NYC child vaccine rates has plunged during Covid-19 crisis, mayor says
From CNN's Melanie Schuman
Vaccination rates in New York City have been falling during this crisis, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.
“Getting your child vaccinated is essential work, getting your child vaccinated is a reason to leave your home,” de Blasio said.
CNN has previously reported a nationwide drop in vaccinations.
Here's what the drop in New York City looks like:
The number of administered doses of vaccines are down 63% overall.
For children younger than 2, it's down 42%
For children older than 2, it's down 91%
The mayor noted vaccines are critical to protect children and communities.
“Let’s protect our kids and protect each other by making sure all our children are vaccinated” de Blasio said.
10:58 a.m. ET, May 20, 2020
New York City has enough PPE for the rest of the month, mayor says
From CNN's Melanie Schuman
A registered nurse draws blood to test for COVID-19 antibodies at Abyssinian Baptist Church in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City on May 14. Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
New York City now has enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for the rest of the month of May, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a news conference Wednesday.
Once the city has enough PPE to reserve a 14-day supply, the city will shift to building a 90-day supply which will include a reserve of 4,000 ventilators.
10:14 a.m. ET, May 20, 2020
New York City unveils plan to address seniors and nursing homes during the pandemic
From CNN's Melanie Schuman
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a coronavirus briefing in New York City on May 20. NYC Media
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled a four-part plan Wednesday to address the needs of seniors, especially those in nursing homes. There are 169 nursing homes in the city, many of which are for-profit enterprises.
Here are the four parts that the mayor laid out...
Part one:
New York City will offer free, on-site testing to all nursing homes starting next week. ”As many test kits as the nursing home needs, we will provide,” the mayor said.
The mayor says the anticipated need is to run 3,000 tests a day through a city contracted lab. There will be a two-week “blitz” followed by regular weekly testing.
Part two:
The city will provide more staff and mandatory staff testing which has already begun. The mayor said the staff is among the “unsung heroes” fighting the virus.
Staff who test positive are required to stay out of work for 14 days which will cause shortages, said de Blasio. The city has already provided 250 additional personnel, but the city is asking all facilities to submit requests.
“We will continue to fulfill the request for every nursing home,” de Blasio said. He also pledged all staffing requests will be filled.
Part three:
Outbreak response teams consisting of a minimum of three people will be deployed to nursing homes and congregate living facilities like other senior centers.
The mayor said 10 teams are ready and all will have an epidemiologist, mental health or social work experts – whichever is needed.
The teams will address infection control, PPE management, resident and staff re-testing
Part four:
The city is planning long-term to maximize home-based care for the future.
This is “part of our recovering planning,” de Blasio said.
10:16 a.m. ET, May 20, 2020
Trump expected to finish hydroxychloroquine soon, sources say
From CNN's Kaitlan Collins
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable in the State Dining Room of the White House on May 18 in Washington. Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images
President Trump is expected to finish taking hydroxychloroquine in the coming days, two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN. He hinted yesterday that he won't take it on a regular basis.
"At some point, you know, I won’t take it," Trump said Tuesday. "Might be soon, might be in a little bit."
Trump on Monday claimed he is taking daily doses of the drug, which he's long touted as a potential coronavirus cure even as medical experts and the US Food and Drug Administration question its efficacy and warn of potentially harmful side effects.
CNN's Jamie Gangel contributed reporting
10:12 a.m. ET, May 20, 2020
"It's going to be a whole new world" for restaurants while reopening, chef Thomas Keller says
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
Thomas Keller, chef and owner of Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, speaks during a meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response, in the State Dining Room of the White House on May 18 in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP
Chef and restauranteur Thomas Keller said he spoke to President Trump yesterday at the White House about the fallout of the restaurant industry during the coronavirus pandemic.
Keller called the meeting “very positive,” but underscored the severity of how the pandemic has impacted restaurants.
“It’s going to be a whole new world for us. And in many ways, it’s going to be a much more expensive world for us and how we operate our restaurants, how to bring our staff back,” Keller said in an interview with CNN’s Poppy Harlow, citing increased PPE costs and fewer customers.
Under the current rule, restaurants need to rehire all employees within eight weeks for the loans to be forgiven.
“We're very concerned about getting our restaurants reopened, what our revenue will be with the guidance and the restrictions, and then how long that ramp-up will be,” Keller said. “The PPP loan will give us a bridge to what we hope to get, which is a restaurant stabilization fund, that will help make sure that the restaurants are able to continue to stay in business for the next six, eight, 12 months.”
The numbers: More than three decades of jobs in the restaurant industry have been lost in two months, according to a May 8 statement by the National Restaurant Association, and nearly 6 million restaurant jobs had been lost as of the payroll period that included April 12.
Keller further explained how his restaurant closures affect the chain of people who depend on his restaurants. He brought up an example of a farmer named Diane, who only has eight cows and relies on one of his restaurant for about 90% of her revenue.
“And that goes on and on ... all the farmers, the fishermen, the gardeners, the grape growers, the wineries, the distilleries, the airlines, the commercial real estate. The impact that a restaurant has in a community is enormous,” Keller said.
Watch more:
9:52 a.m. ET, May 20, 2020
New Orleans' Café Du Monde set to reopen Friday
From CNN's Melissa Alonso
Cafe Du Monde remains empty in the French Quarter amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 27 in New Orleans. Chris Graythen/Getty Images
New Orleans' world famous coffee stand will reopen on Friday, Café Du Monde manager Kenny Swafford tells CNN.
The French coffee stand has served beignets and coffee since 1862 and before Covid-19 only closed on Christmas Day and when the "occasional hurricane passes too close to New Orleans," according to its website.
"We're ready to come back," Swafford says.
But Café Du Monde won't go back to its 24-hour operating schedule immediately. The French Quarter location will open at 10 a.m. on Friday. After Friday, the plan is for the café to open for takeout from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. seven days a week. There will be a limited number of tables available which will be 10-15 feet apart, Swafford said.
The New Orleans' staple closed when local stay-at-home orders were put in place and has finished renovations to its floor during that time, Swafford said.
"The French Quarter is eerily reminiscent of the days after Hurricane Katrina. However we do not have the flood or property damage. This time will pass and things will get back to normal," Café Du Monde posted on its Facebook Page in March.
9:38 a.m. ET, May 20, 2020
US stocks rebound
From CNN’s Anneken Tappe
The New York Stock Exchange stands in lower Manhattan on May 18 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images
US stocks opened higher on Wednesday, rebounding from the prior day’s session when all three major indexes broke their three-day winning streaks.
2020 college grads face the worst job market since the Great Depression
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
After unexpectedly leaving campus because of the coronavirus, recent college graduates are now having a tough time finding work.
When college seniors entered their final year last fall, the national unemployment rate was at a near record low of 3.7%. Today, the jobless rate for those aged 20 to 24 is at 25.7%, CNN’s Bianna Golodryga reports.
Overall unemployment soared to 14.7% last month — the last time American joblessness was that severe was the Great Depression.
Cory Sanning, a graduate of the University of Tennessee, said the job application process has been “life-altering.” He said he has applied to jobs everywhere from Ohio to Florida and is willing to drive across the country for any job.
“Many of the responses I've gotten have been, ‘Hey, we don't know if this position is ever even going to reopen again. We appreciate your interest. Best of luck,’” Sanning said.
Shadae Leslie, a graduate of Boston University, had her job offer in real estate rescinded. She said she wakes up every day and checks her email and alerts for any job openings.
“Maybe a potential positive of this, if there can be any positives, is that years from now, decades from now, whenever we all reflect back, we all had this common and shared experience and say, ‘Oh, you're class of 2020, I know what happened,’” she said.
Watch:
8:47 a.m. ET, May 20, 2020
Purdue University president says some professors will teach behind Plexiglas
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
Purdue University President Mitch Daniels said the school is taking a hybrid approach to education as it gears up for the upcoming semester, plus implementing new safety measures for students.
There will be “far fewer” students in classrooms and online alternatives offered in place of larger classes, Daniels said to CNN’s John Berman. Most students will take at least one course online, he said.
“Many teachers, we will insist, teach only online. But those who are in classrooms will be at [an]…extra-protective distance, probably behind Plexiglas and so forth,” Daniels said.
All students will be asked to wear masks, maintain social distancing, practice good hygiene, take their temperature every day and self-quarantine if they experience coronavirus symptoms. The university will do testing and tracing, as well as set rooms aside for quarantine, he said.
“We're going to have to work as hard on the cultural aspects as the physical,” he said.
Daniels, a former governor of Indiana, said there has been a record number of students reserving a spot at the university and the incoming classes have overwhelmingly said they want to be on campus.
