It's forgoing the lockdowns of its neighbors, and has seen an extraordinary increase in deaths.

View in browser|nytimes.com May 15, 2020 An informed guide to the global outbreak, with the latest developments and expert advice about prevention and treatment. (Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.) The New York Times By Lara Takenaga and Jonathan Wolfe U.S. retail sales fell 16.4 percent in April, part of the biggest two-month decline on record. The House will vote tonight on a $3 trillion relief package, effectively Democrats’ opening offer in negotiations with the White House and Republicans in the Senate. The Food and Drug Administration halted a testing program backed by Bill Gates. Get the latest updates here, plus maps and a tracker for U.S. metro areas. The world is watching Sweden’s gamble Sweden is an outlier with its coronavirus response, forgoing the strict lockdowns of its European neighbors. A new Times analysis looked at how that strategy is playing out. While Sweden has avoided the devastating toll of outbreaks in Italy, Spain and Britain, it has also seen an extraordinary increase in deaths, mortality data show. Almost 30 percent more people than usual have died during the country’s epidemic — a far greater increase than in the rest of Scandinavia. Maud Cordenius is a Stockholm-based journalist whose daughters still attend preschool, allowing her to work — a resource many parents around the world sorely miss. “Life here has changed, but it hasn’t ground to a halt,” she wrote in a Times Op-Ed. Other factors are helping Sweden: low population density, a high share of single-person households, a strong public health care system and low levels of chronic diseases like obesity that have made the virus more deadly. And even without a lockdown, its economy has taken a substantial hit. Ultimately, one demographer said: “Sweden will be judged at the finish line. But it’s a very high-stakes risk, and the consequences are people’s lives.” The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter — like all of our newsletters — is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription. A vaccine by January? Moncef Slaoui, picked this week to lead a crash U.S. program to develop a coronavirus vaccine, insisted that mass production by January 2021 was a “credible objective,” The Times’s Maggie Haberman and Noah Weiland report. But Mr. Slaoui, a former chairman of vaccines at GlaxoSmithKline, conceded an even longer timeline — cited by Dr. Anthony Fauci and rejected by President Trump — would still outpace what many scientists believe is possible. “Frankly, 12 to 18 months is already a very aggressive timeline. I don’t think Dr. Fauci was wrong,” Mr. Slaoui said. He will serve as the chief adviser on the vaccine effort, and Gen. Gustave F. Perna, a four-star general who is in charge of the Army’s readiness as head of the Army Matériel Command, will be the chief operating officer. The great outdoors As warmer weather arrives, there is a growing consensus among public health experts that spending time outdoors during the pandemic can be safe, especially if you maintain social distance and wear a mask. Wind makes the virus less transmissible, and open spaces allow people to stay farther apart. In a study of more than 7,300 coronavirus cases in China, only one was transmitted outdoors. Some common-sense rules still apply. Experts told The Times you should still ideally socialize with people who live in your home. If you do meet others, keep gatherings small and don’t share food, utensils or beverages. And arguing with a stranger about maintaining social distance is not a good idea — especially because confrontation increases your risk of exposure. Food al fresco: Many states are also now allowing restaurants to reopen. If you decide to go, our food critic Pete Wells suggests considering a table outdoors where there’s more space to spread out. Reopenings Slovenia became the first European country to declare an end to its epidemic, easing border restrictions and announcing that some schools and day care centers will reopen as early as Monday. In the United States, there is growing fear of new outbreaks as more states lift restrictions on bars, beauty shops and other businesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidelines to organizations to decide when to reopen. Five regions of New York State have been cleared to start reopening; beaches in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware are set to open, with restrictions, next Friday. Restaurants and cafes are beginning to reopen in Austria, Switzerland and parts of Australia and Germany. Here’s a roundup of restrictions in all 50 states. What you can do Help kids grieve. As more children lose loved ones to the virus, it’s important to talk honestly about illness and death. Avoid euphemisms, correct misconceptions and find ways to memorialize the person who died. Have you relocated? If you’re sheltering in place in another state, you could face unforeseen tax bills next year. Advisers recommend preparing for residency questions with detailed records that explain where you’ve lived, for how long and why. Indulge in a cold treat. With just heavy cream, a Mason jar and strong forearms, you can make your own ice cream. Try adding extras like rosemary and olive oil or peanut butter and chocolate syrup for a twist. What else we’re following A Times analysis of smartphone location data found that as the pandemic hit New York City, hundreds of thousands of residents, especially from the wealthiest neighborhoods, left the city. Domestic violence hotlines in the U.S. have seen an uptick in calls, as stay-at-home orders exacerbate abusive living situations. The New York Times Magazine explores how funeral homes are struggling to find ways to maintain dignity for the dead during the pandemic. Many retail workers have reluctantly turned into de facto enforcers of public health guidelines, confronting customers who refuse to wear masks or maintain social distance. What you’re doing Each night when our family sits down for dinner, we go around the table and say three things that went well for the day. The point is to try to teach my teenage daughters to find the good and something positive even in the midst of a pandemic. It has been amazing how their outlook has changed. — Sally Head, Stratford, Conn. Let us know how you’re dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter. Email your thoughts to briefing@nytimes.com. Did a friend forward you the briefing? Sign up here. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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