WASHINGTON - New Yorkers will soon be able to go to their local pharmacies for COVID-19 testing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.

Cuomo said 5,000 pharmacies will be allowed to conduct the tests, with the goal of carrying out 40,000 tests each day.

In addition, front line health care workers at four New York City hospitals will receive antibody testing for the virus, the governor said.

New York is the epicenter of the virus outbreak in United States.  The virus death toll in New York City represents about a third of the country’s nearly 54,000 fatalities.

The World Health Organization warned Saturday there is “no evidence” that recovered COVID-19 patients with antibodies are immune to a second coronavirus infection.

The WHO issued the warning in a scientific brief as it confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide topped 2.8 million.  Worldwide fatalities have now exceeded 200,000, according to statistics from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.  Johns Hopkins said early Sunday the global death tally was 203,043.

"Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an 'immunity passport' or 'risk-free certificate' that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection," the WHO said.

"There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," it added.

Chile said last week it would start distributing “health passports” to people who were considered recovered patients, allowing them to return to their jobs. Before receiving passports, they were screened to determine if they have developed antibodies.

Other countries are also taking action to reopen their economies, even amid fears of new outbreaks.

Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, warned Saturday of a “fresh outbreak” at the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Iran’s ministry of infectious diseases said there are “signs of a fresh outbreak” in northern and central provinces “where we made great efforts to control the epidemic.”

The warning came after Iran began reopening businesses that had been closed on April 11 due to the virus.

Other countries are moving ahead with plans to ease travel restrictions and reopen businesses to jump-start their economies, including the U.S., the world leader by far in reported coronavirus infections and fatalities.

The southeastern U.S. state of Georgia has become the center of debate about when to lift lockdown orders that have kept hundreds of millions of people at home.

Friday, Georgia became the first U.S. state to launch a widespread reopening effort, allowing some nonessential businesses to reopen “on a limited basis.” The businesses were permitted to reopen their doors before the state’s monthlong shutdown is lifted on April 30, despite warnings from some elected officials in the state that the action could spark a new surge in coronavirus infections.

Oklahoma also allowed some retail business to reopen Friday, and Florida opened some of its beaches to visitors a week ago. South Carolina eased some restrictions on Monday, and other states plan to relax guidelines next week.

While U.S. President Donald Trump voiced opposition to Georgia’s reopening after initially supporting it, he has pushed to reopen the U.S. economy sooner than most health experts recommend.

The U.S. Congressional Budget Office says the economic hardship caused by the coronavirus in the U.S. will last through next year, as the pandemic wreaks havoc on the financial health of countries around the world.

The nonpartisan agency said the U.S. budget deficit will nearly quadruple from $1 trillion to $3.7 trillion this year and the unemployment rate would soar from 3.5 percent in February to 16 percent in September. The CBO predicted that unemployment would fall after September but would remain in double digits through 2021.

The report intensifies pressure on the Trump administration as it tries to balance concerns over the ballooning federal deficit with the provision of stimulus money to offset the outbreak’s economic effects.

Trump signed a $484 billion relief package Friday for small-business loans and to help hospitals expand COVID-19 testing. The money is part of more than $3 trillion the U.S. government has spent to boost the economy.

Trump did not hold his daily coronavirus briefing Saturday.  He posted on Twitter that it was “not worth the time & effort.” He said, “What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately.”

Reporters have repeatedly questioned the president about his suggestion that the coronavirus could possibly be cured by ingesting household cleaners, a position that has been roundly denounced by public health officials and manufacturers of the cleansers.

The coronavirus has had a devastating effect on the global economy, but the International Monetary Fund and other organizations warn that developing countries will be the worst hit.

The United Nations food agency projects that some 265 million people could experience acute hunger this year, twice as many as last year. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on governments to ensure health care is available to all people and that economic aid packages help those most affected.

In Spain, second to the U.S. in reported confirmed cases, more of its health care workers have been infected with COVID-19 than anywhere else in the world, according to a new report.

A report by the European Center for Disease Control said about 18 percent of the 205,905 coronavirus cases in Spain were confirmed among its health care workers. The report found that 10 percent of Italy’s cases and 3 percent of the U.S. cases were detected in those who work in the medical field.

Spain’s Medical Colleges Organization said the high rate of infections in health care workers is due to the lack of “essential safety measures.”

Spain has seen the number of recovered cases outnumber new infections in recent days, and the government announced Saturday that children under 14 will be allowed to go outdoors Sunday for the first time since March 15.

The G-20 called Friday on “all countries, international organizations, the private sector, philanthropic institutions, and individuals” to contribute to its funding efforts to fight COVID-19, setting an $8 billion goal.

The G-20, an international forum for the governments and central bank governors of 19 nations and the European Union, said it had previously raised $1.9 billion. Saudi Arabia, the current holder of the G-20 presidency, contributed $500 million.

The U.S. has more than 907,000 COVID-19 cases, nearly one-third of the world’s reported total. There have also been more coronavirus deaths reported in the U.S. than any other country.  

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