April 14 coronavirus news

By Joshua Berlinger, Adam Renton, Rob Picheta and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 9:38 p.m. ET, April 14, 2020
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11:08 a.m. ET, April 14, 2020

New York City mayor says hospitalizations are down, but ICU admissions are up

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, center, speaks during a press conference at a temporary hospital located at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on April 10.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, center, speaks during a press conference at a temporary hospital located at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on April 10. Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that, as of Monday, hospitalizations for coronavirus are down, but both positive cases and ICU admissions are up.

Here's how he spelled it out in a news conference: 

  • At least 326 people were admitted to hospitals on Monday for Covid-19, down from 383 the day before.
  • At least 850 people were in NYC Health + Hospitals ICU units for suspected Covid-19, up from 835 the day before. NYC Health + Hospitals is made up of 11 facilities and says it's the “largest public health care system in the United States."
  • Citywide, the percentage of people tested who are positive for Covid-19 59.6%, up from 58.1% the day before. At Public Health Lab, it's 84%, up 78.4% the day before.
10:52 a.m. ET, April 14, 2020

Trump says New York governor "seems to want Independence! That won't happen!"

From CNN's Nikki Carvajal

President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing about the novel coronavirus at the White House on April 13.
President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing about the novel coronavirus at the White House on April 13. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump has responded to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who told CNN this morning he would refuse and legally challenge a potential order from the President to reopen the state's economy if doing so would put its residents at risk of being exposed to Covid-19. 

Trump tweeted that Cuomo has been “begging for everything,” and now “seems to want independence.” 

“Cuomo’s been calling daily, even hourly, begging for everything, most of which should have been the state’s responsibility, such as new hospitals, beds, ventilators, etc.,” the President wrote. “I got it all done for him, and everyone else, and now he seems to want Independence! That won't happen!" Trump tweeted.

Some background: Trump told reporters yesterday that he had “total authority” to reopen state economies after coronavirus closures. Legal experts say that isn't supported by the Constitution.

Cuomo, whose state is currently seeing the effectiveness of its restrictions as the number of cases there begin to level off, said a "dictatorial" and "partisan" order from Trump to reopen New York's economy "would be the worst possible thing he could do at this moment."

10:15 a.m. ET, April 14, 2020

Cuba sends second round of medical workers to help Italy

From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite and Claudia Dominguez

Cuban doctors attend a farewell ceremony in Havana, Cuba, on April 12 before leaving to help with the novel coronavirus outbreak in Italy.
Cuban doctors attend a farewell ceremony in Havana, Cuba, on April 12 before leaving to help with the novel coronavirus outbreak in Italy. Ismael Francisco/AP

Cuba's second group of medical personnel landed in Turin, Italy, today at the request of Italian authorities and Italy's Ministry of Health.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio tweeted about the arrival, calling it "good news."

The medical team left Cuba yesterday, arriving in Turin, the regional capital of Piedmont this morning. Piedmont's Governor Alberto Cirio expressed his deep appreciation for the team's arrival on his Facebook page.

"To support our doctors and nurses, who have been fighting relentlessly for weeks, today a team of operators specialized in emergencies has arrived from Cuba... They will stay in Piedmont for as long as necessary. Our heartfelt thanks to Cuba for this gesture of great solidarity and friendship." 

Italy is not the only country to seek help from Cuba during this pandemic.

Cuban health care "brigades" have received recent invitations from Italy, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Suriname, Jamaica and Grenada as those systems are strained to the point of collapse due to the coronavirus.

The first group of Cuban medical workers sent to help Italy landed on March 22 and have been working there ever since.

10:12 a.m. ET, April 14, 2020

US FDA authorizes new Covid-19 saliva test for emergency use

From CNN's Jacqueline Howard

The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized a saliva test for diagnosing Covid-19 in emergencies.

Rutgers University, where the test was developed in collaboration with other groups, announced the FDA authorization today after formally receiving it over the weekend.

What this means: Using saliva to diagnose novel coronavirus infections could expand testing capacities across the United States. So far, testing for Covid-19 has usually involved nose or throat swabs.

"It means we no longer have to put health care professionals at risk for infection by performing nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal collections," Andrew Brooks, chief operating officer and director of technology development at the university's RUCDR Infinite Biologics lab, said in a news release. 

According to Rutgers University's news release, this is the first such saliva test to receive emergency use authorization from the FDA. Brooks, a professor at the university, called the impact of the authorization "significant."

Across the United States, which has faced a shortage of tests, several other laboratories have been working on developing saliva tests and other types of diagnostic testing for Covid-19. 

So far during the coronavirus pandemic, the FDA has worked with more than 300 test developers who have said they plan to submit emergency use authorization requests to the agency for their diagnostic tests, the agency announced on Monday.

According to the FDA, 34 emergency-use authorizations have been issued for diagnostic tests to date.

10:18 a.m. ET, April 14, 2020

UK coronavirus death toll surpasses 12,000

From CNN's Nada Bashir and Simon Cullen

North West Ambulance Service medical staff stand outside Nightingale Hospital North West in Manchester, England, on April 13.
North West Ambulance Service medical staff stand outside Nightingale Hospital North West in Manchester, England, on April 13. Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

At least 12,107 people have died from coronavirus in the UK’s hospitals, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health and Social Care.

That’s an increase of 778 since the last update. The figures are current as of 5 p.m. local time yesterday.

Remember: It only includes those who died in hospital. These numbers do not include the people who died in nursing homes or elsewhere. 

Other figures released by the UK’s Office of National Statistics on today suggest the true death toll is significantly higher than the Department of Health and Social Care’s tally because there can be a lag in recording some deaths.

The department says at least 93,873 people have tested positive to coronavirus.

10:00 a.m. ET, April 14, 2020

Pakistan extends partial lockdown until the end of the month

From CNN's Sophia Saifi in Islamabad

People wait to receive cash under the government's Ehsaas Emergency Cash program for families in need in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 14.
People wait to receive cash under the government's Ehsaas Emergency Cash program for families in need in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 14. Fareed Khan/AP

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan extended a "partial lockdown" across the country until the end of April.  

In a nationally televised briefing today, Khan called for Pakistanis to stay indoors to ensure that the country continues to flattened the curve. 

To manage the surge of unemployment in the country, the government will reopen the construction sector in phases to ensure employment for daily wage earners in the country.

Domestic and international travel by rail and air will remain closed until the end of the month.

9:44 a.m. ET, April 14, 2020

Stocks open higher as earnings season kicks off

From CNN’s Anneken Tappe

US stocks climbed higher at the opening bell as better-than-expected trade data from China lifted investors' hopes that the world's second-largest economy may be starting to bounce back.

Meanwhile, first-quarter earnings season got underway with the big banks reporting. JPMorgan and Wells Fargo both reported substantial losses and shored up their reserves to prevent more pain during the coronavirus recession. But that was widely expected, and their shares climbed 3% and 2%, respectively, at the market open 

  • The Dow kicked off 1.6%, or 385 points, higher.
  • The S&P 500 rose 1.8%.
  • The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.9%.

 You can follow live updates on the markets here.

9:38 a.m. ET, April 14, 2020

Boston University may cancel in-person classes until 2021

Boston University is preparing for the possibility that in-person classes may not resume until 2021.

The university has already cancelled all "in-person summer activities on the Charles River Campus" — and the school's coronavirus recovery plan includes protocols for if it's not safe for students to return to campus in the fall.

Boston University explained it like this in an online statement:

"The Recovery Plan recognizes that if, in the unlikely event that public health officials deem it unsafe to open in the fall of 2020, then the University’s contingency plan envisions the need to consider a later in-person return, perhaps in January 2021."

The University will "offer remote learning courses this summer" and it plans to "continue providing the minimal housing and dining services that are currently available."

9:39 a.m. ET, April 14, 2020

The White House is expected to announce another coronavirus task force. Here's what we know so far.

From Nikki Carvajal, Kevin Liptak and Cristina Alesci 

President Donald Trump listens to Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House on April 3.
President Donald Trump listens to Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House on April 3. Win McNamee/Getty Images

The White House is expected to announce a new task force – or multiple task forces – to deal with reopening the US economy after coronavirus closures.

Here’s what we know about the possible group so far:

  • As of yesterday, membership had not been finalized: The White House said the composition of the new panel isn't finalized yet. The President has described the task force members as, “The best names in various businesses and professions and religions.”
  • We know one member for sure: It'll be President Trump’s new chief of staff Mark Meadows.
  • There could be governors and business leaders: The President and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have teased that there will be key figures from the private sector and governor. There's no indication yet on who that would be and it's not a done deal yet.
  • Details are changing: One official tells CNN the details have already changed several times in recent days. No one wants to go out on a limb about the council’s composition until President Trump has given final sign off.
  • It’s increasingly unlikely that CEOs will play a formal role: A source who regularly advises CEOs is casting doubt on the notion that CEOs or business leaders have been asked to join a formal White House task force to reopen the economy.
  • Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump will NOT serve on the task force: President Trump was asked during Monday’s briefing if either of them would serve, and he said no, despite reporting that the President’s daughter would play a role.
  • There could be multiple task forces: “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,” President Trump said at Monday’s coronavirus task force briefing.