Coronavirus pandemic in the US

More African Americans are dying from coronavirus in the United States than whites or other ethnic groups, according to a new study.

Black Americans represent just 13.4% of the American population, according to the US Census Bureau, but account for more than half of all Covid-19 cases and almost 60% of deaths, the study found.

Disparities, including access to health care, are likely to blame, researchers concluded in a report released Tuesday.

The team of epidemiologists and clinicians at four universities worked with amfAR, the AIDS research non-profit, and Seattle’s Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, to analyze Covid-19 cases and deaths using county-level comparisons.

Racial data is still lacking in many areas, and their analysis uses what data was available as of mid-April.

The results: They compared counties with a disproportionate number of black residents — those with a population of 13% or more — with those with lower numbers of African American residents.

Counties with higher populations of black residents accounted for 52% of coronavirus diagnoses and 58% of Covid-19 deaths nationally, they said.

“Social conditions, structural racism, and other factors elevate risk for COVID-19 diagnoses and deaths in black communities,” wrote the scientists from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.

The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, is currently under consideration by a medical journal and has not yet been published.

Americans will likely feel some food shortages depending on where they live as meat processing plants across the US struggle to stay open due to coronavirus concerns, Marc Perrone, the president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, told CNN.

But, he insisted the country did not have a food shortage. Instead he said the challenges the United States is dealing with are "an efficiency issue."

He explained how the closures and absenteeism at meat processing plants are now showing up on grocery store shelves.

"Twenty percent of workers are not there, and therefore, the plant slows down to a point that it can’t produce as much as it was producing at maximum efficiency. Our entire system is based on efficiency. That’s one of the reasons we’ve had shortages inside the store," he said.

Perrone called processing plants "stationary cruise ships" due to the way the virus has spread within them but said it wasn't always about a delay in closing a plant with an outbreak. 

"The failure that we had was not necessarily because the processors weren’t willing to do something earlier. The failure we had was because we couldn’t get the personal protective equipment and the testing that we needed on the front side to get ahead of this," Perrone explained.

He added: “I do think the federal government could take a more active role in safety standards inside the plant that were enforceable. I think the government could mandate the highest form of PPE for those workers in those plants because they’re standing so close to each other. I think that testing and tracing is significant to be able to make sure we can root out the virus out of the plant. And make sure they provide layers of PPE in those plants."

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office in Chicago plans to review previous deaths involving heart attacks and pneumonia for indications of Covid-19 as far back as November, a spokesperson confirmed to CNN.  

The first known coronavirus death in the Chicago area occurred March 16, but the medical examiner’s office now plans to review case records from much earlier deaths for signs of Covid-19, Cook County spokesperson Natalia Derevyanny tells CNN.

The medical examiner's office says viral pneumonia cases along with heart attacks caused by arteries being blocked will be examined.

The medical examiner's office expects this testing phase to last about a month but that timetable will ultimately depend on their caseload.

While Derevyanny called the decision to look back to November an arbitrary timeframe, if a positive case is discovered it will prompt the office to look back even further.

As of Monday, Cook County reported a total of 54,223 cases and 1,948 COVID-19-related deaths.

There are at least 1,201,337 cases of coronavirus in the US and at least 70,847 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases.

Johns Hopkins reported 21,049 new cases and 1,925 reported deaths. 

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

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will allow certain business sectors to begin reopening in the coming weeks, with stipulations for each.

He also provided clarity on a previous executive order that allowed certain congregations, which now will include weddings.

Cosmetology salons, barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, and tanning salons are allowed to open beginning May 8.

Gyms and exercise facilities, nonessential manufacturing plants and businesses operating inside office buildings are allowed to reopen beginning May 18, with certain guidelines.

Funerals, memorials, burials and weddings are allowed to commence. Weddings held indoors other than at a church, congregation, or house of worship must limit occupancy to 25%, according to Abbott.

Wedding reception services may also resume, but facilities must limit their occupancy to 25% of the total listed occupancy, according to Abbott, but these occupancy limits do not apply to the outdoor areas of a wedding reception or to outdoor wedding receptions.

Graduation ceremonies at “every level of education” are allowed “subject to certain constraints," Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said.

Shopping malls in Hawaii will be allowed to reopen on Thursday, Gov. David Ige announced today.

The governor said it will be "the first step in reopening businesses and getting people back to work."

The first phase of Ige's “safer-at-home” plan includes removing restrictions on car washes, pet grooming, elective surgery, non-profit organizations, and in-person retail businesses as long as social distancing is maintained. 

Ige said the state has enough testing materials to keep track of any future outbreaks. 

He said the state is continuing to discourage visitors to the islands for now, as anyone arriving from out of state must immediately quarantine for 14 days.

President Trump was asked by CNN's Jim Acosta if he would get a coronavirus vaccine when one becomes available.

Trump said he would, but it depends on what is best for the country.

“I would absolutely Jim, and if they wanted me to be first on line, I’d be first on line or I’d be last on line or I wouldn’t take it at all. Whatever is best for the country,” he said.

The President added he “doesn’t want to waste” a vaccine.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced today that there are 625 new cases of Covid-19 in the state following mass testing at the Green River Correctional Facility.

He said 309 cases are from the Green River Correctional facility. Two staff members and two inmates have been hospitalized, and two deaths have been reported, according to Cabinet Secretary J. Michael Brown.

In addition to thermometer checks and ongoing sanitation, the facility will now be able to separate inmates into three groups: those who have tested positive, those who tested negative but had exposure, and those who tested negative with no exposure, Brown said.

Small, recreational businesses in Tennessee will be allowed to open on May 8, Gov. Bill Lee said at a news conference.

The state will be releasing guidance on Wednesday for bowling alleys, miniature golf and other recreational businesses that fall under that category.

The state’s economic recovery group is also working to help secure thermometers for businesses. Residents will be able to receive a free mask at any local health department, he said.

At least 13,690 cases of coronavirus have been reported and at least 226 people have died in the state.