Established 1961

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 US workers faced harrowing year on pandemic front lines COVID has transformed how business is done in the world’s largest economy WASHINGTON: One year ago, workers across where in-person labor is common. Racial and ethnic the United States learned they’d been divided into minorities are more likely to hold risky positions. two categories: those who would work from The Urban Institute think tank found that more than home, and those who would have to keep showing half of Black, Hispanic and Native American work- up to workplaces where they risked exposure to ers do their jobs in-person, compared to 41 percent COVID-19. of white workers. Matt Valentin was among the latter, and in the “It’s just the patterns that are baked into our months that followed, the Starbucks cafe where he society in terms of who we value and who we don’t, worked in Monroe, Michigan became an increas- and how we pay people,” Lisa Dubay, a senior fel- ingly anxiety-ridden environment. low at the Urban Institute, said of the findings. “From my perspective, it went from ‘get these drinks and orders done as fast as possible’ to ‘do all ‘A spacesuit look’ of that, and try not to bring a deadly virus home to At Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, your vulnerable family,’” the 21-year-old said in an Massachusetts, where the 44-year-old Mann works, interview. As Americans mark the one-year anniver- the pandemic began with a terrifying two-week sary of the beginning of the pandemic that trans- period where protective gear was needed yet was formed how business is done in the world’s largest in short supply, forcing staff to take unheard of economy, those whose jobs required them to show steps like reusing or jury-rigging equipment. up to work as the virus raged told AFP of a year of Something like normalcy returned once those short- fear and uncertainty. ages were resolved and COVID-19 testing became “It seemed like it went from zero to 100 in a mat- widespread, but Mann had to wear a gown, mask ter of days,” said Julie Mann, a midwife at a Boston- and glasses during visits with patients-a “spacesuit One year ago, workers across the United States learned they’d been divided into two categories: those who area hospital. “We didn’t have (personal protective look” she tried to soften by attaching a family photo would work from home, and those who would have to keep showing up to workplaces where they risked expo- equipment), we didn’t have testing. We didn’t know to her scrubs to give the interactions a bit of the sure to COVID-19. who was infected, we didn’t know if our colleagues intimacy they once had. were infected.” A thornier problem was how to take care of because it’s been over a year,” Valentin said. the pandemic, but it managed to avoid further mothers who were COVID-19 positive, particularly Some customers would take one of the free infections even when the country’s outbreak was at Divided workforce in the days after giving birth. “If you want zero risk, masks on offer, wear it improperly, or rip it off its worst. Despite an entire year of tense in-person Tens of millions of people lost their jobs after US then you isolate fully from the baby and the baby before leaving the store. Entire families would make shifts, Valentin expects he will have to wait for states closed or restricted businesses as the pan- isn’t with you,” she said. “No mom that I know of no effort to mask up. One time, a maskless customer weeks to be eligible for his vaccine. demic intensified in March 2020. Among those who chose to do that.” screamed at Valentin’s co-workers that they “can’t “I’m very frustrated that my line of work that was stayed employed, the division between those who control him,” shouting expletives until the staff once considered ‘essential’ has been put on the could work from home and those who couldn’t Mask wars called the police. “To react that way over something backburner,” he said. In the meantime, Mann, like became one of the first of many inequalities The Starbucks where Valentin works part-time so minimal is still shocking to me, but these are the many healthcare workers, has already been vacci- widened by the pandemic. while studying for his college degree also faced trou- kinds of people we get to encounter every day nated. Despite the relief that brought, she can’t for- A study from the University of California, San ble with masks, but in his conservative county the since last March (or) April,” he said. get the disaster of the past year, when the United Francisco found that working-age adults in the state issue was not supply but suspicion. “Even to this day, States saw the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreak, experienced a 22 percent overall increase in mortal- we have people walking in with no mask, or barely Wait for vaccines leaving more than 530,000 people dead. We are ity during the pandemic, with larger jumps seen in trying to keep it on. They’ll walk in and say, ‘Oh, I for- Two of Valentin’s co-workers came down with “not as great as we think we are,” Mann said, “and industries like agriculture, transportation and others got to wear one,’ which we all obviously don’t believe Covid-19 after the store temporarily closed early in it’s been humbling.” —AFP

Australia says working on travel bubble with Singapore ‘Markets be SYDNEY: Australia is “working with antining. The newspaper said Singapore” to create a travel bubble Canberra is also hoping that people damned!’: Fed between the two nations as early as from third countries-such as interna- July, officials said Sunday, in an effort tional students, business travellers and standing firm to restart tourism and travel put on returning citizens-could complete two hold by COVID-19. weeks’ quarantine in Singapore Early in the pandemic Australia before flying to Australia. on inflation fears effectively closed its international But Singapore, which has already WASHINGTON: Skittish investors have see- border to slow the spread of the opened its border to a handful of sawed between celebration about the expected coronavirus, with non-citizens countries that have controlled the US economic recovery and nail-biting over a banned from visiting except in special virus, including Australia, said it was possible price spiral, but the Federal Reserve is circumstances. Deputy Prime “not in discussion on the concept of a standing firm on keeping interest rates low. Minister Michael McCormack said quarantine centre or vaccination hub”. SYDNEY: Australia is “working with Singapore” to create a travel bubble between the two In the balance between allowing faster Australia was “working with “Singapore is currently in discussions growth-and rising prices-in order to restore Singapore at the moment potentially with Australia on the mutual recogni- nations as early as July, officials said yesterday, in an effort to restart tourism and travel put on hold by COVID-19. —AFP some of the more than nine million jobs still for a bubble (beginning) in July”. “As tion of vaccination certificates and missing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fed the vaccine rolls out, not only in resumption of travel with priority for Chair Jerome Powell’s message has been clear: Australia but in other countries, we students and business travellers,” the 14-day hotel quarantine requirement to the country’s economy before the he wants to see more people back to work. will reopen more bubbles,” he told Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a for arrivals has left tens of thousands pandemic hit-has evaporated. Analysts are expecting the Fed’s policy-setting public broadcaster ABC. statement yesterday. “We are also of Australians stranded overseas, with Australia already has a one-way Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to The Sydney Morning Herald discussing the possibility of an air caps on returnees introduced as the “travel bubble” with New Zealand, maintain its very “dovish” stance when it holds reported the deal would allow travel bubble which will allow resi- limited system has been unable to allowing Kiwis to visit without quar- its two-day policy meeting next week. Singaporeans and Australians who dents of Singapore and Australia to cope with large numbers. antining, though the scheme has been Powell on Wednesday is expected to stress had been vaccinated to travel travel between both countries without International tourism-worth about suspended a number of times in once again that the Fed is willing to accept between the countries without quar- the need for quarantine.” Australia’s Aus$45 billion (US$35 billion) a year response to virus outbreaks. — AFP higher inflation to get back to full employment, a goal that took a decade to achieve following the 2008 global financial crisis. “I think it’s spent 60 hours roaming its plains, forests and ‘markets be damned’ at this point,” said Robert swamps with three comrades. ‘Valheim’ rides Frick of Navy Federal Credit Union. Tornqvist suspects the ability to team up with “The Fed has said that until the real Viking gaming friends is part of the game’s appeal. “Our game improvement in employment and in the econo- being co-op focused is part of our success for my, they’re not going to budge,” Frick told AFP. sure,” he said. “And also the Viking theme.” “I really don’t think they’re going to waver.” mania to 5m sales From a 50-year low of 3.5 percent unemploy- Viking revival ment before the pandemic lockdowns began in BRUSSLES: If you’ve felt a recent urge to “Valheim”, which is still in development, is just unleash your inner Viking, you’re not alone: mil- early 2020, the jobless rate spiked as millions of the latest hit set in the vital and violent workers were sent home, but gradually fell back lions of people have been riding the waves, swig- world of medieval Scandinavian warriors. Norse ging mead and slaying the enemy in a craze for the to 6.2 percent in February amid businesses mythology has inspired game designers for reopenings. video game “Valheim”. Designed by a tiny Swedish decades, from late-90s series Baldur’s Gate to As vaccine rollouts have picked up speed games studio, “Valheim” has proved an unexpect- strategy games like Age of Empires II. and President Joe Biden signed a massive $1.9 ed smash-hit, selling five million copies since its But Jean-Christophe Piot, a writer and host of a trillion stimulus package, boosting the chances early-access release last month on the online gam- podcast about mythology, said there had been “a the world’s largest economy can soon reopen, ing platform . real revival” around the seafaring , who raid- investors have begun to fear an inflationary At one point, more than half a million people BRUSSELS: A screen displaying the video game “Valheim” ed, traded, and settled around Europe between the spiral. That is reflected in the spike in govern- were playing online simultaneously. “We didn’t from Swedish studio Iron Gate in Brussels. 9th and 11th centuries. Norse influences are hardly ment debt yields, particularly on 10-year expect this kind of success at all,” said Henrik new in pop culture, he pointed out-Marvel Comics Treasury notes, a canary in the coal mine for Tornqvist, co-founder of Iron Gate, the company introduced Thor, god of Thunder, as a character in “Fans had been demanding it for ages,” said coming price increases. behind it. 1962. “But they’ve appeared in video games on an Thierry Noel, a historian who worked with French While the jump back to its early 2020 level “We are overwhelmed, humbled, and under a lot unprecedented scale in recent years,” he said. studio Ubisoft on the development of “Assassin’s could be viewed as something of a market of pressure.” The five-strong team that developed Iron Gate consciously chose this setting for Creed: Valhalla”. Far from sticking to stereotypes of freak-out, there are real-world consequences the have not yet been able to meet up “Valheim” because of the existing Norse craze, bloodthirsty barbarians in horned helmets, Ubisoft of rising Treasury yields, since lending rates for to celebrate due to the pandemic, Tornqvist said. Tornqvist said, citing the 2013 TV series “Vikings” wanted to avoid cliches and introduce a degree of home mortgages and car loans are linked to “Valheim” players can learn to hunt, make as a contributing factor. historical rigor, said Noel. them. Mortgage rates have begun to creep up, armor, build Viking longhouses and eventually slay “The idea was to try to identify grey zones-parts which could price some buyers out of an terrifying monsters as they explore the vast and Historical correctness of history where you can slip in without affecting already-hot housing market, while existing fantastical world. “It’s quite a refreshing game and The latest instalment of the wildly popular game the historical version of events as we know it,” he homeowners will find it harder to refinance a really great one, whether you’re talking about franchise “Assassin’s Creed”, released in November, said. “In the case of the Vikings, it was relatively their loans, said Kathy Bostjancic of Oxford the light, the backdrop or the music,” said 25- plays out in several different historical periods-but easy. We don’t know that much about this period, Economics. —AFP year-old player Pierre Galissant, who has already it too takes players on a Viking adventure. they left few traces,” he explained. —AFP