Scientists warn coronavirus stays in the air longer than previously thought

BY LLB REPORTER APRIL 10, 2020

Scientists in Finland have warned coronavirus can stay in the air far longer than previously thought, through talking, sneezing and coughing.

The scientist released a 3D model showing how the virus spreads in the air through tiny airborne aerosols particles.

Their findings “emphasise the importance of avoiding busy indoor spaces.”

Ville Vuorinen, assistant professor at Aalto University in Finland said, “Someone infected by the coronavirus can cough and walk away but then leave behind extremely small aerosol particles carrying the coronavirus.

“These particles could then end up in the respiratory tract of others in the vicinity.”

The scientific researchers modelled the airborne movement of the particles smaller than 20 micrometres, whilst for a dry cough aerosol particles are less than 15 micrometres.

The researchers said, “Extremely small particles of this size do not sink on the floor, but instead, move along in the air currents or remain floating in the same place.”

Where people gather such as shops, restaurants and public transport, or even meeting outside in groups are at high risk of breathing in infected particles.

Jussi Sane, chief specialist at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare warned that this highlights the importance of people to stay at home, particularly if they feel unwell.

SMALL GRATITUDE FOR TRUCKERS MAKING THE LONG HAUL BY CALGARY COOP WORKERS

COOP STORES CALGARY/HIGH RIVER SUPPLY LONG HAUL TRUCKERS BAG LUNCHES SINCE RESTAURANTS ON THE TRANSCANADA ARE CLOSED.

HOWEVER THEY MISSED THE CHANCE TO MODEL CORONAVIRUS SAFETY 
LIKE WEARING MASKS, AND STANDING SIX FEET APART.

#THANKATRUCKER

'This was a lifeline for kids': 

CBE lays off entire psychology department

Author of the article:Alanna Smith April 10,2020

The exterior of the Calgary Board of Education building was photographed 

on Tuesday, February 4, 2020. Gavin Young/Postmedia 

The Calgary Board of Education has laid off all of its psychologists despite pledging to maintain mental health supports for students during at-home learning.

A psychologist with the public school board said the decision will have an immediate impact on students and their families, especially considering they had already transitioned to virtual sessions amid the COVID-19 pandemic

“This was a lifeline for kids and families who were struggling. It allowed kids to continue working with the therapist they already had a relationship with and to maintain that important connection during this crisis,” said the psychologist, whom Postmedia has agreed not to identify for fear of job reprisal.

He said many of the kids who were receiving mental health counselling were struggling with anxiety, depression or family stress prior to the pandemic.

“Their mental health issues are only likely to get worse as routines are disrupted, (physical) distancing persists and when there’s an increase in uncertainty and stress. Kids need access to mental health services more than ever right now,” he said.

The temporary layoffs are a result of the province’s recently announced education budget rollback.

At the end of March, the United Conservative government said it was “temporarily redirecting” $128 million from school authority funding to the province’s COVID-19 response. It’s estimated the cut will impact as many as 20,000 jobs provincewide.

“To respond to the provincial government’s mandate to redirect dollars to support the COVID-19 response, the CBE’s funding was adjusted by $21 million,” said CBE in a statement. “We prioritized dollars towards keeping positions that have the closest (connection) to students and to supporting learning from home.”

The board maintained employment for 880 educational assistants, speech-language assistants, early childhood practitioners and other positions funded by the province.
“We have many other employees who provide mental health support to families,” said the CBE, referencing school family liaisons, behavioural support workers and mental health strategists among others. The board also said community partners will continue to be resource for students.

Psychologists employed by CBE, part-time and full-time, will be laid off effective May 21 due to a six-week notice period under their collective agreement. Until then, they will continue to provide services to students.

Rae-Anne Royal, chair for the CBE Staff Association representing support workers, said she was surprised to learn psychologists and speech-language pathologists were among the layoffs.

“These roles are probably more conducive than many to providing supports electronically and by telephone,” said Royal in a statement. “The enhanced stress and challenges all are experiencing in this current environment is equally true of students, so more, rather than less, supports are needed.”

Colin Aitchison, press secretary for the minister of education, said the decision to lay off psychologists was that of the CBE’s and theirs alone.

THEY HAVE SAID THIS FOR THE PAST THIRTY YEARS POST 1987 CRASH 

AS THEY IMPOSED AUSTERITY ON THIS PROVINCE UNDER THEIR OLD MONIKER OF RALPH KLEIN'S PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVES

WE CUT YOUR FUNDS BUT STAFF CUTS ARE NOT OUR FAULT
“Adjustments due to in-person class cancellations did not require the temporary layoffs of these staff members,” said Aitchison. “Regardless, we fully expect the CBE to rescind these layoffs when in-person classes resume.”

COVID-19: Student mental health should come before academics during crisis

Barb Silva, Support Our Students spokesperson, said the decision to lay off school psychologists is “incredibly disappointing” and further disadvantages certain students.

“I think we often fall back on the ill-conceived notion that children are resilient. The reality is children just experience or demonstrate trauma in different ways,” said Silva.

“We know that kids with strong relationships that feel engaged and heard and valued at school — whether that’s a bricks-and-mortar school or virtual school like now — do better at school, perform better, learn better.”

She said students already marginalized, due to food insecurity, developmental disabilities or socio-economic factors, will be further pushed to the peripheral.

Barb Silva, spokeswoman for Support Our Students advocacy group.

 JIM WELLS/Postmedia

“We are as strong as our most marginalized student,” said Silva. “In September, everything is going to be different and, at the end of the day, this push to further marginalize our children living in the margins will undermine public education. It is setting us up for failure.”

The CBE psychologist who spoke with Postmedia said students who had already built trusting relationships with a therapist might struggle to do again with someone new — that is, if they can afford or find a new service.

“For the many families who can’t afford fee-for-service psychological services, the removal of school mental health services may force them to try to access service through the already overburdened health care system,” he said.

“Students will continue to need mental health supports to help bridge the transition back to school and we anticipate that we are going to see a wave of mental health issues that is bigger than we’ve ever seen.”

The CBE said 59 psychologists were laid off among the 1,900 people who received temporary layoffs — the largest education layoff in CBE history.

Other positions included breakfast and lunch supervisors, cleaners, library assistants, career and technology instructors, speech-language pathologists and other administrative and support staff.

CBE to temporarily lay off 1,900 staff amid COVID-19 reductions; Catholic board cuts 950 jobs

Author of the article:Jason Herring

Publishing date: April 10, 2020

Calgary’s public and Catholic school districts have temporarily eliminated jobs after the Alberta government cut education funding last month while students are out of school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Calgary Board of Education handed temporary layoff notices to about 1,900 part- and full-time staff Thursday. The CBE says its 2019-20 budget took a $21-million hit, after the Alberta government’s announcement it would redirect about $128 million from school authority funding to the COVID-19 response.

 

“Approximately 1,030 of the 1,900 affected staff are part-time breakfast and lunch supervisors,” read a statement from Christopher Usih, the CBE chief superintendent of schools.

“The other staff members include part-time cleaners, library assistants, (career and technology studies) instructors, psychologists and speech-language pathologists as well as other administrative and support staff.”

The last day of work for most affected staff will be April 30. The CBE said staff affected by layoffs can apply for federal income assistance following the notice period.

As well, contract staff like substitute teachers are not receiving layoff notices but the CBE says that “there will be limited work” for those staff through the end of the school year.

The board said it cut administrative costs before resorting to layoffs. The CBE said it was able to save some money due to the cancellation of in-class lessons and redirected funds allocated to projects that have now stalled, which it says saved about 1,000 jobs.

School-based support staff integral to supporting remote learning were the employees the CBE prioritized keeping, they said. All 880 of the board’s education assistants will keep their jobs through the end of June.

Barb Silva, spokeswoman for the Support Our Students advocacy group, said she was pleased the CBE retained education assistants given their role in helping students and teachers transition to remote learning.

“I think the CBE has done a good job with what they were dealt,” Silva said.

“We can appreciate the way they went through this in trying to save as many educational assistants as possible. I think recognizing the value of those positions in this climate is really important.”

The Calgary Catholic School District also eliminated jobs, cutting 950 part- and full-time support staff positions, with school principals notifying affected staff earlier this week.

“The Calgary Catholic School District is a family and these temporary layoffs were extremely difficult,” read a statement from the district. “We look forward to welcoming our staff back when we return to our schools.”

The CCSD has said they will rehire all support staff laid off due to budget cuts.

Alberta grade schools have not conducted in-person classes since before March 16, when the province announced all classes were cancelled amid growing fear of community spread of COVID-19.

The province has said that cuts to education funding are meant to be temporary while classes remain online.

The cuts to funding came two weeks after Education Minister Adriana LaGrange indicated Alberta school authorities would receive their full funding for the 2019-20 year.

Silva said public school boards including the CBE need to fight to ensure their funding is sustained through the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with the risk of a second or third wave of the virus coming in the fall.

“Public education is actually very susceptible right now to being undermined through this crisis,” she said. “We need the largest school board in this province to advocate.”

At the time of the budget cut, the ATA estimated around 6,000 substitute teachers and as many as 20,000 support staff in Alberta would be affected by the cuts.

The layoffs are the largest ever for the CBE.

“Each and every employee plays a valuable role in supporting our schools and students,” Usih said. “We know that those employees who received layoff notices will be missed by their colleagues, and especially by our students and families.”

The board said it would begin recalling staff once the province reinstates in-person teaching.

Volcano news latest: 

Fears Iceland eruption could trigger transport chaos

SCIENTISTS in Iceland have warned a potential volcanic eruption could cause disruption for centuries.


By MELANIE KAIDAN PUBLISHED:Sat, Apr 11, 2020

The volcano is experiencing new activity after 800 years without erupting. Since January 21, the Reykjanes peninsula south-west of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, has experienced over 8,000 earthquakes and about 10cm of land uplift due to subterranean magma intrusions.

Dave McGarvie, a volcanologist at Lancaster University, said: “It seems that after being relatively inactive for many centuries, this region is waking up.”

The affected area is located near the town of Grindavík and the popular Blue Lagoon thousands of tourists visit ever year, as well as being nine miles away from Iceland’s international airport.

Although the volcano has not erupted in about 800 years there have been more recent eruptions offshore.

Geological studies show the area is surrounded by five volcanic systems, which become active at the same time roughly every 1,000 years.


Fears Iceland eruption could trigger transport chaos (Image: Getty)

Typical Icelandic volcanoes wake for a few years and then die down.

Contrarily, this particular region can have on and off eruptions for up to 300 years.

The eruptive episodes (known in Iceland as “fires”) last few decades.

Fissures of up to five miles splutter streams of lava, usually without much ash or many explosions.


Typical Icelandic volcanoes wake for a few years and then die down (Image: Getty)

The most recent “fires” occurred between 1210 and 1240 and covered about 19 sq miles of land in lava.

There were or more different eruptions, each lasting weeks to months, with gaps between them of up to 12 years without any activity.

Volcanic rocks travel tens of kilometres in the wind and written sources report the rockfall being an issue for livestock.

If something similar happened nowadays the Iceland GeoSurvey calculates that runways at Keflavík airport could be coated in 0.78 in of ash, causing flight to be cancelled temporarily.


The most recent 'fires' occurred between 1210 and 1240 (Image: Getty)

McGarvie said: “Wind direction during times of ash production is critical – anything with a slight northerly aspect is going to cause problems for the international airport and the metropolitan area of Reykjavík.”

Kristín Jónsdóttir from the Icelandic Meteorological Office commented: “The worst-case scenario is if lava flows towards the town of Grindavík.

“There is also other important infrastructure in the vicinity including a geothermal power plant.

“Hot and cold water supply may be at risk, along with roads, including the road between Reykjavík and Keflavík airport.”


Volcanic rocks travel tens of kilometres in the wind (Image: Getty)

While volcanic activity is not a rare occurrence in the country Icelanders are likely to be paying this volcano close attention.

McGarvie commented: “People on the Reykjanes peninsula, and their descendants for several generations, may have to be on their guard and ready to evacuate every so often.”

Small and intermittent eruptions are easier to deal with than large torrents of lava like the 1783-84 Laki eruption.

If history would repeat itself it could be catastrophic for Iceland.

Awakening volcanic region in Iceland 'could cause disruption for centuries'


Reykjanes peninsula’s last active period started in 10th century and lasted 300 years

Kate Ravilious @katerav THE GUARDIAN Fri 10 Apr 2020 
 

A view north of Grindavík on the Reykjanes peninsula. Photograph: Ragnar Th. Sigurðsson/Arctic-Images/Promote Iceland

Volcanic activity is escalating in a region of Iceland that has not erupted for 800 years, with scientists warning it could cause disruption for centuries to come.

Since 21 January, the Reykjanes peninsula south-west of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, has experienced more than 8,000 earthquakes and about 10cm of land uplift due to magma intrusions underground.

“It seems that after being relatively inactive for many centuries, this region is waking up,” said Dave McGarvie, a volcanologist at Lancaster University.

Situated close to the town of Grindavík and the popular Blue Lagoon tourist attraction, and only nine miles (15km) from Iceland’s international airport, the region last erupted about 800 years ago (though there have been more recent eruptions offshore). Geological evidence shows the area is fed by five volcanic systems, which seem to come to life in a coordinated way roughly every 1,000 years.

The last period of volcanic activity on the peninsula began in the 10th century and continued until the 13th. Unlike typical Icelandic volcanoes, which tend to wake for a few years and then die down, when this region gets going it appears to splutter on and off for up to 300 years, producing eruptive episodes (locally known as “fires”) lasting a few decades. Long thin cracks known as fissures extend up to five miles (8km), producing fountains of lava, usually without large amounts of ash or explosive activity.

The most recent “fires” occurred between 1210 and 1240 and covered about 50 sq km of land in lava. At least six separate eruptions occurred, each lasting weeks to months, interspersed with gaps of up to 12 years with no activity. Volcanic rock fragments and particles were carried tens of kilometres by the wind and written sources report the rockfall causing problems for livestock in the area.

If a similar series of eruptions occurred today, the Iceland GeoSurvey calculates that runways at Keflavík airport could be coated in 2cm of ash, temporarily halting all flights.

“Wind direction during times of ash production is critical – anything with a slight northerly aspect is going to cause problems for the international airport and the metropolitan area of Reykjavík,” said McGarvie.

“The worst-case scenario is if lava flows towards the town of Grindavík,” said Kristín Jónsdóttir from the Icelandic Meteorological Office. “There is also other important infrastructure in the vicinity including a geothermal power plant. Hot and cold water supply may be at risk, along with roads, including the road between Reykjavík and Keflavík airport.”

Icelanders are rarely fazed by volcanic activity, but they will be keeping a close eye on the Reykjanes peninsula. Because the eruptions are likely to be relatively small and occasional they will be easier to cope with than massive and sudden outpourings of lava like the 1783-84 Laki eruption, but if the pattern is indeed about to repeat, it will present a new kind of challenge for Icelanders.

“People on the Reykjanes peninsula, and their descendants for several generations, may have to be on their guard and ready to evacuate every so often,” said McGarvie.

Volcanic activity in Icelandic UNESCO beauty spot could cause centuries of disruption

Geologists are monitoring increase in activity after area experiences 8,000 small earthquakes since start of the year

By Anna Behrmann Friday, 10th April 2020

Sun shines on the surrounding geothermal waters at the Blue Lagoon
close to the Icelandic capital Reykjavik. (Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Volcanic activity has been increasing in a region of Iceland that has not had an eruption for 800 years, with geologists suggesting that this could herald the start of disruption for centuries.

The Reykjanes peninsula, to the south-west of Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, is a UNESCO Global Geopark, because of its unique position and landscape. It lies on plate boundaries along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

The peninsula has had more than 8,000 small earthquakes and about 10cm of land uplift due to magma intrusions underground since the start of the year, which suggests that it is becoming active again.

Sigríður Magnea Óskarsdóttir, a specialist in natural hazards at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), told i that scientists believe that the area has not had a volcanic eruption in 800 years

Lava rocks are in the Blue Lagoon outside Reykjavik .
(Photo: OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images

She said: "There were eruptions in the Reykjanes peninsula 800 years ago, but in our lifetime, what we are experiencing is very unusual."

“It seems that after being relatively inactive for many centuries, this region is waking up,” said Dave McGarvie, a volcanologist at Lancaster University told The Guardian.

“People on the Reykjanes peninsula, and their descendants for several generations, will have to be on their guard and ready to evacuate every so often."

The last period of sustained volcanic activity on the peninsula began in the 10th century and continued for 300 years.

Lava rocks in Grindavik near the Blue Lagoon outside Reykjavik.
(Photo: OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images

The region is only nine miles from Iceland's international airport and close to the town of Grindavík and the Blue Lagoon tourist attraction, a geothermal spa

The IMO has been monitoring earthquake and volcanic activity in Iceland particularly closely in the last ten years, since the Eyjafjallajökull eruptions in 2010 and the Bárðarbunga eruption in 2015

Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Iceland -- TerraSAR-X Colour Composite

Brazil’s Yanomami people victims of illegal gold rush in Amazon rainforest


Issued on: 13/03/2020 

REPORTERS © FRANCE 24

By:Fanny LOTHAIRE|Laura DAMASE

In the northern Brazilian state of Roraima, more and more illegal gold miners are invading indigenous land. This gold rush comes with the blessing of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro. Our reporters Fanny Lothaire and Laura Damase investigated the illegal activities and met the Yanomami Indians who are fighting to defend their ancestral land in the Amazon rainforest.

"There are 20,000 invaders on our land today! We are constantly afraid," Marinaldo, a Yanomami Indian chief, explains from his threatened reserve. His land is located in Roraima state in the far north of Brazil, right in the middle of the Amazon rainforest.

The Yanomami – "human beings" in their ancestral language – have feared for their lives since 2011 and the invasion of the "garimpeiros”, illegal gold miners who come to extract the precious metal hidden under a layer of Amazonian flora and fauna. Gold has become a major export of Roraima state, even though not a single legal mine is operating.

>> Focus: "In French Guiana, gold mining accused of role in destroying Amazon rainforest"

In Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state, jewellery stores and shops selling raw gold are widespread. The federal police have arrested a few retailers to keep up appearances, but gold businesses are well established despite being completely illegal.

In the city’s streets, we also meet dozens of Yanomami: whole families who have resolved to leave their land amid the danger and now endure a miserable existence.

In his fiery speech at the UN General Assembly in September 2019, Bolsonaro insisted that the Amazon was not the heritage of humankind. During his mandate, he fully intends to legalise mining in these remote territories.

Indonesia's tin miners who slave away for the world's computer and phone giants


Issued on: 06/03/2020 

REPORTERS © FRANCE 24

By: Arnaud GUIGUITANT|Guillaume COLLANGES

On the island of Bangka, in Indonesia, men dig tirelessly at the face of a giant mine. They're searching for tin, a metal worth as much as gold to them. The island supplies a quarter of global production, feeding the needs of computer and mobile phone giants. Located east of Sumatra, Bangka was once an island paradise but has now become a gigantic surface mine. Official mining companies rub shoulders with thousands of illegal miners, risking their lives in the hope of a lucky break. It's also an environmental catastrophe, with lagoons now devoid of marine life. Our team reports.

A time for excision: European women visiting 'home' countries face the nightmare of FGM

Issued on: 10/04/2020

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year 180,000 young European women run the risk of undergoing FGM during a stay in their country of origin. © FRANCE 24

By: Miyuki DROZ|Sophie GUIGNON

For families living in Europe and with origins in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, holidays are often synonymous with returning home. But these family reunions sometimes turn into a living nightmare for young girls. Each year, thousands of them suffer female genital mutilation (FGM), without their prior knowledge or consent, in their parents' country.

Our reporters Miyuki Droz Aramaki and Sophie Guignon met with young victims and followed doctors and activists who are working to change mindsets about FGM and treat these women.

Despite feeling deep pain and suffering family pressure, some young Europeans agreed to share their stories with us anonymously. We met a 25-year-old British woman of Somali origin. She can never forget her very first stay in Somaliland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia, at the eastern end of the Horn of Africa. She was ten years old and suffered genital mutilation by surprise: "I saw a few women sitting inside. One grabbed me, started pulling on my clothes. There was a moment of complete helplessness when I felt a quick but sharp pain." In addition to the pain, she felt deprived of her private life and her humanity.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year 180,000 young European women run the risk of undergoing FGM during a stay in their country of origin.

To understand why the custom of genital mutilation persists, we went to Somaliland, where 97 percent of women undergo FGM. Female circumcision is supposed to preserve the honour and virginity of young women, by preventing them from enjoying any sexual pleasure. But it causes severe physical and psychological damage for the rest of their lives, as well as complications during childbirth. Some young women have died from loss of blood while undergoing FFM. In the poor neighbourhoods of the capital Hargeisa, we met a circumciser, a mother in her forties with a large family. For her, performing FGM on young girls, whether they’re locals or Europeans on holiday, represents a simple livelihood to feed her family and children.

Repairing mutilated women

But in Somaliland, activists are mobilising to fight against the practice which is based on false ancestral beliefs. Dr. Edna Adan is one of the pioneers of this battle. At 82, she continues to run the city’s main hospital, which she founded and where she trains doctors, nurses and midwives. These health professionals are trying to convince young mothers not to reproduce the violence that they themselves suffered. Adan believes that protecting young Europeans requires a change of mentality on the ground and legislation that punishes mutilations.

While filming our documentary, we also met doctors in France who treat young women who have been mutilated abroad. Many of these women try to meet the famous urological surgeon Pierre Foldès, who is based in the Paris suburb of Saint-Germain en-Laye. He is the first surgeon in the world to have developed a technique for reconstructing the clitoris, the female organ removed during FGM, and has fought for the surgery to be reimbursed by social security. His method enables traumatised women to be to "repaired", but also to recover sexual pleasure and the hope of giving birth safely. Their healing is both physical and psychological, so that they can finally enjoy the life they have chosen.

EU's Thierry Breton says 'solidarity' is only way out of Covid-19 crisis

Issued on 11/04/2020

By:Caroline DE CAMARET|Anastasia BECCHIO

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market and former French finance minister, reacted to the rescue deal reached on April 9 between EU finance ministers in response to the coronavirus pandemic. He was speaking after a week which has turned into a psychodrama for the European Union, with an interminable Eurogroup meeting, worrying growth figures and a clear need for recovery.

Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, hailed the deal clinched on April 9 between EU finance ministers on a joint response to the economic crisis sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic. "It's good news for the eurozone, it means it's going to be stronger and the 27 member states of the EU will be all the stronger for it as well," he told FRANCE 24's Talking Europe show.

Despite unsuccessful negotiations earlier this week, finance ministers from the 27 EU member states have now agreed to implement a vast stimulus plan to help the hardest-hit European countries cope with the economic crisis created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Some €500 billion is on the table. "This is probably the longest Eurogroup meeting we've ever had... but this is probably the worst crisis since 1929," Breton said.

The former French finance minister denied that the EU was too slow to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, adding that the health sector remains, for now, the "sole jurisdiction of each member state". Explaining that the European Commission has been tasked with coordinating stock levels, especially of face masks, Breton said: "The second that we were given that task of supervision, of oversight, I called and the Commission called on all industrial players, all manufacturers to start thinking about how they can turn their production lines to producing masks."

Finally, asked about French President Emmanuel Macron's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the European Commissioner insisted that "no one" was prepared for the current crisis, concluding:
"There's only one word to get out of this mess: it's solidarity, solidarity, solidarity."

EU finance ministers reach agreement on coronavirus rescue deal

Issued on: 09/04/2020

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire speaks with his advisors

 prior to an Eurogroup meeting on April 9, 2020. © Ludovic Marin, AFP

Text by:NEWS WIRES

EU finance ministers agreed a 500-billion-euro ($550-billion) rescue Thursday for European countries hit hard by the coronavirus epidemic, but sidelined a demand by Italy and France for pooled borrowing.


The breakthrough came after the Netherlands softened its position on the crucial question of making countries in need commit to economic reform and outside oversight in return for assistance.

The Hague blocked the talks two days earlier by insisting that Italy, or any other country in need, deliver on governance targets — which Rome saw as a shocking demand during a health crisis.

"Europe has decided and is ready to meet the gravity of the crisis," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire tweeted after the talks.

As a compromise, the final statement clearly states that the rescue would be specifically earmarked for costs related to the COVID-19 crisis, which has killed more than 65,000 people in Europe.

The ministers, however, set to one side a proposal from Italy, Spain, and France for a joint borrowing instrument, sometimes dubbed a "coronabond", that would have raised money towards a recovery after the outbreak.

Germany, the EU's most powerful member, has refused the pooled debt proposal and ministers agreed only to "explore" the idea under the direction of EU leaders, who are set to meet later in the month.

The package agreed is worth about 500 billion euros ($546 billion), short of what many observers believe is necessary to restart the European economy when the health crisis recedes.

Data indicate that the economy across the continent is already in a historic meltdown, with everyday life paralysed to fight the spread of the virus.

Despite 19 EU countries sharing a common currency, member states have reacted unilaterally to save their economies, giving richer countries such as Germany a big advantage over those with less spending power.

'Other ways'

The main component of the rescue plan involves the European Stability Mechanism, the EU's bailout fund which would make 240 billion euros available to guarantee spending by indebted countries under pressure.

Italy and Spain had the backing of the majority of member states to keep the conditions for tapping the ESM to an absolute minimum, but the Netherlands fought hard for something tougher.

Putting conditions on support is seen as a humiliation in Rome and Madrid, evoking bad memories of the eurozone debt crisis when auditors from Brussels dictated policy to bailed out Greece, Portugal and Ireland.

But the mutualisation of debts was a bridge too far for Berlin and The Hague, which refuse to take on joint loans with highly indebted states such as Italy, France or Spain which they consider too lax in their public spending.

Repeating her well-known position, German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday firmly rejected the notion of pooled debt in Europe.

"But there are so many other ways to show solidarity and I think we can find good solutions here," she added.

In addition to the eurozone rescue fund, the EU ministers agreed 200 billion euros in guarantees from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and a European Commission project for national short-time working schemes.

(AFP)

ASIAN RACISM & XENOPHOBIA
'If you're black you can't go out': Africans in China face racism in Covid-19 crackdown

Issued on: 11/04/2020

This file photo taken on March 2, 2018 shows people gathering on a street in the "Little Africa" district in Guangzhou, the capital of southern China's Guangdong province. © Fred Dufour / AFP

Text by:FRANCE 24

Africans in southern China's largest city say they have become targets of suspicion and subjected to forced evictions, arbitrary quarantines and mass coronavirus testing as the country steps up its fight against imported infections.

China says it has largely curbed its Covid-19 outbreak but a recent cluster of cases linked to the Nigerian community in Guangzhou sparked the alleged discrimination by locals and virus prevention officials.

Local authorities in the industrial centre of 15 million said at least eight people diagnosed with the illness had spent time in the city's Yuexiu district, known as "Little Africa".

Five were Nigerian nationals who faced widespread anger after reports surfaced that they had broken a mandatory quarantine and been to eight restaurants and other public places instead of staying home.

As a result, nearly 2,000 people they came into contact with had to be tested for Covid-19 or undergo quarantine, state media said.

Guangzhou had confirmed 114 imported coronavirus cases as of Thursday – 16 of which were Africans. The rest were returning Chinese nationals.

It has led to Africans becoming targets of suspicion, distrust and racism in China.

Several Africans told AFP they had been forcibly evicted from their homes and turned away by hotels.

"I've been sleeping under the bridge for four days with no food to eat... I cannot buy food anywhere, no shops or restaurants will serve me," said Tony Mathias, an exchange student from Uganda who was forced from his apartment on Monday.

"We're like beggars on the street," the 24-year-old said.

Mathias added that police had given him no information about testing or quarantine but instead told him "to go to another city".

Police in Guangzhou declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

A Nigerian businessman said he was evicted from his apartment earlier this week.

"Everywhere the police see us, they will come and pursue us and tell us to go home. But where can we go?" he said.

Growing tensions

Other Africans said the community had been subject to mass Covid-19 testing even though many had not left China recently, and placed under arbitrary quarantine at home or in hotels.

China has banned foreign nationals from entering the country and many travellers are being sent into 14-day quarantines either in their own accommodation or at centralised facilities.

Thiam, an exchange student from Guinea, said police ordered him to stay home on Tuesday even after he tested negative for Covid-19 and told officers he had not left China in almost four years.

He believes the measures are specifically and unfairly targeting Africans.

"All the people I've seen tested are Africans. Chinese are walking around freely but if you're black you can't go out," he said.

The US State Department on Saturday issued an alert advising African Americans, or those with potential contact with African nationals, to avoid Guangzhou.

Denny, a Nigerian trader evicted from his flat on Tuesday, said police moved him to a hotel for quarantine after he spent several days sleeping on the streets.

"Even if we have a negative test result, police don't let us stay (in our accommodation) and they don't give a reason why," he said.

'Crazy fear'

The infections in Guangzhou have sparked a torrent of abuse online, with many Chinese internet users posting racist comments and calling for all Africans to be deported.

Last week a controversial cartoon depicting foreigners as different types of trash to be sorted through went viral on social media.

"There's just this crazy fear that anybody who's African might have been in contact with somebody who was sick," said David, a Canadian living in Guangzhou who did not want to give his full name.

China's foreign ministry acknowledged this week that there had been some "misunderstandings" with the African community.

"I want to emphasise that the Chinese government treats all foreigners in China equally," said spokesman Zhao Lijian on Thursday, urging local officials to "improve their working mechanisms".

Separately, in an unusually open critique, the speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives tweeted a video of himself pressing the Chinese ambassador on the issue.

Today I met with the Chinese🇨🇳 Ambassador to Nigeria on the disturbing allegation of ill treatment of Nigerian citizens in China. I showed him the video clip that had made the rounds. He promised to look into it and get back to my office on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/9SUxH0rI7X— Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) April 10, 2020

“It’s almost undiplomatic the way I’m talking, but it’s because I’m upset about what’s going on,” Femi Gbajabiamila says.

“We take it very seriously,” Ambassador Zhou Pingjian replies.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said he summoned the ambassador to express “extreme concern” and call for an immediate government response.

The complaints in Guangzhou contrast with a welcome reception to Chinese efforts in battling the coronavirus across the African continent, where Beijing this week donated medical supplies to 18 countries.

"When China engages Africa it's the central government that does that, but when it comes to immigration enforcement that happens at the local level," said Eric Olander, managing editor of the China Africa Project.

"That explains why there's an inconsistency in the more upbeat messaging we hear about Chinese diplomacy on the continent and the increasingly difficult realities that African traders, students and other expatriates face in their day-to-day lives in China."

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)

Future of Wuhan’s ‘wet’ markets uncertain as Covid-19 fears remain

Issued on: 12/04/2020

A resident pays for groceries by standing on a tree stump to peer over barriers set up to ring-fence a wet market on a street in Wuhan, China on April 1, 2020. © Aly Song, Reuters

Text by:NEWS WIRES

Fish and vegetable merchants are reopening stalls at wet markets in China's central city of Wuhan as it lifts a months-long lockdown against the coronavirus pandemic, but their future looks uncertain with few customers as the virus stigma persists.


The virus, which has infected 1.6 million people and killed 106,000 in 214 countries, is believed to have originated late last year among wild animals on sale in a seafood market in Wuhan that has been closed and boarded up since January.

That has prompted heavy scrutiny for wet markets, a key facet of China's daily life, even though only a few sell wildlife. Some U.S. officials have called for them, and others across Asia, to be closed.

"This is a person-to-person virus, no matter where you are," said Jin Qinzhi, a vegetable and meat vendor at a wet market, when asked what she thought about demands for their closure.

"Even the supermarket is full of people. Here people are more scattered. As long as we take precautionary measures, and we pay attention to disinfecting, it should be fine.”

A common sight across Asia, wet markets traditionally sell fresh produce and live animals, such as fish, in the open air. They tend to be popular with shoppers who believe the items on sale are cheaper and fresher than in supermarkets.

'Everyone is scared'

Stall owners in Wuhan said they were not optimistic after their business was badly hurt by the strict shutdowns in China, which ordered a temporary ban on trade and consumption of wildlife in January.

"There is no business and no one is coming," said a worker chopping fish who only gave her surname, Zhang. "Everywhere is blocked and people cannot come in. Everyone is scared to go out and contract the virus.”

Wuhan will spend 200 million yuan ($28 million) to upgrade its 425 farmers' markets, in a campaign to improve hygiene, city officials said on Friday. Still, some worry they may not stay around long enough to see it.

"We don't have any income and business," said Jin. "If it goes on like this, it will be very difficult for us to survive."

Many stores remain shut and some curbs continue, even though a sharp drop in new local cases prompted lifting of the lockdown.

China reported 99 new virus infections on Saturday, taking its tally to 82,052, with a death toll of 3,339. Globally, the virus has reached 214 countries.

(REUTERS)