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Coronavirus Live Updates: ‘Huge Technology Breakthrough’ Needed to Ramp Up Testing, Birx Says Coronavirus Live Updates: Summer Is Coming. Some States Are Reopening. Can We Keep Our Distance?
(about 2 hours later)
A different type of coronavirus test is required to screen the U.S. population on the necessary scale, Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said in an interview on Sunday, saying that it will take “a huge technology breakthrough” to get there. In Southern California, a heat wave this weekend foreshadowed the likely challenges that lay ahead for governors and mayors trying to sustain social distancing efforts as spring turns to summer.
What’s needed, she said on the NBC program “Meet the Press,” is a screening test that detects antigens, like the screening tests used for flu, strep and other diseases. Antigens stimulate the body to produce antibodies, and are essentially evidence of an immune response. Despite pleas from state and local leaders to stay home, tens of thousands of people flocked to beaches that were open in Orange County on Saturday. Photographs of Newport Beach and Huntington Beach showed large crowds staking out patches of sand with beach towels and umbrellas. The Orange County Register reported that as many as 40,000 people went to the beach in Newport Beach on Friday.
In neighboring Los Angeles County, all beaches remained closed this weekend.
“We won’t let one weekend undo a month of progress,” Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “While the sunshine is tempting, we’re staying home to save lives. The places we love — our beaches, hiking trails — will still be there when this is over. And by staying home, we’re making sure our loved ones will be too.”
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Americans should expect social distancing guidelines to continue for months. “Social distancing will be with us through the summer,” she said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
In New York, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, while encouraging continued social distancing, said during his daily briefing on Sunday that it was unreasonable to expect people to stay inside all the time when summer arrives, especially in the most populous part of the state.
“We need summer activities in downstate New York,” Mr. Cuomo said. “You can’t tell people in a dense urban environment all through the summer months: ‘We don’t have anything for you to do. Stay in your apartment with the three kids.’ That doesn’t work. There’s a sanity equation here also that we have to take into consideration.”
Nevada’s economy has been one of the fastest growing in the country. Then, practically overnight, the glittering Las Vegas Strip shut down, throwing thousands of waitresses, bartenders, hotel cleaners and casino workers out of work, often without severance or benefits, and leaving the most bustling and storied stretch of the state’s economy boarded up and empty.
“If you were to imagine a horror movie when all the people disappear, that’s what it looks like,” said Larry Scott, the chief operating officer of Three Square, Southern Nevada’s only food bank, describing the Vegas strip. “You can’t imagine that there is a circumstance that could possibly cause that. I couldn’t have.”
As the bottom fell out of the American economy, few places have been hit harder than Las Vegas, where a full third of the economy is in the leisure and hospitality industry, more than in any other major metropolitan area in the country. Most of these jobs cannot be done from home.
Nearly 350,000 people in Nevada have filed for unemployment since the crisis began, the highest number in the history of the state. Las Vegas-based economic research firm Applied Analysis estimates the city’s current jobless rate is about 25 percent — nearly double the rate during the Great Recession — and rising.
“From an analytical standpoint, this is unprecedented,” said Jeremy Aguero, a principal analyst with the firm. “We have no frame of reference for what we are seeing.”
The dependence on tourism and hospitality means that, as governors and mayors across the country wrestle with the question of when to reopen their economies, Las Vegas faces particular pressure. Mayor Carolyn Goodman argued last week that casinos should reopen and allow people to get sick. But Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, said the state was “clearly not ready to open.”
A different type of coronavirus test is required to screen the U.S. population on the necessary scale, Dr. Birx said Sunday, saying that it will take “a huge technology breakthrough” to get there.
What’s needed, she said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” is a screening test that detects antigens, like the screening tests used for flu, strep and other diseases. Antigens stimulate the body to produce antibodies, and are essentially evidence of an immune response.
“We have to be able to detect the antigen, rather than constantly trying to detect the actual live virus or the viral particles itself, and to really move into antigen testing,” she said. The current RNA tests, which are more precise but more laborious, would then be used to confirm diagnoses.“We have to be able to detect the antigen, rather than constantly trying to detect the actual live virus or the viral particles itself, and to really move into antigen testing,” she said. The current RNA tests, which are more precise but more laborious, would then be used to confirm diagnoses.
Dr. Birx also spoke about another category of tests, those for antibodies, which indicate past exposure rather than detect a current infection. She said she thought the World Health Organization was being “very cautious” in its recent report that found no evidence that people who have recovered from the virus and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.Dr. Birx also spoke about another category of tests, those for antibodies, which indicate past exposure rather than detect a current infection. She said she thought the World Health Organization was being “very cautious” in its recent report that found no evidence that people who have recovered from the virus and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.
Reliable antibody tests will be vital as states begin reopening their economies and allowing people to return to work and public spaces. A recent analysis of 14 antibody tests by a team of scientists found that only three delivered consistently reliable results, and even those had some flaws.Reliable antibody tests will be vital as states begin reopening their economies and allowing people to return to work and public spaces. A recent analysis of 14 antibody tests by a team of scientists found that only three delivered consistently reliable results, and even those had some flaws.
On the CNN program “State of the Union,” Dr. Birx did not disagree with the W.H.O.’s statement, but she said the C.D.C. and F.D.A. were gathering data that would help improve and refine antibody tests. “With all of that data together, I think, it’s going to create a very clear picture about antibodies,” she said. On CNN’s “State of the Union,” Dr. Birx did not disagree with the W.H.O.’s statement, but she said the C.D.C. and F.D.A. were gathering data that would help improve and refine antibody tests. “With all of that data together, I think, it’s going to create a very clear picture about antibodies,” she said.
Dr. Birx acknowledged that the nation was not using existing testing capacities to the fullest. She said the administration was working with states to identify all their testing sites and supply the needed swabs and chemical reagents.Dr. Birx acknowledged that the nation was not using existing testing capacities to the fullest. She said the administration was working with states to identify all their testing sites and supply the needed swabs and chemical reagents.
Americans should expect social distancing guidelines to continue for months, Dr. Birx said in a televised interview on Sunday. As a handful of states relaxed social distancing guidelines over the weekend, they have struggled to navigate competing demands to keep residents safe and the economy open. Here’s a look at how some of those states have approached that balancing act:
Dr. Birx was asked on “Meet the Press” about a claim by Vice President Mike Pence, who said on Thursday, “Honestly, if you look at the trends today, I think by Memorial Day weekend we will largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us.” Mr. Pence made the statement on Geraldo Rivera’s radio show. Although Alaska has allowed businesses and restaurants in most parts of the state to reopen with some restrictions in place on April 24, the city of Anchorage has delayed its reopening to Monday.
Dr. Birx responded that she thought Mr. Pence was being hopeful, based on trends in places like Detroit and Louisiana where case counts appear to have peaked. But she also said, “social distancing will be with us through the summer.”In Southern California, a heat wave this weekend foreshadowed the likely challenges that lay ahead for governors and mayors trying to sustain social distancing efforts as spring turns to summer. Arkansas will allow simple elective surgeries to take place.
Despite pleas from state and local leaders to stay home, tens of thousands of people flocked to beaches that were open in Orange County on Saturday. Photographs of Newport Beach and Huntington Beach showed large crowds staking out patches of sand with beach towels and umbrellas. The Orange County Register reported that as many as 40,000 people went to the beach in Newport Beach on Friday. With Colorado’s stay-at-home order expiring over the weekend, Gov. Jared Polis rolled out new rules allowing curbside retail deliveries, phasing in elective surgery and store openings. Large workplaces can open at 50 percent capacity on May 4.
In neighboring Los Angeles County, all beaches remained closed this weekend. In Georgia, gyms, barbershops, tattoo parlors and spas in the state reopened last Friday. Houses of worship were allowed to resume in-person services, and restaurants and theaters can reopen Monday.
“We won’t let one weekend undo a month of progress,” Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “While the sunshine is tempting, we’re staying home to save lives. The places we love — our beaches, hiking trails — will still be there when this is over. And by staying home, we’re making sure our loved ones will be too.” Hawaii’s stay-at-home order was set to end April 30 but was extended Sunday until the end of May. Gov. David Ige said he planned to ease restrictions on beaches and would allow for certain surgeries under the extended order.
The city of Laguna Beach, which is in Orange County, reminded people on Saturday that all of its trailheads, beaches and adjacent beach parks were closed. “Please be outside in your neighborhood in your own community,” city officials wrote on Twitter. Kentucky will permit visits for medical diagnostics, radiology, and non-urgent in-person appointments and outpatient care.
As a handful of states relaxed social distancing guidelines over the weekend, Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado defended new rules in his state allowing curbside retail deliveries and phasing in store openings and elective surgery. Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland said his state would not start to reopen until the number of deaths there declined for 14 straight days. “I’m going to be very cautious,” he said on “This Week.” “We’re going to make decisions on science.”
“What matters a lot more than the date that the stay-at-home ends is what we do going forward, and how we have an ongoing, sustainable way, psychologically, economically and from the health perspective, to have the social distancing we need,” Governor Polis, a Democrat, said on “State of the Union,” the CNN Sunday morning talk show. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, whose aggressive coronavirus policies have been the target of protests, said on the ABC program “This Week” that her approach had saved lives. The governor has extended her stay-at-home order until May 15, but she relaxed a number of social distancing policies on Friday, allowing in-state travel and some recreational activities.
“Otherwise, if we can’t succeed in doing that on an ongoing basis, the stay-at-home was for nothing,” he said. On Monday, Minnesota will see the partial reopening of businesses.
States have struggled to navigate competing demands to keep both residents and the economy alive. A handful, including Alaska, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee, have begun partly reopening some businesses, like hair salons, gyms and bowling alleys. Mississippi’s statewide stay-at-home order is set to expire Monday. It will be replaced with a “safer at home” order, which will allow several retail businesses to reopen, but at limited capacity.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, a Democrat whose coronavirus policies have been the target of protests, said on the ABC program “This Week” that her aggressive approach had saved lives. The governor has extended her stay-at-home order until May 15, but she relaxed a number of social distancing policies on Friday, allowing in-state travel and some recreational activities. Montana’s plans to reopen began Sunday with places of worship becoming operational at reduced capacity and with encouragement to follow social distancing guidelines. Some businesses will reopen Monday, with restaurants and bars expected to reopen May 4.
Colorado’s stay-at-home order expired over the weekend. Governor Polis has said all retail businesses could start curbside pickup of purchases now, and that large workplaces will be allowed to reopen at 50 percent of capacity on May 4. New York’s governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, said that after May 15, when his executive order shutting down the state is set to expire, construction and manufacturing businesses may be able to reopen in the least hard-hit regions. But the state’s populous southern section, including New York City and it suburbs, would likely not reopen any time soon.
Still, he acknowledged continuing uncertainty about the effects of such measures, and promised to adjust the rules “in real time” based on a number of metrics, including mobility and incidence of Covid-19 cases in the state.
Several Colorado counties have submitted their own reopening plans, asking for waivers to state rules, and at least one — Weld County, northeast of Denver — drew the governor’s ire by announcing that all businesses there could reopen.
Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, a Republican, said his state would not start to reopen until the number of deaths there declined for 14 straight days. “I’m going to be very cautious,” he said on “This Week.” “We’re going to make decisions on science.”
Maryland has reported 17,766 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 797 related deaths, according to data collected by The New York Times.
Governors criticized President Trump’s recent comments on the use of disinfectant as a possible treatment for the virus, saying calls to health departments and poison control centers had increased in recent days.
“When the person with the most powerful position on the planet is encouraging people to think about disinfectant, whether it was serious or not, people listen,” Ms. Whitmer said. “Unequivocally, no one should be using disinfectant to digest it to fight Covid-19. Please don’t do it. Just don’t do it.”
Several African-American leaders in Georgia, including the mayors of Atlanta, Savannah and Augusta, criticized the decision by Gov. Brian Kemp to allow gyms, barbershops, tattoo parlors and spas in the state to reopen last Friday, houses of worship to resume in-person services, and restaurants and theaters to reopen on Monday.Several African-American leaders in Georgia, including the mayors of Atlanta, Savannah and Augusta, criticized the decision by Gov. Brian Kemp to allow gyms, barbershops, tattoo parlors and spas in the state to reopen last Friday, houses of worship to resume in-person services, and restaurants and theaters to reopen on Monday.
That stance seemed to put them in agreement with President Trump, who said the move was “too soon.” But Stacey Abrams, who ran against Mr. Kemp in 2018, distanced herself from the president.That stance seemed to put them in agreement with President Trump, who said the move was “too soon.” But Stacey Abrams, who ran against Mr. Kemp in 2018, distanced herself from the president.
“I give President Trump no credit,” she told Jake Tapper on CNN. “He actually caused this challenge, by tweeting for weeks that we should liberate our economies. And when someone took him up on it, he did as he normally does, which is bend to what he thinks public opinion is.”“I give President Trump no credit,” she told Jake Tapper on CNN. “He actually caused this challenge, by tweeting for weeks that we should liberate our economies. And when someone took him up on it, he did as he normally does, which is bend to what he thinks public opinion is.”
Critics of the early reopening include influential clergy members like Jamal Bryant, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist, an Atlanta-area megachurch, and the Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, who is running for the U.S. Senate in a special election against Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Republican appointed to the seat by Governor Kemp. Dr. Warnock is the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist, Martin Luther King Jr.’s home church.Critics of the early reopening include influential clergy members like Jamal Bryant, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist, an Atlanta-area megachurch, and the Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, who is running for the U.S. Senate in a special election against Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Republican appointed to the seat by Governor Kemp. Dr. Warnock is the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist, Martin Luther King Jr.’s home church.
Mr. Bryant, in a Facebook Live video, said the reopening was “derelict of responsibility” and “absent of moral integrity,” and aimed specifically at places African-Americans like to gather, like salons and barbershops, right after many people had received their stimulus checks.Mr. Bryant, in a Facebook Live video, said the reopening was “derelict of responsibility” and “absent of moral integrity,” and aimed specifically at places African-Americans like to gather, like salons and barbershops, right after many people had received their stimulus checks.
Mr. Kemp has called his policy a measured return. “I think this is the right approach at the right time,” he told reporters. “It’s not just throwing the keys back to these business owners.”Mr. Kemp has called his policy a measured return. “I think this is the right approach at the right time,” he told reporters. “It’s not just throwing the keys back to these business owners.”
When Ms. Abrams was asked about accusations that the governor’s move showed disregard for black people, she said, “I will tell you that, in the state of Georgia, African-Americans comprise 32 percent of the population, yet we’re 54 percent of the deaths.”When Ms. Abrams was asked about accusations that the governor’s move showed disregard for black people, she said, “I will tell you that, in the state of Georgia, African-Americans comprise 32 percent of the population, yet we’re 54 percent of the deaths.”
She added, “We know that communities of color suffer from systemic inequities that can be addressed in this pandemic, but only if the federal government pays attention, and if states do what they can to protect their communities.She added, “We know that communities of color suffer from systemic inequities that can be addressed in this pandemic, but only if the federal government pays attention, and if states do what they can to protect their communities.
In Teaneck, N.J., half of the town’s volunteer ambulance corps is out sick, in quarantine or staying home to avoid potential exposure to the coronavirus. In Rockville, Md., a hard-hit Washington suburb, more than 10 percent of the 160-member volunteer ambulance force has stopped taking shifts. And in a rural Iowa county with one of the state’s highest infection rates, the Dysart Ambulance Service has just 22 volunteers sharing two ambulances and covering 150 square miles.In Teaneck, N.J., half of the town’s volunteer ambulance corps is out sick, in quarantine or staying home to avoid potential exposure to the coronavirus. In Rockville, Md., a hard-hit Washington suburb, more than 10 percent of the 160-member volunteer ambulance force has stopped taking shifts. And in a rural Iowa county with one of the state’s highest infection rates, the Dysart Ambulance Service has just 22 volunteers sharing two ambulances and covering 150 square miles.
As the virus has continued its spread into suburbs and rural towns, overwhelming hospitals and emergency medical workers, it also has taken a toll on scores of volunteer emergency response units, many of which are the sole responders in critical and urgent situations.As the virus has continued its spread into suburbs and rural towns, overwhelming hospitals and emergency medical workers, it also has taken a toll on scores of volunteer emergency response units, many of which are the sole responders in critical and urgent situations.
“Even if the worst-case scenarios from Covid-19 don’t play out, you’re going to have a lot of departments that are in a really difficult spot,” said David Finger, chief of legislative and regulatory affairs for the National Volunteer Fire Council, which represents firefighters and other emergency responders.“Even if the worst-case scenarios from Covid-19 don’t play out, you’re going to have a lot of departments that are in a really difficult spot,” said David Finger, chief of legislative and regulatory affairs for the National Volunteer Fire Council, which represents firefighters and other emergency responders.
More than 80 percent of the nation’s 30,000 fire departments are entirely or mostly volunteer, providing emergency care to about one-third of the country’s population. And while more than 60 percent of the fire departments across the nation provide basic or advanced life support, those in smaller rural communities — areas already dangerously short on health care and often dependent on part-time volunteers to transport patients to hospitals — are less likely to offer emergency medical services.More than 80 percent of the nation’s 30,000 fire departments are entirely or mostly volunteer, providing emergency care to about one-third of the country’s population. And while more than 60 percent of the fire departments across the nation provide basic or advanced life support, those in smaller rural communities — areas already dangerously short on health care and often dependent on part-time volunteers to transport patients to hospitals — are less likely to offer emergency medical services.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Jules Scadden, the director of emergency medical services in Dysart, Iowa, a farming community in Tama County, where an outbreak at a nursing home led to more than 230 positive cases and seven deaths.“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Jules Scadden, the director of emergency medical services in Dysart, Iowa, a farming community in Tama County, where an outbreak at a nursing home led to more than 230 positive cases and seven deaths.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York said Sunday that after May 15, when his executive order shutting down the state is set to expire, construction and manufacturing businesses may be able to reopen in the least hard-hit regions.
It would not be a widespread reopening. Governor Cuomo has emphasized several times over the last week that the virus outbreak has not hit all parts of the state uniformly. He suggested on Sunday that the state’s populous southern section, including New York City and it suburbs, would not reopen any time soon.
“Downstate New York is going to be more complicated,” he said.
The reopening he was describing, with certain precautions left in place, would be a first phase, he said. In a second phase, other types of businesses would be allowed to reopen based on an assessment of how essential they were and how much risk they presented.
Mr. Cuomo said there had been 367 deaths related to the virus in the past day — the smallest daily toll since March 31, but still “horrific.”
In the face of the lengthy shutdown and mounting toll, New York City’s can-do resilience has been giving way lately to resignation and random tears.
The journey that began in March with an us-against-it unity, with homemade masks and Zoom happy hours, has turned into a grim slog for many.
A feeling of sadness shot through with frayed nerves pervaded conversations in and around the city as the coronavirus outbreak in the world’s epicenter dragged toward its sixth week, its end still far off.
“This is the week where I feel like I have accepted this, and given up,” Euna Chi of Brooklyn wrote in an email. “My daily commute to the couch feels ‘normal.’”
The Trump administration’s abrupt sidelining last week of Dr. Rick Bright, who led the federal agency involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine, is likely to delay progress and cause other complications, according to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who was the F.D.A. commissioner until August 2019.The Trump administration’s abrupt sidelining last week of Dr. Rick Bright, who led the federal agency involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine, is likely to delay progress and cause other complications, according to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who was the F.D.A. commissioner until August 2019.
Speaking Sunday on the CBS program “Face the Nation,” Dr. Gottlieb praised Dr. Bright, who led the Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA.Speaking Sunday on the CBS program “Face the Nation,” Dr. Gottlieb praised Dr. Bright, who led the Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA.
“He was effective,” Dr. Gottlieb said. “I think changing leadership in that position right now, certainly, is going to set us back. It’s hard to argue that that’s not going to have some impact on the continuity.” He added. “Businesses, companies that need to collaborate with BARDA, are a little bit more reluctant now to embrace BARDA, now that there is a cloud hanging over it and some uncertainty about the leadership.”“He was effective,” Dr. Gottlieb said. “I think changing leadership in that position right now, certainly, is going to set us back. It’s hard to argue that that’s not going to have some impact on the continuity.” He added. “Businesses, companies that need to collaborate with BARDA, are a little bit more reluctant now to embrace BARDA, now that there is a cloud hanging over it and some uncertainty about the leadership.”
Dr. Bright was shifted into a narrower job at the National Institutes of Health.Dr. Bright was shifted into a narrower job at the National Institutes of Health.
In response to his demotion, Dr. Bright issued a scathing public statement accusing the Trump administration of putting “politics or cronyism” over science and saying he was pressed to direct money toward hydroxychloroquine, one of several “potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections.”In response to his demotion, Dr. Bright issued a scathing public statement accusing the Trump administration of putting “politics or cronyism” over science and saying he was pressed to direct money toward hydroxychloroquine, one of several “potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections.”
The drug was repeatedly described by President Trump and his allies as a potential “game changer,” but in clinical trials so far, the results have been poor.The drug was repeatedly described by President Trump and his allies as a potential “game changer,” but in clinical trials so far, the results have been poor.
“I believe this transfer was in response to my insistence that the government invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the Covid-19 pandemic into safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit,” he said.“I believe this transfer was in response to my insistence that the government invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the Covid-19 pandemic into safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit,” he said.
As officials warn that a fifth round of federal aid will probably be necessary to mitigate the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic, Democrats in Congress are doubling down on their insistence that the next round include money for state and local governments.As officials warn that a fifth round of federal aid will probably be necessary to mitigate the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic, Democrats in Congress are doubling down on their insistence that the next round include money for state and local governments.
Unlike the federal government, states must balance their budgets, and have seen their tax revenue plummet with the shutdown of much of the economy, even as surging unemployment and emergency response needs have drained their resources.Unlike the federal government, states must balance their budgets, and have seen their tax revenue plummet with the shutdown of much of the economy, even as surging unemployment and emergency response needs have drained their resources.
Kevin Hassett, a senior adviser to the White House, acknowledged that the federal government would probably have to help the states. “The economic lift for policymakers is an extraordinary one,” he said.Kevin Hassett, a senior adviser to the White House, acknowledged that the federal government would probably have to help the states. “The economic lift for policymakers is an extraordinary one,” he said.
Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, has repeatedly said in recent days that he would like to wait before pursuing another sweeping package, given that Congress has already approved nearly $3 trillion in economic aid of various kinds in two months. But Democrats say aid for states and localities cannot wait.Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, has repeatedly said in recent days that he would like to wait before pursuing another sweeping package, given that Congress has already approved nearly $3 trillion in economic aid of various kinds in two months. But Democrats say aid for states and localities cannot wait.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, blocked the most recent bill, which replenished a loan program for small businesses, until it included money for hospitals and testing. But Republicans balked at including more funds for states and localities, and the bill ultimately passed without it.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, blocked the most recent bill, which replenished a loan program for small businesses, until it included money for hospitals and testing. But Republicans balked at including more funds for states and localities, and the bill ultimately passed without it.
On Sunday, Ms. Pelosi rejected the suggestion that Democrats could have done more. Asked to respond to criticism from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, Ms. Pelosi said on the CNN program “State of the Union”: “Just calm down. We will have state and local, and we will have it in a very significant way.”On Sunday, Ms. Pelosi rejected the suggestion that Democrats could have done more. Asked to respond to criticism from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, Ms. Pelosi said on the CNN program “State of the Union”: “Just calm down. We will have state and local, and we will have it in a very significant way.”
As for the most recent bill, she said, “Judge it for what it does. Don’t criticize it for what it doesn’t.”As for the most recent bill, she said, “Judge it for what it does. Don’t criticize it for what it doesn’t.”
Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, declined to weigh in on the debate on Sunday.Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, declined to weigh in on the debate on Sunday.
“This is something we’ll consider but our focus right now is really on execution,” Mr. Mnuchin said on Fox News. “If we need to spend more money, we will, and we’ll only do it with bipartisan support.”“This is something we’ll consider but our focus right now is really on execution,” Mr. Mnuchin said on Fox News. “If we need to spend more money, we will, and we’ll only do it with bipartisan support.”
The cancellation, suspension or postponement of sports across the country has shut down what would usually be a busy period of competition and championships that unites many small towns.
The girls’ basketball team at Gruver High School in the Texas panhandle won its first state title in early March, and a week later came the boys’ opportunity. Texas is a state that embraces high school sports perhaps more extravagantly than any other, so police cruisers and fire trucks escorted the team bus as it left for San Antonio.
But after the Gruver Greyhounds and other contenders practiced in the morning and early afternoon on March 12, they got the news on their cellphones that the tournament was being suspended. The Gruver players stayed for a night in San Antonio and were treated to a consolation dinner.
“Some kids ate about six pounds of steak,” said Brittin East, the Gruver coach. “It was good to get their minds off everything.” But the long bus ride home the next day was somber.
As schools closed, and group practices became prohibited, coaches and players improvised. Some shot baskets in their driveways or at local parks. Another flipped tractor tires to maintain his strength, hoping to be ready when the tournament resumed.
But on April 17, Texas ordered all public and private schools to remain closed through the rest of the academic year. The high school athletic association then canceled the basketball tournament completely.
Separated from Boston by the Mystic River, Chelsea, Mass., is a world apart, a first stop for immigrant families — Lithuanian, Polish, Irish, and more recently, Honduran and Guatemalan — who cannot afford the bigger city’s sky-high rents.Separated from Boston by the Mystic River, Chelsea, Mass., is a world apart, a first stop for immigrant families — Lithuanian, Polish, Irish, and more recently, Honduran and Guatemalan — who cannot afford the bigger city’s sky-high rents.
It has a population density of nearly 17,000 people per square mile, with whole families crowding into single rooms in triple-decker rowhouses, buildings with high rates of lead paint, asbestos and air pollution.It has a population density of nearly 17,000 people per square mile, with whole families crowding into single rooms in triple-decker rowhouses, buildings with high rates of lead paint, asbestos and air pollution.
It is also the center of the coronavirus crisis in Massachusetts, with rates of infection that surged last week to 3,841 per 100,000 people, around six times the statewide average.It is also the center of the coronavirus crisis in Massachusetts, with rates of infection that surged last week to 3,841 per 100,000 people, around six times the statewide average.
This spring, the virus collided disastrously with the city’s overcrowded housing. A warning flare came in the second week of April, when, late at night, a young mother called the city housing authority from the street; she had disclosed her test results to her roommates, and they had kicked her out.This spring, the virus collided disastrously with the city’s overcrowded housing. A warning flare came in the second week of April, when, late at night, a young mother called the city housing authority from the street; she had disclosed her test results to her roommates, and they had kicked her out.
“It dawned on me that this situation was going to replicate itself,” said Thomas Ambrosino, Chelsea’s city manager, “and we better have a solution.”“It dawned on me that this situation was going to replicate itself,” said Thomas Ambrosino, Chelsea’s city manager, “and we better have a solution.”
For Paul Nowicki, the director of operations for the housing authority in the city, one difficulty has been safeguarding residents in a building when he cannot locate infected people.For Paul Nowicki, the director of operations for the housing authority in the city, one difficulty has been safeguarding residents in a building when he cannot locate infected people.
Many leaders will face the same stubborn challenge: How, in a country that values its citizens’ medical privacy and autonomy, can authorities separate the sick from the well?Many leaders will face the same stubborn challenge: How, in a country that values its citizens’ medical privacy and autonomy, can authorities separate the sick from the well?
The question is an urgent one if public life is to resume.The question is an urgent one if public life is to resume.
A wide stretch of West Virginia and Ohio is fighting the coronavirus pandemic with 530 fewer hospital beds than it had last year, after a for-profit company shut down three of the area’s larger hospitals.A wide stretch of West Virginia and Ohio is fighting the coronavirus pandemic with 530 fewer hospital beds than it had last year, after a for-profit company shut down three of the area’s larger hospitals.
Beginning in 2014, Alecto Healthcare Services acquired the three hospitals: Fairmont Medical Center in Fairmont, W.Va., Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, W.Va., and East Ohio Regional Hospital in neighboring Martins Ferry, Ohio. Employees expected the new ownership to put the institutions on solid footing after years of financial struggle.Beginning in 2014, Alecto Healthcare Services acquired the three hospitals: Fairmont Medical Center in Fairmont, W.Va., Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, W.Va., and East Ohio Regional Hospital in neighboring Martins Ferry, Ohio. Employees expected the new ownership to put the institutions on solid footing after years of financial struggle.
Instead, decisions made by Alecto wound up undercutting patient care and undermining the hospitals’ finances, according to more than two dozen interviews with doctors, nurses, other staff members, government officials and patients, as well as a review of court records.Instead, decisions made by Alecto wound up undercutting patient care and undermining the hospitals’ finances, according to more than two dozen interviews with doctors, nurses, other staff members, government officials and patients, as well as a review of court records.
Doctors were fired to save on salaries; many patients followed them elsewhere. Medical supplies ran short. Vendors went unpaid. Finally, one after another, the three hospitals ceased operating.Doctors were fired to save on salaries; many patients followed them elsewhere. Medical supplies ran short. Vendors went unpaid. Finally, one after another, the three hospitals ceased operating.
The counties they serve have already recorded 171 coronavirus cases and nine deaths. Hundreds of people whose lungs were scarred by decades in coal mines are vulnerable to a devastating respiratory syndrome caused by the virus, doctors said.The counties they serve have already recorded 171 coronavirus cases and nine deaths. Hundreds of people whose lungs were scarred by decades in coal mines are vulnerable to a devastating respiratory syndrome caused by the virus, doctors said.
“We’ve now got a hospital that existed for over 100 years that, in the middle of a pandemic, sits empty,” said Jonathan Board, chairman of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, referring to Fairmont.“We’ve now got a hospital that existed for over 100 years that, in the middle of a pandemic, sits empty,” said Jonathan Board, chairman of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, referring to Fairmont.
Dr. John Wolen, the former trauma chief at Ohio Valley, now works at Wheeling Hospital and is bracing for an influx of patients. “The extra capacity that we will absolutely need is not going to be there,” he said.Dr. John Wolen, the former trauma chief at Ohio Valley, now works at Wheeling Hospital and is bracing for an influx of patients. “The extra capacity that we will absolutely need is not going to be there,” he said.
The coronavirus pandemic has left many in need, but there are many ways you can assist, and often no money is needed.The coronavirus pandemic has left many in need, but there are many ways you can assist, and often no money is needed.
China’s new export rules for some medical supplies will put more of the burden for quality checks on importers.China’s new export rules for some medical supplies will put more of the burden for quality checks on importers.
Reporting was contributed by Ellen Barry, Pam Belluck, Jonah Engel Bromwich, Emily Cochrane, Shaila Dewan, Sarah Kliff, Dan Levin, Jeré Longman, Joel Petterson, Rick Rojas, Vanessa Swales, Neil Vigdor and Michael Wilson. Reporting was contributed by Ellen Barry, Pam Belluck, Jonah Engel Bromwich, Emily Cochrane, Shaila Dewan, Sarah Kliff, Dan Levin, Jeré Longman, Joel Petterson, Rick Rojas, Vanessa Swales, Sabrina Tavernise, Neil Vigdor and Michael Wilson.