BEAUMONT, Texas — This article contains ongoing U.S. and international updates on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects. Here are some key updates for Sunday, April 26, 2020. You can find more details by scrolling through the story.
- House Speaker Pelosi addresses state governor frustration on relief money
- Italian citizens, sports teams regaining some freedoms.
- China reports no COVID-19 deaths for the 11th straight day
- Hundreds of new virus deaths reported in Singapore
- South Korea reports 10 more COVID-19 cases
- Look back at the Saturday, April 25, blog at this link
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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 26, 5:53 p.m. — According the Southeast Texas Regional Emergency Operations Center, there were six new cases reported in the six-county region. Jasper County reported two additional cases, Orange County reported two additional cases and Jefferson County reported two additional cases in Beaumont.
April 26, 4:20 p.m. — According to a release from Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames, the city saw two new positive test results for COVID-19 on Sunday. This brings the total for the area under Beaumont's jurisdiction to 209 reported cases. 165 of those are isolated as of April 26, 30 have recovered and 14 have died according to the release.
April 26, 7:30 a.m. — China on Sunday reported no new deaths from the coronavirus for the 11th straight day. Scroll down for more.
April 26, 7:15 a.m. — Singapore reported 931 new cases to raise its total to 13,624. Most of the new infections are from foreign workers’ dormitories, which have been locked down as the government struggles to curb the outbreak.
There were over 939,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 53,000 deaths in the U.S. and over 200,000 deaths worldwide.
Worldwide, there have been over 2.9 million confirmed cases.
For most, the virus 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 or death.
Italians regaining some freedoms
After seven weeks in lockdown to contain one of the world’s worst outbreaks of COVID-19, Italians are regaining some freedoms.
Premier Giuseppe Conte says that starting May 4, public parks and gardens will re-open and people will be able to visit relatives who live in the same region.
However, Conte told the nation in a televised address Sunday night that citizens must practice social distancing. In the case of parks, mayors can impose limits, such as how many people enter, to avoid crowding.
During family visits, people will have to wear masks and can’t hold parties. If people don’t follow the new measures, Conte says “the curve of contagion can rise again, it will go out of control, deaths will climb and we’ll have irreparable damage” to the economy.
Conte says professional sports teams can resume training on May 18 and athletes in individual sports can resume training on May 4.
That means the Serie A soccer league could resume playing games in June. It has been suspended since March 9. Twelve rounds remain in Serie A, plus four other games that were postponed from the 25th round. The Italian Cup was suspended after the first leg of the semifinals.
Also on May 18, libraries, museums and art exhibitions can re-open.
Factories, construction sites and wholesale supply businesses can resume activity as soon as they put safety measures into place aimed at containing COVID-19.
But Conte says that if the epidemiological curve of contagion starts to rise again, the government will quickly intervene and shut down such industrial activity again.
Conte offered a new mantra for the about-to-begin second phase: “If you love Italy.... keep the social distance.”
Health ministry figures indicate that Italy had seen its lowest day-to-day increase in deaths – 260 – since mid-March, during the first week of lockdown. Starting May 4, funerals will be allowed, but preferably should be held in the open, no more than 15 persons can participate and mourners must wear masks. If all goes well, retail shops will reopen on May 18, and restaurants, cafes, barber shops and hair salons on June 1.
Speaker Pelosi addresses frustration from state governors
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the nation’s governors are rightfully feeling impatient about getting financial help from Congress during the coronavirus outbreak and insists the aid will come.
The California Democrat tells CNN’s “State of the Union” that governors “should be impatient. Their impatience will help us get an even bigger number” in the next congressional relief package. Pelosi has already pledged to provide them billions in aid.
With much of the American economy shuttered during the pandemic, state and local governments are reeling from declining sales tax revenues and surging unemployment benefit costs.
Several governors, including Democrat Andrew Cuomo of New York, say federal aid should have been approved in the last relief package. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has since expressed opposition to providing more local help.
But Pelosi says people should judge the latest federal aid package “for what it does. Don’t criticize it for what it doesn’t, because we have a plan for that. And that will happen.”
China says it sees no COVID-19 deaths again
China on Sunday reported no new deaths from the coronavirus for the 11th straight day.
The country also confirmed 11 more cases, raising its total to 82,827. Five of the new cases were in Heilongjiang province, a northeastern border area with Russia that has seen a surge in infections. Another was in Guangdong province, a manufacturing and tech region bordering Hong Kong in the south.
The other five were imported from overseas. China has identified 1,634 imported cases in all.
931 new cases reported in Singapore
Singapore reported 931 new cases to raise its total to 13,624. Most of the new infections are from foreign workers’ dormitories, which have been locked down as the government struggles to curb the outbreak.