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U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Near 150,000, as Hospitalizations Rise

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pandemic approached 150,000, as fatalities and hospitalizations rose in parts of the country, while new cases in some areas showed signs of leveling off. The U.S. reported more than 61,000 new cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, a slight increase after two consecutive days of tallies below 60,000. The total number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. surpassed 4.3 million, accounting for more than a quarter of all confirmed cases world-wide, according to Johns Hopkins. Several states are facing increased coronavirus-related hospitalizations and deaths. The Florida Department of Health reported 186 new coronavirus-related deaths among residents, its highest recorded increase over a 24-hour period. State reporting on coronavirus deaths varies, and it is possible that deaths reported on a particular day may not have occurred over the previous 24 hours.

North Carolina reported its highest number of hospitalizations during the pandemic so far, with 1,244 people in hospitals. But new cases and testing positivity rates were stabilizing in the state, said Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, attributing the decline to prevention measures like the state’s mandate. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced a statewide 11 p.m. curfew for the sale of alcohol at restaurants, saying some restaurants have “essentially turned into bars” late at night.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said there were early signs that coronavirus cases and hospitalizations were plateauing in his state, two weeks after the state implemented new restrictions. Mr. Edwards said Louisiana has the highest number of confirmed cases per capita of any state.

New analyses from a coalition of public-health experts and crisis-response specialists show the overwhelming majority of states don’t meet criteria from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for lifting coronavirus-related restrictions.

The group’s online dashboard, covidexitstrategy.org, tracks state-level data on the spread of the disease, using the CDC’s reopening criteria. The dashboard, as of Tuesday, listed only four states as trending well in controlling the spread of the virus: Connecticut, Maine, New York and Vermont. Uncontrolled spread was seen in 23 states.

Cases continued to rise sharply in some other countries.

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Japan sees daily record of over 1,000 virus cases

Japan is battleling a surge in coronavirus cases, some areas may be running out of isolation facilities to monitor infected people. The health ministry reported 981 new cases Tuesday and three more deaths from COVID-19, raising the cumulative toll to 1,000 people. Most of the new cases were domestic, while 13 were found at airports from incoming flights, it said. Chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga acknowledged some areas may be running out of room at places like hotels, where infected people can be housed and monitored away from other people and prevent the spread of the virus. The national government stood ready to help regional governments to make sure people can stay in such facilities, Suga said Wednesday.

China reported more than 100 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday as the country continues to battle an outbreak in Xinjiang. The 101 new cases was China’s highest daily increase in weeks. The northwestern region of Xinjiang accounted for 89, with another eight in the northeastern province of Liaoning and one in Beijing. Another three cases were brought from outside the country by returning Chinese citizens. Hospitals are treating 482 people for the disease, with another 274 in isolation while being monitored for showing signs of infection or for having tested positive for the virus without displaying symptoms. Xinjiang’s outbreak has centered on the region’s capital and largest city of Urumqi, where authorities have isolated some communities, restricted public transport and ordered widespread testing.

— Vietnam’s government said Wednesday it is stepping up measures against the coronavirus as the country’s first domestic outbreak in more than three months continues to spread. Starting from a hospital in the popular beach city of Da Nang, 30 cases have been confirmed over the past five days, including an additional eight on Wednesday. “The outbreak this time has a high risk of spreading to other big cities and provinces around Da Nang,” Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at the government’s daily COVID-19 meeting. State media also reported suspected cases in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Initial tests of at least three people who returned from Da Nang were positive for the coronavirus, but still need to be confirmed. In Hanoi, health officials on Wednesday disinfected the residence and work place of a suspected case, a man who recently returned from Da Nang after a family vacation. The alley leading to his house and the pizza restaurant where he works were cordoned off and his contacts were quarantined and tested for the virus. The government estimates that tens of thousands of domestic tourists cut short their vacations and left Da Nang after the report of the outbreak there.

— South Korea reported 48 additional cases, maintaining an uptick in new infections. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday the additional figures took the country’s total to 14,251 with 300 deaths. Fourteen of the new patients were locally infected while the rest 34 came from overseas. South Korea has been reporting roughly 20-60 new cases every day since it eased its strict social distancing rules in early May.

— Australia’s hard-hit Victoria state recorded its lowest daily tally of COVID-19 cases in nine days while the state premier expressed hope it was the start of a downward trend. Victoria reported 295 new cases and nine deaths, seven of which were in aged care homes that are bearing the brunt of the pandemic. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said “trends are not made in one day” but that he hoped the decline continued. The outbreak has been concentrated in Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, which is halfway through a six-week lockdown.

— New Zealand’s government says it will rush through new laws to allow some people to be charged for their border quarantine costs. New Zealand hasn’t had any community transmission of the virus for three months, and everybody who enters the country is required to spend two weeks isolated at a hotel. The cost to taxpayers has already amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars. Under the new law, adults who leave or enter the country for short holidays or business trips will be required to pay about $2,100 toward their quarantine costs. But there will be many exceptions to the new fees, and officials acknowledge it will affect less than 10% of travelers.

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Even mild coronavirus cases can cause lasting cardiovascular damage, study shows

78% of survivors have permanent heart damage!

If you needed another reason to avoid coronavirus at all costs, here’s one. Skeptics of the disease and the necessity of shutting down the economy to stop its spread have focused on the fact that most coronavirus cases have been mild or even asymptomatic, mistakenly comparing COVID-19 to “just the flu.” But a recent study of 100 recovered coronavirus patients reveals 78 of them now have lasting cardiovascular damage even though a vast majority of them had mild cases of COVID-19 in the first place. The study published Monday in JAMA Cardiology details the results of cardiac MRI exams of 100 recovered coronavirus patients. Twenty-eight of them required oxygen supplementation while fighting the virus, while just two were on ventilators. But 78 of them still had cardiovascular abnormalities after recovery, with 60 of them showing “ongoing myocardial inflammation,” the study shows. These conditions appeared to be independent of case severity and pre-existing conditions, though JAMA researchers note these findings need a larger study. President Trump and his administration have tried to say America’s low coronavirus mortality rate proves the country is beating the virus. But not only is COVID-19’s mortality rate not as low as Trump has claimed; this study proves there are far more consequences of catching coronavirus than just dying of it.

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Fed Outlook Turns Gloomier as Coronavirus Spreads

Central bank leaders warn of hits to confidence, higher joblessness and more business bankruptcies

Federal Reserve officials meet Tuesday and Wednesday facing growing doubts about the prospect for a sustained economic rebound due to the nation’s uneven public-health response to the coronavirus. Officials have warned this month in speeches and interviews that the economy faces a deeper downturn and more difficult recovery if the country doesn’t take more effective action to slow the spread of infection.

FED’S POWELL SAYS US ECONOMY MAY NEED MORE POLICY HELP TO AVOID ‘PROLONGED’ RECESSION

Since the Fed’s mid-June policy meeting, virus infection rates have accelerated in many states that were among the first to encourage businesses to reopen. Business leaders and economists have warned that hard-hit industries such as travel, entertainment and hospitality will face a more difficult recovery if consumers don’t feel confident spending money indoors and gathering in large groups. The Fed isn’t likely to roll out new stimulus measures this week but is debating how to provide more support to the economy once the economic outlook becomes clearer. They could do this by adjusting their purchases of Treasury and mortgage securities and by providing more detail about what conditions would lead them to consider withdrawing stimulus. After the pandemic triggered widespread shutdowns in March, Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren said he had expected infections to recede by the summer much as it has in Europe. “Unfortunately, that is not the case,” he said in a July 8 interview. “We have not been nearly as successful.” The longer that infection rates flare up, the harder it will be for a range of industries that employ millions of Americans to recover. That, in turn, could lead to higher spells of extended joblessness, business failure and stress on the banking system.

The economy will face “severe economic consequences” if the public health response doesn’t improve, Mr. Rosengren said. The Fed’s policy response is “not going to be able to offset all the losses if we continue to make serious public health mistakes.”

He said he is particularly troubled about what could happen in the fall, as college students return to campus from around the country, younger students go back to school, and cold weather makes it harder for restaurants to operate outdoor dining. Regional data from the online reservations site OpenTable shows the Northeast is the only part of the U.S. that saw an increase in restaurant dining through mid-July on a weekly basis, suggesting that consumers are more willing to dine at restaurants in areas where the virus is under control. The economy added 7.5 million jobs in May and June but still has 14.7 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic. Coronavirus infections have accelerated in several large states since mid-June, when the Labor Department conducted its most recent survey of payroll growth. Real-time data tracked by Fed economists suggested that strong gains in hiring in May and June may not be sustained, said Fed Gov. Lael Brainard in a speech July 14. “Business leaders are getting worried. Consumers are getting worried,” Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said July 7 in a discussion hosted by the Tennessee Business Roundtable. “There is a real sense that this might go on longer than we had hoped and we had expected and we had planned for.”

One risk for the Fed is that markets and the public expect it will fix problems its tools aren’t suited for, said former Fed Gov. Randall Kroszner.

“There is nothing the Fed can do to bring back the airline industry, to replace broken supply chains, to make people feel comfortable going out to shopping malls,” said Mr. Kroszner, who now teaches at the University of Chicago. “People have the view the Fed is so powerful that it can do anything, and it can’t.”

Fed Vice Chairman Richard Clarida last month warned the improvements in financial markets may not last due to the path of the virus. At a minimum, the Fed’s lending programs had bought some time for businesses to hang on until an economic recovery spreads, he said. Officials have expressed alarm that businesses receiving relief from the $510 billion Paycheck Protection Program won’t be able to withstand further declines in demand due to virus fears. Mr. Kaplan said he has spoken to a range of companies that used those funds to bring back their employees and reopen. Their initial optimism has faded amid renewed slowdowns in business as virus infection rates flare up, and some businesses are seeing a substantial slowdown in foot traffic. “The jury is now very much out … because they’re not well equipped for another slowdown,” Mr. Kaplan said.

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Coronavirus cases could reach 175,000 a day

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned the death toll could hit 175,000 by August 15 after the U.S. crossed 4 million cases, with hospitalizations on the rise in 41 states.

The spread of the coronavirus could be elevated this fall with as many as 150,000 daily cases in the U.S., according to Morgan Stanley’s biotechnology analyst, Matthew Harrison. “We update our scenarios to account for the higher sustained infection rate,” Harrison said in a note Thursday. “Our bull [most optimistic] case reflects similar virus control to Europe while our base [most likely] case assumes a near-term plateau followed by increased spread in the fall. [About] 150,000 daily new cases are possible without better control of the virus.”

Harrison previously projected a “second wave” in the autumn with daily new cases totaling between 40,000 and 50,000 nationwide. However, the recent emergence of hot spots — Arizona, Texas, Florida and California — has reflected a high rate of infection, which led the analyst to adjust to a more pessimistic view on the pandemic.

“Our assumption of a growing reproduction number, and consequently increasing daily cases, throughout the rest of the year is based on the fact that traditionally the spread of viruses is elevated in the fall compared to the summer primarily due to more people in enclosed spaces,” Harrison said.

Chart of daily new coronavirus cases in the U.S. through July 22, 2020

A recent resurgence in new cases has forced a number of states to roll back their reopening plans, which weighed on the stock market that rallied massively in the second quarter on hopes for a fast economic recovery. Texas and Florida hit grim records for daily coronavirus deaths based on a seven-day moving average.The virus has infected an average of 66,805 people per day in the U.S. over the past seven days, up more than 7% compared with a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom reported a record spike in daily infections, surpassing New York as the U.S. state with the most confirmed infections since the pandemic began.

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Coronavirus Is Back With a Vengeance in Places Where It Had All but Vanished

Hong Kong, Japan and Australia are seeing new waves of infections after relaxing Covid-19 restrictions

Australia reported only a handful of new coronavirus cases in early June, while Hong Kong went three weeks without a single locally transmitted infection that month. Japan had already lifted a state of emergency in May after the number of new cases dropped to a few dozen nationwide. All three reported new high-water marks in daily infection numbers in the past week, showing how difficult it can be to keep the virus at bay, even in places lauded for taking early and decisive action. The number of infections in all three places are still small in comparison to the world’s hardest hit countries, but the fresh waves demonstrate the tricky balancing act authorities face as they attempt to reopen their economies.

One misstep can quickly undo the gains from weeks of closures, and public-health experts say some complacency and fatigue with social-distancing restrictions is inevitable in a long pandemic.

In Australia, the southeastern state of Victoria recorded 484 new cases on Jul. 22, eclipsing a nationwide high set in March. By Monday, the state’s daily infections had climbed to 532—with most in the capital, Melbourne.Victoria has accumulated some 7,000 new cases since June 9. The state’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, said this month it is conceivable that most, if not all, cases there could have stemmed from staff members failing to adhere to infection-control procedures at hotels housing travelers returning from overseas. Infection clusters have since spawned in schools, public-housing towers and aged-care homes.

“We were so close to having eliminated it from the whole of Australia,” said Adrian Esterman, professor of biostatistics at the University of South Australia. “We were a fingernail from doing it, and this happens.” He said that if new daily cases remained at current levels, it would soon become unsustainable for stretched contact-tracing teams to track infections.

Japan has seen a similar resurgence. The seven-day average for daily new cases in Tokyo more than quadrupled this month to 258 as of Sunday. Across Japan, there were a record 981 cases recorded Thursday. The government has again moved to secure hotel rooms to quarantine the infected after releasing most of the rooms it had previously requisitioned.Officials said many of the new cases were young people linked to nighttime entertainment districts and that more parties and gatherings in general have contributed to the spread. Asked about the second wave, a spokesman for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe referred to a statement Wednesday in which he defended the government’s balancing of economic reopening and virus prevention. Mr. Abe said, “The situation is significantly different from what we saw under the state of emergency in April,” because most of the new cases involve young people and hospitals aren’t overwhelmed. He said the government would “maintain sufficient vigilance against the spread of infections” while gradually reopening the economy. Facing the prospect of a protracted recession after a year of antigovernment protests followed by the pandemic, Hong Kong’s government gave every adult permanent resident $1,290 to encourage people to spend and revive the recession-hit economy. On June 16, city authorities lifted restrictions on indoor gatherings, restaurants and gyms. New local infections ceased—until July 5. Since then, Hong Kong has racked up more than 1,300 new cases, 87% of them locally transmitted. Within days of the cash handouts reaching residents, renewed social distancing saw fresh closures or restrictions on gyms, bars and restaurants.

Local epidemiology experts say they believe missteps by the government, such as exemptions for some foreign arrivals—including pilots, airline and cargo-ship crew—from testing or the 14-day mandatory quarantine, were factors in the latest wave of coronavirus.

Hong Kong has tightened regulations following the latest outbreak—starting July 29, travelers from the U.S. will be added to a list of high-risk countries, requiring them to provide a negative test before flying and proof they have booked a hotel for their quarantine before boarding their flights. Most of Australia has enjoyed prolonged spells without locally-transmitted infections. The relative speed at which the initial outbreak was contained and the low mortality rate, public health experts say, may have contributed to a sense of complacency by the time the second wave hit, despite constant government warnings. “Pretending that it is [over] because we all want it to be over is not the answer,” he said. “It is indeed part of the problem.”

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UK imposes quarantine for Britons returning from Spain

‘Everyone is panicking’: UK quarantine decision shocks Britons in Spain

Requirement to self-isolate on return to Britain will further damage tourism industry.

 

 

News that the British government had imposed a two-week quarantine on those returning from Spain quickly soured the Saturday night mood in the Brew Rock beach bar in Altea, Alicante – and across the rest of the country. The need for returning Britons to self-quarantine will further hobble a tourist sector that had already been preparing for a difficult summer in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. Spain went into one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns nine days before the UK, and the wearing of face masks in public places has been compulsory since 21 May. “Now to be hit with this is just unbelievable,” said Griffin. “Honestly, it’s just unbelievable. A lot of businesses have slowly but surely started to open their doors and take their staff off [temporary furloughs] and now to be faced with this is just another knock-back.” The timing of the British government’s announcement was also questioned by people at Madrid’s Barajas airport.

America faces an epic choice …

… in the coming months, and the results will define the country for a generation. These are perilous times. Over the last three years, much of what the Guardian holds dear has been threatened – democracy, civility, truth. The country is at a crossroads. Science is in a battle with conjecture and instinct to determine policy in the middle of a pandemic. At the same time, the US is reckoning with centuries of racial injustice – as the White House stokes division along racial lines. At a time like this, an independent news organisation that fights for truth and holds power to account is not just optional. It is essential.

The Guardian has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. Like many other news organisations, we are facing an unprecedented collapse in advertising revenues. We rely to an ever greater extent on our readers, both for the moral force to continue doing journalism at a time like this and for the financial strength to facilitate that reporting.

We believe every one of us deserves equal access to fact-based news and analysis. We’ve decided to keep Guardian journalism free for all readers, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay. This is made possible thanks to the support we receive from readers across America in all 50 states.

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Coronavirus ravaged Florida, as Ron DeSantis sidelined scientists and followed Trump

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – As Florida became a global epicenter of the coronavirus, Gov. Ron DeSantis held one meeting this month with his top public health official, Scott Rivkees, according to the governor’s schedule. His health department has sidelined scientists, halting briefings last month with disease specialists and telling the experts there was not sufficient personnel from the state to continue participating. “I never received information about what happened with my ideas or results,” said Thomas Hladish, a University of Florida research scientist whose regular calls with the health department ended June 29. “But I did hear the governor say the models were wrong about everything.” DeSantis, a Republican, this month traveled to Miami to hold a roundtable with South Florida mayors, whose region had emerged as a novel coronavirus hot spot. But the Republican mayor of Hialeah was shut out, weeks after saying the governor “hasn’t done much” for a city disproportionately affected by the virus. As the virus spread out of control in Florida, decision-making became increasingly shaped by politics and divorced from scientific evidence according to interviews with 64 current and former state and administration officials, health administrators, epidemiologists, political operatives and hospital executives. The crisis in Florida, these observers say, has revealed the shortcomings of a response built on shifting metrics, influenced by a small group of advisers and tethered at every stage to the Trump administration, which has no unified plan for addressing the national health emergency but has pushed for states to reopen. DeSantis relies primarily on the advice of his wife, Casey, a former television reporter and host, and his chief of staff, Shane Strum, a former hospital executive, according to multiple Republican political operatives, including a former member of his administration.

“It’s a universe of three – Shane and Casey,” said one Republican consultant close to DeSantis’s team who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer a candid assessment.

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US tops 1,000 coronavirus deaths 4 days in a row as experts urge the country to shut down

(CNN)Coronavirus deaths in the US topped 1,000 four days in a row last week amid ongoing debates on the return of school and mask mandates. The country recorded 900 new virus-related deaths Saturday, down from the 1,130 reported Friday. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 146,460 Americans have died from the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. And models project that there will be up to 175,000 deaths linked to the virus by August 15, according to an ensemble forecast published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projects there will be around 165,000 US deaths by that time. The grim patterns come as several states have reported record-breaking numbers of new cases and deaths in the past weeks. Some local leaders, including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, have mentioned the possibility of a second stay-at-home order as officials warn of strained testing labs and overwhelmed hospitals. And on Thursday, more than 150 prominent medical experts, scientists, teachers, nurses and other experts signed a letter urging leaders to shut the country down and start over to contain the rampant spread of the virus. “Right now, we are on a path to lose more than 200,000 American lives by November 1st. Yet, in many states people can drink in bars, get a haircut, eat inside a restaurant, get a tattoo, get a massage, and do myriad other normal, pleasant, but non-essential activities,” the letter read, which was sent to the Trump administration, members of Congress and state governors. As the country’s caseload and death toll climbs, at least four states reported record-breaking numbers since Friday.

California, which is leading the nation with the most recorded coronavirus cases, reported 159 deaths linked to the virus Friday — the highest number recorded in a single day since the start of the pandemic. That number comes just a day after the state’s previous daily record of 157 deaths. More than half of all virus-related deaths in the state come from Los Angeles County, where more than 4,260 deaths have been reported. The state has had more than 446,450 reported infections, according to Johns Hopkins.
Georgia also broke a new single-day record Friday, reporting at least 4,813 new coronavirus cases. Health officials reported 3,787 new cases Saturday. More than 165,180 people have tested positive in the state, according to Johns Hopkins.
Oregon reported nine new coronavirus-related deaths Friday, breaking its record for most reported fatalities in a single day since the pandemic began. Those deaths were recorded in people aged 61 years or older. Health officials in the state reported 396 new cases, bringing the state’s total to more than 16,100.
For the second day in a row, Hawaii reported a record number of new cases, identifying 60 new positive tests Friday, according to health officials. On Thursday, Hawaii reported 55 new cases. Hawaii has had at least 1,620 reported infections, according to Johns Hopkins.
“Some of the cases we’re reporting today are associated with existing clusters, known cases and household spread, but others are new, unassociated cases that indicate increasing community spread,” Health Director Bruce Anderson said in a statement.

Florida’s youngest victim was a 9-year-old girl

In Florida, a state that has beat its own record of new cases several times in recent weeks, coronavirus hospitalizations have jumped by nearly 80% since July 4, according to data released to CNN by the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). And across the state, at least 50 hospitals have no ICU beds available, a number similar to last weekend’s. Last week, a 9-year-old girl with no pre-existing conditions became the state’s youngest coronavirus victim. Her family says Kimora “Kimmie” Lynum was taken to a local hospital to treat a “very high” fever.
The girl’s cousin and family spokesman Dejeon Cain said the hospital instructed the family to return home. After doing so, the young girl complained of not feeling well and collapsed. She didn’t have a detectable heartbeat, Cain added.
Her family says they don’t know where the child contracted the virus, as she had appeared healthy and had spent the summer at home.

Texas hospital could send patients home to die

In Texas, which broke a record for virus-related deaths last week, doctors inside one hospital along the US-Mexico border may decide to send patients home to “die by their loved ones” due to limited resources, officials said. Officials in Starr County announced they’re creating committees to review patients’ cases at the Starr County Memorial Hospital — where at least 50% of patients admitted to the hospital’s emergency room have tested positive for coronavirus. “Unfortunately, Starr County Memorial Hospital has limited resources and our doctors are going to have to decide who receives treatment, and who is sent home to die by their loved ones,” Starr County Judge Eloy Vera wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. “This is what we did not want our community to experience.” Earlier this month, the governor ordered a statewide mask mandate and urged residents to heed the precautions in order for businesses and the economy to remain open.
As the state grapples with controlling the spread of the virus, Gov. Greg Abbott also had to issue a disaster declaration for 32 counties after Hurricane Hanna made landfall Saturday evening.

CDC in favor of reopening schools

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