Coronavirus live updates: Trump to visit Honeywell plant in Arizona; Kroger to test frontline employees for free; US nears 70K deaths

President Donald Trump was scheduled Tuesday to visit a Honeywell aerospace plant in Arizona that now produces face masks, a day after Gov. Doug Ducey announced he was accelerating a plan to reopen the state’s economy.

The Trump campaign to awaken the nation’s slumbering economy also drew support from former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who suggested “there are going to be deaths no matter what.” Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said it was “too hard to tell” if international travel would resume this year.

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus was nearing 70,000 early Tuesday, and there are more than 1.1 million confirmed cases, according to the John Hopkins University data dashboard. Worldwide, the virus has killed over 252,000 people and infected more than 3.6 million.

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Here are some of the most important developments to know Tuesday: 

• President Trump is leaving Washington, D.C., for the first major trip in more than a month, bound for a mask-producing plant in Phoenix. 
• Coronavirus deaths in the United Kingdom are nearing the 30,000 mark, surpassing Italy as the highest in Europe.  
• As state leaders roll back a patchwork of social distancing restrictions, USA TODAY is tracking what’s happening in your state. Check out this map. 

What the internet is talking about this morning: Man who wore KKK hood at California grocery store may be charged with hate crime, authorities say.

Good news to start your Tuesday: If you’re really missing Taco Bell on this Cinco de Mayo, you can bring an entire taco bar home. Yep, Taco Bell is offering its At Home Taco Bar ($25), which has all the ingredients for tacos packed individually for you to build as you wish.

In harm’s way: Vaccine volunteers face risk in expedited race for answer 

To have a vaccine by next summer will require both luck and cutting corners never cut before. To speed up the process, some researchers are planning to give volunteers experimental vaccines and then infect them with the virus that causes COVID-19. Current rules are meant to protect volunteers from harm, but with the global death count from the coronavirus over 250,000, scientists are asking: Is it acceptable to deliberately infect healthy people with a disease for which there is no cure? Increasing scientists say the answer is yes.

“The mortality and morbidity and the social consequences that are a result of this infection are enormous,” said Dr. Kathryn Edwards, scientific director of the Vanderbilt University Vaccine Research Program. “We have to figure out how to stop it.”

– Elizabeth Weise

Ex-Gov. Christie: It’s time for America to get back to work

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, saying that “there are going to be deaths no matter what,” called for leaders to allow people to get back to work before we “destroy American way of life.” Speaking on The Daily DC Podcast hosted by CNN’s Dana Bash on Monday, Christie said, “What we are doing now I just don’t think can be sustained as a country.” Christie, who sought the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, said claims that we must choose between money and lives is a “false choice.” 

“We have to start letting people get back to work. I can see in my own state the economic devastation is equally sad,” he said, adding that the medical community might keep us “locked in our houses for another year” until there is a vaccine.

– John Connolly, NorthJersey.com

Trump to visit mask-making plant in Phoenix

President Donald Trump will tour a mask-making operation in Phoenix on Tuesday, his first extensive trip away from the nation’s capital in more than a month. Trump aims to project an image of confidence that the nation’s tattered economy will rebound and that some sense of normalcy could soon return to American life. The plant had manufactured aircraft engines until Honeywell International converted it to masks for the pandemic.

Trump also plans to participate in a roundtable on Native American issues. The president last visited Phoenix on Feb. 19, firing up his followers at a campaign rally during which he touted the then-roaring national economy. Trump said he plans to speak at Honeywell and mused about whether it is “politically correct” to do that while wearing a mask. “If it is, I’ll speak in a mask,” he said.

– Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen, Arizona Republic

States reopening: Arkansas businesses reopen, Virginia targets May 15  

Arkansas will permit barbershops, beauty salons, massage therapists and tattoo artists, among others, to open again Wednesday.With May 15 as the target date, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday said he is extending an executive order closing most nonessential businesses that was set to expire May 8. A separate stay-at-home order set to end June 10 will remain in place.

California was preparing for Stage 2 of its reopening plan, which will allow some retail businesses to begin curbside pickup on Friday. In Arizona, barbershops and salons can resume hair, nail, waxing and other services by appointment Friday if they limit occupancy. Find out the latest on your state.

States vary on reporting nursing home COVID-19 deaths, frustrating families

State and local health officials nationwide have faced increasing scrutiny over the collection and release of infection data for long-term care facilities, whose residents are among the most susceptible to COVID-19. States have adopted their own standards with mixed results, according to interviews and examination of states’ records by the USA TODAY Network. The head of two industry groups representing most of the nation’s 15,000 licensed long-term care centers has publicly supported releasing facility-level infection data and urged members to provide it to residents, families and staff.

“We believe this information can help identify long-term care providers who are most in need of testing and PPE resources,” said Mark Parkinson, CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living.

– Jo Ciavaglia, Stacey Barchenger and Matthew Leonard

More coronavirus news and information from USA TODAY

• To find a coronavirus vaccine,can we ethically infect people with a disease with no cure?
• ‘Mama is tired’: After school closures, some families are burning out on online classes. Others are thriving.
• In Georgia: This town isn’t listening to Gov. Brian Kemp to reopen. Here’s why.
• Still waiting for your coronavirus stimulus check? Here’s why.
• These 10 household items are back in stock.Here’s where to buy them.

UK becoming coronavirus epicenter in Europe

Coronavirus deaths in the United Kingdom are nearing the 30,000 mark, the highest in Europe, according to John Hopkins University’s COVID-19 tracker. The three countries with the largest death tolls in Europe – Italy, Spain and the U.K – have been recording data around infections and deaths in different ways.

Figures released by the U.K’s Office for National Statistics on Tuesday morning showed that 29,648 deaths with COVID-19 mentioned in death certificates had taken place in England and Wales as of April 24. Including deaths for Scotland and Northern Ireland, the toll on this measure now exceeds 30,000, according to the statistical agency. John Hopkins University’s COVID-19 tracker lists 28,809 deaths in the U.K. At least 29,079 people have died from the coronavirus in Italy. 

– Kim Hjelmgaard

Third Russian health care worker plunges from hospital window

A Russian paramedic who complained about being forced to work after testing positive for COVID-19 was in critical condition after falling from a hospital window in western Russia, according to multiple media reports. In the last two weeks, two other health care workers who challenged Russian medical authorities fell from windows to their deaths.

In the latest incident, Alexander Shulepov worked on an ambulance in Voronezh, 300 miles south of Moscow, when he and a friend posted a video on social media April 22 complaining about a lack of personal protective gear, the Russian website vestivrn.ru said. Shulepov fell from the window May 2. The friend, Alexander Kosyakin, told CNN that Shulepov “felt fine, he was getting ready to get discharged from the hospital … and all of a sudden this happened, it’s not clear why.”

Family Dollar guard killed after telling woman her child must wear mask 

Three people were facing murder charges Tuesday in the death of security guard Calvin Munerlyn, a father of nine who authorities say was gunned down after turning away a customer without a mask from a Family Dollar in Michigan. 

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton filed the charges Monday against Sharmel Teague, 45, Larry Edward Teague Jr., 44, and Ramonyea Bishop, 23.

Leyton said Sharmel Teague and her daughter left the store after a verbal altercation with Munerlyn, but that her husband and son arrived a short time later. Teague fatally shot Munerlyn after accusing him of “disrespecting”  his wife, Leyton said.

“Decisions like staying home when we can, wearing a mask when going to the store and staying a safe distance from those around us, these should not be political arguments,” Leyton said. “They don’t necessitate acts of defiance.”

– Miriam Marini, Detroit Free Press

Mnuchin: Don’t expect much foreign travel before 2021

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is encouraging Americans to focus on domestic travel this year as the international travel outlook for the rest of 2020 remains uncertain. In response to a question Monday from Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Network about whether international travel will be opened up this year, he responded, “Too hard to tell at this point.”

The Treasury secretary clarified that there may be room for limited international travel: “Obviously, for businesspeople that do need to travel, there will be travel on a limited basis.”

– Julia Thompson and Dawn Gilbertson

Kroger offers free testing to all front-line workers

The nation’s largest supermarket chain announced it will offer free COVID-19 testing to all its front-line associates “based on symptoms and medical need.” Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs and Fred Meyer, said it test employees by providing self-administered kits and testing through public drive-thru sites.

“The resilience of the Kroger family is unparalleled, and we’re doing all we can to keep our team healthy and safe,” Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health, said in a statement. “The widespread availability of diagnostic testing will now allow our associates to feel more empowered and knowledgeable about their health, creating safer stores and facilities.”

The announcement comes after employees have died from the coronavirus, and workers in Southern California protested the company’s response to the outbreak.

Asian shares advance following Wall Street rebound, oil price recovery

Shares advanced in Asia early Tuesday after Wall Street shook off a slow start and ended with modest gains thanks to another solid showing from big technology companies.

Shares rose in Hong Kong, Sydney and Singapore. Markets in Shanghai and Tokyo were closed for a holiday.

Wall Street shook off a weak start and ended with modest gains Monday, thanks to another solid showing from big technology companies.

A recovery in oil prices was helping drive gains in Asia on Tuesday as the U.S. benchmark added $1.50, or more than 6%, to $21.89 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It climbed 61 cents on Monday to $20.39.

Brent crude, the standard for international pricing, picked up $1.30 to $28.50 per barrel.

Costco to temporarily limit meat purchases to 3 items per person

Costco is temporarily limiting meat purchases to three items per member, the company announced Monday. Meat items include poultry, beef and pork.

“Costco has implemented limits on certain items to help ensure more members are able to purchase merchandise they want and need,” reads the company statement.

Other grocers have adopted similar limits on meat purchases. Grocery giant Kroger said it has purchase limits on ground beef and fresh pork, while New York-based supermarket chain Wegmans has set limits on family packs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and 80% ground beef.

San Francisco study: Coronavirus exploits ‘pre-existing vulnerabilities’ 

More than half of the residents who tested positive for the new coronavirus in a San Francisco-based community screening initiative were asymptomatic, according to data released Monday by the University of California San Francisco.

Of the nearly 3,000 residents and workers in the city’s Mission District who were tested, 62 were positive, with 53% saying they hadn’t experienced COVID-19 symptoms.

The study, called Unidos En Salud, was conducted in a majority Hispanic/Latinx community. None of the positive cases were from the nearly 1,000 white/Caucasian people tested, while 95.1% of the people who tested positive were Hispanic or Latinx, according to the study.

Most of the people, nearly 89%, who tested positive were also from homes with a total household income less than $50,000, according to study data.

“The virus exploits pre-existing vulnerabilities in our society,” Dr. Diane Havlir, chief of the UCSF Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center said in a statement.

COVID-19’s prevalence in minority and low-income neighborhoods is well-documented. A USA TODAY analysis of ZIP code data from health departments in 12 states showed infections rates were five times higher in majority-minority ZIP codes than in ZIP codes with less than 10% nonwhite populations.

– Jordan Culver

More coronavirus headlines from USA TODAY

• ‘It makes no sense’: Feds consider relaxing infection control in US nursing homes.
• Dr. Anthony Fauci is the voice Americans want to hear amid coronavirus crisis.So, who is he?
• Are face masks the newest way to make a fashion statement? See for yourself.
• Fact check: Are smokers at less risk for contracting the coronavirus?
• Mapping coronavirus:Tracking the US outbreak, state by state.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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