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Coronavirus Live Updates: U.S. Ponders Brazil Travel Ban As Death Toll Nears Grim Milestone Coronavirus Live Updates: U.S. Ponders Brazil Travel Ban As Death Toll Nears Grim Milestone
(32 minutes later)
President Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, said the Trump administration is likely later today to ban travel into the United States from Brazil, where the Covid-19 pandemic has been spiking, using the same authority earlier used to halt certain travel from China and Europe.President Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, said the Trump administration is likely later today to ban travel into the United States from Brazil, where the Covid-19 pandemic has been spiking, using the same authority earlier used to halt certain travel from China and Europe.
“Because of the situation in Brazil, we are going to take every step necessary to protect the American people,” Mr. O’Brien said, speaking on the CBS program “Face the Nation.”“Because of the situation in Brazil, we are going to take every step necessary to protect the American people,” Mr. O’Brien said, speaking on the CBS program “Face the Nation.”
Coronavirus cases have exploded in Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy. The country, which confirmed its first case in late February now has the largest known outbreak after the United States, with more than 347,000 infections and more than 22,000 deaths.Coronavirus cases have exploded in Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy. The country, which confirmed its first case in late February now has the largest known outbreak after the United States, with more than 347,000 infections and more than 22,000 deaths.
When other countries began taking drastic measures to curb the spread of the virus in February and March, Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, played down the risks and encouraged public gatherings. In early March, he visited Mr. Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s Florida club, with three aides who later tested positive for coronavirus, setting off alarm throughout the White House.When other countries began taking drastic measures to curb the spread of the virus in February and March, Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, played down the risks and encouraged public gatherings. In early March, he visited Mr. Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s Florida club, with three aides who later tested positive for coronavirus, setting off alarm throughout the White House.
Countries around the world are struggling with the question of reopening air travel and tourism, a crucial economic sector for many.Countries around the world are struggling with the question of reopening air travel and tourism, a crucial economic sector for many.
Officials in Greece have suggested an “air bridge” with other nations that have minor outbreaks. International flights to Athens are to resume June 15, and to the country’s other airports on July 1. But tourists will be admitted only if their home countries meet certain “epidemiological criteria,” officials said.Officials in Greece have suggested an “air bridge” with other nations that have minor outbreaks. International flights to Athens are to resume June 15, and to the country’s other airports on July 1. But tourists will be admitted only if their home countries meet certain “epidemiological criteria,” officials said.
Britain, still reeling from one of the world’s worst outbreaks, will make international air travelers self-isolate for 14 days as of June 8, but is exempting truck drivers, seasonal farmworkers and medical workers. In a reciprocal move, France will require travelers from Britain to self-isolate for 14 days starting June 8, and air travelers from Spain starting Monday.Britain, still reeling from one of the world’s worst outbreaks, will make international air travelers self-isolate for 14 days as of June 8, but is exempting truck drivers, seasonal farmworkers and medical workers. In a reciprocal move, France will require travelers from Britain to self-isolate for 14 days starting June 8, and air travelers from Spain starting Monday.
Spain is going in the other direction. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the country would allow international visitors in July, hoping to salvage the summer for a tourism industry that accounted for 12 percent of the country’s gross domestic output last year, when Spain received almost 84 million visitors.Spain is going in the other direction. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the country would allow international visitors in July, hoping to salvage the summer for a tourism industry that accounted for 12 percent of the country’s gross domestic output last year, when Spain received almost 84 million visitors.
The Trump administration’s unsubstantiated claims that the coronavirus pandemic was set off from a Wuhan government laboratory are “pure fabrication,” the head of the lab was quoted as saying in Chinese state media on Sunday.The Trump administration’s unsubstantiated claims that the coronavirus pandemic was set off from a Wuhan government laboratory are “pure fabrication,” the head of the lab was quoted as saying in Chinese state media on Sunday.
Wang Yanyi, who leads the Wuhan Institute of Virology, said that the institute first received a sample of the virus at the end of December. By that point, the virus had been circulating in Wuhan, a major travel hub, for weeks.Wang Yanyi, who leads the Wuhan Institute of Virology, said that the institute first received a sample of the virus at the end of December. By that point, the virus had been circulating in Wuhan, a major travel hub, for weeks.
“We didn’t have any knowledge about the virus before that, nor have we ever met, researched or kept the virus,” Dr. Wang said.“We didn’t have any knowledge about the virus before that, nor have we ever met, researched or kept the virus,” Dr. Wang said.
Scientists are still studying how the outbreak first happened. Most of them believe that the virus was passed from bats to humans via an intermediary species, one that was probably sold at a wet market in Wuhan late last year.Scientists are still studying how the outbreak first happened. Most of them believe that the virus was passed from bats to humans via an intermediary species, one that was probably sold at a wet market in Wuhan late last year.
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have repeatedly sought to tie the novel coronavirus to the Wuhan institute, though most U.S. intelligence agencies remain skeptical that conclusive evidence of such a link can be found.President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have repeatedly sought to tie the novel coronavirus to the Wuhan institute, though most U.S. intelligence agencies remain skeptical that conclusive evidence of such a link can be found.
On Sunday, Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, appeared on “Face the Nation” and “Meet the Press,” accusing Chinese officials of carrying out a cover-up of the Covid-19 outbreak that effectively “unleashed” the virus on the world.On Sunday, Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, appeared on “Face the Nation” and “Meet the Press,” accusing Chinese officials of carrying out a cover-up of the Covid-19 outbreak that effectively “unleashed” the virus on the world.
The coronavirus has infected more than 5.3 million and killed more than 340,000 in its spread around the world. The United States is suffering by far the largest known outbreak. China says it has contained the virus, but Russia confirmed 8,599 new cases in the last 24 hours alone.The coronavirus has infected more than 5.3 million and killed more than 340,000 in its spread around the world. The United States is suffering by far the largest known outbreak. China says it has contained the virus, but Russia confirmed 8,599 new cases in the last 24 hours alone.
Each one is more than a name. Each one had a unique life story. Each one succumbed to the coronavirus pandemic that swept across the globe, devastating families and industries and dealing a crippling blow to the world’s economy.
The death toll is approaching a grim marker: “One. Hundred. Thousand,” as our correspondent Dan Barry writes:
“A number is an imperfect measure when applied to the human condition. A number provides an answer to how many, but it can never convey the individual arcs of life, the 100,000 ways of greeting the morning and saying good night.
The immensity of such a sudden toll taxes our ability to comprehend, to understand that each number adding up to 100,000 represents someone among us just yesterday. Who was the 1,233rd person to die? The 27,587th? The 98,431st?
Why has this happened in the United States of 2020? Why has the virus claimed a disproportionately large number of black and Latino victims? Why were nursing homes so devastated? These questions of why and how and whom will be asked for decades to come.”
As the number of U.S. cases (not fatalities, as an earlier post said) from Covid-19 passed 1.6 million, The New York Times sought to memorialize the tens of thousands who died of the coronavirus in the United States. The result: a print front page like no other, and an interactive digital counterpart, to frame the incalculable loss with a presentation of obituaries and death notices from newspapers around the country.
Congregations across the U.S. were still using Facebook or YouTube to hold services on Sunday, or were taking part from their cars in the church parking lot.Congregations across the U.S. were still using Facebook or YouTube to hold services on Sunday, or were taking part from their cars in the church parking lot.
But pastors have been sharing plans for returning to in-person services in the weeks ahead while deciding how to do so safely. But pastors have been sharing plans for returning to in-person services in the weeks ahead while deciding how to do so safely.
The dispute has become distinctly political, as growing numbers of conservative churches in blue states pushed back against restrictions on in-person worship, and as President Trump threatened on Friday to try to overrule governors who refuse to open houses of worship. The dispute has become distinctly political, as growing numbers of churches pushed back against restrictions on in-person worship, and as President Trump threatened on Friday to try to overrule governors who refuse to open houses of worship.
“Some governors have deemed the liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential but have left out churches and other houses of worship,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s not right. So I am correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential.”“Some governors have deemed the liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential but have left out churches and other houses of worship,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s not right. So I am correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential.”
Minnesota announced on Saturday that it would allow houses of worship to open at 25 percent capacity, if they follow public health guidelines. Some Catholic and Lutheran leaders had said they would resume in-person worship next week in defiance of Gov. Tim Walz’s previous order limiting gatherings.Minnesota announced on Saturday that it would allow houses of worship to open at 25 percent capacity, if they follow public health guidelines. Some Catholic and Lutheran leaders had said they would resume in-person worship next week in defiance of Gov. Tim Walz’s previous order limiting gatherings.
Houses of worship can already open legally in more than half the states, but many had decided to remain closed while working out their next steps. Many that are considering opening for in-person worship soon have been mapping out new seating arrangements or foot traffic flows. Houses of worship can already open legally in more than half the states, but many had decided to remain closed while working out their next steps.
The idea of reopening is an especially difficult issue for African-American churches, as the coronavirus has been infecting and killing black people at disproportionally high rates.The idea of reopening is an especially difficult issue for African-American churches, as the coronavirus has been infecting and killing black people at disproportionally high rates.
Leaders of the Church of God in Christ, a historically black denomination with about six million members worldwide, are urging pastors not to begin reopening until at least July. Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., the church’s presiding bishop, found Mr. Trump’s push on Friday to reopen “frightening.” Leaders of the Church of God in Christ, a historically black denomination with about six million members worldwide, are urging pastors not to begin reopening until at least July.
“The moral safe choice is to wait,” Bishop Blake said. “We don’t think now is the time, and neither do the scientists and doctors we consult with.” “The moral safe choice is to wait,” Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., the church’s presiding bishop, said. “We don’t think now is the time, and neither do the scientists and doctors we consult with.”
As President Trump presses U.S. officials to reopen houses of worship by declaring religious institutions essential, some European countries have already taken the plunge — sometimes with dire consequences.As President Trump presses U.S. officials to reopen houses of worship by declaring religious institutions essential, some European countries have already taken the plunge — sometimes with dire consequences.
In Germany, which for weeks now has allowed religious services, 40 churchgoers became infected with the coronavirus during a service at a Baptist church in Frankfurt, the health authorities said.In Germany, which for weeks now has allowed religious services, 40 churchgoers became infected with the coronavirus during a service at a Baptist church in Frankfurt, the health authorities said.
Six parishioners were hospitalized, according to Wladimir Pritzkau, a leader of the parish.Six parishioners were hospitalized, according to Wladimir Pritzkau, a leader of the parish.
“We followed all the rules,” Mr. Pritzkau told the German news agency DPA, noting that the church did not know how many people were at the service on May 10. The church has moved weekend services back online. “We followed all the rules,” Mr. Pritzkau told the German news agency DPA.
France took tentative steps on Sunday to reopen churches, mosques and synagogues. Officials were nudged by a legal challenge to a blanket ban on public worship that was not set to be lifted until the end of May.France took tentative steps on Sunday to reopen churches, mosques and synagogues. Officials were nudged by a legal challenge to a blanket ban on public worship that was not set to be lifted until the end of May.
The Council of State, France’s highest administrative court, ordered the government last Monday to reopen churches, mosques and synagogues within eight days, calling worship a fundamental freedom that could be reconciled with public health measures.
There was a sense of both joy and anxiety in the Catholic church of St.-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, where the Rev. Antoine De Folleville is the parish priest, as worshipers returned for the first time in two months.There was a sense of both joy and anxiety in the Catholic church of St.-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, where the Rev. Antoine De Folleville is the parish priest, as worshipers returned for the first time in two months.
“How should Communion be given?” a woman asked. “With pliers?”
“No, we’ll wash our hands with alcoholic gel right before taking up the host,” said Father De Folleville, who was making final preparations.
In Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher reopened after a two-month lockdown. On the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians crowded into streets early Sunday in defiance of coronavirus restrictions, including many who demanded that the Palestinian authorities reopen mosques for Eid al-Fitr, the festival for the conclusion of the fasting month of Ramadan.In Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher reopened after a two-month lockdown. On the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians crowded into streets early Sunday in defiance of coronavirus restrictions, including many who demanded that the Palestinian authorities reopen mosques for Eid al-Fitr, the festival for the conclusion of the fasting month of Ramadan.
“The people want holiday prayers,” demonstrators chanted in front of the Palestinian Authority’s headquarters in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.“The people want holiday prayers,” demonstrators chanted in front of the Palestinian Authority’s headquarters in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Though there are promising signs that coronavirus vaccines will be successfully developed, an expert cautioned on Sunday that the first vaccines that become available may not prove to be the most effective.Though there are promising signs that coronavirus vaccines will be successfully developed, an expert cautioned on Sunday that the first vaccines that become available may not prove to be the most effective.
Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said on the NBC program “Meet the Press” that some early vaccines may be only partly protective.Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said on the NBC program “Meet the Press” that some early vaccines may be only partly protective.
“They may reduce hospitalization and death, which is still very important,” he said, but in the end, the first to be released “may not be the ones we wind up with.”“They may reduce hospitalization and death, which is still very important,” he said, but in the end, the first to be released “may not be the ones we wind up with.”
“History tells us they get replaced with new and improved vaccines, so this is a gradual process,” Dr. Hotez said, stressing that the next year or so would probably not result in the introduction of “a magic bullet” against the virus.“History tells us they get replaced with new and improved vaccines, so this is a gradual process,” Dr. Hotez said, stressing that the next year or so would probably not result in the introduction of “a magic bullet” against the virus.
Despite President Trump’s efforts to speed up the availability of a vaccine by early next year, dubbed Operation Warp Speed, both Dr. Hotez and Dr. Dan Barouch, a virologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston who is working with Johnson & Johnson on a vaccine, said it takes time to ensure that any vaccine to be administered widely would be safe and effective.Despite President Trump’s efforts to speed up the availability of a vaccine by early next year, dubbed Operation Warp Speed, both Dr. Hotez and Dr. Dan Barouch, a virologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston who is working with Johnson & Johnson on a vaccine, said it takes time to ensure that any vaccine to be administered widely would be safe and effective.
Dr. Barouch cautioned that while it “is theoretically possible” to develop a vaccine in 12 to 18 months, “many, many things would have to go perfectly the first time” for that to happen.Dr. Barouch cautioned that while it “is theoretically possible” to develop a vaccine in 12 to 18 months, “many, many things would have to go perfectly the first time” for that to happen.
He also downplayed the idea of a competition among vaccine developers, including those in China, who recently reported promising results.
“This is not a race to be first,” Dr. Barouch said. “This is a global cooperation in which multiple regions of the world and multiple companies need to work together on vaccines for a very, very large number of people.”
Consider this scenario: It’s deep into the summer and a powerful hurricane looms off the Florida coast, threatening enormous destruction and widespread blackouts. In normal times, that would prompt evacuation orders for millions of coastal residents.Consider this scenario: It’s deep into the summer and a powerful hurricane looms off the Florida coast, threatening enormous destruction and widespread blackouts. In normal times, that would prompt evacuation orders for millions of coastal residents.
But in the middle of a pandemic, the most consequential disaster decisions become complicated by fears of contagion.But in the middle of a pandemic, the most consequential disaster decisions become complicated by fears of contagion.
Temporarily moving in with a relative might expose older family members to the coronavirus. Friends might be wary of letting in evacuees from outside their quarantine bubble. People who could otherwise book a flight out of town may worry about getting infected on a plane. And the more than 1.5 million Floridians who are out of work could be unable to afford gas or a motel room.
What is left are emergency shelters, where hundreds of people crowd into high school gymnasiums, share public bathrooms and line up for buffet-style meals.
This is the planning challenge that emergency managers across the Southeast face ahead of June 1, the start of a hurricane season that meteorologists expect to be quite active.This is the planning challenge that emergency managers across the Southeast face ahead of June 1, the start of a hurricane season that meteorologists expect to be quite active.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast as many as six storms rated Category 3 or higher. A named system, Tropical Storm Arthur, formed in May.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast as many as six storms rated Category 3 or higher. A named system, Tropical Storm Arthur, formed in May.
If a big storm comes this summer, people in harm’s way may hear advice from the authorities that is somewhat contradictory and perhaps confusing: Stay at home and remain socially distant from others to avoid contracting the coronavirus. But leave home — even if that means coming into closer contact with other people — to be safe during a dangerous hurricane.If a big storm comes this summer, people in harm’s way may hear advice from the authorities that is somewhat contradictory and perhaps confusing: Stay at home and remain socially distant from others to avoid contracting the coronavirus. But leave home — even if that means coming into closer contact with other people — to be safe during a dangerous hurricane.
“We’re going to need to get people out, because that is the emergent threat,” said Jared Moskowitz, the director of Florida’s division of emergency management. “We will undoubtedly have to balance the risks.”“We’re going to need to get people out, because that is the emergent threat,” said Jared Moskowitz, the director of Florida’s division of emergency management. “We will undoubtedly have to balance the risks.”
The antigovernment movement that roiled Hong Kong for much of last year subsided this year as fears of the coronavirus kept many at home. But on Sunday, police officers fired tear gas as hundreds of protesters flouted social-distancing rules to demonstrate against China’s plans to impose national security laws on the semiautonomous territory. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo gave the go-ahead on Sunday for teams to reopen their training facilities in New York, saying that the absence of professional sports had left a significant void this spring during a stay-at-home order.
Protesters gathered in a central shopping district around midday, chanting slogans against the government and the Chinese Communist Party like “Heavens will destroy the C.C.P.” and “Hong Kong independence is the only way out.” “I believe that sports that can come back without having people in the stadium, without having people in the arena,” Mr. Cuomo said during his daily coronavirus briefing. “Do it. Work out the economics if you can. We want you up.”
Dozens of police officers in riot gear swarmed the area, but many protesters pressed around them, ignoring their warnings to disperse. Just before 1:30 p.m., the police fired at least four rounds of tear gas, sending protesters scrambling. The Hong Kong police said in a statement that they arrested 120 people, most on charges of unlawful assembly. Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League are all in discussions with the players’ unions about the timetable, safety protocols and logistics of playing games.
The protest was the biggest the territory had seen in several months. The Hong Kong government has banned public gatherings of more than eight people until at least June 4, and attempts since January to revive the protests were sparsely attended and quickly stifled by the police. Training is the first hurdle in that complicated process, and several states still have not cleared teams to practice. The Yankees would normally train at their complex in Tampa, Fla.
The protest took place days after China’s biggest political event of the year, the annual session of the National People’s Congress, kicked off in Beijing. The ruling Communist Party is trying to project strength amid global criticism of its response to the pandemic. The N.B.A. and N.H.L. suspended their seasons during the second week of March because of the outbreak, while baseball had been scheduled to start its season on March 26.
Many Hong Kong residents see China’s move to impose the security laws as a major blow to the city’s relative autonomy, perhaps an irreparable one. A significant point of contention for the players and owners has been over how much the athletes would be paid in a shortened seasons without the revenue from ticket sales and stadium concessions.
In Beijing on Sunday, the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, asserted that the protests that had roiled Hong Kong posed a grave threat to national security, proving that such legislation was long overdue. “We must get it done without the slightest delay,” Mr. Wang said at a news briefing. And then there is the issue of the health and safety of the players and team employees, which has put the onus on each of the sports leagues to develop testing and contact tracing protocols should an athlete become infected.
“We want people to be able to watch sports to the extent people are still staying home,” Mr. Cuomo said. “It gives people something to do. It’s a return to normalcy so we are working and encouraging all sports teams to start their training camps as soon as possible and we will work with them to make sure that can happen.”
Major League Baseball is eyeing a 82-game season that would be begin in July, instead of the regular 162-game slate. Teams would mainly play games in their geographic region.
The N.B.A. is exploring a return to competition in late July at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Governors and Trump administration officials appearing on the Sunday talk shows stressed the need for caution as the country gingerly tries to restart something resembling normal life.Governors and Trump administration officials appearing on the Sunday talk shows stressed the need for caution as the country gingerly tries to restart something resembling normal life.
Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, a Democrat, said it was too early to tell whether residents were following social distancing guidelines after beaches were reopened. The holiday weekend started with heavy rain, and temperatures hovered in the 50s along the Jersey Shore. Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, a Democrat, said it was too early to tell whether residents were following social distancing guidelines after beaches were reopened.
“For the most part, folks have been extraordinary in doing the right thing in the state now, for going on two and a half-plus months,” Governor Murphy said on the CNN program “State of the Union.” “And I fully expect that will continue on the beaches, even when Mother Nature begins to cooperate with good weather.”“For the most part, folks have been extraordinary in doing the right thing in the state now, for going on two and a half-plus months,” Governor Murphy said on the CNN program “State of the Union.” “And I fully expect that will continue on the beaches, even when Mother Nature begins to cooperate with good weather.”
He stressed the need for federal aid to shore up his depleted state budget and prevent layoffs of essential workers, including police officers, health care workers and teachers.He stressed the need for federal aid to shore up his depleted state budget and prevent layoffs of essential workers, including police officers, health care workers and teachers.
Administration officials were in talks with lawmakers about another round of economic assistance to hard-hit individuals, businesses and possibly state and local governments, the White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on the same program.Administration officials were in talks with lawmakers about another round of economic assistance to hard-hit individuals, businesses and possibly state and local governments, the White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on the same program.
Mr. Hassett touted the effectiveness of stimulus payments to many Americans, and said the economy may now be improving fast enough for lawmakers to decide against a second round of payments, and instead turn to tax cuts — including one that would largely benefit high-earning investors.Mr. Hassett touted the effectiveness of stimulus payments to many Americans, and said the economy may now be improving fast enough for lawmakers to decide against a second round of payments, and instead turn to tax cuts — including one that would largely benefit high-earning investors.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a Republican who never issued a full stay-at-home order, likened efforts to reopen while maintaining social distancing to wearing a seatbelt.Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a Republican who never issued a full stay-at-home order, likened efforts to reopen while maintaining social distancing to wearing a seatbelt.
“You can be in an automobile, and it’s very risky, but you manage the risk by wearing a seatbelt,” he said in an interview with Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.” “At first, everyone resisted wearing a seatbelt and said, ‘Well, that’s a matter of freedom.’ Well, it is, but it’s also a matter of safety.”“You can be in an automobile, and it’s very risky, but you manage the risk by wearing a seatbelt,” he said in an interview with Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.” “At first, everyone resisted wearing a seatbelt and said, ‘Well, that’s a matter of freedom.’ Well, it is, but it’s also a matter of safety.”
Mr. Hutchinson said a recent spike in reported cases in his state was a product of increased testing, and that many of the cases were among workers in the food industry. He said the state was watching to see whether lifting restrictions was causing an increase in cases, “and our answer is that we don’t see a connection there.”
Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, also a Republican, urged residents to wear masks when entering local businesses.Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, also a Republican, urged residents to wear masks when entering local businesses.
“This is not about whether you’re liberal or conservative, left or right, Republican or Democrat,” Mr. DeWine said on “Meet the Press” on NBC. “We wear the masks not to protect yourself so much as to protect others. This is one time when we truly are all in this together. What we do directly impacts others.”“This is not about whether you’re liberal or conservative, left or right, Republican or Democrat,” Mr. DeWine said on “Meet the Press” on NBC. “We wear the masks not to protect yourself so much as to protect others. This is one time when we truly are all in this together. What we do directly impacts others.”
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, sounded a similar note on “Fox News Sunday,” emphasizing how easy it can be to transmit the virus even by talking.Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, sounded a similar note on “Fox News Sunday,” emphasizing how easy it can be to transmit the virus even by talking.
“We know it’s important for people to socially interact, but we also know it’s important that we have to have masks on if we’re less than six feet, and that we have to maintain that six feet.”“We know it’s important for people to socially interact, but we also know it’s important that we have to have masks on if we’re less than six feet, and that we have to maintain that six feet.”
The antigovernment movement that roiled Hong Kong for much of last year subsided this year as fears of the coronavirus kept many at home. But on Sunday, police officers fired tear gas as hundreds of protesters flouted social-distancing rules to demonstrate against China’s plans to impose national security laws on the semiautonomous territory.
Protesters gathered in a central shopping district around midday, chanting slogans against the government and the Chinese Communist Party like “Heavens will destroy the C.C.P.” and “Hong Kong independence is the only way out.”
Dozens of police officers in riot gear swarmed the area, but many protesters pressed around them, ignoring their warnings to disperse. Just before 1:30 p.m., the police fired at least four rounds of tear gas, sending protesters scrambling. The Hong Kong police said in a statement that they arrested 120 people, most on charges of unlawful assembly.
The protest was the biggest the territory had seen in several months. The Hong Kong government has banned public gatherings of more than eight people until at least June 4, and attempts since January to revive the protests were sparsely attended and quickly stifled by the police.
The protest took place days after China’s biggest political event of the year, the annual session of the National People’s Congress, kicked off in Beijing. The ruling Communist Party is trying to project strength amid global criticism of its response to the pandemic.
Many Hong Kong residents see China’s move to impose the security laws as a major blow to the city’s relative autonomy, perhaps an irreparable one.
In Beijing on Sunday, the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, asserted that the protests that had roiled Hong Kong posed a grave threat to national security, proving that such legislation was long overdue. “We must get it done without the slightest delay,” Mr. Wang said at a news briefing.
Only a few weeks ago, Massimiliano Cassina was running a fabric company that had international clients and specialized in sports T-shirts. But the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 30,000 Italians and wrecked the national economy also dealt a deathblow to his business. Desperate for a paycheck, he became one of an increasing number of Italians seeking a future in the country’s agrarian past.Only a few weeks ago, Massimiliano Cassina was running a fabric company that had international clients and specialized in sports T-shirts. But the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 30,000 Italians and wrecked the national economy also dealt a deathblow to his business. Desperate for a paycheck, he became one of an increasing number of Italians seeking a future in the country’s agrarian past.
“They gave me a chance,” said Mr. Cassina, 52, wearing a blue mask, blue rubber gloves and sweat-stained shirt. He now works on a small farm outside Rome, tending to corn stalks for the coming harvest.“They gave me a chance,” said Mr. Cassina, 52, wearing a blue mask, blue rubber gloves and sweat-stained shirt. He now works on a small farm outside Rome, tending to corn stalks for the coming harvest.
The virus has drastically reordered society and economies, locking seasonal workers in their home countries while marooning Italians who worked in retail, entertainment, fashion and other once-mighty industries.The virus has drastically reordered society and economies, locking seasonal workers in their home countries while marooning Italians who worked in retail, entertainment, fashion and other once-mighty industries.
A return to the land once seemed reserved for natural wine hipsters or gentry sowing boutique gardens with ancient seeds, but more Italians are now considering the work of their grandparents as laborers on the large farms that are increasingly essential to feed a paralyzed country and continent.A return to the land once seemed reserved for natural wine hipsters or gentry sowing boutique gardens with ancient seeds, but more Italians are now considering the work of their grandparents as laborers on the large farms that are increasingly essential to feed a paralyzed country and continent.
Without them, hundreds of tons of broccoli, fava beans, fruit and vegetables are in danger of withering on the vine or rotting on the ground.Without them, hundreds of tons of broccoli, fava beans, fruit and vegetables are in danger of withering on the vine or rotting on the ground.
“The virus has forced us to rethink the models of development and the way the country works,” Teresa Bellanova, Italy’s agricultural minister, who is herself a former farmhand, said in an interview.“The virus has forced us to rethink the models of development and the way the country works,” Teresa Bellanova, Italy’s agricultural minister, who is herself a former farmhand, said in an interview.
She said that the virus required Italy, which has remained at the vanguard of the epidemic and its consequences in Europe, to confront “a scarcity of food for many levels of the population,” including unemployed young professionals, and that agriculture needed to be “where the new generations can find a future.”She said that the virus required Italy, which has remained at the vanguard of the epidemic and its consequences in Europe, to confront “a scarcity of food for many levels of the population,” including unemployed young professionals, and that agriculture needed to be “where the new generations can find a future.”
Martin A. Kits van Heyningen feared he was letting the team down at the company he co-founded, KVH Industries. Rather than lay off workers in response to the coronavirus pandemic, he had decided to cut salaries. When he emailed a video explaining his decision at 3 a.m. last month, he was prepared for a barrage of complaints. Reporting was contributed by Reed Abelson, Peter Baker, Dan Barry, Keith Bradsher, Melina Delkic, Elizabeth Dias, Max Fisher, Abby Goodnough, Rebecca Halleck, Michael Hardy, Jason Horowitz, Mike Ives, Yonette Joseph, Sheila Kaplan, Michael Levenson, Cao Li, Iliana Magra, Mujib Mashal, Tiffany May, Patricia Mazzei, Constant Méheut, Sarah Mervosh, Raphael Minder, Sharon Otterman, Elizabeth Paton, Roni Caryn Rabin, Austin Ramzy, Adam Rasgon, Rick Rojas, Luis Ferré Sadurní, Andrea Salcedo, Edgar Sandoval, Charlie Savage, Christopher F. Schuetze, Nelson D. Schwartz, Knvul Sheikh, Marc Stein, Matt Stevens, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Derrick Bryson Taylor, Jim Tankersley, Neil Vigdor, James Wagner, Vivian Wang, Alex Williams, Elaine Yu and Karen Zraick.
Instead, he woke to an outpouring of support from employees that left him elated.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve done, but it turned out to be the best day of my life at work,” Mr. Kits van Heyningen said. “I was trying to keep their morale up. Instead, they kept my morale up.”
Even as American employers let tens of millions of workers go, some companies are choosing a different path. By instituting across-the-board salary reductions, especially at senior levels, they have avoided layoffs.
The trend is a reversal of traditional management theory, which held that it was better to cut positions and dismiss a limited number of workers than to lower pay for everyone.
There is often a genuine desire to protect employees, but long-term financial interests are a major consideration as well, said Donald Delves, a compensation expert with Willis Towers Watson.
“A lot has happened in the last 10 years,” Mr. Delves said. “Companies learned the hard way that once you lay off a bunch of people, it’s expensive and time-consuming to hire them back. Employees are not interchangeable.”
As it tracks the spread of the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been combining tests that detect active infection with those that detect recovery from Covid-19 — a system that muddies the picture of the pandemic but raises the percentage of Americans tested as President Trump boasts about testing.
Now that serology tests, which look for antibodies in the blood of people who have recovered, are more widespread, C.D.C. officials said on Friday they would work to separate them from the results of diagnostic tests, which detect active infection. One agency website that tracks the data has been lumping them together.
Stunned epidemiologists say data from antibody tests and active virus tests should never be mixed, because diagnostic testing seeks to quantify the amount of active disease in the population.
Serological testing can also be unreliable. And patients who have had both diagnostic and serology tests would be counted twice in the totals.
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” said Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at the University of Florida. “All of us are really baffled.”
Reporting was contributed by Reed Abelson, Peter Baker, Dan Barry, Keith Bradsher, Melina Delkic, Elizabeth Dias, Max Fisher, Abby Goodnough, Rebecca Halleck, Michael Hardy, Jason Horowitz, Mike Ives, Yonette Joseph, Sheila Kaplan, Michael Levenson, Cao Li, Iliana Magra, Mujib Mashal, Tiffany May, Patricia Mazzei, Constant Méheut, Sarah Mervosh, Raphael Minder, Sharon Otterman, Elizabeth Paton, Roni Caryn Rabin, Austin Ramzy, Adam Rasgon, Rick Rojas, Luis Ferré Sadurní, Andrea Salcedo, Edgar Sandoval, Charlie Savage, Christopher F. Schuetze, Nelson D. Schwartz, Knvul Sheikh, Marc Stein, Matt Stevens, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Derrick Bryson Taylor, Jim Tankersley, James Wagner, Vivian Wang, Alex Williams, Elaine Yu and Karen Zraick.