IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

U.S. marks Memorial Day as deaths near 100,000

Here are the latest coronavirus updates from around the world.
Image: Visitors wear face masks at the Korean War Veterans Memorial on May 25, 2020.
Visitors wear face masks at the Korean War Veterans Memorial on Monday.Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

The United States marked Memorial Day with somber ceremonies and, in many places, reopened beaches, as the number of coronavirus deaths inched closer to 100,000, according to NBC news' count.

President Donald Trump, who participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, was also looking ahead to the Republican National Convention. Trump threatened on Twitter on Monday to move the event from Charlotte, North Carolina, if there is a chance the venue might not be filled there later this summer due to virus-related restrictions.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden appeared in public Monday for the first time in more than two months, laying a wreath to honor the fallen at a Delaware war memorial.

Here's what to know about the coronavirus, plus a timeline of the most critical moments:

Download the NBC News app for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak.

This live coverage has ended. Continue reading May 26 coronavirus news.

Saluting veterans and coronavirus frontline workers on Memorial Day

On Memorial Day we honor the fallen heroes who fought for our freedoms. This Memorial Day we also salute the men and women in uniform and the first responders working together on the frontlines to fight COVID-19.

Hair salon in North Carolina refuses service to Tyson employees

A hair salon in North Carolina is denying service to employees at a Tyson plant in the area due to the coronavirus outbreak at the facility earlier this month. 

SmartCuts salon posted a sign on the location of their Wilkesboro location that read, “Due to the number of Tyson employees who have tested positive for Covid19, and given the close contact experiences during our services, we are unable to serve Tyson employees. We sincerely apologize for this decision, and we ask for your understanding.” 

The image, which has been widely circulated on social media, has received criticism from employees at the facility who are upset that they are being denied service due to the fact that they were “at work trying to put food on your tables.”

The salon released a statement that said they would begin serving Tyson employees two weeks after their initial opening on May 22nd and added, “With Tyson’s 2,200 employees in a relatively small market, we certainly did not take this decision lightly. We are doing our best to keep our employees and all people who come to our salon safe, and we hope the Tyson employees can understand this position. In order to show our appreciation for these customers, we are offering discounted services after this time period has passed.”

SmartCuts has multiple locations across North Carolina and Tennessee. 

Inside Brazil field hospital battling coronavirus

Located next to Brazil’s largest stadium, more than 50 people have died at the field hospital in two weeks.

University in Oklahoma adds 'back-up faculty' to prepare for in-person fall classes

An Oklahoma university with roughly 4,000 students annually has proposed a "back-up faculty of record" as a way to support professors in case any become absent due to reasons relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Before the semester begins, a designated faculty member will be included in the learning management system for each course should an instructor be unavailable to teach for any reason related to COVID-19," according to the University of Tulsa in a statement obtained by NBC News.

There is still the option for students and instructors who prefer virtual learning over in-person classes.

"The plan also covers education delivery to accommodate students and instructors who cannot or do not feel comfortable attending in-person classes," according to the statement.

Oklahoma has already begun to reopen in three phases. The state has a total of 6,090 coronavirus cases and the city of Tulsa has 926 cases. Overall, the state has had 313 deaths from the virus.

California releases guidance on church reopenings amid virus

California's state health department on Monday announced that counties can reopen places of worship for religious services, with restrictions that include limiting gatherings to 100 people or less.

California has been under pressure by the Justice Department over its restrictions on in-person worship services due to the coronavirus epidemic. President Donald Trump also said Friday that churches should be reopened

The guidelines restrict in-person worship services to 25 percent of a building's capacity, or up to 100 attendees, whichever is lower, and "upon approval by the county department of public health."

Still, the state health department is encouraging churches and other houses of worship to continue to hold remote services for those groups vulnerable to the coronavirus illness COVID-19, saying that even with social distancing, services can carry a higher risk of widespread transmission.

"In particular, activities such as singing and group recitation negate the risk-reduction achieved through six feet of physical distancing," the guidance says. Newsom has said as the state relaxes statewide rules, counties would be able to go at a slower pace.

Illinois county creates virtual Memorial Day “honor map” to pay tribute to military service

An Illinois county created a virtual “honor map” for Memorial Day since in-person gatherings are not allowed during this time because of  a stay-at-home order in the state.

“We’re trying to find ways to continue to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and servicemen and women, but in a way that doesn’t prohibit or conflict with the stay-at-home order,” DuPage County Commissioner Greg Hart told NBC News.

The memorial has received several online submissions showing loved ones who have served their country with a photo and a short story.

“Bob was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Dad was loving, smart and generous in all aspects of life. He was our hero!” read a post for Robert “Bob” Scheidt for his service in WWII

“Grandpa taught me the benefits of always learning, hard work, and integrity. He was the toughest person I have ever met with the softest heart,” another submission read honoring U.S. Army veteran Anthony F. Studin.

Commissioner Hart said that this online memorial is not restricted to DuPage County and that anyone can submit a photo, video or story to remember a loved one.

"One of things that I love about DuPage County is the spirit of community that we had, and that partially came from in-person events. So, what we’re hoping this portal does is give our residents an opportunity to engage in that sense of community once again," Hart said.

French nursing homes employees protest pay, conditions

Associated Press

Image: Employees demonstrate outside of a nursing home owned by the Korian group in Lille, France, on May 25, 2020.
Employees demonstrate outside of a nursing home owned by the Korian group in Lille, France, on May 25, 2020.Michel Spingler / AP

(PARIS) — Employees of a major group of French nursing homes on Monday took part in protests across France to call for better pay amid the coronavirus crisis.

Protesters gathered outside homes owned by the Korian group in Paris, Lille and other French cities in response to a call from several far-left unions.

The government is formally opening on Monday two months of talks with health care workers over changes to France's public health system, which has suffered from decades of cuts.

France has recorded more than 14,000 COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents, accounting for nearly half of the country’s total of more than 28,300 deaths.

Beaches and parks try for a new normal in Memorial Day weekend reopenings

Image: People ride bicycles along the Ocean City boardwalk in N.J. on May 25, 2020.
People ride bicycles along the Ocean City boardwalk in N.J. on May 25, 2020.Jessica Kourkounis / Reuters

People across the country attempted to kick off summer this holiday weekend, as beaches, parks and bars began to reopen while following social distancing guidelines with varying degrees of success.

In New Jersey, poor weather kept many residents desperate to get outside off the beaches.

Belmar, New Jersey, Mayor Mark Walsifer said on MSNBC Monday that the city had “the weather gods on our side” to prevent crowds. Still, Walsifer said boardwalks were busy, and the city is getting used to adjusting to the new normal.

But in nearby Pleasant Point, protesters seemed to ignore social distancing guidelines to make their voices heard on Memorial Day, saying the governor needed to reopen the state immediately.

Read the full story here. 

OPINION: Israel's pandemic response was fast. I worry a rapid return to normal is a mistake.

Dina Kraft

Image:
People wearing masks visit a reopened market in Tel Aviv on May 7, 2020.Ariel Schalit / AP

TEL AVIV, Israel – Israel's plans for a gradual return to school in small, controlled groups after two months of coronavirus lockdowns were all but completely abandoned last week in favor of an an immediate return with full classes across much of the country. A group of principals lashed out at the decision (of which they were informed through news reports) as Israeli chaos.

That government decision only added to my feeling that Israel has embarked on an overly hasty modern-day Exodus from “corona times” even though the education ministry was concerned a staggered return would not work for students. The beaches are suddenly packed, as quickly as they were emptied, malls are open, with long lines crowding passageways to shop at Zara, and on the streets, most people are no longer even pretending to be vigilant. Masks, if they are seen at all beyond the confines of stores and schools, are usually dangling from a sleeve, or hanging on a chin.

Read the full THINK piece here. 

Photos: Staten Islanders mark Memorial Day in different ways

Image: Residents in face masks watch the Memorial Day Parade of motorcycles and cars on Staten Island on Monday.
Residents in face masks watch the Memorial Day Parade of motorcycles and cars on Staten Island on Monday. Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Image: A member of the Boy Scouts of America salutes at a ceremony for veterans in Staten Island, N.Y., on May 25, 2020.
A member of the Boy Scouts of America salutes at a ceremony for veterans on Staten Island on Monday. Jeenah Moon / Reuters

Gucci, Saint Laurent seek radical change to fashion calendars

Associated Press

Image: Kaia Gerber leads other models during the Saint Laurent fashion show in Paris on Feb. 25, 2020.
Kaia Gerber leads other models during the Saint Laurent fashion show in Paris on Feb. 25, 2020.Vianney Le Caer / AP file

SOAVE, Italy — Gucci and Saint Laurent are two of the highest profile luxury fashion houses to announce they will leave the fashion calendar behind, with its relentless four-times-a-year rhythm, shuttling cadres of fashionistas between global capitals where they squeeze shoulder-to-shoulder around runways for 15 breathless minutes.

The coronavirus lockdown, which has hit luxury fashion houses on their bottom lines, has also given pause to rethink the pace of fashion, offering the possibility to return to less hectic, more considered periods of creativity and production — and perhaps consumption.

Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele imagines a twice yearly appointments — one in the fall and one in the spring — to present co-ed collections, getting away from the hyped-up calendar which has come to require pre-season collections before the major women’s and men’s runway shows and a one-off cruise collection, increasingly in exotic locations.

Saint Laurent hasn’t articulated its intentions, but said in a statement last month that it would “take control” of the fashion schedule “conscious of the current circumstances and its waves of radical change.”

World Health Organization warns of 'second peak' in areas where COVID-19 declining

Reuters

GENEVA — Countries where coronavirus infections are declining could still face an "immediate second peak" if they let up too soon on measures to halt the outbreak, the World Health Organization said on Monday.

The world is still in the middle of the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak, WHO emergencies head Dr. Mike Ryan told an online briefing, noting that while cases are declining in many countries they are still increasing in Central and South America, South Asia and Africa.

Ryan said epidemics often come in waves, which means that outbreaks could come back later this year in places where the first wave has subsided. There was also a chance that infection rates could rise again more quickly if measures to halt the first wave were lifted too soon.

Read the full story here. 

Second immigrant in ICE custody dies from COVID-19

A man in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody died from COVID-19 complications on Sunday, the agency said in a news release

Santiago Baten-Oxlag, 34, who was awaiting departure to his native Guatemala, died at a hospital in Columbus, Georgia, after being transferred from the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. He had been receiving care at the hospital since April 17. 

The preliminary cause of death was “complications related to COVID-19,” according to the news release. It is unknown if Baten-Oxlag had any underlying medical conditions. 

Baten-Oxlag is the second known detainee to die from COVID-19 while in ICE custody. In early May, a 57-year-old man from El Salvador died from COVID-19 at a San Diego-area hospital while in ICE detention. More than 1,200 detainees have tested positive for COVID-19 in ICE facilities, according to data on the agency’s website. 

NHL moves closer to restart with practices in early June

Image: Detroit Red Wings v Washington Capitals
A lone skater before a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Capitals in Washington on March 12, the day the NHL suspended its season. Patrick Smith / Getty Images

The NHL announced plans Monday to allow small groups of players, no more than six, to gather for workouts in early June, with an eye toward restarting play and resuming its coronavirus-halted season.

A league memo did not say when in early June this "Phase 2"  would begin or how long it would last before games are actually played.

Phase 3 would be a full training camp and Phase 4 the playing of actual games. Players and club owners have agreed to the framework of a 24-team playoff system.

Knicks legend Patrick Ewing out of the hospital after testing positive for coronavirus

Basketball legend and Georgetown University coach Patrick Ewing has been released from the hospital and is resting at home after testing positive for coronavirus, his family said Monday.

“I want to thank all of the doctors and hospital staff for taking care of my father during his stay, as well as everyone who has reached out with thoughts and prayers to us and since his diagnosis,” his son Patrick Ewing Jr. said in a statement.

Read the full story here. 

Big changes coming to public pools this summer

Associated Press

Image: A closed public pool in Mission, Kan., on May 15, 2020.
A closed public pool in Mission, Kan., on May 15, 2020.Charlie Riedel / AP file

Public pools will look very different this summer if they open at all with the coronavirus threat still looming, as teenage lifeguards will be tasked with maintaining social distancing and spotting COVID-19 symptoms in addition to their primary responsibility of preventing drownings.

Pools that do plan to open will take precautions, including screening temperatures on entry, requiring lifeguards to wear masks and significantly reducing the number of swimmers allowed in the water and locker rooms, said Dr. Justin Sempsrott, the medical director for the lifeguard certification program Starguard Elite and executive director of Lifeguards Without Borders, which works to reduce drownings worldwide.

“It's definitely not going to be business as usual this season," he said.

Read the full story here. 

Joe Biden makes first public appearance in more than two months

Marianna Sotomayor

Mike Memoli and Marianna Sotomayor

Joe Biden appeared in public Monday for the first time in more than two months, laying a wreath to honor the fallen at a Delaware war memorial.

Read the full story here. 

WHO temporarily halts trial of hydroxychloroquine over safety concerns

The World Health Organization announced on Monday that it's suspending a trial of hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19, saying fears of the drug's potential danger is causing it to "err on the side of caution."

The medication, best known for use against malaria and autoimmune disorders, has been touted as a possible answer to COVID-19 by President Donald Trump.

But WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said evidence has shown harmful side effects of hydroxychloroquine, including heart problems.

Read the full story here. 

Gabe Piscione

100-year-old World War II veteran released from hospital after recovering from COVID-19

A World War II veteran was discharged after spending 58 days in the hospital fighting COVID-19.

Lloyd Falk, 100, was admitted to Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, on March 24 as one of the hospital’s first COVID-19 patients. He had also lost his wife of 74 years to the virus. Despite all odds, he was released from the hospital on May 20 after making a full recovery.

In a video posted on the hospital’s Facebook page, health care workers can be seen lining the hallways and cheering as he is wheeled out of the hospital to begin his rehabilitation. 

“We salute you, Mr. Falk,” the hospital wrote on Facebook. “Your courage and resilience inspires us all.”

New York's daily deaths back under 100

New York state coronavirus deaths were back under 100 on Sunday after a slight rise the previous day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a Memorial Day news conference. 

Ninety-six New Yorkers died from from COVID-19 on Sunday, 75 in hospitals and 21 in nursing homes, the governor said Monday. On Friday, the state’s 84 recorded deaths marked the first time New York saw under 100 deaths since late March, but the number had risen on Saturday to 109.

Trump says he's no longer taking hydroxychloroquine

President Donald Trump said he had "just finished" taking a two-week course of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, the medication he has vigorously promoted as a preventative or curative treatment for coronavirus, even as evidence piles up that the drug may cause more harm than good.

“Finished, just finished,” he said in an interview that aired on Sinclair Broadcasting Sunday“And by the way, I’m still here.”

The president again defended his decision to take, and talk about, the unproven treatment in the interview, amid Food and Drug Administration warnings against using the drug for COVID-19 outside of hospital settings because of a risk of serious heart problems.

Read the full story here. 

NBC News

Bars and gyms reopen in Iceland

Associated Press

Iceland eased its national alert against the coronavirus on Monday, allowing for public gatherings of up to 200 people and night clubs and gyms to reopen as the country nears complete recovery from the outbreak.

The North Atlantic nation, which limited the virus spread through a meticulous test and trace strategy and a full lockdown, has confirmed 1,804 infections and 10 deaths. But there have been only five reported new cases in May, and more than 99 percent of infected people have recovered.

Iceland's alert level was lowered from "emergency phase" to "alert phase," the second of three stages, the government said in a statement on Monday.

Gyms can now reopen, though only at half capacity, while bars and restaurants can serve customers until 11 p.m., it said.

Austrian hospital performs first COVID-19 lung transplant in Europe

Doctors in Austria completed a lung transplant on a COVID-19 patient, the first to be done in Europe, the Medical University of Vienna said in a news release on Monday. 

The procedure last week at Vienna General Hospital was performed on a 45-year-old woman from the southern state of Carinthia who had developed severe respiratory failure after contracting the virus approximately eight weeks ago. 

Dr. Walter Klepetko, head of the Department of Surgery and the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna, said the patient was previously healthy. 

“We are very satisfied with the patient’s condition, given the extremely difficult initial circumstances,” Klepetko said in a statement released by the Medical University of Vienna. “Only a few days after the procedure, the patient is well on the way to recovery.”

Footage of packed pool party at Houston club draws criticism

A Houston club is under fire after footage surfaced of it hosting busy pool parties over Memorial Day weekend, despite state social distancing guidelines.

Video of a pool party on Saturday at Clé Houston, a club in the city’s Midtown, shows a crowded outdoor gathering with no masks in sight.

Read the full story here. 

Trump threatens Republican convention move if NC limits attendance over coronavirus

As states struggle to contain the novel coronavirus that’s killed nearly 100,000 Americans, President Donald Trump threatened to move the Republican National Committee from Charlotte, North Carolina, if there is a chance the venue might not be filled there later this summer due to virus-related restrictions.

“Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, [Roy Cooper] is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena,” Trump said in a string of tweets, adding that a decision must be made now because the preparations cost millions and supporters needed to be able to make their travel plans now.

“If not, we will be reluctantly forced to find, with all of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site," he said.

Read the full story here. 

Professional baseball slated for June 19 return in Japan

Image: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks coaches wear face masks during an intrasquad game in Japan on May 25, 2020.
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks coaches wear face masks during an intrasquad game in Japan on May 25, 2020.Kyodo / via Reuters

Japan’s professional baseball season, stalled because of the coronavirus pandemic, will deliver its first pitch on June 19 with no fans in attendance, league officials said Monday.

The 12-team league, considered the world's top pro competition outside of North America's Major League Baseball, will start with preseason games from June 2 to 14, Nippon Professional Baseball commissioner Atsushi Saito announced.

Once play resumes on June 19, Japan will join Korea and Taiwan in resumption of pro baseball. Korea's games are being played in empty stadiums, while Taiwan now allows up to 2,000 fans to attend.

MLB is and its players union are currently in talks, with hopes of play beginning in early July. 

Vehicle theft spikes across the U.S. amid COVID-19 pandemic

Associated Press

Image: A smashed window after a car was broken into on a street in Los Angeles on May 21, 2020.
A smashed window after a car was broken into on a street in Los Angeles on May 21, 2020.Damian Dovarganes / AP

The coronavirus hasn’t been kind to car owners.

With more people than ever staying home to lessen the spread of COVID-19, their sedans, pickup trucks and SUVs are parked unattended on the streets, making them easy targets for opportunistic thieves.

Despite silent streets and nearly non-existent traffic, vehicle larcenies shot up 63 percent in New York and nearly 17 percent in Los Angeles from Jan. 1 through mid-May, compared with the same period last year.

And many other law enforcement agencies around the U.S. are reporting an increase in stolen cars and vehicle burglaries, even as violent crime has dropped dramatically nationwide in the coronavirus pandemic. It's a low-risk crime with a potentially high reward, police say, especially when many drivers leave their doors unlocked or their keys inside.

“You might as well put a sticker on the window that says ‘come take my stuff,’" said an exasperated Alex Villanueva, the Los Angeles County sheriff.

Read the full story here.

Peter Jeary

South Korean cafe hires robot barista to help with social distancing

Reuters

Image: An employee stands next to a robot barista that takes orders, makes coffee and brings drinks to customers in Daejeon, South Korea, on May 25, 2020.
An employee stands next to a robot barista that takes orders, makes coffee and brings drinks to customers in Daejeon, South Korea, on May 25. Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters

The new robot barista at the cafe in Daejeon, South Korea, is courteous and swift as it seamlessly makes its way towards customers.

"Here is your Rooibos almonds tea latte, please enjoy. It's even better if you stir it," it says, as a customer reaches for her drink on a tray installed within the large, gleaming white capsule-shaped computer.

After managing to contain an outbreak of the new coronavirus which infected more than 11,000 people and killed 267, South Korea is slowly transitioning from intensive social distancing rules towards what the government calls "distancing in daily life." 

Robots could help people observe social distancing in public, said Lee Dong-bae, director of research at Vision Semicon, a smart factory solution provider which developed the barista robot together with a state-run science institute.

2 Chicago police officers injured after breaking up block party

Kurt Chirbas

Kurt Chirbas and Caroline Radnofsky

Two Chicago police officers were taken to the hospital on Sunday with minor injuries after breaking up a Memorial Day weekend block party.

The party, which took place in the city's Englewood neighborhood, ended in violence when officers tried to disperse the crowd, police said. Police took two men into custody after officers spotted them with handguns; in one case, shots were fired, Chicago police said in a statement. Three other people were taken into custody for disorderly conduct, the statement said. 

Chicago remains under a mandatory stay-at-home order until May 31.

Photo: A long awaited hug on Long Island

Image: Michelle Grant, right, hugs her mother, Mary Grace Sileo, through a plastic drop cloth hung up on a clothesline in Wantagh, N.Y., on May 24, 2020. It was the first time the mother and daughter had physical contact since lockdown measures began in l
Michelle Grant, right, hugs her mother, Mary Grace Sileo, through a plastic drop cloth hung up on a clothesline in Wantagh, N.Y., on Sunday. It was the first time the mother and daughter had physical contact since lockdown measures began in late February.Al Bello / Getty Images

Spain to lift quarantine for foreign tourists beginning July 1

Reuters

Spain will lift a requirement for foreign tourists to undergo a two-week quarantine beginning July 1, the government said on Monday in a statement.

Under current restrictions, visitors from abroad must isolate themselves for two weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya had previously said the measure would be relaxed in July, without specifying the date.

Italy calls for volunteers to help authorities enforce social distancing

Mahalia Dobson

Lidia Sirna

Mahalia Dobson and Lidia Sirna

Around 60,000 volunteers in Italy will be tasked with ensuring people follow the government’s social distancing guidelines under a new plan unveiled by the country's Civil Protection Agency.

Volunteers, or "civilian assistants" as they'll be called, won’t have the authority to impose fines, but will patrol public spaces like parks and beaches and remind people to practice social distancing.

They will be allowed to work a maximum of three days a week, for no more than 16 hours per week. The Italian Civil Protection Agency called on the unemployed, retirees and people signed on to the government’s basic income scheme to volunteer, and will announce further details later in the week.

War-ravaged Syria reports 20 new coronavirus cases in largest single day increase

Reuters

Syria reported 20 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the largest single-day increase to date, the Health Ministry announced.

The war-torn country has recorded 106 infections and four deaths so far, and new cases have increased in recent days with the return of Syrians from abroad, the ministry said. Syria has kept an overnight curfew in place but has begun to open some of its economy after a lockdown. Doctors and relief groups worry that medical infrastructure ravaged by nine years of conflict would make a more serious outbreak deadly and difficult to fend off.

Health Minister Nizar Yazigi said last week that "coercive and unfair" Western sanctions were hitting medical services needed to cope with coronavirus and he called for their removal.

Shoppers report empty sympathy card shelves

Sympathy cards are selling out in many stores across the U.S. with shoppers sharing photos on social media of striking gaps where the cards would usually be found on greeting card displays. 

"At a time when the graduation card rack should be empty, it’s the sympathy cards that are sold out," wrote one Twitter user

Google searches in the United States for "virtual sympathy cards" have increased 200 percent, while "how to sign a sympathy card" searches are up 180 percent in the last year. 

More than 100 new coronavirus infections linked to German church service

Andy Eckardt

Mahalia Dobson

Andy Eckardt and Mahalia Dobson

At least 107 people have tested positive for coronavirus following a church service in Frankfurt, Germany earlier this month.

Worshipers from the Rhine-Hesse area were among the infected, the state of Hesse Health Minister Kai Klose said in a statement on Sunday. State authorities are trying to trace everyone who attended the service at the Gospel Christians Baptists Frankfurt, which took place on May 10, according to reports by German newspaper, Frankfurter Rundschau.

In a statement posted on its website, the church said it was “deeply distraught” to learn of the outbreak and had moved all subsequent services online.

South Korea to send masks to Korean adoptees living abroad

Stella Kim

Mahalia Dobson

Stella Kim and Mahalia Dobson

South Korea will this week send 370,000 face masks to Korean adoptees living in 14 countries severely affected by the coronavirus, with about 60 percent going to the United States.

About 50 masks would be made available to each adoptee who had submitted a request via their consulate, the director-general for overseas Koreans and Consular Affairs Bureau of South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, Byun Chul Hwan, told NBC News.

“Currently, it is illegal in South Korea to export masks to overseas except when you have families in South Korea, in which case a limited number of masks can be sent. But, it is difficult for adoptees to receive masks as their immediate families cannot be reached,” Byun said. Of the 167,000 South Koreans adopted overseas around 110,000 live in the United States. Other countries include France, Denmark, Sweden and Australia.

Japan to lift state of emergency on Tokyo and four remaining areas

Reuters

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that Japan will lift a state of emergency for Tokyo and four remaining areas later in the day but that it could be reimposed if the pace of infections picked up.

Social distancing curbs were loosened for most of the country on May 14 as new infections fell, but the government has kept Tokyo and four other prefectures under watch. He added that Japan had managed to get the coronavirus infection under control in just one and a half months, in its own way, and that this showed the strength of the "Japan model."

The world's third-largest economy has escaped an explosive outbreak with more than 16,600 infections and 839 deaths so far, according to NHK public broadcaster; however, the epidemic has tipped it into a recession and plunged Abe's popularity to multi-year lows.

Countries try 'travel bubbles' to save post-lockdown tourist season

Never heard of “travel bubbles” or “air bridges”? Read on because what you learn just might save your summer vacation now that we are in the coronavirus era.

With little clarity on when the pandemic might end, many Europeans have already given up on the idea of a summer getaway.

But some countries, desperate to salvage this year’s travel season — and eager to jump-start their economies — are slowly reopening their borders and offering a glimpse of what travel might look like now.

Read the full story here.

European security experts warn of bioterror risk after coronavirus pandemic

Andy Eckardt

Mahalia Dobson

Andy Eckardt and Mahalia Dobson

Security experts from the Council of Europe human rights organization have warned against the increased risk of bioterrorism after the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement released on Monday, the Secretariat of the Committee on Counter-Terrorism, said terrorist groups were already experimenting with biological weapons, and cautioned that the intentional use of agents such as viruses and bacteria could cause both human and economic damage “on a far grander scale than traditional terrorist attacks.”

The council’s experts called for a “coordinated” response to this threat and urged all 47 Council of Europe member states to develop common legal standards and implement training exercises to prepare civil security and health experts for a possible attack.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson under fire after supporting aide who traveled during lockdown

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced rising anger among lawmakers in his own party, bishops and the public at large after he supported an aide who drove hundreds of miles out of London during the lockdown. 

Johnson said on Sunday that adviser Dominic Cummings acted “responsibly, legally and with integrity” to ensure that his son could be cared for "at the moment both he and his wife were about to be incapacitated by coronavirus." The response on social media was fierce, with people tweeting stories of how they managed to obey lockdown in difficult circumstances.

Britain is the worst-hit country in Europe by coronavirus with more than 36,000 deaths and the fourth highest number of reported cases in the world.

Russia's confirmed coronavirus cases top 350,000

Matthew Bodner

Russian health authorities reported 8,946 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the nationwide total to more than 350,000 cases since the start of the outbreak. It has the third highest number of reported cases in the world, behind only the U.S. and Brazil.

Though nationwide confirmed case growth appears more or less stable, the daily case count continues to rise outside of Moscow — Russia’s epicenter — and into the rest of the country. Moscow reported just 2,560 cases overnight, the lowest the capital has seen in over a month, while the rest of the country reported a combined total of 6,386, a record high.

Fatalities dropped to 92 on Monday after authorities reported a nationwide record of 153 deaths on Sunday. The country has recorded 3,633 coronavirus deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Republicans sue California over expanded mail-in voting

The Republican National Committee and other GOP groups filed a lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday, arguing a move to expand mail-in voting during the pandemic is illegal.

The federal lawsuit also names the California Republican Party and the National Republican Congressional Committee as plaintiffs. In a tweet announcing the suit, national committee chair Ronna McDaniel called Newsom’s executive order “radical” and a “recipe for disaster that would create more opportunities for fraud.”

The May 8 order requires election officials in each of the state’s 58 counties to send mail-in ballots to all registered voters.

“No Californian should be forced to risk their health in order to exercise their right to vote,” Newsom said.

Read the full story.

Brazil's cases surge in densely packed neighborhoods

Japan looking to end Tokyo's state of emergency

Reuters

TOKYO - Japan is looking to lift a state of emergency for Tokyo and remaining areas still facing restrictions while also considering fresh stimulus worth almost $1 trillion to help companies ride out the coronavirus pandemic, Nikkei reported on Monday.

Social distancing curbs were removed for most of the country on May 14 as new infections fell, but the government had kept Tokyo and four other prefectures under watch.

The government will seek approval from key advisers for the lifting on Monday. If approved, Japan would have no regions under the state of emergency, which was first instated on April 7.