Coronavirus USA live updates: cases, deaths and stimulus checks, latest news - AS English
Coronavirus USA live updates: cases, deaths and stimulus checks, latest news - AS English |
- Coronavirus USA live updates: cases, deaths and stimulus checks, latest news - AS English
- Coronavirus updates: Illinois Gov. Pritzker enters isolation; Disney parks to lay off 28,000 workers - USA TODAY
- Coronavirus USA: news summary for Thursday 25 September - AS English
- Coronavirus updates: Children are 10% of US cases; northern states struggling with record new case numbers - USA TODAY
| Coronavirus USA live updates: cases, deaths and stimulus checks, latest news - AS English Posted: 30 Sep 2020 02:41 AM PDT  US judge weighs whether to drop criminal case against ex-Trump adviser Flynn(Reuters) A federal judge on Tuesday weighed whether to grant a request by the Justice Department to dismiss a criminal charge against President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn in a highly anticipated court hearing. The hearing pits the Justice Department and Flynn's defense attorneys against John Gleeson, a former trial judge who was tapped by US District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan to argue against the government's position that the case should be dropped. "I'm going to spend some time essentially capturing the essence of the opening arguments," Sullivan said at the outset of the hearing. After Sullivan spent roughly an hour spelling out the history of the case and recapping each side's arguments, he was forced to delay the proceedings being conducted remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic after one of the prosecutor's microphones stopped working properly. Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was charged under former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that detailed Russian interference in the 2016 US election to boost Trump's candidacy. Flynn pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI about his conversations before Trump took office with Sergey Kislyak, who was then Russia's ambassador to the United States, concerning US sanctions imposed on Russia under President Barack Obama.  |
| Posted: 29 Sep 2020 03:56 PM PDT CLOSE  Here are 4 tips on how to get your kids to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic. USA TODAY New York City public schools opened their doors to 300,000 K-8 students Tuesday despite an uptick in positive testing the mayor acknowledged was a "real concern." "It should cause us all to be on alert," Mayor Bill de Blasio said of a one-day positive test rate of 3.25%. "We are going to fight this outbreak back and are going to move New York City forward." Florida is also loosening restrictions, and students at Florida State University. celebrated. Tallahassee police said they had to break up more than a dozen unruly gatherings over the weekend after Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped the state's COVID-19 restrictions and even encouraged college kids to party. No further urging needed. The politics of pandemic continued an unrelenting churn in the nation's capital, where House Democrats have unveiled a seemingly doomed, $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief aid package. Republicans, who control the Senate, are holding out for a slimmed-down – and cheaper – bill. And nine months after a 61-year-old man died of a mysterious disease in sprawling Wuhan, China, the global coronavirus death toll has surpassed 1 million. The New York Times, in reporting the death back in January, noted that the virus had "put the region on alert, but there is no evidence that it can spread among humans." Some significant developments:
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 7.1 million cases and 205,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. New case records were set in Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Alaska and North Dakota. Globally, there have been more than 33 million cases and more than 1million fatalities. 📰 What we're reading: There was fear in August when Florida made the controversial decision to reopen most schools with in-person instruction. Many teachers and families braced for a spike in COVID-19 cases. That hasn't happened, according to a USA TODAY analysis. 🗺️ Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak, state by state. This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter. Some Los An elementary schools to resume in-person learningSome Los Angeles elementary schools will be able to apply to resume in-person instruction up to second grade under a vote Tuesday by the county Board of Supervisors. "As October approaches it's critical that we begin the process of reopening our schools at limited capacity," said board Chairwoman Kathryn Barger, according to local reports. She cited inequities in distance learning that affect the education of low-income, Black and Latino students. Previously, Los Angeles County officials had said no school campus would be able to fully reopen until November, citing high local case numbers. Although the county has seen a turn toward fewer infections, it is currently in the state's most-restrictive purple tier. On the other coast, New York City school's reopening is in jeopardy. In a news conference Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the most recent rate of positive tests was 3.25%, the highest since June. De Blasio has said he will shut down classrooms, which are all supposed to be open by Thursday, if the test positivity rate exceeds 3% over a seven-day average. — Elinor Aspegren CLOSE The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has eclipsed 1 million. The milestone recorded by Johns Hopkins University comes more than nine months into a crisis that has forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work. (Sept. 28) AP Domestic Disney parks to lay off 28,000 workers in Florida, CaliforniaDisney's park division is laying off 28,000 employees in California and Florida in the wake of the pandemic. Two-thirds of the planned layoffs involve part-time workers but they ranged from salaried employees to nonunion hourly workers, Disney officials said. In a letter to employees, Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experience and Product, said his management team had worked hard to try to avoid layoffs. They had cut expenses, suspended projects and modified operations but it wasn't enough given limits on the number of people allowed into the park because of social distancing restrictions and other pandemic-related measures, he said. — Josh Rivera Appalachian State student dies of COVID-19 complicationsA sophomore at Appalachian State University in North Carolina died Monday night of COVID-19 complications, a rare fatality in a healthy, athletic teen. Appalachian State University student Chad Dorrill, 19, was a high school basketball player and a member of a local track and field club. His mother posted on Facebook that doctors described Chad as "the rarest, 1-10,000,000 case." "Chad was just incredibly tired for two weeks and little did we know it was secretly attacking his body in a way they have never seen before," she wrote. "If it can happen to a super healthy 19-year-old boy who doesn't smoke, vape or do drugs, it can happen to anyone." As of Monday, at least 3,445 people have died from COVID-19 in North Carolina. – Elinor Aspegren British leader says economy changing forever, promises job trainingBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised new training programs to help workers recover from the epidemic's crushing impact on his nation's economy. He said the coronavirus has "massively accelerated changes that were already happening in the U.K. economy," such as increased reliance on online shopping. The country still needs construction workers, mechanics, engineers, IT experts and lab technicians, he said. He adds while some jobs would inevitably be lost because of the coronavirus, the government would "give people the skills to find and create new and better jobs." 300,000 students return to NYC classrooms as positive tests risePublic elementary schools reopened across New York City on Tuesday for 300,000 students for the first time since March as the city struggled with a bump in positive COVID-19 test results. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a one-day rate of 3.25%, although the more-relevant rolling average over seven days stood at 1.38%. De Blasio said the uptick was driven by Orthodox communities in Brooklyn and Queens. He also said the movement to get students back in classrooms would continue, and middle and high schools are scheduled to welcome students Thursday. Remote instruction has been taking place for about three weeks in city schools. Tuesday's reopening comes on the third try – de Blasio twice had to delay opening classrooms because of staffing shortages and other issues. By week's end all 1.1 million students are scheduled to have the option of in-classroom learning. Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza says so far parents of only about half of students are opting in. Illinois Gov. Pritzker isolating after staffer tests positiveThe governor of Illinois will be isolating for two weeks after a staffer tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Tuesday. Gov. JB Pritzker's staff member tested negative on Wednesday during weekly testing for the governor's office, but, after experiencing symptoms, the staff member was tested again Monday and confirmed as positive, Pritzker's office said in a statement. The staffer had attended events with the governor several days last week. It was not immediately clear whether the governor had tested negative or if he was experiencing symptoms. The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Coronavirus cases in Illinois are trending slightly upward, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and his wife, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and his wife and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt have all tested positive for COVID-19. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tested positive, then negative for COVID-19 last month. – Grace Hauck CLOSE Without masks and a vaccine, we could reach Herd Immunity from COVID-19, but deaths would skyrocket. We break down the science of it. USA TODAY Tennessee Titans halt in-person training after 8 test positiveThe Tennessee Titans announced Tuesday that they would not be holding in-person activities after the team had eight positive COVID-19 tests – three from players, five from staff – following Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement the positive tests came back Tuesday morning. The Vikings also are suspending team activities as both clubs follow the league's protocols on COVID-19. The Titans are scheduled to play at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday; the Vikings are to play the Texans in Houston. "Out of the abundance of caution, the organization has decided to work remotely today as we follow NFL protocols related to the COVID-19 virus," the Titans said in a statement. "Several tests have come back positive and (we) are working through the process of confirming them. We will have more information tomorrow." – Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz and Erik Bacharach SeaWorld San Diego's Halloween-themed 'Spooktacular' will begin FridaySeaWorld San Diego is moving full-speed ahead with its annual "Spooktacular" festivities on weekend evenings through October. The park, which reopened in late August, is one of the few California theme parks celebrating this year after its neighbors, including Disneyland and Universal Studios, canceled their Halloween events because of COVID-19. Halloween events at their Florida parks are canceled as well. California's health secretary reported Friday that the state has recently seen an uptick in the number of newly confirmed cases as well as COVID-19-related ER visits and hospitalizations. SeaWorld is undeterred. "Have no fear. Halloween's still here!" SeaWorld advertises on its website. "It's all waiting for your family, with new safety procedures to put your mind at ease." – Morgan Hines Purdue suspends 14 students for partyPurdue University gave 14 students, including 13 student-athletes, until Wednesday to clear out of their residence hall rooms after being suspended, accused of having a party that violated the university's coronavirus-era Protect Purdue Pledge. Dean of Students Katie Sermersheim did not name the students, where they lived or which sports the student-athletes play. Purdue athletics issued a statement saying the 13 are "out-of-season student-athletes." The university also did not say whether the students were among the 801 who had tested positive for COVID-19 on campus since Aug. 1. "We will deal with any such violation with firmness," Purdue President Mitch Daniels said. "The fact that this episode involved student-athletes can make no difference. At Purdue, we have one set of rules for everyone." – Dave Bangert, Lafayette Journal & Courier Florida goes all-in on DeSantisA lot of Florida State University students apparently are all-in on Gov. Ron DeSantis' decision Friday to drop virtually all coronavirus restrictions across the state. Tallahassee police say they spent much of the weekend responding to more than a dozen calls concerning large crowds, some at or near campus. "The crowds ranged in size, including one with approximately 700 vehicles and more than 1,000 people" at an off-campus apartment complex, police said in a statement. "Most of the travel lanes were blocked throughout the complex. Thanks to efforts from TPD's Patrol Bureau and the Leon County Sheriff's Office helicopter, officers were able to safely disperse the crowd." The school issued a warning last week that students hosting or attending a large gathering on or off campus faced suspension. DeSantis responded, saying students should be allowed to socialize unimpeded by "draconian" threats of suspension or expulsion from Florida's state universities. – Tori Lynn Schneider, Tallahassee Democrat Nepal poised to offer Russian vaccine to entire nationThe Russian Direct Investment Fund, a privately held equity firm, has teamed with a leading pharmaceutical distributor in Nepal, Trinity Pharmaceuticals, to supply the mountain nation with 25 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. The agreement will enable 90% of population of Nepal to get access to the vaccine, the companies said. The vaccine has drawn controversy around the world because it was put in use without Phase 3 trials used to test vaccines on thousands of people. Details on when the vaccine would become available across Nepal were vague. Kishor Adhikari, director of Trinity Pharmaceuticals, said his company was "waiting for results of the final trial of Sputnik V. As soon as the vaccine is approved by Government of Nepal we will make it available for the population of Nepal." House Democrats' $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief package appears doomedHouse Democrats unveiled a $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill in a longshot push to break the impasse on relief negotiations before the election, though the bill is likely to face opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate if it passes the House. The bill trims $1 trillion from the Democrat's previous plan, decried as too costly by the GOP. Many of the benefits previously approved by Congress ran out earlier this year, leaving millions of Americans waiting for urgently needed aid. The $600 federal benefit to unemployment benefits ran out, a loan forgiveness program for small businesses expired, and airlines warned of mass layoffs as support for the industry expired. The House could act on the bill as soon as this week. The Senate is unlikely to act on the legislation, it represents a negotiating point over $1 trillion lower than Democrats' previous proposal. – Nicholas Wu 1 million people worldwide have died in less than a year from COVID-19In nine months since the first cases were reported in central China, more than 1 million people have died worldwide from COVID-19. The news comes as countries around the globe are at very different stages in managing the outbreaks: Some European nations are tightening some restrictions over fears of a second wave. Cases in the U.S. are ticking back up after a summer spike that was followed by renewed restrictions and then a decline. India's cases have skyrocketed in recent weeks and it may soon become the country with the most infections. New Zealand appears to have weathered a second cluster of cases. And South Korea is seeing its lowest case tally since it reinstituted some lockdown measures during a virus resurgence. Meanwhile, researchers around the globe continue to make progress on clinical trials for vaccine candidates, but mass vaccinations may not come until at least mid-2021, a World Health Organization official said Sunday. COVID-19 resources from USA TODAYContributing: The Associated Press Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/09/29/covid-news-1-m-deaths-democrats-relief-bill-who-testing/3568473001/  |
| Coronavirus USA: news summary for Thursday 25 September - AS English Posted: 24 Sep 2020 04:00 PM PDT  Trump says may block stricter FDA guidelines for Covid-19 vaccine(Reuters) US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he may or may not approve any new, more stringent FDA standards for an emergency authorization of a Covid-19 vaccine, saying such a proposal would appear political. Trump has repeatedly said a vaccine for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, could be ready for distribution ahead of the 3 November presidential election. The Washington Post reported on Tuesday the US Food and Drug Administration would issue the guidance to boost transparency and public trust as health experts have become increasingly concerned the Trump administration might be interfering in the approval process to rush out a vaccine. Trump, however, questioned why a vaccine would need to be delayed and said such a proposal by the FDA would appear to be politically-driven. "We're looking at that and that has to be approved by the White House. We may or may not approve it," Trump told a White House news conference, when asked about the Post report. "That sounds like a political move. Because when you have Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, these great companies,coming up with the vaccines, and they've done testing and everything else, I'm saying why would they have to be adding great length to the process."  |
| Posted: 30 Sep 2020 06:13 AM PDT CLOSE Hundreds of thousands of elementary school students are heading back to classrooms this week as New York City enters a high-stakes stage of resuming in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic. (Sept. 29) AP Domestic The pandemic is wreaking financial havoc on families with children, and 10% of all COVID-19 cases are now kids, a pair of new surveys reveals. Children represented only 2% of cases in April. The reports come as big-city public schools make news with efforts to get kids back in classrooms. New York City began offering in-class learning to elementary students on Tuesday and invites the older students back Thursday. And Los Angeles County officials voted this week to allow some schools to resume in-person instruction. The elephant – and donkey – in the room Tuesday night was the presidential debate, and the virus played a major role. President Donald Trump shrugged off criticism from Democratic challenger Joe Biden of his soft position on wearing masks and his large, non-socially distant political rallies. Asked why he continues to hold large rallies against the advice of his own health experts, Trump responded: "Because people want to hear what I have to say." He claimed that his rallies have had no negative effect on Americans, explaining "so far, we have had no problem whatsoever." Biden countered that Trump was a "fool." Some significant developments:
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 7.1 million cases and 206,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Globally, there have been more than 33 million cases and more than 1 million fatalities. 📰 What we're reading: As American, United and other airlines roll out passenger testing for COVID-19, here's what you need to know. 🗺️ Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak, state by state. This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter. Survey peers into crushing impact of pandemic on familiesMore than 60% of U.S. households with children report facing serious financial problems during the coronavirus outbreak, according to a survey released Wednesday. Nine in 10 households with children where someone has been diagnosed with COVID-19 report serious financial problems and serious problems caring for their children, the survey says. The poll, from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, highlights some of the major challenges families face during the pandemic. More than one-third of households with children report serious problems keeping their children's education going and six in 10 report at least adult household member has lost a job, been furloughed, or had wages or hours cut. South Korea discourages travel as major holiday beginsA sharp rise in new virus cases across South Korea put authorities on edge as the country began its five-day Chuseok holiday celebration that began Wednesday. Tens of millions of people normally to travel across the country to gather with family and friends for the celebration. This year health authorities urged people cancel travel plans in favor of communicating with their loved ones via telephone and video chat applications. And mass transit authorities said they would halt subway services at six stations in downtown Seoul if rallies draw crowds for National Foundation Day on Saturday. We "are observing Chuseok at a difficult time," President Moon Jae-in said in an address Wednesday. "Normal and precious days will certainly return." North Dakota, South Dakota, northern tier continue record strugglesSeven states set records for new cases over a seven-day period while three states had a record number of deaths in a week, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Tuesday shows. New case records were set in Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Utah and Wisconsin, and also Puerto Rico. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Alaska, North Dakota and South Dakota. We've had deaths totaling more than two 9/11s just since America hit 200,000 dead a week ago. – Michael Stucka Thailand opens tourism door a crackThailand, annually among the world's top 10 tourism destinations, is preparing to receive the first group of foreign tourists since scheduled commercial passenger flights into the country were halted in April. A new system of coronavirus testing and transport facilities has been installed at the airport at the resort island of Phuket to welcome the first 150 Chinese from Guangzhou province on Oct. 8, Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said. At least three groups of foreign tourists will arrive in October – two from China and one from Scandinavia. All will be subject to a 14-day quarantine and other restrictions on their movements. Thailand, where efforts to combat the virus have drawn praise from World Health Organization officials, has had 3,564 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 59 deaths. CLOSE COVID-19 widespread testing is crucial to fighting the pandemic, but is there enough testing? The answer is in the positivity rates. USA TODAY Joe Biden, Donald Trump talk mask wearing, political rallies amid COVID-19The first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden quickly went off the rails Tuesday night, including when the pair debated the use of masks and holding large political rallies amid COVID-19. Trump defended his rallies and mocked Biden's more modest, cautious efforts. Biden slammed Trump for the way he has responded to the coronavirus pandemic and specifically criticized his reluctance to wear a face mask in public. "He has been totally irresponsible in the way he has handled the social distancing, the people wearing masks – basically encouraging them not to," Biden said. "He's a fool on this. He's not worried about the people." – Christal Hayes Moderna's vaccine may work equally well in older people, younger adultsModerna's coronavirus vaccine appears to create as strong an immune response in older people as it does in younger adults. That's a positive sign as many vaccines don't work as well in the elderly. A small study published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine elicited an immune system response almost as strong in people over 56 as in adults ages 18 to 55. Older people are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People 50 to 64 years old are four times more likely to be hospitalized and 30 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people 18 to 29. Those 65 to 74 are five times more likely to be hospitalized and 90 times more likely to die. The older the person, the higher the risk. – Elizabeth Weise Notre Dame football reports 25 players in COVID-19 isolationSix days after starting an indefinite hold for all football activities beyond Zoom meetings, Notre Dame on Monday released its latest COVID-19 testing numbers. The six-sentence statement from the athletic department's Twitter account revealed that there were 25 players in isolation as of Monday because of positive tests, and 14 others in quarantine as the result of contact tracing. The athletic department said that as of now there has been no change in status for the next game on the Irish schedule – an Oct. 10 home date for fifth-ranked Notre Dame against Florida State. Notre Dame has resumed conditioning activities, according to the statement. Last Monday, there were 13 players in isolation and 10 in quarantine, two days after the Irish beat South Florida at Notre Dame Stadium. Players are required to spend 10 days in isolation after a positive test and undergo cardiac testing, per ACC protocols. The quarantine period is 14 days. – Eric Hansen, South Bend (Ind.) Tribune Arizona to receive 2 million rapid antigen COVID-19 tests from fedsThe federal government is sending 2.19 million rapid COVID-19 tests to Arizona, and schools will be among those prioritized for using them, Gov. Doug Ducey announced. The first shipment of the tests is expected to arrive within the next seven to 10 days. The Abbott rapid point-of-care tests can get results within 15 minutes. The number of tests in the shipment is significant – it's more than the total number of diagnostic tests completed in Arizona since the pandemic began, state data shows. President Donald Trump announced Monday that his administration will distribute more than 150 million rapid Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Point of Care tests around the country in the coming weeks and that of those, roughly 50 million tests will target vulnerable communities including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice care and tribal nations. – Stephanie Innes, Arizona Republic Mayor Bill de Blasio: New York City to fine people who refuse to wear masksAlarmed by a spike in coronavirus infections in a few Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, New York City officials will start issuing fines in those areas to people who refuse to wear masks, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. De Blasio said he was sending teams of hundreds of outreach workers and contact tracers to nine Brooklyn and Queens ZIP codes that have seen an upswing in positive COVID-19 tests in hopes of avoiding harsher enforcement measures. Those workers will be handing out masks but also insisting that people put them on if they are in a place where they could be within 6 feet of other people. Some Los Angeles elementary schools to resume in-person learningSome Los Angeles elementary schools will be able to apply to resume in-person instruction up to second grade under a vote Tuesday by the county Board of Supervisors. "As October approaches it's critical that we begin the process of reopening our schools at limited capacity," said board Chairwoman Kathryn Barger, according to local reports. She cited inequities in distance learning that affect the education of low-income, Black and Latino students. On the other coast, New York City school's reopening is in jeopardy. In a news conference Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the most recent rate of positive tests was 3.25%, the highest since June. De Blasio has said he will shut down classrooms, which are all supposed to be open by Thursday, if the test positivity rate exceeds 3% over a seven-day average. – Elinor Aspegren Disney parks to lay off 28,000 workers in Florida, CaliforniaDisney's park division is laying off 28,000 employees in California and Florida in the wake of the pandemic. Two-thirds of the planned layoffs involve part-time workers, but they ranged from salaried employees to nonunion hourly workers, Disney officials said. In a letter to employees, Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experience and Product, said his management team had worked hard to try to avoid layoffs. They had cut expenses, suspended projects and modified operations, but it wasn't enough given limits on the number of people allowed into the park because of social distancing restrictions and other pandemic-related measures, he said. – Josh Rivera COVID-19 resources from USA TODAY
Contributing: The Associated Press Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/09/30/covid-news-children-disney-layoffs-vaccine/3578610001/  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from "usa news update" - Google News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Comments
Post a Comment