May 6 coronavirus news

The Norwegian Gem cruise ship leaves the Port of Miami in Florida on April 14.

A day after Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings warned investors that it could be forced to go out of business, the company announced it is “well-positioned to weather Covid-19 impacts.” 

In a statement, the company reported it has raised more than $2 billion, including “(1) $400 million public offering of common equity, (2) $750 million exchangeable senior notes offering, (3) $675 million senior secured notes offering and (4) $400 million private investment from global consumer-focused private equity firm L Catterton.” 

Norwegian said the raised cash will allow them to withstand more than a year of suspended cruises. Norwegian suspended sailings of all its fleets on March 14 during an industrywide shutdown that has been extended through at least June 30.

The cruise industry has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic as there were several high profile ships with multiple people testing positive for the coronavirus. Many died from the disease.

Some ships had difficulty finding ports where they could discharge their passengers.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street in London to attend Prime Minister's Questions on May 6.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson “agrees” with Professor Neil Ferguson’s decision to step back from his role as a leading government scientific adviser after he broke the lockdown rules he helped architect by meeting with his married lover, the PM’s spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Johnson was informed of Ferguson’s decision just before the story broke. Professor Ferguson, who is based at Imperial College in London, is one of the architects of the UK government’s stay-at-home strategy and was a prominent member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) which has been spearheading the country’s coronavirus response.

What this is about: The Telegraph reported Tuesday that a woman whom it described as his married lover had visited Ferguson’s home in London at least twice despite social distancing guidelines.

Prof. Ferguson will also stop participating in Nervtag (the new and emerging respiratory virus threats advisory group), the PM’s spokesperson said. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin on May 6, after holding a video conference with the leaders of the Federal states on easing the lockdown restrictions during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Contact restrictions in Germany will continue through early June but the country’s football league is set to resume play towards the end of May, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced today.

Speaking at a press conference following her meeting with state prime ministers, Merkel said the first phase of the pandemic is behind Germany, but “it will be with us for a long time.”

For another month, contact restrictions and social distancing will remain in place in Germany, as well as face coverings in public. Families can now meet with those in one other household. The measures are set to end June 5.

 Merkel said shops can reopen but with hygienic measures.

Angela Merkel said authorities would watch local regions to ensure any outbreak was stopped. 

Germany’s professional association football league the Bundesliga can play once again in the second half of May, the chancellor said. She did not specify if this was behind closed doors.

A man wearing a face mask walks in a main shopping area in Brussels, Belgium, on April 27.

Belgian households will be able to expand their social circle to include four people from outside their home from May 10. These people must be the same four people and must socialize within the confines of the home. Citizens have been advised to socialize outdoors if they have a garden or terrace, Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès said in a press conference in Brussels.

Wilmès also said that retailers in Belgium can reopen their doors from May 11. One customer for every 10 square meters will be allowed to shop in a store for a maximum of 30 minutes.

The Prime Minister said that Belgians must shop for groceries on their own, but may be accompanied by children under the age of 18. Those who need assistance may be accompanied whilst shopping.

All sports events in the country have been suspended until July 11. Schools, restaurants and bars are to remain indefinitely closed, the Prime Minister added.

US President Donald Trump appeared to reverse course on the decision to wind down the coronavirus task force, instead rebranding it. He tweeted today the task force will “continue on indefinitely” and shift its focus to “SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN.”

Trump touted his administration’s success in procuring personal protective equipment and testing, even though many experts say there is not nearly enough testing available.

He also said task force members may be added or subtracted “as appropriate” and will “also be very focused on Vaccines & Therapeutics.”

So far, more than 71,000 deaths have been recorded in the US and more than 1.2 million people have been infected with coronavirus.

Here are his tweets:

Some background: A senior White House official told CNN the task force will start to wind down later this month. And Vice President Mike Pence confirmed to reporters the White House is considering disbanding the coronavirus task force as early as Memorial Day.

The leading scientific adviser who resigned from his UK government post after breaking lockdown rules by meeting his married lover will not face any further police action, London’s Metropolitan Police said today.

Professor Neil Ferguson, the leading epidemiologist who advised the UK government on the coronavirus response, resigned yesterday after the Telegraph newspaper reported he broke lockdown rules by allowing his reported lover to visit his home. The country now has the highest confirmed death toll in Europe.

London police said, “We remain committed to our role in supporting adherence to government guidance and have made it clear that our starting position is explaining the need to follow the regulations with anyone who is in breach in order to keep people safe and protect the National Health Service (NHS).

What happened: Ferguson told CNN he made “an error of judgement and took the wrong course of action,” and had therefore stepped back from his government post.

People queue outside the departures area at Heathrow Airport in London, England, on May 1.

Heathrow Airport CEO John Holland-Kaye said the UK government must work with the international community to establish a common standard for how to avoid measures, such as quarantine, that will “completely kill the travel sector”.

He noted that there is no commonly, internationally established health screening other than temperature checks.

What the airport is doing now: Heathrow Airport is testing technologies around a large-scale screening system to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission while traveling.

Trials will assess for medical effectiveness, passenger response as well as suitability to the airport environment. Technologies under review will include UV sanitation, facial recognition thermal screening technology and contactless security procedures.

Heathrow Airport will share data from trials with government and industry to jumpstart the creation of a Common International Standard for health screening.

Why this matters: If this technology proves successful, it will give us a glimpse of what the future of travel will look like when the the movement restrictions around the world are lifted.

People wearing face masks pass in front of portraits of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, on April 9.

South Korean lawmakers claim the coronavirus pandemic has caused residents of North Korea’s Pyongyang to stockpile daily necessities.

Citing intelligence, South Korean lawmaker Kim Byung-kee said the border blockade with China “is adding difficulties to North Koreans’ lives and economic activities, and prices of imported goods such as seasoning, sugar and etc. temporarily jumped and the exchange rate for dollar rose.”

Kim said trade between China and North Korea from the first quarter had decreased 55% from the same period last year and March was particularly hard hit with a 91% drop.

North Korea has not reported any coronavirus cases but, according to Kim, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it can’t be ruled out given the human exchanges between China and North Korea “were brisk” before the blockade between the two countries was instituted in January.

Why North Korea hasn’t reported a single case: It’s unclear how North Korea has been able to avoid the virus, when its neighbors China, Russia and South Korea have experienced major outbreaks. Pyongyang has either been very lucky, isn’t saying something, or is reaping one of the few benefits of being a so-called “hermit nation.”

A sole worshipper performs prayers at the entrance of the closed Mohammed al-Amin mosque in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 20.

Starting this Friday, Lebanon will allow prayers, and Sunday masses will again be held in mosques and churches as the country begins to ease the lockdown measures.

The number of worshipers should not exceed 30% of the capacity of each mosque or church,  Lebanese Minister of Interior Mohammed Fahmi said, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency NNA. They must also adhere to public safety procedures.

Lebanon has adopted a five-phase plan to gradually reopen the country and to ease the “general mobilization” measures that were imposed on March 15 to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Restaurants were allowed to re-open with a 30% customer capacity on Monday, working hours for some commercial and industrial enterprises in the country were extended, and a public transport was allowed to operate with limited number of passengers and under specific conditions as of April 27.

Why this matters: Lebanon had received some credit for largely succeeding in preventing a major outbreak of the virus so far. But it is also being criticized for mishandling its aid program for the country’s poor. Aid distribution has been repeatedly delayed due to political wrangling.

A Qatar Airways jet is pictured approaching Philadelphia International Airport in November 2019.

Qatar Airways has warned it is planning to cut jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Qatar Airways said any job loss is “regrettable” and that it intends to enable employees to rejoin when possible when the circumstances improve.

The airline for now did not say how many jobs will be cut.

The UK leader announced that the government’s plan for moving forward during the pandemic will be presented to Parliament on Sunday, in the hope that some new measures to ease the country’s lockdown will be adopted the following day.

He did not explicitly mention any particular measures, but his comments hint at a relaxation of the country’s lockdown.

“We want, if we possibly can, to get going with some of these measures on Monday,” he said, ensuring MPs that the House would be fully informed and have the opportunity to debate the plan.

The comment came during the leader’s first Prime Minister’s Questions session since he was released from hospital, where he was treated for coronavirus in an intensive care unit.

He faced his new opponent, Labour leader Keir Starmer, in person, as well as several MPs asking questions over video conference, some of whom framed the the country’s confirmed death toll as a symbol of the government’s failed response.

The UK now has the second-highest death toll in the world and the highest in Europe.

High school senior students study in a classroom in Wuhan on May 6, for the first time since their city shut down in January.

If you’re just joining our live coverage of the global coronavirus pandemic, here are some key headlines today:

The UK’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock described epidemiologist Neil Ferguson’s breach of the country’s lockdown rules as “extraordinary,” a day after the top adviser was forced to resign.

Ferguson, whose modeling of how the coronavirus spreads has influenced government responses around the world, stepped down on Tuesday after the Telegraph newspaper reported that he had allowed a woman to visit him at his home, breaking the very rules he helped architect.

Professor Neil Ferguson speaks at a news conference in London, England, on January 22.

Hancock told Sky News anchor Kay Burley on Wednesday that he was left speechless over the incident.

“It’s extraordinary, and you know, I don’t understand it,” he said.

He added that social distancing rules were there for everyone, “they are deadly important and incredibly serious. These are the means by which we managed to get control of this virus.”

Asked whether Ferguson should face prosecution, Hancock said: “It’s a matter for the police. They’ll take decisions independently from ministers.”

In a statement to CNN in response to the Telegraph’s article, Ferguson accepted that he had made “an error of judgement and took the wrong course of action,” and therefore stepped back from his involvement in Britain’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which advises the government.

He also said he acted in the belief that he was immune, “having tested positive for coronavirus and completely isolated myself for almost two weeks after developing symptoms.”

A restaurant remains closed during lockdown in Madrid, Spain, on May 4.

The European Union is forecast to contract by a record 7.5% this year, according to a new forecast from the European Commission, as the coronavirus batters economies around the world.

In its spring economic forecast, the commission predicts the contraction of “historic proportion” and says the EU will rebound in 2021, with growth of 6% predicted for that year. The forecast says that every EU country will enter recession this year, but the full impact and the strength of the recovery in each member state will “differ markedly.”

“Europe is experiencing an economic shock without precedent since the Great Depression,” said Paolo Gentiloni, European commissioner for the economy.

“Both the depth of the recession and the strength of recovery will be uneven, conditioned by the speed at which lockdowns can be lifted, the importance of services like tourism in each economy and by each country’s financial resources. Such divergence poses a threat to the single market and the euro area – yet it can be mitigated through decisive, joint European action. We must rise to this challenge.”

Read more: Europe’s leading global airline is losing $1 million an hour and needs a bailout

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying speaks at a news conference in Beijing on March 30.

China says recent accusations by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump that the Covid-19 pandemic originated in a lab in Wuhan are a political strategy for Republicans ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

Speaking at a regular press briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters:

Responding to comments from Trump about possibly levying tariffs in retaliation, Hua said: “The facts show that tariffs are not good weapons, they impact all parties negatively, under current circumstances tariffs should not be used as weapons.”

When asked about a Reuters report that a Chinese government think tank had issued a document to leaders saying the US and China could potentially end up in armed conflict over growing global anti-China sentiment, Hua said: “As to the question of whether this will result in military conflict, of course this is not what we want to see. China loves peace, we believe that cooperation in fighting the epidemic should deepen mutual cooperation.”

Hua also addressed accusations that the country was profiting from the virus, saying, “China’s so called cover-up or profiting from the virus are just baseless,” and that as of May 1, China has provided “5.3 billion masks to the US and 330 million surgical gloves, 38.8 million protective suits and 5.98 million goggles, and 7,500 ventilators.”

US allegations: Pompeo said Sunday in an interview with ABC that there was “enormous evidence” Covid-19 originated in a laboratory in Wuhan. He did not provide details to support the claim.

China has also faced criticism over its handling of the virus, especially during the initial outbreak. It was accused of silencing whistleblowers and delaying informing the public about the severity of the crisis.

A report by the US Department of Homeland Security found that the Chinese government intentionally concealed the severity of the virus from the international community while it stockpiled imports and decreased exports, according to two administration officials familiar with the report.

Chinese response: Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang has admitted that the city’s “warnings were not sufficient,” and offered to resign.

And Beijing has hit back with its own propaganda efforts, accusing the US of shifting blame and spreading “lies.”

Read more:

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Department of State on November 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. Pompeo announced that the Trump administration does not consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank a violation of international law. Pompeo also spoke about protests in Iran, Iraq and Hong Kong. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Related article Pompeo claims China intentionally concealed coronavirus severity

At least 1,204,475 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the US, including 71,078 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases. 

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

CNN is tracking US coronavirus cases here:

Store manager Natalie Hijazi temporarily closes off the entrance to a Pet Fair store inside The Woodlands Mall on Tuesday, May 5, in The Woodlands, Texas.

With more than half the United States now into at least the first stage of reopening, one expert says the country still hasn’t done enough to protect residents from the coronavirus.

Governors across the country have allowed residents to return to some semblance of normalcy after weeks of shutdowns to stop the spread of the virus. But the country’s death toll continues to rise and public health experts have warned relaxing restrictions could cost thousands of lives.

“We don’t have the testing capacity now to know where this disease is,” Besser said. “We have not scaled up the thousands and thousands of contact tracers that we need, we don’t provide safe places for people to isolate or quarantine if they are identified as either having an infection or being in contact.”

Read the full story here.

Former UK prime minister Theresa May leaves Downing Street in this July 17, 2019 file photo in London, England.

Former British prime minister Theresa May has criticized world leaders for their “inability to forge a coherent international response” to the novel coronavirus pandemic, in an opinion piece for the Times of London on Wednesday.

May, who was prime minister from 2016 until the summer of 2019, said that though researchers and scientists across the world are working together, there is “little evidence of politicians doing so.” 

While acknowledging there are “real questions” about the initial response of the Chinese government, May said it would be a “mistake” to “allow this to become a fault line in international relations.”

Amid ongoing questions of the World Health Organization and the US withdrawal in funding, May said frustrations should be “channeled into reforming” the organisation and “not denigrating the concept of international co-operation.”

This comes as the UK struggles to contain the virus. Yesterday the UK’s death toll surpassed Italy’s, making it the highest in Europe and second globally after the US.

A woman wearing a face mask walks along a promenade in Singapore on May 4.

Singapore confirmed 788 new cases of coronavirus today, raising the country’s total past 20,000 infections.

The vast majority of these new cases are foreign migrant workers living in dormitories, where clusters have made the country’s numbers spike dramatically in recent weeks.

The country has now recorded 20,198 cases and 18 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University – the highest caseload in Southeast Asia.

Singapore reopens: The city-state started a phased return to work yesterday. Businesses that reopen will be required to follow strict new rules, including the wearing of face masks all day in the office and no gathering among staff during lunch breaks.

The Ministry of Health calls the new measures the “new normal in a Covid-19 world.”

Starting from May 19, schools will also reopen, for those who have practical sessions and need additional support. 

But for migrant workers isolated inside dormitories, restrictions on daily movements will stay in place until June 1.

A few people walk on Pariser Platz in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Tuesday, March 5.

If you’re just joining our live coverage of the global coronavirus pandemic, here are some key headlines today:

And here are the latest updates today:

Neil Ferguson speaks at a news conference in London on January 22.

The leading epidemiologist who advised the UK government on the coronavirus response has resigned from his government post on Tuesday after the Telegraph newspaper reported he broke lockdown rules. 

Professor Neil Ferguson, who is based at Imperial College in London, is one of the architects of the UK government stay-at-home strategy and was a prominent member of Britain’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which has been spearheading the coronavirus response.

In a statement to CNN, Ferguson said he accepted he made “an error of judgement and took the wrong course of action,” and therefore stepped back from his involvement in SAGE. 

“I deeply regret any undermining of the clear messages around the continued need for social distancing to control this devastating epidemic. The government guidance is unequivocal, and is there to protect all of us,” he said.

Hong Kong has ordered more than 173,000 people to undergo quarantine since the coronavirus outbreak began, city authorities said today.

As of Monday, the city’s Department of Health has issued 103,543 mandatory quarantine orders to people arriving in the city from mainland China, Taiwan and Macao. A further 69,685 orders were issued for people arriving from elsewhere overseas.

Hong Kong survived two waves of coronavirus.

The city saw its first case in late January, and had just begun letting its guard down in late February when it was hit by a second wave.

After a brief period of low case numbers, new infections spiked dramatically, prompting a series of additional stringent restrictions.

That second wave now appears to have largely passed. Hong Kong hasn’t had a case of local transmission in more than two weeks, and the city is cautiously resuming normal life. Yesterday, city leaders announced that certain restrictions would be loosened, and schools will start reopening by the end of the month.

The new guidelines, which will go into effect Friday, will allow more people to gather in public and some businesses to reopen.

Read more:

A woman (L) uses her smart phone while people (C) use the beach in Hong Kong on April 13, 2020. (Photo by ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP) (Photo by ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article How Hong Kong contained its second wave of Covid-19

Renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami teamed up with fashion brand Supreme to fundraise during the coronavirus pandemic – and ended up raising more than a million dollars.

Murakami, founder of the “superflat” movement that blurs the boundaries of high and low culture, helped create a T-shirt with his original artwork. The print features the Supreme logo against the artist’s signature flowers. 

All of the proceeds will go to the non-profit organization Help USA to support youth and families facing homelessness during the pandemic, said Supreme, a cult US streetwear brand.

The shirt originally sold for $60. But anytime Supreme releases new items, they are quickly snatched up and resold for much higher prices online, with fans worldwide clamoring for the coveted goods – and this time was no different. The T-shirt is reselling for up to $1,750 on the streetwear site Grailed.

On Tuesday, Help USA posted a photo of the shirt on Instagram, thanking Murakami and Supreme for donating $1,052,040 in sales.

Editor’s note: Jeffrey D. Sachs is a professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. The opinions expressed here are his own.

The big lie of the Trump administration is that China is the cause of America’s problems. The meme has worked for a while, since it plays into American smugness that if China is succeeding, they must be cheating.

Trump and his right-wing allies upped this game recently by claiming the Covid-19 pandemic was the result of an accidental release from a Chinese laboratory and that China’s “cover up” blocked an effective global response.

According to CNN, the still-secret findings of the Five Eyes intelligence agencies (the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada) pour cold water on this claim. So too does Trump’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Yet just this past Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted, “There is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan.”

Such charges by the Trump administration and by Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas are reckless and dangerous. They could push the world to conflict just as the Bush administration’s lies about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq pushed the US into war in 2003.

Read the full opinion here:

pompeo

Related article Trump's anti-China theory implodes

Dennis Ruhnke holds two of his remaining N-95 masks as he stands with his wife, Sharon, at their home near Troy, Kansas.

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York held up a letter and N-95 mask sent to him by a retired Kansas farmer, he called it humanity at its best.

“If you could, would you please give this mask to a nurse or doctor in your state?” read the March letter from Dennis Ruhnke.

Now, Ruhnke has been given an honorary degree from his state.

Kelly and Kansas State University President Richard Myers presented Ruhnke with a bachelor’s degree during a ceremony on Tuesday.

Ruhnke was two credits shy of earning his degree in 1971 when his father died, according to Kelly’s post. He decided to leave school to look after his mother and the family farm.

The N-95 mask was one of five left over from Ruhnke’s farming days, he said in the letter. He and his wife, who are both in their 70s, sent the unused mask to Cuomo amid a medical supply shortage.

New York has been the hardest hit state during the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 321,000 reported cases and at least 25,124 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Two Indian Navy ships have been deployed to Maldives to repatriate a thousand citizens, according to India’s Ministry of Defence. 

The stranded citizens will begin to board the ships on May 8, in an operation that will bring people back to India in phases. 

Indian nationals who are permitted to return will undergo medical screening and will be subject to social distancing measures while onboard.

India will also be evacuating citizens via air starting May 7, bringing back 14,800 passengers in 64 flights from 13 countries, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

US President Donald Trump wants to move on. “Wartime” leadership in a national crisis no longer fits his political timetable.

No matter that coronavirus cases are rising in many states and that governors are ignoring his guidelines about when it’s safe to open. Trump is shrugging off warnings by scientists that the easing restrictions taking place across the country could cause tens of thousands of deaths.

The White House gave its clearest sign yet Tuesday, just less than six months from Election Day and as the US death toll topped 70,000, that it is moving from pandemic management to a message of revival and an aggressive pitch for a second term. And Trump is thwarting oversight efforts of how he and his administration responded to the pandemic that could reveal failures that worsened the outbreak.

Vice President Mike Pence revealed conversations about scaling back the administration’s coronavirus task force perhaps around Memorial Day at the end of the month. Officials said that advisers like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx would remain on board. But closing the task force would make experts whose science-based arguments have sometimes contradicted Trump’s overly optimistic projections far less visible.

Disbanding the task force would also raise questions about the administration’s priorities in effectively declaring victory over a pandemic that appears likely to rage for many more months.

The President called on Americans to maintain social distancing and handwashing, but claimed that stay-at-home orders were also injurious to national well-being.

Read the full analysis:

US President Donald Trump, flanked by (from R) Response coordinator for White House Coronavirus Task Force Deborah Birx, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, US Vice President Mike Pence and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci, speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on March 25, 2020, in Washington, DC.

Related article Trump pivots hard away from fight against unvanquished pandemic

A total of 40 people died from the coronavirus in Pakistan yesterday – the country’s highest single-day increase in deaths during the outbreak, according to the health ministry.

The ministry also confirmed 1,049 new cases, raising Pakistan’s total to 22,550 cases and 526 deaths.

A day earlier, the country reported its largest daily increase in cases, with 1,315 new infections within 24 hours.

In a short address to the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that he plans to “ease restrictions” on the ongoing national lockdown to “help the economy and daily wage earners.” 

Pakistan’s lockdown is scheduled to run through May 9.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, speaks at a news conference on Wednesday, April 22 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

If the coronavirus pandemic was a nine-inning game, we’re only at the second inning, said Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

Covid-19 will likely infect 60% to 70% of the US population before it slows down, Osterholm told CNN on Tuesday. He estimates that between 5% and 15% have been infected so far.

The country has “a long ways to go” to get to a level of herd immunity, he added.

Osterholm and his colleagues have offered three possible scenarios for the pandemic:

The United States has recorded at least 1,204,351 cases of coronavirus and 71,070 related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

On Monday, the US reported 24,063 new cases and 2,142 deaths. 

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

CNN is tracking US coronavirus cases here:

US President Donald Trump speaks during a round table on supporting Native Americans on Tuesday, May 5, in Phoenix.

Prominent coronavirus modeler Dr. Christopher Murray says US President Donald Trump was wrong when he said Murray’s latest forecast about the number of virus deaths did not account for mitigation measures.

The model, often cited by the White House, now forecasts more than 134,000 people will die from Covid-19 by August – double its earlier projection.

Trump, when asked by CNN about the new model from Murray’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), claimed that the model “assumes no mitigation.”

Murray confirmed that’s incorrect.

Murray, chair of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington, said there are some positive factors that have also influenced the model. An increase in testing and contact tracing will help reduce the number of deaths, he predicts. Summer temperatures should also “put a little bit of a brake on transmission,” Murray said.

“So all those are factored into our forecast of 134,000 deaths,” Murray said.

Murray said use of masks, avoiding large gatherings and working from home will help reduce the spread of the virus.

A girl jumps rope by the Tamagawa riverside in Tokyo on May 5.

The Japanese government is facing a public backlash after it promoted “new social behavior” guidelines on Monday, as a state of emergency implemented to curb the spread of coronavirus was extended until May 31.

Speaking at a news conference, an expert panel said the rate of new cases was on the decline in Japan – but emergency measures would remain in place and the new guidelines should become the norm, as an uptick in infections would overwhelm hospitals. 

New normal: The panel stressed the need to permanently adopt measures such as wearing face masks outside, keeping 2 meters (6.5 ft) between people, teleworking as much as possible, avoiding crowded spaces and washing hands regularly with soap in the long-term fight against the virus.

Backlash ensues: The advice, however, prompted criticism on social media. Many people commented that the new guidelines were obvious and that it was patronizing to try to enforce them.

One new recommendation made on Monday for people eating in restaurants to sit outside, side-by-side while keeping conversation to a minimum, triggered the biggest adverse reaction.

Others, however, preferred to err on the side of caution. One Twitter user posted images of people eating out alone and children at elementary schools eating lunch at their desks with a protective shield around each of them.

On Tuesday, the Japanese government said it would reevaluate the need to maintain the state of emergency on a weekly basis, according to public broadcaster NHK.

A cleaning crew disinfects a New York City subway train on May 4.

For the first time in its history, New York City’s entire subway system is scheduled to be closed Wednesday morning.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is starting a deep cleaning to avoid spread of the coronavirus.

The cleanings will be done on a nightly basis, starting from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday. When the cleaning is done, every single subway car will be disinfected.

“This is critical to ensure the health and safety of our employees and customers,” said Foye.

To accommodate the loss of train service, the MTA is adding several hundred buses to its typical overnight routes to make sure essential workers have access to transportation.

Subway officials warned New York residents that there may be hiccups in executing the unprecedented closure. 

“If this were a normal moment, we would have planned this for months,” New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg said.

Tyson Waterloo.

Tyson Foods, one of the world’s biggest meat producers, is resuming limited operations at a facility in Waterloo, Iowa, tomorrow.

The company, which employs roughly 100,000 workers, closed its pork plants in Waterloo, and Logansport, Indiana, in April so workers could be tested for the coronavirus.

The Waterloo plant closure came after weeks of public pressure. Production had already slowed there because many of its 2,800 workers had been calling out sick, and local health authorities linked the Tyson plant to 182 cases – nearly half of the county’s total.

The situation was so severe that the US meat supply could be at risk, said John Tyson, chairman of the Tyson board, in late April.

The past week has seen Tyson facilities slowly reopen across the country. The company’s pork plant in Perry, Iowa, resumed operations on Monday after being closed for coronavirus testing – making the Waterloo facility the last pork plant with fully suspended operations.

The facility’s reopening will come with a host of new safety measures, like daily clinical screenings and an onsite clinic with nurse practitioners. All the workers returning to the facility have been tested for the virus, and all those who tested positive will stay on sick leave until cleared for work by health officials, said the company’s news release.

Students arrive at a high school in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on May 6.

Thousands of students are going back to school today in Wuhan – the original epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.

The central Chinese city was placed under strict lockdown in January to arrest the spread of the virus, with nobody allowed in or out, and movement limited within the city. The restrictions began lifting in early April, with borders opening, domestic travel resuming, and some businesses allowed to reopen.

Students return: A total of 57,800 students will return to class in Wuhan today, according to a statement from Hubei province authorities. Some 121 schools in the city are reopening, including 83 high schools and 38 vocational schools.

High school seniors will be the first to return, as they need to prepare for the “gao kao,” China’s university exam. It’s typically held on June 7-8 each year, but was postponed this year to July 7-8 due to the coronavirus. Younger high school grades will slowly return in phases.

The White House coronavirus task force will start to wind down later this month, a senior White House official told CNN on Tuesday.

The New York Times first reported the White House’s plan to wind down the task force.

The move would quash the most visible nerve center for the federal government’s response to the virus. But a senior administration official told CNN to expect members of the task force to still be involved in conversations with governors and industry leaders because the White House is aware that leaders still want to hear from doctors as they reopen their states and businesses.

This comes just after the the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington projected a doubling of US deaths – to 134,000 by August 4 – and an increased daily death toll.

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US President Donald Trump, flanked by (From L) Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci, US Vice President Mike Pence and Response coordinator for White House Coronavirus Task Force Deborah Birx, speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on March 26, 2020, in Washington, DC.

Related article White House coronavirus task force to be wound down around Memorial Day

A nurse prepares to administer medication to a patient inside the coronavirus ward at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington, on Thursday, April 30.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 3.6 million people globally and killed at least 257,000. If you’re just joining us now, here are the latest developments:

A University of Pittsburgh research assistant professor, who was on the verge of making “very significant findings” toward Covid-19, was shot and killed in an apparent murder-suicide over the weekend, according to the university and police.

Dr. Bing Liu was found in his home, and had suffered gunshot wounds to the head, neck, torso, and extremities, according to the Ross Police Department.

Investigators believe an unidentified second man, who was found dead in his car, shot and killed Liu in the townhome before returning to his car and taking his own life.

Police believe the men knew each other, but say there is “zero indication that there was targeting due to his (Liu) being Chinese,” according to Detective Sgt. Brian Kohlhepp.

Members of the university’s school of medicine describe their former colleague as an outstanding researcher and mentor, and have pledged to complete Liu’s research “in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence.”

He had been working to better understand the cellular mechanisms that underlie Covid-19.

CNN's Chris Cuomo and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he’s preparing for the reopening of his state as early as mid-May.

Cuomo said reopening will be based on facts and data, but more coronavirus testing is needed.

“We do need more testing and that is an open issue,” he said.

“They have to come up to scale. You then have to put tracing in place, which is an enormous undertaking that’s never been done before. That has to be put in place to gauge the reopening.”

South Korea reported two new coronavirus cases yesterday – both imported from abroad, meaning the country had no local transmissions.

This is the country’s lowest number of new cases since February 18, when the number of new cases was as low as one.

The national total now stands at to 10,806 cases and 255 deaths, according to South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Another 50 patients have been discharged from isolation, bringing the national total of recovered cases to 9,333 – or 86.4% of the total infected.

A general view of city hall in downtown Houston, Texas is seen at night, illuminated in colors, in recognition for first responders and health care professionals amid the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, April 26.

The city of Houston, Texas could furlough all of its employees except for police and firefighters, Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a news conference on Tuesday.

The furloughs are likely to take place to make up for a $200 million budget shortfall and would likely start on July 1, Turner said.

Turner reiterated that the city is looking at the possibility of utilizing some of those dollars to prevent furlough in some categories. 

Some background: Late last month, Turner said Houston was facing a budgetary shortfall due to the coronavirus, and it was “the worst in the city’s history.”

He said both reopening the economy and extending the stay-at-home order is in the hands of Gov. Greg Abbott.

On Tuesday, Abbott announced that certain business sectors would be allowed to reopen in the coming weeks, albeit with restrictions.

An employee helps set up a medical facility to accommodate coronavirus patients at the Nippon Foundation Para Arena in Tokyo on May 4.

Japan recorded 123 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 22 deaths on Tuesday, according to the country’s health ministry.

That brings the national total to 16,066 cases and 556 deaths. Of that total, 712 cases and 13 deaths are linked to the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was docked under quarantine for several weeks in February.

Tokyo, the hard-hit capital, made up 58 of the new cases on Tuesday.

Case numbers in Japan spiked last week and into the weekend, with new daily case numbers jumping past 100 and reaching 289 on Saturday.

That fell back to 218 on Sunday, and 174 on Monday. Tuesday’s count of 123 continues the downward trend past the peak of the spike.

A PCR test for the new coronavirus is carried out at a general hospital in Shanghai on April 28.

China recorded two new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, both imported from overseas, according to the country’s National Health Commission.

In addition, 20 new asymptomatic cases were recorded. A total of 903 asymptomatic patients are still under medical observation. 

The total number of cases officially recorded in mainland China now stands at 82,883, including 4,633 deaths.

The vast majority of patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital, the NHC said. Some 339 cases remain active.

Cruise ships sail in waters off Santorini, Greece in this 2015 file photo.

Bookings for cruise line cabins in 2021 are down by 25.1% compared to the same time last year, according to the CEO of cruise website CruiseCompete.com.

CruiseCompete.com is a platform where 500 member travel agencies compete for the business of cruise line travelers. 

According to those member agencies, the biggest fear cruise travelers are experiencing right now is “getting stuck on a ship” and getting quarantined, said CEO Bob Levinstein.

While he said that the cruise line industry will go through some bumps in the road, he believes the major cruise lines will survive the Covid-19 pandemic 

One of the cruise lines with very loyal customers is Norwegian Cruise Line, said Levinstein. Even though Norwegian warned investors that it might be forced to go out of business in an SEC filing, Levinstein is optimistic that “there will be a Norwegian cruise line when this is done.”

A new genetic analysis of the virus that causes Covid-19 taken from more than 7,600 patients around the world shows the virus has been circulating in people since late last year, and must have spread extremely quickly after the first infection.

Researchers in Britain looked at mutations in the virus and found evidence of quick spread, but not evidence the virus is becoming more easily transmitted or more likely to cause serious disease.

How they conducted the study: Balloux and colleagues pulled viral sequences from a giant global database that scientists around the world are using to share data. They looked at samples taken at different times and from different places, and said they indicate that the virus first started infecting people at the end of last year.

What this means: “This rules out any scenario that assumes SARSCoV-2 may have been in circulation long before it was identified, and hence have already infected large proportions of the population,” Balloux’s team wrote in their report, published in the journal Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 

“Our results are in line with previous estimates and point to all sequences sharing a common ancestor towards the end of 2019, supporting this as the period when SARS-CoV-2 jumped into its human host,” the team wrote in the report, published Tuesday. 

The virus reached the West long before it was officially reported: The researchers also found genetic evidence that supports suspicions the virus was infecting people in Europe, the US and elsewhere weeks or even months before the first official cases were reported in January and February.

The US Congress moved so quickly this spring to approve a staggering amount of money to respond to the coronavirus crisis that most members barely had a chance to read the bills before they voted to send them to President Donald Trump’s desk.

But efforts to oversee how the federal government is spending nearly $3 trillion of taxpayer money are sputtering along.

A new oversight panel established by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has yet to get off the ground as Republican leaders weigh boycotting the panel amid accusations it is designed to hurt Trump.

A five-member commission to oversee $500 billion for big companies has only done preliminary work in part because congressional leaders have not yet agreed on a chair to lead the group, even though the law was enacted more than a month ago.

And the White House said coronavirus task force members are so consumed by responding to the crisis that they would not be available to testify before Congress this month unless explicitly approved by White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.  

With control of the White House and Congress on the line in a high-stakes election less than six months away, the distrust is running high – especially since the outcome is likely to be determined by how voters view Trump’s leadership amid the unprecedented economic and public health crisis. 

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The US Capitol dome and it's reflection are seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on December 29, 2012. As the fiscal cliff deadline looms, Congress and the White House have still not reached a compromise. If no deal is struck by December 31 at midnight, taxes will automatically go up on both high earners and the middle class, and across-the-board spending cuts will go into effect. AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER (Photo credit should read KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)

Related article Congress slow to oversee US response to crisis amid partisan battles

California’s weekly death toll from coronavirus has declined for the first time since the outbreak began.

Data provided by California’s Department of Public Health shows a quick rise in deaths in March and the first part of April, and numbers plateauing in the past three weeks, with just over 500 fatalities reported each week.

The week ending May 3 saw 505 deaths, a slight drop from the prior week’s report of 527 deaths.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday he’s feeling optimistic based on the apparent stabilization of these numbers, but advised that reports of deaths typically lag behind confirmation of coronavirus cases.

US President Donald Trump participates in a tour of a Honeywell International plant that manufactures personal protective equipment on Tuesday, in Phoenix, Arizona. 

US President Donald Trump appeared to back off his claim that a coronavirus vaccine would be developed by the end of the year.

Trump added that “we are doing really great” and he is getting daily reports from companies working to develop a vaccine.

On Sunday, Trump told a Fox News town hall, “We are very confident we are going to have a vaccine by the end of the year.”

At least 1,203,502 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the US, including 71,031 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases. 

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

CNN is tracking US coronavirus cases here:

A worker mops a corridor in the Intensive Care unit at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, UK, on Tuesday, May 5.

The number of people who have died from coronavirus in the UK is now the highest in Europe and second only to the US globally.

The UK on Tuesday surpassed Italy’s death toll; the UK has now reported 29,502 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. In Italy, 29,315 people have died. The US has lost more than 71,000 people to the virus.

There was an increase of 4,406 cases in the UK on Tuesday, bringing the total number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus to 194,990, UK foreign minister Dominic Raab said.

So far, 1,383,842 coronavirus tests have been conducted in the UK.