-based reporter Ruud Elmendorp was visiting a friend in Tanzania in March when the country confirmed its first COVID-19 infection. Neighboring countries closed their borders, including Kenya, and for the last six weeks, he’s been stuck in Dar es Salaam. Luckily, Elmendorp’s friend runs a beach-side resort, leaving him trapped in paradise
record number of Americans are unemployed as much of the nation’s economy remains at a standstill. Nearly 29-thousand Virginians lost their jobs in March. Bartender Daniel Arden was one of them. He is grateful that he and his daughter are healthy and have not had the coronavirus. But he was denied unemployment benefits and is now behind on rent
Personal Protective Equipment is a term many people have become familiar with since the COVID-19 outbreak a few months ago. There’s a big demand for them around the globe to help protect against the virus. But factories that make the protective gear haven’t been able to keep up with the demand
This is a story about books in an unlikely place, and their struggle to get into the hands of people during a national lockdown. South Africa’s eased lockdown means books are finally available for sale again, but in the nation’s biggest city, with its reputation for speed and hustle, do people care?
Washington, D.C., entrepreneur developed OurStreets, a crowdsourcing app which he has repurposed so that users can share store inventory information and help make shoppers’ trips for essential items more efficient
In Senegal, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the majority-Muslim population normally rushes to bakeries to buy bread for breaking the daily fast. The coronavirus raised the risk of crowds at bakeries spreading the virus, which has more than 1,270 confirmed infections and at least 13 deaths in the West African nation. To halt the pandemic, the government banned the sale of bread at shops and launched a delivery assistance program called “Sell Me Your Bread.”
France will slowly begin unwinding a two-month lockdown next week, but not for its restaurants. A new poll finds the coronavirus pandemic may put nearly one-third of French restaurants out of business – a tragic development if it happens for France, known worldwide for its fine cuisine. From the Paris suburb of Rueil-Malmaison, Lisa Bryant takes a industry’s dilemma — and a pro-bono movement born from the crisis~VOA NEWS
Along with people in many parts of the world, Indonesians have been wearing face masks outdoors to stem the spread of COVID-19. This has proven difficult for people who are deaf or hard of hearing — and that includes an estimated 20,000 Indonesians. To help, one resident in Jogjakarta on the island of Java has created a transparent mask using a sheet of plastic
That resistance is fueled by some of the same people who object to other virus restrictions. The push back has been stoked by President Donald Trump — he didn’t wear a mask during a Tuesday appearance at a facility making them — and some other Republicans, who have flouted rules and questioned the value of masks. It’s a development that has worried experts as Americans are increasingly returning to public spaces.
Vice President Slumber Tsogwane said that based on the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak and the current trajectory of the disease, the administration decided to open the economy albeit incrementally, while observing the disease patterns