Coronavirus updates: Virus cases about 2M worldwide; few new hot spots

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SALT LAKE CITY— Here are the latest coronavirus-related updates from Utah and around the world.

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Monday, 09:54pm

Virus cases about 2M worldwide; few new hot spots

New York’s coronavirus death toll topped 10,000 and the worldwide number of confirmed cases hovered around 2 million on Monday, even as the lack of fresh hot spots globally yielded a ray of optimism and fueled discussions about how some places might begin to reopen. The brunt of the disease has been felt most heavily in New York, Italy, France, Spain and the United Kingdom, but grim projections of a virus that would spread with equal ferocity to other corners of America and the world have not yet materialized after more than a month of measures meant to blunt its impact. An online dashboard that tracks the global number of confirmed coronavirus cases, maintained by Johns Hopkins University, late Monday night showed the number of cases in the U.S. approaching 683,000, with more than 2 million worldwide. The site was later adjusted to reflect nearly 582,000 cases in the U.S. and 1.9 million cases worldwide. It was not immediately clear why the numbers changed. Of those 1.9 million cases, nearly 120,000 people have died, while nearly 449,600 have recovered. Officials around the world worried that halting quarantine and social-distancing measures could easily undo the hard-earned progress that those steps have achieved in slowing the spread. — Associated Press

Monday, 09:53pm

Utah lawmakers call online special session to consider shifting state to 'stabilization phase'

Utah lawmakers will meet in special session starting Thursday to consider shifting the state to “a stabilization phase” in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic that includes allowing businesses to reopen, part of a long agenda largely focused on the financial impact of the deadly virus. “We need to be able to have our economy survive and we need to have survival of ourselves,” Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, told KSL on Monday. “We’re going to look to try to move from an urgency phase that we’re in now to a stabilization phase. I would basically call it sustainable social distancing.” — Lisa Riley Roche, KSL

Monday, 09:52pm

Virus closes some meat plants, raising fears of shortages

Some massive meat processing plants have closed at least temporarily because their workers were sickened by the new coronavirus, raising concerns that there could soon be shortages of beef, pork and poultry in supermarkets. The meat supply chain is especially vulnerable since processing is increasingly done at massive plants that butcher tens of thousands of animals daily, so the closure of even a few big ones can quickly be felt by customers. For instance, a Smithfield Foods plant that was forced to close in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after nearly 300 of the plant’s 3,700 workers tested positive for the virus produces roughly 5% of the U.S. pork supply each day. — Associated Press

Monday, 09:51pm

Logan company working on COVID-19 antibody test

A small biotech company in Logan is entering the fight against the coronavirus by developing a test to detect COVID-19 antibodies. That information could be critical in knowing just how many people have had the novel coronavirus and who could be immune to it. Quansys Bioscience in Logan has been testing a variety of diseases across the world for developing countries for 15 years. Officials said it was natural for them to now move into COVID-19. — Dan Rascon, KSL TV

Monday, 09:47pm

Gyms in northern Utah get approval to open amid coronavirus pandemic

A change from the Bear River Health Department has given the green light for gyms to reopen. Officials said they hoped it would be a starting point to return life back to normal. Not everyone was confident that the decision will work out as expected, or that it’s the best move, with coronavirus cases still on the rise in Utah. — Mike Anderson, KSL TV

Monday, 07:29pm

Salt Lake County leasing entire hotel to house 'highest risk' homeless

Less than two days away from the slated closure of the temporary homeless shelter in Sugar House, Salt Lake County officials announced they are leasing an entire hotel to house homeless clients who face the “highest risk” amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel — which officials are declining to name, citing privacy concerns — will house roughly 130 “asymptomatic clients” who are either over the age of 60 or have underlying health issues. — Katie McKellar, KSL

Monday, 07:20pm

Here’s why you got an alert about Salt Lake County’s ‘stay safe, stay home order’

If you were startled by an emergency alert message Monday afternoon, Salt Lake County officials say it wasn’t a mistake. Thousands of Utahns received a message about 2 p.m., which stated: "Salt Lake County COVID-19 Update. Stay Home, Stay Safe Order extended through May 1. All Salt Lake County residents should avoid unnecessary travel and should stay home. Monitor CDC and Salt Lake County Health Department websites for latest information." — Carter Williams, KSL.com

Monday, 07:19pm

Is it time to start talking about reopening economy, getting back to work?

Antibody testing, antiviral drugs and vaccines are among developments that could help shape strategies to get the U.S. economy moving again, Utah Rep. Chris Stewart said Monday. Though antibody testing might be a key part of any plan, it’s more complicated than that, he said, noting that hundreds of millions of people would need to be tested for COVID-19. In addition, a vaccine is at least 14 months or more away, Stewart said. — Dennis Romboy, KSL

Monday, 07:18pm

Trump claims ‘total’ authority to reopen economy, over governors

President Donald Trump claimed the “total” authority Monday to decide how and when to reopen the economy after weeks of tough social distancing guidelines aimed at fighting the new coronavirus. But governors from both parties were quick to push back, noting they have the primary constitutional responsibility for ensuring public safety in their states and would decide when it’s safe to begin a return to normal operations. — Associated Press

Monday, 03:53pm

Relief money is coming — for some. Here's what you need to know

If someone didn’t file a tax return for either the 2018 or 2019 tax year, the IRS is urging them to file as soon as they can. And for people who filed taxes for those years but did not include direct deposit information, the IRS plans to have a “Get My Payment" app available later this week that will allow them to add their bank information so their payment can be deposited. The app will also allow people to track when their payment will be deposited. For everyone else, the government will mail a check. — Associated Press

Monday, 02:37pm

Salt Lake City mayor asking residents to take survey on which streets to open up for pedestrians, cyclists

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall wants to hear from residents via survey on which city streets should be converted for walking and biking traffic use in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Mendenhall says the streets would potentially be converted into spaces for outdoor activities like biking, running and walking — all while maintaining access for local vehicle traffic. Read the full story and find a link to the survey here. — Xoel Cardenas, KSL.com

Monday, 02:14pm

State mobile alerts canceled after reported glitches

As of 12:17 p.m. Monday, state officials canceled mobile travel alerts after the messages went to many people who shouldn't have received them. The mobile travel alerts were instituted last week in an effort to track who was entering the state of Utah, so health officials could coordinate in case those people needed treatment or assistance. The alerts were intended to be pushed to mobile devices for people who were driving into the state in certain highway areas just inside the border. However, the system didn't work as officials hoped, according to Utah Department of Emergency Management spokesman Joe Dougherty. The alerts were pushed to some people who were in their homes, sometimes far away from the border, he said. — Jacob Klopfenstein, KSL.com

Monday, 01:21pm

Utah sees 60 new cases of COVID-19, no new deaths

Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 60 from Sunday, with no new reported deaths, according to the Utah Department of Health. Monday’s totals give Utah 2,363 confirmed cases, with 201 hospitalizations and 18 total deaths from the disease. Previously, there were 2,303 cases in the state. The new numbers indicate a 2.6% increase in positive cases since Sunday. Of the 45,787 people tested in Utah so far, 5.2% have tested positive for COVID-19. — Jacob Klopfenstein, KSL.com

Monday, 01:20pm

BYU cancels summer sport camps due to COVID-19

BYU’s campus suffered another casualty of COVID-19 Monday afternoon. The university announced in a statement with the athletic department that all summer workshops, camps and similar off-semester activities have been canceled through Aug. 13. The dates include all summer sports camps, which have routinely been used as an avenue for BYU student-athletes to work as “counselors” in teaching skills of basketball, soccer, volleyball and other sports to local and traveling youth. — Sean Walker, KSL.com

Monday, 12:33pm

Trump says he'll decide on easing guidelines, not governors

President Donald Trump asserted Monday that he is the ultimate decision-maker for determining how and when to relax the nation's social distancing guidelines as he grows anxious to reopen the coronavirus-stricken country as soon as possible. Governors and local leaders, who have instituted mandatory restrictions that have the force of law, have expressed concern that Trump's plan to restore normalcy will cost lives and extend the duration of the outbreak. — Associated Press

Monday, 12:33pm

A month after New York's 1st virus death, toll hits 10,000

New York’s coronavirus death toll topped 10,000 only about a month after the state recorded its first fatality, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday, The state tallied 671 new deaths on Sunday. It was the first time in a week the daily toll dipped below 700. Still, the governor noted people are still dying at a “horrific level of pain and grief and sorrow.” Hospitals are still getting 2,000 new patients a day, Cuomo said. — Associated Press

Monday, 11:54am

For the Strength of Youth conferences postponed until 2021

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has postponed the For the Strength of Youth conferences scheduled in the United States and Canada for 2020 until next year due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the church announced Monday. Read the full story here. — Ryan Miller. KSL.com

Monday, 10:23am

US stocks open lower following their biggest week since 1974

Stocks are opening lower on Wall Street following the biggest week for the market since 1974. The S&P 500 fell 1% in early trading Monday. It had surged 12% last week. The price of oil rose after major oil producers agreed to cut output as demand craters because of the slowdowns caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. European markets were closed for a holiday and Asian markets ended mostly lower. — Associated Press

Monday, 09:10am

Utah’s hotly contested 4th Congressional District race ‘frozen’ by pandemic

What was anticipated to be one of the nation’s highest-profile House races, the Republican effort to unseat Utah’s only Democrat in Congress, Rep. Ben McAdams, has stayed largely under the radar even as GOP delegates prepare to winnow a crowded field later this month for the primary election. “In some sense, it’s a casualty of the coronavirus challenges,” said Chris Karpowitz, co-director of BYU’s Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. “I think it’s very hard for challengers to get the attention of the public at this point.” Adding to the difficulties for the seven Republicans in this race, the political science professor said, is that McAdams was hospitalized for more than a week after becoming the second member of Congress to test positive for COVID-19. The freshman congressman is now recovering at home. — Lisa Riley Roche, KSL

Monday, 09:09am

This Utah man lost his job a week after his wife did. Here's what they've learned

Jesse Sanchez isn’t quite a pessimist, but his wife does sometimes joke that he is prone to have a "glass-half-empty" kind of attitude. Which is why his reaction to a stunning turn of events — the loss of his job when Real Salt Lake announced staff cuts and pay reductions this week — may be surprising to some. Sure, it’s far from an ideal experience. To use his own words, "it sucks." But he’s not taking it as hard as he could be. And he really wants to help others navigate his newfound world of unemployment, too. Read the full story here. — Sean Walker, KSL.com

Monday, 08:01am

State trying to fix glitches with travel declaration alerts

State officials implemented a new travel declaration order to track the spread of the novel coronavirus, but there appeared to be some glitches in the system. People complained they’re getting the alerts even if they’re not entering the state, and Utahns said they’re getting the travel alerts while sitting at home on their couch. Some of those residents said they don’t even live near one of the nine points of entry where travelers receive the notification as they pass through a geofenced area. State officials know there are some kinks in the system that need to be worked out. Read the full story here. — Tania Dean, KSL TV

Monday, 07:26am

Health or wealth? Nations pressured to loosen virus rules

As the coronavirus pandemic throws millions out of work and devastates economies worldwide, governments are struggling with the delicate balance between keeping people safe from a highly contagious virus and making sure they can still make a living or even have enough to eat. Workers in some nonessential industries were returning to their jobs Monday in Spain, one of the hardest hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, while in South Korea, officials were warning that hard-earned progress fighting the virus could be eroded by new infections as restrictions ease. The decisions are complicated because each nation is on its own coronavirus arc, with places like Britain, Japan and parts of the United States still seeing increasing daily levels of deaths or infections; France and New York hoping they are stabilizing, albeit at a high plateau of deaths; and hard-hit nations like Italy and Spain seeing declines in the rates of increase. — Associated Press

Monday, 07:23am

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

British PM Johnson has left a London hospital where he was being treated for COVID-19, Downing Street says.

According to the Utah Department of Health, 97 more Utahns have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since Saturday. No new deaths were reported

President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released an Easter message on social media Sunday morning, encouraging Saints to "share the joyful news that He lives!"

Read all of yesterday's coronavirus news here.