Live updates: Trump says Republicans will pull convention from Charlotte; U.S. coronavirus cases pass 1.8 million

Trump tweeted late Thursday that the Republican Party was being “forced to seek” alternatives to Charlotte, though most of the convention’s official business will still take place there due to contractual obligations. High-profile events, such as Trump’s televised acceptance speech, will likely take place elsewhere, with Orlando, Nashville, Las Vegas and Jacksonville, Fla., being floated as possibilities. Here are some significant developments:Iran, which was one of the first countries besides China to be hit hard by the coronavirus, appears to be facing a second wave of infections. Government health officials reported close to 3,000 new cases on Monday, the highest single-day rise in two months.Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday that he was “cautiously optimistic” about Moderna’s potential vaccine, which is entering its second round of clinical trials. A new survey shows 70 percent of Americans would get immunized.The architect of Sweden’s unique anti-lockdown approach to fighting the coronavirus said Wednesday that in light of the large numbers of dead, he should have advised for more restrictions on society to protect lives.The College Board is backing away from plans to let students take the SAT at home, citing concerns that many cannot access the Internet for three hours at a time. Colleges and universities are being urged not to penalize applicants who do not submit scores.Tyson Foods announced Tuesday that 591 workers at its pork processing plant in Storm Lake, Iowa, had tested positive for the coronavirus.June 3, 2020 at 5:18 AM EDTAlaska’s plan to make coronavirus testing mandatory for travelers runs into backlashAlaska’s plan to test all travelers for coronavirus is facing backlash as tourists cancel their summer vacation plans, the Anchorage Daily News reports.Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) announced Friday that out-of-state visitors would no longer be subject to a 14-day quarantine period so long as they tested negative for coronavirus within 72 hours of their flight, or upon arriving at the airport. But officials have yet to clarify what tourists are supposed to do if they’re unable to get tested where they live, or if they test positive once they arrive in Alaska.Some tourists are simply opting to rethink their summer plans. At the Denali Lakeview Inn in Healy, Alaska, 85 percent of bookings had already been canceled before Dunleavy’s announcement. “The 15 percent left were kind of hanging on to see what the governor was going to say,” co-owner Daryl Frisbie told the paper. On Saturday morning, he said, the lodge got “nothing but cancellations.”Sheri Woodbeck, who had planned to travel to Alaska for a halibut-fishing excursion next week, told the Daily News that she had canceled her flight after realizing that she wouldn’t be able to get results until she was already on the plane. “What happens if I did test positive?” she asked. “I would be in trouble.”Many Alaska communities rely heavily on tourism, particularly from cruise ships. Meanwhile, the state’s geographic isolation and mandatory quarantine period has helped prevent a major coronavirus outbreak. Only 10 Alaskans have died of covid-19, and the state has one of the lowest infection rates in the country.No other state has instituted mandatory coronavirus testing for outsiders, though Hawaii is weighing the possibility.By Antonia FarzanJune 3, 2020 at 4:57 AM EDTWith buses inadequate, Filipinos go back to work on bikes — and make their own lanesMANILA — The end of two-and-a-half months lockdown in Manila has been accompanied by crippling traffic jams with restrictions on public transportation so that many people can’t get to work.As hundreds of thousands were stranded from the lack of seats on public transport, cycling has become an increasingly popular alternative. Bike sales have spiked under the lockdown and in one initiative, Life Cycles, distributed hundreds of bikes to front line health-care workers to get them to their jobs.Biking on the traffic choked streets of Manila is not easy, so when Philippine traffic officials did not put up a protected bike lane, one group took matters into their own hands. Bikers United Marshals set up makeshift markers along a major avenue, then deployed volunteers to ensure road safety.But the Metro Manila Development Authority on Wednesday announced it would levy the volunteers a $20 fine each, local reports said. The traffic monitoring body also said it would look into the possibility of filing charges.“We believe we have done our bikers (mostly without protective gear) our humble service,” Bikers United Marshals said in a statement. “If the MMDA sees otherwise, then we have to be ready for the consequences of the incompetence of our leaders.”Ahead of relaxing the lockdown, a biking group had official permission to conduct a trial run for a protected bike lane along a main thoroughfare. So many bikers used it, however, that authorities shut it down at noon, reportedly due to “underestimated demand.”An MMDA spokesperson said the new makeshift lane endangers cyclists, but government critics and frustrated commuters say civilians are practically doing government officials’ jobs for them.“The benefits of popup bike lanes are well-documented,” transport planner Anton Siy tweeted. Echoing Bikers United Marshalls, he added, “Doing nothing is more fatal.”By Regine CabatoJune 3, 2020 at 4:36 AM EDTDidn’t get your stimulus payment? Here’s how to find it.I never fully appreciated the skill of writing instructions until I tried to help people figure out what has become of their stimulus payments.The IRS — stymied by the lack of staff and old technology — delivered more than 140 million economic impact payments (EIP) worth $239 billion by mid-May underthe $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (Cares) Act.But getting the money out has been anything but smooth. The online tools built to facilitate payments have had a number of issues, often related to instructions on how to use them. Stimulus payment delivery dates came and went, leaving people frustrated and worried. Taxpayers have received notices that payments have been deposited in their bank accounts, but the money isn’t there. Parents received their stimulus payments minus the promised $500 per dependent child.By Michelle SingletaryJune 3, 2020 at 4:09 AM EDTTop Swedish epidemiologist acknowledges that country should have done more to stop coronavirusThe architect of Sweden’s controversial coronavirus strategy has acknowledged that the country should have done more to control the spread of the virus.In a Wednesday interview with Sveriges Radio, Anders Tegnell, the country’s top epidemiologist, said that too many people had died and that more aggressive measures were clearly needed. But he stopped short of saying that Sweden should have implemented a strict lockdown, saying that it was not yet clear what responses to the pandemic had paid off in other countries.“If we were to encounter the same disease again, knowing exactly what we know about it today, I think we would settle on doing something in between what Sweden did and what the rest of the world has done,” Tengell said, according to The Local Sweden. Sweden has reported upward of 38,000 coronavirus cases and 4,468 deaths, giving it a far higher per capita death rate than its Nordic neighbors, which all introduced mandatory lockdowns. While Sweden’s health officials banned group gatherings of more than 50 people and encouraged social distancing, they also took a more laissez-faire approach by allowing bars, restaurants, gyms and schools for children under 16 to remain open.Criticism of Sweden’s model grew last week when Annika Linde, the country’s former head epidemiologist, publicly changed her stance on the anti-lockdown policy and said that it had proven to be unsuccessful. Even a month of lockdown would have bought authorities time to find ways to protect Sweden’s most vulnerable residents, such as elderly people in nursing homes, she said.Tengell, typically a staunch defender of the Swedish model, has argued that a more lenient approach will be more sustainable in the long run. But he acknowledged on Wednesday that there was “clearly room for improvement” in Sweden’s response to the pandemic.By Antonia FarzanJune 3, 2020 at 3:44 AM EDTAs Dubai beaches open, 100 people are fined for not wearing masks, socially distancingDUBAI — The covid enforcers at Dubai’s Beaches Security Section have drawn a line in the sand. And it’s 2 meters. Some 100 people were fined for violating rules meant to stem the spread of the coronavirus when they hit the reopened beaches in the wealthy Gulf emirate of Dubai, police reported Wednesday.According to signs posted on Dubai’s beaches, those not engaging in social distancing or wearing a mask risk fines of around $800. Beaches have been closed since the end of March and residents flocked to the sand on Friday when they were reopened.“At the beginning of the reopening, people weren’t following the precautionary measures. But after issuing the fines, people started complying with the precautionary measures,” Lt. Ahmad Al Marzouqi from the police’s Beaches Security Section told Arabian Business. “The most important thing now is social distancing for at least two meters and wearing masks after coming out of the sea.”New guidelines on masks issued this week stipulated that they do not need to be worn while swimming but otherwise should be used on the beach.After a strict lockdown through April that was eased in May, restrictions in Dubai have been almost entirely lifted, with malls and business allowed to operate at full capacity starting Wednesday.Dubai, which lacks the oil wealth of neighboring Abu Dhabi, depends heavily on the service sector and tourism, all of which have been severely affected by the coronavirus.In survey in April by the local chamber of commerce, 70 percent of respondents said they expected their businesses to go bankrupt within six months.In the past two weeks, the number of new cases announced each day has slowly declined with just under 600 on Tuesday. The United Arab Emirates has had more than 35,000 cases of covid-19 in total.The capital Abu Dhabi on Tuesday was sealed off from the rest of the country for a week as it carried out intensive testing to discover asymptomatic cases.By Paul SchemmJune 3, 2020 at 3:21 AM EDTMore than 50 percent of Irish people report drinking more during pandemicMore than 50 percent of Irish people say they have been drinking alcohol more often since coronavirus restrictions were introduced, according to a study from TheJournal.ie and the Global Drug Survey.Out of 2,200 people who took the online survey, 54 percent said that their drinking had increased. Thirty-two percent said it had increased only a little, while 22 percent said it had increased significantly.Those findings placed Ireland ahead of other countries, but not necessarily in a good way. Globally, 44 percent of people said that their alcohol consumption had gone up since February, when coronavirus-related lockdowns were not yet in place for most of the world. Ireland also had a higher number of people who said that they had been doing more binge drinking — consuming five or more drinks at a time — since February.While roughly a quarter of the people surveyed said that they were drinking more as a way to cope with anxiety about the pandemic, 43 percent said that they simply had more time on their hands.Of those who reported that their drinking had decreased, roughly two-thirds attributed the change to not being able to meet up with people they would usually drink with.By Antonia FarzanJune 3, 2020 at 2:43 AM EDTVideo: What happens after you recover from covid-19 Francis Wilson survived a severe case of the coronavirus after 10 days on a ventilator, but the 29-year-old’s recovery has been slow. Doctors are still beginning to understand the long-term effects of the virus.By Monica RodmanJune 3, 2020 at 2:20 AM EDTItaly reopens to European touristsItaly is reopening to European tourists on Wednesday, though it is not yet clear if visitors will be flocking to one of the earliest, and deadliest, epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak.Although the number of new infections has significantly dropped off since the peak in March, Italy is still reporting dozens of new cases a day. In neighboring Switzerland, authorities have said that it is still too early to lift restrictions on people coming from Italy and that Swiss nationals who cross the border should expect to undergo “health measures” when they return. Many other countries, including Britain, are still warning residents against traveling abroad.Italy hosted 63 million overseas visitors last year, and the country’s minister for culture and tourism, Dario Franceschini, has said that he doesn’t expect the industry to fully recover until 2023. Meanwhile, Luigi Di Maio, Italy’s foreign minister, has announced plans to travel to Greece, Slovenia and Germany on a mission to convince them that Italy is a safe travel destination.Major attractions such as the Colosseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa have already reopened for domestic tourists, with new safety measures in place. At Florence’s Duomo, visitors are given social distancing necklaces that vibrate and light up when visitors get too close to one another.By Antonia FarzanJune 3, 2020 at 1:49 AM EDTA massive Raphael exhibit reopens in Rome. Six people can enter every five minutes.ROME — The once-in-a-lifetime exhibit took three years to come together. Organizers arranged for the careful transport of Raphael masterpieces lent from London, Washington, Florence, Madrid. The insurance bill was 4 billion euros, or nearly $4.5 billion.One 1510 painting, “The Alba Madonna,” had belonged over the centuries to Spanish nobility, the emperor of Russia and American banker Andrew Mellon, who acquired it in a secret Soviet art sell-off.At last, it was back in Italy for the first time since the 17th century.Just in time for the pandemic.The exhibit marking the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death coincided with Italy’s coronavirus lockdown and was halted in early March after all of three days.Even as Italy now moves to reopen its famed cultural sites, including the Raphael exhibit, the lasting restrictions of the pandemic have dramatically changed how widely they can be seen.By Chico Harlan and Stefano PitrelliJune 3, 2020 at 1:11 AM EDTUniversity of Southern California will resume in-person classes in AugustThe University of Southern California will resume in-person classes when the fall semester begins in August, President Carol L. Folt said Tuesday.The announcement comes at a time when many colleges and universities are grappling with whether they can offer a safe environment for students, and recognizing that few are willing to pay full tuition for online instruction. At USC, undergraduates who return to campus will likely be spending a lot more time watching online lectures and eating takeout food from dining halls in their dorm rooms — and they’ll have fewer roommates, or possibly none at all.Classes will begin a week earlier than previously planned and wrap up by Thanksgiving so students are back home by the time flu season ramps up, Folt said in her letter to the campus community. Most in-person classes will also be offered online, giving faculty and students the option of not returning to campus. Masks and physical distancing will be mandatory at all times, while dorms and dining halls “will be modified to reduce density and contact,” Folt wrote.Los Angeles County is still under a stay-at-home order, and Folt said it was highly possible that plans could change as guidance from health officials evolves.By Antonia FarzanJune 3, 2020 at 12:50 AM EDTMaduro, Guaidó pause feud to address coronavirus in VenezuelaCARACAS — After years of being on extreme opposite sides, the government of Nicolás Maduro and the opposition led by Juan Guaidó decided to pause their feud and collaborate on a strategy to combat the novel coronavirus in Venezuela.The deal was announced Tuesday by the country’s minster of communication, Jorge Rodríguez, and confirmed by the National Assembly in a statement.“We want to report good news to Venezuela,” Rodríguez said during a televised announcement, in which he assured both sides left “politics aside” to work for the same cause.The collaboration agreement was signed by Maduro’s health minister and by Julio Castro, an infectious-disease expert tapped by Guaidó in March to lead a coronavirus response task force. The Pan American Health Organization’s representative in Venezuela, Gerardo de Cosio, was a witness and part of the agreement, Rodríguez confirmed.The National Assembly released a statement on Twitter saying that Maduro’s government agreed to let the PAHO receive funds from the Venezuelan opposition for humanitarian aid. Venezuela has reported 1,819 coronavirus cases and 18 deaths, but experts believe the actual numbers are much higher. With a collapsing health system and difficulties in receiving aid due to the U.S. blockade, the deal is intended to help control the escalating situation.By Ana Vanessa HerreroJune 3, 2020 at 12:20 AM EDTU.N. economic body calls for greater action on debtA growing number of countries are or may soon be facing staggering debt crises due to the coronavirus pandemic, the head of the United Nations’s top economic body warned on Tuesday.Mona Juul, Norway’s U.N. ambassador and president of the 54-nation U.N. Economic and Social Council, called for stronger measures to fight the devastating economic consequences of the global health crisis, according to the Associated Press.Member nations in the Group of 20, which include the world’s 20 major economies, have frozen debt service payments for some of the world’s poorest nations through the end of 2020.That will freeze up an estimated $11 billion in debt for eligible countries, but governments that qualify for the moratorium will still have an additional $20 billion in multilateral and commercial debt due this year. More needs to be done, Juul said during a meeting on coronavirus recovery financing.“Many countries will have to make difficult choices between servicing their debt, fighting the pandemic, and investing in recovery,” she said, the AP reported, even if the suspension on debt payments is extended for another year.Amina J. Mohammed, the U.N.’s second-in-command, said the financing necessary to close fiscal gaps would have to be tailored to individual countries.As industrial sectors come to a screeching halt, supply chains have collapsed and put government officials — already scrambling to address health needs — under the additional burden of addressing rising unemployment.“By all measures, we are in a recession of unparalleled proportions,” Mohammed said Tuesday. “Financing on an unprecedented scale is essential to an effective response.”By Teo ArmusJune 3, 2020 at 12:15 AM EDTTrump says GOP will look to move convention out of North CarolinaPresident Trump said Tuesday that the Republican Party would seek to pull its August nominating convention out of North Carolina, after Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper refused to heed a party demand that he pre-authorize a gathering of at least 19,000 people.The announcement, nearly two years after Republicans began planning the event in Charlotte, marks the latest political confrontation over how to handle the coronavirus pandemic. North Carolina Democrats say the scale of any convention has to depend on health conditions in the state, where coronavirus-related hospitalizations peaked in late May.By Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey
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