WAR ON TERRORISM MILITARY NFL UN reports Afghan US still world’s biggest Dolphins’ Tagovailoa civilian deaths rise military spender; global now knows where despite Taliban deal expenditures near $2T he’ll play, but when? Page 3 Page 4 Back page Online: Get the latest news on the virus outbreak » stripes.com/coronavirus stripes.com Volume 79, No. 7 ©SS 2020 TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK INSIDE: 47 sailors Tactical drawdown from USS Kidd test positive for virus Page 6 As beds go unfilled, states scale back Army Corps makeshift hospitals Page 7 K.C. WILSEY/FEMA A 1,000-bed medical station under construction at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City to care for patients with special needs is shown March 26. White House coronavirus coordinator: Social distancing could last months BY FELICIA SONMEZ, PAIGE WINFIELD It was the latest instance of conflicting signals ensure that we protect one another as we move CUNNINGHAM AND MERYL KORNFIELD coming not just from state and federal leaders but through these phases.” She cited the need for fur- The Washington Post also from within the Trump administration amid ther testing to be developed after a potential sci- a coronavirus pandemic that so far has claimed entific “breakthrough.” WASHINGTON — Some form of social dis- the lives of more than 54,000 Americans. Last The mixed messages come as Americans are tancing will probably remain in place through week, Vice President Mike Pence predicted that entering a confusing and uncertain new phase in the summer, Deborah Birx, the White House’s “we will largely have this coronavirus epidemic the coronavirus crisis. After weeks of being told coronavirus task force coordinator, said Sunday behind us” by Memorial Day weekend in late to simply stay home to halt the spread of the virus, — the same day several governors expressed op- May. individuals and business owners are now facing timism about the course of the virus and outlined But on Sunday, Birx said in an interview on more complex decisions about how to proceed in their plans for a piecemeal reopening of their NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that “social distanc- the absence of clear guidance from their leaders. economies. Birx ing will be with us through the summer to really SEE DISTANCING ON PAGE 5 PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Tuesday, April 28, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Alaska Girl Scouts to get relief loan for lost sales Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9750 Euro costs (April 28) ............................ $1.06 Thailand (Baht) .....................................32.46 Dollar buys (April 28) .......................€0.8982 Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.9913 British pound (April 28) .......................$1.21 Associated Press (Military exchange rates are those Anchorage Daily News reported they were toilet paper,” Ridle said Japanese yen (April 28) .....................105.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (April 28) ........1,200.00 Sunday. of sales before the state ordered Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Sell- for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3779 Leslie Ridle, head of one of two business closures last month. Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For ing Girl Scout cookies is normally British pound .....................................$1.2426 Girl Scouts councils in Alaska, Now her Anchorage-based nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.4072 a foolproof business model, but purchasing British pounds in Germany), said fears of girls becoming in- council is sitting on about 144,000 China (Yuan) ........................................ 7.0847 check with your local military banking the coronavirus outbreak cooled Denmark (Krone) ................................6.8762 fected with COVID-19 forced the unsold boxes filling the homes facility. Commercial rates are interbank Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.7503 sales of the treats in Alaska. rates provided for reference when buying organization to cut its six-week of scouting families in southern Euro .........................................$1.0847/0.9219 The Girl Scouts of Alaska sales season in half. Alaska, Ridle said. Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7501 currency. All figures are foreign currencies sought assistance, and the orga- Hungary (Forint) .................................326.96 to one dollar, except for the British pound, Sales of the famed cookies fund The funding allowed employees Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.5077 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, nization is expected to receive nearly everything the council to continue working and provide Japan (Yen) ............................................107.10 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) a federal recovery loan to help does, including camps and schol- online programs for Girl Scouts Kuwait (Dinar) ..................................... 0.3105 INTEREST RATES compensate for lost cookie sales. Norway (Krone) .................................10.5686 arships for 3,500 girls and wages stuck at home, like magic trick Philippines (Peso).................................50.65 Prime rate ................................................3.25 First National Bank Alaska for 20 full-time employees. lessons and flamenco dancing. A Poland (Zloty) ..........................................4.18 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7505 Federal funds market rate ...................0.05 facilitated the federal Paycheck “It was frenzied shopping, and new COVID-19 badge emphasiz- Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.4191 3-month bill ............................................. 0.11 Protection Program loan, The people were hoarding cookies like es good hygiene. South Korea (Won) ..........................1,224.52 30-year bond ........................................... 1.18 WEATHER OUTLOOK TUESDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST TUESDAY IN EUROPE WEDNESDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 53/41 Kabul 66/50 Seoul 64/44 Baghdad 87/65 Kandahar 94/57 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 65/44 65/48 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 49/44 63/47 65/46 Iwakuni 60/51 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 84/78 Brussels 68/49 Guam 84/68 61/53 Ramstein 63/49 85/78 Lajes, 58/39 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 95/67 92/75 58/55 58/50 71/52 Aviano/ Vicenza 59/51 Naples 61/56 Okinawa Morón 69/65 68/51 Sigonella Rota 75/51 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 90/81 63/57 63/56 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 14 Classified .................. 13 Comics ...................... 18 Crossword ................. 18 Faces ........................ 15 Opinion .................16-17 Sports .................. 20-24 Tuesday, April 28, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 WAR ON TERRORISM Decline in civilian casualties reverses amid Taliban attacks BY PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN caused,” the new report said. Stars and Stripes From January through March, the U.N.’s Assistance Mission in KABUL, Afghanistan — Grow- Afghanistan documented 533 ci- ing violence since the signing of vilians killed and 760 injured in the U.S.-Taliban peace agree- the fighting, a 30% decrease from ment contributed to a first-quar- the same period last year. J.P. LAWRENCE/Stars and Stripes ter death toll of over 500 civilians But while significantly fewer in Afghanistan, the United Na- casualties were attributed to the A boy plays on an abandoned Soviet tank on the side of a highway east of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Feb. tions said Monday. Taliban in January and February, 22, the first day of a declared period of reduced violence in the country. Afghanistan in the month The deaths highlighted an “ur- compared to the same months last afterward saw a surge in violence, a United Nations report said. gent need” to protect civilians year, the group was deemed re- to international forces during the from the conflict, especially in sponsible for 40% of all casualties period was Feb. 17, more than a light of a worsening coronavirus during the quarter, largely due to week before the agreement was outbreak across the country, the the March spike in attacks that signed. U.N. said in a report. exceeded last year’s numbers for Overall, civilian deaths and in- the same month, UNAMA said. The Taliban accused the U.N. juries in the conflict were down Overall, the Taliban and other of trying to conceal what it al- for the first three months of the militant groups like the local Is- leged in a statement were Afghan year, marking the least bloody lamic State affiliate were blamed and American crimes. first quarter since 2012, but that for 55% of all civilian casualties, The U.S. military in Afghani- was largely attributed to fewer at- while Afghan government forces stan didn’t immediately respond tacks in weeks leading up to the and their allies were said to have to a request for comment, but deal’s signing Feb. 29. caused about one-third of the ca- it routinely rejects UNAMA’s The agreement, which out- sualties. The remaining 13% were methodology. lined a conditional withdrawal of unattributed. The report called on both sides U.S. and other foreign forces to Ground fighting caused the to stop fighting to protect civil- be completed