Coronavirus Watch: Unemployment soars to 14.7%

The U.S. unemployment rate hit its highest since the Great Depression.

The economy lost 20.5 million jobs in April and the unemployment rate soared to 14.7% – both record highs – laying bare the starkest picture yet of the crippling gut punch delivered by the coronavirus pandemic.

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

Here's the latest news, as of 12:30 p.m. ET:

• More than 1.2 million people have tested positive for the virus in the U.S., and more than 75,000 have died. See a map of confirmed cases here.
• A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to news reports.
• States such as Alaska, Arizona and Pennsylvania are taking major steps today to lift restrictions, including on restaurants, retail and outdoor activities. 
• All African Americans, Latinos and tribal community members in Wisconsin will have access to free COVID-19 testing under a plan announced Thursday by Gov. Tony Evers. 
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom identified a nail salon as the origin of the coronavirus outbreak in the state, one of the first ones in the nation to get impacted. He did not elaborate about the time and place community spread began in the state.
• People in every state have become more active in recent weeks following a significant reduction in mobility that reached its lowest point in mid-April, a Paste BN analysis of mobile phone use data shows.
• The Transportation Security Administration will require employees to wear facial protections at security checkpoints.
• Fashion chain J. Crew Group and luxury department store retailer Neiman Marcus Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the first week of May as they faced mounting losses with their stores temporarily closed. J.C. Penney, which was facing declining sales and several years of losses heading into this crisis, is also considering filing for bankruptcy.
• The COVID-19 antibody treatment could be found in ... llamas? Years ago, researchers found that a 4-year-old Belgian llama named Winter produced an antibody against other coronaviruses. Now, scientists are hoping llamas could help in this fight.

Wanna try something cool? This interactive story shows how airborne droplets travel and settle. You can access the experience within the Augmented Reality section of the Paste BN app.

Keep asking us your coronavirus questions through this form! Patty from Evans, Colorado, asks: If someone has had the coronavirus and is feeling better, are they still contagious?

The period of infectiousness for COVID-19 is not yet known, according to the CDC. But several studies have estimated that infectiousness declines significantly  eight to 10 days after symptom onset. Some studies suggest that you are most infectious before or at symptom onset.

According to the CDC, it's possible that the virus may be detectable in the upper or lower respiratory tract for weeks after illness onset, but that doesn't necessarily mean you'd be contagious.

If you've been sick and want to leave home isolation, the CDC recommends waiting at least 10 days after your symptoms first appeared, along with other requirements.

As always, thank you for subscribing and trusting the Paste BN Network with this important information. Know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Please forward this email so they can sign up here.

— Grace Hauck, Breaking News Reporter, @grace_hauck