Indian State Employees Seen Spraying Migrant Workers with Disinfectant

Employees of the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh were caught on video spraying some migrant workers with bleach disinfectant that is typically used to sanitize buses. According to an officer in charge of Covid-19 operations in this state, around 5,000 people have been sprayed. They claim that they were just disinfecting the people from the virus. However, the method of disinfecting is controversial. The chemical disinfectants can be dangerous and they have no effect when the virus is within people. A couple of Indian officials have said that the actions of the employees were unnecessary and overzealous. The affected workers are under medical surveillance. This event connects to the issue of migrant workers in India. 45 million migrant workers have been moving from cities back to their rural hometowns after losing their job due to the pandemic. Officials have been ordered to find migrant workers and quarantine them for 14 days to prevent the spread of the virus.

1. Do you think that people will continue to react to the coronavirus situation in negative ways similar to this?
2. Do you think India is handling the migrant workers the right way?
3. What do you propose India should do to confront the coronavirus problem especially considering their huge population and immense poverty?

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/30/india/india-migrant-workers-sprayed-intl/index.html

President Trump Announces Extension on Social Distancing Guidelines

       On Sunday, President Trump announced an extension on nationwide social distancing guidelines at the White House news conference. The extension will now have the quarantine last till April 30. These guidelines include  for people to avoid groups of 10 or more people and for older people to stay at home. He had previously mentioned that the federal social distancing guidelines would possibly end by Easter. We have seen the number of people infected and deaths rise,  as health advisers have warned the President about. President Trump states,"The better you do, the faster this whole nightmare will end." He was previously concerned with how the social distancing would affect the economy, but this new extension is a turnaround from that. He predicts that the United States will be on its way to recovery by June 1, expecting a lot of "great" things to happen. However, many people will be out of a job for more than a month now, taking a big hit as the quarantine gets extended.

1. Do you think this extension will have much of an effect on the spread of COVID-19?
2. Do you think the President should extend or lessen the quarantine time?
3. How do you think those without jobs will be affected by the extension?

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/29/politics/trump-coronavirus-press-conference/index.html

Delivery workers threaten strikes over lack of coronavirus protection

As the coronavirus has put many countries into lockdown, many people have turned to online purchasing to minimize contact with others. One giant company whose workers threaten to strike is Amazon. The workers are angry that proper protection from coronavirus has not been provided by the company. US senators have written to Jeff Bezos, the Amazon boss about the safety concerns, but the company says they are taking extra precautions for the increase of online shopping orders. They stated how the company was taking more time to clean its facilities and introduced staggered shifts and break times for extra precautions. An open letter was also addressed to the staff, written by Mr. Bezos, to thank them for their work. Amazon is also looking to hire more workers for their warehouses around the world in order to meet the demand. The worker's pay would also be increased around the world, the pay increasing $2 per hour in the US while workers are told to work overtime. Amazon has been receiving questions from US lawmakers about shortages of protection and cleaning supplies, and sick leave policies. There have also been strikes in France and Italy from workers and some legal complaints about the problems arising in Spain. Another company facing threats for strikes is Instacart. The shoppers and Gig Workers collective accused the company of putting the delivery workers in the front line for risk and profiting off that. Both companies are met with angry people who argue that the firms should provide protective gear as coronavirus continues to keep most of the world on lockdown. 

1. What should the companies be doing to provide more protection or services for their workers who are still working or are unable to?

2. Will people still working, despite the precautions taken, spread the virus even more? 

3. Due to the growing demand for online shopping, how are other businesses affected? What can be done to help the smaller businesses who depend on customer visits?  

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52096273

Hospitals Overwhelmed from Covid-19

      Due to the surge of corona virus patients, hospitals are becoming overwhelmed. Hospitals are dealing with low supplies and dangerous conditions. Patients as well as hospitals have to wait several days for test kits to come back and have to take up space while waiting. Hospitals are also having to deal with a low supply of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) which allows doctors to safely treat their patients. Since there is a low supply of PPE, doctors, nurses, and other medical staff are contacting Covid-19, which is making them unable to work and overwhelming the hospitals even more. In addition to the lack of supplies, some places are already experiencing a lack of space to hold of there patients. Hospitals are making makeshift beds and converting unessential rooms into space for patients. The space shortages are getting so bad that Elmhurst hospital in queens even had to buy a refrigerator truck just to hold the bodies of the patients that have died.

1. What do you think hospitals should do to conserve the resources they have?
2. Do you think that hospitals should be doing anything different?
3. Do you think that people with Covid-19 should stay at home to conserve space for people with sever symptoms.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/26/health/coronavirus-thousand-deaths-thursday/index.html

Senate Announces $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill

      Early Wednesday, Mitch McConnell announced that the White House and Senate leaders struck a $2 trillion deal involving sending checks directly to Americans due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.  $250 billion of the $2 trillion are to be set aside for direct payments to individuals, $350 billion for small business loans, $250 billion for unemployment insurance, and $500 billion for distressed companies in need of loans. Full details of the bill are yet to be released, but an estimate shows that approximately 90% of Americans would be eligible for some type of payment. Individuals earning $75,000 adjusted gross income or less are eligible for payments of $1,200, with an additional $500 per child. This payment scales down by income. It is unclear when the checks will be mailed, however, because the bill is still a draft.

1. How do you think this bill could help both individuals and businesses?
2. What could be a possible negative outcome of the stimulus plan?
3. What could this bill do for the country as a whole?

source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/what-matters-march-25/index.html

Communities of Faith- Not About Structures

Most people have to adapt to the new COVID-19 outbreak in less than ideal ways, but communities and groups have also been affected. Many communities of faith have been broadcasting their services online, using any digital communication the world has offered up, from Facebook live to email to Apple TV. Matt Hagee, the lead pastor of a church in Texas offered the idea that communities and places of worship are not so much about the structure, as much as they are about the people in the community and making sure they take care of each other and stay connected. Many places of worship provide more than just broadcasting their services though, and Mr. Hagee's church is checking in on the elderly, and providing support to people who need it, although in his area they don't have as strict of a quarantine as in other places.

Discussion Questions:

1. How will people with strict self-quarantine rules, and who rely on services provided by communities of faith be affected by the closure of in-person services?

2. What would be the most effective way of keeping a community in touch and connected, even throughout quarantine?

3. What are some challenges that could occur for people without computer/internet access? How can they be solved?

Source: https://www.jpost.com/International/Pastor-Matt-Hagee-to-Post-Community-of-faith-is-not-about-structures-622196

Why the World Losing Trees Matter


The U.S. is losing approximately 36 million trees every year. This has many adverse effects on the environment. There have already been many signs. For example, last year's summer was record breaking in terms of temperature. Trees are scientifically proven to affect the temperature and can lower the temperature by as much as 10 degrees fahrenheit. The loss of trees does not only affect the temperature, but the atmosphere as well. The annual loss of trees and the increasing loss of trees has a negative effect on the air quality. The study they did reveals that, based upon the trees role in pollution and energy, the loss of trees costs the U.S. about $96 million a year. Trees also have other positive effects like, reducing flooding, water quality improvement, and they provide habitats for animals. The more we continue to decimate our wildlife, the worse our environment will get. We should try to plant more trees around the world and protect the ones we have.

Do you think that laws should be made to protect trees, and if so what kind of laws?
How do you think the international community is responsible for deforestation and the preservation of wildlife?
With climate change gaining more and more attention, how do you think the response to deforestation will change?

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/20/health/iyw-cities-losing-36-million-trees-how-to-help-trnd/index.html

Olympics Have to be Postponed After Corona Virus Outbreak

The Corona Virus outbreak has become a global pandemic over the last two weeks and has slowly caused everything to get canceled. Now one of if not the biggest sporting events in the world has also been postponed till at least the summer of 2021. This was decided by Japans Prime Minister and the President of the International Olympic committee on Tuesday. They made this decision after some countries like Canada said that they would not participate in the games unless it was postponed until the Corona Virus spread started to slow down. The Olympics were some peoples last hope, wanting them to still happen this summer to give them something to look forward too and get excited for. This is the first time that the Olympics have been postponed for something other than a War which happened in 1960, 1940, and 1944.

Questions:

1.  Do you think that the games will have to postponed again? 

2.  In the future, do you think the Olympics will get postponed due to more things like this and or related to global warming?

3. Should they have continued with the games as scheduled as a beacon of hope for people to look forward too?

Source: https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/28946033/tokyo-olympics-officially-postponed-2021

Coronavirus spreading rapidly in New York

New York has been one of the hardest hit US states in terms of cases and deaths of Coronavirus. New York is sitting at around 25,000 cases and at least 210 deaths as of March 24. The amount of cases has been doubling every three days, and they have not been getting support from the government, according to governor Andrew Cuomo. "The apex is higher than we thought and the apex is sooner than we thought," says Cuomo. The US government just sent 400 ventilators to add to the already 7000 ventilators, while officials in New York believe they need upwards of 30,000 to sustain the virus. All of this is coming right after Donald Trump announced that he wants the US to reopen for business by Easter Sunday. New York hopes to provide more healthcare areas by possibly turning college dorms and hotels into makeshift hospitals. New York's 25,000 cases currently take up more than 50% of the cases in the United States.

Discussion Questions: 

1. Do you still think that the US government will be able to open up business in such a short time even with this outbreak still occurring in many states?
2. Do you think that the Corona Virus can be used as a lesson for countries during any future outbreaks to try and sustain and/or prevent it from spreading as soon as possible?
3. How will colleges react to having their dorms turned into hospitals?

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52012048

Trump responds to criticism of his use of the phrase "Chinese Virus"

On Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump sent two tweets regarding the coronavirus, calling it the "Chinese Virus." Officials have named the novel coronavirus Covid-19, avoiding associating it with a place or people. This has been especially important due to the rising mistreatment of Asian-Americans due to the belief that it is China's fault. Some officials have described Trump's use of the term as xenophobic and having racist overtones, and emphasized the importance of not associating pandemics with an ethnic group to avoid discrimination. Similarly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been referring to the coronavirus as the "Wuhan virus." In the face of this criticism, Trump has responded by claiming that he is not being racist, just stating that it comes from China. Despite his rationale, the term has been making many critics and Chinese officials upset. Experts on China predict that this will increase tensions between the US and China, and should be stopped.

1. Do you believe that Trump is being xenophobic by using this term?
2. Should there be more restrictions put in place to prevent the use of potentially harmful terms being used to refer to pandemics like this?
3. Do you think that Trump had a good response to this criticism?

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/us/politics/china-virus.html

Social Distancing vs. Saint Patrick's Day

On March 17, Saint Patrick's Day, many Americans went out to celebrate despite local government restrictions and limitations on public gatherings. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention have warned the people about the dangers of spreading the virus. They have been telling the public to stay home and practice social distancing. Louisiana has announced their first death because of the corona virus last weekend. After that Gov. Edward has asked citizens to stay indoors to further prevent the virus from spreading. Even after the news of the death, many parades and public events were cancelled, but other private gatherings and pub crawls continued on with plans. Many people, especially the younger to middle aged, went to these other events and police in New Orleans had to shut down them down. Similar situations happened in other big cities, such as Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Boston. Some cities took precaution to the events and offered sanitizer to guests, limiting occupancy, and performing intensive cleaning. Although, all cities that have celebrated has seen an increase of infections.


How can we celebrate events while practicing social distancing?

Should events like these be cancelled completely or handled differently?

Should there be consequences for people who go out without any regards of spreading the virus?

Sources:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/st-patricks-day-revelers-defy-calls-for-social-distancing-amid-pandemic
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/nyregion/new-york-st-patricks-day-parade-canceled.html

Italy's Greenhouse Gas Emissions down in wake of COVID-19 Outbreak

While many have heard of the positive effects that the Covid-19 lockdown has had on the air quality in Chinese cities, Italy has seen positive effects, too. As Italy is on lockdown, greenhouse gas emissions have gone down. The amount of nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere has fallen drastically.  Nitrogen dioxide is a greenhouse gas produced by cars and powerplants. This pollutant causes asthma, inflammation of the lungs, and other harmful health conditions. Experts say that the decline is due to the reduction in driving, as half the country drives diesel-fueled cars. This change in the atmosphere shows once again how much impact we have on climate change and how the burning of fossil fuels hurts air quality.

Many hope that there will be a silver lining to the virus containment policies in the United States; that there will be a decrease in emissions because of school closures, work at home policies, and event cancellations. Riccardo Valentini, professor at Italy's University of Tuscia and director of the impacts division of the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, believes that the pandemic could trigger the most significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the last century.

1. Given the evidence that greenhouse gases can be reduced, do you think that countries will be encouraged to try and meet the goals of the Paris Accord?
2. In recent years, Italy has reduced the number of diesel-fueled cars on the road.  Do you think that all countries should phase out diesel-fueled engines?
3. What should countries do to maintain this improvement in air quality after the Covid-19 closures and lockdowns are over?

Source: Pollution is plummeting in Italy in the wake of coronavirus, emissions data show. 

Millions of American Jobs at Risk Due to Coronavirus

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, people are urged to not leave their homes unless it is absolutely necessary. This is not a major issue for many Americans, because they have the ability to work from home. Those in the service industry cannot say the same. The virus is hitting small businesses such as food vendors, salons, and restaurants especially hard, and they have seen a sudden plunge in business. These people provide services for people that a lot of people can’t afford during a time like this. If these businesses close, it is likely they will not be able to open even when the crisis is over. It is not only the business owners that are affected, but their employees as well. Although they are suggested not to go out, they do not have a choice. They rely on their jobs to give them the money to provide for themselves as well as their family. It is truly a scary time for small businesses, and the families that own them, even those outside of America.  It is seen as a global slowdown and economists believe that the odds of a global recession are one hundred percent. 1. Should the government be doing more than offering loans to businesses? 2. Can the recession due to lack of jobs be further prevented? Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/economy/job-losses-coronavirus/index.html

African Countries Act on Coronavirus Pandemic

In recent weeks, many African countries have been taking precautions in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Like many other countries, schools have been closed and people have been advised to limit social contact, but the main precaution taken by these countries are placing travel bans and restrictions on other countries who have been hit by the coronavirus. Countries such as Egypt, who has the most confirmed cases in Africa, and Djibouti, who have no confirmed cases, are shutting down international airports and are closing its borders in order to combat the spread. However, some countries who have placed these restrictions, like Morocco and Kenya, will have to face the repercussions of closing their borders to other countries. According to Najib Balala, Kenya's Secretary for Tourism, the economy of their country will be "hit badly" because of the coronavirus outbreak. Some countries such as Cameroon, have not closed its borders even though there have been five cases of the virus. People in the country are calling for the government seal off the country as a result. The closing of these countries has received widespread support from others but some have been against it. Among those who disagree with the bans include the World Health Organization (WHO). According to Dr. Mary Stephen of the WHO, countries may be making these decisions based off of panic and perception rather than actual risk. Even though Africa has recorded relatively few cases of the virus, many of these countries are not taking any chances when it comes to the safety of its people.

1. Do you believe it was the right decision for these countries to place these travel restrictions on other countries or was it too excessive?

2. What are other possible repercussions African countries might face because they are closing their borders?

3. Do you think other countries who have not closed their borders in Africa should follow in the footsteps of those who did?

Source:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/africa/africa-coronavirus-travel-restrictions-foreigners/index.html 

Fact-Checking President Trump's COVID-19 Claims

On Friday March 13th a presidential news conference was held in the White House Rose Garden to discuss the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump addressed the public regarding the virus and declared a national emergency. He went on to explain what this means for the United States, and the actions he's taking to "unleash the full power of the federal government", and "open up access to $50 billion of very importantly - of very important - and a large amount of money...". Although it's difficult to interpret exactly what this means in the context President Trump gives, it is clear that this poses a great risk to society, and many people fear the next step in this process will be to institute martial law. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary states that martial law is "the law administered by military forces that is invoked by a government in an emergency when the civilian law enforcement agencies are unable to maintain public order and safety". The imposition of martial law gives a government a significantly larger amount of power over a country, and typically accompanies curfews, the suspension of civil law, civil rights, and habeas corpus (e.g. freedom of speech, freedom of the press, innocent until proven guilty, etc). After he made the declaration, President Trump went on to make a series of false claims regarding the travel ban, testing shortages, and Google's role in mitigating the outbreak. He said, "As you know, Europe was just designated as a hot spot right now and we closed that border a while ago". This is misleading, because while some travel restrictions were imposed on 26 European countries on Wednesday night, they don't nearly amount to a total shutting down of the border. Additionally, President Trump wrongly blamed the Obama administration for testing shortages and falsely claimed it "didn't do testing" during the swine flu epidemic of 2009. He expressed his gratitude towards Google for developing a website that he said is going to "determine whether a test is warranted and facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location". Mr. Trump misstated the company responsible for the website, an organization called Verily, a subsidiary of Google's parent company. He also exaggerated the scope that the website would have, which became apparent when Verily issued a statement on Twitter explaining, "Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time". These false statements, along with the possibility of the institution of martial law and the state of emergency, cause a great deal of suspicion and bring panic to many citizens in the United States.

1. The imposition of martial law gives the government total control over a country. Given the suspicious actions taken by and the accusations made against the Trump administration, do you think declaring a national emergency was the right decision? Or does it pose an even greater risk to the United States than the virus itself? 
2. The lack of testing for the virus throughout the country continues to cause concern among medical professionals as well as ordinary people in the US. Currently, public and CDC laboratories are only testing those who have recently traveled to impacted countries or who have come in direct contact with anyone who has tested positive for the virus. Given the lack of sufficient testing equipment, do you think this is the right way to regulate who is tested?
3. Less than a month ago, many people blamed leaders in China and Italy for the outbreak of the virus. How do you think President Trump and the actions he's taken against the pandemic compare to those of President Xi Jinping of China and President Sergio Mattarella of Italy?

Sources: 
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-hold-friday-afternoon-press-conference-coronavirus-n1157981
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/us/politics/fact-check-trump-coronavirus.html

US Struggles with Unstable Economy Due to Coronavirus

Over the last week, counties all over America have started taking precautions as the death toll rises to 70 due to the Coronavirus. These precautions include closing schools, restaurants, businesses, and theatres, forcing millions of Americans to work or do school work at home. Local governments are encouraging people to stay home and avoid going to public places as much as possible. While toilet paper and hand sanitizer companies are thriving, the lack of local business is negatively affecting the economy. Goldman Sachs, a multinational investment bank, has predicted that it will drive our economy into a recession, a general decline in economic activity, similar to the one that lasted from December 2007-June 2009. Some experts predict that the economy will shrink 5% in the second quarter after there was zero GDP growth in the first three months of 2020. GDP (gross domestic product) measures the economic output of a nation and represents the value of all services and goods produced within the country over a specific period of time. However, the US Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, stated on Sunday that the Coronavirus outbreak will most likely not push the US into a recession. Nevertheless, if the US does fall into a recession, it will not only hurt America but also countries that we trade with the most such as China, Mexico, and Canada.

What do you believe the Federal Government can do at this time to stabilize the economy?

If we address the Coronavirus outbreak efficiently, will it help the economy recover sooner, or is it beyond repair?

Once this virus is under control, will people start going back to the office to work or choose to work from home permanently? If they choose to work from home, how will this affect the economy in the longer term?

Source:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-15/goldman-sees-sharp-u-s-contraction-nber-would-label-a-recession 

Good News on COVID-19 Pandemeic

On Tuesday March 11th, good news emerged from Wuhan, China, the origin of the COVID-19 outbreak. That day, China reported only 19 new cases, 17 in Wuhan, indicating that the spread of the virus in China is slowing down. These significant drops from days before have surprised many, especially considering the recent boom in new cases in other countries. Though other countries are feeling this pandemic worse every day, good news in China is important. The outbreak started there, and for the situation in that location to be improving perhaps gives hope that other locations will follow the same pattern. Not only that but it proves that measures that China have taken to get over this pandemic, such as their unprecedented lockdown policy, are ones that might bring success, and they can act as a model for other countries to follow. There were 14 temporary hospitals established in Wuhan to help deal with the outbreak, and they have been able to close 11 of them. Perhaps more striking, President Xi Jinping visited Wuhan on Tuesday, symbolizing and proving the progress they have made. The effects of this reach far as well, China's economy is making a comeback, as companies are beginning to resume normal operation. As always, a strong Chinese economy is good for the whole world, as they play such a big role, and this rebound gives hope to the recently struggling US economy.

• Does the potential success of China's lockdown policy make up for other consequences it has come with?
• Should other countries more closely follow in China's footsteps to contain the outbreak?
• Will other countries find the same successful recovery that China has? Or does anything make China a special case?

Source: Believe It or Not, There Was Actually Good COVID-19 News Today

Harvey Weinstein is convicted on several charges

On Wednesday March 11, after several months in court, Harvey Weinstein has been convicted on several charges rape and assault and has been sentenced to 23 years in prison. Arriving to court in a wheelchair and handcuffs, Weinstein, age 67, gave an appeal to the jury before hearing his sentence. During his appeal Weinstein, barely audible, said,”I feel remorse. I feel it deeply in my heart. I will spend my time really caring and really trying to be a better person.” Weinstein continued with, “It is just I’m totally confused and I think men are confused about all these issues.” Judge James Burke then sentenced him to 20 years on charges of first degree sexual act and 3 years for third degree rape. These charges will be held consecutively, with a five years of supervision, and Weinstein then must also be registered as a sex offender upon release. Upon hearing the news, #MeToo supporters praised the sentence for Weinstein and accuser who spoke in court, Miriam Haley said, “If Harvey Weinstein had not been convicted by this jury, it would have happened again and again and again.” Currently Weinstein is being extradited to California to face even more charges including forcible rape and sexual penetration.  Hopefully the nation can take a sigh of relief knowing that a sexual assaulter will be held responsible and face jail time. 

Should Harvey Weinstein have been charged with more years?

Is it concerning that both Weinstein and his lawyer played the "frail and weak" card in order to win sympathy?

How should future cases of sexual assault and behavior like this be handled, for both unknown and famous people?

Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/11/us/harvey-weinstein-sentence/index.html

Grand Princess Cruise Ship hit with Coronavirus docks in California

On March 4th, passengers aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship were hit with the coronavirus. This includes 19 crew members and 2 passengers that have tested positive for the virus. The cruise ship became of interest to the authorities when a previous traveler died last week after being affected by the coronavirus. Despite this, 3,500 people from 54 countries boarded the famous cruise ship and after 5 days of being off the coast of San Francisco have recently docked in Oakland. In an attempt to prioritize people, passengers that required urgent medical care were taken straight to the hospital. Then, US residents who did not need treatment were to be isolated for a 14-day period at military bases in California, Texas, and Georgia. As for the several hundred foreign passengers, they will be sent back to their home countries. Amidst all of this, the UK Foreign Office said it was "working intensively" with US authorities to resolve the virus crisis. On the other side of the crisis, Oakland mayor Libby Schaff tells a news conference, "No one will be quarantined in Oakland, or released to our community." Granting the mayors demand, officials say that "the ship's crew members will remain quarantined on board, which will depart from Oakland as soon as the passengers have disembarked." Overall, the cruise ship crisis was met with fear but a willingness to assist those in need.



Questions:

1. Do you think that this virus outbreak was handled well? Why?
2. Do you think the mayor's demand was fair or was it irrationally defensive?
3. Overall, are people overreacting to this virus or should we be more cautious in our daily lives?

Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51796024
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-cases-surpass-100000-globally-live-updates-200306231605898.html

Italy has added additional security because Covid-19

As of Sunday, Italy has added additional coronavirus measures on the entire country, including restrictions on travel and the ban of any public meetings. Their prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, ordered that individuals stay home and has restricted people from gathering in public. Additionally, he recommends that people limit contact with any outside sources. Individuals should only travel if necessary, which is to be determined with government approval. Essentially, only people who have a work or valid family reason are allowed to travel. People who are leaving Italy or are coming into the country have to justify themselves. However, temporary visitors are excluded from these rules. Cruise ships are banned from docking at many ports within the country. Before being able to use public transportation, all passengers must be checked for symptoms of Covid-19. Also, he has suspended all sporting events. All schools and universities have to remain closed until April 3rd or until any further notice. During a televised address on Monday, Mr. Conte said to the public that “[they] all must give something up for the good of Italy''. These precautions have been put into place because the Coronavirus death toll in Italy has risen from 366 to 463 and all 20 regions of Italy have been affected. Thus, it's the most infected country aside from China. 

1. Is the government's strict restriction on travel in and out of the country an excessive precaution that they are taking?
2. Should those who are just temporary visitors be held to the same standards as those who are living in Italy?
3. Do you think the precautions that are in place are too extreme or should there be additional safety measures?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51810673

UC Berkeley and Stanford University Switch to Online Classes

On March 9th UC Berkeley and Stanford University made the final decision to switch to majority online classes. Although there are no confirmed cases at UC Berkeley, the spread of the virus throughout the Bay Area pushes campus officials to take extra precautions. The situation differs at Stanford, where a faculty member at the university tested positive for Corona. Both campuses remain open, meaning students can still access dining halls and student housing. Classes are now offered through digital platforms and students continue to take exams online. One exception to fully online classes is If a course requires the students to learn physically. This hands-on learning includes labs and performing arts. Both universities plan to resume in-class learning on March 29th assuming no more cases form.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-09/expect-more-california-schools-to-close-amid-coronavirus-spread-newsom-says

1. Do you think school closure is justified if there are no cases on campus?

2. Why do you think schools are taking extra precautions regarding the Corona Virus?

3. Should other schools in affected areas consider closure?

US Senator Kamala Harris Endorses Biden

After months of debating, Kamala Harris chooses to endorse Biden after ending her 2020 presidential campaign in December 2019. Along with Harris endorsing Biden, several other political leaders such as Amy Klobuchar,Pete Buttigieg, and Beto O'Rourke. Before the 2020 presidential campaign, Harris and Biden shared a unique past. As a past attorney general for California, she shared a relationship with Biden's late son, Beau as he was the attorney general of Delaware at the time. Over the past few years, Biden has also encouraged Harris to stay in politics despite rough start. But, despite having an amiable relationship, they have both previously clashed in the past. In June 2019, Harris attacked Biden for his opposition over a policy fight segregation in schools. In addition, Harris also ridiculed Biden siding with two democratic senators who preferred racial segregation.  At the time, Harris did not believe Biden was racist, but saw it as hurtful towards her and her community. But, despite this incident, Harris said she would "do anything in her power" to have Biden win, claiming that Biden is honorable,caring and will listen to the people of America. Harris has also been seen helping Biden and his family cope with troubling times after the lost of their son. Officials have also noted that Biden is willing to consider Harris as a potential Vice President if he were to become the next President of the US.

Questions:

1. Is it possible that Kamala Harris endorsed Biden in hopes to become Vice President, or was her words really what she meant?

2.Why would Harris want to endorse Biden despite their argument in 2019?

3.How would Harris' endorsement affect Biden's campaign?

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/08/politics/kamala-harris-endorses-joe-biden/index.html

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/486480-kamala-harris-endorses-biden-presidential-bid

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51792561

Italy Closes Schools Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

Coronavirus, also known as Covid-19 has spread across the globe and one of the most notable outbreaks is in Italy. Italian officials revealed that the virus has infected over 3,000 Italian citizens and is responsible for 107 fatalities. Due to the increase of cases, the Italian government made the executive decision to cancel all schools, universities and daycare centers until March 15. Public health officials believe that closing off places where people gather such as schools is an effective strategy to battle the virus.  Alongside Italy, France, as well as other Asian countries including China and Japan, have also closed schools until April. According to Giovanni Rezza who is the leader of the infectious-disease department at Italy’s National Health Institute, children are at risk of “amplifying” and “spreading” the disease to their families and the rest of the population. Rezza also claimed that school closures were conducted in protecting the elderly which make up the majority of the casualties.

Questions: 

1. Is it a good idea for schools to be closed?

2. Will there be a ripple effect and more countries follow Italy's footsteps by closing schools?

3. Besides shutting down schools, is there another strategy that may be more effective to battle the spread of the coronavirus?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/04/italy-orders-closure-of-schools-and-universities-due-to-coronavirus

https://www.vox.com/2020/3/4/21164938/coronavirus-italy-schools-closed

How the spread of the coronavirus has halted the amount of pollution in China

While the coronavirus has been spreading around China, millions have gone on lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. Because of the lockdown, it resulted in temporary factory closures and a dramatic fall in motor traffic. This means that there was a massive drop in pollution stated by NASA. Typically there is a decrease of pollution during the Lunar New Years, but NASA said that this year had more of a reduction than usual. An air quality researcher, Fei Liu, stated: “This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event.” Pollution it’s emitted by cars, power plants, burning fossil fuels, and construction. This can lead to aggravated respiratory symptoms and asthma, among other possible long term effects. The cities in China are rated as one of the most polluted in the world. In the photo, you can see how pollution affects the town compared to the cities after the lockdown on January 23rd. This photo also shows drastic drops in pollutants around Wuhan, which was the first city to be quarantined. Research proved that nitrogen dioxide rates dropped an average of 30% than usual, which is compared to the standard of 10% lower during the same time of year. 

1. Because of the lockdown, do you believe that this will improve or hurt China’s economy? 
2. How do you believe the people of China feel about this situation? 
3. Do you believe that China should start to decrease the amount of pollution that they create in the world?

 https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/04/811019032/why-chinas-air-has-been-cleaner-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak

House Makes Lynching a Hate Crime In Memorial of Emmett Till

Lynching has finally been made a federal hate crime for the first time in U.S. history. The Emmett Till Antilynching Act was approved on February 26, 2020. Only four voted against it making the vote 410-4. Emmett Till was a fourteen year old that was lynched in the 1950s because a white woman claimed that he offended her. This act was said to start the civil rights movement. Although there are no lynching's happening currently, there are still hate crimes going on like nooses being found and attacks on African Americans. Lynching remained after slavery and truly shows the expression of racism and violence in America. That's why this act is so historically important because it serves as a reminder to not let history repeat itself. There have been over 200 attempts over the last 100 years to get this passed and this current legislation was in the works for over two years. Kamala Harris, Bobby Rush, and Cory Booker introduced the legislation and the President is predicted to sign.  https://www.npr.org/2020/02/26/809705702/it-s-about-time-house-approves-historic-bill-making-lynching-a-federal-crime 1. Do you think that this should have been passed earlier? Why do you think it wasn't? 2. Do you think hate crimes are accurately portrayed by the media?

Thousands of pets abandoned by their owners due to Wuhan lockdown

It has been over a month since China imposed a lockdown on Wuhan (and the rest of the Hubei province) in an attempt to quarantine the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. With this lockdown enforced, people who have traveled out of the city cannot get back in. The city is completely sealed off, and residents can only leave their homes once every three days. The mayor of Wuhan stated that there were around 5 million people who had left the city before the quarantine. As many of these people are pet owners, at least 30,000 pets have been left alone in their homes without food and proper care. This growing problem has led to many volunteers and animal shelters in the area making an effort to rescue these abandoned animals. With animal shelters overcrowding, some volunteers are keeping these unaccompanied pets in their own homes. One volunteer revealed that she is currently holding 35 dogs and 28 cats in her apartment; she fears that she will soon run out of food for the animals, as the lockdown imposes restrictions on people from simply leaving their homes. In addition to this issue of pets being trapped alone inside of homes, some paranoid owners are purposely deserting their pets in fear that they may transmit the virus to them. Currently, there are no cases nor evidence of pets being able to contract or spread the virus. As the situation intensifies, immense community support has been growing. Volunteer groups and animal protection groups have been working around the clock to rescue these animals, but they can only do so much.

Discussion Questions:

1. How can animal rescue groups gain more support/assistance in helping these stranded animals?

2. Do you think that these volunteers could be putting their efforts elsewhere?

3. What are some other issues that can develop from placing an entire province on lockdown without warning?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51614957#

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/coronavirus-volunteers-rush-help-pets-trapped-locked-down-wuhan-n1131456