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Coronavirus USA: news and summary - 20th october

Update:
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 19: A man pulls a cart filled with groceries on October 19, 2020 in New York City. A ban on plastic bags in New York began to be enforced today after being delayed amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.   Michael M. Santiag

US latest news: coronavirus, presidential election, stimulus checks....

US coronavirus latest: headlines

- Trump walks out of 60 minutes interview, criticises host Lesley Stahl for not wearing her mask.

- Coronavirus deaths in the US surpass 220,000

- Pelosi says stimulus deal needed in 48 hours if package to go through before election

- Biden criticises Trump for saying US has "turned the corner" in covid-19 battle

US covid-19 latest: 13:15 PT / 16:15 ET on Tuesday 20 October (22:15 CEST)

Latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University.

Worldwide

Cases: 40,624,378
Deaths: 1,121,469
Recoveries: 27,765,639

US

Cases: 8,253,557
Deaths: 220,743
Recoveries: 3,272,603

Related coronavirus articles that may be of interest:

Trump vs. Stahl Twitter row covering walk-out?

Speculation rife this evening as Twitter has exploded following Donald Trump's attack of 60 minutes presenter Lesley Stahl over a video of her not wearing a mask. 

Nearly 30,000 tweets have been sent, most of them calling out the commander-in-chief's hypocrisy after being more than laissez faire with his own personal protection related to coronavirus, often outright breaking rules in public, not to mention his own high-profile infection with the virus.

Apparently Trump walked out of an interview with the journalist just before the Tweet was sent, leading to guesses that this may be a big distraction technique...

Seems to be working.

 

Melania Trump has "lingering cough" after covid-19 infection

According to multiple reports today

Trump comment on Lesley Stahl mask has gone viral

28,000 people have now tweeted about the attack Trump made on the CBS journalist for being caught on camera not wearing PPE

Trump criticises 60 minutes correspondent for forgoing mask

Without a hint of irony, President Trump has condemned someone else for not following covid-19 safety protocol.

trump stimulus package coronavirus election

Trump repeats that he wants to go big on stimulus

According to Reuters, Trump has today pushed for a comprehensive covid-19 relief package, and said he would accept a deal worth more than $2.2 trillion despite opposition to large spending measures among his fellow Republicans in the U.S. Senate.

“I want to do it even bigger than the Democrats,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News, as talks between House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin approached a Tuesday deadline for reaching a deal that could pass Congress before Election Day on Nov. 3.

The White House has proposed $1.8 trillion in coronavirus relief, while Pelosi is pushing for $2.2 trillion.

Second stimulus check: what’s in the GOP bill to be voted on this week?

Stimulus Check

Second stimulus check: what’s in the GOP bill to be voted on this week?

What's in the GOP stimulus bill being voted on today?

The senate votes today on their latest skinny stimulus covid-19 economic relief offering.

Second stimulus check: US coronavirus relief bill update

Coronavirus stimulus checks

Second stimulus check: US coronavirus relief bill update

Second stimulus: all the latest news

Where do Republicans and Democrats stand on a second economic relief package as of today?

Travellers from Pennsylvania to New York required to quarantine

Travellers from Pennsylvania to New York will be required to quarantine upon arrival, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office said, as the state became the first of New York’s neighbours to join its growing list of areas with travel restrictions.

Despite a sharp uptick of cases in New Jersey and Connecticut, Mr. Cuomo said that travellers from there would not be required to quarantine, though the states meet the qualifications for the restriction.

There is no practical way to quarantine New York from New Jersey and Connecticut,” Mr. Cuomo said. “There are just too many interchanges, there are too many interconnections, there are too many people that live in one place and work in the other.”

Mr. Cuomo added that all nonessential travel between New York and the two states regional partners with significant economic ties should be avoided and promised he would issue more guidance on that point on Wednesday.

First lady cancels campaign travel due to lingering cough from coronavirus

First lady Melania Trump was supposed to campaign alongside the president in Pennsylvania today, but has reportedly canceled her travel because she is suffering from a lingering cough after testing positive for coronavirus.

Mrs. Trump continues to feel better every day following her recovery from covid-19, but with a lingering cough, and out of an abundance of caution, she will not be traveling today,” Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s chief of staff, told the AP.

Twitter

Cuomo vs Trump tension spreads to Twitter

A social media spat between U.S President Donald Trump and NY Governor Andrew Cuomo involved a series of tit-for-tat tweets.
Trump tweeted that the city of NY had sunk to a new low due to crime and coronavirus with Cuomo retorting claiming Trump was unable to read, a super spreader and invited the president to wear a mask as a PS. 

Pelosi

Wall Street set to rise with focus on stimulus

Wall Street's main indexes were set to open higher on Tuesday as investors were hopeful of more stimulus from Washington with Senate Republicans preparing to vote on a bill to help small businesses hammered by the covid-19 pandemic.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin will also talk again on Tuesday, after a 53-minute telephone conversation on Monday "continued to narrow their differences" about the coronavirus aid package, a Pelosi spokesman said on Twitter.

U.S. single-family homebuilding accelerates in September

U.S. single-family homebuilding surged in September, cementing the housing market's status as the star of the economic recovery, thanks to record-low interest rates and a migration to the suburbs and low-density areas as Americans seek more room for home offices and schooling.

The report from the Commerce Department on Tuesday reinforced expectations that the economy rebounded sharply in the third quarter after suffering its deepest contraction in at least 73 years in the second quarter. But the recovery from the covid-19 recession has entered a period of uncertainty, with fiscal stimulus, which spurred the burst in activity last quarter, depleted.

Single-family homebuilding, the largest share of the housing market, jumped 8.5% to a rate of 1.108 million units last month. But starts for the volatile multi-family housing segment fell 16.3% to a pace of 307,000 units.

Trump

Trump predicts Senate Republicans would back major COVID-19 stimulus

President Donald Trump predicted on Tuesday that his fellow Republicans in the U.S. Senate would support a major COVID-19 stimulus package, despite their stated opposition, if the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reached agreement.

"I want to do it even bigger than the Democrats," Trump said in an interview with Fox News. "Not every Republican agrees with me, but they will."

The president said specifically that he expected backing from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: "He'll be on board if something comes."

Trump spoke as talks between Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin approached a Tuesday deadline for reaching a bipartisan deal that could pass Congress before the Nov. 3 election. The White House has proposed a $1.8 trillion bill, while Pelosi is pushing for $2.2 trillion.

Ireland moves to highest level of covid-19 restrictions

Ireland announced some of Europe's toughest covid-19 constraints, shutting non-essential retail, limiting restaurants and pubs to take away service and telling people not to travel more than five kilometres from their home.

Ireland imposed one of Europe's longest lockdowns during the first surge in cases and has tightened restrictions over the last number of weeks as infections climbed again.

Unlike the first lockdown, this time schools will stay open and essential services such as construction allowed to continue, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said as he moved the country to the highest level of restrictions, Level 5, for six weeks.

DT

Trump seeks campaign boost in battleground Pennsylvania with two weeks to go

U.S. President Donald Trump heads to the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday with hopes of rekindling the 11th-hour surge of support that powered his surprise 2016 victory.

But with more than 30 million early ballots already cast with two weeks to go before voting ends on Election Day Nov. 3, time is running short in his contest against Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

National polls show former Vice President Biden holding a wide lead on Republican Trump, though the contest is closer in swing states including Pennsylvania, Florida and North Carolina.

Trump has gained some ground on Biden in Pennsylvania, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday, which showed the challenger leading by 49% to 45%, slightly narrower than a week earlier.

 

Spain's Rovi to start manufacturing Moderna vaccine 'very soon' if approved

Spain's pharmaceutical firm Rovi , in charge of the 'fill and finish' final stage of manufacturing for Moderna's covid-19 vaccine candidate outside the United States, said on Tuesday it expects to start producing the vaccine 'very soon' if it is approved by regulators.

 

Buenos Aires

Argentina becomes the fifth country to register over 1 million Covid-19 cases

Argentina became the fifth country to record over 1 million coronavirus cases after reporting 12,982 new cases. It's tally stands at 1,002,622. Spain, with 974,449 confirmed Covid-19 infections, could be the next to reach six figures.

Most Covid-19 cases worldwide as of 12:30 CEST Tuesday 20 October 2020.

United States: 8,215,578

India: 7,597,063

Brazil: 5,250,727

Russia: 1,406,667

Argentina: 1,002,622

Singapore Airlines to resume New York service

Singapore Airlines is set to resume direct flights to New York from 9 November with three flights per week between Singapore Changi Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport to cater for cargo traffic as well as a growing number of passengers. Resuming links with international markets will help to revive Singapore's open economy which has fallen into a technical recession during the past two quarters.

 

 

Dr. Paul Casey on Wisconsin's rising Covid-19 cases: "This is not at all like flu"

Wisconsin is suffering a huge surge in new Covid-19 cases putting health workers in an unprecedented situation, Dr. Paul Casey told MSNBC. "We are currently experiencing an amazing rise in coronavirus cases over the past month. On Friday, we had 3,800 new Covid cases in the state of Wisconsin. We know that 6% of Covid patients will need to be admitted, so that means within 7-10 days, we're going to have 228 patients who will need to be hospitalised from one single day - in a state where our bed capacity is already close to being maxed out. I've been a doctor for 34 years and I have never seen the amount of suffering I've seen in a short period of time - where an entire ward, 20, 30, 40 beds, is filled up with patients with the same disease.

"People try to compare Covid-19 with influenza. We admit more people per day for Covid-19 pneumonia than typically we would admit in a whole influenza season. This is not at all like influenza," he explained.

Covid-19 Vaccine

UK backs Covid-19 vaccine trials that infect volunteers

Britain said on Tuesday that it would back 'human challenge' trials, where young and healthy volunteers are deliberately infected with Covid-19, to accelerate the development of vaccines for the disease. The government said it would invest 33.6 million pounds ($43.5 million) in the studies in partnership with Imperial College London, laboratory and trial services company hVIVO and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

If approved by regulators and an ethics committee, the studies would start in January with results expected by May 2021, the government said. Britain's hVIVO, a unit of pharmaceutical services company Open Orphan, said on Friday it was carrying out preliminary work for the trials. Using controlled doses of virus, the aim of the research team  will initially be to discover the smallest amount of virus it takes to cause Covid-19 infection in small groups of healthy young people, aged between 18 and 30, who are  at the lowest risk of harm, the government said. Up to 90 volunteers could be involved at the early stage, it said.

Imperial College's Chris Chiu, lead researcher on the human challenge study, said the trials could increase understanding of Covid-19 in unique ways and accelerate development of the many potential new treatments and vaccines. "Our number one priority is the safety of the volunteers," he said. "My team has been safely running human challenge studies with other respiratory viruses for over 10 years. No study is completely risk free, but the Human Challenge Programme partners will be working hard to ensure we make the risks as low as we possibly can."

Hogan Gidley asked whether it is wise to call health experts "idiots"

Fox News host Martha MacCallum asked Trump campaign press secretary Hogan Gidley about the president's choice of words when describing his own top public health advisers. Trump retaliated to Dr.Antony Fauci's comments about face masks helping to stop the transmission of airborne viruses such as Covid-19 by saying that Americans are "tired of Covid-19 and all of the idiots that got it wrong". He also labelled Fauci "a disaster".

Gidley replied that Fauci “isn’t the only doctor out there” and that there is “competing science on various things.” He added, “We know that we can do things safely if we wear masks, if we socially distance, if we use hand sanitizer and all the guidelines that the CDC talks about.”

 

Wisconsin hospitals snowed under after surge in Covid-19 cases

Hospitalizations have almost doubled since the start of October at UW Hospital in Madison, CBS reports. Wisconsin has been setting records for new cases, hospital admissions and deaths. So far, 1,600 fatalities have been recorded in the state.

TRUMP

Trump says he will participate in debate with Biden, but thinks it is unfair

President Donald Trump said on Monday he will participate in a debate with former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday despite conditions that he considers unfair. “I’ll participate, I just think it’s very unfair,” Trump told reporters. “I will participate but it’s very unfair that they changed the topics and it’s very unfair that again we have an anchor who’s totally biased.”

Airline passengers who refuse to wear face masks must be ejected

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended that anyone travelling on public transport - airlines, trains, subways, buses etc. should wear a mask. If passengers don't comply, those who won't put on masks should be ejected - "at the earliest opportunity, disembark any person who refuses to comply," the CDC said.

The only exceptions for not wearing a mask on public transport  should be for passengers who remove them to eat, drink or take medication; those who become incapacitated for any reason or can't remove their masks by themselves; or when needed to show their identity.

Trump seeks campaign boost in Pennsylvania with two weeks to go

U.S. President Donald Trump heads to the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday with hopes of rekindling the 11th-hour surge of support that powered his surprise 2016 victory. But with more than 30 million early ballots already cast with two weeks to go before voting ends on Election Day 3 November, time is running short in his contest against Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

National polls show former Vice President Biden holding a wide lead on Republican Trump, though the contest is closer in swing states including Pennsylvania, Florida and North Carolina. Trump has gained some ground on Biden in Pennsylvania, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday, which showed the challenger leading by 49% to 45%, slightly narrower than a week earlier.

Trump is due to hold a rally in Erie, in the state's northwest corner, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time (00:00 CEST). Biden has no events planned. 

President Donald Trump called coronavirus expert Anthony Fauci a “disaster” on Monday, airing his frustration with the scientist during a call meant to reassure campaign staff he has a path to victory on Nov. 3 despite trailing in opinion polls.

 The number of new COVID-19 cases in the United States last week rose 13% to more than 393,000, approaching levels last seen during the summer peak, according to a Reuters analysis.

A California panel of experts will independently review the safety of new coronavirus vaccines and initial plans for distribution, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday.

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

As Wisconsin battled one of the worst coronavirus surges in the United States, a judge on Monday reinstated an order by the administration of Governor Tony Evers limiting the size of indoor public gatherings at bars, restaurants and other venues.

Mexico City’s mayor on Monday warned tighter coronavirus curbs could come into effect later in the week as COVID-19 hospitalizations in the sprawling capital rose.

President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will have their microphones muted for parts of their final debate on Thursday to allow each U.S. presidential candidate a block of uninterrupted time to speak, according to the group sponsoring the debate.

remdesivir gilead drug donald trump coronavirus

WHO study finds remdesivir didn’t help covid-19 patients

 

A large study led by the World Health Organization suggests that the antiviral drug remdesivir did not help hospitalised covid-19 patients, in contrast to an earlier study that made the medicine a standard of care in the US and many other countries, according to AP.

The results announced Friday do not negate the previous ones, and the WHO study was not as rigorous as the earlier one led by the US National Institutes of Health. But they add to concerns about how much value the pricey drug gives because none of the studies have found it can improve survival.

The drug has not been approved for covid-19 in the US, but it was authorised for emergency use after the previous study found it shortened recovery time by five days on average. It’s approved for use against covid-19 in the United Kingdom and Europe, and is among the treatments U.S. President Donald Trump received when he was infected earlier this month.

 

Wisconsin restrictions tightened by court as state struggles covid 19

Wisconsin restrictions tightened by court as state struggles

As Wisconsin battled one of the worst coronavirus surges in the US, a judge on Monday reinstated an order by the administration of Governor Tony Evers limiting the size of indoor public gatherings at bars, restaurants and other venuesReuters report.

Supreme Court upholds ruling to extend mail vote deadline

In Pennsylvania the Republicans were trying to block the deadline extension, the Supreme Court has now upheld the ruling, likely to bolster Democrat voter turnout in the swing state.

Wall Street closes lower as stimulus deadline nears without deal

According to Reuters Wall Street’s main indexes closed lower on Monday as Washington lawmakers still appeared to struggle to reach an agreement on coronavirus stimulus ahead of a Tuesday deadline that would make a relief package possible ahead of the 3 November elections.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that in order to push through an agreement before the election, it would have to be settled on by Tuesday.

Pelosi and Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin “continued to narrow their differences” in conversations on Monday and Pelosi was hopeful that by the end of Tuesday there will be “clarity” on whether coronavirus stimulus is possible before 3 November election, according to a spokesperson for Pelosi.

Investors were also worried about rising coronavirus cases in parts of the United States and about whether U.S. President Donald Trump might end up contesting the election results.

Unemployment benefits in US: how to claim and check weekly payments

Coronavirus

Unemployment benefits in US: how to claim and check weekly payments

How to claim unemployment in your state

Clawing back growth in the US economy post covid-19 is going to be painfully slow. How to apply for support if you’re one of the millions unemployed.

US Election 2020: how many people have voted so far vs 2016

US ELECTIONS 2020

US Election 2020: how many people have voted so far vs 2016

Astounding turnout at the polls as early voting ramps up 

US voters are flocking to early polling stations and sending record number of mail-in ballots to let their voices be heard as voting has begun. 

Trump calls CNN "dumb bastards" at Arizona rally

In this clip from his latest campaing rally in Arizona, Donald Trump calls CNN "dumb bastards" and claims the broadcaster is "trying to talk people out of voting"... 

US coronavirus deaths surpass 220,000

According to the latest data from John Hopkins University, the number of coronavirus-related fatalities in the United States has surpassed 220,000.

The US remains the worst affected country, accounting for roughly a fifth of all global cases.

Brazil reports 15,383 new coronavirus cases, 271 deaths

Brazil recorded 15,383 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, and 271 deaths from the disease, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

Brazil has registered more than 5.2 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 154,176, according to ministry data. 

Mexico City warns of tighter COVID-19 restrictions

Mexico City's mayor on Monday warned tighter coronavirus curbs could come into effect later in the week as COVID-19 hospitalizations in the sprawling capital rose.

"We still have time to take preventative measures to keep (hospitalizations) from increasing in the coming weeks," Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters, noting that hospital beds for coronavirus patients are just under half-full. Hospitalizations have ticked up for nearly 10 days, and officials are monitoring the trend this week to determine if it indicates an upswing of infections in Mexico's biggest urban hub - a metropolis of some 9 million people ringed by dense suburban sprawl.

Sheinbaum said she did not want to ban any activity outright, but would consider limitations such as reducing operating hours of some businesses to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed and to avoid more deaths. Mexico has lost 86,167 lives to the coronavirus pandemic and registered 851,227 infections, according to government data, although the true figures could be much higher. 'Let's be aware that the pandemic is continuing...we have to keep protecting ourselves,' Sheinbaum said. (Reuters)

Trump ridicules Biden

Trump ridiculed Biden during a campaign rally on Monday afternoon in Prescott, Ariz., for saying he would heed the advice of scientific experts to combat the coronavirus even if it required ratcheting down certain economic activity, as Politico reports...

Pelosi and Trump in another war of words

Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump have entered into another war of words as a deal on a coronavirus package remains elusive, as the WP reports...

US House Speaker Pelosi, Mnuchin narrow differences on aid bill, Pelosi spokesman says

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin "continued to narrow their differences" in a 53-minute telephone conversation on Monday about a fresh coronavirus aid package, Pelosi's spokesman, Drew Hammill, wrote on Twitter.

Pelosi hopes that by the end of Tuesday there will be "clarity" on whether a coronavirus stimulus bill can be passed before the Nov. 3 elections, Hammill wrote. He said Pelosi and Mnuchin will talk again on Tuesday, and staff work on the matter will continue "around the clock." (Reuters)

 

Lebanese security chief tests positive for covid-19 in US

A top Lebanese security official has tested positive for covid-19 in the United States, his department said on Monday, forcing him to delay his return from talks in Washington and to cancel scheduled meetings in Paris.

Major-General Abbas Ibrahim is in good health, the directorate of General Security, which he heads, added in a tweet. Ibrahim met US national security adviser Robert O'Brien at the White House last week to discuss American citizens held in Syria, the Wall Street Journal reported.

A Trump administration official confirmed that a White House official traveled to Damascus earlier this year for secret meetings with the Syrian government seeking the release of two US citizens thought to be held there.

Last month Ibrahim held talks in Paris with French intelligence chief Bernard Emie about the formation of a new government to tackle Lebanon's grave economic crisis, a Lebanese official said. (Reuters)

More details on President Trump's assault on leading infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci.

According to EFE news, just one day after Dr Fauci commented in an interview with CBS that he was not surprised that the leader caught covid-19, Trump, in a call with his reelection campaign team, reacted with fury calling Fauci an idiot and threatened to fire him.

Trump says he will test for covid-19 before next presidential debate

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would test for the coronavirus before the next presidential debate with Democratic candidate Joe Biden this week. "Sure I would have no problem with that," 

Trump told reporters when he was asked whether he would be tested before Thursday's debate in Nashville. Trump announced on 2 October that he had tested positive for covid-19, and has declined to say when he last tested negative before the previous debate held on 29 September. (Reuters).

Trump on Fauci: "He’s been there for about 350 years"

Donald Trump said he didn’t want to “hurt” Dr Anthony Fauci because the infectious disease expert is a “very nice man.”

Trump added, “He’s been there for about 350 years; I don’t want to hurt him.”

Fauci has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984.

Airlines' covid safety analysis challenged by expert

Reuters A campaign by coronavirus-stricken aviation giants to persuade the world it’s safe to fly has been questioned by one of the scientists whose research it draws upon.

Dr David Freedman, an infectious diseases specialist, said he declined to take part in a recent presentation by global airline body IATA with planemakers Airbus, Boeing and Embraer that cited his work.

While he welcomed some industry findings as “encouraging”, Freedman said a key assertion about the improbability of catching covid-19 on planes was based on “bad math”.

Airlines and planemakers are anxious to restart international travel, even as a second wave of infections and restrictions take hold in many countries.

“They wanted me at that press conference to present the stuff, but honestly I objected to the title they had put on it,” the University of Alabama academic told Reuters.

“It was bad math. 1.2 billion passengers during 2020 is not a fair denominator because hardly anybody was tested. How do you know how many people really got infected?” he said. “The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”