our collective understanding of the threats posed by inequity — and the work we do to address them. Let’s start by recognizing that people with intellectual disabilities are among those most vulnerable to the novel coronavirus. This is partly because about a quarter of adults with intellectual disabilities in the United States live in group homes. The risk of infection and death in these environments is staggeringly high. A recent study of group homes and similar facilities in New York City estimated that residents are around five times more likely than the general population to develop covid-19, and that those who get it are about five times more likely to die from it. For a host of reasons related to being a medically underserved population, people with intellectual disabilities already suffer disproportionately from preventable disease, chronic pain and premature death. We have yet to resolve inequalities in our health-care system that are causing death, illness and emotional trauma to those who were already marginalized. Health-care providers and support staff must be trained to work with people who have intellectual disabilities — not just during the pandemic but all the time. This kind of training has long been lacking. More than 80 percent of medical students reported receiving no clinical training in the care of patients with disabilities in a 2009 study by the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry. Health-care providers must know how to effectively communicate about covid-19 prevention, how to recognize symptoms and, more broadly, how to treat people with intellectual disabilities. Equally, research to study the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities must be funded. What are the unique biological and epidemiological factors affecting their health? How are limited medical resources being distributed? Research and clinical supports for this population have been scarce, and bad data make for bad policy decisions. Whatever the long-term challenges, people with intellectual disabilities must be treated equitably for coronavirus testing. And when they get sick, they deserve compassionate support. Physical separation on top of sickness and anxiety can be emotionally devastating for anyone. Hospital visitation rules should be carefully relaxed so relatives or caregivers observing strict safety precautions can be with people who have intellectual disabilities during coronavirus care and testing. Over many decades, progress has been made: surely, slowly, beautifully. The May issue of Pediatrics, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, notes: “Children without disabilities have no more


Isolation isn’t new for those with intellectual disabilities. But covid-19 still poses a threat.

80 percent of medical students reported receiving no clinical training in the care of patients with disabilities in a 2009 study by the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry. Health-care providers must know how to effectively communicate about covid-19 prevention, how to recognize symptoms and, more broadly, how to treat people with intellectual disabilities. Equally, research to study the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities must be funded. What are the unique biological and epidemiological factors affecting their health? How are limited medical resources being distributed? Research and clinical supports for this population have been scarce, and bad data make for bad policy decisions. Whatever the long-term challenges, people with intellectual disabilities must be treated equitably for coronavirus testing. And when they get sick, they deserve compassionate support. Physical separation on top of sickness and anxiety can be emotionally devastating for anyone. Hospital visitation rules should be carefully relaxed so relatives or caregivers observing strict safety precautions can be with people who have intellectual disabilities during coronavirus care and testing. Over many decades, progress has been made: surely, slowly, beautifully. The May issue of Pediatrics, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, notes: “Children without disabilities have no more claims to scarce resources, such as organ transplants, than do children with disabilities.” That matter-of-fact line reveals a shift, long in the making, that life-or-death medical decisions must not be tainted by bias about the worth of a human life. That may sound plainly obvious. But it hasn’t always been. Parents asked, and often begged, to have children with intellectual disabilities approved for transplants. Sometimes their efforts succeeded but more often failed. Today, they’re working anew to receive equal treatment for covid-19. They will continue to battle the indifference and active hostility of an establishment that has long considered these lives less valuable and not worth saving. For people with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics was never just a track meet. Our beginning, at the height of the civil rights movement, was a communal leap from darkness into sunlight. The impulse amid a viral threat is to shut down and withdraw, but making the opposite leap now is a global health imperative. The pandemic has clarified what needs to happen. We all have so many questions about what comes next, what dangers and challenges await. If the goal is justice, then the best answer is the one our organization has been


Mexico to start reopening border region, other areas as coronavirus lockdown eases

MEXICO CITY — Mexico's government says it will lift a quarantine for hundreds of counties starting May 18 and will begin to gradually reopen the rest of the nation on June 1 as it seeks to emerge from the coronavirus epidemic. The country has been on a nationwide lockdown for more than seven weeks, and businesses are eager to reopen. Analysts are predicting that the economy could shrink up to 10 percent this year — one of the most significant recessions in Latin America. “We’ve begun a new stage. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said at a news conference on Wednesday. But he cautioned that Mexico was headed for a “new normality” that would require safety measures to prevent major outbreaks of disease. Under the plan, the government would allow 269 municipalities scattered over 15 states to resume most activities on Monday. These are places that have had no confirmed coronavirus cases and whose neighboring counties also have no sign of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. They represent just over 10 percent of all municipalities in Mexico. Other municipalities and states will be assigned a color each week, starting June 1, that indicates the extent to which businesses, schools and public gathering places can function. In addition, three major industries will be included on the list of “essential” sectors that can resume operations nationwide next week — construction, mining and auto manufacturing. Mexico has had significant outbreaks in five cities, including Mexico City, the epicenter. As of Tuesday, the government had logged nearly 4,000 confirmed deaths from covid-19. Authorities have said the actual number is certainly higher. The restrictions in Mexico have been less severe than in many other Latin American countries, relying on persuasion rather than police to keep people home. Schools and most businesses and government offices have had to close, however. Authorities say the restrictions have prevented a nationwide spike in cases, although the virus continues to spread. Some governors expressed concern that Mexico was reopening too early. “Everything is going to collapse, all the measures we have taken to keep people at home,” said Gov. Miguel Barbosa of Puebla, which is home to major Volkswagen and Audi plants. Officials indicated that Mexico City will remain “red” — the highest level of lockdown. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said restaurants, department stores and cinemas would reopen in mid-June,


Coronavirus could roar back if states lift restrictions too soon, top U.S. health officials warn

widely in the fall because the virus appears to be less dangerous to children. “It’s not to say this isn’t deadly, but really, outside of New England, we’ve had a relatively benign course for this virus nationwide,” Paul said. In addition to the outbreak in Northeastern states Paul apparently was citing, virus hot spots across the country have included areas of Louisiana, Florida, Michigan and Washington state. The worst outbreaks in the country were just outside of New England, in New York and New Jersey. “I’ve never made myself out to be the end-all,” Fauci replied. Fauci warned that while the numbers indicate the pathogen is less dangerous to children, “we don’t know everything about this virus.” He noted a spate of new cases of infected children presenting with a “very strange inflammatory syndrome.” Fauci also dismissed the notion that there might be a cure or effective treatments in time for schools to reopen in the fall. “The idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to facilitate reentry of students into fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far,” he said. “The drug that has shown some degree of efficacy was modest and in hospitalized patients” only, he added, referring to remdesivir, the Gilead antiviral drug that has been shown to reduce recovery time for people with covid-19. But Fauci said that remdesivir alone was not sufficient as a therapeutic. Asked by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) whether the virus is contained in the United States, Fauci chose his words carefully. “I think we are going in the right direction,” he said. “But the right direction does not mean we have by any means total control of this outbreak.” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) pressed health officials over whether the Trump administration would release more detailed guidance to aid states beginning to reopen, adding that the guidance so far provided is “criminally vague.” Redfield declined to commit to a specific timetable on when the CDC might issue more detailed guidance. Several media outlets reported last week that the White House rejected CDC guidance because it was overly proscriptive. “You work for a president who is frankly undermining our efforts to comply with the guidance you gave us,” Murphy told the health officials. “The guidance you gave us is criminally vague. The plan to reopen America was to be followed by more nuanced, detailed guidance.”


These are the trips people are dreaming about during the pandemic, according to Internet data

With most travel on lockdown until further notice, the best people can do to cure their wanderlust is plan or window-shop for future trips. According to the data, they’re doing a lot of it. On Google, Pinterest and booking app Hopper, users are searching for destinations, trip ideas and, above all, clarity: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Americans’ biggest travel-related query is when international travel will resume. It’s a good question without a good answer. The State Department is still issuing a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” global health advisory, urging U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel. That recommendation has been in place since mid-March, and with the world still battling the coronavirus pandemic, there are no signs officials will back off it soon. In the meantime, our fantasies live on. Here’s what travelers are searching for. The top U.S. travel searches on its platform from April 1 to May 11 read like a globetrotter’s sad pandemic monologue: "can you travel during shutdown,” “will we be able to travel this summer,” “when will it be safe to travel again,” “where to travel during covid,” “when is it safe to travel again.” Meanwhile, after “when will flights resume” — and “how much shroom to trip first time” — the top Google searches for flights and trips were about the Maldives. (As of Wednesday, the small island nation had reported 904 confirmed cases of covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Your amazing Maldivian vacation can wait.) The third, fourth and fifth most popular searches were regarding flights to and from India. The next top destinations? Sweden, Antarctica, Poland and Switzerland. Always an aspirational social media tool, the platform allows users to find inspiration, collect ideas and share content, and it launched new features to help with travel planning, too. But when the coronavirus pandemic hit, user activity shifted. “In the early phases of the outbreak, Pinners put traveling on hold to focus on needs close to home,” Swasti Sarna, Pinterest insights manager, said in an email. “But in April, future optimism began to take hold as searches for ‘travel ideas’ and ‘travel destinations’ started to climb back up.” Sarna reviewed Pinterest’s travel-related activity, comparing searches from April 20 to May 3 against searches from April 6 to April 19. Her research shows Pinterest users can’t wait to leave town with loved ones. “Travel family” searches were up 78 percent over the previous period,


The Daily 202: Fauci offers coronavirus reality checks – and a warning to not be ‘cavalier’ about the risk to kids

The libertarian downplayed the risk of schools reopening by emphasizing that the disease caused by the coronavirus appears to be less dangerous to children. “It’s not to say this isn’t deadly, but really, outside of New England, we’ve had a relatively benign course for this virus nationwide,” Paul said. Paul, who has become a Trump golfing buddy since running against him for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, called for Fauci to “have a little bit of humility” and told him that he’s not “the end-all.” “We can listen to your advice, but there are people on the other side saying there’s not going to be a surge and that we can safely open the economy, and the facts will bear this out,” said Paul. Fauci protested that he’s never held himself out to be the be-all, end-all. “I don’t give advice about economic things,” he said. “I don’t give advice about anything other than public health.” Then he turned Paul’s riff about being “humble” against him, emphasizing how much even the top experts still do not understand about the way the virus spreads in the human body. “And we really better be very careful, particularly when it comes to children,” Fauci continued, “because the more and more we learn, we’re seeing things about what this virus can do that we didn’t see from the studies in China or in Europe.” Fauci pointed to recent cases of children presenting with covid-19 who have “a very strange inflammatory syndrome” that is “very similar to Kawasaki syndrome.” Health authorities have been sounding the alarm in the United Kingdom and in New York. Children’s National Hospital in the District revealed this week that Kawasaki disease – which causes swollen hands and feet, a rash, red eyes, and fever – has appeared recently in two of its patients. “I think we better be careful [that] we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects,” Fauci told Paul. “I am very careful and hopefully humble in knowing that I don’t know everything about this disease, and that’s why I’m very reserved in making broad predictions.” Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham trashed Fauci in prime time after his testimony. Tucker Carlson was the nastiest, though, appearing to refer to Fauci as “the chief buffoon” during an extended monologue. Fauci has been smeared by the fever swamps of


Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he is crafting a bill focused on limiting liability for businesses whose workers and customers get sick. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) drafted this proposal without input from the White House or Republicans. This is laying a marker for negotiations to come. “The plans will mean a continuation of remote teaching at all 23 campuses in the Cal State system, affecting most of its 482,000 students. Exceptions could be made for laboratory-intensive courses and certain others,” Nick Anderson and Susan Svrluga report. “Cal State’s decision contrasts with a growing movement elsewhere in the country to reopen university campuses in the fall — or at least, announce the intention to do so. … In recent weeks, officials at many other major public universities have proclaimed their plans to welcome students back to campus in the fall, albeit with restrictions. Some schools have been circumspect, saying they plan to make a decision in the next several weeks. Few have openly declared that they will be running mostly online.” (Fun fact: My parents met as students at Cal State Northridge.) Maryland’s Larry Hogan (R) “has told leaders of the Washington suburbs and other places hit hard by the novel coronavirus that they will be able to opt out of a gradual reopening he plans to announce Wednesday … The decision could keep the entire D.C. region under extended restrictions even as more-remote areas begin to restart their economies,” Rachel Chason, Erin Cox, Rebecca Tan and Laura Vozzella report. Virginia’s Ralph “Northam (D) signed an executive order Tuesday extending the shutdown of Northern Virginia until at least May 28, two weeks after restrictions will probably be lifted for the rest of the state. Northam intends to move most of Virginia into ‘phase one’ of his reopening plan on Friday, but areas close to the nation’s capital will remain at ‘phase zero’ until the region’s number of new cases and other data related to the outbreak take a more positive turn. … Hogan plans to announce timing for Maryland’s first phase of reopening on Wednesday. But he reassured leaders of the state’s most populous jurisdictions on Tuesday that they will be able to maintain a stay-at-home order as they see fit.” Coronavirus-related deaths in Northern Virginia are nearly double the average elsewhere in the commonwealth, John Harden tabulates. “Several justices suggested there might be more work for lower courts


A key weapon against the coronavirus: Data on senior-living communities

The May 7 front-page article “Md. nursing homes’ staffers tie outbreaks to shortages” drew attention to the pressing need for personal protective equipment, testing and staffing resources in senior-living communities. We must recognize the extraordinary lengths that many senior-living operators are going to, despite chronic shortages in supplies and support, to protect the lives of residents, staff and the broader community. Data tracking the virus’s impact on these communities not only makes reporting like this possible, but it also is crucial for families, staff, operators and policymakers navigating this pandemic. Good data has been challenging to collect and analyze. We applaud Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) decision to publish coronavirus-related data on Maryland’s congregate-living communities. This data will help protect millions of frail elders and reduce the threat of overcrowding in hospitals. It will also help provide better context for understanding the impact of this crisis as we prepare to open the country, adjust to a post-coronavirus world and prepare for future pandemics. Transparency, based on good data, is good for everyone, and we encourage stakeholders to share their data. In this crisis, doing so might save lives. Brian Jurutka, Annapolis The writer is president and chief executive of the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care. Read more letters to the editor.


Stress was already killing black Americans. Covid-19 is making it worse.

David R. Williams is a professor of public health and African and African American studies at Harvard University. As covid-19 continues to devastate communities of color, I worry that another pandemic is looming — one that will further sicken and shorten black lives, with disastrous long-term effects for our young people. I’m talking about a pandemic of stress, which already has profound implications for the mental and physical health of black Americans and will have a dangerous impact long after the novel coronavirus has been contained. Covid-19 makes everything that’s already bad about a hundred times worse. That is why the pandemic is hitting disadvantaged communities so hard. People in these communities were already struggling to support their families in low-wage jobs, living in substandard housing they could barely afford and beset by violence and pollution in their neighborhoods. They had multiple, chronic stresses. Stress is a normal part of life. But when it is a persistent, daily experience, it exceeds our ability to cope. The resulting physical response leads to increased incidence of high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other health problems. Now layer covid-19 on top of that. The virus is not only killing black Americans in disproportionate numbers. It is also forcing them to risk their health and their lives as essential workers, to care for loved ones who become sick and to attempt to self-isolate in crowded living conditions. Many have lost their jobs, their small businesses or their homes. During the pandemic, children of color may be exposed to traumas with lifelong implications, such as the premature loss of the people closest to them, prolonged parental unemployment and food insecurity. These kinds of profound disruptions during childhood increase the risk in adulthood for heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, chronic lung disease, Alzheimer’s and suicide. For these kids, the crisis isn’t a matter of 12 or 18 months. Its impacts will shape an entire generation. There’s more. Because of racial discrimination, black Americans are more affected by stress than whites. Years ago, I developed the Everyday Discrimination Scale, a comprehensive series of questions to assess commonplace experiences like being treated with less respect or courtesy than others or receiving poorer service in a store or restaurant. Today, a large body of research shows that everyday experiences of racial discrimination create physiological responses that lead to premature aging — meaning that people who experience these


Wizards delay plans to return to practice facility as D.C. shutdown continues

Had the District allowed its stay-at-home order to expire Friday, several Washington Wizards players would have returned to work. Four teammates would have entered Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast Washington wearing masks. Once inside the practice facility, they would have gotten their temperatures checked. If they were cleared, they would have dropped their facial coverings and split up to work with player development coaches, who would have looked more like medical professionals in masks and gloves for the entire workout. After the session, the basketballs, the court and every piece of equipment that had been touched would have been deep-cleaned before another group of players could come through the doors. The Wizards had planned to take extreme measures to safeguard their staffers and players amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, but Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced Wednesday that she extended the District’s stay-at-home order to June 8 because infections did not decline enough. With Washington still shut down, the Wizards’ intentions to reopen the practice facility have been shelved. “We’re not in a position to put up a fuss, but we have to prepare that it will be open on the 15th,” Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard said shortly before he learned the order was extended. “But if [the stay-at-home order] is not [lifted], we’ll open when it is.” By the end of the week, at least 10 of the 30 NBA teams are expected to have reopened their practice facilities as states continue to ease restrictions. The league has set certain mandates to ensure a safe environment: no more than four players are allowed on the court at a time, and scrimmages and group activities are prohibited. But facilities can only open in cities and states where places such as restaurants, bookstores and construction businesses have been allowed to resume limited operations. With Bowser’s announcement, the District probably will be one of the last jurisdictions in the United States to reopen. And because the Wizards are among the Washington businesses deemed nonessential, they must keep their doors closed. “The Washington Wizards are currently taking all necessary precautions to allow players to participate in individual voluntary workouts at the MedStar Wizards Performance Center, including following guidance from local DC health officials,” the Wizards said in a statement. “When permitted to begin, we will ensure that all rules and restrictions set forth by the NBA are strictly followed." On Wednesday


How democracies can survive dilemmas like the coronavirus

The covid-19 pandemic presents politicians and policymakers with the most serious public health crisis this century. Global leaders are working without a road map — and their responses often alternate between denial, panic and soothing yet disingenuous messages of reassurance. This pandemic will pose a major legitimacy test — both for governments in power and for the very systems of governance on which they rely. A wide range of commentators — from Francis Fukuyama to Anne Applebaum to Gideon Rachman and Daron Acemoglu — have weighed in on whether government effectiveness in handling this epidemic will restore or undermine faith in democracy and democratic governance. Here’s what we know for certain: The current crisis hasn’t arrived at a good time for the world’s democracies. Our recent report shows how satisfaction with democratic governance had already eroded during the past decade. Even before the novel coronavirus outbreak, public confidence in democratic institutions was at a low point in the United States, Southern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, as this figure shows. In the early weeks of the outbreak, it seemed that authoritarian China — rather than the democracies of the West — would be discredited by the disease outbreak. Reports emerged that local officials had hushed up initial medical reports, indirectly causing the country’s most severe recession in decades. Commentators were seriously discussing if this could be the beginning of the end of the regime — as Mikhail Gorbachev famously said of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet by early March, China was touting its capacity to conduct effective containment policy. Many of the world’s major democracies, in contrast, are floundering to contain and suppress the coronavirus. Our data show that public faith in democracy depends heavily on how democracies handle policy crises. That’s what makes it so important that democracies are ultimately successful in containing the current pandemic. By drawing upon aggregated, multisurvey data sets from the HUMAN Surveys project that combine all results on democratic legitimacy within a single repository, we constructed a quarterly trend series for satisfaction with democracy, using data from over 4 million respondents, 25 sources and 170 countries between 1973 and 2019. This allowed us to see how democratic publics respond when their countries fall into recession, or are hit by policy crises — such as the 2011-2012 euro crisis or the 2015 refugee crisis in Europe. In


Community deaths

1963 he and three other Americans were held hostage for 10 days by Bolivian miners. After his government career, he was a consultant for the International Media Fund in Washington, helping to develop media companies in Eastern Europe. He moved to West Grove from Annandale, Va., in 2009. Edward Burger Jr., 87, a Georgetown University medical school professor from 1973 to 1990 who later directed a continuing medical education program for doctors in remote parts of Russia, died April 4 at a D.C. hospital. The cause was congestive heart failure, said his wife, Sarah Burger. Dr. Burger, a District resident, was born in Cleveland. From 1969 to 1976, he worked in the office of the president’s science adviser, including work on policies for biomedical research as well as federal environmental and regulatory programs. From 1997 to 2013, he directed the Eurasian Medical Education Program, which is supported by government and foundation grants. Eskander Firouz, 93, a former member of the Iranian parliament and a founding director of the Iranian environmental protection agency, died March 3 at a hospital in Bethesda, Md. The cause was multiple myeloma, said a grandson, Amir-Hussein Radjy. Mr. Firouz was born in Shiraz, Iran, and attended schools in Germany and the United States. He returned to Iran in the late 1940s where he was instrumental in the establishment of Iran’s national parks and wildlife program. He was jailed for six years after the 1979 Iranian revolution that deposed the shah. Since the 1990s, he had lived in Rockville, Md., and in Tehran. Evans Hayward, 98, a physicist who retired from the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 1990, died March 2 at her home in Chevy Chase, Md. The cause was heart disease, said her caregiver, Sonia Clarke. Dr. Hayward was born Evans Vaughan in New Jersey. She joined what then was the National Bureau of Standards in 1950 and specialized in precision measurements of photoatomic cross sections. David Cooper, 88, who was the director of planning and development for the city of Alexandria, Va., from 1974 to 1979, died March 26 at a hospital in Alexandria. The cause was pneumonia, said his wife, Fay Menacker. Mr. Cooper, who had lived in Alexandria since 1974, was born in Paterson, N.J. He worked as a city planner consultant to the city of Falls Church, Va., until the mid-1980s and as a site selection consultant, helping banks


What to do when disaster strikes on vacation

Celeste Gray used to travel without a plan, which allowed her “plenty of room for spontaneity.” But when she found herself stranded in Spain on Sept. 12, 2001, she discovered the importance of organization — and knowing what to do in a crisis. “After 9/11, all flights were canceled, and the airport in Barcelona was filled with stranded travelers,” remembers Gray, who owns and manages vacation rentals in Asheville, N.C. “During that sudden global shutdown, banks immediately closed, leaving many of us stranded without access to money for alternate plans.” A compassionate airline employee fronted her the money for a train ticket to France, where she waited at a friend’s home for flights to resume. But the experience changed her. Today, she doesn’t leave home without travel insurance, cash, an emergency kit and contact information for the nearest U.S. Embassy. As the coronavirus consumes the planet, hundreds of thousands of travelers have learned the same lesson. Stuck at their destinations with shelter-in-place orders, they had to improvise to get home. But even people who weren’t traveling took time to consider: What would I do? With a little planning and quick thinking, you can survive the next earthquake, hurricane or viral outbreak, experts say. “The risks that all travelers face today are ever-evolving, and their preventive and protective approach should be as well,” says Matthew Bradley, regional security director, Americas, of International SOS, a medical and security services company. “Expect the unexpected. Preparing for the most likely scenarios ahead of time, as well as while at your destination, will allow you to travel safely and confidently.” Find out about the risks at your destination before you leave. Those would include any political unrest, common safety threats and illnesses, and the potential for natural disasters. The U.S. State Department publishes detailed country information. If you’re traveling overseas, consider signing up for its Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which offers information from the U.S. Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country. Also check Canadian government and British government reports to arrive at an informed opinion. Sometimes, the most up-to-date information about safety is on the State Department’s Twitter account, according to John Gobbels, chief operating officer of Medjet, a membership program that provides air medical transport and travel security. Gobbels also recommends talking to your family or travel companions about a disaster contingency plan before the trip begins. “Have a family disaster meeting


The Technology 202: Remote work could be here to stay for some tech workers

pandemic began, remote work was growing in popularity in the tech industry. But Shah says it was held back because venture capitalists preferred to invest in companies with offices nearby, and office proximity was also a factor in determining start-up acquisitions. He said the coronavirus has changed that calculation overnight. Tech offices, with perks like coffee bars and more, have also been a key recruiting tool for tech titans. However, they may not be as appealing to workers amid widespread fears about public health and changes to accommodate social distancing. Twitter and other Silicon Valley companies were among the first in the country to send their workers home amid the pandemic. Recent corporate announcements indicate their workforces could be some of the last to return — if they ever do in full. Facebook and Google have told their employees they may work remotely through 2020. And Amazon and Microsoft have informed workers who are able to they can continue to log on offsite at least through the fall. Nikhil Thorat, who works for Google, said that shifting entirely to remote work could lead to more loneliness: A shift to remote work could also disrupt many workers in food service, transportation and other administrative roles who support tech office operations. It also can create greater communication challenges for teams. Hunter Walk, a partner at the venture capital firm Homebrew, said companies need to be intentional about adopting policies to support employees who are going remote. Going remote could be impossible for companies that produce physical goods. Apple will be beginning to bring workers back to its offices while other companies are continuing remote work, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. Elon Musk has been aggressively working to reopen the Tesla’s Fremont, Calif., plant. And Amazon’s warehouse workers have been reporting to work throughout the pandemic to ensure Americans at home can receive essential supplies. (Amazon head Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post). The deliberations, first reported by Ed Hammond at Bloomberg News, could be finalized as soon as this month. Food delivery could be an area of growth for Uber as its ride-hailing business suffers amid widespread stay-at-home orders. Consolidation could help the food delivery industry with an ongoing struggle to turn a profit House antitrust subcommittee Chair David Cicilline (D-R.I.) says the potential deal underscores his call for a moratorium on mergers during the pandemic. Politico’s Cristiano Lima: Both companies said in


The Energy 202: House Democrats don’t touch oil and gas company aid in new coronavirus bill

of the new select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, sent letters last week calling on five publicly traded firms, including a pair of energy related companies, to give back Paycheck Protection Program loans they received in April, E&E News reports. “One of the letters went to EVO Transportation & Energy Services Inc., a trucking company that also operates compressed natural gas fueling stations,” per the report. “Another went to Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc., a company that sells a variety of steel products to power generation and oil and gas companies.” The letters urged the company to return the $10 million loans “so that these funds may be used to support truly small businesses that are struggling to survive during the coronavirus crisis.” U.S. drivers have been more active this week compared to any week since the middle of March, the Associated Press reports, noting traffic volumes are still lower than before states’ lockdowns. “The most recent data shows that activity during the seven-day period ending May 8 was 60% higher than the lowest point since the COVID-19 crisis began. However, activity still was down 49% compared to January 2020 and well below what would be expected in the spring under normal circumstances,” per the AP, which analyzed data from StreetLight Data Inc. President Trump tweeted that local officials should “let Tesla & @elonmusk open the plant, NOW,” a message that received a note of thanks from the electric automaker’s chief executive. “Musk has been pushing to restart its California production that had stopped March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic, though attempts to return have been met with heavy resistance from local authorities,” CNBC reports. The company’s head of global manufacturing said none of its plants around the world – including in China, South Korea and North America — have experienced transmissions since the facilities issued new safety guidelines that include mandating social distancing and masks for workers, Reuters reports. Weather forecasting data is normally gathered by commercial aircraft, which means a lot of the data has stopped flowing as the pandemic has meant many canceled flights, Andrew Freedman reports. “At the global level, networks that vacuum up data from planes flying in Europe, Asia and South America have helped to ensure an ever-growing flow of data that’s benefited modeling centers worldwide, boosting model skill and forecast accuracy,” he writes. “However, with the paucity of flights in the


Virginia, Maryland record consecutive days with declines; Bowser says city is prepared to test members of Congress

The number of known coronavirus cases in the District, Maryland and Virginia was 64,832 on Monday, with 33,373 cases in Maryland, 25,070 in Virginia and 6,389 in the District. The number of virus-related deaths reached 1,683 in Maryland, 850 in Virginia and 328 in the District, for a total of 2,861 fatalities. Here are some of the most significant recent developments as the region responds to the pandemic of the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease covid-19: • The District, Maryland and Virginia added 1,892 covid-19 infections and 55 deaths on Monday, bringing the region’s total death toll to 2,861. Virginia reported 11 new fatalities, continuing a three-day streak of decreasing deaths per day. Maryland added 786 cases, the lowest number in five days. The number of hospitalized patients in Maryland declined to 1,544 on Monday, continuing a five-day streak of decreases. • D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said Monday that city officials have reached out to Congress to assist with covid-19 resources, including offering testing for federal lawmakers at the city’s public health lab. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have already declined the White House’s offer for rapid testing, citing the need to prioritize front-line workers for testing. • In a joint letter, the elected leaders in Northern Virginia’s five largest jurisdictions told Gov. Ralph Northam (D) they are unwilling to lift restrictions, which the governor plans to do in a limited capacity Friday in hopes of reviving the state’s ailing economy. A Northam spokeswoman said the governor requested the letter to “demonstrate unity across the diverse Northern Virginia region” and avoid a situation where neighboring localities had different policies on eased restrictions. When might local restrictions ease?


The choreographing of diplomacy in a time of coronavirus

Pompeo’s physician, who traveled with them. As Pompeo walked down the aisle on the plane, he told a reporter that he was feeling okay. It was not immediately clear whether he would put on a mask during the flight. But at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, the secretary was wearing an American flag mask as he left the plane. There was no formal reception as the traveling party embarked by motorcade for Jerusalem. Shortly before Pompeo’s arrival, the U.S. Embassy announced that Ambassador David Friedman would sit out the meetings because of he was “experiencing mild upper-respiratory symptoms.” An embassy spokesperson said Friedman “was tested for covid-19 and the result was negative. Nevertheless, in an abundance of caution, State Department medical staff have recommended that Ambassador Friedman not be in proximity with Secretary Pompeo.” According to State Department officials, Pompeo will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who unlike Pompeo has worn a mask in public in appearances at the Knesset — and opposition leader Benny Gantz, who is about to form a coalition with Netanyahu. Pompeo’s agenda includes two of the handful of topics he spends most of his time talking about these days: what he calls Iran’s malign activities in the region, and ways to curb the coronavirus pandemic. Israel is considering a unilateral annexation of large parts of the West Bank. In pre-pandemic times, this expected move would be the top item up for discussion. But the reason for the trip is in question. “Well, first, the secretary is traveling at the invitation of the Israeli government, and Israel is actually I think doing very well at containing the virus,” David Schenker, the assistant secretary for near-eastern affairs, told reporters when asked to explain the need for an in-person trip now. “The secretary is looking forward to seeing his counterparts and the new Israeli government, the prime minister, face to face.” Israel has taken an aggressive approach to stomping down the virus, and as a result has just 254 confirmed cases of covid-19 in a population of 9 million and is on the downward slope of the curve. Though it is starting to relax its restrictions by allowing children to return to school and shoppers to hit the malls, the Israeli government had to bend a rule or two for Pompeo to come in person. It maintains a ban on most foreign visitors. The quarantine was


USA Gymnastics won’t hold any premier competitions until 2021, citing health risks

USA Gymnastics announced Tuesday it will hold no further premier competitions in 2020 because of the health risks posed by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the 2020 U.S. championships, which were scheduled for June 4-7 in Fort Worth, will be held at the same venue June 3-6, 2021. Three other major competitions are being postponed until 2021: the GK U.S. Classic; the U.S. championships for rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling and acrobatic gymnastics; and the U.S. Olympic trials. Five-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles was seeking a record seventh individual all-around national championship at the U.S. championships. At the 2019 competition, Biles routed the field to claim four gold medals: her record-tying sixth individual all-around gold and golds on vault, balance beam and floor. Moreover, she performed two skills never executed in competition by a female gymnast, which meant they now bear her name — a triple-double (two flips with three twists) on the floor; and a double-double (two flips with two twists) dismount on balance beam. Tuesday’s decision brings clarity to gymnasts and their coaches as they reset their training regimens amid the shutdown of virtually every gym in the country. Even after the Tokyo Games were postponed until July 2021, it was unclear whether USA Gymnastics would proceed with its major competitions at some point this year. “In light of recent guidance from health experts, and after receiving feedback from our athletes and coaches, we believe it is in the best interest of our community to wait until 2021 to hold premier events,” Li Li Leung, USA Gymnastics’ chief executive, said in a statement. In addition, a major USA Gymnastics gathering scheduled for June 25-28 in St. Louis in conjunction with the now-deferred U.S. Olympic trials — the 2020 National Congress and Trade Show — will be “reformatted” as a virtual event. The GK U.S. Classic, previously scheduled for May 23, 2020, at XL Center in Hartford, Conn., will be held at the same venue May 22, 2021. Yet to be determined are 2021 dates for the USA Gymnastics Championships (all disciplines except artistic gymnastics) and the U.S. Olympic trials. Those are expected to be announced in the next few weeks. Tickets already bought for the 2020 events will be valid for the new dates, the statement said. Ticket holders can also request a refund, and they should receive details on the 2021 events, ticketing and refund policies in


Your guide to buying a stand-alone freezer — if you can find one

to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. Frozen food sales skyrocketed, too: American Frozen Food Institute figures show a sales increase of 94 percent in March compared with a year ago. “At first, covid-19 caused a bit of panic-buying and turning to freezing for a longer shelf life,” says Adrienne Seiling, vice president of strategic communications at the American Frozen Food Institute. Now, she says, it’s all about the “level of satisfaction and comfort” of having a full freezer. A stocked pantry is a big concern when there is no way to know what a trip to the grocery store will yield, says Michael Ruhlman, food journalist and author of “Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America.” Some shoppers are checking out the variety of goods in the freezer cases for the first time. “As this period unfolds, we will become better and better freezers and more organized freezers,” Ruhlman says. Jessica Petrino, editorial director at AJ Madison, a national appliance dealer, says the industry did not foresee the ferocity of the pandemic and was not prepared for the spike in demand. “These were not hot-ticket items,” Petrino says. Because many freezer parts are sourced in China, some manufacturers are having difficulty getting more freezers into stores. Hundreds of thousands of freezers are on back order, she says. “Everyone is rethinking how they purchase food. In parts of the country, going to the grocery store is a scary event,” Petrino says. Clarence Birdseye introduced flash-freezing methods for fish and vegetables in the 1920s. His company was eventually sold and became the Birds Eye division of General Foods. In the 1930s and 1940s, more Americans replaced their ice boxes with electric refrigerators, which had small compartments for ice trays and other frozen items. By the late 1940s, the country’s postwar boom brought busy families more selections of frozen fruits and vegetables to make meal planning easier. Because more women were now working outside the home, the appeal of frozen meals as a timesaver grew. Hunters and farmers, too, used chest freezers for storing large quantities of meat and farm products. In the 1950s, with the invention of fast-cook foods such as frozen fish sticks and TV dinners, frozen meals became an important part of Americans’ meals, and separate freezers were in demand. Victoria Matranga, design programs coordinator at the International Housewares Association, says the use of free-standing freezers closely


The triumph of experience over hope

involve testing widely to identify new cases, tracing an infected person’s contacts over the preceding weeks, and isolating those infected and exposed through some combination of in-home or central quarantine. For about a month, I was hopeful that we could achieve a “South Korea solution.” Unfortunately, it’s become clear that we’ve failed. The metric set early on for ending lockdowns — 14 days of declining caseloads — was probably not aggressive enough to make a test/trace/isolate strategy viable in a country with such widespread outbreaks. But that’s moot, anyway, as states have begun opening up without hitting even that weak target or having built the kind of public health tools needed to hunt the virus to extinction. I should have predicted this. I am a libertarian, and libertarians expect large government efforts to fail. I have written previously about the peculiar inability of American governmental institutions to do things that seem to work abroad. Obviously, it’s possible for a government to keep covid-19 at bay, if not entirely under control. But I allowed my hope to overwhelm my natural skepticism. Mine aren’t the only hopes dashed: Experience has triumphed over hope almost everywhere. Look again at the countries widely applauded for preventing an epidemic despite trade with China that should have seeded many outbreaks. What do Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong have in common? They are close to China, and they lived through the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s. The countries that survived SARS had a playbook ready to haul out when the next epidemic hit. The countries that SARS bypassed also relied on experience, in a way, but that experience had taught them to hope that pandemics were something peculiar to Asia or Africa or other places where Everything Is Different. Running that playbook against this coronavirus turned out to be disastrous. To be fair, for all the problems with U.S. institutions, America’s outbreak thus far hasn’t been unusually bad. With about 250 deaths per million citizens, we’re solidly in the middle of the pack. The United States is underperforming Germany and Canada but roughly on par with Switzerland, and we’re doing significantly better than France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Britain. This suggests that America didn’t try to live on hope because there’s something especially wrong with our institutions, or with President Trump. And as securities lawyer Jeremy Senderowicz recently pointed out, one U.S. institution did have


The billionaire who cried pandemic

Amazon and owner of The Washington Post. Gates has poured much of his wealth into the foundation he runs with his wife. It has become one of the world’s largest philanthropies, with an endowment of $46.8 billion as of 2018. Over the past two decades, he has gradually shed his Microsoft responsibilities to focus on philanthropic work. In March, he gave up the last of his formal Microsoft titles, stepping down from the company’s board, though he said he would continue to provide technology advice to its leadership. A pillar of Gates’s philanthropic thrust has been addressing the infectious diseases, such as malaria and polio, that continue to devastate the developing world. His foundation helped create a market for drugs for those diseases, which were often ignored by a pharmaceutical industry that has a financial incentive to develop medication for ailments common in the more lucrative markets of the developed world. His knowledge of infectious diseases led him to the conclusion in 2015 that a pathogen-based pandemic could sweep over the globe, killing indiscriminately and destroying economies. “If anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s most likely to be a highly infectious virus rather than a war,” Gates said in his TED Talk, which seems eerily prescient today. He expressed concern that governments hadn’t invested in systems to stop a pandemic in the same way they financed nuclear deterrents. He encouraged the development of strong health systems in poor countries where he expected the outbreak to first emerge. He pushed for stepped-up research into and development of vaccines and diagnostic testing apparatus. And he called for “germ games,” akin to war games, to simulate a pandemic to help identify shortcomings. “We need to get going, because time is not on our side,” Gates said in the talk. It’s an issue he has regularly raised with government leaders around the world. That warning largely fell on deaf ears. The lack of response is something Gates laments as “unfortunate.” “I often think, ‘Could I have been more persuasive?’ ” Gates said. The foundation invested in efforts to prepare for a pandemic even before Gates’s TED Talk. Leaders including Gates worried about the impact the Ebola outbreak in 2014 had on its global health work and spent hundreds of millions of dollars building scientific infrastructure that is now helping slow the spread of the disease. In 2017, it


Reopening States Need to Be Ready to Reclose

The U.S. is at a turning point in its response to Covid-19. Most states are taking steps toward reopening their economies. The big and challenging question is whether they’ll be able to keep moving in this direction. It’s tempting to assume that the world will see a consistent and linear progression toward normalcy. But that might not happen. As efforts to mitigate Covid-19 are relaxed, new infections are inevitable, and these in turn may multiply fresh outbreaks. Deadly surges of Covid-19 remain possible during the long wait for a vaccine. To ensure that these don’t become unmanageable, states and cities need to design circuit breakers — thresholds of viral activity that, when reached, prompt them to impose renewed restrictions. Many governors who have begun reopening have done so without meeting the data-driven benchmarks set by the White House. An important one of these is a 14-day downward trajectory of documented Covid-19 cases. States are advised to continue to follow this guideline as they consider further loosening business restrictions — that is, wait until they see a another two-week decline before moving ahead. It’s possible the data will send a very different message, however, and states need to be ready to move in the opposite direction when it does. If hospital capacity is strained, if there’s a sustained five-day increase in infections, or if health officials observe a substantial number of new cases that aren’t traceable to known outbreaks, then states should return to stricter control measures, according to a reopening plan from former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb that inspired the Trump administration reopening guidelines. Other countries have demonstrated how to respond to such circuit breakers in the data. China, for instance, is reacting to a relatively small number of new Covid-19 cases in one region by amping up restrictions there. Germany, as it reopens, is watching to see whether any region exceeds 50 new infections per 100,000 residents over the course of seven days; if so, limits on movement and behavior will be reinstated there. America’s high rate of coronavirus infections only amplifies its need to draw such lines. States need circuit breakers in place well before autumn, when a possible surge in Covid-19 could combine with an emerging flu season to produce dangerous new outbreaks. A renewed threat to hospital capacity should be one key circuit breaker, but it should not be the only one. Escalating


return to stricter control measures, according to a reopening plan from former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb that inspired the Trump administration reopening guidelines. Other countries have demonstrated how to respond to such circuit breakers in the data. China, for instance, is reacting to a relatively small number of new Covid-19 cases in one region by amping up restrictions there. Germany, as it reopens, is watching to see whether any region exceeds 50 new infections per 100,000 residents over the course of seven days; if so, limits on movement and behavior will be reinstated there. America’s high rate of coronavirus infections only amplifies its need to draw such lines. States need circuit breakers in place well before autumn, when a possible surge in Covid-19 could combine with an emerging flu season to produce dangerous new outbreaks. A renewed threat to hospital capacity should be one key circuit breaker, but it should not be the only one. Escalating spread of Covid-19 should also trigger targeted restrictions, to provide hospitals and contact tracers a chance to keep up. As New York City and other heavily affected areas have demonstrated, hospitals take a whole lot longer to empty than they do to fill, and a great deal of suffering and death occurs long before all the intensive-care beds are full. In future surges of Covid-19, health care providers should not be expected to return to working grueling hours. They should be kept safe, rested and able to care for patients with conditions other than Covid-19. The amount of such care put on hold during the pandemic is surely contributing to the excess mortality seen in several regions of the world. To the extent that hospitals and other health care facilities can return to the normal business of medicine, they should not be interrupted by fresh coronavirus outbreaks. Any renewal of stay-at-home restrictions would be unpleasant and unpopular. But if states monitor the data carefully and respond in time to keep the coronavirus under control, they can avoid much greater pain in the long run. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Max Nisen is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, pharma and health care. He previously wrote about management and corporate strategy for Quartz and Business Insider. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion ©2020 Bloomberg L.P.


D.C. extends shutdown Maryland to reopen

restrictions before June 8 if the spread of the virus slows quicker than expected — but also could extend them again if needed. LaQuandra Nesbitt, the director of the D.C. Health department, speaks at a Wednesday’s news conference. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post) “Hopefully we won’t have to,” Bowser said. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) was expected to announce reopening plans at a 5 p.m. news conference. Leaders of Maryland’s largest counties and Baltimore City said Tuesday that they’d been assured by the governor that they could stay closed even as he eases restrictions elsewhere. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) this week extended the Northern Virginia shutdown until at least May 28. Starting Friday, he is expected to allow the rest of the state to resume indoor worship services of more than 10 people, outdoor dining at restaurants, outdoor exercise classes and shopping at nonessential stops — all with strict cleaning and social distancing measures in place. Hospitals across the D.C. area have avoided the kind of surge in cases that crippled medical facilities in New York City, which local leaders point to as evidence that social distancing works. But officials have been hesitant to reopen the Washington area — which has seen a disproportionately high number of cases compared to further-out parts of Virginia and Maryland — out of fear of another wave of infections for which the health care system may not be prepared. The covid-19 death toll in the District, Maryland and Virginia passed 3,000 on Wednesday after government health departments reported 103 new fatalities. The deaths include 14 in the District and three dozen in Virginia, including nine in Fairfax County, seven in Prince William County and three in Arlington. Maryland disclosed 53 fatalities, with Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties reporting 15 and 16 new deaths, respectively. [Tracking the daily data on covid-19 in D.C. MD and VA] Known infections in Prince George’s passed 10,000, the most of any jurisdiction in the greater Washington area. Maryland also reported that the number of covid-related deaths among residents and employees at nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and group homes has risen to 995, up from 804 the week before. According to a Washington Post analysis, 50 percent of the 372 fatalities reported by the state since last Wednesday involve residents or staff at long-term care facilities. In Montgomery County, the state’s most populous jurisdiction, 294 deaths — or nearly 70


Reinventing Holidays for the Coronavirus Era

The world’s biggest package-holiday company has given a glimpse of what vacations will look like as long as the novel coronavirus remains a potent health threat. Say goodbye to the all-you-can eat buffet and get ready for a renaissance in road trips as getting away means staying very close to home for the foreseeable future. That’s bad news for Tui AG, which gets the majority of its business from international holidaymakers. On Wednesday, the German company said it will cut up to 8,000 jobs, about 15% of its workforce, to slash costs and cope with the new, grim reality in the global travel industry. Lockdowns paralyzing countries around the world meant it burned through 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) of cash from March 27 to May 10, as it had to shut hotels, cancel trips and refund customers. Even as restrictions are eased, the near future doesn’t look much brighter. Discussions on reopening international borders are only just beginning, leaving the potential for lengthy quarantines — not a great way to spend one’s vacation. And there’s no certainty holidaymakers worried about catching the virus will want to travel abroad anyway. So this summer looks pretty much like a washout. Tui has only sold around 35% of its summer 2020 offerings, compared to the some 60% it would usually have booked up by now in a normal year. In order to adjust, Tui Chief Executive Officer Fritz Joussen said the company is reinventing its holiday offerings to focus on more local travel, which it expects to recover more quickly. When Europeans start to travel again, they are likely to stay in their home countries, or possibly venture only a bit further afield to visit neighboring nations. That has certainly been the case in China, where Tui has already restarted its business for domestic trips. With that in mind, of all Tui’s hotels around the world, the company is first preparing to reopen ones on Germany’s North and Baltic Sea coasts, popular destinations for its domestic clientele. There will need to be strict hygiene measures. Wherever possible in Tui hotels, food and drink will be served to guests by staff wearing masks. The company will also promote more hotel packages without flights included to tap demand from customers who want to drive in their own cars. The risk is that this encourages more customers to book directly with hotels themselves, and avoid


border refuge trump records

screening interviews between March 21 and May 13 under the Convention Against Torture, effectively the only category of protection in the United States that is still available to those who express a fear of grave harm if rejected. USCIS rejected 54 applicants, and three cases are pending, according to the data, which do not indicate nationality or other demographic information of those screened. http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/world/us-deportees-go-through-disinfection-tunnel-in-mexico/2020/04/22/ca5107c0-1b5c-41e4-9d93-9cbbbea27cd2_video.html (Tamaulipas Migrant Institute) Lucas Guttentag, an immigration legal scholar who served in the Obama administration and now teaches at Stanford and Yale, said the border measures “are designed to pay lip service” to U.S. law and international treaty obligations “without providing any actual protection or screening.” “The whole purpose of asylum law is to give exhausted, traumatized and uninformed individuals a chance to get to a full hearing in U.S. immigration courts, and this makes that almost impossible,” Guttentag said. “It’s a shameful farce.” [U.S. is deporting infected migrants back to vulnerable countries] Among migrants who sought protection to avoid being deported, U.S. immigration courts granted asylum to 13,248 in 2018, according to the most recent statistics from the Department of Homeland Security. A USCIS spokesman referred questions to DHS, which did not respond to requests for comment. Mark Morgan, the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, defended the restrictions to reporters last week, insisting the measures were a public health response that did not amount to a new immigration policy. “The president’s proactive and aggressive containment and mitigation network of common-sense policies and initiatives with respect to covid-19 has been both historic and effective to slow the spread of the disease,” Morgan said. Despite the administration’s claims of an external threat, the United States remains the world’s worst coronavirus hot spot, by far. The country’s 1.37 million confirmed cases is 1.1 million more than the next-highest nation — Russia — and the U.S. death toll of more than 82,000 is almost two and a half times the next-highest country. Some experts and advocates point to the administration’s long-running effort to close the U.S. border and build a wall there as the main reason for the new measures, seeing them as an excuse to implement the kind of blanket closures the president has sought for years. http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/a-border-wall-will-not-stop-coronavirus-despite-trumps-claims/2020/03/12/f6402222-4f71-49ee-8948-7a2d8c1cf77a_video.html (REF:kellym/The Washington Post) Trump administration officials began limiting access to U.S. immigration courts and the asylum system well before the pandemic, in response to an unprecedented influx


Families seek extra freezer space as they cook more and shop less

to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. Frozen food sales skyrocketed, too: American Frozen Food Institute figures show a sales increase of 94 percent in March compared with a year ago. GE’s 15.7-cubic-foot chest freezer with manual defrost. (GE Appliances) “At first, covid-19 caused a bit of panic-buying and turning to freezing for a longer shelf life,” says Adrienne Seiling, vice president of strategic communications at the American Frozen Food Institute. Now, she says, it’s all about the “level of satisfaction and comfort” of having a full freezer. A stocked pantry is a big concern when there is no way to know what a trip to the grocery store will yield, says Michael Ruhlman, food journalist and author of “Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America.” Some shoppers are checking out the variety of goods in the freezer cases for the first time. “As this period unfolds, we will become better and better freezers and more organized freezers,” Ruhlman says. Jessica Petrino, editorial director at AJ Madison, a national appliance dealer, says the industry did not foresee the ferocity of the pandemic and was not prepared for the spike in demand. “These were not hot-ticket items,” Petrino says. Because many freezer parts are sourced in China, some manufacturers are having difficulty getting more freezers into stores. Hundreds of thousands of freezers are on back order, she says. “Everyone is rethinking how they purchase food. In parts of the country, going to the grocery store is a scary event,” Petrino says. Coming to love frozen foods Clarence Birdseye introduced flash-freezing methods for fish and vegetables in the 1920s. His company was eventually sold and became the Birds Eye division of General Foods. In the 1930s and 1940s, more Americans replaced their ice boxes with electric refrigerators, which had small compartments for ice trays and other frozen items. By the late 1940s, the country’s postwar boom brought busy families more selections of frozen fruits and vegetables to make meal planning easier. Because more women were now working outside the home, the appeal of frozen meals as a timesaver grew. Hunters and farmers, too, used chest freezers for storing large quantities of meat and farm products. In the 1950s, with the invention of fast-cook foods such as frozen fish sticks and TV dinners, frozen meals became an important part of Americans’ meals, and separate freezers were in demand. Victoria Matranga, design


health with economic health. The libertarian downplayed the risk of schools reopening by emphasizing that the disease caused by the coronavirus appears to be less dangerous to children. “It’s not to say this isn’t deadly, but really, outside of New England, we’ve had a relatively benign course for this virus nationwide,” Paul said. Paul, who has become a Trump golfing buddy since running against him for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, called for Fauci to “have a little bit of humility” and told him that he’s not “the end-all.” “We can listen to your advice, but there are people on the other side saying there’s not going to be a surge and that we can safely open the economy, and the facts will bear this out,” said Paul. Fauci protested that he’s never held himself out to be the be-all, end-all. “I don’t give advice about economic things,” he said. “I don’t give advice about anything other than public health.” Then he turned Paul’s riff about being “humble” against him, emphasizing how much even the top experts still do not understand about the way the virus spreads in the human body. “And we really better be very careful, particularly when it comes to children,” Fauci continued, “because the more and more we learn, we’re seeing things about what this virus can do that we didn’t see from the studies in China or in Europe.” Fauci pointed to recent cases of children presenting with covid-19 who have “a very strange inflammatory syndrome” that is “very similar to Kawasaki syndrome.” Health authorities have been sounding the alarm in the United Kingdom and in New York. Children’s National Hospital in the District revealed this week that Kawasaki disease – which causes swollen hands and feet, a rash, red eyes, and fever – has appeared recently in two of its patients. “I think we better be careful [that] we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects,” Fauci told Paul. “I am very careful and hopefully humble in knowing that I don’t know everything about this disease, and that’s why I’m very reserved in making broad predictions.” Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham trashed Fauci in prime time after his testimony. Tucker Carlson was the nastiest, though, appearing to refer to Fauci as “the chief buffoon” during an extended monologue. Fauci has been smeared by


parts of Asia is also prompting a return to closures in places that had claimed success in battling the disease or appeared to have eradicated it altogether, including South Korea, regarded as one of the continent’s top success stories. … In the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the pandemic first emerged, authorities on Tuesday ordered the testing of all 11 million inhabitants after a cluster of six new infections emerged, five weeks after the city had apparently rid itself of the disease. Germany, which is widely regarded as the model in Europe of a balanced coronavirus response, is warning that some areas may have to reinstate restrictions after localized outbreaks caused a rise in cases.” Paris police banned drinking by the Seine after revelers defied social distancing measures on Monday, the first day France began to lift some of its restrictions. All of Saudi Arabia will go into 24-hour lockdown for the five-day holiday marking the end of Ramadan in 10 days. The move rolls back the easing of restrictions that were allowed during the fasting time of the Muslim holiday. That period has brought a dramatic increase in new infections around Riyadh, as well as across the Persian Gulf region. (Paul Schemm) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Israel this morning wearing a face mask with the colors of the U.S. flag. Pompeo is the most senior U.S. official who has traveled abroad sinceMarch. (Carol Morello and John Wagner) The Mexican border town of Nogales is spraying all travelers crossing over from neighboring Nogales, Ariz., with a sanitation solution as a precaution against the virus. (Mellen) Beijing is stalling international efforts to investigate the source of the virus. “Initially, Chinese officials seemed to be homing in quickly on the origins of the pathogen, they said. China’s disease-control agency said in January it suspected the virus had come from a wild animal at the Huanan market and that identifying the beast was ‘only a matter of time.’ Since then, Chinese officials have increasingly questioned whether the virus originated in the country and rejected calls for an international investigation from U.S., Australian and European officials,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “China has only made public the genetic sequences of ‘environmental samples’ from the market’s sewers, stalls and a garbage truck—not material directly from any animals—Chinese and foreign researchers say. Some say they’ve been told by Chinese officials that animals taken


increase the more people are working.’ Austin’s concerns will likely be mirrored in communities nationwide as the reopening of stores and factories creates new opportunities for the virus to spread. … Of the 15 U.S. counties with the highest per-capita infection rates between April 28 and May 5, all are homes to meatpacking and poultry-processing plants or state prisons." Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) said state health officials will no longer share figures showing how many workers have been infected with the virus at meat plants. He said last week that 1,005 workers at meatpacking plants in the state had tested positive. Union officials say the case counts are rising because several large meat plants around the country, including two in Nebraska, are still in the process of testing their workers. (Peter Whoriskey) Advice from the nation’s top disease-control experts on how to safely reopen businesses included more detailed guidelines and recommendations on how to help communities prepare for virus flare-ups than the plan released by the White House last month. The 63-page documentwasobtained by the AP. Georgia – whose Gov. Brian Kemp (R) overruled local restrictions in a race to reopen its economy that has hurt him in the polls – may not have enough hospital beds to treat the expected second wave of critically ill patients infected with the virus. (Center for Public Integrity) Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) will allow the state’s stay-at-home order to expire on Friday, despite criticism of his claim that new cases have fallen. (Samantha Pell) The Trump administration is unlikely to allow the tens of thousands of laid-off holders of H-1B and other work visas to extend their stays in the U.S. amid the pandemic. Many foreigners are here on skilled-worker visas that don’t allow for them to be furloughed and demand that they find another job within 60 days of being laid off. (NYT) As harvest season ramps up, millions of farmworkers who risk infection in fields and packinghouses lack basic workplace safety protections. Labor conditions on farms are much less regulated than in meat plants. (Politico) April saw the sharpest increase in grocery store prices in nearly 50 years, led by rising prices for meat and eggs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Laura Reiley) Most Americans doubt that social gatherings will be safe for months. “Americans are curbing their expectations about when it will be safe for


orders in place well into the summer, the county’s public health director said. (Los Angeles Times) A veterinary lab at Oklahoma State University – which typically tests for diseases such as rabies in dogs and respiratory ailments in Oklahoma’s cattle – has been running more human coronavirus tests than any other lab in the Sooner State. (Karin Brulliard) The governors of Virginia and Maryland will allow the D.C. suburbs to keep stay-at-home orders in effect. Maryland's Larry Hogan (R) “has told leaders of the Washington suburbs and other places hit hard by the novel coronavirus that they will be able to opt out of a gradual reopening he plans to announce Wednesday … The decision could keep the entire D.C. region under extended restrictions even as more-remote areas begin to restart their economies,” Rachel Chason, Erin Cox, Rebecca Tan and Laura Vozzella report. Virginia's Ralph “Northam (D) signed an executive order Tuesday extending the shutdown of Northern Virginia until at least May 28, two weeks after restrictions will probably be lifted for the rest of the state. Northam intends to move most of Virginia into ‘phase one’ of his reopening plan on Friday, but areas close to the nation’s capital will remain at ‘phase zero’ until the region’s number of new cases and other data related to the outbreak take a more positive turn. … Hogan plans to announce timing for Maryland’s first phase of reopening on Wednesday. But he reassured leaders of the state’s most populous jurisdictions on Tuesday that they will be able to maintain a stay-at-home order as they see fit.” Coronavirus-related deaths in Northern Virginia are nearly double the average elsewhere in the commonwealth, John Harden tabulates. Welcome to The Daily 202, PowerPost’s essential briefing for decision makers. The rule of law The Supreme Court’s oral arguments over Trump’s tax returns suggest a mixed outcome. “Several justices suggested there might be more work for lower courts to do, which could delay any turnover of the documents being sought by congressional Democrats and Manhattan’s district attorney until after November’s election. In more than three hours of teleconferenced hearings, broadcast to all who wanted to listen in, the justices debated presidential authority and accountability from all angles, and now they will meet in private to try to reach consensus,” Robert Barnes and Ann Marimow report. “In general, the justices seemed more troubled by subpoenas issued by three House


Parts of Md. and Va. set to loosen restrictions; D.C. stays shut

as Memorial Day approaches] The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus sent him a letter Wednesday urging against reopening, which they said could especially hurt African Americans, who have disproportionately succumbed to the virus. “We will be creating a situation where Black and Brown Virginians outside of Northern Virginia will become guinea pigs for our economy,” the caucus wrote. In response, a spokeswoman for Northam said he was committed to protecting low-income people and communities of color while reopening. An amusement park is closed along Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post) The covid-19 death toll in the District, Maryland and Virginia passed 3,000 on Wednesday after government health departments reported 103 new fatalities. The deaths include 14 in the District and three dozen in Virginia, including nine in Fairfax County, seven in Prince William County and three in Arlington. Maryland disclosed 53 fatalities, with Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties reporting 15 and 16 new deaths, respectively. Known infections in Prince George’s passed 10,000, the most of any jurisdiction in the greater Washington area. Maryland also reported that the number of covid-19-related deaths among residents and employees at nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and group homes has risen to 995, up from 804 the week before. According to a Washington Post analysis, half of the 372 fatalities reported by the state since last Wednesday involved residents or staff at long-term care facilities. In Montgomery, the state’s most populous jurisdiction, 294 deaths — or nearly 70 percent of its total — are linked to long-term care facilities. This is significantly higher than neighboring Prince George’s, where about 37 percent of covid-19 deaths are linked to nursing homes. [How coronavirus spread through Maryland nursing homes] D.C. health department director LaQuandra Nesbitt said the city is measuring community transmission by focusing on when people started developing symptoms — because test results lag behind when people were infected — and excluding new infections at group facilities such as nursing homes. The District has seen four days of declining community transmission, she said, but officials want to see that decline continue for two weeks before reopening. The city has met other reopening metrics, such as hospitals running below 80 percent of capacity for seven days in a row and the ability to test high-risk groups. LaQuandra Nesbitt, the director of the D.C. Health department, gives an update Wednesday on how the city is adjusting to the


The Finance 202: House Democratic rescue package faces a slog, but Fed officials highlight its urgency

California: “Musk continued to ramp up production Tuesday at the company’s Fremont facilities, where Tesla produces its electric vehicles. Workers’ cars filled up the company’s parking lot, with no signs of any enforcement actions by Alameda County officials, who sent a letter Monday telling the company to cease production. Musk drew public support from the president on Tuesday. ‘California should let Tesla & @elonmusk open the plant, NOW,’ [Trump] tweeted. ‘It can be done Fast & Safely!’ Musk tweeted back, ‘Thank you!’” More from the corporate front: Amazon and Google help states as unemployment claims surge: “States including Rhode Island, Kansas and New York are turning to tech companies including Amazon Web Services and Google to handle an unprecedented rise in unemployment claims,” WSJ's Sarah Chaney reports. (Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) States attorneys general ask Amazon for data on worker infections: “ A group of 13 U.S. attorneys general on Tuesday asked Amazon.com Inc to provide data on coronavirus-related deaths and infections among its workforce, along with evidence of the company’s compliance with paid sick leave laws,” Reuters's Krystal Hu and Nandita Bose report. Boeing 737 Max cancellations mount: Boeing said “that customers canceled 108moreorders for737 Max jetliners in April, further whittling down the company’s backlog of planes,” CNBC's Leslie Josephs reports. Big food brands are back: “Packaged grocery brands that had run up against Americans’ growing preference for fresh and private-label foods are seeing a resurgence as iconic brands like Goldfish, Oreos, Campbell Soup and Doritos fill the pantries of homebound consumers in search of small pleasures,” Thomas Heath reports. Around the world: Some countries are reimposing lockdowns after reopening: “Such a resurgence of cases had been widely predicted by experts, but these increasing numbers come as a sobering reminder of the challenges ahead …,” Liz Sly and Loveday Morris report from Beirut. “Lebanon on Tuesday became the latest country to reimpose restrictions after experiencing a surge of infections, almost exactly two weeks after it appeared to have contained the spread of the virus and began easing up.” Europe encounters trouble amid trying to reopen borders: “Some European countries want to move faster than their neighbors do, many want to welcome tourists this summer and most need workers who commute to jobs across borders. How Europe handles the challenge could offer a model for other continents and set the pace for its own economic recovery,”


Russia’s health-care system struggles to keep pace with growing cases

in use in ICU wards. The lack of protective equipment and resulting sickness among health workers has seen doctors walk off the job, fearing infection and death. Hospitals have emerged as super-spreader sites, with the infection sweeping through coronavirus wards, known in Russia as “red zone” wards and “green zones” or “clean zones” for other patients. At least 400 hospitals had been identified as hot spots, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Wednesday, calling it the kind of thing that “tends to happen.” He said the situation was “tense but controllable.” The St. Petersburg governor, Alexander Beglov, said 1,465 medical workers in that city alone had been infected with the coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic, RIA Novosti reported. Personnel move beds to compartments at the temporary hospital for covid-19 patients at the Crocus City exhibition center in Moscow on May 11. (Sergei Chirikov/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) Questions on Russia’s count “The risk of getting covid-19 in the clean zone of a covid-19 hospital is very high,” Alexandra said. She said some students who had been contacted by hospitals to start work had been given no choice on whether they would work in red zones or green zones. “We are talking about very serious infection and forcing students to work with such an infection and calling it practical work is inadmissible,” she said. “It’s a violation of our right to life.” Students including pregnant women, young mothers, those with underlying health conditions that put them at risk and those with older parents whom they could infect, were ordered to work in hospitals treating covid-19 patients, she added. “We are concerned that we won’t have personal protective equipment. There are shortages that we all know about, so where are they going to get the necessary quantities for us?” she said. Alexey Erlikh, head of the cardiological intensive care unit at Hospital 29 in Moscow, who helped launch the online memorial list of medical workers who died of covid-19, said the tally did not purport to include all deaths, relying on colleagues and family reporting to the organizers. “It is very important to be open about it and technically it is possible to count them,” he said. “I feel bad that the officials are talking about sacrifice of medical workers, and yet they do not count the sick and dead ones. I can only use a bad word for it.” He is now treating


with the coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic, RIA Novosti reported. Personnel move beds to compartments at the temporary hospital for covid-19 patients at the Crocus City exhibition center in Moscow on May 11. (Sergei Chirikov/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) Questions on Russia’s count “The risk of getting covid-19 in the clean zone of a covid-19 hospital is very high,” Alexandra said. She said some students who had been contacted by hospitals to start work had been given no choice on whether they would work in red zones or green zones. “We are talking about very serious infection and forcing students to work with such an infection and calling it practical work is inadmissible,” she said. “It’s a violation of our right to life.” Students including pregnant women, young mothers, those with underlying health conditions that put them at risk and those with older parents whom they could infect, were ordered to work in hospitals treating covid-19 patients, she added. “We are concerned that we won’t have personal protective equipment. There are shortages that we all know about, so where are they going to get the necessary quantities for us?” she said. Alexey Erlikh, head of the cardiological intensive care unit at Hospital 29 in Moscow, who helped launch the online memorial list of medical workers who died of covid-19, said the tally did not purport to include all deaths, relying on colleagues and family reporting to the organizers. “It is very important to be open about it and technically it is possible to count them,” he said. “I feel bad that the officials are talking about sacrifice of medical workers, and yet they do not count the sick and dead ones. I can only use a bad word for it.” He is now treating covid-19 but said neither he nor his colleagues had been paid extra as promised by Putin. “The existing health-care system is coping with the situation,” said Murashko, the health minister. “We have developed a system which balances out the numbers of hospitalized and discharged patients.” robyn.dixon@washpost.com Natasha Abbakumova contributed to this report. Read more Bolshoi in the kitchen: Russian ballet is also working from home Russia has a huge crisis fund. But Putin is hesitating to open it for all. No lockdown here: Belarus’s leader denies coronavirus risks Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news


Froot Loops and Canned Soup Are Not the New American Diet

seize this opportunity.” But careful, Kellogg. The fact of the matter is, even if the coronavirus leaves a lasting impression on certain aspects of consumer behavior, the dislocation taking place at supermarkets is shaping up to be more of a temporary phenomenon driven in part by food shortages and fear. Consider the absurdity that about 20% of store-bought noodles have been out of stock in the U.S. since mid-March, when the earliest lockdowns began, according to Euromonitor. That’s on the same level as toilet paper shortages. Even baker’s yeast, of all things, is still sold out in many places. But just like we’re not all going to turn our YouTube-taught hair-cutting skills into new careers, most of us won’t keep up such rigorous home training for “The Great British Bake Off,” either. Consumers generally still want fresh, less-processed and healthier-sounding foods. Nielsen is already seeing this in surveys of other countries: In France, shoppers continue to seek out organic items, while Asian consumers say healthy eating has become more of a priority after the virus. And if the post-virus rise of virtual fitness classes is any indication, health and wellness is still top of mind for lots of people. It’s true, families need convenience right now and many are looking to save money as the U.S. dips deeper into a recession and the unemployment rate soars above 14%. That’s partly why seemingly dated grocery products are coming back into favor. They also provide a sense of nostalgia and familiarity at a time when life has been thrown off course. Another significant factor is all the bulk-buying: Wholesale stores such as Costco and BJ’s offer a much more limited variety that tends to be dominated by big-name food brands (although new trendier products are increasingly making their way in). Buying fresh and organic also usually costs more and sells in smaller packages. Over the next few months, Euromonitor analysts expect a greater shift toward more affordable items, private-label brands and bulk purchases. That does create an opportunity for the food giants. A downside to stocking up is all the packaging and cardboard that accumulates, taking up space. It’s an annoyance that companies could try to resolve if sheltering at home is to become a more regular part of life over the next couple of years rather than a distant memory. As U.S. states reopen, though, consumers will probably start to go


less-processed and healthier-sounding foods. Nielsen is already seeing this in surveys of other countries: In France, shoppers continue to seek out organic items, while Asian consumers say healthy eating has become more of a priority after the virus. And if the post-virus rise of virtual fitness classes is any indication, health and wellness is still top of mind for lots of people. It’s true, families need convenience right now and many are looking to save money as the U.S. dips deeper into a recession and the unemployment rate soars above 14%. That’s partly why seemingly dated grocery products are coming back into favor. They also provide a sense of nostalgia and familiarity at a time when life has been thrown off course. Another significant factor is all the bulk-buying: Wholesale stores such as Costco and BJ’s offer a much more limited variety that tends to be dominated by big-name food brands (although new trendier products are increasingly making their way in). Buying fresh and organic also usually costs more and sells in smaller packages. Over the next few months, Euromonitor analysts expect a greater shift toward more affordable items, private-label brands and bulk purchases. That does create an opportunity for the food giants. A downside to stocking up is all the packaging and cardboard that accumulates, taking up space. It’s an annoyance that companies could try to resolve if sheltering at home is to become a more regular part of life over the next couple of years rather than a distant memory. As U.S. states reopen, though, consumers will probably start to go back to their old routines — or at least some version of them. A bit of the doomsday-prepper mentality may remain, leading more households to keep their cupboards stocked with nonperishables, just in case. But it’s fair to say that the future of the supermarket isn’t Kraft mac and cheese or Campbell’s canned soup. It would be short-sighted to interpret this moment as a rebuke of their innovation efforts. If anything, it’s a time to step it up. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Tara Lachapelle is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the business of entertainment and telecommunications, as well as broader deals. She previously wrote an M&A column for Bloomberg News. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion ©2020 Bloomberg L.P.


To save their neighborhood small businesses, people are rebelling against delivery apps

still working part time for Postmates, has compiled a roster of about 20 people who pay him anywhere from $10 to $50 per grocery delivery. The 32-year-old is even advertising his services on Craigslist. Because they liked his customer service, he says, they asked, “‘Hey, is there any way I can choose you personally?’” To help address the concerns, many delivery companies are temporarily changing their fees or offering extra help to companies and workers. DoorDash and its subsidiary Caviar are cutting restaurant commission fees 50 percent through the end of May, and Grubhub announced it would defer up to $100 million in commissions for restaurants, but not waive or decrease them. Uber Eats is waiving commissions on pickup orders and delivery fees for consumers buying from independently owned restaurants. The companies, which have seen an increase in their delivery business over the past two months, have also defended their fees. They say they’re necessary to run the services and pay drivers, and that they are helping restaurants while business shifts to delivery and takeout. They say they are helping small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic. “Reducing the commissions that fund our marketplace—particularly during these unprecedented times—would force us to radically alter the way we do business in a way that could ultimately hurt those that we’re trying to help the most: customers, small businesses and delivery people,” Uber Eats spokesperson Meghan Casserly said in a statement. In the Bay Area, where the first regional stay-at-home orders were issued March 17, people on neighborhood Facebook groups and Nextdoor are sharing tips for which local restaurants need more business and where to buy goods locally instead of from bigger retailers. To support area farms, they’re going in on bulk farm buys of blueberries and strawberries together, or buying local CSA boxes instead of getting produce at chain grocery stores. And for the businesses that can’t carry on right now, they’re starting fundraisers for employees who can’t work. It’s all a return to just a decade ago, when delivery apps weren’t yet ubiquitous and food orders typically required picking up a phone. “We have been ordering more food than we need,” said San Francisco resident Amanda Rubin, a biotech lawyer. “We’re trying to do more, shifting purchases to in-person — maybe not entirely, but to the extent possible.” When the county stay-at-home order went into place, Rubin found herself with extra


Lawrence Minnette Nokes coronavirus

When he grew agitated, his family members knew they had to tell him the truth. In the days after sending her husband to the emergency room, Minnette had started feeling extremely tired, her daughters said. She worried about her husband, whom she called “Junior” or “June-bug.” Because she was under quarantine, she could not see her friends and family. Minnette and Lawrence Nokes (Carrie Kelly/Carrie Kelly) On April 7, a day before her 72nd birthday, Minnette Nokes died in her sleep from a heart attack. The medical examiner’s office said she posthumously tested positive for covid-19. Once Lawrence Nokes found out, his breathing grew raspy again, recalled his step-daughter, Carrie Kelly. He asked medical staff to let him sign a “do-not-resucitate” order indicating that he did not want to receive CPR if his heart stopped beating. He also asked to stop further medical treatment and to be transferred to hospice. “He was broken-hearted,” Kelly said. “He did any and everything for my mother, so this — it took its toll.” Over five days, Nokes called his children and grandchildren, giving them instructions on what to do with his belongings and telling them that he loved them. When step-daughter Chaunda Stewart called him, he kept apologizing, she said, because despite what his loved ones told him, Nokes felt partially responsible for his wife getting sick. He died on April 15, eight days after Minnette. As of Tuesday, he is one of 11 nursing home employees in Maryland who have lost their lives to the virus. [Too few masks, tests and workers: How covid-19 spread through Maryland nursing homes] “I’m still angry at Pleasant View, still confused at how quickly we lost them both,” Kelly said. “Junior was a good person to so many people. They both were.” Lawrence Nokes was raised in Union Bridge, Md., a small Carroll County town of about 1,000 residents where “everybody knew everybody,” said Paul Jones, a childhood friend. When Nokes grew older and moved away, he still called himself a “country boy,” his relatives said, and still carried himself with the same laid-back, mellow attitude of a man who grew up running free in wide, green fields. Minnette Nokes was born in Baltimore and could not have been more different, her daughters said, chuckling. She was passionate and funny, often the life of the party — and knew it. Every year, she celebrated her birthday