April 8 coronavirus news

The US Food and Drug Administration will take “appropriate action against firms making false claims or marketing” coronavirus tests, according to a news release from FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn. 

As of Tuesday, only one Emergency Use Authorization has been issued by the FDA for a serological test for coronavirus. The test is intended only for clinical laboratory use.

A serology test would be able to identify past coronavirus infections, although it may be less effective at identifying recent ones.

More than 70 test developers have notified the agency that they have serological tests available for use, according to Hahn’s statement.

In March, the FDA issued a new policy which allows companies to market serological tests for coronavirus without FDA review so long as they met certain conditions. The new policy was an effort to identify individuals who have overcome an infection and have developed an immune response to coronavirus, according to Hahn.

New Zealand reported 50 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday -- the third consecutive day that the country has reported a decline in new cases compared with the day before.

The country's director-general of health, Ashley Bloomfield, announced the new cases at a news conference on Wednesday. They include 26 confirmed cases and 24 probable cases.

New Zealand is half way through a month-long lockdown.

The total of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand to 1,210. Some 282 patients have recovered from the virus.

California has secured deals to acquire more than 200 million protective masks each month for medical workers combating the coronavirus, the state's Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday. 

Newsom made the announcement during an appearance on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, saying when it comes to states competing against one another for masks, “enough is enough.”

Newsom says the state is expecting more than 150 million N95 masks and more than 50 million surgical masks per month.

The masks will be manufactured overseas, and will begin to arrive in the next few weeks.

Musician John Prine has died after being hospitalized due to coronavirus.

This is what his publicist told CNN:

The 73-year-old was hospitalized last month and was in a critical condition after a "sudden onset" of coronavirus symptoms.

The Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter had a nearly 50-year career playing a blend of country and folk music.

Born in 1946, the Songwriters Hall of Fame says that Prine began his career in Chicago in the late 1960s after learning guitar aged 14.

Songs from his 1971 debut album were later covered by musicians including Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, John Denver and Norah Brown. In a 2009 interview, Bob Dylan listed Prine as one of his favorite songwriters.

In 1981, Prine and his manager founded Oh Boy Records in Nashville, Tennessee. According to the label, it is the second-oldest artist-owned independent record label in the US.

Prine survived cancer twice. In the late 1990s, he had surgery to remove cancer from his neck. The operation removed a piece of his neck and changed the tone of his voice, deepening it and giving it a gravelly sound. In 2013, he underwent surgery to remove cancer in his left lung.

Normally they would be serving customers thousands of feet in the air, but with coronavirus grounding most of Singapore Airlines' fleet, its cabin crew are helping out in a different way.

On Tuesday, the first group of cabin crew members started as "care ambassadors" at Singapore's Khoo Teck Puat hospital.

The Singapore Airlines' flight crew will be providing manpower to overworked medical teams, basic care to patients, and nutritional care in low-risk wards, according to a news release from the hospital.

So far, 30 care ambassadors have joined the program, after receiving vaccinations and a medical screening, followed by a 90-minute hospital orientation.

The secondment is expected to last for three months.

After more than two months of lockdown, Wuhan -- ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic -- is finally reopening its borders.

Apart from the easing of travel restrictions, there is another sign that the city is starting to move on from the crisis: It has finally started to bury the dead.

Grief put on hold: For months, residents in Wuhan had been unable to bury their loved ones, as the government banned all funerals and closed cemeteries on January 25. The remains of thousands of people who died both from coronavirus and other causes were stored at funeral homes. Families were told to await government advice on when they could be collected.

Many didn't get to see the body of their loved ones: To curb the spread of the virus, all bodies of confirmed and suspected coronavirus patients were taken directly from hospitals to funeral homes for cremation, according to a notice issued by the National Health Commission.

Restrictions eased: In late March, Wuhan residents were finally able to retrieve the ashes of their relatives from funeral homes and find them a resting place, reported the state-run Changjiang Daily, citing an official from the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau. The news came just ahead of the Ching Ming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day -- when Chinese people honor the dead.

Funeral ceremonies still not permitted: It is not clear what rituals family members are allowed to observe when laying their loved ones to rest.

Read the full story here:

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The Uruguayan government has authorized the medical flight evacuation of New Zealand and Australian passengers aboard the Greg Mortimer cruise ship.

That flight will take off on Thursday, April 9.  

The Australian cruise ship is currently located off the coast of Uruguay. The Uruguayan government confirmed earlier this week that a high number of passengers aboard the ship have tested positive for coronavirus. 

According to a statement released by Uruguay's foreign ministry on Tuesday, the plane carrying out the evacuation plan is being chartered by Aurora Expeditions, which owns the ship.  

The flight is expected to depart from Uruguay and land in Melbourne, Australia.

If you're just joining us, here are the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic.

All employees and customers of essential businesses that remain open in Los Angeles during the city’s stay-home order must wear face coverings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday evening. 

Under a “Worker Protection Order” announced at a news conference Tuesday evening, Garcetti said businesses can refuse service to customers who do not wear a face covering starting Friday morning.

Essential businesses that remain open during this time, which include grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, hotels, taxis, ride-share companies, and construction firms, were ordered to provide face coverings for their workers.

Businesses are also required to provide employees access to a clean restroom with soap and sanitizer, and to allow them to wash their hands every 30 minutes.

Garcetti said the order was enacted “to take care of those who are taking care of us.”

The state of California has 17,351 confirmed infections, including 432 deaths.

Face masks have been a controversial topic in recent weeks. Read more about whether you should wear a mask here:

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