Apr 2, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Georgia governor: Didn't know asymptomatic individuals could spread the coronavirus

Photo: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp stated Wednesday that he learned within the last day that asymptomatic individuals can transfer the coronavirus.

What Kemp is saying: "Now those individuals could have been infecting people before they ever felt bad, but we didn't know that until the last 24 hours." During the press conference, Kemp said this "new" information pushed him to order a shelter-in-place order, calling it a "game-changer," AP writes.

Reality check: News reports since at least late February have warned about asymptomatic individuals transmitting the coronavirus.

  • "I don't think there's any question that someone who is without symptoms and carrying the virus can transmit the virus to somebody else," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, per the New York Times.
  • Data from China also suggests 33% of coronavirus cases were asymptomatic.

Go deeper: More states issue stay-at-home orders as coronavirus crisis escalates

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Dave Lawler
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Lebanon's prime minister resigns in wake of deadly explosion

Protests in Beirut. Photo: Maxim Grigoryev/TASS via Getty

Lebanon's prime minister and cabinet have resigned amid massive protests in the aftermath of a deadly explosion in Beirut that killed more than 160 people, injured 6,000 and left roughly 250,000 homeless.

Why it matters: Protesters blame the incompetence of the ruling elite — widely viewed as corrupt — for the disaster. The unstable and deeply distrusted government will remain in place in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is selected.

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Zachary Basu
Updated 43 mins ago - World

Protests erupt in Belarus after "Europe's last dictator" claims election win

Protesters and riot police clash in Minsk, Belarus, on Sunday during a demonstration against President Alexander Lukashenko's claim of a landslide victory. Photo: Misha Friedman/Getty Images)

Riot police clashed with protesters in Belarus overnight after a government exit poll predicted Sunday President Aleksander Lukashenko, an authoritarian who has ruled the Eastern European country since 1994, had overwhelmingly defeated a pro-democracy opposition candidate.

Why it matters: It's a precarious moment for the former Soviet republic, where decades of repression and a complete disregard for the coronavirus pandemic threaten to topple "Europe's last dictator." Rights groups said at least one protester was killed and dozens more wounded in a "police crackdown," per AP.

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Axios
Updated 57 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 11 a.m. ET: 19,909,062 — Total deaths: 732,128 — Total recoveries — 12,138,271 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 11 a.m. ET: 5,053,123 — Total deaths: 163,047 — Total recoveries: 1,656,864 — Total tests: 61,792,571 — Map.
  3. Business: Richer Americans are more comfortable eating out.
  4. Public health: How America can do smarter testing.
  5. Sports: The cost of kids losing gym class — College football is on the brink.
  6. 🎧 Podcast: Indoor air is the next hotspot.
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