text:
COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 18th May 2020.
The UK added 2,684 cases today and now has reported a total of 246,406 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 100,678 tests yesterday. 9,408 people are in hospital (first time under 10,000 in a long time) and down 13% from this time last week.
In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we lost another 160 people who have tested positive to COVID-19. We now very sadly have a total of 34,796 losses of life in all settings.
England 144,127 / 31,010
Northern Ireland 4,401 / 476
Scotland 14,594 / 2,103
Wales 12,404 / 1.207
Rep. Of Ireland 24,200 (+88) cases and 1,547 (+4) losses of life.
There have now been a total of 4,851,974 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 318,051. Already 1,882,132 people have recovered.
"The COVID19 pandemic is a reminder of the intimate & delicate relationship between people and planet"
Dr Tedros, Head of WHO, at the World Health Assembly opening speech.
"The Earth has confronted several pandemics before. This is the first caused by a coronavirus. This a dangerous enemy, with a dangerous combination of features: efficient, fast and fatal.
COVID19 can operate in the dark, spread silently if we're not paying attention, then suddenly explode if we aren't ready. We've seen the same pattern repeated in cities & countries the globe." Dr Tedros.
Today saw the opening of the 2 day 73rd annual meeting of the World Health Assembly. This is the forum through which the World Health Organization (WHO) is governed. It is the highest health policy setting body in the world, and is composed of Health Ministers from all 194 member states.
For weeks Taiwan have been asking to be included, but at the last minute postponed their request for observer status. China say they're part of China, other countries, including Australia, say they're entitled to be there, and there's no doubt their expertise with COVID-19 is invaluable.
Australia has called for an independent coronavirus inquiry. By the time today's assembly convened, 116 countries had co-sponsored the motion. They include the African Group's 54 member states, all 27 members of the EU, Russia, Indonesia, India, Japan, Britain and Canada, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico, Turkey and New Zealand.
The Assembly started with standard greetings and introductory statements, and then an address from China's President Xi Jinping. He made the following proposals to bring COVID-19 under control:
-- We must do everything we can for COVID-19 control and treatment;
-- The World Health Organization should lead the global response;
-- We must provide greater support for Africa;
-- We must strengthen global governance in the area of public health;
-- We must restore economic and social development;
-- We must strengthen international cooperation.
"All along we have acted with openness, transparency and responsibility." He pledged $2b towards the COVID19 response and help to set up hospitals and health infrastructure in Africa.
A deal has been reached over an inquiry at the World Health Assembly this afternoon. China supports a "comprehensive evaluation" of the global response to coronavirus "after pandemic under control".
Since they called their highest alert level - a Public Health Emergency of International Concern - on January 30th, the World Health Organisation have shipped diagnostics, personal protective equipment, oxygen & other medical supplies to at least 120 countries, and trained more than 2.6 million health workers, in 23 languages.
Yesterday the Scottish government announced it's 'Test, Trace & Isolate' pilot. It launches today in NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Highland regions. 600 Contact Tracers have been employed to work alongside the app. to locate potential contacts of people who test positive, ensure they are tested and then isolated until sure they don't have COVID-19.
The UK have finally added 'Changes to (or loss of) taste and/or smell (anosmia)' to the list of symptoms for the coronavirus. It's hardly surprising they're being accused of being 'slow to react'. Stunningly this now brings the list of symptoms to 3, alongside a new persistent cough and a temperature. If you experience these symptoms, you should isolate. If you become ill with COVID-19 and live alone, make sure someone is keeping an eye on you. Registering as ill on 111 is meant to do that if you don't have actual people around.
Testing has been opened up to anyone in the UK aged 5 or over with symptoms.
Today's UK (England) briefing was with Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary and Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
We're up to a regular 100,000 tests a day, and we have now employed 21,000 Contact Tracers, so we are in a good position for when we start using track and trace.
Dominic Raab confirmed that care workers who come from abroad won't be exempt from the NHS surcharge - i.e. they pay £400 a year for standard NHS services.
Best bit was when Jonathan Van Tam said we'd started quarantining visitors on 30th Feb.
Groups of up to 6 people who don't even live together can meet outdoors in Northern Ireland from tomorrow. Crikey. Social distancing must be followed. Churches and places of worship can open for private prayer, and outdoor sports which allow for social distancing, including golf and tennis, can restart. Drive in entertainment is also permitted.
An horrific cyclone is due to hit India and Bangladesh, and around 1 million people look likely to have to be evacuated. In a world where everyone is under lockdown and social distancing can be the difference between life and death, this is a catastrophic situation.
Many African countries are either too poor to cope, or are facing accusations of not taking coronavirus seriously enough. Reports are rife of hotspots (Somalia, Nigeria, Cape Town, Mogadishu etc) with some hospitals no longer able to accept patients, medics infected, and morticians and gravediggers overwhelmed.
Tanzania seems to be in the midst of a disaster. President John Magufuli has been accused of downplaying risk, and claims he sent a range of non human samples to be tested for the virus, and a quail, a goat and a pawpaw came back positive. Tanzania complained about unreliable tests, WHO said they were fine, and Tanzania stopped releasing any regular data.
3 members of the Tanzanian parliament have died in the last month, at least 1 of whom had tested positive.
Magufuli has imported shipments of "Covid-Organics", Madagascar's herbal drink cure for Covid-19 and schools are shut, but otherwise life continues as normal. According to local papers, at mass yesterday Magufuli said:
"We have had a number of viral diseases, including Aids and measles. Our economy must come first. It must not sleep. If we allow our economy to sleep, we will not receive salaries." They have reported 509 cases, and 21 losses of life.
The US CDC are facing criticism for moving too slowly and with too much bureaucracy at the start. And they also, like many, fell victim to buying tests that weren't reliable. Sounds familiar...
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been criticised for his earlier policy of sending patients back to nursing homes after they tested positive for COVID-19.
This is also an error the UK government and others made. It's a crying shame information wasn't shared more quickly and warnings paid heed to.
The UK government have told Scotland there will be no extra furlough money after October if their plans run on longer than in England.
More than 50 schools in France have already closed after reopening last week, due to confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. At least 70 new confirmed cases have been linked to schools. It's not yet known if they are staff or pupils.
Several UK Councils have said schools WILL NOT be opening to more pupils on 1st June. Reasons given are mostly that we have too many cases of Coronavirus still, and schools are struggling to understand how social distancing and safety can be implemented.
Councils who are not intending to open schools include (and I might be wrong, so tell me if I am):
Wigan (maybe)
Stockport (not before June 10th)
For reference every single member of the Conservative cabinet who has children, sends them to private schools, which are not reopening this academic year.
The R level (Reproductive Number, Reproduction Rate etc) is really a bit of a confusing statistic, because if you have 3 cases and the R is 1, you'll have another 3 cases. If you have 14,000 and the R is 0.5, you'll have another 7,000 cases.
The smaller your number of cases, the more 'wrong' an impression the R can give, and the less useful it is. For example, if a single house party causes a cluster of 20 cases, it will raise the local R.
Bear in mind as well, that R data can change quickly - and can go up very fast. Like the curve, it's slower to come down.
It is normal to have a little rise in the R when you reduce restrictions or lift a lockdown. What you hope for is a little blip before it turns back down again. If it doesn't, the sensible money starts reimposing restrictions without delay.
Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered that shopping malls be opened all across the country.
Lost Their Fight:
Liverpool Catholic Bishop Vincent Malone
As of today, New York City has had 145 reports of Pediatric Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome. Only 67 tested positive for the coronavirus or antibodies, and one young person has died. The US CDC has confirmed that the illness does have a link to COVID-19 in their opinion.
Another exciting hoax about 5G. This time a video claiming to show electronics labelled COV19 ready to go into a 5G tower. It's ancient and clearly has a SCART socket. Ahhhh nostalgia....
Virgin Media told Reuters: "That is a board from a very old set top TV box and which never featured any component parts inscribed/stamped/printed or otherwise with "COV 19." It has absolutely no relation with any mobile network infrastructure, including that used for 5G."
Spats have broken out regarding coronavirus throughout US politics. Barack Obama used a 'Graduate Together' speech to say "This pandemic has torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing."
Trump responded with "He was an incompetent president - grossly incompetent. That's all I can say."
There's a hoax that heads of 10 African nations have approved Madagascar's Covid-Organics herbal drink cure. Sadly not, although they've said the African Union CDC will take a look. As of yet there is zero actual evidence that it has any effect.
Covid-Organics is a herbal tea made from Artemesia (also known as Mugworts or Wormwood or Sage Brush). Banned in many countries and bizarrely I think it's what Sally poisons the Professor with in The Nightmare Before Christmas. It is also what gives Absinthe it's flavour. Overdose (single occasion or built up over time) can cause nerve damage, mental problems, death and more. Hmmm. I think I'll stop at death. What is evident here is that it's probably not time to start attempting to brew your own tea. That includes you Donald.
Some people, all of whom slept under the same stars.....
Countries / Cases / Losses of life (some states/provinces yet to report):
USA 1,534,453 (+6,789) 91,268 (+290)
Russia 290,678 (+8,926) 2,722 (+91)
Spain 277,719 not yet reported today 27,650
UK 246,406 (+2,684) 34,796 (+160)
Brazil 244,135 (+3,055) 16,203 (+85)
Italy 225,886 (+451) 32,007 (+99)
France 179,569 not yet reported today 28,108
Germany 177,182 (+531) 8,085 (+36)
Turkey 150,593 (+1,158) 4,171 (+31)
Iran 22,492 (+2,294) 7,057 (+69)
India 100,293 (+4,595) 3,155 (+130)
Peru 92,273 not yet reported today 2,648
China 82,954 (+7) 4,634
Canada 77,309 (+307) 5,805 (+23)
Saudi Arabia 57,345 (+2,593) 320 (+8)
Belgium 55,559 (+279) 9,080 (+28)
Mexico 49,219 (+2,075) 5,177 (+132)
https://twitter.com/DUPleader/status/1262418156527771652
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-northern-ireland-lockdown-six-people-outdoors-a9520736.html
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/coronavirus-updates-13-sailors-test-positive-returning-virus/story?id=70738249&cid=social_twitter_abcn
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1262377398546374657
https://www.europe1.fr/societe/combien-decoles-ont-recense-des-cas-de-coronavirus-depuis-la-reprise-3968897
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/70-cases-of-covid-19-linked-to-french-schools-days-after-reopening/18/05/
https://twitter.com/tonygurney/status/1261980002234613761
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/education-chiefs-rochdale-tell-parents-18262465
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/bury-schools-not-opening-june-18270131
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-wormwood
https://www.africanews.com/2020/05/14/madagascar-s-covid-organics-testimonies-and-medical-caution/
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-circuit-board-idUSKBN22R35M
https://pesacheck.org/false-african-heads-of-state-have-not-approved-madagascars-covid-19-herbal-remedy-4e49ec11135b
https://twitter.com/AfricaCDC/status/1257664597298941952
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/economy-comes-before-virus-says-tanzanian-president/1844572
https://www.channel4.com/news/tanzanias-president-dubbed-africas-trump-claims-non-human-samples-tested-positive-for-coronavirus
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/developing-world-thought-had-escaped-coronavirus-worst-may/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/04/fears-coronavirus-cover-up-grow-tanzania-videos-show-night-burials/
https://africacenter.org/spotlight/coronavirus-spreads-through-africa/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/cape-town-and-its-province-are-south-africas-virus-hotspot/2020/05/11/3c7d55ae-9390-11ea-87a3-22d324235636_story.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/17/world/africa/coronavirus-kano-nigeria-hotspot.html
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1262344996327501824
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/first-thing-china-is-under-the-spotlight-at-the-world-health-assembly-covid-19
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/may/18/uk-coronavirus-live-lockdown-trains-rail-work-latest-updates
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/18/coronavirus-update-us/
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/coalition-of-116-countries-back-australia-s-push-for-independent-coronavirus-inquiry
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/taiwan-s-who-status-on-the-agenda-as-world-health-assembly-convenes
https://twitter.com/WilliamYang120/status/1262336820840247298
https://twitter.com/omar_quraishi/status/1262293920295407616
https://twitter.com/KellyO/status/1262070490283343872
https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1262118191452418048
https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-update-health-secretarys-speech-17-2020/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cuomo-says-no-one-should-be-prosecuted-coronavirus-deaths-nursing-home-2020-05-17/?ftag=CNM-00-10aag7e
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/white-house-adviser-blames-cdc-letting-country-down-early-testing-n1208886
https://twitter.com/AgentP22/status/1262055096529059840?s=09
In the past week, covid-19 outbreaks hit schools in:
Derby:
https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/two-cases-coronavirus-confirmed-derby-4137660
Grantham:
https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/lincolnshire-school-closes-coronavirus-health-4135650
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/local-news/school-closed-after-two-teachers-4127976
Burnley:
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/burnley-school-closed-deep-clean-18255703
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Hope you all like & maybe we can get it a play on Code Radio!
ooo great idea this, can help get people out of a rut.
Hello, I would like to know what you are going to develop competencies monthly remix. Cheers!!!
Sounds good! Can't wait to test my skill on something yours Max!


During the plenary deliberations at the Senate last November 22, DOTr said some of these funds were downloaded to its attached agencies via a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), a move guided by existing government audit regulations.
Downloading funds to an attached agency is allowed under Commission on Audit (COA) Circular 94-013 dated 13 December 2014. The circular states that the source agency, which originally programmed a project and received the appropriation for a project, is allowed to transfer funds to any department or office of the national government capable of implementing or continuing the project.
"Downloading of projects through an MOA is guided by COA, which ensures that the transferred fund is properly taken up in the books of both agencies and are used only for the intended purpose," said DOTr Undersecretary for Finance Garry De Guzman.
The new administration took over 30 June 2016, giving the new DOTr office six months to allocate the unspent funds from its 2015 budget before its expiry on 31 December 2016.
Government agencies have two years to allocate its budget before it will be reverted back to the National Treasury as "unobligated" funds.
Entering into a MOA with attached agencies is seen as a practical way to ensure that specific projects will continue.
"We are trying to handle backlogs from the past budget as much as we can, but this was a transition phase. We came in six months prior to the reversion of funds," he said.
From PHP 19.2-billion in June 2016, the DOTr was able to obligate PHP 1.3-billion, leaving the total amount of unspent funds for 2015 to PHP 17.9-billion as of October 2016.
What will happen to the remaining PHP 17.9-billion ?
Of the remaining unspent funds, PHP 7.9-billion was downloaded to the DOTr's attached agencies, PHP 6.2-billion was allotted for procurement until the end of the year, while the remaining PHP 3.8-billion will be reverted back to the Treasury.
Most of the downloaded funds were meant to bankroll regional airport projects. Among the recipients of the unspent funds were the: Manila International Airports Authority (MIAA), Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
Why it is better to download funds than revert it?
Government agencies are supposed to spend funds and not save it. When government spend the infrastructure funds, it implements the projects previously identified and approved to be beneficial for the citizens.
"Proper accounting and reporting shall be made to ensure the appropriate utilization of funds," added De Guzman.


text:
Falcon 9 rocket rolled out for first dedicated Starlink launch
May 13, 2019 Stephen Clark
EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated after static fire.
File photo of a Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 launch pad in September 2018. Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX ground teams at Cape Canaveral transferred a Falcon 9 rocket to launch pad 40 and rotated the booster vertical Monday for a preflight hold-down firing, ahead of a liftoff scheduled for Wednesday night carrying 60 satellites into orbit for the company's planned Starlink broadband constellation.
SpaceX confirmed the completion of the static fire test Monday night, setting the stage for liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket during a 90-minute window opening at 10:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday (0230 GMT Thursday) from Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 launch pad.
The launch will be the first mission dedicated to SpaceX's multibillion-dollar Starlink project, which aims to eventually provide Internet connectivity worldwide with a constellation that could eventually number nearly 12,000 satellites.
The hotfire test Monday was a customary milestone in SpaceX's launch campaigns. The hold-down firing doubled as a checkout of the Falcon 9 rocket and its launch pad, and a countdown rehearsal for SpaceX's launch team at Cape Canaveral.
The Falcon 9 was filled with super-chilled, densified kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants during a mock countdown, culminating in ignition of the first stage's nine Merlin 1D main engines for several seconds. Hold-down restraints will keep the Falcon 9 firmly grounded during the engine firing.
The 60 Starlink satellites were already installed on top of the Falcon 9 launcher ahead of the hotfire test, encapsulated inside the rocket's aerodynamic nose shroud for Wednesday night's liftoff. Since a Falcon 9 rocket exploded during preparations for a similar hotfire test in September 2016 — an accident that destroyed the launch vehicle and an Israeli-owned commercial communications satellite — SpaceX has conducted the static fire tests without payloads on-board the rocket.
But SpaceX is the launch provider and the customer for Wednesday's mission.
Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and chief executive, revealed the number of satellites scheduled for the first dedicated Starlink launch in a tweet Saturday night. He also tweeted a picture of the 60 spacecraft stacked inside the Falcon 9's payload fairing.
SpaceX is set to launch 60 satellites to begin deployment of the company's Starlink broadband network, which eventually aims to beam Internet signals to consumers around the world. Credit: SpaceX
Musk tweeted that the 60 satellites, which are flat-packed atop the rocket, are a "tight fit" inside the Falcon 9's 17.1-foot-wide (5.2-meter) payload fairing.
He added that the satellites are based on the "production design" SpaceX intends to use for future Starlink spacecraft. SpaceX launched two Starlink demonstration satellites as piggyback payloads on a Falcon 9 launch with a Spanish radar observation satellite in February 2018, but the spacecraft shown stacked in the Falcon 9 fairing for launch this week have a different appearance.
Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president and chief operating officer, discussed the objectives of the first dedicated Starlink satellite launch at an industry conference last week.
"This next batch of satellites will really be a demonstration set for us to see the deployment scheme and start pulling our network together," Shotwell said May 7 at the Satellite 2019 conference in Washington. "We start launching satellites for actual services later this year. I wouldn't be surprised if we had two-to-six (additional) launches at the end of the year (for Starlink.) It largely depends on how we do on this first batch."
"Much will likely go wrong on (the) first mission," Musk tweeted. He added that six more launches of 60 satellites are needed for "minor coverage," and 12 more launches would provide "moderate coverage."
Musk said more details on the Starlink satellites would be released on the day of the launch.
The Starlink satellites are built and manufactured at a SpaceX facility in Redmond, Washington. SpaceX eventually plans to launch and operate up to 4,400 Ku-band and Ka-band satellites, and a follow-on network of 7,518 additional Starlink satellites transmitting in V-band frequencies.
SpaceX continues raising funding for network, which company officials have previously said could cost $10 billion to develop and deploy. The Starlink satellites are designed to beam broadband signals around the world from orbits hundreds of miles above Earth, creating a global umbrella of high-speed Internet connectivity.
The first group of up to 1,584 Starlink satellites will operate in orbits 341 miles (550 kilometers) above Earth, at an inclination of 53 degrees to the equator.
SpaceX plans to initially deploy roughly 4,400 Starlink satellites broadcasting signals in Ku-band and Ka-band. A follow-on network of 7,518 additional Starlink satellites would transmit in V-band frequencies, according to regulatory filings with the Federal Communications Commission.
While Musk said the 60 Starlink payloads launching this week are production models, unlike the demonstration satellites launched last year, Shotwell said last week that the spacecraft aboard the next Falcon 9 flight lack at least one key system required to make the network function as designed.
"They're capable, but there are no inter-satellite links on it," Shotwell said. "I'll call them test-class satellites, but the antennas are pretty hot on these things. They're a very capable system."
The operational Starlink fleet will use laser inter-satellite links to hand off Internet connections around the world without routing the signals through a ground station. The satellites also use electric propulsion for in-orbit maneuvers.
Starlink 1
Static Fire
Live coverage: SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule returns to Earth
Photos: European Ariane 5 rocket climbs into space from French Guiana
Photos: Falcon 9 launches and lands at Vandenberg Air Force Base

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


1. Course Of Instruction, Class, Course, Course Of Study : نصاب : (noun) education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings.
Didactics, Education, Educational Activity, Instruction, Pedagogy, Teaching - the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill.
Education : تدریس : the profession of teaching (especially at a school or college or university).
Lesson : درس : a unit of instruction. "Tell the lesson"
Coming Together, Meeting, Merging : ملاپ : the act of joining together as one. "The merging of the two groups occurred quickly"
Course Of Study : نصاب : education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings.
Courageous : بہادر : possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching.
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