Coronavirus live updates: President Trump admonishes Fauci on school reopenings; LA's beaches reopen

John Bacon, Lorenzo Reyes and Erick Smith, USA TODAY
·14 min read

President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci have different positions on schools reopening this fall with Trump pushing for students to return, while the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease urging caution with a vaccine unlikely to be available in that time frame.

In the U.S., several states have released figures showing drastic declines in tax collections for March and April. And weekly unemployment figures due Thursday are expected to reflect that millions more Americans are jobless.

The news isn't all bad. Some data dashboards appear to show the daily U.S. death toll is flattening. And Los Angeles County, despite extending its stay-at-home order, opened its beaches Wednesday.

There are now more than 83,000 deaths and 1.3 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S., according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard. Worldwide, the virus has killed more than 296,000 people and has infected more than 4.3 million.

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Here are some of the most significant developments from Wednesday:

  • New Jersey announced 18 children have been diagnosed with a coronavirus-related inflammatory syndrome, the same day a new study was released that says children may be more susceptible to COVID-19 than originally believed.

  • The White House shelved the CDC's more restrictive reopening plan, according to a report from The Associated Press.

  • Some states are seeing a dramatic drop in tax collections from March and April as the Labor Department prepares to release new unemployment numbers Thursday.

What we're talking about Wednesday: Yes, your groceries are costing more than before. Also: If my coworker has COVID-19, can I file for unemployment? We take on questions about your money.

Some good news: Did you know you can clean, reuse and hack coronavirus masks? Here's how.

Trump: Fauci did not give 'acceptable answer' on school reopenings

President Donald Trump admonished Dr. Anthony Fauci after the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease expressed caution about opening schools this fall due to concerns about the coronavirus.

Fauci testified Tuesday before the Senate that a vaccine would likely not be ready before students are scheduled to return and there was no easy solution on opening back up. Trump said Fauci did not give an “acceptable answer."

“I think you should absolutely open the schools,” Trump said during a meeting with the governors of Colorado and North Dakota at the White House. "I don’t consider our country coming back if the schools are closed."

- Maureen Groppe

Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns governor's stay-at-home order

A stay-at-home order issued by the administration of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has been struck down by the state's Supreme Court.

Evers has sought to extend restrictions on residents through the end of May to halt the spread of coronavirus in the state. Republican lawmakers objected because of the impact on the economy.

In the majority opinion, Chief Justice Patience Roggesack determined Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm should have issued such state restrictions through a process known as rule making, which gives lawmakers veto power over agency policies.

The ruling will force the Democratic governor and Republican-controlled Legislature to work together on the state's response to the ebbs and flows of the outbreak – a dynamic the two sides have rarely been able to achieve before.

- Molly Beck

Yellowstone to reopen Monday on limited basis

The National Park Service announced Wednesday that Yellowstone National Park will reopen Monday on a limited basis, after following guidance from the White House, the CDC and local public health officials.

Yellowstone has outlined a three-phase plan. The first stage opens the south and east entrances in Wyoming and limits visitor travel to the lower loop of the park. Visitors will have access to trails, bathrooms, gas stations and boardwalks in the approved areas. The park will also implement mitigation measures like providing protective barriers when needed, encouraging face coverings in high-density areas, metering access and increased sanitation.

The park has been closed to visitors since March 24.

AAU youth volleyball tournament still scheduled to be played in June

The nation's largest youth volleyball tournament that hosts thousands of boys and girls is still scheduled to be held next month in Orlando, Florida, despite concerns about the coronavirus. The Amateur Athletic Union event featured 2,800 teams last summer and drew roughly 110,000 visitors to Orlando, Florida over parts of 12 days.

The AAU said in a news release that "the safety of the participants is our highest priority," and "we do not make this decision lightly." The statement also made clear there is a financial motivation at stake, noting the importance of the event to the local economy, which the AAU estimated at around $90 million to $100 million last year.

Among the safety precautions: There will be no international teams this year and temperature checks will be instituted before competition. Volleyballs and courts will be sanitized regularly. Handshakes will be discouraged. Courts will be spaced farther apart. Each team will be limited to a party of 30 people, including 15 players, five coaches and 10 chaperones.

- Tom Schad

New study shows kids not safe from COVID-19; NJ sees 18 children with inflammatory syndrome

Children are not as safe from severe illness caused by the novel coronavirus as originally thought, according to new research and clinical experience that may have implications for decisions about reopening schools and day care centers.

Concerns are rising about the small but growing number of children hospitalized with a coronavirus-related inflammatory syndrome similar to Kawasaki disease. New Jersey State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said Wednesday that the state is investigating 18 cases of the inflammatory syndrome in children aged 3 to 18.

And a new study coauthored by a Rutgers researcher describes 48 children hospitalized for COVID-19 in pediatric intensive care units across the country in the early days of the pandemic.

At least 118 children — 100 in New York and the 18 in New Jersey – have been identified since mid-April with the newly recognized syndrome, which can cause high fevers, rashes, abdominal pain, low blood pressure and in some cases, heart, liver or kidney failure. Most of those hospitalized with the syndrome in New Jersey were previously healthy.

- Lindy Washburn

Study finds cats can catch COVID-19, may be able to transmit to other cats

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that cats "can readily become infected" with the coronavirus and may be able to pass it on to other cats.

Professor of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine Yoshihiro Kawaoka led the study. In it, researchers administered the virus, which had been isolated from a human patient, to three cats. The next day, researchers detected the virus in two of the cats, using nasal swabs. By the third day, they detected the virus in all of the cats.

The day after administering the virus to the first three cats, researchers placed another cat in each of their cages. Researchers didn't administer the coronavirus to the newly-added cats. Within two days, one of the new cats was shedding the virus and in six days, all cats were doing so.

White House reportedly shelved more restrictive reopening plan

Advice from the nation’s top disease control experts on how to safely reopen businesses and institutions included more restrictive measures than the plan released by the White House last month, the Associated Press reports. AP said it obtained a copy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan, shelved by Trump administration officials, which also offered recommendations to help communities decide when to shut facilities down again during future flare-ups of COVID-19.

“The White House is pushing for reopening but the truth of the matter is the White House has just not had a comprehensive plan where all the pieces fit,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.

Trump administration accuses China of trying to steal US coronavirus research

The Trump administration warned Wednesday that the Chinese government is seeking to hijack U.S. research aimed at the COVID-19 pandemic and urged organizations to tighten cyber-security defenses. The public caution issued by the Justice Department indicated that the FBI had opened an investigation into suspected targeting by hackers.

"These actors have been observed attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property ... affiliated with COVID-19-related research," the Justice bulletin stated. "The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options."

– Kevin Johnson

Roses and video protest Trump's coronavirus response outside Capitol

Since the outbreak began in the United States, at least 82,000 people have died from COVID-19, and many epidemiologists say that number is much lower than the actual death toll due to shortages of testing and people not seeking care in a hospital setting.

To memorialize the lives lost while also drawing attention to what critics have said is an inadequate response to the virus by the Trump administration, MoveOn, a progressive advocacy group, placed thousands of white roses in front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, while playing video of President Donald Trump praising federal action on the virus.

"Very sadly, the U.S. has become the epicenter globally of the coronavirus and by far the most deaths in the world are here," said David Sievers, the campaign director of MoveOn. "While that's tragic, that's also not an act of nature. ... (It's) a result of decisions that have been made, and, unfortunately, mismanagement and botched efforts – or a lack of response."

– Ryan W. Miller

Most Americans think Trump, Pence should wear masks

Most Americans say President Donald Trump should wear a mask in public, a protective measure he has yet to take since the coronavirus pandemic erupted. About seven in 10 registered voters – including 58% of Republicans – surveyed in a Morning Consult/Politico poll this month said Trump and Vice President Mike Pence should cover their faces in public places when they travel. West Wing aides were told Monday they must don masks after two tested positive for COVID-19. Trump is exempt.

"I’m not close to anybody," Trump said when he appeared mask-less at a Rose Garden news conference the same day.

– Maureen Groppe

States struggle with sharp drop in tax collections

States are starting to report their tax collections for the coronavirus months of March and April, and it's not only blue states that are feeling blue. Georgia is showing a decline of more than $100 million compared with the same period a year ago. Tennessee's revenue is down more than $120 million. Texas, also hammered by the downturn in oil prices, has seen tax collections plummet by nearly $1 billion. A federal bailout for state governments has drawn pushback from some Republicans who say most of the money would go to Democratic-run states such as New York – and that some of those states would funnel bailout money to pay off longstanding pension fund problems.

“It’s hard to write a state budget when you expect such a sharp drop in revenues," said Danny Kanso, a policy analyst for the Atlanta-based Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. "Federal stimulus is the only hope.”

– Michael Braga

Kushner says Trump weighing Fauci concerns over reopening country

President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, said Dr. Anthony Fauci's concern that reopening the country too quickly could spark fresh "suffering and death" was among many factors the president is considering as he shapes his coronavirus policy moving forward. Kushner said the wider availability of medical supplies and personal protective equipment would help the country handle its reopening, along with a public more accustomed to regular handwashing, social distancing and mask-wearing.

"There’s risk in anything, but the president carries the burden of the 30 million Americans who have lost their jobs due to this historic effort to save lives," Kushner told Time magazine.

– William Cummings

The national pandemic curves appear to be flattening – for now

The Johns Hopkins and Worldometer data dashboards show the rise of confirmed cases and daily deaths in the U.S. may be slowing. And the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, a leading model, released projections this week that show a steady decline for daily deaths – falling to 100 or less by early August. Is the worst over? What happens as states slowly reopen will tell the tale, experts say.

"Deaths are about who was infected three weeks ago," says Dennis Carroll, who led the U.S. Agency for International Development's infectious disease unit for more than a decade. "With the rapid suspension of (mitigation) measures, we’re in a brave new world."

Surf's up! Los Angeles beaches reopen – minus sunbathing

Los Angeles County beaches reopened Wednesday after a six-week hiatus, but no lollygagging. The county will follow regulations in place for other beaches on the left coast, meaning activities such as walking, running and surfing are cool but gathering, sitting and team sports like volleyball are not. A 6-foot social distance and face coverings are mandatory. Oh, and one more hitch – beach parking lots remain closed. The opening comes hours after public health Director Barbara Ferrer said the county's stay-at-home restrictions, set to end Friday, will likely last for three more months.

More coronavirus news and information from USA TODAY

Coronavirus more deadly than homicide in some parts of US

The COVID-19 disease is killing people in some parts of the country far faster than people can kill each other, according to a USA TODAY analysis of CDC and coronavirus data. Over a decade, America averaged about 17,300 homicides per year. COVID-19 deaths total 82,391 as of Wednesday.

The analysis matched up homicide and coronavirus deaths for communities hosting 92% of Americans. Here’s what we found:

  • The New York City suburb of Morris County, New Jersey, lost people to coronavirus at a rate comparable to 173 years of homicides. The county lost 518 people in just a few months to COVID-19, compared with 30 homicides recorded in the county over a decade.

  • Other New York City suburbs have also been hit hard. The coronavirus has killed people at a rate similar to 137 years of homicides in Rockland County, New York, and 121 years in Bergen County, New Jersey.

  • New York City itself has had losses similar to 36 years of homicides in the five boroughs.

The pain has not been equally spread, however. About a third of Americans live in counties that have lost fewer people to coronavirus than they normally lose in a year to homicides.

– Mike Stucka

Economists brace for latest blast of unemployment news

America’s dispiriting weekly tally of COVID-19-related layoffs is likely to add millions more Thursday. Economists estimate the Labor Department will report that 2.5 million Americans filed new applications for unemployment insurance last week, down from the 3.2 million the prior week. That would push total unemployment claims the past eight weeks to a staggering 36 million. April’s unemployment rate hit 14.7%, highest since the Great Depression, up from 4.4% the prior month, and a 50-year low of 3.5% in February.

– Paul Davison

More COVID-19 headlines from USA TODAY

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus update: Trump scolds Fauci on school opening; LA beaches