Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Skylar Thoma

Africa’s malaria deaths could double due to coronavirus fallout

By

By Skylar Thoma

MAIN IMAGE: The WHO warns that as many as 769,000 people could die from malaria this year if current efforts to combat the disease, such as the distribution of treated mosquito nets, are interrupted. SOURCE: Twitter @WHO

As many as 769,000 people in Africa could die from malaria this year as efforts to combat the disease are interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, the WHO warned Thursday.

The global health body’s Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti warned that malaria deaths could soar if the distribution of treated mosquito nets is interrupted.

She said a recent analysis had found that if the net distribution outlets were closed and malaria case management was halted, malaria deaths could match numbers last seen in 2000.

In 2018, Africa recorded 213 million malaria cases and 380,000 deaths, accounting for the vast majority of malaria deaths worldwide.

WHO officials are concerned that as countries combat the coronavirus pandemic, malaria will not be the only disease that spikes – other diseases will also not get the attention or resources they require.

These fears are based on the experience of the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. According to Moeti, malaria and other diseases were reponsible for more deaths than the Ebola virus itself during that epidemic.

“Let us not repeat that again with COVID-19,” Moeti said.

Moeti urged countries to follow the updated WHO vaccination guidelines, which recommend that countries prioritize routine vaccinations for children and adults who are at risk of catching diseases like influenza. Vaccination campaigns for diseases where there is no active outbreak may need to be put on hold.

She said one in four African children remain under-immunised. “To protect communities from diseases like measles, polio and yellow fever, it is imperative that routine immunization continues,” she said.

The Measles and Rubella Initiative reports that 24 countries have postponed their measles vaccination campaigns as a result of the coronavirus. The global coalition warned that over 117 million children are at risk of not getting a vaccine for measles, despite the fact that a vaccine has been available for over 50 years.

“Disease outbreaks must not remain a threat when we have safe and effective vaccines to protect us”, WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a press conference on Friday. “While the world strives to develop a new vaccine for COVID-19 at record speed, we must not risk losing the fight to protect everyone, everywhere against vaccine-preventable diseases”.

Health officials are also concerned that as some countries begin to allow people to return to work and begin to reopen commercial buildings, there may be an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, reports Reuters. The severe form of pneumonia develops in water pipes that have not been used for an extended period, meaning building owners have been advised to take extra sanitation precautions as they reopen.

Ramaphosa announces historic R500bn economic rescue package

By

By Skylar Thoma

MAIN IMAGE: SA President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a plan for R500 billion in government spending to address the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. SOURCE: Twitter @PresidencyZA

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the largest economic relief package in South Africa’s history, amounting to approximately 10 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, in a televised address Tuesday evening.

The R500-billion stimulus package includes increased spending on health care, additional social grants, and loan guarantees.

Explaining the plan to the nation, Ramaphosa defended the current nationwide lockdown as “absolutely necessary” but acknowledged that measures to combat the virus have severely damaged the country’s economy, which had already been struggling prior to the outbreak of the epidemic.

“The pandemic requires an economic response that is equal to the scale of the disruption it is causing”, he said. 

As part of the massive surge in spending, R20bn will go to health care interventions, R200bn will be spent on loan guarantees, R100bn on job creation and support, and R20bn on supporting municipality spending.

Social grants will also be increased for a six-month period. Recipients of child care grants will see their grants go up by R500, and people who are unemployed and not receiving any social grants can apply for a temporary R350 monthly grant.

Ramaphosa also announced tax deferments and certain tax holidays for companies, including a three-month holiday on carbon taxes. In total tax measures will amount to an additional R70bn in relief.

The government will pay for R130bn of the package by transferring funds from other government departments. 

The remaining money will have to be borrowed from external sources, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The IMF had announced on Tuesday that South Africa could be eligible for $4.2 billion USD (R80 billion) in loans under certain conditions, according to Bloomberg.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is scheduled to announce details of how the plan will be funded, and is due to present an adjustment budget for the country. However, a time for this has not yet been specified.

Opposition parties generally welcomed Ramaphosa’s announcement. The DA said the president’s plan, “if executed correctly, could be the kick-start our economy needs to recover from the effects of Covid-19 and the lockdown”.

The EFF released a cautiously optimistic endorsement of the president’s stimulus package, calling the increases in social grants “a step in the right direction”. But the party asked for further details of how the relief will be implemented before they fully embrace the government’s strategy.

Some worry the stimulus package will not be enough. Reuters reports that COSATU, which participates in the National Economic Development and Labour Council, had demanded a stimulus package of 1 trillion Rand.

University of Witwatersrand economist Gilad Isaacs raised a number of concerns in an opinion piece about Ramaphosa’s plan. For instance, he suggested the amount that would be needed for the additional social grants would exceed the amount that had been set aside for that purpose.

Isaacs also pointed out that South Africans are generally skeptical of international financial institutions like the IMF which he said were “notorious for accompanying loans with anti-poor, pro-market measures of deregulation and slashing government and social spending”.

Ramaphosa promised that details of further relief efforts will be announced in the coming days. Plans to ease the lockdown in order to restart the economy in a phased way are expected to be announced on Thursday night when Ramaphosa is due to address the nation again.

South Africans face extended coronavirus restrictions

By

By Skylar Thoma and Ayinde Summey

MAIN IMAGE: Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma speaks at a press briefing Thursday, announcing that some lockdown regulations “will remain in place for a long time”. SOURCE: Screen grab from Twitter @PresidencyZA

South Africa is facing an extended period of coronavirus restrictions – even if the country’s lockdown is partially lifted on April 30.

This was the message of Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on Thursday as she announced details of a two-week extension of the country’s lockdown which has been in place since March 26.

In a publicly broadcast briefing of the national command council (NCC) on COVID-19, Dlamini-Zuma said that when regulations are eventually lifted, this would have to be done gradually. “When we do stop the lockdown, we cannot do it abruptly – that today it’s complete lockdown and tomorrow it’s open completely”, she explained. “We have to phase it in, so that there is an orderly move towards normality.”

Many of the regulations that have been in place since the start of the lockdown are being extended, the NCC announced. These include the existing ban on cigarettes and current restrictions around funerals, which limit the number of attendees to 50 people.

But some amendments have been introduced. Dlamini-Zuma said the government is expanding the ban on liquor products by banning the transport of alcoholic beverages. Earlier this week the Gauteng Liquor Forum threatened legal action against the government if it did not ease restrictions on alcohol sales. The government asked the organisation to wait until Friday for an official response. The Forum has not yet responded to the announcement of the extension of the liquor ban. 

The government is also beginning to open up the mining industry, allowing many mines to operate at 50 percent capacity. Dlamini-Zuma added that “all the mines that supply Eskom must be fully operational”.

“Some [regulations] will remain in place for a very long time”, Dlamini-Zuma said, although she did not specify which these would be.

As of Thursday South Africa had 2605 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Worldwide there are now over 2 million cases with over 140,000 deaths. 

Other countries are contemplating how and when to relax their measures to combat the virus. Japan announced Thursday that the government is extending lockdown measures to the entire country, intensifying its State of Emergency which was introduced less than two weeks ago in some of the country’s prefectures. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he wants to limit contact among the public by 80%,” reported Kyoto News. 

In the United Kingdom, foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said that stay home orders will be in place for at least another three weeks to avoid damage to the economy and public health.

Raab told reporters that according to research done by Sage, a company advising the UK government,  the infection rate in the country is below one per person, meaning each infected person is passing on the virus to one or less than one person. The government wants the rate to reduce further and is concerned that lifting the restrictions might cause another peak.

“We have been very clear that we will take the right decisions at the right moments based on the evidence. And they may well involve a transition out of the current measures. And, of course, they could be calibrated in different ways.” The Guardian reported Raab saying.

Five conditions will have to be met before restrictions can be lifted.

Among these are whether the NHS is able to handle the infection load; whether the death rate is consistently falling (to indicate whether the peak has passed throughout the country), and that there are sufficient testing spaces and PPE to account for future demand.

The Guardian quoted Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific advisor saying that to disrupt transmission and avoid a second wave, it would likely be necessary for people to prepare to work from home for a long period of time. Medicines and vaccines that are also essential have not yet been identified and, there is currently no way to tell when that will arrive, he said.

World leaders dismayed as Trump cuts US funding to WHO

By

By Skylar Thoma

MAIN IMAGE: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks to the press following President Trump’s announcement that the United States’ funding for the organisation would be cut. SOURCE: Twitter @WHO

World leaders expressed concern on Wednesday after President Donald Trump moved to cut off US funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The move, which Trump said would be in place while his administration assesses the WHO’s response to the global coronavirus pandemic, drew criticism from the European Union, the African Union, and the United Nations.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ‘expressed regret’ at Trump’s decision and told reporters the organisation is assessing how its operations will be affected it. The United States contributes between $400 million and $500 million USD to the WHO’s annual budget.

“The United States of America has been a longstanding and generous friend of the WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so”, Tedros said. “Our commitment to health, science, and to serving all the people of the world, without fear or favor, remains absolute.” 

International leaders from various countries and organisations have criticised Trump’s decision which came at the same time as news that the global tally of coronavirus cases passed two million on Tuesday. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged “the international community to work together in solidarity” and said now was “not the time” for President Trump to cut funding. 

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian urged President Trump to reconsider his decision, praising the WHO’s efforts to combat the virus and pledging China’s continuing support for the organization.

Leaders from the African Union and the European Union took to Twitter to condemn Trump’s decision.

Trump has previously accused the WHO of being “China-centric”, claiming “the outbreak could have been contained at its source” had the WHO not defended China’s response to the virus in January.  Some scientists quoted by The Atlantic and the New York Times have suggested that the WHO was too willing to take China’s assurances on the spread of the virus at face value, and did not insist on sufficient transparency.

Guterres said a full assessment of what happened with management of the pandemic would need to be conducted in time, but not until the crisis had passed. 

“It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against COVID-19.  This virus is unprecedented in our lifetime and requires an unprecedented response.”

The WHO is a subsidiary of the United Nations (UN), which works around the world to fight various epidemics, including COVID-19, Ebola, polio, influenza, HIV, tuberculosis, and others. They also support research into vaccines and help deliver key medical supplies to countries in need.

At present the WHO is coordinating global efforts to find a vaccine for the coronavirus. Tedros announced that “3 vaccines have already started clinical trials, and more than 70 others are in development”.

Trump has come under fire for his handling of the pandemic and his early suggestions that it was a hoax. Although he declared a national emergency on March 13, Trump has not invoked the Defense Production Act, which would allow him to force companies to manufacture critical medical supplies. His administration has so far refused to impose national social distancing measures, instead leaving those decisions to state and local governments.

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, the president’s chief health advisor Dr Anthony Fauci acknowledged that lives might have been saved had the federal government acted more swiftly. Fauci revised his statement on Monday following reports that Trump was considering firing him. He said he had used a “poor choice of words”.

The United States is now the centre of the global pandemic, with almost 580,000 cases and more than 22,000 deaths as of April 14. The official death toll in New York City, the centre of the country’s outbreak, rose to over 10,000 this week after officials began to include in their count people who had presented with coronavirus symptoms when they died but had not been tested, according to the New York Times. 

Tensions rise over ban on cigarette and alcohol sales

By

By Skylar Thoma

MAIN IMAGE: The sale of alcoholic drinks is currently banned in South Africa under the nationwide lockdown. The lobby group Gauteng Liquor Forum has demanded that government lift the ban or face legal action. SOURCE: Pexels.com.

More than 20,000 liquor license holders will have to wait until the end of the week to know whether their appeal to the government to be allowed to restart sales of alcohol will be approved. 

The traders, all members of the Gauteng Liquor Forum, have lobbied the government’s to lift its ban on the sale of alcohol, and has threatened to go to court if the government does not take action on the issue by Thursday. 

On Tuesday, the Office of the State Attorney in Pretoria issued a response to the demand, requesting an extension until Friday for an official decision.

The government has acknowledged that the lockdown restrictions are creating economic hardship for business owners across the country and talks are under way to considering what steps can be taken to alleviate the situation. It is widely believed that this may include a partial easing of some restrictions.

The economic impact extends beyond alcohol traders. Tax Justice South Africa claimed on Twitter that the government has lost 650 million Rand in taxes that would have been charged on alcohol and cigarette products.

Despite outrage among some drinkers and traders, the Minister of Police Bheki Cele has been adamant that the ban will not be lifted. Cele expressed his anger when the Western Cape provincial government suggested it might lift the ban on cigarette sales in its province.

“What happens in Limpopo is expected to be done in the Western Cape”, he stated at a press briefing on April 2. 

The ban was instituted on March 27 as part of the lockdown regulations – in an attempt to reduce social gatherings involving alcohol, and thereby contribute to South Africa’s efforts to ‘flatten the curve’ of its coronavirus infection spread. In a statement to SABC News on April 7, Cele said the ban had led to a decrease in crime. 

Instances of violent crime have indeed declined during the lockdown, especially for murders and rapes, reports The South African.

Looters raid a Spar Tops liquor store in Cape Town. SOURCE: eNCA.

But there has also been an increase in looting of alcohol stores and illegal trading of liquor and tobacco products. IOL reports that 17 liquor stores had been looted in Cape Town alone as of Tuesday this week. Minister Cele has also expressed concern about reports that police officers have been caught and arrested for participating in illicit trading, according to Reuters.

The top five Google searches in South Africa on Tuesday all connect to making alcoholic beverages at home. SOURCE: screen grab.

Some South Africans are trying to find a way around the ban by brewing their alcohol at home. A search on Twitter for “pineapple beer” turns up numerous recipes that people have developed while under lockdown.

The issue of the ban on alcohol and cigarettes has divided South Africans, with people taking to Twitter to express their views. A petition has also been started in opposition to the movement to un-ban the sale of alcohol. It had about 2700 signatures as of Tuesday. 

https://twitter.com/KeeganMoodley96/status/1249650419917295619

Antique collector dreams of finding new gems

By

By Skylar Thoma

IMAGE: The inside of World Travellers Importers & Retail Merchants in Durban. All of the items in the building are for sale unless marked otherwise. (Photo: Skylar Thoma)

“I’m frustrated.”

Fred van Blerk stands outside World Travellers Importers & Retail Merchants, the antique shop he’s owned for the past 25 years. Calling it a ‘shop’ perhaps does it a disservice: the 600-square-meter warehouse contains Van Blerk’s huge collection of antiques, including furniture, clothing, bicycles, and even the occasional foosball table.

An assortment of items found in Fred van Blerk’s antique shop. The foreground features relatively modern items, but it is surrounded by more antique furniture. (Photo: Skylar Thoma)

The extreme variety sets World Travellers apart, particularly because there isn’t a big antique scene in Durban. According to Van Blerk, in a “normal” antique shop, “you won’t see the big heavy pieces. You’ll see more funky stuff. But what I’m trying to show people is how to put different stuff together and not have that stifled antique feeling about it”.

Van Blerk’s love of collecting stretches back to his childhood. He found himself drawn to unusual items that date back centuries: “I really like stuff from the beginning of the Ottoman Period and the Persian movement through Egypt.”

But World Travellers is not his main job: Van Blerk also works as an interior architect. His professional work is exclusively modern, so many of his clients are surprised he also loves antiques. “They come to me to get that super modern, high tech interior”, he says. “That’s what I do [for a living], and it comes easy to me. If someone came to me and asked to do a period interior with stuff like this, it would be super easy. Because I love it, so I know how to put it together.”

In van Blerk’s office hangs a chandelier made by the same person who decorated the Palace of Versailles. He’s had offers to sell this item and many others for thousands of Rand, but he almost always declines. “I’m not thinking when I’m buying something, ‘oh, I could make so much money off this, so I’m going to sell it.’ Instead, I’m the reluctant seller. Every time Nico [his employee] comes to me and says, ‘oh, I sold this’, I go, ‘my god, I didn’t want that to sell!’” Instead, Van Blerk just wants to enjoy having the pieces he’s collected over the years. And by opening the store as a gallery and hosting music events for 100 people or more, he tries to share that joy with others as well.

But Van Blerk is looking for something more. Perhaps if he were to move somewhere else – maybe to Portugal – he might find a welcome for the treasures he has collected, he says. Perhaps Durban is not where he belongs.

Or perhaps it’s a bigger question, he admits: perhaps he might have made other choices in life.

“I feel like I missed my true profession. I would’ve liked to have been an archaeologist. I would rather discover that one little thing in my lifetime, that one little thing that is so precious and unusual, than having all this here.”

For now, Van Blerk continues to look for those items in his very own store.

Ramaphosa calls for national solidarity as lockdown is extended through April

By

By Skylar Thoma

MAIN IMAGE: President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation to announce that South Africa’s three-week lockdown has been extended to five weeks.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday that South Africa’s nationwide lockdown would be extended by two weeks, to the end of April. 

Thanking the nation for their efforts to date, Ramaphosa said it was clear the lockdown which began on March 26 had had a significant impact on slowing the rate of new infections. However, he said it was imperative that the restrictions should not be lifted too soon and the decision to extend the lockdown had been taken to prevent an “uncontrollable resurgence of the disease”. 

He said the government would roll out a program with three main focuses over the lockdown period. The first would be an intensified public health response to slow down and reduce new infections.

Over the next two weeks, a community testing and screening programme would be rolled out, focusing on the most vulnerable communities in the country, he announced. Those testing positive would be isolated at facilities that were being equipped to house them.

The president announced that 20,000 cellphones had been donated to the government by Vodacom. The phones had been preinstalled with an app that health workers will be able to use to send data on the screening program directly into the national data tracking centre.

A second focus would be to provide economic support measures to assist businesses who were severely impacted by the lockdown. Ramaphosa said the Unemployment Insurance Fund had set aside R40 billion to help employees who are not able to work during the lockdown. The UIF has paid out R356 million to claimants during the lockdown period so far.

Ramaphosa said he would be working with cabinet to develop a comprehensive package of urgent economic measures to respond both to the immediate crisis “and to the severe economic challenges that we must confront in the months ahead”.

He appealed to large businesses “not to resort to force majeure” during #LockdownSA and to continue paying their suppliers if possible.

“The government is continuing its efforts to provide vulnerable communities with food, water, and other basic needs,” he said. “To date, the government has delivered over 11 000 water storage tanks to communities across the country.” 

Ramaphosa also announced that he, along with the deputy president, members of his cabinet and the provincial premiers, would take a cut of a third of their salaries for the next three months. This money would be donated to the national Solidarity Fund. The fund was established at the start of the earlier lockdown to assist in providing funds for the country’s Covid-19 fight.

Ramaphosa concluded with a call for vigilance and solidarity.

“The struggle against #COVID19 is far from over. We are only at the beginning of a monumental struggle that will require every resource.  We cannot relax. We cannot be complacent.”

“Until we contain the virus, the same rules remain,” he said.

He ended his address saying, “Much is being asked of you. Far more than should ever be asked but we know that this is a matter of survival and we dare not fail. I know we shall recover and I also know we shall overcome. May God bless South Africa and protect her people.”

Several commentators on Twitter expressed admiration for Ramaphosa’s difficult decision.

WHO warns world to be cautious as Wuhan lifts lockdown

By

By Skylar Thoma

MAIN IMAGE: Scattered people walk about a park in Wuhan, China. The city in which the coronavirus epidemic began is now relaxing its lockdown measures. SOURCE: Pexels

After more than two months under a strict lockdown, Wuhan, the city where coronavirus was first reported, is finally beginning to relax restrictions on movement. 

On Monday (6 April) China reported no new cases of the coronavirus, and announced on Wednesday that it was easing the tight controls it had put in place in Wuhan. 

But as promising as the news seems, the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning other countries not to be too hasty in relaxing their measures to combat the epidemic.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said there is a possibility of the virus resurging if restrictions are loosened too quickly.

“It’s similar to being sick yourself,” he explained to reporters during a virtual press briefing. “If you get out of bed too early and get running too early you risk falling back and having complications”.

The city of Wuhan had been under a strict lockdown since January 23. Residents are now allowed to travel outside their residential compounds, although schools remain closed and some travel restrictions remain in place. 

In several other countries where lockdown measures are in place, rates of increase in infection numbers appear to be tapering.  The Washington Post reports that among these, New Zealand’s numbers are low. Rates of increase in Italy and Spain are also reported to be flattening.

Some countries are hoping to follow China’s lead and begin relaxing lockdown measures. Denmark hopes to phase out its lockdown if the number of cases can stabilise by Easter, according to Reuters. 

But in other countries, authorities are cautious about making promises. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters on Tuesday that no decision had yet been made about lifting or extending the country’s nationwide lockdown. The administration is waiting on a scientific report on the effectiveness of the lockdown before making a final decision, according to News24. 

US President Donald Trump had raised the possibility of reopening the country in late March, but has since walked back his suggestion as the country is undergoing a surge of new cases and deaths.

Many countries are becoming increasingly worried about the economic fallout from the pandemic. But WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the economic damage will be far worse if lockdown measures are lifted too quickly, reports CNBC.

“Ultimately the best way for countries to end restrictions and ease their economic effects is to attack the virus”, he said.

Experts interviewed by Nature magazine believe that if China can end its lockdown without a resurgence of the virus, other countries may follow suit. But for now, health experts say, countries need to stay vigilant and watch for a second wave.

7 ways to feed your creative need while staying locked indoors

By

By Lizzie Stricklin and Skylar Thoma

Creativity is blooming on the internet as people around the world are being inspired to take up artistic challenges from wherever they find themselves in lockdown.

An explosion of online content, from silly social media challenges, to museums and universities sharing their resources, is giving people a way to stay sane during these trying times. Here are just seven ways the artistic and creative world has continued to shine during these turbulent times.

Recreating the Classics

The Getty Museum in Los Angeles took to Twitter this month to encourage fans of visual art to recreate their favourite paintings using only three items found around the house. Although some of the participating photos used more than three items, they all have produced creative takes on paintings from Jan van Eyck to Pablo Picasso. Here are some of our favourite DIY creations:

Exploring Museums from the Couch

https://twitter.com/Italia/status/1247215241156530176
The Vatican Museums now offer virtual tours of their exhibits, including one of Raphael’s Rooms.

Although many museums have been forced to close their doors for the foreseeable future, museums from around the world have moved some of their exhibits online in partnership with Google Arts & Culture. Visitors can view the collections as an online gallery, and, if the museum has the technology, take a virtual reality tour of the museum. Over 2,000 museum collections from six continents have added their exhibits so far.

Taking a Seat – Or Creating One

On March 18, Spanish designer Max Enrich started an Instagram challenge encouraging followers to craft little #isolationchairs out of miscellaneous household items. In the past three weeks, this challenge has taken off, with posts displaying hundreds of pint-sized creations made from items ranging from matches to breakfast sandwiches circulating the internet. Here are some of our favourites:

View this post on Instagram

#isolationchair #isolationchairchallenge

A post shared by Noemí Blanch (@miblae) on

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-Y971PDi3z/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KHuNbgEwN/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Bringing the Theatre to the Living Room

The lights may have been dimmed, but the show must go on! Broadway and West End theatres, as well as some regional theatres, have released pro-shots of plays and musicals that theatre fans around the world can watch for free or with a small donation. Andrew Lloyd Weber himself has started a YouTube channel dubbed The Shows Must Go On, through which a different Weber musical recording will premiere every Friday.

The National Theatre in London will be releasing a recording of a play every week, and Broadway stars have held virtual play readings. Regional theatres like TheatreWorks Silicon Valley have also joined the online stage by holding a “virtual opening night” for its musical production of Pride & Prejudice, which included interviews with cast members and was hosted by Broadway star Beth Leavel.

Worldwide Orchestras

Choirs and orchestras are organizing their performances online, often with individual members recording themselves and compiling their videos into a final product. Some conductors are hosting live sessions over YouTube and other streaming platforms. Here are some impressive performances done without any of the performers in the same room:

Slovenian acapella group Perpetuum Jazzile performs an original piece using recordings from each singer.
The Symphonic Orchestra of Castille and Leon performs Ode to Joy using recordings of each musician.
The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra shared a Proudly South African performance of the National Anthem.

Sharing Their Craft

For aspiring artists who have no idea how to begin, there are an abundance of online classes available for all manner of things. The online website Class Central has compiled over 450 free online classes from the eight Ivy League universities, including courses in music, photography, and architecture. Scores of artists are also using YouTube to host online classes of their own on every topic imaginable: drawing, knitting, painting, playing instruments, and more.

Mo Willems, artist-in-residence at the Kennedy Centre, is hosting periodic doodle sessions on YouTube.
For those who are more industrially minded, the New York Times has created a guide for how to make your own protective face masks to wear if you need to venture out in public.

Going Out in Style

As more people commit themselves to social isolation and self-quarantine, sometimes the only time they leave the house is to take out the trash. Members of the Australian Facebook group “Bin isolation outing” (https://www.facebook.com/groups/306002627033697/) found a creative way to make taking out the trash fun by donning costumes for the daily chore.

The Australian Facebook Bin isolation dress-up challenge is being taken up by people around the world, including this woman in Croydon, UK, who put on her finery to take out the trash.

The fun has now spread around the world, with participants from Scotland and the United States putting their own spin on the silly costumes.

Zoombombing: The New Online Epidemic

By

By Skylar Thomas

MAIN PHOTO: Zoombombing has become a phenomenon on the online meeting platform. The platform which offers easy web conferencing is under scrutiny. (Source: Zoom website)

With the global need for online communication in the current coronavirus crisis, many have been turning to the US-based online platform Zoom for business meetings, online classes and even for social hangouts.

Unfortunately, along with the ease of communication is a not-so-new phenomenon – internet harassment.

In a trend known as “Zoombombing”, online trolls have been hijacking Zoom meetings uninvited and sharing lewd or offensive content. Their targets have included public meetings, online classes, and other social gatherings.

One public meeting hosted by the US food chain Chipotle was forced to end prematurely after a user managed to broadcast pornographic material from their screen.

Other Zoombombings have taken a more malicious form. A doctoral student’s presentation was interrupted when an unidentified user drew male genitalia and wrote racial slurs, according to a report by NPR.

The phenomenon has become so widespread that some online trolls are now offering to raid Zoom meetings at users’ request. Investigators from the FBI in Boston are taking the issue seriously, calling on people to report instances of Zoombombing to the authorities.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan has apologised to users in a post on the company website.

“We absolutely condemn these types of attacks and deeply feel for anyone whose meeting has been interrupted in this way”, he wrote.

In a separate post, Zoom has advised users on how to prevent their meeting from being sabotaged. For instance, meeting hosts can block participants from sharing their screens and set up password protections. The company has also strongly discouraged users from sharing meeting details on public platforms, where they are more accessible to online trolls.

Zoom’s popularity has exploded over the past three months as more people stay at home during the pandemic. The company reported that the platform hasd 200 million users as of March, up from just 10 million in December. The increasing usage has put the company under intense scrutiny.

The website Motherboard reported in March that Zoom had been sending user data to Facebook – even from users who did not own a Facebook account. Zoom has since stopped the practice and issued a public apology, but the company is now facing a lawsuit over its handling of user data.

The Guardian reported that security researchers have raised concerns about the platform, including its lax privacy controls and security vulnerabilities.

The publication said New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, had sent a letter to the company asking it to explain what it had done to fix problems that had been identified. She highlighted concerns about security vulnerabilities that might allow third parties to gain surreptitious access to consumer webcams.

Earlier this week, the company pledged to devote all its efforts to improving security measures and protecting user data.

  • The World Learning Inc. Family:

  • School for International Training

    1 Kipling Road • Brattleboro, VT 05302 • 802 257-7751 • 800 257-7751 (toll-free in the US)
    SIT is a private nonprofit institution of higher education.

  • Explore SIT Graduate Institute

    © Copyright World Learning, Inc.