The opening round of the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship, which was due to be held in Portimão (Portugal) in early April, has been postponed until June. Spa-Francorchamps will now host the Prologue, as well as the WEC season-opener.

The decision, approved at today's FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting, has been made following the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic including travel restrictions from different Governments in various countries, meaning travel to and from Portugal is heavily compromised. Furthermore, it is hoped that the new date for Portimão will increase the possibility of fans being able to attend the race.

For the 100th anniversary of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the Official Prologue will now take place in Belgium from 26-27 April – the first time that the WEC’s pre-season test has been staged in Belgium. The season-opening TOTAL 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will get underway a few days later (1 May). The 8 Hours of Portimão will slot into the WEC calendar in the original 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend (12-13 June).

The 6 Hours of Monza will remain in mid-July with Le Mans scheduled from 21-22 August – the ACO announcing earlier this week that it will move to August when there will be a higher chance of spectator attendance.

All changes to the 2021 WEC calendar have been made in accordance with the ACO, the FIA and the circuit organisers. 

The final two rounds of WEC Season 9, which will take place in Fuji (Japan) and Bahrain, will remain unchanged.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “Due to the ongoing pandemic situation, we have to be extremely flexible in our decision-making. We are continually adapting to government decisions, especially restrictions on travel between different countries. Following discussions with WEC competitors, we have no choice but to delay the start of the season. We have, however, managed to keep all the rounds on the calendar which is our number one priority. We now look forward to the opening race at Spa in May and to seeing the Hypercars do battle on track for the first time.”

Richard Mille, President of the FIA Endurance Commission: “In the reality affected by the global health crisis, all sporting calendars have to be considered fluid and nothing is set in stone. Having said that, I’m full of praise for the efforts of the promoter of the FIA World Endurance Championship for their flexibility and reactive approach. Delaying the start of the season should be beneficial for everyone involved, from the competitors to the fans.”

Frédéric Lequien, CEO of the FIA WEC: “I would like to thank our teams, suppliers, partners, the FIA, the Portimão and Spa-Francorchamps circuit organisers, the LMEM team and many others for their cooperation in what continues to be a difficult time for everyone. The new date for Portimão will give us a better chance of allowing fans to attend and we are certain that the change in schedule is more favourable for all concerned.”

Portimão shifted to June; Spa-Francorchamps set to host FIA WEC season-opener

• FIA WEC Pandemic World Motor Sport
• At 3/05/2021 11:28:00 p.m.
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Launched by UNESCO together with Chequeado - LatamChequea and funded by the European Union, PortalCheck.org is a new online platform with complementary resources and tools to help combat mis/disinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin American and Caribbean

PortalCheck is the first digital resource Hub in Latin America and the Caribbean to support efforts to address mis/disinformation related to the current pandemic. The project, which is funded by the European Union (EU), is implemented by UNESCO and Chequeado – LatamChequea. The platform includes tools and material produced by fact-checking organisations throughout the entire region and is directed at a number of stakeholder groups interested in enhancing their awareness and expertise in the current infodemic phenomenon.

"PortalCheck is a collaborative project by organisations who are working on disinformation, to offer useful resources in one unique space so that we can all contribute to verifying information that comes to us and prevent the spread of disinformation,"

said Laura Zommer, journalist and executive director of Chequeado.

The site includes a section on checked and verified information of some of the most popular disinformation content circulating in the region, which can be viewed in different formats such as videos, texts and podcasts. It also provides content creators and influencers with tips and resources about how not to inadvertently share unverified information. As part of the project the organisers have coordinated different capacity building initiatives targeted at social media influencers and other content creators to strengthen their knowledge on how to combat mis/disinformation.

"We are very excited about this project which is part of a global project called ‘#CoronavirusFacts - Addressing the ‘Disinfodemic’ on COVID-19’ and about the potential impact that PortalCheck can achieve in combatting disinformation in Latin America and the Caribbean,"

said Lidia Brito, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Sciences for Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition to the platform being a valuable tool for Member States and other relevant stakeholders to help address disinformation it also raises awareness and reinforces the work of fact-checking organisations in the region, Brito noted that this project has also strengthened relationships with a number of important partners who are collaborating and supporting the project including the donor, the European Union Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI).

Journalists have a special section, with practical tools on how to verify data and images, and for teachers the Hub includes proposals for activities that they can use in the classroom. The platform also offers recommendations for governments and other institutions.

PortalCheck is a collaborative initiative that centralises various materials so that each target group can find the resources to combat mis/disinformation from their viewpoint.

The platform will also be available in English and Portuguese.

 

‘Digital Lab - PortalCheck'

The Hub is also a space where one can find announcements for free activities and events related to fact-checking and combatting disinformation in Latin America and the Caribbean, such as the official launch of the platform and the ‘Digital Lab – PortalCheck' event.

Digital Lab – PortalCheck is an event that will connect fact-checkers, journalists, and representatives from some of the most widely acclaimed digital platforms to discuss the creation and consumption of digital content in the time of the pandemic.

 

MOOC - 'Disinformation and fact-checking in times of COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean'.

A bespoke 4-week massive open online course entitled 'Disinformation and fact-checking in times of COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean'. This free online course, facilitated by Cristina Tardáguila, Associate Director of the International Data Verification Network, offers an insight into the history of fact-checking, with examples of real-life situations, especially focused on COVID-19 and governance (with a special focus on elections) in Latin America and the Caribbean at the time of the pandemic.

PortalCheck: a resource hub to support countering disinformation

• Coronavirus Pandemic PortalCheck
• At 12/25/2020 04:18:00 p.m.
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The declaration of a national emergency, a rarely used presidential power, allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist state and local governments and coordinate the nation's response to the crisis. 

Trump said the declaration would free up to $50bn for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak. 

Trump said he was also giving Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar emergency authorities to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals "flexibility" in treating patients.

The move follows an unprecedented cascade of shutdowns this week, from sports events to museums and workplaces, that is aimed at limiting large public gatherings to help slow the fast-spreading virus.

From lack of testing to an initial downplaying of the threat, the Trump administration has faced harsh criticism over its response to virus. 

On Friday, Trump announced that the US will "vastly increase" its testing capacity. 

Among the steps being taken was a public-private partnership to create drive-through testing options. Trump, however, said that US authorities do not want people to get a coronavirus test if they do not need it. 

"It's totally unnecessary," Trump said. He added, "This will pass."

Trump said the administration planned to announce on Sunday night further details of the testing options, including a screening website where individuals could go to see if they should be tested and how to get tested. 

New York had already said it would begin drive-through testing for coronavirus in New Rochelle, a suburb of New York City where authorities have set up a one-mile (1.6km) "containment zone" around an infection hot spot.

"It's safer to keep them in their car, it's less exposure overall," Governor Andrew Cuomo told a news conference on Friday.

Coronavirus has hit New York, California and Washington states particularly hard, but all but a few states have announced cases of the respiratory illness.

Death toll surpasses 41

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 1,678 US cases of coronavirus, an increase of 414 from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by five to 41. The CDC tally includes 49 cases among people repatriated from Japan and Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began. It has since spread to more than 130 countries and territories, infecting over 138,000 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Across the US, shoppers preparing to hunker down at home hit stores in droves to stockpile supplies of food and other essentials such as toilet paper, cookies, pasta and paper towels as coronavirus concerns stoked fears of shortages.

As Trump made the emergency declaration, a congressional aid package to limit the economic damage of the crisis hung in the balance. 

Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, had previously said they were close to an agreement after negotiating through the night with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Trump's point person on the issue.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that the House would approve its coronavirus aid package, imploring the Trump administration and congressional Republicans to "put families first" by backing the effort to provide Americans with relief.

The House Democratic leader spoke from the speaker's balcony at the Capitol ahead of Trump's news conference at the White House, as the power centres of Washington, DC, were shuttered to visitors.

"Our nation, our great nation has faced crisis before," Pelosi said. "And every time, thanks to the courage and optimism of the American people, we have prevailed. Now, working together, we will once again prevail."

Republicans said they were waiting for the president to give his approval and had yet to commit. Without their support, the measure could stall in the Senate.

Trump said on Friday that he did not think the Democrats were giving enough as part of its package. 

Mnuchin has proposed a variety of tax breaks, while Democrats called for expanding the safety net to help those who may lose work as schools close, sports arenas sit empty and airlines cancel flights.

President Donald Trump issues emergency declaration for coronavirus pandemic

• Coronavirus Crisis National emergency Pandemic President Donald Trump
• At 3/14/2020 05:59:00 a.m.
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