Reporter’s Notebook: World Travel in the Time of Coronavirus

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The U.S. immigration officer shifted uneasily on his feet, and self-consciously told a handful of travelers exiting the fast-track Global Entry gate: "Oh, wait I have to ask you something. Has anyone traveled from China or…?"He trailed off, seemingly scrambling to recall what else he was supposed to ask. "Oh, yes, and Iran?" We all said we had not. When he appeared to think he had forgotten something, I volunteered. "or Italy?" "Oh, yes, Italy," he concurred.I responded I had, but that I had not been in the most affected parts of the country in the north. "Okay," he replied. And that was the end of my exhaustive screening at Washington's Dulles International Airport. There was no mention by the officer of the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control…
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Tests Show New Coronavirus Lives on Some Surfaces for Up to 3 Days

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The new coronavirus can live in the air for several hours and on some surfaces for as long as two to three days, tests by U.S. government and other scientists have found.Their work, published Wednesday, suggests that the virus can spread through the air as well as from touching things that were contaminated by others who have it, in addition to direct person-to-person contact.Since emerging in China late last year, the new virus has infected more than 120,000 people worldwide and caused more than 4,300 deaths -- far more than the 2003 SARS outbreak caused by a genetically similar virus.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video to view it offline. Embed" />CopyFor this study, researchers used a nebulizer device to put…
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US Needs Top Cyber Coordinator, Better Hacker ‘Deterrence’: Panel

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The US needs a top-level cybersecurity coordinator and a better strategy of "deterrence" to protect against hackers and other cyber threats, a congressionally mandated commission said Wednesday.Defense in cyberspace requires a series of government reforms and policies to strike back at attackers, according to the report by the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.The bipartisan panel which included lawmakers and private sector experts made more than 80 recommendations ranging from reforms in the executive and legislative branches to better cooperation with allies to secure cyberspace."The reality is that we are dangerously insecure," said a statement from Senator Angus King and Representative Mike Gallagher, co-chairs of the panel which took its name from an Eisenhower-era foreign policy project."Your entire life -- your paycheck, your health care, your electricity -- increasingly relies on networks of…
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News Agency: Iran VP, 2 Cabinet Members Have New Virus

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Iran's senior vice president and two other Cabinet members have contracted the new coronavirus, a semiofficial news agency reported Wednesday as the death toll in the Islamic Republic from the outbreak rose by 62 to 354.      The report by the Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, comes as President Hassan Rouhani took control of the country's much-criticized response to the virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes. Authorities announced that there were some 9,000 confirmed cases of the virus across Iran.      The Fars story also comes amid days of speculation about the health of Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri. Jahangiri has not been seen in pictures of recent top-level meetings, raising concerns about him.      Fars says the others sick…
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Turkey Confirms First Coronavirus Case, Wins WHO Praise for Vigilance

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Turkey confirmed its first case of the coronavirus on Wednesday, becoming the last major economy to report an outbreak after taking what the World Health Organization (WHO) described as "vigilant, cautious" measures to delay the disease.Turkey's tourism sector, which accounts for about 13% of its economy, stepped up calls on the government for financial help to deal with the expected negative impact of the outbreak.Health Minister Fahrettin Koca confirmed early on Wednesday that a Turkish man with a high fever and cough had been diagnosed as having the virus and had been isolated."This is the first case confirmed in our country. The findings show the diagnosis of coronavirus was made early and if the virus has spread it is limited," he told a news conference. "Our country is prepared for…
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Why Coronavirus Threat Means Lifestyle Changes

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One of the United States' top disease experts says Americans and Europeans should be prepared not to do the things they could do just a few months ago before the coronavirus outbreak."It doesn't matter if you’re in a state that has no cases or one case. You've got to start taking seriously what you can do now that if and when the infections will come," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases chief Anthony Fauci said Tuesday. "And they will come, sorry to say, sad to say.”Fauci used hockey great Wayne Grtetzky as a metaphor for how to deal with an infectious disease -- Gretzky doesn't go where the puck is going, he goes where the puck is going to be."We want to be where the infection is going to…
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Virus Spread Puts UK’s Stiff Upper Lip Under Growing Strain

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Faced with the spread of COVID-19, the U.K. is advising its citizens to keep calm and carry on.      For some Britons, the stiff upper lip is starting to wobble. As Italy goes into lockdown and other European countries shut schools and ban large gatherings, U.K. authorities continue to advise most people to keep working, traveling and socializing as usual.      But with officials saying an epidemic of the new coronavirus in the U.K. is all but certain, critics argue that the Conservative government's low-key approach is inadequate.      “Schools should be shut now,” said Rory Stewart, a former government minister who is running to become mayor of London. “All medium and large gatherings should be canceled. All passengers coming from hot spots should be tested and…
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Health Experts Concerned About Spread of Coronavirus Around Clusters of Elderly

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Coronavirus is most dangerous to the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Since the first fatalities in the US originated from a nursing facility in the state of Washington, there is deep concern among health experts, patients and their families that eldercare facilities are especially vulnerable.  VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video to view it offline. Embed" />Copy ...
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South Korea Feels Economic Impact of ‘Social Distancing’

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As the coronavirus rattles global markets, some analysts are now warning of a possible global recession. The damage is already starting to show in some countries hit hardest by the outbreak.Lee Jae-hoon is standing in the Korean barbecue restaurant he owns in this normally busy office district of Seoul. There are almost no customers.He says at this time on Thursdays, the restaurant is always filled with customers. But as you can see, there is no one.This is what many restaurants in South Korea look like now, amid a voluntary “social distancing” campaign meant to contain the coronavirus.Lee says it’s the first time in his 59 years of life he’s ever seen sales drop this sharply - for any reason.At this Seoul flower shop, sales are also taking a big hit.Owner…
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Holi Festival Subdued in India Over Coronavirus Concerns

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Hindus threw colored powder and sprayed water in massive celebrations of the festival of Holi in India on Tuesday, but the enthusiasm was subdued compared to previous years because of fears of the new virus.      Brightly colored powder filled the air in most parts of North India. But in the capital, New Delhi, many events were canceled as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country rose to 47.      Holi, which marks the advent of spring, is widely celebrated in India, Nepal and other South Asian countries.      Most years, millions of people from toddlers to the elderly throw powder at each other and play with water balloons and squirt guns.      But this year Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he…
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SpaceX’s 20th Station Shipment Arrives With Candy, Science

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A SpaceX cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, delivering the company's 20th batch of gear and treats.The Dragon capsule reached the orbiting lab after launching late Friday night. NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan and Jessica Meir used the station's robot arm to capture the spacecraft.The 4,300-pound (1,950-kilogram) shipment contains science experiments and equipment, as well as special goodies for the three-person crew aloft for months: grapefruit, tomatoes, Skittles, Reese's Pieces and Hot Tamales.This is the last of SpaceX's original-style Dragons. All future ones are designed to carry either cargo or crew, and will dock automatically rather than require robot-arm assistance. SpaceX has been sending up station cargo since 2012 and plans to start launching NASA astronauts this spring.From 260 miles (418 kilometers) up, Meir congratulated SpaceX on…
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Healthy Snack Bars Are Replacing Unhealthy Habits

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Comparatively speaking, Americans are heavier than the rest of the world. The World Factbook of the Central Intelligence Agency reports the obesity rate in the United States to be 36 percent.  But 25-year-old Zobaida Falah is hoping that her homemade snack bar can play a small role in changing unhealthy habits. VOA’s Jafar Haand has more.  ...
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Southern Indian State Moves To Contain Bird Flu Outbreak

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A southern Indian state has begun a three-day bird culling process to contain an outbreak of avian influenza, also known as bird flu.Kerala state began the precautionary measure Sunday.The World Health Organization says, "Avian influenza viruses normally spread between birds. However, some viruses have been found to infect humans.  When avian influenza infects humans, symptoms may range from mild upper respiratory infection (fever and cough) to severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (difficulty breathing), shock and even death.""The state government has decided to destroy the disease at the source," Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Assistant Professor Abdul Muneer told Reuters.Thousands of birds, mainly chickens, will be killed in the process.  ...
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China Scrambles to Boost Its Image on Coronavirus

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Weeks after Beijing was criticized by people inside China and around the world for a sluggish response to the outbreak of a new coronavirus, China’s government is trying to recast itself as a global health leader.China’s early response to the outbreak remains shrouded in mystery, with an unclear timetable about what officials knew and when they knew it.At the beginning of the year, as the coronavirus spread in the city of Wuhan, authorities downplayed the risk and provided little information. Lunar New Year festivities initially went forward, before Beijing dramatically reversed course as the outbreak grew. Now, Beijing is accusing others of the same thing.A nurse in a protective suit feeds a novel coronavirus patient inside an isolated ward at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, during the Lantern Festival, in…
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Tangled Web of Russia’s Cyber Underground Further Exposed in US Hacker Trial

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In March 2012, a 25-year-old Russian computer whiz named Yevgeny Nikulin sat with several others in a conference room in a hotel in eastern Moscow. A video taken by a Ukrainian named Oleksandr Ieremenko showed them discussing plans for an Internet cafe business and other matters.In an earlier part of the video, Ieremenko, 19, drives to the hotel to meet the group, which he calls a "summit of bad [expletives]."That same month, according to U.S. prosecutors, Nikulin broke into a social media company engineer's computer a half a world away, in California — and allegedly stole the usernames and passwords used by tens of millions of people to access their LinkedIn accounts. Some of that data was put up for sale on a notorious Russian hacker forum that June.These details…
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Coronavirus Time Bomb: America’s Uninsured and Brutal Work Culture

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Like many Americans, bartender Danjale Williams is worried about the growing threat of the novel coronavirus. What makes the 22-year-old in Washington even more frightened: The thought of medical bills she just can't afford, as one of almost 27.5 million people in the United States who don't have health insurance."I definitely would second guess before going to the doctor, because the doctor's bill is crazy," she said. "If it did come down to that, I don't have enough savings to keep me healthy."As the virus began spreading in the west of the country, where the nation's first death was reported on February 29, public health experts warned the US has several characteristics unique among wealthy nations that make it vulnerable.These include a large and growing population without medical insurance, the…
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At Sea: Passengers Off California Await Virus Test Results

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Passengers aboard a cruise ship off the California coast were instructed to stay in their cabins as they awaited test results Friday that could show whether the coronavirus is circulating among the more than 3,500 people aboard.      A military helicopter crew lowered test kits onto the 951-foot (290-meter) Grand Princess by rope and later retrieved them for analysis at a lab as the vessel lay at sea off San Francisco, under orders to keep its distance from shore. Princess Cruises said 45 people were selected for testing.      Authorities undertook the testing after a passenger on a previous voyage of the ship died of the coronavirus and at least four others became infected.      “The ship will not come on shore until we appropriately assess the…
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WHO Urges Vigilance as Ebola Epidemic Appears to Near End in DRC

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The World Health Organization urges continued vigilance to prevent flareups of the deadly Ebola virus as the epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo moves closer to being officially declared over.The last Ebola patient was discharged from a treatment center in the northeastern town of Beni in the DRC on Tuesday. If no more cases are confirmed during two incubation periods or 42 days, the WHO will officially declare the Ebola epidemic in the country at an end on April 12.But WHO Assistant Director-General - Emergency Response Ibrahima Soce-Fall says this is not yet a time of celebration because the outbreak is not over. He said everyone must remain vigilant as the risk of other cases emerging during that period is very high.He said health teams must remain active and…
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India’s Beleaguered Health System Braces for Virus Surge

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India is bracing for a potential explosion of coronavirus cases as authorities rush to trace, test and quarantine contacts of 31 people confirmed to have the disease.      It is screening international travelers at 30 airports and has already tested more than 3,500 samples. The Indian army is preparing at least five large-scale quarantine centers.      For weeks, India watched as cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, multiplied in neighboring China and other countries as its own caseload remained static, three students evacuated from Wuhan, the disease epicenter, who were quarantined and returned to health in the southern state of Kerala.      Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government said last week that community transmission is now taking place. India has shut schools, stopped exporting key…
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Here’s What the Coronavirus Terms You Read and Hear About Really Mean

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Confused about all the terminology surrounding the coronavirus? These terms and definitions can help.  Coronavirus: Starting with the most obvious, this word refers to a family of hundreds of similarly shaped viruses. Under a microscope, they look like round blobs surrounded by spikes, much like the corona, or crown, surrounding the sun. There are seven coronaviruses that can affect people. The common cold is one, as are its more virulent cousins: SARS, severe acute respiratory virus, and MERS, Middle East respiratory virus.  COVID-19: This is the disease caused by the coronavirus. The first four letters are taken from the word coronavirus  and then the "d" from disease. The number 19 indicates it started in 2019. The disease is officially named SARS-CoV-2, because it is a respiratory virus, but you will…
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Portugal’s TAP Cancels 1,000 Flights in March-April as Coronavirus Hits Demand

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Portugal's flag carrier TAP cancelled around 1,000 flights scheduled in March and April on Thursday after concerns about the coronavirus epidemic led to a fall in demand and said it envisaged an unspecified impact on revenues.Separately, organizers of the Lisbon Travel Market, an annual gathering that brings more than 1,000 tourism sector firms from over 40 countries to the Portuguese capital and is visited by tens of thousands of people, announced next week's event would be postponed until May 27-30.TAP, which is 50% state-owned, said in a statement that the cancellations would mainly affect destinations in Italy, France and Spain, but also some intercontinental flights, and account for 4% of its capacity in March and 6% in April."The drop in demand naturally means lower revenues, therefore TAP has decided to…
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China’s Uighurs Trapped in Factory Toiling for Tech Titans

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In a lively Muslim quarter of Nanchang city, a sprawling Chinese factory turns out computer screens, cameras and fingerprint scanners for a supplier to international tech giants such as Apple and Lenovo. Throughout the neighborhood, women in headscarves stroll through the streets, and Arabic signs advertise halal supermarkets and noodle shops.Yet the mostly Over the past four years, the Chinese government has detained more than a million people from the far west Xinjiang region, most of them Uighurs, in internment camps and prisons where they go through The Chinese government says the labor program is a way to train Uighurs and other minorities and give them jobs. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday called concern over possible coerced labor under the program “groundless” and “slander.”However, experts say that…
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Venice a Shell of Itself as Tourists Flee Virus

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The Carnival period in Venice usually marks the start of peak season in one of the world's most visited cities, with hordes of tourists piling onto vaporettos to cruise the Grand Canal, strolling through cobblestone streets and lingering in picturesque cafes.      Venice in the time of coronavirus, though, is a shell of itself, with empty piazzas, shuttered basilicas and gondoliers idling their days away. The cholera epidemic that raged quietly through Venice in Thomas Mann's fictional “Death in Venice” has been replaced by a real life fear of COVID-19.      Venice, a UNESCO world heritage site, had already been brought to its knees last year, when near-record high tides flooded a lagoon city which is used to frequent spells of “aqua alta.” Officials had hoped that tourists…
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How to Lower Coronavirus Anxiety

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Anna Alexander, a property manager in Virginia Beach, Virginia, started the day Monday thinking that she might avoid shaking hands because of the coronavirus outbreak. Then somebody stuck out a hand to shake. She took it. "I'm a business person,'' Alexander, 65, explained. "But if somebody else does it next time, I might try to be careful because of the coronavirus." As the viral infections spread across the globe, everybody has to make a decision: How worried should I be about getting infected, and what should I do about it? Those decisions can have wide impacts. "Seriously people - STOP BUYING MASKS!" tweeted U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome M. Adams on Feb. 29. He explained masks aren't effective in protecting the general public "but if healthcare providers can't get them…
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Somali Therapist Sees Mental Health as Key to Rebuilding the Country

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After nearly three decades of war, many Somalis carry invisible scars from exposure to violence.According to the World Health Organization, FILE - A man walks past a body and destroyed buildings at the scene of a blast in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia, Oct 14, 2017.‘A nation that needs healing’Working with political leaders, aid organizations and civil society groups, Olad holds training events to educate the public about the problem and its treatments.“Most of my work relates to how I can tell the international community and people who work in the humanitarian sector and development and Somali government to understand this is a nation that needs healing,” she said. “This is a nation that has experienced more than what a human mental capacity can take.”Olad also believes progress on issues like…
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