April 6 coronavirus news

National grocery store chain Kroger says it will only allow 50% of each store's capacity in to shop at one time, according to a statement released by the company today.

Starting tomorrow, stores will "limit the number of customers to 50% of the international building code's calculated capacity."

The statement said the chain has also started to test one-way aisles in some stores to see if it is an effective way to further help with physical distancing.

The company operates 2,758 grocery retail stores across the country under a variety of brand names, according to its website.

New Jersey has had 3,663 positive test results and 86 deaths in the last 24 hours, Gov. Phil Murphy said at a press conference today.

Monday’s numbers bring the statewide total to 41,090 cases and 1,003 deaths. 

Peloton is canceling all live classes days after confirming an employee tested positive for Covid-19. 

Peloton informed members in an email Monday that it would pause production at both its London and New York studio locations through April 30. The fitness company previously had continued to offer virtual live classes despite New York closing all essential businesses.

This decision was made following news last week that the company confirmed a studio employee in New York had tested positive for Covid-19.

In lieu of live classes, Peloton will offer new, pre-recorded sessions as well as on-demand content.

Peloton sells $2,000-plus indoor fitness bikes. Customers pay $39 a month in subscription fees to participate in live classes.

The US Army has paused the arrival of new trainees to basic training, the Army’s top general who oversees training announced Monday.

The Army has paused “shipment of trainees to basic combat training,” Gen. Paul Funk, the Commander of the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command said at a Pentagon news conference Monday.

Funk said the pause would be conditions-based but that it will be re-evaluated after two weeks.

He said this is not a pause for the soldiers currently in basic training.

Scott Stringer, the New York City comptroller whose mother died from coronavirus, said he is angry at the federal government's response to the pandemic.

About the ship: The USNS Comfort hospital ship docked in New York City last week. 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. But today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he believes the right move is for the ship to utilize its 1000-bed capacity to battle the coronavirus. Trump has said the ship could be used for coronavirus patients if needed.

Stringer said his mother was a strong woman and the only way he was able to get closure was through an outpouring of texts and support from strangers.

"The government is supposed to protect our people and we're supposed to be able to protect our parents and grandparents the way they protected us and we're not able to do that," Stringer said.

Watch his interview with Anderson Cooper here:

At least 81 passengers and crew aboard an Australian cruise ship off the coast of Uruguay, in South America, have tested positive for coronavirus, the cruise company announced on Monday.

Australian company Aurora Expeditions, said two crew members and one passenger had been taken off the ship to a hospital in the city of Montevideo as “they are considered as a higher risk," the cruise ship owners said in a statement. Those patients were considered to be a higher risk. 

More than 120 other passengers and staff were tested for Covid-19, with 81 passengers testing positive and 45 have been tested negative.

Another 90 test results are expected to be processed over the next 12 to 24 hours. 

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.

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.

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:

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:

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