Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Amid the somber news revolving around the novel coronavirus, it is encouraging to see development reinvigorating once moribund areas of the City of Buffalo.

Thats whats happening on the East Side as a minority-owned construction management and general contracting company prepares to lease the third-floor space at Northland Central.

Northland Central is the hub in the 35-acre Northland Corridor light manufacturing business zone, an area that was once thriving but over the past several decades sat all but abandoned.

Rodriguez Construction Group is taking up more than 8,500 square feet of space at 683 Northland Ave. for its corporate offices under a five-year lease with a five-year option to renew. That places one of the last pieces of the puzzle on a remarkable and transformative project.

The Buffalo Urban Development Corp., maintaining momentum despite the stressful situation brought on by the pandemic, approved the agreement with Rodriguez Construction during a videoconference meeting. Rodriguez will also spend $400,000 to build out its own space.

The Northland Corridor, powered by $100 million in state and city funding, is evolving. Mayor Byron W. Brown deserves credit for envisioning the renaissance and revitalization in an area that had once been part of Buffalos manufacturing machine.

Inside this corridor is hope. Long mothballed buildings have been gutted down to the steel and remade to serve as a light manufacturing base, as well as a training center. BUDC redeveloped the 235,000-square-foot building, formally Niagara Machine & Tool Works, into the new home of the Northland Workforce Training Center and Buffalo Manufacturing Works, the anchor tenants.

This corridor is evolving into a hub of activity where people can learn a skilled trade, eat at a restaurant and browse some of the regions finest works of art the temporarily closed extension of the Albright-Knox-Gundlach Art Gallery is at 612 Northland.

Rodriguez now becomes one of the tenants at Northland, joining Manna restaurant, 43North winner SparkCharge and Retech Systems, a California clean furnace maker. Now there is only one small space vacant at Northland, putting the building at 97% occupancy.

Job well done.

Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank-you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing.

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With new tenant, Northland powers the East Side - Buffalo News

While the Chinese coronavirus shutdown continues to hurt millions of Texans and businesses across the state, small businesses in North Texas have united to give back to the community that has given them so much.

This Thursday and Friday, Colleyville restaurants Red Barn BBQ, Mother Clucker, Honey Teriyaki, Rio Mambo, Midici, The Neapolitan Pizza Company, and My Lanunited by Facebook group Colleyville Eatsare donating at least 120 meals to the COVID-19 teams of the Grapevine Baylor Scott & White Hospital.

We did dinner for [the Colleyville Fire Department and Police Department], and I was like, Well, if were doing [this] for them, Ive worked at Baylor Grapevine, said Candy Jaimes, whose husband runs Red Barn BBQ.

Candys donation idea just happened to coincide with a similar one at local chicken eatery Mother Clucker.

Originally, I had a customer call me, and she heard about local businesses being affected, so she actually wanted to donate $250 worth of food, which is roughly about 40 plates, said David Oun of Mother Clucker. Oun said the donor left it up to him where to donate the food, and he immediately thought of the hospital.

Right near us, a little bit north, is the Grapevine Baylor Scott & White Hospital. I was actually looking for a way to contact them until Lourdes from Colleyville Eats told me Candy used to work there, so she had contacts.

Oun and Candy joined forces, and the Facebook group Colleyville Eats helped spread the word.

Candy Jaimes from Red Barn BBQ has spearheaded the mission of delivering 120 meals to the COVID-19 unit of Baylor Scott & White in Grapevine this Thursday and Friday, Lourdes McWitheywho runs Colleyville Eatstold Texas Scorecard:

On Tuesday, March 31, she asked me to share this with Colleyville and Grapevine Eats members. So far, the response of local restaurants stepping up to help is tremendousRed Barn BBQ, Mother Clucker, Honey Teriyaki, Rio Mambo, Midici, The Neapolitan Pizza Company, and My Lan have offered to help. Colleyville Eats members are donating to restaurants by monetary donations with credit cards.

Leading the charge on giving is nothing new for Red Barn BBQ. The restaurant was started 15 years ago by Von Husbandsa man well-known in the community for his generosity and kindnesswho lost his battle with cancer last December.

Jaimes, whose husband Noel worked for Husbands for 14 years and now owns Red Barn BBQ, affirmed their commitment to continue his legacy of generosity.

Its 100 percent our goal to carry on his legacy and find different ways to help and just move forward with what he started. He was very generous.

And for this weeks generosity to the hospitals, it wasnt difficult to enlist others in the Colleyville community to help.

I want to do it. [Ive] got to do it, said Scott Choi of Honey Teriyaki. I cannot just receive and receive. I like to give some, too.

These restaurants are making this effort even though theylike many other small businesses in Texasare fighting for survival amid the coronavirus shutdown. Before this, these three Colleyville restaurants were already struggling with the Texas Department of Transportations road construction on State Highway 26 and its interference with business traffic.

Within two years that Ive been here in the business, because of construction on 26, theres about 11 or 12 businesses that went out of business, Choi said.

This is not new for us in [the] Colleyville area, but because of what was going on in Colleyville, because of the construction, there were so many businesses that just went out and they could not sustain the business. Construction is almost done. Now, the coronavirus, he added.

Ounwhose business is nine months oldwas just starting to see some growth when the coronavirus pandemic hit.

At a point in time in early March, late February, it was finally feeling like it was turning around, he said. And then the [coronavirus] started hitting hard. And then, boomovernight, customers just disappeared.

Clearly, its slowed our business tremendously, Jaimes said. We were just starting to see our business pickup, with the roads on 26 starting to be completed, and then this started. So, its just been a difficult time for us.

These businesses give credit to McWitheys Colleyville Eatsfor helping them the past few years.

Choi said McWithey just could not stand hearing about restaurants moving out or not being able to stay in business.

She put this group together pretty much just to help restaurants in the area, Jaimes added. It started off in Colleyville, and now they have Grapevine also.

She just pretty much advertises for small businesses in Colleyville. In situations like this, we have bonded together through Colleyville Eats to let people know which restaurants are open, which restaurants are taking things.

Because of how much the Colleyville community has helped them, these businesses are now giving back to the community and to each other.

Long story short is [were] trying to do what we can, Oun added.

And then the town is really pulling together to donate either food from the other local restaurants or money to provide more food for the nurses [and] the hospital staff. Its been a wonderful team effort, especially since we are a smaller town, so its nice to see our neighbors, our friends, coworkers, family all pulling together to try to support the people helping us.

As to how often theyll be able to make efforts like this, Jaimes says itll have to be a community effort.

It may get to doing a unit a week. It all depends on how many donations we get and how many restaurants that we get that would love to participate.

Financially, we cant do it by ourselves, she added.

Those interested in helping these businesses give to others may contact them and donate over the phone. They are also open for carryout. Red Barn BBQ offers limited delivery, whereas Mother Clucker and Honey Teriyaki offer delivery through third-party services.

Read more here:
Colleyville Businesses Giving Back to the Community - Texas Scorecard

Magnifier Research has recently published a research report titled Global Quartz Kitchen Countertops Market Size, Status and Forecast 2020-2026 explores the ongoing outlook in global and key regions from the perspective of major players, countries, product types and end industries. The report comprises and forecast values for a versatile understanding. Then, the report offers the perspective of major players, countries, product types and end industries. The research also analyzes top players in the global market and divides the market into several parameters. It presents the profile reviews of the leading participants, their overall market shares in the global Quartz Kitchen Countertops market, business strategies they have adopted, and the latest developments in their respective businesses.

Market Analysis:

The report gives an evaluation of various drivers, technological innovations, upcoming technologies, opportunities, market risks, restraints, market barriers, challenges, trends, competitive landscape, and segments. The report analyzes the scope of different segments and applications that can potentially influence the global Quartz Kitchen Countertops market in the future. Diverse topics discovered in the report includes regional market scope, product-market various applications, market size according to a specific product, sales, and revenue by region, production cost analysis, supply chain, market influencing factors analysis, market size estimates, a look at the target market, an analysis of competition.

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Major key players of the market are: Cosentino Group, Caesarstone, Hanwha L&C, Compac, Vicostone, Dupont, LG Hausys, Cambria, Santa Margherita, Quartz Master, SEIEFFE, Quarella, Samsung Radianz, Technistone, QuartzForm, CR Lawrence, Quarella, Stone Italiana, Granitifiandre, Equs, Diresco, Belenco, QuantumQuartz, Pental, Sage Surfaces (Allen+Roth), Zhongxun, Sinostone, Bitto(Dongguan), OVERLAND, UVIISTONE,

For a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics, the market is analyzed across key geographies namely: North America (United States, Canada, Mexico), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Rest of Europe), Central & South America (Brazil, Rest of South America), Middle East & Africa (GCC Countries, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of Middle East & Africa)

This report segments the global market on the basis of types are:

On the basis of application, the global market is segmented into: Residential, Commercial,

Furthermore, the global Quartz Kitchen Countertops research report has mentioned key manufacturers strategic enterprises and provides a brief about their structure. Analysts have also mentioned the research and development conditions of these companies and their provided complete information about their existing products. The report has figured out key factors as per segments and it includes price, value, availability, features, financing, upgrades or returns policies, and customer service. Most noteworthy, this market analysis will help you find market dark spots in the market.

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Projections:

The report offers thoughtful forecasting. It also explains the consumption behaviour of users. Here, analysts have shown real stats and numbers. These bottom-up projections will explain how your marketing and sales efforts will enable you to get a certain percentage of the market. This report study describes the projected growth of the global Quartz Kitchen Countertops market for approaching years from 2020 to 2026.

Customization of the Report:This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@magnifierresearch.com), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

About Us

Magnifier Research is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry. Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Magnifier Research also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise. We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover. Magnifier Research provides you the full spectrum of services related to market research, and corroborate with the clients to increase the revenue stream, and address process gaps.

Contact UsMark StoneHead of Business DevelopmentPhone: +1-201-465-4211Email: sales@magnifierresearch.comWeb: http://www.magnifierresearch.com

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Global Quartz Kitchen Countertops Market 2020 Industry Outlook, Comprehensive Insights, Growth and Forecast 2026 - Bandera County Courier

Countertops MarketLatest Research Report 2020:

The Countertops report provides an independent information about the Countertops industry supported by extensive research on factors such as industry segments size & trends, inhibitors, dynamics, drivers, opportunities & challenges, environment & policy, cost overview, porters five force analysis, and key companies

Download Premium Sample Copy Of This Report:Download FREE Sample PDF!

In this report, our team offers a thorough investigation of Countertops Market, SWOT examination of the most prominent players right now. Alongside an industrial chain, market measurements regarding revenue, sales, value, capacity, regional market examination, section insightful information, and market forecast are offered in the full investigation, and so forth.

Scope of Countertops Market: Products in the Countertops classification furnish clients with assets to get ready for tests, tests, and evaluations.

Major Company Profiles Covered in This Report

Arborite, LOTTE ADVANCED, Armas Company, AKP, Wilsonart, Aristech Surfaces, Formica, CAMBRIA, Arpa Industriale, Caesarstone, CXUN, Cosentino SA, Gelandi, Hanwha, Granito Zucchi, Groupe Pierredeplan

Countertops Market Report Covers the Following Segments:

Market segments

Segment by Type:

Laminates, Engineered Stone, Natural stone, Other materials

Segment by Application:

Residential, Commercial

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

South America

Center East and Africa

United States, Canada and Mexico

Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy

China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia

Brazil, Argentina, Colombia

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa

Market Overview:The report begins with this section where product overview and highlights of product and application segments of the global Countertops Market are provided. Highlights of the segmentation study include price, revenue, sales, sales growth rate, and market share by product.

Competition by Company:Here, the competition in the Worldwide Countertops Market is analyzed, By price, revenue, sales, and market share by company, market rate, competitive situations Landscape, and latest trends, merger, expansion, acquisition, and market shares of top companies.

Company Profiles and Sales Data:As the name suggests, this section gives the sales data of key players of the global Countertops Market as well as some useful information on their business. It talks about the gross margin, price, revenue, products, and their specifications, type, applications, competitors, manufacturing base, and the main business of key players operating in the global Countertops Market.

Market Status and Outlook by Region:In this section, the report discusses about gross margin, sales, revenue, production, market share, CAGR, and market size by region. Here, the global Countertops Market is deeply analyzed on the basis of regions and countries such as North America, Europe, China, India, Japan, and the MEA.

Application or End User:This section of the research study shows how different end-user/application segments contribute to the global Countertops Market.

Market Forecast:Here, the report offers a complete forecast of the global Countertops Market by product, application, and region. It also offers global sales and revenue forecast for all years of the forecast period.

Research Findings and Conclusion:This is one of the last sections of the report where the findings of the analysts and the conclusion of the research study are provided.

About Us:

We publish market research reports & business insights produced by highly qualified and experienced industry analysts. Our research reports are available in a wide range of industry verticals including aviation, food & beverage, healthcare, ICT, Construction, Chemicals and lot more. Brand Essence Market Research report will be best fit for senior executives, business development managers, marketing managers, consultants, CEOs, CIOs, COOs, and Directors, governments, agencies, organizations and Ph.D. Students.

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Europe Countertops Market Report (2019-2025) | The demand for the Market will drastically increase in the Future - Curious Desk

Product Trends

Quartz continues to see growing demand, while dealers and designers say their clients are prioritizing neutral colors with depth and movement, durability and sanitary benefits in their kitchen countertops, a new KBDN survey shows.

authors Janice Costa

As both a kitchen design staple and a multifunctional surface that aids in a wide variety of tasks, countertops are a critical element in the kitchen. Prized for their beauty, durability and sanitary benefits, todays hot surfaces are an essential element to the kitchen. Material wise, quartz is leading the way, while neutral colors with movement and texture remain on trend. However, that doesnt mean there isnt plenty of demand for bold, statement-making colors as well.

Thats according to a new survey by Kitchen & Bath Design News, which polled 175 kitchen and bath dealers and designers about what countertop materials are seeing the greatest demand, what colors and materials are trending and what benefits their clients most want in their kitchen countertops.

MATERIAL INTERESTS

When it comes to what materials are hot and getting hotter, quartz remains the big winner, with 85.6% of those polled citing it as a material thats seeing growing demand (see Graph 1). Quartzite was also named by more than a third (35.1%) of dealers and designers as a material thats seeing increased interest of late.

While some designers might write off granite as a been there, done that material, granite, like stainless steel appliances, has perennial appeal. Indeed, more than a quarter (28.7%) of survey respondents still cited it as a material seeing growth right now, making it the third most popular material among those polled. This was followed by solid surface and wood (each being named by 19.5% of survey respondents as seeing growth in demand right now), marble (cited as growing by 14.4% of those polled), sintered stone/ultra compact surfacing (seen as growing by 12.1% of surveyed dealers and designers) and laminate (named as seeing increased interest by 9.8% of those polled). Other materials cited by survey respondents as seeing growth right now included concrete (6.3%), glass (3.4%) and metal and tile (2.9% each).

Outdoor surfaces, long seen as a tiny niche area, seem to be making some headway as well, thanks in part to the growing number of new and exciting options available in this category. Indeed, 8.6% of those polled said that outdoor-friendly surfaces are currently seeing increased demand among their clients.

Shades of white continue to be top choices among dealers and designers clients, with 89.1% of those polled saying clients prefer white or cream hues, along with gray, which was cited by 63.8% of respondents as being popular (see Graph 2).

Black, however, is making inroads, with 21.8% of dealers and designers saying theyre seeing demand for dramatic black countertop choices, while colorful options like blue (10.9%) and green (4.6%) are also in the mix. Brown, once a trendy neutral, seems to have fallen off a bit, with only 8.6% of those surveyed citing it as a popular color for kitchen countertops. Reds and terracotta shades barely registered on consumers radar, with dealers and designers saying fewer than 1% (0.6%) of their clients are choosing these hues for their countertops.

While color choices are pronounced, opinions are split on favored countertop characteristics. For instance, when it comes to deciding between shiny or matte surfaces, both got plenty of support, with 59.5% saying their clients prefer shiny or glossy countertops, while 40.5% said their clients lean toward matte finishes (see Graph 3).

Solid colors are less popular than those with texture, movement and patterns, though nearly a quarter (22.8%) of those surveyed said their clients choose solid colored countertops, while 77.2% preferred surfaces with patterns, movement and/or texture.

While consumers have long been a fan of countertops that blend seamlessly into the design, there seems to be a growing interest in bolder, statement-making choices as well. Indeed, of those polled, some 28.7% said their clients opt for bold over neutral when it comes to their kitchen countertops (see Graph 4).

COUNTERTOP BENEFITS

Whether bold or neutral, glossy or matte, monochromatic or full of color and texture, countertops are highly prized for their aesthetic benefits. However, they are equally valued for their task-worthiness.

Dealers and designers polled said their clients expect materials to be durable enough to hold up to the myriad functions required in a kitchen, from food preparation and family meals to large-scale entertaining, homework, craft projects and more.

Not surprisingly, then, the whopping majority (92.5%) rated durability as extremely important (44.8%) or very important (47.7%) to their clients (see Graph 5). By contrast, not a single dealer or designer saw this as not at all important, while 1.2% said their clients view this as somewhat important and 6.3% rated it as moderately important.

Affordability also plays into clients countertop decisions, according to kitchen dealers and designers surveyed, and while this may not be their top concern, it is a factor in their material decisions. Few dealers and designers said their clients thought that affordability was either extremely important (8%) or not important at all (1.1%), with most coming in somewhere in the middle (see graph 6).A total of 46% of respondents rated this as moderately important, while 35.1% saw it as very important and 9.8% said it was slightly important.

In light of the current Coronavirus crisis (see related stories, Pages 6, 8 and 14) it comes as no surprise that more than half of those polled cited sanitary benefits as extremely important (18.4%) or very important (34.5%) to their clients (see Graph 7). Another 31% viewed this as moderately important while 12.1% said it was slightly important and 4% rated it not at all important.

Interestingly, the trend toward environmentally friendly products seems not to be having much impact on consumers countertop choices, with a mere 1.1% of dealers and designers having cited this as extremely important to their clients (see Graph 8), and only 5.1% saying their clients viewed a countertops green properties as very important. At the other end of the spectrum, more than a fifth (21.2%) said that their clients believed having an environmentally friendly countertop was not at all important, while 41.2% rated this as slightly important and another 31.4% said their clients saw it as moderately important.

Original post:
Trends in Tops - Kitchen and Bath Design News

Global Kitchen Countertops Market 2020 is analyzed in details, to provide accurate and useful insights and market data that players can perform strong growth in the future. Experts and Kitchen Countertops industry analysts, which makes it legitimate and dependable compile the analysis. Readers have a thorough inspection of historical and futuristic Kitchen Countertops market scenarios to have a good understanding of other issues that are important with the market competition. The report offers Kitchen Countertops information on key players, key sections, market dynamics and assorted niches. It is a complete collection of Kitchen Countertops research and in-depth analysis of the market.

Global Kitchen Countertops market trends provide a basic summary of the including definitions, classes, applications and industry chain analysis. The Kitchen Countertops market analysis is provided for the international markets, including key regions, development status, competitive landscape, and development trends. Plans and policies are discussed, as well as cost structures are analyzed and processes. This Kitchen Countertops report also claims ingestion, demand and supply figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.

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Key Players Mentioned at the Kitchen Countertops Market Trends Report:

Kitchen Countertops Market: Segmentation

The report gives a breakdown of the Kitchen Countertops market sections, focusing on potential market size, market share and their CAGR for future growth. The industry is divided by product type, application and region. Each segment in these types is the subject of comprehensive Kitchen Countertops research to familiarize yourself with its growth prospects and key trends. The segmental analysis is essential to identify the most important growth factors of a sector. The Kitchen Countertops report offers specific details on market development and demand for applications and products that players may concentrate on their industrial growth.

On the end-users/applications basis, the Kitchen Countertops report concentrates on the status and prognosis for revenue quantity, important applications market share and growth rate for each application, including

On the basis of types, this report shows the revenue quantity, revenue (USD), Kitchen Countertops market share and growth rate, largely split into

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Kitchen Countertops Market: Regional analysis includes:

Global Kitchen Countertops Market Report Structure at a Brief:

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Kitchen Countertops Market Type, Analysis and Global Forecast to 2025 - 3rd Watch News

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been corrected to remove an incorrect subheading written by an editor. The home of former Service NL minister Sherry Gambin-Walsh was never searched by police and we have retracted that incorrect information. The Telegram apologizes to Ms. Gambin-Walsh for the error.

Sherry Gambin-Walsh has been removed from the cabinet of Premier Dwight Ball.

Late Friday, Gambin-Walsh called Ball to inform him of the general warrant issued to her. The warrant is related to allegations of breaches of cabinet confidence. The RCMP executed the warrant, and their investigation continues.

After the conversation, I took the immediate steps to put in place a new minister, said Ball.

Finance Minister Tom Osborne was sworn in as acting minister of Service NL at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The search warrant says the investigation covers timeframe from June 1, 2018 to March 12, 2020. The RCMP are investigating whether Gambin-Walsh committed a breach of trust, which is contrary to section 122 of the Criminal Code of Canada.

The warrant says officers will be investigating any electronic devices used to communicate, specifically cellphones.

Ball says given the nature of the allegations, he had to remove Gambin-Walsh from cabinet.

Any time you get any minister thats under investigation for a breach of cabinet confidence, theres really no choice. As the premier, as the leader, you take the minister the privileges of being a cabinet minister the responsibilities would be removed, said Ball.

Its up to the investigation to determine the outcome and what that will be.

Ball says the investigation into Gambin-Walshs conduct will not interfere with governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The priority for us is still and remains the pandemic and the COVID-19 crisis, that not only Newfoundland and Labrador is facing, but were facing as a country and a global impact, said Ball.

Gambin-Walsh remains the MHA for Placentia-St. Marys and remains in the Liberal caucus. He says he will wait for the outcome of the investigation to take further steps if necessary.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to move through Newfoundland and Labrador, with one death to date.

An unprecedented economic crisis also looms over the province, as Brent crude oil remains below $30 per barrel.

Osbornes full job title is now: minister of Finance; president of Treasury Board; minister responsible for the Human Resource Secretariat; minister responsible for the Public Service Commission; minister responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation; and minister responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Office; acting minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador; acting minister responsible for the Public Procurement Agency; and acting minister responsible for Workplace NL.

Original post:
UPDATE: Premier removes Newfoundland MHA Sherry Gambin-Walsh from cabinet - The Telegram

Netanyahu: Putin urged me to reach a unity government

Netanyahu says he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and they agreed on cooperation regarding medical supplies.

He says when he spoke to Putin, he was in the middle of negotiations on a unity government with Benny Gantz, and mentioned to the Russian president that he needed to go deal with coalition talks.

Putin, says Netanyahu, hinted at his support for a unity government saying, Its very important that you unite forces, for Israels sake.

I agree with him, Netanyahu says, though its not simple. Some roadblocks remain in the way, he says, but he thinks the sides can reach a coalition deal.

With good will, and a joint effort, we can get there, he says.

He says Israels heart is with Bnei Brak, the ultra-Orthodox city that has become a coronavirus hotspot, and condemns terrible incitement in the media and social media against the ultra-Orthodox.

The story of Passover is one the exodus from Egypt, and of overcoming crisis, he says. In every generation, we overcome crises, he says.

This time, too, we will overcome Were writing a resonant chapter in the history of our people and our stage.

This, he says, will be a Passover of exodus from isolation to freedom.

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Some European countries begin to plot lockdown exit amid signs of encouragement - The Times of Israel

Saturday, April 4th 2020 - 08:30 UTC Minister Mandetta plays up his background as doctor and health official, but allies say his political savvy also make him an important counterweight in the cabinet.

Brazilians feeling frustrated with president Jair Bolsonaro are turning to another voice for guidance and reassurance. Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta has emerged from relative obscurity with technocratic daily briefings presenting the latest science, stressing the need for social distancing measures and earning praise from across the political spectrum.

A former federal lawmaker from the same party as the leaders of both houses of Congress, Mandetta plays up his background as doctor and health official, but allies say his political savvy also make him an important counterweight in the cabinet.

His rise has not gone unnoticed. Tensions boiled over in a tense meeting at the presidential residence, according to sources, and Bolsonaro was visibly irked by questions about Mandetta. Nobody should forget that Im the president, he said.

This week, Bolsonaro replaced the Health Ministry briefings, which had been carried live on several TV networks for weeks, in favor of a news conference at the presidential palace where Mandetta is one of a half dozen ministers, often speaking last.

Mandetta comes out of this crisis much stronger than when he went into it, said Efraim Filho, the head of Mandettas Democrats party in the lower house. Now he has the admiration and the respect of a big slice of society that goes beyond ideological lines.

Just 35% of Brazilians called Bolsonaros handling of the coronavirus crisis good or great, according to a Datafolha survey released last week, compared to 55% support for Mandettas performance, in line with that of governors.

He is an important asset for the Bolsonaro government, said Filho, when asked about rising tensions. Any firing or exit of Mandetta would erode support for the president.

As his public standing has risen, the health minister has more openly contradicted Bolsonaro. He warned of the dangers of chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug that Bolsonaro believes could be a cure for the COVID-19 respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.

Mandetta enjoys the support of various key cabinet ministers including Justice Minister Sergio Moro and Economy Minister Paulo Guedes, according to the sources and press reports.

Now we are hit by this (coronavirus) wave ... we are under the guidance of Minister Mandetta, Guedes said in a press conference. People can obey Mandettas social isolation orders.

In a statement, the justice ministry said it had adopted measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic in accordance with the technical guidelines of the health ministry.

A former doctor and health secretary for the city of Campo Grande, Mandetta became a federal lawmaker in 2010. Hailing from the soy-producing state of Mato Grosso do Sul, he has strong ties to Brazils powerful agribusiness sector, sources said.

During his time in Congress, he was most well-known for opposing health policies of the leftist Workers Party government, and in particular its Mais Medicos program which brought Cuban doctors to Brazils most far-flung corners.

Read more here:
Covid-19 pandemic: Brazilians have greater trust in the Health than in president Bolsonaro - MercoPress

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said his decision to rejoin the medical register will allow him to take the temperature of the health service and understand the challenges being faced by the HSE because of Covid-19.

Mr Varadkar has also signaled that inward bound travellers to Ireland may be checked on to ensure that they are abiding by a 14 day quarantine.

Mr Varadkar rejoined the medical register last month and said he is giving one session a week, or a half day, in a telephone clinic.

It is kind of gesture of support really for all the people who work in our health service and everyone beyond our health service who are contributing to the fight against the covid emergency, he said.

Also from a personal point of view it gives me a chance to just take the temperature of our health service, to talk least once a week to 10 or 20 people who are working in our health service and get the temperature myself of how things are going and what challenges theyre facing.

I wont be giving you regular reports on it, there wont be any photo opps it will just be something Ill be doing quietly once a week for the duration of the emergency.

Mr Varadkar was also asked about Government plans to impose enhanced restrictions on inward bound travellers in order to prevent a potential new wave of cases.

He indicated that new measures may involve essentially checking in on those who are being asked to quarantine.

The amount of inbound travel in Ireland is about 5 per cent of what it was a month ago.

The question is how do we minimise the risk from the 5 per cent that is happening which is mainly our own citizens returning home. We want them to be able to return home and a lot of thats going to be around ensuring that they observe the 14 day quarantine and that also we can contact trace if needs be and thats still being worked on at the moment.

He said there are regulations on the table ready to sign if we need to to bring in the kind of enforcement powers that exist in other countries.

However, Mr Varadkar said he does not want to be in a position whereby were criminalising people for going two kilometers away from their home without an adequate excuse.

The last thing I want is people to come after this emergency with fines and prison sentences and criminal convictions.

The Labour Party on Monday called for the Government to outline its plans to provide childcare for frontline workers.

Mr Varadkar said that while the Government is ready to push the button on that, the National Public Health Emergency Team has not yet given to go-ahead.

I know its taking a long time, its taking much longer than we would like, I do understand peoples frustration around that. But that is now being considered by the National Public Health Emergency team because as always public health has to be the overriding concern. And while were ready to push the button in terms of providing child care to essential workers, we need clearance from the public health team. It is certainly not an issue of money, that is there. Its not an issue of staff being available, theyve said theyll do it. It is now an issue of public health clearance and we havent quite got that yet.

Mr Varadkar was visiting the Defence Forces Joint Task Force in McKee Barracks in Dublin.

The military is going to continue to have a central role and crucial role in responding to this emergency. And I think at a time of emergency and in a time of crisis people turn to the State, they turn to the public service and they turn to their Defence Forces for leadership and for action. And thats very much what were seeing here, he said.

On the issue of government formation, the Taoiseach said Fine Gael are ready to agree a framework document on policy with Fianna Fail this week. He said he hoped to approach other parties after this. Mr Varadkar also said he does not envisage a second general election this year.

Its not our view that we should try to bully any party in the Government. You know this is a democracy and there shouldnt be any forced marriages in a democracy, only parties that want to serve together that want to work together, that have a mandate to work together should work together.

Mr Varadkar also said he does not envisage a second general election this year.

Meanwhile former Fine Gael minister for health and practising GP James Reilly said Mr Varadkar returning to work in the health service was a strong signal of support for healthcare workers in the fight against coronavirus but he welcomed the fact that the Taoiseach would not be having direct contact with possible coronavirus-infected patients.

It is sensible that he is not putting himself in direct contact with patients as taoiseach as that would be very risky, said Mr Reilly of his former Cabinet colleague.

Mr Varadkar succeeded Mr Reilly as minister for health in 2014. Mr Reilly is working as a GP from a clinic in a north Co Dublin, meeting patients and giving consultations by phone.

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Rejoining medical register will allow Varadkar take temperature of health service - The Irish Times