May 19 coronavirus news

By Julia Hollingsworth, Adam Renton and Tara John, CNN

Updated 9:20 p.m. ET, May 19, 2020

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3:24 a.m. ET, May 19, 2020

One of K-Pop's biggest stars ignored social distancing rules to visit bars

From CNN's Jake Kwon in Seoul

Jungkook of BTS performs onstage during 102.7 KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2019 at the Forum on December 6, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Rich Fury/Getty Images

The management of South Korean boyband BTS have apologized after one of the band's members went to bars while the country's strict social distancing rules were in place.

BTS, which has seven members, is one of the biggest bands in the world -- last year it became the first group in Billboard history to spend five weeks at number one on the Billboard Artist 100 chart.

Jungkook -- who, at 22, is the band's youngest member -- visited bars and restaurants in Seoul's nightlife district Itaewon on April 25, BTS' label Big Hit Entertainment said in a statement on Monday.

At the time, South Korea was still under strict social distancing rules, and citizens were encouraged to stay home and limit unnecessary contact with others. Those social distancing rules were lifted on May 6.

A total of 187 coronavirus cases have been linked to an Itaewon nightclub cluster, Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director of the country's Central Disease Control Headquarters, said in a briefing on Tuesday. The first reported case as part of this cluster was a 29-year-old man who visited several clubs in Itaewon on the night of May 1 and the early hours of May 2.

In the statement, Big Hit said that Jungkook went out with friends on April 25. But he did not go to the places that the patient had visited in early May, Big Hit said.

"After his visit, there were no symptoms of coronavirus including coughs or fever; and he had voluntarily taken the test at a designated clinic and the result was negative. The artist himself is deeply regretting that he hadn’t faithfully participated in the grand social endeavor to socially distance," the statement said.

Read more about the Itaewon cluster:

Virus outbreak linked to Seoul clubs stokes homophobia

2:55 a.m. ET, May 19, 2020

How Covid-19 catapulted one mysterious data website to prominence

From CNN's Scott McLean, Laura Perez Maestro, Sergio Hernandez, Gianluca Mezzofiore and Katie Polglase

On April 28, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stood alone on the stage of a bright but empty briefing room.

As a CNN reporter asked a question via video link, the prime minister looked deep in concentration, scribbling notes and pausing to look at the monitor only once. As he launched into his answer, he looked directly into the camera to boast about Spain’s Covid-19 testing volume.

“We are one of the countries with the highest number of tests carried out,” Sánchez said.

Initially, the prime minister cited data from a recent Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranking that had placed Spain eighth in Covid-19 testing among its members.

“Today,” he added, “we have found out about another study, from the Johns Hopkins University, that […] ranks us fifth in the world in total tests carried out.”

There were just two problems: The OECD data had been wrong. And while some sources had ranked Spain fifth in total testing volume, Johns Hopkins was not one of them; the study Sánchez cited does not exist.

Yet two weeks later, the Spanish government is standing by the substance of its prime minister’s claim. Instead of citing Johns Hopkins, Spanish officials are now pointing to testing rankings from a data aggregation website called Worldometer -- one of the sources behind the university’s widely cited coronavirus dashboard — and prompting questions about why some governments and respected institutions have chosen to trust a source about which little is known.

Read more about Worldometer:

The mystery behind the data aggregation site Worldometer

2:35 a.m. ET, May 19, 2020

By putting off the WHO investigation until after the pandemic, China could shape any result in its favor

Analysis from CNN's James Griffiths

As Xi Jinping prepared to address the World Health Assembly on Monday, it seemed like the Chinese leader might be in a vulnerable spot.

More than 100 countries had signed onto a resolution calling for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. While the language in the document was thoroughly diplomatic, and did not call out any particular country, it grew out of a push by Australia to look into China's own failures in the initial stage of the crisis, and went against Beijing's stated desire for any investigation to be run by the World Health Organization (WHO) itself.

Chinese officials previously described Canberra's proposal as "highly irresponsible," and accused Australian officials of undermining global efforts against the virus. But when Xi addressed the annual meeting of WHO members, he took a more conciliatory tone: of course China was willing to support an investigation into the virus -- once the pandemic is over.

After praising the international response and "extraordinary synergy in the fight against Covid-19," Xi said that "China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to Covid-19 after it is brought under control to sum up experience and address deficiencies."

"This work should be based on science and professionalism, led by WHO and conducted in an objective and impartial manner," he added.

In this, he was playing the long game, providing China's government multiple ways of avoiding any potential future fallout from a coronavirus investigation.

Read the full analysis:

China's Xi plays the long game as he accepts WHO investigation

2:16 a.m. ET, May 19, 2020

Qantas announces new flight rules as it prepares for travel restrictions to ease

From CNN's Eric Cheung in Hong Kong

Passengers check in for a Qantas flight at Adelaide Airport on April 1, in Adelaide, Australia. Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images

Australia's Qantas group released new guidelines for passengers traveling onboard its planes, in preparation for eased travel restrictions, according to a statement on Tuesday.

From June 12, passengers check in will be contactless, while hand sanitizer will be provided at check-in and departure gates.

While onboard, passengers will be provided with face masks. The statement says wearing a mask is not mandatory -- just recommended to give everyone peace of mind.

Passengers will board and disembark in sequences to minimize crowding. They will also be provided with sanitizing wipes to use in flight.

"Qantas and Jetstar aircraft are already fitted with hospital-grade HEPA filters, which remove 99.9% of all particles including viruses. Air inside the cabin is refreshed on average every five minutes during flight," the statement added.

2:00 a.m. ET, May 19, 2020

This priest fired holy water through a squirt gun at his congregants to observe social distancing

From CNN's Alec Snyder

Father Timothy Pelc thought he would have a little fun on Easter -- and observe social distancing, of course -- by using a plastic squirt gun to dispense holy water on parishioners.

A month later, the Catholic priest, who serves St. Ambrose Parish in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, has gone viral after the church posted photos on Facebook in mid-April.

There's a meme of Father Tim surrounded by firefighters dousing a blaze, one of him in front of imperial Stormtroopers and another of him standing next to those guys from "Pulp Fiction" -- all three with guns raised.

But his favorite, Pelc says, is a meme portraying him firing at demons in hell, seemingly inspired by the video game "Doom."

The memes, which have shown up on Twitter and Reddit, have struck both a humorous and spiritual tone during the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

"We're looking for something to save us from something -- either the virus, loneliness or whatever," the priest said on Monday.

Read the full story:

A priest fired holy water through a squirt gun at his congregants. Weeks later, he's gone viral

1:41 a.m. ET, May 19, 2020

Navajo Nation reports 69 new Covid-19 cases

From CNN’s Leslie Perrot

The Navajo Nation reported 69 new coronavirus cases and two additional deaths on Monday, according to a news release from the Navajo Nation president and vice president.

That brings the total number of positive coronavirus cases for the Navajo Nation to 4,071, including 142 deaths.

The background: The Navajo Nation has surpassed New York and New Jersey for the highest per-capita coronavirus infection rate in the United States -- another sign of Covid-19's disproportionate impact on minority communities.

The nation has one of the strictest stay-at-home orders in the country, mandating that residents not leave their homes unless there is an emergency or they are essential workers.

Read more:

Navajo Nation surpasses New York state for the highest Covid-19 infection rate in the US

1:22 a.m. ET, May 19, 2020

Seychelles bans cruise ships through 2021 to prevent Covid-19 spread

From CNN's Lilit Marcus

The Seychelles is taking the bold step of banning all cruise ship tourism through the end of 2021 as a measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The East Africa island nation's largest newspaper, the Seychelles Nation, reports that Didier Dogley, the country's Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, made the decision.

According to the World Bank, tourism is the second biggest industry in the Seychelles after commercial fishing.

The Seychelles is a popular destination for celebrities, who have enjoyed the country's private villas and bright-blue waters over the years.

Prince William and Kate Middleton honeymooned there after their wedding in 2011, as did George and Amal Clooney in 2014.

It's unclear whether the Seychelles will continue to allow travelers to come into the country by air.

However, losing cruise ships likely means the economy will take a huge hit. Dogley has announced some benefits to help hotels, resorts, tour operators and other businesses who will be affected by the decision, including soft loans and government guarantees.

Read the full story:

Seychelles bans cruise ships through 2021 to prevent Covid-19 spread

By Lilit Marcus, CNN

1:32 a.m. ET, May 19, 2020

India coronavirus cases surpass 100,000

From CNN's Swati Gupta in New Delhi

A municipal worker sprays disinfectant in an alley where a patient had tested positive for the coronavirus in Siliguri, India on May 18. Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images

India's Ministry of Health and Welfare has confirmed that more than 100,000 people have tested positive for novel coronavirus nationwide.

The total number of confirmed cases stands at 101,139, including 3,163 deaths, according to the ministry.

Some 2,404,267 tests for the virus have been carried out in the country, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research.

1:27 a.m. ET, May 19, 2020

US hands out $11 billion to states and territories to help with testing

From CNN Health’s Maggie Fox

Private First Class Armon Ramirez from the Texas National Guard is given hand sanitizer after testing people for Covid-19 in the parking lot of Memorial Swimming Pool on May 18, in El Paso, Texas. Paul Ratje/AFP/Getty Images

The United States Health and Human Services Department said Monday it is delivering $11 billion in new funding to states and territories to help them test people for coronavirus.

Most of the money will be distributed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while the Indian Health Service (IHS) will allocate $750 million to IHS, tribal, and urban Indian health programs. The money comes out of the $484 billion coronavirus relief bill.

“This funding from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act will provide critical support to develop, purchase, administer, process, and analyze COVID-19 tests, conduct surveillance, trace contacts, and related activities,” HHS said in a statement.
“These funds, along with the previous funding support CDC and IHS provided, will help states, tribes, and territories with their efforts to re-open America.”

HHS said each governor would submit plans for Covid-19 testing. It’s been promising details of how the $11 billion would be split for a week.

“Readily accessible testing is a critical component of a four-pronged public health strategy – including rigorous contact tracing, isolation of confirmed cases, and quarantine. As communities move toward a blended mitigation and containment strategy, I encourage all Americans to continue to embrace powerful public health measures – social distancing, hand washing and face coverings,” CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield said in a statement.

The background: The US has struggled with testing capacity, in part because the first test created by the CDC didn't work.

According to data collated by Johns Hopkins University, the US has conducted more than 11.8 million coronavirus tests.