Coronavirus live updates: Historic warplanes to fly over Southern California on Memorial Day; Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear hanged in effigy

As President Donald Trump honored veterans Memorial Day in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery and later at Fort McHenry, millions of Americans gathered to celebrate the end of the holiday weekend.

With concerns about how crowds were handling masks and social distancing, California announced it would begin to ease limitations on religious services and retail shopping as the state deals with reopening.

Also on Monday, the World Health Organization warned that “an immediate second peak” could emerge if some restrictions are lifted too quickly and said it would be dropping hydroxychloroquine from its study of experimental treatments.

More than 98,000 people have died from the virus in the United States, which exceeds a quarter of the 346,000 deaths worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard. There are more than 5.4 million confirmed cases around the globe, and more than 1.6 million in the United States alone.

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Here are some highlights:

• Memorial Day weekend brought Americans outside, though not everyone practiced social distancing.
• California took further steps to reopen public activity by allowing religious services and retail shopping in limited fashion.
• The World Health Organization said it would drop hydroxychloroquine from its study of experimental treatments.
• Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden made his first public appearance in more than two months and laid a wreath at a veterans park near his home in Delaware, while wearing a face mask.

What we’re talking about: Rats haven’t been satisfied with curbside pickup or delivery amid the coronavirus pandemic. That’s why they’re increasingly desperate for food right now, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some good news: A school district in Jacksonville, Florida, is working to make things easier for transgender students amid distancing learning. A new policy will give students to option to request their affirmed name is displayed on online learning hubs. 

Staying Apart, Together: USA TODAY brings a newsletter about how to cope with these trying times straight to your inbox.

New York pledges to pay death benefits to families of essential workers

The state of New York will provide death benefits to the essential workers who died fighting the coronavirus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. 

“I feel a grave responsibility to our frontline workers, our essential workers, who understood the dangers of this COVID virus but went to work anyway because we needed them,” Cuomo said during his news briefing. “Today we’re saying we honor that service and we’re gonna make sure that every government in the state of New York provides death benefits to those public heroes.”

Cuomo also called on the federal government to do the same to honor essential workers across the U.S. by giving hazard pay.

California eases limits on religious gatherings, some retail

The California Department of Public Health issued statewide reopenings of religious institutions, subject to approval from specific county public health departments.

Under the new guidelines, houses of worship can host in-person religious services, with attendance limits of 25% capacity levels, or a maximum capacity of 100 – whichever is lowest.

The retail guidelines for in-person shopping were already in place in some counties but became statewide on Monday.

The state also issued guidelines for in-person protests and events designed for political expression, limiting capacity to 25% of an area’s maximum occupancy, or 100 – also whichever is lowest.

WHO drops hydroxychloroquine testing, warns of ‘second peak’

The World Health Organization said Monday it will temporarily drop hydroxychloroquine from its global study into experimental COVID-19 treatments.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement after a paper published last week in the Lancet said people taking hydroxychloroquine were at higher risk of death and heart problems than those who were not.

Trump said he took hydroxychloroquine, which is used to treat malaria. He said in an interview that aired Sunday he is no longer taking the drug. 

Other treatments in the study, including the experimental drug remdesivir and an HIV combination therapy, are still being pursued.

Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program said “an immediate second peak” may occur in countries that are showing a decline, but lift measures intended to halt the outbreak too soon.

– Associated Press

Michigan boy recovers from rare syndrome MIS-C linked to coronavirus

At least 33 children in Michigan now have been diagnosed with a newly identified pediatric inflammatory syndrome linked to the coronavirus as of May 22, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Nationally, there have been hundreds of cases reported just in the last few weeks. New York state reported 161 children with symptoms as of May 22, and three deaths. Of the New York cases, 92% tested positive for COVID-19 either by a diagnostic swab testing, antibody testing or both, according to the state Department of Health.

The syndrome has some symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease, including fever, bloodshot eyes, cracked lips or bright red tongue, rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, neck pain and extreme exhaustion.

– Kristen Jordan Shamus

Travel websites see a spike in web traffic

While experts agree the tourism industry remains in flux, there are early signs of adaptation and resilience that are fueling consumer confidence. 

While most Americans aren’t yet ready to book their next dream vacation, they are starting to browse. This past week, top booking sites have grown web traffic. Roughly 87% of American travelers are hoping to take a vacation by the end of 2021, according to a new customer poll by InsureMyTrip. 

There are safety challenges ahead, but there remains a strong desire to visit other parts of the world – eventually. 

Road trips and staycations will be first in line for a rebound. RVShare, a rental marketplace for travel trailers and motorhomes, is reporting a 650 percent rise in rental bookings since early April, as more families are considering drivable summer destinations.

– Julie Loffredi

Trump threatens to move Republican National Convention from N.C.

In a series of tweets Monday, Trump threatened to move the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina if Gov. Roy Cooper cannot guarantee that full attendance will be allowed at the event August 24-27 in Charlotte.

“If not, we will be reluctantly forced to find, with all of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site,” Trump wrote. “This is not something I want to do. Thank you, and I LOVE the people of North Carolina!”

Cooper, who is a Democrat, has moved his state into Phase 2 of a tiered reopening plan that lifted the stay-at-home order and allowed restaurants and some other businesses to reopen at limited capacity levels. Many other businesses like bars, nightclubs, theaters and museums remain closed. Phase 2 went into effect Friday and will remain until June 26.

In response to Trump’s messages, the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County issued a joint statement that said they “will continue to plan for the RNC while respecting national and state guidance regarding the pandemic.”

Trump lays wreath at Arlington National Cemetery; Joe Biden visits veterans park

Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Commanding General at Joint Force Headquarters, National Capital Region Gen. Omar Jones participated in a brief ceremony to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider Monday at the Arlington National Cemetery.

This came as the cemetery remained closed to the general public in an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Only those with family passes may visit the cemetery on Memorial Day, but all who attend must wear a face covering and must observe six feet of social distancing. The cemetery said in a statement that “at all cemetery entry points, security personnel will ask family pass holders for proof of having face coverings in their possession.”

Neither Trump, Pence, Esper nor Jones wore face coverings during the ceremony. Later, Trump visited Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, the site of a battle in the War of 1812 that inspired the writing of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

In his first public appearance in more than two months, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden laid a wreath at a veterans park near his home in Delaware and wore a face mask.

Vehicle theft spikes amid COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus hasn’t been kind to car owners.

With more people than ever staying home to lessen the spread of COVID-19, their sedans, pickup trucks and SUVs are parked unattended on the streets, making them easy targets for opportunistic thieves.

Despite silent streets and nearly non-existent traffic, vehicle larcenies shot up 63% in New York and nearly 17% in Los Angeles from Jan. 1 through mid-May, compared with the same period last year.

And many other law enforcement agencies around the U.S. are reporting an increase in stolen cars and vehicle burglaries, even as violent crime has dropped dramatically nationwide in the coronavirus pandemic. It’s a low-risk crime with a potentially high reward, police say, especially when many drivers leave their doors unlocked or their keys inside.

– Associated Press

Lockdowns prompt more than 1,300 lawsuits

Activities once viewed as mundane, like gathering for church or grabbing a burger at a local restaurant, have become subjects of a federal lawsuit as residents, businesses and even lawmakers challenged state shutdown orders designed to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.

Governors say strict rules save lives, but critics who are forced to stay home or shutter their businesses called the steps “draconian” or compared them to “house arrest.”

The lawsuits come as President Donald Trump has become increasingly vocal in criticism of state restrictions, encouraged protests at state capitols and urged churches to reopen despite restrictions.

More than 1,300 state and federal lawsuits have been filed over COVID-19, including 240 dealing with civil rights, as of Friday, according to Hunton Andrews Kurth, a law firm tracking the cases.

– Bart Jansen

Pool party video goes viral; beaches draw crowds for Memorial Day weekend

With lockdowns lifted and temperatures warming across the nation, some Americans flocked to beaches and pools during Memorial Day weekend in defiance of social distancing guidelines. 

• A 16-second video clip depicting a busy pool party in Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks went viral on Twitter, with some decrying the behavior and others praising it.
• At least 5 people were treated for gunshot wounds after crowds and fighting broke out Saturday near a beach in Daytona Beach, Florida. 
• Local officials near Tampa, Florida, closed down a beach parking lot due to large crowds, the Associated Press reported. 
• Photos emerged of busy beaches in California and Florida as officials were tasked with enforcing social distancing measures. 
• Traditionally a hot spot for Memorial Day weekend, a beachside boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, was packed with people.
• Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam faced backlash on social media after posing for pictures near the beach without a mask.

White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Brix reaffirmed Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that social distancing is “absolutely critical” as the country still grapples with hundreds of coronavirus deaths everyday.

Nursing home testing goals won’t be met

Nearly two weeks ago the White House urged governors to ensure that every nursing home resident and staff member be tested for the coronavirus within 14 days.

It’s not going to happen.

A review by The Associated Press found that at least half of the states are not going to meet White House’s deadline and some aren’t even bothering to try.

Only a handful of states, including West Virginia and Rhode Island, have said they’ve already tested every nursing home resident.

Many states said the logistics, costs and manpower needs are too great to test all residents and staff in a two-week window. Some say they need another week or so, while others say they need much more time. And still other states are questioning whether testing every nursing home resident and staff, regardless of any other factors, is a good use of time and money.

– Alan Suderman, Associated Press

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear hanged in effigy during Second Amendment rally

What started out as a freedom-loving celebration of the Second Amendment ahead of Memorial Day turned into Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear being hanged in effigy and protesters chanting outside the governor’s mansion.

The Second Amendment rally, meant to inspire people “about what it really means to be FREE,” according to Take Back Kentucky, attracted at least 100 people to the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort on Sunday.

The effigy, which bore a sign that read, “sic semper tyrannis,” which means “thus always to tyrants,” was swiftly condemned by leaders on both sides of the aisle, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

– Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.)

Trump calls for schools to reopen ‘ASAP’

As some Americans await to see if students will be going back to school buildings in the fall, President Trump tweeted Sunday night that schools should reopen “ASAP,” citing the “very good information” on coronavirus that’s now available.

Schools across the nation quickly shifted to online learning this spring and are largely staying away from in-person classes through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Many educators have yet to make call on returning in the fall. 

Trump administration suspends travel from Brazil amid coronavirus outbreak

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Sunday banning individuals who have been in Brazil within 14 days prior to attempting to enter the United States in the latest travel restrictions aimed at containing the rapid spread of the coronavirus. 

The president, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent and the Department of Homeland Security, said Brazil was the latest country to face travel restrictions as the country continues to face a surge in cases of COVID-19, according to the order. 

Brazil is among the hardest hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 347,000 cases and at least 22,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The country is only second to the U.S. in terms of total positive cases. 

– Courtney Subramanian

Georgia reports first COVID-19 child death, a 17-year-old in Fulton County

A 17-year-old boy has died from COVID-19 in Georgia, becoming the first child to die from the virus in the state, according to state officials. The boy was from Fulton County and had an underlying condition, Nancy Nydam with the Georgia Department of Public Health told WSB-TV.

There have been 1,824 coronavirus deaths in the state, with more than 42,800 confirmed cases, according to the state’s health department.

More coronavirus news and information from USA TODAY

• Humans ‘not meant to be alone’:Many Americans haven’t seen or touched another person in 3 months because of COVID-19
• Are face masks harmful for adults? We checked the facts.
• Living life, post-quarantine: Answering your questions about reentering society.
• Where coronavirus isn’t:What’s kept cases officially at zero in these 200 counties?
• Operation Warp Speed: Will it help us find a vaccine faster — or just be politicized?
• Mapping coronavirus: Tracking the U.S. outbreak, state by state.

New York sports teams get approval to start training camps

Professional sports without fans took a step forward Sunday as Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave the go-ahead for teams in New York to start training camps.

The NBA and NHL seasons were stopped in mid-March, and the MLB season has been on hold after the coronavirus pandemic swept the nation, particularly New York, which has the most cases and deaths in the nation.

Other sports leagues have also been on hold, with hopes to resume operations this summer and with efforts by the NHL and NBA to resume their seasons in the coming months. Cuomo said New York teams should be able to start practices in hopes of getting their seasons underway without fans.

The impact of Cuomo’s announcement is uncertain. Teams are essentially waiting for directives from their leagues before resuming any official activities.

– Joseph Spector

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