April 2 coronavirus news

By Ben Westcott, Helen Regan, Adam Renton, Rob Picheta, Meg Wagner and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 11:23 p.m. ET, April 2, 2020

19 Posts

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12:17 a.m. ET, April 2, 2020

FBI sees spike in gun sale background checks amid coronavirus pandemic

By CNN’s Josh Campbell

A man walks with a stroller as people stand in line outside the Martin B. Retting gun store on March 15, in Culver City, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The FBI reported a 41% surge in background checks on individuals attempting to buy firearms in the United States in the past month, as the country faces a growing coronavirus epidemic.

According to newly released data from the FBI, 3.7 million gun purchase background checks were made in the month of March alone.

It is the most checks conducted in a single month since the FBI’s National Instant Background Check (NICS) system was launched in 1998.

Which states have the most checks? By far, the state leading in federal firearm background checks in March was Illinois -- with over half a million checks conducted -- followed by Texas, Kentucky, Florida, and California.

Under US law, federally licensed gun dealers must run checks on every buyer, whether a purchase is made in a store or at a gun show.

“The rise in gun and ammunition sales during this crisis is understandable as the fear of the unknown can drive purchasing far off their norms,” said Jonathan Wackrow, CNN Law Enforcement Analyst and former special agent with the US Secret Service.
“Research has shown that during a crisis, if individuals let fear, anxiety, and confusion spread, they will most likely begin to feel helpless. For many, the purchase of a weapon resolves that sense of helplessness.”

12:07 a.m. ET, April 2, 2020

Only some medical supplies from overseas going directly to coronavirus hotspots

From CNN's Leyla Santiago, Priscilla Alvarez and Kristen Holmes

Only a portion of the medical supplies being flown in by the Federal Emergency Management Agency from overseas are being allotted to critical hotspots -- the rest are going onto the private market.

Competition between states and the federal government has been a source of frustration for governors trying to shore up equipment to treat patients with coronavirus, according to multiple officials.

The Trump administration has touted the incoming flights, billing them and the equipment they're bringing in as a reprieve to states desperate for supplies.

But states are not the sole recipients of the equipment, according to a FEMA spokesperson. Supplies will also be sent to the private market, where states have been in fierce competition with each other to get hold of hard-to-come-by supplies.

"These supplies will soon be distributed around the country. We have large cargo planes coming in from various parts of the world," President Donald Trump said during Wednesday's briefing, noting it includes gloves, gowns, goggles and masks. "We're adding more and more."

Trump has suggested that states are overestimating their needs, previously saying, "Some people frankly think they need them and they don't need," referring to ventilators.

Read the full story here:

Only some medical supplies from overseas going directly to coronavirus hotspots

1:30 a.m. ET, April 2, 2020

California says residents don't need to wear masks -- but cloth face coverings may give some protection

A person wearing a mask walks on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California on April 1. Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images

People leaving their homes for essential activities in California are not required to wear surgical masks, according to new guidance by the state's Department of Public Health.

"The guidance does not require people to wear face coverings – and is not a substitute for the state’s current guidance regarding social distancing and hand washing," the department said in a news release. "The state also does not recommend Californians use N-95 or surgical masks, which are needed for our health care workers and first responders who will be there for when our lives at risk."

The department also said that wearing a cloth face covering could provide some protection from the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Face coverings are not a substitute for physical distancing or frequent hand washing, which we know are amongst the most effective ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health and state health officer, in the news release.
“Wearing a cloth face covering could provide some additional benefit by acting as a reminder for other people to keep their distance, and it could help reduce the spread of infectious particles from those who could be infected but don’t have symptoms.”

LA mayor asks residents to consider health workers: The official advice comes after Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti announced that residents should wear non-medical grade face masks or coverings when in public to save essential personal protective equipment for frontline medical workers.

“Please do not get medical grade or surgical masks, or N95 masks. We must not contribute to the shortage of these essential personal protective equipment for medial personnel and first responders,” he said.

11:45 p.m. ET, April 1, 2020

More than 40 spring breakers who ignored public health advice test positive for coronavirus

From CNN's Christina Zdanowicz

People walk on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on March 23. Shutterstock

Dozens of spring breakers from Texas boarded a plane for fun and came home with coronavirus.

About 70 people in their 20s chartered a plane from Austin, Texas, to Mexico for spring break two weeks ago. They went against the advice of White House officials who asked that people avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 and nonessential air travel.

Now 44 of those people have tested positive for coronavirus -- all of them University of Texas at Austin students, a university spokesman told CNN on Wednesday.

An elected official had a blunt message for the spring breakers.

"Quit being an a**," Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen told CNN affiliate KXAN. "Get over yourselves. Whether you think this is an issue or not, it is. Whether you think it could affect you or not, it does. The reality of it is, if I'm a college kid who's going to spring break in Mexico, you're affecting a lot of people. Grow up."

What's also alarming is that some of the passengers who went on the trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, took commercial flights home, the Austin Public Health Department said.

Read more here.

11:36 p.m. ET, April 1, 2020

Mexico calls on citizens to avoid nonessential travel during the pandemic -- particularly to the US

From CNN's Natalie Gallon in Mexico City

A worker stands at a deserted hall of the Benito Juarez International airport in Mexico City, on April 1. Claudio Cruz/AFP/Getty Images

Mexico has urged its citizens to avoid nonessential travel amid the coronavirus pandemic, specifically asking them not to go to the United States.

The country's foreign ministry is calling on its citizens to avoid tourism or recreational travel, “particularly between Mexico and the United States,” according to a statement released Wednesday, as Mexico attempts to “mitigate the spread, transmission and complications of COVID-19 in the community.”

The government is also urging Mexicans who are permanent residents in the US wanting to reunite with families to “temporarily stop nonessential travel to our country,” the statement adds.

As of Wednesday night, there were a total of 37 deaths, and 1,378 positive cases of the coronavirus recorded in the country, Mexico’s health authorities said during a nightly health news conference.

11:26 p.m. ET, April 1, 2020

Malaysian government apologizes after advising wives to avoid "nagging" during quarantine

From CNN's Joshua Berlinger in Hong Kong

The Malaysian government was forced to apologize after its Women's Development Department published a series of sexist "tips" to help deal with home quarantine, like advising women to continue to wear makeup and to "avoid nagging."

The campaign was met with fierce backlash, and the posts have since been deleted from the department's social media account.

One of the biggest criticisms was that the government body charged with supporting women appeared to be ignoring concerns about a rise in domestic violence that may accompany stay-at-home orders to focus on things like how women should dress.

The Malaysian All Women's Action Society called on the Women's Development Department to stop its sexist messaging and to focus on helping domestic violence survivors.

Women's Development Department director-general Akhma Hassan said the aim was to send out positive messages, according to state-run news agency Bernama.

"The approach used was to share methods and practices to maintain positive relationships within the family and during the phase of working from home," she said in a statement. "We have taken note of numerous comments on some tips for women which were promoted through posters via our social media accounts.

The Malaysian government and its leaders have faced accusations of sexism and misogyny on multiple occasions in recent years. During a debate on amending domestic violence laws in 2017, a member of parliament said husbands were "abused" when wives threw insults, withheld sex and denied consent for Muslim men to take another wife.

11:16 p.m. ET, April 1, 2020

Top US coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci increases security following death threats

From CNN's Kate Bennett

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens during a briefing about the coronavirus at the White House on Wednesday, April 1, in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top medical expert on the pandemic in the US, and a member of President Trump’s coronavirus task force, is facing threats to his personal safety.

Fauci now requires personal security from law enforcement at all times, including at his home, a source has confirmed to CNN.

A law enforcement official told CNN that the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General, the agency's law enforcement arm, asked the US Marshals Service for assistance following threats to Fauci.

The Marshals then deputized HHS officers to act as personal security for the doctor.

The Washington Post first reported the threats to Fauci.

Anger over lockdown measures: As Fauci's profile in the pandemic crisis has grown, so has the concern for his welfare.

The doctor's guidance to Trump for the country to remain as locked down as possible to help control the virus spread has not earned fans among some fervent right-wing voices. The exact nature of the threats and where they emanated from remains unclear.

Read the full story here:

Nation's top coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci forced to beef up security as death threats increase

11:04 p.m. ET, April 1, 2020

South Korea reports 89 new cases of coronavirus, as country's total nears 10,000

South Korea is nearing 10,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

The country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced 89 new cases in a news release today, adding that South Korea has now recorded 9,976 cases of the virus.

Among the 89 new cases, 14 are from Seoul, 21 from Daegu, 17 from Gyeonggi province, 18 from airport screening, and the rest from other parts of the country, according to the news release.

The national death toll is 169, after four deaths were reported on Wednesday.

More than 58% of patients have recovered: South Korea, which just a month ago was the worst-affected country outside China, has recently seen a drop in new coronavirus infections.

Today the country reported that a total of 5,828 patients have recovered -- just over 58% of the total recorded.

10:54 p.m. ET, April 1, 2020

Opinion: The coronavirus pandemic is an opportunity for organized crime in Asia

Opinion by Jeremy Douglas

Editor's note: Jeremy Douglas is the Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

To say the global novel coronavirus pandemic is causing chaos and affecting lives in real and tangible ways is certainly no understatement.

But one impact that has not received significant attention is how its spread is hurting the efforts of governments to combat transnational organized crime and trafficking -- especially in Asia, where the outbreak began.

The virus and the strong measures required to combat its spread are challenging the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's (UNODC) ability to bring Asia's law enforcement and justice authorities together to share information and intelligence, and to plan and conduct joint operations.

Though the movement of people and goods across borders has slowed, international and cross-border cooperation is more necessary than ever given the presence of multibillion dollar trafficking syndicates in the region.

Behind the scenes, Covid-19 has impacted how many governments and the United Nations run on a day-to-day basis, in ways not all appreciate and many are yet to understand.

Read the full opinion here: