BEAUMONT, Texas — Key updates for Tuesday, April 14, 2020:
- Deaths in Louisiana top 1,000; includes 129 new deaths, the largest one-day increase in the state
- Dr. Fauci says US 'not there yet' on key steps to reopen economy
- The worldwide number of coronavirus cases is likely to reach 2 million Tuesday. The U.S. total may reach 600,000 with a death toll of more than 25,000 Tuesday.
- Tokyo Olympics organizers say they have no backup plan beyond holding the Games in July 2021.
- Look back at the Monday, April 13 blog at this link.
School Impacts | Business Impacts, Closures | Map of SE Texas cases | Coronavirus symptoms & prevention | Coronavirus questions answered
Latest local & Texas updates:
Here are the latest updates from around Southeast Texas, Texas, Louisiana and some from the world (all times are local Central Daylight Time)
April 14, 4:39 p.m. -- The Port Arthur Health Department reported a new case in Nederland. The person is between the ages of 40 and 45. The case brings the total in Nederland to 6.
April 14, 4:07 p.m. -- Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames' update says there are 6 new cases of coronavirus in the city's jurisdiction, including 5 in Beaumont and 1 in China.
April 14, 2:45 p.m. -- Updates from Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards:
- Now more than 1,000 deaths in Louisiana … there has been 129 new deaths reported, the single largest day for increases in fatalities (1,013 fatalities total)
- The numbers today do show a drop in hospitalizations as well as people on ventilators. “We are still very much in the middle of a delicate balance between flattening the curve and losing the strides. If we stop too soon, we're going to see a spike and that's what we don't want.” – Gov. Edwards
- On average, the length of time from the onset of COVID-19 symptoms to when someone dies is around 11 days. The decisions we make today will have either a positive or negative impact on our state and we won't know for another week or so.
- Governor announces temporary furlough to some non-violent, non-sex offenders who are within the last 6 months of their prison sentence
- 17,097 paycheck protection loans approved in Louisiana totaling more than a billion dollars, Governor says
April 14, 1:57 p.m. -- Christus Health announces it is offering a new screening tool to some patients, doctors, nurses and other Christus Associates on the frontlines to learn who has been infected with COVID-19, and who may now carry protective antibodies.
The country’s leading scientists believe antibody-based tests to be essential in the war against COVID-19.
“CHRISTUS is the first in our communities, and is leading the nation by using advanced COVID-19 antibody testing to screen people in our facilities to determine if they have had a COVID-19 infection in the past or have one now,” said Dave Benner, PharmD, MS, MHA, FACHE Vice President, Clinical Ancillary Services.
The rapid screening tool will also be used on hospitalized patients that the clinical team believes may have been infected with COVID-19 as well as patients who are scheduled for an urgent surgery.
April 14, 12:15 p.m. -- In an effort to get more Southeast Texans tested for COVID-19 and to reduce demand on area hospitals the MD Group’s MD Kids Pediatric clinic in Beaumont will be offering free drive-thru coronavirus testing according to a news release from the clinic.
Testing will be available by appointment Monday through Friday from 8 a .m. to 5 p.m. starting April 14, 2020 the release said.
Appointments can be made for children two and up as well as adults by calling or texting the clinic at 888-776-5252 the release said.
Treatment for those who need it will also be available at the clinic which remains open during the testing. More info here.
April 14, 12:15 p.m. -- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, said Tuesday the U.S. does not yet have the critical testing and tracing procedures needed to begin reopening the nation's economy, adding a dose of caution to increasingly optimistic projections from the White House. Scroll down for more.
April 14, 8 a.m. -- Beaten down by the coronavirus outbreak, the world economy in 2020 will suffer its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the International Monetary Fund says. Scroll down for more.
April 14, 6:30 a.m. -- New figures show that hundreds more people with COVID-19 have died in Britain than have been recorded in the government’s daily tally. Scroll down for more.
April 14, 6 a.m. -- Tokyo organizers say they have no “B Plan” if the Olympics need to be postponed again. Scroll down for more.
April 14, 5:45 a.m. -- The Tour de France won’t begin as originally planned because French President Emmanuel Macron has canceled all public events with large crowds through mid-July in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Scroll down for more.
April 14, 5:30 a.m. -- More than one-third of American Airlines pilots and flight attendants will take voluntary leave or early retirement, according to the Dallas Morning News. Scroll down for more.
April 14, 5 a.m. -- Amazon says it has filled 100,000 job openings it announced on March 16 and is now looking to fill another 75,000 positions. Scroll down for more.
April 14, 4:45 a.m. -- People are driving less due to stay-at-home orders to stop the coronavirus from spreading, and consumer groups say that should mean lower auto insurance premiums. Scroll down for more.
April 14, 4:30 a.m. -- Some massive meat processing plants have closed at least temporarily because their workers were sickened by the new coronavirus, raising concerns that there could soon be shortages of beef, pork and poultry in supermarkets. Scroll down for more.
Nation and world updates
There have been 582,607 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of midnight ET Tuesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. Of those, 23,628 have died and 44,261 have recovered. The U.S. has conducted more than 2.9 million tests.
Worldwide, there have been 1.9 million confirmed cases with nearly 120,000 deaths and nearly 450,000 recoveries.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause severe life-threatening illness, including pneumonia.
Congress delays return to Washington until at least May 4
The House and Senate have pushed back their next meeting until at least May 4 to protect lawmakers from the coronavirus pandemic. That's a change from their plan to convene in Washington next week to consider new legislation to prop up the hard-hit U.S. economy.
The average age of lawmakers is right around 60, with many leaders decades older and part of a vulnerable age group. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday the decision follows the advice of health experts who urge people to continue social distancing. The House made a similar announcement on Monday.
Fauci: 'We're not there yet' on key steps to reopen economy
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, said Tuesday the U.S. does not yet have the critical testing and tracing procedures needed to begin reopening the nation's economy, adding a dose of caution to increasingly optimistic projections from the White House.
“We have to have something in place that is efficient and that we can rely on, and we’re not there yet,” Fauci said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Fauci said a May 1 target is “a bit overly optimistic” for many areas of the country. Any easing off the strict social-distancing rules in place in much of the country would have to occur on a “rolling” basis, not all at once, he said, reflecting the ways COVID-19 struck different parts of the country at different times.
Among Fauci's top concerns: that there will be new outbreaks in locations where social distancing has eased, but public health officials don't yet have the capabilities to rapidly test for the virus, isolate any new cases and track down everyone that an infected person came into contact with.
“I’ll guarantee you, once you start pulling back there will be infections. It’s how you deal with the infections that’s going count,” Fauci told the AP.
Key is “getting people out of circulation if they get infected, because once you start getting clusters, then you’re really in trouble,” he added.
Fauci said his public role is important but conceded that the duration of those briefings — Monday’s ran for nearly two-and-a-half hours — was “really draining” and that doesn’t even count preparation and waiting for it to start.
“If I had been able to just make a few comments and then go to work, that would have really been much better,” he said. “It isn’t the idea of being there and answering questions, which I really think is important for the American public. It’s the amount of time.”
Trump meets with former coronavirus patients
President Donald Trump is meeting with patients who have recovered from the coronavirus.
Among the former COVID-19 patients meeting with Trump at the White House is Michigan state lawmaker Karen Whitsett. Whitsett has publicly credited Trump for publicizing the use of an anti-malaria drug — which she says she used during her illness — as a treatment for the disease.
Whitsett thanked Trump again during Tuesday’s meeting and said hydroxychloroquine must to readily available for the people of Detroit, which is in her district.
Trump has promoted the drug as a treatment for COVID-19 although it hasn’t been approved by the federal government for that specific use.
Trump is also hearing from a passenger who was on a cruise ship that experienced an outbreak of coronavirus.
NY governor says Trump can't force states to reopen
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday pushed back against President Donald Trump's claim of “total” authority to reopen the nation's virus-stalled economy, but also insisted “the president will have no fight with me.”
“We don’t have a king in this country. We didn’t want a king, so we have a Constitution and we elect a president," Cuomo said at his daily briefing.
The Democratic governor, whose state has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, was reacting to Trump's assertion Monday that “when somebody is president of the United States, the authority is total.”
Cuomo said restarting the economy must be done in a smart, methodical manner or the hard-won gains of the past month could be lost.
Cuomo referenced critical tweets by Trump and said "the president is clearly spoiling for a fight on this issue.” But he said being politically divisive right now would be harmful.
“The president will have no fight with me,” he said. “I will not engage it.”
MLS says returning in mid-May unlikely
Major League Soccer says its hopes of returning in mid-May are “extremely unlikely.”
In a statement Tuesday, the league said guidance from federal and local public health officials is making it unlikely the league will be able to restart in about a month.
MLS says the goal remains to play as many games as possible, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to potentially play an entire season even if there are enough dates available.
MLS currently has a training moratorium for players through April 24.
NHL extends quarantine for players, coaches and staff
The NHL has once again extended its period of self-quarantine for its players and staff. Players have been asked to self-quarantine through April 30. The directive was originally set to last until March 27 but has been extended several times since.
7 crew of hospital ship docked at Los Angeles have COVID-19
The number of COVID-19 cases among crewmembers of the Navy hospital ship Mercy has risen to seven while it is docked in the Port of Los Angeles to help serve the region’s patients who have not been stricken by the coronavirus, a newspaper reported.
The seven have been isolated off the ship, Cmdr. John Fage, a 3rd Fleet spokesman, told The San Diego Union-Tribune in an email Monday.
The Mercy’s ability to receive patients has not been affected, Fage said.
“The ship is following protocols and taking every precaution to ensure the health and safety of all crewmembers and patients on board,” he said.
IMF: Global economy may shrink 3% due to virus
Beaten down by the coronavirus outbreak, the world economy in 2020 will suffer its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the International Monetary Fund says. The IMF expects the global economy to shrink 3% this year before rebounding in 2021 with 5.8% growth. It acknowledges, though, that prospects for a rebound next year are clouded by uncertainty. The IMF's assessment represents a breathtaking downgrade. In its previous forecast in January, before COVID-19 emerged as a grave threat, it had forecast moderate global growth of 3.3% this year. But measures to contain the pandemic have suddenly brought economic activity to a near-standstill across much of the world.
Hundreds more have died in Britain than government tally
New figures show that hundreds more people with COVID-19 have died in Britain than have been recorded in the government’s daily tally.
The Office for National Statistics says 5,979 deaths that occurred in England up to April 3 involved COVID-19, 15% more than the 5,186 deaths announced by the National Health Service for the same period.
The daily total released by the U.K. government only includes people who died in hospitals. The higher figure includes deaths in all settings including nursing homes, and cases where coronavirus was suspected but not tested for.
Tokyo Olympics in 2021: Organizers have no 'B Plan'
Tokyo organizers say they have no “B Plan” if the Olympics need to be postponed again.
They say they are proceeding under the assumption the Olympics will open on July 23, 2021. That date was set last month by the IOC and Japanese officials after the spreading coronavirus pandemic made it clear the Olympics could not be held as scheduled.
The severity of the pandemic and the death toll has again raised questions if it will be feasible to hold the Olympics just over 15 months from now.
The Olympics draw 11,000 athletes and 4,400 Paralympic athletes and large support staffs from 206 national Olympic committees.
Tour de France won't start as scheduled
The Tour de France won’t begin as originally planned because French President Emmanuel Macron has canceled all public events with large crowds through mid-July in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tour organizers say it is now impossible for the three-week race to start on June 27 in the Riviera city of Nice as scheduled.
It is unclear if cycling’s biggest event will be scrapped from the race calendar. New plans are likely to be announced before the end of the month following consultations with the governing body of cycling.
Thousands of American Airlines pilots, flight attendants take leave, early retirement
More than one-third of American Airlines pilots and flight attendants will take voluntary leave or early retirement, according to the Dallas Morning News.
About 4,800 pilots are reportedly being offered voluntary leave while 715 are taking early retirement with partial pay and full benefits. That's in addition to 1,500 who were given voluntary leave for April.
About 7,900 flight attendants signed up for voluntary leave and 760 will take early retirement, according to Dallas Morning News.
Amazon has another 75,000 job openings
Amazon says it has filled 100,000 job openings it announced on March 16 and is now looking to fill another 75,000 positions.
On its COVID-19 blog, the company said the positions include warehouse workers, delivery drivers and shoppers.
Amazon also said it expects to spend $500 million in wage increases worldwide, up from a previously announced $350 million.
Lockdowns may bring car insurance discounts
People are driving less due to stay-at-home orders to stop the coronavirus from spreading, and consumer groups say that should mean lower auto insurance premiums.
Some companies have responded, but the Consumer Federation of America reports that discounts may be too small and aren’t being applied evenly.
In New York and Washington states, the number of traffic crashes fell by 30% last month. The federation says that means lower costs to insurance companies that should be passed on to consumers.
The group suggests calling your insurer and commenting on social media if they don't offer discounts.
Virus closes some meat plants, raising fears of shortages
Some massive meat processing plants have closed at least temporarily because their workers were sickened by the new coronavirus, raising concerns that there could soon be shortages of beef, pork and poultry in supermarkets.
The meat supply chain is especially vulnerable since processing is increasingly done at massive plants that butcher tens of thousands of animals daily, so the closure of even a few big ones can quickly be felt by customers. For instance, a Smithfield Foods plant that was forced to close in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after nearly 300 of the plant’s 3,700 workers tested positive for the virus produces roughly 5% of the U.S. pork supply each day.
In addition, conditions at plants can be ripe for exploitation by the virus: Workers stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the line and crowd into locker rooms to change their clothes before and after shifts.