Global deaths due to Covid-19 surpassed 350,000 as U.S. deaths near 100,000 and states push forward with reopening plans. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that most of the state’s barbershops and hair salons can reopen with modifications. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said the state is moving into phase two of its reopening plan, which will allow gyms and bars to reopen with casinos slated to reopen on June 4.
This is CNBC’s live blog covering all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak. This blog will be updated throughout the day as the news breaks.
- Global cases: More than 5.61 million
- Global deaths: At least 350,958
- U.S. cases: More than 1.68 million
- U.S. deaths: At least 98,929
The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Ford puts virus-fighting computerized disinfecting in police cars
8:59 am ET — Ford Motor is assisting police departments in disinfecting their Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles with a software update designed to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
The automaker announced Wednesday that the software enables a temporary rise in interior temperatures upward of 133 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes to help reduce the viral concentration inside the vehicle by more than 99%.
The software update is available immediately on all 2013-2019 Police Interceptor Utility vehicles, according to Ford. It can be installed at a dealership or by departments with their own service departments.
Once activated, the vehicle’s powertrain and climate control systems work together automatically to elevate passenger compartment temperatures. The software warms up the engine to an elevated level, turning heat and fan settings to high. The software automatically monitors interior temperatures until the entire passenger compartment hits the desired level.
Ford said it worked with Ohio State University to determine the temperature range and time needed to help reduce the spread of the virus. It started researching the project in late March.
Ford conducted software operational trials in vehicles owned by police departments in New York, Los Angeles, Michigan, Massachusetts, Ohio and Florida. —Mike Wayland
Here’s a look at the pandemic by world region
A vaccine for the general public is a ‘2021 event’
7:17 a.m. ET — Widespread availability of a vaccine for the general public probably won’t arrive before 2021, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said.
“We might have it available in the fall for emergency use authorization for certain populations, and we’ll certainly have the doses by the end of the year,” he said in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “I just don’t think we’ll have the data to support widespread inoculation at that point.”
The space of companies vying to produce a successful vaccine is increasingly crowded. It includes large and small drugmakers and biotech companies, such as Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Novavax. —Will Feuer
Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer and biotech company Illumina.
Virus could topple Brazil’s Bolsonaro, analysts say
The President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro appears on the ramp of the Planalto Palace to wave to his supporters amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at the Planalto Palace on May 15, 2020 in Brasilia.
Andressa Anholete | Getty Images
7:10 a.m. ET — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is facing an intensifying political crisis over his handling of the coronavirus outbreak, with the South American country recording more new Covid-19 infections over the last week than any other period since the epidemic began.
It comes shortly after the country confirmed it had reported the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world.
Analysts told CNBC that growing pressure on the right-wing president, an ideological ally of President Donald Trump, could make him and his government the first to be toppled by the global public health crisis. —Sam Meredith
Read CNBC’s previous coronavirus live coverage here: More states reopen bars, CA says hair salons and barbershops can reopen in most counties
