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Coronavirus pandemic could spell economic disaster for Las Vegas
Like much of the country, Nevada has all but shut down with the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip going dark amid efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. But unlike other parts of the nation, no other state relies so heavily on tourism to drive its economy.
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“The View” co-hosts roundly condemned Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, but Joy Behar had more of a backhanded compliment for her on Thursday’s show.
Their comments came after a testy CNN interview in which Goodman defended her push to reopen her city’s economy during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Listen, I’m thinking there may be a role for her in the White House,” Behar said. “She fits right in there. You better watch your back, Kellyanne Conway.”
Behar added that “nobody loves a casino more than I do … I’ll tell you, I wouldn’t set foot in the casino right now if they guaranteed me blackjack every hand.”
ANDERSON COOPER TELLS MAYOR SHE’S MAKING ‘REALLY IGNORANT’ ARGUMENT DURING CORONAVIRUS DEBATE
Conway has received praise from many on the right, including President Trump, although others have suggested she’s been dishonest during certain media appearances.
Perhaps most notably, the senior White House adviser caught flak for defending a false description of Trump’s inauguration crowd size by claiming then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer cited “alternative facts”– a term that, for Trump critics, has become synonymous with the way truth is handled under his administration. More recently, she made it seem as though the 19 in “COVID-19” was the 19th in a series of virus strands, rather than a way of identifying the year in which the disease emerged. “This is COVID-19, not COVID-1, folks,” she said.
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who previously rolled his eyes at Conway during a televised interview, appeared visibly annoyed by Goodman Wednesday as they discussed her push for the city to reopen its businesses.
At one point, Cooper attempted to illustrate the coronavirus’ danger by citing Chinese research on how the virus spreads.
MSNBC ANCHOR KATY TUR TELLS LAS VEGAS MAYOR SHE’S CALLING FOR ‘MODERN-DAY SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST’
“Oh, you are good. Anderson, you are tough,” Goodman said mockingly. “We’re back to China, this isn’t China. This is Las Vegas, Nevada.”
“Wow,” Cooper responded, “OK, that’s really ignorant.”
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“The View” co-hosts took particular issue with Goodman’s comment that it was up to casinos to figure out how to maintain social distancing while reopening. She added that it wasn’t her job to figure out how businesses should reopen.
“I’ve performed in Vegas for years … this is the most insane thing I’ve ever heard,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg said.
Co-host Meghan McCain said she was “flabbergasted” by Goodman’s answers.
“She reminded me of like one of those teachers in middle school that you used to have that was such a jacka– and like, trying to talk to Anderson Cooper in this really like reductive way,” she said.
“And Anderson Cooper, no matter what you think of him, he’s one of the most famous journalists in the world … he was asking her really legitimate questions,” she added.
CLICK HERE TO GET COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
McCain also disputed the idea that it wasn’t Goodman’s job to decide how businesses opened.
“You’re the mayor of Las Vegas! That’s exactly, entirely your job to figure it out,” she said. “And I just thought, it’s the worst of the worst of the worst of the kind of politicians in this country.”
April 23, 2020 | 10: 45am | Updated April 23, 2020 | 11: 40am
California investigators digging into the disappearance of college student Kristin Smart — who vanished more than two decades ago — found “items of interest” in a former classmate’s home during a search this week, according to a new report.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant Wednesday “for specific items of evidence at the Los Angeles County home of Paul Flores,” the office said in a news release.
Flores, the last known person to see her alive, has long been considered a person of interest in the case — though he has refused to cooperate with authorities over the years.
Police previously searched Flores’ San Pedro home and two “vintage” vehicles in February.
The February search led to Wednesday’s warrant, Tony Cipolla, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told CNN.
“The search is now concluded and we recovered some items of interest in the case,” Cipolla told the network. “We are following up on leads, tips and good investigative work.”
Flores was detained during the search, which began at 7 a.m. Pacific Time and ended at 10: 30 a.m., according to Cipolla. He was then released back into his home, the official said.
Smart was a 19-year-old freshman at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo when she went missing from the campus in 1996.
She was last seen near her dorm after walking home from an off-campus fraternity party and had been spotted with Flores, but he was never arrested or charged in the case.
The young woman was declared dead in 2002 even though her body was never found.
Smart’s mom, Denise, drew media attention to the case again in mid-January when she revealed a retired FBI agent recently contacted her and told her to prepare for a bombshell in the case, the Stockton Record reported.
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A recent order from Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo is facing backlash in Houston, Texas. The order would fine citizens $1,000 if caught not wearing a face mask in public for the next 30 days starting next week.
TEXAS JUDGE’S 30-DAY CORONAVIRUS MASK ORDER BLASTED AS ‘ULTIMATE GOVERNMENT OVERREACH’
Under the order, residents 10 years old and older are required to wear a covering, starting Monday, April 27. The only exceptions will be when exercising, eating, drinking, if you’re alone in a separate place or at your home.
In a Fox News exclusive, Houston’s police union president, Joe Gamaldi, called the measure “draconian.”
“We encourage all of our officers to wear a mask. We want citizens to wear masks. We draw the line in this draconian measure that our county judge wants to impose on all of our law-abiding, hardworking citizens of our community,” Gamaldi told Fox News.
For individuals who have lost their income, a $1,000 fine could make their circumstances much worse. Some see Judge Hidalgo’s order as a way to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, but Gamaldi thinks there are other factors at play.
MASK MANDATES: GOVERNORS TIGHTEN RULES FOR FACE COVERINGS AS PART OF CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE
“You know, the funny thing about this order is it’s supposed to be for the public health and it is imperative that we do it right now. But yet the order doesn’t start for another four or five days. So if it’s so important, why aren’t we starting it now? Why are we waiting until Monday to start this order? It’s a complete joke and it’s an overreach by this county judge,” Gamaldi said.
The police union’s president said the police have put a lot of effort into building a bridge to the community and this order would undo all the hard work they have done.
“We work every single day to build that bridge with the community, to build that trust. And now this county judge wants to come in, Judge Lina Hidalgo, and she wants to erode all of that trust by having our officers go out into the community and question people on whether or not they’re wearing a mask,” explained Gamaldi.
CUOMO SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRING ALL NEW YORKERS TO WEAR FACE MASKS IN PUBLIC AMID CORONAVIRUS
Gamaldi is not the only person to speak out against this order. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, said “commonsense guidelines” should never lead to “unjust tyranny.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also released a statement on Twitter writing, “These kind of confused government policies fuel public anger — and rightfully so.”
The House of Representatives Thursday overwhelmingly passed a $484 billion relief package to rescue small businesses, help hospitals and to expand testing, sending the fourth bipartisan coronavirus bill to President Trump’s desk.
The legislation will deliver a $310 billion infusion to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a forgivable loan program that ran out money last week amid skyrocketing demand from hurting small businesses. The Senate passed the legislation on Tuesday by voice vote.
The legislation passed 388 to 5, with one member voting present.
While both Republicans and Democrats supported the bill, they couldn’t help but bash each other on the House floor in the hours leading up to the vote, accusing each other of playing politics by delaying the needed aid.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said the additional funds for small businesses should have been passed immediately after the Trump Administration on April 7 asked for $250 billion in emergency aid because the small business loan fund was running out of money.
HOUSE OKS COMMITTEE TO PROBE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE, OVER GOP OBJECTIONS
McCarthy accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of delaying the important aid to extract concessions at the cost of 4.4 million more Americans filing for unemployment benefits just last week — bringing the total up to more than 26 million unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic.
“To those 4.4 million Americans that were laid off this week — Congress owes you an apology,” he said. “You did not have to have that happen.”
But Pelosi and Democrats blasted the GOP for withholding vital support for hospitals and additional aid for disadvantaged small businesses, only to agree two weeks later.
PELOSI ACCUSES MCCONNELL, GOP OF HOLDING UP CORONAVIRUS FUNDS
“To say we delayed this, no, you delayed this,” Pelosi said, directing her ire at the Republicans and singling out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Despite the bickering about the timing and politics of the bill, the legislation marks another resounding bipartisan response from Congress in the fight against the pandemic that has infected more than 840,000 people in the United States and killed more than 46,000 Americans.
The first $8.3 billion bill signed into law March 6 focused on the public health response and the second bill established free testing, sick days and paid leave policies. The third bill, the massive $2 trillion CARES Act, set up $1,200 one-time direct payments to most Americans, expanded unemployment benefits, provided $500 billion in corporate aid and $350 billion to the PPP small business program.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif. walks to the House Chamber to vote on the nearly $500 billion Coronavirus relief bill on Capitol Hill, Thursday, April 23, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
HOUSE DEBATES CONONAVIRUS RESPONSE – WEARING FACE MASKS
“We do have a lot more work to do,” said Rep. Harley Rouda, D-Calif. “And I hope we can continue to work in a bipartisan fashion, stop the partisan sniping and do what we were meant to do here to protect our country.”
The nearly half-trillion package passed Thursday would add an additional $310 billion in PPP funding, with $30 billion of that reserved for community-based lenders, small banks and credit unions and $30 billion for mid-sized banks and credit unions — a Democrat request to help the smallest of businesses have access to funds.
The business help is expanded to add $50 billion for Small Business Administration (SBA) emergency disaster lending and $10 billion in SBA emergency disaster grants.
Democrats had been pushing for additional help for state and local governments that are running dry on revenue during the pandemic, but Republicans have refused and McConnell even suggested states should file for bankruptcy.
MCCONNELL SAYS STATES SHOULD BE ABLE TO DECLARE BANKRUPTCY, WANTS TO HIT ‘PAUSE’ ON FEDERAL AID
But instead of state and local funds, Democrats secured $75 billion for healthcare providers to support COVID-19 expenses and lost revenue due to the canceling of many elected procedures. And the package includes $25 billion to develop mass testing, with $11 billion earmarked for states and localities.
The Republicans voting “no” were Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Jody Hice of Georgia and Thomas Massie of Kentucky. For Democrats, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York rejected the bill. Independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan voted present.
Despite a half-trillion in new aid, politicians downplayed Thursday’s legislation as an “interim” bill or “Phase 3.5” because they have already started negotiating a larger stimulus package. While some Republicans want to wait on spending more money over debt concerns, the White House and Democrats view the next phase of legislation as a massive way to revive the economy with cash, including an infrastructure plan.
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In the next round of funding, progressive Democrats want more direct payments to Americans, mortgage and rent relief, healthcare help and student loan forgiveness.
Ocasio-Cortez, who represents one of the hardest-hit communities in New York, ripped the GOP for wanting to help big businesses that have gotten aid from the Paycheck Protection Program.
“It is a joke when Republicans say that they have urgency around this bill,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “The only folks that they have urgency around are folks like Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Shake Shack. Those are the people getting assistance in this bill. You are not trying to fix this bill for mom and pops.”
She voted against the bill for not going far enough to help people in need.
“We have to fight to fund hospitals. Fighting to fund testing. That is what we’re fighting for in this bill,” the liberal firebrand continued. “It is unconscionable. If you have urgency, you would legislate like rent was due on May 1.”
This was the first time the House resumed session since March 27, when they passed the massive $2 trillion CARES Act by a voice vote. Much had changed in a month.
Lawmakers and staff wore masks in the House chamber. Members wiped down microphones and lecterns after they spoke. Voting took place in alphabetical waves to limit the number of people on the floor. The vote took one hour and 22 minutes to complete.
Some lawmakers expressed frustration the spending bill was worked out by leadership while lawmakers were home on a monthlong recess.
“Congress must convene not just today but every day until America’s back on track,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who blasted the current process as “half-assed legislating.” He was admonished by the presiding officer for using “vulgarity” on the floor.
The debate on the House floor turned personal at times, showing the widespread health and economic grip the virus has had on the country.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., got emotional on the House floor talking about a Detroit 5-year-old girl, Skylar Herbert, who died from COVID-19. She stood aside a big picture of the smiling girl, the daughter of first responders, as she pleaded for Congress to do more.
“Her death should be a wake-up call that we must act in urgency, ” Tlaib said. “…It is immoral for us to walk away and take a month off when … our neighbors are dying and losing loved ones.”
Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah, returned to House floor to speak in favor of the bill after recovering from a nasty bout of COVID-19 that hospitalized the 45-year-old.
Small Business Committee Chair Rep. Nydia Velazquez, who also recovered from a presumed case of coronavirus, touted the improvements Democrats made to the bill to help disadvantaged and unbanked businesses.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said she’s dedicating her vote Thursday in honor of her “dear sister who is dying in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri right now infected by the coronavirus.”
CALIFORNIA REP. MAXINE WATERS SAYS HER SISTER IS DYING WITH CORONAVIRUS
And many members brought stories of the troubles of the small businesses in their districts that are on the verge of shutting down because of the government-ordered social distancing.
Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., said the Washington delays on replenishing the small businesses were too long for tearful small business owners in a panic about having to lay off workers.
“We engaged in a type of cruelty around here,” Schweikert said. “Because we sat here and engaged in partisan[ship.] We’re better than this.”
The coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. is taking the lives of more men than women, even in some states where women account for more of the confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The higher rate of deaths among men is one of the idiosyncrasies of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, which in some states also proves disproportionately deadly for blacks but takes a smaller toll on Hispanics.
The seemingly random impact of the virus has become one of its defining characteristics. Some people catch it and quickly enter a downward spiral of sickness, hospitalization, intubation and death. Others have coldlike symptoms or no symptoms at all.
A constant in the epidemiological data has been the high mortality rate for older Americans. People older than 70 represent roughly half the deaths in most states.
Several other trends, however, have emerged from a Washington Times analysis of data collected by state health departments across the country. In most cases, men fare worse than women among people who test positive for the virus.
In Washington state, the first hot spot for the disease in the U.S., men accounted for 46% of the COVID-19 cases but 55% of the deaths, according to state data reported this week.
Similar disparities in outcomes for men and women were found in other states, including Maryland, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Virginia.
Yotam Ophir, a health and science communication scholar at the University at Buffalo, said sex and race influence susceptibility to COVID-19 but news media haven’t sufficiently delivered the message.
“This is not surprising me, though,” he said. “The more developed the epidemic is and the more time has passed, the media’s short attention span pushes it to stop talking about the science and to focus almost exclusively about the political, economic and cultural aspects.”
In Michigan, where more than 33,900 people in a population of 10 million have tested positive and more than 2,800 have died from COVID-19, a stark 10 percentage point swing separates case fatality ratios for the sexes.
Women had roughly 54% of the cases but represented 45% of the deaths. Men had the reverse tally of 45% of the cases and 54% of the deaths.
The gender was unknown for 1% of the cases and 1% of the fatalities, according to Michigan’s statistics.
Men might become sicker and die from COVID-19 as a result of genetic and social factors, said Dr. Robert Quigley, senior vice president and regional medical director of International SOS, a medical and travel securities firm.
The answer, he said, likely rests with women having two “X” chromosomes, which could help their immune systems respond more rapidly to infection than men, who have one “X” and one “Y” chromosome.
“The female’s immune and the immune response to an invasion by this very aggressive virus is more robust and complete on the front end,” Dr. Quigley told The Times.
Another factor to consider in the gender breakdown could be social differences.
“Men are much more likely to take risks than women are,” he said, noting that more men engage in hazardous habits such as smoking that can contribute to fatalities from the virus.
Amira A. Roess, a professor in epidemiology at George Mason University, said women’s immune systems respond differently to pathogens and vaccines than do men’s.
Behavior also plays a role.
“Women and men have different health care seeking behaviors, which might partially explain the difference,” she said, noting that men often wait longer to go to a doctor.
“Men have higher rates of some chronic conditions as well,” she said. “African American men have higher mortality rates from cardiovascular disease in general, and this could also explain their vulnerability to particularly poor outcomes from COVID-19.”
Black communities have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus. The trend emerged early in places such as New York City and New Orleans. Although the high fatality rates for blacks receded in New York state and Louisiana as the disease spread outside urban areas, the rates remain higher than for whites or Hispanics.
The disparity in outcomes for blacks has been widely attributed to higher incidents of hypertension, diabetes, asthma and other underlying conditions that contribute to COVID-19 fatalities.
“It’s not that they’re getting infected more often. It’s that when they do get infected, their underlying medical conditions wind them up in the ICU and ultimately give them a higher death rate,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key member of the White House coronavirus task force.
Hispanics in many states appear to have dodged death from COVID-19 despite their high rates of obesity and diabetes.
In California, Hispanics make up about 40% of the population but account for 31% of the deaths, according to statistics from the state health department.
The 12% coronavirus death rate for black Californians is double their 6% share of the state population.
The 36% death rate from COVID-19 for white Californians tracks their 36% population figure.
In New Jersey, Hispanic residents account for 20% of the population but 16% of the COVID-19 deaths. The state’s black residents represent 15% of the population and 20% of the COVID-19 deaths, and white residents represent 55% of the population and 50% of the COVID-19 deaths.
Hispanic communities in New York City, however, bore the brunt of the fatalities. The city’s Hispanic residents make up 29% of the population and account for 34% of the COVID-19 deaths. Blacks account for 22% of the population but 28% of COVID-19 deaths, and white residents represent 32% of the population but account for 27% of COVID-19 deaths, according to state health department data.
As far as the data for Hispanics, Dr. Quigley said, the rate of deaths depends on myriad factors such as pre-existing conditions and access to health care.
“Whether or not that can be further subdivided on an ethnic basis remains to be seen. What we really need to look at is what are the characteristics of those people getting sicker,” he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic is entering a critical phase, with governors and scientists hopeful that warmer, wetter weather tamps down transmission while cautioning that it’s too soon to ease social distancing and other social restrictions.
Spring and summer humidity can ruin a picnic, but it also yanks infectious droplets to the ground.
The moisture that surrounds the virus when it is expelled from an infected person tends to evaporate quickly in colder months, allowing the virus to float in the air. Dry air can also make it harder for people to clear the virus from their nasal passages.
The science isn’t ironclad — COVID-19 is newly discovered — but similar viruses tend to recede in the summer and pick up when dry air returns in the fall.
“We do anticipate some seasonality. The viruses, when it’s humid and hot, are not as transmissible from person to person,” said William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.
“But it’s not a sure thing and, as I like to quip, I don’t know if COVID-19 has, quote, read the textbook and knows what to do,” he said. “We have to plan for the shady side of the street, not just the sunny side.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the potential for a summertime easing did not factor into Gov. Tom Wolf’s three-phase plan for returning to normal operations. Instead, the governor’s plan relies on current data and conditions.
“We have seen cases decrease in some parts of the state but not in others, despite temperatures starting to warm,” department spokesman Nate Wardle said. “It remains to be seen if this virus is one that is seasonal or if it is hardy enough to thrive no matter the temperature.”
Likewise, Michigan officials said their modeling “is not evaluating the potential effects of seasonality yet.”
“We are regularly looking at social distancing data and will continue that as summer progresses,” state Health and Human Services Department spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin said.
Summer has downsides, too, when it comes to COVID-19.
Air conditioning reduces humidity, meaning the physics around droplets won’t always apply, and Chinese researchers concluded that nine diners sitting in the path of an air conditioner’s airflow were infected by a single person at a Guangzhou restaurant this year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said restaurant owners should consider spacing out tables and keeping their eateries well-ventilated.
Even if the virus does wane, scientists at the White House podium are talking about a resurgence in autumn that will coincide with the influenza season, making predictions more complicated and forcing the federal government and states to plan for the whole year.
President Trump once hoped the virus would dissipate in April as temperatures rose. That didn’t happen. Infections have soared, and the U.S. death toll is nearing 50,000.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that 438 people died in his state during the most recent 24-hour reporting period.
“That number is not coming down as fast as we would like to see that number come down,” said Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat.
Like everyone else, Mr. Cuomo is wondering what will happen in the summer and fall.
“No one’s really saying it will go away when the weather gets warm … but there’s still a theory the virus could slow during the summer but then come back in the fall. If it comes back in the fall, it then comes back with the normal flu season,” Mr. Cuomo said. “That’s then problematic because you’re then testing for flu and testing for COVID-19. … That could be a possible overwhelming of the testing system.”
New York is digging in for a long fight, though some states are trying to determine whether they can ease shutdown orders and reopen restaurants, gyms, salons and other businesses.
Anice Lowen, an associate professor at the Emory School of Medicine, said communities “certainly should not bank on seasonality being a help in the summer.”
For one thing, we may be too susceptible to this new disease for climate to matter much.
“Unlike more typical coronaviruses where immunity constrains spread, this virus is brand new to the human population and very few people have immunity. In light of this, physical distancing and masks are critical,” she said.
Scientists are tracking the spread of the virus in the Southern Hemisphere, which is nearing its winter. The virus will likely maintain itself there during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer.
“This would in turn allow the virus to move back into the temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere during our early winter months, creating a seasonality in the pattern,” said Anthony Amoroso, an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Anthony Fauci, a top scientist on the White House coronavirus task force, said COVID-19 is likely to circulate around the globe for some time, fueling cycles in the U.S. and underscoring the need for a vaccine.
“We will have coronavirus in the fall,” he said at midweek. “I am convinced of that because of the degree of transmissibility that has the global nature.”
FILE – In this April 14, 2020, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom gestures during a news conference at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, Calif. On Wednesday, April 22, Gov. Newsom is scheduled to give an update on the six indicators state officials are watching to determine when they might loosen the state’s stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool, File)
FILE – In this April 14, 2020, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom gestures during a news conference at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, Calif. On Wednesday, April 22, Gov.
FILE – In this April 14, 2020, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom gestures during a news conference at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, Calif. On Wednesday, April 22, Gov. Newsom is scheduled to give an update on the six indicators state officials are watching to determine when they might loosen the state’s stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool, File)
FILE – In this April 14, 2020, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom gestures during a news conference at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, Calif. On Wednesday, April 22, Gov.
LATEST, April 23, 4: 00 p.m. President Donald Trump said the federal government would be sending a second shipment of supplies to California Friday, a day after the first shipment arrived. In a White House press conference, Trump said Newsom “thanked us very much” for getting the state the supplies needed for testing.
“We got it to [Newsom] today, tomorrow we’ll get him even more,” Trump said. “Would have been harder for him to get than us, we agreed to get it, we got it, on time. He said promises made, promises kept.”
On Tuesday, Newsom said in a press conference the state needed swabs and transport media, and that he was in conversation with the Trump administration to secure them.
April 23, 3: 50 p.m. The House has approved $484 billion in spending related to COVID-19 recovery, the Washington Post reported.
Trump has previously said he would sign the bill into law.
April 23, 2: 45 p.m. Alameda County announced additional cases of the coronavirus Thursday, bringing the total in the county to 1,350. The county also disclosed a new death, bringing the death toll to 46.
April 23, 2: 30 p.m. Three people have died and 36 have tested positive for the coronavirus at an Oakland senior care facility, the Mercury News reported Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Excell Health Care Center on High Street noted that the 36 infections are all in center residents; it was not disclosed if any additional cases are in staff members.
The center is one a growing number of senior homes disproportionately affected by high case numbers of the coronavirus.
April 23, 2: 15 p.m. Several Bay Area counties reported additional COVID-19 cases Thursday afternoon. Contra Costa County announced seven new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the county to 770. Contra Costa also reported an additional death, its 23rd.
Napa County announced four additional cases, for a total of 154, and Sonoma County announced two new cases for a total of 194. Neither North Bay county reported any new deaths.
With the announcement of 25 new cases, Santa Clara County is now nearing 2,000 cases. It now reports a total of 1,987. The South Bay county also counted a new death, bringing the total to 95.
April 23, 2: 00 p.m. The city of Oakland has expanded its testing to make eligible anyone who lives or works in Alameda County, regardless of immigration status or whether they are insured.
Those who want to be tested must be showing symptoms, such as a cough, fever or shortness of breath, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. They will then need to register to confirm an appointment here at the city’s website.
April 23, 1: 47 p.m. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that 115 people died from the novel coronavirus in California in one day, marking a 8.5% increase in the total number of deaths. There was also a 5.6% increase in the total number of people who tested positive in the state. (Previous reports tallied a higher death total for Wednesday, at 118 fatalities.)
There are some positives of note, however, Newsom said. The state has seen two days of declines in hospitalizations and patients in ICUs; the latest figure shows a 0.4% drop in hospitalizations, while ICU figures dropped by 1.2%. Despite those positives, he warned that “we’re not out of the woods yet.”
April 23, 1: 14 p.m. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced two plans that are aimed at providing some relief for Californians who either received money under the CARES Act, or are currently making student loan payments.
Under a new executive order signed by Newsom Thursday, debt collectors will not be allowed to garnish money received under the CARES Act, effective immediately. The order will also be retroactive, so any money already taken by debt collectors must be returned.
“Now is not the time to garnish those emergency contribution checks,” Newsom said in his address.
There are some caveats, however, as Newsom noted. The new order does not apply to those who owe childcare or spousal support, or those who have a “responsibility to a victim or a victim’s account.”
Student loan borrowers will also see some relief, as 21 of the 24 largest student loan servicers have agreed to a 90-day forbearance on student loan debt, Newsom said. This is set to impact over 1.1 million Californians.
April 23, 12: 10 p.m. San Jose State is planning for its Fall 2020 semester to take place online, the university reported Thursday.
“It is unclear the kind of world we will be walking into in August when the new academic year begins, or how it will change throughout the semester,” a note to students from Provost Vincent Del Casino Jr. read. “The best option, for now, based on what we know is to plan that the majority of our courses — particularly lecture courses — will be fully online.”
The school may modify plans under health and county official guidance.
April 23, 10: 30 a.m. The San Francisco Public Health Department updated its coronavirus dashboard to include 69 new cases, bringing the total to 1302. Deaths remain 21. San Mateo County reported six new cases. The county total is now 966 with 39 deaths.
April 23, 9: 05 a.m. California Gov. Gavin Newsom was a guest on KCBS Radio Thursday morning and discussed the first modification to the state’s stay-at-home order that was issued last month to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Newsom said “essential surgeries” are now allowed “because we believe we have appropriate capacity within our hospitals and alternative care sites to allow scheduled surgeries to go back and be conducted.”
Newsom added: “That’s a very positive thing. It’s the first sign of progress — an indicator light that went green, not red. I hope to be making subsequent announcements over the next days and weeks so that we can get back into the beginning of some semblance of normalcy.”
The governor initially announced the augmentation to the order at his Wednesday press conference and clarified that “essential surgeries” — not “cosmetic surgeries” — are allowed effective immediately. Examples include the removal of tumors or a heart valve procedure that isn’t an emergency but, if neglected, could become a problem.
“These are surgeries that are scheduled but also essential,” he said. “The surgeries where if it gets delayed it becomes acute.”
Find the full KCBS interview here and read more about Newsom’s press conference here.
Cumulative cases in the greater Bay Area (due to limited testing these numbers reflect only a small portion of likely cases):
ALAMEDA COUNTY: 1,350 confirmed cases, 46 deaths
For more information on Alameda County cases, visit the public health department website.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 770 confirmed cases, 23 deaths
For more information on Contra Costa County cases, visit the public health department website.
LAKE COUNTY: 6 confirmed cases
For information on Lake County and coronavirus, visit the public health department website.
MARIN COUNTY: 203 confirmed cases, 11 deaths
Fore more information on Marin County cases, visit the public health department website.
MONTEREY COUNTY: 154 confirmed cases, 4 deaths
For more information on Monterey County cases, visit the public health department website.
NAPA COUNTY: 57 cases, 2 deaths
For more information on Napa County cases, visit the public health department website.
SAN BENITO COUNTY: 46 confirmed cases, 2 deaths
For more information on San Benito County cases, visit the public health department website.
SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY: 1,302 confirmed cases, 21 deaths
For more information on San Francisco County cases, visit the public health department website.
SAN MATEO COUNTY: 966 confirmed cases, 39 deaths
For more information on San Mateo County cases, visit the public health department website.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY: 1,987 confirmed cases, 95 deaths
Fore more information on Santa Clara County cases, visit the public health department website.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: 114 confirmed cases, 2 deaths
For more information on Santa Cruz County cases, visit the public health department website.
SOLANO COUNTY: 186 confirmed cases, 3 deaths
For more information on Solano County cases, visit the public health department website.
SONOMA COUNTY: 194 confirmed cases, 2 deaths
For more information on Sonoma County cases, visit the public health department website.
In California, 1,229 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported, according to Johns Hopkins University. For comparison, New York has 18,653, New Jersey 4,520 and Illinois 1,349.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Should babies and children wear masks or face coverings?
What should you do if a member of your household gets COVID-19?
How can I help Bay Area restaurants and nonprofits feeding hospital workers?
Can you leave your county if a shelter-in-place order is in effect in the Bay Area?
How long will social distancing be necessary in the U.S.?
How can a mild case of the novel coronavirus can quickly turn deadly?
How easily does coronavirus spread?
Can you ride your bike in counties with shelter-in-place orders?
What does ‘flatten the curve’ mean and how does it relate to the coronavirus pandemic?
What are the most common symptoms in coronavirus patients?
Does smoking/vaping put you at a higher risk of coronavirus?
How does coronavirus compare to epidemics of the past?
What are the worst myths and misinformation about coronavirus?
Are children at a lower risk for coronavirus complications?
Are the elderly at a greater risk for coronavirus complications?
Why is Taiwan’s COVID-19 death rate shockingly low?
How much money will I receive under the $2 trillion aid package?
Why won’t clerks bag my reusable tote at Safeway and other stores any more?
What are the vexing questions about COVID-19 scientists still can’t answer?
How can I deal with anxiety during coronavirus?
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
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Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.
Joshua Bote, USA TODAY
Published 1: 58 p.m. ET April 23, 2020 | Updated 6: 01 p.m. ET April 23, 2020
CLOSE
These individuals, from six to 95-year-old, fought the coronavirus and won.
USA TODAY
A World War II veteran died of coronavirus, a century after his twin brother died of what was then known as the Spanish flu.
Philip Kahn, who resided in Long Island, New York, served as a sergeant in the Air Force during World War II and co-piloted key missions during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He died at the age of 100 on April 17.
He and his twin brother Samuel, according to CNN, were born on Dec. 5, 1919. Samuel died just weeks later from the influenza pandemic, which infected one-third of the world’s population, about 500 million people, and killed 675,000 in the United States.
The family was able to test Philip Kahn for coronavirus, but didn’t get his test results until after his death, CNN reported.
Kahn’s grandson, Warren Zysman, told CNN and WLNY-TV in New York that his grandfather repeatedly warned him about another pandemic happening in his lifetime.
“The one silver lining is that my grandfather will finally have the opportunity to meet his twin brother after 100 years,” Zysman told WLNY-TV.
Following his military service, Kahn later was employed as an electrical foreman and worked on the World Trade Center, CNN reported.
During his funeral service, Kahn’s great-grandchildren were allowed to make speeches , WLNY reported, while CNN noted that a fellow World War II veteran who served with him, Sampson Friedman, played the bugle — both distanced from Kahn’s grave.
“He had always wanted a large military funeral, but we weren’t able to provide that to him,” Zysman told CNN.
Los Angeles County health officials on Thursday announced that COVID-19 — the illness caused by the coronavirus — has become the leading cause of death in the county, surpassing fatalities from flu, emphysema and heart disease.
Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, confirmed 68 new coronavirus-linked deaths, bringing the total to just under 800 since the outbreak began. The county also reported 1,081 new COVID-19 cases — pushing the overall number to 17,508.
Of those who most recently died, 51 were over age 65, 11 were 41 to 65 and three were 18 to 40. Ages were not available for the other cases. Among all who have died from coronavirus infection in the county, 89% had some kind of underlying health condition, Ferrer said.
“This is underscoring the need for people who have underlying health conditions to make sure that they’re staying home, that they’re avoiding close contact with as many other people as possible and that at the first sign of illness they are contacting their healthcare provider,” she said.
The average number of daily deaths related to the coronavirus in Los Angeles County is 44. In comparison, each day, five people die from influenza during flu season, eight die daily from emphysema and 31 die of heart disease, on average, Ferrer said.
“These are our leading causes of death across the county, and at the average rate of 44 deaths [per day] … COVID-19 has now become the leading cause of death across the county,” she said. “These numbers are a stark reminder for all of us of the importance of slowing the spread of COVID-19 because in slowing the spread, we have the opportunity, each and every one of us, to save a life.”
The increase in deaths in Los Angeles County comes a day after California reported 118 new fatalities — the highest number of deaths in a single day statewide. More than 1,500 people have died across California.
The surge in fatalities marks a roughly 8.5% increase in the number of deaths statewide, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday.
“It’s a reminder we’re not out of the woods yet,” he said.
Despite the uptick in deaths, public health officials say hospitals are not being overwhelmed, but they continue to see a steady flow of patients. Models unveiled this week project that, should residents continue to abide by stay-at-home orders and maintain social distancing when they do venture outside, Los Angeles County should have enough hospital and ICU beds, as well as respirators, to accommodate the expected number of coronavirus patients.
The sobering numbers come amid a push from some communities to loosen regulations that have kept Californians inside for weeks.
A group of protesters on Wednesday drove around City Hall in downtown L.A., honking and waving signs reading “Open Cali Now” and “Freedom is Contagious.” Some held signs supporting President Trump. It was the latest of several protests across the country. In the past several days, similar uprisings were held in San Diego, Newport Beach, Sacramento, Huntington Beach and San Clemente.
Orange, Riverside and Ventura counties have started to pull back on some of their coronavirus-related restrictions — reopening golf courses, parks, beaches and other outdoor areas — as health officials in L.A. County urge residents and public officials to stay the course.
Newsom reemphasized this week that there are six key indicators for potentially modifying the stay-at-home order. Among those is increasing testing capacity, which he said may be among the most important.
Currently, the state can provide about 16,000 tests a day, he said, and the goal is to boost that to 25,000 a day by the end of the month.
Counties across the state have also started boosting their testing capacities in recent weeks. Los Angeles County expanded coronavirus testing this month to include any resident who has symptoms and wants to be tested for the virus.
Orange County this week launched a network of six clinics that officials say will have the ability to test an additional 600 people per day. The tests will be done by appointment for anyone showing symptoms of the virus.
Between 350 and 1,100 people were previously being tested for COVID-19 per day countywide. Eventually, county health officials hope to be conducting 2,000 tests per day through the network.
Orange County public health officials reported two additional coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday, bringing the toll to 36. There have been more than 1,800 confirmed cases of the virus in the county.
Newsom and others have said that California and the nation have not necessarily seen the worst of the coronavirus and that lifting stay-at-home rules too early could be disastrous. Ahead of the unseasonably warm weather expected this weekend, state and county officials encouraged Californians to stay at home as much as possible and avoid crowded outdoor areas.
If people fail to social distance this weekend, the governor said he expects to be announcing a rise in the number of deaths, hospitalizations and new infections in the coming weeks as a result.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis emphasized that while the warm weather may look like an exciting opportunity to head outside, it is more important than ever that people continue social distancing efforts.
“This will test our resolve to remain committed to the safer-at-home orders,” she said. “Now is not the time to let our guards down and lose the gains we have made.”
Times staff writer Phil Willon contributed to this report.
