Coronavirus Updates: US Death Toll Tops 75,000; National Guard Troops Being Sent to Help New Jersey Nursing Homes – The Weather Channel

The death toll in the United States from COVID-19, the deadly respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, rose above 75,000 Thursday.

About 26,000 of those, or just over one third, happened in the state of New York, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. But the death toll is rising in other states as the coronavirus pandemic goes on. New Jersey has reported 8,801 deaths, the second highest number in the nation. Massachusetts and Michigan have each recorded more than 4,000 deaths.

More than 1.2 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Globally, the number of infections has climbed above 3.8 million and more than 267,000 people have died.

Health experts have repeatedly warned that the number of deaths and infections in the U.S. and other countries is likely higher than reported, due to lack of testing, differences in how deaths are recorded and other factors.

United States:

-New Jersey is sending National Guard troops to assist nursing homes hard hit by coronavirus. It wasn't clear what role the troops would play, but Gov. Phil Murphy said on Twitter that they would "assist in our COVID-19 mitigation efforts." The governor added: "We dont take this step lightly, but the crisis in our long-term care facilities requires us to take it." The state will activate 120 National Guard troops, The Associated Press reported. One facility in Andover, New Jersey, became so overwhelmed in April that police found a makeshift morgue on site with 13 dead bodies. Nursing homes nationwide have been wracked by coronavirus infections, and some are under investigation for failing to handle the outbreak appropriately.

-The number of people on ventilators in New Jersey declined and the number of patients in critical or intensive care units dropped to its lowest point since April 4, Murphy said.

-Most of the states that have started to reopen their economies or plan to do so soon do not meet criteriarecommended by the Trump administrationto resume business and social activities, according to a New York Times analysis. The guidelines for Opening Up American Again are presented as what states should consider before reopening, but they are not binding. They suggest states should have a downward trajectory of documented cases or of the percentage of tests that come back positive. In more than half of states easing restrictions, case counts are trending upward, positive test results are on the rise, or both, according to the New York Times.

-A 17-page report by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team, titled Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework, was created to give more detailed step-by-step advice to local authorities on how and when to reopen restaurants and other public places, but the report has been shelved by the administration, The Associated Press reported. The Washington Post reported that an anonymous coronavirus task force official said the report was overly specific and the White House had asked for revisions.

-Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will allow personal services like hair salons, barber shops, day spas, or nail salons to reopen beginning May 15. Outdoor dining will reopen on the same day, and dine-in service will resume May 21.

-Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo announced the state's stay-at-home order will expire Saturday. Social gatherings will remain limited to five people until May 22, Raimondo said. Employees of office-based businesses may go into work on a "very limited basis." Restaurants can now offer beer and wine with their takeout service.

-The NBA said franchises may open their facilities Friday in areas where local restrictions have been eased. On a voluntary basis, up to four individual players may use the facilities.

-The U.S. Labor Department announced another 3.2 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the past week. More than 33 million Americans have filed for benefits since the economy was largely shut down.

-Cell phone data shows an additional 62,000 people traveled to Georgia one week after the state allowed many businesses to reopen while they remained closed in nearby states, the Washington Post reports. University of Maryland researchers who analyzed the data said it shows that reopening some state economies ahead of others could potentially worsen and prolong the spread of the novel coronavirus.

-Moderna announced it has Food and Drug Administration permission to begin a phase two study of its coronavirus vaccine candidate with 600 participants soon, CNBC reported. The company, whose vaccine candidate was the first to enter a phase 1 human trial in March, said it is finalizing plans for a phase 3 trial as early as this summer. The first doses of the potential vaccine, which was developed by researchers at Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, are expected to be manufactured in July.

-Geneticists have determined that as the number of New York City coronavirus cases grew, infected people seeded outbreaks as they traveled to other parts of the country, the New York Times reports. Before officials imposed restrictions, the New York version of the virus helped to fuel outbreaks in Louisiana, Texas, Arizona and as far away as the West Coast.

-Neiman Marcus filed for bankruptcy on Thursday, making it the second major retailer after J. Crew to do so during the coronavirus pandemic.

-President Donald Trump said he will be tested daily for coronavirus after one of his valets tested positive for COVID-19. He said the episode underscored the fallibility of using testing exclusively to determine safety. "What happens in between when you got tested and just a couple of days later?" he asked, saying there were "a number of days missed" between when the valet was last tested and when he discovered he had coronavirus. Trump said he'd had "very little personal contact" with the man, a member of the U.S. Navy, who tested positive. Like the president, who has yet to be seen publicly wearing a face covering, the valets have not been wearing masks in the White House.

Worldwide:

-The Acropolis and other ancient sites in Greece will reopen May 18 and museums will end their lockdown June 15, The Associated Press reported. Visitor limits would be imposed at most of the reopened sites.

-Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon say the coronavirus lockdown restrictions in her country need to be extended to May 28 because any easing now would be very risky indeed. Sturgeon, the first minister, said her preference is that all four nations of the U.K. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland move at the same pace on easing the lockdown in order to present a consistent message. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce some minor easing of the lockdown for England on Sunday.

-Residents of Moscow are now required to wear masks and gloves when using public transit and visiting public spaces now that industrial plants and construction sites in the capital have been allowed to reopen, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

For the latest coronavirus information in your county and a full list of important resources to help you make the smartest decisions regarding the disease, check out our dedicated COVID-19 page.

The Weather Companys primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

Continue reading here:
Coronavirus Updates: US Death Toll Tops 75,000; National Guard Troops Being Sent to Help New Jersey Nursing Homes - The Weather Channel