In some places, virus deadlier than homicide
COVID-19 is killing people in some parts of the country far faster than people can kill each other, according to a USA TODAY analysis of CDC and coronavirus data. Over a decade, America averaged about 17,300 homicides per year. COVID-19 deaths total 82,391 as of Wednesday.
The analysis matched up homicide and coronavirus deaths for communities hosting 92% of Americans.
The New York City suburb of Morris County, New Jersey, lost people to coronavirus at a rate comparable to 173 years of homicides. The county lost 518 people in just a few months to COVID-19, compared with 30 homicides recorded in the county over a decade.
New York City itself has had losses similar to 36 years of homicides in the five boroughs. The pain has not been equally spread, however. About a third of Americans live in counties that have lost fewer people to coronavirus than they normally lose in a year to homicides. Worldwide, the virus has killed about roughly more than 294,000 people and has infected more than 4.3 million.
WH shelved more restrictive reopening plan
Advice from the nation’s top disease control experts on how to safely reopen businesses and institutions included more restrictive measures than the plan released by the White House last month, the Associated Press reports. AP said it obtained a copy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan, shelved by administration officials, which also offered recommendations to help communities decide when to shut down again during future flare-ups.
“The White House is pushing for reopening, but the truth of the matter is the White House has just not had a comprehensive plan where all the pieces fit,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.
Kushner: Trump weighing Fauci concerns
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, said Dr. Anthony Fauci’s concern that reopening the country too quickly could spark fresh “suffering and death” was among many factors the president is considering as he shapes his policy moving forward. Kushner said the wider availability of medical supplies and personal protective equipment would help the country handle its reopening, along with a public more accustomed to regular handwashing, social distancing and masks.
“There’s risk in anything, but the president carries the burden of the 30 million Americans who have lost their jobs due to this historic effort to save lives,” Kushner told Time magazine.
LA beaches reopen – minus sunbathing
Los Angeles County beaches reopened Wednesday after a six-week hiatus, but no lollygagging. The county will follow regulations for other beaches on the coast, meaning walking, running and surfing are cool but gathering, sitting and team sports are not. A 6-foot social distance and face coverings are mandatory. The opening comes hours after public health Director Barbara Ferrer said the county’s stay-at-home restrictions, set to end Friday, will likely last for three more months.
Disinfectant poisonings continue to rise
For the second month, accidental poisonings from misuse of disinfectants, bleach and sanitizers rose in April compared to last year, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
The centers saw a spike of 122% in reported cases, according to Forbes, including a 77% jump for bleach and a 56% for hand sanitizer. What is unclear is what effect, if any, Trump’s comments during a White House briefing had on the reported cases.