Our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in the US has ended for the day. Follow the latest developments from around the globe here.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, there has been a 600% increase in demand for food bank assistance in South Florida, according to Feeding South Florida.
To keep up with the demand, 45 members of the Florida National Guard have been deployed to help sort and pack family meal boxes and help with receiving and shipping docks.
Feeding South Florida says it is serving about 265,000 people per week in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
The Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general announced a probe into the process used by the Food and Drug Administration to authorize coronavirus tests, according to a post on the IG’s website.
That process, known as “Emergency Use Authorization,” or EUA, has faced criticism from some lab directors and personnel throughout the country who say they were ready to begin testing residents in their communities during the early stages of the virus’ spread but couldn’t due to regulations at the FDA, CNN previously reported.
The inspector general’s office “will examine FDA’s EUA processes and any challenges it may have faced regarding EUAs for COVID-19 diagnostic tests and serological tests for antibodies developed in response to the viral infection,” the post said.
While private and public labs have worked to ramp up testing capacity in recent months, coronavirus diagnostic testing initially lagged after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a flawed test in February.
Coronavirus is likely to keep spreading for at least another 18 months to two years — until 60% to 70% of the population worldwide has been infected, a team of longstanding pandemic experts predicted Thursday in a new report.
They recommended that the US prepare for a worst-case scenario that includes a second big wave of coronavirus infections in the fall and winter. Even in a best-case scenario, people will continue to die from the virus, they predicted.
Osterholm has been writing about the risk of pandemics for 20 years and has advised several presidents.
Because Covid-19 is new, no one has any immunity, the report said.
“The length of the pandemic will likely be 18 to 24 months, as herd immunity gradually develops in the human population,” the report states.
Osterholm wrote the report along with Harvard School of Public Health epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch, who is also a top expert on pandemics; Dr. Kristine Moore, a former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologist who is now medical director for CIDRAP; and historian John Barry, who wrote the 2004 book “The Great Influenza” about the 1918 flu pandemic.
The California Police Chiefs Association apologized Thursday after a memo sent to top law enforcement officers across the state incorrectly claimed California Gov. Gavin Newsom would order the closure of all the state’s beaches and parks starting this Friday.
Newsom on Thursday announced only beaches in Orange County would be closed, not all beaches statewide as the memo stated.
The California Police Chiefs Association represents the state’s municipal police chiefs whose agencies protect over 26 million Californians, it said.
Asked about the police chiefs memo earlier Thursday, Newsom said, “That memo never got to me.”
“We just want to focus on where there’s a problem in a smart, strategic way,” the governor said, noting that he has been concerned about scenes showing crowds at beaches in recent days.
“We don’t want to be heavy handed about these things,” he said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office has directed the New York State Department of Corrections to begin the release of pregnant, non-violent, inmates who have six months or less remaining on their sentences, Melissa DeRosa, the secretary to the governor, said in a statement Thursday.
New York state had previously released inmates with less than 90 days on their sentence who were 55 or older and whose underlying crime was not a violent felony or a sex offense. New York had also lifted technical parole violation warrants for individuals who didn’t pose a threat to public safety.
The United States’ three biggest airlines – American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines – each said Thursday they will now require their passengers to wear masks.
The Delta and United policy takes effect on Monday and the American policy takes effect a week later, on May 11.
These airlines join JetBlue, Frontier, and Lufthansa, which have made similar announcements.
This post was updated to reflect the United Airlines mask policy.
President Trump discussed what aid to states and localities might look like as part of a phase four stimulus package.
Trump was asked if he would support giving $1 trillion dollars to states and localities, a number floated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Trump said that Democrats want to help the states in the form of bailouts. He also said that it was states with Democratic governors that are asking for money.
Trump said that Democrats should have brought funding for states up earlier when Republicans wanted certain things.
“Maybe the Democrats should have brought this up earlier when we wanted certain things. And I said specifically, let’s look at it later on down the road,” Trump said.
Democrats pushed to have funding for states included in the most recent stimulus package, but ultimately passed the stimulus without it. Pelosi has said that state and local funding will be included in the next stimulus package.
Trump said that Republicans are in a much better negotiating position on funding for states and if they agree to it, Republicans “have to get something for it.”
“I think we want to take a little bit of a pause but if we do that we have to get something for it,” Trump said.
When asked about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s remarks that states should declare bankruptcy, Trump said, “I have spoken to him about it very strongly and we are going to see what happens. We will take a little bit of a pause, we’ll see what happens, but some states are in trouble,” Trump said.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state’s modified stay-at-home order will allow more flexibility “where it is safe” to do so.
The order will go into effect Friday, May 1.
State parks, golf courses, retail stores, and garden centers are some of the few places that are reopening with strict social measures.
Elective surgeries that have been put off due to the crisis can also now be scheduled in surgery centers and hospitals, Pritzker said.
He also will require everyone in the state to wear a face mask when possible.
Michigan State Police says claims that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was trapped inside the Capitol building by demonstrators protesting against her stay-at-home order are false.
Roughly 400 to 700 people descended on the state Capitol today, according to Michigan State Police.
The capitol was open to the public today, but due to social distancing rules in place, only 275 individuals were allowed inside at a time, with certain sections of the building being closed off, according to Lt. Brian Oleksyk.
Oleksyk said it was a very peaceful protest, “they were chanting peacefully and that was it.”
State Police made one arrest, which took place outside of the Capitol, where one protester had assaulted another, Oleksyk said.
All protesters had dispersed by 5 p.m., as had most of the police detail that was there to assist with the crowd.
Both the House and Senate were in session Thursday, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Michigan Sen. Dayna Polehanki had tweeted this afternoon, saying that protesters were directly above her, “men with rifles yelling at us.”
“Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today,” Polehanki’s tweeted.
Michigan Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich’s said while he encourages “people to voice their disagreements with their government,” this is not what happened today.
Watch:
President Trump said he would have no problem wearing a face mask when he travels to Arizona next week, adding it will depend on the conditions on the ground.
Trump said he doesn’t wear a face mask in the White House because he is in large rooms and is socially distanced from others.
However, Trump has repeatedly been surrounded by large groups of people in close proximity, at his multiple press briefings in the small White House briefing room and at Thursday’s event when he signed the proclamation declaring Older Americans Month.
This is a reversal from Trump’s previous comments, when he said last month he wouldn’t wear a face mask himself, saying it was impossible to imagine greeting world leaders in the Oval Office with his face covered.
“I don’t think I’m going to be doing it,” he said, suggesting it was hard to envision such a thing in the Oval Office: “Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens — I just don’t see it.”
Some Mississippi casinos could reopen in time for Memorial Day weekend, Gov. Tate Reeves said during a news conference on Thursday.
The state’s casinos have been closed since mid-March.
Reeves said he was confident that by Memorial Day some of the facilities would be open, but it would not be the exact same way it was before the pandemic.
Reeves said that he is working with the venues to ensure social distancing in a way that is safe for Mississippi.
Orange County officials are lashing out at California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order to close beaches in the area.
Orange County officials learned about the order just 15 minutes before the governor’s announcement, said Don Wagner, a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
Both Wagner and Steele blamed “misleading photographs” for the decision.
“The telephoto lens distorted what was going on on the beach,” Wagner said. “We know that because we’ve seen photos from other angles.”
“The photographs I saw, quite honestly, are a stark contrast to what I believe the governor is acting on,” Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said, adding “I have no desire to enforce any aspect of that through arrest.”
“I would urge the governor to trust the locals,” Wagner said.
There is no food shortage in Mississippi due to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Tate Reeves said in a news conference Thursday.
Mississippi farmers, ranchers, truckers and those working at meat processing plants are making sure the food supply chain is intact, he said.
“No one should ever have to worry about keeping food on the table,” Reeves tweeted.
Mississippi has reported 6,815 positive cases and 261 deaths due to the coronavirus, said Dr. Thomas Dobbs with the Mississippi State Health Department.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said more than 120 employees have tested positive for Covid-19 at Triumph Foods pork processing plant in St. Joseph.
The announcement comes after the state health department partnered with local health officials to offer testing to more than 2,000 employees at the plant earlier this week.
Employees with positive results are being notified by the city’s Health Department and will be told to isolate.
At the request of the city’s Health Department, the state is sending support staff to assist with contact tracing efforts and more testing is to be expected as close contacts of patients are notified.
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Former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Thomas Frieden, said Thursday that some activities can resume around the country because “we’re basically over the worst of this phase of the pandemic.”
When it comes to summer vacations, beach trips are still a go, Frieden said. Social distancing is still necessary, though, he said.
“Yes, in fact, outdoors places are much safer than indoor places. Beaches, parks, bicycling, hiking. These are great things to do. They’re great for the spirit, and outdoors is a great way to reduce risk,” he added. “Now to have a 100,000 people on a crowded beach, that’s a little different, but with sensible precautions, the great outdoors is a great way forward.”
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont outlined the industries that could reopen on May 20.
He said at a news conference today that state officials were looking into how to safely open outdoor only restaurants, outdoor zoos and outdoor museums, university research programs, hair and nail services and the remaining retail businesses that are currently been deemed as nonessential.
Some offices would also open but individuals would be encouraged to continue to work from home when possible. Outdoor recreation such as camping and mountain biking would also reopen.
The recommendations are being made based on industry types that can be reopened safely and where social distancing can be maintained, Lamont said.
Ultimately it will be up to each individual business to decide if it feels comfortable reopening on May 20, Lamont stressed.
Lamont said he has not made a decision yet on schools – which are currently closed through May 20. He said he will provide an update on schools “early next week.”
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has shared a series of rules businesses like barbershops and hair salons must follow before before reopening May 6.
The guidelines apply to “close contact personal services” in 89 of the state’s 95 counties, according to the guidelines shared by the state online.
Some of the guidelines include:
Other protocols that businesses will need to observe include not offering any self-serve food or beverages and prohibiting congregation.
The new guidelines limit certain services that require the removal of face coverings. Services like beard shaving/trimming and facials will not be allowed in phase one, the guidelines state.
President Trump outlined additional steps the administration will take to protect seniors from coronavirus, saying the Federal Emergency Management Agency will send supplemental shipments of personal protective equipment to all 15,400 Medicaid and Medicare certified nursing homes in America.
He also said that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will provide states with $81 million dollars from the CARES Act to increase inspections of nursing homes.
Trump announced that a new rule will be finalized this week requiring information about coronavirus cases in nursing homes to be reported directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and testing data be posted online. The new rule will also require nursing homes to report cases to residents and their family members.
The President also announced the formation of the “Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes.”
Trump said the commission will be made up of leading industry experts, doctors and scientists, resident and patient advocates and others. The commission will convene in May and issue recommendations for additional steps to protect seniors, he added.
