Monthly Archives: January 2021

Ireland seeks post-Brexit plain sailing with direct shipping to EU – Yahoo News Australia

Posted: January 7, 2021 at 5:41 am

Ireland has ramped up direct shipping routes to mainland Europe since the end of the Brexit transition period, seeking new passages to the EU bypassing freight jams feared at UK borders.

Every year 150,000 trucks use the "UK landbridge" to transport three million tonnes of freight between the Republic and the European mainland.

Trucks sail by roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ferries from Irish ports and mainland Britain, driving onwards to shipping hubs in southeast England, then on to continental Europe.

Britain left the EU in January last year, but remained bound by the bloc's rules until December 31 as it sought to define the terms of its new relationship with Brussels.

Even though tariff- and quota-free trade was secured in a last-minute deal, Britain's exit from Europe's single market and customs union meant an end to frictionless freight transit through UK-EU port borders.

"Declarations, regulatory checks, controls... will now be a factor because the UK has left the EU," warned Tom Talbot, of Irish Revenue, at Dublin Port on Monday.

"Because of that there will be delays."

Many Irish hauliers are already charting new routes guaranteeing freight remains inside the single market and customs union, and outside the scope of delay.

- Rosslare -

Rosslare Europort -- Ireland's second busiest freight hub -- is already running 28 weekly services to or from mainland Europe, up from 10 before the end of the Brexit transition.

In December, Swedish firm Stenaline brought forward plans to double sailings between the southeastern town and Cherbourg in northern France, as coronavirus restrictions blocked lorries entering the country from Britain.

And on Saturday, Danish shipping firm DFDS opened a new route to the French port of Dunkirk, sailing six times weekly in each direction.

All three ro-ro ships departing direct to France on Saturday were fully booked.

Port manager Glenn Carr said on that day alone, Rosslare "more than doubled" the freight moved to mainland Europe throughout the whole first week of 2020.

Story continues

"Demand for those services has been extremely strong", he told AFP.

A further weekly sailing to and from the continent is planned for later in 2021 and Carr said "potential extra services" are already being considered.

- Dublin -

At Dublin Port -- Ireland's busiest hub -- new services to continental Europe have been phased in since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016.

In 2018 and 2019 Luxembourg firm CLdN brought "Brexit-busting" ro-ro ships the MV Celine and MV Laureline to the capital's harbour.

They are the largest freight ferries sailing from the port and travel to and from Zeebrugge in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

In 2018, Dublin Port said it was already seeing a shift as "fast-moving consumer goods" and "temperature-controlled foodstuffs" vulnerable to delays moved onto these routes.

Government agency the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) told AFP that at ports across the nation "there were four new continental ro-ro services introduced in 2020".

The IMDO and Irish government have urged logistics operators to "prepare to switch to direct routes to the continent" in case of post-Brexit disruption.

- Time at sea -

Because these new paths circumnavigate the UK they naturally take longer.

The new Rosslare to Dunkirk route spends 24 hours at sea while a Dublin to Dunkirk trip via the UK landbridge theoretically takes around 13 hours.

In practice, however, drivers have mandated rest periods, face unpredictable road traffic and spend additional blocks of time boarding and disembarking two ferry services.

The margin is thin enough that the prospect of further delays at checks in Irish and French ports sandwiching Britain may be off-putting.

The chief executive of the Irish Exporters Association Simon McKeever said direct routing to Europe "provides more assurance".

Lorry drivers also arrive on the continent fully rested, with a large chunk of driving time open to them to make a speedy arrival at their final destination.

- Post-transition -

The initial days of the new post Brexit transition period were quiet in Dublin Port -- a result of festive period closures and heightened coronavirus restrictions.

Ireland's department of transport said there was also evidence of businesses stockpiling in December, anticipating post-Brexit port disruption which has not yet materialised.

However the capital hub is expecting a steady return to normal traffic in the coming days and weeks, with the first large-scale test of checks on goods transiting the new EU-UK border.

Only then will the scale of delays become fully apparent -- and Irish hauliers can decide whether to cut out the middleman of post-Brexit Britain for good.

jts/phz

Originally posted here:

Ireland seeks post-Brexit plain sailing with direct shipping to EU - Yahoo News Australia

Posted in Yahoo | Comments Off on Ireland seeks post-Brexit plain sailing with direct shipping to EU – Yahoo News Australia

At Today’s Riot, Trump’s Trolls Turned Their Violent Fantasies Into Reality – Mother Jones

Posted: at 5:39 am

Let our journalists help you make sense of the noise: Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter and get a recap of news that matters.

On Wednesday, the United States arrived at peak disinformation singularity. The lines between right-wing conspiracy internet forums and physical reality disappeared. Pro-Trump extremists stormed the Capitol as online trolls who had spent years threatening violence fully realized themselves, making it clear that they had never really been just trolling.

The mob that stormed the capital manifested years worth of posts lodged into unhinged, far-right, conspiracy-laden corners of the internet. Such rhetoric crept toward the mainstream, crossing over into right-wing media, eventually coming out of Trumps own mouth. It won new converts and spread more widely. It finally broke loose on Wednesday, as they did what theyd always said they would.

Through their farcical but all-too-real siege, Trump extremists turned the Capitol into something indistinguishable from the wild plots envisioned on their forums and groups. In the days leading up to the riot, people claiming that they were coming to Washington on Wednesday posted on the thedonald.win like it was 1944 and they were about to get on landing craft headed for the shores of Normandy. Today I had the very difficult conversations with my children, that daddy might not come home from D.C. one wrote. My husbands not happy, and hes going to with me, but I told him that if I say go and leave me behind, that he must do it. No questions asked. I look forward to standing with you on the front lines, another wrote in response.

On similar forums, extremist Trump supporters have been publicly outlining such plans for years: that they will take justice into their own hands by trying to start a second civil war or carrying out citizens arrests.

Ahead of today, experts thought the convening of a broad range of Trump supporters, including extremist groups,would radicalize attendees evenfurther toward the hard right. Their storming of the Capitol all but ensures that will come true, while illustrating the power they have already amassed.

Read this article:

At Today's Riot, Trump's Trolls Turned Their Violent Fantasies Into Reality - Mother Jones

Posted in Singularity | Comments Off on At Today’s Riot, Trump’s Trolls Turned Their Violent Fantasies Into Reality – Mother Jones

Scientists Just Created a Catalyst That Turns CO2 Into Jet Fuel – Singularity Hub

Posted: at 5:39 am

Air travel is one of the worst contributors to global warming, burping out nearly a billion tons of CO2 a year. But what if we could close that circle by converting those greenhouse gases back into jet fuel?

In the face of phenomena like climate change, plastic pollution, deforestation, and land degradation people are increasingly questioning the short-term thinking that underpins our societies. Some have dubbed our current approach a linear economy where we extract raw materials, process them into products, and then dispose of them once theyve outlived their usefulness.

As the global population grows, this strategy is becoming increasingly unsustainable. Thats prompting growing interest in a different model known as the circular economy. Rather than simply discarding our waste, we find ways to reuse it or recycle it into something more useful.

For years now, chemists have been trying to apply this idea to one of the most environmentally damaging sectors of our economy: the aviation industry. Not only do planes emit huge amounts of CO2, they also pump other greenhouse gases like nitrogen oxide directly into the upper atmosphere, where their warming effect is greatly increased.

The fossil fuels they burn to create all these emissions are hydrocarbons, which means they are made up of a combination of carbon and hydrogen. Thats led some to suggest it might be possible to create synthetic versions of these fuels by capturing the CO2 planes produce and combining it with hydrogen extracted with water.

If the energy used to power these reactions came from renewable sources, their production wouldnt lead to any increase in emissions. And when these fuels were burned they would simply be returning CO2 captured from the atmosphere, making the fuel effectively carbon neutral.

Its a nice idea, but the process of turning CO2 into useful fuels is more complex than it might sound. Most efforts so far have required expensive catalystssubstances that boost the speed of a chemical reactionor multiple energy-intensive processing steps, which means the resulting fuel is far pricier than fossil fuels.

Now though, researchers from the University of Oxford have developed a new low-cost catalyst that can directly convert CO2 into jet fuel, which they say could eventually lay the foundation for a circular economy for aviation fuel.

Instead of consuming fossil crude oil, jet aviation fuels and petrochemical starting compounds are produced from a valuable and renewable raw material, namely, carbon dioxide, they write in a paper in Nature Communications.

Within a jet fuel CO2 circular economy, the goods (here the jet fuel) are continually reprocessed in a closed environment, they add. This would not only save the natural fossil resources and preserve the environment, but would also create new jobs, economies, and markets.

Creating jet fuel is particularly challenging because most routes for synthesizing hydrocarbons from CO2 tend to produce smaller molecules with only a few carbon atoms, like methane and methanol. Jet fuels are made up of molecules with many long chains of carbon atoms, and there have been few successful attempts to produce them directly from CO2 without extra processing.

But by combining findings from previous research, the group was able to create a low-cost iron-based catalyst that could produce substantial yields of jet fuel from CO2 and hydrogen. Iron is already commonly used in these kinds of reactions, but they combined it with manganese, which has been shown to boost the activity of iron catalysts, and potassium, which is known to encourage the formation of longer-chain hydrocarbons.

They prepared the catalysts using an approach known as the Organic Combustion Method (OCM), in which the raw ingredients are combined with citric acid to make a slurry that is then ignited at 662F and burned for four hours to create a fine powder. This is a much simpler processing technique than previous approaches, which means it holds promise for industrial applications.

Scaling up this process to meet the demands of the aviation industry wont be easy. Boosting the efficiency of the synthesis step is only one part of the puzzle. Collecting large amounts of CO2 from the air is very tricky, and splitting water to make hydrogen also uses a lot of power.

Plans are already afoot to build a pilot plant that will convert CO2 into jet fuel at Rotterdam Airport in the Netherlands, but as Friends of the Earth campaigner Jorien de Lege told the BBC, scaling up the technology will be a herculean task.

If you think about it, this demonstration plant can produce a thousand liters a day based on renewable energy. Thats about five minutes of flying in a Boeing 747, she said.

Nonetheless, developing a cheap, high-yield catalyst is a major step towards making the idea more feasible. Getting our planes to fly on thin air may sound like a wildly ambitious idea, but that goal has just come a little bit closer.

Image Credit: Free-Photos from Pixabay

See the rest here:

Scientists Just Created a Catalyst That Turns CO2 Into Jet Fuel - Singularity Hub

Posted in Singularity | Comments Off on Scientists Just Created a Catalyst That Turns CO2 Into Jet Fuel – Singularity Hub

Essay: How to read in a restless world – Hindustan Times

Posted: at 5:39 am

Did your New Years resolution include reading more? But do you sometimes find that you have trouble focusing on your reading, especially books in their entirety in ways you did not before? Given the times we live in, I have to say this is quite natural. We can still be passionate readers but our expectations from the practice of reading might just have to shift a little to get attuned to our reality.

I started thinking about this while chatting with one of my students. A first-year in college, born in the 21st century, she is a digital native, someone who has literally not seen a time when the internet wasnt around. She told me that she used to love reading, but in the last couple of years, shes found it hard to focus on her reading. The distractions always steal her away.

Once in a while, digital natives and digital immigrants have the same kinds of problems especially as we move through different phases in our relationship with technology.

Were still trying to read like we used to in the old times; this is true even of the digital natives who are beginning their reading lives in this new reality. There is an existing mode and discourse of reading the only one we have and everybody who reads, especially so-called serious readers, must get initiated into that mode. But what is that mode?

***

Reading:Transforming any space into a private place.(Shutterstock)

The social phenomenon of private reading, as we know it is fairly recent in the history of humanity. While printed texts played a role in ancient China, mainly as scripture and SparkNotes for their version of UPSC exams, ancient and medieval Europe only saw books as rare and precious handwritten manuscripts owned by churches, royalty, and wealthy aristocrats. Sustained reading on a mass scale would have to wait for the popular spread of printed books in the 18th century. Capitalism, by then, would expand to create the modern middle class, who had the literacy, leisure, and purchasing power to buy books on a large enough scale to create and sustain a publishing industry. Hence, was born a modern practice sitting in isolation and reading quietly for a long time, to finish a whole book.

Reading as entertainment reached its peak during the Victorian age especially of long books such as the novel, which eventually went from being a popular genre to the status of high art, unfortunately (but understandably) losing its popularity in the process. Excitement over novels reached a stage where people crowded the New York harbour to pounce on people arriving from England with questions about the next instalment of the serialised Dickens novel that had not yet reached America: Is Little Nell dead? It was the kind of popularity enjoyed by the soap opera in the 20th century and the web-series today. The first techno-generic challenge to the dominance of books as popular entertainment would come in the early 20th century, from the art form of cinema. Cinemas most direct threat was not to reading but to its performative precedent, theatre. But just as the newer art form of photography, with its superior capture of reality, drove the older art of painting to Impressionism, cinema inspired theatre to experimental forms such as epic and expressionism, drawing attention to the flesh-and-blood presence that made it unique.

The 20th-century challenge to the primacy of reading was different in one important way from what would come in the 21st. The former needed full attention, especially back in the days when the only way to watch a film was to enter a dark hall, leaving everything else behind. Real and metaphoric equivalence was offered by the single-screen cinema hall. Multiplex theatres inside shopping malls made movie watching one possibility among many, offering several movies from which one could choose.

That is, possibly, the defining character of culture in the digitized and disembodied 21st century: consuming multiple cultural experiences at the same time. I remember an editorial argument in n+1 magazine from a few years ago that said something similar: that we are now more likely to read something while also listening to music, enjoy a joke or a debate on social media in between a movie streaming on our iPad. Its a technologically-curated version of older pleasures such as enjoying fine wine with poetry, or mead with the minstrels. The print-era singularity of the artistic experience will be replaced by a more pluralized, fragmented, and differently fulfilling experience.

Author Saikat Majumdar(Tribuvan Tiwari)

That is what I told my student: that I, too, have lost the old-world concentration I had from the time multisensory digital distractions were in my case unavailable (as opposed to her situation of usage-restriction). My body is too restless. Its used to multiple activities, multiple buttons, multiple screens. But my personal solution to the problem has been lasting and effective. I walk around the house with my book or e-reader. The restless energy gets channelled in my movement while I keep my mind drowned in language. For those who are able to do this, I highly recommend it!

I think we need to accept that the way to read in an older world with long, undivided attention, as a singular activity wont be available to us most of the time. Its okay to read while finishing a 45-minute lap on your cross-trainer; its okay to read with music in the background, our mind swimming between sound and sentence. Its okay to love the beauty of physical books while actually doing most of your reading with e-readers, with multiple options stored in its screen. All of this not because were busier because thats always an excuse but because something fundamentally has shifted in our sensibility, and it needs to contain multiple energies even while it tends to a classic love, that of reading.

The modernity of print gifted us the singularity of a beautiful artistic and intellectual experience. To celebrate it in our restless present, we can turn that restlessness into multiple windows of experience, simultaneously enjoyable.

Saikat Majumdars books include the novels The Firebird and The Scent of God, and the nonfiction, College.

Read the rest here:

Essay: How to read in a restless world - Hindustan Times

Posted in Singularity | Comments Off on Essay: How to read in a restless world – Hindustan Times

Music Critic Praises BTS Vs Voice + Says He is a Vital Part of The Groups Musical Identity – Kpopstarz

Posted: at 5:39 am

BTS member V is one of the most distinguishable voices in the group and has been praised by critics for his deep, husky baritone. Recently, a member of the Selection Committee for Korean Music Awards, Kim Young Dae, praised BTS for his amazing vocals.

(Photo : BTS Twiter)

In a detailed review that goes deep in-depth on the individual contribution of all seven members of BTS to their success, Kim Young Dae gushes about V's voice, claiming it is an integral part of the boy band's identity.

To start his comments on BTS member V, Kim Young Da e talks about wishing this period with the coronavirus would pass so that he could listen to his solo song, "Inner Child", in a large stadium with many fans. He claims that the song is a hymn of youth, a beautiful confession that he knows has to be satisfied listening through his headphones.

(Photo : BTS Twitter)

He goes on to say that while BTS's songs are not remembered due to one overpowering voice, V has something special about him. The idol has a gifted tone and vocal, solidifying his importance in BTS's musical identity. He goes on to say that he, as a man, envies V's deep baritone voice. His voice was described as low but too low, full of volume and texture that stuns people with its crisp clarity, and is undeniably soulful and is impossible to mimic.

It is difficult to find the words to explain V's voice, but it only takes seconds to identify the tone of his voice. V's solo song, "Singularity," is both sensual and captivating. It is a song that cannot be heard anywhere else. It is a neo-soul that is unconventional, eliciting a new interest in V as a vocal.

(Photo : BTS Twitter)

V's emotional vocals in "Epilogue: Young Forever", a song that is said to embody BTS's identity itself, and his fervent voice in "Save Me", are some of his remarkable moments in BTS as a vocalist. In songs like "DNA", V's low, stable, and pure voice became an important element to people listening to the song, as he perfectly practices musical narrations.

In a group, where each member has a limit and needs to take in their own part, it is difficult to know V's charms just from BTS's music. That is why it is vital to listen to V's solo song, which gives us a sense of winter. Songs like "Scenery" or "Winter Bear" show V's charm perfectly; not only his vocals or his deep baritone, it also shows how he effortlessly shows his feelings and his sensitivity.

(Photo : BTS Twitter)

Kim Young Dae praises V as having a voice that is perfect for a movie soundtrack, as he is able to calmy deliver the emotion of the song. "It is just like his personality", the music critic concludes.

Kim Young Dae is not the only critic who has praised V's vocals. Bianca Mndez praised V's solo song "Singularity", which was the opening track of BTS's "Love Yourself: Tear", saying that the song was a prominent "tone-setter" on the album. Katie Goh of VICE has also praised "Singularity", saying that it was one of V's best vocal performances to date.

Do you like V's voice? Tell us in the comments below!

For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this

Written by Alexa Lewis

Read the rest here:

Music Critic Praises BTS Vs Voice + Says He is a Vital Part of The Groups Musical Identity - Kpopstarz

Posted in Singularity | Comments Off on Music Critic Praises BTS Vs Voice + Says He is a Vital Part of The Groups Musical Identity – Kpopstarz

The Coronavirus Is Mutating: What We Know About the New Variants – Healthline

Posted: at 5:33 am

A few weeks ago, news broke that a more transmissible strain of the coronavirus, the B.1.1.7 lineage, has been circling around the United Kingdom.

The strain, thought to be up to 70 percent more transmissible than the original strain, thrust the United Kingdom into a lockdown. And the B.1.1.7 lineage has already been detected in several locations in the United States.

On Jan. 4, South African health officials announced they, too, have detected a new, seemingly more contagious strain.

Its no surprise that the coronavirus has mutated thats what viruses do. Most mutations are useless, but every so often, a mutation will improve a viruss ability to infect people.

Given the swift spread of the new variants, experts suspect the new strains contain mutations that make it easier for the virus to bind to our cells.

Theres currently no evidence the variants will affect the efficacy of the vaccines or cause a more severe illness.

Still, more studies are needed to understand the mutations and the impact they could have on the pandemic.

All viruses mutate often. Typically, the mutations arent functional and have no significant impact on the behavior of the virus.

As viruses mutate, their chance of survival increases. That is, the more diverse a species is, the more chances it has to survive, said Dr. Benjamin Neuman, a virologist at Texas A&M University Texarkana.

Mostly the changes are bad for each individual virus, but together, a population of weaker but more diverse viruses has a better chance of survival than the same sized population of identical viruses, Neuman said.

Sometimes, those mutations can improve the performance of the virus, as we may be seeing with the new variants detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Just like a good engineer can usually find a way to optimize a machine, mutations can change the speed with which parts of a virus work, Neuman said.

Called the B.1.351 lineage, the new strain identified in South Africa is thought to be more transmissible.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the variant replaced other leading strains circulating around the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces in November.

The strain has also been associated with a higher viral load, further suggesting its more transmissible than previous strains.

Some medical experts have sounded the alarm that the variant could potentially be resistant to vaccines or medications.

Theres no evidence that suggests the new variant in South Africa wont respond to the vaccines, experts say. Researchers will need to follow the variant to determine if it may reduce vaccine performance.

One of the mutations involves the spike protein, the piece of the virus that binds to receptors in our cells.

The vaccine immunizes people against the spike protein, which is why some infectious disease experts have expressed concern.

But the vaccine induces a broad immune response that will likely be able to recognize and respond to most variants.

I think its highly unlikely that theres going to be a variant that the vaccine completely doesnt touch, said Dr. Ellen F. Foxman, PhD, an immunologist and Yale Medicine Laboratory Medicine physician.

However, antibody treatment may not work as well if the virus has mutated, according to former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. Antibody treatment consists of using antibodies taken from people who had COVID-19 to treat new patients.

The new strain identified in the United Kingdom, thats now also swarming around the United States, is thought to be up to 70 percent more infectious than the original variant dominating outbreaks in the United Kingdom.

Known as the B.1.1.7 lineage, the strain has caused the majority of cases in southern England and has been linked to an uptick in hospitalizations.

Its also caused a spike in infections among people under 20.

According to the WHO, like the variant detected in South Africa, the strain in the United Kingdom has mutations in the spike protein.

A more transmissible variant will inevitably make the pandemic harder to control. Though the strain isnt thought to cause a more severe disease, it could lead to more cases overall, along with more illness, hospitalizations, and deaths.

At this point, scientists believe the vaccines will be effective against the strain originally detected in the United Kingdom.

Neuman said the variants seem to be spreading more rapidly, and thats the one thing we can be certain of.

When you read about scientists suggesting things the new strain might do, you are really just seeing how an early step in the scientific process works we think, worry, spitball, imagine, hypothesize, and just wander through a series of what ifs until we hit on a question that might be answered with an experiment, Neuman said.

More research is needed to conclude if the spike protein mutations are whats causing the strains to be more transmissible and if the mutations could impact vaccine efficacy.

Foxman suspects there may be other mechanisms at play.

Other contributing factors, such as the populations habits and behavior, will need to be looked at, Foxman said.

Additionally, the virus is already transmitting faster because its more widespread than it was in March. When a greater percentage of the population is infected, viruses have an easier time spreading.

The evidence is all based on epidemiology, Foxman said. Its based on looking at the fact that this strain has spread more and been a higher proportion of cases than other genetic strains of the virus.

We dont yet have proof that the virus is biologically better at infecting our cells, Foxman added.

If the messenger RNA vaccines end up being less effective against variants, they can be quickly reworked to target new sequences.

Thats a big advantage of that type of vaccine, Foxman said, noting this scenario could introduce delays in the vaccine manufacturing and distribution processes.

SARS-CoV-2 remains about as preventable as a speeding ticket, no matter which variant we are talking about, Neuman said.

Wearing a mask thats tightly sealed around your face, washing your hands, and keeping a physical distance from others, especially in a crowded setting, can decrease your risk of developing COVID-19.

Those same things work no matter what the virus is, Foxman said.

Theres a lot to learn about the new variants. In the meantime, its best to stay vigilant as new strains arise.

Two new variants of the coronavirus have recently been detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Due to mutations on the spike protein, the part of the virus that binds to our cells, both strains are thought to be more transmissible than previous strains.

More research is needed to determine if and how the mutations impact the viruss behavior.

Experts continue to stress the importance of wearing a mask, practicing physical distancing, and washing our hands. These measures will likely protect against all variants.

More here:

The Coronavirus Is Mutating: What We Know About the New Variants - Healthline

Posted in Corona Virus | Comments Off on The Coronavirus Is Mutating: What We Know About the New Variants – Healthline

Rest in peace: Cy-Fair teacher’s aid, Vietnam War survivor was victim of the coronavirus pandemic – KHOU.com

Posted: at 5:33 am

Linh was the most loving and caring wife and mother to her family. A bright light and loved by all..."

HOUSTON Family, friends, colleagues and students are remembering a Cypress-Fairbanks ISD teacher's aid who recently passed away, a reported victim of the coronavirus pandemic, according to her online obituary.

She was the pillar of our family, Christine Truong said of her mother, 69-year-old Linh Phuong Le. Truong said her mother was also her best friend.

"She was just everything to us, Truong said.

The school district did not comment specifically on the death of Linh, who also went by the name Marie, but they sent a letter to the community regarding the loss of the beloved Kirk Elementary School staff member. She worked at the school for five years, according to the district.

According to her obituary, Linh was born in Hi Phng, Vietnam. She was a young child when she and her family escaped communism and fled into South Vietnam. Her family survived the Vietnam War and Fall of Saigon they made multiple attempts to escape, finally getting out of the country in the early 80s.

I mean, shes a tough lady," Truong said. "She survived, you know, traveling here to escape communism. I cant believe COVID ended up getting her.

She and her family came to the United States. Linh met and married her husband, Nguyn Dang Linh, and moved with him to Houston in 1982. They had two children.

Truong said she dies after a brief, but rapidly worsening, case of COVID-19.

"They gave us the opportunity to do like a Zoom feed for our family and friends to see her before she flatlined, Truong said.

She passed away on Sunday, Jan. 3 at Methodist West Hospital.

A victim of the coronavirus pandemic, she was not allowed to have her family members in attendance, however, an online group viewing was provided for the family before her death, the funeral home noted.

Linh was the most loving and caring wife and mother to her family. A bright light and loved by all, most knew Linh for her sweet smile, kind words, and thoughtful gifts.

Linh spent the last few years working as a paraprofessional at Cy-Fair ISDs Kirk Elementary School which called her beloved and dedicated in a letter to families.

"A far as I know, this was the first campus-based death in Cy-Fair ISD, said CFISD American Federation of Teachers president Nikki Cowart.

The union protested in-person learning plans at the beginning of the year and even filed a lawsuit. Cowart said illness and death due to COVID-19 are constant reminders of the importance of staying safe.

"Weve started some safety committees in different feeder patterns to share best practices best ideas, Cowart said.

Linh's family didn't know where she may have gotten COVID. They only wished, like many school employees, that a vaccine was readily available.

I dont think she contracted from the school, but who knows?" Truong said. "I mean, its just so hard to trace it.

This is the letter released by the school district:

It is with deep regret that we inform you that one of the beloved members of the Kirk family, Ms. Linh Le, died Sunday, January 3rd. Ms. Le has been a dedicated paraprofessional at Kirk elementary for five years. She worked to support many students across all grade levels; your child may been directly helped by her throughout the year or may have known her as the smiling face in class. Our entire school community is suffering the loss of our friend and colleague. Her love of students and enthusiasm for learning will be deeply missed.

As adults, we are well aware of the substantial emotional impact that follows the death of a loved one or friend. Due to the age of your child, this may be the first time he or she has experienced the death of someone close. Because of this, we wanted to provide you with the opportunity to talk with him or her about it this evening. Children experiencing this type of event for the first time might be frightened or overwhelmed. They will most likely be looking to you for emotional strength and guidance. We encourage you to listen to your child and to be prepared to answer his or her questions simply and honestly. We are working together with our Crisis Response Team to offer support to the students and staff at school. Included with this email is some information that may be helpful for you to use at home. Please feel free to contact us if you need additional assistance.

Counselors and other support staff will be available at the campus tomorrow (Jan. 06) and will continue to be available to students, teachers, and parents as needed. If you should have further questions or concerns, please dont hesitate to contact us at the Kirk Elementary School main number (713-849-8250). I know you will join us in keeping this family in your thoughts.

We appreciate your support during this difficult time.

See the article here:

Rest in peace: Cy-Fair teacher's aid, Vietnam War survivor was victim of the coronavirus pandemic - KHOU.com

Posted in Corona Virus | Comments Off on Rest in peace: Cy-Fair teacher’s aid, Vietnam War survivor was victim of the coronavirus pandemic – KHOU.com

Coronavirus Tracker: Record number of patients hospitalized in Bexar County for COVID-19 treatment – KENS5.com

Posted: at 5:33 am

Facts not fear: We're tracking the latest numbers from the coronavirus pandemic in San Antonio and across Texas.

SAN ANTONIO We're tracking the latest numbers from the coronavirus pandemic in San Antonio and across Texas. Here are the latest numbers reported by Bexar and surrounding counties:

More county case information is available through theTexas Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard.

Stay updated with our latest information on coronavirus vaccines and local vaccine distribution with our ongoing Vaccine Tracker.

How Bexar County is trending

We've tracked how many coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Bexar County from the time officials began reporting cases in March 2020. The graphic below shows the number of cases since June and charts those daily case numbers along a 7-day moving average to provide a more accurate picture of the overall coronavirus case curve in our area and the direction we're trending amid the pandemic.

On Tuesday evening, Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported an additional 2,152 cases of the novel coronavirus in Bexar County, raising the case total to 124,800. Local officials said that number represents a high mark for newly-reported cases in the county and raised the seven-day rolling average to 1,457 newly reported cases per day.

Five additional deaths from COVID-19 complications were added to the county's death toll, which rose to 1,574 fatalities Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a record number of COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized in Bexar County. Local hospitals reported 181 new admissions overnight, raising the number of patients currently hospitalized to 1,318. It's the first time that number has been above 1,300; the previous high watermark for local hospitalizations was 1,267 in July.

Of the 1,318 patients receiving treatment, 369 patients are in intensive care and 185 are on ventilators. Two patients from El Paso remain hospitalized in Bexar County.

Currently, 33.6% of all hospital patients in Bexar County have COVID-19. Earlier this week, city officials also reported that the local positivity rate has increased by four percentage points over the last week to 23.2%.

Coronavirus in Texas

The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the state since the pandemic began grew by 31,630 on Tuesday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. That total includes 26,543 new confirmed cases, 3,637 new probable cases and 1,450 cases attributed to backlogs not previously reported in the state's total (more details can be found at the top of this page). Tuesday marks just the second time the state has reported more than 30,000 new COVID-19 cases.

As of Tuesday, more than 1.843 million Texans have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

State health authorities also reported 250 additional virus-related deaths on Tuesday. At least 28,219 Texans have died from COVID-19 complications.

Meanwhile, the number of Texans receiving treatment at hospitals for coronavirus symptoms on Tuesday to 13,308, marking another record high. Hospitalizations have risen by 45% since Dec. 1, a continuation of a fall/winter coronavirus surge that began in early October and continues to trend in the wrong direction.

The state estimates that about 1.488 million Texans have recovered, while 314,465 Texans remain ill with COVID-19.

The latest update from the Texas Education Agency showed that there have been at least 98,601 cumulative cases among staff and students across the state through Dec. 20. That number comprises 62,675 positive student cases and 35,926 staff cases. More information can be found here.

The TEA releases new data on school cases on Fridays.

Latest Coronavirus Headlines

Coronavirus symptoms

The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.

But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.

But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.

Experts determined there was consistent evidence these conditions increase a person's risk, regardless of age:

The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.

Human coronaviruses are usually spread...

Help stop the spread of coronavirus

Find a Testing Location

City officials recommend getting a COVID-19 test if you experience fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.

San Antonio operates several no-cost testing locations, including two walk-up locations open Monday-Sunday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.:

Cuellar Community Center5626 San Fernando St.San Antonio, TX 78237

Ramirez Community Center1011 Gillette Blvd.San Antonio, TX 78224

Additionally, Freeman Coliseum offers drive-through no-cost testing from Monday through Sunday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. An appointment is required and can be made either onlineor by calling (833) 213-0643.

Here's a Testing Sites Locatorto help you find the testing location closest to you in San Antonio. And here are the dates and times that city-run testing sites will be operating over the holidays.

See the original post:

Coronavirus Tracker: Record number of patients hospitalized in Bexar County for COVID-19 treatment - KENS5.com

Posted in Corona Virus | Comments Off on Coronavirus Tracker: Record number of patients hospitalized in Bexar County for COVID-19 treatment – KENS5.com

Ohios coronavirus nursing home deaths top 5,000 with 203 added this week – cleveland.com

Posted: at 5:33 am

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Ohio Department of Health has reported nearly 1,000 coronavirus deaths to patients of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities over the last four weeks, including 203 reported Wednesday.

With the total now reaching 5,059 since the onset of coronavirus in Ohio about a year ago, the long-term care facilities account for 54% of all known COVID-19 deaths in the state.

The state health department in its weekly update for the facilities reported 3,785 current cases involving patients, and another 2,427 involving long-term care facility staff. Current cases are defined as those active during the seven-day period ending Tuesday.

The state began tracking nursing home cases by facility on April 15. There have been 39,667 patient cases and 27,529 staff cases since then.

The health department each Wednesday provides updates on deaths by county and cases by facility for the long-term care facilities. Facility-by-facility details can be found below.

This weeks report listed 4,690 deaths for cases since April 15. Separately, the department has said another 369 patient deaths pre-date the start of the more detailed tracking on April 15.

Among the deaths since April 15, with the most are Franklin (429), Cuyahoga (389), Summit (380), Lucas (249), Mahoning (206) and Stark (204).

Below is a list of case totals by facility. If you are having trouble viewing the list, use this link instead.

Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. See other data-related stories at cleveland.com/datacentral.

Previous stories

What you need to know about the new stimulus checks, and $300 extra weekly in unemployment benefits: Thats Rich! Q&A

Mapping Ohios coronavirus cases, updates, trends: hospitalizations down, but December sets record for deaths

See how many coronavirus vaccines in your county Ohio reports have been administered

Excerpt from:

Ohios coronavirus nursing home deaths top 5,000 with 203 added this week - cleveland.com

Posted in Corona Virus | Comments Off on Ohios coronavirus nursing home deaths top 5,000 with 203 added this week – cleveland.com

Keeping coronavirus at bay, Vietnam revs up economy to race ahead of rivals – Reuters

Posted: at 5:33 am

* More growth in view for one of few countries to expand in 2020

* Strict virus controls a boost for investment appeal vs peers

* Two free trade deals in 2020; manufacturers lured from China

* Vietnam funds cite ease in attracting foreign investment

HANOI, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Vietnams success in curbing the coronavirus so far, while its Southeast Asia neighbours struggle, is helping the country power ahead in economic growth and attracting funds, foreign investors, experts and analysts say.

Its strength in containing the pandemic saw it build on the foundations of two free trade agreements signed in 2020, also outpacing peers in luring manufacturers moving production out of China because of the Beijing-Washington trade war. Vietnam was one of the worlds few countries to record growth last year - well down on 2019, but still a 2.9% expansion.

Vietnam watchers expect the country to ride high as long as it keeps the virus - resurgent in many countries - at bay. Thanks to rigorously targeted testing, a centralised quarantine programme and early border closures, Vietnams coronavirus tally stands at just over 1,500 cases and 35 deaths to date - far fewer than any comparable country given its population of nearly 98 million.

The successful management of the pandemic to date has already enabled the country to capture a larger share of global trade and FDI (foreign direct investment) during 2020, said Carolyn Turk, the World Banks country director in Vietnam.

Parliament has set an economic growth target of 6% for this year, but Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, looking to extend his term or rise up the Communist Party of Vietnams ranks, said last month that Vietnam would target 6.5%.

At WHA Group, a Thai logistics firm which has expanded its industrial estate business in Vietnam, chairwoman Jareeporn Jarukornsakul said investors who had wanted to relocate operations to Thailand from China had not been able to do so because the coronavirus had spread in Thailand.

While infrastructure and regulatory issues are worse in Vietnam than in Thailand, she said, Costs are cheap in Vietnam and its government is very quick with investment, allowing provinces to issue their own regulations and investment incentives.

Still, there is much work to be done, even if the country does retain its prowess in handling the coronavirus: Vietnam suffers from a lack of highly-skilled labour, its dated bureaucracy is in need of digitisation and there is an over-reliance on polluting coal imports to fuel development.

But the cocktail of positives flowing through the economy currently has left foreign-invested asset managers in Vietnam able to raise significant amounts, for example, with some reporting oversubscribed funds.

On Monday, Ho Chi Minh City-based Mekong Capital said it had raised $246 million for its largest-ever fund - nearly 25% more than the original target of $200 million.

Dominic Scriven, chairman of Vietnamese asset manager Dragon Capital said a combination of the countrys trade deals, more cash in the economy and political stability had underpinned better-than-expected interest across three new funds launched by his firm.

We were very pleasantly surprised by the market uptake, said Scriven.

That extra cash, along with savings accounts offering declining interest rates after three cuts in the central banks policy rate since March, has created a surge in local stock market investors.

The number of new investors has increased so much that the benchmark Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange has been forced to halt afternoon trading in order to process the surge.

Development was also boosted by the two free trade deals signed last year: the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the worlds largest trading block, and an agreement with Britain modelled on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which Vietnam ratified in June.

Hanoi also has bilateral trade deals with both South Korea and Japan, its largest sources of foreign direct investment, and is a signatory to the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The trade deal push has given it an advantage over some of its regional competitors. The EVFTA in particular has put Vietnam clearly on the map, said Sven Schneider, Chief Executive of the EU-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce.

Malaysia, on the other hand, is only waking up to this missed opportunity now, said Schneider.

WHA Groups Jareeporn also said the EVFTA had given Vietnam an advantage. If an industry needs cheap labour, its definitely going to Vietnam, Jareeporn said.

In the short term, Vietnam is well placed to pull ahead of its regional rivals in 2021, just as it holds a massive Communist Party meeting to select a new leadership later this month.

Its safe, the government functions smoothly, and in face of impediments like COVID the country rises to the challenge without hesitation and wins, Chad Ovel, partner at Mekong Capital, said.

Vietnam has clearly earned its position as the most attractive investment destination in Southeast Asia.

Reporting by James Pearson; Additional reporting by Phuong Nguyen and Khanh Vu in Hanoi, Liz Lee in Kuala Lumpur and Chayut Setboonsarng and Orathai Sriring in Bangkok; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell

Read the original here:

Keeping coronavirus at bay, Vietnam revs up economy to race ahead of rivals - Reuters

Posted in Corona Virus | Comments Off on Keeping coronavirus at bay, Vietnam revs up economy to race ahead of rivals – Reuters