Monday, April 6, 2020

430,000 People Have Traveled From China to U.S. Since Coronavirus Surfaced

430,000 People Have Traveled From China to U.S. Since Coronavirus SurfacedSince Chinese officials disclosed the outbreak of a mysterious pneumonialike illness to international health officials on New Year's Eve, at least 430,000 people have arrived in the United States on direct flights from China, including nearly 40,000 in the two months after President Donald Trump imposed restrictions on such travel, according to an analysis of data collected in both countries.The bulk of the passengers, who were of multiple nationalities, arrived in January, at airports in Los Angeles; San Francisco; New York; Chicago; Seattle; Newark, New Jersey; and Detroit. Thousands of them flew directly from Wuhan, the center of the coronavirus outbreak, as American public health officials were only beginning to assess the risks to the United States.Flights continued this past week, the data show, with passengers traveling from Beijing to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, under rules that exempt Americans and some others from the clampdown that took effect on Feb. 2. In all, 279 flights from China have arrived in the United States since then, and screening procedures have been uneven, interviews show.Trump has repeatedly suggested that his travel measures impeded the virus' spread in the United States. "I do think we were very early, but I also think that we were very smart, because we stopped China," he said at a briefing on Tuesday, adding, "That was probably the biggest decision we made so far." Last month, he said, "We're the ones that kept China out of here."But the analysis of the flight and other data by The New York Times shows the travel measures, however effective, may have come too late to have "kept China out," particularly in light of recent statements from health officials that as many as 25% of people infected with the virus may never show symptoms. Many infectious-disease experts suspect that the virus had been spreading undetected for weeks after the first American case was confirmed, in Washington state, on Jan. 20, and that it had continued to be introduced. In fact, no one knows when the virus first arrived in the United States.During the first half of January, when Chinese officials were underplaying the severity of the outbreak, no travelers from China were screened for potential exposure to the virus. Health screening began in mid-January, but only for a number of travelers who had been in Wuhan and only at the airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. By that time, about 4,000 people had already entered the United States directly from Wuhan, according to VariFlight, an aviation data company based in China. The measures were expanded to all passengers from China two weeks later.In a statement Friday, Hogan Gidley, a White House spokesman, described Trump's travel restrictions as a "bold decisive action which medical professionals say will prove to have saved countless lives." The policy took effect, he said, at a time when the global health community did not yet "know the level of transmission or asymptomatic spread."Trump administration officials have also said they received significant pushback about imposing the restrictions even when they did. At the time, the World Health Organization was not recommending travel restrictions, Chinese officials rebuffed them and some scientists questioned whether curtailing travel would do any good. Some Democrats in Congress said they could lead to discrimination.In interviews, multiple travelers who arrived after the screening was expanded said they received only passing scrutiny, with minimal follow-up."I was surprised at how lax the whole process was," said Andrew Wu, 31, who landed at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Beijing on March 10. "The guy I spoke to read down a list of questions, and he didn't seem interested in checking out anything."Sabrina Fitch, 23, flew from China to Kennedy International Airport in New York on March 23. She and the 40 or so other passengers had their temperature taken twice while en route and were required to fill out forms about their travels and health, she said."Besides looking at our passports, they didn't question us like we normally are questioned," said Fitch, who had been teaching English in China. "So it was kind of weird, because everyone expected the opposite, where you get a lot of questions. But once we filled out the little health form, no one really cared."In January, before the broad screening was in place, there were over 1,300 direct passenger flights from China to the United States, according to VariFlight and two American firms, MyRadar and FlightAware. About 381,000 travelers flew directly from China to the United States that month, about a quarter of whom were American, according to data from the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration.In addition, untold others arrived from China on itineraries that first stopped in another country. While actual passenger counts for indirect flyers were not available, Sofia Boza-Holman, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said they represented about a quarter of travelers from China. The restrictions, she added, reduced all passengers from the country by about 99%.Trump issued his first travel restrictions related to the virus on Jan. 31, one day after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency. In a presidential proclamation, he barred foreign nationals from entering the country if they had been in China during the prior two weeks. The order exempted U.S. citizens, green-card holders and their noncitizen relatives -- exceptions roundly recognized as necessary to allow residents to return home and prevent families from being separated. It did not apply to flights from Hong Kong and Macao.About 60% of travelers on direct flights from China in February were not U.S. citizens, according to the most recently available government data. Most of the flights were operated by Chinese airlines after American carriers halted theirs.At a news conference about the restrictions, Alex Azar, the health secretary, repeatedly emphasized that "the risk is low" for Americans. He added, "Our job is to work to keep that that way."Health officials also announced an expansion of the screening beyond arrivals from Wuhan. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, explained that people would be screened for "significant risk, as well as any evidence of symptoms." If there was no reason for additional examination, "they would be allowed to complete their travel back to their home, where they then will be monitored by the local health departments in a self-monitoring situation in their home."The procedures called for screening to be conducted in empty sections of the airports, usually past customs areas. Passengers would line up and spend a minute or two having their temperature taken and being asked about their health and travel history. Those with a fever or self-reported symptoms like a cough would get a medical evaluation, and if they were thought to have been infected or exposed to the virus, they would be sent to a hospital where local health officials would take over.Passengers would also be given information cards about the virus and symptoms. Later versions advised people to stay at home for two weeks.In a statement Thursday, the CDC described the entry screening as "part of a layered approach" that could "slow and reduce the spread of disease" when used with other public health measures."We cannot stop all introductions," the CDC added, noting that the coronavirus pandemic was "especially challenging due to asymptomatic and presymptomatic infections and an incubation period of up to two weeks."Separately, on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the administration's measures were "unprecedented" and allowed "the U.S. to stay ahead of the outbreak as it developed."Passengers including Wu described a cursory screening process when they arrived in the United States.Wu, who has had no symptoms and has not become ill, said he was told to stay inside for 14 days when he landed in Los Angeles. He said he received two reminder messages the next day by email and text, but no further follow-up.Another traveler, Chandler Jurinka, said his experience on Feb. 29 had an even more haphazard feel. He flew from Beijing to Seattle, with stops in Tokyo and Vancouver.At the Seattle-Tacoma airport, he said, an immigration officer went through his documents and asked questions unrelated to the virus about his job and life in China. At no point did anyone take his temperature, he said."He hands me my passport and forms and says, 'Oh, by the way, you haven't been to Wuhan, have you?'" Jurinka said. "And then he says, 'You don't have a fever, right?'"Like others, he left the airport with a card that recommended two weeks of self-quarantine and a promise that someone would call to check up on him. He said he never got a call.Other travelers also said the follow-up from local health departments was hit-or-miss. Some received only emails or texts.Jacinda Passmore, 23, a former English teacher in China who flew into Dallas on March 10, after a layover in Tokyo, got a thorough screening at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. It took about 40 minutes, she said, before she was cleared for her flight home to Little Rock, Arkansas.State health workers later dropped off thermometers at her house and insisted her entire family stay home for two weeks and provide updates on their condition."They asked us every day: 'Have you stayed inside? Have you met anyone? Have you been quarantined?'" Passmore said. "They're really nice about it. They said, 'If you need anything, we can go grocery shopping for you.'"Nineteen flights departed Wuhan in January for New York or San Francisco -- and the flights were largely full, according to VariFlight. For about 4,000 travelers, there was no enhanced screening.On Jan. 17, the federal government began screening travelers from Wuhan, but only 400 more passengers arrived on direct flights before Chinese authorities shut down the airport. Scott Liu, 56, a Wuhan native and a textile importer who lives in New York, caught the last commercial flight, on Jan. 22.Liu had gone to Wuhan for the Spring Festival on Jan. 6, but decided to come back early as the outbreak worsened. At the Wuhan airport, staff checked his temperature. On the flight, he and other passengers filled a health declaration form, which included questions about symptoms like fever, cough or difficulty breathing.After they arrived at JFK in New York, the passengers were directed to go through a temperature checkpoint. "It was very fast," he said. "If your temperature is normal, they will just let you in."Liu said no one asked him questions about his travel history or health, and he received a card with information about what to do if he developed symptoms. At the time, there were no instructions to isolate. Liu said he and his friends all decided to do so anyway."I stayed at home for almost 20 days," he said.About 800 passengers on five charter flights were later evacuated from Wuhan by the U.S. government and directed to military bases, where they waited out two weeks of quarantine.The charter flights began on Jan. 29. Instagram posts from one showed CDC officials in full protective gear on the plane and escorting passengers after landing.One group of passengers was eventually flown to Omaha, Nebraska, to be taken by bus to a National Guard camp for quarantine. Video showed them accompanied by a full police escort, with lights flashing, helicopters overhead and intersections blocked off along the way.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2XfrdnO

Coronavirus spread may be leveling off in New York, New Jersey; vigilance urged

Coronavirus spread may be leveling off in New York, New Jersey; vigilance urgedThe governors of New York and New Jersey pointed to tentative signs on Monday that the coronavirus outbreak was starting to plateau but warned against complacency as the nationwide death toll topped 10,000 and the number of known U.S. infections surpassed 350,000. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said coronavirus-related deaths statewide reached 4,758 as of Monday, an increase of 599 from Sunday, on par with an increase of 594 during the previous 24 hours. The overall tally of confirmed cases in the state, the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, grew by 7 percent from the previous day to 130,680.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2RdN3UG

'OK, boomer!' Supreme Court hands partial victory to federal worker claiming age discrimination

'OK, boomer!' Supreme Court hands partial victory to federal worker claiming age discriminationThe case won attention at oral argument when Chief Justice John Roberts asked whether the phrase "OK, boomer" would qualify as age discrimination.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2XgbHI6

Duterte Likely to Extend Philippines Coronavirus Lockdown

Duterte Likely to Extend Philippines Coronavirus Lockdown(Bloomberg) -- Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said he’s inclined to extend a lockdown of more than half the country’s population on its main island until April 30 to further stem the coronavirus outbreak.Duterte, in an address late Monday, also said he’s considering tweaking this year’s 4.1 trillion-peso ($80.8 billion) budget to allocate more funds to virus response, as some 200 billion pesos set aside for cash grants to poor families won’t be enough.“The economy is not moving, it’s at a standstill,” Duterte said, as he directed economic officials to find more funds to aid the poor during the lockdown.The Economic Planning Agency earlier said that even the low-end of its full-year growth estimate -- a contraction by 0.6% -- “is still too high” if restrictions to movement on Luzon, an island of 60 million people that accounts for 70% of the country’s output, go beyond one month without government intervention.Hundreds of factories and business establishments have been closed, placing tens of thousands of daily wage earners into a precarious financial position.To support the economy, the central bank last month cut its key interest rate by 50 basis points and reduced banks’ reserve ratio to 12%. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will also buy 300 billion pesos worth of government debt.Duterte was also granted extraordinary powers from Congress to refocus the budget for virus response with an economic stimulus package currently being crafted to support businesses.(Updates with Duterte comments in third paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2JGdYnY

Trump's fervor for an unproven COVID-19 drug is reportedly fueled by Rudy Giuliani, Dr. Oz

Trump's fervor for an unproven COVID-19 drug is reportedly fueled by Rudy Giuliani, Dr. OzPresident Trump is very excited about hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, frequently touting it as a "game changer," and he isn't alone in his enthusiasm. His economic adviser Peter Navarro, who reportedly sparred with top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci about hydroxychloroquine, told Fox & Friends on Monday morning he would "bet on President Trump's intuition on this." Other boosters Trump is apparently listening to include his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Dr. Mehmet Oz, the controversial television personality.At Sunday night's press briefing, Trump said he hopes doctors use the drug, "because I'll tell you what, what do you have to lose?" He added: "I may take it. I'll have to ask my doctors about that." When a reporter asked Fauci about hydroxychloroquine, Trump stepped in and shut it down.> "I answered this 15 times. You don't have to answer." -- Trump prevents Dr Fauci from answering a question about hydroxychloroquine pic.twitter.com/8R1K1hDsaX> > — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 6, 2020Most health officials and medical scientists, like Fauci, are unconvinced about the malaria drug's effectiveness at treating the coronavirus, noting that the evidence so far is anecdotal and contradictory. "I think we've got to be careful that we don't make that majestic leap to assume that this is a knockout drug," Fauci said on Friday's Fox & Friends. Hydroxychloroquine also has heath risks, including cardiac arrest in some cases.> Well, there’s a chyron for you. pic.twitter.com/Uq4ViGi18y> > — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 6, 2020Giuliani has been pushing hydroxychloroquine on Twitter, his podcast, and, he tells The Washington Post, in one-on-one calls with Trump. He said he has no financial stake in hydroxychloroquine. After watching Dr. Oz repeatedly tout the drug on Fox News, Trump said he wants to speak with Oz and told health officials it would be "a good idea" if they did, too, The Daily Beast reports. At least one official, Medicare administrator Seema Verma, spoke with Oz privately.In mid-March, Reuters reports, "Trump personally pressed federal health officials" to green-light hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment, and "shortly afterward, the federal government published highly unusual guidance informing doctors they had the option to prescribe the drugs, with key dosing information based on unattributed anecdotes rather than peer-reviewed science." When asked about its guidance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Trump's coronavirus task force had requested the document.More stories from theweek.com New York City plans to temporarily bury coronavirus victims in a park Obama suggests lawmakers follow Elizabeth Warren's coronavirus recovery plans MLB Hall of Famer Al Kaline dies at 85




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2whnUkH

U.S. enters 'peak death week' for coronavirus, British PM in intensive care

U.S. enters 'peak death week' for coronavirus, British PM in intensive care




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2RevIew

Asia virus latest: Australia sends away ships, Pakistan hunts worshippers

Asia virus latest: Australia sends away ships, Pakistan hunts worshippersThe largest maritime operation ever undertaken in Sydney Harbour was completed on Sunday with the successful restocking and refuelling of five cruise ships, Australian police said. It was part of government efforts since mid-March to force vessels to leave the country's waters to prevent any further spread of the coronavirus in Australia. Cruise ship guests have so far accounted for almost 10 percent of Australia's more than 5,500 infections.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3dQ8ODX

Wisconsin Election Fight Heralds a National Battle Over Virus-Era Voting


By BY ASTEAD W. HERNDON AND JIM RUTENBERG from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2wn5bEw

¿Dónde está Daniel Ortega? El líder de Nicaragua no aparece en público


By BY FRANCES ROBLES from NYT en Español https://ift.tt/2Ri8R1A

Quotation of the Day: Fired for Alerting Congress of Whistle-Blower, He Urges Others ‘to Bravely Speak Up’


By Unknown Author from NYT Today’s Paper https://ift.tt/3dZUecO

Wisconsin Votes Tomorrow. In Person.


By BY LISA LERER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2xbMqEr

Corrections: April 7, 2020


By Unknown Author from NYT Corrections https://ift.tt/2RhICZ5

An On-the-Nose Easter Bunny


By BY FLORENCE FABRICANT from NYT Food https://ift.tt/2JItEXI

Beans, Ready to Eat


By BY FLORENCE FABRICANT from NYT Food https://ift.tt/3aOHlk1

Hollywood Reporter’s Top Editor Exits After Dispute With Publisher


By BY NICOLE SPERLING from NYT Business https://ift.tt/2JPL193

You Can Take Hard Times to Go


By BY FLORENCE FABRICANT from NYT Food https://ift.tt/2JIAU63

Racks of Lamb for Celebrations


By BY FLORENCE FABRICANT from NYT Food https://ift.tt/34krIyq

Will Wisconsin Be the Last Stand for Bernie Sanders?


By BY SYDNEY EMBER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/39MNrAa

Meet the ‘Orange Wine’ of Vinegars


By BY FLORENCE FABRICANT from NYT Food https://ift.tt/2xY1sgQ

Buy Your Favorite Restaurant’s Merch


By BY FLORENCE FABRICANT from NYT Food https://ift.tt/2RfpCKT

Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today


By BY PATRICK J. LYONS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2UKPVuu

When Will N.Y.C. Reach the Peak of the Outbreak? Here’s What We Know


By BY JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN from NYT New York https://ift.tt/2xWYZne

‘Swept Up by FEMA’: Complicated Medical Supply System Sows Confusion


By BY ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS AND JACK NICAS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/39LaxXB

Guardian identified for small child found wandering Sunday morning by Fort Myers police

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3F80gok