Coronavirus: Voters reject Trump's pick in chaotic Wisconsin court race
More than 2 million people worldwide – including over 572,000 people in the United States – have been infected with the new coronavirus, and the number of deaths from the outbreak continues to rise. Officials are attempting to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. as hospitals brace for unprecedented patient surges.
Live updates for Monday, April 13, continue below:
Voters reject Trump's pick in chaotic Wisconsin court race
Update 11:45 p.m. EDT April 13: A liberal challenger on Monday ousted a conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice endorsed by President Donald Trump, overcoming a successful push by Republicans to forge ahead with last week's election even as numerous other states postponed theirs due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Joe Biden also emerged victorious, as expected, in the state's Democratic presidential primary. Biden's easy victory became academic when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out, one day after Wisconsin held in-person voting.
But the absentee-ballot-fueled victory by liberal Supreme Court candidate Jill Karofsky was a huge win for Democrats. It reduced conservative control of the court to 4-3, giving liberals a chance to take control in 2023.
Karofsky will now be on the court when the Republican-controlled Legislature tackles redistricting next year, a fight many expect to be decided by the state Supreme Court.
Her win will also certainly be seen as a bellwether in battleground Wisconsin ahead of the November presidential election. Trump barely carried the state four years ago, and both parties see it as critical this year.
Justice Dan Kelly was an early underdog in the Supreme Court race, given the expected higher Democratic turnout since the election was on the same day as the presidential primary. But the Supreme Court outcome became more uncertain as Biden emerged as the presumptive nominee in March and the coronavirus pandemic led to fears of in-person voting and closure of polling locations.
China reports exports fell further in March
Update 11:15 p.m. EDT April 13: China's government reported that exports fell further in March compared with February amid a global economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The customs agency said exports fell 3.5% in Chinese currency terms to 1.3 trillion yuan ($183 billion). The agency didn't immediately report figures in U.S. dollars, in which all of China's trade is conducted, or give a year-on-year comparison, its standard measurement of growth.
Exports fell 17.2% in February in U.S. dollar terms as anti-virus controls closed factories, shopping malls and other businesses.
Trump uses pandemic virus briefing to air laudatory video
Update 10 p.m. EDT April 13: President Donald Trump on Monday used the daily White House briefing to air a taxpayer-funded promotional video praising his own handling of the coronavirus outbreak and slamming his critics and the press.
pic.twitter.com/6fEymjTjUM
In a highly unusual move at a briefing meant to inform Americans about the pandemic, the lights in the briefing room dimmed for a video running more than 3 minutes that was a montage of officials offering laudatory comments about the president and of Trump discussing his steps to contain the virus.
"Everything we did was right," Trump said, complaining at length about negative press coverage. He said of the video, "I've think I've educated a lot of people as to the press."
It amounted to a telling demonstration of the president' growing defensiveness in the face of criticism that the administration should have acted more aggressively and sooner to combat the virus.
Number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpasses 2 million worldwide
Update 7:30 p.m. EDT April 13: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has surpassed 2 million worldwide, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.
The brunt of the disease has been felt most heavily in New York, Italy, France, Spain and the United Kingdom, but grim projections of a virus that would spread with equal ferocity to other corners of America and the world have not yet materialized after more than a month of measures meant to blunt its impact.
The death toll in populous states such as Florida and Pennsylvania was on par with some individual counties outside New York City. Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city and a hub for immigrant communities and business travelers in the energy industry, has been largely spared compared to other parts of the U.S. As Colorado deaths surpassed 300 on Monday, Gov. Jared Polis compared that figure to New York's thousands and called it "a tragic indication of our success in Colorado."
Trump says it's his call when to ease virus rules, not governors
Update 7:30 p.m. EDT April 13: President Donald Trump claimed the authority Monday to decide how and when to reopen the economy after weeks of tough social distancing guidelines aimed at fighting the new coronavirus. But governors from both parties were quick to push back, noting they have the primary constitutional responsibility for ensuring public safety in their states and would decide when it's safe to begin a return to normal operations.
Democratic leaders in the Northeast and along the West Coast announced separate state compacts to coordinate their efforts to scale back stay-at-home orders or reopen businesses on their own timetables, even as Trump tried to say it's his call.
"When somebody is president of the United States, the authority is total," Trump said at Monday's White House coronavirus briefing. "The governors know that."
But he offered no specifics about the source of his authority or his plan to reopen the economy.
Anxious to put the twin public health and economic crises behind him, Trump has backed federal social distancing recommendations that expire at the end of the month. But it has been governors and local leaders who have instituted mandatory restrictions, including shuttering schools and closing non-essential businesses.
Taking to Twitter, Trump wrote that some are "saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect ... it is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons."
....It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons. With that being said, the Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue. A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!
Governors form compacts to coordinate reopening society
Update 7:10 p.m. EDT April 13: Governors in the Northeast and along the West Coast on Monday announced separate state compacts to coordinate one of their biggest challenges in the weeks to come: How to begin reopening society amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The governors, all but one of them Democrats, made separate announcements just hours after President Donald Trump said on Twitter that it was his decision to decide when to "open up the states."
They did not announce specific plans on how to scale back stay-at-home orders or reopen businesses. Instead, both groups said they would coordinate those decisions while first considering the health of residents. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said it could take time.
"The house is still on fire," he said during a conference call with reporters. "We still have to put the fire out, but we do have to begin putting in the pieces of the puzzle that we know we're going to need ... to make sure this doesn't reignite."
His state is in a coalition with its Northeastern neighbors — Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Massachusetts, the only one of the states involved with a Republican governor, was announced as a member later in the day Monday.
The governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced similar plans Monday. While each state is building its own plan, the three West Coast states have agreed to a framework saying they will work together, put their residents' health first and let science guide their decisions.
Trump administration seeks delay in 2020 census
Update 5:15 p.m. EDT April 13: The Trump administration wants to delay deadlines for the 2020 census because of the coronavirus outbreak, a move that if approved would push back timetables for releasing data used to draw congressional and legislative districts, the chair of the House oversight committee said Monday.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney said administration officials were asking that all field operations be postponed until June 1 and that the deadline for wrapping up the nation's head count be pushed back until Oct. 31.
Field operations for the 2020 census have been suspended since mid-March and were set to resume this week. The deadline for finishing the head count also had been pushed back from the end of July to mid-August because of the pandemic.
US reports 23K deaths, more than 570K total cases
Update 4:50 p.m. EDT April 13: At least 23,000 people have died in the United States as a result of coronavirus according to the latest according to data from Johns Hopkins University. By Monday afternoon, there were 572,169 confirmed cases in the U.S., three times the number of cases in Italy and Spain.
Ohio health director believes state at peak of coronavirus infections
Update 4 p.m. EDT April 13: Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton said she believes Ohio is now in at peak of its coronavirus epidemic and that the peak has so far stayed flat, WHIO-TV reported.
As of Monday, 6,975 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state. WHIO-TV reported 274 people have died and 2,033 people have been hospitalized, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
.@DrAmyActon: Out of the 2,033 overall hospitalizations reported in the state, there are 898 current hospitalizations for COVID-19: https://t.co/W5haryS2fq
— WHIO-TV (@whiotv) April 13, 2020
Update 3:55 p.m. EDT April 13: Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey said health officials reported 3,219 new coronavirus infections Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 64,584 in the state.
The number is slightly higher than the 3,088 new cases reported Friday.
Officials also reported 94 new fatal COVID-19 cases Wednesday. Statewide, 2,443 people have died of coronavirus.
In 1984, Reverend Dr. W. Louis McDowell founded the Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Passaic, and had led its congregation since then. Mt. Pilgrim has grown into a cornerstone of the community. This is the legacy Reverend McDowell leaves. May God bless him. pic.twitter.com/zjnkOa8PDn
.@CityPatersonNJ Police Offier Francesco Scorpo was only 34 years old when we lost him on Saturday. He will be remembered as a loving son, husband, and father, but also as an exemplary police officer who served his community with great pride. Our prayers are with his family. pic.twitter.com/xAS5ZoHnXo
Philip Dover was a @NJTRANSIT bus operator, having joined the ranks in 1996. He was a proud member of the Amalgamated Transit Union. Philip served NJ – and the thousands of riders who depended on him over the past 24 years – with distinction. Our hearts are with his family. pic.twitter.com/KU9xazLhHp
Sending my deepest condolences to @CityPatersonNJ Mayor Andre Sayegh, who lost his uncle, John Obeji, a Syrian immigrant who became a successful chemical engineer. His story is the story of America. Mayor Sayegh and his family are in my prayers. pic.twitter.com/YslwUZ0KRT
Over 95% of Los Angeles County would get COVID-19 if social distancing measures end, projection claims
Update 3:35 p.m. EDT April 13: Projections released by officials in Los Angeles County show that 95.6% of the county would be infected with COVID-19 by Aug. 1 if social distancing measures were to end now, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Officials expect that if social distancing measures in the county continue as-is, 29.8% of Los Angeles County residents will still be infected by Aug. 1. More stringent efforts would lower the infection rate to 5.5% by Aug. 1, the Times reported.
Health officials in the county said that as of Sunday, 9,192 coronavirus infections have been reported in the area, resulting in 296 deaths.
Governors of 6 northeastern states, including New York, coordinating on reopening plan
Update 2:55 p.m. EDT April 13: The governors of three states in the northeast announced Monday that they are coordinating plans to reopen their economies once the threat of the coronavirus pandemic passes.
The governors of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware announced they plan to work together to avoid a possible resurgence of COVID-19 later in the year.
"We cannot act on our own," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday in a Twitter post. "We must be smart (and) tactical in how our region comes out of this, or else we'll be right back to square one."
On a conference call with @NYGovCuomo @GovMurphy @GovNedLamont @GovernorTomWolf @GovRaimondo
Listen live: https://t.co/Bf0hHOhmpA
— Governor John Carney (@JohnCarneyDE) April 13, 2020
1st coronavirus death reported in Wyoming; deaths reported in all 50 states
Update 2:45 p.m. EDT April 13: Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming said the state recorded its first COVID-19 death Monday.
Gordon identified the person as a Johnson County man who had underlying health conditions.
"This one was close to home and sadly serves as a grim reminder of the importance of following public health orders and guidance so we can reduce the number of serious illnesses and deaths in our state," Gordon said. "Jennie and I extend our thoughts and prayers to this gentleman's family and friends."
Wyoming was the last state in which no coronavirus-related deaths had been reported, according to CNN.
Trump says he'll decide when to cut back on social distancing guidelines, not governors
Update 2:35 p.m. EDT April 13: President Donald Trump said Monday that the decision on when to ease back on social distancing measures and reopen businesses shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic will fall on him and not state governors.
"It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons," Trump wrote Monday in a Twitter post. "With that being said, the Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue."
While Trump, who is anxious to put the crisis behind him, has issued federal social distancing recommendations, it has been governors and local leaders who have instituted mandatory restrictions, including shuttering schools and ordering the closure of non-essential businesses.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about what authority they believe the president might have to overrule local orders. Under the Constitution, public health and safety is primarily the domain of state and local officials.
White House asks governors for help in testing
Update 2:15 p.m. EDT April 13: The White House is asking governors for help in getting high-tech lab machines up and running to process coronavirus tests.
In a conference call with governors Monday, Vice President Mike Pence asked governors for "whatever you can do" to help get testing machines found in hospitals, research laboratories and other places running at full capacity. The Associated Press obtained audio of the call.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, said on the call that she's working with labs around the country to make sure the machines are running at full capacity.
The machines "have a need for a lot of technical support" and require trained operators to run them, Birx said.
"In the last three weeks, we could have run 3 million tests. We've run 200,000," she said.
Trump not firing Fauci, spokesman says
Update 2:05 p.m. EDT April 13: White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said Monday in a statement that Trump has no intention of firing Anthony Fauci, who has served since 1984 as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.
"Dr. Fauci has been and remains a trusted (adviser) to President Trump," Gidley said.
The statement came after the president retweeted a message Sunday on Twitter that included the hashtag #FireFauci.
Sorry Fake News, it's all on tape. I banned China long before people spoke up. Thank you @OANN https://t.co/d40JQkUZg5
When asked Sunday on CNN if acting earlier on social distancing and "stay at home" policies could have saved lives, Fauci said, in part: "It's very difficult to go back and say that. I mean, obviously, you could logically say that if you had a process that was ongoing and you started mitigation earlier, you could have saved lives. Obviously, no one is going to deny that. But what goes into those kinds of decisions is complicated."
On Monday, Gidley said Trump's tweet about Fauci "clearly exposed media attempts to maliciously push a falsehood about his China decision in an attempt to rewrite history."
Microsoft to give employees 3 months of parental leave
Update 1:45 p.m. EDT April 13: Officials with technology giant Microsoft announced the company is giving employees three months of paid parental leave amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The time off allows "employees greater flexibility and time off as they face extended school closures," a company spokesperson told CNN.
[ >> Read more: Microsoft to give 12 weeks of parental leave ]
Update 1:10 p.m. EDT April 13: Officials in Louisiana reported 421 new coronavirus infections Monday, raising the state's total number of infections to 20,595.
Officials also reported 44 more fatal coronavirus cases. Statewide, 884 people have died of COVID-19.
As of 12 p.m. April 13, 2020, the Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 21,016 positive cases of #COVID19 in Louisiana. https://t.co/HPzU8KU2xD pic.twitter.com/O2jHP4EF4s
Italian death toll surpasses 20,000
Update 1:05 p.m. EDT April 13: Officials in Italy reported 566 new fatal coronavirus cases Monday, bringing the country's total number of COVID-19 deaths to 20,465.
The coronavirus curve has been flattening in Italy, although the number of deaths reported Monday was slightly larger -- 135 cases more -- than the number of deaths reported one day earlier, according to The Guardian.
Officials said that as of Monday, 159,516 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Italy. The cases included 28,023 in which patients were hospitalized Monday, 3,260 of which were in intensive care. More than 72,000 people had been placed under isolation.
Italy has the third highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, behind Spain, which has more than 169,000 cases, and the United States, which has more than 558,000 cases, according to numbers compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Coronavirus infections top 20,000 in Florida
Update 12:45 p.m. EDT April 13: Health officials in Florida reported 706 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the state's total number of cases to 20,601, WFTV reported.
A vast majority of the cases -- 20,035 -- involve Florida residents, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Statewide, 470 people have died of COVID-19, WFTV reported.
LIVE UPDATES: #Brevard County reports 1 #coronavirus-related death since Sunday evening as statewide cases surpass 20K https://t.co/sIVOLNpNjW #wftv pic.twitter.com/R1z3cM1zjH
— WFTV Channel 9 (@WFTV) April 13, 2020
WHO scientists: Unclear whether people are immune after having COVID-19
Update 12:35 p.m. EDT April 13: Scientists at the World Health Organization say they still do not have enough information to know if people are immune to subsequent COVID-19 infections once they have recovered from the disease.
At a briefing on Monday, WHO emergencies chief Dr. Mike Ryan said that they assume people who have survived the new coronavirus and have a detectable level of antibodies should have some level of protection, but that "we just don't know what that period of time is."
He said scientists can make estimates based on immunity from other coronaviruses, but that even that data is quite limited.
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's technical lead on COVID-19 said the information WHO has on antibody response and immunity is "mixed" and that they need much more information on recovered patients.
She said that there are more than 3,000 patients globally who have so far recovered from the disease and that numerous studies are currently under way to try to answer the immunity question.
"Right now, we don't have a full picture of what immunity looks like," she said. "And until we do, we can't give a complete answer."
More than 24,000 coronavirus cases reported in Pennsylvania
Update 12:15 p.m. EDT April 13: Health officials in Pennsylvania reported 1,366 new COVID-19 cases Monday, raising the state's total number of coronavirus infections to 24,199, WPXI reported.
Officials with the Pennsylvania Department of Health also reported 17 new deaths. According to WPXI, 524 people have died of coronavirus in the state.
LIVE UPDATES: 56 more cases of coronavirus reported across Western Pa. as state tops 24,000 https://t.co/ONBYqGH9qt pic.twitter.com/ibozMjaGND
— WPXI (@WPXI) April 13, 2020
Death toll tops 10,000 in New York
Update 11:40 a.m. EDT April 13: Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York said Monday that 671 new fatal COVID-19 cases were reported Sunday, raising the death toll in the state to 10,056.
"For me, I'm Catholic. Easter Sunday is ... one of the high holy days and to have this happen over this weekend is really, really especially tragic," Cuomo said. "They're all in our thoughts and prayers."
New York mourns the 671 people we lost yesterday.
We lost them on Easter Sunday. And that acute pain is deeply felt by all of us.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 13, 2020
Cuomo noted that the numbers reported Monday represented the lowest number of coroanvirus-related deaths reported in the state in at least the last five days. On Sunday, 758 new fatal cases were reported.
As of Monday, 195,031 people have tested positive for coronavirus in New York, the highest number of cases reported anywhere in the world outside of the United States itself.
Nearly 2,000 coronavirus infections reported in DC
Update 11:20 a.m. EDT April 13: Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington D.C. said Monday that 80 new coronavirus infections have been reported in the area, bringing the total number of cases in the capitol to 1,955.
Bowser said Monday that two people, ages 53 and 68, also died of COVID-19. Fifty-two Washington D.C. residents have died of coronavirus, officials said.
2/ The District reported two additional COVID-19 related deaths: a 53-year-old male and a 68-year-old male. Tragically, 52 District residents have lost their lives due to COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/dWeLGoSu1K
Amazon adding 75,000 new jobs amid COVID-19 pandemic
Update 10:50 a.m. EDT April 13: Officials with the online retail giant Amazon announced on Monday that the company is looking to hire 75,000 more people to meet customer demand amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The company last month added 100,000 jobs to its network.
"We continue to see increased demand as our teams support their communities, and are going to continue to hire, creating an additional 75,000 jobs to help serve customers during this unprecedented time," Dave Clark, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide operations and customer service, said in a statement updated Monday.
In the last month, over 100,000 people have started new jobs at Amazon. We couldn't be more grateful to our teams for serving their communities during this unprecedented time & we're creating an additional 75,000 jobs to help people get items they need. https://t.co/RFT1iCjgvh
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) April 13, 2020
Supreme Court to hear arguments by telephone
Update 10:20 a.m. EDT April 13: The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments by telephone next month for some cases that were previously postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Monday in a news release.
"In keeping with public health guidance in response to COVID-19 the Justices and counsel will all participate remotely," court spokeswoman Kathleen Arberg said. She added that news organizations will likely have access to a live audio feed of the arguments.
Among the cases to be debated by phone are two involving attempts by President Donald Trump to keep his financial documents from being released, CNN reported. Arguments for the case had been scheduled for March 31 but were postponed due to the threat of the coronavirus.
Update 10:10 a.m. EDT April 13: Officials in the United Kingdom recorded 717 new fatal COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the country's coronavirus death toll to 11,329.
As of 5pm on 12 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 11,329 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/AijH4hfOV1
The number is 2,371 higher than the number of fatal cases reported Friday.
Authorities with the British Department of Health and Social Care also announced a total of 88,621 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus infections in the U.K. The number is 14,863 higher than the number of cases reported nationwide Friday.
Surgeon General: COVID-19 cases 'appear to be leveling off' in parts of US
Update 9:50 a.m. EDT April 13: U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Monday that parts of the country are seeing reports of new coronavirus infections stabilizing.
In a tweet, Adams said reports of new cases appeared to be stabilizing in California and Washington while in New York, New Jersey, Detroit and New Orleans, new reports "appear to be leveling off."
"Social distancing and mitigation IS working," Adams wrote. "There is light at the end of this dark tunnel so keep at it!"
In the midst of tragedy, there IS hope. CA and WA remain stable in terms of #COVID19 cases, and NY, NJ, & even Detroit & New Orleans appear to be leveling off or ⬇️
Social distancing and mitigation IS working. There is a light at the end of this dark tunnel, so keep at it 🇺🇸!
— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) April 13, 2020
US stocks open lower following their biggest week since 1974
Update 9:45 a.m. EDT April 13: Stocks opened lower Monday on Wall Street following the biggest week for the market since 1974.
The S&P 500 fell 1% in early trading Monday. It had surged 12% last week. The price of oil rose after major oil producers agreed to cut output as demand craters because of the slowdowns caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. European markets were closed for a holiday and Asian markets ended mostly lower.
Major banks will be the first U.S. companies to report their first-quarter earnings this week, and investors will be watching closely for what they say about how the coronavirus is impacting their business.
U.S. stocks open lower https://t.co/YQ80icqSyF pic.twitter.com/ArlDN5kINS
Navy sailor assigned to USS Theodore Roosevelt dies of COVID-19 complications
Update 9:35 a.m. EDT April 13: Officials with the U.S. Navy announced Monday that sailor who had been assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt died Monday, four days after being admitted to intensive care in Guam with COVID-19.
Navy officials said the sailor, whose name was not immediately released to allow for time to notify his next-of-kin, tested positive for a coronavirus infection March 30. He was placed in isolation on Naval Base Guam with four other sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
Officials said they found him unresponsive Thursday during a daily medical check, prompting them to transfer him into intensive care. He died Monday of what authorities called "COVID-related complications."
The Roosevelt aircraft carrier pulled into port at Guam on March 27, shortly after the first coronavirus cases on board were detected. As of Sunday, officials said 585 crew members on board the ship had been diagnosed with COVID-19.
George Stephanopoulos tests positive for COVID-19
Update 9:15 a.m. EDT April 13: ABC News' George Stephanopoulos announced Monday on "Good Morning America" that he tested positive over the weekend for COVID-19 weeks after his wife, actress Ali Wentworth, was diagnosed with the viral infection.
Stephanopoulos said Monday that his wife was celebrating her fifth consecutive day without a fever and beginning to feel well enough to get out of bed.
"We're really happy about that," he said. "And I also learned over the weekend that my test came back positive for COVID as well, which is really no surprise, given the fact that I've been here for a couple of weeks.
Stephanopoulos, who has been hosting "Good Morning America" from his home since at least April 1, said he didn't experience any symptoms of his coronavirus infection.
"I'm one of those, I guess 'cases that are basically asymptomatic," Stephanopoulos said Monday. "I never had a very, never had chills, never had a headache, never had a cough, never had shortness of breath. I'm feeling great."
.@GStephanopoulos says he's tested positive for COVID-19: "I'm one of those cases that are basically asymptomatic. I've never had a fever, never had chills, never had a headache, never had a cough, never had shortness of breath. I'm feeling great." https://t.co/Qi2CeQPinh pic.twitter.com/n3IM8p09kC
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 13, 2020
Re-opening economy will be 'step-by-step process' CDC director says
Update 9 a.m. EDT April 13: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said Monday that reopening businesses shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic will be "a step-by-step, gradual process."
"There's no doubt that we have to open correctly," Redfield said during an appearance Monday on NBC's "Today" show. "It's got to be data driven and as I said, I think it'll be community by community, county by county."
Redfield emphasized that different parts of the country are in different parts of their coronavirus outbreaks.
"I think it's important to look at the country as many different separate situations," Redfield said. "This pandemic has affected different parts of the country differently."
"There's no doubt that we have to reopen correctly. It's going to be a step-by-step, gradual process. It's got to be data driven, and as I said I think it will be community by community, county by county," @CDCDirector says when asked about possible second wave of infection pic.twitter.com/qhSZqwbeGj
CDC director: We are nearing the peak right now
Update 8:40 a.m. EDT April 13: Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday that he believes the U.S. is "nearing the peak" of coronavirus infections now.
Redfield said during an appearance on NBC's "Today" show that he's hopefully there will be some parts of America where the peak will be identified this week.
"You'll know you're at the peak when the next day is actually less (reported cases) than the day before, but clearly the rate -- we are stabilizing across the country right now, in terms of this outbreak."
"Are you ready to say we are at the peak, at the apex?" -@savannahguthrie
"We are nearing the peak right now. … Clearly, the rate, we are stabilizing across the country right now in terms of this outbreak." -@CDCDirector pic.twitter.com/2hIofdsV8D
Pope Francis prays for women, domestic violence victims amid pandemic
Update 7:33 a.m. EDT April 13: Pope Francis prayed for women health care workers and domestic violence victims Monday at the Vatican's Apostolic Library.
According to CNN, the pope said he wanted to "remember how much many women do to take care of others, especially during this health emergency," praising doctors, nurses, law enforcement officers, prison guards, workers at essential businesses and other caregivers.
He added that many women "are at risk of violence due to a living situation which is too great a weight for them," CNN reported.
As of Monday morning, Italy had reported at least 156,363 coronavirus cases and 19,899 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The country had the third-highest number of infections and second-highest number of deaths worldwide.
Virus' spread continues to slow in Spain
Updated 6:40 a.m. EDT April 13: New numbers suggest that the coronavirus outbreak is continuing to slow in Spain.
According to The Associated Press, the country, which has the second-highest number of total coronavirus cases worldwide, reported 517 new deaths and about 3,500 new infections in the past 24 hours, officials said Monday. The latter figure marked "the lowest number of infections logged in more than three weeks," the AP reported.
As of Monday morning, Spain had reported 169,496 coronavirus cases and 17,489 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
>> Coronavirus: Can the government make you stay home if you are sick?
New Hampshire receives 91,000 pounds of medical supplies from China
Updated 6:09 a.m. EDT April 13: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu welcomed a FedEx plane from China on Sunday as it brought 91,000 pounds of medical supplies to combat COVID-19 in the Granite State.
According to WFXT, the shipment includes 6.6 million masks and 50,000 face shields, according to the governor's office.
"As big as these shipments are you'd think they would last us a year. They won't because the burn rate is so high" -NH @GovChrisSununu says about highly contagious #COVID19 and the need for more PPE.
NH received 91,000 pounds of PPE, but gov says more likely needed. Story at 10! pic.twitter.com/ekfifJRkEi
— Litsa Pappas (@LitsaPappas) April 13, 2020
The National Guard helped unload the plane and organize the personal protective equipment Sunday afternoon before loading it onto trucks to distribute it across the state.
"We're doing it on an at-need basis. Everybody needs something, no one's out, but everyone needs something because as good as we've seen some numbers come in, we've seen a bit of a plateau," said Sununu. "We are in this for the long haul, we're in this for months and months likely."
The shipment includes:
• 6.6 million masks
• 50,000 face shields
• 24,000 coveralls
NH @GovChrisSununu says this PPE will immediately go out to hospitals and those who need the most protection from #COVID19.
Details at 10 & 11PM @boston25 pic.twitter.com/SH7gDIkSp9
Sununu said that while most of the PPE will go to hospitals and health care workers who need it most, they will also distribute these medical supplies to others who need protection from the virus.
"There's also a lot of folks who are in the private, nonprofit sector who will get a lot of these masks, such as folks who work one-on-one with special services, Medicaid services, developmentally disabled services," said Sununu. "So folks feel more comfortable working one-on-one in other folks' homes."
Sununu said some of this PPE could also go to other states in New England, as needed. He said this is just the beginning because they'll likely need more in the coming months as the virus quickly spreads.
"So as big as these shipments are, you'd think they would last us a year," said Sununu. "They won't because the burn rate is so high, especially when you're dealing with a viral spread that is so contagious."
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Postal Inspection Service warns of several COVID-19-related scams
Updated 4 a.m. EDT April 13: The Postal Inspection Service told Boston's WFXT that there are several scams that people need to be aware of that are targeting people in fear of COVID-19.
The Postal Inspection Service's public information representative, Donna Harris, said, "There's no authorized home testing kit, so essentially, if someone wants to sell you a kit, it's a fake so don't purchase it."
Harris explained that personal protective equipment also has been hard to come by, even for government agencies and hospitals. So if you see a good deal online, you might want to think twice.
She explained, "Certainly, if you are purchasing PPE equipment – an N-95 mask, cleaning supplies or things of that nature – order those things from a reputable dealer or vendor, as opposed to a site that you don't know, and you can't determine if you're actually getting equipment that you ordered."
There are many other scams out there, such as provider scams, which are fake calls that sound like they are from a hospital or doctor's office.
Harris said, "It's similar to the grandparents scam, where they'll call and they will say that you had a relative that was in the hospital for COVID-19 and they need payment."
There are also investment scams, Harris explained, which go something like, "'Get in on the ground floor for a cure for COVID-19,' when in fact that's not something that's happening and that's a scam."
The bottom line is, do your research before handing over your money or buying anything that looks too good to be true online.
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Updated 12:44 a.m. EDT April 13: The number of novel coronavirus cases in the United States was more than 557,000 early Monday across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, there are at least 557,571 confirmed U.S. cases of the virus, which have resulted in at least 22,108 deaths. U.S. cases now more than triple the 166,831 reported in Spain and the 156,363 confirmed in Italy.
Of the confirmed U.S. deaths, 9,385 have occurred in New York, 2,350 in New Jersey, 1,479 in Michigan, 840 in Louisiana and 756 in Massachusetts.
In terms of diagnosed cases, New York remains the hardest hit with at least 190,288 confirmed cases, followed by New Jersey with 61,850, Massachusetts with 25,475 and Michigan with 24,244.
Four other states have now confirmed at least 20,000 novel coronavirus cases each, including:
• California: 23,296, resulting in 681 deaths
• Pennsylvania: 22,997, resulting in 557 deaths
• Illinois: 20,852, resulting in 720 deaths
• Louisiana: 20,595, resulting in 840 deaths
Meanwhile, Florida has confirmed at least 19,000 novel coronavirus infections; Texas has confirmed at least 13,000 cases; Georgia and Connecticut each has confirmed at least 12,000 cases; Washington state has confirmed at least 10,000 cases; Maryland has confirmed at least 8,000 cases; Indiana and Colorado each has confirmed at least 7,000 cases; Ohio has confirmed at least 6,000 cases; and Tennessee and Virginia each has confirmed at least 5,000 cases.