May 12 coronavirus news

US President Donald Trump and his administration announced today that the federal government is sending $11 billion to states to expand coronavirus testing capabilities.

When Trump made the announcement in the Rose Garden, he appeared to misspeak, saying "1 billion" has been approved and the "money is going out."

Adm. Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services, later clarified in the Rose Garden briefing it is $11 billion going to states.

The relief package signed on April 24 included $25 billion for testing, with $11 billion for states, localities, territories and tribes. 

Giroir said in order for states to receive the funding, there has to be plans in place that address testing in "vulnerable communities."

The coronavirus pandemic, directly or indirectly, may have killed far more people in New York City than the official Covid-19 death toll shows, according to a report released Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report looked at excess mortality in the city and found that 24,172 more people died since mid-March compared to what would normally be expected.

Indirect deaths: About 19,000 of these were either confirmed or probable coronavirus deaths. But more than 5,000 of the city’s excess deaths had no explicit connection to Covid-19, said the team, led by Donald Olson of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 

It’s difficult to know why exactly those deaths occurred. But Olson’s team noted that people with underlying conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, are more likely to die from coronavirus infections and such deaths may not have been directly attributed to Covid-19.

Nationwide problem: The findings add to a growing body of evidence showing how the coronavirus pandemic may be killing people without ever infecting them. For example, experts have said that a decline in reported heart attacks and strokes in the US is likely the result of people avoiding emergency rooms.

“Tracking excess mortality is important to understanding the contribution to the death rate from both COVID-19 disease and the lack of availability of care for non-COVID conditions,” the researchers wrote in their report.

There was a surge of coronavirus cases over the weekend in some countries where stay-at-home measures and other restrictions were lifted, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a media briefing in Geneva on Monday.

"In Wuhan, China, the first cluster of cases since their lockdown was lifted was identified," Tedros said. "Germany has also reported an increase in cases since an easing of restrictions. Fortunately, all three countries have systems in place to detect and respond to a resurgence in cases."

Tedros said the WHO has released guidance and six criteria for countries to consider before lifting lockdown measures.

"WHO is working closely with governments to ensure that key public health measures remain in place to deal with the challenge of lifting lockdowns," he said. "Until there is a vaccine, the comprehensive package of measures is our most effective set of tools to tackle."

Turkey will implement a four-day curfew from May 16-19, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. 

The country has not implemented countrywide lockdowns, instead opting for curfews that prohibit people from leaving their homes on weekends and holidays.

Turkey has also imposed an age-specific curfew for people over the age of 65 and under 20. Those restrictions will be eased slowly with certain age groups being allowed out on specific days, according to Erdogan. 

Travel restrictions have been lifted in nine provinces, while 15 other provinces -- including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir -- remain closed to nonessential entry and exits, Erdogan said.

Turkey will manage the easing of restrictions “dynamically” and will relax or tighten depending on developments, Erdogan said. Hair stylists, barbers and shopping malls reopened today as a part of what Turkish authorities are calling the “controlled socialization” stage of the Covid-19 pandemic plan.

Lowest daily cases: This comes as the country recorded its lowest number of daily positive coronavirus cases since March 26.

Some 1,114 people tested positive in the past 24 hours, the national health ministry said on Monday.

Face masks are now compulsory on the Paris metro system and commuters will need certificates from their employers to explain why they are traveling during rush hour.

If commuters do not follow these guidelines, they risk being fined 135 euros ($145), a spokesperson for RATP, Paris’s state-owned public transport operator, said on Monday. 

The measures will be enforced by RATP security officers and police officers.

It comes after French Ecology Minister Elisabeth Borne said during a news conference last Thursday that masks on public transport will be made mandatory for anyone above 11 years old.

Face masks in France are divided into three categories:

All of those are acceptable to be used on the Paris metro.