Telepresence Robots Market Improvement Status (2020-2026) By Analyzing the Performance of Various Competitors: Double Robotics , Vgo , iRobot ,…

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This is the latest report, covering the current COVID-19 impact on the market. The pandemic of Coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected every aspect of life globally. This has brought along several changes in market conditions. The rapidly changing market scenario and initial and future assessment of the impact are covered in the report.

Reports Monitor has recently added a new report to its vast depository titled Global Telepresence Robots Market. The report studies vital factors about the Global Telepresence Robots marketthat are essential to be understood by existing as well as new market players. The report highlights the essential elements such as market share, profitability, production, sales, manufacturing, advertising, technological advancements, key market players, regional segmentation, and many more crucial aspects related to the Global Telepresence Robots Market.

TheMajorPlayers Covered in this Report:Double Robotics, Vgo, iRobot, Anybots, DJI, Inbot Technology PadBot, InTouch Technologies, Mantaro Product Development Services, Orbis Robotics, QinetiQ, ReconRobotics, Revolve Robotics, Suitable Technologies, VGo, TechnoRobot, Robotex, Wicron& More.

Get a Sample PDF Report:https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/937609

The report offers data of previous years along with in-depth analysis from 2017 to 2022 on the basis of revenue (USD Billion). Besides, the report offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors driving and restraining the growth of the market coupled with the impact they have on the demand over the forecast period. In addition, the report includes the study of lucrative opportunities available in the Telepresence Robots market on a global level.

In 2019, the global Telepresence Robots market size was million US$ and it is expected to reach a million US$ by the end of 2026, with a CAGR between 2020 and 2026.

Key Product TypeiOSAndroid

Market by ApplicationHealthcareEducationBusinessOthers

The report specifically highlights the Telepresence Robots market share, company profiles, regional outlook, product portfolio, a record of the recent developments, strategic analysis, key players in the market, sales, distribution chain, manufacturing, production, new market entrants as well as existing market players, advertising, brand value, popular products, demand and supply, and other important factors related to the market to help the new entrants understand the market scenario better.

Regional Analysis For Telepresence Robots Market:

North America(United States, Canada, and Mexico)Europe(Germany, France, UK, Russia, and Italy)Asia-Pacific(China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia)South America(Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)Middle East and Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of the Telepresence Robots are as follows:

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Key features of this report are:

For More Details On this Report:https://www.reportsmonitor.com/report/937609/Telepresence-Robots-Market

To conclude, the Telepresence Robots Industry report mentions the key geographies, market landscapes alongside the product price, revenue, volume, production, supply, demand, market growth rate, and forecast, etc. This report also provides SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.

Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911 (U.S.)+44 203 318 2846 (U.K.)Email: [emailprotected]

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Telepresence Robots Market Improvement Status (2020-2026) By Analyzing the Performance of Various Competitors: Double Robotics , Vgo , iRobot ,...

Colwell: Unmask the perpetrators trying to trample on your constitutional freedoms – South Bend Tribune

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Our constitutional freedoms are under attack. We must unmask the perpetrators. And fight back.

Those plotters seek to undermine our right to free speech. They cite what some old judge once wrote about limiting what we can say: That you cant shout fire! in a crowded theater. You can. The First Amendment gives you the absolute right. Exercise it when the Morris is open again for plays.

An example of trampling on individual freedoms is the investigation right here in Michiana of a patriotic celebration by a few dozen exemplary young people at Diamond Lake on the Fourth of July.

Fake News television and newspapers tell you there were many hundreds of those people packed tightly together at a sandbar, flaunting their contempt for concerns about that virus thing. You know, the alleged threat the discredited Dr. Anthony Fauci blabbers about to scare us.

Just another Fake News hoax.

Doctored visuals portrayed those young people as irresponsible, bumping, bouncing and breathing heavily in what one silly critic called a COVID-19 Petri dish. Youd think Diamond is a COVIDs best friend.

Doctored visuals made it appear that nobody was wearing a mask. Many were because of deep concern for parents, grandparents and classmates when some of them return to college. As they scatter to spread their freedoms, they will help to determine whether there is teaching in classrooms and college football this fall. They are important. But Fake News even pretended that Diamond Lake residents didnt want them being patriotic at their pretty lake.

Duplicate imaging made it appear that the area was crowded, packed. Fake bikini images made it appear to be a beach party. Diamond in the buff.

It was a patriotic event. With patriotic music. Nobody took a knee during the national anthem.

As one self-identified organizer told The Tribune, the party was constitutionally protected by the U.S., Indiana and Michigan constitutions. Hes right, even if he couldnt tell the snoopy reporter the exact constitutional wording.

Its in there, the young constitutional expert declared. I dont know specifically, but playing music in a public space is constitutionally protected activity.

True, its part of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: The right of the people to play music in a public space shall not be infringed.

So, play music as loud as you want at 3 a.m. in a public street outside a hospital, nursing home or residence of any person with whom you disagree. Its constitutionally protected.

The Indiana Constitution also applies, even though Diamond Lake is in Michigan. Indianas Article 7, Section 18, says: There shall be no criminal prosecution in Cass County, Mich., for any playing of music or other activities at a July Fourth celebration.

The Michigan Constitution declares that Indiana will have that power. Neighborliness.

Its remarkable that the event organizer knew of this rare constitutional provision one state giving away jurisdiction in a county to a neighboring state. He could someday be appointed to the Supreme Court in both states.

Dont let anyone infringe on your constitutional rights. They are absolute.

Shout Fire! in a crowded theater if you want. You have freedom of speech.

If some police officer tells you to drop your gun, dont do it. Cite your Second Amendment rights and point the gun at the cop. You have a right to aim anywhere you want.

Dont let any mayor, governor or health officer tell you what to do. You have a constitutional right to go in any store, restaurant or nursing home without a mask, even if you have a 103-degree temperature. You dont have to wear shoes, shirt or pants.

Be like the proud July Fourth celebrants at Diamond Lake. Flaunt your contempt for those weeping about the welfare of others. Its all about you. About your rights. Your absolute freedom.

Jack Colwell is a columnist for The Tribune. Write to him in care of The Tribune or by email at jcolwell@comcast.net.

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Colwell: Unmask the perpetrators trying to trample on your constitutional freedoms - South Bend Tribune

The US Army’s Twitch bans may violate the First Amendment – PC Gamer

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It has not been a particularly good couple of weeks for the US Army's esports teamand yes, in case you weren't aware, the US Army has it's own esports team. The Army recently launched its own Twitch channel for livestreaming games, but it ran into grief when viewers began ignoring the gameplay and asking about war crimes committed by the Army instead.

Channel moderators aggressively deleted the questions as they arrived, and those who persisted found themselves banned from the channel. But as the Washington Post reported, that could open the door to even more trouble for the Army, because such bans could violate the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.[3]

Judge Mark Kearney ruled earlier this year that being muted in a game does not violate your constitutional rights. "The First Amendment and its constitutional free speech guarantees restrict government actors, not private entities," he wrote. "Defendants, who are not alleged to be state actors, are not subject to constitutional free speech guarantees."

But because the Army is an agency of the US government, Katie Fallow, senior staff attorney at Columbia Universitys Knight First Amendment Institute, said that it is forbidden from suppressing speech it finds uncomfortable or objectionable.

"The government cant try to engineer the conversation of the public by saying only people who agree with us can respond," Fallow told the site. "The First Amendment means the government cant kick someone out or preclude them based on their viewpoint."

It might seem like a stretch, but the position isn't without precedent: A judge ruled in a 2018 case, also filed by the Knight First Amendment Institute, that Donald Trump, the president of the United States, cannot block users on Twitter for essentially the same reason.

"We hold that portions of the @realDonaldTrump accountthe 'interactive space' where Twitter users may directly engage with the content of the President's tweetsare properly analyzed under the 'public forum' doctrines set forth by the Supreme Court, that such space is a designated public forum, and that the blocking of the plaintiffs based on their political speech constitutes viewpoint discrimination that violates the First Amendment," Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald wrote, as reported by CNN. The ruling was upheld a year later.

The Army defended its actions by saying that the banned users were violating Twitch terms of service against harassment and abuse. A rep also said that the Army Esports Team "does not regulate the viewpoints of participants on its social media forums," but added that the Army may "regulate the time, place and manner of discussions on its recruiting social media sites. Army Esports social media sites are nonpolitical forums for sharing information about joining the Army."

I'm really not sure how to wrap my head around the suggestion that the Army's Twitch channel is "non-political," but it's at least refreshing to see it referred to openly as a recruiting channel. But the Army may also be hedging its bets: When its Twitch channel first came to light, the "About" page described it as a place to "share the Army's passion for gaming, showcase competitions, and connect with our viewers."

It's been edited since then, however, and now say that it's dedicated to "our member's passion for gaming," a distinction that may make it easier (legally, at least) for the Army to regulate what goes on in its channel.

The Army's Twitch channel hasn't been live since the questions about war crimes first started rolling in, as the esports team is now reviewing "internal policies and procedures, as well as all platform-specific policies." The Army also acknowledged problems with a giveaway offer that actually led to a recruiting page, saying that it is now looking into giveaway options "that will provide more external clarity."

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The US Army's Twitch bans may violate the First Amendment - PC Gamer

The Synagogue of Satan And Destroying The Right To ‘Free Speech’ – Final Call News – FinalCall.com News

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[Editors note: The following article contains excerpts from an hour-long message delivered by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan as Part 22 of his 52-week Lecture Series The Time and What Must Be Done. This message originally aired on Saturday, June 8, 2013. To order this message in its entirety on MP3, DVD and CD, call 1.866.602.1230, ext. 200, or visit store.finalcall.com. We urge readers to visit The Final Call Channel on http://www.youtube.com and view the full lecture, Part 22 of the The Time and What Must Be Done series.]

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful.

During this critical time, when The Old World is going out, and The New World is coming in, we must beacquaintedwith the ruler of the old world thats going out, and we must get acquainted with The New Ruler of The World that is coming in. The world that is going out is a world that God gave Divine privilege to, to rule the people of our planet for 6,000 years. And, the 6,000 years of the rule of thiscontraryworld and people is now up. And The New Ruler is in the world: He is The God of The New World; and He comes to make Himself known, and to manifest Satan so that the people of the Earth may fall away from Satan and get ready to prepare themselves to become a part of that which God makes new.

Synagogue of Satans schemes to destroy the First Amendment right to free speech

We want to focus again on that Synagogue of Satan. I want to speak about the charge of anti-Semitism, and what that charge leads to.

The First Amendment ofThe United States Constitution reads as follows: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.And so, I would like to put before you the following questions:

How does one go from engaging infree speechthat we assume is protected by The First Amendment of The Constitution, to finding ones self facing possiblycriminal penalties?

How does sucha wicked claim of anti-Semitismmovethe accused onefrom speaking or writing the truth, and then to legal jeopardy?

What isa legal mechanismby which theseattack dogs ofThe Synagogue of Satanactivate the governmental apparatus toseek out, punishanddestroythose that are labeled as an anti-Semite or as a hate groupand destroy their right to free speech in the process?

We want to look at the criminal effect of being labeled anti-Semitic. We want to look at how these private Jewish organizations who do the labeling, like theAnti-Defamation LeagueandThe Southern Poverty Law Center, manipulate the government law enforcement agencies like theFBIand theIRSto target and harass those who are so labeled. Then, we want to see how they work to effect their scheming, with the disproportionate number of members of the Jewish community working as DAs (or district attorneys) or federal and state prosecutors and judges, in the United States court system where these cases will ultimately be tried.

It begins with someone,anyone, who holds a controversial view, and speaks or writes about it in public.Controversialmeans contrary to the popular version of the truth.

However, instead of engaging in honest and open public dialogue and debate about the issue that the spokesperson raises, as is called for and encouraged by the United States Constitution,private interest groups start with the labeling:Hes a hate teacher, with a hateful message.And then the group he belongs to: If they dont repudiate the spokesperson fast enough, they also get called a hate group that promotes intolerance.They dont have to prove it, they just have to say it over and over againand then the drumbeats get amplified by their brethren who controlthe media.And if that person does not apologize quick enough after that, they start to pick away at his supporters. And those who would defend that person: If they are not strong enough to stand up to the slander, they begin to fall away and distance themselves; and some may even start repudiating and apologizing for their former friend and ally.

Still, if he refuses to bow down: They connect certain inflammatory terms that are intended to generate real hatred, and even retribution, against the person who is speaking these controversial points. They start with:He hates! Hes intolerant!and that escalates to,Hes threatening, and he incites hatred in others!And then the wordviolencegets thrown in, and thenhate crimesare mentioned; and ultimately, you hear the wordsdomestic terrorism.This is all calculated to get the public to put so much pressure on that individual; that they, and their supporters, relent, apologize and retreat.

And this is why I say to my great brothers and sisters in The Twitter Army:No matter what vile speech comes at you, no matter what threats are made against my life by those who hate The Truth that we are speaking, never ever get down in the gutter, or threaten anyone with violence, because they are building a record of what we are saying! So, if you threaten anyone with violence, or you act like you wish to do them evil because they desire to domeevil, then one day you might hear this again in a court of law.

The Synagogues efforts to modernize government persecution of individuals and groups

If we continue to stand on our principles and exercise our freedom of speech, these members of The Synagogue of Satan then get their brethren in The Judicial Branch of government, in the IRS, and their brethren in the Congress and the Senate, and even up to the White House or the Justice Department, and they begin to act in a conspiratorial manner to charge, condemn, try and punishand even killthose who are so charged. This government persecution of individuals and groups who speak boldly about the wrongs in American society was started underJ. Edgar HooversF.B.I. Counterintelligence Program [COINTELPRO].

Although that Program was exposed, and it was said that certain controls were ultimately put on the activity of the FBI; but yet, those wicked policies still continue even up to this very momentof courseThe Synagogue of Satanstepped in tore-establish the worst of Hoovers illegal operations.In August of 1999, under the administration of President Bill Clinton, federal surveillance of those labeled hate groups was restricted to those who committed, or were linked to, actual crimes. According to published reports, hisAttorney General Janet Reno said: It is important that you not focus on a group unless you have a reasonable indication that they are engaged in criminal conduct.But then 29 Jewish leaders led by the Anti-Defamation Leagues Abraham Foxman went to the Justice Department, and told them this is too timid an approach. It was reported that Foxman stated:We want better surveillance and infiltration if necessary the concern, Mr. Foxman said, wasmodernizing the regulations, so federal authoritiescan deal not only with getting the man, but with preventing the crime.

So now, they have their way: A position was created inside the Justice Dept. which they say is to monitor and combat anti-Semitism. [Based uponThe Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004] Secretary of State John Kerry appointed a man namedIra Formanas the newSpecial Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.

What will happen with these positions, except to coordinate the government surveillance and infiltration of those who have been labeled anti-Semitic?There are real anti-Semites in this country that hate the Jewish people, and there is nothing wrong with monitoring arealanti-Semitic hate group.But when you have that intention formeandThe Nation of Islam, then we have tocharge youandchallenge youto prove your claim.

You have a long history of lying on The Nation of Islam. And it is time that we throw down the gauntlet now, and make you come before the American people and the world, and prove your charge. And if you cannot,and you cannot, then youre going to have to pay for all these years that you have poisoned the minds of the American people; destroyed progress of tens of hundreds and thousands of peopleand you thought you got away with it.

Not today

In The Preface ofThe Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews, Volume 2, The Historical Research Department provides us with historical proof on how Jews at the highest organizational levels havealwayslabeled The Nation of Islam as anti-Semitic. For example, they write that in 1942, a secret Anti-Defamation League of Bnai Brith file titledTemple of Islam Infiltrationstates:A Negro employed byusus here is The Anti- Defamation Leagueprovedquite instrumental in a F.B.I. raid on the Chicago mosque resulting in 82 arrests.So, this has been going on a long time.

And what did you mean,Mr. Abraham Foxman, when you said,Louis Farrakhan is the only African-American leader?Your words exactly, sir, as they appear in aHaaretznews article published in April 2013:The last time an African-American leader stood up to anti-Semitism was Martin Luther King Jr., who said its a sin. The only leadership that now exists inthat community the African American communityisLouis Farrakhan. Farrakhan can assemble 20,000 people several times a year, and he flaunts his anti-Semitism. Whats worse, they deny it exists, so theres no one to talk to.

I interpret that as meaningThe Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan are the only ones we dont control;I interpret that to mean thatLouis FarrakhanandThe Nation of Islammay very well beThe Last Man Standingin the way ofyour successful capture of Black leaders, your successful capture of Black professionals and Black businessmen, your capture of Black artists, and your capture of heads of state and government that bow to your commands!Then ifweare The Last Man Standing, then you are calling on all of your forces to concentrate their attention on Louis Farrakhan and The Nation of Islam.

Well, concentrate with everything youve got, because The God that we serve will answereffectivelyandefficiently, and will ultimately destroy your power.

A party from amongThe Synagogue of Satanthat designs to ruin Gods Warner among us

Look at whats written in theHoly Quran, Surah4 Al-Nisa(The Women), verses 111-112:And whoever commits a sin, commits it only against himself. And Allah is ever Knowing, Wise. And whoever commits a fault or a sin, then accuses of it one innocent, he indeed takes upon himself the burden of acalumnyand amanifest sin.

Now, what is acalumny? A calumny is the making of a false and defamatory statement in order to damage someones reputation. It is slander, it is character assassination, and it is vilification.

ToThe Anti-Defamation League, The Southern Poverty Law Center, a.k.a. The Synagogue of Satan:You are the sinner! You want to put your evil onan innocent man; you say I am the hateryoure wrong! We can prove that you are the hater, and youve been the hater of us ever since youve been onour planet. You are the liar; you are the one that is creating violence and hatredit is you. You manipulate your media brethren, turning them into tools of your wicked ideas and policies.

Well now your day has come.In the Holy Quran, Surah 104is calledAl-Humazah(The Slanderer):Woe to every slanderer, defamer! Who amasses wealth and counts itHe thinks that his wealth will make him abide. Nay, he will certainly be hurled into the crushing disaster; And what will make thee realize what the crushing disaster is? It is the Fire kindled by Allah, Which rises over the hearts. Surely it is closed in on them, In extended columns.

What will make thee know what the great and utter destruction is? It is The Fire, inthe heart of the slanderer; that leads that slanderer to The Fire of Hell.

Inverse 113ofSurah 4, The Holy Quransays:And were it not for Allahs grace on thee and His mercy,a party of themhad certainly designed to ruinthee. And they ruin only themselves, and they cannot harm thee in any way. And Allah has revealed to thee the Book and the Wisdom, and taught thee what thou knewest not, and Allahs grace on thee is very great.

I rely on The Wisdom of that scripture, because as I said: This Synagogue of Satan is comprised not only of members of the Jewish community, but you have Gentiles, you have Blacks, you have AsiansYour Synagogue is big. And a lot of the people that are members of The Synagogue are unwitting pawns in The Wicked Game of this Satanic group.

Remember these words of The Quran:a partyand thats you, Synagoguefrom among themcertainly designed to ruinthee.Thee here meansMuhammad; thee, here, means what he represents. And if you dont think that I am a part of Muhammad, then watch and see. Your evil is designed to ruin me, and to ruin The Nation of Islam. But you ruin only yourself. So keep on planning and watch what happens to you, and what you represent.

A Who is Anti-Semitic? roll call

Let us take a look at all the Black leaders that have been charged with anti-Semitic behavior because they dared to utter a word of criticism against Jewish misbehavior and mislabeling. Lets take a look at Who is anti-Semitic?I bet you wont even believe this:Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee University;W.E.B. DuBois; Marcus Mosiah Garvey;and, yes:The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.the man that said, anti-Semitism is a sin, yet you all referred to him, at one point, as an anti-Semite!Malcolm X, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, President Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Julian Bond; Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael;Andrew Young; Kweisi Mfume, former member of Congress, and former leader of the N.A.A.C.P.; The ReverendsAl Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Joseph Lowery; The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee called SNCC; The Black Panthers; The Universal Negro Improvement Association, which was Mr. Garveys movement; and,The Nation of Islam.

But it doesnt stop there! They accusedMahatma Gandhi[a leader for Indias independence], of being an anti-Semite. Also: HistoriansJohn Hope FranklinandJ. A. Rogers; WritersJames Baldwin, Richard Wright, Julius LesterandAlice Walker; and entertainersMichael Jackson, Spike Lee, Ice Cube, Arsenio Hall, Muhammad Ali, Public Enemy, Oprah Winfreythis is just a few. Look at the great company that Louis Farrakhan is in.

You meaneverybodyis a hater of the Jewish people? Stop It!

Now lets call the roll of those White people that you have called anti-Semiticbeginning with U.S. presidents: President Harry Truman, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, President Richard M. Nixon,President Jimmy Carter, President Gerald Ford, President George H. W. Bushand PresidentBarack Obama. Also, a listing of White leaders, historians, inventors, writers, clergymen, philosophers, etc.:H. L. Mencken, George Bernard Shaw, Henry Adams, H. G. Wells, Edgar Degas, T. S. Eliot, Immanuel Kant, Tacitus, Philostratus, Cicero, Shakespeare, Voltaire, Hitler, Edward VIII, Aleksander Pushkin, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Richard Wagner, Bobby Fischer, and The Reverend Billy Graham.

These members ofThe Synagogue of Satan have always known that a Day of Reckoning was coming; and so over time, they put themselves in positions of power in every nation of the Western Hemisphere. This was done to monitor The Awakening ofThe Gentilesthe masses of so-called heathens, savages andgoyim; as well as the masses of Blacks. So anyone that rises and criticizes: They put fear in them by charging them with being anti-Semitic. Even if theyknewthat what we were saying is the truth, most would be afraid and would not stand up under the heat of Jewish power.

Well, today we are calling you out, and asking you to use your inordinate power, because The God that we represent wants to crush you and your power. Hes here to bring in a Brand New Worldand Hes chosen the despised and the rejected, unloved and unwantedBlack man and woman of Americato be The Cornerstone of a Brand New Reality.

The trick of anti-Semitic labeling confirmed

During an August 14, 2002 interview on her showDemocracy Now! (democracynow.org), host and executive producer AmyGoodmaninterviewed former Israeli MinisterShulamit Aloni. Pay attention to Miss Goodmans words introducing her guest:Yours is a voice of criticism we dont often hear in the United States. Often when there is dissent expressed in the United States against policies of the Israeli government, people here are called anti-Semitic. What is your response to that as an Israeli Jew?AndMinister Shulamit Alonianswered:Well, its a trick, we always use it.When from Europe somebody is criticizing Israel, then we bring up the Holocaust. When in this country people are criticizing Israel, then they are anti-Semitic. And the organization is strong, and has a lot of money, and the ties between Israel and the American Jewish establishment are very strong and they are strong in this country, as you know. And they have power, which is OK. They are talented people, and they have power and money, and the media and other things; and their attitude isIsrael my country, right or wrong,identificationand they are not ready to hear criticism. And its very easy to blame people who criticize certain acts of the Israeli government as anti-Semitic, and to bring up the Holocaust, and the suffering of the Jewish people, and that is [to] justify everything we do to the Palestinians.

This anti-Semitic labeling is atrickthat they use! But look at how many people have been destroyed on account of such a trick!

Where did you learn such tricks? Did you not learn this from your FatherYakub, who taught you a System of Tricks and Lies? Look at howeasyit is for you to lie, and put your wickedness on innocent persons. What is the meaning of atrick? Atrickisa cunning, or skillful, act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit someone; a mischievous practical joke; a skillful act performed for entertainment or amusement; an illusion; a clever or particular way of doing something.

Its really amusing to Satan when he can tell a lie, and we operate on that lie, and act in a manner that we would never act if we had only knownThe Truth. They are entertained by playing tricks on unsuspecting, ignorant people. And this is why it isanimperativethat The Synagogue of Satan must be called out, and Satan and his Synagogue must be made known.

(A partial listing)

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The Synagogue of Satan And Destroying The Right To 'Free Speech' - Final Call News - FinalCall.com News

Churchill: Troy preacher has the right to offend – Times Union

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TROY John Koletas has been testing this city's First Amendment resolve for a very long time.

Three decades ago, the controversial pastor of the Grace Baptist Church in Lansingburgh was best known as a street preacher who tried to save the souls of passersby in downtown Troy. In a not-quiet voice, he'd demand that they repent for their sins.

The shouting wasn't always appreciated, unsurprisingly, and Koletas was repeatedly charged with disorderly conduct. Eventually, Koletas filed a lawsuit arguing that he had a First Amendment right to preach on the street and that his repeated arrests amounted to unconstitutional harassment. Two national TV shows Fox's "A Current Affair" and NBC's "Inside Edition" even came to Troy to report on the controversy.

Koletas ultimately lost in court, when the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 1995 that police did nothing wrong by arresting him.

Had I been a columnist for this newspaper back then, I generally would have been on Koletas' side. I would have argued, in other words, that he did in fact have a free speech right to preach outside, at least within reason.

No, a person shouldn't be allowed to holler on the street at, say, midnight. People do need to sleep, after all. Laws against unreasonable noise are justified.

But certainly, the city needed to accommodate the preacher's free speech rights without needless harassment. Koletas had the right to preach, even if few passersby wanted to hear it.

Fast forward three decades, and Koletas is again attracting attention. AR-15 rifle giveaways at Grace Baptist and Koletas' consistently hateful rhetoric toward Blacks, Jews, Muslims and Catholics have attracted Black Lives Matter protesters to the Fourth Street church in recent weeks.

As I noted in a column published Sunday that focused on Koletas' attacks on Catholicism, protesters aren't coming to Grace Baptist to attack Christianity or religion, as some in conservative media would have you believe. They're protesting what Koletas says, and justifiably so.

As has been well documented by bloggers and others, Koletas has referred to Blacks as "termites" and "savages." He has described himself as a racist who "believes the races should be kept separate as much as possible." Koletas says Catholicism, like the Muslim faith, is incompatible with democracy and the Bill of Rights.

In response to Sunday's column, a few supporters of Grace Baptist claimed I was attempting to silence or "cancel" Koletas' freedom of religion or speech. But I suggested no such thing.

I believe strongly that Koletas has the First Amendment right to pray and preach as he wants, assuming he stops short of advocating violence. Likewise, his followers have a First Amendment right to listen. And yes, protesters, columnists and Facebook commenters all have a First Amendment right to object to what Koletas says.

Free speech for everybody! What a concept.

Freedom of speech seems to be falling out of fashion, though. We increasingly hear that some words are too harmful to be spoken or that listeners have the right not to be offended. On college campuses, even relatively dull speakers such as economist Art Laffer can find themselves "deplatformed" for supposedly offensive views.

The shift, if widely accepted, will redefine free speech rights as we've long understood them. Actually, it would all but eliminate true freedom of speech. After all, if you can't say something that somebody might find offensive, you can hardly say anything provocative. You're limited to a fairly narrow range of expression.

The result would be a stifling monoculture of thought, devoid of intellectual diversity or compelling debate. And as any good gardener can tell you, there's nothing interesting about a monoculture.

If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear, wrote George Orwell in an essay planned as the introduction to "Animal Farm" that also included this gem of a line: "People don't see that if you encourage totalitarian methods, the time may come when they will be used against you instead of for you."

Had I been walking down a street in Troy in the early 1990s, I suppose I wouldn't have wanted to hear Koletas' call that I repent for my sins. I wouldn't want to sit through one of his sermons today. (Happily, I don't have to.)

But we allow Koletas to speak so that we all may speak. We counter his words with our own words.

Freedom of speech for everybody! It's a crucial concept.

cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill

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COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Justice provides more than $4.1 million to help volunteer firefighters; reports modest improvement in case numbers – West…

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GOVERNOR DISCUSSES REOPENING PLANS WITH ALL WEST VIRGINIA COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS Also, Gov. Justice offered a reminder that he held a virtual meeting on Tuesday with all 27 of West Virginias public and private college and university presidents to discuss reopening plans for the fall semester and how to ensure the safety of West Virginias students, teachers, faculty members, and communities amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

At the end of day, all of our schools want our kids back and our kids want to be back in school and back on campus, Gov. Justice said. So how do we do that while also protecting our kids, their staff and faculty, and all of the communities where our kids will be? How do we move forward in the best way possible, without disrupting the education process for our students? Not to mention the economics, because we dont want to start losing any of our colleges and universities within the state.

I commend, beyond belief, the incredible plans that these institutions have put forward, Gov. Justice continued. Weve listened to all of them and their plans are spectacular, to ensure, without a doubt, the safety of our kids, the staff, their communities, and everyone.

During Tuesdays meeting, Gov. Justice renewed his calls for all students coming into West Virginia from out-of-state to be tested upon their return. The Governor also advocated for individuals on campuses to wear face coverings to the greatest extent possible and pledged to provide colleges and universities with any additional support they may need to facilitate a safe return.

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COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Justice provides more than $4.1 million to help volunteer firefighters; reports modest improvement in case numbers - West...

Citing spike in COVID-19 cases, Anchorage mayor announces new restrictions for bars, restaurants and gatherings – Anchorage Daily News

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Starting Friday at 8 a.m., new capacity restrictions will be imposed on Anchorage bars, restaurants, gyms and other establishments.

The new emergency order, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitzs 14th during the COVID-19 pandemic, was announced Wednesday afternoon.

The changes once again make for a more fettered city as residents wont be able to enjoy activities like dining out or gathering in large groups as freely as before. For many Anchorage businesses, the new order means fewer customers coming through the doors. It also means many businesses must now keep a log of customers who visit for longer periods, to aid with the citys strained capacity for contact tracing.

The restrictions come as cases in Anchorage and Alaska have surged, and follow capacity restrictions being imposed in several other U.S. cities and states.

Weve seen a rapid acceleration in the number of cases, Berkowitz said in a community briefing Wednesday. Berkowitz said the medical infrastructure is currently unable to keep pace with the rise in COVID-19 transmission.

We are experiencing exponential growth at this time, Anchorage Health Department Director Natasha Pineda said during the briefing.

Since Friday, there have been 260 more cases in Anchorage, Pineda said. The city is averaging 37.9 cases per day. Last week, the city reported 24.9 cases per day. State data updated Wednesday showed 1,068 total Municipality of Anchorage residents have tested positive for COVID-19, including 391 recovered cases, 668 active cases and nine deaths.

Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz announced new capacity restrictions for bar, restaurants, gyms and other gatherings beginning 8 a.m. on Friday. (Bill Roth / ADN)

On Sunday, the city saw a daily record with 65 new cases, Pineda said.

Currently, our reproduction rate is one of the highest in the country, for the state. I am sure that the Municipality of Anchorage is contributing to that increasing reproduction rate, she said. Which means our virus is growing fast.

Fifty-nine percent of the citys ICU beds are occupied. While those arent all COVID-19 patients, the city is starting to see a creep-up in need for beds for patients with the virus, Pineda said.

The cases are rising and the pressure on our system is imminent, she said.

Under the mayors new order, indoor gatherings will be limited to 25 people, and outdoor gatherings where people are consuming food or beverages will be limited to 50 people.

Bars will be limited to 25% of their maximum building capacity, including staff.

Restaurants and breweries can reach 50% of their maximum capacity indoors, including staff. Outdoor space will be limited to table service only, and tables must be spaced at least 10 feet apart.

When bars and restaurants were operating under limited capacity in May under the second phase of Berkowitzs reopening plan, several cited concerns about being able to turn a profit or break even with limited customers.

Under the new order, other indoor entertainment facilities, such as gyms, bingo halls and theaters, are limited to 50% of their building occupancy. General retail businesses and personal care businesses such as salons do not fall under the capacity restrictions.

The new regulations will not apply to farmers markets, outdoor food truck events or drive-in events where people are in their cars.

A notice requiring patrons to wear masks is posted at the entrance of Spenard Roadhouse on July 22, 2020. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Also, all businesses that have sit-down service lasting at least 15 minutes must keep a log of all adult customers, recording their first and last names, phone numbers and email addresses to be used by contact tracers in the event of people being exposed to COVID-19 at their establishment. This record must be kept for 30 days.

Places like banks would also have to keep a log of visitors involved in extended, sit-down situations such as applying for a loan.

If a business does have COVID-19 exposure, employees as well as the state and local health departments must be notified. They also must assist public health authorities in alerting customers to the exposure.

Finally, hotels and other lodging are required to inform employees of any guests who are in quarantine or isolation due to travel or COVID-19 exposure. The hotels and lodges must also provide adequate personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies to employees.

Alaska has seen a significant and consistent increase in cases since reopening its economy, regularly hitting record single-day case counts. Recently, there have been several days with more than 100 cases.

Standing still in the face of adversity is not the kind of option that we have, Berkowitz said.

While hospitalizations and deaths are believed to be an especially lagging indicator of how present the virus is, all data is on somewhat of a delay. Pineda said daily case numbers are actually indicative of what was happening 10 to 14 days before.

That is why when we see this significant increase in numbers, were concerned, she said. That means the community spread has been happening over the past two weeks, and its still incubating and moving around our community.

On June 26, Berkowitz imposed a face covering mandate within the municipality to try to limit the spread of the virus when people are in public.

Anchorage Economic and Community Development Director Chris Schutte said there has been enforcement of the citys mask mandate. When someone files a complaint to the city about a business not complying, city workers will call the business and inform them of the mandate, Schutte said.

Schutte said there have been instances where businesses or employees were not complying.

Pineda said compliance is something the community is still working on, and said people should be wearing masks outside if they are coming within 6 feet of non-household members.

Berkowitz and Pineda said the decision to limit capacity is partially driven by the virus surging statewide, and in other parts of the country. Anchorage is the health care hub for Alaska, so outbreaks in other parts of the state can put a strain on the local health care infrastructure.

Part of Alaskas surge has involved the seafood industry.

When we are looking at hundreds of cases coming in from seafood workers, that will put a burden on our ability to provide capacity for people in Anchorage, Berkowitz said.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story cited Mayor Ethan Berkowitz saying general retail businesses would be limited to 50% capacity. The mayor misspoke when he announced that, his spokesperson later said. Those businesses will not be under a capacity restriction.

Also, an earlier version of this story cited Anchorage Health Department Director Natasha Pineda saying the city has had 430 new cases since Friday. The city later said that is incorrect; there were 260 new cases in that time.

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Citing spike in COVID-19 cases, Anchorage mayor announces new restrictions for bars, restaurants and gatherings - Anchorage Daily News

Seward announced 96 new COVID-19 cases at a seafood plant as a trawler with 85 infected crew arrived. They’re all headed for Anchorage. – Anchorage…

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The city of Seward became the center of Alaskas two largest coronavirus outbreaks on Wednesday, with a factory trawler and a local seafood-processing plant where a combined 181 people had tested positive.

The American Seafoods ship carrying 85 infected crew members arrived in Seward from Unalaska on Wednesday afternoon.

After the 286-foot American Triumph moored at Sewards cruise ship dock, the crew disembarked and were ushered into the waiting buses by the drivers, who were wearing ventilated PPE suits. A handful of onlookers drove by as the crew disembarked, some with binoculars. They were taken to Anchorage.

Also on Wednesday, 96 seafood workers at the OBI Seafoods processing plant in Seward which employs 262 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus, causing the plant to temporarily shut down, city officials said.

An employee at the plant first tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, after seeking medical care for an unrelated health issue, the company said. The plant immediately closed so that the company could test all its employees and disinfect the campus.

The cases included 85 nonresident and 11 resident employees, according to a presentation from Alaskas state medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, at a community briefing on Wednesday.

The OBI outbreak is the latest to hit the seafood industry in Alaska, occurring just days after the 85 crew members aboard the American Triumph tested positive for the virus, and more than 40 became infected at a plant operated by a Juneau fish processor.

Alaska is currently experiencing three large, separate outbreaks of COVID-19 in the seafood industry, said Dr. Joe McLaughlin, Alaskas State Epidemiologist, in a written statement Wednesday evening. These outbreaks are reminiscent of the meat packing plant outbreaks in the Lower 48 and stress the importance of vigilant symptom screening and prompt facility-wide testing in congregate work settings when index cases are identified.

Until now, the seafood industry has remained relatively unscathed despite concerns earlier in the year about the influx of out-of-state workers and potential for outbreaks in close quarters, on vessels and in processing plants that could overwhelm the states fragile health care system.

In response, 11 seafood companies released a letter addressed to communities to confirm our commitment that we are prioritizing health and safety of local residents in which they detailed their COVID-19 mitigation plans.

With the exception of some smaller outbreaks in Dillingham and Whittier, the companies safety plans appeared to been mostly effective.

From Seward, infected crew from the ship and the plant were headed to Anchorage for isolation or quarantine, officials said. It isnt clear where the workers will be housed while in the city.

The sudden influx of infected people prompted municipal concerns about Anchorage hospital capacity. OBI Seafoods said in a statement that the vast majority of their employees who tested positive are not currently experiencing symptoms of the virus, and none have been hospitalized.

But the possibility that some could get sick enough to need medical care was a factor in Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitzs decision to issue new restrictions on bars and restaurants Wednesday.

Berkowitz at a briefing said the new restrictions stemmed in part from Anchorages role providing medical care for most of the state including infected seafood workers, as well as residents of rural communities that rely on Anchorage hospitals.

When were looking at the hundreds of cases coming in from seafood workers, that will put a burden on our ability to provide capacity for people in Anchorage, he said. And so were watching the numbers not only inside Anchorage, were watching what is happening outside the community.

Crew disembark from the American Triumph and board busses in Seward on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. American Seafoods, which operates the factory trawler, reported over the weekend that 85 crew members tested positive for COVID-19. The crew disembarked in Seward and will be transported to Anchorage where they will be isolated for further care. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Crew members from the American Triumph are transported by bus from Seward to Anchorage on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. American Seafoods, which operates the factory trawler, reported over the weekend that 85 crew members tested positive for COVID-19. The crew disembarked in Seward and will be transported to Anchorage where they will be isolated for further care. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

The American Triumph docks in Seward on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. American Seafoods, which operates the factory trawler, reported over the weekend that 85 crew members tested positive for COVID-19. The crew disembarked in Seward and will be transported by private bus to Anchorage where they will be isolated for further care. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

The OBI seafood processing plant in Seward, photographed on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

OBI Seafoods LLC was formed in June, the result of a merger between major processors Ocean Beauty Seafoods and Icicle Seafoods, and includes five shoreside locations in Alaska.

Earlier this summer, outbreaks were confirmed at two other OBI Seafoods plant locations in Dillingham, where 12 workers tested positive, and at the companys Excursion Inlet salmon processing plant in Southeast Alaska, where three employees also tested positive in late June.

The company has said it has extensive safety protocols in place to prevent an outbreak like this: All employees upon arrival in Alaska are required to quarantine for 14 days, and are then tested a second time, the company said in a statement. Every OBI employee also goes through a symptom and temperature check each day, according to the company.

But the close quarters and long working hours at fish processing plants can make social distancing difficult.

The American Triumph docks in Seward on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. American Seafoods, which operates the factory trawler, reported over the weekend that 85 crew members tested positive for COVID-19. The crew disembarked in Seward and will be transported by private bus to Anchorage where they will be isolated for further care. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Crew disembark from the American Triumph and board busses in Seward on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. American Seafoods, which operates the factory trawler, reported over the weekend that 85 crew members tested positive for COVID-19. The crew disembarked in Seward and will be transported to Anchorage where they will be isolated for further care. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

Annie Berman reported from Anchorage and Loren Holmes from Seward.

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Seward announced 96 new COVID-19 cases at a seafood plant as a trawler with 85 infected crew arrived. They're all headed for Anchorage. - Anchorage...

FDA’s Ongoing Work to Support and Advance COVID-19 Diagnostic Test Accuracy and Availability – FDA.gov

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By: Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., Director, Center for Devices and Radiological Health

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration has been proactive and supportive of test development by all comers including laboratories, and large and small commercial manufacturers to speed development and to quickly authorize tests that the science supports. The agency engaged with the lab and commercial manufacturer communities even before any cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the U.S., working with over 500 developers since January, and has been working around the clock to authorize over 180 Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for tests, including molecular, serology, antigen, and tests with at-home specimen collection indications.

This pandemic has created a demand for new tests that is unprecedented in both volume and urgency. The FDAs important roles in testing include determining whether the tests developed for use in the U.S. provide sufficiently accurate and reliable results and helping to provide timely access to such tests.

In a public health emergency, getting an accurate test is important not only for the individual patient, but for the public at large. False positive or false negative results can contribute to the spread of COVID-19, so all tests used for COVID-19 should be validated before use. Similarly, timely access to diagnostic tests is also critically important. To best address these dual, and sometimes competing, needs, the FDA has used its EUA authorities. EUAs permit the emergency use of a product, in this case a test, when the FDA determines that certain criteria are met based on the totality of the scientific evidence available. The EUA process made it possible for molecular diagnostic tests to be developed, validated, and offered for clinical use within weeks rather than months or longer.

The FDAs EUA authorities allow the FDA to authorize the emergency use of tests more quickly than full FDA approval or clearance because the evidentiary standard is different. For full approval or clearance, we typically require validation testing using patient samples; however, due to the immediate need and the small number of patient samples available, we utilized our emergency authorities to authorize tests based on data from contrived clinical samples or smaller sets of patient samples. For example, early-on in the emergency, instead of using specimens from individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, developers could add different amounts of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 RNA to human specimens, such as sputum, to assess how well their test could detect the virus. As a result, validation could be completed rapidly, in some cases in only a few days once inactivated RNA became available. This approach was less likely to accurately characterize test performance so the FDA has taken several actions now that clinical specimens have become more readily available.

Once multiple sources of positive patient samples were available, we asked developers of new tests to validate with these clinical samples. In addition, as part of each EUA for a COVID-19 test, the FDA requires that each test developer and its authorized distributors collect test performance information, including any suspected occurrence of false results, and report to the FDA as a condition of authorization. An additional condition of authorization requires test developers to track adverse events and report them to the agency. These actions have helped generate more robust evidence of test performance to help providers, patients, laboratories, and the government make better informed decisions.

Additionally, these conditions enable the FDA to detect trends and take swift action to prevent harm to patients, especially when device malfunctions may affect many tests across the nation (e.g., in sample collection swabs, or shared test reagents). For example, we were able to quickly alert the public about potential inaccuracies with the Abbott ID Now point-of-care test to diagnose COVID-19 when we began to see a trend in the adverse event reports we received. In some cases, such as tests that used contrived clinical samples for validation, we required developers to conduct post-authorization studies as a condition of their authorization to further evaluate the clinical performance of the test using clinical specimens. This approach gives patients timely access to potentially beneficial and high-volume tests while assuring a more robust understanding of test performance in a real-world setting. The agency monitors all of this information so that we are able to take action when a tests benefits no longer outweigh its risks. Finally, the FDA requires that manufacturers of certain tests provide evidence that their manufacturing processes will deliver consistent results, helping to ensure that accurate tests are produced in every manufacturing lot.

Another step the FDA took to support independent validation for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests was providing developers with a reference panel. Starting with live SARS-CoV-2 virus we obtained, FDA personnel in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research worked collaboratively to create a reference panel from a validated inactivated viral stock, and made it available to developers of molecular diagnostic tests. The FDA-supplied reference panels include well-characterized samples of the SARS-CoV-2 virus genetic material (RNA). The FDA panel is available as an independent performance validation step for commercial and laboratory developers of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid diagnostic tests who previously validated their authorized tests with contrived samples, or who are currently having difficulty validating their new test. Data from use of the reference panel will provide the FDA with more accurate information on the comparative performance of different tests so that we will have a better understanding of which tests are more sensitive than others. The FDA will make this information available on our website.

We recently announced our participation in the COVID-19 Diagnostics Evidence Accelerator, a multi-stakeholder collaborative project to advance the development of diagnostics through the generation of real-world evidence. It is organized by the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA in collaboration with Friends of Cancer Research to allow the community to analyze both diagnostic and clinical data in real time, which has the potential to contribute to the scientific evaluation of diagnostic tools and medical interventions for COVID-19. The Accelerator project will leverage FDA's SHIELD initiative, a multi-stakeholder collaboration to improve the quality, interoperability and portability of laboratory data within and between institutions so that diagnostic information can be drawn from different sources or shared between institutions. SHIELD harmonizes COVID-19 test data referenced in the HHS COVID-19 laboratory data reporting requirements, which can be used to evaluate the real-world performance of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests and antibody tests.

Evidence generated by the Accelerator project is intended to be complementary to other studies that have been conducted or are underway as well as to provide actionable information about the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in specific populations and highlight individual risk factors for patients. This helps improve our understanding of the disease, tailor public health interventions and strategies to mitigate risks for individuals and communities and help stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Taken together, these actions will, and already are, providing the clinical, patient and consumer communities with more accurate information about diagnostic test performance and allowing for the rapid availability of new, accurate and reliable tests.

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FDA's Ongoing Work to Support and Advance COVID-19 Diagnostic Test Accuracy and Availability - FDA.gov

Can You Become Reinfected With Covid-19? It’s Very Unlikely, Experts Say – The New York Times

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Megan Kent, 37, a medical speech pathologist who lives just outside Boston, first tested positive for the virus on March 30, after her boyfriend became ill. She couldnt smell or taste anything, she recalled, but otherwise felt fine. After a 14-day quarantine, she went back to work at Melrose Wakefield Hospital and also helped out at a nursing home.

On May 8, Ms. Kent suddenly felt ill. I felt like a Mack truck hit me, she said. She slept the whole weekend and went to the hospital on Monday, convinced she had mononucleosis. The next day she tested positive for the coronavirus again. She was unwell for nearly a month, and has since learned she has antibodies.

This time around was a hundred times worse, she said. Was I reinfected?

There are other, more plausible explanations for what Ms. Kent experienced, experts said. Im not saying it cant happen. But from what Ive seen so far, that would be an uncommon phenomenon, said Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

Ms. Kent may not have fully recovered, even though she felt better, for example. The virus may have secreted itself into certain parts of the body as the Ebola virus is known to do and then resurfaced. She did not get tested between the two positives, but even if she had, faulty tests and low viral levels can produce a false negative.

Given these more likely scenarios, Dr. Mina had choice words for the physicians who caused the panic over reports of reinfections. This is so bad, people have lost their minds, he said. Its just sensationalist click bait.

In the early weeks of the pandemic, some people in China, Japan and South Korea tested positive twice, sparking similar fears.

South Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated 285 of those cases, and found that several of the second positives came two months after the first, and in one case 82 days later. Nearly half of the people had symptoms at the second test. But the researchers were unable to grow live virus from any of the samples, and the infected people hadnt spread the virus to others.

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Can You Become Reinfected With Covid-19? It's Very Unlikely, Experts Say - The New York Times

Confusion spreads over selection of priority groups for Covid-19 vaccines – STAT

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As manufacturers around the world race to develop Covid-19 vaccines, a parallel effort has begun to figure out who in the United States should get them first and how those doses should be distributed.

But already the effort is being complicated by tensions over who gets to make those critical decisions, with some groups feeling sidelined and multiple new actors crowding the stage.

On Tuesday, the National Academy of Medicine, tasked by top U.S. health officials, named an expert panel to develop a framework to determine who should be vaccinated first, when available doses are expected to be scarce. But that panel is ostensibly encroaching on the role of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel that has made recommendations on vaccination policy to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for decades, including drawing up the vaccination priority list during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic.

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There is also the matter of Operation Warp Speed, the governments vaccine fast-tracking program that has claimed authority over, among other things, distribution decisions when it comes to Covid-19 vaccines.

Amid so many players, public health experts are expressing concern and confusion.

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It seems to me like weve just assigned four different air traffic control towers to land the same plane, said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesotas Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy. Between ACIP, and this new committee, the group working within Operation Warp Speed and just in terms of input from the general community, its not clear to me who will make the final decision and how that process will unfold.

The health of untold numbers could hang in the balance, given that initial batches of vaccine are likely to be available only for a sliver of the population. Additionally, most vaccines will probably be given in two-dose regimens, meaning any figure of available doses would have to be divided in half to see how many people could be vaccinated.

There is no doubt that health care workers will be offered vaccines first. But after that, tough decisions will have to be made about the order in which other frontline workers which? how many? are offered priority access to vaccine and who will follow, in what order.

Normally, such decisions would fall to ACIP, which months ago set up a working group to monitor the evolving science on Covid-19 and the vaccines being developed to protect against it. But its not clear what task ACIP will be handed here.

We havent been given a firm answer as to what our role will be. We are continuing with our routine planning and discussion, and we will come up with what we think are appropriate guidelines for prioritization. But that weve not been given assurances that we will actually be contributing to that, said Jos Romero, the panels chairman.

Romero told STAT he even had applied to be on the National Academys panel after the academy urged people who were interested to nominate themselves. Romero said he never heard back. The agenda for the first public meeting of the panel, scheduled for Friday, states Romero has been invited to speak to the kickoff session. He said late Monday he hadnt received an invitation.

ACIP member Beth Bell, who chairs its Covid-19 vaccines work group, is also concerned about the National Academy panel working on vaccination priorities before ACIP.

Hopefully it wont be a parallel process and itll be something which can complement the work of the ACIP, said Bell, a professor of global health at the University of Washington and a former director of the CDCs national center for emerging and zoonotic infectious diseases.

She seemed to take some solace from the fact that former CDC director Bill Foege one of the architects of the smallpox eradication program and a revered figure in public health circles has been named co-chair of the new panel.

Foege will share chairing duties with Helene Gayle, president and CEO of Chicago Community Trust. Gayle previously worked at the CDC for 20 years on HIV/AIDS and at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition to the co-chairs, the panel is made up of 15 members include vaccine experts, ethicists, experts in vaccine hesitancy, global health, health policy, risk communications, and the delivery of health care to low-income populations.

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, first asked National Academy of Medicine President Victor Dzau to create the new panel, even though setting vaccination priorities is a public health role traditionally on the CDCs turf, not the NIHs. Later a letter formally requesting that the panel be struck came from Collins and Robert Redfield, the CDC director.

In an interview, Collins seemed puzzled as to why ACIP members might be concerned about the creation of the expert panel. He said the decision-making framework the panel designs will make their job, I think, a lot more straightforward and less likely to be attacked as being capricious.

This is a discussion which is potentially going to be contentious and we want to try to minimize that, Collins told STAT.

There are certainly parts of society that are suspicious of what the government is doing, no matter what it is, he added. And this takes it out of that framework and provides an opportunity for whose sort of wisest big thinkers to gather and make this kind of a judgment about what those priorities ought to look like, he said.

Whats not to love about this? he said.

Some vaccine developers have embraced the idea of the National Academys involvement, which the body suggests will set a priorities framework that can be used in the United States and beyond.

It is the CDCs responsibility, the ACIP that makes decisions about allocation, but in this very special case, I have personally and I think many of us have called for the National Academy of Medicine to create a mechanism to look at health equity and make sure that the allocation is fair, Julie Gerberding, the chief patient officer at Merck, told a House subcommittee on Tuesday.

Others acknowledge there is confusion about who is doing what and most importantly, who will make the final decisions.

Osterholm, the University of Minnesota expert, called the composition of the National Academy panel outstanding. They couldnt find two better chairs than Bill and Helene.

But the excellence of the panel doesnt negate the fact there isnt much clarity about roles, he said.

At the end of the day, the administration in power when vaccine is approved for use will likely dictate who stands where in the vaccine priority line. The current administrations past decisions about distribution of desperately needed protective equipment for health workers and scarce supplies of the antiviral drug remdesivir dont instill confidence that the painstakingly crafted recommendations of the National Academy group, or of the ACIP, will be followed to the letter.

In the end it will be decided by the U.S. government, Osterholm said. Look at how the remdesivir situation unfolded nationally. That was a terrible situation.

The task of setting priority groups wont be an easy one.

Older adults are most at risk of dying if they become infected. But essential workers in food production and distribution may be at higher risk of contracting the virus. Who should move to the front of the line? Should the vaccination program prioritize people of color, who have contracted and died from Covid-19 in disproportion numbers? At the June meeting of the ACIP, at least one member suggested that should be considered. One of the charges to the National Academy panel is to advise on how communities of color can be assured equitable access to the vaccines.

Other questions asked of the National Academy panel include what criteria should be used to set priorities for equitable allocation of vaccines, and how individual risk, either due to age, underlying health conditions, or occupation or group risks such as people in prisons, the homeless or residents of long term care should be weighed. The panel is also being asked to provide input on how to communicate vaccine priority decisions to the wider public, and how to address vaccine hesitancy, especially in high-risk populations.

Collins said the panel has been asked to come up with interim recommendations by Labor Day, which would then be subject to a short period of public comment. Dzau, the academy president, said last week that the final recommendations would probably take about three months to deliver, which would mean early October.

Dzau strenuously refuted the idea that the new panel might be driving in someone elses lane. The group will create scenarios, he said, of how to deal with the variety of circumstances the country might face, for instance starting to vaccinate with 10 million doses, or 60 million, or 100 million.

I think our job will be to look at the evidence and the strategy of who should get what and how. Some kind of priority list and the rationale for that, Dzau said.

The time frame he and Collins envisage may leave the ACIP with little time to fine-tune the framework the National Academy panel devises. Some of the most aggressive manufacturers have stated they may have enough evidence to support the issuance of an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration by October.

Beyond questions of priority-setting, there are also concerns about how vaccines will be distributed.

Those concerns were first triggered by the press release announcing the formation of Operation Warp Speed, which claimed distribution as one of the projects responsibilities.

Four organizations representing professionals who make up the last mile of a vaccines journey into arms in the United States wrote to the leaders of Operation Warp Speed on June 23, asking if the project intended to use existing vaccine delivery infrastructure to get Covid-19 vaccines into Americans. They still havent received a reply.

If your job is logistics and you dont know that theres a system out there already, it might be easy for you to start planning things down a different path, said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, one of the groups. And we dont want that to happen.

Another group that signed the letter, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, has since had a discussion with Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, from Operation Warp Speed, said Jim Blumenstock, the organizations chief program officer for health security. Blumenstock said that after the conversation, he felt more confident that traditional vaccine distribution networks would play a part in the roll out of Covid-19 vaccines.

The proof is always in the pudding, he said, recounting that Ostrowski told him that micro-planning for vaccine distribution would start in the next two to three weeks.

STAT asked Operation Warp Speed for interviews about these issues. The requests were neither turned down nor granted they were merely acknowledged.

Hannan, who hadnt heard anything from Operation Warp Speed as of Monday, remains unsettled.

I am still very concerned about how distribution will be carried out and about the lack of planning with state and local public health agencies, she told STAT. We have received no assurance that existing vaccine allocation, distribution, and tracking systems will be used.

Damian Garde contributed reporting

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Confusion spreads over selection of priority groups for Covid-19 vaccines - STAT

COVID-19 deaths are rising once again. What’s driving the increase? – NBC News

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The daily COVID-19 death toll in the United States topped 1,000 Tuesday, a grim threshold that's been met four times already within the past month, suggesting that the decline in deaths seen in May and June is reversing.

"That's basically two to three airplanes' worth of people crashing" in a single day, said Dr. Josh Denson, a pulmonary medicine and critical care physician at the Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. "It's insane."

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

The increase in deaths follows a pattern seen earlier in the pandemic: First, case counts rose. Then, hospitalizations went up. Deaths followed.

That's what's taking place in Houston, where COVID-19 cases have been rising steadily since mid-June.

"In April and May, we had between 200 and 300 cases diagnosed in the greater Houston area on any given day. Now we're around 2,400," said Dr. James McDeavitt, senior vice president and dean of clinical affairs at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

In June, many of those new cases were among younger adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s a population that is generally less vulnerable to severe complications from the illness, and death. That increase appears to have transformed into an increase in hospitalizations and deaths, but within an older population.

"What we saw after about two weeks was the older population starting to catch up again," McDeavitt said, though he pointed out that there is no scientific data yet to link younger partiers with older patients.

"Presumably, younger people were going out and getting infected, and then bringing that back to parents and grandparents," he said.

"Young people are generally fine," said Dr. Michael Wasserman, a geriatrician and president of the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine. "They're not always, but if they give it to grandma, that's a problem."

Indeed, McDeavitt said, more severe outcomes still tend to be among older people and people with underlying conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

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The recent spike in cases has those who care for older adults concerned.

"It's frightened the daylights out of me," Wasserman said. "I don't want to see more older adults die again."

It's been well documented that the risk for COVID-19 complications and death increases with age, and it's no surprise that frail people with compromised immune systems are vulnerable.

"The greatest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 is among those aged 85 or older," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website says.

But other factors beyond age and health condition also increase the risk among the elderly.

People in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, for example, can't self-isolate. They "need people to move them or do their bathing," Wasserman said. "The more time staff has to spend with residents, it's going to increase the risk for exposure to the virus."

What's more, older adults are more likely to have dementia, which might mean they're unlikely to isolate in their rooms, wear a mask or wash their hands regularly three cornerstones of infectious disease control.

While there have been advances in COVID-19 therapies, such as the antiviral remdesivir and the steroid dexamethasone, critical care physicians point out there is still no cure for the disease.

Among therapeutics, Denson said, "there's definitely no game-changer" yet.

He recalled a day last week when things were going badly in the COVID-19 intensive care unit. A young patient in his 30s died; a language barrier made conversations with the patient's family difficult; another patient had unforeseen complications.

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"It was very tough," Denson said. But that very afternoon, he got a call out of the blue from a former patient who nearly died of the virus several times during her hospital stay.

"She was as critically ill as any patient I've had," Denson said. "But she survived, called me from her house, doing great, and just wanted to say 'hello' and 'thank you.'"

It was an uplifting reminder that despite the worrisome rise in cases and in deaths, many people do, in fact, recover from COVID-19.

"It's a very survivable illness," Denson said.

Still, until a vaccine or more effective treatment is available, the key moving forward, he and other experts said, is prevention: Remain vigilant about face coverings and physical distancing.

Those are "our only weapons right now, the only things controlling the virus," McDeavitt said. "If we get past this surge, and we revert to old behaviors and take those weapons off the table, we're going to have another surge."

"Let's learn this lesson."

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COVID-19 deaths are rising once again. What's driving the increase? - NBC News

COVID-19 Daily Update 7-20-2020 – 10 AM – West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

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TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of 10:00 a.m., on July 20,2020, there have been 233,490 total confirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 5,080 total cases and 100 deaths.

In alignment with updated definitions fromthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the dashboard includes probablecases which are individuals that have symptoms and either serologic (antibody)or epidemiologic (e.g., a link to a confirmed case) evidence of disease, but noconfirmatory test.

CASESPER COUNTY (Case confirmed by lab test/Probable case):Barbour (25/0), Berkeley (549/19), Boone(60/0), Braxton (7/0), Brooke (38/1), Cabell (220/7), Calhoun (5/0), Clay(16/0), Fayette (102/0), Gilmer (13/0), Grant (23/1), Greenbrier (80/0),Hampshire (50/0), Hancock (58/4), Hardy (48/1), Harrison (140/1), Jackson(149/0), Jefferson (269/5), Kanawha (524/12), Lewis (24/1), Lincoln (21/0),Logan (46/0), Marion (136/3), Marshall (82/1), Mason (28/0), McDowell (12/0),Mercer (72/0), Mineral (71/2), Mingo (53/2), Monongalia (739/15), Monroe(16/1), Morgan (20/1), Nicholas (20/1), Ohio (178/0), Pendleton (19/1),Pleasants (5/1), Pocahontas (37/1), Preston (90/23), Putnam (115/1), Raleigh(98/3), Randolph (197/2), Ritchie (3/0), Roane (12/0), Summers (2/0), Taylor(29/1), Tucker (7/0), Tyler (10/0), Upshur (31/2), Wayne (151/2), Webster(2/0), Wetzel (41/0), Wirt (6/0), Wood (199/9), Wyoming (8/0).

As case surveillance continues at thelocal health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certaincounty may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individualin question may have crossed the state border to be tested.Such is the case of Boone, Cabell,and Wetzel counties.

Pleasenote that delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from thelocal health department to DHHR.

Please visit thedashboard at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.

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COVID-19 Daily Update 7-20-2020 - 10 AM - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

COVID-19 Daily Update 7-21-2020 – 10 AM – West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

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TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of 10:00 a.m., on July 21,2020, there have been 239,341 total confirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 5,161 total cases and 101 deaths.

DHHR has confirmed the death of a 67-year oldfemale from Cabell County. Our sincere sympathy is extended to thisfamily for their loss, said Bill J. Crouch, Cabinet Secretary of DHHR.

In alignment with updated definitions fromthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the dashboard includes probablecases which are individuals that have symptoms and either serologic (antibody)or epidemiologic (e.g., a link to a confirmed case) evidence of disease, but noconfirmatory test.

CASESPER COUNTY (Case confirmed by lab test/Probable case):Barbour (26/0), Berkeley (549/19), Boone(58/0), Braxton (7/0), Brooke (38/1), Cabell (218/7), Calhoun (5/0), Clay(17/0), Fayette (100/0), Gilmer (13/0), Grant (25/1), Greenbrier (80/0),Hampshire (51/0), Hancock (61/4), Hardy (49/1), Harrison (141/1), Jackson(149/0), Jefferson (269/5), Kanawha (534/12), Lewis (24/1), Lincoln (30/0),Logan (47/0), Marion (136/4), Marshall (82/1), Mason (30/0), McDowell (11/0),Mercer (74/0), Mineral (76/2), Mingo (60/2), Monongalia (748/15), Monroe(16/1), Morgan (21/1), Nicholas (22/1), Ohio (179/0), Pendleton (19/1),Pleasants (5/1), Pocahontas (38/1), Preston (92/22), Putnam (115/1), Raleigh(108/3), Randolph (200/2), Ritchie (3/0), Roane (12/0), Summers (2/0), Taylor(29/1), Tucker (7/0), Tyler (10/0), Upshur (31/2), Wayne (160/2), Webster(2/0), Wetzel (41/0), Wirt (6/0), Wood (203/9), Wyoming (8/0).

As case surveillance continues at thelocal health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certaincounty may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individualin question may have crossed the state border to be tested.Such is thecase of Cabell and Fayette counties in this report.

Pleasenote that delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from thelocal health department to DHHR.

Please visit thedashboard at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.

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COVID-19 Daily Update 7-21-2020 - 10 AM - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

COVID-19 testing site overwhelmed as Waukesha County deals with sharply rising coronavirus infections – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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A line forms outside the Waukesha County Expo Center on Wednesday, July 22, prior to the opening of a free COVID-19 drive-thru testing site. The Wisconsin National Guard will conduct testing from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.(Photo: Scott Ash/Now News Group)

WAUKESHA - The heightened numbers of new cases of COVID-19 in Waukesha County has, at the very least, sent some residents scurrying to be tested for infections.

Unofficially, the sudden rush is believed to be related to the rise in local cases 225 new cases over the weekendcompared to an average of about 70 new cases daily beforehand. The county numbers fed a record-setting 1,117 new casesreported statewide on July 21.

In addition, the number of new county cases for July 21, not reflected on the county's coronavirus dashboard as of Wednesday afternoon, totaled 136, the third consecutive record-setting day.

Officially, the county isn't certain if increasing cases are driving a more widespread desire for testing, though its direct involvement with COVID-19 control measures has been limited. There have been no county-mandated pandemicrestrictions in place since the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned Gov. Tony Evers' safer-at-home in May.The county's health department has since only issued recommendations, some of which loosened in recent weeks.

The demand for testshas been pronounced enough it had an impact on the county's two-day coronavirus testing program this week at the Waukesha County Expo Center.

On Tuesday, the testing site, conducted in partnership with the Wisconsin National Guard,closed around1:30 p.m. about 5 hours earlier than planned when the available 400 testing kits ran out, according to county officials.

On Wednesday, with the promise of another 400 testing kits, it resulted in a lineof cars waiting outside the entrance hours before the testing site opened. Vehicles 20 deep were seen in queue atthe expo grounds more than 90 minutes in advance of the 11 a.m. start time.

And the demand has been significant enough that the county is planning another two-day testing service at the expo center July 27-28, with 400 test kits expected to be available each day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., or until supplies again run out.

How the two circumstances the testing demand and the rise in COVID numbers locally relate to each other has been left open to speculation as county officials assess what's happening.

The county's public reaction to the news of the rising infection was slow in coming, and the county's dashboard on coronavirus data was also lagging. As of Wednesday afternoon, it hadn't been updated beyond July 19.

Linda Wickstrom, public information officer for the county's health department and emergency operations center on the front line of local data reporting, deflected all questions to County Executive Paul Farrow's office.

Nicole Armendariz, press secretary for Farrow's office, later responded to questions after huddling with county health officials Wednesday afternoon to review the data reflecting the latest trends in new cases in the county.

Armendariz saidthe numbers for July 18 (106 new cases) and July 19 (119 new cases) were updated to reflect a more modest daily increase compared to the 228 cases that had erroneously been reported on the state's coronavirus website Monday. Both sets of numbers, however, still showed the highest level of new cases within the county since reporting began in March.

"There are an increase in cases reflected in Waukesha County, but again that increase is being seen everywhere in the state," Armendariz said. "As far as cases in Waukesha County, part of that is due to increase in testing, but not all of it. Part of it is also due to there just being more cases overall."

Armendariz acknowledged the growing demand for testing, regardless of the growing number of cases. The expo center effort is part of a larger effort to give residents access to testing, she added.

"We're limited by the number of tests available each day (at the expo center)," she said, noting that the testing was open to all Wisconsin residents, not just those in the county. "The drive-thru test sites are just one of the ways that Waukesha County residents can get COVID-19 tests."

The county has coordinated efforts with local health care providers, for instance, Armendariz said.

"We're continuing to improve upon that, which is one of the reasons we have the (county) test sites." she said.

But she said she would have to consult with the county's public health staff to see if there is any correlation between the testing demand andlocal cases. She added the expo center testing totaled about 170 by 1 p.m. Wednesday and appeared to have enough test kits available to run much later in the day compared to Tuesday.

As cases have risen, so has the demand from some residents asking municipalities to order masks to be worn in public settings.

City of Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly acknowledged earlier in Julyhe has heard from residents wondering if the city was considering such a measure something, he said, he has no authority to do on his own.

And on Wednesday, Muskego Mayor Rick Petfalski issued a public letter noting that he, too, has heard similar demands.

"Unlike suburban communities in Milwaukee County, Waukesha County communities do not have their own health departments," Petfalski said. "I have been advised by legal counsel that communities who do not have their own health department or health official, cannot issue any health related orders or ordinances. If such an order were to come, it would have to come from the Waukesha County Health Department."

The City of Brookfield, echoing those limitations, this week was preparing such a requestto the county. However, the city's common council on Tuesday rejected a motion that would've asked the county to enact a mandatory mask order.

From Muskego's standpoint, Petfalski also acknowledged the emotion the issue has generated as he encouraged individuals to take measures to secure their own health.

"I understand that this is a topic that can bring out strong emotions to people on both sides of this debate," he said. "I ask that no matter which side you fall, please try to respect others choices in this issue. This includes businesses that make the business and health choice that they feel is best for their customers and their businesses."

Contact Jim Riccioli at (262) 446-6635 or james.riccioli@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jariccioli.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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COVID-19 testing site overwhelmed as Waukesha County deals with sharply rising coronavirus infections - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Oregon To Expand COVID-19 Restrictions, Starting Friday – OPB News

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UPDATE (3 p.m. PT) As the number of Oregon COVID-19 infections continue to rise, Gov. Kate Brown is once again expanding Oregons statewide face mask policy, announcing on Wednesday it now applies to children ages 5 and older and people must wear a mask even while actively exercising inside of agym.

The governor also announced all bars and restaurants in Phase 2 reopening counties must now close at 10 p.m. instead ofmidnight.

Mark Snyder, of Canton, Mass., adjusts his mask while working out on a treadmill, Monday, July 6, 2020, at Answer is Fitness gym, in Canton. Oregons governor is expanding the states coronavirus requirements to include mandates for wearing masks while working out ingyms.

StevenSenne/AP

The new regulations take effect onFriday.

On July 1, the governor required all Oregonians to wear a face maskwhile inside public spaces. Last week, she expanded the rule to apply to all outdoor activities when social distancing could not be maintained. The mask mandate had been voluntary for children between ages 3 and 12, but Wednesdays announcement also changes the age limit. The new mask requirements will include schools. Masks arent required for children 2 andunder.

In addition, the governor madechanges to the size of gatherings allowed for Oregon businesses and other indoor venues. She changed the maximum capacity allowed from 250 people to 100 and reiterated that social distancing must be maintained. This includeschurches.

Brownhas already limited the number of people who can gather socially indoors to 10 people or fewer for privategatherings.

The governor returned to a familiar analogy she has used throughout thepandemic.

We ventured out on the ice together and that ice has begun to crack, the governor said. Before we fall through the ice we have to take additional steps to protect ourselves and ourcommunities.

Brown said she is also considering how to stop the spread of cases coming into Oregon due to tourism. She is considering requiring mandatory quarantining from people who are arriving from places where there are well-known COVID-19hotspots.

The Oregon Health Authority announced seven new deaths from the novel coronavirus on Tuesday. It was only the second time the state has reported that many deaths in oneday.

Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state epidemiologist, said there were more than 2,400 new cases in the last week, a 26 percent increase from previousweek.

Sidelinger noted there was concernabout the growth some of Oregons eastern counties have seenlately.

Oregon has reported more than 15,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 269 deathsas of Tuesday. The numbers have continued to rise since the governor lifted her stay-at-home order.The state has also struggled to track the virus and find and isolate Oregonians in part due to testing shortages and delays. The state is seeing more community spread where contact tracing is unable to identify thesource.

The governor said counties with the most concerning rates of coronavirus spread might face additional scrutiny or restrictions in comingdays.

The governor noted she had one piece of slightly more uplifting news: She was allowing outdoor visits to long-term care facilities that had no reported cases of the virus. The care facilities were ravaged particularly hard in the beginning stages of thevirus.

Some people will hear this announcement and think these restrictions dont go far enough, the governorsaid.

Theyll say we should completely close all restaurants and bars. Or move them to outdoor service only Heres what I want every Oregonian to know: I dont make these decisions lightly. There are no easychoices.

Later, the governor, added:This is really hard. Its lasting much longer and this virus is a lot tougher to beat than any of us would everwish.

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Cash payments to 2.7 billion people living in poverty would slow the spread of Covid-19: report – CNBC

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For many people living in poverty around the world, working from home amid the Covid-19 pandemic is not an option, even when showing up to work means potentially getting sick. But there is a solution to that problem, accordinga paper released Thursday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): Give the poor cash so they can afford to stay home. That could help slow the pandemic, says the paper.

Entitled "Temporary Basic Income: Protecting Poor and Vulnerable People in Developing Countries," the paper suggests giving cash to the poorest 2.8 billion people in 132 developing countries.

In total, 1.07 billion people live below the international poverty line (which is considered $1.90 per day in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; $3.20 per day in East Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa; and $5.50 per day in Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean),according to the authors of the paper,George Gray Molina, the chief economist at United Nations Development Programme, andEduardo Ortiz-Juarez, a researcher at King's College in London.

Another 1.71 billion people are defined as facing "a sizable risk of falling into poverty," according to the paper.

Taken together, these 2.78 billion people (44% of the population of the developing world) should get temporary cash payments that are not contingent on residence, citizenship or work status, but only on how much money a person is making what UNDP spokesperson Victor Garrido Delgado calls a "means-test."

"Digital social registries and means-testing are widespread in the developing world and have been for about 20 years now," Delgado says. A person's means is determined with census data, declared income and other signifiers, like whether they have running water, he says.

"A [temporary basic income] payment, because it addresses urgent needs for food, shelter and health, should go to everyone in a household (adults will collect on behalf of children)," Delgado says.

"In that sense it's meant to be comprehensive," Molina said on Tuesday on a video call with reporters.

Currently, "large portions of the population" are not covered by existing cash transfer systems that have already been deployed amid the pandemic, according to Molina. People who are typically excluded from these social support systems include "people in the informal sector of the economy, of self employed [workers], domestic workers and unpaid care work," he says.

A more comprehensive cash payment program is important now because the coronavirus is spreading very quickly in the poorest countries, like "Brazil, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and so on," he said.

"We do believe that this is one tool in the toolbox that can be useful to stop the spread of the virus," Molina said.

To be sure, a cash payment program for almost 3 billion people is extreme. But "unprecedented times call for unprecedented social and economic measures," said UNDP administrator Achim Steiner in a press release. "Introducing a Temporary Basic Income for the world's poorest people has emerged as one option. This might have seemed impossible just a few months ago."

Depending on the exact nature of the program, it would cost at least $199 billion per month, according to the report. The three proposals put forth in the paper include topping up existing incomes to a threshold decided by the country, lump sum cash transfers based on the median cost of living in a country or a lump sum cash transfer that is the same for every person no matter where they live.

The report proposes financing the program by temporarily putting on hold debt repayments for the countries included. Developing and emerging countries are forecast to spend $3.1 trillion in paying back their debts in 2020, the UNDP said in a press release.

Other possibilities for paying for the temporary basic income include redirecting fossil fuel subsidies or military expenditures, Delgado says.

"These are some options, but at the end of the day it is an issue for each country to consider how to pay," he says.

One consideration for countries considering a temporary basic income is that money put in the hands of the poorest people is generally spent on "immediate food and essential services," so the money will go back into the economy quickly, Delgado says.

See also:

Twitter's Jack Dorsey is giving $3 million to help test free cash payment programs for Americans

2019 had a record-high number of billionaires here's how many and why

Feeding America CEO: What it's like to get $100 million donation from Jeff Bezos

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Nurse with COVID-19 speaks out about experience WGEM – WGEM

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A nurse speaks out in her first television interview, after testing positive for COVID-19.

Her experience with the illness is prompting her to share her story with others, in hopes that people realize it takes a community to stop the spread of this virus.

Kathleen Birsic would normally be working at Blessing Hospital, but is in isolation, after testing positive for COVID-19.

As she continues to fight the virus, she wants everyone to know what they can do to help stop the spread of COVID-19 together.

You've tested positive for COVID-19.

"When you hear those words, it just makes it so real," Birsic said. "It was a horrifying moment for me and I'm sure anyone else in the public, who is battling COVID as well."

Birsic is isolating in her bedroom. She tested positive for COVID-19 last Thursday.

"It's so much worse than anything I've ever had," Birsic said.

Birsic is a nurse in outpatient surgery at Blessing Hospital.

She said her symptoms started shortly after she was tested.

"I started feeling this funny feeling in my throat," Birsic said. "I didn't think anything of it. Within an hour, that funny feeling developed into a, I don't want to say a sore throat, but more of a tightness around my throat."

She began checking her temperature every hour.

"By 4 o'clock I had 102.4 fever," Birsic said.

She also said she feels weak and has a cough.

Now, Birsic has a message for the public.

"Despite what you might think, what your political views are, or how you think this virus started or what your opinion is about masks, we're all in this together," Birsic said.

Birsic, a 56-year-old woman who considers herself physically fit, is now suffering from COVID-19.

It's something she said nobody should ever be ashamed of. She said the only shame is not doing your part to help stop the spread of the virus in the community.

"The disease does not discriminate against anyone," Birsic said. "We have to work together. That's all I will say."

Birsic said she's on day seven of isolation and treating her symptoms with Tylenol and Ibuprofen.

Officials at Blessing Hospital say 24 employees have contracted the virus since March and four nurses are currently out of work, after testing positive.

Birsic said her best advice is to stay in touch with your primary physician, after testing positive to monitor your systems.

She said she plans to return to work, once she is done isolating and has shown no symptoms for 72 hours.

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Nurse with COVID-19 speaks out about experience WGEM - WGEM

Here’s how the new COVID-19 workplace hotline works – KESQ

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Riverside County Public Health has launched a new hotline for coronavirus workplace concerns.

"We first opened this new number for businesses and employees to call last Monday," Brooke Federico with Riverside University Health System told News Channel 3. "We've already taken hundreds of calls," she added.

If you're concerned about COVID-19 spreading at your workplace you can either call (951) 955-5950 or email to covid-19phbizsupport@ruhealth.org

"These are contact tracers who have specific information for businesses related to outbreaks at businesses," Federico said.

Some questions this hotline will answer are: Who needs to get tested? How to clean and sanitize the business. What additional safeguards are needed?

Federico said what this hotline is not meant for.

"This hotline is not for reporting businesses that may be operating outside the state's current orders," she said.

That call would actually go to a separate hotline here: (951)-351-6866

If you do report a business to that line, we asked Federico, what happens next?

"The county would then follow-up and provide an in-person visit to that business just to explain and do the education piece with that business," she said.

If the business still doesn't comply

"We will then involve our county's council office and that may include a cease and desist order or additional court action," she said.

Federico told us the county is currently working to combine these two business numbers so they will eventually be one number to call.

"And because of understandably the potential for confusion is why we want to do one business inquiry line," she said.

News Channel 3 will let you know once that line is ready.

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Here's how the new COVID-19 workplace hotline works - KESQ

COVID-19 safety complaints: What businesses have the most in Hampton Roads? – WAVY.com

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PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) Since mid-June, thousands of complaints about businesses violating Gov. Ralph Northams reopening restrictions have been reported to the Virginia Department of Health.

In Eastern Virginia, 36 percent of the regions complaints have been filed since Northam signaled hed be beefing up enforcement last week.

Since May 29, Virginians ages 10 and up have been required to wear face coverings inside all brick-and-mortar stores, salons and barbershops, on public transportation and anywhere 6 feet of social distancing isnt possible.

The state created anonline system to report violationsof face coverings and select phase 3 restrictions. The form allows a person to list the type of establishment in violation, the name, address, and information pertaining to the violation.

On Tuesday, it was revealed that since the pandemic began, nearly 1,700 complaints have been submitted concerning conditions at just over 1,000 businesses within the Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Western Tidewater and Peninsula Health districts.

The majority of complaints were about restaurants, followed by grocery or convenience stores and then brick-and-mortar retail. The three violations the VDH is tracking are: whether face-coverings are being worn; if social distancing is being adhered to; and if the establishment is overcrowded.

10 On Your Side investigators sifted through the complaints provided by VDH to find the locations and businesses people reported most from the beginning of the pandemic to July 21.

Its important to clarify that complaints from citizens dont necessarily mean the claim was founded by the health department or any enforcement was carried out.

In the case of Macks Barge, they were forced to shut down. However, Barons Pub in Suffolk has remained open.

Dr. Todd Wagner, who oversees the Western Tidewater Health District, says no businesses have been shut down for non-compliance in that district.

Weve not needed to go there yet, Wagner said. Oftentimes, educating the business owner solves the problem.

Wagner said every complaint is looked at and once at least three separate complaints are filed, the health department staff calls the business.

The third complaint, Im going to call them and we are going to walk down the governors checklist, Wagner said. In some cases, we will also do secret shoppers.'

To encourage more businesses to comply, Chesapeake City Manager Chris Price said they are reaching out to businesses with a central message.

Regardless of what you believe, if you mask up, you are helping that small business, you are helping them stay open, you are helping them not going back to phase 2, Price said.

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