Coronavirus live US updates: cases and deaths, latest news, today
Coronavirus live United States: latest Covid-19 news - 24 April
Another day down in the fight against coronavirus. That's all we have time for today but our new live feed for Saturday is up and running with the latest news breaks in the USA. We will also have opinion, comment, statistics also throughout Saturday 25 April, 2020. Goodnight.
US coronavirus update at 16:00 EST/13:00 PST (22:00 CEST) on Friday 24 April
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 2,780,094 cases have been detected worldwide, with 195,313 deaths and 765,914 people now recovered.
In the USA, there have been 886,213 cases with 50,360 deaths. 81,536 people have recovered from the virus.
China's inactivated Covid-19 vaccine enters Phase II of clinical trials
China's inactivated Covid-19 vaccine entered the second phase of clinical trial on Friday, Xinhua News reports. An inactivated vaccine, sometimes called a killed vaccine, uses virus particles which have deteriorated and lost their ability to cause disease.
The vaccine is being developed by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products under the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) and the Wuhan Institute of Virology under the Chinese Academy ofSciences. Clinical trials began on 12 April.
In a statement, Sinopharm said that 96 patients, in three age groups, were given the vaccine on Thursday, April 23. The vaccine has not shown any side effects so far and volunteers taking part are still under observation. The second phase of clinical trial will focus on the vaccination procedure. The trial process is expected to last around a year.
China has approved three Covid-19 vaccine candidates for clinical trials - including an adenovirus vector vaccine prototype which has entered the second phase of clinical trial.
Canada to help small businesses with 75% rent cut
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans today to help small businesses get through the next few months by offering financial relief for those who are struggling to pay their rent.
Through the Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program, small and medium-sized companies who have sufered a 70% drop in revenue will have their rent cut by 75% during the months of April, May and June. The government will cover 50% of the rent reduction with property owners covering the rest.
US death toll passes 50,000
Numbers from the US paint a grim picture - a third of that total are fatalities in New York City, 16,388. Michigan and Illinois also bearing the brunt of the crisis with 1,396 and 1,142 deaiths due to coronavirus-related illness.
#dontdrinkbleach
With numerous hashtags at the top of US Twitter trends, and manufacturers of disinfectants advising customers not to inject themselves with their products, The Guardian's Marina Hyde wasn't slow in getting involved. Worth a read...
Apple and Google tracing update
Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google on Friday updated technical details of the coronavirus contact tracing system they plan to release next month, saying new features would strengthen privacy protections and give health authorities more detailed data.
The system announced on April 10 will use Bluetooth technology to let authorities build apps to alert people who have been in proximity with those who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The technology does not employ GPS location data and stores most sensitive data in a decentralized way on users' phones.
The approach opened a rift with European governments planning systems that would store data on centralized servers. Without the Apple-Google technology, apps built by those governments will face limitations such as needing a phone's screen to be unlocked to work properly. Health and privacy researchers also cited privacy concerns that the companies addressed on Friday by making it harder to use system-generated data to track people. (Reuters)
Stimulus Checks: how to protect yourself from scammers
Avoid the stimulus scam
Around 180,000 fraudulent sites have been identified related to the stimulus payments. Don't be one of the ones to be fooled.
Full story:
Coronavirus US: What measures will be in place at gyms when they reopen?
What measures will be in place at gyms when they reopen?
As some states in the US prepare for phase one of Opening Up America Again, here's how gyms are preparing to keep people safe as they work out.
Full details here:
I wouldn't take pay cut - Keane has sympathy for top footballers
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane says players at "really big", "really wealthy" clubs should not have to take pay cuts amid the coronavirus crisis, after Mesut Özil was among three players who reportedly refused a 12.5% salary drop at Arsenal.
You'll find the full story on that here.
Coronavirus US: Who will benefit from $484bn stimulus bill?
Who will benefit from United States' $484m stimulus bill?
The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill providing further funds for small business and hospitals amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Full details here:
NFL Draft takes place virtually amid Covid-19 crisis
The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft was held on Thursday, with the coronavirus pandemic meaning that the event, which was to be staged in Las Vegas, instead went ahead via video link.
Selected by the Cincinnati Bengals, LSU's Dan Burrows was the first pick in what was a quarterback-heavy draft: three of the first six chosen were QBs.
White House coronavirus chief's response to Trump disinfectant comments
This was the rather revealing reaction of Dr Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, to US president Donald Trump's suggestion that disinfectant could be used to cure coronavirus sufferers:
Coronavirus: Do I need to wash, disinfect food and packaging?
Do I need to wash, disinfect food and packaging?
There is a low risk of being infected by handling food or packaging, but authorities nevertheless urge extreme caution when it comes to hygiene.
Full story:
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
All the information you need to understand the coronavirus and ways to stay safe during the Covid-19 pandemic:
Australian medical chief struggles to hide mirth at Trump’s disinfectant suggestion
At his daily press briefing on Thursday, US president Donald Trump raised eyebrows by suggesting that injecting people with disinfectant could cure the coronavirus, saying the idea “sounds interesting to me”.
Trump also proposed that Covid-19 sufferers could be treated with ultra-violet light.
The American president's comments brought about this response from an evidently incredulous Brendan Murphy, Australia’s chief medical officer:
U.S. Congress approves $484 billion coronavirus-relief bill
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a $484 billion bill to expand federal loans to small businesses impacted by the coronavirus outbreak and hospitals overwhelmed by patients suffering from COVID-19. By a vote of 388-5, the House passed the measure, which was unanimously approved on Tuesday by the Senate. It now goes to President Donald Trump for signing into law. (Report by Reuters)
Coronavirus: Wuhan scientist hits out at China conspiracy theories
Wuhan scientist hits out at China conspiracy theories
The director of the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory has hit out at claims the coronavirus was created in a lab there, saying: "There is no way this virus came from us."
New York survey suggests nearly 14% in state may have coronavirus antibodies
A preliminary survey of New York state residents found that nearly 14% of those tested had antibodies against the novel coronavirus, suggesting that some 2.7 million may already have been infected, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday.
While noting the small sample size of 3,000 people and other limitations of the survey, Cuomo said the implied fatality rate of 0.5% of those infected was lower than some experts feared.
"If the infection rate is 13.9 percent, then it changes the theories of what the death rate is if you get infected," Cuomo told a daily briefing.
U.S. Congress approves $484 billion coronavirus-relief bill
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a $484 billion bill to expand federal loans to small businesses impacted by the coronavirus outbreak and hospitals overwhelmed by patients suffering from COVID-19.
By a vote of 388-5, the House passed the measure, which was unanimously approved on Tuesday by the Senate. It now goes to President Donald Trump for signing into law.
US unemployment figures: latest jobless claims, 23 April
US unemployment figures: latest jobless claims
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic across the United States of America continues to be felt with a further 4.4 million filing for unemployment during the past week.
Coronavirus UK: new Covid-19 vaccine to be tested on humans
New Covid-19 vaccine being tested on humans
The first clinical trials for a new potential Covid-19 vaccine will go ahead on humans at Oxford University and in Langen, Germany.
Rolling Stones release isolation inspired new single
The Rolling Stones have just announced a brand new track ‘Living In A Ghost Town’, recorded in LA and London last year and finished in isolation!
Hello and welcome to our live Covid-19 United States blog where we will bring you the latest breaking news, updates and information relating to the pandemic in the States. At the time of writing over 854,000 people have been diagnosed positive with coronavirus and over 47,000 deaths in the nation as a result of the virus.