The United States continues to battle with the novel coronavirus despite an apparent decline in new COVID-19 cases in several states. Along with the efforts to control the spread of the virus, some inmates are being released.
Former Trump Attorney to be Released Early
Sources with knowledge of the situation revealed on Thursday that former personal attorney for U.S. President Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, has been notified by the federal Bureau of Prisons that he will be released from prison earlier than expected, CNN reported.
Cohen, who was initially scheduled for release in November 2021, saw his request for early release rejected last month. He expressed concerns about the virus and accused the Justice Department of unfair treatment.
Before his imprisonment, Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 for lying to Congress and admitted to assisting in the facilitation of paying up women who allegedly had past affairs with Trump. The president denied the allegations about having affairs.
Cohen's early release, albeit with the remainder of his sentence on home confinement, came amid increasing calls for more protection among inmates across the country as the COVID-19 crisis has yet to be overcome.
New York Hospitals Hoping for Plateau
Hospitals in the New York state are hoping to have reached a plateau in new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations due to the COVID-19 strain.
According to USA Today, chief quality officer for NYC Health + Hospitals Dr. Eric Wei said the "census seems to have plateaued, if not dipped slightly," adding that the number of people being hospitalized in the city has been decreasing, indicating a plateau in the outbreak.
On the other hand, Wei reiterated that health authorities are still being vigilant and are preventing overreactions to the gradual decline in coronavirus hospitalizations.
As of Thursday, New York reported 223,691 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 14,832 deaths. It remains the hardest-hit state in the U.S.
Ivanka Trump Reportedly Ignored Stay-at-Home Order
Presidential daughter Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner reportedly traveled to New Jersey earlier this month to celebrate the Passover, a New York Times report revealed first.
The outlet cited two unnamed people with knowledge of the matter. The report said Ivanka and Kushner spent the first night of the Passover at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster with their children.
The first night of the said holiday was April 8, and Washington, D.C. officials released the stay-at-home order, save for important matters, on March 31. The White House has yet to release a statement on the alleged move of Ivanka and Kushner.
New Jersey is the second hardest-hit state in the country. As of Thursday, the state reported 75,317 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 14,832 deaths.
Over 33,000 New Cases on Thursday
The United States on Thursday reported 33,040 new COVID-19 cases and 2,424 deaths from the highly-infectious disease. The data came from the Johns Hopkins University.
The news came amid ongoing questions about whether the U.S. and other western countries could have prepared better for the global coronavirus outbreak when the first signs of a massive health crisis were depicted across East Asia.
Some health and economic experts noted that even with warnings from Asian countries hard-hit by the COVID-19 strain, several American and European leaders acted slowly and appeared to have disregarded the severity of the outbreak in Asia.
