(2020-03-24). Albert Uderzo, legendary artist behind 'Asterix and Obelix' comics, dies aged 92. rt.com 
The co-creator of 'The Adventures of Asterix' comic book series, Albert Uderzo, has died aged 92 at his home, his family announced. He passed away from a heart attack in his sleep, after several weeks of weakness. | The death was not related to the coronavirus epidemic currently ravaging France, Uderzo's son-in-law told AFP. | Asterix is an iconic French comic book series focused on the ancient Gauls standing up to the war machine of the Roman Empire — with a bit of magic and a lot of humor and creativity thrown in. The first strip was published in 1959, created by Uderzo in collaboration with fellow writ…
(2020-03-24). 'Why did we vote?' French election officials sick a week after controversial ballot held amid Covid-19. rt.com 
Holding a nationwide election during an epidemic may not seem like the wisest move, but France went along with it. Fast forward a week, and some people who made the voting possible report they have contracted the coronavirus. | The first round of municipal elections in France took place on March 15, even as the government was shutting down non-essential public venues and calling on people to stay at home — unless, of course, they had to cast their votes. The second round was supposed to happen a week later but was postponed until late June, rendering the practical value of the initial vote questionable at…
(2020-03-24). Egypt imposes nighttime curfew, partially closes shops to fight coronavirus spread. rt.com 
The Egyptian government has imposed a two-week long curfew and is shutting down shops and restaurants to curb the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. | The curfew will be in force between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. starting Wednesday and apply to all citizens and transport, Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly announced in a televised address. Violators would be subjected to fines and prison terms. | Businesses will have to stay shut between 5 p.m. and 6 a.m. on all days except Fridays and Saturdays, when they will not be allowed to open at all. | Cafes and restaurants will be allowed to deliver foo…
(2020-03-24). EU left Italy 'practically alone' to fight coronavirus, so Rome looked for help elsewhere, incl Russia — ex-FM Frattini to RT. rt.com 
The EU's initial response to the massive outbreak of coronavirus in Italy was largely "inadequate," and a lack of European solidarity opened the doors for Russia and China, former Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told RT. | The new epicenter of the dreaded pandemic, Italy, has been struggling to stop the spread of Covid-19 for weeks now. The disease has already killed more than six thousand people in the country, with over 60 thousand people infected. | EU tried to pin the blame on Italy: | The EU clearly underestimated the virus, blaming the outbreak in Italy on its national healthcare system…
(2020-03-24). China's first locked-down province of Hubei, where coronavirus originated, to reopen on March 25. rt.com 
Beijing is lifting travel restrictions on Hubei Province on Wednesday, as China's fight against Covid-19 is yielding positive results. Even constraints on the city of Wuhan, where the virus first emerged, will be lifted in April. | Residents will once again be allowed to travel in and out of the country's central Hubei Province starting from March 25, the regional health commission announced on Tuesday. Travel bans in the region's capital, Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak started, will be lifted on April 8. | Wuhan was the first city in China to be quarantined, and along with several of Hubei's other majo…
(2020-03-24). US shows 'very large acceleration' in Covid-19 cases, has potential to become new epicenter of pandemic — WHO. rt.com 
The amount of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the US is growing so rapidly that the country has a potential to become the new epicenter of the pandemic, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) has said on Tuesday. | WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris was asked whether the US could become the new epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic. "We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the US So it does have that potential," she replied. | More than 33,400 people have tested positive for Covid-19 across the US and 400 have died as a result of the virus, the nation's Centers for Disease Cont…
(2020-03-24). Beijing to quarantine & test ALL foreign arrivals for Covid-19 as outbreaks accelerate outside China. rt.com 
China's capital city has stepped up measures to detect and contain those carrying the coronavirus, isolating all travelers arriving from other countries and testing them for the lethal pathogen, the state-run Beijing Daily newspaper reported on Tuesday. | Starting on March 25, Beijing health authorities will require anyone traveling to the capital from overseas to enter centralized quarantine and undergo an RNA test for the virus, part of enhanced containment measures adopted as Covid-19 hotspots flare up across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in Asia. | Those who arrived in China over the past 14 days will…
(2020-03-24). President Rouhani says about half of Iran's state workers are staying home. rt.com 
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday about half of all government employees were staying at home as part of measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak. | Another measure to contain the outbreak, the temporary release of prisoners, will be extended until the end of the current Iranian month of Farvardin, about April 18, he said, according to state TV. | Iran is one of the hardest hit countries outside China. The country's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak increased by 122 in the past 24 hours to 1,934, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Tuesday. | The total number of people…
(2020-03-24). The Not-So-Shocking Report on Israeli Weapons Exports. dissidentvoice.org 
The Middle East region, battered by wars and adjoining humanitarian crises that have left millions of people stateless, hungry and diseased, is in urgent need for peace, security and reconstruction. Thanks to the US, Russian, French, Israeli and other weapons manufacturers, however, it is now the dumping ground for military hardware, an ominous sign for …
(2020-03-24). Covid-19 cases in Germany surge by 4,700+ in one day, with 28 new deaths. rt.com 
A total of 4,764 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded across Germany, with 28 deaths, the federal Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which releases daily monitoring of the disease, announced on Tuesday. | Overall, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus grew from 22,672 to 27,436 within one day, RKI reported. There have been 28 new deaths, bringing the nation's death toll to 114. | Germany has a relatively low death rate from Covid-19 compared to other nations, but remains among the hardest-hit countries in terms of people infected. | Several German states, including Bavaria and Saxony, introduced quarantine mea…
(2020-03-24). After the Lockdown: A Global Coronavirus Vaccination Program… globalresearch.ca The tendency is towards a Worldwide lockdown spearheaded by fear and media disinformation. Currently, hundreds of millions of people Worldwide are under lockdown. | What is the next step in the evolution of the COV-19 Crisis? | A coronavirus vaccine program was …
(2020-03-24). California Nurses Association protest in Oakland against lack of protective gear. indybay.org Last Friday, I watched around 4 first responders from a fire truck in Oakland respond to the needs of someone that was hauled off to the hospital. I was shocked that the first responders were not wearing any protective gear or N95 respirators. Barely three days later, nurses from the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United held a protest Monday evening March 23, in front of Kaiser Permanente in Oakland. They protested against the lack of protective gear and weakening of standards by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) needed to protect them from getting sick during the coronavirus COVID-19 pand…
(2020-03-24). Trump, putting Profit Motive and Reelection over Public Health. zcomm.org How Trump is Undermining Coronavirus Social Distancing Strategy…
(2020-03-24). Death By Tweetstorm: a Win-Win for Trump. counterpunch.org For lack of respirators, patients with severe respiratory distress from COVID-19 will die as the epidemic unfolds. A drug to treat the disease is urgently needed. But the US press subjected news about hydroxychloroquine, a potential treatment, to an excess of caution in response to a Trump tweetstorm. Journalists and health care professionals alike were whipsawed by the president's irresponsible ballyhooing of the drug amid deprecatory assertions of "anecdotal" evidence by Anthony Fauci at the CDC.
(2020-03-24). All Marin Parks to be Closed Amid COVID-19 Spread. indybay.org Ignoring epidemic rules, crowds seeking recreation fill Marin's open areas. Food workers in delis and markets endangered.
(2020-03-24). "Rare Disease" Status Potentially Limitis Affordability. zcomm.org "It's absurd that this would happen in the middle of an epidemic when everything is in short supply."
(2020-03-24). Five Demands for Emergency COVID-19 Survival. indybay.org With the Bay Area and now all of California on coronavirus lockdown, millions going without paychecks and health insurance, prisoners and unsheltered folks at great risk of contracting the virus, wheatpaste posters have gone up in Oakland making five reasonable demands to increase our collective chance at survival.
(2020-03-24). EPA Proposes to Restrict Applied Public Health Scientific Research in Midst of Coronavirus Pandemic. globalresearch.ca The Environmental Protection Agency
(2020-03-24). Europe's coronavirus death toll passes 10,000. wsws.org The coronavirus crisis has exposed how Europe's health and social care services face collapse after decades of being underfunded, privatised and de-staffed.
(2020-03-24). COVID-19 hits Nevada: Catastrophic job losses coupled with woefully inadequate health care infrastructure. wsws.org Hundreds of thousands of workers have been laid off and Nevada's sparse health care infrastructure is buckling as community spread of coronavirus takes hold.
(2020-03-24). At Port of Oakland, ILWU Tells SAA We Want Health/Safety Protection from COVID-19. indybay.org ILWU Local 10 and 34 leaders and rank and file had a press conference in front of SSA in Oakland demanding that they have proper health and safety in their port jobs. Tra-Pack was forced to clean the equipment and they are demanding the same action from SSA. They also discussed the issue of the conditions of the Grand Princess Crew docked in Hunters Point…
(2020-03-24). Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' message to warehouse workers: Keep working despite coronavirus threat. wsws.org After strikes by US and European Amazon workers over the danger to their health, the company's billionaire CEO feigned concern while insisting that workers keep pumping out profits.
(2020-03-24). Covid Catastrophe: Trump Fiddles While America Burns. thenation.com Covid Catastrophe: Trump Fiddles While America Burns…
(2020-03-24). New Zealand health workers speak out on lack of preparation for COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org One nurse told the WSWS: "All the health workers are just going to get infected themselves, and then there's going to be nobody to look after anybody."
(2020-03-24). Florida residents on COVID-19 pandemic: "There is no way we can go longer than a month at this rate." wsws.org Workers and students spoke with the WSWS about lack of supplies, limited testing, and growing concerns over the economic, social, and health impact on their families and friends.
(2020-03-24). Real Estate Interests Seek Limits on Proposed Eviction Moratorium in Santa Cruz. indybay.org Santa Cruz Together is calling for a 90-day "repayment period" to be written into the proposed emergency eviction moratorium ordinance on the agenda of tomorrow's Santa Cruz City Council meeting. The ordinance seeks to, "protect the health, safety, and welfare of the larger community by preventing residential or commercial evictions for non-payment of rent as a result of economic losses related to the coronavirus pandemic to avoid further homelessness and loss of jobs and employment opportunities within the community," according to the meeting's agenda packet. Santa Cruz Together fought rent control and other ren…
(2020-03-24). French Site Helps Decide About Seeking Health Care. indybay.org French government health site provides simple, direct questionnaire to help health care provider quickly decide if you need medical attention. Here is an English translation.
(2020-03-24). Germany: Appalling lack of protective equipment in COVID-19 outbreak. wsws.org It is still virtually impossible to be tested for the life-threatening virus and there is a lack of protective marks and other urgently needed equipment for health care workers.
(2020-03-24). Italy's Misleading Figures on the C-Virus. indybay.org In addition to false positives from the C-virus testing kits, we have these figures from Italy's Italian Institute of Health (ISS):…
(2020-03-24). Irish politician urges legal action over 'thugs' taking part in 'Corona Challenge'. thecanary.co A Fianna Fail TD (MP) has called for legal action to be taken against people joking about having coronavirus while deliberately coughing into others' faces. | Kildare North TD James Lawless said "thugs" are taking videos of themselves coughing into people's faces and posting them online as part of the so-called Corona Challenge. | The party's spokesperson on science, technology, research and development said it is a serious offence to cause another person to believe they have become infected with a disease. | t.co/ir4PQiglo4 | — James Lawless (@lawlessj) (2020-03-24). Two Indian Security Personnel Killed in Incident in Kashmir. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Despite steps taken by the government to provide a healthy environment, Incidents of fratricide, where a person kills another person and then commits suicide, are often reported in the Indian army.
(2020-03-24). Coronavirus Tip for Sex Workers: Reverse Cowgirl Yes, Missionary No. sputniknews.com The social distancing rules born out of the coronavirus pandemic have taken their toll on the sex industry, but there are still those who are seeking intimacy — and potentially exposing sex workers to the disease.
(2020-03-24). UN calls for respecting human rights in COVID-19 fight. yenisafak.com UN experts on Tuesday called on governments to respect human rights while combatting the coronavirus pandemic.In a joint statement by the chairs of the 10 UN Treaty Bodies, the experts called on states to ensure equal access to health care to all without any discrimination."Only by including all people in COVID-19 strategies can the pandemic be combatted," said Hilary Gbedemah, chairwoman of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.Experts also warned states to take extra care of vulnerable people such as "elders, people with disabilities, minorities, indigenous peoples, refugees, asylum s…
(2020-03-24). Bangladesh's opposition leader Khaleda Zia to be freed from jail. yenisafak.com Bangladesh will suspend the jail sentence of its ailing former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia and release her for a period of six months, the nation's law minister said on Tuesday."We have decided to release her on humanitarian grounds as per the instructions of the prime minister," Law Minister Anisul Huq said at a media briefing. "She can receive treatment staying at her home, but she cannot go abroad."Khaleda, 74, who has twice been prime minister, has been in jail since she was convicted in a graft case in February 2018. Her health has been deteriorating for months and she was moved to a hos…
(2020-03-24). Saudi Arabia reports first coronavirus death, an Afghani resident. yenisafak.com Saudi Arabia has recorded its first death from the coronavirus in a 51-year-old Afghani resident, Health Ministry spokesman Mohammed Abdelali told a televised news conference on Tuesday.The man's health deteriorated quickly after reporting to a hospital emergency room in the city of Medina and he died on Monday night, Abdelali said.
(2020-03-24). COVID-19 accelerating rapidly, Europe, US main drivers. yenisafak.com COVID-19 is accelerating rapidly globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday, with Europe and the United States the main drivers of 85% of the cases in the past 24 hours."The outbreak is accelerating very rapidly, and the case number we have received overnight will put that up considerably," WHO spokeswoman Dr. Margaret Harris said at a briefing held online by the UN in Geneva. | The Johns Hopkins University of Medicine put the number of cases worldwide at nearly 384,000, with around 17,000 confirmed deaths.Harris said: "Sadly, the number of deaths will increase considerably."So, 85% of cases rep…
(2020-03-24). Olympics-Tokyo Games delayed to 2021, easing athletes' angst. yenisafak.com The Tokyo Olympics were postponed on Tuesday into 2021, the first such delay in the Games' 124-year modern history, as the coronavirus crisis wrecked the last international sporting showpiece still standing this year.Though a huge blow to Japan, which invested $12 billion in the run-up, the decision was a relief to thousands of athletes fretting over how to train as the world headed into lockdown over the disease that has claimed more than 16,500 lives.Pressure had been building on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its powerful president Thomas Bach, with some athletes and sporting bodies critical of…
(2020-03-23). #Where'sJoe? Biden pledges to hold Covid-19 'briefings' after disappearing for week amid speculation over whereabouts. rt.com 
Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden has promised to address the nation about the coronavirus epidemic "soon" as critics wonder where he's been for the last week — and whether he's even alive. | The former vice president reportedly told donors on Sunday that he would be making the first of many "presentations" regarding the coronavirus pandemic from his Delaware home on Monday, despite disappearing from view for a week. He addressed his backers remotely for a "virtual fundraiser," and no footage or audio from the event has surfaced publicly. | Biden has not appeared in public — virtually or…
(2020-03-23). Justice Dept reassures Americans only judges can suspend their constitutional rights during coronavirus epidemic. rt.com 
The US Department of Justice has reassured Americans freaked out by a request to Congress for powers of indefinite detention without trial by explaining that only judges — not President Donald Trump — would be able to use it. | DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec lamented the "confusion" caused by a Politico report
(2020-03-23). Ten years after Affordable Care Act, former Obama official's group offers COVID-19 plan. peoplesworld.org 
United States of Care is a non-partisan non-profit group working to build and mobilize a movement to improve health care. It is made up of patients, caregivers, advocates, clinicians, policymakers, and business, civic, and religious leaders. It is headed by Andy Slavitt, former acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President …
(2020-03-23). "Hope Is Not a Strategy": Emergency Doctor Asks, Where Are COVID-19 Tests? Where Is Protective Gear? democracynow.org 
As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. rises to more than 35,000, doctors are facing a desperate lack of supplies, and tests continue to lag. We speak with Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University. She previously served as Baltimore's health commissioner. She says healthcare workers are "putting their lives on the line every day" as they work in hazardous conditions with inadequate supplies, including N95 respirator masks. "First we're going to run out of masks, and then we're going to run out of doctors and nurses, because they'll become…
(2020-03-23). Amid coronavirus pandemic, Bolsonaro's Brazil begs for Cuban doctors — after expelling them. peoplesworld.org 
The coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed the health infrastructure of countries around the world. Desperate to contain the deadly virus, hard-hit countries, including even rich European nations like Italy and Britain, have reached out for expert medical help from Cuba, China, and Venezuela. Even Brazil, currently under the control of a far-right administration that has joined …
(2020-03-23). Coronavirus: Latest updates from across the world. thecanary.co 
Covid-19 has infected hundreds of thousands of people across the globe.Here are the latest updates: — IRANIran has reported another 127 coronavirus-related deaths, bringing its toll to 1,812 amid 23,049 confirmed cases.Iran is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East, and has faced criticism for not imposing stricter quarantine measures early on. It is also suffering under severe American sanctions imposed after President Donald Trump withdrew the US from Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.(PA Graphics)— SWITZERLANDThe World Health Organisation (WHO) said criminals are increasingly posing…
(2020-03-23). Who is it? Speculations are rife as WH press corps journo tests positive for coronavirus. rt.com 
A member of the White House Correspondents' Association has tested positive for coronavirus, the group has revealed, triggering feverish speculation as to who the unlucky journalist might be — and might have coughed on. | The coronavirus alert was sent out to members of the press pool on Monday by WHCA president Jon Karl, who revealed only that the individual was at the White House four times in the past two weeks, perhaps in an effort to allow journalists who skipped those days to breathe a little easier. | Karl urged journalists to "review public health guidance, consult their medical professionals, an…
(2020-03-23). Trump intensifies murderous Iran sanctions during COVID-19 crisis. thegrayzone.com As Iran struggles to contain COVID-19, the US has imposed new sanctions that further weaken the Iranian economy and health…
(2020-03-23). The Pathogenic Profits System: Beyond Begging, Praying, and Capital. counterpunch.org We live in an age of Orwellian untruth where falsehood is the norm. One key falsehood worth unmasking is the claim that the current COVID-19 stock market decline, soon to usher in a full-on recession, is a "black swan" — an unpredictable (and supposedly unpredicted) "surprise" event with great and negative consequences outside the normal operations of capitalism. Nonsense. The new coronavirus is not really a surprise to those who know anything about the history of disease. Epidemics, like financial crises, have been a recurrent occurrence in the record of human civilization. Hundreds of epidemics have kille…
(2020-03-23). How Medicare for All Would Have Improved U.S. Response to Pandemic. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-03-23). Coronavirus Is a Historic Trigger Event. We Need a Massive Movement in Response. truthout.org There are times in history when sudden events — natural disasters, economic collapses, pandemics, wars, famines — change everything. They change politics, they change economics and they change public opinion in drastic ways. Many social movement analysts call these "trigger events." During a trigger event, things that were previously unimaginable quickly become reality, as the social and political map is remade. On the one hand, major triggers are rare; but on the other, we have…
(2020-03-23). If We Run Out of Masks, We're Going to Run Out of Nurses, Says Emergency Doctor. truthout.org As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. rises to more than 35,000, doctors are facing a desperate lack of supplies, and tests continue to lag. We speak with Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University. She previously served as Baltimore's health commissioner. She says healthcare workers are "putting their lives on the line every day" as they work in hazardous conditions with inadequate supplies, including N95 respirator masks…
(2020-03-23). World Health Organization Officials Visit the Besieged Gaza Strip. imemc.org A delegation from the World Health Organization (WHO) arrived in the besieged Gaza Strip on Sunday morning, after announcing that two people were infected with Corona virus (COVID-19). The Hebrew newspaper "Yediot Aharonot" reported that a group of representatives from the WHO arrived in the Gaza Strip, through the Beit …