May 5 coronavirus news

By Joshua Berlinger, Brad Lendon, Aditi Sangal and Ivana Kottasová, CNN

Updated 0424 GMT (1224 HKT) May 7, 2021
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4:37 a.m. ET, May 5, 2021

Osaka nearly out of hospital beds for its most serious Covid-19 patients

From Chie Kobayashi in Tokyo

Nurses work in a ward earmarked for coronavirus patients at Kano General Hospital in Osaka, Japan, on February 4.
Nurses work in a ward earmarked for coronavirus patients at Kano General Hospital in Osaka, Japan, on February 4. Kyodo News/Sipa USA

The Japanese prefecture of Osaka has nearly reached capacity for Covid-19 patients with serious symptoms, forcing authorities to open waiting centers for patients who cannot find bed space, the government said on its website.

Beds for patients with serious symptoms in the city were 98.9% occupied as of Tuesday. The government opened two waiting centers in April with ventilators for patients who called for ambulances but could not be admitted because of the a lack of beds.

With just weeks until the Tokyo Olympics, Covid-19 cases in Japan are on the rise. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo are all under state of emergencies set to expire on May 11.

As of Tuesday, 609,603 people in Japan had contracted Covid-19. At least 10,466 people have died.

2:32 a.m. ET, May 5, 2021

Covid-19 outbreak identified in western Nepal prison

From Kosh Raj Koirala in Kathmandu

Nepal authorities have identified a Covid-19 outbreak at massively overcrowded prison in the country's western Sudurpashchim province, authorities said.

Chief District Officer Gopal Kumar Adhikari, the chief district officer of the Bajura district, where the prison is located, said five prisoners have tested positive for the virus.

The five have been placed in isolation facilities.

The prison is meant to accommodate 25 inmates, but it was housing 59 of them -- sparking fears that the coronavirus may have spread between prisoners.

It is unclear how many people have been tested in the prison.

2:32 a.m. ET, May 5, 2021

India reports another 382,315 Covid-19 cases

From CNN’s Manveena Suri in New Delhi

A woman reacts as a health worker prepares to collect a nasal swab sample to test for Covid-19 at a primary health center, in Hyderabad, India, on May 3.
A woman reacts as a health worker prepares to collect a nasal swab sample to test for Covid-19 at a primary health center, in Hyderabad, India, on May 3. Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images

India reported 382,315 new cases of coronavirus cases and another 3,780 Covid-19-related deaths on Wednesday, according to figures released by the Health Ministry.

The country is struggling to contain a new, massive surge in cases that first appeared in mid-April. Wednesday marked the eighth consecutive day that reported deaths per day topped 3,000 and 300,000 cases per day since April 22.

To date, India has now identified 20,665,148 Covid-19 cases -- trailing only the United States -- and at least 226,188 people have died.

The vaccine rollout has also been slow. A total of 160,494,188 vaccine doses have been administered since the country began its vaccination program on January 16, and just 3% of the population has been fully inoculated. The program was expanded to include people over the age of 18.

 

1:34 a.m. ET, May 5, 2021

Brazil's Bolsonaro was 'warned' about the consequences of ignoring science

From CNN's Rodrigo Pedroso and Caitlin Hu

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 25.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 25. Evaristo Sa/AFP/Getty Images

For months, critics of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have been calling for an investigation into his handling of the country's devastating Covid-19 crisis. On Tuesday, it finally began.

The parliamentary inquiry into the Brazilian government's Covid-19 response kicked off with hours of testimony from former Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta -- one of several who have passed through the crucial role during the pandemic.

Mandetta was a proponent of social distancing, supporting state governors' decisions to shut down schools and businesses -- an approach that put him at sharp odds with his then-boss. Bolsonaro has long downplayed the gravity of Covid-19 and prioritized the country's economic health over lockdowns and social distancing rules.

Read more about the inquiry:

12:37 a.m. ET, May 5, 2021

Nepali military begins construction on makeshift hospital in western Nepal

Nepal’s military is working with local government authorities in western part of the country to build an isolation center with 200 beds to cope with the rising number of Covid-19 cases, Chief District Officer Khagendra Prasad Rijal told CNN. 

The work is part of an extension of 2,000 beds at an existing facility, Rijal said. Construction started on Tuesday in the Kailali district in Sudurpashchim province which borders India. The district has seen a large number of Nepali migrant workers return home form India, which is facing a massive surge of new cases.

Kailali district is facing a shortage of oxygen gas cylinders, Rijal said. He said he regularly receives calls for help to find resources for individuals sick with Covid-19.

 

12:59 a.m. ET, May 5, 2021

Seychelles sees uptick in Covid-19 cases despite having vaccinated 85% of population

The Seychelles reported an uptick in cases on Wednesday, according to the country’s Health Ministry, despite the fact that the island nation has already vaccinated 59,676 people -- 85% of its population.

The ministry reported 497 cases over a three-day period, it said in a Facebook post.To date, 6,373 cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed in the Seychelles. The country's national broadcaster, Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC,) reported in April that the South Africa variant had been found in several patients. 

The rise in cases, which began last month, prompted the US Centers For Disease Control to issue a Level 4 Travel warning advising against going to the tourism-dependent country.

On Monday, the Health Ministry closed specialized medical clinics and suspended surgeries outside of emergency operations and cancer treatments.

 

11:58 p.m. ET, May 4, 2021

No decisions yet on coronavirus vaccine requirements to start school this fall, White House adviser says

From CNN's Ryan Prior

It's too soon to say whether school districts might require students to be vaccinated for Covid-19 to return to classrooms this fall, a top White House official said Tuesday. 

Such a decision would be made locally and might require full approval of the vaccines from the Food and Drug Administration, Andy Slavitt, a senior adviser to the White House's Covid response team, told CNN's Chris Cuomo.

The three vaccines being used in the US have emergency use authorization, or EUA, from the FDA. Full approval requires a separate application from the manufacturer.

“My understanding is that it can't be required until it goes from authorization to approval from the FDA,” Slavitt said.

Though the FDA has not authorized Covid-19 vaccinations for anyone older than 16, it is expected to do authorize the Pfizer vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds by next week.