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The arrival of coronavirus in Kenya has changed the way religious services are conducted in the capital’s diverse houses of worship.  Nairobi’s Catholics refrain from using holy water, Muslims have stopped ritual cleansing, and Hindu temples have turned to live streaming their services.  Rashid Ronald reports from Nairobi. 
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It was Thursday morning, and my phone buzzed with a text message from South Korea’s emergency alert system, as it has hundreds of times during the coronavirus outbreak.  Someone in my Seoul neighborhood — a 35-year-old Polish male — had tested positive. Clicking a link to a government website revealed an astonishing level of detail about the man’s activities over the previous two days.  FILE – In this Jan. 27, 2020, file photo, a poster warning about coronavirus is seen as passengers wear masks in a departure lobby at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea.After arriving at Seoul’s Incheon airport at about 9:00 a.m., the man took an express train to my local metro station, where, wearing a mask, he shopped at a nearby E-Mart grocery store. He then returned home, before getting dinner five hours later at an Italian restaurant in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood popular with foreigners. He was still wearing a mask, but took it off while eating, the message adds.  The next day, the man visited the ground floor of my local bank, ate dumplings at a restaurant down the street, visited a nearby animal hotel, and eventually wound up at my local hospital, where he became one of approximately 9,000 people in South Korea to test positive for the coronavirus. By now, such messages are commonplace in South Korea, as is the ominous chorus of accompanying tones that can be heard at bus stops, offices, and other community settings. Some days, I receive over a dozen alerts about infections in my area. When I travel to other parts of Seoul, my phone vibrates with new reports about cases in those neighborhoods.  FILE – South Korean soldiers clean desks with disinfectant in a classroom of a cram school for civil service exams, following the rise in confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Daegu, South Korea, March 15, 2020.The rate of new infections has also plunged. After reaching a daily peak of 909 new cases on February 29, South Korea reported just 64 on Monday. South Korea’s approach has been widely praised as a global model of how to contain the coronavirus without resorting to forced restrictions on movement or widespread business closures.  But there are concerns about the long-term impact of countries loosening privacy laws to deal with disease outbreaks.  Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told me his organization is “deeply concerned” governments will take advantage of the coronavirus threat to enhance their powers of electronic surveillance.  “Once we allow them to be regularly used and give up this essential aspect of our right of privacy, it will be very difficult to put the genie back in the bottle when the threat of the coronavirus fades,” says Roth.  The organization has also urged countries to “avoid sweeping and overly broad restrictions on movement and personal liberty” and to impose mandatory restrictions “only when scientifically warranted and necessary.”  Trade-off accepted? If South Korea is offering a temporary reduction in privacy in exchange for protection against a highly contagious disease, then it’s a trade-off many South Koreans seem happy with.  Amid the coronavirus crisis, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is enjoying his highest approval ratings in months. Ki Moran, who heads the Korean Society of Preventive Medicine’s committee for emergency response, says the MERS crisis demonstrated a dire need to find the “missing parts” in epidemiological investigations. Loosening South Korea’s privacy laws was the correct way to do that, she says.  “It’s the main reason why epidemiological investigations can be so detailed now,” says Ki. FILE – Volunteers from make protective masks to protect against the coronavirus to donate to the neighbors in Seoul, South Korea, March 18, 2020.In some ways, South Korea’s government is further aided by institutional remnants of its authoritarian past, says Lee Sang-sin, who focuses on political science and public opinion at the Korean Institute for National Unification. One of those remnants is South Korea’s national registration system, he says. Under the system, phone companies must require all customers to provide their real names and ID numbers. That has made it easier for authorities to track down suspected coronavirus patients. “If used by democratic, capable and responsible governments, these authoritarian apparatuses can be extremely useful and effective. But it also means that it is very easy for us to go back to an authoritarian regime,” he says.  May not work as model There are other reasons it may be difficult for countries to emulate South Korea’s coronavirus response.  With just 51 million people, South Korea is a relatively small country. And over half the population lives in the Seoul metropolitan area, making policy coordination easier.  Perhaps the biggest factor: everyone in South Korea — even almost all foreigners, including me —  is part of an affordable and efficient national healthcare system.  Under a single system, South Korea has seen fewer delays in expanding its coronavirus testing, including at its approximately 50 drive-thru testing centers, which received global praise for their innovation and safety.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline. Embed” />CopyBack to normal? As the number of new coronavirus infections falls, life in Seoul has in some ways begun to return to normal – or at least a modified version of it.  
Schools and most other group gatherings remain canceled and many continue to work from home. But this past weekend, which saw the warmest weather of the year so far, more couples and families ventured out to parks along the Han River, even as most observed the government’s social distancing recommendations by staying two meters apart. In Seoul, the city government has been pushing a slogan called “Let’s Take a Break from Social Life,” a fairly depressing promotional campaign for a major world city. But as my wife and I enjoyed kimchi stew this weekend at a local restaurant that was only half empty, we wondered if the break could almost be over.  
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games may have to be postponed if the event cannot take place “in a complete way” due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Abe made the admission during a parliamentary session Monday, but ruled out the possibility the Games, which are scheduled for July 24 until August 9, will be cancelled outright.  Abe’s remarks came a day after the International Olympic Committee announced it would examine the situation over the next few weeks and discuss what next steps to take, including postponing the Olympics by a few weeks or even a year. But the IOC is also refusing to consider the possibility of outright cancelling the Games.   The IOC has come under intense criticism from some prominent Olympic athletes for holding fast to its commitment to stage the Tokyo Olympics as planned.  The pressure mounted Sunday when the Canadian Olympic Committee announced Sunday that it would not send its athletes to Tokyo.   As of Sunday, Japan had more than 1,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including over 700 from a cruise ship that was quarantined last month near Tokyo, and more than 30 deaths. The rapid spread of COVID-19 has forced Olympic associations around the world to either postpone or cancel their qualifying events for the Tokyo Games, and has affected athlete’s training and preparation schedules.   
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India said Sunday it is locking down 75 districts across the country in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.  Authorities say the interstate bus service will be suspended until March 31.  India has 396 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and seven deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Corona Virus Resource Center. News of the lockdown comes after India had a nationwide, voluntary 14-hour lockdown Sunday.    The sound of silence descended on India as hundreds of millions hunkered indoors Sunday in response to a call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to observe a voluntary 14-hour lockdown as a surge in coronavirus cases deepens worries about the pandemic in the world’s second most populous nation. Authorities also shut down one of the world’s busiest rail networks and most public transport including metro trains and suburban train networks that are the lifeline in cities like Mumbai as the country steps up the fight against the virus.  Through the day, streets in India’s noisy and bustling were quiet. Vendors and hawkers who usually line roadsides did not set up stalls on a day billed as a “people’s curfew” and a symbolic display of national resolve rather than an outright ban. The eerie calm only broke briefly at 5 pm when millions of citizens emerged on windows, doorsteps and balconies to clap, ring bells, sing and blow conch shells – a gesture that the prime minister had called for to show the nation’s appreciation for those providing essential services such as health care and sanitation. Those who joined in included top Bollywood stars.   “Today’s success may actually presage greater acceptance as we go along in the next few days,” says Professor Srinath Reddy, President of the Public Health Foundation of India. “It was to build social solidarity and public opinion in favor of necessary measures of discipline and sacrifice rather than diktats handed down.”A man wearing a mask walks through a deserted train station in Mumbai, India, March 22, 2020.”The steps we take now will help in the times to come,” Modi said in a tweet in the morning as he urged people to observe the “curfew.”   The lockdown from 7am to 9 pm is seen as an effort to prepare people for what India may face in the days and weeks ahead.  A  sharp spike in cases in the last two days has led to grim warnings from some public health experts that after Europe, India could emerge as the next hotspot for the epidemic. It is also widely believed that these numbers may not reflect the actual spread of the respiratory infection due to limited testing that has been done so far.     Some states have already ordered near-total shutdowns including the northern state of Rajasthan and four cities in the western state of Gujarat.  The country’s rail network was shut amid fears that the trains could carry the coronavirus into the heart of the countryside as millions of migrant workers begin to leave cites after losing their livelihoods as businesses downsize and malls, restaurants and educational institutions shut down. India’s trains ferry 23 million passengers a day.   Even Mumbai’s suburban train network has closed its doors to the public until Wednesday — only staff working to provide essential services will be allowed to use the trains. It will effectively shut down commerce in much of the city.   India faces many challenges in containing the pandemic — its massive population, packed cities, overcrowded slums, a huge migrant population and an inadequate health infrastructure. And as summer looms, advise on washing hands frequently could be of little use to a vast population that struggles with chronic water shortages. India began the battle early to insulate itself from the virus imposing restrictions from the worst hit countries, testing people from overseas for symptoms of the disease, and recently banning all international flights. “We are in uncharted territory and we are at the moment in the upswing phase,” says Reddy. But pointing to the tightening steps such as shutting down the rail network, he says “there is hope we will not be seeing an upswing at the pace others have experienced and we may be able to get it to plateau off earlier.” 
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President Donald Trump is activating the U.S. National Guard in the three states hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak – California, New York and Washington state.During a 90-minute-long White House news conference Sunday evening, the president said the guard will be at the command of the three governors to help set up federal medical stations and distribute hundreds of tons of masks, gowns, respirators and other supplies.  Trump has already approved major disaster declarations for New York and Washington state and said he will have done the same for California by the end of the day Sunday.Judie Shape, center, who has tested positive for the coronavirus, but isn’t showing symptoms, presses her hand against her window after a visit through the window and on the phone with her relatives, March 17, 2020, in Kirkland near Seattle.A number of governors, including New York’s Andrew Cuomo, have been appealing to the White House to nationalize efforts to get medical supplies, complaining that state leaders have been competing against one another to get their hands on what’s available.  “I think the federal government should order factories to manufacture masks, gowns, ventilators, the essential medical equipment that is going to make the difference between life and death,” Cuomo said at a news conference Sunday in Albany. “It’s not hard to make a mask or PPE (personal protective equipment) equipment, or a gown, but you need companies to do it.”  Trump said the U.S. Navy medical ship Mercy, will be deployed off Los Angeles and another ship, the Comfort, will be sent to the East Coast within weeks, likely to be docked in New York Harbor.The head of the White House coronavirus task force, Vice President Mike Pence, said all commercial laboratories in the United States must make in-patient coronavirus testing their priority.Pence, who had been tested himself with a negative result, did not sugarcoat the test, calling it uncomfortable. A technician swabs the patient’s nasal cavity or the back of the throat for cells.He said 254,000 Americans have been tested so far. Pence said a new test with results in about 45 minutes will be ready by the end of next week.  U.S. President Donald Trump briefs reporters at a news conference on the latest steps the United States is taking to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, Washington D.C., March 22, 2020. (C. Presutti/VOA)Surgeon General Jerome Adams says 9 out of 10 people who think they have coronavirus symptoms test negative.  When a reporter asked if illegal migrants can be tested at hospitals or clinics without the fear of being detained, Trump said “Yes. If that’s not the policy, I will make it the policy.”  Closing stores and restaurants, theaters and other amusements, grounding travel and ordering people to stay home has battered the U.S. economy.  Record losses on Wall Street, predictions of soaring unemployment numbers and a forecast of a recession are tangible signs that the coronavirus is turning life upside down and inside out for 7 billion people around the globe.But Trump said the U.S. economy will “skyrocket” when the country wins what he calls the war against “the hidden enemy.”Trump did not use the word coronavirus during his news conference, but twice called it the “China virus,” ignoring those who say such words veer into a racism.  Trump has denied any racist intent. But he again Sunday complained that he is still upset with China for apparently rejecting U.S. offers of help when the outbreak grew earlier this year.The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have repeatedly asked people to call the disease by its proper scientific name: COVID-19.Facing criticism that he has failed to show genuine compassion during the outbreak, Trump said he wanted those who feel alone and isolated to know that “no one is alone as long as we are a united people.” He promised to always fight for Americans.As of late Sunday, there were about 33,000 coronavirus cases in the U.S. and 400 deaths.
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New Yorkers are fighting the coronavirus in any way they can: respecting the government directives, recommendations by health authorities and trying to stay strong in the face of calamity as they did in the wake of September 11, 2001  terrorist attacks.  Many New Yorkers, like people around the world, derive strength from their families. So, it is not surprising that some couples refused to postpone their wedding plans and took their vows wearing gloves or protective masks in ceremonies performed by an official standing at a distance.  Unseasonably warm weather Friday drew many New Yorkers to parks for jogging, riding bicycles and playing outdoor with their children.People gather in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park as state and city officials urge residents to maintain social distancing to control the growing COVID-19 outbreak, Sunday March 22, 2020, in New York.But the city’s life is far from normal, said scholar Kannan Srinivasan who has been doing a lot of research at a specialized department of the New York Public Library.“I knew this place might shut down any day, so I went through an elaborate procedure to check out the books that I normally use there, and brought them home so I could continue working,” Srinivasan told VOA in an email. “But a lot of my time has been wasted on watching the news, trying to follow precautions and so on. So, I’ve done very little work,” he said, adding that his wife also will have to start working from home this week and he is worried they might get on each other’s nerves.  A surgical mask is placed on The “Fearless Girl” statue outside the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, March 19, 2020, in New York.But Srinivasan told VOA both he and his wife are impressed with the response by their governor, Andrew Cuomo, and mayor, Bill de Blasio.The numbers are growing by the hour. New York state had nearly 16,000 confirmed cases, up from 5,100 confirmed Friday and 800 just more than a week ago.The United States has more than 33,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with more than 400 confirmed deaths, 117 of them in New York state, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine on Sunday night.Cuomo, New York state’s governor, has placed a lot of blame on the slow response by the Trump administration, especially a delay in approving COVID-19 tests.  Cuomo confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in New York City on March 1.  The federal government authorized New York City to create its own test on March 11.  Since then New York has conducted 45,000 tests.New York Governor Andrew Cuomo delivers remarks at a news conference regarding the first confirmed case of coronavirus in New York State in Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 2, 2020.In an effort to curb the spread, Cuomo ordered workers in nonessential fields to stay at home, starting Sunday night. Essential businesses that will remain open include grocery stores, pharmacies and public transit. Schools have been closed across the country as well as in New York.The New York restrictions came as some hospitals struggled with shortages of safety masks, breathing ventilators and other health supplies.De Blasio, the city’s mayor, Sunday called on U.S President Donald Trump to turn the making and distributing of medical supplies over to the U.S. military.“I can’t be blunt enough. If the president doesn’t act, people will die who could have lived otherwise,” de Blasio told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”Hours later, Trump said he had ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ship mobile hospital centers to Washington, California and New York. For New York, that would mean another 1,000 hospital beds. The president also ordered one of the U.S. Navy’s hospital ships to New York Harbor.On Sunday, New York surpassed Washington state in the number of fatal cases.And the governor told hospitals to find a way to expand the number of beds by half because predictions from health officials are that COVID-19 cases needing advanced medical care will top 100,000 in New York state in the coming weeks.
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New York City was hit by the nation’s largest coronavirus jail outbreak to date this week, with at least 38 people testing positive at the notorious Rikers Island complex and nearby facilities — more than half of them incarcerated men, the board that oversees the city’s jail system said Saturday.Another inmate, meanwhile, became the first in the country to test positive in a federal jail.In a letter to New York’s criminal justice leaders, Board of Correction interim chairwoman Jacqueline Sherman described a jail system in crisis.She said in the last week, board members learned that 12 Department of Correction employees, five Correctional Health Services employees, and 21 people in custody at Rikers and city jails had tested positive for the coronavirus.And at least another 58 were being monitored in the prison’s contagious disease and quarantine units, she said.“It is likely these people have been in hundreds of housing areas and common areas over recent weeks and have been in close contact with many other people in custody and staff,” said Sherman, warning that cases could skyrocket. “The best path forward to protecting the community of people housed and working in the jails is to rapidly decrease the number of people housed and working in them.”New York officials have consistently downplayed the number of infections in its prisons and jails, The Associated Press has found in conversations with current and former inmates.Late Saturday, the city’s Department of Corrections acknowledged 19 inmates had tested positive — two fewer than in the board’s letter — and 12 staff members. On Friday, department said just one inmate had been diagnosed with coronavirus, along with seven jail staff members.Earlier this week, Juan Giron was transferred to Rikers Island from an upstate facility after his sentence was vacated because the judge had failed to consider him for youthful offender treatment. After going through intake, where he underwent health screening, he was taken to a dormitory that housed more than two dozen men, their beds lined up next to one another, spaced a few feet apart.“This is like a shelter. So everybody is out and about. You’re talking to people, mingling” Giron said. “Last night, a guy is brought in at around 6 p.m., and a few hours later, two police officers come in with masks and gloves on and try to give the guy a mask. They looked scared, didn’t even want to touch him. They told him to pack up, so he packed up and they took him out. It was crazy.”“We asked one of the officers and they said, ‘That’s the process we are doing now for guys who have the virus,’” Giron said, adding that others who had had contact with the man have not been questioned or notified about his status.More than 2.2 million people are incarcerated in the United States — more than anywhere in the world — and there are growing fears that an outbreak could spread rapidly through a vast network of federal and state prisons, county jails and detention centers.It’s a tightly packed, fluid population that is already grappling with high rates of health problems and, when it comes to the elderly and the intern, elevated risks of serious complications. With limited capacity nationally to test for COVID-19, men and women inside worry that they are last in line when showing flu-like symptoms, meaning that some may be infected without knowing it.The first positive tests from inside prisons and jails started trickling out just over a week ago, with less than two dozen officers and staff infected in other facilities from California and Michigan to Pennsylvania.Sherman wrote to Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Correction, the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, New York’s Acting Commissioner, and district attorney asserting that those who are at higher risk from infection, including people over 50 or with underlying health conditions, should be considered for early release. So should people detained for administrative reasons, like parole violations, she wrote.Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier this week said prosecutors were working to identify candidates and by Friday night, prosecutors in New York City agreed to release 56 Rikers inmates on their own recognizance.Bianca Tylek, executive director of the national criminal justice advocacy organization of Worth Rises, said that wouldn’t cut it.“There are nearly 1,500 people incarcerated on Rikers Island for low level offenses or technical parole violations who can be released immediately,” she said. “Releasing them would reduce their risk of infection, reduce the risk for all those who remain incarcerated, and reduce the spread of the virus into the public.”A man incarcerated in New York City, meanwhile, became the first confirmed case in the federal prison system on Saturday.The man, who is housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, complained of chest pains on Thursday, a few days after he arrived at the facility, the federal Bureau of Prisons told the AP. He was taken to a local hospital and was tested for COVID-19, officials said.He was discharged from the hospital on Friday and returned to the jail, where he was immediately placed in isolation, the agency said, adding medical and psychiatric staff were visiting him routinely.Others housed with the man are also being quarantined, along with staff members who may have had contact with him.There have been two positive cases among BOP staff members: an employee who works at an administrative office in Grand Prairie, Texas, and another employee who works in Leavenworth, Kansas, but who officials said did not have contact with inmates since becoming symptomatic.Ronald Morris, who leads the union for correctional officers at FCC Oakdale in Louisiana, said Sunday that two inmates at the federal prison complex had tested positive. One was hospitalized and the other was being isolated in the prison’s special housing unit, he said. Staff members were having their temperature taken and some were sent home after they didn’t pass the screening, Morris said.The Bureau of Prisons referred the AP to their website, which had not been updated since Saturday.The Bureau of Prisons has temporarily halted visitation at all 122 federal correctional facilities across the U.S., including both social and legal visitation, though officials have said some exceptions could be made for legal visits.For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and even death.The vast majority of people recover from the virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe cases may take three to six weeks to recover.
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The troubles of opera superstar Placido Domingo continue to mount.The 79-year-old Domingo announced Sunday he has tested positive for the coronavirus.He said in a Facebook post it is his “moral duty” to reveal that he has the illness.The tenor says he and his family are in self-quarantine, adding that except for a fever and a cough, he feels fine.   “I beg everyone to be extremely careful, follow the basic guidelines by washing your hands frequently, keeping at least a 6 foot distance from others, doing everything you can to stop the virus from spreading and please above all stay home if you can!” he said, adding that he hopes everyone can return to their regular daily routines very soon.Domingo’s career as one of the world’s premier opera stars was derailed last year when a number of women accused him of sexual misconduct during his time as a director with the Washington National Opera and the Los Angeles Opera, a company he helped found.  Domingo initially denied the charges but apologized to his accusers after an investigation by the L.A. company concluded last month that their accusations were credible.  “I respect that these women finally felt comfortable enough to speak out, and I want them to know that I am truly sorry,” he said. 
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With 8.6 million residents cooped up at home indefinitely, New York City’s health department has offered graphic guidance on safe sex practices during the coronavirus pandemic.“You are your safest sex partner,” the 2-page document says. It then encourages individuals to wash their hands and any pleasure devices they may use.The city advises that other than masturbation, “the next safest partner is someone you live with.” But urges you to “skip sex if you or your partner is not feeling well.”Health officials warn that kissing – which involves saliva — can quickly spread COVID-19, the respiratory infection caused by the new coronavirus, but it has not yet been found in other bodily fluids associated with sex.“We know that other coronaviruses do not efficiently transmit through sex,” the guidance says. SARS and MERS are examples of two earlier coronaviruses.New York State is leading the United States with virus cases, with more than 10,300 as of Saturday. More than 8,000 are in the densely populated city.People queue to enter a tent erected to test for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in Brooklyn, New York City, March 19, 2020.The state’s governor has ordered all non-essential workers to stay home and has told residents to only go out for groceries or the occasional exercise. That leaves people with a lot of free time.After blizzards and hurricanes, many cities see baby booms, and perhaps it is with this in mind that health officials issued their guidance. They also recommend you “have an effective form of birth control for the coming weeks.”Officials are also urging people to avoid online dating for now and keep your circle of contact as small as possible.“If you usually meet your sex partners online or make a living by having sex, consider taking a break from in-person dates,” the city says. “Video dates, sexting or chat rooms may be options for you.”And if you do go that route, health officials recommend that you disinfect keyboards and touch screens that you share with others.Social distancing — staying 2 meters apart —  is still the order of the day.But whatever route you go, always, always wash your hands.Full NYC guidance on sex and the coronavirus can be found at: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/imm/covid-sex-guidance.pdf 
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The U.S. Congress is moving toward passage of a massive $1.8 trillion economic aid package to send money to most Americans and many businesses that have been severely impacted by the deadly coronavirus. Aside from the obvious impact of the public health crisis, perhaps two million or more U.S. citizens have been laid off from work as thousands of schools, national businesses and such community enterprises as gyms, restaurants, bars and stores have shut their doors, either voluntarily or under state and local government orders. Governors in five states — New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in the East, Illinois in the U.S. heartland and California on the Pacific coast — have ordered millions of people to stay home, in effect quarantined to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. No national shutdown is planned. FILE – Traders at the New York Stock Exchange listen to President Donald Trump’s televised White House news conference, March 17, 2020.All stock market gains since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017 have been erased in a matter of a few weeks, while economists say the U.S., the world’s biggest economy with more than $21 trillion in goods and services produced last year, could soon slip into a recession, its first in more than a decade. FILE – A caregiver tests a patient for coronavirus at University Hospitals, March 16, 2020, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.The toll from the coronavirus is mounting in the U.S., with more than 27,000 confirmed cases and at least 323 deaths, with both figures markedly increasing in recent days. The U.S. Senate, normally sharply politically divided between the 53-member Republican majority and the 47 opposition Democrats, is working on the aid package in tandem with the administration of the Republican Trump.  The Senate is planning to approve it in a rare Sunday afternoon session, with final passage in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on Monday. “We’re all negotiating and everybody’s working hard,” Trump said Saturday, while urging his countrymen, “Stay at home and save lives.” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Trump’s key negotiator with congressional leaders, told the “Fox News Sunday” show, “I do think it will get done. The president is very determined to help Americans.” “We think we can stabilize the economy,” Mnuchin said. FILE – Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 11, 2020, before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the FY’21 budget.Mnuchin said the aid package would give thousands of small businesses, those with 500 or fewer employees, enough cash to keep their businesses afloat for two weeks provided they keep their employees working as soon as they can and not dismiss them. He said this part of the aid package would affect about 50% of the U.S. economy, about half of its workforce of 160 million people. Mnuchin said that in addition, most Americans would get direct aid, with a family of four getting about $3,000 in one-time assistance. Congressional leaders say this part of the aid package would extend to individuals earning up to $99,000 annually and married couples up to $198,000, which covers about 91% of U.S. households.  “They can think of this as a bridge to get through this,” Mnuchin said. He said the cash to families would be a one-time payout, but that if the coronavirus impact lasts longer “we’ll come back for more.” The Treasury chief said a third plank of the package would sanction $4 trillion in lending rights for the country’s central bank, the Federal Reserve, to inject new liquidity into the American economy as it sees fit.  “We need the money now,” Mnuchin said of the overall package. “The president has every intention this is going to look a lot better in eight to 10 weeks.” “The U.S. economy is strong,” he said. “The economy is going to bounce back significantly.”    
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Iran’s supreme leader refused U.S. assistance Sunday to fight the new coronavirus, citing an unfounded conspiracy theory that the virus could be man-made by America. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments come as Iran faces crushing U.S. sanctions blocking the country from selling its crude oil and accessing international financial markets. But while Iranian civilian officials in recent days have increasingly criticized those sanctions, 80-year-old Khamenei instead chose to traffic in the same conspiracy theory increasingly used by Chinese officials about the new virus to deflect blame for the pandemic. “I do not know how real this accusation is but when it exists, who in their right mind would trust you to bring them medication?” Khamenei said. “Possibly your medicine is a way to spread the virus more.” He also alleged without offering any evidence that the virus “is specifically built for Iran using the genetic data of Iranians which they have obtained through different means.” “You might send people as doctors and therapists, maybe they would want to come here and see the effect of the poison they have produced in person,” he said. There is no scientific proof offered anywhere in the world to support Khamenei’s comments. However, his comments come after Chinese government spokesman Lijian Zhao tweeted earlier this month that it “might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe[s] us an explanation!” Lijian likewise offered no evidence to support his claim, which saw the U.S. State Department summon China’s ambassador to complain. Wuhan is the Chinese city where the first cases of the disease were detected in December. In recent days, the Trump administration has increasingly referred to the virus as the “Chinese” or “Wuhan” virus, while the World Health Organization used the term COVID-19 to describe the illness the virus causes. Even a U.S. senator from Arkansas has trafficked in the unfounded conspiracy theory it was a man-made Chinese bioweapon. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. Scientists have not yet determined exactly how the new coronavirus first infected people. Evidence suggests it originated in bats, which infected another animal that spread it to people at a market in Wuhan. The now-shuttered Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market advertised dozens of species such as giant salamanders, baby crocodiles and raccoon dogs that were often referred to as wildlife, even when they were farmed. An article published last week in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Medicine similarly said it was “improbable” that the virus “emerged through laboratory manipulation of a related SARS-CoV-like coronavirus.” Khamenei made the comments in a speech in Tehran broadcast live Sunday across Iran marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year. He had called off his usual speech at Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad over the virus outbreak. His comments come as Iran has over 21,600 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus amid 1,685 reported deaths, according to government figures released Sunday. Iran is one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the new virus. Across the Mideast, Iran represents eight of 10 cases of the virus and those leaving the Islamic Republic have carried the virus to other countries. Iranian officials have criticized U.S. offers of aid during the virus crisis as being disingenuous. They have accused the Trump administration of wanting to capitalize on its “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran since withdrawing from the nuclear deal in May 2018. However, the U.S. has directly offered the Islamic Republic aid in the past despite decades of enmity, like during the devastating Bam earthquake of 2003. Reassigning blame could be helpful to Iran’s government, which faced widespread public anger after denying for days it shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, killing 176 people. Widespread economic problems as well has seen mass demonstrations in recent years that saw hundreds reportedly killed. Iranian hard-liners have supported conspiracy theories in the past when it suited their interests. Following the Sept. 11 attacks, some publicly doubted al-Qaida’s role and state TV promoting the unfounded conspiracy theory that the Americans blew up the building themselves. Former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad similarly raised doubt about the Sept. 11 attack, calling it a “big lie,” while also describing the Holocaust as a “myth.” Meanwhile on Sunday, Iran imposed a two-week closure on major shopping malls and centers across the country to prevent spreading the virus. Pharmacies, supermarkets, groceries and bakeries will remain open. In Saudi Arabia, the kingdom said its armed forces are now taking part in combating the virus, setting up mobile hospitals in various cities. And in Kuwait, authorities have instituted a nightly curfew from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m., warning violators face up to three years in prison and fines of $32,000 if arrested and convicted.  
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A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, Sunday morning, killing at least one person and causing widespread damage and power outages.The victim was a 15-year-old boy. Officials said there were also injuries but did not give further details.”We got a call about a collapsed building. Teams went to the spot and found a seriously injured child who did not show signs of life,” Zarko Rasic, the head of Zagreb’s emergency unit told state-run HINA news agency.Several buildings cracked, and walls and rooftops were damaged. Concrete slabs fell on cars and chimneys fell off the roofs. Streets in downtown Zagreb were littered with debris.People ran out of their homes in panic, despite Croatia’s partial coronavirus lockdown.One of the two spires of Zagreb’s iconic cathedral collapsed.  The cathedral was rebuilt after it was destroyed in the 1880 earthquake.The European seismological agency, EMSC, said the quake struck at 6:23 a.m. local time. At least two other aftershocks were recorded later.The epicenter was 7 kilometers north of Zagreb at the depth of 10 kilometers. 
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Without snow falling from the sky, ski-resort owners in France watched profits melt away.  But one resort devised a plan to make tourists flock.  VOA’s Arash Arabasadi takes a look at some ferocious creatures keeping business alive.
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U.S. farmers face a growing season plagued by uncertainty about demand for their crops amid the COVID-19 crisis that is battering the global economy.  As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports, record low grain stocks in China, historically one of the largest importers of U.S. crops, isn’t translating into increased purchases despite agreements reached in recent trade negotiations.
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President Donald Trump has sent a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, offering U.S. help amid the coronavirus pandemic, the first known contact between the two leaders in months.The letter shows the continued “special and firm” relationship between Kim and Trump, according to the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency, which revealed the existence of the letter in a statement Sunday.In the letter, Trump offered Kim “anti-epidemic” help and said he “was impressed by the efforts made by the Chairman to defend his people” from the epidemic, the North Korean statement said.North Korea insists it does not have any coronavirus infections, though many suspect it is hiding an outbreak. The coronavirus could be especially deadly in North Korea, which lacks adequate medical supplies and infrastructure.’Consistent’ with past effortsA senior White House official acknowledged Trump’s letter, which he said was “consistent with his efforts to engage global leaders during the ongoing pandemic.”“The president looks forward to continued communications with Chairman Kim,” the U.S. official said.  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently said Washington had offered Pyongyang coronavirus assistance, despite “deep differences” between the two countries.FILE – U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un sign documents that acknowledge progress in talks and pledge to keep momentum going, after their summit at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore, June 12, 2018.U.S.-North Korea nuclear talks had already been stalled since the middle of last year, but the negotiations have gone completely dormant as both countries deal with the coronavirus.In January, Trump sent Kim wishes for a happy birthday in a letter, briefly raising hopes of renewed dialogue. But North Korea has repeatedly stressed that overall relations remain poor, despite the Trump-Kim friendship.“We try to hope for the day when the relations between the two countries would be as good as the ones between the two top leaders, but it has to be left to time and be watched whether it can actually happen,” said Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, who wrote the North Korean statement Sunday.’Proper action’Kim, who has recently taken on a wider diplomatic role in support of her brother, welcomed Trump’s letter as a “good judgment and proper action.”“We view such a personal letter of President Trump as a good example showing the special and firm personal relations with Chairman Kim Jong Un,” she said, adding her brother also has mentioned his “special personal relations” with Trump.However, she said North Korea would not “waste time” but would make itself “more powerful,” just as it had “for the past two years.”“Even at this moment we are working hard to develop and defend ourselves on our own under the cruel environment which the U.S. is keen to ‘provide,’ ” Kim said, apparently referencing international sanctions.FILE – Missiles are seen in this undated picture released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency, March 9, 2020.North Korea on Saturday tested two short-range ballistic missiles, its third round of ballistic missile tests this month. KCNA on Sunday said Kim Jong Un had overseen the test, which involved a newly developed “tactical guided weapon.”Analysts said the missile tests might be designed to keep up pressure on the U.S. or might serve as a show of strength for a domestic audience. Another reason: North Korea is simply trying to produce more advanced weapons.
 
North Korea is banned from any ballistic missile activity under U.N. Security Council resolutions. But Trump has said he is not concerned about North Korea’s short-range tests.Three meetingsTrump and Kim have met three times, but talks broke down last year after the U.S. refused to relax sanctions and provide other concessions.During their talks, Trump said Kim promised he would not conduct any long-range missile or nuclear tests, though that alleged agreement was never formalized.At a New Year’s speech, Kim said he no longer felt bound by his self-imposed suspension of nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests and warned the world would soon see a “new strategic weapon.”
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted an emergency authorization to a U.S. company that makes a rapid coronavirus test.Late Friday, the FDA granted the authorization to Cepheid, a California company whose test can produce results in 45 minutes.
The tests initially will be made available to hospital and emergency rooms, and then to “patient care settings” such as doctor’s offices. The company plans to begin selling the tests at the end of March.
 
Millions of Americans were under orders Saturday from their state and local governments to stay home, venturing out only for essential needs, including trips to pharmacies, supermarkets and gas stations, and for solo exercise.California, New York and New Jersey ordered residents to stay home to help stop the spread of COVID-19, a disease that claims more victims every day. Illinois residents joined in the stay-at-home strategy Saturday afternoon, and officials in Connecticut and Oregon have indicated they soon will impose similar restrictions.With more than 22,000 confirmed cases in the U.S., at least 20% of the U.S. population will be under orders to remain at home by the end of the weekend, a percentage that is expected to climb.This long exposure photo shows an empty street near Paris’ Pantheon square, March 21, 2020. President Emmanuel Macron said that for 15 days starting at noon Tuesday, people will be allowed to leave the place they live only for necessary activities.As the global fight against the virus continues, infections continue to multiply worldwide.Restrictions in the U.S. have triggered job layoffs and have forced school closures and cancellations of worship services, weddings, sporting and other events.Millions of U.S. front-line medical and emergency workers find themselves ill-equipped for the fight. They lack adequate supplies of masks and ventilators that not only protect them but also patients. Also lacking are supplies of test kits to determine who has the virus. On Saturday evening, the global count of infected cases was more than 304,000, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.Spike in ItalyEurope was the epicenter of the outbreak as the virus continuds to spread. New cases in China, where the outbreak began, have started to decline.Italy reported 627 new deaths Saturday, the largest one-day spike in virus-related deaths of any country since the outbreak began in December. With more than 53,000 confirmed cases, Italy has more than any other country except China, which had more than 81,300 cases, according to Hopkins.Italy, the epicenter of Europe’s outbreak, has prohibited all residents from going outdoors except for essential purposes and has closed all parks.A woman wearing a protective face mask feeds birds in Las Ramblas of Barcelona, Spain, March 21, 2020. For some people the novel coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, but for some it causes severe illness.Spain, the third-hardest-hit country, also reported its biggest single-day death toll Saturday, with 324 new cases, raising the total to 1,375.Spanish officials warned Friday that the situation could soon overcome the country’s health care system. They announced plans to turn a Madrid conference center into a makeshift hospital. Earlier this week, a four-star inn in Madrid was converted into a hospital.Temporary hospitals in GermanyGermany, another hard-hit country, was trying to increase the number of intensive care beds, which now total 28,000, by establishing temporary hospitals in hotels, rehabilitation clinics and other facilities. There were more than 22,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany on Saturday. Officials there said the coronavirus could strike as many as 10 million Germans unless proper precautions were taken, including social distancing.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has shut down dining establishments, bars and other leisure businesses.Singapore and the United Arab Emirates both reported two deaths Saturday, their first confirmed fatalities. Finland and Mauritius also reported their first virus-related deaths Saturday.
 
The South Korea Centers for Disease Control reported 147 new cases of the virus Saturday. The Asian nation had 8,799 infections and 102 deaths attributed to the virus, according to Hopkins.Cuban doctors and medical professionals who will depart for Italy to assist with the pandemic in the country pose for photographers with a photo of Fidel Castro and flags of Italy and Cuba, in Havana, Cuba, March 21, 2020.Cuba, whose economy depends heavily on tourism, said Friday that it will not allow any foreign tourists to enter the country, beginning Tuesday.  The ban will be in effect for 30 days.The drastic measure was being initiated in an effort to prevent any more COVID-19 cases, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on state television. Cuba has reported 21 cases of the coronavirus and one death.Financial damageThe pandemic continued to inflict financial and economic damage on world economies and their citizens throughout the week.U.S. stock markets ended their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis, with the widely watched Dow Jones industrial average closing Friday at 19,174, essentially the same level at which it closed the day before President Donald Trump was inaugurated.A Wall Street Journal survey of 34 economists revealed that up to 5 million U.S. jobs could be lost this year alone, and that a recession was nearly certain.
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New York’s governor said Saturday that the state would conduct trials immediately on a malaria drug combined with an antibiotic that has showed promise in a French study in treating COVID-19, which is caused by the coronavirus.
 
“There is a theory the drug treatment could be helpful,” Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters Saturday during a news conference.
 
He said there were people in serious condition and that the state’s health officials were comfortable trying the treatment on those patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration was sending New York 10,000 doses of the drugs, known as hydroxychloroquine (a malaria drug) and Zithromax (an antibiotic).
 
“As soon as we get those doses, we will work with hospitals, doctors and families on using those drugs and seeing where we get,” Cuomo said.
 
U.S. President Donald Trump has also touted the potential of the drug combination to be “one of the biggest game changers” in the fight against the coronavirus.
 FILE – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo delivers remarks at a news conference regarding the first confirmed case of coronavirus in New York State in the Manhattan borough of New York City, March 2, 2020.Cuomo said New York was also working with several drug companies on possible antibody therapies and vaccines.
 
New York state has the most coronavirus infections in the country, with more than 10,300 cases as of Saturday morning.
 
The governor said the high numbers were the result of  robust testing to detect the virus — more than 45,000 tests have been administered so far.
 
“We are taking more tests in New York than anyplace else,” he said. “More tests per capita than China or South Korea. We are also taking more tests than any state in the United States of America.”
 
New York has carried out double the tests of California or Washington state, which have large numbers of cases.
 
Cuomo’s biggest concern continued to be the potential for cases to overwhelm the state’s health care system.  Work was ongoing to increase capacity to meet the growing need.
 FILE – A message is seen on an electronic display inside a mostly empty 42nd Street subway station during the coronavirus outbreak in New York City, March 20, 2020.Some 30,000 ventilators are needed, and his team has identified 6,000 for purchase. With many other states and countries scrambling to buy the critical equipment, Cuomo said the purchase of 6,000 was a “big deal.”
 
The state is also racing to procure and manufacture enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers. Some New York apparel manufacturers are converting their operations to produce masks and gowns.
 
Cuomo also said plans were underway to increase the state’s 50,000 hospital beds to 75,000. This will include the construction of four 250-bed fully equipped field hospitals. He said he was looking at suitable sites for them, including a large convention center in New York City.
 
Health officials continue to tell New Yorkers to stay indoors as much as possible, but young people continue to defy the order, thinking they are less vulnerable to the virus. But in New York state, 54% of cases are among 18-49-year-olds.
 
“So you are not Superman and you are not Superwoman,” Cuomo said. “You can get this virus and you can transfer the virus.”
 
He urged everyone to observe social distancing, ideally remaining 2 meters apart.
 
One spot of bright news: Cuomo said a hot spot of cases in the New York City suburb of Westchester appeared to be cooling down after a containment zone was imposed.
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