Dr Fauci is kind of a cute dude. Rockstar for 79.
Holy cross grad too!
Brazil’s polemicist president Jair Bolsonaro has sparked further outrage by insinuating that the number of coronavirus cases here is being inflated for political purposes and declaring: “Some people will die. I’m sorry. That’s life.”
Bolsonaro is facing furious criticism for his slaphappy handling of the coronavirus crisis, which he continues to dismiss as overblown and has called a media “trick”.
But on Friday afternoon — as the death toll here rose to 92, with 3,417 cases — he doubled down on his position telling Brazilian television he suspected those figures were being inflated by a political rival and denouncing coronavirus “alarmism”.
Bolsonaro subsequently admitted lives would be lost but added: “That’s life.”
“You can’t shut down a car factory because people die in traffic accidents,” Bolsonaro said.
Brazil’s far-right leader — who is pushing for tough lockdown measures to be lifted in states across the country — is facing growing fury from across the political spectrum and the country’s media.
In an article titled “Trial of the future”, the Brazilian writer Ruy Castro captured the revolt: “There’s a sense that, if Jair Bolsonaro isn’t tied to a tree and gagged, before making any more disastrous moves, the cost in lives will be incalculable. But one day these lives will be counted.”
Castro added: “Every single member of the government who, with their deeds or words, opposed the policy of social distancing and helped coronavirus spread will have to pay the price … It isn’t right to call Jair Bolsonaro irresponsible. He is the person most responsible for whatever happens in Brazil — and he will have to answer for it.” (Guardian)
Social distancing appears to be keeping the coronavirus at bay in a Canadian province — a rare moment of positive news as cases around the world continue to surge.
“I’m trying not to over-call it, but I do believe we’ve seen a flattening, a falling-off of that curve,” said Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s top medical officer.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Henry said the extreme measures taken by the province in recent weeks—shutting down schools, non-essential businesses— have shown promising results.
“What we need, though, is for everybody to continue to pay attention to these measures so we can continue to prevent transmissions in our communities … for the coming weeks.”
The daily rate of growth of coronavirus cases in the province has been cut from 24% to 12%, far lower than that of China and Italy during their severe outbreaks.
The updated figures comes amid a report from the province that suggests it is well-equipped to handle a Hubei-like breakout of infections. A level of spread similar to that of Italy’s Lombardy region, however, would stress the system— but the province nonetheless believes it has sufficient ventilators.
More than 4,600 cases have been reported in Canada, with 725 in British Columbia as of Thursday.
Syria said on Friday it was banning travel between cities and governorates as part of tightening measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, state-run Ikhbariya TV reported, citing the interior minister.
Syria has recorded five cases of corona virus so far but relief agencies worry that any outbreak could be lethal after years of conflict that has ravaged its healthcare system, Reuters reports.
The travel restriction, effective from Sunday, comes on top of a curfew announced this week from 6pm to 6am and after the country has halted flights and ordered the closure of most businesses.
Humanitarian agencies have expressed deep concern over the prospect of coronavirus spreading in Syria’s northwest, where hundreds of thousands of people displaced by war live in tightly packed camps and have severely limited access to healthcare.
In the US, Donuts Delite in Rochester is selling doughnuts featuring the face of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s – the doctor leading the US battle with coronavirus – surrounded by white frosting and topped off with patriotic sprinkles. 
Guardian
While everyone here was bickering about political biases, did anyone notice the COVID-19 bill was passed and signed?
For more information about what is in it, see:
https://www.crfb.org/blogs/whats-2-trillion-coronavirus-relief-package
Text here:
Hospital ship arrives in LA as California braces for crisis on par with New York
The Mercy hospital ship docked on Friday morning at the Port of Los Angeles, joining California’s battle against the coronavirus as the state prepares to meet New York City levels of demand on hospitals, possibly within days.
The Mercy is one of two supertankers the navy converted to a floating hospital. Typically deployed to provide disaster relief, the ship has fully equipped operating rooms, a 1,000-bed hospital facility, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, and a landing deck for military helicopters.
Speaking from an afternoon press conference, with navy ships as a backdrop, California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, said the Mercy was fully staffed and operational with 800 medical staffers and 12 operating rooms. It would be ready to start taking patients as early as tomorrow, Newsom said. (Guardian)
SF secures 300 hotel rooms for self-quarantine, will open new shelter at convention center
San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Friday announced that the city had secured 300 hotel rooms for the purpose of self-isolating people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
The city also will open a new shelter at its Moscone West convention facility. The 300 leased hotel rooms will be used to quarantine seniors, homeless people, first responders and health care workers who have tested positive for the coronavirus or under investigation for the illness and need to be isolated.
The city is also in the process of finalizing leases for an additional 3,000 hotel rooms next week, according to the office of the mayor. The new shelter at the Moscone West convention center will allow the city to house more vulnerable populations who are required to practice social distancing.
The shelter will allow the city to relocate some people from other shelters. Moscone West is typically used to house company conventions, such as the Worldwide Developers Conference where Apple has previously announced many of its iPhone and Mac products. “At a time when we’re encouraging everyone who can to stay home and stay six feet apart when they do go out, it’s important that our shelters and navigation centers also have the space to follow the public health requirements,” Breed said in a statement. CNBC
Airbnb freezes hiring and suspends marketing due to coronavirus
Airbnb will institute a hiring freeze and suspend its marketing as the company adjusts to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its business, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.
The company’s founders will also be taking on no salary and its executives will take a 50% salary reduction for the next six months. Additionally, employees have been told that it is unlikely that they will get their 2020 bonus. The hiring freeze will impact all roles with the exception of a very small number of critical positions, according to the person, who asked to remain anonymous discussing internal matters.
It’s a dramatic turn of events for Airbnb, which was poised to be the hottest tech IPO (or direct listing) of the year until the COVID-19 crisis struck the U.S. last month. CNBC
Yes. It was discussed many pages back.
We knew it was going to pass and be signed days ago. So the only real news was acknowledgment that it happened.
CC doesn’t represent the country’s demographics so of course they’re not going to reflect common polls. CC tends to skew highly educated and professional/upper class. That is a much different political demographic than “60%” of America.
Wow, @SATXMom2 - it looks like most of those spring breakers in Ft. Lauderdale went home to the upper midwest and mid atlantic states.
I wanted to travel a lot with H this year. We got a free companion pass on SW. We had several places we were excited to go to for the first time. Unfortunately, travel is by far the biggest vector with this disease. Air travel spreads it further and faster than other modes, but they ALL spread the disease. It is not a slow moving virus like HIV or Ebola - we really can’t keep up with it.
We need treatments and a vaccine ASAP. All this sniping doesn’t help at all. (But I will accept sniping from a cave dwelling hermit who has stayed put for at least 2 years.)
The video is on twitter, Techtonix GEO
He has tough competition in Mike Pence, though.
I’ve been teaching myself Italian but started it before the virus hit. I’ve been many times and had planned to go back soon but obviously that won’t be happening for quite some time. Now I am unable to even see family members.
Bank of America announced that it will not reduce any staff or have any layoffs related to Covid 19 through 2021.
Someone had been asking, several pages ago, for rates of illness per capita and rates of death per capita. This article has several charts that illustrate that, and compare to Wuhan and Lombardy. Some of the charts I find a little tricky to read. Others are crystal clear, sadly.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/27/upshot/coronavirus-new-york-comparison.html
Checking in from Westchester County NY - one of the early epicenters and supposedly the most per capita testing in the USA… As of late afternoon Friday, over 7100 positives, 10 fatalities, and 73 hospitalized. Surprised those latter two numbers aren’t higher. Afraid those numbers are going to jump but trying to be hopeful.
Our company is continuing to hire. I had a couple of job openings and were interviewing, and a couple of near hiring, all got stopped bc of covid lockdown until now. I was told to resume and “make it work”. Honestly I don’t even want to take on newbies while working remotely. How do I even give them laptop without going to the office. The only offices open are where the manufacturing plants are. IT is still on site for those plants. Such a logistical nightmare but it will make a few lucky people happy. We will see.
This is extremely promising! Once these are distributed to hospitals, the next area they would be helpful at would be AIRPORTs. This is probably some the best news we’ve had in a while. I saw a segment on this - and it tests positive in 5 minutes and negative in (max) 15 m.
**USA - 18,691 new cases totaling 104,126 and 401 new deaths totaling 1,696.
ITALY - 5,909 new cases totaling 86,498 and 919 new deaths totaling 9,134.
CHINA - 54 new cases (all imported) totaling 81,394 and 3 new deaths (all Hubei) totaling 3,295.
China announced it will be closing its borders to non-citizens effective 3/28.
SPAIN - 7,933 new cases totaling 65,719 and 773 new deaths totaling 5,138.
GERMANY - 6,933 new cases totaling 50,871 and 84 new deaths totaling 351.
FRANCE - 3,809 new cases totaling 32,964 and 299 new deaths totaling 1,995.
IRAN - 2,926 new cases totaling 32,332 and 144 new deaths totaling 2,378.
UK - 2,885 new cases totaling 14,543 and 181 new deaths totaling 759.
SWITZERLAND - 1,117 new cases totaling 12,928 and 39 new deaths totaling 231.
S. KOREA - 146 new cases totaling 9,478 and 5 new deaths totaling 144.
NETHERLANDS - 1,172 new cases totaling 8,603 and 112 new deaths totaling 546.
AUSTRIA - 788 new cases totaling 7,697 and 9 new deaths totaling 58.
BELGIUM - 1,049 new cases totaling 7,284 and 69 new deaths totaling 289.
*TURKEY - 2,069 new cases totaling 5,698 and 17 new deaths totaling 92.
CANADA - 714 new cases totaling 4,757 and 16 new deaths totaling 55.
PORTUGAL - 724 new cases totaling 4,268 and 16 new deaths totaling 76.
NORWAY - 399 new cases totaling 3,771 and 5 new deaths totaling 19.
BRAZIL - 432 new cases totaling 3,417 and 15 new deaths totaling 92.
AUSTRALIA - 328 new cases totaling 3,378 and no new deaths totaling 13.
ISRAEL - 342 new cases totaling 3,035 and 4 new deaths totaling 12.
CZECH REPUBLIC - 354 new cases totaling 2,279 and no new deaths totaling 9.
MALAYSIA - 130 new cases totaling 2,161 and 3 new deaths totaling 26.
IRELAND - 302 new cases totaling 2,121 and 3 new deaths totaling 22.
DENMARK - 169 new cases totaling 2,046 and 11 new deaths totaling 52.
ECUADOR - 224 new cases totaling 1,627 and 7 new deaths totaling 41.
*CHILE - 304 new cases totaling 1,610 and 1 new death totaling 5.
LUXEMBOURG - 152 new cases totaling 1,605 and 6 new deaths totaling 15.
JAPAN - 112 new cases totaling 1,499 and 2 new deaths totaling 49.
POLAND - 168 new cases totaling 1,389 and no new deaths totaling 16.
PAKISTAN - 172 new cases totaling 1,373 and 2 new deaths totaling 11.
*ROMANIA - 263 new cases totaling 1,292 and 3 new deaths totaling 26.
*SOUTH AFRICA - 243 new cases totaling 1,170 and 1st death.
THAILAND - 91 new cases totaling 1,136 and 1 new death totaling 5.
SAUDI ARABIA - 92 new cases totaling 1,104 and no new deaths totaling 3.
*INDONESIA - 153 new cases totaling 1,046 and 9 new deaths totaling 87.
*RUSSIA - 196 new cases totaling 1,036 and 1 new death totaling 4.
ICELAND - 88 new cases totaling 890 and no new deaths totaling 2.
*INDIA - 160 new cases totaling 887 and no new deaths totaling 20.
PHILIPPINES - 96 new cases totaling 803 and 9 new deaths totaling 54.
PANAMA - 112 new cases totaling 786 and 5 new deaths totaling 14.
SINGAPORE - 49 new cases totaling 732.
*PERU - 55 new cases totaling 635 and 2 new deaths totaling 11.
CROATIA - 91 new cases totaling 586.
MEXICO - 110 new cases totaling 585 and 2 new deaths totaling 8.
*DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 93 new cases totaling 581 and 10 new deaths totaling 30.
EGYPT - 41 new cases totaling 536 and 6 new deaths totaling 30.
SERBIA - 71 new cases totaling 528 and 1 new death totaling 8.
HONG KONG - 65 new cases totaling 519 and no new deaths totaling 4.
*IRAQ - 76 new cases totaling 458 and 4 new deaths totaling 40.
ALGERIA - 42 new cases totaling 409 and 1 new death totaling 26.
UAE - 72 new cases totaling 405.
LITHUANIA - 59new cases totaling 358 and 1 new death totaling 5.
*MOROCCO - 70 new cases totaling 345 and 12 new deaths totaling 23.
*UKRAINE - 114 new cases totaling 310 and no new deaths totaling 5.
US Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan restricts movements after sailors test positive
From CNN’s Chermaine Lee in Hong Kong
The US naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, went into lockdown for 48 hours starting Friday night local time after two sailors tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a statement.
Commanding officer Captain Rich Jarrett announced a measure of a modified “shelter in place,” ceasing all non-essential services and limiting movement on and off the installation.
Non-emergency base services are closed, except the commissary, a mini mart, and some food outlets. Transit on and off the base has been restricted to movement to and from appointed place of duty only or other mission-related tasks.
Jarrett said at a media briefing that the decision will be reviewed after 48 hours.
“With the unknown origins of these new cases, we need to take some immediate conservative actions to protect the health of our community until the nature of the public health threat can be characterized,” Jarrett said. “I am asking everyone to do their part to by limiting their activity to their quarters to maximum extent possible.”
US researchers are decontaminating N95 masks so doctors can reuse them
From CNN’s Scottie Andrew
The N95 respirator masks that health care workers need to protect themselves while treating coronavirus patients are in dangerously short supply.
So much so that physicians are wearing used respirators, risking infection to care for patients.
But now, Duke University researchers have developed a method to clean them.
The Duke Regional Biocontainment Laboratory team has already decontaminated hundreds of N95 respirators without damaging them so they can be re-worn several times. It could provide significant relief for hospitals running low on supply.
The researchers published their decontaminating protocol so other hospitals can follow their lead.
Using vaporized hydrogen peroxide, the researchers can kill microbial contaminants that lurk on the masks after they’re worn.
It’s a method that labs have used for decades to decontaminate equipment, said Wayne Thomann, director emeritus of the Duke Occupational & Environmental Safety Office.
But they never thought they’d need it for face masks.
[ @WayOutWestMom I read your post in another thread about your doctor daughter. Are they using a similar process? ]
“While everyone here was bickering about political biases, did anyone notice the COVID-19 bill was passed and signed”
yes , some of us noticed
.I was one of the first to post it.
Thousands of graduating nursing students are unable to help battle US virus epidemic
From CNN’s Alexandra Meeks and Stephanie Elam
Despite an alarming shortage of nursing staff and resources at hospitals across the United States, at least 10,000 graduating nursing students in California may not be able to join the novel coronavirus fight because of state regulations preventing them from becoming licensed.
California requires nurses to pass an exam issued by the National Council State Boards of Nursing. However, several graduating students told CNN they are struggling to secure exam dates because testing facilities have scaled down operations over coronavirus concerns.
Stuck at home: Many have also been unable to work mandatory clinical hours shadowing medical professionals because hospitals remain under lockdown orders. Still other students have told CNN they are experiencing delays obtaining their school transcripts for applications because many universities have closed or transitioned to online studies until further notice.
“We’re sitting at home with skills that could be an asset to any one of the hospitals here in California,” Stanbridge University nursing student Danielle Kaplan told CNN. “We’re not asking for any type of change in patient care or how well patients are treated. We just want to advocate for the thousands of us who simply want to help.”
Kaplan launched an online petition pleading with Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Board of Registered Nursing to consider waiving regulations so they can help respond to the influx of Covid-19 patients. As of Friday evening, the petition had more than 1,500 signatures.
“We are already in that process to expand their licensing capacity to meet this moment,” Newsom said at a press conference Friday when asked about the nursing students. “Those conversations are well underway.”
Officials with the California Health and Human Services Agency told CNN they are actively working on solutions to address the coronavirus crisis.
“As you can imagine, we are looking at a myriad options to address COVID-19. We don’t have any updates on nursing students for you,” Kate Folmar, deputy secretary at the agency, told CNN in a statement Friday.
Emergency solution: Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state would temporarily issue permits to graduating nurses yet to take the licensing exam and suspend other regulations for students to assist with the Covid-19 response. It is unclear if or when California will follow.
“There are a lot of people who want to help who have the knowledge and education to help but they just don’t have the piece of paper to enable them to do that,” Robert Murray, a graduating nursing student at Stanbridge University, told CNN.
The California Department of Consumer Affairs did not respond to CNN requests for comment.
Trump chips away at Congress’ role in coronavirus relief oversight
The $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill establishes a “special inspector general” to review and investigate loan decisions made by the treasury secretary.
President Donald Trump intends to ignore provisions in the newly passed $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill intended to shore up Congress’ oversight of the massive rescue program.
The legislation establishes a “special inspector general” to review and investigate loan decisions made by the treasury secretary as part of the coronavirus relief effort, an accountability measure that was a central part of Democrats’ demands to shore up transparency in the bill. The provision requires the inspector general to notify Congress if he or she is “unreasonably refused or not provided” any information.
But in a signing statement issued shortly after he approved the bill, Trump says he’ll be the last word on whether this provision is followed.
U.S. Cases Exceed 100,000
The U.S. surpassed 100,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, led by a continued jump in infections in New York and in new hot spots across the country.
Last Friday, the number of confirmed infections in the country exceeded 16,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. By Tuesday, that figure was 55,000. Two days later, it had surpassed all other countries’ reported totals, with just over 85,000.
The pandemic has swiftly reverberated across the U.S., shutting schools, businesses, arenas and parks and silencing once-busy thoroughfares. A record 3.28 million workers applied for unemployment benefits last week. Hospital capacity in places like New York and Seattle has already passed a tipping point even as the health crisis continues to unfold.