Apr 10, 2020 - Health

Surgeon general: Most of the U.S. won't be able to reopen May 1

Most of the U.S. will be unable to resume normal life on May 1, the end of the White House's 30-day campaign to slow the spread of coronavirus, Surgeon General Jerome Adams told Fox News' Ed Henry Friday.

Why it matters: Adams' stance conflicts with some signals from others in the federal government as to when the economy should functionally reopen. President Trump's aides have been encouraged by data showing fewer deaths than previously projected, and have pushed for a May 1 reboot, Axios' Jonathan Swan reports.

What they're saying: "Most of the country will not, to be honest with you, but some will," Adams told Henry on-air. "That's how we'll reopen the country, place by place, bit by bit based on the data."

Earlier this week, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Politico that the economy could restart "in the next four to eight weeks."

Ed Henry: "So is May 1, the beginning of May as you just referred to, as the president has referred to, is that a realistic timetable to reopen the country?"
Jerome Adams: "Well we're going to be data-driven. I absolutely agree with Dr. Fauci. Now is the time to continue to lean into this, because we know that the more that we participate in social distancing, the flatter the curve is and the quicker we can get to the other side. There are places around the country that have seen consistently low levels and as we ramp up testing and can feel more confident that these places actually can do surveillance and can do public health follow-up, some places will be able to think about opening on May 1st."

The other side: Treasury Secretary Mnuchin told CNBC he believes the U.S. could reopen for business in May.

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Axios
Updated 37 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 9:30 p.m. ET: 19,778,566— Total deaths: 729,768 — Total recoveries — 12,044,654 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 9:30 p.m. ET: 5,044,69 — Total deaths: 162,938 — Total recoveries: 1,656,864 — Total tests: 61,792,571 — Map.
  3. Politics: Pelosi says states don't have the funds to comply with Trump's executive order on unemployment — Mnuchin says Trump executive orders were cleared by Justice Department.
  4. States: New York reports lowest rate of positive coronavirus test results since pandemic began
  5. Public health: Ex-FDA head: U.S. will "definitely" see 200,000 to 300,000 virus deaths by end of 2020. 
  6. Schools: Nine test positive at Georgia school where photo showing packed hallway went viral — How back-to-school is playing out in the South as coronavirus rages on.
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Rebecca Falconer
Updated 56 mins ago - World

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under national security law

Media tycoon Jimmy Lai at the Next Digital offices in Hong Kong in June. Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai has been arrested for "collusion with foreign powers," said Mark Simon, an executive at the tycoon's media firm Next Digital Monday morning local time.

Why it matters: He was arrested under the new national security law that gives Beijing more powers over the former British colony. Lai is the most prominent person arrested under the law, which prompted the U.S. to sanction Chinese officials, including Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, over Beijing's efforts to strip the territory of its autonomy.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
3 hours ago - Health

New York reports new low positive coronavirus test rate

People physically distancing at tables in New York City's Times Square in June. Photo: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Sunday 515 people, or 0.78% of those tested, returned a positive reading for COVID-19 the previous day.

Why it matters: It's the lowest single-day positive rate since the start of the pandemic. It's another sign that the state that was once a global coronavirus epicenter is curbing the spread of the virus. "Our daily numbers remain low and steady, despite increasing infection rates across the country, and even in our region," Cuomo said in a statement. "But we must not become complacent: Everyone should continue to wear their masks and socially distance."

Go deeper: Cuomo says all New York schools can reopen for in-person learning