(Eds: Updates number of cases)Amaravati (AP), Apr 12 () The cornavirus tollincreased to seven with the death of a 52-year old man whilethe total positive cases to 420 in Andhra Pradesh, the stategovernment said on Sunday.As many as 15 new cases were added since Saturday night,according to the latest government bulletin.One more patient has recovered, it said adding totalnumber of people cured in the state has risen to 12.The 52-year-old man died of coronavirus in Dachepalli ofGuntur district after midnight on April 10. He was primarily atuberculosis patient and had tested positive for COVID-19, thebulletin added. A 65-year-old man in Vijayawada, who underwent treatmentin the government hospital upon his return from Mecca on March27, has recovered and was discharged on Sunday. The total active cases in the state now stood at 401,according to the bulletin. DBVVS VS

One more COVID-19 death reported in AP; Total positive cases rises to 420

Berhampur/Jajpur, Apr 10 () Two dedicatedCovid-19 hospitals with a combined bed strength of 350 weremade operational in Odisha on Friday.With the inauguration of the two facilities, Odishahas made 10 such hospitals to treat cornavirus patients, andthe total bed capacity of the hospitals set up exclusively fortreatment of patients with coronavirus infection has gone upto 1,950, officials said.Of the two hospitals inaugurated on Friday, onefacility is in Ganjam district while the second is in Jajpurdistrict.The facility at Tata Steel Medica with a bed strengthof 200 is located at Sitalapalli near here in Ganjam district.Inaugurating the facility through video-conference,Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik praised the Ganjam districtadministration for readying the hospital in record time.The hospital to be managed by Tata Care and funded byTata Steel will have 15 beds in the Intensive Care Unit(ICU).District collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said, thenumber of beds in the ICU would be increased to 20 in next tendays.As many as 16 doctors and 70 staff, including nursesand paramedics from the government-run MKCG Medical Collegeand Hospital, will manage the facility.Besides the ICU, the hospital will have isolationwards with 40 beds and 140 general beds.A Covid-19 patient will be first admited to theisolation ward for preliminary treatment and then shifted tothe general ward. Patients in serious condition will beshifted to the critical care unit, he said.Meanwhile, Jajpur district administration dedicated a150-bed facility at the transformed Duburi Tata Steel MedicaHospital at Duburi with 15 beds in the ICU.The hospital has 20 doctors and 30 others, includingnurses and paramedical personnel, Jajpur District CollectorRanjan Kumar Das said. COR SKNMM MM

Coronavirus: 2 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals inaugurated in Odisha

Washington, May 11 () Scientists have called for studying the spread of the novel coronavirus across animal species, and between animals and humans, stressing the need to assess the impact of such transmission on food security. The review research, published in the journal Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, identifies the critical need to understand the ability of the novel coronavirus to infect certain animals such as livestock, poultry, working animals like military service dogs, and species in zoos. According to the researchers, including those from the Western University of Health Sciences in the US, there is also an urgent need to assess transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 infection between humans and those animals. "The potential for zoonotic SARS-CoV-2 to infect companion animals has been a topic of much discussion," said Stephen Higgs, Director, Biosecurity Research Institute in the US. In the study, the researchers cited anecdotes of pets being infected with the novel cornavirus, including the case of a cat in Belgium. "Contrary to earlier assertions by health agencies that the virus could not cause illness in pets, the cat developed both respiratory and enteric symptoms and took nine days to recover," the scientists wrote in the study. They said large amounts of antigen were repeatedly demonstrated in the cat's vomit and feces over multiple days, which led scientists to conclude that the feline had been infected by SARS-CoV-2. Since tigers and lions in the US zoo have also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the researchers said more questions need to be answered about species susceptibility, duration of infection, viral shedding, and asymptomatic reservoirs of COVID-19. "With over 3 million cases of COVID-19 and over a quarter of a million deaths worldwide so far since January, it is vital that we understand the risks posed by domestic animals as a possible source for human infection," Higgs said. VISVISVIS

Scientists call for studying COVID-19 transmission in companion animals, lifestock

<keyword id="6354335" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) Governor <keyword id="6359111" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shaktikanta-Das">Shaktikanta Das</keyword> is of the view that all-out effort is required to protect the domestic economy against the impact of the cornavirus crisis, according to the minutes of the last MPC meeting. Noting that the macroeconomic fundamentals of the Indian economy continue to be sound, Das said during the meeting of the <keyword id="6375120" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="monetary-policy-committee">Monetary Policy Committee</keyword> that it is important to ensure that finance keeps flowing seamlessly to various sectors of the economy. "We are living through an extraordinary time and the situation currently facing the country is unprecedented. It, therefore, becomes imperative to make all-out efforts to protect the domestic economy from the adverse impact of the pandemic," he said. He said that it is comforting that the macroeconomic fundamentals of the Indian economy continue to be sound, especially in comparison with the conditions that prevailed in the aftermath of the globalfinancial crisis. Voting in favour of a 75 basis point rate cut during the meeting held in March 24, 26 and 27, the RBI Governor said: "Arresting risks to the growth outlook and preserving financial stability should, accordingly, receive the highest priority." The MPC decided to go ahead with a 75 bps cut bringing repo rate to 4.40 per cent. The minutes of the meeting showed that all the six members of the committee voted in favour a rate cut, with four members, including the Governor, voting in favour of a 75 bps cut and the rest two opting for a 50 bps reduction. The decision came as a major relief for the industry and the common man it would make the retail loans cheaper. Along with the rate cut, the central bank also announced several relaxations in terms of loan repayment and others on March 27. The twenty second meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), was advanced from the the originally scheduled dates of March 31, April 1 and 3, 2020, in view of the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/topic/coronavirus">Coronavirus News and Updates</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/how-to-check-coronavirus-symptoms-at-home/articleshow/74960334.cms">What are the Coronavirus symptoms and how to check for them at home</a>

RBI Governor wants 'all-out efforts' to protect Indian economy, the minutes reveal

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e66a03584159f037a3fa9b2-2048/essgnhxkam1eiq.jpeg" alt="ESsGNH_XkAM1eiq" />Twitter user @ChinchillazlllaFox Business Channel used this doozy of a chyron Monday afternoon.<ul class="summary-list"><li>There wasn't much good news to report on Fox Business since the markets opened on Monday, with feel-good green arrows remaining scant.</li><li>However, at one point during the network's 2 to 3 p.m. program - "Making Money with Charles Payne" - a green arrow made its way on screen.</li><li>But instead of a blue chip stock, the arrow signified an uptick in cornavirus confirmed cases in New York.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>As markets plummeted all day Monday - save for an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-news-today-indices-plunge-oil-market-chaos-coronavirus-2020-3">automatic halt to trading</a> early in the day triggered by too rapid of a drop - those feel-good green arrows were hard to find on Fox Business.However, at one point during the network's 2 to 3 p.m. show, "Making Money with Charles Payne," a large and prominently placed green arrow made its way onto the chyron. But instead of signifying the rise of a blue-chip stock or some sort of miracle, the green arrow was describing an uptick in confirmed cases of the coronavirus in New York. On the <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/shows/making-money-with-charles-payne">"Making Money with Charles Payne" homepage</a>, the segment involving the green arrow is nowhere to be found.A Newscorp spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment, referring Insider to the viewer comment voicemail line. Throughout the past week, President Donald Trump has attempted to massage the coronavirus numbers to ease the markets and paint a rosier picture than public-health experts, who have said "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-fauci-coronavirus-could-be-really-really-bad-2020-3">this could be really, really bad</a>." <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/presidential-debate-entertaining-problem-democratic-trump-reality-tv-show-2019-9">How networks treat the Democratic debates like reality TV</a></h3> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/UKopX7aS-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>

This image from Fox Business says everything you need to know about the markets today: The only thing that's 'up' right now is coronavirus

doors of foreign returnees Chennai, Mar 24 () Tamil Nadu came under a lockdownon Tuesday evening with public spaces going empty even aslocal authorities began pasting 'home quarantined' stickers onthe doors of houses of foreign returnees in the State.Hours before the lockdown became effective at 6 pm,people rushed to market places to buy essential commoditiesthough the government had made it clear that retail outletsdealing with essentials like groceries, hospitals and petrolstations will function. Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code andEpidemic Diseases Act, 1897 were invoked by the government toimpose curbs. A day after announcing that as many as 3,000 homesare under quarantine watch for cornavirus in greater ChennaiCorporation limits and such houses will be stamped withstickers to ensure social distancing, the city civic bodybegan the exercise today.Stickers announcing that "COVID-19/Do not Visit/Homeunder quarantine," with details like name and number of peopleunder watch were pasted on the doors of houses of returneesfrom foreign countries.A slogan "Home quarantined. Proud to protect mycommunity," was also found on the stamp. Also, home quarantine stamps were stuck on the armsof those under watch by authorities.Similar stamping exercise was kickstarted by localbodies in districts including Thanjavur today.On the stamping exercise, the authorities said thiswas a "time of emergency and it has to be taken in the rightspirit," in an apparent appeal to people to cooperate.While major market places wore a deserted look, roadsand highways across Tamil Nadu became almost empty with onlyvehicles that started plying ahead of the 6 PM deadlineallowed to passby by police after verification.Natives of other towns and districts who are workingin Chennai, began leaving the city in hordes since yesterdaywhen the government announced lockdown and since only buseswere available the vehicles got overcrowded.People continued to throng the bus terminals to reachtheir destinations on time today as well.Bus services were trimmed down by noon and completelyhalted well ahead of the shutdown deadline.As the lockdown time neared, crowds began swellingunmanageably at several State-run (TASMAC-Tamil Nadu StateMarketing Corporation) liqour outlets, and police personnel onpatrol vehicles had to wield batons to shoo away people.As part of lockdown measures, district borders weresealed by police and they placed barricades to preventmovement of vehicles.Only trucks carrying essential commodities andhealthcare personnel were allowed. VGNBN BN

TN goes under lockdown; home quarantine stickers pasted on

New Delhi, May 8 () Cricket is not going to be the same in the post COVID-19 world and playing in empty stadiums would be a "hollow feeling" but Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey is ready to embrace the "new normal". Carey is open to the idea of playing in empty stadiums, which according to him could be a way forward. "Cricket as we're used to is going to be different for a bit. There's the T20 World Cup and the IPL that we're all looking to play, but it's hard to picture anything without the fans. It's going to be a hollow feeling," said the Delhi Capitals player during an Instagram live session with his IPL team. "But I feel the fans will at least have some live cricket to look forward to on TV, and I can promise it's still going to be some solid cricket which the fans are going to love," added the left-hander. Sporting activities, including cricket, are currently shut due to the cornavirus-forced lockdown but Carey is in no mood to let dust settle in his skills and has been working towards that in this break. "I've been aiming at going for a 10K run thrice a week, along with shorter sprints, which helps me in maintaining my fitness levels. I've also been working with a golf ball in my backyard to keep my hand-eye coordination intact," said Carey. "As cricketers, we live, dream and breathe the sport. It has been a good experience to have a month or so off which has helped us recharge our batteries. But I feel when things open up, we will have really good cricket. It will only take a couple of weeks for us to play at the top level," said Carey, adding that he can't wait to make his IPL debut. After starting his sporting career with the Australian rules football, Carey switched back to playing full-time cricket, and says he is lucky to have made the decision. "I had some success at AFL, but I wasn't quite excelling. I thought I wasn't good enough, and so I went back to cricket when I was 20 or 21. There were a couple of years I didn't play cricket at all when I was busy with AFL, so I was rusty when I came back," he said. "But by 24, I got back into cricket and into the standard that I would've liked to play. I put in some hard yards, and I feel I'm really fortunate that I made that decision to play cricket because I got to represent Australia." SSC BSBS

Cricket is going to be different in post COVID-19 world: Carey

Port Blair, Jun 30 () The Andaman and Nicobar Islands has recently seen a spurt in cornavirus cases with the infection tally mounting to 97 on Tuesday, a health official said. The archipelago had managed well the first wave of infections triggered by the arrival of nine returnees from Tablighi Jamaat's event in Delhi mid-March, with all 33 COVID-19 positive persons getting cured and returning home by May 10. Rigorous lockdown restrictions helped the islands stay coronavirus-free before the infection knocked the doors of the islands on June 10, when two persons, who flew back home from outside tested positive. Since then there has been a steady spike in coronavirus cases with flights landing here from different destinations. A total of 97 confirmed cases have been reported so far in the Union territory, out of which 45 have been cured, leaving it with 52 active cases, Director of health service of Andaman and Nicobar and nodal officer for coronavirus Avijeet Roy told . "Most cases have been detected among flight passengers arriving here from Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata," he said. Recently, a girl who flew back from Chennai after getting treatment for some other disease tested positive for coronavirus, the nodal officer said, adding seven of her family members contracted the infection from her. There are 18 Army jawans among those found infected and they are undergoing treatment, Roy said. According to sources, 104 Army jawans had gone to Nashik in Maharashtra for training and returned back here on June 20 by a special plane, and 18 among them tested positive for the highly contagious disease. They are residents of localities like Bathubastu Naushad colony and Broksbad. Some of their kin got infected after coming into their contact. Roy said the local ICMR laboratory is testing over 400 samples daily. Concerned over the rapid spread of the virus here, former MP Vishupad Rai urged the Union government to cut down the frequency of flights to the islands. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands had managed well the initial spell of the contagion when nine persons, who had returned from Tablighi Jamaat event in Nizamuddin in the national capital, were found to have contracted the disease in late March. They were immediately segregated and taken to hospitals from the airport itself. A male passenger flying back home from Chennai on June 7 later tested positive, while a woman, wife of a defence staff posted here, returning from Delhi on the same date was subsequently found positive. She had got stuck in the national capital during lockdown and flew back to Port Blair on June 7 by an Indigo flight. The Chennai returnee, a resident of Prathapur colony, subsequently infected some of the family members and also neighbours. Of the 572 islands in Andaman and Nicobar, 37 are inhabited. CORR SNS SRY

Coronavirus: 97 confirmed cases in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e6fcdf4c485406a5d7195f2-2400/ap17214575065546.jpg" alt="trump tom cotton" /><ul class="summary-list"><li>Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas announced in a statement that "the time has come for extraordinary measures to combat the ... coronavirus" and said it was time to take "extreme" measures.</li><li>Cotton advised that all government agencies aside from those which provide essential services should "shut down."</li><li>"Call it what you want - a shutdown, quarantine, curfew, whatever. But only absolutely essential work should continue: groceries, pharmacies, supply transport, health care, electricity, water, sanitation, etc," Cotton added. "Everyone else should stay home."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>A Republican senator on Monday sounded the alarm in the starkest of terms as US health officials warned Americans on the dangers of the coronavirus.Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas announced in a statement that "the time has come for extraordinary measures to combat the ... coronavirus" and said it was time to take "extreme" measures."Stop all but essential activity," Cotton said. "Call it what you want - a shutdown, quarantine, curfew, whatever. But only absolutely essential work should continue: groceries, pharmacies, supply transport, health care, electricity, water, sanitation, etc. Everyone else should stay home."Cotton advised that all government agencies aside from those which provide essential services should "shut down.""What seems extreme today will seem obvious tomorrow," Cotton said, adding that "these extraordinary measures will impose many hardships, but if we take them now, we can shorten the risk to Americans' health and the economic hardships."Cotton warned that the US may suffer "Italy's fate" if it did not take serious action to limit the cornavirus's spread. Italy health official estimated that around 27,980 people were infected and 2,100 people died, the most fatalities outside of China."Two weeks ago, Italians were merrily sipping wine and coffee at bars and restaurants," Cotton added in his statement. "Today, elderly Italians are denied care at hospitals and instead administered last rites because their health-care system is collapsing."Twenty-two people in Cotton's state tested positive as of Monday. Fourteen others were under investigation.President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon recommended that Americans avoid gatherings of 10 or more people. Public schools and other state and local institutions were closed as the coronavirus cases in the US continued to mount."We'd much rather be ahead of the curve than behind it," Trump said to reporters at the White House. "Each and every one of us has a critical role to play in stopping the spread and transmission of the virus."Over 3,800 coronavirus cases were reported in the US as of Monday afternoon. Seventy people have died in the country.

'Shutdown, quarantine, curfew, whatever': Republican senator warns the time has come for 'extraordinary measures' to fight coronavirus

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e791b7fba85ee2113456443-2000/donald%20trump.jpg" alt="Donald Trump" />Jonathan Ernst/ReutersPresident Donald Trump answers questions from reporters as U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper looks on during the daily White House coronavirus response briefing with members of his administration's coronavirus task force at the White House in Washington, DC, March 18, 2020.<ul class="summary-list"><li>A journalist who has been at the White House several times in recent weeks is suspected to have the novel coronavirus. </li><li>"We have been informed that one of our colleagues has a suspected case of COVID-19. The individual was at the White House on March 9, 11, 16 and 18," the White House Correspondents Association president said in an email to colleagues. </li><li>The White House has been conducting daily briefings on the coronavirus pandemic, which President Donald Trump has generally attended. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>A journalist who was at the White House several times in the past month, including twice last week, is suspected to have the novel coronavirus."We have been informed that one of our colleagues has a suspected case of COVID-19. The individual was at the White House on March 9, 11, 16 and 18," White House Correspondents Association president Jonathan Karl said in an email to members on Monday. "The WHCA has been in contact with the official's news organization and the office of the White House physician."The email encouraged all members who were at the White House during this time period to review public health guidance, consult their medical professionals, and take the appropriate next steps. The White House has been conducting daily press briefings on the coronavirus pandemic, which has raised questions about safety with reporters and key officials - including President Donald Trump - standing or sitting close to one another in a relatively confined setting for a prolonged period. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top expert on infectious disease, addressed these concerns in an interview with Science Insider on Sunday. "We should be physically separating a bit more on those press conferences," <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/i-m-going-keep-pushing-anthony-fauci-tries-make-white-house-listen-facts-pandemic">Fauci said</a>. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges people to create "distance between yourself and other people" if COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel cornavirus, is in their communities. As of Monday afternoon, the novel coronavirus has spread to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-us-cases-health-risk-2020-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">over 40,000 people in all 50 states and Washington, DC,</a> leading to nearly 500 deaths. Get the latest <a href="/coronavirus-covid19">coronavirus news and updates</a> on how COVID-19 impacts our daily lives and businesses.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">White House Correspondents Association president <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jonkarl</a> emails members: "We have been informed that one of our colleagues has a suspected case of COVID-19. The individual was at the White House on March 9, 11, 16 and 18." <a href="https://t.co/RbUDfDxKX7">pic.twitter.com/RbUDfDxKX7</a>- Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1242176515418316800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-coronavirus-contradicting-public-health-officials-2020-3">6 times Trump contradicted public officials about the coronavirus pandemic</a></h3> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/k7vjtOYO-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>

A journalist who was at the White House last week is suspected to have coronavirus

Beirut, Apr 24 (AP) Lebanon's prime minister said Friday he is holding the country's Central Bank governor responsible for the downward spiral of the national currency, accusing him of pursuing "opaque" policies that sent the pound crashing against the dollar. The government has agreed with Lebanon's president to hire an independent international auditing company to review the Central Bank's performance, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said. The move, and the premier's speech, were an indication of a widening rift with the country's longtime chief financial decision-maker, Governor Riad Salameh. Diab urged Salameh to speak openly to the public about the financial crisis, hinting that the governor has intentionally engineered the crash of the pound. The Lebanese pound has been on a downward trajectory for weeks amid a worsening liquidity crunch and an economic slump. But it appeared to be in a free fall over the last few days, selling as low as 3,800 pounds to the dollar, down from a fixed peg of 1,500 pounds to the dollar in place for 30 years. "The Central Bank is either incapable, absent or directly inciting this dramatic depreciation," Diab said in a televised speech. The Central Bank's decision earlier this week requires local banks to convert cash withdrawals from foreign currency accounts to the pound, at a market rate determined daily by the banks. It also applies for money transfers, which was first implemented Friday, when Lebanese media said the rate was 3,625 pounds to the dollar. The decision sucked dollars out of the market, driving up the black market price, as well as panic among depositors. Protesters took to the streets on Thursday to denounce the governor's decision in rallies that had all but disappeared since movement restrictions were put in place because of the spread of the coronavirus. Experts say the Central Bank's decision is likely to swamp the market with the Lebanese pound and appeared designed to replenish the local banks' foreign currency reserves and reduce the gaps in their balance sheets. Salameh, governor since 1993, was a key player in Lebanon's post-war economy. For the past few years, he has been criticized by the powerful militant Hezbollah group for his implementation of U.S. sanctions against the Iran-backed group. The Lebanese, who have relied on a stable national currency that was pegged to the dollar since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war, are facing the worst economic and financial crisis in decades. The tiny Mediterranean country of about 5 million people is one the most indebted in the world. Nationwide protests broke out in October against the government because of widespread corruption and mismanagement of resources. Diab's government came to office in January and was quickly engulfed in a nationwide health crisis over the novel cornavirus, a crisis that deepened the country's economic recession. Diab also accused Salameh of being uncooperative, suggesting the governor is keeping his finances secret, including bank losses estimated to be as high as $3 billion in the last month alone. According to Diab, the numbers show that $5.7 billion in deposits have left the banks between January and February, adding to the liquidity crunch - something he described as a financial "black hole." "The public is paying the price for this policy," Diab said. Lebanon has a large diaspora that sends foreign currency home - an income that was already dwindling since last year - and relies on transfers from here to Lebanese students studying abroad. Also, many Lebanese keep their savings in foreign currency. (AP) INDIND

Lebanon PM blames currency crash on Central Bank governor

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e6a68b084159f7bb13d1e13-2000/anthony%20fauci.jpg" alt="Anthony Fauci" />AP Photo/Patrick SemanskyDr. Anthony Fauci, left, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies before a House Oversight Committee hearing<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top expert on infectious disease, on Thursday said the US needs to admit it's "failing" in terms of testing for the novel coronavirus.</li><li>"That is a failing. It is a failing. Let's admit it," Fauci said in comments to House lawmakers. </li><li>The scarcity of testing has been the most heavily scrutinized aspect of the US government's response to cornavirus.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>The nation's top expert on infectious disease, Dr. Anthony Fauci, on Thursday said it is a "failing" that the US is not in a position to "easily" provide testing for the novel coronavirus. "The system is not really geared to what we need right now - what you are asking for," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told House lawmakers. "The idea of anybody getting it easily the way people in other countries are doing it, we're not set up for that. Do I think we should be? Yes. But we're not.""That is a failing. It is a failing. Let's admit it," he added, after being questioned by Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida about the nation's capacity to carry out testing for the virus. Fauci's comments came about a week after Trump visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and falsely said "anybody that needs a test gets a test." "Anybody that needs a test gets a test. They're there. They have the tests. And the tests are beautiful," Trump said. The US has been outpaced by other countries in terms of testing for the virus.The CDC has told congressional lawmakers <a href="https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1238110480004198402?s=20">it's tested about 3,800 people to date,</a> while the total number of people tested in the US is around 7,800 when you factor in other labs, Politico reporter Kyle Cheney reported on Thursday, per comments from Republican Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina. Meanwhile, kits to test about 800,000 more have been disseminated.But Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Tuesday signaled the US doesn't know exactly how many people have been tested. "We don't know exactly how many, because hundreds of thousands of our tests have gone out to private labs and hospitals that currently do not report in to CDC," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hhs-secretary-we-dont-know-how-many-tested-coronavirus-2020-3">Azar said</a>. Comparatively, nearly 20,000 people are being tested for coronavirus in South Korea per day, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51836898">according to BBC News</a>. The lack of testing in the US is linked to faulty test kits sent out by the CDC last month, and the government has struggled to handle the pace of the outbreak because of it, which Fauci alluded to in his comments to lawmakers on Thursday. The US has reported at least 1,358 cases and <a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">confirmed 38 coronavirus deaths</a>: 30 in Washington state, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-reports-first-coronavirus-death-sacramento-cruise-2020-3">four in California</a>, two in Florida, and one each in New Jersey and South Dakota. Globally, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">more than 127,000 people have been infected</a> and over 4,700 have died.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Dr. Fauci on testing: "It is a failing. I mean let's admit it." <a href="https://t.co/QUPTdHpIXR">pic.twitter.com/QUPTdHpIXR</a>- Dori Toribio (@DoriToribio) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1238138912817713152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">TRUMP today: "Anybody that needs a test gets a test. They're there. They have the tests. And the tests are beautiful." PENCE yesterday: "We don't have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward."<a href="https://t.co/lDk0IK09iy">https://t.co/lDk0IK09iy</a> <a href="https://t.co/7ix4ff6dAl">pic.twitter.com/7ix4ff6dAl</a>- JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1236062021000536066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-influencer-creator-crash-course-how-to-make-money-ads-2020-2">CRASH COURSE: An influencer explains how YouTube ads work, her advice for making more money, and how much she earns</a></h3> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/4Qf2YrW7-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>

The nation's top expert on infectious disease says the US is 'failing' when it comes to coronavirus and testing kits

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rebekah Jones, the <keyword id="6357385" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida">Florida</keyword> woman who operated the state's COVID-19 data portal who was fired in May by the state Department of <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">Health</keyword>, launched her own portal with data about Florida COVID-19 cases, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/12/rebekah-jones-florida-coronavirus/?utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebookfacebook">The Washington Post</a> reported.</li><li>Jones' new portal — Florida's Community <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> Dashboard — pulls data from the Florida Health Department as well as state hospitals and an organization that locates COVID-19 testing facilities, according to the report.</li><li>Jones was fired from the Florida Health Department after she alleges she refused to resign after she said she was asked to modify data to make certain regions appear like they had met requirements to reopen.</li><li>On Saturday, Florida reported 2,581 new COVID-19 cases within the previous 24 hours — an all-time high. </li></ul>Rebekah Jones, the 30-year-old woman who was fired from the Florida Department of Health after she said she was asked and refused to modify the state's COVID-19 data, launched her own personal data portal for the state on Thursday, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/12/rebekah-jones-florida-coronavirus/?utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebookfacebook">The Washington Post</a> reported. Her website, titled <a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/7572b118dc3c48d885d1c643c195314e/">Florida's Community Cornavirus Dashboard</a>, was launched Thursday. The portal relies on data from the FDOH, Jones told The Washington Post, though she said it aggregates the data and portrays it in a way that appropriately contextualizes it. Additionally, Jones said her portal also pulls data from state hospitals and an organization that maps COVID-19 testing locations. "I wanted to build an application that delivered data and helped people get tested and helped them get resources that they need from their community," she told The Washington Post. "And that's what I ended up building with this new dashboard."According to the report, Jones alleges that her managers at the FDOH requested she delete data that showed Florida residents had tested positive for COVID-19 as early as January, which is seemingly odds with <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article241109331.html">Gov. Ron DeSantis' March claims there had been no reported community spread in Florida</a>.Jones said she was asked to alter data to make it appear that certain counties, which had not yet met needed federal criteria, were ready to begin the process of reopening closed businesses and institutions.Jones said <a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/96dd742462124fa0b38ddedb9b25e429">the Florida website</a> undercounts the infection total and overcounts the number of people who have been tested, according to the report on Saturday. The Florida Department of Health did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Saturday. Helen Aguirre Ferré, the communications director for DeSantis <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-coronavirus-researcher-florida-fired-as-state-reopens-data-2020-5">previously told Business Insider that Jones was fired for "repeated course of insubordination"</a> and her "blatant disrespect for the professionals who were working around the clock to provide the important information for the COVID-19 website." A spokesman told The Washington Post on Saturday that the January dates Jones mentioned could represent when someone came into contact with a COVID-19-positive person or when the person visited the place they may have contracted the novel coronavirus."Epidemiologists collect information that informs the Department of Health of an individual's symptoms, contacts, and location of where they may have acquired COVID-19," the spokesperson told The Washington Post. "The first date of entry in answer to any question, COVID-related or not, is designated the event date."Jones said the state tally of the number of COVID-19 tests administered is inflated because it represents the number of samples that have been taken and not the number of individuals who have been tested. A total of 1,371,401 people have been tested, according to the state's portal. About 300,000 fewer people — 1,078,088 — have been tested in Florida, <a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/7572b118dc3c48d885d1c643c195314e/">according to Jones' calculation</a>. According to Jones' portal, 81,269 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Florida since the beginning of March. The official portal reports 73,552 have been so far infected by the virus. Jones told The Washington Post her portal accounts for positive antibody tests, whereas the state portal only counts people who test positive for the virus at the time they are tested.On Friday, DeSantis attributed the rising number of COVID-19 infections and deaths to agricultural workers in the state, though as <a href="https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/06/13/florida-gov-ron-desantis-attributes-spike-in-coronavirus-numbers-to-farm-workers-outbreak/">local10</a> reported, it's unlikely that farmworkers and the state's prison population are to blame for the entirety of the 1,902 new cases on Friday — the single most of any day so far in Florida until Saturday.On Saturday, the state reported 2,581 new cases and 48 new deaths since Friday, according to the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article243513417.html">Miami Herald.</a>

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