Indian leader extends nationwide lockdown as more than 10,000 COVID-19 cases confirmed
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Tuesday that the ongoing nationwide lockdown would be extended until May 3 to fight the spread of the coronavirus. The lockdown that began on March 25 was originally scheduled to end Tuesday, but Modi said all state governments and experts had agreed that it must be extended.
“After taking into account all suggestions, we have decided to extend the lockdown till May 3,” he said.
With 19 more days of lockdown now scheduled, India will remain under the strict restrictions for a total of six weeks.
The country of over 1.3 billion people has started to see a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. Modi’s announcement came on a day when the number of coronavirus cases in the country passed 10,000, with almost 350 people confirmed to have died of the disease.
Federal appeals court reverses all or part of coronavirus abortion bans in Oklahoma and Texas
A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a lower-court order that overturned the Oklahoma governor’s ban on abortions during the coronavirus outbreak. Also Monday, a different federal appeals court allowed medication abortions to continue in Texas despite a near-total abortion ban there amid the pandemic.
The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allows abortions to continue in Oklahoma, the ban issued by Gov. Kevin Stitt notwithstanding. In an eight-page opinion, the panel said it was letting stand a temporary restraining order issued April 6 by U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin in Oklahoma City because it caused the state no irreparable harm, since Goodwin’s order expires April 20.
–CBS/AP
Pandemic prompting increased demand for abortions
The coronavirus outbreak has fueled attempts to ban abortions in some states, but providers where the procedure remains available report increased demand, often from women distraught over economic stress and health concerns linked to the pandemic.
“The calls we’ve been getting are frantic,” said Julie Burkhart, who manages clinics in Wichita, Kansas, and Oklahoma City. “We’ve seen more women coming sooner than they would have because they’re scared they won’t be able to access the services later.”
Some clinics are seeing patients who traveled hundreds of miles from states such as Texas, which has banned abortions during much of the pandemic on grounds they are nonessential.
– Associated Press
Democrats and GOP at impasse over coronavirus small business relief
Democratic and Republican leaders are stalemated on small business relief negotiations, leaving an uncertain path forward as coronavirus-related measures continue to keep most Americans under stay-at-home orders.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced in a joint statement Monday that they’re demanding more help for Americans be included in the the small business loan program. They warned that state governments, local governments and hospitals are “oversubscribed” and “need more money now.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy refused Democratic demands in a joint statement, urging lawmakers to approve an increase for PPP funding before the program “runs dry.” The two said additional proposals from Democrats can wait until the next larger package. Read more here.
— Lauren Peller
Citing coronavirus, states urge Supreme Court to reconsider order on “public charge” rule
New York, Connecticut and Vermont asked the United States Supreme Court on Monday to consider lifting or modifying a decision in February that has allowed the Trump administration to implement the so-called “public charge” immigration rule. The states warned the regulation is having a “destructive” impact on the nation’s response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
The attorneys general in the three northeastern states said the sweeping rule is discouraging immigrants from accessing medical care and public benefits, hindering nationwide efforts to contain the highly contagious virus, which has killed more than 23,000 people in the U.S. The filing cited more than a dozen declarations by doctors, local officials and advocates who said immigrants across the country fear they could jeopardize their immigration status by seeking medical treatment and government aid. Read more here.
