FDA approves rapid, 45-minute test for virus

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first rapid coronavirus test, which produces results in about 45 minutes.

An FDA spokeswoman confirmed the approval after an announcement from Cepheid, a Silicon Valley molecular diagnostics company.

It can take at least a few days to get results from current coronavirus tests, which typically are sent in batches to reference labs, said Dr. David Persing, the company’s chief medical and technology officer.

“What’s really needed is a test that can rapidly determine status of infection on site when patients are being seen,” he said on a company video.

Cepheid said it will begin shipping its tests next week.

Air traffic briefly suspended in NYC, Philadelphia

The Federal Aviation Administration briefly suspended flights to New York City-area airports on Saturday because of coronavirus-related staffing issues.

In an alert posted online Saturday, the FAA advised air traffic controllers to “stop all departures” to Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark and other airports in the region because of staffing issues at a regional air-traffic control center on Long Island.

The halt, which also affected Philadelphia International Airport, was lifted after about 30 minutes. Initially air traffic controllers were warned it could last several hours.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is suspending flights to New York City-area and Philadelphia airports because of virus-related staffing issues.

Air-traffic controllers at Kennedy had been operating from an alternate location on airport property this week after an FAA technician assigned to the airport’s control tower tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement, the FAA said that the technician hadn’t been to work since March 11 and that the tower was being cleaned as a precaution.

NY cases top 10K

The number of confirmed cases in New York state soared above 10,000.

State officials said they’re scouring the globe for desperately needed medical supplies and scouting field hospital locations in the New York City area. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has declared a major disaster in the state, freeing up access to billions of dollars in relief funding.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state is seeking to quickly boost hospital capacity from around 50,000 beds to 75,000 beds statewide. The state has already hospitalized 1,600 people due to the outbreak, he said.

The state is looking to see whether Manhattan’s spacious Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, normally home to the auto show and other big events, could be suitable for 1,000 requested beds supplied by FEMA in a “tent configuration” with equipment and staff.

Possible locations for temporary hospital structures built by the Army Corps of Engineers include Stony Brook University and SUNY College at Old Westbury on Long Island, and the Westchester County Center north of the city. Sites will be reviewed Saturday, he said.

“Everything that can be done is being done,” Cuomo said.

Meanwhile, hospitals are facing dwindling equipment and supplies, including ventilators and masks, with an expected surge of coronavirus patients looming.

Officials have identified 2 million face masks that can be sent to hot spots, Cuomo said, and apparel companies are pivoting to make masks. One million masks are being sent to New York City hospitals Saturday, and 500,000 to Long Island. And with hospital gowns in short supply, the state is trying to obtain gown material for apparel makers, he said.

The state is also rounding up critically needed ventilators from around the state and purchasing 6,000 to deploy to the most critical areas, Cuomo said. And they are investigating whether multiple patients can be served by a single ventilator.

New Jersey residents ordered to stay home

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has orders residents to stay home. Nonessential retail businesses must close by Saturday night.

Italy’s tally soars

Italy’s tally of coronavirus cases and deaths continues to soar, with officials on Saturday announcing new day-to-day highs: 793 dead and 6,557 cases.

The country, at the heart of western Europe’s rampaging outbreak, now counts 53,578 known cases.

Aid package may put $2T into economy

Negotiators from Congress and the White House were holding talks on crafting a $1 trillion-plus economic rescue package. The sweeping aid package of paychecks for suddenly jobless Americans, money for hospitals and aid to industry is all but certain to swell far beyond the initial $1 trillion price tag. Combined with other actions by the Federal Reserve, it could pump $2 trillion into the economy, officials say.

Despite the enormous pressure on Washington to swiftly act, the challenges are apparent. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers and administration officials labored late into the evening over eye-popping sums and striking federal interventions, surpassing even the 2008-09 bank bailout and stimulus. They’ll be back at it Saturday morning.

“Everybody is working very hard,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, exiting one closed-door session and heading into another.

While key negotiators said they made progress during the daylong talks, they failed to hit an end-of-day deadline to strike a deal. Talks broke around 7:30 p.m. Pacific time.

Mnuchin launched negotiations with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and senators from both parties using McConnell’s GOP offer as a starting point.

“Our nation needs a major next step, and we need it fast,” McConnell said earlier in the day to an empty chamber, the iconic U.S. Capitol closed to visitors.

Preliminary Senate votes are set for Sunday. McConnell said the goal is passage by Monday.

Toyko Olympics at critical stage

The Tokyo Olympics have reached a critical phase. Japanese organizers and IOC President Thomas Bach say the games will open July 24 at the $1.4 billion national stadium in Tokyo. But athletes are complaining: They can’t train, qualifying events have been canceled and the chaos is sure to favor some over others. Giant questions remain about bringing 11,000 athletes from 200 countries together in four months. Bach has said repeatedly it’s too early to announce a final decision.

40 of 54 African countries affected

— Africa’s cases of the coronavirus rose above 1,000 on Saturday. Angola announced its first cases, meaning at least 40 of Africa’s 54 countries are now affected. Congo reported its first death and Burkina Faso reported two new ones — that country now has the most virus deaths of any country in sub-Saharan Africa. The West African nation also has one of the highest caseloads on the continent with 64. Somalia said it’s lifting its ban on international flights for two days so stranded citizens can come home. Angola closed its air, land and sea borders this week. Botswana has suspended international travel by all government employees.

5K new cases in Spain in 24 hours

MADRID — Spain has recorded almost 5,000 new coronavirus infections in 24 hours as it climbed into third place in the global ranking of infections behind China and Italy.

Health authorities said Saturday that virus infections have reached 24,926, up from 19,980 the day before. Total deaths were 1,326, up from 1,002 on Friday. Over 1,600 patients are in intensive care units that authorities admit are at their limits. Madrid is the hardest hit region with almost 9,000 infections.

Spain is approaching one week of tight restrictions on free movement and the closure of most shops as hospitals and nursing homes buckle under the burden of the virus outbreak. But authorities admit that they expect infections to continue to rise before the measures can hopefully reverse the trend.

Moscow working to built treatment center

A deputy mayor of the Russian capital says workers are laboring around-the-clock to build a center that can treat hundreds of coronavirus victims, and that completion is expected within a month.

Placards in the style of Soviet propaganda posters have been placed at the site, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) outside Moscow’s center, exhorting builders to work at maximum speed; one shows Mayor Sergei Sobyanin pointing at the viewer and the slogan “Builders — Minutes count!”

Deputy Mayor Andrei Bochkarev said Saturday that the new facility will be able to accommodate up to 500 patients. Russia so far has recorded 253 cases of coronavirus infection.

Britain’s health system cracking

Britain lags behind Italy, Spain and France in the spread of the new coronavirus, but already the country’s overstretched health system is creaking.

The U.K.’s state-funded National Health Service has about 4,000 critical-care beds and some 5,000 ventilators, and officials say that’s far fewer than will be needed as the number of cases spikes in the coming weeks.

On Thursday, a London hospital temporarily declared a “critical incident,” meaning it could take no more critically ill patients. Unpublished NHS figures seen by The Guardian say the number of confirmed of suspected COVID-19 patients in intensive care in south London rose from seven on March 6 to 93 on March 17.

Engineering firms and automakers are stepping in to manufacture ventilators, and the government says it is shipping large supplies of protective equipment to hospitals. But some medics say they do not have confidence that they will receive the equipment they need to treat patients and keep themselves safe.