As COVID-19 cases surge across the nation, more states are moving to combat the spread of the virus: Oregon and Kansas are the latest states that will begin to require face masks in public.
Starting Wednesday, face masks in indoor public spaces will be required for all Oregonians. In Kansas, facial coverings will be required starting Friday.
Meanwhile in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy announced late Monday that the state would pause its planned reopening for indoor dining and banned smoking and drinking at Atlantic City casinos set to reopen this week.
Here are some major developments:
- Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health officials will testify before Congress today on the state of the pandemic.
- Gilead Sciences, the maker of remdesivir that is shown to shorten recovery time for severely ill patients, said Monday it will charge $2,340 for a typical treatment course for people covered by government health programs in the U.S. and other developed countries.
- The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service are sticking to its July 15 deadline to file taxes. The IRS had postponed the tax-filing deadline from April 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Los Angeles and several Florida counties are closing their beaches Friday to help stop the spread of the virus during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
- Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a webcast Monday the surge of COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks is “very discouraging.”
📈Today’s stats: The number of confirmed cases globally is over 10.3 million, and the death toll is more than 505,500. There are more than 2.5 million cases in the U.S. and an excess of 126,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard.
📰 What we’re reading: As coronavirus cases surge in Arizona and Gov. Doug Ducey orders bars, gyms and theaters to close again, this town’s mayor says he won’t cancel events nor require masks. “My response from the onset of COVID-19 pandemic has been that we will err on the side of freedom,” Eagar Mayor Bryce Hamblin said in a statement.
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CDC official on coronavirus: ‘We are not even beginning to be over this’
The uptick in COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks is “very discouraging,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a webcast Monday.
“We are not even beginning to be over this,” she said.
In the outbreak’s early days in the U.S., the New York region bore the brunt of infections. Now, she said, infections are much more widespread, making it much harder to contain.
The only way to bring infection rates down again, she said, is to stay physically distant from each other, wear masks, wash hands, and stay away from others after a possible exposure. “In terms of the weather or season helping us, I don’t think we can count on that,” she told Dr. Howard Bauchner, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, who was conducting the online interview.
“Face-covering is something that each one of us can do,” she said, advising people to wear a mask every time they leave home and around people they don’t live with.
– Karen Weintraub
New Jersey bans smoking, drinking at Atlantic City casinos, halts indoor dining reopening
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday postponed the resumption of indoor dining, and banned drinking and smoking at Atlantic City’s casinos as they reopen this week, causing one casino to scrap plans to reopen anytime soon.
Murphy said he acted because of a lack of compliance over the use of face masks and social distancing as the coronavirus outbreak continues to rage in many parts of the country.
The decisions had an immediate effect: Atlantic City’s top-performing casino, the Borgata, dropped its plans to reopen soon. It had planned to hold an invitation-only “soft opening” on Thursday and open its doors to the general public starting July 6.
Now, neither of those things is happening for the immediate future, and it was unclear late Monday whether the one-two punch of a smoking and drinking ban would cause other casinos to also postpone their reopenings.
San Diego County to close all bars, wineries and breweries
Bars, wineries and breweries that don’t serve food in San Diego County have been ordered to close temporarily, county health officials announced Monday. The order goes into effect at midnight July 1.
“The pandemic is not over,” County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten said. “The virus is still pervasive in our communities. Now more than ever, it is vital that we all take precaution to guide our personal, as well as our collective health.”
The county had a new single-day record 498 new COVID-19 cases Monday, reported local broadcasting station KPBS. The closures comes as several California counties curtail plans to reopen some businesses after an increase in hospitalizations throughout the state.
– Elinor Aspegren
NYC hotels allegedly weren’t following coronavirus cleaning procedures, according to TV news show
Major hotel chains have announced special cleaning protocols in light of the coronavirus, but a television news show investigation is raising questions about whether they are being followed.
The syndicated news show “Inside Edition” aired a report Monday that alleges two of the three hotels it checked in New York didn’t thoroughly clean rooms or change bed linens between visits. It identified them as the Hyatt Place Times Square and the Hampton Inn Times Square Central. A third hotel, the Trump International overlooking Central Park did better, but wasn’t perfect.
“Inside Edition” said its producers checked into the hotels and spotted pillows, bed sheets and bath towels with a harmless, washable spray that becomes visible under ultraviolet light. The producer mussed up the bed and room to make it appear a guest had spent the night. A clear, washable gel was applied to other surfaces that would commonly be touched by hotel guests, such as the TV remote control, thermostat and desktop.
– Chris Woodyard
Oregon, Kansas will begin requiring face masks in public this week
Oregon and Kansas are the latest states set to require residents to wear face masks in public to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Starting Wednesday, face masks in indoor public spaces will be required for all Oregonians, Gov. Kate Brown announced Monday. Brown said there has been an “alarming rate” of cases spread in urban and rural counties in the last month.
“The upcoming July 4th holiday weekend is a critical point for Oregon in this pandemic, and we can all make a difference,” Brown said in a news release. She said she does not want to close businesses as other states have done.
In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly said she will issue an executive issue requiring face masks in public starting Friday. “The evidence could not be clearer — wearing a mask is not only safe, but it is necessary to avoid another shutdown,” Kelly told reporters Monday.
The order will require people to wear a mask around others. Specific guidance will be issued later this week, Kelly said.
As New York Public Library prepares to reopen, iconic lion statues wear face masks
As the New York Public Library prepares to reopen in July, its two iconic lion sculptures are wearing face masks to remind New Yorkers to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The statues, Patience and Fortitude, are “perfect symbols for the strengths our City and our nation need now even more,” New York Public Library President Anthony W. Marx said in a statement.
“We will get to the other side of this public health crisis together. But to do so, we must remain vigilant, we must have patience and fortitude, and we must follow what experts tell us, especially as we continue to reopen our cities. The lions, protectors of knowledge and truth who have seen 109 years worth of history, are setting that example,” Marx said.
This is the first time the statues have worn masks. On other occasions, the lions have donned wreaths every holiday season in December, Mets and Yankees caps for the 2000 Subway Series and top hats to celebrate the library system’s centennial in 1995.
The library is preparing to reopen some of its branches in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island on July 13.
What we’re reading
- ‘This is hell’: Parents and kids hate online learning, but they could face more of it
- Brooklyn Nets‘ stars test positive for COVID-19
- Tipping point: Starbucks barista’s GoFundMe at more than $80,000 after he told customer to wear mask.
Los Angeles, Florida counties to close beaches for July 4th weekend
Several counties in South Florida, including Miami-Dade, and Los Angeles County in California are closing their beaches for the July 4th holiday weekend as part of an effort to get control over spiking COVID-19 infection rates.
In California, Los Angeles County reported 2,903 new cases Monday, the highest single-day total since the pandemic began.
The Florida Department of Health reported 5,266 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Monday, the sixth consecutive day in which at least 5,000 new cases have been announced, and 28 more deaths, according to Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY network.
The state now has more than 146,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 3,400 deaths. The cases have more than doubled since Florida entered Phase 2 of its reopening plan on June 5. Here’s what you need to know about weekend beach closures.
– Jayme Deerwester and Chris Woodyard
IRS will not extend July 15 tax deadline
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service announced Monday it would stick with its tax filing extension deadline of July 15. The agencies are encouraging people to file for an automatic extension of Oct. 15, if they cannot meet the July 15 deadline, by filling out this form.
Earlier this year, the IRS postponed the tax-filing deadline from April 15 due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. States, however, may have different deadlines. Just last week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said a further postponement to September was being considered. Those who expect to have to pay 2019 taxes might want to check their payment options.
– Josh Rivera
More on the coronavirus from USA TODAY
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How do you stay safe on flights during the pandemic? Experts say flying is safer than it was earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic because of airlines’ changes, but travelers can take precautions, too. Here’s how.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/06/30/coronavirus-updates-face-masks-fauci-reopening/3279340001/
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