Sunday, March 22, 2020

Will the US government nationalize Boeing?

by Luc Olinga

Twelve years after the US government bailed out General Motors and Chrysler,

Washington policy makers are debating how to spare Boeing as it reels from

dual crises over the coronavirus and 737 MAX

About 12 years after the US government bailed out General Motors and Chrysler, Washington policymakers are debating how to throw Boeing a lifeline as it reels from dual crises over the coronavirus and 737 MAX.

The aerospace giant, which manufactures the US presidential jet Air Force One in addition to defense and commercial aircraft, has asked for $60 billion in federal support for the US aerospace industry, but it is not yet clear how such a bailout would function.

"Boeing is on the brink," prominent hedge fund investor Bill Ackman said this week. "Boeing will not survive without a government bailout."

Boeing's financial picture was already under pressure even before the coronavirus.

The 737 MAX, which had been the company's top-selling plane, has been out of service for more than a year following two deadly crashes. The lengthy grounding has cost the company upwards of $18 billion, a figure that is expected to rise.

The coronavirus has now worsened that picture considerably, obliterating demand for flying and putting Boeing's airline customers in financial distress.

The situation has pummeled shares of Boeing, leaving its market capitalization Friday at around $54 billion.

Also Friday Boeing announced that it was suspending its dividend until further notice and that Chief Executive Dave Calhoun and Chairman Larry Kellner would forgo pay until the end of the year.

The company, which had previously announced it was suspending share buybacks, said the program would remain paused indefinitely.

Boeing's dual crises would threaten the survival of other companies, but it still retains considerable support in Washington because of its importance to the US economy, with about 130,000 employees. And that figure does not include a much larger group workers employed by Boeing's 17,000 suppliers.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed aggressive measures to assist the companies, telling reporters at a briefing, "we have to protect Boeing and help Boeing."

Auto bailout a model?

In a securities filing Thursday, Boeing said there are a "variety of approaches" currently being discussed to support the US aerospace industry, but the company declined to comment further on the options.

Aid for aerospace is not included in the $1 trillion stimulus package now being crafted on Capitol Hill, although it does including help for airlines.

One option that has been discussed is for the government to take an equity stake in Boeing.

"Taxpayers should receive equity in a company in return for assistance so that the public benefits from its investment when the company is fiscally stable," said Oregon Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer.

If Boeing follows the model set by General Motors and Chrysler after the 2008 financial crisis, it would file for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 and restructure its finances.

The auto bailout was launched by former president George W. Bush in 2008 under the Troubled Assets Relief Program, and carried through by Barack Obama's administration.

The federal government injected $81 billion into two of Detroit's "Big Three" automakers and took equity stakes in the companies, and then sold those shares in December 2013.

GM filed for bankruptcy in June 2009 and received $50 billion in support that allowed the government to take a 61 percent stake in "new GM." The company was effectively nationalized, although officials avoided that term.

The restructuring cost shareholders $11.2 billion, but saved some 1.5 million jobs, according to the Center for Automotive Research.

Scott Hamilton of Leeham News, which specializes in aviation, said a US takeover of Boeing could pose competitive concerns in the defense industry.

"Boeing is the nation's number two defense contractor. How would this affect defense contract bids? I imagine Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman might have some concerns," Hamilton said.

"I don't think there's much of a rationale for a US stake in Boeing," said Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group, a research consultancy focused on aviation and defense.

The government also could make aid conditional on splitting the company into two entities, one focused on commercial planes and the other on defense, experts said.

Another possibility could be a merger of Boeing into one of the other defense giants, experts said.

Lockheed Martin did not respond to queries, while Northrop declined comment.

Boeing seeks $60 bn in US support for aerospace industry

New satellite-based algorithm pinpoints crop water use

by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The growing threat of drought and rising water demand have made accurate forecasts of crop water use critical for farmland water management and sustainability.

But limitations in existing models and satellite data pose challenges for precise estimates of evapotranspiration—a combination of evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants. The process is complex and difficult to model, and existing remote-sensing data can't provide accurate, high-resolution information on a daily basis.

A new high-resolution mapping framework called BESS-STAIR promises to do just that, around the globe. BESS-STAIR is composed of a satellite-driven biophysical model integrating plants' water, carbon and energy cycles—the Breathing Earth System Simulator (BESS)—with a generic and fully automated fusion algorithm called STAIR (SaTellite dAta IntegRation).

The framework, developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was tested in 12 sites across the U.S. Corn Belt, and its estimates have achieved the highest performance reported in any academic study so far.

The study, published in Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, was led by Postdoctoral Research Associate Chongya Jiang, from CABBI's sustainability theme, and project lead Kaiyu Guan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES) and a Blue Waters Professor at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).

"BESS-STAIR has great potential to be a reliable tool for water resources management and precision agriculture applications for the U.S. Corn Belt and even worldwide, given the global coverage of its input data," Jiang said.

Traditional remote-sensing methods for estimating evapotranspiration rely heavily on thermal radiation data, measuring the temperature of the plant canopy and soil as they cool through evaporation. But those methods have two drawbacks: the satellites can't collect data on surface temperatures on cloudy days; and the temperature data aren't very accurate, which in turn affects the accuracy of the evapotranspiration estimates, Jiang said.

The CABBI team instead focused on the plant's carbon-water-energy cycles. Plants transpire water into the atmosphere through holes on their leaves called stomata. As the water goes out, carbon dioxide comes in, allowing the plant to conduct photosynthesis and form biomass.

The BESS-STAIR model first estimates photosynthesis, then the amount of carbon and water going in and out. Previous remote-sensing methods did not consider the carbon component as a constraint, Jiang said. "That's the advance of this model."

Another advantage: Surface temperature-based methods can only collect data under clear skies, so they have to interpolate evapotranspiration for cloudy days, creating gaps in the data, he said. The all-weather BESS-STAIR model uses surface reflectance, which is similar on clear and cloudy days, eliminating any gaps.

The STAIR algorithm fused data from two complementary satellite systems—Landsat and MODIS—to provide high-resolution data on a daily basis, providing both high spatial and high temporal resolution. Landsat collects detailed information about Earth's land every eight to 16 days; MODIS provides a complete picture of the globe every day to capture more rapid land surface changes.

This isn't the first time researchers have combined data from the two satellite sensors, but previous methods only worked in a small region over a short time period, Guan said. The previous algorithms were difficult to scale up and weren't fully automatic, requiring significant human input, and they couldn't be applied across broad areas over a longer time period.

By contrast, the CABBI team's framework was evaluated in different regions across the U.S. Corn Belt over two decades, Jiang said. Researchers built a pipeline on NCSA's supercomputer to automatically estimate surface reflectance as well as evapotranspiration on a large scale for extended time periods. Using data from 2000 to 2017, the team applied BESS-STAIR in 12 sites across the Corn Belt, comprehensively validating its evapotranspiration estimates with flux tower measurements at each site. They measured overall accuracy as well as and spatial, seasonal, and interannual variations.

"We are able to provide daily, 30m-resolution evapotranspiration anytime and anywhere in the U.S. Corn Belt in hours, which is unprecedented," Guan said.

The breakthrough will have real-time, practical benefits for U.S. farmers coping with the increasing severity of droughts, as documented in a number of recent studies.

"Precision agriculture is one of our major targets. Evapotranspiration is very important for irrigation and also very important to water management," Guan said. "This is a solution that goes beyond experimental plots and impacts the real world, for millions of fields everywhere."Corn productivity in real time: Satellites, field cameras, and farmers team up

More information: Chongya Jiang et al, BESS-STAIR: a framework to estimate daily, 30 m, and all-weather crop evapotranspiration using multi-source satellite data for the US Corn Belt, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.5194/hess-24-1251-2020

CORONAVIRUS KILLS CAPITALISM

Pandemic money: where's it coming from and who pays?

by Corentin Dautreppe and Jitendra Joshi In London

Officials hope that flooding markets with money will help ensure the economy won't freeze up

The mammoth bailout sums unleashed to combat the 2008 financial crisis fuelled populist backlashes in many countries as taxpayers were handed a whopping bill.

This time feels different. Governments and central banks are all too aware that they face an unprecedented test from an invisible enemy that could kill their economies.

The sums mobilised now—trillions in direct fiscal and monetary support, and loan guarantees—outstrip what was offered in 2008 to rescue banks from their own folly.

What's on offer?

All major economies are battling to halt the carnage on financial markets, intervening directly to save businesses and jobs, and indirectly via their central banks.

"We are witnessing a panic movement in which markets, like businesses, are seeking liquidity at all costs, and selling anything that is sellable," said Agnes Benassy-Quere, professor at the Paris School of Economics.

There is "no other way than to issue a lot of debt and to make sure that it will be bought by central banks", she said.

While the virus appears contained in China, European countries and the United States are going all out with spending promises to limit the fallout of their own runaway outbreaks.

The biggest stimulus package comes from Washington where Senate Republicans on Thursday introduced a $1 trillion plan in line with demands from President Donald Trump.

Democrats are unconvinced by some of Trump's wish-list. But eschewing the traditional Republican aversion to debt and deficits, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell underscored that "this is no ordinary time".

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the government had "no problem issuing more debt" at super-low rates after recent interventions by the Federal Reserve.

What's the cost?

The Fed and others including the European Central Bank are engaged in shock-and-awe tactics to reassure the markets and ensure plenty of money is on hand for businesses.

Their actions, slashing interest rates or engaging in outright purchase of government debt ("quantitative easing") finally brought some calm to markets on Friday.

One benefit for governments—at least richer ones with access to deep capital markets—is that they can issue long-term bonds now at fixed rates at next-to-no cost.

"The only issue is in 10-20 years when you have to refinance the debt," said Charlie Robertson, global chief economist at Renaissance Capital in London.

"No one foots the bill because borrowing costs are close to zero—it's magic money," he said, adding there is no risk of inflation given the scale of the shock.

The situation is a lot more alarming for developing economies that lack both access to cheap borrowing and advanced medical systems.

"If South Africa can't afford to control the virus, it will spread again. No country can afford to keep every other country banned from travelling," Robertson told AFP.

"So I would argue there has to be a global financing solution to address this virus crisis," he said, urging action from the G7 and G20 nations.

What more can be done?

As the G20's Saudi presidency readies a virtual summit, Allianz chief economist Ludovic Subran agreed concerted action is needed for poorer nations, especially in Africa.

"All the international measures have been taken without any coordination, it is quite unprecedented," he said.

Christopher Dembik, Saxo Bank's head of macroeconomic research, said advanced economies should emulate the United States and Hong Kong in offering cash directly to households.

"We must go beyond tax deferrals and state guarantees," he said, suggesting also a "temporary but drastic drop in corporate taxation" to stop companies collapsing en masse.

Aside from extreme budgetary cases like Italy, "there is absolutely no concern about sovereign debt" because central banks themselves are amassing the new issuances, he noted.

Italy, which has surpassed China to register the most coronavirus deaths, wants its EU partners to go further by tapping the eurozone's 410-billion-euro ($440-billion) war chest.

The US owes $23.5 trillion but can still afford a big coronavirus stimulus package

Pandemics don't heal divisions, they reveal them

by Steven Friedman, The Conversation Zika virus

Transmission electron microscope image of negative-stained,

Fortaleza-strain Zika virus (red), isolated from a microcephaly case in Brazil.

The virus is associated with cellular membranes in the center. Credit: NIAID

Some around the world predict that the COVID-19 will heal divisions and narrow inequalities. A pandemic, they claim, can remind us of our common humanity and the need to discard prejudices. It can also highlight inequalities and injustices and prompt people in power to deal with them.

In Europe, some predict it will highlight the plight of people in the 'gig economy' who do not enjoy a guaranteed wage. In the US, there are hopes that it may make it easier for people who cannot get to polling booths to vote.

In South Africa, some hope it will prompt action against the conditions which make it harder for poor people to protect themselves.

The claim that pandemics prompt the rich and people in power to care more about social inequities anywhere is dubious. Those who believe this like to quote the historian Walter Scheidel's 2017 book The Great Leveler which, they claim, argued that pandemics can dent inequality by showing that human progress depends on tackling inequality.

But Scheidel didn't argue that epidemics showed the rich how much they had in common with the poor. His point is that they weakened the rich in ways which helped the poor, which is not at all what the optimists have in mind.

In a recent interview, Frank Snowden, an American historian of epidemics, said he agreed with a World Health Organisation (WHO) official that the virus should teach us that "the health of the most vulnerable people among us is a determining factor for the health of all of us."

But he was not optimistic that the lesson would be learned.

Snowden finds that pandemics can heighten prejudice against the poor. In Paris, after the 1848 revolution or the (1871) Paris Commune, people were "slaughtered" because the "people who were in command saw that the working classes were dangerous politically, but they were also very dangerous medically."

So, attitudes which prop up inequality and division may actually worsen under the pressure of an epidemic. It seems logical to expect those who are threatened by their fellow citizens to feel even more prejudice when they face a medical threat.

Reactions in South Africa today may not show that prejudices against the poor are getting worse. But they are very much alive and give little reason for hope that the virus will bring South Africans closer together or trigger more energetic action against poverty.

Irrational responses

The first evidence came before the virus reached the country. Radio talk shows were inundated by callers warning that 'porous borders' placed the country at risk. This expressed a widespread South African prejudice: immigrants from elsewhere in Africa are a disease-bearing threat.

This was irrational—poor people do not visit China or the European countries where the virus has spread. But prejudices are irrational.

As the virus arrived, new prejudices emerged. Demands for controls mounted: South Africans would only be safe if borders were closed and everyone's movement was controlled. President Cyril Ramaphosa was denounced for not locking everyone down.

Snowden's work shows that harsh lockdowns don't work. Controls on 'social distance' do, but only if people are treated sympathetically. If they are not, they don't trust the authorities and will not report cases.

But middle classes used to living far from the poor do see control as the solution to all problems. The focus on Ramaphosa showed a deep-seated view – 'leaders' are assumed to require supernatural powers and so are blamed for everything which goes wrong. This is an anti-democratic view which shows no faith in the abilities of grassroots citizens (or much grasp of reality: presidents don't single-handedly control epidemics).

It also judges political leaders on how 'tough' they get, which is unlikely to heal any divisions.

Prejudices

Attitudes towards poor black people living in shack settlements and urban townships are more complicated.

It's frequently said that the virus is sure to decimate these areas. This partly supports the view that eyes are being opened to poverty because it is based on real concern: it is harder for people who may lack access to clean water, live in overcrowded conditions, rely on public transport and lack quality health care to protect themselves. People in these areas who have jobs are unlikely to enjoy the luxury of working at home.

But most of the 'concern' expresses prejudices which feed division and inequality. Many in the middle-class see the places where poor people live as dangerous and disease-ridden –– the way upper class Europeans saw slums in their countries. Their residents are assumed to be ignorant and dirty although in reality they are well-informed on the virus and are often more concerned about personal hygiene than the middle class.

It also expresses common prejudices about majority rule—it is assumed that it will always end in disaster, even if the government seems to be doing what it should. On some radio channels, the government is denounced by callers for not informing the public, although it has constantly done just that: many in the racial minorities assume that nothing a majority black government says can be believed.

Given South Africa's racial divisions, it is perhaps no surprise that some black people replied with their own myth: that the virus could not affect you if you were black. Perhaps the fact that the virus began with people returning from skiing holidays was too good to pass up for people used to enduring the myth that some South Africans are inherently better than others.

Another response—although this was not purely South African – was panic buying . There are many interpretations of why this happens but the people doing it were affluent enough to afford bulk buying, their first instinct was to grab what they could, and they may be stocking up so they can opt out of society rather than joining others to fight the virus, the response Ramaphosa proposed when he announced the government measures.

None of these responses signal that divisions are narrowing. Nor, despite some concern for people living in poverty, do they suggest that the threat of an epidemic has prompted new desire to change the conditions in which poor people live.

So, South African attitudes may not express a desire to make poor people pay for a virus they did not bring. But they also give little cheer to those who expect a new era of solidarity and social concern.S.Africa to close borders to all citizens from high-risk countries

Provided by The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

COVID-19: Nitrogen dioxide over China

by European Space Agency

This image, using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, shows the nitrogen dioxide emissions over China from 7 to 16 March 2020. Credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2020), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

Recent data have shown a decline of air pollution over northern Italy coinciding with its nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This new map shows the variation of nitrogen dioxide emissions over China from December to March—thanks to the Tropomi instrument on board the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite.

As news of the coronavirus broke out in the Hubei province, China, in late December 2019, stricter measures were put in place. As a result, by late January, factories were closed and streets were cleared as Chinese authorities had ceased daily activities to stop the spread of the illness.

This led to the dramatic reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions—those released by power plants, industrial facilities and vehicles—in all major Chinese cities between late-January and February. The drop in emissions also coincided with Lunar New Year celebrations, which usually sees a similar drop in emissions each year.

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) observed a decrease of fine particulate matter—one of the most important air pollutants—in February 2020 compared to the previous three years. By combining satellite observations with detailed computer models of the atmosphere, their studies indicated a reduction of around 20-30% in surface particulate matter over large parts of China.

As the coronavirus epidemic eases in China, many provinces have downgraded their emergency response levels. Schools, factories and other public spaces are starting to re-open and workers are gradually returning to their jobs.
This animation, using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, shows the nitrogen dioxide emissions from 20 December 2019 until 16 March 2020 – using a 10-day moving average. The drop in emissions in late-January is visible, coinciding with the nationwide quarantine, and from the beginning of March, the nitrogen dioxide levels have begun to increase. Credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2019-20), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

This animation, using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, shows the nitrogen dioxide emissions from 20 December 2019 until 16 March 2020—using a 10-day moving average. The drop in emissions in late-January is visible, coinciding with the nationwide quarantine, and from the beginning of March, the nitrogen dioxide levels have begun to increase.

Josef Aschbacher, ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes, says, "Satellites offer a unique vantage point to monitor the health of our planet. Sentinel-5P is one of seven Copernicus satellites in orbit today. It currently provides the most accurate measurements of nitrogen dioxide and other trace gases from space.

"As nitrogen dioxide is primarily produced by traffic and factories, it is a first-level indicator of industrial activity worldwide. What is clearly visible is a significant reduction of nitrogen dioxide levels over China, caused by reduced activity due to COVID-19 restrictions, but also the Chinese New Year in January."

He continues, "The Copernicus program is a perfect example of how space serves all European citizens by combining the political strength of the EU with the technical excellence of ESA."

Sentinel-5 Precursor is the first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring our atmosphere. With air pollution a major concern, the satellite carries the state-of-the-art Tropomi instrument to map a multitude of trace gases such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, sulphur dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and aerosols – all of which affect the air we breathe and therefore our health, and our climate. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab

Claus Zehner, ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission manager, comments, "We can certainly attribute a part of the nitrogen dioxide emission reduction to the impact of the coronavirus. We currently see around a 40% reduction over Chinese cities, however these are just rough estimates, as weather also has an impact on emissions.

"We are conducting a detailed scientific analysis which will soon provide more insights and quantified results in the following weeks and months."

The Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor mission, also known as Sentinel-5P, is dedicated to monitoring air pollution by measuring a multitude of trace gases as well as aerosols—all of which affect the air we breathe.

Coronavirus: Nitrogen dioxide emissions drop over Italy

pH

Novel bacterial acid tolerance system sheds light on development of antimicrobials

by Chinese Academy of Sciences

E. coli acid tolerance system regulated by two-component system CpxRA.

Credit: ZHAO Mohan

Growth ability at acidic conditions is important to bacteria. Enteric bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella can colonize and cause disease in the host's intestinal tract, but they have to combat acidic environments during the whole process of invading the host.

The stomach, with pH value as low as 1.5 to 2.5, is recognized as a natural antibiotic barrier. After entering into the small intestine, E. coli will encounter a less acidic environment (with pH value of 4-6), reproduce rapidly, and ultimately cause disease to the host.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. Xian Mo and Prof. Zhao Guang from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) discovered a novel bacterial acid tolerance system that confers the growth capability to E. coli at pH of 4.2.

Up to now, five acid resistance systems have been reported. These acid resistance systems can enable E. coli to survive in gastric acid for hours, but they play no role in rapid multiplication of E. coli under moderate acidic conditions.

CpxA, the newly discovered system, can sense acidification directly through protonation of histidine residues. It will also activate its cognate regulator protein CpxRx to stimulate the expression of fabA and fabB genes for biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, increasing unsaturated fatty acid contents in membrane lipid. Changes in membrane lipid composition lower the fluidity and proton permeability of the cell membrane, increasing the intracellular pH homeostasis.

Experimental results showed that E. coli mutants deficient in this system cannot grow in mouse intestine. Besides E. coli, this acid tolerance system also exists in pathogenic bacteria including Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio cholerae, Yersinia pestis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which may be a new target for the development of antimicrobials.

The related findings were published in Nature Communications on Mar. 20.

Dangerous bacteria a true survivor

More information: Ying Xu et al. An acid-tolerance response system protecting exponentially growing Escherichia coli, Nature Communications (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15350-5

Scientists assess the accelerated changes of glaciers in the Yulong Snow Mountain

by Zhang Nannan, Chinese Academy of Sciences Tibetan Plateau

Natural-colour satellite image of the Tibetan Plateau. Credit: NASA

The Yulong Snow Mountain (YSM) is a region of temperate glaciers in the southeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. As one of the most famous tourist attractions in Yunnan Province, the existence of the ice-and-snow landscapes of the YSM is culturally important to the Lijiang ancient town.

Recently, scientists from Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, together with their colleagues from other universities in China, systematically assessed the glacier changes of the YSM during the past several decades using ground-based and remotely sensed observations and referencing topographic maps.

They assessed glacier changes in the YSM and their impact on the local glacier tourism. Based on in situ data and remote-sensing images, scientists first evaluated the glacier changes in the study region, such as changes in the glacier front, glacier area and glacier mass balance.

Besides, they analyzed the reasons for this glacier change, along with the climate records from a local meteorological station, followed by the major impact factors of the initially rapid glacier retreat.

The findings of the present study help to understand the mechanism between accelerated ablation of temperate glaciers and climate change in southeast regions of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and provide references for local tourism administrations.

This study has been published in Regional Environmental Change in an article titled "Accelerated changes of glaciers in the Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau."Observational evidence of Karakoram anomaly

More information: Shijin Wang et al. Accelerated changes of glaciers in the Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Regional Environmental Change (2020). DOI: 10.1007/s10113-020-01624-7

Canada's changing coronavirus border policy exposes international students' precarious status

by Carlo Handy Charles, The Conversation

Canada’s announcements about its border have not left international students with a sense of security. Credit: Shutterstock

Canada's border closure announcements have thrown international students and other foreign nationals on a roller coaster of anxiety that jeopardizes many people's sense of wellness and security.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban on citizens of countries with substantial Muslim populations in 2017, Canada has strengthened its position as a welcoming country for international students. In 2017, there were close to 500,000 international students studying in Canada.

However, on March 16, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will take aggressive measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. He said Canada would deny "entry to Canada to people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents," except Americans.

This announcement raised concerns about why Canada chose to keep its border open to Americans since the United States is Canada's top source of international tourists: in 2015 more than 22 million Americans vacationed in Canada.

Then, two days later, on March 18, Trudeau announced that U.S. travellers will no longer be permitted to cross the border for "recreation and tourism," saying that in both countries, citizens are encouraged to stay home.

Amid a flurry of ensuing anxious social media posts from foreign residents, including many international students, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said international students, workers with visas and temporary foreign workers will be allowed to enter Canada but will need to self-isolate for 14 days.

But both in the short term, as officials at many levels respond to changing circumstances and messaging, and over the longer term, as our society adapts to the pandemic, it's far from clear that Canada's announcements will provide international students or temporary foreign workers with a sense of security.

Some international students or temporary residents at the border were blocked from coming back to Canada on Monday, Radio Canada reported.

And, on March 18, the Government of Canada officially published a list of people who are exempted from this measure. However, this list does not explicitly mention whether international students or temporary foreign workers are allowed to return to Canada if they are currently abroad.

Key concerns remain unaddressed. How effectively has, or will, Canada communicate its border decisions about international students and temporary foreign workers to border officials, airlines and the students themselves? Do these changing messages in a short time signal that international students should be concerned for the future of their mobility and their studies? How is the well-being of international students and other temporary residents in Canada impacted by wondering if the border could be closed to them?

Potential consequences

It is important to understand how temporary residents—those without permanent residency—such as international students, temporary foreign workers and other precarious status foreigners who have been legally living, studying and working in Canada for months or years —have been affected by these announcements.

Research conducted in Ontario shows that it is important to pay particular attention to how living with precarious legal status may impact the well-being and feelings of belonging and social support of children and families.

Will international students, foreign workers or the Canadian public now be wondering whether temporary residents have become disposable foreigners amid COVID-19 pandemic? Indeed, as they were not addressed in Trudeau's initial announcement, they may be wondering whether their temporary resident status is worthy of Canadian state consideration and protection or it is an item that can be disposed of in times of crisis.

It is understandable that the federal government's aggressive measures aim to protect Canadians and permanents residents of Canada. It is also clear that "we are in a fairly critical period" to slow the spread of COVID-19, as Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said.

And it's more than clear that we should follow the federal government's recommendations of social distancing to limit the spread of the virus.

However, talking about closing the border to those who have lived, studied and worked in Canada for months or years raises concerns about how we should help each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic while respecting human rights and dignity.

Respecting human rights

As the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees recommended, states are of course entitled to take measures to ascertain and manage risks to public health, including risks that could arise in connection with non-nationals arriving at their borders. Such measures must be non-discriminatory as well as necessary, proportionate and reasonable with the aim of protecting public health.

Canada's border closure contradicts WHO's recommendations, which urge all countries to "strike a fine balance between protecting health, minimizing economic and social disruption and respecting human rights."

South Korea, for example, has been recognized for implementing efficient testing, quarantine and tracking measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 without implementing a lockdown.

Relief measures?

What protection and relief measures can international students and temporary foreign workers expect from the federal government as conditions surrounding the pandemic change?

The federal government has, after all, announced that no Canadian should be worried about rent payments, groceries and additional child care because it will help Canadians financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

International students are clearly concerned about their precarious situations. Will Canada offer any official relief measures or supports for international students too, like rent relief?

Precarious status and well-being

The prime minister's announcement of Canada's border closure to all foreigners may have had a significant impact on the mental and physical health of international students who are temporary residents in Canada, and have been living and working in the country.

Students' health and wellness may have been affected by knowing that if they leave the country, they will not be able to come back to continue their studies, research or work. This may also impact the Canadian economy.

In 2015 and 2016, respectively, international students in Canada spent about $12.8 billion and $15.5 billion on tuition, accommodation and discretionary spending. How will the federal government's changing messaging on the Canadian welcome to international students affect the Canadian economy in the future?

Canadian compassion

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada has shown compassion to the most vulnerable people. For instance, the federal government halted deportations of precarious status foreigners with the exception of serious criminal cases.

However, Canada's initial lack of consideration for international students and other temporary residents when it announced it was closing the border seems jarringly ill-conceived and insensitive given the country's constant effort to recruit international students to continue enhancing Canada's national economy and international reputation.

Even though it was corrected two days later, Canada's decisions and messaging prompt us to reflect on how we should apply measures of social distancing that are not harmful to others and that still protect human dignity—and to consider how we should account for and help each other in times of crisis. We're also prompted to think about how we should address popular concerns while remaining caring, thoughtful and welcoming to others.Canada-US border likely to be closed by Saturday: Trudeau

Provided by The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

No work, no money: Self-isolation due to COVID-19 pandemic punishes the poor

by I Nyoman Sutarsa, Atin Prabandari and Fina Itriyati, The Conversation covid-19

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The spread of COVID-19 continues to unfold across the globe. More than 209,000 people in 168 countries have been infected. The disease has recorded a fatality rate of more than 4% as 8,600 people have died from the disease.

The world's third-largest democracy, Indonesia, has reported more than 300 cases with a higher fatality rate of over 8%.

Since the outbreak, the Indonesian government has made public calls for people to self-isolate if they have symptoms. Self-isolation means staying indoors and completely avoiding contact with other people.

Public health experts have encouraged the public to self-isolate for at least 14 days to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Research has shown that self-isolation is highly effective, especially when the majority of COVID-19 cases do not show symptoms.

Echoing many health experts, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has suggested people "stay, work and pray at home" for two weeks to prevent further spread of the highly contagious disease.

Even though this preventive action is proven effective, it fails to take into account the fact that many poor and low-income people cannot afford to self-isolate.

People working in informal sectors and casuals like online drivers, grocery store assistants and kitchen hands do not have the luxury of working from home as their jobs cannot be done remotely.

In 2019, people working in informal sectors accounted for 57.2% of Indonesia's workforce, or around 74 million people. As many as 25.14 million people live under the poverty line—that's about 9% of Indonesia's population.

Two weeks of self-isolation means these people risk losing their sole income source.

The poor narratives

The COVID-19 pandemic has hurt the economy worldwide. Many companies have reported losses as demand drops. With business slowing down, workers are facing greater risks of losing their jobs and income. It is happening in Indonesia.

"Ohh so sad. No turis [tourists] no job," posted one online driver on his social media just three days after the government declared COVID-19 a national disaster.

Online drivers are also prone to coronavirus infections as they meet many different people in the course of their work.

GOJEK, one of the largest online driver platforms in Indonesia, has suspended the account of one of its drivers who was suspected of having COVID-19. But how will the driver get his income?

A similar story involves a 36-year-old casual domestic worker and mother from Yogyakarta, about 500 kilometers from the capital Jakarta.

"I can't afford to self-isolate. I need to go to work," she said. "No work means no money, and no money means no food for my kids."

These accounts illustrate the difficult situations facing many blue-collar workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. They can not afford to take a day off, let alone two weeks.

What can be done

To minimize discriminatory policies against poor people during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government should address the underlying and structural issues that create vulnerabilities in the first place.

This can be done, for example, by strengthening poverty eradication programs and establishing universal health coverage for low-income households.

A universal health coverage system will ensure everyone, regardless of their economic status, has access to high-quality health services and financial risk protection.

The current Indonesian system, known as BPJS, is not adequate to be called universal health coverage as it still requires people to pay a monthly premium. This could be a problem for informal and casual workers who are often unable to pay their monthly charge regularly, resulting in their memberships being canceled.

The government must allocate a budget to provide primary health services to poor people. These services include providing access to health education,safe drinking water, nutrition, immunization and treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

In addition, the government should address more fundamental problems related to the changing nature of work during the pandemic.

One of the strategies required is to provide social assistance and social insurance for people working in informal sectors during the COVID-19 emergency period.

Without adequate support from the government, many of these people face a higher risk of losing their income or contracting the disease and then spreading the virus.

Therefore, any public health measures to mitigate multiple impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic must seriously consider the society's various economic and social backgrounds to ensure preventive measures do not further punish already marginalized and vulnerable communities.

By strengthening the nation's social welfare and health care systems, the government can help keep all citizens both physically and economically healthy and also protect the vulnerable during the pandemicCoronavirus: 10 questions about self-isolation answered

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