Thursday, March 19, 2020.
The headlines:
- Italy continues to be the hotspot for the virus: reporting 475 deaths in one day.
- European Union now surpasses China in number of cases.
- China now reports NO NEW cases of infections.
- Young people globally continue to defy instructions to avoid social contact—including the beaches of Florida where one young woman was quoted saying: ‘I am not going to have this virus interrupt my partying. This is all an exaggeration.” Many of those hospitalized are now between the ages of 20-54.
Tip of the day;
This is a time for social isolation for all: no play dates, no sleep overs, no dinner parties. Social distance will save lives, including yours.
From various briefings this Thursday morning:
OZY
| CHINA: A BEACON OF COVID-19 HOPE? |
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| For the first time since the coronavirus outbreak began, the former epicenter of Wuhan, China, reported no new local infections yesterday. “We have seen the dawn,” remarked one health official. But while it’s an encouraging sign that drastic measures might help stem the spread, it also highlights how the crisis has now shifted to Europe: On Wednesday Italy recorded 475 deaths, its highest single-day toll yet. |
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Who is the virus affecting? Experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that while the elderly remain most at risk, 38 percent of Americans hospitalized have been between 20 and 54 years old.
AXIOS
| • Hospitals are postponing elective procedures, and even organ transplants. • NYU’s now-vacant dorms may become makeshift hospital rooms, and cities are looking to motels, vacant buildings and even RVs as quarantine sites. • Faced with looming shortages of hospital beds and ventilators, President Trump — calling himself “a wartime president” — yesterday freed up military manufacturing tools, and some doctors are even making their own equipment out of common craft supplies. The economic crisis is entering a new phase, too: Investors have gone from panic selling to logic selling. |
Numlock
Construction
Despite large swathes of the working world winding down and beginning a work-from-home isolation period, not every job can do that. In New York City, that applies especially to construction, which hasn’t missed a beat. There are over 6,800 active construction sites across New York that collectively employ tens of thousands of people. A shut down in construction — as the retail industry has effectively shut down across much of the city — could further exacerbate an already dire economic situation, though local officials are weighing rules that could force some sites to shut down. Listen, it wouldn’t be the first time I emerged from my apartment soaked in alcohol and thinking the city looks completely different from what I remembered.
Numlock
Parts of New York and London are shutting down. Amazon is temporarily closing its hub in Queens, NY, after a worker tested positive for coronavirus. Meanwhile, around 40 stations in London’s subway network are no longer operational. Although the cities are stopping short of official states of emergency and lockdowns, the closures of schools, the advice against social contact, and the decreasing transportation options are effectively preventing people from doing anything.
Australia and New Zealand announced that they’re shutting borders. The two countries said only citizens, residents, and their families would be allowed to enter from tomorrow (March 20.) They have already been isolating all foreign arrivals for 14 days.
CNN Reliable Sources
| Looking ahead… What about the Olympics this summer? “Olympic insiders have reported a growing acceptance that the Tokyo Games simply cannot happen as planned, despite the IOC’s statement yesterday that it ‘remains fully committed’ to this summer’s event,” Sports Business Journal reported Wednesday… |
| New TV programs… ABC has converted the 1pm talk show “GMA3: Strahan, Sara & Keke” into “Pandemic: What You Need to Know,” with Amy Robach as host. Fox News has turned its 1pm hour into “Coronavirus Pandemic: Questions Answered,” an hour-long Q&A with doctors. Other outlets are working on new shows as well… |
The New York Times
CNN Reliable Sources
| Governor Cuomo said yesterday that President Trump had agreed to send a 1,000-bed Navy hospital ship to New York Harbor as the state struggles with the sharp rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases. |
| The ship is not expected to arrive until April. |
| The hospital ship, the Comfort, is part of an effort to expand hospital capacity, which Mr. Cuomo said would reach its peak demand in about 45 days, well before new permanent facilities can be built. |
The Atlantic
| What to stream during social distancing Just because there’s a pandemic going on doesn’t mean you have to watch movies about pandemics. In fact, maybe it’s best you don’t: As my colleague Megan Garber argued earlier this week, Outbreak,a standout of the genre, is particularly ill-suited to this moment. So what to stream instead? Prolonged social distancing might’ve already sapped your queues, and any relief seems far off—the shutdowns will likely force a lag in new releases at a time when Americans desperately need entertainment. Our film critic David Sims offers some practical advice for picking out a pick-me-up. Here are just two of his tips (read more here): 1 Make a project out of it. For example, try watching every movie by a certain director. 2 There’s more than just Netflix. Explore platforms like The Criterion Channel or Mubi. |
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TheMarioBlog post # 3230