South Korea experts recommend anti-HIV, anti-malaria drugs for COVID-19

March 12 (UPI) -- South Korean disease experts have begun to recommend the use of a combination of antiviral and anti-malaria drugs for patients of the new strain of coronavirus.

Kwon Jun-wook, deputy head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Thursday at a regular press briefing the recommendations come from multiple groups, and that the government is ready to apply the recommendations to patients "where necessary," Newsis reported.

The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases, Korean Society for Antimicrobial Therapy, Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and a tuberculosis association published their recommendations on Thursday.

The groups advised discretion among medical professionals, while recommending the administration of Kaletra, an anti-HIV medication that includes the drugs lopinavir and ritonavir.

RELATED Saudi Arabia extends travel ban to EU amid COVID-19 fears

Kaletra blocks the ability of HIV to replicate itself, and also inhibits the growth of cancer cells.

South Korean experts are also recommending the use of hydroxychloroquine in combination with the anti-HIV medication. HCQ is sold under the brand name Plaquenil, among others, and is used for the prevention and treatment of malaria.

The South Korean groups warned that there is "currently no standard treatment for COVID-19," and urged medical staff to use their best judgment when treating patients. COVID-19 patients showing severe pneumonia-like symptoms, high-risk groups including the elderly and the chronically ill, are target groups for a more "active" administration of the drugs, South Korean experts said.

RELATED Coronavirus outbreak calls for greater global cooperation

South Korea has taken progressive measures nationwide in response to the spread of the coronavirus, including drive-through testing stations, free tests regardless of citizenship. Unlike Taiwan or Australia, Seoul has also refrained from draconian travel restrictions, but reported cases exceeded 7,800 by Thursday.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said during a prime-time address his administration is monitoring the situation in South Korea.

"As their situation improves, we will re-evaluate the restrictions and warnings that are currently in place for a possible early opening," Trump said.

RELATED Concern grows as new coronavirus cluster emerges in Seoul

Korea Economic Daily reported Thursday the South Korean foreign ministry is evaluating Trump's South Korea statement as "encouraging."

Coronavirus: EU slams Trump for 'unilateral' move to ban flights to U.S.

CHAOS PANIC AND DISORDER MY WORK HERE IS DONE

Travelers stand in line at the Adolfo-Suarez Barajas International Airport in Madrid on March 12, 2020. Photo by Emilio Naranjo/EPA-EFE

March 12 (UPI) -- Leaders of the European Union reacted harshly Thursday to the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to bar travel into the United States for 30 days, saying he failed to consult with the 27-member bloc about the coronavirus pandemic that keeps slamming the travel industry.

Trump announced in a national address Wednesday night that no flights from Europe's "Schengen Area" -- where travel is permitted between countries without passports or border controls -- will be allowed into the United States beginning at midnight Friday.

Travelers who have been in any of those 26 nations within two weeks of their scheduled travel to the United States will be denied entry. The affected countries are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel criticized Trump's decision, particularly because the U.S. leader didn't seek advice or feedback from the EU.

RELATED Saudi Arabia extends travel ban to EU amid COVID-19 fears

"The coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action," they said in a statement. "The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.

"The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus."

Speaking to reporters at the White House Thursday, Trump dismissed the criticisms.

RELATED Bank of England cuts interest rate as COVID-19 spreads through EU

"We had to make a decision, and we didn't want to take time," he said.

Foreign nationals who have been to one of the Schengen Area countries within the last 14 days will be denied U.S. entry and affected U.S. citizens abroad must be booked through "an approved airport."

Trump decided on a 14-day period because that's the incubation period for the coronavirus disease.

RELATED EU raises risk level to high as more countries confirm first infections

EU leaders held a conference call Tuesday to formulate a strategy for confronting the outbreak, which is now deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization. They agreed to set up a $28 billion fund to cushion its economic impact and to work to ensure adequate medical equipment and supplies.

Trump said the ban will not affect travel from Britain and there will be exemptions for Americans overseas who have undergone appropriate screening.

Johns Hopkins University, which has been tracking global coronavirus cases, said there were more than 1,300 cases in the United States by Thursday morning and 38 deaths. The university's tally says eight cases have recovered in a handful of states.

Trump's travel ban was another blow to the global travel industry, which has seen passenger demand plummet over the past week. Many U.S. carriers have responded by significantly reducing flights and capacity to and from coronavirus-heavy areas, like China.

Most U.S. airlines responded by saying they will comply with Trump's ban on flights from Europe.

Delta Air Lines said it will continue to "quickly make adjustments to service, as needed, in response to government travel directives." United Airlines also indicated it would meet the president's directive.

American Airlines said Thursday it will "work closely with U.S. authorities to comply with these new orders while treating all of our customers with respect."

Wednesday, German carrier Lufthansa announced it will cancel about 23,000 flights due to "exceptional circumstances caused by the spread of the coronavirus."

Norwegian Air said it's suspending more than 4,000 flights and temporarily laying off up to 50 percent of employees in all departments. More layoffs could come depending on the length of travel disruptions.

Shares of European airlines reacted negatively Thursday to the ban. Air France-KLM, easyjet and British Airways' parent company all saw losses of about 5 percent in trading Thursday afternoon. Norwegian Air Shuttle was down 20 percent at one point.

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Federal judge releases Chelsea Manning from jail
Chelsea Manning hospitalized after suicide attempt

A federal judge ordered former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to be released on Thursday after she was imprisoned for defying a subpoena to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks in May. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo


March 12 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Thursday ruled that Chelsea Manning be released from jail, determining it was no longer necessary for her to testify before a grand jury.

Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia said that the grand jury investigating WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange is no longer active and Manning's detention for refusing to testify wasn't necessary.
"Ms. Manning's appearance before the grand jury is no longer needed," he wrote. "Her detention no longer serves any coercive purpose."

Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, was sentenced to 35 years in jail in 2013 for leaking classified government documents to WikiLeaks in 2010 but former President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017.

Last year, she was found in contempt of court for refusing to give testimony before a grand jury in its investigation of WikiLeaks and was jailed for 62 days at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center in Alexandria, Va.

Upon her release in May, prosecutors immediately issued a second subpoena and ordered her to be jailed again until the end of the grand jury's term in addition to facing a fine of $500 per day for every day she refuses to testify, a figure that increased to $1,000 after 60 days.

Trenga added, however, that Manning must still pay the $256,000 in fines she accrued as she remained imprisoned while refusing to comply with the subpoena.

On Wednesday, Manning was hospitalized after attempting to take her own life but her legal team said she would still appear at a hearing on Friday on a motion to terminate the civil contempt sanctions she faced.


Chelsea Manning hospitalized after suicide attempt


Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning was hospitalized on Wednesday night after attempting to take her own life while jailed for refusing to comply with a grand jury subpoena about an investigation into WikiLeaks. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI. | License Photo

March 11 (UPI) -- Chelsea Manning was hospitalized on Wednesday night after attempting suicide, her legal team said.

Manning's legal team said she was recovering and is still scheduled to appear at a hearing on Friday on a motion to terminate civil contempt sanctions stemming from her decision to refuse testimony before a grand jury last year.

"In spite of those sanctions -- which have so far included over a year of so-called 'coercive' incarceration and nearly half a million dollars in threatened fines -- she remains unwavering in her refusal to participate in a secret grand jury process that she sees as highly susceptible to abuse," her team said.

In 2013, Manning was imprisoned for 35 years for leaking classified government documents to WikiLeaks in 2010. In 2017, President Barack Obama commuted her sentence.

Manning was first sent to jail for contempt in March 2019 for refusing to testify about the release of WikiLeaks documents she leaked in 2010, stating she doesn't believe in the grand jury process and wouldn't answer questions from a secret grand jury regarding the case.

She was ultimately released from the Alexandria Detention Center after that grand jury term expired but prosecutors immediately issued a second subpoena.

South Koreans report anti-Asian racism growing in Italy

South Koreans say they are the target of anti-Asian racism in Italy, following the massive outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus in Europe. Photo by Mourad Balti Touati/EPA-EFE

March 12 (UPI) -- South Korean students returning from Italy amid the global coronavirus outbreak say anti-Asian discrimination is worsening as Italy's death toll exceeded 800 on Thursday.

In Italy, where Chinese tourists have reportedly been spat on in hot spots like Venice even before the outbreak in Europe, South Korean students are reporting racial discrimination and a general environment of intolerance, according to South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo.

Lee Hee-sol, 22, a South Korean student who returned home from Rome, said she decided to leave after Italy's COVID-19 cases topped 1,000. By Thursday, Italy was reporting more than 12,400 cases.

The pandemic began in China, but recently the Chinese government has been pointing fingers at other sources, while urging other nations to stop referring to the disease as the "China virus."

RELATED South Korea experts recommend anti-HIV, anti-malaria drugs for COVID-19

Meanwhile in countries with predominantly non-Asian populations, angry locals have been targeting Asians of all nationalities.

Last week, Jiye Seong-Yu, an ethnic Korean woman in the Netherlands, was almost punched while riding a bicycle. Her assailants, two men, had yelled out, "Chinese," according to Buzzfeed.

On Thursday, other South Korean students, including some who have elected to remain in Italy, said anti-Asian racism in the European country is worsening.

RELATED Coronavirus: EU slams Trump for 'unilateral' move to ban flights to U.S.

South Koreans and South Korean authorities have also stood by a policy of wearing face masks in public. Health authorities in other countries, including Italy, may be holding back from fully recommending the use of masks in public. The policy could be making South Koreans in Italy uneasy, according to the JoongAng.

In February, an ethnic Chinese man in northern Italy was attacked while refueling at a gas station not far from Venice, according to Il Messagero in February.

An assailant at a bar smashed a glass bottle in his face after the man, described as an Italian of Chinese descent, had asked the cashier to break down a bigger bill. Nobody defended the victim during or after the attack, according to the report.

Health official: Gov't has 'failed' to give easy coronavirus testing in U.S.Fauci said, "The idea of anybody getting [the test] easily the way people in other countries are doing it, we're not set up for that. Do I think we should be? Yes, but we're not."
"The system is not really geared to what we need right now -- what you are asking for. That is a failing. ... Let's admit it," he added.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci arrives Thursday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to brief lawmakers on the federal coronavirus response, Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo

March 12 (UPI) -- A top Trump administration official told lawmakers at a congressional hearing Thursday that government efforts are failing so far to provide Americans easy and accessible testing for the coronavirus disease.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, made the remarks at a hearing of the House oversight committee to detail the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Questioned by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz , D-Fla., about reports of nurses not having access to tests, Fauci said, "The idea of anybody getting [the test] easily the way people in other countries are doing it, we're not set up for that. Do I think we should be? Yes, but we're not."

"The system is not really geared to what we need right now -- what you are asking for. That is a failing. ... Let's admit it," he added.

RELATED Report: U.S. offered COVID-19 help to North Korea

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,215 U.S. cases of the coronavirus and 36 deaths, as of Wednesday afternoon. Johns Hopkins University, which is keeping a more current tally, listed U.S. cases at more than 1,300 and deaths at 38 by mid-Thursday. It also says eight patients have recovered in California, Illinois, Arizona, Massachusetts, Washington state and Wisconsin.

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield also testified Thursday, and said 44 states now have confirmed cases.

U.S. testing for the coronavirus has so far lagged behind other nations, according to data compiled by Oxford University. The total number of tests in South Korea are at a rate nearly 25 times higher than they are being given in the United States. Britain has conducted three times as many tests with fewer overall cases, the data said.

RELATED Princess, Viking cruises halt operations due to coronavirus

Redfield said the CDC is capable of processing as many as 350 tests per day -- far fewer than some privately-owned labs, which can process thousands daily.

The CDC director testified earlier at a House budget hearing that insufficient funding levels are responsible for the government's response to the pandemic. Initial testing efforts suffered a setback due to quality control issues with the first tests the CDC sent out.

Hours before Thursday's hearing, the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms announced the U.S. Capitol would close to the public for the rest of March in an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus. The closure was set to take effect at 5 p.m. EDT Thursday.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he "fully supported" the decision, which will also close the House and Senate office buildings to the public. Only those conducting official business and media members were being allowed to enter. Later Thursday, McConnell announced Congress will delay its forthcoming recess, which had been scheduled for next week, to work on legislation to provide additional coronavirus relief.

---30---

WON'T BE DOING THIS ANYMORE

Bernie Sanders Coronavirus Speech Transcript: March 12, 2020

Rev › Blog › Transcripts › Speech Transcripts › Bernie Sanders Coronavirus Speech Transcript: March 12, 2020

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders delivered a speech today on the coronavirus, or COVID-19. Read the full transcript of his remarks right here.

Bernie Sanders: (00:00)
The crisis we face from the coronavirus is on a scale of a major war and we must act accordingly. Nobody knows what the number of fatalities may end up being or the number of people who may get ill, and we all hope that that number will be as low as possible. But we also have to face the truth and that is that the number of casualties may actually be even higher than what the Armed Forces experienced in World War II. In other words, we have a major, major crisis and we must act accordingly.

Bernie Sanders: (00:44)
Therefore, it is an absolute moral imperative that our response as a government, as a society, as a business community, and as individual citizens meet the enormity of this crisis. As people stay or work from home and are directed to quarantine, it will be easy for us to feel like we are all alone. “I’m working at home. I’m not at my office.” Or that we must only worry about ourselves and think that everybody else should fend for themselves. But in my view, that would be a tragic and dangerous mistake.

Bernie Sanders: (01:38)
If that ever was a time in the modern history of our country when we are all in this together, this is that moment. Now is the time for solidarity. Now is the time to come together with love and compassion for all, including the most vulnerable people in our society who will face this pandemic from a health perspective or face it from an economic perspective. If our neighbor or coworker get sick, we have the potential to become sick. If our neighbor loses his or her job, then our local community suffers and we may lose our jobs. We are in this together. If doctors and nurses and medical personnel do not have the equipment and the training and the capacity they need right now, people we know may unnecessarily face additional illness and even death. We are all in this together.

Bernie Sanders: (03:05)
Unfortunately, in this time of international crisis, it is clear to me, at least, that we have an administration that is largely incompetent, and whose incompetence and recklessness have threatened the lives of many, many people in our country. So today, I would like to give a brief overview of what, in my view, we must do to respond to this crisis.

Bernie Sanders: (03:37)
First and foremost, we are dealing with a national emergency and the President of the United States must understand that and declare that emergency. Next, because President Trump is unwilling and unable to lead selflessly, we must immediately convene an emergency bipartisan authority of experts to support and direct a response that is comprehensive, compassionate, and based first and foremost, on science and facts. In other words, Congress in a bipartisan manner must take responsibility for addressing this unparalleled crisis.

Bernie Sanders: (04:27)
Further, we must aggressively make certain that the public sector and the private sector are strongly cooperating with each other, and we need national and state hotlines staffed with well-trained people who have the best information available. One of the aspects of the current crisis is there are people who are asking themselves, “What all the symptoms of coronavirus? Well, I have a cold. Do I have the flu? Do I have the coronavirus? Who’s going to help me? Where do I go to seek medical treatment? How do I get a test? When is that test going to be processed?” People have a lot of questions, and at the statewide and federal level, we need experts to provide the necessary information to our people.

Bernie Sanders: (05:17)
The American people deserve transparency. Something that the current administration has fought day after day to stifle. In other words, we need to know what is happening right now in our country, in our states, and in fact, all over the world. If there was ever a time for transparency and honesty and being straightforward, this is that moment. And we need that information coming from credible, respected scientific voices of which we have many in our own country and all over this world, not from politicians.

Bernie Sanders: (05:57)
And during a crisis, we must make sure that we care for the communities most vulnerable to the health and economic pain that is coming, those in nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities. Those confined immigration detention centers, those who are currently incarcerated and in jails, and all people regardless of their immigration status.

Bernie Sanders: (06:29)
Unfortunately, as I think the American people increasingly understand, our country is at a severe disadvantage compared to every other major country on earth because we do not guarantee healthcare to all people as a right. And as we speak, some 87 million Americans are either uninsured or underinsured. And when you are uninsured or underinsured, you hesitate about getting the medical care you need because you cannot afford to get that medical care. The result is that millions of our people cannot afford to go to a doctor, let alone pay for coronavirus tests.

Bernie Sanders: (07:20)
So while we work to pass a Medicare for all single-payer system, the United States government today must make it clear that in the midst of this emergency, every one in our country, regardless of income or where they live, must be able to get all of the healthcare they need without cost. Obviously, when a vaccine or other effective treatment is developed, it must be free of charge. We cannot live in a nation where if you have the money, you get the treatment you need to survive. But if you’re working class or poor, you get to the end of the line. That would be morally unacceptable.

Bernie Sanders: (08:15)
Further, we need emergency funding right now for paid family and medical leave. Anyone who is sick should be able to stay home during this emergency and receive their paycheck. What we do not want to see is at a time when half of our people are living paycheck to paycheck, when they need to go to work in order to take care of their family, we do not want to see people going to work who are sick and who can spread the coronavirus.

Bernie Sanders: (08:53)
We also need an immediate expansion of community health centers in this country so that every American will have access to a nearby healthcare facility. Where do I go? How do I get a test? How do I get the results of that test? We need greatly to expand our primary healthcare capabilities in this country and that includes expanding community health centers.

Bernie Sanders: (09:17)
We need to determine the status of our testing and processing for the coronavirus. The government must respond aggressively to make certain that we in fact have the latest and most effective tests available and the quickest means of processing those tests. There are other countries around the world who are doing better than we are in that regard. We should be learning from them.

Bernie Sanders: (09:47)
No one, none of the medical experts that I have talked to dispute that there is a major shortage of ICU units and ventilators that are needed to respond to this crisis. The federal government must work aggressively with the private sector to make sure that this equipment is available to hospitals and the rest of the medical community.

Bernie Sanders: (10:15)
Our current healthcare system does not have the doctors and nurses we currently need. We are understaffed. During this crisis, we need to mobilize medical residents, retired medical professionals and other medical personnel to help us deal with this crisis. We need to make sure that doctors, nurses, and medical professionals have the instructions and personal protective equipment that they need. This is not only because we care about the well-being of medical professionals, but if they go down, then our capability to respond to this crisis is significantly diminished.

Bernie Sanders: (10:59)
The pharmaceutical industry must be told in no uncertain terms that the medicines that they manufacturer for this crisis will be sold at cost. This is not the time for price gouging or profiteering.

Bernie Sanders: (11:19)
The coronavirus is already causing a global economic meltdown, which is impacting people throughout the world and in our own country, and it is especially dangerous for low income and working class families. People who today, before the crisis, are struggling economically. Instead of providing more tax breaks to the top 1% in large corporations, we need to provide economic assistance to the elderly. And I worry very much about elderly people in this country today, many of whom are isolated, many of whom do not have a lot of money. We need to worry about those who are already sick. We need to worry about working families with children, people with disabilities, the homeless, and all those who are vulnerable.

Bernie Sanders: (12:19)
We need to provide in that context, emergency unemployment assistance to anyone in this country who loses their job through no fault of their own. Right now, 23% of those who are eligible to receive unemployment compensation do not receive it. Under our proposal, everyone who loses a job must qualify for unemployment compensation at least 100% of their prior salary with a cap of $1,150 a week or $60,000 a year. In addition, those who depend on tips in the restaurant industry is suffering very much from the meltdown. Those who depend on tips, gig workers, domestic workers, and independent contractors must also qualify for unemployment insurance to make up for the income that they lose during this crisis.

Bernie Sanders: (13:19)
We need to make sure that the elderly, people with disabilities and families with children have access to nutritious food. That means expanding the Meals on Wheels Program. It means expanding the school lunch program and SNAP so that no one goes hungry during this crisis, and everyone who cannot leave their home can receive nutritious meals delivered directly to where they live.

Bernie Sanders: (13:52)
We need also in this economic crisis to place an immediate moratorium on evictions, on foreclosures, and on utility shutoffs so that no one loses their home during this crisis; and that everyone has access to clean water, electricity, heat and air conditioning.

Bernie Sanders: (14:17)
We need to construct emergency homeless shelters to make sure that the homeless, survivors of domestic violence and college students quarantined off campus are able to receive the shelter, the healthcare and the nutrition they need.

Bernie Sanders: (14:35)
We need to provide emergency lending to small and medium size businesses to cover payroll, new construction of manufacturing facilities and production of emergency supplies such as masks and ventilators, a very serious problem right now in the midst of this crisis.

Bernie Sanders: (14:57)
Here is the bottom line, and that bottom line is that in the midst of this unprecedented moment, we need to listen to the scientists, to the researchers, to the medical folks, not to politicians. We need an emergency response to the current emergency and we needed it immediately. We need more doctors and nurses in underserved areas. We need to make sure that workers who lose their jobs in this crisis receive the unemployment assistance they need. And in this moment, in this moment, we need to make sure that in the future, after this crisis is behind us, we build a healthcare system that makes sure that every person in this country is guaranteed the healthcare that they need. Thank you all very much.

Reporters: (15:56)
Senator? Senator? Senator? Senator?

Speaker 3: (15:58)
Senator, do you consider going back to Washington and the Senate?

COVID-19 IN THE USA IS THE PERFECT TIME TO CALL FOR ;

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM TO BAIL OUT CAPITALISM IN CRISIS

UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE - MEDICARE FOR ALL

EXPANDED EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FOR ALL
IMPACTED BY VIRUS

UBI UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME FOR ALL

THAT'S BERNIE NOT BIDEN

BIDEN ADDRESSES CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the coronavirus outbreak in Wilmington, Delaware.

Biden unveils coronavirus plan, criticizes Trump's 'shortcomings


Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden delivers remakes on the coronavirus in Wilmington, Del., on Thursday. Biden established an advisory panel to assist his campaign in dealing with the coronavirus. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo


March 12 (UPI) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden called for no-cost testing and economic measures to help those already living paycheck-to-paycheck as part of a plan to battle coronavirus he released Thursday.

He announced details from the roadmap to battle COVID-19 in Wilmington, Del.

"Whether or not you're affected or know someone who is affected or have been in contact with an infected person, this is going to require a national response," Biden said.

He called for "radical changes in our personal behaviors," including more frequent and thorough hand washing, staying home when ill, avoiding handshakes and the cancelation of large gatherings across the nation. He said his presidential campaign established a public health advisory group to help him determine how to handle future campaign events.

RELATED Health official: Gov't has 'failed' to give easy coronavirus testing in U.S.


Biden canceled rallies and fundraising events in Cleveland and Chicago this week due to the virus.

Among the recommendations he made for battling coronavirus were:

-- No-cost testing for all Americans, including mobile and drive-up testing to minimize exposure to others.
RELATED DoD restricts travel for military personnel, families over COVID-19



-- Emergency paid leave for those affected by the outbreak.

-- A daily public White House accounting of how many tests have been done and how many people have tested positive.

-- Establishing multi-hundred-bed temporary hospitals in certain locations.

RELATED Report: U.S. offered COVID-19 help to North Korea

-- Prepare for potential military deployment to assist in providing medical capacity and logistical support.

-- Increase telemedicine efforts to free up hospital beds and resources for the very sick.

-- Protect first responders, medical employees and other frontline workers at risk.

RELATED Brazilian leader's aide tests positive for coronavirus days after Trump visit

-- Accelerate the development of treatment and vaccines.

-- Increase the United States' role in a global response to the pandemic.

Biden condemned President Donald Trump's reaction to the virus, specifically pointing to his temporary ban on all travel from Europe announced Wednesday night.

"Banning travel from Europe or any other part of the world will maybe slow it, but as we've seen, it will not stop it," Biden said, adding that the pandemic has "laid bare the shortcomings of this administration."

He said the plan he released Thursday is available for the Trump administration to implement today.

Biden said the United States shouldn't wait for the coronavirus outbreak to get worse before reacting.

"The human and economic toll will grow faster, larger and more dangerous," he said. "We must do whatever it takes, spend whatever it takes.

"This crisis will hit everyone, but it will hit folks who live paycheck-to-paycheck the hardest."

Earlier Thursday, Biden hired former Rep. Beto O'Rourke aide Jen O'Malley Dillon as his new campaign manager.

Biden is the front-runner in the 2020 Democratic primary race, with 864 delegates to Sen. Bernie Sanders' 710.

Joe Biden Speech Transcript on Coronavirus: March 12, 2020

Rev › Blog › Transcripts › 2020 Election Transcripts ›

 Joe Biden Speech Transcript on Coronavirus: March 12, 2020


Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden gave a speech today on the coronavirus pandemic, or COVID-19. Read the full transcript of his March 12, 2020 speech.
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Joe Biden: (00:00)
This virus, those infected families that have suffered a loss, first responders and healthcare providers are putting themselves on the line as I speak for others. I’d like to thank those who are already making sacrifices to protect us, whether that’s self quarantine, self quarantining themselves or canceling events and closing campuses. Because whether or not you’re infected or know someone who is infected or have been in contact with an infected person, this is going to require a national response. Not just from our elected leaders or our public health officials, but from all of us. We must, all of us follow the guidelines of health officials and take appropriate protections to protect ourselves and critically to protect others, especially those who are most at risk for this disease.

Joe Biden: (00:55)
It’s going to be making some radical changes in our personal behaviors. More frequent and more thorough hand washing, staying home from work if you’re ill, but also altering the deeply ingrained habits in our country like handshakes and hugs, avoiding any large public gatherings. That’s where earlier this week on the recommendation of officials, my campaign canceled election night rallies that we had planned to hold in Cleveland, Ohio. We’re also re-imagining the format for large crowd events we had planned in Chicago and Miami in the coming days. And we’ll continue to assess and adjust how we conduct our campaign as we move forward and find new ways to share our message with the public [inaudible 00:01:42]

Joe Biden: (01:43)
People, first above everything else. Yesterday, we announced the public health advisory committee of experts who will continue to counsel my campaign and me. Help guide our decisions on the steps to minimize further risks and we also, we will lead by science. The world [inaudible 00:02:06], officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic.[inaudible 00:02:12] Being overly dismissive or [inaudible 00:02:16] is only going to hurt us and further advance the spread of the disease, but neither should we panic or fall back on xenophobia labeling COVID-19 a foreign virus does not displace accountability for the misjudgments that have taken thus far by the Trump administration.

Joe Biden: (02:37)
Let me be crystal clear. The coronavirus does not have a political affiliation. It will infect Republicans, independents and Democrats alike and will not discriminate based on national origin, race, gender or zip code. It well touch people in positions of power as well as the most vulnerable in our society. And it will not stop, banning all travel from Europe or any other part of the world may slow it, but as we’ve seen it will not stop it. And travel restrictions based on favoritism and politics rather than a risk will be counterproductive.

Joe Biden: (03:17)
This disease could impact every nation and any person on the planet. We need a plan about how we’re going to aggressively manage here at home. You all do know, the American people have the capacity to meet this moment. We’re going to face this with the same spirit that has guided us in through previous crises and we’ll come together as a nation. We’ll look out for one another and do our part as citizens. We have to harness the ingenuity of our scientists and the resourcefulness of our people and we have to help the world, help the world to drive coordinated global strategy, not shut ourselves off from the world. Protecting the health and safety of the American people is the most important job of any president. And unfortunately this virus laid bear the severe shortcomings of the current administration.

Joe Biden: (04:14)
Public fears are being compounded by pervasive lack of trust in this president, fueled by adversarial relationships with the truth that he continues to have. Our government’s ability to respond effectively has been undermined by hollowing out our agencies and disparagement of science and our ability to drive a global response is dramatically, dramatically undercut by the damage Trump has done to our credibility and our relationships around the world. We have to get to work immediately to dig ourselves out of this hole. And that’s why today we will combat and overcome the coronavirus.

Joe Biden: (04:56)
The full details of the plan, if you want to see them go to Joe biden.com where I lay out the immediate steps we have to take to deliver one decisive public health response to curb the spread of the disease and to provide treatment to those who need it, and a decisive economic response that delivers real relief to American workers, families, and small businesses. And protects the economy as a whole are offered as a roadmap, not for what I will do as president 10 months from now, but for the leadership that I believe is needed and required at this very moment.

Joe Biden: (05:33)
President Trump has welcomed to adopt all of it today. The core principle is simple. Public health professionals must be the ones making our public health decisions and communicating with the American people. Public health professional. It would be a step toward reclaiming public trust and confidence in the United States government as well. Towards stopping the fear and chaos that can overtake communities faster than this pandemic can overtake them. And it’s critical to mount an effective national response that will save lives, protect our frontline health workers, slow the spread of the virus.

Joe Biden: (06:14)
First. Anyone, anyone who needs to be tested based on medical guidance should be tested at no charge, at no charge. The administration’s failure on testing is colossal and it’s a failure of planning, leadership, and execution. The White House should measure and report each day, each and every day, how many tests have been ordered, how many tests have been completed, and how many have tested positive. By next week, the number of tests should be in the millions, not the thousands. We should make every person in a nursing home available for testing. Every senior center or vulnerable population has to have easy access to the test and we should establish hundreds of mobile testing sites, at least 25 per state and drive through testing centers to speed testing and protect the health of our workers.

Joe Biden: (07:12)
The CDC, private labs, universities, and manufacturers should be working lock step to get this done and get it done correctly. No effort should be spared. None. No excuses should be made. Tests should be available to all who need them and the government, the government should stop at nothing to make that happen. We must know the true extent of this outbreak so we can map it, trace it and contain it. Nor should we hide, the true number of infections in hope of protecting political interest or the stock market. The markets will respond strong, to strong, steady and capable leadership that addresses the root of the problem, not efforts to cover it up.

Joe Biden: (07:58)
Secondly, we need to surge our capacity to both prevent and treat the coronavirus and prepare our hospitals to deal with this influx of those needing care as I’ve been saying for weeks. This means not just getting out testing kits and processing them quickly, but making sure communities have the hospital beds available. The staff, the medical supplies, the personal protective equipment necessary to treat the patients. The president should order FEMA to prepare of the capacity with local authorities to establish temporary hospitals with hundreds of beds in short notice. The Department of Defense should be planning now should have been planning to prepare for the potential deployment of the resources provided. Medical facility capacity on logistics support that only they can do.

Joe Biden: (08:53)
And a week from now, a month from now, we can need an instant 500 bed hospital to isolate and treat patients in any city in this country. We can do that, but we are not ready yet and the clock is ticking. As you take these steps, state, federal and local authorities need to ensure that there’s accurate up to date information available to every American citizen. To everyone so everyone can make an informed decision about when to get tested, when to self quarantine, when to seek medical treatment and the federal government should provide states and municipalities with clear guidance about when to trigger more aggressive mitigation policies such as closing schools.

Joe Biden: (09:39)
Thirdly, we need to accelerate the development and treatment of a vaccine. Science takes time and it will still be many months before we have a vaccine that can be proven safe for public use and producing sufficient quantities to make a difference. But therapeutics can and should come sooner. This will save lives. When I put together and we passed the Cures Act of 2016 to accelerate work at the National Institute of Health, but now it has to be made available, make available resources to speed up, speed that process along. We have to fast track clinical trials within NIH while closely coordinated with the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration on trial approvals. So the science is not hindered by the bureaucracy and when a vaccine is ready to go. It should also be made widely available and again, free of charge.

Joe Biden: (10:41)
We should also immediately restore the White House security council directorate for global health security and biodefense with a full time dedicated, coordinated to over see that response. Our administration, our last administration, we created that office to better respond to future global threats after the Ebola crisis of 2014. It was designed for exactly this scenario, but for some reason I still don’t understand President Trump eliminated that office two years ago. Look, here’s the bottom line. We have to do what’s necessary to beat the challenge, beat this challenge sooner rather than later. We will beat it. I assure you, if we wait for it to worsen, then scramble to catch up. The human and economic toll will grow faster, larger and more dangerous.

Joe Biden: (11:36)
Congress gave this administration $8 billion last week to fight the virus. We need to know exactly what that money is going to be used for. How quickly it’s going out the door, and exactly how it’s being spent. This brings me to the second half of the challenge in terms of economic dislocation that coronavirus is going to cause in our country. We must do whatever it takes, spend whatever it takes to deliver for our families and ensure the stability of our economy. Taking immediate bold measures to help Americans who are hurting economically right this minute.

Joe Biden: (12:18)
It means we’ll need bigger and broader measures to shore up the economic demand, protect jobs, keep credit flowing to our job creators and make sure we have economic firepower we need to weather the storm and get the people and this economy back to full strength as soon as possible. This crisis will hit everyone, but it’ll hit folks who live paycheck to paycheck the hardest, including working people and seniors. Another tax cut to Google or Goldman or millionaires won’t get the job done. Another tax cut to these folks will not get the job done. Indiscriminate corporate tax subsidies won’t effectively target those who really need the help, now. We need to place our focus on those who are struggling just to get by. People are already losing jobs. We need to replace their wages. That includes workers in the gig economy who lack unemployment insurance.

Joe Biden: (13:19)
Parents already struggling with childcare costs. We need to give them relief. Children who rely on school lunches, we need to provide food for them. Schools will need to help in ensuring children who don’t have easy access to computers can still learn if their schools shut down. People who have difficulty paying their rent or mortgage because they’ve been laid off or had their hours cut back. We need to help them to stay in their apartments, and their homes. Small businesses will be devastated as customers stay home and adventure canceled. And we need to make sure they have access to interest free loans, not loans with interest, interest free loans. It’s a national disgrace that millions of our fellow citizens don’t have a single day of paid sick leave available to them. You need both a permanent plan for paid sick leave and an emergency plan for everyone who needs it due to the outbreak, now.

Joe Biden: (14:24)
Beyond these national measures, my plan also calls for the creation of a state local emergency fund to make sure governors, mayors, and local leaders who are battling the coronavirus on the ground as I speak, have the resources necessary to meet this crisis head on, now. These funds can be used at the discretion of local leaders for whatever they need most. From expanding critical health infrastructure, hiring additional healthcare and emergency service personnel or cushioning the wider economic blows this virus is going to create in their communities. We need smart, bold, compassionate leadership that’s going to help contain the crisis, reduce the hardship to our people and help our economy rebound.

Joe Biden: (15:13)
Let me be very clear. Unfortunately, this will just be a start. We must prepare now to take further decisive action, including relief that will be large in scale focused on broader health and stability of our economy. Look, you can only protect the health or our economy if we do everything in our power to protect the health of our people. The last point I want to make is this, will never fully solve this problem if we’re unwilling to look beyond our own borders and engage fully with the rest of the world. A disease that starts any place in the planet can get on a plane to any city on earth within a few hours.

Joe Biden: (16:00)
We have to confront a coronavirus everywhere. We should be leading a coordinated global response just as we did to the Ebola crisis. That draws on the incredible capability of the U.S. Agency for International Development and our State Department to assist vulnerable nations in detecting and treating the coronavirus wherever it’s spreading. We should be investing in rebuilding and strengthening the global health security agenda, which we launched during our administration specifically to mobilize the world against the threats of new infectious diseases.

Joe Biden: (16:42)
Look, it can be hard to see the concrete value of this work when everything seems to be going well in the world. But by cutting our investment in global health, this administration has left us woefully unprepared for the exact crisis we now face. No president can promise to prevent future outbreaks, but I can promise you this. When I’m president, we will be better prepared, respond better and recover better. We’ll lead with science. We’ll listen to the experts. We’ll heed their advice and we’ll build American leadership and rebuild it to rally the world to meet global threats that we are likely to face again.

Joe Biden: (17:29)
And I’ll always tell you the truth, this is the responsibility of a president. That’s what is owed the American people, now and in difficult days ahead. I know that this country will some of the spirit, the empathy, the decency, and the unity needed. Because in times of crisis, the American people, always, always stand as one if told the truth. Volunteers raise their hands to help, neighbors look out for neighbors. Businesses take care of their workers. So we’ll meet this challenge together. I’m confident of it. We have to move and move now. Thank you all for taking the time to be here and God bless our troops. Thank you. [crosstalk 00:18:13]

WaPo's Harry Litman: Best speech of Biden's career.  Pitch-perfect tone + persuasive substance. Two tweets: Link to tweet Arguably the best speech of Biden's career. Pitch-perfect tone. Not the slightest hesitation or gaffe. Completely persuasive substance, with perfect occasional insertion of higher purpose and American might and values and compassion. Dead-on criticism of Trump with zero snark. Link to tweet and of course, viewed in contrast and back-to-back with Trump's nervous, wrong-headed, and simple-minded address -- and it's a shame that millions of Americans won't do just that -- it's a rout. have to imagine that it would be enough to shake the confidence of many Trump voters.

Occidental Petroleum fined $18.25 million for fatal 2017 natural gas explosion


Colorado regulators fined Kerr McGee $18.25 million for a 2017 gas explosion that blew up a house and killed two people. File photo by Gary C. Caskey/UPI

DENVER, March 12 (UPI) -- Colorado state oil and gas regulators assessed a record $18.25 million fine Thursday to an oil and gas company found to be at fault in a deadly 2017 house explosion that killed two people.

Jeff Robbins, director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the state's regulatory agency, said an "aggravating factor" of loss of life boosted the penalty against Kerr McGee, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corp.

Mark Martinez and Joey Irwin were killed in Firestone, Colo., and Erin Martinez was badly burned April 17, 2017, when leaking odorless natural gas ignited as the two men were replacing a basement hot water heater. Flames shot hundreds of feet into the air and the house was destroyed.

Kerr McGee failed to protect the health and safety of people and environment by neglecting its properties, the Colorado notice of violation said.

"Our lives are forever changed," Firestone widow Erin Martinez said in a statement Thursday. "It is hard to comprehend that the only recourse is a penalty or a fine, how do you put a price on human life?"

Martinez family members received an undisclosed settlement in 2018 in a civil suit against Anadarko Petroleum Corp., parent company of Kerr McGee at the time of the explosion.

Agency chief Robbins said fine revenue will go toward special projects for mapping buried flowlines and increasing air monitoring equipment for methane leaks.

Occidental spokesperson Jennifer Brice said in a statement the company would not contest the penalties.

"We are mindful of the events of April 17, 2017, every day, and our thoughts continue to be with the families, friends and communities affected by the Firestone tragedy," Brice said.

The multimillion-dollar penalty is the second this year by state agencies for oil and gas explosions.

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection fined pipeline company Energy Transfer $30 million for a 2018 pipeline explosion.

"This is a high fine for the state of Colorado," said Jeremy Nichols, climate and energy program director for WildEarth Guardians. "A multimillion-dollar fine sends a message to the industry. It is about trying to deter future incidents," Nichols said.

"But no state has really been able to hold this industry accountable. The industry is trying to pay its way out of killing people," he said.

"Safety has been, and will remain, our industry's top priority," Dan Haley, president and chief executive officer, of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, wrote in an email. "Our members are always working hard to improve our safety practices, to share those best practices and to commit to getting better, cleaner and safer each day."

An October, 2019, investigation of the Firestone explosion by the National Transportation Safety Board showed that a severed plastic pipeline from a dormant, but unplugged, well was the source of the gas that blew up the house.

Anadarko Petroleum had acquired a license to the well, which was left open with a low gas flow. Anadarko was acquired by Occidental last year.

New Colorado laws require mapping of all underground gas lines starting this year.