The U.S. coronavirus death toll surpassed 4,000 early Wednesday, hours after a sickened CNN anchor hosted a surreal, prime time program from his basement amidst a public health pandemic that has brought the global economy to its knees.
“Let’s use this example of me having it as proof that you can get it too, God forbid. We have to do everything we can to avoid being sick,” CNN’s Chris Cuomo said. “We have to do it for ourselves, our families, and for those on the front lines who are saving the lives of people like me and many of you.
The current U.S. death toll appears to be a tiny fraction of what the nation faces over the next few weeks, public health officials say. They estimate that between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans could die this year because of the coronavirus.
Nearly 1,100 have died in Manhattan alone, prompting the city to open temporary hospitals in a convention center and iconic Central Park. While health experts says social distancing has slowed the spread of the virus, there are still states — Florida, most notably — without statewide stay-at-home orders.
Worldwide, there are more than 42,000 deaths and 860,000 confirmed cases. The U.S., which has now surpassed China’s death toll, is closing in on 200,000 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard.
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Anchor Chris Cuomo gets a consult from CNN’s TV doc
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, the brother of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, hosted his program from his basement Wednesday night, hours after announcing he tested positive for the coronavirus. “I feel fine. I’m able to do the show, but you do not want this,” Cuomo told his audience. Cuomo discussed his symptoms, including shortness of breath and tightness in his chest, with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent for CNN. Gupta said they would talk off the air, saying tightness in the chest is one of the symptoms he “worries about.”
Cuomo, 49, said he is self-isolating in his basement and away from his family. The inability to be with his loved ones, and the possibility that he could cause them to become ill, is “hurting me way more than anything a virus can.”
For many, rent is due today – and won’t be easy to make
Rent was due Wednesday, the first day of April, for millions of Americans. Rent day comes as a record 3.3 million Americans have filed for unemployment in a crisis that could lead to nearly 50 million people losing their jobs. The federal government took a big step toward protecting renters by issuing a 120-day moratorium on evictions from federally subsidized housing or from a property with a federally backed mortgage loan. And a USA TODAY analysis shows that at least 34 states have issued broader moratoriums on evictions.
“I will be able to pay my April rent, but I don’t know about May or June,” said Phoenix resident Ada Obinway.
– Alan Gomez
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to resist statewide stay-at-home order
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has refused to issue a statewide “stay-at-home” order to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus because the disease has not hit many areas of the state, he said.
At least 30 states have issued statewide stay-at-home orders so far. Florida, among eight states with the highest number of COVID-19 cases, is the only one without such an order.
DeSantis’ approach in trying to manage the disease without doing undue harm to the economy mirrors comments from President Donald Trump who, on Monday reiterated his belief that a nationwide stay-at-home order is not needed.
– Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News
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Navy working with Guam governor to quarantine, isolate sick US sailors
U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. John Aquilino said Wednesday morning that the U.S. Navy is working with the governor of Guam to find places to quarantine and isolate USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors.
“As the ship is into Guam, we’re utilizing all the capacity that we have to the maximum extent possible to the adherence to the guidelines,” Aquilino said. “We’re utilizing those assets that we have while at the same time we are working towards providing better capability, specifically working through the governor of Guam and potentially identifying some hotels that could meet the need.”
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said Wednesday that she’s aware of the plea from the Navy to help its sailors.
– Jasmine Stole Weiss, Pacific Daily News
Asian stocks fall on lagging worries about coronavirus, recession
Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday amid continuing worries about the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.7% in morning trading to 18,588.90.
U.S. stocks plunged on Tuesday to close out their worst quarter since the most harrowing days of the 2008 financial crisis. The S&P 500 fell 42.06 points to 2,584.59. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 410.32, or 1.8%, to 21,917.16, and the Nasdaq was off 74.05, or 1%, to 7,700.10.
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Macy’s, Kohl’s among retailers announcing sweeping furloughs
Macy’s is furloughing a majority of its 125,00 workers and Kohl’s will do the same with 85,000 employees as the severe economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus stay-at-home drive roll through the retail industry. Gap Inc., which owns the Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy, also announced that it would be “pausing pay” for the majority of store workers in the U.S. and Canada until stores are reopen.
“While the digital business remains open, we have lost the majority of our sales due to the store closures,” Macy’s said in a statement.
Other sectors of the economy have already been hammered. Last week, Cheesecake Factory said it would furlough 41,000 hourly workers and cut executive pay. And hotel giants Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott have all announced furloughs.
– Brett Molina
US coronavirus death toll could reach 240,000, according to projections
Estimates of between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans dying this year because of the coronavirus convinced President Donald Trump to extend social distancing guidelines, federal public officials said.
And that grim scenario would be worse without intervention, with a projection of as many as 2.2 million deaths, according to White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx.
The administration’s top health officials, including Anthony Fauci, director of the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that models are not always accurate and will be influenced by how seriously Americans take orders to avoid contact with others. Trump and others have said April could be a particularly deadly month in the ongoing battle with the virus.
– John Fritze
Emergency field hospital opens with 68 beds in New York City’s Central Park
A 68-bed emergency field hospital erected in Central Park was set to receive patients infected with the coronavirus. A team of 72 doctors, nurses and other health care workers from Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian disaster-relief organization, have mobilized the facility, which is equipped with 10 ventilators.
The hospital has partnered with New York’s Mount Sinai Health System and will prioritize moving overflow patients from the Brooklyn and Queens Mount Sinai branches so they can resume respiratory care treatment.
The relief effort is not without some controversy, however. Because of anti-LGBTQ comments made in the past by Samaritan’s Purse’s founder, Franklin Graham, the group has faced backlash.
– Lorenzo Reyes
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo: FEMA bidding against states for ventilators
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, comparing buying ventilators to online auctions, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency “basically bigfooted” individual states and drove up prices. Cuomo said he believes FEMA “should’ve been the purchasing agent” for medical equipment before becoming the sole distributor to states in need.
“It’s like being on eBay with 50 other states, bidding on a ventilator,” Cuomo said. “You see the bid go up ’cause California bid. Illinois bid. Florida bid. New York bid. California rebids. That’s literally what we’re doing. I mean, how inefficient. And then, FEMA gets involved and FEMA starts bidding. And now FEMA is bidding on top of the 50, so FEMA is driving up the price. What sense does this make?”
Cuomo released data indicating his state had more than 75,000 positive cases – including more than 9,000 new cases – with a death toll of 1,550, as of Tuesday morning. He also said New York tests far more than any other state.
– Lorenzo Reyes
Contributing: The Associated Press
