Former US president Barack Obama made comments about the handling of the crisis during a phone hook-up with members of his administration, saying the situation is a reminder of why strong government is important.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has threatened to pull the company's factory and headquarters out of California after complaining about the stay-home order since the company's first-quarter earnings were released.
Meanwhile, three children in New York have died after being diagnosed with Kawasaki syndrome and COVID-19.
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Obama calls Trump administration's coronavirus response a 'chaotic disaster'
Former US president Barack Obama says the Trump administration's '"what's in it for me" attitude has hampered it's coronavirus response.
Mr Obama made the comments during a phone hook-up with former members of his administration, the ABC's James Glenday reports from Washington.
He said the United States' current situation was a reminder of why strong government is important, and urged all Democrats to become actively engaged with Joe Biden's White House campaign.
He declared this year's US election is not just a fight against an individual or a party, but a battle against long-term trends that had seen the nation become more divided.
Mr Obama added that the pandemic would have been difficult for any administration.
But he accused the Trump White House of approaching it with a "what's in it for me" attitude and said its response had been an absolute chaotic disaster.
Here's what Mr Obama said during the call, according to Yahoo News and confirmed by Reuters:
"What we're fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided, and seeing others as an enemy — that has become a stronger impulse in American life.
"And by the way, we're seeing that internationally as well. It's part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anaemic and spotty.
"It would have been bad even with the best of governments. It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset — of 'what's in it for me' and 'to heck with everybody else' — when that mindset is operationalised in our government."
Musk threatens to exit California over virus restrictions
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has threatened to pull the company's factory and headquarters out of California in an escalating spat with local officials who have stopped the company from reopening its electric vehicle factory.
On Twitter, Musk also threatened to sue over Alameda County Health Department coronavirus restrictions that have stopped Tesla from restarting production its factory in Fremont south of San Francisco.
He wrote that whether the company keeps any manufacturing in Fremont depends on how Tesla is treated in the future.
Mr Musk has been complaining about the stay-home order since the company's April 29 first-quarter earnings were released, calling the restrictions fascist and urging governments to stop taking people's freedom.
Half of Spain to reopen from Monday
Some 51 per cent of Spain's population will progress to Phase 1 of a four-step easing plan on Monday after the Government decided the regions in which they lived met the necessary criteria.
In regions that made the cut, such as the Canary and Balearic Islands, bars, restaurants and shops will open at reduced capacity, and museums, gyms and hotels will open their doors for the first time in nearly two months.
The country's two biggest cities — Madrid and Barcelona — do not currently meet the criteria for easing and will remain on Phase 0.
Emergency Health Chief Fernando Simon on Saturday urged Spaniards not to think of it "as a race" and said it was possible Madrid would be ready to move onto the next stage within a week.
Spain's daily death toll from the coronavirus fell to 179 on Saturday, down from 229 the previous day and a fraction of highs above 900 seen in early April.
A national period of mourning will be called once the whole country had passed to Phase 1.
Majority of commuters in Britain could be walking or cycling
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced a 2 billion pound ($4 billion) investment in physically distant transport methods as the Government concedes its public transport system cannot go back to pre-COVID normality.
Mr Shapps acknowledged the transport network would play a "critical role" as the UK moves to the next stage of the pandemic.
With social distancing in place there would only be effective capacity for one in 10 passengers on many parts of the network, so many more people will need to walk and cycle to get the country back to work and prevent roads becoming gridlocked with cars, Mr Shapps said.
The package includes the rapid installation of pop-up bike lanes, wider pavements for pedestrians and cycle and bus-only streets.
Three New York children die from syndrome possibly linked to COVID-19
Three children have now died in New York state from a possible complication linked to the coronavirus involving swollen blood vessels and heart problems.
At least 73 children in New York have been diagnosed with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease — a rare inflammatory condition in children — and toxic shock syndrome. Most of them are toddlers and primary school age children.
There is no proof that the virus specifically causes the syndrome.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the children had tested positive for COVID-19 or the antibodies but did not show the common symptoms of the virus when they were hospitalised.
"This is the last thing that we need at this time, with all that is going on, with all the anxiety we have, now for parents to have to worry about whether or not their youngster was infected," Mr Cuomo said at his daily briefing.
At least 3,000 US children are diagnosed with Kawasaki disease each year. It is most common in children younger than 6 and in boys.
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2020-05-09 22:23:16Z
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