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Coronavirus Live Updates: Federal Watchdog Says Whistle-Blower Should Be Reinstated as It Investigates Coronavirus Live Updates: The U.S. Suffers its Worst Month of Job Losses Since the Great Depression
(32 minutes later)
A federal investigative office has found “reasonable grounds to believe” that the Trump administration was retaliating against a whistle-blower, Dr. Rick Bright, when he was ousted from a government research agency combating the coronavirus, and said he should be reinstated for 45 days while it investigates, his lawyers said Friday.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg reports that the lawyers, Debra S. Katz and Lisa J. Banks, said in a statement that they were notified late Thursday afternoon that the Office of Special Counsel, which protects whistle-blowers, had “made a threshold determination” that the Department of Health and Human Services “violated the Whistleblower Protection Act by removing Dr. Bright from his position because he made protected disclosures in the best interest of the American public.” The American economy plunged deeper into crisis last month, losing 20.5 million jobs as the unemployment rate jumped to 14.7 percent, the worst devastation since the Great Depression.
The finding comes just days after the lawyers filed a whistle-blower complaint saying that Dr. Bright’s removal last month as head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority was intended as payback. They said Dr. Bright, who was reassigned to a narrower job at the National Institutes for Health, had tried to expose “cronyism” and corruption at the Department of Health and Human Services while pressing for a more robust virus response and opposing the stockpiling of antimalaria drugs championed by President Trump. The Labor Department’s monthly report on Friday provided the clearest picture yet of the breadth and depth of the economic damage — and how swiftly it spread — as the coronavirus pandemic swept the country.
The recommendation is not binding. A year ago, the same office said Mr. Trump’s senior adviser, Kellyanne Conway, should be fired for repeatedly violating legal prohibitions on using her position for political purposes. Mr. Trump ignored the recommendation. Job losses have encompassed the entire economy, affecting every major industry. Areas like leisure and hospitality had the biggest losses in April, but even health care shed more than a million jobs. Low-wage workers, including many women and members of racial and ethnic minorities, have been hit especially hard.
It will now be up to the secretary of health and human services, Alex M. Azar II, to decide whether to bring Dr. Bright back to BARDA during the inquiry. “It’s literally off the charts,” said Michelle Meyer, head of U.S. economics at Bank of America. “What would typically take months or quarters to play out in a recession happened in a matter of weeks this time.”
If Mr. Azar refuses, Dr. Bright’s complaint would ordinarily be sent to the Merit Systems Protection Board, an independent quasi-federal agency charged with deciding claims of whistle-blower reprisal. But the Senate has not confirmed Mr. Trump’s nominees to the board, leaving it with no members. A “frequently asked questions” document about the lack of members has been removed from the board’s website. From almost any vantage point, it was a bleak report. The share of the population with a job, at 51.3 percent, was the lowest on record. Nearly 11 million people reported working part time because they couldn’t find full-time work, up from about four million before the pandemic.
“Dr. Bright should not be denied the right to have his complaint investigated fully and fairly before he is formally transferred to N.I.H. — a move that will harm not only him, but the country as well,” the lawyers’ statement said. “This country is in an unprecedented health crisis and needs the expertise of Dr. Bright to lead the nation’s efforts to combat Covid-19.” If anything, the numbers probably understate the economic distress.
The Labor Department said Friday that the economy shed more than 20.5 million jobs in April, sending the unemployment rate to 14.7 percent as the pandemic took a devastating toll. Millions more Americans have filed unemployment claims since the data was collected in mid-April. What’s more, because of issues with the way workers are classified, the Labor Department said the actual unemployment rate last month might have been closer to 20 percent.
The damage is the worst since the Great Depression, far exceeding the 8.7 million jobs lost in the last recession, when unemployment peaked at 10 percent in October 2009. The only comparable period is when unemployment reached about 25 percent in 1933, before the government began publishing official statistics. The one bright spot in Friday’s report was that nearly 80 percent of the unemployed said that they had been temporarily laid off and expected to return to their jobs in the coming months.
Low-wage workers, including many women and members of racial and ethnic minorities, have been hit especially hard. Many service jobs are impossible to do remotely and have been eliminated, and some workers have risked their health by staying on the job. President Trump endorsed this view in an interview Friday morning on Fox News. “Those jobs will all be back, and they’ll be back very soon,” Mr. Trump said, “and next year we’re going to have a phenomenal year.”
With jobless claims soaring by tens of millions in just a matter of weeks, unemployment offices have scrambled to hire more workers, upgrade computers and add call centers, but are still struggling to process the crush. Applicants complain that they have trouble just getting into the system. Many who filed successfully for benefits say that there are gaps in their payments, even if they certify their jobless status each week. But Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton, said many of the jobs could not be recovered.
The New York Times reporters Patricia Cohen and Tiffany Hsu report that checks have also been slow in coming. “This is going to be a hard reality,” Ms. Swonk said. “These furloughs are permanent, not temporary.”
Alexander Talley, 28, filed for unemployment benefits almost eight weeks ago, immediately after he was furloughed on March 13 from his serving job at a high-end restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. He received nothing until April 28, when $1,300 in retroactive payments from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity appeared in his bank account.
So far, only 40 percent of the more than 1.2 million Floridians filing verified claims have begun to receive benefits.
April 2020 — more technically, the period between the second week of March and the second week of April — was the worst month for American workers at least since the Great Depression and possibly in the history of the nation, writes Neil Irwin, a senior economics correspondent.
One aspect of the latest employment report helps crystallize the nature of what the United States is grappling with: the tables reporting the number of jobs gained or lost in each industry, broken down in a fairly fine-grained way.
Anyone still thinking that the pandemic’s economic effects are limited to people in restaurants, travel and similar service businesses is very much mistaken. Workers in almost every industry, including those that on the surface shouldn’t be affected by the pandemic at all, are at risk.
We’re all vulnerable, whether we work in an office or a factory or a construction site; whether our employer is public or private; whether our work can easily be migrated to a home office or not.
Construction employment fell by 975,000. Manufacturing fell by 1.3 million, as assembly lines halted. Clothing stores’ employment dropped by 740,000. The motion picture industry cut 217,000 jobs, and truck transportation 88,000.
Law firm employment was down 64,000 positions, and computer systems design by 93,000. Local governments cut 801,000 jobs, just over half of them in education.
And stunningly, in the middle of a public health crisis, employment in health care fell by 1.4 million as Americans avoided visits to their doctors and dentists for all but the direst emergencies
Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary tested positive on Friday morning, delaying a scheduled flight to Des Moines for more than an hour. Several of his aides were escorted from the plane at Joint Base Andrews before departure, according to an administration official with knowledge of the situation.Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary tested positive on Friday morning, delaying a scheduled flight to Des Moines for more than an hour. Several of his aides were escorted from the plane at Joint Base Andrews before departure, according to an administration official with knowledge of the situation.
It was the second confirmed case to rattle the White House this week. After a military aide at the White House tested positive for the virus, Mr. Trump said on Thursday that he and Mr. Pence, as well as other members of the White House staff who were in contact with the aide, would be tested every day.It was the second confirmed case to rattle the White House this week. After a military aide at the White House tested positive for the virus, Mr. Trump said on Thursday that he and Mr. Pence, as well as other members of the White House staff who were in contact with the aide, would be tested every day.
Speaking at a meeting with Republican members of Congress at the White House, Mr. Trump discussed the staff member to Mr. Pence who tested positive. “She’s a wonderful young woman. Katie,” he said, adding that the woman is “the press person.”Speaking at a meeting with Republican members of Congress at the White House, Mr. Trump discussed the staff member to Mr. Pence who tested positive. “She’s a wonderful young woman. Katie,” he said, adding that the woman is “the press person.”
Mr. Pence’s press secretary is Katie Miller, who is married to Mr. Trump’s senior adviser, Stephen Miller. Multiple White House officials confirmed that she is the aide who tested positive on Friday morning.Mr. Pence’s press secretary is Katie Miller, who is married to Mr. Trump’s senior adviser, Stephen Miller. Multiple White House officials confirmed that she is the aide who tested positive on Friday morning.
“She tested very good for a long period of time. And then all of a sudden today, she tested positive,” Mr. Trump said. “She hasn’t come into contact with me. Spent some time with the vice president.”“She tested very good for a long period of time. And then all of a sudden today, she tested positive,” Mr. Trump said. “She hasn’t come into contact with me. Spent some time with the vice president.”
Six people who had been scheduled to fly with Mr. Pence to Iowa were removed from Air Force Two before its departure on Friday morning because they may have been in contact with Ms. Miller; by afternoon, a senior administration official said that all six were subsequently tested and came up negative.Six people who had been scheduled to fly with Mr. Pence to Iowa were removed from Air Force Two before its departure on Friday morning because they may have been in contact with Ms. Miller; by afternoon, a senior administration official said that all six were subsequently tested and came up negative.
While West Wing staffers are tested regularly, other executive branch officials who work next door in the Old Executive Office Building — but who have regular contact with White House colleagues — are tested less frequently.While West Wing staffers are tested regularly, other executive branch officials who work next door in the Old Executive Office Building — but who have regular contact with White House colleagues — are tested less frequently.
About 10 members of Mr. Pence’s staff are tested daily, the official said.About 10 members of Mr. Pence’s staff are tested daily, the official said.
The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, disputed the idea that the new cases in the White House reflect continuing risk to Americans who are being asked to return to work, with less testing and monitoring than the White House receives.The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, disputed the idea that the new cases in the White House reflect continuing risk to Americans who are being asked to return to work, with less testing and monitoring than the White House receives.
“The guidelines that our experts have put forward to keep this building safe — which means contact tracing, all of the recommended guidelines we have for businesses that have essential workers — we’re now putting in place here in the White House,” she said at a briefing.“The guidelines that our experts have put forward to keep this building safe — which means contact tracing, all of the recommended guidelines we have for businesses that have essential workers — we’re now putting in place here in the White House,” she said at a briefing.
Asked about several veterans in their nineties who joined the president at an outdoor wreath laying ceremony at the World War II memorial in Washington to commemorate the allied victory over Germany in 1945, Ms. McEnany noted that the men “made the choice to come here, because they’ve chosen to put their nation first.”Asked about several veterans in their nineties who joined the president at an outdoor wreath laying ceremony at the World War II memorial in Washington to commemorate the allied victory over Germany in 1945, Ms. McEnany noted that the men “made the choice to come here, because they’ve chosen to put their nation first.”
Asked why Mr. Trump, who briefly addressed them from a distance of several feet, had not worn a mask, Ms. McEnany noted that the president was regularly tested. “This president will make the decision as to whether to wear a mask or not,” she said.Asked why Mr. Trump, who briefly addressed them from a distance of several feet, had not worn a mask, Ms. McEnany noted that the president was regularly tested. “This president will make the decision as to whether to wear a mask or not,” she said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California on Friday ordered ballots to be sent to the state’s 20.6 million voters for the November election, becoming the first state to alter their voting plans for the general election in response to the public health concerns wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
While California has greatly expanded its vote-by-mail operation in past elections — roughly 65 percent of the state voted by mail in the 2018 midterm elections — the decision by the largest state in the country to greatly reduce in-person voting is a recognition by state officials that the coronavirus outbreak is unlikely to subside by the fall.
Stringent distancing and other rules will be in place for those who want to cast ballots in person, Mr. Newsom said.
Alex Padilla, the secretary of state, told reporters that there would most likely be a shortage of volunteer poll workers in the fall; many are older adults or have underlying health conditions, and the virus poses heightened health risks to those populations. “All the seniors and retirees who helped us in years past will not be available,” he said.
It is the latest move away from traditional in-person voting on election day for the state, though most local governments still offer that option. Under a recent state law that sought to make elections more inclusive, voters in 14 counties already automatically receive mail-in ballots, and Los Angeles County was considering a similar move after problems with long lines at polling places in March.
Mr. Newsom also said on Friday that state and county officials had shut down several bars and more than 30 hair salons that were violating California’s coronavirus restrictions.
“We’ll see more of that if people get ahead of themselves,” he said.
The state began lifting restrictions on Friday for some retailers, including those selling clothing, books and flowers. But stores are open only for pickup, and customers are not allowed inside.
Mr. Newsom held his news briefing from a flower shop in Sacramento. “I know there’s deep anxiety people are feeling — a desire to reopen,” he said, framed by bamboo canes and pink roses.
A federal investigative office has found “reasonable grounds to believe” that the Trump administration was retaliating against a whistle-blower, Dr. Rick Bright, when he was ousted from a government research agency combating the coronavirus, and said he should be reinstated for 45 days while it investigates, his lawyers said Friday.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg reports that the lawyers, Debra S. Katz and Lisa J. Banks, said in a statement that they were notified late Thursday afternoon that the Office of Special Counsel, which protects whistle-blowers, had “made a threshold determination” that the Department of Health and Human Services “violated the Whistleblower Protection Act by removing Dr. Bright from his position because he made protected disclosures in the best interest of the American public.”
The finding comes just days after the lawyers filed a whistle-blower complaint saying that Dr. Bright’s removal last month as head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority was intended as payback. They said Dr. Bright, who was reassigned to a narrower job at the National Institutes for Health, had tried to expose “cronyism” and corruption at the Department of Health and Human Services while pressing for a more robust virus response and opposing the stockpiling of drugs championed by President Trump.
The recommendation is not binding. A year ago, the same office said Mr. Trump’s senior adviser, Kellyanne Conway, should be fired for repeatedly violating legal prohibitions on using her position for political purposes. Mr. Trump ignored the recommendation.
It will now be up to the secretary of health and human services, Alex M. Azar II, to decide whether to bring Dr. Bright back to BARDA during the inquiry.
If Mr. Azar refuses, Dr. Bright’s complaint would ordinarily be sent to the Merit Systems Protection Board, an independent quasi-federal agency charged with deciding claims of whistle-blower reprisal. But the Senate has not confirmed Mr. Trump’s nominees to the board, leaving it with no members. A “frequently asked questions” document about the lack of members has been removed from the board’s website.
“Dr. Bright should not be denied the right to have his complaint investigated fully and fairly before he is formally transferred to N.I.H. — a move that will harm not only him, but the country as well,” the lawyers’ statement said. “This country is in an unprecedented health crisis and needs the expertise of Dr. Bright to lead the nation’s efforts to combat Covid-19.”
The three largest cities in the United States — New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago — are also the primary generators of new cases each day, data shows.The three largest cities in the United States — New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago — are also the primary generators of new cases each day, data shows.
Cook County, Ill., which includes Chicago, and New York City are now reporting roughly the same case numbers each day; Los Angeles County, Calif., consistently has the third-most cases.Cook County, Ill., which includes Chicago, and New York City are now reporting roughly the same case numbers each day; Los Angeles County, Calif., consistently has the third-most cases.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago is soon expected to unveil a plan to gradually reopen the city, but cautioned that Chicago is not yet ready to return to normal. “We can’t send people back to work, we can’t open up our city yet when we don’t see a decrease in the cases, which we have not seen yet at all,” Ms. Lightfoot said on Thursday, adding: “When we don’t see a sustained decline in hospitalizations, I.C.U. beds, all of those things are really important and the data has to drive what we do from a public policy standpoint.”Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago is soon expected to unveil a plan to gradually reopen the city, but cautioned that Chicago is not yet ready to return to normal. “We can’t send people back to work, we can’t open up our city yet when we don’t see a decrease in the cases, which we have not seen yet at all,” Ms. Lightfoot said on Thursday, adding: “When we don’t see a sustained decline in hospitalizations, I.C.U. beds, all of those things are really important and the data has to drive what we do from a public policy standpoint.”
New York, though vastly improved, still usually reports the country’s most new cases and deaths every day. Another 216 people in the state have died of the virus, the governor said Friday.New York, though vastly improved, still usually reports the country’s most new cases and deaths every day. Another 216 people in the state have died of the virus, the governor said Friday.
The emergence of the nation’s largest cities as focal points for the virus comes as state leaders wrestle with growing tensions over when and how to restart economies. Amtrak said Friday that its Acela rail service from Boston to Washington would partly resume on June 1, with three round trips every weekday. Passengers will be required to wear facial coverings and capacity will be capped at 50 percent.The emergence of the nation’s largest cities as focal points for the virus comes as state leaders wrestle with growing tensions over when and how to restart economies. Amtrak said Friday that its Acela rail service from Boston to Washington would partly resume on June 1, with three round trips every weekday. Passengers will be required to wear facial coverings and capacity will be capped at 50 percent.
Across the country, about 29,000 new cases and about 1,900 new deaths were reported on Thursday, but the picture is uneven, state to state and even county to county, stirring a mix of responses about how best to proceed now.Across the country, about 29,000 new cases and about 1,900 new deaths were reported on Thursday, but the picture is uneven, state to state and even county to county, stirring a mix of responses about how best to proceed now.
The areas around Lincoln, Neb., Des Moines and St. Cloud, Minn., are seeing rapid, rising case numbers, as are parts of western Kentucky. Yet the situation in Miami, Detroit and New Orleans has improved sharply in recent weeks. Alaska, Hawaii, Vermont and Montana are identifying few new cases.The areas around Lincoln, Neb., Des Moines and St. Cloud, Minn., are seeing rapid, rising case numbers, as are parts of western Kentucky. Yet the situation in Miami, Detroit and New Orleans has improved sharply in recent weeks. Alaska, Hawaii, Vermont and Montana are identifying few new cases.
When the Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency approval to an antiviral drug, remdesivir, for treatment of hospitalized virus patients, doctors were overjoyed.When the Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency approval to an antiviral drug, remdesivir, for treatment of hospitalized virus patients, doctors were overjoyed.
Remdesivir is the only treatment so far shown to be effective at speeding recovery, albeit only modestly, in severely ill patients. But the drug did not decrease the death rate in a federal trial of about 100 patients.Remdesivir is the only treatment so far shown to be effective at speeding recovery, albeit only modestly, in severely ill patients. But the drug did not decrease the death rate in a federal trial of about 100 patients.
Now distribution of remdesivir has become mired in the sort of controversy that has dogged most of the Trump administration’s efforts to respond to the U.S. epidemic.Now distribution of remdesivir has become mired in the sort of controversy that has dogged most of the Trump administration’s efforts to respond to the U.S. epidemic.
Small community hospitals with few or no virus patients have received the drug, while medical centers besieged with cases have been denied.Small community hospitals with few or no virus patients have received the drug, while medical centers besieged with cases have been denied.
Only four hospitals in Massachusetts, for example, received remdesivir: three small community hospitals and Massachusetts General, a Harvard University teaching hospital. Officials at Mass General say they did not even ask for remdesivir but were told by the distributor, AmerisourceBergen, that they would be receiving it.Only four hospitals in Massachusetts, for example, received remdesivir: three small community hospitals and Massachusetts General, a Harvard University teaching hospital. Officials at Mass General say they did not even ask for remdesivir but were told by the distributor, AmerisourceBergen, that they would be receiving it.
Other major hospitals were left out, including Boston Medical Center, which has many vulnerable African-American patients.Other major hospitals were left out, including Boston Medical Center, which has many vulnerable African-American patients.
After F.D.A. approval, hospitals were told to inquire with AmerisourceBergen as to whether they would be receiving a shipment. Often the answer was no, but hospital administrators have not been able to learn who created the list or what were the criteria for inclusion.After F.D.A. approval, hospitals were told to inquire with AmerisourceBergen as to whether they would be receiving a shipment. Often the answer was no, but hospital administrators have not been able to learn who created the list or what were the criteria for inclusion.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America and the H.I.V. Medicine Association have written to Mr. Pence, the head of the White House virus task force, pleading for an explanation.The Infectious Diseases Society of America and the H.I.V. Medicine Association have written to Mr. Pence, the head of the White House virus task force, pleading for an explanation.
The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, said during a news briefing that Dr. Deborah L. Birx, the White House’s task force coordinator, was taking a lead role in federal oversight of how remdesivir is allocated.The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, said during a news briefing that Dr. Deborah L. Birx, the White House’s task force coordinator, was taking a lead role in federal oversight of how remdesivir is allocated.
Dr. Birx “is going to be working in consulting as to where this drug should go,” Ms. McEnany said.Dr. Birx “is going to be working in consulting as to where this drug should go,” Ms. McEnany said.
She added that the White House was “so thankful” to Gilead for donating 1.5 million vials of remdesivir, adding that “this drug is promising and we want to get it to the American people and to the areas that need it most.”She added that the White House was “so thankful” to Gilead for donating 1.5 million vials of remdesivir, adding that “this drug is promising and we want to get it to the American people and to the areas that need it most.”
On Friday, Ahmaud Arbery would have turned 26.On Friday, Ahmaud Arbery would have turned 26.
Instead, more than two months after he was shot to death near Brunswick, Ga., on Feb. 23, people are finding ways to protest in person and from a distance to honor his memory and mourn his death.Instead, more than two months after he was shot to death near Brunswick, Ga., on Feb. 23, people are finding ways to protest in person and from a distance to honor his memory and mourn his death.
To commemorate his birthday — and to honor the date of his death — supporters are going for 2.23-mile runs. And at a time when many people are reluctant to gather in person to rally, they are connecting instead under the hashtag #IRunWithMaud on social media.To commemorate his birthday — and to honor the date of his death — supporters are going for 2.23-mile runs. And at a time when many people are reluctant to gather in person to rally, they are connecting instead under the hashtag #IRunWithMaud on social media.
In Brunswick, there was a protest in person. Demonstrators, almost all of them wearing masks, packed in front of the Glynn County Courthouse to demand justice.In Brunswick, there was a protest in person. Demonstrators, almost all of them wearing masks, packed in front of the Glynn County Courthouse to demand justice.
It was yet another example of the way the virus has changed life — in this case the way it has helped shape the protests that followed the death of Mr. Arbery, a young black man.It was yet another example of the way the virus has changed life — in this case the way it has helped shape the protests that followed the death of Mr. Arbery, a young black man.
Mr. Arbery, a former high school athlete and avid jogger, was running through a residential neighborhood when he was confronted by two white men, a former police officer and his son, and fatally shot. The men were arrested on Thursday night after an international outcry.Mr. Arbery, a former high school athlete and avid jogger, was running through a residential neighborhood when he was confronted by two white men, a former police officer and his son, and fatally shot. The men were arrested on Thursday night after an international outcry.
By Friday morning, the hashtag #IRunWithMaud had been used tens of thousands of times on Twitter, and people shared photographs of themselves outside in running gear, often alongside photos of Mr. Arbery.By Friday morning, the hashtag #IRunWithMaud had been used tens of thousands of times on Twitter, and people shared photographs of themselves outside in running gear, often alongside photos of Mr. Arbery.
In Atlanta on Friday, people ran with #IRunWithMaud and #BlackLivesMatter signs pinned to their backs. But the people who ran in Mr. Arbery’s honor came from all across the United States, and they included doctors, teachers and professional athletes.In Atlanta on Friday, people ran with #IRunWithMaud and #BlackLivesMatter signs pinned to their backs. But the people who ran in Mr. Arbery’s honor came from all across the United States, and they included doctors, teachers and professional athletes.
“Happy birthday to Ahmaud Arbery,” the New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins said in a video he recorded during his run on Friday. “Even though they arrested those two men, we’ve got to make sure they don’t forget his face and that he gets his justice in court.”“Happy birthday to Ahmaud Arbery,” the New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins said in a video he recorded during his run on Friday. “Even though they arrested those two men, we’ve got to make sure they don’t forget his face and that he gets his justice in court.”
The Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that it had granted emergency authorization for the first at-home saliva collection kit to test for the virus.The Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that it had granted emergency authorization for the first at-home saliva collection kit to test for the virus.
The test kit was developed by a Rutgers University laboratory, called RUCDR Infinite Biologics, in partnership with Spectrum Solutions and Accurate Diagnostic Labs. They will cost about $100 each, Rutgers said, and must be ordered by a physician.The test kit was developed by a Rutgers University laboratory, called RUCDR Infinite Biologics, in partnership with Spectrum Solutions and Accurate Diagnostic Labs. They will cost about $100 each, Rutgers said, and must be ordered by a physician.
“A patient can open the kit, spit into the tube, put the cap back on and ship it back to our lab,” said Dr. Andrew Brooks, chief operating officer and director of technology development at RUCDR.“A patient can open the kit, spit into the tube, put the cap back on and ship it back to our lab,” said Dr. Andrew Brooks, chief operating officer and director of technology development at RUCDR.
Dr. Brooks said the tests should be used only by people who have symptoms. His lab can process 20,000 tests each day, with a 48-hour turnaround, but he expects other labs to adopt it for their own use.Dr. Brooks said the tests should be used only by people who have symptoms. His lab can process 20,000 tests each day, with a 48-hour turnaround, but he expects other labs to adopt it for their own use.
At a time when some states say they are still facing a shortage of tests, the at-home spit-collection kits have the potential to widen the audience for virus screening and reduce the risk of spreading the infection to health care workers.At a time when some states say they are still facing a shortage of tests, the at-home spit-collection kits have the potential to widen the audience for virus screening and reduce the risk of spreading the infection to health care workers.
Some public health experts, however, have cautioned that at-home sampling kits can also come with downsides. One is that it can take longer for people to get test results when they use at-home kits that need to be sent to labs. Because the infection can take several days to develop, they said, the time lag could result in some people receiving false negative test results.Some public health experts, however, have cautioned that at-home sampling kits can also come with downsides. One is that it can take longer for people to get test results when they use at-home kits that need to be sent to labs. Because the infection can take several days to develop, they said, the time lag could result in some people receiving false negative test results.
Records from medical examiners recount lonely deaths from people “found unresponsive at home.”Records from medical examiners recount lonely deaths from people “found unresponsive at home.”
A 71-year-old woman with nausea who was sent home from the emergency room, even though a doctor wanted to admit her. A 63-year-old nurse who was self-isolating while she waited for results from her virus test. A 77-year-old man who was prescribed antibiotics by a doctor out of state for his fever and dry cough.A 71-year-old woman with nausea who was sent home from the emergency room, even though a doctor wanted to admit her. A 63-year-old nurse who was self-isolating while she waited for results from her virus test. A 77-year-old man who was prescribed antibiotics by a doctor out of state for his fever and dry cough.
All were found unresponsive at home, their lives claimed by Covid-19 before they ever had a chance to check into the hospital.All were found unresponsive at home, their lives claimed by Covid-19 before they ever had a chance to check into the hospital.
The agony of how the virus has killed at least 1,600 Floridians, many of them older, is brief and matter of fact in the unadorned language of medical examiners, who summarize death in sometimes less than 200 words.The agony of how the virus has killed at least 1,600 Floridians, many of them older, is brief and matter of fact in the unadorned language of medical examiners, who summarize death in sometimes less than 200 words.
But a trove of short narratives from nearly all of the state’s deaths so far show that a substantial number of people have died suddenly after returning home from the hospital or visiting a doctor or a clinic. Many worsened, returned to the hospital and died there.But a trove of short narratives from nearly all of the state’s deaths so far show that a substantial number of people have died suddenly after returning home from the hospital or visiting a doctor or a clinic. Many worsened, returned to the hospital and died there.
A 5-year-old in New York City died on Thursday from what appeared to be a rare syndrome that causes life-threatening inflammation in children and that may be linked to the virus, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said.A 5-year-old in New York City died on Thursday from what appeared to be a rare syndrome that causes life-threatening inflammation in children and that may be linked to the virus, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said.
It is believed to be the first known death in New York related to the mysterious new syndrome, which officials said began to appear in recent weeks.It is believed to be the first known death in New York related to the mysterious new syndrome, which officials said began to appear in recent weeks.
Mr. Cuomo said Friday that 73 children in New York area had been afflicted with the illness, which doctors have labeled “pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome.” He said the state Health Department was investigating other possible cases.Mr. Cuomo said Friday that 73 children in New York area had been afflicted with the illness, which doctors have labeled “pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome.” He said the state Health Department was investigating other possible cases.
“This would be really painful news and would open up an entirely different chapter,” Mr. Cuomo said. “Because I can’t tell you how many people I spoke to who took peace and solace in the fact that children were not getting infected.”“This would be really painful news and would open up an entirely different chapter,” Mr. Cuomo said. “Because I can’t tell you how many people I spoke to who took peace and solace in the fact that children were not getting infected.”
According to the most recent breakdown from the state, three children under age 10 had died of the virus, out of more than 21,000 fatalities.According to the most recent breakdown from the state, three children under age 10 had died of the virus, out of more than 21,000 fatalities.
On Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City would attempt to address the glaring racial disparity when it comes to enforcing social-distancing rules. He said that the police would limit crowds at two piers at Hudson River Park and another popular park, Domino Park in Brooklyn, starting this weekend.On Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City would attempt to address the glaring racial disparity when it comes to enforcing social-distancing rules. He said that the police would limit crowds at two piers at Hudson River Park and another popular park, Domino Park in Brooklyn, starting this weekend.
The move comes after footage surfaced last weekend of a police officer beating a black man in a confrontation over the rules just as photographs also circulated showing police officers handing out masks to mostly white visitors at parks. Many people pointed to that as evidence that the police were engaged in a racist double standard.The move comes after footage surfaced last weekend of a police officer beating a black man in a confrontation over the rules just as photographs also circulated showing police officers handing out masks to mostly white visitors at parks. Many people pointed to that as evidence that the police were engaged in a racist double standard.
On Friday afternoon, the police released the racial breakdown of 374 people who had received social-distancing summonses. More than 80 percent were black or Hispanic. This means that black and Hispanic people, who make up about half the population, are more than four times as likely as white and Asian people to have received a summons.On Friday afternoon, the police released the racial breakdown of 374 people who had received social-distancing summonses. More than 80 percent were black or Hispanic. This means that black and Hispanic people, who make up about half the population, are more than four times as likely as white and Asian people to have received a summons.
Concerning lopsided race numbers in arrests in Brooklyn, Mr. de Blasio wrote on Twitter on Thursday that while summons and arrests were tools for saving lives, “The disparity in the numbers does NOT reflect our values. We HAVE TO do better and we WILL.”Concerning lopsided race numbers in arrests in Brooklyn, Mr. de Blasio wrote on Twitter on Thursday that while summons and arrests were tools for saving lives, “The disparity in the numbers does NOT reflect our values. We HAVE TO do better and we WILL.”
But on Friday morning, he cautioned against drawing conclusions from that data, saying the numbers of arrests and summons were small relative to the city’s population.But on Friday morning, he cautioned against drawing conclusions from that data, saying the numbers of arrests and summons were small relative to the city’s population.
The Brooklyn district attorney said he was reviewing social-distancing arrests in the borough to determine if criminal charges were warranted. His office’s policy during the pandemic has been to decline misdemeanor cases that do not involve public safety threats, including social-distancing cases.The Brooklyn district attorney said he was reviewing social-distancing arrests in the borough to determine if criminal charges were warranted. His office’s policy during the pandemic has been to decline misdemeanor cases that do not involve public safety threats, including social-distancing cases.
As New York City looks to quell the outbreak, the city’s contact tracing efforts would not be led by the city’s renowned Health Department, which for decades has conducted contact tracing for other diseases, the mayor said Friday, a decision that puzzled current and former health officials, who questioned changing a proven strategy.As New York City looks to quell the outbreak, the city’s contact tracing efforts would not be led by the city’s renowned Health Department, which for decades has conducted contact tracing for other diseases, the mayor said Friday, a decision that puzzled current and former health officials, who questioned changing a proven strategy.
Instead, in a sharp departure from current and past practice, the city is going to put the vast new public health apparatus in the hands of its public hospital system, Health and Hospitals.Instead, in a sharp departure from current and past practice, the city is going to put the vast new public health apparatus in the hands of its public hospital system, Health and Hospitals.
During an interview Friday morning with “Fox & Friends”, Mr. Trump said he would commit to providing rapid testing to his presumptive presidential opponent, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., if the Biden campaign needed it.
“I’d love to see him get out of the basement so he can speak, because you know he’s locked in a basement somewhere, and every time he talks, it’s like a good thing,” Mr. Trump said. Myles Coker spent just under 23 years as an inmate, and he would call his boys once or twice a week during that time.
Mr. Biden has been campaigning from his home since virus restrictions were put in place. When they were little, living with their mother and sleeping on the floor of their grandfather’s apartment in Harlem, Mr. Coker would excuse his prolonged absence by saying that he had taken time off from working for a limousine service to travel to the Midwest to train Renaldo Snipes, the heavyweight boxer who had been his sometime sparring partner.
“I’ll give them the test immediately, we would have it to them today,” Mr. Trump said. “Nobody has ever asked me for the test.” Finally, Mr. Coker owned up to having made a mistake, a big one, in his early 40s — one that upended his life and ravaged those of others. Driven by greed and easy money, he had become a heroin dealer, reaping as much as $25,000 a month as an offshoot of a much larger organized crime drug distribution network.
He added that he would make sure that it was “one of the Abbotts,” referring to a quick response testing capability developed by Abbott called ID Now. “It’s a great laboratory and we would have them a machine or two today if they needed it,” he said. Mr. Coker had packaged and sold so much heroin that federal guidelines at the time of his sentencing in 1994 required him to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Mr. Trump said he has been tested often and would continue to be tested on a daily basis after learning that one of his personal valets had tested positive for the virus. The president said he had yet to take an antibody test, but he expected that he would at some point. But it turned out that the government, too, had made a mistake of sorts. Three weeks after Mr. Coker was sentenced, the federal guidelines were relaxed. A year later, the rules were changed again so that the reduced sentences could be applied retroactively.
The president also repeated his prediction that the virus would claim the lives of 100,000 Americans, and that it could be more. “100,000, 110 or higher,” he said during the interview. “You’re talking about, I think, two Yankee Stadiums of people,” he said, which would be 108,502, based on the number of seats in the stadium. Except nobody told Mr. Coker.
Mr. Trump’s estimates are still less than what experts forecast: One model projects a total of 135,000 deaths by early August. Mr. Coker was finally released early, after nearly 23 years, in 2013. The judge invoked what she described as Mr. Coker’s “extraordinary” ability, even while imprisoned, to be “a true father figure to his wonderful sons” and “the truly astounding” evidence of his rehabilitation offered by his guards.
There won’t be masses of people pouring into bars and restaurants, which are still supposed to be closed except for takeout, and in-person church services are still off. He went to work for a friend’s pest control company in Queens. He died of the novel coronavirus on April 9 in a Manhattan hospital. He was 69.
But some retail businesses, like florists — in time for Mother’s Day — as well as clothing, toy, book, music and sporting goods stores, will be able to start operating Friday in California, as long as they serve customers with curbside pickup and take other precautionary measures.
Manufacturers and suppliers for those kinds of businesses can also operate under the change.
“These are meaningful modifications,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Thursday. “We’re moving away now from essential or nonessential to lower risk or higher risk.”
Also on Thursday, state officials laid out criteria for counties that hope to open sooner than the state more broadly, including opening restaurants for dine-in service. The county must certify, among other things, that there have been no virus-related deaths in the past 14 days and that testing is available for at least 75 percent of residents within a 30-minute drive in urban areas and an hour in rural ones.
Recent polling suggests Americans are heeding the advice of health officials and do not want a quick return to normalcy, despite skyrocketing unemployment because of the virus and Mr. Trump’s cheerleading to reopen the economy.Recent polling suggests Americans are heeding the advice of health officials and do not want a quick return to normalcy, despite skyrocketing unemployment because of the virus and Mr. Trump’s cheerleading to reopen the economy.
Mr. Trump said this week that he was eager “to get our country open again,” adding, “People want to go back, and you’re going to have a problem if you don’t do it.”Mr. Trump said this week that he was eager “to get our country open again,” adding, “People want to go back, and you’re going to have a problem if you don’t do it.”
But more than two-thirds of respondents said in a Pew Research Center poll released Thursday that they were more concerned that state governments would reopen their economies too quickly than that they might take too long — roughly on par with past responses to the same question.But more than two-thirds of respondents said in a Pew Research Center poll released Thursday that they were more concerned that state governments would reopen their economies too quickly than that they might take too long — roughly on par with past responses to the same question.
And in a survey released late last month by The Associated Press and NORC, 68 percent of Americans said they had a great deal of trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide them with reliable information about the pandemic. That’s three times as much as the dismal 23 percent who said they definitely trusted Mr. Trump’s statements on the virus.And in a survey released late last month by The Associated Press and NORC, 68 percent of Americans said they had a great deal of trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide them with reliable information about the pandemic. That’s three times as much as the dismal 23 percent who said they definitely trusted Mr. Trump’s statements on the virus.
The virus’s effects are being felt most acutely in states with a high concentration of people in cities, and the six most-infected states per capita all trend Democratic politically. Black people and Latinos are showing some of the highest rates of infection: More than a quarter of all confirmed cases have been among Latinos, according to C.D.C. statistics, and even more have been among African-American people.The virus’s effects are being felt most acutely in states with a high concentration of people in cities, and the six most-infected states per capita all trend Democratic politically. Black people and Latinos are showing some of the highest rates of infection: More than a quarter of all confirmed cases have been among Latinos, according to C.D.C. statistics, and even more have been among African-American people.
According to a Quinnipiac University poll of residents in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area — the center of the virus in the United States — 71 percent of respondents said they wanted their state government to focus on controlling the virus, not on reopening.According to a Quinnipiac University poll of residents in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area — the center of the virus in the United States — 71 percent of respondents said they wanted their state government to focus on controlling the virus, not on reopening.
All 14 enrolled students showed up on Thursday morning to the two-room schoolhouse in Cohagen, Mont., one of the first communities to reopen school doors across the country as tens of millions of children remain home.All 14 enrolled students showed up on Thursday morning to the two-room schoolhouse in Cohagen, Mont., one of the first communities to reopen school doors across the country as tens of millions of children remain home.
Parents were given the option to keep their children at home, but none chose to do so, according to Joni Carroll, the school’s sole teacher, who handles preschool through the eighth grade.Parents were given the option to keep their children at home, but none chose to do so, according to Joni Carroll, the school’s sole teacher, who handles preschool through the eighth grade.
A handful of other rural Montana districts, where cases have been rare, are also reopening. On Thursday, 35 students showed up to class in Willow Creek, Mont., according to superintendent Bonnie Lower, just over 60 percent of the small district’s population.A handful of other rural Montana districts, where cases have been rare, are also reopening. On Thursday, 35 students showed up to class in Willow Creek, Mont., according to superintendent Bonnie Lower, just over 60 percent of the small district’s population.
In the farming and ranching town of Circle, some of the local public school’s 190 students are expected to trickle back next week for “tutoring day” appointments with their teachers and a shortened school day.In the farming and ranching town of Circle, some of the local public school’s 190 students are expected to trickle back next week for “tutoring day” appointments with their teachers and a shortened school day.
With a total of 35 staff members and just 10 seniors in the graduating class, the district does not face big-school challenges like overflowing hallways or packed classrooms. Still, the school is going to stagger the days when different grades are allowed back, and it is limiting the number who can meet with teachers at any one time — a preview, perhaps, of what is in store for the rest of the nation’s students in the fall.With a total of 35 staff members and just 10 seniors in the graduating class, the district does not face big-school challenges like overflowing hallways or packed classrooms. Still, the school is going to stagger the days when different grades are allowed back, and it is limiting the number who can meet with teachers at any one time — a preview, perhaps, of what is in store for the rest of the nation’s students in the fall.
Restaurants are receiving patrons into dining rooms partially cordoned off for social distancing, friends are seeking safe conversation in the sunshine and some people are trying to continue a productive path forward in isolation.Restaurants are receiving patrons into dining rooms partially cordoned off for social distancing, friends are seeking safe conversation in the sunshine and some people are trying to continue a productive path forward in isolation.
The patchwork of rules meant to slow the pandemic across the United States has continued to evolve, as many state and local governments lifted, shifted and let expire regulations that governed what businesses could be open, as well as how public areas could be used.The patchwork of rules meant to slow the pandemic across the United States has continued to evolve, as many state and local governments lifted, shifted and let expire regulations that governed what businesses could be open, as well as how public areas could be used.
Times photographers explored how people are seeking a bit of normalcy as states wrestle with the shutdowns.Times photographers explored how people are seeking a bit of normalcy as states wrestle with the shutdowns.
Lie in the fetal position, eat a sundae, call a friend: In these tough times, there’s an argument to be made for losing control (within reason). Here’s how all of these releases may help:Lie in the fetal position, eat a sundae, call a friend: In these tough times, there’s an argument to be made for losing control (within reason). Here’s how all of these releases may help:
The Australian government on Friday outlined a cautious, three-step plan to reopen the country by July, with states and territories in control of the timeline.The Australian government on Friday outlined a cautious, three-step plan to reopen the country by July, with states and territories in control of the timeline.
“We cannot allow our fear of going backwards from stopping us from going forward,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.“We cannot allow our fear of going backwards from stopping us from going forward,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Reporting was contributed by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Eileen Sullivan, Alan Blinder, Michael Cooper, Neil Irwin, Patricia Cohen, Tiffany Hsu, Michael D. Shear, Michael Crowley, Patricia Mazzei, Rebecca Halleck, Richard A. Oppel Jr., Lola Fadulu, Julie Bosman, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Ashley Southall, Andy Newman, Michal Gold, Sarah Maslin Nir, Michael Levenson, Jill Cowan, Michael Crowley, Rick Rojas, Sarah Mervosh, Giovanni Russonello, Marc Santora, James Gorman, J. David Goodman, William K. Rashbaum, Jeffery C. Mays, Ben Casselman, Nelson D. Schwartz, Sheila Kaplan, Natasha Singer, Alan Rappeport, Dana Goldstein, Jack Healy and Barbara Harvey.
Reporting was contributed by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Eileen Sullivan, Alan Blinder, Michael Cooper, Nick Corasaniti, Neil Irwin, Patricia Cohen, Tiffany Hsu, Shawn Hubler, Michael D. Shear, Michael Crowley, Patricia Mazzei, Rebecca Halleck, Richard A. Oppel Jr., Lola Fadulu, Julie Bosman, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Ashley Southall, Jennifer Medina, Andy Newman, Michal Gold, Sarah Maslin Nir, Michael Levenson, Jill Cowan, Michael Crowley, Rick Rojas, Sarah Mervosh, Giovanni Russonello, Marc Santora, James Gorman, J. David Goodman, William K. Rashbaum, Jeffery C. Mays, Ben Casselman, Nelson D. Schwartz, Sheila Kaplan, Natasha Singer, Alan Rappeport, Dana Goldstein, Jack Healy and Barbara Harvey.