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U.S. Company Announces a Major Breakthrough in Coronavirus Testing; Coronavirus Slowdown in Seattle Suggests Restrictions Are Working

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By The Blaze. The Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization to medical device giant Abbott Labs on Friday for a five-minute coronavirus test that could be arriving to the nation’s urgent care clinics as early as next week.

In a press release, Abbott Labs characterized the device as “the fastest available molecular point-of-care test for the detection of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).” The Illinois-based manufacturer also said it expects the equipment to deliver up to 50,000 tests per day and will be ramping up manufacturing in the coming weeks, according to USA Today.

“I am pleased that the FDA authorized Abbott’s point-of-care test yesterday. This is big news and will help get more of these tests out in the field rapidly,” FDA Commissioner Steve Hahn said in a statement. “We know how important it is to get point-of-care tests out in the field quickly. These tests that can give results quickly can be a game changer in diagnosing COVID-19.” . . .

The development was hailed as a “game changer” by former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb who said it is “very likely” there will be additional approvals for point-of-care diagnostics, “extending testing to doctor offices across the U.S.” (Read more from “U.S. Company Announces a Major Breakthrough in Coronavirus Testing” HERE)

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Coronavirus Slowdown in Seattle Suggests Restrictions Are Working

By The New York Times. The Seattle area, home of the first known coronavirus case in the United States and the place where the virus claimed 37 of its first 50 victims, is now seeing evidence that strict containment strategies, imposed in the earliest days of the outbreak, are beginning to pay off — at least for now.

Deaths are not rising as fast as they are in other states. Dramatic declines in street traffic show that people are staying home. Hospitals have so far not been overwhelmed. And preliminary statistical models provided to public officials in Washington State suggest that the spread of the virus has slowed in the Seattle area in recent days. . .

The researchers who are preparing the latest projections, led by the Institute for Disease Modeling, a private research group in Bellevue, Wash., have been watching a variety of data points since the onset of the outbreak. They include tens of thousands of coronavirus test results, deaths, and mobility information — including traffic patterns and the movements of anonymous Facebook users — to estimate the rate at which coronavirus patients are spreading the disease to others. (Read more from “Coronavirus Slowdown in Seattle Suggests Restrictions Are Working” HERE)

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Bill De Blasio Cements His Disgraceful Legacy With Wuhan Virus Response

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New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has finally found something that he is worse at than running for president. The mayor has not only been flat-footed in dealing with the Wuhan virus that is ravaging Gotham, he has also been remarkably tone deaf. Perhaps nothing made this more patently clear than his decision to hit the gym on March 16th, just a day after closing all of the schools, bars and restaurants in the city.

While de Blasio’s arch nemesis Gov. Andrew Cuomo has garnered praise for his handling of the Chinese virus, the mayor has stumbled time after time. Even the closing of the schools was a debacle. Over the weekend prior to Monday, March 16, it was obvious not just that New York City would be hit with the virus, but that it would be hit hard. And yet, Hizzoner decided to wait until late Sunday to announce that schools would be closed the following day.

By refusing to make the obvious decision to close schools earlier, de Blasio threw the city’s parents into a confused rush to try to figure out childcare. What has truly been bizarre from the outset of this crisis is that anyone who took ninth grade biology understood that the most densely populated city in the country was always bound to be slammed by the virus. How de Blasio managed not to see this is frankly remarkable.

I’m sure I’m not the only New Yorker who wistfully rues that if only Anthony Weiner had cooled it with sexting teenagers we might have some competence in the mayor’s office. De Blasio’s blasé approach to the virus as it began infecting New York City looks even worse now that he is begging the federal government for help he barely seemed to think was needed just a week ago.

(Read more from “Bill De Blasio Cements His Disgraceful Legacy With Wuhan Virus Response” HERE)

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Fauci: You Have the Private Sector to Thank for Wuhan Coronavirus Tests, Not the Gov’t ‘System’; These Are the Biggest Misconceptions About Coronavirus; America Truly Doesn’t Need Gossips Trying to Gin up Trump-Fauci Split

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By Townhall. The government “system” could not hold a candle to the private sector on coronavirus testing, Dr. Anthony Fauci explained Thursday during an Instagram story interview with NBA star Steph Curry, which is why the U.S. has seen a drastic uptick in accurate and widespread test kits available.

“We have hundreds of thousands of tests that are out there now, mostly because we got the private sector involved, of the companies who know how to make it well, make large amounts,” Fauci told the Golden State Warriors player.

Wanting to know what the holdup is to those tests being available “to the masses,” Fauci said there shouldn’t be anything now.

(Read more from “Fauci: You Have the Private Sector to Thank for Wuhan Coronavirus Tests, Not the Gov’t ‘System'” HERE)

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White House Health Advisor Anthony Fauci: These Are the Biggest Misconceptions About Coronavirus

By CNBC. White House health advisor Anthony Fauci said the biggest misconceptions about the COVID-19 pandemic are the extremes — on the one hand there are people who think “the world is going to end” and on the other, people “who don’t even believe it [is real].”

Neither is true, said Fauci, who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an immunologist. “It’s somewhere in the middle,” he said.

Fauci, 79, talked to NBA star Steph Curry, 32, via Instagram Live on Thursday in an effort to help Curry’s young fans understand why social distancing is so crucial to “flatten the curve” or slow the rate of new coronavirus infections. Some young people have been slow to take social distancing seriously. . .

“I’d like to get the people in the country to realize that we are dealing with a serious problem. It’s something that we’ve modified our lives [for],” Fauci told Curry. And even if you don’t have symptoms, you can still carry the virus and pass it on to love ones, which is important for young people to know, he said. . .

“We’re going through a period of time now where we’ve got to, as a country, pull together. Don’t get frightened. Don’t get intimidated. Use [that] energy to be able to confront it and do the kinds of things that will put an end to it,” Fauci said.

(Read more from “White House Health Advisor Anthony Fauci: These Are the Biggest Misconceptions About Coronavirus” HERE)

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America Truly Doesn’t Need Gossips Trying to Gin up Trump-Fauci Split

By New York Post. As if the world isn’t crazy enough, some extremists want more crazy — namely a falling out between President Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci is the country’s No. 1 immunologist and has advised six presidents in times of trouble.

So the anti-Trump obsessives are all but praying for the president to can him, and so justify their contempt for the chief executive. Meanwhile, the “we hate this quarantine” crew imagines life can go back to normal if the science dude just shuts up.

Fauci sees no split: “Even though we disagree on some things, [Trump] listens,” he told Science magazine. “He goes his own way. He has his own style. But on substantive issues, he does listen to what I say.”

On Tuesday, he said he wishes media bids to sow division “would stop, because we have a much bigger problem here.” Amen. (Read more from “America Truly Doesn’t Need Gossips Trying to Gin up Trump-Fauci Split” HERE)

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Coronavirus Package Contains $11 Billion for Three International Development Organizations; Here Are the Pro-Life Protections in the $2 Trillion Coronavirus Emergency Relief Package

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By Fox News. Among the many provisions in the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package that appear to have little to do with the immediate crisis at home is a nearly $11 billion pot of money for three international development groups.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) – which the House of Representatives is expected to vote on Friday – includes the funding for the African Development Fund (ADF), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Development Association (IDA).

The ADF and the AfDB are two related organizations that help fund development and poverty eradication efforts in Africa, whereas the IDA is a subsidiary of the World Bank that gives to poor countries in general. Combined, they will receive more than $10.8 billion under the CARES Act.

This amount includes $7,286,587,008 for the AfDB, $513,900,000 for the ADF and $3,004,200,000 for the IDA.

As the costliest stimulus measure in U.S. history, the bill has generated a mixed and often-conflicted reaction even from those advocating for it. The package contains sorely needed relief for struggling workers facing layoffs as businesses are forced to temporarily shutter on an unprecedented scale in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus. But some have questioned the massive pot of money set aside for loans to big industries, while others have challenged the array of seemingly unrelated or tangential funding pipelines that made their way in. (Read more from “Coronavirus Package Contains $11 Billion for Three International Development Organizations” HERE)

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Here Are the Pro-Life Protections in the $2 Trillion Coronavirus Emergency Relief Package

By Daily Caller. The House of Representatives passed a $2 trillion emergency relief package Friday that contained several pro-life protections.

The relief package, the CARES Act, passed the House on Friday afternoon after passing the Senate 96-0 on Wednesday night. President Donald Trump announced Friday afternoon that he had signed the bill — a bill that will “deliver urgently-needed relief for our nation’s families, workers, and businesses.”

Senate Republicans won several pro-life protections in the CARES Act that ensured federal funding will not be used to pay for abortions. These protections include disqualifying Planned Parenthood from receiving aid, ensuring that health care spending in the bill is covered by Hyde Amendment protections, and extending the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program — a program that teaches abstinence until marriage.

“Republicans won critical pro-life protections in this relief package, despite a last-minute attempt by Democrats to make Planned Parenthood eligible for disaster-relief funding,” Sen. Tom Cotton told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Friday. (Read more from “Here Are the Pro-Life Protections in the $2 Trillion Coronavirus Emergency Relief Package” HERE)

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WATCH: Massive Protest Breaks out in China’s Hubei Province, Ground Zero for the Coronavirus

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By Breitbart. A huge protest march swept out of China’s Hubei province on Friday, with thousands of angry residents pouring across a bridge into neighboring Jiangxi province and clashing with police. . .

The Hubei residents streaming across the bridge are clearly angry after weeks of the coronavirus lockdown, which in theory is being lifted as the Chinese government claims infections in Hubei have dropped to zero. Evidently the protesters are infuriated by how the government has treated them during the crisis – infuriated enough to flip over police cars and swarm past riot control barriers.

According to the “Things China Doesn’t Want You to Know” Twitter account quoted above, there are rumors the riot was kicked off by a fight between Hubei and Jiangxi police officers. The Hubei police were reportedly angered by Jiangxi police crossing into their jurisdiction. (Read more from “WATCH: Massive Protest Breaks out in China’s Hubei Province, Ground Zero for the Coronavirus” HERE)

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China Reports 54 New Cases, Says All of Them Are ‘Imported’

By CNBC. China’s National Health Commission reported 54 new cases of infection, all of which were “imported” as residents returned from abroad. Three new deaths were announced and all of them occurred in Hubei, where the coronavirus was first reported. . .

Altogether, China says it has had 81,394 confirmed cases thus far; among them, close to 75,000 patients have recovered and 3,295 died. Data from Johns Hopkins University showed both the United States and Italy have overtaken China in terms of the number of reported cases. (Read more from “China Reports 54 New Cases, Says All of Them Are ‘Imported'” HERE)

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Record Numbers Turn to Online Faith Platforms During Coronavirus Pandemic (VIDEO)

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Record numbers of people are turning to online faith platforms during the coronavirus crisis as their places of worship have shut down indefinitely and people of faith are urged to remain at home. . .

“For the past several weeks, as Catholic dioceses around the country and around the world have suspended Masses, EWTN has been seeing a dramatic increase in media consumption,” Michael P. Warsaw, board chairman and CEO of the EWTN Global Catholic Network, told Breitbart News:

For example, our video on demand platforms alone are seeing an increase over previous traffic levels between 300-500% daily. We have seen our general web traffic increasing by over 500% on some days.

While we don’t know the exact audience numbers, there is no doubt that our television and radio networks are seeing huge increases as well. People have a great deal of anxiety and fear at this moment and it’s clear that they are looking for hope, something that EWTN can help provide.

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Family Research Council (FRC), a nonprofit research and educational organization that advocates for a family-centered philosophy of public life and espouses a biblical worldview, has provided a resource page titled “COVID-19 and the Church” on its website. The site offers creative ideas for churches and ministries to continue faith encounters in a safe manner during the crisis. (Read more from “Record Numbers Turn to Online Faith Platforms During Coronavirus Pandemic (VIDEO)” HERE)

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WATCH: President Trump Invokes the Defense Production Act

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After weeks of his critics demanding that he use the Defense Production Act, President Donald Trump announced that he would use the act to order General Motors to manufacture ventilators.

“Today, I signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to use any and all authority available under the Defense Production Act to require General Motors to accept, perform, and prioritize federal contracts for ventilators,” Trump said in a statement on Friday.

Earlier on Friday the president signaled that he was close to issuing the order when he tweeted about GM and their negotiations with the federal government. . .

The Trump administration has been criticized by some for what appears to be a lack of medical equipment to tackle the pandemic that was months in coming. The administration has argued that previous administrations, both the Obama and the last Bush administration, are to blame for the shortages. (Read more from “WATCH: President Trump Invokes the Defense Production Act” HERE)

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Which World Leaders, U.S. Politicians Have Tested Positive or Been Exposed to the Coronavirus?

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By Fox News. As world leaders race to respond to the global coronavirus pandemic, government leaders and politicians — in the United States, Europe and elsewhere — have contracted the novel COVID-19 virus. . .

Prince Charles, the next in line for the British throne, tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, March 25, sending shockwaves through the Royal Family. . .

Earlier this month, there were fears President Trump had been exposed to the virus — after a Brazilian press secretary who attended an event at Mar-a-Lago tested positive for COVID-19 days later. And, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., both quarantined themselves after coming in contact with someone at the Conservative Political Action Conference in late February who later tested positive. . .

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, tested positive for the coronavirus on March 13 after returning from London. She and her husband separately began 14-day quarantine periods, BBC reported. Trudeau was not tested for COVID-19 and was expected to fulfill all job duties while working remotely. . .

Franck Riester, French minister of culture, and Brune Poirson, the secretary of state to the minister of ecological and inclusive transition, both tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Foreign Policy. Several lawmakers in the French National Assembly have also contracted COVID-19. (Read more from “Which World Leaders, U.S. Politicians Have Tested Positive or Been Exposed to the Coronavirus?” HERE)

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Boris Johnson Tests Positive for Coronavirus

By Washington Examiner. The prime minister of the United Kingdom tested positive for the coronavirus.

Boris Johnson, 55, announced on Friday he was self-isolating after contracting the COVID-19 virus, which has spread across the world.

“Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this,” he wrote in a tweet.

Johnson said he has a temperature and “persistent cough” but stressed that he can continue working.

“Be in no doubt that I can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fight back against coronavirus,” he said. (Read more from “Boris Johnson Tests Positive for Coronavirus” HERE)

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More Than 400,000 Jobs Available as Coronavirus Prods People to Stock up on Necessities and Order Takeout

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By Washington Examiner. The outbreak of the coronavirus across the United States has shuttered whole industries. Still, demand for essentials, such as food, toilet paper, and even pizza delivery, has increased hiring by over 400,000 jobs as people shelter in their homes and stock up on necessities.

Walmart, the largest employer in the U.S., wants to hire an additional 150,000 temporary workers by the end of May to meet the increase in demand at its stores. However, those temporary jobs could become permanent. , ,

The company will also implement a new process to expedite hiring dramatically for critical roles, such as cashiers and stockers. What is usually a two-week application cycle will be reduced to a 24-hour process.

Walmart looks to hire people who have been recently laid off because of the pandemic, said its president and CEO, Doug McMillon. . .

Amazon seeks to hire an additional 100,000 full- and part-time workers to keep up with e-commerce demand. It plans to invest over $350 million worldwide, which would include pay increases of $2 per hour for U.S. employees who work in its fulfillment centers, transportation operations, or stores, or those making deliveries so that others can remain at home. (Read more from “More Than 400,000 Jobs Available as Coronavirus Prods People to Stock up on Necessities and Order Takeout” HERE)

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Coronavirus Job Losses Hit These States the Hardest, According to Record Unemployment Claims

By Yahoo. The impact of the economic shutdown in the U.S. caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was revealed Thursday when the latest tally of Americans applying for unemployment benefits spiked to 3.28 million — the largest number ever recorded in history.

That weekly number quadruples the prior record and dwarfs, by far, the largest halt to employment seen during the 2008 financial crisis. Single weekly jobless claim numbers never topped 700,000, until now.

But digging further into the disastrous 3.28 million headline number reveals a slowdown that hit some states harder than others, and reveals why President Trump might be so eager to see businesses reopen in some communities sooner rather than later.

Key swing states, which Trump won by the slimmest margins in 2016, showed some of the largest percentage increases in unemployment applications for the week ending March 21. Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania each reported a jump in weekly unemployment applications that surpassed 2,300%.

On a percentage basis, New Hampshire suffered the worst spike in unemployment claims, up more than 3,300% from just 641 claims the week prior to top 21,000 weekly claims at last clip. Conversely, Utah, which hasn’t been hit with as many reported cases of coronavirus as other states, only saw jobless claims rise by less than 1%. (Read more from “Coronavirus Job Losses Hit These States the Hardest, According to Record Unemployment Claims” HERE)

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Coronavirus Unemployment Benefits. Here’s Who Qualifies and How Much They Get.; A Record 3.3M Americans File for Unemployment Benefits

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By NBC News. The coronavirus relief package dramatically expands unemployment insurance to for the jobless during the outbreak, aimed at easing the suffering imposed by the crisis as claims last week topped 3 million and shattered records.

The $2 trillion bill, which was passed the Senate and is set to be approved by the House on Friday, creates two main categories of benefits for individuals. The first is Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which covers people who are unable to work because of the coronavirus outbreak — that includes independent contractors, gig workers, sick people and those caring for a loved one during the outbreak. The second is an extra $600 per week over the next four months for those who are out of work and getting jobless benefits in their state. . .

Once you’re on unemployment insurance in your state, you will be eligible for an extra $600 per week in emergency federal compensation through July 31, 2020. That’s in addition to what you’ll receive in state benefits. . .

This bill creates a new program, called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, that extends benefits to gig workers, contractors and others who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for unemployment compensation but cannot work due to the coronavirus emergency. You’ll get the $600 per week, plus half the average unemployment benefit in your state. . .

In most states, people who lose their job can typically get up to 26 weeks of unemployment, and then it stops, even if you haven’t found a new job. This bill will provide another 13 weeks once it runs out. After those 39 weeks, if an “extended benefits” program is triggered, that can provide an additional 13 to 20 weeks of compensation. (Read more from “Coronavirus Unemployment Benefits. Here’s Who Qualifies and How Much They Get.” HERE)

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A Record 3.3M Americans File for Unemployment Benefits as the Coronavirus Takes a Big Toll on the Economy

By USA Today. Layoffs are skyrocketing to unprecedented levels as the coronavirus upends the U.S. economy.

The number of Americans filing initial applications for unemployment benefits jumped nearly twelvefold to a record 3.28 million last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, offering the most vivid evidence yet of the pandemic’s widespread damage to the economy.

The total was well above the 1.5 million claims economists forecast, according to the median estimate of those surveyed by Bloomberg. Workers file claims for unemployment benefits when they lose their jobs.

“A definite and unmistakable sign the United States has entered a recession,” Chief Economist Scott Anderson of Bank of the West wrote in a note to clients.

The pandemic has set off the most abrupt near-shutdown of the economy in history. Many restaurants, shops, movie theaters, sports arenas and other gathering spots across the country suddenly closed their doors or scaled back service last week to contain the spread of the virus. (Read more from “A Record 3.3M Americans File for Unemployment Benefits as the Coronavirus Takes a Big Toll on the Economy” HERE)

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