May 19 by The O'Colly

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

These parts of Asia beat coronavirus early. Why they’re suddenly in lockdown

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Tribune News Service TAIPEI, Taiwan – While much of the world is moving beyond the pandemic, Taiwan, which for so long had kept the virus at bay, is unnerved by scenes countries have long forgotten: listless streets, shuttered shops, a run on toilet paper and untold empty seats on subways. The sudden reversal in Taiwan’s status mirrors setbacks unfolding across Asia. Nations that were lauded and often envied for the way they controlled COVID-19 — keeping death tolls low and allowing millions to work, attend schools and dine out — are now beset by new lockdowns, dwindling hospital beds and growing fatigue as the pandemic wears on. That feeling of defeat is most profound here. For the first time since COVID-19 emerged, Taiwan has imposed strict lockdown measures to stop a virus that’s killed more than 3.3 million people worldwide. The self-governing island reported several hundred infections in the last week after months without any. All public spaces such as cinemas, libraries and recreation centers were ordered shut, and public schools will remain closed until at least the end of the month. These actions come as the virus and its variants flare across the region. Cases are soaring in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos for the first time and returning in numbers that haven’t been seen in months in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, which is under pressure from health care workers and business leaders to cancel the Summer Olympics set for July in Tokyo. Largely due to skyrocketing cases in India, which has become the epicenter of the latest surge, more than 60% of the 10 million

new cases recorded globally the first half of May were in Asia, according to the latest figures from the Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford. The new outbreaks of COVID-19 underscore the long road ahead for a global recovery, even

expert at the National University of Singapore. “Eventually borders will give way. It’s statistically inevitable.” Social restrictions and public health measures are being tested, particularly as more infectious variants of the coronavirus

as countries like the United States begin to reopen. They also point up the limitations of border controls, which have been deployed throughout Asia and relaxed in the U.S. and Europe. “It’s a pandemic,” said Dale Fisher, an infectious disease

emerge from major hotspots such as India. Fisher said the only way to stem the new threats — and reach herd immunity — is vaccinating populations: “The end game requires high levels of vaccination to manage what will be an endemic and possibly seasonal

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disease.” But the vast majority of vaccines have gone to wealthier countries including U.S. and those in Europe. Significantly fewer doses have been delivered to poorer nations such as Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines. Leaving millions unvaccinated in dense urban centers with weak health care systems provides ideal conditions for variants to mutate and prolong the pandemic, experts say. The spike in cases in Southeast and East Asia on the heels of massive outbreaks in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives underscores how quickly new variants are spreading, said Abhishek Rimal, the Asia Pacific emergency health coordinator at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. “The world needs to realize no one is safe until everyone is safe,” Rimal said from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, which entered its third lockdown last month. “At this point the U.S. looks great, but if a variant mutates, it will eventually reach the U.S. This is the cycle in a pandemic. You have to ensure everyone is safe. That’s why we need a fair distribution of vaccines.” It’s not just poor countries in Asia that are struggling to get doses. Middle-income nations such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have vaccination rates in the low single digits. Even a rich country like Japan, which is undergoing a fourth wave of infections, has failed to deliver shots at rates anywhere near other nations of similar economic standing. Less than 3% of Japan’s population of 126 million has been fully vaccinated in a program besieged by accusations of mismanagement, line-jumping and a poorly designed booking system. Hiroko Fukushima, a 79-year-old who lives on her own See Asia on pg.2

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News Asia... Continued from pg.1 in Japan’s Ehime prefecture, was desperate to get a shot so her youngest daughter could visit her safely to observe the seventh anniversary of her husband’s death. Despite calling more than 150 times over five days, Fukushima failed to get a vaccination appointment. Her eldest daughter finally got her one for June. “None of my neighbors have been vaccinated so far,” Fukushima said. “Lots of them live alone and don’t have children around to help them.” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced last week that Hokkaido, Okayama and Hiroshima would join six prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, already under state of emergency measures until the end of the month. Three other prefectures were listed as being in “quasi-emergency.” Combined, the measures put about 70% of Japan’s population under restrictions. Hospitals are hard pressed to cope. In Osaka, where the volume of weekly infections is the highest in the country, critical-care beds are nearly full. Between 15,000 and 17,000 patients are reportedly being left without medical care, and the Osaka governor has warned that fatality rates could continue to rise. Last week, a union of hospital doctors in Japan said the Olympics should be called off as the games would risk the circulation of potentially vaccine-resistant variants. The Games will be closed to foreign spectators. Japan’s business leaders have echoed those concerns. The billionaire founder and chief executive of consumer electronics giant Rakuten said holding the games was a “suicide mission.” While Japan’s outbreak has been gathering momentum for months, Singapore’s has only just begun. Three weeks ago, the wealthy city-state topped Bloomberg’s “Covid Resilience” rankings as the best place to be during the pandemic, not the least because life remained largely undisturbed. Since then, the Southeast Asian nation of 5.8 million has seen a sharp jump in cases, prompting the government to order lockdown measures on Sunday for the first time in nearly a year. The reversal marks a serious blow for Singapore, which has vaccinated one-fifth of its population and imposed border controls, deploying so-called safe distancing ambassadors and making a contact tracing app mandatory. Officials say the latest wave was sparked by the arrival of Singaporean citizens and long-term residents from India. Singapore, a major travel hub, was set to signal it was slowly coming back by hosting the World Economic Forum in August, an annual meeting that usually takes place in Davos, Switzerland. But organizers said Monday that the event would be postponed until next year at an undetermined location because of “an uncertain travel outlook, differing speeds of vaccination rollout and the uncertainty around new variants.” Global health experts say vaccine hesitancy can be high in places that experience low numbers of cases and deaths. Until last week, that described Taiwan, which cap-

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tured the world’s attention last year for going more than 200 consecutive days without a local infection. The territory had a record high 333 cases Monday after announcing 206 and 180 the previous two days. The government said it would impose tougher measures if daily cases continue to exceed 100. The outbreak is linked to several

clusters, including a gambling arcade, an airport hotel and a former Lions Club executive who was accused of flouting mask rules. News of the lockdown Saturday sparked panic buying in supermarkets. Shelves quickly emptied of toilet paper, masks and disinfectant by Monday morning, even after President Tsai Ing-wen urged

people to avoid hoarding. “I felt panic when I heard the announcement ... and I rushed to the supermarket for supplies,” said Ruby Liu, 31, who works for a magazine publisher in Taipei. “However, I gave up when I saw the long lines.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

sports

Raining birdies Cowboys go low, win regional in blow out fashion Chris Becker Assistant Sports Editor

Bo Jin raised his fist in joy as he walked off the 18th green. Jin, a freshman, had just made a par putt that officially sealed Oklahoma State’s victory at the NCAA Stillwater Regional. Although the victory was official after the Jin putt, it was known long before that who was leaving Karsten Creek Regional champions. The putt gave the Cowboys a

28-under finish, and Jin a 9-under tournament, which was good for runner-up honors. “We kind of knew we had the win, so I was just very proud to finish us off,” Jin said. Beginning the third round Illinois and OSU were neck and neck pulling away from the rest of the field, making the tournament a oneversus-one for the crown.

As the Fighting Illini and the Cowboys had played just one to four holes, based on the groups, Mother Nature struck, and sent the regional into a lightning delay with OSU clinging to a two stroke lead. During the delay the Cowboys stayed loose in their lodge talking with family and friends, keeping the See Birdies on pg.5

Chris Becker

STILLWATER’S MATTRESS STORE 424 SOUTH MAIN STREET, STILLWATER,OK 74074

405-624-3212

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MONDAY-SATURDAY | 9:30 - 6:00 SUNDAY | 1:00 - 5:00

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sports

Chris Becker

sports

Chris Becker

Birdies... Continued from pg.3 mood light. They were prepared, being it was no secret that weather could hamper play Tuesday. “We were ready for a massive delay, we had an Xbox hooked up, so we were prepared,” coach Alan Bratton said. “It really didn’t seem that long.” After the delay, the onslaught began. OSU, unlike in the first round Monday, jumped out early with birdies blessing the scorecards. As a team on holes six through nine the Cowboys shot 8-under par, and from there the Cowboys soared, opening up a double-digit lead as they made the

turn.

“We try to kill everyone,” Eugenio Chacarra said. “We know how Karsten Creek is, we play here everyday.” The back nine was no different from the four Cowboys whose scores counted on the round, Chaccara, Jin, Austin Eckroat and Brian Stark, not a single bogey can be found on their back nine score cards. Together the four shot 5-under par. That was different from Monday, when the six Cowboys who played carded 10 bogeys and four double bogeys on the back nine. “We were playing fine at the start, just had a couple of bogeys, but it’s not that hard to make a bogey at Karsten Creek,” Bratton

said. “We kept the big numbers away, we had a few big numbers (Monday).” The Cowboys were joined by Illinois, SMU, Sam Houston and Little Rock as the five team qualifiers for the National Championship on May 28- June 2 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Arizona. Sam Houston clinched its ticket despite their low scorer not playing in the third due to NCAA COVID-19 contact tracing procedures, and Little Rock clinched its berth on the 54th hole with a birdie to top Baylor and Auburn by a stroke. SMU’s Noah Goodwin dominated the tournament, winning over Jin by six strokes. sports.ed@ocolly.com

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FOR RELEASE MAY 19, 2021

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis ACROSS 1 Overwhelm 6 Perfectly 9 Scenery chewers 13 “End of discussion” 16 “Bike faster!” 17 Kiefer Sutherland and Ashley Olsen each has one 18 Tiny cake, maybe 19 Movers but not shakers, ideally 20 “Blade Runner” genre 22 Go quickly 23 Window washing aids 26 Advanced sci. class 29 It carries a charge 30 Confucian path 31 Three-sided pastry 40 Memorable “Twilight Zone” feature 43 Upset with “Souvenir de Florence,” e.g. 45 CPR pro 46 “Illmatic” rapper Press Secretary Myers who wrote “Why Women Should Rule the World” 50 Pressure that 57 Camping gear brand 58 Internal airway 59 Works on roofs, say 63 Canvas-angling device 65 Sleights-of-hand with cups, or a hint to this 67 Big name in labels 68 Go through the wringer 69 Actress Sedgwick letters 71 U. of Md. team

Daily Horoscope

Level 1

5/19/21

By Adam Wagner

DOWN

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

sketch show 2 “SNL” parody Baba __ 3 Words that clarify spelling 4 Good sort 5 Mac rivals 6 Baffling question 7 Fur tycoon 8 Super small 9 Clothes line 10 Photoshop maker 11 Serious footing 14 Football offense position 15 Little bit 16 Prepares, in a way, as coffee 21 King Richard __ 24 With pause 25 Sheepshank, e.g. 26 Elemental unit 27 Dad 28 Like Oberlin College since the 1830s 32 Dosage amts. 33 Gender-neutral pronoun 34 Doo-wop horn

35 Works on walls 37 Like a 25-Down 38 Vague amount 39 Chip in a pot, maybe 41 Billionth: Pref. 42 Remedied a distribution error 47 Dubbing title 49 Will focus 50 Loose floorboard sound 51 Like anvils

5/19/21

52 Early __ 53 Mama of music 54 Sound that starts “around” 55 Brexit target org. 56 Stretch out, maybe 61 Do another stint 62 Former Mach 2 fliers, briefly 64 Part of BCE 66 “Scram!”

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Linda Black Horoscopes Today’s Birthday (05/19/21). Valuable career opportunities abound this year.

for a different view next winter leads to rising family fortunes. Make a heart connection through your work. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Focus on practical priorities with your work and health. Obligations vie with new tasks for your time. Keep showing up. Get your heart pumping. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Prioritize fun with family and friends. Fantasies dissipate, revealing hidden truths. Adapt with changes. Reinforce foundational structures with love and kindness. Share and connect. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Fix up your place. Discover hidden messes or breakdowns. Make repairs and upgrades. Clean and declutter. Reduce dust. Enjoy heirlooms and special things. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 7 — Study the situation. Read the background materials. Your research takes you down a curious rabbit hole. Discover hidden realities and strengthen supports. Monitor communication networks. solid deals over ephemeral. Focus on practical priorities with the budget. Don’t overextend. All is not as it appears. imperfections. Fantasies evaporate. Restore integrity where it’s missing. You are beloved. Nurture your heart and spirit. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 7 — Lay low for private productivity. Avoid travel or fuss. Illusions fade. You can see what was hidden. Consider possibilities and reassess plans. Recharge and plot. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Social hardship or challenges face friends and allies. Reach out for support. Accept it when needed and offer when you can. Coordinate with your community. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 7 — Prioritize work to meet a deadline. Choose privacy over publicity. A hidden mess could be revealed. Correct mistakes quickly. Strengthen basic foundations. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Dig into an investigation. You’re discovering a mess. Uncover it layer by layer to reveal the underlying truth. Daylight is the strongest disinfectant. Shine your light. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is an 8 — Collaborate for funding. Pull Strengthen infrastructures and bonds. Your contribution makes a difference. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Discuss changes with your partner. advance a common dream, despite challenges. Support each other.

5/19/21 Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk

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