Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

Poland′s health system faces collapse amid COVID-19 crisis | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 31.10.2020

Poland Warsaw | Coronavirus (Czarek Sokolowski/dpa/picture-alliance) On Thursday, the number of new coronavirus cases in Poland broke the threshold of 20,000. The epidemiologist and government adviser Andrzej Horban immediately rang the alarm bell: At this pace, the country’s health system would soon reach its limit, he warned.

“If the rise of new infections remains at the current level, there will be no way out anymore and we will have to introduce a lockdown,” Horban said. “Our system is capable of accommodating up to 30,000 COVID-19 patients, who will then receive the best possible medical treatment,” he added. More than that would “ruin” Poland’s health system, he said.

The government has promised to provide a total of 35,000 ICU beds for patients infected with the coronavirus soon. At the moment 22,500 are available, of which nearly 15,000 are in use — while another 700 COVID patients are hospitalized on a daily basis. Of the total of 11,000 ventilators available in Poland, 1,700 have been reserved for COVID patients. At this point, 1,200 of those are already in use.

Source: Poland′s health system faces collapse amid COVID-19 crisis | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 31.10.2020

New Zealand Greens accept Ardern’s offer of ‘cooperation agreement’ | New Zealand election 2020 | The Guardian

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has agreed on a governing “cooperation agreement” with the Green party, offering two ministries and agreeing to a handful of shared policy priorities for her second term – an offer they accepted late on Saturday.

Labour won the general election in October with an outright majority, meaning they could govern alone. But Ardern invited the Greens into a “cooperation” agreement, saying it would allow the government to benefit from the expertise of Green party members in areas such as the environment, climate change and child wellbeing.

Source: New Zealand Greens accept Ardern’s offer of ‘cooperation agreement’ | New Zealand election 2020 | The Guardian

The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin: ‘He never knew it was one of his people who shot him in the back’ | Middle East and North Africa | The Guardian

The then leader of the opposition, Benjamin Netanyahu, was the star speaker at two now infamous demonstrations, where the crowd’s slogans included “Death to Rabin”. In July 1995, Netanyahu walked at the head of a mock funeral procession featuring a fake black coffin.

Israel’s head of internal security asked Netanyahu to dial down the rhetoric, warning that the prime minister’s life was in danger. Netanyahu declined.

Source: The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin: ‘He never knew it was one of his people who shot him in the back’ | Middle East and North Africa | The Guardian

UK coronavirus: Boris Johnson announces new lockdown in England from Thursday – live news | World news | The Guardian

Dr Rupert Beale, Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute’s Cell Biology of Infection Laboratory said:

The decision to enter a second period of national lockdown is a painful one but clearly necessary. I urge everyone to obey the rules: this will ensure we spend the minimum time under these very restrictive and costly measures.

The prime minister mentioned the imminent arrival of new rapid tests. How effectively these are deployed, and how well our Test, Trace, Isolate and Support system can work will determine whether we will be able to avoid repeated lockdowns.

Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in Global Health at the University of Southampton, said:

There’s over 11000 Covid-19 patients in NHS hospitals, with more than 1000 patients being admitted every day, and increasing numbers of healthcare staff off work with a positive Covid-19 test. That is simply not sustainable. With so much resource dedicated towards infection control, a health service overloaded with severely ill Covid-19 patients cannot also fully accommodate (for example) cancer and stroke patients.

Therefore, any intervention that reduces the burdens of Covid-19 is also good for other patients too.

Source: UK coronavirus: Boris Johnson announces new lockdown in England from Thursday – live news | World news | The Guardian

‘His lies are killing my neighbors’: swing-state health workers organize in bid to defeat Trump | Wisconsin | The Guardian

Dr Chris Kapsner intubated his first Covid patient – a 47-year-old man who arrived short of breath at the emergency room in the Twin Cities – back in April.

Now, seven months later, Kapsner, who lives across the border in Wisconsin, is weary and exhausted from the steady stream of patients arriving with a virus that is spreading across this part of the midwest. Hospital beds and PPE are in short supply, and his colleagues are getting sick. “Even if we put up all the field tents in the world, we don’t have the staff for this,” he said.

Kasper believes political disfunction at the state level and a “disastrous” federal response are responsible for Wisconsin’s spike in cases. It’s part of the reason he’s running for office.

Kapsner is one of at least four healthcare workers who are running for Democratic seats in the Wisconsin state assembly, and one of many in his field who are speaking out against Trump and the GOP’s response to Covid.

Source: ‘His lies are killing my neighbors’: swing-state health workers organize in bid to defeat Trump | Wisconsin | The Guardian

Deputy Sheriffs Break Up Illicit Halloween Party At Brooklyn Warehouse With Nearly 400 Revelers Inside – Gothamist

Profit before health and care.

Eight people — Margarita Serrano, Nabil Mohamad, Christian Puentes Bohorquez, Kareem Salameh, Corey Negrin, Adam Alba, Marcia Sue Bedoya, Aaron Brinkley — face multiple charges that include violating the city’s executive order that bars large parties from taking place during the pandemic. Source: Deputy Sheriffs Break Up Illicit Halloween Party At Brooklyn Warehouse With Nearly 400 Revelers Inside – Gothamist