of people per day.
Health and state officials have widely blamed the testing shortage for the steep rise in US cases, saying it both delayed public knowledge of just how many cases there were and allowed the disease to continue to spread from unwitting carriers to their families, social contacts and health care workers.
The Pentagon is also stepping in to aid the coronavirus outbreak, with Defense Secretary Mark Esper saying the military would donate up to 5 million respirators to hospitals, with 1 million being made available immediately.
Esper said the military also would donate 2,000 ventilators held in reserve, as part of the scramble to get U.S. hospitals staffed and outfitted for an anticipated crush of victims of the coronavirus.
Ventilators have become an acute issue, with only about 62,000 in use and others in stockpile, but an anticipated need that is far greater. The military normally keeps respirators on hand to protect troops from whatever they might encounter on the battlefield.
Some of the respirators are intended for 'single-use,' Esper said. In the case of ventilators, training would be required, with the military available to step in to teach civilians on their use. 
Officials have struggled to get the critical equipment on-line, and it requires technical aptitude to properly monitor patients experiencing breathing issues or lung failure.
[size=18]Trump says we 'may be' heading into a recession from coronavirus




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About springbreak:

We've got people who still don't take the virus seriously.
The German islands in the North Sea and Baltic Sea have been closed to tourists since they either have no hospital or just a few ventilators there and can't handle an outbreak. But tourists (not all of them) are embarrassed and say " I've come here to stay away from crowds in the big cities" or "I've booked my hotel, so I'll stay", the best statement was " I've only arrived two days ago, so why should I return".

Or peopld who still went skiing in Austria and Northern Italy when there was a huge outbreak and said: "If I'm put under quarantine afterwards, it's an extra holiday for me."

My husband and me had planned a few days off for two years. My parents offered to look after our kids, we organized everything else like therapies for our kids, took days off from work, booked a spa hotel at the Baltic Sea and some massages and were really looking for these days which should havd started next Sunday. Last weekend, we cancelled everything - the spa must close anyway, and it's just too dangerous to infect others like my parents or our kids afterwards. I had also booked a weekend in Hamburg with my daughter, tickets for the new Harry Potter theatre were her birthday present, and last weekend it was announced that the premiere will be scheduled to October, so we cancelled everything else which was really hard for her. I also cancelled a weekend trip with my mother and sisters in late April because everything is closed until that time, and I won't wait to the very last minute to decide whether we'll bo or not (and lose more money than jusf the deposit).

It's just not the time to go on holidays, and I hope that it's postponed but not abandoned. And I hopd that we'll be able to go to Denmark in August - and if not, hopefully next year. That's just holidays, not the end of the world.
And if a cancelled trip is the only disadvantage we'll have from the Corona virus, we'll be very lucky!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8125577/Russia-feeding-coronavirus-disinformation-sow-panic-West-EU-document-says.html

[size=34]Russia has deployed 'significant coronavirus disinformation campaign' against the West to sow panic, the EU says[/size]

• Russian media deployed 'significant disinformation campaign' against the West
  
  
• Kremlin-backed media trying to worsen the impact of the coronavirus, EU says
  
  
• Report claims Russia wants to generate panic and sow distrust over the virus
  
  
• Russian state media has blamed Britain for the global coronavirus pandemic
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By REUTERS and CHRIS DYER FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 06:54 EDT, 18 March 2020 | UPDATED: 12:13 EDT, 18 March 2020

     




Russian media have deployed a 'significant disinformation campaign' against the West to worsen the impact of the coronavirus, generate panic and sow distrust, it was claimed.
According to a European Union document, the Russian campaign, pushing fake news online in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French, uses contradictory, confusing and malicious reports to make it harder for the EU to communicate its response to the pandemic. 
A specialist EU database has recorded almost 80 cases of disinformation about coronavirus since January 22, it said.
The EU document cited examples from Lithuania to Ukraine and said that on social media, Russian state-funded, Spanish-language RT Spanish was the 12th most popular news source on coronavirus between January and mid-March, based on the amount of news shared on social media.
Yesterday it emerged that Kremlin-backed media has broadcast propaganda which blamed Britain for the outbreak and claimed COVID-19 was created as a tool to benefit of the UK.


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Medical staff wearing protective suits riding down an escalator at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport yesterday 


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Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the coronavirus situation was 'under control' in Russia and outbreaks of infection had been contained
Igor Nikulin, who claimed to be a microbiologist, said on Russia's Channel 1 he was 'certain' the coronavirus was a 'man-made disease'.
The disease was also linked to the Skripal Novichok scandal in which the Salisbury government laboratory at Porton Down was accused by Russian media of using the nerve agent on former Russian military intelligence Sergei Skripal in March 2018.
In fresh allegations made this week, the programme claimed the British 'smeared something in Wuhan' in the same way that they 'smear[ed] nerve agent on Skripal's door handle'.
The Kremlin denied the allegations made in the EU report today, saying they were unfounded and lacked common sense.
'A significant disinformation campaign by Russian state media and pro-Kremlin outlets regarding COVID-19 is ongoing,' said the nine-page internal document, dated March 16, using the name of the disease that can be caused by the coronavirus.
'The overarching aim of Kremlin disinformation is to aggravate the public health crisis in Western countries...in line with the Kremlin's broader strategy of attempting to subvert European societies,' the document produced by the EU's foreign policy arm, the European External Action Service, said.


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Igor Nikulin, a microbiologist who allegedly worked at the UN, made the comments about Britain's involvement in coronavirus on Russian state-backed TV 


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The Big Game Russian roundtable TV discussion on COVID-19 on the state-backed Channel 1 in which it was claimed Britain was involved in beginning the spread of the virus 
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed to what he said was the lack in the EU document of a specific example or link to a specific media outlet.
'We're talking again about some unfounded allegations which in the current situation are probably the result of an anti-Russian obsession,' said Peskov.
The EEAS declined to comment directly on the report.
The European Commission said it was in contact with Google , Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft . 
An EU spokesman accused Moscow of 'playing with people's lives' and appealed to EU citizens to 'be very careful' and only use news sources they trust.
The EU and NATO have accused Russia of covert action, including disinformation, to try to destabilise the West by exploiting divisions in society.
Russia denies any such tactics, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused foreign foes of targeting Russia by spreading fake news about coronavirus to whip up panic.


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A woman with her child wearing medical masks walking inside the Komsomolskaya Metro station in Moscow yesterday 
Russian media in Europe have not been successful in reaching the broader public, but provide a platform for anti-EU populists and polarise debate, analysis by EU and non-governmental groups has shown.
The EEAS report cited riots at the end of February in Ukraine, a former Soviet republic now seeking to join the EU and NATO, as an example of the consequences of such disinformation.
It said a fake letter purporting to be from the Ukrainian health ministry falsely stated here were five coronavirus cases in the country. Ukrainian authorities say the letter was created outside Ukraine, the EU report said.


'Pro-Kremlin disinformation messages advance a narrative that coronavirus is a human creation, weaponised by the West,' said the report, first cited by the Financial Times.
It quoted fake news created by Russia in Italy, the second-most heavily affected country in the world, that health systems would be unable to cope and doctors would choose who lived or died because of a lack of beds.
The EEAS has also shared information with Slovakia over the spread of fake news accusing the country's prime minister, Peter Pellegrini, of being infected with the virus and saying he may have passed on the infection to others at recent summits.
EU leaders have been conferring by video-conferences since early March. 
President Vladimir Putin yesterday claimed the coronavirus was 'under control' in Russia and said outbreaks of infection had been contained as the country closed its borders to foreigners.


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The construction site of a new infectious hospital on the outskirts of Moscow as an additional measure to help try and prevent the spread of coronavirus


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Supermarket shelves today were nearly empty as Russians are hoarding goods following the coronavirus outbreak
It emerged today that Putin is being protected from the virus around the clock.
The Kremlin said today that all staff involved in the presidents' events schedule were undergoing mandatory testing for the disease.
Russia has recorded 147 cases of coronavirus so far and the authorities have temporarily barred foreigners from entering the country in an effort to prevent it spreading further.
'Everything needed to protect the president from viruses and other illnesses is being done around the clock,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
'The president's work schedule is public and the best proof of the state of his health.'
Peskov has previously declined to say whether Putin has been tested for coronavirus, but has said that the president's medical care is of an exceptionally high level.
Putin on Wednesday was visiting Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Journalists travelling with Putin on the trip were tested beforehand to prove they were not carriers of the virus.
The Kremlin has also told journalists to stay away if they feel unwell.
Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said on Wednesday that he'd been tested for coronavirus himself along with all high-ranking Kremlin officials.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8124901/Young-people-dying-coronavirus-despite-elderly-people-worst-affected.html

[size=34]Think only old people can die from coronavirus? Think again. Expert who led team assessing China's outbreak says NO ONE is safe from the killer virus[/size]

• Elderly people are the most at-risk of developing severe coronavirus
  
  
• Experts warn young, healthy people are still dying from respiratory infection
  
  
• More than 200,000 people in around 170 countries have been infected 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By BRITTANY CHAIN FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA  and VANESSA CHALMERS HEALTH REPORTER FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 03:29 EDT, 18 March 2020 | UPDATED: 10:03 EDT, 18 March 2020



Elderly people are the most at-risk of developing severe coronavirus, but experts warn young, healthy people are still dying from the respiratory infection.
Globally, more than 200,000 people in around 170 countries have been infected with COVID-19 since the outbreak began in China in December.
Most of the 8,000 fatalities recorded across the world have been people who are elderly or suffer underlying conditions, and have weakened immune systems.
But Bruce Aylward, who assessed the pandemic in China, said there are an alarming number of young people who have developed complications from the disease.
Dr Aylward, of the World Health Organization, has already warned people as young as 30 were dying from the life-threatening virus.
Meanwhile, an emergency doctor in Belgium has revealed the shocking lung scans of 'young, healthy people', which he described as 'nothing short of terrifying'.
Chinese health officials carried out the biggest ever study on the never-before-seen strain of the virus, using data from 72,000 cases. They found 19 per cent of patients who died were below the age of 60 years.


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Most of the 8,000 fatalities recorded across the world have been people who are elderly or suffer underlying conditions, and have weakened immune systems. Chinese health officials carried out the biggest ever study on the virus, using data from 72,000 cases. They found 19 per cent of patients who died were below the age of 60 years (pictured)
[size=10][size=18]Expert reveals he saw many young people die from COVID-19 in China




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Emergency doctor Ignace Demeyer, on the frontline in Belgium, also warned no one is exempt from catching the virus. He released scans of one young patient, saying they were 'nothing short of terrifying'. The first scan shows normal, healthy lungs. The second shows air sacs in the lungs filled with inflammatory fluid, which is visibly worse in the third image


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Speaking to Belgian broadcaster VRT, Dr Demeyer said they have few elder patients, and more of those aged between 30 and 50 who are ‘terribly affected by the virus’



Chinese health officials carried out the biggest ever study on the never-before-seen strain of the virus, using data from 72,000 cases. It revealed the exact breakdown of the cases that had been confirmed, showing that around 10 per cent of cases were in under-30s


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A young man wearing a face mask passes signs for a COVID -19 Clinic at St Vincent's hospital on March 18


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A nurse speaks with patients at the door of the new COVID-19 Clinic at the Mount Barker Hospital in Adelaide, Tuesday, March 17

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE AGES OF CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS WHO GET INFECTED? 

Chinese health officials carried out the biggest ever study on the never-before-seen strain of the virus, using data from 72,000 cases.
Results showed the SARS-CoV-2 virus posed the greatest threat to older patients and those with underlying conditions, such as cancer and heart disease. It also revealed the exact breakdown of the cases that had been confirmed.
AGE
0-9
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+ 
CASES (%)
416 (0.9%)
549 (1.2%)
3,619 (8.1%)
7,600 (17.0%) 
8,571 (19.2%)
10,008 (22.4%)
8,583 (19.2%)
3,918 (8.8%) 
1,408 (3.2%) 
And what about deaths? 
AGE
0-9
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+ 
DEATHS (%)
0 (0.0%)
1 (0.1%)
7 (0.7%)
18 (1.8%) 
38 (3.7%)
130 (12.7%)
309 (30.2%)
312 (30.5%) 
208 (20.3%) 



When the body is faced with a new infection, it builds an immune response that can be activated the next time they become infected.
With a new virus such as that which causes COVID-19, nobody has the antibodies needed to fight it.
This means anyone can get sick, even if they may appear healthy or go through every winter without being affected by flu or the common cold.
'I would emphasise that there were a lot of people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, who were dying as well,' Dr Aylward said at a conference earlier this month. 
'People who did have co-morbid conditions had a much higher ratio of dying from the disease, but in most people there were no other predictors, apart from age, that they could die.' 
Emergency doctor Ignace Demeyer, on the frontline in Belgium, also warned no one is exempt from catching the virus.
Speaking to Belgian broadcaster VRT, Dr Demeyer said they have few elder patients, and more of those aged between 30 and 50 who are ‘terribly affected by the virus’.
"They all have the same complaints,’ he said. "They have been sick for a week, stayed home with the flu. The flu attack is over, they think. They feel fine for two days. And then they report with complaints of a dry cough and shortness of breath.’
Investigations reveal the patient’s blood oxygen levels are very low for their age. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease which can leave some in need of oxygen ventilators.
Dr Demeyer also showed recent scans of a coronavirus patient – representing ‘sporty, young people’ – which are ‘nothing short of terrifying’.
The first scan shows normal, healthy lungs. The second shows air sacs in the lungs filled with inflammatory fluid, which is visibly worse in the third image.
'Those people can of course still heal, but it is a life-threatening situation. And they are people who do not smoke, they have no other condition such as diabetes or heart failure. They are sporty young people,’ Dr Demeyer said. 


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Bruce Aylward (pictured), International team lead for the WHO-China joint mission on COVID-19, said young people are, in fact, dying of the respiratory infection


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Francisco Garcia, pictured, died after doctors also diagnosed him with leukaemia. He managed the junior section of Malaga-based football club Atletico Portada Alta


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Mr Garcia is pictured above in 2018, signing his first contract with the football club
[size=18]Doctor warns young people over coronavirus vulnerability




[/size]

SPANISH FOOTBALL COACH, 21, DIES OF CORONAVIRUS 

A 21-year-old Spanish football coach has died of coronavirus after doctors also diagnosed him with leukaemia, it was reported Monday.
Francisco Garcia, who managed the junior team of Malaga-based club Atletico Portada Alta, was rushed to hospital with severe symptoms of the virus.
But when he arrived doctors also identified the deadly blood cancer. They said he would have survived if he was not suffering from the pre-existing condition. 
Mr Garcia is believed to be the youngest victim of coronavirus in Europe.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported the death, stating that his leukaemia was not detected until he was taken to hospital with coronavirus symptoms.



The University of Technology's respiratory infectious diseases expert, Brian Oliver, argued deaths in young people tended to be higher in China than the rest of the globe.
'What happened in China doesn't seem to be playing out in quite the same way elsewhere. In terms of younger people being susceptible, it seemed to be happening a lot more in China but not so much elsewhere and I don't quite understand that,' he said.
He described the coronavirus – as with any newly diagnosed infection – as a 'little like a lottery'. 
'Because we haven't had these infections before, how our body responds to it is completely unknown... There's always going to be people who have no apparent risk factors and do very badly.'
China, Italy and Iran have experienced the highest mortality rates, recording around 7,000 deaths between them.
But other parts of Europe, particularly Germany, France and Spain, as well as the US and South Korea, have experienced an exponential hike in cases in recent days.  


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A family wearing face masks at Town Hall, in Sydney's CBD on March 17 as more COVID-19 cases in Australia are identified

BELGIAN DOCTOR WARNS NO-ONE IS EXEMPT FROM CATCHING THE VIRUS

Emergency doctor Ignace Demeyer, on the frontline in Belgium, also warned no one is exempt from catching the virus.
Speaking to Belgian broadcaster VRT, Dr Demeyer said they have few elder patients, and more of those aged between 30 and 50 who are ‘terribly affected by the virus’.
"They all have the same complaints,’ he said. 'They have been sick for a week, stayed home with the flu. The flu attack is over, they think. They feel fine for two days. And then they report with complaints of a dry cough and shortness of breath.’
Investigations reveal the patient’s blood oxygen levels are very low for their age. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease which can leave some in need of oxygen ventilators. 



Experts fear the UK and Australia are currently two weeks behind most of the globe regarding the coronavirus pandemic – meaning it is likely cases have not yet peaked. 
There are currently fewer than 2,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK and 71 patients are known to have died. However, health officials fear the true number of cases could be around 70,000 currently. 
In the UK, a 45-year-old is the youngest known victim. The father-of-two was named as Craig Ruston. He lived in Kettering, Northamptonshire, and had motor neurone disease. 
Europe's youngest coronavirus was reported to be a 21-year-old football coach in Spain, who had no idea he was vulnerable because of his leukaemia. 
Francisco Garcia, who managed the junior team of Malaga-based Atletico Portada Alta, was rushed to hospital with severe symptoms of the virus.   
A study by Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, on more than 72,300 coronavirus patients, is one of the largest to break down death rates in different age brackets.
It showed that people aged 10-49 years old had a less than one per cent risk of death. This jumped to 1.3 per cent in those over 50.
Outcomes worsened in older patients – the mortality rate was almost 15 per cent in those over 80 years old.
Similar data from other seriously affected countries, including Italy, Iran and Spain, are yet to emerge.
Fatality rates have proven to vary broadly across the 170 countries affected, ranging from four per cent in China, to almost double that in Italy.
However, those figures are based on the number of confirmed cases reported. The mortality rate generally is estimated to be much lower at around one per cent because not all cases of COVID-19 are officially reported.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8126775/NYPD-cops-12-hour-shifts-deal-growing-numbers-officers-coronavirus.html

[size=34]EXCLUSIVE: NYPD is preparing to put cops on 12-hour shifts and making plans for investigators to go back on patrol to deal with rapidly growing number of officers who have called out sick due to coronavirus[/size]

• The NYPD is preparing cops for 12-hour shifts to deal with the growing number of cops who have called out due to coronavirus, a source told Dailymail.com
  
  
• Typically, cops work shifts of just over 8 hours 
  
  
• A police source said there may be as many as 1,800 police officers not reporting for work because of coronavirus and other reasons
  
  
• The number is expected to swell in the coming week and if the number reaches 3,000, the NYPD is discussing switching to 12-hour patrols, the source said
  
  
• If the number hits 6,000, then investigators who work in the detective bureau, intelligence and counterterrorism will be assigned back to patrol
  
  
• Investigators are already being told to bring in uniforms and equipment in preparation for this contingency
  
  
• Governor Cuomo said Wednesday that he has 'mandated NYC and all local governments to have masks provided to their police departments'
  
  
• New York state has reached more than 2,000 positive coronavirus cases, with 1,339 of the cases being in New York City
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By SHAWN COHEN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 12:52 EDT, 18 March 2020 | UPDATED: 12:58 EDT, 18 March 2020



The NYPD is preparing cops for 12-hour shifts and making plans to place investigators back on patrol to deal with the rapidly growing number of officers who have reported out sick due to coronavirus, a source exclusively told DailyMail.com.
Though the number of cops on leave is not publicly available, a police source said there may be as many as 1,800 police officers not reporting for work because of coronavirus and other reasons. The number is expected to swell in the coming weeks.
If the number reaches 3,000, the NYPD is discussing switching to 12-hour patrols, the source said. Typically, cops work shifts of just over 8 hours.
If the number hits 6,000, then investigators who work in the detective bureau, intelligence and counterterrorism will be assigned back to patrol, according to the source.


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The NYPD is preparing cops for 12-hour shifts and making plans to place investigators back on patrol to deal with the rapidly growing number of officers who have reported out sick due to coronavirus, a source exclusively told Dailymail.com. File photo above


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Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a press conference on Wednesday that he has 'mandated NYC and all local governments to have masks provided to their police departments'
Investigators are already being told to bring in uniforms and equipment in preparation for this contingency. 
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a press conference on Wednesday that he has 'mandated NYC and all local governments to have masks provided to their police departments.'
Cuomo confirmed the number of positive cases in New York state has reached more than 2,000, with 1,339 of the cases being in New York City. 
He added: 'Every police department has been advised to expect people to get ill. You're talking about a public facing agency.'
Now, the NYPD is looking to not just maintain adequate policing, but also reduce the chances that cops will infect each other.


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The NYPD's Chief of Patrol Edward Delatorre (pictured) and Deputy Commissioner for Employee Relations Robert Ganley have tested positive for coronavirus
'We have to have cops on the street,' one official explained.
'We need to maintain a sufficient number of officers and maintain patrols to prevent chaos, prevent looting and enforce all the new regulations being imposed.'
'It's also safer to have 12 hour shifts because we're splitting people up and having less overlap between shifts,' the official added.
'It's less opportunity to infect each other because we're not criss crossing as much.'  
The NYPD's Chief of Patrol Edward Delatorre and Deputy Commissioner for Employee Relations Robert Ganley have tested positive for coronavirus. 
An officer in Manhattan's 1st police precinct also tested positive, prompting nearly 30 officers in that station house to stay home.
'There's concern among the rank and file about getting sick, of course,' another police source noted. 
'And the rank and file does not feel we're adequately prepared. The department should identify people who have been exposed so that we're all aware of the potential risk to our own health so we can take precautions. 
'We don't want everybody infected.'   




+4


But Chief of Patrol Fausto Pichardo (pictured) said in an internal video message to all NYPD cops that they should 'keep working' even if they encounter someone who has coronavirus, according to the New York Post on Wednesday
But Chief of Patrol Fausto Pichardo said in an internal video message to all NYPD cops that they should 'keep working', even if they encounter someone who has coronavirus, according to the New York Post on Wednesday. 
'We learn more about the COVID-19 pandemic every day, and as we do, our best practices to keep members of the service safe evolve.
'At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and New York City Department of Health, in keeping with the guidance to health care workers, are recommending that a member of the service who has close contact — and that's defined as less than six feet for more than a few minutes — to an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, well, they can keep working.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8127335/Angela-Merkel-declares-coronavirus-biggest-challenge-Germany-World-War-II.html

[size=34]Angela Merkel declares coronavirus the 'biggest challenge for German solidarity since World War II'[/size]

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the crisis required 'collective solidarity' 
  
  
• Merkel urged citizens to follow stringent confinement rules imposed this week 
  
  
• 'Not since the Second World War, has our country faced a challenge that depends so much on our collective solidarity,' Merkel said to the nation tonight 
  
  
• Germany has more than 11,000 cases and 28 COVID-19 patients have died
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By ROSS IBBETSON FOR MAILONLINE and AFP
PUBLISHED: 14:18 EDT, 18 March 2020 | UPDATED: 15:58 EDT, 18 March 2020

     






Angela Merkel today declared coronavirus the 'biggest challenge for Germany since WWII' in a televised address to the nation.
The Chancellor urged Germans to heed the stringent confinement measures imposed this week as the number of infections in her country soared over 11,000 today, including 28 deaths.
'The situation is serious. Take it seriously. Not since German reunification, no, not since the Second World War, has our country faced a challenge that depends so much on our collective solidarity,' the veteran leader said in her first-ever direct television appeal to the nation.  
'I truly believe we can succeed in this task, if all citizens truly understand their own tasks,' Merkel added.


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Angela Merkel said this evening: 'The situation is serious. Take it seriously. Not since German reunification, no, not since the Second World War, has our country faced a challenge that depends so much on our collective solidarity'


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A police vehicle patrol the A12 motorway as trucks are stuck in a traffic jam stretching more than 65 km towards Berlin from the German-Polish border near the eastern German town of Frankfurt (Oder) due to travel restrictions to counteract the spread of COVID-19 on Wednesday


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A health official checks temperatures of people arriving on foot or by car crossing the Polish-German border from the eastern German town of Frankfurt
Federal and local governments have shut down schools, many businesses and public spaces in recent days in increasingly desperate attempts to slow the spread of the virus.
The country has however stopped short of ordering people to stay home, in contrast with the tougher restrictions introduced in France, Belgium, Italy and Spain.
But Germans have continued to go outside to enjoy the spring sunshine and socialise, highlighting the authorities' struggle to hammer home the message that people must avoid social contacts.
Merkel, who hails from Germany's former communist East, said she understood how hard it was to give up 'hard-fought rights' like freedom of movement and travel.
Such decisions were never taken lightly in a democracy, she said, and could only be temporary. 'But they are necessary right now to save lives.' 




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Trucks on the A12 highway stand backed up approximately 70km before Germany's border to Poland on Wednesday


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Soldiers of the 12th Mechanized Brigade with police help seal the border with Germany in Lubieszyn in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland


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A single man walks on a platform of the subway station Hafencity University in Hamburg, Germany
Her speech echoed that of French President Emmanuel Macron, who in a sombre address on Monday likened the outbreak to war and ordered almost the entire population to stay at home for at least two weeks. 
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health warned there could be 10 million cases within two to three months if people do not avoid contact.
'Germany has an excellent health system,' Merkel said, thanking doctors and other medical workers 'on the front line for us in this battle'.
Nevertheless, 'even our hospitals will be overwhelmed if too many patients are brought in with serious symptoms of the coronavirus in a short time,' the conservative leader added.
To ramp up medical capacity, German state and federal governments announced steps Wednesday to double intensive respiratory care and commandeer new spaces for treatment.


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In this aerial view trucks on the A12 highway stand backed up approximately 70km before Germany's border to Poland on March 18, 2020 near Spreenhagen, Germany


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The city centre of Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, shows a woman walking past a Zara store closed due to the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 

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Germany currently has around 25,000 intensive care beds with respiratory capacity, and Berlin has ordered thousands of new respirators to boost that number.
In a separate statement, federal and state officials said spaces like hotels, rehabilitation centres and public halls could be converted into spaces for treating people with milder symptoms.
In her speech, Merkel reiterated that Berlin 'will do everything it can to cushion the economic impact and preserve jobs' and discouraged citizens from hoarding.
'Even if some (supermarket) shelves are emptied on one day, they will be replenished,' she promised, adding her thanks to those working in the food industry.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8126379/Defiant-Ohio-bar-owners-ignore-governors-order-close-insist-theyll-stay-open-make-living.html

[size=34]Defiant bar owners ignore governors' orders to close and insist they'll stay open 'to make a living' as they risk arrest, having their food and liquor licenses revoked and daily $500 fines[/size]

• Ed Gallek was caught serving patrons with his Shamrock Inn, Ohio open for more business Tuesday, St Patrick's Day, and said that he's 'trying to make a living' 
  
  
• Lake County Health Department, they said they would first send police to the venue to warn Galleck 
  
  
• Queen City Lounge, Ohio was found to have a sign in the window saying 'members only' and was offering drinkings and a sit-down buffet for 40 people 
  
  
• It is now padlocked and barricaded shut. Their liquor and food license could be removed and the person responsible was detained 
  
  
• Places in Oregon and Illinois vowed to stay open until police shut them down 
  
  
• Punishment varies from state to state and in New York staff could be arrested 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By LEAH SIMPSON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 12:20 EDT, 18 March 2020 | UPDATED: 14:16 EDT, 18 March 2020

     


Bar owners and staff are defying state orders to shut down venues in a bid to control crowd numbers and prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Mike DeWine told the state of Ohio Sunday that venues were to remain closed to customers drinking or dining in but could offer takeout options.
However Shamrock Inn owner Ed Gallek was caught serving patrons with his doors open for more business Tuesday, St Patrick's Day, telling reports he's 'trying to make a living'.
Asked why he was open despite the order, Gallek is seen on video telling a Fox 8 reporter he doesn't want to say anything.
[size=10][size=18]Ohio bar stays open for business despite Governor's order to close




Lo[/size][/size]


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Ed Gallek was caught serving patrons with his doors open for more business Tuesday, St Patrick's Day, and said: 'I'm concerned about trying to make a living that's all. When they come and tell me to shut down, I will'


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The Shamrock Inn owner is risking having his liquor licence revoked and it could lead to a criminal charge


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Above the number of confirmed infections and deaths related to coronavirus in the United States from January 21 to Wednesday
Only two customers appeared to be in the Irish-themed venue but Galleck was seen leaning in closely to a patron, flouting recommendations to stay six feet from another person to stay safe from contracting the virus.
'I'm concerned about trying to make a living that's all. When they come and tell me to shut down, I will,' Gallek explained.
Probed further on whether he's more concerned about trying to make a living than the public health, he pointed to people drinking at the bar and said: 'These guys are fine.'
Galleck is risking having his liquor licence revoked and it could lead to a criminal charge.
Fox 8 said when they contacted the Lake County Health Department, they said they would first send police to the venue to warn Galleck. The department did the same in a similar case and the person responsible - not the owner - is to be charged.
Queen City Lounge was found to have a sign in the window saying 'members only' and was offering drinkings and a buffet. 
Forty people were inside the Cincinnati venue which is now padlocked and barricaded shut. Their liquor and food license could be removed and the owner was detained.


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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine told the state Sunday that venues were to remain closed to customers dining in but could offer takeout options


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Asked why he was open despite the order, Gallek is seen on video telling a Fox 8 reporter he doesn't want to say anything


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Probed further on whether he's more concerned about trying to make a living than the public health, he pointed to people drinking at the bar and said: 'These guys are fine.
'They were operating as a bar. My understanding is they had a full buffet and it's unfortunate,' Assistant Chief Paul Neudigate, said. 'I understand that people do want to get out, but we're just like everybody else. We're staying at home and abiding by what the governor put out.' 
Elsewhere in Ohio polling stations were closed and a university parking lot was turned into a testing area for COVID-19. 
Pendleton, Oregon Rainbow Cafe owner Joanne McGee was serving green beer Tuesday despite receiving a call from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, EastOregon.com reported.  
Snapper's Bar and Grill in Clinton, Illinois was still open for business despite Governor J.B Pritzker ordering them shut until at least March 30.
Owner Joe Sartie told the Pantagraph: 'I may lose this battle, but I run a business. I need to be open.'
Sartie added to the Daily Beast: 'I'll run this place on my own if I have to. They are going to f**king crucify me. I'm going to lose everything.'
Punishment state by state varies. The Oregon Governor's public safety advisor had to create and vet a decree Tuesday after McGee said: T'hey're going to have to come and physically shut me down.'
Now venues face a $500 per day penalty and other citations.
In some areas police have warned may not respond to some calls such as burglaries, in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. 


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Premier Health starts a drive through Coronavirus testing site at the University of Dayton on March 17. The coronavirus outbreak has transformed the US virtually overnight from a place of boundless consumerism to one suddenly constrained by nesting and social distancing


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A sign is posted on the locked door of the Hamilton County Board of Elections after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered Election Day be postponed in order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus disease
[size=18]Ohio officials say 100,000 people could be at risk for coronavirus




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In New York City in some of the most exclusive restaurants have been complying with orders and places such as Carbone and Peter Luger have changed operations to focus on takeout orders.
Under Mayor Bill de Blasio's order bar and restaurant owners face being arrested if they break the city's strict lockdown rules and open their doors to customers, as the industry has gone into meltdown amid efforts to tackle the spread of coronavirus.
More than 150,000 people across the city face an uncertain future as their workplaces shut their doors Monday night and threw their livelihoods into jeopardy.
Some establishments including famous New York eateries Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Cafe have promised to keep paying staff and to foot medical bills for workers struck down by the deadly virus.
But many hospitality workers won't be so lucky and now face fears over how they will make rent and survive with no income for an indefinite time.
About 154,400 people work in the city's bars, restaurants, cafes and food trucks, taking home about $4.7 billion in wages every year, according to a 2019 report from The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.


The coronavirus crisis has left bartenders in New York City 'freaking out' after their earnings plummeted to zero, after previously making up to $550 a night in tips.
Thousands of bartenders have been let go after the decision by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to shutter the city's bars and restaurants to stop the spread of the disease.
With no sick pay, no vacation pay and no health insurance, several are rushing to sign up for unemployment benefits, which are a fraction of what they normally earn.


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Chelsea Square Restaurant on Tuesday in New York.  Under New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio executive order, the normally lively bars and restaurants are now restricted to take-out and delivery only. Venue owners and staff face arrest if they defy orders
[size=18]New York City restaurants try to survive on takeout orders




[/size]



Despite the glamorous illusion of the job, most bartenders earn just $10 an hour as a basic wage and rely on tips to make a living salary. Most live paycheck to paycheck and with no money coming in, a majority of bartenders fear being evicted because they can't pay their rent.
In New York City, the nightlife industry makes $35 billion in annual revenue and supports about 300,000 workers.
Now with several out of a job, there's been a spreadsheet set up where patrons can tip their favorite bartender, even though no drinks are being made. Even whiskey maker Jameson donated $500,000 to the Bartender's Guild for emergency grants to support its members.
On Tuesday, Trump's administration addressed workers who rely heavily on tips, saying the White House is reviewing plans to give every American at least $1,000 within two weeks. But until financial relief comes through, many are anxious about how they will make it through the month.
Some are applying for unemployment benefits, which amounts to just $500 a month.
Even before the order to close bars, one bartender saw a 70 percent drop in sales by last Saturday.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8126657/CDC-never-discussed-providing-coronavirus-testing-kits.html

[size=34]WHO admits it never offered the US coronavirus test kits in the early days of the outbreak - but the CDC never asked and usually has 'sufficient domestic capacity' for diagnostics[/size]

• A spokesperson for the WHO says officials never discussed providing coronavirus testing kits to the CDC, nor did it offer
  
  
• The global agency says this is because, historically, the CDC has never relied on the WHO for creating diagnostics and reagents
  
  
• The same day the WHO published protocols for creating a test, the CDC said it was developing its own version of the test
  
  
• Ever since rolling out tests on February 5, delays have plagued the US including a component of the CDC kit not working
  
  
• In the US, there are more than 7,000 confirmed cases and 115 deaths 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By MARY KEKATOS SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 13:37 EDT, 18 March 2020 | UPDATED: 13:54 EDT, 18 March 2020

     




The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) never discussed providing coronavirus testing kits to the US in the early days of the outbreak.  
By the end of February, the WHO had shipped hundreds of thousands of test kits around the world - but the US was not among them. 
Tarik Jasarevic, a spokesperson for the WHO, told DailyMail.com that no discussions occurred between the UN health agency and the CDC about providing tests to the US - nor did the WHO offer to send tests.
'This is consistent with experience since the US does not ordinarily rely on WHO for reagents or diagnostic tests because of sufficient domestic capacity,' he said in a statement.  


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A spokesperson for the WHO says officials never discussed providing coronavirus testing kits to the CDC, nor did it offer to do so. Pictured: The CDC's laboratory test kit for coronavirus


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The agency says this is because, historically, the CDC has never relied on the WHO for creating diagnostic tests. Pictured:  A kit for testing for coronavirus at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts, Wednesday


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The same day the WHO published protocols for creating a test, the CDC said it was developing its own version of the test. Pictured: Medical workers prepare for a patient arrival to a mobile coronavirus testing lab at a hospital parking lot in Dallas on Tuesday
The WHO published guidelines on January 17 for any nation that was planning to manufacture tests for the virus.
However, the CDC told media on the same day that it had chosen to develop its own version of the test. 
The CDC shipped its first batch of kits to laboratories across the US on February 5.
According to CNN, the WHO announced the next day that it had shipped 250,000 kits to at least 70 countries.
Less that a week later, several state labs said the CDC diagnostic was returning 'inconclusive results.' 



Share
This forced the federal health agency to remanufacture components of the kit, although its unclear what defect occurred.
Ever since the CDC started to address this issue, delays have continued.
As of Wednesday, just 4,255 specimens have been tested for the virus that causes COVID-19 at CDC labs, according to the CDC's website. 
However, this does not include tests conducted at US public health laboratories, commercial laboratories and some hospitals. 
Meanwhile, there have beenno reports of delays from countries that received testing kits from the WHO.
South Korea, by comparison, has tested more than 270,000 people - about 700 times as many people as the US has.
It's unclear whether using the WHO's protocol would have delayed testing the US.
There was also plenty of red tape for US public health labs in all 50 states to be granted authorization to test for coronavirus, which didn't occur until March 9.


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Ever since rolling out tests on February 5, delays have plagued the US including a component of the CDC kit not working. Pictured: Medical personnel secure a sample from a person at a drive-thru coronavirus testing station at a Kaiser Permanente facility on March 12


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Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease at the National Institutes of Health, told CNN that looking back, the US should have had a backup, but defended the CDC's tests. 
'If you look back and Monday morning quarterback it would have been nice to have had a backup,' Dr Fauci said.
'But what the CDC has done over many, many years when we have things like this is to develop their own test, which is always really a good test, and to roll it out in a way...where they give it to departments of public health.' 
Worldwide, more than 208,000 people have been infected and more than 8,300 have died.
In the US, there are more than 7,300 cases have been confirmed in all 50 states and more than 100 people have died.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8129633/Being-young-WONT-spare-coronavirus-CDC-study-warns.html

[size=34]Being young WON'T spare you: Majority of US coronavirus patients ending up in hospital are under 65 (but you ARE more likely to die if you're old)[/size]

• CDC studied 2,500 people who were among first coronavirus patients in the US 
  
  
• 55 per cent of patients ending up in hospital were 65 and under, data showed 
  
  
• Meanwhile 47 per cent of those admitted to intensive care were also under 65 
  
  
• But those aged 65 and above were most likely to die of an infection, with those in their eighties most at risk
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE 
PUBLISHED: 05:44 EDT, 19 March 2020 | UPDATED: 08:50 EDT, 19 March 2020

     



Younger people are more likely to end up in hospital after contracting coronavirus as their older counterparts, a new study has suggested. 
Analysis of some 2,500 patients among the first in the US to catch the virus showed that 55 per cent of those who ended up in hospital were aged under 65.
Of those who ended up in hospital, 47 per cent of patients taken to intensive care were in the same age range. 
But older people were far more likely to die from the disease once in hospital - with almost three quarters of deaths occurring in those aged over 65.


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A majority of Americans being admitted to hospital for coronavirus are under the age of 65, a study by the Centers for Disease Control has found (pictured, a patient in New York)


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While the risk of ending up in hospital (light red bar shows number of admissions) and ending up in intensive care (mid-red bar) was roughly consistent across age groups compared to the number of infections, the risk of dying from the virus (dark red bar) rose significantly with age


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The study contradicts the notion that younger people are less likely to develop serious infections, but supports the idea that older people are most at risk from dying (pictured, paramedics in New York)
The research contradicts the notion that younger people are not at risk from serious coronavirus infections, though it supports the conclusion that older people are most at risk from fatal complications. 
It comes after the deaths of several younger patients in New Jersey - including two members of the same horse-trainer family.















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Carmine Fusco (rear center), a 55-year-old horse trainer from New Jersey, has died of coronavirus along with sister Rita Fusco-Jackson, also 55 (front right). Grace Fusco (front left), aged 73, has also been killed
Another 56-year-old man also died in New York, while a 58-year-old with underlying conditions also died in New Orleans. 
The study was published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control based on an analysis of 2,449 people infected in 49 states between February 12 and March 16.

Children CAN get the virus, with the very young most at risk 

Chinese researchers studying 2,000 coronvirus infections in children have found the vast majority have no or mild symptoms - but are not completely immune from serious infections.
Of the children they studied, a stunning 94 per cent had mild or no symptoms.
However, the remaining 6 per cent did go on to develop severe symptoms, with 76 per cent of those cases in those aged under 5.
But in another statistical upset, researchers identified just a single case of a young person dying from the disease in the whole of China where more than 3,000 people died.
The boy, aged 14, died in the virus epicenter of Wuhan. 
Source: Pediatrics



They found that cases were exceptionally rare in teenagers and children, with just 5 per cent of total infections in this age group. 
That increased to 29 per cent in the 20-44 age range, 18 per cent of cases in the 45-54 age range and 55-64 range, and 20 per cent in the 65-84 range.
Those aged 84 and over had just 6 per cent of reported cases.
Of those patients who were infected, around 12 per cent ended up in hospital - which is roughly consitent with data from other countries.
While a majority of those ending up in hospital were younger, this is likely the result of more people in that age range being infected overall.
Older people made up a larger proportion of hospitalisations when compared to the number of initial infections.
When it comes to ICU admissions, those aged 65 and over were then in the majority, with a vast majority of deaths occuring in this age range.
Not a single death occurred in patients aged 19 or under, despite young children being generally more susceptible to disease. 
The CDC wrote: 'The risk for serious disease and death in COVID-19 cases among persons in the United States increases with age.'
[size=18]Times Square restaurants are deserted during coronavirus shutdown




Loa[/size]






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Chuck Sedlacek, a patient at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, has a visit from his family. The care home has been linked to a majority of deaths in the state from coronavirus
However, they added that no age group is immune to the effects of the virus and potentially serious complications.  
'Social distancing is recommended for all ages to slow the spread of the virus, protect the health care system, and help protect vulnerable older adults,' the report added.
'Further, older adults should maintain adequate supplies of nonperishable foods and at least a 30-day supply of necessary medications, take precautions to keep space between themselves and others, stay away from those who are sick, avoid crowds as much as possible, avoid cruise travel and nonessential air travel, and stay home as much as possible to further reduce the risk of being exposed.
'Persons of all ages and communities can take actions to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect older adults.'
Researchers stressed that the data they used is preliminary, and some conclusions were estimates based on the information avaiable.
Scientsts also had no information on underlying health conditions, which is thought to be one of the biggest factors in whether coronavirus proves fatal.
[size=18]WHO increases assessment risk of the deadly coronavirus spreading




L[/size]








+11


As of Wednesday night there were almost 9,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US - a jump of almost 2,000 on a day previous - with 152 deaths


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Experts have warned that US cases are following an exponential curve, meaning healthcare systems will be quickly overwhelmed without urgent action


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As the number of cases in the US has risen, so has the number of confirmed deaths
[size=18]Doctor warns young people over coronavirus vulnerability




L[/size]


As of Wednesday night, almost 9,500 cases of coronavirus had been confirmed in the US - a jump of 2,000 on just a day previous.
Experts have warned state health systems will be rapidly overwhelmed if the current spread cannot be slowed down, leading to an increased death toll.
Governors across the country are now rushing to increase their intensive care capacity as quikcly as they can on any piece of land available.
Authorities in Washington state have issued an order to start the building of a makeshift hospital on a soccer field.
Shoreline city officials have selected the Shoreline B Soccer Field as the location of the temporary field hospital that will provide up to 200 beds for patients.
While the majority of King County residents will be able to isolate and recover in their own homes, the makeshift hospital will be used for people 'exposed to, at risk of exposure, or becoming ill with the novel coronavirus'. 
The governors of New York, New Jersey and Maryland have already had discussions about how they can create more hospital beds for patients.


+11


Donald Trump has advised all Americans to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people and public spaces for 15 days, with New York (Times Square pictured) almost deserted


+11


A couple walks along a usually busy Fremont Street after casinos were ordered to shut down in Las Vegas over coronavirus fears


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A Santa Monica police officer patrols the pier as the whole area is closed for the public amid the coronavirus pandemic
The US Navy has dispatched two hospital ships to the West and East coast - the USNS Comfort bound for New York and the USNS Mercy bound for the Bay Area.
On Monday, New York Gov Andrew Cuomo said he would order the National Guard and building developers to convert existing facilities like dormitories and former nursing homes into makeshift hospitals.
That order could add about 9,000 more beds to New York's 53,000 already available in the state.
In New Jersey, Gov Phil Murphy said he is considering taking steps to increase space for patients using converted dormitories.
Maryland's governor, Larry Hogan, said that the state will add 6,000 beds to the existing 9,000 beds in the state.
The Pentagon has also started playing a role in responding to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States as officials announced that two Navy hospital ships and two Army field hospitals were preparing to deploy to help overburdened regions.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8128099/Second-member-New-Jersey-family-dies-coronavirus-diagnosis.html

[size=34]How coronavirus has killed three members of a New Jersey family, left four in critical condition and 20 quarantined: Grandmother, 73, and her eldest two children pass away just days apart after getting infected during dinner with relatives[/size]

• Seven members of one New Jersey family were diagnosed with coronavirus 
  
  
• Rita Fusco-Jackson, 55, a religious education teacher who had been hospitalized at CentraState Medical Center, was the first to die, on Friday
  
  
• Her brother, Carmine Fusco, a horse trainer, died on Wednesday at Luke's University Hospital-Bethlehem Campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
  
  
• And their mother, Grace Fusco, 73, died Wednesday night hours after her son 
  
  
• Four other children remain hospitalized, three of them are in critical condition 
  
  
• The deaths of the Fuscos are linked to the death of John Brennan, 69, a horse trainer who was the first New Jersey resident to die of COVID-19
  
  
• Across the US, there are more than 7,800 confirmed cases and 121 deaths 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By MARY KEKATOS SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 18:23 EDT, 18 March 2020 | UPDATED: 02:09 EDT, 19 March 2020

     






The matriarch of a New Jersey family has become the third relative to die after she was hospitalized with the novel coronavirus.  
Grace Fusco, 73, died Wednesday night, just hours after her son, Carmine Fusco, passed away from COVID-19. 
Carmine, a horse racing trainer, died on Wednesday morning, Roseann Paradiso Fodera, a cousin and family attorney, told NJ Advance Media. 
His sister and Grace's daughter, Rita Fusco-Jackson, 55, died five days ago. She had also tested positive for the virus.  


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Grace Fusco (center in white), 73, died Wednesday night, just hours after her son, Carmine Fusco, passed away from COVID-19


+7


Grace (left) died after spending Wednesday 'gravely ill' and breathing with help from a ventilator. She also died without knowing her two oldest children had passed away before she did



+7



Carmine Fusco, a horse trainer (pictured), is the second person in a New Jersey family to die of coronavirus. He died on Wednesday at Luke's University Hospital-Bethlehem Campus, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania



+7



Rita Fusco-Jackson, 55 (pictured), a religious education teacher who had been hospitalized at CentraState Medical Cneter was the first to die, on Friday. Five are still hospitalized there - four in critical condition
Fodera said Grace died after spending Wednesday 'gravely ill' and breathing with help from a ventilator.
Grace died without knowing her two oldest children had passed away before she did.
Four other family members remain hospitalized at CentraState Medical Center in New Jersey, all with COVID-19 - the disease caused by the virus - and four in critical condition.
Another 20 family members are quarantined at their homes. 


Fusco-Jackson's sister, Elizabeth Fusco, told told NJ Advance Media: 'This has been devastating for all of us.
'Our hearts are broken over losing our sister, Rita. We just need help in saving our family members with life-saving medication.' 
At the time of the interview, her brother, Carmine, was in critical condition at Luke's University Hospital-Bethlehem Campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, before dying on Wednesday morning. 
Fodera, the family attorney, said the situation is  'surreal'.


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The deaths are linked to 69-year-old John Brennan (pictured), a horse trainer who was the first New Jersey resident to die of coronavirus


+7


Worldwide, more than 218,000 people have been infected and more than 8,800 people have died. In the US, there are more than 9,400 confirmed cases in all 50 states and more than 150 deaths


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[size=18]NJ health commissioner: 'Maintain a sense of community'




Lo[/size]






'To imagine a week ago to get a phone call like this - if someone told me this story, I wouldn't believe it,' she told NJ Advance Media. 'It's inconceivable to me.'
According to Elizabeth, the victims' sister, 19 spouses and children of the hospitalized family members are awaiting coronavirus test results.    
The deaths within the family are connected to John Brennan, 69, a horse trainer who lived in Little Ferry and was the first New Jersey resident to die after testing positive for the virus.  
Brennan had reportedly attended a recent Fusco family gathering, according to the state's health commissioner.  
Fodera told The New York Times that the gathering was a routine dinner on a Tuesday.
That particular gathering is believed to be the source of the virus.  
Brennan was hospitalized at Hackensack University Medical Center before passing away, NJ Advance Media reported. 
He had multiple underlying health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure and emphysema, putting him at higher risk of death.
State officials says he was revived on March 9 after going into cardiac arrest, but died on March 10 after suffering a second cardiac arrest.
Worldwide, more than 218,000 people have been infected and more than 8,800 people have died.
In the US, there are more than 9,400 confirmed cases in all 50 states and more than 150 deaths.

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-asymptomatic-celebrities-billionaires-get-coronavirus-tests-2020-3?r=US&IR=T

[size=35]Here's how asymptomatic celebrities, athletes, and billionaires are getting tested for the coronavirus when you can't[/size]

Taylor Nicole Rogers
 
4 hours ago

[url=https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Here%27s how asymptomatic celebrities%2C athletes%2C and billionaires are getting tested for the coronavirus when you][/url][url=https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fhow-asymptomatic-celebrities-billionaires-get-coronavirus-tests-2020-3&title=Here%27s how asymptomatic celebrities%2C athletes%2C and billionaires are getting tested for the coronavirus when you][/url][url=https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fhow-asymptomatic-celebrities-billionaires-get-coronavirus-tests-2020-3&title=Here%27s how asymptomatic celebrities%2C athletes%2C and billionaires are getting tested for the coronavirus when you][/url]



Actor Idris Elba tested positive for the coronavirus. He told his Twitter followers he hadn't experienced any symptoms yet. Reuters

• Ultra-wealthy people and celebrities appear to have better access to tests for the novel coronavirus than ordinary Americans, and that's likely because they're hiring concierge doctors to ship their nasal swabs to private labs.
  
  
• The United States is experiencing a shortage of tests for the virus, meaning that any tests given to the 1% reduce access for ordinary Americans.
  
  
• President Trump addressed the apparent inequalities in testing at a press conference on Wednesday, saying that "perhaps that's been the story of life."
  
  
• The novel coronavirus has infected more than 212,000 people and killed over 8,700 worldwide, including 41 people in America.
  
  
  

President Trump addressed the apparent elitism in testing for the novel coronavirus during a press conference Wednesday, saying that while the rich and famous shouldn't be able to buy better access to testing, "perhaps that's been the story of life."
When Idris Elba realized he had been in contact with someone who tested positive for the novel coronavirus — possibly Canadian first lady Sophie Grégoire Trudeau — the actor was able to get tested and receive his own positive result within days, even though he had yet to experience any symptoms.
For ordinary American citizens, getting screened for the virus that has infected 212,000 and killed 8,700 across the globe isn't so easy. The US is facing a shortage of testing materials that has led to it falling behind every other developed nation in the rate of tests performed per capita. As a result, the Center for Disease Control requires that a patient meet a series of strict criteria before being tested for the virus.
"When something is available but limited, and there's limited access but it exists, people with more fame and more money are more likely to get it," Diana Zuckerman, the president of the National Center for Health Research in Washington, DC, previously told Insider.
On March 11, the state of Oklahoma used 60% of its testing capacity on NBA players and team staff after a member of the Utah Jazz tested positive, allowing them to bypass the long waits endured by ordinary citizens waiting for tests. Out of the 58 tests administered, only one came back positive.
Elba — like Kris Jenner, those NBA players, and other celebrities who have been able to get tested before showing symptoms — similarly most likely bypassed the CDC's testing requirements and backlog by using private labs to facilitate the coronavirus tests. Some wealthy people have hired concierge doctors to collect nasal swabs and blood samples in their homes to send out to private labs for testing.
While the federal government has made tests for the novel coronavirus free for all Americans, a test from a private lab may come at a steep cost. Dr. David Nazarian, a UCLA-trained concierge doctor who has tested patients for the virus, said that the coronavirus tests would cost "hundreds of dollars," in addition to his regular fee. 
Still, the doctors fielding requests for the coronavirus tests from wealthy patients aren't immune to public concerns about the well-off receiving priority treatment. "[The labs] are overwhelmed," Dr. Sari Eitches, another Los Angeles-based concierge physician, told Business Insider. "That's where the ethics of this comes into play, because I do have a lot of patients who naturally want to be tested just to be sure. [But] if we don't have enough lab employees to read the tests for everybody, we really do have to start triaging now. We have to make that decision. Are we going to triage based on your access due to your socioeconomic status?"

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8131099/Louisiana-pastor-holds-service-300-people-despite-coronavirus-ban.html

[size=34]Louisiana pastor defies state ban on mass gatherings and holds service for 300 people telling worshippers that coronavirus is 'politically motivated'[/size]

• Reverend Tony Spell, of Baton Rouge, is still holding services despite pandemic
  
  
• He said 300 people attended Tuesday, after a 1,000-person service on Sunday
  
  
• Coronavirus 'is not a concern' and is 'politically motivated', he told parishoners
  
  
• That is despite Louisiana's governor banning gatherings of 50 people or more 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE 
PUBLISHED: 12:22 EDT, 19 March 2020 | UPDATED: 12:28 EDT, 19 March 2020

     



A Louisiana pastor has continued to hold services for hundreds of people despite a ban on mass gatherings - because he believes coronavirus is 'politically motivated'.
Reverend Tony Spell, leader of the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, claimed to have welcomed 300 people on Tuesday after a 1,000-person service Sunday.
The move flies in the face of a ban on gatherings of 50 people or more that was put in place by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards on Saturday in order to help slow the spread of coronavirus and allow health services to cope. 


+9




+9



Reverend Tony Spell has refused to stop holding services at his Baton Rouge church, and invited 300 people inside on Tuesday for prayers


+9


Spell said coronavirus is 'not a concern' and 'politically motivated' as he called for other churches and religious leaders to defy the state ban
Speaking about the virus, Spell told WAFB: '[Coronavirus] is not a concern. 
'The virus, we believe, is politically motivated. We hold our religious rights dear and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says.'
He boasted of sending 27 buses to five parishes on Sunday to collect people for the service, before a mass gathering in the church's main building.


Police were called to Tuesday night's service and warned Spell that, if he repeats the stunt, the National Guard could be deployed to break it up.
Still, he pledged to carry on regardless. 'We want to bring some peace, we want to bring some sanctity to this madness that's going on in our society,' he said.
'I encourage other religious leaders and churches such as us, do not let fear of any government official, any dictator law prevent you from worshipping God which our first amendment states you are not allowed to do in any form.' 


+9


Louisiana put in place a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people on Saturday in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. Pictured, Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans
 


+9


Louisiana has so-far reported 347 cases of coronavirus, but state labs have only carried out 800 tests meaning that is almost certainly an under-estimate


+9


A patient is directed at the drive-thru screening for coronavirus at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Wednesday
Announcing the ban on mass gatherings, Governor Edwards said: 'I'm a person of faith. I happen to believe very much in the awesome power of prayer. 
'I also believe in science, and the scientists at the CDC say that the measures we are taking will minimize the spread.'
Louisiana has reported 347 cases of coronavirus with eight deaths, though the disease is likely more widespread as the state lab has only conducted 800 tests.
The state is home to 4.6million people, and in 2015 was in the bottom-half of US states ranked by healthcare spending.
There are currently 9,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US with 155 deaths from the disease.


+9


Bourbon Street is empty as Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards orders bars, gyms and casinos to close until April 13th


+9


Cafe Du Monde, usually one of the busiest restaurants in New Orleans, is deserted as it closes for business following state orders


+9


Bourbon Street is empty as Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards orders bars, gyms and casinos to close until April 13th
The federal government has advised all Americans to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people to slow the spread of the disease to allow health services to cope.
However, it has stopped short of a legally-enforced ban and has also not ruled on school closures or closing public offices.
In Europe, which has been worst-hit by the virus, entire countries such as Italy have been placed on lockdown with people banned from the streets without a permit.
Globally, there are now more than a quarter of a million confirmed infections - almost certainly an under-estimate - and more than 9,000 deaths.

Obviously for the pastor, the collection plate was more important.........just limited weddings here to five people............

The story about the New Jersey family is just shocking.  Makes you wonder what these family members had in common for them to die in such quick succession.  Hope the other members in critical condition will be able to recover.

I’ve been thinking about Nick and Nina and hope they are staying healthy.  Scary times.

Yes , Pan your right but what is so sad is the stupid people who actually listened to the idiot and came out.

I fell sorry for Princess Beatrice she is having no luck with her wedding first the mess with her father, and when it dies down it rises again and now the virus she can't have her reception.

I know, Annemarie - and hopefully it will happen in better times - but in the mean time I believe she is stepping up to help the Queen with her duties, because she and the Duke of Edinburgh and presumably Charles and Camilla are self isolating because they've been advised to do becos they're of a certain age and that is government advice.

So it looks like the next generation down, i e William and Kate etc are taking over with all
 the duties they would have been doing over the next 12 weeks at least

Pan did you see where Prince Albert of Monaco has the virus and he met with Prince Charles nine days ago.

I hope the Queen and all the senior royals are being closely monitored for symptoms so they can be immediately treated if necessary. It seems likely they've all been exposed.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8132687/Mitch-McConnell-unveils-1-200-checks-American.html

[size=34]Mitch McConnell unveils $1,200 checks for every American earning under $75,000-a-year as part of Republicans' $1 trillion coronavirus bailout plan[/size]

• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is proposing direct payments of $1,200 per person and $2,400 per couple as part of a 'phase 3' stimulus package 
  
  
• McConnell, a Republican, is following the lead of the White House, which has called for a quick cash infusion to the American public amid the outbreak 
  
  
• The McConnell plan has some restrictions on income in dictating who will get the full amount of cash 
  
  
• President Trump also said Thursday he would be open to the Senate bill banning corporations from using taxpayer dollars to buy back stocks 
  
  
• The president already signed legislation that originated in the House to shore up the economy, but also plans to sign a Senate bill providing an even bigger boost 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By KATELYN CARALLE, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER  and NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 18:07 EDT, 19 March 2020 | UPDATED: 19:33 EDT, 19 March 2020

     



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is proposing direct payments of $1,200 per person and $2,400 for couples amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to a copy of the legislation obtained by The Associated Press.
The GOP leader was poised to unveil the sweeping response Thursday as Congress raced to draft a $1 trillion measure to shore up for households and the U.S. economy.
Among key elements would be the direct payments to Americans, aligned with the Trump administration's push for quick cash aid.


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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to give Americans checks for $1,200, a proposal in line with what President Trump's administration has pitched to help the economy amid the coronavirus crisis


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The McConnell proposal, obained by the Associated Press, would make $75,000 the income threshold for individuals to get the full sum of money  


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Donald Trump said Thursday that he is against companies using economic bailout money from a stimulus package to give executives bonuses or buy back stock
Under McConnell's proposal, the minimum payments would be $600, and aid would be phased down at income thresholds of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 per couple. 
Additionally, there would be $500 payments for each child.
The announcement comes after the Senate swiftly passed a multi-billion dollar 'phase two' bill Wednesday and President Trump signed it into law late that night.
Included in the massive economic stimulus bill will be bailouts for companies suffering as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
But Democrats have been critical that these measures could be abused by executives at different firms who would end up giving themselves additional compensation with the money or putting it toward stock buybacks.
In a joint statement that came out Thursday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said they were in support of a plan that puts 'workers first.' 
'That means taking bold action to help workers and small businesses first by greatly increasing unemployment insurance and Medicaid, making massive investments to help small businesses survive, expanding paid sick and family leave and putting money directly into the hands of those who need it most,' the Democrats said.  
They didn't articulate whether that meant they were supportive of the $1,200-per-American offer.  
Schumer and Pelosi again brought up the fact that they wanted to prevent corporate abuse. 
'To earn Democratic support in the Congress, any economic stimulus proposal must include new, strong and strict provisions that prioritize and protect workers, such as banning the recipient companies from buying back stock, rewarding executives and laying off workers,' they said.
Buybacks are when a company reacquires its stock by purchasing shares back from its stockholders.     
Trump asserted Thursday that he is in favor of stopping companies from using any coronavirus economic bailouts to be used for buybacks. 


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'Well we don't want that,' he told reporters during a coronavirus press briefing at the White House, adding that he 'wouldn't mind' including that as a measure in the phase three bill

[size=34]WHAT'S IN REPUBLICANS' CORONAVIRUS ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE?[/size]

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled the details of the phase three economic stimulus package from the Senate floor Thursday
CASH FOR SMALL BUSINESSES  
McConnell said : 'A rapid injection of cash to help small businesses through this turmoil' 
What it means: - Small businesses will be given money to pay THEIR rent and workers 
- Will be given through a grant that they will not need to pay back 
- Cannot be used for owners to give themselves raises or increase their profits 
CHECKS FOR FAMILIES 
McConnell said: 'Senate Republicans want to put cash in the hands of the American people'
What it means: - According to the Associated Press individuals will receive $1,200 and couple will get $2,400 plus $500 per child, with some income restrictions  
- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said each household will receive $1,000 per adult and $500 per child within three weeks of the bill passing 
LOANS FOR BIG BUSINESS 
McConnell said: 'Entire sectors are being crushed by public health guidance, which is obviously no fault of their own'
What it means: - Industries will receive money and additional loans, which they must pay back, to help with ongoing costs
- McConnell clarified this money is not a bailout because the companies haven't made any mistakes  
MORE CASH FOR HOSPITALS?
McConnell said: 'This is primarily a health crisis with an economic crisis strapped to its back' 
What it means: - The measure will remove barriers to care and speed up innovation, like progress toward on a vaccine
- Fund hospitals and other health care centers
- Expand healthcare workers' access to essential tools like respirator masks and ventilators
 




'Well we don't want that,' he told reporters at the White House when asked if there could be an assurance that the economic stimulus package money wouldn't be used for those reasons.
'In fact some companies, as you know, did stock buybacks. And I was never happy with that,' the president continued. 'It's very hard to tell them not to, but I would tell them not to. I would say I don't like it for that reason. Some did, and it turned out that they could have waited a long time. It would have been much better off if they didn't.'
The reporter pushed Trump on why that wasn't included as a measure in the newly proposed package.
'We can. We can,' he said of adding that into the bill. 'I wouldn't mind making – I mean, you know, it takes many, many people in this case to tango. But as far as I'm concerned, conditions like that would be OK with me.'
While not all the details are out on the McConnell package, the dollar amount for Americans making more than $75,000 is more than what Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin previewed Thursday morning.    
'The first one would be $1,000 per person, $500 per child,' Mnuchin said in a Fox Business Network interview Thursday. 'So for a family of four, that's a $3,000 payment.' 
'As soon as Congress passes this, we get this out in three weeks,' he continued. 'And then, six weeks later, if the president still has a national emergency, we'll deliver another $3,000.'
McConnell said from the Senate floor Thursday afternoon that the GOP is on board.
'The second major pillar of our legislation will be even more straight forward: direct financial help for Americans,' he said. 'Senate Republicans want to put cash in the hands of American people.' 
Now that the bill has been laid out, McConnell is likely to begin talks with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to negotiate the terms of the third coronavirus economic relief package. 
Although it is unclear how long the negotiations will take and when the Senate is expected to vote on phase three, McConnell told senators Wednesday not to go too far away from Washington, D.C.
'I recommend senators stay close,' he said from the Senate floor Wednesday night. 'While we don't know exactly how long it will take to get this done, everyone knows that we need to do it as quickly as possible because the situation demands it. So we'll keep senators posted.'
'I hope they don't go too far away,' he continued – even though the House began recess earlier this week and members are back in their home states as coronavirus cases continue to spike.  
Mnuchin took the lead in negotiating the $105 billion phase two package with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week, but phase three was to begin with negotiations between McConnell and the White House first. 
Then Senate Democrats would be added in.  
'The one thing I did tell [Mnuchin] as well, though, if there are going to be some of these corporate bailouts, we need to make sure workers and labor come first,' Schumer said during a CNN interview Wednesday night.
'That people are not laid off. That people's salaries are not cut. If these big companies, many of which did buybacks… they have to put their workers first if they're going to get this help,' he continued.
Democrats have been critical of the Trump administration's approach, claiming ideas like a payroll tax cut or holiday focuses too much on economic bailout rather than helping individual Americans financially affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
McConnell clarified when laying out the details of the bill on Thursday that the economic assistance for industries, like airlines, are not bailouts because the economic crisis is not the fault of those businesses.
'Entire sectors are being crushed – crushed – by public health guidance, which is obviously no fault of their own,' the Kentucky Republican said.
'For example, our nation needs airlines, yet they have ongoing maintenance costs that do not disappear just because the government has chased away all the customers,' he continued in his Senate floor remarks.   
The phase two package included new programs for individuals affected by coronavirus, including paid sick and family leave.
The legislation also provides free testing for COVID-19, which has infected more than 9,000 Americans.
The bill passed in the Senate 90-8 on Wednesday afternoon, around the same time that Trump agreed that he was on 'wartime footing' in a bid to combat the pandemic and the subsequent economic fallout.  


Although the new Republican-proposed bill may have bipartisan support, it appears increasingly difficult that Pelosi will be able to get the House back in session anytime soon to vote on the phase three stimulus package.
It proves even more impossible after two congressmen announced Wednesday night that they tested positive for coronavirus – Democratic Representative Ben McAdams of Utah and Republican Representative Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida.
The respiratory disease continues to rock the Capitol as House Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, his deputy Drew Ferguson of Georgia and fellow Republican Ann Wagner of Missouri said they are self-quarantining.
Scalise specifically said he is taking the step after an 'extended meeting with [Diaz-Balart] late last week.'
The two new cases could mean several individuals on Capitol Hill were infected with coronavirus.   

[size=34]$1 TRILLION IN VIRUS BAILOUT REQUESTS AND COUNTING[/size]

As the coronavirus outbreak threatens to bring U.S. economic activity to a grinding halt, American businesses are jockeying for a financial lifeline from the administration of President Donald Trump.
The below have asked Washington, D.C., or state lawmakers for aid to offset the economic fallout of the coronavirus.
SHATTERED RESTAURANTS: 8 MILLION JOB LOSSES, $455 BILLION REQUEST 



Destroyed: The restaurant industry says shuttered outlets like this Portland cafe means losing half its 15.6 million jobs
A U.S. restaurant trade group on Wednesday asked the White House and Congressional leaders for a $455 billion aid package, saying that the industry could shed nearly half of its 15.6 million jobs and at least a quarter of its annual sales because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The group, the Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Association, said restaurants could take a $225 billion sales hit in the next three months, a quarter of their projected total sales of $899 billion.
TRAVEL AND HOTEL INDUSTRY: WE NEED $250 BILLION TO DEAL WITH CRISIS 
American hotel and travel industry executives met with Trump on Tuesday to discuss a potential $250 billion aid package, as thousands of hotel workers began furloughs due to the fast-spreading coronavirus.
The requested package would consist of $150 billion in direct aid for the hotel sector and $100 billion for related travel companies, including convention businesses, industry executives said on a call after the meeting with Trump, who made his fortune in real estate and hotels.
TOWN AND CITIES NEED $250 BILLION IN AID TO DEAL WITH CRISIS 
The U.S. Conference of Mayors has asked Congress for $250 billion in localized aid to help cities stop the spread of the coronavirus, including through resources for public health departments, supporting small businesses and addressing food insecurity, according to a statement on their website.



In peril: The giant manufacturer says it needs the government to guarantee liquidity
BIGGEST SINGLE CORPORATE REQUEST: BOEING SAYS $60 BILLION TO STAY AFLOAT
Boeing Co on Tuesday called for a $60 billion bailout in access to public and private liquidity, including loan guarantees, for the struggling U.S. aerospace manufacturing industry, which faces huge losses from the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S. planemaker has told lawmakers it needs significant government support to meet liquidity needs and it cannot raise that in current market conditions, people briefed on the matter said.
WE NEED $50 BILLION NOW: AIRLINE INDUSTRY 'NEEDS GRANTS AND LOANS' 
Major U.S. airlines sought a government bailout of more than $50 billion in the wake of the steep falloff in U.S. travel demand sparked by the coronavirus outbreak.
Airlines for America, the trade group representing American Airlines, United Airlines Inc, Delta Air Lines Inc, Southwest Airlines Co and others, said the industry needs $25 billion in grants, $25 billion in loans and significant tax relief to survive. 
They also seek tax relief that could be worth tens of billions of dollars through the end of at least 2021.
They also seek a package of $8 billion, equally divided in grants and loans for cargo carriers.
OUR 460 CASINOS NEED $18 BILLION SAY NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES



Closed: The Akwesasne Mohawk Casino operated by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in Hogansburg, New York is one of 460 which tribes say need bailed out
The Native American gaming industry on Tuesday requested $18 billion in U.S. federal aid as it shut casinos that are the sole source of commercial revenue for dozens of tribes in a bid to slow the coronavirus epidemic.
Tribal governments will be unable to provide health and education services and will default on loans unless they get federal support to make up for lost casino money, the National Indian Gaming Association said in a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The United States' roughly 460 Indian casinos are in the process of closing given the threat of coronavirus to tribal members and many non-Native American employees.
EMPTY AIRPORTS WANT $10 BILLION TO DEAL WITH COLLAPSE IN TRAFFIC
U.S. airports are seeking $10 billion in U.S. government assistance to help offset losses incurred by the sharp drop in travel due to coronavirus, two people briefed on the matter said.
WE NEED $1 BILLION TO KEEP THE TRAINS RUNNING WARNS AMTRAK


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Off the rails: Amtrak says the passenger railroad needs $1 billion make up for collapsing bookings
U.S. railroad Amtrak said on Monday that the passenger rail service and its state partners need $1 billion in government assistance after a dramatic decline in travel because of the coronavirus outbreak. Amtrak said bookings had plunged 50% since the outbreak.
EVEN THE WHISKEY INDUSTRY IS ASKING FOR AID
The Tennessee Distillers Guild on Tuesday asked the state's governor and legislature for relief to offset the blow from suspending tours, cancelling large events and ceasing production due to the coronavirus, the guild said in a statement on their website.
The guild asked for immediate temporary relief for distilling, brewing and hospitality industries from payroll, gallonage and liquor by the drink taxes, though it did not specify how much aid it sought.

https://people.com/politics/2-gop-lawmakers-dumped-millions-in-stock-after-senators-only-coronavirus-briefing/

[size=48]Outrage: 2 GOP Lawmakers Dumped Millions in Stock After Senators-Only Coronavirus Briefing in January
The disclosure was met by demands that the Senate Intelligence Committee chairman and Georgia’s freshman senator both resign
By Ashley Boucher 
March 20, 2020 01:24 AM[/size]
FB[url=https://www.twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Outrage%3A 2 GOP Lawmakers Dumped Millions in Stock After senators-on...https://people.com/politics/2-gop-lawmakers-dumped-millions-in-stock-after-senators-only-coronavirus-briefing/%3futm_source=twitter.com%26utm_medium=social%26utm_campaign=social-share-article%26utm_term=7744300]Tweet[/url]
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Richard Burr
 
MARK WILSON/GETTY IMAGES
Many Americans are outraged after reports published on Thursday revealed that two Republican lawmakers dumped millions of dollars in stock after attending a senators-only briefing about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in January.
Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, sold between $628,000 and $1.72 million of his stock holdings in 33 different transactions in February, ProPublica reported Thursday. The outlet pointed out that because of Burr’s position, he would have access to classified information about “threats to America’s security” — including the growing threat of COVID-19.
The stock market fell significantly about a week after Burr’s sales.
Burr’s actions have many calling for the North Carolina senator’s resignation, prompting the hashtag #BurrMustResign to trend on Twitter.
Fox News’ Tucker Carlson told his audience Thursday night that Burr betrayed his country by withholding information about the severity of COVID-19.
RELATED: U.S. Stock Market Suffers Brutally as Dow Drops to Historic Low Amid Coronavirus Fears

“He had inside information about what could happen to our country, which is now happening, but he didn’t warn the public,” Carlson said. “He didn’t give a primetime address. He didn’t go on television to sound the alarm.”
“There is no greater moral crime than betraying your country in a time of crisis,” the Fox News anchor added. “And that appears to be what happened.”
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“Senator Burr filed a financial disclosure form for personal transactions made several weeks before the U.S. and financial markets showed signs of volatility due to the growing coronavirus outbreak,” a spokesperson for Burr told ProPublica. “As the situation continues to evolve daily, he has been deeply concerned by the steep and sudden toll this pandemic is taking on our economy.”

Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler has also come under fire. According to a new report from The Daily Beast, she sold millions of dollars worth of stock after attending a January briefing about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), according to the report.
The outlet reported that Loeffler and her husband made the first sale on January 24, selling between $50,001 and $100,000 of stock in Resideo Technologies.
That same day, the Senate Health Committee held a briefing on COVID-19 that included top health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health of the United States.
RELATED VIDEO: Coronavirus Health Crisis: What It Is, How to Stay Safe and What’s Next



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The Daily Beast reported that Loeffler and her husband made 28 more stock transactions; all but two of those transactions were sales, according to the outlet.
As The Daily Beast pointed out, it is against the law for senators to use non-public information to make trades.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for both Burr’s and Loeffler’s resignation. 
“As Intel chairman, @SenatorBurr got private briefings about Coronavirus weeks ago,” the New York representative tweeted. “Burr knew how bad it would be. He told the truth to his wealthy donors, while assuring the public that we were fine. THEN he sold off $1.6 million in stock before the fall. He needs to resign.”
RELATED: State Department Raises Advisory for All International Travel to Highest Level: ‘Do Not Travel’
“It is stomach-churning that the first thoughts these Senators had to a dire & classified #COVID briefing was how to profit off this crisis,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Thursday night. “They didn’t mobilize to help families, or prep response. They dumped stock. Sen. Loeffler needs to resign, too.”
Burr and Loeffler did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Concern about COVID-19 has escalated around the world in the last week, with several cities around the U.S. enacting “shelter in place” ordinances in an attempt to slow the spread of the respiratory virus.
As of Thursday, there are at least 10,201 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., with 149 deaths from coronavirus-related illness.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.

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https://people.com/health/california-residents-mandated-to-stay-at-home-in-new-statewide-order-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/

[size=48]California Residents Mandated to Stay at Home in New Statewide Order Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
All dine-in restaurants, bars, nightclubs, gyms and convention centers in California have been ordered to close until further notice
By Gabrielle Chung 
March 19, 2020 10:46 PM[/size]
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Residents of California have been ordered to “stay at home” to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) under a new statewide accordance issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday evening.
Effective Thursday evening, all Californians — almost 40 million people in total — are to remain inside their residences under the new directive and will only be allowed out to pick up food and other essential items. The order is in place until further notice.
Per the executive order, all dine-in restaurants, bars and nightclubs, entertainment venues, gyms and fitness studios and convention centers will stop operation.
Essential services such as pharmacies, gas stations, banks, laundromats and places offering food — such as grocery stores, food banks, farmers markets, convenience stores and eateries with takeout or delivery — are allowed to remain open.

 

RELATED: Social Distancing, Self-Quarantining, Under Lockdown: Here’s What Each Term Means
“CA is issuing a statewide, mandatory STAY AT HOME order. Those that work in critical sectors should go to work,” Newsom tweeted. “We need to meet this moment and flatten the curve together.”
As of Thursday, there have been 933 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 69 deaths in California, according to a New York Times database.
“This is a moment we need to make tough decisions,” Newsom said in a press conference on Thursday. “This is a moment where we need some straight talk and we need to tell people the truth: We need to bend the curve in the state of California.”
The executive order comes just half an hour after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that the city’s residents are to remain inside their residences under a new “Safer at Home” emergency order effective starting midnight.

“Los Angeles, this is our moment to lead with love and protect those lives that mean everything to us,” he said during a press briefing on Thursday. “This is not a request. This is an order.”

Mayor Eric Garcetti

@MayorOfLA





[ltr]I’m issuing a Safer at Home emergency order — ordering all residents of @LACity to stay inside their homes and immediately limit all nonessential movement. We’re taking this urgent action to limit the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. https://www.facebook.com/MayorOfLA/videos/1529086940601508/ …[/ltr]











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RELATED: How Event Cancellations and Social Distancing Can Reduce Expected Coronavirus Deaths in the U.S.
According to guidelines on the city’s website, L.A. residents are can leave their homes to get food and other essentials, attend medical and veterinary appointments, or help someone else gather necessary supplies. The guidelines state people can also leave their homes for exercise and air, though they are recommended to stay six feet apart from other residents as a precaution.
The website notes the order is “legally enforceable” and those who violate it “may be punished by a fine or imprisonment for doing so.”
“The virus spreads easily, and this Order is intended to prevent the spread of this disease from overwhelming our healthcare system,” it read. “The goal here is to ‘flatten the curve’ to slow down the spread of the virus and ensure we have adequate health care resources for those who get sick with COVID-19 and those who need emergency medical care for accidents, heart attacks, strokes, and other routine medical conditions.”
The Los Angeles order is set to expire on March 31, though its duration can be either shortened or extended by the mayor, according to the city’s website.
Previously, the residents of San Francisco and eight other Bay Area counties were placed under orders to “shelter in place” in the hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8132567/Devastating-report-reveals-federal-officials-held-pandemic-flu-wargame-2019.html

[size=34]Devastating report reveals how federal officials held a pandemic flu wargame in 2019 and realized the U.S. would run out of masks and ventilators, face chaos over 'social distancing' - despite Trump saying 'nobody knew'[/size]

• The October simulation forecast shortages and mismanagement
  
  
• It analyzed a respiratory outbreak commencing in China
  
  
• 110 million Americans would have been infected with more than half a million dead
  
  
• Chaotic school closings and confusion over stockpiles 
  
  
• It found 'insufficient funding sources' for a pandemic 
  
  
• President Trump said Thursday that 'nobody knew there'd be a pandemic' 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 18:26 EDT, 19 March 2020 | UPDATED: 02:24 EDT, 20 March 2020

     




It started with a new virus emerging in China – which tourists rapidly brought home to Chicago, setting off a cascade of events that confounded government officials and revealed gaping holes in the national stockpile. 
But it wasn't the new coronavirus – it was the 'Crimson Contagion' – part of a government exercise that anticipated many of the failures currently holding back government agencies and front-line health professionals.
The exercise produced a draft report that was produced on a 'Do Not Distribute' bases that involved a range of government agencies. It came out in October of 2019, just two months before officials in China identified a new coronavirus that would shut down much of the world economy and bring on a terrifying death toll and infection rate.


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A devastating draft report from October 2019 identified weaknesses in how the feds would respond to a flu pandemic
The draft report, obtained by the New York Times, was revealed on a day President Trump claimed 'nobody knew there'd be a pandemic or epidemic of this proportion' and his administration backed a $1 trillion recovery plan and said it identified tens of thousands of ventilators that could be 'converted' for hospital use. Construction workers were being asked to donate excess masks, and the military was determining where it could set up mobile hospitals. 
The draft report described a simulation and exercise involving 19 federal departments and agencies and 12 states, as well as 87 hospitals. One such state was New York, which now has the most U.S. coronavirus cases and is searching for ways to accommodate patients, even on hospital ships or in a convention center.
Partners 'lacked clarity' on agency partners' roles, according to the report, overseen by the Health and Human Services Department. It found there was 'confusion' among briefs submitted by various agencies, including HHS, FEMA and Homeland Security. 
[size=10][size=18]Trump on China's coronavirus response: World paying a big price




Loa[/size][/size]










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President Trump said Thursday that 'nobody knew there'd be a pandemic'


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A trader wears a face mask on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) following traders testing positive for Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in New York, U.S., March 19, 2020. Financial markets have tanked as the coronavirus spread


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A man wearing a protective face mask walks with his luggage in Times Square, following the outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 19, 2020


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The agencies undertook the exercise after identifying problems in the response to Ebola and other outbreaks


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The report identified 'insufficient funding sources' for a pandemic response. The treasury will now be out trillions trying to resuscitate the economy


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A driver wears a protective mask while traveling in an Amazon.com Inc. delivery truck in New Rochelle, New York, U.S., on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Members of the National Guard have arrived in New Rochelle to clean institutions and deliver food to the more than 120 sick residents within the three mile containment area


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Members of the New York Army National Guard assist Hope Community Services to pack food for distribution in an area with multiple cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New Rochelle, New York, U.S., March 18, 2020


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The draft ran a simulation for the 'Crimson Contagion'


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An October simulation forecast how a pandemic might play out


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The simulation tracked the spread of a respiratory disease


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'The current medical countermeasure supply chain and production capacity cannot meet demands imposed by nations during a global influenza pandemic,' authors wrote – in a finding that mirrored the lack of gloves, ventilators, and masks for caregivers.
States experienced ‘multiple challenges’ requesting federal resources and responded differently to events – a finding that echoes the gulf of available resources and funding to respond.
Some states ‘were not clear on pre-pandemic vaccine’ or the nation’s stockpile.
The simulations followed problems in the U.S. response to Ebola and H1N1 swing flu and other outbreaks. 
The planning happened at a level lower down the bureaucracy, the Times found, without getting sufficient attention from top officials now calling the shots.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8133357/Dr-Anthony-Fauci-rebukes-Trump-claims-anti-malaria-drug-coronavirus-game-changer.html

[size=34]'There is no miracle drug': Dr Anthony Fauci rebukes Trump over claims anti-malaria drug chloroquine could be a 'game-changer' in fight against coronavirus - amid rumors of tensions between the pair[/size]

• President Trump said in a Thursday press conference that the anti-malaria drug chloroquine had been FDA-approved to treat coronavirus patients  
  
  
• However, it was later determined that the chloroquine has only been approved for 'compassionate use' 
  
  
• Dr. Fauci further rebuked the President's claims, saying there is 'no magic drug' for coronavirus
  
  
• He said the only evidence that it could be effective was 'anecdotal' 
  
  
• The doctor leading a clinical trial in Hydroxychloroquine said they need to make sure it is effective 'not just in a test tube' 
  
  
• He said Trump was 'very excited' about it but that more needed to be done to make sure it works
  
  
• The University of Minnesota is asking for 1,500 people to sign up for a trial 
  
  
• The people need to have been exposed recently to a known case of COVID-19
  
  
• They are focusing on preventing other people from catching it - then will focus efforts on treating people who have it 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By ANDREW COURT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 00:19 EDT, 20 March 2020 | UPDATED: 09:09 EDT, 20 March 2020


Dr Anthony Fauci has rebuked Donald Trump's claim that anti-malaria drug chloroquine could be a game-changer in the fight against COVID-19. 
Dr Facui, who is a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, made the claim during an interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN Thursday evening.
'There's no magic drug for coronavirus right now,' the top doctor told Cooper. 
Earlier in the day, Trump told media that there had been positive results after doctors trialled chloroquine on COVID-19 patients, and suggested the drug could be a game-changer. 
'It's shown very, very encouraging early results. We're going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately. It's been approved,' he said. 
However, Dr Fauci said on CNN just a few hours later: 'Let me put it into perspective for the viewers .. there has been anecdotal non-proven data that it [chloroquine] works... but when you have an uncontrolled trial you can never definitely say that it works'.


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Dr Anthony Facui, who is a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, told CNN Thursday that there was currently no 'magic drug' for COVID-19
He repeated his caution on Friday in an interview with Today, saying: 'Even though the information is anecdotal that they may work, we need to prove it so people would get the right drug that's safe and effective. 

WHAT TRUMP SAYS VS WHAT THE DOCTORS SAY ABOUT MALARIA DRUG THAT COULD POTENTIALLY TREAT CORONAVIRUS

Trump on Thursday afternoon 
'It's shown very, very encouraging early results.
'We're going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately. It's been approved.
Dr. Fauci on Thursday night 
'Let me put it into perspective for the viewers .. there has been anecdotal non-proven data that it [chloroquine] works... we need to prove it so people would get the right drug that's safe and effective.'
Doctor who is leading hydroxychloroquinetrial trial on Friday morning
'President Trump is very excited about this but there's still a lot of work to be done... it's still important to determine: does the medicine work or does it just work in a test tube?' 



'What we're saying is these are drugs that have some suggestion that they may work,' he went on, but that controlled trials needed to be done to prove that they are effective. 
The University of Minnesota is looking for people who have been in contact with a known positive case of COVID-19 to volunteer for a trial to test Hydroxychloroquine and see if it is effective in preventing people from catching the virus. 
They need 1,500 people to take part in the trial and so far have 150. 
In an interview on Friday morning on Good Morning America, Dr. David R Boulware, who is leading the trial, said they do not yet know if it works and that President Trump got 'very excited' about it. 
'President Trump is very excited about this but there's still a lot of work to be done... it's still important to determine: does the medicine work or does it just work in a test tube?' 
The university is asking people who think they may be eligible to take part to email covid19@unm.edu for more information. 
Fauci said the government was working on more clinical trials with the drug. 
'We're going to try to get them available in the context of some sort of a protocol where you just don't distribute drugs willy-nilly. 
'You may make it more accessible than you would have previously, but... get some feel for safety and whether it works.
'Today there are no proven safe and effective therapies for the coronavirus,' he concluded. 


Chloriquine has been used to treat malaria but also severe arthritis. 
Trump said on Thursday that it was preferable to a new drug, because it has been in use for years and is safe. 
'The nice part is it's been around for a long time so we know that if things don't go as planned, it's not going to kill anybody,' he said. 
Side effects of the long-term use of chloroquine include irreversible damage the retina, as signaled by trouble focusing, eye swelling or color changes.
The drug can cause strange, bad and vivid dreams and difficulty sleeping. 


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The number of coronavirus cases in the US has dramatically increased in the last two weeks

[size=34]TRIAL TO TEST MALARIA DRUG IN TREATING CORONAVIRUS UNDERWAY: DOCTORS ASK 1500 TO SIGN UP[/size]

The University of Minnesota is asking 1,500 people to sign up to a clinical trial to determine if Hydroxychloroquine is effective in treating coronavirus. 
The trial is being led by Dr. David Boulware, MD, MPH. 
They are asking for people who have been recently exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 to come forward. 
Ideally, they want to treat healthcare workers to hopefully provide a prevention from then catching the virus. 
Dr.Boulware appeared on Good Morning America on Friday to talk about the trial. 
It would involve drugs being sent overnight to people who want to participate. Some would receive the malaria medication and some would receive a vitamin. 
'If effective, this may become a worldwide standard of care for helping prevent disease in other healthcare workers and people exposed.  
'Hydroxychloroquine is an off-patent, generic medicine that is inexpensive. A five-day treatment course would cost approximately $12,' the University said in a press release about it. 
On Friday, Dr. Boulware said the president had become 'very excited' about the trial but that more needs to be done. 
'As mentioned, it has activity in a lab setting in a cell culture model. It has activity in using it a little bit for treatment for sick patients, we're looking at whether it can prevent infection,' he said. 
They want to sign up people with high risk exposure to see if they can stop them from catching it. 
'Health workers who have been exposed, or household contacts... high risk exposures and seeing if we can treat people in the first three days after their exposure to prevent them going on to develop the disease,' he said. 
So far, 150 people have signed up. 
To find out more about whether or not you are eligible, visit the university's website here or email covid@umn.edu. 



Taking chloroquine can also cause your heart to race, trigger headache, fainting, severe dizziness, nausea, a slow heart rate or weak pulse, muscle weakness, numbness and tingly, anxiety and irritability and low blood counts. 
But with the death toll of coronavirus topping 200 in the US, even a drug with significant side effects would be cause for hope in the battle against coronavirus, for which there are currently no proven treatments. 
South Korea's COVID-19 task force went so far as to say that studies on the drug demonstrated it had 'certain curative effect' and 'fairly good efficacy.'   
Patients treated with hydroxychloroquine improved more quickly and broke their fevers earlier than those who did not receive the drug. 
The drug is also included in China's treatment guidelines for COVID-19 - described there as 'chloroquine phosphate - for use in patients between 18 and 65. 
It is one of five antivirals suggested in the 7th edition of China's treatment plan, which also cautions the drug should not be given to patients with heart disease, as it has potential cardiac side effects.   
Dr. Facui has been dubbed as 'the truth teller' in Trump's White House Coronavirus Task Force, and has publicly contradicted the President on a number of occasions. 
'You should never destroy your own credibility. And you don't want to go to war with a president ... But you got to walk the fine balance of making sure you continue to tell the truth,' he told Politico last week. 
Last week, the top doctor stated it would be advisable for Trump to have a coronavirus test after he was in contact with a Brazilian politician who was diagnosed with COVID-19. Trump has previously disputed claims that he needed to get a test. 
Meanwhile, late last month Dr. Fauci denied he had been 'muzzled' by the Trump Administration for bluntly discussing the seriousness of the coronavirus. 
'I have never been muzzled ever and I've been doing this since the administration of Ronald Reagan, I'm not being muzzled by this administration,' Dr. Fauci stated. 
Trump similarly stated: 'He has had that ability to do virtually whatever he’s wanted to do'. 

[size=34]HOW THE ANTI-MALARIA DRUG IS USED ABROAD TO TREAT CORONAVIRUS [/size]

A version of the drug the US is now testing, chloronoquine, is already part of the recommended course of treatment in China. 
It is one of five antivirals included in the 7th edition of the countries guidance on caring for coronavirus patients. 
Scientists there have reported that it alleviated symptoms, shorten the duration of the illness, and patients who take it seem to break their fevers earlier. 
Chloroquine is also being used widely in South Korea, where officials have gone so far as to say it has 'a certain curative effect' and 'fairly good efficacy' in coronavirus patients.  
The World Health Organization has also launched a large-scale trial of a number of potential coronavirus treatments, including chloroquine. 
It will be tested in patients in Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand and perhaps others. The US is not slated for inclusion. 
Already in France, the drug has been tested in 36 patients.
Hydroxychloroquine, the form of the drug that will now be used 'compassionately' in the US, was given to 24 out of 36 trial participants. Half of them cleared the infection entirely, according to an early announcement of the results on Wednesday.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8131443/Germany-beating-coronavirus-survival-odds-Country-10-999-infections-just-TWENTY-deaths.html

[size=34]How Germany is beating the coronavirus survival odds: Country has 10,999 infections but just TWENTY deaths and a 0.18% mortality rate compared to Britain's 137 deaths and 3.9% death rate[/size]

• Rate is also significantly lower than in Italy (8.3 percent) and China (4 per cent)
  
  
• Official figures were published by disease control agency Robert Koch Institute
  
  
• Possible explanations include access to intensive care beds and early testing
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By RAVEN SAUNT FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 14:51 EDT, 19 March 2020 | UPDATED: 20:47 EDT, 19 March 2020

  

Germany is currently beating the coronavirus survival odds despite being one of the nations hardest hit by the pandemic.
The country has so far recorded nearly 11,000 cases of coronavirus but has only seen 20 deaths, putting the mortality rate at 0.18 per cent. 
This is significantly lower than that of Italy (8.3 percent), China (4 per cent), Britain (3.9 per cent) and France (2.9 per cent).
The official figures were published by the disease control agency Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Thursday. 
Richard Pebody, from the World Health Organisation, said: 'It's difficult to disentangle.
'We don't have a true answer and it's probably a combination of different factors.'
Scientists have since offered a number of explanations which include the availability of intensive care beds in the nation's hospitals. 


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Germany is currently beating the coronavirus survival odds despite being one of the nations hardest hit by the pandemic. Pictured: Members of the rescue services disinfect an ambulance in Cologne, Germany
Intensive care beds  
Germany currently has 25,000 intensive care beds complete with respiratory support, meaning patients have thus far been able to recover quickly.
The government has also said that it planned to double this figure within the coming weeks to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. 
Even hotels and large public halls are to be repurposed as makeshift hospitals for patients with less serious symptoms, so that hospitals can be freed up to treat those who are severely ill.
Germany is therefore better equipped than its European neighbours as, by contrast, France only has around 7,000 and Italy around 5,000.
In Britain, latest NHS figures show that there are just over 4,000 critical care beds across England with Health Secretary Matt Hancock saying on Sunday that the UK has 5,000 available ventilators.  
[size=10][size=18]Merkel says coronavirus is 'biggest challenge for Germany since WW2'




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It is estimated that 12,000 people can be tested a day in Germany. Pictured: Temperature check on the Poland-German border
Early testing 
Christian Drosten, director of the Institute of Virology at Berlin's Charite hospital, said that early testing could also be a factor.
He said: 'We recognised the disease very early in this country. We are ahead in terms of diagnosis and detection.' 
Germany has a network of independent laboratories, many of which began testing as early as January, when case numbers were still very low.



Share
The high number of labs has increased screening capacity nationwide and it is estimated that 12,000 people can be tested a day in Germany.
Getting a test is therefore easier than in some other countries. 
Anyone who is showing symptoms, has been in contact with a confirmed case or has recently returned from a risk zone is eligible.


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The virus has also largely affected a younger, healthier section of the population in Germany compared to elsewhere. Pictured: People shopping in Berlin, Germany 
[size=18]Germany turns back drivers at border with France




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Younger patients
The virus has also largely affected a younger, healthier section of the population in Germany compared to elsewhere.
The President of the RKI, Lothar Wieler, said: 'In Germany, more than 70 percent of the people identified as having been infected until now are between 20 and 50 years old.'
As in Scandinavia, the first infections in Germany were identified in people who had recently returned from skiing holidays in Italy or Austria.
Yet in a country where almost a quarter of the population is over 60, there are fears that the number of deaths will skyrocket as the virus spreads further.
No post-mortem tests
Another explanation cited by Italian experts, could be that Germany, unlike other countries, tends not to test those who have already died.
The RKI added: 'We don't consider post-mortem tests to be a decisive factor. 
'We work on the principle that patients are tested before they die.' 
But this means that if a person dies in quarantine at home and does not go to hospital, there is a high chance they will not be included in the statistics, as Giovanni Maga of Italy's National Research Council pointed out in an interview with Euronews.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8135311/NY-Gov-Cuomo-shuts-non-essential-businesses-coronavirus-crisis.html

[size=34]BREAKING NEWS: Gov. Andrew Cuomo issues 'most drastic' order yet for ALL non-essential workers to stay home after 3,000 new coronavirus cases are confirmed - bringing total to 7,102 in the state of New York[/size]

• Cuomo increased the previous rule that 75 percent of the state's workforce had to stay home to 100 percent 
  
  
• People will be allowed to go outside to exercise but he urged solitary activities like running or walking
  
  
• The order goes into effect on Sunday evening and is indefinite 
  
  
• He is also mandating Matilda's Law to protect people over 70 - they must stay indoors and screen all visitors by taking their temperature  
  
  
• Essential workers include healthcare providers, government workers, grocery stores, pharmacies and news organizations 
  
  
• Evictions from all apartments and businesses is banned for 90 days  
  
  
• There are now 7,102 cases of coronavirus in New York state; 4 408 in NYC 
  
  
• The growth 'doubles' the healthcare capacity of the state and triples the numbers of beds and ventilators that we will need  
  
  
• De Blasio said on Friday that New York City had 30 percent of the US's coronavirus cases 
  
  
• More than 4,000 in NYC have been diagnosed and 26 people have died 
  
  
• He is begging the president to send urgent medical supplies before the hospitals 'run out' in two to three weeks 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By JENNIFER SMITH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 11:26 EDT, 20 March 2020 | UPDATED: 12:33 EDT, 20 March 2020

     


New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered all non-essential workers to stay home now in the most drastic step he has taken in the battle against coronavirus, telling New Yorkers: 'We are all in quarantine now.' 
In an announcement on Friday, he increased the previous rule that 75 percent of the state's workforce had to stay home to 100 percent. It goes into effect on Sunday evening - he has not yet specified the time - and is an indefinite order.   
The only workforces that are excluded are grocery stores, pharmacies, certain government workers, food deliveries and restaurants, internet service providers and news organizations. People will be allowed to go outside to exercise but he encouraged only solitary activities like running or walking. 
There will not be limits on the hours people can leave their homes, but Cuomo is urging people to stay indoors as much as possible. 
Delivery services of food will still be allowed, he said, but it's unclear if they will come from restaurants or stores, mass transit is still open to allow essential workers to get to their jobs. 
'This is not voluntary. It's not helpful hints. We are going to monitor it. There will be civil fines. I am not kidding about this,' he said.
He has not specified what the fines will be but said they will only apply to businesses and not individuals. 
There are now 7,102 cases in New York State. There are 1,939 new cases in New York City since yesterday, bringing the total to 4,408. The total increase in just one day in New York state is 2,950. The hospitalization rate is 18 percent.
White House coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke around an hour after Cuomo's announcement to say he 'strongly supported it'. 
Scroll down for video 


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In an announcement on Friday, he increased the previous rule that 75 percent of the state's workforce had to stay home to 100 percent, telling residents: 'We are all in quarantine now' 
[size=10][size=18]Cuomo announces all non essential NY workers must stay home




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Cuomo said the state was now testing more than had been done in China and South Korea.
On Thursday night, 10,000 tests were done. In addition to the closure of non-essential businesses, Cuomo announced he is; 

• Banning all evictions for 90 days on businesses and residences
  
• Will offer funding to any business that can manufacture masks and hospital gowns 
  
• Is considering turning various CUNY and SUNY campuses into hospitals along with the Javits Center 
  
• The US Army Corps of Engineers is building hospital beds before the virus peaks
  
• The state urgently needs 30,000 ventilators which he said will be the key weapon in the 'war' against the virus 
  
• Mandating Matilda's Law to protect people over 70 - they must stay indoors and screen all visitors by taking their temperature 
  

[size=34]THE NEW NEW YORK RULES [/size]

The order Cuomo issued on Friday is not a 'shelter in place' but is what he is calling a PAUSE order. 
He has not finalized the list of essential services:  
Businesses that will be allowed to stay open are; 

• Hospitals and medical services
  
• Grocery Stores
  
• Pharmacies 
  
• Government workers 
  
• Mass transit 
  
• Some food services and restaurant delivery 
  
• News organizations  
  

Everyone else must stay at home as much as possible.
They will not be penalized for leaving their homes to go for a walk or visit one of the essential services, however he urged people not to be 'selfish'. 
There will not be a fine for individuals but there will be fines for businesses who do not comply. 
NO EVICTIONS FOR 90 DAYS
Alongside the closures, Cuomo said that will not allow any evictions for 90 days from residential or commercial spaces. 
No landlords will be allowed to take action under the moratorium. 
'I don't know who you think you're going to rent an apartment to now anyway if you kick someone out, by my mandate you couldn't even have your agent out showing the apartment. But I know that we're going to put people out of work. 
'I want to make sure I don't put them out of their house.' 
STRICTER RULES FOR OLDER POPULATION 
Matilda's Law to protect people over 70 which are they must; 

• Stay indoors
  
• Take temperatures of any visitors
  
• Visitors must wear masks
  
• Stay 6ft from others at all times 
  

'We're all in quarantine now. We're all in various levels of quarantine.' 
He took the steps, he said, because the numbers were continuing to grow. 
'This is science and math. Watch the number and trajectory. You have the density control valve. 
'If the number doesn't slow down, tighten the valve more... then close the valve.
'We're closing the valve.' 
'Everybody has personal freedom and I'll always protect that.
'But everybody also has a responsibility,' he said. 
He said it is not a shelter in place order, saying: 'Words matter. People are scared and people panic. 
Shelter in place is used currently for an active shooter or school shooting. 
'It was, during the nuclear event, isolate yourself in an interior room no windows, stay there until you get the all-clear. 
'Shelter in place policy was never shelter in place - except this, except this. And it scared a lot of people and panicked people. 
'Even California doesn't call it that anymore. 
'Why am I increasing the mandates? Because the numbers are increasing. 
Cuomo's announcement came after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city was now the 'epicenter' of the coronavirus outbreak in the US with more than 4,000 confirmed cases and 26 deaths as he pleaded with the federal government to give him help before hospitals become overwhelmed. 
In an impassioned plea to President Trump on CNN, de Blasio said New York's hospitals would run out of ventilators and surgical masks in two or three weeks. 
He said he was considering turning hotels and the Javits Center, a sprawling expo-center in Hell's Kitchen, into hospital 'annexes' but that the city desperately needed more supplies. 
There are now more than 14,000 cases of coronavirus in the US and more than 200 people have died. 
De Blasio said more would die unnecessarily unless the federal government stepped in. 
'Where the hell is the federal government in the middle of the biggest crisis we have seen in generations? 
'I have to be honest with the people of my city. 
'Here are the facts - as of late last night, 4,000 cases confirmed in New York City, 26 people have died. 
'We constitute 30 percent of the cases in the US and 70 per cent of the cases in New York State. Whether we like it or not, we are the epicenter,' he said.  
De Blasio said on Thursday that the hospitals would run out of ventilators and masks in just two to three weeks. 


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De Blasio says he is looking at turning the Javits Center, an enormous expo center, into a hospital. He will also turn hotels into hospital 'annexes' he said 

[size=34]FRANTIC SEARCH FOR VENTILATORS THAT WILL BE THE 'MISSILES' IN THE WAR AGAINST CORONAVIRUS [/size]

Cuomo has said he will fund any business that is able to manufacture medical masks which the entire country is in desperate need of.  
He is urging anyone who manufactures clothes to turn their hand to making masks and hospital gowns instead and said the state will buy them. 
Any business that is already in a position to make them or has them will be able to sell them to the state. 
Cuomo said he is willing to pay a premium for them. 
The Army Corps of Engineers will build more hospital beds and Cuomo said he is certain that the state will be able to procure more masks and gowns 'by hook or by crook' - and that he was even considering making them himself by utilizing government workers - but that we urgently need ventilators. 
'Ventilators are to this war what missiles were to World War II,' he said. 
He is urging any medical practice that has one it is not using to either sell it to the state, donate it or lend it.    



He is begging the government to mobilize the army to bring any that are in other medical facilities around the country to New York, but claims he has not had a sufficient response. 
'I have made repeated appeals to the federal government to get us basic supplies and there is no meaningful response. 
'I have appealed to the president to activate the United States military which is actually the one force in this nation that could save us because they could mobilize quickly, effectively, to get us medical supplies, personnel - they could get the supplies that are in the rest of our country here in record time,' he said.  
'We know what they can do in wartime, they can do it in peace time and you know where they are? 
'They're at their bases right now because the president of the United States, the Commander in Chief, has not given the order.' 
'I've got people in my city, right now, a lot of them are older, a lot of them are suffering from other diseases - if help doesn't come, we're going to lose people who should not die,' he continued. 
'People will die who should not die because in two or three weeks, my hospitals, some of the finest in the nation, will run out of ventilators, surgical masks, other protective things and all the things we need to run a hospital.
'It will endanger our  healthcare workers. They're showing up - they keep coming to work.' 
Since Tuesday, more than 2,000 retired healthcare workers have volunteered to come back to work.  


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The streets of New York are empty, with millions staying at home per the advice of the government 
De Blasio has been calling for a full on city shut down for days but Governor Andrew Cuomo is resisting him.  
De Blasio said the Javits Center was a 'possibility' for a hospital 'annex' as are hotels. 
'We're going to use every building we have,' he said. 
De Blasio has been indirectly accused by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of stoking 'panic and fear' with his emotional and fervent comments. 
Cuomo has repeatedly resisted implementing a 'shelter in place' order - which de Blasio has called for and told people to expect numerous times - saying it would do nothing but panic people further. 


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There are now more than 14,000 cases of coronavirus in the US and more than 211 have died
All of New York's bars, restaurants, movie theaters, gyms and casinos are closed. 
As of Friday night, hair salons, nail salons and other beauty businesses are being shut down too. 
Any other business that is still operating must do so with only 25 percent of their workforce. He has exempted news organizations from the order, saying they provide a vital role in delivering information about the pandemic to the public. 
Cuomo has also made pleas for more hospital equipment. 
The federal government has dispatched USNS Comfort, a Navy hospital ship, which will dock in New York City and provide another 1,000 beds for people with non-coronavirus related illnesses. 
The goal is to free up as many beds as possible in other hospitals for those with COVID-19.
Trump, in his daily press briefings, has spoken more about the country's ongoing search for ventilators and its research into drugs and vaccines, along with how the economy is going to be affected, than he has about New York. 
On Thursday, the Governor of California issued an indefinite 'stay at home' order for the state's 40million residents. 
 

California governor Gavin Newsom issues statewide 'Stay At Home' order for 40 million people 
California's governor on Thursday issued an unprecedented statewide 'stay at home order' directing the state's 40 million residents to hunker down in their homes for the foreseeable future in the face of the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic.
Governor Gavin Newsom's directive, effective immediately, marks the largest and most sweeping government clampdown yet in the worsening public health crisis brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak, which he predicted could infect more than half the state within eight weeks.
'We are confident the people of California will abide by it, they will meet this moment,' Newsom, a Democrat in his first term as governor of the nation's most populous state, said at a late-afternoon news briefing from the state capital in Sacramento.


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Newsom said in the letter (pictured) that officials project that roughly '56 per cent of our population - 25.5 million people - will be infected with the virus over an eight-week period'
'They'll step up as they have over the last number of weeks to protect themselves, to protect their families and to protect the broader community in this great state and the world we reside in.'
Newsom said exceptions to the stay-at-home rule would be granted for residents to make necessary trips to grocery stores, pharmacies, doctors and in some cases work.
He did not give an end date for the order but suggested that it would last for at least eight weeks.
The governor said the order was essential in light of modeling by experts that showed roughly 56 per cent of the state's residents, or 25 million people, would contract the respiratory illness in the next eight weeks.
Such numbers would require nearly 20,000 more hospital beds than the state could provide.
Already more than 1,000 Californians have been confirmed as infected and 18 have died, the third largest death toll in the United States behind only Washington state and New York.
California is home to some 40 million people, including an estimated 108,000 homeless.
Just before the press conference, Newsom released a copy of a letter that he sent to Donald Trump in which he asked the president to send help 'immediately'.
'I respectfully request you immediately deploy the USNS Mercy Hospital Ship to be stationed at the port of Los Angeles through September 1, 2020, to help decompress our current health care delivery system in the Los Angeles region in response to the COVID-19 outbreak,' Newsom's letter reads.
Newsom said officials project that roughly '56 per cent of our population - 25.5 million people - will be infected with the virus over an eight-week period'.
Earlier this week, Trump did say that the Navy hospital ships Mercy and Comfort would be pressed into service, one on each coast, as healthcare systems become badly strained during the pandemic.
But US defense officials have said the ships were not yet ready to sail on the emergency mission, with the Comfort undergoing maintenance in Virginia.
An unnamed US defense official said Thursday that the Mercy would be sent from San Diego to the Seattle area, which is one of the nation's worst outbreaks of the respiratory illness that has killed more than 200 people nationwide and infected more than 14,000 others.
Trump spoke with several state governors by phone on Thursday, saying the federal government would be helping out US auto companies and might consider a relief package for the hospitality industry as well.

[size=34]Furious Brits call for boycott of Wetherspoons after its CEO Tim Martin says closing pubs is 'over the top' because 'you can't get coronavirus in bars' (and adds HE would 'take the opportunity to catch it')[/size]

• Tim Martin said closing pubs was 'over the top' despite warnings that bars are a breeding ground for Covid-19
  
  
• Comes as UK's chief scientific adviser criticised young people's complacency and urged them to stay inside 
  
  
• Britain's Chief Medical Officer has also warned young adults that they will not 'breeze through' coronavirus
  
  
• The pleas come after Britons up and down the country partied into early hours in packed venues this week
  
  
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson declined to criticise the Wetherspoon chairman and Conservative Party donor
  
  
• Mayor of London threatened to ban people from pubs warning he'll 'infringe' their human rights if necessary
  
  
• So far coronavirus has killed 177 people in the UK with the number of diagnosed patients rising to 3,269
  
  
• Do you have any pub stories or pictures? Email amie.gordon@mailonline.co.uk and pictures@mailonline.co.uk 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By AMIE GORDON and DANNY HUSSAIN and RAVEN SAUNT and CONNOR BOYD HEALTH REPORTER FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 23:51 EDT, 19 March 2020 | UPDATED: 11:56 EDT, 20 March 2020

     


Brits are threatening to boycott JD Wetherspoon today after its chairman refused to shut pubs and claimed there have been 'no transmissions of coronavirus in bars'.  
Conservative Party donor and Wetherspoon CEO Tim Martin sparked fury as he said closing pubs was 'over the top' in spite of warnings from the government's chief scientific adviser that they are a breeding ground for the virus.
Mr Martin told the BBC that a 'sensible balance' was for pubs to implement 'social distancing' measures, like no standing at the bar, using cards and sitting at separate tables. 
He sparked further outrage as he told Sky that supermarkets posed more of a danger than pubs. 
Mr Martin, 64, also said that he would take the opportunity to catch the coronavirus under the right conditions, adding: 'If someone offered me the opportunity now to have it under supervised conditions, I think I'd probably take it because your chances are very, very good.' 
The Prime Minister has since been slammed for 'sending confusing messages which cost lives' after urging people to stay away from pubs - but failing to criticise the Wetherspoon chairman. 
Boris Johnson's deputy official spokesman simply said the government has, 'been clear about the importance of social distancing'. 
Asked if he was nervous about criticising political supporters of Boris Johnson, the spokesman said: 'We've based all our decisions on the best scientific evidence and we will continue to do so.'
The PM this week was met with anger from the hospitality industry as he told people not to visit pubs, clubs and cafes - but stopped short of closing them, meaning venues are losing footfall and cannot claim insurance.   
The Mayor of London has since threatened to ban people from pubs, warning he will 'infringe' human rights if necessary.
Meanwhile, foolhardy revellers continue to flock to pubs and clubs across the country as they ignore calls urging social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease. 


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The JJ Moon's in Tooting, south London, was packed with punters at lunchtime today 


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Drinkers seemed unfazed by the advice at JJ Moon's in Tooting this afternoon - as the Mayor of London warned he would ban people from pubs 
[size=10][size=18]Wetherspoon's boss says pubs will stay open despite coronavirus




Lo[/size][/size]




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CEO Tim Martin, pictured here with the Prime Minister last July, said today that closing pubs was 'over the top' in spite of warnings from the government's chief scientific adviser that bars are a breeding ground for the deadly virus







Twitter users last night slammed people they had seen across Britain ignoring pleas to stay at home and help control the spread of coronavirus

Stop going to the pub or I'll BAN you: Mayor of London slams people for still going to bars

The Mayor of London has hit out at people who continue to go to pubs and use public transport, warning he will 'infringe' their human rights if necessary. 
Sadiq Khan said 'liberties and human rights need to be changed, curtailed, infringed' in order to protect people and prevent further coronavirus deaths. 
He threatened to ban people from going to the pub and cafés in his stark address to the London Assembly last night. 
The Mayor said he was concerned that people were still not doing enough to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. 
He said: 'Our liberties and human rights need to be changed, curtailed, infringed — use whatever word you want.
'I am concerned about people not following the advice.
'There are still too many people being witnessed on our streets, in our bars, in our cafés, using the Tube, using our buses.'
The Mayor said he would be working from home, 'wherever possible', to 'set the best possible example' as he told Londoners to do the same.  
Mr Khan added: 'The advice from the government is just advice, and I think that provides a mixed message.
'We may move to a situation where we move from advice to bans.
'I can't say this clearly enough. People should not be travelling by any means unless they absolutely must. The scientific advice on this is very clear.
'Londoners should be avoiding social interaction unless absolutely necessary, and this includes avoiding using the transport network.'
The mayor told the London Assembly that all residents of the capital should 'strictly follow' the official advice and added that he would be working from home as much as possible.
He said: 'We are clearly still in the early phase of this crisis but the spread of the virus is at a more advanced stage in London than in other parts of the country.
'This means that further measures will need to be introduced at the point at which they will have the biggest effect.
'I can assure Londoners that this is under constant review by the experts.'
Mr Khan also suggested transport in the capital could be scaled back even further.
It has already been announced that up to 40 stations which do not interchange with other lines could be closed while the Waterloo and City line and Night Tube services will not run from Friday. 



Mr Martin told Sky: 'Supermarkets are very, very crowded. Pubs are much less crowded. There's hardly been any transmission of the virus within pubs and I think it's over the top to shut them.
'That's a commercial view but also a common sense view.'  
Mr Martin also compared his chain of pubs to Parliament, where MPs are still sitting, though only those with questions were allowed into Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
'Our main desire is that pubs should remain open, rather in the way that Parliament has remained open,' he said.
'You'd be aghast if every MP was sitting next to every other MP, but it's right that it should stay open on a sensible basis.'
He said that 'reasonable social distancing' would happen automatically in Wetherspoons as the number of punters drop.
Mr Martin also said that he could introduce rules which prevent people from standing at the bar, and getting staff to clean down the surfaces twice an hour.
Mr Martin also said that one of his pubs had introduced a regulars-only policy. This would not be possible to roll-out to all Wetherspoons outlets, but it is 'one of a variety of moves' available to management.
'Closure is much more draconian, and we don't think that it brings health benefits, and it certainly doesn't bring economic benefits,' he added.
Startling new data released on Wednesday night shows 29 percent of the first 2,500 cases of coronavirus in America were people between the ages of 20 and 44. 
Of that number, 20 percent were hospitalised and 12 percent put in intensive care units. Some 55 percent of the cases were all under the age of 65. 
Social media users have criticised Mr Martin's 'grossly irresponsible' stance and for 'putting money before health'. 
The hashtag, '#BoycottWetherspoons' is now trending on Twitter. 
Many have urged him to use his platform in the same way as celebrities including Kylie Jenner, who has encouraged youngsters to stay at home. 
Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: 'Yesterday the government's Chief Scientific Adviser said 'mixing in pubs and restaurants needs to stop'. 
'Today the government is refusing to condemn Weatherspoon's owner Tim Martin for suggesting the opposite. Confusing messages will cost lives. Pubs and restaurants must close.'
Mr Martin added falling sales at the chain have dropped further after the Prime Minister told punters to stay at home and not visit Britain's pubs.
The pub chain said that sales, which had risen by 3.2% in the previous six weeks, started falling by 4.5% in the week ending March 15, as the coronavirus pandemic scared customers off.
The decline picked up even further when the Prime Minister told people that it was vital they do not visit pubs in order to slow the spread of the highly infectious disease.
But despite warnings from the government's chief scientific adviser urging young people to stop going to the pub, he refused to close his bars, sparking anger among many. 
He told Sky: 'Our aim is for pubs open for the duration. This could go on for a long time. I think that once you shut them down it's very difficult.' 
Asked about Mr Martin's decision to keep his pubs open, the Prime Minister's deputy official spokesman said: 'We have been clear throughout that every decision that has been made, and will be made, has been made based on the best scientific advice.
'That will continue – we have heard the chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser talk about social distancing and we will continue to act on scientific advice.
'We have been clear about the need for social distancing. We have asked the public to do what they have to do, and we have been clear on the reasons for doing that.' 
Twitter users last night slammed people they had seen across Britain ignoring pleas to stay at home and help control the spread of coronavirus

Stop going to the pub or I'll BAN you: Mayor of London slams people for still going to bars

The Mayor of London has hit out at people who continue to go to pubs and use public transport, warning he will 'infringe' their human rights if necessary. 
Sadiq Khan said 'liberties and human rights need to be changed, curtailed, infringed' in order to protect people and prevent further coronavirus deaths. 
He threatened to ban people from going to the pub and cafés in his stark address to the London Assembly last night. 
The Mayor said he was concerned that people were still not doing enough to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. 
He said: 'Our liberties and human rights need to be changed, curtailed, infringed — use whatever word you want.
'I am concerned about people not following the advice.
'There are still too many people being witnessed on our streets, in our bars, in our cafés, using the Tube, using our buses.'
The Mayor said he would be working from home, 'wherever possible', to 'set the best possible example' as he told Londoners to do the same.  
Mr Khan added: 'The advice from the government is just advice, and I think that provides a mixed message.
'We may move to a situation where we move from advice to bans.
'I can't say this clearly enough. People should not be travelling by any means unless they absolutely must. The scientific advice on this is very clear.
'Londoners should be avoiding social interaction unless absolutely necessary, and this includes avoiding using the transport network.'
The mayor told the London Assembly that all residents of the capital should 'strictly follow' the official advice and added that he would be working from home as much as possible.
He said: 'We are clearly still in the early phase of this crisis but the spread of the virus is at a more advanced stage in London than in other parts of the country.
'This means that further measures will need to be introduced at the point at which they will have the biggest effect.
'I can assure Londoners that this is under constant review by the experts.'
Mr Khan also suggested transport in the capital could be scaled back even further.
It has already been announced that up to 40 stations which do not interchange with other lines could be closed while the Waterloo and City line and Night Tube services will not run from Friday. 



Mr Martin told Sky: 'Supermarkets are very, very crowded. Pubs are much less crowded. There's hardly been any transmission of the virus within pubs and I think it's over the top to shut them.
'That's a commercial view but also a common sense view.'  
Mr Martin also compared his chain of pubs to Parliament, where MPs are still sitting, though only those with questions were allowed into Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
'Our main desire is that pubs should remain open, rather in the way that Parliament has remained open,' he said.
'You'd be aghast if every MP was sitting next to every other MP, but it's right that it should stay open on a sensible basis.'
He said that 'reasonable social distancing' would happen automatically in Wetherspoons as the number of punters drop.
Mr Martin also said that he could introduce rules which prevent people from standing at the bar, and getting staff to clean down the surfaces twice an hour.
Mr Martin also said that one of his pubs had introduced a regulars-only policy. This would not be possible to roll-out to all Wetherspoons outlets, but it is 'one of a variety of moves' available to management.
'Closure is much more draconian, and we don't think that it brings health benefits, and it certainly doesn't bring economic benefits,' he added.
Startling new data released on Wednesday night shows 29 percent of the first 2,500 cases of coronavirus in America were people between the ages of 20 and 44. 
Of that number, 20 percent were hospitalised and 12 percent put in intensive care units. Some 55 percent of the cases were all under the age of 65. 
Social media users have criticised Mr Martin's 'grossly irresponsible' stance and for 'putting money before health'. 
The hashtag, '#BoycottWetherspoons' is now trending on Twitter. 
Many have urged him to use his platform in the same way as celebrities including Kylie Jenner, who has encouraged youngsters to stay at home. 
Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: 'Yesterday the government's Chief Scientific Adviser said 'mixing in pubs and restaurants needs to stop'. 
'Today the government is refusing to condemn Weatherspoon's owner Tim Martin for suggesting the opposite. Confusing messages will cost lives. Pubs and restaurants must close.'
Mr Martin added falling sales at the chain have dropped further after the Prime Minister told punters to stay at home and not visit Britain's pubs.
The pub chain said that sales, which had risen by 3.2% in the previous six weeks, started falling by 4.5% in the week ending March 15, as the coronavirus pandemic scared customers off.
The decline picked up even further when the Prime Minister told people that it was vital they do not visit pubs in order to slow the spread of the highly infectious disease.
But despite warnings from the government's chief scientific adviser urging young people to stop going to the pub, he refused to close his bars, sparking anger among many. 
He told Sky: 'Our aim is for pubs open for the duration. This could go on for a long time. I think that once you shut them down it's very difficult.' 
Asked about Mr Martin's decision to keep his pubs open, the Prime Minister's deputy official spokesman said: 'We have been clear throughout that every decision that has been made, and will be made, has been made based on the best scientific advice.
'That will continue – we have heard the chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser talk about social distancing and we will continue to act on scientific advice.
'We have been clear about the need for social distancing. We have asked the public to do what they have to do, and we have been clear on the reasons for doing that.' 
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said 'liberties and human rights need to be changed, curtailed, infringed' in order to protect people and prevent further coronavirus deaths. 
He threatened to ban people from going to the pub and cafés in his stark address to the London Assembly last night. 
Britain's Chief Medical Officer, meanwhile, has warned young adults they will not 'breeze through' coronavirus.
Chris Whitty said: 'It is clear that children get this disease much less strongly than adults, I think the data on that is pretty strong now, and it certainly is the case that the majority of those that end up dying sadly are people who tend to be either in the later part of their lives, usually quite elderly, or those with pre-existing health conditions. 
'But there are also some young people who have ended up in intensive care or who have ended up with severe disease around the world. 
'I think it's important that we don't give the impression that every single person who is young and healthy is just going to breeze through this.'  
And the government's chief scientific adviser begged young people to stop going to the pub and claims the UK cannot beat coronavirus if they keep flouting home confinement rules.  
Sir Patrick Vallance slammed young people's complacency and said 'mixing' in bars and restaurants 'needs to stop' because it is allowing the disease run rampant. 
Sir Vallance warned a coronavirus vaccine was still at least six months away and said the only way the outbreak could be delayed until then was if everyone stuck to the Government's tough new social restrictions.
His plea came after Britons were filmed partying into the early hours in packed pubs and nightclubs around the country this week, defying ministers. 
Social media users slammed drinkers pictured last night out and about in Leeds.  
Jeremiah Hyde wrote: 'Shocking isn't it!? Some London pubs are packed. Dangerous irresponsible idiocy.' 
Another, @Etherea68347170, added: 'People aren't exercising social distancing, bars are packed! Please Boris, for the love of God... and your people... shut the pubs!'
Will Saville commented: 'People are so stupid going into pubs, clubs, gyms. 
'So selfish when the NHS are warning people against social contact yet people are quite happy to be packed into one place.' 
On Monday, Boris Johnson ordered the country to avoid socialising, going to work or using public transport indefinitely in a desperate bid to contain the escalating crisis.
So far the highly contagious coronavirus has officially killed at least 177 people in the UK and infected 2,695. Experts estimate the true number of infections to be over 80,000. 
[size=18]Wetherspoons CEO offers Boris Johnson a pint for keeping pubs open




Loa[/size]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8134661/Chinese-woman-faces-seven-years-prison-hiding-coronavirus-symptoms.html

[size=34]Former director of Massachusetts biotech firm faces up to seven years in Chinese prison after 'hiding her coronavirus symptoms and flying from Los Angeles to Beijing for treatment'[/size]

• The Chinese citizen gobbled down anti-fever medicine at LAX before boarding
  
  
• She also lied about her condition to flight attendants during the 13-hour flight 
  
  
• She and her husband both tested positive and are being treated in Beijing 
  
  
• Police are investigating her on suspicion of preventing the control of diseases 
  
  
• Offenders can be jailed for up to seven years if their case is 'particularly serious’ 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By BILLIE THOMSON FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 10:13 EDT, 20 March 2020 | UPDATED: 12:46 EDT, 20 March 2020

     



A former associate director of a US biotechnology company is facing up to seven years in prison in China after allegedly hiding her coronavirus symptoms and flying from Los Angeles to Beijing in hopes of receiving treatment.
The Chinese national, 37, gobbled down anti-fever medicine at LAX to suppress her high temperatures before boarding the 13-hour flight back to her homeland with her husband and son, Chinese authorities said.
The mother-of-one, named as Jie Li, worked for Biogen, a multinational firm at the center of an outbreak of the coronavirus in Massachusetts. Around 30 per cent of the confirmed cases in the state are believed to be linked to a conference held by the company in Boston in February. 


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A woman (not the one pictured) is facing criminal charges after flying from the US to China to receive coronavirus treatment. Pictured, travelers wearing face masks and protective jackets walk in an almost empty arrivals area at the Capital International Airport in Beijing on March 17


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The 37-year-old mother-of-one, named as Jie Li, is said to be a former associated director at Biogen, a multinational biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts


Ms Li claimed to have been denied the coronavirus test three times by American doctors before resorting to the drastic measure last week, health officials in Beijing revealed. 
She was diagnosed with the coronavirus hours after landing in Beijing last Friday, said the Beijing Center for Diseases Prevention and Control. Her husband, a 37-year-old university lecturer, tested positive on Monday. 
Police are investigating her on suspicion of preventing the control of infectious diseases.
The criminal charge carries a maximum prison term of seven years if 'the consequences are particularly serious’, according to the Chinese criminal law. 


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Ms Li, her husband and their son are residents of Massachusetts, according to Beijing health officials. The picture is believed to show the couple's home in Belmont, a suburb of Boston


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The Belmont Health Department has been trying to speak with Ms Li by leaving a notice on the door of her home (pictured), according to reports. She is being treated in quarantine in Beijing
Ms Li reportedly lives in Belmont, a western suburb of Boston, with her husband, who is also a Chinese citizen.
She failed to inform the Belmont Health Department of her travel plans after the authority was notified by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health that she had been diagnosed with the killer infection, reported Belmontonian citing an official statement issued on Thursday. 
The authority has been trying to speak with her by leaving a notice on her door. 
A spokesperson from the Beijing health authority said that, according to Ms. Li, she fell ill after attending a company meeting. 
She said she developed fevers as high as 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) after one of her colleagues had tested positive.


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The woman, known by her surname Li, took Air China flight CA988 to travel to Beijing from Los Angeles on March 12 with her husband and their son. She claimed to have been denied the coronavirus test three times by American doctors before resorting to the drastic measures


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Beijing police, who are probing the woman, said she took anti-fever medicine before boarding her plane and then failed to inform the flight attendants of her health condition with honesty
Ms. Li is said to be the former associate director of bio-statistics for Biogen, a multinational biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 
But according to the Boston Globe, Ms. Li did not attend the Biogen conference in Boston in late February but came into contact with someone who was there.
Nearly 100 coronavirus cases have been connected to that conference, the report said. 
Ms. Li told Chinese officials that she started to experience a series of coronavirus symptoms, including chills, fevers, coughs and runny nose, from March 1.
She went to a local hospital on March 3 and was given anti-viral medication. She underwent X-ray checks of her lungs during two subsequent visits to the same hospital and the results showed no abnormality.
But on March 11 when she visited the hospital again, her scan indicated she had pneumonia.
Ms. Li said the hospital refused to admit her.
[size=18]Overseas Chinese fleeing coronavirus pandemic pay £200K for seat




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This week, Hong Kong International Airport reported its busiest day on record for private jet activity, according to the Financial Times. The above picture shows mask-donning travellers walking into the arrival hall of Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong on Thursday
She also claimed that she had applied to take coronavirus tests three times in the US, but all of her applications had been rejected.
To receive further treatment, Ms. Li took Air China flight CA988 to travel to Beijing from Los Angeles on March 12.
Beijing police said that Ms. Li took anti-fever medicine before boarding her plane and then failed to inform the flight attendants of her health condition with honesty.
[size=18]The UK will not be able to contain coronavirus outbreak, PM warns




L[/size]






Bing Privacy Policy
During the flight, she told flight attendants that she suffered from low blood pressure and stewards arranged her to sit at the back of the cabin.
Upon her arrival in Beijing, she was taken to the hospital, together with her husband and son, after claiming to suffer fevers, muscle weakness, and coughs on her health declaration card.
The police are investigating her while she and her husband, Mr. Hong, are receiving treatment in quarantine.
Their son had no symptoms, according to the latest briefing from Beijing.
A total of 59 people have been quarantined in China after coming into close contact with Ms. Li, the police said.


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A vendor pushes his food cart down an empty street near Times Square in New York on Sunday


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Cities around China are cracking down on in-bounding travelers who may carry the virus. In the picture, a pedestrian wearing a face mask stops in Times Square in New York on March 12
Biogen confirmed that Ms. Li used to be an employee in its US offices.
In a statement to MailOnline, the company said that Ms. Li 'made the personal decision to travel to China without informing the company and ignoring the guidance of health experts. She is no longer an employee of Biogen.'
It added: 'We are deeply dismayed by the situation as reported by the media in China. '
It remains unclear if Ms. Li was sacked or quit by herself.


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Two medical workers are pictured bidding a farewell on March 19 in Wuhan, Hubei Province. China today has reported zero domestic cases of coronavirus for the second day in a row
China today reported no new domestic cases of coronavirus for the second day in a row, but the number of imported infections has risen to 228.
Statistics show infected travelers to China have spread to ever more provinces, adding pressure on authorities to toughen entry rules and health protocols.
Cities around China have clamped down on potential imported cases after overseas Chinese flocked back to their homeland to evade the coronavirus pandemic.
An Australian-Chinese woman was deported by China this week after ignoring quarantine orders and insisting to jog outdoors.
The airports in Shanghai have recently intensified the level of coronavirus checks, particularly for passengers traveling from high-risk countries.


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As concern grows over infected arrivals from overseas, the foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea held a video conference on Friday to discuss cooperation to rein in the pandemic. The picture shows China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (middle) giving a speech
All passengers flying into Shanghai from 20 coronavirus-infected countries will be quarantined or self-isolated for 14 days from today, according to reports.
The Hong Kong government has required all international arrivals - except for those from mainland China, Macau, and Taiwan - to be quarantined for 14 days starting from Thursday.
Across the border from the Asian financial hub, officials in Shenzhen have demanded Chinese citizens returning from abroad be isolated at home or in quarantine camps for 14 days. International travelers who have been to high-risk countries, such as South Korea, Italy, and Iran, 14 days before their entrance must also obey the rule.

Yet again, stupidity rules! I was reading about the idiots on spring break in Florida who refused to stop partying on the beaches until the governor finally shut them down. Now they're all free to trek home and spread the virus (not to mention any std's they've picked up) all across the country. My personal feeling? They should be quarantined IN FLORIDA (because the governor waited until he got their money before he acted), and kept there until they're tested. They should not be allowed to leave until they are proved virus free.

Same thing for the barflies who can't seem to stay out of the pub (here and in the UK). Lock the doors with them INSIDE until they are tested and proven virus free. Until then they can drink themselves stupid and enjoy their decision to be a jerk.

https://people.com/human-interest/woman-fired-asked-to-leave-china-after-breaking-quarantine-report/

[size=48]Woman Fired and Asked to Leave China After Breaking Quarantine for Jog in Beijing: Report
A Chinese Australian woman living in Beijing has been fired from her job after leaving quarantine to jog
By Jason Duaine Hahn 
March 20, 2020 03:50 PM
FB[url=https://www.twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Woman Fired and Asked to Leave China After Breaking Quarantine for Jog in bei...https://people.com/human-interest/woman-fired-asked-to-leave-china-after-breaking-quarantine-report/%3futm_source=twitter.com%26utm_medium=social%26utm_campaign=social-share-article%26utm_term=7745787]Tweet[/url]
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COMING UP...

JARED LETO SAYS HE WAS CAMPING WITHOUT PHONE FOR 12 DAYS AND HAD 'NO IDEA' ABOUT CORONAVIRUS[/size]
A woman living in Beijing has reportedly been fired from her job and ordered to leave the country after she broke coronavirus quarantine to go for a run.
According to CNN, the 47-year-old Chinese Australian woman arrived back in the country from Australia on March 14. The next day, she reportedly went for a jog outside of her residential building without a face mask, in defiance Beijing’s rule requiring people returning to the city from overseas to self-quarantine to limit the spread of coronavirus, which is said to have originated in central China.
A video posted to social media following the incident allegedly showed a community worker confronting the woman outside of her apartment door.
“I need to go running. I need to work out,” the woman is heard telling the worker, according to CNN. “If I fall sick, who will take care of me? Will you come?”
Another video allegedly showed two police officers in face masks reprimanding the woman defying the orders.

“I tell you, no matter [if] you’re Chinese or a foreigner, you have to comply with the law of the People’s Republic of China,” an officer tells the woman In the video. “This is to protect yourself and to protect others.”
RELATED: U.S. Cases of Coronavirus Top 12,000: Here’s an Updated Map of the Spread
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The video sparked outrage over social media and later led to her being fired by her employer, the Chinese subsidiary of the pharmaceutical giant, Bayer.
RELATED: 34-Year-Old Calif. Man Dies of Coronavirus 2 Weeks After Visiting Orlando Theme Parks
“According to relevant rules, the company has decided to dismiss the employee, effective immediately,” the company said on a statement posted to social media, according to CNN. “All employees of Bayer China should strictly obey the various measures imposed by local governments to fight the Covid-19 epidemic, as well as local law and regulations.”

Immigration authorities then canceled the woman’s work visa and ordered her to leave the country.
[/size][size]
“Right now, the epidemic is accelerating its spread overseas, and preventing overseas infected cases from being imported (back to China) has become the priority among priorities in our epidemic prevention and control work,” Beijing’s deputy police chief, Pan Xuhong, told the outlet. “Beijing is at the forefront of that defense against imported cases.”
As of Friday afternoon, coronavirus — also known as COVID-19 — has sickened more than 250,800 people and at least 10,368 people have died, according to the New York Times. Mainland China has experienced the most cases (80,928), with Italy (41,035) and Spain (19,980) being the second and third most affected countries so far.
The United States has seen 15,650 cases and 202 deaths.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.
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• 
  By Jason Duaine Hahn@jasonduaine
  
  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkxBsD-HvUk

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8136155/Coronavirus-kills-person-Iran-10-minutes-Tehran-finally-voices-extent-crisis.html

[size=34]Coronavirus kills a person in Iran every 10 minutes: Tehran finally voices horrifying extent of crisis as death toll hits 1,433[/size]

• Iran is Middle East's worst-affected nation with around 19,640 confirmed cases
  
  
• It is thought that 50 people in the country become infected with virus every hour
  
  
• Figures come after Iran's Supreme Leader praised the sacrifices made by medics
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By RAVEN SAUNT FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 15:20 EDT, 20 March 2020 | UPDATED: 15:47 EDT, 20 March 2020

     



Coronavirus is killing one person every 10 minutes in Iran, according to the nation's health ministry.
The Tehran government finally voiced the extent of the outbreak within its borders on Thursday after weeks of skewed numbers.
The number of its confirmed cases is currently more than 19,640 with the death toll climbing to 1,433, making Iran the Middle East's worst-affected country.


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Coronavirus is killing one person every 10 minutes in Iran, according to the nation's health ministry. Pictured: Fire crews disinfect Tehran's streets in an attempt to halt coronavirus
Kianush Jahanpur, a spokesman for the health ministry, tweeted: 'Based on our information, every 10 minutes one person dies from the coronavirus and some 50 people become infected with the virus every hour in Iran.' 
It is the first time that the Iranian authorities have admitted that the scale of the spread is much greater than they previously voiced. 
Ali Rabiei, a representative for President Hassan Rouhani, said: 'The death toll may be higher and the test results for (the victims) could have been wrong.
'Some have died and we might not have known it was due to Coronavirus. 
'There may be some shortcomings in the figures, and sometimes you may see a jump in our announcement,' according to Fox News.  
But political opposition groups have said that the statistics could in fact be even more severe – indicating that upwards of 7,000 individuals have died due to the contagion. 
The government has so far ordered the closure of schools and universities as well as banning sports, cultural and religious gatherings in a bid to control the deadly pathogen. 
It has also forced the closure of four holy Shi'ite shrines and dampened the Islamic Republic's celebrations ahead of the Nowruz New Year that begin on Friday.  


+6


It comes after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (pictured during his speech for the Persian New Year today) praised the 'dazzling' sacrifices made by doctors and nurses fighting against the coronavirus
It comes after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised the 'dazzling' sacrifices made by doctors and nurses fighting against the coronavirus outbreak in his Persian new year address. 
The 80-year-old ruler also claimed the country had 'benefited' from American sanctions, which had made it more self-sufficient, during his live speech. 
It had been rumoured that the Ayatollah had contracted coronavirus, although he appeared to be healthy as he gave the speech.


+6


President Hassan Rouhani pictured giving his speech, where he praised the actions of doctors and nurses in fighting the virus that has gripped Iran 
'These acts of sacrifice were made by medical groups, physicians, nurses, assistants, managers and the staff working in hospitals,' he said.
'All these phenomena are a source of dignity and reputation.'
He added: 'Iran benefited from America's sanctions. It made us self-sufficient in all areas.'
Nowruz, or 'new day' in Persian, is an ancient celebration and the most important date in the calendar, when families gather and exchange gifts. But the coronavirus has overshadowed the celebrations.


'Last year was a tumultuous year for the Iranian nation,' said Khamenei. 'It was a year that began with the floods and that ended with the coronavirus ... but we will overcome all hardships with unity.'
He named the new Iranian year, 'the year of boosting production'.
In a separate message for the Iranian New Year, President Hassan Rouhani said Iranians will overcome the outbreak with unity, praising doctors and nurses for their courage in fighting the disease.
'Our nation has managed to reach its goals, despite difficulties … Iran will overcome the coronavirus with unity,' Rouhani said in his televised speech.


+6



Fire brigade crews wear masks to disinfect the streets of Tehran yesterday
On March 9, Khamenei's office announced that his annual speech in the city of Mashhad for Persian new year had been cancelled to prevent further infections of coronavirus in the Middle East's worst-affected country. 
But unlike his usual fiery speeches, the anti-U.S. hardliner Khamenei refrained from attacking Iran's longtime foe in his remarks.
'Iran benefited from America's sanctions. It made us self-sufficient in all areas,' said Khamenei.
Friction between Tehran and Washington has increased since 2018 when US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of Tehran´s 2015 nuclear deal with six nations and re-imposed sanctions on the country, crippling its economy.
Iran on Thursday granted a medical furlough to imprisoned U.S. Navy veteran Michael White who has been in prison since his arrest in 2018. But his release is conditioned on him staying in Iran, U.S. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said.
White was later sentenced to at least 10 years in prison on charges of insulting Khamenei and posting anti-establishment remarks on social media under a pseudonym.


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Fire brigade crews spread disinfectant across the streets of Tehran ahead of the new year


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Disinfection work pictured being carried out on roads in Tehran, Iran, yesterday
It is not clear exactly how many Americans Iran may hold, but Washington has warned Tehran that it would hold the clerical rulers directly responsible for any American deaths since the outbreak has infected the Islamic Republic.
Khamenei has ruled out any talks with Washington to reach a new nuclear deal, as demanded by Trump, unless it lifts crippling sanctions that Tehran blames for hampering its efforts to contain the speedy spread of the coronavirus across the country.
But growing discontent over economic hardship, combined with the coronavirus outbreak's economic impact, could force Iran to choose diplomacy over confrontation with the United States.
'Yes. It was a very unique speech by the leader. His language was different, his tone was different and it was not hostile towards America,' said an official in Tehran, who asked not to be named.
When asked whether Tehran and Washington might try to ease the heightened tension, he said : 'Americans know what they should do. First sanctions or at least some sanctions must be lifted. Then we will see.'
Tehran has urged other countries to back its call for a lifting of U.S. sanctions because of the coronavirus pandemic. But sources familiar with the matter have said Washington is unlikely to ease the sanctions.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8135289/More-130-000-people-tested-coronavirus-US.html

[size=34]More than 130,000 people have been tested for coronavirus in the US with around 12% confirmed positive as screenings increase across the nation[/size]

• As of Friday, more than 130,000 Americans have been tested for coronavirus
  
  
• At least 12% of cases have been confirmed positive and nearly 3,300 tests are pending
  
  
• When the CDC first rolled out tests, they were found to be faulty, forcing components of the kit to be remanufactured
  
  
• Red tape led to the US Food and Drug Administration delaying the authorization of outside laboratories to perform tests
  
  
• Several states have since ramped up testing including opening drive-thru centers and even offering testing at some places without appointments 
  
  
• In the US, there are more than 16,000 cases and at least 214 deaths 
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By MARY KEKATOS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 15:22 EDT, 20 March 2020 | UPDATED: 15:25 EDT, 20 March 2020

     


More than 130,000 Americans have been tested for coronavirus as kits are sent out and drive-thru centers pop up across the US.
As of Friday afternoon, 12 percent have been confirmed positive and the results of about 3,300 tests are still pending.
It's a welcome surprise after weeks of delays from federal health officials and red tape in authorizing outside labs to perform tests.
Several states have since ramped up testing including opening drive-thru centers and even offering testing at some places without appointments.


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As of Friday, more than 130,000 Americans have been tested coronavirus. Pictured: The CDC's laboratory test kit for the new coronavirus


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At least 12% of cases have been confirmed positive and 3,200 tests are pending. Pictured: Medical personnel conduct doctor prescribed only drive-thru testing for coronavirus at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, March 19


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When the CDC first rolled out tests, they were found to be faulty, forcing components of the kit to be remanufactured. Pictured: A health care worker checks in a person at a drive up coronavirus testing site at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois, March 19
There was great difficulty in getting tested in the early days of the outbreak due to health officials first distributing a flawed test, then only providing states with a couple hundred each.
The Centers for Disease (CDC) shipped its first batch of kits to laboratories across the US on February 5. 
Less that a week later, several state labs said the CDC diagnostic was returning 'inconclusive results.'
This forced the federal health agency to remanufacture components of the kit, although its unclear what defect occurred. 
By March 6, an investigation from The Atlantic found only 1,895 people had been definitively been tested for coronavirus.


That same week, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn said upwards of a million tests would be performed by the end of the week.
But officials within the Trump administration later had to come forward and admit the government had nowhere near that number of kits readily available. 
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar explained during a press briefing on that each suspected person actually requires two tests.
Therefore, even if one million tests were run, only 500,000 patients at most would be tested - and that's if no tests return inconclusive results.  


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Several states have since ramped up testing including opening drive-thru centers and even offering testing at some places without appointments. Pictured: A drive-thru coronavirus testing site for residents on Quincy Street in Arlington, Virginia 


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Healthcare workers prepare to test people for COVID-19 at the FoundCare drive-thru testing station in Palm Springs, Florida on March 19


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Since then, several states have ramped up testing in an attempt to more quickly identify and isolate infected people before they spread the virus.
New York has performed the most with more than 32,000 tests completed followed by Washington, California, Texas and Minnesota, respectively.
Several states have opened clinics where appointments can be made, drive-thru testing locations, and even a few sites where no appointments are necessary.
These are the numbers of tests that have been run by every state and territory:

New York: 32,427 
Washington: 20,712
California: 9,844
Texas: 5,277 
Minnesota: 3,856  
Florida: 3,416 
North Carolina: 2,233 
Illinois: 3,151
Massachusetts: 3,132 
Colorado: 2,952
Pennsylvania: 2,842 
New Mexico: 2,797
Michigan: 2,449
Georgia: 2,386 
Wisconsin: 2,347
Virginia: 2,325 
Maine: 2,321 
Nevada: 2,098 
Oregon: 1,854  
Utah: 1,526
New Hampshire: 1,420
Louisiana: 1,047 
New Jersey: 1,026
Oklahoma: 961 
South Dakota: 947
Montana: 947
South Carolina: 914 
Rhode Island: 838
North Dakota: 820 
Mississippi: 775 
Connecticut: 763 
Vermont: 689
Iowa: 686 
Kentucky: 639
Tennessee: 618
Idaho: 613
District of Columbia: 573
Arkansas: 559
Indiana: 554 
Alaska: 513
Kansas: 451
Missouri: 416 
Arizona: 352
Wyoming: 369
Nebraska: 272
Ohio: 259
Maryland: 243 
West Virginia: 239 
Puerto Rico: 164 
Hawaii: 159
Alabama: 109 
Guam: 100
Delaware: 74
US Virgin Islands: 3

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8137097/President-Trump-declares-New-York-major-disaster-area.html

[size=34]Army to deploy to New York after Trump declares major disaster: Troops to turn hotels and sports arenas into hospitals as lines form outside hospitals, ventilators run low and one person an hour dies in pandemic in NYC[/size]

• President Trump declared New York State a major disaster area Friday as coronavirus cases skyrocket
  
  
• The declaration allows New York State to access federal aid via FEMA's $42billion Disaster Relief Fund
  
  
• The US military is now working on plans to takeover hotels, college dormitories and sports arenas and turn them into ICU-like medical facilities 
  
  
• The emergency declaration comes as New York State and city hospitals run out of face masks and ventilators 
  
  
• In New York City, 14 people died between 10am and 6pm Friday - the equivalent of one person an hour
  
  
• Trump's declaration was issued Friday night, four days after New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo asked for it
  
  
• This is the first time in US history a president has declared a major disaster over a public health threat  
  
  
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
  
  

By MAXINE SHEN and JENNIFER SMITH and CHRIS PLEASANCE  and EMILY CRANE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 21:44 EDT, 20 March 2020 | UPDATED: 04:46 EDT, 21 March 2020



Donald Trump has declared New York State a major disaster area as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases skyrockets and New York City becomes the epicenter of the US outbreak. 
The US military will now be called in, and the US Army Corps of Engineers have said they plans to take over hotels, sports arenas, college dorms and other buildings in a bid to bolster the number of available hospital rooms. 
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had urged Trump to send in the military and its logistical support to hard-hit New York State, California and Seattle on Wednesday. 
The president's declaration comes as a hospital in the Bronx revealed it is running low on ventilators and a Queens doctor revealed that an elderly patient experiencing coronavirus symptoms died on the hospital ward floor.
On Friday, patients were seen lining up around the block at hospitals in New York City as they tried to get tested for the disease. One video showed hundreds lining up waiting to be tested at Queens' Elmhurst Hospital. 


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President Trump (pictured Friday) declared New York a major disaster area Friday evening, paving the way for the state to have access to FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund, as well as FEMA personnel and resources 
[size=10][size=18]Girl films enormous line outside NYC hospital for coronavirus test




Loa[/size][/size]
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo had asked for the major disaster declaration, which paves the way for the federal government to pay for up to 75 per cent of the state's bills for its emergency response to the pandemic. 
New York State now has the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in the nation, with 8,403 diagnoses and 46 deaths, as the number of confirmed cases shot up by more than 2,000 between Thursday and Friday.  
De Blasio said during a press conference Friday that there are 5,151 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the nation's largest city - more than a fourth of the nation's total cases. The number later rose to 5,683.
In New York City between the hours of 10am and 6pm on Friday, 14 people died from coronavirus, the equivalent of one person an hour, as the total number of deaths in the city reached 43 people. 
The National Institutes of Health Friday warned that up to 70,000 Americans could be confirmed as having coronavirus by the end of next week in 'dramatic increase' of cases, up from the current tally of more than 19,600 confirmed cases. 
The emergency declaration issued Friday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency provides access to $42billion in aid from the Disaster Relief Fund, the New York Post reported.  
FEMA will now be able to send personnel and resources to the state, as well as set up mobile coronavirus testing centers, disinfect public facilities and provide in-demand medical supplies including face masks, gloves and surgical gowns. 
The declaration also allows the US military to make further assistance plans. 
Pentagon officials said Friday that the US Army Corps of Engineers is preparing plans to take over as many as 10,000 hotel rooms, college dorms and other building spaces in New York State to help provide medical services and accommodate virus-related hospitalizations, according to the WSJ. 
When requested by state officials and FEMA, the Corps of Engineers would make contracts with hotels, college and potential sports arenas as the first step in turning them into ICU-like medical facilities.  
The military had previously said that it will be making two hospital ships and more than five million face masks, coronavirus test kits and ventilators available to regions that are most in need.  
Ventilators are in huge demand across New York State.    
At the Bronx's Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, a doctor told the New York Times that they only had a few ventilators left for coronavirus patients who needed them to breathe. 

Coronavirus cases in New York State, NYC and across the United States

New York State confirmed cases: 8,403
New York State deaths: 46
New York City confirmed cases: 5,683
New York City deaths: 43
US total confirmed cases: 19,641
US total deaths: 262 
-1Point3Acres 



Meanwhile, New York-Presbyterian Queens doctor Saquib Rahim told the WSJ that an elderly patient with COVID-19 symptoms died on the floor of the hospital ward, as the number of both potential and confirmed cases multiplied over the week. 
A memo sent to nurses on Thursday stated that 'Beds are needed desperately' and asked them to 'ACTIVELY participate in the Discharge planning for your patients.' 
'We’ve never seen anything like this,' Dr. Rahim told the WSJ.  
Face masks are also in short supply. 
Doctors at Brooklyn's Kings County Hospital Center said that they were resorting to coating their masks - which were being reused for up to a week - in hand sanitizer between shifts, according to the New York Times. 
Earlier in the week, an intensive care nurse at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, said nurses are being asked to re-use masks if they have only been with patients a short time - raising their risk of infection, because supplies were running so low. 
'We don't want to reuse a mask that we're going to touch with our hands, our bare hands, and then go and put it back on our face when it could have the COVID virus on it,' nurse Michelle Gonzalez told CBS 2. 
'We find it important that we don't reutilize these masks so that we don't put the rest of our community and our fellow co-workers at risk.'    
[size=18]Workers carry out COVID-19 tests inside 'Hot Zone' tent in New York




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Workers wearing protective suits carried out COVID-19 tests inside a 'Hot Zone' tent, at a state-managed coronavirus drive-through testing site that opened Thursday in Staten Island, New York


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Patients wait in line outside the outdoor tent facility of The Brooklyn Hospital Center to get pre-screened for the Coronavirus on March 19


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A staffer of The Brooklyn Hospital Center adjusts her face mask before entering the outdoor tent facility to pre-screen people for the Coronavirus in Brooklyn, New York on March 19


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People who believe they have COVID-19, and who meet the criteria, wait in line to be pre-screened for the coronavirus outside of the Brooklyn Hospital Center on March 20


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A long line of people continues to grow, outside the Coronavirus test center at Metropolitan Hospital
In a press conference on Friday, Cuomo issued a plea for medical offices to provide unused ventilators to New York hospitals as the state faces a shortage amid the pandemic. 
Prior to Trump's declaration, Cuomo issued a total ban on non-essential businesses and warned there would be strict fines for any businesses that do not comply Friday.
The ban - which will impact 19.5million people - is to go into effect on Sunday evening and is indefinite. 
Work forces that are excluded are grocery stores, pharmacies, certain government workers, food deliveries and restaurants, internet service providers and news organizations. 
Public transportation would also continue as usual, but it was unclear whether cabs, and ride shares including Ubers and Lyft would be forced to stop.
White House coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke around an hour after Cuomo's announcement to say he 'strongly supported it'. 
Cuomo said he had tried to put off the order but felt he could no longer hold off as the number of cases continued to rise.
'These actions will cause businesses to close. They will cause much unhappiness. I understand that.


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A look at the sparsely populated Times Square in New York City on Friday, as a screen displays a message about COVID-19


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A woman wears personal protective equipment (PPE) as she rides the air-train at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Friday


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'I've spoken to my colleagues around the state, there's a spectrum of opinion. Some people say we don't need to do this, it's going to hurt the economy. Just so we're all clear - this is a state wide order. 
'It's not what your county executive is doing, your mayor, it's not what anyone else but me is doing. I accept full responsibility.
'If someone is unhappy and wants to blame someone or complain about someone - blame me. There is no one else who is responsible for this decision.
'I've been in public service for many, years, managed dozens of emergencies, the philosophy that always worked is prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
'That is what we're doing. 'In 10 years, I want to be able to say I can say to the people of New York that I did everything I could do.
'This is about saving lives and everything we do saves just one life, I'll be happy. This is science and math. Watch the number and trajectory.
'You have the density control valve. If the number doesn't slow down, tighten the valve more... then close the valve. We're closing the valve.
'Everybody has personal freedom and I'll always protect that....but everybody also has a responsibility.
'We're all in quarantine now. We're all in various levels of quarantine,' he said.  
Trump's declaring New York a major disaster area marks the first time in US history that a president has ever done so over a public health threat. 
Major disasters are typically declared over natural disasters, including hurricanes, earthquakes and flooding. 
 

Traffic comes to a standstill in New Jersey as thousands arrive for its first drive-up coronavirus testing facility
New Jersey's first drive-thru coronavirus testing site has been forced to turn people away after reaching full capacity just hours after opening - as health officials in full protective gear tested people in New York and some patients lined up on foot outside a Brooklyn hospital.
Hundreds of cars lined up outside New Jersey's first large-scale drive-up testing site at Bergen County Community College in Paramus from 8am on Friday.
Health officials had said the drive-up testing facility had the capacity to take in 2,500 specimens a week.
But authorities were forced to close off the entrances to the site just four hours after opening due to a surge in demand.
The line was cut off at about 1,000 cars but officials warned that even those waiting in that line may have to return another day to get tested.
Police said the testing facility would reopen as scheduled on Saturday morning.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said the state would be greatly increasing its testing capabilities with the statewide total now reaching 890 on Friday.


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Authorities were forced to close off the entrances to the New Jersey site just four hours after opening due the huge turnout
'To be clear: the number of positive tests is rising, in part, because of expanding capabilities from private labs. We expected these numbers, and we expect them to keep rising, in the short-term, as greater testing capabilities come online,' Gov. Murphy warned.
Meanwhile in New York, people lined up outside the Brooklyn Hospital Center on Friday to be pre-screened for coronavirus before being allowed inside the facility.
In Staten Island, health officials in full protective gear could be seen approaching vehicles at one of its drive-up testing facilities.
There are now more than 7,000 positive cases in New York state and 35 deaths. There are 4,400 confirmed cases in New York City alone.
It comes as the Obama administration's Ebola czar issued a stark warning that coronavirus cases are set to 'explode' in the US as America now reports more new daily cases of the virus as China did at the apparent peak of the outbreak there.
Ron Klain, who served as President Barack Obama's 'Ebola czar,' warned that Americans need to prepare for a massive spike in coronavirus cases and deaths over the next few weeks.


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Medical staff in protective gear administer a COVID-19 test at the drive-thru testing center in New Jersey on Friday
'We're really at the inflection point here, where this disease is really going to explode in the U.S.,' Klain told Yahoo News' Skullduggery podcast on Thursday.
Meanwhile, drive-thru coronavirus testing sites are starting to pop up across the country with the government vowing to ramp up testing.
Americans with suspected coronavirus infections headed to drive-thru testing sites at hospitals, with their doctor's referral, this week where they were met by healthcare workers in protective gear who swabbed their noses through an open window.
The goal is to ramp up testing, the lack of which has been a major obstacle to understanding the extent of the pandemic, reduce pressure on emergency rooms and keep patients in cars to avoid spreading the infection.
Leading US retailers, including Walmart, Target, Walgreens and CVS pledged at a White House news conference last week to provide space for the drive-thru sites in their parking lots.
Admiral Brett Giroir of the U.S. Public Health Commission told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that drive-thru test centers were 'blossoming all over the country' but added the initiative had faced some early challenges.
The public health commission was 'really pushing equipment' to 47 centers in a dozen states, after doing a trial run on Monday with public health staff in protective gear, Giroir said.
About 140 US public health staff would be deployed to the sites along with state health workers, he said.


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'We had a lot of kinks in the system, as you can expect,' he said. 'That's why we do a test before we go out into the field... They're going to be adapted to the state and the local situation, but we're very confident that these will add testing to the already very robust healthcare system.'
CVS spokesman TJ Crawford said the pharmacy chain was preparing this week to launch a pilot drive-thru testing site in the parking lot of a CVS Pharmacy in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.
Initial testing would be limited to first responders and local healthcare professionals who are on the frontlines of treating the virus and preventing its spread, he said.
About 80 people had visited the drive-up testing location at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut by late Wednesday morning, according to a police officer at the entrance to the site, which had been set up in a covered parking garage.
The testing site, one of a handful established at hospitals in Connecticut, was accepting people by appointment only. Some visitors who showed up without an appointment were directed how to make one and come back later, the officer said.
A handful of other drive-thru tests at hospitals have started up in New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Virginia, Colorado and California.