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☆ China medical expert says COVID has mutated, should be renamed - state media
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Gu Xiaohong told the state-run Beijing Daily newspaper that the coronavirus' Chinese name, which identifies it as a pneumonia-causing disease, should be changed to call it simply an infectious virus. Gu said the China Association of Chinese Medicine's infectious disease arm, which she heads, had reached a consensus to change how they describe the virus. Her remarks are in line with a recent softening of the tone from China's health experts and state media towards COVID, while authorities have loosened what remain some of the world's toughest COVID curbs. There are widespread expectations that the moves could herald a more pronounced shift towards normalcy three years into the pandemic. Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China Fines Jeremy Lin $1,400 for Criticizing Quarantine Facilities
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Alyssa Lukpat | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former NBA star Jeremy Lin , who is currently playing professional basketball in China, was fined more than $1,400 by the Chinese Basketball Association after complaining about quarantine facilities on social media, the league said. Mr. Lin, in a since-deleted video post, criticized the hotel where he was quarantining Thursday with his team, the Guangzhou Loong Lions, ahead of an upcoming game, according to the league and the post, which other users circulated on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo .

☆ Exclusive: China to allow home quarantine for some infected with COVID
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Julie Zhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Dec 1 (Reuters) - China will allow some people who test positive for COVID-19 to quarantine at home, among supplementary measures to be announced in coming days, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Home isolation for the infected would be a significant change in China's quarantine protocols. Earlier this year, entire communities were locked down, sometimes for weeks, after even just one positive case was found. Last month, new and easier quarantine rules required just the lockdown of affected buildings. Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees China's counter COVID efforts, on Wednesday urged further "optimisation" of testing, treatment and quarantine policies.

☆ China's people are protesting the country's severe zero-COVID policies, and public-health experts agree with them
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Protests are erupting across China over the country's restrictive zero-COVID policies. Public-health experts say the policies are unsustainable, ineffective, and unnecessarily severe. Without vaccination campaigns targeting older adults, China's lockdowns may only delay a catastrophic COVID wave. Tyrone Siu/ReutersThere is no easy way forward for China, but constant 2020-style lockdowns are not the solution, according to public-health experts, who called the policies unsustainable, ineffective, and irrational. As a result, Huang thinks the zero-COVID lockdowns are completely unwarranted.

☆ Chinese government reportedly helps the world's biggest iPhone-maker fill in labor shortages by recruiting Communist Party members and veterans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese government officials are helping Foxconn recruit Communist Party members, civil servants, and military veterans amid a labor shortage, NYT reports. Foxconn's labor shortage could mean iPhone shipment delays around the holidays. The move is reportedly part of a state-led effort to fill in the factory's labor shortage in the wake of a mass employee exodus over fears of strict COVID-related lockdowns. Foxconn's recruitment drive comes after hundreds of Foxconn workers fled its facilities in mid-October to avoid getting trapped quarantining there in light of a COVID-outbreak on-site. Unverified videos seen by Insider also show Foxconn workers protesting prison-like confinement in their dorms amid claims that eight employees allegedly died in a shared room, though Foxconn denied that anyone has died there.

☆ Lockdowns, quarantining and rigorous testing: On the streets of China's zero-COVID campaign
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Ukrainian troops pushed forward and a battle-scarred stretch of the front fell silent, after Moscow ordered one of the war's biggest retreats, though Kyiv warned that fleeing Russians could still turn Kherson into a "city of death".

[1/3] U.S. Dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. Some analysts say that outcome could be positive for bonds and negative for the dollar if it leads to less fiscal stimulus. The euro touched $1.003 in Asia trade, its highest in nearly two weeks, before sliding to trade down a touch straddling the $1 level. The Japanese yen hit a one-week high of 146.35 per dollar. COVID POLICYAnother factor that has weighed on the dollar in recent days was speculation that China might relax aspects of its dynamic zero COVID policy.

☆ Dollar catches footing ahead of U.S. midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] U.S. Dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationSINGAPORE, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The dollar steadied during Asia trade on Tuesday after some of the momentum ebbed out of bets on China's reopening, and as traders looked ahead to U.S. midterm elections. Some analysts say that outcome could be positive for bonds and negative for the dollar if it leads to less fiscal stimulus. Sterling , which surged on Monday, was 0.2% weaker at $1.1490, with focus there on fiscal update expected on Nov. 17. The Japanese yen hit a one-week high of 146.35 per dollar.

☆ China reopening hopes keep dollar on guard
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Tom Westbrook | Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Banknotes of Chinese yuan and U.S. dollar are seen in this illustration picture taken September 29, 2022. It was firm at 7.2200 per dollar in offshore trade on Tuesday . The euro , linked via German exports to China's economy, regained parity on the dollar overnight and hovered at $1.0026. The New Zealand dollar climbed 0.2% to touch a seven-week high of $0.5951 in early Asia trade. But incremental adjustments have been enough to keep traders' hopes alive.

☆ China reopening hopes keep U.S. dollar on guard
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It was firm at 7.2200 per dollar in offshore trade on Tuesday. The euro , linked via German exports to China's economy, regained parity on the dollar overnight and hovered at $1.0026. The New Zealand dollar climbed 0.2% to touch a seven-week high of $0.5951 in early Asia trade. But incremental adjustments have been enough to keep traders' hopes alive. "This idea that maybe in 2023, we'll see a gradual reopening in China means that growth prospects in China should improve significantly, against a backdrop where most expect the U.S. economy to start slowing down."

☆ Euro, sterling jump, dollar tumbles as market turns to risk assets
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. dollar and British pound notes are seen in this November 7, 2016 picture illustration. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationLONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Euro and sterling rose against the safe-haven U.S. dollar on Monday, supported by a risk-on sentiment across markets with European stocks rising on persistent hopes China will ease COVID restrictions. Another risk-sensitive currency, sterling , reversed earlier losses to trade up 0.6% to $1.1442, while the euro jumped to its highest since Oct. 27. Four Fed policymakers on Friday also indicated they would still consider a smaller interest rate hike at their next policy meeting. Reporting by Joice Alves in London; Editing by Ed Osmond and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China vows to continue with 'dynamic-clearing' COVID strategy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The country's strict COVID containment approach is still able to control the virus, despite the high transmissibility of COVID variants and asymptomatic carriers, an official from the China National Health Commission told a news conference. Asked if there would be a change of policy in the near term, disease control official Hu Xiang said China's measures are "completely correct, as well as the most economical and effective." The briefing followed a week in which markets surged on hope China would relax restrictions, buoyed further on Friday when a former disease control official told a banking conference that China would make "substantial" changes to COVID policy in the coming months. "We attach great importance to these problems and are rectifying them," said Tuo Jia, another disease control official. China reported 3,837 new COVID-19 infections for Friday, of which 657 were symptomatic and 3,180 were asymptomatic, a slight decrease from the six-month-high of 4,045 new COVID-19 infections reported a day earlier.

☆ Factbox: What is China's zero-COVID policy and how does it work?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here are key facts on China's zero-COVID policy. Those deemed close contacts of infected people must quarantine, and even distant or potential contact can result in an order to stay home. Arrivals of all nationalities are subject to seven days of quarantine at a facility and three days of home isolation. People must keep a "normal" COVID profile with continual negative test results, no contact with infected people and no visits to risky places. As of Tuesday, 3.44 billion doses had been administered, with over 90% of China's population fully vaccinated.

☆ China is caught in a zero-Covid trap of its own making
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“The new political ecology also provided more incentive for local governments to impose more draconian Covid control measures,” Huang said. Chinese health officials maintain that changing tack now would risk a huge surge in infections and deaths that could overwhelm the country’s fragile health care system. Zhengzhou, a city of 12 million, imposed sweeping lockdown measures last month after identifying dozens of Covid-19 cases. On Wednesday, the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, where the Foxconn plant is located, announced new lockdown measures. As the winter approaches, experts warn that China could be hit by a new wave of infections – and a new cycle of draconian lockdowns.

☆ Apple iPhone maker Foxconn slams 'maliciously edited' video that claims Covid deaths at China plant
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

After a Covid outbreak at a Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, China, some workers chose to go home. "We believe this is a maliciously edited video," Foxconn said. To deal with the outbreak, Foxconn has been quarantining workers on site, according to Reuters. To avoid being locked up on site, workers have been fleeing the Zhengzhou factory on foot, videos circulating on social media and a report from Reuters shows. The Covid outbreak threatens to disrupt iPhone production at the Zhengzhou plant ahead of the critical holiday season for Apple .

☆ Amanda Seales wasn't feeling standup comedy anymore. And then something happened
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Amanda Seales did not play when it came to the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I jumped at the opportunity to say, ‘All right, let’s get back outside and let’s be Black outside,’” Seales said. “Because us having community is its own therapy that we need to have.”Best known for her role as Tiffany DuBois on HBO’s “Insecure,” Seales’s debut standup comedy special, “I Be Knowin,” was released in 2019. “That’s something that I’m really trying to impart to people on stage through comedy and through humor,” she said. “I’m talking about dating, I’m talking about relationships, I’m talking about my mother, I’m talking about my childhood, ” Seales said.

But there are fans of another court-based sport that are greeting the news with much less enthusiasm: tennis players. In apartment complexes and retirement centers across the country, tennis courts are being scrapped in favor of pickleball courts. Its courts are similar to tennis courts, just smaller, so many players repurpose tennis courts with chalk or paint to lay out the pickleball dimensions. Yet dozens of new dedicated pickleball courts are being built all over America, which will soon help ease the problem of overcrowding. So for any tennis players out there worried that pickleball will demolish your own game’s success, you can rest easy.

HONG KONG — At least 27 people were killed when a bus in southwest China crashed while transporting them to a Covid-19 quarantine facility, local authorities said, drawing outrage from a public growing weary with the country’s strict “zero-Covid” policies. Three officials in Yunyan District, where the bus originated, have also been suspended pending an investigation. Epidemic prevention personnel disinfect an area in Guiyang, China, on Thursday. Future Publishing via Getty Images file“Actually, 1.4 billion people are all on this same bus, the bus of Covid prevention and control,” one comment read, referring to China’s total population. It was unclear whether those on the bus had Covid-19, or were there because cases had been detected among their close contacts or neighbors.

☆ Luxury resort quarantines — Gen Z's 'old money' aesthetic — Infinity-pool shortage
▼ + stars: | 2021-10-08 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The wealthy have figured out a way to bypass the United States' travel ban: by quarantining at luxury resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico. The CWGen Z and millennials are bringing back an "old money" aesthetic — think country clubs, dinner parties, polo, and yachts. On Wednesdays she has "CEO days," where she focuses on the big picture — business planning and creating ideas. Courtesy of Neave GroupThere's a luxury pool shortage. We spoke to seven luxury pool designers, who described the unprecedented demand.

Because of the pandemic, we chose not to fly out before moving and bought our home sight unseen. We also paid for a detailed home inspection report, and hired an electrician to do some follow-up investigation after the inspection revealed problems with our home's wiring. A realtor who had experience with out-of-town buyersIt was more difficult than I expected to find the right realtor for our cross-country move. Her brokerage firm charges a fairly typical 2.5-3% commission (paid, in our case, by the seller) plus a $495 fee paid by us. The electrician's report cost us $150, and it helped us negotiate a significant amount from the seller towards the cost of rewiring the house.

☆ Trump's most important 2016 donor is sitting out 2020
▼ + stars: | 2020-07-24 | by ( Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Robert and Rebekah Mercer ranked among President Donald Trump's most influential backers in 2016. A representative for Priorities USA Action, a leading pro-Biden super PAC, said the organization wasn't underestimating Trump's reelection forces, Mercers or no Mercers. (Bossie, like former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and many others, has recently found himself back in Trump's favor.) The Cambridge Analytica data that the Trump campaign paid for was "so stupidly wrong" and a "complete joke," Spicer added. But sources familiar with the Mercers' political spending said they have no evidence that the Mercers are doing so.

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