All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Covid 19 coronavirus: PM Jacinda Ardern says Donald Trump’s claim NZ is experiencing a surge is ‘patently wrong’ – NZ Herald

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Donald Trump’s claim New Zealand is experiencing a “surge” in Covid-19 cases is “patently wrong”.

“Obviously I don’t think there’s any comparison between New Zealand’s current cluster and the tens of thousands of cases that are being seen daily in the United States,” Ardern said today.

“Obviously, every country is experiencing its own fight with Covid-19; it is a tricky virus, but not one where I would compare New Zealand’s current status to the United States.”

 

Source: Covid 19 coronavirus: PM Jacinda Ardern says Donald Trump’s claim NZ is experiencing a surge is ‘patently wrong’ – NZ Herald

COVID-19: Saving thousands of lives and trillions in livelihoods | McKinsey

It won’t be cheap: the cost of getting the virus under control is likely measured in the billions, or perhaps hundreds of billions, of dollars. But it is also clear that the opportunity cost of waiting is almost surely measured in unknown thousands of lives and trillions of dollars. The impact of delay is not linear. For every three months we delay in getting the virus under control, we push back the return of GDP to precrisis levels by about six months. Time is the enemy of both lives and livelihoods.

Source: COVID-19: Saving thousands of lives and trillions in livelihoods | McKinsey

UNC-Chapel Hill reverses plans for in-person classes after 130 students test positive for Covid-19 – CNN

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill abruptly decided it will no longer hold in-person classes on campus after about 130 students tested positive for Covid-19 in the first week since classes began.

In the past week, the Covid-19 positivity rate among students rose to 13.6% of the 954 students tested, and five employees also tested positive, according to the university’s Covid-19 dashboard. As of Monday morning, 177 students were in isolation and 349 were in quarantine, both on and off campus.

Source: UNC-Chapel Hill reverses plans for in-person classes after 130 students test positive for Covid-19 – CNN

Nursing Home Cases Up Nearly 80% In COVID-19 Rebound, Report Says | HuffPost

Long-term care facilities account for less than 1% of the U.S. population, but more than 40 percent of COVID-19 deaths, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The situation is a politically sensitive issue for President Donald Trump, who is scrambling to hold on to support from older voters as polls show disapproval of his administration’s response to the pandemic. The White House announced in late July the release of $5 billion for nursing homes, while launching a program to equip each of some 15,000 facilities with a fast-test machine to screen residents and staff for the coronavirus. Monday’s study from the American Health Care Association found there were 9,715 coronavirus cases in nursing homes the week starting July 26, a 77% increase from a low point the week of June 21.

Source: Nursing Home Cases Up Nearly 80% In COVID-19 Rebound, Report Says | HuffPost

Secret Service Bought Access to Bable Street’s Locate X Spy Tool – (Tick tock not – Worry about US government getting your data in secret with no warrant!)

In all the talk about TikTok collecting the data of Americans and sending it to the Chinese government, we’ve often overlooked the broader issue of data brokers collecting the data of Americans and sending it god-knows-where. Case in point: A newly released document shows the U.S. Secret Service went through a controversial social media surveillance company to purchase the location information on American’s movements, no warrant necessary.Source: Secret Service Bought Access to Bable Street’s Locate X Spy Tool

Erdoğan is both a bully and a menace. Europe ignores him at its peril | Opinion | The Guardian

Head-in-the-sand European leaders must surely realise their Erdoğan problem cannot be ignored, dodged, or downplayed indefinitely in the hope that he will eventually go away. Turkey turning rogue is a very real, immediate and dangerous prospect. Nobody seems to have an Erdoğan containment plan. One is increasingly required.

Source: Erdoğan is both a bully and a menace. Europe ignores him at its peril | Opinion | The Guardian

U.S. federal judge blocks Trump rollback on transgender health care – National | Globalnews.ca

Monday’s preliminary injunction from U.S. District Court Judge Frederic Block in Brooklyn bars the administration from enforcing the regulation until the case can be heard in court and decided. Block indicated he thought the Trump administration’s so-called transgender rule is invalid in light of the Supreme Court ruling in June on a case involving similar issues in the context of job discrimination.

Source: U.S. federal judge blocks Trump rollback on transgender health care – National | Globalnews.ca

Japan’s travel ban to contain virus unfair, Western businesses say

Get over it! People before profit is the way to survival and in the end a healthy economy!

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TOKYO (REUTERS) – Four Western business lobbies joined in protesting against Japan’s travel ban to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, saying the policy is out of step with measures in other major economies and will harm investment.

Many countries have imposed travel curbs to battle the pandemic, but Japan’s are among the most strict, effectively banning the entry of tourists and visa holders from more than 140 countries.

“This policy is contrary to the treatment Japan receives from other G-7 and other leading countries who treat long-term foreign residents equally to citizens on health matters,” the groups said in a statement released on Tuesday (Aug 18).

The joint letter was signed by business lobbies from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Europe.

The US and European groups had previously issued complaints about the policy.

Japan allows its citizens to return to the country if they take a coronavirus test at the port of entry and observe a period of self-quarantine.

Foreigners living in Japan face much higher hurdles for re-entry.

These measures “can only discourage foreign nationals, and the companies they work for, from investing in Japan”, the business groups said.

Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The government announced last month it would start “phased measures” to restore travel depending on infection conditions, starting with 12 Asian countries.

Restrictions to contain the spread of the virus have devastated Japan’s economy, which posted its biggest contraction on record in the second quarter.

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