Coronavirus pandemic in the US

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced today the framework for reopening the state, which is expected to begin next week.

There will be a four-phase reopening plan for businesses starting on May 18.

“The goal of the phased reopening, based on public health guidance, is to methodically allow certain businesses, services, and activities to resume, while protecting public health and limiting a resurgence of new COVID-19 cases," the governor's office said in a statement. 

There has been at least 1,337,541 cases of coronavirus in the US, and approximately 79,825 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Johns Hopkins reported today 7,750 new cases and 297 deaths due to the virus.

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

There are 1,453 new cases of Covid-19 bringing the total number of cases in the state to at least 139,945, Gov. Phil Murphy announced at a press conference.

There were 59 new deaths reported bringing the total to 9,310 total deaths in the state, according to Murphy.

“We are seeing real progress in declining positivity rates,” Murphy said.

Murphy stressed that deaths reported on Mondays tend to be lower after a weekend.

Rhode Island restaurants can reopen outdoor dining areas beginning May 18, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Monday.

Restaurants will need to comply with several regulations that Raimondo says will ensure Rhode Island “can live safely with the virus.”

Here are the requirements:

Rhode Island has created a team of inspectors that will visit businesses to confirm compliance with reopening guidelines.

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez and Gov. Phil Murphy called on Congress to pass legislation for federal aid for states.

Singling out Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, Murphy said, “Sen. McConnell, good luck tapping N.J. for your next project in Kentucky if New Jersey has nothing to give because you refuse to help us restart and recover.”

Murphy called the financial situation in New Jersey a “fiscal disaster” and said that it is “not months away, hard and unpalatable decisions are being made here and now.”

Menendez said that a “Covid4 stimulus” will include state aid and that he thinks there is bipartisan momentum for the bill.

“New Jersey can’t do it alone and it requires a national response. We did not choose to lose more than 9,000 residents…We did not choose to have our economy decimated and our state and local governments besieged by the soaring costs of the virus at a time when tax revenues have all but dried up," Menendez said at the new conference.

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled an alternative care site that will be used to provide hospitals with additional capacity during the coronavirus pandemic.

The temporary hospital was set up at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and holds 437 beds. The facility is ready to accept 100 patients this week and is on track to be operational tomorrow, the mayor said.

Peter Gaynor, administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said FEMA has committed to $56 million for the US Army Corps of Engineers' medical surge support facilities in DC, which includes convention center.

However, Bowser emphasized that the site is only meant to serve as an "insurance policy" to provide additional capacity if hospitals become overwhelmed. DC hospitals are currently at 71% capacity. 

By the numbers: As of today, there were at least 6,389 positive coronavirus cases and 328 deaths in Washington, DC. 

Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, director for the DC Department of Health, said that the District is still expected to reach its peak in late May.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said “the virus will make the decision for us" in response to a question on whether or not the NFL should expect to play out their full 2020 season.

In an interview with NBCSports, Fauci expanded that the NFL has the summer months to see how the virus narrative plays out. 

A member of the White House's coronavirus task force, Fauci told NBCSports.com that players will need to be tested multiple times a week and understand that star players could be forced to quarantine for 14 days — possibly missing two game weeks — with a Covid-19 positive test result.

Fauci said that the NFL has not reached out to speak with him.

Navajo Nation's President Jonathan Nez says he fully supports South Dakota Sioux tribes in refusing to take down checkpoints that the governor says are illegal because they're hoping to prevent a coronavirus outbreak in their communities.

He also credited Arizona, Utah and New Mexico for working with Navajo Nation during the pandemic.

"That is partnership here because we are all in this together. What affects the Navajo Nation affects the states and vice versa. I'm hoping the South Dakota governor sees the same thing here. We've all got to work together to help our citizens."

He said that while Navajo Nation is testing its people aggressively, the coronavirus pandemic has "shed light on the inadequacy of our public health system" among the tribal communities.

The Louisiana Department of Health reported Monday that more than 22,600 people have recovered from coronavirus.

Health officials on Monday reported at least 31,815 cases of coronavirus and 2,242 deaths.

Orleans Parish continued to report low numbers, with 11 new cases and two deaths reported. Jefferson Parish reported 46 new cases and five new deaths.