Coronavirus Watch: More evidence the official death count is low

Federal data released this week offers more evidence that the official tally of coronavirus deaths is low. The number of deaths recorded in the U.S. this year is higher than normal, even when factoring in deaths attributed to COVID-19.

Experts suspect that unconfirmed coronavirus cases could be responsible for some of those deaths, but it might also be related to a shift in other causes of death, such as pneumonia.

It's Thursday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network.

Here's the latest news, as of 12 p.m. ET:

• In the U.S. more than 61,100 people have died from the coronavirus with over 1 million cases. See a map of confirmed cases here.
• The Labor Department reported that 3.8 million Americans filed unemployment claims last week, pushing the total to about 30 million claims over the past six weeks. Stay up-to-date on the markets by signing up for The Daily Money.
• Today is when President Donald Trump's social distancing guidelines are set to expire.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to order all beaches and state parks closed Friday after tens of thousands of people flocked to the seashore last weekend during a heat wave.
• The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments over the phone next week and they'll be streamed live on C-SPAN.
• Costco is returning to normal operating hours next week but will require customers and employees to wear face coverings or masks. 
• Los Angeles is now offering free coronavirus testing to residents even if they don't show symptoms. 
• Roger Goodell, who makes upward of $30 million a year, is reducing his salary to $0. The NFL is implementing reductions in base salary for some employees due to the economic impact of the coronavirus.
• Trump’s executive order to keep meat packing plants open won’t stop the potential for meat shortages in some grocery stores around the country. Here’s why.

Please keep sending us your coronavirus questions through this form, and we'll continue to answer them. Lizette from Fort Lee, New Jersey, asks: Since hearing that some animals have tested positive for the coronavirus, has anyone thought of possibly testing cows, pigs, lambs, chickens? Should I consider becoming a vegetarian?

"There's absolutely no concern about the safety of meat, milk and eggs," said Jim Roth, director of the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa State University. "Food is not an issue for contracting COVID-19. It’s infected people that you really need to worry about."

Researchers have attempted to infect various species to see if they are susceptible to the new coronavirus. According to a study published in Science magazine this month, ferrets and cats are susceptible, dogs have low susceptibility, and livestock – including pigs, chickens and ducks – are not susceptible to the virus.

"If this virus did infect cattle, we would already know because it’s so widespread all over the world, and there are no reports of it infecting cattle," Roth said. "I really doubt that sheep can be infected, but I haven’t seen any research on that yet."

In the U.S., at least two cats, a dog and a tiger have tested positive for the virus, which scientists say likely originated in bats and transmitted to humans through another animal.

Health officials say that there is currently no evidence that pets and livestock can transmit this virus to people, but Roth recommended caution. "We know that it is possible for people to infect pets. It's not been shown that pets can infect people, but it's not been proven that they can't. So we should be cautious. Treat them just like you would a member of the family," he said.

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— Grace Hauck, Breaking News Reporter, @grace_hauck