Coronavirus updates: NYC on track to reopen June 8; Trump to scrap relationship with WHO
New York City is on track to begin reopening June 8, consumer spending in the U.S. has dropped dramatically, and that cold you had in December or early January was not coronavirus, a new study says.
Meanwhile, President Trump says hes terminating US relationship with the World Health Organization.
There are more than 5.8 million confirmed cases around the world, with 1.7 million in the United States, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard. The virus has killed more than 101,000 people in the U.S., and over 360,000 people worldwide.
Here are a few developments to know:
· A new comprehensive federal study says the coronavirus arrived in the U.S. starting in mid-January to early February.
· Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday that New York City is on track to begin some reopening on June 8.
· The Boston Marathon has been canceled for the first time in its 124-year history, and there are plans for a virtual race instead.
· Thousands of restaurants, nail salons and other small businesses unable to take full advantage of the federal Paycheck Protection Program would get some needed help under a bipartisan bill the House overwhelmingly passed Thursday.
President Trump says hes terminating US relationship with WHO
President Donald Trump said he would formally end the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization, blasting the multilateral institution as a tool of China. He also said Hong Kong is no longer entitled to special treatment by the United States, because it is no longer autonomous from mainland China. Trump made the announcements during a Rose Garden event in which he leveled a long list of complaints against China from engaging in unfair trade practices to hiding the scope and severity of the deadly coronavirus.
Study: Virus ignited in US no earlier than mid-January
The spark that started the U.S. coronavirus epidemic arrived during a three-week window from mid-January to early February, before the nation halted travel from China, according to the most comprehensive federal study to date of when the virus began spreading.
That means anyone in the U.S. who thought they had the virus in December or early January probably had the flu, public health researchers said.
Some people have claimed Americans were getting sick from the coronavirus as early as November and that infections were spreading in the U.S. before any case was identified, said Dr. Robert Redfield, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NYC on track to reopen June 8
New York City is on track to begin reopening June 8 as the state gradually loosens restrictions put in place during the coronavirus crisis, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday.
Cuomo said the city was meeting goals set for hospital rates and testing, will stockpile personal protective equipment and will focus on infection rates in hot spots by ZIP code.
We believe all of these things can be done next week, the Democratic governor said at his daily briefing. The state saw 67 new deaths, a number he called the lowest ever.
Gov't support boosted personal incomes but consumer spending sinks
U.S. consumer spending plunged by a record-shattering 13.6% in April.
Last months spending decline was far worse than the revised 6.9% drop in March, which itself had set a record for the steepest one-month fall in records dating to 1959. Fridays Commerce Department figures reinforced evidence that the economy is gripped by the worst downturn in decades, with consumers unable or too anxious to spend much.
Even with employers cutting millions of jobs during the month, personal incomes soared 10.5% in April, reflecting billions of dollars in support through government payments in the form of unemployment benefits and stimulus checks.
People with cancer are far more likely to die from COVID-19
Those with cancer die at a higher rate from COVID-19 than the general population, though for the same basic reasons, because of their older age, male gender, smoking history and multiple health problems, according to a study published Thursday in The Lancet.
While COVID-19 has killed about 6% of Americans diagnosed with it, the study found 13% of cancer patients died within a month of catching the coronavirus that causes the disease.
But some of the factors researchers worried might increase patients risk of death, such as recent cancer treatment, turned out not to play a major role, the study found.
House passes PPP bill giving small businesses more time
Thousands of restaurants, nail salons and other small businesses unable to take full advantage of the financial lifeline provided through the federal Paycheck Protection Program would get some needed help under a bipartisan bill the House overwhelmingly passed Thursday.
The bill, now headed to the Senate, loosens some key rules regarding loan repayment and spending restrictions of the PPP. The program, created in March as part of the CARES Act, has already provided more than 4.4 million small businesses with an infusion of cash to keep their workers on the payroll during the coronavirus pandemic.
The $660 billion program, enacted as part of Congress' response to the coronavirus crisis, provides businesses employing up to 500 workers forgivable loans of as much as $10 million. But many businesses said the program's structure is too rigid to accommodate different types of small businesses, especially restaurants whose rent-heavy expenses do not fit well in a program that prioritizes rehiring of employees.
Costco is going to bring back free samples
Costco plans to start bringing back its legendary free samples next month with some changes.
But during Costco's quarterly earnings call Thursday, officials said they were targeting a mid-June return of the freebies.
We're going to start doing some things in mid-June on a slow rollout basis in sampling, Costco chief financial officer Richard Galanti said. I can't tell you anymore, but needless to say its not going to be where you go and just pick up an open sample with your fingers.
Nordstrom permanently closing 16 stores and three boutiques
Sales were down 40% at Nordstrom after temporarily closing its stores due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Seattle-based retailer announced Thursday. COVID-19 has led other department stores to file for bankruptcy including J.C. Penney and Neiman Marcus. Nordstrom officials had a different take.
Still, Nordstrom is not immune from permanent store closings. Officials previously announced they would permanently close 16 of the company's 116 full-line stores because of the impact of COVID-19. In its presentation Thursday, it listed the locations, which include closing three Jeffrey specialty boutiques. (Source: USA Today)