npr--2020-04-21--Opinion: U.S. Must Avoid Building Racial Bias Into COVID-19 Emergency Guidance

Opinion : U.S. Must Avoid Building Racial Bias Into COVID-19 Emergency Guidance Our patient in the emergency bay was not doing well .
Beads of sweat lined his forehead and his eyes were closed ; all of his energy was focused on breathing .
Despite all of his efforts , he was sleepy and confused , telltale signs that his brain was not getting enough oxygen .
He would inevitably need intubation — heavy sedation and a breathing tube — to prevent things from quickly getting worse .
I had to ask his son , a man in his early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his dad 's wishes to intubate him .
The young man was shaking with fear , too scared to speak aloud an answer .
There were no other family members to help make this tough decision .
As a black physician , I ( Dr. Khidir ) could n't help but notice that once again it was a patient of color who was critically ill from what was almost certainly COVID-19 .
Across the United States , we are seeing alarming statistics about the disproportionate toll of COVID-19 on Latino and black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times tells us , coronavirus is twice as deadly for these minorities as for their white counterparts .
In both Chicago and Louisiana , black patients account for 70 % of coronavirus deaths , even though they make up roughly a third of the population .
At Massachusetts General Hospital , where we practice , an estimated 35 % to 40 % of patients admitted to the hospital with the coronavirus are Latino — that 's a 400 % increase over the percentage of patients admitted before the outbreak who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversations about a patient 's end-of-life wishes are taking place in broken Spanish , seconds before they get intubated .
In the intensive care unit , doctors barely have time to update family members , because they 're too bogged down by patient-care tasks to call an interpreter .
For patients healthy enough to go home , our usual script around social distancing falls short , as many of our black and Latino patients are unable to self-isolate within large multigenerational households .
In addition , many of these patients either are essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not simply `` stay home '' .
In a pandemic that has stretched U.S. health care resources thin , it 's not surprising to see a worsening of already existent health care disparities .
Several states and organizations have started to release Crisis Standards of Care guidelines in recent weeks — these are meant to help hospitals ration critical resources like ventilators and intensive care unit beds , if and when the need is dire .
The overall aim of such guidelines , which can vary in their specifics from state to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allocate limited resources to the people who are most likely to benefit from them .
To determine which patients get priority in treatment , several of the CSCs published so far , such as guidelines from Colorado and Massachusetts , recommend that the hospital use frameworks that include the patient 's age and `` SOFA '' score ( a measure of how critically ill the patient is at arrival , based on objective laboratory values ) .
Importantly , they also include what we doctors call `` comorbidities '' — other , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are infected with this virus at a higher risk for worse outcomes .
We know that historically disadvantaged populations — including black and Latino patients — have a higher burden of the comorbidities traditionally used by hospitals to stratify patients by risk .
This is largely because of structural and socioeconomic factors .
Studies and statistics suggest that , compared to their white counterparts , black patients are 40 % more likely to have high blood pressure , twice as likely to have heart failure , three times as likely to die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to have chronic kidney disease , twice as likely to be diagnosed with colon and prostate cancer , and represent 44 % of the HIV positive population .
Similarly , Latino patients are twice as likely to both have and die from diabetes , and twice as likely to have chronic liver disease than non-Hispanic whites .
Although the foundational principle of Crisis Standards of Care guidelines are utilitarian and aim to benefit the greatest number of people while treating `` individual cases fairly , '' a system that penalizes on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penalize the populations that are already more vulnerable to those conditions .
Furthermore , given the novelty of COVID-19 , we still do n't have a complete picture of which factors lead to worse outcomes .
While some data suggest that patients with severe COVID-19 are more likely to have hypertension or respiratory or cardiovascular illnesses , there are also findings suggesting that men have more severe disease than women .
Yet , the Crisis Standards of Care are not factoring sex into their scoring system .
This means that we are arbitrarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do better , and we 're doing so at the expense of populations that have historically been marginalized by the health care system .
COVID-19 is already affecting and killing a disproportionate number of black and Latino patients across the United States .
Using comorbidities as a proxy for disease severity to allocate resources , without taking into account race and ethnicity , will almost certainly mean that racial and ethnic minorities will be placed in the `` back of the line '' for critical care resources .
In order to do the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ethically and fairly , standards of care must be informed by the existing inequalities in our country .
While we 're not suggesting that comorbidities be removed from crisis standards of care altogether , we urge states to reevaluate current guidelines and include only major comorbidities with a known short-term impact on a patient 's prognosis .
States should also track and make publicly available demographic data — including race and ethnicity — for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in order to ensure that people of color are not being denied resources disproportionately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the committees designing crisis standards of care are composed of a racially and ethnically diverse group of individuals in a way that is representative of their population .
It was devastating enough to have to tell my African American patient 's young son that his dad 's illness was so life-threatening we needed to place a breathing tube down his throat and send him to the intensive care unit .
I can only imagine how he would feel if , in some unfortunate circumstance , we would have to tell him that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ventilator to conserve resources .
Dr. Jossie Carreras Tartak and Dr. Hazar Khidir are residents in Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston .

Opinion: U.S. Must Avoid Building Racial Bias Into COVID-19 Emergency Guidance
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Moore/Getty Images John Moore/Getty Images
Our patient in the emergency bay was not doing well. Beads of sweat lined his forehead and his eyes were closed; all of his energy was focused on breathing. Despite all of his efforts, he was sleepy and confused, telltale signs that his brain was not getting enough oxygen. He would inevitably need intubation — heavy sedation and a breathing tube — to prevent things from quickly getting worse.
I had to ask his son, a man in his early 20s, if it would be within his dad's wishes to intubate him. The young man was shaking with fear, too scared to speak aloud an answer. There were no other family members to help make this tough decision. As a black physician, I (Dr. Khidir) couldn't help but notice that once again it was a patient of color who was critically ill from what was almost certainly COVID-19.
Across the United States, we are seeing alarming statistics about the disproportionate toll of COVID-19 on Latino and black people. In New York City, the New York Times tells us, coronavirus is twice as deadly for these minorities as for their white counterparts. In both Chicago and Louisiana, black patients account for 70% of coronavirus deaths, even though they make up roughly a third of the population.
At Massachusetts General Hospital, where we practice, an estimated 35% to 40% of patients admitted to the hospital with the coronavirus are Latino — that's a 400% increase over the percentage of patients admitted before the outbreak who were Latino.
In the emergency room, conversations about a patient's end-of-life wishes are taking place in broken Spanish, seconds before they get intubated. In the intensive care unit, doctors barely have time to update family members, because they're too bogged down by patient-care tasks to call an interpreter. For patients healthy enough to go home, our usual script around social distancing falls short, as many of our black and Latino patients are unable to self-isolate within large multigenerational households. In addition, many of these patients either are essential workers or live with one — they cannot simply "stay home".
In a pandemic that has stretched U.S. health care resources thin, it's not surprising to see a worsening of already existent health care disparities. Several states and organizations have started to release Crisis Standards of Care guidelines in recent weeks — these are meant to help hospitals ration critical resources like ventilators and intensive care unit beds, if and when the need is dire.
The overall aim of such guidelines, which can vary in their specifics from state to state and hospital to hospital, is to allocate limited resources to the people who are most likely to benefit from them.
To determine which patients get priority in treatment, several of the CSCs published so far, such as guidelines from Colorado and Massachusetts, recommend that the hospital use frameworks that include the patient's age and "SOFA" score (a measure of how critically ill the patient is at arrival, based on objective laboratory values). Importantly, they also include what we doctors call "comorbidities" — other, underlying medical conditions that can put patients who are infected with this virus at a higher risk for worse outcomes.
We know that historically disadvantaged populations — including black and Latino patients — have a higher burden of the comorbidities traditionally used by hospitals to stratify patients by risk. This is largely because of structural and socioeconomic factors. Studies and statistics suggest that, compared to their white counterparts, black patients are 40% more likely to have high blood pressure, twice as likely to have heart failure, three times as likely to die from asthma-related complications, three times more likely to have chronic kidney disease, twice as likely to be diagnosed with colon and prostate cancer, and represent 44% of the HIV positive population. Similarly, Latino patients are twice as likely to both have and die from diabetes, and twice as likely to have chronic liver disease than non-Hispanic whites.
Although the foundational principle of Crisis Standards of Care guidelines are utilitarian and aim to benefit the greatest number of people while treating "individual cases fairly," a system that penalizes on the basis of comorbidities will undoubtedly and unfairly penalize the populations that are already more vulnerable to those conditions.
Furthermore, given the novelty of COVID-19, we still don't have a complete picture of which factors lead to worse outcomes. While some data suggest that patients with severe COVID-19 are more likely to have hypertension or respiratory or cardiovascular illnesses, there are also findings suggesting that men have more severe disease than women. Yet, the Crisis Standards of Care are not factoring sex into their scoring system. This means that we are arbitrarily choosing metrics to guess which patients will do better, and we're doing so at the expense of populations that have historically been marginalized by the health care system.
COVID-19 is already affecting and killing a disproportionate number of black and Latino patients across the United States. Using comorbidities as a proxy for disease severity to allocate resources, without taking into account race and ethnicity, will almost certainly mean that racial and ethnic minorities will be placed in the "back of the line" for critical care resources.
In order to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people ethically and fairly, standards of care must be informed by the existing inequalities in our country.
While we're not suggesting that comorbidities be removed from crisis standards of care altogether, we urge states to reevaluate current guidelines and include only major comorbidities with a known short-term impact on a patient's prognosis.
States should also track and make publicly available demographic data — including race and ethnicity — for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in order to ensure that people of color are not being denied resources disproportionately. Lastly, states should ensure that the committees designing crisis standards of care are composed of a racially and ethnically diverse group of individuals in a way that is representative of their population.
It was devastating enough to have to tell my African American patient's young son that his dad's illness was so life-threatening we needed to place a breathing tube down his throat and send him to the intensive care unit. I can only imagine how he would feel if, in some unfortunate circumstance, we would have to tell him that his father would need to be taken off the ventilator to conserve resources.
Dr. Jossie Carreras Tartak and Dr. Hazar Khidir are residents in Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.


npr--2020-04-21--Supreme Court Guarantees Right To Unanimous Verdict In Serious Criminal Trials

Supreme Court Guarantees Right To Unanimous Verdict In Serious Criminal Trials What does the right to a unanimous jury verdict have to do with abortion , or school prayer , or federal environmental regulations ?
Stay tuned .
The U.S. Supreme Court Monday struck down state laws in Louisiana and Oregon that allowed people accused of serious crimes to be convicted by a non-unanimous jury vote .
The 6-to-3 decision overturned a longstanding prior ruling from 1972 , which had upheld such non-unanimous verdicts in state courts .
And these days , any decision to overturn a longstanding precedent rings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the short run , Monday 's decision was a victory for Evangelisto Ramos , who in 2016 was convicted of second-degree murder by a jury vote of 10-to-2 in Louisiana .
Only two states -- Louisiana and Oregon -- had provisions allowing non-unanimous verdicts , and Louisiana just recently changed its law to be like those in 48 other states and the federal government .
Justice Neil Gorsuch , writing for the majority , laid out the history behind the laws in both states .
Gorsuch noted that the measure was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1898 , after the Supreme Court ruled that racial minorities could not be barred from juries ; that same year , Louisiana added the non-unanimous jury provision to its state constitution as part of a package of amendments that deliberately made it difficult for black citizens to vote or otherwise participate meaningfully in the state 's governance .
Specifically , Gorsuch said , the non-unanimous jury provision was a way to ensure that even if one or two African Americans made it on to a jury , their participation would be `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-unanimous jury rule in Oregon , Gorsuch wrote , `` can similarly be traced to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and efforts to dilute the influence of racial and ethnic and religious minorities on Oregon juries . ''
Despite these state provisions , there has never been any dispute that the unanimous jury requirement applies to the federal government .
The question in this case was whether that aspect of the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial applied to the states as well .
Over the last 75 years or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about every other provision of the Bill of Rights to the states , but in 1972 it deviated from that practice , declining to apply the unanimous jury requirement in a similar fashion .
On Monday , however , the 1972 decision came tumbling down .
The six-justice court majority — composed of conservatives and liberals — said the earlier ruling was a mistake .
The decision , written by the conservative Gorsuch , was joined in whole or in part by liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Stephen Breyer , Sonia Sotomayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Clarence Thomas , another conservative , agreed with the result , but on entirely different grounds .
Writing for the dissenters , Justice Samuel Alito — joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and for the most part , Justice Elena Kagan — maintained that the principle of adhering to precedent should be followed in this case because to do otherwise would require `` a potentially crushing '' number of new trials for people currently imprisoned under the old rule .
`` Where is the justice in that ? ''
replied Justice Gorsuch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this court '' is prepared to say that the 1972 decision was correct , he noted .
`` Every judge must learn to live with the fact that he or she will make mistakes ...
But it is something else entirely to perpetuate '' a wrong `` only because we fear the consequences of being right . ''
The consequences of Monday 's decision will likely be felt more in Louisiana , which allowed non-unanimous verdicts for more serious crimes than Oregon .
The court 's decision will require retrials for any prisoner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are about 100 of those cases in Louisiana , says Jamila Johnson , the managing attorney at the Promise of Justice Initiative , which represented Ramos .
But there are also at least 1,700 prisoners in the state who might qualify for a new trial if the court eventually holds that Monday 's decision is retroactive .
The high court left that question open for another day .
Altogether the majority , concurring , and dissenting opinions totaled a whopping 86 pages and reflected an important subtext -- divergent views about when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adhering to precedent and when it should not .
It 's important because , the new ultra-conservative court majority has very different views than the courts of the last 75 years on topics as diverse as abortion , voting rights , federal regulation , and the clash between religious views and generally applicable laws .
`` The court 's views about when it 's OK to overrule prior precedent have always been more about the eye of the beholder than they have been about a rule that is easy or straightforward to apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and co-director of the Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy at Cardozo School of Law .
Ultimately , she said , `` all of these major questions that are coming before the court are going to be fought along these lines . ''

Supreme Court Guarantees Right To Unanimous Verdict In Serious Criminal Trials
Enlarge this image J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
What does the right to a unanimous jury verdict have to do with abortion, or school prayer, or federal environmental regulations? Stay tuned.
The U.S. Supreme Court Monday struck down state laws in Louisiana and Oregon that allowed people accused of serious crimes to be convicted by a non-unanimous jury vote. The 6-to-3 decision overturned a longstanding prior ruling from 1972, which had upheld such non-unanimous verdicts in state courts.
And these days, any decision to overturn a longstanding precedent rings the alarm bells in the Supreme Court.
In the short run, Monday's decision was a victory for Evangelisto Ramos, who in 2016 was convicted of second-degree murder by a jury vote of 10-to-2 in Louisiana.
Only two states — Louisiana and Oregon — had provisions allowing non-unanimous verdicts, and Louisiana just recently changed its law to be like those in 48 other states and the federal government.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, laid out the history behind the laws in both states. Gorsuch noted that the measure was first added to the Louisiana state constitution in 1898, after the Supreme Court ruled that racial minorities could not be barred from juries; that same year, Louisiana added the non-unanimous jury provision to its state constitution as part of a package of amendments that deliberately made it difficult for black citizens to vote or otherwise participate meaningfully in the state's governance. Specifically, Gorsuch said, the non-unanimous jury provision was a way to ensure that even if one or two African Americans made it on to a jury, their participation would be "meaningless."
The adoption of the non-unanimous jury rule in Oregon, Gorsuch wrote, "can similarly be traced to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and efforts to dilute the influence of racial and ethnic and religious minorities on Oregon juries."
Despite these state provisions, there has never been any dispute that the unanimous jury requirement applies to the federal government. The question in this case was whether that aspect of the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial applied to the states as well.
Over the last 75 years or so, the court has applied just about every other provision of the Bill of Rights to the states, but in 1972 it deviated from that practice, declining to apply the unanimous jury requirement in a similar fashion.
On Monday, however, the 1972 decision came tumbling down. The six-justice court majority — composed of conservatives and liberals — said the earlier ruling was a mistake.
The decision, written by the conservative Gorsuch, was joined in whole or in part by liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Justice Clarence Thomas, another conservative, agreed with the result, but on entirely different grounds.
Writing for the dissenters, Justice Samuel Alito — joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and, for the most part, Justice Elena Kagan — maintained that the principle of adhering to precedent should be followed in this case because to do otherwise would require "a potentially crushing" number of new trials for people currently imprisoned under the old rule.
"Where is the justice in that?" replied Justice Gorsuch. "Not a single member of this court" is prepared to say that the 1972 decision was correct, he noted. "Every judge must learn to live with the fact that he or she will make mistakes ... But it is something else entirely to perpetuate" a wrong "only because we fear the consequences of being right."
The consequences of Monday's decision will likely be felt more in Louisiana, which allowed non-unanimous verdicts for more serious crimes than Oregon. The court's decision will require retrials for any prisoner who still has appeals pending.
There are about 100 of those cases in Louisiana, says Jamila Johnson, the managing attorney at the Promise of Justice Initiative, which represented Ramos. But there are also at least 1,700 prisoners in the state who might qualify for a new trial if the court eventually holds that Monday's decision is retroactive.
The high court left that question open for another day.
Altogether the majority, concurring and dissenting opinions totaled a whopping 86 pages and reflected an important subtext — divergent views about when the court should follow its usual rule of adhering to precedent and when it should not.
It's important because, the new ultra-conservative court majority has very different views than the courts of the last 75 years on topics as diverse as abortion, voting rights, federal regulation and the clash between religious views and generally applicable laws.
"The court's views about when it's OK to overrule prior precedent have always been more about the eye of the beholder than they have been about a rule that is easy or straightforward to apply," says Deborah Pearlstein, professor and co-director of the Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy at Cardozo School of Law. Ultimately, she said, "all of these major questions that are coming before the court are going to be fought along these lines."


npr--2020-04-21--Isolating With A Partner? Relationship Therapists Share Stress-Reduction Strategies

Many Americans are spending are spending a lot more time with their partners these days .
And some of those relationships are being tested by the inevitable `` pressure-cooker '' moments that come with weeks of being confined to the home in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus .
`` What we 're seeing is that there 's a clash between the terrible anxiety about catching the virus and having to stay sequestered 24/7 , '' says relationship therapist Julie Gottman .
So if a relationship is already on the rocks that anxiety , Gottman says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the partner . ''
She and her husband John Gottman , who is also a relationship therapist , are continuing to see patients , virtually , during their time of self-isolation .
In an interview on Morning Edition host David Greene , they offer research-driven techniques to help foster successful relationships during a particularly stressful time .
Julie : What we found in our research is that couples , when they are trying to deal with stress , such as this virus , will often try to solve a problem rather than listening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what we advise is for one person to be the speaker , the other the listener – and for that listener simply to ask questions to deepen their understanding and then to just simply offer empathy .
And empathy simply means naming that person 's feelings and saying , `` It makes sense to me that you 're really feeling that . ''
It really helps reduce the stress .
John : Ask questions like : What is your worst-case scenario , here ?
What are you really terrified about ?
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thoughts come to your mind when you 're just relaxing ?
What 's your default program that goes into your mind ?
Let me know what you 're thinking .
To be really like a tourist in the landscape of your partner 's mind and heart .
And just listen and try to understand .
That can have an enormous impact .
Research shows that that 's one of the things that keeps relationships and sustains relationships — is being your partner 's ally during times of stress .
On knowing when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : We start bickering , little disagreements , the tone gets a little negative .
And it 's at those times when it 's really good to stop ... take a break to calm down .
Do n't think about the discussion you 're having , get out of visual range and audio range of your partner , and do something self-soothing that calms you down , that gets you out of fight or flight .
And then return to your partner at a designated time you 've already agreed to , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done some good self-soothing , it 'll feel like you 've had a brain transplant and it 's a brand new conversation .
John : That physiological part of conversations is a very , very important thing .
Because when people 's heart rate exceeds 100 beats a minute , they just ca n't listen very well .
They feel like they 're physically in danger .
And so do n't feel like you have to solve the problem immediately .
Taking a break is a really great idea .
NPR 's Ziad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this interview for broadcast .
Listen to the full interview with Julie and John Gottman Tuesday on Morning Edition .
NPR 's Ziad Buchh and Catherine Whelan produced and edited this interview for broadcast .

Isolating With A Partner? Relationship Therapists Share Stress-Reduction Strategies
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jenny Meilihove/Getty Images Jenny Meilihove/Getty Images
Many Americans are spending a lot more time with their partners these days.
And some of those relationships are being tested by the inevitable "pressure-cooker" moments that come with weeks of being confined to the home in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
"What we're seeing is that there's a clash between the terrible anxiety about catching the virus and having to stay sequestered 24/7," says relationship therapist Julie Gottman.
So if a relationship is already on the rocks that anxiety, Gottman says, "has nowhere to go but towards the partner."
She and her husband, John Gottman, who is also a relationship therapist, are continuing to see patients, virtually, during their time of self-isolation.
In an interview with Morning Edition host David Greene, they offer research-driven techniques to help foster successful relationships during a particularly stressful time.
On the "stress-reducing conversation"
Julie: What we found in our research is that couples, when they are trying to deal with stress, such as this virus, will often try to solve a problem rather than listening to each other's emotions.
So, what we advise is for one person to be the speaker, the other the listener — and for that listener simply to ask questions to deepen their understanding and then to just simply offer empathy. And empathy simply means naming that person's feelings and saying, "It makes sense to me that you're really feeling that." It really helps reduce the stress.
John: Ask questions like: What is your worst-case scenario, here? What are you really terrified about? What do you ruminate about, what kinds of thoughts come to your mind when you're just relaxing? What's your default program that goes into your mind? Let me know what you're thinking.
To be really like a tourist in the landscape of your partner's mind and heart. And just listen and try to understand. That can have an enormous impact.
Research shows that that's one of the things that keeps relationships and sustains relationships — is being your partner's ally during times of stress.
On knowing when to take a break from discussion
Julie: We start bickering, little disagreements, the tone gets a little negative. And it's at those times when it's really good to stop ... take a break to calm down. Don't think about the discussion you're having, get out of visual range and audio range of your partner, and do something self-soothing that calms you down, that gets you out of fight or flight.
And then return to your partner at a designated time you've already agreed to, and continue discussion. Especially if you've done some good self-soothing, it'll feel like you've had a brain transplant and it's a brand-new conversation.
John: That physiological part of conversations is a very, very important thing. Because when people's heart rate exceeds 100 beats a minute, they just can't listen very well. They feel like they're physically in danger. And so don't feel like you have to solve the problem immediately. Taking a break is a really great idea.
NPR's Ziad Buchh and Catherine Whelan produced and edited this interview for broadcast.
Listen to the full interview with Julie and John Gottman on Morning Edition.


npr--2020-04-21--Bitter Taste For Coffee Shop Owner, As New $600 Jobless Benefit Closed Her Business

Bitter Taste For Coffee Shop Owner , As New $ 600 Jobless Benefit Closed Her Business That 's what the federal government is now offering to people who 've lost their jobs because of the coronavirus .
For many workers and employers , that money is a godsend — a way to keep food on the table while also cutting payroll costs .
But the extra money can create some awkward situations .
Some businesses that want to keep their doors open say it 's hard to do so when employees can make more money by staying home .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be a logical choice for a lot of people to be unemployed , '' said Sky Marietta , who opened a coffee shop along with her husband , Geoff , last year in Harlan , Ky. Their goal was to provide good coffee , good Internet service and some opportunity in a community that has been starved of all three .
`` We 're very committed to helping to transform the downtowns and main streets in eastern Kentucky , '' Marietta said .
When the couple advertised for workers , nearly 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ openings .
The shop had been up and running for only a few months when the coronavirus hit .
Marietta adopted precautions , instructing her workers to wash their hands frequently and disinfecting the door handle .
Eventually , she stopped letting customers come into the shop , delivering orders to the curb instead .
But Marietta was determined to stay open .
`` The No .
1 people that we 're serving right now are health care workers , '' she said .
`` I feel like they do n't have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserve at least some coffee in this , right ? ''
But even though she had customers , Marietta was reluctantly forced to close the coffee shop just over a week ago .
With the federal government now offering $ 600 a week on top of the state 's unemployment benefits , she said her former employees can make more money staying home than they did on the job .
`` We 're very committed to paying a living wage , '' Marietta said .
`` It happens that a living wage in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same thing as it is in other parts of the country . ''
Some Republican lawmakers warned about this unintended consequence of the relief bill when it was being drafted , noting that $ 600 a week amounts to $ 15 an hour , more than twice the federal minimum wage .
That 's in addition to state unemployment benefits , which vary widely , from a maximum of $ 235 per week in Mississippi to $ 795 per week in Massachusetts .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the administration opted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to get money out the door quickly .
As it is , states have struggled to pay the benefit to the millions of newly unemployed people who are applying every week .
Many employers have welcomed the federal benefits .
Knowing workers have an additional lifeline from the government makes even painful layoffs a little bit easier .
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley highlighted the federal payout during an emotional news conference last month during which he furloughed 1,700 city employees .
`` We are taking these dramatic steps now while the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will give us the resources we need to bring you back , '' Cranley said .
Some employers — like the auto industry — have always relied on unemployment benefits as a kind of taxpayer subsidy for workers during slow periods .
`` It helps the employer , because otherwise they may feel that they need to pay people more in order to convince them to take these jobs that have this tendency for temporary layoffs , '' said University of Michigan economist Betsey Stevenson .
But in her Kentucky coffee shop , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover the cost of idling her employees .
She wanted them to keep working .
Unfortunately , she says , the $ 10 to $ 15 an hour they 'd make serving coffee is no match for the new jobless benefits .
`` We have these lovely baristas , '' Marietta said .
`` They 're hardworking individuals .
But literally this is the best possible pay of their lives they could possibly get , to be unemployed . ''
She worries about what will happen to those workers when the federal unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July .
Maybe by then , she 'll be able to reopen .

Bitter Taste For Coffee Shop Owner, As New $600 Jobless Benefit Drove Her To Close
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nongnuch Leelaphasuk/Getty Images/EyeEm Nongnuch Leelaphasuk/Getty Images/EyeEm
Updated at 4:04 p.m. ET
$600 per week.
That's what the federal government is now offering to people who've lost their jobs because of the coronavirus.
For many workers and employers, that money is a godsend — a way to keep food on the table while also cutting payroll costs.
But the extra money can create some awkward situations. Some businesses that want to keep their doors open say it's hard to do so when employees can make more money by staying home.
"We basically have this situation where it would be a logical choice for a lot of people to be unemployed," said Sky Marietta, who opened a coffee shop along with her husband, Geoff, last year in Harlan, Ky.
Their goal was to provide good coffee, good Internet service and some opportunity in a community that has been starved of all three.
"We're very committed to helping to transform the downtowns and main streets in eastern Kentucky," Marietta said.
When the couple advertised for workers, nearly 100 people applied for just a handful of openings.
The shop had been up and running for only a few months when the coronavirus hit. Marietta adopted precautions, instructing her workers to wash their hands frequently and disinfecting the door handle.
Eventually, she stopped letting customers come into the shop, delivering orders to the curb instead. But Marietta was determined to stay open.
"The No. 1 people that we're serving right now are health care workers," she said. "I feel like they don't have a lot of options, and they certainly deserve at least some coffee in this, right?"
But even though she had customers, Marietta reluctantly decided to close the coffee shop just over a week ago.
"The very people we hired have now asked us to be laid off," Marietta wrote in a blog post. "Not because they did not like their jobs or because they did not want to work, but because it would cost them literally hundreds of dollars per week to be employed."
With the federal government now offering $600 a week on top of the state's unemployment benefits, she recognized her former employees could make more money staying home than they did on the job.
"You also have to think, the benefit of not having to go to work, especially during a pandemic," Marietta said in an interview with NPR. "It's not that we don't wish that we could pay our employees at that level all the time. You're always wanting to pay your staff the best you possible can. But to be put in a position where you can't compete with them being at home, unemployed. It's really tricky. It's a really difficult situation to be in."
Some Republican lawmakers warned about this unintended consequence of the relief bill when it was being drafted, noting that $600 a week amounts to $15 an hour, more than twice the federal minimum wage. That's in addition to state unemployment benefits, which vary widely, from a maximum of $235 per week in Mississippi to $795 per week in Massachusetts.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the administration opted to provide a uniform federal unemployment benefit in order to get money out the door quickly. As it is, states have struggled to pay the benefit to the millions of newly unemployed people who are applying every week.
Many employers have welcomed the federal benefits. Knowing workers have an additional lifeline from the government makes even painful layoffs a little bit easier. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley highlighted the federal payout during an emotional news conference last month during which he furloughed 1,700 city employees.
"We are taking these dramatic steps now while the federal government is providing these dollars because it will give us the resources we need to bring you back," Cranley said.
Some employers — like the auto industry — have always relied on unemployment benefits as a kind of taxpayer subsidy for workers during slow periods.
"It helps the employer, because otherwise they may feel that they need to pay people more in order to convince them to take these jobs that have this tendency for temporary layoffs," said University of Michigan economist Betsey Stevenson.
But in her Kentucky coffee shop, Marietta wasn't looking for someone to cover the cost of idling her employees. She wanted them to keep working. Unfortunately, she says, the $10 to $15 an hour they'd make serving coffee is no match for the new jobless benefits.
"We have these lovely baristas," Marietta said. "They're hardworking individuals. But literally this is the best possible pay of their lives they could possibly get, to be unemployed."
She worries about what will happen to those workers when the federal unemployment benefits run out at the end of July. Maybe by then, she'll be able to reopen.


npr--2020-04-21--Timeline: What Trump Has Said And Done About The Coronavirus

Timeline : What Trump Has Said And Done About The Coronavirus With near-daily task force briefings , President Trump has delivered an ever-evolving message to the American public about the coronavirus pandemic .
The constant is the inconsistency .
At times he has been in sync with the public health experts advising him on the response and with actions initiated by his administration .
But often he has undercut or even contradicted his experts or White House policy .
Trump has gone from downplaying the risk early on , to overselling the availability of test kits , to encouraging strict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those measures were causing too much economic and emotional pain .
He has claimed `` total '' authority , and then insisted it 's really up to the states to manage the response .
As the message from public health experts became increasingly dire , Trump often accentuated the positive , saying he was trying to give Americans hope .
Although Trump 's partial ban on travelers from China is seen by many as having bought time for the U.S. to prepare , coronavirus testing failures obscured the severity of the outbreak here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread .
By the time the deadly scope of the virus came into focus , it was too late for containment , and mitigation shutdowns brought a heavy economic toll .
Below , we compare Trump 's remarks and actions to those of his administration :

Timeline: What Trump Has Said And Done About The Coronavirus
Enlarge this image Gage Skidmore/Flickr; Stephen Melkisethian/Flickr; Caroline Amenabar/NPR Gage Skidmore/Flickr; Stephen Melkisethian/Flickr; Caroline Amenabar/NPR
Updated Sept. 10
Editor's Note: This timeline has been updated to include comments President Trump made in newly released interviews with journalist Bob Woodward.
President Trump has delivered an ever-evolving message to the American public about the coronavirus pandemic.
The constant is the inconsistency. At times he has been in sync with the public health experts advising him on the response and with actions initiated by his administration. But often he has undercut or even contradicted his experts or White House policy.
Trump has gone from downplaying the risk early on, to overselling the availability of test kits, to encouraging strict social distancing measures, to questioning whether those measures were causing too much economic and emotional pain. He has claimed "total" authority and then insisted it's really up to the states to manage the response.
As the message from public health experts became increasingly dire, Trump often accentuated the positive, saying he was trying to give Americans hope.
Although Trump's partial ban on travelers from China is seen by many as having bought time for the U.S. to prepare, coronavirus testing failures obscured the severity of the outbreak here and hampered efforts to contain its spread. By the time the deadly scope of the virus came into focus, it was too late for containment, and mitigation shutdowns brought a heavy economic toll.
Below, we compare Trump's remarks and actions to those of his administration:


npr--2020-04-21--Federal Judge Orders ICE To Consider Releasing Detainees At High Risk For COVID-19

Federal Judge Orders ICE To Consider Releasing Detainees At High Risk For COVID-19 A federal judge in California on Monday ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to `` identify and track '' every person in ICE detention at an elevated risk of complications from COVID-19 and to consider releasing those detainees regardless of their legal status .
Risk factors identified by the court include pregnancy , persons over the age of 55 and those with chronic health conditions .
ICE says there are 220 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among those in ICE custody , and 30 confirmed cases among ICE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his opinion , U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal wrote that ICE has `` likely exhibited callous indifference to the safety and wellbeing of [ detained immigrants at risk . ]
The evidence suggests systemwide inaction that goes beyond a mere 'difference of medical opinion or negligence . '
`` The preliminary injunction orders ICE to `` identify and track '' detainees with risk factors within 10 days , or within five days of being placed in custody .
The judge ordered the agency to implement increased precautions to protect against infection in line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release of high risk detainees .
The agency has come under fire during the pandemic for not taking greater measures to slow the spread of the virus in detention centers .
On its website , ICE says it has `` evaluated its detained population based upon the CDC 's guidance for people who might be at higher risk for severe illness as a result of COVID-19 to determine whether continued detention was appropriate .
`` Of this population , ICE has released nearly 700 individuals ...
This same methodology is currently being applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ custody and while making custody determinations for all new arrests . ''

Federal Judge Orders ICE To Consider Releasing Detainees At High Risk For COVID-19
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Margot/AP Ben Margot/AP
A federal judge in California on Monday ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to "identify and track" every person in ICE detention at an elevated risk of complications from COVID-19 and to consider releasing those detainees, regardless of their legal status.
Risk factors identified by the court include pregnant women, people older than 55 and those with chronic health conditions.
ICE says there are 220 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among those in ICE custody, and 30 confirmed cases among ICE employees working in detention facilities.
In his opinion, U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal wrote that ICE has "likely exhibited callous indifference to the safety and wellbeing of [detained immigrants at risk.] The evidence suggests systemwide inaction that goes beyond a mere 'difference of medical opinion or negligence.' "
The preliminary injunction orders ICE to "identify and track" detainees with risk factors within 10 days, or within five days of being placed in custody. The judge ordered the agency to implement increased precautions to protect against infection in line with CDC standards, and to consider release of high-risk detainees.
The agency has been criticized during the pandemic for not taking greater measures to slow the spread of the virus in detention centers. On its website, ICE says it has "evaluated its detained population based upon the CDC's guidance for people who might be at higher risk for severe illness as a result of COVID-19 to determine whether continued detention was appropriate.
"Of this population, ICE has released nearly 700 individuals. ... This same methodology is currently being applied to other potentially vulnerable populations currently in custody and while making custody determinations for all new arrests."


npr--2020-04-21--Climate Change Undercuts Air Pollution Improvements

The number of people breathing unhealthy air in the United States is increasing despite decades of declines in the overall amount of air pollution being released , and climate change is a major cause .
The latest data on the nation 's air comes from the American Lung Association , a public health group .
The group 's 21st annual State of the Air report warns that climate change is undercutting decades of regulatory progress that has reduced pollution from factories , cars , power plants and other major air pollution sources , because more frequent and intense heat waves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with dangerously high levels of ozone and particulate matter .
Hot weather helps create ozone , or smog .
`` Emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide cook in the presence of sunlight to create ozone or smog , '' explains Paul Billings , the senior vice president for public policy at the American Lung Association .
`` What we 've seen is that hot weather is making it more difficult to achieve health-based [ air quality ] standards , '' Billings explains .
Even though overall emissions are down , `` climate change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or ozone easier , so we need to do more to reduce the underlying emissions . ''
Data from the Environmental Protection Agency bears that out .
Americans emit about 70 % less air pollution today than they did in 1970 , when the Clean Air Act was passed .
Yet the number of people breathing air that is bad for their health is rising — the American Lung Association estimates that about 137 million people lived in places with unhealthy levels of ozone between 2016 and 2018 .
Breathing polluted air is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is a risk factor for heart and respiratory disease .
Breathing polluted air for long periods of time can damage a person 's lungs and make it more difficult to fight respiratory disease .
Lax enforcement of federal air statutes may also be contributing to the problem .
In the months after President Trump took office , the EPA prosecuted fewer alleged violations of air and water pollution regulations , and the amount of particulate pollution in the U.S. has risen slightly in recent years .
Cities in the western U.S. — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggle with air pollution .
The five places with the most polluted air in America are all in California .
That 's partially because of geography and weather patterns , as opposed to lax regulation .
For example , Los Angeles and its surrounding communities have reduced air pollution in recent decades by enforcing comparatively strict local and state regulations , but it has not been enough to meet federal standards for ozone or particulate matter .
`` The challenges are geography and topography .
The ocean , the mountains — you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pollution in , '' explains Billings .
Meanwhile , the decline of coal-fired power plants has led to cleaner air in some parts of the country , especially in southern and eastern states where plants have closed or been converted to cleaner fuels .

Climate Change Undercuts Air Pollution Improvements
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Risberg/AP Eric Risberg/AP
The number of people breathing unhealthy air in the United States is increasing despite decades of declines in the overall amount of air pollution being released, and climate change is a major cause.
The latest data on the nation's air comes from the American Lung Association, a public health group. The group's 21st annual State of the Air report warns that climate change is undercutting decades of regulatory progress that has reduced pollution from factories, cars, power plants and other major air pollution sources, because more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires are leading to more days with dangerously high levels of ozone and particulate matter.
Hot weather helps create ozone, or smog. "Emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide cook in the presence of sunlight to create ozone or smog," explains Paul Billings, the senior vice president for public policy at the American Lung Association.
"What we've seen is that hot weather is making it more difficult to achieve health-based [air quality] standards," Billings explains. Even though overall emissions are down, "climate change makes the conditions for formation of smog or ozone easier, so we need to do more to reduce the underlying emissions."
Data from the Environmental Protection Agency bears that out. Americans emit about 70% less air pollution today than they did in 1970, when the Clean Air Act was passed.
Yet the number of people breathing air that is bad for their health is rising — the American Lung Association estimates that about 137 million people lived in places with unhealthy levels of ozone between 2016 and 2018. Breathing polluted air is associated with shorter average life expectancies, and is a risk factor for heart and respiratory disease.
Breathing polluted air for long periods of time can damage a person's lungs and make it more difficult to fight respiratory disease.
Lax enforcement of federal air statutes may also be contributing to the problem. In the months after President Trump took office, the EPA prosecuted fewer alleged violations of air and water pollution regulations, and the amount of particulate pollution in the U.S. has risen slightly in recent years.
Cities in the western U.S. — and in California in particular — disproportionately struggle with air pollution. The five places with the most polluted air in America are all in California. That's partially because of geography and weather patterns, as opposed to lax regulation.
For example, Los Angeles and its surrounding communities have reduced air pollution in recent decades by enforcing comparatively strict local and state regulations, but it has not been enough to meet federal standards for ozone or particulate matter.
"The challenges are geography and topography. The ocean, the mountains — you have basins that have inversions that hold the pollution in," explains Billings.
Meanwhile, the decline of coal-fired power plants has led to cleaner air in some parts of the country, especially in southern and eastern states where plants have closed or been converted to cleaner fuels.


npr--2020-04-20--Family Members Of Four Killed In Kobe Bryant Crash Sue Helicopter Company

Family Members Of Four Killed In Kobe Bryant Crash Sue Helicopter Company Almost three months after LA basketball icon Kobe Bryant , his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash , family members of four people who died in the crash are suing to hold the helicopter 's owners liable in the deaths .
The two lawsuits , filed electronically on Sunday in Los Angeles Superior Court , allege that Island Express Helicopter , Inc. , and its owner Island Express Holding Corp. , were negligent and careless , behavior that was a `` substantial factor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Alexis Altobelli , whose parents and sister were killed in the Jan. 26 accident , have suffered economic and noneconomic damages as a result of the companies ' alleged carelessness , according to the lawsuit .
A nearly identical suit was filed on behalf of Christina Mauser 's widower and children .
Mauser was a basketball coach with the Mamba Sports Academy .
In February a preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found no signs of engine failure .
What began as a routine trip from Santa Ana , Calif. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thousand Oaks quickly changed ; despite heavy fog and inclement weather , pilot Ara Zobayan requested special clearance from flight controllers to continue flying .
The NTSB found Zobayan flew into the clouds and lost control of the helicopter ; shortly after that the aircraft crashed into a hillside in Calabassas , killing all nine people on board .
The helicopter was carrying Christina Mauser , a coach for the Mamba Sports Academy girls ' team that Gianna Bryant , Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester played for .
They were also aboard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's mother .
Attorneys for Vanessa Bryant , Kobe Bryant 's widow , filed a wrongful death lawsuit in February , on the same day a memorial service was held for her daughter and the Lakers superstar at the Staples Center .
In that complaint , the plaintiffs contend Zobayan failed `` to use ordinary care in piloting the subject aircraft . ''

Family Members Of Four Killed In Kobe Bryant Crash Sue Helicopter Company
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark J. Terrill/AP Mark J. Terrill/AP
Almost three months after LA basketball icon Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash, family members of four people who died in the crash are suing to hold the helicopter's owners liable in the deaths.
The two lawsuits, filed electronically on Sunday in Los Angeles Superior Court, allege that Island Express Helicopter, Inc., and its owner Island Express Holding Corp., were negligent and careless, behavior that was a "substantial factor" in the crash.
Plaintiffs John and Alexis Altobelli, whose parents and sister were killed in the Jan. 26 accident, have suffered economic and noneconomic damages as a result of the companies' alleged carelessness, according to the lawsuit.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Damian Dovarganes/AP Damian Dovarganes/AP
A nearly identical suit was filed on behalf of Christina Mauser's widower and children. Mauser was a basketball coach with the Mamba Sports Academy.
In February a preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found no signs of engine failure.
What began as a routine trip from Santa Ana, Calif., to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks quickly changed; despite heavy fog and inclement weather, pilot Ara Zobayan requested special clearance from flight controllers to continue flying.
The NTSB found Zobayan flew into the clouds and lost control of the helicopter; shortly after that the aircraft crashed into a hillside in Calabassas, killing all nine people on board.
The helicopter was carrying Christina Mauser, a coach for the Mamba Sports Academy girls' team that Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester played for. They were also aboard, as were Altobelli's parents and Chester's mother.
Attorneys for Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant's widow, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in February, on the same day a memorial service was held for her daughter and the Lakers superstar at the Staples Center.
In that complaint, the plaintiffs contend Zobayan failed "to use ordinary care in piloting the subject aircraft."


npr--2020-04-20--Anti-Quarantine Protest Draws Crowd In Harrisburg, Pa., But Gov. Keeps Stay-Home Plan

Anti-Quarantine Protest Draws Crowd In Harrisburg , Pa. , But Gov .
Keeps Stay-Home Plan A large crowd of demonstrators gathered in Harrisburg , Pa. , Monday , honking horns , carrying signs and waving American flags near the state capitol as part of a backlash against social-distancing orders to control the spread of the coronavirus .
A counterprotest drew a smaller crowd .
Hours after the protesters dispersed , Gov .
Tom Wolf , a Democrat , announced he was lengthening the state 's stay-at-home order until May 8 .
The order was previously set to expire on April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how widespread the virus is and suggested the stay-at-home order amounted to government overreach .
`` All the projections were wrong , but we are still telling people to stay home and businesses to close , '' Mark Cooper , a retired truck driver , told Reuters .
`` This is not quarantine , this is tyranny . ''
One local outlet said a small group of medical workers staged a counterprotest .
`` The small group of health care workers told people participating in the larger rally to go home to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made their point from a distance , '' the PA Post reported .
CNN correspondent Miguel Marquez tweeted videos from the protest showing armed demonstrators gathered in the back of a truck painted in camouflage paint pattern .
Those protesters were reportedly `` all independent , '' according to Marquez .
On the same day Wolf announced , despite the extension of the stay-at-home orders , he would ease some restrictions on the state economy .
He signed an executive order Monday allowing online sales of vehicles , curbside pickup of wine and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locations and restarting of the construction sector effective on May 8 .
Pennsylvania has more than 33,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 1,200 deaths , according to the state 's Department of Health .
The Harrisburg demonstration comes on the heels of the large rallies held over the weekend in states including Colorado , Washington state and California .
Some demonstrators argue the business closures are causing more harm to Americans lives than the virus and call on officials to allow residents to go back to work .

Anti-Quarantine Protest Draws Crowd In Harrisburg, Pa., But Gov. Keeps Stay-Home Plan
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Slocum/AP Matt Slocum/AP
A large crowd of demonstrators gathered in Harrisburg, Pa., Monday, honking horns, carrying signs and waving American flags near the state capitol as part of a backlash against social-distancing orders to control the spread of the coronavirus. A counterprotest drew a smaller crowd.
Hours after the protesters dispersed, Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, announced he was lengthening the state's stay-at-home order until May 8. The order was previously set to expire on April 30.
Some demonstrators were dubious about how widespread the virus is and suggested the stay-at-home order amounted to government overreach.
"All the projections were wrong, but we are still telling people to stay home and businesses to close," Mark Cooper, a retired truck driver, told Reuters. "This is not quarantine, this is tyranny."
One local outlet said a small group of medical workers staged a counterprotest.
"The small group of health care workers told people participating in the larger rally to go home to keep their loved ones safe. But they made their point from a distance," the PA Post reported.
CNN correspondent Miguel Marquez tweeted videos from the protest showing armed demonstrators gathered in the back of a truck painted in camouflage paint pattern. Those protesters were reportedly "all independent," according to Marquez.
On the same day Wolf announced, despite the extension of the stay-at-home orders, he would ease some restrictions on the state economy.
He signed an executive order Monday allowing online sales of vehicles, curbside pickup of wine and spirits at certain Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board locations and restarting of the construction sector effective on May 8.
Pennsylvania has more than 33,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 1,200 deaths, according to the state's Department of Health.
The Harrisburg demonstration comes on the heels of the large rallies held over the weekend in states including Colorado, Washington state and California.
Some demonstrators argue the business closures are causing more harm to Americans lives than the virus and call on officials to allow residents to go back to work.


npr--2020-04-20--Tracking The Pandemic: How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State?

Tracking The Pandemic : How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State ?
Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States on Jan. 21 , over a half-million people in the U.S. have confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
On April 12 , the U.S. became the nation with the most deaths globally , but there are early signs that the U.S. case and death counts may be leveling off , as the growth of new cases and deaths plateaus .
The pattern is n't consistent across the country , as new hot spots emerge and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's case count is growing , click here .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
In response to mounting cases , state and federal authorities have emphasized a social distancing strategy , widely seen as the best available means to slow the spread of the virus .
Most states have put in place measures such as closing schools and nonessential businesses and ordering citizens to stay home as much as possible .
It 's not clear how long such measures need to be in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan , the city in China where the virus originated , a strictly enforced lockdown and widespread testing have slowed the outbreak dramatically , enough to bring an end to the 76-day lockdown .
A large portion of U.S. cases are centered on New York City .
Since March 20 , New York state , Connecticut and New Jersey have accounted for around 50 % of all U.S. cases .
As of April 9 , nearly 60 % of all deaths from COVID-19 have been in these three states .
While New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as seen below , it notched between 8,000 and 10,000 new cases each day between March 31 and April 12 .
To understand how one state 's outbreak compares with another 's , it 's helpful to look at not just the daily counts but the rate of change day over day .
In the following chart , we display cases on a logarithmic scale , meaning that every axis line is 10 times greater than the previous one .
This type of scale emphasizes the rate of change .
When case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's curve trends sharply upward , as New York 's does over the first 15 days past 100 cases .
Generally , this is evidence of unbridled community transmission of the disease .
As new cases slow , the curve bends toward horizontal , showing that the state 's outbreak may be leveling off .
This does n't mean the number of cases has stopped growing , but the rate of growth has slowed , which could signify that social distancing measures are having an effect .
In some areas , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the earliest outbreaks — such as California and Washington — seem to be having success at suppressing the disease .
The outlook in Washington has improved to the point that the state has returned unused Army hospital beds it had received in preparation for a peak in cases .
Elsewhere , limited access to testing may make the number of cases look smaller than it really is .
As testing becomes more readily available , we are likely to see the number of confirmed cases continue to grow , even if not at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used here are compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
State-by-state testing and hospitalization data are still being assessed for reliability .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local health department 's website .
Stephanie Adeline , Alyson Hurt , Connie Hanzhang Jin , Ruth Talbot and Thomas Wilburn contributed to this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-04-20--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-04-21--Tracking The Pandemic: How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State?


npr--2020-04-21--Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Economy, Health Care Workers And Mental Health

On this broadcast of The National Conversation , a philosophy professor tackles your questions about how the pandemic has affected @ @ @ @ @ We 'll also answer your questions about the economy and mental health .

Answering Your Coronavirus Questions: Economy, Health Care Workers And Mental Health On this broadcast of The National Conversation, a philosopher tackles your questions about the pandemic's effect on ethical frameworks. We also answer questions about the economy and mental health.


npr--2020-04-21--Why You May Get An Email About COVID-19 From The Census Bureau

Why You May Get An Email About COVID-19 From The Census Bureau Over the next three months , you may see emails from an unusual source — the U.S. Census Bureau .
While the federal government 's largest statistical agency scrambles to salvage the constitutionally mandated 2020 census , it 's also rolling out a $ 1.2 million experiment called the `` Household Pulse Survey '' to try to measure how the coronavirus pandemic is upending life for households in the U.S .
It 's not clear exactly when that surveying will begin , but as soon as this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a link to an online form through official emails .
Using contact information compiled from commercial data sources and government records , the agency is trying to convince close to 14 million people to take about 20 minutes to open up about living under stay-at-home orders and social-distancing requirements .
Questions will include : Are you getting enough food to eat ?
How often have you been bothered by feeling depressed or hopeless ?
Did you wait to see a doctor because of the pandemic ?
How many hours are you spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Census Bureau says your answers — combined with demographic information such as race , ethnicity and income — could help policymakers figure out how best to get through the crisis and better understand its impact on employment , education , health , food and housing security .
An upcoming version of the survey , which the bureau developed in both English and Spanish with other federal statistical agencies , may ask about how households are spending relief payments to people affected by the pandemic .
`` There are no other known data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and timely information , '' Census Bureau officials wrote in a regulatory document that was first reported by NPR on Monday .
`` At the very least , this survey will provide non-anecdotal evidence about the effects of the pandemic on the population even if the quality is lower than would be traditionally acceptable . ''
NPR has learned the bureau is also planning to launch a different experimental survey about how small businesses are weathering location closings , supply chain disruptions and other changes brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ written statement that close to a million businesses are expected to be asked over nine weeks to participate in the `` Small Business Pulse Survey . ''
Weekly results from the five-minute survey are expected to be released starting in mid-May for each state , Puerto Rico and the country 's 50 largest metro areas .
Results of the new household survey are also set to be published weekly on the bureau 's website .
Participating in these surveys — unlike the 2020 census — is voluntary .
With the national self-response rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Monday , there are concerns that Census Bureau emails about a new survey could confuse some members of the public at a precarious moment for the national head count , which is used to determine the distribution of political representation and federal funding for the next decade .
Because of public health concerns , many census advocacy groups have shifted to texting and other digital outreach efforts to try to boost census participation .
The bureau says in the coming weeks , it may start sending its own text messages about the @ @ @ @

Why You May Get An Email About COVID-19 From The Census Bureau
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Updated April 23 at 5:28 p.m. ET
Over the next three months, you may see emails from an unusual source — the U.S. Census Bureau.
While the federal government's largest statistical agency scrambles to salvage the constitutionally mandated 2020 census, it's also rolling out a $1.2 million experiment called the "Household Pulse Survey" to try to measure how the coronavirus pandemic is upending life for households in the U.S.
Starting Thursday, the bureau is planning to push out a link to an online form through official emails. The messages will be sent from COVID.survey@census.gov, the bureau's chief spokesperson Michael Cook told NPR.
Using contact information compiled from commercial data sources and government records, the agency is trying to convince close to 14 million people to take about 20 minutes to open up about living under stay-at-home orders and social-distancing requirements.
Questions will include: Are you getting enough food to eat? How often have you been bothered by feeling depressed or hopeless? Did you wait to see a doctor because of the pandemic? How many hours are you spending teaching any children in your home?
The Census Bureau says your answers — combined with demographic information such as race, ethnicity and income — could help policymakers figure out how best to get through the crisis and better understand its impact on employment, education, health, food and housing security.
An upcoming version of the survey, which the bureau developed in both English and Spanish with other federal statistical agencies, may ask about how households are spending relief payments to people affected by the pandemic. For the first week of the Household Pulse Survey, however, responses will be collected only in English because the bureau has not yet finalized the Spanish-language version of the online form, Cook told NPR.
"There are no other known data sources that can provide comprehensive, relevant, and timely information," Census Bureau officials wrote in a regulatory document that was first reported by NPR on Monday. "At the very least, this survey will provide non-anecdotal evidence about the effects of the pandemic on the population even if the quality is lower than would be traditionally acceptable."
NPR has learned the bureau is also planning to launch a different experimental survey about how small businesses are weathering location closings, supply chain disruptions and other changes brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Census Bureau tells NPR in a written statement that close to a million businesses are expected to be asked over nine weeks to participate in the "Small Business Pulse Survey." Data collection is set to start on April 26, and weekly results from the five-minute survey are expected to be released starting in mid-May for each state, Puerto Rico and the country's 50 largest metro areas.
Results of the new household survey are also set to be published weekly on the bureau's website.
Both of these new surveys were part of expedited efforts by the bureau to quickly produce data to help guide policymakers during the pandemic.
Participating in these surveys — unlike the 2020 census — is voluntary.
With the national self-response rate for the census at 51% as of Monday, there are concerns that Census Bureau emails about a new survey could confuse some members of the public at a precarious moment for the national head count, which is used to determine the distribution of political representation and federal funding for the next decade.
Because of public health concerns, many census advocacy groups have shifted to texting and other digital outreach efforts to try to boost census participation. The bureau says in the coming weeks, it may start sending its own text messages about the Household Pulse Survey.
"If the Census Bureau utilizes text message invitations," Cook said in an email, "the public will be advised of the phone number from which the invitation will be sent."


npr--2020-04-21--Chamber Of Commerce Head Welcomes New Coronavirus Bill, Gradual Reopening Of Economy

Chamber Of Commerce Head Welcomes New Coronavirus Bill , Gradual Reopening Of Economy Suzanne Clark , the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , says the business group welcomes the Senate vote Tuesday to approve a new coronavirus aid package and she hopes for more help for businesses hit hard by the pandemic .
The Senate approved the new $ 484 billion measure , which includes $ 322 billion in funds for a small business loan program that ran out of money last week .
The House is expected to approve the measure Thursday and President Trump said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose organization represents the interests of more than 3 million businesses in the U.S. , also talked to All Things Considered about what the path to reopening the economy would look like .
Here are selected excerpts of that interview : I wonder , for example , how you were thinking about the push and pull between wanting to do this responsibly , wanting to sequence this .
... On the other hand , so much is interlinked .
Parents , of course , ca n't return to their jobs until schools are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It all needs to happen together .
It really is complex , you 're right .
And I think as the Chamber looks at a path forward to reopening , it will be gradual .
It will be phased in .
We know that different communities have been hit in a different way .
Different industries will have different requirements .
But it 's really four things .
One , what are the essential services you need , such as child care and transit ?
Two , what is the equipment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place ?
Three , what are the regulatory roadblocks or litigation risk they need to be thinking about ?
And four , it is going to be phases because we know there are industries that rely on high density that will take longer to get back to normal .
As someone who represents the business community , are you confident the federal government can turn this around with all the mixed messages on testing and other things ?
I think it 's a multilayered approach , right ?
You need the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local government for local implementation based on different conditions on the ground .
And you need business leaders to talk about what 's feasible .
It 's going to take that kind of collaboration to deal with this magnitude of a crisis .
Listen to the full interview here .

Chamber Of Commerce Head Welcomes New Coronavirus Bill, Gradual Reopening Of Economy
Enlarge this image toggle caption Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images
Suzanne Clark, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says the business group welcomes the Senate vote Tuesday to approve a new coronavirus aid package and she hopes for more help for businesses hit hard by the pandemic.
The Senate approved the new $484 billion measure, which includes $322 billion in funds for a small business loan program that ran out of money last week.
The House is expected to approve the measure Thursday and President Trump said he plans to sign it.
Clark, whose organization represents the interests of more than 3 million businesses in the U.S., also talked to All Things Considered about what the path to reopening the economy would look like. Here are selected excerpts of that interview:
I wonder, for example, how you were thinking about the push and pull between wanting to do this responsibly, wanting to sequence this. ... On the other hand, so much is interlinked. Parents, of course, can't return to their jobs until schools are open, until day care is open. It all needs to happen together.
It really is complex, you're right. And I think as the Chamber looks at a path forward to reopening, it will be gradual. It will be phased in. We know that different communities have been hit in a different way. Different industries will have different requirements.
But it's really four things. One, what are the essential services you need, such as child care and transit? Two, what is the equipment and training an employer needs to have in place? Three, what are the regulatory roadblocks or litigation risk they need to be thinking about? And four, it is going to be phases because we know there are industries that rely on high density that will take longer to get back to normal.
As someone who represents the business community, are you confident the federal government can turn this around with all the mixed messages on testing and other things?
I think it's a multilayered approach, right? You need the federal government for guidelines. You need state and local government for local implementation based on different conditions on the ground. And you need business leaders to talk about what's feasible. It's going to take that kind of collaboration to deal with this magnitude of a crisis.
Listen to the full interview here.


npr--2020-04-21--National Security Adviser O'Brien Alleges WHO Is 'Propaganda Tool For The Chinese'

National Security Adviser O'Brien Alleges WHO Is 'Propaganda Tool For The Chinese' National security adviser Robert O'Brien has accused the World Health Organization of being `` a bit of a propaganda tool for the Chinese , '' and said the White House is investigating whether money from China influenced the WHO 's judgments during the coronavirus crisis .
O'Brien made the remarks in an interview with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep on Tuesday .
The interview will air on Wednesday .
President Trump announced last week that the White House is putting a hold on the United States ' funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
O'Brien said China `` controls '' the WHO , and said the administration 's investigation is intended to uncover how .
`` We spend almost half a billion dollars with the WHO , '' he told Inskeep .
`` China , which controls the WHO , unfortunately — the WHO has become a bit of a propaganda tool for the Chinese — spends about $ 40 million .
At least that 's what they spend with the organization openly .
How they may spend other money to influence the organization — that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
O'Brien said `` we just do n't know '' whether money from China influenced the WHO 's decision-making .
`` There 's obviously a lot of corruption at international organizations and we 're going to take a close look at that issue , '' he said .
`` But there are very few explanations for the way the WHO has conducted itself .
And that 's why we 're taking a pause on the money that we 're going to put into the WHO until we have a thorough investigation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details about what form the investigation is taking , O'Brien repeated the same criticisms that Trump has made frequently in recent weeks : that the WHO was slow to respond to the threat of COVID-19 , that it criticized Trump 's ban on travel from China and other countries , and that it gave unwarranted praise to China 's containment of the virus .
He said that if the White House ca n't get `` the reforms necessary '' at WHO , it will instead give money directly to aid organizations like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. is the single largest contributor to the WHO .
For the two-year cycle of 2018 and 2019 , U.S. contributions accounted for about 20 % of the WHO 's total budget , as NPR 's Pien Huang reported .
For that two-year period , the U.S. contribution in assessed fees was $ 237 million , and it pledged an additional $ 656 million for specific programs .
The U.S. contributes 22 % of the WHO 's pool of assessed fees , while China contributes 12 % .
In recent days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo have been raising the idea that the virus might have leaked from a lab in Wuhan , China .
`` We do n't know where the virus came from , '' O'Brien said .
`` Maybe it came from a wet market in Wuhan .
Maybe it came from one of the two virology labs in Wuhan .
...
The burden is on the Chinese to explain where the virus came from .
But there is a lab in Wuhan that deals with this sort of virus .
And we need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release .
Accidental , perhaps . ''
O'Brien is the president 's fourth national security adviser .
He was named to the post in September , replacing John Bolton , who was forced out by Trump .

National Security Adviser O'Brien Alleges WHO Is 'Propaganda Tool For The Chinese'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
Updated on Thursday at 11:20 a.m. ET
National security adviser Robert O'Brien has accused the World Health Organization of being "a bit of a propaganda tool for the Chinese," and said the White House is investigating whether money from China influenced the WHO's judgments during the coronavirus crisis.
O'Brien made the remarks in an interview with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep on Tuesday. The interview airs Wednesday.
President Trump announced last week that the White House is putting a hold on the United States' funding of the WHO, pending an investigation.
O'Brien said China "controls" the WHO, and said the administration's investigation is intended to uncover how.
"We spend almost half a billion dollars with the WHO," he told Inskeep. "China, which controls the WHO, unfortunately — the WHO has become a bit of a propaganda tool for the Chinese — spends about $40 million. At least that's what they spend with the organization openly. How they may spend other money to influence the organization — that's something we're investigating very carefully."
O'Brien said "we just don't know" whether money from China influenced the WHO's decision-making.
"There's obviously a lot of corruption at international organizations and we're going to take a close look at that issue," he said. "But there are very few explanations for the way the WHO has conducted itself. And that's why we're taking a pause on the money that we're going to put into the WHO until we have a thorough investigation of what happened here."
Asked for details about what form the investigation is taking, O'Brien repeated the same criticisms that Trump has made frequently in recent weeks: that the WHO was slow to respond to the threat of COVID-19, that it criticized Trump's ban on travel from China and other countries, and that it gave unwarranted praise to China's containment of the virus.
He also said that if the White House can't get "the reforms necessary" at WHO, it will instead give money directly to aid organizations such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. However, Doctors Without Borders says it does not accept U.S. government funding.
The U.S. is the single largest contributor to the WHO. For the two-year cycle of 2018 and 2019, U.S. contributions accounted for about 20% of the WHO's total budget, as NPR's Pien Huang reported. For that two-year period, the U.S. contribution in assessed fees was $237 million, and it pledged an additional $656 million for specific programs. The U.S. contributes 22% of the WHO's pool of assessed fees, while China contributes 12%.
In recent days, administration officials including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have been raising the idea that the virus might have leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China.
"We don't know where the virus came from," O'Brien said. "Maybe it came from a wet market in Wuhan. Maybe it came from one of the two virology labs in Wuhan. ... The burden is on the Chinese to explain where the virus came from. But there is a lab in Wuhan that deals with this sort of virus. And we need to know if there was some sort of release. Accidental, perhaps."
O'Brien is the president's fourth national security adviser. He was named to the post in September, replacing John Bolton, who was forced out by Trump.


npr--2020-04-21--S.C. Beaches Reopen — Or Not — Reflecting A Divide Over Coronavirus Shutdown

S.C .
Beaches Reopen — Or Not — Reflecting A Divide Over Coronavirus Shutdown South Carolina 's beaches now have Gov .
Henry McMaster 's approval to reopen , after closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
But as the governor 's executive order took effect Tuesday , some of the state 's most popular beaches opted to stay closed and others reopened , creating a hopscotch pattern of differing polices .
`` I 've restored public beach access , allowing locals to use their discretion , '' McMaster announced on Monday , saying his decision was informed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst effects might have already peaked in his state .
McMaster had ordered all the state 's beaches closed through an executive order on March 30 , after throngs of people continued to congregate despite public health warnings about the potential to spread the coronavirus .
Minutes after the governor 's new order took effect Tuesday , crowds of people descended on the beach to enjoy a sunny , 75-degree day , as Gavin Jackson of public broadcaster SCETV showed via Twitter .
Surfside Beach , just south of Myrtle Beach , opted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cyclists .
But on the adjacent beach in Garden City , many of those who arrived came equipped with beach chairs and blankets , to relax on the sand .
Garden City is an unincorporated part of Horry County , which reopened all such beaches today .
It was one of many disparate scenes that played out up and down the state , as local officials came to their own conclusions about preserving public safety while also allowing the resumption of activities such as strolling along the surf .
Within an hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , Myrtle Beach City Manager John Pedersen issued his own executive order , saying public beach access points and parking lots will remain closed along the tourist haven 's Grand Strand .
The move was needed , Pedersen said , `` to maintain the health , safety , and welfare '' of city residents .
But in the neighboring city of North Myrtle Beach , officials reopened beach access Tuesday , along with oceanside amenities such as showers and bathrooms .
The city says beachgoers must still practice social distancing , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of three or more , except for families .
The city also says it `` prohibits partying and team games ( volleyball , etc. )
. ''
Farther south , large beaches in the Charleston area such as Folly Beach have opted to stay closed to visitors .
Folly Beach says it 's currently operating a checkpoint , to admit only residents or authorized visitors such as construction workers and delivery drivers .
Hilton Head Island says its public beaches remain closed .
But a handful of beaches have remained open throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on Kiawah Island .
Like many other resort areas , Kiawah has prohibited any new check-ins or reservations at short-term rental properties through at least the middle of May .
South Carolina has been under a state of emergency since March 13 , when both President Trump and Gov .
McMaster declared emergencies due to COVID-19 .
The president declared a disaster in the state on March 27 , after a request from the governor .
The state currently has 4,608 confirmed coronavirus cases , including 135 deaths .
As McMaster announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said the changes reflect new predictions in public health models , according to South Carolina Public Radio .
Citing information from the University of Washington 's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation , Bell said the new modeling South Carolina `` indicates an earlier estimated peak for bed utilization , which is now around April the 15th . ''
According to that model , the state hit its peak in deaths around April 9 , Bell said .
`` Together , these two projections indicate that the curve may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in South Carolina , '' she added .
Bell added that modeling trends can change , and she urged officials to be very cautious as they relax restrictions .

S.C. Beaches Reopen — Or Not — Reflecting A Divide Over Coronavirus Shutdown
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gavin Jackson/SCETV Gavin Jackson/SCETV
South Carolina's beaches now have Gov. Henry McMaster's approval to reopen, after closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as the governor's executive order took effect Tuesday, some of the state's most popular beaches opted to stay closed and others reopened, creating a hopscotch pattern of differing polices.
"I've restored public beach access, allowing locals to use their discretion," McMaster announced on Monday, saying his decision was informed by the latest projections that showed the disease's worst effects might have already peaked in his state.
McMaster had ordered all the state's beaches closed through an executive order on March 30, after throngs of people continued to congregate despite public health warnings about the potential to spread the coronavirus.
Minutes after the governor's new order took effect Tuesday, crowds of people descended on the beach to enjoy a sunny, 75-degree day, as Gavin Jackson of public broadcaster SCETV showed via Twitter.
Surfside Beach, just south of Myrtle Beach, opted to reopen only to joggers, pedestrians and cyclists. But on the adjacent beach in Garden City, many of those who arrived came equipped with beach chairs and blankets, to relax on the sand. Garden City is an unincorporated part of Horry County, which reopened all such beaches today.
It was one of many disparate scenes that played out up and down the state, as local officials came to their own conclusions about preserving public safety while also allowing the resumption of activities such as strolling along the surf.
Within an hour of McMaster rescinding his mandatory closure on Monday, Myrtle Beach City Manager John Pedersen issued his own executive order, saying public beach access points and parking lots will remain closed along the tourist haven's Grand Strand.
Enlarge this image toggle caption City of Myrtle Beach City of Myrtle Beach
The move was needed, Pedersen said, "to maintain the health, safety, and welfare" of city residents.
But in the neighboring city of North Myrtle Beach, officials reopened beach access Tuesday, along with oceanside amenities such as showers and bathrooms. The city says beachgoers must still practice social distancing, and people are barred from gathering in groups of three or more, except for families. The city also says it "prohibits partying and team games (volleyball, etc.)."
Farther south, large beaches in the Charleston area such as Folly Beach have opted to stay closed to visitors. Folly Beach says it's currently operating a checkpoint, to admit only residents or authorized visitors such as construction workers and delivery drivers.
Hilton Head Island says its public beaches remain closed. But a handful of beaches have remained open throughout the emergency, including private beaches both there and on Kiawah Island. Like many other resort areas, Kiawah has prohibited any new check-ins or reservations at short-term rental properties through at least the middle of May.
South Carolina has been under a state of emergency since March 13, when both President Trump and Gov. McMaster declared emergencies due to COVID-19. The president declared a disaster in the state on March 27, after a request from the governor.
The state currently has 4,608 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 135 deaths.
As McMaster announced his new policy on Monday, state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said the changes reflect new predictions in public health models, according to South Carolina Public Radio.
Citing information from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Bell said the new modeling South Carolina "indicates an earlier estimated peak for bed utilization, which is now around April the 15th."
According to that model, the state hit its peak in deaths around April 9, Bell said.
"Together, these two projections indicate that the curve may have begun to level for us here in South Carolina," she added.
Bell added that modeling trends can change, and she urged officials to be very cautious as they relax restrictions.