April 17 coronavirus news

As lockdowns continue across the world, social media is being inundated with images and stories of people rediscovering one particular old friend (or fiend) in the realm of manes and tresses: the buzz cut.

Men, women, and even celebrities are having a go at shaving their own heads, using razors or electric clippers, and a good dose of nerves.

But the bold look is not just a haircut of convenience, meant to keep our locks under control while salons and barber shops remain closed. Outside of the army, where it originated, the buzz cut has long been the preserve of counterculture -- a symbol of rebellious aesthetics, empowerment, event political dissent.

At a time when the world seems to be spinning out of place, it's a powerful, personal way to reclaim ourselves.

If you're tempted, watch CNN social media editor Dominic Rech get the look from home with the help of hair stylist Mark Francome Painter:

Read how the buzz cut went from from a symbol of wholesomeness to the hallmark of punk here:

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The subversive buzz cut is back by popular demand. Here's how to get the look from home

Marianna Cerini, CNN

Apple said it is reopening its retail store in Seoul as South Korea continues to make progress in stopping the spread of coronavirus.

The Apple Garosugil store will open on Saturday at midday, a spokesperson for the company told CNN.

Apple closed all its stores in mainland China in February and then shut all its stores outside Greater China in March as the coronavirus pandemic spread around the world.

The Seoul location will be Apple's first store outside of mainland China to reopen its doors.

Customers will still be able to buy Apple products in Seoul, by ordering online for delivery or pick up in store, Apple said.

"We also have a number of service and support options available online for anyone who needs help with their Apple products," the statement said.

The company's stores in China reopened last month.

Dozens of pregnant women were put in quarantine in India after coming into contact with a sonographer who tested positive for coronavirus, according to a senior district official. 

The sonographer, who tested positive on April 14, lives in Pune in the western state of Maharashtra and traveled to rural areas to offer his services at several health camps. 

While he was volunteering at a gynaecology clinic in Shikrapur village from April 6 to April 8, he met with 69 pregnant women.

A further 75 people had been to the clinic during that period, but they were not patients and did not come in direct contact with him, said Ayush Prasad, chief executive officer of the district council.

Of the remaining high-risk contacts, two women have already delivered babies and one had been admitted to the hospital in labor at the time of speaking, Prasad said.

The sonographer was not exhibiting coronavirus symptoms when he attended the clinic and was wearing a mask, Prasad added.

The 62 women were tested for coronavirus and found to be negative, according to Prasad.

Once the test results came back, the women were moved from the hotels and are now self-isolating at home.

"There is not even an iota of doubt but we have still advised the women to be in social isolation in their homes for 14 days," he said.

Last weekend, the Turkish government implemented a 48-hour curfew for 31 provinces, impacting three quarters of Turkey's population.

And while critics of the government have been calling for these types of severe measures to curb the rise of Covid-19, the initial outcome was disastrous. 

The curfew was announced just two hours before it was to go into effect -- causing a buying panic in some areas as people flocked to grocery stores and bakeries with little regard for social distancing measures.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced another curfew for this weekend.

In confronting coronavirus, Turkey is charting its own path -- as it does in so many other ways.

Age-specific: During the week, the stay-at-home order only applies to those under the age of 20 or over 65. All other citizens are in theory allowed to go out.

Small businesses closed, constructions sites open: Although many small businesses are closed, restaurants are open for delivery or pick-up only, public places like parks are off limits, and banks have limited hours. By contrast, construction sites are in full swing, along with factories and other businesses that are unwilling to take an economic hit.

Some experts say partial restrictions like Turkey's can be successful -- as long as those who are vulnerable continue to be protected and those who do venture out follow the appropriate measures.

Read the full story here:

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With weekend lockdowns and age-specific restrictions, Turkey takes a different coronavirus approach

At least 671,425 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the United States, including 33,286 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases.

On Thursday, Johns Hopkins reported 33,040 new cases and 2,424 deaths. 

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as all repatriated cases.

CNN’s map, using JHU data, refreshes every 15 mins:

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Tracking Covid-19 cases in the US

Cathay Pacific Airways is laying off hundreds of cabin crew in the United States, as demand collapses because of the coronavirus pandemic.  

The Hong Kong carrier said Friday that it is shutting down cabin crew bases in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, effectively laying off 286 staff.  

Like all global airlines, Cathay has been hard hit by restrictions and travel bans issued by various countries in an effort to curb the transmission of Covid-19. The measures have led to a collapse in demand for air travel.

Cathay said in an email to customers on Thursday that it has reduced passenger capacity by 97% across its network for the month of April. 

Pandemic forces airline industry into crisis: On Tuesday, the International Air Transport Association said that it now expects worldwide losses due to the coronavirus to top $314 billion, higher than the $252 billion in losses it had forecast just weeks earlier. The aviation group said travel worldwide has plummeted by 80%, much deeper than its earlier predictions.

South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 22 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.

Among the new cases, 11 were identified from the country's airport screening process, while the rest came from North Gyeongsang province, Seoul and other areas.

South Korea has now recorded a total of 10,635 cases and 230 deaths, according to the KCDC.              

The difficulties of isolation and working from home are most acutely felt by those in small apartments and other confined spaces. This may especially be the case in densely populated cities like New York and London -- and is almost a given in places like Hong Kong and Tokyo, where space comes at an eye-watering premium.

US-born designer and author Azby Brown, who has lived in Japan since 1985 and founded the KIT Future Design Institute in Tokyo, has some tips on adapting.

Change up your windows: "Pay attention to your windows. Just change them up. The novelty will be mentally and emotionally helpful. Put some decorations around them, just something to liven them up so you don't feel that you're stuck," she said.

Getting away from work: "Put your work away when it's time to eat. Maybe you can get a side storage unit on wheels where you can just put that stuff in and roll it out of sight for a while."

Best way to deal with privacy while on a conference call: "Find a way to decorate a little corner somewhere. Maybe you get a stand to put your laptop on and put a better microphone there. Create a little communications nook, and that's your window to the outside world.

Preventing distractions while working: "If you really want privacy, it is psychologically important to have a "do not disturb" signal. In a house that's very compact, it could simply be facing your chair the other way and telling others that if you're facing that way, you're working."

Read the full interview here:

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More with less: How to adapt small spaces for lockdown

Oscar Holland, CNN

A pizza delivery boy -- who had delivered food to 72 families over the past 20 days -- tested positive for coronavirus on Monday night in the Indian capital, New Delhi, according to a senior official with the Delhi administration. 

Some 16 other delivery boys who worked with the infected employee have been placed in government quarantine and all other employees of the restaurant are being tested, said B N Mishra, district magistrate of South Delhi.

No one else in the company has tested positive so far, Mishra said.

Zomato, a widely used food delivery application in India, said in a statement on Wednesday that "some of the orders delivered by the restaurant staff were placed on Zomato. We are not sure whether the rider was infected at the time of delivery". 

"This restaurant has instructed their riders to wear masks, and follow strict hygiene to keep customers safe from any unintended mishap," the statement added. 

At least 20 coronavirus hot spots have been declared in New Delhi. Within these zones, only essential services are allowed to operate and no movement in and out of the locality is permitted.