MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A coronavirus outbreak at a Kansas City area rehabilitation facility has now claimed 12 lives and sickened nearly 100 other residents and staff members.

Health officials in Wyandotte County&nbsp;said Monday&nbsp;that the Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation of Kansas City has 90 residents who tested positive and 20 staff. Five of the residents are hospitalized.

Janell Friesen, a spokeswoman for the county health department, said she she didn’t anticipate a surge in new cases there because most of the testing has been completed. The newest numbers are unchanged from Sunday, when positive cases rose by 18. She said staff is investigating how COVID-19 spread in the center.

Nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities have been particularly hard hit by the outbreak nationwide because they serve a vulnerable population that is in need of extensive hands-on care.

Riverbend said in a statement posted on its website that about 90% of patients are responding positively to care and that it is making palliative and supportive care available to those residents whose “overall course has not been as encouraging despite the efforts of our clinical team.”

Statewide, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 grew Monday to 1,376, up 39 from Sunday. The number of deaths increased by six to 62.

The Kansas Department of Corrections said Monday that the sickened also include one resident of a Wichita work release facility. Corrections officials also are dealing with an outbreak at the Lansing Correction Facility.

Meanwhile, Kansas State University announced Monday that summer classes will move online with significantly reduced fees in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The university previously moved spring classes online.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586610504976.png" alt="Cars lined up for virus testing -photo courtesy Johnson County Department of Health" />
 <figcaption>Cars lined up for virus testing -photo courtesy Johnson County Department of Health</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A coronavirus outbreak at a Kansas City area rehabilitation facility has now claimed 12 lives and sickened nearly 100 other residents and staff members.Health officials in Wyandotte County&nbsp;said Monday&nbsp;that the Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation of Kansas City has 90 residents who tested positive and 20 staff. Five of the residents are hospitalized.Janell Friesen, a spokeswoman for the county health department, said she she didn’t anticipate a surge in new cases there because most of the testing has been completed. The newest numbers are unchanged from Sunday, when positive cases rose by 18. She said staff is investigating how COVID-19 spread in the center.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586610467450.png" alt="Drive up virus testing photo courtesy Johnson County Department of Health" />
 <figcaption>Drive up virus testing photo courtesy Johnson County Department of Health</figcaption>
 </figure>Nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities have been particularly hard hit by the outbreak nationwide because they serve a vulnerable population that is in need of extensive hands-on care.Riverbend said in a statement posted on its website that about 90% of patients are responding positively to care and that it is making palliative and supportive care available to those residents whose “overall course has not been as encouraging despite the efforts of our clinical team.”Statewide, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 grew Monday to 1,376, up 39 from Sunday. The number of deaths increased by six to 62.The Kansas Department of Corrections said Monday that the sickened also include one resident of a Wichita work release facility. Corrections officials also are dealing with an outbreak at the Lansing Correction Facility.Meanwhile, Kansas State University announced Monday that summer classes will move online with significantly reduced fees in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The university previously moved spring classes online.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

Coronavirus deaths at Kansas rehab facility increase to 12

TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman discussed a variety of issues concerning the coronavirus pandemic during their Monday news conference.

The governor mentioned unemployment claims that are up by 3,400 percent and claims through the state web site are up 6,833 percent.

She also announced an <a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/executive-order-no-20-22/">executive order</a> extending temporary relief from some rules and regulations for motor carriers assisting with coronavirus relief.&nbsp;

Dr. Norman discussed the increase of just 39 positive virus cases in Kansas from Sunday&nbsp; to Monday. He reported the KDHE is&nbsp; monitoring 23 virus outbreaks including 12 in long term care facilities, 2 in group living homes, 3 in private businesses and 5 among religious gatherings in addition to the outbreak at the Lansing Correctional Facility where there are 37 cases including 17 inmates and 20 members of the staff.

TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman discussed a variety of issues concerning the coronavirus pandemic during their Monday news conference.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F617785919081375%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The governor mentioned unemployment claims that are up by 3,400 percent and claims through the state web site are up 6,833 percent.She also announced an <a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/executive-order-no-20-22/">executive order</a> extending temporary relief from some rules and regulations for motor carriers assisting with coronavirus relief.&nbsp;Dr. Norman discussed the increase of just 39 positive virus cases in Kansas from Sunday&nbsp; to Monday. He reported the KDHE is&nbsp; monitoring 23 virus outbreaks including 12 in long term care facilities, 2 in group living homes, 3 in private businesses and 5 among religious gatherings in addition to the outbreak at the Lansing Correctional Facility where there are 37 cases including 17 inmates and 20 members of the staff.

🎥 Gov. Kelly, KDHE Secretary give virus fight update

TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Secretary Jeff Zmuda announced Monday that one resident at Wichita Work Release Facility (WWRF) tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, April 12, according to a media release from the KDOC.

This is the second KDOC facility with a confirmed case, with the first cases reported at the Lansing Correction Facility.

The resident at WWRF was a male over the age of 40. In order to protect the identity of this resident, no other information will be released.

The KDOC has been in consultation with officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on next steps to address these circumstances. As a result of that consultation with KDHE, the following steps were implemented:

“The newly reconstructed building at Lansing provides us the ability to isolate these residents, while also keeping them separate from the current residents of the old Lansing facility,” Zmuda said. “Moving this number of people on short notice is a major undertaking, our staff did a great job last night.”

The Wichita Work Release Facility, a satellite unit of the Winfield Correctional Facility, is an all-male, minimum-custody state prison with a population of 248 prior to this move.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Secretary Jeff Zmuda announced Monday that one resident at Wichita Work Release Facility (WWRF) tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, April 12, according to a media release from the KDOC.This is the second KDOC facility with a confirmed case, with the first cases reported at the Lansing Correction Facility.The resident at WWRF was a male over the age of 40. In order to protect the identity of this resident, no other information will be released.The KDOC has been in consultation with officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on next steps to address these circumstances. As a result of that consultation with KDHE, the following steps were implemented:<ol>
 <li>WWRF has two open dormitory housing units. The 113 residents from the unit where the man tested positive were moved Sunday night to the newly reconstructed building at Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) for medical isolation and monitoring</li><li>KDHE conducted contact tracing to ascertain who among our staff and residents have been in close contact with this individual</li><li>Sedgwick County Health Department conducted contact tracing to identify anyone outside of WWRF who may have been in close contact with this individual and will notify those persons</li><li>KDOC will remain diligent in monitoring other staff and residents for symptoms</li>
 </ol>“The newly reconstructed building at Lansing provides us the ability to isolate these residents, while also keeping them separate from the current residents of the old Lansing facility,” Zmuda said. “Moving this number of people on short notice is a major undertaking, our staff did a great job last night.”The Wichita Work Release Facility, a satellite unit of the Winfield Correctional Facility, is an all-male, minimum-custody state prison with a population of 248 prior to this move.

Inmates at Kan. work facility moved after positive COVID-19 test


KANSAS CITY –The University of Kansas Medical Center announced Monday that it will be participating in a nationwide clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in preventing COVID-19 infection in exposed
 health care workers. KU Medical Center is one of 60 such sites across the nation that will be participating in this clinical trial, led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute.


The trial, the Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes of Hydroxychloroquine (HERO HCQ, will launch April 22. It is a phase-3 double-blinded clinical trial, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). It is accompanied by a
 registry, launching today, that will create a community of health care workers who have expressed interest in contributing to the scientific community’s understanding of the impact of COVID-19.


Mario Castro, M.D., MPH, vice chair for clinical and translational research and pulmonologist at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, will serve as principal investigator for the KU Medical Center site of the study.


“At this point in the pandemic, hospitals are reporting that 20% of U.S. health care workers are becoming infected with COVID-19.&nbsp;
When that happens, one in five must go into quarantine and cannot take care of patients,” Castro said. “This study is critical for safeguarding the personal health of these workers and for protecting the health care workforce at this critical time. Our
 hope is that this drug will decrease the risk of exposed workers developing an active COVID-19 infection.”

KU Medical Center aims to recruit 500 participants to the study while also promoting the registry, which will enroll health care workers from throughout the United States, at
<a href="https://heroesresearch.org/" target="_blank">
heroesresearch.org</a>. The HERO Registry is open to all health care workers in the United States, including nurses, therapists, physicians, emergency responders, food service workers and environmental service workers — anyone who works in a setting where people
 receive health care and are exposed to COVID-19.


The plan is to use the registry to locate health care workers for the current drug trial, but the registry also will allow health care workers to indicate their willingness to participate in future clinical trials regarding COVID-19.


“Health care workers on the front lines are critical to the pandemic response,” said Adrian Hernandez, M.D., a Duke professor of cardiology and the administrative principal investigator of the nationwide trial. “To address their needs, we need to do rapid-cycle
 research and clinical trials,” said Hernandez, who originated the program and is a member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute.


“Although there has been discussion about hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a potential prevention method for COVID-19, we are lacking the data on safety and efficacy of this therapy,” Hernandez said. “By conducting this study with health care workers, we are working
 directly with those who understand the importance of quickly getting answers into the hands of those on the front line.”


The study and the registry are funded by an award from PCORI, a nonprofit organization established in 2010 through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Congress re-authorized funding of PCORI in December 2019.


“PCORI is very pleased to fund this critical study as part of the effort to marshal the nation’s scientific and clinical expertise to address the unprecedented threat COVID-19 poses to the United States,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., PCORI interim executive
 director. “This study’s focus on high-risk health care workers is especially important given their vital role on the front lines of treating this novel infection.”


The study will leverage the infrastructure of PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network, and its established research network of more than 850,000 clinicians and hundreds of health systems, to allow research to be conducted quickly and
 efficiently. Study results will be shared widely with the health care community, including participating health care workers and others most affected. KU Medical Center is a member of PCORnet.



“For health care workers treating patients during this pandemic and beyond, prevention strategies are critical,” Briggs said. “But we need more data and evidence about HCQ’s safety and effectiveness. Using PCORnet to power this project will enable rapid data
 capture and analysis that will provide insights quickly to those who need it most.”


Russ Waitman, Ph.D., director of medical informatics at the KU Medical Center, is the principal investigator of the PCORnet Greater Plains Collaborative Clinical Data Research Network, which includes 12 medical centers in nine states.

Health care workers interested in participating in the hydroxychloroquine clinical trial at KU Medical Center may contact Shelby Almo at
<a href="mailto:salmo@kumc.ed" target="_blank">
salmo@kumc.ed</a>u or 913-574-3006, and they also must register at
<a href="https://heroesresearch.org/" target="_blank">
heroesresearch.org</a>. Health care workers interested in learning more or in participating in the registry should visit the website at
<a href="https://heroesresearch.org/" target="_blank">
heroesresearch.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586788014339.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KUMC News Service
KANSAS CITY –The University of Kansas Medical Center announced Monday that it will be participating in a nationwide clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in preventing COVID-19 infection in exposed
 health care workers. KU Medical Center is one of 60 such sites across the nation that will be participating in this clinical trial, led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
The trial, the Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes of Hydroxychloroquine (HERO HCQ, will launch April 22. It is a phase-3 double-blinded clinical trial, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). It is accompanied by a
 registry, launching today, that will create a community of health care workers who have expressed interest in contributing to the scientific community’s understanding of the impact of COVID-19.
Mario Castro, M.D., MPH, vice chair for clinical and translational research and pulmonologist at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, will serve as principal investigator for the KU Medical Center site of the study.
“At this point in the pandemic, hospitals are reporting that 20% of U.S. health care workers are becoming infected with COVID-19.&nbsp;
When that happens, one in five must go into quarantine and cannot take care of patients,” Castro said. “This study is critical for safeguarding the personal health of these workers and for protecting the health care workforce at this critical time. Our
 hope is that this drug will decrease the risk of exposed workers developing an active COVID-19 infection.”
KU Medical Center aims to recruit 500 participants to the study while also promoting the registry, which will enroll health care workers from throughout the United States, at
<a href="https://heroesresearch.org/" target="_blank">
heroesresearch.org</a>. The HERO Registry is open to all health care workers in the United States, including nurses, therapists, physicians, emergency responders, food service workers and environmental service workers — anyone who works in a setting where people
 receive health care and are exposed to COVID-19.
The plan is to use the registry to locate health care workers for the current drug trial, but the registry also will allow health care workers to indicate their willingness to participate in future clinical trials regarding COVID-19.
“Health care workers on the front lines are critical to the pandemic response,” said Adrian Hernandez, M.D., a Duke professor of cardiology and the administrative principal investigator of the nationwide trial. “To address their needs, we need to do rapid-cycle
 research and clinical trials,” said Hernandez, who originated the program and is a member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
“Although there has been discussion about hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a potential prevention method for COVID-19, we are lacking the data on safety and efficacy of this therapy,” Hernandez said. “By conducting this study with health care workers, we are working
 directly with those who understand the importance of quickly getting answers into the hands of those on the front line.”
The study and the registry are funded by an award from PCORI, a nonprofit organization established in 2010 through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Congress re-authorized funding of PCORI in December 2019.
“PCORI is very pleased to fund this critical study as part of the effort to marshal the nation’s scientific and clinical expertise to address the unprecedented threat COVID-19 poses to the United States,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., PCORI interim executive
 director. “This study’s focus on high-risk health care workers is especially important given their vital role on the front lines of treating this novel infection.”
The study will leverage the infrastructure of PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network, and its established research network of more than 850,000 clinicians and hundreds of health systems, to allow research to be conducted quickly and
 efficiently. Study results will be shared widely with the health care community, including participating health care workers and others most affected. KU Medical Center is a member of PCORnet.

“For health care workers treating patients during this pandemic and beyond, prevention strategies are critical,” Briggs said. “But we need more data and evidence about HCQ’s safety and effectiveness. Using PCORnet to power this project will enable rapid data
 capture and analysis that will provide insights quickly to those who need it most.”
Russ Waitman, Ph.D., director of medical informatics at the KU Medical Center, is the principal investigator of the PCORnet Greater Plains Collaborative Clinical Data Research Network, which includes 12 medical centers in nine states.
Health care workers interested in participating in the hydroxychloroquine clinical trial at KU Medical Center may contact Shelby Almo at
<a href="mailto:salmo@kumc.ed" target="_blank">
salmo@kumc.ed</a>u or 913-574-3006, and they also must register at
<a href="https://heroesresearch.org/" target="_blank">
heroesresearch.org</a>. Health care workers interested in learning more or in participating in the registry should visit the website at
<a href="https://heroesresearch.org/" target="_blank">
heroesresearch.org</a>.

KU to participate in clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine in health care workers

All public events at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene have been canceled through June. Officials said that regretfully, includes the Symphony at Sunset Annual D-Day Commemoration Concert that had been scheduled on June 6.

"We deeply regret having to cancel this year's concert. We look forward to this event each year. However the safety of our community is paramount. We are making efforts to either reschedule or move programs into a virtual capacity where possible. Unfortunately, the symphony concert does not lend itself to either of those options," states Dawn Hammatt, Director.

Exhibit and research facilities are closed to the public until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The library staff is making every effort to continue providing essential services whenever possible, using online and remote capabilities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586788135990.jpeg" alt="Photo - Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum" />
 <figcaption>Photo - Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum</figcaption>
 </figure>All public events at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene have been canceled through June. Officials said that regretfully, includes the Symphony at Sunset Annual D-Day Commemoration Concert that had been scheduled on June 6."We deeply regret having to cancel this year's concert. We look forward to this event each year. However the safety of our community is paramount. We are making efforts to either reschedule or move programs into a virtual capacity where possible. Unfortunately, the symphony concert does not lend itself to either of those options," states Dawn Hammatt, Director.Exhibit and research facilities are closed to the public until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The library staff is making every effort to continue providing essential services whenever possible, using online and remote capabilities.

Eisenhower Presidential Library cancels all public events in June

Citing the Stay at Home orders that are in effect the Geary County Fish &amp; Game Association has canceled their April membership meeting and all other group activities at Sportsman's Acres for the month. The ranges do remain open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and Tuesday evenings for those who practice social distancing and other recommended actions to protect themselves and others from the COVID-19 virus.&nbsp;

Operation of the ranges gives people the opportunity to participate in low risk outdoor activities to help them deal with the stress of the uncertain times. Once Fish &amp; Game Association members are able to meet again they will announce the adjusted schedule of the organization's activities.

Citing the Stay at Home orders that are in effect the Geary County Fish &amp; Game Association has canceled their April membership meeting and all other group activities at Sportsman's Acres for the month. The ranges do remain open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and Tuesday evenings for those who practice social distancing and other recommended actions to protect themselves and others from the COVID-19 virus.&nbsp;Operation of the ranges gives people the opportunity to participate in low risk outdoor activities to help them deal with the stress of the uncertain times. Once Fish &amp; Game Association members are able to meet again they will announce the adjusted schedule of the organization's activities.

Geary County Fish & Game Association cancels April group activities

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 3,300 deaths nationwide have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, an alarming rise in just the past two weeks, according to the latest count by The Associated Press.

Because the federal government has not been releasing a count of its own, the AP has kept its own running tally based on media reports and state health departments. The latest count of at least 3,321 deaths is up from about 450 deaths just 10 days ago.

But the true toll among the 1 million mostly frail and elderly people who live in such facilities is likely much higher, experts say, because most state counts don’t include those who died without ever being tested for COVID-19.

Outbreaks in just the past few weeks have included one at a nursing home in suburban Richmond that has killed 40 and infected more than 100, another at nursing home in central Indiana that has killed 24 and infected 16, and one at a veteran’s home in Holyoke, Mass., that has killed 37, infected 76 and prompted a federal investigation. This comes weeks after an outbreak at a nursing home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland that has so far claimed 43 lives.

And those are just the outbreaks we know about. Most states provide only total numbers of nursing home deaths and don’t give details of specific outbreaks. Notable among them is the nation’s leader, New York, which accounts for 1,880 nursing home deaths out of about 96,000 total residents but has so far declined to detail specific outbreaks, citing privacy concerns.

Experts say nursing home deaths may keep climbing because of chronic staffing shortages that have been made worse by the coronavirus crisis, a shortage of protective supplies and a continued lack of available testing.

And the deaths have skyrocketed despite steps taken by the federal government in mid-March to bar visitors, cease all group activities, and require that every worker be screened for fever or respiratory symptoms at every shift.

But an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/78e495c299d67e60d45729352f2c0d44">AP report&nbsp;</a>earlier this month found that infections were continuing to find their way into nursing homes because such screenings didn’t catch people who were infected but asymptomatic. Several large outbreaks were blamed on such spreaders, including infected health workers who worked at several different nursing home facilities.

This past week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that regulates nursing homes issued recommendations urging nursing homes to use separate staffing teams for residents, and to designate separate facilities within nursing homes to keep COVID-19 positive residents away from those who have tested negative.

Dr. Deborah Birx, who leads the White House coronavirus response, suggested this past week that as more COVID-19 tests become available, nursing homes should be a top priority.

“We need to really ensure that nursing homes have sentinel surveillance. And what do I mean by that? That we’re actively testing in nursing homes, both the residents and the workers, at all times,” Birx said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585657534018.png" alt="Life Care Center of Burlington, Kansas is linked to multiple coronavirus cases and deaths, according to the KDHE- Google image" />
 <figcaption>Life Care Center of Burlington, Kansas is linked to multiple coronavirus cases and deaths, according to the KDHE- Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — More than 3,300 deaths nationwide have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, an alarming rise in just the past two weeks, according to the latest count by The Associated Press.Because the federal government has not been releasing a count of its own, the AP has kept its own running tally based on media reports and state health departments. The latest count of at least 3,321 deaths is up from about 450 deaths just 10 days ago.But the true toll among the 1 million mostly frail and elderly people who live in such facilities is likely much higher, experts say, because most state counts don’t include those who died without ever being tested for COVID-19.Outbreaks in just the past few weeks have included one at a nursing home in suburban Richmond that has killed 40 and infected more than 100, another at nursing home in central Indiana that has killed 24 and infected 16, and one at a veteran’s home in Holyoke, Mass., that has killed 37, infected 76 and prompted a federal investigation. This comes weeks after an outbreak at a nursing home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland that has so far claimed 43 lives.And those are just the outbreaks we know about. Most states provide only total numbers of nursing home deaths and don’t give details of specific outbreaks. Notable among them is the nation’s leader, New York, which accounts for 1,880 nursing home deaths out of about 96,000 total residents but has so far declined to detail specific outbreaks, citing privacy concerns.Experts say nursing home deaths may keep climbing because of chronic staffing shortages that have been made worse by the coronavirus crisis, a shortage of protective supplies and a continued lack of available testing.And the deaths have skyrocketed despite steps taken by the federal government in mid-March to bar visitors, cease all group activities, and require that every worker be screened for fever or respiratory symptoms at every shift.But an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/78e495c299d67e60d45729352f2c0d44">AP report&nbsp;</a>earlier this month found that infections were continuing to find their way into nursing homes because such screenings didn’t catch people who were infected but asymptomatic. Several large outbreaks were blamed on such spreaders, including infected health workers who worked at several different nursing home facilities.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586725126011.png" alt="Dr. Deborah Birx leads the White House coronavirus response team-White House image" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Deborah Birx leads the White House coronavirus response team-White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>This past week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that regulates nursing homes issued recommendations urging nursing homes to use separate staffing teams for residents, and to designate separate facilities within nursing homes to keep COVID-19 positive residents away from those who have tested negative.Dr. Deborah Birx, who leads the White House coronavirus response, suggested this past week that as more COVID-19 tests become available, nursing homes should be a top priority.“We need to really ensure that nursing homes have sentinel surveillance. And what do I mean by that? That we’re actively testing in nursing homes, both the residents and the workers, at all times,” Birx said.

Nursing home virus deaths soar past 3,300 in alarming surge

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A major California labor union that claimed to have discovered a stockpile of 39 million masks for health care workers fighting the coronavirus was duped in an elaborate scam uncovered by FBI investigators, according to a newspaper report Sunday.

Investigators stumbled onto the scheme while looking into whether they could intercept the masks for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Defense Production Act, the U.S. attorney’s office said Friday.

The federal government has been quietly seizing supplies across the country as the outbreak spreads. But in this case, there was no warehouse, and there were no masks to seize, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-11/coronavirus-seiu-masks-fraud-fbi" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times</a>&nbsp;reported.

U.S. Attorney Scott Brady told the Times that investigators tracked the tip back to a Pittsburgh businessman, who said he had been working with the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West to secure millions of masks.

The businessman had been using WhatsApp to connect with a broker in Australia and a supplier in Kuwait, who are both now the target of a federal investigation, Brady said.

The union, known as SEIU, and the Pittsburgh businessman are not under investigation and both appear to be among a string of middlemen who were fooled, Brady said.

“There are opportunists who are looking for any victim,” he said.

The promise of 39 million masks was first made public March 26, when the union announced it had found the stockpile after 48 hours of frantic phone calls pursuing leads on potential suppliers. The announcement by the union was widely covered by major media outlets and listed several hospital systems and government agencies as buyers.

Behind the scenes, the deal quickly unraveled. Buyers said they failed to receive reliable information about where they could inspect the shipments.

At one point, the Australian broker told the middleman in Pittsburgh that 2 million masks were located in a warehouse in Georgia and that the product had been inspected by a particular certification company.

That, Brady said, “was also part of the ruse.”

No money was exchanged in the attempts to finalize a deal, according to Brady.

Experts in the global supply chain say dubious brokers and suppliers have flooded the market with suspect offers, creating an atmosphere of confusion and distrust just as hospitals are trying to stock up on the gear doctors and nurses need to protect themselves from the virus.

Steve Trossman, spokesman for SEIU-UHW, told the Times that union officials had been trying to find equipment for members, and the group had no financial interest in any transactions.

“As far as we knew, he had legitimate masks,” Trossman said of the supplier, “and the people who were going to purchase those masks were going to fully vet it and check it out and do their due diligence.”

Brady said federal investigators had reason to suspect the arrangement. The 39 million masks were advertised as N95 masks from 3M, the largest U.S.-based manufacturer. But 3M told federal investigators it manufactured only 20 million such masks last year, making that large of a stockpile unlikely unless the product was counterfeit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586739551363.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A major California labor union that claimed to have discovered a stockpile of 39 million masks for health care workers fighting the coronavirus was duped in an elaborate scam uncovered by FBI investigators, according to a newspaper report Sunday.Investigators stumbled onto the scheme while looking into whether they could intercept the masks for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Defense Production Act, the U.S. attorney’s office said Friday.The federal government has been quietly seizing supplies across the country as the outbreak spreads. But in this case, there was no warehouse, and there were no masks to seize, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-11/coronavirus-seiu-masks-fraud-fbi" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times</a>&nbsp;reported.U.S. Attorney Scott Brady told the Times that investigators tracked the tip back to a Pittsburgh businessman, who said he had been working with the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West to secure millions of masks.The businessman had been using WhatsApp to connect with a broker in Australia and a supplier in Kuwait, who are both now the target of a federal investigation, Brady said.The union, known as SEIU, and the Pittsburgh businessman are not under investigation and both appear to be among a string of middlemen who were fooled, Brady said.“There are opportunists who are looking for any victim,” he said.The promise of 39 million masks was first made public March 26, when the union announced it had found the stockpile after 48 hours of frantic phone calls pursuing leads on potential suppliers. The announcement by the union was widely covered by major media outlets and listed several hospital systems and government agencies as buyers.Behind the scenes, the deal quickly unraveled. Buyers said they failed to receive reliable information about where they could inspect the shipments.At one point, the Australian broker told the middleman in Pittsburgh that 2 million masks were located in a warehouse in Georgia and that the product had been inspected by a particular certification company.That, Brady said, “was also part of the ruse.”No money was exchanged in the attempts to finalize a deal, according to Brady.Experts in the global supply chain say dubious brokers and suppliers have flooded the market with suspect offers, creating an atmosphere of confusion and distrust just as hospitals are trying to stock up on the gear doctors and nurses need to protect themselves from the virus.Steve Trossman, spokesman for SEIU-UHW, told the Times that union officials had been trying to find equipment for members, and the group had no financial interest in any transactions.“As far as we knew, he had legitimate masks,” Trossman said of the supplier, “and the people who were going to purchase those masks were going to fully vet it and check it out and do their due diligence.”Brady said federal investigators had reason to suspect the arrangement. The 39 million masks were advertised as N95 masks from 3M, the largest U.S.-based manufacturer. But 3M told federal investigators it manufactured only 20 million such masks last year, making that large of a stockpile unlikely unless the product was counterfeit.

Scam report: Stockpile of 39 million masks exposed as fake

BOSTON (AP) — Courthouses shuttered. Thousands of trials on hold. Legal deadlines pushed.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;has crippled the U.S. legal system, creating constitutional dilemmas as the accused miss their days in court. The public health crisis could build a legal backlog that overwhelms courts across the country, leaving some defendants behind bars longer, and forcing prosecutors to decide which cases to pursue and which to let slide.

“Everybody is scrambling. Nobody really knows how to handle this,” said Claudia Lagos, a criminal defense attorney in Boston.

Judges from California to Maine have postponed trials and nearly all in-person hearings to keep crowds from packing courthouses. Trials that were underway — like the high-profile case against multimillionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/467ac61d7ea434c1de2ee387d58a2ec4">real estate heir Robert Durst</a>&nbsp;— have been halted. Some chief judges have suspended grand juries, rendering new indictments impossible. Other have allowed them to sit, though six feet apart.

Prosecutors may have to abandon some low-level cases to keep people from flooding into the legal system.

Many judges are holding hearings by phone or video chat to keep all cases from grinding to a halt. Other courts are stymied by outdated technology. The clerk for the the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Molly Dwyer, likened the logistical challenges to “building the bike as we ride it.”

Judges have asked for emergency powers to delay trials longer than the law generally allows and extend key deadlines, like when a defendant must initially appear in court.

That could keep people locked up longer, exposing them to unsafe jail conditions, and violate their constitutional right to a speedy trial, defense lawyers say.

“We shouldn’t be creating mechanisms in the current crisis to keep people in jail longer. The jails are just tinderboxes waiting for the virus to take off,” said Jeff Chorney, deputy public defender in Alameda County, California. Courts there now have seven days instead of 48 hours to hold arraignments, during which a defendant is often appointed a lawyer and can enter a plea.

The pandemic has shuttered nearly every aspect of everyday life as the death toll mounts and more states impose strict stay-at-home orders.&nbsp;There are nearly 600,000 cases and more than 21,000 deaths in the U.S., according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.

Still, coast-to-coast disruptions of the courts system are unprecedented.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina forced courts in New Orleans to temporarily close. The suspension of legal deadlines after the natural disaster left thousands languishing behind bars for months without formal charges, attorneys say. Lawyers there fear a repeat.

“On a regular day, without a crisis like Katrina and COVID, you can imagine people getting lost in a system like this,” said Alanah Odoms Hebert, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana. “There will be a lot folks who fall through the cracks.”

No civil litigation is getting done. U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger in Chicago chafed at a recent request for an emergency order barring the alleged misuse of elf and unicorn drawings. “The world,” he said, “is facing a real emergency. (The) plaintiff is not.”

The COVID-19 disruptions are causing widespread confusion with prosecutors and defense attorneys as they struggle to file documents, get matters heard in courthouses operating on skeleton crews and share information with jailed clients while maintaining social distancing.

Lawyers for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6676f7ebfc7c454baace1eaeca501501">Elizabeth Holmes</a>, head of the blood-testing startup Theranos scheduled to be tried this summer for allegedly defrauding investors, asked a California federal judge to also exempt them from the orders. They said the restrictions made witness preparation and serving subpoenas difficult. The judge refused.

Attorneys are wary of visiting their clients in jails for fear of contracting the virus or spreading it behind bars. They rely on phone calls, which in some places are recorded, limiting what they can say.

“You have to sort of chose between your safety and your client’s safety ... or their constitutional rights. It’s a really impossible situation,” said William Isenberg, a Boston defense attorney.

The haphazard operations could lead defendants to later challenge convictions, even if their lawyers did the best they could during the virus-related tumult.

Courthouse chaos may worsen when the shutdowns end, as judges try to return to old cases while fielding a burst in new cases. A flood of lawsuits linked to COVID-19 will add to the logjam.

“The courts are looking down the barrel of a real serious bottleneck,” said Jonathan Smith, executive director of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. “I don’t think anybody has figured out what they’re going to do.”

Crime victims are also forced to wait. In Minnesota, the virus has postponed the federal trial of an Illinois militia leader accused of being the ringleader in the 2017 pipe bombing of a Minnesota mosque.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d15a219d119ea92bad722771e7923722">Michael Hari’s trial</a>&nbsp;was already postponed once. Now it’s scheduled for late July.

Mohamed Omar, executive director of the mosque, said community members want to see quick justice, but that he understands the need for a delay.

“The safety of our community and those that are vulnerable are more important to us now more than any other thing,” he said. “This is bigger than all of us.”

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in a few weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

BOSTON (AP) — Courthouses shuttered. Thousands of trials on hold. Legal deadlines pushed.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;has crippled the U.S. legal system, creating constitutional dilemmas as the accused miss their days in court. The public health crisis could build a legal backlog that overwhelms courts across the country, leaving some defendants behind bars longer, and forcing prosecutors to decide which cases to pursue and which to let slide.“Everybody is scrambling. Nobody really knows how to handle this,” said Claudia Lagos, a criminal defense attorney in Boston.Judges from California to Maine have postponed trials and nearly all in-person hearings to keep crowds from packing courthouses. Trials that were underway — like the high-profile case against multimillionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/467ac61d7ea434c1de2ee387d58a2ec4">real estate heir Robert Durst</a>&nbsp;— have been halted. Some chief judges have suspended grand juries, rendering new indictments impossible. Other have allowed them to sit, though six feet apart.Prosecutors may have to abandon some low-level cases to keep people from flooding into the legal system.Many judges are holding hearings by phone or video chat to keep all cases from grinding to a halt. Other courts are stymied by outdated technology. The clerk for the the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Molly Dwyer, likened the logistical challenges to “building the bike as we ride it.”Judges have asked for emergency powers to delay trials longer than the law generally allows and extend key deadlines, like when a defendant must initially appear in court.That could keep people locked up longer, exposing them to unsafe jail conditions, and violate their constitutional right to a speedy trial, defense lawyers say.“We shouldn’t be creating mechanisms in the current crisis to keep people in jail longer. The jails are just tinderboxes waiting for the virus to take off,” said Jeff Chorney, deputy public defender in Alameda County, California. Courts there now have seven days instead of 48 hours to hold arraignments, during which a defendant is often appointed a lawyer and can enter a plea.The pandemic has shuttered nearly every aspect of everyday life as the death toll mounts and more states impose strict stay-at-home orders.&nbsp;There are nearly 600,000 cases and more than 21,000 deaths in the U.S., according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.Still, coast-to-coast disruptions of the courts system are unprecedented.In 2005, Hurricane Katrina forced courts in New Orleans to temporarily close. The suspension of legal deadlines after the natural disaster left thousands languishing behind bars for months without formal charges, attorneys say. Lawyers there fear a repeat.“On a regular day, without a crisis like Katrina and COVID, you can imagine people getting lost in a system like this,” said Alanah Odoms Hebert, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana. “There will be a lot folks who fall through the cracks.”No civil litigation is getting done. U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger in Chicago chafed at a recent request for an emergency order barring the alleged misuse of elf and unicorn drawings. “The world,” he said, “is facing a real emergency. (The) plaintiff is not.”The COVID-19 disruptions are causing widespread confusion with prosecutors and defense attorneys as they struggle to file documents, get matters heard in courthouses operating on skeleton crews and share information with jailed clients while maintaining social distancing.Lawyers for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6676f7ebfc7c454baace1eaeca501501">Elizabeth Holmes</a>, head of the blood-testing startup Theranos scheduled to be tried this summer for allegedly defrauding investors, asked a California federal judge to also exempt them from the orders. They said the restrictions made witness preparation and serving subpoenas difficult. The judge refused.Attorneys are wary of visiting their clients in jails for fear of contracting the virus or spreading it behind bars. They rely on phone calls, which in some places are recorded, limiting what they can say.“You have to sort of chose between your safety and your client’s safety ... or their constitutional rights. It’s a really impossible situation,” said William Isenberg, a Boston defense attorney.The haphazard operations could lead defendants to later challenge convictions, even if their lawyers did the best they could during the virus-related tumult.Courthouse chaos may worsen when the shutdowns end, as judges try to return to old cases while fielding a burst in new cases. A flood of lawsuits linked to COVID-19 will add to the logjam.“The courts are looking down the barrel of a real serious bottleneck,” said Jonathan Smith, executive director of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. “I don’t think anybody has figured out what they’re going to do.”Crime victims are also forced to wait. In Minnesota, the virus has postponed the federal trial of an Illinois militia leader accused of being the ringleader in the 2017 pipe bombing of a Minnesota mosque.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d15a219d119ea92bad722771e7923722">Michael Hari’s trial</a>&nbsp;was already postponed once. Now it’s scheduled for late July.Mohamed Omar, executive director of the mosque, said community members want to see quick justice, but that he understands the need for a delay.“The safety of our community and those that are vulnerable are more important to us now more than any other thing,” he said. “This is bigger than all of us.”For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in a few weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.____

Justice delayed: Virus crisis upends courts system across US

TOPEKA —The Kansas Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) was not authorized to revoke Executive Order 20-18. The governor's order, which prohibits mass gatherings of more than 10 people – including church services and funerals -- remains in effect.

<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/High%20Interest%20Cases/Kelly%20v%20LCC/122765Opinion.pdf?ext=.pdf">Click here t</a>o read the opinion

During oral arguments on Saturday morning, an attorney for Governor Kelly told the state Supreme Court that a Republican-dominated legislative panel exceeded its authority when it overturned the Democratic governor’s executive order banning religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the coronavirus pandemic.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnQYvyZXgY&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a> the oral arguments

The hearing, which was the court’s first conducted completely via video conferencing, came one day before Easter, which is typically the busiest day on the Christian calendar in terms of church attendance.

In a statement late Saturday evening, Governor Kelly said, “My top priority has always been the safety and well-being of all Kansans,” Kelly said. “I know this pandemic is extremely hard for everyone. Each<a></a>&nbsp;unprecedented action I’ve been forced to make in recent weeks has been taken in close consultation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, the Attorney General, legislators and key stakeholders. That process will continue.

“Most other states, at the urging of the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have taken similar steps to protect Americans to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the Governor said.

The decision comes as the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Saturday an additional 102 confirmed cases and five deaths, bringing the state’s total to 1,268 confirmed cases and 55 deaths across 61 counties.

“I want to thank the Supreme Court for its expedited review under difficult circumstances,” Kelly said, referring to the Supreme Court meeting for the first time in the court’s history by video conference. “Our response to this unprecedented pandemic has necessitated that even our most fundamental institutions find alternative methods that preserve public health.”

The ruling held that the seven-member LCC lacked authority to revoke Executive Order 20-18 and that the LCC’s ability to exercise such authority is controlled by the Kansas Emergency Management Act.

“Today’s ruling does not change my commitment to maintaining open lines of communication and collaboration with the Legislature. The only way to get through this is by working with—not against—each other in a bipartisan fashion.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586614513860.png" alt="View of the oral arguments conducted via video conference Saturday morning." />
 <figcaption>View of the oral arguments conducted via video conference Saturday morning.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —The Kansas Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) was not authorized to revoke Executive Order 20-18. The governor's order, which prohibits mass gatherings of more than 10 people – including church services and funerals -- remains in effect.<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/High%20Interest%20Cases/Kelly%20v%20LCC/122765Opinion.pdf?ext=.pdf">Click here t</a>o read the opinionDuring oral arguments on Saturday morning, an attorney for Governor Kelly told the state Supreme Court that a Republican-dominated legislative panel exceeded its authority when it overturned the Democratic governor’s executive order banning religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the coronavirus pandemic.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Read House leadership’s response to tonight’s Kansas Supreme Court ruling:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/whj6oJ3Wgs">pic.twitter.com/whj6oJ3Wgs</a>&mdash; Speaker Ryckman (@RonRyckman) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonRyckman/status/1249167473158520833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnQYvyZXgY&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a> the oral argumentsThe hearing, which was the court’s first conducted completely via video conferencing, came one day before Easter, which is typically the busiest day on the Christian calendar in terms of church attendance.In a statement late Saturday evening, Governor Kelly said, “My top priority has always been the safety and well-being of all Kansans,” Kelly said. “I know this pandemic is extremely hard for everyone. Each<a></a>&nbsp;unprecedented action I’ve been forced to make in recent weeks has been taken in close consultation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, the Attorney General, legislators and key stakeholders. That process will continue.“Most other states, at the urging of the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have taken similar steps to protect Americans to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the Governor said.The decision comes as the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Saturday an additional 102 confirmed cases and five deaths, bringing the state’s total to 1,268 confirmed cases and 55 deaths across 61 counties.“I want to thank the Supreme Court for its expedited review under difficult circumstances,” Kelly said, referring to the Supreme Court meeting for the first time in the court’s history by video conference. “Our response to this unprecedented pandemic has necessitated that even our most fundamental institutions find alternative methods that preserve public health.”The ruling held that the seven-member LCC lacked authority to revoke Executive Order 20-18 and that the LCC’s ability to exercise such authority is controlled by the Kansas Emergency Management Act.“Today’s ruling does not change my commitment to maintaining open lines of communication and collaboration with the Legislature. The only way to get through this is by working with—not against—each other in a bipartisan fashion.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586617651999.png" alt="" />
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Kan. Supreme Court: Gov.'s order on religious gatherings stands 

By FRANK BAJAK and MATT O'BRIEN, Associated Press

Apple and Google launched a major joint effort to leverage smartphone technology to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

New software the companies plan to add to phones would make it easier to use Bluetooth wireless technology to track down people for who may have been infected by coronavirus carriers. The idea is to help national or regional governments roll out apps for so-called “contact tracing” that will run on iPhones and Android phones alike.

The technology works by harnessing short-range Bluetooth signals. Using the Apple-Google technology, contact-tracing apps would gather a record of other phones with which they came into close proximity. Such data can be used to alert others who might have been infected by known carriers of the novel coronavirus, although only in cases where the phones’ owners have installed the apps and agreed to share data with public-health authorities.

Software developers have already created such apps in countries including Singapore and China to try to contain the pandemic. In Europe, the Czech Republic says it will release such an app after Easter. Britain, Germany and Italy are also developing their own tracing tools.

Privacy and civil liberties activists have warned that such apps need to be designed so governments cannot abuse them to track their citizens. Apple and Google&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/04/apple-and-google-partner-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-technology/" target="_blank">said in a rare joint announcement</a>&nbsp;that user privacy and security are baked into the design of their plan.

The technology might serve as a stopgap in the absence of widespread testing for the novel coronavirus, which in the U.S. remains limited after production problems and limited federal coordination of the tests’ production and distribution. “It’s not a replacement for just having widespread testing, which would be more accurate,” said Tiffany Li, a visiting law professor at Boston University who studies privacy and technology. “But clearly we have a huge shortage of tests.”

Li suggested that Bluetooth signal tracking protects privacy better than the use of other options such as GPS or cell-tower based location data, which would allow centralized authorities access to the information. But it could still lead to numerous mistaken alerts, she said — for instance, if someone was in full protective gear or in an adjacent apartment while physically close to an infected person.

Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, said a conversation with Apple’s senior director for global privacy, Jane Horvath, assured her that the initiative will protect people’s privacy. Sensitive information will stay on individual phones in encrypted form and alerts will be handled by public health agencies, not the tech companies, she said.

“I think they’ve taken care of some of the really big problems,” Dixon said, noting the companies say they can turn off the system when it’s no longer needed. “The government is not going to have identity information of those testing positive.”

Asked about the Google-Apple effort at his daily news briefing, President Donald Trump called it “very interesting,” but expressed concern that “a lot of people worry about it in terms of a person’s freedom. We’re going to take a look at that.”

Security experts note that technology alone cannot effectively track down and identify people who may have been infected by COVID-19 carriers. Such efforts will require other tools and teams of public health care workers to locate people in the physical world, they say. In South Korea and China, such efforts have included the use of credit-card and public-transit records.

In general, epidemiologists say contact tracing won’t be effective without widely available testing. In the Czech Republic, the plan is to have soldiers perform testing; medical students have been trained to staff call centers for notifying people at high risk of infection. The Czech app will use both Bluetooth technology and geolocation data from wireless carriers and banks to create “memory maps” that trace the movement of infected people to identify others they came into close proximity with in the five to ten days before they tested positive.

The hope is to quickly isolate people who may be affected so the virus can be contained and restrictions on movement relaxed. The app builds on a popular cellular-location mapping app used by one in ten Czechs, who number 10 million.

Given the great need for effective contact-tracing — a tool epidemiologists have long employed to contain infectious disease outbreaks — Google and Apple will roll out their changes in two phases. In May, they will release software that will support public-health apps for both Android and iOS phones. In coming months, they will also build this functionality directly into the underlying phone operating systems.

On Friday, the companies released preliminary technical specifications for the effort, which they called “Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing.”

By FRANK BAJAK and MATT O'BRIEN, Associated PressApple and Google launched a major joint effort to leverage smartphone technology to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.New software the companies plan to add to phones would make it easier to use Bluetooth wireless technology to track down people for who may have been infected by coronavirus carriers. The idea is to help national or regional governments roll out apps for so-called “contact tracing” that will run on iPhones and Android phones alike.The technology works by harnessing short-range Bluetooth signals. Using the Apple-Google technology, contact-tracing apps would gather a record of other phones with which they came into close proximity. Such data can be used to alert others who might have been infected by known carriers of the novel coronavirus, although only in cases where the phones’ owners have installed the apps and agreed to share data with public-health authorities.Software developers have already created such apps in countries including Singapore and China to try to contain the pandemic. In Europe, the Czech Republic says it will release such an app after Easter. Britain, Germany and Italy are also developing their own tracing tools.ADVERTISEMENTPrivacy and civil liberties activists have warned that such apps need to be designed so governments cannot abuse them to track their citizens. Apple and Google&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/04/apple-and-google-partner-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-technology/" target="_blank">said in a rare joint announcement</a>&nbsp;that user privacy and security are baked into the design of their plan.The technology might serve as a stopgap in the absence of widespread testing for the novel coronavirus, which in the U.S. remains limited after production problems and limited federal coordination of the tests’ production and distribution. “It’s not a replacement for just having widespread testing, which would be more accurate,” said Tiffany Li, a visiting law professor at Boston University who studies privacy and technology. “But clearly we have a huge shortage of tests.”Li suggested that Bluetooth signal tracking protects privacy better than the use of other options such as GPS or cell-tower based location data, which would allow centralized authorities access to the information. But it could still lead to numerous mistaken alerts, she said — for instance, if someone was in full protective gear or in an adjacent apartment while physically close to an infected person.Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, said a conversation with Apple’s senior director for global privacy, Jane Horvath, assured her that the initiative will protect people’s privacy. Sensitive information will stay on individual phones in encrypted form and alerts will be handled by public health agencies, not the tech companies, she said.“I think they’ve taken care of some of the really big problems,” Dixon said, noting the companies say they can turn off the system when it’s no longer needed. “The government is not going to have identity information of those testing positive.”Asked about the Google-Apple effort at his daily news briefing, President Donald Trump called it “very interesting,” but expressed concern that “a lot of people worry about it in terms of a person’s freedom. We’re going to take a look at that.”Security experts note that technology alone cannot effectively track down and identify people who may have been infected by COVID-19 carriers. Such efforts will require other tools and teams of public health care workers to locate people in the physical world, they say. In South Korea and China, such efforts have included the use of credit-card and public-transit records.In general, epidemiologists say contact tracing won’t be effective without widely available testing. In the Czech Republic, the plan is to have soldiers perform testing; medical students have been trained to staff call centers for notifying people at high risk of infection. The Czech app will use both Bluetooth technology and geolocation data from wireless carriers and banks to create “memory maps” that trace the movement of infected people to identify others they came into close proximity with in the five to ten days before they tested positive.The hope is to quickly isolate people who may be affected so the virus can be contained and restrictions on movement relaxed. The app builds on a popular cellular-location mapping app used by one in ten Czechs, who number 10 million.Given the great need for effective contact-tracing — a tool epidemiologists have long employed to contain infectious disease outbreaks — Google and Apple will roll out their changes in two phases. In May, they will release software that will support public-health apps for both Android and iOS phones. In coming months, they will also build this functionality directly into the underlying phone operating systems.On Friday, the companies released preliminary technical specifications for the effort, which they called “Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing.”___

Apple, Google to harness phones for virus infection tracking

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy’s for the highest in the world Saturday at about 20,000, as Chicago and other cities across the Midwest braced for a potential surge in victims and moved to snuff out smoldering hot spots of contagion before they erupt.

With the New York area still deep in crisis, fear mounted over the spread of the scourge into the nation’s heartland.

Twenty-four residents of an Indiana nursing home hit by COVID-19 have died, while a nursing home in Iowa saw 14 deaths. Chicago’s Cook County has set up a temporary morgue that can take more than 2,000 bodies. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6f408d2ff996945505f334a7529c0d90">Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot</a>&nbsp;has been going around telling groups of people to “break it up.”

Around the world, meanwhile, European countries used roadblocks, drones, helicopters, mounted patrols and the threat of fines to keep people from traveling over Easter weekend. And with infections and deaths slowing in Italy, Spain and other places on the Continent, governments took tentative steps toward loosening the weeks-long shutdowns.

Glorious weather across Europe posed an extra test of people’s discipline.

“Don’t do silly things,” said Domenico Arcuri, Italy’s special commissioner for the virus emergency. “Don’t go out, continue to behave responsibly as you have done until today, use your head and your sense of responsibility.”

The outbreak’s center of gravity has long since shifted from China to Europe and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">United State</a>&nbsp;s, which now has by far the largest number of confirmed cases — a half-million — and a death toll higher than Italy’s count of nearly 19,500, according to the<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html"> tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.</a>

The death rate — that is, the number of dead relative to the population — is still far higher in Italy than in U.S., which has more than five times as many people. And worldwide, the true numbers of dead and infected are believed to be much higher because of testing shortages, different counting practices and concealment by some governments.

About half the deaths in the U.S. are in the New York metropolitan area, where hospitalizations are nevertheless slowing and other indicators suggest lockdowns and social distancing are “flattening the curve” of infections and staving off the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">doomsday scenarios</a>&nbsp;of just a week or two ago.

New York state on Saturday reported 783 more deaths, for a total over 8,600. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the daily number of deaths is stabilizing “but stabilizing at a horrific rate.”

“What do we do now? We stay the course,” said Cuomo, who like other leaders has warned that relaxing restrictions too soon could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance.

With authorities warning that the crisis in New York is far from over, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s 1.1 million-student school system will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. But Cuomo said the decision is up to him, and no such determination has been made.

In the Midwest, pockets of contagion have alarmed state and city leaders and led to stricter enforcement.

Nearly 300 inmates at the Cook County Jail have tested positive for the virus, and two have died. In Wisconsin, health officials expect to see an increase in coronavirus cases after thousands of people went to the polls during Wisconsin’s presidential primary Tuesday.

Michigan’s governor extended her state’s stay-at-home order with new provisions: People with multiple homes may no longer travel between them.

And in Kansas, the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a dispute Saturday between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican lawmakers who overturned her executive order banning religious services and funerals with more than 10 people.

Elsewhere around the world, Italian authorities set up roadblocks around Milan to discourage people from going on Easter weekend trips. British police kept a close watch on gatherings in parks and at the seaside on one of the hottest days of the year. And France deployed some 160,000 police, including officers on horseback who patrolled beaches and parks.

“It’s useless to pack your bags for a vacation,” Paris police tweeted.

With religious leaders around the globe urging people to observe Easter safely at home, not in church, the archbishop of Turin, Italy, allowed a video streaming display of the Shroud of Turin, believed by the faithful to be the burial cloth of Jesus, so that they can pray in front of it during the epidemic.

Austria aims to reopen small shops on Tuesday. Spain, with more than 16,300 dead, plans to allow workers in some nonessential industries to return to factories and construction sites Monday. Spanish authorities said they will distribute 10 million face masks at major train and subway stations.

“We think that with these measures we will prevent a jump in infections,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said.

Italy continued to include all nonessential manufacturing in an extension of its national lockdown until May 3. But Premier Giuseppe Conte held out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8daf291838bae0c7e17c055c4955cea7">hope that some industry could re-open earlier</a>&nbsp;if conditions permit.

Arcuri said that the exit from the lockdown will include increased virus testing, the deployment of a voluntary contact-tracing app and mandatory blood tests as Italy seeks to set up a system of ’’immunity passports.”

India extended its lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people by two more weeks. But Iran, the site of the worst outbreak in the Middle East, reopened government offices and businesses outside Tehran.

Britain on Saturday reported 917 more deaths, down from the peak of 980 recorded a day earlier. The country’s overall death toll neared 10,000. At the same time, data suggest that the number of hospital admissions in Britain is leveling off.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19, continued to recover at a London hospital, where he was able to take short walks, according to his office.

Worldwide, confirmed infections rose above 1.7 million, with over 100,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. Close to 400,000 people have recovered.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older people and those with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586635290743.png" alt="<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">John Hopkins Coronavirus resource center map</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">John Hopkins Coronavirus resource center map</a></figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy’s for the highest in the world Saturday at about 20,000, as Chicago and other cities across the Midwest braced for a potential surge in victims and moved to snuff out smoldering hot spots of contagion before they erupt.With the New York area still deep in crisis, fear mounted over the spread of the scourge into the nation’s heartland.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696207171.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Twenty-four residents of an Indiana nursing home hit by COVID-19 have died, while a nursing home in Iowa saw 14 deaths. Chicago’s Cook County has set up a temporary morgue that can take more than 2,000 bodies. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6f408d2ff996945505f334a7529c0d90">Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot</a>&nbsp;has been going around telling groups of people to “break it up.”Around the world, meanwhile, European countries used roadblocks, drones, helicopters, mounted patrols and the threat of fines to keep people from traveling over Easter weekend. And with infections and deaths slowing in Italy, Spain and other places on the Continent, governments took tentative steps toward loosening the weeks-long shutdowns.Glorious weather across Europe posed an extra test of people’s discipline.“Don’t do silly things,” said Domenico Arcuri, Italy’s special commissioner for the virus emergency. “Don’t go out, continue to behave responsibly as you have done until today, use your head and your sense of responsibility.”The outbreak’s center of gravity has long since shifted from China to Europe and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">United State</a>&nbsp;s, which now has by far the largest number of confirmed cases — a half-million — and a death toll higher than Italy’s count of nearly 19,500, according to the<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html"> tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.</a>The death rate — that is, the number of dead relative to the population — is still far higher in Italy than in U.S., which has more than five times as many people. And worldwide, the true numbers of dead and infected are believed to be much higher because of testing shortages, different counting practices and concealment by some governments.About half the deaths in the U.S. are in the New York metropolitan area, where hospitalizations are nevertheless slowing and other indicators suggest lockdowns and social distancing are “flattening the curve” of infections and staving off the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">doomsday scenarios</a>&nbsp;of just a week or two ago.New York state on Saturday reported 783 more deaths, for a total over 8,600. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the daily number of deaths is stabilizing “but stabilizing at a horrific rate.”“What do we do now? We stay the course,” said Cuomo, who like other leaders has warned that relaxing restrictions too soon could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance.With authorities warning that the crisis in New York is far from over, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s 1.1 million-student school system will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. But Cuomo said the decision is up to him, and no such determination has been made.In the Midwest, pockets of contagion have alarmed state and city leaders and led to stricter enforcement.Nearly 300 inmates at the Cook County Jail have tested positive for the virus, and two have died. In Wisconsin, health officials expect to see an increase in coronavirus cases after thousands of people went to the polls during Wisconsin’s presidential primary Tuesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696236815.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Michigan’s governor extended her state’s stay-at-home order with new provisions: People with multiple homes may no longer travel between them.And in Kansas, the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a dispute Saturday between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican lawmakers who overturned her executive order banning religious services and funerals with more than 10 people.Elsewhere around the world, Italian authorities set up roadblocks around Milan to discourage people from going on Easter weekend trips. British police kept a close watch on gatherings in parks and at the seaside on one of the hottest days of the year. And France deployed some 160,000 police, including officers on horseback who patrolled beaches and parks.“It’s useless to pack your bags for a vacation,” Paris police tweeted.With religious leaders around the globe urging people to observe Easter safely at home, not in church, the archbishop of Turin, Italy, allowed a video streaming display of the Shroud of Turin, believed by the faithful to be the burial cloth of Jesus, so that they can pray in front of it during the epidemic.Austria aims to reopen small shops on Tuesday. Spain, with more than 16,300 dead, plans to allow workers in some nonessential industries to return to factories and construction sites Monday. Spanish authorities said they will distribute 10 million face masks at major train and subway stations.“We think that with these measures we will prevent a jump in infections,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said.Italy continued to include all nonessential manufacturing in an extension of its national lockdown until May 3. But Premier Giuseppe Conte held out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8daf291838bae0c7e17c055c4955cea7">hope that some industry could re-open earlier</a>&nbsp;if conditions permit.Arcuri said that the exit from the lockdown will include increased virus testing, the deployment of a voluntary contact-tracing app and mandatory blood tests as Italy seeks to set up a system of ’’immunity passports.”India extended its lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people by two more weeks. But Iran, the site of the worst outbreak in the Middle East, reopened government offices and businesses outside Tehran.Britain on Saturday reported 917 more deaths, down from the peak of 980 recorded a day earlier. The country’s overall death toll neared 10,000. At the same time, data suggest that the number of hospital admissions in Britain is leveling off.Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19, continued to recover at a London hospital, where he was able to take short walks, according to his office.Worldwide, confirmed infections rose above 1.7 million, with over 100,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. Close to 400,000 people have recovered.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older people and those with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia.___

20,000: US death toll overtakes Italy's as Midwest braces

The Kansas Department of Health released the state's latest numbers on coronavirus Saturday afternoon.

<a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/kdhe.epidemiology#!/vizhome/COVID-19Data_15851817634470/KSCOVID-19CaseData">Click here</a> for additional details

The Kansas Department of Health released the state's latest numbers on coronavirus Saturday afternoon.<a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/kdhe.epidemiology#!/vizhome/COVID-19Data_15851817634470/KSCOVID-19CaseData">Click here</a> for additional details<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586626295924.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — An attorney for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly told the state Supreme Court on Saturday that a Republican-dominated legislative panel exceeded its authority when it overturned the Democratic governor’s executive order banning religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the coronavirus pandemic.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnQYvyZXgY&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the oral arguments.

Lawmakers countered that the language in a resolution they contend gave the panel that authority was a compromise reached with Kelly and was intended as a check on her power at a time when the full Legislature couldn’t meet because of virus concerns.

“In this time of crisis, the question before the court is whether a seven-member legislative committee has the power to overrule the governor. The answer is no,” said Clay Britton, chief counsel for the governor.

During an emergency, the governor can only be overruled by the Legislature as a whole acting on a resolution voted on by all 165 of its members, he argued.

Attorneys for the lawmakers, though, said the court should consider that the resolution that gave the panel its authority was a compromise meant to give legislative oversight at a time when the full Legislature couldn’t meet.

“You will recall this was a time everybody was trying to skedaddle as fast as they could from the Statehouse because of the pandemic concerns,” said attorney Brad Schlozman.

The justices said they would confer right after the arguments were presented and would try to reach a decision quickly.

Both sides agree that worshipers should avoid gathering in large groups to avoid the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Many churches have been conducting services online for weeks, and none have publicly announced plans to reopen their doors to worshippers.

The legal issue at stake concerns how far the Legislature can go in delegating it’s power to another group, in this case, the Legislative Coordinating Council, which is made up of the top four House leaders and top three Senate leaders. Five of the seven members are Republicans.

Lawmakers gave the council the right to review Kelly’s executive orders and to overturn many of them within days. Conservative Republicans were upset with an order from Kelly to close K-12 schools for the rest of the spring semester and wanted to block her from using sweeping gubernatorial powers granted to deal with short-term disasters.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state grew Saturday by 102, to 1,268. Kansas also reported five more deaths, bringing the total to 55.

The state has identified four outbreaks stemming from religious gatherings.

The hearing came one day before Easter, and the justices said they would confer immediately after arguments were presented to try to come to a quick ruling.

Starting at 9a.m. Saturday, the Kansas Supreme Court, in a time of quarantine, heard arguments in Gov. Laura Kelly’s lawsuit against legislative leaders who overturned her executive order banning religious services of more than 10 attendees during the coronavirus pandemic. 

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1pXIOdkwjkdiLnpXj4Wp8w/live">Click here to watch&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;(The oral arguments ended just before 10:30a.m.)&nbsp; &nbsp;Chief Justice Marla Luckert said the court hoped to have a decision sometime Saturday.

The Kansas Supreme Court has offered livestreamed oral arguments since 2012, but set a record Saturday with over 2400 viewers, according to the court. The previous high was in the hundreds.

The governor filed the lawsuit Thursday after a Republican-dominated legislative panel overturned her order.

Kelly and the panel generally agree that worshipers should stay home and watch livestreamed religious services during the pandemic, but they disagree on whether the state has the constitutional authority to order it. Kelly pointed to three religious gatherings that led to outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586614513860.png" alt="Kansas Supreme Court Saturday morning" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Supreme Court Saturday morning</figcaption>
 </figure>BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — An attorney for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly told the state Supreme Court on Saturday that a Republican-dominated legislative panel exceeded its authority when it overturned the Democratic governor’s executive order banning religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the coronavirus pandemic.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnQYvyZXgY&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the oral arguments.Lawmakers countered that the language in a resolution they contend gave the panel that authority was a compromise reached with Kelly and was intended as a check on her power at a time when the full Legislature couldn’t meet because of virus concerns.The hearing, which was the court’s first conducted completely via video conferencing, came one day before Easter, which is typically the busiest day on the Christian calendar in terms of church attendance.“In this time of crisis, the question before the court is whether a seven-member legislative committee has the power to overrule the governor. The answer is no,” said Clay Britton, chief counsel for the governor.During an emergency, the governor can only be overruled by the Legislature as a whole acting on a resolution voted on by all 165 of its members, he argued.Attorneys for the lawmakers, though, said the court should consider that the resolution that gave the panel its authority was a compromise meant to give legislative oversight at a time when the full Legislature couldn’t meet.“You will recall this was a time everybody was trying to skedaddle as fast as they could from the Statehouse because of the pandemic concerns,” said attorney Brad Schlozman.The justices said they would confer right after the arguments were presented and would try to reach a decision quickly.Both sides agree that worshipers should avoid gathering in large groups to avoid the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Many churches have been conducting services online for weeks, and none have publicly announced plans to reopen their doors to worshippers.The legal issue at stake concerns how far the Legislature can go in delegating it’s power to another group, in this case, the Legislative Coordinating Council, which is made up of the top four House leaders and top three Senate leaders. Five of the seven members are Republicans.Lawmakers gave the council the right to review Kelly’s executive orders and to overturn many of them within days. Conservative Republicans were upset with an order from Kelly to close K-12 schools for the rest of the spring semester and wanted to block her from using sweeping gubernatorial powers granted to deal with short-term disasters.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586617651999.png" alt="<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/Cases-Opinions/High-Interest-Cases/Governor-Laura-Kelly-v-Legislative-Coordinating-Co">Click here to see </a>other documents in the case." />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.kscourts.org/Cases-Opinions/High-Interest-Cases/Governor-Laura-Kelly-v-Legislative-Coordinating-Co">Click here to see </a>other documents in the case.</figcaption>
 </figure>The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state grew Saturday by 102, to 1,268. Kansas also reported five more deaths, bringing the total to 55.The state has identified four outbreaks stemming from religious gatherings.The hearing came one day before Easter, and the justices said they would confer immediately after arguments were presented to try to come to a quick ruling.-------Starting at 9a.m. Saturday, the Kansas Supreme Court, in a time of quarantine, heard arguments in Gov. Laura Kelly’s lawsuit against legislative leaders who overturned her executive order banning religious services of more than 10 attendees during the coronavirus pandemic. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1pXIOdkwjkdiLnpXj4Wp8w/live">Click here to watch&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;(The oral arguments ended just before 10:30a.m.)&nbsp; &nbsp;Chief Justice Marla Luckert said the court hoped to have a decision sometime Saturday.The Kansas Supreme Court has offered livestreamed oral arguments since 2012, but set a record Saturday with over 2400 viewers, according to the court. The previous high was in the hundreds.The governor filed the lawsuit Thursday after a Republican-dominated legislative panel overturned her order.Kelly and the panel generally agree that worshipers should stay home and watch livestreamed religious services during the pandemic, but they disagree on whether the state has the constitutional authority to order it. Kelly pointed to three religious gatherings that led to outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.&nbsp;

The Latest: 🎥 Kan. high court weighs virus limits on religious services 

WASHINGTON (AP) — At the end of a week officials had warned would be this generation’s Pearl Harbor, White House officials pointed to hopeful signs Friday that the spread of the coronavirus could be slowing, even as President Donald Trump insisted he would not move to reopen the country until it is safe.

At the same time, Trump said he would be announcing the launch of what he dubbed the “Opening our Country” task force next Tuesday to work toward that goal.

“I want to get it open as soon as possible,” he said at a Good Friday briefing, while adding: “The facts are going to determine what I do.”

With the economy reeling and job losses soaring, Trump has been itching to reopen the country, drawing alarm from health experts who warn that doing so too quickly could spark a deadly resurgence that could undermine current distancing efforts.

But Trump, who had once set Easter Sunday as the date he hoped people in certain parts of the country might begin to return to work and pack church pews, said he would continue to listen to health experts like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx as he considers what he described as the “biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.”

While “there are both sides to every argument,” he said, “we’re not doing anything until we know that this country is going be healthy. We don’t want to go back and start doing it over again.”

Trump’s comments came at the end of a week officials had warned would be a devastating one for the country. Hours earlier, Johns Hopkins University announced that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8233264cd1a25eb2e583ef9f5e4f8d37">worldwide death toll from the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;had hit a bleak milestone: 100,000 people. That includes about 18,000 in the U.S., where about half-million people have been confirmed infected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586553667558.png" alt="President Trump and Vice President Pence answer questions during Friday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and Vice President Pence answer questions during Friday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — At the end of a week officials had warned would be this generation’s Pearl Harbor, White House officials pointed to hopeful signs Friday that the spread of the coronavirus could be slowing, even as President Donald Trump insisted he would not move to reopen the country until it is safe.At the same time, Trump said he would be announcing the launch of what he dubbed the “Opening our Country” task force next Tuesday to work toward that goal.“I want to get it open as soon as possible,” he said at a Good Friday briefing, while adding: “The facts are going to determine what I do.”With the economy reeling and job losses soaring, Trump has been itching to reopen the country, drawing alarm from health experts who warn that doing so too quickly could spark a deadly resurgence that could undermine current distancing efforts.But Trump, who had once set Easter Sunday as the date he hoped people in certain parts of the country might begin to return to work and pack church pews, said he would continue to listen to health experts like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx as he considers what he described as the “biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.”While “there are both sides to every argument,” he said, “we’re not doing anything until we know that this country is going be healthy. We don’t want to go back and start doing it over again.”Trump’s comments came at the end of a week officials had warned would be a devastating one for the country. Hours earlier, Johns Hopkins University announced that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8233264cd1a25eb2e583ef9f5e4f8d37">worldwide death toll from the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;had hit a bleak milestone: 100,000 people. That includes about 18,000 in the U.S., where about half-million people have been confirmed infected.More than 40% of the deaths in the U.S so far have happened in New York state, which reported 777 new deaths on Friday. But there were also signs of hope. State officials reported that the number of people in intensive care dropped for the first time there since mid-March. Hospitalizations are also slowing, with 290 new patients admitted in a single day versus daily increases of more than 1,000 last week.While bemoaning the death numbers as “so horrible,” Trump said “tremendous progress” is being made.”“In the midst of grief and pain, we’re seeing clear signs that our aggressive strategy is saving countless lives,” he said, pointing to models that are now forecasting far fewer U.S. deaths than had originally been predicted.Health experts have warned, however, that if the country rolls back restrictions too quickly, case levels could once again begin to soar, especially without widespread testing to determine who might be a carrier of the virus. While the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. And research has shown that people can be highly infectious even if they are not displaying symptoms.Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-diseases expert, told CNN that the timeline for reopening the country would be informed by a team that has been reviewing data day-by-day and presenting that information to the president.“The virus kind of decides whether or not it’s appropriate to open it,” he said. “The one thing you don’t want to do is you don’t want to get out there prematurely and then wind up backtracking.”Still, he cautioned that there will most certainly be cases when that day comes.“When we decide, at a proper time, when we’re going to be relaxing some of the restrictions, there’s no doubt you’re going to see cases,” he said. “The question is how you respond to them.”As a clearer picture of the virus begins to emerge, data has begun to show that it is having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/71d952faad4a2a5d14441534f7230c7c">a particularly devastating impact</a>&nbsp;on an already vulnerable population — black Americans.Of the victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials — nearly 3,300 of the nation’s 13,000 deaths thus far — about 42% were black, according to an Associated Press analysis. African Americans account for roughly 21% of the total population in those places. Black adults suffer from higher rates of underlying health conditions like obesity, diabetes and asthma, which put them at higher risk for severe complications.To that end, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Friday made a plea to minority communities to follow social distancing guidelines — if not for themselves, then for their family members.“Do it for your abuela. Do it for your granddaddy. Do it for your Big Mama. Do it for your Pop Pop,” he said, adding that they should also avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs.“We need you to understand, especially in communities of color, we need you to step up and help stop the spread so that we can protect those who are most vulnerable,” he said.Asked whether his comments could be deemed offensive for viewers, Adams, who is black, said that was not his intention.“That’s the language that we use and that I use,” he said.___

Coronavirus Update