Outbid and left hanging, U.S. states scramble for ventilators
On the final Thursday in March the Arkansas team in charge of procuring ventilators thought they had scored a coup: a vendor had agreed to sell them 500 of the breathing machines critical to keeping COVID-19 patients alive at $19,000 each.
Trump says he thinks U.S. loss of life from coronavirus will be less than projected
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he thinks the United States will lose fewer than the 100,000 lives initially projected to the coronavirus, and suggested the country is nearing its peak infection rate.
U.S. coronavirus deaths top 18,000: Reuters tally
U.S. deaths due to the coronavirus topped 18,100 on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, although there are signs that Americans staying home was helping to curb new infections.
Millions filed for U.S. unemployment – many are still waiting for the cash
A shocking 16.8 million people filed for U.S. unemployment benefits in the last three weeks as the country shut down to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, overwhelming state labor departments and creating a large backlog of pending applications….
New U.S. projections show summer spike if coronavirus restrictions lifted: NYT
New U.S. government figures show novel coronavirus infections will spike during the summer if stay-at-home orders are lifted after 30 days as planned, the New York Times reported on Friday.
New York ‘cautiously optimistic’ with first daily drop in ICU COVID-19 patients
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday that the number of coronavirus patients in intensive care units across the state dropped in the last day, offering a glimmer of hope that the surge in critical care hospitalizations might be leveling off.
Easter weekend begins with empty churches in coronavirus-hit U.S.
As American Christians began Easter weekend under threat of the coronavirus, political leaders on Friday cautioned the faithful not to gather in churches and the country’s top infectious disease expert urged people to stick with social distancing restr…
‘Herculean task’: Chicago public schools scramble to launch online classes
During a typical school day at Chicago’s Benito Juarez Community Academy, James Klock’s high-school students can be found splicing and connecting wiring, getting the hands-on experience needed to become skilled electricians.
U.S. railroad Amtrak receives $1 billion in emergency funding
The U.S. Transportation Department said Friday it released $1 billion in emergency funding for U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak, which has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.
He smiled to comfort his COVID-19 patient – then he realized his mask was leaking
(Editor’s note: Attention to expletives in 4th and 9th paragraphs that some may find offensive.)
