This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/us/coronavirus-live-updates.html

The article has changed 58 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 9 Version 10
Coronavirus Live Updates: C.D.C. Releases More Guidelines for Reopening Schools and Businesses Coronavirus Live Updates: All 50 States Have Begun to Reopen to Some Degree
(32 minutes later)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly released more detailed guidance for schools, businesses, transit systems and other industries hoping to reopen safely amid the coronavirus pandemic after fear that the White House had shelved the guidelines.
The 60-page document, which a C.D.C. spokesman said was uploaded over the weekend, but which received little notice, adds great detail to six charts that the C.D.C. had released last week. The guidance provides specific instructions for different sectors to detect and trace the virus based on exposure and risk after the pandemic. Here are some key elements.
If a person in a school building tests positive, schools should evaluate the risk and consider a brief dismissal of about 2-5 days, to clean and disinfect the building, coordinate with local health officials and contact trace. The C.D.C. offers different measures based on the level of community spread.
As restrictions across the country on restaurants and bars ease, the C.D.C. recommends owners give workers at a higher risk of getting sick a job that limits the person’s interaction with customers. The agency also suggests opening with limited seating initially to allow for social distancing. Once fully reopened, the C.D.C. recommends having a clear policy about when employees should stay home if sick and rules on hygiene, including at times wearing face coverings.
When mass transit resumes its full service, the agency recommends being prepared to adjust routes based on the different levels of virus spread and to coordinate with local health officials about prevention strategies, such as wearing a face covering.
For businesses that provide child care during the pandemic, the C.D.C. recommends having plans in place, for example, to have substitute workers if staff members are sick, and requiring staff and children older than two to wear face coverings.
The guidance describes the balance of slowing the virus’s spread with the economic threat of shuttering most businesses, and largely mirrors a draft version that was previously shelved by the White House, but with some changes.
The document omits a section on “communities of faith” that had troubled Trump administration officials and also tones down the guidance in several instances. For example, language that initially directed schools to “ensure social distancing” became “promote social distancing,” and the phrase “if possible” was added in several sentences.
President Trump on Wednesday morning threatened to withhold federal funds to Michigan and Nevada if the states proceed in expanding vote by mail efforts, an escalation in his often fact-challenged assault against mail voting.
Posting on Twitter, the president falsely accused Michigan’s Democratic secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, of mailing ballots to all of the state’s registered voters. Ms. Benson had announced Tuesday that she would send absentee ballot applications to the state’s voters, not ballots themselves, replicating an effort that elections officials across the country have made during the pandemic.
Ms. Benson said on Twitter on Wednesday that the state had “sent applications, not ballots. Just like my G.O.P. colleagues in Iowa, Georgia, Nebraska and West Virginia.”
Georgia’s Republican secretary of state and municipal officials in Milwaukee have also said they will send vote-by-mail applications to registered voters in hopes of easing stress on in-person voting locations.
Mr. Trump’s threat came as severe flooding struck central Michigan on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents and raising fears of virus risks in shelters after two dams were breached and days of heavy rainfall.
The failures on Tuesday of the Edenville Dam and the Sanford Dam, about 140 miles northwest of Detroit, led the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning for areas near the Tittabawassee River. Residents in nearby towns, including Edenville, Sanford and Midland, were evacuated.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at a news conference on Tuesday that downtown Midland, with a population of more than 41,000, could be under nine feet of water by Wednesday morning.
While imploring residents to take the threat seriously and evacuate immediately, Ms. Whitmer said they should continue to observe precautions related to the virus, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. She acknowledged that distancing would be difficult in shelters that had been set up in the area.
There have been at least 52,337 cases in Michigan, and at least 5,017 people have died.
“To go through this in the midst of a global pandemic is almost unthinkable,” she said. “But we are here, and to the best of our ability we are going to navigate this together.”
The president is scheduled to visit a Ford Motor Co. plant that is manufacturing ventilators in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Thursday. This is his first trip to the state since January, and comes at a time when his campaign advisers are increasingly concerned about his chances there.
A prototype vaccine has protected monkeys from the virus, researchers reported on Wednesday, a finding that offers new hope for effective human vaccines.
Scientists are already testing virus vaccines in people, but the initial trials are designed to determine safety, not how well a vaccine works. The research published Wednesday offers insight into what a vaccine must do to be effective and how to measure that.
“To me, this is convincing that a vaccine is possible,” said Dr. Nelson Michael, the director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
Scientists are engaged in a worldwide scramble to create a vaccine against the new virus. Over a hundred research projects have been launched; early safety trials in humans have been started or completed in nine of them.
Next to come are larger trials to determine whether these candidate vaccines are not just safe, but effective. But those results won’t arrive for months.
In the meantime, Dr. Dan Barouch, a virologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and his colleagues have started a series of experiments on monkeys to get a broader look at how coronaviruses affect monkeys — and whether vaccines could fight them. Their report was published in Science.
In one series of experiments, each monkey received pieces of DNA, which their cells turned into viral proteins designed to train the immune system to recognize the virus.
Most coronavirus vaccines are intended to coax the immune system to make antibodies that latch onto the spike protein and destroy the virus. Dr. Barouch and his colleagues tried out six variations.
Some of the vaccines provided only partial protection, but other vaccines worked better. The one that worked best trained the immune system to recognize and attack the entire spike protein of the coronavirus. In eight monkeys, the researchers couldn’t detect the virus at all.
“I think that overall this will be seen as very good news for the vaccine effort,” said Dr. Barouch. “This increases our optimism that a vaccine for Covid-19 will be possible.”
With changes taking effect on Wednesday, all 50 states have begun to reopen in at least some way, more than two months after the virus thrust the country into lockdown. But there remain vast discrepancies in how states are deciding to open up, with some forging far ahead of others.With changes taking effect on Wednesday, all 50 states have begun to reopen in at least some way, more than two months after the virus thrust the country into lockdown. But there remain vast discrepancies in how states are deciding to open up, with some forging far ahead of others.
Connecticut was among the last states to take a plunge when it moved back to business on Wednesday, when its stay-at-home order lifted and stores, museums and offices were allowed to reopen.Connecticut was among the last states to take a plunge when it moved back to business on Wednesday, when its stay-at-home order lifted and stores, museums and offices were allowed to reopen.
At Pop’s Family Restaurant in Milford, regulars were waiting outside for the restaurant to open at 9 a.m., said Ipakoi Grigoriadis, whose family owns and runs the diner.At Pop’s Family Restaurant in Milford, regulars were waiting outside for the restaurant to open at 9 a.m., said Ipakoi Grigoriadis, whose family owns and runs the diner.
“It is quite exciting to see our customers we haven’t seen in a while,” she said. “They miss us, and the feelings are mutual.”“It is quite exciting to see our customers we haven’t seen in a while,” she said. “They miss us, and the feelings are mutual.”
But it is not business as usual: Pop’s, like other Connecticut restaurants, is offering outside seating only, and plans to ramping up to 50 percent capacity gradually.But it is not business as usual: Pop’s, like other Connecticut restaurants, is offering outside seating only, and plans to ramping up to 50 percent capacity gradually.
Not far away in New Jersey, the reopening has been more limited, with only curbside pickup at retail stores and allowances for certain industries.Not far away in New Jersey, the reopening has been more limited, with only curbside pickup at retail stores and allowances for certain industries.
The contrast illustrates a dynamic playing out across the country, as governors grapple with how to handle a pandemic that comes with no political playbook.The contrast illustrates a dynamic playing out across the country, as governors grapple with how to handle a pandemic that comes with no political playbook.
States in the Northeast and on the West Coast, as well as Democratic-led states in the Midwest, have moved the most slowly toward reopening, with several governors taking a county-by-county approach. (In Washington, D.C., a stay-at-home order remains in effect until June.) By contrast, a number of states in the South opened earlier and more fully. Though social-distancing requirements were put in place, restaurants, salons, gyms and other businesses have been open in Georgia for several weeks.States in the Northeast and on the West Coast, as well as Democratic-led states in the Midwest, have moved the most slowly toward reopening, with several governors taking a county-by-county approach. (In Washington, D.C., a stay-at-home order remains in effect until June.) By contrast, a number of states in the South opened earlier and more fully. Though social-distancing requirements were put in place, restaurants, salons, gyms and other businesses have been open in Georgia for several weeks.
Alaska went even further. On Tuesday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said that he would lift restrictions on businesses by the end of the week, allowing restaurants, bars, gyms and others to return to full capacity. Sports and recreational activities will be allowed.Alaska went even further. On Tuesday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said that he would lift restrictions on businesses by the end of the week, allowing restaurants, bars, gyms and others to return to full capacity. Sports and recreational activities will be allowed.
“It will all be open, just like it was prior to the virus,” Mr. Dunleavy said. Social-distancing strategies, including the wearing of masks in public, would be recommended but not required, he said.“It will all be open, just like it was prior to the virus,” Mr. Dunleavy said. Social-distancing strategies, including the wearing of masks in public, would be recommended but not required, he said.
In a medical research project nearly unrivaled in its ambition and scope, volunteers worldwide are rolling up their sleeves to receive experimental vaccines against the coronavirus — only months after it was discovered.
Companies like Inovio and Pfizer have begun early tests of candidates in people to determine whether their vaccines are safe. Researchers at the University of Oxford in England say they could have a vaccine ready for emergency use as soon as September.
Moderna Therapeutics on Monday announced encouraging results of a safety trial of its vaccine in eight volunteers. There were no published data, but the news alone sent hopes — and the company’s stock — soaring.
In labs around the world, there is now cautious optimism that a coronavirus vaccine, and perhaps more than one, will be ready sometime next year.
Scientists are exploring not just one approach to creating the vaccine, but at least four. So great is the urgency that they are combining trial phases and shortening a process that usually takes years, sometimes more than a decade.
“What people don’t realize is that normally vaccine development takes many years, sometimes decades,” said Dr. Dan Barouch, a virologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “And so trying to compress the whole vaccine process into 12 to 18 months is really unheard of.”
“If that happens, it will be the fastest vaccine development program ever in history.”
More than one hundred research teams around the world are taking aim at the virus from multiple angles.
A prototype vaccine has protected monkeys from the virus, researchers reported on Wednesday, a finding that offers new hope for effective human vaccines.
Scientists are already testing virus vaccines in people, but the initial trials are designed to determine safety, not how well a vaccine works. The research published Wednesday offers insight into what a vaccine must do to be effective and how to measure that.
“To me, this is convincing that a vaccine is possible,” said Dr. Nelson Michael, the director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
Scientists are engaged in a worldwide scramble to create a vaccine against the new virus. Over a hundred research projects have been launched; early safety trials in humans have been started or completed in nine of them.
Next to come are larger trials to determine whether these candidate vaccines are not just safe, but effective. But those results won’t arrive for months.
In the meantime, Dr. Dan Barouch, a virologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and his colleagues have started a series of experiments on monkeys to get a broader look at how coronaviruses affect monkeys — and whether vaccines could fight them. Their report was published in Science.
In one series of experiments, each monkey received pieces of DNA, which their cells turned into viral proteins designed to train the immune system to recognize the virus.
Most coronavirus vaccines are intended to coax the immune system to make antibodies that latch onto the spike protein and destroy the virus. Dr. Barouch and his colleagues tried out six variations.
Some of the vaccines provided only partial protection, but other vaccines worked better. The one that worked best trained the immune system to recognize and attack the entire spike protein of the coronavirus. In eight monkeys, the researchers couldn’t detect the virus at all.
“I think that overall this will be seen as very good news for the vaccine effort,” said Dr. Barouch. “This increases our optimism that a vaccine for Covid-19 will be possible.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly released more detailed guidance for schools, businesses, transit systems and other industries hoping to reopen safely amid the coronavirus pandemic after fear that the White House had shelved the guidelines.
The 60-page document, which a C.D.C. spokesman said was uploaded over the weekend, but which received little notice, adds great detail to six charts that the C.D.C. had released last week. The guidance provides specific instructions for different sectors to detect and trace the virus based on exposure and risk after the pandemic. Here are some key elements.
If a person in a school building tests positive, schools should evaluate the risk and consider a brief dismissal of about 2-5 days, to clean and disinfect the building, coordinate with local health officials and contact trace. The C.D.C. offers different measures based on the level of community spread.
As restrictions across the country on restaurants and bars ease, the C.D.C. recommends owners give workers at a higher risk of getting sick a job that limits the person’s interaction with customers. The agency also suggests opening with limited seating initially to allow for social distancing. Once fully reopened, the C.D.C. recommends having a clear policy about when employees should stay home if sick and rules on hygiene, including at times wearing face coverings.
When mass transit resumes its full service, the agency recommends being prepared to adjust routes based on the different levels of virus spread and to coordinate with local health officials about prevention strategies, such as wearing a face covering.
For businesses that provide child care during the pandemic, the C.D.C. recommends having plans in place, for example, to have substitute workers if staff members are sick, and requiring staff and children older than two to wear face coverings.
The guidance describes the balance of slowing the virus’s spread with the economic threat of shuttering most businesses, and largely mirrors a draft version that was previously shelved by the White House, but with some changes.
The document omits a section on “communities of faith” that had troubled Trump administration officials and also tones down the guidance in several instances. For example, language that initially directed schools to “ensure social distancing” became “promote social distancing,” and the phrase “if possible” was added in several sentences.
Severe flooding struck central Michigan on Wednesday after two dams were breached by rain-swollen waters, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents at a moment many had been wary of leaving their homes amid the pandemic.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer implored residents to take the threat seriously and evacuate immediately, but added that they should continue to observe precautions related to the virus, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing — something she acknowledged would be difficult in the temporary shelters that had been set up.
“To go through this in the midst of a global pandemic is almost unthinkable,” she said. “But we are here, and to the best of our ability we are going to navigate this together.”
There have been at least 52,337 cases in Michigan, and at least 5,017 people have died.
The failures on Tuesday of the Edenville Dam and the Sanford Dam, about 140 miles northwest of Detroit, led the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning for areas near the Tittabawassee River. Residents in nearby towns, including Edenville, Sanford and Midland, were evacuated
Major environmental risks loomed, too. Floodwaters from the breached dams in Michigan on Wednesday surged toward one of the nation’s most extensive toxic cleanup sites — the area surrounding a sprawling Dow chemical complex — raising concerns of a wider fallout.
As news of the disaster spread Wednesday morning, Mr. Trump took to Twitter and threatened to withhold federal funds to Michigan if the state proceeded to expand vote by mail efforts. (He made a similar threat against Nevada.) The president then followed up with a Tweet saying that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the military had been deployed to Michigan to assist with disaster response.
The president is scheduled to visit a Ford Motor Co. plant that is manufacturing ventilators in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Thursday. This is his first trip to the state since January, and comes at a time when his campaign advisers are increasingly concerned about his chances there.
President Trump on Wednesday escalated his assault against voting by mail, making false claims about recent steps taken by Michigan and Nevada and threatening to withhold federal funds from both states if they continue to expand vote-by-mail efforts.
The president’s latest broadside, on Twitter, came as the pandemic has raised concerns around the nation about how people can vote safely.
The president inaccurately accused Michigan and Nevada of mailing ballots to its residents. In fact, the secretaries of state in both states sent applications for mail ballots, as election officials have done in other states, including those led by Republicans.
As most states largely abandon in-person voting because of health concerns, Mr. Trump, along with many of his Republican allies, have launched a series of false attacks to demonize mail voting as fraught with fraud and delivering an inherent advantage to Democratic candidates — despite there being scant evidence for either claim.
“Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election,” the president tweeted Wednesday morning. “This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State. I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!”
His threat to withhold federal funding cam as the state was grappling with a devastating flood; soon after he announced that the federal government would help.
An hour later he made a similar threat against Nevada, saying the state had created “a great Voter Fraud scenario” and adding “If they do, ‘I think’ I can hold up funds to the State.”
Mr. Trump’s outbursts come as the White House and his re-election campaign are confronting polls showing the president trailing his Democratic rival, Joseph R. Biden Jr., both nationally and in key swing states. The White House did not respond to requests for comment or elaboration.
Michigan’s secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, quickly clarified on Wednesday that the state is not mailing ballots to all Michigan voters. On Wednesday she began mailing ballot applications to all registered voters.
Religious gatherings of up to 10 people can resume in New York State on Thursday if attendees wear masks and socially distance, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Wednesday.Religious gatherings of up to 10 people can resume in New York State on Thursday if attendees wear masks and socially distance, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Wednesday.
“I understand their desire to get back to religious ceremonies as soon as possible,” Mr. Cuomo said of faith leaders. “I think that even at this time of stress and when people are so anxious and so confused, I think those religious ceremonies can be very comforting,” he said. “But we need to find out how to do it, and do it safely and do it smartly.”
He added: “I think that even at this time of stress and when people are so anxious and so confused, I think those religious ceremonies can be very comforting. But we need to find out how to do it, and do it safely and do it smartly.” It is particularly significant for Jewish congregations, where a minyan, defined as 10 people over the age of 13, is required for a worship service.
The news is particularly significant for Jewish congregations, where a minyan, defined as 10 people over the age of 13, is required for a worship service. The announcement came as only three regions in the downstate area, including New York City, remain under the state’s shutdown orders. Statewide, another 112 people had died.
Mr. Cuomo also released the results of antibody testing in some of low-income New York City neighborhoods hit hardest by the virus.
In many of them, more than 1 in 3 residents tested positive for antibodies, a far higher rate than citywide rate of about 20 percent, he said. In two neighborhoods, Brownsville in Brooklyn and Morrisania in the Bronx, more than 40 percent of people tested had antibodies.
The Justice Department warned California this week that it believed the state’s restrictions to combat the virus discriminated against religious institutions.The Justice Department warned California this week that it believed the state’s restrictions to combat the virus discriminated against religious institutions.
In a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, department officials complained that the state’s reopening plan allowed for restaurants and shopping malls to reopen before religious institutions could hold worship services. They also objected to the state’s current policy limiting how members of the clergy could be classified as essential workers.In a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, department officials complained that the state’s reopening plan allowed for restaurants and shopping malls to reopen before religious institutions could hold worship services. They also objected to the state’s current policy limiting how members of the clergy could be classified as essential workers.
“Simply put, there is no pandemic exception to the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights,” said the letter from the head of the department’s Civil Rights Division and the four U.S. attorneys in California.“Simply put, there is no pandemic exception to the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights,” said the letter from the head of the department’s Civil Rights Division and the four U.S. attorneys in California.
The officials also said that while the department “does not seek to dictate” to California, they insisted that any restrictions must treat secular and religious activities equally.The officials also said that while the department “does not seek to dictate” to California, they insisted that any restrictions must treat secular and religious activities equally.
A spokesman for Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.A spokesman for Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Federal judges previously declined to block Mr. Newsom’s restrictions on religious gatherings. In one case, brought by a church in Lodi, a Federal District Court judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order and wrote that in unusual circumstances like a pandemic, “the judiciary must afford more deference to officials’ informed efforts to advance public health — even when those measures encroach on otherwise protected conduct.”Federal judges previously declined to block Mr. Newsom’s restrictions on religious gatherings. In one case, brought by a church in Lodi, a Federal District Court judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order and wrote that in unusual circumstances like a pandemic, “the judiciary must afford more deference to officials’ informed efforts to advance public health — even when those measures encroach on otherwise protected conduct.”
The Justice Department’s missive to Mr. Newsom was not connected to any specific case, but it represented another phase of its efforts to curb state and local restrictions — especially around religious institutions — during the pandemic. Last month, the department went to court in support of a Baptist church in Mississippi that had challenged local restrictions.The Justice Department’s missive to Mr. Newsom was not connected to any specific case, but it represented another phase of its efforts to curb state and local restrictions — especially around religious institutions — during the pandemic. Last month, the department went to court in support of a Baptist church in Mississippi that had challenged local restrictions.
Less than a week after lawmakers approved a major rule change, Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday formally initiated the remote work period for the House, jump-starting a 45-day period when remote voting can be used in the chamber.Less than a week after lawmakers approved a major rule change, Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday formally initiated the remote work period for the House, jump-starting a 45-day period when remote voting can be used in the chamber.
With the move, the House will now be able to use proxy voting, which allows lawmakers to give specific instructions on each vote to a colleague authorized to vote on their behalf. Votes are expected in the chamber next week, and several lawmakers had previously expressed frustration with the need to travel to Washington during the coronavirus pandemic.With the move, the House will now be able to use proxy voting, which allows lawmakers to give specific instructions on each vote to a colleague authorized to vote on their behalf. Votes are expected in the chamber next week, and several lawmakers had previously expressed frustration with the need to travel to Washington during the coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement came after the Sergeant-at-arms, in consultation with Dr. Brian P. Monahan, the Capitol physician, sent Ms. Pelosi a letter formally notifying her of “an ongoing public health emergency due to a novel coronavirus.”The announcement came after the Sergeant-at-arms, in consultation with Dr. Brian P. Monahan, the Capitol physician, sent Ms. Pelosi a letter formally notifying her of “an ongoing public health emergency due to a novel coronavirus.”
In direct contrast, however, Senator Mitch McConnell, on Wednesday highlighted the Senate’s ongoing presence in Washington, outlining how “over here in the United States Senate, the lights are on, the doors are open, and we are working for the American people.”In direct contrast, however, Senator Mitch McConnell, on Wednesday highlighted the Senate’s ongoing presence in Washington, outlining how “over here in the United States Senate, the lights are on, the doors are open, and we are working for the American people.”
Mr. McConnell, the majority leader, thanked Dr. Monahan — a Navy doctor whose office is responsible for the care of both chambers and the Supreme Court — for his continued guidance, saying that it has allowed the Senate to operate “smartly and safely” during the pandemic.Mr. McConnell, the majority leader, thanked Dr. Monahan — a Navy doctor whose office is responsible for the care of both chambers and the Supreme Court — for his continued guidance, saying that it has allowed the Senate to operate “smartly and safely” during the pandemic.
The shuttering of the American education system severed students from more than just classrooms, friends and extracurricular activities. It has also cut off an estimated 55 million children and teenagers from school faculty whose open doors and compassionate advice helped them build self-esteem, navigate the pressures of adolescence and cope with trauma.The shuttering of the American education system severed students from more than just classrooms, friends and extracurricular activities. It has also cut off an estimated 55 million children and teenagers from school faculty whose open doors and compassionate advice helped them build self-esteem, navigate the pressures of adolescence and cope with trauma.
But the challenges hard-wired into online learning present daunting obstacles for the remote guidance counselor’s office, particularly among students from low-income families who have lost jobs or lack internet access at home. And mental health experts worry about the psychological toll on a younger generation that was already experiencing soaring rates of depression, anxiety and suicide before the pandemic.But the challenges hard-wired into online learning present daunting obstacles for the remote guidance counselor’s office, particularly among students from low-income families who have lost jobs or lack internet access at home. And mental health experts worry about the psychological toll on a younger generation that was already experiencing soaring rates of depression, anxiety and suicide before the pandemic.
“Not every kid can be online and have a confidential conversation about how things are going at home with parents in earshot,” said Seth Pollak, director of the Child Emotion Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.“Not every kid can be online and have a confidential conversation about how things are going at home with parents in earshot,” said Seth Pollak, director of the Child Emotion Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Desperate to safeguard students’ emotional well-being amid the isolation and financial turmoil, teachers are checking in during video classes, counselors are posting mindfulness videos on Facebook and school psychologists are holding therapy sessions over the phone.Desperate to safeguard students’ emotional well-being amid the isolation and financial turmoil, teachers are checking in during video classes, counselors are posting mindfulness videos on Facebook and school psychologists are holding therapy sessions over the phone.
Across New York City, hospitals have moved into a new phase.Across New York City, hospitals have moved into a new phase.
In the city that was hit hardest in the United States, the number of new patients and the daily death toll have dropped sharply. Many of the refrigerated trucks filled with bodies are gone. Doctors no longer routinely plead for help in makeshift protective gear. The emergency room at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, once overwhelmed, treats barely a third of the visitors it did before the outbreak.In the city that was hit hardest in the United States, the number of new patients and the daily death toll have dropped sharply. Many of the refrigerated trucks filled with bodies are gone. Doctors no longer routinely plead for help in makeshift protective gear. The emergency room at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, once overwhelmed, treats barely a third of the visitors it did before the outbreak.
“It’s like someone turned off the hose,” said Dr. Eric Wei, an emergency medicine physician and senior vice president of quality for NYC Health & Hospitals, the public health care system, referring to patient numbers in recent weeks.“It’s like someone turned off the hose,” said Dr. Eric Wei, an emergency medicine physician and senior vice president of quality for NYC Health & Hospitals, the public health care system, referring to patient numbers in recent weeks.
Hospital executives and doctors, wary about what comes next as the city looks to ease out of its near lockdown, are asking whether this is a lull before a new wave of cases or a less chaotic slog. At hospitals, staff members are preparing for both possibilities.Hospital executives and doctors, wary about what comes next as the city looks to ease out of its near lockdown, are asking whether this is a lull before a new wave of cases or a less chaotic slog. At hospitals, staff members are preparing for both possibilities.
Elmhurst is decontaminating rooms as managers try to persuade residents to come in for emergencies now and elective surgery as soon Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo lifts a ban imposed in March. Brooklyn Hospital Center, an independent institution where the daily E.R. volume last week was less than half of what it saw before the pandemic, is nervously waiting for those numbers to rise again.Elmhurst is decontaminating rooms as managers try to persuade residents to come in for emergencies now and elective surgery as soon Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo lifts a ban imposed in March. Brooklyn Hospital Center, an independent institution where the daily E.R. volume last week was less than half of what it saw before the pandemic, is nervously waiting for those numbers to rise again.
“It’s almost this eerie silence,” said Dr. Sylvie de Souza, the chair of Brooklyn’s emergency department. “None of us are at peace. We’re sort of bracing for it to come back. All of us are wondering, can we go through this again?”“It’s almost this eerie silence,” said Dr. Sylvie de Souza, the chair of Brooklyn’s emergency department. “None of us are at peace. We’re sort of bracing for it to come back. All of us are wondering, can we go through this again?”
Businesses are beginning to reopen and new coronavirus cases are declining, but Americans don’t expect life — or the economy — to return to normal any time soon.Businesses are beginning to reopen and new coronavirus cases are declining, but Americans don’t expect life — or the economy — to return to normal any time soon.
Only one in five Americans expects overall business conditions to be “very” or “somewhat” good over the next year, according to a poll conducted this month for The New York Times by the online research platform SurveyMonkey. Sixty percent said they expected the next five years to be characterized by “periods of widespread unemployment or depression.”Only one in five Americans expects overall business conditions to be “very” or “somewhat” good over the next year, according to a poll conducted this month for The New York Times by the online research platform SurveyMonkey. Sixty percent said they expected the next five years to be characterized by “periods of widespread unemployment or depression.”
Those numbers are slightly different than they were a month earlier and may even reflect a modest decline in outlook, signaling that the reopenings and federal and state political moves to deal with the pandemic have had little impact on confidence.Those numbers are slightly different than they were a month earlier and may even reflect a modest decline in outlook, signaling that the reopenings and federal and state political moves to deal with the pandemic have had little impact on confidence.
Other data tells a similar story. A survey from the University of Michigan last week found that consumers’ assessment of current economic conditions had improved modestly in early May, but that their view of the future had continued to darken.Other data tells a similar story. A survey from the University of Michigan last week found that consumers’ assessment of current economic conditions had improved modestly in early May, but that their view of the future had continued to darken.
Consumers have reason for that pessimism. Economists now say unemployment is likely to remain elevated for years, and two of the president’s top financial advisers have warned that further job losses are likely.Consumers have reason for that pessimism. Economists now say unemployment is likely to remain elevated for years, and two of the president’s top financial advisers have warned that further job losses are likely.
If Americans fear that their jobs are in jeopardy or that business will remain slow, they may be less likely to spend even if their personal finances are stable.If Americans fear that their jobs are in jeopardy or that business will remain slow, they may be less likely to spend even if their personal finances are stable.
Democrats are more pessimistic than Republicans, as they have been throughout President Trump’s term. But confidence has fallen sharply among members of both parties. Mr. Trump is hoping for an improved economy to help him win re-election in November.Democrats are more pessimistic than Republicans, as they have been throughout President Trump’s term. But confidence has fallen sharply among members of both parties. Mr. Trump is hoping for an improved economy to help him win re-election in November.
Mr. Trump’s enthusiastic embrace of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that he now says he takes daily — and the resulting uproar in the news media — appears to be interfering with legitimate scientific research into whether the medicine might work to prevent coronavirus infection or treat the disease in its early stages.Mr. Trump’s enthusiastic embrace of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that he now says he takes daily — and the resulting uproar in the news media — appears to be interfering with legitimate scientific research into whether the medicine might work to prevent coronavirus infection or treat the disease in its early stages.
The drug, which is also widely used to treat lupus and other autoimmune diseases, has shown no real benefit for hospitalized virus patients, and may have contributed to some deaths, recent studies show.The drug, which is also widely used to treat lupus and other autoimmune diseases, has shown no real benefit for hospitalized virus patients, and may have contributed to some deaths, recent studies show.
Specialists — including Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert — say the jury is still out on whether the drug might help prevent infection or help patients avoid hospitalization. Mr. Trump’s frequent pronouncements and misstatements — he has praised the drug as a “game changer” and a “miracle” — are only complicating matters, politicizing the drug and creating a frenzy in the news media that is impeding research.Specialists — including Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert — say the jury is still out on whether the drug might help prevent infection or help patients avoid hospitalization. Mr. Trump’s frequent pronouncements and misstatements — he has praised the drug as a “game changer” and a “miracle” — are only complicating matters, politicizing the drug and creating a frenzy in the news media that is impeding research.
“The virus is not Democrat or Republican, and hydroxychloroquine is not Democrat or Republican, and I’m just hopeful that people would allow us to finish our scientific work,” said Dr. William O’Neill, an interventional cardiologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, who is studying hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic in health care workers.“The virus is not Democrat or Republican, and hydroxychloroquine is not Democrat or Republican, and I’m just hopeful that people would allow us to finish our scientific work,” said Dr. William O’Neill, an interventional cardiologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, who is studying hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic in health care workers.
“The worst thing in the world that would happen,” he added, “is that at the end of this epidemic, in late September, we don’t have a cure or a preventive because we let politics interfere with the scientific process.”“The worst thing in the world that would happen,” he added, “is that at the end of this epidemic, in late September, we don’t have a cure or a preventive because we let politics interfere with the scientific process.”
Hundreds of migrant children and teenagers have been swiftly deported by American authorities during the pandemic without the opportunity to speak to a social worker or plea for asylum from the violence in their home countries — a reversal of years of established practice for dealing with young foreigners who arrive in the United States.Hundreds of migrant children and teenagers have been swiftly deported by American authorities during the pandemic without the opportunity to speak to a social worker or plea for asylum from the violence in their home countries — a reversal of years of established practice for dealing with young foreigners who arrive in the United States.
The Trump administration is justifying the new practices under a 1944 law that grants the president broad power to block foreigners from entering the country to prevent the “serious threat” of a dangerous disease. And on Tuesday, it extended the stepped-up border security that allows for young migrants to be expelled at the border, saying the policy would remain in place indefinitely and be reviewed every 30 days.The Trump administration is justifying the new practices under a 1944 law that grants the president broad power to block foreigners from entering the country to prevent the “serious threat” of a dangerous disease. And on Tuesday, it extended the stepped-up border security that allows for young migrants to be expelled at the border, saying the policy would remain in place indefinitely and be reviewed every 30 days.
But immigration officials in recent weeks have also been abruptly expelling migrant children and teenagers who were already in the United States when the pandemic-related order came down in late March.But immigration officials in recent weeks have also been abruptly expelling migrant children and teenagers who were already in the United States when the pandemic-related order came down in late March.
In March and April, 915 young migrants were expelled shortly after reaching the American border, and 60 were shipped home from the interior of the country.In March and April, 915 young migrants were expelled shortly after reaching the American border, and 60 were shipped home from the interior of the country.
During the same period, at least 166 young migrants were allowed into the United States and afforded the safeguards that were once customary. Customs and Border Protection has refused to disclose how the government was determining which legal standards to apply to which children.During the same period, at least 166 young migrants were allowed into the United States and afforded the safeguards that were once customary. Customs and Border Protection has refused to disclose how the government was determining which legal standards to apply to which children.
“The fact that nobody knows who these kids are and there are hundreds of them is really terrifying,” said Jennifer Nagda, policy director of the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. “There’s no telling if they’ve been returned to smugglers or into harm’s way.”“The fact that nobody knows who these kids are and there are hundreds of them is really terrifying,” said Jennifer Nagda, policy director of the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. “There’s no telling if they’ve been returned to smugglers or into harm’s way.”
A new survey of nearly 23,000 nurses across the country shows continued concern over inadequate supplies of personal protective equipment like masks and respirators as well as a lack of widespread testing among health care workers.A new survey of nearly 23,000 nurses across the country shows continued concern over inadequate supplies of personal protective equipment like masks and respirators as well as a lack of widespread testing among health care workers.
Even as most states are beginning the process of reopening and hospitals are starting to offer elective procedures like hip replacements and colonoscopies, many nurses remain fearful of becoming ill with Covid-19 because they do not have the equipment they need to remain safe, according to the union that conducted the survey, National Nurses United, which has more than 150,000 members in the United States.Even as most states are beginning the process of reopening and hospitals are starting to offer elective procedures like hip replacements and colonoscopies, many nurses remain fearful of becoming ill with Covid-19 because they do not have the equipment they need to remain safe, according to the union that conducted the survey, National Nurses United, which has more than 150,000 members in the United States.
The survey, conducted from April 15 through May 10, includes responses from both union members and nonunion nurses in all 50 states.The survey, conducted from April 15 through May 10, includes responses from both union members and nonunion nurses in all 50 states.
“We still can’t get testing,” said Deborah Burger, one of the union’s presidents, in an interview. “We still can’t get the P.P.E. that we need.”“We still can’t get testing,” said Deborah Burger, one of the union’s presidents, in an interview. “We still can’t get the P.P.E. that we need.”
“Almost four months into this, we are still having the same issues,” she said.“Almost four months into this, we are still having the same issues,” she said.
The survey found the vast majority of nurses, 87 percent, reported having to re-use personal protective equipment, including respirators, a practice that the nurses say would not have been allowed before the pandemic.The survey found the vast majority of nurses, 87 percent, reported having to re-use personal protective equipment, including respirators, a practice that the nurses say would not have been allowed before the pandemic.
More than 100 nurses have died of the disease, according to the union, and at least 500 of those surveyed said they have already tested positive for the virus. Most nurses, 84 percent of those who participated in the survey, reported they had not yet been tested for a possible infection.More than 100 nurses have died of the disease, according to the union, and at least 500 of those surveyed said they have already tested positive for the virus. Most nurses, 84 percent of those who participated in the survey, reported they had not yet been tested for a possible infection.
As those who have been stricken with the virus emerge from hospitals or home quarantine, some are finding a world that is not yet ready to welcome them back.As those who have been stricken with the virus emerge from hospitals or home quarantine, some are finding a world that is not yet ready to welcome them back.
After Elizabeth Martucci and her 11-year-old son Marcus, who goes by M.J., were deemed to have recovered, they emerged from their home on the Jersey Shore with some sidewalk chalk to sketch a message in the driveway.After Elizabeth Martucci and her 11-year-old son Marcus, who goes by M.J., were deemed to have recovered, they emerged from their home on the Jersey Shore with some sidewalk chalk to sketch a message in the driveway.
“We are Covid survivors,” they wrote.“We are Covid survivors,” they wrote.
“I thought I’m going to tell everybody, ‘I had this, and I’m OK,’ just to show people it’s not a death sentence,” Ms. Martucci said.“I thought I’m going to tell everybody, ‘I had this, and I’m OK,’ just to show people it’s not a death sentence,” Ms. Martucci said.
She also bought T-shirts that said “Covid-19 Survivor,” anticipating that some of the neighbors on her cul-de-sac in Cape May Court House might have some lingering discomfort.She also bought T-shirts that said “Covid-19 Survivor,” anticipating that some of the neighbors on her cul-de-sac in Cape May Court House might have some lingering discomfort.
Ms. Martucci, a 41-year-old real estate investor, soon learned that she had drastically underestimated the anxiety she and her son would encounter. Even now, a month into their recovery, some neighbors see them and run.Ms. Martucci, a 41-year-old real estate investor, soon learned that she had drastically underestimated the anxiety she and her son would encounter. Even now, a month into their recovery, some neighbors see them and run.
Feeling stigmatized is not what many survivors said they expected after their tough bouts of illness, though there are still many unanswered questions about the efficacy and duration of any post-virus immunity. It carries a particular sting given the worldwide discussions about how reopening society will hinge in part on people with antibodies being able to return to work, and about how those who have recovered can donate convalescent plasma for experimental treatments for those who are still sick.Feeling stigmatized is not what many survivors said they expected after their tough bouts of illness, though there are still many unanswered questions about the efficacy and duration of any post-virus immunity. It carries a particular sting given the worldwide discussions about how reopening society will hinge in part on people with antibodies being able to return to work, and about how those who have recovered can donate convalescent plasma for experimental treatments for those who are still sick.
“There is a dichotomy between feeling like you can go give your plasma to save other people’s lives, but feeling like you’re an untouchable,” said Sheryl Kraft, a health journalist in Fairfield, Conn., who has written about surviving Covid-19, and how it affected her physical and mental health.“There is a dichotomy between feeling like you can go give your plasma to save other people’s lives, but feeling like you’re an untouchable,” said Sheryl Kraft, a health journalist in Fairfield, Conn., who has written about surviving Covid-19, and how it affected her physical and mental health.
“We’re like the chosen ones,” she added. “We can go back into society, we can donate plasma, we are very valuable. But to people who are afraid of catching it, we are like pariahs.”“We’re like the chosen ones,” she added. “We can go back into society, we can donate plasma, we are very valuable. But to people who are afraid of catching it, we are like pariahs.”
Ms. Martucci said: “It didn’t even occur to me — being shunned. You’re looked at as a contagion, versus as a survivor.” She said she had put the “Covid Survivor” T-shirts away.Ms. Martucci said: “It didn’t even occur to me — being shunned. You’re looked at as a contagion, versus as a survivor.” She said she had put the “Covid Survivor” T-shirts away.
Mr. Trump said on Wednesday that he may try to convene world leaders at Camp David for the annual G7 meeting as a further sign of “normalization” as the United States and many other countries begin to reopen.Mr. Trump said on Wednesday that he may try to convene world leaders at Camp David for the annual G7 meeting as a further sign of “normalization” as the United States and many other countries begin to reopen.
“Now that our Country is ‘Transitioning back to Greatness’, I am considering rescheduling the G-7, on the same or similar date, in Washington, D.C., at the legendary Camp David,” Mr. Trump wrote in a Twitter post. “The other members are also beginning their COMEBACK. It would be a great sign to all - normalization!”“Now that our Country is ‘Transitioning back to Greatness’, I am considering rescheduling the G-7, on the same or similar date, in Washington, D.C., at the legendary Camp David,” Mr. Trump wrote in a Twitter post. “The other members are also beginning their COMEBACK. It would be a great sign to all - normalization!”
Mr. Trump agreed to hold the summit at his presidential retreat in Maryland after initially saying the gathering would happen at the Trump National Doral resort near Miami. Critics said it was inappropriate for him to host a diplomatic event at one of his properties.Mr. Trump agreed to hold the summit at his presidential retreat in Maryland after initially saying the gathering would happen at the Trump National Doral resort near Miami. Critics said it was inappropriate for him to host a diplomatic event at one of his properties.
It is unclear whether Mr. Trump has discussed the idea with other G7 leaders and how willing they may be to travel abroad with the large staff and security entourages they require.It is unclear whether Mr. Trump has discussed the idea with other G7 leaders and how willing they may be to travel abroad with the large staff and security entourages they require.
After the irus struck, the G7 agreed to hold the gathering by video for the first time. It is scheduled for June 10-12. The group is made up of the United States, Germany, Japan, France, Great Britain, Canada, and Italy.After the irus struck, the G7 agreed to hold the gathering by video for the first time. It is scheduled for June 10-12. The group is made up of the United States, Germany, Japan, France, Great Britain, Canada, and Italy.
A cyclone was bearing down on India and Bangladesh, disrupting responses to the virus. Taiwan’s president began a new term with high approval ratings for her handling of the pandemic.A cyclone was bearing down on India and Bangladesh, disrupting responses to the virus. Taiwan’s president began a new term with high approval ratings for her handling of the pandemic.
If you have been working from home for many weeks now, your body may be feeling the impact of a not-so-ideal setup. Craning your neck and cramping wrists are doing some damage to your body. The good news? It doesn’t take much to fix your situation. Here are some stretches and simple work-from-home tricks that can help.If you have been working from home for many weeks now, your body may be feeling the impact of a not-so-ideal setup. Craning your neck and cramping wrists are doing some damage to your body. The good news? It doesn’t take much to fix your situation. Here are some stretches and simple work-from-home tricks that can help.
Reporting was contributed by Eileen Sullivan, Alan Blinder, Katie Benner, Reed Abelson, Ben Casselman, Jim Tankersley, Mike Baker, Dan Levin, Karen Barrow, Carl Zimmer, Jan Ransom, Reid J. Epstein, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Caitlin Dickerson, Sheri Fink, Neil Genzlinger, Shawn Hubler, Sarah Mervosh, Michael Crowley, Annie Karni, Daniel Victor, Sarah Maslin Nir, Anna Schaverien, Kaly Soto, Chris Stanford and Sheryl Gay Stolberg. Reporting was contributed by Eileen Sullivan, Alan Blinder, Michael Cooper, Reid J. Epstein, Nick Corasaniti, Hiroko Tabuchi, Knvul Sheikh, Noah Weiland, Katie Benner, Reed Abelson, Ben Casselman, Jim Tankersley, Mike Baker, Dan Levin, Karen Barrow, Carl Zimmer, Jan Ransom, Reid J. Epstein, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Caitlin Dickerson, Sheri Fink, Neil Genzlinger, Shawn Hubler, Sarah Mervosh, Michael Crowley, Annie Karni, Daniel Victor, Sarah Maslin Nir, Anna Schaverien, Kaly Soto, Chris Stanford and Sheryl Gay Stolberg.