(2020-03-15). UK to put all citizens over 70 into isolation for MONTHS as coronavirus spreads across the country. rt.com 
UK's Health Secretary confirmed plans to isolate people aged over 70 for up to four months amid a coronavirus pandemic. The goal is to protect them, but critics say it may be a really bad idea. | Isolating the elderly is "clearly in the action plan" Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told Sky News, confirming earlier reports in the British media. "We will be setting it out with more detail when it's the right time to do," he added, which may come within weeks. | "We absolutely appreciate that it is a very big ask of the elderly and the vulnerable, and it's for their own self-protection," Hancock told Sky News'
(2020-03-15). South Africa declares Covid-19 national emergency. rt.com 
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national state of disaster due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. So far, 61 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in the country. | The president warned that the epidemic might have a significant and "potentially lasting" effect on the country's economy, which is already in recession. Earlier this week, the World Health Organization classified the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. Over 160,000 people have contracted the disease worldwide, while more than 6,400 died.
(2020-03-15). Latest travel guidance as number of countries affected by coronavirus rises. thecanary.co 
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has affected thousands of people across the world as the World Health Organisation has reported cases in 135 countries, territories or areas.As a result of Covid-19, or coronavirus, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued travel advice warning people against visiting certain countries or areas.Here is a look at the current guidance, which advises against all but essential travel to 23 countries: China: The FCO advises against all travel to Hubei province due to the outbreak, and against all but essential travel to the rest of mainland China. If you are in China…
(2020-03-15). Mandates above all? Macron declares himself 'guarantor of HEALTH & democracy' as Paris pushes citizens to vote amid coronavirus. rt.com 
The pandemic has put France on lockdown, with public venues and shops shut down. Polling stations, however, were not only spared, but Paris eagerly pushed the people to vote in local polls, despite health concerns and criticism. | The unstoppable spread of the new coronavirus, known as Covid-19 has prompted the French government to shut down all "non-essential" public venues, be they shops, bars, restaurants, or even schools. Still, the polling stations appear to be just essential enough for Paris to be willing to risk the lives of the French electorate. | Despite the growing threat of the disease outbreak, wh…
(2020-03-15). Netanyahu takes test for coronavirus despite lack of ANY symptoms amid trial delay uproar. rt.com 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and people close to him have been tested for coronavirus, the PM's office reported. None of those tested had symptoms of the disease. | The announcement comes as Israel is ramping up measures to battle the spread of the deadly virus with travel restrictions and surveillance of known patients. The epidemic also gave the prime minister a two-month reprieve before his corruption trial after his government imposed a ban on most court sessions in the country. | Later in the day, the PM's office confirmed that Netanyahu had tested negative for the dreaded virus. | The develo…
(2020-03-15). Israel's Netanyahu tests negative for coronavirus… but his rival is entrusted with forming govt. rt.com 
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Sunday flaunted a negative result for his Covid-19 test, branded "manipulation" by his rival Benny Gantz. The stunt seemingly didn't help, as Gantz was then tapped to form the government. | The prime minister and those working close to him, had been tested for the deadly virus as a "precaution," while none of them displayed any symptoms of the disease. | The coronavirus test was harshly criticized by Netanyahu's political rival, the head of centrist Blue and White party Benny Gantz, who blamed the PM for staging a public stunt and "manipulating" the people. While the i…
(2020-03-15). 'Don't be in a rush to die, you'll die anyway': Chechen leader Kadyrov urges public to stop panicking over coronavirus. rt.com 
With hysteria over the coronavirus on the rise, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has urged his countrymen to keep calm, not to shun traditional medicine, and care less about what is beyond one's control — as we are all mortal. | Kadyrov, the long-time leader of Russia's Chechen Republic, has offered his take on today's boiling issue — the coronavirus pandemic — injecting some wisdom of his own into the debate. | Arguing that the fears over the disease that manifests itself with flu-like symptoms have been blown out of proportion, Kadyrov called on the public to come to their senses and stop overth…
(2020-03-15). Coronavirus, Epidemics and Capitalism: The Bugs Are in the System. indybay.org Radical Women supports and recommends this thoughtful analysis of the novel coronavirus by our sister organization, the Freedom Socialist Party. The statement raises excellent demands to protect workers, women, the poor, and people of color being scapegoated for the crisis.
(2020-03-15). Branson is now literally milking coronavirus for all it's worth. thecanary.co Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a global pandemic which could potentially affect nearly everyone on the planet. Yet, while most people are rightly concerned about the potentially life-threatening health complications, a select few, Coronavirus bail-outs: | It's been
(2020-03-15). Health Care Workers on Front Lines of COVID-19 Outbreak Lack Key Protections. truthout.org Across the country, health care and domestic workers lack key health and workplace protections as COVID-19 continues to spread. Advocates and nurse unions said this puts people working on the front lines of the effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in danger of contracting the novel strain of coronavirus, which could create shortages of caregivers and contribute to the spread of disease. | Based on recent surveys of nurses working in hospitals nationwide, National Nurses United has been war…
(2020-03-15). NHS helpline is 'absolutely inundated' says Scottish MP with suspected coronavirus. thecanary.co A self-isolating MP has said the health service's 111 helpline has been "absolutely inundated" due to the changing advice about the coronavirus outbreak. | The SNP's Dr Lisa Cameron revealed on Friday she had Covid-19 symptoms and had been told to self-isolate for seven days. | Although she has not been officially diagnosed with the virus following a change to guidance about who needs to be tested, Dr Cameron said she was feeling "very, very tired," adding: "Exhaustion has been the largest symptom for me." | Speaking via videolink on Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday show, Cameron said she thought the NHS 111 number wa…
(2020-03-15). Postponement of Signature Gathering for Voter Right to Decide on Downtown Parking Garage. indybay.org [March 13, 2020] To help reduce the serious risk of COVID-19 spreading in our community, the Campaign for Sustainable Transportation is postponing petition signature gathering to place on the ballot Santa Cruz city voters' right to decide on future construction of a parking garage downtown. CFST wants our community to thrive, and there is no more fundamental basis for the common good than public health. Each of us individually and all of us collectively must work to create a sustainable community and a sustainable planet. We will reevaluate how to proceed in light of developments as they unfold.
(2020-03-15). ILWU & Migrant Organizations Defend Grand Princess Crew & US Workers. indybay.org The Bay Area ILWU and migrant rights organizations joined together to support the Grand Princess crew health and safety as. well as the health and safety conditions of longshore workers and all port workers. They also discussed the fight of all working people to defend and protect their health and safety rights.
(2020-03-15). COVID-19: Information Must Drive Global and National Responses to the Epidemic. zcomm.org The spread of COVID-19 is aided and abetted by misinformation that circumnavigates the planet in microseconds. The only defense against panic is agile, accurate, available counter-information that conveys a consistently science-driven narrative…
(2020-03-15). Coronavirus Panic: Toilet Paper Is the "People's Vaccine" globalresearch.ca The coronavirus panic has resulted in hordes of people running after toilet paper. Such actions are the flip side of running with the bulls, except that I suspect those who run with the bulls have some sense of why they …
(2020-03-15). Hindu Group Throws Cow Urine Party in New Delhi to Ward Off Novel Coronavirus – Report. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Even as medical practitioners globally are burning the midnight oil to find a cure for COVID-19, a Hindu group seems to have discovered another way of dealing with the virus, recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.
(2020-03-15). Mexico Warns Coronavirus May Last One Year, Tightens Curbs. sputniknews.com Mexico has registered 15 new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the number of those who have contracted the infection to 41, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said earlier in the day.
(2020-03-15). Madrid on Partial Lockdown as Coronavirus Outbreak Declared Pandemic – Video. sputniknews.com The World Health Organisation has declared the spread of COVID-19 a pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 156,000 in almost 140 countries and territories, with over 5,800 fatalities.
(2020-03-15). Over 100 People Died in Iran From COVID-19 Over Past Day – Health Official. sputniknews.com TEHRAN (Sputnik) – More than 100 people have died from the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, in Iran in the course of the past 24 hours, while the total number of those infected in the country has reached 13,938 people, Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to Iran's health minister, has said.
(2020-03-15). UK Could Face Economic Woes as Consumer Buying May Drop Amid Panic Over Coronavirus – Report. sputniknews.com At the moment UK Public Health authorities have registered 1,140 cases of coronavirus infection in the country, with at least 200 new cases registered on 14 March alone.
(2020-03-15). UK Dissuades People From Non-Essential Travel to US. sputniknews.com The United States banned entry to people from 26 European countries this week in a bid to contain the epidemic. Vice President Mike Pence said restrictions will also be imposed on flights from the United Kingdom and Ireland, starting Monday.
(2020-03-15). Tashkent to Suspend Air, Car Traffic With Other Countries Over COVID-19 – Cabinet. sputniknews.com TASHKENT (Sputnik) – Uzbekistan has decided to suspend air and car traffic with other countries amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic starting from 16 March, a representative of the government's COVID-19 spread response centre has said.
(2020-03-15). Vatican to Hold Easter Celebrations Without Faithful Over Coronavirus Disease Outbreak. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Week-long Liturgical Celebrations for Easter, which are to start on 5 April and usually attended by thousands of people, will be held in the Vatican without the physical presence of the congregation due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Prefecture of the Papal Household has said in a statement.
(2020-03-15). Queen Elizabeth Leaves Buckingham Palace Amid Spread of Coronavirus in the United Kingdom – Report. sputniknews.com The development comes as the number of deaths from the respiratory disease has almost doubled in Britain. The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom currently stands at 1,140.
(2020-03-15). Philippines reports three more coronavirus deaths as Manila imposes 'quarantine'. yenisafak.com The Philippines recorded three additional coronavirus deaths and 29 new cases, bringing the domestic tally of infections to 140, as authorities placed the entire capital Manila under "community quarantine" for about a month beginning Sunday.The latest deaths include an 86-year-old American male with travel history from the United States and South Korea, the Department of Health said in an advisory.The other two are Filipinos. In total, 11 people have died from the virus in the country, according to the health department.Domestic land, sea and air travel to and from Metro Manila is now restricted, while stringent…
(2020-03-15). Improper use of medical masks can cause infections. yenisafak.com As mask consumption around the globe grows amid the coronavirus outbreak, doctors in Turkey are warning against their misuse as the devices can cause infections. Gulay Kilic, an infectious disease doctor, said despite warnings, the N95 masks are used incorrectly, supplies are low and there are not enough masks for health care personnel who need them.It is very difficult to use the masks because once they become sweaty, in a short time it can cause infections, Kilic said, and noted only patients with weakness and fatigue should wear masks.Dr. Alpay Azap, a member of the Health Ministry's Coronavirus Scientific Adv…
(2020-03-15). Pakistan confirms 4 new coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Pakistan on Sunday confirmed four new cases of the novel coronavirus, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 38, according to an official statement.According to the Health Ministry of southern Sindh province, three patients who tested positive recently returned from Saudi Arabia."Sindh Health Department has 4 new cases of Corona Virus in Karachi. 3 patients returned from Saudi Arab a few days back were tested positive today 1 patient has no recent travel history," the provincial ministry said on Twitter.The new cases brought the total number of confirmed cases in the Sindh province to 21, w…
(2020-03-15). Turkey quarantines thousands of Umrah pilgrimages in dormitories. yenisafak.com All passengers returning from the Umrah pilgrimage since last night have been placed in separate rooms of dormitories as part of coronavirus quarantine measures, the Turkish health minister announced Sunday.Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter that people suspected of the coronavirus were taken to a hospital to be tested, adding that the passengers were placed in dormitories in the capital Ankara and in the central province of Konya.Early Sunday, the minister "insistently" asked the passengers returning from Umrah not to leave their homes and not to accept visitors for 14 days."Passing the medical screening does not me…
(2020-03-15). Iran's death toll from coronavirus reaches 724. yenisafak.com Iran said on Sunday that the new coronavirus has killed 113 people in the past 24 hours, raising the country's death toll to 724, a health ministry official tweeted, adding that the number of infected people had reached 13,938.The new figures were tweeted by Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to Iran's health minister.To contain the outbreak in Iran, one of the deadliest outside of China, officials have called on people to avoid unnecessary trips and stay at home.A host of senior officials, politicians, doctors, commanders of the elite Revolutionary Guards and clerics have been infected with the virus. Several of the…
(2020-03-15). Northern Cyprus confirms 6th coronavirus case. yenisafak.com The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) announced on Sunday that one more person tested positive for the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, raising the tally to six in the country.A Turkish Cypriot citizen who returned to the country from Britain was diagnosed with COVID-19.The country's Health Minister Ali Pilli told Turkish News Agency-Cyprus that three people from a group of German tourists who were already under observation have tested negative for the virus.In the TRNC, four tourists and one citizen had earlier been diagnosed with the virus.On Tuesday, Health Minister Ali Pilli had announced the cou…
(2020-03-15). Iran may impose partial lockdown to contain coronavirus and will provide cash handouts, loans. iranian.com Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has given his initial approval for imposing a partial lockdown on areas in nearly a dozen provinces in the country to help curb a coronavirus outbreak that has affected thousands of people. Rouhani described as "good" a proposal by Health Minister Saeed Namaki to implement a "movement control scheme" in 11 …
(2020-03-14). Leading health experts warn that U.S. is past coronavirus containment. peoplesworld.org 
Editor's note: The University of California at San Francisco Hospital is considered a leading health institution in the U.S. with specialization in treatment and handling of infectious disease. Like many other institutions of this type, it has put together one or more panels of experts to study the current crisis and to make proposals to …
(2020-03-14). European airlines facing BLOODBATH as coronavirus crisis rocks industry. rt.com 
Major European airlines are set to axe thousands of jobs and, without bailouts, some are facing collapse as the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on the industry. | After weeks of uncertainty in the sector, Saturday brought a raft of bad news for European carriers. The French government said it is not considering a bailout of Air France-KLM at this stage, as the airline struggles for survival amidst the public health crisis. | Scandanavian Airlines is reportedly laying off 100 pilots and 100 cabin crew on a temporary basis while Swiss International is taking half its fleet out of service and reducing working h…
(2020-03-14). Russia's number of confirmed coronavirus cases reaches 59. rt.com 
Some 14 new coronavirus patients were identified in Russia on Saturday with the total number of infected reaching 59. Moscow leads with the number of new cases, with 9 infected with Covid-19 detected in the capital. So far, the coronavirus has not claimed any lives in Russia. | Over 145,000 coronavirus patients have been registered worldwide, and more than 5,400 of them died. While the majority of cases have originated in the pandemic's ground zero — Wuhan, China — and countries such as Iran and South Korea have been heavily hit, the World Health Organization (WHO) said this week that the hotspot o…
(2020-03-14). Experts advise on precautions we should take to stop spreading coronavirus. thecanary.co 
Since the coronavirus outbreak, health officials and experts have advised washing hands regularly for 20 seconds at a time.— Why is hand-washing so important? Germs, including viruses like Covid-19, exist on surfaces in our everyday living spaces says Wendy Graham, professor in the department of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).Graham said hands are one of the most common means by which germs are transferred from surface to surface. For example via door handles and taps, and potentially then to other parts of the body like the mouth.— How long…
(2020-03-14). Do-nothing Mitch? McConnel takes flak for keeping Senate in recess after House passes coronavirus aid bill. rt.com 
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnel is taking heavy fire for keeping the chamber in long recess even after House approval of a bipartisan bill on emergency relief to coronavirus epidemics. | McConnel took a hands-off approach to this week's work on federal response to the disease, allowing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to negotiate what a bipartisan approach to the emergency would look like. He agreed to cancel Senate recess next week, but gave senators a long weekend. | I fully support H.R. 6201: Families First CoronaVirus Response Act, which will be voted on in the House this evening. This Bill will fo…
(2020-03-14). Spanish PM's wife tests positive for Covid-19 after Madrid imposes national lockdown to tackle the disease. rt.com 
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez's wife, Begona Gomez, has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, the government has confirmed. It comes after the Iberian country entered lockdown, with a ban on all non-essential movement. | Both Gomez and her husband, the prime minister, are feeling well, Sanchez's office reported Sunday night. | The news comes shortly after Sanchez unveiled what he described as "drastic" and "extraordinary" measures as part of the state of emergency to fend off the spread of the disease that has so far claimed at least 193 lives across the country, and infected over 6,250. | The restrictive mea…
(2020-03-14). 'Nationalize factories & industries!' De Blasio kicks panic up to 11, calling coronavirus 'war-like situation'. rt.com 
New York City mayor and failed presidential candidate Bill de Blasio jumped on MSNBC to compare the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic to war and claim that "nationalization" would fix the US' "Mar-a-Lago attitude" toward the disease. | "Here's the reality, this is a war-like situation," De Blasio told MSNBC's Joy Reid on Saturday morning when criticizing the federal government's response to the coronavirus. The mayor claims he has been "pleading for weeks" for coronavirus test kits to be more widely available to citizens. | "We're in a war-time scenario with a Mar-a-Lago attitude being used by the federal governme…
(2020-03-14). Trump Minimizing and Sugarcoating Coronavirus Perils; Bernie Must Continue Campaign. commondreams.org Sanders Says Coronavirus A Red Flag for Current Dysfunctional and Wasteful Healthcare System: 'We are only as safe as the least insured person in America.' The Hotel Vermont, March 11, 2020 in Burlington, Vermont. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-03-14). World Health Organization pleads for $675 million to fight coronavirus. wsws.org While the World Health Organization begs for resources to fight the global contagion, the Trump administration has provided $1.5 trillion to prop up the markets.
(2020-03-14). Coronavirus pandemic threatens to overwhelm India's dilapidated health system. wsws.org Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party government are stubbornly refusing to mobilize state resources to stem the spread of the virus.
(2020-03-14). Coronavirus will deepen social and health problems in Sri Lanka. wsws.org The jobs and livelihoods of workers and the poor, who have been battered by the decades-long communalist war and government austerity measures, will be hard hit.
(2020-03-14). This Recession Calls for A Bigger, Greener Stimulus. truthdig.com Every crisis is also an opportunity, as the saying goes, and this is especially true of historic crises like the current coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, as Kate Aranoff writes in a new piece at the New Republic, the U.S. government looks determined to squander one of the greatest opportunities presented by the economic crisis shadowing the health crisis: The chance to pass a stimulus package that moves toward the emissions goals demanded by the science of climate change. | While the subject of carbon emissions may seem unrelated to the virus, the climate crisis is so severe that it can no longer be so easily…
(2020-03-14). To Help Stem Coronavirus, Lift Sanctions on Iran. truthout.org The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is far from the first proof of how intertwined we are as a global community. The climate crisis and the refugee crisis have long been glaring examples that the wars or CO2 emissions on one continent risk the lives and well-being of people on another continent. What coronavirus is providing, however, is a unique opportunity to look specifically at how the intentional damage caused to one country's healthcare system can make it harder for the entire world to address a pandemic. | The cor…
(2020-03-14). Poland, Czech Republic close borders, shut down public life due to coronavirus. wsws.org Three decades after the restoration of capitalism and endless austerity, the health care system in Poland and the Czech Republic, as across all of Europe, is in a devastating condition.
(2020-03-14). Saint Paul educators end strike, make gains in contract settlement. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – Schools were closed for three days this week as teachers and other educators, who are members of the St. Paul Federation of Educators, went on strike. Each day nearly 100% of the teachers spent from 7 to 11 a.m. on the picket lines in front of their schools, and held large rallies and marches in the afternoons in which thousands of educators, students, family members and community supporters turned out to show that they support the fight for access to good schools and mental health care for all students. | If needed, the St. Paul Federation of Educators members were ready to fight on as long as it…
(2020-03-14). How the Federal Government can protect workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. nationofchange.org Instead, people on the front lines have to fight for their own health and safety even while they care for their patients.
(2020-03-14). Toronto threatens to lock out public health workers amid expanding coronavirus pandemic. wsws.org City authorities absurdly claimed that the loss of 90 percent of its public health workforce would not impede the effectiveness of its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-03-14). COVID-19 Updates: Oregon reports first death from new coronavirus‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã. telesurenglish.net Update 22: 30 | Oregon reports first death from new coronavirus | A man in his 70s has become the first person in Oregon to die from the new coronavirus. | The Oregon Health Authority said the Multonomah County man was hospitalized at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and died Saturday. | The man, who had underlying heath conditions, tested positive for COVID-19 on March 10, the authority said. He had no known contact to a confirmed case and had not traveled to another country where the virus is circulating. | "This is a sobering reminder that this virus is in our community and can be serious for ol…
(2020-03-14). Medicare for All Would Transform the Labor Market for the Better. truthout.org A