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President Donald Trump said Wednesday he wants all U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan by Christmas, speeding up the timeline for ending America’s longest war.”We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas!” Trump wrote on Twitter.In a February 29 agreement reached in Qatar with the Taliban, the United States promised to pull out all of its troops by mid-2021 in return for the insurgents’ promises not to allow Afghanistan to be used as a haven by extremists.The Taliban have since opened talks in Doha with the Afghan government, but the meetings have stalled as the hard-line Sunni rebels insist on their form of Islamic jurisprudence.Trump’s promise comes one month before U.S. elections in which the president, trailing in the polls, has sought to show that he is making good on his promise to draw to a close the nation’s “endless wars.”After 19 years of U.S. military operations, his stance enjoys wide support, with Democratic rival Joe Biden, a critic during his time as vice president of further U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, also supporting a withdrawal.The United States first intervened in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, attacks and dislodged the Taliban regime, which had welcomed Al-Qaida.But in the years since, the resurgent militants have launched a fresh battle to topple the U.S.-backed government in Kabul, with civilians bearing the brunt of spiraling violence since NATO combat troops withdrew in 2014.Trump has reduced U.S. forces in Afghanistan to around 8,600 and the Taliban has stood by promises not to attack Western troops, even as the militants continue their bloody campaign against government forces.
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An Iranian dissident has contracted the coronavirus at a prison in northern Iran, according to a knowledgeable source, highlighting what U.S. and U.N. officials say is a worsening pandemic threat facing Iran’s prisoners of conscience.In a message sent Tuesday to VOA Persian, an Iran-based source close to the family of dissident Farhad Meysami said Meysami tested positive for the virus at Rajaei Shahr prison in the city of Karaj and was transferred that morning from his ward to a so-called prison “safe room” for isolation. The source had no further details on the conditions of Meysami’s detention.The 50-year-old medical doctor and women’s rights activist has been imprisoned by Iran since his July 31, 2018, arrest. Security agents detained him at his Tehran home where they found him in possession of pins with the slogan “I am against compulsory hijab.”Meysami had been peacefully supporting a 2018 campaign by Iranian women who removed their hijabs in public to protest Islamist regulations requiring the headscarves. He was sentenced in January 2019 to five years in prison on charges of “spreading propaganda against the system” and “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security,”  a sentence that was upheld on appeal in August that year.Authorities initially incarcerated Meysami at Tehran’s Evin prison before moving him to Rajaei Shahr last November.A former Iranian political prisoner first reported Meysami’s coronavirus infection in a series of Monday tweets.#فرهادمیثمی در زندان رجائی‌شهر به کرونا مبتلا شده است؛امروز از زندان تماس گرفت و گفت که جواب تستش مثبت شده، اینکه در هفته گذشته احساس بی‌اشتهائی داشته ولی الان حالش خوب است.گفتم این خبر را توئیت بکنم، مخالفتی نکرد.گفتم آیا لازم است بگویم حالِ فعلی‌تان خوب است؟گفت: بله!۱/ pic.twitter.com/grFUJwI8Vv— Zia Nabavi (@ZiaNabavi1) October 5, 2020Zia Nabavi, who is based in Iran, tweeted that Meysami informed him of the diagnosis in a phone call from prison that day. Nabavi said Meysami reported feeling fine after being unwell last week.#فرهادمیثمی در زندان رجائی‌شهر به کرونا مبتلا شده است؛امروز از زندان تماس گرفت و گفت که جواب تستش مثبت شده، اینکه در هفته گذشته احساس بی‌اشتهائی داشته ولی الان حالش خوب است.گفتم این خبر را توئیت بکنم، مخالفتی نکرد.گفتم آیا لازم است بگویم حالِ فعلی‌تان خوب است؟گفت: بله!۱/ pic.twitter.com/grFUJwI8Vv— Zia Nabavi (@ZiaNabavi1) October 5, 2020The former political prisoner followed up with a Tuesday tweet in which he also said Meysami had been transferred to a prison safe room that morning. Nabavi described the safe room as an individual cell without medical and other facilities available to inmates in the public wards.Meysami’s lawyer Mohammad Moghimi also tweeted about his client’s coronavirus diagnosis on Monday.موکلم دکتر فرهاد میثمی به کرونا مبتلاء شده و باید از مرخصی درمانی بهره‌مند شود. بارها گفته‌ام، دوباره تاکید می‌کنم؛ زندانیان سیاسی باید بدون قید و شرط آزاد شوند و سلامتی زندانیان عادی نیز باید تضمین شود یا آنان نیز بصورت موقت یا مشروط آزاد شوند.#فرهادمیثمی#زندانیسیاسی#کروناpic.twitter.com/6ljKYTbGqR— Mohammad Moghimi (@Moghimi_Lawyer) October 5, 2020“My client should be on medical leave,” Moghimi wrote. “I emphasize again: political prisoners must be released unconditionally, and the health of ordinary prisoners must be guaranteed. Otherwise, they must be released temporarily or conditionally.”Meysami’s infection got a mention in Iranian state media as well. Ensaf News published a Monday report quoting a friend of the dissident, medical book publisher Farhad Teimourzadeh, as saying he heard about the diagnosis from the dissident’s mother, Sedigheh Pishnamaz.The health risks facing prisoners of conscience in Iran has prompted international concern as the Islamist-ruled nation struggles to contain the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East.The U.S. is concerned by the worsening COVID-19 situation in Iran and we reiterate our offer of assistance first made in February. We join @UNHumanRights’ call for Iranian authorities to release all political prisoners from their overcrowded and unsanitary prisons immediately.— Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) October 6, 2020In a Tuesday tweet, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus called for Iranian authorities “to release all political prisoners from their overcrowded and unsanitary prisons immediately.”U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet also issued a statement Tuesday saying poor conditions inside Iranian prisons have “led to the spread of the virus among detainees, reportedly resulting in a number of deaths.”“I call for [Iran’s] unconditional release of human rights defenders, lawyers, political prisoners, peaceful protesters and all other individuals deprived of their liberty for expressing their views or otherwise exercising their rights,” Bachelet said. “It is particularly important to rectify such injustices at a time when COVID-19 is coursing through Iran’s prisons.” This article originated in VOA’s Persian Service. Lipin reported from Washington and Yazdiha from Istanbul. Click here for the original Persian version of the story.
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President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are among at least a dozen top White House or other government officials diagnosed with COVID-19. Plugged In with Greta Van Susteren examines the President’s treatment with former Director of the Centers for Disease Control Dr. Tom Frieden and ABC News Political Director Rick Klein helps clarify the effect it has on the presidential election campaign. Airdate October 7, 2020.
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Zimbabwe’s back-to-school program is failing to take off with most teachers refusing to return to class because of low pay and concerns about COVID-19.  Teachers want a 500% salary increase to get out of poverty and say authorities must provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.  Zimbabwe authorities say PPE is adequate and are threatening to replace teachers who refuse to return to schools.  Columbus Mavhunga reports from Harare. Camera:  Blessing Chigwenhembe    Produced by:  Bronwyn Benito
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The Russian military says it has successfully test-launched a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile off Russia’s northern coast, in what President Vladimir Putin hailed as a “big event” for the country. Speaking to Putin by video conference on October 7, General Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov said the test launch took place from the Admiral Groshkov frigate located in the White Sea. Gerasimov said that the hypersonic anti-ship missile flew at a speed more than eight times the speed of sound and hit its target 450 kilometers away in the Barents Sea. 
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Kuwait’s new ruler Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah on Wednesday named Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad, deputy head of the country’s National Guard, as crown prince of the U.S.-allied OPEC member state. The selection of Sheikh Meshal, which must be approved by the Gulf Arab state’s parliament, “was blessed by the Al Sabah family,” state news agency KUNA cited a statement from the emir’s office as saying. Earlier two members of Kuwait’s ruling family posted messages on Twitter pledging allegiance to Sheikh Meshal as crown prince. Sheik Nawaf assumed power following the death of his brother Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad last week, at a time of tension between Kuwait’s larger neighbors Saudi Arabia and Iran and as the government tries to shore up finances strained by low oil prices and COVID-19. Diplomats and analysts say that due to his low-key style and age, Sheikh Nawaf, 83, may delegate a larger portion of responsibilities to his heir apparent, who would have to act swiftly to tackle domestic issues. The country’s parliament speaker has said if the emir announces a crown prince on Wednesday, then lawmakers would vote on his choice on Thursday, the last day of parliament’s term. 
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a set of strict new guidelines for emergency authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine in defiance of strong objections from the Trump administration.   The guidance released Tuesday by the FDA requires pharmaceutical companies to observe participants in late-stage clinical trials for at least two months after they receive a second and final dose of an experimental vaccine.   
 
The new rules were included in a document prepared for a meeting later this month with the FDA’s vaccine advisory board, which will discuss requirements for either emergency use authorization or the full licensing of a potential vaccine.   The publication of the rules comes a day after several U.S. news outlets reported that the White House had rejected the proposals.  The strict guidelines mean a possible COVID-19 vaccine will not be ready before the November 3 presidential election, undercutting predictions made by President Donald Trump.   The FDA and other federal scientific and regulatory agencies have seen their credibility diminished by constant administration efforts to revise their reports and guidelines to maintain Trump’s more optimistic views about the nature of the pandemic. “Being open and clear about the circumstances under which the issuance of an emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine would be appropriate and is critical to building public confidence and ensuring the use of COVID-19 vaccines once available,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA division responsible for approving vaccines, said in a statement. President Trump, who is recovering from a COVID-19 infection that led to a three-day stay at Walter Reed Military Medical Center until Monday, lashed out at the new guidelines late Tuesday night on Twitter.  “New FDA Rules make it more difficult for them to speed up vaccines for approval before Election Day. Just another political hit job!” the president wrote, tagging FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn. New FDA Rules make it more difficult for them to speed up vaccines for approval before Election Day. Just another political hit job! @SteveFDA— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020The U.S. leads the world with 7.5 million total COVID-19 cases, including nearly 211,000 deaths. Several states are experiencing a sharp rise in new coronavirus cases after weeks of steady declines.   The director of the World Health Organization’s Europe division says that region is falling prey to coronavirus “fatigue” just as many countries are battling a sudden resurgence of the disease.   Dr. Hans Kluge said Tuesday the level of fatigue was as high as 60% in some countries, acknowledging that such high levels are to be expected after citizens have made “huge sacrifices.” Dr. Kluge said leaders across the continent must look beyond biomedical science to “reinvigorate and revive efforts” among the public “to tackle the evolving COVID-19 challenges that we face.” He urged them to interact with citizens to understand their needs and behaviors, and develop innovative strategies to keep them involved in the fight against the pandemic.  
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President Donald Trump is back at the White House after being released from the hospital where he was treated for COVID-19, and he is tweeting, urging Americans not to be afraid of the coronavirus. Many of Trump’s inner circle and those who attended a White House event late last month have since tested positive for the coronavirus. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports on how the administration is responding to the outbreak.  
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As the COVID-19 pandemic marches on, new, rapid tests offer hope for pumping the brakes on the virus’ spread.  The United States is falling far short in its testing efforts. More than 4 million tests per day would be needed to control the spread of the coronavirus, according to an analysis by Brown University and A healthcare professional adds the extraction reagent and a patient specimen to Abbott’s BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag rapid test card, Sep. 2020.The right test for the job Experts say that the best test depends on the testing strategy.   “I think there’s definitely a time and a place for all of these tests, as long as they’re used properly,” said Wyllie. Currently, the CDC only recommends COVID-19 testing if people have symptoms or if they’ve been in close contact with an infected person. Because PCR picks up even tiny quantities of the virus it is much more sensitive than antigen testing. This means that PCR can more accurately diagnose COVID-19, particularly as the disease progresses and virus levels wane. “PCR is extremely sensitive. It can detect one molecule [of the virus],” said Michael Mina, epidemiology professor at Harvard University at a press conference. “I want to make it clear that PCR is a terrific tool. If I’m a diagnostic physician, I want to use PCR.”   However, because PCR tests are so sensitive, they may give a positive result when people are no longer contagious. “We’re actually missing people during the peak of their infection and we’re catching them too late,” said Mina.   Some experts say the best approach to tackling COVID-19 is frequent, widespread testing of asymptomatic people. Less-sensitive antigen tests may do the job because they perform well when virus levels are high and detect people when they’re most infectious. Best of all, these tests are cheap and quick. “If my goal is to use testing as a way to remove people who are infectious from the population, that’s where these rapid antigen tests really start to shine,” said Mina. According to Mina, the recent granting of an Emergency Use Authorization to a rapid antigen test is a step in the right direction. This type of simple, paper test could one day be available for use in homes. Although the FDA has not yet approved a home COVID-19 test, it recently provided recommendations for home testing standards, stating that these tests will be a “game changer in our fight against COVID-19.” “I really like the idea of a rapid test that you can do at home,” said Yale’s Wyllie. “This idea that we can get up in the morning and as we’re getting ready for work or whatever, taking a test.” But Wyllie says the success of this approach depends on test sensitivity and how often testing is done. “The problem with antigen tests at the moment is that I just don’t think they’re sensitive enough sometimes.”   Even with daily testing, a low sensitivity test could fail to identify the virus before a person becomes infectious. “In that 24 hours, they could go to a wedding, they could go to a funeral, they could go to a church choir. All these settings that we’re seeing become superspreading events.”How Superspreaders – People and Places – Drive the COVID-19 Pandemic A mix of biology, behavior and location is found to produce a majority of cases The limits of testing Experts agree that no test is perfect. Results depend on many factors such as the type of test, how the sample was collected and when the test was taken. “A negative [diagnostic] test doesn’t exclude the possibility that you will test positive tomorrow if you’re within that 14-day incubation period,” said UNC’s Weber. “I think testing is an important strategy but it’s not a substitute for physical distancing and mask wearing.” Steve Baragona contributed to this report.
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Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and speechwriter, tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday. A senior administration official said Miller had previously tested negative as White House officials have tried to contain an outbreak on the complex that has infected Trump, the first lady, and more than a dozen other aides and associates. Miller is an architect of the president’s “America First” foreign policy and restrictive immigration measures. His wife, Katie Miller, who serves as communications director to Vice President Mike Pence, previously had the virus and tested negative after the last time she saw him. Katie Miller had been in Salt Lake City with Pence, where he is preparing to debate Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, but she left as soon as she found out about her husband’s diagnosis. 
 
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Turkey’s bid to become a member of the European Union appears to be in jeopardy after the bloc’s executive branch on Tuesday said it is displeased by what it called Ankara’s failures to sustain democracy and fight corruption. In its annual report on the country, the European Commission cited too much political power in the hands of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has resulted in a poor economy and eroded the independence of the judiciary. The report also said Turkish authorities continue to pressure civil society, aid groups and the media. “Turkey remains a key partner for the European Union. However, Turkey has continued to move further away from the European Union with serious backsliding in the areas of democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary,” the commission said. But Turkey, which began its EU membership talks in 2005, rejected the commission’s criticisms, describing them as prejudiced, according to the AP. Turkey’s bid to become a member of the EU has not been an easy one in spite of its position as an important socio-economic partner to the EU, in part because Turkey has helped prevent migrants from entering the bloc through its borders with Greece and Bulgaria. For this reason, the EU has paid Turkey about $7 billion to motivate Ankara to stop Syrian refugees in the country from heading to Europe. Nonetheless, Turkish disputed claims over Cyprus and Erdogan’s crackdown on perceived opponents since a failed coup in 2016 have ruined much of the progress made in becoming the 28th member of the EU. “The report presented today confirms that the underlying facts leading to this assessment still hold, despite the government’s repeated commitment to the objective of EU accession,” said the commission. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the report reflects “the EU’s prejudiced, unconstructive and double-standard approach.” The report failed to mention the EU’s own “responsibilities and commitments” and criticized Turkey with “unfounded arguments,” the ministry said in a statement. “Our sincere wish is for the EU to look at the EU candidate country Turkey, not through the selfish and narrow vision of certain circles, but through the common interest and vision of our continent,” it said.  
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Western diplomats at the United Nations criticized China for its human rights abuses against ethnic Uighur Muslims and its crackdown on Hong Kong’s autonomy Tuesday, while Beijing hit back, focusing its anger on the United States.  “We call on China to respect human rights, particularly the rights of persons belonging to religious and ethnic minorities, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet,” German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen said on behalf of 39 countries at the U.N committee that deals with human rights issues.   Xinjiang is the province in northwestern China where the government has detained as many as a million Uighurs in so-called “re-education” camps in recent years.   FILE – Germany’s Ambassador Christoph Heusgen resets an hour glass between speakers at United Nations headquarters, April 29, 2019.He went on to express grave concern about the increasing number of reports of gross human rights violations there.   “There are severe restrictions on freedom of religion or belief and the freedoms of movement, association, and expression as well as on Uighur culture,” said Heusgen. “Widespread surveillance disproportionately continues to target Uighurs and other minorities, and more reports are emerging of forced labor and forced birth control, including sterilization.”  Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Heusgen called on Beijing to close the detention camps. He noted that last year, 23 countries joined the condemnation of China on the Uighur issue, and the near doubling of countries this year signaled that there is growing international concern about Beijing’s policy toward the ethnic minority.   Heusgen was joined by British envoy Jonathan Allen, who said that China must grant U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s long-standing request to visit Xinjiang to see the situation of the Uighurs.   Allen also condemned China’s imposition on June 30 of a controversial security law that he said “violates Hong Kong’s autonomy, and threatens rights and freedoms.”  Imposition of the law set off months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong.   China’s ambassador, Zhang Jun, hit back, targeting the United States. Without addressing the Uighur issue, he claimed China’s human rights achievements are “widely recognized” and he urged Washington to “take a good look in the mirror” and eliminate racial discrimination in its own society before attacking other countries.   FILE – Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun speaks to reporters at the Chinese Mission to the United Nations in New York, Sept. 22, 2020.”Millions of Americans have cried out ‘I can’t breathe’ and ‘Black lives matter,'” the envoy said, referencing recent calls of protesters in the U.S. demanding an end to decades of racial discrimination and injustice in the aftermath of the death in police custody of an African American man, George Floyd, in May. Zhang also hit out at President Donald Trump’s repeated accusations that the coronavirus pandemic originated in China and that Beijing is responsible for its global spread.   “What the U.S. government needs is treating the sick and saving lives, not spreading the political virus and making troubles everywhere,” the Chinese envoy said.   China did receive support from more than 50 countries, including Iran, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela, for its authority over Hong Kong, while some 45 countries signed on to a statement delivered by Cuba, supporting Beijing’s assertion that its measures in Xinjiang are part of counter-terrorism and deradicalization efforts. Diplomats said some other countries, including some Western ones, were pressured by China not to support the group of 39’s statement. The United States did not speak at the session but was part of the joint statement of 39 countries that Germany delivered.  U.S. envoy Kelly Craft tweeted out her concern, saying, “The situation in Xinjiang & recent developments in Hong Kong make clear that the PRC has outright contempt for its human rights obligations & the well-being of its citizens.” PRC stands for the People’s Republic of China.  The U.S. joins 38 @UN Member States to express grave concern about China’s appalling human rights conduct. The situation in Xinjiang & recent developments in Hong Kong make clear that the PRC has outright contempt for its human rights obligations & the well-being of its citizens. pic.twitter.com/LIe5tN2J76— Ambassador Kelly Craft (@USAmbUN) October 6, 2020Human Rights Watch said the statement by the 39 countries is a “stinging rebuke” of China’s “brutal treatment of Uighurs, the people of Hong Kong and Tibet, and many ordinary Chinese struggling to have their human rights respected.” “Their growing outrage signals the urgent need for the U.N. leadership to create an international mechanism to monitor and report on the increasingly dire rights situation across China,” U.N. Director Louis Charbonneau said. 
 
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Four people have died and up to 18 are missing in floods and heavy rain in southern France, a spokeswoman for Alpes Maritimes prefecture said Monday, October 5. Torrential rain lashed southern France over the weekend and swollen rivers swept away houses, bridges, and parts of roads. Aerial videos uploaded to social media show houses teetering on the edge of flooded streets. Around 1,000 firefighters firefighters, helicopters and soldiers were deployed to the south-eastern Alpes-Maritimes region. (Reuters) 
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U.S. President Donald Trump urged Americans not to “be afraid” of COVID-19 after he returned to the White House Monday evening after 72 hours of hospitalization for the deadly virus.In a show of fitness, he climbed the steps of the South Portico, standing on the Truman Balcony where he removed his mask, gave a double thumbs-up gesture and saluted the Marine One helicopter as it prepared to take off from the South Lawn. Without putting his facemask back on, the president then walked into the White House where others were awaiting his arrival.Earlier, as he walked out of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,  Trump said, “Thank you very much, everybody.”Stepping off the helicopter and walking toward the White House residence, the president paused to turn to the cameras, waved and gave a thumbs-up. Asked by VOA how he was feeling, a muffled reply of “real good” could be heard. Later in the evening, he tweeted out a recorded message about COVID19, saying “Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it.””We’re going back, we’re going back to work. We’re going to be out front,” he said. “Don’t let it dominate your lives. Get out there, be careful,” he added.FILE – President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland.Next presidential debate
Trump’s reelection campaign said the Republican president, trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls, plans to participate in the Oct. 15 second debate against the Democratic Party nominee.  “Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet, the team and I agree that all our evaluations, and most importantly, his clinical status, support his return home” to the White House, which has medical facilities and practitioners to monitor the president around the clock, his primary physician, Dr. Sean Conley, told reporters Monday afternoon.  “Every day a patient stays in the hospital unnecessarily is a risk to themselves,” he added. “Right now, there’s nothing being done upstairs here that we can’t safely conduct down home.” Before leaving the hospital, the president tweeted, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” adding that he felt better than he did 20 years ago. I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Dr. Sean Conley, physician to President Donald Trump, center, and other doctors, walk out to talk with reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 5, 2020.Physicians ‘cautiously optimistic’
Speaking with reporters at the hospital, Conley, an osteopath and a commander in the U.S. Navy, declined to answer some questions, such as the condition of the president’s lungs, citing patient confidentiality.    The president is taking a steroid, dexamethasone, which is typically not administered in mild or moderate cases of the coronavirus, along with a five-day course of remdesivir, an antiviral medication.    Trump’s physicians remain “cautiously optimistic and on guard, because we’re in a bit of unchartered territory when it comes to a patient that received the therapies he has so early in the course,” Conley said. “If we can get through to Monday with him remaining the same, or improving, better yet, then we will all take that final deep sigh of relief.” After tweeting a video on Sunday that he was “getting great reports” from his doctors, Trump promised a little surprise for his supporters outside the hospital where he is being treated.            President Donald Trump drives past supporters gathered outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 4, 2020.Drive by criticism
His decision to do a drive-around for supporters Sunday evening was condemned by one attending physician at Walter Reed as irresponsible.          Dr. James Phillips, who is also chief of disaster medicine at The George Washington University in Washington, tweeted that the special vehicle the president was riding in is sealed against chemical attack.     “The risk of COVID-19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play,” said Phillips, referring to the driver and an accompanying agent in the front seat who appeared to be wearing masks, face shields and gowns.     That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.— Dr. James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) October 4, 2020“Appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the president and all those supporting it, including PPE,” White House spokesman, Judd Deere, said. “The movement was cleared by the medical team as safe to do.”      On Monday Conley said the drive was only “for a short period of time,” and the agents in the vehicle with Trump were adequately protected.  Infection date unclear
Earlier Sunday, the doctors treating the president revealed that their patient had earlier experienced “two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation.”         Conley received word last Thursday evening that both Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus after one of the president’s close aides, Hope Hicks, was confirmed to be ill with the infection.      The doctor declined again on Monday, when pressed by reporters, to answer when Trump last tested negative for COVID-19, something considered important for doing adequate contact tracing to try to limit the spread of the virus.   “I don’t want to go backwards,” the physician said. “The contact tracing, as I understand it, is being done. I’m not involved with it.”      Trump’s campaign on Friday put a hold on all previously announced events involving the president’s participation.  
  Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen, along with Sarah Pence and her husband Michael Pence and their daughter, right, arrive on Marine Two at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Oct. 5, 2020, as he departs for Utah.Return to campaign trail
Vice President Mike Pence is making campaign appearances this week, as well as facing off Wednesday evening against Sen. Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee.      “As far as travel goes, we’ll see,” Conley replied when asked how soon Trump could get back on the campaign trail with less than a month before the Nov. 3 presidential election.  
  
Doctors said it is important to ensure that the president is no longer shedding virus and that he is in good enough physical shape before getting medical permission to travel.  Trump and Biden were about 4 meters apart on a debate stage last Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests at least 2 meters for social distancing purposes.           Biden’s campaign said the former vice president tested negative Friday for the coronavirus. A test on Sunday was also negative.            The coronavirus has killed 210,000 people in the United States and infected nearly 7.5 million across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data.  
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With U.S. President Donald Trump back at the White House after spending several days in a military hospital, the primary doctor in charge of his COVID-19 treatment is the same, but the extent of the medical facilities available is not. The president’s doctor heads the White House Medical Unit, which includes about 30 medical personnel and is available for medical care at all hours of the day. There is an exam room on the ground floor of the White House residence, located next to the Map Room, as well as a larger set of offices in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building that neighbors the White House. Those who receive care include the president and his immediate family, the vice president, White House staff members, and if necessary, foreign dignitaries and tourists who visit the site. The scope of care ranges from simple measures, such as routine checkups and dispensing medication for easing a headache, to emergency responses like resuscitation. In those more serious cases, the White House Medical Unit works to stabilize patients and get them to a hospital as soon as possible. Dr. Sean Conley, physician to President Donald Trump, briefs reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 4, 2020.Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Conley, expressed confidence Monday that his team would not “miss anything” that would have been caught had the president stayed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, which is equipped with an intensive care unit, more advanced imaging capabilities and specialists. “He’s returning to a facility — the White House Medical Unit — that’s staffed 24/7 with top notch physicians, nurses, PAs, logisticians,” Conley told reporters. FILE – Journalist Brian Fuss holds up COVID-19 testing information after receiving a coronavirus test by the White House Medical Unit before a news conference with President Trump in the press briefing room at the White House, Apr. 9, 2020.The White House unit also has been responsible for conducting COVID-19 tests on journalists in the White House press corps. 
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Tensions are running high in Haiti’s capital Tuesday, a day after hundreds of university students clashed with police during a protest over the death last week of a university student. Students burned cars and blocked roads Monday in Port-au-Prince, where one person was shot and killed.  University student Gregory Saint-Hilaire was killed last Friday during a small protest by students demanding employment opportunities. Students are blaming police for the deaths of Saint-Hilaire and another person killed during Monday’s protests. The government condemned the death of Saint-Hilaire, adding that police are investigating the circumstances of his death.  
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Peru’s main airport is receiving international flights for the first time in six months after restrictions were put in place to help control the spread of the coronavirus. Speaking at Monday’s reopening in the capital city Lima, Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra expressed confidence that everything had been done to guarantee the opening of international flights does not increase the risk of the coronavirus spreading. Jorge Chavez International Airport is now accepting flights to and from 11 destinations, including Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. Jorge Alvarado, a Chilean citizen who lives and works in Peru said it was emotional returning to Peru for the first time in several months to see his wife.  Peru has resumed limited operations for domestic flights in July, but flights to and from the United States and Europe are still not allowed.  So far, Peru has confirmed more than 829,000 coronavirus infections and more than 32,800 deaths since the outset of the pandemic in March. 
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