The Latest: Can I sit in a park with a few people?
Dear Reader,
As yet another weekend approaches and some states loosen up their restrictions, everyone is wondering if it’s finally okay to see people — and if so, how. The Medium Coronavirus Blog is answering those questions and more daily. (You can read the answer to the friends-in-the-park query below.)
To better understand where the science stands right now, I recommend reading this story about whether the virus that causes Covid-19 is considered airborne (and what that means for you), this deep dive into the three strangest symptoms of the virus, and this advice from MIT about which businesses should open first.
Also, yes, it’s safe to send your mom flowers for Mother’s Day. (But hurry!)
What’s New:
- Massive unemployment: 3.2 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the total to more than 33 million out of work.
- Trump to be tested daily for Covid-19: The president, Vice President Mike Pence, and others will undergo daily testing after a military aide who has had contact with the president tested positive for the virus.
Follow our Medium Coronavirus Blog for regular updates, and read some of the essential stories we’ve curated below.
Be well,
Alexandra Sifferlin
Editor, Medium Coronavirus Blog
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A Quick Q&A:
Can I sit in a park with a few people?
“The issue about being outside is, are you crowded? If you are on the beach and people are cheek to jowl next to each other, that’s probably not a good thing because [you could be] touching other people [or they could be] coughing on you,” says Donald Milton, MD, PhD, a professor of environmental health at the University of Maryland. “So being outside, keeping social distancing — or physical distancing might be more accurate — is still important.”
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