(2020-03-31). 12yo girl dies of Covid-19 in Belgium, as country counts 700+ victims. rt.com 
A 12-year-old girl has died of the coronavirus in Belgium, becoming the youngest person to succumb to the disease in the country, authorities have announced. The epidemic death toll has surpassed 700 in Belgium. | Losing the child to the disease is "an emotionally difficult moment" not only for the family, but also for medics and researchers," Belgian crisis-center coronavirus spokesman Emmanuel Andre said on Tuesday as he announced the death. | "We are thinking of her family and friends. It is an event that is very rare, but one which upsets us greatly," he added as cited by AP. | Belgium has identified 12,70…
(2020-03-31). Covid-19: When will we get out of lockdown? thecanary.co 
Experts disagree on how long it could take to lift the UK's restrictions on daily life fully, but most are hoping some will ease over the summer.Are we in for the long haul?It seems so, yes. England's deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries has suggested normal life will not resume for at least six months.Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia (UEA), says it is plausible that if lots of people have had the virus already, restrictions could ease in June.However, he says that is a big if and nobody can really predict the end of the epidemic. | Stay at home and save lives.▪&#…
(2020-03-31). New York coronavirus death toll surpasses 1,500 as nearly HALF tests processed in last 24h come back positive. rt.com 
New York has 75,795 confirmed cases of coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday, revealing that, of the 18,000 tests processed in the previous 24 hours, 9,000 came back positive. Some 1,550 people have died with the virus since the epidemic began, a single-day increase of 332. New York City has been hit particularly hard – 5,686 of the new cases are located within its five boroughs. | Some 10,929 people diagnosed with the virus are currently hospitalized in the state. Cuomo, who previously warned of the possibility of running out of ventilators, said he has ordered 17,000 of the machines from Ch…
(2020-03-31). Dr. Abdul El-Sayed: Communities Enduring Racism & Poverty Will Suffer Most Due to COVID-19. democracynow.org 
As the number of coronavirus deaths in the United States tops 3,100, states are demanding ventilators and medical supplies. Michigan is a growing hot spot and struggling to prepare for a surge in cases, but President Trump has repeatedly attacked Michigan's governor, calling her "that woman." We speak with the former director of the Detroit Health Department, Abdul El-Sayed. He's a physician and epidemiologist, and his new book is just out today, "Healing Politics: A Doctor's Journey into the Heart of Our Political Epidemic." His recent piece for The Guardian is headlined "Coronavirus is exploiting an underlying…
(2020-03-31). Right-Wing Media Joined Trump in Enabling Health Disaster. fair.org 
"If Hitler succeeds in pointing the way of peace and order and an ethical development which has been destroyed throughout the world by war, he will have accomplished a measure of good not only for his own people but for all humanity."—William Randolph Hearst (New York Times, The downplaying of the coronavirus by the right-wing press in the United States was preceded decades ago by the media owned by William Randolph Hearst enabling a different sort of toxicity by promoting a positive image of Nazism in the US.
(2020-03-31). Indonesia declares emergency, will suspend all foreign arrivals. rt.com 
Indonesia confirmed 114 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing the total to 1,528, a Health Ministry official said. Another 14 people had died, taking the toll to 136, according to Achmad Yurianto. | Indonesian President Joko Widodo declared a national public health emergency over the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, and announced measures to help people with lower incomes. The measures included expanding social welfare, food assistance and giving electricity tariff discounts and waivers. | Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia's government has decided to ban all arrivals and transits by forei…
(2020-03-31). Trump, Erdogan speak by phone, 'stress need' for ceasefires in Syria & Libya. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan underlined on Tuesday the need for ceasefires in Syria and Libya during the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said. The two spoke by phone on efforts to "defeat the virus and bolster the global economy," according to its statement. | They "agreed it is more important now than ever for countries in conflict, particularly Syria and Libya, to adhere to ceasefires and work toward resolution," it said. | Syria's government has so far reported only a handful of Covid-19 cases. Health experts warn that the country, torn apart by years of c…
(2020-03-31). Neoliberalism is terminally ill—There can be no more 'business as usual'. peoplesworld.org 
In terms of health, the coronavirus is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges in recent history. But it may also turn our economic system upside-down completely. It is already clear that in future we will look back on 2020 as a turning point, the beginning of a new era. COVID-19 is an unusually aggressive virus, …
(2020-03-31). Evidence mounts that Trump is squashing federal response to coronavirus. peoplesworld.org 
The figures as of this morning are horrific. More than 173,000 Americans are infected—well over twice the number infected in China, which has four times as many people as the United States. More than 3,400 are dead—also more than in China, where the pandemic started. The nation's top health officials say that if everything goes …
(2020-03-31). US nears China's virus death toll as New York calls for help. thecanary.co 
The mounting death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in the United States had it poised to overtake China's total of 3,300 deaths.Hard-hit Italy and Spain have already overtaken China and now account for more than half of the nearly 38,000 Covid-19 deaths worldwide, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.But the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Tuesday that while attention has shifted to epicentres in Western Europe and North America, the coronavirus pandemic was far from over in Asia."This is going to be a long-term battle and we cannot let down our guard," said Dr Takeshi Kasai, the WHO re…
(2020-03-31). Doctors 'gagged' over protective equipment concerns. thecanary.co 
Medics have been "gagged" over speaking out about concerns around a lack of protective equipment for frontline health workers, it has been claimed.Doctors' Association UK (DAUK) said that NHS staff "should not be gagged" after reports were published of staff being ordered not to speak to the media over concerns about personal protective equipment (PPE).Global shortages of the equipment medics and carers need to protect themselves against Covid-19 have led to shortfalls in the UK.Doctors have highlighted serious shortages on the NHS frontline by speaking to the media.Some have described how kit is being "hidden" b…
(2020-03-31). Spain's Covid-19 death toll rises by a RECORD 849 overnight, as known cases reach almost 95,000. rt.com 
The number of Covid-19 cases in Spain has risen from 85,195 on Monday to 94,417 by Tuesday morning, while its death toll rose by 849 to 8,189, according to the latest figures from the Spanish Health Ministry. | The increase in the death toll was the highest one-day total in the country since the outbreak began. However, despite this, it still marked a slightly lower increase in percentage terms than on previous days. | Spain's emergency health chief Fernando Simon tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday night and he was replaced by his deputy chief, Maria Jose Sierra, who confirmed that at least 12,298 healt…
(2020-03-31). Dutch Navy submarine aborts North Sea training mission due to Covid-19 outbreak on board. rt.com 
A Dutch combat submarine was forced to cut its voyage short and quickly return home after several of its crew members tested positive for the Covid-19 disease. | The mission was aborted after 15 sailors on board the Walrus-class submarine HNLMS 'Dolfijn' showed flu-like symptoms. Eight of them later tested positive for Covid-19, the Dutch Defense Ministry said. | The outbreak was discovered when the submarine was on a training mission in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland. The disease forced the vessel to cut its trip short and return to the Den Helder naval base two weeks earlier than planned. All of its…
(2020-03-31). Cat-astrophe in the making? ANOTHER feline tests positive for coronavirus, this time in Hong Kong. rt.com 
A pet cat has tested positive for the dreaded Covid-19 coronavirus in Hong Kong, after apparently contracting the disease from its owner. Last week, another feline turned out to have the virus in Belgium. | The Hong Kong cat patient was sent to a special animal quarantine facility on Monday, after its owner, a 25-year-old woman, was confirmed to have contracted the disease. Samples collected from the feline's oral, nasal and rectal cavities tested positive for the virus, but it did not show any symptoms. | "The cat has not shown any signs of disease," a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation…
(2020-03-31). Already Faced with Famine and War, Yemenis Fear Saudi Arabia is Weaponizing COVID-19. mintpressnews.com 
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Saudi Arabia has engaged in a number of questionable practices that have Yemenis fearing the Kingdom may be intentionally trying to spread the virus.
(2020-03-31). 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.
(2020-03-31). Watsonville Community Hospital Nurses to Hold Shift Change Actions To Demand Protections When Treating Patients With COVID-19. indybay.org To protest the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and preparedness for frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, registered nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital will hold a silent vigil and solidarity stand on Monday, March 30, 2020. Registered nurses are calling on Watsonville Community Hospital to reverse its decision to weaken personal protective equipment standards and cancel staff rather than preparing for a surge of COVID-19 patients.
(2020-03-31). Coronavirus Makes It More Clear Than Ever: Health Care Is a Human Right. commondreams.org Nurses and doctors rallying for Medicare for All in Chicago over the weekend outside the annual gathering of the American Medical Association which currently opposes the plan to make healthcare coverage in the United States available to all. (Photo: National Nurses United/flickr/cc | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-03-31). Corona is More Than a Health Disaster: It's a Human Calamity. dissidentvoice.org The New York Times of March 20, asks rhetorically: "Is Our Fight Against Coronavirus Worse Than the Disease?" The coronavirus, known as COVID-19, was declared a pandemic by WHO's Director General, Dr. Tedros, on 30 January 2020, when outside of China there were only 150 WHO-registered infections. This declaration as a pandemic — nowhere justified …
(2020-03-31). Trump's Chernobyl Moment: the US May Lose Its Status as World Superpower and Not Recover. counterpunch.org The US may be reaching its "Chernobyl moment" as it fails to lead in combating the coronavirus epidemic. As with the nuclear accident in the Soviet Union in 1986, a cataclysm is exposing systemic failings that have already weakened US hegemony in the world. Whatever the outcome of the pandemic, nobody is today looking to
(2020-03-31). Beyond Chutzpah: US Charges Venezuela With Nacro-Terrorism. counterpunch.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.
(2020-03-31). COVID-19 & SF DPH SEIU 1021 Community Healthcare Centers Workers Under Attack. indybay.org San Francisco DPH community center healthcare workers are being forced into dangerous positions without proper PPE protection that may contaminate them with COVID-19. SEIU 1021 SF DPH Community Healthcare Center Chapter VP Cheryl Thornton speaks out.
(2020-03-31). As Israel's Netanyahu uses Coronavirus to Consolidate Power, his Chief Rival Caves In. dissidentvoice.org Benny Gantz, the former Israeli general turned party leader, agreed late last week to join his rival Benjamin Netanyahu in an "emergency government" to deal with the coronavirus epidemic. Two weeks ago he had won a wafer-thin majority vote in the parliament that gave him first shot at trying to put together a coalition government. …
(2020-03-31). Australian government resorts to "pandemic capitalism" as depression looms. wsws.org The $130 billion "wage subsidy" bonanza for employers is more than the annual federal government budget for health and education combined.
(2020-03-31). Tennessee state officials recommend health care workers use swim goggles, diapers and garbage bags as protection from COVID-19. wsws.org As of Monday, the state has reported 1,818 infections and ten deaths, with a shortfall of the intensive care units needed to treat the critically ill expected to come in the next two weeks.
(2020-03-31). Visas extended for overseas doctors, nurses and paramedics fighting virus in UK. thecanary.co Doctors, nurses and paramedics from abroad are to have their visas extended so they can "focus on fighting coronavirus". | The extension will apply to around 2,800 migrant health professionals who are working for the NHS and have UK work visas which are due to expire before 1 October. | They will be renewed automatically for a year free of charge so they can remain working in the country, the Home Office said. | The changes will also apply to their family members. | Restrictions have also been lifted on how many hours international student doctors and nurses can work for the NHS per week, according to an announce…
(2020-03-31). Millions of Europe's health care workers endangered by government neglect. wsws.org The crisis is taking a particularly heavy toll on health care workers fighting on the front lines of the pandemic.
(2020-03-31). Bigotry and the Health Crisis. zcomm.org Instead of erasing our weak parts we've raced them, blaming vulnerability on the vulnerable and hoping the bridges wouldn't break where we are…
(2020-03-31). The profit system is sabotaging the struggle against the coronavirus. wsws.org Giant American corporations have blocked the development of inexpensive ventilators and are hoarding supplies of materials needing to make billions of N95 masks for health care workers.
(2020-03-31). The economy in the times of the coronavirus. indybay.org Most people's thinking is determined by the development of the Covid-19 crisis, the return of "the hour of executive power" (Gerhard A. Ritter), i.e. state of exception legislation, and the fears which it evokes as well as the economic measures which appear to be in response to the health crisis.
(2020-03-31). Trump Administration Finalizes Car Rule Which Will Worsen Economy, Public Health. commondreams.org "One of the biggest, dumbest points made in the original proposal was that this rule would save lives," writes Cooke. "But the administration admits now that such claims were total nonsense." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-03-31). Teamsters – Join the fight for hazard pay! fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – The COVID-19 health crisis has (rightly) led to millions of people staying home in order to reduce the spread of the virus. For hundreds of thousands of Teamsters though – drivers and warehouse workers at UPS and YRC, grocery store clerks and food service workers – all deemed "essential services" by the Trump administration – we have to continue to work regardless of the risks. | It is the immediate task of every Teamster to ensure that we are working safely right now. We must force every employer to provide us with all of the safety equipment we need to do our jobs as safely as possible. Every wor…
(2020-03-31). Winners: Wars, Walls and Wealthy; Losers: Diplomacy, Public Health, Environment. zcomm.org Why do we fail in protecting our own people's health and well-being while we squander more than a trillion dollars each year — with the assent of both Republicans and Democrats — on maintaining a failed and futile military empire across the world?
(2020-03-31). Germany: The coronavirus pandemic and the destruction of the public health system. wsws.org Over the last 30 years, the German health care system has been radically damaged as a result of austerity, privatised and its institutions trimmed for profit.
(2020-03-31). UK government advice for coronavirus self-isolation at odds with WHO and latest evidence. thecanary.co The UK government's advice on ending self-isolation after displaying signs of coronavirus (Covid-19) symptoms is at variance not only with that recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) but also with the latest clinical evidence. | UK government guidance: | The UK government recommends that a person who appears to have become infected with Covid-19 can end their period of self-isolation seven days from commencement of symptoms. | The guidance
(2020-03-31). "This is a worldwide medical emergency and we shouldn't put our frontline NHS staff at risk" UK doctor in forensic pathology speaks to WSWS. wsws.org The doctor raised concerns about the Johnson government's failures in combating the virus, including a lack of personal protective equipment and its impact on the safety and morale of National Health Service workers in Britain.
(2020-03-31). Livestream: COVID-19 and Climate Implications for Public Health. indybay.org Onlin via livestream…
(2020-03-31). Trump's Cure and Our Disease. counterpunch.org The surgeon-general said so. The federal reserve chairman said so. Epidemiologists across the US said so. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the most credible member of Trump's coronavirus task force, said so. Numerous other medical specialists said so, governors and mayors said so. But Donald Trump did not say so: "WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE
(2020-03-31). Coronavirus deaths in Netherlands rise by 175 to 1,039. yenisafak.com The number of deaths in the Netherlands resulting from the coronavirus epidemic has risen by 175 to 1,039, health authorities said on Tuesday.The number of confirmed infections increased by 845 to 12,595, the Netherlands' National Institute for Health (RIVM) said.
(2020-03-31). Indonesia declares health emergency. yenisafak.com Indonesian president declared on Tuesday a national public health emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, and announced an additional $24.7 billion spending to mitigate the impact."The government has determined COVID-19 as a type of disease causing community emergencies. Therefore, it is setting out public health emergency status," Joko Widodo told a news conference."I have decided to impose large-scale social restrictions as stipulated by Law No.6/2018 on Health Quarantines."He also issued a presidential decree on the emergency status. The decision comes as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Southeas…
(2020-03-31). No proof Trump touted drug is effective against coronavirus, EU says. yenisafak.com Trump had said that hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, could be among "the biggest game changers in the history of medicine" for its potential effects against COVID-19."The efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19 patients has to date not been proved," a spokesman for the European Commission said on Tuesday, relaying an internal opinion from the European Medicine Agency.The spokesman said there was also no evidence either of the positive effects of chloroquine, another malaria drug, which is also being tested for its possible use against COVID-19.The U.S. Health and Human Services on Thu…
(2020-03-31). Netizens Lambast Vietnamese Model For Making Swimsuit Out of Medical Masks Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. sputniknews.com The coronavirus outbreak has put immense pressure on healthcare systems and resulted in a shortage of medication and medical equipment. There have been more than 800,000 confirmed cases worldwide, with 38,000 deaths.
(2020-03-31). Kremlin Slams Talk of Russian Health Care System Failing in Situation With Coronavirus. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday called the rumors of the Russian health care system unpreparedness for the coronavirus "empty talk."
(2020-03-31). Indian Railways to Turn 20,000 Coaches Into Isolation Wards Capable of Holding 320,000 COVID Cases. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Earlier this week, amid a national lockdown, coronavirus cases crossed the 1,000-infected threshold in India. Some analysts view the exodus of migrant workers back to their hometowns, the untended slums, and a population with little awareness of the disease as a ticking time bomb that could cause a literal virus explosion.
(2020-03-31). Unilateral Sanctions Should Be Lifted to Help Countries Deal With COVID-19 – Experts. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The unilateral restrictive sanctions imposed on developing countries should be eased or waived entirely to help them tackle the spread of the coronavirus disease along with the economic consequences of the pandemic, analysts stated.
(2020-03-31). World Suffering Less from Coronavirus Crisis & More from an America Crisis. iranian.com In his 1948 classic novel "The Plague," which tells the story of the fictional outbreak of a rat-borne plague in the Algerian port city of Oran under French colonialism, French writer and thinker Albert Camus explores the way the plague and ensuing crisis taps into the very best and worst of the human condition. The current …
(2020-03-31). Amid the crisis, let's name and shame the companies treating workers 'like rats'. thecanary.co 
The coronavirus pandemic has revealed both the best and worst of people. Communities around the UK are helping each other via "Cradle of disease": | The GMB union sent a su…
(2020-03-31). Limiting Trump's Screen Time Isn't 'Censorship,' It's Journalism. fair.org 
Choosing to keep cameras trained on the president necessarily means devoting less time to other stories that might actually inform viewers about the course of the pandemic and how to fight it—whether it's talking to infectious disease experts on what measures are necessary to limit the death toll, or reporting on other nations' successes and failures.
(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…
(2020-03-30). We Need a Public Health New Deal: Neoliberal Austerity & Private Healthcare Worsened U.S. Pandemic. democracynow.org 
It's been described as the public health failure of the century. As the United States leads the world in coronavirus infections, a record number of Americans file for unemployment. Gasping for air, gasping for care; what does global health justice look like? We speak with two Yale professors who say decades of neoliberal austerity make it harder to fight the pandemic. They propose a New Deal for public health. Gregg Gonsalves is assistant professor in epidemiology of microbial diseases at Yale School of Public Health; Amy Kapczynski is professor of law at Yale Law School and co-founder of the Law and Political Ec…