Cambodia bans media coverage from Covid lockdown 'red zones'

Cambodia on Tuesday ordered journalists to stop reporting from blockaded coronavirus "red zones" and from chasing ambulances as the country battles against a record surge in infections.

© TANG CHHIN Sothy Soldiers have been transporting sacks of rice to people in red zones in Phnom Penh

The country has seen Covid-19 cases surge since February, when an outbreak was first detected among its Chinese expatriate community.

On Tuesday, officials announced a record 938 new infections, bringing the total cases to 16,299 with 107 deaths.

Authorities have transformed schools and wedding party halls into covid treatment centres as hospitals are running out of beds and Prime Minister Hun Sen warned the country was "on the brink of death" from the virus outbreak.

Phnom Penh and adjacent city Ta Khmau have been under lockdown for 20 days and the government has announced the blanket would end from Thursday.

But authorities said areas with high infection rates would remain under lockdown.

Police have set up blockades around red zones barring residents from leaving their homes, except on medical reasons.

On Tuesday the information ministry ordered journalists to immediately stop reporting from the red zones, warning they would face prosecution.

The ministry said some journalists had reported from red zones and banned areas such as treatment centres and hospitals.

It also said some had "chased ambulances" and caused confusion and unrest.

The order comes as residents living in red zones complained about food shortages and took to social media to appeal for essential aid.

Rights group Amnesty International issued a strong condemnation of Cambodia's lockdown measures last week, saying they had left many people to go hungry and humanitarian groups had been barred from distributing food and other essential aid.

"The Cambodian government's outrageous mishandling of this COVID-19 lockdown is causing untold suffering and sweeping human rights violations across the country," said Yamini Mishra, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Regional Director.

"Right now, residents of 'red zones' and others in Cambodia are going hungry because of fundamentally unreasonable policies."

Cambodian authorities have asked residents in the red zones to apply for food aid and said they distributed rice and canned fishes to tens of thousands of household each day.

suy/pdw/je

Alberta justice minister hikes fines, promises renewed effort on COVID-19 scofflaws


EDMONTON — Alberta has doubled fines for disobeying public health measures meant to fight COVID-19 and Justice Minister Kaycee Madu is promising a renewed effort to stop public health scofflaws will succeed

KENNEY THE PAPER TIGER

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© Provided by The Canadian Press

“Enforcement will be done, and Albertans will see it being done,” Madu told a news conference Wednesday.

“It has become clear that there are a small few who refuse to comply with reasonable and legitimate public health orders"

The United Conservative government passed an order in council Wednesday that doubles fines for public health violations to $2,000.

Madu said there is also a new protocol for health officials, police and government to co-ordinate and target repeat individuals and groups that flout the law.

He said he discussed with police chiefs this week what further tools and resources they need to step up enforcement.

Premier Jason Kenney on Tuesday announced stronger measures to reverse soaring COVID-19 cases that threaten to overwhelm hospitals by month’s end and to force doctors to decide which patients get life-saving care.

UCP MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS

Kenney’s government has been criticized for being a paper tiger on lawbreakers. In January, it allowed some restaurants to flout dine-in restrictions. GraceLife church, in Spruce Grove, Alta., west of Edmonton, was able to hold Sunday services for months that officials have said ignored rules on masks, capacity limits and physical distancing. Police physically blocked off the church just a month ago.

The enforcement issue made headlines again on this weekend when hundreds of people gathered near Bowden in central Alberta for a pre-advertised maskless "No More Lockdowns" protest rodeo.

Edmonton and Calgary have also seen maskless mass protests against health restrictions.

Action was taken Wednesday against one accused repeat offender. Alberta Health Services announced the Whistle Stop Café in Mirror, Alta., had been physically closed and access barred. The café had been flagged for repeatedly breaking COVID-19 health restrictions by staying open and serving customers.


Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley said Kenney’s government set its enforcement policy up for failure from the get-go by stressing education first and enforcement as a last resort.

Referring to the protocol Madu outlined, Notley said: "The fact there is a protocol to tell them to talk to each other is not new. It is a policy dressed up to look like action, but it is not significant, and that’s why we're calling on them to do more."

She criticized the plan to target only repeat offenders: "(That) says to me their plan is to give everybody their first rodeo free, which is in effect what they did with the Bowden rodeo.

"This has to stop because that Bowden rodeo will turn out to be a super-spreader. People will get sick from that rodeo. People will get seriously ill."

Kenney announced tighter rules Tuesday, some of which came in effect Wednesday. Outdoor gatherings, which had been limited to 10 people, are now capped at five. Worship services, which were allowed at 15 per cent capacity, have been reduced to 15 people maximum.

Retailers, which had been open at 15 per cent customer capacity, are restricted to 10 per cent.

On Friday, all kindergarten to Grade 12 students will learn from home. On Sunday, restaurants must close their patios and offer takeout service only. Personal wellness services, including hair salons and barber shops, will have to close.

Indoor social gatherings remain banned. Entertainment venues, including movie theatres and casinos, also remain closed.

As of Tuesday, Alberta had 23,623 active cases of COVID-19, with 671 people in hospital. It has experienced the highest infection rates in North America in recent weeks.

There are almost 1.7 million Albertans who have received at least one dose of vaccine. About one in three adults have had a shot.

Kenney said the vaccination rollout will be expanded drastically, with everyone in the province 12 and older to soon be eligible.

Every Albertan born in 1991 or earlier will be able to book vaccinations starting Friday. On Monday, appointments will be offered to anyone born between 2009 and 1992.

Earlier Wednesday, Health Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children as young as 12.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2021.

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press

RIP
Billie Hayes, Witchiepoo in ‘H.R. Pufnstuf,’ Dies at 96

Ellise Shafer

VARIETY

4/5/2021

  

© Courtesy Everett Collection

Billie Hayes, the actor who portrayed Witchiepoo on NBC’s “H.R. Pufnstuf,” has died. She was 96.

Hayes’ death was announced on her official website.

Hayes is best known for her portrayal of the comical witch Witchiepoo on Sid and Marty Krofft’s show “H.R. Pufnstuf” from 1969 to 1970. From there, Hayes reappeared as Witchiepoo on “The Paul Lynde Halloween Special” and the series finale of “The Banana Splits Adventure Hour.” Hayes also appeared as a witch in several other shows, including “Bewitched,” “Weenie the Genie,” “The Monkees” and “Lidsville.”

Marty Krofft paid tribute to Hayes in a statement to Variety: “In addition to being a very talented and special person, Margret Hamilton (Wicked Witch of the West/’Wizard of Oz’) once told me that Witchiepoo was the best witch ever. And as far as I’m concerned, there was no one better than Billie Hayes. She was a home run for us and ‘H.R Pufnstuf.'”

Hayes is also well-known for her theater work, including starring as Mammy Yokum in the original 1956 Broadway production of “Li’l Abner,” as well as the 1959 film adaptation and a 1971 TV special.

Born in DuQuoin, Illinois in 1925, Hayes started in the entertainment business at the young age of nine as a dancer, and continued to perform as a teenager in Chicago before moving to New York City. But Hayes’ acting career didn’t begin until she went on a blind audition for theater legend J.J. Shubert.

“At a chance encounter in New York Billie was urged to go to an audition. She went not knowing who or what she was auditioning for,” the statement on Hayes’ website reads. “Already a seasoned nightclub performer she danced and sang routines she had choreographed. In the dark and otherwise empty theatre there were only a few people seated. Billie first heard a chuckle then laughter. It was the legendary J.J. Shubert.”

From there, Hayes began working in theater, appearing in the revue “What’s New With Paul Lynde” and in Leonard Sillman’s “New Faces.” After moving to Los Angeles, Hayes began to pursue a career in television, leading to her role in “H.R. Pufnstuf.” In the 1980s, Hayes appeared on “General Hospital” as O’Reilly and pivoted more to voice work, including “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Johnny Bravo,” “The Batman,” “Rugrats” and “Shrek Forever After.”

Later in life, Hayes also became the president of Pet Hope, a non-profit animal advocacy organization dedicated to finding homes for abandoned animals. Donations in her memory can be made here.

WONDER WHICH BATHROOM SHE USES

Israel's first transgender referee takes field as woman

HAIFA, Israel — Israeli soccer's first transgender soccer referee took the field Monday for the first time since coming out publicly as a woman last week.

Sapir Berman blew the whistle as head referee to kick off the Hapoel Haifa vs. Beitar Jerusalem match.

She was greeted with little fanfare by the sparse crowd at Sami Ofer Stadium. A Haifa fan held up a sign “Sapir Berman super woman.”

In pre-game warmups and during the match, it was business as usual for the players. Some chatted and laughed with her before kickoff. Beitar Jerusalem fan Omer Weiss told Israel’s Kan public broadcaster that “we have nothing personal against anyone. Everyone should live their own way.”

Monday evening's game in the northern port city of Haifa had been postponed by a day after Israel declared Sunday a national day of mourning for the 45 people killed in last week's stampede at a religious festival.

Berman has worked as a soccer referee for several years in Israel's Premier League and announced last week that she has publicly come out as a woman. She said that she had received the support of family, fans, soccer officials and players.

Berman follows in the footsteps of British soccer referee Lucy Clark, who came out as transgender in 2018.

The Associated Press

Proud Boys Canada's demise could stiffen resolve of members, expert warns


OTTAWA — Targeting the Canadian chapter of the Proud Boys with anti-terror legislation has led to the group's apparent demise, but a leading expert says it might have little effect on the broader far-right movement.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

The development could simply harden the resolve of former members, prompt them to join other groups or spawn an increase in individual online activity, said Barbara Perry, director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University.


Proud Boys Canada announced Sunday it was dissolving after the Liberal government listed it as a terrorist organization following the January assault on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Being on the list means the group's assets and property are effectively frozen and subject to seizure or forfeiture.

A statement posted to the Proud Boys channel on the app Telegram and attributed to the Canadian chapter of the white nationalist group said it thought about pursuing a legal case, "but we have no financial support."

In a separate statement, the group said those in its Canadian chapter have to consider their livelihoods and "fighting this in court will prove to be expensive and time consuming."

But it said the "fight for liberty" isn't over.

"They will continue to fight for western values ... but now ... as individuals."

Perry said while Ottawa's listing of the Proud Boys could deter some members, it might stiffen the resolve of others.

"It reinforces their victim mentality," she said in an interview Monday. "Now they can claim that they're the targeted ones, they're the ones that are being silenced."

Video: B.C. government proposes anti-racism hotline (Global News)

It is possible that some local chapters of the Proud Boys would continue to operate in Canada, given their independence, Perry said. In addition, the "real diehards" will morph into a different group or take up with an existing one, she predicted.

"I think that that many of them will continue to engage in the movement in some way," said Perry, who pegs the number of far-right groups in Canada at about 250.

Some extremists in the movement will try to advance causes on their own in cyberspace, she added, noting "a lot of individuals who are threading their way in and out of different social-media platforms associated with the far right without necessarily affiliating with with a particular group."

Perry also flags the next general election as a rallying point "that is likely to bring folks out of the woodwork again" as members of the far right try to amplify their messages.

Mustafa Farooq, chief executive of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, cautiously welcomed the Proud Boys' announcement.

"Obviously, we do not take the words of this violent Islamophobic organization at face value," he tweeted. "However, this is an important step."

Farooq said there is still "a lot more work to do" to dismantle the many other white-supremacist groups in Canada.

"Let's make the flags of hate come down. Together."

Race-based, white supremacist violence is a tragic reality in Canada, said Mary-Liz Power, a spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.

"We have taken significant action as a government to end such violence in our communities. We also know there is more to do, and we are committed to doing that work," she said.

"Intolerance and hate have no place in our society."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2021.

Stephanie Taylor and Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

Montreal comic creators suing Marvel, say Iron Man suit looks 'strikingly' familiar


MONTREAL — When Montreal-based comic book company founders Ben and Raymond Lai watched the 2018 Marvel movie "Avengers: Infinity War," they said they knew they had to sue Marvel Entertainment — again.

The Lai brothers, founders of Horizon Comics Productions, claim the armour worn by Iron Man in the movie is too similar to the outfit sported by Maxwell, a character they developed for their Radix comic series in the early 2000s.

"After years of legal dispute and substantial sums of money, they continue to copy our characters," Raymond Lai said in a statement to The Canadian Press. “It causes us significant damage and has an impact on our ability to make a living as artists. Clearly, this repeated behaviour cannot be accepted.”

The brothers had sued Marvel Entertainment and its owner, The Walt Disney Company, in 2013. They claimed the outfit worn by Iron Man in a poster for Marvel's "Iron Man 3" looked too much like a suit for another Radix character, Caliban. The brothers, however, lost that legal case.

Ben and Raymond Lai say Marvel has copied their designs again. And their lawyers say they have a case because the brothers' claims involve new Marvel costumes in different Marvel movies.

On April 22, lawyers for the Montreal comic book company filed a motion in Quebec Superior Court against Marvel Entertainment and Disney for alleged copyright infringement. They say Marvel's Ant-Man, the Wasp and Iron Man characters have body armour strikingly similar to the clothing they created for their superheroes.

The plaintiffs are suing for compensatory damages yet to be disclosed, and they are asking the court to issue a permanent injunction against Marvel and Disney to “put an end to this deliberate and persistent infringement,” according to the lawsuit.

Several interview requests to Marvel and Disney were not returned. All the allegations by the Lai brothers have not been proven in court.

Julie Desrosiers with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, one of the brothers' lawyers, says the alleged similarities between her client's work and Marvel characters are causing a lot of headaches. She said when Ben and Raymond Lai present their work to the public, people often think they copied Marvel.

“It’s the other way around," she said in a recent interview.

The brothers created their comic book company in 1995. In 2001 and 2002, they published a three-volume comic book series called Radix.

“It was with Radix that we became known and that our work was recognized in the American comic book industry,” Raymond said in the statement. “We made a name for ourselves.”

Around March 2002, Marvel’s editor-in-chief, Chester Bror Cebulski, approached the Lai brothers for their unique, highly futuristic designs — but they turned down the offer, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit said that around the same time, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology copied illustrations from the Radix series for a $50-million research grant to create what is now the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies.

MIT issued a public apology to the Lai brothers, however, acknowledging the unauthorized use of images, the lawsuit said.

“We decided not to take legal action against MIT because they publicly apologized and admitted their mistake,” Raymond wrote. “But with Marvel, it's repeated infringement.”

The brothers' company gained notoriety with the MIT controversy and were once again approached by Marvel. In September 2002, the brothers agreed to be part of a new creative team and worked for Marvel's Thor and X-Men comics, the lawsuit said.

In the brothers' failed 2013 case against Marvel, Justice Paul Oetken of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York concluded there was no infringement because of the "distinctive features between the characters."

But according to the new lawsuit, the distinctive features previously identified to justify the dismissal of the brothers' claims no longer exist in the new superhero outfits created by Marvel. The suit alleges “several striking similarities exist between the new Iron Man suit depicted in Infinity War and the suit worn by the Radix character Maxwell.”

"In sum, not only are the distinctive features raised by Justice Oetken in the American proceeding no longer present in the Infinity War suit, but several additional strikingly similar features to the Radix suit were added."

The brothers say Marvel and Disney are "deliberately" creating costumes that look similar to their Radix character "knowing that Horizon’s means to defend its copyrights were scarce."

"This behaviour is oppressive, malicious and highly reprehensible," the lawsuit said. "It offends the public’s sense of decency."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 4, 2021.

Virginie Ann, The Canadian Press

HIP CAPITALI$M

Tilray-Aphria deal closes, company to control biggest share of Cdn pot market


NANAIMO, B.C. — Tilray Inc. and Aphria Inc. say their merger deal has now closed after receiving approval from shareholders of both companies.

Provided by The Canadian Press

Tilray shareholders voted Friday in favour of issuing stock to Aphria's shareholders, but the Nanaimo, B.C.-based company has yet to reveal how many supported the proposal.


About 99 per cent of Aphria shareholders voted in favour of the deal in April.

The two cannabis companies announced in December that they will merge under the Tilray name with Aphria CEO Irwin Simon at the helm and Tilray CEO Brendan Kennedy joining the board.

The new company is expected to have a pro forma revenue of $874 million and will control more than 17 per cent of the retail cannabis market — the largest share held by any Canadian licensed producer.

While Tilray shareholders at Friday's meeting supported the Aphria deal, they voted against increasing the company's authorized capital stock from more than 743 million shares to 900 million shares.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:APHA)

After criticism over Bill C-10, Liberals vow to make it clear CRTC won't regulate social media posts

Anja Karadeglija
POSTMEDIA

3/5/2021

The Liberal government is promising to change broadcasting Bill C-10 following a week of controversy that an amendment to the legislation infringes Canadians’ rights to free expression.

© Provided by National Post Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault speaks via videoconference during question period in the House of Commons Monday, May 3, 2021.

Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said a new amendment would make it “crystal clear” that social media posts by Canadians would not be subject to regulation by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

Guilbeault said the government wants “to make sure that the content that people upload on social media won’t be considered as programming under the [Broadcasting Act] and that it won’t be regulated by the CRTC.”

Critics who had sounded the alarm over the bill expressed caution over Guilbeault’s move.

University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist said Guilbeault’s announcement Monday came after the minister had been arguing the amended bill did not affect user-generated content.

He said Guilbeault was now acknowledging “what was obvious, namely that government changes resulted in regulating the content of millions of Canadians. Many will be waiting to see what is proposed this time as the government tries to patch up a deeply flawed bill.”

On April 23, the Heritage committee removed an exemption for user-generated content from C-10, the bill that updates the Broadcasting Act and sets up the CRTC to begin regulating online companies like Netflix.

Liberals shut down debate on Bill C-10 amendment allowing regulation of social media content

'Full-blown assault' on free expression: Inside the comprehensive Liberal bill to regulate the internet

Experts feared the exemption would bring online posts by Canadians, including video posts on social media like YouTube and TikTok, under the CRTC’s authority.

Earlier Monday, Liberal MPs on the Heritage committee agreed to send Bill C-10 back to the justice minister for a second review of the bill’s compliance with charter rights, despite shutting down debate on that motion Friday.

Parliamentary secretary Julie Dabrusin told reporters Monday the government still believed the bill didn’t infringe free expression rights. “There’s no change on the view that we’re not concerned about the freedom of expression aspect. It’s just if it provides greater comfort to get the charter review, then so be it, get the charter review,” Dabrusin said.

On Friday, a Conservative motion in the Heritage committee asked to send the bill back to the justice minister to issue an updated “charter statement.” Charter statements are issued by the justice minister and review the impact government bills could have under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The initial charter statement for C-10 specifically cited the exemption for user-generated content that was removed.

Conservative MP Rachael Harder called for the committee’s clause-by-clause consideration of the bill to be suspended until after it had received an updated charter statement and until the heritage and justice ministers appeared at committee to answer questions about the amended bill.

The Liberals on the committee, backed by the NDP, voted Friday to shut down that debate. Over the weekend, NDP MP Heather McPherson defended the amendment in a TV appearance, saying C-10 had other safeguards protecting Canadians.

But then at Monday’s Heritage committee meeting, McPherson proposed an amendment to the Conservative motion, calling for the charter review and minister’s committee appearances to happen within 10 days.

Dabrusin proposed the committee wait until the committee had finalized amendments to the bill — more than 100 have been proposed by the various parties — before it sent it to the minister. “A charter review halfway through is not a proper charter review,” she said.

The committee didn’t vote on the motion or the Dabrusin’s amendment Monday. That vote is set to happen when it meets again on Friday afternoon, though Dabrusin indicated the government wanted to agree on a compromise before then. “I would suggest that we actually take some time, we have until Friday, to talk among the parties and see if we can arrange for resolution,” she said.

Critics of the legislation were not convinced the latest moves would fully address their concerns.

“At this point anything that provides for a pause and sober reflection is welcome,” former CRTC commissioner Peter Menzies said in an email. “But if all that comes out of it is deflection and further name-calling, it won’t help. The problems with C-10 are fundamental.”

Geist, who has said the best course of action would be to scrap the bill and start over, said the committee should have moved to the charter statement immediately.

“The solution lies in stopping [clause-by-clause] review until an updated assessment can be conducted and the responsible ministers can respond to questions about the changes,” Geist wrote in an email.

He added “it’s hard to understand why the Liberals instead chose to delay moving rapidly to a charter review.”

Youth protection report calls on Quebec to create charter of children's rights


MONTREAL — A commission investigating Quebec's youth protection system released its final report Monday, calling on the government to create a charter of children's rights.

The commission's 552-page report included numerous other recommendations, following a two-year investigation that was prompted by the death of a seven-year-old girl in Granby, Que., in April 2019. Quebec's human rights commission concluded the child had been failed by the province's youth protection system.

Led by Régine Laurent, the commission recommended Quebec create a charter that would enshrine the right of a child to develop in a caring family environment. It also called for changes to the Youth Protection Act to ensure the continuity of care.

"It’s clear the biological family must be accompanied and supported to provide this stability,” Laurent told reporters Monday after releasing the report. “But if the biological family cannot respond to the needs of the child, and knowing time is of the essence, the child must be able to take root quickly in a family that will take care of them for life.”

Laurent's commission also recommended the government shift toward a prevention approach to reach families before they end up in the system. That kind of culture shift, the commission said, should include better services in schools, for example.

“We want to be clear: counting only on youth protection to stop the suffering and distress of children constitutes an error and leads up to an impasse — history teaches us this,” Laurent said.

The 2019 death of the seven-year-old girl in Granby sparked outrage in the community east of Montreal and raised questions about the province's ability to protect vulnerable young people. The girl was found in critical condition in her family home and died in hospital.

Video: Quebec’s youth protection system needs ‘severe shift’ to help vulnerable children, inquiry finds (Global News)




Laurent said the girl's death was a collective failure of Quebec society.

"We must move from indignation to dignity," she said. "We must turn our anger into action. We must move from a Quebec that is 'crazy about children' to one that is 'worthy of its children.'"

The report recommended the appointment of an independent commissioner to oversee the welfare and rights of children, something that already exists in other provinces. It also called for an assistant commissioner specifically for Indigenous and Inuit children.

The report recommended better support for social workers and a review of their workloads to free them from administrative tasks so they can focus on children and their families. It called for better funding for different community groups that specialize in domains such as domestic violence, food security and the transition of youth into adulthood.

In a preliminary report in November, Laurent had recommended the province hire a youth protection director to oversee the system. The Quebec government has already implemented that recommendation and filled the job in March.

Premier François Legault says junior health minister Lionel Carmant has been leading a review of the youth protection system and will oversee the implementation of the commission's recommendations.

“We vowed to put the kids first and that's what we're going to do,” Legault tweeted on Monday, thanking the commission members for their work.

Carmant and Families Minister Mathieu Lacombe will respond to the report on Tuesday in Quebec City.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2021.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press

THIRD WORLD USA

‘Your mouth becomes a minefield’: the Americans who can’t afford the dentist

Michael Sainato 

THE GUARDIAN

MAY 4,2021


Maureen Haley, 66, lost her home in Florida in the wake of the 2008 recession. She now lives in a camper near Greensboro, North Carolina, relying on social security and Medicare to make ends meet and pay for healthcare.

© Provided by The Guardian Photograph: Megan Jelinger/Reuters Millions of Americans have no dental insurance coverage and cannot afford to pay out of pocket for extensive dental care needs.
But Haley has problems with her teeth, and cannot afford to see a dentist to have them fixed.

“My teeth problems are the biggest problem I have each day,” said Haley. “I need root canals and implants. I have a tooth impaction. I have to massage the heck out of it to get the air out of my gums and cheek after chewing a meal. Painful is an understatement, and the worry of how this may affect my heart compounds it.”

She worries about remaining independent, and not ending up in a nursing home. On a limited income, her decisions revolve around what is most pressing, such as fixing her vehicle and drug prescriptions. The last time she was able to visit a dentist was three years ago, and she was given an estimate of over $8,500 for the work she needs.

Related: ‘Teeth have become the new boob job’: the rise of oral tweakments

Haley is one of millions of Americans who have no dental insurance coverage and cannot afford to pay out of pocket for extensive dental care needs, including nearly two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries – about 37 million people. An estimated 74 million Americans have no dental insurance coverage. A survey by CareQuest Institute for Oral Health released in April found an estimated 6 million Americans lost their dental insurance during the pandemic.

The disparities in oral health in the US are prevalent among racial and economic lines, with Black, Hispanic and lower-income Americans experiencing higher rates of tooth decay, gum disease and oral cancer, as more than half of Americans avoid or delay healthcare, including dental care, because of high costs.

The importance of oral health is directly linked to overall health. Dental problems are linked, or suspected to be linked, to cardiovascular and other serious health problems such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Loxi Hopkins, 68, of Davenport, Iowa, and her husband have severe dental issues – but their Medicare package won’t cover any of it.

She is currently in need of thousands of dollars in dental repair.

“I have lost most of my teeth. We put it off as long as possible and then only do the basic treatment,” said Hopkins. “It is a bummer to work all our lives and in what is referred to as our golden years we live with stress and often pain.”

She recently had a tooth pulled after a crown came loose and her gums became too sore to eat, and during that time she was trying to figure out how to avoid seeing a dentist because of the costs. She had the tooth removed for $235, then had to spend another $200 for an oral surgeon consultation to have the root removed – only to not be able to afford the recommended treatment for another several hundred dollars.

“I cried on the way home. I gave thought to not having the root removed because of the money. I tried and the remaining tooth was so sharp my tongue bled,” added Hopkins. “I will need to get another tooth out on my partial implant because this tooth is what I bite with and now I have to tear little bites of sandwiches and put it in my mouth because I can’t bite. I may have to live like that if I can’t save up the money to add the tooth to the partial.”

Advocates for expanding dental healthcare coverage are pushing Joe Biden and members of Congress to include expansion plans in upcoming coronavirus or healthcare relief bills. The calls to action come as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has worsened the racial and economic inequities among those who are able to access dental healthcare. Millions of Americans have lost dental insurance or faced economic impacts related to the pandemic, causing greater delays or avoidance of care owing to high costs.

“Dental care is the No 1 medical service that Americans skip because of cost,” said Melissa Burroughs, the associate director for the Oral Health Campaign at the non-profit consumer health advocacy organization Families USA.

Everything has to be made into small pieces that need not be chewed, or pureed 

Elizabeth

“Oral health is not just a health issue, it’s a social justice and equity issue.”

For Americans like Elizabeth, a 69-year-old near Tampa, Florida, that expanded dental coverage can’t come soon enough. She and her husband struggle with dental issues they can’t afford to fix, while relying on Medicare and medicaid for prescriptions and other medical services that are covered.

Her husband’s teeth are mostly gone, Elizabeth said, while she suffers from periodontitis, a severe infection of the gums.

“I have loose, painful teeth that disallow anything substantial to be chewed without pain, and perpetual infection that cannot be treated through Medicare,” she said. “Between the cost of office visits, treatment for the infections, extraction of the rest of my teeth and new dentures, for us, it’s impossible. What little nest egg we’ve saved would be gone and we would be left without any money to cover an emergency.”

The couple already lives on income below the poverty line, and they depend on social security and Snap assistance, while worrying about major repairs they need for their home such as a leaking roof and a termite infestation, but can’t afford to have fixed, or hoping their old car doesn’t need any repairs or it would leave them stranded.

“We’re grateful for the help we get, especially the food allowance, but our ability to fully take advantage of foods that would contribute to better health are either impossible to eat or are a battle to eat. It hurts,” Elizabeth said.

“Everything has to be made into small pieces that need not be chewed, or pureed into extremely small pieces. Otherwise, you suck up the pain and eat while your mouth becomes a minefield.”