There’s a lot going on. Here are today’s COVID-19 updates that you should know.
Your daily dose of hope
China plans to lift the lockdown on Wuhan, where the coronavirus first emerged, on April 8. The move comes after the Hubei province, where Wuhan is the capital, on March 19 reported no new infections. China took dramatic steps two months ago to restrict movement in Wuhan and surrounding areas.
Investors reacted positively to reports that US lawmakers are close to agreement on a nearly $2 trillion relief package for an economy battered by the pandemic.
Ford announced that its teaming with 3M and GE Healthcare to make medical equipment. Ford said it will assemble more than 100,000 plastic face shields per week at one of its manufacturing sites, and work with 3M to boost production of its powered air-purifying respirator designs as well as a simplified version of GE Healthcare’s ventilator design. Ford also plans to use its in-house 3D printing capability to produce disposable respirators for healthcare workers.
People across the country are volunteering their sewing skills to make protective masks for healthcare workers to alleviate the shortage.
News you need to know
The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics have been postponed until summer of 2021. OIympic officials announced the decision Tuesday, citing the “unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak.”
The infection rate in New York City is five times higher than other areas, a health expert told the President, CNN reported, which said the city has 13,119 cases.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a stay-at-home order that imposes restrictions unseen in Britain since World War II.
Drive-through COVID-19 test centers are opening across the country, but testing remains problematic as people flood overwhelmed centers.
Data point of the day
Quote of the day:
“It is the peculiar nature of the world to go on spinning no matter what sort of heartbreak is happening.”― Sue Monk Kidd
