Pride; NY antibody test; Paycheck Protection

The nation’s leaders wrangled over bailouts Monday while governors chipped away at lockdowns and hundreds of people in Pennsylvania gathered to protest the stay-at-home restrictions.

In Washington, a deal appeared close to provide an additional $300 billion for small businesses crushed by the lockdowns. The deal would also provide more funding for hospitals and for testing. In New York, public health officials planned to kick off the most extensive antibody testing campaign in the nation.

In Pennsylvania’s capital city of Harrisburg a protest was planned Monday by opponents of  Gov. Tom Wolf’s restrictive stay-at-home order. Last week, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed a bill that would reopen some businesses, but Wolf, a Democrat, has said he will veto it. Similar protests have been springing up across the nation in recent days as jobless numbers rise and patience thins.

The U.S. coronavirus death toll rose by almost 2,000 to surpass 40,000; there are more than 760,000 confirmed cases, according to John Hopkins University data. The number of worldwide cases was nearing 2.5 million; there are over 166,000 deaths.

Our live blog is being updated throughout the day. Refresh for the latest news, and get updates in your inbox with The Daily Briefing. More headlines:

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• Reopening America: What states are relaxing social distancing restrictions?

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More of us may have had COVID-19 and didn’t know it

New research suggests that many people have had the coronavirus without symptoms, fueling hope that it will turn out to be much less lethal than feared. But without widespread antibody testing it would also make it difficult to know who around you may be contagious, complicating decisions about returning to work, school and normal life.

In the last week, reports of “silent infections” have come from a homeless shelter in Boston, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, pregnant women at a New York hospital, several European countries and California. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 25% of infected people might not have symptoms. Pentagon officials say it may be as high as 60% to 70% among military personnel.

New York City cancels Pride Parade, all other big June events

New York City’s Pride Parade, which would have marked its 50th anniversary, and the Puerto Rican Day Parade were among all major events canceled Monday in June by Mayor Bill de Blasio. City hospitalizations and deaths appear to be in a modest decline, but De Blasio has said the city can’t ease its tight stay-at-home restrictions until extensive daily testing can be worked out.

“That march is such an important part of life in this city, but this year in particular was going to be something that was a historical moment,” de Blasio said of the Pride Parade. “They will be back, and we will find the right way to do it.”

Hundreds protest lockdown in Pennsylvania

Hundreds of protesters, many ignoring social distancing rules, rallied at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg on Monday in opposition of the state’s shutdown of schools and businesses. Gov. Tom Wolf released a phase-in plan last week aimed at reopening the state but provided few details and no timeline. Limitations on mass gatherings will remain in place for the duration of the reopening process, and a “strong testing regime” must be in place in areas that are permitted to reopen, according to the plan.

In Denver a day earlier, health care workers blocked a parade of protesters who gathered outside of Colorado’s Capitol in opposition of the state’s stay-at-home orders. Viral photos show health care workers donned in teal scrubs and matching masks with crossed arms standing in front of motorists lined up for several blocks on an avenue leading to the Capitol building.

Georgia, South Carolina to reveal plans for reopening

The governors of South Carolina and Georgia scheduled news conferences for later Monday amid regional talks aimed at beginning the process of rolling back lockdown orders.

In South Carolina, multiple lawmakers told the Greenville News they were notified Saturday by Gov. Henry McMaster’s office that retail stores and beaches will be allowed to reopen. McMaster reportedly will limit the number of customers in reopened stores to 20% of their fire-code capacity. Social distancing rules also will apply to beaches. State Rep. Stewart Jones, like McMaster a Republican, called the plan “a great first step.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s shelter-in-place order is scheduled to run through the end of April. Kemp drew heat for issuing the order well after most other states.

– Kirk Brown, Greenville News

In midst of pandemic, marijuana quietly goes mainstream

Many marijuana stores shuttered by lockdowns are embracing the change, allowing customers to order online and pick up curbside. That’s a major shift from when each buyer had to be personally verified by a licensed store worker. In California, stores have largely switched to an all-delivery model. Regulators in many states have declare cannabis shops essential business on par with groceries, gas and liquor. Some cannabis advocates are optimistic the outbreak is providing an opportunity to move further into the mainstream. 

“In a sea of chaos, this was one of the biggest moments in our industry’s history,” investor Morgan Paxhia said.

– Trevor Hughes

Trump ‘OK’ with Las Vegas closures despite mayor’s outrage

President Donald Trump said he’s “OK” with Nevada’s closure of nonessential businesses, which has shuttered Las Vegas casinos, days after the city’s mayor called the shutdown “total insanity.” Trump gave qualified support Sunday to Nevada’s Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak’s closure amid the coronavirus pandemic. Nevada has 3,728 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 155 deaths. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who identifies as an independent, called on Sisolak to allow businesses to reopen.

“They closed a big hotel down in Nevada that I have in Las Vegas. It’s a very severe step he took. I’m OK with it,” Trump said. “But you could call that one either way.”

– Bryan Alexander

New York state to begin mass antibody testing campaign 

New York state will begin antibody testing thousands of residents this week to try and determine the breadth of the coronavirus outbreak, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday. Cuomo said a test was approved by the FDA and that testing will take place “in the most aggressive  way in the nation.”

Antibody testing reflects how many people have been infected by the virus. Health experts hope the antibodies provide people with defenses against COVID-19. Cuomo said new cases, hospitalizations and intubations all appear to be receding in his state. The most recent daily death toll, 507, was down almost 10% from the previous day and represented the lowest total in more than two weeks.

“All indications are that we are on the descent,” he said of the outbreak. “That is in all the numbers.”

The tests that could reopen the country: This is how they work

Deal near on money for small businesses, hospitals, testing

A deal with Democrats to replenish an emergency small-business loan program could be hammered out Monday and Congress could approve additional funding for the program this week, President Donald Trump said Sunday. The program designed to keep paychecks going out to workers amid the economic shutdown caused by coronavirus was paused Thursday after it burned through its initial $350 billion. Democrats have been holding out, demanding the bill include money for hospitals and testing.

“We have some very good negotiations going on right now,” Trump said Sunday.

– William Cummings

Stocks mixed despite signals of economic revival

U.S. stocks were trading lower Monday despite indications the nation’s slumbering economy could soon begin to awaken. The Dow Industrials and broader Standard and Poor’s averages were down, although tech stocks were up. Several states announced plans to begin easing lockdown restrictions. National companies were also beginning to stir – Boeing was set to begin ramping up production in Washington state, where approximately 27,000 people could return to work this week, the planemaker said. However, stocks were sensitive to plummeting oil prices and a raft of first-quarter earnings reports due this week sure to reflect virus-driven economic upheaval.

Ship wraps up 15-week cruise with no reported virus cases

Several horror stories have emerged in recent weeks from cruise ships struggling to find welcoming ports while battling sometimes deadly waves of coronavirus. Not so the Costa Deliziosa, whose passengers began disembarking in Barcelona on Monday after traveling  the globe for 15 weeks while the new coronavirus spread on land.

Owner Costa Crociere, an Italian company, says the ship has no cases of the COVID-19 virus on board. The boat sailed the last five weeks with virtually no human contact with the outside world. Hundreds of the boat’s 1,831 passengers, including 168 Spaniards, were expected to get off the boat in Spain and the rest were expected to do so in the next and last stop, in Genoa, Italy.

Prince Philip applauds essential workers; Brits scramble for PPE

Queen Elizabeth II’s husband issued a rare public statement, praising those tackling the new coronavirus pandemic and keeping essential services running. Prince Philip, who turns 99 in June, applauded the “vital and urgent” work of medical and science professionals as well as people working in food production, garbage collection and postal and delivery services.

The shoutout comes as hospital organizations are slamming Britain’s government for its failure to give medical staff appropriate clothing and equipment to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. With so many promises dashed, Chris Hopson of the NHS Providers told the BBC there is “relatively low confidence” that a shipment of 400,000 surgical gowns overdue from Turkey will arrive Monday. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden says he’s hopeful “that later today that flight will take off and we will get those gowns.’’

More coronavirus news and information from USA TODAY:

Shake Shack plans to send back $10 million coronavirus stimulus loan

Shake Shack is sending back the $10 million it received from the government’s stimulus loans program aimed at saving small businesses ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti and founder Danny Meyer said the company sought the loan because it was supposed to be open to all businesses with 500 or fewer employees. The criteria applies to the chain’s individual franchise locations. The company secured separate funding last week through a public stock transaction.

“The ‘PPP’ came with no user manual and it was extremely confusing,” the executives said in a joint statement.

– Dalvin Brown

Contributing: The Associated Press

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