Researchers are still trying to determine whether a positive antibody result means the patient is now immune to COVID-19.
MERIDIAN, Idaho On Wednesday, Crush the Curve Idahoannounced results for its first 48 hours of antibody and COVID-19 testing in the Treasure Valley.
A testing site is currently set up at Meridian Crossing. There, health professionals can administer a nose swab test to see if people have COVID-19. Those who believe they're already had the virus can get a small blood draw test to check for antibodies.
In its first 48 hours of testing, Crush the Curve tested 1,946 patients for antibodies. 34 patients, or 1.75%, of those tests came back positive.
Crush the Curve also tested 1,598 patients for the novel coronavirus. Of those, 49 patients, or 3.1%, came back positive.
All antibody tests were run through the University of Washington's virology lab, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 99.6%.
Tommy Ahlquist, CEO of Saltzer Health and spokesman for Crush the Curve, explained to KTVB in a previous interview what those terms mean. The sensitivity percentage is the confidence that the test will pick up even small traces of the virus. Specificity is the confidence that it can rule out the presence of COVID-19 antibodies.
Dr. John Kaiser, chief medical officer at Saltzer Health, said right now they aren't sure what a positive result on antibodies means for patients.
The answer is we dont know with 100% certainty," he said. "We dont know with 100% certainty that its protected from re-infection. We also dont know how long that immunity if it is present how long it will last. Those are things were going to find out as we go through understanding this disease more.
That's why testing like Crush the Curve is doing is beneficial. It offers more data for health professionals to learn more about the disease.
The testing I believe is the key to our ability to continue the process of opening up and helping people understand where were at," Kaiser said. "I also think that with testing you can convince someone that you know where the disease state is at and you can take all these precautions because we arent to a point where we can just let our guard down.
Health professionals with Crush the Curve say the antibody tests are not meant to give a false sense of security. And no matter people's results, it shouldn't change their behavior and they should continue safe social distancing and sanitization practices.
Mike Boren with Clearwater Analytics, which is also part of Crush the Curve initiative, said the first wave of results is not a scientific sample. It's mean to be a starting point for data collection about the disease in Idaho.
These particular results are a small sample of people in the Treasure Valley only and are not an overall representation of the population.
"It's not a perfect, scientific example," Boren said. But let me be clear - were not going for perfection here. Were going for a better idea than we had and hopefully some good data so we can make better decisions we might not otherwise make without good data.
Boren said what these results do show so far is that there is less disease in the state than expected. It also shows that social distancing measures are working to slow the spread of the virus to more people.
Kaiser added that the results show Idaho is a long way from developing herd immunity to COVID-19.
Because the goal of the testing is to get better data about where the level of disease is in the state, Kaiser said results can also help Idahoans prepare to go back to work - and "do it wisely."
Crush the Curve plans to test 18,000 more Idahoans for antibodies by May 1. To do that, more testing sites will be set up statewide, including in Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Lewiston, Post Falls and Blaine County.
In some areas like Blaine County, Boren said the goal is to test a large majority of the population.
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Air pollution has dropped to unprecedented levels across the world as major cities and countries impose lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
More than 2.6 million cases of Covid-19 and at least 183,820 deaths have been documented worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.
As humans stay inside, the environment is temporarily changing: wild animals are roaming the streets and some typically smog-filled skies are clear.
People in Punjab, India say they can see the snow peaks of the Himalayas, a view that for decades has been blocked by air pollution. New Delhi alone has recorded a 60% drop in fine particulate matter, the world's deadliest air pollutant.
Los Angeles, the traffic-congested city with some of the highest smog levels in the U.S., has seen nitrogen levels drop significantly andrush-hour traffic essentially vanish.
Despite the rare glimpse of natural beauty like snow-crested mountains and clearer skylines,scientists warn against celebrating anyshort-term benefits from the decline in air pollutionsince levels will reboundonce global restrictions lift.
Narayan Maharjan | NurPhoto | Getty Images
The Langtang range is visiblefrom Kathmandu during the sixth day the nationwide coronavirus lockdown in Nepalon March 29.The restrictionshave decreased air pollution in Kathmandu Valley, which consistently ranks among the most polluted areas in the world.
The top picture shows the India Gate war memorial on October 17, 2019, months before the nationwide lockdown. The bottom picture shows the memorial after air pollution levels began to drop during the lockdown in New Delhi on April 8.
Araya Diaz | Getty Images
Smog has cleared up over downtown Los Angeles during the coronavirus pandemic on April 17. The skyline is usuallyobscured by air pollution, but nitrogen levels have plummeted in the city since the beginning of quarantine.
Willy Kurniawan | Reuters
The top picture shows a typical view of high-rise buildings covered by smog in the Indonesian capital on July 4, 2019. The bottom picture shows the same view of Jakarta during the pandemic on April 16.
David McNew | Getty Images
Traffic plummeted on highways in Los Angeles once the virus restrictions were imposed at midnight on March 20.
Herman Lumanog | Pacific Press | LightRocket via Getty Images
In Philippines' capital city,fine particulate matter the world's deadliest air pollutantdropped by 180% since quarantine measures were imposed in Metro Manila on March 16, according tothe Environmental Pollution Studies Laboratory of The Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology.
ESA | Handout via Reuters
Satellite imagery distributed by the European Space Agency shows the decline inaverage nitrogen dioxide concentrations from air pollution across Spain from March 14 to March 25.
The Eiffel Tower is seen clearly from the Parisian suburb of Saint-Cloud on April 22.
Courier Journal reporter Morgan Watkins hosted a Q&A with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to talk about the coronavirus and his administrations response. Louisville Courier Journal
Kentucky appears to be plateauing on the coronavirus curve, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, and while crushing the curve doesn't appear to be in the cards it looks like it's flattening.
Does that make sense?
If you've been paying attentionin the last six or so weeks, you probably understand at least a few of those words. The "curve" is a reference to the number of reported coronavirus cases per three-day average it rises early, as the virus spreads, then hits a peak and eventually declines as cases drop.
Kentucky, Beshear has said, appears to be through the rise and is now "plateauing," meaning the commonwealth is likely in or near the peak ahead of the drop. State officials have said Kentucky will be able to reopen after14 days of decreasing cases, an increase in testing capacity and a number of other factors, and many businesses should be able to open back up soon after.
Kentucky coronavirus map: How many cases are in Kentucky? Where are they?
Kentucky live coronavirus updates: Get the latest news here
Our updating graph below puts Kentucky's curve in perspective, from when the first case in the state was confirmed on March 6 to now. The goal, Beshear has said, is to keep the curve from rising too fast for hospitals to be able to handle. The peak will last longer if the curve is flattened, but the lower number of cases at any given time will help keep the nation's health care system from being overwhelmed.
The curve is going to determine a lot about Kentucky's future, and when businesses and other places can reopen. Let's take a closer look.
Beshear believes the commonwealth's curve has flattened, and there are some encouraging signs. The numbers aren't dropping yet, but Kentucky is no longer seeing a major rise in cases in each three-day average.
The Bluegrass State, Beshear has said, looks like it's "plateauing." Which brings us to our next question...
A plateau is what the top of the curve looks like when it's flattened. An unflattened curve drops more quickly than a plateau but spikes much higher than a plateau and would overwhelm hospitals. A plateau is a longer period of little or no movement after that initial rise in cases, followed by a drop.
Michael Gough, chief operating officer ofNorton Healthcare, recently told The Courier Journal that Kentucky has been in a plateau "for the last 10 to 14 days" and could remain there for a few additional weeks.
It's almost impossible to pin down an exact date, and models have shifted throughout the pandemic. Predictionsfromthe University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which health officials backed in a recentThe Courier Journal story, projected Kentucky's peak could come Thursday, while other models have pointed toward later April or early May.
Also: U of L team's research into synthetic DNA tool could up the fight against COVID-19
New Zealand and South Korea have drawn some praise for "crushing" the curve the two nations implemented strict and heavy lockdown measures immediately after the first cases were confirmed and have since largely missed out on especially high death rates. (South Korea also used extensive contact tracing early to identify people who may have been exposed and aggressively tested potential coronavirus carriers.)
Kentucky, like everywhere else in the world, is at risk of being hit by a second wave until a vaccine is made available. Like the flu and common cold, case numbers could rise again when temperatures dip after the hot summer months, and relaxing social distancing guidelines too early before cases notably drop could also expose more people to the coronavirus.
Herd immunity has been brought up as a possible way to push through the pandemic. The phrase refers to the pointwhen a significant chunk of the population becomes immune to a disease or virus, stopping its spread because the number of people who can contract it is so much lower.
Herd immunity would likely overwhelm hospitals and would put many more lives at risk, though, health experts have said, and not enoughis known about the coronavirus to determine whether it would be effective.
Reporter Grace Schneider and USA TODAY's Molly Stellino contributed. Lucas Aulbach can be reached at laulbach@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach. Support strong local journalism and subscribe:www.courier-journal.com/lucasa.
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Though President Donald Trump has been not big in the empathy department during the coronavirus pandemiche more often talks about his own TV ratings than the tens of thousands Americans who have died during the crisisthe Trump campaign wants his supporters to know that Trump truly cares about them during this time of tragedy and hardship. As proof of Trumps deeply felt concern, his campaign is offering to send his devotees a set of Trump-Pence pint glasses. All for just a contribution of $31.
Yes, the Trump campaign is exploiting the coronavirus to sell campaign swag to Trump supporters. And it is claiming this is a beneficent act on the part of Trump himself.
This week, the Trump campaign sent out a bizarre email to its lists of supporters. Friend, it began, We have some exciting news to tell you. It noted that Trump knows the past few weeks have been extremely difficult for Americans from all across the Nation. Trump, the email said, appreciated those who have stood with him and wanted to do something special for them.
That special act Trump wished to perform for his supporter during this difficult stretch was to offer them EXCLUSIVE ACCESS to Official Trump-Pence Pint Glasses. Isnt that special? Though you may be suffering due to the coronavirus, you now can buy Trump junk. But, the email pointed out, you have to send in $31 for the set of these glasses by midnight. (That was a crockbecause the campaign zapped out this email two days in a row. There was no actual midnight deadline.)
This sounds like a bad joke. But its not. While tens of thousands of Americans are dying, Trump and his campaign decided he could console his supporters and show them hes on their side by peddling them campaign tchotchkes. And this emailsent out with the subject heading Cheersalso requested contributions of $250 and more. What could be more Trumpian? I will recognize this is a difficult period for you and other Americans by offering you the opportunity to help me.
The Trump campaigns fundraising emails often have the whiff of grift. They frequently tell supporters they can join an exclusive group of donorsbecome part of the Trump Gold Card Member circle!and be placed on a list of names that Trump will review personally, as long as they send in a donation immediately. (It can be as small of $35.) This is all bunk and goes above and beyond the usual political sales pitches.
Now the coronavirus pandemic has been seized upon by the Trump campaign as a marketing opportunity. Especially, given that so many Americans are currently self-isolating in their homes. In other recent fundraising solicitations, the campaign has peddled BRAND NEW Trump-Pence 2020 Playing Cards. Two decks for only $30. And the email for this offer proclaimed this was another special deal, for Trump has requested that we give you EARLY ACCESS to get these iconic cards before anyone else. Moreover, the email stated, this is the perfect time to buy playing cards: We know youre at home right now, doing your part to Keep America Safe, and there is no better way to keep yourself entertained AND support your President than by purchasing our Official Trump-Pence 2020 Playing Cards. Another campaign email offered an Official Trump Puzzle for $45. This note, too, declared that during a time of social isolation there is no better way to pass the time with family AND show your support for President Trump than by purchasing a Trump Puzzle.
Trump glasses, Trump cards, Trump puzzles. Theyre part of a long tradition: Trump Steaks, Trump Vodka, Trump University. If theres a chance to sell something, Trump will give it a try. (Another recent email from the campaign promoted Trump-Pence welcome mats.) Blatant commercialism and self-promotion is no surprise for Trump. That is his brand. But this week he and his campaign showed that they can surpass the usual Trumpish crassness by using the horrific coronavirus nightmare to make a buck by selling pint glasses bearing the campaigns logo. How long can it be before Trump and his campaign attempts to raise money by hawking MAGA face masks?
At least 6,105 people have been confirmed to have the virus in Missouri and at least 229 have died, according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University.
Schmitt, in his official role as attorney general of Missouri, filed the civil lawsuit in federal court in the eastern district of Missouri.
Legal experts have said the lawsuit faces an uphill battle because China is protected by sovereign immunity. CNN is reaching out to the Chinese government for comment.
Missouri's lawsuit alleges that while the Chinese medical community had indications of human-to-human transmission of the virus, they did not inform the World Health Organization when they first reported the outbreak.
It also alleges Chinese leaders did little to curb spread of the virus, still allowing thousands of people to travel to and out of Wuhan.
"In mid-January, on or around January 16, despite knowing the risks of doing so, Wuhan leaders hosted a potluck dinner for 40,000 residents, increasing the potential spread of the virus," it says. "Defendants allowed these massive public gatherings and massive exodus from Wuhan despite knowing the risks of COVID-19, including the risk of human-to-human transmission."
The state also alleges China hoarded PPE while concealing the outbreak and that the small amounts they have released have been "faulty."
Those, among other actions taken by Chinese officials had a massive toll on human life and health and has led to "enormous" economic disruptions across the world, according to the lawsuit.
"Before the pandemic, Missouri had one of its lowest unemployment rates of the past decade, but on information and belief, Missouri's unemployment rate is now the highest it has been since the Great Depression," the suit claims. "Responding to the pandemic has required shutting down businesses, disrupting ordinary production and trade, and dislocating workers."
CNN's Chris Boyette and Hira Humayun contributed to this report.
The nonprofit, which runs the famed zoo in New York City, said three tigers and three African lions began showing symptoms in early April, when the zoo announced a 4-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia tested positive. The six big cats were tested and those results now show they are also infected. According to the zoo, they had been coughing.
One more tiger, who showed no symptoms, also tested positive.
The zoo said the cats were infected by a staff member who was positive but at the time showed no symptoms. In response, preventive measures are now in place for staff who are caring for cats across all four zoos run by the nonprofit in the state.
All four have been closed since mid-March, the nonprofit said.
The zoo said the animals are now behaving normally, eating well and are not coughing as much.
Stanford University researchers conducted blood tests in Santa Clara countyto reveal the prevalence of antibodies to the pandemic coronavirus.
By Gretchen VogelApr. 21, 2020 , 6:30 PM
Sciences COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center.
Surveying large swaths of the public for antibodies to the new coronavirus promises to show how widespread undiagnosed infections are, how deadly the virus really is, and whether enough of the population has become immune for social distancing measures to be eased. But the first batch of results has generated more controversy than clarity.
The survey results, from Germany, the Netherlands, and several locations in the United States, find that anywhere from 2% to 30% of certain populations have already been infected with the virus. The numbers imply that confirmed COVID-19 cases are an even smaller fraction of the true number of people infected than many had estimated and that the vast majority of infections are mild. But many scientists question the accuracy of the antibody tests and complain that several of the research groups announced their findings in the press rather than in preprints or published papers, where their data could be scrutinized. Critics are also wary because some of the researchers are on record advocating for an early end to lockdowns and other control measures, and claim the new prevalence figures support that call.
Some observers warn the coronavirus march through the population has only just begun, and that even if the antibody results can be believed, they dont justify easing controls. You would have hoped for 45% or even 60% positive, says Mark Perkins, a diagnostics expert at the World Health Organization. That would mean that there is lots of silent transmission, and a lot of immunity in the population. It now looks like, sadly, thats not true. Even the high numbers are relatively small.
The many different academic and commercial tests for coronavirus antibodies are still being refined and validated. They can show whether someones immune system has encountered the virus. But because no one knows what level of antibodies, if any, confers protection against the new virus, the tests cant tell whether a person is immune to a future infection. And no one knows how long such immunity might last.
A German antibody survey was the first out of the gate several weeks ago. At a press conference on 9 April, virologist Hendrik Streeck from the University of Bonn announced preliminary results from a town of about 12,500 in Heinsberg, a region in Germany that had been hit hard by COVID-19. He told reporters his team had found antibodies to the virus in 14% of the 500 people tested. By comparing that number with the recorded deaths in the town, the study suggested the virus kills only 0.37% of the people infected. (The rate for seasonal influenza is about 0.1%.) The team concluded in a two-page summary that15% of the population can no longer be infected with SARS-CoV-2, and the process of reaching herd immunity is already underway. They recommended that politicians start to lift some of the regions restrictions.
Streeck had argued even before the study that the virus is less serious than feared and that the effects of long shutdowns may be just as bad if not worse than the damage the virus could do. However, Christian Drosten, a virologist at Charit University Hospital in Berlin, told reporters later that day that no meaningful conclusions could be drawn from the antibody study based on the limited information Streeck presented. Drosten cited uncertainty about what level of antibodies provides protection and noted that the study sampled entire households. That can lead to overestimating infections, because people living together often infect each other.
Streeck and his colleagues claimed the commercial antibody test they used has more than 99% specificity, but a Danish group found the test produced three false positives in a sample of 82 controls, for a specificity of only 96%. That means that in the Heinsberg sample of 500, the test could have produced more than a dozen false positives out of roughly 70 the team found.
A California serology study of 3300 people released last week in a preprint also drew strong criticisms. The lead authors of the study, Jay Bhattacharya and Eran Bendavid, who study health policy at Stanford University, worked with colleagues to recruit the residents of Santa Clara county through ads on Facebook. Fifty antibody tests were positiveabout 1.5%. But after adjusting the statistics to better reflect the countysdemographics, the researchers concluded that between 2.49% and 4.16% of the countys residents had likely been infected. That suggests, they say, that the real number of infections was as many as 80,000. Thats more than 50 times as many as viral gene tests had confirmed and implies a low fatality ratea reason to consider whether strict lockdowns are worthwhile, argue Bendavid and co-author John Ioannidis, who studies public health at Stanford.
On the day the preprint posted, co-author Andrew Bogana biotech investor with a biophysics Ph.D.published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal asking, If policy makers were aware from the outset that the Covid-19 death toll would be closer to that of seasonal flu would they have risked tens of millions of jobs and livelihoods? The op-ed did not initially disclose his role in the study.
Yet Twitter threads and blog posts outlined a litany of apparent problems with the Santa Clara study. Recruiting through Facebook likely attracted people with COVID-19like symptoms who wanted to be tested, boosting the apparent positive rate. Because the absolute numbers of positive tests were so small, false positives may have been nearly as common as real infections. The study also had relatively few participants from low-income and minority populations, meaning the statistical adjustments the researchers made could be way off. I think the authors of the paper owe us all an apology, wrote Columbia University statistician and political scientist Andrew Gelman in an online commentary. The numbers were essentially the product of a statistical error. Bhattacharya says he is preparing an appendix that addresses the criticisms. But, he says, The argument that the test is not specific enough to detect real positives is deeply flawed.
Bhattacharya and Bendavid have also collaborated with Neeraj Sood, a health policy expert at the University of Southern California, to do a similar study in Los Angeles county. They used the same antibody test on 846 people selected by a marketing firm to represent the countys demographics. In a press release issued this week, they estimated that roughly 4% of the countys adult population has antibodies to the virusas many as 300,000 people. (Sood told Science that 35 subjects tested positive.)
Another serology study, in the Netherlands, produced a similar figure for antibody prevalence that was revealed in the countrys House of Representatives on16 April. Hans Zaaijer, a virologist at Sanquin, the Dutch national blood bank, who helped lead the study, says the team used a commercial test, which consistently shows superior results in validation studies, but didnt provide more details. The results made it clear that the country was not yet near the herd immunity that some had hoped for. Nevertheless, the government said on 21 April that it would start to lift some restrictions in the coming weeks, opening elementary schools and allowing childrens sports teams to practice.
A small study in the Boston suburb of Chelsea has found the highest prevalence of antibodies so far. Prompted by the striking number of COVID-19 patients from Chelsea colleagues had seen, Massachusetts General Hospital pathologists John Iafrate and Vivek Naranbhai quickly organized a local serology survey. Within 2 days, they collected blood samples from 200 passersby on a street corner. That evening, they processed the samplesand shared the results with a reporter from The Boston Globe. Sixty-three were positive31.5%. The result carries several large caveats. The team used a test whose maker, BioMedomics, says it has a specificity of only about 90%, though Iafrate says MGHs own validation tests found a specificity of higher than 99.5%. And pedestrians on a single corner arent a representative sample of the town,Naranbhai acknowledges.
The pair says a paper describing the teams results has been submitted to a journal but they shared the data with The Boston Globe first because we felt there was an urgent infection control issue in Chelsea that warranted getting the information out. The Boston researchers do not think quarantines should be eased, however. Better containment is urgently needed in Chelsea, they say, to help prevent further spread both within the community and in the larger Boston area.
Even if the antibody surveys show a COVID-19 death rate well below 1%, says Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, control measures will be needed for a long time to avoid overwhelmed hospitals. The seroprevalence data only confirm the challenge we face. The data [these studies] are generating is just showing how hard this is.
"I told the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities which are in violation of the phase one guidelines for the incredible people of Georgia. They're incredible people. I love those people. They are -- they're great. They've been strong, resolute.
But, at the same time, he must do what he thinks is right. I want him to do what he thinks is right, but I disagree with him on what he's doing. But I want to let the governors do -- now, if I see something totally egregious, totally out of line, I'll do. But I think spas and beauty salons and tattoo parlors and barbershops in phase one -- we're going to have phase two very soon -- is just too soon. I think it's too soon.
"And I love the people. I love -- I love those people that use all of those things: the spas and the beauty parlors and barbershops, tattoo parlors. I love them. But they can wait a little bit longer. Just a little bit. Not -- not much. Because safety has to predominate. We have to have that. So I told the governor, very simply, that I disagree with his decision, but he has to do what he thinks is right."
Holy moly.
Now, I have seen a lot of things in politics. And I have seen one politician throw another under the proverbial bus. But I have never seen it happen that badly -- especially when the stakes are so high.
Consider what Trump did in those few sentences:
1) Made clear that Kemp does not have his support for reopening parts of the state's economy, providing him plausible deniability if things turn bad
2) Said Kemp is free to make his own decisions, even if those decisions are -- in Trump's mind -- very bad and wrong
3) Made sure the people of Georgia know he loves them very much, especially those who use nails salons and tattoo parlors
It's an absolutely remarkable bit of political blaming -- made all the worse (or better depending on where you stand) by the fact that Kemp likely went into Wednesday night's coronavirus task force press briefing believing that, even while criticism was mounting, he still had Trump's support to fall back on. It's like a trust fall exercise where the person behind you assures you they will catch you and then not only lets you fall but stomps on you when you are on the ground.
Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who did win Kemp's appointment to the seat, made clear exactly how awkward this whole situation is by putting out a statement that attempted to agree with both Trump and Kemp.
"Of course I support President Trump and I'm proud to serve on his Task Force to re-open America," she said. "And obviously, I support Governor Kemp and his efforts to begin to get Georgians back to work safely." But you can't do that! Because Kemp and Trump support different things when it comes to what's best for Georgia residents!
Given that data, it's a political no-brainer for Trump to saw off the branch that Kemp has walked out on. If Trump was on record as supporting Kemp's decision and, unfortunately, Covid-19 cases began spiking within a few weeks of reopening the state, the blame would be shared by both the governor and the President. Now, with his statement on Thursday, if the worst-case scenario happens, Trump can say something like It's a horrible situation down there in Georgia but you'll remember I told the governor I didn't think he was doing the right thing.
With Trump pulling the rug out from under him, the question now is what Kemp will do. He's got less than 24 hours before his planned reopening of Georgia's economy begins. Does he plow forward under the idea that he's still doing the right thing -- even if the data and the President say he isn't? Or does he try to find a way to claw back his plan? If so, how?
SUSPENSION OF ENTRY OF IMMIGRANTS WHO PRESENT A RISK TO THE UNITED STATES LABOR MARKET DURING THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY FOLLOWING THE 2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has significantly disrupted the livelihoods of Americans. In Proclamation 9994 of March 13, 2020 (Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak), I declared that the COVID--19 outbreak in the United States constituted a national emergency, beginning March 1, 2020. Since then, the American people have united behind a policy of mitigation strategies, including social distancing, to flatten the curve of infections and reduce the spread of SARS--CoV--2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This needed behavioral shift has taken a toll on the United States economy, with national unemployment claims reaching historic levels. In the days between the national emergency declaration and April 11, 2020, more than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment.
In the administration of our Nation's immigration system, we must be mindful of the impact of foreign workers on the United States labor market, particularly in an environment of high domestic unemployment and depressed demand for labor. We must also conserve critical State Department resources so that consular officers may continue to provide services to United States citizens abroad. Even with their ranks diminished by staffing disruptions caused by the pandemic, consular officers continue to provide assistance to United States citizens, including through the ongoing evacuation of many Americans stranded overseas.
I have determined that, without intervention, the United States faces a potentially protracted economic recovery with persistently high unemployment if labor supply outpaces labor demand. Excess labor supply affects all workers and potential workers, but it is particularly harmful to workers at the margin between employment and unemployment, who are typically "last in" during an economic expansion and "first out" during an economic contraction. In recent years, these workers have been disproportionately represented by historically disadvantaged groups, including African Americans and other minorities, those without a college degree, and the disabled. These are the workers who, at the margin between employment and unemployment, are likely to bear the burden of excess labor supply disproportionately.
Furthermore, lawful permanent residents, once admitted, are granted "open-market" employment authorization documents, allowing them immediate eligibility to compete for almost any job, in any sector of the economy. There is no way to protect already disadvantaged and unemployed Americans from the threat of competition for scarce jobs from new lawful permanent residents by directing those new residents to particular economic sectors with a demonstrated need not met by the existing labor supply. Existing immigrant visa processing protections are inadequate for recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak. The vast majority of immigrant visa categories do not require employers to account for displacement of United States workers. While some employment-based visas contain a labor certification requirement, because visa issuance happens substantially after the certification is completed, the labor certification process cannot adequately capture the status of the labor market today. Moreover, introducing additional permanent residents when our healthcare resources are limited puts strain on the finite limits of our healthcare system at a time when we need to prioritize Americans and the existing immigrant population. In light of the above, I have determined that the entry, during the next 60 days, of certain aliens as immigrants would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, hereby find that the entry into the United States of persons described in section 1 of this proclamation would, except as provided for in section 2 of this proclamation, be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and that their entry should be subject to certain restrictions, limitations, and exceptions. I therefore hereby proclaim the following:
Section 1. Suspension and Limitation on Entry. The entry into the United States of aliens as immigrants is hereby suspended and limited subject to section 2 of this proclamation.
Sec. 2. Scope of Suspension and Limitation on Entry. (a) The suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall apply only to aliens who:
(i) are outside the United States on the effective date of this proclamation;
(ii) do not have an immigrant visa that is valid on the effective date of this proclamation; and
(iii) do not have an official travel document other than a visa (such as a transportation letter, an appropriate boarding foil, or an advance parole document) that is valid on the effective date of this proclamation or issued on any date thereafter that permits him or her to travel to the United States and seek entry or admission.
(b) The suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to:
(i) any lawful permanent resident of the United States;
(ii) any alien seeking to enter the United States on an immigrant visa as a physician, nurse, or other healthcare professional; to perform medical research or other research intended to combat the spread of COVID-19; or to perform work essential to combating, recovering from, or otherwise alleviating the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees; and any spouse and unmarried children under 21 years old of any such alien who are accompanying or following to join the alien;
(iii) any alien applying for a visa to enter the United States pursuant to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program;
(iv) any alien who is the spouse of a United States citizen;
(v) any alien who is under 21 years old and is the child of a United States citizen, or who is a prospective adoptee seeking to enter the United States pursuant to the IR-4 or IH-4 visa classifications;
(vi) any alien whose entry would further important United States law enforcement objectives, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees, based on a recommendation of the Attorney General or his designee;
(vii) any member of the United States Armed Forces and any spouse and children of a member of the United States Armed Forces;
(viii) any alien seeking to enter the United States pursuant to a Special Immigrant Visa in the SI or SQ classification, subject to such conditions as the Secretary of State may impose, and any spouse and children of any such individual; or
(ix) any alien whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees.
Sec. 3. Implementation and Enforcement. (a) The consular officer shall determine, in his or her discretion, whether an immigrant has established his or her eligibility for an exception in section 2(b) of this proclamation. The Secretary of State shall implement this proclamation as it applies to visas pursuant to such procedures as the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, may establish in the Secretary of State's discretion. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall implement this proclamation as it applies to the entry of aliens pursuant to such procedures as the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may establish in the Secretary of Homeland Security's discretion.
(b) An alien who circumvents the application of this proclamation through fraud, willful misrepresentation of a material fact, or illegal entry shall be a priority for removal by the Department of Homeland Security.
(c) Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to limit the ability of an individual to seek asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, consistent with the laws of the United States.
Sec. 4. Termination. This proclamation shall expire 60 days from its effective date and may be continued as necessary. Whenever appropriate, but no later than 50 days from the effective date of this proclamation, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Labor, recommend whether I should continue or modify this proclamation.
Sec. 5. Effective Date. This proclamation is effective at 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on April 23, 2020.
Sec. 6. Additional Measures. Within 30 days of the effective date of this proclamation, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall review nonimmigrant programs and shall recommend to me other measures appropriate to stimulate the United States economy and ensure the prioritization, hiring, and employment of United States workers.
Sec. 7. Severability. It is the policy of the United States to enforce this proclamation to the maximum extent possible to advance the interests of the United States. Accordingly:
(a) if any provision of this proclamation, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and the application of its provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby; and
(b) if any provision of this proclamation, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid because of the lack of certain procedural requirements, the relevant executive branch officials shall implement those procedural requirements to conform with existing law and with any applicable court orders.
Sec. 8. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or,
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This proclamation shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fourth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
The World Health Organization warned world leaders Wednesday that they will need to manage around the coronavirus for the foreseeable future as cases level off or decline in some countries, while peaking in others and resurging in areas where the Covid-19 pandemic appeared to be under control.
"Make no mistake, we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time,"WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference at the agency's headquarters in Geneva.
While social distancing measures put in place in numerous countries to slow the spread of the coronavirus have been successful, the virus remains "extremely dangerous," Tedros said. Current data show "most of the world's population remains susceptible," he said, meaning outbreaks can easily "reignite."
"People in countries with stay-at-home orders are understandably frustrated with being confined to their homes for weeks on end. People understandably want to get on with their lives," he said. "But the world will not and can not go back to the way things were. There must be a new normal."
The coronavirushas infected more than 2.5 million people worldwide and killed at least 178,845 since it emerged almost four months ago,according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
WHOofficials have previously said partisan politics anda lack of global solidarity are helping to fuel the coronavirus pandemic, urging countries to work together asCovid-19 continues to spread throughout the world.
WHO said Wednesday officials are seeing a number of countries that appeared to be successful in stopping the virus now reporting a resurgence in cases again."And that's because a large proportion of the population does remain susceptible," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, told reporters.
In some regions, such as North America and Europe, public health officials are also seeing "devastating" outbreaks inside long-term care facilities, WHO officials said.
"As long as the virus is here, there's always an opportunity for that to happen,"said Dr.Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's health emergencies program. "It is very difficult to reduce that risk to zero. Each country is going to have to look at how we can minimize bringing the disease into such a setting."
Ryan also said it's important to have clear communication between government officials and the general population, who need to understand why they are doing certain actions.
Symptoms of the coronavirus can include a sore throat, runny nose, diarrhea, fever or pneumonia and can progress to multiple organ failure or even death in some cases, according to WHO. The median time from the first sign of symptoms to recovery for mild cases is approximately two weeks and between three to six weeks for patients with severe or critical disease, according to the WHO, citing early data from China. It can take up to eight weeks for someone to die from the virus, research shows.
Last week, WHO said there's no evidence serological tests can show whether a person has immunity or is no longer at risk of becoming reinfected.
Kerkhove said WHO officials discovered many countries suggesting these tests would be able to "capture what they think will be a measure of immunity."
--CNBC'sNoah Higgins-Dunn contributed to this report.
