The Centers For Disease Control has released new information in relation to social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In a recent study, the CDC found that virus droplets can travel as far as thirteen feet, more than twice the six feet distance in the current social distancing requirement. In addition, a study in a Wuhan hospital found that the virus was most heavily concentrated on the floors of the wards, possibly caused by gravity. This sheds new light on reports that the virus can travel on shoes.
The U.S. has hit a new milestone in the coronavirus pandemic. There are now more than 1/2 million confirmed coronavirus cases in this country. The United States has passed Italy to become the country with the most coronavirus deaths, surpassing 21,000. Over 110,000 people have died from the pandemic worldwide.
Singer and producer Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds announced on Twitter that he and his family are recovering from coronavirus. “I feel so blessed to be able to celebrate another birthday. I tested positive for Covid19, as did my family. It’s an incredibly scary thing to go through my friends. I’m happy to report we have now tested negative and are on our way back to full health,” Edmonds tweeted.
Sandy Brown of Michigan lost her husband and only son to coronavirus within days of each other. Her 59-year-old husband, Freddie Lee Brown III, had a kidney transplant. Her son, Freddie Lee Brown Jr., suffered from asthma.
Rihanna has teamed up with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to combat domestic abuse in the age of coronavirus. A $4.2 million grant will go to the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles to help victims of domestic abuse in the city. Domestic abuse has risen worldwide since shelter-in-place orders have forced people to remain in close contact with their abusers.
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Business & Politics
To redirect his campaign message to address the pandemic, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden unveiled his plan to “safely reopen” the U.S. His plan includes making testing more widely available and waiting until the number of confirmed coronavirus cases is low to ease restrictions. In a New York Times op-ed, Biden wrote, “As we prepare to reopen America, we have to remember what this crisis has taught us: The administration’s failure to plan, to prepare, to honestly assess and communicate the threat to the nation led to catastrophic results.” African American Ohio State Rep. Tavia Galonski announced her plan to prosecute Trump for crimes against humanity for his encouragement of the use of the drug, hydroxychoroquine. The drug has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19. Galonski said she intends to report the president to the Hague, the city in the Netherlands where the International Criminal Court is located. The United States Postal Service is asking Congress for funds to stay afloat during the pandemic and says it will run out of money by the end of September if nothing is done. Trump, who says the agency needs to increase its prices and hopes to privatize the service, is less than eager to help. The postal service is one of the country’s biggest employers. As of 2018, according to Data USA, the Postal Service employs over 330,000 employees. While 67% of its employees are white, 21% of the agency’s employees are Black. States
Six people were shot at a Bakersfield, California party that was held despite a statewide stay-at-home order issued to stop the spread of coronavirus. All the victims were taken to a local hospital and treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. No arrests have been made. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld enforcement of an executive order by Texas Governor Greg Abbott that includes abortion among non-essential medical procedures banned during the state of emergency. However, the appeals court allowed the procedure to go ahead if delays would place the pregnancy beyond the 22-week state cutoff for abortions. Similar legal fights are being waged in Alabama, Ohio, Oklahoma and Iowa. Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser on Sunday said that there should be a national focus to collect data on coronavirus deaths in communities of color. She stressed her city’s need for testing resources and said a surge in the District will happen well beyond May 1, the date proposed by the Trump administration to reopen the country.
Latest Numbers According to data from a Johns Hopkins University tally, almost 20,000 people have died from coronavirus complications. The United States has passed Italy to become the country with the most coronavirus deaths. On Friday, the U.S. saw its highest daily death count yet, at 2,108. |
