June 16 coronavirus news

By Helen Regan and Steve George, CNN

Updated 0611 GMT (1411 HKT) June 17, 2020
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9:11 a.m. ET, June 16, 2020

US retail sales surged 17.7% in May, crushing estimates

From CNN’s Nathaniel Meyersohn

People line up at a store inside the Mall of America before it opens on June 10 in Minneapolis.
People line up at a store inside the Mall of America before it opens on June 10 in Minneapolis. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

America's retail sales surged 17.7% in May, as shoppers headed back to newly reopened stores that had closed their doors for months. 

The increase was far better than economists had expected.

Industry sales in May were expected to climb 8% from April, according to consensus estimates from Refinitiv. 

8:52 a.m. ET, June 16, 2020

UK government announces Covid-19 "summer food fund" for children following Manchester United star's campaign

From CNN's Stephanie Halasz

Marcus Rashford of Manchester United is pictured during a match in Manchester, England, on January 11.
Marcus Rashford of Manchester United is pictured during a match in Manchester, England, on January 11. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

The UK government has reversed its decision to not extend free school meal vouchers throughout the summer holidays.

The announcement comes after a prominent English football player criticized the UK over a lack of free meals for children over the summer.

Britain provides free school meal vouchers for low-income families but the program was due to finish at the end of the current academic year in July.

Manchester United and England star Marcus Rashford had pleaded with lawmakers to extend the scheme through the summer for low-income families.

A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that there would now be a so-called summer food fund.

The spokesperson added that Johnson understood the issues families were facing during the pandemic and that the expected costs for the fund were expected to be around 120 million pounds (about $152 million).

Johnson initially rejected the idea. Rashford then wrote to lawmakers urging them to "put their rivalries aside" and make a U-turn as many families continue to struggle with the economic impact of the coronavirus.

Following up on the open letter he published Monday, Rashford wrote an article in The Times newspaper asking MPs to "help us break the cycle of hardship" of child poverty in the UK.

Downing Street's comments were first reported by Reuters and confirmed by CNN.

Rashford reacted to Tuesday's announcement on Twitter:

"I don’t even know what to say," Rashford said in the tweet.

"Just look at what we can do when we come together, THIS is England in 2020."

8:47 a.m. ET, June 16, 2020

Most UCLA classes will be online this fall 

From CNN's Stella Chan

An aerial view shows the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) campus in Los Angeles, California, on May 1.
An aerial view shows the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) campus in Los Angeles, California, on May 1. Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Only 15 to 20% of fall classes at the University of California Los Angeles will be offered on-site or in a hybrid format, the university announced Monday.

The courses include those that would be difficult to offer remotely including labs, performing arts and clinical health classes. The majority of classes will be online only.

Here are other changes the school is making:

  • The residence halls will house a limited number of students, and some rooms will be designated for quarantine.
  • The university will aim to offer housing to as many first-year students as feasible; some of these offers will be determined by lottery. 
  • Physical distancing, “de-densifying classrooms and other spaces,” and frequent cleaning of facilities are among infection-control procedures.
  • Face coverings are recommended while on campus.
  • Daily symptom checks will be required for everyone coming to campus or living in campus housing.
  • Testing and contact-tracing protocols for Covid-19 will also be in place.

“The health of our students, staff, and faculty is of paramount importance and guides our planning process,” Emily Carter, the university's executive vice chancellor and provost, said in a release. “As previously announced, the UCLA COVID-19 Future Planning Task Force has been hard at work, identifying options and recommendations for the fall. I appreciate their thoughtful work, the options they presented, and their recommendations.”

8:04 a.m. ET, June 16, 2020

Hong Kong will allow gatherings of up to 50 people this week

From Isaac Yee and Phoebe Lai in Hong Kong

Hong Kong will allow groups of up to 50 people to gather starting on Friday as coronavirus restrictions in the city continue to be eased by the government.

“The Executive Council has decided that the group size for gatherings can be relaxed to 50 persons at the most, it will come into effect at midnight on the 19th of June,” said Professor Sophia Chan, the Secretary for Food and Health on Tuesday. She added that “We have considered the latest public health risks, we have also tried to strike a balance on economic needs and public expectation on resuming social activities as soon as possible.”

Chan said the government is also lifting the limit on the number of customers allowed per table inside catering and restaurant businesses. Chan stressed that restaurants will still need to follow certain rules, such as ensuring tables are at least 1.5 meters apart.

“Under the suppress and lift strategy, we are now in the lift stage, if the epidemic remains stable, and where public health risks permit, we will try to relax the measures as far as possible," Chan said.

The relaxed restrictions will be in effect for two weeks starting on Friday and will cover July 1, the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover, a day where large scale protests and rallies are usually held.

8:02 a.m. ET, June 16, 2020

It's just past 1 p.m. in London and 8 a.m. in New York. Here's the latest on the pandemic.

Medical staff stand by outside a sports center in Beijing, on Tuesday, June 16, where testing is being carried out on those who live nearby or who have visited the Xinfadi Market, which has been linked to a new coronavirus cluster.
Medical staff stand by outside a sports center in Beijing, on Tuesday, June 16, where testing is being carried out on those who live nearby or who have visited the Xinfadi Market, which has been linked to a new coronavirus cluster. Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 8 million people worldwide and killed at least 437,000. Here's what you need to know:

Beijing extends lockdowns as coronavirus spreads: Health officials in China's capital have disinfected more than 30,000 restaurants and sealed off several residential neighbourhoods as Beijing aims to contain a surge in cases.

German tracing app goes live: The warning app can tell users when they are near other people who have tested positive with coronavirus. But Germany has not made using the app mandatory, with many citizens skeptical over privacy concerns.

More than 52,000 dead in UK: At least 52,110 have died with Covid-19 in the country, according to UK statistics bodies. The number of weekly deaths does appear to be falling across the nation.

MLB players test positive: Several Major League Baseball players have contracted coronavirus according to a letter leaked to USA Today. The news has emerged as negotiations continue between players and the league on baseball's return.

7:52 a.m. ET, June 16, 2020

African countries are still waiting for a surge in Covid-19 cases. Some health experts question whether it will happen

From CNN's David McKenzie and Brent Swails

Health workers prepare to screen fellow health workers for COVID-19 at a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 15.
Health workers prepare to screen fellow health workers for COVID-19 at a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 15. Michele Spatari/AFP/Getty Images

On January 28, at around one in the morning, Dr. John Nkengasong's cellphone rang in Addis Ababa.

Nigerian officials told Nkengasong, the Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that a recently arrived Italian businessman had tested positive for Covid-19.

He later recovered. But the force of infection, mostly coming from Europe, seeded the virus in countries throughout the continent, say health officials.

As imported cases increased, and community transmission began, the World Health Organization began sounding the alarm in press conferences and statements about an unfolding crisis on the continent. They said Covid-19 patients could quickly overwhelm the weak health infrastructure.

Melinda Gates, in an interview with CNN, went even further in April -- predicting that there would be bodies on the streets.

CDC Africa and WHO officials say that the warnings were important. Very little was, and still is, known about Covid-19 and nations needed to urgently prepare. But nearly five months on, across Africa, those catastrophic scenarios just haven't happened.

Read more here.

7:37 a.m. ET, June 16, 2020

Several Major League Baseball players and team staff have tested positive for Covid-19, says report

Several Major League Baseball (MLB) players and team staff have tested positive for Covid-19, according to USA Today. 

It is unknown how many players or staff have tested positive, or which teams have been impacted.

The news of the positive tests was released in a letter obtained by USA Today sent from MLB’s Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem to Player’s Association attorney Bruce Meyer, as the two sides work to come up with a formal agreement to get the players back onto the field, to salvage at least some of the season.

The proliferation of COVID-19 outbreaks around the country over the last week, and the fact that we already know of several 40-man roster players and staff who have tested positive, has increased the risks associated with commencing spring training in the next few weeks," Halem wrote.

The two sides are trying to hammer out complicated issues like player compensation, quarantine measures for players, and the number of games to be played.

Several players have taken to social media to publicly question the leaking of the letter. Negotiations between the two sides have taken a turn for the worse in recent days.

Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle tweeted Monday: "First, I hope everyone is feeling ok and recovering well. But the timing of this leak is suspicious and it feels really gross."

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso added: "It’s almost as if they planned it." Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo wrote: "Good timing." 

CNN has reached out to MLB and the players' union for confirmation about this report.

7:21 a.m. ET, June 16, 2020

Spain tests out Covid-19 precautions for schools reopening in September

From CNN's Atika Shubert

A teacher offers hand-sanitizing gel to a student at Colegio Virgen de Europa in Madrid, on Friday, June 12. Students have to disinfect their hands before and after each class.
A teacher offers hand-sanitizing gel to a student at Colegio Virgen de Europa in Madrid, on Friday, June 12. Students have to disinfect their hands before and after each class. Laura Perez Maestro/CNN

Most of Spain's schools will remain closed until September but the country is trying out a new normal for some students ahead of the autumn.

The Colegio Virgen de Europa in Madrid is one of the few schools opening their doors to pupils -- with only a week left of classes -- cautiously testing new coronavirus precautions.  

Kids are checked for masks and fevers at the school gate. Classes begin and end with a thorough handwashing and disinfecting of desks and chairs. Students are allowed to take their masks off in the class room as long as they sit two meters apart. The same goes for the teachers, who have all been tested and cleared of the virus

“I think kids get a sense of security in rules and repetition,” explained Sarah O’Halloran, a coordinator at the school. “This routine that has become the new normal is something they are comfortable with."

Classes are smaller. Coming to school is still optional. So, in the class we visited, half the students were learning by video conference. The other half sat at their desks, masks neatly folded into plastic envelopes. 

Most importantly, the classes stick together, minimizing interaction with other groups and grades. In hallways, masked students walk single file following taped arrows on the floor to ensure physical distancing.

“If we should have a case in our school, we would then know which and how many [students] came into contact. So, we limit interaction with other classes as much as possible,” says O’Halloran. 

Sarah O’Halloran, a coordinator at Colegio Virgen de Europa.
Sarah O’Halloran, a coordinator at Colegio Virgen de Europa. Atika Shubert

It’s tough on kids though. The hardest part, says fourth grader Ellana, is not being able to reach out and touch your friends.  

“We can’t give hugs.” she told CNN through a black and white flowered mask. “We can’t play sports that we share things, like football.” 

But just how much of a risk is opening schools? 

“I believe the risk of reopening schools is not very high. Quite the contrary. The benefits of reopening for parent and child are very high.” Andrea Buron of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology told CNN in a video interview.

“Children are at a low risk of catching the disease as well as spreading the disease.”

But O’Halloran has some advice for parents and kids who can’t wait to get back to school.

“Time is important," she said. “Learning the new rules is going to take a bit more time and patience.”

6:23 a.m. ET, June 16, 2020

Germany's coronavirus warning app goes live

From CNN's Stephanie Halasz

Germany's coronavirus warning app displayed on a phone screen in Dortmund, Germany, on Tuesday, June 16.
Germany's coronavirus warning app displayed on a phone screen in Dortmund, Germany, on Tuesday, June 16. Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images/Getty Images

The German government's coronavirus warning app has gone live.

The app uses Bluetooth technology and is designed to measure whether cell phone users have breached a 2-meter proximity for a long period of time.

If a user has tested positive and shared that information with the app, it will inform other users nearby of their diagnosis.

But for the app to succeed, Germany's government will have to overcome a widespread reluctance to share data with authorities.

The country has not made using the app mandatory for its citizens. Officials have also said that contact information will not be shared centrally, a point of concern for Germans with privacy concerns over the technology.