April 13 coronavirus news

By Ben Westcott, Amy Woodyatt, Adam Renton, Meg Wagner and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 9:11 p.m. ET, April 13, 2020
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7:37 p.m. ET, April 13, 2020

California unveils plan to protect foster kids and vulnerable families

From CNN's Cheri Mossburg

Gov. Gavin Newsom on April 9 in Rancho Cordova, California.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on April 9 in Rancho Cordova, California. Rich Pedroncelli, Pool/AP

California will spend $42 million to protect foster kids and vulnerable families during the coronavirus pandemic.

Much of that money will be spent on 59,000 youth in foster care across the state, and by providing an extra $200 per month for the 25,000 most at-risk families in an effort to help keep vulnerable families together.

Other programs receiving extra funding include family resource centers, expanding telephone helplines, and providing laptops and cell phones for foster children in need of that technology.

Gov. Gavin Newsom described how he grew up in a family with his foster brother, Steven Ashby. He noted that caring for at-risk children is a challenge, especially because visits from Child Protective Services are limited under the stay-at-home orders.

“Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, stable and nurturing environment free from fear, abuse and neglect,” Newsom said in a statement.

Without school and other activities, reports are down, the governor said.

The timeline for emancipation of teens aging out of the system will be extended, permitting them to remain in foster care for the time being.

7:30 p.m. ET, April 13, 2020

Fact check: Trump touted his travel restrictions on Europe and China today. Here's what we know.

From CNN's Tara Subramaniam

Responding to criticism of his administration's response to the coronavirus, President Donald Trump touted his decision to limit travel from areas which had more coronavirus cases than the US at the time.

Trump told reporters Monday, "I did a ban on China, you think that was easy? Then I did a ban on Europe and many said it was an incredible thing to do."

Asked later about whether he’d be willing to lift travel restrictions as part of opening up the country, Trump added, “Right now we have a very strong ban. We will keep it that way until they heal.”

Facts First: It's misleading to call the travel restrictions Trump announced against China and Europe a ban because they contained multiple exemptions. Only foreign nationals who had been in China, Europe's Schengen area, the UK or Ireland within the past 14 days are outright banned from entering the US.

As of February 2, US citizens who had been in China's Hubei province in the two weeks prior to their return to the United States are subject to a mandatory quarantine of up to 14 days upon their return to the US. American citizens returning from the rest of mainland China may also face up to 14 days of quarantine after undergoing health screenings at selected ports of entry. 

The broader European travel suspension Trump announced on March 11 applied to the 26 countries in the Schengen area, a European zone in which people can move freely across internal borders without being subjected to border checks. While Trump initially identified the United Kingdom as exempt, additional countries that are not in the Schengen area and thus also exempt from the restrictions include Ireland, Croatia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Armenia, Montenegro, Belarus and Russia. As of March 14, the ban was expanded to include foreign nationals traveling from UK and Ireland.

The restrictions also did not apply to US citizens returning from Europe as well as permanent US residents and certain family members of both citizens and permanent residents.

You can read more about the European travel restrictions here.

7:23 p.m. ET, April 13, 2020

First Covid-19 clusters in Italy were similar to Wuhan, China, study finds

From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite and Mia Albert

A study by the Italian Health Institute (ISS) analyzed the characteristics of the evolution of the Covid-19 infection in Italy and concluded it bore similarities to what happened in Wuhan, China.

The report says the Italian cluster "showed worse clinical outcomes" in elderly males with previous health conditions, resembling the most at risk patients in Wuhan.

According to the institute, the initial reproduction number or R0 — the average number of people who will catch the disease from a single infected person — was 2.96 in the region of Lombardy, one of the most affected. The study says that by mid-February, the R0 had edged up slightly to three.

Silvio Brusaferro, head of the ISS had said during his weekly briefing that R0 levels should ideally be below one to flatten the Covid-19 curve. 

"Initial R0 at 2.96 in Lombardia, explains the high case-load and rapid geographical spread observed. Overall Rt [the virus' transmission rate at a given time] in Italian regions is currently decreasing albeit with large diversities across the country, supporting the importance of combined non-pharmacological control measures," the report says.

7:17 p.m. ET, April 13, 2020

NFL and NFL Players Association agree to a virtual offseason program starting next week

From CNN's Jill Martin

 

David Eulitt/Getty Images
David Eulitt/Getty Images

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) have reached an agreement on modifications to the rules regarding offseason workout programs and minicamps.

CNN has obtained a memo of those changes, dated Monday, from the NFL Management Council to chief executives, presidents, general managers and head coaches.

Starting next week, there will be a “Virtual Period” portion of the offseason program while team facilities remain closed, and later there will be an “On-Field Period” for when team facilities reopen. The virtual period will start April 20 until May 15.

"Both our Executive committee and Board of Player Reps have voted unanimously to approve a virtual offseason program up until the start of training camp," the NFLPA said in a statement on Twitter. "We will be sending out all the details and setting up calls with players and agents for how this will work shortly."

During the virtual period, teams can conduct classroom instruction, workouts, and non-football educational programs using Skype, or any other appropriate platform, on a “virtual” basis.

When team facilities reopen for the on-field period, teams may resume offseason workout programs, including all permissible on-field activities, under the customary rules in the collective bargaining agreement.

The reopening of team facilities will occur in accordance with protocols established by the NFL, conforming with federal, state and local rules and regulations, and only after consultation with the NFLPA, which will be made widely known to teams at the appropriate time. 

If one or more NFL team facility remain closed for any period of time, all team facilities will remain closed during that period.

As it has been in previous years, the program is voluntary to players. Veteran players who participate are to be paid the $235 daily minimum amount, and players with offseason workout bonuses must be credited for their participation in those sessions.

Each team may elect to continue its offseason workout program beginning May 18, either under a virtual format or under an on-field format, depending upon conditions.

The virtual period will end and the on-field period will begin for all teams at any point during the offseason workout program when all NFL team facilities have reopened.

All offseason workout programs end for all teams on June 26.

7:08 p.m. ET, April 13, 2020

Louisiana governor will close schools for remainder of academic year due to coronavirus

From CNN's Chris Boyette

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards gives an update on the spread of coronavirus in the state of Louisiana, on Thursday, April 9, in Baton Rouge.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards gives an update on the spread of coronavirus in the state of Louisiana, on Thursday, April 9, in Baton Rouge. Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he will issue a proclamation Tuesday ordering public schools to remain closed for the rest of the academic year because of the novel coronavirus.

Edwards explained that distance learning would continue at a news conference Monday.

“It is my intention now that to announce that school will not resume, in the sense that the students are going to be going to the school building. Education will continue. The school year continues, but they're not going to be going back on to the campuses and so the distance learning, and the other things that have been implemented in order to try to educate our children, those things will continue,” he said.
7:17 p.m. ET, April 13, 2020

Trump says he will ask for a delay to the 2020 census

From CNN's Jason Hoffman

An envelope containing a 2020 census letter mailed to a U.S. resident is shown in Detroit on April 5.
An envelope containing a 2020 census letter mailed to a U.S. resident is shown in Detroit on April 5. Paul Sancya/AP

President Trump said he will ask for a “major delay” to the 2020 Census to make sure it is completed safely and accurately.

“During this difficult time we’re also working to ensure that the 2020 Census is completed safely and accurately. We may be asking for an extension because obviously they can't be doing very much right now. They wouldn't even be allowed to do it. So the Census, we are going to be asking for a delay, a major delay,” Trump said. 

Trump said that the Census Bureau will ask Congress for a 120 day extension — an extension he feels is not long enough.

“In addition as millions of Americans continue to complete their questionnaire online, the Census Bureau asked Congress for a 120 day extension. I don't know if you even have to ask them. This is called an act of God. This is called a situation that has to be — they have to give it and I think 120 days isn't nearly enough,” Trump said.

Why the Census Bureau is asking for an extension: The late revisions to the census data collection timeline means officials need more time to compile the data that is used to apportion members of Congress among the states, as well as the data that states use to draw congressional districts. 

Federal law requires some of that data be compiled before the end of this year, so being granted the extension would allow the final counts to be delivered to the President in April and July of 2021.

Watch:

7:09 p.m. ET, April 13, 2020

Trump says economic task force will be announced tomorrow

From CNN's Sarah Westwood 

President Trump said the White House will announce tomorrow the creation of a committee — or multiple committees — focused on reopening the country in the weeks ahead.

“We’ve also as you’ve probably heard, developed a committee. We’re actually calling it a number of committees with the most prominent people in the country, the most successful people in the various fields, and we’ll be announcing them tomorrow,” Trump said at the coronavirus task force briefing. 

The President said his team is debating the blueprint for opening parts of the country, something he said he expects to happen “quickly.” 

“We will soon finalize new and very important guidelines to give governors the information they need to start safely opening their states,” Trump said. “My administration’s plan and corresponding guidelines will give the American people the confidence they need to begin returning to normal life.”

CNN has reported that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is expected to chair the economic working group and that Ivanka Trump is expected to play a role in it as well.

Watch:

7:03 p.m. ET, April 13, 2020

White House screens video trying to positively frame Trump's coronavirus response

From CNN's Maegan Vazquez

President Donald Trump watches as a White House produced video plays during a briefing about the coronavirus at the White House on Monday, April 13, in Washington.
President Donald Trump watches as a White House produced video plays during a briefing about the coronavirus at the White House on Monday, April 13, in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP

During Monday’s coronavirus task force press briefing, the White House screened a campaign-style montage of clips attempting to positively frame President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The video featured commentators saying early in the virus’ spread that the coronavirus wasn’t as big as the flu and governors thanking the President and the task force. It also outlined a timeline of the President taking “decisive action” during the pandemic, “even as partisans sniped and criticized.”

At one point in the video, an audio clip from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman played. Haberman is heard saying the President’s move to issue China travel restrictions was “probably effective.”

Haberman was one of the authors of a lengthy Times report detailing “Trump’s failure” on the coronavirus.

As the clip of Haberman’s voice played, the President could be seen looking at reporters, smiling and pointing to the screen. 

After the screening, Trump said, “It’s very sad when people write false stories … mostly from the New York Times.”

Haberman’s quote was part of an appearance on the New York Times podcast The Daily. The quote from Haberman omits a final sentence, in which Haberman concludes that though the measure was probably effective, “The problem is, it was one of the last things that he did for several weeks.”

“I mean, if you had libel laws, they would have been out of business,” he continued, later saying that the Times story was “a fake.”

Asked how the video was produced, Trump said, “That was done by a group in the office.”

“They were just pieced together over the last two hours,” he continued, saying that there were likely “over a hundred more clips” available.

The President also confirmed that the campaign-style video was put together by White House staff — federal government employees.

“This was done by (White House Social Media Director) Dan (Scavino) and a group of people just put it together in a period of probably less than two hours,” he said.

Asked why he felt the need to put the video together, Trump said, “Because we’re getting fake news and I’d like to have it corrected.”

CNN's Em Steck contributed to this report.

7:00 p.m. ET, April 13, 2020

All patients coming to Seattle's largest hospitals will be tested for coronavirus

From CNN's Andy Rose

An ambulance pulls up as nurses outside a triage tent for the Emergency Department at the Harborview Medical Center hospital put on gowns and other protective gear at the start of their shift on Thursday, April 2, in Seattle.
An ambulance pulls up as nurses outside a triage tent for the Emergency Department at the Harborview Medical Center hospital put on gowns and other protective gear at the start of their shift on Thursday, April 2, in Seattle. Ted S. Warren/AP

Every new patient at three hospital campuses in Seattle is now being tested for coronavirus as they are admitted. 

The policy started today and was announced by University of Washington Medicine — which operates Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center-Montlake and University of Washington Medical Center-Northwest. Previously, Covid-19 tests were only administered to patients experiencing known coronavirus symptoms.

“As we learn more about some individuals having a positive test without symptoms, we want to know the status of every patient in our hospitals so that our clinicians and staff can safely care for them," the facilities said in a statement.

The facilities said most of the tests can now be examined on-site by UW Medicine, with results the same day.