Coronavirus pandemic in the US

North Carolina will extend their stay-at-home order until May 8, Gov. Roy Cooper said at a news conference Thursday.

The governor said his state isn’t ready to lift restrictions despite progress they have made in flattening the coronavirus curve. 

Cooper said that despite successes in social distancing, “we’re not quite there yet” and that they need “more time to slow the virus.” 

Cooper unveiled a three-part plan to open up after May 8, if trends continue in a downward trajectory:

If infection rates spike or trends move in the wrong direction, North Carolina says they’re prepared to move to a previous phase so as to protect the public’s health.

And since North Carolina is the “Home of NASCAR," Cooper said that they are looking at a plan that would allow racing, but not allow fans in the stands. They will also announce plans tomorrow for North Carolina school districts and their semesters. 

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she agrees with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's extension of the stay-at-home order until May 30.

Lightfoot, speaking at a news conference Thursday, said it is not safe to remove all restrictions.

Lightfoot said she also agrees with telling people to wear masks when they are not able to socially distance, but said the city will not arrest or charge people who do not use masks.

"I don't believe in giving mandates to people without giving (them) tools to be successful," Lightfoot said.

A Massachusetts emergency room nurse is helping patients affected by her hospitals' no-visitor policy by printing out family photos.       

Jeanna Barbieri came up with Pictures for Patients after a high school friend thanked her for working at Lowell General Hospital, where his father was being treated for coronavirus.

Barbieri offered to bring family photos to decorate his room.

Now, the program has a dedicated hospital email address and a social media hashtag. Barbieri even purchased a printer for completely virtual delivery. 

Barbieri says she has organized at least 22 photograph deliveries as of April 23, including a surprise pregnancy announcement for a family member.

"Jeanna has done a wonderful thing," said Rae Russo, the wife of Barbieri's first photo recipient. "It's made all of us have peace on mind."

The photographs also help medical personnel staff working grueling shifts during the pandemic, according to Barbieri.

"I think it's good for the nurses to bring in something positive," Barbieri said.

Public health laboratories throughout the United States and its territories are still unable to meet the demand for Covid-19 testing, the Association of Public Health Laboratories says.

Wroblewsi said public health labs are still reporting shortages, including, for example, only having two days' worth of the items needed to continue testing, such as swabs and or chemical reagents — the compounds needed to get a sample off a swab and into a form that can be processed and tested.

“In many parts of the country we're still not in a place to meet the demand, particularly if that demand expands significantly. Some things have improved but others have not,” Wroblewski said.

There are 97 public health laboratories in all 50 states as well as Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands.

The association’s chief executive officer, Scott Becker, said part of the problem right now is that the country is expanding testing and creating a Covid-19 testing system.

“This pandemic is showing us how dependent we as Americans are in that laboratory system which is largely invisible,” Becker said

Becker said the federal government could really help production for needed items, but it’s unclear when the issues might be resolved.

It might not ever catch up: APHL’s chief program officer, Eric Blank. “In my own mind, I'm not convinced that the supply chain will ever keep up with demand, particularly with tweaks in the plans that we're seeing for contact tracing and so on,” he said.

 Becker said the shortages started globally.

“This is not just a US problem. It is our problem right now, but it's really a problem elsewhere,” Becker said. “As other countries open up and, frankly, do less testing than what is needed here because of the scale and scope of our country, that may help us down, down the road. How long the road is, I really can't say.”

A key coronavirus model often cited by the White House tweaked its projections Thursday, now saying that some states must wait even longer to safely reopen.

Georgia won’t be able to safely reopen until at least June 22, according to the newest edition of the model. On Tuesday, the model gave the state a projection of June 19.

Georgia is planning to begin reopening tomorrow, however, despite criticism from public health experts who have repeatedly stressed the dangers of relaxing social distancing measures too early.

The peak number of daily deaths for Georgia isn’t expected to occur until April 29 — almost a week from today. More than 50 people are expected to die that day, according to the model. 

Built by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, the model uses a “threshold” of one case per million residents to determine when it might be safe for a state to reopen. That’s the level at which states may be able to use other containment measures – such as aggressive testing, contact tracing and isolation – instead of social distancing, according to IHME. 

The model refined its projections for other states as well:

The estimated death toll for the United States has been revised upwards as well. A total of 67,641 people are now predicted to die by August, compared to the 64,976 deaths that were previously projected. 

Remember: While the institute’s model has been influential, it is just one of many, and IHME has warned against relying too heavily on its projections.

“If I were a governor of a state, I would certainly not make a decision based just on our model,” IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray said in a virtual press briefing on Friday.

Here's a look at the updated reopening map:

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will sign a modified version of the state's stay-at-home order that will go into effect on May 1 and extend it through May 30, he announced in a news conference today.

In the new order, face coverings or a mask must be worn by anyone over the age of two when in public, if a 6-foot social distance can’t be maintained.

Retail stores that are not considered essential may take phone and online orders for delivery or outside store pick-up. 

Some state parks will have a phased reopening, and groups of no more than two people will be allowed to go fishing or boating. Golf will also be permitted under strict conditions. 

Animal grooming, greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries are now considered essential businesses. The businesses may open if the stores are following social distancing. Employees and customers must wear face coverings.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday an order to keep schools closed for the remainder of the academic year to contain the spread of Covid-19. 

“Today’s executive order will continue distance learning until the end of the school year,” Walz said at a news conference. 

Walz also spoke directly to students: “You will not be defined by staying home and missing proms and missing graduations, you will be defined by understanding how interconnected our world is and what it means to come together to try and solve hard problems.”

“The closeness of the classes of 2020 will be much closer than any that has come before," he added. “This ties you together in a way that has never been seen.”

Domestic terrorists "probably will continue to threaten violence" in response to the Covid-19 pandemic until the virus is contained and the normal routine of US societal life resumes, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

The federal government has been warning that the pandemic is likely to be exploited by violent extremists.   

In an intelligence note issued today, DHS warned the southwest region that recent incidents in Florida and nationwide highlight Covid-19 as a driver of violent threats. 

For example, on March 24, an individual was arrested for allegedly threatening to blow up the Orlando Police Department’s headquarters and other buildings, because people are being “put... out of work” due to the Covid-19 crisis. 

As the Covid-19 threat expands throughout the US, the violent extremist threat has the potential to increase in "frequency and severity," the note said. 

The pandemic has created a new source of anger and frustration for some individuals, according to DHS, and as a result, extremist plots will likely involve individuals seeking symbolic targets of personal grievance.

Californians who saw their federal stimulus checks vanish after being garnished by banks will get that money after all.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order today that retroactively denies banks the ability to collect debts from CARES Act payments. The order is effective immediately.

For those people who had money taken, Newsom told banks, “You gotta give ’em back.”

The governor noted one major caveat in the debt relief; it does not apply to child support or spousal support. Any deductions for that will remain in force.

Other developments: Newsom also announced an agreement for student loan relief.

Of the 24 student loan service providers in California, 21 of them are offering forbearance on loans for more than a million Californians struggling to pay that debt.

Loan holders will get a 90-day reprieve with no late fees or fines, and no reports to credit bureaus.