April 30 coronavirus news

By Amy Woodyatt, Jessie Yeung and Adam Renton, CNN

Updated 10:56 p.m. ET, April 30, 2020
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12:37 a.m. ET, April 30, 2020

The US has close to 61,000 deaths from coronavirus

The United States has now reported at least 1,039,909 cases of coronavirus and 60,966 related deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

On Wednesday, Johns Hopkins reported 27,327 new cases and 2,611 deaths. 

As states begin to include “probable deaths” in their counts, so will JHU. In the upcoming days, numbers may surge to reflect this change in the counting method.

The totals includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US. territories, as well as repatriated cases and those in the US military, veterans hospitals and federal prisons. 

Follow case numbers in the US with CNN's live tracker:

12:25 a.m. ET, April 30, 2020

Wuhan shows the world that the end of lockdown is just the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis

Analysis from CNN's David Culver

All around the world, people are waiting for the announcement that the coronavirus pandemic is contained and they can return to normal life.

But the Chinese city at the center of the pandemic has shown that normal might still be a long way off.

When Wuhan officials eased outgoing travel restrictions on April 8 after a 76-day lockdown, residents and local businesses soon learned the city's actual reopening would be painfully slow.

Despite the lifting of most strict lockdown laws, many stores are still shut, restaurants are restricted to takeaway and even when citizens go outside they still wear protective equipment and try to avoid each other.

The mood on the ground is very different to the official statements. At a news conference on April 8, Luo Ping, an epidemic control official in Wuhan said that some sectors of the city were already back to 100% resumption rate.

But even government-controlled media has suggested that plans to get the city back to 100% production by the end of April might be "too optimistic."

During a recent trip to the city, business owners told CNN that they were struggling with zero profits and huge rents, and experts said that it might take the city's economy months to recover, if not longer.

"In the short term, of course, there's going to be a recovery," said Larry Hu, economist at Macquarie Capital Limited. "Production will recover first and then consumption, because a lot of people are still reluctant to come out ... but from a long-term perspective, from a three-year perspective the virus is still going to hurt the long-term growth of Wuhan."

Read the full analysis:

12:08 a.m. ET, April 30, 2020

Ambulance drivers in epic 2,000-mile journey to bring body home to family during India lockdown

From CNN's Esha Mitra in New Delhi

Two ambulance drivers, who drove more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km) across India to bring the body of a young man back to his family during the nationwide lockdown, received a heroes' welcome and were hailed for their kindness.

The men embarked on the five-day drive from Chennai, a city in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, and arrived in Aizawl, a city in the northeastern state of Mizoram, on Tuesday to cheers and applause.

Hotel management student Vivian Remsanga, 28, died of a heart attack in Chennai. Police were only able to identify his body after they contacted local minority associations who were able to connect them to the man's family, said Michael Lalrinkima, general secretary of the Chennai Mizo Welfare Association.

The association explored several options to bring the body home, including the possibility of arranging a special flight, before they came in contact with two ambulance drivers who said they had done such a trip before and could take the body, Lalrinkima added. 

The ambulance was welcomed by locals in Aizawl on Tuesday, clapping for them, including the uncle and cousins of the deceased, according to Lalrinkima. 

"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! You've just shown what every Mizo heartbeat means when it comes to the term "Tlawmngaihna"!" Zoramthanga, the chief minister of Mizoram tweeted on April 28, thanking the ambulance drivers. "Tlawngaihna" loosely translated means to be kind and helpful towards others. 

The ambulance drivers charged around 200,000 rupees ($2,645) for the round trip.

India has been under nationwide lockdown since March 25 due to the coronavirus. The lockdown was originally due to end on April 14, but was extended through May 3.

3:20 a.m. ET, April 30, 2020

Tokyo Olympics don't hinge on coronavirus vaccine, IOC official says

From CNN's Sol Han in Seoul

A man wearing a face mask stands before the Olympic rings from an observation point in Tokyo's Odaiba district on March 25.
A man wearing a face mask stands before the Olympic rings from an observation point in Tokyo's Odaiba district on March 25. Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images

The Tokyo Olympics are not contingent on the development of a coronavirus vaccine, John Coates, the head of the International Olympic Committee's coordination commission for the Games, said on Wednesday.

Australia’s Olympic Committee has verified Coates' remarks.

His comments came after Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said earlier this week that the Games could be canceled if the pandemic is not over by next summer.

Earlier this week, the president of Japan’s Medical Association, Dr. Yoshitake Yokokura, told reporters it will be “difficult to hold the Olympics” without a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe echoed this on Wednesday, saying it would be "impossible" to hold the Olympics unless the pandemic was contained.

The rescheduled Games are due to open on July 23, 2021.

11:35 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020

A Texas Zoo is opening back up to the public with a drive-thru experience

From CNN's Amanda Jackson

Two zoo patrons take a drive through the San Antonio Zoo in Texas.
Two zoo patrons take a drive through the San Antonio Zoo in Texas. Courtesy San Antonio Zoo

There have long been drive-thru theaters, fast food restaurants and even, in some places, pharmacies.

Now, in Texas, there's a drive-thru zoo -- at least temporarily.

The San Antonio Zoo announced it is giving families the opportunity to pack up their cars and drive-thru the park for a limited amount of time.

Visitors will be able to see lions, tigers, and bears, all from the security of inside their vehicle, as they listen to an audio guided tour. They will also be able to buy food and drinks curbside throughout the park.

"This is a very unique and safe way for families to see the zoo while we are closed from the comfort of their own car," Tim Morrow, president and CEO of San Antonio Zoo, said in a news release.
"This new, creative way to see the zoo will be a gradual step towards our plan to reopen to foot traffic when we are given the 'green light' and the time is right."

The zoo has been closed to the public since March 14 due to the pandemic, and as a result has taken a massive financial hit.

Proceeds of the new drive-thru experience will help the zoo continue to care for their animals, according to the news release. It has also allowed for the zoo to hire back some furloughed employees, Morrow told CNN in a statement.

Read more here.

11:14 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020

Japan confirms 236 new cases as its health care system buckles under the weight

From CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki

Japan recorded 236 new coronavirus cases and 26 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the national total to 14,800 cases and 428 deaths.

Some 712 cases and 13 deaths are linked to the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Japan saw its numbers spike this past month, and is under a state of emergency nationwide until May 6.

The country's health care system is struggling to keep up with the sheer number of patients; one doctor told CNN that 90% of his requests for tests have been denied, and that people are being turned away from hospitals.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned yesterday that unless the pandemic is contained, it would be "impossible" to host the Olympic Games next year.

11:13 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020

It's just past 10 p.m. in Chicago and 11 a.m. in Hong Kong. Here's the latest on the pandemic

People wait in line outside Tortilleria El Milagro grocery store in Chicago, on Wednesday, April 29.
People wait in line outside Tortilleria El Milagro grocery store in Chicago, on Wednesday, April 29. Nam Y. Huh/AP

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 3.19 million people globally and killed more than 227,000. If you're just joining us now, here are the latest developments:

  • Europe is starting to ease restrictions. The Italian region of Calabria will start relaxing restrictions on Thursday. Portugal will end its state of emergency on Saturday. France and Switzerland will both start reopening on May 11, and Greece is encouraging tourists to visit this summer -- subject to social distancing measures.
  • So are US states: At least 28 states will be partially reopened by the end of the week. Several more states have declared plans to gradually reopen over the next two weeks, including Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida.
  • But the crisis isn't over. Brazil has seen a spike in fatalities -- the country has now reported more than 5,500 deaths. Japan's health system is struggling to keep up with its spike in cases. And in the UK, some children have developed an inflammatory response to Covid-19. 
  • The economy is tanked: Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said this is the worst economy in history. We won't go back to pre-pandemic levels for a while, but the third quarter could bring some economic relief, he said.
  • Some hope of recovery: There are some signs of the pandemic calming around the world. China's new cases are in the low single digits, many of them imported from abroad. Hong Kong, which suffered a second wave last month, has reported no new cases for four days straight. South Korea's new cases are also in the single digits; when this month began, it was reporting 100 cases a day.
10:44 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020

Remdesivir drug maker says it has enough supply to treat at least 140,000 patients

From CNN's Arman Azad

Remdesivir at a news conference at the University Hospital Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany, on April 8.
Remdesivir at a news conference at the University Hospital Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany, on April 8. Ulrich Perrey/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

The CEO of Gilead Sciences, the maker of experimental drug remdesivir, said in an open letter today that the company’s existing supply of the drug could cover at least 140,000 treatment courses for Covid-19 patients.

The company offered the same number earlier this month.

The estimate is based on 10 days of treatment with the drug, which is the protocol used in a key remdesivir trial sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health.

On Wednesday, top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci announced early results from that trial showing that remdesivir effectively shortened the duration of Covid-19. After Fauci’s announcement, the New York Times reported that the Food and Drug Administration is planning to issue an emergency-use authorization for the drug.

“Our existing supply, including finished product ready for distribution as well as materials in the final stages of production, amounts to 1.5 million individual doses,” Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day wrote on Wednesday. “We had estimated that this would be 140,000 treatment courses based on a 10-day treatment duration.”

The number of potential treatments is complicated by the fact that another trial of remdesivir, released by Gilead on Wednesday, found that five days of treatment appeared as effective as 10 days. That could effectively double the supply of the drug, which is infused through an IV.

The drug was originally developed to treat Ebola, but it was never shown to be effective for that.

In his open letter, O’Day expressed optimism about the future of the drug, writing that Wednesday’s results “open up many opportunities to explore the utility and potential of remdesivir.” 

10:31 p.m. ET, April 29, 2020

Lufthansa will require passengers and flight attendants to wear masks on board

Lufthansa planes stand parked at Willy Brandt Berlin Brandenburg International Airport on April 28 in Schoenefeld, Germany.
Lufthansa planes stand parked at Willy Brandt Berlin Brandenburg International Airport on April 28 in Schoenefeld, Germany. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The Lufthansa Group announced Wednesday it will require all passengers and flight attendants to wear face masks onboard, starting May 4.

The airline said in a statement it recommends wearing masks before and after a flight at the airport.

“Despite numerous adjustments to the service processes, this distance is not always possible on a flight, so this measure serves as additional protection for all travelers,” the company said.

Lufthansa has also been in discussions regarding a government bail-out, German government officials told CNN earlier this week.

The airline told CNN it had no comment about the matter but previously said it is losing around 1 million euros ($1.09 million) of its liquidity every hour and that fewer than 3,000 passengers a day are currently flying with the airline, compared to its average of 350,000 per day.