Coronavirus pandemic in the US

There are at least 1,675,532 cases of coronavirus in the US and at least 98,717 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases.

Johns Hopkins reported 13,230 new cases and 497 deaths on Tuesday. 

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. 

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson speaks during a press conference in Jefferson City, Missouri, on May 26.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he is troubled by viral video showing people at the Lake of the Ozarks gathering in large groups over Memorial Day weekend.

Although the governor said he believes most Missourians acted responsibly during the holiday, he added, “This is potentially dangerous for everyone, especially our most at-risk individuals.”

Dr. Randall Williams, the state’s director of health and senior services, said they would normally attempt contact tracing after a risky gathering, but the fact that so many people involved were probably out-of-town vacationers makes it harder.

“Many of those people, we think, traveled there, and now they’re traveling back,” Williams said.

Parson said the state government will not attempt to punish any local businesses or organizers, saying that is up to local health officials.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said that school districts in the state are planning to reopen this fall, but are also making “contingency plans” for at-home learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Noem said decisions on whether schools will have in-person or online instruction in the fall will take place at the local level. 

“I think every school district is approaching it differently. I think they are planning to have students in their buildings but yet putting in contingency plans should they need to make an adjustment at the local level and have kids learn from home as well,” she said.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks during the Google I/O keynote session at Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mountain View, California, on May 7, 2019.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees that some will be able to return to the office beginning on July 6, though it will be limited to 10% building capacity.

In a blog post Tuesday, Pichai said the plan to reopen gradually will follow guidelines from public health authorities. 

Some context: The decision to start reopening Google’s offices marks a contrast with Twitter and Facebook, both of which have announced plans to support remote work on a permanent basis going forward. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said last week that by 2030, he believes as many as half of Facebook employees could be working remotely. 

Google had previously said that those working from home due to the pandemic could continue to do so through the end of the year if they chose. 

By September, Google hopes to allow up to 30% of building capacity to be filled — “which would mean most people who want to come in could do so on a limited basis, while still prioritizing those who need to come in,” Pichai wrote.

Finally, Pichai said Google will be granting each employee a $1,000 allowance so that they may expense “equipment and office furniture” necessary for working from home for the remainder of the year.

The National Hockey League has revealed a plan to resume the current season that entails forgoing the remaining regular season games and heading straight into a first-of-its-kind 24-team Stanley Cup playoff tournament.

Seven teams will not resume their 2019-2020 season. 

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the league’s “return to play plan” on Tuesday stating that two cities will serve as hubs for teams and games. Neither city was revealed but Bettman did disclose that 10 cities are under consideration.

Bettman did not give a specific start date for the unique, postseason tournament to start. 

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks during a press conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, on May 26.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper answered questions from the media about President Trump’s tweets threatening to pull the Republican National Convention from the state, saying the pandemic response cannot be political.

“I am not surprised by anything that I see on Twitter,” Cooper said at a news conference. “It is okay for political conventions to be political, but pandemic response cannot be.”

He said the convention is still about three months away, “so we have to have options regarding how this convention is going to be run, depending on where we are with the virus in August,” he said.

Moving forward: The state has asked for a plan to be presented “on paper,” laying out the options already discussed orally. They will then review those plans, and health officials would provide their feedback, according to the governor. 

“We hope to continue the discussions and look forward to those discussions with the RNC later on this weekend and into next week,” he concluded.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during a press conference in Lansing, Michigan, on May 26.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced an executive order today that expands coronavirus testing sites and the types of medical personnel that can order a test.

The governor said the executive order will pave the way for more community testing sites to open as the state works towards a goal of 15,000 tests administered daily.

“We owe it to the real heroes of this crisis — medical workers, first responders and other essential workers — to do what we can to stop the spread of the virus,” Whitmer added.

The measure also creates a new category of community testing sites that offer testing to anyone with reason to be tested without a doctor’s order in advance.

Michiganders eligible for testing include people who:  

Whitmer also announced a new online dashboard that will assist public health officials as they make state, regional and county-level decisions related to Covid-19.

The dashboard will also give the general public insight into the indicators that impact those decisions, Whitmer added.

Latest figures: Michigan has 55,104 coronavirus cases and 5,266 coronavirus-related deaths, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive, announced Tuesday.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency responsible for visa and asylum processing, is expected to furlough part of its workforce this summer if Congress doesn’t provide emergency funding to sustain operations during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Some background: Earlier this month, the agency — which has 19,000 government employees and contractors working at more than 200 offices across the world — requested $1.2 billion from Congress due to its budget shortfall. 

Since then, the agency, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, has been working with members of Congress and their staffs to educate the Hill on the agency’s finances and operations. 

Communications from the agency to Capitol Hill have grown more urgent as the threat of potential rolling furloughs in “the thousands” looms, according to one source familiar with the discussions.

The goal would be to attach the needed funds onto the next coronavirus relief bill, which lawmakers plan to negotiate next. Still, with both parties far apart on any resolution, there is currently no clear pathway for lawmakers to fulfill the emergency request.

The immigration agency is primarily fee-funded and typically continues most operations during lapses in funding, such as last year’s government shutdown. However, during the pandemic the agency suspended its in-person services, including all interviews and naturalization ceremonies.

The agency proposed a 10% surcharge on USCIS application fees to reimburse taxpayers at a later time. USCIS previously estimated that application and petition receipts will drop by approximately 61% through the end of Fiscal Year 2020, exhausting funding this summer, according to the agency. 

The furlough announcement comes as the agency is preparing to resume in-office operations and open its offices to the public.

“While it may seem somewhat at odds to do so given the possible suspensions in operations, we must be ready in the event of funding from Congress,” Edlow wrote. 

USCIS notified the agency’s union of the potential furloughs Tuesday.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a briefing in Sacramento, California, on May 26.

As California continues to reopen sectors one by one, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state is making “meaningful modifications” to current restrictions.

More than 80% of counties in the state are allowed to move into the third of four phases of reopening. This includes allowing hair salons and barbershops to reopen, alongside retail shops.

The state continues to focus on determining who is infected, with an average of 60,000 tests being performed each day, according to Newsom.

Obtaining personal protective equipment also remains a priority, especially swabs and face masks, he added.

The state’s final phase of reopening includes resumption of concerts and spectator events, but Newsom said, “we are not there yet.”

The latest numbers: Hospitalizations have declined slightly over the past two weeks, and the number of those in intensive care unit beds remains stable, the governor said.

California has had more than 95,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 38,00 deaths.

A centrifuge and blood samples to test for COVID-19 antibodies sit on table at Abyssinian Baptist Church in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City on May 14.

Antibody tests used to determine if people have been infected in the past with Covid-19 might be wrong up to half the time, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in new guidance posted on its website. 

Antibody tests, often called serologic tests, look for evidence of an immune response to infection. “Antibodies in some persons can be detected within the first week of illness onset,” the CDC said.

They are not accurate enough to use to make important policy decisions, the CDC said.

“Serologic test results should not be used to make decisions about returning persons to the workplace.”

Why this matters: Health officials or health care providers who are using antibody tests need to use the most accurate test they can find and might need to test people twice, the CDC said in the new guidance.

“In most of the country, including areas that have been heavily impacted, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody is expected to be low, ranging from less than 5% to 25%, so that testing at this point might result in relatively more false positive results and fewer false-negative results,” the CDC said. It’s a point that’s been made frequently in recent weeks by public health experts, but the CDC spells out the problem in the new advice on antibody testing.

A false positive will lead someone to believe they have been infected when in fact they have not been. There’s little evidence now about whether having been infected gives people immunity to later infection, but doctors worry that people will behave as if they are immune if they get a positive antibody test.

The new CDC guidelines echo advice from groups such as the University of Minnesota, which cautions against using antibody tests to make policy decisions.

The CDC explains why testing can be wrong so often. A lot has to do with how common the virus is in the population being tested. “For example, in a population where the prevalence is 5%, a test with 90% sensitivity and 95% specificity will yield a positive predictive value of 49%. In other words, less than half of those testing positive will truly have antibodies,” the CDC said.

“Alternatively, the same test in a population with an antibody prevalence exceeding 52% will yield a positive predictive greater than 95%, meaning that less than one in 20 people testing positive will have a false positive test result.”

Therefore, it is best to use tests with high specificity – which are unlikely to produce a lot of false positives – and in populations where doctors suspect there are many cases,” the CDC said.

A medical worker stands at the entrance to the New York Stock Exchange on the first day that traders are allowed back onto the historic floor of the exchange on May 26 in New York City.

Stocks closed sharply higher on Tuesday on optimism about a potential Covid-19 vaccine and the further reopening of the economy.

The three major stock indexes rallied all day, but they each finished below their session highs.

Here’s where things closed:

Both the Dow and S&P fell short of closing above the key thresholds of 25,000 points and 3,000 points, respectively. They last closed above those levels in early March.

At least 27 states are now investigating cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, a condition doctors believe could be linked to Covid-19. 

The Florida Department of Health told CNN on Tuesday it has “received information regarding seven confirmed cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) in Florida and is working to investigate, confirm and ensure the appropriate care for any other potential cases.”

Florida joins 26 other states and Washington, DC known to have potential and confirmed cases, totaling more than 350 children, according to a CNN survey of health departments across the country.

This represents just a small fraction of more than 1.6 million cases of Covid-19 currently being reported across the United States.

“You may not notice the disease emerge in a small group of 10 or 20,000 cases. But if you get to 90 or 100, or a million cases, that one is a very rare, potential side effect, or consequence of the infection can become apparent,” Ryan added.

 Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew

Maine is significantly increasing their contact tracing capacity by hiring more skilled staff and volunteers, adding innovative technology, and securing social services, Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said. 

Right now the state has a contact tracing and case investigation team of about 30 people, but is looking to more than quadruple the team.

Here’s what Lambrew said the state is planning to do:

The expansion of the contract tracing program will be paid for with federal dollars, Lambrew said, and it is estimated it will cost about $7.5 million.

The latest numbers: Maine is reporting 35 new cases of Covid-19, for a total of at least 2,109 probable cases statewide, Dr. Nirav Shah, the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The state also announced one additional death related to Covid-19, bringing the total of deaths related to the virus in Maine to 79. 

A pedestrian wears a mask as he walks past the closed Echo Barber Shop in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, May 8. 

Starting today, hair salons and barbershops can begin to reopen in California, but only in counties that have been approved to move forward in the state’s four-phased reopening plan, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced.

Of California’s 58 counties, 47 are moving forward with reopening, now including hair salons. These areas of regional variance have attested to stabilization in infection rates and proven that hospitals are ready with space, staff and personal protection equipment. Those areas include San Diego and Sacramento. The state’s two largest metro areas – Los Angeles and San Francisco – are still in the beginning phase of reopening.

Health guidelines for reopening barbershops and hair salons include having both workers and clients wear masks. Scissors, shears and smocks must be cleaned and disinfected between each client, as should chairs, headrests, combs and brushes.

Contactless payment services are encouraged, as are the removal of magazines in waiting areas.

These measures are accompanied by physical distancing and hand washing protocols.

The University of Colorado at Boulder plans to restart in-person learning for students for the fall 2020 semester.

The school chancellor said new changes will be implemented, including classes being divided into multiple sessions, and a unique plan to keep first-year students in small groups.

The cohort groups will be kept small. “We believe by reducing that population density will certainly help to mitigate some of the problems with the virus,” DiStefano said.

He added that while the school cannot control students from socializing with people outside of their cohort the campus will be “Covid ready by requiring our students to wear masks during the day while they are on campus.”

At the very least, the school can mitigate virus-related problems while students are on campus, DiStefano said.

More details on the school’s plan: For academic instruction of the university’s 35,000 students, the school plans to split single classes into multiple sessions and use larger spaces to reduce the number of students in classrooms.

It also plans to extend the class schedule to Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., to decrease student density on campus.

Approximately 7,000 first year students will have a slightly different experience. Their housing assignments and class enrollment will be done by dividing students into “small cohort groups.” Those groups will live together and have all their classes together. The plan did not specify how the university will enforce these groups not co-mingling.

The university said in order to be a “Covid-19-ready campus” it will have testing capability and rapid response teams for tracking and isolation on infected individuals to meet public health guidelines.

Watch full interview here:

This post has been updated with new details about the cohort groups.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Edward R. Roybal campus sits in Atlanta on April 23.

If you have had coronavirus, or know someone who has tested positive, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new guidance contains information about how long you should stay away from others.

According to the guidelines, posted over the weekend, people who have been sick with coronavirus infections should stay away from other people until…

“Depending on your healthcare provider’s advice and availability of testing, you might get tested to see if you still have Covid-19. If you will be tested, you can be around others when you have no fever, symptoms have improved, and you receive two negative test results in a row, at least 24 hours apart,” the CDC said in the new guidance.

People who tested positive but had no symptoms can still infect others, and the CDC says people should wait for 10 days after a positive test before mixing with other people again.

And people who are exposed to someone with coronavirus need to stay at home for at least 14 days, the CDC said, since it can take that long for symptoms to develop.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam speaks during a press conference in Richmond, Virginia, on May 26.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced today that people 10 years old and older will be required to wear masks within a public indoor spaces in the state starting Friday.

People who are eating and drinking will be exempt.

Here’s where masks will be required:

Northam apologized for an incident over the weekend where he was photographed while not wearing a mask.

Northam said he was approached by a group of people who wanted to take a picture with him.

A person in protective gear stands inside the Brier Oak on Sunset nursing home in Los Angeles on April 18.

Los Angeles County, California, will appoint an independent Inspector General to oversee nursing homes throughout the coronavirus outbreak. 

More than half of Covid-19 fatalities in Los Angeles County, accounting for more than 1,000 deaths, have stemmed from outbreaks at nursing homes.

County Supervisor Janice Hahn described it as “a pandemic within a pandemic in our skilled nursing facilities.” 

The inspector general will likely be in place by July and will be responsible for overseeing the health and safety of residents and staff. 

Auditing more than 300 facilities within the county, this person will ensure compliance with testing, training, staff levels, and mitigation plans, as well as oversee investigations of outbreaks.

On nursing home staff and administrations, Health Director Barbara Ferrer said, “This is in no way to a reflection on the fact that they’ve failed or have done something wrong. They’ve worked their hardest and done their best, but it hasn’t been enough.”

The measure also calls for development and implementation of a digital dashboard in which to collect and display the data.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks during a press conference in Columbus, Ohio, on May 26.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced today that beginning this week, newly organized “Congregate Care Unified Response Teams,” which will include medically trained members of the Ohio National Guard, will begin testing all staff and certain residents within Ohio’s 960 nursing homes. 

According to DeWine, all staff will be tested to help nursing home administrators understand the status of the virus in their facilities, while testing of residents will be based on assessment.

The testing will start in facilities where residents or workers have or have had cases of Covid-19, which includes approximately 200 of the states’ facilities, the governor said.

Starting this week, Ohio will also start testing all residents and staff at the state’s developmental centers. The Ohio National Guard will be doing the testing there and testing should be completed this week, according to DeWine.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks to the press on May 26 in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany urged Americans to follow social distancing guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while also maintaining that President Trump “wants to see society reopened.”

McEnany was asked about the large crowds seen gathering during Memorial Day weekend, many of whom did not appear to be following social distancing guidelines.

“Everyone, while you go out, let’s keep cognizant the recommendations of the CDC,” she said.

Watch here:

A new study suggests that asymptomatic coronavirus infections among pregnant women may be less common than previously feared – at least outside of New York City.

An earlier report found that more than 13% of admitted pregnant patients at two New York City hospitals had asymptomatic infections, which made the case for universal testing of women before childbirth.

The new study, though, looked at more than 750 pregnant women who were admitted to hospitals in southern Connecticut without symptoms in April. 22 of those women tested positive for the virus.

The findings were published Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA, but the researchers noted that they looked at just three hospitals in southern Connecticut, meaning that other cities and states could have different experiences.

“Although performed in mixed community and academic hospital settings, limitations of the findings include a short duration and a single geographic region,” they wrote.

The researchers didn’t say pregnant women shouldn’t be tested for coronavirus, but they wrote: “Approaches to care that balance screening and testing of patients combined with a rationalized approach to use of PPE should be considered for obstetric units.”

Patrons lower their masks while dining in an outdoor seating area at Plant City restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 18.

The second phase of Rhode Island’s reopening will start Monday, Gov. Gina Raimondo said, calling it a reopening of “almost every part of our economy.”

She said that information for most businesses opening during this phase is available online, and more guidelines for barbershops and gyms should be available in one or two days.

Here are the reopening guidelines for phase two:

The governor also said that she will have more to announce on Thursday about the return of sports. 

Regarding distance learning, Raimondo noted that there has been a 90 plus percent participation rate among students for distance learning in the state. 

Latest figures: Rhode Island announced 13 additional coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the statewide death toll to 634, and 73 new positive cases, bringing the statewide to 14,210.

Five of the 13 deaths are associated with long-term care facilities, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health Nicole Alexander-Scott said during a press conference Tuesday morning.

Both Alexander-Scott and the state’s governor noted that the numbers may be on the lower side for yesterday and today since certain testing sites were closed and others were “slower” over the holiday weekend.

Raimondo still called these numbers “good news,” and said that the state is seeing a stable plateau with no spikes or increases. “We are learning to live with the virus,” she noted. 

Still, there are places such as parts of Providence and Central Falls where the amount of people testing positive is coming back at more than 10%, which is a higher percentage than what the CDC recommends, the governor said.

A sign promotes social distancing in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, on May 8.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday that she is lifting restrictions that limit gatherings to 10 people, effective Monday.  

Reynolds said her proclamation extends to youth and adult sports as well.  

She also announced many large scale venues can also reopen June 1 –– including speedways, racetracks, outdoor performance venues, amphitheaters, grandstands, casinos, amusement parks, bowling alleys, pool halls and arcades.  

The governor emphasized these venues may only reopen at 50% capacity and people “also must follow social distancing hygiene and public health measures,” Reynolds said.  

A woman waits for a ride at LAX Airport at the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend in Los Angeles on May 22.

It’s just after 1:30 p.m. ET in New York. If you’re just joining us, here are the top US coronavirus headlines you need to know.

A aerial view of Capitol Hill is seen on May 25 in Washington.

Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters Tuesday that the District has had 13 days of sustained decline in community spread of coronavirus and on track to report 14 days of decline. This is one of the previously outlined metrics listed in order to begin a phased reopening. 

The mayor said she hopes the downward trends would continue and that she could announce next steps tomorrow. Bowser also noted local officials would continue to track community spread and follow science and data in determining when to reopen.

Some context: The mayor announced last week that — barring any spikes in community spread — the District could begin the first phase of its reopening this Friday.

Here’s what would reopen:

Looking ahead to the summer, Bowser said the District would not be issuing permits for parades on July 4 if the city is still in phase one at that time.

Bowser said there is potential for future upticks in cases, but she expressed confidence in the District’s plan for reopening.

The numbers: There are 109 new positive cases of Covid-19 and no new deaths, according to Bowser.

With regard to contact tracing, Bowser said the district will onboard approximately 50 new tracers today and should have 200 contact tracers enlisted by June 1.

A couple walks along the Hollywood Boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida, on Saturday, May 23.

Beaches, restaurants, hotels and gyms in Broward County reopened this morning but with strict guidelines, Mayor Dale V.C. Holness said.

Holness said the reopening was in part due “to the efforts of the people of Broward county working together with our cities, state and with the county.” 

The mayor noted that the reopening comes with guidelines, including “social distancing of six feet apart, 15 feet between groups and no groups larger than 10.” Residents must also continue to wear masks and wash hands frequently.

Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said deputies “will be here to enforce” and educate the community. He added that deputies will issue warnings and citations if people are not complying with the orders.

The mayor warned that arrests could be made and fines could be issued.

“We don’t want to go to the extreme but we must make sure we’re protecting the people of Broward County,” Holness said.

The Boston Hope field hospital at the convention center, during the coronavirus pandemic in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 24.

Boston Hope Medical Center, the 1,000-bed field hospital at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, will suspend admission of new patients, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said.

The facility will remain running until all patients are safely discharged, and its bed capacity will remain through the summer in case it is needed, Baker said at a briefing on Tuesday.

Boston Hope has treated more than 700 Covid-19 patients on the hospital side and has served as a respite site for the city’s homeless population, he said.

The latest numbers: As of yesterday, at least 8,188 tests were conducted in Massachusetts, bringing the state total to 540,561, Baker said. 

At least 2,179 residents are currently hospitalized, Baker said, calling it a “significant decrease” compared to the state’s data a few weeks ago. He said the state’s numbers are trending in the right direction.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross believes there will be a 2020 NFL season this fall and plans to have fans at Hard Rock Stadium.

“I think there definitely will be a football season this year,” Ross said in an interview on CNBC Tuesday.  

He continued: “The real question is, will there be fans in the stadium? Right now — today — we’re planning on having fans in the stadium. But I think the NFL is looking at, and is very flexible, so that we will be able to start on time and really bring that entertainment that really is so needed for all of us in this country.”

Some context: Earlier this month, the Dolphins released plans in wake of the coronavirus pandemic to adhere to social distancing. 

“We’ve done a lot of things down in Miami here. We’re prepared, either way, and hopefully there will be fans in the stadiums,” Ross said.

Hard Rock Stadium became the first public facility to earn the Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s STAR accreditation, an initiative that served “as the gold standard for facilities to implement cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention work practices to control risks associated with infectious agents.”

Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, has returned to work after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier this month. 

Miller tweeted today that she returned to work after testing negative three times for Covid-19.

Some background: Earlier this month, Trump confirmed that Miller had tested positive for the virus. She was the second White House staff member known to test positive for coronavirus. One of Trump’s personal valets had tested positive earlier.

At that time, the President said that Miller had not come into contact with him but noted that she had been in contact with Pence.

Miller is married to Trump’s senior adviser, Stephen Miller.

University of Colorado Boulder plans to welcome students back to campus for the fall 2020 semester, with changes including on-campus testing for students and faculty, classes being divided into multiple sessions, and a unique plan to keep first-year students in small groups. 

There will also be no tuition increase for undergraduate students for the 2020-21 academic year.

The university’s classes in the fall semester are scheduled to begin on August 24 and to finish in-person classes before Thanksgiving.

Courses will be provided in a variety of in-person, distance, and hybrid formats, according to a letter from Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano and university leadership sent to the campus community Tuesday.

More details on the school’s plan: For academic instruction of the university’s 35,000 students, the school plans to split single classes into multiple sessions and use larger spaces to reduce the number of students in classrooms.

It also plans to extend the class schedule to Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., to decrease student density on campus.

Approximately 7,000 first year students will have a slightly different experience. Their housing assignments and class enrollment will be done by dividing students into “small cohort groups.” Those groups of around 10 people will live together and have all their classes together. The plan did not specify how the university will enforce these groups not co-mingling.

The university said in order to be a “Covid-19-ready campus” it will have testing capability and rapid response teams for tracking and isolation on infected individuals to meet public health guidelines.

Sonny Perdue, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, wears a protective mask during a tour of the distribution center of Coastal Sunbelt Produce in Laurel, Maryland, on Friday, May 15.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Reps. Marcia Fudge, Jim Costa, and Stacey Plaskett asked for more details to be released on how $1.2 billion in contracts for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families program were awarded earlier this month.  

The lawmakers wrote in the letter that they “share USDA’s goal of providing effective and timely assistance to families, farmers, and food supply businesses like food distributors.”

Some background: The USDA announced the “Farmers to Families Food Box” program would distribute $3 billion worth of produce and other farm products that might have gone to waste to nonprofits and local food banks across the country.

More than 200 companies nationwide were awarded contracts by the USDA to provide boxes of fresh produce, meat and dairy products.   

The letter comes amid questions surrounding some of the less experienced companies that won contract bids.

Earlier this month the United Fresh Produce Association, which represents over 1,500 fresh produce companies in the country, wrote a letter to the USDA to ask why companies that have been awarded USDA contracts in the past were passed over.

A spokesperson for the USDA previously told CNN, “More than 550 proposals were received for the Farmers to Families Food Box program. Successful proposals included many small businesses and those that will support local and regional farmers, which was part of the evaluation criteria for contract award.” 

Public school officials in Arlington, Virginia, are planning for three scenarios to start the new school year in the fall, and the most likely of which is to start the year with students staying at home, interim superintendent Cintia Johnson said.

According to an email from Johnson, the other two options are a hybrid of in-person and distance learning and reopening as normal — but normal, in-person instruction is “the least likely scenario.”

Starting the school year with distance learning would happen in the event that public health officials advise it isn’t safe to reopen in the fall.

“Based on current conditions, this is a likely scenario, and we are preparing for a distance learning model that includes synchronous instruction of new content,” Johnson wrote.

Some background: Arlington Schools faced criticism last month, after announcing no new material would be taught through the end of the school year after the coronavirus pandemic caused schools to close. Teachers would instead “reinforce previously introduced learning from the first three marking periods to ensure all students have mastered key concepts.”

Arlington’s school year is scheduled to start August 31. The email said the district is waiting for further guidance from Virginia’s Department of Education, expected in June.

A Missouri man said he felt angry when he found out he was one of the 140 customers who were exposed to Covid-19 at a hair salon in Springfield-Greene County.

Chase said he had his hair cut at the salon on May 17 and was notified May 23 by the county Health Department that he had been exposed and was mandated to quarantine until May 31. Chase said he was not told where he had been exposed.  

Chase said one of the most difficult aspects of being quarantined is he cannot take care of his mother, who is currently in the hospital.   

“I’m her primary point of contact, so the ability to reach out and see her and see how she’s doing, like through that human connect, I’m not able to do because I’m on quarantine,” Chase said.

He said he is “concerned” of testing positive for Covid-19 as he is both diabetic and immunocompromised. 

“Because now you have that sense of, if I get a cough or I sneeze, I’m a little cold, do I have it?” Chase said.

Chase said he is currently asymptomatic and expects to be tested for the virus either today or tomorrow.   

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said 39 inmates tested positive for coronavirus at the Huttonsville Correctional Center.

He ordered everyone, including approximately 1,029 inmates, at the correctional facility to be tested and the results are still coming in. No staff members have tested positive, he said. 

Commissioner Betsy Jividen with the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation said contact tracing for the prison has already begun and her office is working closely with the governor’s office, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and the National Guard.

“We are doing our best, as we enter this phase two where we do now have positives in our facilities, to be proactive and to protect the health of both our inmate population and of course our staff who is on the frontline everyday facing these challenges and difficulties in their personal lives and their professional lives,” Jividen said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he’ll meet with President Trump tomorrow in Washington, DC.

“Scheduled to meet with the President to talk about a number of things,” he said, noting that one of those things is the possibility of starting infrastructure projects that need federal help and approval as the state begins to reopen from the coronavirus pandemic.

He specifically mentioned the state could work on cross-Hudson tunnels, a possible train to LaGuardia airport and subway extensions.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state’s focus will now be on reopening New York City’s economy.  

Officials will use data and tests to continue to pinpoint areas where coronavirus is still spreading, Cuomo said.

Those ZIP codes tend to be predominantly lower-income and minority communities, he said. In some areas, the infection rate is 40% — about double the rate in the city as a whole. 

“We want to attack the virus at its source,” he added.

Cuomo also said that the city needs to amp up its number of contact tracers. 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that Long Island will start to reopen tomorrow.

“Long Island will open tomorrow. We’re going to bring on the last of what’s called the tracers who do the contact tracing after testing, and they’ll be coming online today, and Long Island will open tomorrow,” the governor said.

New York has been opening up different parts of the state as regions hit key metrics mandated by the state. One of the metrics is employing a certain number of contact tracers.

Long Island will begin phase one of reopening tomorrow. That means construction, agriculture, curbside and in-store pick up retail and select other industries are allowed to reopen.

Cuomo discussed how officials will monitor reopening in the state moving forward.

WATCH:

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that he visited a beach over Memorial Day weekend, while still urging residents to continue to maintain distancing measures and not “all run back to the beach.”

“I hope everyone had a good weekend. I had a great weekend. Stayed at home Saturday, went to the beach Sunday, went to the intrepid yesterday. Plus, I changed the oil in the car, so I had a good day, good weekend,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo said the state is focusing on reopening and how it will occur. 

“Memorial Day is going to be a point where maybe we don’t all run back to the beach, but we’re going to turn the page on Covid-19. And we’re going to start focusing on reopening and how we reopen and how smart we are in reopening,” he said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at least 73 people died from coronavirus yesterday — the lowest single-day total yet, he said.

“That’s the lowest level we have seen since this started,” he said. “In this absurd new reality, that is good news.”

Cuomo also noted that overall hospitalizations, new hospitalizations and intubations are all down in the state.

WATCH:

Amtrak said in a letter Tuesday it is asking Congress for nearly $1.5 billion to keep operating at minimum levels during the coronavirus pandemic.

The railroad company said the request is “in addition to Amtrak’s $2.040 billion annual grant request submitted to Congress earlier this year.” 

Without the support, Amtrak said it will be “unable to minimize the impacts to service and its workforce.” 

The letter says the railway expects to carry only half of the passengers it did last year - down from 32 million to just 16 million. 

Prior to the pandemic, Amtrak was forecasting “its first break-even year in the company’s history.” 

“Current demand is running around 5% of normal,” Amtrak President and CEO William J. Flynn wrote.

There were 54 coronavirus-related deaths reported in New Jersey Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy said in a press conference Tuesday morning, brining the statewide death toll to 11,191.

There were at least 703 new positive coronavirus cases reported Monday, bringing the statewide total of positive cases to 155,764. 

Snate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reiterated Tuesday that there will likely be another stimulus bill in the “next month or so” as the country may “need one more plug here at the federal level to help us get through this period.”

McConnell also restated his negotiation red line for the fourth coronavirus relief bill: providing liability protections for employers. 

Asked if he would change his mind on the House Democrats’ $3 trillion bill if they agreed to provide liability protections, McConnell replied: “No. That isn’t gonna happen.”

McConnell continued: Pressed by reporters whether the response to the Covid-19 crisis was adequate, McConnell said he would “rather not go back and finger point about what might have been done differently.”

He said he thinks “the people involved on both sides did the best they could” because “you had a brand new disease that no one knew quite what was gonna happen.” 

On state and local aid, McConnell said that while there’s “great reluctance” among House and Senate Republicans to provide states with money to put toward preexisting financial problems, “if it’s directly related to Covid-19, there may be some additional assistance”.

Asked by a reporter about what should be done with the Republican National Convention this summer, McConnell declined to comment, but said: “I’ll participate whatever way they set it up”

New York City is bolstering its contact-tracing operation and has hired about 1,700 tracers, who will be on-duty by Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today.

De Blasio called the effort “a huge new piece of the puzzle.” Increasing the number of contact tracers is also required to be eligible to reopen, according to state criteria. 

There are two different type of tracers, de Blasio said:

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said today that the city wants to do 50,000 tests per day by August 1.

The first focus will be those with symptoms, close contact with someone who tested positive and people in facilities such as adult-care facilities, nursing homes and shelters.

There will be 180 sites to test New Yorkers by the end of June.

The city is opening 12 new testing sites through its public hospital system over the next few weeks in all five boroughs.

If you have insurance, the test will be charged to your insurance.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Twitter that the state’s professional sports teams may return to training and competition.

He also announced that starting in July, schools will be allowed to host outdoor graduation ceremonies. Those events must comply with social distancing, he said.

A third US service member has died from Covid-19, the Pentagon disclosed Tuesday. 

More than 6,000 US service members have tested positive for coronavirus, and there are at least 9,173 cases across the entire Department of Defense. 

Restauranteur Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group and founder of Shake Shack, said the federal Paycheck Protection Program isn’t working for restaurants yet, calling on Congress to extend loan forgiveness. 

Meyer predicts that people will not feel confident going into restaurants for a long time, particularly in New York City. 

“I think it’s going to take a number of things for consumers to regain their confidence to go into restaurants. And I think it may be some type of treatment, it may be a vaccine, it may be testing of your entire staff, it may be some type of health pass where you know that everybody else who is dining there has gone through the same scrutiny you’ve gone through,” Meyer said. “It is going to take confidence, and once we have that demand, and once we know it is safe, we will open our doors.” 

Meyer also told CNN’s Poppy Harlow he is confident that restaurant jobs will ultimately come back, but not right away. 

“This is not going to be an immediate light switch where all of a sudden everybody feels safe coming back to dine. And restaurants are going to have to gradually up their staff levels in accordance to how many people are dining there,” he said. 

Watch more:

New Rochelle, New York – once the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis in the state – will begin reopening Tuesday.

The city’s mayor, Noam Bramson, said it can “take special satisfaction in reaching this milestone and can be confident in our capacity to make further progress toward a full reopening”

Here’s Bramson’s statement about today’s reopening:

WATCH:

Most House Republicans are expected to return to the Capitol this week to vote in person despite the new rules allowing lawmakers to vote remotely, showing the continuing divide between the two parties over whether it’s safe to return to work.

Democrats, concerned about the safety of returning to the Capitol, pushed through the first-ever change to House rules allowing lawmakers to vote remotely on the floor by designating members to vote at their direction and on their behalf. They plan this week to employ those rules, which allow a member to vote on behalf of up to 10 members. It’s uncertain how many Democrats will use those new rules or return to vote in person.

But Republicans are sharply critical of the rules change and argue that the House can return to session by modifying some of their practices to promote social distancing. If Republicans decided to vote remotely, they would undercut the concerns they’ve raised about the constitutionality of the new rules.

GOP leadership aides said yesterday morning that they expect most of their members to return when the House is in session tomorrow and Thursday.

The divide within the House reflects the larger split between the two parties about whether it’s safe to reopen the economy as quickly as President Trump has sought — or whether states should be far more cautious in their handling of the public health crisis.

The House plans to vote this week on changes to the federal Paycheck Protection Program to give small businesses more time to use emergency loans provided under legislation enacted this spring. The House also plans to vote on a measure to reauthorize expired federal surveillance laws.

A New Jersey pastor defied state orders and held mass on Sunday, saying that the governor needs to classify churches as “essential.” 

“We feel that we have our First Amendment right to open up our church at this time,” Pastor Charles Clark III, co-pastor of Solid Rock Baptist Church in Berlin, New Jersey, told CNN. 

Gov. Phil Murphy said the state would issue summonses to the church for breaking the lockdown order. Clark said he expects to receive citations. 

“The governor has discriminated against churches and mosques and against synagogues,” he said. “We as a church have a First Amendment right and [Murphy’s] chosen to say: Walmart, grocery stores, liquor stores, they can be open the whole entire time, and … they’re not doing it nearly as safe as our church is doing it.” 

Clark said that he did not wear a mask while preaching on the church platform, but he did at all other times.  

Talking loudly can release droplets a further distance, which is potentially dangerous for coronavirus exposure, according to biology professor Erin Bromage.

When CNN’s Alisyn Camerota said that “it is actually your behavior in front of the congregation that could possibly be the riskiest,” Clark said he did not agree. 

He said there was no choir, reservations for seats to ensure social distancing, touchless entry and bathroom sanitization measures. 

“Other than wearing maybe a hazmat suit, I don’t know what else we could have done to make it safer on Sunday,” he said. 

Watch more:

US stocks rallied at the start of the shortened week, boosted by optimism over the continued reopening of the US economy and a potential Covid-19 vaccine.

The market had been closed for Memorial Day on Monday.

Here’s how things looked at the opening:

More context: US biotechnology company Novavax began human trials for a potential coronavirus vaccine in Australia. The company’s shares soared 15% at the open.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was on Wall Street this morning to ring the bell on the floor of the NYSE to mark the trading floor’s reopening.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped over 600 points at opening on the news of potential progress with a coronavirus vaccine.

Some more context: After months of electronic-only trading, the New York Stock Exchange is set to reopen the trading floor today.

Here’s some more detail on the safety measures the stock exchange is putting in place today:

After months of electronic-only trading, the New York Stock Exchange is set to reopen the trading floor today. But rather than the bustling images we’ve grown accustomed to, floor brokers will return in smaller numbers, wear protective masks and socially distance. 

CNN’s Alison Kosik talked to Jonathan Corpina, a senior managing partner with Meridian Equity Partners, about the reopening, coming up just moments from now.

Corpina said he’d usually take the train in — but today he walked. On his way in, people were getting temperature checks and signing wavers.

“What that new norm is we don’t know yet, but we’re starting to get to our norm here,” he said.

Maintaining good credit is always important, but it may be a particular challenge during the economic fallout due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Personal finance journalist Jean Chatzky answered readers’ questions on how to protect their credit:

Q: Why is trying to keep your credit score so important right now?

Q: Some consumers are having their credit limits slashed. Why is that? 

Q: Some creditors and cards are allowing some kind of relief now if you can’t pay. If you take advantage of this — not making a payment right now — what will show up on your report? 

Watch more of Chatzky’s tips here:

Passengers walk through George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Sunday.

Memorial Day weekend traffic at airports was up significantly from recent weeks.  

The Transportation Security Administration says it screened about 1.5 million people between Thursday and Monday. That is still about 12.6% of the 12.2 million people it screened over the same period last year.  

But those five days also included three days — Thursday, Friday, and Monday — with more than 300,000 people screened. Thursday was the first time since March 23 that the agency has screened more than 300,000 people. 

The day with the highest volume was Friday. TSA said it screened 348,673 people that day, still just 12.5% of the 2.8 million people it saw that day last year.   

The number of travelers has been climbing in recent weeks as many state and local governments relax stay at home policies.  

The Brooklyn Nets will open their practice facility for voluntary player workouts today, the team announced in a statement. 

Here’s what the NBA team said in a statement:

The news comes after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that professional sports leagues will be able to begin training camps in the state if they’re able to follow “appropriate health protocols.”

A man said he is concerned after getting a haircut at a Missouri hair salon where two stylists potentially exposed 140 clients to coronavirus when they worked for up to eight days while symptomatic. 

Erik Chase said he went for a haircut on May 17, then was notified by the Springfield-Greene Health Department on May 23 about the possible exposure and was ordered to self-quarantine until May 31.

Chase said he has diabetes and other unspecified immune deficiencies. His mom is in the hospital right now, and he cannot see her because he is quarantining at home. He is getting a coronavirus test this afternoon or tomorrow to see if he is positive. 

“Even with my limited interactions with people and practicing social distancing measures, that’s a lot of time — especially when you’re doing your essential, like everyday life circumstances, if you will, to be out and about, not knowing that you had been exposed,” he said. 

Chase said he does not want people to retaliate against the salon. 

“I’ve heard that there’s been some like harassing calls and, you know, death threats to the organization. I definitely don’t want any of that to happen. And I guess you can just chalk it up, as I literally had a bad hair day,” he said. 

Watch:

Coronavirus has infected more than 5.5 million people globally. If you’re just joining us, here’s the latest on the pandemic:

A cleaning crew enters the Life Care Center on the outskirts of Seattle on March 12.

Care homes were dubbed the “ground zero” of the US’ coronavirus outbreak and the failure to control the spread at one Seattle facility had “statewide and national effects,” according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

There were similar issues throughout the care home sector – people with chronic conditions living in close proximity; caregivers spreading infection between residents and facilities; and staff shortages due to sickness, isolation and low pay.

A seniors’ home in Montreal, Canada showed just how catastrophic such problems can be. A criminal investigation was launched after 31 residents died at Herron Seniors’ Residence in less than a month, five of them confirmed Covid-19 cases. Quebec officials said most of the staff had abandoned the home and residents were found unfed and unchanged in what looked like a case of gross negligence.

The investigation is still ongoing. The home declined to comment when approached by CNN in mid-April because of pending investigations and lawsuits.

Read more here.

People visit the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, on May 23.

US stock futures rose on Tuesday, as a growing number of cities and countries around the world take steps toward re-opening their economies.

Stock futures rose after Americans crowded onto packed beaches in Florida, Maryland, Georgia, Virginia and Indiana for the Memorial Day weekend. Many states have begun lifting restrictions on businesses and public spaces.

Dow futures were up 490 points, or around 2%. Futures for the S&P and Nasdaq added 1.9%.

There is a sense of “re-opening optimism” among investors, Stephen Innes, global market strategist at AxiCorp, wrote in a research note.

Oil prices, which have been slammed by the sharp drop in demand caused by the pandemic, jumped during Asian trading hours Tuesday. 

US crude futures were up 3.7% to trade at $34.46 per barrel. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, rose 2.3% to $36.36 per barrel.

At least 98,223 people have died in the US from coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The US has at least 1,662,768 recorded cases of the disease - the highest number globally.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.

CNN is tracking Covid-19’s spread across the US here.

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press on Capitol Hill on May 19.

Sometime in the next few days, the 100,000th American will succumb to Covid-19 in a pandemic that President Donald Trump once predicted would just “miraculously” disappear.

Yet despite, and perhaps because of, his earlier cavalier attitude, Trump spent the long holiday weekend bemoaning everything but the tragic roll call of death – while also finding time to claim he got “great reviews” for handling the crisis.

In his most politically significant maneuver, he heaped intense pressure on North Carolina’s Democratic governor to permit a normal, crowded Republican National Convention, despite fears such a mass gathering could seed virus hot spots. Trump warned he could pull the huge money-earner out of Charlotte, which was picked to play host in August.

The move came as the President intensified his push for a full reopening of the country and television footage showed packed beaches and boardwalks in some states as Memorial Day crowds fueled fears that social distancing may be breaking down.

On social media, he waged a weekend of Twitter wars against his critics, targeting a favorite foil, Barack Obama, after Trump’s return to the golf course – his 266th such trip in office – sparked calls for him to concentrate more fully on the pandemic.

And he indulged his preoccupations on his tax returns, Hillary Clinton, Fox News, slanders against MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, the Russia investigation, Joe Biden’s mental health, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, mail-in voting in November and highlighted dangerous and unproven Covid-19 therapies promoted on conservative media he has tested himself.

Read more:

U.S. President Donald Trump makes a statement in the briefing room at the White House on May 22, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump announced news CDC guidelines that churches and places of worship are essential and must reopen now.

Related article As stark landmark looms, Trump pursues political obsessions

Health care workers at a Covid-19 testing site in Brooklyn, New York, place a patient's nasal swab into a tube on May 8.

The Trump administration is promising to buy 100 million testing swabs and vials by the end of the year and distribute them to states as part of the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report to Congress obtained by CNN.

But the largest share of the responsibility to ramp up testing remains on the states themselves.

The plan, first reported by The Washington Post, outlines testing targets each state is expected to report to the federal government, noting a 12.9 million nationwide testing target for the month of May. The US “will be capable of performing at least 40-50 million tests per month” by September, the report says, reiterating a previous White House projection.

As states reopen and lift restrictions, health experts have emphasized that adequate testing, which has been a central challenge since the beginning of the pandemic, is necessary to detect coronavirus and trace its spread.

The US has experienced significant challenges in testing, including flawed testing sent to states at the beginning of the pandemic that slowed containment efforts, lack of testing supplies to ensure Americans are properly tested and mixed messaging on who can get tested.

The White House has frequently emphasized what it sees as the states’ responsibility to handle testing, saying in a blueprint on testing last month that the federal government is the “supplier of last resort.”

“With support from the federal government to ensure states are meeting goals, the state plans for testing will advance the safe opening of America,” the newly reported plan says.

In the report, the administration recommends the states “have an objective of testing a minimum of 2% of their population in May and June, pending additional new data on infections and impact of reducing mitigation.”

Keep reading.

People visit the beach in Port Aransas, Texas, on May 23.

Packing beaches, pool parties and outdoor gatherings all over the US, many Americans used the holiday weekend to mark the unofficial beginning of summer – ditching the face masks and social distancing urged by health officials.

Many people, undoubtedly, continued to abide by new restrictions set in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus – staying in small groups, wearing masks and keeping a distance from others.

But in some parts of the country, Memorial Day happenings looked not at all unlike any other year. People jammed into tight spaces, grabbed drinks in groups at oceanfront bars and lined their chairs and towels alongside each other on the beach.

The holiday weekend push for a return to normal life comes as health officials continue to warn that the US has not contained the virus.

So far, more than 1.6 million Americans have been infected and at least 98,223 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

In 10 states, the number of new cases is on the decline, while it seems to be steady in 22 states, according to the data.

But in 18 states – including Georgia, Arkansas, California and Alabama – the number of new cases is rising.

Read more here.