Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and six other countries urged the European Union to adopt a "green" recovery plan on Thursday, as fears grow that the economic hit caused by the coronavirus pandemic could weaken action on climate change.
Reported by Reuters 5 hours ago.
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Ten EU countries urge bloc to pursue 'green' coronavirus recovery
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Full Text: Pope Francis' Holy Thursday Homily
Vatican City, Apr 9, 2020 / 02:00 pm (CNA).- Here is the full text of Pope Francis' Holy Thursday homily, delivered April 9 at the Basilica of St. Peter.
The Eucharist. Service. Anointing. The reality we live today in this liturgy is the Lord who wants to remain with us in the Eucharist. And we always become tabernacles of the Lord. We bear the Lord with us to the point that he himself tells us that if we do not eat his body and drink his blood, we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the mystery of the bread and wine of the Lord with us, in us, within us.
The service. That gesture that is a condition for entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Serve, yes, everyone, but the Lord -- in that exchange of words he had with Peter -- makes him understand that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must let the Lord serve us, that the Servant of God is the servant of us. And this is difficult to understand. If I do not let the Lord be my servant, allow the Lord to wash me, to help me grow, to forgive me, I will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
And the priesthood. Today I would like to be close to priests. All of them -- from the most recently ordained to the pope, we are all priests. The bishops, all ... We are anointed, anointed by the Lord; anointed to offer the Eucharist, anointed to serve.
Today we did not have the Chrism Mass. I hope we will be able to have it before Pentecost, otherwise we will have to postpone it until next year. But I cannot let this Mass pass without mentioning the priests. Priests who offer their lives for the Lord, priests who are servants. In recent days, more than 60 have died here in Italy, in the care of the sick in hospitals, and also with doctors, nurses ... They are "the saints next door,” priests who gave their lives by serving.
And I think of those who are far away. Today I received a letter from a priest, chaplain from a distant prison, in which he tells of how he lives this Holy Week with the prisoners. A Franciscan.
Priests who go far to bring the Gospel and die there. A bishop said that the first thing he did, when he arrived in these mission posts, was to go to the cemetery, to the grave of the priests who lost their lives there, young, by the local plague [local diseases]. They were not prepared, they had no antibodies. No one knows their names. Anonymous priests.
The country parish priests, who are parish priests of four, five, or seven villages in the mountains and go from one to the other, who know the people ... Once, one told me that he knew the name of all the people of the villages. “Really?” I said to him. And he said to me: "Even the name of the dogs." They know all. Priestly closeness.
Well done, good priests. Today I carry you in my heart and I bring you to the altar.
Slandered priests. Many times it happens today. They cannot go out on the street because bad things are said of them, in reference to the drama we have experienced with the discovery of priests who did ugly things. Some told me that they cannot leave the house with the clergyman because they are insulted, and they continue.
Sinful priests, who together with the bishops and the pope, a sinner, do not forget to ask for forgiveness. And learn to forgive because they know that they need to ask for forgiveness and to forgive. We are all sinners. Priests who suffer from crises, who do not know what to do, who are in the dark ... Today all of you, brother priests, are with me on the altar.
You who are consecrated, I only tell you one thing: Do not be stubborn, like Peter. Allow your feet to be washed. The Lord is your servant. He is close to you to give you strength, to wash your feet.
And so, with this awareness of the need to be washed, to be great forgivers. Forgive. A great heart has generosity in forgiveness. It is the measure by which we will be measured. As you have forgiven, you will be forgiven: the same measure. Do not be afraid to forgive. Sometimes there are doubts ... Look at Christ [look at the Crucifix]. There is everyone's forgiveness.
Be brave, also in taking risks, in forgiving in order to console. And if you cannot give sacramental forgiveness at that moment, at least give the consolation of a brother who accompanies and leaves the door open for [that person] to return.
I thank God for the grace of the priesthood. We all [thank you]. I thank God for you, priests. Jesus loves you! He only asks that you allow him to wash your feet. Reported by CNA 5 hours ago.
The Eucharist. Service. Anointing. The reality we live today in this liturgy is the Lord who wants to remain with us in the Eucharist. And we always become tabernacles of the Lord. We bear the Lord with us to the point that he himself tells us that if we do not eat his body and drink his blood, we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the mystery of the bread and wine of the Lord with us, in us, within us.
The service. That gesture that is a condition for entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Serve, yes, everyone, but the Lord -- in that exchange of words he had with Peter -- makes him understand that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must let the Lord serve us, that the Servant of God is the servant of us. And this is difficult to understand. If I do not let the Lord be my servant, allow the Lord to wash me, to help me grow, to forgive me, I will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
And the priesthood. Today I would like to be close to priests. All of them -- from the most recently ordained to the pope, we are all priests. The bishops, all ... We are anointed, anointed by the Lord; anointed to offer the Eucharist, anointed to serve.
Today we did not have the Chrism Mass. I hope we will be able to have it before Pentecost, otherwise we will have to postpone it until next year. But I cannot let this Mass pass without mentioning the priests. Priests who offer their lives for the Lord, priests who are servants. In recent days, more than 60 have died here in Italy, in the care of the sick in hospitals, and also with doctors, nurses ... They are "the saints next door,” priests who gave their lives by serving.
And I think of those who are far away. Today I received a letter from a priest, chaplain from a distant prison, in which he tells of how he lives this Holy Week with the prisoners. A Franciscan.
Priests who go far to bring the Gospel and die there. A bishop said that the first thing he did, when he arrived in these mission posts, was to go to the cemetery, to the grave of the priests who lost their lives there, young, by the local plague [local diseases]. They were not prepared, they had no antibodies. No one knows their names. Anonymous priests.
The country parish priests, who are parish priests of four, five, or seven villages in the mountains and go from one to the other, who know the people ... Once, one told me that he knew the name of all the people of the villages. “Really?” I said to him. And he said to me: "Even the name of the dogs." They know all. Priestly closeness.
Well done, good priests. Today I carry you in my heart and I bring you to the altar.
Slandered priests. Many times it happens today. They cannot go out on the street because bad things are said of them, in reference to the drama we have experienced with the discovery of priests who did ugly things. Some told me that they cannot leave the house with the clergyman because they are insulted, and they continue.
Sinful priests, who together with the bishops and the pope, a sinner, do not forget to ask for forgiveness. And learn to forgive because they know that they need to ask for forgiveness and to forgive. We are all sinners. Priests who suffer from crises, who do not know what to do, who are in the dark ... Today all of you, brother priests, are with me on the altar.
You who are consecrated, I only tell you one thing: Do not be stubborn, like Peter. Allow your feet to be washed. The Lord is your servant. He is close to you to give you strength, to wash your feet.
And so, with this awareness of the need to be washed, to be great forgivers. Forgive. A great heart has generosity in forgiveness. It is the measure by which we will be measured. As you have forgiven, you will be forgiven: the same measure. Do not be afraid to forgive. Sometimes there are doubts ... Look at Christ [look at the Crucifix]. There is everyone's forgiveness.
Be brave, also in taking risks, in forgiving in order to console. And if you cannot give sacramental forgiveness at that moment, at least give the consolation of a brother who accompanies and leaves the door open for [that person] to return.
I thank God for the grace of the priesthood. We all [thank you]. I thank God for you, priests. Jesus loves you! He only asks that you allow him to wash your feet. Reported by CNA 5 hours ago.
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EU finance ministers reach agreement on coronavirus rescue deal
EU finance ministers agreed a 500-billion-euro ($550-billion) rescue Thursday for European countries hit hard by the coronavirus epidemic, but sidelined a demand by Italy and France for pooled borrowing.
Reported by France 24 4 hours ago.
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Key EU states agree coronavirus economic rescue: diplomats
Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands reached an agreement on Thursday evening on an economic support package against coronavirus epidemic, paving the way for a deal among all 27 EU finance ministers, diplomatic sources said.
Reported by Reuters 4 hours ago.
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Jordan asserts solidarity with France, Italy in coronavirus battle
(MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN � Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, in a telephone call with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian on Thursday, conv...
Reported by MENAFN.com 4 hours ago.
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Euro countries agree half trillion euros in support
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Governments from the 19 countries that use the euro agreed Thursday on a package of measures that could provide more than a half-trillion euros ($550 billion) for companies, workers and health systems to cushion the economic impact of the virus outbreak.
The deal struck Thursday did not, however, include more far-reaching cooperation in the form of shared borrowing guaranteed by all member countries, leaving the issue open as leaders look forward to a further discussion about a fund to support the economic recovery in the longer term.
Borrowing together to pay for the costs of the crisis was a key demand from Italy, whose already heavy debt load is expected to increase because of the recession caused by the virus outbreak. But it was rejected by Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
Mario Centeno, who heads the finance ministers' group from euro countries, called the package of measures agreed upon “totally unprecedented... Tonight Europe has shown it can deliver when the will is there.”
The ministers agreed that hard-pressed governments such as Spain and Italy could quickly tap the eurozone's bailout fund for up to 240 billion euros ($260 billion), with the condition that the money is spent on their health care systems and the credit line expires after the outbreak is over.
The agreement also provides for up to 200 billion euros in credit guarantees through the European Investment Bank to keep companies afloat and 100 billion euros to make up lost wages for workers put on shorter hours.
Centeno said that countries would work on a recovery fund for the longer term and as part of that would discuss “innovative financial instruments, consistent with EU treaties." He said that some countries support shared borrowing and that others... Reported by SeattlePI.com 3 hours ago.
The deal struck Thursday did not, however, include more far-reaching cooperation in the form of shared borrowing guaranteed by all member countries, leaving the issue open as leaders look forward to a further discussion about a fund to support the economic recovery in the longer term.
Borrowing together to pay for the costs of the crisis was a key demand from Italy, whose already heavy debt load is expected to increase because of the recession caused by the virus outbreak. But it was rejected by Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
Mario Centeno, who heads the finance ministers' group from euro countries, called the package of measures agreed upon “totally unprecedented... Tonight Europe has shown it can deliver when the will is there.”
The ministers agreed that hard-pressed governments such as Spain and Italy could quickly tap the eurozone's bailout fund for up to 240 billion euros ($260 billion), with the condition that the money is spent on their health care systems and the credit line expires after the outbreak is over.
The agreement also provides for up to 200 billion euros in credit guarantees through the European Investment Bank to keep companies afloat and 100 billion euros to make up lost wages for workers put on shorter hours.
Centeno said that countries would work on a recovery fund for the longer term and as part of that would discuss “innovative financial instruments, consistent with EU treaties." He said that some countries support shared borrowing and that others... Reported by SeattlePI.com 3 hours ago.
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Italy closed its ports to NGOs, but boats keep on arriving
New arrivals are not deterred by Italy's coronavirus lockdown; if weather conditions are good, they take their chances.
Reported by Al Jazeera 1 hour ago.
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China’s First Saint Was Martyred On A Cross In Wuhan
By Courtney Mares
China’s first canonized saint was martyred by suffocation on a cross in Wuhan, the epicenter of today’s coronavirus pandemic.
St. Jean-Gabriel Perboyre, a Vincentian missionary priest from France, was betrayed by one of his catechumens for money, bound in chains, tortured, tied to a wooden cross and strangled to death in Wuhan in 1840.
Dr. Anthony Clark, a professor of Chinese history, spent time in Wuhan researching the life of Perboyre and St. Francis Regis Clet, another 19th-century Vincentian priest martyred in Wuhan.
Clark told CNA that Wuhan’s martyr saints are particularly suitable intercessors for those suffering from COVID-19 today.
“Sts. Perboyre and Clet were both killed by strangulation; they died because they could not breathe,” he said. “How could they not be appropriate intercessors for this particular illness?”
“Among the torments against Perboyre were continued beatings on his lower back and he was forced to kneel on broken glass. He certainly knew the agonies of physical suffering, and would be a good comfort for those who now suffer from this virus.”
Wuhan, now infamous as the origin of the coronavirus, was once an outpost for Catholic missionaries who founded Catholic hospitals in the city.
Outside of Wuhan Central Hospital, where coronavirus whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang died, is a statue of Italian missionary, Msgr. Eustachius Zanoli, photographed by New York Times correspondent, Chris Buckley.
The plaque beneath the bust reads in Chinese and English: “Monsignor Eustachius Zanoli, from Italy, was the first Bishop of Roman Catholic Church in Eastern Hubei. In 1886 he invited the Canossian Daughters of Charity to Wuhan to provide social service and in 1880 established the Hankou Catholic Hospital, which laid the foundation for the development of the Wuhan No. 2 Hospital (1955) and subsequently the Central Hospital of Wuhan (1999).”
Another nearby coronavirus facility, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, can trace its roots back to an infectious diseases hospital founded by Franciscan missionaries in 1926, the Father Mei Memorial Catholic Hospital of Hankou.
It was named for Fr. Pascal Angelicus Melotto (1864-1923), a Franciscan missionary friar from Italy martyred in Wuhan, who took Fr. Mei Zhanchun as his Chinese name. He was kidnapped for ransom and then shot in the stomach with a poisoned bullet in 1923.
“I am happy to die for the Chinese,” the missionary priest said at his death, according to the Franciscan Order’s website. “I lived in China for the Chinese and now I am happy to die for them.”
The Father Mei Memorial Catholic Hospital of Hankou was staffed by Franciscan Sisters of Christian Doctrine until missionaries were expelled from China in 1952 after the Chinese Communist Revolution.
“The Catholic community of Wuhan has suffered greatly during the era of Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution, and through that time they hid the tombstones of Saints Perboyre and Clet to protect them, because of their deep devotion to those martyrs,” Clark said.
“While I was there I visited the seminary where the two tombstones are now displayed for veneration; the Catholics of Wuhan have a great devotion to the Eucharist and to the Vincentians, such as Perboyre and Clet, who died for them, and shed their blood on the soil of that city,” he added.
Many missionaries left for China in the 19th century with the knowledge that they would never return.
“I don’t know what awaits me on the path that opens before me: without a doubt the cross, which is the daily bread of the missionary. What can we hope for better, going to preach a crucified God?” St. Perboyre wrote in a letter during his journey to China.
Perboyre’s remains were eventually moved to Paris to the Vincentian motherhouse. Today his tomb is located in a side chapel in the same church where St. Vincent de Paul’s incorrupt body is located. He was beatified in 1889 by Pope Leo XIII.
“St. Thérèse of Lisieux had a special devotion to Perboyre and kept a holy card dedicated to him in her personal prayerbook,” Dr. Clark pointed out.
At Perboyre’s canonization in 1996, St. John Paul II said: “Along the streets where he had been sent he found the Cross of Christ. Through the daily imitation of his Lord, with humility and gentleness, he fully identified with him. … After being tortured and condemned, reproducing the Passion of Jesus with extraordinary similarity, he came like him to death and death on a cross.”
St. John Paul II canonized St. Francis Regis Clet in October 2000, along with 33 other missionaries and 87 Chinese Catholics martyred under the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Michael Fu Tieshan, a bishop of China’s state-run church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, called the canonization a “public humiliation” in an interview with state-run television, AP reported at the time.
The first “patriotic bishop” named by the Communist government in China in 1958 was from Wuhan. Dong Guangqing, who died in 2007, was president of Patriotic Catholic Association of Wuhan and vice president of the National Administrative Committee of the Chinese Catholic Church.
Today, Catholics in Wuhan have a particular devotion to St. Francis and the Sacrament of Penance, Clark observed.
Catholics in Wuhan are “known to make long lines near the confessionals of priests who are most faithful to the authentic teachings of the Church; they are a beautiful witness,” he said.
“It is rare to find a church without a statue of St. Francis, and sometimes a devotion to St. Vincent de Paul. The faith there is strong, and has even flourished especially during times of persecution,” Clark added.
“I have indeed heard from some Catholics during this time, and they are, like all of us, turning to the Lord and his mercy as we all confront our own frailty,” he said. “I recently heard from a Wuhan Protestant who remarked on the sadness of witnessing elderly members of their church passing away. The trauma within Wuhan’s Christian community has been greatly aided through the powerful faith of Christians in that area.”
The post China’s First Saint Was Martyred On A Cross In Wuhan appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 1 hour ago.
China’s first canonized saint was martyred by suffocation on a cross in Wuhan, the epicenter of today’s coronavirus pandemic.
St. Jean-Gabriel Perboyre, a Vincentian missionary priest from France, was betrayed by one of his catechumens for money, bound in chains, tortured, tied to a wooden cross and strangled to death in Wuhan in 1840.
Dr. Anthony Clark, a professor of Chinese history, spent time in Wuhan researching the life of Perboyre and St. Francis Regis Clet, another 19th-century Vincentian priest martyred in Wuhan.
Clark told CNA that Wuhan’s martyr saints are particularly suitable intercessors for those suffering from COVID-19 today.
“Sts. Perboyre and Clet were both killed by strangulation; they died because they could not breathe,” he said. “How could they not be appropriate intercessors for this particular illness?”
“Among the torments against Perboyre were continued beatings on his lower back and he was forced to kneel on broken glass. He certainly knew the agonies of physical suffering, and would be a good comfort for those who now suffer from this virus.”
Wuhan, now infamous as the origin of the coronavirus, was once an outpost for Catholic missionaries who founded Catholic hospitals in the city.
Outside of Wuhan Central Hospital, where coronavirus whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang died, is a statue of Italian missionary, Msgr. Eustachius Zanoli, photographed by New York Times correspondent, Chris Buckley.
The plaque beneath the bust reads in Chinese and English: “Monsignor Eustachius Zanoli, from Italy, was the first Bishop of Roman Catholic Church in Eastern Hubei. In 1886 he invited the Canossian Daughters of Charity to Wuhan to provide social service and in 1880 established the Hankou Catholic Hospital, which laid the foundation for the development of the Wuhan No. 2 Hospital (1955) and subsequently the Central Hospital of Wuhan (1999).”
Another nearby coronavirus facility, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, can trace its roots back to an infectious diseases hospital founded by Franciscan missionaries in 1926, the Father Mei Memorial Catholic Hospital of Hankou.
It was named for Fr. Pascal Angelicus Melotto (1864-1923), a Franciscan missionary friar from Italy martyred in Wuhan, who took Fr. Mei Zhanchun as his Chinese name. He was kidnapped for ransom and then shot in the stomach with a poisoned bullet in 1923.
“I am happy to die for the Chinese,” the missionary priest said at his death, according to the Franciscan Order’s website. “I lived in China for the Chinese and now I am happy to die for them.”
The Father Mei Memorial Catholic Hospital of Hankou was staffed by Franciscan Sisters of Christian Doctrine until missionaries were expelled from China in 1952 after the Chinese Communist Revolution.
“The Catholic community of Wuhan has suffered greatly during the era of Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution, and through that time they hid the tombstones of Saints Perboyre and Clet to protect them, because of their deep devotion to those martyrs,” Clark said.
“While I was there I visited the seminary where the two tombstones are now displayed for veneration; the Catholics of Wuhan have a great devotion to the Eucharist and to the Vincentians, such as Perboyre and Clet, who died for them, and shed their blood on the soil of that city,” he added.
Many missionaries left for China in the 19th century with the knowledge that they would never return.
“I don’t know what awaits me on the path that opens before me: without a doubt the cross, which is the daily bread of the missionary. What can we hope for better, going to preach a crucified God?” St. Perboyre wrote in a letter during his journey to China.
Perboyre’s remains were eventually moved to Paris to the Vincentian motherhouse. Today his tomb is located in a side chapel in the same church where St. Vincent de Paul’s incorrupt body is located. He was beatified in 1889 by Pope Leo XIII.
“St. Thérèse of Lisieux had a special devotion to Perboyre and kept a holy card dedicated to him in her personal prayerbook,” Dr. Clark pointed out.
At Perboyre’s canonization in 1996, St. John Paul II said: “Along the streets where he had been sent he found the Cross of Christ. Through the daily imitation of his Lord, with humility and gentleness, he fully identified with him. … After being tortured and condemned, reproducing the Passion of Jesus with extraordinary similarity, he came like him to death and death on a cross.”
St. John Paul II canonized St. Francis Regis Clet in October 2000, along with 33 other missionaries and 87 Chinese Catholics martyred under the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Michael Fu Tieshan, a bishop of China’s state-run church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, called the canonization a “public humiliation” in an interview with state-run television, AP reported at the time.
The first “patriotic bishop” named by the Communist government in China in 1958 was from Wuhan. Dong Guangqing, who died in 2007, was president of Patriotic Catholic Association of Wuhan and vice president of the National Administrative Committee of the Chinese Catholic Church.
Today, Catholics in Wuhan have a particular devotion to St. Francis and the Sacrament of Penance, Clark observed.
Catholics in Wuhan are “known to make long lines near the confessionals of priests who are most faithful to the authentic teachings of the Church; they are a beautiful witness,” he said.
“It is rare to find a church without a statue of St. Francis, and sometimes a devotion to St. Vincent de Paul. The faith there is strong, and has even flourished especially during times of persecution,” Clark added.
“I have indeed heard from some Catholics during this time, and they are, like all of us, turning to the Lord and his mercy as we all confront our own frailty,” he said. “I recently heard from a Wuhan Protestant who remarked on the sadness of witnessing elderly members of their church passing away. The trauma within Wuhan’s Christian community has been greatly aided through the powerful faith of Christians in that area.”
The post China’s First Saint Was Martyred On A Cross In Wuhan appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 1 hour ago.
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COVID-19: Why The Nordics Are Our Best Bet For Comparing Strategies – OpEd
By Paul W. Franks*
Daily updated graphs illustrating the rising COVID-19 death rates in different countries raise hopes that we can understand impact of the virus and work out how to stop it from spreading further. But when comparing countries as different as South Korea, China, Italy and the UK, we may find the impression of how different interventions work is obscured by many other factors.
These countries differ in many important ways, including demographics, civil disobedience, population density, patterns of social interactions, air quality and genetics. Italy, for example, has regions with older populations than many other countries. And European societies are unlikely to ever accept the draconian interventions used in China and South Korea.
From a scientific perspective, and in the absence of better models, the Nordic countries of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland – which are culturally, economically, politically and geographically similar – may, serendipitously, represent a powerful intervention trial.
Currently, 15 million people here have been assigned to a lockdown, while a further 10 million have been asked to simply act responsibly. While it is too early to have definite answers about what works best, interesting insights can already be gleaned.
The Swedish approach to COVID-19 could not be more different from its neighbours, placing much of the responsibility for delaying the spread of the virus and protecting the vulnerable in the hands of the public. It’s now April and, albeit with some restrictions, Swedish bars, restaurants and schools remain open.
Under the blue skies and blazing sun Sweden has enjoyed lately, people have flocked to parks and beaches, bars and cafes. Nevertheless, Sweden has a high number of people living in single households, and citizens are generally respectful of public health advice and guidelines.
This all contrasts the far more assertive physical restrictions imposed in the culturally similar neighbouring countries. Across the borders in Denmark, Norway and Finland, schools closed weeks ago, and movement has been severely restricted.
**New research**
A report just out from the group leading the UK government’s COVID-19 simulations estimates the spread of the virus within 11 European nations. An important metric in this setting is the reproduction number: how many people someone with COVID-19 in turn infects. A number that is larger than one indicates that the epidemic is in its growth phase, whereas a number of one or less indicates the epidemic is fading.
As of March 28, the reproduction numbers for Sweden and Norway are estimated to be 2.47 and 0.97 respectively, with Denmark’s around one. Unsurprisingly, the spread of the virus is also estimated to be among the highest in Sweden (3.1 percent of the population infected) and lowest in Norway (0.41 percent of the population), likely reflecting the radically different containment strategies. This compares with 9.8 percent and 2.5 percent for Italy and the UK, respectively.
Indeed, one Swedish academic has predicted that up to half the Swedish population will be infected by the end of April. Although it is probably too soon to see a clear effect of interventions on mortality rates, by April 1, COVID-19 deaths in Sweden accounted for 24 per million citizens, whereas in Norway it was only eight deaths per million. Finland was lower still with just three per million.
The virus transmission rate is important, as the faster it spreads, the more condensed the burden of mortality will be, and the higher the peak burden hospitals will be forced to endure. The core objective of epidemic suppression is to minimise the number of daily hospital admissions in order to maintain a functioning health care system, even if the total deaths is eventually the same.
When the burden substantially exceeds capacity, hospitals collapse, casting staff and patients into the medical dark ages. So, staying within capacity is paramount. In preparation, each of the Nordic countries have conducted detailed simulations to estimate the extent to which the hospitals will need to “surge”.
Those simulations show that the overall burden is expected to be similar across countries, resulting in about 528 to 544 deaths per million. Importantly though, unlike its peers, Sweden is likely to take the hit sooner and over a shorter period, with the majority of deaths occurring within weeks, rather than months.
That’s despite the fact that Sweden has the lowest number of ICU beds per 100,000 people (5.8), with Denmark (6.7), Finland (6.1) and Norway (8.0) all being better prepared. They all, however, lag far behind Germany at more than 29 beds per 100,000 people, being more similar to the UK’s 6.6. And concerns are being expressed in Sweden about inadequate protective equipment for frontline medical staff.
In the event that Sweden has pitched it right, the other Nordic countries will find the strain on hospitals is well within capacity. But, if the opposite is true, health care professionals in Sweden will face the fight of their lives.
**The long run**
This may make it sound like an intensive strategy is crucial. But there are strong counter arguments. As those living through a lockdown will attest, the psychological burden can be considerable – there’s a reason the incarcerated are sent to “solitary” for harsher punishment.
Consider too that the effects of intensive restrictions on freedom of movement wanes over time as social disobedience increases. Deploying milder containment strategies, as Sweden has done, which are followed by nearly all, may be more effective than strict interventions that are frequently flouted. Here, it will be interesting to see how Sweden compares to the other Nordic countries, which may have been able to achieve high levels of compliance with voluntary social distancing.
There’s also the perpetual danger of epidemic resurgence where herd immunity – whereby enough people have been infected to prevent the virus from spreading further – has not been achieved. Sweden is likely to reach herd immunity faster, so it’s not impossible that it will see fewer additional outbreaks of the virus than its neighbours. And there are numerous economic arguments too.
There is no knowing at this stage how the interventions adopted by Sweden and the other Nordic nations will play out. But within weeks, this will start to become clear. From this, we will learn much about the delicate balance between strategic under- and overreaction in the face of an infectious disease pandemic.
And what we learn may serve other nations where COVID-19 is still emerging or where second and third waves hit, as well as future societies facing other global pandemics, which are certain to come.
* Paul W. Franks is Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at Lund University. This article was originally published on The Conversation – an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public – under Creative Commons licence.
The post COVID-19: Why The Nordics Are Our Best Bet For Comparing Strategies – OpEd appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 1 hour ago.
Daily updated graphs illustrating the rising COVID-19 death rates in different countries raise hopes that we can understand impact of the virus and work out how to stop it from spreading further. But when comparing countries as different as South Korea, China, Italy and the UK, we may find the impression of how different interventions work is obscured by many other factors.
These countries differ in many important ways, including demographics, civil disobedience, population density, patterns of social interactions, air quality and genetics. Italy, for example, has regions with older populations than many other countries. And European societies are unlikely to ever accept the draconian interventions used in China and South Korea.
From a scientific perspective, and in the absence of better models, the Nordic countries of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland – which are culturally, economically, politically and geographically similar – may, serendipitously, represent a powerful intervention trial.
Currently, 15 million people here have been assigned to a lockdown, while a further 10 million have been asked to simply act responsibly. While it is too early to have definite answers about what works best, interesting insights can already be gleaned.
The Swedish approach to COVID-19 could not be more different from its neighbours, placing much of the responsibility for delaying the spread of the virus and protecting the vulnerable in the hands of the public. It’s now April and, albeit with some restrictions, Swedish bars, restaurants and schools remain open.
Under the blue skies and blazing sun Sweden has enjoyed lately, people have flocked to parks and beaches, bars and cafes. Nevertheless, Sweden has a high number of people living in single households, and citizens are generally respectful of public health advice and guidelines.
This all contrasts the far more assertive physical restrictions imposed in the culturally similar neighbouring countries. Across the borders in Denmark, Norway and Finland, schools closed weeks ago, and movement has been severely restricted.
**New research**
A report just out from the group leading the UK government’s COVID-19 simulations estimates the spread of the virus within 11 European nations. An important metric in this setting is the reproduction number: how many people someone with COVID-19 in turn infects. A number that is larger than one indicates that the epidemic is in its growth phase, whereas a number of one or less indicates the epidemic is fading.
As of March 28, the reproduction numbers for Sweden and Norway are estimated to be 2.47 and 0.97 respectively, with Denmark’s around one. Unsurprisingly, the spread of the virus is also estimated to be among the highest in Sweden (3.1 percent of the population infected) and lowest in Norway (0.41 percent of the population), likely reflecting the radically different containment strategies. This compares with 9.8 percent and 2.5 percent for Italy and the UK, respectively.
Indeed, one Swedish academic has predicted that up to half the Swedish population will be infected by the end of April. Although it is probably too soon to see a clear effect of interventions on mortality rates, by April 1, COVID-19 deaths in Sweden accounted for 24 per million citizens, whereas in Norway it was only eight deaths per million. Finland was lower still with just three per million.
The virus transmission rate is important, as the faster it spreads, the more condensed the burden of mortality will be, and the higher the peak burden hospitals will be forced to endure. The core objective of epidemic suppression is to minimise the number of daily hospital admissions in order to maintain a functioning health care system, even if the total deaths is eventually the same.
When the burden substantially exceeds capacity, hospitals collapse, casting staff and patients into the medical dark ages. So, staying within capacity is paramount. In preparation, each of the Nordic countries have conducted detailed simulations to estimate the extent to which the hospitals will need to “surge”.
Those simulations show that the overall burden is expected to be similar across countries, resulting in about 528 to 544 deaths per million. Importantly though, unlike its peers, Sweden is likely to take the hit sooner and over a shorter period, with the majority of deaths occurring within weeks, rather than months.
That’s despite the fact that Sweden has the lowest number of ICU beds per 100,000 people (5.8), with Denmark (6.7), Finland (6.1) and Norway (8.0) all being better prepared. They all, however, lag far behind Germany at more than 29 beds per 100,000 people, being more similar to the UK’s 6.6. And concerns are being expressed in Sweden about inadequate protective equipment for frontline medical staff.
In the event that Sweden has pitched it right, the other Nordic countries will find the strain on hospitals is well within capacity. But, if the opposite is true, health care professionals in Sweden will face the fight of their lives.
**The long run**
This may make it sound like an intensive strategy is crucial. But there are strong counter arguments. As those living through a lockdown will attest, the psychological burden can be considerable – there’s a reason the incarcerated are sent to “solitary” for harsher punishment.
Consider too that the effects of intensive restrictions on freedom of movement wanes over time as social disobedience increases. Deploying milder containment strategies, as Sweden has done, which are followed by nearly all, may be more effective than strict interventions that are frequently flouted. Here, it will be interesting to see how Sweden compares to the other Nordic countries, which may have been able to achieve high levels of compliance with voluntary social distancing.
There’s also the perpetual danger of epidemic resurgence where herd immunity – whereby enough people have been infected to prevent the virus from spreading further – has not been achieved. Sweden is likely to reach herd immunity faster, so it’s not impossible that it will see fewer additional outbreaks of the virus than its neighbours. And there are numerous economic arguments too.
There is no knowing at this stage how the interventions adopted by Sweden and the other Nordic nations will play out. But within weeks, this will start to become clear. From this, we will learn much about the delicate balance between strategic under- and overreaction in the face of an infectious disease pandemic.
And what we learn may serve other nations where COVID-19 is still emerging or where second and third waves hit, as well as future societies facing other global pandemics, which are certain to come.
* Paul W. Franks is Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at Lund University. This article was originally published on The Conversation – an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public – under Creative Commons licence.
The post COVID-19: Why The Nordics Are Our Best Bet For Comparing Strategies – OpEd appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 1 hour ago.
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Francis Ford Coppola Shares ‘Letter of Hope’ with Italy
Reported by Extra 58 minutes ago.
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COVID-19: While The West Panicked, Some Asian Regimes Took A Different Path – Analysis
By Mihai Macovei*More and more voices are questioning the rationale for the general lockdown imposed in most of Europe and the US in response to the coronavirus epidemic. Such unprecedented suppression of civil and economic liberties during peace continue to strike many as hardly justified. Whether from a legal, ethical, or economic standpoint, we may soon find that the cost of the policy reaction was immense and grave. We have yet to see the real toll of the draconian confinement measures taken to stop the contagion. A high price must also be paid for the gargantuan financial and fiscal packages supposed to alleviate the impact of the largely self-inflicted economic crisis.
But not all regimes have taken this path. Several Asian countries at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, in particular Korea and Japan but also Taiwan and Hong Kong, have not instituted general lockdowns. Most reacted early with widespread testing, tracking, and isolating only those found positive for the virus. These countries were able to avoid a major contagion and the number of infections and fatalities have remained low so far. At the same time, social and economic activity have continued largely unobstructed. Korea is now widely hailed as a success story, whereas the self-declared victory of China is being questioned.
**What Do Statistics Show?**
It should be noted that health statistics are not fully comparable internationally with regard to both infected persons and fatalities. Countries are using different approaches to testing and tracing as well as various standards for classifying fatalities by cause. On top of these discrepancies, China’s official statistics are highly unreliable. Yet, corroborated with anecdotal evidence, they can still give us a broad picture.
China’s initial reaction was slow and nontransparent. The first cases of the disease were identified in early December, but measures were not taken until one month later. Strict mobility restrictions and lockdowns were put in place, not only in the city of Wuhan and the Hubei region, but in the entire country. The number of confirmed cases increased exponentially until mid-February, after which it plateaued at about 80,000 cases (57 cases per million inhabitants, Graph 1), decelerating markedly in March (Graph 4). If accurate,1 the official number of fatalities remained limited at about 4 percent of cases (Graph 2). Nevertheless, both China’s official statistics and its alleged successful exit are seriously questioned. There are still new cases every day, and these could be imported, but could also stem from domestic unreported asymptomatic cases. Recently cinemas were closed after being reopened, and a small county in the Henan Province went into lockdown. These anecdotes fuel obvious fears of a possible second wave of infections, which represents an Achilles’s heel for a mass confinement strategy that prevents the majority of the population from building immunity against the virus.
Other Asian countries have managed to contain the spread of the disease so far, even though they did not follow China’s recipe. They have limited the number of infections to relatively low levels despite the fact that they performed many more tests on average (Graph 3). This is particularly the case with South Korea, which conducted more than 300,000 tests, with as many as 10,000 per day already by mid-March. They have also recorded very low numbers of fatalities, clearly outperforming not only Italy, Germany, and the US, but also China.Korea slightly exceeds China in terms of fatalities per population, but this could be explained by China’s less credible statistics. For now, China and Korea seem to be the only two major examples of countries that have mastered the outbreak, with the statistical caveats explained before (Graph 4). Japan’s number of new cases is still rising but rather slowly, which has puzzled health experts.
-*How Do Health Policies and Exit Strategies Differ?*-
Economic activity collapsed in China from January to February, following the draconian confinement measures.2 China’s leadership declared the lockdown a success, claimed victory in the fight against COVID-19, and gradually reopened social and economic life. However, many restrictions remain in place. Restaurants and shops are reopening, but most schools remain closed and strict social distancing rules still apply. Face masks and widespread temperature checks have become a norm. More widespread testing is pursued and a health color code system using big data is being rolled out, raising privacy issues and concerns about mass surveillance. Attention has shifted to imported cases, and foreigners have been largely banned from entering the country. As fears about a second infection wave persist, China appears to be exiting its lockdown only gradually.
In South Korea, both the government and the private sector reacted very quickly to the distressing news coming from China. As early as January, a private company developed a test for the coronavirus. and within three weeks the regulators approved it with unprecedented speed. This enabled Seoul to roll out a mass public testing program, including drive-through testing facilities, focused on anyone who may have been exposed to the virus. Those found positive were quarantined. The Korean government also conducted intrusive contact tracing to track known and suspected cases alike, using mobile providers and credit cards companies’ data and closed-circuit television (CCTV) networks. When contagion suddenly increased around a religious cult in Daegu, the government sealed it off rapidly. It also extended school and university holidays into late March and shut down religious, sports, and entertainment activities. At the same time, most factories, shopping malls, and restaurants have been kept open. Korea’s success also reflects a very high-performing and to a large extent private health sector, thoroughly upgraded after the MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) epidemics in 2015.
Japan was among the first countries to be hit by the coronavirus, but has not imposed a general lockdown and has not undertaken mass testing either.3 Despite the cancellation of sports events and the closure of schools, much of Japan’s life continued as normal until early April. There was no quarantine and no enforced closures of bars, clubs or restaurants. Workers still commuted instead of teleworking. Low testing rates may explain the low number of infections, but there is no other evidence of the disease’s spread in other ways, such as an overwhelmed health care system or high fatalities.4 It seems that Japan has done “just enough” in terms of social distancing and isolation of infected cases, given its culture of good hygiene and limited physical contact. On 7 April, PM Abe announced both a state of emergency over coronavirus and a record stimulus of about USD 1 trillion or 20% of GDP. The stricter measures seemed driven by political expediency and the need to justify the stimulus rather than the evolution of the epidemic. In any case, the new lockdown measures are the domain of local authorities which have the best information to impose them selectively. In addition, they don’t amount to a French-style lockdown as factories, distribution services and public transport are not stopped.
In Taiwan and Hong Kong5 there have been no general lockdowns either.6In general, the health response has focused on early testing, virus mapping, social distancing, and strict hygiene via intensive handwashing and wearing of masks. These countries closed borders and suspended travel from the infected countries. They also used digital technologies and big data to allow for precise live monitoring of the situation and disclosure of information to the general population. Hong Kong, for example, has turned to a police “supercomputer” normally used to investigate complex crimes to trace potential supercarriers and hot spots. All these countries seem to have benefited from a high level of preparedness after similar epidemic outbreaks in the past. Unlike in China, the exit out of the epidemic is likely to be smoother. Because people remain exposed to the virus, in particular the young people, who are likely to develop milder symptoms, herd immunity can be achieved faster. At the same time, widespread testing can help prevent a spike in contagion while social and economic life goes on largely as before. This approach can also mitigate the risk of subsequent waves of reinfection.
**Conclusions**
The experience of some Asian countries reinforces the arguments against the shutdowns imposed in most of Europe and the US. It shows that the respective governments could have pursued a different path, with likely lower numbers of cases and fatalities, had they been ready to take early and proportionate action. These governments can still change course and emulate the Korean approach rather than following in China’s footsteps, a country previously bashed for its authoritarian regime, nontransparent policies, and unfair competition practices. Concerns about privacy intrusion by using tracking technology should be carefully looked into. Yet such monitoring should be limited in time and probably is less harmful than placing the entire population in confinement. And in a case where a person who has tested positive for the virus represents a “palpable, immediate and direct threat”7 to the health of others, states are allowed to limit contact with that person within the boundaries of their property rights.
Everyone would like to minimize the risk of infections, the number of deaths, and the negative economic impact of the coronavirus epidemic. However, emotions and political interests should not take over a rational and balanced judgment of all risks involved. Almost two centuries ago, the French economist Frederic Bastiat argued that not looking into all the consequences of an action, including those not immediately seen, can make things worse. The shutdown will make the exit from the epidemic more difficult and at the same time magnifies already high government interventionism. As Mises explained, interventionism begets more of the kind until it ends in full socialism. Thus the war against the coronavirus can easily turn into a war against the overall well-being of the people.
*About the author: Dr. Mihai Macovei (macmih_mf@yahoo.com) is an associated researcher at the Ludwig von Mises Institute Romania and works for an international organization in Brussels, Belgium.
Source: This article was published by the MISES Institute
· 1.Other sources estimate the number of fatalities at about 45,000, fifteen times higher than the official number, only in Wuhan.
· 2.Industrial production dropped by 13.5 percent year over year (YOY), retail sales by 20.5 percent YOY, and fixed asset investment by 24.5 percent. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped to 40.3 points while services PMI plunged to a record low of 26.5 in February.
· 3.As of April 9, a limited lockdown is being debated, although “cafés, restaurants and other facilities [are] open as usual on Thursday.”
· 4.Japan has a performant health sector with about thirteen hospital beds per thousand people, the highest among G7 nations.
· 5.Singapore announced stricter confinement measures, the equivalent of a partial lockdown on April 3.
· 6.Hong Kong, for example, has ordered restaurants to run at “half capacity.”
· 7.As Rothbard put it in The Ethics of Liberty.
The post COVID-19: While The West Panicked, Some Asian Regimes Took A Different Path – Analysis appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 24 minutes ago.
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Surfers ignoring social distancing by taking to the waves
There has been an angry reaction to pictures showing hundreds of surfers ignoring social distancing by taking to the waves at a popular Cornish beach.Dozens of people were pictured in the sea at..
Studio: SWNS STUDIO
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George and Amal Clooney Donate $1 Million Toward Coronavirus Relief Efforts
George and Amal Clooney Donate $1 Million Toward Coronavirus Relief Efforts George and Amal Clooney now join the growing list of Hollywood notables making generous donations in the wake of the..
Studio: Wibbitz Studio
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George and Amal Clooney Donate $1 Million Toward Coronavirus Relief Efforts
George and Amal Clooney Donate $1 Million Toward Coronavirus Relief Efforts George and Amal Clooney now join the growing list of Hollywood notables making generous donations in the wake of the..
Studio: Wibbitz Top Stories
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Tracking COVID-19's spread across the globe
Pandemics and their effects can be easy to see -- but it's difficult to determine exactly where COVID-19, the disease associated with the coronavirus, originated.
Studio: WCPO Cincinnati
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Retired Scripture professor is first priest known to die in Rome of coronavirus
Vatican City, Apr 8, 2020 / 02:45 pm (CNA).- Fr. Miguel Ángel Tábet is believed to be the first priest to die of the coronavirus in Rome. Two other priests living in the same residence of Opus Dei in Rome remain hospitalized.
The 78-year-old priest died on April 8 after treatment in the intensive care unit of the Biomedical University of Rome. He was an emeritus professor of Sacred Scripture and the exegetical history at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce.
“A priest who lived by teaching and seeking the Word of God has personally found the Divine Word. Let us pray for him and entrust ourselves to his intercession,” Fr. Luis Navarro, rector of the University of Santa Croce said April 8 of Tábet.
In a letter issued the day before Tábet died, Fr. Navarro asked for prayers for Tábet and two other Santa Croce professors infected with COVID-19.
Bishop Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, 82, is being treated in intensive care in the hospital. Carrasco served as the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life from 2010-2016 and was appointed a bishop by Benedict XVI.
“We are praying for a miracle that he might recover since his condition is not good at all,” Fr. Bob Gahl told CNA April 8.
Fr. Rafael Martínez, Vice Rector of Academic Affairs, is also hospitalized, but said to be recovering well.
Gahl said that the others living in the Opus Dei residence in Rome “have been quarantined for nearly two weeks as a precautionary measure, but thankfully none of the others have any significant symptoms.”
Fr. Tábet is remembered by his theology students as a joyful and wise teacher.
Tábet was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1941, and had served as a theology professor at Santa Croce since 1984. He taught the Hebrew language, exegesis, and Biblical hermeneutics, and wrote numerous books in Spanish and Italian on the life of Christ, the early Church, and the Old Testament.
“A very cheerful priest all the time … he would always encourage people that it is good to know the life of Jesus Christ,” Lily Mbayi, a student from Kenya told CNA.
He had a very good sense of humor, Mbayi said, he could make an opportunity to laugh out of anything.
There have been 4,266 coronavirus cases in Lazio, the Italian region in which Rome is located, documented by Italy’s Ministry of Health.
The Vatican reported April 8 that another Holy See employee has contracted COVID-19 after visiting sick relatives in another region before the lockdown and remains outside of Rome. This brings Vatican City’s total to eight coronavirus cases, two of which are currently hospitalized.
Throughout Italy there have been 139,422 COVID-19 cases and 17,669 coronavirus related deaths, as of April 8.
Ninety-six Italian diocesan priests, mostly in northern Italy, have died after contracting COVID-19, according to Avvenire. Among them, Fr. Gioacchino Basile, 60, who died in a hospital in New York on April 4.
Reported by CNA 2 days ago.
The 78-year-old priest died on April 8 after treatment in the intensive care unit of the Biomedical University of Rome. He was an emeritus professor of Sacred Scripture and the exegetical history at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce.
“A priest who lived by teaching and seeking the Word of God has personally found the Divine Word. Let us pray for him and entrust ourselves to his intercession,” Fr. Luis Navarro, rector of the University of Santa Croce said April 8 of Tábet.
In a letter issued the day before Tábet died, Fr. Navarro asked for prayers for Tábet and two other Santa Croce professors infected with COVID-19.
Bishop Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, 82, is being treated in intensive care in the hospital. Carrasco served as the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life from 2010-2016 and was appointed a bishop by Benedict XVI.
“We are praying for a miracle that he might recover since his condition is not good at all,” Fr. Bob Gahl told CNA April 8.
Fr. Rafael Martínez, Vice Rector of Academic Affairs, is also hospitalized, but said to be recovering well.
Gahl said that the others living in the Opus Dei residence in Rome “have been quarantined for nearly two weeks as a precautionary measure, but thankfully none of the others have any significant symptoms.”
Fr. Tábet is remembered by his theology students as a joyful and wise teacher.
Tábet was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1941, and had served as a theology professor at Santa Croce since 1984. He taught the Hebrew language, exegesis, and Biblical hermeneutics, and wrote numerous books in Spanish and Italian on the life of Christ, the early Church, and the Old Testament.
“A very cheerful priest all the time … he would always encourage people that it is good to know the life of Jesus Christ,” Lily Mbayi, a student from Kenya told CNA.
He had a very good sense of humor, Mbayi said, he could make an opportunity to laugh out of anything.
There have been 4,266 coronavirus cases in Lazio, the Italian region in which Rome is located, documented by Italy’s Ministry of Health.
The Vatican reported April 8 that another Holy See employee has contracted COVID-19 after visiting sick relatives in another region before the lockdown and remains outside of Rome. This brings Vatican City’s total to eight coronavirus cases, two of which are currently hospitalized.
Throughout Italy there have been 139,422 COVID-19 cases and 17,669 coronavirus related deaths, as of April 8.
Ninety-six Italian diocesan priests, mostly in northern Italy, have died after contracting COVID-19, according to Avvenire. Among them, Fr. Gioacchino Basile, 60, who died in a hospital in New York on April 4.
Reported by CNA 2 days ago.
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Coronavirus update: US coronavirus deaths cross 14,300, second highest in world behind Italy
Read more on https://www.fxstreet.com
Reported by FXstreet.com 2 days ago.
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U.S. coronavirus deaths top 14,600, second highest in world behind Italy: Reuters tally
U.S. deaths due to coronavirus topped 14,600 on Wednesday, the second highest reported number in the world behind Italy, according to a Reuters tally.
Reported by Reuters 2 days ago.
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Disney+ Reaches 50 Million Subscribers in Just Five Months
Five months after launching, and with millions of people stuck at home, Disney's streaming service Disney+ now has 50 million subscribers, reports Deadline.
Disney+ in early February had 28.6 million subscribers, which means the streaming service has grown by 21.4 million subscribers in the last two months. Much of the boost can be attributed to recent launches of the service in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, France, Switzerland, and India.
50 million subscribers is ahead of Disney's own figures. When unveiling the service, Disney estimated that it would garner 60 to 90 million subscribers worldwide by the end of 2024, and if growth keeps up, Disney will hit that goal this year.
Apple has not released subscriber numbers, which means there's no direct comparison to Disney+. Since September, Apple has been providing a free year of service to everyone who purchases a new Apple device, so it will take over a year until Apple has large numbers of paying subscribers.
At launch, Disney+ ran promotions for discounted service for multiple years, marking the service down to the equivalent of $3.99, and has provided free Disney+ access to Verizon subscribers. Wit the exception of free trial members and Verizon users, customers with access to Disney+ are paying for it, unlike most Apple TV+ subscribers at this time.
Disney+ has a significant edge over Apple TV+ because Disney+ has an established catalog of content along with many popular Star Wars and Marvel franchises. "The Mandalorian," the key show Disney+ premiered with, received more attention than any of Apple TV+'s launch shows, including "The Morning Show,""Dickinson,""See," and "For All Mankind."
Apple could catch up in the future given its huge subscriber base and the large number of people who own an Apple device, but it will be quite some time before Apple can match Disney's content offerings.
Tag: Disney
This article, "Disney+ Reaches 50 Million Subscribers in Just Five Months" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums Reported by MacRumours.com 2 days ago.
Disney+ in early February had 28.6 million subscribers, which means the streaming service has grown by 21.4 million subscribers in the last two months. Much of the boost can be attributed to recent launches of the service in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, France, Switzerland, and India.
50 million subscribers is ahead of Disney's own figures. When unveiling the service, Disney estimated that it would garner 60 to 90 million subscribers worldwide by the end of 2024, and if growth keeps up, Disney will hit that goal this year.
Apple has not released subscriber numbers, which means there's no direct comparison to Disney+. Since September, Apple has been providing a free year of service to everyone who purchases a new Apple device, so it will take over a year until Apple has large numbers of paying subscribers.
At launch, Disney+ ran promotions for discounted service for multiple years, marking the service down to the equivalent of $3.99, and has provided free Disney+ access to Verizon subscribers. Wit the exception of free trial members and Verizon users, customers with access to Disney+ are paying for it, unlike most Apple TV+ subscribers at this time.
Disney+ has a significant edge over Apple TV+ because Disney+ has an established catalog of content along with many popular Star Wars and Marvel franchises. "The Mandalorian," the key show Disney+ premiered with, received more attention than any of Apple TV+'s launch shows, including "The Morning Show,""Dickinson,""See," and "For All Mankind."
Apple could catch up in the future given its huge subscriber base and the large number of people who own an Apple device, but it will be quite some time before Apple can match Disney's content offerings.
Tag: Disney
This article, "Disney+ Reaches 50 Million Subscribers in Just Five Months" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums Reported by MacRumours.com 2 days ago.
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103-year-old Italian says ‘courage, faith’ helped beat virus
ROME (AP) — To recover from the coronavirus, as she did, Ada Zanusso recommends courage and faith, the same qualities that have served her well in her nearly 104 years. Italy, along with neighboring France, has Europe’s largest population of what has been dubbed the “super old” — people who are at least 100. As […]
Reported by Seattle Times 2 days ago.
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