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Police Face Backlash Over Virus Rules. Enter ‘Violence Interrupters.’ Police Face Backlash Over Virus Rules. Enter ‘Violence Interrupters.’
(1 day later)
When Iesha Sekou began passing out surgical masks and disposable gloves in Harlem early in the pandemic, some people laughed and said she was taking things too far. It was an unfamiliar role for Ms. Sekou, the founder of a nonprofit that usually works to prevent gang violence.When Iesha Sekou began passing out surgical masks and disposable gloves in Harlem early in the pandemic, some people laughed and said she was taking things too far. It was an unfamiliar role for Ms. Sekou, the founder of a nonprofit that usually works to prevent gang violence.
But as deaths from the virus mounted in predominantly black neighborhoods like the one where Ms. Sekou’s group operates, people started chasing her and her workers down the street to get supplies, she said.But as deaths from the virus mounted in predominantly black neighborhoods like the one where Ms. Sekou’s group operates, people started chasing her and her workers down the street to get supplies, she said.
Even young skeptics who “had their little theories” about the virus dropped their resistance after Ms. Sekou and her volunteers warned them that the police could stop them for not having a mask, or worse, they might get infected and unwittingly pass the disease along to their grandmothers.Even young skeptics who “had their little theories” about the virus dropped their resistance after Ms. Sekou and her volunteers warned them that the police could stop them for not having a mask, or worse, they might get infected and unwittingly pass the disease along to their grandmothers.
“That’s a soft spot that we were able to hit and get them to know that if you don’t want to do this for you, you don’t like the way it looks, do it for who you live with, whose couch you sleep on,” Ms. Sekou said.“That’s a soft spot that we were able to hit and get them to know that if you don’t want to do this for you, you don’t like the way it looks, do it for who you live with, whose couch you sleep on,” Ms. Sekou said.
People like Ms. Sekou are known as “credible messengers” or “violence interrupters” in their line of work, and city officials say they may be critical to overcoming resistance to social distancing rules in some black and Hispanic neighborhoods where there is distrust of the authorities.People like Ms. Sekou are known as “credible messengers” or “violence interrupters” in their line of work, and city officials say they may be critical to overcoming resistance to social distancing rules in some black and Hispanic neighborhoods where there is distrust of the authorities.
Violence prevention groups, like Ms. Sekou’s Street Corner Resources, are part of a broader effort by City Hall to use civilians to encourage people to follow social-distancing rules rather than relying solely on police officers.Violence prevention groups, like Ms. Sekou’s Street Corner Resources, are part of a broader effort by City Hall to use civilians to encourage people to follow social-distancing rules rather than relying solely on police officers.
Mayor Bill de Blasio made that effort a priority after viral videos of heavy-handed arrests in black and Hispanic neighborhoods prompted public outrage and enforcement data showed stark racial disparities in arrests, leading to calls for change from elected leaders.Mayor Bill de Blasio made that effort a priority after viral videos of heavy-handed arrests in black and Hispanic neighborhoods prompted public outrage and enforcement data showed stark racial disparities in arrests, leading to calls for change from elected leaders.
The credible messengers are mostly young, black and Hispanic men, from the same demographic groups that have been given summonses and arrested the most for offenses related to the pandemic. Many of them have past involvement in gangs or crime, experiences they use to defuse street conflicts before they escalate to violence and to steer peers toward services like job training.The credible messengers are mostly young, black and Hispanic men, from the same demographic groups that have been given summonses and arrested the most for offenses related to the pandemic. Many of them have past involvement in gangs or crime, experiences they use to defuse street conflicts before they escalate to violence and to steer peers toward services like job training.
Working for about 50 violence prevention groups coordinated by the mayor’s office, some of the messengers were already handing out face masks and other supplies and responding to 311 complaints about social distancing when local police commanders asked them to.Working for about 50 violence prevention groups coordinated by the mayor’s office, some of the messengers were already handing out face masks and other supplies and responding to 311 complaints about social distancing when local police commanders asked them to.
But Eric Cumberbatch, the deputy director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, said the city would like them to play a bigger role in helping to persuade young people who do not trust the police to take actions to curb the epidemic.But Eric Cumberbatch, the deputy director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, said the city would like them to play a bigger role in helping to persuade young people who do not trust the police to take actions to curb the epidemic.
“They’re looked at as leaders,” he said. “And they have inroads and touch with a very vulnerable population, which are usually young people that government and city agencies struggle to have contact with in a productive fashion.”“They’re looked at as leaders,” he said. “And they have inroads and touch with a very vulnerable population, which are usually young people that government and city agencies struggle to have contact with in a productive fashion.”
In addition to enlisting the antiviolence workers, the city plans to appoint 2,300 clergy and city workers, and others as “social-distancing ambassadors.” The Police Department also plans to deploy auxiliary officers to parks.In addition to enlisting the antiviolence workers, the city plans to appoint 2,300 clergy and city workers, and others as “social-distancing ambassadors.” The Police Department also plans to deploy auxiliary officers to parks.
Chief Terence A. Monahan, the department’s top uniformed official, said the police welcomed the opportunity to step back from enforcing the rules to focus on fighting crime. Shootings have risen slightly under the citywide stay-at-home orders and burglaries targeting shuttered businesses have surged, he said.Chief Terence A. Monahan, the department’s top uniformed official, said the police welcomed the opportunity to step back from enforcing the rules to focus on fighting crime. Shootings have risen slightly under the citywide stay-at-home orders and burglaries targeting shuttered businesses have surged, he said.
“We don’t want to be the social-distancing police going out there,” he said. “But there’s been many a time other people have gone out there and we got the phone call, ‘They’re not listening to us, send the police over.’ This is something I don’t think we can get out of, but any help, any assistance we can get from anybody would be greatly appreciated.”“We don’t want to be the social-distancing police going out there,” he said. “But there’s been many a time other people have gone out there and we got the phone call, ‘They’re not listening to us, send the police over.’ This is something I don’t think we can get out of, but any help, any assistance we can get from anybody would be greatly appreciated.”
Dr. Gary Slutkin, an infectious disease specialist who created Cure Violence Global, an organization whose prevention model is used in cities like Chicago and New York, said that unlike officers, who rely on their authority to gain compliance, the messengers are trained to persuade people to change behaviors willingly. “Behaviors aren’t really effectively changed by force,” he said.Dr. Gary Slutkin, an infectious disease specialist who created Cure Violence Global, an organization whose prevention model is used in cities like Chicago and New York, said that unlike officers, who rely on their authority to gain compliance, the messengers are trained to persuade people to change behaviors willingly. “Behaviors aren’t really effectively changed by force,” he said.
On May 7, as a public outcry grew over videos of pandemic-related arrests, the police and city officials met with the leaders of credible messenger programs across the city to discuss expanding their role.On May 7, as a public outcry grew over videos of pandemic-related arrests, the police and city officials met with the leaders of credible messenger programs across the city to discuss expanding their role.
The participants in the meeting, held on Zoom, pushed the police to reconsider their approach to social distancing in black and Hispanic neighborhoods, pointing to recent encounters that have drawn comparisons to unconstitutional “stop and frisk” practices.The participants in the meeting, held on Zoom, pushed the police to reconsider their approach to social distancing in black and Hispanic neighborhoods, pointing to recent encounters that have drawn comparisons to unconstitutional “stop and frisk” practices.
Updated June 30, 2020
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.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
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.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
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.)
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.
For their part, the police have denied that officers enforcing the rules have had a racial bias. Chief Monahan told the people on the call that in almost all the cases, officers had taken action on public complaints that they would have had to address even if there were no pandemic. Those complaints included people smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol and playing dice outside.For their part, the police have denied that officers enforcing the rules have had a racial bias. Chief Monahan told the people on the call that in almost all the cases, officers had taken action on public complaints that they would have had to address even if there were no pandemic. Those complaints included people smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol and playing dice outside.
“Listen, police aren’t doing this because they’re tyrannical,” Chief Monahan recalled telling the group. “They’re doing it because it’s something that we need to do to get out of this pandemic.”“Listen, police aren’t doing this because they’re tyrannical,” Chief Monahan recalled telling the group. “They’re doing it because it’s something that we need to do to get out of this pandemic.”
The effectiveness of antiviolence messengers in bridging the trust gap between the police and the public was evident after Giovanni Otho was killed.The effectiveness of antiviolence messengers in bridging the trust gap between the police and the public was evident after Giovanni Otho was killed.
The police believe Mr. Otho, a 30-year-old janitor and father of three, was either a bystander or participant in a dispute that erupted during a dice game a few minutes before 1 a.m. on April 25. Investigators are still searching for the gunman, who wore a surgical mask and fled on foot after fatally shooting Mr. Otho and a 26-year-old man who survived, the police said.The police believe Mr. Otho, a 30-year-old janitor and father of three, was either a bystander or participant in a dispute that erupted during a dice game a few minutes before 1 a.m. on April 25. Investigators are still searching for the gunman, who wore a surgical mask and fled on foot after fatally shooting Mr. Otho and a 26-year-old man who survived, the police said.
The coronavirus pandemic forced Mr. Otho’s family to scrap plans for a horse-drawn hearse to carry Mr. Otho’s body through the streets of Harlem on May 2. Instead the family planned a small tribute on the block of West 143d Street where Mr. Otho had grown up. But hundreds of people showed up, apparently unaware the procession had been canceled.The coronavirus pandemic forced Mr. Otho’s family to scrap plans for a horse-drawn hearse to carry Mr. Otho’s body through the streets of Harlem on May 2. Instead the family planned a small tribute on the block of West 143d Street where Mr. Otho had grown up. But hundreds of people showed up, apparently unaware the procession had been canceled.
The police were required to break up the gathering. But a local state assemblyman, Al Taylor, called in Ms. Sekou to help defuse the situation.The police were required to break up the gathering. But a local state assemblyman, Al Taylor, called in Ms. Sekou to help defuse the situation.
Ms. Sekou, who was shopping for supplies with her staff in New Jersey, hurried back to Harlem, where they handed out bags containing masks and gloves and encouraged people to keep their distance from one another.Ms. Sekou, who was shopping for supplies with her staff in New Jersey, hurried back to Harlem, where they handed out bags containing masks and gloves and encouraged people to keep their distance from one another.
The police gave Mr. Taylor a microphone from a squad car, which he handed to Mr. Otho’s stepmother to say a prayer. She urged people not to take revenge for Mr. Otho’s killing. Then the family released a cluster of balloons. The crowd quickly dwindled.The police gave Mr. Taylor a microphone from a squad car, which he handed to Mr. Otho’s stepmother to say a prayer. She urged people not to take revenge for Mr. Otho’s killing. Then the family released a cluster of balloons. The crowd quickly dwindled.
The police were “very respectful,” Mr. Otho’s widow, Brittney Williams-Otho, 30, said. “Once we released the balloons, they were like, ‘OK guys, we still need you to practice social distancing.’”The police were “very respectful,” Mr. Otho’s widow, Brittney Williams-Otho, 30, said. “Once we released the balloons, they were like, ‘OK guys, we still need you to practice social distancing.’”
For Mr. Otho’s sister Raquel, the moment was cathartic. “For me, it meant the world because I felt like I needed to do something for him,” she said.For Mr. Otho’s sister Raquel, the moment was cathartic. “For me, it meant the world because I felt like I needed to do something for him,” she said.