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European Finance Ministers Can’t Agree on Coronavirus Bailout: Live Coverage Live Updates: Top E.U. Scientist Quits Amid Coronavirus Bailout Logjam
(about 2 hours later)
新冠病毒疫情最新消息新冠病毒疫情最新消息
European finance ministers broke off a marathon overnight teleconference without reaching an agreement on measures the eurozone will take together to counter the economic affects of the pandemic. The European Union’s top scientist has quit after failing to persuade his superiors to set up and finance a major collective scientific program to confront the new coronavirus.
The meeting, which started Tuesday afternoon and went for 16 hours, was meant to produce a clear list of recommendations to be presented to Europe’s leaders. These measures would be in addition to the policies enacted by individual countries to shore up their own economies. Dr. Mauro Ferrari, an Italian-American who began a four-year appointment as president of the European Research Council in January, resigned on Tuesday in a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president.
“I have been extremely disappointed by the European response to Covid-19,” he said in a statement to The Financial Times. “I arrived at the E.R.C. a fervent supporter of the E.U.,’’ he wrote, but “the Covid-19 crisis completely changed my views.”
Dr. Ferrari said that he began to press for a special virus program in early March when the extent of the pandemic became clear. But his proposal was rejected because by rule the bloc is supposed to fund only research proposed by scientists, not programs initiated in Brussels.
He said he then worked with Ms. von der Leyen on an alternative, but it was apparently blocked by the commission’s bureaucracy.
In his statement, he also denounced “the complete absence of coordination of health care.” While praising individuals, he said, “I have lost faith in the system itself.”
The news of his resignation came after another upset as European finance ministers broke off a marathon overnight teleconference without reaching an agreement on measures the eurozone will take to counter the economic effects of the pandemic.
The 16-hour meeting was meant to produce a clear list of recommendations to be presented to European leaders. These measures would be in addition to the policies enacted by individual countries to shore up their own economies.
Analysts foresee a recession and a contraction of roughly 13 percent this year in the eurozone, the group of 19 European Union nations that share the same currency. By contrast, in 2009, the worst financial crisis year for the bloc, the economy contracted 4.5 percent.Analysts foresee a recession and a contraction of roughly 13 percent this year in the eurozone, the group of 19 European Union nations that share the same currency. By contrast, in 2009, the worst financial crisis year for the bloc, the economy contracted 4.5 percent.
While some proposals received broad support, for example a 100 billion euro ($109 billion) program to fund unemployment benefits in member states, others proved more contentious. While some proposals received broad support, for example a program of 100 billion euros, or $109 billion, to fund unemployment benefits in member states, others proved more contentious.
Italy and Spain, the countries worst hit by the virus, have asked the zone to issue joint debt, known colloquially as “eurobonds” or “coronabonds” in the context of the pandemic response. They also want any loans made available from the bloc’s bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism, to come without any conditions for economic reform or austerity. Italy and Spain, the countries worst hit by the virus, have asked the zone to issue joint debt, known colloquially as eurobonds or coronabonds, in the context of the pandemic response. They also want any loans made available from the bloc’s bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism, to come without any conditions for economic overhaul or austerity.
These demands have been met with resistance from the wealthier European north, especially the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Finland. Those nations say there are neither legal grounds nor the political will in their nations for joint debt, and that any loans, even in the context of mitigating the disaster unleashed by the pandemic, should come with some rules regulating their payback. These demands have been met with resistance from wealthier northern Europe, especially Austria, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands.
The Chinese city of Wuhan, the birthplace of the coronavirus pandemic, lifted its lockdown on Wednesday, allowing 11 million residents to leave their homes without special authorization for the first time in more than 10 weeks. As China ended its monthslong lockdown of Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus first emerged, on Wednesday, signs of normalcy were mixed with hints that worries about the pandemic would continue to shadow the city’s recovery.
Wuhan’s reversal is a powerful symbolic victory for China that will be closely watched by the rest of the world, even as the contagion continues to spread quickly elsewhere — including in the United States, which is approaching 400,000 known infections. It may offer a window into how other places begin to restart damaged supply chains and return to a semblance of normalcy. A commentary published on Wednesday on Xinhua, the state-run news agency, declared that Wuhan’s “cautious unblocking is far from a final victory over the health threat,” but cast the city as a symbol that “a global victory will eventually be secured” through determination and hard work.
The next test may come in Europe, where the spread of the virus has started to slow in hard-hit countries like Italy and Spain. Some countries are now tiptoeing toward a loosening of radical lockdown measures that have been in place for close to a month. In scenes reminiscent of the final moments before the lockdown was imposed in January, passengers in oversize raincoats, goggles and masks rushed to a railway station to board the first trains out of the city, just as restrictions on outbound travel were lifted.
A few examples: Still, the government has encouraged Wuhan residents to stay inside their homes. Sentry posts outside apartment complexes and in neighborhoods continued to register the coming and going of residents. Some areas have continued to restrict people from leaving their compounds. Older neighborhoods remained walled off, usually with sheets of blue cladding, to ensure that people could not evade the checkpoints.
Austria, one of the first countries to follow neighboring Italy into a lockdown in March, is allowing small shops to resume business after Easter. The busiest newly reopened businesses appeared to be banks, where many people, especially older residents, unfamiliar with online banking lined up to make deposits, transfer funds or check their accounts. The banks and other larger businesses took temperature checks before allowing people to enter in limited numbers.
Denmark plans to reopen day care centers and primary schools on April 15, assuming the pace of new coronavirus infections continues to stabilize. Children were a less common sight, with many parents still worrying about allowing them outside while the risk of infection lingered.
The Czech Republic plans to loosen travel restrictions from Thursday, even though its state of emergency is to continue until the end of April. People’s Daily, the official Communist Party newspaper, chronicled the long-awaited day with a live stream on Weibo, a popular microblogging platform, panning across Wuhan as cars, bicycles and pedestrians returned to driveways and tree-lined blocks. Social media users waxed about the traffic jam on Wuhan’s roads during the morning rush, captured in widely shared photos.
But the global death toll — 1.4 million confirmed infections and 80,000 deaths — continues to rise. And most of Europe, India, much of the United States and many other places are under orders for businesses to close and most people to stay at home, abruptly crippling economies and throwing millions of people out of work. But some found the official projection of the city’s return to normal life loftier than the reality on the ground.
News reports are filled with scenes of overflowing hospitals in New York City; uncollected bodies on streets in Ecuador; updates on the condition of Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, who is hospitalized in intensive care; and expert warnings that the epidemic could be exploding, undetected, in the poorest parts of the world. “It feels like all the excitement exists only on the internet,” one Weibo user wrote. “After all, we’re still trapped in our neighborhoods.”
Virologists and public health officials in Europe say that loosening restrictions too swiftly could essentially produce the catastrophic scenario that the lockdowns have so far kept at bay, just a few weeks later. Food has proved to be the universal language, with many on social media sharing photos of their first meal post-lockdown — most commonly the city’s famous hot dry noodles and beef noodles — or images of their cravings to be satisfied as soon as possible.
“We cannot allow a wave that overwhelms out intensive care units like in Italy or New York,” said Walter Schachmayer, a Vienna-based mathematician who has been advising Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of Austria. Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain spent a second night in the intensive care unit of a London hospital on Tuesday, raising questions not just about the state of his health, but also about who would lead the country, gripped by a major outbreak, in his stead if that became necessary.
That explains why many European leaders are still holding off on announcing specific dates for loosening restrictions. In England alone, 758 patients were reported to have died in hospital in 24 hours, public health officials reported.
President Simonetta Sommaruga of Switzerland, for example, said on Tuesday that her government was working on different scenarios for easing confinement measures in the country “when the time comes.” Mr. Johnson was transferred to the intensive care unit on Monday after his illness worsened. Aides said he had been moved in case he needed a ventilator to help his recovery. The British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said Tuesday evening that Mr. Johnson was “receiving standard oxygen treatment and breathing without any assistance,” like a ventilator.
“We are still very far from normal,” she said. Concerns about succession came as officials on Wednesday warned that the peak of the outbreak in Britain could be at least 10 days away, and that talks of easing restrictions were premature. Mayor Sadiq Khan of London warned against reducing measures to stem the spread of the virus.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain spent a second night in the intensive care unit of a London hospital on Tuesday battling symptoms, raising questions not just about the state of his health but about who would lead the country, gripped by a major outbreak, in his stead if that became necessary. In England alone, 758 patients were reported to have died in hospital in 24 hours, public health officials reported on Tuesday. “I think we’re nowhere near lifting the lockdown,” he said in an interview with BBC. “I speak to experts regularly: We think the peak, which is the worst part of the virus, is probably a week and a half away.”
Mr. Johnson was transferred to the intensive care unit on Monday after his illness worsened. Aides said he had been moved in case he needed a ventilator to help his recovery. On Tuesday evening, the British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said that Mr. Johnson was “receiving standard oxygen treatment and breathing without any assistance,” like a ventilator. As Britain has no written constitution and no standard line of succession in the case of illness or death of the head of the government, Mr. Johnson has to decide who should stand in for him. But the man he nominated, Mr. Raab, has been relatively untested, serving as the leader of the Foreign Office for less than a year.
As Britain has no written Constitution and no standard line of succession in the case of illness or death of the head of the government, it was for Mr. Johnson to decide who should stand in for him if he became ill. But the man he nominated, Mr. Raab, has been relatively untested, serving as the leader of the Foreign Office for less than a year. While Mr. Johnson remains as the head of the government from his hospital bed, the seriousness of his illness means that could change quickly. At a time of extraordinary challenge, Mr. Raab is already serving as chairman of a key committee on the pandemic as the government works to control the spread of the virus and stabilize an economy hit hard by the lockdown measures it has imposed.
While Mr. Johnson remains as the head of the government from his hospital bed, the seriousness of his illness means that could change quickly. At a time of extraordinary challenge, Mr. Raab is already serving as chairman of a key committee on the pandemic as the government battles to control the spread of the virus and stabilize an economy hit hard by the lockdown measures it has imposed. Before going into intensive care, Mr. Johnson asked Mr. Raab to stand in for him “where necessary.”
Previous British prime ministers, including Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher, have had health issues while in power, but had brief periods of absence for planned procedures.
Mr. Johnson could be hospitalized for some time, and at a moment when the government must make major decisions about its virus response. Though some British prime ministers have nominated deputies, Mr. Johnson chose not to do so when he took the role last year.Mr. Johnson could be hospitalized for some time, and at a moment when the government must make major decisions about its virus response. Though some British prime ministers have nominated deputies, Mr. Johnson chose not to do so when he took the role last year.
The last time Britain experienced such a power vacuum was in 1953, when Winston Churchill suffered a stroke and the truth of his condition was kept from the British public.The last time Britain experienced such a power vacuum was in 1953, when Winston Churchill suffered a stroke and the truth of his condition was kept from the British public.
Before going into intensive care, Mr. Johnson asked Mr. Raab to stand in for him “where necessary.” Another senior minister, Michael Gove — who has had a lead role in coordinating the government’s response — announced on Twitter on Tuesday that he was self-isolating after a member of his family showed symptoms of the virus.
Another senior minister, Michael Gove — who has had a lead role in coordinating the government’s response, including giving interviews on Mr. Johnson’s state of health — announced on Twitter on Tuesday that he was self-isolating. He felt well, he said, but a member of his family showed symptoms of the virus. France’s flagship military aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, was heading back to port after some sailors onboard showed signs of having symptoms of the disease caused by the news coronavirus, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
By the middle of March, northern Italy had become the epicenter of a global pandemic. The coronavirus had infected tens of thousands of Italians, devastating the country with Europe’s oldest population. In the region of Lombardy, where the virus first exploded in the West, a wealthy and advanced health care system had suddenly become a war zone. About 40 sailors on board have “symptoms compatible with a possible Covid-19 infection,” the ministry said in a statement. The sailors, who first showed symptoms “recently,” have been isolated, the ministry said.
“No worsening has been observed with these patients,” the ministry said. “Everything is currently being done to guarantee the security of the crew members.”
The statement said that “sanitary measures” on board had been “reinforced,” including regular cleaning of the common areas, limited meetings and masks for symptomatic crew members.
A team will be sent on board with kits to test the sailors and to try to stop the virus from spreading, the ministry added.
The Charles de Gaulle, which can carry up to 2,000 sailors, is deployed in the Atlantic Ocean and is returning to its home port, Toulon, on France’s Mediterranean coast, earlier than scheduled, the ministry said.
France’s death toll passed 10,000 this week, with 10,328 deaths recorded in hospitals and in retirement and nursing homes. Nearly 80,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the country.
Paris, the capital, has banned jogging and all other outdoor sports from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. to cut down on social interaction.
Mayor Anne Hidalgo told Franceinfo that she did not want to ban jogging, only limit it to “times when there will be fewer people on the street.” She continued, “During the day, you have people who do their shopping — and that’s normal, because you have to eat — and you have people who go to work.”
Even cycling has been halted in France, but professionals are asking for a waiver, saying that their livelihoods are at stake.
By the middle of March, northern Italy had become the center of a global pandemic. The coronavirus had infected tens of thousands of Italians, devastating the country with Europe’s oldest population. In the region of Lombardy, where the virus first exploded in the West, a wealthy and advanced health care system had suddenly become a war zone.
Hospitals expanded intensive-care capacity, lined entire wards with ventilators and crowded corridors with oxygen tanks and beds. The doctors, nurses, paramedics and volunteers had little choice but to soldier through day and night with little rest. Quarantined at home, Italy’s civilians took notice. They applauded from their balconies and shared on the web photos of nurses collapsed at a desk or bearing the bruises of tight masks.Hospitals expanded intensive-care capacity, lined entire wards with ventilators and crowded corridors with oxygen tanks and beds. The doctors, nurses, paramedics and volunteers had little choice but to soldier through day and night with little rest. Quarantined at home, Italy’s civilians took notice. They applauded from their balconies and shared on the web photos of nurses collapsed at a desk or bearing the bruises of tight masks.
Those images reached the photographer Andrea Frazzetta in the Milan apartment where he was sheltering in place with his wife and their 4-year-old son, who had recovered from pneumonia several months earlier. Frazzetta had strongly urged his mother and father to do the same. But like many in and around Milan, they took the threat lightly and stayed home only when the central government in Rome ordered a shutdown, first in the north and then in the entire country. Looking at the selfies of those bruised nurses, Ms. Frazzetta decided to document the historic struggle unfolding around him. Those images reached the photographer Andrea Frazzetta in the Milan apartment where he was sheltering in place with his wife and their 4-year-old son, who had recovered from pneumonia several months earlier. Frazzetta had strongly urged his mother and father to do the same.
But like many in and around Milan, they took the threat lightly and stayed home only when the central government in Rome ordered a shutdown, first in the north and then in the entire country. Looking at the selfies of those bruised nurses, Ms. Frazzetta decided to document the historic struggle unfolding around him.
The normally smudgy skies above India have been clearing in recent days, as lockdowns meant to stifle the pandemic have limited car traffic, drastically reduced air travel and shuttered factories and construction sites.
One result is the emergence of something rare and wonderful: a pure blue sky.
“I don’t know how long this will last,” said Sudhir Kumar Bose, a retired English professor in New Delhi, the capital. “But right now I feel much better.”
Those clear skies might do more than just lift people’s moods.
Multiple studies have found that exposure to fine particulate matter puts people at heightened risk for lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes and even premature death. But a new study by Harvard University researchers — the first of its kind in the United States — shows a statistical link between dirty air and death or serious illness from Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
In an analysis of 3,080 U.S. counties, the study’s authors found that a slight increase in long-term pollution exposure could have serious coronavirus-related consequences, even accounting for other factors like smoking rates and population density. A person living for decades in a county with high levels of fine particulate matter, for example, was 15 percent more likely to die from the virus than someone in a region with slightly less air pollution.
That is a worrying finding for countries with far worse pollution than the U.S. — including India, where the coronavirus caseload now tops 4,000 and is doubling around every four days.
“Most countries don’t take it seriously enough and aren’t doing enough given the scale of the harm that air pollution is doing to all of our health,” said Beth Gardiner, a journalist and the author of book on the subject.
President Trump on Tuesday abruptly sidelined the top watchdog in charge of monitoring how the administration spends $2 trillion in virus relief, replacing him with a different federal official in a move that Democrats labeled “corrupt.”President Trump on Tuesday abruptly sidelined the top watchdog in charge of monitoring how the administration spends $2 trillion in virus relief, replacing him with a different federal official in a move that Democrats labeled “corrupt.”
Mr. Trump also threatened to cut funding from the World Health Organization, accusing it of not being aggressive enough in confronting the dangers from the virus — the very failures that have been leveled at his administration.Mr. Trump also threatened to cut funding from the World Health Organization, accusing it of not being aggressive enough in confronting the dangers from the virus — the very failures that have been leveled at his administration.
New York and New Jersey each recorded one-day highs for deaths, and new statistics show disproportionately high rates of infections among black Americans and disturbing rates in some of the nation’s largest cities and states, reflecting what happens when a viral pandemic is layered on top of entrenched inequalities.New York and New Jersey each recorded one-day highs for deaths, and new statistics show disproportionately high rates of infections among black Americans and disturbing rates in some of the nation’s largest cities and states, reflecting what happens when a viral pandemic is layered on top of entrenched inequalities.
Meanwhile, the acting Navy secretary resigned in the wake of his bungled response to an outbreak of the virus aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt engulfed the Navy in a public relations disaster, Defense Department officials said.Meanwhile, the acting Navy secretary resigned in the wake of his bungled response to an outbreak of the virus aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt engulfed the Navy in a public relations disaster, Defense Department officials said.
In Wisconsin, fears of the pandemic did not stop thousands of voters from participating in the state’s elections, where critical races such as the Democratic presidential primary and a key state Supreme Court seat were being decided. But many others across the state appeared inclined to stay home as the fear of contracting the disease outweighed their desire to vote.In Wisconsin, fears of the pandemic did not stop thousands of voters from participating in the state’s elections, where critical races such as the Democratic presidential primary and a key state Supreme Court seat were being decided. But many others across the state appeared inclined to stay home as the fear of contracting the disease outweighed their desire to vote.
And Jack Dorsey, the chief executive of Twitter and Square, announced that he planned to donate $1 billion, or just under a third of his total wealth, to virus relief programs. Mr. Dorsey said the donation, in the form of shares in his mobile payments company Square, into a limited liability company that he had created, called Start Small. Start Small would make grants to beneficiaries, he said, with the expenditures to be recorded in a publicly accessible Google document.And Jack Dorsey, the chief executive of Twitter and Square, announced that he planned to donate $1 billion, or just under a third of his total wealth, to virus relief programs. Mr. Dorsey said the donation, in the form of shares in his mobile payments company Square, into a limited liability company that he had created, called Start Small. Start Small would make grants to beneficiaries, he said, with the expenditures to be recorded in a publicly accessible Google document.
The normally smudgy skies above India have been clearing in recent days, as lockdowns meant to stifle the pandemic have limited car traffic, drastically reduced air travel and shuttered factories and construction sites. When the British government appealed recently for 250,000 people to help the National Health Service, more than 750,000 signed up, forcing it to temporarily stop taking applicants so it could process the flood.
One result is the emergence of something rare and wonderful: a pure blue sky. All told, it is a stirring display of British national solidarity — a good-news story amid a grim tide of bulletins about overwhelmed hospitals, inadequate testing, a rising death toll, and a depleted political establishment, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in intensive care and several of his aides still struggling after contracting the virus.
“I don’t know how long this will last,” said Sudhir Kumar Bose, a retired English professor in New Delhi, the Indian capital. “But right now I feel much better.” It is also a welcome balm, coming after three and a half years of bitter divisions over Brexit, a debate that cleaved the country socially, culturally and generationally. Coronavirus, many commentators have noted, is an equal-opportunity scourge: It strikes both “Leavers” and “Remainers.”
Those clear skies might do more than just lift people’s moods. “During the Brexit debate, people used to say what we really need is a common enemy — and now we’ve got it,” said David Goodhart, a writer whose last book, “The Road to Somewhere,” explored the divide in British society between the rooted and the rootless. “Except this is an invisible enemy.”
Multiple studies have found that exposure to fine particulate matter puts people at heightened risk for lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes and even premature death. But a new study by Harvard University researchers — the first of its kind in the United States — shows a statistical link between dirty air and death or serious illness from Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. As the country seeks to ramp up testing, the chief executive of British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said on Wednesday that Britain would have a new coronavirus testing facility capable of carrying out 30,000 tests per day by early May. AstraZeneca is working with GSK and the University of Cambridge on a joint project to boost Britain’s testing capacity.
In an analysis of 3,080 U.S. counties, the study’s authors found that just a slight increase in long-term pollution exposure could have serious coronavirus-related consequences, even accounting for other factors like smoking rates and population density. A person living for decades in a county with high levels of fine particulate matter, for example, was 15 percent more likely to die from the virus than someone in a region with slightly less air pollution. “We believe we will start testing by mid-April and be at scale indeed with 30,000 tests a day by early May,” AstraZeneca’s chief executive, Pascal Soriot, told BBC Radio on Wednesday.
That is a worrying finding for countries with far worse pollution than the U.S. — including India, where the coronavirus caseload that now tops 4,000 and is doubling around every four days.
“Most countries don’t take it seriously enough and aren’t doing enough given the scale of the harm that air pollution is doing to all of our health,” said Beth Gardiner, a journalist and the author of book on the subject.
Like many cities, Paris has lost a little bit of its magic during the coronavirus lockdown, with cafes, theaters and shops closed.
And now you can’t even run there, at least for much of the day. All outdoor sports, including running, have been banned from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Officials hope that by pushing people to exercise in the less busy hours they will cut down on social interaction.
Mayor Anne Hidalgo told Franceinfo that she did not want to ban jogging, only limit it to “times when there will be fewer people on the street.” She continued, “During the day, you have people who do their shopping — and that’s normal, because you have to eat — and you have people who go to work.”
Even cycling has been halted in France, but professionals are asking for a waiver, saying that their livelihoods are at stake.
On Tuesday, France became the fourth country in the world to pass the grim milestone of 10,000 deaths because of the coronavirus, as authorities reported that 10,328 people had died because of the virus in hospitals and in retirement or nursing homes.
Jérôme Salomon, a top official at France’s health ministry, said at a news conference on Tuesday evening that there were now 78,167 test-confirmed Covid-19 cases in France, and that 7,131 people were now in intensive care.
French authorities are closely following the number of patients in intensive care as an indication of the strain on the health system as a whole.
The net increase of patients in intensive care has gradually diminished over the past week, an encouraging sign that the number of serious cases health workers have to deal with each day is starting to stabilize.
But Mr. Salomon warned that this did not mean the epidemic had peaked, because the number of new cases and new hospital patients was continuing to increase.
Following the lead of New Zealand’s prime minister, the leaders of Canada’s two most populous provinces have given two particular service providers special status.Following the lead of New Zealand’s prime minister, the leaders of Canada’s two most populous provinces have given two particular service providers special status.
Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, officially proclaimed the Easter bunny an “essential service provider” thus freeing the seasonal visitor to make its rounds on Sunday.Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, officially proclaimed the Easter bunny an “essential service provider” thus freeing the seasonal visitor to make its rounds on Sunday.
But it won’t be business as usual for the bearer of chocolate eggs. The Easter bunny, the order states, “shall not deliver Easter treats in parks, playgrounds and all other outdoor recreational amenities as described in Ontario Regulation 104/20.”But it won’t be business as usual for the bearer of chocolate eggs. The Easter bunny, the order states, “shall not deliver Easter treats in parks, playgrounds and all other outdoor recreational amenities as described in Ontario Regulation 104/20.”
“The kids have simple things they are worried about, like the Easter bunny,” Mr. Ford said during his daily news conference which was otherwise dominated by issues like Ontario’s supply of personal protective gear for health care workers. “So kids, the Easter bunny has become an essential service and he will make sure they have chocolates ready for Easter.”“The kids have simple things they are worried about, like the Easter bunny,” Mr. Ford said during his daily news conference which was otherwise dominated by issues like Ontario’s supply of personal protective gear for health care workers. “So kids, the Easter bunny has become an essential service and he will make sure they have chocolates ready for Easter.”
In Quebec, François Legault, the province’s premier, sternly reminded residents that gathering to celebrate Easter was not allowed, but he assured children that the work of the tooth fairy had been declared essential.In Quebec, François Legault, the province’s premier, sternly reminded residents that gathering to celebrate Easter was not allowed, but he assured children that the work of the tooth fairy had been declared essential.
“I want to assure all parents that the tooth fairy has immunity against the coronavirus — there is no danger,” Mr. Legault said on the day Quebec released its projections for virus-related deaths. He did not weigh in on the Easter Bunny’s current legal status.“I want to assure all parents that the tooth fairy has immunity against the coronavirus — there is no danger,” Mr. Legault said on the day Quebec released its projections for virus-related deaths. He did not weigh in on the Easter Bunny’s current legal status.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not have the authority to declare workers essential. But he has specifically addressed children during his daily briefings, and over the weekend took questions from children in an online broadcast.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not have the authority to declare workers essential. But he has specifically addressed children during his daily briefings, and over the weekend took questions from children in an online broadcast.
Asked what song he uses to time his hand washing for the recommended 20 seconds, Mr. Trudeau said: “I like singing ‘Happy Birthday,’ because I like thinking that it might be my birthday today or any given day.”Asked what song he uses to time his hand washing for the recommended 20 seconds, Mr. Trudeau said: “I like singing ‘Happy Birthday,’ because I like thinking that it might be my birthday today or any given day.”
The Chinese Communist Party said on Tuesday that it was investigating an outspoken property tycoon who accused China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, of having mishandled the coronavirus outbreak.The Chinese Communist Party said on Tuesday that it was investigating an outspoken property tycoon who accused China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, of having mishandled the coronavirus outbreak.
Party officials said the man, Ren Zhiqiang, was suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law,” a euphemism the authorities often use for corruption and other abuses of power.Party officials said the man, Ren Zhiqiang, was suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law,” a euphemism the authorities often use for corruption and other abuses of power.
Mr. Ren, a longtime party member, disappeared last month after having written an explosive essay describing Mr. Xi as a power-hungry “clown.” The essay, which circulated on Chinese social media sites, said that the party’s strict limits on freedom of speech and its silencing of the news media had exacerbated the epidemic.Mr. Ren, a longtime party member, disappeared last month after having written an explosive essay describing Mr. Xi as a power-hungry “clown.” The essay, which circulated on Chinese social media sites, said that the party’s strict limits on freedom of speech and its silencing of the news media had exacerbated the epidemic.
A brief statement about the investigation of Mr. Ren, issued by party disciplinary officials in Beijing, did not provide Mr. Ren’s whereabouts, give details about the status of his case or make mention of the essay.A brief statement about the investigation of Mr. Ren, issued by party disciplinary officials in Beijing, did not provide Mr. Ren’s whereabouts, give details about the status of his case or make mention of the essay.
Mr. Ren is being investigated by the party’s anticorruption watchdog, which Mr. Xi often deploys as a political weapon to ensure the loyalty and commitment of party cadres. It is unlikely that the party will grant Mr. Ren permission to speak with lawyers or relatives while he is under investigation, experts say.Mr. Ren is being investigated by the party’s anticorruption watchdog, which Mr. Xi often deploys as a political weapon to ensure the loyalty and commitment of party cadres. It is unlikely that the party will grant Mr. Ren permission to speak with lawyers or relatives while he is under investigation, experts say.
The Times is telling the stories of people who have died in the pandemic. Among the latest is John Prine, 73, an American country-folk singer who died on Tuesday in Nashville.The Times is telling the stories of people who have died in the pandemic. Among the latest is John Prine, 73, an American country-folk singer who died on Tuesday in Nashville.
“He’s a true folk singer in the best folk tradition, cutting right to the heart of things, as pure and simple as rain,” Bonnie Raitt, a fellow musician who made Mr. Prine’s song “Angel From Montgomery” famous, told an interviewer in 1992.“He’s a true folk singer in the best folk tradition, cutting right to the heart of things, as pure and simple as rain,” Bonnie Raitt, a fellow musician who made Mr. Prine’s song “Angel From Montgomery” famous, told an interviewer in 1992.
Others we have lost this month:Others we have lost this month:
Rafael Gómez Nieto, 99, a veteran of the Spanish Civil War who served in a French unit that entered Paris in 1944.Rafael Gómez Nieto, 99, a veteran of the Spanish Civil War who served in a French unit that entered Paris in 1944.
Gita Ramjee, 63, a researcher who worked on the forefront of the effort to contain AIDS, especially in eastern and southern Africa.Gita Ramjee, 63, a researcher who worked on the forefront of the effort to contain AIDS, especially in eastern and southern Africa.
Nur Hassan Hussein, 82, the prime minister of Somalia during a transitional period beset by insurgency and humanitarian crises.Nur Hassan Hussein, 82, the prime minister of Somalia during a transitional period beset by insurgency and humanitarian crises.
Mababa “Pape” Diouf, 68, the first black president of the Marseille Soccer Club.Mababa “Pape” Diouf, 68, the first black president of the Marseille Soccer Club.
Leïla Menchari, 93, a longtime Hermès window dresser in Paris.Leïla Menchari, 93, a longtime Hermès window dresser in Paris.
You’ve been cleaning your home and washing your hands all these years, and you never stopped to consider if you were doing it wrong. But time matters when it comes to fully disinfecting your household surfaces and your skin. Some disinfectants can take up to 10 minutes to fully work. As for your hands? By now you should know that scrubbing for a full 20 seconds is the way to go.You’ve been cleaning your home and washing your hands all these years, and you never stopped to consider if you were doing it wrong. But time matters when it comes to fully disinfecting your household surfaces and your skin. Some disinfectants can take up to 10 minutes to fully work. As for your hands? By now you should know that scrubbing for a full 20 seconds is the way to go.
Reporting was contributed by William Grimes, Raphael Minder, Neil Genzlinger, Abdi Latif Dahir, Tariq Panja, Vanessa Friedman, Raymond Zhong, Vivian Wang, Katrin Bennhold, Javier C. Hernandez, Mike Ives, Russell Goldman, Dan Levin, Andrea Frazzetta, Jason Horowitz, Rick Gladstone, Victor Mather, Aurelien Breeden, Catherine Porter, Lisa Friedman, Ian Austen and Matina Stevis-Gridneff. Reporting was contributed by Chris Buckley, Elaine Yu, Steven Erlanger, Mark Landler, Megan Specia, Jeffrey Gettleman, William Grimes, Raphael Minder, Neil Genzlinger, Abdi Latif Dahir, Tariq Panja, Vanessa Friedman, Raymond Zhong, Vivian Wang, Katrin Bennhold, Javier C. Hernandez, Mike Ives, Russell Goldman, Dan Levin, Andrea Frazzetta, Jason Horowitz, Rick Gladstone, Victor Mather, Aurelien Breeden, Catherine Porter, Lisa Friedman, Ian Austen and Matina Stevis-Gridneff.