A version of this story appeared in the May 8 edition of CNN’s Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction newsletter. Sign up here to receive the need-to-know headlines every weekday.
More devastating unemployment data expected today will pour fuel on President Donald Trump’s argument that the US economy cannot stay closed much longer.
But in his haste to convince states to return to normal life, the President appears to be turning a blind eye to warnings that reopening too quickly – and without the right precautions in place – could leave more Americans dead.
Yesterday, the White House rejected a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on how to reopen the country, as US jobless claims hit 33.3 million and the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak passed 75,000.
The document, which included step-by-step guidance on how and when local authorities should allow businesses to open doors and life to resume, was criticized as “too prescriptive,” sources told CNN.
Americans are concerned that lifting lockdowns right now will lead to a “second wave” of the virus. More than two-thirds of the nation — 68% — are worried about their respective states being reopened prematurely, according to a new poll from Pew Research Center.
That fear has been echoed by former US Vice President Al Gore, who slammed the Trump administration’s handling of the crisis, saying this about what could come next: “I think we are seeing the start of a botched reopening.”
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED
Q: Are things getting better or worse in the US?
A: A total of 44 US states are expected to partially reopen by Sunday — nearly the entire country. But the coronavirus crisis isn’t getting better everywhere. There are signs of improvement in 16 states — but the situation is deteriorating in many more. Things are getting better in states like Montana, New York, and Colorado, where some schools are starting to reopen as new daily cases plateau or drop. But things are getting worse in places like Minnesota and Puerto Rico, where cases were up 50% between last week and the week before. Only a few states – like California and Florida – are holding steady. Take a look at our US Covid-19 tracking map.
Send your questions here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you’re facing: +1 347-322-0415.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY
Trump to be tested daily
Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, as well as members of the White House staff, will be tested daily for the coronavirus after a military official identified as the President’s personal valet was infected. A White House spokesperson said Trump and Pence had both tested negative for the virus since their exposure.
Meanwhile, the rollout of millions of antibody tests in the US has created frustration and division among state health departments due to a mix of questionable tests, shifting federal rules and a hodgepodge of different methods for tracking results. Despite public health experts advising that accurate testing and coordinated tracking of that data will help get Americans back to work, the Trump administration has left plans up to the states — now they’re split on what to do.
Crisis mounts in Latin America
More than a month after Flavio Ramos’ death, his family still hasn’t buried him. They couldn’t if they tried, because soon after his death, his son says hospital authorities lost the body. His disappearance illustrates how the healthcare system in Ecuador’s second-largest city, roughly the size of Chicago, collapsed within a matter of weeks after the outbreak exploded in March.
And, in the same week that President Jair Bolsonaro declared that “the worst had passed,” Brazil has seen a surge in deaths — cases have spiked to more than 135,000, making it a global hotspot. Bolsonaro’s own spokesman has tested positive too. Now, the nation’s health ministry is admitting that stricter lockdowns may be necessary for the hardest-hit regions.
Australia’s 3-step plan to reopen economy
Australia’s Prime Minister has outlined a three-part plan for relaxing restrictions, which the country will take to achieve a “Covid-safe economy in July of this year.” But the final decision about easing lockdowns remains in the hands of state governments.
Virus could kill up to 190,000 in Africa
The coronavirus could kill as many as 190,000 people in Africa over the next 12 months, but is expected to “smolder” for years, the World Health Organization has warned. A study predicts that between 29 and 44 million people could become infected in the first year of the pandemic, if containment measures fail.
A recent survey of health services found an average of nine intensive care unit beds per 1 million people in 47 African countries, which the WHO called “woefully inadequate.”
“Plandemic” conspiracy video scrubbed
Social media companies, including Facebook and YouTube, say they will remove a viral video that made false medical claims about the coronavirus. “Suggesting that wearing a mask can make you sick could lead to imminent harm, so we’re removing the video,” a Facebook spokesperson said.
ON OUR RADAR
- While the rest of the world continues to grapple with the pandemic, one continent has managed to remain entirely free of the infection. Hint: It’s quite cold there.
- The coronavirus can persist in men’s semen even after they have begun to recover, a finding that raises the possibility the virus could be sexually transmitted, Chinese researchers say.
- One US city is permanently closing 20 miles of streets to traffic so that residents can exercise and bike on them.
- A restaurant in Amsterdam found a way for diners to eat while social distancing: “quarantine greenhouses.”
- Today marks 75 years since the end of World War II in Europe. The anniversary, traditionally commemorated with pomp and pageantry, will be celebrated very differently this year.
- The pandemic is unleashing “a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering,” the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has warned.
- Fifteen migrant laborers in India were run over and killed by a train today, as they tried to make their way home during lockdown.
- 80 million Chinese may already be out of work. 9 million more will soon be competing for jobs, too.
TOP TIPS
“Think about yourself as a SWAT team member. Get in, get out, leave as little trace of yourself as possible.” These aren’t tips for a covert mission, but a trip to the grocery store. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has this advice for shopping safely during the pandemic: The key is to plan ahead — write a list! Next, make your visit as short as reasonably possible. You need to be efficient in the store and think about every surface you might touch. You do not want to dilly-dally. Try to limit your contact with items you aren’t purchasing. Watch Dr. Gupta do his family’s weekly shop.
TODAY’S PODCAST
” In the fall, if kids can’t go back to school, if they have to learn online, I think that’s going to really impact this whole generation.” — Laurie Abrams, a special education teacher in New York
It’s National Teacher Appreciation Week, and there’s rarely been a more important time to say, “Thank you!” Dr. Gupta highlights teachers’ struggles and creative solutions to home schooling during the pandemic. Listen now.