content_text:
一份新發布的調查顯示，美國總統川普應對武漢肺炎(2019冠狀病毒疾病，COVID-19)的方法，獲過半數美國人贊同。

美國新聞週刊(Newsweek)報導，民調機構Navigator於24日發布的調查顯示，52%的登記選民贊同川普在疫情爆發期間的應對作為。

十分之三的受訪者向民調訪員表示，他們強烈贊同川普抗疫的各種應對做法，22%的人說他們有點贊同。

對照之下，42%的受訪者說，他們強烈或有點不贊同川普應對武漢肺炎的做法。

調查顯示，政黨傾向會影響民眾對川普抗疫做法的立場，但有45%的獨立選民贊同川普的做法，38%的獨立選民不贊同。

當被問到更信任誰來處理這場疫情時，接受調查的民眾中有45%的人偏好川普，只有39%的人更相信國會的民主黨人士。

儘管因應疫情而來的停工，導致市場震盪與失業人數激增，但逾半(53%)的選民贊同川普在經濟上的應對，有43%的人不贊同。

Navigator在3月20日至23日進行調查，總計訪問了1,038名登記選民。

這項民調結果發布前一天，民主黨參議員第二度阻止2兆美元的紓困案，遭川普指控為玩「黨同伐異遊戲」，拖延對美國勞工的救濟。

新聞引據：中央社
撰稿編輯：黃啟霖
央廣新聞原文

events: 武漢肺炎 COVID-19 冠狀病毒

title: 川普對抗武漢肺炎做法 逾半受訪美國民眾贊同


content_text:
據統計，中國1至2月份手機戶大減至少1,447萬餘個用戶，從疫情嚴重衝擊經濟到「用戶是否安在」等揣測四起。(圖：foter)

據統計，中國1至2月份手機戶大減至少1,447萬餘個用戶，從疫情嚴重衝擊經濟到「用戶是否安在」等揣測四起。官方今天(25日)解釋，原因之一是疫情導致社經活動減少，一些易付卡用戶因此停號。

中國國務院聯防聯控機制今天召開記者會，原是要介紹新一代資訊技術如何協助防疫及復工復產，但仍有媒體針對國內手機用戶數大減，要求與會官員回答。

北京日報報導，中國工信部信息通信管理局長韓夏表示，經官方向電信商了解，初步分析可能有2個原因。首先是受疫情影響，2月份很多電信業者店面無法正常營業。雖有線上服務，但很多用戶仍習慣到門市辦理新開戶等業務。

他表示，這使得新用戶的成長速度有所放緩。同時，部分「存量用戶」(指易付卡型戶)因為不能復工復產，社會經濟活動需求減少，於是辦理停號。

韓夏指出，其次是隨著攜號轉網(號碼可攜)在全國實施和網路增速降費的推動，部分原本擁有雙卡的用戶不再需要流量卡，便將流量卡的號碼註銷。

他表示，相信隨著經濟社會活動逐漸恢復，手機用戶數未來仍可能出現成長。

有媒體根據中國移送、中國聯通、中國電信3大營運商的用戶統計發現，光是排名第一的中國移動，1月份就減少86多萬個用戶，2月更大減725萬戶。加上另外兩家的數字，在中國聯通尚未公布2月份數字下，這3家營運商的用戶數共計減少1,447萬戶。

新聞引據：中央社
撰稿編輯：黃啟霖
央廣新聞原文

things: 防疫 經濟

title: 中國大減千萬手機用戶 官方：疫情衝擊社經活動


content_text:
日本政府今天決定將通知國際奧委會（IOC），若IOC做出讓東京奧運會與殘奧會延期的決定，日方將會同意。(圖/推特)

根據日本《共同社》報導，日本政府今天決定將通知國際奧委會（IOC），若IOC做出讓東京奧運會與殘奧會延期的決定，日方將會同意。

武漢肺炎疫情蔓延全球，就連日本當地疫情也尚未降溫，但日本政府對停辦奧運一直不願輕易退讓，眼看全球疫情降溫遙遙無期，日本首相安倍晉三才鬆口表示可能考慮延期，不過加拿大、澳洲已經先後宣布將會缺席今年賽事，日本政府稍早正式對外宣布，將會通知國際奧委會同意東奧延期。

根據《日經新聞中文網》引述日本關西大學名譽教授宮本勝浩的推算，2020東京奧運若停辦，損失將高達4兆5151億日元(約1.2兆台幣)，即使延後1年舉辦，損失也將高達6408億日元(約1759億台幣)。

夏季奧運過去曾3次停辦，但都是因為戰爭，包括1916年柏林奧運、1940年東京奧運、1944年倫敦奧運。東京奧運若因疫病而延期，將創奧運史上首例。

新聞引據：、共同社
撰稿編輯：陳文蔚
央廣新聞原文

countries: 日本 澳洲 加拿大

title: 不撐了！日本將通知國際奧委會 同意東奧延期


content_text:
滯留中國大陸湖北省的131名港人今天(25日)晚上搭乘港府的包機返港，有返港市民談及感受時說，掛念香港「生活自由」，因為湖北防疫嚴格。

港府今、明(26日)兩天各派出兩班包機接載滯留湖北的港人回家，首班包機晚上6時許抵港，各人步出機場後自行解散，按照政府的規定回家強制隔離檢疫14天。

有返抵香港的港人向媒體說，他們一家四口在農曆新年前到湖北黃石市探親，結果疫情爆發，他們滯留當地兩個多月。

他說，對於返港感到開心，記掛香港「生活自由」，因為當地疫情緊張，嚴格管控人們的出入，連食物都由居民委員會提供。

蔡姓返港市民向媒體說，滯留黃石期間，當地管控嚴格，不准居民外出，社區每天都有人駐守，一旦發現有人外出，就會抓回他們，這令他心情低落。

蔡先生並說，當地人的衛生意識比較差，不少人都不戴口罩，感覺回港比較安心。

港府繼本月初派遣4班包機到湖北接載滯留當地的港人回港後，今明兩天又再派合共4班包機接載當地港人回家，兩批包機約接載1,000人。

搭乘首批包機的港人回港後，被送到官方檢疫中心隔離檢疫14天，但這兩天回港的市民可以回家隔離。

港府衛生官員今天曾說，湖北管控嚴格，而目前大陸的疫情反而沒有香港嚴峻。

新聞引據：中央社
撰稿編輯：黃啟霖
央廣新聞原文

countries: 香港 中國

title: 搭包機返家  湖北港人：還是香港生活自由


content_text:
為打擊俗稱武漢肺炎的「COVID-19」(2019年冠狀病毒疾病)疫情，法國實施全國封城。根據大巴黎地區空氣品質監測局報告，這讓巴黎空污程度下降20%至30%，氮氧化物排放量更降低超過六成。

自3月17日生效的全國封城令讓無數汽車及貨車停駛，並大幅降低巴黎兩座機場的航班量。

大巴黎地區空氣品質監測局(Airparif)報告指出，全國封城政策開始兩天後，巴黎大都會區空氣品質改善「20%至30%」，氮氧化物排放量下降超過六成。

而主要道路改進最大，空污程度降至往常只會在市內公園觀察到的情況。

大巴黎空品局表示，空污減少後，溫室氣體二氧化碳也隨之下降，凸顯了這兩個問題的關聯，這也顯示改善空氣品質會為氣候帶來好處。

然而，空品局也表示，封城沒讓細懸浮微粒PM2.5跟懸浮微粒PM10顯著減少。這兩種最微小且具傷害性的空污物質會被吸入肺部，最後甚至會進到血液系統中。

巴黎空品局表示，隨著天氣轉涼，愈來愈多人在家使用暖氣，再加上鄰近地區的農業活動持續，讓空氣中的懸浮粒子數量居高不下。但交通量驟減得以防止空污上升到警戒等級，若在正常情況下，巴黎恐已進入空污警報狀態。

新聞引據：中央社
撰稿編輯：黃啟霖
央廣新聞原文

events: 空污 COVID-19 空氣品質 武漢肺炎 空品 冠狀病毒

title: 法國因疫情全國封城 巴黎空污程度改善近3成


content_text:
武漢肺炎疫情還看不到終點，大家擔心口罩不足，乾脆自己動手做！

日本台灣交流協會今天(24日)在臉書指出，稻江護家的學生在高二時必修日文課，因為學習日語的緣故，家政科的同學發揮專才，贈送手工口罩套給日僑小朋友，由校長代表日本小朋友接受。

對於疫情非常時期，台灣學生仍不忘日本朋友，讓校長好感動。

另外，日本正在流行「手帕口罩」，沒有口罩跟口罩套也不用怕！稻江護家的學生在指導下，發揮家政科的實力，馬上就成功做好手帕口罩。

新聞引據：採訪
撰稿編輯：鍾錦隆
央廣新聞原文

countries: 日本 台灣

title: 同學真有才！ 稻江護家做口罩  送日僑小學


content_text:
一篇刊載於國際學術期刊的中國研究報告指出，在武漢一地的所有武漢肺炎感染者中，恐有近60%尚沒被發現，若不因應恐再度引爆疫情。(路透社/達志影像)

一篇刊載於國際學術期刊的中國研究報告指出，在武漢一地的所有武漢肺炎感染者中，恐有近60%尚沒被發現，若不因應恐再度引爆疫情。中國專家疾呼，應不惜代價在武漢展開抗體抽樣調查。

中國新聞周刊微信公眾號今天(25日)報導，華中科技大學公共衛生學院院長鄔堂春團隊，透過組建模型分析了武漢市衛健委法定傳染病報告系統中，截至2月18日的2萬5,961例實驗室確診2019冠狀病毒疾病(武漢肺炎)病例數據。

研究預估，武漢市至少59%的感染病例是未被發現的，其中可能包括無症狀和症狀輕微的病例。論文認為，對未發現病例進行估計，對持續監測和感染具有重要意義。

這篇研究3月6日在醫學論文預印本平台medRxiv網站發布，並於3月20日被國際學術期刊「自然」(Nature)網站引用。報告更強調，輕症或無症狀感染者傳播病毒的能力並不弱，這類隱性感染者可能會引發新一輪的疫情大爆發。

世界衛生組織(WHO)發布的「人感染2019新型冠狀病毒引起的2019冠狀病毒病的全球監測」規定，「無論有無臨床體徵和症狀，經實驗室確診感染新冠病毒者」均為確診病例。但中國的確診標準與此不同。

中國國家衛健委現行的「新型冠狀病毒肺炎防控方案」，將核酸檢測陽性病例分為確診病例和無症狀感染者兩類，無症狀感染者不被列入確診名單，但方案卻明列「無症狀感染者也可能成為傳染源」。

對於症狀感染者的排查機制，「第六版」防控方案顯示，這類人員主要透過密切接觸者篩查、聚集性疫情調查和傳染源追蹤調查等途徑發現。

鄔堂春在接受中國新聞周刊訪問時表示，可能存在59%未被發現的感染病例，是團隊基於最保守的模型預測出來的，並沒有進行實際的流行病學調查。就此題，早在2月中旬，他們曾向湖北省防疫指揮部及有關部門建議進行流行病學抽樣檢查。

他強調，科學是非常嚴謹的，可能的東西不能說成肯定。模型的空間設計沒有完美的，所以一定要有大樣本去做實際抽樣，才能得出地區的差異和潛在的隱性感染數量。

復旦大學公共衛生學院前院長、中華預防醫學會新冠肺炎防控專家組成員姜慶五則表示，帶毒的隱性感染者不會進行隔離，活動範圍很大，危害性也就更大。

他認為，模型假設條件很多，像武漢這麼大範圍的感染，不能過度信任模型，一定要透過實際調查隱性感染人數，而抗體檢測則是確認新發傳染病隱性感染很好的方式。

姜慶五指出，派專業流行病學調查人員在武漢地區進行抗體流行病學抽樣調查是很有必要，也完全可操作，更是武漢應該完成的。一部分針對先前被排除的確診病例的密切接觸者等高暴露族群，另一部分則針對一般人群。「除武漢之外，沒有其他地區可以完成」。

他表示，在理論上，抽樣的樣本規模越大越好。而具體的流行病學調查則需要假設一系列的條件，才能確定樣本數量。根據武漢目前的累計確診人數，起碼要做2,500人以上的抽樣調查，才能反映整體情況。

姜慶五指出，隱性感染的數據是影響日後決策的重要指標，關係到武漢肺炎是否會捲土重來，以及一旦捲土重來，該如何應對。「這樣的調查對武漢、對國家都很有意義，只要有可能性，即使砸鍋賣鐵也應該做」。

新聞引據：中央社
撰稿編輯：黃啟霖
央廣新聞原文

events: 冠狀病毒 新冠病毒 新冠肺炎 武漢肺炎 2019新型冠狀病毒

title: 研究：武漢6成感染者尚未被發現 需展開大抽查


content_text:
英國執政保守黨在12日大選中獲勝之後，內閣大臣戈夫(Michael Gove)今天(15日)表示，英國首相強生(Boris Johnson)政府的最高優先要務，就是在明年1月31日脫離歐洲聯盟，並在明年底以前與歐盟達成貿易協議。

在保守黨拿下超過半數80席的勝選之後，強生將積極尋求兌現政府的雙優先政策，其一是履行承諾，解決脫歐問題；其二是對英國健保挹注資金。

負責為強生政府擬定脫歐計畫的戈夫向天空新聞(Sky News)表示，「我絕對可以證實，我們將有機會在相當短的時間內，就強生的脫歐協議法案(Withdrawal Agreement Bill)進行表決，然後，我們將確保這項協議在(明年)1月31日以前通過。」」

戈夫指出：「我們也將在明年底以前，結束我們與歐盟有關自由貿易與友好合作新架構的對話。」

戈夫同時表示，英國政府的最高國內優先事務，將是強化健保服務，政府的助理們都認為，英格蘭中、北部傳統上支持工黨的選民，這次首度改投保守黨，而要穩固這些選民，健保至關重要。

在12日的國會大選中，保守黨取得30多年來最大的勝利，宣稱是一場政治「地震」，並為英國解決3年多來的英國脫歐僵局，打開平坦道路。

新聞引據：採訪
撰稿編輯：黃啟霖
央廣新聞原文

countries: 歐盟 英國

title: 保守黨大勝後 英政府最高要務：1/31脫歐


content_text:
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 在Tnn數位台灣的世界，你可以隨時進入、恣意做主，享受頂級vip的服務，一切由你說了算!

title: Tnn會員中心 - 登入


content_text:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. gives a thumbs up as he leaves the Senate chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 25, 20...
 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. gives a thumbs up as he leaves the Senate chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, where a deal has been reached on a coronavirus bill. The 2 trillion dollar stimulus bill is expected to be voted on in the Senate Wednesday. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

 The White House and Senate leaders agreed early Wednesday on a $2 trillion economic rescue package, the largest in the country's history. The bill would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide direct grants and loans to businesses and hospitals.
 The Republican-controlled Senate must still approve the bill before sending it to the Democratic-controlled House, so final details could change. Passage in the Senate was expected later Wednesday.
 Here's how various industries will benefit:
 AIRLINES: Airlines could get a key part of their request — cash grants from taxpayers — under the massive spending bill. As of Wednesday afternoon, the deal includes $25 billion in direct grants and up to another $25 billion in loans or loan guarantees to passenger airlines. Cargo airlines like FedEx would get $4 billion in grants and up to $4 billion in loans, and airline industry contractors could get $3 billion in grants. Terms could still change, however.
 The bill says grants are exclusively to pay employee wages, salaries and benefits based on how much the airline spent on them from April through September of last year. Loans would carry conditions, including bans on companies buying back their own stock or paying dividends. Airlines would have to avoid layoffs “to the extent practicable,” and would be required to keep at least 90% of current employment levels.
 The White House and Senate Republicans had initially balked at grants. Robert Mann, an aviation consultant and former airline executive in New York, called the final deal “an initial victory for airlines.” He cautioned, however, that airlines face months of battling the virus-related downturn in travel before they can recover.
 BANKS: The banking industry pushed for mostly regulatory changes that will let banks make more loans without hurting their balance sheets. For the most part, they got what they wanted.
 The big issue in this crisis has been individuals and businesses who were paying regularly on their debts but suddenly do not have income because of quarantines or lockdowns. Banks have been trying to defer individuals’ payments, but modifications to loans are typically booked negatively on a bank’s balance sheet.
 Under the new measure, banks who do loan modifications for individuals and businesses during this crisis will not have to immediately mark the losses on their balance sheet. Smaller banks with under $10 billion in assets will also get a temporary reduction in how much capital they need to hold in order to meet regulators’ requirements. The change is small, going from a leveraged ratio of 9% to 8%, but banking lobbyists say it will give banks leeway to make more loans in the crisis.
 A large part of the bill — $367 billion — will be going to the Small Business Administration to help keep businesses keep paying workers. Banks large and small are the point persons for SBA loans and earn fees for doing so. That is likely to provide some sort of revenue bump for the banking industry.
 AUTOS: The auto industry appears to have gotten at least some of what it wanted in the bill, mainly loans and loan guarantees for companies struggling to stay open when they’re not producing vehicles or parts. Companies could tap into $1 billion through the Defense Department to invest in manufacturing to increase production of medical protective gear for health care workers. Ford and Fiat Chrysler, for instance, say they will make masks and other devices to protect medical workers. The bill also has $1.5 billion in assistance to help rebuild manufacturing supply chains and to provide capital to local loan funds for economic recovery. There’s also $562 million for SBA loans.
 ENERGY: The energy sector didn't get much of what it was seeking. President Donald Trump had sought $3 billion to purchase oil to beef up the country's strategic oil reserves, which may have provided limited relief to oil and gas producers struggling with record-low prices. But that plan, which Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer referred to as a "$3 billion bailout for big oil," was not included in the bill.
 The American Exploration and Production Council, which represents 25 of the top oil and gas production companies in the country, said Wednesday it's confident the Department of Energy will be able to meet the president's directive and buy the oil.
 The renewable energy industry, which has been hit with supply disruptions, asked for extensions of deadlines related to construction or completion of solar and wind projects that were already started, without which they could lose access to time-sensitive tax credits that are critical to financing those projects. Those ideas were not included in the bill, but industry associations were hopeful they'd be included in any later relief package.

journalist: By The Associated Press, Associated Press

title: Airlines, others to benefit from $2 trillion rescue bill


content_text:
FILE, in this Wednesday, March 18, 2020 file photo, medical workers wearing face masks gesture from hospital La Paz in Madrid, Spain. The coronavirus ...
 FILE, in this Wednesday, March 18, 2020 file photo, medical workers wearing face masks gesture from hospital La Paz in Madrid, Spain. The coronavirus is winning a war of attrition waged against health care workers throughout the world but more so in Spain, where necessary equipment to shield them from contagion and enough testing kits for the new virus have been lacking for weeks. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

 FILE, In this Friday March 20, 2020 file photo, health services staff members protest outside the Txagorritxu hospital demanding more protection equip...
 FILE, In this Friday March 20, 2020 file photo, health services staff members protest outside the Txagorritxu hospital demanding more protection equipment in a hospital, in Vitoria, northern Spain. The coronavirus is winning a war of attrition waged against health care workers throughout the world but more so in Spain, where necessary equipment to shield them from contagion and enough testing kits for the new virus have been lacking for weeks. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos, File)

 FILE, In this Friday March 20, 2020 file photo, health services staff members protest outside the Txagorritxu hospital demanding more protection equip...
 FILE, In this Friday March 20, 2020 file photo, health services staff members protest outside the Txagorritxu hospital demanding more protection equipment in a hospital, in Vitoria, northern Spain. The coronavirus is winning a war of attrition waged against health care workers throughout the world but more so in Spain, where necessary equipment to shield them from contagion and enough testing kits for the new virus have been lacking for weeks. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos, file)

 FILE, In this Saturday, March 21, 2020 file photo, health workers react as people applaud from their houses in support of the medical staff that are w...
 FILE, In this Saturday, March 21, 2020 file photo, health workers react as people applaud from their houses in support of the medical staff that are working on the COVID-19 virus outbreak at the Jimenez Diaz Foundation University hospital in Madrid, Spain. The coronavirus is winning a war of attrition waged against health care workers throughout the world but more so in Spain, where necessary equipment to shield them from contagion and enough testing kits for the new virus have been lacking for weeks. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

 FILE, In this Monday, March 23, 2020 file photo, health workers gather outside the Hospital Clinic joining applause by police officers and residents i...
 FILE, In this Monday, March 23, 2020 file photo, health workers gather outside the Hospital Clinic joining applause by police officers and residents in support of the medical staff that are working on the COVID-19 virus outbreak in Barcelona, Spain. The coronavirus is winning a war of attrition waged against health care workers throughout the world but more so in Spain, where necessary equipment to shield them from contagion and enough testing kits for the new virus have been lacking for weeks. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

 FILE, in this Tuesday, March 24, 2020 file photo, a patient, center, is transferred to a medicalised hotel during the COVID-19 outbreak in Madrid, Spa...
 FILE, in this Tuesday, March 24, 2020 file photo, a patient, center, is transferred to a medicalised hotel during the COVID-19 outbreak in Madrid, Spain. The coronavirus is winning a war of attrition waged against health care workers throughout the world but more so in Spain, where necessary equipment to shield them from contagion and enough testing kits for the new virus have been lacking for weeks. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, file)

 MADRID (AP) — By the time Patricia Núñez’s cough started, she was already familiar with the dreaded dry hacking sound tormenting patients who had for weeks been filling the Madrid emergency ward where she works.
 “We were fed up of hearing it at the hospital, so it was just a matter of time before I would contract it,” said Núñez, a 32-year-old nurse who tested positive for the new coronavirus about a week ago.
 Speaking via video call from her home, Núñez said she is eager to recover, so she can relieve overworked colleagues dealing with a rising wave of patients and dwindling numbers of healthy nurses and doctors.
 “The worst thing is that you need to stay at home, worried about infecting relatives, while knowing that you are dearly needed at work,” she told The Associated Press.
 The coronavirus is waging a war of attrition against health care workers throughout the world, but nowhere is it winning more battles at the moment than in Italy and in Spain, where protective equipment and tests have been in severely short supply for weeks.
 Spain’s universal health care system is a source of national pride and often hailed as a reason for its citizens’ legendary longevity, but the outbreak is exposing its shortcomings, some of which are the result of years of budget cuts.
 The country’s hospitals are groaning under the weight of the pandemic: Video and photos from two hospitals in the Spanish capital showed patients, many hooked up to oxygen tanks, crowding corridors and emergency rooms. At the 12 de Octubre University Hospital, patients could be seen on the floor as they waited for a bed in recent days. The hospital says the patients have since been accommodated elsewhere.
 On Wednesday, the number of medical personnel infected was nearly 6,500 nationally, health authorities said, representing 13.6% of the country's 47,600 total cases and about 1% of the health system's workforce. At least three health care workers have died.
 “We are collapsing. We need more workers,” said Lidia Perera, a nurse who works with Núñez at Madrid’s Hospital de la Paz, which has 1,000 beds.
 This week, 11 of the hospital’s 14 floors are devoted to caring for those suffering from COVID-19, and there is still not enough room: The patients with less serious cases of the disease are being put in the hospital’s gym or in a large tent outside.
 “If you had told me three months ago that I would be working in these conditions in Spain, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Perera said, adding that staff at La Paz are only being tested for the virus if they have symptoms. “If they did (regular testing), they might end up without any workers.”
 Widespread infections among health workers reflect the universal difficulty of stemming the spread of the pandemic. But sick health workers do double damage: They add to the toll while also hampering the ability to respond to the crisis. On top of that, they raise the specter of hospitals becoming breeding grounds of infection.
 Spain's experience has been reflected elsewhere.
 The World Health Organization's director-general this week called reports of large number of infections among health workers “alarming.”
 "Even if we do everything else right, if we don’t prioritize protecting health workers, many people will die because the health worker who could have saved their lives is sick,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists.
 In Italy, where nearly one-tenth of about 70,000 infections are among medical workers, doctors and nurses have been begging the government daily to provide more masks, gloves and goggles.
 “Please don't leave us alone: Help us help you," Dr. Francesca De Gennaro wrote in an open letter, asking for gear. De Gennaro heads a small private medical clinic in hard-hit Bergamo — where some 90 of 460 workers have tested positive.
 Italian media have reported at least 19 deaths among health professionals in the country, which leads the world in coronavirus fatalities.
 There was no immediately available data on infections among health care workers in the United States. Neither Iran nor France is disclosing those figures.
 But in China, where the outbreak started and where more than 80,000 people became infected in three months, over 3,000 medical workers were believed to have fallen ill by the end of February, according to Dr. Liang Wannian, the leader of a team of Chinese experts working with WHO to study the outbreak.
 For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
 Spanish authorities have repeatedly said that protecting medical staff is central their efforts to do what's known as “flattening the curve”: spreading out the time period of over which infections occur, in order to reduce the burden on intensive care units. But health workers say that even simple things such as gowns and masks are still in short supply, as are tests.
 “All over the country, you see examples of workers inventing homemade suits using plastics,” said Dr. Olga Mediano, a lung specialist in Guadalajara, some 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Madrid.
 Unions blame budget cuts during the decade that followed the last global economic crisis for leaving Spanish hospitals ill-prepared.
 In response to the criticism, authorities have promised to distribute hundreds of thousands of masks and COVID-19 fast tests this week. On Wednesday, Health Minister Salvador Illa announced a 432-million-euro purchase of Chinese medical material, including 500 million masks, 5.5 million test kits and 950 ventilators.
 Authorities have also called up over 50,000 additional workers, including recent graduates and retired doctors and nurses.
 Asked about supply shortages, the head of Spain’s health emergency coordination center acknowledged that the country has struggled to secure the necessary equipment.
 “There is an international fight now to acquire the needed supplies,” Fernando Simón said Wednesday.
 For many health professionals, the virus itself is only one part of the equation: The overwork, the constraints on physical contact with patients, and the stress of knowing they are putting their own loved ones at risk also have an emotional toll.
 Perera said watching patients die alone is “killing all of us inside.”
 “Physically this is extremely complicated, but psychologically it is appalling,” said Núñez, the recovering nurse. “But we need to deal with the outbreak first, and then we'll think later how to deal with the sequels that it leaves in each of us.”
 ___
 Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris, Nicole Winfield and Frances D'Emilio in Rome, Maria Cheng in London, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
 ___
 The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
 ___
 Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

journalist: By JOSEPH WILSON and ARITZ PARRA , Associated Press, Associated Press

title: 'We are collapsing': Virus pummels medics in Spain and Italy


content_text:
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, firefighters conduct disinfection on the platform of Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan, central China's Hub...
 In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, firefighters conduct disinfection on the platform of Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 24, 2020. Chinese authorities said Tuesday they will end a two-month lockdown of most of coronavirus-hit Hubei province at midnight, though the provincial capital will remain closed til April 8, as domestic cases of the virus continue to subside.(Zhao Jun/Xinhua via AP)

 This Tuesday, March 24, 2020, photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, shows a worker wearing a face mask on a production line at a Swire Coca-Co...
 This Tuesday, March 24, 2020, photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, shows a worker wearing a face mask on a production line at a Swire Coca-Cola Beverages Hubei Limited plant in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. According to Chinese state media, the plant restarted some production lines on Monday. While many migrant workers across China remain trapped by travel bans due to the coronavirus, some industrial production has returned to action, including in the crucial auto manufacturing industry, which is largely based in Wuhan, and in businesses that provide critical links in global supply chains. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (Xiao Yijiu/Xinhua via AP)

 In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, workers labor at an assembly line for Dongfeng Passenger Vehicle Company in Wuhan, in central China's Hu...
 In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, workers labor at an assembly line for Dongfeng Passenger Vehicle Company in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei Province, March 24, 2020. While many migrant workers across China remain trapped by travel bans due to the coronavirus, some industrial production has returned to action, including in the crucial auto manufacturing industry, which is largely based in Wuhan, and in businesses that provide critical links in global supply chains. (Xiao Yijiu/Xinhua via AP)

 In this March 24, 2020, photo released by Xinhua News Agency, an aerial photo shows vehicles waiting to cross into Wuhan at a highway toll station in ...
 In this March 24, 2020, photo released by Xinhua News Agency, an aerial photo shows vehicles waiting to cross into Wuhan at a highway toll station in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei Province. Hubei has ended a lockdown for most of the province, allowing people who have passed health checks to leave for the first time in two months. The provincial capital of Wuhan, where the virus hit hardest, remains locked down until April 8. (Cai Yang/Xinhua via AP)

 In this March 24, 2020, photo released by Xinhua News Agency, firefighters conduct disinfection on the platform at Yichang East Railway Station in Yic...
 In this March 24, 2020, photo released by Xinhua News Agency, firefighters conduct disinfection on the platform at Yichang East Railway Station in Yichang, in central China's Hubei Province, March 24, 2020. China is re-opening some train stations and bus service as it lifts a lockdown in Hubei province to stem the spread of a new coronavirus. The provincial railway group said that stations would open in all cities except Wuhan on Wednesday. (Photo by Wang Shen/Xinhua)

 Travelers wearing face masks sit with their luggage outside the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Some train stations and...
 Travelers wearing face masks sit with their luggage outside the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Some train stations and bus services reopened in China's Hubei Province on Wednesday and people who passed a health check would finally be allowed to travel for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak surged in January. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

 Travelers wearing face masks walk outside the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Some train stations and bus services reop...
 Travelers wearing face masks walk outside the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Some train stations and bus services reopened in China's Hubei Province on Wednesday and people who passed a health check would finally be allowed to travel for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak surged in January. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

 A taxi driver wearing a face mask stands in the taxi queue at the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Some train stations a...
 A taxi driver wearing a face mask stands in the taxi queue at the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Some train stations and bus services reopened in China's Hubei Province on Wednesday and people who passed a health check would finally be allowed to travel for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak surged in January. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

 BEIJING (AP) — Trains carrying factory employees back to work after two months in locked-down cities rolled out of Hubei province, the center of China’s virus outbreak, as the government on Wednesday began lifting the last of the controls that confined tens of millions of people to their homes.
 Roadblocks on bridges and at expressway gates opened, allowing trucks and cars through for the first time in two months.
 Access to Wunan, the provincial capital where the coronavirus emerged in December, is suspended until April 8. But restrictions were lifted Wednesday on tens of millions of people who were barred from leaving other cities in Hubei since late February as China fought to contain the outbreak.
 As the United States and European countries tighten their own controls, China’s ruling Communist Party is relaxing its most extreme restrictions in an attempt to revive the economy after declaring victory over the outbreak.
 Still, authorities have orders to prevent a spike in infections as millions of people return to work in Hubei or migrate to other provinces. Travelers were checked for the virus's telltale fever and are required to use smartphone apps that keep track of their health reports and whether they have been to risky areas.
 A train left the previously locked-down city of Huanggang on Tuesday night carrying 1,133 factory workers back to jobs in Guangdong province, the center of China’s export-driven manufacturing industries in the southeast, according to People’s Daily, the main Communist Party newspaper.
 Physicians were aboard to monitor the passengers and the train was due to travel non-stop to Guangzhou, the Guangdong provincial capital, as a precaution. People’s Daily said the workers would be met by buses to carry them directly to factories in Shenzhen and other cities.
 “Resumption of labor and production is urgent!” the newspaper said.
 Most access to Wuhan, a manufacturing center of 11 million people, or 1 1/2 times the population of New York City, was shut down Feb. 23. The city is 700 kilometers (450 miles) west of Shanghai.
 Restrictions that would expand to become the most intensive anti-disease controls ever imposed spread to Huanggang and the nearby cities of Ezhou, Chibi, Qianjiang, Zhijiang, Jingmen, Xiantao, Xiaogan and Huangshi.
 At the peak of China’s restrictions, some 700 million people were in areas covered by orders or official requests to stay home and limit activity.
 That left streets in Beijing and other major cities empty and eerily silent. Police stopped pedestrians and told them to go home.
 Other governments including Italy, Spain and Malaysia have imposed similar controls, closing regions or national borders, as the virus spread around the globe.
 In Hubei, authorities began allowing factories, food processors and some other businesses that were deemed essential to reopen on March 11 in a sign of official confidence the disease was under control.
 The shutdowns in Hubei, central China's manufacturing center, disrupted smartphone, auto and other major industries.
 There is no word on when schools, which have been teaching online and through social media, might reopen in Hubei.
 "We still feel it is not the right time to resume classes,” said Li Zhen, a teacher at the Yingshan County Experimental School in Huanggang.
 Once they reopen, teachers expect schools to screen visitors and “slow down the process of teaching a little bit to let the students catch up to the rhythm of study in the classroom after being away for months,” Li said.
 On the Laishui River, the 400-meter (quarter-mile) Hunan-Eqing Bridge that links Hubei with neighboring Hunan province reopened before dawn Wednesday, according to the Chutian Metropolis Daily.
 Drivers leaving Hubei were checked for fever and had to show a “green health code” on the tracking app, indicating they had avoided high-risk areas.
 "You can breathe a little sigh of relief,” the newspaper quoted a police officer, Tian Gang, as saying. It said he has been away from home for 50 days.
 Most of the public cooperated with the restrictions, but a man was sentenced to death on March 1 for fatally stabbing two people who were guarding a roadblock in Yunnan province in the southwest.
 Wuhan is an automaking center and has factories operated by Groupe Renault, Nissan Motor Co., PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Honda Motor Co. in joint ventures with state-owned Dongfeng Motor Group.
 The city also has hundreds of components suppliers.
 Renault said its factory in nearby Shiyan reopened March 11 and a Wuhan factory is due to restart March 30.
 Honda said its three factories in Wuhan reopened March 11. Nissan said a factory in Xiangyang reopened the following day.
 Dongfeng said its own factories in Hubei were approved to resume production as of Monday.
 The manager of the Huangshi Jinghua Plastic Mould Co. in the city of Huangshi said its 50 employees went back to work March 18. He said sales are down 30% to 40% from pre-outbreak levels.
 Employees were wearing masks and disinfecting the workplace, said the manager, Yin Shuang.
 “It is absolutely not the time for us to remove the masks now,” Yin said.
 ___
 AP researcher Yu Bing in Beijing and AP writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

journalist: By JOE McDONALD , Associated Press, Associated Press

title: China lifting last controls in province at outbreak's center


content_text:
FILE - In this July 8, 2019, file photo, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer looks on during an operation in Escondido, Calif. P...
 FILE - In this July 8, 2019, file photo, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer looks on during an operation in Escondido, Calif. Pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to release people from immigration detention facilities where at least one detainee has already tested positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

 WASHINGTON (AP) — Pressure was mounting on the Trump administration Wednesday to release people from immigration detention facilities where at least one detainee has tested positive for COVID-19 and advocates fear tight quarters and overall conditions could cause rapid spread of the virus.
 The U.S. holds around 37,000 people in immigration detention. Detainees and advocates say many are vulnerable because of age and pre-existing medical conditions, and because they are often held in open rooms, beds 3-feet apart, and without adequate supplies of masks or other protections.
 “It's impossible to stay calm,” said Marco Battistotti, an Italian who is among 170 people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Bristol County jail in Massachusetts. “People are panicking. People are in fear.”
 The 54-year-old Battistotti was among about 100 detainees at the county jail near Cape Cod who signed a letter released by a local immigration lawyer detailing conditions inside. They asked to be released to await decisions on their immigration cases.
 “I don't want to die in an ICE jail,” he said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "Why can't I fight my case on the outside?”
 The agency, which reported the positive test of a 31-year-old man from Mexico held in Bergen County, New Jersey, on Tuesday, has announced steps to protect detained migrants and staff from the virus, but hasn't said whether it plans to review cases for possible release because of the outbreak. It did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the complaints about conditions from the detainees and their advocates.
 The administration has tried to balance its overall hard line on immigration, a signature policy of President Donald Trump, and its response to the outbreak, with ICE announcing previously that it would “temporarily adjust” operations to focus on apprehending people who pose a risk to public safety or are subject to mandatory detention because of a criminal record.
 Immigrant advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, are filing lawsuits in California, Maryland, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, seeking court orders for the immediate release of people in immigration detention, especially those at risk because of their age or medical conditions.
 It's unclear how many detainees overall are at higher risk, but one California suit alone had 13 plaintiffs, all over 55.
 A panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Monday, citing the “rapidly escalating public health crisis,” ordered the immediate release of a 37-year-old woman who is fighting deportation to Mexico.
 The woman's lawyer, Max Carter-Oberstone, said the government told him it would not oppose the decision, which the court took on its own initiative in a rare move on behalf of a woman who he says has been threatened with death by members of a Mexican drug cartel.
 “It wasn’t something we asked for or were expecting," Carter-Oberstone said. “The court is clearly reacting to the greater public health crisis that we’re in right now and re-evaluating how it’s going to dispose of its immigration cases in light of that crisis that we’re all experiencing.”
 The situation in immigration detention, which include facilities run by local jurisdictions and private contractors, is similar to that facing jails and prisons, with staff also at risk from a virus that already has sickened at least 55,000 people and killed about 800 in the U.S.
 One difference is that more than half of ICE detainees have no criminal charges or conviction and are held only for immigration reasons. Under previous administrations, many would likely have been released on bond as they pursued their cases.
 ICE has reported one positive test of an employee at a detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and 18 confirmed cases among staff not involved in detaining migrants. A contractor reported a positive case of a staff member at a facility in Harris County, Texas. The agency says it is screening new detainees and isolating detainees who show symptoms of the coronavirus disease.
 Detainees say those measures won’t do much, with people staying in dorm-like bays with no social distancing possible or in smaller rooms that they sometimes have to clean themselves, with insufficient cleaning supplies.
 Francisca Morales Diaz, a 45-year-old from Mexico who was released Friday from an ICE detention center in Louisiana, said she and others were issued soap and toilet paper for their own use once a week and they would run out. When they complained, she says they were told there were shortages on the outside as well.
 “There isn’t enough medicine. It’s not well-maintained,” Morales told AP. Her fear is that “at any moment, they’re going to come and take me back there.”
 Ira Alkalay, a lawyer representing some of the detainees at the jail near Cape Cod, said the detainees are responsible for cleaning their unit, which includes a dining area and bathrooms, but aren’t even given bleach. Some who signed the letter suffer from respiratory ailments such as tuberculosis, emphysema and asthma that put them at higher risk to the virus.
 “These are not sanitary conditions at all,” Alkalay said. “If the virus is introduced, many people could get sick all at once. Hospitals in the area can become quickly overwhelmed.”
 The office of Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, who has made headlines for offering to send the jail’s ICE detainees to help build Trump’s promised border wall, has stressed there are currently no confirmed or suspected cases of the virus at the facility.
 “We suspect these detainees are working with outside political activist groups to use the coronavirus crisis to advance their political agenda,” the sheriff's spokesman, Jonathan Darling, said this week.
 Eunice Cho, an ACLU lawyer, said the confined spaces and limited medical treatment in many immigration jails made them especially vulnerable — and if the virus spreads through one facility, the number of sick people who would require advanced care could overwhelm area hospitals. Many ICE jails are in rural areas with smaller hospitals.
 “This is closely related to the public health of our entire community,” Cho said.
 ________________________________
 Marcelo reported from Boston. Merchant reported from Houston.

journalist: By BEN FOX, PHILIP MARCELO and NOMAAN MERCHANT , Associated Press, Associated Press

title: Trump administration urged to free migrants as virus surges


content_text:
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Washington State senior defensive back Bryce Beekman has died.
 Police Cmdr. Jake Opgenorth said Wednesday the 22-year-old Beekman was found dead at a residence in Pullman. He declined to provide additional details and said more information would be released later by the Whitman County coroner’s office.
 Beekman started all 13 games last season for Washington State after transferring from Arizona Western College. He finished fifth on the team with 60 tackles and one interception. He was expected to be part of an experienced Washington State secondary going into this season.

 Teammates took to social media late Tuesday and early Wednesday expressing their sadness and condolences. Washington State's program is barely two years removed from the suicide of quarterback Tyler Hilinski in January 2018.
 “Cherish your loved ones. Every second matters,” wrote offensive lineman Liam Ryan.
 Washington State coach Nick Rolovich, in a conference call with reporters earlier Tuesday, said the majority of players had stayed in their hometowns following spring break. Washington State has moved to an online/remote learning platform in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Spring football practice, originally scheduled to start this week, has been postponed.
 But Rolovich said a few players had returned to Pullman.
 “I would say the majority of them are back home with their families,” Rolovich said.
 ___
 More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

journalist: By Associated Press

title: Police: Washington State safety Bryce Beekman found dead


content_text:
FILE- In this March 23, 20202 file photo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center front, arrives at a mobile testing site for a press conference Monday, Mar...
 FILE- In this March 23, 20202 file photo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center front, arrives at a mobile testing site for a press conference Monday, March 23, 2020, in The Villages, Fla. The Villages, a retirement community, is one of the largest concentration of seniors in the U.S. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has been walking a tightrope for weeks during the coronavirus crisis, trying to protect both Floridians vulnerable to the virus and the cratering economy in a state of 21 million people. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

 FILE- In this March 23, 2020 file photo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks during a press conference at a coronavirus mobile testing site in ...
 FILE- In this March 23, 2020 file photo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks during a press conference at a coronavirus mobile testing site in The Villages, Fla. The Villages, a retirement community, is one of the largest concentration of seniors in the U.S. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has been walking a tightrope for weeks during the coronavirus crisis, trying to protect both Floridians vulnerable to the virus and the cratering economy in a state of 21 million people.(AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been walking a tightrope for weeks during the coronavirus crisis, trying to protect both residents vulnerable to the virus and the cratering economy in a state of 21 million people.
 His dilemma is a clear example of the conundrum facing the president of the United States and governors across the nation: His state has both an enormous population — a large percentage of which is old and particularly vulnerable to the virus — and a thriving economy whose collapse could result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.
 The success or failure of the Republican governor's decisions could have major consequences for the national economic recovery, not to mention the presidential election. No single state is more central to President Donald Trump’s reelection.
 Critics say DeSantis is relying too heavily on how his actions could reflect on the president — or affect his relationship with Trump.
 “I don’t think Ron DeSantis makes decisions without consulting with the president, or those close to the president,” said State Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat from Orlando.
 Like Trump, DeSantis has been resistant to impose a statewide shutdown as New York, California and Illinois have done. Instead, the governor — in his second year in office — has pushed an incremental approach, suggesting that restrictive measures be put in place only in the hardest-hit counties. To do otherwise, he said, could cost hundreds of thousands of Floridians their jobs. Nearly a third of Florida's counties have had no cases of COVID-19, but most are small and rural.
 For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.
 DeSantis' most controversial decision came earlier this week, when he issued an executive order requiring anyone coming into the state from the greater New York area — which has seen the nation's biggest virus spike — to self-isolate for 14 days. Florida officials have said most of the people in the state who have contracted the virus recently traveled elsewhere or had contact with others who had.
 The ties between Florida and New York run deep. New Yorkers are the biggest source of new Floridians. In 2018, the most recent year for which numbers are available, more than 63,000 New Yorkers migrated to the Sunshine State, close to double the residents of the next closest state, neighboring Georgia. On Tuesday, the federal government implemented the same order nationwide for those traveling from the greater New York City area.
 The governor has taken some statewide measures, closing parks, bars and gyms; restricting visitations to nursing homes; and limiting restaurants to takeout and delivery. He also eventually decided to close beaches in two South Florida counties. Still, he has left many decisions up to counties and cities, an approach that has garnered praise, confusion and derision.
 “Coronavirus is killing us in Florida, Gov. DeSantis. Act like you give a damn,” the Miami Herald declared on its editorial page over the weekend.
 The Tampa Bay Times — normally considered one of the state's most liberal papers — defended the governor, remarking on Monday that he had “struck a reasonable balance" in his efforts to control the virus and stop bleeding in the economy.
 The newspaper argued that DeSantis has been unfairly criticized on cable news and social media “for his methodical approach to gradually implementing statewide restrictions" as opposed to the strict stay-at-home orders imposed by some other governors.
 Eskamani has joined Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in calling for a statewide shutdown.
 "We can’t solve the economic health crisis without fixing the public health crisis,” Eskamani said.
 Business owners, meanwhile, are trying to keep track of the often-conflicting directives from DeSantis, as he tries to keep the economy as active as possible, and officials in Miami-Dade, Orlando and other counties who have ordered all but “essential” businesses to shut down.
 “We have to flatten the curve to restore consumer confidence, then get back to business,” said Alex Marin, co-owner of the Hungry Pants restaurant in Orlando. “We can’t sail a sailboat when there’s no wind in the sails, so we’re just going to sit in the water until then.”
 Mike Harting, the owner of 3 Daughters Brewing in St. Petersburg, said he thinks DeSantis has done a decent job so far of prioritizing the health and safety of residents, but would like him to help small businesses connect with banks.
 “I appreciate his leadership," Harting said. "Are any of these the right calls? I have no idea, and none of us will until this is done. He’s taking action.”
 Harting said the state's service industry was especially hard hit when DeSantis ordered all restaurants and bars to provide pickup or delivery service only — a decision he said he understood but that nonetheless forced him to lay off all 57 of his employees.
 Mike Van de Abbeel, the owner of Mosaic Hair Studio in Orlando, echoed other business owners' frustration with the patchwork of regulations.
 “We can plan for things we know," he said. "We can’t plan for things we don’t know. What does opening up again look like? When places around the world open, what does that look like? What does the flip side of this look like?”
 For now, Van de Abeel has decided to remain open. He has placed a sink and hand washing station at the salon's front door and is keeping customers more than 6 feet (2 meters) apart.
 “It’s my job to stay open and stay employed," Van de Abbeel said. “I'm trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy until I’m told we must close.”
 DeSantis acknowledged these concerns this week, saying that on Monday, 21,000 Floridians filed for unemployment.
 “Clearly we've got to do something about the virus," he said, but “there’s no way a nine-month shutdown would possibly be sustainable.”
 “Let’s protect the folks who could be in jeopardy,” DeSantis said. "Let’s get society functioning.”
 ___
 Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.

journalist: By TAMARA LUSH , Associated Press, Associated Press

title: Florida governor's coronavirus dilemma: health vs. economy


content_text:
Jon Makay, of Harlem, wears an octopus hat to fend off coronavirus, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York's Times Square. The number of people hospit...
 Jon Makay, of Harlem, wears an octopus hat to fend off coronavirus, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York's Times Square. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York climbed to 3,800, with close to 900 in intensive care, with the peak of the outbreak weeks away, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

 Construction workers are seen an an empty street, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York's Times Square. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-...
 Construction workers are seen an an empty street, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York's Times Square. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York climbed to 3,800, with close to 900 in intensive care, with the peak of the outbreak weeks away, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

 Construction workers are seen at the site of a makeshift morgue being built in New York, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. New York officials are keeping a c...
 Construction workers are seen at the site of a makeshift morgue being built in New York, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. New York officials are keeping a close eye on already-stressed hospitals as the number of cases is projected to rise for perhaps three more weeks.The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

 A shopper stands on a social distancing marking as police officers patrol the farmers market in Union Square, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York. ...
 A shopper stands on a social distancing marking as police officers patrol the farmers market in Union Square, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York climbed to 3,800, with close to 900 in intensive care, with the peak of the outbreak weeks away, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

 A couple looks at the ABC News video screen showing coverage of a coronavirus outbreak in Woodbridge, N.J., Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York's T...
 A couple looks at the ABC News video screen showing coverage of a coronavirus outbreak in Woodbridge, N.J., Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York's Times Square. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York climbed to 3,800, with close to 900 in intensive care, with the peak of the outbreak weeks away, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

 Patients wait inside an urgent care pharmacy while wearing personal protective equipment, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York...
 Patients wait inside an urgent care pharmacy while wearing personal protective equipment, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo sounded his most dire warning yet about the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday, saying the infection rate in New York is accelerating and the state could be as close as two weeks away from a crisis that sees 40,000 people in intensive care. Such a surge would overwhelm hospitals, which now have just 3,000 intensive care unit beds statewide. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

 Patients wait in line outside an urgent care pharmacy while wearing personal protective equipment, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in the Queens borough of...
 Patients wait in line outside an urgent care pharmacy while wearing personal protective equipment, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo sounded his most dire warning yet about the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday, saying the infection rate in New York is accelerating and the state could be as close as two weeks away from a crisis that sees 40,000 people in intensive care. Such a surge would overwhelm hospitals, which now have just 3,000 intensive care unit beds statewide. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

 Patients wait in line outside an urgent care pharmacy while wearing personal protective equipment, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in the Queens borough of...
 Patients wait in line outside an urgent care pharmacy while wearing personal protective equipment, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo sounded his most dire warning yet about the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday, saying the infection rate in New York is accelerating and the state could be as close as two weeks away from a crisis that sees 40,000 people in intensive care. Such a surge would overwhelm hospitals, which now have just 3,000 intensive care unit beds statewide. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

 ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Hospitalizations from COVID-19 were rising faster than expected in New York as residents and leaders prepared for a peak in cases that is expected to still be weeks away. Temporary hospitals, and even a morgue in Manhattan, are being setup.
 Here's a look at developments in the coronavirus outbreak in New York on Wednesday.
 ___
 HOSPITALIZATIONS
 The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York climbed to 3,800, including close to 900 in intensive care, with the peak of the outbreak weeks away, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
 The hospitalizations came as the state tallied more than 30,000 confirmed cases and 285 deaths, most tied to New York City.
 The critical question remains whether the severe “social distancing” restrictions recently enacted by New York will help the state avoid a worst-case scenario of overwhelmed hospitals. Cuomo at a state Capitol news briefing pointed to one possible early sign the restrictions might be working.
 While the hospitalization figures are alarming, the ferocious growth has slowed over the last several days. For instance, on Sunday, hospitalizations were doubling every two days; by Tuesday they were doubling every 4.7 days, he said.
 "This is a very good sign, and a positive sign,” he said. “Again, I'm not 100% sure it holds or it is accurate. But the arrows are headed in the right direction.”
 New York officials are keeping a close eye on already-stressed hospitals as the number of cases is projected to rise for perhaps three more weeks. Cuomo said as many as 140,000 hospital beds may be needed in a state with 53,000. Having enough ICU beds with ventilators is a particular concern.
 “The actual hospitalizations have moved at a higher rate than the projected models,” Cuomo said. “Because that higher infection rate means faster, higher capacity on the hospitals.”
 Several temporary hospitals are planned in the New York City area, a Navy hospital ship is being deployed and existing hospitals are increasing capacity by at least 50%.
 New York City has become such a hotspot in the pandemic that White House officials urged people who have left the city amid the outbreak to self-quarantine for 14 days after their departure.
 Cuomo believes the high number of cases in the city is partly because it is a worldwide travel destination, and partly due to its density.
 “That spatial closeness makes us vulnerable,” he said. “But it's true that your greatest weakness is also your greatest strength. Our closeness is what makes us who we are.”
 ___
 TEMPORARY MORGUE
 New York City is building a temporary morgue to deal with an expected influx of deaths from the coronavirus outbreak.
 The Office of Chief Medical Examiner said Tuesday that the refrigerated structures and mobile command center going up in Manhattan were meant to provide emergency capacity if the city’s permanent morgues fill up.
 A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said as part of the city’s state of emergency, the medical examiner’s office was enacting “emergency contingency plans to help prepare for every possible outcome” of the public health crisis.
 The medical examiner’s office has used temporary morgues in the past, including in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
 For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
 ___
 RETIREMENT COMMUNITY DEATHS
 A Long Island retirement community said Wednesday that a sixth resident has died of the new coronavirus.
 Peconic Landing in Greenport said the 89-year-old man died Tuesday night at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, where he was taken after testing positive Sunday.
 The facility said then man lived in an independent living section and had no known pre-existing conditions.
 Peconic Landing announced the deaths of four residents last week, followed by a fifth on Monday.
 ___
 Michael R. Sisak contributed from New York City.

journalist: By MARINA VILLENEUVE and MICHAEL HILL , Associated Press, Associated Press

title: COVID-19 infections rise in New York with peak weeks away


content_text:
FILE - This Aug. 4, 2014 file photo shows chef Floyd Cardoz at "The Hundred-Foot Journey" premiere in New York. Cardoz, who competed on “Top Chef,” wo...
 FILE - This Aug. 4, 2014 file photo shows chef Floyd Cardoz at "The Hundred-Foot Journey" premiere in New York. Cardoz, who competed on “Top Chef,” won “Top Chef Masters” and operated successful restaurants in both India and New York, has died of complications from the coronavirus, his company said Wednesday. He was 59. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

 NEW YORK (AP) — Chef Floyd Cardoz, who competed on “Top Chef,” won “Top Chef Masters” and operated successful restaurants in both India and New York, died Wednesday of complications from the coronavirus, his company said in a statement. He was 59.
 Cardoz had traveled from Mumbai to New York through Frankfurt, Germany, on March 8. He was admitted a week ago to Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, New Jersey, with a fever and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, the statement said.
 The committed advocate of making the food industry more sustainable began his hospitality training in his native Bombay. He later moved to Switzerland, where he honed his skills in French, Italian and Indian cuisine before moving on to the kitchens of New York City.
 He was a partner in Bombay Sweet Shop, O Pedro and The Bombay Canteen in India at the time of his death.
 The Indian-American partnered with famed restaurateur Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group to open Tabla in 1997. The Manhattan spot was praised by critics. It closed in 2010.
 Cardoz's death was mourned by famous friends in both the restaurant and television industries.
 “Love you so much @floydcardoz,” Meyer tweeted, calling him a “beautiful human being.”
 The two worked together for 17 years. At Tabla, they celebrated Cardoz's new Indian cuisine that melded the sensual flavors and spices of his homeland with Western techniques.
 Padma Lakshmi, host of the Bravo cooking competition series “Top Chef,” praised the success of Tabla and offered condolences to Cardoz's loved ones, including his wife and business partner, Barkha.
 “He had an impish smile, an innate need to make those around him happy, and a delicious touch,” Lakshmi tweeted.
 The Twitter account for “Top Chef” offered condolences and called Cardoz an “inspiration to chefs around the world.”
 In 2011, Cardoz competed in and won Season 3 of “Top Chef Masters.” He used his $110,000 in winnings to support the Young Scientist Cancer Research Fund at New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
 The now-independent foundation, referred to as the Young Scientist Foundation, enables high school and college students to work alongside accomplished researchers to develop new treatments for diseases, according to a spokesperson for Cardoz's company. It was a central focus of his charity work.
 In addition to Tabla, Cardoz and Meyer partnered in 2012 on North End Grill, a Battery Park City staple that was a downtown Manhattan favorite until its closing in 2018. In addition to his work with Meyer, Cardoz partnered with Sameer Seth and Yash Bhanage in Hunger Inc. Hospitality starting in 2015.
 Cardoz was a four-time James Beard Award nominee. He was the author of two cookbooks, “Once Spice, Two Spice” and “Flavorwalla.” In 2008, he launched a line of ready to cook entrees in collaboration with the online grocer Fresh Direct.

journalist: By LEANNE ITALIE , Associated Press, Associated Press

title: Chef Floyd Cardoz dies at 59 of coronavirus complications


content_text:
FILE - In this March 24, 2020, file photo, a Police vehicle blocks a street near Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, ...
 FILE - In this March 24, 2020, file photo, a Police vehicle blocks a street near Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, in Philadelphia. On MLB’s opening day, ballparks will be empty with the start of the season on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

 FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, baseball fans look through a fence at Hammond Stadium after a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Balt...
 FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, baseball fans look through a fence at Hammond Stadium after a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles was canceled, in Fort Myers, Fla. On MLB’s opening day, ballparks will be empty with the start of the season on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

 FILE - In this March 24, 2020, file photo, Miller Park is seen in Milwaukee. The Brewers were supposed to host Opening Day on Thursday, March 26, 2020...
 FILE - In this March 24, 2020, file photo, Miller Park is seen in Milwaukee. The Brewers were supposed to host Opening Day on Thursday, March 26, 2020, but the season start was postponed by Major League Baseball because of the coronoavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

 FILE - In this April 29, 2016, file photo, a popcorn and Cracker Jack vendor sells his wares in the stands at PNC Park during a baseball game between ...
 FILE - In this April 29, 2016, file photo, a popcorn and Cracker Jack vendor sells his wares in the stands at PNC Park during a baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds in Pittsburgh. There will be empty ballparks on what was supposed to be Major League Baseball's opening day. There will be no vendors in the stands selling peanuts and Cracker Jack for baseball fans ready to come back. The start of the MLB regular season is indefinitely on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, FIle)

 FILE - In this May 9, 2011, file photo, a vendor sells beer and peanuts at a Colorado Rockies baseball game at Coors Field in Denver. There will be em...
 FILE - In this May 9, 2011, file photo, a vendor sells beer and peanuts at a Colorado Rockies baseball game at Coors Field in Denver. There will be empty ballparks on what was supposed to be Major League Baseball's opening day. There will be no vendors in the stands selling peanuts and Cracker Jack for baseball fans ready to come back. The start of the MLB regular season is indefinitely on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File)

 FILE - In this May 18, 2019, file photo, a vendor sells programs outside Fenway Park before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Houston...
 FILE - In this May 18, 2019, file photo, a vendor sells programs outside Fenway Park before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros in Boston. There will be empty ballparks on what was supposed to be Major League Baseball's opening day. There will be no vendors in the stands selling peanuts and Cracker Jack for baseball fans ready to come back. The start of the MLB regular season is indefinitely on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

 Worker Raul Camacho clean seats inside the newly constructed Globe Life Field in Arlington Texas, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The Texas Rangers are sch...
 Worker Raul Camacho clean seats inside the newly constructed Globe Life Field in Arlington Texas, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The Texas Rangers are scheduled to play their home opener in their new home on March 31 against the Los Angeles Angels. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — There will be no hot dogs on the grill, no beer on tap, no vendors in the stands selling peanuts and Cracker Jack.
 The shiny new stadium deep in the heart of Texas will still be waiting for its first Rangers game. Instead of warming up for his debut with the New York Yankees after a record $324 million, nine-year contract, Gerrit Cole is playing catch with his wife at home.
 With the start of the Major League Baseball season indefinitely on hold because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, ballparks will be empty Thursday on what was supposed to be opening day.
 “You’re used to seeing people run all over the place. We have over 200 people (who work) at the park,” said Roger Bossard, the groundskeeper in his 54th year with the Chicago White Sox. “Certainly, it’s eerie when no one’s around. You walk around the hallways or underneath the stands there, and there’s nobody there — but understandably.”
 From Baltimore to Miami in the east, San Diego to Seattle in the west — and 11 other cities that would have hosted season openers Thursday — there will be no games, or at the remaining 15 MLB stadiums, for at least a couple of more months.
 By then, when the weather will be warmer, the Rangers will be able to stay out of the heat by closing the retractable roof at their $1 billion-plus stadium, the only new major league ballpark opening this season.
 After the postponement of a Chris Stapleton concert that was to be the inaugural event at Globe Life Park on March 14, only three days after an open house that went on as scheduled, the Rangers were supposed to play an exhibition game there this week. Their home opener was set for next Tuesday after a season-opening series in Seattle.
 “The stadium was 100 percent ready to go,” said Casey Rapp, GM of the new Rangers stadium for Delaware North Sportservice, which also oversees concessions for 10 other MLB ballparks. “It's the little things that we were trying to make perfect.”
 While there was plenty of time to finish construction of Globe Life Park, Rapp and his group haven’t yet been able to serve people during a full-scale event at the stadium.
 Concessionaires start planning months in advance of the openers. That means a lot of products, such as hot dogs, bottled beverages and frozen foods, had already been delivered to many ballparks before the season was put on hold.
 “It’s definitely different … it’s kind of unheard of (that) all the major sports inside the United States would be closed at the exact same time,” said Ken Gaber, vice president of operational excellence for Delaware North Sportservice. “Personally, it’s difficult. I think everybody feels the exact same way.”
 Delaware North has donated to local charities more than 41,000 pounds of food, including perishable items already sent to MLB stadiums it operates, and concessions from its other venues, including some NBA and NHL arenas suddenly shut down in the middle of those seasons. There were also several spring training venues at the peak of their schedules.
 The World Series champion Washington Nationals have reduced staff at Nationals Park, where a facilities group is still maintaining the ballpark and putting on the finishing touches for the season.
 “Prior to every baseball season, you're always working very aggressively to get ready for opening day. That's a fixed date and time and you just have to be ready,” said Frank Gambino, Washington’s senior vice president of ballpark operations. “We had been working very diligently, and continue to work diligently, to try and get as close as we can to ready for whenever opening day eventually comes.”
 Gambino said the Nationals were able to defer many of the concession deliveries and stocking of the stadium while monitoring the COVID-19 situation.
 There have been no reports of any MLB players testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Two minor leaguers in the Yankees system did, and the Red Sox closed down their entire spring training complex in Fort Myers, Florida, this week after saying that one of their minor league players had tested positive.
 For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.
 The Baltimore Orioles were scheduled to open at home Thursday against the Yankees, likely with a clean-shaven Cole on the mound for the visitors. Camden Yards will be ready whenever the season finally starts, and the Orioles hope to maintain the enthusiasm that was whipped up for the team throughout a now-extended offseason.
 “The bright spot in this sort of cloudy day is that our fans will be craving baseball,” said Jennifer Grondahl, the Orioles vice president of community development and communications. “If we can put together a season and the entertainment that we have planned and add to that, I feel like we'll be able to continue that momentum.”
 ___
 AP Sports Writers David Brandt in Phoenix; Howard Fendrich in Washington, DC; David Ginsburg in Baltimore; and Andrew Seligman in Chicago contributed to this report.
 ___
 More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

journalist: By STEPHEN HAWKINS , AP Baseball Writer, Associated Press

title: MLB ballparks will remain eerily empty on 'opening day'


content_text:
FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, goals used by the NHL hockey club Nashville Predators are stored in a hallway in Bridgestone Arena in Nashv...
 FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, goals used by the NHL hockey club Nashville Predators are stored in a hallway in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The Ottawa Senators announced late Tuesday night, March 17, 2020, one of their players has tested positive for COVID-19, has mild symptoms and is in isolation. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

 Paul Boyer, head equipment manager of The Detroit Red Wings NHL hockey team, wheels out equipment bags in the hallway of Capital One Arena, Thursday, ...
 Paul Boyer, head equipment manager of The Detroit Red Wings NHL hockey team, wheels out equipment bags in the hallway of Capital One Arena, Thursday, March 12, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

 The NHL's chief medical officer said Wednesday he expects the coronavirus pandemic to get worse before it gets better in North America and differences across 31 markets are likely to affect when players might get back on the ice.
 Dr. Winne Meeuwisse said it is difficult to predict when cases of COVID-19 might peak or begin to decrease, which muddles any potential timeline for the resumption of practices or games. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said league officials “continue to hold out hope that at some point we'll be able to resume play,” but it's also too early to know whether fans would be allowed in arenas should that happen.
 The virus is "really just entering the rapid acceleration phase, certainly in North America,” Meeuwisse said on a conference call. “We want to be doing our part to not only protect our players but also our staff and our fans as the disease unfolds. It’s difficult to predict where the pandemic is going and what the timeline will be.”
 Commissioner Gary Bettman put the season on “pause” March 12. Players and staff have been told to self-isolate until at least April 4.
 So far two Ottawa Senators players have tested positive for COVID-19. Meeuwisse said he was thankful the NHL has only two positive test results, a number much lower than the NBA. He said there is concern about players in different sports leagues passing the virus to each other but hopes that is mitigated by cleaning and disinfecting procedures already in place.
 As much as the NHL can do to try to stem transmission of the new coronavirus, it is at the mercy of state, provincial and local authorities in areas where regulations and lockdown protocols vary. Those differences could affect how quickly players are able to work out, practice or play meaningful games.
 “The local health authorities really are the authority with respect to isolation, with respect to testing and with respect to controlling and managing the healthcare resources in their area,” Meeuwisse said. “If the health authorities are vastly different in 31 different markets, it's going to be hard to have a unified approach as a league. But we can have a general approach and still follow local guidance.”
 The NHL several weeks ago began work with New York-based Dr. Bruce Farber as an infectious disease consultant. Farber took questions from the Board of Governors on a conference call Monday, and Meeuwisse said team officials have been receptive to the medical advice and answers the league has been providing.
 For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
 Players have been told they can return home and isolate there until the end of March. U.S., Canadian and local regulations could affect possible quarantine extensions for those returning from Europe.
 Many answers are in short supply. While the league maps out potential return-to-play scenarios — which could include playoffs through the summer and into the fall and the Stanley Cup being awarded as late as September — the first strides are toward getting players back together when it is safe.
 “From a medical perspective, I think we'd have to understand what the risks are for the different groups," Meeuwisse said. "What are the risks to the players? What are the risks to the staff that would be required to run an event? And what are the risks to the fans? Once we know what those things are, I think we can make a more intelligent decision.”
 ___
 Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
 ___
 More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

journalist: By STEPHEN WHYNO , AP Hockey Writer, Associated Press

title: NHL doctor warns of patchwork protocols across 31 markets


content_text:
A customer looks for scrubbing pads near empty shelves of cleaning supplies at a Publix Supermarket amid concern over the COVID-19 virus on Monday, Ma...
 A customer looks for scrubbing pads near empty shelves of cleaning supplies at a Publix Supermarket amid concern over the COVID-19 virus on Monday, March 9, 2020, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

 A sign is seen limiting purchase amounts of bleach due to high demand at a Publix Supermarket amid concern over the COVID-19 virus on Monday, March 9,...
 A sign is seen limiting purchase amounts of bleach due to high demand at a Publix Supermarket amid concern over the COVID-19 virus on Monday, March 9, 2020, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

 MIAMI (AP) — Florida-based grocery chain Publix announced it will install plexiglass barriers to protect its cashiers, joining other retailers that are installing the shields to protect employees and customers from a coronavirus infection.
 The Lakeland-based supermarket chain said Wednesday that all 1,200 locations should have the plexiglass partitions installed at the cash registers, customer service desks and pharmacies within two weeks.
 "We’re taking extra precautions for the well-being of our customers and associates," said Maria Brous, a spokeswoman for Publix Super Markets Inc.
 Publix has joined its biggest competitors, Kroger Co. and Walmart Inc., in installing the so-called “sneeze guards.”
 Grocery stores have seen their business soar as authorities urge people only to go out for essentials, prompting them to stay and cook more at home. The stores have been extremely busy and been forced to close earlier to give workers more time to clean and restock as products fly off the shelves.
 Some stores have announced their employees have been infected with the COVID-19 virus. Publix announced earlier this week that an associate in Cumming, Georgia, tested positive.
 Publix has 1,243 locations spread across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
 ___
 Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.

journalist: By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON , Associated Press, Associated Press

title: Publix stores to have barriers for cashiers as virus spreads


content_text:
In this photo taken March 20, 2020, cattle rancher Mike Filbin stands on his property in Dufur, Ore., after herding some cows and talks about the impa...
 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, cattle rancher Mike Filbin stands on his property in Dufur, Ore., after herding some cows and talks about the impact the new coronavirus is having on his rural community. Tiny towns tucked into Oregon's windswept plains and cattle ranches miles from anywhere in South Dakota might not have had a single case of the new coronavirus yet, but their residents fear the spread of the disease to areas with scarce medical resources, the social isolation that comes when the only diner in town closes its doors and the economic free fall that's already hitting them hard. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, cattle rancher Mike Filbin, front, and his friend, Joe Whitesell, behind, prepare to herd cattle at Filbin's ranch...
 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, cattle rancher Mike Filbin, front, and his friend, Joe Whitesell, behind, prepare to herd cattle at Filbin's ranch in Dufur, Oregon. Tiny towns tucked into Oregon's windswept plains and cattle ranches miles from anywhere in South Dakota might not have had a single case of the new coronavirus yet, but their residents fear the spread of the disease to areas with scarce medical resources, the social isolation that comes when the only diner in town closes its doors and the economic free fall that's already hitting them hard. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, a sign indicates the distance to the nearest towns as cloud-capped Mount Hood rises in the background in this phot...
 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, a sign indicates the distance to the nearest towns as cloud-capped Mount Hood rises in the background in this photo taken near Dufur, Oregon. Tiny towns tucked into Oregon's windswept plains and cattle ranches miles from anywhere in South Dakota might not have had a single case of the new coronavirus yet, but their residents fear the spread of the disease to areas with scarce medical resources, the social isolation that comes when the only diner in town closes its doors and the economic free fall that's already hitting them hard. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, cattle rancher Mike Filbin points to a herd of cattle on his property in Dufur, Oregon before herding the cows bac...
 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, cattle rancher Mike Filbin points to a herd of cattle on his property in Dufur, Oregon before herding the cows back to his pens for calf branding. Tiny towns tucked into Oregon's windswept plains and cattle ranches miles from anywhere in South Dakota might not have had a single case of the new coronavirus yet, but their residents fear the spread of the disease to areas with scarce medical resources, the social isolation that comes when the only diner in town closes its doors and the economic free fall that's already hitting them hard. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, Mike Johnston, a clerk at the Maupin Market in tiny Maupin, Oregon, helps a customer while wearing a latex glove t...
 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, Mike Johnston, a clerk at the Maupin Market in tiny Maupin, Oregon, helps a customer while wearing a latex glove to protect himself from the new coronavirus. Tiny towns tucked into Oregon's windswept plains and cattle ranches miles from anywhere in South Dakota might not have had a single case of the new coronavirus yet, but their residents fear the spread of the disease to areas with scarce medical resources, the social isolation that comes when the only diner in town closes its doors and the economic free fall that's already hitting them hard. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, Mike Johnston, a clerk at the Maupin Market in tiny Maupin, Oregon, wipes down the ice cream case to protect custo...
 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, Mike Johnston, a clerk at the Maupin Market in tiny Maupin, Oregon, wipes down the ice cream case to protect customers from the new coronavirus. Tiny towns tucked into Oregon's windswept plains and cattle ranches miles from anywhere in South Dakota might not have had a single case of the new coronavirus yet, but their residents fear the spread of the disease to areas with scarce medical resources, the social isolation that comes when the only diner in town closes its doors and the economic free fall that's already hitting them hard. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, cattle rancher Joe Whitesell rides his horse in a field near Dufur, Oregon, as he helps a friend herd cattle. Tiny...
 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, cattle rancher Joe Whitesell rides his horse in a field near Dufur, Oregon, as he helps a friend herd cattle. Tiny towns tucked into Oregon's windswept plains and cattle ranches miles from anywhere in South Dakota might not have had a single case of the new coronavirus yet, but their residents fear the spread of the disease to areas with scarce medical resources, the social isolation that comes when the only diner in town closes its doors and the economic free fall that's already hitting them hard. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, a sign outside a fly fishing shop in tiny Maupin, Oregon, advises customers of new policies to limit the spread of...
 In this photo taken March 20, 2020, a sign outside a fly fishing shop in tiny Maupin, Oregon, advises customers of new policies to limit the spread of the new coronavirus in rural areas. Tiny towns tucked into Oregon's windswept plains and cattle ranches miles from anywhere in South Dakota might not have had a single case of the new coronavirus yet, but their residents fear the spread of the disease to areas with scarce medical resources, the social isolation that comes when the only diner in town closes its doors and the economic free fall that's already hitting them hard. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

 FILE - In this Oct. 13, 2006, file photo, whale bones from past hunts sit in the village Point Hope, Alaska. The pandemic's toll in big U.S. cities li...
 FILE - In this Oct. 13, 2006, file photo, whale bones from past hunts sit in the village Point Hope, Alaska. The pandemic's toll in big U.S. cities like New York, Seattle and San Francisco has dominated headlines, but enormous swaths of rural America from coastal Georgia to the frozen reaches of Alaska are also deeply affected by the rapid spread of the new coronavirus. In Alaska's Point Hope, an Inupiat whaling village at the edge of the Arctic Ocean nearly 700 miles north of Anchorage, tribal leaders held a meeting this week to prepare and wrestled with whether or not to ban air travel into town. The state's limited road system doesn't reach the town of 900 people, which relies on planes for much of its connection to the outside world. (AP Photo/Al Grillo, File)

 DUFUR, Ore. (AP) — The social distancing rules repeated like a mantra in America's urban centers, where the coronavirus is spreading exponentially, might seem silly in wide-open places where neighbors live miles apart and “working from home” means another day spent branding calves or driving a tractor alone through a field.
 But as the pandemic spreads through the U.S., those living in rural areas, too, are increasingly threatened. Tiny towns tucked into Oregon's windswept plains and cattle ranches miles from anywhere in South Dakota might not have had a single case of the new coronavirus, but their main streets are also empty and their medical clinics overwhelmed by the worried.
 Residents from rural Alabama to the woods of Vermont to the frozen reaches of Alaska fear the spread of the disease from outsiders, the social isolation that comes when the town's only diner closes, and economic collapse in places where jobs were already tough to come by.
 “Nobody knows what to do and they’re just running in circles, so stay away from me is what I’m saying,” said Mike Filbin, a 70-year-old cattle rancher in Wasco County, Oregon, one of the few parts of the state that has yet to see a case of COVID-19.
 “Right now, we're pretty clean over here, but we're not immune to nothin' — and if they start bringing it over, it'll explode here."
 To make matters worse, some of the most remote communities have limited or no internet access and spotty cellphone service. That makes telecommuting and online learning challenging in an era of blanket school and work closures, and it eliminates the possibility of the FaceTime card games and virtual cocktail hours that urban Americans have turned to in droves to stay connected.
 The routine ways that rural Americans connect — a bingo night, stopping in at a local diner or attending a potluck — are suddenly taboo.
 “Rural people are reliant on their neighbors and have more confidence and trust in their neighbors,” said Ken Johnson, a senior demographer at the Carsey School of Public Policy and professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire. “Now you have people who are supposed to self-isolate themselves. What does that mean when people you depend on, in order to help you, are going to put themselves and their families at risk? I don’t know what that will do in rural America.”
 Neil Bradshaw, the mayor of Ketchum, Idaho, is starting to see the answer in his own community.
 The rural resort town has struggled since the arrival of COVID-19, and he fears if the virus lingers too long, it could devastate it. The town is nestled next door to the tony skiing destination Sun Valley Resort and is known as the second-home haven for dozens of celebrities.
 It's also become the epicenter of Idaho's caseload, with at least 35 cases and known community spread of the virus. At least 14 of the cases are among health care workers, forcing the town’s small medical workers to bring in replacement staffers from nearby cities.
 “Our town thrives on people coming to town, and for the first time in our history we are discouraging visitors,” said Bradshaw, of the town of 2,700 people. “Initially people had different levels of adoption, but there’s tremendous community pressure that we’re all in this together. We’ve gone from being a vibrant town to a ghost town.”
 The town’s coffers rely on a local option tax, and if that drops by half the city will have lost $700,000 in revenue, he said.
 Some communities have pushed back on shutdowns that have brought daily life to a standstill. Leaders from seven Utah counties, for example, sent a letter earlier this week to Gov. Gary Herbert urging a “return to normalcy,” and said the closure of schools and business was causing panic and hurting the economy.
 "As of (Monday), the total deaths attributed to the virus in the United States stands at ninety,” the letter states. “Not nine hundred, not nine thousand, not ninety thousand. Ninety. This number is sure to rise in the near future but we need to keep our wits about us.”
 Others worry about outsiders bringing the disease to truly remote areas that aren't equipped to deal with it. Across the nation, there are over 51,000 general intensive care beds in urban counties, compared with just 5,600 in rural counties, according to data compiled by The Associated Press.
 Those beds serve a smaller population than in urban areas, but it would still take fewer people in rural areas to overwhelm a typical hospital. In fiscal year 2018, the average rural hospital had eight ICU beds, compared with 20 for a typical hospital in an urban area.
 In Georgiana, a small town in southern Alabama, the only hospital closed last year and residents have now been forced to flock to the health clinic instead when a person in a town 5 miles (8 kilometers) away was diagnosed with COVID-19. More than 30% of Georgiana's 1,600 residents are over age 60, putting them at higher risk with limited medical facilities to serve them, said Mayor Jerome Antone.
 The town's older residents, he said, are “aggressively upset” even though no one there has been diagnosed yet.
 In Alaska’s Point Hope, an Inupiat whaling village at the edge of the Arctic Ocean nearly 700 miles (1,130 kilometers) north of Anchorage, tribal leaders have been preparing and discussing potential issues such as air travel into town. The state's limited road system doesn't reach the community of 900 people, which relies on planes for much of its connection to the outside world.
 This week, one of the two airlines that serve Point Hope will begin restricting flights to cargo and passengers with medical or other essential needs.
 Still, residents worry the recent deaths of two elders will bring out-of-town mourners for the funerals.
 “We have all kinds of different people who come into our village,” said acting Mayor Daisy Sage. “This coronavirus is serious.”
 Thousands of miles away, in South Dakota, falling prices for beef are generating as much — or more — worry than the virus.
 Sam Stoddard, a cattle rancher near the small community of Kadoka, population 650, said futures markets for beef have dropped up to 30% because of the coronavirus. He's worried about longtime ranchers being able to hang on.
 If the market remains terrible, he said, ranchers can put off selling their calves until later in the year — but no one knows how long the economy will be in upheaval, leaving everyone stressed.
 At the same time, the state has not shuttered businesses, leaving residents wondering what to expect next. South Dakota has 30 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
 “Normally this time of year we’re more worried about a big blizzard coming in and killing 10% of our calves. You know it’s coming, and you can prepare for it," said Stoddard, who lives 35 miles (56 kilometers) from the nearest town of any size.
 “With this, you don't know what's coming or what you should be doing."
 ___
 Associated Press writers Michael Casey in Boston; Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama; Rachel D'Oro in Anchorage, Alaska; and Nicholas Forster in New York City contributed to this report.

journalist: By GILLIAN FLACCUS , Associated Press, Associated Press

title: Rural America watches pandemic erupt in cities as fear grows


content_text:
A man walks in front of a Tokyo Olympics logo at the Tokyo metropolitan government headquarters building in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. The Olym...
 A man walks in front of a Tokyo Olympics logo at the Tokyo metropolitan government headquarters building in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. The Olympic torch relay was postponed Tuesday because the Tokyo Games themselves were pushed back to 2021. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

 TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo asked its residents on Wednesday to stay home this weekend to slow the spread of the coronavirus after new daily cases in the Japanese capital rose to 41.
 Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said the city is on the verge of an explosive increase in infections and must make the effort to stop them from going out of control.
 The 41 confirmed new cases Wednesday was by far the largest single-day rise since the beginning of the outbreak and comes after daily increases of 16 and 17. More than 10 of the cases confirmed Wednesday were from untraceable infection routes — a sign that clusters of local cases are silently expanding, she said. Tokyo now has about 200 confirmed cases.
 “Right now, we are at critical phase that could determine if we head to explosive infections,” Koike said at a news conference. “I ask everyone to have a clear awareness and take action."
 Koike asked Tokyo's 14 million residents not to go outside this weekend and continue working remotely if possible on weekdays, though the requests are non-binding. She also urged those returning from overseas to self-quarantine at home for 14 days.
 Koike said a lockdown was possible in the future if the number of infections rises rapidly, but isn't being considered currently.
 On Tuesday, Japan and the International Olympic Committee agreed to postpone the Tokyo Olympic Games until the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
 Japan has 1,905 confirmed cases, including 712 from a quarantined cruise ship, with 53 deaths. It is seen as having managed to keep the outbreak under control despite a slow initial response and the much-criticized quarantine of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, but scientists say they are seeing some alarming signs in Tokyo, Osaka and other urban areas.
 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked all schools to close in March for about three weeks and urged companies to allow remote work and flexible hours. His government also enacted a divisive law that allows him to declare a state of emergency under which businesses and schools can be shut and private property confiscated to build hospitals.
 The government announced that the school closures ended last weekend, prompting a sense of relief among many people who packed public parks for cherry blossom viewing.
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 Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi

journalist: By MARI YAMAGUCHI , Associated Press, Associated Press

title: Tokyo asks people to stay at home on weekend as cases rise