U.S. COVID-19 death toll tops 52,000
The death toll from the coronavirus in the United States passed 52,000 on Saturday morning, accounting for more than 25% of COVID-19 deaths reported globally, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
More than 900,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the United States.
Texas expands interactive COVID-19 testing site map
Texas has expanded its online interactive map of COVID-19 testing locations throughout the state to include mobile and walk-in locations, both public and private.
A search feature allows Texans to locate test collection sites near them and includes important details such as contact information and hours of operation for each location, CBS DFW reports.
“This mapping tool will help Texans locate test collection sites in their communities and it is part of our commitment to expanding COVID-19 testing throughout Texas,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. “By using this map, Texans will have access to pertinent information on a variety of test collection options that will help fulfill testing needs in communities across the Lone Star State.”
More than 340 test collection sites are currently listed on the map and additional locations will be added as more sites are identified across the state.
Texans can submit updated information about a test collection site or suggest additional sites by filling out an online form. Officials will then verify the information and update the map accordingly.
Ballots in Maryland’s special congressional election will be quarantined before they’re counted
Ballots cast in person in Maryland’s special congressional election between Democrat Kweisi Mfume and Republican Kimberly Klacik will be quarantined for about 24 hours after poll close before being counted, to give any potential germs a chance to die to help protect election workers.
It’s one of the safety measures being taken in an unprecedented Maryland election on Tuesday that will only have three places for in-person voting out of concern for the coronavirus, as election officials are strongly urging eligible voters to mail in their ballots in a single race to decide who will serve the rest of the term of the late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, who died in October.
In hopes of avoiding the lines seen in this month’s Wisconsin primary, roughly 484,000 ballots were mailed to registered voters in the district. More than 77,000 already have been turned in. More than half of the vote could be released on the state elections board website shortly after the 8 p.m. poll close on Tuesday.
Precautions due to the virus in this special election have thrust the candidates into unknown campaign territory in the time of a pandemic.
Boeing looks to restart production in three states with safety protocols in place
Signs were hung at a Boeing plant in Washington state to welcome back some of its 27,000 employees as the aerospace giant looks to resume production at facilities there and in Ohio and Pennsylvania after they were forced to shut due to the coronavirus. Boing officials told “CBS This Morning” that the health and safety of employees and their families is their priority, and their precautionary measures are based on federal and state guidance.
“I am glad that the Boeing company is committing to very robust social distancing protocols and use of PPE,” Washington Governor Jay Inslee said, according to CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave.
Some of the other protocols in place include temperature checks, enhanced cleaning procedures and staggered shifts to reduce crowding when people arrive and leave. The company will also be issuing masks for workers who must be close together.
Boeing said it would be using contact tracing should an employee come down with COVID-19.
Watch the full report:
Cuomo says independent pharmacists will be able to conduct diagnostic tests
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he will sign an executive order Saturday allowing independent pharmacists to conduct diagnostic coronavirus tests. Around 20,000 tests are being conducted in the state per day, but Cuomo said the goal is to increase the number of tests to 40,000 daily.
Cuomo also said he is expanding the criteria for a person to obtain a diagnostic test.
Cuomo said the state was conducting antibody testing for health care workers in four New York City hospitals. Next week, transit workers and state and city police will also receive antibody testing.
He also during his daily briefing that the number of new coronavirus cases ticked down on Friday, with around 1,100 new cases. “Only in this crazy reality would 1,100 be relatively good news, right?” Cuomo said.
He also announced that 437 people died on Friday, a slight uptick from Thursday’s death toll. “Just when you think you’re going to have a good day, this reality slaps you in the face,” Cuomo said.
Tens of thousands descend on beaches amid Southern California heatwave
Lifeguards in Huntington and Newport Beach, California, say more than 50,000 people flocked to their beaches on Friday, and more are expected on Saturday when temperatures surpass 90 degrees Fahrenheit, CBS Los Angeles reports.
“It’s hot out, and we’re seeing the crowds increase, doubling every day,” said Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Brian O’Rourke. “Yesterday we had about 20,000 people. Today I would expect almost double that.”
Orange County is the only county in the area where beaches remain open, as counties north and south of it have shut down their public spaces in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. California Governor Gavin Newsom has temporarily closed some of the state’s parks and beaches to the public, and closed vehicle access at all 280 state parks. People aren’t restricted from going to beaches that remain open under the states stay-at-home order issued back in March.
There’s “no evidence” coronavirus survivors can’t be reinfected, WHO says
The World Health Organization said there is “no evidence” that survivors of COVID-19 cannot be reinfected with the virus. In a statement Saturday morning, WHO warned that antibodies may not adequately protect survivors, leaving them vulnerable to a second coronavirus infection.
The warning came as several countries, including the United States, are considering allowing people who have recovered to carry “immunity passports” or “risk-free certificates.” That documentation would allow survivors to return to work and other activities under the assumption that they are immune from the virus.
Jersey City, N.J., to let people back into some parks
Jersey City, New Jersey, will start reopening five city parks on Monday, taking a first step toward reopening after the coronavirus pandemic shut down public gathering spaces, businesses and schools. Among the locations with limited access from dawn until dusk will be Enos Jones Park, Berry Lane Park, Audubon Park, Leonard Gordon Park and Pershing Field, CBS New York reports.
The move on April 27 will be followed by more park reopening in mid-May.
Although open to people for walking and jogging while observing social distancing and wearing masks, city parks workers will be on-site to watch for overcrowding and prohibited activities such as organized sports. The city is also asking people to wear gloves while in the parks.
“We closed the parks early on to keep people safe, which helped slow the spread of the virus,” said Mayor Steven Fulop. “After nearly two months of quarantine, there’s also a mental and physical health aspect that needs to be considered, and we know we can’t ask our residents, who rely on parks for outdoor access, to stay inside indefinitely.”
Death toll passes 200,000 worldwide
The global death toll from the coronavirus passed 200,000 on Saturday, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. More than 52,000 deaths were in the United States.
Board votes to cancel 2020 California State Fair over virus
The California State Fair has been canceled over coronavirus concerns, CBS Sacramento reports. This will be the first time since World War II that California won’t have a state fair.
It was scheduled to take place from July 17 to August 2 at Cal Expo.
“Canceling this summer’s California State Fair is the right thing to do, and is in line with the measured, scientific approach that’s been implemented by the governor and health officials to fight COVID-19,” said Cal Expo General Manager and CEO Rick Pickering in a statement.
Cal Expo generates more than $300 million a year into the local economy and the state fair is a large portion of that. It’s a major financial loss, but Pickering says the emotional loss is worse.
“There’s hundreds of thousands of participants that enjoy coming out and making memories that last a lifetime,” Pickering said.
Chicago launches homemade cloth mask drive
The City of Chicago is collecting donations of homemade masks for people who need them, and they still need help making them, CBS Chicago reports.
The city has launched a campaign called “Chicago Together! Make a Mask, Give a Mask, Wear a Mask.” The donated masks will be given to homeless shelters, community health clinics, essential public sector workers and other organizations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 amongst the city’s high risk residents.
According to the city’s website, data has shown the most high risk resident to be “vulnerable residents on Chicago’s South and West Side communities.”
Boston restaurants can now sell grocery items and paper products
Restaurants in Boston will now be allowed to sell grocery items, including produce and paper products, as people continue to social distance during the coronavirus crisis, CBS Boston reports.
Mayor Marty Walsh said this has been requested by both restaurants and customers and could cut down on essential trips outside the home.
Restaurants will have to follow strict safety guidelines, limit occupancy to 10 people at any given time, and maintain six feet between staff and customers.
“By allowing restaurants to also sell grocery and other essential items, we can help address social distancing concerns in grocery stores while supporting restaurants and food businesses during these unprecedented times,” Walsh said.
The new temporary policy will allow the grocery items to be sold via delivery, curbside pickup, and takeout
“I think it’s been a tough time for every restaurant in the city,” said Lynn MacDonald, the regional manager of Earls Kitchen and Bar. “We are extremely grateful for Mayor Walsh’s decision.”
State Department says coronavirus samples from China “critical” for developing vaccine; Experts say that’s not the case
As the coronavirus continues to devastate the U.S., Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been ramping up rhetorical pressure on China this week, accusing the country of standing in the way of international efforts to develop a vaccine and treatments.
The pressure campaign comes as the U.S. and China wage an information war over the origins and blame for COVID-19, and race to develop a vaccine. But some medical experts interviewed by CBS News question some of the administration’s claims about whether China’s lack of transparency is actually blocking the world from developing a vaccine. In a series of interviews, Pompeo reeled off a list of accusations against Beijing including that it had deliberately destroyed early samples of the virus rather than share them with the world.
“It covered up how dangerous the disease is. It didn’t report sustained human-to-human transmission for a month until it was in every province inside of China,” he told State Department reporters on Wednesday. “It censored those who tried to warn the world, it ordered a halt to testing of new samples, and it destroyed existing samples.”
Read more here.
CDC adds six new possible coronavirus symptoms
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added six new symptoms to its list of possible signs of the coronavirus. Previously, the CDC only noted fever, cough and shortness of breath as symptoms.
The agency has updated its list to include: chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell. Shortness of breath has also been changed to “shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.” The full list now is:
Read more here.
Trump tweets coronavirus briefings are “not worth the time & effort!”
There was no public White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing on Saturday, the first day without a public briefing since Easter. President Trump tweeted at 6 p.m., around the time the briefings usually take place, that the “news conferences” are “not worth the time & effort!”
The full tweet reads: “What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!”
The White House has been doing damage control since Thursday, when Mr. Trump speculated at the briefing about ingesting disinfectant to treat coronavirus. On Friday, he told CBS News’ Weijia Jiang in the Oval Office.that he was “asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen.”
But hours later, Mr. Trump left Friday’s briefing without taking any questions.
“We’re doing what we got to do”: Coronavirus’ toll on NYC’s EMTs
The coronavirus continues to keep New York City paramedics busy, accounting for a majority of 911 calls, including this call that EMT Andrew Brock responded to, a middle-aged man with COVID-19-like symptoms.
“It was high risk,” Brock said. “The family doesnt think they’ll see him again.”
New York City’s 911 calls peaked at nearly 7,300, almost double what used to be a normal day. There’s nothing normal about this.
“I’ve been, I’ve been with the fire department for 18 years and I’ve never in life told so many people in one day, that their family member has passed,” Brock said.
Watch the full report below:
White House does damage control after Trump’s comments about injecting disinfectant
President Trump didn’t take questions during a Friday night briefing at the White House, cutting it short after about 20 minutes. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Saturday that it’s not necessarily a sign of things to come.
“I leave that to the president and that’s entirely his decision but I believe the president is at his best when he’s speaking directly to the American people,” McEnany said.
Watch the full report below:
Restaurants with outdoor seating in Colleyville, Texas, reopen
Restaurants with outdoor seating reopened Saturday in Colleyville, Texas, one of the first towns in North Texas to reopen, CBS Dallas / Fort Worth reports.
The proclamation from Mayor Richard Newton allowing the reopening raised questions earlier in the week about possibly being in opposition to the most recent order from Governor Greg Abbott.
In a video posted to YouTube Friday, Newton said he had spoken to the office of the attorney general, and that it did not require him to make any changes.
In guidance posted online by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, a document states in bold and underlined print, that dining “inside” is what Abbott’s order prohibits.
Specific language of the order also indicates that it only supersedes local orders that restrict businesses that should be allowed to operate. It does not mention how it affects local orders that expand those services.
Colleyville’s order also allowed salons and gyms to re-open by appointment, and with customers maintaining distancing.
Florida governor says he’s in “no rush” to lift restrictions
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Saturday that he is in no rush to lift restrictions on the state’s businesses shut down due in his executive order that is set to expire Thursday, CBS Miami reports. But he’s also seeking guidance from the Re-Open Florida Task Force, which is expected to submit recommendations to him in the next week.
“If you look at that Phase One that the president has laid out, it’s not terribly different from what we’re doing now,” he said at Saturday’s press conference at the Florida Cleveland Clinic in Weston. He drew some clear lines between his preferred approach and the White House’s plan, which includes guidance on social distancing in restaurants, theaters and sports venues.
“We’re not doing in-person sports yet no matter what,” DeSantis said. “That’s just not going to happen in May. Another thing in Phase One, they say movie theaters with social distance. I’m not there yet on the movie theaters. It’s an enclosed environment. You’re much better off being outdoors.”
UK PM Boris Johnson returns to work after virus fight
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is returning to work after recovering from a coronavirus infection that put him in intensive care, with his government facing growing criticism over the deaths and disruption the virus has caused.
Johnson’s office said he would be back at his desk in 10 Downing St. on Monday, two weeks after he was released from a London hospital. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been standing in for the prime minister, said Sunday that Johnson was “raring to go.”
Britain has recorded more than 20,000 deaths among people hospitalized with COVID-19, the fifth country in the world to reach that total. Thousands more are thought to have died in nursing homes.
— AP
