Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker called for a national mandate on masks, saying that it “might be the most important thing we can do to save lives.″
“It’s not too late for the federal government to make an impact – in fact, it’s more important than ever,” Pritzker, a Democrat and frequent critic of President Donald Trump, told a U.S. House committee on Wednesday.
Illinois was one of the first states to mandate masks in public. The move “aligns with our most significant downward shifts in our infection rate,” Pritzker said.
Texas reported an additional 98 coronavirus deaths Wednesday, making it the highest single-day increase. The state reported a previous high of 60 deaths Tuesday. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 continued to climb Wednesday; 9,610 patients are in hospitals across the state. Gov. Greg Abbott aggressively began one of America’s fastest reopenings in May but has begun reversing course in recent weeks, ordering bars closed and mandating face coverings .
The state reported 9,979 new coronavirus cases Wednesday after hitting a record-high 10,028 new cases the day before. A total of 2,813 Texans have died from the virus.
In the wake of the Ivy League announcing Wednesday that fall sports will not be held during the upcoming semester because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called on other college sports conferences to do the same .
“There’s absolutely nothing different between the Ivy League and any division except for the money, to be very blunt,” Blumenthal told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s about the money. And if the other schools fail to follow the Ivy League’s lead, it will be only because of the money. And, in fact, it will be another misguided act in a long litany of putting school profits ahead of the people who play for them.”
Meanwhile, Chris Hinton, the leader of a newly formed parents group called College Football Parents 24/7, said Wednesday that his organization has sent a letter to members of the NCAA’s top policy making group and athletics directors with a list of 22 questions it says its members are regularly asking regarding the conduct of sports amid the pandemic.
– Steve Berkowitz
Dr. Anthony Fauci says states need to address COVID-19 response problems
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Wednesday that states need to face problems with their coronavirus responses because “if you don’t admit it, you can’t correct it.”
In an interview with “The Journal,” a podcast from the Wall Street Journal, Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, discussed the alarming rates of coronavirus cases that are surging in some states that reopened quickly.
“What we’re seeing is exponential growth, it went from an average of about 20,000 to 40,000 and 50,000. That’s doubling,” he said. Fauci told Congress last week that new coronavirus infections could increase to 100,000 a day if the nation doesn’t get its surge of cases under control.
– Savannah Behrmann
Bed Bath & Beyond to permanently close 200 stores over next 2 years
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. plans to close approximately 21% of its namesake stores, or 200 locations, over the next two years, the company announced Wednesday. The New Jersey-based home goods retailer, which also operates Buy Buy Baby, Harmon Face Values and World Market, said the closing stores would “mostly” be Bed Bath & Beyond stores, during an earnings call with analysts. CEO Mark Tritton said during Wednesday’s call that the closings would save the company $250 to $350 million annually after one-time costs.
– Kelly Tyko
Tulsa official: Donald Trump’s rally, protests ‘likely’ led to COVID-19 spike
Tulsa Health Department Executive Director Bruce Dart says it was “more than likely” that large gatherings in the last few weeks, including President Donald Trump’s local rally, prompted the record number of cases this week . A record 261 new cases of the virus were recorded in the county Monday, just over two weeks after Trump’s rally, which drew about 6,200 attendees and hundreds of protesters. An additional 206 cases were reported on Tuesday, according to the Tulsa Health Department.
“The past few days we’ve had almost 500 cases, and we know we had several large events a little over two weeks ago, which is about right, so I guess we just connect the dots,” Dart said, citing Trump’s rally and “other protests.”
– Jeanine Santucci
More on the coronavirus from USA TODAY
Where a face mask is required: Many governors are instituting or renewing orders requiring people to wear face coverings in public as cases continue to rise. Is your state on the list? See it here .
Coronavirus Watch: We have a few ways for you to stay informed. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here , and come together and share the latest information about the coronavirus, coping with lifestyle changes and more by joining our Facebook group.
Where are states on reopening? Some are taking preemptive measures to postpone further phases of their reopening, while others have rolled back their phases to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. See the list .
Contributing: The Associated Press
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