Axios

The White House plans to shift its coronavirus messaging toward boosting the economy and highlighting "success stories" of businesses, reducing its public emphasis on health statistics, according to two officials familiar with the planning.

Driving the news: The Coronavirus Task Force — and the doctors who've become household names, Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci — "will continue but take a back seat to the forward-looking, 'what's next' message," a White House official told Axios.

Italy reported 260 deaths caused by the novel coronavirus on Sunday, marking the country's lowest confirmed single-day death toll since the week of March 12, per Johns Hopkins data.

The big picture: Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte outlined plans on Sunday to cautiously reopen parts of Italy, with manufacturing and construction set to start back on May 4, followed by shops on May 14. Bars, restaurants, cafes and other nonessential businesses will not open until at least June 1, and broad social distancing measures will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

Several hundred Hong Kong protestors held an anti-government demonstration at a mall on Sunday in one of the city's largest protests since early March.

Why it matters: The pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong dominated headlines for months until the coronavirus crisis forced the government to implement strict social distancing measures.

The CDC has updated its list of possible symptoms for the novel coronavirus to include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat, and a loss of taste or smell.

The big picture: Previously, the CDC only included fever, cough and shortness of breath as possible symptoms, which may appear 2–14 days after exposure to the virus. Clinicians are finding evidence that the coronavirus affects more than just the lungs, the Washington Post reported earlier this month.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is "jumping the gun" by gradually reopening the state's economy, claiming that the state is "certainly not out of the woods."

Why it matters: The criticism from Gottlieb, who has become a trusted voice in the coronavirus response outside of the government, echoes President Trump's own accusation that Georgia is violating White House guidelines on lifting coronavirus restrictions.

Scammers are seizing on the fear and chaos swirling around the coronavirus pandemic to swindle people out of their money and identities.

Why it matters: Americans have reported almost $18 million in fraud losses due to such scams. The Federal Trade Commission received more than 23,000 coronavirus-related fraud or identity theft complaints since the start of the year, as of April 21.

Bill Gates told the Financial Times in an interview that his foundation will focus all of its attention on the coronavirus pandemic, in addition to the $250 million in direct funding that it has already pledged.

Why it matters: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has an endowment of over $40 billion. Gates argues the power of its human resources and expertise will be far greater in fighting the pandemic than cash, but cautions that other public health work may suffer.

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D) said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that President Trump "incited" Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) into reopening nonessential businesses through his calls to "liberate" states.

Driving the news: Trump surprised many when he criticized Kemp's plans to reopen indoor facilities including gyms, bowling alleys and salons, accusing the Republican governor of violating White House guidelines for lifting coronavirus restrictions.

Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that it "bothers" her that the news cycle is still focused on President Trump's comments about disinfectants possibly treating coronavirus, arguing that "we're missing the bigger pieces" about how Americans can defeat the virus.

Why it matters: Clorox and Lysol, as well as health professionals and doctors across the country, responded to Trump's statement via social media and emergency hotlines to warn Americans that disinfectants should not be used to treat the coronavirus, the Washington Post and New York Times report.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday that it is not an option for her state to declare bankruptcy as a result of the coronavirus crisis, shooting down Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) suggestion that states could do so as "incredibly dangerous."

The big picture: As Democrats and Republicans prepare to begin negotiations over the phase 4 coronavirus relief bill, McConnell said last week that Congress should hit the "pause" button over providing funding to state governments. His office then referred to the idea as a "blue state bailout" in press releases.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) swiped President Trump for suggesting that disinfectant could be used to treat the coronavirus, noting on ABC"s "This Week" on Sunday: "I think when misinformation comes out or you just say something that pops in your head, it does send a wrong message."

Why it matters: Maryland's emergency hotline received hundreds of calls last week about whether disinfectant products could be injected or ingested to treat the virus, something that Hogan noted could actually kill people.

Children in Spain were allowed to go outside on Sunday for the first time since a nationwide lockdown aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus began six weeks ago.

Driving the news: Spain's government has permitted the country's 6.3 million children under the age of 14 to go outside for one hour each day, but no more than a half-mile away from their homes, according to the BBC. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Saturday that Spain will begin gradually easing more restrictions on May 2 if new cases continue to fall.

Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, said Saturday on Fox News that the media needs to be "responsible" about its headlines while covering the coronavirus crisis, noting that most people don't read the full story.

Why it matters: President Trump, while speaking at White House coronavirus briefings, has accused reporters of being "fake news" and asked for more favorable coverage on the administration's response to the pandemic.

96% of 3,277 inmates in state prison systems in Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia who tested positive for the coronavirus did not show symptoms, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The findings suggest that asymptomatic patients could be contributing to the spread of the virus at a far higher level than suspected, especially in prisons, which have proven to be a breeding ground for COVID-19 in the U.S.

The coronavirus pandemic is already changing American life in ways that will far outlast the pandemic itself, for better and for worse.

Why it matters: Eventually this pandemic will end. But it will leave an indelible mark on the economy, the health care system and our day-to-day routines. We’ll be adapting to a new normal, not returning to the pre-coronavirus world we once knew.

President Trump said at a press briefing Friday that it's "exciting to see" parts of the country begin to reopen, but he's urging people to maintain physical distancing and use face coverings as the number of U.S. COVID-19 cases continues to rise along with the death toll.

The big picture: People flocked to newly reopened Ventura and Orange county beaches in Southern California Saturday, per the Los Angeles Times, which reports officials saying there were "few incidents." In Georgia and Oklahoma, businesses including salons and spas reopened Friday, while Alaska also eased restrictions on restaurants.

The number of sailors aboard the USS Kidd to test positive for the novel coronavirus has risen to 33, the U.S. Navy said in a statement on Saturday.

Why it matters: The second major COVID-19 outbreak on a U.S. naval vessel forced the ship to port so it could be cleaned and disinfected. In late March, the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt moved 2,700 members offshore as hundreds of crew members tested positive for the coronavirus.

The first person known to have the novel coronavirus when they died was killed by a heart attack "due to COVID-19 infection," autopsy results obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday show.

Why it matters: The patient, 57-year-old Patricia Dowd, from Santa Clara County, California, died on Feb. 6. The first known death from COVID-19 in the U.S. was previously declared on Feb. 29 to be a patient in Washington state.

The World Health Organization said in a scientific brief there's "no evidence” that people who recover from the novel coronavirus and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.

Why it matters: Several countries, including the U.S., are weighing allowing people who have recovered from COVID-19 to carry "immunity passports" or "risk-free certificates," enabling them to travel or return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection. "The use of such certificates may ... increase the risks of continued transmission," the WHO said in the brief.

Anthony Fauci said during a National Academy of Sciences webcast Saturday that the U.S. should be able to double the number of diagnostic tests for the novel coronavirus in the next few weeks.

Why it matters: The U.S. needs to "have enough tests to respond to the outbreaks that will inevitably occur as you try and ease your way back into the different phases," the key White House coronavirus task force member said. The number of COVID-19 tests conducted in the U.S. surpassed 5.1 million on Saturday.