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VOL.CLXX.... No. 58,893 ©2020 The New York Times Company NEW YORK, MONDAY, NOVEMBER30, 2020 $3.00
New York, in Sudden Shift,
Will Reopen Some Schools
Elementary Students Set to Return Dec. 7 —
Criticism of City Leads to Overhaul
By ELIZA SHAPIRO
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced city’s seven-day average test posi-
on Sunday that he would reopen tivity rate on Sunday had climbed
public elementary schools, to 3.9 percent — well above the
abruptly shifting policy in the face former threshold that led him to
of widespread criticism that offi- close the system on Nov. 18 as a
cials were placing more of a pri- second wave of the outbreak
ority on economic activities like threatened the city.
indoor dining than the well-being Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who
of New York City’s children. has often clashed with Mr. de Bla-
Mr. de Blasio said middle and sio over the response to the pan-
high schools would remain closed, demic and has final authority over
but also signaled that he would how schools operate during the
overhaul how the city manages crisis, said on Sunday that he sup-
the system during the pandemic, ported the mayor’s plan.
which has forced millions of chil- Bringing children and educa-
dren in the United States out of tors safely back into public
schools and is perceived to have schools has been one of the most
done significant damage to their vexing, high-stakes problems cre-
education and mental health. ated by the pandemic.
The mayor said the city would As virus cases have spiked
abandon a 3 percent test positivity across the country in recent
threshold that it had adopted for weeks, some cities, like Philadel-
closing the school system, the phia, have delayed plans to re-
largest in the country, with 1.1 mil- open schools, and others, includ-
lion children. And he said the sys- ing Los Angeles, do not yet have a
FABIO BUCCIARELLI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
Being treated this month in Bergamo, which in spring was one of the deadliest killing fields for the virus in the Western world. tem would aim to give many par- plan to reopen. Many children
ents the option of sending their throughout the country have not
children to school five days a returned to classrooms since
week, which would effectively end March, and it is unclear how many
Iran Struggles Inaction Fueled Disaster as Virus Crept Into Italy the so-called hybrid learning sys- will before a vaccine is distribut-
tem for some city schools. ed.
Students can return only if they Starting in the summer, Mr. de
For a Response another doctor in nearby Lodi have already signed up for in-per- Blasio sought to make New York
By JASON HOROW BEHIND THE CURVE who broke the national testing son learning, meaning just about the first big city in the country to
To Bold Strikes FrBanEcRoG OArlManOd,i , aI tuasluya ll—y h aWle hfoern- A Northern Province’s Epicenter phraomtosctroul.n Bg yb yt htehno,s eD sr.a mAveo pgraodtroi-, 1s9c0h,o0o0l0s cthheil dcriteyn iisn r tehoep gernaidnegs n aenxdt ftuemlly. Areftoepre an s ietrsi epsu obfl ilco gsicshtoicoall saynsd-
mer truck driver, arrived in mid- cols, had herself fallen ill after week would be eligible. About political problems forced the may-
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enough. A team of Israeli com- days later, an ambulance brought his wife seemed befuddled. They heartland. most complex disabilities can re- sues, was a major milestone in the
mandos with high-powered the 83-year-old back. He couldn’t hardly ever ventured beyond Bergamo became one of the turn on Dec. 10. city’s long path to recovery — and
torches blasted their way into a breathe. their local cafe, Patty’s Bar. deadliest killing fields for the vi- “Whatever happens ahead, we the closing of the schools less than
vault of a heavily guarded ware- Italy had not recorded a single ‘‘China?” Dr. Avogadri recalled rus in the Western world, a place want this to be the plan going for- eight weeks later was a blow.
house deep in Iran and made off domestic coronavirus case, but Mr. Orlandi’s wife responding. marked by inconceivable suffer- ward,” Mr. de Blasio said at a news Still, the number of cases in the
before dawn with 5,000 pages of Mr. Orlandi’s symptoms puzzled “She didn’t even know where it ing and a dreadful soundtrack of conference. “We know what we school system itself remained
top secret papers on the country’s Monica Avogadri, the 55-year-old was.” ambulance sirens as emergency didn’t know over the summer, we very low, so Mr. de Blasio’s deci-
nuclear program. anesthesiologist who treated him What Dr. Avogadri did not know medical workers peeled parents know what works from actual ex- sion became a flash point in a
Then in a television broadcast a at Pesenti Fenaroli Hospital. She was that Covid-19 had already ar- away from children, husbands perience.” broader debate throughout the
few weeks later, in April 2018, didn’t test him for the virus be- rived in her region of Lombardy, a from wives, grandparents from Mr. de Blasio is reopening ele- country and the world over what
Prime Minister Benjamin Netan- cause Italian protocols, adopted discovery made five days later by Continued on PageA8 mentary schools even though the Continued on PageA7
yahu of Israel cited the contents of
the pilfered documents to hint
coyly at equally bold operations
still to come. “Remember that Blue Blocs Vie
name,” he said, singling out the
scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh as
the captain of Iran’s covert at- For Senate Seat
tempts to assemble a nuclear
weapon. Held by Harris
Now Mr. Fakhrizadeh has be-
come the latest casualty in a cam-
paign of audacious covert attacks
seemingly designed to torment By SHAWN HUBLER
Iranian leaders with reminders of and ALEXANDER BURNS
their weakness. The operations SACRAMENTO — Since Gavin
are confronting Tehran with an Newsom’s days as a young up- ADRIANA ZEHBRAUSKAS FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
agonizing choice between em- start running for mayor of San The government’s target is 450
bracing the demands of hard-lin- Francisco through more than two miles of new wall construction.
ers for swift retaliation or at- decades of public life, Alex Padilla
tempting to make a fresh start has been a stalwart ally.
with the less implacably hostile As president of the Los Angeles Blitz of Activity
administration of President-elect City Council, Mr. Padilla intro-
Joseph R. Biden Jr. duced Mr. Newsom to important
Trailed by a carload of body- local labor and Latino leaders. As To Expand Wall
guards, Mr. Fakhrizadeh was a state senator, Mr. Padilla chaired
driving a carefully circuitous Mr. Newsom’s short-lived first By End of Term
route to the home of his in-laws in campaign for governor. And as
the city of Absard, Iran, according California secretary of state, Mr.
to witnesses and the Iranian news Padilla conferred a key early en-
media. dorsement that helped Mr. New- By SIMON ROMERO
An empty Nissan parked at a som win the governor’s seat in and ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS
roundabout exploded, knocking 2018. DOUGLAS, Ariz. — Four years
down a power line. Gunmen leapt AMR ALFIKY/THE NEW YORK TIMES Now Mr. Newsom is in a posi- ago, President Trump took office
from a parked Hyundai Santa Fe, Jefferson Mays hoped to take a one-man “Christmas Carol” to Broadway. It’ll be streamed instead. tion to return the favor: He must with a pledge to build a towering
others arrived on motorcycles appoint someone to fill the soon- wall on America’s border with
and waiting snipers filled out a hit Bah, Pandemic! Theaters Save ‘Christmas Carol’ to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat of Mexico — a symbol of his determi-
team of 12 assassins, according to Vice President-elect Kamala Har- nation to halt immigration from
a detailed account posted online ris. Though many names have countries to the south and build a
by Javad Mogouyi, a documenta- been floated to succeed Ms. Har- barrier that would long outlast
ry filmmaker for Iran’s Islamic pandemic: outdoor stagings, ris, Mr. Padilla has emerged as the him.
Revolutionary Guards Corps. By MICHAEL PAUL Classic Lives On by Car, drive-in productions, street the- front-runner, according to more President-elect Joseph R. Biden
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his car and fell bleeding on the a godsend for American theaters. by mail. makers familiar with the gover- the outgoing administration is
ground. The nearest medical Through recessions and blizzards Many of these theaters are will- nor’s thinking. rushing to complete as much wall
clinic had lost electrical power. and other upheavals, he has decades in which the Dickens ingly running the long-lucrative Yet nearly a month after Ms. as possible in its last weeks in
Roadside cameras were disabled. drawn small children and big classic has sustained them, this show at a loss — they are hungry Harris’s election, Mr. Newsom has power, dynamiting through some
All 12 assassins escaped un- money to his redemption story in year theaters are sustaining Dick- to create, determined to stay visi- not yet named a successor — and of the border’s most forbidding
harmed, and Mr. Fakhrizadeh was “A Christmas Carol.” ens. ble and eager to satisfy those the pressure is mounting. terrain.
pronounced dead by the time a Stage adaptations of the tale, Gone are the large-cast extrav- “Christmas Carol” die-hards who “Look, all roads lead to Alex Pa- The breakneck pace at which
rescue helicopter was able to which generally run between aganzas playing before cheery don’t want to miss a year. dilla,” said Nathalie Rayes, presi- construction is continuing all but
transport him to a Tehran hospi- Thanksgiving and year-end, have crowds in packed venues. Instead, “It’s absolutely an obligation, in dent of the Latino Victory Fund, assures that the wall, whatever
tal. been a tradition and a lifeline for theaters are using every conta- the best sense of that word,” said which has waged a “Pick Padilla” Mr. Biden decides to do, is here to
“It was like a Hollywood action troupes big and small, profes- gion-reduction strategy they have Curt Columbus, the artistic direc- campaign since August. “I think stay for the foreseeable future, es-
Continued on PageA12 sional and amateur. But now, after honed during the coronavirus Continued on PageA15 Continued on PageA16 Continued on PageA14
TRACKING AN OUTBREAK A4-9 BUSINESS B1-6
Gender Gap in U.K. Sports Forced Labor Fracas
Only a handful of girls’ soccer clubs A bill to ban goods made with forced
have been allowed to keep training labor in China’s Xinjiang region has had
through England’s second lockdown, broad bipartisan support. But now
while the boys continue to play. PAGE A4 corporate titans like Apple, Nike and
Coca-Cola are pushing back. PAGE B1
Should Isolation Be Shorter?
INTERNATIONAL A10-12 SPORTSMONDAY D1-7 ARTS C1-7
Where Fungi Are Flourishing Patients are usually most infectious two Hockey Amid the Glaciers The Luxury E-Commerce Wars Her Center of Gravity
days before symptoms begin and for five The top names in luxury are finding
In Ukraine, an unusually bountiful days after, an analysis finds. PAGE A7 Several N.H.L. players, and a figure common cause in rallying around an Amanda Seyfried talks with Kyle Bu-
mushroom crop is helping some make skater, took helicopters to a breathtak- e-commerce strategy robust enough to chanan about the Netflix film “Mank”
ends meet in a difficult year. PAGE A11 NATIONAL A13-16 ing pickup game in Canada. PAGES D4-5 take on Amazon and potentially realign and why her farm in the Catskills
the online retail landscape. PAGE B1 means so much to her. PAGE C1
Threat to Hong Kong’s Courts Economic Team Takes Shape Barred Coach Tells Her Side
An independent judiciary is crucial to President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. is Maggie Haney defended herself, but EDITORIAL, OP-ED A18-19 U(D54G1D)y+&!}!=!$!"
the city’s status as a global hub, but expected to nominate two more women said she could now see flaws in how she
Beijing wants more authority. PAGE A10 to leading advisory roles. PAGE A16 treated some young gymnasts. PAGE D1 Charles M. Blow PAGE A18
A2 N THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY,NOVEMBER30, 2020
A.G. SULZBERGER
NEWS EDITORIAL
Publisher
DEAN BAQUET Executive Editor KATHLEEN KINGSBURY Editorial Page Editor
JOSEPH KAHN Managing Editor
Founded in 1851
REBECCA BLUMENSTEIN Deputy Managing Editor BUSINESS
APAuDRbTOliHLshPUeHRr 1SH8. A9OY6CS-H1 9SS3U5LZBERGER SMCTAAERTVOTELH YDENUW ER PNYUAERSNDDDYeeppDuuettypy u MMtyaa Mnnaaaggniinanggg i EnEdgd iiEttoodrritor MRDOIEALRNAEEND BDITR AHA. Y KCTOAOPPNIUTT GLOEenVCeIrhEaiNel fC FCoiuhnniaesnfe cEli aaxnel cOdu fStfiievcceer rOetaffriyce; r
Publisher 1935-1961 ELISABETH BUMILLER Assistant Managing Editor Interim Executive V.P., Talent & Inclusion
ORVIL E. DRYFOOS SAM DOLNICK Assistant Managing Editor WILLIAM T. BARDEEN Chief Strategy Officer
Publisher 1961-1963 MONICA DRAKE Assistant Managing Editor R. ANTHONY BENTEN Chief Accounting Officer, Treasurer
MATTHEW ERICSON Assistant Managing Editor STEPHEN DUNBAR-JOHNSON President, International
ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER ALISON MITCHELL Assistant Managing Editor
Publisher 1963-1992 SAM SIFTON Assistant Managing Editor
ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER JR. MICHAEL SLACKMAN Assistant Managing Editor
Publisher 1992-2017
Inside The Times The Newspaper
And Beyond
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
CROSSWORD C3
OBITUARIES A17, A20
OPINION A18-19
WEATHER B7
CLASSIFIED ADS D7
VIDEO
What if public health officials
received honors instead of death
threats? A Times Opinion video
imagines the “Fauci Awards” to
praise a few experts who stand
out for their work.
nytimes.com/video
STYLE
EVAN JENKINS FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES In the Designer DIY series,fash-
For Sarah Bahr, the brush was mightier — at least for a few minutes. ion experts give step-by-step
instructions on how to embroider
a hankie, make a necklace out of
Embracing My Inner Bob Ross
paper, create a tote bag out of dish
towels, and more. See the projects
at nytimes.com/style.
By SARAH BAHR painting itself that I objected to — I took
INDIANAPOLIS — For a reporter on an drawing classes in high school and even
assignment, there’s a time to be a bystand- won awards. But after spending the previ-
er, observing from a distance to better keep ous week bingeing episodes of “The Joy of
an objective perspective on events. Painting,” in which Ross assured viewers
And then there’s a time to paint. that “it’s just that easy,” I wondered what it
Iwas all set to write a story on the open- would say about me if it wasn’t.
ing of the “Bob Ross Experience,” a perma- At first, my fears were realized: I couldn’t
nent exhibit and painting workshop series even hold the brush properly. I was stab-
in Indiana, on a recent weekend, without bing at the pools of paint and lifting the
ever picking up a brush. But the course of brush straight up as though staking a vam- SHOPPING
Give the gift they’ll events had other plans. pire, when I needed to drag it through the Black Friday is over. But there are
Ihad been looking forward to the assign- globs as if petting a dog. “Let the brush do still online bargains out there. Get
open every day. ment ever since I pitched it to my editor in the work for you,” Mr. Simpson told me. tips on the best Cyber Monday
September — I would attend the opening of Then came the time to put the paint on deals at Wirecutter, a product
the exhibit, a celebration of the late artist the canvas. “Little tiny taps, almost like a recommendation site owned by
and his beloved PBS show, “The Joy of zigzag,” Mr. Simpson said. But I was still The New York Times Company.
GiftsubscriptionstoTheTimesstartat$25. Painting,” which inspired amateurs to wielding the brush like a pen, jabbing it into nytimes.com/wirecutter
Visitnytimes.com/giftorcall1-800-NYTIMES. create their own masterpieces. There, in the canvas as if it were the chest of some-
one who had offended me on the play-
the city of Muncie, where Ross filmed
ground.
nearly all of the show’s 403 episodes, I
Afew minutes later — after carving my
would take it all in while staying six feet
initials into the bottom left corner with a
from his fans — some sporting Afros and
knife in letters that looked as if they came
wearing “happy little clouds” masks.
from a 4-year-old — I was staring at my
The morning began amicably: I saw
own happy little tree, which looked respect-
masked painters recreate “Gray Mountain,”
able, until you saw the model. Side by side,
avibrant landscape from a 1992 episode, in
it suddenly looked like something Charlie
aworkshop, watching the peaks take shape
Brown would bring home for Christmas. LEARNING NETWORK
from individual strokes until the canvases
But back in my Indianapolis apartment Teachers and librarians: Consider
—at least from my vantage point — could later that week, I looked across the room at applying for the 2021-2022 New
pass for Ross originals. my tree and realized: That didn’t matter. York Times Teaching project, a
Maybe anyone really can do this, I “To me, that’s what’s so fantastic about program in which participants
thought. I smiled, secure in the knowledge painting: Each and every person will paint explore new ways to use The
I’d never have to try myself. But then, an differently,” Ross once said. “That’s what Times and The Learning Network
hour later, at a mini-workshop in which an makes it special.” as curriculum resources and
instructor taught fans to create their own It may seem like a small thing, but create their own curriculum
“happy little trees,” the moment of truth putting down my notebook and picking up a projects. Find out more at
came. The instructor, Ted Simpson, knew I brush helped me better understand the nytimes.com/learning.
was covering the event and walked to me event and Ross’s fans. After all, the exhibit
with a white 4 by 4 canvas square in hand. was called an “experience.” In reporting, no
“You know what they say about the best two stories are exactly alike, and treating
reporters ... ” he began. them that way can deprive readers of a
Ibraced myself. Was I really scared of a richer reading experience. Kind of like what Contact the Newsroom
[email protected]
happy little tree? I dropped my coat in the Bob himself preached about art.
corner and picked up a brush. “If we all painted the same way, hmm, Share a News Tip
Ishould clarify: It was not the act of what a boring time it would be.” [email protected] or nytimes.com/tips
Contact Customer Care
nytimes.com/contactus
or 1-800-NYTIMES (1-800-698-4637)
On This Day in History
AMEMORABLE HEADLINE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
DEATH OF WASHINGTON IRVING
November 30, 1859.The author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and beloved son of
New York who had died on Nov. 28 was mourned by The Times, with the news and reac-
tion accounting for more than half of the all-type front page. Greater writers in American
literature “may arise among us,” The Times said. “But the name of the magician who
evoked the shapes of legendary life from all the loveliest nooks of the Hudson, and first
Helping you live better. clothed the new world with a robe of fancy and of feeling, will never die.”
Subscribers can browse the complete Times archives through 2002 at timesmachine.nytimes.com.
No matter where you live.
THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018-1405
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daily. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and Large Print Weekly..................................1 Yr. 114.40 vices that are likely to interest its readers. If you ©2020, The New York Times Company. All rights
nytimes.com/realestate adDMtra aeDvaislaeds Sind lcuypiht boiaaosrnnntcd,gra I eilSpA sumt ,ti no5oadn2 iTal8 iRhy0nea8g.. t- N.e8.o.s0.ef.*.f4w.i.2c. .Y.e..so...r. .kP.. .To..s$imt1m0e4as01s, .PtY0e.r0Or.:. BSoe$xn65 d28M0 0a.4o0d2s0-., itniogH*n N iogoouuhtt teissnrii dcdleeru atdhttiehnes egN, soUatrav.tSthae.ei, l oaarosb rtll:o e c 1fao-o8lr n0 ta0 tx-hr6.ee3 q1u-N2e5es8wt0, .Yfoorr k meadiil-- pnIsAuroeAbt, ifj5lfeely2 rca 8 tCdt0 htvu8oaes- 8ttrt ho0twiem4s e2iaen ,p drgop o rSpl ineeuc-robamvtbli iaslcsehihe lre ,a hadrPete .ielO np tc. @h TaBihrsnod eyix, n Nt aif8mvoe0wrae4mis l2Ya.a,co btoDrlimeoka n fvT.r, eiopmnmlpee oatshrs itees, AMre.esaGren.er dSdv uiCetlhdhz .biK eefor Epgiextr eL, cPeuvutiibvelneis ,Oh Pefrfriecseird ent
Monday-Saturday........................936.00 468.00 The Times occasionally makes its list of home deliv- advertising department. The Times reserves the right R. Anthony Benten, Treasurer
Sunday only..................................520.00 260.00 ery subscribers available to marketing part- not to accept an advertiser’s order. Only publication of Diane Brayton, General Counsel and Secretary
THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY,NOVEMBER30, 2020 N A3
Of Interest
NOTEWORTHY FACTS FROM TODAY’S PAPER
Before the pandemic, Times Square In India’s fashion industry,
saw an average of 380,000 visitors anonymous artisans called karigars
daily. After New York City’s initial are responsible for much of the
lockdown, that number plunged to meticulous and beautiful handwork
some 33,000 pedestrians a day in that goes into the garments.
April. The Debts and Chaos That Felled
On Uncrowded Streets, Dances of Survival C5 A Star Indian Designer B2
• •
The first car with adaptive cruise The presidential memoir of Barack
control was the 1994 Mitsubishi Obama came out three years and
Diamante. 10 months after he left office — a
longer wait than for any other U.S.
Smart Cruise Control Comes to Motorcycles B4
• CHANEL MILLER president in the last century.
There are three depth categories in Yes, the Obama Memoir Took a While to Write C4
Research from England Athletics, an
competitive free diving. “Free •
organization in the country that
immersion” athletes pull along a rope The Geneva-based Human Rights
supports affiliated sports clubs, has
without fins. In “constant no fins,” Council, the United Nations’ top
shown that a third of women have
athletes use a modified breaststroke. human rights organization, includes
been harassed while out running
In “constant weight,” divers representatives from 47 nations
alone.
dolphin-kick wearing a monofin. elected to staggered three-year terms.
In English Sports, the Girls Are Locked Down
For a Free Diving Champion, While the Boys Play On A4 Countries Tussle Over U.N. Rights Council
The Floor’s the Limit D1 Post A10
The Conversation Spotlight
SIX OF THE MOST READ, SHARED AND DISCUSSED POSTS STORIES CONTRIBUTED BY
FROM ACROSS NYTIMES.COM READERS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
That Mysterious Monolith in the Utah Desert? Tiny Love Stories, a Modern Love project, asks contributors
It’s Gone, Officials Say to share their epic love stories in 100 words or less. This
Sunday’s most read article was the news that the three-sided week’s batch of micro-nonfiction includes tales about an awk-
metal structure, discovered in a canyon last week, was re- ward reunion, a Thanksgiving date to remember and a smile
moved on Friday evening by an unknown party, according to that was finally unmasked. Read one here.
the federal Bureau of Land Management’s Utah office. Offi-
cials said the structure was most likely a work of art.
A BRIEF HISTORYOF TIME
How Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. Fought
To a Draw (in 2020) GETS A NEWCHAPTER
The eight-round fight on Saturday between the two former
champions now in their 50s was, in the end, “heavy on specta-
cle and light on serious competition,” our report said. Still, “Ihavewonderedabouttimeallmylife.”
Tyson, even at 54, showed he still had some of the speed and
power that made him such a devastating fighter in his prime. ProfessorStephenHawking
In Key States, Republicans Were Critical in Resisting
Trump’s Election Narrative
The election system stood firm, largely because of Republi-
cans at the state and local level who refuted conspiracy theo-
ries, certified results, dismissed lawsuits and held their
ground amid mounting pressure from the president and their
own party to overturn the vote.
The Rotting of the Republican Mind
In contrast to Republicans cited above, many party loyalists
have “become detached from reality,” wrote the columnist
David Brooks in his Opinion article. Three days after its publi-
cation, this piece remained one of the most read articles and
was among the most emailed. Over all, it has prompted more
than 2,000 comments from readers.
VIA JULIA BRUCE
The Best Books to Give This Year After the funeral, I tidied the guest room for my mother, who
The Times Book Review’s gift recommendations drew read- was moving in temporarily while adjusting to life without my
ers in Germany, India and France, among other countries. father. I was restless, believing I should have convinced him
to see a doctor sooner. When I pulled a cloth along the closet
What We Can Learn From Solitude
shelf, a shower of mint Lifesavers rained down, left behind
Contemporary hermits are reaching out to people struggling from my father’s last visit. An ex-smoker, he always kept his
with isolation. Their message: Go inward, and get outside. mouth busy. I unwrapped one, placing it, communion-like, on
One contemporary hermit said that the key to transforming my tongue. I wasn’t able to save my father’s life; the lung
anxiety-ridden isolation into nurturing solitude is understand- cancer was a wildfire. But as the Lifesaver dissolved, it
ing that your “deeper self” is always beside you. cleansed me. Julia Bruce
Quote of the Day “Beijing may not want to be seen as interfering with judicial
HONG KONG’S COURTS, STILL independence, but I think it is very clear some Beijing
INDEPENDENT, FACE NEW
THREATS FROM BEIJING A10 officials are not happy with some decisions made by our
501MadisonAve,NewYork
judges.”
ERIC CHEUNG,alegal scholar at the University of Hong Kong, on the likely long-term erosion of the
city’s court system.
TBYh JeO EML iFnAGi LCIrAoNOssword HFINeDrIeN Gt HoO HPEe WlpHEN THINGS FEEL GLOOMY ©Verdura. All rights reserved.
1 2 3 4 5 In my practice as a clinical psychologist,
I often hear some version of this plea:
“How can I feel hopeful without deluding
6
myself?” Hope is an action-filled process
— and I teach my patients to look at it that
7 way. According to a renowned hope re-
searcher, Dr. Charles Snyder, hope arises
when you identify paths to approach your
8
goals alongside a willingness to persevere
despite obstacles. Here are some of my
9 favorite ways to spark and maintain hope
HAYLEY WALL
in hard times. JENNY TAITZ
you’re itching to give something up, then
11/30/2020 EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ Control what you can.While you should imagine shifting your inner soundtrack,
ACROSS allow yourself to experience a certain perhaps by seeing these thoughts as vis-
1 Spy’s assumed name amount of distress and mourning, step itors not to take too seriously.
6 Ball game first played in ancient away from the urge to give up entirely. Consider what is still true for you.Amid
Rome When crises in the world at large feel out so much pain, it’s possible to consciously
7 Drug central to a 19th-century of your control, thinking about the various notice what hasn’t been broken by all the
war between Great Britain and components of your life — and setting
disruption. Ms. Salzberg prescribes re-
China small, specific goals to improve them —
flecting on the question, What’s still true?
8 Starbucks 20-ounce size can help reduce feelings of helplessness. “I
“If you can find something intact, whole,
9 Easiest parts of a jigsaw puzzle remember the values, like kindness and
unbroken, it will give you hope,” she said.
compassion, that form the North Star I try
It might be a child’s smile, or “fundamen-
DOWN to navigate my life by,” said Sharon
1 Overhead Salzberg, a mindfulness teacher and the tal beliefs in things like the power of love.” SCORPIO
2 Ran in long, bounding strides author of “Real Change: Mindfulness to Build a hope kit. Gathering photos, music,
3 Decoration for a gingerbread man Heal Ourselves and the World.” mementos and a list of practices that October 24TH – November 22ND
4 Like a 45° angle inspire you can keep you going when you
Work on your mental agility.Remember
5 Round like the Final Four need a boost. While this may seem superfi- ZODIAC PENDANT NECKLACE
that a key facet of hope is creatively prob-
cial, one study showed that creating a Hand-engraved, in diamond and 18k gold, $7,950.
lem-solving when obstacles arise. Plan
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L U K E Creating hope takes willingness and ongo-
lar to athletes who anticipate “hitting a
J A N E T wall,” rehearse pushing past fatigue. If you ing effort yet ultimately leads to enjoying 745 FIFTH AVENUE, 12TH FLOOR
O R C A strategize before you’re drained, you can an improved perspective. 212.758.3388 • VERDURA.COM
B E E S keep going. Take a moment to anticipate For more life tips, visit Smarter Living at
thoughts like, “I can’t,” or notice when nytimes.com/smarterliving.
A4 MONDAY, NOVEMBER30, 2020
N Tracking an Outbreak
MARY TURNER FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
Philip Gill plays with his daughters, in a park in Burnley, England. Mr. Gill, who coaches a girls’ soccer team, started a petition calling for equal treatment of boys’ and girls’ teams during lockdown.
ATHLETICS
In English Sports, the Girls Are Locked Down While the Boys Play On
By ANNA SCHAVERIEN where differences between the have to choose between making
When Lisa Bloor heard that her treatment of men’s and women’s their health worse or putting their
daughter Abby’s elite-level soccer teams have been accentuated by safety at risk,” she said.
club was being shut down in Eng- the coronavirus pandemic and For the women who do want to
land’s latest coronavirus lock- lockdowns. relieve cabin fever with a run out-
down she faced a tough problem: As Britain emerged from its doors, the government’s coronavi-
how to explain that boys at the first lockdown, the men's interna- rus regulations have done little to
same level were allowed to keep tional cricket team began play this assuage safety fears.
playing. summer months before the wom- Research from England Athlet-
“How do I tell my daughter it’s en’s. ics has shown a third of women
because she’s a girl?” Ms. Bloor A similar delay occurred in have been harassed while out run-
asked. “It’s disheartening. There’s rugby union. But even after play ning alone and that many would
no logic in it at all.” resumed, the women’s teams con- feel safer when running with a
As the coronavirus has up- fronted new rules designed to lim- group. But group exercise is not
ended lives across the world, it transmission of the virus, while permitted during the lockdown.
women have found themselves a costly testing system was pro- The government devised an ex-
disproportionately affected, vided for the men’s teams so they ception to the restrictions that al-
whether by taking on the often in- could play by the same rules as be- lows for one person not in your
visible labor of an outsize share in fore. household to join you for outdoors
household duties, caring for chil- In a recent study of the first exercise, provided they keep a
dren and relatives or finding the lockdown, Britain’s elite sports- safe distance, but that has been
hard-fought gains they made in women reported that their fi- criticized as impractical.
the workplace in past years al- nances and fitness had taken a Rini Jones, a marathon runner
most entirely wiped out. sharper hit than those of their who shares her experiences on
In early November, after Brit- male counterparts. That’s largely her Instagram account, abrown-
ain’s government reluctantly ad- because, unlike the men, they are girlruns, is still going out for runs
mitted the need for a second lock- paid only on a match-fee basis and alone during lockdown but always
down of all but England’s most es- had to pay for fitness equipment takes a number of precautions, in-
sential services to stop the num- JASON CAIRNDUFF/ACTION IMAGES, VIA REUTERS during lockdown, while men could cluding running only along well-lit
ber of Covid-19 cases spiraling out The Manchester United and Manchester City clubs are part of the “elite” Women’s Super League. borrow from their clubs’ gyms. roads.
of control, the restrictions — and “Lockdown definitely en- Sexual assault and the killings
exceptions to the rules — laid bare orous testing — a steep cost when Halfway through lockdown, af- 15,000 signatures within the space trenched those ideas that wom- of female joggers, especially wom-
yet another gender gap: the one budgets in women’s soccer are ter two weeks of her daughter’s of a few days. en’s sport aren’t on the same level en of color, play on her mind, and
between women and men’s sports. small and already stretched. training alone and kicking a ball Philip Gill, the father of three as men’s sport in terms of oppor- Ms. Jones said that she usually
gpreaWnnshtaeetdino n“teshl eift oeBr srtiphtoiesr htd” ugsropaveteicorinnaml odefi nsat- tio“nY toou hcaavne’t afarigrunee swsi tahn tdh ep aarmitby,i”- aEgvaeirntsotn a rweavlel,r Msesd. Bfileolodr tahnadt sdaied- gyeiralsr sb oeldtw, aenedn t2h2e cmooanchth osf aan gdir l1s2’ tAcuiloni liBotgyo,yw aecoscf, e ass sps eoanrnti odra ftlu encNtdouitrnteginr,” gi nhs aasmiod- cathosi npnsogitd heenarptsip atelh wne itctona rehsse srp.eass sshinogu lhde arn byy-
four-week lockdown, the top six said Kelly Simmons, the F.A.’s di- cided it could afford to restart soccer team in Padiham, in north- Trent University, who led the re- “There is an inexcusable lack of
tiers of men’s soccer could carry rector of the women’s professional girls’ training. But she was dis- west England, started the appeal. search. understanding at the highest lev-
on training and competing. But game. “It comes down to where mayed that many other girls were Mr. Gill said the F.A.’s decision It’s not just professional sports- els of decision-making that this is
only the top two women’s soccer the women’s game is in terms of not as fortunate. “puts on this perception that if women who have felt the effects of the reality for women, and for
leagues were permitted to contin- its resources and its commercial Other soccer-mad girls took to you’re a girl, you’re less impor- lockdowns on sports and exercise women of color and marginalized
ue. revenue at the moment. The social media to ask #IsItBecau- tant. I don’t want my kids growing more acutely than men. women, it’s even more precari-
The Football Association, which men’s game has been able to in- seIAmAGirl, railing against the up seeing that. Research from Sport England ous,” she said.
governs the sport in England, vest multimillions into boys’ F.A.’s different rules for men’s and “It’s time to give the ladies’ into the impact of the first lock- For the women whose exercise
ruled that the men’s F.A. Cup tour- academies and state of the art fa- women’s teams as a petition call- game the same opportunities as down found that women were and sporting lives have been jeop-
nament would not stop, but post- cilities. We’re not there yet on the ing for girls and women’s soccer to they’ve given the men’s,” he said. more affected by care responsibil- ardized by the monthlong lock-
poned the women’s F.A. Cup until women and girl’s side.” continue reached more than Soccer is far from the only sport ities, more anxious about leaving down in England, there is a small
the national lockdown lifts in early home to exercise and more af- light at the end of the tunnel:
December. fected by reductions in group ac- Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s
Nowhere was the gender divide tivities. government announced on Mon-
more transparent than in the deci- “Everything’s pointing to lock- day that when the country moves
sion surrounding the soccer clubs’ down having made it worse for into a tiered system of restrictions
academies, which sharpen the women,” Dr. Bowes said. in early December, sports teams
skills of the most promising As part of the lockdown, gyms, will be allowed to reunite and
school-age players and prepare public swimming pools, dance stu- gyms will be allowed to open their
them to turn professional. dios and other facilities were or- doors to customers again, though
Boys’ training at more than 80 dered to shut their doors. With group exercise classes remain
English Football League and Pre- those avenues closed, advocates banned in some places.
mier League clubs’ academies for women’s sports say that many It’s a welcome relief for many,
could remain open under “elite” women will be deterred from stay- but Dr. Bowes, who led the re-
protocols, but the F.A. decided ing active over the winter because search into the impact of lock-
that girls’ academies at clubs such of safety concerns about exercis- downs, said she hoped the new
as Everton — where Abby Clarke, ing outdoors in the dark. light that the coronavirus restric-
Ms. Bloor’s 16-year-old daughter, Lucy Robinson, a 22-year-old tions have shone on the deep-
trains at least four times a week as student based in Derbyshire, is in seated issues in how women’s
part of the development squad — exactly that position. She gave up sports and exercise are treated
were “nonelite” and would have to running alone after one wintry could herald greater accountabil-
suspend all activity throughout evening last year when she was ity for gender inequalities.
the lockdown. out jogging and a stranger fol- The differences, she said, are
The governing body later rolled lowed her on a bike, shouting lewd “the byproduct of over 100 years
back that decision, but admitted it comments. of sport prioritizing men.” But, “in
was likely that only a few girls’ With gyms shut because of the these extreme moments when the
academies — four or five at the lockdown, Ms. Robinson, who is world goes upside down, we start
most — would reopen, because of not a fan of online classes, said she to see where the priorities are,”
a dearth of resources. To adhere to was missing out on the physical Dr. Bowes said. Speaking up and
the “elite” protocols, clubs must and mental health benefits that calling out the problems, she said,
complete thorough risk assess- sport can bring. “sets us on a really positive path
ments and have a range of medi- MARY TURNER FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES “Women are being put in a re- for how things might change in
cal staff on hand to oversee rig- Rini Jones, a marathoner who shares her experiences on Instagram, runs near her London home. ally tough situation where they the future.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY,NOVEMBER30, 2020 N A5
Ranked#1forCRMApplicationsbasedon
IDC2020H1RevenueMarketShareWorldwide.
19.8%
5.3%
4.8%
3.9%
3.8%
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020H1
Source:IDC,WorldwideSemiannual
SoftwareTracker,October2020.
salesforce.com/number1CRM
CRMmarketincludesthefollowingIDC-definedfunctionalmarkets:SalesForceProductivityandManagement,MarketingCampaignManagement,CustomerService,ContactCenter,Advertising,andDigitalCommerce
Applications.©2020salesforce.com,inc.Allrightsreserved.Salesforce.comisaregisteredtrademarkofsalesforce.com,inc.,asareothernamesandmarks.
A6 N THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY,NOVEMBER30, 2020
Tracking an Outbreak The Service Industry
‘Delivery
work is a
dangerous
business.’
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOSE A. ALVARADO JR. FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
Natanael Evangelista, 27, began working for food delivery apps when the restaurant he worked at closed. His electric bicycle cost $2,000.
NEW YORK CITY
In Pandemic, Driving for Food Apps Has Gone From Bad to Worse
By KIMIKO de FREYTAS-TAMURA telemedicine appointments. from a customer appeared on the restau-
When the pandemic lockdown led the “Since the beginning of the Covid-19 rant receipt, which he showed to a re-
Manhattan restaurant where Natanael crisis, we have taken action to protect porter — but not on his Relay app or in
Evangelista was an employee to close for and support Dashers who are on the his bank account.
good, he quickly shifted to working for front lines,” Becky Sosnov, a spokeswom- Alex Blum, the chief executive of Re-
food delivery apps. He had few options. an for DoorDash, said. lay, a small company that delivers
He was undocumented, did not speak DoorDash said it had changed its pay mainly in New York City, attributed the
much English and needed money badly. model, which came under fire last year error to the restaurant’s failure to manu-
after it was revealed that tips were being ally enter the tip into the Relay system.
He owed months’ worth of rent, and his
used to subsidize its payments to work- Mr. Blum said Relay paid its delivery
family in Mexico needed help.
ers. But workers interviewed for this ar- workers $11.80 an hour, the city’s min-
But he was worried. Two of his cousins
ticle said the practice still occurred. The imum wage, even in between deliveries.
were also delivery workers — one had
company recently reached a $2.5 million But the company has been the target of
contracted the coronavirus and fallen
settlement with prosecutors in Washing- numerous lawsuits from workers who
into a coma, while the other had been as-
ton, D.C., after being accused of mislead- claim that they are not paid fairly for the
saulted and had his bike stolen.
ing consumers over how it tipped its hours they work.
With hundreds of thousands of New
workers. “They don’t think about you, your life,
Yorkers out of work and the city’s unem-
At Uber Eats, “delivery people receive your bicycle,” said Otoniel Timoteo, 36,
ployment rate at 14.1 percent, many des-
perate people have turned to working for 100 percent of all tips,” Meghan Casserly, Mr. Evangelista delivering an order to a customer on the who turned to delivery work in May after
a spokeswoman for the company, said. being laid off from a restaurant in
food delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Upper West Side during the morning rush.
She said Uber Eats has provided 10 mil- Queens where he worked as a waiter.
Eats and Grubhub, which have seen
lion safety supplies — masks, wipes and “We cannot make demands, otherwise
huge demand from customers who are
hand sanitizer — to workers in the they will block you. But we have no
working from home.
United States and Canada. choice. How can we live?”
While delivery drivers have been es-
Some food delivery apps say drivers The New York City Taxi and Limou-
sential to feeding New Yorkers and keep-
can earn as much as $22 per hour, includ- sine Commission two years ago adopted
ing them safe, their working conditions,
ing tips, though many drivers said they a $17.22 per hour minimum wage for
already precarious before the pandemic,
never earned anywhere close to that drivers for ride-hailing apps like Uber
have gotten worse. much. and Lyft, but it does not apply to delivery
The recent surge in cases means At a park on Manhattan’s Lower East workers. Efforts in New York State to
greater risk of exposure traveling from Side, Edgar Usac, a delivery driver, was provide more rights to gig workers by re-
restaurants to homes. Rising crime in waiting for orders on a recent Saturday. classifying them as employees have
New York City has also led to instances of After four hours, he said, he had made stalled in the Legislature.
assault and bicycle theft. $11. Another driver, Elias Pacheco, 35, In California, companies that employ
“Delivery work is a dangerous busi- said: “I have made $32 so far. I started at gig workers won a major victory on Elec-
10:30 this morning.” It was 5 p.m. tion Day when voters approved a ballot
Drivers for food delivery apps are typi- referendum that allowed the companies
Booming demand is cally paid per delivery depending on the to continue treating the workers as inde-
estimated duration and distance of a trip, pendent contractors.
accompanied by a big plus tips. The work can be convenient for Sergio Ajche, center, and fellow drivers paused for a meal Across the nation, the demand for
people supplementing a main source of takeout during the pandemic has been a
surge in the labor supply. income, but a struggle for those who de- in Sara D. Roosevelt Park on the Lower East Side. boon for food delivery apps.
pend on it as a primary job, advocates for “The pandemic has certainly been a
the workers said. nice tailwind for revenue growth, and it
“The pandemic really exacerbated the has also helped them start to close the
ness,” Mr. Evangelista, 27, said. “It’s very challenges that these workers are facing gap towards profitability in a speedier
worrying.” and that they regularly face,” said Maria fashion,” said Tom White, a senior inter-
Some workers also complain that Figueroa, director of labor and policy re- net analyst at D.A. Davidson, a wealth
many restaurants deny them the use of search for the Cornell University Worker management firm.
their bathroom out of health concerns, Institute. “In addition to getting low pay, Uber’s delivery service brought in
forcing them to carry plastic bottles. they don’t get enough work from each of $1.45 billion in sales nationwide between
Even as the food delivery companies the applications, so they have to work for July and September compared with $645
have seen sales surge, the workers’ pay at least three or four of them, and there million during the same period last year.
has remained erratic. Because the driv- are more workers than the market can DoorDash, which also owns another
ers are independent workers, they are hold.” food delivery app, Caviar, reported reve-
not entitled to a minimum wage, over- Treating the drivers as essentially nue of $1.92 billion in the nine months
time or any other benefits, like health in- freelancers, Ms. Figueroa said, has al- through September, compared with $587
surance. Undocumented immigrants, lowed the food delivery apps to offset million for the same period last year, ac-
who are not eligible for unemployment what have been thin profit margins by cording to a prospectus filed earlier this
or federal coronavirus assistance, make not having to pay for health insurance, year for its planned initial public offer-
up the bulk of the work force in New retirement benefits or workers’ compen- ing. It recorded 543 million orders
As he began work, Edgar Sapon had to stop by a garage
York. sation for injuries on the job. through September, compared with 181
The added competition from the surge On good days, Mr. Evangelista makes that allows delivery drivers to charge their batteries. million in the same period last year.
in new workers has compounded the fi- roughly $100 after working five to six Even before Mr. Evangelista took his
nancial challenges. While there are no hours, but other days he can make as lit- first food app order, the requirements for
precise figures, advocacy groups esti- tle as $42. In his old job, working in the the job pushed him deeper into debt.
mate that there were roughly 50,000 de- kitchen of a restaurant in Midtown Man- His electric bicycle set him back
livery workers before the pandemic — a hattan, he made about $15 an hour, he $2,000. Two locks for the bike cost about
number they say has grown exponen- said. $200. He had to buy a helmet. He even
tially. Uber alone said it had added Workers said food delivery apps do not paid out of his own pocket for a $65 tote
36,000 couriers in New York since always give them all of their tips, or bag from Postmates, another food deliv-
March. sometimes deduct them from their pay. ery app, to carry orders, he said.
DoorDash and Uber said they had pro- Gustavo Ajche, 37, a construction His younger brother, Enoc, also laid off
vided extra help to delivery drivers dur- worker who turned to food delivery apps from a restaurant job, recently signed up
ing the pandemic, including offering sick when he lost his job during New York’s to be a delivery worker. Mr. Evangelista
pay to those who had gotten the virus. lockdown in the spring, said he was could not suggest an alternative.
DoorDash, the nation’s largest food de- blocked by one app, Relay, after he com- “The pay is not good, but there aren’t
livery app, said it provided masks, plained that he had not received his tips. good jobs out there anyway,” he said.
gloves, hand sanitizer and wipes to driv- “They don’t care,’’ he said. “We need to work and survive the best
ers, as well as access to low-cost In one case, a $10 tip he had received way we can.”
Mr. Ajche tried to stay warm by moving around Lower
Manhattan as he waited for deliveries.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY,NOVEMBER30, 2020 N A7
Tracking an Outbreak U.S. Fallout
PUBLIC HEALTH ABRUPT SHIFT IN NEW YORK
Patients Most Infectious City to Reopen Elementary Schools After Criticism
For 7 Days, Analysis Says
From Page A1
should be closed during the pan-
By APOORVA MANDAVILLI not always fully apparent just demic. Officials have wrestled
People with Covid-19, the illness based on physical exam,” she said. with whether to keep classrooms
caused by the coronavirus, are “They wouldn’t know it on their open while forcing indoor dining
most infectious about two days be- own.” rooms and bars, which are far
fore symptoms begin and for five Older people tend to be infec- more likely to spread the virus, to
days afterward, according to a tious for longer than younger peo- shut.
new analysis of previous re- ple, but no study in the analysis Mr. Cuomo, not the mayor, con-
search. detected live virus beyond nine trols regulations regarding indoor
A few patients who are ex- days of symptom onset. The re- dining, bars and gyms. But after
tremely ill or have impaired im- sults suggest that positive tests the city schools closed, both Mr.
mune systems may expel — or after that point find only genetic Cuomo and Mr. de Blasio had
“shed” — the virus for as long as fragments, rather than whole live come under intense criticism from
20 days, other studies have sug- virus, Dr. Cevik said. some parents, who expressed
gested. Even in mild cases, some Because the infectious period deep concern about how their chil-
patients may shed live virus for seems to peak relatively quickly dren were faring during remote
about a week, the new analysis in the course of the illness, health learning.
found. care workers at community clin- In fact, the timing of Mr. de Bla-
The accumulating data ics may be at higher risk of becom- sio’s announcement raised new
presents a quandary: Should pub- ing infected than those working in questions about why he decided to
lic health officials shorten the rec- I.C.U. units, where patients tend close schools at all just 12 days
ommended isolation time if it to be in the later stages, Dr. Cevik ago.
means more infected people will added. Managing the city’s sprawling
cooperate? Or should officials opt The analysis underscores data public school system has clearly
for longer periods in order to pre- that has accumulated since been one of the most daunting
vent transmission in virtually all March. In July, based on similar tasks facing the mayor and his
chaasressh,e re vtoelnl oinf tdhoei negco nsoo mtayk?es a erevcidoemnmcee,n tdhaet iCo.nD .fCo.r t riusonlcaattioedn ittos ttehaem se edmurininggly thhaep hpaaznadredm chica. nBgeust StuSdAReAnHt BsL ESiEnN ERB FrOoR oTHkEl yNEnW, YOaRbK oTIvMeES,
anTdh Per Cevenentetriosn fo rre Dcoismemaseen Cdosn tthraotl 10 Bduaty se vfreonm a 1t4 1 d0a dyasy.s, the isola- tfrou tshtrea rtienogp feonri npga rpelnatns ahnadv ee dbuecean- on Nov. 16, shortly before May-
infected people isolate for a min- tion period may be too long for tors. The mayor himself acknowl- or Bill de Blasio shut classes.
imum of 10 days from the begin- many people, experts said. Pa- edged as much on Sunday when Mr. de Blasio and his wife,
ning of their illness. The agency is tients may be financially unable to asked whether he had any regrets Chirlane McCray, visited a
considering shortening the rec- isolate for so long, or they may not about closing schools again. pre-K in Queens in September.
ommended isolation period and feel sick enough to want to do so. “I felt pained — I didn’t want to
may issue new guidelines as early “If you could make that shorter do that to kids or parents,” he said.
as next week, according to two for people, I think that would re- After several tumultuous The mayor said earlier this fall
federal officials with knowledge of ally help people comply with the weeks, Mr. de Blasio’s announce- that families would not have an-
the discussions. public health guidelines,” said An- ment was generally well-received other opportunity to switch from
In September, France dropped gela Rasmussen, a virologist affili- on Sunday. The powerful teachers remote to in-person classes.
its required period of isolation to ated with the Center for Global union, the United Federation of That is sure to upset some par-
seven days from 14 days, and Ger- Health Science and Security at Teachers, which has often clashed ents who might have chosen in-
many is considering shortening it Georgetown University, referring with City Hall over its effort to re- person learning if they had known
to five days. (Isolation refers to to the recommended isolation pe- open the system, said it supported that their children might have
people who are ill; quarantine riod. the new plan, as long as rigorous been able to return to school full
refers to people who have been ex- But the new analysis is limited virus testing was in place. time — and will present a frustrat-
posed to the virus and may be- by the fact that only a few of the The new blueprint represents ing challenge for principals, who
come ill.) included studies looked at live vi- the city’s second shot at reopen- TODD HEISLER/THE NEW YORK TIMES will once again be forced to re-
Setting the isolation period at rus, she added. ing, after the first attempt was delighted to be back in class- cent of the public school system, structure their schools.
five days is likely to be much more Some people who are older or plagued by problems and the trig- rooms, but that the quality of edu- have chosen all-remote learning Remote learning has been par-
palatable and may encourage very sick may be infectious for ger that Mr. de Blasio’ set for clos- cation provided under the hybrid at the lowest rates. ticularly disastrous for the
more infected people to comply, longer than a week. But if a short- ing schools — a positive rate of 3 plan was sometimes lacking. That means white students may roughly 24,000 children in New
said Dr. Muge Cevik, an infectious er recommended period encour- percent on all virus tests con- Students chose in-person learn- have a disproportionate presence York’s District 75, a set of schools
disease expert at the University of ages more people to isolate, the ducted in the city — was roundly ing at far lower rates than Mr. de in city classrooms once they are for children with disabilities who
St. Andrews in Scotland who led benefit will more than offset any assailed as too low by parents, po- Blasio had hoped and expected. reopened, and can attend school require the most intensive sup-
the new analysis, published in the risk to the community from the liticians and public health experts. After predicting over the summer full time, while hundreds of thou- port, which includes students on
journal The Lancet Microbe. small amount of virus that a few Now, instead of using such a that about 75 percent of the school sands of children of color may be the autism spectrum and children
A recent survey in the United patients may still carry after five metric, the city will increase test- system would return for class- learning from home until next fall. with serious cognitive delays.
Kingdom showed that only one in days, said Dr. Stefan Baral, an epi- ing in schools and close those that room instruction, the city recently Asked about that dynamic on Online learning simply was not
demiologist at Johns Hopkins have multiple confirmed virus revealed that just under a third of Sunday, Mr. de Blasio said he was an option, and their parents have
University. cases. The system will also, for students actually did. “very concerned,” but said school spent months asking the city to
Would a shorter weBreu tn sootm ceo ndvoicntcoerds sbayi dt hthea atn tahleyy- ncoomw,e amdooprte ac ommomdeol nt haactr ohsass tbhee- famCiitlyie sd,a wtah oh ams askheo wupn jtuhsat t1 5w pheitre- wvaocuclidn er ewtausr nd istotr inbourtemda.l after a groeot mthse airs cohftilednr eans bpaocsksi binleto. class-
isolation period result swiso ultdh aptr efvivene t tdraaynss moifs siisoonl afrtoiomn wtioonr ldo,n olfyf etroin ygo culansgs rcohoimld riennst rauncd-
in more compliance? a majority of people. students with disabilities.
“There’s a sweet spot there, I Since Mr. de Blasio first an-
would imagine, but I haven’t fig- nounced his plan to reopen
ured out where that is,” said Dr. schools in July, mounting evi-
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or three days later, toward the end But Dr. Bell said he was unsure had been anticipated. By the time
of the period during which they how this would work in practice, schools closed, the school positivi-
are infectious. because these early symptoms ty rate was .28 percent.
P.C“.ERv. etne stif ryigohut owne rteh et ov egreyt fitrhset wvierarel siinmfeilcatri otnos t, hoisnec lufrdoimng o ththeer opWenh, ethne eclietym weniltla sriyg nsifcichaonotlsly rine--
day that you could, by the time common cold. crease random testing: Rather
you get the results back, 90 per- Dr. Cevik said a P.C.R. test than testing a sampling of stu-
cent of your shedding has been should be performed after isola- dents and staff in each building
completed,” said Dr. Michael tion ended, to confirm the diagno- once a month, the city will test
Mina, a virologist at the Harvard sis. Alternately, it may make weekly. Students will not be al-
T.H. Chan School of Public Health. sense to take a rapid antigen test lowed to attend in person unless
“This meta-analysis shows just — which can detect high amounts parents sign consent forms, allow-
how short your transmission win- of virus — while isolating, to con- ing testing.
dow is.” firm an active coronavirus infec- Nothing else about New York
Dr. Cevik and her colleagues set tion. City’s safety plan will change; six
out to analyze the so-called kinet- Other experts also endorsed the feet of social distance will be man-
ics of the coronavirus over the use of at-home rapid tests. “I think dated. But the city will reduce its
course of an infection, and to com- that’s a lovely solution,” Dr. Ran- use of hybrid learning — under
pare the pathogen to the closely ney said. “If you have symptoms, which children physically at-
related SARS and MERS viruses. and you have a reliable test that tended school a few days a week
The researchers considered you can do at home, stay home, and learned remotely the rest of
nearly 1,500 studies published test at home and isolate for five the time — for many schools.
from 2003 to June 2020 on the tim- days.” Some schools that have seen
ing of infection in thousands of Over all, the new analysis un- large numbers of students return
people, most of whom were sick derscores how quickly the corona- to classrooms will most likely
enough to be hospitalized. The virus blooms in the body and the have to stick with hybrid for the
team drew data from 79 studies of speed with which both patients time being.
the new coronavirus, 11 studies of and doctors must respond to keep But many schools, particularly
MERS and eight studies of SARS. it contained, Dr. Baral said. Levels in neighborhoods with large popu-
People who never develop of the MERS virus peak at seven lations of Black, Latino and Asian-
symptoms seem to carry about to 10 days from symptom onset, American students, have had low
the same amount of the new co- and those of the SARS virus peak enrollment. Some teachers re-
ronavirus as symptomatic pa- at Days 10 to 14. ported seeing just three or four PEARLS OF PERFECTION
tients, Dr. Cevik and her col- By contrast, the new coronavi- students a day, though most class-
leagues found. But asymptomatic rus “moves quick,” Dr. Baral said. rooms can hold about nine chil- SOUTH SEA PEARL NECKLACE
people seem to clear the virus “It’s a very difficult virus to con- dren under pandemic rules.
more quickly from their bodies. trol, as compared to SARS.” It is likely that in those neigh-
People with Covid-19 usually Home isolation is safe for most borhoods, more children will be Extraordinary luster. Phenomenal size. Unique beauty.
are most infectious a day or two of those newly infected with the able to return full time. Twenty-threeperfectlymatchedSouthSeapearlsmeasuringa
btiel faobroeu tth feiv oen dsaeyt so fa sftyemr, pthtoem ans aulny-- ctioarlolyn athveir umso, dheel oafd dcaerde —th aets dseonc-- unTdherec uhty fbrroimd tlheae rsntainrgt b pyl aa ns ewriaess giant19.4mmto17mmcomprisethisclassicnecklace.Prizedfor
sis concluded. Yet patients may tors use for patients suspected of of regulations about who could theirunparalleledlusterandincrediblesize,SouthSeapearls
carry genetic fragments from the having influenza. teach and when, which had been typicallymeasurebetween15mmto10mm,settingthisstrand
vanir uasv iner tahgeeir noof s1e7s adnady tsh, raonatds, foinr adSoopmteed pcooluicnitersi etso malarkeae dity eahsaiveer aiognr eaendd uCpitoyn H bayl lt.he teachers’ un- apartasoneofthemostimpressiveknown.Theraregemsare
some cases, for up to three for people to isolate. Vietnam pro- Teachers could not be required securedbyan18Kwhitegoldballclaspembeddedwith2.68
moAn ftehws. patients may carry infec- vwihdoe sn einecdo mtoe t askuep ptiomrte toof fp weooprkle. toon t tehaec sha bmoeth d iany- paenrds wone raen ddi socnoliunre- totalcaratsofdiamonds.171/2”l.#31-2368
tious virus in their lungs — as op- Until May, the Japanese govern- aged from livestreaming lessons
posed to the nose and throat — for ment asked patients who were in the classroom to children at
as long as eight days after symp- young and had mild symptoms to home, even though other districts
toms begin, noted Dr. Megan Ran- stay home for four days before have adopted that practice.
ney, an emergency physician at seeking testing. Many educators said the rules
Brown University. For these pa- Japan’s guidelines now ask pa- were nearly impossible to follow,
tients, at least, isolation periods tients to consult by phone with and some schools disregarded
should probably be longer than their doctors and to seek testing them. Some large high schools
five days, if only they could be only if they seem likely to be in- urged students to stay remote full 622RoyalStreet,NewOrleans,LA • 888-387-3634 • [email protected] • msrau.com
identified. fected. Anyone who tests positive time, so that schools could more
“The trouble is, who has Covid is admitted to a hospital or a hotel easily offer electives and ad- Since1912,M.S.Rauhasspecializedintheworld’sfinestart,antiquesandjewelry.
pneumonia versus who doesn’t is to isolate. In the United States, vanced courses. As a result, in- Backedbyourunprecedented125%Guarantee,westandbehindeachandeverypiece.
New York City and Vermont have person high school enrollment has
Makiko Inoue contributed report- made similar accommodations been relatively low.
ing from Tokyo. available to infected patients. Parents said that children were
A8 N THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY,NOVEMBER30, 2020
Tracking an Outbreak The First Wave
BEHIND THE CURVE
Inaction Fueled Disaster as Virus Crept Into Italy
A nurse working the night break. But regional officials or- The ministers, exchanging ner- Dr. Marzulli grilled the report-
shift at Papa Giovanni XXIII From Page A1 dered them opened hours later. Photographs by vous looks, unanimously agreed ing doctor about whether the staff
Hospital in Bergamo earlier their families. Hospital workers, visitors and dis- FABIO BUCCIARELLI and the government dispatched had adequately investigated con-
Hospitals became makeshift charged patients were exposed to For The New York Times Italy’s police and army to seal the nections to China. They had.
this month. Health care work-
morgues and produced parades of the virus, and then moved borders on Feb. 23 — a decision There weren’t any. The virus was
ers have braced for a second coffins and scenes of devastation through the province. that it cites to this day as the met- already circulating in their midst.
wave with dread. that became a warning to officials For days, there was an expecta- ary, confronted with a threat for ric of its boldness and willingness “It was at that moment I under-
in other Western countries of how tion that the national government which it had no playbook. to put Italy’s public health over its stood we were screwed,” Dr.
the virus could rapidly overwhelm would lock down towns in Berg- Throughout flu season, some economy. Marzulli said. “We had looked for
health systems and turn infirma- amo, as it had earlier done imme- family doctors in the Lombardy Mr. Speranza weighed the mo- who had been in China, and this
ries into incubators. diately and decisively in Lodi. region had noticed strange pneu- mentous decision carefully, decid- was the tragic error.”
Officials confirmed that more Some mayors in Bergamo waited monia cases and were prescribing ing it was better to err on the side They swabbed Mr. Orlandi that
than 3,300 people died with the vi- anxiously for the police to seal the more scans than usual. The region of caution. day, as members of his family
rus in Bergamo, though they said borders, even as business and lo- has business ties to China, and lo- ‘‘I was playing with the lives of moved through crowded corridors
the actual toll was probably dou- cal leaders expressed reluctance. cal infectious disease doctors had people,” he said, adding that in the of the third floor.
ble that. Mr. Orlandi’s town, Nem- Italy’s prime minister, kept an eye on the coronavirus story of the pandemic, “it was the Some visitors noticed staff
bro, became perhaps Italy’s hard- Giuseppe Conte, publicly turned outbreak in the city of Wuhan. first time in the history of Western members coughing.
est struck, with an 850 percent in- to a committee of scientific advis- They also trusted Italy’s new and countries that we were locking Given the government’s swift
crease in deaths in March. So ers, which formally proposed that narrower protocols, adopted from down and taking away the free- action in Lodi, Dr. Marzulli began
many, the local priest ordered a he follow the example of Lodi and the W.H.O. at the end of January, dom of the people.” to prepare for a lockdown. He can-
sbteolpls tfoo rth teh ein dceeasdsa.nt tolling of the stohwutn sd oiwn n Btehreg anmeow. ly Prinivfeactetelyd, wtoh piceho peles sleinnktieadl ltyo lCimhiintead. testing ‘We Were Screwed’ cpeelresdo nshnieflt cwhoaunlgde cso smo eth iant, naon dn ehwe
The question of how such a trag- though, national business lobbies But hardly any of the pneumo- closed the emergency room,
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and inaction after Covid-19 ex- down the whole region. Then the Two days later, on the outskirts tients on the same floor were de- emergency room had been sani-
ploded into view aggravated the country. But Bergamo was lost. of Rome, an emergency meeting teriorating, and another man with tized and the hospital represented
situation and cost Bergamo — and was held at Italy’s Civil Protection suspicious symptoms soon ar- an “indispensable garrison” for a
Iuttaelsy m—a tptererecido umso tsitm.e when min- Misdirected Doctors Aliegfe nbcoyd,y .t hCer anmatmioenda l indtisoa ast esrm rael-l rHivoesdp itainl oftfhicei aelsm deercgiednecdy t o rsowomab. rfaecgiiloitnie tsh.at needed all its medical
The director of Pesenti Fenaroli Now that the coronavirus, deep conference room, Mr. Conte sat at test him and one of Mr. Orlandi’s But without enough swabs, Dr.
Hospital closed its doors almost as into its second wave, has washed the head of an oval table, sur- roommates. Marzulli said, the hospital was de-
soon as he realized he had an out- across the globe and left virtually rounded by his ministers, as Ita- By midday on Feb. 23, the re- fenseless.
no nation untouched, it is easy to ly’s health minister, Roberto Sper- sults were brought to Dr. On Feb. 24, Mr. Orlandi’s results
Emma Bubola contributed report- forget how alone among Western anza, proposed a dramatic lock- Giuseppe Marzulli, the hospital di- came back. He was positive, too.
ing from Bergamo and Rome. democracies Italy was in Febru- down of towns in the Lodi area. rector. Both tests were positive. By then, about 50 more patients
Unchecked, the virus spread everywhere. At one Bergamo nursing home, 34 of 87 guests died. Despite the concerns of industry, officials said they were guided by science alone in their decisions.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY,NOVEMBER30, 2020 N A9
reported just 18 cases compared
to 125 in Lodi. Lombardy’s top
health official expressed concern
about contagion at Pesenti Fe-
naroli Hospital but said, “It’s early
to say if it’s another cluster.”
In Rome, Mr. Conte discouraged
expanding testing, reasoning that
health officials had to follow inter-
national protocols, “otherwise we
would end up dramatizing” the
emergency.
On Feb. 26, with 20 reported
cases in Bergamo, Rome’s scien-
tific committee said it didn’t see
any flare-ups that required a lock-
down. Claudio Cancelli, the mayor
of Nembro, said Bergamo’s health
officials threatened to cut off fund-
ing to the area’s 18 mayors if they
closed centers for the elderly or
disabled.
The next day, he said, they as-
sured the mayors, “Don’t worry.
There is no red zone foreseen.”
But on Feb. 28, Bergamo’s
caseload had jumped to 103,
against 182 in Lodi. At a Lom-
bardy regional news conference,
leading doctors identified the Pe-
senti Fenaroli Hospital as the out-
break’s source.
Confindustria Bergamo, the
province’s industrial association,
responded that same day by post-
ing a video titled, “Bergamo Is
Running.”
“Current health warnings from
Italian government officials are A Mass remembering Covid victims at a Bergamo cemetery on Nov. 2. Red Cross workers helped a woman who felt ill that day.
that the risk of infection is low,”
the narrator stated. The images All of Lombardy, including Milan, she said. questions about the boldness of
showed factories humming.
Behind the Curve needed to be locked down. When she was finally dis- his decision making.
That message resonated with Two days later, on March 8, Mr. charged, she discovered that the “There was no delay,” he has in-
Simona Ghilardi, who ran a na- This series of articles examines Conte did just that. doctor who managed to find her a sisted.
tional transport and logistics com- the missteps, misunderstandings Mr. Conte has portrayed him- swab at the Pesenti Fenaroli Hos-
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swabs, pressed hospital officials quests from Confindustria as his The interior ministry notified down the hall from Mr. Orlandi, who to test.” As the mourners followed the
for more tests, reminding them in government weighed what to do Bergamo’s military police to begin both died. Doctors in Bergamo considered priests in prayers, some wan-
a frantic email that they had in Bergamo. preparations for a lockdown, ac- Angiolina Cavalli, 84, a patient that a convenient caveat. dered to the mausoleum wall at
“symptomatic colleagues who The powerful industrial group’s cording to Col. Paolo Storoni, then across the hall, died as well. Her The guidance was “the thing the back of the cemetery. Familiar
have not been swabbed.” own representatives said they the head of the Carabinieri in the husband, Gianfranco Zambonelli, that generated the huge problem names filled the wall.
His superiors pleaded with an- made their requests clear. area. Carmen Arzuffi, the owner 85, who had visited the hospital, of the spread of the pandemic,” Dr. “Franco Orlandi,” read one. “1-
other hospital in the region for 100 “There was a direct line be- of Hotel Continental, said the local died of the virus, too. Avogadri said. “It was a big limita- 3-1936 – 25-2-2020.”
swabs, according to email corre- tween Confindustria and the gov- police prefect called on March 4 to “They never told us anything,” tion.” “It’s still astonishing,” said
spondence seen by The New York ernment at that time,” said Licia book 50 rooms for 100 incoming of- Francesco Zambonelli, their son, The W.H.O. “made a mistake,” Luigia Provese, 81, who drank cof-
Times. But Dr. Marzulli said only Mattioli, who was then the group’s ficers. who also contracted the virus, said Giuseppe Ruocco, Italy’s fee at the same bar as Mr. Orlandi
half of them made it to Pesenti Fe- vice president. On March 5, the scientific com- said of the hospital. “I think with- chief medical officer and a senior and said that three of the four peo-
naroli, on Feb. 26. The leadership argued directly mittee again urged the govern- out knowing it, we became a vehi- official in its health ministry, add- ple she played cards with had died
He scrambled, separating pa- to Mr. Conte that the rapid lock- ment to lock down the towns. Mr. cle for contagion to others.” ing that if Italy hadn’t automati- from the virus. “These are all peo-
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Bergamo hospitals. But they did- stood,” she said of Mr. Conte and a ministerial-level meeting on Sat- sang at the game, “You’ll know Local officials and bereaved On Nov. 2, Bergamo’s fair-
n’t arrive at Pesenti Fenaroli right his ministers. “But they listened urday, two days later, and that no when we do damage! We are families in Nembro and Alzano grounds debuted as a newly con-
away, Dr. Marzulli said. at least.” decision would come before then. Bergamaschi, and we know no lim- Lombardo argue that closing the verted intensive therapy ward.
He was forced to ration out a The factories stayed open until By March 6, law enforcement its!” towns in February would have Dozens of beds radiated wires.
couple dozen swabs a day until late March, and many never had begun setting up at the hotel. On Feb. 26, Mr. Doneda said slowed the spread. A local pros- Ventilators stood on standby. A
March 1, when he himself fainted closed. The police filled the hours by in- cookies began “tasting like sand” ecutor is investigating what hap- team of nurses in hazmat gear
from exhaustion with the virus. “I can assure you that never, specting the routes they were sup- and his wife drove him to a hospi- pened and what didn’t happen and huddled for a briefing about re-
“If we have to identify a spark,” never, never we made considera- posed to close off and holding tal. He could barely walk and soon why. serve oxygen tanks.
Giorgio Gori, the mayor of Berg- tions on this,” said Mr. Speranza, briefings in the basement, with found himself breathing from But the government would pre- Their coordinator, Lauretta
amo city said as infections devas- the health minister. “We decided commanders drawing maps of the within an oxygen helmet, sur- fer to focus on its closing of Lodi Rota, 56, looked on in disbelief.
tated his town, “it was the hospi- since the beginning that the first towns and their streets on an ea- rounded by elderly people gasp- and then the region. “It took some time to believe
tal.” point is health — everything else sel. ing for air. He said some of them “It’s two small towns that ev- this was happening all over
comes after.” “They knew it all by heart,” Ms. had broken jaws under their eryone now knows,” Mr. Sper- again,” she said. “There is an emo-
Ten Days of Indecision On March 3, the government’s Arzuffi, the hotel owner, said. masks, from fainting and falling in anza, the health minister, said tional and physical exhaustion
scientific committee proposed a As they ran drills, Mr. Conte met the ward. when asked how it was possible that comes with that knowledge of
The small towns around the red zone around Nembro and on March 6 with the scientific Dr. Avogadri declined and lost the prime minister didn’t know for what we have to face.”
hospital increasingly became cen- Alzano Lombardo. The Lombardy committee in Rome yet again. Ac- consciousness, eventually drift- three days about the shutdown Her cellphone rang.
tral to a drama playing out be- authorities considered it a done cording to Mr. Speranza, the com- ing into a semi-comatose state in proposal in Bergamo. “But it’s two “OK,” she said, excusing her-
tween Bergamo and Rome. deal. So did Mr. Cancelli, the Nem- mittee told Mr. Conte that closing an intensive care ward, as she lost small towns.” self. “The first patient is on the
On Feb. 25, Bergamo province bro mayor, who was now infected Bergamo was no longer the issue. half of her hair. “I wanted to die,” And Mr. Conte has dismissed way.”
A stretcher at Pesenti Fenaroli Hospital, which found itself at the center of the province’s outbreak. Transferring a patient from a hospital in Seriate to a better equipped one in the Bergamo province.
A10 MONDAY, NOVEMBER30, 2020
N
Hong Kong’s Courts, Still Independent, Face New Threats From Beijing
By AUSTIN RAMZY
HONG KONG — They were arrested
on one of the most violent days in Hong
Kong last year, when protesters threw
firebombs at the main government of-
fices and set a barrier aflame outside Po-
lice Headquarters. But last month, a
judge quickly dismantled the prosecu-
tors’ case against them.
In his ruling, District Judge Sham Siu-
man said that police officers had given
unreliable testimony, and that they ap-
peared to have gone against their train-
ing by using batons to subdue one pro-
tester. He found all eight defendants not
guilty, saying one had merely been ask-
ing officers to do their job when she used
a loudspeaker to urge restraint.
The next day, a Chinese government-
owned newspaper in Hong Kong
splashed a photo of the judge, wearing
his court wig and robes, on its front page
beside images of protesters and burning
barriers. “Strange opinion issued by the
court,” the headline read. The judge, it
continued, says the protesters “were ac-
tually the ones wronged.”
As the Chinese Communist Party ex-
tends its grip over Hong Kong, pro-Bei-
jing forces are increasingly targeting the
city’s independent judiciary, an institu-
tion that forms the backbone of this
global center for commerce and capital.
State newspapers have railed for
months against “yellow judges” seen as
lenient toward protesters. (The color yel-
low is a symbol of the protest move-
ment.) Party officials have called for an
overhaul of the courts to rein in judges’
autonomy. The city’s leadership has ex-
erted more influence over the selection
of judges.
“It would be naïve for anyone to think
they will leave the judiciary alone. Why
would they?” said Dennis Kwok, who
represented Hong Kong’s legal sector in
the local legislature until he was re- PHILIP FONG/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES
Hong Kong judges at the start of the legal year. The courts firmly divide the city from mainland China, where the legal system is run by the Communist Party.
moved from office this month. “They
want to get their hands on everything.”
The far-reaching national security law the Court of Final Appeal so the city can crimes such as rioting, unlawful assem-
that Beijing passed this summer gives maintain ties to common-law countries. bly or assault. As of the end of October,
the state even more authority over the Both the pro-Beijing and pro-democra- 372 had been convicted and 77 acquitted,
Hong Kong judiciary. China’s legislature cy camps have found fault with the according to Hong Kong police records.
also bypassed the local courts to force courts over protest cases — perhaps sig- Rioting, in particular, has been a tough
the ouster of four lawmakers in Novem- naling that the judiciary remains an im- charge to prove. Among the protest-re-
ber, exercising new powers that some partial institution, with a range of out- lated rioting cases that had been pros-
lawyers and legal scholars worry could looks among judges. ecuted as of the end of October, there
be turned against judges. A High Court judge was criticized by were four guilty pleas, one conviction
The Hong Kong judiciary, with its pro-Beijing figures for ruling this month and 12 acquittals, according to an analy-
British-born, 170-year-old tradition of that the riot police had not been carrying sis in Stand News, a local online publica-
robes, wigs and independence, is at the sufficient identification and that mecha- tion.
heart of an existential fight over the re- nisms for dealing with complaints of po- As the demonstrations heated up last
gion’s future. lice mistreatment needed to be im- year, police officers used increasingly
Hong Kong’s courts firmly divide the proved. The Hong Kong Journalists As- aggressive tactics, charging into crowds
city from mainland China, where the sociation had filed the suit over the po- and grabbing stragglers. But in court,
opaque legal system is controlled by the lice’s handling of reporters during the authorities have struggled to explain
Communist Party. The city’s underlying protests. why defendants were targeted and to
rule of law has helped attract droves of Some judges have been condemned by provide evidence of their wrongdoing.
multinational corporations, bringing a the opposition for giving tough sen- Judge Sham, in his ruling last month,
flood of money that has made Hong Kong tences to demonstrators, or for appear- wrote that the officers might have been
one of the world’s leading cities. ing to sympathize with people who at- responding out of anger when they ar-
The judicial system’s integrity is tacked protesters. After a district judge rested Jackie Chen, a social worker
fiercely defended in Hong Kong. The 杂志QQ群: 1074370165 VINCENT YU/ASSOCIATED PRESS compared the protest movement to ter- charged with rioting. Ms. Chen had held
Four pro-democracy Hong Kong politicians were thrown out of the city’s legis-
demonstrations that engulfed the city rorism in an April ruling, Geoffrey Ma, a small loudspeaker during the protest
last year began over a proposal that lature this month. Beijing is taking a harsher stance toward opposing voices. the chief justice of the Court of Final Ap- and urged police to let people leave
many saw as potentially undermining peal, barred him from future cases relat- peacefully.
the local courts, by allowing extraditions scholar at the University of Hong Kong. ers who had protested during their ed to the political upheaval. “Someone stood up and reminded
to mainland China. “Beijing may not want to be seen as in- swearing-in ceremonies. The criticism of judges, from both them to act according to the law,” Judge
In addition to imposing the national terfering with judicial independence, but The security law has further con- sides, has grown so frequent this year Sham wrote. “This might make some po-
security law, Communist Party officials I think it is very clear some Beijing offi- stricted the city’s courts. It allows for that Justice Ma issued a lengthy defense lice officers feel unhappy, but if the per-
and state newspapers in the city are cials are not happy with some decisions some cases, such as those involving for- of the judiciary’s independence. son is charged with rioting, I can’t see
pushing for still more control. In a con- made by our judges.” eign forces or imminent threats, to be “It is wrong to make serious accusa- how the person would become a rioter.”
tinuing series, Ta Kung Pao, a newspa- Even before the protests and the secu- tried on the mainland. Under the law, tions of bias or breach of fundamental The government is appealing the ac-
per owned by the Chinese government’s rity law, Beijing had significant judicial Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief execu- principles merely based on a result of a quittals in that case.
liaison office in Hong Kong, has de- oversight. When China reclaimed Hong tive, will designate judges for trials on case not to one’s liking,” he wrote in Sep- Ms. Chen says she is frustrated by the
manded that judges be patriotic. It has Kong from Britain in 1997, the ultimate national security charges. tember. “The judiciary is not above criti- process and contends that the govern-
called for establishing a council to set the authority for interpretation of its laws Hong Kong’s Department of Justice cism by any means but any criticism ment’s apparently unending pursuit of
length of sentences, an external panel to moved to Beijing. recently pressed beyond the scope of the must be solidly based and properly such cases undermines the legal system.
handle complaints about judges and The Standing Committee of the Na- law, asking that a judge authorized to made. In particular, there must not be a But she added that her initial victory
greater scrutiny over the judicial selec- tional People’s Congress, China’s rubber- hear national security matters handle politicization of the judiciary and its gave her some solace.
tion process. stamp legislature, has the power to inter- the trial of Tam Tak-chi, an activist functions.” “Everyone still has one ray of hope:
“Beijing understands that this is an pret the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s local charged with sedition and unauthorized So far, the protest cases that have been that you face a normal judge in court, and
area that people will be very sensitive to constitution. Several of its rulings have assembly. Those charges do not fall un- prosecuted do not indicate that the hope that you would not be found guilty,”
and the international community will be gone against the city’s pro-democracy der the security law. courts lean strongly to one side or an- she said. “But even if you are not found
watching over,” said Eric Cheung, a legal camp. The committee’s interpretation of Britain is considering whether to bar other. guilty, you could expect that decision to
oath-taking in 2016 paved the way for the its judges from serving in Hong Kong. Of 10,148 people arrested in the pro- be appealed. Then you hope that the ap-
Tiffany May contributed reporting. removal of six pro-democracy lawmak- Foreign judges serve temporary roles on tests, 2,325 have been prosecuted for peal wouldn’t succeed.”
Countries Tussle Over U.N. Rights Council Post
By NICK CUMMING-BRUCE tried to take advantage of America’s ab-
GENEVA — The annual choice of who Fiji and Bahrain vie for sence from the council to expand its in-
will steer the United Nations’ top human fluence.
rights organization is usually done qui- control ahead of renewed The Geneva-based Human Rights
etly and by consensus. For months, this Council, whose mission is to promote and
year’s selection seemed to follow that engagement by the U.S. protect rights, includes representatives
script. from 47 nations elected to staggered
Until a week ago, that is, when an un- three-year terms.
expected contest emerged over the 2021 cluding the state-sponsored killing of the As a member for two years, Fiji has
presidency of the organization, the U.N. dissident Jamal Khashoggi — is bad backed investigations into reported
Human Rights Council. The position — enough that it suffered an embarrassing abuses in Venezuela, Belarus, Syria and
which holds significant sway over a body defeat this fall when it sought only a seat Yemen — the sort of country-specific res-
that, despite its name, includes some of on the council. Syria, a member of the olutions that have been fiercely de-
the world’s worst rights abusers — ro- bloc aligned with Russia and with a long nounced by China and others.
tates by region, and is due to be filled and notorious record of abuses, also The issue has particular resonance as
next year by a member of the Asia-Pa- pledged to block Fiji. 2021 looms. Western governments hope
cific bloc of countries. “That was quite a shock,” Doreen de the United States will re-engage with the
The dispute over the council presiden- Brum, a diplomat from another Pacific council under President-elect Joseph R.
cy is pitting some of the U.N.’s most pow- nation, the Marshall Islands, said of the Biden Jr., filling a vacuum left when the
erful member states against tiny Pacific opposition. “We thought Fiji would be the Trump administration walked out on the FABRICE COFFRINI/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES
Island nations, and is playing out as U.N. sole name.” body in 2018. The U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva. Bahrain’s bid for the
members jockey for influence in antici- Geneva-based diplomats interpret op- Western governments have wanted group’s presidency is seen by some as a move arranged by Saudi Arabia.
pation of a new, more engaged American position to Fiji’s candidacy as an effort the council to consider changes that
administration. by China, Russia and Saudi Arabia to put would encourage U.S. reinvolvement af- way. Though the council president has marama, far from backing down, has
For months, the only announced can- the council’s presidency in the hands of a ter the Trump administration denounced little direct authority, the person can sig- been contacting fellow Pacific Island
didate to lead the council next year was compliant state as the role of the United the body as a “cesspool” of anti-Israel nificantly influence its priorities. leaders to rally support for his country’s
tShhea mUe.Nem. aKmhbaans,s athdeo rc ofourn trFyij’si, fNirastz hfaet- Sintga tBesid teank easd nmeiwni sshtraapteio unn.der the incom- biaTsh.ese diplomats want the council to It has been led for the past year by the candidacy.
male High Court judge, a former pros- “They feel they are losing control,” reconsider why Israel is the only nation Austrian ambassador Elisabeth Tichy- On Thursday, the Marshall Islands
ecutor and a diplomat well regarded by Marc Limon, a former diplomat and di- treated as a standing item on its agenda. Fisslberger, who has been known for her said it would reject any candidate but Fiji
Western nations. rector of the Universal Rights Group, a They also hope to introduce tougher persistence and adroit leadership. The and demanded a meeting of the Asia-Pa-
But three days before the deadline for think tank, said of opponents to Fiji’s rules for council membership, another is- council had risked shutting down during cific group to sort the matter out. Qatar,
applications, another member of the re- candidacy. sue cited by the Trump administration the Covid-19 pandemic, but instead it which is at odds with Saudi Arabia, said it
gional bloc, Bahrain, tossed its hat in the “The lengths they went to and the level when it pulled out. completed two sessions, leading to ac- would also oppose the candidacy of
ring and told Fiji to step aside, setting off of subterfuge employed to pull this off A council president aligned with states tion on high-profile issues ranging from Bahrain and its ambassador, Yusuf Ab-
a round of infighting. suggests they had one eye on a Biden ad- hostile to reform would be in a position to racism in the United States to human dulkarim Bucheeri.
Bahrain is closely aligned with Saudi ministration return to the council,” Mr. steer the council toward other business, rights abuses in Venezuela. That could set the stage for a vote by
Arabia, whose human rights record — in- Limon added. China, in particular, has sidelining American interests along the Fiji’s prime minister, Frank Baini- the bloc in the coming weeks.