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Covid-19 Live Updates: Pandemic Has Had Dire Effects on Learning, Report Finds Covid-19 Live Updates: Pandemic Has Had Dire Effects on Learning, Report Finds
(32 minutes later)
Over the past six months, about 1.5 billion children around the world have been told to stay home from school to help minimize transmission of the coronavirus. More than 30 percent of these students — around 463 million — were unable to gain access to remote learning opportunities when their schools closed, according to a report on Wednesday by Unicef, the United Nations agency for children.Over the past six months, about 1.5 billion children around the world have been told to stay home from school to help minimize transmission of the coronavirus. More than 30 percent of these students — around 463 million — were unable to gain access to remote learning opportunities when their schools closed, according to a report on Wednesday by Unicef, the United Nations agency for children.
“The sheer number of children whose education was completely disrupted for months on end is a global education emergency,” Henrietta Fore, the executive director of Unicef, said in a statement. “The repercussions could be felt in economies and societies for decades to come.”“The sheer number of children whose education was completely disrupted for months on end is a global education emergency,” Henrietta Fore, the executive director of Unicef, said in a statement. “The repercussions could be felt in economies and societies for decades to come.”
Schoolchildren in sub-Saharan Africa have been the most affected, the report said, as education systems there have failed to reach about half of all students through television, radio, internet or other forms of remote learning. Many children in the region have gone without classes of any kind since March, according to a separate report published Wednesday by Human Rights Watch.Schoolchildren in sub-Saharan Africa have been the most affected, the report said, as education systems there have failed to reach about half of all students through television, radio, internet or other forms of remote learning. Many children in the region have gone without classes of any kind since March, according to a separate report published Wednesday by Human Rights Watch.
In part to address this unequal access, education officials in Kenya said last month that they were canceling the academic year and making students repeat it.In part to address this unequal access, education officials in Kenya said last month that they were canceling the academic year and making students repeat it.
Forty percent of students in the Middle East and North Africa, 38 percent in South Asia and 34 percent in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have also been unable to learn remotely, according to the Unicef report, which said children in rural areas had been disproportionately affected.Forty percent of students in the Middle East and North Africa, 38 percent in South Asia and 34 percent in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have also been unable to learn remotely, according to the Unicef report, which said children in rural areas had been disproportionately affected.
In general, students from higher-income households with more-educated parents seem to be faring better at studying at home, researchers around the world have found. This has reinforced concerns that school closures may be yet another way that longstanding inequalities will be exacerbated by the pandemic.In general, students from higher-income households with more-educated parents seem to be faring better at studying at home, researchers around the world have found. This has reinforced concerns that school closures may be yet another way that longstanding inequalities will be exacerbated by the pandemic.
Hurricane Laura pounded the Louisiana and Texas coasts as it made landfall as a Category 4 storm early Thursday, after days of dire warnings that included the need to continue taking virus precautions.Hurricane Laura pounded the Louisiana and Texas coasts as it made landfall as a Category 4 storm early Thursday, after days of dire warnings that included the need to continue taking virus precautions.
With winds of 150 miles per hour, Laura was among the strongest storms to ever hit the United States, according to data compiled by Philip Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University who studies hurricanes. Forecasters have also warned of an “unsurvivable” storm surge that could push as far as 40 miles inland.With winds of 150 miles per hour, Laura was among the strongest storms to ever hit the United States, according to data compiled by Philip Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University who studies hurricanes. Forecasters have also warned of an “unsurvivable” storm surge that could push as far as 40 miles inland.
The hurricane was preceded by tough decisions about fleeing and an urgent push to get people out of harm’s way, with more than 500,000 residents in Louisiana and Texas urged to leave their homes.The hurricane was preceded by tough decisions about fleeing and an urgent push to get people out of harm’s way, with more than 500,000 residents in Louisiana and Texas urged to leave their homes.
Although large shelters have been set up throughout the hurricane zone, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas had encouraged evacuees to consider booking rooms in hotels and motels instead of using shelters, as a safer way to isolate themselves from others who might be infected with the coronavirus.Although large shelters have been set up throughout the hurricane zone, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas had encouraged evacuees to consider booking rooms in hotels and motels instead of using shelters, as a safer way to isolate themselves from others who might be infected with the coronavirus.
Officials said buses used for evacuations would carry fewer people than in the past, to let riders stay a safe distance from one another. Planners were bringing in more buses than in previous disasters, to make up for having fewer people on each bus.Officials said buses used for evacuations would carry fewer people than in the past, to let riders stay a safe distance from one another. Planners were bringing in more buses than in previous disasters, to make up for having fewer people on each bus.
Traditional shelters like gymnasiums and convention centers that have hosted hundreds of evacuees in past disasters would be set up to provide “layers of separation” between the occupants, Mr. Abbott said. The shelters and buses will be supplied with hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment like face masks, and state officials plan to dispatch testing teams to the larger shelters.Traditional shelters like gymnasiums and convention centers that have hosted hundreds of evacuees in past disasters would be set up to provide “layers of separation” between the occupants, Mr. Abbott said. The shelters and buses will be supplied with hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment like face masks, and state officials plan to dispatch testing teams to the larger shelters.
“The state and local governments are fully aware that they are dealing with a pandemic while they are responding to Hurricane Laura,” the governor said.“The state and local governments are fully aware that they are dealing with a pandemic while they are responding to Hurricane Laura,” the governor said.
The Justice Department has asked New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania for information about steps their governors took in response to the pandemic to determine whether they may have contributed to the spread of the disease in nursing homes.The Justice Department has asked New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania for information about steps their governors took in response to the pandemic to determine whether they may have contributed to the spread of the disease in nursing homes.
The department said that directives by the governors, all Democrats, may have allowed people admission to elder-care facilities without adequate testing.The department said that directives by the governors, all Democrats, may have allowed people admission to elder-care facilities without adequate testing.
It cited a March 25 order from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York that no nursing home resident could be denied admission or readmission “solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of Covid-19.”It cited a March 25 order from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York that no nursing home resident could be denied admission or readmission “solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of Covid-19.”
The department said that it might open a formal investigation, depending on the information it receives from the states.The department said that it might open a formal investigation, depending on the information it receives from the states.
“The Civil Rights Division seeks to determine if the state orders requiring admission of Covid-19 patients to nursing homes is responsible for the deaths of nursing home residents,” the department said in a statement Wednesday.“The Civil Rights Division seeks to determine if the state orders requiring admission of Covid-19 patients to nursing homes is responsible for the deaths of nursing home residents,” the department said in a statement Wednesday.
The request for information comes at a delicate time for Mr. Cuomo.The request for information comes at a delicate time for Mr. Cuomo.
Republicans in the state Legislature and in Washington have said that his policies were to blame for 6,500 coronavirus-related deaths in nursing homes and other care facilities, a death toll that is much higher than those in other states.Republicans in the state Legislature and in Washington have said that his policies were to blame for 6,500 coronavirus-related deaths in nursing homes and other care facilities, a death toll that is much higher than those in other states.
About 40 percent of the nearly 180,000 deaths in the United States attributed to the coronavirus have been connected to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, according to a New York Times database.About 40 percent of the nearly 180,000 deaths in the United States attributed to the coronavirus have been connected to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, according to a New York Times database.
According to Mr. Cuomo’s office, New York, New Jersey and Michigan are in a group of eight states that include presumed Covid-19 fatalities, rather than just confirmed ones, in their total of nursing home deaths.According to Mr. Cuomo’s office, New York, New Jersey and Michigan are in a group of eight states that include presumed Covid-19 fatalities, rather than just confirmed ones, in their total of nursing home deaths.
The questions, and any subsequent federal investigation, would apply only to facilities run or owned by the state, the governor’s office said, which is a small percentage of the total.The questions, and any subsequent federal investigation, would apply only to facilities run or owned by the state, the governor’s office said, which is a small percentage of the total.
Mr. Cuomo said that infected health care workers, not his policies, helped spread the virus among the state’s nursing homes.Mr. Cuomo said that infected health care workers, not his policies, helped spread the virus among the state’s nursing homes.
He issued a joint statement with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan calling the effort “nothing more than a transparent politicization of the Department of Justice in the middle of the Republican National Convention.”He issued a joint statement with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan calling the effort “nothing more than a transparent politicization of the Department of Justice in the middle of the Republican National Convention.”
The statement also noted: “At least 14 states — including Kentucky, Utah and Arizona — have issued similar nursing guidance all based on federal guidelines, and yet the four states listed in the D.O.J.’s request have a Democratic governor.”The statement also noted: “At least 14 states — including Kentucky, Utah and Arizona — have issued similar nursing guidance all based on federal guidelines, and yet the four states listed in the D.O.J.’s request have a Democratic governor.”
The statement also suggested that the department should send a similar letter to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “since the state’s advisories were modeled after their guidance.”The statement also suggested that the department should send a similar letter to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “since the state’s advisories were modeled after their guidance.”
Vice President Mike Pence and other speakers on the third night of the Republican National Convention on Wednesday sought to rewrite the history of how President Trump has handled the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed nearly 180,000 Americans and counting.Vice President Mike Pence and other speakers on the third night of the Republican National Convention on Wednesday sought to rewrite the history of how President Trump has handled the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed nearly 180,000 Americans and counting.
“Before the first case of the coronavirus spread within the United States, the president took unprecedented action and suspended all travel from China, the second-largest economy in the world,” Mr. Pence said, speaking to a crowd at Fort McHenry in Baltimore that did not appear to be socially distanced or wearing masks.“Before the first case of the coronavirus spread within the United States, the president took unprecedented action and suspended all travel from China, the second-largest economy in the world,” Mr. Pence said, speaking to a crowd at Fort McHenry in Baltimore that did not appear to be socially distanced or wearing masks.
Yet by April, 40,000 people had traveled to the United States from China since Mr. Trump imposed his travel ban on Jan. 31, which did not apply to Americans and some others. Many of those passengers received minimal health screening.Yet by April, 40,000 people had traveled to the United States from China since Mr. Trump imposed his travel ban on Jan. 31, which did not apply to Americans and some others. Many of those passengers received minimal health screening.
Mr. Pence also said Mr. Trump had “marshaled the full resources of our federal government from the outset,” adding, “He directed us to forge a seamless partnership with governors across America in both political parties.”Mr. Pence also said Mr. Trump had “marshaled the full resources of our federal government from the outset,” adding, “He directed us to forge a seamless partnership with governors across America in both political parties.”
This would come as a surprise to Democratic governors in Illinois, New York and Washington State, among others, who were attacked by Mr. Trump after they criticized the federal government over its lack of assistance.This would come as a surprise to Democratic governors in Illinois, New York and Washington State, among others, who were attacked by Mr. Trump after they criticized the federal government over its lack of assistance.
Representative Lee Zeldin of New York, a rising star in the Republican Party, praised Mr. Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, for providing his district in Suffolk County and New York City with personal protective equipment for medical workers caring for coronavirus patients.Representative Lee Zeldin of New York, a rising star in the Republican Party, praised Mr. Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, for providing his district in Suffolk County and New York City with personal protective equipment for medical workers caring for coronavirus patients.
“Jared Kushner and I were on the phone late” one Saturday night, Mr. Zeldin said. “The very next day, President Trump announced he was sending us 200,000 N95 masks. He actually delivered more than 400,000.”“Jared Kushner and I were on the phone late” one Saturday night, Mr. Zeldin said. “The very next day, President Trump announced he was sending us 200,000 N95 masks. He actually delivered more than 400,000.”
Mr. Zeldin’s praise for the Trump administration neglects to mention what was a nationwide shortage in medical-grade masks and other protective equipment for doctors and nurses. He also said that New York’s hospitals were able to handle all the patients affected by the pandemic — a claim that does not comport with how the pandemic played out in New York this spring.Mr. Zeldin’s praise for the Trump administration neglects to mention what was a nationwide shortage in medical-grade masks and other protective equipment for doctors and nurses. He also said that New York’s hospitals were able to handle all the patients affected by the pandemic — a claim that does not comport with how the pandemic played out in New York this spring.
Reporting was contributed by Katie Benner, Chelsea Brasted, Alexander Burns, Reid J. Epstein, Jonathan Martin, Jesse McKinley, Heather Murphy, Campbell Robertson, Rick Rojas, Dana Rubinstein, Eileen Sullivan and Carl Zimmer. South Korea reported 441 new cases on Thursday, its highest daily total since early March, as the government criticized what it called two great obstacles in fighting the virus: doctors on strike and churches obstructing epidemiological efforts.
South Korea has reported three-digit daily jumps in infections since Aug. 14. The country’s National Assembly came to a halt on Thursday with more than a dozen senior members of the governing Democratic Party in self-isolation after contact with a photojournalist who tested positive for the virus.
Also on Thursday, South Korea’s central bank cut its economic growth outlook, forecasting a 1.3 percent contraction in 2020. That would be its worst performance since after the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s.
About half of the infections discovered this month have spread from churches, including 959 found among members of Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul and their contacts. The government ordered all churches to shut down and switch to online prayer services starting last Sunday, but some churches defied the order.
On Thursday, President Moon Jae-in voiced anger and frustration with Sarang Jeil Church, a center of right-wing, faith-based political activism against the government. Some of the church members have claimed that the health authorities manipulated test results to keep government critics in quarantine. The church’s chief pastor, the Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon, claimed that the outbreak at his church was the result of a “terrorist attack.”
​The government called the claims “disinformation.”
“They should have apologized to the people but instead, they are spreading conspiracy theories,” Mr. Moon said during a meeting with church leaders​ on Thursday.
Mr. Moon also excoriated doctors who went on strike​ Wednesday over plans to increase the number of medical students by 4,000 over the next decade. Hospitals in Seoul reported bottlenecks on Thursday because of the strike. The government says the increased number of students would help the country deal with crises like the pandemic, but doctors argue that they are already operating amid cutthroat competition.
“Doctors abandoning their work during the Covid-19 crisis is like soldiers deserting from battlefields,” Mr. Moon said. “It’s like firefighters going on strike while a big fire is raging.”
For more than a year, the Federal Reserve has wrestled with how to achieve its twin goals — maximum employment and stable inflation — in an era of tepid price increases and very low interest rates.
While not a major kitchen table topic, the Fed’s approach to monetary policy affects every household in America. When it lifts or lowers interest rates to slow or speed growth, it changes the cost of mortgages and car loans. Because its policies help to determine economic strength, they inform how many jobs are available and how long expansions last.
On Thursday, Chair Jerome H. Powell will have a chance to update America on the central bank’s soon-to-conclude framework review in a speech at the Kansas City Fed’s annual conference.
The storied gathering of elite economists has been held behind closed doors in Jackson Hole, Wyo., since 1982. Because of the pandemic, though, the event will be held remotely and streamed on the Kansas City Fed’s YouTube page this year, allowing the public to tune in for the first time ever.
Mr. Powell, who is scheduled to speak at 9:10 a.m., is expected to summarize what the Fed has discovered as it has spent 21 months discussing its future policy approach. He may stop short of offering up the full set of final results — the central bank has hinted that will happen when it updates its long-run policy statement, an outline of overarching principles that officials usually release in January but which many economists expect them to revamp at their Sept. 15-16 meeting.
Fed watchers expect the central bank to shift from targeting 2 percent inflation exactly to a more flexible approach, such as aiming for 2 percent on average over time. The exact details remain unclear, but the adjustment could lay the groundwork for long periods of near-zero interest rates and very low unemployment.
Planned demonstrations against coronavirus restrictions scheduled for the weekend in Berlin were canceled after city authorities said on Wednesday that the gatherings would likely break social-distancing rules. Far-right extremist groups and the AfD, the far-right parliamentary party, had advertised the demonstrations.
“I am not prepared to accept that Berlin is misused as a stage for Corona deniers, Reich citizens and right-wing extremists for a second time,” said Andreas Geisel, the city official responsible for public safety, referring to a group of extremists that doesn’t accept the legitimacy of the modern German state. Several thousand protesters marched at a similar demonstration in Berlin on Aug. 1.
The city’s move has been criticized by those who think a ban could energize those who already think the state is overreaching on restrictions related the virus and could ultimately lead to more dangerous illegal demonstrations.
Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet with state governors on Thursday to discuss new virus rules as the number of cases has grown over the last month. The officials are expected to agree on stricter quarantine rules for people entering the country from “high risk” areas. The government also plans to discontinue free tests for travelers arriving from states not considered high risk for the virus.
Last week the country’s health authority found that nearly 40 percent of new cases came from abroad. On Wednesday, 1,507 new infections were registered. Last Friday, the country registered more than 2,000 infections in a single day, a figure last seen at the end of April. Germany has had at least 237,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 9,285 deaths, according to a New York Times database.
Reporting was contributed by Katie Benner, Chelsea Brasted, Alexander Burns, Reid J. Epstein, Choe Sang-Hun, Jonathan Martin, Jesse McKinley, Heather Murphy, Campbell Robertson, Rick Rojas, Dana Rubinstein,Christopher F. Schuetze, Jenna Smialek, Eileen Sullivan and Carl Zimmer.