Coronavirus US news summary for Monday 15 June
Coronavirus live USA: latest Covid-19 news - 15 June
US coronavirus latest: 15:00 PT / 18:00 ET on Monday 15 June (00:00 CEST Tuesday 16 June)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 7,976,386 cases have been detected worldwide, with 434,849 deaths and 3,816,556.
In the USA, there have been 2,110,182 confirmed cases and 116,081 deaths with 561,816 people recovering from the virus.
New projection puts US Covid-19 deaths at 200,000 by October
A new forecast projects 201,129 deaths due to Covid-19 in the United States by the beginning of October mainly due to reopening measures under way, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington said on Monday.
The IHME raised its estimate by 18 percent from 169,890 and said Florida would be among the hardest hit states, with an estimated 18,675 deaths, up 186 percent from a previous estimate of 6,559 on June 10. The institute raised its estimate for deaths in California by 72 percent to 15,155 from 8,812 and increased its outlook for Arizona by 56 percent to 7,415 fatalities from 4,762.
U.S. airlines threaten to ban passengers who break no-mask policy
Passengers who refuse to comply with U.S. airlines' requirement that they wear facial coverings while flying could have their flying privileges revoked, according to updated policies by major U.S. airlines. The new measures were announced by the main industry lobby, Airlines for America (A4A), on Monday.
US revokes emergency use of malaria drugs to treat coronavirus
U.S. regulators revoked emergency authorization for malaria drugs promoted by President Donald Trump for treating Covid-19 amid growing evidence they don’t work and could cause serious side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration said the drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are unlikely to be effective in treating the coronavirus. Citing reports of heart complications, the FDA said the drugs' unproven benefits “do not outweigh the known and potential risks.”
Trump continues to tout hydroxychloroquine despite warnings
President Donald Trump said on Monday that other countries had provided great reports on the effectiveness of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for treatment of coronavirus, complaining that only U.S. agencies have failed to grasp its benefit.
His remarks, delivered to reporters at the White House, came hours after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revoked its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19, despite Trump's frequent praise of the drug's usefulness for staving off the disease.
People enjoy the beach amid the coronavirus pandemic in Huntington Beach, California as lockdown restrictions in the state are eased. (Photo by Apu GOMES / AFP)
The government has been forced into a very generous public spending spree and the police force in the United States is also at a crossroads. One might have caused the other but either way, it is a fascinating time in the history of the country and a potential turning point.
The lack of transparency in the United States is concerning and skewing our understanding of the pandemic.
A sign language interpreter raises her middle fingers as the crowd repeats the chant 'Fuck Trump' during the Pride Liberation March, an event highlighting the Black Lives Matter movement within the LGBTQ community in Denver, Colorado, U.S., June 14, 2020. Picture taken June 14, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt.
Meatpacking workers often absent after Trump order to reopen
Smithfield Foods Inc is missing about a third of its employees at a South Dakota pork plant because they are quarantined or afraid to return to work after a severe coronavirus outbreak, according to the workers' union.
Tyson Foods Inc was forced to briefly close its Storm Lake, Iowa plant - a month after U.S. President Donald Trump's April 28 order telling meatpackers to stay open - as worker absences hobbled its slaughter operations.
Nationwide, 30% to 50% of meatpacking employees were absent last week, said Mark Lauritsen, a vice president at the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). More than a dozen meatpacking workers, union leaders and advocates told Reuters that many employees still fear getting sick after losing confidence in management during coronavirus outbreaks in April and May. Absenteeism varies by plant, and exact data is not available, but some workers' unwillingness to return poses a challenge to an industry still struggling to restore normal meat output.
"The (US) president says we need to do such-and-such but the governors somewhere tell him where to go," Putin stressed, adding, "I think the problem is that group interests, party interests are put higher than the interests of the whole of society and the interests of the people."
Russia has the third-highest number of coronavirus cases after the United States and Brazil.
Donald Trump urged to cancel rally
Trump has been urged to cancel a rally in Oklahoma. The city's health advisor, Dr. Bruce Dart, says "Covid is here in Tulsa, it is transmitting very efficiently. I wish we could postpone this to a time when the virus isn't as large a concern as it is today."
The NFL's shifting stance is getting praised by former employees of the league. The NFL has responded to Donald Trump, who said he won't watch football if the players are allowed to kneel.
A man who survived coronavirus after a long stay in a Seattle hospital has received the bill for his treatment. Named 'The Miracle Child', Michael Flor somehow overcame the disease despite saying his final goodbyes to his wife and kids over the phone.
The bill he received was 181 pages long and came to over 1 million dollars. “I opened it and said ‘holy [bleep]!’ “ Flor says.
And yet Donald Trump continues to push the narrative that it's soft, weak and unfair to close down cities in order to save lives.
This is a direct result of re-opening the economy too quickly. Several of these states haven't peaked yet and while Dr. Fauci says American might not necessarily see a second wave, their handling of the first wave has not been adequate.
How to survive the Covid-19 virus as lockdown restrictions ease
A helpful guide with handy tips from the FT on how to avoid catching coronavirus
Can US citizens travel to Canada and Mexico?
When can US citizens fly abroad again ?
Since mid-March President Donald Trump banned any flights outside the United States to prevent the spread of coronavirus but when does the ban end?
Trump economic adviser urges wearing of masks at Tulsa rally
People attending U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Oklahoma this week should wear masks, a White House adviser said on Sunday, as health experts cautioned against large gatherings such as political rallies during the coronavirus pandemic.
New coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in record numbers swept through more U.S. states including Texas, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, while Oklahoma reported record new cases over the weekend.
"It is a concern," White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. "People must observe the safety guidelines, OK, must. The social distancing must be observed. Face coverings in key places must be observed."
Record spike in new cases, hospitalizations
Reuters reports that new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have reached record numbers in several U.S. states, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina reported a record number of new cases for the third day in a row on Saturday, while Oklahoma reported record new cases for the second day in a row, Arizona and Nevada reported a near-record number of new cases.
In Louisiana, which had been one of the earlier virus hotspots, new cases were again on the rise with over 1,200 - the most there since May 21. Memorial Day gatherings are being blamed for the rise in cases.
Putin says Russia handling coronavirus pandemic better then US
Vladimir Putin has said claimed that Russia has so far handled the coronavirus pandemic better than the U.S.
“We are working rather smoothly and emerging from this situation with the coronavirus confidently and, with minimal losses... But in the [United] States that is not happening,” Putin told state TV.