As covid-19 cases mount, flight attendants grow increasingly fearful of flying

I think a break from flying may be an option I probably should take.” From Jacksonville to Boston to Denver to Los Angeles, flight attendants say they are increasingly fearful and anxious. They have watched as the number of coronavirus cases has skyrocketed, first overseas and now in the United States, which last month reached the grim milestone of having the most confirmed cases in the world. And now with news that one of their own — an American Airlines flight attendant based in Philadelphia — died of covid-19 last month, that fear has deepened. Paul Frishkorn, 65, who according to news reports died March 23, had been a flight attendant since 1997, starting his career with US Airways. Lori Bassani, past president of the Association for Professional Flight Attendants, which represents those who fly for American Airlines, called Frishkorn a “tireless advocate for the flight attendant corps.” On Monday, Transport Workers Union announced the death of a second flight attendant from covid-19. He was Ralph Gismondi, 68, a JetBlue flight attendant based at John F. Kennedy International Airport who had been with the airline for more than a decade. No other details were immediately available. A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health declined to provide details about Frishkorn’s case, saying the agency does not comment on individual cases. “Paul’s death sheds a solemn light on our profession as front-line workers,” Bassani said, noting that in the weeks before his death, Frishkorn had spent time in the crew room at Philadelphia International Airport answering others’ questions about the virus. “It underlines the risk to our members who continue to work as essential workers in the airlines,” Bassani said, adding that it is a reminder that during this difficult time, “no precaution is too much to take.” Airlines have drastically reduced service due to the pandemic. Southwest announced it would fly 2,000 fewer flights this month, roughly a 40 percent decrease. United has cut its overall schedule by 60 percent, with many flights carrying only a few passengers. After a crush of travelers rushing to return home from overseas and around the country, many airports have become ghost towns. In some cases, flights are operating at only 10 to 20 percent full. That leaves some wondering why airlines are flying at all. “Very clearly if you look at the maps, it’s spread through air travel and that’s one thing they’re


Cancellations due to coronavirus drive fear among cruise workers about being sent home without pay

Amid news of canceled cruises, plummeting stocks, quarantined vessels and vacation plans scrapped at the urging of the State Department during the worldwide coronavirus outbreak, a bartender aboard the MSC Divina worries — not about catching the virus, but that her nine-month contract will be cut short and that she and the largely Filipino crew will be sent home, without pay. The 25-year-old, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her job, gives half of her $1,400-a-month salary to support her aging parents back in Manila, where she grew up dreaming of becoming a doctor. But she followed in her brother’s footsteps, drawn to the promise of adventure, and landed a coveted position with MSC Cruises, headquartered in Geneva. This is her third tour. As the 18-deck behemoth — replete with a casino, spa and bowling alley — cruises the Bahamas, she wonders how much longer she’ll be serving pina coladas and martinis to guests, whose numbers she says have shrunk from more than 4,000 to about 3,000 in recent weeks. After President Trump’s announcement of new travel restrictions from most of Europe to the United States for 30 days, a March 20 trans-Atlantic crossing from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean that had been in limbo is now canceled, she said the crew was told Wednesday night. “We don’t have any idea what will happen,” she said. “I feel scared because we might stay at home for like five to six months without a job and pay. We don’t have any assurance of when this virus will stop.” Alyssa Goldfarb, a spokeswoman with MSC Cruises, said the company — along with the global tourism sector — is facing “unprecedented challenges due to the covid-19 coronavirus situation” as countries impose travel bans and restrict ships’ access to ports. “Some of our ships will not operate for a while and others continue to do so for the time being, with less guests onboard, due to the various travel restrictions,” she said. “Unfortunately, this also means there is a reduced need for manpower on our ships.” Crew members will be paid until they disembark, Goldfarb said. “We are temporarily required to reduce the number of crew members on our ships," she said. “We are scheduling flights for all crew members — free of charge — to return to their homes while we wait for the situation to return to normal, and


Garlic and bleach won’t cure coronavirus. How such myths originated — and why they’re wrong.

Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked within the newsletter are free to access.] The WHO says there’s no evidence that regularly rinsing the nose with saline has protected people from infection with the new coronavirus, either. According to the WHO website, “There is some limited evidence that regularly rinsing the nose with saline can help people recover more quickly from the common cold. However, regularly rinsing the nose has not been shown to prevent respiratory infections.” President Trump suggested that the coronavirus outbreak will be gone by April because heat generally kills this kind of virus. Comforting thought, sure. Fact? Nope. A Twitter post that advised people to take hot baths and avoid ice cream was viewed by social media users globally and was falsely attributed to UNICEF. The nonprofit organization quickly set the record straight and told Twitter users it was a fake post. Other Internet myths say cold weather, a warm bath or hand dryers can kill the coronavirus. None of these are confirmed to be true. Ultraviolet light may be able to kill coronavirus on surfaces but should not be used to sterilize skin, because UV radiation can cause skin irritation. Coronavirus has popped up in countries with a variety of different temperatures, so it’s impossible to say that people living in one climate may be more likely to contract it. Televangelist Jim Bakker received a cease-and-desist letter from the New York attorney general after an episode of his TV show promoted “Silver Solution” as a coronavirus cure. On the episode, he interviewed a naturopath who said the product “hasn't been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it’s been tested on other strains of the coronavirus, and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours.” Bakker’s company was one of the seven that received letters from the FDA and FTC. These are only some of the wild claims circulating the globe; in addition, zinc won’t prevent coronavirus from “multiplying in your throat,” and cocaine won’t kill it. Anything you read about curing the virus will be false; there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent, treat or cure covid-19. Your best bet for finding information about the coronavirus is through the WHO, CDC or similar evidence-based portals. “Don’t use conjecture, whim or non-evidence-based practices to try and combat this problem,” Sharkawy said. “I’m fine if you want to drink your water


Shut out of their practice rooms, U-Md. pianists get a special delivery

a skilled piano mover at work, and the guys from Lewis Piano Movers did not mess around. Clad in masks and gloves, they shifted the pianos onto dollies, rolled them into the elevator, then out to a waiting truck. By the afternoon, all seven pianos had been delivered to their new homes, in places like Adelphi, Hyattsville and Gaithersburg. “The study of performance is what these piano majors are doing,” Muller said. “There’s a weekly expectation of an in-person lesson, where you perform for your teacher. So, moving to online, you lose that in-person interaction a little bit.” Students such as Gong now record themselves playing a piece, then send it to their professor. They also meet on Zoom to go over the finer points of their performances. Gong lives in a Greenbelt townhouse with three roommates. One is majoring in electrical engineering, the other two in human-computer interaction. “What is interesting is, my roommates are not musicians, so before it was delivered to my place, I worried about if I’m practicing four hours a day, will it bug them?” she said. “I checked with them and asked them about these things. “They said, ‘No, it definitely will not bother us, because in these uncertain times, we need some background music.’ ” The neighbors seem okay with it, too, Gong said. Muller said that some Maryland students were able to borrow large percussion instruments. I hope their roommates are just as thrilled. Personally, I’d love to have a timpani in my house to add drama. Of course, the lockdown has changed things for a lot of musicians. “I’m a trumpet player,” Muller said. “I’ve been relegated to a practice mute for the better part of five weeks now.” Gong is working on Alexander Scriabin’s 24 Preludes, Op. 11, written in the late 19th century by the Russian composer. “Before the piano came to my place, I felt just a sense of uncertainty,” she said. “But after I got the piano, I can practice every day. It’s just taken my mind off the current situation. . . . Because I’m far away from my family, the piano gives me a sense of security.” To prepare for the piano, Gong cleared a space in her bedroom. Is that too close, I asked. No, Gong said. “I’m so happy. I can look at it every day when I open my eyes.” Twitter: @johnkelly


Man fatally shot in Northeast Washington

A 22-year-old man was fatally shot Tuesday morning inside a residence in the Langdon neighborhood of Northeast Washington. D.C. police said the case is being investigated as a possible justified shooting. The incident occurred at about 11:10 a.m. in the Parkway Plaza Apartments in the 1800 block of 24th Street NE, near New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road. Police said the victim, identified as D’Andre Mickle of Northwest Washington, had multiple gunshot wounds. Police spokeswoman Karimah Bilal said he died at a hospital. “This case is being considered a justified homicide,” Bilal said. Police said the suspected shooter was questioned by detectives but has not been charged with a crime. Police declined to comment on why they believe the shooting might be justified, citing the ongoing investigation. A police report made public Wednesday afternoon says the victim had a small amount of marijuana, $700 in cash, bank cards, Apple iPhone ear buds and a surgical mask.


The Daily 202: Human rights groups sound alarm over government crackdowns during coronavirus

SAN SALVADOR – The images coming out of El Salvador are ghastly. Hundreds of jailed gang members, stripped to their shorts, were jammed together, legs over legs, on prison floors – with few of them wearing protective face masks – while officers searched their cells. The photographs look like they might have been smuggled out or leaked by a whistleblower. But they weren’t: The president and his ministry of defense proudly shared them on Twitter, multiple times, to show the Salvadoran people how they are stepping up to fight crime after a particularly deadly weekend that left at least 60 dead. Before this past weekend, El Salvador had been recording an average of 3.5 killings a day, putting 2020 on track to be its least violent year in decades, according to Salvadoran news outlet El Faro. But a wave of deadly violence hit this small Central American nation amid a pandemic that already has most people locked down at home. President Nayib Bukele, a 38-year-old populist elected last year, immediately attributed the killings to gangs, including the notorious MS-13, and ordered a national state of emergency, authorizing the police and military to use “lethal force” against members of gangs. More than 80 countries have invoked the novel coronavirus to declare states of emergency, according to the United Nations, and there are growing reports of human rights abuses around the globe, from South Africa to Sri Lanka, Kenya, the Philippines and Jordan. The U.N.’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, called on countries Monday to refrain from violating fundamental rights “under the guise” of the emergency. “We have seen many States adopt justifiable, reasonable and time-limited measures. But there have also been deeply worrying cases where Governments appear to be using COVID-19 as a cover for human rights violations, further restricting fundamental freedoms and civic space, and undermining the rule of law,” Bachelet said in a statement. Here in El Salvador, the president says gangs are the ones taking advantage of the contagion to assert control over civilians. He’s ordering authorities to crack down on them in ways not previously seen during healthy times. His orders, and the accompanying images he shared so gleefully, prompted condemnation from human rights advocates, who fear El Salvador is already at risk of sliding toward autocracy and that Bukele will use the pandemic as a pretext. “Without a firm, clear reaction


average of the 36 member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.” “The new serological data, which is provisional, suggests that coronavirus infections greatly outnumber confirmed covid-19 cases, potentially by a factor of 10 or more. Many people experience mild symptoms or none at all, and never get the standard diagnostic test with a swab up the nose, so they’re missed in the official covid-19 case counts,” Joel Achenbach reports. “Higher infection rates mean lower lethality risk on average. But the corollary is that this is a very contagious disease capable of being spread by people who are asymptomatic — a challenge for communities hoping to end their shutdowns. The crude case fatality rates, covering people who have a covid-19 diagnosis, have been about 6 percent globally as well as in the United States. But when all the serological data is compiled and analyzed, the fatality rate among people who have been infected could be less than 1 percent. But as infectious disease experts point out, even a seemingly low rate can translate into a shockingly large death toll if the virus spreads through a major portion of the population.” “Ultraviolet lights that promise to destroy viruses without hurting humans are being tested by Columbia University scientists, who say the lights would be effective in airplane cabins, airports, hospitals and schools,” Michael Laris reports. “Boeing is experimenting with lavatories that can sanitize themselves in less than three seconds. Engineers at the U.S. manufacturer and its top competitor, Airbus, have explored changing the way air moves around passengers to reduce infections.” “In February, as Trump was projecting confidence that China’s Xi Jinping had the coronavirus under control, his deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger received some alarming information. The virus was spreading beyond China’s borders, and so, U.S. officials warned, was a disinformation campaign from the Communist Party in Beijing,” David Nakamura, Carol Leonnig and Ellen Nakashima report. “Chinese leaders, Pottinger believed, were engaging in a massive coverup and a ‘psychological warfare’ operation to obscure the origins of the virus and deflect blame … Pottinger urged Trump and other senior officials to brand the virus with a label so that there would be no mistaking its origins: the Wuhan virus. The episode illustrates the quiet but potent influence of the White House’s foremost China expert, whose personal experience as a journalist in that country two decades ago left him


Smithsonian cuts top executives’ pay in move to avoid furloughs

of a process that will allow me to control the deficit. We don’t know how long this will go for.” The Smithsonian’s 19 museums and the National Zoo have been closed since March 14, following social-distancing recommendations by the mayor, and Bunch won’t speculate on when they will reopen. “I’m not going to say a date. We don’t know,” he said. Bunch has convened two groups to work on the details of reopening operations and explore how the institution will adapt to a post-coronavirus landscape. “We will never return to the way it once was,” Bunch said, noting that some surveys of audience behavior have found about half of audiences are unlikely to return until a vaccine is available. “So, rather than adjust on the fly, let’s think about this in a careful way. What does social distancing in a museum mean? “The most important thing, as a historian, is knowing what the questions are,” he continued. “I’m comfortable we know the questions and now we’re working on the answers.” In the meantime, the 10 percent cuts to nonfederal salaries and operations will “get me close” to covering the current shortfall, he said. Other institutions, including the Kennedy Center, have made more drastic moves. President and CEO Deborah Rutter is forgoing her salary, which is $1.2 million a year, until the center reopens, and senior staffers are taking 25 percent cuts. The Smithsonian won’t release Bunch’s compensation, but his predecessor David J. Skorton earned $896,345 in 2018, according to the institution’s most recent tax filing. “I think it’s fair,” Bunch said of his salary reduction. “I want to make sure I take the heaviest cut. We’re all experiencing pain. I want to experience a little more.” Two-thirds of the Smithsonian’s $1.5 billion annual budget comes from the federal government, with the remaining $500 million derived from grants and contracts, memberships, interest on its endowment and income from its shops, restaurants, movie theaters and programs, including lectures, art classes and concerts. The Smithsonian’s free-admission policy and its federal appropriation protect it from the payroll crises faced by other cultural institutions, Bunch noted. Still, it faces serious shortfalls as the closures stretch into the peak summer season. Its popular summer camps have been canceled, museum sleepovers won’t happen for the rest of the year and the ticketed events presented by Smithsonian Associates are on hold indefinitely. A hiring freeze for nonfederal positions


Recall of West Point cadets for Trump address creates logistics hurdles and health concerns

across the country, helping to staff overwhelmed civilian hospitals and building overflow medical sites, the Pentagon has faced criticism for its handling of outbreaks on naval vessels and on smaller issues, like continuing to require haircuts for Marines. Critics have also faulted the Pentagon for going ahead with activities that do not obviously fall among core military activities, including the in-person graduation and flyovers this week by the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds, because of the virus risk. “There is no military need to do this,” said Jason Fritz, a 2002 West Point graduate and former armor officer who served three tours in Iraq. “This is a logistics nightmare, all just so the president has an audience to give a speech he wants to give.” Fritz said many of his fellow alums were astounded at the decision. But Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said the cadets’ health remained the Army’s “number one priority.” He said he proposed the blueprint for a modified commencement several weeks later than the originally scheduled date to Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, in part because the graduation was a “critical milestone” for Army officers. He said cadets would also need to return anyway to retrieve their belongings and complete administrative tasks, which officials said would include medical visits and picking up uniforms and personal items, before going to basic officer training in July. “We wanted to do a graduation ceremony because in many ways it’s a message to not only the force but the nation that we’re working our way through this,” McCarthy said in an interview. “And we’re going to fight our way through this and continue to do what we need to grow the force, train the force and to be ready to meet any national objective.” McCarthy said he was not pressured or directed by the White House to proceed with the ceremony. He cited the Air Force’s decision to proceed with a scaled-back graduation at the Air Force Academy in Colorado on April 18, in which cadets sat eight feet apart while Vice President Pence spoke. McCarthy said he could not speak to why the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., opted for a “virtual” graduation. He compared bringing cadets back to West Point to the Army’s need to continue basic training, which officials have adapted to include distancing and the use of masks. Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt, a West Point spokesman, said


Australians toss aside authority issues in rush to sign up for virus tracking phone app

Service was advised that 80 percent is the target rate for a viable smartphone virus tracking and warning system, the BBC reported. “If you want to go outside when the sun is shining, you have got to put sunscreen on,” Morrison told reporters Wednesday. “This is the same thing. This is the ticket to ensuring that we can have eased restrictions.” Other countries have tried similar apps, although none appears to have been embraced as quickly as the Australian version. Singapore’s TraceTogether has struggled with software glitches, including difficulties taking phone calls while the app is running. Israel has a similar app to Australia’s called the Shield, and Germany is working with Apple and Google to create its own version. In South Korea, which is often cited as one of the nations most successful at containing covid-19, authorities publish cellphone location data showing where infected people have traveled. The United Arab Emirates is also pushing its own version of the tracking app. The popularity of the app appears to be driven by Australians’ pride in the success of their health-driven lockdown — fewer than 100 people have died of covid-19 — and by heavy security and legal protections that should ensure the app does not infringe on personal liberties. The software’s main feature is under the control of each individual. When people test positive for covid-19, they are asked to activate a function on the app that sends their information to the federal government. Anyone else with the app who came into close contact with an infected person can then be identified and notified. Each person’s location is not recorded — just whom they were near. The information is automatically deleted after three weeks, and steep fines and prison terms will be introduced for misuse. Once the pandemic ends, the government has promised to shut down the system and wipe the information. Not everyone is convinced. Barnaby Joyce, a former conservative deputy prime minister, said he would not install the app because it could be used to identify people he met. “I’ve heard a thousand times people saying: ‘Trust us. This will never leak out. It will never end up in malevolent hands,’ ” he said in a radio interview last week. “And inevitably it leaks out. It’s been hacked. A foreign government has got it. It’s been hacked by data harvesters. It’s been hacked by university students who want


How to protect your next trip against a pandemic

your trip, experts say. “Certain credit cards, like the American Express Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve, offer emergency medical transportation coverage,” says Sean Messier, a credit industry analyst at Credit Card Insider. “But bear in mind that you must require medical assistance to actually use these evacuation services, and even then, they’re only designed to get you to medical care, not home.” It’s not just how you travel but where. Initial booking data suggests more travelers will choose domestic destinations over international ones. Michael Heflin, senior vice president of hotel relations at Travel Leaders Group, says clients are showing interest in driving out west and to destinations in less-populated areas. “Places like Northern Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canada, as well as Yellowstone and Glacier National Park, are great options for post confinement,” Heflin says. Those who do opt to travel internationally will want to sign up for the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. It’s a free service that provides essential information from the U.S. Embassy in your destination country on safety conditions there. “Enrolling in STEP will also help the embassy contact you in the event of an emergency,” says Michael O’Rourke, chief executive of Advanced Operational Concepts, a security consulting firm. If something goes sideways on your international trip, the U.S. Embassy will help you get back. But O’Rourke says you shouldn’t rely exclusively on information from the State Department when making decisions about how to come home. You should also consult local news sources, other governments and contacts on the ground. To a certain extent, travel companies have already helped to make vacations less vulnerable to a pandemic. They’re offering “no risk” bookings that you can cancel without having to pay any fees. Even airlines, for which change fees and cancellation fees are a major source of revenue, are waiving them in the wake of the covid-19 outbreak. Insurance can help, too. But its usefulness is limited, as many travelers have discovered during the current pandemic. “All travel insurance policies have a list of exclusions,” says Terry Boynton, president of Yonder Travel Insurance, a travel insurance comparison site. “The reason for these exclusions, like a global pandemic, is that insurance companies must be able to assess the risk for a covered event to determine the pricing of the product. In cases like pandemics, the risk is extremely difficult to calculate because of its unpredictability.” Travel insurance still


The Energy 202: Oil companies have a new lobbying target during pandemic — the Federal Reserve

crisis. “This climate crisis and the covid-19 pandemic are linked in some ways,” Gore said in an interview on MSNBC. “The preconditions that raise the death rate from covid-19, a great many of them, are accentuated, made worse, by the fossil fuel pollution. Not the CO2 which causes the climate crisis, but the particulates, the soot.” “We also see it with the horrendous differential mortality rates among African Americans and to some extent Hispanic Americans and Native Americans as well,” he added. He compared the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on black communities across the country to higher asthma-related death rates for black children compared with white children. Wildlife experts say a higher volume of calls to animal control agencies in the Washington area are a result of more people at home noticing the animals, not an increase in wildlife. “In the District, officials at the Humane Rescue Alliance said they saw an 18 percent jump in calls last month compared to March 2019 about wildlife sightings or animal encounters. Spring is typically the busiest time of year, officials said, as baby birds, rabbits and other animals emerge,” Dana Hedgpeth reports. “ … Wildlife groups and animal control officials also have received fewer calls about animals being struck by vehicles, probably stemming from fewer cars on the road. Her group usually receives many calls about geese or foxes being hit while looking for food or a mate in the spring, but that hasn’t been the case this year.” In Las Vegas, temperatures are set Wednesday to hit triple digits for the first time in April. Phoenix is expected to hit 106 degrees later this week, another record there for April, Jason Samenow reports. “These extreme temperatures this early in the season will likely bring significant heat impacts and precautions should be taken to limit exposure to the heat,” said the National Weather Service forecast office in Phoenix. Cities in Southern California and Phoenix opened some cooling centers during recent hot spells to aid residents who may not have air conditioning. But the ongoing pandemic could mean gathering in cool public spaces to escape one risk carries another. “Now, with heat wave season swiftly approaching, public health experts are urging cities to think carefully about how to protect vulnerable populations as the pandemic rages on,” E&E News reports. “These are life-or-death considerations. Extreme heat is one of the leading causes of


Antibody tests show we’re nowhere near herd immunity

most severe covid-19 cases, through testing swab samples. Early (rough) estimates are that a quarter or even as many as half of infections have no symptoms at all; those would be totally missed as well. The current official tally in Santa Clara County is 100 deaths and 2,084 confirmed cases, which would crudely suggest that 4.7 percent of cases are fatal. Naturally, antibody tests can help us pin down the true death rate following infection by allowing us to include everyone, even infections with no symptoms, in the denominator. Based on the Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties studies’ results, only 0.1 to 0.2 percent of infections are fatal. It’s unclear that this estimate will hold up to further scrutiny. Notably, if the fatality rate were truly only 0.1 percent, that implies that all 8 million people in New York City have already been infected — which seems unlikely. That supposition is also contradicted by the New York antibody test results, which suggest that fatality rates there are closer to 0.5 or 1 percent. But even if the California numbers are accurate, they in no way warrant a conclusion that shutdowns were an overreaction. If we know anything about this virus, it is that it spreads easily. Unlike influenza, there is virtually no population-level immunity, meaning many more people can be infected, millions in the United States alone. We also know that it overwhelms health-care systems. In New York City, there have been more than 40,000 hospitalizations and nearly 17,000 deaths — and that follows the Italian catastrophe, in which some hospitals, including in the Lombardy region, were reportedly forced to triage care, choosing who would receive scarce ventilators. With the potential for huge numbers of people to be infected, taking comfort in a lower death rate would be the wrong way to think about the results — and easing up efforts to blunt this deadly public health threat would be a serious mistake. We know firsthand that covid-19 can quickly spiral out of control in cities and entire regions of countries, with devastating consequences. Preventing the disasters we’ve seen in Wuhan, New York City and Lombardy must remain our first priority. Antibody studies alone cannot tell us if we are ready to reopen the economy. That will instead depend on our preparedness to test, trace and isolate infected people so that we don’t end up back where we started.


Police arrest suspect in fatal 2019 shooting in Southeast Washington

D.C. police on Wednesday arrested a suspect in a fatal shooting that occurred in August in the Fairlawn neighborhood of Southeast Washington. Melvin Simmons, 26, of Oxon Hill in Prince George’s County, was charged with first-degree murder while armed. Police said he was arrested on a warrant. Simmons is charged with shooting William Roland, 28, of Southeast Washington shortly after 3 a.m. in the 1500 block of 18th Street SE. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police said officers responding to calls for gunshots found the victim lying in the street. A police report says that Roland was struck in the chest and neck and that 11 shell casings were recovered from the scene. Police did not comment on a possible motive. Additional details are expected to be made public Thursday when the suspect makes his initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court.


In fast-warming Minnesota, scientists are trying to plant forests of the future.

[This story has been optimized for offline reading on our apps. For a richer experience, you can find the full version of this story here. An Internet connection is required.] MINNESOTA — Almost everywhere he looks, Lee Frelich sees the fingerprints of climate change on the forests he has studied since he was a boy half a century ago. Birds from southern Minnesota are now popping up far north in Ely, on the edge of the famous Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Splashes of red maple leaves are now visible each fall amid the pines and spruces of the iconic North Woods, where they once would have been harder to find. Frelich, the director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Forest Ecology, thinks that if the state's warming trend remains unchecked, such subtle changes will become starker and more devastating in the decades ahead. He thinks the boreal forests that soak up huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere could disappear entirely, taking with them a third of the state's native species of trees, flowers, birds and pollinators. In an extreme scenario, he has warned, prairie land could expand across much of Minnesota by 2100, upending everything from the timber industry to tourism to the state’s very identity. “Minnesota could become the new Kansas,” he said. “We have a perfectly good Kansas now. We don’t need a second one in Minnesota.” Frelich is among a small army of scientists working to understand the subtle but unmistakable shifts that are unfolding in one of the nation's fastest-warming states — shifts that he and others say will become more profound and troubling in the hotter future that lies ahead. They are running ambitious experiments that simulate rising temperatures with heat lamps and underground wires, use computer models to decipher where certain species might thrive and involve planting trees from as far away as South Dakota that might one day take the place of native species stressed by heat. A Washington Post analysis of historical temperature data found that seven counties in Minnesota have warmed more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) since the late 19th century — about twice the global average. Winters here have warmed even faster, with 59 of the state's counties — about two thirds — eclipsing the 2C threshold during the months of December through February. Minnesota is home to a landscape like none other in


What we know — and still don’t — about the coronavirus

With the CDC adding new symptoms to look out for this week, we asked a science reporter to catch us up on what scientists are learning about the coronavirus. Plus, schools feel the pressure to reopen, and North Korea’s leader is MIA.


Israel deems women’s ritual baths essential, leaving some conflicted over virus risk

EFRAT, West Bank — As covid-19 spread rapidly in the first weeks of March, Esther grew nervous. It was nearly time for her monthly visit to the ritual bath that many observant Jewish women use to purify themselves after every menstrual cycle, and she worried she might catch the virus at the very place meant for physical and spiritual cleansing. “I have a disability and many underlying health issues,” said Esther, 43, an ultra-Orthodox mother of seven. “Deciding whether or not to go was very, very stressful.” Even as Israel closed down its public sphere to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the government deemed that some 700 of these ritual baths, or mikvahs, were essential and permitted them to remain open along with supermarkets and pharmacies. When most of the country was completely locked down for the Passover holiday, the women’s mikvahs were not. Without a dip in a mikvah, observant women are forbidden to have any physical contact with their husbands, leaving these wives with a dilemma: go to the mikvah and resume intimate relations or stay clear of the ritual bath to avoid any chance of infection. “I deliberated for a long time about whether I should even go. I thought about waiting until after this crisis was over,” said Esther, a Jerusalem resident who spoke on the condition that her full name be withheld so she could discuss an intimate matter. “But the truth is, I am a woman and my husband a man; we need to be together. Without the mikvah, we would not be able to be intimate, and that would make this difficult time even more stressful and lonely.” She decided to go, but took precautions she hoped would keep her safe. She arrived early, when the water was still fresh. She sprayed disinfectant on every surface before touching it. She spent as little time there as possible. According to Jewish law, women are required to visit the mikvah, a small pool containing water mainly from a natural source, at the conclusion of the 12 to 14 days that begin with the onset of menstruation. Until a full-body immersion is carried out, any form of physical contact between a husband and wife is prohibited. For observant Jews, ignoring this commandment is as unthinkable as eating pork or driving on the Sabbath. Dvora Eiferman, the official at the Ministry of Religious Services overseeing public


The fight against AIDS has shaped how potential covid-19 drugs will reach patients

President Trump has touted the malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as potential treatments for covid-19, announcing the government had stockpiled 29 million pills and was sending them to labs and hospitals around the country. Yet, there is far from medical consensus that they are beneficial treatments. Rick Bright, the director of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, questioned the drugs’ efficacy in treating covid-19, before he was abruptly dismissed. And the FDA has cautioned against their widespread use. Testing these drugs for use on covid-19 is just beginning, with researchers debating how useful they are and whether their benefits outweigh their side effects. That these drugs may not prove helpful is not unusual, since only one in five new medicines typically make it through the clinical testing phase and onto pharmacy shelves. Many covid-19 patients are still receiving these drugs, which have only been tested to treat malaria, through a program known as “expanded access.” Their approval for covid-19 use could also be much quicker than many drugs, thanks to the Food and Drug Administration’s expedited review process. Both expanded access and expedited review were changes the FDA instituted in response to an earlier pandemic: the AIDS crisis. Covid-19 is not the same as HIV, which was much deadlier. Given how different the diseases are in both their mortality rates and transmission methods, the FDA may reach very different conclusions on whether to approve the malarial medicines — or other drugs — to treat covid-19. However, the agency is balancing similar concerns as to scientific integrity, patient safety and compassionate care today as it was in the 1980s. In 1982, accounts surfaced of a mysterious and deadly new disease affecting gay men. Within five years, more than 4,000 Americans had perished from the virus, which weakened its victims’ immune systems. Infected people typically developed skin tumors, had difficulty breathing, suffered chronic diarrhea and wasted away from malnourishment. With limited treatment options, and only one approved drug more than half a decade into the epidemic, AIDS activists were enraged. They directed their fury at the government agency that held up medical testing through a morass of arcane regulations. On Oct. 11, 1988, the group that would become the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) converged on the FDA in Rockville, Md. Holding signs that read “the FDA has blood on its hands,” protesters


Post Reports is the daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Everything you’ve come to expect from the newsroom of The Post. For your ears. Martine Powers is your host, asking the questions you didn’t know you wanted answered. Listen online. Leonard Bernstein on what we know (and still don’t) about the coronavirus. Laura Meckler explains the changes schools might have to make to reopen in the fall. And Anna Fifield on Kim Jong Un, missing in action. Read more: What you need to know about the coronavirus. Alternating schedules. Lunch in the classroom. Students in masks. No football. School districts will have to change things up if they want to reopen in the fall. Where is North Korea’s leader? Vote for Post Reports in the Webby Awards: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/podcasts/individual-episodes-mini-series-specials/news-politics Subscribe to The Washington Post: postreports.com/offer


Transcript: Coronavirus: The Global Response

MR. IGNATIUS: Good afternoon, everybody. I'm David Ignatius, Foreign Affairs Columnist at The Washington Post. Thank you for tuning in to Washington Post Live. This interview is the first in a new series, "Coronavirus: Global Outlook," which will offer international perspectives on the fight against COVID-19 and feature world leaders, Ambassadors, and health officials to capture the full impact of this global emergency. I'm very pleased this afternoon to begin this series with two of Europe's top diplomats in Washington: German Ambassador to Washington, Emily Haber, former State Secretary, both in the foreign office and in their homeland security department; and Britain's new Ambassador to Washington Dame Karen Pierce, former British Permanent Representative of the United Nations, both distinguished diplomats. Thank you both for taking the time to speak with me and with all of us. Let me just start with the bottom line, the grim numbers. These are two key allies of the United States, two distinct and very different experiences with COVID-19. As of this morning, UK, total cases, 161,000, with 21,678 deaths; Germany, 157,641 cases and 6,115 deaths; far, far fewer. The U.S., by contrast, a million cases and 58,000 deaths. So, we're hoping today that we can all learn from each other's experience as we think about where we've been and where we're going with this pandemic. Ambassador Pierce, let me begin by asking you, Britain has a very visible sign of how hard this pandemic has hit in the hospitalization, indeed, for a time in the emergency room of your new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. And I want to ask you whether, from what you sense, that experience changed how he looked at this problem. He, before the crisis became severe, talked about it's okay to continue to shaking hands and had a somewhat low-key response, as some people said. Has he been changed by the experience of being in the hospital and really in the face of this pandemic, personally? AMBASSADOR PIERCE: I think [audio distortion] from the hospital [audio distortion] the overwhelming concern for NHS workers, National Health Service workers, to get them equipment; but also, to pay tribute to the amazing job they're doing on the front line. I think we'd already started to have a more significant lockdown before the Prime Minister went into hospital. And now he's come out, he's made it very clear that he wants to make sure


determined that this was--that human-to-human transmission was possible, that German scientists had developed a test for precisely this crisis, which then, when it was determined as pandemic, was quickly mass produced, recognized by the WHO. We did rigorous testing early on and we did rigorous contact tracing early on, which allowed us to prepare ourselves, to prepare the hospital system. We nearly doubled the intensive care units, beds, and respiratory equipment in the months between January and March. So, all of that prepared us for the rate--for the rise of the numbers of those infected, and at no stage our health care system was overwhelmed, because we had been able to prepare. Also, we had a pandemic strategy in place, which made us prepared to take exactly the steps that were necessary. At no stage did we have to discuss whether people would have to pay for testing because the procedures had been determined and we acted according to the procedures that had been fixed. So, I would say early testing, a well-prepared health care sys--a well-ordered health care system, preparation in the intensive care units, and early hospitalization which made sure that those who were infected wouldn't enter the second stage of the illness with severe symptoms. That was part of our strategy. MR. IGNATIUS: Ambassador Haber, Germany, like the United States, has a federal system. Many of our viewers may not realize that, but you have your Länder, or your different--you know, more local organizations. But you seemed to have done a better job of coordinating those federal, decentralized units with central planning than we've been able to do, and I wonder how you've been so successful at that. Is there a simple formula you could offer about how you're able to coordinate these decentralized operating units with a central plan? AMBASSADOR HABER: Well, first of all, decentralization was really a competitive edge, because decisions could be taken locally and not--without referring to any federal level. So, that was important. Also, we have structures in place that facilitate it because it always happened--facilitates regular contacts, regular discussions, regular conferences between all health ministers at the federal health level. The same is true for the meeting and conferences of the Chancellor with the Prime Ministers of the federal states--so, we had an intricate structure of referring to one another and coordinating in place. We didn't have to set it


China or with international cooperation, I think we need to discuss. I think we probably also need to discuss the response of the World Health Organization. We need to learn after all these crises, just as we did after Ebola in 2014, we need to learn how we can always do things better. And I think it's certainly the British Government's position that we do need some reforms in WHO and looking at the international health regulations. Whether you put all those together or do them separately I think is a discussion among experts, but we would like to see those areas addressed; however--and I think it's an important "however"--at the moment, the most important thing is to cooperate on tackling the pandemic and get on top of the virus. So, we would see these sorts of reviews and reforms and investigations as something to come later and put the focus, at the moment, on international cooperation to make sure we really can overcome the problems we've got at the moment. MR. IGNATIUS: Thank you. Ambassador Haber, we're at the end of our half-hour. Any quick thoughts about the German view of whether this investigation, what happened in China, is appropriate? AMBASSADOR HABER: We have to have a dispassionate look into why the pandemic occurred, how it occurred, what mistakes have been made, where a lack of transparency may have contributed to the rush of contagion, but it needs to create transparency and knowledge in order to equip us better for a future, similar challenge. That also relates to the way we manage or handle the WHO issue. The WHO, in this global health crisis, plays a crucial role. It may have made mistakes. We'll have to look at what worked, what didn't work, and why, but it can't happen in the midst of the crisis. Politization in both issues would probably be mutually exclusive with getting the transparency we absolutely need. MR. IGNATIUS: So, we're out of time. I want to, on behalf of all the people who've been watching, thank both of you, Ambassadors, for speaking so clearly and directly to the issues we're all thinking about. Before I sign off, a reminder that Washington Post National Political Reporter, Bob Costa, will interview Maryland Governor Larry Hogan tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on your streaming channel. And on Friday, I will be interviewing the CEO of


Even where the coronavirus is past its peak, it’s often on a plateau

like a plateau than a downward slide. Data from Johns Hopkins University and the COVID Tracking Project shows how the daily number of cases and deaths have evolved over time. On the graphs below, the actual daily figures are shown as columns, but since there’s day-to-day variability, the focus is on the three-day moving average for each category. There’s an obvious peak in the daily death toll — but the number of deaths at this point is about what it was April 10, when that first, smaller peak occurred. The number of new cases is trending downward, but it, too, is about at the point we saw 20 days ago. The number of tests being completed each day, a necessary component of the number of new confirmed cases, was steady for much of April before jumping to a new peak in the past week. In the past few days, that peak has slipped. (For tests, of course, we want to see an upward trend, unlike cases and deaths.) Those national figures are driven by data from each state. In the states, the picture varies quite a bit. Some are clearly past peaks. Others are seeing similar plateaus. We created an interactive showing the three-day average in each state relative to the peak. Using the provided slider, you can quickly visualize the extent to which states have moved past the peaks they’d seen in cases or deaths — or whether they are at a peak in testing. (Click a state to see a larger version.) (There are three ways to view the data: the 3-day average relative to the peak, the actual daily average for each metric scaled to the national total and the relative daily change in each metric, comparing the change in a day to the peak change for that state.) The White House acknowledges the variability you see above. The plans offered by the White House coronavirus task force use localized measures of the spread of the virus to recommend whether states should resume normal economic activity. Even within states, as in New York, there may be different guidelines for different areas. The challenge isn’t that the variability exists, it’s that the pandemic isn’t fading as smoothly as it emerged. While the worst effects of the outbreak may be behind us, that doesn’t offer as much assurance as one might expect. A wildfire that’s 10 percent contained poses


Coronavirus kills its first female federal inmate weeks after she had an emergency C-section

Bear lived in Eagle Butte, S.D., an area of the state that has so far been largely untouched by the coronavirus pandemic. Neither the city nor the surrounding county has reported a covid-19 case. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe erected roadblocks at entrances to its nearby reservation in early April to screen for people who might have the virus, and many tribes fear that a coronavirus outbreak could overwhelm the federal Indian Health Services. But on the other side of the state, Sioux Falls is home to one of the nation’s largest outbreaks, which spread inside a pork-processing plant. According to data published by federal officials, Circle Bear was the only inmate to contract covid-19 at FMC Carswell, which currently holds 1,625 women. As of Tuesday night, 1,313 federal inmates have tested positive for coronavirus, and 30 have died, according to the Bureau of Prisons. More than 300 prison staff have also contracted the virus. The spread of the coronavirus inside prisons and jails has been an increasing concern for weeks. Social distancing measures are nearly impossible in facilities where people share cells or sleep in beds just feet apart. Soap, hand sanitizer and face masks can also be hard to obtain behind bars. Many state prisons have released inmates facing short sentences for nonviolent crimes, and jails around the country have let out many people held on misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. The federal prisons have also been reviewing cases to remove high-risk individuals from facilities where social distancing and proper hygiene to disinfect surfaces and hands can be difficult to maintain. On March 26, Attorney General William P. Barr wrote a memo to the Bureau of Prisons instructing officials to opt for home confinement for at-risk inmates whenever possible. “Given the surge in positive cases at select sites and in response to the Attorney General Barr’s directives, the BOP began immediately reviewing all inmates who have COVID-19 risk factors, as described by the CDC, to determine which inmates are suitable for home confinement,” the bureau said in a statement on its website. The agency has transferred 1,751 people into home confinement in recent weeks. Because of growing outbreaks in some facilities, the agency has repeatedly expanded the pool of inmates eligible for release to home confinement. But the releases have come in fits and starts, as bureau officials have changed the rules and the process to send people home.


More than 80 percent of hospitalized covid-19 patients in Georgia were African American, study finds

on behalf of all Georgia citizens, and especially its most vulnerable citizens who need and deserve reparative outreach and service,” the state’s NAACP said. About 40 percent of the 305 patients in the study had diabetes, and a quarter had cardiovascular disease. Previous research by the CDC, which is headquartered in Atlanta, has shown that people who have chronic medical conditions face an increased chance of being hospitalized with covid-19 and put into intensive care. Diabetes is twice as common among black Georgia residents as whites, and black Georgians are more likely than whites to die of heart disease. But a quarter of the patients included in the study had no preexisting conditions, and 5 percent of those patients died, a reminder the virus can cause significant illness and death for previously healthy patients. The median age of patients was 60. Most had private insurance or Medicare; 11 percent were on Medicaid; 15 percent were uninsured. All the Medicaid patients in the study were black, but the black patients were no more likely than others to be uninsured. Statewide, African Americans are less likely to be insured, according to Benjamin Lopman, a professor of epidemiology at Emory University. They’re also more likely to work in industries with a greater risk of exposure such as transportation, nursing homes and animal slaughter plants, Lopman said. The black patients studied were not more likely than those of other races to require treatment with ventilators or to die while hospitalized. The researchers did not follow the patients after discharge or after the study ended, when 8 percent remained in the hospital. During the month-long study, 48 patients died. State numbers indicate African Americans, about 30 percent of Georgia’s population, make up about 36 percent of confirmed covid-19 patients; race was unknown or missing in 28 percent of reported cases. The state stopped reporting covid-19 deaths by race this week, although a spokeswoman for the state Health Department said the agency hopes to release those numbers again in the next few days. As of last week, African Americans made up more than 50 percent of patients who have died. Georgia has moved more quickly than any other state in reopening businesses after a stay-at-home order. Bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, gyms and salons were allowed to open last week, followed by movie theaters and restaurants Monday. Vacation rentals can open Friday. A funeral in February in


The pandemic changed our definition of ‘essential.’ Will we act on what we learned?

The Rev. William J. Barber II is co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign. Joe Kennedy III, a Democrat, represents Massachusetts’s 4th District in the U.S. House. A month ago, they were called “service workers”: the people who prepare our food, deliver our packages, drive our buses, clean our offices and staff our nursing homes. Then, the coronavirus changed this country’s collective vocabulary. Now, these people are “essential workers.” They may not be paid a livable wage or have access to dependable health care. They may even be forced onto public assistance. And the rest of us cannot survive without them. It is heartening to see our language accurately reflect the dignity of this work. Covid-19 forced low-wage workers who do not have the luxury or liberty of staying home to put their lives on the line for the rest of us. Their sacrifice and their service are a moral calling for all of us: It is past time for federal policy to acknowledge what is unequivocally essential for any man, woman or child to survive. Food is essential. Shelter is essential. Health care is essential. Financial security is essential. Clean air and clean water are essential. Belonging is essential. The objections to these essential policies are well-known. Some say they cost too much. But the trillions of dollars we have found to shore up Wall Street and financial markets are evidence that our government has capacity to invest in the things we consider essential. Others say they cannot be pursued because Republicans in the Senate and the White House will block them. But Americans who may have to risk their lives to go to the polls this fall deserve to know who is willing to pursue these essential policies and who is not. If these workers are essential, then their lives are, too. Their humanity is, too. If there is anything covid-19 has revealed, it is how deeply our fates are tied. The task before us is enormous, but we must not flinch from it. More than tragedy, more than grief, more than fear — the commitment to one another must be the legacy of this time. Listen to the Rev. William Barber on Read more The Post’s View: The government’s inefficient delivery means relief will come too late for many Americans The Post’s View: Where’s your check? Ask GOP lawmakers. Catherine Rampell: The covid-19 pandemic has revealed another area


Only one of these candidates is actually able to stand up to China

36 Senate years, he was on the Foreign Relations Committee, which he chaired for four years. President Trump’s foreign policy judgments have ranged from the contemptible (siding with Vladimir Putin at Helsinki in 2018 against U.S. intelligence officials regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election) to the preposterous (“There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea”) to the weird (he and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un “fell in love” after exchanging “beautiful letters”). Trump now wants to make relations with China central to this campaign. His rhetorical skills — probably honed where they evidently peaked, on grammar school playgrounds — are emulated by his campaign in references to “Beijing Biden.” Biden can, however, turn China to his advantage by showing Trump what a policy of national strength would look like. Biden served in the Senate for a decade with Sen. Henry Jackson (D-Wash.), a liberal Cold Warrior who helped to make the Soviet Union’s human rights abuses costly to the regime. Today, Biden should speak forcefully against China’s arrests of Martin Lee, 81; Jimmy Lai, 71; Margaret Ng, 72; and other leaders of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Biden can practice what he preaches about bipartisanship by associating himself with Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton’s measured but insistent support for an investigation into the possible role of a Wuhan, China, research laboratory in the coronavirus outbreak. And with former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley’s call to require U.S. universities to disclose China’s funding of their professors and research. Cotton questions the visas for people from China to pursue postgraduate studies here in advanced science and technology fields: If Chinese students want to study “Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that’s what they need to learn from America. They don’t need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America.” In February, a senior adviser for the World Health Organization’s director general praised China’s “bold approach” that “changed the course” of the epidemic. Indeed China did: Its first approach was to deny that there is human-to-human transmission. Biden should say that continued U.S. participation in this organization will be contingent upon its granting membership to Taiwan. Biden should also promise to discuss Taiwan’s exemplary response to covid-19 with Tsai Ing-wen in the Oval Office. She would be the first Taiwanese president welcomed in the United States since the 1979 “normalization” of U.S. relations with China. By taking such


After virus outbreak tied to religious event, Malaysia puts the brakes on Ramadan

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Over several days in late February, at least 12,500 Muslims convened at the Jamek Mosque on Kuala Lumpur's outskirts to pray, eat and listen to sermons in an annual act to renew their faith. On the eve of the gathering in the suburb of Sri Petaling — organized by Jemaah Tabligh Malaysia, the local chapter of a religious pilgrimage movement founded in India about a century ago — the World Health Organization had not yet declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic, and Malaysia had 22 reported cases. Initially, the event came and went as it had in years before. The first sign of trouble came March 9, when a participant from Brunei was reported to be infected. A few days later, a Malaysian participant tested positive. By March 17, cases linked to the religious celebration had become Malaysia’s largest cluster and now account for 37 percent of its total of almost 6,000 cases. Some of the 1,500 foreign attendees carried the virus home to Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. With the holy month of Ramadan underway, this year’s religious festivities are unlike any in memory. It’s a time when Muslims usually come together to break their dawn-to-sunset fast with family and friends, and for nightly prayers at mosques. But such activities now pose a risk of coronavirus transmission. Two weeks after the Kuala Lumpur event, about 9,000 Muslims gathered in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, as part of another tabligh chapter — until authorities shut it down. Attendees spread the virus to neighboring countries, including Malaysia and Thailand. “Ramadan is a very high-risk event,” said Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia. “The infections from the tabligh gathering in South Sulawesi spread to many different islands. Then you have all these small clusters around the country that can become a big fire engulfing the whole country.” Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority nation, recently banned people from traveling back to their hometowns in an exodus that traditionally happens at the end of Ramadan for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Yet it has not imposed a national lockdown, and social distancing measures vary among provinces. “It’s going to be very difficult to keep the people from going to the mosque every night,” or dropping by a relative’s house to break fast together, Riono said. Indonesia has more than 9,000 coronavirus cases and 700 deaths. In Malaysia, the government


High school wrestling changes rules on hair length, weigh-ins as part of inclusivity effort

Coach Milton Yates said. Yates is the board president for the National Prep Wrestling Championships. This year’s event, held in February, featured a girls’ division for the first time in its 85-year history. Yates said changes such as these are all part of the sport catching up to the times. “Wrestling is still one of those prehistoric sports,” Yates said. “And it has not been nurtured or protected like some of those other sports that have begun to come to the forefront and get more attention. So everything that wrestling has been doing now is about equity.” Another change made with female wrestlers in mind alters the weigh-in process. Weigh-ins now will be done wearing a legal uniform instead of a “suitable undergarment,” eliminating the gender barrier posed by a separate process. All wrestlers will be able to weigh in together. “This action accommodates transgender children as well; it respects their rights and dignity and addresses any modesty concerns for any affected children,” Hopkins said in the news release. “We anticipate that the entire weigh-in process will be expedited and more efficient.” For Falls Church’s Warry Bonney, the only female coach in the Washington area, the weigh-in process always felt antiquated and uncomfortable. She would have to wait outside as her male wrestlers went through the weigh-in process with an assistant. With these changes in place, all of her wrestlers will be able to weigh in together. “It makes everything feel much more equal,” Bonney said. “If everybody is wearing a singlet, I can be in there and see my lineup and advocate for my kids.” The Jaguars had 10 female wrestlers on their roster this past season, and Bonney looks forward to seeing these changes improve their experience and help them focus only on their matches. “And it’s not just for female wrestlers; it’s also for the diversity,” she said. “We want to continue to grow the sport and help accommodate everyone we can.” Other rule changes include the addition of an “unnecessary roughness” violation for pulling hair. With high school sports on hold because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Yates and Bonney will have to wait to see how their athletes react to the changes. But both hope this is just the beginning. “We want to grow; we don’t want kids walking away,” Yates said. “There’s so much more to be done, but they’re on the right path.”


Animal sightings are up amid stay-at-home restrictions, but they’ve always been there

by vehicles, probably stemming from fewer cars on the road. Crossed’s group usually receives many calls about geese or foxes being hit while looking for food or a mate in the spring, but that hasn’t been the case this year. In Montgomery County, officials said they saw a “considerable uptick in wildlife calls” in recent weeks, increasing to 422 calls this year from mid-March to mid-April, up from 305 calls during that same period last year. Rodney Taylor, chief of the Prince George’s County Animal Services division, said his office has received more calls than previous spring seasons from all parts of the county. “We see more calls, and one reason is that people are shut in and they’ll see way more animals than they normally do when they’re not home,” Taylor said. “It’s part of nature. They’re out there, and unless they’re on your porch or deck, it’s best to leave them.” In Virginia, Chris Brosan, head of Loudoun County’s Animal Services division, said his department has seen about a 4 percent rise in wildlife-related calls in the past month compared to recent years. “With fewer cars and fewer people out, wildlife are opportunistic,” he said. “Animals are taking advantage and out there exploring.” Still, a bear sighting in the suburbs almost always generates some excitement. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams tweeted last week when he saw a bear in his Tysons Corner neighborhood. The post read, “Yesterday this guy was walking through my neighborhood.” It went on to say, “Perhaps one good thing to come from our #COVID19 tragedy is a pause for Mother Nature.” Wildlife experts say bears are waking up from hibernation and that sightings are possible this time of year across much of the Washington region. Katherine Edwards, a Fairfax County wildlife management specialist, said in an email that her department usually sees “an increase in wildlife-related calls during the spring because it’s baby animal season, but nothing above the norm” this year. Officials said because it is spring, many animals are out and about searching food or caring for their young. What’s different this spring is that wildlife has more observers. “People may come across them more because they are spending more time outdoors and gardening,” Edwards said. She said the county has received reports of black bears “recently moving through the county” but cautioned that it “happens every year at this time.”


With his sport set to debut in Tokyo, Colin Duffy is at home, climbing the walls

Under normal circumstances, sport climber Colin Duffy practices with Team ABC in Boulder, Colo., three times per week after his 10th-grade classes let out. He returns to the facility on the weekends for more time in the gym, and he occasionally climbs outdoors. But just a few weeks after the 16-year-old secured the final climbing spot on the U.S. Olympic team with his March 1 performance at the Pan American Championships, the novel coronavirus pandemic upended his usual training regiment, closing gyms. So now he’s confined to his home, and the nine-foot wall surrounded by mats and a mattress in his family’s basement is the new incubator for his dreams of Tokyo, where sport climbing will make its Olympic debut. “I think I’ll look back at March, and just the craziness of it all will really stick out,” said Duffy, whose schoolwork and upcoming Advanced Placement exams have migrated online. Athletes such as Duffy who have qualified for the 2020 Games will keep their spots, so he sees this unforeseen delay as an extra year to grow and improve. For now, he maintains his muscle memory and finger strength on the wall his family added to the basement about five years ago. The wall has a few small panels with changing angles, which makes it a bit awkward, but Duffy still gets in workouts about four or five times per week. “I try to follow as close to a routine as I would if I was at my home gym,” he said. Duffy starts by warming up his fingers and body, beginning with simple movements and holds. He then works through specific drills — hanging with one arm or one-arm pullups, again starting with large holds, called jugs, and then progressing to more difficult ones. On a small hold, he tries to hang as long as he can to improve his strength. Duffy creates sequences in his head and then performs them on the wall. He can change and reset the holds, so even the small wall presents endless possibilities. Duffy works on his endurance by doing circuits, climbing up and down to simulate what it would feel like to hang for an extended period. “The mental aspect of competitions is a lot different than just climbing outdoors or just a session at the gym, so keeping the mind strong during this time is also really important,” Duffy said. “Competitions


Kids’ coronavirus questions: Do animals at the zoo have coronavirus?

Editor’s note: KidsPost will answer one kid’s coronavirus question Do animals at the zoo have coronavirus? — Isabella D., 6, Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania Unfortunately, yes. When a Malayan tiger named Nadia started coughing March 27, her keepers at the Bronx Zoo in New York got worried, so they ran some tests. And last weekend those tests came back positive for covid-19. Even worse, several other great cats at the zoo may also have the virus. Covid-19 is spread when people sneeze or cough. But the virus is sneaky, because people can be contagious even if they don’t feel sick. While tests show the virus can sometimes infect dogs, house cats and ferrets, one of the biggest worries is for great apes. Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos are our closest relatives, which means they can catch many of the same illnesses we do. But for these animals, a cold can be deadly. This is why zookeepers worldwide have been taking extra precautions to make sure not to pass covid-19 to more animals.


Play it safe: What kids should know about the coronavirus outbreak

With schools closing across the nation in response to coronavirus concerns, many students may be jumping for joy. Others are worried, scared or confused. But as the American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Knowledge is the antidote to fear.” With that in mind, let’s answer a few common questions about coronavirus — starting with its name. Everybody keeps talking about “coronavirus” and “covid-19.” Which is it? Technically, either of these terms could be correct, depending on how they are used. The actual virus that appeared in China at the end of 2019 and has since hopped across the world is called “SARS-CoV-2,” which is short for “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome” and “coronavirus.” Once the virus gets into a person — often through their mouth or nose — it can cause an illness known as “Coronavirus Disease 2019,” or covid-19. Also, you might hear it referred to as a “novel coronavirus,” which means that scientists already knew about other coronaviruses, such as the one that caused an outbreak of SARS in Asia in 2003, but that this one is new. How does covid-19 affect people? The most common symptoms of covid-19 include fever, cough and/or shortness of breath. A person might develop one or more of these symptoms in as few as two days after being exposed to the virus, but they may also not feel sick for up to two weeks after contact. Scientists say most people who get the virus will be able to fight it as they might a bad case of the flu, however some people will have a harder time than others. Elderly people seem to be especially vulnerable, as are those with other conditions such as heart disease, lung disease or diabetes. Some people who have the virus won’t even realize it, but in the worst cases, covid-19 can result in death. Fortunately, death is extremely unlikely to happen in infected children and teenagers. Can pets get covid-19? So far, one dog in Hong Kong has tested positive for the coronavirus. However, it isn’t showing any symptoms, so it’s unclear whether the virus can have a negative effect on pets. According to the World Health Organization, there is no evidence yet that dog owners can catch the virus from their pets. Of course, if you keep your animals inside and avoid walking them in public places, they will be even more unlikely to come into


Coronavirus looks different in kids than in adults

In the nightmare of the coronavirus pandemic that is unfolding around the world, parents have been able to take comfort in one thing — early reports that the virus mysteriously spares children even as it often causes critical illness in the elderly. A paper released this week in the journal Pediatrics, based on 2,143 young people in China, provides the most extensive evidence on the spread of the virus in children, and there is bad news and good news. The study provides confirmation that coronavirus infections are in fact generally less severe in kids, with more than 90 percent having mild to moderate disease or even being asymptomatic. But it contains worrisome information about one subset — infants — and suggests that children may be a critical factor in the disease’s rapid spread. The first thing to know is that children are getting infected across all age groups and genders. Among the patients studied, half were from Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, while the others were from bordering areas. They ranged in age from newborns to 18 with the median age being 7 years. So what does coronavirus look like in children? According to the analysis by Shanghai Children’s Medical Center researchers Yuanyuan Dong, Xi Mo and co-authors, mild cases (52 percent) were marked by the typical symptoms of a cold — fever, fatigue, cough, sore throat, runny nose and sneezing. Some patients had no fever and only digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Those with moderate infection (39 percent) had pneumonia with frequent fever and cough, mostly dry cough, followed by a wetter cough. Some had wheezing but no obvious shortness of breath. Severe cases were rare (5 percent) as were those who required critical care (0.4 percent.) The severe cases began with early respiratory symptoms which were sometimes accompanied by gastrointestinal issues. Around one week the children have more difficulty breathing. Those cases sometimes quickly progressed to critical illness with acute respiratory distress or failure which in turn sometimes led to other organ dysfunction — heart failure or kidney injury. One boy, a 14-year-old, died on Feb. 7. No further details on the patient were revealed in the study. Of special interest to pediatricians is a group of seven infants and two preschoolers in the age 1 to 5 range who progressed to critical condition (69 percent of all critically ill), as


throat swabs showed they were positive for coronavirus infection. “Why most of the children’s COVID-19 cases were less severe than adults’ case is puzzling,” Dong and Mo wrote. “This may be related to both exposure and host factors." The researchers wrote that children may have been more isolated at home after the outbreak began, and therefore had fewer opportunities to be exposed to the pathogens. They also suggested that there was something in the children’s biology — a cell receptor that binds to the virus — that might be less sensitive. Another theory is that children often experience colds and other respiratory infections in winter so they may have come into the season with higher levels of antibodies, which are protective, than adults. The Pediatrics editors wrote they were releasing the paper early, within days of it having been peer reviewed but before official publication, due to the topic’s importance. In a commentary accompanying the study, associate editors Andrea Cruz and Steve Zeichner, both physicians, say the study suggests “children may play a major role in community-based viral transmission.” The data suggests they may have more symptoms that make them contagious, like runny nose, and that they may have more gastrointestinal symptoms which raises concerns for the virus being in the feces for several weeks after infection. “Prolonged shedding in nasal secretions and stool has substantial implications for community spread in day-care centers, schools, and in the home,” Cruz, a pediatrician from the Baylor College of Medicine, and Zeichner, an immunologist from the University of Virginia, wrote. Adam Ratner, a doctor in pediatric infectious diseases at NYU Langone Health, said the outbreak in China represents only a small percentage of those who will eventually become infected and when the group gets larger “we’ll see more serious cases on the fringes.” He said the clear takeaway from the study is that coronavirus “is still something that has the ability to cause severe disease across the age spectrum.” He said his hospital and his colleagues’ around the United States were “taking the idea of covid-19 in children very seriously.” “We’re learning more and more about this disease every day for better or for worse,” he said. “It’s still very early days.” Read more: Spiking U.S. coronavirus cases could force rationing decisions similar to those made in Italy, China How is the coronavirus outbreak going to end? Here’s how similar epidemics played out.


How to differentiate between allergies and coronavirus

differences between the virus and allergies that should help allay unnecessary panic. Allergies, which are an overreaction of the immune system to foreign particles, should not trigger chills, body aches or fevers, Bailey said. Those are the classic signs of a viral infection, such as covid-19. In addition, while patients with coronavirus can have nasal congestion, it is not common. The World Health Organization found that only about 5 percent of the coronavirus patients in China had nasal congestion. About 14 percent had a sore throat. Unfortunately, we are still in cold and flu season, which can go on until as late as May, and it is less easy to differentiate between covid-19 and those illnesses. Both cold and the flu, or influenza, are, like covid-19, viral infections transmitted through person-to-person contact. Flu is accompanied by fever, and a cold can cause fever, too. Both the flu and the coronavirus can cause a dry cough. A cold can be accompanied by a wet or dry cough. The flu vaccine provides no protection against the coronavirus and does not guarantee you will not get the flu, so people who have been vaccinated against flu but are experiencing flu-like symptoms should take them seriously. “In Virginia and Maryland, flu activity is still high,” said Jesse L. Goodman, an infectious disease specialist at Georgetown University. “Even an experienced clinician can’t always tell the difference between viral infections without testing.” When in doubt, it is best to consult a doctor, Goodman said. “They’ll probably ask about general health and medications to assess your risk group.” Patients with high fever and difficulty breathing will be asked to come in but as cases of covid-19 rise, patients exhibiting mild symptoms may be asked to stay home rather than come in for testing since there is no medication for the disease, only supportive care. “We have a desire to test for flu because we have a treatment that helps with that,” Goodman said, referring to the antiviral medication used to treat some flu patients. Here are some suggestions from experts about how to handle this confluence of seasonal allergies, the common cold, influenza and the coronavirus. ● Experienced seasonal allergy sufferers should pay close attention to allergy symptoms they are familiar with and treat them as they normally would. That includes showering and washing your hair as soon as you get home to remove pollen and taking


at all (above 100.4) who is also having difficulty breathing should seek medical help immediately, because that should not occur with simple allergies. ● While is important that healthcare professionals have the space and resources to help those who really need it, feel free to call your doctor’s office with concerns. A nurse can ask questions that will help determine whether you need to be examined immediately. “We don’t want to flood the system, especially the emergency rooms right now,” said Elizabeth Douglass, an infectious diseases specialist at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. ● Get a flu shot, if you have not. Flu activity in Maryland and Virginia has been decreasing for the third week in a row but it is still high. The CDC reports that this season’s flu vaccine decreases chances of catching the flu by 45 percent. People who have not gotten the flu vaccine still can and should. ● Find out whether you are a candidate for the pneumonia vaccine. Both the flu and coronavirus can result in pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. Adults over the age of 65 or others with certain chronic medical conditions may benefit from the vaccine, which provides protection from the most common pneumonia in adults. ● Wash your hands. This helps prevent the spread of all viral infections, including cold, influenza and the coronavirus. Use soap and warm water, and scrub well. ● Don’t panic. There is no need to purchase face masks or wear them unless you have a contagious viral infection or you are caring for someone who is. “No one can say right now that this is not significant virus,” Goodman said of the coronavirus. “But I think it is really important that people realize this is not Ebola,” which has an average case fatality rate of 50 percent, compared with the World Health Organization’s current estimate of between 3 and 4 percent for COVID-19. “It does appear that the great majority of people have a mild illness and get better.” He emphasized that as we enter allergy season and exit cold and flu season, it is important that the public does not rush to the emergency room with seasonal allergies and minor illnesses, or purchase masks and hand sanitizer unnecessarily. “Sometimes fear can be more dangerous than a virus,” he said. “People may put themselves and other people in danger.” localliving@washpost.com


What you need to know about grocery shopping in the DMV

People are rethinking how they shop in the Washington region, stocking up on a week’s worth of groceries — or more — to limit their trips to the store and curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants are adapting rapidly to meet the changing demands. Stores and delivery services are offering no-contact delivery services, but demand has skyrocketed, leaving some in week-long queues. You should go grocery shopping only if you’re feeling well and you’re not aware of times in the past few weeks when you’ve been in contact with someone who has covid-19. But, the virus isn’t food-borne. Experts simply recommend standard food hygiene practices Before you leave the house, here are some starting points: The list of places or situations you’ll need to wear a mask is growing. Washington Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) has ordered people to wear masks at hotels and in taxis or ride-sharing trips. Businesses in the District may be fined if they fail to enforce the rule. District grocery stores are required to provide masks for their employees. Need to make a mask? Here are step-by-step instructions. In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced that face masks will be required when entering stores. Montgomery County officials have ordered limits on the number of shoppers in stores, and Prince George’s County officials announced that residents must wear masks when riding the county bus system. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) has recommended residents in his state wear masks or face coverings when outside, but it’s not mandated. [Grocery shopping during the coronavirus: Wash your hands, keep your distance and limit trips] Safeway, Giant, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter and other grocery stores are offering older shoppers and those with compromised immune systems dedicated store hours, early in the morning, so they can shop without large crowds. The District has extended sidewalks near grocery stores to allow for social distancing. Be sure to check a store’s website for any announcements before heading out. Grocery stores around the region have been temporarily closing for cleaning. A Trader Joe’s on 14th Street in Northwest Washington closed its doors earlier this month because an employee tested positive for covid-19. OurStreets, an app originally for urbanites to report illegal parking and reckless driving, has become a tool for neighbors to report and review what local convenience and grocery stores have in stock. The app uses your


be required when entering stores. Montgomery County officials have ordered limits on the number of shoppers in stores, and Prince George’s County officials announced that residents must wear masks when riding the county bus system. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) has recommended residents in his state wear masks or face coverings when outside, but it’s not mandated. [Grocery shopping during the coronavirus: Wash your hands, keep your distance and limit trips] Safeway, Giant, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter and other grocery stores are offering older shoppers and those with compromised immune systems dedicated store hours, early in the morning, so they can shop without large crowds. The District has extended sidewalks near grocery stores to allow for social distancing. Be sure to check a store’s website for any announcements before heading out. Grocery stores around the region have been temporarily closing for cleaning. A Trader Joe’s on 14th Street in Northwest Washington closed its doors earlier this month because an employee tested positive for covid-19. OurStreets, an app originally for urbanites to report illegal parking and reckless driving, has become a tool for neighbors to report and review what local convenience and grocery stores have in stock. The app uses your location to share what’s in stock nearby, with sections for milk, diapers, soap, toilet paper, as well as fresh and frozen vegetables. OurStreets is available nationally, but co-founder Mark Sussman told The Washington Post that its practicality depends on how often people are taking stock and reporting in. On a recent Saturday, when people are often heading out to get groceries for the week, 30,000 searched to see what was available, but just 700 people reported on what’s available. People “have to invest in the platform for it to be successful,” Sussman said. “This is basically Waze for toilet paper. ” Sussman, 35, said the utility of the app comes from crowdsourcing the stock for smaller grocery chains and convenience stores. These stores often have flexible supply chains, he added, which allows them to stay in stock when larger stores may be hard-hit by crowds. Farmers markets are still open in Maryland and Virginia, but the two states have varying restrictions on what vendors can and cannot do or sell. Virginia markets, for example, need to provide curbside pickup and comply with the state’s social-distancing guidelines. Bowser closed all farmers and fish markets in the District at the beginning of


Northam to allow non-emergency doctor, dentist visits

Accomack County, where many of Virginia’s chicken processing plants are located, has reported 229 coronavirus cases, Northam said, “so time is of the essence.” A group of 11 Democratic state delegates and senators also petitioned Northam on Wednesday to disclose more information about the location of positive coronavirus cases around the state, saying other locales — such as Maryland — release data by Zip code. In response, Northam said Virginia would adopt that practice as well, as soon as the state could reconfigure its information systems. Virginia has cited patient privacy as a reason to limit the amount of information released about cases of infection, but the lawmakers — led by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) — argued that more data would help the public understand the spread of the disease. Hogan said Wednesday that all Maryland nursing home residents and employees will now be tested regardless of whether they are showing symptoms. Virginia has been testing all nursing home facilities that ask for it or that have had outbreaks for the past two weeks. Hogan’s executive order comes a day after Maryland released data showing that about half of the state’s coronavirus deaths were tied to nursing homes. About 50 Maryland delegates urged Hogan to issue sweeping orders to help renters and homeowners who are struggling to pay their bills, including prohibiting rent increases and late fees and temporarily canceling rent and mortgage payments for those affected by the coronavirus. Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery), who initiated the letter, said “bold actions” are needed to help Maryland residents “keep the roof over their heads.” Hogan signed an executive order earlier this month that temporarily prohibits evictions and repossessions and stops the initiation of residential and commercial foreclosures. Hogan’s spokesman, Michael Ricci, said the governor’s office appreciated the ideas from the legislators. “We continue to explore ways to help Marylanders get back on their feet as we plan for the recovery,” Ricci wrote in a statement. Confirmed coronavirus cases continued to grow across the region on Wednesday. The District reported 112 new cases, bringing its total to 4,110. It also reported 15 new deaths, the highest single-day total in a week. African American residents continue to account for a disproportionate number of deaths in the District, making up 80 percent of the 206 fatalities reported in a city that is 45 percent black. Virginia also reported a jump in deaths Wednesday, with


Maryland orders coronavirus tests for all patients, staff at nursing homes, where 516 have died

Maryland announced Wednesday that it will test all nursing home residents and staffers for the novel coronavirus, which has spread through 194 facilities, infecting 4,822 staff members and residents and killing 516. Officials said the state may be the first in the country to mandate universal testing. Data released Wednesday evening showed that half of Maryland’s confirmed covid-19-related deaths and more than a fifth of its cases were linked to skilled-nursing facilities. That is a higher percentage than in California, where about 30 percent of deaths have been linked to nursing facilities, and in New York, where the figure is about 20 percent. A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation found on the basis of preliminary analyses that 27 percent of the nation’s coronavirus deaths have been linked to facilities that provide long-term care. The Maryland data, made public after relatives and advocates for nursing home residents called repeatedly for greater transparency, provides startling evidence of the scale and severity of outbreaks in the state. Relatives of care-center residents who have died of the virus said the data raises new questions about whether state and local authorities provided adequate support to nursing homes as the pandemic arrived in the region, and about what, if anything, can be done to curtail the further spread of the virus among residents and employees. “It certainly doesn’t seem like [officials] did enough,” said Montgomery County resident Barbara Joltin. Her husband, Steve Joltin, died April 11 of covid-19 at the Rockville Nursing Home, where 50 others have been infected and nine have died. “Looking at this data, there’s a ‘what if,’ you know?” Joltin said, holding back tears. “What if he hadn’t been in that nursing home? Would he still be alive?” A receptionist at Rockville Nursing Home said no one was available to provide comment Wednesday and directed a reporter to the nursing home’s website. An executive order “We are no longer playing defense. We are going on offense, attacking it from every angle, with everything we’ve got,” Hogan said. He added that the Maryland National Guard state surgeon, Eric B. Allely, will lead an interagency team of officials to ensure that nursing homes comply with new state rules requiring testing and regular communication of information to patients’ families. “[Universal testing is] too late,” said Herman Taylor, whose sister lives at Regency Care of Silver Spring, a 92-bed facility where 30 staffers and 50


patients have been infected, 10 of whom have died. “It’s certainly too late at Regency — everybody has it. . . . I still have no idea what the game is to get everybody healed.” Nursing homes in Montgomery County, the state’s most populous jurisdiction, reported 1,099 confirmed infections and 149 fatalities across 48 facilities — accounting for two-thirds of the county’s covid-19 deaths. Baltimore County reported 832 cases and 71 deaths. The largest nursing home death toll is at Sagepoint Nursing & Rehabilitation in La Plata, where 35 have died. Local officials say Montgomery was particularly hard-hit in part because there are more long-term care facilities in the county, where 1 in 7 residents are 65 or older. But some also said authorities could have done more to monitor infection-control measures at nursing homes before the pandemic and could have provided more support when facilities first reported cases. Others say it has been difficult to respond to outbreaks because of a lack of information from state officials about what Hogan’s nursing home “strike teams” have been doing since their creation about three weeks ago. “It’s clear that the systems we had in place were not built for what we’ve seen,” said Montgomery County Council member Gabe Albornoz (D-At Large), who chairs the council’s health and human services committee. “We need to make sure that there is a complete and total evaluation of not just how we responded to this virus but the systemic issues that existed in this entire system even before covid-19.” Nursing home residents, who are often elderly and have underlying ailments, are exceptionally vulnerable to covid-19. Many of the facilities where they live are understaffed and unprepared to manage severe viral outbreaks. A recent analysis by The Washington Post found that at least 40 percent of nursing homes with known outbreaks in the country have been cited more than once by inspectors in recent years for violating federal standards meant to control the spread of infections. In Maryland, the virus raced in a matter of days through Pleasant View Nursing Home in Carroll County, which struggled with shortages of staff and personal protective equipment. Twenty-nine patients ultimately died. Outside Richmond, an even larger outbreak has claimed the lives of at least 40, and the director said society is partly to blame because of its willingness to “warehouse” the elderly in underfunded public facilities. At least 30


Man fatally shot on New York Avenue in Northwest Washington

A man was fatally shot Wednesday afternoon on New York Avenue in Northwest Washington, according to D.C. police. Police said the incident occurred about 12:30 p.m. in front of a carryout in the 200 block of New York Avenue NW, south of Dunbar High School and near the entrance to I-395. Arriving officers found a man who was unconcious and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. The victim was identified by police as 35-year-old Louis Kingsbury, of Southeast Washington. Motorists were detoured off New York Avenue, a major thoroughfare in and out of the District that in normal times is packed with traffic. Two other people were shot in the District later Wednesday. Shortly before 4 p.m., a man was wounded by gunfire in the 1300 block of Fairmont Street NW, in Columbia Heights, police said. Police described him as conscious when taken to a hospital. A short time later, at about 4:10 p.m., a man was shot near 19th and I streets in Northeast, in the Carver-Langston area, police said. Police said that man was unconscious at the scene, and homicide detectives had been assigned to the case. No other details were immediately available. Before Wednesday, the District had gone 10 days without a homicide.