Welcome to NCR’s Coronavirus Tracker, where you can find the latest news about the coronavirus pandemic as it relates to the Catholic Church and other institutions. We hope you find it useful in navigating these complex times and welcome your suggestions for how we might improve it. We’re currently updating the Tracker twice a day, early in the morning and late in the afternoon. To receive the Coronavirus Tracker by email each weekday afternoon, sign up here.
Vatican News, March 20
Once again, the Pope prayed for healthcare providers in the hard-hit Bergamo region of Italy during his Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Friday. He also advised people to speak to God directly if they cannot find a priest for confession in this difficult time.
Joshua J. McElwee (NCR), March 20
Addressing the difficulty Catholic priests globally are having in hearing confessions of individual persons affected by the highly contagious coronavirus, the Vatican made clear March 20 that it is acceptable for bishops to offer general absolution to groups of people as deemed necessary.
Tom Roberts (NCR), March 20
In a matter of a few weeks, the world has shrunk.
We’ve become our neighborhoods in a microscopic sense. We’ve become the last surface touched, the last person we’ve passed, the last hint of an ache or shiver that could mean you-know-what.
Michael Sean Winters (NCR), March 20
Many people have asked me in recent days what the political consequences of the COVID-19 crisis will be. The short answer is: It’s complicated and, like so much else about this virus, not entirely foreseeable. We also need to start addressing the related question, which contains a high quotient of moral consideration: Is it wrong to politicize the virus, and what exactly does it mean to politicize it?
Don Clemmer (NCR), March 20
As the Catholic Church in the United States responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shock and awe of local churches suspending all public Masses for the foreseeable future draw a great deal of attention. But behind the scenes, the public health emergency has prompted additional layers of response that bring into focus how the church is intertwined with the wider society, reliant on revenue and served by people on payrolls.
Associated Press, March 19
Churches and other religious institutions that have chafed at public health experts’ calls to fight the virus by avoiding gatherings are under heightened scrutiny as those experts’ pleas become edicts from government officials, including Trump. In a nation where faith can be as politically polarized as any other part of life – and where freedom to worship has become a rallying cry on the right – some conservative religious institutions are acknowledging that the government’s word comes first during a pandemic.
March 19
I want to thank everyone for your continued messages of prayer and concern as I awaited the results of my COVID-19 test. Today I received word that my test result is positive.
The Guardian, March 20
Train services are to be pared back across Britain from Monday as passengers are urged to stop all non-essential travel to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Ministers and rail operators across England, Scotland and Wales have agreed to make progressive cuts to timetables, with the aim of keeping core services running – but reflecting a drop of almost 70% in passenger numbers since the outbreak started.
Bloomberg, March 20
Italy’s blockbuster Raphael show has been covered with black sheets, and the lights are off.
The Guardian, March 20
On 13 January, a bulletin from Health Protection Scotland was sent to all GP practices in the country describing a “novel Wuhan coronavirus”. I work in a small clinic in central Edinburgh with four doctors, two nurses and six admin staff. It was the first time I’d heard of the virus. “Current reports describe no evidence of significant human to human transmission, including no infections of healthcare workers,” it said reassuringly.
San Francisco Chronicle, March 19
Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all Californians on Thursday to stay home and leave only for essential trips, escalating efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which state officials estimate could infect more than half the population if drastic steps are not taken.
The New York Times, March 19
After the sales in February, the North Carolina Republican warned a group that the virus could soon cause a major disruption in the United States. Three other senators also sold major holdings around the same time.
Slate, March 19
A conversation with a journalist in Milan about how the coronavirus has affected life in Italy, and what we might see in the U.S. very soon.
The New York Times, March 19
I had to cover Italy’s coronavirus outbreak. All I had was a ski mask. Speeding south for hours, I typed the names of the closest centers of infection into Google Maps. I spelled the town of Casalpusterlengo wrong over and over.
Reuters, March 19
French health authorities reported 108 new deaths from coronavirus on Thursday, taking the total to 372 or an increase of almost 41%, the toll rising sharply yet again as the country was in its third day of a lockdown aimed at containing the outbreak.
Politico, March 19
A crisis on this scale can reorder society in dramatic ways, for better or worse. Here are 34 big thinkers’ predictions for what’s to come.
Politico, March 19
Mayor Bill de Blasio made an urgent plea for military aid to combat the coronavirus, as the number of confirmed cases in New York City surged to 3,615 on Thursday and the city increasingly becomes the epicenter of the crisis in the U.S.
Vanity Fair, March 19
In the current crisis, private equity, with its mountains of debt, could be the weak link, said a very senior Wall Street banker. If limited partners don’t kick in cash when asked, things could get very bad.
Vox, March 19
Now isn‘t a time for panic, but it is a time for preparation — to be ready for weeks or even months when much is shut down. Even if you’re in a location where stores are staying open, many of us won’t want to go into the crowded public spaces we typically frequent without another thought.