How to end virus lockdowns? Technology,tests, coordination14 April 2020, by Lori Hinnant, Frank Jordans and Chris Blake

A passenger receives a face mask distributed by a redcross volunteer at the main train station in Barcelona,Spain, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Face mask distributionin train and bus stations continue as factory andconstruction workers resume their activities in roughlyhalf of Spanish regions emerging from the Easter holidayperiod. Spain's left-wing Cabinet is expected to passnew measures to aide smaller business and the self-employed affected by the freezing of economic activity.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Governments battling a virus that has crossedborders with breathtaking swiftness pinned theirhopes Tuesday on tests, technology and acoordinated approach to ease the tight social-distancing restrictions that have slowed thepandemic but strangled the global economy.

While the European Union looked into creating aCOVID-19 smartphone app that could functionacross the bloc, governors on both U.S. coastspledged to work together as they planned an endto the confinement of millions. The main concern isto avoid new coronavirus hot spots and flare-ups ofinfections. But trying to build such infrastructurewhile still in mid-crisis during the pandemic isproving difficult.

In India, the government on Tuesday extended theworld's largest lockdown on 1.3 billion people fortwo more weeks, until May 3 for most of thecountry, as its caseload crossed 10,000.

China faced a new flare-up along its remotenorthern border with Russia, far from the originalepicenter of Wuhan, which has all but declaredvictory in its battle against the pandemic. That vastborder has been sealed and emergency medicalunits have rushed to the area to prevent travelersfrom bringing the virus back from overseas.

New infections appear to have leveled off in muchof Asia and Europe, including Italy, France, Spainand Germany, said Dr. Sebastian Johnston, aprofessor of respiratory medicine at ImperialCollege London.

Patients and medical workers wear personal protectiveequipment due to COVID-19 concerns outside theemergency room at NYU Langone Medical Center,Monday, April 13, 2020, in New York. The newcoronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for mostpeople, but for some, especially older adults and peoplewith existing health problems, it can cause more severeillness or death. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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Even in New York—where reported coronavirusdeaths passed 10,000 on Monday—Gov. AndrewCuomo declared the "worst is over if we cancontinue to be smart." More than 23,000 peoplehave died of the virus in the United States overall,with 582,000 confirmed infections, according to atally by Johns Hopkins University.

With social distancing and lockdowns in placeacross a large portion of the world, grim projectionsthat the virus that would spread with equal ferocityto other corners have yet to materialize. But withoutwidespread antibody tests to determine how manypeople are immune to the virus, governments fearthat relaxing social distancing could lead to newoutbreaks.

Germany's foreign minister, Heiko Maas, calledTuesday for a single smartphone app to be usedacross the 27-nation EU to help countriescoordinate when and how to relax their pandemiclockdown measures.

Recently dug graves sit empty at the San Vicentecemetery in Cordoba, Argentina, Monday, April 13, 2020.Six to seven times more graves than normal are beingdug in Cordoba, as a precaution amid the deadly, newcoronavirus health emergency, according to PressSecretary of the Union of Municipal Workers andEmployees of Córdoba, Damián Bizzi. (AP Photo/NicolasAguilera)

"It's important we don't end up with a patchwork of27 corona apps and 27 data protection regimes, but

coordinate as best as possible," he told Germany'sFunke media group.

Maas said a contract tracing app already beingjointly developed by several countries showed thatthe EU "doesn't have to copy the Big Brothermethods of authoritarian states" but can insteadsafeguard personal privacy and public health at thesame time.

The head of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany'sdisease control center, said exchanging informationbetween countries and institutions is key tocombating the pandemic. Lothar Wieler saidTuesday his group is in constant contact withothers to share which measures are effective inpreventing the virus from spreading, how to test forinfection, which vaccine studies to fund and howbest to protect vulnerable populations.

A patient arrives in an ambulance cared for by medicalworkers wearing personal protective equipment due toCOVID-19 concerns outside NYU Langone MedicalCenter, Monday, April 13, 2020, in New York. The newcoronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for mostpeople, but for some, especially older adults and peoplewith existing health problems, it can cause more severeillness or death. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Apple and Google last week announced a separatejoint effort to help public health agencies worldwideleverage smartphones by using Bluetooth wirelesstechnology to trace the contacts of those infectedso as to slow the spread of the virus. That will run

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on iPhones and Android phones alike. The appswould gather a record of other phones when theycame into close proximity.

In China, where new reported virus cases havedwindled, life is ruled by a green symbol on asmartphone screen that says a user is symptom-free and can board a subway, check into a hotel orjust enter Wuhan, the city of 11 million peoplewhere the pandemic began in December.

South Korea and Israel have both aggressivelyused smartphone data to track the movements ofvirus carriers. But in general, epidemiologists saycontact tracing can only be effective with widelyavailable testing, which has been difficult even inwealthy countries such as the United States andBritain.

Cots, to be used by people infected with the newcoronavirus, fill an indoor soccer court at the ArgentineFootball Association training facility in the outskirts ofBuenos Aires, Argentina, on Monday, April 13, 2020.COVID-19 disease causes mild or moderate symptomsfor most people, but for some, especially older adults andpeople with existing health problems, it can cause moresevere illness or death. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Experts say the infection rate still remains relativelylow in areas of the developing world that have pooror nonexistent health care infrastructure and farfewer resources to trace the contacts ofcoronavirus patients.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus beyond cities tomore rural areas often depends on travel and socialconnections, said Dr. Mike Ryan, the World HealthOrganization's emergencies chief. That couldexplain why Germany and Switzerland, with theirworld-class train systems, have over 155,000infections between them.

But he noted that rural areas often have lesssophisticated health surveillance systems to pick uppotential disease clusters,,

"Is it that it's not there, or is it that we're notdetecting the disease when it is there?" he asked.

Johnston, the Imperial College professor, said heworried the virus might take off across LatinAmerica, Africa and Southeast Asia. He alsoexpressed concern about Russia.

A newly painted mural shows a youth wearing a facemask, during a government ordered lockdown to preventthe spread of the new coronavirus in Bogota, Colombia,Monday, April 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Despite the absence of a coordinated exit strategy,in some European countries, officials pointed topositive signs as they began prepping to reopenlargely shuttered economies and industries.

Italy's day-to-day increase in infections was one ofthe lowest in weeks, bolstering a generallydownward trend. Slightly eased restrictions wereabout to take effect in some sectors of the country,

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such as allowing stores selling baby necessities toreopen.

In hard-hit Spain, workers returned Monday tosome factory and construction jobs. Retail storesand services were still closed and the governmentrequired office workers to keep working from home.

In the United States, governors in the Northeastand along the West Coast announced separatestate compacts to coordinate reopenings.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wouldannounce a detailed plan Tuesday for lifting virusrestrictions. He cautioned it would use "science toguide our decision-making and not politicalpressure."

A woman wearing a protective mask walks at ShibuyaTuesday, April 14, 2020, in Tokyo. Japanese PrimeMinister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency lastweek for Tokyo and some other prefectures to ramp updefenses against the spread of the coronavirus. (APPhoto/Eugene Hoshiko)

A man leans out the window on Mulberry Street in NewYork's Little Italy and bangs together pot lids to show hissupport for those in the front lines fighting against thecoronavirus pandemic, Monday, April 13, 2020. Citywidepeople open their windows each evening at 7 p.m. tomake noise to support the doctors, nurses, hospital staff,EMT's and front-line workers who are risking their livesevery day. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

People wearing protective masks stroll a shopping streetTuesday, April 14, 2020, in Tokyo. Japanese PrimeMinister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency lastweek for Tokyo and some other prefectures to ramp updefenses against the spread of the coronavirus. (APPhoto/Eugene Hoshiko)

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A red cross volunteer holds face mask to be distributed topassengers arriving at the main train station inBarcelona, Spain, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Face maskdistribution in train and bus stations continue as factoryand construction workers resume their activities inroughly half of Spanish regions emerging from the Easterholiday period. Spain's left-wing Cabinet is expected topass new measures to aide smaller business and the self-employed affected by the freezing of economic activity.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Face masks used to curb the spread of the coronavirusare assembled at a factory in Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, April 14, 2020. The new coronavirus causesmild or moderate symptoms for most people, but forsome, especially older adults and people with existinghealth problems, it can cause more severe illness ordeath. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A passenger receives a face mask distributed by a redcross volunteer at the main train station in Barcelona,Spain, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Face mask distribution intrain and bus stations continue as factory andconstruction workers resume their activities in roughlyhalf of Spanish regions emerging from the Easter holidayperiod. Spain's left-wing Cabinet is expected to pass newmeasures to aide smaller business and the self-employed affected by the freezing of economic activity.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Medical staff members in protective gears stack plasticbuckets containing medical waste at Dongsan MedicalCenter in Daegu, South Korea, Tuesday, April 14, 2020.The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptomsfor most people, but for some, especially older adults andpeople with existing health problems, it can cause moresevere illness or death. (Kim Do-hun/Yonhap via AP)

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An Ultra-Orthodox Jew prays a morning prayer at hishouse as synagogues are closed following thegovernment's measures to help stop the spread of thecoronavirus, in Bnei Brak, Israel, Tuesday, April 14,2020. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuannounced Monday a complete lockdown till the end ofPassover holiday to control the country's coronavirusoutbreak. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A woman wearing a face mask walks near a shopfeaturing a washing hands slogan Tuesday, April 14,2020, in Tokyo. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abedeclared a state of emergency last week for Tokyo andsome other prefectures to ramp up defenses against thespread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Street vendors selling protective masks to help curb thespread of the coronavirus wait for customers in Kabul,Afghanistan, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (AP Photo/RahmatGul)

People wait to receive cash under the government'sEhsaas Emergency Cash Program for families in need,during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown tohelp contain the spread of the coronavirus, in Karachi,Pakistan, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Pakistan plans todistribute financial assistance among 10.2 million low-income families across the country impacted by the virus.(AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

"The house is still on fire," New Jersey Gov. PhilMurphy said. "We still have to put the fire out ... (butwe need) to make sure this doesn't reignite."

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His state is in a coalition with Connecticut,Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvaniaand Rhode Island while the governors of California,Oregon and Washington announced a similar plan.

President Donald Trump pushed back against thegovernors, claiming "the federal government hasabsolute power" over easing the restrictions if itchooses. The Constitution, however, largely givesstates the authority to regulate their own affairs.

More than 1.9 million infections have been reportedand over 119,000 people have died worldwide,according to Johns Hopkins University. The figuresunderstates the true size of the pandemic, due tolimited testing, uneven counting of the dead andunreliable figures from some governments.

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