CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Cuba reopens its first LGBTQ hotel, but can tourists ignore the country's poor human rights record?

Visiting a camp in Greece, Francis called on Europe to take responsibility for the situation.

Relative to population, though, the toll has been higher in rural areas.

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau goes to the polls two years early, here's what you need to know.

It's not clear how many COVID cases can be blamed on last year's rally in South Dakota which coincided with the start of a sharp increase across the Great Plains and a deadly winter.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday morning.

Breaking News Alerts NewsletterAs it happensGet updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts.

Meanwhile, it’s been almost a year since the coronavirus pandemic shut down Illinois. We want to hear from you about your experiences, what you remember from the early days of the pandemic and your views on the future. Tell us here.

It’s been almost a year since the coronavirus pandemic shut down Illinois and changed our lives in unimaginable ways. The Tribune would like to hear from you about your experiences, what you remember from the early days of the pandemic and your views on the future.

Infectious disease journalist reflects on one year of the coronavirus pandemic Helen Branswell, a senior writer covering infectious diseases for STAT, reflects on her experience covering the pandemic one year after the coronavirus was detected in Wuhan, China.

Performing “The Nutcracker” amid coronavirus pandemic With its iconic score and glittering scenes, “The Nutcracker” is performed for audiences around the country every year. But the holiday tradition is now taking flight with a 2020 twist. Nancy Chen takes a look at how the coronavirus pandemic has forced ballet companies around the country to adapt their performances.

Here’s what’s happening Thursday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:— The coronavirus pandemic continues to encroach on traditions. Many Thanksgiving feasts on Thursday are somber, being scaled back, not held at all, or held virtually as Americans cope with their losses and restrictions aimed at beating back the virus. The staffing challenges result in shut schools, even in districts where officials say the health risks of in-person learning are manageable. — With public health officials begging Americans not to travel, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was scaled back and aimed at a television audience instead of live crowds. THE NUMBERS: More than 12.7 million Americans have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, with deaths topping 262,000 since the start of the pandemic.

I’d heard rumblings that you could give blood through the American Red Cross, and they’d test your blood for antibodies. Worth mentioning: The Red Cross says it’s a perfectly safe time to donate, despite COVID-19. How to interpret your resultsMine said: “COVID-19 Test Result: NEGATIVE.” And I blanked for a second, as in, “Negative? Learn more about COVID-19 antibody testing.” (It’s like the Red Cross knows that we’re not all health experts). The Red Cross could use your donation one way or the other.

When Kriss Reed learned she and her husband were expecting their first child, she started researching homebirths.

Author’s note: This is not MY personal story, per se, (despite the “my pandemic pregnancy” headline), but a story told by our readers, week by week. Today’s is shared by Yvonne.

Linda Mcgrath said missing sense of smell nearly cost her her life after a gas leak sprung in her Livonia, Michigan, home, about five months after her coronavirus diagnosis. She reached out to us in response to an article we previously published about COVID-19-related smell loss. “I had a guardian angel a couple of weeks ago when I heard a hissing noise and realized I had a gas leak." When her son arrived, it was clear Mcgrath didn’t know the extent of the leak, because she never smelled a thing. A few days later, the woman said, a house nearby in Livonia blew up from a gas leak, confirming how dangerous Mcgrath’s situation could have been.

By now, wearing a face mask when you’re out and about or around crowds of people should be nothing new. Here’s what the WHO had to say about using a fabric mask:Wash your hands before putting on the mask. If you need to use the mask again, hold it at the elastic loops when removing it from the bag. If hot water is not available, wash the mask in soap or detergent and room-temperature water, followed by either boiling the mask for 1 minute OR; by soaking the mask in 0.1% chlorine for 1 minute and thoroughly rinsing the mask with room-temperature water (there should not be any toxic residue of chlorine on the mask). Make sure you’re continuing to socially distance yourself from people who aren’t in your household, keep washing those hands and try to avoid touching your face as much as possible.

But we do want to hear from you, business leaders and owners, if you’re so willing to share. What are the specific ways you’ve been affected? Is your community coming together to order takeout in droves, or has business been flat ever since February or so? If you’re comfortable providing some details, we’d love to hear them, and possibly feature you in a future news story. And if you’re not interested in that, but you’d still like to unload, please.

When Delicia Garza’s newborn daughter underwent surgery, an operation that required an overnight hospital stay, the San Antonio woman said it felt like the walls were closing in on her.

Salem is already planning for a drastically pared-down Halloween season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Boston.com. A lot remains unknown as the coronavirus situation continues to evolve -- and considering Halloween is still about two months away. Perhaps, if you have children, 2020 is the year of “Halloween at a distance” or “Halloween at home” rather than considering the holiday a complete wash or a cancellation. Perhaps there’s a neighborhood near you that does Halloween right: Big decorations, cool lights or something else. All right, we just said it once but we’ll repeat it for the people in the back: Halloween is still weeks and weeks away.

At least a third of children couldn’t access remote learning when the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools, creating “a global education emergency,” the U.N. children’s agency said. At the height of lockdowns meant to curb the pandemic, nearly 1.5 billion children were affected by school closures, UNICEF said. “For at least 463 million children whose schools closed due to COVID-19, there was no such a thing as remote learning,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said. The highest number of children affection by region were in South Asia, at least 147 million, according to the report. The youngest children are also most likely to miss out on remote learning during critical years, the report said, largely due to challenges and limitations to online learning for young children and lack of assets at home.

When Hillary Calhoun’s fertility doctor brought her in for a procedure and then a nurse called her just a few short business days later, asking her to come into the office immediately, the now-36-year-old had a hunch something wasn’t right.

ATLANTA – New guidance from President Donald Trump’s administration that declares teachers to be “critical infrastructure workers” could give the green light to exempting teachers from quarantine requirements after being exposed to COVID-19 and instead send them back into the classroom. ‘Critical infrastructure workers'South Carolina health officials also describe teachers as critical infrastructure workers, although it's unclear if any district there is asking teachers to return before 14 days. Among the first districts to name teachers as critical infrastructure workers was eastern Tennessee’s Greene County, where the school board gave the designation to teachers July 13. In Georgia, suburban Atlanta 's Forsyth County has also designated teachers as critical infrastructure workers. Floyd County said Thursday it would reverse its designation of teachers as critical infrastructure workers.

When Jennifer Cardenas found out she was pregnant, she envisioned a baby shower surrounded by her friends and family, carefree spring days filled with walks in the park, and her delivery, with her husband and her mother by her side.

Going though in vitro fertilization, or IVF, under normal circumstances, can be a challenge, both mentally and physically -- and for some, that’s phrasing it mildly.

With so much COVID-19 information constantly swirling and evolving, do you ever wish you could hear from the trusted experts themselves, directly? “COVID-19 Conversations” is a weekly webinar series from the American Public Health Association and the National Academy of Medicine. Some experts who have been featured include government officials, top doctors and health care workers, top educators, experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and more. You can find other trusted COVID-19-related webinars online, as well. Any interest in attending an online session to hear more about the latest in coronavirus news?

When Melissa Vick gave birth to her first child, a son, in May 2017, she and her husband Greg felt like they were able to share him with their friends and family, almost immediately.

“I told him smiling is a part of our uniform and I want to make my customers happy in these hard times. And we have deaf customers. “All other customers are so happy to see my smile and (they’re) giving so many compliments.”Now, back to the letter. As happy as Knowles felt being able to better communicate with customers, it had nothing on what Tavers wrote on her behalf to Publix management. Asli texted, ‘I like to smile and I think this pandemic is making everyone upset and I want to make customers happy with my smile.

Even though life, in some ways, has started returning to normal, it’s safe to say that many of us still aren’t driving our cars as often. Whatever the case, Susan Reed, of Kalamazoo, has some advice for you: Take your car out every day, even if it’s just for a quick spin around the block. “Rodents ate my car,” Reed told Zak Rosen, the host and creator of “The Best Advice Show.”It wasn’t a cheap repair, either. But you’ll definitely want to make sure you’re driving your car at least semi-regularly. “The Best Advice Show” is a product of Graham Media Group.

So we’ll go through some of their recommendations, to perhaps anticipate some of your summer travel questions. Travel does increase your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19, the CDC said. If you’re considering cleaning your lodging area, see these guidelines on how to clean and disinfectFollow state and local travel restrictions. For up-to-date information, check the state or local health department where you are, along your route, and at your planned destination. “Also be aware that many local, state, and national public parks have been temporarily closed due to COVID-19.”It’s just one more thing to check on.

But regardless of whether you’ve felt sick these past few months, safe to say, you always want to get the most out of every medical appointment. Here are some tips you can use to make every medical appointment as valuable as possible. Consider a video visit. Medical offices can be overwhelmed by patients, especially lately, so if your symptoms are mild, consider a video visit to discuss your concerns and get some health recommendations. And when you choose a video visit, you will not have to drive to the office, or even get out of bed.

Important question: Have you gotten your stimulus check yet? In fact, most people don’t need to take any action, and will automatically receive the payment. Let’s talk through the tools available to investigate what might be holding up your check, prepaid debit card or direct deposit. You’re eligible for the Economic Impact Payment, right? Here’s a detailed list you should triple-check just to make sure you’re eligible for the payment, and see how much you should receive.

Plan a little watch party for your son or daughter to enjoy the Facebook graduation. Facebook is celebrating the class of 2020 with a whole week of graduation features, and a commencement program. Highlights and more will be posted to the @instagram account on Instagram, and on contributors’ social media accounts.”Grads are encouraged to host their own virtual graduation ceremony and party via Facebook, with special features including a virtual graduation hub, custom filters, family and friends celebrations enabled by Messenger Rooms, and more. JoAnn Fabric has a whole webpage on how you can make a graduation cap embellishment out of paper flowers. This is a birthday party and not a graduation, but you’ll see the general idea!

What do olive oil, corn meal and raw sugar have in common? No, they’re not the first three ingredients to an amazing baking recipe. They are all things that can help repair your dry hands, especially if you’ve been washing them a lot more than usual, considering the coronavirus pandemic. Jordan says that using normal lotion will give you some relief, but there are many treatments you can do on your hands (or any dry skin on your body) with items that you probably have at home right now. You can watch the latest episode of StyleWise above -- and make sure you subscribe to see new StyleWise videos regularly.

Having Harry Potter himself read them to you, of course! J.K. Rowling is gathering up some of her famous muggle friends to bring fans the ultimate Harry Potter quarantine entertainment. The entire first book in Rowling’s wizarding series, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” will be available for fans to listen to, and each chapter will be read by a different celebrity once a week, starting off with Daniel Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter. The site is full of puzzles, quizzes and articles that focus on everything Harry Potter and Hogwarts. You can watch a video of Radcliffe reading chapter one of the book here, or listen to it on Spotify.

But we’re referring to Corona beer and Cinco de Mayo. Typically, the dominant choice of beer for those celebrating Cinco de Mayo is Corona. But Corona likely will be consumed way less than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, that is unrelated in name. In February, a report in the Denver Post said Corona was taking a public relations hit due to people fearing they would get coronavirus by drinking Corona. Cinco de Mayo has surpassed St. Patrick’s Day and the Super Bowl for beer consumption on one day, with Corona virtually holding a monopoly on advertising and sales for beer on Cinco de Mayo, according to Loop Insights.

Little League International, which announced the move, also canceled regional tournaments but said the events would return in 2021. By contrast, the NFL, the world’s most affluent professional sports league, generated roughly $16 billion in 2018, according to USA Today. Major League Baseball generated $10.7 billion in 2019 and the NBA nearly $8 billion in 2018, according to Forbes, so youth sports generated more money than those leagues combined. The owner of Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy in suburban Detroit, an organization that’s home to 150 youth volleyball teams and has produced numerous Division I college volleyball players over the years, Sack had been, as usual, making preparations for the club’s signature event. “You go from ramping up to this.”Cancellations of such big youth sports events have a serious trickle-down effect, too.

A mother of two mindlessly picked up a paintbrush in late March, and started painting the cover of one of the books she had read to her children earlier in the day -- and said she incorporated some “cartoonified” coronavirus themes, to try to make the situation less scary.

First of all, try to give the person who is sick a separate bedroom and bathroom, if possible, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. The person who is sick should stay separated from other people in the home as much as possible. If someone besides the person who is sick must clean up after them, only clean the area when needed, such as when the area is soiled. Shared bathroomIt’s important that the person who is sick cleans and disinfects after themselves after each use. Whoever removes the garbage bag should use gloves while handling and disposing of the trash, and wash hands immediately after.

And what if your car won’t start because of a dead battery? To revive a dead battery, first make sure each car is in park or neutral -- and turned off. Then, connect one end of the cable to the positive terminal of the donor battery, and then connect the other end to the positive terminal of the dead battery. Let the dead battery charge for a few minutes, and then turn the ignition on the vehicle of the dead battery to see if it starts. This only applies if you:a) Have someone to take you to a repair shop or the store right away to buy a new battery.

Have you ever celebrated Earth Day, perhaps by planting a tree or doing something good for the environment? Considering the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic, the Earth Day Network has announced a shift to “global digital mobilizations.”It’ll be Digital Earth Day! Earth Day Network will provide live coverage of these “global digital mobilizations," which you can follow on its social media accounts. But organizers still want to “mobilize millions in a call for transformative action for our planet.”“At Earth Day Network, the health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events is our top concern. That’s now been postponed to October 24-25, 2020 to mark the half birthday of Earth Day.

Anyone else finding themselves spending more time than usual on social media, considering the coronavirus pandemic? But like most things, Facebook is whatever you want to make it. You don’t have to give up on social media in general, or even Facebook in particular. The social media giants say they’re working hard behind the scenes to remove bot accounts and build a better platform. In the meantime, here are some simple yet effective things you can do to make your own Facebook interactions less contentious and more civil.

But as the coronavirus pandemic continues sweeping the globe, we can’t be the only ones who have found ourselves doing a few out-of-the-ordinary routines and practices. Or conducting virtual happy hours or pulling out that Amazon Kindle from four Christmases ago. We’ll look back on this time someday and it’ll be a strange, beautiful thing we shared: all this “alone, together” business. So with that said, check all the boxes that correspond with activities you’ve done recently. Did you check more boxes than you imagined, or perhaps not as many as you thought you would?

It’s pretty well known by now that with more people working from home, they are having to juggle work and being around kids.

But the long term-prognosis might be worse because of one question: What will sports bars and restaurants do without games or events for the foreseeable future? March sadness for accounting booksJust like other sports bar employees across the country, Russell Luxton was counting down the days until March. Even when sports bars are allowed to resume dine-in services, there won’t be games returning alongside the opening of those establishments. When those youth teams have games or practices in the evening, sports bars are usually popular destinations to go out to eat afterward. Luxton said ideas such as dart and Golden Tee tournaments have been floated about once RJ’s is ready to open again.

It includes sober dating, travel information, community groups, booze-less guides, where to find the best mocktails; you name it. Gottlieb said there has been a lot of interest in Loosid’s “sober curious” groups. How can the app help? For example, select “I just relapsed and I need help” or “Weekend and holiday support,” and you’ll be linked with people and resources. “Some people are coming out of the hospitality industry -- people with no money, who need help now,” Gottlieb said.

In case you missed it, health officials are now recommending that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings, for example, in spots where it might be difficult to maintain social distancing. Just keep in mind: “These face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. Cloth face coverings are especially important to wear in public in areas of widespread COVID-19 illness.”Got it. Wearing cloth face coverings is an additional public health measure. “Cloth face coverings can be made from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost,” the CDC said.

So, how do you order or pick up food while staying in line with all the recommended precautions? Here’s what you’ll do: Grab your delivery order off the porch, open the package or packages, wash your hands, plate your food, and then dispose of the containers. Wipe down and sanitize your counter that the food sat on and wash your hands before and after eating. Wipe off those items when you bring them home from the store, or wash your hands especially after touching them, McGeorge recommended. Finally, don’t put chemical cleaners directly on your food, ever, McGeorge said.

Tom Hanks and Rita WilsonThe couple were in Australia when they tested positive. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person.”Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19. Last night, on the advice of my doctor, I went into hospital for some routine tests as I’m still experiencing coronavirus symptoms. Idris ElbaThe actor and his wife, Sabrina Dhowre, have coronavirus, according to social media along with published news articles. I tested positive for COVID19.

But diving into the issue more closely, the reasons why liquor stores remain open and thriving become a little clearer, even if they are debatable to some. Here are five reasons why it can be beneficial for liquor stores to remain open during the pandemic. Given this, liquor stores technically fall under the category of “food and agriculture” on the level of grocery stores and pharmacies, and thus, are considered essential. Grocery stores don’t have the selection of liquor stores. Do you agree that liquor stores should be considered essential, and thus, be allowed to remain open?

Have you ever celebrated Earth Day, perhaps by planting a tree or doing something good for the environment? Considering the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic, the Earth Day Network has announced a shift to “global digital mobilizations.”It’ll be Digital Earth Day! Earth Day Network will provide live coverage of these “global digital mobilizations," which you can follow on its social media accounts. But organizers still want to “mobilize millions in a call for transformative action for our planet.”“At Earth Day Network, the health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events is our top concern. That’s now been postponed to October 24-25, 2020 to mark the half birthday of Earth Day.