New York Times: The Virus Can Be Stopped, but Only With Harsh Steps, Experts Say
“Terrifying though the coronavirus may be, it can be turned back. China, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan have demonstrated that, with furious efforts, the contagion can be brought to heel. Whether they can keep it suppressed remains to be seen. … There is a chance to stop the coronavirus. This contagion has a weakness. Although there are incidents of rampant spread, … the coronavirus more often infects clusters of family members, friends and work colleagues, said Dr. David L. Heymann, who chairs an expert panel advising the World Health Organization on emergencies. No one is certain why the virus travels in this way, but experts see an opening nonetheless. ‘You can contain clusters,’ Dr. Heymann said. ‘You need to identify and stop discrete outbreaks, and then do rigorous contact tracing.’ … In interviews with a dozen of the world’s leading experts on fighting epidemics, there was wide agreement on the steps that must be taken immediately…” (McNeil, 3/22).

Reuters: U.N. to create global coronavirus fund, Norway says
“The United Nations will create a fund to prevent the spread of coronavirus and support the treatment of patients worldwide, Norway said on Monday. The purpose of the fund is to assist developing countries with weak health systems in addressing the crisis as well as to tackle the long-term consequences. The United Nations could make a formal announcement this week, the ministry said…” (Fouche, 3/23).

Washington Post: Around the world, daily life comes to a near-halt as more governments impose restrictions on movement
“…[A] senior official with the World Health Organization warned that even [‘stay-at-home’] measures might be not be enough to contain the virus, which has now infected more than 335,000 people and killed more than 14,000 [as of Sunday evening]. ‘What we really need to focus on is finding those who are sick, those who have the virus, and isolate them, find their contacts and isolate them,’ Mike Ryan, the World Health Organization’s chief emergency expert, said in a Sunday interview with the BBC. Testing has been inconsistent across nations, with U.S. officials advising people to get tested only if they show symptoms of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus…” (Harris, 3/22).

AP: Pandemic bonds prove good for investors, less so for nations (Cheng, 3/22).

Devex: COVID-19 reveals weak spots in NGO contingency planning (Worley, 3/20).

The Guardian: Urgent call to head off new debt crisis in developing world (Elliot, 3/22).

The Hill: WHO official warns more steps needed in addition to lockdowns (Budryk, 3/22).

Reuters: Panic buying, lockdowns may drive world food inflation — FAO, analysts (Thukral, 3/21).

Reuters: World Bank moving forward on first $1.7 billion in pandemic aid projects (Shalal, 3/22).

Science: Cellphone tracking could help stem the spread of coronavirus. Is privacy the price? (Servick, 3/22).

Wall Street Journal: The Worst of the Global Selloff Isn’t Here Yet, Banks and Investors Warn (Hirtenstein/Otani, 3/22).