The White House coronavirus task force will shift its focus to developing vaccines and reopening the economy – and it won’t be shutting down soon, President Donald Trump…
The White House coronavirus task force will shift its focus to developing vaccines and reopening the economy – and it won’t be shutting down soon, President Donald Trump said Wednesday.
Trumps tweeted his latest vision one day after Vice President Mike Pence announced plans to wind down the task force as early as this month, despite little indication the pandemic is easing nationwide. Only 12 states are currently showing a sustained case reduction while 15 have experienced sustained increases.
There were more than 1.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 73,000 deaths in the U. S. as of Wednesday, according to the John Hopkins University data dashboard. Worldwide, the virus has killed over 263,000 people and infected more than 3.7 million.
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Here are some of the most important developments Wednesday:
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The meatpacking industry hit a grim milestone this week with the number of coronavirus cases tied to outbreaks at its beleaguered plants reaching more than 10,000, according to USA TODAY and Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting tracking.
At least 170 plants in 29 states have had one or more worker test positive for the coronavirus. Some of those workers also have infected others, which is included in the count. At least 45 workers have died. The outbreaks have prompted the closure of at least 40 meat slaughtering and processing plants — lasting anywhere from one day to several weeks — since the start of the pandemic.
The shutdowns sparked meat shortages in some parts of the country and triggered an executive order by President Donald Trump to keep plants open. But more than a week after Trump’s order, closures have continued unabated, the media outlets found.
Two-thirds of COVID-19 hospitalizations in New York involve people who reportedly were sheltering at home as opposed to «essential workers» who have been going to work, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. Another 18% were from nursing homes, Cuomo said. He said the state has been studying about 1,000 admissions at 100 hospitals over three days. Almost three-quarters of the patients were 51 or older and most were minorities.
Cuomo noted that the city has taken the unprecedented step of shutting down the subway system overnight to disinfect it, hoping to curb the spread. But the impact that has had is now in question.
“We thought maybe they were taking public transportation, and we’ve taken special precautions,» Cuomo said. «But no, these people were literally at home.”
Less than a day after signaling the White House coronavirus task force would be disbanded, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the group will «continue on indefinitely» and shift focus to reopening and manufacturing vaccines. Vice President Mike Pence and other officials said Tuesday the group’s work would be transferred to federal agencies within weeks. That plan drew fire from some critics who said it was too soon to disband the group.
«The Task Force will continue on indefinitely with its focus on SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN,» Trump posted in a series of tweets Wednesday. «The Task Force will also be very focused on Vaccines & Therapeutics. Thank you!»
– John Fritze and David Jackson
Don’t expect an abundance of disinfecting products at the store for several more weeks.
Clorox says retail shelves will not be fully stocked with its popular wipes and other disinfectant cleaners used to combat COVID-19 until the summer. “It’s going to be touch and go until then, unfortunately,” Clorox chairman and CEO Benno Dorer told Yahoo Finance in an interview.
Shoppers have become increasingly frustrated as they scour the internet and local stores for Lysol sprays and Clorox wipes, only to find shelves picked clean. Manufacturers like Clorox were not prepared for skyrocketing demand in an usually predictable sector.
— Jessica Guynn
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he briefly wore a face mask during his visit to an Arizona plant that is manufacturing protective gear, but said he was told it wasn’t necessary during a subsequent tour of the facility.
