A roundup of articles on the status of the Coronavirus and ways we can help….
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres speaking at a virtual news briefing at United Nations headquarters in New York last week. Guterres said Sunday that measures to stop domestic violence should be part of national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Xinhua News Agency/Xinhua News Agency
Global Lockdowns Resulting In ‘Horrifying Surge’ In Domestic Violence, U.N. Warns
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, citing a sharp rise in domestic violence amid global coronavirus lockdowns, called on governments around the world to make addressing the issue a key part of their response to the pandemic.
Speaking late Sunday, Guterres said “violence is not confined to the battlefield.”
“For many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they should be safest — in their own homes,” he said, appealing “for peace at home — and in homes — around the world.”
“We know lockdowns and quarantines are essential to suppressing COVID-19, but they can trap women with abusive partners,” Guterres said. “Over the past weeks, as the economic and social pressures and fear have grown, we have seen a horrifying surge in domestic violence.”
The secretary-general said in some countries “the number of women calling support services has doubled” while “healthcare providers and police are overwhelmed and understaffed.”
“I urge all governments to make the prevention and redress of violence against women a key part of their national response plan to COVID-19,” he said.
Peace is not just the absence of war. Many women under lockdown for #COVID19 face violence where they should be safest: in their own homes.
Today I appeal for peace in homes around the world.
I urge all governments to put women’s safety first as they respond to the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/PjDUTrMb9v
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 6, 2020
Last week, Guterres issued a similar appeal, saying the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an end to violence worldwide.
“The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war,” Guterres said.
Domestic violence rates have surged in France and South Africa, according to Voice of America. In South Africa, authorities said there were nearly 90,000 reports of violence against women in the first week of a lockdown.
Since the start of the pandemic, the U.N. reports that Lebanon and Malaysia have seen the number of calls to help lines double, compared with the same month last year. In China, the number of calls has tripled, according to the U.N.
In Malaysia, the government launched, and then was quickly forced to retract, a controversial campaign advising women not to nag their husbands and to refrain from being “sarcastic” when asking for help with household chores.
In Australia — where the government has promised some $91 million to address the problem as part of its COVID-19 response plan — Google reports a 75% increase in online searches for help with domestic violence.
Meanwhile, in Turkey, activists say the killing of women has risen sharply since a stay-at-home order was issued on March 11.
Good News Network, April 1, 2020
The Russian government has reportedly deployed their largest cargo plane filled with medical supplies bound for the United States as a means of helping curb national shortages amidst the COVID-19 outbreaks.
According to Reuters, the AN-124 Russian plane carrying face masks, medical gowns, and hospital equipment left Moscow yesterday evening.
Although the gesture of assistance has generated mixed political feedback as a result of ongoing strains between Russia and the US these last few years, the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C. quoted the Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov saying: “Being aware of the serious epidemiological situation in America, the Russian side offered medical equipment and protective gear as assistance.
“Importantly, when offering assistance to the American colleagues, President Putin is guided by the following consideration: when US manufacturers of medical equipment gain momentum they will be able to reciprocate if need be,” he continued. “Now, when the current situation affects each and every one and can be characterized as global, there is no alternative to working together in the spirit of partnership and mutual help.”
This is not the first time Russia has sent supplies to the U.S. during times of emergency. They were one of the first countries to offer assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, sending multiple jets with special evacuation gear, medical equipment, a water-cleansing system, a rescue helicopter, and six tons of drinking water.
The U.S. has received other international aid shipments during the novel coronavirus pandemic; Taiwan reportedly donated 100,000 masks to America’s shores earlier this month. Furthermore, European Union member nations have been exchanging a number of supplies and services between countries in need over the course of the last month.
🇷🇺🇺🇸 Following phone talk between Presidents #Putin & @realDonaldTrump #Russia sends largest cargo aircraft An-124 Ruslan ✈️ with 😷 medical supplies (masks + equipment) to #US to help fight #COVID19 pandemic, save lives of American citizens. 🤝 The plane is en route #RussiaHelps pic.twitter.com/efeSK78cuB
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) April 1, 2020
Hourly Workers at Largest Grocery Chain in US Are All Getting ‘Hero Bonuses’ for Their Service Amid COVID-19
Kroger, which is the United States’ largest supermarket by revenue and the second-largest general retailer, announced this week that they would be giving all hourly frontline grocery, supply chain, manufacturing, pharmacy, and call center associates a temporary raise of $2 premium above their standard base rate of pay.
The bonus will be applied to hours worked from March 29th through April 18th. The premium will also be disbursed weekly to ensure associates have access to additional cash.
“Our associates have displayed the true actions of a hero, working tirelessly on the frontlines to ensure everyone has access to affordable, fresh food and essentials during this national emergency,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “The Hero Bonus is just one more way we continue to convey our thanks and gratitude not only to our existing associates but also to the more than 30,000 new hires who have joined in the past two weeks and those who will soon join the Kroger Family of Companies.”
This is not the company’s first gesture of gratitude towards its workers; in addition to publishing new sanitation guidelines and shoring up employee benefits for the duration of the coronavirus crisis, Kroger announced on March 21st that they would be giving their employees a one-time “appreciation bonus” of $300 to every full-time associate and $150 to every part-time associate.
“Recently, we announced an appreciation bonus for our hourly frontline associates. This gesture was to thank our associates for everything they have done during the past few weeks,” said Tim Massa, Kroger’s senior vice president and chief people officer. “However, we recognize that this crisis is far from over, and after reflecting on associate feedback and working together with our union partners, we want to further acknowledge our terrific team for their hard work to date as well as the work yet to come.”
While Andrew Cuomo marshals New York’s defense against the coronavirus, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has been working to equip metropolitan areas like Boston with the supplies needed for an effective COVID-19 response.
Baker asked the NFL New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft to use the Super Bowl team’s Boeing 757 to fetch more than a million N95 masks from China—and a second shipment of 500,000 more will be arriving next week.
Perhaps even more inspirational is that, in addition to Massachusetts benefitting, 300,000 masks were also picked up for delivery to New York.
(Such a feat might have been unbelievable if it were a Boston Red Socks plane instead of one belonging to the Patriots—when the NY Yankees are such fierce Boston baseball rivals.)
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As of this writing, Massachusetts has logged 11,000 cases of COVID in the state.
Gov. Baker described the endeavor in a tweet as “no days off,” and remarked that the masks would go to frontline health care workers.
For his part, Kraft said that getting the supplies on the plane and back to the states was “probably the most challenging operation our organization and team ever had to do,” according to CNN Thursday night.
Tonight’s arrival of a major shipment of N95 masks on the @Patriots‘ plane was a significant step in our work to get front-line workers the equipment they need.
And its an example of how collaboration and partnership can lead to real solutions during these challenging times. pic.twitter.com/THwofdrTlt
— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) April 3, 2020
“There was a lot of red tape, but a lot of people cooperated,” he said. “We had three governors. We had a counsel from China, our crew who flew probably more hours than they should have, but they knew how important it was. And, you know, it’s just — it’s like doing your job and never taking time off when something’s really important.”