As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the economy, many businesses are opting for direct-to-consumer models. This is the case for hundreds of fishermen, farmers and food producers who are now focused on distributing products closer to home, following the farm-to-table model, as the pandemic makes it hard for high-scale production and shipping, The Associated Press reported. Eric Pray, who is used to shipping seafood all over the country, is now selling lobsters to nearby customers from a homemade tank in his Maine Garage. Despite the big change, this has turned out to be a success for his business. “When restaurants reopen, we’ll probably keep doing home delivery, because we’ve got a good base of customers,” Pray told the AP.
Bruce Chappell, a farmer at Templeton Farm in Vermont, said that since the pandemic started more people are looking to buy locally-raised beef. “Our sales have been off the charts,” he said. However, not all food producers in the country have seen this as an advantage. According to Jayson Lusk, head of the department of agricultural economics at Purdue University, U.S. beef and pork processing capacity during early April and late May was down 40% from last year. With restaurants closed, many farmers and fishermen have also seen a reduction in value for their products.
June 6, 3:57 p.m.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 are rising at a faster rate than ever worldwide. Over a seven-day average, global cases of the virus are being confirmed at a rate of 100,000 per day. While new cases never reached 100,000 in one day in April, there has only been five days with less than 100,000 new cases since May 31, while cases peaked on June 3 at 130,400 cases. According to CNN, the growing case count could be due to an increase in testing capacity, or it could represent the growing number of infections in South America, the Middle East and Africa. "The Americas continues to account for the most cases. For several weeks, the number of cases reported each day in the Americas has been more than the rest of the world put together," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "We are especially worried about Central and South America, where many countries are witnessing accelerating epidemics."
June 6, 2:30 p.m.
Universal Orlando resort reopened on Wednesday, becoming the first of the city's major theme park resorts to reopen since mid-March. To ensure peoples' safety, every visitor was required to go through a temperature check at the entrance and all are required to wear masks inside. All visitors with a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees were denied entrance to the resort. Additionally, there is now a restriction as to how many people can enter in order to allow for proper social distancing. Orlando’s theme park industry has seen a decrease in revenue, as parks were closed for the majority of the spring season. However, the industry is expected to be on track to recovery, as Disney World, and other major parks in Orlando, plan to reopen between June and July.
June 6, 1:10 p.m.
Peru is facing a short supply of one of the world’s most abundant elements. In the wake of coronavirus cases spiking in South America, families in Peru are desperately trying to secure medical oxygen for loved ones while facing the shortage, The Associated Press reported. “Peru, with the Amazon, has the lungs of the planet,” Iván Hidalgo, academic director of the Institute of Government and Public Management in the country’s capital of Lima, told the AP. “And we’re dying because of lack of oxygen. The shortage has already claimed lives, and even converting industrial plants that typically produce oxygen for mining into medicinal production won’t be enough to help everyone, according to regional health directors. “This exposes failings throughout the country,” Dr. Harold Burgos, regional health director for Tumbes, Peru, told the AP. “It was coming and no one took it seriously.” Peru has confirmed over 180,000 cases as of Friday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University, with over 5,000 deaths and more than 76,000 recoveries.
The unemployment rate in the U.S. may not be accurate.In May, the unemployment rate in the U.S. dropped to 13.3%, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report. However, everything may not be as it seems, as the agency also admitted the number is likely higher, surpassing 16%. The error in numbers comes due to a technicality in the way furloughed workers were reported in the sample. Accounting for the same technicality, April’s unemployment numbers were likely much higher too, reaching 20%. As the agency uses a home survey to determine who is working, some survey interviewers misclassified furloughed workers as being “absent from work due to ‘other reasons,’” which could simply mean being on vacation.
“BLS and the Census Bureau are investigating why this misclassification error continues to occur and are taking additional steps to address the issue,” the agency said in a report on Friday. “According to usual practice, the data from the household survey are accepted as recorded.” According to CNBC, about 73% of reported unemployed people are only on temporary layoffs, meaning they will all return to work once business picks up again.
June 6, 9:15 a.m.
For the first time in 75 years, France’s Normandy beaches will be empty on D-Day. On June 6, D-Day veterans won’t be able to visit the beaches off the coast of Normandy to commemorate those who lost their lives as they fought to defeat fascism in Europe during World War II. For people in the area, this D-Day will be a lonely one due to the coronavirus pandemic.“The sadness is almost too much, because there is no one,” a local guide, Adeline James, told The Associated Press. The weather is another key factor that is keeping people from attending, as rain, wind and below average temperatures are in the forecast. However, the soldiers who fought for everyone’s freedom will still be remembered for their bravery, even if the beaches are emptier than usual this year. “We have to recognize that they came to die in a foreign land,” said David Pottier, who went out in the Calvados village of Mosles to honor the American soldiers who died on D-Day. Weather, of course, played a significant role in how the Allied attack on Normandy played out. Last year, for the 75th D-Day Anniversary, AccuWeather took a loot at how Dwight Eisenhower was persuaded by a weather forecast to change plans for the pivotal invasion of Normandy.
June 6, 8:45 a.m.
Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University:
"My heart goes out to them all and it makes me redouble my determination to deal with this virus,” Hancock said. The U.S. is the only nation to have more COVID-19 related deaths than the U.K. with over 108,000.
Schools in Michigan, both private and public, have been closed since mid-March due to an executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Our public educators want public health experts to say what reopening our schools should look like,” MEA President Paula Herbart said, according to Bridge. “If even a fraction of those who are considering leaving follow through, that’s thousands of teachers.”
June 5, 7:49 p.m.
The U.S. will limit flights from Chinese air carriers rather than banning them outright as originally planned.The new order from the White House will limit China to two flights weekly, while China allows double that from the U.S., according to CNBC. The reason for the U.S. restriction is “to restore a competitive balance and fair and equal opportunity among U.S. and Chinese air carriers in the scheduled passenger service marketplace,” according to The Department of Transportation. On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced the U.S. would ban Chinese passenger flights entirely after Delta and United Airlines failed to get the Chinese government's approval to resume business there this week. Since then, the restrictions have been loosened to allow two a week.
June 5, 6:48 p.m.
The U.S. will limit flights from Chinese air carriers rather than banning them outright as originally planned.The new order from the White House will limit China to two flights weekly, while China allows double that from the U.S., according to CNBC. The reason for the U.S. restriction is “to restore a competitive balance and fair and equal opportunity among U.S. and Chinese air carriers in the scheduled passenger service marketplace,” according to The Department of Transportation. On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced the U.S. would ban Chinese passenger flights entirely after Delta and United Airlines failed to get the Chinese government's approval to resume business there this week. Since then, the restrictions have been loosened to allow two a week.
On Friday morning, Florida’s Department of Health announced 1,305 additional cases of COVID-19.The state now has over 61,000 confirmed cases of the virus. Friday marks the third day this week the new case count has been above 1,000. Just one day prior, the state hit a peak at 1,413 new cases, which is the highest daily count the state has reported since it began tracking the virus in March. While the numbers continue to rise, the percentage of people testing positive has actually declined. The recent rise in numbers is due to an increase in testing, rather than an increase in infection, The Miami Herald reported. “As we test more people and get more results, the positivity rate is going down,”communications director for the Florida Department of Health Alberto Moscoso said.
June 5, 3:45 p.m.
After a recent study by the CDC found that there had been an increase in the number of calls to poison centers due to exposures to cleaners and disinfectants since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, an Internet panel survey by the CDC found “gaps in knowledge about safe preparation, use and storage of cleaners and disinfectants.” The survey found about one-third of the respondents used non recommended high-risk practices in an effort to prevent the transmission of the novel coronavirus, exposing a gap in knowledge on preparing cleaning solutions, using personal protective equipment and safe storage of hand sanitizers, cleaners and disinfectants. Some of the practices that some of the respondents participated in include using bleach on food products, using household cleaning and disinfectant products on their skin and inhaling or ingesting cleaners and disinfectants. The CDC recommends people, when cleaning areas to prevent the spread of the disease, should:
Read the instructions of the cleaning and disinfectant products
Wear protective gear, such as gloves and goggles
Do not mix chemicals
June 5, 2:50 p.m.
Major League Baseball players and teams remain in a stand off on how to start the season. The baseball players stand by their stance for full prorated pay as owners look at plans to start the delayed season around the Fourth of July at the earliest, which could result in a schedule with as little as 50 games. The MLB had rejected a plan for a 114-game regular season with no pay cuts beyond the prorated salaries that had been agreed to on March 26, which would leave each player with about 70% of their original pay, according to The Associated Press. Players were projected to earn about $4 billion in 2020 salaries, and the union’s plan would have cut that number to about $2.8 billion with management earning about $1.2 billion. This proposal came in counter to the MLB proposal to an 82-game season with a sliding scale of pay cuts that could leave a player at $563,500 minimum and less than half of their original salary.“We do not have any reason to believe that a negotiated solution for an 82-game season is possible,” Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem had written in a letter to union chief negotiator Bruce Meyer, rejecting the union’s offer, according to the AP.
June 5, 1:57 p.m.
Face masks and disinfecting wipes are clogging up storm drains across the country. Take what's happening in Philadelphia for example:From mid-March to the end of April, in the midst of Philadelphia’s stay-at-home orders, most of the city’s 19 sewer and storm water pumping stations experienced clogs from face masks, gloves and wipes that had been flushed, Mayor Jim Kennedy had said in a briefing on the coronavirus response. “Please do not flush any of these items down the toilet,” he pleaded. More than 15 cities told The Associated Press that drain clogs have become more costly and time consuming during the pandemic as Americans seek alternatives to bathroom tissue due to shortages. In Houston, sanitary sewer overflows rose 33% between February and March due to these clogs, public works department spokeswoman Erin Jones told the AP. A squadron at Beal Air Force Base in Northern California, which normally deals with airfield maintenance and weaponry disposal, is now spending time unclogging pipes. “To put it into perspective, technicians have had to clean sanitary sewer pumps once a month now which should only have to be done once a year,” Master Sgt. Destrey Robins, 9CES Water & Fuel Systems section chief, said. “Our airmen are working 16-plus hours to unclog the pipe systems and that takes them out of the mission and puts a strain on the rest of the team.” By flushing these things, people are taxing the infrastructure that’s already deteriorating, Darren Olson, vice chairman of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Committee for America’s Infrastructure, told the AP.
Disposed-of face masks are not only causing issue in the U.S. Halfway around the world in Hong Kong, where the public embraced wearing masks earlier than people in the U.S. did, the discarded items are washing up on beaches. For more on the situation there, watch the video below.
The U.S., which has seen over 27% of the world’s 392,321 total COVID-19 fatalities, hasn’t had a day with fewer than 18,000 new cases since March 25. Only two other countries, Brazil and France, have ever reported more than 15,000 new cases in a single day since the outbreak began, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
June 5, 12:58 p.m.
New evidence indicates a relation between baldness in men and the severity of COVID-19 symptoms.Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus first began in Wuhan, China, data that has been collected indicates that men are more likely to die after becoming infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. And recently, scientists have discovered a possible correlation. A study led by Professor Carlos Wambier of Brown University found that androgens, the male sex hormones, can boost the ability of the coronavirus to attack cells, making it easier for the virus to enter the body and spread. These same hormones also cause baldness. “We think androgens or male hormones are definitely the gateway for the virus to enter our cells,” Professor Wambier told The Telegraph.
The death toll from COVID-19 in Brazil has now exceeded Italy's death toll, the country's health ministry reported. Brazil counted 1,437 new deaths on Thursday and an additional 30,925 confirmed cases. This comes just one day after Brazil reported a record-daily high of 1,349 deaths on Wednesday. The country has now gone three consecutive days breaking that record. This brings the total of deaths in the country to 34,021 according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. Brazil is now the third-highest in COVID-19 deaths, trailing only the United States and the U.K., and second behind only the U.S. in total cases with more than 600,000.
June 5, 11:02 a.m.
The NBA’s Board of Governors approved a plan to restart the league’s season after initially suspending play on March 11. The 30 team owners voted 29-1 to restart on July 31 in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports complex at Disney World. The teams will play eight games to determine playoff seeding before the postseason tournament begins. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that all professional sports leagues were welcome to bring their teams to the state at the beginning of May. Around Orlando, Orange County has seen more than 2,000 cases and 43 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak, according to statistics from John Hopkins University researchers.
June 5, 10:13 a.m.
Unemployment rate falls, surprising economic analysts. The Department of Labor released jobs figures for the month of May on Friday and the statistics showed that the U.S. added 2.5 million jobs last month. Those additional jobs drove the unemployment rate down to 13.3% from its mark of 14.7% in April. The unemployment rate is still near Great Depression levels, but the news stunned economic analysts, The Associated Press reported, some of whom had predicted the jobless rate could soar to 20% at the end of May. The positive jobs numbers suggest many businesses have rehired quickly as reopening around the country has taken place. Some economic analysts still expect companies to take a while to begin rehiring to the point where the unemployment rate falls back to pre-pandemic levels.
June 5, 9:59 a.m.
A possible COVID-19 vaccine could be available very soon, according to a press release shared by AstraZeneca on Thursday.The pharmaceutical companyis aiming to produce 2 billion doses of a coronavirus vaccine that would be available for distribution starting in September or October. Out of these 2 billion doses, 400 million would be available for distribution in the U.S. and the U.K. while another 1 billion will be reserved for low- to middle-income countries. The drug was originally developed by a team of scientists from Oxford University and the pharmaceutical company is currently working to manufacture it and have it ready for distribution. After it goes to clinical trials in August, it could be ready for distribution. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said that the company is working hard to have it ready soon. “We are very focused and very committed,” Soriot said. “When you have something like this with this sort of pandemic and the tremendous impact it has on people, the economy, et cetera, you can’t second-guess what’s going to happen. You can’t spend your time figuring out is it going to work or not going to work, you have to commit.”
A recycling company in Tanzania is producing low-cost COVID-19 face shields made out of plastic bottles and flip flops. Zaidi Recyclers, a company based in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania has figured out a way to make cost-effective face shields out of recycled materials. With just $1 and three minutes of production, they can make one shield, which makes it possible to create up to 1,000 shields per day. Over the course of one month, the company has provided 6,000 face shields to hospitals and health centers in Tanzania. Zaidi Recyclers expects to continue production even as lockdown measures are eased in the country.
June 5, 6:50 a.m.
Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University:
Total confirmed cases: 6,658,334
Total deaths: 391,571
Total recovered: 2,884,308
June 4, 9:30 p.m.
After Memorial Day drew in large crowds to beaches, pools and other outdoor spaces, cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have begun to spike once again.As symptoms of the virus can take up to 12 days to show, CNBC reported that the spike in cases now is likely from the crowded beaches and relaxed social distancing restrictions during Memorial Day weekend across the U.S. While experts have gone back and forth on whether or not the spread of the virus will be subdued by warmer weather, National Institute of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said more experts are beginning to doubt the possibility the viruses spread will lessen due to the summer heat. "We'll obviously have to wait a few months to get the data. But for now, many researchers have their doubts that the COVID-19 pandemic will enter a needed summertime lull," Collins said.
As Slovenia begins reopening, a town split in two by the country’s border with Italy is struggling to adjust. The Italian and Slovenian border runs straight through the town, called Nova Gorica, on the Slovenia side and Gorizia on the Italian side. Typically, the border is essentially invisible, according to AFP, however in March a fence was set up through town by Slovenia as both nations locked down to protect from the spread of COVID-19. Despite Italy reopening its borders, the fence has remained in place. Slovenia has eased up on travel between some neighbors, but has held back with reopening its border with Italy. Local media outlets have suggested that the nation may be holding out until Austria opens its borders first so travel is focused more through that country.
"The border here does not run across rocks and forests but streets and squares, it cuts through a unified urban reality and people's daily life," Nova Gorica's mayor Klemen Miklavic said. The border fence has become a gathering place for the town to connect, despite the separation. Miklavic said people have been gathering at the fence to play badminton and volleyball, celebrate birthdays, meet for coffee and even sell drugs.
June 22 has been established as the end of the state of alarm in Spain, which Maroto confirmed once the measures had ended. “These (travel) restrictions will be lifted, and movement between these important countries will be recovered.” The only clear date for reopening land borders to Portugal and France, the government clarified, is July 1.
June 4, 4:11 p.m.
Three weeks after Arizona phased out the statewide stay-at-home orders, the state has become one of the fastest-growing coronavirus caseloads in the nation, had a jump in the percentage of tests that confirm COVID-19 and had a surge in the number of hospital beds and ventilators being used. Will Humble, a former state health director and now executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, told 12News that the stay-at-home order and behavior that had resulted from it was working, but the latest data showed a rebound around Memorial Day. “That really coincides with exposures that happened right after the end of the stay-at-home order,” he told 12News. “There’s no doubt about it.”
Three weeks ago, an Arizona State University research team had projected a surge in positive cases and hospitalizations with reopening.A spokesperson for Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey rejected the idea of the governor rolling back reopening. “Throughout this pandemic, our actions have been guided by the recommendations of public health experts and the gating criteria set forth by the CDC, and that will continue to be the case,” communications director Patrick Ptak told 12News via email. “As we continue to increase testing and slowly phase in reopening, we expect to see continued cases of COVID-19. We know our hospitals are well equipped and have the capacity to ensure anyone who needs health care has to access it.”
June 4, 3:10 p.m.
Pandemic plunges Australia economy into first recession in nearly three decades. Josh Frydenberg, Australia’s treasurer, this week announced that June would be the country’s second consecutive month of negative growth, the benchmark for an official recession. It’s been 29 years since Australia’s economy last experienced a recession. “The June quarter, the economic impact, will be severe,” Frydenberg said, according to The Associated Press. “Far more severe than what we have seen today.” On a quarterly basis, Australia’s economy has been subjected to the fallout from two disasters: The historic wildfires that ravaged the country in the early part of the year combined with the emerging coronavirus outbreak near the end of the first quarter to send the nation’s economy sliding 0.3% from January 1 to March 15.
June 4, 2:50 p.m.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city could enter Phase II in early July, which would allow restaurants in the city to reopen outdoor dining areas. This news comes one day after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced regions of the state in Phase II of reopening would be allowed to carry on with outdoor dining, according to NBC New York. New York City will enter Phase I on Monday, but de Blasio has already outlined a plan for outdoor dining to resume once it is allowed in the Big Apple. The plan would allow restaurants to convert curbs, closed roads and sidewalks in front of their restaurants into seating areas.
“New York’s restaurants are part of what makes us the greatest city in the world. They’ve taken a hit in our fight against COVID-19 – and there’s no recovery without them,” de Blasio said. “Our Open Restaurants plan will help these businesses maximize their customer base while maintaining the social distancing we need to beat this crisis once and for all.”
June 4, 2:23 p.m.
Mariners stuck out at sea are a "forgotten army." Captain Andrei Kogankov and his oil tanker crew haven't been able to return to dry land for four months due to the coronavirus pandemic.Like Kogankov and his crew, thousands of other seafarers are stranded on the high seas as countries across the world have imposed lockdowns and closed their borders, The Associated Press reports. According to the International Chamber of Shipping, about 150,000 seafarers are currently stranded at sea and another 150,000 are stuck on shore unable to get back to work. This has taken a toll on these workers who have no way out and are forced to work at all times. “When you are seven months on board, you are becoming physically and mentally exhausted,” Kogankov, of Russia, told The AP. “We are working 24/7. We don’t have, let’s say, Friday night or Saturday nights or weekends. No, vessel is running all the time.” Althoughinternational shipping organizations, trade unions and shipping countries are asking countries to consider merchant crews as essential workers, no steps have been taken as of now. “In some ways, they’ve been the forgotten army of people,” Guy Platten, secretary general of the ICS told The AP. “They’re out of sight and out of mind, and yet they’re absolutely essential for moving the fuel, the food, the medical supplies and all the other vital goods to feed world trade.”
June 4, 1:36 p.m.
American Airlines announced Thursday that it is increasing domestic flights for the summer travel season. The airline said on its website that it is planning to fly more than 55% of its July 2019 domestic capacity in July 2020 while also "continuing robust health, well-being and cleaning procedures." American said the move comes as a response to increased customer demand in May compared to April. "By the last week of May, the airline carried a daily average of about 110,000 customers per day — an increase over the approximately 32,000 average daily customers the airline served in April." a statement on the airline's website said.
“We’re seeing a slow but steady rise in domestic demand. After a careful review of data, we’ve built a July schedule to match,” said Vasu Raja, American’s senior vice president of network strategy. “Our July schedule includes the smallest year-over-year capacity reduction since March. We’ll continue to look for prudent opportunities to restore service so our customers can travel whenever and wherever they are ready.”
June 4, 12:04 p.m.
Las Vegas casinos have reopened for the first time in 78 days.At 12:01am on Thursday, crowds started to file in to casinos for the first time in months. The casinos that have opened, or are planning to, must follow a new set of health protocols which involve: at the door temperature checks, increase use of plexiglass, masks, and social distancing. People who record a temperature of over 100.4 at the door will not be permitted into casinos if they record the temperature after a 15-minute cool-down, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Casinos must only operate at 50 percent capacity and slot machines are being used on an every-other basis to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The reopening of casinos is occurring on a dangerously hot day in the city. A high of 108 is expected Thursday in Las Vegas, according to the latest AccuWeather forecast -- 14 degrees above normal for this time of year. Plus, the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature is expected to reach a blistering 111 F.
June 4, 11:40 a.m.
Brazil reported a record high number of daily deaths from COVID-19 for the second day in a row.Data from the country's health ministry showed Brazil had 1,349 new coronavirus deaths, according to Reuters. Just one day prior, Brazil saw 1,039 deaths in one day. Additionally, the country saw 28,633 new confirmed cases on Wednesday. In total, Brazil has over 580,000 confirmed cases and over 32,000 deaths, making it the country with the second-highest number of cases in the world and the fourth-highest amount of fatalities.
June 4, 11:07 a.m.
The UK reported more daily deaths from COVID-19 than the entire European Union combined on Wednesday.The latest report from the UK Department of Health showed there were 359 daily deaths in the country on June 3 while all 27 member countries of the EU reported 314 daily deaths, BBC Newsnight Political Editor Nicholas Watt reported. The UK only has about 16% of the population of the entire EU with a population of 66 million while the EU has a population 415 million. Watch Watt's segment below.
“The UK now has more daily deaths from Covid than the rest of the entire EU put together.” #Newsnight's Political Editor @nicholaswatt talks us through the latest #coronavirus data
The U.S. Department of Labor said nearly 1.9 million Americans filed for jobless benefitsin the week ending May 30. This number is a decrease of about 249,000 from the previous week's number of unemployment claims. It's also the lowest number of weekly filings since the pandemic first caused the economy to shut down in mid-March. However, the total was higher than a Dow Jones estimate of around 1.775 million claims, CNBC reported. Over 42.6 million Americanshave filed for unemployment over the course of the past two and half months.
June 4, 8:22 a.m.
Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University:
Total confirmed cases: 6,535,019
Total deaths: 386,464
Total recovered: 2,824,722
June 3, 9:38 p.m.
Over a dozen West Point graduates test positive ahead of commencement ceremony. More than 1,000 members of the graduating class returned to the U.S. Military Academy last week ahead of the graduation ceremony set for June 13. The graduates were tested upon arrival with more than 15 people testing positive for COVID-19, according to The Associated Press. None of those who tested positive showed any symptoms, but will be in isolation for 10 days. President Donald Trump is expected to give a commencement address at the ceremony, which will take place on the parade field where social distancing will be easy to enforce.
Based on available data, the #COVID19 Solidarity Trial Data Safety & Monitoring Committee recommended there are no reasons to modify the trial protocol. The Executive Group endorsed the continuation of all arms of the Trial, including the use of hydroxychloroquine. https://t.co/r88DVEvZ3jpic.twitter.com/cYITShxcE7
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 3, 2020
June 3, 7:02 p.m.
More details emerge on how China tested 10 million people in Wuhan so quickly. In just 19 days, nearly the entire city of Wuhan was able to be tested for COVID-19, a feat that used a new method for testing. One way that millions of people were tested in such a short amount of time was by the use of batch testing, ABC News said. In this type of test, samples from five people are mixed together and then tested as one. If the test is positive, then all five people are tested individually.
June 3, 5:57 p.m.
Delta Air Lines is taking extra precautions to ensure safe travel spaces for customers planning summer travel amid the pandemic. In addition to the safety protocols already in place, Delta will be capping the number of customers allowed on each flight and blocking the middle seats through at least Sept. 30, 2020, the company announced on Wednesday. “Reducing the overall number of customers on every aircraft across the fleet is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure a safe experience for our customers and people,” said Chief Customer Experience Officer Bill Lentsch. “Delta is offering the highest standards in safety and cleanliness so we’re ready for customers when they’re ready to fly again.” Delta will also be adding additional flights on popular routes to meet customer demand.
June 3, 5:02 p.m.
The recession caused by COVID-19 could be over, according to Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.This statement comes after payroll company ADP reported on Wednesday that companies got rid of 2.76 million positions in May. Although this is a high number, it is well below the 8.75 million that had been projected. The data provides hope that the worst of the jobs crisis in the U.S. could be coming to an end, according to CNBC. “The good news is I think the recession is over, the COVID-19 recession is over, barring another second wave, a major second wave, or real serious policy errors,” Zandi told CNBC. However, Zandi added that “the recovery will be a slog until there’s a vaccine or therapy that’s distributed and adopted widely.”
June 3, 4:48 p.m.
Most airport workers and flight crews will be required to wear non-medical masks in Canada, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said on Wednesday. The new order goes into effect on Thursday was planned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International to reassure governments it is safe for the public to fly. “The measures we are putting in place today will further reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 for transportation workers and passengers,” Garneau said. There haven't been many broad requirements to wear a mask in public in Canada, according to Reuters, but on May 20 it was recommended for people who could not maintain physical distancing.
Amid the coronavirus shutdowns, the business expects to have lost between $2.1 and $2.4 billion in the first quarter, CNN reported. “We are generating effectively no revenue,” the company said. Even if restrictions were lifted to allow the theaters to open, the release of films such as “Mulan” and “Wonder Woman 1984” has also been delayed due to the virus, the company acknowledged. However, they believe they can pull through. “We believe we have the cash resources to reopen our theaters and resume our operations thus summer or later,” AMC said. “Our liquidity needs thereafter will depend, among other things, on the timing of a full resumption of operations, the timing of movie releases and our ability to generate revenue.”
On Wednesday, Italy opened its doors to tourists and travelers from Europe, three months after the nation’s coronavirus lockdown began. Restaurants have begun adjusting, using QR codes for customers to decide what they want to eat rather than passing menus around. Museums are also limiting their number of visitors in the building. People who rely on tourism for their income have taken a hit from the pause. Dario Franceschini, the Italian minster of culture and tourism, said it could take until 2023 before the nation’s tourism sector recovered completely. Annunziata Berrino, a professor of contemporary history from Federico II University in Naples, told USA Today the closest parallel to the situation is the period immediately after World War II as Italy struggled to recover from the destruction of the war. Infections diseases expert Massimo Galli told AFP that it would have been better to reopen the borders in July as the virus "smolders under the ashes, and when it finds the ideal conditions, it explodes. Even more so if we lower our guard." Check out the video below which captured the scene in Venice's St. Mark's Square on Wednesday.
June 3, 2:24 p.m.
On Wednesday, the U.S. government announced plans to block Chinese airlines from flying into or out of the U.S. starting June 16, The Associated Press reported.After China failed to let United and Delta Airlines resume flights to China, which had been suspended earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Department of Transportation said that it would suspend flights of four Chinese airlines to and from the United States. The transportation department said this decision was made due to China’s failure to comply with an agreement between the two countries. “The Department will continue to engage our Chinese counterparts so both U.S. and Chinese carriers can fully exercise their bilateral rights,” the agency said in a statement. “In the meantime, we will allow Chinese carriers to operate the same number of scheduled passenger flights as the Chinese government allows ours.”
June 3, 1:46 p.m.
Athletes in Israel’s soccer league are partaking in a new pre-game activity to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Players, staff and media attending games are now given the option to walk through a tunnel when entering the stadium that sprays a mist of denfectant for 15 seconds, Reuters said. “We are not a cure for the coronavirus, we are fighting against its spread,” Eran Druker said. Druker is the vice president for business development at RD Pack, an Israeli company specializing in automation. “Most people want to go through it. They feel much more secure.” Matches resumed on Saturday at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, Israel, after the league suspended play due to the coronavirus. Like many other professional sports leagues around the world, the matches are being held without any fans.
June 3, 1:11 p.m.
A bar in Pamplona, Spain, is using advanced technology to protect its customers and staff from contracting the coronavirus. Plaza del Castillo, a popular bar in the area, has a new addition to their staff -- a waiter robot named Alexia. The robot was created by Cocuus, a Spanish company that specializes in technology and innovation for the food sector. In a video shared by the news station Informativos Telecinco on Twitter, a waiter is seen placing the drinks in a tray that is held by Alexia and then he uses the screen that is incorporated into the robot to select what table the drinks are going to. Then, the customers get their drinks from the robot’s tray, without making any physical contact with anyone. The restaurant has seen an increase in popularity since it introduced the robot, according to Patxi Larumbe, the commercial director of Cocuus, Larumbe also shared that the company is still working on improving the robot's system. Check out the robot in action in the video below.
📹 Se llama Alexia y es la nueva incorporación de un bar de Pamplona, que ayuda a servir reduciendo las opciones de contagio por coronavirus. El camarero carga la bandeja, el robot se acerca a la mesa y los clientes cogen las copas > https://t.co/jit4RIoQ90pic.twitter.com/eXtVhv2WtG
— Informativos Telecinco (@informativost5) June 1, 2020
June 3, 12:34 p.m.
After suspending its season on March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA is set to announce a return to play for late July.ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the league's Board of Governors will hold a 12:30 p.m. call on Thursday at 12:30 EDT to approve the plan, which will include 22 teams playing eight regular season games before the postseason begins. All games will take place in Orlando, Florida, with the first games under the proposed plan starting July 31. The season would conclude no later than Oct 12., which is when a potential NBA Finals Game 7 could be held, according to ESPN.
June 3, 12:17 p.m.
Sweden’s chief epidemiologist says country should have done more to fight the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday, Anders Tegnell told Swedish radio that the country’s strategy was good, but it could have had some improvements, Reuters reported. Even though he agrees that the country’s strategy of voluntary confinement was effective, he said that testing earlier and more extensively could’ve prevented the spread of the virus in the country. According to ourworldindata.org, Sweden had the highest mortality rate in Europe for parts of May, with a rate at 443 deaths per million people. “If we were to run into the same disease, knowing what we know about it today, I think we would end up doing something in between what Sweden did and what the rest of the world has done,” Tegnell said.
June 3, 11:37 a.m.
Anthony Fauci expresses concerns about the efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine. The NIAID director and top doctor on the White House coronavirus task force participated in Q&A session with the editor of JAMA, a leading medical journal. Tuesday evening. Fauci was asked about the race to develop a vaccine for the new coronavirus and his answer has raised eyebrows as he warned that a vaccine may not mean the end of the spread of COVID-19 because of the durability of SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19. “When you look at the history of coronaviruses -- the common coronaviruses that cause the common cold -- the reports in the literature are that the durability of immunity that’s protective ranges from three to six months to almost always less than a year,” Fauci told JAMA’s Howard Bauchner. “That’s not a lot of durability and protection,” he added.
Fauci was also asked about the headway the Massachusetts-based biotech company Moderna was making in its development of a vaccine. The company, working in conjunction with the NIH, is set to begin a phase 3 trial next month that will include 30,000 participants. Fauci said he’s “cautiously optimistic” about the Moderna vaccine and that he’s hopeful hundreds of millions of doses will be manufactured by early next year. Of course, if that were achieved and the vaccine proves effective, it will mark a monumental scientific feat. As ABC News medical expert Dr. Jennifer Ashton pointed out on Good Morning America, “There has never been a coronavirus [vaccine] developed for humans, and the previous fastest time record to development for any vaccine is four years.”
Fauci also discussed a host of other issues over the course of the nearly 30-minute session, including what impact the protests and civil unrest unfolding in the wake of George Floyd’s killing along with large groups of people congregating at beaches around the country as states have relaxed stay-at-home orders will have on a resurgence of infections. “We’re not going to know what the effect of that is for at least a couple of more weeks, because in order to determine whether a particular behavioral change has an effect on the incidence of a particular infection like the coronavirus – it likely is three weeks or more.” As for the possibility of the government issuing immunity passports, Fauci said an immunity passport “would be an appropriate thing – possibly – if we knew how long the duration of the antibody was,” but cautioned they “are not a perfect solution” and said “there are a lot of questions about the utility of immunity passports.” Watch the full interview with Fauci below.
— Greg Folkers 🇺🇦☮️🇺🇸 (@greg_folkers) June 2, 2020
June 3, 11:14 a.m.
Study shows possible link between coronavirus and altitude. Researchers from Australia, Bolivia, Canada, and Switzerland focused on residents of Tibet and the high-altitude regions of Bolivia and Ecuador by analyzing the epidemiological data of COVID-19 cases in high-altitude inhabitants versus low-altitude inhabitants. They concluded the analysis “clearly indicates a decrease of prevalence and impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection” in populations living at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,842 feet) or more. SARS-CoV-2, also known as the new coronavirus, causes the disease COVID-19. “The reason for decreased severity of the global COVID-19 outbreak at high altitude could relate to both environmental and physiological factors,” the researchers wrote. “Indeed, a high-altitude environment is characterized by drastic changes in temperature between night and day, air dryness, and high levels of ultraviolet (UV) light radiation," the researchers continued. "UV radiation at high altitude may act as a natural sanitizer," they said although they added that complete disinfection cannot be achieved by UV radiation.
June 3, 11:02 a.m.
A German shepherd in New York is the first pet dog to be infected by COVID-19, according to the United states Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories. The dog tested positive for the coronavirus after it was taken to a veterinarian due to a respiratory illness. Prior to the dog showing symptoms, its owner had also tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said the dog is expected to make a full recovery. To prevent the spread of the coronavirus in pets, the USDA specified that “it is important for people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to avoid contact with pets and other animals to protect them from possible infection.” In late April, two cats in New York City tested positive for COVID-19. CDC officials have said infections in household animals is an emerging science and that theythink animals do not play a significant role in the spread of the disease.
Reporting by Lauren Fox, John Murphy, Brian Lada, Mark Puleo, Maria Antonieta Valery Gil, Kevin Byrne, Chaffin Mitchell, Adriana Navarro, John Roach,Dexter Henry, Bill Wadell, Jonathan Petramala, and Monica Danielle
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News / Health
Previous coronavirus daily briefing updates, June 3-6
Published Jun 8, 2020 4:39 PM EDT
Current daily briefings on the coronavirus can be found here. Scroll below to read previous listed in eastern time.
June 6, 5:30 p.m.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the economy, many businesses are opting for direct-to-consumer models. This is the case for hundreds of fishermen, farmers and food producers who are now focused on distributing products closer to home, following the farm-to-table model, as the pandemic makes it hard for high-scale production and shipping, The Associated Press reported. Eric Pray, who is used to shipping seafood all over the country, is now selling lobsters to nearby customers from a homemade tank in his Maine Garage. Despite the big change, this has turned out to be a success for his business. “When restaurants reopen, we’ll probably keep doing home delivery, because we’ve got a good base of customers,” Pray told the AP.
Bruce Chappell, a farmer at Templeton Farm in Vermont, said that since the pandemic started more people are looking to buy locally-raised beef. “Our sales have been off the charts,” he said. However, not all food producers in the country have seen this as an advantage. According to Jayson Lusk, head of the department of agricultural economics at Purdue University, U.S. beef and pork processing capacity during early April and late May was down 40% from last year. With restaurants closed, many farmers and fishermen have also seen a reduction in value for their products.
June 6, 3:57 p.m.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 are rising at a faster rate than ever worldwide. Over a seven-day average, global cases of the virus are being confirmed at a rate of 100,000 per day. While new cases never reached 100,000 in one day in April, there has only been five days with less than 100,000 new cases since May 31, while cases peaked on June 3 at 130,400 cases. According to CNN, the growing case count could be due to an increase in testing capacity, or it could represent the growing number of infections in South America, the Middle East and Africa. "The Americas continues to account for the most cases. For several weeks, the number of cases reported each day in the Americas has been more than the rest of the world put together," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "We are especially worried about Central and South America, where many countries are witnessing accelerating epidemics."
June 6, 2:30 p.m.
Universal Orlando resort reopened on Wednesday, becoming the first of the city's major theme park resorts to reopen since mid-March. To ensure peoples' safety, every visitor was required to go through a temperature check at the entrance and all are required to wear masks inside. All visitors with a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees were denied entrance to the resort. Additionally, there is now a restriction as to how many people can enter in order to allow for proper social distancing. Orlando’s theme park industry has seen a decrease in revenue, as parks were closed for the majority of the spring season. However, the industry is expected to be on track to recovery, as Disney World, and other major parks in Orlando, plan to reopen between June and July.
June 6, 1:10 p.m.
Peru is facing a short supply of one of the world’s most abundant elements. In the wake of coronavirus cases spiking in South America, families in Peru are desperately trying to secure medical oxygen for loved ones while facing the shortage, The Associated Press reported. “Peru, with the Amazon, has the lungs of the planet,” Iván Hidalgo, academic director of the Institute of Government and Public Management in the country’s capital of Lima, told the AP. “And we’re dying because of lack of oxygen. The shortage has already claimed lives, and even converting industrial plants that typically produce oxygen for mining into medicinal production won’t be enough to help everyone, according to regional health directors. “This exposes failings throughout the country,” Dr. Harold Burgos, regional health director for Tumbes, Peru, told the AP. “It was coming and no one took it seriously.” Peru has confirmed over 180,000 cases as of Friday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University, with over 5,000 deaths and more than 76,000 recoveries.
June 6, 11:53 a.m.
New data from the U.K.’s Office for National Statics (ONS) could indicate that undiagnosed COVID-19 cases are responsible for the deaths of more people than previously thought. On Friday, the ONS released new numbers that indicated to the second highest COVID-19 death toll in the world after the U.S. with more than 50,000 deaths related to confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. The figures showed that out of the 46,380 excess deaths between March 7 and May 1, 12,900 were not related to COVID-19. “Undiagnosed COVID-19 is a likely explanation for some of non-COVID-19 excess deaths observed in this setting, because of the increased vulnerability of [the elderly] population,” the ONS said.
June 6, 10:44 a.m.
The unemployment rate in the U.S. may not be accurate. In May, the unemployment rate in the U.S. dropped to 13.3%, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report. However, everything may not be as it seems, as the agency also admitted the number is likely higher, surpassing 16%. The error in numbers comes due to a technicality in the way furloughed workers were reported in the sample. Accounting for the same technicality, April’s unemployment numbers were likely much higher too, reaching 20%. As the agency uses a home survey to determine who is working, some survey interviewers misclassified furloughed workers as being “absent from work due to ‘other reasons,’” which could simply mean being on vacation.
“BLS and the Census Bureau are investigating why this misclassification error continues to occur and are taking additional steps to address the issue,” the agency said in a report on Friday. “According to usual practice, the data from the household survey are accepted as recorded.” According to CNBC, about 73% of reported unemployed people are only on temporary layoffs, meaning they will all return to work once business picks up again.
June 6, 9:15 a.m.
For the first time in 75 years, France’s Normandy beaches will be empty on D-Day. On June 6, D-Day veterans won’t be able to visit the beaches off the coast of Normandy to commemorate those who lost their lives as they fought to defeat fascism in Europe during World War II. For people in the area, this D-Day will be a lonely one due to the coronavirus pandemic.“The sadness is almost too much, because there is no one,” a local guide, Adeline James, told The Associated Press. The weather is another key factor that is keeping people from attending, as rain, wind and below average temperatures are in the forecast. However, the soldiers who fought for everyone’s freedom will still be remembered for their bravery, even if the beaches are emptier than usual this year. “We have to recognize that they came to die in a foreign land,” said David Pottier, who went out in the Calvados village of Mosles to honor the American soldiers who died on D-Day. Weather, of course, played a significant role in how the Allied attack on Normandy played out. Last year, for the 75th D-Day Anniversary, AccuWeather took a loot at how Dwight Eisenhower was persuaded by a weather forecast to change plans for the pivotal invasion of Normandy.
June 6, 8:45 a.m.
Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University:
Total confirmed cases: 6,761,942
Total deaths: 395,409
Total recovered: 2,763,229
June 5, 9:52 p.m.
The COVID-19 death toll in the U.K. surpassed 40,000, making it just the second nation to eclipse the grim milestone. The UK's chief scientific adviser said in March that a “good outcome” would be to limit deaths in the country to 20,000, The BBC reported. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the growing number of deaths is "a time of sorrow for us all,” and behind each death is "a family that will never be the same again.”
"My heart goes out to them all and it makes me redouble my determination to deal with this virus,” Hancock said. The U.S. is the only nation to have more COVID-19 related deaths than the U.K. with over 108,000.
June 5, 8:46 p.m.
A survey conducted by the Michigan Education Association (MEA) revealed that 7% of educators in the state are stepping down from their roles and another 24% are contemplating quitting. The MEA surveyed 15,000 educators in the state before concluding that the what-ifs surrounding reopening schools come September has caused concern for educators within the state. Eight out of ten of the respondents were elementary level educators. Eight in ten of respondents to the survey also said they feared for the health of themselves and their families if school were to resume in the fall. Additionally, 4.8% said they would retire early due to health concerns surrounding COVID-19.
Schools in Michigan, both private and public, have been closed since mid-March due to an executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Our public educators want public health experts to say what reopening our schools should look like,” MEA President Paula Herbart said, according to Bridge. “If even a fraction of those who are considering leaving follow through, that’s thousands of teachers.”
June 5, 7:49 p.m.
The U.S. will limit flights from Chinese air carriers rather than banning them outright as originally planned.The new order from the White House will limit China to two flights weekly, while China allows double that from the U.S., according to CNBC. The reason for the U.S. restriction is “to restore a competitive balance and fair and equal opportunity among U.S. and Chinese air carriers in the scheduled passenger service marketplace,” according to The Department of Transportation. On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced the U.S. would ban Chinese passenger flights entirely after Delta and United Airlines failed to get the Chinese government's approval to resume business there this week. Since then, the restrictions have been loosened to allow two a week.
June 5, 6:48 p.m.
The U.S. will limit flights from Chinese air carriers rather than banning them outright as originally planned.The new order from the White House will limit China to two flights weekly, while China allows double that from the U.S., according to CNBC. The reason for the U.S. restriction is “to restore a competitive balance and fair and equal opportunity among U.S. and Chinese air carriers in the scheduled passenger service marketplace,” according to The Department of Transportation. On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced the U.S. would ban Chinese passenger flights entirely after Delta and United Airlines failed to get the Chinese government's approval to resume business there this week. Since then, the restrictions have been loosened to allow two a week.
June 5, 5:46 p.m.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced that New Jersey’s public health emergency would be extended for an additional 30 days.“We will continue to our path forward, while remaining vigilant and prepared to act should there be a new outbreak of COVID-19,” Murphy said as he shared the news on twitter. He also reported 864 new positive cases, bringing the state’s total to 163,336.
June 5, 4:45 p.m.
On Friday morning, Florida’s Department of Health announced 1,305 additional cases of COVID-19.The state now has over 61,000 confirmed cases of the virus. Friday marks the third day this week the new case count has been above 1,000. Just one day prior, the state hit a peak at 1,413 new cases, which is the highest daily count the state has reported since it began tracking the virus in March. While the numbers continue to rise, the percentage of people testing positive has actually declined. The recent rise in numbers is due to an increase in testing, rather than an increase in infection, The Miami Herald reported. “As we test more people and get more results, the positivity rate is going down,” communications director for the Florida Department of Health Alberto Moscoso said.
June 5, 3:45 p.m.
After a recent study by the CDC found that there had been an increase in the number of calls to poison centers due to exposures to cleaners and disinfectants since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, an Internet panel survey by the CDC found “gaps in knowledge about safe preparation, use and storage of cleaners and disinfectants.” The survey found about one-third of the respondents used non recommended high-risk practices in an effort to prevent the transmission of the novel coronavirus, exposing a gap in knowledge on preparing cleaning solutions, using personal protective equipment and safe storage of hand sanitizers, cleaners and disinfectants. Some of the practices that some of the respondents participated in include using bleach on food products, using household cleaning and disinfectant products on their skin and inhaling or ingesting cleaners and disinfectants. The CDC recommends people, when cleaning areas to prevent the spread of the disease, should:
Read the instructions of the cleaning and disinfectant products
Wear protective gear, such as gloves and goggles
Do not mix chemicals
June 5, 2:50 p.m.
Major League Baseball players and teams remain in a stand off on how to start the season. The baseball players stand by their stance for full prorated pay as owners look at plans to start the delayed season around the Fourth of July at the earliest, which could result in a schedule with as little as 50 games. The MLB had rejected a plan for a 114-game regular season with no pay cuts beyond the prorated salaries that had been agreed to on March 26, which would leave each player with about 70% of their original pay, according to The Associated Press. Players were projected to earn about $4 billion in 2020 salaries, and the union’s plan would have cut that number to about $2.8 billion with management earning about $1.2 billion. This proposal came in counter to the MLB proposal to an 82-game season with a sliding scale of pay cuts that could leave a player at $563,500 minimum and less than half of their original salary. “We do not have any reason to believe that a negotiated solution for an 82-game season is possible,” Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem had written in a letter to union chief negotiator Bruce Meyer, rejecting the union’s offer, according to the AP.
June 5, 1:57 p.m.
Face masks and disinfecting wipes are clogging up storm drains across the country. Take what's happening in Philadelphia for example:From mid-March to the end of April, in the midst of Philadelphia’s stay-at-home orders, most of the city’s 19 sewer and storm water pumping stations experienced clogs from face masks, gloves and wipes that had been flushed, Mayor Jim Kennedy had said in a briefing on the coronavirus response. “Please do not flush any of these items down the toilet,” he pleaded. More than 15 cities told The Associated Press that drain clogs have become more costly and time consuming during the pandemic as Americans seek alternatives to bathroom tissue due to shortages. In Houston, sanitary sewer overflows rose 33% between February and March due to these clogs, public works department spokeswoman Erin Jones told the AP. A squadron at Beal Air Force Base in Northern California, which normally deals with airfield maintenance and weaponry disposal, is now spending time unclogging pipes. “To put it into perspective, technicians have had to clean sanitary sewer pumps once a month now which should only have to be done once a year,” Master Sgt. Destrey Robins, 9CES Water & Fuel Systems section chief, said. “Our airmen are working 16-plus hours to unclog the pipe systems and that takes them out of the mission and puts a strain on the rest of the team.” By flushing these things, people are taxing the infrastructure that’s already deteriorating, Darren Olson, vice chairman of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Committee for America’s Infrastructure, told the AP.
Disposed-of face masks are not only causing issue in the U.S. Halfway around the world in Hong Kong, where the public embraced wearing masks earlier than people in the U.S. did, the discarded items are washing up on beaches. For more on the situation there, watch the video below.
June 5, 1:42 p.m.
President Donald Trump pointed to new job numbers in saying that the U.S. is "largely through" the pandemic on Friday. Citing a surprising increase in employment, the president claimed his administration has "made every decision correctly," and that the economic rebound is "probably the greatest comeback in American history,” according to AFP.
The U.S., which has seen over 27% of the world’s 392,321 total COVID-19 fatalities, hasn’t had a day with fewer than 18,000 new cases since March 25. Only two other countries, Brazil and France, have ever reported more than 15,000 new cases in a single day since the outbreak began, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
June 5, 12:58 p.m.
New evidence indicates a relation between baldness in men and the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus first began in Wuhan, China, data that has been collected indicates that men are more likely to die after becoming infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. And recently, scientists have discovered a possible correlation. A study led by Professor Carlos Wambier of Brown University found that androgens, the male sex hormones, can boost the ability of the coronavirus to attack cells, making it easier for the virus to enter the body and spread. These same hormones also cause baldness. “We think androgens or male hormones are definitely the gateway for the virus to enter our cells,” Professor Wambier told The Telegraph.
A pair of smaller studies conducted in Spain found that a high proportion of men with male pattern baldness were ending up in the hospital due to serious cases of COVID-19. Doctors have also raised the possibility that drugs used to treat baldness and prostate cancer, because they suppress the creation on androgens, might be useful for treating the symptoms of COVID-19. Several trials are now under way in various parts of the U.S. to test that theory. “Everybody is chasing a link between androgens … and the outcome of COVID-19,” Howard Soule, executive vice president at the Prostate Cancer Foundation in California told Science magazine.
June 5, 12:06 p.m.
The death toll from COVID-19 in Brazil has now exceeded Italy's death toll, the country's health ministry reported. Brazil counted 1,437 new deaths on Thursday and an additional 30,925 confirmed cases. This comes just one day after Brazil reported a record-daily high of 1,349 deaths on Wednesday. The country has now gone three consecutive days breaking that record. This brings the total of deaths in the country to 34,021 according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. Brazil is now the third-highest in COVID-19 deaths, trailing only the United States and the U.K., and second behind only the U.S. in total cases with more than 600,000.
June 5, 11:02 a.m.
The NBA’s Board of Governors approved a plan to restart the league’s season after initially suspending play on March 11. The 30 team owners voted 29-1 to restart on July 31 in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports complex at Disney World. The teams will play eight games to determine playoff seeding before the postseason tournament begins. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that all professional sports leagues were welcome to bring their teams to the state at the beginning of May. Around Orlando, Orange County has seen more than 2,000 cases and 43 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak, according to statistics from John Hopkins University researchers.
June 5, 10:13 a.m.
Unemployment rate falls, surprising economic analysts. The Department of Labor released jobs figures for the month of May on Friday and the statistics showed that the U.S. added 2.5 million jobs last month. Those additional jobs drove the unemployment rate down to 13.3% from its mark of 14.7% in April. The unemployment rate is still near Great Depression levels, but the news stunned economic analysts, The Associated Press reported, some of whom had predicted the jobless rate could soar to 20% at the end of May. The positive jobs numbers suggest many businesses have rehired quickly as reopening around the country has taken place. Some economic analysts still expect companies to take a while to begin rehiring to the point where the unemployment rate falls back to pre-pandemic levels.
June 5, 9:59 a.m.
A possible COVID-19 vaccine could be available very soon, according to a press release shared by AstraZeneca on Thursday. The pharmaceutical company is aiming to produce 2 billion doses of a coronavirus vaccine that would be available for distribution starting in September or October. Out of these 2 billion doses, 400 million would be available for distribution in the U.S. and the U.K. while another 1 billion will be reserved for low- to middle-income countries. The drug was originally developed by a team of scientists from Oxford University and the pharmaceutical company is currently working to manufacture it and have it ready for distribution. After it goes to clinical trials in August, it could be ready for distribution. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said that the company is working hard to have it ready soon. “We are very focused and very committed,” Soriot said. “When you have something like this with this sort of pandemic and the tremendous impact it has on people, the economy, et cetera, you can’t second-guess what’s going to happen. You can’t spend your time figuring out is it going to work or not going to work, you have to commit.”
June 5, 9:11 a.m.
For the first time in nearly three months, New York City reported no new deaths from COVID-19 for the period covering Tuesday into Wednesday. This is a monumental turning point for the city, which has been the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S. According to Johns Hopkins University figures, New York City has tallied more than 205,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 22,000 fatalities from the illness. The last time the city reported a 24-hour period with zero coronavirus deaths was way back on March 12, the day after the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic, The New York Post reported. “In the face of extraordinary challenges, New Yorkers have gone above and beyond to keep each other safe throughout the crisis,” City Hall spokesperson Avery Cohen said. “With hope on the horizon, we will continue to do everything we can to reopen safely without losing sight of the progress we’ve made.”
June 5, 8:16 a.m.
A recycling company in Tanzania is producing low-cost COVID-19 face shields made out of plastic bottles and flip flops. Zaidi Recyclers, a company based in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania has figured out a way to make cost-effective face shields out of recycled materials. With just $1 and three minutes of production, they can make one shield, which makes it possible to create up to 1,000 shields per day. Over the course of one month, the company has provided 6,000 face shields to hospitals and health centers in Tanzania. Zaidi Recyclers expects to continue production even as lockdown measures are eased in the country.
June 5, 6:50 a.m.
Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University:
Total confirmed cases: 6,658,334
Total deaths: 391,571
Total recovered: 2,884,308
June 4, 9:30 p.m.
After Memorial Day drew in large crowds to beaches, pools and other outdoor spaces, cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have begun to spike once again. As symptoms of the virus can take up to 12 days to show, CNBC reported that the spike in cases now is likely from the crowded beaches and relaxed social distancing restrictions during Memorial Day weekend across the U.S. While experts have gone back and forth on whether or not the spread of the virus will be subdued by warmer weather, National Institute of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said more experts are beginning to doubt the possibility the viruses spread will lessen due to the summer heat. "We'll obviously have to wait a few months to get the data. But for now, many researchers have their doubts that the COVID-19 pandemic will enter a needed summertime lull," Collins said.
June 4, 8:14 p.m.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new guidelines as Americans return to work, and it has led to some concern regarding traffic congestion during peak commuting times. The CDC recommended people avoid carpooling and public transportation when traveling to and from work to prevent further spread of COVID-19. They instead recommend businesses create incentives to encourage their employees to use private transportation methods, such as walking, biking, or driving by themselves. Along with heavier traffic, concerns have been raised regarding the carbon emissions that will come from everyone taking private transportation, according to CNBC. “Promoting private vehicle use as public health strategy is like prescribing sugar to reduce tooth decay,” Lawrence Frank, a urban planning and public health professor at the University of British Columbia, said.
June 4, 7:11 p.m.
Preparations for the arrival of Cristobal have begun earlier than usual in major cities as officials urge residents to create a hurricane plan that includes adjustments for COVID-19. “As always during hurricane season, residents are reminded to review emergency plans, gather emergency supplies, and stay informed,” the city wrote in a Tuesday press release. In a press conference on Wednesday, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said the state made agreements to use hotels rather than regular, open-area shelters where possible. “The worst of the conditions from Cristobal will end up being on the eastern side of the storm,” AccuWeather Cief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said, adding most of the storm’s rainfall will be skewed toward the eastern side of the system. More information on hurricane preparedness and how to account for COVID-19 is available at ready.nola.gov/hurricane.
June 4, 6:08 p.m.
As Slovenia begins reopening, a town split in two by the country’s border with Italy is struggling to adjust. The Italian and Slovenian border runs straight through the town, called Nova Gorica, on the Slovenia side and Gorizia on the Italian side. Typically, the border is essentially invisible, according to AFP, however in March a fence was set up through town by Slovenia as both nations locked down to protect from the spread of COVID-19. Despite Italy reopening its borders, the fence has remained in place. Slovenia has eased up on travel between some neighbors, but has held back with reopening its border with Italy. Local media outlets have suggested that the nation may be holding out until Austria opens its borders first so travel is focused more through that country.
"The border here does not run across rocks and forests but streets and squares, it cuts through a unified urban reality and people's daily life," Nova Gorica's mayor Klemen Miklavic said. The border fence has become a gathering place for the town to connect, despite the separation. Miklavic said people have been gathering at the fence to play badminton and volleyball, celebrate birthdays, meet for coffee and even sell drugs.
June 4, 5:04 p.m.
Spain triggers some confusion about when exactly its reopening borders. Two hours after Spain's Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto announced travel restrictions would be lifted on June 22, the government clarified the nation would not be open to international visitors until July 1st. “In the case of France and Portugal, I want to confirm that the restrictions on land borders will be lifted from June 22,” Maroto had said at a press conference to foreign correspondents, the Spanish news outlet El País reported. Two hours later, the central government published a press release that contradicted his words, establishing “safe international movement will take place from July 1,” as previously announced by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
June 22 has been established as the end of the state of alarm in Spain, which Maroto confirmed once the measures had ended. “These (travel) restrictions will be lifted, and movement between these important countries will be recovered.” The only clear date for reopening land borders to Portugal and France, the government clarified, is July 1.
June 4, 4:11 p.m.
Three weeks after Arizona phased out the statewide stay-at-home orders, the state has become one of the fastest-growing coronavirus caseloads in the nation, had a jump in the percentage of tests that confirm COVID-19 and had a surge in the number of hospital beds and ventilators being used. Will Humble, a former state health director and now executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, told 12News that the stay-at-home order and behavior that had resulted from it was working, but the latest data showed a rebound around Memorial Day. “That really coincides with exposures that happened right after the end of the stay-at-home order,” he told 12News. “There’s no doubt about it.”
Three weeks ago, an Arizona State University research team had projected a surge in positive cases and hospitalizations with reopening. A spokesperson for Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey rejected the idea of the governor rolling back reopening. “Throughout this pandemic, our actions have been guided by the recommendations of public health experts and the gating criteria set forth by the CDC, and that will continue to be the case,” communications director Patrick Ptak told 12News via email. “As we continue to increase testing and slowly phase in reopening, we expect to see continued cases of COVID-19. We know our hospitals are well equipped and have the capacity to ensure anyone who needs health care has to access it.”
June 4, 3:10 p.m.
Pandemic plunges Australia economy into first recession in nearly three decades. Josh Frydenberg, Australia’s treasurer, this week announced that June would be the country’s second consecutive month of negative growth, the benchmark for an official recession. It’s been 29 years since Australia’s economy last experienced a recession. “The June quarter, the economic impact, will be severe,” Frydenberg said, according to The Associated Press. “Far more severe than what we have seen today.” On a quarterly basis, Australia’s economy has been subjected to the fallout from two disasters: The historic wildfires that ravaged the country in the early part of the year combined with the emerging coronavirus outbreak near the end of the first quarter to send the nation’s economy sliding 0.3% from January 1 to March 15.
June 4, 2:50 p.m.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city could enter Phase II in early July, which would allow restaurants in the city to reopen outdoor dining areas. This news comes one day after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced regions of the state in Phase II of reopening would be allowed to carry on with outdoor dining, according to NBC New York. New York City will enter Phase I on Monday, but de Blasio has already outlined a plan for outdoor dining to resume once it is allowed in the Big Apple. The plan would allow restaurants to convert curbs, closed roads and sidewalks in front of their restaurants into seating areas.
“New York’s restaurants are part of what makes us the greatest city in the world. They’ve taken a hit in our fight against COVID-19 – and there’s no recovery without them,” de Blasio said. “Our Open Restaurants plan will help these businesses maximize their customer base while maintaining the social distancing we need to beat this crisis once and for all.”
June 4, 2:23 p.m.
Mariners stuck out at sea are a "forgotten army." Captain Andrei Kogankov and his oil tanker crew haven't been able to return to dry land for four months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Like Kogankov and his crew, thousands of other seafarers are stranded on the high seas as countries across the world have imposed lockdowns and closed their borders, The Associated Press reports. According to the International Chamber of Shipping, about 150,000 seafarers are currently stranded at sea and another 150,000 are stuck on shore unable to get back to work. This has taken a toll on these workers who have no way out and are forced to work at all times. “When you are seven months on board, you are becoming physically and mentally exhausted,” Kogankov, of Russia, told The AP. “We are working 24/7. We don’t have, let’s say, Friday night or Saturday nights or weekends. No, vessel is running all the time.” Although international shipping organizations, trade unions and shipping countries are asking countries to consider merchant crews as essential workers, no steps have been taken as of now. “In some ways, they’ve been the forgotten army of people,” Guy Platten, secretary general of the ICS told The AP. “They’re out of sight and out of mind, and yet they’re absolutely essential for moving the fuel, the food, the medical supplies and all the other vital goods to feed world trade.”
June 4, 1:36 p.m.
American Airlines announced Thursday that it is increasing domestic flights for the summer travel season. The airline said on its website that it is planning to fly more than 55% of its July 2019 domestic capacity in July 2020 while also "continuing robust health, well-being and cleaning procedures." American said the move comes as a response to increased customer demand in May compared to April. "By the last week of May, the airline carried a daily average of about 110,000 customers per day — an increase over the approximately 32,000 average daily customers the airline served in April." a statement on the airline's website said.
“We’re seeing a slow but steady rise in domestic demand. After a careful review of data, we’ve built a July schedule to match,” said Vasu Raja, American’s senior vice president of network strategy. “Our July schedule includes the smallest year-over-year capacity reduction since March. We’ll continue to look for prudent opportunities to restore service so our customers can travel whenever and wherever they are ready.”
June 4, 12:04 p.m.
Las Vegas casinos have reopened for the first time in 78 days. At 12:01am on Thursday, crowds started to file in to casinos for the first time in months. The casinos that have opened, or are planning to, must follow a new set of health protocols which involve: at the door temperature checks, increase use of plexiglass, masks, and social distancing. People who record a temperature of over 100.4 at the door will not be permitted into casinos if they record the temperature after a 15-minute cool-down, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Casinos must only operate at 50 percent capacity and slot machines are being used on an every-other basis to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The reopening of casinos is occurring on a dangerously hot day in the city. A high of 108 is expected Thursday in Las Vegas, according to the latest AccuWeather forecast -- 14 degrees above normal for this time of year. Plus, the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature is expected to reach a blistering 111 F.
June 4, 11:40 a.m.
Brazil reported a record high number of daily deaths from COVID-19 for the second day in a row. Data from the country's health ministry showed Brazil had 1,349 new coronavirus deaths, according to Reuters. Just one day prior, Brazil saw 1,039 deaths in one day. Additionally, the country saw 28,633 new confirmed cases on Wednesday. In total, Brazil has over 580,000 confirmed cases and over 32,000 deaths, making it the country with the second-highest number of cases in the world and the fourth-highest amount of fatalities.
June 4, 11:07 a.m.
The UK reported more daily deaths from COVID-19 than the entire European Union combined on Wednesday. The latest report from the UK Department of Health showed there were 359 daily deaths in the country on June 3 while all 27 member countries of the EU reported 314 daily deaths, BBC Newsnight Political Editor Nicholas Watt reported. The UK only has about 16% of the population of the entire EU with a population of 66 million while the EU has a population 415 million. Watch Watt's segment below.
June 4, 10:17 a.m.
France will not be holding its traditional Bastille Day parade this year in order to follow social distancing guidelines, AFP reported. The parade, which is held on July 14 and features a display of military equipment and a march of soldiers, has been held on the Champs-Elysees since World War I, according to AFP. France has over 188,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 29,000 deaths related to the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The country has been in the midst of a multi-phase reopening strategy, but just last week about 70 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in schools that had recently allowed students to return, according to Business Insider.
June 4, 9:44 a.m.
The U.S. Department of Labor said nearly 1.9 million Americans filed for jobless benefits in the week ending May 30. This number is a decrease of about 249,000 from the previous week's number of unemployment claims. It's also the lowest number of weekly filings since the pandemic first caused the economy to shut down in mid-March. However, the total was higher than a Dow Jones estimate of around 1.775 million claims, CNBC reported. Over 42.6 million Americans have filed for unemployment over the course of the past two and half months.
June 4, 8:22 a.m.
Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University:
Total confirmed cases: 6,535,019
Total deaths: 386,464
Total recovered: 2,824,722
June 3, 9:38 p.m.
Over a dozen West Point graduates test positive ahead of commencement ceremony. More than 1,000 members of the graduating class returned to the U.S. Military Academy last week ahead of the graduation ceremony set for June 13. The graduates were tested upon arrival with more than 15 people testing positive for COVID-19, according to The Associated Press. None of those who tested positive showed any symptoms, but will be in isolation for 10 days. President Donald Trump is expected to give a commencement address at the ceremony, which will take place on the parade field where social distancing will be easy to enforce.
June 3, 8:10 p.m.
The World Health Organization announced it will continue the trial of hydroxychloroquine, the controversial malaria drug backed by President Donald Trump. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Data Safety Monitoring Board decided there was no reason to discontinue the international trial after reviewing available data on the drug. Numerous other clinical trials are seeking to see if the drug is effective in fighting COVID-19. In addition to malaria, hydroxychloroquine is often used by doctors to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. “The executive group received this recommendation and endorsed the continuation of all arms of solidarity trial including hydroxychloroquine,” Tedros said, according to CNBC. The WHO announced it had temporarily suspended its trial of the drug on May 25 over safety concerns. Tedros said the safety board will continue to closely monitor the safety of all therapeutics being tested in its trials, which involve more than 3,500 patients across 35 countries. Last week, Trump announced he ending the U.S. relationship with the WHO, saying the body is in need of reform. The reversal came amid news of another study on hydroxychloroquine, which concluded that the drug is ineffective at fighting COVID-19, The Associated Press reported. Below, watch some of the remarks Tedros made to reporters Wednesday in Geneva about the decision on the controversial drug.
June 3, 7:02 p.m.
More details emerge on how China tested 10 million people in Wuhan so quickly. In just 19 days, nearly the entire city of Wuhan was able to be tested for COVID-19, a feat that used a new method for testing. One way that millions of people were tested in such a short amount of time was by the use of batch testing, ABC News said. In this type of test, samples from five people are mixed together and then tested as one. If the test is positive, then all five people are tested individually.
June 3, 5:57 p.m.
Delta Air Lines is taking extra precautions to ensure safe travel spaces for customers planning summer travel amid the pandemic. In addition to the safety protocols already in place, Delta will be capping the number of customers allowed on each flight and blocking the middle seats through at least Sept. 30, 2020, the company announced on Wednesday. “Reducing the overall number of customers on every aircraft across the fleet is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure a safe experience for our customers and people,” said Chief Customer Experience Officer Bill Lentsch. “Delta is offering the highest standards in safety and cleanliness so we’re ready for customers when they’re ready to fly again.” Delta will also be adding additional flights on popular routes to meet customer demand.
June 3, 5:02 p.m.
The recession caused by COVID-19 could be over, according to Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. This statement comes after payroll company ADP reported on Wednesday that companies got rid of 2.76 million positions in May. Although this is a high number, it is well below the 8.75 million that had been projected. The data provides hope that the worst of the jobs crisis in the U.S. could be coming to an end, according to CNBC. “The good news is I think the recession is over, the COVID-19 recession is over, barring another second wave, a major second wave, or real serious policy errors,” Zandi told CNBC. However, Zandi added that “the recovery will be a slog until there’s a vaccine or therapy that’s distributed and adopted widely.”
June 3, 4:48 p.m.
Most airport workers and flight crews will be required to wear non-medical masks in Canada, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said on Wednesday. The new order goes into effect on Thursday was planned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International to reassure governments it is safe for the public to fly. “The measures we are putting in place today will further reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 for transportation workers and passengers,” Garneau said. There haven't been many broad requirements to wear a mask in public in Canada, according to Reuters, but on May 20 it was recommended for people who could not maintain physical distancing.
June 3, 4:39 p.m.
Is this the beginning of the end for movie theaters? Signs of the coronavirus pandemic’s decisive blow to the movie theater industry surfaced Wednesday as the world’s largest movie theater chain, AMC Theatres, announced that it has “substantial doubt” it can remain in business after locations closed around the world. One of the first realizations that the industry was in danger came when Universal’s Trolls World Tour, which was released digitally, made more money for the studio than the original did during its five months in theaters, according to The Wall Street Journal. NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell announced the studio would be releasing movies both digitally and in theaters, resulting in AMC Theatres making the decision to no longer screen films made by Universal Pictures.
Amid the coronavirus shutdowns, the business expects to have lost between $2.1 and $2.4 billion in the first quarter, CNN reported. “We are generating effectively no revenue,” the company said. Even if restrictions were lifted to allow the theaters to open, the release of films such as “Mulan” and “Wonder Woman 1984” has also been delayed due to the virus, the company acknowledged. However, they believe they can pull through. “We believe we have the cash resources to reopen our theaters and resume our operations thus summer or later,” AMC said. “Our liquidity needs thereafter will depend, among other things, on the timing of a full resumption of operations, the timing of movie releases and our ability to generate revenue.”
June 3, 3:53 p.m.
Museums falling on hard times during the COVID-19 pandemic now have a new way to make money to stay open: selling art. The Association of Art Museum Directions made the tough decision to allow museums to profit off of selling pieces over the next two years to help pay the bills, according to CBS Baltimore. Previously, museums were only allowed to sell art if the money was then used to buy other works. “That is radically new. We’ve never seen anything like that before,” Christopher Bedford, Baltimore Museum of Art Director, said.
June 3, 2:38 p.m.
On Wednesday, Italy opened its doors to tourists and travelers from Europe, three months after the nation’s coronavirus lockdown began. Restaurants have begun adjusting, using QR codes for customers to decide what they want to eat rather than passing menus around. Museums are also limiting their number of visitors in the building. People who rely on tourism for their income have taken a hit from the pause. Dario Franceschini, the Italian minster of culture and tourism, said it could take until 2023 before the nation’s tourism sector recovered completely. Annunziata Berrino, a professor of contemporary history from Federico II University in Naples, told USA Today the closest parallel to the situation is the period immediately after World War II as Italy struggled to recover from the destruction of the war. Infections diseases expert Massimo Galli told AFP that it would have been better to reopen the borders in July as the virus "smolders under the ashes, and when it finds the ideal conditions, it explodes. Even more so if we lower our guard." Check out the video below which captured the scene in Venice's St. Mark's Square on Wednesday.
June 3, 2:24 p.m.
On Wednesday, the U.S. government announced plans to block Chinese airlines from flying into or out of the U.S. starting June 16, The Associated Press reported. After China failed to let United and Delta Airlines resume flights to China, which had been suspended earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Department of Transportation said that it would suspend flights of four Chinese airlines to and from the United States. The transportation department said this decision was made due to China’s failure to comply with an agreement between the two countries. “The Department will continue to engage our Chinese counterparts so both U.S. and Chinese carriers can fully exercise their bilateral rights,” the agency said in a statement. “In the meantime, we will allow Chinese carriers to operate the same number of scheduled passenger flights as the Chinese government allows ours.”
June 3, 1:46 p.m.
Athletes in Israel’s soccer league are partaking in a new pre-game activity to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Players, staff and media attending games are now given the option to walk through a tunnel when entering the stadium that sprays a mist of denfectant for 15 seconds, Reuters said. “We are not a cure for the coronavirus, we are fighting against its spread,” Eran Druker said. Druker is the vice president for business development at RD Pack, an Israeli company specializing in automation. “Most people want to go through it. They feel much more secure.” Matches resumed on Saturday at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, Israel, after the league suspended play due to the coronavirus. Like many other professional sports leagues around the world, the matches are being held without any fans.
June 3, 1:11 p.m.
A bar in Pamplona, Spain, is using advanced technology to protect its customers and staff from contracting the coronavirus. Plaza del Castillo, a popular bar in the area, has a new addition to their staff -- a waiter robot named Alexia. The robot was created by Cocuus, a Spanish company that specializes in technology and innovation for the food sector. In a video shared by the news station Informativos Telecinco on Twitter, a waiter is seen placing the drinks in a tray that is held by Alexia and then he uses the screen that is incorporated into the robot to select what table the drinks are going to. Then, the customers get their drinks from the robot’s tray, without making any physical contact with anyone. The restaurant has seen an increase in popularity since it introduced the robot, according to Patxi Larumbe, the commercial director of Cocuus, Larumbe also shared that the company is still working on improving the robot's system. Check out the robot in action in the video below.
June 3, 12:34 p.m.
After suspending its season on March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA is set to announce a return to play for late July. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the league's Board of Governors will hold a 12:30 p.m. call on Thursday at 12:30 EDT to approve the plan, which will include 22 teams playing eight regular season games before the postseason begins. All games will take place in Orlando, Florida, with the first games under the proposed plan starting July 31. The season would conclude no later than Oct 12., which is when a potential NBA Finals Game 7 could be held, according to ESPN.
June 3, 12:17 p.m.
Sweden’s chief epidemiologist says country should have done more to fight the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday, Anders Tegnell told Swedish radio that the country’s strategy was good, but it could have had some improvements, Reuters reported. Even though he agrees that the country’s strategy of voluntary confinement was effective, he said that testing earlier and more extensively could’ve prevented the spread of the virus in the country. According to ourworldindata.org, Sweden had the highest mortality rate in Europe for parts of May, with a rate at 443 deaths per million people. “If we were to run into the same disease, knowing what we know about it today, I think we would end up doing something in between what Sweden did and what the rest of the world has done,” Tegnell said.
June 3, 11:37 a.m.
Anthony Fauci expresses concerns about the efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine. The NIAID director and top doctor on the White House coronavirus task force participated in Q&A session with the editor of JAMA, a leading medical journal. Tuesday evening. Fauci was asked about the race to develop a vaccine for the new coronavirus and his answer has raised eyebrows as he warned that a vaccine may not mean the end of the spread of COVID-19 because of the durability of SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19. “When you look at the history of coronaviruses -- the common coronaviruses that cause the common cold -- the reports in the literature are that the durability of immunity that’s protective ranges from three to six months to almost always less than a year,” Fauci told JAMA’s Howard Bauchner. “That’s not a lot of durability and protection,” he added.
Fauci was also asked about the headway the Massachusetts-based biotech company Moderna was making in its development of a vaccine. The company, working in conjunction with the NIH, is set to begin a phase 3 trial next month that will include 30,000 participants. Fauci said he’s “cautiously optimistic” about the Moderna vaccine and that he’s hopeful hundreds of millions of doses will be manufactured by early next year. Of course, if that were achieved and the vaccine proves effective, it will mark a monumental scientific feat. As ABC News medical expert Dr. Jennifer Ashton pointed out on Good Morning America, “There has never been a coronavirus [vaccine] developed for humans, and the previous fastest time record to development for any vaccine is four years.”
Fauci also discussed a host of other issues over the course of the nearly 30-minute session, including what impact the protests and civil unrest unfolding in the wake of George Floyd’s killing along with large groups of people congregating at beaches around the country as states have relaxed stay-at-home orders will have on a resurgence of infections. “We’re not going to know what the effect of that is for at least a couple of more weeks, because in order to determine whether a particular behavioral change has an effect on the incidence of a particular infection like the coronavirus – it likely is three weeks or more.” As for the possibility of the government issuing immunity passports, Fauci said an immunity passport “would be an appropriate thing – possibly – if we knew how long the duration of the antibody was,” but cautioned they “are not a perfect solution” and said “there are a lot of questions about the utility of immunity passports.” Watch the full interview with Fauci below.
June 3, 11:14 a.m.
Study shows possible link between coronavirus and altitude. Researchers from Australia, Bolivia, Canada, and Switzerland focused on residents of Tibet and the high-altitude regions of Bolivia and Ecuador by analyzing the epidemiological data of COVID-19 cases in high-altitude inhabitants versus low-altitude inhabitants. They concluded the analysis “clearly indicates a decrease of prevalence and impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection” in populations living at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,842 feet) or more. SARS-CoV-2, also known as the new coronavirus, causes the disease COVID-19. “The reason for decreased severity of the global COVID-19 outbreak at high altitude could relate to both environmental and physiological factors,” the researchers wrote. “Indeed, a high-altitude environment is characterized by drastic changes in temperature between night and day, air dryness, and high levels of ultraviolet (UV) light radiation," the researchers continued. "UV radiation at high altitude may act as a natural sanitizer," they said although they added that complete disinfection cannot be achieved by UV radiation.
June 3, 11:02 a.m.
A German shepherd in New York is the first pet dog to be infected by COVID-19, according to the United states Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories. The dog tested positive for the coronavirus after it was taken to a veterinarian due to a respiratory illness. Prior to the dog showing symptoms, its owner had also tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said the dog is expected to make a full recovery. To prevent the spread of the coronavirus in pets, the USDA specified that “it is important for people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to avoid contact with pets and other animals to protect them from possible infection.” In late April, two cats in New York City tested positive for COVID-19. CDC officials have said infections in household animals is an emerging science and that they think animals do not play a significant role in the spread of the disease.
June 3, 10:27 a.m.
Early on in the pandemic rumors and fear spread online that the ubiquitous over-the-counter drug ibuprofen could worsen symptoms of COVID-19. Both the WHO and CDC announced that the organizations were monitoring reports of complications caused by ibuprofen, but that there was no evidence suggesting that the drug could make COVID-19 patients sicker. Now a team of scientists says ibuprofen could help target one of the main symptoms of COVID-19. Scientists from London’s Guy’s and St. Thomas’ hospital and King’s College say that the drug could treat the breathing difficulties that are caused by the virus. They hope that this treatment can help decrease the use of ventilators at hospitals. To test the theory, they have set up a trial, called Liberate, where half of the patients will receive a special formulation of ibuprofen in addition to all of the usual care that is given to patients who are infected by the coronavirus. The U.K.'s Commission on Human Medicines has also concluded fears of ibuprofen were unfounded. However, the the country's National Health Service recommends that patients take paracetamol first, as it has fewer side effects and is a safer choice if people show symptoms of the virus.
June 3, 9:40 a.m.
A Romanian shoemaker, Grigore Lup, noticed people were not social distancing, so he made long-nosed leather shoes to help keep people apart. Lup, who has been making leather shoes for 39 years, made the shoes to come in a European size 75, according to Reuters. "I went to the market to buy seedlings for my garden. There weren't many people there but they kept getting closer and closer. If two people wearing these shoes were facing each other, there would be almost one-and-a-half metres between them,“ Lup said. While he also sells normal shoes, Lup's shop, which has been open since 2001, relies heavily on custom orders from theatres and opera houses across the country, so his business has come to a virtual standstill as live events were halted.
June 3, 7:40 a.m.
Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University:
Total confirmed cases: 6,404,872
Total deaths: 380,764
Total recovered: 2,747,909
Previous coverage:
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from May 31-June 2.
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from May 28-30.
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from May 26-27.
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from May 23-25.
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from May 20-22.
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from May 17-19.
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from May 13-16.
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from May 10-12.
Click here previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak.
Reporting by Lauren Fox, John Murphy, Brian Lada, Mark Puleo, Maria Antonieta Valery Gil, Kevin Byrne, Chaffin Mitchell, Adriana Navarro, John Roach, Dexter Henry, Bill Wadell, Jonathan Petramala, and Monica Danielle
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