• Birx warns of coming coronavirus hot spots across the U.S.
3 Apr 2020 at 12:28am
Louisiana is poised to become the next epicenter of the coronavirus crisis, White House officials said Thursday, citing new data that shows that 26 percent of the tests for COVID-19 in that state in recent days have come back positive.
• Two years before coronavirus, CDC warned of a coming pandemic
2 Apr 2020 at 9:01am
Long before the coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, and then soon spread to nearly every country on Earth, a conference in 2018 offered proof that epidemiologists at the CDC and other institutions were aware that a new pandemic was poised to strike.
• Trump fires intelligence official involved in his impeachment probe
4 Apr 2020 at 3:23am
U.S. President Donald Trump notified Congress on Friday that he is firing the inspector general of the U.S. intelligence community who was involved in triggering an impeachment probe of the president last year. In a letter to key lawmakers, Trump said he planned to remove the official, Michael Atkinson, in 30 days, saying, "it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors general." A U.S. official said Thomas Monheim, a career intelligence professional, would serve as acting inspector general for the time being.
• Two cats have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, but experts still do...
3 Apr 2020 at 8:07pm
Cats have tested positive for coronavirus and shown symptoms, but experts say there's not reason to think pets can infect owners with the coronavirus.
• How coronavirus has halted Central American migration to the US
2 Apr 2020 at 10:32am
Border closures and strict lockdowns have led to a steep decline in the number of migrants coming from Central AmericaWhen Angelica turned 30, she realized there was no future for her in Honduras.Although she had a college degree, she was still living paycheck to paycheck and was stuck in a neighborhood of the capital Tegucigalpa ruled by violent gangs.So, after years contemplating migration to the US where she has relatives, she finally made arrangements to depart.?I didn?t want to stay in a neighborhood where there are massacres or where the people lock themselves in their homes at six at night because the gangs impose a curfew,? she said. ?I realized I was more surviving than living.?But by the time she was due to start her journey north, Honduras had closed its borders and declared a state of emergency. She could no longer leave her city ? much less take a bus to northern Guatemala, to meet a coyote who would guide her through Mexico.?I had thought that only a hurricane could stop me,? she said. ?But I hadn?t thought of a pandemic.?Border closures and strict lockdowns prompted by the Covid-19 crisis have disrupted the migrant trail through Central America and Mexico, forcing some would-be migrants to postpone their journeys ? and stopping many others in their tracks.The result has been a deterrent more effective than any wall Donald Trump could build.Activists across the region have reported a steep decline in the number of migrants coming from Central America since the restrictions were implemented. One Mexican shelter near the Guatemalan border said it hadn?t received a new arrival in a week.?The crisis has facilitated Trump?s policies because [Central American] migrants can?t even leave their countries,? said Sister Nyzella Juliana Dondé, coordinator of a Catholic migrant aid organization in Honduras.El Salvador closed its borders on 11 March, and the governments of Guatemala and Honduras quickly followed suit. All three countries in the so-called northern triangle have since announced internal lockdowns of differing strictness.The three nations had recently signed ?safe third country agreements? with the US government under which they agreed to increase enforcement on their borders, and receive migrants who had transited their country on the way to the US.Only Guatemala had begun to implement the new measures, but it announced on 17 March that it would suspend the deportations of Hondurans and Salvadorans from the US to its territory.But Guatemala and Honduras continued to receive deportation flights bringing their own citizens from the US ? despite concerns that the practice could accelerate the spread of the virus. In the past week, a migrant who was deported from the US to Guatemala was diagnosed with Covid-19 and a group of deportees to Honduras escaped from the shelter where they were to be quarantined. Guatemala has now requested that the US suspend deportation flights.Meanwhile, migrants who were already en route have been left exposed by the closure of shelters and the difficulties facing humanitarian organizations which would normally attend to them.?They are in a vulnerable situation because the guidance is to stay at home ? but the migrants don?t have homes,? said Dondé, who mentioned a case of a large group of Haitian and African migrants who were detained after crossing into Guatemala from Honduras amid the lockdown. ?Neither Honduras or Guatemala wanted to offer them a place to stay.?Migrants who already had arrived to Mexico have been left in limbo by the US government?s decision to immediately return all migrants from Mexico and Central America who cross into the country irregularly along the south-west border.When restrictions are eventually eased, a fresh surge in migration seems likely: multiple would-be migrants who spoke with the Guardian said it was only a question of when, not if, they would set out for the US.And the economic impact of the crisis may in turn cause others to migrate.. ?Before many people migrated because they lacked work and a dignified life,? said Silva de Souza. ?Now there will be many more.?Migrants who have come from even farther afield, have no choice but to try to push on. Mohamed left Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, in 2018, following the well-trodden migrant path via Ecuador, Colombia and the jungles of Panama. He was burning through his savings and racking up debt, but making steady progress north.But he reached Guatemala just before the government announced a state of emergency which has made moving on impossible.?Travel has become very difficult,? he said in a brief exchange via Facebook Messenger. But he was still determined to reach the US ? even if he now has to move more carefully ? traveling at night and avoiding large caravans. ?With God?s will, I?ll get there. I will build a life of opportunity.? * Additional reporting by Joe Parkin Daniels
• Coronavirus: More than 500 die in New York overnight with 100,000 reported cases
3 Apr 2020 at 3:26pm
New York state has the biggest single-day increase of death toll with 592 people dying from the coronavirus yesterday, the governor said.Governor Andrew Cuomo started his daily press briefing on Friday with the grim news about the death toll increasing in the state.
• Canceling a cruise due to coronavirus? Here?s a list of updated policies
3 Apr 2020 at 2:39pm
Following the COVID-19 outbreak, cruise lines like Disney, Norwegian and Viking are implementing strict travel restrictions to protect passengers and crew members.
• France Has Deadliest Virus Day as Infection Rate Slows in Spain
3 Apr 2020 at 6:41pm
(Bloomberg) -- France reported its deadliest day from the coronavirus amid tentative signs that the pandemic may be easing in Spain and Italy.The health ministry in Paris reported 588 hospital deaths, the most yet, bringing the figure to 5,091 since the beginning of the outbreak. In contrast, new infections slowed and fatalities declined in Spain for the first time in four days, as infections stabilized in Italy. Together, the three countries account for more than half the deaths worldwide in the pandemic.Austria could become one of the first in the region to loosen restrictions that have shut down much of public life. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz?s government will review data and consider a plan in coming days to gradually restart the economy, the Austrian leader told parliament in Vienna on Friday.?Let?s not jump to conclusions because there are some positive signals,? Kurz said. ?I can promise you, if the numbers support it, we?ll do what we can to return to normality step by step.?Despite the pockets of improvement, governments have little leeway to unwind lockdowns that have devasted the region?s economy. IHS Markit said its monthly measure of services and manufacturing in the euro area points to an annualized contraction of about 10%. With new business, confidence and employment all down, there is ?worse inevitably to come in the near future,? it said.Signs emerged that squabbling national leaders are coalescing around an aid package. Euro-area finance ministers are set to agree on a coronavirus aid package of 500 billion euros ($540 billion) next week, the group?s leader, Portugal?s Mario Centeno told Sueddeutsche Zeitung.Germany is planning to set up an extra 300 billion-euro aid program to help small- and medium-sized companies, and Switzerland doubled the amount of state credit guarantees for businesses to 40 billion francs ($41 billion).In another positive development, German Chancellor Angela Merkel left her precautionary quarantine. After ending 12 days in voluntary self-isolation in Berlin, Merkel will continue to observe social-distancing standards, government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters.The chancellor, who this week prolonged a nationwide lockdown until April 19, addressed the public Friday from the chancellery for the first time since the quarantine, making a plea to stay home and avoid social contact through the Easter holiday.Even though a slight slowing of the spread of the disease offers ?some hope,? she said it was far too early to set a target date for easing restrictions.Europe?s longest-serving leader took center stage in Germany?s fight against the virus with a rare televised address to the nation on March 18, in which she called the pandemic the country?s gravest challenge since World War II.Lockdown ReviewKurz, who wore a face mask before and after his speech, urged Austrians to persevere with measures to limit contact between people and asked them to refrain from celebrating the Easter holiday with large gatherings of families and friends. His government will review virus statistics with epidemiology experts on Sunday and present its plans on Monday.Growth in new infections in Austria has decreased to less than 5% per day. The number of daily fatalities has fallen for four straight days this week.Spain?s Health Ministry on Friday reported 932 new deaths and 7,472 cases over the latest 24-hour period, both smaller gains than the previous day. The dip in the daily figures could lead to less pressure on overwhelmed hospitals. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez?s government is looking to extend the current lockdown for another two weeks beyond April 11, Spanish media reported.Italy reported 4,585 new infections, while there were 766 fatalities compared with 760 in the previous 24-hour period, civil protection authorities said at their daily news conference in Rome.The pace of both new deaths and new infections has flattened out over past days, even as the containment measures shuttering all non-essential activities and banning most movement take a heavy toll on the economy. In total, the country had 119,827 cases and 14,681 deaths.In France, daily intensive-care admissions fell for a fourth day, adding to signs that lockdown measures across Europe may be helping to bring the outbreak under control. The total number of fatalities is 6,507, including 1,416 deaths from nursing homes -- data that was partially included for the first time on Thursday.Despite Merkel returning to work, Germany?s fight against the outbreak suffered a setback. Fatalities and confirmed cases rose by more than the previous day on Friday, with total deaths climbing past 1,000. The mortality rate is probably underestimated because of insufficient testing, according to Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute.The country -- which has 84,794 infections, the third-most in Europe -- may still need additional intensive-care space, even after boosting capacity by more than 40% since the crisis began, the head of Germany?s public health authority said.?My personal appraisal is that it will not be enough,? Wieler said at a press briefing. ?I would be happy to be wrong.?For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
• Israel sends army to ultra-Orthodox city over coronavirus
3 Apr 2020 at 5:23pm
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday gave the green light for soldiers to be deployed in a mostly ultra-Orthodox Jewish city considered the centre of Israel's novel coronavirus outbreak. "In light of the special situation in Bnei Brak following the restrictions due to the coronavirus, the IDF (army) will immediately present the necessary civil assistance to Bnei Brak municipality in fulfilling its responsibilities," Netanyahu's office said after talks with security and health officials. Authorities have enforced restrictions on access to Bnei Brak, a majority ultra-Orthodox city near Tel Aviv that is home to around 200,000 people.
• 6-week-old in Connecticut dies from COVID-19 complications
2 Apr 2020 at 12:33pm
A 6-week-old has died after contracting coronavirus, becoming one of the youngest recorded deaths from COVID-19.
• Coronavirus poses special risk to millions of Americans with diabetes
2 Apr 2020 at 7:39pm
As the worsening coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the country, millions of Americans living with diabetes face heightened risks from COVID-19.
• Attempts for Middle East ceasefires amid the coronavirus crisis have not stop...
3 Apr 2020 at 8:15pm
Calls for coronavirus ceasefires have not halted Middle East battles
• Senators urge formal probe of Navy carrier commander's firing over coronaviru...
3 Apr 2020 at 6:23pm
A group of prominent Democratic senators formally requested on Friday that the Pentagon's independent Inspector General investigate the Navy's firing of the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, who called for stronger measures to halt a coronavirus outbreak on board. Captain Brett Crozier was relieved of his command on Thursday after his scathing letter was leaked to the media. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland led the push and were joined by 15 other U.S. senators, including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Kamala Harris.
• China declared whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang a 'martyr' following a local ...
3 Apr 2020 at 10:01am
Li Wenliang sounded the alarm about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan on December 30. He died of the virus on February 7.
• "Shoot them dead": Duterte orders police to kill Filipinos who defy coronavir...
3 Apr 2020 at 2:03am
"Do not challenge the government," he warned the nation Wednesday. "You will lose."
• Driver who said woman coughed on his bus has died of coronavirus
3 Apr 2020 at 6:12pm
Bus drivers in Detroit shut down public transportation last month, fearful of the coronavirus. News of the driver's death has reignited those fears.
• 27 Best Home Office Decor Ideas to Keep You in the Zone
3 Apr 2020 at 9:33pm
• Israel locks down ultra-Orthodox city hit hard by coronavirus
3 Apr 2020 at 12:18pm
One health care expert has told the Israeli Parliament he believed almost 40 percent of Bnei Brak's residents could be infected.
• Italy sees signs of hope despite 766 new virus deaths
3 Apr 2020 at 5:56pm
Italy saw more evidence Friday that it might have made it through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic despite the world-leading death toll growing by 766 to 14,681. In new data from the civil protection service the daily rise of officially registered infections dropped to a new low of just four percent. The situation in some of Italy's worst-hit regions also appears to be gradually easing.
• In Ecuador, families wait with their dead as bodies pile up
2 Apr 2020 at 7:59pm
Daniel Larrea died Monday after a week of high fever, struggling to breathe and steadily turning blue. Then a new nightmare began for his family. No one in their city on Ecuador's Pacific coast would pick up his body.
• Trump Blames New York Coronavirus Crisis on Impeachment ?Hoax?
2 Apr 2020 at 10:26pm
President Trump sent a letter to Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer on Thursday accusing him of leaving New York ?unprepared? for the coronavirus pandemic now crippling the state because of the ?impeachment hoax.? In a blistering personal attack on Schumer (?I never knew how bad a Senator you are for the state of New York?), the president lashed out over criticism of what many see as a delayed federal response to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the country. In an earlier letter Thursday, Schumer criticized the administration?s handling of the crisis, saying that ?the existing federal leadership void has left America with an ugly spectacle in which States and cities are literally fending for themselves, often in conflict and competition with each other, when trying to procure precious medical supplies and equipment.?Schumer also noted on Twitter that he?d ?called for action? as early as Jan. 26 and dismissed as ?ridiculous? an argument made by some of Trump?s allies that impeachment proceedings left the country vulnerable to the coronavirus. Trump offered a swift and apparently unrestrained response: ?Thank you for your Democrat public relations letter and incorrect sound bites, which are wrong in every way,? he wrote. ?We have given New York many things, including hospitals, medical centers, medical supplies, record numbers of ventilators, and more. You should have had New York much better prepared than you did, and as Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx said yesterday, New York was very late in its fight against the virus,? the letter read. ?As you are aware, the Federal Government is merely a back-up for state governments. Unfortunately, your state needed far more of a back-up than most others.? Just before the letter was made public, Trump veered off course during the daily White House coronavirus task force briefing to complain about the damage supposedly caused by ?witch hunts.? ?This is not the time for politics, endless partisan investigations, here we go again, have already done extraordinary damage to our country in recent years,? Trump said. ?You see what happens. It's witch hunt, after witch hunt after witch hunt. And in the end the people doing the witch hunt have been losing. And they've been losing by a lot.?His comments came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday morning that she was ?a big supporter of after?action review? when asked about an investigation over the early days of the coronavirus. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), a Trump nemesis, has proposed a panel modeled after the 9/11 Commission.?I know that at least two of our chairmen have made a suggestion to that effect,? Pelosi said. ?That's something we should discuss. It has to be bipartisan.?Trump, who as recently as just over a week ago compared the new coronavirus to the seasonal flu, has repeatedly been accused of downplaying the severity of the illness and stalling the federal response. Even as health officials warned in late March that the country had still not hit its peak, Trump called for loosening protective restrictions in time for Easter and sending people back to work. After spending weeks insisting the pandemic was contained and would soon go away altogether, he only appeared to acknowledge the gravity of the pandemic earlier this week, when the White House announced that at least 100,000 people would likely die as a result of the coronavirus. As of Thursday evening, the virus has claimed more than 5,800 lives across the country, and more than 240,000 infections have been reported. Worldwide, the coronavirus death toll topped 50,000, with more than 1 million infections. The more criticism Trump has faced over his handling of the pandemic, the more he has seemed to focus on talking up his efforts during the daily briefings, often championing how his administration has dealt with the health care crisis even as some give low marks to the federal government?s response. And despite his plea for everybody to put politics aside to fight the pandemic, his letter to Schumer appears to hark back to advice Trump recalled giving to the vice president in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, when he admitted last week that he had urged Mike Pence not to reach out to state authorities who are ?not appreciative? enough of his administration.During the Thursday briefing, he once again placed the blame on the states, saying they ?should have been building their stockpile? and ?we?re not an ordering clerk.? ?And we?ve done an unbelievable job,? Trump added. ?Sam Brodey contributed reporting Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
• Indonesia needs 'massive, rapid' testing for coronavirus
2 Apr 2020 at 11:41am
Indonesia needs to perform "massive" testing to reveal the full spread of the coronavirus and ensure that people who travel home during the approaching Muslim holiday isolate themselves, the governor of the archipelago's most populous province said. Indonesia's coronavirus death toll rose to 170 on Thursday as the world's fourth-most populous nation passed South Korea as the country with the highest number of recorded fatalities in Asia after China. Ridwan Kamil, the governor of West Java, said his province had conducted more than 25,000 "rapid tests" and around 500 were positive, though they would need to undergo further tests to confirm the results.
• CNN anchor Chris Cuomo says the coronavirus has made him lose 13 pounds in 3 ...
3 Apr 2020 at 10:15am
The journalist has continued to work from his basement ? where he self-isolating from his family ? after testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
• A California ER nurse told her family that if she gets COVID-19 she doesn't w...
4 Apr 2020 at 1:11am
"If I were to get really sick, my sisters know I don't want to take a ventilator from someone else who may need it," Paige said.
• Wuhan residents told to stay inside and stay vigilant as China begins to lift...
3 Apr 2020 at 8:48am
The top official in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic in China, warned residents to stay vigilant and avoid going out, even as the latest data showed a decline in new cases in the mainland and zero new infections in the city. The country where the virus emerged late last year will hold three minutes of silence nationwide on Saturday to mourn the thousands of "martyrs" who died in the fight against the epidemic, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Air raid sirens and horns of automobiles, trains and ships will "wail in grief" after the minutes of silence are observed at 10 am (0200 GMT) across the country, Xinhua said. China appears to have curbed the epidemic through draconian restrictions that paralysed the country for two months and effectively shut down the world's second-biggest economy.
