A version of this story appeared in the June 1 edition of CNN’s Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction newsletter. Sign up here to receive the need-to-know headlines every weekday.
America is grappling with dual pandemics: The coronavirus. And racism.
The difference between the two is that the coronavirus may one day be cured by a vaccine, writes John Blake.
The death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has brought thousands of people out of their homes and onto the streets in cities across America to protest police brutality, reflecting the outrage and grief in communities of color, which have been disproportionately affected by the disease.
African Americans across the nation are being infected and dying at higher rates from Covid-19. They have also been more likely to lose their jobs, or risk their lives to perform low-paid hourly work.
The unrest comes as many states are just beginning to lift lockdown orders, raising fears over new coronavirus outbreaks in a country that has already seen more than 100,000 people die of the virus.
Still, from Atlanta to New York and Los Angeles, protesters have emerged in dozens of cities despite the risks, many of them wearing face coverings to protect themselves against the virus, and tear gas.
“I think this week, more than any week, it is so important to call attention to the racial disparities that many of us in the public health community have been talking about for months,” Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency room physician and researcher at Brown University, told CNN. “It’s tied up with our country’s history of structural racism.”
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED
Q: How can we protest safely?
A: “I think masks are a critical part of it,” Ashish Jha, a professor of global health at Harvard, said on CNN yesterday. Politicians, physicians and public health experts are warning that crowds of demonstrators could spark a surge in new Covid-19 cases. Jha and others have stressed the importance of masks, and physical distancing, during demonstrations. But, the reality is that personal space is almost nonexistent at protests. The World Health Organization has also released this new guidance for mass gatherings: “In the context of Covid-19, mass gatherings are events that could amplify the transmission of the virus and potentially disrupt the host country’s response capacity.” It also said large events offered benefits, too, such as boosting psychological wellbeing. If you are going to be around a lot of people, WHO had this advice: Remember cough etiquette and hand hygiene practices.
Send your questions here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you’re facing: +1 347-322-0415.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY
Lockdowns lift despite warnings
From Moscow to Manila, lockdowns are lifting even as infection rates are on the rise, raising fears of a second wave. Scientists have warned that reopening the economy too soon, without taking proper precautions, will unleash new, uncontrollable outbreaks — but that hasn’t stopped governments from pushing ahead with their plans.
India has started its three-phase plan to ease nationwide restrictions, even as officials reported a record daily jump in coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, the country’s overworked rural health care workers are pushing for more pay.
In England, health officials issued a desperate plea to stop ministers easing restrictions today, warning that the new rules allowing six people to meet together outdoors were “not supported by science” and that the country was ill-prepared to deal with a surge in cases.
South America cases surge
Things continue to look bleak in the world’s newest Covid-19 epicenter. Brazil has now recorded more than 514,000 cases of the virus, more than any country except for the US. Meanwhile, the number of cases recorded in hard-hit Peru rose to over 164,000 yesterday.
Hurricane season is going to look different this year
When disaster strikes, state emergency officials prepare for the worst-case scenarios. But most plans don’t include a hurricane season coinciding with a ravaging pandemic that drains resources and shows no signs of slowing down.
As hurricane season officially starts today, Florida and other states along the Atlantic coast are faced with the daunting reality, and are rewriting nearly every aspect of their storm preparedness.
Moms are doing the most
Parenting these past few months has been immensely hard for both mothers and fathers, with the pandemic putting unprecedented demands on families around the world. But as we mark UN Global Day of Parents today, it’s clear that it’s moms that are doing most of the heavy lifting and may ultimately end up paying the biggest price, writes Katie Hunt.
Mothers are only able to do one hour of uninterrupted work for every three hours done by dads, according to new research from the UK that also found mothers taking on more chores and spending more time with children in homes where there is both a working mother and father.
Holy sites reopening
Life is beginning to return to normal at some of the world’s most prominent places of worship. One of the holiest sites in Jerusalem, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, reopened yesterday morning for the first time in more than two months. The compound is the holiest site in the world for Jews and the third-holiest site for Muslims. Crowds also returned to St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City as Pope Francis gave his traditional greeting from his window for the first time since lockdown began in Italy nearly three months ago.
ON OUR RADAR
- A 103-year-old Massachusetts woman who recovered from Covid-19, told nurses to “Get the hell out” of her room after she tested negative. They still let her celebrate with a favorite drink: A cold Bud Light. 3
- Britain’s 94-year-old Queen has made her first public appearance since the coronavirus lockdown began in the UK. And it was on horseback.
- Some good news: Despite four weeks of loosened restrictions, the number of Covid-19 cases in Italy is continuing to decline.
- After lifting its lockdown, South Korea saw a spike in cases. Nearly two dozen infections have been linked by public health officials to several small churches.
- Japanese electronics giant Hitachi has announced that working-from-home will be the new norm from 2021, surprising many in Japan — a country famous for its demanding work culture, where “salarymen” clock in up to 80 hours a week.
- Retailers in Tokyo are embracing thermal imaging cameras as a way to quickly scan multiple customers for fevers. The tech is expected to play a big part in Japan’s reopening.
- When five Hawaii fishermen took to sea, they had one goal in mind: Feeding their local health care workers. Boy did they deliver (220 pounds of tuna).
TOP TIPS
Playdates and the pandemic: Can kids safely meet up? As the weather brightens and states begin to reopen, some parents are relaxing strict rules around social distancing and allowing their kids to play with others. But in a world in which scientific research is politicized — and changing every day — it’s hard to tell how risky playdates are and what’s OK. If you are going to embark on playdates, it seems that it’s better to do so outside. There’s speculation that swimming is a safer activity, but outbreaks following pool parties seem to prove otherwise. Here’s what you need to know to keep your kids safe.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“It’s like riding a roller coaster in the dark. There’s no game plan. There’s no protocol.” — CNN producer Lou Foglia
When a family member is hospitalized with Covid-19, often a single relative is chosen to be the primary line of communication between doctors and the rest of the family. On today’s podcast, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with Foglia about his experience navigating his father’s hospital stay. Listen Now.