(NEW YORK) — Here’s the latest information on the COVID-19 coronavirus as of 9:00 a.m. ET.
Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University
Global diagnosed cases: 3,680,376
Global deaths: 257,818. The United States has the most deaths of any single country, with 71,078.
Number of countries/regions: at least 187
Total patients recovered globally: 1,206,218
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
There are at least 1,204,475 diagnosed cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. This is more than in any other country.
U.S. deaths: at least 71,078. New York City has the greatest number of reported deaths in the U.S., with 25,124.
U.S. total patients recovered: 189,791
U.S. total people tested: 7,544,328
The greatest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is in New York, with 321,192 confirmed cases out of a total state population of 19.5 million. That is the most reported cases than in any other single region in the world. New Jersey is next, with 130,593 reported cases out of a total population of 8.88 million.
Latest reported deaths per state
Visit https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html for the latest numbers.
School closures
For a state-by-state interactive map of current school closures, please visit the Education Week website, where numbers are updated once daily.
There are 98,277 public schools and 34,576 private schools in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Those schools educate almost 50.8 million public school students and 5.8 million private school students.
The latest headlines
President Trump says more deaths are “possible” as he pushes to reopen US economy
Speaking to ABC’s David Muir on Tuesday, President Trump admitted that “it’s possible there will be some” deaths due to states easing social distancing restrictions and lockdown measures, as the president pushes to re-open the U.S. economy shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump maintained the death toll won’t be severe, adding, “[W]e’re going to practice social distancing, we’re going to be washing hands, we’re going to be doing a lot of the things that we’ve learned to do over the last period of time.” While conceding that “some people be affected badly,” the president stressed the need to reopen the economy. The interview came on the same day that Vice President Mike Pence said the White House would likely disband its COVID-19 task force by the end of May. It also comes on the heels of a new model out of the University of Washington that forecasts close to 135,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. by early August – more than double the 60,000 deaths previously forecast by other models.
Dallas salon owner jailed for defying business closure order
A judge in Dallas, Texas on Tuesday sentenced a local hair and nail salon owner to seven days in jail for contempt of court for repeatedly ignoring orders to keep her business closed, in compliance with state directives amid the COVID-19 pandemic. WFAA reports Salon a la Mode owner Shelley Luther refused to close her business despite a citation, cease-and-desist letter and a restraining order. Civil District Judge Eric Moyé during Tuesday’s hearing also ordered Luther to pay thousands in fines. Luther testified that she had “no choice” but to open her business, declaring, “I need to feed my family and my stylists could not feed their families.” She also testified that she’d recently received an economic stimulus loan from the government. Ironically, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that salons will be able to legally reopen Friday.
Massachusetts outbreak highlights COVID-19 crisis at nursing homes
Residents at assisted living facilities are more vulnerable than most to COVID-19 infection – not only because of their advanced age and pre-existing health conditions, but because of close quarters and often minimally qualified staff. A stark illustration: The Boston Globe reports 54 residents at Courtyard Nursing Care Center in Medford have died of COVID-19 and another 100 are infected, in a facility that boasts 224 beds. That means nearly 69% of residents are either dead of or infected with COVID-19. KATU in Portland, Oregon reports the Healthcare at Foster Creek facility’s license was suspended after 117 COVID-19 infections and 28 deaths were reported there. New Hampshire state officials report 72% of all COVID-19 deaths statewide occurred at assisted living facilities, with FEMA reporting nursing home deaths account for 71% and nearly 60% of all coronavirus deaths in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, respectively.
Good news!
Oregon’s first COVID-19 patient discharged from hospital
Hector Calderon’s name is unfamiliar to most, but he’ll go down in Oregon medical history. Calderon was the first Oregonian known to have been diagnosed with COVID-19, more than two months ago. And as KATU in Portland reports, he was finally discharged from the hospital Wednesday. It was touch-and-go for Calderon at times – he was intubated and kept sedated for a while – but he’s also a pioneer, as one of the first COVID-19 patients in the country to be treated with the anti-viral drug remdesivir, which continues to show promise in fighting the viral disease. Calderon was serenaded by a mariachi band as he was discharged Tuesday amid cheering hospital workers. He’ll spend some time in a rehab facility before returning home.
Eight-year-old creates ‘hero bags’ for veterans in assisted living
Tyler Stallings has been doing his part to help veterans for half his life. Which is even more impressive, when you consider Tyler’s only eight years old. As WJLA in Washington, D.C. reports, Tyler’s putting together what he calls “hero bags” of personal items, which he then arranges to have delivered to veterans living in the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, who because of the pandemic have little opportunity to procure the items themselves. His mom, Andrea Blackstone, helps Tyler put together the bags, which contain hard-to-find items like hand sanitizers and masks. Tyler’s serious about helping veterans – last November, before most had ever heard of COVID-19, he raised over $50,000 for homeless vets.
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