New York, NY – As of April 14, the death toll from COVID-19 jumped by 3700, up to 10,000 in New York City. While the Bronx’s confirmed infection rate is in line with the city’s, the borough has the highest per-case fatality rate in NYC. There are various conditions that make the people of the Bronx especially vulnerable to the virus.
San José, CA – The COVID-19 pandemic that is sweeping through the United States, with over 600,000 confirmed infections and almost 25,000 deaths as of April 14, is hitting African Americans the hardest. While complete data has not been released by the federal government – just one of a long list of failures – early and partial data shows that nationwide, African Americans are dying at twice the rate of other Americans from COVID-19.
Minneapolis, MN – In a press conference held by video on April 14, several immigrant rights organizations announced a week of action happening this week to demand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and elected officials at the state and county level take action now to free all immigrants held in ICE detention in the state.
Fight Back! interviewed Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) Organizational Secretary Tom Burke, who led the FRSO labor delegation to Venezuela on March 8.
New York, NY – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced last week that he has increased the maximum fines for not adhering to social distancing orders. Previously $500, the maximum fines suddenly jumped to $1000. The NYPD has also started arresting people for not social distancing, which New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio claims “is about educating people, helping them understanding the new reality.”
Over the past few days the Armed Forces of the Philippines (APF) has stepped up in its propaganda drive against the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People's Army (NPA) in a desperate attempt to discredit the ongoing public health and economic campaign of the people's army and the mass organizations to help the efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
FRSO Joint Nationalities Commission chair Masao Suzuki condemned the thousands of attacks on Asian Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Thousands of incidents of harassment, physical attacks and even attempted murder have been aimed at Asian Americans,” said Suzuki. “This is unacceptable and another way the United States has turned the pandemic into a human made disaster.”