Some of these guys, specifically Gates and Buffet, do donate a lot. I’m sure Gates would prefer to help parts of the world that are challenged to help themselves. The USA can help itself. That’s another frustration of mine with how we’ve bungled the first part of this virus fighting process. We should be a leader allowing us to aid others. We are now in a predicament where I don’t think that is possible.
My advice to adult offspring over the weekend:
Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.
The best thing you can do in a crisis is to stay calm (so you don’t scare the children, if nothing else)
Kentucky Secretary of State recommends moving election to June
From CNN’s Dianne Gallagher
Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams is recommending moving the state’s May 19 election until June 23.
In a video posted to his Twitter page, Adams said Gov. Andy Beshear agreed to the idea.
“These are unprecedented times,” Adams said in the video.
He said it was not an easy decision but that he spoke to other state officials who he said agreed to the change. He said he hopes it will lead to a normal election, but that if it doesn’t, it will give him time to prepare.
NYC is considering everything, including curfew
Mayor Bill de Blasio said city officials are considering “everything” in terms of “curfew” or other possibilities.
“Stay home as much as you can. That guidance might get a lot sharper at any point," de Blasio said.
As of now, it’s acceptable to get some exercise and fresh air if social distancing is practiced.
“It will get a lot worse before it gets better,” de Blasio said. (CNN)
Because this is College Confidential:
May SATs canceled because of coronavirus
The College Board is canceling the May SAT exams due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Here’s what the board tweeted:
The College Board
@CollegeBoard
In response to COVID-19, we’re canceling the May 2 SAT, as well as March makeup exams. Registered students will receive refunds. We will provide additional SAT testing opportunities as soon as feasible in place of canceled administrations. More details: http://spr.ly/60181subj .
View image on Twitter
668
12:29 PM - Mar 16, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
884 people are talking about this
The board also announced they are finalizing options to allow students to test at home in May for AP exams depending on the circumstance.
Switzerland bans all events and closes shops
From CNN’s Mia Alberti and Lauren Kent
Switzerland’s government banned all private and public events from midnight local time on Monday for more than a month, according to a statement from the Swiss Federal Council.
“Until April 19th, every shop, restaurant, bar and all recreational areas should remain closed. There will be an exception for supermarkets and health services,” the statement said. “From midnight today we’ll also impose border controls with Germany, Austria and France.”
The Swiss government also deployed 8,000 military personnel to assist with coronavirus measures.
Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga said in an Instagram post: “Right now we need the support of everyone, young and elderly. We have to make sure our hospitals can keep treating the seriously injured and sick. Respect rigorously the measures and recommendations of the federal Council. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
DC orders restaurants, bars and clubs to close by 10 p.m. Monday
Washington, DC, is ordering restaurants, bars and clubs to close by 10 p.m. ET on Monday, according to an order from Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Take-out and delivery services will still be allowed. The closure will be in effect until April 1.
Health clubs, spas, massage parlors and theaters must close by Tuesday.
Chuck Schumer wants to put at least $750 billion into third coronavirus response plan
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is working on a plan to pile at least $750 billion into efforts to combat the outbreak, his office said. The plan would “get money directly into hands of American people” and include health care affordability measures, forbearance on federal loans, a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, assistance for small businesses and emergency child care, according to his office.
“We will need big, bold, urgent federal action to deal with this crisis,” Schumer, D-NY, said in a statement. “The kinds of targeted measures we are putting together will mainline money into the economy and directly into the hands of families that need it most. Importantly, this proposal will also ensure our medical professionals have all the resources – including physical space and equipment – they need to provide treatment and keep Americans safe, among other people-focused initiatives.” CNBC
I only watched the last 20 mins of the press conference, but I was frustrated with some of the questions from the press, seems like wasted opportunity. Not that trump et al will know all the answers, but they should ask the questions to directly/indirectly address the mass hysteria going on with the supply shortages out there. I wanted to hear about the the supply chains for the basic living essentials, utility, etc. If people know, for example, TP, PT, alcohol, wipes, chicken, flour, potatoes, etc and etc. are still being produced (or imported) at the normal rate (or not), then it will ease a lot of craziness.
I don’t think there’s anything remotely funny about either the homeless situation in SF or the way the city has handled it.
I think it is really sad that people have to be commanded to do the right thing. That is, no unnecessary trips, no hoarding, staying home when you are sick. It’s as though they are children.
White House grapples with which industries to save
The Trump administration is grappling with which industries to bail out as thousands of businesses in the U.S. grind to halt amid severe measures to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The U.S. could lose 8.2 million international visitors this year. That’s more than the country lost in the two years following 9/11. That’s lost revenue not only for airlines and hotels, but also for restaurants, retailers and airports. In some states, malls, gyms and movie theaters are shuttering and officials are telling restaurants to offer only take-out options.
“I don’t see how we get through this without wide-scale systemic solutions,” said one top tier-investor. “We’re going to have to rewrite the rules to get to the other side.”
(CNBC)
Top concern for CFOs is coronavirus leading to global recession
The potential for COVID-19 to lead to a global economic downturn is the top concern for finance leaders in the U.S. and Mexico, according to a new survey of chief financial officers by PwC. Of those surveyed, 54% of respondents say the outbreak has the potential for “significant” impact to business operations, however 90% say their business would return to normal in less than 3 months if the COVID-19 outbreak were to end immediately. The survey included 50 financial leaders, 80% are whom are from Fortune 1000 companies. (CNBC)
Washington governor restricts restaurants, bans large gatherings statewide
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday he signed an emergency declaration temporarily shutting down bars, restaurants and other places of recreation statewide. He also banned public gatherings of more than 50 people. The move follows similar measures announced earlier Monday by New York and surrounding states. “Never since World War II have we faced a situation like this,” Inslee said. “For the next several weeks, normal is not in our game plan.”
Silicon Valley executives plot investment blitz with charities, groups to help fight coronavirus
Silicon Valley executives huddled on a conference call on Friday to discuss ways they can use their money and vast resources to help fend off the coronavirus that’s spreading throughout the United States.
CEOs and executives from Facebook, Apple, the San Francisco 49ers, Twitter, Netflix, Alphabet and Salesforce were invited to take part in the call, which was organized by Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins. Top Silicon Valley investor Ron Conway was also invited.
Community leaders spoke to the executives on Friday about “what is happening ‘on the ground’ and the impact on providing services,” as it pertains to helping combat the coronavirus, the notes say. (CNBC)
**WHO considers ‘airborne precautions’ for medical staff after study shows coronavirus can survive in air
The World Health Organization is considering “airborne precautions” for medical staff after a new study showed the coronavirus can survive in the air in some settings.
The virus is transmitted through droplets, or little bits of liquid, mostly through sneezing or coughing, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, told reporters during a virtual press conference on Monday.
“When you do an aerosol-generating procedure like in a medical care facility, you have the possibility to what we call aerosolize these particles, which means they can stay in the air a little bit longer.” (CNBC)
The Alphabet coronavirus screening website that Trump talked about last week is not currently taking appointments
Alphabet’s Verily coronavirus site screening website for Silicon Valley residents went live on Sunday evening. By Monday morning, it appeared to be overloaded and cannot currently offer appointments for screenings, according to the website.
President Donald Trump announced the site on Friday, which was reportedly before Alphabet was ready to go public with the launch, and got some details about the site wrong.
The site, built by Google sister-company Verily, is supposed to offer people who live in San Mateo or Santa Clara counties and think they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms a way to schedule a test. Verily built the “Project Baseline” site in tandem with the California governor’s office and other local, state and federal officials. (CNBC)
8 steps to take if you can’t make ends meet because of the coronavirus
If you don’t have an emergency fund and are struggling to make ends meet during these uncertain times, here are eight steps to take.
Contact creditors right away
Create an “emergency” budget
Consider a personal loan
Use the product with the lowest interest rate
Send temporary hardship letters
Use community and government assistance programs
Draw on retirement savings
Avoid payday loans
With the coronavirus pandemic causing many workers to lose hours, it’s more important than ever to know what financial options you have.
More details: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/16/what-to-do-if-you-are-facing-financial-hardship-because-of-coronavirus.html
US won’t have enough hospital beds for pandemic, Cuomo says
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that the COVID-19 outbreak will stretch U.S. hospitals to max capacity, saying the nation doesn’t have enough hospital beds to handle a pandemic.
“When we’re going to have a real problem is when cases hit their apex and descend on the health-care system and we will not have enough hospital beds,” he said at a press conference.
Cuomo said he sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to deploy the Army Corps of Engineers to the state to “start building temporary health-care capacity.” (CNBC)
[ we need to do this! ]
Mnuchin, House working on ‘technical correction’ to coronavirus relief bill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he has yet to receive a final draft of the coronavirus relief bill that the House passed early Saturday.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Saturday that while he and the House had agreed on a second legislative package to help the country as it battles the virus, the two parties had also agreed to issue a “technical correction” to the bill on Monday.
“I don’t want people being surprised,” Mnuchin said. “We will be doing a technical correction on Monday morning.” He said that there was language he, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., agreed on that didn’t make it into the bill. (CNBC)
Regal to close all 542 movie theaters in the US
Regal, a subsidiary of Cineworld, said that starting Tuesday it would close all its 542 movie theaters to the public.“Any time, at any Regal, it’s our goal to provide a safe and healthy environment for our employees and guests,” Mooky Greidinger, Cineworld CEO, said in a statement. “At this time, we have made the difficult decision to close our theatres. We value our movie-loving customers and have no doubt we will be serving them again as soon as possible with a full slate of Hollywood blockbusters.” The company did not provide a timeline for when theaters would reopen. (CNBC)
Hospital masks will be rationed for health care workers in France, Macron says
From CNN’s Barbara Wojazer in Paris and Lauren Kent in London
The French government will pay for hotels, taxis and child care for health care staff during the coronavirus crisis, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a series of tweets Monday after addressing the nation.
“We owe the care of their children to our healthcare teams: a minimum service has been put in place, from today, in kindergartens and schools,” Macron said. “We also owe them serenity in their travel and rest: this is why, from tomorrow onwards, taxis and hotels can be mobilized for their benefit. The state will pay.”
Macron also said hospital masks will be rationed for health care workers.
“We have decided to reserve the masks as a priority for hospitals and for medical personnel in cities and in the countryside, especially for general practitioners and nurses, who are now at the front line of dealing with the crisis,” he said in a tweet.
<3
Children with COVID-19 show less severe symptoms than adults, study confirms
From CNN’s Gina Yu
Children in China infected with novel coronavirus showed less severe symptoms than adults, though infants and toddlers were vulnerable to moderate and severe infection, according to a new study published online in the medical journal Pediatrics on Monday.
The study examined 731 confirmed and 1,412 suspected cases of COVID-19 in children. Out of the combined 2,143 cases, one child, a 14-year-old boy, died and nearly 6% of cases were severe, compared with 18.5% of adults experiencing severe symptoms.
Young children, particularly infants, were vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, the authors of the study said. Nearly 11% of cases were severe and critical for infants less than 1 year old.
More than 90% of all pediatric patients were asymptomatic, showing mild or common forms of illness. About 13% of patients who tested positive for the virus did not show symptoms of illness.
Researchers remain unsure why children with COVID-19 were not as ill as adults.
World Health Organization issues new coronavirus clinical guidance for pregnant women
From CNN’s Jacqueline Howard
The World Health Organization has issued new clinical guidance on how to care for coronavirus patients who are children, older adults and pregnant women, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing on Monday.
“This is a serious disease. Although the evidence we have suggests that those over 60 are at highest risk, young people, including children, have died,” Tedros said.
Additionally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that women experience changes in their bodies during pregnancy that may increase their risk of some infections.
WHO’s guidance notes that “there is no evidence that pregnant women present with different signs or symptoms or are at higher risk of severe illness. So far, there is no evidence on mother-to-child transmission when infection manifests in the third trimester.”
Yet “considering asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 may be possible in pregnant or recently pregnant women, as with the general population, all women with epidemiologic history of contact should be carefully monitored,” the guidance says.
Also, “pregnant women with suspected, probable, or confirmed COVID-19, including women who may need to spend time in isolation, should have access” to appropriate care and “all recently pregnant women with COVID-19 or who have recovered from COVID-19 should be provided with information and counseling on safe infant feeding” as well as ways to prevent transmission of the virus, the guidance says.
The guidance also notes that currently there is no evidence that pregnant women present increased risk of severe illness or fetal compromise.
It is probably the last 5-25% of people, as opposed to the 75-95% of people who are probably doing it anyway out of fearful self-interest. However, in this case, some people on the financial edge may feel that it is necessary for them to keep going to work to earn money to pay for food, housing, etc…
The Bloomberg tweet by MSNBC made news over a week ago:
“Bad math at MSNBC: Bloomberg’s ad spending wasn’t enough to give every American $1 million”
I heard it live by Brian Williams and thought WTH. 