Ahead of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, all states in the U.S. began to lift some restrictions implemented to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Government officials are still urging people to practice social distancing and to wear masks in public.
Changing opinions from scientists and health officials have contributed to some people refusing to wear masks because public health authorities initially advised against wearing masks, saying there was little evidence that it would help prevent people from getting sick.
China’s top diplomat criticized U.S. efforts to hold China accountable for its alleged role in the spread of the coronavirus, calling any aims to force Beijing to pay compensation for the coronavirus a “daydream.”
The number of coronavirus fatalities in New York state fell below 100, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday, marking the lowest daily death toll since March 24.
This is CNBC’s live blog covering all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak. This blog will be updated throughout the day as the news breaks.
- Global cases: More than 5.33 million
- Global deaths: At least 341,513
- U.S. cases: More than 1.62 million
- U.S. deaths: At least 96,046
The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
U.S. unemployment rate could still be in double digits in November, says White House adviser
Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, speaks during a White House press briefing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018.
Yuri Gripas | Bloomberg | Getty Images
9:36 a.m. ET — The U.S. unemployment rate could still be in double digits in November as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to White House senior advisor Kevin Hassett.
The unemployment rate rose to 14.7% in April, with more than 38 million people filing unemployment claims since Mid-March when the outbreak forced national shutdowns.
Hassett told CNN’s Dana Bash that there would be other promising signs of economic improvement, as unemployment numbers may move slower than other indicators. But he said the unemployment rate is likely headed north of 20% in the month of May.
“The unemployment rate will be higher in June than in May, but then after that it should start to trend down,” Hassett said. —Emma Newburger
Air travel is going to look different this summer because of the coronavirus
9:03 a.m. ET — Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kickoff to the peak travel season and while demand is showing some signs of life, it is still down about 90% from a year ago. The virus and concerns about it spreading have prompted new procedures at airlines and federal agencies.
The Department of Homeland Security, which includes TSA and customs, is exploring temperature checks at airports. The Transportation Security Administration is also changing some polices to limit physical contact, such as asking travelers to scan their own boarding passes and that they remove food and other items from their bags so officers don’t have to touch bins.
Starting this month, U.S. airlines require that travelers wear masks on board. They are tweaking boarding to fill seats from back to front to limit contact with other travelers. Some airlines are limiting the number of travelers on board, or letting travelers know when their flights are full. Experts warn its nearly impossible to socially distance on an aircraft, however. —Leslie Josephs
