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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5:14 a.m. ET, May 15, 2020

New coronavirus case counts are going down in almost half of US states

From CNN's Holly Yan and Faith Karimi

In 24 states, the number of new coronavirus cases reported each day is generally going down.

In 17 states, the numbers are holding steady, according to an analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. And in nine states, the numbers of new cases are still rising.

But that doesn't mean it's time to celebrate and take off face masks in public.

As states remove more stay-at-home restrictions, it will take weeks to learn the health effects.

A poll shows most Americans aren't yet ready to return to their regular routines.

And a new study reveals the virus can be spread just by talking, with airborne particles lingering for eight minutes.

As of Thursday, more than 1.4 million people in the US have been infected with the coronavirus, and more than 85,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins.

6:07 a.m. ET, May 15, 2020

5 takeaways from Rick Bright's House hearing

From CNN's Melissa Macaya, Adrienne Vogt, Alex Rogers and Maggie Fox

Rick Bright testifies in Washington on May 14. Shawn Thew/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Rick Bright, who filed a whistleblower complaint after being removed from his position as head of the agency in charge of pandemic response, testified for just under four hours Thursday before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's health subcommittee.

Here are a few key points Bright made in his testimony:

Bright 'alarmed' at lack of plans from federal agencies and the administration: Bright said there is still no "master, coordinated plan" and noted that a "comprehensive strategy" was needed to combat the coronavirus pandemic that included widespread testing, tracing and ongoing efforts to "develop a cure," as well as what to do with a vaccine once one is developed.
Bright says his warnings about supply shortages were ignored multiple times: Bright said he began to get alerts that the supply chain for masks and other personal protective equipment was "diminishing rapidly" back in January. But when he forwarded the alerts to leadership in the US Department of Health and Human Services, as well as with national infrastructure and stockpile teams, he said they were ignored.
"There were some attempts to bypass" a vetting process for hydroxychloroquine: The Trump administration rushed out recommendations about the drug hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus, Bright said. "We have a very rigorous scientific review process for all the investments that we make for the drugs, vaccines and diagnostics through BARDA and through our department," Bright said, a reference to the agency for which he used to be the director, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
He cast doubt on the 12- to 18-month timeline for a vaccine: Bright called the White House's vaccine timeline an "aggressive schedule" and warned that if the administration rushed too quickly to get out a vaccine, the country may not have a full assessment of its safety.
GOP members question need for hearing and its timing: Some Republicans on the subcommittee said that the hearing shouldn't have been held at all, citing other needs for Congress to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.