HuffPost reporters around the world are tracking the pandemic and the measures being taken to flatten the curve of transmission.
Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below. (To see the latest updates, you may need to refresh the page. All times are Eastern. For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here.)
Airbnb To Require Hosts To Wait 24 Hours Between Guests — 04/27/2020, 11:30 a.m. ET
Airbnb has announced new cleaning procedures for hosts that include requiring a 24-hour wait period in between guests.
The new vacancy requirement, which will take effect in May, follows a CDC recommendation meant to “address the possibility of particles that may remain airborne for a few hours,” the company said in a press release.
Hosts are encouraged to enroll in a “Cleaning Protocol” initiative that provides information on COVID-19 prevention and enhanced cleaning practices. Guests will be able to identify which hosts are enrolled in the program and book accommodations accordingly.
“We are working with leading experts in health and hygiene so that our community’s trademark hospitality can incorporate official guidance and fulfill new personal preferences, with hosts and guests uniting to offer, manage and enjoy cleaner accommodations,” Greg Greeley, the president of homes at Airbnb, said in a statement.
Airbnb’s updated cleaning guidelines come as the travel and hospitality industries suffer major losses amid the pandemic. Only 23.4% of U.S. hotel rooms were occupied between April 14 and April 20, a decline of 64.4% compared to the same time period a year ago, USA Today reported.
Airbnb, which is privately held, hasn’t disclosed its booking numbers. The company announced earlier this month that it received a $1 billion loan from investors during the pandemic and has created a $250 million fund to pay affected hosts, CNN reported.
― Hayley Miller
White House Cancels Daily Coronavirus Briefing — 4/27/20, 11:08 am ET
The White House has canceled President Donald Trump’s daily coronavirus briefing for the third consecutive day.
Typically held around 5 p.m. Eastern time, the briefings have increasingly turned into Trump airing grievances and disseminating lies and misleading information about the pandemic, leading White House officials to advise reducing them or curtailing Trump’s involvement in them.
On Thursday, Trump preposterously suggested a possible COVID-19 treatment could involve ingesting disinfectant products. He later claimed he was being sarcastic. On Friday, he abruptly ended that day’s briefing without taking questions from reporters.
He may speak at a 4 p.m. event, according to the White House’s schedule for Monday.
— Marina Fang
Boris Johnson Returns To Work After COVID-19 Battle — 4/27/2020, 4:43 a.m. ET
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has returned to work after recovering from COVID-19, HuffPost UK reports.
Speaking at 10 Downing Street on Monday, Johnson, who spent three days in intensive care earlier this month battling the virus, said the U.K. was “beginning to turn the tide” against the virus but warned it was too early to lift the country’s lockdown.
This is not the time “to go easy” on social distancing, Johnson said, as it would “throw away all the effort and sacrifice of the British people” and risk another wave of illness.
— Dominique Mosbergen
New Zealand Eases Restrictions As New COVID-19 Cases Fall Below 1% — 4/27/2020, 4:30 a.m. ET
New Zealand, which has been under one of the strictest national lockdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic, said it will start easing some restrictions this week as the daily rate of new cases has slowed to below 1%.
Around 400,000 people are expected to return to work after the country lifts restrictions at midnight on Monday, Reuters reported. Some outdoor activities like fishing and surfing will be allowed, and parliament and courts are preparing to reopen. Many restrictions will remain, however. Public gatherings are still banned, and shops and restaurants will remain closed.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has warned the fight against the virus is very much still ongoing.
“It can’t be return to pre COVID-19 life,” she said. “That day will come, but it’s not here yet.”
— Dominique Mosbergen
USNS Comfort Discharges Last Patient, Prepares To Leave NYC — 4/27/2020. 12:46 a.m. ET
Naval hospital ship USNS Comfort, which treated more than 180 COVID-19 patients over a four-week period, will soon be leaving New York City’s harbor.
The ship discharged its last patient on Sunday, ABC News reported. The vessel — a fully functioning hospital with 70 ventilators — will soon head back to its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, to prepare for its next mission.
There has been no indication that the ship will be used elsewhere to treat coronavirus patients.
— Dominique Mosbergen
Gov. Cuomo Announces Phased Plan To Reopen New York As Death Rate Slows — 4/26/20, 7 p.m. ET
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that he plans to reopen parts of the state in coordinated phases, likely beginning with the construction and manufacturing industries.
New York is currently under a strict stay-at-home order until at least May 15. After that date, Cuomo said regions of the state that have seen the CDC-recommended 14-day decline in hospitalizations could start to open in some areas of the construction and manufacturing sectors.
The state government will monitor the effects of the first phase of reopening the economy for at least two weeks, which will include the hospitalization rate, the infection rate, the number of positive antibody tests and the overall public health impact. After that, Cuomo said the second phase will be based on how “essential” businesses’ services are and how they are able to operate while maintaining social distancing guidelines for customers and employees.
The governor stressed that New York City and the surrounding region will be the most “problematic” to reopen, but that the state will work specifically to make sure the area’s transportation systems, schools, beaches and parks all follow the same guidelines. The effort will hopefully also be in coordination with neighboring states.
On Sunday, New York’s statewide hospitalizations dropped to 12,839 — the first time since March 31 that the number has been fewer than 13,000. The state reported 367 COVID-19 deaths in the past day, down from 437 the previous day.
— Sanjana Karanth
For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here.
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