The U.S. death toll crossed 80,000 on Sunday, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Britain would begin easing its lockdown measures.
In Washington, Dr. Anthony Fauci on Saturday became the third member of the White House coronavirus task force to self-quarantine after possible exposure to the coronavirus.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who has emerged as the most high-profile public health expert on President Donald Trump's task force, will follow a “modified” quarantine for the next two weeks after “low-risk” exposure to a White House aide who tested positive, an administration official confirmed.
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will also self-quarantine for 14 days, and Stephen Hahn, the administrator of the Food and Drug Administration, has already gone into quarantine. Two other people with access to the White House have also tested positive for the coronavirus, including Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller.
As of Sunday afternoon, the U.S. death toll was 80,032, with more 1.3 million cases reported, according to an NBC News tally.
Here's what to know about the coronavirus, plus a timeline of the most critical moments:
- MAPS: Confirmed cases in the U.S. and worldwide, confirmed deaths in the U.S. and globally.
- Reopening America: See what states across the U.S. are starting to reopen.
Download the NBC News app for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak.
This live coverage has now ended. Continue reading May 11 coronavirus news.
New Mexico woman, 105, who beat 1918 flu, has COVID-19
GALLUP, N.M. — A 105-year-old New Mexico woman who beat back the 1918 flu that killed millions, including her mother and infant sister, is battling COVID-19.
The Gallup Independent reports Lubica “Luby” Grenko, who will turn 106 years old in August, has been fighting the coronavirus since being diagnosed April 29 at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Gallup, New Mexico.
The Gallup-born Grenko was born when World War I began, then she survived the 1918 flu before enduring the Great Depression and World War II. The flu took the lives of her mother, Marijeta Kauzlaric, 28, and younger sister, Annie Kauzlaric, 1 month old.
Grenko’s granddaughter Misty Tolson says her grandmother remembers her mother going into the hospital and never coming out.
Shanghai Disneyland reopens after three-month closure
Shanghai Disneyland reopened on Monday to a reduced number of visitors, ending a roughly three-month closure caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
This marks a milestone for Walt Disney and provides a glimpse of how it might recover from the pandemic that has forced it to shut parks in Asia, the United States and France, as well as operations at its retail stores and cruise ships.
At the Shanghai park, Disney has put in place measures, including social distancing, masks and temperature screenings for visitors and employees, and is for now keeping visitor numbers "far below" 24,000 people, or 30 percent of the daily capacity, a level requested by the Chinese government.
Tickets for the earliest days of Shanghai Disneyland's reopening sold out rapidly on Friday.
Under 1% of MLB employees test positive for virus antibodies
NEW YORK — Just 0.7% of Major League Baseball employees tested positive for antibodies to COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.
Researchers received 6,237 completed surveys from employees of 26 clubs. That led to 5,754 samples obtained in the U.S. on April 14 and 15 and 5,603 records that were used. The survey kit had a 0.5% false positive rate.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford, one of the study’s leaders, said the prevalence of the antibodies among MLB employees was lower than for the general population during testing in New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco area and Miami.
“I was expecting a little bit of a higher number,” Bhattacharya said during a telephone news conference Sunday. “The set of people in the MLB employee population that we tested in some sense have been less affected by the COVID epidemic than their surrounding communities.”
Poland to announce new election date within two weeks
WARSAW - The head of Poland's electoral commission said Sunday that the parliament speaker had 14 days to declare the date of a new presidential election in place of a vote that did not take place because of the coronavirus.
The declaration appeared to draw a line under a tumultuous debate in recent weeks over when the vote, originally scheduled for Sunday, should be held that has sown division within the ruling alliance and prompted the opposition to accuse the government of neglecting public health.
The nationalist Law and Justice government had insisted the election take place as scheduled, but was forced to admit in the past week that it could not organize it during the pandemic.
Anti-lockdown protesters carry weapons into North Carolina sandwich shop
A group of armed demonstrators protesting North Carolina's stay-at-home order visited a Raleigh restaurant this weekend, weapons slung over their shoulders, and were captured in photographs that went viral.
Travis Long, a photojournalist with The News & Observer, said he shot the photos inside a Subway on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh.
Pence putting 'a little distance' after staffer tests positive
Vice President Mike Pence was putting "a little distance" between himself and others this weekend after a staffer tested positive for COVID-19, a senior administration official told NBC News.
That official said Pence would take the advice of the White House medical unit and continues to test negative for the virus. The vice president chose not to attend a national security meeting on Saturday, the official said, adding that there is "no restriction" on his activities.
Pence distanced himself from others "out of caution," the official said.
Baseball in a pandemic: 90 feet between bases, 6 feet between players
Organizers of a California baseball league, for college players with pro dreams, pitched plans for a socially distant version of America's pastime this summer.
Sports events, such as baseball games, are currently sidelined under state guidelines, a Department of Public Health official said Saturday.
The San Diego League said it could largely keep its players six feet apart during action and hopes to start on May 30 with no fans in the stands, if Sacramento says it's OK to play ball during the coronavirus pandemic.
The greatest crunch under the league's plan would be for the hitting team. That squad's roster of 18 would have to practice these social distancing guidelines: One in the batter's box, one in the on-deck circle, six spread in the dugout, three spaced through the bullpen and seven extended through the bleachers.
Dozens of these college leagues invite top amateur players to compete with wood bats each summer, offering scouts glimpses of their pro potential. The nation's best known summer action for top collegiate talent, the Cape Cod League, cancelled its season on April 24.
Coronavirus fatalities in the U.S. top 80,000
More than 80,000 people in the U.S. have now died from the coronavirus, according to an NBC News tally on Sunday.
The latest numbers reveal there are now 1,323,051 million confirmed cases and 80,033 fatalities.
The numbers come as many states have begun to reopen, including some that have been hard hit by the virus, like New Jersey, which has a reported 138,532 cases.
Among the states hardest hit by coronavirus deaths are New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Michigan, Connecticut and California.
GOP Sen. Alexander says increased testing is the 'only solution' for economic recovery
WASHINGTON — Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Sunday that Congress can’t allocate enough aid to offset the toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on the U.S. economy, a reality that underscores the need for the country to rapidly scale up testing to give workers the peace of mind they need to return to work and jumpstart the economy.
“The only solution is test, trace, isolate, treatments and vaccines,” Alexander said during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“We have to reopen the economy, we have to do it carefully, we have to let people go back to work and earn a living. And I don’t see us being able to appropriate much more money to help provide a counter to that.”
When the virus hit Spain, this U.S. student opted to stay and help the most vulnerable
When the coronavirus pandemic stuck and her family begged her to return home to Ohio, Stacye Toups was offered an offramp.
She didn't even consider taking it.
Not only did she decide to stay in Spain, where she is studying medicine; she remained and volunteered to work in a hard-hit nursing home to help those most vulnerable to the respiratory illness.
Hong Kong’s nightlife gets back to normal as lockdown on bars ends
The streets of Hong Kong were filled with people on Saturday night as a month long lockdown on bars came to an end. Some restrictions still apply due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it didn't stop people from mingling and socializing.
U.K.'s Boris Johnson unveils Britain's roadmap out of lockdown
In what he called “a sense of a way ahead,” Johnson said he will be establishing a new five-level alert system that will help detect local flare-ups and give a national picture of coronavirus spread.
The alert level will tell the nation how tough social distancing measures need to be, he said.
Over the seven-week lockdown, Johnson said, the U.K. has been in level 4, and is now in a position to move to level 3.
But he cautioned: “This is not the time to simply end the lockdown this week; instead, we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures.”
'It is scary to go to work': Top White House official reacts to staffers with coronavirus
White House senior adviser Kevin Hassett said Sunday it's "scary" to go to work in the West Wing after two Trump administration staffers tested positive for COVID-19 within the past week.
Hassett, who formerly served as President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, told CBS's "Face the Nation" he practices "aggressive social distancing" and will "wear a mask when I feel it's necessary."
"It is scary to go to work," he said. "I was not part of the White House in March. I think that I'd be a lot safer if I was sitting at home instead of going to the West Wing. But, you know, it's a time when people have to step up and serve their country."
Healthcare workers cheer for patient who spent 64 days in hospital fighting COVID-19
A heartwarming video posted on social media shows healthcare workers cheering for a patient who was discharged after spending 64 days in the hospital fighting coronavirus.
Gregg Garfield was the first patient admitted to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California on March 5 for COVID-19, the disease associated with coronavirus. He first contracted the virus after an annual ski trip in February and was on a ventilator for 31 days, according to a GoFundMe started by his sister.
In the video posted on Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center’s Facebook page, healthcare workers line the hospital’s atrium clapping and cheering as Garfield is wheeled out. As Garfield stands up and walks out with the help of his sister and girlfriend, the hospital employees roar in excitement.
Cuomo wishes mom happy Mother’s Day: 'I can’t be with you because I love you'
During his daily coronavirus briefing, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo virtually wishes his mother a happy Mother's Day and says "I can't be with you because I love you" due to the coronavirus.
Spain to relax restrictions on Monday, reports lowest daily death rate since March
Roughly half of Spain’s 47 million inhabitants will be able to enjoy their first drink or meal at an outdoor terrace on Monday, although residents of Madrid and Barcelona have to wait.
The two major cities have been hardest hit by the virus outbreak. Other areas, however, will be allowed to further loosen restrictions that have been in place for nearly two months. Officials are under pressure to revive a flagging economy amid rocketing unemployment.
Bar and restaurant owners in cities like Seville and Bilbao will be able to open 50 percent of their outdoor seating for customers, while residents there will be allowed meet in groups of up to 10 people, and go to church, theaters and museums in limited numbers. Small shops will be able to open without the requirement for an appointment.
Spain’s health minister reported 143 new deaths from the virus on Sunday, the lowest daily increase since March 19. The total death toll for Spain is 26,621 and it has reported 224,390 cases — the highest in Europe.
Pope calls for EU solidarity to deal with virus
Pope Francis is calling on leaders of European Union countries to work together to deal with the social and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
The pope noted in his Sunday blessing that 75 years have passed since Europe began the challenging process of reconciliation after World War II. He said the process spurred both European integration and “the long period of stability and peace which we benefit from today.”
He prayed that the same spirit that inspired European integration efforts “not fail to inspire all those who have responsibility in the European Union” to deal with the coronavirus emergency in a “spirit of harmony and collaboration.”
Throughout his papacy, the pope has urged European countries to resist nationalism and instead pull together on issues like migration.
Why some nurses have quit during the pandemic
For weeks, Kelly Stanton wasn’t sleeping. She lay in bed gripped with the anxiety of having to go to work at a Washington, D.C.-area hospital not knowing if she might bring home the coronavirus to her husband and their three children.
It was inevitable, she thought. She wasn’t protected.
Stanton, a veteran nurse of 28 years, had seen federal safety protocols for health care workers begin to crumble amid the global pandemic by early March.
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding personal protective equipment, or PPEs, changed consistently. At Stanton’s hospital, nurses were told they would have limited access to an already low stockpile of PPEs and were being asked to reuse single-use masks multiple times, she said.
Russia surpasses 200,000 reported cases
Russia’s count of coronavirus infections has climbed above 200,000 after its highest daily tally of new cases. Figures released Sunday recorded 11,012 new cases of the virus for a total of 209,688, with 1,915 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
Russian officials say the sharp rise in numbers can be attributed to increased testing, at least in part.
More than half the infection cases and deaths are recorded in Moscow, which will remain under a lockdown for the rest of the month. The total number of cases in the country overtook French and German infections earlier this week to become the fifth-highest in the world.
Churches in Lebanon welcome worshippers again
Lebanon’s churches welcomed worshippers for the first time in nearly two months on Sunday. Most churches were closed to the public to limit the spread of the outbreak, but Lebanese authorities have started easing restrictions that were imposed in March.
Churches and mosques are now permitted to welcome worshippers for congregational prayers on Sundays and Fridays as long as capacities are limited and social distancing measures are respected. Many worshippers entering churches around Lebanon on Sunday were sprayed with disinfectant and had their temperatures checked before they were allowed in to sit at a distance from others.
Masses had been held in empty churches for the past weeks for the first time in Lebanon’s recent history. Even the country’s civil war from 1975-1990 did not stop its people from going to places of worship.
Lebanon has the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle East — about a third of the country’s five million people. The country has recorded 809 cases of the virus with 26 deaths as of Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Japan looks to lift state of emergency in some areas
Japan's Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Sunday that the government is looking to lift the state of emergency in “many of 34 prefectures” that are not among the hardest hit by the pandemic before the nationwide deadline of May 31.
“Lifting the state of emergency in many of 34 prefectures that exclude those under specific cautions will likely come in sight as many prefectures have been seeing no fresh infections lately,” Nishimura said in a debate on public broadcaster NHK.
Japan reported more than 15,000 total cases and 613 deaths as of Sunday, according to the country's health ministry.
China reports first double-digit rise in new cases in 10 days
China reported its first double-digit rise in new cases in 10 days on Sunday, the country's National Health commission said. In total, 14 new cases were reported, 12 of them were domestic infections and two from abroad.
Eleven of those domestic case were in the northeastern province of Jilin and one in Hubei — whose capital Wuhan was the epicenter of the global pandemic. Jilin shares the border with North Korea, where the virus situation is unclear.
While China has reported a total of 4,633 deaths and 82,901 cases as of Sunday, the country has reported no new virus deaths for weeks.
The jump in new cases, however, could fuel concerns over how quickly to lift strict social distancing measures and reopen schools and other public institutions. Widely disseminated photos of people socializing in Shanghai’s bar district over the weekend drew some criticism online, according to the Associated Press.
Indian Navy warship returns with stranded citizens
An Indian navy warship carrying some the country's citizens who were left stranded in the Maldives because of the coronavirus lockdown has docked at a port in Kochi, a port city in the southernmost state of Kerala.
The INS Jalashwa had 698 returning citizens on board. It was the first vessel to arrive Sunday as part of the country’s massive repatriation mission. India is also using national carrier Air India to bring back thousands of stranded citizens from the Persian Gulf, the U.K. and elsewhere in Asia.
Sea and air passengers have been charged a fare to return to India, but hundreds of thousands have nonetheless signed up for additional repatriation journeys planned this month.
India’s lockdown entered a sixth week Sunday, though some restrictions have been eased for self-employed people unable to access government support to return to work. India has so far reported 60,829 positive cases and 2,109 deaths.
South Korea reports highest number of a cases in a month
South Korea reported its highest number of cases in a month on Sunday, with 34 recorded after a small outbreak emerged in the country’s capital linked to nightclub-goers.
The governor of the province that surrounds Seoul ordered a two-week shutdown of all nightclubs on Sunday to guard against a possible new surge, according to the Associated Press.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in warned of a second wave of the epidemic later this year, saying the recent cluster underscored the risks that the virus can spread widely again at any time.
“It’s not over until it’s over. While keeping enhanced alertness till the end, we must never lower our guard regarding epidemic prevention,” he said in a televised speech on Sunday, marking the third anniversary of his inauguration.
The new cases bring the total to 10,874. The country also recorded no new deaths for the fourth day in a row, so the death toll remained at 256, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
U.K. commuters urged to cycle or walk to work once lockdown is eased
More commuters should cycle or walk when Britain’s lockdown is eased to take the pressure off public transport, U.K. Transport Minister Grant Shapps said on Saturday, as he announced a £2 billion-package ($2.4 billion) to put cycling "at the heart of our policy."
“Even with public transport reverting to a full service, once you take into account the two-meter social distancing rule, there would only be effective capacity for one in 10 passengers in many parts of our network, just a tenth of the old capacity,” said Shapps.
He urged people to continue to work from home when possible, but urged those who had to commute to consider cycling or walking rather than using cars.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce the next phase of Britain’s coronavirus measures on Sunday, as the country’s lockdown has been in place for nearly seven weeks.
Australia's biggest state to ease lockdown next week
Australia's biggest state, home to Sydney, will allow cafes and restaurants, playgrounds and outdoor pools to reopen on Friday as extensive testing has shown the spread of the virus has slowed sharply, New South Wales state's premier said on Sunday.
The state has been worst hit by the virus in Australia, with about 45 percent of the country's confirmed cases and deaths. However it recorded just two new cases on Saturday out of nearly 10,000 people tested, clearing the way for a cautious loosening of lockdown measures.
"Just because we're easing restrictions doesn't mean the virus is less deadly or less of a threat. All it means is we have done well to date," Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters on Sunday.
The moves are in line with a three-step plan to relax lockdown measures outlined by the Australian government on Friday, which would see nearly 1 million people return to work by July. The country has reported nearly 7,000 cases as of Sunday with 97 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Global confirmed cases surpass 4 million, John Hopkins University reports
More than 4 million confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported around the world, according to the latest John Hopkins University data. The global death toll reached nearly 280,000.
The U.S. remains the world's worst-hit country, accounting for more than a quarter of the cases, having reported 1.3 million. Spain and Italy have the second and third highest caseloads respectively, both reporting more than 218,000 cases. The U.K. is has reported 216,000 cases, and is struggling with virus testing levels and contact tracing.
However, many experts have warned that the true number of infections is likely higher, due to low testing rates around the world.
UFC bout dropped from card after fighter tests positive
A middleweight mixed martial arts bout was dropped from the card of an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Florida on Saturday after a fighter tested positive for COVID-19, UFC said in a statement.
The UFC 249 bout in Jacksonville between Uriah Hall and Jacaré Souza was nixed after Souza and two of his cornermen tested positive, the organization said.
"UFC’s medical team examined Souza and his two cornermen and found them to be currently asymptomatic, or not exhibiting the common symptoms of COVID-19," it said. "As per UFC’s health and safety protocols, all three men have left the host hotel and will be self-isolating off premises."
None of the other athletes on Saturday's card were positive, promoters said. The pay-per-view competition without a live audience was one of three scheduled this month in Jacksonville.
Fauci joins CDC chief on growing White House quarantine list
Three members of the White House coronavirus task force will self-quarantine after possible exposure to COVID-19, administration officials said Saturday.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control, will quarantine for 14 days. Stephen Hahn, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, has already gone into quarantine.
Fauci, who has emerged as the most high-profile public health expert on President Donald Trump's task force, will follow a “modified” quarantine for the next two weeks after “low-risk” exposure to a White House aide who tested positive for coronavirus, according to an administration official.
Fauci is expected to work mostly from home but planned to testify in person next week before the Senate. Hahn and Redfield will also testify but via videoconference.
Tesla sues California county over factory shutdown
Electric carmaker Tesla filed a federal lawsuit Saturday against Alameda County in California in a bid to restart its North American factory.
The suit seeks to overturn the county's health order, which goes further than Gov. Gavin Newsom's phased statewide reopening by continuing to shutter businesses like Tesla's plant in Fremont to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
CEO Elon Musk tweeted Saturday that the the county's order on Monday was the "final straw" and that he was moving Tesla's headquarters from California to "Texas/Nevada immediately."
Pandemic baseball: 90 feet between bases, 6 feet between players, bleachers as dugouts
Organizers of a California baseball league, for college players with pro dreams, pitched plans for a socially distant version of America's pastime this summer.
Sports events, such as baseball games, are currently sidelined under state guidelines, a Department of Public Health official said Saturday.
The San Diego League said it could largely keep its players six feet apart during action and hopes to start on May 30 with no fans in the stands, if Sacramento says it's okay to play ball during the coronavirus pandemic.
The greatest crunch under the league's plan would be for the hitting team. That squad's roster of 18 would have to practice these social distancing guidelines: One in the batter's box, one in the on-deck circle, six spread in the dugout, three spaced through the bullpen and seven extended through the bleachers.
Dozens of these college leagues invite top amateur players to compete with wood bats each summer, offering scouts glimpses of their pro potential. The nation's best known summer action for top collegiate talent, the Cape Cod League, cancelled its season on April 24.