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Coronavirus in USA

New York mayor says lack of coronavirus testing may delay city reopening

(Reuters) - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday that it could take weeks if not months before the country’s most populous city reopens due to a lack of widespread testing, even as officials elsewhere began rolling back restrictions on daily life.

De Blasio, whose city is at the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis in the United States, said New York needed to be conducting hundreds of thousands of tests a day and to see hospitalizations decline further before reopening the economy.

“We could get there but we can’t do it without widespread testing and so far the federal government still can’t get their handle on that,” de Blasio said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” adding that ending social distancing too soon could rekindle the virus.

“The federal government, especially, needs to get the memo that this thing ain’t over and if you pretend it’s over it is only going to boomerang back and make it worse.”

De Blasio’s warning on testing echoed comments by several governors over the weekend disputing President Donald Trump’s claims that they have enough tests for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The United States has by far the world’s largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 750,000 infections and over 40,500 deaths, nearly half of them in the state of New York, according to a Reuters tally.

Trump’s guidelines to reopen the economy recommend a state record 14 days of declining case numbers before gradually lifting restrictions. Yet the Republican president appeared to encourage protesters who want to reopen sooner with a series of Twitter posts on Friday calling for them to “LIBERATE” Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, all run by Democratic governors.

An estimated 2,500 people rallied at the Washington state capitol in Olympia to protest Democratic Governor Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order, one of several protests.

Residents in Florida were allowed to return to some beaches after Governor Ron DeSantis approved the relaxing of some restrictions.

Charlie Latham, mayor of Jacksonville Beach, said the first weekend the beach there was reopened with limited hours went well, with no arrests for people violating social distancing rules, which included a prohibition of chairs or blankets.

“We thought that the public was ready to maintain the social distancing standards and to exercise good judgment. And it’s paid off, it’s paid off really well,” Latham told Fox News.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...&utm_source=twitter&__twitter_impression=true
 
US, Canada, Mexico borders shut for another 30 days

The borders between the US, Canada and Mexico will stay closed for another 30 days to all but essential travellers, Acting US Secretary of State Chad Wolf has said.

The borders first closed on 21 March.

The US has expelled at least 6,300 undocumented migrants on its Mexico border, using emergency powers designed to curb the spread of coronavirus. Critics say the powers are being used to control immigration rather than just as a public health measure.
 
Question.

I am reading from some people that hospitals are not that busy except some in NYC and other hotspots like New Orleans, Detroit etc.

Other places I am reading reports from people talking about how hospitals across the US are swamped and people are dying in the corridors, and doctors are choosing who to save because there are few ventilators, and so on

Those of you in the US, which one is closer to reality?
 
Trump hopes for deal in U.S. Congress on small business program, vote possible in Senate Tuesday

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he hoped negotiators in Congress would reach a deal to provide more aid for small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, with a vote possible in the Senate on Tuesday.

“We hope to have an agreement on that very soon. A lot of progress has been made on that,” Trump said at a White House briefing.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...vote-possible-in-senate-tuesday-idUSKBN2222Z6
 
U.S. revs up ventilator production for coronavirus patients as need wanes

The Trump administration, under pressure to do more to ramp up coronavirus testing in order to safely reopen the battered U.S. economy, is highlighting this week a $2.9 billion program to build 187,000 ventilators this year.

The administration’s ventilator surge is accelerating as medical experts are forecasting the need for the devices - used to help severely ill COVID-19 patients breathe - will fall. Many of the ventilators will now be sent to other countries in need, the administration says.

Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday plans to visit a General Electric Co (GE.N) facility in Madison, Wisconsin, where they assemble ventilators, the company and his office confirmed.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump taunted critics of his administration’s coronavirus response, tweeting: “Last month all you heard from the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats was, “Ventilators, Ventilators, Ventilators.” They screamed it loud & clear, & thought they had us cold, even though it was the State’s task. But everyone got their V’s, with many to spare.”

Ventilators became a symbol in March of the lack of preparedness in the U.S. medical system for the surge in patients suffering from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus that attacks the lungs.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, whose state has been the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak with more than 240,000 cases, had said his state alone could need as many as 30,000 ventilators.

On March 27, Trump invoked the Korean War era Defense Production Act to compel General Motors Co (GM.N) to build ventilators.

“We have so many now that at some point soon we’re going to be helping Mexico and Italy and other countries,” Trump said on Monday. “We’ll be sending them ventilators, which they desperately need.”

Now, governors and business leaders have shifted their focus away from ventilators to the lack of widespread coronavirus testing that medical experts say is necessary to safely end stay-at-home orders and allow people to go back to work.

With the number of New York patients needing intensive care declining, Cuomo said last week he will send some of the ventilators his state received and no longer needs to Maryland and Michigan.

The government’s ventilator buying spree comes as the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IMHE) currently forecasts total needs for invasive ventilators at 16,631 units, a fraction of the total the United States plans to buy.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not broken out how many of the 187,000 ventilators are invasive versions.

Whether U.S. hospitals will need all the ventilators companies such as GM, Ford Motor Co (F.N), General Electric and Philips (PHG.AS) are now contracted to build will depend on whether the pandemic eases, or gets worse, experts said.

DEMAND COULD STILL RISE
Dr. Christopher Murray, the director of IMHE at the University of Washington, told Reuters demand for ventilators could rise sharply “if there is a second wave of infection or an immediate rebound when we take off social distancing.”

Some states have said they will begin reopening parts of their economies earlier than health experts are recommending.

If the United States maintains social distancing then the planned production of nearly 190,000 ventilators would be “way beyond what we will need,” Murray said.

Either way, ventilator companies are ramping up production to levels way beyond pre-pandemic demand.

Records made public of some HHS ventilator contracts show they were single-source contracts with no competitive bids, which the agency said was due to the urgent need.

Zoll, a unit of Asahi Kasei Group (3407.T) and one of the companies that received an HHS contract, is boosting production by 25 times to 10,000 per month.

Resmed Inc (RMD.N) received a $32 million HHS contract to produce 2,550 ventilators by July 13.

“FEMA was very specific that they only want invasive ventilators,” Resmed Chief Executive Mick Farrell told Reuters, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that is directing the ventilator program.

“FEMA is building up these ventilators as a backstop,” added Farrell, who called the agency’s production target reasonable.

“If you look at Germany, they had 50,000 ventilators for a population of about 80 million,” Farrell said, noting that would mean the United States could need 200,000 given its much larger population. “I think FEMA was looking at models from Germany and France and then maybe added a buffer on top of that to play it safe.”

Trump on Saturday said the United States will send ventilators to Mexico after a discussion with his Mexican counterpart. “I told him we’re going to be helping him very substantially,” Trump said.

Hill-Rom (HRC.N), which also got an HHS contract and makes non-invasive ventilators, has increased its production by five times its pre-pandemic levels and predicted it could be months before the health crisis is over.

“The idea is not only to make sure we in the U.S. but also around the world have them God forbid something like this should ever happen again,” Hill-Rom spokesman Howard Karesh said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...onavirus-patients-as-need-wanes-idUSKBN22232Q
 
LongHorn said:
Question.

I am reading from some people that hospitals are not that busy except some in NYC and other hotspots like New Orleans, Detroit etc.

Other places I am reading reports from people talking about how hospitals across the US are swamped and people are dying in the corridors, and doctors are choosing who to save because there are few ventilators, and so on

Those of you in the US, which one is closer to reality?
Click to expand...

New York and New Jersey has been the worst hit states. NYC has past its peak but hospitals are still packed . NJ where I'm located is going through its peak. There was a time , about two week ago when there was a shortage of ventilators but not anymore. In NYC there is a bit of surplus of ventilators at this point. But, many of the ventilators are simplified and not the usual sophisticated ventilators needed for very sick patients.

In New Jersey, hospitals are full, ICUs are full and almost all hospitals have changed many of their regular floors to ICUs. There is no shortage of ventilators or PPEs now. But the test kits are still in short supply.

NYC has past its peak , NJ is going through the peak but new potential hotspots like Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia are being monitored.

I am very worried about some states and cities where lockdown has been eased up, too early, like Atlanta and Houston.
 
Democratic governors have asked the White House to urge Americans to heed stay-at-home orders amid anti-lockdown protests stoked by the president.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said the "phenomenon was nationwide" and asked for "help on the national level".

President Donald Trump has been accused of inciting insurrection after championing the demonstrators, while telling governors they were in charge.

The plea comes amid 782,159 confirmed US Covid-19 cases and 41,816 deaths.

The protesters - who say the Covid-19 restrictions are draconian - are largely conservative and pro-Trump.

As one militia leader in Illinois put it to the BBC: "Reopen my state or we will reopen it ourselves."

What's behind the anti-lockdown protests in US?

The demonstrations have taken place in more than a dozen states from coast to coast, varying in size from a few dozen protesters to more than 2,000.

Ms Whitmer, a Democrat whose state has seen one of the largest anti-lockdown protests, told the White House during Monday's call she knew citizens were "frustrated" and called protesting a "wonderful American tradition".

"But it's just so dangerous to do that," she said, noting the fear of Covid-19 cases spiking in less-affected regions of her state, which has the third-highest infection rate in the nation.

Ms Whitmer said having the federal government "reiterate the importance of staying home until we get these numbers down... would be incredibly appreciated".

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, also a Democrat, echoed the same, requesting the Trump administration "let the public know that it is important for us to reach these minimum thresholds, before we began easing restrictions".

Vice-President Mike Pence, head of the coronavirus task force, promised the governors the administration would do so.

"We will make a point today and going forward to continue to reiterate that," Mr Pence said.

The Republican president has expressed his support of the protesters in recent days, even as state governors say they are following White House guidance for safely reopening in phases.

Mr Trump - who faces an election in November - last week tweeted in all capital letters for several states to be liberated.

At Sunday's coronavirus briefing he said those protesting against their governors' social distancing measures were "great people".

"Their life was taken away from them," he said. "These people love our country, they want to get back to work."

Mr Trump previously insisted the presidency had power over state governors to rule when lockdown restrictions should be lifted.

He backed down after it was widely pointed out that the US Constitution grants states the power over public order and safety.

But as Monday's development makes clear, the White House can bring considerable political pressure to bear on governors, not to mention the influence of state business lobbies, legislatures and voters.

What states are easing restrictions?

On Monday governors in three southern states - Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina - became the latest to announce plans to ease their coronavirus lockdowns.

Georgia's governor said restaurants, hair salons, gyms, bowling alleys and some cinemas would be allowed to reopen on Friday.

Tennessee said by 1 May the "vast majority of businesses" would be allowed to reopen.

South Carolina's governor has allowed people to return to beaches starting on Tuesday and non-essential retail businesses to reopen.

Other states that are easing lockdown rules include Minnesota, Texas, Vermont, Ohio, Idaho, Florida, North Dakota, Montana, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52363318
 
moghul said:
NYC has past its peak , NJ is going through the peak but new potential hotspots like Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia are being monitored.

I am very worried about some states and cities where lockdown has been eased up, too early, like Atlanta and Houston.
Click to expand...

Interesting, thanks

Since NYC's urban density and public transport usage isn't replicated in cities like Atlanta and Houston, one can hope they will be better off.

Detroit and NOLA are two other places that were hit hard
 
Nurses from the National Nurses United union are holding a protest outside the White House, calling on governors and federal officials to provide safety gear for medical staff fighting the pandemic.

Wearing a surgical mask, one woman read a letter to officials:

“We demand that you immediately get PPE to nurses, doctors and healthcare workers on the front lines of this pandemic.

"If you don’t protect us, we can’t protect our patients.”

Protesters held photos of nurses and doctors who have died from Covid-19, and signs saying: "20 seconds won't scrub 'hero' blood off your hands."

The union includes 150,000 nurses, and is the largest association of registered nurses in the US.

aea69215-106d-499c-9a65-d4f597dccc53.jpg
 
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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has delivered his daily briefing from the city of Buffalo, before departing for Washington DC to meet President Trump at the White House.

Cuomo said 478 deaths had been recorded in New York state in the previous 24 hours, the lowest total in more than two weeks.

He noted that only 7% of total virus cases were outside the New York City region, and that some parts of the state “do not have a Covid issue”, so hospitals there will be able to resume elective surgeries soon.

He said that “some economies” around the state could soon reopen.

The governor said that the subject of his meeting with Trump would be testing.

He added that states will take charge of testing samples, but the federal government should be responsible for sourcing the kits and providing them to the states.
 
Buffet said:
Models are not going to be always right. Models are as good as assumption we put inside. Dynamics of R0 for spread is vastly different in rural area vs dense population with metro. Projecting NYC situation everywhere in country and locking down for months is simply going hurt us collectively.

It's little bit tricky for politician to backtrack now. News headlines from Italy made it impposible for politicians to keep anything open to avoid getting headlines like, XYZ is responsible for so many deaths...

Now, lock down surely helped to flatten the curve, but goal was to flatten the curve and keep things running as long as we don't overwhelm our health system. Goal never was to keep everything shut till we get rid of virus, because we won't be getting rid of virus in near future.

Now, if narrative changes that all deaths due to opening will be resposibility of govener then no wonder that governors are less willing to open or give a date. No one is tracking huge number of deaths happnening due to heart issues during this lock down. Those deths don't dissapear, they are still happening. This virus issue has been politicized too much.

We can't simply open and go back to normal and risk 20 NYC on our country, but we can't keep everything shut down for months. Too many jobs are dissapearing and they won't come back and bottom 20% will be hurt most. Longer we remain totally shut, more jobs are dissapearing everyday. 4 months of extra unemployment won't do much unless people have jobs to go back to.

I am registered as independent and feeling very dissapointed with bahaviour from both sides right now. I saw left leaning media saying that Trump is talking about WHO to distract. Well, it's possible to criticize Trump and it's possible to criticize WHO for lousy job. You can do both. They are not mutually exclusive. WHO had full information from Taiwan, but they ignored it to please China. Till Feb they were saying that it's not a pandemic. Sure, US doesn't really depend on WHO to take actions and USA did shut down entry partially from China in January which was criticized by WHO and even by some Democrats in our country.

I am sure as country we will end up doing the right thing, but we need to minimize the damage in all aspects.
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Agreed 100%. This issue has become way to politicized here in the US. If you watch the left media CNN, MSNBC, they keep showing the dark side of how dangerous this virus is and how bad re-opening will be. Their goal is to criticize anyone who is trying to re-open.

If you look at right media, like FOX, their focus is on protesters and how strict lockdown measures are.

The balance is missing. The reality is that re-opening needs to happen with a cautious approach. Here in NJ, even the state parks are shutdown. The mental health issues with all the unemployment are mounting. And then you are hear people like Nancy Pelosi scold the people who are protesting. I mean CMON, give them a break.
 
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the country's first at-home coronavirus test kit.

LabCorp, the company that produces the test, says it will prioritise distributing it to medical workers first.

Patients must stick a cotton swab up their nostril, then submit it to the company for the sample to be tested. The kit, called Pixel, currently costs $119 (£97).

Allowing patients to use it themselves means the risk of infecting clinicians declines, officials say.

Top US disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has repeatedly said that the US will require testing at two or three times the present rate in order for people's lives to begin to return to normal.
 
Trump urges U.S. House to approve latest coronavirus relief bill

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday welcomed the agreement reached between Republican and Democratic lawmakers to provide more coronavirus relief funding for small businesses and others.

The Senate unanimously approved the nearly $500 billion coronavirus response bill on Tuesday.

“I urge the House (of Representatives) to pass the bill and they’re going to be voting on it, I imagine very soon,” Trump said. “I think we have tremendous support.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-latest-coronavirus-relief-bill-idUSKCN2233AR
 
Trump and Harvard quarrel over relief money

US President Donald Trump has demanded Harvard University pay back nearly $9m (£7.3m) in coronavirus relief aid.

He said it was wrong that an institution with a $40bn endowment should receive stimulus funds.

Harvard rejected Trump's demand, saying it planned "to direct 100% of the funds to financial assistance to students, and will not be using any of the funds to cover institutional costs".

The university said it received the grant through the educational relief program that was part of the $2.3tn stimulus passed at the end of March, which also included a larger fund for helping small businesses.
 
America's second Covid-19 wave may be even worse: health chief

A second wave of the novel coronavirus in the US could be even more destructive because it will likely collide with the beginning of flu season, one of the country's top health officials, according to AFP.

Robert Redfield, director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, called on Americans to use the coming months to prepare — and get their flu shots.

“There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with the Washington Post.

“We're going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time,” he said.
 
iRfaN_LA said:
Agreed 100%. This issue has become way to politicized here in the US. If you watch the left media CNN, MSNBC, they keep showing the dark side of how dangerous this virus is and how bad re-opening will be. Their goal is to criticize anyone who is trying to re-open.

If you look at right media, like FOX, their focus is on protesters and how strict lockdown measures are.

The balance is missing. The reality is that re-opening needs to happen with a cautious approach. Here in NJ, even the state parks are shutdown. The mental health issues with all the unemployment are mounting. And then you are hear people like Nancy Pelosi scold the people who are protesting. I mean CMON, give them a break.
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This is true and very different from Europe where political matters are more sidelined during this crisis

Which is why they are reopening earlier as well, except UK

In the US, many who are anti-trump would happily have 6 months of shutdown as long as it means Trump will lose the election

If Obama was President now, right wingers would react the same

I keep reading on left wing media how America is so much worse off than Europe in tackling the virus, though death rates in US are lower than Italy, France UK, or Spain
 
An autopsy in California has revealed that the first US coronavirus-related death came weeks earlier than previously thought.

The first previously known death in the US was in Seattle on 26 February and the first in California on 4 March.

New information from a Santa Clara county coroner changes that timeline.

Autopsies on two people who died on 6 February and 17 February show they died with Covid-19.

Samples from the autopsies were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which confirmed the presence of the virus, California's Santa Clara County coroner's office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The death of a third Santa Clara individual on 6 March has also been confirmed to be coronavirus-related.

"These three individuals died at home during a time when very limited testing was available only through the CDC," the coroner statement said.

At the time, the CDC's criteria restricted testing only to people with a known travel history and who were showing specific symptoms.

How California kept ahead of the curve

The coroner statement said "we anticipate additional deaths from Covid-19 will be identified" as more deaths are investigated in Santa Clara county.

The number of confirmed virus cases in the US has reached more than 825,000. At least 45,000 people have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Elsewhere in California, health officials from Los Angeles confirmed an additional 1,400 cases of coronavirus in that county, an increase of almost 10% of the total number.

The sudden spike is a result of a "backlog" of almost 1,200 cases from a single laboratory, according to Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

“Over the weekend we received a large backlog of test results from one lab," she said.

"This is a tremendous lag in data reporting to the Department of Public Health and we are working hard to make sure we don’t have backlogs moving forward."


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52385558
 
New York death toll lowest since 2 April

From across the Atlantic, we've just had an update on the state of the crisis in New York, which has been the epicentre of the US coronavirus outbreak.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says the death toll in his state "seems to be on a gentle decline".

Cuomo announced 474 people had died in the state in the last 24 hours - the lowest since 2 April.

It is also the third consecutive day that the death count dropped below 500.

"We’re in a relatively good place," Cuomo said.
 
MenInG said:
New York death toll lowest since 2 April

From across the Atlantic, we've just had an update on the state of the crisis in New York, which has been the epicentre of the US coronavirus outbreak.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says the death toll in his state "seems to be on a gentle decline".

Cuomo announced 474 people had died in the state in the last 24 hours - the lowest since 2 April.

It is also the third consecutive day that the death count dropped below 500.
Click to expand...

Meanwhile New Jersey, across the Hudson river from NYC yesterday on Tuesday 4/21 reported another 3,643 positive tests and 379 deaths — the state’s highest single-day increase in fatalities since the pandemic began.
 
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LongHorn said:
This is true and very different from Europe where political matters are more sidelined during this crisis

Which is why they are reopening earlier as well, except UK

In the US, many who are anti-trump would happily have 6 months of shutdown as long as it means Trump will lose the election

If Obama was President now, right wingers would react the same

I keep reading on left wing media how America is so much worse off than Europe in tackling the virus, though death rates in US are lower than Italy, France UK, or Spain
Click to expand...

I don't agree,
Those who believe in science and medicine want to keep lockdown a bit longer until widespread testing is done , others want to try their luck , they will cause damage not only to themselves but can cause a resurgence of pandemic.

Fox news is also criticizing early opening in GA, Trump;s big supporter republican Senator Lindsey Graham from SC also condemned southern states for opening the business.

Governor Coumo of NY , visited Trump in Washington DC , so I don;t see politics playing major part here. Congress has passed multiple bills proposed by Trump.
 
Trump says he told Georgia governor he disagrees with reopening decision

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he told Georgia Governor Brian Kemp he disagreed with his plan to reopen certain businesses this month, saying it was too soon for businesses like spas, beauty salons and tattoo parlors to reopen.

“It’s just too soon. I think it’s too soon,” Trump said at the White House coronavirus news briefing. “They can wait a little bit longer, just a little bit - not much. Because safety has to predominate. We have to have that.

“So I told the governor very simply that I disagree with his decision but he has to do what he thinks is right.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...sagrees-with-reopening-decision-idUSKCN2243HN
 
Trump summons CDC director to clarify remarks on second virus wave

The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was called on by President Donald Trump on Wednesday to walk back his remark that the second wave of coronavirus in the fall could be worse than the current situation.

CDC Director Robert Redfield made the widely circulated comment in an interview Tuesday with the Washington Post and Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that the health expert was misquoted. Redfield, however, said he was quoted accurately.

“I think it’s really important to emphasize what I didn’t say: I didn’t say that this was going to be worse,” Redfield said at the daily White House coronavirus briefing. “I said it was going to be more difficult and potentially complicated because we’re going to have flu and coronavirus circulating at the same time.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...fy-remarks-on-second-virus-wave-idUSKCN2243GN
 
The Viper said:
Trump says he told Georgia governor he disagrees with reopening decision

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he told Georgia Governor Brian Kemp he disagreed with his plan to reopen certain businesses this month, saying it was too soon for businesses like spas, beauty salons and tattoo parlors to reopen.

“It’s just too soon. I think it’s too soon,” Trump said at the White House coronavirus news briefing. “They can wait a little bit longer, just a little bit - not much. Because safety has to predominate. We have to have that.

“So I told the governor very simply that I disagree with his decision but he has to do what he thinks is right.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...sagrees-with-reopening-decision-idUSKCN2243HN
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Before that Trump was encouraging people protesting against the lockdown to "liberate" themselves.
 
All Republican states will likely open in early May. Tennesee, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma are already announcing guidelines for opening.

The democrat states are unlikely to open until June/July. Unfortunately I live in a BLUE state and you can't dare talk about opening the state here. The politicization of the issue is just insane.
 
Pompeo renews criticism of China over virus but welcomes supplies

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hit out at Beijing again on Wednesday over the coronavirus outbreak and accused it of taking advantage of the pandemic to bully neighbors, even as he welcomed China's provision of essential medical supplies.
 
Coronavirus: US unemployment claims hit 26.4 million amid virus

A further 4.4 million Americans sought unemployment benefits last week as the economic toll from the coronavirus pandemic continued to mount.

The new applications brought the total number of jobless claims since mid-March to 26.4 million.

That amounts to more than 15% of the US workforce.

However, the most recent data marked the third week that the number of new claims has declined - a sign that the worst of the shock may be over.

"While this week's 4.4 million jobless claims are staggering, there are signs that the pace of layoffs has reached its peak," said Richard Flynn, UK managing director at financial service firm Charles Schwab.

"The key questions at this point are when can the economy reopen and what happens when it does?"

Economists have warned that the world is facing the sharpest slowdown since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

In the US, the economy is expected to contract 5.9% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

The US government has approved more than $2 trillion in rescue funds, expanding eligibility for unemployment benefits and increasing the payments.

But many people have had trouble getting through to state offices processing the applications.

"The phones lines are often busy," said John Dignan, a 52-year-old real estate agent in Nevada.

"It's very frustrating, because you have no control, and no information. You already have so much anxiety about Covid-19, you know the economy's falling apart, and I don't have much left in savings - maybe about a month left."

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52398837

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The latest from the US

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives will vote today on a fresh relief package worth $484bn (£390bn) - expanding loan funding for struggling small businesses

Yesterday President Donald Trump signed an executive order to temporarily suspend the approval of some immigration green cards. He insists the move aims to protect American jobs, after more than 20 million filed for unemployment during the outbreak

Dr Rick Bright, a senior health official who had been leading the US effort to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, has said he believes he was removed from his post after pushing back against recommending the use of a drug, hydroxychloroquine, to treat coronavirus because of the lack of scientific evidence. There has been no response from the administration of President Trump, who has often touted the drug as a "game changer"

The total number of cases in the country is now above 840,000 with more than 46,700 deaths
 
Elizabeth Warren's brother dies of virus

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has revealed her older brother has died after contracting Covid-19.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, the former presidential hopeful paid tribute to the 86-year-old, as well as the staff who looked after him before his death.
 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has hit back at Senate Leader Mitch McConnell for his suggestion that states declare bankruptcy, as the coronavirus outbreak continues to pummel local economies.

"This is one of the really dumb ideas of all time," Cuomo, a Democrat, said at his daily coronavirus briefing. "You want to see the market fall through the cellar? Let New York State declare bankruptcy."

McConnell - the top Republican in the US Congress - said this week that additional assistance for state governments should be "thoroughly evaluated", in a press release called "Stopping Blue State Bailouts" - referring to Democrat-leaning states.

"How ugly a thought," Cuomo said of McConnell's "obsessive political bias", before calling the senator "the self-proclaimed grim reaper".

New York State reported 438 deaths yesterday, continuing a gradual decline in its death toll. Nearly 20,000 people have died statewide since the outbreak began.

At Thursday's briefing, Cuomo also announced that the state would begin an investigation of nursing homes, to ensure they are following state guidance during the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
US: Fearing coronavirus, Georgia mosques to stay shut for Ramadan

It will be a Ramadan unlike any other in recent memory, said Abdullah Jaber.

With COVID-19 spreading across the United States and the world, the Islamic holy month marked by communal prayer and large gatherings of friends and family, will take on a more sombre note.

"There is an element of sadness and loss," said Jaber, executive director of the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Georgia), "that so many of the things that we are so used to enjoying and looking forward to within the month of Ramadan, we can't."

Houses of worship across the country - mosques, churches, synagogues, temples – shuttered weeks ago to prevent the spread of the highly contagious novel coronavirus, which leads to COVID-19.

In Georgia, some of those social distancing measures are slowly lifting – and this week, Governor Brian Kemp gave religious leaders permission to hold in-person services again, so long as congregants can maintain a safe distance between them.

However, according to Jaber, the idea of reopening mosques is just too risky.

"The very nature of congregation, it's very intimate, it's very up close and that's what makes it even more dangerous," he told Al Jazeera on Thursday, a day before the first day of Ramadan fasting is set to take place in many countries around the world.

Jaber said Georgia has not yet hit its peak of COVID-19 cases, "and to reopen as of now, there could be a great spike, a much higher loss of life".

For that reason, most mosques - which Jaber said number about 100 across Georgia, where less than 1
percent of the population is Muslim - will remain closed for the duration of Ramadan.

Religious organisations in several US states with exemptions to stay-at-home orders have also made the same decision as the fight to contain COVID-19 continues. "We're trying to bend that curve, and we're trying to protect lives," said Jaber.

'Incremental' reopening
Kemp, Georgia's governor, on April 20 announced plans to "incrementally and safely reopen sectors of our economy".

He said the move came as a result of enhanced coronavirus testing capacity and a stable number of COVID-19 cases across the state, and it was made with the approval of healthcare professionals.

"According to the department of public health, reports of emergency room visits for flu-like illnesses are declining, documented COVID-19 cases have flattened and appear to be declining, and we have seen declining emergency room visits in general," Kemp told reporters.

He said that, among other businesses, gyms, bowling alleys, tattoo parlours and barber shops would be allowed to reopen as of April 24. In-person religious services could also resume, Kemp said, "in accordance with strict social distancing protocols".

"I urge faith leaders to continue to help us in this effort to keep their congregations safe by heeding the advice of public health officials. Of course, online, call-in and drive-in services remain a good option for religious institutions," he said.

A series of right-wing rallies have been held in several US states, with protesters demanding a lifting of stay-at-home orders designed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. The virus has killed more than 46,000 people across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University.

US President Donald Trump has advocated for starting up the economy again. In mid-April, he unveiled his three-phased "Opening Up America Again" plan to guide state and local officials in getting people back to work.

But even Trump disagrees with Kemp's decision to reopen the state this week. "Only in timing, I disagree," the president said on Wednesday, as reported by The Washington Post. "I want him to do what he thinks is right, but I disagree with him on what he's doing."

Criticism widespread
In Georgia, a public health emergency was declared on March 14, and Kemp issued a state-wide shelter-in-place order on April 2 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. Less than a week later, he extended the public health emergency until May 13.

But Kemp has said that the shelter-in-place order would expire on April 30 as planned. The state had more than 21,100 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 846 people had died as of April 22, according to the public health agency.

The decision to reopen has been slammed by local leaders, including the mayor of Atlanta, the state capital and largest city. "As I look at the data and as I talk with our public health officials, I don't see that it's based on anything that's logical," Keisha Lance Bottoms told CNN this week.

She said Georgia's COVID-19-related death rate was up almost 14 percent, while positive tests were up almost 7 percent. The state has also not been testing asymptomatic individuals or those with mild symptoms.

"You have to live to be able to fight another day and so when we're talking about this economic pull of getting to recovery, if we're not alive on the other side of it, then there won't be a recovery to be had," she said.

Other religious leaders have also criticised the plan, urging congregations to keep their doors closed despite the governor's go-ahead.

The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church on April 20 asked churches not to gather through May 13, the date Georgia's public health emergency expires. It said it would provide directives next week "for re-opening our church facilities when the time comes that we can safely do so".

Bishop Reginald T Jackson of the Sixth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church also said the governor was "prematurely opening the state" and putting communities at risk.

"We must value the life and safety of people especially minorities as this virus is killing us at an alarming rate. We must flatten the curve," he wrote on Facebook on April 22.

Focus on family
Jaber at CAIR said that despite the challenges that COVID-19 poses, the Muslim community was adapting.

Many mosques have shifted their religious services online, and Muslim organisations are hosting webinars and digital events on social media to help people stay connected during Ramadan, he explained.

Some groups have also partnered with local restaurants and built up food pantries to feed needy families, and that will continue throughout the holy month. "We have faith and we've seen it bring the best out of our communities," Jaber said.

He urged community members to use the month to reconnect with the ones they hold dear. "It's going to be a very family-oriented month, which many of us may not have been afforded prior [to this] because of work and many other commitments," Jaber said.

"No matter what the circumstances have been or are or will be, we've always found ways to come out better and stronger, and in the most creative ways."
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...osques-stay-shut-ramadan-200423172345080.html
 
Sunlight, heat and humidity weaken coronavirus, U.S. official says

The coronavirus appears to weaken more quickly when exposed to sunlight, heat and humidity, a U.S. official said on Thursday in a potential sign that the pandemic could become less contagious in summer months.

U.S. government researchers have determined that the virus survives best indoors and in dry conditions, and loses potency when temperatures and humidity rise - and especially when it is exposed to sunlight, said William Bryan, acting head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate.

“The virus dies quickest in the presence of direct sunlight,” he told a White House news briefing.

The findings could bolster hopes that the coronavirus will mimic the behavior of other respiratory diseases like influenza, which typically are less contagious in warm weather.

But the coronavirus has also proven lethal in warm-weather places like Singapore, raising broader questions about the impact of environmental factors.

President Donald Trump said the findings should be interpreted cautiously. “I hope people enjoy the sun and if it has an impact, that’s great,” he said.

On nonporous surfaces like stainless steel, the virus takes 18 hours to lose half its strength in a dark, low-humidity environment, Bryan said.

In a high-humidity environment, that half-life dropped to six hours, and when the virus was exposed to high humidity and sunlight, the half-life dropped to two minutes, he said.

Researchers found a similar effect with the coronavirus that was suspended in the air - simulating the coughing or sneezing that often spreads the disease. In a dark room, the virus maintained half its strength for an hour. But when exposed to sunlight, it lost half its strength in 90 seconds, Bryan said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...n-coronavirus-u-s-official-says-idUSKCN2253SA
 
US nears 50,000 virus fatalities after 3,176 deaths in 24 hours

The novel coronavirus has killed nearly 50,000 people in the United States, after one of the deadliest days of the pandemic which saw 3,176 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, AFP reported.

The deaths brought the overall coronavirus death toll in the United States to 49,759, according to the Baltimore-based university.
 
The United States House of Representatives on Thursday voted 388 to 5 to approve legislation aimed at providing $484bn for small businesses, hospitals and a national COVID-19 testing strategy .

The bill was approved unanimously by the US Senate on Tuesday after bipartisan negotiations with the White House, and will now go to US President Donald Trump for his signature. Trump is expected to sign the bill quickly.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging America. Small businesses are shuttered. Thousands have died. Millions of Americans are unemployed. Rome is burning. We can either put out the fire or watch our great nation go down in flames," Representative Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat, said in urging the legislation forward.

"This is a strong step in the right direction," Jeffries added.

The emergency spending package adds approximately $320bn to a programme designed to help small businesses keep employees on their payrolls until the US economy can be reopened again.

Congress provided $350bn in March for small businesses under the so-called Paycheck Protection Program, but the money was quickly exhausted by overwhelming demand.

The programme was designed to help companies with fewer than 500 employees, but a number of larger companies found ways to obtain funds through their banks in the first round.

The new bill seeks to compensate for inequities in the US financial system by channeling $60bn of the new funding through community lenders in under-banked neighbourhoods and rural areas.

More than 26 million Americans have lost their jobs since the coronavirus pandemic forced businesses to shut down.

The bill also includes $75bn for hospitals hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic and another $60bn for economic disaster assistance, as well as $11bn for states, according to a summary of the legislation.

The impact of the coronavirus is starting to be felt personally by members of Congress. Senator Elizabeth Warren announced on Twitter that her older brother had died, and Representative Maxine Waters said during House debate that her sister was lying in a hospital bed dying of the disease.

"We are in the middle of this global pandemic. This isn't a Republican virus or a Democratic virus. It doesn't recognize the colour of your skin, or the country of your origin, doesn't know what god you worship. We're in this together," Representative Ami Bera, a Democrat, said.

The House followed unusual procedures during the debate and voting on the $484bn measure, wearing masks and entering the House chamber to debate and vote in small groups by alphabetical order.

The legislation allocates $25bn for testing for the coronavirus that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats sought, and calls on the Trump administration to define a strategy to provide nationwide testing focused on boosting capacity by increasing the availability of testing supplies.

Coronavirus testing has been inconsistent between locales in the US and often restricted to those seeking care at hospitals. Epidemiologists say testing must be much broader to enable a successful reopening of the US economy.

More than 4.5 million coronavirus tests have been administered in the US to date, and some 846,000 cases of COVID-19 - the disease caused by the novel coronavirus - identified, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 47,000 Americans have died from the disease.

New York Coronavirus

New York City, the financial and cultural capital of the United States, folded in on itself amid the coronavirus pandemic [File: Bloomberg]
Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he supported the negotiated agreement with Democrats and would sign the bill. Republicans complained that Democrats had delayed the new small business funding by two weeks with their demands for funding for hospitals and testing.

Today's legislation is the fourth bill Congress has passed to address the coronavirus outbreak and adds to the more than $2.2 trillion in emergency spending previously approved.

The House also voted on Thursday to create a new oversight panel to track the unprecedented federal spending.

Republicans and Democrats were unable to reach agreement on changes to House rules that would effectively allow for remote voting and committee meetings, postponing action on the proposals. Rank-and-file members on both sides are growing increasingly frustrated that Congress is not convening in regular session to address the virus.

The two parties are already bickering over funding priorities for a fifth bill.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer suggested a fifth bill should equal the previous $2.2 trillion package in size and scope. Democrats want the next bill to include bailout funds for states and cities whose budgets have been decimated by the loss of tax revenue.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said on a conservative radio talk show on Wednesday that he would prefer states declare bankruptcy rather than rely on federal bailouts, a proposal that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo assailed as "one of the really dumb ideas of all time".

Cuomo, in his daily briefing on Thursday, decried the divisive politics coursing through the response to the pandemic.

"If there was ever a time to stop your obsessive political anger... now is the time," Cuomo said.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...val-500bn-relief-package-200423191131047.html
 
Pop superstar Beyonce is to donate $6m (£4.9m) to help support coronavirus relief efforts.

Beyonce's foundation BeyGood announced the donation in a statement, saying the money would be donated to small community organisations as well as mental health services across US cities.

Queen Bey - as she is often referred to by her fans - also called out the disproportionate impact the virus has on black Americans.

"Black Americans disproportionately belong to essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home, and African-American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis," she said in an Instagram video.

"This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America. Please protect yourself, we are one family and we need you."
 
The coronavirus death toll in the US has now surpassed 50,000. So what else is happening across the US and Canada?

The state of Georgia has moved forward with its phased reopening, allowing salons, bowling alleys, tattoo parlors and other businesses to resume work. Asked about Georgia's planned reopening, President Donald Trump said yesterday he “was not happy with Brian Kemp”, Georgia’s governor

Doctors and manufacturers have appealed to people not to ingest or inject disinfectant after Trump suggested that disinfectant inside the body might work as a treatment for the virus. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was “sad” the president had to be corrected on matters of science and health

The White House said the media had "irresponsibly" taken Trump's comment "out of context"

Trump is expected to sign a $484bn (£391bn) relief package approved by Congress yesterday, which will give more money to a small business aid fund, overwhelmed hospitals and testing expansion

Canada’s cases have topped 43,300, with 2,244 confirmed deaths - most clustered in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce a new rent relief programme to help businesses that can’t afford their rent amid virus shutdowns. Canada reported a record 1 million jobs lost last month
 
Parts of the US are moving to reopen after weeks of lockdown.

In Georgia, which has one of the fastest reopening timetables in the country, bowling alleys, spas, salons, tattoo parlours and other personal care businesses will be allowed to resume operations.

A similar loosening of restrictions is starting in Alaska and Oklahoma.

On Monday, Georgia will move further by allowing dine-in restaurants and theatres to reopen.
 
Thousands of demonstrators in Wisconsin descended upon the state capitol in Madison earlier to protest against the governor's stay-at-home-orders, now extended until 26 May.

Some wore face coverings in accordance with government guidance, many did not. Several carried signs critical of Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, others boasted banners in support of President Trump.

The protest is thought to be the largest of its kind so far in the US.

It comes almost three weeks after Wisconsin held an in-person election for the Democratic presidential nominee, among other state races. Since the 7 April election. at least 19 people who voted in person or volunteered as poll workers have tested positive for Covid-19.
 
Brett Crozier, the commander of the Theodore Roosevelt, sounded an alarm about infections on board his ship last month. In a letter to navy officials, he pleaded for additional resources to protect his crew.

The letter was leaked to a newspaper, and afterwards he was removed from command. But now the chief of naval operations, Admiral Michael Gilday, and the acting navy secretary, James McPherson, have recommended that Crozier be reinstated as commander.

Their recommendation is a significant development in a story that has transfixed military people and others across the US, and it could mark the beginning of a dramatic turnaround for Crozier.

It is extremely rare for a commander to be sacked, explains Gary Solis, a retired Marine Corps judge, and even more rare for his reputation to be restored. Like many who served in the military, Solis does not approve of the way Crozier addressed the problems on his ship. But Solis says his heart was in the right place.

“It’s clear that he had the best interests of the ship and the crew - and also national defence - in mind,” Solis says.

The Pentagon said in a statement that Defence Secretary Mark Esper would "thoroughly review" the preliminary inquiry into the virus outbreak onboard before meeting with Navy leaders to determine next steps.
 
Three US states have allowed some shops to reopen after measures imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as the country's death toll passed 51,000.

Salons and spas could reopen in Georgia and Oklahoma while Alaska lifted restrictions on restaurants.

On Friday, President Donald Trump walked out of a shorter than usual briefing, refusing to take questions.

He has faced criticism after suggesting that injecting household disinfectant into patients could be beneficial.

His remarks have been condemned as dangerous by doctors and manufacturers. Disinfectants are hazardous substances and can be poisonous if ingested, and even external exposure can be dangerous to the skin, eyes and respiratory system.

Mr Trump said on Friday that the comments - made at a news conference one day earlier - were sarcastic and taken out of context.

Customers visiting the newly reopened businesses in Georgia, Oklahoma and Alaska will be expected to continue adhering to social distancing measures. But some cities and areas have decided to keep their lockdowns in place.

In Georgia, which has one of the fastest reopening timetables in the country, bowling alleys, spas, hair and nail salons, tattoo parlours and other personal care businesses will be allowed to resume operations. On Monday, dine-in restaurants and theatres will be allowed to re-open.

With unemployment claims reaching 26 million people - or around 15% of the population - since mid-March, many US states are feeling the pressure to resume trading.

But health experts have warned that the steps might be happening too soon, amid fears they could spark another wave of infections. After being criticised by Mr Trump, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp tightened some of the sanitation and social distancing requirements for restaurants.

What else happened on Friday?

In the White House briefing that lasted just over 20 minutes, President Trump asked people to continue to follow rules around social distancing and the use of face masks.

Also on Friday, Mr Trump signed a $484bn (£391bn) economic stimulus bill into law, saying he wanted to "rush economic relief to our citizens". It is the fourth Covid-19 relief package passed by Washington, and allocates funds towards greater testing, hospitals and a small business loan programme.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52421730
 
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday that he would allow independent pharmacists to collect samples to test for the novel coronavirus and would expand screening for antibodies, starting with first responders and other essential workers.

Cuomo also told a daily briefing that hospitalisations across his state for Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, had fallen to same level as 21 days ago.

There now around 1,100 hospitalisations per day – down from 1,300 seen previously, he said.
 
Beaches eyed as United States takes steps toward reopening

Many Americans flocked to beaches on Saturday as one Florida county expanded access and California experienced a heatwave, even as new coronavirus cases hit a record high in the United States the day before and deaths topped 200,000 worldwide.

Hair salons and other shops in Georgia, Oklahoma and some other states opened for a second day as pockets of the country sought to restart their economies following a month of government-ordered lockdowns.

The tentative steps toward restarting life run against the warnings of many public health experts, who say the increased human interaction could spark a new wave of cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the highly contagious virus.

The United States on Friday recorded 36,491 new cases of COVID-19, a record daily high, according to a Reuters tally. Global deaths linked to the virus passed 200,000 on Saturday, more than one quarter of them in the United States, the tally shows.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo repeated his warning on Saturday that reopening businesses too soon was risky, while Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo pushed back against a protest at the State House in Providence as short-sighted, arguing it could force her to delay her restart date.

“At this point to violate social distancing rules, it’s just selfish,” Raimondo told a briefing, referring to the protest against a lockdown in effect until at least May 8. “If everybody today went out and violated the rules I will definitely have to push back the date at which we can reopen the economy.”

Volusia County, home to the famed Daytona Beach, opened lots at its coastal parks on Saturday to handicapped visitors, one step in a phased reopening that has so far limited its beaches to those wanting to walk, surf, bike or swim.

In a briefing on Friday, County Manager George Recktenwald had portrayed the relaxed parking provision as an incremental step and warned against gathering in groups, although one resident said many beachgoers were not following the rules.

“I know they have rules and restrictions, but people aren’t listening,” said John Overchuck, 45, an attorney who lives in a beachfront home with his wife and toddler daughter just south of Daytona Beach in New Smyrna Beach. “I walked on the beach 10 minutes ago and it’s packed. That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Overchuck said he fears the return of thousands of spring breakers and tourists who in normal times are drawn to Smyrna and other county beaches. Some were already parking cars and pitching tents right on the beach, he said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...es-takes-steps-toward-reopening-idUSKCN2270NY
 
More winning for the US crony capitalists.

The Tax-Break Bonanza Inside the Economic Rescue Package


As the federal government dispenses trillions of dollars to save the economy, small businesses and out-of-work individuals are jostling to grab small slices of aid before the funds run out.

But another group is in no danger of missing out: wealthy individuals and big companies that are poised for tax windfalls.

As part of the economic rescue package that became law last month, the federal government is giving away $174 billion in temporary tax breaks overwhelmingly to rich individuals and large companies, according to interviews and government estimates.
[MENTION=134809]sensible-indian-fan[/MENTION]
 
Coronavirus: New York to allow tests in pharmacies

The US state of New York, the epicentre of the country's Covid-19 outbreak, will allow pharmacies to carry out tests for the virus, the governor says.

Andrew Cuomo said some 5,000 pharmacies would be able to carry out testing, with the aim to provide 40,000 per day.

The US has more than 938,000 confirmed cases. Almost a third of the 53,751 deaths happened in New York City alone.

What measures is New York introducing?

Governor Cuomo announced on Saturday that antibody screenings would be expanded at four hospitals, beginning with frontline medical workers.

He also said independent pharmacies would be allowed to collect samples for diagnostic tests.

It is part of a drive to find out how widely the virus has spread across the state of 20 million people.

"Twenty-one days of hell, and now we are back to where we were 21 days ago," he said. "Testing is what we are compulsively or obsessively focused on now."

Healthcare staff and essential workers - such as police officers, firefighters, bus drivers and shop assistants - would be able to get tests even if they did not have any symptoms of infection, he said.

This was important not just for their own safety but also to protect the public, he said.

"Since we now have more collection sites, more testing capacity, we can open up the eligibility for those tests," Mr Cuomo added.

Hospital admissions in the state have also begun to fall, Mr Cuomo said, in what he described as a sign the crisis was starting to subside. However, the number of deaths announced on Friday increased slightly to 437 - the first time it had risen in four days.

Earlier this week Mr Cuomo said nearly 14% of 3,000 people in a study had tested positive for the presence of antibodies, suggesting the virus had spread widely throughout the population.

Meanwhile New York City's Independent Budget Office said the lockdown would result in the loss of 475,000 jobs and leave the city with a budget deficit of nearly $10bn (£8.1bn).

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52428994
 
Trump asked to call off New York graduation address

President Trump is drawing flak from critics who say his plan to deliver a commencement speech at the West Point military academy in New York will create unsafe conditions for the 1,000 cadets returning to campus.

Trump is due to speak on 13 June at the academy, which is located about 60 miles (96km) from New York City, the epicentre of the US virus outbreak.

The decision led the editorial board of the New York Daily News to write that the Commander-in-Chief "is unconcerned about the damage he could cause to those around him".

The paper asked him to "stand down" and accused him of using the occasion as a campaign publicity stunt.

The US Naval Academy in Maryland called off its own commencement and instead held a virtual graduation. The Air Force Academy in Colorado allowed seniors to graduate last week, but required them to maintain strict social distancing

98ccb847-735c-409b-ab20-e0744abb6a52.jpg


Air Force graduates sat over 6ft apart from each other at last week's graduation ceremony, where the US vice-president spoke
 
Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus taskforce co-ordinator, has said in a series of US media interviews that social distancing will remain the norm for the next several months.

“Social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases,” Birx told NBC on Sunday, referring to the three stages of reopening that the federal government has outlined.

Her comments come after Vice-President Mike Pence said the virus would be largely "behind us" by the 25 May Memorial Day holiday, which signals the unofficial start of summertime in the US.

On Saturday, Birx told Fox News that new cases and deaths "will be dramatically decreased by the end of May".

Birx on Sunday also criticised the media for its coverage of Trump's suggestion on Thursday that disinfectants or UV light could be injected to fight off the virus - a comment that he later claimed was "sarcastic".

She told CNN that it "bothers" her that "this is still in the news cycle".

"I think I've made it clear that this was a musing, as you described. But I want us to move on to be able to give information to American people that can help them protect each other," she added.
 
The daily Covid-19 death toll in New York State is markedly lower on Sunday than it was on Saturday, with officials having recorded a daily increase of 367 fatalities, compared to 437 a day earlier.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is holding a live press conference, amid intensifying calls for a lifting of the lockdown, which is in place until 15 May.

He says some regions in the state might qualify to open sooner, “with certain precautions”, such as upstate New York, but emphasises that this won’t be possible everywhere in the immediate future.

Asked about schools, Cuomo says it might be possible that “summer schools” might operate to make up for lost tuition.
 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says the death rate has dropped in the state, with 367 deaths on Saturday compared with 437 on Friday.

He said that transmission rates, as well as death rates, would dictate how and when the state reopens.

Cuomo added that asking public to remain in their homes indefinitely with nothing to do through the summer would be impossible.

“There’s a sanity equation here,” he says, pointing to reports that domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and mental health problems have already increased.
 
U.S. CDC reports 928,619 coronavirus cases, 52,459 deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 928,619 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 32,853 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 2,020 to 52,459.

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on April 25, compared with its count a day earlier. (bit.ly/2IVY1JT)

The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states. The tally reported over the weekend is preliminary and will be updated on Monday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-coronavirus-cases-52459-deaths-idUSKCN2280TB
 
Trump rejects reports that he will fire HHS chief Azar

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday rejected reports that he was planning to fire Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, saying he was doing an “excellent job.”

On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal and Politico reported that the Trump administration was considering replacing Azar, because of early missteps in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Reports that H.H.S. Secretary [MENTION=6308]Alex[/MENTION]Azar is going to be “fired” by me are Fake News,” Trump tweeted. “Alex is doing an excellent job.”

The Journal, citing six people familiar with the discussions, reported that frustration with Azar was growing but the administration was reluctant to make big changes while the country was seeking to stop the virus, which has killed more than 53,000 people in the United States and infected nearly 1 million.

A White House spokesman, Judd Deere, had denied the reports on Saturday and said the HHS under Azar continued to lead on a number of the president’s priorities.

Reuters reported last week that Azar, a 52-year-old lawyer and former drug industry executive, tapped a trusted aide with minimal public health experience to lead the agency’s day-to-day response to COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The aide had run a dog-breeding business before joining the department.

Two agencies overseen by Azar as HHS secretary - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration - were unable to come up with viable tests for 5-1/2 weeks, even as other countries and the World Health Organization had already prepared their own.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...hat-he-will-fire-hhs-chief-azar-idUSKCN2280UF
 
New York’s coronavirus deaths dropped to 367 Sunday, the lowest in almost a month, as Governor Andrew Cuomo sketched out a phased-in reopening that begins with construction and manufacturing. That could start as soon as May 15, he said, probably upstate before the New York City area.

The governor’s briefing -- filled with technicalities and conditions for restarting the state -- was a sharp contrast to the depths of the virus outbreak in New York. On April 9, a record 799 people died. Total fatalities are now 16,966, even as new hospitalizations and intensive care cases continue to fall.

“There is no doubt that, at this point, we’ve gone through the worst,” he told reporters in Albany. “And as long as we act prudently going forward, the worst should be over.”

It was the first time Cuomo spoke in detail about reopening -- a massive and complicated undertaking after the governor on March 20 shut down most business, schools and locked down a state of 18 million people.

After construction and manufacturing, he said businesses would reopen based on how essential they are. He didn’t give any firm dates but set two markers: He has officially declared the state closed until May 15th, and new hospitalizations would need to have dropped for two weeks.

Hospitalizations on Sunday dropped to 1,087, the ninth consecutive drop. The state also reported 5,902 new cases on Sunday, down from 10,553, for a total of 288,045.

Pause to Assess

He said there would be a two-week pause after the first re-openings to assess progress, which would be monitored by new hospitalizations, new cases and testing for antibodies that show whether a person had contracted the virus.

He said the measure would be that one person infects no more than one other.

He said that opening New York City was far more complicated than more sparsely populated areas upstate -- and more connected to Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey.

Cuomo stressed it would take a re-imagining of workplaces, schools and public spaces to contain the virus.

”How are you going to protect your people?’ he asked. “What are you going to do differently with your employees? What does the physical space look like when you reopen in this new normal? What’s the access? What’s the screening? How do you move people?”

Sunday also moved from the human toll of Covid-19 to the economic consequences and political battles to come on all levels of government.

N.Y.’s Cuomo Dares McConnell to Let States Seek Bankruptcy

As Cuomo criticizes the federal government for so far not aiding state budgets, he has also announced billions of dollars in cuts in New York that will hit localities hard.

“I can’t tell you how alarmed we were,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters Sunday. “If New York City cannot provide basic services then there won’t be a restart of the economy in New York City or New York State.”

Task Force

But de Blasio also discussed reopening: if new hospital admissions continue to decline for two weeks, officials will begin to relax stay-at-home practices and reopen schools, businesses and cultural institutions.

For advice on the reopening, the mayor said he’s created a task force from the city’s cultural, nonprofit, labor and financial sectors, including Richard Ravitch, a leader in the city’s come-back from its 1975 fiscal crisis, and Fred Wilson, an early tech industry investor. Creating more economic fairness and opportunity would be a key goal, he said.

“Normal isn’t good enough for our future,” he said. “I’m aspiring to something new and better, addressing all these inequalities while building up a strong city.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...business&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
 
New York City will soon open 40 miles (64km) of streets to pedestrians so residents have more space to social-distance outdoors, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced.

"We are going to focus first on streets in and around our parks," the mayor said. "Oftentimes we are seeing that immediate area getting very crowded."

As warmer weather approaches, the city will seek to barricade some streets to expand sidewalks, he added. Some 100 miles of space could ultimately be opened up for pedestrian use.

This is the second time De Blasio has tried to open up street space for New Yorkers - his earlier effort was ended due to enforcement concerns from police
 
New York deaths continue to decline

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo offered his daily update on the situation in his state, which remains the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak in the US.

Here are the key takeaways:

While death rates continue to decline, 337 New Yorkers died in the last day

There are still 1,000 new Covid-19 cases, daily

Parts of the state could open after 15 May, when restrictions expire, but Cuomo urged local lawmakers to be "smart about it" and work within national health guidelines and other regional leaders

The governor also called out criticism that some states are asking for federal aid, saying New York was a "giver" state and "nobody puts more money into the [national] pot"
 
US rapper 2 Chainz serves food to homeless

cb648b3c-e72c-4708-b8e3-5f1e369d9aa8.jpg


When the call came to reopen restaurants in Georgia, not everyone answered it the same way.

Instead of opening his Escobar Restaurant in Atlanta, American rapper 2 Chainz took the opportunity to provide meals for homeless people.

He was seen outside a closed business, handing out meals while wearing a mask and gloves.

Georgia governor Brian Kemp allowed restaurants to reopen across the state on Monday, following a similar decision to reopen other businesses such as nail salons, hairdressers and gyms on Friday..

This has drawn criticism from many across the political spectrum, including US President Donald Trump who said he “strongly disagrees” with the governor.

There have been more than 24,000 coronavirus cases in Georgia according to data from Johns Hopkins University and almost 1,000 deaths.
 
Millions of Americans locked out of unemployment system, survey finds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Millions of Americans who have been thrown out of work during the coronavirus pandemic have been unable to register for unemployment benefits since the U.S. economy entered a free fall, according to a poll released on Tuesday.

The left-leaning Economic Policy Institute found in an online poll that for every 10 people who have successfully filed unemployment claims, three or four people have been unable to register and another two people have not tried to apply at a time of acute economic crisis.

Official U.S. statistics show that 26.5 million people have applied for unemployment benefits since mid-March, wiping out all of the jobs gained during the longest employment boom in U.S. history.

EPI’s survey indicates that an additional 8.9 million to 13.9 million people have been shut out of the system, said Ben Zipperer, the study’s lead author.

“This study validates the anecdotes and news reports we’re seeing about people having trouble filing for benefits they need and deserve,” Zipperer said.

Idled workers say they have encountered downed websites and clogged phone lines, as the state governments that administer the program have been overwhelmed by applicants.

“It’s a shame how you work for so many years and then when you need it, you can’t get it,” said Jim Hewes, 48, who said he was unable to file a claim online for more than two weeks after he was furloughed from his job at an Orlando, Florida, second-hand store in March.

Hewes said he mailed off a paper application on April 9 but had not heard back from the state.

“It’s almost set up to fail. It was made complicated so people would get discouraged and give up,” he said.

EPI surveyed 24,607 U.S. adult internet users using Google Surveys between April 13 and April 24. The poll has a confidence interval, an indicator of accuracy, of plus or minus 1%.

Some 9.4% of poll respondents said they had successfully applied for unemployment benefits, while 3.4% said they tried but could not get through.

A further 1.9% said they did not apply because the process was too difficult.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...nemployment-system-survey-finds-idUSKCN22A1MR
 
As U.S. states ease restrictions, projected coronavirus death toll rises

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As Georgia lifted a ban on eating in restaurants and a handful of other U.S. states began easing other restrictions aimed at fighting the coronavirus pandemic, scientists warned the death toll would climb if governors reopen businesses prematurely.

The outbreak could take more than 74,000 U.S. lives by August, compared with an earlier forecast of 67,000, according to the University of Washington’s predictive model, often cited by White House officials and state public health authorities.

The university’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) said late on Monday that the number of U.S. deaths caused by the virus was not abating as quickly as previously projected after hitting a daily peak on April 15 with about 2,700.

IHME director Christopher Murray said the death toll would climb if states reopen their economies too early.

With President Donald Trump’s administration forecasting an unemployment rate of more than 16% for April and residents chafing under stay-at-home orders, states from Alaska to Mississippi are seeking to restart their battered economies despite a lack of large-scale virus testing.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Monday he would allow the state’s stay-at-home order to expire and begin reopening businesses including restaurants and retail shops in phases beginning on Friday.

The White House released a blueprint on Monday that put the onus on states to implement testing and rapid response programs, despite pleas from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and others for federal help. It said states were responsible for identifying, and overcoming barriers to, efficient testing.

The U.S. government’s role was to “act as supplier of last resort,” the blueprint said. It would provide guidelines for easing restrictions and administering diagnostic tests, while providing technical assistance on how to best use testing technologies and align supplies with anticipated lab needs.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from hard-hit Washington state, on Tuesday criticized the Republican Trump’s testing blueprint as “nothing new.”

“It doesn’t set specific, numeric goals, offer a timeframe, identify ways to fix our broken supply chain, or offer any details whatsoever on expanding lab capacity or activating needed manufacturing capacity,” she said in a statement.

“Perhaps most pathetically, it attempts to shirk obviously federal responsibilities by assigning them solely to states instead,” she said.

After crowds jammed beaches over the weekend in California, Governor Gavin Newsom said social-distancing enforcement would be stepped up.

Deborah Birx, response coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force, urged Americans on Monday to go on sheltering in place and maintain social distancing until authorities lift their orders.

“We’re beginning to understand more and more that there may be an inverse relationship for how severe the disease is and your age. So younger people could actually be infected and not know they are infected and unintentionally pass the virus on,” she told Fox News on Tuesday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ed-coronavirus-death-toll-rises-idUSKCN22A278
 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says some regions of his state can expect to loosen lockdown restrictions beginning on 15 May, provided they hit certain containment markers, including a 14-day consecutive decline in virus cases.

A reopening will not be possible in areas where hospitals are at 70% capacity or above, or where the transmission rate is above 1.1, Cuomo said. New York City - the most hard-hit city in the state - will not begin its reopening on that day, "unless a miracle happens".

Manufacturing and construction businesses will be among the first to reopen, given they are able to put precautions in place.
In the past 24 hours, 335 people died throughout New York, a modest decline from the 337 deaths the day before.

"Every day I think today might be the day the nightmare is over, but it’s not," Cuomo said.
 
The United States accounts for about a third of all confirmed cases.

The global total stands at 3,083,467, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The US has confirmed 1,002,498.

That is far more than any other country. Spain has confirmed 232,128 cases, and Italy has confirmed 201,505 cases. No other country has confirmed more than 200,000 cases.
 
MenInG said:
The United States accounts for about a third of all confirmed cases.

The global total stands at 3,083,467, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The US has confirmed 1,002,498.

That is far more than any other country. Spain has confirmed 232,128 cases, and Italy has confirmed 201,505 cases. No other country has confirmed more than 200,000 cases.
Click to expand...

These stats will change as the virus hits South Asia now.
 
President Donald Trump was just asked for his response to the US hitting one million confirmed cases, given his comments in February that the 15 cases of coronavirus confirmed at the time would soon drop down "close to zero".

"It will go down to zero ultimately," Mr Trump said on Tuesday. "You have to understand, when it comes to cases we do much more testing than anybody else.

He added: 'We're doing more testing than any other country in the world by far... So we're gonna show more cases because we're doing much, much more testing, double anybody else.

"At the appropriate time it will be down to zero like we say."
 
One million coronavirus cases in the US is indeed a grim milestone, a number as round and neat as it is devastating.

The reality, however, is that the mark was certainly hit weeks ago, as many cases have gone undiagnosed – the disease silently spreading through communities across the nation.

Only a few months ago, the pandemic seemed like a distant news story for most Americans – a problem for China, then Italy. There had been pandemic warnings before, but they had always passed with little impact on everyday life. Why would this time be different?

But it was different. The virus spread from a handful of documented US cases in January, to thousands, to hundreds of thousands, and now a million – one-third of all the cases in entire world, with a death count now above 50,000.

While the nationwide lockdown appears to have helped slow the spread of the virus and avoid the most dire casualty predictions, Tuesday’s milestone is still an indictment of US government’s failed attempts to prevent a full-blown health – and economic – crisis.

It is also a warning that despite calls to ease state-imposed restrictions and reopen businesses, the virus continues to pose a serious threat throughout the US.
 
US President Donald Trump has doubled down on earlier comments suggesting that American schools reopen, saying that young people are less susceptible to the virus.

"Now we found out that young people do extraordinarily well," with the virus, he says. "That's why I think we can start thinking about schools."

The president said yesterday he thought it would be a "good thing" for schools to open up before the end of the current school year.

"I noticed that Purdue University", in Indiana, wants to reopen, Trump said on Tuesday. "I think that's correct."

"So hopefully they're going to be coming back," he said. "Young people do well with this horrible scourge."

The coronavirus has not hit US young children as hard as adults, however, the disease has caused hospitalisation and death across all ages.

Earlier this month, a six-week-old baby died in Connecticut, believed to be one of America's youngest victim of the virus.
 
CDC reports 981,246 coronavirus cases, 55,258 deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday reported 981,246 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 23,371 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 1,336 to 55,258.

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on April 27, compared with its count a day earlier. (bit.ly/2IVY1JT)

The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-coronavirus-cases-55258-deaths-idUSKCN22A3GU
 
US President Donald Trump has ordered meat processing plants to stay open to protect the nation's food supply amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He invoked a Korean War-era law to mandate that the plants continue to function, amid industry warnings of strain on the supply chain.

An estimated 3,300 US meatpacking workers have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 20 have died.

The UN last month warned the emergency threatened global food supply chains.

Twenty-two US meatpacking plants across the American Midwest have closed during the outbreak.

They include slaughterhouses owned by the nation's biggest poultry, pork and beef producers, such as Smithfield Foods, Tyson Foods, Cargill and JBS USA.

"Such closures threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency," says Tuesday evening's executive order, invoking the 1950 Defense Production Act.

"Given the high volume of meat and poultry processed by many facilities, any unnecessary closures can quickly have a large effect on the food supply chain."

The order designates the meatpacking plants as part of critical infrastructure in the US.

A White House official told US media it will work with the Department of Labor to issue guidance for vulnerable workers, such as over-65s and those with chronic health conditions, to stay at home.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52466502
 
Bunch of states will be opening up gradually starting Friday. Most blue states will remain closed until Mid-May. Democrats wants to follow so-called science and republicans appear to more concerned about re-opening economy.
 
iRfaN_LA said:
Bunch of states will be opening up gradually starting Friday. Most blue states will remain closed until Mid-May. Democrats wants to follow so-called science and republicans appear to more concerned about re-opening economy.
Click to expand...

Blue states were hit far more than red states.....

Places that were hit harder should be more cautious. It does not make sense to treat rural Colorado and New Mexico the same way as NYC or New Orleans
 
New York mayor criticises Jewish funeral gathering

Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, has criticised some Hasidic Jews in the city after hundreds gathered for the funeral of a rabbi who had died with the virus.

De Blasio went to the scene to disperse the crowds.

Writing on Twitter, he described such gatherings as unacceptable and warned it would only lead to more deaths.

The city has been hit hard by coronavirus. More than 17,000 people have died.
 
Coronavirus: US economy sinks 4.8% amid pandemic shutdowns

The US economy suffered its most severe contraction in more than a decade in the first quarter of the year, as the country introduced lockdowns to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The world's largest economy sank at an annual rate of 4.8%, according to official figures released on Wednesday.

It marked the first contraction since 2014, ending a record expansion.

The figures do not reflect the full crisis, since many of the restrictions were not put in place until March.

_112023255_usgdp-nc.png


Since then, more than 26 million people in the US have filed for unemployment, and the US has seen historic declines in business activity and consumer confidence. Forecasters expect growth to contract 30% or more in the three months to June.

"This is off the rails, unprecedented," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. "The economy has just been flattened."

Before the coronavirus knocked the global economy off course, the US economy was expected to grow about 2% this year.

But by mid April, more than 95% of the country was was in some form of lockdown. Although some states have started to remove the orders, they remain in place in many others, including major economic engines such as New York and California.

While the economic hit is expected to be most severe in the April-June period, economists say even the estimate for the first quarter estimate is likely to be revised lower, as the government receives more data.

The US has responded to the economic crisis with more than $3tn in new spending.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52466864

The central bank has also mounted a significant intervention.
 
New York State reported 330 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, a muted decline from the 335 the day before. New hospitalisations and intubations have also continued a steady downward trend.

"The decline has been slow at best", Governor Andrew Cuomo said. And deaths are "still disgustingly high".

What else did Cuomo say at his daily briefing?

Some counties in New York - mostly upstate - will be able to resume elective surgeries as long as 30% of hospital beds and ICU beds remain open

New York will expand antibody testing for its first responders. After 2,000 tests so far, 17.1% of New York fire department and EMT workers and 10.5% of police officers have tested positive for the Covid-19 antibody

The state will also provide tests to 1,000 transport workers. Cuomo said he has directed the state's transit system to disinfect every subway car every night to limit the spread

Cuomo once again lambasted top Republican Mitch McConnell for his suggestion that states should not be "bailed out" as the virus continues to crush the US economy. "How long are you going to play the American people and assume they're stupid?" Cuomo said, adding that his state pays $29 billion into federal coffers every year.
 
Trump administration to speed coronavirus vaccine development: official

The Trump administration is planning to speed up development of a coronavirus vaccine with the goal of having 100 million doses ready by the end of 2020, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.

The official declined to be publicly identified.

Executives and other experts have previously suggested that clinical trials to guarantee a vaccine is safe and effective could take a minimum of 12 to 18 months.

Several agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services announced plans earlier in April to partner with more than 15 drug companies as well as European regulators in an effort to spur development of vaccines and treatments for the disease.

The latest Trump administration efforts to speed vaccine development were originally reported by Bloomberg News, citing people familiar with the matter.

Called "Operation Warp Speed," the project will join private pharmaceutical companies with government agencies and the military in trying to cut the development time for a vaccine by as much as eight months, Bloomberg News said bloom.bg/2YgpC1j.

It said a White House meeting on the project was scheduled for Wednesday.

Last month, President Donald Trump directed Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to speed development of a vaccine, and administration officials have been meeting on the effort for three to four weeks, the report added.

The administration’s initiative comes a week after HHS said it had replaced Rick Bright as director of a key U.S. agency charged with developing drugs and vaccines for COVID-19.

Bright has said he was ousted as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, because he resisted the administration’s efforts to push malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine touted by Trump to treat the coronavirus even though their effectiveness has not been demonstrated and there are concerns about heart damage.

Lawyers for Bright, an expert in vaccines and therapeutics who served as an adviser to the World Health Organization, have said he will file a whistleblower’s complaint with two government offices over his removal.

Under Bright’s leadership, BARDA recently announced nearly $1 billion in support of vaccine manufacturing efforts by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. The agency had a total of $5 billion set aside for vaccine development.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...us-vaccine-development-official-idUSKBN22B30C
 
Dozens of bodies found in trucks in New York City

Dozens of bodies have been discovered in trucks outside a funeral home New York City after a passer-by complained about the smell.

Workers, suited up in protective gear, were seen on Wednesday in the neighbourhood of Brooklyn, transferring the corpses into a refrigerated vehicle.

It was not clear how long the bodies had been stored in the U-Haul trucks or whether any were COVID-19 victims.

Investigators who responded to a 911 call found that the funeral home had rented four trucks to hold about 50 corpses, according to a US law enforcement official.

No criminal charges were brought against the funeral home and the official, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the investigation, spoke to The Associated Press news agency on condition of anonymity.

ABC News reported about 100 bodies were stored in the vehicles. A person who answered the phone at the funeral home hung up without speaking.

Funeral homes say they are facing weeks-long backlogs to bury or cremate the dead.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams went to the scene and told the New York Daily News: "While this situation is under investigation, we should not have what we have right now, with trucks lining the streets filled with bodies."

Adams said: "It was people who walked by who saw some leakage and detected an odor coming from a truck."

The New York Police Department declined to comment. The Department of Health could not immediately be reached for comment.

The US coronavirus death toll topped 60,000 on Wednesday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

New York City has been at the epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic and the city's funeral homes have been overwhelmed. As of Wednesday, more than 18,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the US's biggest city.

New York has set up temporary morgues and hospitals have used refrigerated tractor-trailers to cart away multiple bodies at a time, sometimes loading them in public view on the sidewalk.

Crematoriums have been backed up and funeral directors across the city have pleaded for help as they have run out of space.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/dozens-bodies-trucks-york-city-200430063815259.html
 
BREAKING: US unemployment numbers hit 30 million

The US labour department has released its latest unemployment numbers - and last week continued the bleak trend.

In the past week, 3.8 million more people filed for unemployment, bringing the total number of Americans made jobless up to some 30m over the past six weeks.

Unemployment has surged as states enacted social and economic restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19.

There have been protests across the country urging governors to reopen state economies as a result, and several states have begun to ease restrictions in an effort to get businesses back open.

Some economists anticipate US employment could reach 20% by the end of April - about 5% shy of the rate during the Great Depression nearly a century ago.
 
Has the US done more testing than the rest of the world combined?

President Donald Trump claims the US has “tested more than all countries put together”, as he continues to defend his administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak.

But is that true?

The latest data shows that a total of 6,026,170 tests have been carried out in the US.

This is nowhere near as many as the rest of the world combined. Just combining the testing totals of Spain, Italy, Germany and the UK gives you more than the US total.

The US has carried out more tests in total than any other country, but it has a much larger population than most countries, and still lags behind several major nations in terms of testing per capita.

In early March, the White House conceded that the country did not have enough testing kits, but since then the US has significantly ramped up testing, with the total number increasing almost six-fold since the start of April.
 
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s announcement of free testing for all came hours after a grim milestone.

LA County saw its largest increase in new coronavirus cases reported in a single day since the pandemic began, though the rate of hospitalisations and percentage of people testing positive have remained stable.

Eric Garcetti urged all Angelenos to get swabbed.

“You can’t put a price on the peace of mind of knowing you can’t infect someone around you,” he said.

California’s leaders have long characterised expanding Covid-19 testing as one of a number of critical milestones that need to be met before stay at home orders can be modified.

While Los Angeles County, which is home to nearly 10 million people, continues to be the coronavirus hotbed of California, accounting for nearly half of the state's nearly 50,000 confirmed cases, that milestone could now be in sight.
 
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