We are living in unique times. The Coronavirus pandemic is well underway, and no one knows when the nearly world-wide social distancing will come to an end. At times, it feels like there is something new and major happening every minute, and when a disease wreaks havoc the way COVID-19 does that is kind of true.
To keep everyone abreast of the latest pandemic-related news, we’re creating a Coronavirus edition of Extra! Extra! that will be regularly updated with the latest news. We’ll continue our regular Extra! Extra! column each Friday with non-Coronavirus news because, after all, the world keeps on turning.
Latest Updates
Himani: Trump changed his tone completely on Monday as the situation in the US has continued to escalate. Currently, there are over 180,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide, and only 4,600 of those are confirmed in the US, which places the US behind China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Germany and France in terms of total confirmed cases. These low numbers allowed Trump to hide the severity of the crisis as his administration failed to roll out testing. (Kind of genius, isn’t it? If we don’t know how many cases there are, then there’s no way to know how serious of an issue the disease is, right?)
The last week has shown a major uptick in cases around the US, as the epicenter of the epidemic continues to jump around from coast to coast. Trump couldn’t deny the severity of the crisis any longer and in his latest news conference advised against gatherings of more than ten people.
But, forget about Trump and his rapacity – that’s a topic that is truly boundless. Watch, instead, as Dr. Deborah Birx, serving as the coronavirus response coordinator in the White House, asks Americans to make the sacrifices that the gay community made during the AIDS epidemic.
Wow. Debbie Birx gave me goosebumps, asking Americans to do what the gay community did during the early AIDS years — using the power of community to fight a plague.#coronavirus #AIDS #activism pic.twitter.com/WrCqbkqE7R
— Peter Staley (@peterstaley) March 16, 2020
“This Is a Very Bad One:” Trump Issues New Guidelines to Stem Coronavirus Spread
Global Deaths From Coronavirus Surpass 6,000
How the US Stacks Up to Other Countries in Confirmed Coronavirus Cases
What Got Us Here
Before Trump’s Inauguration, a Warning: “The Worst Influenza Pandemic Since 1918”
The Trump Administration’s Botched Coronavirus Response, Explained
American Political Battles, Coronavirus-style
Himani: What’s shocking to me, but maybe shouldn’t have been, is that even in the middle of a pandemic, we’re seeing the same old fights over basic human rights (including reproductive rights), the social safety net and gun control. They’ve taken a slightly new flavor, as even some Republican senators – like Mitt Romney – have called for temporary UBI, but experts say that $1000 is not enough to get Americans through the economic fallout of the pandemic.
There’s a Giant Hole in Pelosi’s Coronavirus Bill
Mitt Romney’s Coronavirus Economic Plan: $1,000 to Each American Adult
90 US Cities and States Suspend Water Shutoffs to Tackle Coronavirus Pandemic
Republicans Tried to Sneak Abortion Restrictions into the Coronavirus Bill
US Sales of Guns and Ammunition Soar amid Coronavirus Panic Buying
While the admin has changed their tune a little, what hasn’t changed is their racism. The president is still calling the China virus on twitter, & I think in this morning’s press conference they called it the kung-fu flu for no reason. $1000 sounds nice, but I think better would be a more competent admin & $2000 per person. The military won’t miss that money out of their bloated budget.
The only full parking lot I’ve seen on my drive to and from my still-partially-open retail job this week is the gun store :/
that is alarming…
Is anyone else dealing with racist family members about the virus outbreak? My dad said to me I’m not eating at Panda Express because Chinese people work there and they probably have family members that have come from China to here. And his wife believes the Chinese spread this virus on purpose. They make me so sick. But they are also mega Trump supporters, so you know how that goes.
Sigh, I had really hoped that once the virus spread worldwide this shit would start to slow down, but I suppose not. I’m sorry to hear you’re having to deal with that.
No doubt everyone is skipping the pasta and pizza too?
Right?
/s
The Italian restaurants and Pizza places I saw in Berlin are closed in staunch solidarity with home.
I don’t really understand why people feel they need to buy guns and armor here? Do they really think people are turning into zombies, that the government (?) is going to come after them (why though?) or both?
It’s a security blanket.
Some might genuinely believe societal and governmental collapse is about to happen, but most it just makes them feel safer.
That’s one hell of a dangerous security blanket…
That’s exactly it, the dangerous power of the gun makes them feel secure.
While the rest of feel less secure because we know user error exists with anything that can be used and people ignore safety protocols all the time 🙃
Couldn’t they just be comforted by a 6 month supply of toilet paper like the rest of us?
We are facing a similar fate in Australia too. Even if you have all the symptoms, you’re basically told to go back to work because there aren’t enough testing kits -therefore potentially spreading it around even more.
It’s a really rough situation no matter which way you look at it. Sending love to everyone xx
This is like a hurricane. We can already feel the wind picking up in Berlin.
And guys, check in on your friends and loved ones. Some people who’ve been struggling but been keeping it together, might totally tank now with the lack of people and sunlight and all of the drama.
Take care 😘
At least we’re not buying guns, but I’m working with a car service on a Carrefour superstore in Buenos Aires and people are buying toilet paper, bleach, soap and gel alcohol like crazy (just remember that, for prevention to work, other people also needs to wash their hands, so don’t buy ALL the shit for yourself).