Archives for May 2021

The Latest: UK increases aid to India’s health care system

LONDON — Britain rushed to increase aid for India’s teetering health care system on Sunday, promising more ventilators and expert advice as doctors grapple with a surge in coronavirus infections that is killing thousands of people a day.

The U.K. government said it will send an additional 1,000 ventilators to India. In addition, England’s National Health Service, which has battled one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Europe, is creating an advisory group to share its expertise with Indian authorities.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans a video meeting with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on Tuesday to discuss further cooperation between the two countries, the U.K. government said in statement.

India recorded 392,488 new infections, down from a high of more than 400,000 in the previous 24 hours. It also reported 3,689 deaths, raising overall virus fatalities to 215,542. Experts believe both figures are undercounts.

The new round of government aid comes in addition to the 200 ventilators, 495 oxygen concentrators and three oxygen generation units the U.K. said it was sending to India last week.

Private fundraising efforts are also taking place throughout Britain, where 1.4 million people have Indian roots.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— India’s leader weakened by coronavirus crisis as nation sets record for daily cases

— U.S. public transit hopes to win back riders after crushing year

— Puerto Rico staggers under latest surge of the virus

— ‘London to Delhi’ stationary biking raises cash for India’s virus crisis

— Virus, technology, unrest make stressful year for U.S. teachers

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Follow more of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s national body to control coronavirus decided Sunday to temporarily restrict the country’s borders to people coming in from Afghanistan and Iran.

Inbound pedestrian movement from those two countries will halt at midnight May 4 until May 20 with the exception of Pakistani citizens in Afghanistan and Iran who want to return home and extreme medical emergency cases.

The development comes after Pakistan reported another 113 deaths and 4,414 new cases amid the third wave of the virus, taking the country’s death tally to 18,070.

Authorities said the decision aimed to limit the spread of new COVID-19 variants. It said border terminals with both the countries will remain open seven days a week with increased health staff and there will be no restrictions on outbound passengers or cargo movement.

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NEW DELHI — Preliminary voting trends released by India’s electoral body on Sunday indicate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party failed to make gains in four recent state elections, a sign his political strength may be slipping as the country struggles to contain an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases.

Health experts say the massive electoral rallies and marches held as voters cast their ballots in March and April are partly to blame for the subsequent spike in COVID-19 infections.

Public anger for allowing the elections to go forward despite the risk has been directed at both Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the independent Election Commission. The commission will release the final voting results later Sunday.

Following the disappointing results, Modi stands weakened but faces no threats to staying on as prime minister until his term ends in 2024.

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WASHINGTON — A top White House adviser to President Joe Biden is suggesting that he still wears a mask outdoors because it has become a “matter of habit.”

Anita Dunn told CNN’s “State of the Union” that she still wore her mask outdoors after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated people like herself and the president don’t need to, especially if they’re outside alone and away from other people.

Said Dunn: “I myself found that I was still wearing my mask outdoors this week because it has become such a matter of habit.”

Biden wore a mask outside several times last week as he approached the microphone for speeches.

The CDC recently said fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they’re in a big crowd of strangers.

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SAN JUAN — Puerto Rico seemed to be sprinting toward herd immunity this spring before people began letting their guard down against COVID-19 and new variants started spreading across the U.S. territory.

Now, a spike in cases and hospitalizations has put medical experts at odds with the government, which is struggling to protect people’s health while also trying to prevent an economic implosion on an island battered by hurricanes, earthquakes and a prolonged financial crisis.

“The difficulty here is how do you find a Solomonic decision … to give people the opportunity to work and be responsible and also maintain health as a priority,” said Ramón Leal, former president of Puerto Rico’s Restaurant Association. “These are hard conversations.”

It’s a delicate balance for an island that imposed a lockdown and mask mandates ahead of any U.S. state and has some of the strictest entry requirements of any American jurisdiction.

Overall, the land of 3.3 million people has reported more than 115,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 2,000 deaths.

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BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania will ease coronavirus-control measures in the capital of Bucharest beginning Monday, after its COVID-19 infection rate dropped below three per 1,000 residents for three straight days.

This will allow restaurants, cafes, cinemas and performance halls to reopen inside to 30% capacity after they were forced in late March to close indoor spaces to help curb rapidly rising COVID-19 infections. A 10 p.m. curfew will remain in place.

Bucharest prefect Alin Stoica said if the COVID-19 infection rate drops below 1.5 per 1,000 residents some venues could ramp up capacity to 50%, and that up to 300 people could be allowed at outdoor events. Authorities will review the epidemiological situation on May 13.

Since the pandemic started, Romania — a country of more than 19 million — has recorded more than 1 million infections and 28,282 deaths.

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WASHINGTON — As President Joe Biden urges more federal spending for public transportation, transit agencies decimated by COVID-19 are trying to figure out how to win back passengers scared away by the pandemic.

It’s made more urgent by the climate change crisis. Biden has pledged to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by the end of the decade. That aggressive target will require Americans to ditch gas-guzzling cars for electric vehicles or embrace mass transit.

“We have a huge opportunity here to provide fast, safe, reliable, clean transportation in this country, and transit is part of the infrastructure,” Biden said at an event to promote rail and public transportation.

With fewer transportation alternatives, lower-income people are more reliant on public transportation for commuting and their daily lives.

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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan banned Shiite mourning processions on the martyrdom day of the fourth caliph of Islam due to the high risk of spreading coronavirus and asked aviation authorities to cut inbound international flights to 20% to avoid new virus variants.

The developments came after health authorities reported the presence of U.K., Brazilian and South African variants in patients who recently tested positive.

Authorities will allow congregations of Shiite mourners to gather on Ali Day on Tuesday if they follow social distancing rules and wear masks.

An increase in infections prompted authorities to lock down in most parts of its capital Lahore for the second day, as well as weekend lockdowns in the future.

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NEW DELHI — India has opened vaccinations to all adults in hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections.

The world’s largest maker of vaccines is still short of critical supplies — the result of lagging manufacturing and raw material shortages. Those factors delayed the rollout in several states.

Only a fraction of India’s population likely can afford the prices charged by private hospitals for the shot. That means states and the federal government will be in charge of immunizing 900 million Indian adults.

India set another global record Saturday with 401,993 daily cases, taking its tally to more than 19.1 million. There were 3,523 confirmed deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 211,853, according to the Health Ministry.

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BEIJING — Chinese tourists are expected to make a total of 18.3 million railway passenger trips on the first day of China’s international labor day holiday.

That’s according to an estimate by China’s state railway group. The start to the five-day holiday on Saturday included tourists rushing to travel domestically now that the coronavirus has been brought under control in China.

May Day is offering the first long break for Chinese tourists since the start of the year. A domestic outbreak of the coronavirus before the Lunar New Year holidays in February cancelled travel plans for many after the government advised people to refrain from traveling.

Border closures and travel restrictions mean tourists are traveling domestically. China in recent weeks reported almost no cases of locally transmitted infections.

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BRUSSELS — Police have detained 132 people who took part in an illegal party in a Brussels park to protest COVID-19 restrictions, authorities said Sunday.

About 15 people, including protesters and police, were injured in clashes, police spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere said.

About 2,000 revelers and protesters had massed in the park Saturday for the second time in a month, and police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse them, clashing for hours.

The government and police had warned people for a week to stay away from the party to no avail. Clashes erupted after big crowds started gathering late in the afternoon.

Belgium still has strict rules banning major gatherings and insists on people wearing face masks in large crowds.

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis led a special prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday evening to invoke the end of the pandemic.

Francis, wearing white robes, sat in a chair and fingered the beads of a rosary, while about 200 people, including young children, sat spaced apart according to coronavirus safety protocols and recited the prayers aloud.

The pope prayed that “this hard trial end and that a horizon of hope and peace return.”

Every day, for the rest of the month, various Catholic sanctuaries in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary will take turns holding a similar rosary service. The initiative ends on May 31, when Francis will lead the rosary recitation in the Vatican Gardens.

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LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas has increased its casino capacity and more pandemic-weary tourists are arriving at the entertainment city.

Casino capacity on the Strip increased to 80% and person-to-person distancing drops to 3 feet on Saturday. The boom began in mid-March when casino occupancy went from 35% to 50% under state health guidelines.

Among the first arrivals were people ages 60 and older who were recently vaccinated. Analysts said pent-up demand, available hotel rooms and $1,400 pandemic recovery checks have contributed to the rush.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority tallied more than 2.2 million visitors in March. The figure was down 40% from March 2019. Casinos closed from mid-March to early June last year, helping to drive the Nevada jobless rate in April above 30% — the highest in any state. The current state rate is 8.1%.

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GENEVA — The World Health Organization has given the go-ahead for emergency use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The mRNA vaccine from the U.S. manufacturer joins vaccines from AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson in receiving the WHO’s emergency use listing. Similar approvals for China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are expected in the coming days and weeks, WHO has said.

The greenlight for Moderna’s vaccine, announced late Friday, took many months because of delays WHO faced in getting data from the manufacturer.

Many countries without their own advanced medical regulatory and assessment offices rely on the WHO listing to decide whether to use vaccines. U.N. children’s agency UNICEF also uses the listing to deploy vaccines in an emergency like the pandemic.

The announcement isn’t likely to have an immediate impact on supplies of Moderna’s vaccine for the developing world. The company struck supply agreements with many rich countries, which have already received millions of doses.

Virus, technology, unrest make stressful year for teachers

MANOR, Texas (AP) — The school bell rings, and about a dozen masked first-graders turn to the monitor and wave hello to their classmates — each a tiny Zoom square representing the other half of the class. The teacher — standing behind a plexiglass wall — shares her screen, grabs a pointer, juggles a laptop, projector, marker and board and embarks on another act of her one-woman show.

Ana Saul Romero has seen many changes in teaching methods, testing and technology during her four decades as a teacher. But the past year packed in a lifetime’s worth of tumult.

“It’s difficult for me — I am a baby boomer — it is difficult with the technology, and I have learned more, but it is not enough, it is never enough,” Romero said as she reminisced on the personal connections she made with students when she could see them every day in-person.

This spring marks a year since the coronavirus pandemic shut down schools across the U.S., forcing many students, parents and teachers into virtual classrooms. As scientists learned more about the virus and states eased restrictions on gathering, some students returned to school while others kept learning at home — but they all had to be taught. Many classrooms became a simultaneous combination of virtual and in-person instruction, like Romero’s class in the Austin suburb of Manor.

There was a learning curve for teachers, and inequalities in Wi-Fi and technology access added to the stresses, as did social and political unrest that gripped the nation over that period. Now districts everywhere are grappling with exhausted educators wondering if this academic year will be their last.

Educators have coped with their own personal and family impacts of the pandemic, while trying to support students dealing with academic struggles, food insecurity, trauma and social isolation, said Antoinette Miranda, an Ohio State University professor of school psychology who is also on her state’s school board and married to a high school teacher.

“We talk a lot about the stress on students,” Miranda said, “but I think there’s a tremendous amount of stress on teachers.”

As they raised health and safety concerns about resuming in-person classes, some people blamed them for holding up reopenings that could ease pressure on parents.

“I think there’s kind of a backlash against teachers,” Miranda said. “But I think there’s also a renewed respect for teachers — you know, especially parents that had to start teaching their kids at home.”

Andre Spencer, superintendent of Manor Independent School District where Romero works, said the district’s pandemic response has focused on students and teachers. It spent millions to ensure every student and teacher has the technology necessary for virtual learning, including distributing mobile Wi-Fi hotspots for those without internet access. He also gathered a team to examine the resources and compensation his district provides teachers to ensure it stays competitive with others in the growing Austin area.

“I would say to teachers: ‘Don’t beat yourselves up too bad because this was a shift for everyone and it was a shift in a direction that none of us were expecting,’” Spencer said.

First-year teacher Cindy Hipps, Romero’s mentee and teaching partner, said she was told she “was introduced to the ring of fire of teaching.”

“I feel like a superwoman now, like I can take on anything,” she added.

Even before this school year began, district leaders worried about shortages of instructors, support staff and substitutes. More than a quarter of respondents to one poll by the nation’s largest teachers union, the National Education Association, felt the pandemic increased the likelihood they would retire early or leave the profession. And some already did.

With only piecemeal data from districts and states, it’s tough to tell how the pandemic impacted turnover nationwide. Some places report more educators retiring, quitting or taking extended absences, but others say the exodus they worried about didn’t happen.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten anticipates a big uptick in retirements in the coming months, after a year of perpetual uncertainty and change and more strain for educators than she’s ever seen.

“They love teaching. They know how important it is to engage kids. But this year has been unsustainable,” especially for educators simultaneously teaching students in person and online, Weingarten said.

The union started providing a free trauma counseling program for members, including for those who had COVID-19 or were traumatized by it.

National conversations around racial injustice, the presidential election and the Capitol riot impacted the job too, especially for teachers of color.

Travis Bristol, a University of California, Berkeley professor who researches teacher workplace experiences and focuses on educators of color, recommends that schools intentionally set up opportunities for employees to talk about what they have been through and grieve if needed. Teachers who are supported in addressing their own challenges, stresses and mental health concerns from the past year will be better positioned to help students do the same, he said.

To boost retention and address challenges weighing on educators, some districts are considering spending some of their federal COVID-19 relief funding on professional development, equipping and training teachers for virtual instruction, and increasing mental and emotional health support for teachers and students. They can also use the money for expenses such as providing extra compensation for pandemic-related duties or recruiting to address staffing shortages.

Romero, the teacher in Texas, was considering retiring. But even after such a challenging year, at her core, teaching is who she is.

“Let’s just hope that in September, if it is not gone, at least we will be able to do a better job,” Romero said. “We will have the experience of an entire year of trying to be above the water, but we will make it — that’s what educators do. We try and we fail and we get up and we shake it off and we do it again.”

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Franko reported from Columbus, Ohio.

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Coronado is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Adviser suggests Biden still wears mask outside out of habit

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — One of President Joe Biden’s top White House advisers suggested Sunday that he’s still wearing a mask outdoors out of habit although the latest public health guidance says he doesn’t need it.

Questioned about Biden’s practice, senior adviser Anita Dunn told CNN’s “State of the Union” that she realized that she was also still wearing her mask outdoors even after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated people like her and Biden can stop wearing masks outside when they’re alone or not among strangers.

“I myself found that I was still wearing my mask outdoors this week, because it has become such a matter of habit,” Dunn said. “I think the president takes the CDC guidelines very seriously. And he’s always taken his role as sending a signal to follow the science very seriously, as well.”

Biden wore a mask outdoors several times last week as he approached microphones to give speeches, including an appearance on the White House lawn last Tuesday to discuss the CDC’s relaxed mask guidance.

Asked afterward about the message he was sending by wearing a mask outside as he stood alone, Biden replied: “By watching me take it off and not put it back on until I get inside.”

The CDC recently said Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they’re in a large crowd of strangers.

Some public health experts have questioned Biden’s continued mask-wearing outdoors.

Dunn said some extra precautions are taken with Biden since he is president. She urged people to follow CDC guidelines and to get fully vaccinated because that will mean they can go mask-free outside as summer approaches.

Police fatally shoot gunman who killed 2 at Wisconsin casino

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Tribal leaders in northeastern Wisconsin were in shock Sunday hours after a gunman opened fire at their casino complex, killing two people and wounding another in what witnesses described as a hailstorm of bullets.

Brown County Sheriff’s Lt. Kevin Pawlak said the shooting at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay on Saturday night didn’t appear to be a random attack.

“He was targeting a specific victim who was not there, but he decided to still shoot some of the victim’s friends or co-workers, it appears,” Pawlak said at a news conference early Sunday. Police responding to the scene shot the gunman to death.

Oneida Chairman Tehassi Hill told WLUK-TV on Sunday that he was in “disbelief” and called the shooting “scary.” He said the tribe prohibits firearms on its properties but that “(mass shootings are) kind of a regular thing in this country.”

Authorities have not released the identities of the gunman or his victims. The wounded person was being treated at a Milwaukee hospital, Pawlak said.

The attack happened around 7:30 p.m. in the restaurant at the casino complex operated by the Oneida Nation, whose reservation is located on the western side of Green Bay about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. The complex includes a casino, conference center, hotel and restaurant.

Jawad Yatim, a witness, said he saw at least two people shot.

“I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us,” Yatim said. “But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldn’t doubt him hitting other people. We got the hell out of there. Thank God we’re OK, but obviously we wish the best for everybody who’s been shot.”

Pawlak, the sheriff’s department lieutenant, wasn’t sure if the shooter was a former restaurant employee but said “it appears there’s some relationship that had to do with employment.”

“Whether or not they all worked there, we’re still working on,” he said.

Gambler Max Westphal said he was standing outside after being evacuated from the building for what he thought was a minor issue.

“All of a sudden we hear a massive flurry of gunshots — 20 to 30 gunshots for sure,” Westphal told WBAY-TV. “We took off running towards the highway. … There had to have been 50 cop cars that came by on the highway. It was honestly insane.”

Pawlak said authorities called for a “tactical alert” after receiving the report of an active shooter. That “brings every agency from around the area to the casino, to the Radisson,” he said of the large law enforcement presence.

Hill, the tribal chairman, told WLUK-TV that he feels security is tight in the casino but that the tribe may have to consider tougher protocols for the complex depending on investigators’ findings.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur tweeted condolences Sunday to everyone affected by the shooting.

“We have the smallest and closest community in professional sports,” LaFleur said. “It’s unfortunate anytime events like this occur & sad when it hits so close to home.”

Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement late Saturday saying he was “devastated” to hear about the shooting.

“Our hearts, thoughts, and support go out to the Oneida Nation, the Ashwaubenon and Green Bay communities, and all those affected by this tragedy.”

Evers, a Democrat, called a special legislative session on gun control in the fall of 2019. He proposed a so-called “red flag” law that would have allowed judges to take guns away from peopled deemed to be a danger, and a bill requiring a background check for almost all gun purchases. Republicans who control the Legislature refused to consider either measure.

Sen. Rob Cowles, a Republican who represents the Green Bay area, issued a statement saying the community has suffered a “traumatic event.”

“My heart goes out to those impacted by the shooting, to the Oneida Nation and to all of Northeast Wisconsin as we continue coping with this senseless violence,” he said. “Those victims and families of those killed and injured will remain in my thoughts and prayers.”

The Oneida is one of 11 tribes that operate casinos in Wisconsin under agreements with the state called compacts. Essentially, the tribes pledge a percentage of their gaming revenue to the state in exchange for the exclusive right to offer casino gambling.

Tribal gaming in Wisconsin generated nearly $1.3 billion in gross revenue in the 2018-2019 fiscal year but suffered deep losses in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

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Associated Press writer Doug Glass contributed from Minneapolis; Mayuko Ono contributed from London. Todd Richmond contributed from Madison.

Bullfighting back in Madrid as heated election campaign ends

MADRID (AP) — Bullfighting with fans returned to Madrid on Sunday for the first time since the start of the pandemic, with several thousand spectators allowed into the Spanish capital’s Las Ventas ring.

Regional authorities allowed the event, whose earnings are to help the bullfighting industry, which like all activities that rely on live audiences has been hard hit by coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions.

Regional authorities put a limit of 40% occupancy for Madrid’s first bullfight in over a year, meaning up to 6,000 fans could attend. Fans had assigned seats and had to wear face masks at all times. The lineup included top bullfighters Enrique Ponce and Julián “El Juli” López.

Last summer, bullfighting returned in Spain’s southern region of Andalusía with 50% occupancy following the country’s complete lockdown during the worst months of the pandemic.

But the timing of bullfight in Madrid has political implications. Besides falling on a regional holiday, it coincides with the final day of official campaigning for Madrid’s important regional election on Tuesday.

The region’s conservative chief, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, is running for re-election in an early election she called seeking to increase her power in the regional legislature. Díaz Ayuso has made the election a referendum on her pushback against the stricter health restrictions imposed or recommended by Spain’s left-wing central government.

While not intervening to stop the bullfight, the national health authorities have repeatedly urged regions not to risk mass contagion by allowing large events. Soccer matches are still played at empty stadiums.

The Health Ministry on Friday indicated that Madrid has the second-highest infection rate of Spain’s regions at 384 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days.

Díaz Ayuso defended her decision by appealing to the central theme of her campaign: “liberty.”

“When there are bullfights, there is liberty,” Díaz Ayuso said last month.

Last week she added: “It is very important for those who like bullfighting to see them as they wish. The spectators are going to be in the best hands possible. There won’t be a problem.”

Díaz Ayuso is hoping that her conservative Popular Party will win an outright majority. If she falls short, her chances of staying in power would depend on the far-right Vox party. The campaign has been marred by death threats sent by letter for candidates, including Ayuso, and ministers of Spain’s government that police are investigating.

The left-wing’s chances of reclaiming power in the Madrid region for the first time in over two decades hinge on a massive turnout Tuesday and cooperation by the three leftist parties, including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialists. A heavy defeat for the left-wing in Madrid would hurt Sánchez’s national ruling coalition.

Archives for May 2021

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