Three things for April 20
1. Idris Elba, wife recovering from COVID-19
In March, Idris Elba took to social media to announce he tested positive for COVID-19. After testing positive, Elba and his wife took the CDC’s advice and quarantined themselves for the recommended amount of time.
Since then, Elba said his case was mild in comparison to what others have experienced. Moving into recovery, he said they wanted to do something to help those directly affected by the pandemic.
The couple partnered with the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as official U.N. Goodwill Ambassadors. Together, they launched a $40 million fund. Elba said they believe farming communities and those living in rural areas will be particularly afflicted by COVID-19.
“People forget that 80 percent of the poor population live in these rural areas.” Dhowre Elba told AP News. “What we are really worried about at the moment, and why we are launching this fund is that those people are being forgotten.”
The couple is recovering in New Mexico where Elba was filming when he originally got sick. They have plans to fly back to London and reconnect with family as soon as travel restrictions are lifted.
2. Biden wins Wyoming Democratic caucuses
On Sunday, Former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner of Wyoming’s Democratic caucuses, receiving 72.2% of the vote.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won 27.8% of the vote despite the candidate’s campaign suspension earlier this month.
Wyoming’s presidential caucuses were moved to strictly mail-in ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic. The deadline for ballots to be mailed in was extended to encourage participation and to ensure everyone had a chance to vote for the candidate of their choice.
3. Protestors contest stay-at-home orders
As executive orders requiring residents to stay at home during the pandemic continue, protestors in opposition of the restrictions are rallying in a few of the state capitals, including Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, Washington and Colorado.
Over the weekend, thousands of protestors gathered in Michigan to protest the stay-at-home order Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer enacted, citing the orders are intruding on their constitutional rights.
Several health care workers showed up in scrubs to counter protest the demonstrations on Sunday.
