Coronavirus pandemic in the US

President Trump said today he is taking hydroxychloroquine after asking the White House doctor if he could take it.

“A couple of weeks ago, I started taking it,” Trump said. He later said he’d been taking it every day for a week and a half.

Asked if the White House doctor recommended that, Trump responded, “no.”  

“I asked him what do you think, he said, ‘Well if you’d like it,’” the President told reporters.

Trump said he hadn’t been exposed, he started taking the drug because he had heard from frontline responders who sent him letters saying they were taking it preventatively.

“Here’s my evidence: I get a lot of positive calls about it,” Trump said. 

The President he said he doesn’t know if it works, but “if it doesn’t, you’re not going to get sick and die.” 

More about this drug: Last week, CNN reported a new study —the largest of its kind —shows that hydroxychloroquine does not work against Covid-19 and could cause heart problems.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It follows a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that also showed the drug doesn't fight the virus.

Even before these reports were published, the US Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health issued warnings about using the drugs for coronavirus patients.

"The nail has virtually been put in the coffin of hydroxychloroquine," said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert and longtime adviser to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Watch here:

At least 90,312 people have died from coronavirus in the US, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

There has been at least 1,500,753 cases in the US.

Johns Hopkins reported on Monday 13,996 new cases across the country.

The first known US coronavirus-related fatality was 102 days ago on Feb. 6.

Three more universities – Purdue University, Rice University and Creighton University – plan to cancel fall breaks and end “face-to-face” instruction before Thanksgiving, in part due to health concerns tied to a mass exit and return of students during these breaks.

Here is how each school plans to conduct its fall semester:

Purdue University 

The university in West Lafayette, Indiana is planning to cancel its typical Labor Day holiday and October break, and finish face-to-face instruction (but not the semester) prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Here is Purdue’s planned Fall 2020 schedule:

Rice University 

The Houston, Texas school says it plans to shorten the number of weeks classes will take place during the fall semester.

Specifically, the school will cancel its two-day fall recess (originally scheduled for October 12-13), enabling them to end classes before Thanksgiving. 

The school says all requirements beyond that, such as exams and papers, will be able to be completed remotely.

Creighton University

The Omaha, Nebraska college is starting its fall semester early and will conclude (exams and all) before Thanksgiving, according to a statement.

On-campus fall semester classes will begin on August 17, the last day of classes will be Nov. 17; final semester exams will begin Nov. 19 and conclude at noon on Nov. 25. There will be one break in the semester, for Labor Day, on Sept. 7. 

According to its website, the school decided that ending the semester at Thanksgiving break would reduce the need for students to make multiple trips, should coronavirus cases increase with the start of the winter flu season.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced more developed guidelines that will allow most of California to further reopen.

“Roughly 53 of the state’s 58 counties would be eligible to move into this phase,” Newsom said.

Counties choosing to move forward will be required to meet specific data points, Health Secretary Mark Ghaly said.

As counties continue to reopen, the governor said he is concerned about particular hotspots, like a nursing home outbreak in Tulare County and a meat packing plant in Kings County.

Newsom added that he imagines Los Angeles County, the most populous area in the state, will be particularly cautious when it comes to moving forward.

“Bottom line is, people can go at their own pace and we are empowering our local health directors and county officials that understand their local communities and conditions,” Newsom said.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced in a news conference today that the state will reopen public beaches in Virginia Beach this Friday ahead of Memorial Day weekend. 

Sunbathing and swimming, as well as fishing and surfing, will be allowed as "defined by the city's ordinance."

 Here are the safety precautions and restrictions that will be implemented: 

The governor warned that residents must comply with the safety measures. 

US stocks rallied into the close on Monday, boosted by hopes for a potential Covid-19 vaccine, as well as further stimulus for the US economy.

The Dow and the S&P 500 recorded their best performances in six weeks.

Here's how the markets did on Monday:

Some more context: Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in an interview Sunday that America’s economy might need more help from the Fed and the government to get through the coronavirus crisis. Meanwhile, drug maker Moderna reported promising early results from a coronavirus vaccine trial on Monday morning. Moderna shares closed up nearly 20%.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced child care centers and office buildings are allowed to reopen now. Many more businesses, including bowling alleys, rodeos and professional sports, will reopen in coming days, he said at a news briefing on Monday.

Here's when businesses will be allowed to reopen:

May 22

May 31

 June 1

Several counties with higher amounts of infections and cases or have low hospital capacity will have later reopening dates. Those counties are El Paso, Moore, Potter, Randall and Deaf Smith, the governor said.

Some background: Texas saw its highest single day increase in positive Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic on Saturday, according to numbers released by Texas Department of State Health Services. Abbott, speaking at a news conference Monday, attributed the spike to increased testing and that the percentage of positive tests has gone down.

The Health Department reported at least 47,784 cases of coronavirus in Texas with approximately 1,336 deaths as of Sunday.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont told reporters this afternoon that the state had hit all of its benchmarks to go ahead with its planned first phase of reopening on Wednesday.

Phase one includes the reopening of some restaurants, offices, retail stores, and outdoor museums, according to the government's website. It was originally also expected to include the reopening of hair salons, but the state announced today that would be pushed back to at least June 1.

In terms of benchmarks, the state has...

Lamont and other officials encouraged residents to remain vigilant. Masks or cloth face coverings will still be required in public, and gatherings should be no more than five people, Deirdre Gifford, acting commissioner of public health and commissioner the department of social services said.

Lamont emphasized that if he feels residents are acting “more casual,” or if he sees a spike in infections, he would not hesitate in changing course.

“Let’s get it right,” he said.

Connecticut is one of the last states to begin reopening.

Indiana reported 492 more cases of Covid-19 on Monday, up to 28,255 total, Dr. Kristina Box, the state’s health commissioner, said.

The state also reported 14 new deaths bringing the statewide total to 1,621 confirmed deaths and 144 probable deaths.

Nearly 184,000 Indiana residents have been tested. At least 40% of the state’s ICU beds and 81% of ventilators remain available.

During the news conference on Monday, one reporter asked about any link between Optum Health providing several testing capabilities for the state, with the company making a $50,000 donation to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s re-election campaign.

He deferred to Dr. Box and said that had nothing to do with Optum’s support, which Dr. Box confirmed, saying roughly seven groups made bids.