Coronavirus pandemic in the US

By Elise Hammond and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 8:03 p.m. ET, May 15, 2020

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7:32 p.m. ET, May 15, 2020

Tennessee governor lifts capacity restrictions for restaurants and retail stores

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch and Devon M. Sayers

Lee and Johnny Laing enjoy having a meal inside Puckett’s on Monday, April 27, in Williamson County, Tennesee. Puckett’s opened on Monday at 50% capacity. Larry McCormack/The Tennessean/USA Today Network

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will lift capacity restrictions for restaurants and retail stores in most of the state starting next week, according to a statement from the governor's office.

The new guidance applies to large attractions, such as racetracks, waterparks, amusement parks, theaters and auditoriums. Those facilities can reopen on May 22.

“Tennesseans have worked incredibly hard to do their part and help slow the spread of COVID-19 so that our state can begin to reopen. Thanks to their continued efforts, we’re able to allow restaurants and retail businesses to operate at greater capacity and large attractions to open in a safe and thoughtful way,” Lee said in a statement.

Businesses must still adhere to social distancing guidelines.

The changes apply to 89 of the 95 counties in the state.

Davidson, Shelby, Knox, Hamilton, Madison and Sullivan counties are not included in the new guidelines. Those counties may continue to follow individual, county-specific reopening plans, the statement said.

7:16 p.m. ET, May 15, 2020

Union "extremely disappointed" by Kroger's decision to end Hero Pay

From CNN's Hollie Silverman and Rebekah Riess

A worker loads boxes onto a pallet at a Kroger Co. grocery distribution center in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 20. Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is "extremely disappointed by Kroger's decision to end Hero Pay," the union's president Marc Perrone said in a statement.

Kroger announced Friday that the company would end Hero Pay for employees and provide a one-time bonus to its workers.

The Hero Pay program, which saw an increase of $2 per hour starting March 31, is set to end Sunday.

"The simple fact is that the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Social distancing continues," the statement said. "Kroger workers are still required to wear masks. There is no vaccine."

Perrone said that increased sales and profits made by grocery stores make the decision to end Hero Pay "more inexplicable."

"The reality is that Kroger is choosing to ignore this pandemic," Perrone said. "This is not how we treat heroes in America."

More context: At least 65 grocery workers have died and at least 9,810 have been infected or exposed to the coronavirus, according to the UFCW statement.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear reacted to the news Friday saying he wants the additional pay to continue as the pandemic isn't over.

“Kroger is suspending Hero Pay to workers effective Sunday, can I react to that news? Man, our grocery store workers have done incredible work. This virus isn't gone, I would love to see that pay increase," Beshear said. "Of course, it's additional $2 per hour so I will tell you, I'd love to see that additional pay continue, even beyond this. I like to think that you ought to be able to support your family working just one job, and it's been a really important job.”

7:04 p.m. ET, May 15, 2020

Here are the guidelines NFL teams must follow to open their facilities

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell outlined in a memo certain requirements teams must follow to reopen their facilities next week.

Here are the guidelines they must follow:

Teams may have no more than 50% of staff in the facility, not to exceed 75 people. This is a total for all team locations.
No members of the coaching staff may return to the facility. Teams may otherwise decide which employees may return to the facility, which may include members of the personnel, football operations or football administration staff, equipment staff, medical staff, and nutritionists. If the strength and conditioning coach is currently participating in player rehabilitation, he may continue that work in the facility. Otherwise, the strength and conditioning coach may not return until the rest of the coaching staff is allowed to return.
No players may be in the facility other than those currently undergoing medical treatment or rehabilitation.
Teams must promptly report any incidence of Covid-19 in the facility to Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, in addition to the club's infection control officer and any other required reports.

6:55 p.m. ET, May 15, 2020

NFL teams may reopen facilities Tuesday if qualifications are met, commissioner says

From CNN's Jill Martin

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell before Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium on February 2 in Miami, Florida. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

NFL teams may reopen their facilities beginning Tuesday provided they fit all requirements to do so, league commissioner Roger Goodell outlined in a memo dated Friday.

“Clubs may reopen their facilities beginning on May 19 if they are permitted to do so under governing state and local regulations, are in compliance with any additional public health requirements in their jurisdiction, and have implemented the protocols that were developed by Dr. Sills and distributed to all clubs on May 6,” Goodell wrote in the memo, which CNN obtained. “Clubs unable to meet these criteria on May 19 may reopen their facilities on the earliest date thereafter on which they are able to meet the criteria.”

The ”Dr. Sills” that Goodell references is NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills.

Goodell also writes that a certain amount of players may be permitted to return next month.

6:50 p.m. ET, May 15, 2020

Amtrak and Greyhound say they will deny boarding to passengers who refuse to wear a mask

From CNN's Pete Muntean

An Amtrak employee wearing a protective face mask walks alongside a nearly empty southbound Amtrak train as it arrives on April 15 in Orlando, Florida. Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Travelers who refuse to wear a mask will not be allowed to travel by train on Amtrak or by bus on Greyhound.

Representatives from Amtrak and Greyhound Bus told CNN on Friday that passengers will be denied boarding if they are not wearing a face covering.

Greyhound says it has given drivers prepackaged face masks to give to riders who do not already have a mask, but those who refuse to wear one “will be denied boarding if they do not wear a face covering.”

Amtrak is requiring that all customers on trains and inside stations wear masks.

This week, CNN obtained internal memos detailing major airlines’ mask policies. Most airlines said that passengers would not be allowed to board without a face covering. Most policies said that once on board, the job of flight attendants is to strongly encourage the use of masks and avoid confrontation.

It’s unclear how strictly Amtrak and Greyhound will enforce their mask policies once people are on board.

6:41 p.m. ET, May 15, 2020

More than 5,300 NYPD members have returned to work after testing positive for coronavirus

From CNN's Rob Frehse

NYPD patrols Central park to assure people keep to social distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic on May 2. John Lamparski/Getty Images

More than 5,300 members of the New York Police Department have returned to work full duty after testing positive for coronavirus, the NYPD announced.

There are 205 member of the NYPD still out sick with Covid-19. This figure includes 150 uniformed members and 55 civilian members of the NYPD.

So far, 5,552 members of the department have tested positive for Covid-19.

Roughly 1,157 uniformed members of the NYPD are still out sick, accounting for 3.2% of that force, the NYPD said.

6:14 p.m. ET, May 15, 2020

Catch up on the latest coronavirus news from around the US

Owner Paul Furrer cuts the hair of Jeff Jones at Rich's Barber Shop on Thursday, May 14 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Morry Gash/AP

It is almost 6:15 p.m. ET in New York and a lot has happened with the coronavirus pandemic. Catch up on the biggest headlines below:

Read this before you venture out in public: The best way to curb the spread of Covid-19 is to stay home if you can. That's true even now that more than half of US states will start reopening nonessential businesses like salons, restaurants and gyms. This isn't an immediate return to normalcy — health officials have warned that reopening now could mean a resurgence of the virus.
Health officials raise concerns about how the CDC is counting deaths: The public health system by which Covid-19 deaths are reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is "antiquated" and "not timely," often lagging by up to three weeks, causing senior leaders at the agency to believe the current death count in the US could be significantly higher, two federal health officials tell CNN.
Some states that took the lead in reopening see drops in cases: In all, 28 states have seen a downward trend, including several that took steps toward reopening relatively early, like Georgia, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Colorado. A notable exception is Texas, where case numbers are up between 20% and 30% since the state began lifting stay-home restrictions on May 1.
Trump campaign rallies could go virtual: Three campaign officials tell CNN that no concrete plans are in place to a return to in-person campaigning, but a variety of scenarios are being discussed. That includes the possibility of the President appearing as part of a virtual rally before he appears at an in-person event.

6:11 p.m. ET, May 15, 2020

Poll workers in New Mexico will wear masks

From CNN's Hollie Silverman

Poll workers will be wearing masks at polling centers throughout the state in June and voters who arrive at centers without masks will be provided one and asked to wear it, New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said Friday.

Voters are encouraged to cast their votes either by mail or ballot drop off, Oliver said.

People who have to vote at a center will be provided sanitized pens and masks. Each voting booth will be sanitized between uses, she said.

The state's primary election is set for June 2.

6:00 p.m. ET, May 15, 2020

Kentucky state parks will reopen June 1

From CNN’s Rebekah Riess

Cumberland Falls State Park in Kentucky. Shutterstock

State parks in Kentucky will be allowed to reopen on June 1, Gov. Andy Beshear said.

The reopening includes lodging, cabins and golfing, he said.

The plan excludes state parks that have been designated to help provide temporary housing for some Covid-19 patients.

“Obviously tourism is an incredibly important business in Kentucky. We're taking a big revenue hit from it, but that's not the reason that we're reopening it now,” he said. “It's that we believe we can do it safely with social distancing, as long as Kentuckians continue to buy into the rules, to know that this virus is still out there. Then we've got an opportunity, especially this summer, for people to travel in state, where it's safest.”

The state will also be resuming auto or dirt track racing, fishing tournaments, and reopening aquatic centers and bowling alleys on June 1, he said.