(2020-03-11). Recipe from the Times: Want a distraction from coronavirus? Get BoJo's pooch story… a fake one. rt.com 
The outbreak of coronavirus has ratcheted up anxiety levels in the UK, especially in light of a health minister contracting the disease, but the Times has provided a distraction with a 'fake news' story about Boris Johnson's dog. | On Tuesday evening, it emerged that Junior Health Minister Nadine Dorries had tested positive for coronavirus, less than a week after attending an event hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The diagnosis at the heart of government has sent shockwaves through Westminster, which has apparently prompted Rupert Murdoch's newspaper to print a story about Downing Street's dog — Di…
(2020-03-11). World Health Organization declares coronavirus a pandemic. rt.com 
The World Health Organization has said that the spread of Covid-19 around the world has reached the stage where it can be described as a pandemic. | At Wednesday's daily coronavirus briefing WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, revealed that there are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries around the world, and 4,291 people have lost their lives due to the disease. | "Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death," the director-genera…
(2020-03-11). Fighting the disease… literally: Asian man punched in face in Belgium for 'spreading coronavirus'. rt.com 
A Belgian man has taken the fight with coronavirus too literally, punching an Asian person — whom he suspected of spreading the deadly disease — in the face and being detained by the police. | The bizarre incident occurred in country's capital Brussels over the weekend and was confirmed on Wednesday by prosecutors, according to local media reports. | A 24-year-old Asian man, who was walking along Avenue Fonsny late at night, received a heavy blow to the face completely out of nowhere. The attacker shouted that he employed force because he thought that his victim was spreading the coronavirus. | It'
(2020-03-11). Nurses on the Frontlines of Coronavirus Pandemic Demand More Protection & Medicare for All. democracynow.org 
The number of coronavirus cases in the United States has passed 1,000 Tuesday, with the rate of infections likely increasing. Despite this, the U.S. continues to lag on testing, and healthcare workers say they lack adequate protection and protocols to allow them to safely care for infected patients. They also say the country's hospitals are woefully unprepared to handle the crisis. Nurses in the hot zones of California and Washington had already reported having to beg for face masks and lacking guidance on how to address the virus. We are joined by Jean Ross, president of National Nurses United, the largest organ…
(2020-03-11). Trump admin blames China for 2 months lost in coronavirus prep as experts warn flaws in US health system doom its readiness. rt.com 
While the Trump administration continues to blame China for "covering up" the coronavirus outbreak in December, government failures closer to home have left the US unprepared for the epidemic hitting its own shores, experts fear. | Blaming China's failure to "use best practices" for two months in lost response time to the Covid-19 epidemic, US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien lamented on Wednesday that "we could have dramatically curtailed what happened" — even as the country's leading doctors and scientists have warned the president is running out of time to effectively respond to the outbreak.
(2020-03-11). 'Sorry hipsters!': Coachella music festival postponed for October, succumbing to coronavirus fears. rt.com 
Becoming the latest to fall victim to COVID-19, the Coachella music festival — along with its sister event, Stagecoach — has been delayed until October over fears of the fast-spreading coronavirus. | The original April date for the 10-day festival was pushed back some seven months, event promoter Goldenvoice announced on Tuesday, noting that local health officials in California's Riverside County had urged the move. | "We must sadly confirm the rescheduling of Coachella and Stagecoach due to COVID-19 concerns," Goldenvoice said in a statement. "While this decision comes at a time of universal uncer…
(2020-03-11). Government austerity is costing lives in the fight to contain Covid-19. mronline.org 
I am old enough to remember that shortly after the 1968 election of Richard Nixon to the presidency, his campaign manager (and future U.S. Attorney General) John Mitchell said, "Watch what we do not what we say." |
(2020-03-11). China getting back to business as worst of coronavirus outbreak in country appears to be over. rt.com 
The Chinese economy is slowly recovering from the Covid-19 epidemic, with production facilities, stores and leisure complexes resuming operations after weeks-long closures. | The coronavirus outbreak could have already "passed its worst," the regional chief investment officer of UBS Global Wealth Management said as the number of new infections is declining in the country, but surges everywhere beyond it. Thus the Chinese economy may become "the first in the world" to get back to normal, the bank's official believes. | | Chinese President Xi Jinping waves to residents who are quarantined at home in Wuhan, Chi…
(2020-03-11). Council on Foreign Relations cancels coronavirus-themed conference in NYC because of…coronavirus. rt.com 
The Council on Foreign Relations has nixed a conference on "Doing Business Under Coronavirus," apparently not wanting to risk actually doing its business under the coronavirus epidemic laying siege to New York City. | The notorious think tank cancelled the talk, scheduled for Friday, as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 crept up to 36 in New York on Tuesday. Details of the event were elusive – it's not listed on the organization's website, and it's not clear who was supposed to attend. However, after an unknown number of attendees at both the Conservative Political Action Conference and the American-Is…
(2020-03-11). Headlines for March 11, 2020. democracynow.org National Guard Deployed to Coronavirus "Containment Area" Outside New York City, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Bans Public Gatherings of 250+, Classes and Sporting Events Canceled as Coronavirus Spreads Across U.S., Top U.S. Health Official: Start Taking Coronavirus Seriously, Worldwide Coronavirus Cases Top 121,000, Trump Floats $700 Billion Payroll Tax Cut Decried as Stealth Attack on Social Security , Joe Biden Wins Four States Including Michigan, Building Primary Lead Over Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden Threatens Detroit Autoworker, Calls Him "Full of Sh**" in Argument over Guns, Bernie Sanders Calls Long Lines at Mi…
(2020-03-11). Creative Coronavirus Responses Appear Across the World, but Not in Trump's America. mintpressnews.com The World Health Organization has officially declared the coronavirus a pandemic and countries across the globe are coming up with clever methods of halting its spread putting the Trump administration's lackluster response to shame.
(2020-03-11). Biden Rejects Medicare for All. globalresearch.ca On major policy issues, Biden's agenda resembles Trump's with a party label difference — both unacceptable, demanding rejection. | Throughout his time in public office, Biden one-sidedly supported and continues supporting privileged interests at the expense of the public welfare — …
(2020-03-11). Delays in Testing Allow Coronavirus to Spread. indybay.org In the U.S., delays in testing for coronavirus are enabling the disease to spread rapidly and undetected.
(2020-03-11). Did COVID-19 Originate In China? "We must move beyond the temptation to give nationality to diseases." globalresearch.ca Italian experts have praised China's anti-virus efforts while dismissing a U.S. Fox News television host's calling for a "formal apology" from China for the coronavirus outbreak. | Last Monday, U.S. Fox News host Jesse Watters demanded China apologize for the virus …
(2020-03-11). Experts slam 'hugely disappointing' budget inaction on social care crisis. thecanary.co Care providers and thinktanks have described the lack of additional funding for social care in the 2020 budget as "hugely disappointing". | Chancellor Rishi Sunak's announcement on Wednesday made no mention of extra money for social care. | The Independent Care Group (ICG) accused the government of "failing to get social care done", while Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said the budget did "nothing to alleviate our anxiety". | It comes as MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee launched an inquiry on Tuesday to establish how much money the social care sector needs to avoid shortages. | "Social care is i…
(2020-03-11). A Health Emergency Demands Treatment Not Tax Breaks. zcomm.org Progressives need to need to enunciate and fight for a plan to deal with the potential pandemic. Leaving solutions up to those who have made the situation worse makes no sense…
(2020-03-11). Electromagnetic Radiation Due to Cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Technologies: How Safe Are We? globalresearch.ca Abstract | The electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emitted out of wireless communication modules in various IoT devices (especially used for healthcare applications due to their close proximity to the body) have been identified by researchers as biologically hazardous to humans as well …
(2020-03-11). Coronavirus Will Spread Faster Because We Lack Universal Health Care. truthout.org A critical factor accelerating the spread of coronavirus in the United States is our lack of universal health care. | As we debate the costs of providing medical treatment for all, and as the virus tears through the fabric of our society, it's become clear that many of the factors accelerating the spread of illness and death associated with this new plague are associated with the for-profit nature of our health care system. | Because we have a patchwork medical system whose primary motivating engine…
(2020-03-11). Panama Reports Its First Patient Killed by the Coronavirus. telesurenglish.net Panama's Health Minister Rosario Turner Tuesday reported the first death from the new coronavirus Covid-19, while eight others are infected and 66 people are under suspicion. | RELATED: | "The autopsy performed on Norato Gonzalez confirmed that his death, registered on March 8, was caused by the consequent bacterial pneumonia of Covid-19," Turner said. | The deceased, who was director of the Monseñor Francisco Beckman Sc…
(2020-03-11). Italy emerging as the new epicenter for the Covid-19 pandemic. wsws.org Italy's health care system is being overwhelmed by the growing number of serious respiratory illnesses that are filling the emergency rooms and hospitals throughout the Lombardy region.
(2020-03-11). WHO Declares That Virus Crisis Is Now a Pandemic. truthdig.com GENEVA — Expressing alarm both about mounting infections and inadequate government responses, the World Health Organization declared Wednesday that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic but added that it's not too late for countries to act. | By reversing course and using the charged word "pandemic" that it had previously shied away from, the U.N. health agency sought to shock lethargic countries into pulling out all the stops. | "We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief.
(2020-03-11). Nurses on Front Lines of Coronavirus Pandemic Demand Medicare for All. truthout.org The number of coronavirus cases in the United States has passed 1,000 Tuesday, with the rate of infections likely increasing. Despite this, the U.S. continues to lag on testing, and healthcare workers say they lack adequate protection and protocols to allow them to safely care for infected patients. They also say the country's hospitals are woefully unprepared to handle the crisis. Nurses in the hot zones of California and Washington had already reported having to beg for face masks and lacking guidanc…
(2020-03-11). Spain puts Madrid, Basque country on lockdown as coronavirus cases multiply. wsws.org The decision came after Spain's Ministry of Health said there were 1,622 registered cases, compared to 1,200 the day before.
(2020-03-11). Medical supplies running out in parts of Canada as first coronavirus death reported. wsws.org Healthcare officials are warning that hospitals across Canada were already running at or beyond capacity prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-03-11). Cal-OSHA, Coronavirus, Worker Dangers & Crisis In CA with Dr. Larry Rose, Former Director. indybay.org Dr. Larry Rose, former Cal-OSHA Medical Director talks about the serious staffing crisis at the agency with only 1 doctor and 1 nurse for California's 19 million workers. | He also talks about how this effects the health and safety of not only workers but the public and the growing corruption scandal in the state government with former DIR Director Christine Baker who had her daughter in a no-show job paying over $120,000 a year.
(2020-03-11). Japanese PM Abe & Capitalist Governments Helped Escalate Coronavirus Epidemic. indybay.org The Organizing Committee of March 11 Anti-Nuclear Power Plant Fukushima Action has warned that the Coronavirus outbreak is a man made disaster which is being used by the reactionary Abe government to prevent mass testing of the population. It has also stopped testing the people of Fukushima.
(2020-03-11). UAW Michigan Workers On Elections, Coronavirus, GM Strike, Democracy & Internationalism. indybay.org Pacifica and WorkWeek reporter Steve Zeltzer interviews UAW 909 Detroit retiree Frank Hammer and UAW 598 Flint Truck Assembly worker Sean Crawford about primary elections in Michigan as well as the struggles for auto workers. They also discuss the lack of protection from the coronavirus epidemic expanding into US auto plants. They also discuss the corruption crisis in the UAW, green technology and international solidarity efforts by auto workers.
(2020-03-11). Number of COVID-19 Cases in Denmark Rises to 340 – Health Ministry. sputniknews.com STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) – The number of people diagnosed with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Denmark on Wednesday reached 340, with over 1,200 people being quarantined, according to the country's Health Ministry.
(2020-03-11). Italy to Allocate Additional 25 Billion Euros to Fight Coronavirus – Conte. sputniknews.com GENOA (Sputnik) – Italy is set to allocate an additional 25 billion euros ($ 28 billion) to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Wednesday.
(2020-03-11). Palestinian boy martyred by Israeli forces in West Bank. yenisafak.com The Palestinian Health Ministry said 15-year-old Mohammad Hamayel was shot in the head by Israeli forces near Nablus city in the occupied West Bank.It said a total of 112 Palestinians were injured by live ammunition, rubber bullets, and tear gas fired by Israeli forces.One of the injured is in critical situation, the ministry added.The clashes erupted after more than 40 Israeli military patrols stormed Mount Arma to disperse Palestinians who had gathered to prevent settlers from establishing control over it.On Tuesday, the Palestine Liberation Organization's Anti-Settlement Authority had called for a protest at M…
(2020-03-11). South Korea reports rise in coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com South Korea on Wednesday reported a rise in coronavirus cases taking the tally to 7,755.The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said new cases were found in "clusters" in Seoul and its neighboring areas.Sixty people have died in the country of COVID-19, the official name of the virus, most of whom were elderly and already suffering from some kind of disease, state-run Yonhap news agency reported.In Japan, the government is mulling over a decision to declare a state of emergency, with major events canceled and schools suspended.The operators of Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea said that the resorts will…
(2020-03-11). Death toll in Iran from coronavirus reaches 354. yenisafak.com The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Iran rose to 354, state television reported on Wednesday.Authorities said 63 people died in the last 24 hours, while 958 new cases were found, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 9,000, Iran's semi-official TV news quoted Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour as saying.A total of 2,959 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus, it added.Turkey, which has just a single confirmed case of coronavirus, closed its land borders and suspended air travel to Iran last month.Besides China, Italy, and South Korea, Iran is the…
(2020-03-11). Bahrain confirms 77 new coronavirus cases, toll at 188. yenisafak.com The Bahraini Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed 77 fresh coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of people infected in the country to 188.The ministry said in a statement that it examined Tuesday 165 citizens who were evacuated from Iran and 77 of whom tested positive for the virus.Bahrain took a number of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including the suspension of education and banning traveling to some countries.The Bahraini Foreign Ministry also called on all citizens not to travel to countries where the virus has spread, including Iran, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Sou…
(2020-03-11). Most people will get the coronavirus, aim is to slow its spread, says Merkel. yenisafak.com Up to 70% of the population is likely to be infected with the coronavirus that is currently spreading around the world, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, adding that since there was currently no cure the focus had to be on slowing its spread."When the virus is out there, the population has no immunity and no therapy exists, then 60 to 70% of the population will be infected," she told a news conference in Berlin. "The process has to be focused on not overburdening the health system by slowing the virus's spread."It's about winning time."
(2020-03-11). BoE allows banks to tap capital cushion during coronavirus. yenisafak.com The Bank of England told banks on Wednesday they can tap one of their capital buffers to maintain lending during the coronavirus epidemic, but warned they must not use the cash for bumping up bonuses or dividends.Insurers were also offered relief on the long-term phase-in of new capital rules as part of a broader package that included a cut in interest rates to a record low of 0.25%.The BoE's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) said that for banks it was cutting the so-called counter-cyclical capital buffer (CCYB) to 0%, reversing a decision last year to raise it from 1% to 2% by the end of 2020.The CCYB is a buffer…
(2020-03-11). What happened to catch it, kill it? Dominic Raab goes VIRAL for UK parliament coughing antics. rt.com 
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab may want to avoid checking his Twitter mentions and enter self-isolation, as he has begun trending online for repeatedly coughing into his hand during the budget debate in the British Parliament. | With this sitting in the House of Commons coming hot on the heels of the news that Health Minister Nadine Dorries has contracted the coronavirus, the timing couldn't have been worse. | The speech also saw the British government pledge a package of £30 billion ($39 billion) to protect the economy from the impact of Covid-19, so all eyes were on Westminster and, more specificall…
(2020-03-10). Health minister Nadine Dorries tests positive for coronavirus days after meeting with PM Johnson. rt.com 
Tory MP Nadine Dorries has been diagnosed with COVID-19 — the disease caused by the coronavirus sweeping Asia, Europe and the Americas — less than a week after attending a reception with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. | The representative from Mid Bedfordshire — who is also a health official that helped to draft legislation to address the fast-moving virus — was confirmed to have the illness on Tuesday evening, after falling ill late last week. | "I can confirm I have tested positive for Coronavirus," Dorries said in a statement. "As soon as I was informed I took all the advised precaution…
(2020-03-10). Italy in lockdown as coronavirus restrictions extended nationwide. thecanary.co 
Italy extended coronavirus travel restrictions previously limited to the country's north to the whole country on Tuesday, with soldiers and police enforcing bans.Some 9,172 people have been infected with Covid-19 in Italy, with 463 deaths, and there is a growing sense that the numbers will only worsen. | "We're only at the beginning," said Dr Massimo Galli, head of infectious disease at Sacco Hospital in Milan, where people at the city's main railway station were required to sign forms certifying the necessity of their travel.However, the Italian government assured its citizens that supermarkets will remain open…
(2020-03-10). Money for wars but not vaccines? Bernie panel ladles harsh truths as Americans face paying out-of-pocket for coronavirus treatment. rt.com 
A panelist who took part in a coronavirus roundtable hosted by presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders scoffed at the idea that free vaccines to combat the illness would be untenable, noting that there's always cash to fund US wars. | The Vermont senator assembled a group of medical professionals in Detroit on Tuesday to discuss how the United States could best deal with the ongoing health crisis. | During the question and answer session, one audience member highlighted how Sanders has promised to provide free vaccines against the illness, and asked how the self-described democratic-socialist plans to pay for it.
(2020-03-10). On Coronavirus, 'You Have to Combine Economic and Public Health Measures' – CounterSpin interview with Josh Bivens on coronavirus and the economy. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed EPI's Josh Bivens about coronavirus and the economy for the Media…
(2020-03-10). Coronavirus Pandemic in U.S. Fueled by Stunted CDC Budget & Lack of Access to Healthcare, Insurance. democracynow.org 
The coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than 113,000 people worldwide, and killed more than 4,000. We are joined by two epidemiologists to examine the response so far around the world and in the United States. Thomas Bollyky is director of the global health program, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the book "Plagues and the Paradox of Progress: Why the World Is Getting Healthier in Worrisome Ways." We're also joined by Alfredo Morabia, professor of epidemiology at the Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment at Queens College, City University of New York, and edit…
(2020-03-10). New York sending in National Guard to handle virus. peoplesworld.org 
New York's governor announced Tuesday he is sending the National Guard into a New York City suburb to help fight what is believed to be the nation's biggest cluster of coronavirus cases — one of the most dramatic actions yet to control the outbreak in the U.S. The move came as health authorities contended with …
(2020-03-10). National Guard to lock down New Rochelle, NY in coronavirus quarantine. rt.com 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered the state National Guard to New Rochelle, a town in the affluent Westchester County, to enforce a two-week COVID-19 coronavirus quarantine. | The troops will help clean and deliver food in the designated "containment area" in a one-mile (1.6 km) radius around the area where the contagion appears to have originated, until the lockdown is lifted on March 25. | "It is a dramatic action, but it is the largest cluster of cases in the country," Cuomo said at a news conference on Tuesday. "The numbers are going up unabated, and we do need a special public health strategy for…
(2020-03-10). Activists Call for Health Measures to Prevent Coronavirus at Immigrant Jails. truthout.org As the world responds to the COVID-19 outbreak, we look at how the Trump administration's immigration policies may put everyone at risk. We go to Seattle, Washington, not far from the Life Care Center in the suburb of Kirkland, which was the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak. In nearby Tacoma, Washington, our guest says she saw posters in English only when she went to visit immigrants held in the Northwest Detention Center, which is run by private prison company GEO Group. We speak with…
(2020-03-10). "Even a Fox News Audience Agrees": Sanders Rebuts Claims His Views Are "Extreme" truthout.org During a Fox News town hall Monday night in Dearborn, Michigan on the eve of the state's crucial Democratic presidential primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders made the case that — far from being "radical" or "extreme" — progressive ideas like raising the minimum wage, guaranteeing healthcare to all as a right, and boldly fighting the climate crisis have broad appeal across the U.S. electorate. | "I reject the idea, I really do — it's one of the things that bothers me, and I hear it ev…
(2020-03-10). Coronavirus: Politically Created Panic is the Real Pandemic. counterpunch.org As of early March, there were fewer than 200 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the United States. Nonetheless Congress passed, and US president Donald Trump signed, an $8.3 billion "emergency funding" bill theoretically related to containing the disease. Had the federal government done nothing at all, the "beer flu" might have conceivably have
(2020-03-10). FROM THE FIELD: Going the extra mile with vaccines. news.un.org While the medical world rushes to develop an effective and safe vaccine for the deadly coronavirus which is sweeping across the planet, millions of doses of other life-saving immunizations against other diseases, continue to be delivered by the United Nations – albeit at a somewhat slower pace.
(2020-03-10). 'Coronavirus Kills Slowly, Is Highly Invasive': Cuban Expert. telesurenglish.net For the latest edition of his show Talking with Correa (Conversando con Correa), Ecuador's former President Rafael Correa hosted Cuban specialist in ‚Äã‚Äãgenetic engineering Luis Herrera, who provided some details about the novel coronavirus. | RELATED: | "It belongs to the family of RNA viruses," the expert said, recalling that this kind of disease has precedents. "One of the first epidemics, which be…
(2020-03-10). Ecuadorean President Unleashes New Austerity Reform Package. telesurenglish.net Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno announced Tuesday an austerity reform package as a direct result of the oil price slump and a struggling economy caused by neoliberal policies. | RELATED: | "The global coronavirus disease is generating an economic crisis worldwide, and has hit Ecuador hard," Moreno justified his decision, explaining that production, exports, tourism, and many other commercial activities, of almost…
(2020-03-10). VIDEO — Gaza: The Undrinkable Water of a Land Under Siege. imemc.org Rakan Abed El Rahman for Middle East Eye Experts say Israeli policies and wars are to blame for a deepening water crisis in Gaza that will have detrimental effects on public health, especially on the most vulnerable segment of society: children. [Transcript by Ali Salam] Ahmed Hills — Water and …