Sun. 5/3/20: COVID-19 Daily Update
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
United Air Cuts Work Hours, Spurring Labor Showdown for Next CEO – Bloomberg.
Although United has already received $5 billion in CARES Act bailout money and is applying for another $4.5 billion in low-interest loans, management has announced plans to cut hours for 15,000 workers from 40 to 30 hours per week. The Machinists Union, which represents those workers, argues that this violates the conditions of the CARES Act for companies getting bailout money. United says it is an allowed “reduction in work hours” rather than a furlough.
Trisha Kehaulani Watson: Data, Not Dates, Should Drive Reopening Of Hawaii – Commentary in Honolulu Civil Beat.
Good commentary arguing that the protests demanding reopening are offensive in a place where 98% of Native Hawaiians were killed by introduced diseases.
Battered global tourism industry makes reopening plans – Associated Press.
Excerpt: “Tourism Economics, a data and consulting firm, predicts global travel demand won’t resume its normal pace until 2023.”
Republican-led states signal they could strip workers’ unemployment benefits if they don’t return to work, sparking fresh safety fears – The Washington Post.
Some states—because of corporate lobbying—will do anything to force workers back to work before it’s safe; anything except pay them more money or provide adequate safety protections.
Native Hawaiians Are Losing Out On Millions Of COVID-19 Dollars – Honolulu Civil Beat.
Because there is not currently federal recognition of Native Hawaiian sovereignty, COVID-19 relief money that was set aside for Native American tribes is not available to Native Hawaiians. Trump recently attempted to steer this money away from all Native American tribes and instead give it to for-profit corporations nominally run by Native Americans. The attempt has been unsuccessful so far—it was struck down by a federal judge last week—but the tribes have not yet received any of the money.
“Similar to Times of War”: The Staggering Toll of COVID-19 on Filipino Health Care Workers – ProPublica.
There is a very large number of Filipino-Americans working in the healthcare field. Because of that, and because of the dangerous types of work they often do—work that involves close contact with sick patients—the Filipino community in the U.S. has been hit hard by the pandemic.
World: Cases: 3.5M (+80k). Deaths: 247(+4k)
USA: Cases: 1.15M (+20k). Deaths: 67.6 (+1.3k). Total Tested: 7M (+200k)
Hawaii: Cases: 620 (+0). Deaths: 17 (+1). Hospitalized: 73 (+1). Recovered: 544(+3)
