The Walls Come Down: No Travel Betwen US and Europe for 30 Days

[mr friendly guy]

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4 ... the-wolves

Nurses protest for PPE outside White House: 'You throw us to the wolves'
BY REBECCA KLAR - 05/07/20 08:02 PM EDT 895
17,445

Nurses protested outside the White House on Thursday over a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nurses with the union National Nurses United stood outside the White House alongside pairs of empty shoes lined up to represent the nurses who died due to “insufficient PPE” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"You talk about how essential, how needed, how grateful you are, and yet you throw us to the wolves,” Jean Ross, president of National Nurses United, told CNN in an interview. “You throw us out onto a battlefield without armor and the more we complain we don't see anything being done.”

During the demonstration, the nurses protesting read the names of 88 nurses who died, according to CNN.

The union is calling on the federal government to help protect nurses with proper gear.

In response to the protests, White House spokesman Judd Deere said nurses are the “true heroes in this ongoing war” and said they have President Trump’s “admiration for the lives they are saving.”

“As the President has said, this is a locally executed, state managed, federally supported response to a global pandemic,” Deere added. “The White House has been working with governors and their teams since January on COVID-19 coordination and supplies. Every level of government needs to deliver data-driven solutions and that is what we are doing in partnership.”

Thursday’s protest was not the first time the union demonstrated outside the White House.

The union staged a similar protest outside the White House last month, demanding the administration take action to acquire more PPE.

[Ace Pace]

Not everything is a conspiracy. A large number of people from the WH are now in quarantine, including security personnel.

[The Romulan Republic]

Not everything is a conspiracy. A large number of people from the WH are now in quarantine, including security personnel.

Honestly, with this administration, could be either/or.

I'm shocked Trump hasn't been confirmed to have it yet. Once again consequences seem to slide right off him. Man must have hired a really good negotiator when he made his deal with Satan.

[mr friendly guy]

My state of Western Australia is easing coronavirus restrictions further from may 18

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-10/ ... l/12232268

WA to ease coronavirus restrictions from May 18, with 20-person gatherings allowed
By Joanna Menagh
Posted 7hhours ago, updated 4hhours ago

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has announced a roadmap for the reopening of the state's economy, doubling the number of people allowed at non-work gatherings and removing some regional travel borders.

Key points:
Up to 20 people will be allowed to gather indoors and outdoors
Pubs, restaurants and cafes may have 20 patrons dine in
Regional travel boundaries have dropped from 13 to four
Indoor and outdoor non-work gatherings of up to 20 people will be permitted, while restaurants and cafes will be allowed to open dine-in services for up to 20 patrons, provided they adhere to the four square metre density rule.

The rule will apply to pubs, bars, community clubs, hotels and the casino.

Up to 20 people will be permitted to attend weddings and funerals, with the cap lifting to 30 people if the service is held outdoors.

WA COVID-19 snapshot
Confirmed cases so far: 552
Recovered: 536
Deaths: 9
Total tests: 54,563
Latest information from the WA Health Department

WA's temporary regional borders have been reduced from 13 to four, allowing travel between some regions that were previously closed off.

Travel will be permitted within the Mid-West, Gascoyne and Pilbara; the Esperance-Goldfields region; and within the Kimberley.

Restrictions will be removed in the remaining regions — including the South West, Great Southern, Wheatbelt and Peel — to permit travel between those areas and Perth.

Travel between Perth and the other regions will remain prohibited, and WA's interstate border will remain shut for now.

Mr McGowan said the state's success in fighting the spread of coronavirus meant Western Australia was ready to "take the next step".

The changes will take effect from Monday, May 18.

Coronavirus update: Follow all the latest news in our daily wrap.
Pools, libraries given green light
Some public amenities such as swimming pools, libraries and places of worship will be able to reopen and cater for up to 20 people.

Mr McGowan said the number of people who could take part in non-contact community sport would also be lifted to 20 people.

"To be clear, this means adults and children can train and take part in sports if there's no physical contact involved," he said.

A picture of a still Olympic sized swimming pool taken from a grandstand
Swimming pools are allowed to reopen for up to 20 people at a time.(ABC News: Hugh Sando)
Coronavirus questions answered
An illustration of a cell on an orange background with the word 'coronacast' overlayed.
Breaking down the latest news and research to understand how the world is living through an epidemic, this is the ABC's Coronacast.

Read more
Indoor and outdoor fitness classes of 20 people will also be permitted, provided there is minimal sharing of equipment.

Two weeks ago, in what it says was 'phase one' of the roadmap, the Government eased some restrictions to allow non-work gatherings of up to 10 people.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Roger Cook said no new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in WA overnight.

There was only one new case recorded in WA over the past 11 days, with the total number of confirmed cases at 552.

Only seven cases are active — four people are in hospital, with one in intensive care.

Outdoor dining rules to ease
Mr McGowan said the changes would apply from May 18, to give businesses a week to plan and prepare.

The Premier also warned that all businesses which reopened must complete an official COVID-19 safety plan — the details of which would be announced later.

Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak
Download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest on how the pandemic is impacting the world
You can also get up-to-date information on the Federal Government's Coronavirus Australia app, available on the App Store, Google Play and the Government's WhatsApp channel.
However, Mr McGowan did accept that even with the easing of restrictions, many businesses may still not be able to reopen.

"I hope that they can," he said.

"What I have learnt during this pandemic is that nothing is perfect, but we're working towards one goal."

He described the doubling of the number of people allowed to gather indoors and outdoors as "a major step forward" and ahead of the other states.

Waiter carrying tray of drinks.
Restaurants, cafes and pubs can now serve meals to up to 20 sit-down customers at a time.(Pixabay)
Mr McGowan said restaurants and cafes would be able to serve sit-down meals again for up to 20 patrons at a time.

He said he hoped that alfresco boundaries could be relaxed for hospitality businesses.

"Today, I'm writing to local governments and asking them to work with us on a temporary arrangement to provide more flexibility for businesses to help them accommodate customers up to the 20-person limit."

Your questions on coronavirus answered:
What does a post-lockdown school look like?
When restrictions are lifted, will home deliveries continue?
How far am I allowed to drive?
Regional borders drop to four
The intrastate borders will be reduced from 13 to just four, allowing people to travel within the South West region, the Mid-West Gascoyne and Pilbara regions, and the entire Goldfields-Esperance region.

In the Kimberley, where there are concerns about coronavirus hitting vulnerable communities, travel will be allowed within the local government areas.

A map of Australia in black and white with a red and yellow dotted line around WA.
WA's interstate border will remain closed for now.(ABC News/Mark McGowan Via Facebook)
Mr McGowan said access to remote communities in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Goldfields regions would remain restricted.

"The removal of most of the regional boundaries will allow more West Australians to reconnect with loved ones. They will also allow some tourism operations to resume, and we all know the tourism and hospitality sector has been doing it tough," he said.

Mr McGowan gave no indication of when the closure of WA's border with the rest of Australia — that effectively makes the state an 'island within an island' — would be lifted.

"That will likely be the final restriction that we lift," he said.

"Our hard borders and our isolation have worked to our advantage and we must keep it that way. It is because of this, we can be more economically progressive and advanced than the other states."

What the experts are saying about coronavirus:
A widespread outbreak could derail plans to ease restrictions
Lessons Australia can learn from other 'first mover' countries
Playgrounds, beauty services could open in phase three
Mr McGowan said the measures announced today were the second phase in the WA Government's four-phase plan.

He said the third phase, which was expected to be implemented in about four weeks, was likely to include the reopening of playgrounds and beauticians, although those businesses can open under phase two for retail sales only.

Playground swings and monkey bars with danger tape wrapped around it
Playgrounds remain closed but may reopen when the next phase of restrictions are eased.(ABC News: Jessica Warriner)
Mr McGowan has also urged West Australians to return to work unless they are unwell, or have health vulnerabilities.

"Western Australia now needs to get moving and get our economy going again," he said.

Mr McGowan said phase three, which was dependent on health advice, was also expected to include a further relaxation of restrictions, including another increase in the number of people allowed to gather for non-work purposes and the easing of restrictions for cafes and restaurants.

"It will also likely include the further relaxation of regional travel restrictions, and further easing of restrictions on gyms, health clubs and community sport," he said.

"It's expected it will allow for contact community sport to be permitted."

The Premier said WA was more advanced than most other states in easing restrictions.

"We are the first state to move to a 20-person gathering limit, weeks before the other states," he said.

"It is a much more progressive opening up of businesses, community, sport than the eastern states have put in place."

Well, we do have low number of active cases. Looking forward to being able to eat out again, albeit with the new restrictions.

[Ralin]

I'm shocked Trump hasn't been confirmed to have it yet. Once again consequences seem to slide right off him. Man must have hired a really good negotiator when he made his deal with Satan.

Honestly it's pretty in keeping with Trump's track record. He gets everything and the devil gets basically nothing in return.

[bilateralrope]

Not everything is a conspiracy. A large number of people from the WH are now in quarantine, including security personnel.

Honestly, with this administration, could be either/or.

I'm shocked Trump hasn't been confirmed to have it yet. Once again consequences seem to slide right off him. Man must have hired a really good negotiator when he made his deal with Satan.

You're assuming he's actually getting tested. Isn't the US still short on testing kits ?

Add in that testing doesn't change the treatment, only what precautions those treating him take to prevent catching it, and I wouldn't be surprised if we find out that he isn't being tested as often as he says he is. Maybe he's lying about how often he gets tested, maybe someone is just throwing away the swabs because his yes-men don't want to risk being fired if they tell him he tested positive.

[The Romulan Republic]

Trump is getting tested, supposedly. Whether he actually is... who the hell knows. But the idea that the President would be subject to the shortages that affect the general public is... yeah, no.

[ray245]

Not everything is a conspiracy. A large number of people from the WH are now in quarantine, including security personnel.

Honestly, with this administration, could be either/or.

I'm shocked Trump hasn't been confirmed to have it yet. Once again consequences seem to slide right off him. Man must have hired a really good negotiator when he made his deal with Satan.

Trump is apparently a germophobe, which means he will be washing his hands more frequently than your average person. That alone will massively decrease the odds of him getting it. The virus is extremely infectious, but washing your hands frequently is still going to improve your odds of not catching it.

In Singapore, there are many people who have been in contact with an infected person for a prolonged duration that did not catch the virus. So being in contact with someone does not automatically mean you have caught the virus. However, if the virus is going to be increasingly prevalent, then chances are it is going to be harder and harder for Trump to avoid being exposed to the virus.

Come to think of it, politicians will be ideal candidate for vaccine trials, if you want to test vaccine's effectiveness. They are in a high contact environment that massively increase their odds of catching the virus,

[loomer]

The Cheyenne River Sioux response to the governor is pretty great.

"...We will not apologize for being an island of safety in a sea of uncertainty and death.

Article 16 of the Ft. Laramie Treaty signed in 1868 by your government and our respected ancestors dictates the following: 'stipulates and agrees that no white person or persons shall be permitted to settle upon or occupy any portion of the same; or without the consent of the Indians first had and obtained, to pass through the same."

I absolutely agree we need to work together during this time of crisis, however you continuing to interfere in our efforts to do what science and facts dictate seriously undermine our ability to protect everyone on the reservation. Ignorant statements and fiery rhetoric encourage individuals already under stress from this situation to carry out irrational actions..."

It's looking like it'll go to court unless she backs down.

[Broomstick]

Two of them are planning to testify via video link.

[Jub]

I know that this is an emotional thing rather than a rational one, but fuck anybody who changes their answer to the trolly problem if a loved one, or even their own life, is involved. You always pull the lever and sacrifice the fewest lives possible.

It's real easy for you to say that, but what if you're the one that is alone on the track? Answer honestly, now.

I hope the train ends me instantly and that whichever safety issues resulted in such a choice having to be made are corrected due to my death. I fear the pain of dying far more than I fear the state of sublime unconsciousness that I presume death to be.

That's a noble ideal, but in real life the vast majority of those people won't meet that test, and even when someone does it can fuck them up mentally for the rest of their lives.
People ARE emotional.
Any system that fails to take that into account is not going to work very well, if at all.

Then we need to enforce the laws and ensure that they have no choice but to meet the challenge. I support a proper crackdown on the current round of anti-lockdown protests as well. People can't make the wrong choices nearly as easily if you have the will to prevent them from doing so.

[mr friendly guy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cy-QSB7jMU

Mike Pompeo says COVID 19 is man made, then not man made less than a minute later on the same interview. Why do people take this piece of shit seriously? I bet you if Pompeo says he isn't fat, people would defend that statement.

[bilateralrope]

New Zealand will start to move to level 2 on Thursday

New Zealand will move to coronavirus level 2 in three separate stages starting from this Thursday.

At 11.59pm on Wednesday most of level 2 will be enacted. Much of the economy will open including restaurants, malls, cinemas, shops, and hairdressers. People will be able to socialise with others and travel around the country, as well as playing team sports.

The following Monday - May 18 - schools and early childhood centres will open.

Finally on Thursday May 21 bars will be allowed to reopen.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement on Monday afternoon following a Cabinet meeting to discuss the matter.

While gatherings would be allowed they would be limited to ten people, Ardern said - even for weddings or funerals.

Bookings for restaurants and the like will not be allowed for groups larger than 10.

Church services and the like could be larger than ten however.

These rules would be reviewed in another two weeks time on May 25.

The rules for easter trading would be used to allow restaurants to serve alcohol but bars not to open.

Bars that broke the rules could face a loss of license, Ardern said.

Ardern thanked New Zealanders for the sacrifice during the lockdown - the "team of five million".

She said the transmission rate for the virus remained well below 1.

"As of today we have only 90 New Zealanders recorded as having the virus with only two in hospital. None of that has been through luck, it has been through hard work."

Ardern said that New Zealand had used the time to build up the health system's testing and contact tracing ability, with around 3.5 per cent of Kiwis having now been tested for Covid-19.

She said the battle was being won against the virus but it would be a long war.

New Zealand has been in some form of lockdown since 24 March, with over a month of full level 4 lockdown.

Earlier in the day New Zealand announced just three new cases of Covid-19, the latest day in a long line of either very few or zero new cases.

Covid-19 has now killed 21 people in New Zealand.

Hopefully we aren't reopening too soon.

[The Romulan Republic]

Two of them are planning to testify via video link.

That's good to hear.

[Broomstick]

Actually, it's all three now. (Unless something changes again)

[Darth Nostril]

Stay alert by washing your hands regularly.

By the Divines, the floppy haired Eton school bully has contracted Trumpitis.

Fortunately someone went to the trouble of translating the incoherent ramblings of this clueless inbreed into english -

https://twitter.com/RealMattLucas/statu ... 2791106569

Well there we have it, a stunningly comprehensive road map of where Britain is going forward - aimlessly meandering towards a cliff.

[MKSheppard]

So the NYS "must accept COVID patients in nursing homes" order has been rescinded.

Maybe because a Republican running for Congress sent a letter to AG Barr requesting a Federal investigation into that order.

[The Romulan Republic]

So the NYS "must accept COVID patients in nursing homes" order has been rescinded.

Maybe because a Republican running for Congress sent a letter to AG Barr requesting a Federal investigation into that order.

Though it hardly needs to be said, this is empty speculation designed to portray Republicans and Barr as the heroes based on absolutely fucking nothing.

I suppose next Shep is going to post about how Barr heroically stood up to the Deep State by shielding Michael Flynn, or how he's totally going to prosecute Biden and Crooked Hillary for Treason and Pizzagate any day now.

[MKSheppard]

I hate to say it...

But we got lucky a SECOND time.

(First time was with the 2014 Ebola Outbreak)

It's becoming clear that CORONA is a lot more infectious and deadly than the seasonal flu -- 81,378 dead of Corona as of 9 PM on 11 May 2020.

This is despite us shutting down schools and just about every major gathering point (movie theaters and dine in restaurants) for the last month or two; yet Corona is racking up a kill count comparable to the seasonal flu; which achieves it's kill count of 50 to 100K dead each year in unlimited "mosh pit" environments.

It's dangerous, but it's not the horrific levels we were projecting a few weeks ago (4,000+ dead in one day) since we smashed the curve so flat (compared to european countries).

I really don't want to count on "luck" for the infectious disease outbreak of 2037 (same interval between SARS and Corona); particularly since I will be starting to be in the "at serious risk" category by that time.

We need to:

1.) Formalize procedures for pandemics; right now, we're kind of flying by night here. We need to have standardized plans for schools, churches, businesses on what to do and what not to do.

2.) Step up PPE production, both masks/gloves/gowns and hand sanitizer/bleach -- and require businesses and local governments to maintain stockpiles. We got really lucky this time, in that Corona is no Captain Trips, but it's not the flu either. However, if you moved the lethality of this thing a decimal point over, it'd be really bad.

3.) Pass into law an "Emergency Pandemic Fund" bill that places a small tax somewhere; maybe 0.1% on the sales of sanitizer product, and the money goes into the EPF; which by law can't be used for something else. In fact, write the bill so that tapping the EPF for anything OTHER than a pandemic is treason and punishable by death. This way, when the next pandemic occurs; all the government has to do is:

A.) Issue stay at home orders.
B.) Start issuing Emergency Pandemic Income checks/payments so that people WILL stay at home.

Again, all this must be written specifically so that raiding the fund or issuing out the checks unless there's a pandemic is punishable by death. Anything else will invite politicians to raid the EPF to fund social programs.

There may be more, but this is a good starting point.

[mr friendly guy]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-12/ ... n=business

Elon Musk defies coronavirus shutdown orders, risking arrest by reopening Tesla plant in US

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed the company has reopened its California factory in violation of local government orders due to coronavirus.

Key points:
A non-essential business, Tesla is required to stay shut until May 18
Mr Musk risks up to 90 days in jail for violating local health orders
He has threatened to move the Tesla factory to Nevada or Texas
Mr Musk said via Twitter that he would be on the assembly line and asked that he be arrested if authorities take anyone into custody.

State law allows a fine of $USD1,000 ($1548) a day or up to 90 days in jail for operating in violation of health orders.

The plant in Fremont, south of San Francisco, had been closed since March 23 under orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

But as the new work week started, the parking lot was nearly full at the massive plant, which employs 10,000 workers.

Trucks departed with vehicles that may have been produced before the shutdown.


The restart violates orders from the Alameda County Health Department, which had deemed the factory a non-essential business.

Alameda County Sheriff Ray Kelly said any enforcement of the law would come from local police, who would be directed by the county's health officer.

Coronavirus update: Follow all the latest news in our daily wrap
The restart came two days after Tesla took legal action against the local health department, with Mr Musk threatening to move Tesla's manufacturing operations and headquarters from the state.

Tesla contended in the lawsuit that Alameda County should not be more restrictive than orders from California Governor Gavin Newsom and federal guidelines that classify vehicle manufacturing as an essential businesses.

"Frankly, this is the final straw," the often-controversial Mr Musk wrote in a now-deleted tweet.

"Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately."

He wrote that whether the company keeps any manufacturing in Fremont depends on how Tesla is treated in the future.

A middle-aged man wearing black looks into distances and moves his hand as he makes a point.
Elon Musk asked that if anyone from Tesla were arrested for breaching lockdown restrictions, it would be him.(AP: Susan Walsh)
Governor Newsom said he was not aware of the California plant reopening in defiance of local guidelines, but was hopeful the state could make peace with Tesla.

"I have great expectations that we can work through at the county levels," Mr Newsom said, adding that local health directors are in charge of restrictions and the timing of any resumption of manufacturing.

The San Francisco Bay Area order calls for limited return of business and manufacturing, with some health restrictions, starting on May 18 — the same day Detroit carmakers plan to reopen assembly plants.

"We look forward to many, many decades of that relationship [with Tesla]," Governor Newsom said.

Early in the coronavirus crisis, Governor Newsom praised Tesla as the "perfect example" of the private sector assisting the state in the pandemic.

Mr Musk pledged to provide more than 1,000 ventilators to California hospitals, which Governor Newsom described as an "heroic effort."

Mr Musk has been vocal about the stay-home order since Tesla's April 29 first-quarter earnings were released, having described the company's share price as "too high" the previous month.

He described the coronavirus restrictions as "fascist" and urged governments to stop taking people's freedom.


M i c h e l l e
@ChillMichelle
· 4h
From what I gather, @Tesla was told they could operate by the state of CA but Alameda County illegally overrode that decision. @elonmusk can you confirm?
People are so quick to jump to conclusions but it's good to remember there's usually more behind the scenes.

Elon Musk
✔
@elonmusk
Yes, California approved, but an unelected county official illegally overrode. Also, all other auto companies in US are approved to resume. Only Tesla has been singled out. This is super messed up!

31.1K
4:23 AM - May 12, 2020
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Even with more than 80,000 coronavirus deaths across the country, US health experts say stay-home orders have reduced the number of cases nationwide.

Tesla said it had safety procedures to protect workers, including increased cleaning, enforcement of social distancing, providing face coverings and gloves where needed.

Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak
Download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest on how the pandemic is impacting the world
You can also get up-to-date information on the Federal Government's Coronavirus Australia app, available on the App Store, Google Play and the Government's WhatsApp channel.
It has also installed barriers between workers where necessary and introduced employee temperature checks at "some locations".

Despite Mr Musk's threat, it would be costly and difficult to quickly shift production from Fremont to Texas or Nevada.

The Fremont facility is Tesla's only US vehicle-assembly plant, and the company would lose critical production if it shut down the plant to move equipment.

Mr Musk has said he planned to establish another US factory to increase output, possibly in Texas, and could move production once that plant is up and running.

The lack of production in Fremont is a big financial strain on the company.

On a conference call last month, Mr Musk called the closure of Fremont a "serious risk".

So is car manufacturing an "essential service." Each country is going to make a decision on what is "essential" to its geopolitical aims, for example China kept the Wuhan factory manufacturing NAND going but with precautions. I guess we have to answer if Tesla is essential to US interests and what precautions is Musk implementing.

[The Romulan Republic]

Putin seems to be using the same covid playbook as the Donald, with similarly bad results:

https://theguardian.com/world/2020/may/ ... ips-russia

A day of record high coronavirus infection numbers is an odd time to announce a route out of lockdown, but that is what Vladimir Putin did on Monday as he announced that the “non-working days” imposed by the Kremlin at the end of March would come to an end from Tuesday.

“We have a long and difficult process ahead of us with no room for mistakes,” said Putin by video link from his residence outside Moscow on a day when the country registered more than 11,000 new infections. Russia now has the second fastest rate of infections in the world after the US. The prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, is among those in hospital with the virus.

Rather than an invitation to Russians to stream back into the streets, however, Monday’s announcement seemed to be the latest gambit in Putin’s plan to delegate responsibility for tackling the crisis to local leaders, who he said would make their own decisions on when to end lockdown.

Certainly, Russia’s vast size means there is little point in lockdown restrictions in Vladivostok being tied to the epidemic growth seven timezones away in Moscow. But the health minister, Tatiana Golikova, later clarified that so far only 11 of Russia’s 85 regions had an epidemiological situation that could allow for a loosening of restrictions, making Putin’s announcement look to some like passing the buck.

“This is abdication of responsibility, the architect of Russia’s hyper-presidential system suddenly discovering local authorities when it is convenient,” said Mark Galeotti, a Russia analyst and author of a book on Putin. “Putin is giving them the responsibility to fight the pandemic without the funds or the powers.”

Putin has rarely shone in crisis management, something noted as far back as the sinking of the Kursk submarine 20 years ago during his first months in office, and this one appears no different.

Since donning a yellow hazmat suit to visit coronavirus patients back in March, Putin has been largely confined to his residence, where he appears by video link to address the nation and cabinet. Russians who are used to seeing their president atop a horse or motorbike instead see a static-screen Putin who often seems bored.

Putin attends a meeting on the transport system development via video. Photograph: Alexei Nikolsky/AP
Last week he was spotted distractedly playing with a pen as his health minister discussed the regional response with him. On Monday Putin again looked less than enthusiastic as he simultaneously addressed the nation and his government. On several occasions he let out audible sighs in mid-sentence.

The virus is asking hard questions of the Kremlin and the political system constructed by Putin over the past two decades.

“Putin’s detached initial response to the spread of the coronavirus outbreak was at least partly a result of his staff’s tendency to sanitise information and to portray events in the most optimistic light possible. Putin’s staff reports about its achievements, not problems,” wrote Tatiana Stanovaya in a recent report for the Carnegie Moscow Centre.

Coronavirus has also disrupted plans for a vote on constitutional amendments that would have paved the way for Putin to rule until 2036. That was set for April, but instead he has found himself up against a pernicious, frustrating and invisible foe, and seen his approval ratings slide.

“This is arguably the most serious challenge to Putin as national leader in the 20 years he has been in power, and he is failing it,” said Galeotti.

[The Romulan Republic]

Elon Musk defies order to stay closed, dares California to arrest him:

https://globalnews.ca/news/6932015/coro ... t-reopens/

Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk on Monday said production was resuming at the automaker’s sole U.S. vehicle factory, in California, defying an order to stay closed and saying if anyone had to be arrested it should be him.

The move comes as states and cities around the United States experiment with ways to safely reopen their economies after the coronavirus outbreak shuttered businesses and forced tens of millions of Americans out of work.

Musk over the weekend threatened to leave California for Texas or Nevada over his factory’s closure. His move has highlighted the competition for jobs and ignited a rush to woo the billionaire executive by states that have reopened their economies more quickly in response to encouragement from U.S. President Donald Trump.

READ MORE: Elon Musk threatens to move Tesla out of California over coronavirus rules

In an email on Monday, Tesla referred to an order on Thursday by California’s governor allowing manufacturers to resume operations and said that as of Sunday, previously furloughed employees were back to their regular employment status.

“We’re happy to get back to work and have implemented very detailed plans to help you keep safe as you return,” according to the email seen by Reuters and titled “Furlough Has Ended And We Are Back To Work in Production!”

Musk in a tweet said production was resuming on Monday, adding that he would join workers on the assembly line. “If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me,” he wrote.

Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules. I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2020

Health officials in Alameda County, where the Fremont factory is based, late on Monday said they were aware that Tesla had opened beyond the so-called minimum basic operations allowed during lockdown, and had notified the company it could not operate without a county-approved plan.

In a statement, officials said they expected a proposal from Tesla later on Monday and “hope Tesla will likewise comply without further enforcement measures.” The statement did not specify consequences and said officials would not comment further.

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The county’s lockdown order says violations are punishable by fine, imprisonment or both.

A spokeswoman for the Fremont Police Department on Monday said her office was enforcing the lockdown order at the direction of the health department and had been advised that the county is working with Tesla directly.

Separately on Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said California should do whatever is necessary to help the electric carmaker reopen its only U.S. vehicle factory if it wants to keep the company in its state.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday said he spoke to Musk several days ago and that the Tesla founder’s concerns helped prompt the state to begin its phased reopening of manufacturing last week.

“I have not only known that company but I have known its founder for many, many years,” Newsom said in his daily coronavirus press briefing. “I have great reverence for their technology, for their innovative spirit, for their leadership.”

Tesla, which also has a vehicle plant in Shanghai and is building another in Berlin, on Saturday sued the county, alleging it had violated California’s constitution by defying Newsom’s orders allowing manufacturers to reopen.

Musk has discussed opening a second U.S. factory outside California in the past. In a tweet in February, he solicited comments on potentially opening a factory in Texas.

Since his threat to leave California on Saturday, officials from Texas, Georgia, Utah, Oklahoma and Nevada have reached out to Musk on Twitter, encouraging him to relocate to their state.

A Texas official said his county was available immediately to accommodate Tesla and invited the billionaire CEO for a visit.

“We have a motivated, pro-business governor,” Richard Cortez, county judge of Texas’ Hidalgo County, said on Monday. “What we no longer have is a shelter at home mandate.”

Musk in response tweeted: “Note is much appreciated.”

Note is much appreciated

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2020

(Reporting by Tina Bellon in New York; Additional reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Peter Henderson in Oakland and Brad Brooks in Austin; Editing by Richard Chang, Dan Grebler and Stephen Coates)

I really wish they'd call his bluff, but I doubt they will.

[loomer]

Doctors Without Borders dispatches team to the Navajo Nation
Doctors Without Borders is best known for sending medical professionals into international conflict zones in the midst of medical crises. The organization has teams in Afghanistan, Iran, Sierra Leone, Venezuela and 66 other countries. It did not, however, have a medical presence in the U.S. — until now.

Jean Stowell, head of the organization's U.S. COVID-19 Response Team, told CBS News that Doctors Without Borders has dispatched a team of nine to the hard-hit Navajo Nation in the southwest U.S. because of the crisis unfolding there. The team consists of two physicians, three nurse/midwives, a water sanitation specialist, two logisticians and a health promoter who specializes in community health education.

"There are many situations in which we do not intervene in the United States, but this has a particular risk profile," Stowell said. "Situationally, the Native American communities are at a much higher risk for complications from COVID-19 and also from community spread because they don't have access to the variety of things that make it possible to self-isolate… You can't expect people to isolate if they have to drive 100 miles to get food and water. "

Navajo Nation, home to roughly 170,000 people, now has more coronavirus cases per capita than any state in America. Due to a shortage in nursing and specialized medical staff, the most critical patients have to be airlifted to hospitals outside of the reservation. On top of that, Navajo people carry a high rate of diabetes and hypertension, rendering them more susceptible to infection. And as of early May, the region has a higher coronavirus death rate than that of 46 states. The new CBSN Originals documentary, "Coronavirus in Navajo Nation," explores the community's plight.

"I think it's difficult for Americans to realize how big this country is and how the needs are so different in each place," Stowell said. "You know, urban needs are very different than rural needs. And the needs of the Native American community are challenging because they look so different than the needs elsewhere, so they require a pretty significant coordinated effort."

The fact that Navajo Nation is a food desert, dependent on the U.S. government for nutritious commodity foods, has only intensified the situation. What's more, an estimated 1 in 3 residents lack access to running water.

"The lack of running water complicates things," Stowell said, "but it's something that's really familiar to us and probably more familiar to us than other NGOs and nonprofits that work in the U.S. Back when we were first speaking to the Navajo leadership, I think they thought we would find that shocking. Obviously, we find it very surprising, but it's also work that we know how to do. Water sanitation and infection control go hand-in-hand, but it's something that we know quite a lot about, how to navigate those resources."

Stowell said that the Doctors Without Borders team currently has plans to remain in Navajo Nation until the end of June, but that their assignment could very well be extended as circumstances demand.

"When we're looking at the epidemiologic curves from the rest of the world, we know that this is a long haul," she said. "So, at this point, that team is planned to be there until the end of June. Whether that will continue really has to do with how effective the measures that are taken are in reducing the infection rate, and the capacity of other actors. You know, there is quite a lot of interest in responding to the needs of Native communities, but there are also enormous needs. And it's not so quick to mobilize things that you really have to start from the ground up. These were bigger problems long before COVID-19."

The elders of Navajo Nation, who are crucial to preserving the tribe's language and culture, are particularly high-risk due to their age.

"I'm scared for our languages, our culture, our people," Dr. Michelle Tom, a family medicine physician, said in the CBSN Originals documentary. "And I know it's happening all around the world. I get that. I understand that. You know, my time is limited on this Earth, it is. But our language and our cultures can continue to live forever, as long as there are Navajo people. I think that's what scares me most."

Source

Yes, things are so bad that MSF has deployed to the Navajo Nation due to the situation on the ground. This is why there were extremely vocal calls for additional resources to be deployed early and rapidly, as even with the NN's relatively competent handling of things (interfacing extensively with the AZ National Guard and US ACE to expand hospital facilities, for one thing) the underlying vulnerabilities and infrastructure issues make it an extremely dangerous situation.

[Solauren]

Elon Musk defies order to stay closed, dares California to arrest him:

https://globalnews.ca/news/6932015/coro ... t-reopens/

Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk on Monday said production was resuming at the automaker’s sole U.S. vehicle factory, in California, defying an order to stay closed and saying if anyone had to be arrested it should be him.

The move comes as states and cities around the United States experiment with ways to safely reopen their economies after the coronavirus outbreak shuttered businesses and forced tens of millions of Americans out of work.

Musk over the weekend threatened to leave California for Texas or Nevada over his factory’s closure. His move has highlighted the competition for jobs and ignited a rush to woo the billionaire executive by states that have reopened their economies more quickly in response to encouragement from U.S. President Donald Trump.

READ MORE: Elon Musk threatens to move Tesla out of California over coronavirus rules

In an email on Monday, Tesla referred to an order on Thursday by California’s governor allowing manufacturers to resume operations and said that as of Sunday, previously furloughed employees were back to their regular employment status.

“We’re happy to get back to work and have implemented very detailed plans to help you keep safe as you return,” according to the email seen by Reuters and titled “Furlough Has Ended And We Are Back To Work in Production!”

Musk in a tweet said production was resuming on Monday, adding that he would join workers on the assembly line. “If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me,” he wrote.

Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules. I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2020

Health officials in Alameda County, where the Fremont factory is based, late on Monday said they were aware that Tesla had opened beyond the so-called minimum basic operations allowed during lockdown, and had notified the company it could not operate without a county-approved plan.

In a statement, officials said they expected a proposal from Tesla later on Monday and “hope Tesla will likewise comply without further enforcement measures.” The statement did not specify consequences and said officials would not comment further.

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The county’s lockdown order says violations are punishable by fine, imprisonment or both.

A spokeswoman for the Fremont Police Department on Monday said her office was enforcing the lockdown order at the direction of the health department and had been advised that the county is working with Tesla directly.

Separately on Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said California should do whatever is necessary to help the electric carmaker reopen its only U.S. vehicle factory if it wants to keep the company in its state.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday said he spoke to Musk several days ago and that the Tesla founder’s concerns helped prompt the state to begin its phased reopening of manufacturing last week.

“I have not only known that company but I have known its founder for many, many years,” Newsom said in his daily coronavirus press briefing. “I have great reverence for their technology, for their innovative spirit, for their leadership.”

Tesla, which also has a vehicle plant in Shanghai and is building another in Berlin, on Saturday sued the county, alleging it had violated California’s constitution by defying Newsom’s orders allowing manufacturers to reopen.

Musk has discussed opening a second U.S. factory outside California in the past. In a tweet in February, he solicited comments on potentially opening a factory in Texas.

Since his threat to leave California on Saturday, officials from Texas, Georgia, Utah, Oklahoma and Nevada have reached out to Musk on Twitter, encouraging him to relocate to their state.

A Texas official said his county was available immediately to accommodate Tesla and invited the billionaire CEO for a visit.

“We have a motivated, pro-business governor,” Richard Cortez, county judge of Texas’ Hidalgo County, said on Monday. “What we no longer have is a shelter at home mandate.”

Musk in response tweeted: “Note is much appreciated.”

Note is much appreciated

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2020

(Reporting by Tina Bellon in New York; Additional reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Peter Henderson in Oakland and Brad Brooks in Austin; Editing by Richard Chang, Dan Grebler and Stephen Coates)

I really wish they'd call his bluff, but I doubt they will.

He's not daring anything.

He's re-opening and working with the county to come up with an acceptable plan. He's not daring them to arrest him, he's going to be there, and is saying 'This is my call, the fault lies with me'. He's accepting responsibility for his actions.

[MKSheppard]

https://www.npr.org/2020/05/07/85171231 ... 9-patients

Public health experts said this episode exposes how ill-prepared the U.S. is for a pandemic. They praised the Army Corps for quickly providing thousands of extra beds, but experts said there wasn't enough planning to make sure these field hospitals could be put to use once they were finished.
"It's so painful because what it's showing is that the plans we have in place, they don't work," said Robyn Gershon, a professor at New York University's School of Global Public Health. "We have to go back to the drawing board and redo it."

...

Contractors built two field hospitals on Long Island, on the campuses of the State University of New York at Stony Brook and SUNY Old Westbury, at a total cost of more than $270 million.

The Army Corps limited the competition in awarding the projects to speed the process, which usually takes six to nine months, according to agency documents. Officials noted they were able to complete the contract award for the Stony Brook project in a "little more than three days."

Well, we now know what works and what doesn't.

We should start drawing up plans NOW for the next pandemic, which will come in about 15 to 20 years.

Every 3 years, we should put out for competitive bids contracts to assemble premade hospitals that we've stockpiled the parts for, so when there's another pandemic, we just pull out the bid that won two years ago and have them start assembling the stockpiled hospitals.