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Coronavirus USA news summary: cases and deaths - 29 April

Update:
Live coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States: breaking news, updates and statistics as they emerge.

Coronavirus live USA: latest Covid-19 news - 30 May

This United States Covid-19 blog is now closed. For all the latest information and breaking news relating to coronavirus in the US, please follow our latest live feed here.

Washington state reopening plan: what does the phase 1.5 mean?

Coronavirus

Washington state reopening plan: what does the phase 1.5 mean?

Washington state reopening plan: what does the phase 1.5 mean?

Washington state loosens restrictions for phased opening as shutdown order approaches expiration amid the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

Global cases pass 6 million mark

The latest Covid-19 cases figures from Johns Hopkins University (Coronavirus Research Centre) suggest that more than 6 million have contracted coronavirus around the world.

Los Angeles county reopening: activities allowed and restrictions

Coronavirus

Los Angeles county reopening: activities allowed and restrictions

Los Angeles county reopening: activities allowed and restrictions

The governor of California Gavin Newsom gave the green light for phase two of reopening the state and restrictions are easing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

 

WHO hits out at tobacco advertising 

The World Health Organisation issued a series of tweets hitting out at the promotion of tobacco to a younger demographic.

U.S. CDC reports total of 1,737,950 coronavirus cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported a total 1,737,950 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 18,123 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,074 to 102,785.

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. EDT on May 29 versus its previous report released on Friday.

The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.

Covid-19

Saturated hospitals, airlifts as California border region virus cases surge

Coronavirus cases are surging in a scorching hot desert region straddling south California and a city near Mexico's Tijuana, leading to saturated hospitals, a cross-border overspill of patients and airlifts from rural U.S. clinics.

Mexicali, capital of the Mexican state of Baja California, has the third-highest number of confirmed COVID cases in Mexico, with its main hospitals at four-fifths capacity, state health department data shows.

Only a few miles beyond the border fence, Imperial County, California, is coping with the most COVID hospitalizations per capita in the state - well over twice the rate of the next highest county.

For the past two weeks, Imperial County's largest hospital has used helicopters to fly some patients to other clinics, including those over 100 miles (160 km) away in San Diego and Palm Springs, because its intensive care unit is full.

Washington stay-at-home order to expire tomorrow

Washington governor Jay Inslee has issued guidelines about the state's phased re-opening which will get underway from tomorrow, Sunday 31 May.

“We are able to do this thanks to millions of Washingtonians pulling together, in the face of sacrifice and suffering, and doing their part by staying home,” Inslee said during a press conference on Friday. “But this does not mean that we are returning to normal. It means that after three months, we are successfully moving forward.”

As of yesterday, 26 counties have been approved to move to Phase 2. Counties in Phase 2 must remain in that phase for a minimum of three weeks before they are eligible to move on to Phase 3 of the safe reopening plan. The earliest any county could move to Phase 3 would be 3 June.

WHO

EU urges the US to reconsider decision to cut ties with WHO

The European Union is urging the United States to think again about its decision to cut ties with the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

"In the face of this global threat, now is the time for enhanced cooperation and common solutions. Actions that weaken international results must be avoided," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in a statement. "In this context, we urge the US to reconsider its announced decision," it said, a day after President Donald Trump announced the move, accusing the UN agency of "becoming a puppet of China".

Wearing face masks now compulsory in Lompoc, Santa Barbara

Lompoc mayor Jenelle Osborne has ordered face coverings to be mandatory in the Californian city. Those found breaching those rules could be hit with a 1000 dollar fine. “Face coverings have the potential to slow the spread of the virus by limiting the spread of respiratory droplets,” Osborne said.

The measure does not not apply to children under 13 years of age, and masks with one-way valves did not comply with the order as they allowed droplets to escape.

In total, Santa Barbara has recorded 1,636 positive cases of Covid-19 infection out of 17,619 people tested.

New York state reopening: CDC guidelines for offices

CORONAVIRUS

New York state reopening: CDC guidelines for offices

New York state reopening: CDC guidelines for offices

Andrew Cuomo has announced the re-opening of New York and the CDC have sent out guidelines for social distance to avoid the spreading of coronavirus.

Read more here:

Miami's hotels preparing to reopen

After being ordered to close on 23 March, hotel operators throughout Miami-Dade have wondered when, and some if, they would reopen. With new government safety guidelines now in place, hoteliers are hoping to draw guests eager for a break from home-bound routines.

“With the exception of a couple days here and there, usually due to hurricanes, we’ve had almost a century of existence and haven’t closed,” the owner of the 25-room 250-room Biltmore Hotel said. “But the pandemic shut us down. It was certainly eye-popping to a lot of us.”

By law, all guests and staff must now wear masks in common areas. Only 10 individuals will be allowed in a hotel lobby per 500 square feet. Plexiglas will now separate check-in staff from guests. Floor markings will show where it is permitted to stand. Furniture has been rearranged or removed. Hand sanitizer stations will be practically everywhere...

Covid-19 Doctor Ydelfonso Decoo remembered

Doctor Ydelfonso Decoo, a Dominican immigrant and pediatrician, was one of the first doctors in Queens to die from the virus. He was 70 years old. He has been remembered by friends with a 20,000-square-foot mural which now lays on display at the Queens Museum - Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The huge mural was painted by Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada in just five days. 

SpaceX

SpaceX ready for second launch attempt in Florida

Elon Musk's private rocket company SpaceX was set for a repeat attempt at launching two Americans into orbit on Saturday from Florida for a mission that would mark the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts from US soil in nine years.

The mission's first launch try on Wednesday was called off with less than 17 minutes remaining on the countdown clock due to stormy weather around the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.

Barring weather or other unforeseen problems, the 24-story-tall SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is due to lift off at 3:22 p.m. EDT, propelling astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken aloft on a 19-hour ride to the International Space Station. They will be carried there inside the newly designed Crew Dragon capsule, making its first flight into orbit with humans aboard.

It will also be the first time that commercially developed space vehicles - owned and operated by a private entity rather than NASA - have carried Americans into orbit. The last time NASA launched astronauts into space aboard a brand new vehicle was 40 years ago at the start of the shuttle program. 

USA

Peaceful demonstrators observe a moment of silence outside the U.S. Bank Stadium during the fourth day of protests after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. May 29, 2020. Picture taken May 29, 2020. REUTERS/Nicholas Pfosi

Merkel says no to Trump invitation

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has refused to accept U.S. President Donald Trump's invitation to attend an envisaged summit of the Group of Seven (G7) in the United States, Politico has reported.

'The federal chancellor thanks President Trump for his invitation to the G7 summit at the end of June in Washington. As of today, considering the overall pandemic situation, she cannot agree to her personal participation, to a journey to Washington,' the report quoted German government spokesman Steffen Seibert as saying.

'She will of course continue to monitor the development of the pandemic.'

Trump believes there would be 'no greater example of reopening' than holding a G7 summit in the United States near the end of June, the White House said on Tuesday.

Coronavirus detail

Niraj points to an interesting discrepancy over reporting granularity across the globe.

New York state reopening: Gov Cuomo explains when and how

CORONAVIRUS

New York state reopening: Gov Cuomo explains when and how

New York's reopening plan

The Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier, North Country and Central New York are the five regions already cleared to enter phase two.

US daily deaths remain above 1,000

Although the rates in New York have slowed, there are still significant numbers being recorded.

Lockdowns vs infections: which is worse?

Great article from CNN's Tara John explaining why that's a false choice. Fix the pandemic and you'll be able to fix the economy. 

You'll still hear lots of people saying lockdowns aren't worth it economically - but if you are worried about elderly parents you might feel differently. 

Key questions...

Vital because in some studies more than 80% of those infected show no symptoms... so how infectious they are is of huge importance. Contagious but not terribly, though we're still not entirely sure, is the short answer.

WHO launches Covid-19 Technology Access Pool 

The World Health Organisation has announced the launch of C-TAP (Covid-19 Technology Access Pool), a global portal to share Covid-19 information on therapies and vaccines. It will be a "one-stop shop for scientific knowledge, data and intellectual property to be shared equitably by the global community,” said the WHO.

Trim

Time for a trim?

Los Angeles is allowing hair salons and barber shops to reopen, along with drive-in theaters, flea markets and swap meets.

Pills

FDA scientists say drug combos may be needed

Combinations of various kinds of drugs may be required to treat people with coronavirus, according to FDA scientists, with the possibility of requiring tailored treatment for each individual patient. 

The different drugs include antivirals, anti-inflammatories, blood pressure drugs, anti-parasitic medicines and others. The scientists say such an approach will be required until a vaccine is produced, if that is in fact possible.

Against the evidence Trump says coronavirus "going away"

President Trump has once again turned to optimism in the face of the coronavirus, not for the first time claiming that the virus is "going away" in response to Geoff Ballotti of Wyndham Hotels talking about opening up and making travellers feel comfortable. 

Trump also said a cure "won't be in the long distance". While scientists around the world are working on vaccines and treatments there's no guarantee we'll have a solution to Covid-19 any time soon. 

New York state reopening: which regions are passing to phase 2?

CORONAVIRUS USA

New York state reopening: which regions are passing to phase 2?

New York reopening

What was the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak in the USA...

 

Trump to terminate US relationship with WHO over coronavirus

Coronavirus

Trump to terminate US relationship with WHO over coronavirus

Trump cuts ties with WHO

Trump's 'America First' ideology takes precedence, even in a pandemic that's killed over 100,000 Americans.

US latest coronavirus news

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic as it affects the United States. The novel coronavirus has now claimed over 102,000 lives in the US. The good news is that over 400,000 people have now recovered from the disease in the country.

The coronavirus pandemic is continuing while the US is rocked by the protests over the death of George Floyd. St Paul is under curfew tonight, and protests are expected around the country, despite the arrest of Derek Chauvin, the sacked police officer who knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. Chauvin has been charged with murder and manslaughter.