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May 15 (GMT) – May 16 (aEST), 2020

AUSTRALIAUKUSA

Trump to prep for pandemics

President Donald Trump says he intends to prepare the country for future pandemics by restocking the national stockpile and bringing critical manufacturing back to the US. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” Trump said during a visit to a Pennsylvania distributor of medical equipment. “My goal is to produce everything America needs for ourselves and then export to the world, including medicines.”

Mannequins to aid social dining

One of the most renowned US restaurants says mannequins will add a touch of whimsy and help with social distancing when customers return to its grand dining room later this month. Mannequins dressed in fine 1940’s-style attire were already theatrically staged at The Inn at Little Washington, tucked in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains about 90 minutes west of Washington, DC.

Markets see us as a ‘good bet’

The economy may have posted the weakest set of employment figures on record – with the worst yet to come – but financial markets still see Australia as a “good bet,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison says. Morrison’s comment came after a national cabinet meeting, which was briefed by the Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy, Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chair Wayne Byres.

Virus testing a ‘shambles’

The government’s approach to coronavirus testing has been labelled a “shambles” as it emerged that just 1500 contact tracers out of a promised 18,000 had been appointed by the start of the week. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said while “about 15,000” applications have been received, only 1500 people had been hired for the program which is seen as key to allowing the UK to lift the most stringent lockdown measures.

Brexit talks remain deadlocked

Talks between the European Union and the United Kingdom on their future relationship in the wake of Brexit have ground to a near-standstill despite the urgency for progress before a summit next month. The UK’s chief negotiator, David Frost, said that “we have made very little progress towards agreement on the most significant outstanding issues”. The two sides remained at odds over a range of key issues including fishing and the role of high courts.

China ‘must respect Aussie values’

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared China must respect Australia’s values and national interests as the coronavirus places incredible strain on diplomatic relations. Australia’s calls for a global inquiry into the origins of coronavirus have infuriated the Chinese government, which has suspended beef imports from four abattoirs and threatened to slap huge tariffs on Australian barley.

AUSTRALIAUKUSA

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRAnK newS

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May 15 (GMT) – May 16 (aEST), 2020

new ZeALAnDeUROPeReST OF The wORLD

Europe relaxes, flares elsewhere

germany and several other European countries where the coronavirus spread has slowed are moving ahead with relaxing border restrictions, while flare-ups in Mexico and Brazil served as a reminder the pandemic is far from over. Slovenia, which has been gradually easing strict lockdown measures, declared that the spread of the virus is now under control and that European Union residents could now enter from Austria, Italy and Hungary.

Anti-malaria drug doesn’t help

Evidence from two new studies does not support the use of anti-inflammatory drug hydroxychloroquine to treat patients with Covid-19. A study from France found that it did not help significantly reduce admission to intensive care or death in patients hospitalised with pneumonia due Covid-19. US President Donald Trump repeatedly promoted it as a possible treatment, but it has not been proven safe for use in Covid-19 patients.

Big-spending budget delivered

A ‘rolling maul’ of support or a multi-billion dollar slush fund: views on the NZ budget have been shaped by the election looming in just four months. With an election due on September 19, Jacinda Ardern’s government decided to hold its budget as planned, rather than kick it down the road. The result was the announcement of a funding envelope rather than the funding itself as Finance Minister grant Robertson attempts to maintain an agile response to Covid-19.

You failed us, doctors tell Macron

French doctors have faced off with President Emmanuel Macron at a leading Paris hospital, demanding more investment and a rethink of the country’s once-renowned public health system that found itself quickly overwhelmed by tens of thousands of virus patients. Macron acknowledged mistakes in reforming the national hospital system, which has faced years of cost cuts, leaving medical facilities short of staff, masks and breathing machines.

Virus robs funerals of spirit

Normally, Italian funerals can involve the whole town. Mourners form a procession, sometimes blocks long. When a coffin is carried out of church after a funeral service, applause rings out as those who couldn’t fit inside offer one last salute. But coronavirus containment rules have put a halt to these practices, cherished for centuries, as funeral gatherings were banned to avoid contagion.

First new virus case in four days

New Zealand has recorded one new confirmed case of Covid-19, after three days in a row of no cases. The Ministry of Health said the total number of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand had risen to 1498, of which 1148 are confirmed. The confirmed case was linked to the Marist cluster in Auckland and was identified through recent follow-up testing of the school community.

new ZeALAnDeUROPeReST OF The wORLD

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRAnK newS

FULL STORIES START ON PAgE 6

3

May 15 (GMT) – May 16 (aEST), 2020

USA

Mannequins at the Inn at Little Washington in Virginia. – AP

Restaurant mannequins to ease social diningOne of the most renowned US restaurants says mannequins will add a touch of whimsy and help with social distancing when customers return to its grand dining room later this month.

Mannequins dressed in fine 1940’s-style attire were already theatrically staged at The Inn at Little Washington, tucked in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains about 90 minutes west of Washington, DC.

Although business restrictions are set to begin easing in some parts of Virginia, restaurants can only serve dine-in customers in an outdoor space. The three-Michelin-star restaurant has opted to wait until May 29 to resume dining service indoors.

“When we needed to solve the problem of social distancing and reducing our restaurant’s occupancy by half, the solution seemed obvious – fill it with interestingly dressed dummies,” chef and proprietor Patrick O’Connell said.

“This would allow plenty of space between real guests and elicit a few smiles and provide some fun photo ops.”

O’Connell, a self-taught cook, has won multiple James Beard Awards and was the 2019 recipient of the James Beard Foundation’s lifetime achievement award. He was also awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2019.

“We’re all craving to gather and see other people right now,” O’Connell said.

“They don’t all necessarily need to be real people.” ■

President Donald Trump. – AP

USA

Trump to prepare for future pandemicsPresident Donald Trump says he intends to prepare the country for future pandemics by restocking the national stockpile and bringing critical manufacturing back to the US.

“Wouldn’t that be nice?” Trump said during a visit to a Pennsylvania distributor of medical equipment. “My goal is to produce everything America needs for ourselves and then export to the world, including medicines.”

Trump had complained about supply chains in a television interview that aired before he left Washington for the trip to Owens and Minor Inc. in Allentown.

“These stupid supply chains that are all over the world – we have a supply chain where they’re made in all different parts of the world,” Trump said. “And one little piece of the world goes bad, and the whole thing is messed up.”

“We should have them all in the United States,” he said.It was Trump’s second trip outside Washington in as many

weeks as tries to convince the public that it’s time for states to begin to open up again, even with the virus continuing to spread.

Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, is under mounting pressure to roll back coronavirus restrictions after effectively containing the state’s outbreak early on, battling a Republican revolt over his stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns. Counties have threatened to defy his orders while at least a few business owners have reopened their doors despite his warnings.

Trump added to the pressure by saying during his remarks: “We have to get your governor of Pennsylvania to start opening things up a bit.” Trump claims some places in the state had been “barely affected.”

Trump said that he wants to ensure that the next president doesn’t inherit an empty stockpile and that he would build up a three-month supply of items like ventilators and N95 respirator masks that have been in short supply. He said he’d like many of these items to be American-made. ■

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May 15 (GMT) – May 16 (aEST), 2020

UK

UK negotiator David Frost, left and European Commission negotiator Michel Barnier. – AP

Brexit talks deadlocked as clock ticksTalks between the European Union and the United Kingdom on their future relationship in the wake of Brexit have ground to a near-standstill despite the urgency for progress before a summit next month.

The UK’s chief negotiator, David Frost, said that “we have made very little progress towards agreement on the most significant outstanding issues”.

The two sides remained at odds over a range of key issues including fishing and the role of high courts in settling future disputes.

A third week-long negotiation session has drawn to a close, but just over 100 days after the UK’s official exit from the EU, fundamental gaps were still yawning.

“It is hard to understand why the EU insists on an ideological approach which makes it more difficult to reach a mutually beneficial agreement,” Frost said.

EU negotiator Michel Barnier later said that “there was no progress on all the most difficult issues.”

In little over a month, the EU leaders and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson are scheduled to have a summit, likely via video, to take stock of the talks’ progress.

Britain officially left the 27-nation bloc on January 31, but remains within the EU’s economic and regulatory orbit until the end of the year. The two sides have until then to work out a new relationship covering trade, security and a host of other issues – or face a chaotic split that would be economically disruptive for both sides, but especially for the UK.

The UK-EU divorce agreement allows for the deadline to be extended by two years, but Johnson’s government has insisted it won’t lengthen the transition period beyond December 31.

Most trade deals take years to negotiate, so finishing something as fundamental as this in 11 months would be a Herculean task at the best of times. Many politicians, experts and diplomats believe it is impossible during a pandemic that has focused governments’ resources on preserving public health and averting economic collapse. ■

– PA

UK

Testing a ‘shambles’, tracer target missedThe government’s approach to coronavirus testing has been labelled a “shambles” as it emerged that just 1500 contact tracers out of a promised 18,000 had been appointed by the start of the week.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said while “about 15,000” applications had been received, only 1500 people had been hired for the program which is seen as key to allowing the UK to lift the most stringent lockdown measures.

Ministers hope contact tracing will reduce transmission by identifying and alerting people who may have been exposed to the virus, so that they can protect themselves and others around them by self-isolating.

But as the government’s mid-May deadline for the recruitment of 18,000 contact tracers passed, shadow cabinet office minister Rachel Reeves called the approach so far “a shambles”.

Lewis also defended guidance given to care homes in early March which said it was “very unlikely” residents would become infected with coronavirus.

He said that at the time there were “very, very low levels of death and spread of the virus”.

However, Office for National Statistics figures show five care home residents had died with Covid-19 by the time the government advice was withdrawn on March 13.

Meanwhile education unions were meeting the chief medical officer and other experts over the push to reopen schools in England amid mounting criticism of the approach.

The unions and the Local government Association have expressed concerns as ministers push for a gradual reopening of classrooms from June 1.

But the teaching unions have faced their own backlash over their approach, with former Labour education secretary Lord Blunkett saying: “I am being deeply critical of the attitude.

“It’s about how can we work together to make it work as safely as possible. Anyone who works against that in my view is working against the interests of children.” ■

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May 15 (GMT) – May 16 (aEST), 2020

AUSTRALIA

– AAP

China ‘must respect Australian values’Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared China must respect Australia’s values and national interests as the coronavirus places incredible strain on diplomatic relations.

Australia’s calls for a global inquiry into the origins of coronavirus have infuriated the Chinese government, which has suspended beef imports from four abattoirs and threatened to slap huge tariffs on Australian barley.

The prime minister said his push for an independent inquiry was “completely unremarkable” and Australia would stand its ground.

“We draw very clear lines about things that are very important to us, as does the Chinese government,” he said.

“We respect their lines, as we expect our lines to be respected, whether it’s on our foreign investment rules, or our rules around technology, our rules regarding human rights and things of that nature.

“I don’t think any Australian would want us to compromise on those important things, and those things are not to be traded, ever.”

CommSec senior economist Ryan Felsman said the escalation in Australia-China tensions in recent weeks was “not ideal”, with travel bans already impacting the tourism and education sectors.

“After … contending with drought and bushfires, Aussie farmers won’t welcome a stoush with our biggest trading partner,” he said.

He said a “policy roadmap” was required.The latest data out of China shows the nation is on the

mend, with industrial production expanding for the first time this year.

However, there were concerns about rising unemployment and fragile consumer confidence.

Chinese policymakers meet on May 22 for the National People’s Congress, where economic growth targets and details of other initiatives will be released. ■

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. – AAP

AUSTRALIA

Markets see us as a ‘good bet’, says MorrisonThe economy may have posted the weakest set of employment figures on record – with the worst yet to come – but financial markets still see Australia as a “good bet,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.

Morrison’s comment came after a national cabinet meeting, which was briefed by the Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy, Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) chair Wayne Byres.

“It was an opportunity, an important one, to be briefed fully on yesterday’s unemployment figures and how it was impacting across the country,” Morrison said.

The meeting was told stability had returned to financial markets and that they remained “very functional”, while the banking system has stood up well.

“It’s essential that as we move forward, that we continue to enable the credit to flow through our banking system, to support those businesses who are taking decisions to reopen, to rehire, and to move ahead,” Morrison said.

He said there has been some $220 billion in loan deferrals granted by the banks while the superannuation system was responding well to the ability of people to make an early withdrawal from their accounts during the crisis with some $11.7 billion in claims so far.

The government has also had to raise debt to $90.1 billion through government bonds and Treasury notes since March 20 – $19 billion in the past week which was again oversubscribed.

“Markets are seeing that Australia is a country that can be relied upon, and that is a good bet in what is a very uncertain time,” Morrison said.

“Our ability to raise this finance in such a difficult time is essential to ensure that we can continue to provide those necessary economic supports.”

The government has spent some $320 billion in an attempt to shield the economy through the pandemic. ■

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May 15 (GMT) – May 16 (aEST), 2020

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– AP

Anti-malaria drug doesn’t help fight virusEvidence from two new studies does not support the use of anti-inflammatory drug hydroxychloroquine to treat patients with Covid-19.

Hydroxychloroquine is a well-known drug used for acute malaria and certain types of arthritis.

It can reduce inflammation, pain, and swelling – and is widely used to treat rheumatic diseases.

But a study from France, published in the BMJ medical journal, found that it did not help significantly reduce admission to intensive care or death in patients hospitalised with pneumonia due Covid-19.

A randomised clinical trial carried out in China, also published in the BMJ, concluded that hospitalised patients with mild to moderate persistent Covid-19 who received hydroxychloroquine did not clear the virus more quickly than those receiving standard care.

It also found that “adverse events” were higher in those who received hydroxychloroquine.

The studies’ results are being published after hydroxychloroquine was included in Chinese guidelines on how best to manage the disease.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorisation to allow the drug to be provided to certain hospitalised patients, but has since warned against the drug’s use outside clinical trials or hospital settings due to the risk of heart rhythm problems.

US President Donald Trump repeatedly promoted it as a possible treatment, but it has not been proven safe for use in Covid-19 patients.

According to the Chinese researchers, the drug is one of a number to show promising lab results on other coronavirus diseases, but this has not been translated through trials into clinical benefits for patients with Covid-19. ■

A waitress with a protective mask serves a guest a coffee at a cafe in Vienna, Austria. – AP

ReST of The woRLd

Europe relaxes but cases flare elsewhereGermany and several other European countries where the coronavirus spread has slowed are moving ahead with relaxing border restrictions, while flare-ups in Mexico and elsewhere served as a reminder the pandemic is far from over.

Slovenia, which has been gradually easing strict lockdown measures, declared that the spread of the virus is now under control and that European Union residents could now enter from Austria, Italy and Hungary.

germany, meantime, was preparing to open its border entirely with Luxembourg at midnight, and increase the number of crossings open from France, Switzerland and Austria. Travellers will still need to demonstrate a “valid reason” to enter germany and there will be spot checks, but the goal is to restore free travel by June 15.

Germany’s states also agreed to drop a mandatory 14-day quarantine for travellers entering from the European Union and several other European countries, including Britain.

Austria and Switzerland were also moving ahead with easing some border restrictions, and Austria reopened all cafes and restaurants.

Ahead of Mexico’s plan to partially reopen key industries such as mining, construction and auto plants on May 18, authorities sounded a note of concern as the country reported its largest one-day rise in coronavirus case numbers. There were 2409 new Covid-19 test confirmations on Thursday, the first time that number has exceeded 2000 in one day.

In Brazil, it was reported that 900 people in Rio de Janeiro were waiting for an intensive-care bed in one of the state’s overwhelmed units. President Jair Bolsonaro warned of looming “chaos” as he once again lambasted governors and mayors who introduced lockdowns in cities to limit spread of the new virus.

“I’m sorry, many will die, but even more will if the economy continues to be destroyed by these measures,” Bolsonaro said. ■

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May 15 (GMT) – May 16 (aEST), 2020

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Sabatino Di Girolamo, mayor of Roseto degli Abruzzi, follows his mother’s coffin. – AP

Virus robs Italian funerals of spiritNormally, Italian funerals can involve the whole town.

Mourners form a procession, sometimes blocks long. When a coffin is carried out of church after a funeral service, applause rings out as those who couldn’t fit inside offer one last salute.

But coronavirus containment rules have put a halt to these practices, cherished for centuries, as funeral gatherings were banned to avoid contagion. Last month, announcing a partial easing of lockdown measures, Prime Minister giuseppe Conte said brief funeral services could now be held in churches, but mourners must number no more than 15, wear masks and stay a safe distance apart.

When Sabatino Di girolamo, mayor of Roseto degli Abruzzi, relayed the directive to his townspeople, he could little imagine that within a few days the new rules would apply to the funeral of his 91-year-old mother, Annunziata.

She suffered a stroke while cooking Sunday lunch on Mother’s Day, and died within hours. Two days later, her funeral was held in Montepagano, a medieval hilltop hamlet of some 700 people where she lived on the outskirts of Roseto degli Abruzzi. The mayor and the few family members allowed to join him felt wrapped in solitude as they experienced the spartan ways of bidding farewell to the deceased.

A few townspeople stood in doorsteps to watch the coffin being taken to Santissima Annunziata Church, which dates to the early 17th century. Some in the pews took turns stepping outside, so others could join the service for a few minutes. No hymns were played on the organ, to keep the ceremony short.

“The church wouldn’t have been able to hold the crowd of people, considering all the love she gave and received during her life in our community,” the mayor said of his mother, looking regretfully at the sparse attendance.

The pandemic has “altered such ancestral habits that are deeply rooted in our culture,” Di girolamo said. “We Italians like to hug, to seek mutual comfort, to enjoy life together. What will become of that? Now we are all frightened by each other and by the future.” ■

– AP

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You failed us, doctors tell MacronFrench doctors have faced off with President Emmanuel Macron at a leading Paris hospital, demanding more investment and a rethink of the country’s once-renowned public health system that found itself quickly overwhelmed by tens of thousands of virus patients.

Macron acknowledged mistakes in reforming the national hospital system, which has faced years of cost cuts, leaving medical facilities in one of the world’s richest countries short of staff, masks and breathing machines needed to fight the virus.

“For months I was asking for equipment, and we had only three days to fight against the virus,” Martin Hirsch, head of the Paris hospital network, told Macron. France’s infections quickly multiplied over a short period in March.

As the virus raced across France and saturated several hospitals, Macron had to deploy the armed forces to build the country’s first-ever peacetime field hospital and move patients and doctors around in military transport jets and specially fitted high-speed trains.

The French hospital problems long predate the virus crisis, and emergency room workers held strikes and protests for months last year demanding more hiring and funding after years of job losses.

Macron’s government announced a plan last year to address the growing concerns, and injected new money when the virus hit, but Macronn acknowledged: “We undoubtedly made a mistake in the strategy.”

“It was a great strategy, but we should have done it 10 years ago,” he told frustrated staff at Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital.

Macron promised to launch a new investment plan while the virus crisis is still raging, without offering details. “Trust will only come if we move fast,” he said. ■

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May 15 (GMT) – May 16 (aEST), 2020

First new virus case in four daysNew Zealand has recorded one new confirmed case of Covid-19, after three days in a row of no cases.

The Ministry of Health said the total number of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand had risen to 1498, of which 1148 were confirmed.

The confirmed case was linked to the Marist cluster in Auckland and was identified through recent follow-up testing of the school community.

The Ministry said the person who tested positive first had symptoms nearly two months ago and had a previous negative test.

The result was considered a ‘weak positive’ and the person, who had been in isolation through the lockdown period, was not considered infectious.

There have been no additional deaths.The Ministry said 1421 people had recovered from the

coronavirus, up 10 on yesterday. This was 95 per cent of all confirmed and probable cases.

There are just 56 active cases across the country.Two people were receiving hospital care – one each in

Auckland and Middlemore hospitals. Neither were in ICU.There were 7174 laboratory tests processed yesterday,

which brought the total number of tests completed to 216,787. ■

New ZeALANd

– AP

Big-spending budget ahead of electionA ‘rolling maul’ of support or a multi-billion dollar slush fund: views on the New Zealand budget have been shaped by the election looming in just four months.

With an election due on September 19, Jacinda Ardern’s government decided to hold its budget as planned, rather than kick it down the road as Australia did.

The result was the announcement of a funding envelope rather than the funding itself as Finance Minister grant Robertson attempts to maintain an agile response to Covid-19.

A $NZ50 billion Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund was the centrepiece, but its operation is confusing.

The gargantuan fund does not include $NZ12.1 billion of stimulus announced in March, but does include the $NZ13.9 billion announced since then.

It also includes $NZ15.9 billion within the budget, but Treasury declined to detail which projects had been included as some have not been announced.

The balance of the fund, $NZ20.2 billion, is yet to be allocated, as Robertson seeks a pool of money to draw down from as the economic fallout from Covid-19 shakes out.

“It is a once-in-a-generation budget. The task we face is monumental,” Robertson said. “Today’s announcements are part of a rolling maul of government support.”

Central to Robertson’s strategy is containing joblessness.Unemployment is scheduled to peak at 9.8 per cent in the

September quarter – election time – necessitating wage and business support packages in the short-term.

But in the budget lockup, Robertson said that whole amount may not be spent this year, or even next year.

However and whenever the funding is spent, it is historic.Total new spending announced by this government soars

to above $NZ74 billion ($A69 billion) when combined with the $NZ12.1 billion ‘New Zealand Upgrade’ infrastructure works of mainly road and rail projects announced in January.

For context, New Zealand governments tend to announce around $NZ3 billion of new spending at budget time. ■

New Zealand Finance Minister Grant Robertson has delivered a big-spending budget. – AP

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