Nearly 4 million people worldwide — including almost 1.3 million in the United States – have been infected with the new coronavirus, and the number of deaths from the outbreak continues to rise. While efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak continue, states have begun to shift their focus towards reopening their economies.
Live updates for Saturday, May 9, continue below:
Fauci under ‘modified quarantine’
Update 9:32 p.m. EDT May 9: The nation’s top infectious disease expert is under a “modified quarantine” although he was not in close proximity to a White House staff member who tested positive for the coronavirus, CNN reported.
Fauci said he is at a “low risk” and tested negative for the virus Friday.
He is expected to stay home and telework for the next 14 days, although he might go to his office at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where he is the only one there. He is expected to be tested every day for the virus.
Already, Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Stephen Hahn, director of the Food and Drug Administration will self-quarantine for 14 days after being exposed to someone at the White House who tested positive for the coronavirus. That staffer has not been identified.
Florida city closes beaches after crowds overrun sand
Update 9:10 p.m. EDT May 9: Throngs of beachgoers crowded beaches, causing the city of Naples, Florida, to close them at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.
City of Naples is closing City beaches at midnight. Emergency meeting will be held at 1pm on Monday, May 11, 2020. pic.twitter.com/y0nRWCnnxz
— Naples Police Dept. (@NaplesPolice) May 9, 2020
City officials will discuss more restrictions at an emergency meeting Monday, WBBH reported.
The emergency order was prompted by numerous images of people on beaches not practicing social distancing measures. The shutdown includes beach access points, restroom facilities and parking areas.
Images of crowds of spring breakers on Florida beaches sparked a national uproar earlier this year. Counties along both coasts started opening beaches for limited use and with social distancing guidelines still in effect earlier this week.
CDC, FDA directors to self-quarantine for 14 days
Update 6:54 p.m. EDT May 9: The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration will self-quarantine for 14 days after being exposed to someone at the White House who tested positive for the coronavirus, The Washington Post reported.
Robert Redfield, with the CDC, and Dr. Stephen Hahn, of the FDA, are both members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which last met Thursday, CNN reported.
The person who tested positive that they came in contact with has not been identified.
Global cases top 4 million
Update 5:25 p.m. EDT May 9: The number of people infected with the coronavirus worldwide surpassed 4 million Saturday afternoon.
There are more than 1.3 million confirmed cases and more than 78,000 deaths in the United States, CNN reported.
200 patients evacuated, 1 dead after fire at Moscow hospital
Update 4:55 p.m. EDT May 9: A hospital treating coronavirus patients caught fire killing one person and forcing the evacuation of 200 others Saturday.
The fire in a ward repurposed to treat coronavirus victims was extinguished. A cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
The evacuated patients were taken to other hospitals.
It was not known how many of the 200 transferred patients were suffering from the coronavirus.
USDA to buy $3 billion worth of food from farmers
Update 3:56 p.m. EDT May 9: U.S.Department of Agriculture will buy $3 billion worth of food from farmers starting next week, according to a tweet from President Donald Trump.
Trump called the initiative “Farmers to Family Food Box,” CNN reported.
The program is part of the $19 billion in aid to farmers from the USDA that was announced on April 17.
Starting early next week, at my order, the USA will be purchasing, from our Farmers, Ranchers & Specialty Crop Growers, 3 Billion Dollars worth of Dairy, Meat & Produce for Food Lines & Kitchens. “FARMERS TO FAMILY FOOD BOX” Great news for all! @SecretarySonny @ZippyDuvall
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 9, 2020
National Sports Collectors Convention postponed
Update 1:48 p.m. EDT May 9: The National Sports Collectors Convention, the largest sports memorabilia show in the world, announced that this year’s event, scheduled to begin July 29, has been postponed until Dec. 12.
The event will still be held at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, organizers said.
“We have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic situation with our partners along with city and state officials. It has become clear postponement is the appropriate course of action.” said John Broggi, promoter for the show. “We have tentative plans to hold the National Dec. 12-16, 2020, at the Atlantic City Convention Center, given state and federal guidelines indicate it is safe to hold our event.”
4,000 NYC health care workers getting free vacations
Update 12:51 p.m. EDT May 9: American Airlines and Hyatt Hotels will give health care workers at New York City’s Elmhurst Hospital free vacations, the airline said in a news release.
The free vacations will be awarded to more than 4,000 doctors, nurses and assistants. The excursions will be three nights to locations in the United States and the Caribbean, American Airlines said.
“We’ve heard from so many of our colleagues and members who simply want to do some good and find a way to share their gratitude for some of the heroes of this pandemic in one of the hardest-hit areas of New York, ” Mark Hoplamazian, president and CEO of Hyatt, said in a statement. “We are humbled by the health care workers’ dedication to saving lives.”
Cuomo: Hospitalization rate in New York state still dropping
Update 11:50 a.m. EDT May 9: Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a news conference that the rate of hospitalization across New York has dropped. Cuomo said the number of new cases over the past 24 hours was 572.
“Those are new cases, people who walk in the door of a hospital or people who are in the hospital and test positive. But that’s down to 572,” Cuomo told reporters. “You see it hasn’t been that level since we started back March 20, March 21. So that is welcome news.”
Feds ship 260 cases of remdesivir to hardest-hit states
Update 11:42 a.m. EDT May 9: According to a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services on Saturday, 260 cases of the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir have been shipped to states hardest hit by the coronavirus.
According to the HHS statement, the cases are part of the previously announced donation by the drug’s manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, to the federal government, CNN reported.
The FDA granted emergency authorization that allowed remdesivir to be used to treated patients who have tested positive for COVID-19.
FDA head will self-quarantine for 2 weeks
Update 11:32 a.m. EDT May 9: Stephen Hahn, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, will self-quarantine for 14 days after coming in contact with an individual who tested positive for coronavirus, an FDA spokesperson told CNN.
“As Dr. Hahn wrote in a note to staff today, he recently came into contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. Per (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines, he is now in self-quarantine for the next two weeks. He immediately took a diagnostic test and tested negative for the virus,” Michael Felberbaum said in a statement Friday.
Hahn is a member of the White House coronavirus task force.
2 Florida high schools will have drive-through graduation at Daytona International Speedway
Update 9:14 a.m. EDT May 9: Students from two Florida high schools will have a drive-through graduation ceremony at Daytona International Speedway.
Chip Wile, the speedway’s president, told CNN the graduating seniors will drive across the finish line when their names are called to receive their diplomas.
“Knowing that these seniors are not going to get the opportunity that we all had when we graduated high school to walk across that stage, what better way to do it than at the Daytona International Speedway,” Wile told CNN.
Worldwide cases surge toward 4M, total deaths top 275K
Update 7:45 a.m. EDT May 9: The global death toll attributed to the novel coronavirus reached 275,188 early Saturday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.
In the four months since the virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, it has infected at least 3,955,484 people worldwide. Meanwhile, nearly one in every four deaths reported worldwide has occurred in the United States, and 10 nations now have total infection counts higher than China’s 83,976.
The 10 nations with the highest number of infections recorded to date are as follows:
• The United States has reported 1,283,929 cases, resulting in 77,180 deaths.
• Spain has confirmed 222,857 cases, resulting in 26,299 deaths.
• Italy has reported 217,185 cases, resulting in 30,201 deaths.
• The United Kingdom has reported 212,629 cases, resulting in 31,316 deaths.
• Russia has confirmed 198,676 cases, resulting in 1,827 deaths.
• France has confirmed 176,202 cases, resulting in 26,233 deaths.
• Germany has reported 170,588 cases, resulting in 7,510 deaths.
• Brazil has recorded 146,894 cases, resulting in 10,017 deaths.
• Turkey has recorded 135,569 cases, resulting in 3,689 deaths
• Iran has recorded 104,691 cases, resulting in 6,541 deaths.
More than 800 inmates at one California prison complex have COVID-19
Update 6:53 a.m. EDT May 9: A total of 823 inmates and 25 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at California’s Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons data released Friday.
The complex includes FCI Lompoc, a low-security correctional institution that houses 1,162 inmates, and USP Lompoc, a medium-security penitentiary that houses 1,542 inmates. About 68% of the FCI Lompoc inmates have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, but only 31 inmates have tested positive at the USP Lompoc facility, CNN reported.
IRS sets May 13 deadline to submit direct deposit details for coronavirus stimulus checks
Update 6:32 a.m. EDT May 9: Eligible Americans who are still waiting for their one-time $1,200 stimulus payment have five days remaining to provide the IRS with their direct deposit information or face waiting on a paper check to arrive in the mail.
“We want people to visit Get My Payment before the noon Wednesday deadline so they can provide their direct deposit information,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement.
“Time is running out for a chance to get these payments several weeks earlier through direct deposit,” Rettig added.
After the May 13 deadline, the government will begin sending millions of paper checks expected to arrive in late May and June.
Congress authorized the relief payments of up to $1,200 per individual and $2,400 for married couples, plus $500 for children under 17, to soften the financial blow the novel coronavirus pandemic has dealt low- to middle-income citizens.
The Treasury Department announced Friday that almost 130 million payments totaling roughly $218 billion have been disbursed to date with another 20 million anticipated.
FDA authorizes first at-home COVID-19 saliva test
With the new test, people can collect their own saliva at home and send samples to a lab for results.
“What’s new and next is expanding access to testing for people,” Andrew Brooks, the lab’s chief operating officer and director of technology development, told CNN, adding, “If people are committed to do self-collection and can facilitate that collection at home, certainly with a prescription under medical care, we can get to those that are quarantined, don’t have the means for transportation or are too scared to go outside. So they get the test in the mail or from a distribution center.”
Report: J.C. Penney could seek coronavirus-fueled bankruptcy protection within days
Despite its iconic 118-year legacy, Plano, Texas-based J.C. Penney was already struggling with a roughly $4 billion debt load and increased competition from online retailers before the public health emergency spawned by the virus forced widespread stay-at-home orders, crippling what remained of foot traffic.
JC Penny: First Victim of Corona
-118 years old retail chain J.C. Penney to file for bankruptcy next week
-Company will close 25% stores out of 850
-Company has $4 billion debt
-Total Employee 85000@CNBC_Awaaz— NEERAJ BAJPAI (@NeerajCNBC) May 8, 2020
Taiwan welcomes fans back to pro baseball as coronavirus restrictions lift gradually
Update 2:10 a.m. EDT May 9: Professional baseball with crowds returned to Taiwan Friday night for the first time since the novel coronavirus pandemic began.
According to state-run news agency Focus Taiwan, about 1,000 spectators attended Friday’s game at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei. The Fubon Guardians won 7-6 against the Uni-President Lions.
The baby step toward normalcy carried a few new rules for fans, including sitting in designated seats that adhere to social-distancing guidelines, wearing face masks and not consuming food or drinks, Focus Taiwan reported.
FDA chief to self-quarantine after contact with COVID-19 patient
Update 1:38 a.m. EDT May 9: Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will remain under self-quarantine for the next 14 days after having contact with someone who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“As Dr. Hahn wrote in a note to staff today, he recently came into contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19,” FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum said in a prepared statement.
“Per CDC guidelines, he is now in self-quarantine for the next two weeks. He immediately took a diagnostic test and tested negative for the virus.”
US coronavirus cases approach 1.3M, deaths top 77K
Published 12:37 a.m. EDT May 9: The number of novel coronavirus cases in the United States continued to climb toward 1.3 million early Saturday across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to a Johns Hopkins University tally, there are at least 1,283,929 confirmed U.S. cases of the virus, which have resulted in at least 77,180 deaths.
The hardest-hit states remain New York with 330,407 cases and 26,243 deaths, New Jersey with 135,840 cases and 8,960 deaths and Massachusetts with 75,333 cases and 4,702 deaths. Only 11 states and territories have confirmed fewer than 2,000 cases each.
Ten other states have now confirmed at least 30,000 novel coronavirus cases each, including:
• Illinois: 73,760 cases, resulting in 3,241 deaths
• California: 63,779 cases, resulting in 2,613 deaths
• Pennsylvania: 57,371 cases, resulting in 3,715
• Michigan: 46,386 cases, resulting in 4,399 deaths
• Florida: 39,199 cases, resulting in 1,669 deaths
• Texas: 37,236 cases, resulting in 1,024 deaths
• Connecticut: 32,411 cases, resulting in 2,874 deaths
• Georgia: 32,181 cases, resulting in 1,400 deaths
• Louisiana: 30,855 cases, resulting in 2,227 deaths
• Maryland: 30,485 cases, resulting in 1,560 deaths
Meanwhile, Indiana, Ohio and Virginia each has confirmed at least 22,000 cases, followed closely by Colorado with 18,827 and Washington state with 16,388; Tennessee and North Carolina each has confirmed at least 14,000 cases; Iowa, Rhode Island, Arizona and Minnesota each has confirmed at least 10,000 cases; Missouri, Wisconsin, Alabama and Mississippi each has confirmed at least 9,000 cases; Nebraska and South Carolina each has confirmed at least 7,000 cases; Kansas, Kentucky and Delaware each has confirmed at least 6,000 cases; Nevada, Utah and the District of Columbia each has confirmed at least 5,000 cases; New Mexico and Oklahoma each has confirmed at least 4,000 cases; Arkansas, South Dakota and Oregon each has confirmed at least 3,000 cases; and New Hampshire, Idaho and Puerto Rico each has confirmed at least 2,000 cases.
