Sunday, April 12, 2020

Daily coronavirus briefing: Christians worldwide celebrate Easter despite pandemic

By Staff, AccuWeather
Updated Apr. 12, 2020 10:04 PM




The coronavirus pandemic brought the world to a halt in the early part of 2020. After emerging in China's Hubei province in late 2019, the number of cases skyrocketed and infected more than 1 million worldwide over a four-month span with the epicenter shifting from Asia to Europe and, as of late March, the United States.
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the outbreak a pandemic on March 11. The virus, called SARS-CoV-2, causes a disease known as COVID-19, and as the number of cases escalated, government officials took drastic measures to slow the spread, ordering various forms of travel restrictions including total lockdowns in some places.
As residents stayed shuttered indoors, major metropolitan areas from Los Angeles to New York City to Paris and Rome have transformed into ghost towns. Infectious disease experts have stressed there is much to be learned about the virus, including whether there will be a seasonal correlation to a rise or decline in confirmed infections or how weather and UV radiation can impact the spread.
Here are the latest updates, listed in eastern time, and the most important things you need to know about coronavirus.

April 12, 9:20 p.m.

The U.S. Navy said in a statement that 92% of the crew members on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt have been tested for COVID-19. A total of 588 sailors have tested positive while 3,724 have tested negative. Nearly 4,000 sailors have moved ashore. The San Diego-based aircraft is currently stationed at Naval Base Guam.  
The Navy issued new COVID-19 procedures on Friday, according to NBC San Diego. This includes placing individuals with confirmed or probable COVID-19 under isolation and then evacuating them off the ship as soon as practical if they develop more severe symptoms.

April 12, 8:17 p.m.

Reopening states will be a “rolling reentry” rather than a “light switch” situation that we can “click” on come May or June, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN on Sunday. “It’s going to be depending where you are in the country, the nature of the outbreak that you’ve already experienced and the threat of an outbreak that you may not have experienced,”Fauci said. To emphasize this, Fauci compared New York’s outbreak, which has over 189,000 cases, to Arkansas’s outbreak of just over 1,000. “I think it’s going to have to be something that is not one size fits all,” Fauci said. He estimates that at the earliest, some form of reopening may be possible come May.

April 12, 7:20 p.m.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper urged North Carolinians to prepare for power outages and severe weather overnight in a press release he sent on Sunday afternoon. "North Carolinians are already following Stay At Home orders for the coronavirus, and now it’s also important to prepare for strong storms and possible power outages,” said Governor Cooper. “Be sure to follow weather conditions closely on Sunday and Monday, and have a way to receive severe weather warnings.”

April 12, 6:23 p.m.

Severe weather jolted the South on Easter Sunday, leaving many people at risk of damaging storms. This severe weather season has coincided with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and mandatory social distancing orders across the country. Residents in Starkville, Mississippi, who couldn't shelter at home from the volatile weather had to use community storm shelters. However, they still managed to do a pretty good job of maintaining a safe distance as this video shows.

April 12, 5:48 p.m.

The number of imported cases of COVID-19 in China hit a record high on April 11, according to Reuters. The 99 new cases were almost double the 46 from Friday. Many of the new cases involved Chinese nationals returning from Russia, Reuters reported. As a result, Chinese cities near the Russian border are tightening border controls and enhancing quarantine procedures. 

April 12, 4:45 p.m.

Major damage is being reported in Monroe, Louisiana, after a tornado slammed the area earlier Sunday. All flights at Monroe Regional Airport have been canceled until further notice, city officials said. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, there are 367 COVID-19 cases in Ouachita Parish, the second-highest number of cases in northern Louisiana.

April 12, 4:16 p.m.

What would normally have been a busy day for St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City was replaced with one person to a pew and police barricades preventing people from entering on Easter Sunday. Pope Francis stayed indoors, but still gave an Easter address where he called COVID-19 an “epochal challenge,” and asked that people pray for the sick, elderly and the dead, The Associated Press reported. “This is not a time for self-centeredness because the challenge we are facing is shared by all, without distinguishing between persons,” Francis said.
Rev. William Schipper, pastor of Mary, Queen of the Rosary Parish, left, wears a mask and gloves out of concern for the coronavirus as he sprinkles holy water and blesses parishioners who remain in their vehicles in the parking lot of the church, on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020, in Spencer, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

April 12, 3:20 p.m.

Here’s the latest global COVID-19 numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
  • Confirmed cases: 1,827,284
  • Confirmed deaths: 113,031
  • Confirmed recoveries: 420,917
The U.S. currently has more confirmed cases and deaths than any other nation, with 546,874 confirmed cases of the virus and 21,489 confirmed deaths.

April 12, 2:40 p.m.

A supercomputer used for climate science has a new task at hand to help in the fight against COVID-19. The 5.34-petaflop machine is one of the 50 fastest computers in the world, being housed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Cheyenne, Wyoming. "Cheyenne and other NSF-funded high-end computing resources will enable the nation's research community to pursue advanced modeling using artificial intelligence techniques and other approaches to gain vital insights into COVID-19 and potential strategies for protecting society,” said Anjuli Bamzai, director of the NSF Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences. AccuWeather's John Roach reports on how the supercomputer is aiding scientists during the global pandemic.

April 12, 1:45 p.m.

75% of Americans say they are now either mostly or completely isolating, according to a probability-based Gallop Panel survey. The online poll, which was conducted between April 3-5, found that 47% of Americans were mostly isolating from people outside their homes while 28% were completely isolating. Only 3% said they have not done anything to isolate themselves from others. The poll found Americans are social distancing 24% more than when the poll was first conducted on March 16-19. It also found that 84% of residents in urban areas were isolating while only 67% of rural residents were isolating.

April 12, 12:30 p.m.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from a hospital in London after recovering from the coronavirus. He will not immediately be returning to work, a statement from his office said Sunday. “It is hard to find the words to express my debt to the NHS for saving my life,” Johnson said. “The efforts of millions of people across this country to stay home are worth it. Together we will overcome this challenge, as we have overcome so many challenges in the past.”

April 12, 11:10 a.m.

Two newlyweds in South Africa were arrested during their wedding on Sunday after breaking the country's strict public events ban. Police say they received a tip that the wedding was taking place and arrested all 50 guests, the pastor, and the couple. South Africa has one of the most strict social distancing orders with nothing but essential movement being allowed and a complete ban on purchasing alcohol and cigarettes.

April 12, 10:00 a.m.

The use of shelters and other resources during severe weather takes precedent over social distancing orders, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced. "Our state stands prepared and ready to face whatever Mother Nature brings, even amidst a health pandemic," Ivey said. "The safety and protection of Alabama lives is paramount." 

April 12, 8:55 a.m.

One hundred seventy-eight probationary Emergency Medical Technicians are graduating early in order to join their fellow EMS members on the front lines in the city's response against COVID-19. 
"This has been a great learning experience and I feel like we've been given a unique opportunity to get in the streets early to help the city,” FDNY Probationary EMT and class Valedictorian Kevin Gordon said. “They prepared us for the field, and trained us to be reinforcements for the city. It has to be somebody out here helping to counter COVID-19 and I'm glad it's me, and that I have this opportunity to be on the FDNY's team and part of the FDNY family." 

April 12, 7:45 a.m.

Cornelia Ras, a 107-year old Dutch woman has recovered from COVID-19. Ras, the latest centenarian to beat the brutal respiratory illness, was part of a group of 41 who contracted the disease after attending a church service back in March. Ras became sick a day after her 107th birthday on March 17, according to the Dutch newspaper AD. Since then, 12 of those who attended the service have died, but Ras was cleared of the disease on Monday, making her the oldest known person to have recovered from COVID-19.

April 11, 9:31 p.m.

As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world rise, the number of confirmed recoveries rise as well. On Saturday, the number of people who were confirmed to have recovered from the virus in the world reached 402,270, according to Johns Hopkins University.

April 11, 8:17 p.m.

One day before Easter Sunday, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the state's public health order that bans mass gatherings has been extended to include places of worship. "I am so grateful for the support & cooperation from the vast majority of religious leaders of all faiths who have already made the difficult decision to cancel services in the interest of public health," She said.

April 11, 6:42 p.m.

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir told Bloomberg on Saturday that by May, COVID-19 testing could be in the "ballpark" for the country to begin lifting social distancing guidelines. "By May, we certainly will be in the ballpark. Whether we are exactly there depends on some factors, including how much is circulating and where regionally this falls out. That is the correct answer, I can’t give you a yes or no," he told them.

April 11, 5:49 p.m.

New York City has officially closed the doors of its school buildings for the rest of the school year. On Saturday, Mayor Bill de Blasio co-signed a letter announcing the switch to remote learning for the remainder of the school year, and promised to keep school-based meal programs open and provide an internet-enabled device to every student that needs one by the end of April. In the letter, de Blasio said he plans to "reopen schools stronger than ever in September."

April 11, 4:40 p.m.

The United States has confirmed over 20,000 deaths related to COVID-19, making it the country with the most confirmed deaths related to the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University. Italy, the nation that formerly had the most confirmed deaths, currently has 19,468, whereas the U.S. just hit 20,071. Across the country, the U.S. has confirmed 519,453 COVID-19 cases, making the death rate for the nation 3.8%.
Sister Susan Widdel prays during the broadcast and recording of Palm Sunday Mass at Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Catholic Church for parishioners to watch online Saturday, April 4, 2020, in Ankeny, Iowa. Sunday Masses continue to be available online in response to the new coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

April 11, 3:46 p.m.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration in Wyoming, making the COVID-19 pandemic the first time ever that every state in the U.S. has been under a federal disaster declaration at the same time, according to CNN. They report there have been 55 disaster declarations declared so far in relation to the virus. The U.S. Virgin islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Washington D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico are also under federal disaster declarations.

April 11, 3:03 p.m.

Hospitals in Thailand are taking a unique approach to safety measures for newborn babies. Praram 9 Hospital in Bangkok is one of many hospitals in the country that are equipping newborns with plastic visors. The hospital said on Facebook that the visors are meant to shield newborns in the maternity wing from cough or sneeze droplets and reassure new mothers who are concerned for the hygiene of their babies.

April 11, 1:55 p.m.

Atlantic hurricane season doesn't begin until June 1, but there are already concerns about how hurricane preparedness could be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Our biggest nightmare could be an early-season storm impacting Florida or anywhere in the U.S.,” AccuWeather’s Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski told AccuWeather National Weather Reporter Jonathan Petramala. Kottlowski believes the 2020 hurricane season will be above average, and a warmer spring could lead to an earlier start to tropical activity. This could result in a particularly challenging situation for emergency managers already trying to navigate a public health crisis, as Petramala reports. Watch his full report here.

April 11, 12:40 p.m.

Two NASA astronauts aren’t sure what to expect once they return to Earth amid the COVIID-19 pandemic after being in space for about nine months. “It is quite surreal for us to see this whole situation unfolding on the planet below,” Astronaut Jessica Meir said, according to The Associated Press. “We can tell you that the Earth still looks just as stunning as always from up here, so it’s difficult to believe all the changes that have taken place since both of us have been up here.”

April 11, 11:11 a.m.

A new symptom has emerged after coronavirus patients report feeling a buzzing, fizzing, and electric sensation throughout their body and on their skin. Doctors speculate that it may be one of the last sensations patients feel as their bodies successfully fight off the virus.

April 11, 10:15 a.m.

New York City schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced. “There’s nothing easy about this decision,” the mayor said during a press briefing. “God bless all New Yorkers in the middle of this incredibly difficult crisis,” he concluded.

April 11, 10:00 a.m.

U.K. health secretary Matt Hancock urged people to stay home despite great weather. "This weekend it's hot outside. I’m sitting looking out of my window at a blue sky but everybody needs to stay at home," Hancock said. Currently, in London, it is sunny and the temperature is 76 F degrees outside.

April 11, 8:55 a.m.

Chief executive of the Tokyo Games organizing committee said he could not guarantee the Olympics would be held in 2021. “I don’t think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get it under control by next July or not,” Toshiro Muto told reporters. “We certainly are not in a position to give you a clear answer.”

April 11, 7:40 a.m.

A couple that has been married for 45 years were both discharged from West Kendall Baptist Hospital on Thursday after beating COVID-19. In a video shared on Twitter by the hospital, Dariela and Carlos, the couple being discharged, were seen being cheered on by hospital staff.

April 10:10 p.m.

It's been more than a week since the CDC changed its position on wearing masks in public. First Lady Melania Trump has endorsed wearing masks in public. And a Yale University doctor this week told AccuWeather she thinks Americans should wear masks until a vaccine has been approved, which could be another 18 months. Are you wearing a mask in public yet? Vote in our poll below.

April 10, 9:50 p.m.

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. surpassed half a million Friday night, according to Johns Hopkins University. 500,399 cases have been recorded in the U.S., as of Friday evening. The U.S. has more confirmed cases than any other country, and has reported 18,637 deaths related to the virus.

April 10, 9:30 p.m.

As people in the Deep South are urged to familiarize themselves with a household plan to protect themselves from the looming threat of severe weather over the weekend while also practicing social distancing, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Greg Michel took to social media to advise state residents.
“So what do we do with storm response time in the middle of a COVID pandemic? Nothing different,”  Michel said in a video released over social media. “If you live in an area where you’re going to be under a tremendous tornado threat or you live in a home that is not secure, you don’t feel safe, go to your shelter like you normally would. The shelters will be open.” He added that people should still wear some form of a mask while at the shelters.

April 10, 8:25 p.m.

A panel from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine sent the White House a report this week on how warming weather will play a role in the spread of COVID-19. Panel chair Dr. Harvey Fineberg said because the virus is so new, they have not yet been able to settle on a conclusive answer. However, he did note one finding to be particularly interesting. “It’s pretty clear that when you look at this virus in the laboratory, if you raise the temperature and you raise the humidity, the virus does not do as well,” Fineberg told AccuWeather’s John Roach. “It does not replicate as well. So, the virus is subject to success under different conditions of temperature and humidity."

April 10, 7:32 p.m.

While idle cars sit in driveways and garages, morning commutes having been cut due to COVID-19, the trade off of saving gas money could cost people in the long term. 
“These cars are basically driving computers,” AccuWeather’s National Weather Reporter Jonathan Petramala said. “And so they’re always going to be putting a strain on that battery, and you have warm areas like Florida that are really, really hot. That seeps the battery even more. So you might be having some battery troubles when you need to start up that car again.” Simple things such as driving to the next farthest grocery store while shopping for food or even just taking the car out for a drive could help the health of the battery.

April 10, 6:37 p.m.

For the first time, the amount of intensive care patients in New York has decreased instead of increased. On Thursday, there were 17 less intensive care patients in the state than there were the day prior, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday. “We are cautiously optimistic that we are slowing the spread,” Cuomo said.

April 10, 5:50 p.m.

Severe weather will threaten areas of the Deep South and Tennessee Valley over Easter weekend, bringing the possibility of strong, long-tracking tornadoes on Easter Sunday. 
“The most likely locations for these stronger tornadoes will be across Louisiana and Mississippi. This threat will move eastward into Alabama late Sunday,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio said. “These storms will pose a threat for locations where COVID-19 testing is being done, especially makeshift tents that have been constructed outside of hospitals. This may also pose a risk for social distancing if large groups of people need to take shelter quickly in a centralized location.”
A Cleveland County Health Department employee, right, places a nasal swab into a tube at a mobile testing site for COVID-19 in Norman, Okla., Thursday, April 9, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

April 10, 4:50 p.m.

Parts of Italy will be brought back to life next week. During a Friday press conference, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced some shops in the country will be allowed to reopen on April 14, such as stationary shops, children's clothing shops and bookstores. Other retail will remain under lockdown until May 3, Reuters reports. According to Johns Hopkins University, Italy has 147,757 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 18,849 deaths related to the virus.

April 10, 3:39 p.m.

The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Yemen on Friday, which has led to concern from the International Rescue Committee, who called it a “nightmare scenario” for the civil war-stricken country. According to BBC News, only half of Yemen’s hospitals are fully functional. “For weeks we have feared this, and now it’s happened. After five years of war, people across the country have some of the lowest levels of immunity and highest levels of acute vulnerability in the world," United Nationals Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande told the BBC.

April 10, 3:03 p.m.

The demand for gasoline in the U.S. is evaporating. As millions of people across the nation telecommute and practice social distancing from their homes, the demand for gas has dropped to its lowest point since 1993. According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of gas is $1.92. However, there are pockets across the country where a gallon of gas will set you back less than a dollar.
Gas at both stations across the street from each other are selling gas for 97.9 cents a gallon, Monday, March 30, 2020, in Cleveland. Oil started the year above $60 and has plunged on expectations that a weakened economy will burn less fuel. The world is awash in oil, meanwhile, as producers continue to pull more of it out of the ground. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

April 10, 1:55 p.m.

The global coronavirus death toll has surpassed 100,000. Italy, Spain and France have been the hardest-hit countries, accounting for over 46% of all the coronavirus-related fatalities across the world, according to data analysis by Johns Hopkins University. The global death toll has also doubled since April 2, according to CNBC. As of early Friday afternoon, there were over 1.6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 368,000 recoveries.

April 10, 1:32 p.m.

Three-in-four Americans unsure if they will attend sporting events when play resumes. It has been over a month since all major sports across the U.S. have suspended normal operations, and although millions are pining for the return of professional sports, Americans may be wary to attend games in person. According to Seton Hall University (SHU), 72% of Americans said they would not attend sporting events before the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. “As for the possibility of playing games with no fans present, a similar number – 76 percent – said they would watch broadcasts of the games with the same interest as before,” SHU said. It is still unclear when leagues such as the NHL and NBA will resume normal operations due to the coronavirus.

April 10, 12:56 p.m.

The CDC has issued new safety practices for people who are unable to telecommute and who think that they have been potentially exposed to the coronavirus. “A potential exposure means being a household contact or having close contact within 6 feet of an individual with confirmed or suspected COVID-19,” the CDC said. The practices include:   
  • Pre-screen: Employers should measure the temperatures of employees before entering the facility 
  • Wear a mask: Employees should wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for at least 14 days since possible exposure
  • Social distance: Employees should remain at least 6 feet away from other workers
  • Clean work spaces: Work areas should be cleaned and disinfected routinely, including desks, common areas and bathrooms

April 10, 12:33 p.m.

A clinical trial for the drug hydroxychloroquine is underway in Tennessee. Hydroxychloroquine is used to treat rheumatoid and malaria and has recently been highlighted as a possible drug to treat patients with COVID-19. “The blinded, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial aims to enroll more than 500 adults who are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 or in an emergency department with anticipated hospitalization,” the National Institutes of Heath (NIH) said. The NIH is also conducting a clinical trial of remdesivir, a drug that has been used as treatment for Ebola and Marburg.
Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (green) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (purple), isolated from a patient sample. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. (Image/NIAID)

April 10, 11:17 a.m.

Markets have been in flux due to the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, spurring worries of a global recession. “We anticipate the worst economic fallout since the Great Depression," said Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “I stress there is tremendous uncertainty around the outlook,” she added. “It could get worse depending on many variable factors, including the duration of the pandemic.” The IMF is set to release an updated world economic forecast on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.  
Despite the gloomy global economic outlook, U.S. markets have rebounded after bottoming out in mid-March. Since March 23, the Dow has risen more than 23%, according to CNBC. However, it is still notably lower than its all-time record level achieved in mid-February.

April 10, 10:05 a.m.

Social distancing is about to become easier in one of California’s biggest cities. During a town hall on Thursday, Oakland’s Chief Resilience Officer Alexandria McBride announced that 74 miles of roads in the city will be closed to vehicles, allowing pedestrians to keep their distance from others. The emergency measure will allow, “Oakland residents more space to walk, bike and run safely through their neighborhoods, and we’re calling it the Oakland Slow Streets,” said McBride. The road closures are set to commence over the weekend. Dry and sunny weather is expected through Easter weekend in Oakland with high temperatures topping out in the 60s F each day, according to the latest AccuWeather forecast.

April 10, 9:41 a.m.

The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo have been delayed until 2021, but could the Games still be in jeopardy? “I don’t think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get it under control by next July or not,” said Toshiro Muto, Tokyo organizing committee CEO, according to The Associated Press. “We’re certainly are not in a position to give you a clear answer.” The Summer Games were originally scheduled to take place between July 24 and Aug. 9, 2020, before being delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 10, 7:29 a.m.

With tourism being put to a halt in Africa due to COVID-19, poaching of endangered species has increased. Nico Jacobs, founder of Rhino 911, a nonprofit that provides emergency helicopter transportation services for rhinoceroses in South Africa, said there has been an incident almost every single day since the lockdown in South Africa started.
“These animals are not just protected by rangers, they’re also protected by tourist presence,” Tim Davenport, director for species conservation programs for Africa at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told the New York Times. “If you’re a poacher, you’re not going to go to a place where there are lots of tourists, you’re going to go to a place where there are very few of them.”

April 10, 6:53 a.m.

As the U.S. closes in on the 500,000 case threshold, here is a look at the global totals since the beginning of the pandemic, as compiled by researchers from Johns Hopkins University:
  • Total confirmed cases: 1,611,981
  • Total deaths: 96,783
  • Total recoveries: 361,235

April 9, 9:45 p.m.

During the White House’s daily coronavirus briefing on Thursday, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said two million people in the U.S. have been tested for COVID-19 so far, and 100,000 people are now being tested daily. Of those tested, 462,135 were reported positive, according to Johns Hopkins University. According to the census, 329 million people live in the U.S., meaning about 0.6 % of the population has been tested for COVID-19 so far. During the same briefing, Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said people must show symptoms in order to be tested.

April 9, 8:40 p.m.

As spring brings nicer weather to Chicago, concerns of a COVID-19 setback have arisen as more people go outside without taking the necessary precautions. The Associated Press on Wednesday reported that a Chicago park was filled with people who were disregarding social distancing protocols. Most of the people shown were not wearing masks. “I don’t have a good reason,” Chicago resident, Riley Loop, told an AP reporter when asked why he wasn’t wearing a mask. Todd Young, another Chicago resident who was in the park, disagreed with those who were not wearing masks. “All medical experts have agreed we should wear them if at all possible, to preserve our health and reduce the spread of the disease,” Young said. “When you’re in close proximity I think it’s important to do it.” 
Chicago weather on Wednesday was gorgeous -- the high temperature reached 69 degrees, some 13 degrees above normal. Over the next week, temperatures in Chicago will dip well below normal with some rain mixed in, according to the AccuWeather forecast, which may help social distancing efforts.

April 9, 7:45 p.m.

Another inspiring recovery story has emerged from Italy, one of the pandemic's worst-hit countries. Ada Zanusso, 103, said in an interview with The Associated Press that she defeated COVID-19 with "courage and strength" and "faith.” Zanusso suffered from a fever and remained in bed for a week, while her family physician of 35 years cared for her.
“We hydrated her because she wasn’t eating, and then we thought she wasn’t going to make it because she was always drowsy and not reacting,” her family doctor, Carla Furno Marchese, told the AP. “One day she opened her eyes again and resumed doing what she used to before.” In Italy, 18,279 people have died from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. Watch a portion of her interview below.

April 9, 6:49 p.m.

Sinai Grace Hospital in Detroit has been hit hard by COVID-19 -- to the point where they have reportedly run out of body bags and stretchers. Krysti Kallek, a nurse at the facility, said one night they ran out of oxygen masks too, and had to run oxygen tubes from patient rooms out to patients in hallways. Staffing has also been an issue. During her shift, six nurses were spread out across 68 patients, where “one minute they’re smiling and the next minute they’re down,” she said. Kallek told MLive she’s “never had patients like this, who crash so fast out of nowhere.”

April 9, 5:50 p.m.

Korea’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention believes the coronavirus may be “reactivating” in people who had recovered from COVID-19, Bloomberg reported. On a briefing on Monday, the CDC released that 51 patients who had recovered in South Korea had tested positive again. It is believed that the illness was reactivated rather than the person infected a second time. As of Thursday, the nation has had 10,423 confirmed cases with 6,973 recoveries. About 204 people have died in South Korea from the virus.
“While we are putting more weight on reactivation as the possible cause, we are conducting a comprehensive study on this,” director-general of the Korean CDC Jeong Eun-kyeong told Boomberg. “There have been many cases when a patient during treatment will test negative one day and positive another.”

April 9, 5:20 p.m.

New York City has shortened the amount of time it will hold unclaimed remains before they are buried on Hart Island, the city’s potter’s field, as it deals with an escalating death toll from COVID-19, The Associated Press reported. The city has shortened the number of days the medical examiner’s office will keep the bodies in storage from 30 days to just 14. Burial operations have increased from one to five days a week, with about 24 burials each day, the Department of Correction spokesman Jason Kersten told the AP. Aerial images show workers burying a line of coffins in a large trench.
Workers wearing personal protective equipment bury bodies in a trench on Hart Island, Thursday, April 9, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York. On Thursday, New York City’s medical examiner confirmed that the city has shortened the amount of time it will hold on to remains to 14 days from 30 days before they will be transferred for temporary internment at a City Cemetery. Earlier in the week, Mayor Bill DeBlasio said that officials have explored the possibility of temporary burials on Hart Island, a strip of land in Long Island Sound that has long served as the city’s potter’s field. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

April 9, 4:39 p.m.

Today marks 100 days since the World Heath Organization was notified of the first cases of COVID-19 in China, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said over Twitter. Within 100 days, an epidemic exploded into a pandemic, resulting in over 1,500,000 confirmed cases and nearly 100,000 deaths worldwide. Nations from China to Italy implemented extreme lockdown measures, millions around the world lost their jobs and once populated areas now look like ghost towns as people stay inside to help flatten the curve. “This pandemic is much more than a health crisis. It requires a whole-of government and society response,” Dr. Tedros said.

April 9, 3:30 p.m.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is out of intensive care, according to a statement released by Downing Street on Thursday. Johnson has been “moved to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of recovery.” Johnson was admitted to the hospital on Sunday for persistent symptoms. He previously announced he tested positive on March 27. The statement added that as of right now “he is in extremely good spirits.”

April 9, 3:01 p.m.

In an interview with Good Morning America on Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned the public to be wary of assuming the upcoming warm weather will slow the spread of COVID-19, regardless of there being a “precedent” with other infections spreading more in "cold, dry" weather than "warm, moist" weather. 
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens during a briefing about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Wednesday, April 8, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“One should not assume that we are going to be rescued by a change in the weather. You should assume that the virus will continue to do its thing. If we get some help from the weather, so be it,” Fauci said. 

April 9, 2:23 p.m.

The city of Miami has issued an emergency order, mandating all employees and customers at grocery stores and pharmacies to wear face masks, according to The Miami Herald. The order, signed by City Manager Art Noriega on Wednesday, is intended to help control the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the city. The order also requires delivery workers to wear masks. Currently, Miami is the hardest-hit city in Florida, with more than 5,400 confirmed cases.

April 9, 1:41 p.m.

New York experienced highest daily death toll yet, but the latest data brings some hope. During a press conference on Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced 799 new fatalities related to COVID-19, the highest daily death toll the state has seen. However, the hospitalization rate has decreased dramatically since peaking in late March and early April. “We are flattening the curve,” Cuomo said. “It is essential that we keep that curve flattened because we don’t have an option of handing the curve if it goes higher.” New York has confirmed over 150,000 COVID-19 cases, which is more than any country in the world outside of the U.S.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo presenting informational about the number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations statewide during a press conference on Thursday. (Image/New York State)

April 9, 12:58 p.m.

Obesity can be a major risk factor for those infected with COVID-19, posing an even greater danger in the U.S., according to France's chief epidemiologist. Doctors have also reported that a high number of people with COVID-19 who have complications are overweight or obese. This puts millions at risk with about one-third of the U.S. adult population being overweight or obese. “There’s something called hypoventilation syndrome and that is when you have extra tissue around your chest.  It’s harder to take deep breaths.” Dr. John Morton who heads up Bariatric Surgery with Yale Medicine told WTNH. Morton also warned that people in this category, "sometimes don’t have an immune system that’s working as well as it could be," which further causes complications.

April 9, 12:19 p.m.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order that will close all state parks, forests, and county parks in order to ensure better social distancing. Murphy also extended the public health emergency for another 30 days. It was originally issued on March 9. New Jersey is the second-most-impacted state by COVID-19with more than 47,000 confirmed cases and at least 1,500 deaths across the state. "We have seen far too many instances in our parks where people are gathering and socializing in groups and by closing these areas, we are further limiting public interactions to only the most essential purposes," Murphy said in the executive order announcement on Tuesday.
COVID-19 cases in New Jersey
A graph provided by the New Jersey Department of Health shows how cases of COVID-19 have risen in the state over the last month. (NJ Dept. of Health)

April 9, 12:07 p.m.

All schools across Pennsylvania will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year. “We must continue our efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus during this national crisis,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a video conference on Thursday morning. “This was not an easy decision but closing schools until the end of the academic year is in the best interest of our students, school employees and families.” The state has recently secured resources to help schools continue educating students.

April 9, 11:31 a.m.

Strong winds and gusty thunderstorms could disrupt outdoor facilities and drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites in the Northeast into Friday. “Gusty winds generated by the strengthening storm could be strong enough to break tree limbs, which, in turn, could lead to sporadic power outages and can threaten trouble for tents and canopies set up at outdoor triage and testing centers for COVID-19,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. People planning to visit a drive-thru testing site should make sure that they are open before showing up. Outdoor testing facilities across the country can register for free weather warning services from AccuWeather.

April 9, 10:29 a.m.

With planting season underway, American farmers may be among the most severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic this year. While some of the top states for corn and soybean production, including Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota, have been less impacted by COVID-19 thus far, the potential for those numbers to rise could cause trouble come harvest season.
However, some farmers have found social distancing measures helpful with the isolation of their work and they revealed where they're finding extra workers as much of society has closed down over the last month.

April 9, 9:33 a.m.

Increased demand from the outbreak leads to a shortage of Tylenol. Johnson & Johnson, the maker of the over-the-counter painkiller, said Wednesday that some U.S. markets are experiencing "temporary" shortages of Tylenol amid a rash of apparent panic buying, Fierce Pharma, a website that covers the pharmaceutical industry, reported. The drugmaker said it's ramping up production to ensure demand is met in places experiencing shortfalls, and that it's suggested retailers should implement buying limits for customers. Sales of Tylenol began spiking weeks ago, Reuters reported, as the spread of COVID-19 escalated in the U.S.

April 9, 9:26 a.m.

Astonishing unemployment numbers grow larger. The U.S. Department of Labor's latest report on weekly jobless claims showed another 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment. The number was about 261,000 fewer than the previous week's total when almost 7 million claims were reported. In the past three weeks, there have been over 16 million unemployment claims. According to CNBC, the surge in unemployment filings has occurred in part to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES Act, which now allows self-employed workers or independent contractors to file.
Closed sign coronavirus pandemic
A For Sale By Owner and closed due virus sign are shown at Images On Mack in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., Thursday, April 2, 2020. The coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak has triggered a stunning collapse in the U.S. workforce with 10 million people losing their jobs in the past two weeks and economists warn unemployment could reach levels not seen since the Depression, as the economic damage from the crisis piles up around the world. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

April 9, 9:15 a.m.

Masks might be a fixture on American faces through late 2021, one expert told AccuWeather. After officials told Americans for over a month that masks were unnecessary and ineffective, guidelines were reversed last week when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began telling individuals to wear face coverings in certain settings. However, Dr. Shan Soe-Lin of Yale University told AccuWeather she believes they should be worn in all circumstances and that the face coverings will be needed not just in the short-term, but through the peak and downslope until a vaccine is introduced to the public, which could be 12 to 18 months away. She also speculated on why Americans have been slow to adopting the practice of mask-wearing.

April 9, 8:12 a.m.

The United States' Strategic National Stockpile is nearly depleted, The Associated Press reports. The stockpile, which is organized to support public health threats by supplementing state and local supplies, includes supplies of N95 respirators, surgical masks, gowns and other essential medical items. The AP reports that 90% of the stockpile has been distributed to states and the remaining 10% is expected to be kept in reserve to "support federal response efforts."

April 9, 7:18 a.m.

The projected final death toll in the United States may be on the way down, health experts suggest. After the White House initially forecast 100,000 to 240,000 fatalities from COVID-19 on March 31, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday "we're doing much better than those numbers."
Researchers from the University of Washington lowered its estimate on Wednesday to 60,415 deaths from the coronavirus, a figure that was generally reiterated by Dr. Anthony Fauci Wednesday morning on Good Morning America.
Here are the latest updated global totals from Johns Hopkins University:
  • Total confirmed cases: 1,490,790
  • Total deaths: 88,982
  • Total recovered: 332,486

April 8, 10:08 p.m.

The National Guard in New Hampshire reported there are more members deployed in the state now than at any time since the September 11th attacks. More than 130 guard members have been helping the state with setting up field hospitals that will take patients if the state sees a surge in COVID-19 cases.

April 8, 9:33 p.m.

Confirmed cases of people with green thumbs increasing. With Americans cooped up at home and looking for ways to get rid of their cabin fever, many are taking up gardening as a new hobby. AccuWeather's Blake Naftel reports that there is currently a nationwide gardening boom underway as spring kicks into high gear. Watch his full report here to see how one gardening center is gaining strong business despite mandatory stay at home orders.

April 8, 9 p.m.

Democratic state Rep. Karen Whitsett from Detroit reports the drug hydroxychloroquine saved her in her battle with the coronavirus after testing positive for the virus. Whitsett said she started taking hydroxychloroquine on March 31, prescribed by her doctor, after both she and her husband sought treatment for a range of symptoms on March 18, the Detroit Free Press reported. "It was less than two hours" before she started to feel relief, said Whitsett, according to ABC12. Whitsett maintains the choice to use the drug is up to the individual and their doctor. She had previous success with the drug while treating her Lyme disease, which can also be used for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. 

April 8, 8:08 p.m.

The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics are now the 2021 Summer Olympics after officials announced the games would be delayed for one year due to the health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That means for U.S. Olympic middle-distance runner, Ajeé Wilson, and many other athletes around the world, dreams of a gold medal will need to be put on hold. Wilson, a Philadelphia resident, recently spoke to AccuWeather reporter Dexter Henry about why she loves running outdoors and how the coronavirus outbreak has made training for the games more challenging. 

April 8, 7 p.m.

A journalist in the White House press corps who was at the White House on Tuesday is being tested for coronavirus, according to Jon Karl, ABC News chief White House correspondent. "The individual started feeling ill earlier today and will receive a rapid test tomorrow,” Karl said. The White House recently began implementing social distancing measures requiring reporters to take their temperature before the meeting as well as sitting a seat apart from one another during daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak, according to Axios. 

April 8, 5:55 p.m.

Over 1.5 million people across the globe have tested positive for COVID-19, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. Over 317,000 have recovered from the virus, while it has claimed the lives of more than 87,000 worldwide. The U.S. has accounted for 28% of the global cases but only 16% of the fatalities.

April 8, 4:40 p.m.

Wyoming is the only state in the U.S. that has not reported a death due to COVID-19, according to the Wyoming Health Department. The state currently has 221 confirmed cases with at least 62 recoveries and has recorded the second-fewest cases behind Alaska. Wyoming is one of the only three states in the U.S. that has not made a disaster declaration in response to COVID-19.

April 8, 3:30 p.m.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to drive states to make disaster declarations, Vermont became the 47th state to do so on Wednesday afternoon, CNN reports. The U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico have also made disaster declarations. There has never been a 50-state disaster. Currently, only three states in the U.S. haven’t declared disasters:
  • Alaska
  • Wyoming
  • Idaho

April 8, 2:25 p.m.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is "improving," but remains in intensive care at a London hospital, according to the BBC. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the prime minister was "engaging positively" with hospital staff and was sitting upright, the BBC reported. Johnson has been hospitalized since Sunday after experiencing persistent COVID-19 symptoms. He had previously announced on March 27 that he tested positive for the virus. The COVID-19 death toll in the U.K. is 7,097 after the country set a new daily record with 938 deaths on Tuesday. More than 60,700 residents have tested positive.

April 8, 1:07 p.m.

Tuesday was New York's deadliest day so far as the state reported 779 COVID-19-related fatalities. This was an increase from 731 reported deaths on Monday. “They are more than just a statistic. Every number is a face. Every number is a family. We mourn these New Yorkers deeply,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted on Wednesday. “Social distancing is working. We took dramatic action. It is flattening the curve. What we are all doing is having an impact. We can’t stop now.” As of midday Wednesday, there were 142,384 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York and 6,268 fatalities, Cuomo said during a press conference. The number of cases across the U.S. has now eclipsed 400,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

April 8, 12:23 p.m.

Heading out to enjoy the nice weather in the age of social distancing can come with some serious consequences, a Colorado man recently discovered. Matt Mooney, 33, was playing tee-ball with his wife and 6-year-old daughter when police handcuffed him at Donelson Park in Brighton, a suburb just north of Denver on Sunday. Former Brighton Councilman Kirby Wallin, who was nearby, recorded part of the incident on his phone. “He’s being taken by the Brighton police for playing softball with his daughter in an empty park,” Wallin can be heard saying in the video.
The weather in Denver was gorgeous on Sunday, with temperatures topping out in the upper 60s and partly sunny skies overhead. According to local news station KDVR, a sign at the park warned that entrance is permitted “in groups of no more than 4 persons" and that "parks remain open for walking, hiking, biking, running and similar activities.” Mooney was reportedly released after 10 minutes in the back of a patrol car. He said the whole situation was "insane" and that police owe him an apology. Watch a clip of the incident below.  

April 8, 12:12 p.m.

Could America's supply chain be in jeopardy? According to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), truckers across the nation are some of the most vulnerable to the ongoing pandemic, as they frequently deliver needed goods and supplies across the nation to COVID-19 hotspots. And they're often doing so without proper protection. Todd Spencer, president and CEO of the OOIDA, wrote a letter to President Trump on April 3 calling for "urgent and immediate action" to safeguard to country's supply chain, citing the risks small-business truckers and professional drivers are currently taking.     
"Every day they are exposed to COVID-19 because of the critical service they provide for all of us. EVERY SINGLE DAY," Spencer wrote. "They run in and out of the hot zones and without question they are exposed. They don’t have access to PPE or any practical means to know when they may be falling ill or any practical solution if they need treatment or self-isolation." You can read the full letter here.

April 8, 11 a.m.

Walgreens Boots Alliance announced Tuesday it’s opening 15 “drive-thru” testing sites to help slow the transmission of the new coronavirus, Reuters reported. The new sites follow the pledge the CEOs of Walgreens, CVS Health Corp and others made at a White House press conference to help combat the spread of the virus. CVS announced on Monday it would launch two offsite testing locations. It’s estimated that Walgreens, using Abbott Laboratories’s faster test kits, should be able to do 3,000 tests per day across the sites. CVS had said the pharmacy could perform 1,000 tests per day.
Walgreens will be setting up the testing centers in the following states:
  • Arizona
  • Florida
  • Illinois
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Tennessee
  • Texas

April 8, 10:02 a.m.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Wednesday that the first contract for ventilator production rated under the Defense Production Act (DPA) would be awarded to General Motors (GM). The automotive manufacturer will produce 30,000 ventilators that will be delivered to the country's Strategic National Stockpile by the end of this coming August and 6,132 ventilators by June 1. The contract is worth $489.4 million.

"Invoking the Defense Production Act to secure ventilator production from GM and other companies is a part of President Trump’s all-of-America approach to combating the coronavirus," said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. "By rating contracts under the DPA, HHS is helping manufacturers like GM get the supplies they need to produce ventilators as quickly as possible, while also ensuring that these ventilators are routed through the Strategic National Stockpile to where they’re needed most."

April 8, 9:30 a.m.

Figures reported by New York City’s health department show that today, there have been nearly 43 COVID-19 deaths for every 100,000 men in the city compared to 23 deaths for every 100,000 women, as reported by the New York Times. Men are also being hospitalized with severe cases of the disease at higher rates. The same holds true for rates in Italy and China, but although several different explanations have surfaced from differences in biology to smoking rates, none have been proven.
“I’m in the emergency room, and it’s remarkable — I’d estimate that 80 percent of the patients being brought in are men,” Dr. Hani Sbitany, a reconstructive surgeon at Mount Sinai Health System who has been treating victims told the Times. “It’s four out of five patients.”

April 8, 8:38 a.m.

With warmer weather already kicking in across parts of the country and summer right around the corner, are U.S. utility companies ready for changes in energy consumption due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic? As AccuWeather's John Roach reports, the answer isn't so cut and dry. Read his full report here.

April 8, 7 a.m.

Tuesday marked one of the bleakest days yet for the United States since the beginning of the pandemic. As the country nears the 400,000 case mark, here are the latest updated global totals from Johns Hopkins University:
  • Total confirmed cases: 1,441,128
  • Total deaths: 82,992
  • Total recoveries: 307,819
In the United States, over 33,000 new cases were reported on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the world and on the opposite side of the spectrum, Wuhan, the original epicenter of the pandemic crisis, had its lockdown lifted on Wednesday. After 76 days, residents are now allowed to leave the city by trains and flights.
A medical worker from China's Jilin Province, in red, embraces a colleague from Wuhan as she prepares to return home at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Previous coverage:
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from April 5-7
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from April 1-4
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from March 29-31.
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from March 26-28.
Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak.
Reporting by Lauren Fox, John Murphy, Brian Lada, Mark Puleo, Maria Antonieta Valery Gil, Kevin Byrne, Chaffin Mitchell, Adriana Navarro, Dexter Henry, Bill Wadell, Jonathan Petramala, and Monica Danielle
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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