UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says there has been "a horrifying global surge in domestic violence" in recent weeks as fear of the coronavirus pandemic has grown along with its social and economic consequences.
The U.N. chief, who appealed on March 23 for an immediate ceasefire in conflicts around the world to tackle Covid-19, said in a statement Sunday night it is time to appeal for an end to all violence, "everywhere, now."
Guterres said that "for many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they should be safest — in their own homes."
"And, so, I make a new appeal today for peace at home — and in homes — around the world," he said.
The secretary-general said in some countries, which he did not name, "the number of women calling support services has doubled."
At the same time, he said, health care providers and police are overwhelmed and understaffed, local support groups are paralyzed or short of funds, and some domestic violence shelters are closed while others are full.
"I urge all governments to make the prevention and redress of violence against women a key part of their national response plans for Covid-19," Guterres said.
Gov. Inslee Shares Most of State’s Ventilators
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said the state will return more than 400 ventilators of the 500 it has received from the federal government so they can go to New York and other states hit harder by the coronavirus.
The Democratic governor said Sunday that his statewide stay-at-home order and weeks of social distancing have led to slower rates of infections and deaths in Washington.
Washington state has 7,666 confirmed cases of the virus and 322 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University on Sunday afternoon. New York has more than 122,000 confirmed cases and more than 4,000 deaths.
Washington received 500 ventilators in March from the Strategic National Stockpile.
"I've said many times over the last few weeks: We are in this together," Inslee said. "This should guide all of our actions at an individual and state level in the coming days and weeks."
Cruise Ship Passenger Dies in Florida
MIAMI — Authorities say 14 people have been taken to hospitals from a cruise ship that docked in Florida with coronavirus victims aboard and one of them has died.
Two fatalities were reported earlier aboard the Coral Princess, which docked Saturday in Miami. The ship had more than 1,000 passengers and nearly 900 crew members.
Authorities did not immediately disclose whether the 14 people removed for immediate medical attention had a confirmed coronavirus.
The Princess Cruises line ship began disembarking fit passengers cleared for charter flights Sunday. The cruise line said it was delayed by a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention policy preventing passengers from being placed on commercial flights.
Anyone with symptoms of the disease or recovering from it were being kept on ship until medically cleared.
Singapore Quarantines 20,000 Foreign Workers
SINGAPORE — Singapore has placed nearly 20,000 foreign workers under quarantine in dormitories after an increasing number in the community were found to be infected with Covid-19.
The country has assigned two foreign dormitories as isolation areas, which means that the thousands of workers living on both sites will not be able to leave their rooms for 14 days, according to a press release by Singapore's ministry of health on April 5. Combined, the two dormitories have seen more than 90 cases of Covid-19 infections.
The move comes as Singapore reports a spike in local cases of Covid-19, with a record 116 cases on Sunday. Singapore will effectively enter a lockdown from Tuesday, closing schools and workplaces deemed to provide nonessential services for a month.
Workers under quarantine will continue to be paid salaries, the ministry said. It is working with all dormitory operators in Singapore to reduce the density of their residents by transferring some workers to alternative accommodations.
