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Coronavirus Live Updates: U.S. Lockdowns Ease, Even as Death Toll Nears 100,000 Coronavirus Live Updates: Hong Kong Protesters, Once Subdued by Pandemic, Clash With Police
(about 2 hours later)
The United States edged closer to 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus on Saturday, even as overall infections have slowed and the country has moved to loosen restrictions intended to slow the spread of the pandemic. The antigovernment movement that roiled Hong Kong for much of last year subsided this year as fears of the coronavirus kept many at home. But on Sunday, police officers fired tear gas as hundreds of protesters flouted social-distancing rules to demonstrate against China’s plans to impose national security laws on the semiautonomous territory.
Medical experts have warned that lifting lockdowns could cause a spike in cases, but governors continued to ease rules in hopes of reviving the economy, while President Trump played golf at his members-only club in Virginia. Protesters gathered in a central shopping district around midday, chanting slogans against the government and the Chinese Communist Party like “Heavens will destroy the C.C.P.” and “Hong Kong independence is the only way out.” As the crowd thickened, public tram cars sat immobilized on the rails.
In Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz said that he would allow houses of worship to open next week after pressure from church leaders and from Mr. Trump, who demanded that religious institutions be deemed essential.
In New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said that gatherings of up to 10 people would be allowed anywhere in the state — including New York City — provided that social-distancing protocols were followed. On Saturday the governor reported 84 new deaths from the virus statewide, the first time the daily death toll has fallen below 100 since late March.
And the National Basketball Association said it was in early discussions to restart its season in late July at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
The risks of trying to return to normal life were underscored in Missouri, where health officials said that a hair stylist who worked for eight days at a salon while sick with the virus had potentially exposed 84 clients and seven co-workers.
And a new study found that, compared with white or Hispanic patients, black patients seeking care have more advanced cases of Covid-19.
The disparity remained even after researchers took into account differences in age, sex, income and chronic health problems that exacerbate Covid-19, like hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.
The finding suggested that black patients may have had limited access to medical care or that they postponed seeking help until later in the course of their illness, when the disease was more advanced.
The antigovernment movement that roiled Hong Kong for much of last year subsided this year as fears of the coronavirus kept many at home. But on Sunday, police officers fired tear gas as hundreds of protesters flouted social distancing rules to demonstrate against China’s plans to impose national security laws on the semiautonomous territory.
Protesters gathered in a downtown shopping district around midday, chanting slogans against the government and the Chinese Communist Party like “Heavens will destroy the C.C.P.” and “Hong Kong independence is the only way out.” As the crowd thickened, public tram cars sat immobilized on the rails.
Dozens of police officers in riot gear swarmed the area, but many protesters pressed around them, ignoring their raised warnings to disperse. Just before 1:30 p.m., the police fired at least four rounds of tear gas, sending protesters scrambling into nearby storefronts, which quickly pulled down their grates.Dozens of police officers in riot gear swarmed the area, but many protesters pressed around them, ignoring their raised warnings to disperse. Just before 1:30 p.m., the police fired at least four rounds of tear gas, sending protesters scrambling into nearby storefronts, which quickly pulled down their grates.
The protest on Sunday took place days after China’s biggest political event of the year, the annual session of the National People’s Congress, kicked off in Beijing. The ruling Communist Party is trying to project strength amid global criticism of its response to the pandemic.The protest on Sunday took place days after China’s biggest political event of the year, the annual session of the National People’s Congress, kicked off in Beijing. The ruling Communist Party is trying to project strength amid global criticism of its response to the pandemic.
As protesters gathered on Sunday morning, Tam Tak-chi, an activist from the pro-democracy group People’s Power, held what he described as an open-air “public health lecture” at a streetside stand, distributing masks and social-distancing advice — along with criticism of the Chinese government. As protesters gathered on Sunday morning, Tam Tak-chi, an activist from the pro-democracy group People’s Power, held what he described as an open-air “public health lecture” at a streetside stand, distributing masks and social distancing advice — along with criticism of the Chinese government.
“With the national security law, the people cannot be healthy,” Mr. Tam said. “Stand with Hong Kong; fight for freedom.” After bystanders erupted in antigovernment chants, several dozen riot police officers surrounded Mr. Tam, taking away his loudspeaker and leading him to a nearby police station.“With the national security law, the people cannot be healthy,” Mr. Tam said. “Stand with Hong Kong; fight for freedom.” After bystanders erupted in antigovernment chants, several dozen riot police officers surrounded Mr. Tam, taking away his loudspeaker and leading him to a nearby police station.
As part of its response to the virus, the Hong Kong government has banned public gatherings of more than eight people until at least June 4.As part of its response to the virus, the Hong Kong government has banned public gatherings of more than eight people until at least June 4.
As the United States nears 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus, several members of the Trump administration, which has been pushing states to loosen lockdowns and reopen, will appear as guests on the Sunday talk shows. As the United States nears 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus, governors are continuing to ease lockdown rules despite warnings from medical experts that it could cause a spike in cases.
Dr. Deborah L. Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, will appear on ABC’s “This Week,” while President Trump’s national security adviser, Robert C. O’Brien, will appear on CBS’s “Face the Nation” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Kevin Hassett, a White House senior adviser, will speak on CNN’s “State of the Union.” In Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz said on Saturday that he would allow houses of worship to open next week after pressure from church leaders and from President Trump, who demanded that religious institutions be deemed essential. And in New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said that gatherings of up to 10 people would be allowed anywhere in the state, provided that social-distancing protocols were followed.
Dr. Birx will also be a guest on “Fox News Sunday,” along with Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, who said on Saturday that his state had seen an increase in cases, which he called a “second peak.” Mr. Trump, meanwhile, played golf at his members-only club in Virginia, his first game since shutdowns began.
Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, who took early and bold actions to lock down his state, will appear on “Meet the Press” as he moves to reopen businesses in his state. Other governors — including Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Mike DeWine of Ohio and Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey — were scheduled to appear on the Sunday talk shows. So were several Trump administration officials, including Dr. Deborah L. Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, and Robert C. O’Brien, the president’s national security adviser.
Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey, whose state has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the country after New York, will appear on “State of the Union,” along with Senator Rick Scott and Representative Val Demings, both of Florida, which has already reopened many businesses. The risks of trying to return to normal life were underscored in Missouri, where health officials said on Friday that a hair stylist who worked for eight days at a salon while sick with the virus had potentially exposed 84 clients and seven co-workers. (The state’s Republican governor, Mike Parson, allowed many businesses, including salons, to reopen on May 4.)
The race for a vaccine will be discussed on “Meet the Press” by Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and Dr. Dan Barouch, a virologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, who is working with Johnson & Johnson to develop a vaccine that uses a specially modified virus, called Ad26, that he developed. And a new study from Northern California found that, compared with white or Hispanic patients, black patients seeking care have more advanced cases of Covid-19.
Italy’s $180 billion fashion industry is known for its glamorous brands, but it is built on a vast and tightly woven network of designers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers, large and small, that help make up the backbone of one of Europe’s largest economies. The disparity remained even after researchers took into account differences in age, sex, income and chronic health problems that exacerbate Covid-19, like hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.
For these companies, for this style of doing business, the future has never looked more uncertain. The finding suggested that black patients may have had limited access to medical care or that they postponed seeking help until later in the course of their illness, when the disease was more advanced.
Production of fashion collections has been either delayed or scrapped by large global fashion retailers and luxury brands. With the July couture shows in Paris canceled, and a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the fashion weeks in September, many specialist workshops remain in limbo. For only the second time in almost two decades of conflict, the Taliban and the Afghan government announced a cease-fire for the three days of the Muslim festival Eid al-Fitr, which starts on Sunday in Afghanistan. But the relief that washed over people in the war-torn nation was partially offset by lingering concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
Italy’s fashion manufacturing sector is expected to contract by up to 40 percent this year, said Claudia D’Arpizio, a partner at the consulting firm Bain & Company. As Muslims around the world celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday this weekend, the communal prayers, feasts and parties that usually accompany it have been restricted or scrapped. Not everyone in the Muslim world is sticking to the rules, however.
“It is a very worrying situation,” she said, adding that beyond luxury artisans was a vast ecosystem of export-oriented factories producing everything from metal hardware for accessories to rubber footwear soles. In Afghanistan, the authorities have struggled to enforce their call for people to stay home during Eid, the holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Markets were crowded in recent days, and many shoppers went maskless.
“The big brands are enduring tough times but generally have some liquidity and a strong consumer profile,” Ms. D’Arpizio said. “However, they all have networks of small suppliers scattered all over Italy. Those are the businesses more likely to disappear.” Afghanistan has nearly 10,000 confirmed cases, and nearly half of a limited number of tests being carried out are turning out positive day after day. In late March, Ferozuddin Feroz, Afghanistan’s health minister, warned that unless stricter social-distancing measures were enforced, 16 million Afghans could be infected and 110,000 could die.
Last month, at least 40 staff members in Afghanistan’s presidential palace tested positive for Covid-19. That forced President Ashraf Ghani to isolate himself and manage the country’s response to the virus — amid a raging war — largely via video conference.
As world leaders grapple with when and how to safely reopen their countries, many are also facing a political problem: how to maintain support as they oversee tanking economies, stifling restrictions and staggering death tolls.
Unable to promise physical or economic safety, many are instead offering the reassuring image of a strong leader with a steady hand, our columnist Max Fisher writes.
President Xi Jinping of China is using public appearances and state media to project a message of national triumph over adversity, with himself at the vanguard. President Emmanuel Macron of France has rallied citizens to join a collective “war” against the virus.
President Trump, like many leaders, regularly appears flanked by health officials. Appeals to national unity are practically universal.
And in Britain and Germany, people have rewarded their leaders with steep and nearly identical boosts in support.
While polls suggest that people remain deeply worried about the virus and its toll, support for leaders is increasing almost universally.
Whether they realize it or not, such leaders have a powerful force on their side: human psychology.
On Thursday nights, Britons bang pots and pans and let out hearty cheers of support for doctors and nurses who care for coronavirus patients and for other essential workers amid the pandemic.On Thursday nights, Britons bang pots and pans and let out hearty cheers of support for doctors and nurses who care for coronavirus patients and for other essential workers amid the pandemic.
But Annemarie Plas, the organizer who started #ClapForOurCarers, said in an interview with the BBC on Friday that next week’s national applause, the 10th, should be the last, pointing to concerns that the act of recognizing the workers had become politicized.But Annemarie Plas, the organizer who started #ClapForOurCarers, said in an interview with the BBC on Friday that next week’s national applause, the 10th, should be the last, pointing to concerns that the act of recognizing the workers had become politicized.
“I think that would be beautiful to be the end of the series, to maybe then stop and move to an annual moment,” Ms. Plas said. “I feel like this had its moment and then we can, after that, continue to something else.”“I think that would be beautiful to be the end of the series, to maybe then stop and move to an annual moment,” Ms. Plas said. “I feel like this had its moment and then we can, after that, continue to something else.”
Ms. Plas said that she believed the ritual was “slowly shifting” and that other opinions had “started to rise to the surface,” referring to some criticism the movement has received. An opinion article in The Independent questioned the point of applauding if health care workers were underpaid. And some National Health Service workers have said they felt “stabbed in the back” by people who ignore public health guidelines.Ms. Plas said that she believed the ritual was “slowly shifting” and that other opinions had “started to rise to the surface,” referring to some criticism the movement has received. An opinion article in The Independent questioned the point of applauding if health care workers were underpaid. And some National Health Service workers have said they felt “stabbed in the back” by people who ignore public health guidelines.
To date, the United Kingdom has reported more than 250,000 coronavirus infections and over 36,000 deaths. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plans for reopening the country have been met with criticism and some confusion.To date, the United Kingdom has reported more than 250,000 coronavirus infections and over 36,000 deaths. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plans for reopening the country have been met with criticism and some confusion.
While Britons have shown their appreciation for health care workers, Ms. Plas said, it’s now time for people in power to “reward and give them the respect they deserve.”While Britons have shown their appreciation for health care workers, Ms. Plas said, it’s now time for people in power to “reward and give them the respect they deserve.”
“I think to maintain the positive impact that it’s had so far, it’s best to stop at its peak,” she told the BBC.“I think to maintain the positive impact that it’s had so far, it’s best to stop at its peak,” she told the BBC.
The future of nightly clapping rituals in cities like New York, where it began in late March and continues to go strong in some neighborhoods, remains unclear.The future of nightly clapping rituals in cities like New York, where it began in late March and continues to go strong in some neighborhoods, remains unclear.
They waited patiently in line in 80-degree heat, standing on large blue stickers placed six feet apart, to enter the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston — the first major American art museum to reopen since the country went into lockdown in March. As countries begin to open their economies, a monthslong deep freeze on tourism and cultural life is gradually thawing — with caveats.
The 20 or so mask-wearing visitors who queued up on Saturday morning had already waited more than two months to visit, so what were a few more minutes? First in line was Joan Laughlin, a nurse who has been coming to the museum since moving to Houston in 1970. She was there to see “Glory of Spain,” an exhibition of works from New York’s Hispanic Society Museum and Library. In Australia, officials on Sunday laid out plans to allow tourism in parts of the state of Victoria starting in June. Skiing, for example, will be allowed starting June 22. But many ski resorts plan to operate at half capacity, The Canberra Times reported, and they’re bracing for a raft of distancing restrictions.
“It’s good to be out of the house,” she said. “I’ve been looking for something uplifting, something beautiful.” In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Saturday that the country would open to foreign tourists beginning in July, and that its globally popular soccer league La Liga would restart on June 8, part of the “de-escalation process” from its harshest pandemic restrictions. But the games will initially be played behind closed doors.
It was Sara Patel’s first-ever visit. Ms. Patel, a Houston physician, came with her boyfriend, who was visiting from Chicago. “They’re following all the rules,” she said about the elaborate safety precautions taken by museum staff members. “As long as everyone is complying, I think it’s fine.” In Greece, officials said last week that international flights to Athens would resume on June 15, followed by the rest of the country’s airports on July 1. But tourists will be admitted only if their home countries meet certain “epidemiological criteria,” they said.
Gov. Greg Abbott allowed museums in Texas to reopen on May 1 at 25 percent capacity, but most cultural institutions in the state have opted to wait. Among the first to come back was the Museum of Fine Arts’s neighbor, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which opened its doors on May 15. In the United States on Saturday, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, became the first major art museum to reopen since the country went into lockdown in March. Mask-wearing visitors encountered virus-specific restrictions even before they went inside, lining up on large blue stickers placed six feet apart.
The N.B.A. is in the early stages of discussions with the Walt Disney Company to restart its suspended season in late July at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, a league spokesman said Saturday. “It’s good to be out of the house,” said Joan Laughlin, a nurse who was first in line. “I’ve been looking for something uplifting, something beautiful.”
The restart would be at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which would act as “a single site for an N.B.A. campus for games, practices and housing,” the spokesman, Mike Bass, said in a statement. Italy’s $180 billion fashion industry is known for its glamorous brands, but it is built on a vast and tightly woven network of designers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers, large and small, that help make up the backbone of one of Europe’s largest economies.
“Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place,” Mr. Bass said. For these companies, for this style of doing business, the future has never looked more uncertain.
The N.B.A. was among the first major sports leagues to suspend its season on March 11 as a result of the coronavirus, beginning a cascade of other leagues doing the same. Since then several players, including the Nets star Kevin Durant, have tested positive for the virus. Production of fashion collections has been either delayed or scrapped by large global fashion retailers and luxury brands. With the July couture shows in Paris canceled, and a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the fashion weeks in September, many specialist workshops remain in limbo.
Several hurdles remain to a resumed season. One is testing. The league was criticized when some of its teams were able to obtain tests for their players even though there was a nationwide testing shortage, raising questions of greater accessibility for the wealthy. Italy’s fashion manufacturing sector is expected to contract by up to 40 percent this year, said Claudia D’Arpizio, a partner at the consulting firm Bain & Company.
On Tuesday, Mr. Bass said, “Regular testing will be key in our return to play,” and that the league wanted to ensure that it “does not come at the expense of testing front-line health care workers or others who need it.” “It is a very worrying situation,” she said, adding that beyond luxury artisans was a vast ecosystem of export-oriented factories producing everything from metal hardware for accessories to rubber footwear soles.
Any return to play must also come with a green light from the players’ union. A union spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It is also unclear how many, if any, fans would be allowed into an arena for games. “The big brands are enduring tough times but generally have some liquidity and a strong consumer profile,” Ms. D’Arpizio said. “However, they all have networks of small suppliers scattered all over Italy. Those are the businesses more likely to disappear.”
It’s easy to report a daily average — more than 1,100 — of the people in the United States who have died from complications related to the coronavirus. But a count reveals only so much about what was lost.
As the national death toll approaches 100,000, a team of Times journalists has compiled a sprawling database with personal details on thousands of victims. Among them: a social worker, a boxing trainer and a nurse who loved to cook.
The virus, our journalists write, upended how we mourn and “forced us to suppress our nature as social creatures, for fear that we might infect or be infected.” It also wiped out the equivalent of a small American city.
Questions about how this happened in the United States of 2020 — and why the virus claimed a disproportionately large number of black and Latino victims — will be asked for decades to come.
Drones have been working as police officers, soaring over the banks of the Seine in Paris and the city squares of Mumbai to patrol for social distancing violators.Drones have been working as police officers, soaring over the banks of the Seine in Paris and the city squares of Mumbai to patrol for social distancing violators.
They’re delivering medical supplies in Rwanda and snacks in Virginia, and hovering over crowds in China to scan for fevers below.They’re delivering medical supplies in Rwanda and snacks in Virginia, and hovering over crowds in China to scan for fevers below.
The coronavirus has been devastating to humans but may prove a decisive step toward a time when aerial robots become a common feature of daily life, serving as helpers and even companions.The coronavirus has been devastating to humans but may prove a decisive step toward a time when aerial robots become a common feature of daily life, serving as helpers and even companions.
“Robots are designed to solve problems that are dull, dirty and dangerous,” said Daniel H. Wilson, a former roboticist and the author of the 2011 science fiction novel “Robopocalypse.” “And now we have a sudden global emergency in which the machines we’re used to fearing are uniquely well suited to swoop in and save the day.”“Robots are designed to solve problems that are dull, dirty and dangerous,” said Daniel H. Wilson, a former roboticist and the author of the 2011 science fiction novel “Robopocalypse.” “And now we have a sudden global emergency in which the machines we’re used to fearing are uniquely well suited to swoop in and save the day.”
Reporting was contributed by Peter Baker, Sopan Deb, Michael Hardy, Mike Ives, Michael Levenson, Tiffany May, Sharon Otterman, Elizabeth Paton, Roni Caryn Rabin, Luis Ferré Sadurní, Edgar Sandoval, Marc Stein, Matt Stevens, Derrick Bryson Taylor, James Wagner, Vivian Wang and Alex Williams. Sports leagues are devising plans to resume play to salvage economic lifelines and sate fans pleading to be entertained by live games on television. For athletes and team staff members with conditions that put them at greater risk from the coronavirus, balancing health needs against the zeal to play is an especially delicate matter.
“It’s scary for everyone,” said Jordan Morris, 25, a soccer player for the Seattle Sounders and the U.S. men’s national team, who learned he had Type 1 diabetes at age 9 and wears a blood sugar monitor even on the field.
He took part in the voluntary socially distanced practices that began last week throughout Major League Soccer, which plans to resume its season as soon as next month. He said he felt safe at practice because the Sounders have done daily temperature and symptom checks, staggered workouts and encouraged frequent hand-washing.
As of Friday, unions representing athletes in major North American team sports were still negotiating specific plans for returning to play, including extra protection for the most vulnerable employees.
Reporting was contributed by Peter Baker, Max Fisher, Michael Hardy, Mike Ives, Michael Levenson, Mujib Mashal, Tiffany May, Sharon Otterman, Elizabeth Paton, Roni Caryn Rabin, Luis Ferré Sadurní, Edgar Sandoval, Marc Stein, Matt Stevens, Derrick Bryson Taylor, James Wagner, Vivian Wang and Alex Williams.