May 31, 2020 coronavirus news | CNN

May 31 coronavirus news

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Partygoer at crowded pool party in Missouri tests positive for coronavirus
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What you need to know

  • The numbers: More than 6.1 million cases of Covid-19 have been reported worldwide, including at least 371,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
  • South America cases rise: Brazil has more than 514,000 coronavirus cases. The country’s 29,314 coronavirus deaths are the fourth highest of any country, trailing the US, the UK and Italy.
  • Mass gatherings: The World Health Organization releases new guidance for large congregations of people amid the coronavirus pandemic, including holding them outdoors where possible and limiting attendance to those who are healthy.
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Our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic has moved here.

More than 500,000 coronavirus cases reported in Brazil

A nurse performs a coronavirus test to a resident of the riverside community of Belavista do Jaraqui on May 29 in Brazil. 

Brazil has reported 16,409 cases of novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 514,849.

Brazil is second only to the United States in its number of coronavirus cases.

Dr. Carissa Etienne, the director of the Pan American Health Organization, said earlier this week that the Americas have “become the epicenter of the Covid pandemic.”

Brazil also recorded 480 new coronavirus-related fatalities over the past 24 hours, according to its health ministry, raising the overall death toll to 29,314.

Brazil has the fourth-highest number of coronavirus deaths globally, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Queen Elizabeth makes first appearance since coronavirus lockdown

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II rides Balmoral Fern, a 14-year-old Fell Pony, in Windsor Home Park, west of London, over the weekend of May 30 and May 31.

Queen Elizabeth II has been pictured riding a pony on the grounds of Windsor Castle, in her first photographed appearance since the coronavirus lockdown started in the UK.

The 94-year-old Queen has been a passionate horse lover throughout her reign and was photographed over the weekend riding one of her ponies, a 14-year-old Fell Pony called Balmoral Fern. On Sunday, the Royal Family’s verified Twitter page posted photos of the Queen riding.

The Queen has made two televised addresses during the lockdown, the first assuring those in isolation that “we will meet again” and the other to mark VE Day.

More than 8,000 new coronavirus cases reported in Peru

A doctor wearing personal protective gear examines COVID-19 patients at Regional Hospital of Loreto Felipe Arriola Iglesias on May 20 in Iquitos, Peru.

The number of coronavirus cases in Peru rose to 164,476 on Sunday, an increase of 8,805 from the previous day, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

The spike follows a trend of increasing reports of new cases in recent days, which have seen Peru go from reporting about 4,000 to more than 7,000 new cases each day.

The country also reported 135 new coronavirus-related deaths, taking the national death toll to 4,506, according to the Ministry.

The capital city of Lima has the largest concentration of infections, according to the Health Ministry, which reported on Sunday that the city has recorded 100,526 virus cases.

Peru has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in Latin America, behind Brazil.

FDA commissioner on off-label use of hydroxychloroquine: "We do not regulate the practice of medicine"

Discussing the “off-label” use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for Covid-19, the commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration this weekend said his agency does not “regulate the practice of medicine.”

FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn made the comments in an open letter published on the FDA’s website Friday and tweeted out by Hahn Sunday. 

The letter was titled “Bringing a Cancer Doctor’s Perspective to FDA’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” but it focused heavily on unproven drugs touted by President Trump for coronavirus.

In April, however, the FDA warned against using the drugs to treat coronavirus outside of hospitals or clinical trials, pointing to the risk of severe heart problems or death. Even so, Trump earlier this month claimed he was taking daily doses of hydroxychloroquine to prevent infection.

In his letter, Hahn said many physicians have “prescribed these drugs for patients with Covid-19 based on an individual assessment of the potential benefits versus the risks for an individual patient.”

Still, his letter pointed to the potential risks of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. “It is important that patients and health care providers understand the known side effects of these drugs, including serious and potentially life-threatening heart rhythm problems as noted in a recent Drug Safety Communication,” Hahn wrote, pointing to the FDA’s earlier warning.

But he said patients who have been prescribed the drugs for approved reasons, like lupus, should understand that “the FDA’s approval means the agency has determined them to be safe and effective for those conditions.”

Hahn appeared to defend a limited emergency use authorization that the FDA issued for the two drugs in late March. The authorization was narrow in scope, applying only to hospitalized Covid-19 patients and only to drugs donated to the Strategic National Stockpile. 

“This decision was based on evaluation of the EUA criteria and the scientific evidence available at that time. We continue to look at the data on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine and we will make future determinations on these products based on available evidence including ongoing clinical studies,” Hahn said in the letter.

The emergency use authorization, or EUA, made it easier for pills donated to the national stockpile to be distributed to coronavirus patients. “We also knew it was important to help ensure a stable supply of the drugs for patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis given the increased demand,” Hahn said.

In an interview with CNN this week, Hahn denied political pressure at the FDA. But the agency has had to issue a number of high-profile walk-backs and revisions during the pandemic. 

“Some of the science and data aren’t perfect in emergency situations,” he said. “You make the best with the information you have at hand.”

US sending hydroxychloroquine and ventilators to Brazil

A pharmacy tech holds a pill of Hydroxychloroquine at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, on May 20.

The United States has delivered 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine and will soon send 1,000 ventilators to Brazil, according to a joint statement from both countries.

The statement reads in part, “HCQ will be used as a prophylactic to help defend Brazil’s nurses, doctors, and healthcare professionals against the virus. It will also be used as a therapeutic to treat Brazilians who become infected.”

This comes after the World Health Organization announced it has temporarily halted studying hydroxychloroquine as a potential Covid-19 treatment due to safety concerns. The decision was made after an observational study published in the medical journal The Lancet described how seriously ill Covid-19 patients who were treated with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine were more likely to die.

The US Food and Drug Administration has warned against the use of hydroxychloroquine outside of clinical trials and that there are currently no published studies on using the drug as a prophylaxis, or preventative treatment.

The statement also announces the formation of a joint research effort to help combat coronavirus in the two countries. 

The US and Brazil are the two countries with the highest confirmed number of coronavirus cases worldwide.

More than 104,000 people have died from coronavirus in the US

A hearse enters a temporary morgue near Green-Wood Cemetery on May 27 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

There have been at least 1,778,515 coronavirus cases in US and approximately 104,051 deaths due to the virus, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. 

The totals includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.

Covid-19 cases continue to decline in Italy, despite loosened restrictions

People enjoy a gondola ride on May 30 in Venice, Italy.

Despite four weeks of loosened restrictions, the number of Covid-19 cases in Italy continue to decline.

The number of active cases of coronavirus decreased by more than 1,600 over a 24-hour period, according to figures released by Italy’s Civil Protection Agency on Sunday.

The statement said that there has been a decrease of at least 1,616 cases since Saturday’s figures, bringing the total number to approximately 42,075.

The Covid-19 death toll in the country currently stands at approximately 33,415 – an increase of 75 deaths due to the virus since yesterday, according to the agency.

Number of coronavirus deaths in New York state continues to drop, governor says

At least 56 people died due to coronavirus in New York state yesterday –– a decrease from 67 deaths on May 29, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at his daily news briefing on Sunday.

The number of total hospitalizations, new hospitalizations and intubations have also all decreased, Cuomo said.

“All good news,” he said.

Spanish government will seek a further extension of the state of emergency

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez celebrated the “great results of the last few weeks” when it comes to coronavirus cases during a news conference on Sunday, but said “we can’t relax” and said “the virus is still present in our country.”

The prime minister announced that his government will be seeking a further 15-day extension of the state of emergency.

Sánchez also announced that starting June 8, the government will transfer the responsibility of the de-escalation process to the regional governments in regions in phase three.

The central government will only keep control on mobility once the regions reach phase three.

It became clear to the White House last week that an economic summit in June is likely impossible

It became clear to the White House late last week that convening an in-person G7 economic summit on US soil would likely be impossible by the end of June, particularly with the addition of several other countries President Trump wants to include in the meeting, people familiar with the matter told CNN.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s announcement that she wouldn’t be able to participate due to concerns over coronavirus helped cement the decision, those people said. 

In a phone call with Trump on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron argued that in order to convene in-person, the entire group needed to be present, one western official familiar with the matter said.

Macron and Merkel have been tightly aligned at past G7 meetings in representing European interests. 

The G7 brings together annually brings together the leaders of seven of the world’s leading economies.

Jerusalem's holiest site reopens as coronavirus restrictions ease

One of the holiest sites in Jerusalem reopened Sunday morning for the first time in more than two months, in a further sign of the easing of coronavirus restrictions by the Israeli government.

The site, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is often a flashpoint in Jerusalem’s Old City, but the day passed with only relatively minor incidents under a heavy security presence.

Entering the compound, Muslim worshippers, many wearing the ubiquitous blue facemasks for protection, chanted, “God is the greatest. We sacrifice our blood and soul for you, al-Aqsa,” referring to the compound’s mosque. 

A group of religious Jews later arrived at the site during morning visitation hours, escorted by Israeli security forces. The compound is the holiest site in the world for Jews and the third holiest site for Muslims.

Worshippers were allowed to enter the mosque building, as well as the Dome of the Rock shrine, but they were required to have their own prayer rug and mask. Approximately 4,000 people arrived for dawn prayers, the director of the mosque told CNN, a tiny fraction of the hundreds of thousands the compound can host on a busy day.

Some background: The compound is one of the last holy sites in and around Jerusalem to reopen. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also in Jerusalem’s Old City, reopened its doors last week, as did the Church of the Nativity in nearby Bethlehem. The Western Wall reopened earlier in May.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority have both begun to ease restrictions imposed as a result of coronavirus. The decision to impose tough restrictions early in the pandemic’s spread is seen as a key factor in why cases of coronavirus have stayed relatively low in both Israel and the Palestinian territories. 

But Israeli leaders have begun warning of a sudden rise in the number of new infections in the last few days, raising the possibility that restrictions could be re-imposed if the numbers continue to rise.

Faithful return to St. Peter's Square to hear Pope Francis' words

Pope Francis delivers a blessing from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on May 31.

In a small sign of life getting back to normal, crowds returned to St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City on Sunday as Pope Francis resumed his traditional greeting from his window, for the first time since lockdown began in Italy nearly three months ago.

The Pope said he hoped people would “have the courage to change, to be better than before and to positively build the post-pandemic world.”

He appealed for everyone, including the world’s poorest people, to have access to health care and prayed particularly for those affected in the Amazon region of South America. “People are more important than the economy,” he said.

Tourists were noticeably absent and only several hundred people, mainly Italians, wearing masks and social distancing, gathered to listen to the Pope and receive his blessing. 

“You know that from a crisis like this, you don’t come out of it the same as before. You come out either better or worse,” he said.

“The human family needs to come out of this crisis more united and not more divided.“

Italian and Vatican Police were stationed at all entrances and people entering St. Peter’s Basilica had their temperatures checked.

The Vatican museums will open on Monday, by online reservation only. Museums and other cultural sites throughout Italy will also reopen this week.

Bars, gyms and restaurants in South Korea to keep a QR-code log of customers

People walk past a restaurant in the Itaewon district in Seoul, South Korea, on April 24.

Recreational venues in South Korea, including bars, nightclubs and indoor gyms, will be required to keep a QR code-based customer log from June 10, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said Sunday.

This data will be automatically erased after four weeks to safeguard customer information.

The minister also outlined several other disease prevention guidelines required from June 2. Operators must regularly disinfect the premises, check customers for symptoms and ensure customers wear masks.

Those who violate the guidelines, including customers, could be subject to fines, and businesses could be forced to close.

As of 12 p.m. local time on Sunday, 111 cases were linked to the Coupang logistics center cluster and 270 cases were linked to the Itaewon nightclub cluster in Seoul, according to the Health Ministry.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country stands at 11,468, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been 270 deaths in total.

Some context: South Korea has used technology to help it contain the coronavirus pandemic through aggressive testing, contact tracing and quarantine measures, without ordering a widespread lockdown.

After cases emerged linked to three venues in Seoul’s Itaewon nightlife district, city authorities tried to trace those who were potentially exposed. But they found that some clubgoers avoided calls or had given false details on the door, the mayor said.

The city had to use phone signal tower records and credit card records instead to track some people down.

UK at "sensitive moment" as it relaxes coronavirus measures

Tourists enjoy the hot weather at Bournemouth beach on May 25, after some coronavirus restrictions were eased.

The UK is at a “sensitive moment” as it eases coronavirus restrictions, the country’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Sunday, adding that not all scientists will agree with the government’s decisions.

England is relaxing some restrictions from Monday, including allowing groups of up to six people to meet in outdoor settings.

Schools will also begin to reopen to some pupils, and extremely vulnerable people who have been “shielding” – staying at home at all times and avoiding any face-to-face contact – have been told they can go outdoors again from Monday.

“If we had a second peak in the virus, we would end up back in lockdown and that would be bad for public health reasons but also for the economy,” Raab told Sky News on Sunday.

“In fact that’s not what we want. We don’t want them all to agree. We want them to test the evidence. That’s the way we get better advice from them.”

Raab said that if new restrictions were needed to control a second outbreak, the government had the capacity to “target very carefully” different localities or situations.

Prominent scientists have voiced skepticism in recent days about the steps the government is taking.

“The announcement of relaxed measures for those most at risk from severe Covid-19, the shielders, seems to lack any obvious rationale other than to add to an ongoing ‘good news’ narrative that appears to have little grounding in reality,” Dr. Stephen Griffin, Associate Professor in the School of Medicine, University of Leeds, told the UK’s Science Media Centre.

Professor Sally Bloomfield, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, warned that relaxing several measures at the same time was risky.

“If the situation deteriorates it will be impossible to know which measures need to be re-imposed and we will just have to go back to lockdown,” she told the Science Media Centre. 

“This does not look like gently lifting the lid – and from what I have seen these past three days, I fear that our desire to socialize means that the critical nature of our situation is being forgotten.”

Scotland’s First Minister warns coronavirus still poses “significant risk” as England prepares to lift restrictions

Nicola Sturgeon attends First Minister's Questions at Holyrood on May 13 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned that coronavirus still poses a “significant risk,” calling on citizens to not become complacent as the UK government prepares to lift some lockdown restrictions in England on Monday. 

“We have got to be very cautious. The virus has not gone away, there is still a significant risk that it could run out of control again,” Sturgeon said Sunday during an interview with Sky News.

On Thursday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Britain would begin the gradual process of easing the lockdown restrictions on Monday, despite concerns expressed by members of SAGE, the government’s scientific advisory board. Some fear transmission rates remain too high and that the government’s new test and trace system is still being rolled out.

“We’re entering a period where there is a risk of increasing transmission, but we don’t have that safety net yet fully in place,” Professor Peter Horby said during an interview with BBC Radio 4 on Saturday.  

During her interview with Sky News, Sturgeon urged citizens in Scotland to continue to follow the guidance issued by the government, including continued social distancing measures.

“The virus has not gone away, and it’s important that we do not become complacent,” she added. 

India's Modi urges caution as country gets ready to relax lockdown

A policeman stands guard at a road checkpoint in New Delhi on March 25, as India's lockdown begins.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on India’s people to be careful and take precautions such as using face masks and maintaining social distancing in public as the country prepares to ease its nationwide lockdown from Monday.

Modi, giving his monthly radio address, praised India’s tackling of Covid-19, especially in light of its large population. India is the world’s second most populous nation after China.

The country has endured suffering, but everyone is resolved to continue handling it, Modi said.

He also applauded charity groups, including NGOs and volunteer organizations, saying a commitment to serving people in need was part of India’s ethos and that the country had displayed this, especially amid the pandemic.

Modi also addressed the migrant crisis that the country has faced amid the nationwide lockdown, saying no section of the country was untouched by the current situation. Migrants, poor people, and laborers are the worst impacted.

The victory over coronavirus pandemic will also depend on innovation, the Prime Minister said. The road to victory over coronavirus is long and the world has not experienced anything like this ever before, Modi added.

He also mentioned other crises to have impacted the nation, including Cyclone Amphan and locust swarms, and promised all possible assistance to those affected.

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a three-phase plan to lift current lockdown restrictions starting Monday.

Pakistan makes face masks mandatory in public

It is now mandatory to wear a mask in crowded public spaces across Pakistan, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Health on Sunday. Such spaces include mosques, bazaars, shopping malls and public transport.

The mandate comes as the country recorded its highest increase in cases to date, with 3,039 cases reported in the past 24 hours. Testing has not increased.

Pakistan has recorded 69,496 cases and 1,483 deaths, according to its health ministry.

India announces 3-phase plan to lift restrictions outside containment zones

Passengers arrive from Mumbai at the railway station in Allahabad, India on May 30.

India is introducing a phased re-opening of public spaces in some areas and a shortening of the night time curfew, according to India’s Ministry of Homes Affairs.

The nationwide lockdown in containment zones, however, will be extended to June 30, but the three-phase easing of restrictions elsewhere – called “Unlock 1” – will begin on June 8.

Phase one will allow for the re-opening of places of worship to the public, along with hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and other hospitality services.

Prior to that, starting June 1, restrictions on the inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods will be lifted, unless the state or union territory decides otherwise. The curfew prohibiting the movement of individuals between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. will be shortened to 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nationwide.

These decisions come as India recorded 8,380 new confirmed coronavirus cases Sunday, its biggest 24-hour increase to date.

Educational, training and coaching institutions including schools and colleges will be opened after consultations with states and union territories under phase two.

Dates for restarting international air travel for passengers, except as permitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, resuming metro rail services and reopening movie theaters, gyms, swimming pools, entertainment parks, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will be decided in phase three.

No exact dates were provided for the start of phases two and three.

World Health Organization releases new guidance for outdoor events and mass gatherings

The World Health Organization headquarters sign seen here in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 29.

The World Health Organization on Saturday released new guidance for mass gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic, recommending a number of possible changes to large events – once they’re allowed to take place.

Holding gatherings outdoors, limiting attendance to healthy people and staggering arrivals could all help limit the spread of the virus, according to the guidance.

“In the context of Covid-19, mass gatherings are events that could amplify the transmission of the virus and potentially disrupt the host country’s response capacity,” the guidance said. But it said large events offered benefits, too, such as providing employment and boosting psychological well-being.

The WHO called on public health authorities and event organizers to perform a risk assessment before any gathering and listed a number of steps organizers could take if large events do occur, such as:

  • Staggering arrivals
  • Increasing the frequency of transport
  • Designating seating
  • Venue capacity could also be adjusted
  • Events could be held virtually or outdoors

Some recommendations focused on participants, reminding people to observe physical distancing, cough etiquette and hand hygiene practices.

People at risk of developing severe illness – including those over the age of 65 or with pre-existing medical conditions – could be advised to stay away, or special arrangements could be made for them.

The WHO recommendations included a number of other measures as well, such as limiting the duration of events and providing on-site isolation facilities for people who become sick.