Saturday, dozens of stars around the world are coming together — virtually — for the global and digital broadcast of "One World: Together at Home," a concert event to support healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic response and the World Health Organization.
The event has been curated in collaboration with star Lady Gaga and will feature top-tier acts like Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Elton John, and, just announced today, The Rolling Stones.
Mick Sheldrick, chief policy and government affairs officer at Global Citizen, told Cheddar Friday that businesses and philanthropists have been donating to the WHO's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund as part of "One World" and supporting local regional response efforts.
"What this fund is providing is much-needed equipment like PPE to health workers in over 75 countries. They're also providing tests to over 126 countries, and critically they are also supporting many of the laboratory scientists around the world who are rapidly working to develop a vaccine," Sheldrick said.
Lady Gaga has been a tremendous help, he noted and said she has made sure the organization is supporting the critical needs of healthcare workers around the world. He also said the singer will continue working with Global Citizen beyond tomorrow's event.
"She really went above and beyond to make sure she understood these issues and not only did she reach out and curate this phenomenal lineup, but she also did calls and reached out to some the CEO's of the largest companies in the U.S. and around the world," he said.
The two-hour special will begin streaming on digital platforms at 2 pm ET and will air on ABC, NBC, and CBS at 8 pm ET. The channels' late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert, have also joined in the effort and will host the special.
"We hope everyone will tune in and take some time out and show that spirit of solidarity," Sheldrick said.
Tatyana Popkova, chief strategy officer for the health system, talked to Cheddar about how the innovative medical center was designed to take on challenges such as a patient surge from a pandemic.
Vinny Variale, a Lieutenant for the Fire Department of New York City and president of the Uniformed EMS Officers Union said regardless of CDC or FDNY recommendations, EMS workers should always have protective gear on emergency calls amid the pandemic.
While Alinea, located in Chicago, Illinois, serves high-end meals, co-owner Nick Kokonas said they recognized early on that the stay-at-home orders were going to be in place for a while.
Tommy Berges, a veteran paramedic and firefighter out of Washtenaw County, Michigan, said the outbreak has extended emergency response times from the outset.
Transit unions are calling for greater protections for their employees, as coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on bus drivers and train operators working on the frontlines.
The severe weather outbreak came with much of the nation shut down because of the new coronavirus. In Alabama, people huddled into community storm shelters wearing protective masks to guard against the threat.
For Sasha Kogan a Peace Corps volunteer, border closures caused by the pandemic meant a frantic multi-day evacuation from Cameroon to Washington, DC, culminating with her far from her NYC roots to find herself in Illinois without benefits or a clue as to what's next.
Social workers at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn are urging hospital administrators to let them work from home but say they are coming up against a company line that maintains every health care worker needs to do their part and show up in person, whether their job demands it or not.
Circle K, the international convenience store chain, is donating a meal to those in need with every fuel transaction, even as the company's own sales have fallen precipitously due to coronavirus.
The sailor was found unresponsive on April 9 and moved to ICU at a hospital. He died Monday. The Roosevelt has been in a coronavirus crisis that prompted the acting Navy secretary to fire the ship's captain on April 2.
