So many people are under stay at home orders. It’s time to
Open the streets to the people! (And close them to cars.)
Not all the streets, but cities like San Francisco could easily close up some streets so people have a place to get outside and walk and ride their bikes safely without having to be in crowds. New York is already doing it.
Sorry- my DHs cousin just died of COVID-19. 50 years old. Left a wife and 6 kids. STAY INSIDE.
How Russia is using authoritarian tech to curb coronavirus
By Mary Ilyushina, CNN
Moscow (CNN)Russia under President Vladimir Putin has pioneered authoritarian tech: Last year, the Kremlin leader approved measures that would enable the creation of a “sovereign” Russian internet, able to be firewalled from the rest of the world.
The Covid-19 pandemic is now giving Russian authorities an opportunity to test new powers and technology, and the country’s privacy and free-speech advocates worry the government is building sweeping new surveillance capabilities.
Perhaps the most well-publicized tech tool in Russia’s arsenal for fighting coronavirus is Moscow’s massive facial-recognition system. Rolled out earlier this year, the surveillance system had originally prompted an unusual public backlash, with privacy advocates filing lawsuits over unlawful surveillance.
Coronavirus, however, has given an unexpected public-relations boost to the system.
Last week, Moscow police claimed to have caught and fined 200 people who violated quarantine and self-isolation using facial recognition and a 170,000-camera system. According to a Russian media report some of the alleged violators who were fined had been outside for less than half a minute before they were picked up by a camera.
“We want there to be even more cameras so that that there is no dark corner or side street left,” Oleg Baranov, Moscow’s police chief, said in a recent briefing, adding that the service is currently working to install an additional 9,000 cameras.
The system has also been used to analyze the social networks of those who have or are suspected of having coronavirus. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin described in his official blog how municipal authorities tracked a Chinese woman who flew to the city from Beijing back in February.
While a test eventually came back negative, Sobyanin said the authorities located the taxi driver who took the woman home from the airport, a friend she met outside her apartment block in violation of the quarantine, and collected data on all 600 people living in her building.
And then there’s the use of geolocation to track coronavirus carriers. Epidemiologists see tracking and data-crunching as one important tool for tracking and localizing outbreaks, but Russia has taken a distinctive approach. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin earlier this week ordered Russia’s Ministry of Communications to roll out a tracking system based on “the geolocation data from the mobile providers for a specific person” by the end of this week.
In other words, the data hoovered up by the system will not be anonymous: According to a description in the government decree, information gathered under the tracking system will be used to send texts to those who have come into contact with a coronavirus carrier, and to notify regional authorities so they can put individuals into quarantine.
Such measures have prompted little public debate. And Russia is far from being the only country in the world that increased surveillance capabilities to curb the spread of the virus.
In Israel, the Shin Bet security service has shifted its powerful surveillance program to retrace the movements of coronavirus patients or suspected carriers. The mechanism is similar to that used in Russia – phone and credit card data are used for mapping, and health officials must then alert and quarantine people who were within 2 meters, for 10 minutes or more, of someone infected with the virus, according to the country’s Health Ministry.
The ministry said in a statement the information will only be used by its specialists and deleted after 60 days. But rights groups have filed a petition against it to the High Court of Justice, which warned it will shut the program down unless more oversight is in place. On Thursday, Shin Bet said in a statement that it helped the health authorities to identify and isolate more than 500 residents who were found to be sick with the coronavirus.
In South Korea, the government used data from credit card transactions, phone geolocation and surveillance footage to give detailed information on coronavirus patients, without identifying them by name, according to a government website. The result was a map where people can see if they were in close proximity to a coronavirus carrier. Detailed histories led to some patients being doxxed – having their personal information outed without consent – and authorities decided to scale down the data-sharing policies.
Mobile carriers in the European Union are sharing data with health authorities in Italy, Germany and Austria to help monitor how people comply with social distancing, Reuters reported. The US government is looking into using anonymous data gleaned by tech giants for similar purposes, according to The Washington Post. But in Russia, privacy advocates worry that the country’s use of facial recognition had already been a legal gray zone; stricter measures amid coronavirus could allow the state to exert even more control over its citizens once the epidemic is over.
“The difference lies with the countries that have a higher culture of privacy and a significant limitation of access and use of this data,” said Sarkis Darbinyan, a lawyer with Roskomsvoboda, a non-government organization that tracks online freedoms in Russia. “The scariest thing is that the epidemic will end someday, but these measures I’m sure will stay.”
Meanwhile, Russia plans to expand its existing systems as the number of coronavirus cases grows. But Moscow’s system of Big Brother surveillance is far from perfect. Outside Russia’s capital, facial recognition is usually limited to airports and railway stations, but the government says it is preparing to tap into other surveillance tools in an effort to further map out the virus patterns.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/29/europe/russia-coronavirus-authoritarian-tech-intl/index.html
Singapore cancels citizen’s passport for breaching home quarantine requirements
From Chermaine Lee in Hong Kong
Singapore canceled the passport of a citizen for breaching stay-at-home notice requirements, according to a statement from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority released on Sunday.
The 53-year-old male Singaporean citizen was reported to arrive at Singapore from Indonesia on March 19, after Singapore imposed a mandatory 14-day home quarantine on all travelers from March 16. He was required to be quarantined, but decided to return to Indonesia on the same day.
On March 24, he returned to Singapore again and was asked to be quarantined for another 14 days.
The Ministry of Health is investigating his breach of stay-at-home notice requirements.
Draconian measures: Singapore has introduced new laws governing social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak that could see offenders serve six months in jail.
Those who do not keep at least 1 meter (3.2 feet) apart, or who meet in groups of more than 10 people outside of work or school, could face a fine of up to 10,000 Singapore dollars ($7,000) and/or up to six months’ imprisonment.
South Korea to expand two-week quarantine to all incoming travelers
From CNN’s Jake Kwon in Seoul
All travelers entering South Korea will be subjected to two weeks of mandatory quarantine starting midnight on Wednesday, April 1, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced Sunday.
“The measure will also include short-term foreign visitors in order to practically block the entry for unimportant purposes, such as tourism,” Chung said during a Central Disaster Relief headquarters meeting.
Those who don’t have an address in the country will be quarantined in a government provided facility for two weeks at their own expense.
Previously, the mandatory quarantine order was for travelers coming into South Korea from the US and Europe.
Domestic flights in China’s Hubei province resume
From Alexander Lin and Chermaine Lee in Hong Kong
Domestic flights will resume in Hubei province, except in the city of Wuhan, from Sunday midnight local time, according to a statement from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Cargo flights will resume as well as passenger flights.
The Chinese government has been steadily reducing the restrictions on Hubei and other previously heavily affected provinces, as the number of coronavirus cases has continued to fall.
Today China reported 45 new cases, all but one of which came from outside the country.
Flights to and from Wuhan, the original epicenter of the virus, will resume at midnight on April 8 when the city’s lockdown is expected to be lifted.
So, so sorry to hear that. 
California state parks closed to vehicle access after ‘visitation surge’ Saturday
From CNN’s Cheri Mossburg
California is temporarily closing vehicle access at its 280 state parks due to a surge in visitors on Saturday, according to a press release from the state department of Parks and Recreation.
“On Saturday, many state parks once again experienced visitation surges that made it impossible for the public to implement appropriate social/physical distancing practices,” according to the release.
Campgrounds have already been closed and certain parks and beaches were already closed to vehicles, the release said.
I’m looking toward Florida and the other states around there that aren’t doing stay at home with horror. It’s going to be so, so bad. New York was late in shutting down, but Florida? Oh no. Oh no.
Oooh, Big Basin with no cars sounds good.
CBS News executive dies from coronavirus
From CNN’s Brian Stelter
Maria Mercader, a CBS News producer and talent executive, has died of Covid-19 in New York, according to a news release from CBS News.
Mercader, 54, worked at CBS for three decades, most recently as a director of talent strategy. She “courageously fought cancer and related illnesses for 20 years, enduring numerous treatments and surgeries,” CBS said.
“To her colleagues and family, she was an inspiration and a symbol of hope each time she returned to work after the latest medical setback threatened to end her life,” CBS said.
“Maria was a friend to all,” said Laurie Orlando, senior vice president of talent for CBS News. “It’s nearly impossible to be someone EVERYONE loves, but Maria was. She always had a warm hug, a word of advice or support and a big smile for everyone in her life. She was a bright light and will be sorely missed.”
Mercader helped produce breaking news coverage during her years working on the foreign and national desks of CBS News, including the death of Princess Diana and the 9/11 attacks, the release said. She won a business Emmy in 2004 for her work on a CBS “Sunday Morning” report on computer spam.
Mercader is survived by her father, Manuel and brother, Manuel, the release said.
Amazon workers plan strike at Staten Island warehouse to demand coronavirus protections
Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island plan to strike on Monday to call attention to the lack of protections for employees who continue to come to work amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Nearly 100 workers at the facility, known as JFK8, plan to participate in the work stoppage. The employees will walk out Monday morning and “cease all operations” until their demands are heard by site leadership, said Chris Smalls, a management assistant at JFK8 and a lead organizer of the strike.
Smalls and other associates said they’ve grown increasingly concerned about coming into work after an employee tested positive for the virus there last week. Amazon said it was supporting the individual who is in quarantine and taking “extreme measures” to ensure employees are safe at the site. The company said the facility would remain open. (CNBC)
The coronavirus is starting to hit rural America hard
The coronavirus is rapidly surging throughout the United States, with some small rural counties leading the country in per capita rates of confirmed cases, according to a CNBC data analysis.
Rural counties like Gunnison County, Colorado; Blaine County, Idaho; and Summit County, Utah have all been struggling with a recent surge in infections. The counties, located in states popular for skiing and hiking, are now grappling with tourists spreading infections and overwhelming local hospitals.
The sparsely populated areas are ill-equipped to deal with the rapid spreads, and mayors and county officials are pointing to a major lack of testing and medical supplies for patients. (CNBC)
I agree. My D20 is pretty likely to be enrolling in one of the Florida universities, and I am watching it with total horror. My best guess is that her first semester, at the very least, is going to be all online. I can’t see how the state is going to have any sort of handle on the situation before the start of the school year.
Idk why we make the same mistakes over and over again. We missed the opportunities with Wuhan, again in Washington, then Italy, now New York…The politicians have a horrible short term memory.
Writer writes about the desire to know how the initial dose of virus relates to the severity of the COVID-19 disease. I.e. it is possible that a small initial dose (e.g. from incidental contact) could increase the chance of a mild of asymptomatic case of COVID-19 that has an immunizing effect, while a large initial dose (e.g. for a health care worker caring for COVID-19 patients or family members living with a COVID-19 patient) could increase the risk of a severe case of COVID-19. But that is not known, and there may not be time to research it in the midst of a health care crisis (also, measuring the initial dose of virus for someone infected in the wild is not easy).
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/04/06/how-does-the-coronavirus-behave-inside-a-patient
25-year-old Western Michigan student dies from the coronavirus weeks before graduation. So sad.
Hint: for the sake of your sanity, please don’t read the comments.
Blast from the past’: Some drive-in movie theaters are making a comeback amid coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic has led to the closures of movie theaters across the country and the delay of coveted 2020 blockbusters like Disney and Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow” and MGM’s James Bond film “No Time To Die.”
But that does not mean going to the movies is out of the question.
Drive-in theaters throughout the U.S. have not only remained open, but have seen spikes in revenue as consumers desperately look for ways to escape their houses while abiding by the rules of social distancing.
Andrew Thomas, the owner of the Showboat Drive-In Theater in Hockley, Texas, saw a 40% increase in sales revenue two weeks ago, and a 95% increase this past week.
“Everyone is looking for a way to feel normal and this is a way of being safe,” Thomas said. “I spend all day answering emails from people who never heard of us before because they are trying to find something to do.” (CNBC)
UK lockdown must be lifted gradually, could last six months, medical official says
Premium: Piccadilly Circus Under Covid-19 Outbreak In London
Britons may be subject to some form of lockdown measures for six months or longer, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries said, warning the country faces a second wave of coronavirus if they are lifted too quickly.
The government has said it will review in three weeks the lockdown steps it put in place last Monday. Harries said it is too soon to know if they have had the desired effect of reducing the peak of the spread of the virus in Britain.
“We must not then suddenly revert to our normal way of living, that would be quite dangerous. If we stop then all of our efforts will be wasted and we could potentially see a second peak,” Harries told a news conference. —Reuters
The US needs to have 2 weeks with ‘sustained reduction’ in daily cases before social distancing restrictions can be loosened, Gottlieb says
There will be a coronavirus therapeutic very soon: Former FDA head Scott Gottlieb
With the number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. continuing to climb each day, it’s “too early” to lift COVID-19 mitigation measures, Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said.
“April is going to be a hard month,” Gottlieb said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Come May, “we’ll be able to contemplate lifting some of these measures, as we see the epidemic curve come down.”
Before social distancing restrictions can be loosened, the country needs to see 14 days of “sustained reductions” in the number of daily cases, Gottlieb said.
Another requirement, Gottlieb said, is having “the ability to test the population widely, so you can determine who has the infection and who doesn’t.”
By the end of this week, Gottlieb said the U.S. should have the ability to complete 750,000 tests a week, and “close to a million” by the following week. He added that the limitation on testing is a low supply of materials used to make test kits such as swabs and plastic components because the supply chain has been affected by the crisis.
The lifting of the aggressive social distancing measures will not be simultaneous around the country, Gottlieb said. A city like New York City could come down before other parts of the country, he said. (CNBC)
Under the circumstances, there may be spots opening up in schools in different states. If your daughter is using Bright Futures, then I guess it’s Florida or nothing, but if she just wants to be in Florida, does she really want to be in Florida 2020? Because Florida 2019 isn’t on offer right now.
From my readings during the initial month as the virus spread in China and then other parts of Asia, there was some anecdotal talk of this but haven’t seen any confirmation or studies.
@katliamom In response to the recent traveler from Australia who wasn’t questioned upon arrival – amazingly, the CDC policy now seems to be “who cares?” This from a NY Times story:
"the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in recent days have allowed hundreds of exposed and ill cruise passengers to travel on commercial flights across the country, potentially jeopardizing everyone from flight attendants to airport restaurant workers, to unwitting fellow passengers.
The reason, C.D.C. officials said, is that the outbreak has entered a “new phase” in which so many people are returning from countries affected by the virus that the priority is to get evacuated passengers home quickly, where they can self-isolate."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/us/coronavirus-cruise-ships-zandaam.html?searchResultPosition=2
In HI, violation of quarantine for people arriving is checked by random phone calls from dept of health and can any violation can result in fines in fines of $5000 and/or 1 year prison. Returning residents can choose quarantine in their home.
WOW! ^ That’s horrid. Well, I can tell you they weren’t checking people coming back from Italy on 3/10 so they must have only taken it semi-seriously for a week max - the days certain airports were jammed for hours, thus certainly creating more cases.
“I’d like to see a study that is (1) not out of a lab that is already known to fake data and (2) double blinded. I don’t think this is too much to ask. If the combination actually works, it works for doctors who don’t fake data too.”
Sure, that’s why they have to test it. If you don’t test, you won’t know. It will take another 7-10 days to get better data. Usually these studies take months but it is not a luxury we have.
I hope that if it works, we can all rejoice, right ?