2020-03-30: News Headlines

RT (2020-03-30). Majority of new Covid-19 patients in Moscow are between 18 and 40 — disease response team. rt.com There were 212 new Covid-19 cases in Moscow over the past 24 hours, with 102 patients between the ages of 18 and 40, the city's disease response team said Monday. | Out of the newly recorded 212 cases in the Russian capital, 102 patients are between 18 and 40, and 58 are between 40 and 65. The health officials added that 17 patients are children. | The new cases include 43 people who recently returned from Europe. Moscow officials have earlier reported that a sizable portion of the confirmed Covid-19 patients were young people, with many of them undergoing artificial lung ventilation. | Also on rt.com | | <...

RT (2020-03-30). Twitter REMOVES posts by Brazil's Bolsonaro in crackdown on information that 'may increase risk' of Covid-19 spread. rt.com In an unprecedented move, Twitter has yanked two posts by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, in which he took aim at coronavirus lockdowns as part of his controversial campaign to avoid a shutdown of the economy. | Bolsonaro has become the first ever head of state to have his tweets censored by the platform under recently-updated guidelines, requiring users to remove content that defies "global or local health authorities recommendations" aimed at halting the spread of the deadly disease that has already taken hold in the Latin American country. | I could be mistaken but I'm pretty sure these two tweets from…

RT (2020-03-30). Iran's Covid-19 death toll reaches 2,757 with almost 41,500 identified cases. rt.com There are 41,495 Covid-19 cases in Iran, the country's health officials reported in the latest update. The death toll from the pandemic has reached 2,757 in the Islamic Republic, a nation hit hard by the viral disease.

RT (2020-03-30). Beijing boasts 93% recovery rate & NO new cases in Hubei for sixth day after saying local Covid-19 spread 'STOPPED'. rt.com No new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in China's central Hubei Province and its capital Wuhan, where the outbreak originally began, the National Health Commission (NHC) told reporters during a press briefing on Monday. | Overall, 81,470 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in mainland China since the beginning of the outbreak, and 75,770 of them have subsequently recovered and were discharged from the hospitals, a health official said. This makes the recovery rate in the country close to 93 percent. | Chinese doctors have recorded 31 new cases and four deaths in the past 24 hours, with all but…

RT (2020-03-30). EasyJet grounds entire fleet as Covid-19 hammers global travel industry. rt.com UK budget carrier EasyJet said on Monday that it has parked its entire fleet after completing repatriation flights. The coronavirus health crisis is bringing the global travel industry to a halt. | According to the company, it has worked out an agreement with cabin crew, who will get 80 percent of their pay under a government program. EasyJet said it is looking for ways to increase its access to cash, adding that the company has a strong balance sheet and no maturities until 2022. | "We are in ongoing discussions with liquidity providers who recognize our strength of balance sheet and business model," said Eur…

RT (2020-03-30). 'New way of life' in Iran likely to be prolonged — President Rouhani. rt.com The Iranian president has warned that "the new way of life" in Iran was likely to be prolonged. The Islamic republic is one of the countries worst-hit by the virus. "We must prepare to live with this virus until a treatment or vaccine is discovered, which has not yet happened to date," Hassan Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting on Sunday. "The new way of life we have adopted" is to everyone's benefit, he said, adding that "these changes will likely have to stay in place for some time." | After weeks of refraining from imposing lockdown or quarantine measures, Tehran decided on Wednesday to ban all intercity trav…

RT (2020-03-30). Global number of Covid-19 cases smashes past 700,000. rt.com The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases around the world has soared past the 700,000 milestone, according to tallies carried out by Johns Hopkins University and the AFP news agency. | The total number of cases worldwide now stands at over 724,000, as several regional outbreaks have led to major spikes in the numbers, most notably in the United States. | Authorities in the US are now reporting upwards of 143,000 cases, followed by Italy with 97,600 and China, the original epicentre of the pandemic, with 82,000 cases. | As of early Monday, the total number of deaths from the disease now stands at 34,026. More tha…

RT (2020-03-30). Covid-19 stretches NYC ambulances more than 9/11, exhausted FDNY lieutenant tells RT. rt.com First responders in coronavirus-stricken New York have to deal with record-breaking numbers of calls, a shortage of equipment and a constant fear of getting the virus and bringing it home to their loved ones. | The Covid-19 epidemic in America's largest city has stretched the resources of its ambulances service worse than on the day of the country's worst terrorist attack in 2001, Anthony Almojera, a Fire Department lieutenant and supervisor, told RT. | "In the last few days we've done over 44,000 calls. Just to give you some perspective, we normally do only about 4,000 calls a day," he explained. "9/11, which…

WSWS (2020-03-30). Trump administration and Mexican government collaborate to deny life-saving care to refugees with HIV. wsws.org HIV-positive immigrants seeking asylum in the United States, who face a growing shortage of key medication in Mexico to maintain their compromised immune systems, must now also contend with a growing coronavirus epidemic.

Norman Solomon (2020-03-30). Trump's Mass Negligent Homicide Doesn't Let Democratic Leaders Off the Hook. zcomm.org In their zeal to boost the number of Biden delegates as fast as possible, the Biden campaign and the DNC chair ignored or distorted the guidelines that were in effect at the time from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

DLI (2020-03-30). Peace is the New Priority for Planet Earth after CoVid19 Crisis. indybay.org For decades Peace activists have been clamoring that the misplaced US priority on Militarism(wasting Trillions of dollars and narrowly focusing on imagined foreign enemies and/or real terrorists spawned by US policies)will decisively harm the health of citizens and the Planet itself. Sadly, 60 years after President Eisenhower warned of the danger of the Military Industrial Complex overshadowing the health and welfare of our society, the Peace agenda is still being sidelined to near extinction, both by the political ruling elite of Pentagon-Wall Street hucksters, and the compliant mainstream media outlets.

WSWS (2020-03-30). New York City nurses protest over PPE, staff shortages as number of cases, deaths continue to climb. wsws.org As the crisis intensifies in New York, front line health care workers are regularly being forced to work with inadequate personal protective equipment, causing them to become ill themselves in ever increasing numbers.

Ashar Foley (2020-03-30). COVID-19 Proves It: We Need Medicare-for-All. counterpunch.org For decades, critics of single-payer health care have raised the menace of rationed care, long waits, and "death panels." Now, in our collective national effort to "flatten the curve" — to slow the spread of coronavirus to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed — we are seeing all three of these rumored pitfalls of "socialized medicine"

WSWS (2020-03-30). Top US health adviser predicts millions will contract COVID-19 and 100,000—200,000 will die. wsws.org As Trump's top health advisers warn of a rapid escalation of infections and deaths across the country, the White House, visibly in crisis, shifts from one stop-gap policy to another.

WSWS (2020-03-30). Australian governments pour billions more into big business as pandemic spreads. wsws.org The stark discrepancy between the "economic" and "health" packages epitomises the response of Australia's bipartisan "national cabinet."

Seth Sandronsky (2020-03-30). Reclaiming Vacant Homes in the COVID-19 Pandemic. counterpunch.org There are homes without people. More visible are the people without homes. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March, homeless and housing insecure folks in the Los Angeles area moved into publicly owned vacant homes as politicians and public health experts told people to take precautions to avoid infection. One precaution was for people to stay

Marshall Auerback (2020-03-30). Washington Uses the Pandemic to Create a $2 Trillion Slush Fund for Its Cronies. counterpunch.org When historians look back on our current government's response to a public health emergency and resultant economic depression, there won't be many paeans to profiles in courage. It may seem impressive that Congress has approved legislation worth $2 trillion to help sustain the American economy, but it's no New Deal. Rather it's a massive economic slush fund

WSWS (2020-03-30). Japanese government planning attacks on democratic rights on pretext of pandemic. wsws.org Health experts are warning that Japan could see a wider COVID-19 outbreak, in part due to the complete lack of preparation by the Abe government.

WSWS (2020-03-30). Germany: IG Metall union exploiting COVID-19 crisis to cut more jobs at Thyssenkrupp. wsws.org The union and its works council representatives have agreed to increased job cuts and are also sending workers onto the production lines, despite heightened health risks, to achieve ever-higher productivity.

Laura Flanders (2020-03-30). Covid-19: Our Health Crisis is Born of Bigotry. counterpunch.org "A bridge is no stronger than its weakest part." Former slave turned educator Anna Julia Cooper uttered those very contemporary-sounding words back in 1892. The US didn't heed them then; we haven't heeded them yet. The big question, brought home to us one more time by the Covid-19 crisis, is why not? What does American

Cesar Chelala (2020-03-30). The New World of Coronavirus. counterpunch.org The tragedy of September 11, 2001, and the coronavirus pandemic have one thing in common: both caused a seismic change in the world. And that change, in general, is for the worse. The present pandemic has, and will have, negative effects on how people work, live, and use their free time. This huge public health

Health Care Voter, Indivisible, others (2020-03-30). Live Stream: Health Care Town Hall: Our Lives On The Line Series Kick-off. indybay.org Live stream on Facebook…

Ella Baker Center (2020-03-30). As COVID-19 Reaches Santa Rita Jail, Decarceration Becomes More Urgent. indybay.org Oakland, CA — According to Alameda County jail officials, a nurse in Santa Rita Jail has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the first positive test in the jail. The positive case follows at least one confirmed exposure and several possible exposures at the jail by an arrestee and sheriff deputy. For the last two weeks, advocates with the Audit Ahern Coalition and healthcare labor unions have been calling for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO), Alameda County District Attorney's Office, and Alameda County Board of Supervisors to reduce the risk of this pandemic for those incarcerated at Santa…

National Lawyers Guild (2020-03-30). Know Your Rights during COVID-19 (Coronavirus). indybay.org While the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates public health measures to reduce the impact of the virus on our communities and health care systems, we must be vigilant and resist authoritarian and violent tendencies.

sputniknews (2020-03-30). Germany Mulls Mass Testing People for COVID-19 Antibodies to Speed Up Lifting of Quarantine – Report. sputniknews.com Germany is among the worst-hit by the pandemic in Europe with over 57,000 COVID-19 cases and 455 fatalities reported by the country's Health Ministry as of 30 March.

sputniknews (2020-03-30). Death Toll From COVID-19 in Spain Rises by 812 to 7,340 Over Past Day. sputniknews.com MADRID (Sputnik) – The death toll from the coronavirus infection in Spain has risen by 812 over the past day, reaching 7,340, the country's Health Ministry said on Monday.

sputniknews (2020-03-30). Britain's Prince Charles is Out of Self-Isolation and in Good Health. sputniknews.com Charles, the Prince of Wales, tested positive for COVID-19 on 25 March and was self-isolated at home in Scotland with his spouse, who does not have the virus.

sputniknews (2020-03-30). Head of Spanish Emergency Health Service Diagnosed With Coronavirus. sputniknews.com Spain is currently one of the main epicentres of the COVID-19 outbreak in the world, with at least 85,000 infected (third after the US and Italy) and 7,340 fatal cases (second after Italy).

sputniknews (2020-03-30). COVID-19 Pushes China to Improve Health Care as Part of Economic Development – Ambassador. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The COVID-19 outbreak has created an opportunity for China to improve its health care system, especially with regard to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui believes.

sputniknews (2020-03-30). 'Lives Are at Stake': Biden Challenges Trump as POTUS Prolongs Nationwide COVID-19 Guidelines. sputniknews.com On Sunday, President Donald Trump extended federal guidelines on social distancing until 30 April following a warning by the government's top infectious disease expert that US deaths from the coronavirus could reach 200,000 with millions of infections.

yenisafak (2020-03-30). Nearly 12,300 Spanish health workers have coronavirus. yenisafak.com Some 12,298 health workers have tested positive for coronavirus in Spain, deputy health emergency chief Maria Jose Sierra said at a news conference on Monday.That is equivalent to around 14% of the country's 85,195 confirmed cases, roughly the same proportion as last week.

yenisafak (2020-03-30). Turkish university producing 3D-printed face shields. yenisafak.com A Turkish university has begun producing face shields to help protect healthcare workers from coronavirus, the infection that has killed over 34,000 people worldwide since last December.According to a written statement by Izmir University of Economics, on the Turkish Aegean, the protective equipment is being prepared through 3D printers.The face shields, which cover the entire face but do not block vision due to their transparent surface, will be delivered to healthcare workers nationwide at the earliest.Argun Tanriverdi, in charge of the Fine Arts and Design Faculty's design workshop, said healthcare profession…

yenisafak (2020-03-30). American stay-at-home order needed to prevent coronavirus spread. yenisafak.com Americans need to press on with efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus to start seeing the rates of infection come down, a top U.S. health official said on Monday after President Donald Trump extended a stay-at-home order through April."We felt that if we prematurely pulled back, we would only form an acceleration, or a rebound of something, which would have put you behind where you were before," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with CNN.

yenisafak (2020-03-30). Netanyahu to go into quarantine after aide tests positive. yenisafak.com Netanyahu decided to enter self-quarantine until he receive the test result, according to his office.Netanyahu's parliamentary adviser Rivka Paluch tested positive for the novel coronavirus.Israeli PM will undergo a coronavirus test for a second time after Paluch tested positive, local media said.Paluch reportedly spent the last few days "in the vicinity" of Netanyahu, Knesset members and other advisers, the Jerusalem Post reported.Netanyahu had tested negative for coronavirus after he and his immediate circle underwent tests for the virus on March 15.Israeli health authorities have so far confirmed 16 deaths and…

yenisafak (2020-03-30). COVID-19 infects more people in Russia, cases at 1,836. yenisafak.com The number of people diagnosed with the new coronavirus in Russia surged to 1,836 with 302 new cases, the authorities said on Monday.The deadly infection claimed a life in the Pskov region, rising the total fatalities to nine acros the country, the emergency team said in a statement.The cases have been reported across 71 regions nationwide, it noted.Since the outbreak of the virus in the country, 66 people have recovered from the disease, the team added.Several regions, including the capital Moscow, were put on lockdown on March 30. People are only allowed to leave their homes for buying groceries, medicines, wal…

The Canary (2020-03-30). PM's chief aide Dominic Cummings in isolation with coronavirus symptoms. thecanary.co The prime minister's chief adviser Dominic Cummings is in isolation after developing coronavirus-like symptoms. | Cummings becomes the latest member of the Downing Street inner circle to either be diagnosed with Covid-19 or be forced to self-isolate as a result of developing symptoms associated with the virus. | Boris Johnson, health secretary Matt Hancock and the UK's Brexit negotiator David Frost have all been struck down with coronavirus, while chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and Scottish secretary Alister Jack have also quarantined themselves after noticing symptoms. | Cummings, the mastermind be…

IRNA (2020-03-30). Photos: Tehran In Silence As It Fights COVID-19. iranian.com The Iranian authorities announced the launch of a one-week social distancing plan amid the coronavirus epidemic across the country. Tehran residents respect the social distancing rules due to the serious outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

RT (2020-03-29). 'We're going to make it through,' says anti-quarantine Cuomo as New York nears 60,000 Covid-19 cases. rt.com Covid-19 deaths in New York State rose by 237 overnight, bringing the Empire State's total fatalities to 965. Though the state has now recorded 59,513 infections, Governor Andrew Cuomo has insisted that NY will "make it through." | Cuomo announced the figures at a news conference on Sunday. As a result, he said that he has extended the state's 'PAUSE' directive until April 15. The directive requires all non-essential employees to work from home. One day earlier, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a 14-day travel advisory for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, after the number of combined…

RT (2020-03-29). Residents of New York, New Jersey & Connecticut urged to avoid all 'non-essential' travel for 14 days – advisory. rt.com Citing "extensive community transmission" of the coronavirus in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, a newly-issued domestic travel advisory has called on residents to stay put in their homes for at least the next two weeks. | The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its travel recommendation for residents of the three states — struggling to cope with an avalanche of new Covid-19 cases — on Saturday evening, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced that he would not impose federal quarantine on the states in an apparent U-turn from his previous rhetoric. | CDC urges r…

RT (2020-03-29). 'Up to 200,000 DEATHS': Trump virus chief Fauci predicts MILLIONS of Covid-19 cases in US. rt.com President Trump's Covid-19 advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has issued a dire prediction: "Millions of cases," and "100,000 to 200,000" deaths in the US. More than 2,200 people have already died of the deadly disease in the US. | Speaking on CNN's 'State of the Union' on Sunday, Fauci said that trying to predict the spread of the virus is akin to chasing a "moving target." However, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director claimed that "between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths" may be coming. | Dr. Anthony Fauci says there could potentially be between 100,000 to 200,000 deaths related to the corona…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). Portugal Grants Citizens' Rights to Migrants During Pandemic. telesurenglish.net The current socialist government in Portugal decided to grant citizenship rights to all migrants and asylum seekers with pending residency applications from Monday until July 1 at least due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's authorities announced Saturday. | RELATED: | The decision aims at ensuring that migrants can access services during the COVID-19 crisis, including the national health service, welfare benefits, bank a…

Vi Bui (2020-03-29). Fighting COVID-19 Starts With Universal Access to Water and Sanitation. commondreams.org Healthcare officials have stated over and over again that washing your hands is the most important step to manage the spread of the virus, but access to clean water and adequate hand-washing facilities is not yet a reality to billions around the world.(Photo: Detroit Water Brigade) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). Evo Morales Expresses Solidarity With Venezuela Amid US Attacks. telesurenglish.net Former Bolivian President Evo Morales said that with the most recent attack by the United States government against Venezuela, Washington intends to distract public opinion about the collapse of the country's health services in the face of Covid-19. | RELATED: | "The US is in a humanitarian crisis. The health services of its main cities are beginning to collapse," stressed the leader of the Movement to Socialism (MAS) o…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). US Teen Dies After Being Rejected by Clinic for No Insurance. telesurenglish.net A 17-year-old U.S. citizen with symptoms of coronavirus did not receive medical attention at an emergency clinic because he did not have health insurance, Lancaster Mayor Rex Parris said on March 25 in a video posted on YouTube. | RELATED: | "He did not have insurance, so he was not treated," Parris said, adding that medical personnel at this emergency center, whose name was not released by authorities, advised…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). Turkey Becomes Latest Victim of Coronavirus as Death Toll Soars. telesurenglish.net In the past 24 hours in Turkey, 16 more people lost their lives due to COVID-19, raising the death toll to 108, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Saturday night. | RELATED: | The total number of novel coronavirus cases rose to 7,402 in Turkey, the minister tweeted, which is a significant rise in the total number of people infected by the illness. | A total of 7,641 tests were performed on Saturd…

The Canary (2020-03-29). 'Stop stockpiling and stay home' pleads coronavirus patient. thecanary.co A woman currently in hospital with suspected Covid-19 has urged the public not to panic buy and to stay at home to avoid spreading the disease further. | Delia Colwill, from Berkshire, was taken into hospital on Tuesday, six days after she first began showing symptoms of the coronavirus. | The 47-year-old suffers from a spinal cord injury that affects her nervous system and has chronic pain. She said the virus has "absolutely knocked me sideways". | She has been repeatedly tested for the virus and received mixed results with one positive and one negative. | PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE. Another humiliating video for…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). Cuba Reports 139 Cases of Coronavirus and 3 Deaths. telesurenglish.net Dr. José àÅngel Portal Miranda, Minister of Public Health of the Republic of Cuba, reported that on Saturday, 20 new positive cases of Covid-19 (coronavirus) were confirmed, after more than 200 diagnostic tests were performed during the day. | RELATED: | The country's situation to date is as followed: 139 cases of coronavirus, 1.34 per 100,000 inhabitants. Three deaths have been registered, leading to a…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). US Coronavirus Deaths May Reach 200,000: Dr. Fauci Warns. telesurenglish.net United States deaths from coronavirus could reach 200,000 with millions of cases, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Sunday as New York, New Orleans and other major cities pleaded for more medical supplies. | RELATED: | By way of comparison, the common flu has killed between 12,000 and 61,000 U.S. nationals a year since 2010, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevent…

Roger D. Harris (2020-03-29). Beyond Chutzpah: US Charges Venezuela with Nacro-Terrorism. dissidentvoice.org According to the parable, the ungrateful son takes out a life insurance policy on his parents, murders them to collect, and is caught and found guilty. At his sentencing, the judge asks if he has anything to say on his behalf. The son replies: "Have mercy upon me because I am an orphan." That's chutzpah. …

Staff (2020-03-29). Why COVID-19 Could Trigger a Surprise Billing Crisis. truthout.org Stop me if you've heard this one before. A person falls ill. They go to the emergency room, maybe even to the operating room. Unbeknownst to them, they get care from someone who is outside of their insurance network. Weeks later, they receive a bill for tens of thousands of dollars. | Over the past decade, these stories of "surprise" medical bills have become more common. A recent