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| Screenings Were Porous as Trump Spurred Exodus From Virus Hot Spots | Screenings Were Porous as Trump Spurred Exodus From Virus Hot Spots |
| (25 days later) | |
| WASHINGTON — President Trump’s go-to defense of his early response to the coronavirus is his decision to close down travel from China, the virus’s original epicenter, and then from ravaged Europe. | WASHINGTON — President Trump’s go-to defense of his early response to the coronavirus is his decision to close down travel from China, the virus’s original epicenter, and then from ravaged Europe. |
| But those hasty decisions led to exoduses of American citizens, with packed, chaotic airports and, according to a new congressional report, porous screenings for passengers who could have been bringing the coronavirus home with them. | But those hasty decisions led to exoduses of American citizens, with packed, chaotic airports and, according to a new congressional report, porous screenings for passengers who could have been bringing the coronavirus home with them. |
| Medical officials on contract from the Department of Homeland Security checked the temperature of just 10 percent of more than 250,000 travelers at U.S. airports arriving from travel-restricted countries during a 10-week span from January to March, according to a report released Thursday by the House Oversight and Reform Committee, undercutting one of the centerpieces of Mr. Trump’s argument that his administration responded aggressively to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. | Medical officials on contract from the Department of Homeland Security checked the temperature of just 10 percent of more than 250,000 travelers at U.S. airports arriving from travel-restricted countries during a 10-week span from January to March, according to a report released Thursday by the House Oversight and Reform Committee, undercutting one of the centerpieces of Mr. Trump’s argument that his administration responded aggressively to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. |
| If customs officers noticed symptoms among travelers returning from restricted countries, they referred them to the medical officials on contract stationed at the airport. | If customs officers noticed symptoms among travelers returning from restricted countries, they referred them to the medical officials on contract stationed at the airport. |
| But out of more than 250,000 travelers those medical officials screened, just under 1,500 were given a third screening by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials between Jan. 17 and March 29. And C.D.C. officials were the ones primarily determining whether a traveler displaying symptoms needed to be federally quarantined. | But out of more than 250,000 travelers those medical officials screened, just under 1,500 were given a third screening by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials between Jan. 17 and March 29. And C.D.C. officials were the ones primarily determining whether a traveler displaying symptoms needed to be federally quarantined. |
| Homeland security officials from the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office told the committee that the informal policy was to check one of every 10 passengers because they “don’t want to slow things down,” according to the report. | Homeland security officials from the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office told the committee that the informal policy was to check one of every 10 passengers because they “don’t want to slow things down,” according to the report. |
| The findings of the report undercut previous statements made by homeland security officials and Mr. Trump, who has pointed to his decision to implement travel restrictions against China, Iran and more than two dozen European countries as evidence that his administration responded aggressively to the pandemic. While Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, the acting deputy secretary of homeland security, said the screening helped “reduce and delay the biggest peak in the virus,” many American citizens returning to the United States have also reported a lack of screenings. | The findings of the report undercut previous statements made by homeland security officials and Mr. Trump, who has pointed to his decision to implement travel restrictions against China, Iran and more than two dozen European countries as evidence that his administration responded aggressively to the pandemic. While Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, the acting deputy secretary of homeland security, said the screening helped “reduce and delay the biggest peak in the virus,” many American citizens returning to the United States have also reported a lack of screenings. |
| The release of the report also comes as new evidence emerges that the tidal wave of infections that has killed more than 75,000 Americans came largely from New York City, via travelers from Europe, not China. | The release of the report also comes as new evidence emerges that the tidal wave of infections that has killed more than 75,000 Americans came largely from New York City, via travelers from Europe, not China. |
| “Due to denials and delays, the administration lost critical time it could have used to prepare and build up capacity to mitigate — a capacity we are now struggling to build while the virus wreaks havoc in our hospitals and homes,” said Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat who is chairman of the House Oversight subcommittee on economic and consumer policy. | “Due to denials and delays, the administration lost critical time it could have used to prepare and build up capacity to mitigate — a capacity we are now struggling to build while the virus wreaks havoc in our hospitals and homes,” said Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat who is chairman of the House Oversight subcommittee on economic and consumer policy. |
| The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment. When pressed over whether his administration responded early enough to combat the pandemic, Mr. Trump has repeatedly pointed to one of his favored topics: border restrictions. | The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment. When pressed over whether his administration responded early enough to combat the pandemic, Mr. Trump has repeatedly pointed to one of his favored topics: border restrictions. |
| “I think we’ve made a lot of really good decisions,” Mr. Trump said during a White House briefing last month. “The big decision was closing the border or doing the ban — people coming in from China.” | “I think we’ve made a lot of really good decisions,” Mr. Trump said during a White House briefing last month. “The big decision was closing the border or doing the ban — people coming in from China.” |
| In addition to barring foreigners from China, Iran, the United Kingdom, Ireland and much of Europe, he has also cited the risks of spreading the coronavirus to effectively seal the southwestern border to asylum-seeking migrants. | In addition to barring foreigners from China, Iran, the United Kingdom, Ireland and much of Europe, he has also cited the risks of spreading the coronavirus to effectively seal the southwestern border to asylum-seeking migrants. |
| More than 16,700 migrants were stopped by border officials in April, according to Customs and Border Protection data released Thursday, down from more than 34,000 in March and a steep decline from last May’s total of 144,116 — the highest single monthly total of border arrests in more than a decade. But Customs and Border Protections officers used authority granted to the surgeon general to immediately turn away 14,416 of those migrants last month without the chance to have their claim of fear heard. | More than 16,700 migrants were stopped by border officials in April, according to Customs and Border Protection data released Thursday, down from more than 34,000 in March and a steep decline from last May’s total of 144,116 — the highest single monthly total of border arrests in more than a decade. But Customs and Border Protections officers used authority granted to the surgeon general to immediately turn away 14,416 of those migrants last month without the chance to have their claim of fear heard. |
| Updated June 1, 2020 | |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said. | |
| Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea. | |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | |
| Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities. | |
| While the administration’s border restrictions have prevented migrants, many fleeing violence and persecution, from entering the United States, the congressional report found that American citizens returning from coronavirus hot spots overseas passed too easily through controls. | While the administration’s border restrictions have prevented migrants, many fleeing violence and persecution, from entering the United States, the congressional report found that American citizens returning from coronavirus hot spots overseas passed too easily through controls. |
| After announcing the barring of foreigners from China in late January, Mr. Trump expanded the travel restrictions to more than two dozen European countries in March. American citizens returning from those countries or South Korea were funneled to 13 designated airports, where they were met by a customs officer, asked questions about their travel and medical history, and could be referred to a screening by a medical official. | After announcing the barring of foreigners from China in late January, Mr. Trump expanded the travel restrictions to more than two dozen European countries in March. American citizens returning from those countries or South Korea were funneled to 13 designated airports, where they were met by a customs officer, asked questions about their travel and medical history, and could be referred to a screening by a medical official. |
| But Mr. Trump’s erroneous announcement from the White House that he would be “suspending all travel from Europe to the United States,” when it only applied to foreigners, sparked a race to return to the U.S. and chaotic crowds at airports. Administration officials “were so focused on getting staffed up” that they did not address the need for social distancing measures before the restrictions were implemented, according to a statement from the oversight committee. | But Mr. Trump’s erroneous announcement from the White House that he would be “suspending all travel from Europe to the United States,” when it only applied to foreigners, sparked a race to return to the U.S. and chaotic crowds at airports. Administration officials “were so focused on getting staffed up” that they did not address the need for social distancing measures before the restrictions were implemented, according to a statement from the oversight committee. |