Three things for March 23
1. Governor Lee issues closure on bars and restaurants
On Sunday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee ordered bars and restaurants to close for 14 days, starting Monday, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The executive order will make exceptions to drive-thru, take-out and delivery services. Gyms and fitness centers will temporarily close until April 6.
Gov. Lee advised residents to stay at home and limit visits to nursing homes, assisted living facilities and retirement homes.
“I urge every Tennessean to take these actions seriously – our physical and economic health depend on this as we work to beat COVID-19,” Lee said in a statement.
Two deaths from the pandemic are reported in Tennessee, with a total of 505 cases, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. The COVID-19 virus has now infected more than 300,000 worldwide, with at least 14,641 deaths.
2. Taliban-Afghan government in talks for prisoner exchange
The Afghan government and the Taliban attended a Skype meeting to discuss release of the prisoners. The meeting was facilitated by the United States and Qatar and lasted for two hours, according to Reuters.
The Taliban demanded the release of 5,000 prisoners before initiating peace talks with the government. President Ashraf Ghani initially rejected the proposal, but later agreed to releasing 1,500 prisoners before the meeting and 3,500 prisoners after the talks were underway.
“Prisoner releases by both sides is an important step in the peace process, as stated in the U.S.-Taliban agreement,” U.S. special representative Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted. “All sides conveyed their strong commitment to a reduction of violence.”
The Afghan government is also demanding the release of its 1,000 members who are under Taliban seizure.
3. Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation donates $5 million to relief efforts
On Saturday, the Clara Lionel Foundation announced in a statement a $5 million donation to various relief funds, including Direct Relief, Feeding America, Partners in Health, The World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and the International Rescue Committee among others.
“When we first began this year, never could we have imagined how COVID-19 would so dramatically alter our lives,” the foundation said. “It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, this pandemic will affect us all. And for the world’s most vulnerable, the worst may be yet to come.”
According to the foundation, the funds will support food banks in at-risk communities in the U.S., the acceleration of testing in countries like Haiti and Malawi and the distribution of critical respiratory supplies.
“Over the past five years CLF has been one of the first organizations to respond to some of the world’s most devastating natural disasters, and we’ve seen firsthand the profound and unintended consequences of not being prepared,” the foundation said. “We know that one of the most powerful weapons we have against COVID-19 is preparedness.”
