Coronavirus pandemic in the US

President Trump predicted Friday that the coronavirus pandemic could kill “95,000 people ultimately” across the US — again subtly adding to the numbers he has been using.

More than 76,000 people have died due to the virus in the US already, according to a daily tally tracked by Johns Hopkins University. 

Speaking with Republican members of Congress, Trump said that mitigation efforts helped limit the number of deaths from the outbreak but, “We may be talking about 95,000 people ultimately, we may be talking about something more than that."

He added that one death from coronavirus is unacceptable “let alone perhaps a 100,000.”

Some context: Trump projected between 50,000 to 60,000 US deaths from the coronavirus at a White House press briefing on April 20.

During a Fox News town hall on Sunday, Trump suggested the number would be closer to 80,000 to 90,000 people.

There have been at least 14,389 confirmed coronavirus deaths and at least 5,313 probable coronavirus deaths in New York City, according to the city website.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus deaths and probable coronavirus deaths in New York City is at least 19,702.

What that means: The New York City Health Department defines probable deaths as people who did not have a positive Covid-19 laboratory test, but their death certificate lists as the cause of death “COVID-19” or an equivalent.

There have been at least 176,089 coronavirus cases in the city, and at least 43,913 people have been hospitalized, according to the city.

A new select committee in the House is asking five companies to return Paycheck Protection Program money they received or to produce documents explaining all conversations they had with the Small Business Administration and the US Treasury.

The committee "sent letters demanding that large, public corporations immediately return taxpayer funds that Congress intended for small businesses struggling to survive during the coronavirus crisis," according to a statement.

Some of the companies returned the funds, but others refused, the statement said.

“Since your company is a public entity with a substantial investor base and access to the capital markets, we ask that you return these funds immediately,” the panel wrote in the letters. 

The panel asked the companies to let them know by May 11 if they will return these funds. If not, the panel asked the CEOs to produce a range of documents no later than May 15, the statement said.

Childhood vaccinations have plunged since the Covid-19 pandemic started hitting the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The CDC reported a “notable decrease” in the number of vaccines ordered through a federal program that immunizes half of all kids in the US.

Unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children will be at risk of other infectious diseases besides coronavirus, the CDC cautioned.

“The decline began the week after the national emergency declaration; similar declines in orders for other vaccines were also observed,” the CDC’s Dr. Jeanne Santoli and colleagues reported.

The American Academy of Pediatrics sounded an alarm about the report.

“Immunizing infants, children and adolescents is important, and should not be delayed,” Dr. Sally Goza, president of the AAP, said in a statement.

“I’m also concerned that children who have missed vaccines have also missed other health care that occurs during those visits, including physical exams, developmental screenings, and other important care that should not be delayed," Goza said.

The group said pediatricians should be doing all they can to encourage parents to bring children in for vaccinations and other important visits, including separating sick children from well children and reaching out to remind families to make appointments.

Several facilities in New Jersey will now offer tests to asymptomatic people as part of the state’s efforts to increase testing, Governor Phil Murphy said today.

The facilities will prioritize health care workers and other frontline workers, as well as individuals who have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

Some context: Two coronavirus studies released April 24 — one involving almost 2,000 people from Florida and the other from a Washington state nursing home — came to the same conclusion: Many of the people who tested positive for the virus didn't know they had it because they showed no symptoms.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that people who don't feel sick are contributing to the spread of the deadly virus that has swept the world.

There have been at least 1,268,520 cases of coronavirus in the US, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

At least 76,101 people have died.

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

Johns Hopkins has reported 11,497 new cases and 439 deaths on Friday.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany addressed reports that the administration will not implement 17-page draft recommendations for reopening America from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The guidance provided more detailed suggestions beyond the reopening guidelines the administration had put forth last month, including specific suggestions for schools and churches. President Trump in recent days has emphasized the need to quickly reopen the American economy despite public health officials' urgings for a more cautious approach. 

Asked if Trump sees the CDC guidelines as an obstacle to getting the country reopened, McEnany said during Friday’s press briefing, “I would ask you, what’s the definition of CDC guidelines? Is it something the CDC director has actually seen? I would endeavor to say yes. Is it something that a rogue CDC employee leaks to you guys? No.”

“Those aren’t CDC guidelines. Those are guidelines in draft form that a rogue employee has given you for whatever personal reason they decided to do that,” she added.

McEnany said guidelines are in the editing process.

“When we have those, you guys will be the first to know,” she said.

More than 80% of the 374 summonses issued between March 16 and May 5 by the New York Police Department for social distancing violations went to black and Hispanic men and women, the NYPD said in a press release Friday afternoon.

“Of the 374 summonses issued in regard to social distancing, the respondents for 193 of those summonses are Black and the respondents for 111 of those summonses are Hispanic,” the department said.

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