© Handout via Reuters / Gemelli PoliclinicoMedical workers in protective suits transfer a coronavirus patient in Rome, Italy, March 16, 2020
With a spike of 345 new deaths in the last 24 hours, Tuesday was among Italy's most deadly in the Covid-19 outbreak gripping much of the Mediterranean nation, bringing the death toll to 2,503, out of a total 31,506 confirmed cases.
Since the contagion was first observed in Italy in late February, the country has quickly become Europe's hardest-hit coronavirus hotspot, with a rapidly escalating disease toll and a fatality rate exceeding most other affected nations. The explosion in cases and deaths triggered a nationwide lockdown last week, placing 60 million citizens under strict travel restrictions and shuttering most businesses across the country.
China, meanwhile, has perhaps seen the worst of its bout with the fast-spreading illness, with just over 9,000 active cases remaining, according to the official tally - largely clustered around the viral epicenter of Wuhan - after more than 68,000 recoveries and 3,200 deaths since the outbreak began late last year. To date, the virus has spread to over 196,000 people worldwide, killing more than 7,800.
Comment: The numbers quoted above could be extremely misleading, but if even if we take them on face value the coronavirus still appears to be much less deadly than the average seasonal flu: The Swine Flu 'Pandemic' Was Officially a Hoax, Corona Virus Probably is Too. Big Pharma Stands to Profit, Again
Iranian media warns '3.5 million will die' if public ignores coronavirus health guidelines
Iran has registered 15,000 cases of COVID-19 and over 850 deaths, making it the third-hardest hit nation in the world at the moment after China and Italy. The country has initiated a nationwide medical response, but faced severe challenges due to US sanctions, which Washington moved to extend last week.
"Millions" of Iranians will be at risk of succumbing to the new coronavirus if they continue to travel unnecessarily and ignore public health guidelines, Dr. Afruz Eslami, a senior Iranian medic and television journal has warned.
© AFP 2020 / Atta Kenare
Under the first, which necessitates immediate cooperation with health authorities, 120,000 Iranians will be infected, and 12,000 of them will perish. Under the second scenario, if cooperation is only partial, Iran will face 300,000 infections and as many as 110,000 deaths. However, if people fail to follow any of the government's measures to contain the virus, the country's health care system could collapse, leading to millions of deaths.
Comment: As with the erroneous predictions of global warming, we have already seen how these models are often woefully flawed.
"[If] medical facilities are not sufficient, there will be 4 million cases, and 3.5 million people will die," Eslami warned, her comments cited by the AP.
Earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued a fatwa (legal pronouncement) against unnecessary travel, amid reports that the public has been ignoring warnings by the government and security forces.
Iran moved to close its Shiite pilgrimage sites on Monday, with the ban affecting the tomb of Imam Reza in the holy city of Mashhad, just days before the Persian New Year holiday of Nowrouz. The move led to mass protests by believers, with the government deploying riot police and making arrests.
Health authorities have also deployed special screening teams for travellers in 13 of the country's 31 provinces, including Tehran, with the teams required to check the temperature of vehicle drivers and passengers and to send those with fever into quarantine.
In a separate development, Iran's parliament has resorted to meeting via video conferencing after 8 percent of lawmakers in its 290 seat parliament were reportedly infected earlier this month. Iran has faced some of the highest infection rates among officials of any countries, with as many as 14 officials, advisers and lawmakers succumbing to the pandemic to date.
On Monday, the ministry of health reported that over 10 million people had been screened at health centers and online amid the outbreak.
Iran's coronavirus response has been put to the test by severe shortages of basic medical equipment amid tough US sanctions, including restrictions on the Islamic Republic's exports of oil, the lifeblood of the economy, but also restrictions preventing the import of medical equipment. Iranian officials have blasted the Trump administration for its "adversarial and inhumane" attitude toward Iran's plight. Chinese officials have urged the US to lift its sanctions "immediately," while Russia has sent Iran COVID-19 test kits allowing for the testing of up to 50,000 people. The United Nations Children's Fund, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates have also dispatched aid.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged the international community to assist Iran, and called on the United Nations to push back against the US's Iran sanctions, calling them "immoral to observe" and saying that the measures "literally kill innocents" in a Tuesday tweet.
Airlines, hospitality, entertainment: How many businesses will DIE in the hardest-hit industries during the Covid-19 crisis?
© Reuters / Kai Pfaffenbach / Kevin Lamarque / Jonathan Bachman
UK aviation could be "wiped out" by the pandemic, the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) said last week, calling on the government to act immediately to save it. Airlines are bending under the pressure of a massive drop off in summer holiday bookings, as they operate almost-empty flights and thousands of employees are forced to take unpaid leave.
UK airlines on Sunday called for a £7.5 billion bailout, while US airlines demanded a $50 billion cash injection a week after the Trump administration imposed restrictions on all travel from Europe to the US in a bit to curb the virus' spread. This week, Scandinavian airline SAS temporarily halted most of its traffic and temporarily laid off about 10,000 employees — 90% of its total staff.
It's not just the airlines that have been hit by the spate of travel restrictions, though: cruise companies are also feeling the pain. As ships are stranded at sea and turned away as countries shutter their ports, the $45 billion US cruise industry is also on a collision course with disaster.
Viral panic in the hospitality industry
Restaurants and pubs are also in a state of alarm over government guidelines advising citizens to stay away from crowded spaces as the coronavirus spreads rapidly across continents. Countries like Italy, France and Spain are on total lockdown, with only vital services remaining open. In Ireland, pubs closed across the country one day before St. Patrick's Day — usually one of their busiest weeks of the year.
In the UK, business groups have warned of "hundreds of thousands of job losses" in an industry which employs over 3.2 million people in pubs and restaurants, and another 2.8 million across supply chains — and which adds more than £120 billion to the British economy annually. There could also be "thousands" of permanent closures if PM Boris Johnson's government does not step in to provide robust support. Carluccio's chief executive said on Monday that the chain is mere "days away from large-scale closures" — a situation that will be faced by many others, too.
In a stark warning on Tuesday, UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said that unless the government provides immediate support, the industry will "cease to exist in any recognisable capacity."
Across the pond in the US, the hotel industry has been "devastated" and "could take years to recover," Cairns New York reported. Hotelier Andre Balazs told the outlet he is counting on the crisis taking up to two years before room rates and occupancy levels return to normal. Some estimates suggest hotel occupancy in New York could drop to an unprecedented 20 percent.
Meanwhile, thousands of restaurants across the US could "go broke forever" as the Covid-19 crisis deepens throughout the country, 'Top Chef' judge Hugh Acheson warned in a tweet. To weather the storm, some are ramping up their delivery services. On Monday, Uber Eats said it would waive delivery fees for orders from struggling independent restaurants, while European food delivery companies like Deliveroo, Glovo and JustEat introduced 'contactless' delivery options to encourage ordering.
The show can't go on: Theatres & cinemas shutter
With 'social distancing' guidelines now in place across most of the world, naturally any industry that involves large groups of people congregating together is going to take a hit.
As cinemas close temporarily across the globe, production companies have been pushing back release dates for expected box office hits like 'A Quiet Place 2' and the latest James Bond movie 'No Time to Die'. Some estimates suggest the global movie business could see $5 billion in losses over the virus panic. Concerts around the world have also been cancelled and rescheduled.
NBC Universal suspended production or sped up season finale schedules for 35 of its shows, while CBS employed a similar strategy, the Hollywood Reporter said. Streaming services Netflix and Apple also suspended filming on their own projects.
In the UK, 250 theatres have shuttered their doors temporarily as Covid-19 takes its toll on an industry which employs 290,000 people. The Society of London Theatres and Royal Opera House both asked theatregoers to donate the price of their unused tickets to theatres to support the industry if they could.
Voters smell a rat as coronavirus-soaked primaries unfold in Illinois, Arizona & Florida... but they don't want them canceled either
© Reuters / Yana PaskovaElderly couple leaves Florida polling place
Illinois voters determined to brave the epidemic found closed polling places, broken machines, a dearth of volunteers, and long lines. Those few election volunteers who did show up reported waiting hours for much-needed supplies and were forced to redirect the scarce voters to other locations, where delays piled up.
Even some of the lucky few who were able to vote by mail complained they did not receive their ballots - but most didn't even have that option.
Chicago election officials told reporters they had tried to switch to mail-in ballots, concerned about catching and spreading the coronavirus, but were stonewalled by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat who endorsed Biden the day before the primary. Some polling places were moved at the last minute, and others took place in the senior homes where they were originally scheduled - putting the buildings' inhabitants at risk. Citywide participation reflected "some of the lowest voter turnout numbers in recent memory," according to local media.
But that state's voters were already crying foul the day before the primary, pointing to local TV station WCIA's oddly specific "mistake" in broadcasting a graphic of vote results - before anyone had voted - that showed Biden neatly beating Sanders by five percentage points.
While the station insisted it was an honest mistake - a mere "graphics test" that accidentally went live - Sanders supporters pointed out the county used as a "test" had voted overwhelmingly for the Vermont senator in 2016, and highlighted the absurdity that the "random numbers" typically picked for such tests would line up so perfectly with a plausible electoral result.
Florida Democrats braved the coronavirus to go out and vote, only to encounter the same issues as their countrymen up north: polling places unexpectedly closed and few voters willing to risk their lives to exercise their franchise. Some 762 poll workers reportedly went AWOL at their hour of need, leaving sites understaffed or completely unmanned. Many argued that, as the retirement capital of America, Florida in particular was putting residents at risk by holding primaries, given the coronavirus' especially deadly effects on the elderly.
Arizona's Maricopa County had tried to justify closing 80 polling places - a third of its total sites - to prevent the spread of coronavirus, even though the move would force more voters into the remaining locations, effectively increasing crowds and thereby upping the risk of viral transmission. Adding to the general weirdness, a Maricopa County election official inexplicably appeared to give up in the middle of a press conference announcing the change, muttering "I'm sorry, I can't do this" and walking offstage.
Some insisted that holding an in-person primary at all while state and health authorities were warning everyone to stay home to avoid a potentially fatal disease was tantamount to "rigging" - or at least cheering on the coronavirus.
But when Ohio managed to postpone its own primary at the last minute through some questionable maneuvering, that move triggered protests as well. After Ohio Governor Mike DeWine unsuccessfully sued to have the state's primary postponed, state health department director Amy Acton - the same doctor who enjoyed brief viral infamy last week after speculating that her state's five (at the time) diagnosed cases of Covid-19 hid some 100,000 undiagnosed cases - stepped in to close all polling locations for health reasons on Monday. The eleventh-hour order cited coronavirus infection risk to poll workers and voters.
The Ohio secretary of state is back in court wrangling a new polling date - DeWine initially requested June 2 - but more than a few eyebrows have been raised at the extralegal maneuver, and many have demanded a mail-in vote.
US military 'did not give it to ANYBODY', coronavirus came from CHINA: Trump gets involved in bioweapon conspiracy spat
US President Donald Trump is refusing to stop using the name 'Chinese virus', despite or perhaps in spite of protests from Beijing and some US media outlets claiming that doing so is inappropriate or even racist.
Asked about his use of the term during a White House press conference on Tuesday, the US president said he will continue calling Covid-19 a "Chinese virus" because it came from China, and he did not appreciate attempts by Beijing to argue otherwise.
"China was putting out information, which was false, that our military gave this to them. That was false," Trump said. "And rather than having an argument, I said I have to call it where it came from: it did come from China. So I think it is a very accurate term."
"I didn't appreciate China saying our military gave it to them. Our military did not give it to anybody."
This was apparently a reference to Zhao Lijian, a newly minted spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, who made the controversial claim last week that the virus - which was first registered in the city of Wuhan in December 2019 - could have been brought there by the US military team during the Military World Games the month prior.
Fellow Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang sidestepped questions about Zhao's comments at the time, neither confirming nor denying if they represented Beijing's official position on the matter.
On Tuesday, however, Geng said his government was "strongly indignant" over Trump's use of "Chinese virus," which he called "a kind of stigmatization," and demanded that Washington "immediately stop its unjustified accusations against China."
How about help PEOPLE first? Boeing shredded for seeking 'tens of billions' in ANOTHER bailout amid coronavirus pandemic
Despite spending the last seven years shoveling tens of billions into a share repurchase initiative to beef up its stock price - driven in part by a $9 billion bailout on the heels of the 2008 financial meltdown - Boeing shares have plunged 57 percent in March alone. Now, as the global travel industry hits rock bottom amid the coronavirus scare, Boeing is looking for "tens of billions" in government loan guarantees, according to Reuters - in other words: another bailout.
While US President Donald Trump appears ready to fulfill the request, saying on Tuesday "We have to absolutely help Boeing," many online were up in arms over the multi-billion dollar ask, insisting the company is undeserving of aid after borrowing and blowing billions to prop up its stocks.
"Thanks to the Fed's artificially low interest rates, Boeing borrowed billions to buy back its own overpriced stock,"wrote market analyst Peter Schiff. "Now it's seeking a federal bailout to avoid selling that stock at a loss. Since the Republicans are Democratic Socialist too, Boeing's bailout is likely in the bag."
Critics also noted that problems with Boeing's ill-fated 737 Max airliner - involved in a series of fatal crashes last year that left 346 people dead - remain unresolved, arguing the company shouldn't receive a penny in "corporate welfare" after such catastrophic negligence.
"NO bailout for Boeing! Their incompetence brought this on. Help people first over corporations," one user said.
"Why should we, the tax paying public, reward them for one huge mistake after another?" another commenter asked. "The 737 MAX isn't back in service and the KC-46 is incredibly late and over budget. Stop corporate welfare!"
Recalling the 'too big to fail' rhetoric bandied about during the 2008 recession - which helped justify massive bailouts for banks and auto companies like GM, who turned around and rewarded executives with fat bonuses - some drew comparisons to Boeing, suggesting it, too, would line the pockets of executives with US tax dollars.
Boeing isn't the only one looking for handouts as the coronavirus pandemic tanks the economy, with major US airlines also seeking a $50 billion aid package from the government, divided evenly between grants and loans, as well as tax relief and another $8 billion for cargo carriers.
While the government has promised financial aid for sickened or quarantined workers for the duration of the health crisis, relief efforts for corporations - including bloated and endemically mismanaged ones like Boeing - will likely dwarf those intended for the average person. As some of America's biggest firms are pampered with state largess to see the pandemic through, workers may be largely left to fend for themselves.
Hospitals in England told to postpone 'non-urgent' operations for 3 MONTHS amid coronavirus crisis
The latest measures revealed by health bosses on Tuesday would see hospital patients who are 'medically fit' sent home to free up staff and beds as the UK attempts to stem the spread of the deadly disease.
In a letter sent to health trusts across the country, NHS heads claimed that the novel coronavirus presented the national healthcare system with "arguably the greatest challenge it has faced since its creation."
The plan is intended to free up a third of the 100,000 NHS hospital beds in England. The health service is also looking into hiring out private hospitals and their staff to handle the rapid escalation in coronavirus patients and enable urgent operations to go ahead.
The UK authorities announced on Tuesday afternoon that the number of Covid-19 cases had reached 1,950 - up 407 in 24 hours, with deaths now standing at 71. PM Boris Johnson announced new UK plans on Monday to counter the threat, which were ostensibly a series of advisory measures, rather than the more draconian steps taken in mainland Europe.
Comment: Total cases worldwide passed 200k today. Deaths outside Asia passed the number there - 3421 compared to 3384 - with Italy alone making up over 2500 of that number. Dr. Massimo Galli, head of infectious disease unit at Sacco Hospital in Milan, told RT that the virus has "overwhelmed the possibilities" of world healthcare systems (which were already operating at or above capacity): However, it's still unclear precisely how much - if at all - the current number of ICU patients differs from previous peaks during flu seasons of past years. Good news is that confirmed cases are slowing down.
Eurovision has been canceled, and a UK epidemiologist who recently visited Downing Street to push for a bigger response to the virus has self-isolated after coming down with a cough and fever. In New York, NYC major de Blasio told MSNBC: "The number's gone up literally over a hundred cases in the course of the day. We're at 923 cases at this hour tonight, 10 people who have passed away. It's unbelievable how rapidly this crisis is growing right now." Again, relative to what? One thing lacking in these response is some statistical rigor.
The US and Canada are closing the border to 'nonessential' traffic - but don't worry, trade will not be impacted, according to Trump. Trudeau confirmed the news and promised aid to Canadians and businesses affected by the panic: up to CAD$27 billion in "direct support to Canadian workers and businesses" on top of CAD$55 billion in tax deferrals for businesses and families "to stabilize the economy." Trump also announced the following: Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev has called for the lifting of all unilateral sanctions in light of the possible lengthy global recession as a result of shutting everything down worldwide: "There is an urgent need for a global agreement on the simultaneous and complete lifting of all economic sanctions, except those imposed by the UN Security Council": Meanwhile, only 5% of Russians have started stockpiling. After living through the 90s, they have experience.