Coronavirus USA live updates: Trump press conference, news, cases, deaths and stimulus checks today
Coronavirus live US updates: Thu 10 September
US coronavirus latest: 14:00 PT / 17:00 ET on Thursday 10 September (23:00 CEST)
Latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University.
Worldwide
Cases: 27,981,242
Deaths: 905,851
Recoveries: 18,826,974
US
Cases: 6,388,302
Deaths: 191,567
Recoveries: 2,387,479
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Heartfelt video message from this woman before passing away from COVID-19 (warning: distressing themes)
"Put your mask on. Don’t go out if you don’t need to. Take the virus seriously. The virus is not a joke."
The most controversial Donald Trump revelations in Bob Woodward’s new book
The most controversial Trump revelations in Woodward’s new book
Bob Woodward's new book 'Rage' contains various controversial relevations about US president Donald Trump, including his relationship with Kim Jong-un.
Full details:
US "rounding the final turn" in Covid-19 fight, says Trump
President Trump claimed in today’s press briefing that the US is “rounding the final turn” in its battle to stop the spread of the coronavirus, despite the country’s top infectious disease expert warning Americans to prepare for months ahead that are “not going to be easy”.
“We’re going to get through this, and we’re right now I hope… I really think we’re rounding the final turn,” the president told reporters.
Speaking earlier today, in contrast, Dr Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said: “We need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter, because it’s not going to be easy.”
Trump also used his news conference to once again blame China for the impact of the pandemic in the US, where over 190,000 have died so far. “This is nobody’s fault but China,” he said. “China should not have allowed it to happen.”
"A disgrace to ABC": Trump rails at reporter over Woodward question
Trump clashed with ABC’s Jon Karl in today's news conference, branding the reporter's question a "disgrace" after he probed the president about Wednesday's revelation that he downplayed the coronavirus despite telling journalist Bob Woodward in February that he knew it was “deadly”.
Asked by Karl why he lied to the American public, Trump responded by dismissing the question as “terrible”, and added: “I didn't lie, I said we had to be calm [...]. The way you phrased that is a disgrace. It's a disgrace to ABC, a disgrace to your employer.”
Donald Trump on COVID-19
Trump to give White House press conference
US President Donald Trump is to speak to the media at the White House at 15:00 ET:
Stimulus bill: Republicans' 'skinny' relief proposal blocked in Senate
Full story: Republicans' 'skinny' relief proposal blocked in Senate
A pared-down coronavirus relief bill offering around $500 billion in aid failed to advance in a procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday:
GOP's 'skinny' relief bill fails in Senate vote
Republicans' 'skinny' $500bn relief bill has been blocked in the Senate, as the impasse in Congress over a fifth coronavirus aid package goes on.
The proposal failed to clear a procedural hurdle in the upper chamber on Thursday, falling short of the 60 votes it needed to move forward. It gained 52 'yes' votes and 47 'no' votes, with every Democrat and one Republican - Rand Paul - rejecting the bill.
Reacting to the defeat on Twitter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has accused the Democrats of trying to hurt the GOP’s election chances by preventing relief legislation from passing before the 3 November vote.
"Their goal is clear: No help for American families before the election," McConnell said.
Trump showed "contempt" for US public - Pelosi
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump displayed “contempt for the American people” by publicly playing down the threat posed by the coronavirus, despite admitting to journalist Bob Woodward in February that he knew the Covid-19 disease was “deadly stuff”.
“What the president did in those comments showed his contempt: contempt for the American people and their health; contempt for science; contempt for any real effort to crush the virus; contempt for his supporters, their children, their parents. He hid the facts and refused to take the threat seriously, leaving the entire country exposed and unprepared.
“He didn’t want to cause a panic - why? Because of the stock market? Nobody wants to cause a panic; we want to show leadership, show a strategic plan, following the science, allocating resources in order to get the job done. Even now, he refuses to listen to science, which is just a tragedy.”
Extradition hearing for WikiLeaks' Assange postponed over Covid-19 concerns
The London extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was postponed on Thursday because of concern that one of the lawyers involved might have been exposed to Covid-19.
Assange is fighting extradition to the United States where he is wanted for conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law over the release of confidential cables by WikiLeaks in 2010-2011.
Judge Vanessa Baraitser adjourned the case until Monday after being told one of the lawyers representing the United States might have been exposed to the virus. The lawyer was being tested on Thursday with the result due on Friday, she said.
Biden: Trump handling of pandemic "almost criminal"
The US presidential candidate, Joe Biden, said on Thursday that Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic was “almost criminal” as the fallout continued over book revelations that the president admitted in early February that the disease was “deadly stuff” but deliberately played it down.
World must scale up clinical trials to address Covid-19 - WHO
The head of the World Health Organization urged countries on Thursday to contribute resources that can expedite products which may help stem the coronavirus pandemic.
The WHO's ACT-Accelerator programme already supports research into potential vaccines, drugs and diagnostics, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told an online event.
"But we need to rapidly scale up our clinical trials, manufacturing, licensing and regulation capacity so that these products can get to people and start saving lives," he said.
Republican coronavirus relief bill: will it include a new round of stimulus checks?
What's included in the Republican coronavirus relief bill?
The U.S. Senate was set to vote on Thursday on a Republican bill providing around $300 billion in new coronavirus aid, far below the $3 trillion Democrats insist is needed.
Second stimulus check: who could qualify under the new package?
Stimulus check eligibility
As Americans across the country await news of a new coronavirus relief bill being signed into law, many are also desperate to know what they will be eligible for.
UK extradition hearing for WikiLeaks' Assange postponed over Covid-19 concerns
The London extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was postponed on Thursday because of concern that one of the lawyers involved might have been exposed to Covid-19, report Reuters. Assange is fighting extradition to the United States where he is wanted for conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law over the release of confidential cables by WikiLeaks in 2010-2011.
Judge Vanessa Baraitser adjourned the case until Monday after being told one of the lawyers representing the United States might have been exposed to the virus. The lawyer was being tested on Thursday with the result due on Friday, she said. 'At the moment we would respectfully submit we have to go ahead on the assumption that she has Covid,' Edward Fitzgerald, Assange's lawyer told London's Old Bailey court where the hearings are taking place. 'If that is the correct assumption ... we shouldn't really be here: Covid would be here in the courtroom and it's not possible to tell how far it's extended,' he added. The extradition hearings began for a week in February and were due to resume in May, but were then delayed until this week because of the coronavirus lockdown.
Assange's lawyers have argued he should be granted bail because he himself is at particular risk from Covid-19 as he has suffered from respiratory infections and has had heart problems. However, the judge has ordered him to be kept in jail because he is considered a flight risk, having skipped bail and fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was wanted at the time to answer questions on alleged sex crimes. Those allegations have since been dropped. Assange spent seven years in the embassy until he was dragged out last year.
Study suggests biker rally responsible for more than 260,000 cases
A 10-day biker rally in South Dakota was responsible for more than 260,000 cases of coronavirus costing $12.2 billion in treatment, according to a study by San Diego State University.
That represents almost one in five of the 1.4 million new cases of Covid-19 in the US between 2 August and 2 September.
US Covid-19 date visuals
If you prefer to see how the coronavirus trends are developing through neatly defined graphics, here you go. To use the webiste's own words:
'The goal of BeautifyData is to find interesting data and present them with interactive charts and graphs for the visually curious. After all, a picture, they say is worth a thousand words.'
California University of Pennsylvania DL Jamain Stephens dies aged 20
California University of Pennsylvania football player Jamain Stephens, 20, has died, the school announced Tuesday.
Stephens, a senior defensive lineman, was the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Jamain Stephens.
Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, where Stephens played, said in a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday his cause of death was related to complications involving Covid-19.
9/11 to be remembered in New York amid pandemic
The city will hold its annual ceremony in memory of the nearly 3,000 people who died in the bloodiest terrorist attack in US history, punctuated by a minute's silence at the exact moments that Al-Qaeda jihadists crashed two hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center towers.
Instead of reading out the roll call of the dead, this year the families of victims have recorded themselves. But they will still be present at the "Ground Zero" memorial.
The site museum will also open for the first time since the novel coronavirus brought the city to a standstill in March.
Coronavirus and the brain
'The coronavirus targets the lungs foremost, but also the kidneys, liver and blood vessels. Still, about half of patients report neurological symptoms, including headaches, confusion and delirium, suggesting the virus may also attack the brain.
'A new study offers the first clear evidence that, in some people, the coronavirus invades brain cells, hijacking them to make copies of itself. The virus also seems to suck up all of the oxygen nearby, starving neighboring cells to death.'
Read the report by The New York Times on how the brain is attacked by Covid-19.
North Carolina governor asks politicians to lead by example during campaign
In their meeting with Dr. Birx, the governor and Secretary Cohen noted their appreciation for the opportunity to share how North Carolina has been responding to Covid-19 and how the state’s approach to slowly ease measures has helped “distinguish it from others in the south who have faced greater setbacks.”
They discussed North Carolina’s multi-prong approach, which includes slowing the spread through prevention, knowing who has been exposed to Covid-19 through testing and tracing, and supporting people staying home when needed through isolation and quarantine supports.
Secretary Cohen and Governor Cooper also addressed the state’s efforts to protect people’s health in congregate care settings, such as nursing homes, through widespread testing and other measures.
Is Dr Fauci being silenced over virus threat to children?
Emails obtained by POLITICO show Paul Alexander — a senior adviser to Michael Caputo, HHS’s assistant secretary for public affairs — instructing press officers and others at the National Institutes of Health about what Fauci should say during media interviews.
The Trump adviser weighed in on Fauci’s planned responses to outlets including Bloomberg News, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post and the science journal Cell.
Read more:
Trick-or-treat 2020 'not recommended'
Door-to-door trick-or-treating had originally been banned "because it can be very difficult to maintain proper social distancing on porches and at front doors especially in neighborhoods that are popular with trick or treaters," the health department said in a news release.
But now the health department is only recommending against it.
"We are recommending that trick-or-treating not happen this year," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county's public health director, told reporters Wednesday. "It's just not sensible in a pandemic," she said.
Texan university isolation poilcy
Also in the Lone Star State, there is a change in guidance over isolation to try to control the spread of the virus at some universities.
Texas Tech to investigate Covid party bragg
'Yes I have Covid, the whole f*****g world has Covid,' the unidentified woman says in the clip. 'All of these people have Covid. So stop getting on my tip, stop getting on my tip. Like, I'm having a good time'
Battery-powered face mask seeks to fight Covid and foggy glasses
A South Korean company has invented a battery-powered filtered face mask designed to reduce annoying problems associated with conventional designs, such as breathing difficulties and fogged-up glasses, Reuters reports. LG Electronics' PuriCare Wearable, which comes in one size and weighs as much as a pair of ski goggles, features two fans and high-efficiency particle air filters that clean air coming in and exhaled breath going out.
As authorities increasingly urge the public use of face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, manufacturers have turned their attention to making such gear more comfortable without compromising safety. Among problems mask wearers face are breathing difficulties and fogged-up glasses as the warm breath escapes from the top of the mask toward the eyes.
'Breathing is the biggest concern when it comes to wearing a face mask and disposable masks come with a huge environment cost,' Choi Yoon-hee, a senior official at LG Electronics' air solution product team, told Reuters. The mask comes with a case that charges the battery and disinfects the mask with UV light.
The device will be available in the fourth quarter in select markets. LG is yet to set a price. LG said the mask has a battery life of about eight hours on low-power settings and two hours on its highest setting.
Biden again questions Trump's Covid management
Calling it an "unjustifiable dereliction of duty" Donald Trump's presidential rival took to Twitter after those revelations about the seriousness of the messages.
Trump knew Covid-19 "deadly" but played it down, interviews reveal
Trump in hot water over pandemic statements
United States President Donald Trump says he "perhaps" misled the American public over the threat of the coronavirus to "reduce panic".
Global Covid-19 death toll passes 900,000
The number of confirmed coronavirus deaths around the world has passed the 900,000 mark, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. As of 20:00 ET on Wednesday, there had been 900,203 fatalities as a result of Covid-19.
The US, the globe's worst-affected country, accounts for around a fifth of all deaths worldwide, having registered more than 190,000 so far.
Senate to vote on a GOP proposal for coronavirus relief on Thursday
Senate to vote on GOP proposal for coronavirus relief on Thursday
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has announced that the Senate will vote on a GOP proposal for coronavirus relief on Thursday.
Full story:
Nobel Peace Prize: who has nominated Trump and why?
Who has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and why?
In non-coronavirus news, US President Donald Trump has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize - and it's not the first time he's been put forward for the award...
Full story:
Trump coronavirus response a "betrayal of the American people", says Biden
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says US President Donald Trump committed a "life and death betrayal of the American people" by downplaying the threat of the coronavirus as it began to hit the country earlier this year, despite admitting to journalist Bob Woodward at the time that he knew it was "deadly".
"We’ve just learned [...] that the president of the United States has admitted on tape in February that he knew about Covid-19 that it passed through the air," Biden told a campaign event in Warren, Michigan, on Wednesday. "He knew how deadly it was, that it was much more deadly than the flu. He knew, and purposefully played it down.
"Worse, he lied to the American people. He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months. He had the information, he knew how dangerous it was, and while this deadly disease ripped through our nation he failed to do his job on purpose. It was a life and death betrayal of the American people.
"Experts say that if he had acted just one week sooner, 36,000 people would have been saved. If he had acted two weeks sooner back in March, 54,000 lives would have been spared in March and April alone."
Trump says he "perhaps" misled Americans about Covid-19
US President Donald Trump has told a news conference that he "perhaps" misled the American public over the dangers of the coronavirus, saying he played down the virus' severity "in order to reduce panic".
Earlier on Wednesday, CNN released audio excerpts of interviews with famous investigative journalist Bob Woodward, in which Trump admitted in early February that Covid-19 was "deadly stuff".
These remarks came at the same time as he was publicly declaring that the coronavirus would "disappear" and was "going to work out fine".
Coronavirus live US updates: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live, United States-focused coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which as of 18:30 ET on Wednesday had registered nearly 27.7 million cases and just under 900,000 deaths worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the US, the globe's worst-hit country, there have been over 6.3 million cases and more than 190,000 deaths.