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Rioting in Paris as police are accused of being 'heavy-handed’ in COVID-19 lockdown
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Coronavirus Threatens Press Freedom Around the World, Report Says
The United States, which ranked 45th out of 180 countries and territories, and Brazil were becoming models of hostility toward the news media, according to the World Press Freedom Index.
Protesters in downtown Orlando, Fla., last week.Credit...John Raoux/Associated Press
The coronavirus pandemic may threaten press freedom and worsen the crises that reporters around the world are facing, according to this year’s World Press Freedom Index, which evaluates the landscape for journalists in 180 countries and territories.
The report, published on Tuesday by the media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders, said the United States and Brazil were becoming models of hostility toward the news media. It also singled out China, Iran and Iraq for censoring coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.
The pandemic has already redefined norms. New laws that some governments have passed with the ostensible goal of slowing the spread of the virus — ones that broaden state surveillance, for instance — have raised concerns about long-term negative effects on the news media and freedom of expression. Read more >>
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Bend couple confined to boat in the Bahamas
Bend resident John Stoltz on a boat in The Bahamas
John Stolz and Gretchen Heinz don’t have any room to maintain the recommended 6-foot social distancing aboard their sailboat.
Stuck in Green Turtle Cay, even looking at the vast horizon of a turquoise sea isn’t enough to assuage the anxiety of confinement for the couple.
For about two weeks, the couple have been confined to their 36-foot boat, said Stolz, a former Bend financial planner.
The couple can go out each weekday for 90 minutes to exercise or pick up groceries at the only market. But for the rest of the 1,350 minutes of a day, they are confined to the deck of their boat. And from sundown Friday to dawn Monday they can’t go out at all. Read more >>
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Quarantining in paradise! Prince Charles' goddaughter India Hicks shares snaps of lockdown life in the Bahamas
The couple share the sprawling white-washed home - which boasts a pool and sea views - with their sons Felix, 21, Amory, 19, Conrad, 16, and daughter Domino, 11, and Wesley, 22, (far right) who she adopted when he was 15, after his mother - a Bahamian waitress- sadly died
Prince Charles' goddaughter has shared a peek at her life a she isolates with her family at their home on the sun-soaked island of the Bahamas.
Aristocrat India Hicks, 51, who was a bridesmaid at the Prince's wedding to Diana and is 678th in line to the throne, was born in Lambeth, London, but moved to the Caribbean 23 years ago with long term partner David Flint Wood in 1996, before they welcomed their first child a year later.
The couple share the sprawling white-washed villa - which boasts a pool and sea views - with their sons Felix, 21, Amory, 19, Conrad, 16, and daughter Domino, 11, and Wesley, 22, who she adopted when he was 15, after his mother - a Bahamian waitress- sadly died.
And following the island's four-day-a-week lockdown, India has shared their glamorous life of al fresco meals cooked by her children, painting and homeschooling in their airy library room, beach walks and family games by the beach. Read more >>
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36 more women added to Nygard sex abuse lawsuit
Fashion mogul Peter Nygard
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Thirty-six more women have joined a federal class-action lawsuit accusing Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard of using his wealth and political influence to lure, rape and sodomize scores of young girls and women.
Twelve of the named plaintiffs are Bahamian, 18 plaintiffs are Canadians, 13 are American; one is German and another is British, according to court documents filed yesterday.
Seven of the Bahamian plaintiffs, who alleged they were raped at Nygard Cay, were either 14 or 15 at the time of the alleged incident.
The suit was filed in the United States District of New York, and names Nygard and his holding companies as the defendants.
The amended lawsuit for damages follows a federal class action complaint detailing the accounts of 10 women, six of whom were minors at the time, and who were allegedly lured to Nygard Cay in hopes of landing modeling contracts or fashion careers.
The youngest defendant listed in the February complaint was 14-years-old at the time of the alleged rape.
According to the amended complaint, five Jane Does were “raped, sexually assaulted, sexually battered, molested and/or sex trafficked” in New York, where Nygard has a residence above his flagship store near Time Square.
The complaint claims Nygard Companies funded Nygarrd’s alleged criminal activity and he used the companies’ brand, resources and events to facilitate the alleged acts. Read more >>
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Jonquel Jones keeping in shape, praises Govt. COVID-19 efforts
MAKING THE BEST OF IT – Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star and Grand Bahama native, Jonquel “JJ” Jones is not only making the most of her time here at home, to ensure that she stays fit, but she also commended the government’s efforts to prevent the widespread of COVID-19 in the country.
It may not be under the most ideal conditions, but Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star and Grand Bahama native, Jonquel "JJ" Jones is making the most of her time here at home, to ensure that she stays fit.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments around the world to issue emergency orders for their respective countries and sporting events have been suspended for the foreseeable future. Since returning home from playing in Russia, the two-time WNBA All-Star and international MVP and champion has been making the best of the situation at hand.
The Freeport News spoke with JJ via phone conversation this past weekend. Along with a brief recap of her time in Russia following the 2019 WNBA season, Jones commended the government's efforts to prevent the widespread of COVID-19 in the country. Read more >>
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One additional confirmed COVID-19 case
The Ministry of Health confirms today that there is one (1) additional confirmed case of COVID-19. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to sixty-five (65). There have been seven (7) confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Grand Bahama, fifty-six (56) confirmed cases in New Providence, one (1) confirmed case in Cat Cay, and one (1) confirmed case on the island of Bimini.
The newly confirmed case is a thirty-six (36) year old male of New Providence with no history of travel. This case is hospitalized.
Investigations of this new case are ongoing, and health officials continue to follow the condition of the other current COVID-19 positive cases.
The Ministry of Health again wishes to remind individuals who have been advised to remain home in quarantine or isolation that they are expected to stay in their homes until the time of quarantine or isolation has ended. Kindly give consideration to having a family member complete shopping errands for essential items. Following this advice is paramount to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. Read more >>
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The Punch
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Office Of The Prime Minister Launches 'Suggestions' Website Platform
The Office of the Prime Minister has launched a suggestions platform on its website, www.opm.gov.bs.
The platform will serve as a central point for the collection of non-health related suggestions related to the national response to COVID-19.
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced during his 13 April National Address that the platform would be established to allow all Bahamians and residents an opportunity to participate in the rebuilding of The Bahamas in a post COVID-19 environment.
“We are looking for ideas and suggestions that will challenge us to take a new look at our old ways and reinvent a brand-new economy and country for all,” said Prime Minister Minnis.
Dr Minnis has stressed that while the country fights against the COVID-19 virus today, it is imperative to put in place plans for an economic recovery that will include as many Bahamians as possible.
“I wish to advise you that we are consulting locally and internationally to help guide our social and economic response once the immediate health problems are arrested,” the Prime Minister added.
Bahamian academics, historians and researchers are also being invited to provide a more comprehensive perspective on the best way forward.
To send in a suggestion, visit www.opm.gov.bs, select the “Suggestion” tab on the Homepage, fill in the form and click on the submit button.
The Office of the Prime Minister says while all submissions may not be acknowledged in writing, they will be read and where necessary, forwarded to the relevant parties for consideration. (source)
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Cable and internet bills being deferred in certain cases
The headquarters of Cable Bahamas on Robinson Road
Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis has mandated the suspension of the obligation to pay monthly cable and internet services provided by Cable Bahamas and BTC in certain circumstances.
New amendments to the Emergency Powers Orders that were recently released to the public state that monthly bill payment will be deferred from March 17 for the duration of the state of public emergency and extending a period of 60 days thereafter for people adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During that period of 60 days, any deferred payments are to be paid or the customer shall enter an arrangement for the payment of the deferred bill over a longer period of time.
Thousands of Bahamians have been left unemployed since the state of emergency was declared last month.
To help alleviate the financial strain on residents since then, the government has implemented similar deferral measures for mortgage and loan repayments, as well as insurance premiums. Read more >>
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How Marriott Is Changing the Way It Cleans Its Hotels
By Caribbean Journal
Is this the new normal for hotel hygiene?
In a nod to the new realities of the coronavirus pandemic, Marriott has announced a series of dramatic new changes to the way it cleans its hotels — in what could be a portent of new standards across the hotel industry.
Marriott has also launched what it’s calling the “Global Cleanliness Council” led by Ray Bennett, Chief Global Officer, Global Operations, Marriott International, joined by a number of public health experts and scientists.
The mission of the council is to “tackle the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic at the hotel level and further advance the company’s efforts in this area.” Read more >>
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242NewsBahamas - COVID-19 Update
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Small Bee for Good Cheer
I photographed this little bee a couple of days ago (nb not in Bahamas). Watching it foraging and getting covered in pollen was curiously relaxing, even though it kept moving from flower to flower with no regard to my camera focus. Life is so bizarre at the moment that it was good to see a creature happily getting on with its everyday life.
Photo Keith Salvesen / Rolling Harbour
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A mysterious blood-clotting complication is killing coronavirus patients
Once thought a relatively straightforward respiratory virus, covid-19 is proving to be much more frightening.
Craig Coopersmith was up early that morning as usual and typed his daily inquiry into his phone. “Good morning, Team Covid,” he wrote, asking for updates from the ICU team leaders working across 10 hospitals in the Emory University health system in Atlanta.
One doctor replied that one of his patients had a strange blood problem. Despite being put on anticoagulants, the patient was still developing clots. A second said she’d seen something similar. And a third. Soon, every person on the text chat had reported the same thing.
“That’s when we knew we had a huge problem,” said Coopersmith, a critical-care surgeon. As he checked with his counterparts at other medical centers, he became increasingly alarmed: “It was in as many as 20, 30 or 40 percent of their patients.” Read more >>
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Trump disregards science as chaos overtakes coronavirus response
Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN
(CNN) - Alarming new signs are emerging that the Trump administration is shunting science aside in the battle against coronavirus.
In Wednesday's most stunning development, a top administration official working on a vaccine claimed he was ousted after resisting efforts to push unproven drugs promoted by President Donald Trump and his conservative media cheerleaders as "game changer" treatments.
That news was followed by a bewilderingly inconsistent White House briefing. Conflicting messages on when to reboot the economy, the need for testing and the possibility of a resurgence of the virus combined with Trump's effort to suppress facts that jar with his insistence that the end of a nightmare likely to last many more months is near.
In another bizarre twist, Trump produced Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to walk back his remarks that the coronavirus challenge could be more difficult in the fall. Read more >>
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You’re Not Going Back to Normal Office Life for a Long, Long Time
Illustration by Hunter French
Right now, the biggest question facing the U.S. economy is when workers will be able to get back to work. For those who can't perform their job duties from their living rooms, returning to the workplace as soon as possible is critical, not just for their families but to their businesses and the broader economy. The situation is quite different for the millions of Americans currently working from home. For them, returning to the office is not of critical importance. Mostly, it would just be nice. Read more >>
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Seniors with Covid-19 show unusual symptoms, doctors say
By Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News
(Kaiser Health News) - Older adults with Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, have several "atypical" symptoms, complicating efforts to ensure they get timely and appropriate treatment, according to physicians.
Covid-19 is typically signaled by three symptoms: a fever, an insistent cough and shortness of breath. But older adults — the age group most at risk of severe complications or death from this condition ― may have none of these characteristics.
Instead, seniors may seem "off"— not acting like themselves ― early on after being infected by the coronavirus. They may sleep more than usual or stop eating. They may seem unusually apathetic or confused, losing orientation to their surroundings. They may become dizzy and fall. Sometimes, seniors stop speaking or simply collapse. Read more >>
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American billionaires have gotten $280 billion richer since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic
Image: Yulia Ogneva/Stock
Though the coronavirus itself may not discriminate in terms of who can be infected, the COVID-19 pandemic is far from a great equalizer. In the same month that 22 million Americans lost their jobs, the American billionaire class’s total wealth increased about 10%—or $282 billion more than it was at the beginning of March. They now have a combined net worth of $3.229 trillion.
The initial stock market crash may have dented some net worths at first—for instance, that of Jeff Bezos, which dropped down to a mere $105 billion on March 12. But his riches have rebounded: As of April 15, his net worth has increased by $25 billion. Eric Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom, was one of the few to see an increase in net worth even as the markets crashed, and he’s now up $2.58 billion.
These “pandemic profiteers,” as a new report from the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank, calls them, is just one piece of the wealth inequality puzzle in America. In the background is the fact that since 1980, the taxes paid by billionaires, measured as a percentage of their wealth, dropped 79%. Read more >>
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Why South Korea's coronavirus death toll is comparatively low
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Pope Francis: Humans Have Sinned Against The Earth By Exploiting Its Resources
On Earth Day during the coronavirus pandemic, the pope reminded his flock that humanity has no future if the environment is destroyed.
By Philip Pullella, Reuters
VATICAN CITY, April 22 (Reuters) - Pope Francis made an impassioned plea for protection of the environment on Wednesday’s 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, saying the coronavirus pandemic had shown that some challenges had to be met with a global response.
Francis praised the environmental movement, saying it was necessary for young people to “take to the streets to teach us what is obvious, that is, that there will be no future for us if we destroy the environment that sustains us.”
The pope, who wrote a major encyclical in 2015 on the defense of nature and the dangers of climate change, dedicated his general audience - broadcast from his library because of the coronavirus lockdown - to the theme.
Recounting a Spanish proverb that God always forgives, man sometimes forgives but nature never forgives, Francis said: “If we have deteriorated the Earth, the response will be very ugly.” Read more >>
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