WARREN, Mich. There's loud humming and sounds of soft metal stamping as you walk into a bright white area of a decades-old transmission plant owned by General Motors just outside of Detroit.
But the sounds, almost white noise, aren't of auto parts being produced, they're large reels of fabric running through machines and employees using laser welders to make medical face masks.
In less than a week, GM converted31,000 square feet of the 2.7 million-square-foot plant, which was decommissioned last year, from producing transmissions to the personal protection equipment for first responders and health care workers on the frontlines of combating the coronavirus pandemic.
"I never thought I'd be a mask maker but there's a lot of stuff we're doing that we'd never thought we'd do," Robert Portugaise, a lead GM production engineer, said Thursday standing in the middle of the operations. "We continue to work and try to make improvements."
GM initially aimed to make 20,000 masks in the first days of production, which started April 6. It quickly doubled that number and, as of Wednesday, had producedmore than 620,000 masks. Asecond shift also was added this week to assist in producing masks, include some for GM employees in preparation of auto production eventually reopening.
General Motors is beginning to produce N95 masks at a former transmission plant outside Detroit. The manikin head is being used to test the fit of the masks prior to production for distribution beginning.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
Engineers on Thursday afternoon also were preparing a new production line to begin making much-needed N95 masks, which still need to be tested and certified.
"There's quite a bit to it. N95 masks are a little bit more complicated,"Portugaise said, adding there's more welding, fabric layers and a folding process that needs to be done. "We're still in the debug phase."
Once fully operational, the machine should be able to produce 12,000 masks a day, according toPortugaise, whose day job is executive director of manufacturing engineering for propulsion systems at GM.
Making medical-grade level 1 face masks isn't as simple as it may seem. It's particularly challenging to do in a week, which the automaker did. More than 30 engineers, designers, buyers and members of the manufacturing team were asked to help with product development, sourcing materials and equipment as well as planning the production process.
In less than a week, GM converted 31,000 square feet of the 2.7 million-square-foot plant, which was decommissioned last year, from producing transmissions to face masks for first responders and health care workers on the frontlines of combating the coronavirus pandemic.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
The needed materials included metal nose pieces, elastic straps and blown, non-woven fabric filter material. Simultaneously, GM collaborated with Michigan-based companies JR Automation and Esys Automation to design and build the custom machinery needed to assemble the masks.
For the project, the team also built an ISO Class 8-equivalent cleanroom at the plant. The team cleared the area and crews then installed new electrical service lines to power the production equipment and assembly stations, according to GM.
"The team out there, they're inspired in how they're engineering and how they're engaging with the work teams out there to increase production, and ramp-up, and scale up, and install," Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president of global manufacturing, said in an interview at the facility Thursday afternoon.
General Motors Executive Vice President Global Manufacturing and Labor Relations Gerald Johnson (middle) watches as engineers and technicians set-up and test the machines that will be used to manufacture Level 1 face masks at a plant in Warren, Michigan.
Photo by John F. Martin for General Motors
The mask production is being done by paid volunteers, including hourly workers with the United Auto Workers union as well as salaried employees, in two 10-hour shifts a day.
Some of the process uses repurposed materials and machines that the automaker utilizes in auto production, including the material from an insulation supplier, a line-feeding and cutting machine and scanners used for quality control.
The face mask production process begins with the thin material on large spools being fed into a machine that welds three layers of the product into one; crimps the front of the masks; and inserts its metal line, or nose wire. The machine then cuts the fabric and spits the masks out faster than an ATM machine dispensing bills.
Face masks are cut by a machine and spit out faster than an ATM machine dispensing bills. The machine ultrasonic welds three layers of the material into one, crimps the front of the masks and inserts the metal line, or nose wire, in the mask.
Michael Wayland | CNBC
A worker at the end of the line does a quick product check, followed by a more in-depth inspection at another workstation. At full speed, the machine can produce 40,000 per shift, according toPortugaise.
From there, the masks are lined in small plastic bins and workers laser weld the ear loops onto the masks, which is one of the most labor-intensive parts of the process.
Currently, employees have to spot weld all four corners individually by hitting a foot pedal, somewhat like a sewing machine operates, on the floor. A light indicates when each weld is done. Soon, the company hopes to be able to do two welds at once with new machines that are still being tested.
A GM worker laser welds the ear loops onto the face masks, which is one of the most labor-intensive parts of the process.
Michael Wayland | CNBC
To encourage employees to work quickly, each person receives a metal cog for every 100 masks the complete on a shift. Portugaise said the double welding machines should significantly increase welding production. Some workers can produce as many as 300 masks in one hour, he said.
There's another quality check for each batch of 100 masks, which are then stored in sterilization boxes or rooms. Some of the sterilization units were donated by the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks and an equipment manager for the Detroit Red Wings. The machines are typically used to sterilize equipment in hockey.
Once sterilized, 10 masks are placed in a bagging machine that also puts instructions and precautions with GM's logo on the bags for shipping.
Once the face masks are sterilized, they are placed placed in groups of 10 into a bagging machine that also puts instructions, precautions and the GM logo on the bags for shipment.
Michael Wayland | CNBC
The face mask production is one of the efforts GM has committed to during the coronavirus pandemic, which has shutdown its U.S. manufacturing operations since mid-March.
GM ismanufacturing other personal protective equipment, including latex-free face shields, protective gowns and aerosol boxes. It's also producing critical care ventilators, in partnership with Washington-based Ventec Life Systems at a plant in Kokomo, Indiana.
The automaker expects to produce about 600 ventilators by the end of this week, according to GM's Johnson. He said the company is on track to deliver30,000 ventilators for the national stockpile by the end of August.
"There's a mixed emotion. Obviously no one's happy about Covid-19 virus and many lives are being affected by it and were concerned about everybody's health and well-being," Johnson said. "Similarly though, I am extremely proud of what I see the teams pull together here in amazing timeframes That's been inspiring."
In less than a week, GM converted 31,000 square feet of the 2.7 million-square-foot plant, which was decommissioned last year, from producing transmissions to face masks for first responders and health care workers on the frontlines of combating the coronavirus pandemic.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
He's wearing an N95 mask -- something he never imagined he'd have to do in his own home.
His wife, Hibist Legesse, has been telling him their baby's kicking like crazy. He wishes he could reach over and feel it, too.
But Legesse is sitting across the room on a couch more than 10 feet away. And for weeks, this is as close to each other as they've been able to get.
Gore's just stopping by to pick up a package. Then he'll head back to the apartment where he's staying, and Legesse will get back to work.
In a matter of hours last month, they returned from the joy of a beach vacation to a jarring reality.
The city they call home has become a hotspot in a pandemic with no end in sight, and in very different ways, both of them are on the frontlines.
He's an emergency room doctor racing to save lives. She's a restaurant owner scrambling to keep her business afloat. And soon, they'll be parents for the first time.
He's fighting to save patients' lives
Code 99...Code 99...Code 99
For Gore, it's a reminder of the danger lurking at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, where intensive care units have been packed with more people on ventilators than he's ever seen.
In hospital parlance, "Code 99" means cardiac arrest. These days, Gore says it's likely to mean that someone has died, because Covid-19 has killed them.
Gore pushes forward, compartmentalizes his fears and stays focused on his patients. When he's in the ER, he knows any distraction could be the difference between life and death.
The virus wasn't a threat in a faraway place anymore. It was personal.
Gore grew up in Fort Greene and Flatbush. His elementary school is just down the street from the hospital where he works. And it seems like every day he gets a text message from a friend asking for help
Can you check on my father?
Can you check on my mom?
My aunt's there.
My neighbor's there.
We just want somebody we know to check on him.
Now Gore says health disparities are playing out in another devastating way, as marginalized communities are disproportionately impacted by the novel coronavirus.
"You can take any disease process on the planet, and if you put it in a poor, underdeveloped, unsupported area, it's going to manifest and it's going to devastate that entire community," he says, "and that's what we're seeing here in the United States right now."
But this isn't the only battle he has to fight.
They're searching for answers together
As Gore saw coronavirus cases spiking in the ER, anxiety over how the illness could affect his family was soaring at home.
It wasn't long before Gore and Legesse settled on a solution: He would move into an Airbnb. It was a difficult decision, but they took it in stride. He wouldn't be far away, only about a 10-minute drive from their home. They knew they were lucky to have the option. And at the time it seemed like such a temporary thing.
Then one week became two, and two weeks became three, and three weeks became four, and four weeks became who-knows-how-many more.
He lived in a few Airbnb locations, then switched to renting an apartment as the days wore on.
Through it all, questions keep popping up in Gore's mind.
Will I get sick?
Is it happening to me?
When can I get back to my family?
When is this going to end?
Legesse has been grilling her husband with questions of her own.
When he went back to the ER after their vacation, she was terrified he'd get sick. She asked if he was doing enough to protect himself.
In a Facetime call, he showed her all the protective gear he had.
Two masks, a face shield, goggles, a jumpsuit, booties and a cap covering his head.
Seeing it helped, even from afar. Legesse says she's proud of the way he's serving the community and worrying less now about whether he'll get sick.
Lately she's been thinking more about everything he's missing during their time apart.
They've postponed plans to set up a nursery. They're swapping baby name ideas in text messages. He's not home to feel the kicking or to see the way her body's changing every day.
Their baby boy is due in July. She hopes by then they'll all be together.
She's fighting to keep her restaurant afloat
At first, they were both so busy they barely noticed the strain of separation.
Legesse, a co-owner, has been scrambling to help employees she's known for years file for unemployment. And she's spent days applying for numerous state and federal grants and loans.
The normally packed restaurant's 12 tables are sitting empty. Only one full-time employee remains: a cook who's still serving up take-out and delivery orders.
But Legesse says the money the restaurant is making right now isn't enough. Without support from financial relief programs, she says at the end of the month she won't have enough left over to pay rent.
"We're completely stuck, with no answers, no help. From the beginning, the government was saying, 'Small businesses will not be left behind. They are the backbone of the economy,'" she says. "That positive feeling that you have is turning into fear now. As the days turn into weeks and months, you don't know if you're going to reopen. You don't know what life is going to be like for your business."
More than a decade later, she's hoping lessons she learned during the restaurant's opening days will help her weather this new crisis.
"When you're doing something during such a challenging time, you're not going to die from it. You're going to come out of it strong. You're going to figure it out. You're going to problem solve," she says. "The recession showed us -- we were definitely worried that people were not going to want to come in and spend money, but they did, and it was busy right from the start."
And for Legesse, it has. It's a business she's lived and breathed and loved for years. And she's determined to save it.
The restaurant has brought her employees and customers who she feels are like family. And unexpectedly, it brought her a husband, too.
Bati is where she and Gore first met.
He dined there frequently. And what started as a simple hello after a friend introduced them one day blossomed into a romance neither one of them expected.
They're fighting to keep their baby safe
These days, being apart is getting tougher, even though Gore and Legesse know they're lucky to be able to visit from time to time.
It's been more than four weeks since they last embraced. His check-ins from the front stoop have become less frequent as work in the ER intensifies. When they do meet, it's something to savor.
So on this Friday evening, when Gore stops by to pick up a package, that's exactly what he's trying to do. He's in the doorway. She's sitting on the couch. And he's drinking it in.
He loves seeing her and hearing how laser-focused she is on making sure the restaurant can stay open. Some people would crumble under the stress, but she just gets more organized.
Usually this is the time when he'll pull out his phone and snap a quick photo of Legesse from across the room.
He wants to remember these moments, and the way her womb is growing. It seems like she looks different every time he sees her, even when only a few days have passed.
But on this day, something different happens as Gore stands there, the front door wide open behind him.
Legesse hears the sound that's been giving her goosebumps for weeks.
Cheers and applause are erupting around the neighborhood.
Gore's never been home before to hear it.
Legesse gets up off the couch.
And she starts clapping.
She has tears in her eyes. She thinks her husband does, too, though it's hard to see his face very clearly behind the mask.
After a few minutes, the noise dies down. They stand there, a room apart -- overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment.
They don't know their baby's name yet.
They don't know what the world he's born into will look like.
They don't know whether he'll be able to go to daycare -- whether there will even be daycare.
They don't know when they'll be back to living under the same roof.
But they do know this: They are together right now -- and every day -- even when they are 10 feet or a 10-minute drive apart. And their community is with them, too.
This is the story they will tell their son someday -- the story of standing together.
In December 2019, a novel coronavirus strain (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in the city of Wuhan, China. This subreddit seeks to monitor the spread of the disease COVID-19, declared a pandemic by the WHO. Please be civil and empathetic. This subreddit is for high-quality posts and discussion.
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Indian policemen stand guard on a deserted road in New Delhi as India remains under lockdown over the coronavirus. Yawar Nazir/Getty Images hide caption
Indian policemen stand guard on a deserted road in New Delhi as India remains under lockdown over the coronavirus.
Cowering in the grass, a young Muslim man begs for his life.
He's shaking. His hands and face are bloody. His attackers beat him and threaten to douse him with fuel and set him on fire. They accuse him of intentionally trying to spread the coronavirus.
The man, identified later by authorities and neighbors as 22-year-old Mehboob Ali, was on his way home from a Muslim missionary conference in central India when he came under attack April 5 in his village of Harewali, on the northwest edge of India's capital. Ali managed to escape and was treated at a local hospital.
The assault, video of which has been shared widely in India on social media, is part of a wave of violence against Indian Muslims in recent weeks. The country's biggest religious minority, Muslims number nearly 200 million in Hindu-majority India. They have long faced abuse and violence, particularly under the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The coronavirus crisis appears to have exacerbated that. The Muslim missionary group Ali is affiliated with, Tablighi Jamaat, was criticized for holding another conference in New Delhi, which turned into one of India's biggest coronavirus hot spots. But even Muslims unaffiliated with the group say they have faced increased discrimination, harassment and attacks. The violence has been fueled, victims and observers say, by right-wing Hindu nationalist TV channels, misinformation on social media and statements from ruling party politicians.
In early March, Tablighi Jamaat an Islamic movement with tens of millions of followers worldwide held a conference at its Delhi headquarters in violation of social distancing rules. Authorities believe attendees caught COVID-19 there and then returned home, spreading the virus across India. While testing is not widespread, the Health Ministry has said about 30% of India's total COVID-19 cases have been traced to people who attended the event. Tens of thousands of people who came in contact with them have been quarantined.
On April 16, India charged one of the movement's leaders, Muhammad Saad Kandhalvi, with culpable homicide. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. Kandhalvi remains in hiding, but his spokesman Musharraf Ali Khan issued a video statement urging followers to cooperate with police.
"Turn yourself in if you've spent time at any Jamaat events," he said. "Cooperate with police, who are trying to contact-trace you. There's no need to hide or misbehave."
His plea came amid reports of Jamaat members behaving badly. At a quarantine facility in Delhi, they reportedly spat on doctors. In neighboring Uttar Pradesh, they allegedly made inappropriate comments and dropped their pants in front of female nurses. A hospital in the same state reportedly removed female staffers from duty after Jamaat members allegedly "misbehaved" with them.
Some such reports have turned out to be untrue. But anger has nevertheless exploded across India.
"These are dangerous people, these lockdown cheats!" Arnab Goswami, a news anchor on India's popular Republic TV, shouted in a March 31 broadcast. "They have compromised us all!"
One official from Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party suggested that Jamaat members should be shot. Another, however, issued a warning.
"Nobody should speak a word against Muslims," Karnataka's chief minister, B.S. Yediyurappa, told local TV. "If anyone blames the entire Muslim community for some isolated incident, I'll take action against them."
On Sunday, after the Organization of Islamic Cooperation expressed "deep concern" over what it called "Islamophobia within political and media circles" in India, Modi tweeted a plea for "unity and brotherhood."
"COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or borders before striking," the prime minister wrote. "We are in this together."
Various other religious events, including a Hindu chariot-pulling festival, have been held across India in violation of lockdown rules. But none has garnered as much public outrage as Jamaat's Delhi conference.
The #CoronaJihad hashtag is trending on Twitter in India, implying Muslims are using the virus as a form of Islamic "holy war." It's often accompanied by videos purportedly showing Muslims spitting on food and sneezing.
"The right wing has found all these old videos and is circulating them to insinuate that Indian Muslims are knowingly spreading coronavirus and that it is equivalent to terrorist activity," explains Pratik Sinha, co-founder of AltNews, an Indian website that debunks fake news.
Sinha has been investigating such videos and says most of them are misleading.
For example, a video recorded in July 2018 before the coronavirus outbreak depicts Muslims licking plates and utensils.
"There's a sect of Muslims called the Bohra Muslims, and they have this extreme practice where they believe no food should be wasted," Sinha told NPR. "So a bunch of young boys were licking all the plates and spoons after some event and that went viral, claiming these are Muslims trying to spread coronavirus."
Muslim vendors have since been blocked from selling food, and beaten up. A cancer hospital was forced to apologize after refusing to admit Muslims unless they undergo a coronavirus test. In the southern city of Bengaluru, Muslim volunteers came under attack with cricket bats when they distributed food to the poor.
A member of that volunteer group, Zia Nomani, told NPR that men approached him at a charity food drive and identified themselves as members of the RSS the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh a Hindu group with close ties to India's government. They singled him out as a Muslim because of his clothes.
"They saw me wearing a [Muslim style of] kurta [tunic], and they started saying that we should be taught a lesson and all, and it's time you leave from here," Nomani, 28, recalls.
Another volunteer recorded the confrontation on his cellphone, and Nomani tweeted footage. He left before the argument could turn violent.
At an April 9 briefing, Vikas Swarup, an Indian government official, denied there have been any retaliatory attacks against Muslims amid contact tracing of Jamaat attendees.
"I do not think this has anything to do with a particular community," he told international reporters via video. "It has to do with contagion that has been spread as a result of an irresponsible gathering."
NPR producer Sushmita Pathak contributed to this report from Mumbai.
The coverage on this live blog has ended but for up-to-the-minute coverage on the coronavirus,visit thelive blog from CNBC's U.S. team.
The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University as of 3:31 p.m. Beijing time.
All times below are in Beijing time.
China is to donate an additional $30 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support efforts to combat the coronavirus, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Hua said on Twitter that the donation was aimed at strengthening developing countries' health systems and added that China had already donated $20 million to the WHO in March. Holly Ellyatt
Australia will push for an international investigation into the coronavirus pandemic at next month's annual meeting of the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, its prime minister said on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Australia wants a review into the WHO's response to the pandemic and would like to see the organization strengthened. Holly Ellyatt
Spain has reported that 440 people have died from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 22,157, its health ministry said.
The death toll has risen slightly from Wednesday, when 435 deaths were reported. The total number of cases has reached 213,024, up 4,635 from the previous day. Holly Ellyatt
Health workers at Hospital Clinic applaud at 8p.m. during the coronavirus pandemic on April 22, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain.
Xavi Torrent
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the end of the coronavirus pandemic is not yet in sight and that we will have to live with the virus "for a long time."
Speaking to Germany's Parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday, Merkel said "we are not living in the final phase of the pandemic, but still at the beginning."
"We have won time," Merkel said, according to a Reuters translation, adding that this had been used to bolster Germany's health-care system. Holly Ellyatt
Euro zone business activity hit another record low during April in another sign that thecoronavirus pandemicis causing severe economic damage across the region.
The IHS Markit Purchasing Managers' Index, which measures both the services industry and manufacturing, droppedto 13.5in April, according to preliminary data. In March, the same index had already recorded its biggest ever single monthly drop to29.7. A contraction in PMI numbers a figure below 50 indicates a likely fall in economic growth overall.
"April saw unprecedented damage to the euro zone economy amid virus lockdown measures coupled with slumping global demand and shortages of both staff and inputs,"Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit, said in a statement. Silvia Amaro
The number of coronavirus cases in Singapore jumped by 1,037 to 11,178, according to preliminary data by the Ministry of Health. A vast majority of those cases were migrant workers living in dormitories, the ministry said. (See 10:18 am update)
Singapore is the first country in the Southeast Asia to report cumulative cases of above 10,000, according to the tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Yen Nee Lee
FacebookMarketplace is one of the biggest second-hand buying and selling platforms in the world. But its efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus pale in comparison to those of rival apps.
On March 24,one in five people worldwide were in some form of lockdown, with many people only able to go out to pick up essentials (food and medicine), or to get some exercise. Things remain largely unchanged. "Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives." That's the message U.K. citizens are hearing over and over again. Popping to someone's house to pick up a second-hand this or that probably isn't a great idea right now.
However, a host of Facebook Marketplace users in the U.K. told CNBC that they were still completing face-to-face transactions over the platform. Some of them said they're taking their own precautions by wearing masks and gloves, but not all. The company has said that users should follow government advice and it was monitoring the situation. Sam Shead
Britain's financial technology industry is racing to fill gaps in the government's coronavirus business relief measures, by offering loans quickly to those struggling financially as a result of the pandemic.
Several of the country's top fintech firms have been pushing for accreditation from the state-backed British Business Bank (BBB) to be able to provide loans under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).
Initially only 40 banks including the major high street lenders Barclays, Lloyds, HSBC and RBS were accepted onto the program. But in recent weeks newer digital lenders such as Starling, OakNorth and Funding Circle have been approved as well. Ryan Browne
Credit Suisse reported a 75% rise in first-quarter net profit Thursday, in new CEO Thomas Gottstein's first earnings report since taking the helm.
The bank reported a net income of 1.31 billion Swiss francs ($1.35 billion) for the three months up to March 31, up from 749 million for the same period last year.
However, the Swiss lender set aside 568 million Swiss francs ($584.9 million) for potential loan losses, mainly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and warned it expected "COVID-19-related uncertainty to persist." For comparison, in the first quarter of 2019, the bank set aside 81 million Swiss francs for potential loan losses. Elliot Smith
Demand for consumer loans is picking up inChina, especially among the less affluent, highlighting a group that some say could use more support during the coronavirus-induced economic downturn.
The disease, officially called Covid-19, emerged late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The virus has since spread rapidly around the world, killing more than 183,000 people, including over 4,600 in China.
While the coronavirus' outbreak has stalled within the country, China is still trying to recover from theeconomic shockof weeks-long shutdowns,both domestically and nowfrom export destinations.
Official and third-party data show that China's poorest households are the hardest hit. Evelyn Cheng
It has never been implemented in the euro zone, but ultimately theEuropean Central Bankcould reach a point where so-called "helicopter money" is its best option amid the coronavirus crisis, two analysts told CNBC.
The term, coined by 20th century economist Milton Friedman, refers to an unconventional monetary policy, where a central bank prints additional money and distributes it directly to its citizens. The idea which evokes the image of money being thrown out of a helicopter to the people below is to boost consumer spending, and thus an economic recovery, during a recession. However, there are a range of ideas as to how central bankers could go about this.
European nations have been some of the hardest hit by Covid-19, with the International Monetary Fund projecting a GDP contraction of 7.5% for the euro area this year. Silvia Amaro
Confirmed coronavirus cases in Thailand rose by 13 to 2,839, according to the Ministry of Public Health's Department of Disease Control.
The country reported one more death to bring its tally to 50 since the outbreak, the department said. It added that 2,430 patients have recovered so far.
Thailand's important tourism industry has taken a hit as many countries globally closed borders and restricted travel. (see 9:50 am update) Yen Nee Lee
Germany reported another 2,352 cases of the coronavirus disease, taking its tally to148,046 since the outbreak, according to the latest data by Robert Koch Institute, a federal government agency responsible for disease monitoring and prevention.
The country's death toll increased by 215 to 5,094, said the institute. Yen Nee Lee
Japan has confirmed 14 more coronavirus cases on the Italian cruise ship Costa Atlantica currently docked in the western Japanese city of Nagasaki for repairs, reported Reuters.
At least 48 cases of infections have been identified on the ship, including cooks and staff members serving food to the crew on board, according to the report. The cruise ship is reportedly carrying 623 crew members and no passengers.
Nagasaki officials said they plan to test all on board the ship within the next few days, according to a report by Japanese broadcaster NHK. Yen Nee Lee
South Korea's gross domestic product fell by 1.4% in the first quarter compared to the previous three months, according to advance estimates by its central bank. That's a slightly smaller contraction compared to the 1.5% decline projected by economists in a Reuters poll.
Reuters reported that the quarterly decline in GDP was South Korea's worst since the fourth quarter of 2008.
The economic contraction was led by declines in private consumption as well as trade of goods and services, data by the Bank of Korea showed.
On a year-on-year basis, the South Korean economy grew by 1.3%, said the central bank.
South Korea on Thursday reported eight new cases of the coronavirus disease, bringing its tally of confirmed infections to 10,702 since the outbreak, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The country's death toll increase by two to a total of 240, said KCDC. Yen Nee Lee
Previously a poster child for its efficient handling of thecoronavirusspread,Singaporeis now back in the spotlight as it struggles to contain a new outbreak among a section of its population migrant workers.
The number of Covid-19 cases in the city-state has spiked in the past month from about 1,000 cumulative cases on April 1 to more than 10,000 today. Most of the newly infected patients are foreign migrant workers residing in dormitories, who hail from countries including India and Bangladesh.
There is "aggressive testing" underway inside migrant worker dormitories even among migrant workers who are not sick, and who do not display any symptoms, which could explain the high numbers of cases being reported everyday, according to Lawrence Wong, Singapore's minister for national development, at a virtual press conference. This could suggest the infections have been occurring for some time, he added. Audrey Cher
Arrivals of foreign tourists into Thailand fell by 76.4% in March from a year earlier, reported Reuters, citing the latest data from the country's tourism ministry.
The report also said that Chinese visitors, Thailand's largest source of foreign tourists,plunged 94.2% year over year last month.
Tourism is an important contributor of growth for the Thai economy. Last year, foreign tourist receipts accounted for 11% of the country's gross domestic product, said Reuters.
Globally, companies in the tourism and leisure industry have been among the hardest hit in the coronavirus pandemic as many countries restricted travel and closed borders to curb the spread of the virus. Yen Nee Lee
China reported just 10 new cases as of April 22, according to its National Health Commission (NHC) a decline from the 30 new cases reported the day before. Six were attributed to travelers coming from overseas. That takes the country's total to82,798 cases, according to government data.
For the eighth straight day, there were no new deaths, with total fatalities remaining at4,632, according to the NHC.
Separately, there were 27 new asymptomatic cases, where people tested positive for the virus but did not show any symptoms. That brings its number ofasymptomatic cases currently under medical observation to 984, the NHC said.Weizhen Tan
Even as recoveries rose and deaths dropped in Italy, the number of new cases in the country jumped again Wednesday. Italy reported 3,370 new cases, that's more than the 2,729 new cases reported Tuesday.
The country also reported 437 additional deaths, less than the 534 deaths reported Tuesday, according to Reuters. There were also fewer people in intensive care, 2,384 as of Wednesday compared with the 2,471 on Tuesday.
A worker wearing protective garments sanitizes the Duomo square, during the coronavirus disease outbreak in central Milan, Italy.
Flavio Lo Scalzo | REUTERS
Italy'sPrime Minister Giuseppe Conte said this week that the country will start lifting lockdown measures from May 4, but that the re-opening will be cautious and gradual, according to Reuters.
To date, Italy has reported a total of 187,327 cases, 54,543 recoveries and 25,085 deaths. Weizhen Tan
The number of confirmed cases in Mexico soared past 10,000, according to its health ministry, a Reuters report said. The country has seen 970 fatalities, according to the report.
Mexico has unveiled $25.6 billion in increased spending on social programs and infrastructure, in a bid to boost the ailing economy which had been hit by the pandemic. Weizhen Tan
All times below are in Eastern time.
President Donald Trump on Wednesdaysaid that he strongly disagreeswith Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's "phase one" plans toallow non-essential businesses to re-open in his state at the end of the week.
The re-opening of businesses, which begins Friday, includes tattoo parlors, spas, hair salons or barbershops, movie theaters and bowling alleys. They will be allowed to open their doors to the public, as long as they, and their patrons, follow physical distancing orders and other OSHA guidelines, Kemp announced on Monday.
Trump said he told the governor, "I disagree strongly," adding that the governor "has to do what he thinks is right."Lora Kolodny
The coronavirus hasinfected two cats in New York state, making them the first pets to test positive for the virus in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.
One of the cats was tested after it showed mild respiratory signs, although its owners were not confirmed to have Covid-19. The virus may have been transmitted to this cat by mildly ill or asymptomatic household members or through contact with an infected person outside its home, the CDC said.
The owner of the second cat had tested positive for the coronavirus and the animal was also tested after showing signs of respiratory illness.Noah Higgins-Dunn
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"By the grace of God I was able to get off (the ventilator)," said the 69-year-old woman from Lorain, Ohio.
They are learning how to breathe and walk again
Jesse Vanderhoof could barely move with a walker around his home in Blaine County, Idaho, and going to his upstairs bedroom was out of the question.
For the 40-year-old nurse, the skiing and hiking trips with his wife feel like distant memories. Ten days after leaving the hospital, walking only a couple of blocks leaves him extremely exhausted.
"You want to talk about humbling and challenging for a man, that's as tough as it gets right there," Vanderhoof said of his week on a ventilator after he contracted coronavirus while working on Covid-19 testing tents.
"He didn't understand why the world was at war with (Covid-19), why health care workers were heroes, why he was involved," Emily, 34, said. "We had the same conversation for four days straight."
Some survivors, such as David Lat, say one of their biggest challenges has been learning "how to breathe again" after spending 17 days in a New York hospital and six days on a ventilator.
The ventilator may have caused some damage to his vocal chords, Lat says, noting his hoarse voice, but "I wouldn't be here without it."
Leah Blomberg's muscles are weak after being in a medically-induced coma and on a ventilator for nine days. She says she feels lucky to be alive, but what used to be a 15-minute shower now takes her 45 minutes.
"The recovery is probably the worst," Blomberg said. "Basically it's having to learn to walk again, because your muscles ... it's like you've never used them before."
For those who were not hospitalized, the recovery at home can vary. Some say the process is not immediate and it has taken them weeks to recover their stamina, while others say it takes from days to weeks to get past the fever.
They are reuniting with their families
When Sandra Sandoli embraced her husband and daughters, it was a hug like no other. It was their own Easter Sunday miracle.
"I cried. It was a hug of relief and happiness but also of sadness for all we are all going through now. So many emotions at once," said Sandoli, 52, a retired teacher in Fair Haven, New Jersey.
For more than a month, Sandoli was quarantined in her bedroom after falling ill while visiting her parents in Delaware and testing positive for Covid-19. She couldn't see her parents, who contracted the virus through her, or comfort her two daughters who flew home from college.
They would leave her meals and tea by the door and pick up the empty dishes, wearing a mask and gloves, by the end of the day. They'd talk over the phone with her or while standing in different rooms.
Sandoli overcame the fever and regained her strength but a lingering cough worried her. Afraid of the virus and unable to get tested again, Sandoli said she and her doctor decided she would wait indefinitely until the cough was gone.
Sandoli left her bedroom Sunday and reunited with her family. They walked side by side for a few miles.
"It felt a little surreal," she said. "The simplest thing like taking a walk was the biggest deal."
They cooked and sat together at their dinner table eating fish, mashed potatoes and vegetables. They took a Zumba class online together.
"When I hugged my daughters, I didn't want it to end. I will never take those hugs for granted," Sandoli added. "We made it."
They are actively helping others
Nicole Chayet and her husband have been knocking on stranger's doors around New York and bringing them bags full of groceries and essentials for the past week.
"I want to help others. I survived the virus and I feel strong," Chayet, 33, told CNN. "I'm not afraid of going outside to help other people."
When Chayet, director of media relations for the New York City Football Club, and her husband were ill, she said she was afraid of telling other people or even asking others to take care of their 22-month-old daughter while they recovered.
Now, they are splitting their time between working from home, connecting with people suffering from coronavirus or their relatives, and trying to help others.
Earlier this week, Chayet gave a blood sample to a study conducted by Mount Sinai Hospital, aiming to use antibodies to treat coronavirus patients. She said she wants to volunteer in more studies and has since received messages from people in states as far away as Arizona and California asking whether she could find a way to help their loved ones.
Other survivors are mobilizing, donating blood or planning to help as soon as they make a full recovery.
"I'd like to think of it as a superhero -- me and all the other survivors have these internally-built hazmat suits," Berrent told CNN.
Even Vanderhoof, the nurse in Idaho who is still slowly trying to regain his stamina, is looking forward to getting back to work -- even if he doesn't know when that would be possible.
"If I've learned anything in this experience with medical problems, it's that I want to help people more than I ever have before," Vanderhoof said.
What has been one of his most vulnerable times has become motivation for Vanderhoof to keep living and ultimately defend others from the pandemic.
CNN's Eric Levenson, Paul Vercammen, Hollie Silverman and Holly Yan contributed to this report.
Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the creation of the 'Reopen DC Advisory Group' this morning.
The group, consisting of government and community leaders, will form recommendations for reopening the District of Columbia.
It will have 12 committees focusing on different areas, and will be led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School. Recommendations from the group are expected in May.
Bowser emphasized that the advisory group will tackle what she called "longstanding...racial inequities" in the district when planning for reopening.
She said that this is a once in a generation opportunity to reopen our city in a way that builds a more equitable DC.
The current stay-at-home order in Washington is in place until May 15. Bowser reiterated that before phase one of the reopening can begin, a downward trend of positive coronavirus cases must occur over two weeks.
Additionally, hospitals must have the capacity to treat everyone and there needs to be a widespread contact tracing capacity.
By the numbers: As of Thursday morning, there have been 155 new positive coronavirus cases in Washington, DC, bringing the total number of positive cases to 3,361.There were 12 additional deaths, bringing the total to 139.
"These are the first pets in the United States to test positive," the US Department of Agriculture said Wednesday in a joint statement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A veterinarian tested the first house cat after it showed mild respiratory signs, but none of the humans in its household were confirmed to have the virus.
It's possible, officials said, that the cat was infected by somebody outside the home. Someone inside the house, with mild or no symptoms, could have also transmitted the virus.
The second cat, in a separate area of New York, was also tested after it showed signs of respiratory illness. The owner of that cat tested positive for Covid-19 before the cat became ill, but another cat in the household has shown no signs of illness.
Social distancing for cats and dogs, too
Asked about the cats on Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said "it's not surprising" they could have been infected.
But Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease specialist, emphasized that "there is no evidence whatsoever that we've seen, from an epidemiological standpoint, that pets can be transmitters within the household."
While officials are still learning more about coronavirus and pets, the CDC is recommending that people limit interactions between their pets and people or animals outside the household.
Cats should be kept indoors when possible, the CDC said, and dogs should be walked on a leash, maintaining at least six feet from other people and animals.
The agency said dogs should also avoid public places where a large number of people and animals gather, such as dog parks.
If someone is ill with Covid-19 -- whether suspected or confirmed -- officials recommend having another member of the household care for pets.
If that's not possible, people should wear cloth face coverings around animals, making sure to wash their hands before and after any interactions.
And when people are sick, officials said they should refrain from petting or snuggling their pets -- and avoid being kissed or licked.
The 10th Amendment protects state powers and puts a hamper on presidential powers. Here's how the fight for control is playing out today. USA TODAY
Madison Elmer got the offer shortly after she and some friends startedorganizing a protest to oppose Wisconsin's coronavirus stay-at-home order: An outside group wanted to chip in some money to help pay for the rally she plans this week.
Concerned about the strings that could be attached, Elmer turned it down.
"We felt like it had a political agenda behind it, said the Wisconsin native, who declined to name the group.We didnt want to be pawns in somebodys elses game.
As protesters across the country plan to challenge statewide coronavirus orders, they fiercely resist a growing narrative that they are aligned with or funded by national groups, gun rights organizations or entities supporting President Donald Trumps reelection even as some of those groups take part in the events.
The protests, focused on rolling back stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of coronavirus, snarled traffic in Michigan,blocking a hospital entrance.Thousands of cheering, flag-waving drivers cruised aroundPennsylvania. Some demonstrations feature Trump campaign flags, but homemade signs such as one in Tennessee that encouraged Americans to "fear your government,"not the coronavirus are more prevalent.
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They have continued even as some states tentatively began reopening businesses and easing distancing guidelines. More than 46,000 Americans have died from the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University. Trump encouraged states with fewer cases and deaths to begin bringing their economies back online.
Wisconsin had more than 4,800 confirmed cases of the virus by Wednesday and had recorded 246 deaths, according to the state health department.
Elmer said she started organizing a protest for Friday after hearing from friends who were struggling, not because they are sick but because they are running out of money. Friday was the day thatGov. Tony Evers' social distancing restrictionswere initially set to lift.
Instead, they have been extended to May 26.
"I was listening to all these concerns, and I was sick of not doing anything about it," she said. "There are people suffering on both sides of this."
A woman holds a sign out the sunroof of a car during a demonstration April 20 in Pittsburgh.(Photo: Keith Srakocic, AP)
Much like the tea party movement that sprang up a decade ago, the coronavirus protests are a culturaleddy of conservative ideologies, from gun rights advocates to religious groups. Though many organizers insist the "gridlock" events and protestsare nonpartisan, many have taken on the flavor of Trump rallies including a smattering of campaign signs and the president's trademark red "MAGA" caps.
The events underscorehowefforts to contain the virus havedivided millions of Americans along familiar political battle lines.
Nearly 60% of the nations voters say they are more concerned about additional deaths from the virus than they are about the economic impact, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll this week. That sentiment is more prevalent amongDemocratsthan Republicans. GOP respondents are divided almost half are more concerned with the economy.
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Alvin Tillery, a political scientist at Northwestern University, sees the protests and Trumps exhortations as an attempt to rally his base when he has faced intense criticism from Democrats for his early handling of the crisis.
Its directed toward the blue states. Its meant to distract from Mr. Trumps incredibly poor performance in managing the crisis, Tillery said. It distracts but also gives them an issue that activates their desire to vote against the Democrats.
Trump has encouraged the groups, including from the podium of the White House briefing room. Friday, in a series of tweets, he suggested it was time to "liberate"Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia. He has beenless clear about what he'd like those states to do, and he has batted away questions about whether the protesters flout social distancing guidelines he and his aides promoted.
Liberate: Trump seeks to 'liberate' states as protesters demand easing of orders
The first item in those guidelines is to "listen and follow" directions from authorities. The guidance goes on to encourageAmericans to work from home, cancel unnecessary travel and avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.
Protesters took to the streets around the Virginia State Capitol to show support for ending tight restrictions due to coronavirus pandemic USA TODAY
"Look, people they want to get back to work, they got to make a living," Trump said late Tuesday. "They have to take care of their family."
Georgia: Trump says he disagrees with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's reopeningplan
Trump took a different approach a day later,saying he disagreed "strongly" with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's decision to move toward reopening parts of that state's economy. Kemp, a Republican and Trump ally, is pushing to reopen gyms, barber shops and other businesses as soon as Friday.
Trump said Wednesday he thought it was"just too soon."
Elmer stressed that she took no money or help from outside interests, but she's aware that a group called Wisconsinites Against Excessive Quarantine plans an event Friday at the same place and at roughly the same time as the rally she organized. That entity is associated witha national gun rights group.
"Coolif theyre supporting our mission, which is reopening Wisconsin, she said.
Similarly, organizers reached by USA TODAY in Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana and several other states denied working with national groups but said they were inspired by protests elsewhere. Some tapped into guns rights or tea party organizations to help spread the wordbut claimed no formal affiliation with wider networks.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina to demonstrate against Gov. Roy Cooper's stay-at-home order and to demand reopening the state's economy. (April 21) AP Domestic
There is some overlap: In addition to Wisconsin, rallies in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Minnesota were promoted by Facebook pages started by brothers Chris, Benand Aaron Dorr who have a network of gun advocacy organizations in multiple states.
Pennsylvanians Against Excessive Quarantine, which was launched by the Pennsylvania Firearms Association and led by Chris Dorr, was among a trio of groups that helped organize Mondays rally in Harrisburg.
"A government that is powerful enough to make unilateral decisions that close down the means of production, well, theyre also then able, in a future school shooting or another Pittsburgh shooting, to reinvoke that same power and say were going to ban constitutional freedoms to bear arms, said Dorr, the firearms associations director.
Dorr downplayed the amount of money and coordination involved.
These Facebook groups, they are completely free," Dorr said. "All I did was start the page and then invited about 10 or 15 friends into it, and it spiraled out of control from there. Theres not even 5 bucks behind this whole thing."
Protesters hold up signs and wave flags in Denver on April 21 as they protest the stay-at-home order issued during the COVID-19 pandemic.(Photo: Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Several national groupsthat fueled the tea party movement during President Barack Obama's administration said they are helping but not leading the groups. Many of the same charges about "AstroTurf" organizing were leveled against that movement, which sprang up partly in response to the Affordable Care Act.
"There is no central person organizing everything," said Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, a conservative group that focuses on economic issues.
Brandon said 25,000 people took his group's"grassroots training program," and many of them work withgroups to stage the demonstrations. The training includes coaching organizers on how to promote their events, such as through writing news releases and contacting reporters.
Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, said the real organizers are "people who are fed up."
Martin described the events as an organic movement that relies on social media. National groups such as hers, she said, blast out announcements posted to social media by local organizers to help spread the word.
More than 1,000 protesters gathered at the Idaho Statehouse Friday in defiance of Gov. Brad Little's extension of a statewide stay-at-home order. Little extended the order to the end of April in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (April 17) AP Domestic
"We want to make sure our supporters are aware events are happening," Martin said.
Organizers dismissed claims of national organization.
"Its nonsense," said Robert Hall, a longtime conservative figure in Indiana whohelped promote a protest in Indianapolis. "Its all grassroots."
Stephen Moore, an outside economic adviser to Trump, applauded the events but said he declined invitations to speak at them because he doesn't want organizers to be seen as swayed by national interests. Moore cautioned protesters against wearing MAGA hats and other Trump merchandise, arguing it could turn off some supporters.
"It really has been a spontaneous combustion," he told USA TODAY.
Demonstrators drive through Kansas City, Mo., during a protest of the stay-at-home order issued as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY NETWORK)
In some cases, the organization of the protests borders on chaotic.
Teo De Las Heras created a "ReOpen PA" Facebook page last week after spotting a similar effort in North Carolina.The tech company employeefrom Langhorne, Pennsylvania, told USA TODAY that the pagequickly grew to more than 60,000 members. Within days, other members of the grouporganized a protest he attended but didn't help to stage.
Were basically a grassroots thing right now, said De Las Heras, a registered Republican, who said he abstained from voting in the 2016 election. "All the admin and moderators are basically just small-business owners and people impacted by this."
He said an individual reached out to him about having a conversation about"some kind of national organization," but he didn't know the specifics nor the person's group. "They're contacting all the different influencers out there on social media," De Las Heras said. He agreed to talk, but the meeting was canceled.
De Las Herassaid his Facebook group was initially filled with people looking to impeach Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat,but hes sought to keep it focused on the economy.
A man who declined to provide his name wears yellow caution tape as a mask during a protest in Texas on April 18, 2020.(Photo: Nick Wagner, Austin American-Statesman-USA TO)
Keeping protesters on message and avoiding an association with some of the hate speech that hascropped up has been a challenge for organizers. Some protestershave reportedly flashed anti-Semitic signs. Organizers have rebuked that behavior, which has been rare,and said it distracts from the intended message.
In Virginia, David Britt, a spokesman for the Reopen Virginia gridlock rally, said the support keeps getting "exponentially bigger" since the event was organized last Thursday. He said hisgroup is "not getting a dime in outside fundingor other help.
A self-described "constitutional conservative" and"political big-mouth on Facebook," Britt said he was driven to action after watching last weeks rally in Lansing, Michigan. He proposed on Facebook that Virginians do the same thing.
"Were winging this and flying by the seat of our pants, said Britt, a mental health counselor from Fairfax, Virginia.
Virginia organizers are particularly upset about the length of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northams stay-at-home order, which is to runthrough June 10. They said its too extreme and will lead to unemployment and other unintended consequences, from homelessness to domestic violence.
Virginia hadmore than 9,600 confirmed cases of the virus as of Tuesdayand recorded 324deaths, according to state health officials.
Britt said organizers discouraged people from turning an event planned for Wednesday into a Trump rally or a protest over Second Amendment rights and instead urged them tostay "laser-focused" on their message about getting Virginians back to work.
"We're trying to discourage that as much as possible," Britt said, who described himself as a supporter of the president."This isnt a Trump rally. This isnt a Republican rally."
Contributing: Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY; Lansing State Journal;Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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