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Trump Claims NYC Inflating Its Coronavirus Death Toll; Death Totals Compiled by CDC Will Now Include ‘Probable’ Cases

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By Fox News. President Trump on Wednesday claimed that New York City was inflating its COVID-19 death toll after health officials released new data that added 3,700 victims who were believed to have had the virus’ symptoms but were never tested.

The latest figures, released Tuesday by NYC’s Health Department, rose the death toll to more than 10,000, making the city one of the major epicenters of the pandemic.

“I see this morning where New York added 3,000 [sic] deaths because they died. Rather than [a] heart attack, they say heart attack caused by this,” he said during the daily briefing of the Coronavirus Task Force, referring to COVID-19.

The additional victims raised the death toll to 10,000 in New York City, and more than 28,000 in total in the U.S. Trump suggested that the city was accounting for the 3,700 additional deaths “just in case” the victims had the coronavirus.

“If you look at it, that is it. Everything we have is documented and reported great. What they are doing is just in case — that is OK. We have more cases because we do more reporting.” (Read more from “Trump Claims NYC Inflating Its Coronavirus Death Toll” HERE)

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U.S. Coronavirus Death Totals Compiled by CDC Will Now Include ‘Probable’ Cases

By CNN. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now counting “probable” cases of coronavirus among its tabulations, according to the agency’s website.

The inclusion of such cases will add thousands to the total number of patients and deaths by including people who didn’t have a positive test but showed signs of having the virus.

It comes after the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists suggested the CDC and state health departments add probable cases.

Previously, the CDC was only counting cases that had been confirmed by them or cases where the agency had yet to confirm a test done by a local or private entity. (Read more from “U.S. Coronavirus Death Totals Compiled by CDC Will Now Include ‘Probable’ Cases” HERE)

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SERIOUS PUSHBACK: Thousands Protest Dem Governor’s Stay-Home Order While Maintaining Social Distancing (VIDEO); Protest Organizer Says Gov’s Orders Have Put State ‘Under Tyranny’

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By WND. While maintaining social distancing, thousands of Michigan residents gathered at their state capitol to protest stay-at-home orders by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that are among the nation’s most restrictive.

The stringent orders include barring people from traveling from house and house, even to vacation homes; shutting down certain sections of big-box stores; and banning some types of boats but not others. . .

Among the messages on signs were “Liberty once lost is lost forever,” “Security without liberty is called prison” and “Recall Whitmer.”

Lt. Darren Green of the Michigan State Police told the paper the protesters were “doing a pretty good job of maintaining social distance.”

(Read more from “SERIOUS PUSHBACK: Thousands Protest Dem Governor’s Stay-Home Order While Maintaining Social Distancing (VIDEO)” HERE)

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Michigan Protest Organizer Blasts Whitmer, Says Gov’s Orders Have Put State ‘Under Tyranny’

By Fox News. he organizer of Wednesday’s massive protest against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s coronavirus-induced restrictions told “Your World” Wednesday that the governor’s executive orders have been unduly onerous and tyrannical.

Operation Gridlock organizer Meshawn Maddock of the Michigan Conservative Coalition told host Neil Cavuto that about 10,000 vehicles converged on Lansing.

“Almost all of the people got into their cars with the people that they have been sheltering with, packed a snack, drove to Lansing to show their protest,” she said. “The most fun that they had was in the last 48 hours making signs.

“I have to admit, it felt a little fun for a few minutes, because it has been so depressing,” Maddock added. “Michigan has been just under tyranny. We had to lay off seven employees of our own.

“When you look into these cars … you see a bookstore. You see a coffee shop owner, a small insurance agency owner, a paint store owner, landscapers, bricklayers, I could go on and on,” Maddock continued. “These are real people with real families and bills to pay. They have mortgages to pay.” (Read more from “Michigan Protest Organizer Blasts Whitmer, Says Gov’s Orders Have Put State ‘Under Tyranny'” HERE)

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U.S. Judge Allows Police to Arrest Anyone Suspected of COVID-19; Man Released From Jail Because of Virus Arrested for Murder

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By WND. A Michigan judge has issued an order authorizing a county health officer and police to arrest and jail anyone they suspect of being sick with the coronavirus.

The order includes a blank line for the names of anyone arrested to be filled out later, said the Great Lakes Justice Center, which called the order unconstitutional.

Judge Mark Trusock of the 17th Circuit Court issued the order in response to a request by Kent County Health Officer Adam London.

The judge ruled that any “carrier and health threat” presented with a copy of his order “may be involuntarily detained by a peace officer, transported to and detained in an Involuntary Isolation Facility selected by the Health Officer for observation, testing, and/or treatment.” (Read more from “U.S. Judge Allows Police to Arrest Anyone Suspected of COVID-19” HERE)

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Florida Man Released From Jail Because of Coronavirus Arrested on Murder Charges

By ABC News. A week after a Florida man was released from jail as a preventive measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus, he was arrested on charges including murder.

Joseph Edward Williams was released March 19 following the issuance of an administrative order aimed at lowering the risk of COVID-19 spread within the Hillsborough County jail, police said. Williams, 26, was being held there on $2,500 bond for felony and misdemeanor drug charges.

Seven days later, Williams allegedly shot and killed someone in Tampa, said police, who didn’t disclose additional details on the victim or the crime.

Williams was arrested April 13 for second-degree murder, resisting an officer with violence, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia, authorities said. A judge set bail at $250,000. (Read more from “Florida Man Released From Jail Because of Coronavirus Arrested on Murder Charges” HERE)

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War Erupts When Trump Suspends WHO Funding Over Coronavirus Response (VIDEO); WHO Responds to President Trump’s Decision

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By Fox News. President Trump’s decision to suspend funding to the World Health Organization amid the coronavirus crisis touched off an international war of words overnight as Democratic lawmakers in Washington as well as international bodies like the European Union condemned the move.

The president announced Tuesday that the United States would immediately halt funding for the health organization, saying it had put “political correctness over lifesaving measures,” noting that the U.S. would undertake a 60-to-90 day investigation into why the “China-centric” WHO had caused “so much death” by “severely mismanaging and covering up” the coronavirus spread.

Republicans on Capitol Hill, many of whom have been sharply critical of the World Health Organization and calling for weeks to get tough on the organization for allegedly helping China suppress information about the outbreak in the early stages, cheered the president’s decision. . .

But the partisan divide quickly opened. Following the announcement, House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and House Subcommittee on National Security Chairman Steven Lynch, D-Mass., penned a letter to the president slamming his decision to withhold funding to the organization amid the global pandemic.

“While we may agree that the WHO has shortcomings that must be corrected, your attack on the global health organization can easily be seen as a deliberate but transparent effort to deflect responsibility for your own failures onto others,” Maloney and Lynch wrote, adding that Trump’s “attempt to blame the WHO for trusting China reflects an astonishing level of hypocrisy given your own fawning and widely publicized praise of President Xi Jinping and his government for their handling of this crisis.” (Read more from “War Erupts When Trump Suspends Who Funding” HERE)

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WHO ‘Regrets’ Trump’s Decision to Withhold Funding, Says Focus Is on Saving Lives in Coronavirus Pandemic

By CNBC. The World Health Organization is turning to other countries to help fill any gaps in financing its Covid-19 response work after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would withhold contributions.

“The United States of America has been a long-standing and generous friend to the WHO and we hope it will continue to be so,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on Wednesday. “We regret the decision of the President of the United States to order a hold in funding to the World Health Organization.”

Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. will suspend funding to WHO while it reviews the agency’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. He said the administration will conduct a “thorough” investigation that should last 60 to 90 days.

Trump criticized the international agency’s response to the outbreak at a White House press conference, saying “one of the most dangerous and costly decisions from the WHO was its disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions from China and other nations” that Trump imposed early on in the outbreak. (Read more from “WHO ‘Regrets’ Trump’s Decision to Withhold Funding, Says Focus Is on Saving Lives in Coronavirus Pandemic” HERE)

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Taiwan Releases December Email to WHO Showing Unheeded Warning About Coronavirus; Trump Calls for Halt to U.S. Funding for World Health Organization

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By Fox News. The World Health Organization is under fire after Taiwan released the contents of a December email inquiring about the person-to-person spread of COVID-19, which it says was ignored by the organization and further denied to provide adequate information about how to fight the virus.

Taiwan is accusing WHO of downplaying the severity and spread of the coronavirus in an attempt to pander to China, even after Taiwan sounded the alarm about at least seven cases of atypical pneumonia that they were aware of in Wuhan, where the virus originated.

When asked about the cases by the media, Taiwan said China’s health authorities said, “The cases were believed not SARS; however samples are still under examination, and cases have been isolated for treatment,” according to the contents of an email sent by Taiwan’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention to WHO on Dec. 31.

“I would greatly appreciate it if you have relevant information to share with us,” the email said.

(Read more from “Taiwan Releases December Email to WHO Showing Unheeded Warning About Coronavirus” HERE)

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Trump Calls for Halt to U.S. Funding for World Health Organization Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

By CNBC. The U.S. will suspend funding to the World Health Organization while it reviews the agency’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, saying the international health agency made mistakes that “caused so much death” as the coronavirus spread across the globe.

“Today I’m instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus,” Trump said at a White House press conference.

Trump criticized the international agency’s response to the outbreak, saying “one of the most dangerous and costly decisions from the WHO was its disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions from China and other nations” that Trump imposed early on in the outbreak.

“Fortunately, I was not convinced and suspended travel from China saving untold numbers of lives,” he said. (Read more from “Trump Calls for Halt to U.S. Funding for World Health Organization Amid Coronavirus Outbreak” HERE)

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‘Black People Are Not Allowed’: Reports of Discrimination After Chinese City Orders Mandatory Quarantine for African Residents; McDonald’s in China Apologizes for Sign Banning Black People Amid Coronavirus

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By Forbes. After five Nigerians tested positive for COVID-19 in Guangzhou, China, the government ordered all residents of African descent to quarantine for 14 days, a move that led to businesses and landlords to issue evictions and bans that many in the African community said were based on discrimination.

The city of Guangzhou, which has just 463 cases of COVID-19, said that it had tallied 111 imported cases, leading to fears of a second-wave outbreak, according to the South China Morning Post; officials said 10 cases were linked to the business district known as “Little Africa,” including 5 cases linked to a single restaurant.

Following the outbreak, Guangzhou officials announced that all residents of African descent—about 4,500 people—must quarantine for 14 days “regardless of their previous circumstances or how long they have been in Guangzhou,” reports the South China Morning Post, adding that African residents’ homes will be monitored with tracking devices that will alert officials if they “open the door.”

The ban led to reports of African residents being evicted and banned from businesses; people have taken to social media to document evicted African residents sleeping on the street, interacting with police and Nigerian diplomats delivering food to their now-homeless compatriots, causing foreign ministers of Uganda, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria to speak out in protest. (Read more from “‘Black People Are Not Allowed’: Reports of Discrimination After Chinese City Orders Mandatory Quarantine for African Residents” HERE)

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McDonald’s in China Apologizes for Sign Banning Black People Amid Coronavirus

By New York Post. A McDonald’s restaurant in China has been temporarily closed after it tried to ban black people from entering over fears of the coronavirus, according to a report. . .

McDonald’s said that the store was quickly shuttered when it became aware of the disturbing notice and that the restaurant’s apparent ban on black people was “not representative” of the company’s “inclusive values.”

“Immediately upon learning of an unauthorized communication to our guests at a restaurant in Guangzhou, we immediately removed the communication and temporarily closed the restaurant,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said in a statement to the BBC. (Read more from “McDonald’s in China Apologizes for Sign Banning Black People Amid Coronavirus” HERE)

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Man Jailed for Breaking Quarantine to Visit Girlfriend

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An Australian man has been arrested after repeatedly sneaking out of a Perth hotel room to visit his girlfriend while under mandated quarantine, a report said.

Jonathan David, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to comply with a direction in a Perth court on Wednesday after a judge called him “breathtakingly arrogant,” according to Perth Now.

David was told to quarantine at a Travelodge Hotel for 14 days. Instead, he snuck out of the building and hopped on a train on April 4 and 5, Perth’s WAToday reported.

He allegedly left the building on multiple occasions to visit his girlfriend and buy food. (Read more from “Man Jailed for Breaking Quarantine to Visit Girlfriend” HERE)

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Dow Rallies More Than 500 Points on Improving Virus Outlook

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Stocks jumped on Tuesday, resuming the market’s sharp rebound from last month’s lows, as investors grew more optimistic about the coronavirus outlook.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 558.99 points, or 2.4%, to 23,949.76. The S&P 500 climbed 3.1% to 2,846.06 while the Nasdaq Composite advanced nearly 4% to 8,515.74. The tech-heavy Nasdaq notched its first four-day winning streak since early February.

The S&P 500 was led higher by 4% rallies in tech, consumer discretionary and consumer staples. Amazon rose to an all-time high to lead the Nasdaq higher.

“When you look at the facts, I think there’s reason to be more hopeful than we have been,” CNBC’s Jim Cramer said. “The worst-case scenario’s been taken off the table, and if Apple and Google can do contact tracing that we all embrace … while we continue to roll out more testing, the economy could reopen a lot sooner than we thought even, say, three weeks ago.” . . .

The corporate earnings season kicked off on Tuesday with JPMorgan Chase and Johnson & Johnson reporting their latest quarterly results, giving investors their first look at how devastating the hit to corporations has been from the pandemic. (Read more from “Dow Rallies More Than 500 Points on Improving Virus Outlook” HERE)

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Some States to Begin Reopening Economies This Week

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With some 95% of Americans under lockdown amid disaster declarations in all 50 states in response to the coronavirus pandemic, governors are making plans to reopen business and public life.

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott wants to begin opening parts of his state next week, ahead of his previous May 1 target.

“We want to open. Texans love to work. Texans are dying to get back to work,” Abbott told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Monday night. “We want them to get back to work, but we have to do so in a very safe way so that we don’t regenerate the spread of the coronavirus in the state of Texas.” . . .

The White House, according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Breitbart News, said about 20 states intend to begin the reopening process as early as later this week but definitely before the end of April. . .

Cuomo said Monday that his state, which has become the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, has contained the coronavirus and “the worst is over.”

(Read more from “Some States to Begin Reopening Economies This Week” HERE)

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REPORT: U.S. Military Investigations Suggest COVID-19 Probably Wasn’t Created in a Lab; China Sees Spike in New Cases

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By Newsweek. U.S. military investigations into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic suggest the virus was probably not created in a lab, Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Mark Milley said on Tuesday.

Speculation that the deadly coronavirus, first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan, escaped from a lab has been fueled by Beijing’s early attempts to coverup the outbreak and more recently by details from U.S. diplomatic cables. . .

“It should be no surprise to you that we’ve taken a keen interest in that, and we’ve had a lot of intelligence take a hard look at that,” he said. “And I would just say, at this point, it’s inconclusive. Although the weight of evidence seems to indicate ‘natural.’ But we don’t know for certain.” . . .

Milley’s careful choice of words is unlikely quell rumors on the internet, and questions in the media, that virus was created in a lab at Wuhan’s Institute of Virology. (Read more from “REPORT: U.S. Military Investigations Suggest COVID-19 Probably Wasn’t Created in a Lab” HERE)

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China Reports 169 New Coronavirus Cases — Highest in 5 Weeks

By NPR. China is reporting its highest number of new coronavirus cases in more than five weeks, saying most of them originated abroad.

Officials said Monday that mainland China had 169 new confirmed cases of infection, with 61 of them described as “asymptomatic” COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. The government said 98 of the cases were “imported” by people arriving from abroad. The total figure represents the highest number of new cases since March 6.

The increase has sparked concern about a second wave of infections in China, which was the original epicenter of the pandemic. The latest figures in China are just over 82,000, with 3,341 deaths, according to data released Monday by the National Health Commission. By comparison, the U.S. has the largest number of cases in the world — nearly 560,000 and more than 22,000 deaths — according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. (Read more from “China Reports 169 New Coronavirus Cases — Highest in 5 Weeks” HERE)

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