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Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic issues and others.

The Washington Post:Three Cheers For Big Pharma As It Rushes To Develop A VaccineDoctors warn us that we cant feel truly safe against the novel coronavirus until an effective vaccine is developed. Fortunately, theres good news on that front. Both in the United States and elsewhere, many vaccines are already either being tested on humans or will be soon. Two clinical trials are in process in the United States. One underway in Seattle uses two doses injected into the bloodstream while a second, being performed in Kansas City and Philadelphia, merely pricks the skin and is followed by a small electric shock to help the chemicals penetrate deeper into the body. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are applying to the Food and Drug Administration to put a third potential vaccine into clinical trials soon. Scientists in Israel might be moving even faster. (Henry Olsen, 4/9)

Stat:Searching For An Effective Covid-19 Treatment: Promise And PerilIn response to the most serious global health threat in a century, the worlds biomedical establishment is unleashing an unprecedented response to the Covid-19 pandemic, rapidly increasing resources aimed at finding safe and effective treatments for the disease. But without careful attention to the pitfalls that can befall biomedical research and regulatory decision-making during a time of crisis, a lot can go wrong. (G. Caleb Alexander, Aaron S. Kesselheim and Thomas J. Moore, 4/10)

The Washington Post:Americas 2.3 Million Prisoners Are Sitting Ducks For This Virus. Heres How To Save Them.Washington, D.C., is an emerging hot spot for the novel coronavirus, but its jail is already a five-alarm conflagration, with an exploding number of inmates who have either tested positive for the disease or are suspected of having it. On a more cataclysmic scale, the infection rate among inmates in New York Citys main jail complex on Rikers Island is nearly seven times higher than in the rest of the city, which is ground zero for the nations covid-19 pandemic.Some 2.3 million people are behind bars in U.S. jails and prisons, and many of them are sitting ducks for a virus that thrives in cramped quarters and in confined spaces where standards of hygiene, and often even the availability of soap and other cleaning products, are notoriously poor. (4/9)

St.Louis Post Dispatch:To Protect Missourians, Release Missouri PrisonersWe are in the midst of an unprecedented, worldwide health crisis. Schools and businesses have shuttered, professional sporting events have been postponed, and as of Tuesday, at least 316 million people in at least 42 states have been urged to stay home all in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Elected officials recognize that strong, swift action is necessary to flatten the infection-rate curve and save lives. These actions must address prisons and jails. Public health experts agree that decarceration is critical to slowing the spread of this coronavirus. (Amy E. Breihan and Tricia J. Bushnell, 4/9)

NBC News:Coronavirus Deaths In The U.S. Reveal A Startling Truth About America's 'Two Pandemics'Every day, we are inundated with information about the horrors of the coronavirus pandemic. We hear about the rising number of deaths, the increasing rate of infections, the mental anguish, the shortages of critical supplies in hospitals, the people struggling to pay bills and survive, the long lines at food banks and so much more. But lost in the coverage of this virus is one critical point that we simply cannot ignore: the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on African Americans and disenfranchised communities. (The Rev. Al Sharpton, 4/10)

The Hill:Poor State Reporting Hampers Pandemic FightShort of a cure or vaccine, our most powerful weapon against the COVID-19 pandemic is the information: The right data can tell us the severity of the problems we face and whether social distancing is working. Despite considerable handwringing by public officials about what we dont know about this disease, state health departments already have most or all of the relevant data. Unfortunately, they dont make it available in ways that provide a clear picture of whats happening.(Dr. Steven Goodman and Dr. Nigam Shah, 4/9)

NBC News:America's Coronavirus Response Must Center Women. And The Black Plague Helps Show How.When a major crisis threatens to destabilize the economy and society, there are two choices: We can respond by trying to keep old systems in place, or we can rethink them, innovate and create a better path to prosperity. Attitudes and practices related to women are going to have a major impact on how we fare during the coronavirus pandemic, and full recovery seems unlikely until the challenges they face are placed front and center. The coronavirus pandemic is exposing the weakness of outdated social norms and poor policy choices in the United States that have, among other things, placed painful burdens on women ranging from unworkable family roles and a meager social safety net to insufficient labor protections and intrusions on autonomy. (Lynn Stuart Parramore, 4/9)

The Washington Post:The One Thing About Giving Birth During The Covid-19 Pandemic That I Didnt AnticipateMy husband and I arrived at the hospital last Friday for my labor induction. Just two years ago, I gave birth in the same facility. But this time everything was different.As an emergency physician, Im trained to think in terms of worst-case scenarios. As an expectant mother, I had nightmares about all the things that can go wrong in pregnancy. But there was one thing about giving birth during the covid-19 pandemic that I didnt anticipate: how I would become scared of, and also scared for, my health-care providers. (Leana S. Wen, 4/9)

Stat:The Challenges Of Giving Birth In The Time Of Covid-19There are about 300,000 births every month in the United States. That wont change as Covid-19 continues its march across the country. Health systems are doing the best they can under immensely difficult circumstances to treat very sick patients, stem the spread of the virus, and keep those on the front lines healthy... As is always the case, the weaknesses in our strained health care infrastructure are disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable people, and that includes pregnant women. (Laurie Zephyrin, 4/10)

Los Angeles Times:Coronavirus Proved Bernie Sanders Right. But Only PartlyOne piece of conventional wisdom circulating in the wake of Bernie Sanders withdrawal from the Democratic presidential primary is that the COVID-19 pandemic proves he was right about healthcare.In truth, it proves him half right. The pandemic is causing millions of people to lose their jobs and their health insurance just when they are most in need of coverage. If this country had universal insurance coverage, as the vast majority of the civilized world does, that wouldnt be happening, and the federal government wouldnt be maneuvering to send billions of dollars in emergency aid to hospitals and state health programs. (John Healey, 4/8)

Chicago Sun Times:Mount Sinai Hospital Staff Battles Coronavirus And Their Own Anxiety, TooMany struggle with COVID-19 without ever being infected. Think of how worrisome this epidemic is to rational folks sheltering in comfort at home. Now, consider the mentally ill, the disturbed patients treated at a place like Mount Sinai Hospital the psychotic and bi-polar, schizophrenic and depressed. Like your world, their worlds, too, are turned upside down, though they often have far less ability to cope with events that even the most stable person can have trouble processing. We are seeing more patients experiencing more ill effects of emotional distress, said Dr. Paul Berkowitz, chairman of the department of psychiatry and behavioral health at Sinai. (Neil Steinberg, 4/9)

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Viewpoints: Pharmaceutical Help Is On The Way At A Time When Everyone Needs Good News; Freeing Certain Prisoners Can't Wait Any Longer - Kaiser Health...

Food insecurity has been a longstanding issue within the U.S., however, the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened concern surrounding the matter. Reverend Al Sharpton and the National Action Network are on a mission to combat hunger amid the coronavirus crisis.

The NANone of the nations leading civil rights organizationshas joined forces with World Central Kitchen to transform its sites into community kitchens to prepare meals for those in need. The NANs Harlem-based headquarters as well as a site in Newark, New Jersey are being utilized to make thousands of meals to deliver to senior citizens, low-income families and reentry program participants. Cognizant of the current state of food insecurityspecifically within impoverished and underserved communitiesRev. Sharpton was determined to alleviate obstacles for those facing hunger. With the traditional safety nets like school feeding programs, childcare services, and senior centers closing, many in our communities will not be able to provide for their families, he said in a statement. Our partnership with World Central Kitchen is to ensure our community that we are here for them. In times of stress and struggle, we all need to support one another.

The World Central Kitchen, which was founded by celebrity chef Jos Andrs, has provided disaster relief in the midst of global emergencies. The nonprofit donated 3.7 million meals after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico and provided food following natural disasters in Haiti and Mozambique.

Initiatives like the one being led by Rev. Sharpton and the NAN are needed. According to CBS News, one in eight New Yorkers faces burdens when trying to provide daily meals for their families. Feeding America reported that over 800,000 people in New Jersey struggle with hunger. Many people are putting the focus on food insecurity amid the pandemic. NFL player Russell Wilson and his wife songstress Ciara pledged to donate one million meals to individuals living in Seattle through the nonprofit Food Lifeline.

SEE ALSO:

Ciara And Russell Wilson Combat Hunger During COVID-19 Crisis

Rihannas Nonprofit Donates $5 Million To COVID-19 Relief Efforts

Read more:
Reverend Al Sharptons National Action Network Combats Food Insecurity Amid COVID-19 Pandemic - News One

At least 39 police officers have also tested positive.

An additional 468 officers or nearly a quarter of the police force have been quarantined, posing a serious challenge in one of the nations most violent cities.

In just the past day, 14 officers have tested positive for coronavirus.

This is the world we live in now, Mayor Mike Duggan said at a press conference Friday.

Officers' temperatures are now being taken at the beginning of their shifts to screen them for potentially having the virus.

Assistant Chief James White, who is taking over day-to-day duties, said Craig is healthy, and hes optimistic the chief will rebound. Craig has not been hospitalized.

The chief is very fit, focused on nutrition and exercise, White said.

Duggan said he has not been tested because he isnt showing any symptoms.

"I have made it a point to stay at least six feet away from everybody, Duggan said, referring to CDC guidelines.

On Friday, Detroit surpassed 1,000 positive coronavirus cases, with 23 deaths.

Duggan has been working with hospitals, businesses, and other local governments to provide more testing sites. On Friday, the city began drive-through testing at the Michigan Fairgrounds.

Earlier this week, Detroit community leader Marlowe Stoudamire became the first well-known figure to die of the coronavirus in Michigan. WDIV-TV morning news anchor Evrod Cassimy has also revealed that he tested positive for the virus, and says he is recovering. Rev. Horace Sheffield III, a civil rights activist, also tested positive after traveling to New York to visit Rev. Al Sharpton.

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Read more here:
Detroit Police Chief and 39 of his officers have tested positive for coronavirus - Detroit Metro Times

Editors note: Beacon was created in 1913 from Matteawan and Fishkill Landing.

150 Years Ago (March 1870)

The Matteawan Herald reported that 200 girls in the village are dyeing to get married. Rather old girls they must be. It also reported that Miss P___ made a marriage proposal to a young hatter. She claims women have as good a right to make an offer of marriage as a man has.

The Herald reported that [Mr.] Millerton has a girl 18 years old, who can speak her mind freely. She spoke a few nights ago at a Methodist meeting, telling one of the deacons that it was time for him to leave off lying and live up to what he professed.

Benjamin Beach, of Matteawan, was in possession of a silver watch that had been in his family for 160 years.

The Port Jervis Evening Gazette reported that Fishkill Landing is one of the meanest places on record. They shuffled off a poor helpless man on a neighboring town, refusing to give aid themselves. It is a wonder that they had sufficient charity to direct him to Newburgh, where they knew he would be cared for.

The newly organized Peabody Life Insurance Co. announced that its New York agent would be W.T.Y. Schenck, of the machinist firm H.B. Schenck & Son in Matteawan. Capt. Schenck has been for some years indirectly connected with life insurance, and brings a large circle of acquaintances throughout the entire state, it said. He is a gentleman of the highest standing and of quite considerable wealth.

The right arm of James Hopper, of Fishkill Landing, a brakeman on the Hudson River Railroad, was crushed while coupling cars at the station and had to be amputated.

125 Years Ago (March 1895)

Henry Piano, of Fishkill Landing, who led the West Point band for 18 years, was granted a military pension payment of $400 plus an allowance of $12 per month. [According to a 1902 story in The New York Times, Piano was born at West Point in 1822, the son of Louis Piano, who served in the French war with Napoleon and was taken prisoner at the Battle of Waterloo. The Times said the younger Piano, who had retired to Fishkill Landing in 1867, walks miles about town every day, attending to the tuning of pianos and giving instructions on that and other instruments.]

The Fishkill Electric Railway Co. was incorporated to build and operate a street surface railroad from Matteawan to the Village of Fishkill.

Charles Robinson, 73, of East 44th Street in New York City, died at his home. He was known for the fine horses he bred at his family farm at Fishkill Landing. He made his fortune investing in mining interests in Colorado and California and the Northern Pacific Railway.

John Russel, who bought a wagon in Matteawan just as it is, took that to include the several blankets inside. When the seller objected, it cost Russel $10 besides the return of the blankets to settle the matter, according to the Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. The paper warned its readers to be careful, as there are a great many swindlers in the country, and it is very evident that Matteawan is not in want.

A judge ordered the release of William Harris, 28, from the Criminal Insane Asylum at Matteawan. He was supposed to have been released months earlier, but the superintendent of the facility said he thought Harris was still insane.

Another inmate at the Matteawan asylum, Thomas OConnor (alias Edward Doyle), 20, escaped after being transferred to a facility in Brooklyn. Soon after the escape, the attendant who had been with Doyle disappeared, suggesting to authorities it had been an inside job. Doyle was said to have a mania for committing suicide.

A group of men and boys looting a shanty in Byrnesville (a suburb of Fishkill) days after its owner died at a friends home in Matteawan found a large stash of hidden bank bills and silver coins. It was unexpected because John Corcoran had been a coal heaver. The New York Herald reported the shanty is to be torn down in the quest for more of the money.

The State Eclectic Medical Society, which promoted the use of botanicals and physical therapy, elected Dr. A.R. Tiel of Matteawan as its president.

D.S. McLaughlin of Fishkill Landing sold his tobacco and cigar route, horses and wagons to John Schwartz & Sons of Poughkeepsie. McLaughlin had done his route, which covered Fishkill, Wappingers Falls and Cold Spring, and into parts of Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties, for 40 years.

100 Years Ago (March 1920)

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the population of Beacon was 10,926, or 3.5 percent more than the combined populations in 1910 of Fishkill Landing and Matteawan.

Richard Hoctor, designer of the Mount Beacon monument (at right) and others at the West Point cemetery, died in Newburgh.

The will of Elizabeth Barnard, signed an hour before her death, was presented for probate. Although her estate was worth $10,000 [about $150,000 today], she had refused to make a will. On her deathbed she dictated her wishes to a friend and was said to have signed the document Elizabeth filled half the width of the page and Barnard less than a quarter of an inch.

Twenty-five men competed in a 16-mile walk from Beacon to Poughkeepsie. Some of the best walkers in Dutchess County have been entered, noted the Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. Walt Knauss finished in 2:29:10 and won three trophies: for arriving first, for reaching the city line first and for being the first soldier or sailor to finish.

Anthony Faurellet died of sleeping sickness [encephalitis lethargica] the first local fatality in an epidemic that had been confined to New York City.

Ferdinand Hoyt, who resigned as city judge to fight in World War I, returned home to discover that the man appointed as his successor, Daniel Dugan, was running to keep the seat. It was too late for the Democrats or Republicans to nominate Hoyt, so he won on the Citizens Party line.

Pvt. Daniel Merritt, an Army machine-gunner, won two citations for bravery, one in Belgium and one at the Hindenburg line. At the same time, Harrison Holmes was cited for bravery by the U.S. Navy for submitting to experiments at a naval hospital for the treatment of influenza.

75 Years Ago (March 1945)

Twenty state troopers on a Saturday at 4 p.m. raided two illegal gaming dens Speeds Smoke Shop at 342 Main St. and the Mens Independent Club at 238 Main St. and arrested 32 players and six operators. Beacon police said they were not aware of the raids until after the fact. At the subsequent jury trial of the operators, an undercover officer said he lost $20 playing craps at 238 Main St. In response, the mens defense attorney, Daniel Prior of Albany, told the jury: On the door there is a sign, Members Only. They played for 25 cents and gave refreshments free. They had to pay the rent and it was paid out of the contributions. The state police rushed in and took everything they could. I hope they will admit they took some liquor out of the cellar. They took a sledgehammer and smashed everything to smithereens. I dont know why they should do that. All six operators were convicted.

The South Avenue school was evacuated after dense smoke filled the second-floor hallways; firefighters discovered the assistant janitors trousers, hanging from a hook in a closet, were smoldering and two feather dusters nearby were aflame. The fire chief said that wooden matches in a pants pocket had ignited.

Harriet Brewer of Beacon was presented with an Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster at Mitchell Field on Long Island, both awarded posthumously to her son, Tech. Sgt. Frederick Brewer, who had been killed in action.

Beacon boxer Melio Bettina fought fellow heavyweight Jimmy Bivins to a draw at Madison Square Garden in front of a crowd of 15,000. Although Bivins was a 3-to-1 favorite and knocked Bettina down for a one count as the bell ended the fifth of 10 rounds, Melio recovered and managed a draw, with one judge scoring it 5-5, the second 8-2 Bivens and the third, 6-4 Bettina.

50 Years Ago (March 1970)

A hearing held by the Public Service Commission on the weekend closing of the Penn Central ticket office at the Beacon station lasted three hours as residents complained about the railroad service.

The Beacon Savings Bank said that, as part of a push for urban renewal, it would allocate $500,000 in lending funds to assist lower-income families, $500,000 for FHA loans and $250,000 for property improvement.

The Beacon Housing Authority opened bids on $3.2 million in notes to finance the construction of the nine-story Forrestal Heights project for the elderly to alleviate what the agency said was a critical housing shortage in the city.

The Beacon High School boys basketball team finished as the best offensive and the worst defensive team in the Dutchess County Scholastic League. Beacons Jerry Williamson led the league in scoring, averaging 22.3 points per game.

The state authorized a 44-bed addition to Highland Hospital, bringing its capacity to 125 beds.

Firefighters rescued nine children from a fire at 98-100 Beekman St. that left eight families homeless.

25 Years Ago (March 1995)

The Beacon City Council moved forward with a plan to spend $19,000 to install security cameras along Main Street. City officials said it would be less expensive than hiring two police officers.

During a meeting at Beacon High School, Detective Thomas DAmicantonio told concerned members of the Parent Advisory Council that most of the gang problems in Beacon had been minor so far. If they escalate, so will we.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, speaking at St. Andrews Church, called on Hudson Valley residents to join him and about 20 other marchers who were walking from New York City to Albany to protest mean-spirited budget cuts they blamed on Gov. George Pataki. They earlier had protested outside Patakis Garrison home.

See more here:
Looking Back in Beacon - Highlands Current

Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network King Day Breakfast 2016Photo: AFGE Flickr.com

Rev. Al Sharpton will be in Cincinnati July 23 to offer the keynote address during The State of Black Culture event at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Vibe Cincinnati, the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce are hosting the free event, which will also include a conversation about the "Devaluation of Businesses in Black Communities" by Andre Perry of the Brookings Institute. Eric Kearney,CEO of the African American Chamber, says the State of Black Culture will "explore the lifestyle, development and ethnology of our communities, families and businesses."

Jason Dunn, Group Vice President of Diversity Sales & Inclusion for the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau and board chair of the African American Chamber, says in a release, Black people represent 12.7 percent of the U.S. population, but only 4.3 percent of the nations 22.2 million business owners. Nearly 96 percent of business owners in the United States are non-Black people. Mr. Perry and Rev. Sharpton will show us hard data as to why and what we can do as a community to develop the next generation of business owners and leaders. It has been proven, that cities with a strong black business footprint attract and retain talent which leads to increased market share.

The event takes place 1-3 p.m. July 23 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way. For more info and updates, visitfacebook.com/vibecincinnati. It is free and open to the public.

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Rev. Al Sharpton to Speak at National Underground Railroad Freedom Center This Summer - Cincinnati CityBeat