Wednesday,  Apr. 22nd, 2020

[Monday]New data from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and Hubble Space Telescope, published in the Nature Astronomy journal, suggests interstellar comet 2I/Borisov contains large amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. The new findings suggest the object was formed in the cold outer region of its planetary system. (BBC)

Unrest breaks out in Paris, Berlin, and in Vladikavkaz as people oppose lockdowns. (The Guardian)

[Monday]Seoul-based Daily NK reports North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is recuperating from a heart procedure done earlier this month, after his disappearance from various events led to speculation about his health. (Reuters)

CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus could be ‘even more difficult’  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield on Tuesday warned that in the winter, a second wave of the coronavirus could be “even more difficult than the one we just went through” because it will likely coincide with the beginning of flu season. “When I’ve said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don’t understand what I mean,” Redfield told The Washington Post. “We’re going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time.” Having concurrent coronavirus and flu outbreaks would overwhelm hospitals, Redfield said, and federal and state officials must use the next few months to get prepared for a rough winter. He suggested officials continue to encourage social distancing, increase testing, and remind Americans during the fall to get their flu shots. Source: The Washington Post

[Monday] Germany reopens shops, but Chancellor Angela Merkel warns of a second coronavirus wave in the country. (The Guardian)

Senate passes $484 billion coronavirus relief package Congress has come to an agreement on a new coronavirus relief package, with the Senate passing it Tuesday evening by a voice vote. The House is expected to vote on the package Thursday. The bill’s price tag comes out to $484 billion, with about $320 billion going to the Paycheck Protection Program, as the fund for small business loans recently ran out of money, Politico reports. Additionally, the bill includes $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for coronavirus testing. The bill, Axios notes, also has “carve-outs so that community businesses and lenders don’t have to fight bigger businesses and banks for the same funding,” something Democrats had been pushing for.Source: Politico

California endorses coronavirus testing for people without symptoms California is changing who is eligible for coronavirus testing, becoming the first state to broaden the strict federal guidelines. Public health officials on Tuesday said they are now recommending that asymptomatic people who work at places where the coronavirus could spread easily, like prisons or nursing homes, get tested, labeling them “Priority 1.” The federal guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list hospitalized patients and health care workers displaying coronavirus symptoms as the primary people to receive testing. People who do not show any symptoms are a non-priority. Bob Kocher, a member of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) task force on testing, told the Los Angeles Times that combined, high-volume labs in the state are able to run more than 80,000 coronavirus tests every day. Source: Los Angeles Times

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that the state will begin testing residents for COVID-19 antibodies as the state plans to reopen the economy. (Politico)

Missouri becomes the first U.S. state to file a lawsuit against the Chinese government over the coronavirus pandemic, claiming the government is responsible for the virus’s negative impact on the state’s economy and that the nation is “hoarding” masks. (Reuters)

The Lebanese Parliament legalizes cannabis farming for medicinal purposes, in hopes that it will bring revenue to the country. (Reuters)

A man kills his wife, brother and seven others in Baakline, Lebanon, in the country’s worst mass shooting in years, before being arrested. It is suspected they were honor killings. (Reuters)

 

Tuesday,  Apr. 21st, 2020

[Monday]Swedish auto manufacturer Volvo Cars resumes full production at its plant in Torslanda, Sweden, which had been shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March 26, 2020. (Just Auto)

[Monday]U.S. oil prices for May contract settle at an all-time low, finishing down over 300% to −$37.63 per barrel. (Market Watch)

[Monday]United Airlines reports a $2.1 billion loss in the first quarter of this year, blaming restrictions on the aviation industry due to the coronavirus pandemic. (CNBC)

Russia reports 5,642 new confirmed cases and 51 more deaths from COVID-19, the highest daily death toll in the country to date, bringing Russia’s death toll to 456 and 52,763 total cases. (TASS)

A 56-year-old urologist becomes the first Russian doctor to die from COVID-19 at a hospital in Moscow. (The Moscow Times)

 

 

Monday,  Apr 20th, 2020

Miami Police disperses crowds who violated social distancing guidelines during David Guetta’s coronavirus relief concert in the city. (ABC News)

Citing jobs and the ongoing pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump announces he will sign an executive order temporarily suspending immigration to the United States. (The Hill)

Saudi Arabia announces the Great Mosque of Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, the two holiest mosques in Islam, will remain closed throughout Ramadan this year. (Reuters)

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says that the country will ease its lockdown on April 27 if progress is maintained. (Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White Alliance leader Benny Gantz agree on a deal to form a unity government, thus ending more than a year of political deadlock. As part of the deal, Netanyahu will hold onto his position for 18 more months, with Gantz replacing him afterwards. (The Times of Israel)

The Wuhan Zall football team returns to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, after their lockdown restrictions have been lifted. (ABC News)

 

 The End