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Coronavirus Watch: Curve is flattening but deaths are up. What gives?

Rachel Aretakis   | Paste BN

The estimated national coronavirus death toll is rising, but there's evidence the curve may be flattening – for now. 

If you feel like there's been conflicting new statistics and numbers each week, you're not alone. It can be confusing, so we talked with experts to sort it all out. Read more here.

This is Wednesday's Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's the latest news, as of 12:30 p.m. ET:

  • Another round of stimulus: With millions of Americans still out of work, House Democrats are proposing a bill that would provide more than $3 trillion in aid to unemployed and small businesses.
  • In Los Angeles: The nation's largest county is expected to extend stay-at-home orders until August, which may affect how professional and college sports leagues resume or begin their seasons. 
  • Meanwhile, beaches in LA County reopened Wednesday after a six-week hiatus. People can walk, run and surf but cannot gather in crowds or do team sports. 
  • Fewer Americans filing jobless claims? While unemployment is still at an all-time high, economists predict the Labor Department will report 2.5 million new unemployment claims last week. The weekly count has declined for five weeks in a row after peaking at 6.9 million at the end of March. 
  • As coronavirus spreads through the federal prison system, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been released from prison and is now in home confinement.
  • Update on Broadway star Nick Cordero: Amanda Kloots says her husband has emerged from a medically-induced coma due to coronavirus complications. 
  • Americans want President Trump and Vice President Pence to wear masks: In a new poll, about 7 out of 10 registered voters, including 58% of Republicans, surveyed said the two leaders should cover their faces in public places when they travel.
  • Disney's new rules: The theme park is expected to require workers and guests to wear face masks when parks reopen in the U.S., the company's CEO said in an interview.

You may have been wondering: I'm a health-care worker. Can I qualify for unemployment if my coworker has tested positive for COVID-19 and I now fear working at the facility? Paste BN's Ledyard King has the answer:

Generally, you can only qualify for unemployment if you lost your job due to COVID-19, you’ve left your job to take care of family member who’s been infected, or you’re quarantining on the advice of a health-care provider and you’re unable to perform your duties. The U.S. Department of Labor recommends that if you believe your employer’s response to the possible spread of COVID-19 creates “a serious safety hazard” or if you think your employer is not following federal work safety standards, you can file a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

And thank you for subscribing. We appreciate you trusting the Paste BN Network with this important information.

– Rachel Aretakis, breaking news editor, @raretakis

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