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April 6 coronavirus news

By Helen Regan, Jessie Yeung, Adam Renton, Amy Woodyatt and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 9:18 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

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2:07 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Georgia governor says beaches are important for residents "physical and mental health"

From CNN's Natasha Chen

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during a news conference in downtown Atlanta on April 1. Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP/FILE

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said the state's beaches are an important option for residents to "maintain their physical and mental health." He issued the statement today to reiterate his stance on opening the state's beaches.

Kemp said state troopers and local law enforcement are working to make sure those visiting the beaches are abiding by the shelter-in-place order. Visitors are not allowed to bring chairs, umbrellas, coolers or other items that encourage group activity.

“During these difficult times, it is vitally important for Georgians to have safe options to maintain their physical and mental health while also abiding by social distancing," Kemp said.

Kemp said most people followed the rules this weekend and patrols reminded people "to follow social distancing or disperse."

He issued a shelter-in-place order on April 2, which supersedes all local orders placed previously.

Following the order, Georgia Department of Natural Resources signed an administrative order Friday on the use of beaches in Georgia.

Georgia's Tybee Island Mayor, Shirley Sessions, announced in a written statement Saturday that she and the Tybee City Council will pursue legal avenues to overturn Kemp's "reckless mandate" to reopen beaches in the state.

1:58 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Most coronavirus cases in US children are mild, but some severe cases have been reported

From CNN Health’s Gina Yu

Children make up less than 2% of reported cases of Covid-19 in the United States for which age was known, according to a new report released today by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The research, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found 149,082 reported cases between Feb. 12 and April 2 where the patient's age was known, and 2,572 (or 1.7%) were among children younger than 18 years.

Infants younger than 1 year made up 15% of pediatric Covid-19 cases — or 0.27% of all reported Covid-19 cases with known age. Three deaths were reported among the pediatric cases included in the analysis.

Children seemed to have fewer hospitalizations than adults, according to the report: 20% of children for whom hospitalization status was known were hospitalized compared to 33% of 18 to 64-year-old adults with known status.

“Whereas most Covid-19 cases in children are not severe, serious Covid-19 illness resulting in hospitalization still occurs in this age group,” the report said.

However, data were available for a small proportion of patients, said the researchers. For example, hospitalization status was available for 29% of cases in children younger than 18 years and 31% of cases in adults ages 18 to 64 years.

Some more key findings:

Among 345 pediatric cases with information on underlying conditions, 80 (23%) had at least one underlying condition, such as chronic lung disease – which was most commonly reported – and cardiovascular disease.
For the 295 pediatric cases that had information on both hospitalization status and underlying medical conditions, 28 of 37 (77%) hospitalized children had one or more underlying medical condition – including all six admitted to an intensive care unit. Children who are less than 1 year made up 59 of the 147 (40%) pediatric hospitalizations and 5 of the 15 (33%) pediatric ICU admissions.
Children with Covid-19 might not have reported fever or cough as often as adults, the report also said. Among those with available information, 73% of pediatric patients had symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath, compared to 93% of adults ages 18 to 64 years during the same period.

1:36 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Navy says its prepared to treat coronavirus patients on the hospital ship if directed

From CNN's Ryan Browne

The Navy says its prepared to shift course and treat Covid-19 patients aboard the USNS Comfort hospital ship that is docked in New York City.

A Navy spokesperson told CNN today:

“We continue working closely with state and local healthcare providers to determine the best way to support New York City, including constant review of procedures for improved admitting and caring for patients onboard. We have not been directed to take COVID-19 patients at this time. If we are directed to take COVID-19 positive patients, we are prepared to do so in ways that will limit risk to the crew and other patients onboard.”

What's this about: Earlier today, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at press conference that he plans to call President Trump today and ask him to authorize the Navy to treat Covid-19 patients aboard the Comfort.

The original plan was for the the ship to treat non-coronavirus patients to ease the strain on area hospitals seeing an influx of infected patients. Now, Cuomo said he believes the right move is for the ship to utilize its 1000-bed capacity to battle the coronavirus

1:42 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

More than 10,000 people have died from coronavirus in the US

A body is moved to a refrigerator truck serving as a temporary morgue outside of Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn on April 4, in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images

The United States has at least 10,335 reported deaths from coronavirus, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Johns Hopkins is reporting at least 347,003 coronavirus cases in the United States.

1:23 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

US House speaker announces new rules to limit people on House floor

From CNN's Lauren Fox and Suzanne Malveaux

In an interesting step, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has told members in a letter that the House will take additional measures to limit the number of people on the House floor.

Specifically, Pelosi says that all House floor documents, like bills or resolutions, will now be submitted electronically.

“Beginning Tuesday, staff must electronically submit all Floor documents – including bills, resolutions, co-sponsors and extensions of remarks – to a dedicated and secure email system, rather than deliver these materials by hand to staff in the Speaker’s Lobby or Cloakrooms," she said in a letter to her colleagues.

She added:

"At this time, Members may still drop off materials in person. Electronic submissions will be accepted when the House is in pro forma session, as well as 15 minutes immediately before and after. This upcoming week’s pro forma sessions will be held Tuesday at 11:30 AM E.T. and Friday at 9:00 AM E.T. Pro forma sessions for the remainder of the month are expected to follow a similar schedule. Later today, the Clerk’s Office will send out detailed guidance on where and how to submit materials.”

12:57 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

New York governor increases fines to $1,000 for violating state's social distancing directive

From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he wants local law enforcement to demonstrate “more aggressive” enforcement of social distancing. He said he is increasing the fine of violating state directives from $500 to $1,000.

“It’s not about your life, you don’t have the right to risk someone else’s life,” the governor said.

He added that individuals “don’t have the right” to take the lives of health care staff and people who are “literally putting their lives on the line” and be “cavalier or reckless with them.”

Watch the moment:

12:37 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

New York governor: "We have to continue the social distancing"

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the rate of infection in the state is going down, which means that social distancing is working.

“In any event, plateau or not plateau, we have to extend the New York pause,” he said at a news conference today. “One of the reasons the rate of infection is going down is because social distancing is working. We have to continue the social distancing.”

He said there is a “danger” in being “over-confident,” adding other places have made that mistake — “and we’re not going to make that mistake.”

The number of deaths due to coronavirus in New York state has remained “effectively flat for two days,” he said.

12:45 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

New projection suggests New York could be at the apex of coronavirus cases

From CNN's Elise Hammond

New York could be at the apex of coronavirus cases according to new projections shown at a press briefing.

Jim Malatras, the president of SUNY Empire State College, said new models show a much lower projection.

“This could suggest that we are indeed, potentially, at the apex or beginning to be at the apex at this moment," he said.

Some of the initial models predicted that up to 110,000 beds would be needed for coronavirus patients alone, and another that suggested 55,000 beds were needed. Both of the early models showed the peak — or apex — occurring at the end of April.

Malatras said a new, more optimistic projection can be attributed to social distancing.

“We saw the folks looking at those types of model says it was going so what activities and actions could you take to aggressively lower that overall number," Malatras said. "The answer really was, and what the governor’s been doing, was aggressively enforce and enact social distancing to lower the overall number and this number, and the current data suggests that is exactly what's happening.”

Remember: Malatras said that while the new model is hopeful, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will continue to take it one day at a time.

Watch more:

12:29 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

New York's schools and non-essential businesses will stay closed until April 29

From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended the state's “pause act” – which closes schools and non-essential businesses — until April 29th.

He said the situation is “turning” and the “rate of infection is going down” and that is because “social distancing is working.”

“I know that’s a negative for many many reasons, I know what it does for the economy” but he said since day one he would not choose “between public health and economic activity.”