U.S. NEWS A25
Thursday 9 April 2020
Even as virus deaths mount, governments eye exit strategies Continued from Front
In a sharp reminder of the danger, New York state on Wednesday recorded its highest one-day increase in deaths, 779, for an overall death toll of almost 6,300. “The bad news is actually terrible,” Cuomo lamented. Still, the governor said that hospitalizations are decreasing and that many of those now dying fell ill in the outbreak’s earlier stages. In Britain, meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent a second night in intensive care but was improving and sitting up in bed, authorities said. In China, the lockdown against Wuhan, the industrial city of 11 million where the global pandemic began, was lifted after 76 days, allowing people to come and go. The reopening was seen as a positive sign but also reflected the communist state’s extensive surveillance apparatus and powers of coercion. Wuhan residents will have to use a smartphone app showing that they are healthy and have not been in recent contact with anyone confirmed to have the virus. Even then, schools remain closed, people are still checked for fever when they enter buildings, and masks are strongly encouraged. In the U.S., with about 13,000 deaths and 400,000 infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was considering changing self-isolation gui-
An Indian health worker checks the temperature of a man during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Associated Press.
delines to make it easier for those exposed to someone with the virus to return to work if they have no symptoms. Under the proposed guidance, aimed at workers in critical fields, such people would be allowed back on the job if they take their temperature twice a day and wear a mask, said a person who was familiar with the draft but was not authorized to discuss it and spoke on condition of anonymity. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-diseases expert, said that the Trump administration has been working on plans to eventually reopen the country and restart the economy amid “glimmers of hope” that social distancing is
working to stop the virus’s spread. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to do it right now,” he said on Fox News. “But it means we need to be prepared to ease into that. And there’s a lot of activity going on.” The U.S. is seeing burgeoning hot spots in such places as Washington, D.C., Louisiana, Chicago, Detroit, Colorado and Pennsylvania. The New York metropolitan area, which includes northern New Jersey, Long Island and lower Connecticut, accounts for about half of all virus deaths in the U.S. In Europe, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte is expected to announce in the coming days how long the
country’s lockdown will remain in place amid expectations that some restrictions could be eased. Discussions are focused first on opening more of the country’s industries. Proposals being floated in Italy include the issuing of immunity certificates, which would require antibody blood tests, and allowing younger workers to return first, as they show less vulnerability to the virus. Italy, the hardest-hit country, recorded its biggest one-day jump yet in people counted as recovered and had its smallest oneday increase in deaths in more than a month. Nearly 18,000 have died there. In Spain, which has tallied more than 14,000 dead,
Budget Minister María Jesús Montero said that Spaniards will progressively recover their “normal life” from April 26 onwards but warned that the “de-escalation” of the lockdown will be “very orderly to avoid a return to the contagion.” The government has been tight-lipped so far about what measures could be in place once the confinement is relaxed, stressing that they will be dictated by experts Without giving specifics, French authorities have likewise begun to speak openly of planning the end of the country’s confinement period, which is set to expire April 15 but will be extended, according to the president’s office. The virus has claimed more than 10,000 lives in France. France’s Delfraissy, who leads the scientific council advising the president, said three things are necessary for people to start leaving home regularly: intensive care beds need to be freed up, the spread of the virus must slow, and there have to be multiple tests to see if people are or have been infected and to trace them. He said the French will also need to wear masks in public. British government officials, beset with a rising death toll of more than 7,000, said there is little chance the nationwide lockdown there will be eased when its current period ends next week. q
Closing Days Announcement The Aruba Today newpaper announces that due to the Holiday Weekend upon us, we will not be in circulation Friday, April 10th, Saturday, April 11th and Monday, April 13th, 2020. We also ask our clients to send ads or articles to be published in next Tuesday's newspaer by 3pm Thursday, April 9th, 2020. We will be back bright and early first thing in the morning on Tuesday, April 14th, 2020. Until then, stay safe and enjoy the Holiday Weekend from the team at Aruba Today newspaper, Aruba's ONLY enlgish newspaper. Quote:
With tears on her eyes and wearing a homemade face mask, a devotee of the "Nazareno de San Pablo" watches a statue of Jesus transported in a Pope mobile during Holy Week celebrations in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Associated Press.
Easter is meant to be a symbol of Hope, Renewal and New Life. Happy Easter!
A26 U.S.
Thursday 9 April 2020
NEWS
Sanders drops 2020 bid, leaving Biden as likely nominee By WILL WEISSERT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Bernie Sanders ended his presidential bid on Wednesday, making Joe Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in a general election campaign that will be waged against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. Sanders initially exceeded sky-high expectations about his ability to recreate the magic of his 2016 presidential bid, and even overcame a heart attack last October. But he couldn't convert unwavering support from progressives into a viable path to the nomination, with "electability" fears fueled by questions about whether his democratic socialist ideology would be palatable to general election voters. "The path toward victory is virtually impossible," Sanders told supporters Wednesday. "If I believed we had a feasible path to the nomination I would certainly continue the campaign, but it's just not there." He called Biden a "very decent man" but didn't offer an explicit endorsement of the former vice president. Sanders said his name would remain on the ballot in states that have not yet held primaries so he can gain more delegates and "exert significant influence" on the Democratic platform. Biden, who is backed by much of the party's establishment, told supporters at a virtual fundraiser that he
In this March 15, 2020, file photo, former Vice President Joe Biden prepares for a Democratic presidential primary debate with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at CNN Studios in Washington. Associated Press.
had a "short conversation" with Sanders on Wednesday. "He didn't just run a political campaign. He created a movement," Biden said. "That's a good thing for our nation and our future. His campaign has ended, but I know his leadership will continue." Trump sought to foment the tension among Democrats by tweeting Wednesday that the party stacked the race against Sanders. The president said the senator's supporters "should come to the Republican Party." Sanders began his latest White House bid facing questions about whether he could win back the supporters who chose him four years ago as an insurgent alternative to Hillary Clinton. Despite winning 22 states in 2016, there were
no guarantees he'd be a major presidential contender this cycle. But Sanders used strong polling and solid fundraising — collected almost entirely from small donations made online — to quiet early doubters. Like the first time, he attracted widespread support from young voters and made new inroads within the Hispanic community, even as his appeal with African Americans remained weak. Sanders amassed the most votes in Iowa and New Hampshire, which opened primary voting, and cruised to an easy victory in Nevada — seemingly leaving him well positioned to sprint to the Democratic nomination while a deeply crowded and divided field of alternatives sunk around him.
New Jersey delays primary to July because of virus outbreak TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey pushed back its primary to July 7 from June 2 because of the coronavrus outbreak under an executive order Gov. Phil Murphy signed on Wednesday. Preparing for a June primary at the potential head of the COVID-19 emergency could hurt election officials' ability to prepare, the order states.
Murphy said he's not taking a mail-in ballot only election off the table but hasn't decided. He specifically cited Wisconsin, where a primary went forward despite the health threat. New Jersey residents should not have to choose between their right to vote and their personal health, Murphy said. New Jersey is among the
worst-hit states in the country by the coronavirus. More than 1,500 people have died as a result, and the state has been essentially on lockdown for weeks. The Democrat mentioned specifically that he doesn't want to repeat what Wisconsin had with people having to choose between their right to vote and keeping healthy.q
But Biden won a crucial endorsement from influential South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn and a subsequent, larger-than-expected victory in South Carolina, which propelled him into Super Tuesday, when he won 10 of 14 states. In a matter of days, Biden's former Democratic rivals lined up to endorse him. His campaign had appeared on the brink of collapse after New Hampshire but found new life as the rest of the party's more moderate establishment coalesced around him as an alternative to Sanders. Things only got worse the following week when Sanders lost Michigan, where he had campaigned hard and upset Clinton in 2016. He was also beaten in Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho the same night, and the results were so decisive that Sanders headed to Vermont without speaking to the media. The coronavirus outbreak essentially froze the campaign, preventing Sanders from holding the large rallies that had become his trademark and shifting the primary calendar. It became increasingly unclear where he could notch a victory that would help him regain ground against Biden. Though he will not be the nominee, Sanders was
a key architect of many of the social policies that dominated the Democratic primary, including a "Medicare for All" universal, government-funded health care plan, tuition-free public college, a $15 minimum wage and sweeping efforts to fight climate change under the "Green New Deal." Sanders began the 2020 race by arguing that he was the most electable Democrat against Trump. He said his working-class appeal could help Democrats win back Rust Belt states that Trump won in 2016, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. But as the race wore on, the senator reverted to his 2016 roots, repeatedly stressing that he backs a "political revolution" from the bottom up under the slogan "Not me. Us." Sanders, 78, also faced persistent questions about being the field's oldest candidate. Those were pushed into the spotlight on Oct. 1, when he was at a rally in Las Vegas and asked for a chair to be brought on stage so he could sit down. Suffering from chest pains afterward, he underwent surgery to insert two stints because of a blocked artery, and his campaign revealed two days later that he had suffered a heart attack. A serious health scare that might have derailed other campaigns seemed only to help Sanders as his already-strong fundraising got stronger and rising stars on the Democratic left, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, endorsed him. Many supporters said the heart attack only strengthened their resolve to back him. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren outshone him throughout much of the summer, but Sanders worked his way back up in the polls. The two progressive candidates spent months refusing to attack each other, though Sanders offered a strong defense of Medicare for All after Warren offered a plan for a transition to it that would take years. q
WORLD NEWS A27
Thursday 9 April 2020
Italy, Spain ICU pressures decline, but emotional toll rises By NICOLE WINFIELD, MARIA GRAZIA MURRU and ARITZ PARRA Associated Press ROME (AP) — Maddalena Ferrari lets herself cry when she takes off the surgical mask she wears even at home to protect her elderly parents from the coronavirus that surrounds her at work in one of Italy's hardest-hit intensive care units. In the privacy of her own bedroom, where no one can see, the nursing coordinator peels away the mask that both protects her and hides her, and weeps for all the patients lost that day at Bergamo's Pope John XXIII Hospital. "We're losing an entire generation," Ferrari said at the end of one of her shifts. "They still had so much to teach us." The pressures on hospital ICUs in Italy and Spain may have eased in recent days as new virus cases decline. But the emotional and psychological toll the pandemic has taken on the doctors and nurses working there is only now beginning to emerge. Already, two nurses in Italy have killed themselves, and psychologists have mobilized therapists and online platforms to provide free consultation for medical personnel. Individual hospitals hold small group therapy sessions to help
In this March 26, 2020 file photo, military trucks moving coffins of deceased people line up on the highway next to Ponte Oglio, near Bergamo, Italy. Associated Press.
staff cope with the trauma of seeing so much death among patients who are utterly alone. Seven weeks into Italy's outbreak, the world's deadliest, the adrenaline rush that kept medical personnel going at the start has been replaced by crushing fatigue and fear of getting the virus, researchers say. With many doctors and nurses deprived of their normal family support because they are isolating themselves, the mental health of Italy and Spain's overwhelmed medical personnel is now a focus of their already stressed
health care systems. "The adrenaline factor works for a month, maximum," said Dr. Alessandro Colombo, director of the health care training academy for the Lombardy region, who is researching the psychological toll of the outbreak on medical personnel. "We are entering the second month, so these people are physically and mentally tired." According to his preliminary research, the solitude of the patients has had a grievous impact on doctors and nurses. They are being asked to step in at the bedside of the dying in place of
relatives and even priests. The sense of failure among hospital staff, he said, is overwhelming. "Each time it's a failure," said Ferrari, the nursing coordinator at the Bergamo' hospital. You do everything for the patient, and "at the end, if you're a believer, there is someone above you who has decided another destiny for that person." Her colleague, Maria Berardelli, said medical personnel aren't used to seeing patients die after two weeks on ventilators, and the emotional toll is devastating.
"This virus is strong. Strong, strong strong," she said in a Skype interview with Ferrari, both of them in masks. "You cannot get used to it, because every patient has his own story." In Italy, the national association of nurses and psychologists asked the government for a coordinated, nationwide response for the mental health care needs of medical personnel, warning the "typical wave of stress disturbances is only going to grow over time." The situation is similar in Spain. Dr. Luis DĂaz Izquierdo, from the emergency service ward in suburban Madrid's Severo Ochoa Hospital, said the sense of helplessness is crushing for those who watch as patients deteriorate in a matter of hours. "No matter what we did, they go, they pass away," he said. "And that person knows that they are dying, because breathing becomes more difficult. And they look into your eyes, they get worse, until they finally surrender." Diego Alonso, a nurse at Hospital de la Princesa, said he has been using tranquilizers to cope, as have many of his colleagues. For Alonso, the fear is especially acute, given that his wife is due to give birth soon.q
German charity goes home-to-home in virus crisis BERLIN (AP) — Poor families are particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, even in rich countries like Germany. Lockdowns are forcing children to stay inside oftencramped homes, amplifying tensions that already exist. Food bank closures mean families have to spend of their limited money on basic supplies and without access to social workers, instances of violence and abuse are easier to miss. A small Christian charity that provides help to about 1,300 poor families across Germany is now delivering food, diapers, soap and
children's games to their doorstep. Normally, children would be visiting one of the 27 centers run by the Arche, or Ark, where staff offer free lunches, tutoring and a sympathetic ear. With social distancing measures in force, those centers have been shut down. Now staff are experiencing heartbreaking moments when they drop off aid packs at families' homes, says spokesman Wolfgang Buescher. Younger children struggle to understand that they can't run out and embrace the charity staff they used to play with every day. Those previously living on
the poverty line are now struggling even more, said Buescher. The group estimates that without food banks and school lunches, families are now having to spend on average 250 euros ($275) more a month on essentials. Staff are trying to provide one-to-one tutoring to older children using video chatting apps, to ensure they don't fall too far behind on their school work. But there's a limit to how much help they can provide from a distance, when some families of nine are living in a 75 square-meter (800 square-foot) apartment.
Sali, center, receives a birthday present from social worker Rebekka Rauchhaus of the Christian charity the Arche, or Ark, while his mother Janet, right, stands beside him at the doorsteps of their apartment in the Hellersdorf suburb of Berlin, Germany, Thursday, April 2, 2020. Associated Press.
"You can imagine what's happening there," said Buescher.
He accused the German government of ignoring the plight of poor families.q
A28 WORLD
Thursday 9 April 2020
NEWS
UN health agency on defensive after Trump slams it on virus By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — In a heartfelt plea for unity, the World Health Organization's chief sought Wednesday to rise above sharp criticism and threats of funding cuts from U.S. President Donald Trump over the agency's response to the coronavirus outbreak. The vocal defense from the WHO Director-General came a day after Trump blasted the U.N. agency for being "China-centric" and alleging that it had "criticized" his ban of travel from China as the COVID-19 outbreak was spreading from the city of Wuhan. Tedros, an Ethiopian and the WHO's first African leader, projected humility and minimized his personal role while decrying invective and even racist slurs against him amid the WHO's response to the disease. The new coronavirus has infected more than 1.4 million people and cost over 83,000 lives across the globe. "Why would I care about being attacked when people are dying?" he said. "I know that I am just an individual. Tedros is just a dot in the whole universe. But he dodged questions about Trump's comments, while acknowledging the the agency was made up of humans "who make mistakes," and insisted his key focus was saving lives, not getting caught up in politics.
In this Monday, March 9, 2020 file photo, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization speaks during a news conference on updates regarding on the novel coronavirus COVID-19, at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Associated Press.
"No need to use COVID to score political points. You have many other ways to prove yourself," he said. "Without unity, we can assure you, every country will be in trouble." Avoiding any direct mention of Trump, Tedros' comments testified to the oftendelicate task faced by U.N. leaders when criticized by member states. That challenge is especially difficult with the United States, the biggest donor to the world body and its offshoots. At the White House on Tuesday, Trump first said the United States would "put a hold" on WHO funding, and then revised that to
say, "We will look at ending funding." He took aim particularly at its alleged criticism of the U.S. ban on travel to and from China. "The WHO ... receives vast amounts of money from the United States," Trump said. "And they actually criticized and disagreed with my travel ban at the time I did it. And they were wrong. They've been wrong about a lot of things." Generally, the WHO has been careful not to criticize countries on their national polices, and it was not immediately clear what specific criticism Trump was alluding to. Trump's remarks came as
many governments, particularly in Europe, have started to brush aside, ignore and criticize WHO recommendations on issues of public policy, like whether travel restrictions are warranted or whether the public should wear masks. In guidance that dates to Feb. 29, WHO advises against travel or trade restrictions with regard to countries facing the outbreak - now nearly every country in the world - arguing the measures could divert resources, prevent the delivery of aid, and hurt economies. The United States contributed nearly $900 million to the WHO
budget for 2018-2019, according to information on the agency's website. That represents one-fifth of the WHO's total $4.4 billion budget for those years. The U.S. gave nearly threefourths of the funds in "specified voluntary contributions" and the rest in "assessed" funding as part of Washington's commitment to U.N. institutions. A more detailed WHO budget document provided by the U.S. mission in Geneva showed the United States provided $452 million in 2019, including nearly $119 million in assessed funding. In its most recent budget proposal from February, the Trump administration called for slashing the U.S. contribution to the WHO to $57.9 million. Some African leaders and the U.N. chief rallied around Tedros and the agency, insisting a worldwide public health crisis was no time to reduce the budget of the entity working to coordinate an often-disjointed international response. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the WHO "is absolutely critical to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19" and must be supported. Once the pandemic ends, he said, there must be an investigation into how it emerged and spread so quickly as well as into the reactions of all those involved in the crisis so lessons can be learned.q
Fighting in Yemen kills over 270, rebels suffer heavy losses By AHMED AL-HAJ Associated Press SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Heavy fighting in Yemen between pro-government forces and Shiite rebels killed more than 270 people in the past 10 days, government officials and tribal leaders said Wednesday. The officials said forces of the internationally recognized government dealt a heavy blow to the rebels, known as Houthis, in the provinces of Marib, Jawf and Bayda. The U.S.-backed, Saudi-led
coalition backing the government of President Abed Rabou Mansour Hadi carried out more than 370 airstrikes against the Houthis in less than two weeks, the officials said. They said the clashes have left more than 270 dead and at least 300 wounded from both sides, with the Houthis suffering heavy losses. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media, while the tribal leaders did so for fear of reprisals.
Abdu Abdullah Magli, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said they wrested control of the strategic Hilan mountains, west of the oil-rich province of Marib about 115 kilometers (70 miles) east of the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa. He said the government forces reclaimed the Labnat military camp in Jawf province and were progressing toward the strategic northern city of Hazm, the provincial capital of Jawf. The Houthis, who took
Hazm last month, dismissed the government claims, saying they still control the camp. Yahia Sarea, a spokesman for the Houthi forces, said they fired a ballistic missile targeting government forces in southern Abyan province. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The violence flared up late last month after a foiled rebel drone and missile attack targeting the Saudi capital. Saudi Arabia's Air Defense Forces said they intercepted and de-
stroyed a ballistic missile over Riyadh. Another missile was also intercepted and destroyed over the southern Saudi city of Jizan, which borders Yemen, they said. The missile attack prompted the coalition to launch an intensive air campaign on rebel-held Sanaa and other areas, in what they say was aimed at "destroying legitimate military targets" held by the Houthis. Yemen, the Arab world's poorest nation, has been convulsed by civil war since 2014. q
business A29
Thursday 9 April 2020
Housing market chills, layoffs, US cos. dial up virus fight The Associated Press undefined The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Wednesday related to the global economy, the work place and the spread of the virus. ___________________ PAYCHECKS STOP: Companies are in survival mode, which means tens of thousands of people are losing weekly paychecks. Governments are pushing billions of dollars into programs to stop the bloodletting, but job cuts keep coming. — Tesla furloughed most factory workers and announced pay cuts. Furloughed employees won't be paid, but health benefits will continue. The company anticipates a return to work on May 4, according to an email from Valerie Workman, head of HR for North America. — Starbucks will provide direct grants to employees worldwide. The Seattle roaster will provide $10 million in grants for things like housing, utilities, and family funeral costs during the pandemic. BROKEN HOMES: There were already early signs of weakness in the housing market before the pandemic. New data shows a significant deterioration. — Mortgage applications nationwide dropped 17.9% in one week, according to
Big Ben's clock tower and the London Eye ferris wheel stand in the distance as the area around Royal Festival Hall is very quiet in London, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Associated Press.
a Mortgage Bankers Association survey Wednesday. Purchase applications, which hint at future activity, slid 12% in a week, and a whopping 33% from the same week last year. It's far worse in regions where COVID-19 is raging. Compared with last year, purchase applications tumbled 38% in Washington state and 31.3% in New York. California reported a 15.9% drop in applications. — The number of people paying rent in March slipped 12%, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council. In it's first review of the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, the group found 69% of households had paid their rent by April 5, compared with 81% in the previous month.
HEAVY INDUSTRY: Manufacturers have reconfigured factory floors to provide essential goods despite the lack of a coordinated response from Washington and clashes between President Donald Trump and some of the nation's largest producers. — The U.S. will buy 30,000 desperately needed ventilators from General Motors for $489.4 million. GM is producing the devices at cost. The ventilators will go into the Strategic National Stockpile for distribution, HHS said. GM will deliver 6,132 ventilators by June. — FedEx and DuPont are teaming up to get 450,000 protective suits to U.S. healthcare workers from a plant in Vietnam this week. Federal officials expect de-
livery of 2.25 million sets of protective gear in the next five weeks. The HHS has an option to double that order. — The Burton snowboard company is donating 500,000 respirator masks to hospitals across the Northeast. — Amazon is testing disinfectant fogging at warehouses. Amazon has been under pressure from workers to improve safety during the outbreak. EMPTY SKIES: For the first time in well over a generation, skies are largely empty of planes. The number of people passing through U.S. airports is plumbing lows comparable only to the days following the Sept. 11 attacks. — For the first time since the
formation of the Transportation Security Administration, the number of passengers screened daily at U.S. airports dropped below 100,000. The figure recorded Tuesday, 97,130, represents a decline of more than 95% compared with the same day a year ago. — Airbus is reducing production by about a third. The company delivered 122 planes in the first quarter, but 60 are undelivered. It delivered 36 in March, down from 55 in February as airlines deferred orders. MACRO DEVASTATION: Despite national efforts to blunt the worst of the economic damage, a significant global contraction is increasingly likely. — Japan's economy is headed for a 25% contraction in the current quarter, even with the government's fiscal aid package, Goldman Sachs said Wednesday. The report said exports are expected to dive by 60% in the April-June period. The contraction for the world's third largest economy would be a record, since gross domestic product began to be tracked in 1955. — The virus outbreak will cause a deep recession in Germany, shrinking the economy by 4.2% this year, leading German research institutes said Wednesday in their twice-annual report. Economists predict a swift rebound to growth of 5.8% in 2021. q
Airbus cuts production by a third as airlines struggle LONDON (AP) — European planemaker Airbus said Wednesday it is reducing production by about a third as demand for aircraft and travel plummets due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company said it delivered 122 planes in the first quarter, but 60 remain undelivered. It delivered only 36 in March, down from 55 in February, as airlines asked to suspend orders while facing huge costs re-
lated to a near-total shutdown of air travel. "We are adapting production to the new reality of the airlines," Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said. "We are all going through an unprecedented situation and we want to do this together as much as possible." Faury was unable to indicate how long the production cuts would last, saying only that Airbus would re-
view its output on a monthly basis. "It is not unlikely that aviation will look different after this COVID-19 crisis," he said. The company said it was keeping tight control on its own costs and has not yet applied for government support, but said it might seek to tap European government programs that help pay the salaries of workers put on temporary leave.q
An Airbus A330 of the French Air Force is on display at the Airport of Hamburg, Germany, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Associated Press.
A30
Thursday 9 April 2020
FEATURE/ARTS & PEOPLE
Celeb chefs unite to feed hungry, help bleeding restaurants By KELLI KENNEDY Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — When Jose Andres first came to New York City, the wide-eyed sailor in the Spanish navy docked on West 30th Street full of ambition. Decades later, the award-winning chef has an upscale food hall on that very street and will serve 40,000 meals this week across the city where he built his dreams, and which is now the U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus. Andres, whose restaurants in the United States include Derek Fleming, right, a business partner with chef Marcus Samuelsson, controls the crowd outside of their Red Rooster Restaurant as people wait in line for a free meal during the new coronavirus pandemic, Monday, April 6, 2020, in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami. Associated Press.
The Bazaar, Jaleo and the two Michelin-starred Somni, founded World Central Kitchen in 2010. It has served over 15 million meals worldwide after hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters. Since the pandemic, his organization has served more than 750,000 meals from Miami and Los Angeles to Little Rock, Arkansas and Fairfax, Virginia. It works out of places like libraries, food trucks and shuttered restaurants, feeding 125 hospitals, students in school lunch programs and even
quarantined cruise ship passengers. Andres has amassed an A-list network around the world, relying on celebrity chef pals including Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri and Marcus Samuelsson to to feed the hungry and buoy the humble restaurant kitchens across America where many started their careers. "I'm in debt to America ... that's the best I can give to America because America gave me a home. America gave me opportunity," Andres told The Associated
Press in a recent phone interview. In New York City, he set up a cafe to serve the Mount Sinai field hospital in Central Park. In Harlem, he's using "Chopped" TV judge Samuelsson's Red Rooster restaurant to feed families. Samuelsson's Miami restaurant hasn't opened to the public yet, but instead of leaving it empty, he turned it over to World Central Kitchen. They are serving sandwiches and salads there to laid-off hospitality workers, homeless residents and Uber drivers.
Even in crisis, these top chefs aren't serving bland porridge. Recent meals at senior centers in Washington, D.C., included creamy tomato pasta with spring vegetables, and cilantro rice bowls with spiced chickpeas and spinach topped with citrus vinaigrette and crispy tortillas. Andres was among the first to close his restaurants in Spain, hoping to create a blueprint for chefs around the world on how to use their restaurants and employ workers while feeding the hungry. "This operation is growing every day," he said. "We want to put America to work in the process of feeding America." In California, Fieri is on standby, ready with a 48-foot-long rescue kitchen and support team. "Guy is ready to go," Andres said. "This is like war. You need to have troops ready for action." Fieri compared his longtime friendship with Andres and other famous chefs to "playing in a band. "When you hang out with generous, philanthropist warlords like Jose Andres, all you want to do is go bigger, go better," said Fieri, who cooked alongside Andres during last year's California wildfires.q
Bocelli: It’s not a concert for coronavirus, it’s a prayer
In this Oct. 29, 2015 file photo, Andrea Bocelli poses for a portrait in New York. Associated Press.
By MESFIN FEKADU AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Andrea Bocelli will sing at the Duo-
mo of Milan on Easter Sunday sending a message of love and hope to the world during the coronavirus pan-
demic, but the Italian tenor says it's not a concert. Instead, he calls it a "prayer." "I received this invitation by the mayor of Milan and by the authorities of the church and of course I answered yes. I'm very happy to do this," he said. "Also, it's not a performance. It's not a concert. It's only a prayer." "I will go there to pray, and I'd like to think that everyone listening to me sing can pray with me," he said. Accompanied by organist Emanuele Vianelli, Bocelli will sing at the historic cathedral for an audience of none because the Duomo, like most public places, are closed because of the spreading coronavirus.
The performance, though, will air live on Bocelli's YouTube channel at 1 p.m. Eastern. He's crafted and arranged a special set for the event, which will include holy songs like "Ave Maria" and "Sancta Maria." "I chose some of the most beautiful pieces of sacred artists and I will sing this kind of music," Bocelli said in a phone interview Wednesday from his home in Forte dei Marmi, a seaside town in northern Tuscany. In total, Italy has more than 135,00 confirmed cases and over 16,500 deaths from the COVID-19 outbreak. The European country is in its fifth week of a nationwide lockdown.q
local A31
Thursday 9 April 2020
Opinion
When will Aruba’s tourism industry recover? By James Hepple, BA, PhD, Assistant Professor, FHTMS, University of Aruba ORANJESTAD — In the following editions of Aruba Today we will publish an opinion article by James Hepple, today we share Part I. As of April 1 2020, Aruba’s tourism industry has shut down as the Government attempts to slow the rate of infections from the COVID19 virus. By way of background: • On March 15th regulations were put in place regulating the entry of visitors. • On March 21st the Aruban border was closed indefinitely to incoming visitors and returning residents. On the same date a curfew from 9 pm until 6 am was implemented. • On Sunday March 29th a Shelter in Place order was implemented whereby the population was confined to their homes. No date was given when this order would be lifted. All bars, restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, stores, malls, and other related facilities were deemed non-essential and were closed. • The airline industry responded to these regulations, and to other similar regulations being implemented elsewhere, by almost immediately suspending air service to Aruba. • According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), between March 16th and March 30th Aruba lost 84% of its air seats, falling from 33,338 seats for the week of March 16th to 5,266 seats for the week of March 30th, a drop of 28,072 seats, with further cuts to come. • Many airlines have indicated they will not be flying to Aruba during the month of April with indications that the suspension of these flights could well continue through May. • Many cruise lines suspended operations on March 13th and have stated they do not plan to recommence their cruises again until at least May 11th.
• As of Wednesday April 1st, Aruba has reported it had 55 positive cases of COVID 19, which is 487 cases per one million persons. The USA reported 207,637 positive cases on the same date, which is 628 cases per one million persons. In both instances the number of cases is growing significantly on a daily basis. Aruba and its Economy Aruba has an official population of 113,000 persons. Of these, 24.3% are between o and 19 years old, 61.6% are between 20 and 64 years old, and 14.1% are 65 years old or older. The Aruban economy is almost completely dependent upon its tourism industry. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council in 2019 tourism accounted for 98.3% of Aruba’s GDP of US$ 2,876 billion and generated 47,000 jobs, that is 99% of all employment. WTTC estimated that visitors spent US$1.876 billion in Aruba in 2019. In 2019 75% of Aruba’s visitors came from the USA, with 4% coming from Canada and 4% from the Netherlands, with the balance coming from the rest of the world. Again in 2019, 52% of Aruba’s visitors from the USA came from the five states of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. New York was by far the most important state generating 20% of all visitors from the USA. The recovery of the tourism industry will depend upon two things – recovery of demand and the situation in Aruba. Demand As has been indicated the USA is by far the primary source of visitors to Aruba. It could be argued that visitors from the USA generate 74% of Aruba’s GDP, while visitors from New York State alone generate 15% of the country’s GDP. So, following the existing business model, the recovery of Aruba’s tourism industry will be heavily dependent upon recovery in de-
mand from the USA and from the north-east USA. It might be possible to diversify our source markets, but this will take aggressive marketing and having enough airlift in place and could take a considerable amount of time. As of April 1st, what do we know (and what don’t we know) about COVID 19 and the situation in the USA? We know: • COVID 19 is a novel (new) virus for which there is no effective vaccine. • The virus is mutating which is not unexpected and is not necessarily a bad thing. • It will take 12 to 18 months to develop an effective vaccine. It will take a further amount of time to produce the vaccine in large quantities and to administer doses. • It is highly contagious. • It can take a number of days before infected persons display symptoms. • That the USA currently has the largest number of positive cases in the world. As of April 1, it has reported 207,637 cases, a rate of 628 per one million persons. • That China has probably significantly under-reported the number of cases and deaths. • According to the World Health Organization the global mortality rate of those infected is 3.4% but this varies very much from country to country. In Italy the mortality rate is 11%, in Spain 9%. • The overall global policy response has been to “flatten the curve”, that is to try and slow the increase in the rate of infections to prevent health care facilities becoming overwhelmed and thus mitigating the number of deaths. • To achieve this many countries have implemented “social distancing” policies, that is minimizing contact between members of the resident population
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and in implementing Shelter at Home policies. The most effective long-term policy is “test and trace”. This requires thorough effective testing of as many people as possible, isolating those who have been infected and tracing those with whom they have been in contact. This also requires significantly expanding the health care facilities especially hospital facilities and having enough supplies such as masks and ventilators, to deal with the rise in the number of patients. That South Korea has probably managed the crisis better than any other nation. In some countries, where local transmission has been significantly slowed (China and South Korea), new infections are being caused by visitors from outside resulting in such countries closing their borders to foreigners. It is highly probable that the virus will become endemic, like flu, and will reappear again and again in the future.
Part II of this column is to be continued in Aruba Today’s edition of Tuesday April 14.q
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Thursday 9 April 2020
health
A Giant Leap Forward by Carlos M Viana, CCN, OMD ORANJESTAD — Lately, I make daily calls to check on clients and friends following the recommendations to self-isolate. Many are anxious from the constant news of a frightening world pandemic. Others are bored or angry missing outside activities and the freedom to move about. The emotional drain of the current times can produce an inability to relax physically or mentally. Anxiety caused by living in isolation or indoors for a long period of time can develop into a feeling of being dissatisfied, especially with people in authority or a system of control. Realize, government and health officials did not cause this situation. The recommendations of staying in your home should not stress us out more, it is to protect us and those who are the most vulnerable and to slow down the amount of people who get sick. With a steady stream of just a few patients, the medical system does not become overwhelmed like we are seeing in many places now. Stress is an inevitable part of life. As a Traditional Chinese Medicine physician, I appreciate how stress affects the free flow of energy, Qi within the body. Excessive and prolonged stress may impede the delicate balance in our body and trigger severe health problems. Fortunately, there are activities that we can use to help ourselves. The first step is to realize some of the activities to manage a difficult situation are not in our best interest. The first is not eating properly. Snacking all day out of frustration or boredom and eating too many simple carbohydrates will obstruct the flow of Qi, which would affect the Spleen's functions. This means, the ability to utilize digested food will be affected. Digestive problems, weight gain and other issues may develop. Some of us, may not be used to preparing all our meals from scratch at home. With busy modern schedules, we had been dining out and looking for convenient options. Our new reality means we must reconnect with preparing our own food. Choosing the most natural ingredients available, no more impulse shopping, but being careful what we buy to manage our long-term budgets for our long-term health. Brown rice, beans, fresh or frozen vegetables, healthy protein sources should stocked be in all homes now. Luckily for
us, “how to” is just phone call away or an internet recipe search. In our new reality, we all should be including some eatable plants at home. A kitchen garden, a pot of herbs on the windowsill? What a great time to get back to basics. Relearning these skills can help the budget, boredom and stress. Some people cope with stress by drinking alcohol. The problem with this is, alcohol takes a psychological and physiological toll on the body and may compound the effects of stress. The allure is that, it seems to provide some shortterm relief, positive feelings and relaxation. However, as stressful events continue long-term, heavy alcohol consumption can increase the risk of developing alcohol use disorders. Oriental Medicine teaches that when stress builds up, Liver energy flow is impeded causing shoulder muscles to tighten leading to shoulder or neck pain and even headaches. Shoulder tension can be from mechanical strain, improper posture while working or sleeping, lack of exercise and emotional stress. You might be restricted to home but take time to walk, jog, and bicycle or if you can, go to the beach. These activities are permissible in many areas under the ‘stay at home’ order if you do not gather in groups. Respect others through distance. No beach? Open the windows, exercise to music or one of the many now free, online classes. Be sure to stretch then perhaps, a relaxing bath. I cannot stress enough that exercise helps to unblock the flow of your body’s energy and circulation, minimizing the effects of stress on our mind and body. Tai Chi, yoga, and other forms of exercise that focus on breathing, as well as daily meditation help to move Qi, calming the mind and promoting relaxation. Now would be the time to check out the many free online videos.
Do not let your frustration tempt you to go out in public unless it is necessary. If you must, be sure to be to keep safe distance. A mask can help keep you from touching your face or breathing on others. Forget the gloves unless, you are using them correctly. Handling multiple items, then your wallet, phone or other, is just causing cross contamination and making our situation worse. And please, dispose of any of these items in a responsible manor, least they end up in a parking lot, or waterways. Do not leave them for already overstressed workers to pick up. Better to carry a disposable or washable wipe and some portable disinfectants and use it often. And, you still must wash hands and anything that gets touched often! We are all in this together and must all take responsibility to support our communities. Get the Point! Phyllis, who was a professional dancer explained how all athletes, artists, and skilled workers know that when you are working on your craft, with practice an experience you improve. However, it’s not always that you improve steadily. Many times, you take steps forward then suddenly you fall back! It might seem discouraging, but then you leap forward further than you could imagine before. Perhaps, humanity has taken a step back? We all feel it in some degree, there is need to clean house, reflect and gown. Do not give up or be discouraged. There is a rebirth approaching. We like to look at it as we will be taking, a giant leap forward. q