BEAUMONT, Texas — This article contains ongoing Southeast Texas, U.S. and international updates on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects. Here are some key updates for Thursday, April 16, 2020. You can find more details by scrolling through the story.
- The U.S. has more than 638,000 cases and the death toll is nearing 31,000.
- China is refuting claims that the new coronavirus originated in a lab near the city of Wuhan where the pandemic began.
- L.A. Rams player tests positive for COVID-19.
- The FDA has approved a low-cost ventilator developed at the University of Minnesota.
- China's efforts to restart its economy are being thwarted by consumers who are not yet eager to spend money.
- Look back at the Wednesday, April 15 blog at this link.
School Impacts | Business Impacts, Closures | Map of SE Texas cases | Coronavirus symptoms & prevention | Coronavirus questions answered
Latest 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 16, 5:45 p.m. -- President Donald Trump and the White House coronavirus task force announce steps to reopen the country's economy. President Trump claims the United States "has passed the peak" on new cases. New White House guidelines outline a phased approach to restoring normal commerce and services, but only for places with strong testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases.
April 16, 4:55 p.m. -- Port Arthur Health Department reports one more case of COVID-19. The woman was a resident of Port Arthur between the ages of 40 and 50 years-old. The report said she is quarantined at home.
April 16, 4 p.m. -- Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames confirms ten new cases of COVID-19. She also reported one coronavirus-related death. Read more here.
April 16, 2:50 p.m. -- Trump used Twitter to tease a “major” press conference Thursday evening at the White House “to explain Guidelines for OPENING UP AMERICA AGAIN!”
He was set to discuss the plans first on a conference call for governors, saying, “I think they’ll be very happy with what we’re doing.”
April 16, 1:40 p.m. -- Pine Tree Lodge in west Jefferson County is back open for the first time since Tropical Storm Harvey but, of course, is only serving carry-out food like every other restaurant in the state. They’re open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find more info here.
April 16, 1:30 p.m. -- Three Beaumont-area airports were awarded a total of $18 million in coronavirus relief funds. The funding was provided by Congress in March, a part of the CARES Act. The airports that will receive the funds are Beaumont Municipal, Jack Brooks Regional and Orange County Airport. Read more here.
April 16, 12:30 p.m. -- The British government says a nationwide lockdown imposed to slow the spread of the new coronavirus will remain in place for at least three more weeks. Scroll down for more.
April 16, 11 a.m. -- Beaumont ISD confirms two positive cases of COVID-19 within the district -- one at Lucas Pre-K Center and one at the BISD administration building.
12News saw restoration cleaning crews at the BISD administration building Thursday morning. Crews are giving the building a deep cleaning. Read more here.
April 16, 10 a.m. -- Lamar University has confirmed that a "fairly young" woman who worked in the Galloway building died suddenly on Wednesday morning.
The cause of her death is unknown but as a precaution the Galloway Building, where she worked, will be closed for cleaning through April 27 a Lamar spokesperson said. She was last on campus on April 6 according to the spokesperson.
April 16, 9:25 a.m. -- Starbucks is preparing to reopen certain stores and begin a return to normal operations. CEO Kevin Johnson outlined the company's "monitor and adapt" phase as the impact of COVID-19 lessens in various states. Scroll down for more.
April 16, 6:45 a.m. -- China is refuting allegations that the coronavirus pandemic may have originated in a laboratory near the city of Wuhan where contagious samples were being stored. Scroll down for more.
The United States has 640,291 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been 31,015 deaths and 52,772 recoveries in the U.S. More than 3.2 million tests have been conducted.
Worldwide, there have been more than 2 million confirmed cases with more than 140,000 deaths and 532,000 recoveries.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
UK extends lockdown at least 3 more weeks
The British government says a nationwide lockdown imposed to slow the spread of the new coronavirus will remain in place for at least three more weeks.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says “any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus.”
The lockdown has been in place since March 23. Schools, pubs, restaurants and most shops are closed, and most people are allowed to leave home only for essential errands or exercise.
Medical officials say the outbreak in the U.K. is reaching its peak but it’s too early to loosen restrictions on daily life.
As of Thursday, nearly 14,000 people had died in U.K. hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.
Starbucks prepares to reopen stores
Starbucks is preparing to reopen certain stores and begin a return to normal operations. CEO Kevin Johnson outlined the company's "monitor and adapt" phase as the impact of COVID-19 lessens in various states.
"Some of you have asked if we will be able to re-open all our stores at once, and to be honest, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution," Rossann Williams, evp and president, U.S. company-operated business and Canada wrote in a letter to Starbucks partners.
Johnson outlined in a separate letter that some stores would continue drive-thru orders, others may move to in-store pick up and some may reopen the dining areas.
Employees who do not feel safe going to work will no longer be eligible for catastrophe leave after May 3, and will have to use vacation or sick days. Williams said the company will be phasing out catastrophe pay for employees by June.
China denies allegations about origin of virus
China is refuting allegations that the coronavirus pandemic may have originated in a laboratory near the city of Wuhan where contagious samples were being stored.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian cited the head of the World Health Organization and other unidentified medical experts as saying there was no evidence that transmission began from the lab and there was “no scientific basis” for such claims.
China has also strongly denied claims it delayed reporting on the virus outbreak in Wuhan late last year and underreported case numbers, worsening the impact on the U.S. and other countries. The virus is widely believed to have originated with bats and have passed via another animal species to humans at a wildlife and seafood market in Wuhan, although a firm determination has yet to be made.
Allegations about a leak of the virus from the lab have been made in the U.S. media without direct evidence, and President Donald Trump has vowed to suspend funding for the World Health Organization, partly because of what he claims is its pro-China bias.
British veteran, 99, walks 100 laps to raise millions
A 99-year-old military veteran has completed his quest to walk 100 laps of his garden to raise funds for the National Health Service.
Capt. Tom Moore raised some 12 million pounds ($14 million) to support health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
As he reached his goal, he shuffled through a guard of honor from the 1st Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment and said he was glad to be “surrounded by the right sort of people.”
Moore, who uses a walker, sought to walk 100 laps in his 25-meter (82-foot) garden before he turned 100 on April 30. But his simple act captivated the nation in a time of crisis.
Rams center first NFL player to reveal he has COVID-19
Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen says he tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago.
Allen is the first active NFL player to acknowledge testing positive during the coronavirus pandemic.
The third-year pro is not hospitalized and is “feeling good,” according to a statement issued by the Rams on Wednesday night only after Allen spoke to Fox Sports about his positive test.
Allen became the team's starting center last season. He played in nine games before missing the rest of the year with a knee injury.
FDA approves low-cost ventilator
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a low-cost ventilator developed by the University of Minnesota and aimed at helping COVID-19 patients breathe.
The FDA authorized use of the compact device, known as the Coventor, that was quickly developed and designed by a team of university researchers, a medical school resident and an engineer.
The developers hope the Coventor will be used in clinical settings where traditional ventilators are unavailable.
China tries to revive economy but consumer engine sputters
Chinese leaders have reopened factories and shops in an effort to revive the economy, but the consumers whose spending propels most of China's growth have been slow to return to shopping malls and auto dealerships.
Authorities are trying to encourage spending by handing out shopping vouchers, but many people are uneasy about a possible resurgence of the coronavirus or losing their jobs.
The delay is a blow to automakers and other global companies that hope China will power a worldwide recovery following the most painful peacetime downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
New Mexico joins US pilot program on contact tracing
New Mexico's governor says the state has accepted an invitation from the White House to participate in a pilot program to improve and expand contact tracing for coronavirus infections in efforts to better isolate outbreaks.
Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the she accepted an invitation to participate in the pilot program during a conversation Wednesday with the White House, and that it was unclear whether other states would be involved.
New Mexico has consistently been among the top states in testing per capita for COVID-19 infections, while aggressively tracing new infections and developing a customized forecast model in cooperation with two national laboratories in the state.
