#COVID-19 Indiana Face Mask Advisory

[aroundfortwayne]

New mask guidance begins today at FWCS

New Post has been published on https://aroundfortwayne.com/news/2021/07/01/new-mask-guidance-begins-today-at-fwcs/

New mask guidance begins today at FWCS

Beginning July 1, 2021, face masks will no longer be required in Fort Wayne Community Schools’ buildings for those who have received the COVID-19 vaccination.

[coronavirusdecontaminationservic]

97,000 children reportedly test positive for coronavirus in two weeks as schools gear up for instruction

97,000 children reportedly test positive for coronavirus in two weeks as schools gear up for instruction

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Sunday heaped the blame on Congress’ failure to pass another coronavirus stimulus bill on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's “personal wish list” and defended President Trump’s use of executive orders to defer payroll taxes and replace an expired unemployment benefit with a lower amount.

Nearly 100,000 children tested positive for the coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics finds. Just over 97,000 children tested positive for the coronavirus from July 16 to July 30, according to the association.

Out of almost 5 million reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S., CBS News' Michael George reports that the group found that more than 338,000 were children.

Vanderbilt University's Dr. Tina Hartert hopes increased testing of children will help determine what role they play in transmission, as school districts around the country return to some form of school. She is leading a government-funded study that saw DIY testing kits sent to some 2,000 families.

"The kits are shipped to the families, they are taught how to collect these samples, and then the samples are sent back by the families to a central repository," she said.

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In New York City, home to the nation's largest school district, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a return to in-person schooling in the fall and pledged officials "have worked incessantly to get this right."

"They've looked at examples from all over the world of what will keep the school community safe, and they've made a series of choices of how to do things from the health and safety lens first, while also making sure we can educate our kids," he said in a Friday press conference.

De Blasio gave parents until Friday night to register students for in-person instruction, remote learning or a hybrid.

Coronavirus: The Race To Respond Gottlieb says U.S. could reach 300,000 COVID deaths by end of the year Ohio governor tests negative for coronavirus a second time U.S. coronavirus cases top 5 million as pandemic rages on Trump signs measures to boost economic aid but could face challenges MORE More than 25 children died of the coronavirus in July alone. Pressure to get kids back into the classroom has left superintendents in more than 13,000 different school districts across the country to figure out how to keep children safe amid a myriad of public health advisories, and handle learning differences.

Niles, Michigan Superintendent Dan Applegate is hoping Plexiglas could be a solution for children with speech impediments to be able to participate in class.

He demonstrated by speaking behind a transparent slate at a press conference.

"As I'm sitting here and I can articulate," Applegate said. "The student on the other side will be wearing a mask. Then I can put my mask on, and that student can drop their mask and articulate as well."

Indiana's Lawrence Township is cleaning school buses with a hospital-grade disinfectant spray for students still needing rides to school.

[orbemnews]

How Mask Guidelines Have Evolved in a Pandemic Year A lot has changed since early 2020, when countries around the world first realized the potential threat of a highly contagious, and still mysterious, flulike virus. In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, no one knew for sure how the virus spread. People were scrubbing their groceries. Governments urged people to stay home, to wash their hands frequently and to avoid touching their face. Masks quickly emerged as a point of confusion, as public health officials at first discouraged people from wearing them, citing shortages, and then endorsed them. Mask mandates became a flash point in the culture wars as states, counties and cities across the country adopted a patchwork of policies. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that it was no longer necessary for fully vaccinated people to wear masks in small groups outdoors, bringing the public guidance in line with a growing body of research indicating that the risk of spreading the coronavirus is much greater indoors. Here is how the public health guidance on masking in the United States has shifted since the start of the pandemic. February 2020 ‘Stop buying masks,’ surgeon general pleads “Seriously people — STOP BUYING MASKS!” the surgeon general at the time, Dr. Jerome M. Adams, wrote on Twitter in February 2020. “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if health care providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!” Dr. Adams said in another post that the best way for people to avoid catching or spreading the coronavirus was by washing their hands often and by staying home if they felt sick. At the time, masks — particularly N95s, which are thicker, fit more tightly around the mouth and nose, and block smaller particles than surgical masks do — were in high demand, leading to price gouging. Shortages abounded in hospitals across the country. Even Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, voiced concern at the time that urging Americans to wear masks could lead to even worse shortages of medical masks, including N95s. “You don’t want to take masks away from the health care providers who are in a real and present danger of getting infected,” Dr. Fauci told CNN. On March 15, the C.D.C. made no mention of masks when it recommended that gatherings in the United States — including weddings, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events and conferences — be limited to 50 people. April 2020 A change in policy, with more mixed messaging In April, officials reversed course, with the C.D.C. urging all Americans to wear a mask outside their homes to supplement other public health measures, such as social distancing and hand washing. Masks were recommended for all people over age 2 who were in a public setting, traveling or around others in the same household who might be infected. However, President Donald J. Trump immediately undercut the message by saying it was voluntary and by vowing not to wear a mask himself. Officials said masks should be worn primarily to reduce the spread of the virus, not necessarily to protect the wearer. In April, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines joined other carriers in requiring passengers and flight attendants to wear a face covering. September 2020 Health officials speak out for masks Many officials have emphasized the public health benefits of masks. In September, Dr. Robert R. Redfield, then the C.D.C.’s director, told a Senate committee that masks were “the most important, powerful public health tool we have” for fighting the pandemic, adding that the universal use of face coverings could bring the pandemic under control in months. Updated  April 27, 2021, 3:47 p.m. ET “I might even go so far as to say that this face mask is more guaranteed to protect me against Covid than when I take a Covid vaccine,” Dr. Redfield said. Vaccines, he said, are not 100 percent effective, whereas masks, when worn properly, do what they are designed to do. However, Mr. Trump quickly rejected those comments, saying Dr. Redfield had “made a mistake” in suggesting that masks may be more useful than a vaccine. The next month, Mr. Trump again undermined the guidance from Dr. Redfield and other public health officials in his administration when he removed his mask for the cameras as he returned to the White House from the Walter Reed medical center, where he had been hospitalized with Covid-19. January 2021 President Biden imposes some masking rules President Joseph R. Biden Jr. in January used his executive authority to impose mask requirements where he could — including on federal property and in interstate travel. In a series of orders, Mr. Biden made mask wearing mandatory in airports and on many airplanes, as well as on intercity buses and on trains. He also urged all Americans to “mask up” for 100 days. March 2021 The C.D.C. issues its first guidelines for vaccinated people In March, almost exactly a year since the pandemic first gripped Americans in fear, the C.D.C. said that people who had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus could gather in small groups indoors without masks or social distancing. Vaccinated adults could begin to plan mask-free dinners with vaccinated friends, the agency said. March 2021 States begin lifting mask mandates With vaccinations on the rise, some states began lifting mask mandates. Others, including Florida and South Dakota, never had one. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican, lifted the mask mandate and capacity limits on all businesses starting March 10. The order ensured that “all businesses and families in Texas have the freedom to determine their own destiny,” Mr. Abbott said. Utah, Arizona, Iowa and Wisconsin did the same. The governors of Montana, North Dakota and New Hampshire allowed statewide mask mandates to expire. Gov. Eric Holcomb of Indiana, a Republican, would follow suit in April by replacing a statewide mask mandate with an advisory. Other states remained strict: In Massachusetts, for instance, outdoor masking was still required at all times, even when nobody else was around. April 2021 C.D.C. relaxes masking advice for people who gather outdoors On April 27, the C.D.C. said that fully vaccinated people generally no longer needed to wear masks outdoors, but should continue to wear them at indoor gatherings or at crowded outdoor events. People who haven’t gotten their shots can also go without a mask in small gatherings held outside as long as they are with fully vaccinated friends and family, the agency said. Vaccinated adults should continue to wear masks and stay at least six feet from others in large public spaces — such as at outdoor performances or sporting events, or in shopping malls and movie theaters — where the vaccination and health status of others would be unknown, the agency said. And they should still avoid medium-size and large gatherings, crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, officials said. A growing body of research indicates that the risk of spreading the virus is far lower outdoors than indoors. Viral particles quickly disperse outdoors, public health officials have said, so the transmission risk is far lower, though not impossible. “I think it’s pretty common sense now that outdoor risk is really, really quite low,” Dr. Fauci said Sunday on “This Week” on ABC. Particularly “if you are a vaccinated person, wearing a mask outdoors — I mean, obviously, the risk is minuscule.” Source link Orbem News #evolved #Guidelines #mask #Pandemic #Year

[freenewstoday]

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2021/03/24/a-top-health-official-warned-relaxing-covid-19-measures-threatens-progress-a-day-later-more-states-said-they-were-easing-restrictions/

A top health official warned relaxing Covid-19 measures threatens progress. A day later, more states said they were easing restrictions

“The continued relaxation of prevention measures while cases are still high and while concerning variants are spreading rapidly throughout the United States is a serious threat to the progress we have made as a nation,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday.

“It’s really very much a race,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN. “If we can continue to accelerate the number of people vaccinated in this country… I think we’ll be in a much better position. But you have unfortunately a lot of governors releasing restrictions, people are traveling… and this B.1.1.7 variant.”

“It could go either way,” he added, on whether the country could soon be facing another surge.

Since the start of the month, at least a dozen state leaders have eased Covid-19 restrictions. And a day after both experts’ remarks, two more governors announced plans to relax some measures.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Tuesday that starting April 6, the state’s face-covering mandate will become a state mask advisory. Masks will remain mandatory in state buildings and facilities as well as at Covid-19 testing and vaccination sites, the governor said.

Also starting April 6, decisions about venue capacity will be in the hands of local officials, Holcomb said, and customers in restaurants, bars and nightclubs will no longer be required to be seated. Six feet of spacing between tables is still recommended, he added.

In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that starting April 1, both indoor and outdoor gathering limits will increase and certain sports and entertainment venues will be able to operate with additional capacity.

“While some capacity limits will be increased, we must all remember to stay vigilant and work together to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities,” he said in a statement.

With more vaccinations, Americans going out more

Many state leaders — including those who have opted to relax restrictions — have in recent weeks expressed optimism about inching closer to the end of the pandemic, citing lowered Covid-19 numbers in comparison to the winter surge and increasing vaccinations.

So far, more than 83.9 million Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to data from the CDC. More than 45.5 million are fully vaccinated, according to the data. That’s roughly 13.7% of the US population.

At least two states — Alaska and New Mexico — have fully vaccinated more than one in five residents, data published Tuesday by the CDC shows. In New Mexico, more than a third of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine.

Vaccine eligibility across the US

As more Americans are vaccinated, the number of people going out is also increasing, according to a poll from Axios-Ipsos published Tuesday.

Compared to a month ago, the number of people who have gone out to eat or visit friends and family are up 12 and 9 percentage points respectively, according to the poll — which was conducted March 19 to 22 and was made up of 995 Americans 18 and older.

The number of people who believe that dining out poses a large risk to health and well-being has gone down to 23% compared to 33% a month ago. Those who have visited friends or relatives — 48% — is the highest since October. Additionally, 54% have visited a non-grocery retail store — the highest number since May.

In some cases, it’s the unvaccinated who are driving the shift in behavior. For example, 52% of unvaccinated respondents say they’ve visited with friends or relatives in the last week, compared with 41% of people who have gotten the vaccine.

The good news is that safety measures aren’t being abandoned.

More than seven in 10 people still wear a mask whenever they leave the house and 80% said they will continue to do so even after being vaccinated. About 63% also said they will continue to social distance after vaccination.

Experts worry AstraZeneca confusion may lead to vaccine hesitancy

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca is soon expected to apply for emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine in the US. But some experts fear recent concerns over an announcement of its vaccine data could further contribute to hesitancy.

In a Monday news release, AstraZeneca said its vaccine showed 79% efficacy against symptomatic disease and 100% efficacy against severe disease and hospitalization in a new US-based clinical trial.

But the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said in a statement Tuesday the independent board that reviews data from multiple vaccine candidates raised concerns about the company’s announcement.

The board “expressed concern that AstraZeneca may have included outdated information from that trial, which may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data,” the NIAID statement said.

Speaking on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said the AstraZeneca news release may have contained misleading information about its vaccine efficacy — “an unforced error” that may create doubt about what is likely a good vaccine.

The data is “really quite good, but when they put it into the press release, it wasn’t completely accurate,” Fauci said.

AstraZeneca said in a statement it will “immediately engage with the independent data safety monitoring board (DSMB) to share our primary analysis with the most up to date efficacy data,” adding that it intend to issue results of the primary analysis within 48 hours.

One expert says she worries this may hinder confidence in the vaccines among Americans.

“I am very concerned because there is already so much misinformation and disinformation out there,” emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN on Tuesday. “With this amount of public scrutiny, I think every company really should be aiming for full transparency and accountability and we really need to understand what happened here.”

“AstraZeneca owes us an explanation,” she added.

CNN’s Rebekah Riess, Deidre McPhillips and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report.

Source

[footmantravelagency]

Government coronavirus information and travel advice

Now in effect, the CDC’s implementation of an executive order requires “the wearing of masks by all travelers into, within, or out of the United States, e.g., on airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares. The mask requirement also applies to travelers in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and seaports; train, bus, and subway stations; and any other areas that provide transportation.”

If you travel domestically, review travel restrictions at both the state and local levels. Some states don’t have state-wide requirements, but some counties and cities are imposing rules and restrictions.

Also, be aware that each state has varying restrictions and guidelines around the types of businesses that can be open. For a complete list of the types of businesses open in each state, click the links we share below at the state level or visit the New York Times’ comprehensive state-by-state guidelines page.

Coronavirus information and travel restrictions by state

Note that although there may not be statewide restrictions, some counties and cities are enforcing their own. Be sure to check the local government website of your destination for detailed coronavirus information.

Alabama: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Alabama.

Alaska: Out-of-state travelers and returning residents should submit a Travel Declaration and Self-Isolation Plan and are strongly encouraged to submit a negative result from a test taken prior to departure to Alaska or get tested at the airport. It’s recommended that anyone awaiting test results self-quarantine. Get details on the latest advisory or comprehensive Alaska travel information.

Arizona: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Arizona.

Arkansas: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Arkansas.

California: All those arriving from outside the state (including returning residents) are encouraged to self-quarantine for 10 days after arrival in California. Los Angeles county has a mandatory, 10-day quarantine for those entering from other states and countries. LA is requiring all those arriving from outside the state (ages 16+) to submit out an online travel form prior to arrival. Failure to do so is punishable by a fine up to $500. For more details, click here.

Colorado: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Colorado.

Connecticut: Anyone traveling into Connecticut from outside the U.S. or anywhere other than New York, New Jersey or Rhode Island is directed to self-quarantine for 10 days from the time of leaving the identified state or country. It is necessary to fill out a travel form. Failure to do so is punishable by a fine up to $500 for each violation. Quarantine can be shortened or eliminated with proof of negative test results taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in the state. For more information, click here.

Delaware: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Delaware.

District of Columbia: Visitors must get tested with 72 hours of entering DC. Those who plan to be in DC for longer than three days should get tested within 3-5 days of their arrival. Exceptions include essential workers, those traveling for less than 24 hours, visitors from Maryland and Virginia, among others.

Florida: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Florida.

Georgia: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Georgia.

Hawaii: All transpacific and intercounty travelers arriving on Kauai will be subject to the 10-day quarantine regardless of testing. For residents and visitors traveling to all other Hawaiian islands, it is required to upload a negative test result prior to departure (before boarding the final leg of their trip). If not, they must self-quarantine for 10 days upon arrival, even if they receive a negative test result after arrival. Only test results from pre-approved partners are being accepted. Completion of the state’s Safe Travels form is mandatory for all individuals. Wearing a face mask in Hawaii is required by law. For more information, click here.

Intercounty travelers can participate in Hawaii’s Safe Travels program and be exempt from the 10-day travel quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test taken less than 72 hours before intercounty travel. On Kauai, “resort bubble” hotels will allow travelers to use resort amenities for the first 3 days of their trip until they are able to take a post-arrival COVID test. A negative test result will allow them to leave the “resort bubble.”

Idaho: There are no statewide travel restrictions for visitors to Idaho.

Illinois: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to the state of Illinois, but the city of Chicago is requiring visitors from particular states to self-quarantine for 10 days. Its system places states in three categories – red, orange and yellow – with differing travel advisories and restrictions/requirements.

Indiana: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Indiana.

Iowa: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Iowa.

Kansas: Residents and visitors who meet one of the following criteria must quarantine upon entering or returning to Kansas: Individuals who traveled to the countries of Mayotte, Czechia, San Marino, Montenegro or Seychelles on or after 2/26/21; have attended an out-of-state mass gathering event of 500+ people where others were not wearing masks and practicing social distancing; returning from a cruise ship or river cruise; and/or were notified by public health officials as being a close contact of someone with a case of COVID-19. Length of quarantine varies. For information, click here.

Kentucky: Those who travel out of state so are asked to self-quarantine for 14 days upon return to Kentucky (or follow CDC quarantine guidance). For more information, click here.

Louisiana: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Louisiana.

Maine: Individuals traveling to Maine from another state must self-quarantine for 10 days (or the length of their trip if it’s shorter) or provide proof of a negative test result. Visitors and residents from New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are exempt from the quarantine requirement, as well as those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have had COVID-19 in the previous 90 days. The state is aiming to exempt travelers from all states starting May 1. Federal requirements related to international travel still apply. For more information, click here.

Maryland: As of 5pm on March 12, quarantine requirements end. A travel advisory remains in effect. For more details, click here.

Massachusetts: Most travelers and returning residents are required fill out a travel form and self-quarantine for 10 days upon entering the state or produce a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival. Those who don’t quarantine are subject to a $500 fine per day. Travelers from states classified as lower-risk are exempt from the test or quarantine requirements, as well as those who have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days. For more information, click here.

Michigan: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Michigan.

Minnesota: Visitors and residents returning from out of state are asked to quarantine for 14 days, even those who have received a vaccine. For more information, click here.

Mississippi: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Mississippi.

Missouri: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Missouri.

Montana: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Montana, but Native American reservations throughout the state have put their own restrictions in place. To learn more, click here.

Nebraska: There are no travel restrictions for domestic visitors to Nebraska. Those arriving from abroad are required to get tested 3-5 days after travel and self-quarantine for 7 days after travel.

Nevada: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Nevada.

New Hampshire: Individuals traveling to New Hampshire, including returning residents, are asked to self-quarantine for 10 days unless they are coming from the following states: Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. There is a 7-day quarantine “test out” option for travelers. For more information on quarantine guidelines, click here. Those who tested positive within the last 90 days (and have recovered) or those are fully vaccinated (with more than 14 days passing since their final dose) do not need to quarantine or be tested.

New Jersey: Travelers and returning residents coming from anywhere beyond New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware are asked to fill out a travel form and self-quarantine (length of quarantine varies depending on circumstances). The state says it’s voluntary but compliance is expected.

New Mexico: It is strongly advised for visitors and returning residents to self-quarantine for 14 days and get a COVID-19 test upon entering the state. For more information, click here.

New York: Those who have been vaccinated do not need to quarantine if they are traveling to NY within 90 days of receiving their last dose. All others must quarantine for 10 days. To test out, visitors and returning residents must take a COVID-19 within three days of arriving in New York, then quarantine for three days and get retested on the fourth day. If the test from the fourth day is negative, they can exit quarantine. Those exempt include essential workers and individuals from states that border New York. Covered travelers still must fill out the Traveler Health Form. NOTE: Requirements are different depending on whether you were out of state for less than or more than 24 hours. For more information, click here.

North Carolina: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to North Carolina.

North Dakota: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to North Dakota.

Ohio: All individuals traveling to Ohio from states reporting positive coronavirus testing rates of 15% or higher are asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. The list of affected states is updated weekly. For more information, click here.

Oklahoma: Visitors to Oklahoma coming from from “an area with substantial community spread” must wear a mask in all public spaces and limit attendance at indoor gatherings for 10-14 days. For more information, click here.

Oregon: All returning residents and visitors traveling for non-essential purposes are asked to self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival in Oregon. There’s an exemption for those who received the final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days ago and are symptom-free. For more information, click here.

Pennsylvania: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Pennsylvania.

Rhode Island: Those traveling to the state from outside the US or a designated high-risk state must self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Complete this certificate of compliance and travel screening form upon arrival in Rhode Island. Failure to comply could result in a $500 fine.

South Carolina: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to South Carolina. Those who have traveled in the last 14 days are asked to stay home as much as possible.

South Dakota: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to South Dakota.

Tennessee: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Tennessee.

Texas: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Texas.

Utah: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Utah.

Vermont: Returning residents and travelers must abide by a mandatory 14-day quarantine. It is possible to test out of quarantine with a negative result on or after day 7 of quarantine. Gatherings between multiple households is not allowed, therefore travelers cannot stay with a local host. For more information on gathering restrictions and other cross-state information, click here. Note: those who have been vaccinated are exempt from quarantine in Vermont, but at least 14 days must have passed since receiving the final vaccine dose.

Virginia: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to Virginia.

Washington: International air travelers are required to comply with CDC guidelines upon entering the state. It’s recommended that anyone coming to Washington self-quarantine for 14 days. For more information, click here.

West Virginia: There are no travel restrictions for visitors to West Virginia.

Wisconsin: There are no statewide travel restrictions for visitors to Wisconsin. The state recommends that Wisconsinites cancel or postpone all travel, including within the state. Several Wisconsin counties issued travel advisories for seasonal and second homeowners. If you must travel, check for area-specific safety updates and closures. You may need to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival at your destination. For more information, click here.

Coronavirus information and travel restrictions by country

Visit Skyscanner’s global map for the latest details on where U.S. citizens and residents can travel to from the Unites States, along with country-specific coronavirus information.

A policy that began January 26, 2021 requires all air passengers traveling from a foreign country to the U.S. to present a negative COVID test prior to boarding their flight to the United States. The test must have been taken within 3 days of the flight, regardless of vaccination status, and travelers must present written documentation of the results or proof of having recovered from COVID-19 within the last three months (and not currently experiencing symptoms). Read all about COVID-19 PCR tests in our comprehensive overview.

Foreign nationals who have been in one of the below countries in the last 14 days cannot enter the United States. According to the CDC: “citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States, certain family members, and other individuals who meet specified exceptions, who have been in one of the countries listed [below] in the past 14 days will be allowed to enter the United States.”

China

Iran

European Schengen area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City)

United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

Republic of Ireland

Brazil

South Africa

For country-specific travel advice and coronavirus information, visit the CDC or State Department websites.

Coronavirus information on flight cancellation and policy updates

American Airlines

Updated Flight Schedule

The carrier is operating a reduced domestic and international flight schedule due to decreased demand and coronavirus travel restrictions.

American Airlines is collaborating with domestic and foreign governments to offer preflight COVID-19 testing for individuals traveling to specific destinations.

Upon check-in, you must confirm that you have been free of COVID-19 symptoms for the last 14 days.

Change and Cancellation Policy

American Airlines is eliminating all change fees for First, Business, Premium Economy and Main Cabin (except Basic Economy fares) tickets for all domestic and short-haul international flying (including Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) for tickets issued on or after August 31, 2020. If your travel plans change, you can keep the full value of your original ticket but will need to pay the fare difference if your new flight is more expensive. If your new flight is less expensive, you’ll get the fare difference in the form of travel credit to use on a future trip. The new change fee policy applies to AAdvantage® award tickets as well.

Change fees have also been eliminated for First, Business, Premium Economy and Main Cabin tickets for all long-haul international flights originating in North or South America. This if valid for tickets issued on or after November 19, 2020.

For new tickets booked until March 31, 2021, American Airlines is expanding their offer to waive change fees for all dates, regardless of fare type or itinerary. This offer includes Basic Economy fares and AAdvantage® award tickets.

For more information or to change or cancel an American Airlines flight, click here.

Frontier

Updated Flight Schedule

The pandemic has impacted domestic and international flight options. To discover all current Frontier flights from the United States, click here.

Change and Cancellation Policy

There are no change and cancellation fees for bookings made through March 31, 2021. Terms and conditions apply.

Frontier’s general change and cancellation policy is: $0 for 60+ days prior to departure; $39 for 59 to 7 days prior to departure; and $59 for 6 or less days prior to departure (including same day). Changes are subject to fare difference. There are other details to note about changed/cancelled tickets.

For additional information on changing or cancelling existing Frontier reservations, click here.

Delta

Updated Flight Schedule

The pandemic has impacted domestic and international flight options.

Delta announced that it is blocking middle seats through April 30, 2021. It has also added hand sanitizer stations to its aircrafts, and more. Read the details here.

Change and Cancellation Policy

Delta’s COVID-19 travel waiver expires on March 30, 2021, for trips originating outside North America.

For tickets originating in North America, change and cancellation fees have been eliminated. Fare difference will apply for higher-priced ticket changes. Cancelled tickets will turn into an eCredit, which will typically expire a year from the date of purchase.

Basic Economy tickets that are bought after March 30, 2021 are non-refundable and non-changeable.

Tickets purchased prior to April 17, 2020 for travel through March 2021 are granted an eCredit extension through December 31, 2022.

For more information on rescheduling or cancelling Delta flights, click here.

Spirit

Updated Flight Schedule

Spirit has adjusted its domestic and international flight schedule due to the impact of coronavirus. To check their updated schedule, see upcoming nonstop services and view seasonal routes, click here.

Change and Cancellation Policy

Spirit is waiving change and cancellation fees for individuals whose travel plans are impacted by COVID-19.

For flight cancellations, Spirit is providing a full purchase price reservation credit.

For more information on changing or cancelling a Spirit flight, please click here.

Turkish Airlines

Updated Flight Schedule

Due to the impact of coronavirus, Turkish Airlines has updated its domestic and international flight schedules.

For more information on current flights, click here.

Change and Cancellation Policy

For tickets bought through December 31, 2021 (inclusive), flexible Travel opportunities are available through March 31, 2022 (inclusive).

United

Updated Flight Schedule

The pandemic has impacted domestic and international flight options. For the most up-to-date flight schedule, visit United’s page here.

The airline has permanently eliminated change fees for most Economy and premium cabin tickets for flights within the U.S.

Change and Cancellation Policy

For tickets issued March 3-March 31, 2020, change fees are waived for a flight of equal or lesser value as long as travel commences on or before March 31, 2022. If the new flight is priced higher, the fare difference will be charged.

To change or cancel your United flight, click here.

Have you been impacted by coronavirus flight cancellations? Get more useful advice in our article on what to do if your flight is cancelled or delayed. Plus, find out how to book flexible travel, from airfare to accommodations.

Coronavirus frequently asked questions

Here is more coronavirus information for this ever-evolving situation:

How can I stay safe when traveling?

There are a lot of practical steps you can take. Regularly wash your hands (with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand gel), avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth and stay at least three feet away from someone who is coughing or sneezing. Read more from the WHO.

I want to cancel my travel plans due to coronavirus. How do I do this and can I get a refund?

First of all, call the airline, hotel, or online travel agent who you booked with. Not sure which company you used? You’ll see their name on your bank or credit card statement as well as the email you received from them to confirm the booking.

My flight has been canceled due to coronavirus. How do I get a refund?

Call the airline or online travel agent you booked with if your flight is cancelled. With so many travel plans changed, it may take longer than usual to speak to someone who can help, but keep trying. If the airline or online travel agent tells you that a refund isn’t available or they’ve stopped trading, it might be worth getting in touch with your credit card company if that’s how you booked. If you have travel insurance, get in touch with the provider as well.

Will my travel insurance cover coronavirus flight cancellations?

It all depends on your travel insurance policy as to whether flight cancellations are covered. Check your provider’s website or give them a call to find out more about your specific situation.

Find answers to commonly asked questions about COVID-19 from the WHO. We have also responded to the top questions from our traveler community in a comprehensive Q&A, filled with the coronavirus information you’ve been asking about most.

[covid19updater]

COVID19 Updates: 12/09/2020

California:  California COVID-19 cases explode to single-day record with more than 34,000 new infection LINK

World:  BREAKING: Warning after two patients have allergic reactions to Pfizer Covid vaccine LINK

Singapore:  Singapore 'cruise to nowhere' turns back after passenger tests positive for Covid-19 LINK

Rhode Island:  COVID Patient Tells Doctor All 22 People at Her Thanksgiving Dinner Have Symptoms LINK

China:  China's Chengdu city tests 250,000 people for Covid-19 after new cluster emerges LINK

US:  A whistleblower says the FDA isn’t properly regulating vaccine facilities LINK

Russia:  JUST IN - Russian officials are warning citizens to avoid alcohol for at least 2 months after receiving the country’s Sputnik V #COVID19 vaccine — tough-to-swallow news for one of the world’s heaviest drinking countries.

North Dakota:  1 in 3 South Dakotans has now been infected with Covid. Stunning.

Pennsylvania: Gov. Wolf tests positive for COVID-19.

Germany: reports nearly 24,000 new coronavirus cases, biggest one-day increase on record - New cases: 23,934 - Positivity rate: 10.3% (-) - In hospital: 20,814 (+453) - In ICU: 4,285 (+32) - New deaths: 552

RUMINT (New York):  A big family in my small town that owns and operates 2 restaurants are superspreading it everywhere here because they had a HUGE Thanksgiving dinner. About half of them are positive, and the restaurants are STILL OPEN for indoor dining. They are Cuomo haters, and I am wondering if they will blame him when their family members die. Even though they are infecting the whole fucking town. I will NEVER eat at any of their places again when this is all over. One of my friend in Indiana just had to send her Mom in an ambulance to hospital....alone...Can't breathe COVID positive.....One of my Moms best friends is VERY sick, and her husband is now hospitalized and they want to send him to a nursing home. This is in CT, and totally self inflicted because they kept going out to dinner and "the club" and having in person meetings... One of MY friends had COVID in April because when she was working at BJ's Wholesale Club being a taster lady, they wouldn't allow her to wear a mask to protect herself (she is a retired dentist and knows about masking duh)...She recovered, but is now hospitalized with Sepsis, and they can't stop it. I haven't heard back from her today and am in real fear for her. Ms. SpinalCracker's Bosses Brother, who is a legislator here is now positive. They had a huge ass Italian thanksgiving dinner, so who knows who else is going to have it. But.......I think he got it through a government meeting, because our State Senator also has it, they are Republicans and for some reason refuse to mask up and have indoor meetings. WE are HOME on strict quarantine so that we can go see my Mom on the 19th and have Stone Crabs she is having flown up from Florida. Seriously fuck everyone else at this point. I don't understand why my state is still open. I'm assuming they will stay open to get the Xmas tax money windfall because we need it, and the Feds are holding up funds because trump is a crying little baby. And I am sure that this is just the beginning of the fuckery we have coming our way. The middle of January is going to be a major shitshow.

Arizona:  BREAKING: Just received a health advisory alert from Pima County saying hospitals are at capacity.

South Korea:  Infected after 5 minutes, from 20 feet away: South Korea study shows coronavirus’ spread indoors LINK

US:  U.S. records more than 3,000 deaths in a single day, a new high LINK

California: reports nearly 31,000 new coronavirus cases, biggest one-day increase on record - New cases: 30,851 - Positivity rate: 12.2% (+4.3) - In hospital: 11,965 (+454) - In ICU: 2,627 (+101) - New deaths: 196

US:  Scientists say the US is about to face its "worst public health event" ever LINK

CHINA: Chengdu, Sichuan, is back on a war footing and rolls out mass testing in the wake of a fresh cluster of #COVID19 cases.

World:  Virtually all children infected with COVID-19 show signs of blood vessel damage LINK

World:  Evidence of thrombotic microangiopathy in children with SARS-CoV-2 across the spectrum of clinical presentations LINK

California:  L.A. County public health director breaks down in tears while describing ‘incalculable’ COVID-19 deaths LINK

[perfectirishgifts]

Cleveland Cavaliers Will Open Season Against Charlotte Hornets With New Covid-19 Safety Protocols

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/cleveland-cavaliers-will-open-season-against-charlotte-hornets-with-new-covid-19-safety-protocols/

Cleveland Cavaliers Will Open Season Against Charlotte Hornets With New Covid-19 Safety Protocols

Len Komoroski, CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers, stands outside of Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse where a … [] voter registration event took place on September 21, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. – Cleveland sports teams the Browns of the NFL, Cavaliers of the NBA. and Indians of MLB, partnered on the voter registration to encourage Ohio voters to cast their ballot on election day. The group “More Than a Vote,” is partnering with various organizations to help convert venues (like the Cavaliers’ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse) into voting sites, address the shortage in poll workers, particularly in communities of color, and fight voter suppression. (Photo by Megan Jelinger / AFP) (Photo by MEGAN JELINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

After being nearly nine months away, the Cleveland Cavaliers will finally return to action on December 23 where they open their season at home against the Charlotte Hornets. The Cavaliers are slated to play 38 games in the First Half schedule, including 19 home contests and a Martin Luther King Day contest against the Washington Wizards. It will be to limited fans, though, as the organization has also announced their health and safety protocols for the 2020-21 NBA season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

This plan currently includes a state-restricted, reduced seating limit of 300 fans per game. The full capacity for Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is 20,562. The limited amount of tickets for each home game will be made available to family and associates of players and coaches. Within the initial 300-fan limit, there will also be a small inventory for members of Wine and Gold United, the team’s official season ticket-based year-round membership club, as well as other team partners to begin the season. For the two home preseason games slated for December 12 and 14 against the Indiana Pacers, there will be no fan access at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. This will be done to take every initial precaution related to health and operational protocols and processes and in relation to the current health and safety advisories that run through December 17.

There will be several procedures, protocols and technologies in place designed to keep the very limited number of fans in attendance healthy, safe and comfortable to enjoy their experience at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Cavaliers return-to-venue plan comes following the facility receiving third-party certification and rating by both the Global Biorisk Advisory Council and the WELL Building Institute for its proactive and progressive initiatives to help protect the health and safety of all those who visit. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is the first sports and entertainment venue in the state of Ohio, and was one of the first in the nation, to achieve these industry-leading certifications and ratings. The plan has also been thoroughly reviewed and endorsed by the Cleveland Clinic.

“We are thrilled to have Cavaliers basketball back inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and look forward to treating any fans and guests in attendance to an exceptional home game experience in a safe, healthy and comfortable environment,” said Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse CEO Len Komoroski. “We have the utmost confidence in our deep level of preparation and the health and safety measures in place, which have been reviewed by local health authorities, certified by leading venue consultants, and endorsed by the Cleveland Clinic. While this remains a journey, it is an important starting point for us with very limited fan access. At the same time, we hope access can grow over the course of the season as the associated health and safety landscape evolves and improves.”

In addition to a reduced attendance limit and appropriate social distancing measures, health and safety protocols include required face masks unless actively eating or drinking in a designated area, contactless mobile ticketing and cashless purchases, thorough cleaning and disinfecting procedures throughout the venue and much more. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is equipped with the latest in HVAC technology, including air handling units that feature AtmosAir, a bipolar ionization process that assists with the clean air process. In a top lab study, Microchem Laboratory found the system was proven to neutralize coronavirus by 99.92%. This technology is the most effective system for cleaning and decontaminating indoor air and surfaces.

On top of that, COVID-19 symptom self-screening must be completed by all fans before they arrive at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Upon arrival, each ticket will provide a required entrance and exit zone as well as a targeted entry time to stagger arrival and avoid crowding. Fans will have the ability to hover their cell phone above a terminal to scan their ticket and gain access to the venue in a completely contactless capacity and all purchases must be made with a valid debit or credit card, or mobile wallet options like Apple Pay or Google Pay. Seating will be comprised of “pods” to allow for six feet or more of social distancing between groups and plexiglass barriers will be installed at all concession and merchandise stands to reduce contact between fans and staff. Cleaning and sanitization processes and procedures exceed Centers for Disease Control standards and all staff have undergone additional health and safety training, will be subject to temperature checks and will wear appropriate PPE during games and events.

While seeing Cleveland in person this season will certainly be an unusual experience, that’s the reality of the situation with the ongoing pandemic. When things hopefully improve, obviously more fans can attend as well. But, until then, the Cavaliers organization has made it their top priority to ensure that all players, coaches, staff and fans attend games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in the safest way possible.

From SportsMoney in Perfectirishgifts

[dailynewswebsite]

Coronavirus: Oregon and New Mexico impose restrictions

Testing in Nevada

The US states of Oregon and New Mexico have introduced strict measures to curb the unfold of Covid-19 because the nation faces rising outbreaks of the virus.

Officers have ordered most non-essential companies to shut and urged folks to restrict their social interactions.

On Friday, California turned the second state to hit a million Covid circumstances, after Texas.

A median of over 900 folks a day at the moment are dying with the illness within the US.

Each day circumstances have topped 100,000 for the final 11 days and greater than 67,000 individuals are at the moment in hospital.

The US has seen over 10.7 million circumstances and 244,000 deaths to date, in line with Johns Hopkins College.

The Trump administration struck an optimistic tone on Friday, saying they hope to have two vaccines and two therapeutic remedies for Covid-19 permitted by the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) within the coming weeks.

Dr Moncef Slaoui, head of the administration’s vaccine initiative, advised a information convention that he hoped to have 20 million doses able to be distributed in December, after which a minimum of 20 million doses every month after that.

Talking on the similar information convention, President Donald Trump mentioned he wouldn’t put the US into lockdown. “Lockdowns price lives they usually price a number of issues. The remedy can’t be…. worse than the issue itself and I’ve mentioned it many instances,” he mentioned.

Knowledge exhibits that almost all of the nation has rising neighborhood unfold of the virus.

In current weeks, the Midwestern US has been the centre of the outbreaks, with circumstances rising in states like Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois.

Keep-at-home directives

Oregon Governor Kate Brown introduced a two-week “freeze” limiting eating places to take-out and shuttering gyms and leisure amenities from 18 November to 2 December.

“I am not asking you, I’m telling you, to cease your social gatherings … and your home events and to restrict your social interactions to 6 and beneath, not a couple of family,” she mentioned.

Story continues

In the meantime, New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham ordered a two-week shutdown of non-essential companies comparable to grocery shops, farms, childcare centres, banks, factories and healthcare amenities.

Variety of day by day circumstances and deaths within the US

In the meantime, California and Texas – which reached the million-case milestone on 10 November – now each have viral caseloads that surpass different international locations, together with Mexico and Germany.

The surges have prompted native officers to hit pause on reopening efforts in a number of states, and a few are re-imposing stay-at-home directives.

Eleven counties in California have been advised to reverse some reopening measures.

Southern California is the worst hit a part of the state, with substantial outbreaks. In Los Angeles, there are greater than 330,000 infections.

San Diego, Sacramento and Los Angeles counties are among the many areas now on the bottom tier of California’s reopening plan. Indoor eating and indoor non secular companies are prohibited.

Banner picture studying ‘extra about coronavirus’

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Because the state’s positivity fee – the share of constructive assessments within the inhabitants – is now at 3.6%, California Governor Gavin Newsom urged folks to put on masks and distance, saying: “Your actions may actually save lives.”

President-elect Joe Biden additionally once more renewed his name for People, “no matter the place they stay or who they voted for” to “step up and do their half” with social distancing, masks carrying and hygiene.

“I perceive it isn’t simple. I do know individuals are drained. However this is not going to go on perpetually.”

On Friday, it emerged that a minimum of 30 Secret Service officers had contracted the virus in current weeks, and dozens have been advised to quarantine, the Washington Put up and New York Instances reported.

Most of the people had reportedly travelled to occasions across the US for each Mr Trump and Mr Biden.

What is the scenario elsewhere within the US?

CBS Information reviews 15 states noticed the numbers of sufferers in hospital as a result of virus double within the final month. Hospitals have warned that amenities might be overwhelmed if the developments proceed.

Colder climate has compelled folks indoors, and consultants say pandemic fatigue can be making People much less cautious.

Republican governors in Iowa, Ohio, West Virginia and Utah have issued masks mandates

Ohio’s governor has additionally threatened to close bars and gymnasiums if the outbreak worsens

In Minnesota, bars and eating places should shut by 22:00 native time

Wisconsin and Nevada residents have been requested to remain at dwelling for 2 weeks to keep away from a return to restrictions

The Democratic governors of California, Oregon and Washington state have issued a journey advisory, discouraging non-essential journey and requesting folks to quarantine post-travel

New York has ordered bars and eating places that serve alcohol to shut by 22:00 native time; gatherings are restricted to 10 folks; the town may additionally shut colleges on Monday

The town of Chicago has a stay-at-home advisory starting on Monday, and non-essential companies should shut by 23:00 native time; gatherings are restricted to 10 folks

The town of Detroit has moved all college students to distant studying as a result of virus spikes

Indiana has halted reopening and restricted social gatherings and occasions

Maryland has ordered eating places to cut back indoor capability to 50%

US infectious illness chief Dr Anthony Fauci advised CBS on Friday: “If we do the issues which are easy public well being measures, that hovering will stage and begin to come down.

“You add that to the assistance of a vaccine, we will flip this round. It isn’t futile.”

Graphic exhibiting circumstances excessive in US medwestern states

Issues as one other vacation approaches

Outbreaks within the spring and summer time adopted US colleges’ spring breaks and the nationwide Labor Day vacation weekend – and now consultants are involved that as Thanksgiving approaches on the finish of the month, the spikes will once more worsen.

That’s the scenario taking part in out throughout the border in Canada, the place folks celebrated their Thanksgiving a month in the past. The nation’s high docs say that the vacation is partly why cities and provinces at the moment are seeing record-high infections.

Indoor gatherings pose a big threat to spreading the virus, and because the vacation centres round consuming collectively, carrying masks will not be possible.

One evaluation from Georgia Institute of Know-how researchers discovered the danger of getting a Covid-positive particular person at even a 10-person sized gathering might be near 100% within the worst-hit components of the US.

Again in October, Dr Fauci cautioned that the “sacred” American custom of gathering collectively at Thanksgiving “is a threat”.

“You could have to chew the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering, until you are fairly sure that the folks that you just’re coping with should not contaminated,” Dr Fauci advised CBS Information.

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How are the brand new measures affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please embrace a contact quantity if you’re prepared to talk to a BBC journalist. It’s also possible to get in contact within the following methods:

In case you are studying this web page and may’t see the shape you have to to go to the cellular model of the BBC web site to submit your query or remark or you’ll be able to e mail us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please embrace your identify, age and placement with any submission.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/coronavirus-oregon-and-new-mexico-impose-restrictions/ via https://growthnews.in

[aroundfortwayne]

Lutheran Health Network on COVID-19 mask policy

New Post has been published on https://aroundfortwayne.com/news/2021/04/05/lutheran-health-network-on-covid-19-mask-policy/

Lutheran Health Network on COVID-19 mask policy

Lutheran Health Network will continue to require a COVID-19 mask and follow all CDC prevention guidelines for COVID-19.

[dipulb3]

10 states reported their highest single-day coronavirus case counts last week

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/10-states-reported-their-highest-single-day-coronavirus-case-counts-last-week/

10 states reported their highest single-day coronavirus case counts last week

Health experts say the predicted fall surge is here, and rising cases across the US appear to bear that out. The US is averaging more than 55,000 new cases a day, and 10 states reported their highest single-day case counts on Friday. At least 27 states are showing an upward trend in the number of cases reported, according to a Appradab analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.

Osterholm highlighted the 70,000 cases of Covid-19 reported on Friday, which matched the largest number seen during the peak of the pandemic. Between now and the holidays, the US will see numbers “much, much larger than even the 67 to 75,000 cases,” he said.

Despite the climbing totals, Dr. Anthony Fauci, nation’s top infectious disease doctor, said a nationwide lockdown is not the way forward unless the pandemic gets “really, really bad.”

“No, put shut down away and say, ‘We’re going to use public health measures to help us safely get to where we want to go,'” he said during an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” Sunday night.

Instead of seeing restrictions as a roadblock to an open economy, Fauci said the fatigued American public should see public health measures as a way to safely keep it open.

Americans can help get the virus under control, experts say, by heeding guidelines touted by officials for months: avoiding crowded settings, practicing social distancing, keeping small gatherings outdoors and wearing a mask.

On Monday, Appradab medical analyst Dr. Celine Gounder said Americans must follow those public health measures, especially wearing masks, if they want to avoid a repeat of the spring.

“If we don’t take this seriously now, we are going to find ourselves in a very difficult position in just weeks to maybe a month or so,” Gounder told Appradab’s John King. “Many of us in the health field are really steeling ourselves because we know what it was like back in March and April. Many of us have, frankly, PTSD from that experience and are very nervous about what we’re about to face, again, not having learned the lessons of that.”

Osterholm, however, said the lack of a coordinated government response is hampering efforts to stem the pandemic.

“So, what we have right now is a major problem in messaging,” he said. “People don’t know what to believe, and that’s one of our huge challenges going forward, is we’ve got to get the message to the public that reflects the science and reflects reality.”

As of early Monday morning, there were more than 8.1 million cases and 219,674 coronavirus deaths in the US, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Fauci looks to the FDA for vaccine safety

Public health measures will need to remain in place at least until a safe and effective vaccine is available.

When one is made available, Fauci said he will take it after looking at the data — and if it has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

“I’m going to look at the data upon which the FDA makes that decision. I trust the permanent professionals in the FDA,” Fauci said in the “60 Minutes” interview.

But Osterholm said that vaccines won’t be available “in any meaningful way” until the third quarter of next year and even when they are, half the US population is skeptical of even taking one.

The vaccine development process has stirred controversy as politicians have called for one to be released quickly, prompting some to question if the politicization of the issue will affect the safety and efficacy of a possible vaccine. But many health experts have said that the agencies in charge will hold to high vaccine standards.

“The commissioner of the FDA has been very public that he will not let politics interfere. We have an advisory committee to the FDA who are made up of independent people who I trust,” Fauci said.

“Put all those things together, if the final outcome is that the FDA approves it, I will take it.”

In an open letter published Friday by Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla, the company said it plans to apply for emergency use authorization from the FDA for its Covid-19 vaccine as early as November.

“Assuming positive data, Pfizer will apply for Emergency Authorization Use in the US soon after the safety milestone is achieved in the third week of November,” the letter said.

But first, Bourla wrote, the vaccine should prove to be safe and effective in preventing the disease.

“And finally, we must demonstrate that the vaccine can be consistently manufactured at the highest quality standards,” Bourla wrote.

Once a vaccine is approved in the US, CVS and Walgreens pharmacies have been designated to help distribute free vaccines to long-term care facilities, federal officials confirmed. It will be up to the two drug chains to figure out how to deliver the vaccines, including cold storage requirements and personal protective equipment.

Florida reports more than 2,000 cases a day for almost a week

New coronavirus cases have been climbing across nearly all of the country over the last week.

Florida’s daily case count has remained above 2,000 for 6 days in a row, Appradab’s tally shows.

The state is among 27 that have seen a 10% increase or greater of average daily cases over the week. The others are: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Over the weekend the significant surge in case counts continued, with counts reaching levels not seen since the middle of the summer surge. Sunday had 48,210 new cases nationwide, which is the second most reported cases for a Sunday since July 26.

The seven-day average of new cases has climbed above 56,000, a level not seen in the past 12 weeks, and is 14% higher week over week, according to John Hopkins data.

Florida’s health officials reported 2,539 new cases of Covid-19 and 50 additional deaths on Sunday, according to the Florida Department of Health. The state now has a total of 755,020 coronavirus cases, according to data from the state health department.

Among those who have tested positive in the state are the elections supervisor in Okaloosa County and another employee, according to a press release posted on the office’s Facebook page.

Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux will isolate and work remotely for the “recommended time period,” the release says.

Due to the positive test, the elections office in Crestview, which also serves as an early voting polling place, will close until further notice. There are four other locations in the county where people can vote early.

Okaloosa County is located in the Florida panhandle and has more than 150,000 registered voters.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story overstated the number of coronavirus cases that had been reported in the US as of early Monday. More than 8.1 million cases had been reported.

Appradab’s Dave Alsup, Andrea Diaz, Shelby Lin Erdman, Jason Hanna, Chuck Johnston, Nadia Kounang, Christina Maxouris, Nakia McNabb, Brandon Miller, Andy Rose, Samira Said, Ben Tinker and Amir Vera contributed to this report.

[orbemnews]

A top health official warned relaxing Covid-19 measures threatens progress. A day later, more states said they were easing restrictions “The continued relaxation of prevention measures while cases are still high and while concerning variants are spreading rapidly throughout the United States is a serious threat to the progress we have made as a nation,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday. “It’s really very much a race,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN on Monday. “If we can continue to accelerate the number of people vaccinated in this country… I think we’ll be in a much better position. But you have unfortunately a lot of governors releasing restrictions, people are traveling… and this B.1.1.7 variant.” “It could go either way,” he added, on whether the country could soon be facing another surge. Since the start of the month, at least a dozen state leaders have eased Covid-19 restrictions. And a day after both experts’ remarks, two more governors announced plans to relax some measures. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Tuesday that starting April 6, the state’s face covering mandate will become a state mask advisory. Face masks will remain mandatory in state buildings and facilities as well as at Covid-19 testing and vaccination sites, the governor said. Also starting April 6, decisions about venue capacity will be in the hands of local officials, Holcomb said, and customers in restaurants, bars and nightclubs will also no longer be required to be seated. Six feet of spacing between tables is still recommended, he added. In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that starting April 1, both indoor and outdoor gathering limits will increase and certain sports and entertainment venues will be able to operate with additional capacity. “While some capacity limits will be increased, we must all remember to stay vigilant and work together to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities,” he said in a statement. With more vaccinations, Americans going out more Many state leaders — including those who have opted to relax restrictions — have in recent weeks expressed optimism about inching closer to the end of the pandemic, citing lowered Covid-19 numbers in comparison to the winter surge and increasing vaccinations. So far, more than 83.9 million Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to data from the CDC. More than 45.5 million are fully vaccinated, according to the data. That’s roughly 13.7% of the US population. At least two states — Alaska and New Mexico — have fully vaccinated more than one in five residents, data published Tuesday by the CDC shows. In New Mexico, more than a third of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine. Vaccine eligibility across the US As more Americans are vaccinated, the number of people going out is also increasing, according to a poll from Axios-Ipsos published Tuesday. Compared to a month ago, the number of people who have gone out to eat or visit friends and family are up 12 and 9 percentage points respectively, according to the poll — which was conducted March 19 to 22 and was made up of 995 Americans 18 and older. The number of people who believe that dining out poses a large risk to health and well-being has gone down to 23% compared to 33% a month ago. Those who have visited friends or relatives — 48% — is the highest since October. Additionally, 54% have visited a non-grocery retail store — the highest number since May. In some cases, it’s the unvaccinated who are driving the shift in behavior. For example, 52% of unvaccinated respondents say they’ve visited with friends or relatives in the last week, compared with 41% of people who have gotten the vaccine. The good news is that safety measures aren’t being abandoned. More than seven in 10 people still wear a mask whenever they leave the house and 80% said they will continue to do so even after being vaccinated. About 63% also said they will continue to social distance after vaccination. Experts worry AstraZeneca confusion may lead to vaccine hesitancy Meanwhile, AstraZeneca is soon expected to apply for emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine in the US, but some experts fear recent concerns over an announcement of its vaccine data could further contribute to hesitancy. In a Monday news release, AstraZeneca said its vaccine showed 79% efficacy against symptomatic disease and 100% efficacy against severe disease and hospitalization in a new, US-based clinical trial. But the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said in a statement early Tuesday the independent board that reviews data from multiple vaccine candidates raised concerns about the company’s announcement. The board “expressed concern that AstraZeneca may have included outdated information from that trial, which may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data,” the NIAID statement said. Speaking on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said the AstraZeneca news release may have contained misleading information about its vaccine efficacy — “an unforced error” that may create doubt about what is likely a good vaccine. The data is “really quite good, but when they put it into the press release, it wasn’t completely accurate,” Fauci said. AstraZeneca said in a statement Tuesday it will “immediately engage with the independent data safety monitoring board (DSMB) to share our primary analysis with the most up to date efficacy data,” adding that it intend to issue results of the primary analysis within 48 hours. One expert says she worries this may hinder confidence in the vaccines among Americans. “I am very concerned because there is already so much misinformation and disinformation out there,” emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN on Tuesday. “With this amount of public scrutiny, I think every company really should be aiming for full transparency and accountability and we really need to understand what happened here.” “AstraZeneca owes us an explanation,” she added. CNN’s Rebekah Riess, Deidre McPhillips and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report. Source link Orbem News #Covid19 #Day #Easing #Health #measures #morestatessaidtheywereeasingrestrictions-CNN #official #progress #relaxing #restrictions #States #threatens #Top #USCoronavirus:Atophealthofficialwarnedrelaxingmeasuresthreatensprogress.Adaylater #warned

[sinrau]

Last Updated: July 8, 2020 4:16 pm

Most U.S. states imposed limitations on interstate and international travel shortly after the coronavirus began to spread across the country in the beginning of February. Five months later, with most of the country open to some extent, travel bans and requirements are also being lifted.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed executive orders from state governors, travel advisories, and guidelines from public health and tourism departments to find and list travel restrictions that are still in place in every state.

Nationwide, travelers coming from Brazil, China, Iran, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and countries from the European Schengen Area are not allowed to enter the United States based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel advisories. On a state level, only Hawaii has a measure in place that compels visitors who refuse to be quarantined to return home immediately without leaving the airport.

People can still plan summer vacations and road trips, though travelers have to be cautious, wear masks, avoid crowds, and practice good hygiene. States are slowly welcoming back visitors as the majority of popular attractions in the country are reopening — these are the most beautiful attractions in the U.S.

Source: BlazenImages / Getty Images

Alabama

> Population: 4.9 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 38,442 (20th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 786 (14th highest)

There are no restrictions for residents and visitors when traveling in Alabama. Beaches are open for everyone with no limit on group sizes as long as people practice physical distancing of at least 6 feet. Tourist attractions, entertainment venues, and restaurants are open but at limited capacity and offer varying levels of service.

Source: sorincolac / Getty Images

Alaska

> Population: 737,000

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 940 (2nd fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 127 (3rd lowest)

Anyone who is entering Alaska — whether from another state or country — has to complete a Travel Declaration Form explaining his or her test history and show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Another option is to get tested in Alaska upon arrival and self-quarantine until results are available. A third option is to self-quarantine for 14 days before being able to travel freely in the state.

Source: tonda / Getty Images

Arizona

> Population: 7.2 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 79,215 (10th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 1105 (10th highest)

As of July 1, Arizona had no restrictions on visitors. People traveling through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport must wear masks. Visitors are asked to stay out of the Navajo Nation as residents there work to stop the spread of the virus. All tourism locations, tribal parks, and casinos in Navajo Nation are closed.

Source: Brandonrush / Wikimedia Commons

Arkansas

> Population: 3.0 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 20,777 (22nd fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 689 (22nd highest)

Restrictions on travelers entering Arkansas have been lifted since June 15. There is no requirement to self-quarantine for any visitors, whether they come from other parts of the country or abroad. Hotels, motels, and other lodgings are no longer restricted to hosting essential workers only.

Source: Art Wager / Getty Images

California

> Population: 39.6 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of June 30: 222,917 (2nd most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 564 (20th lowest)

Travel restrictions have loosened in California and visitors are not required to self-quarantine. Though theme parks are still closed, beaches, national parks, RV parks, campgrounds, and other recreational facilities are open. Some of these locations are operating at limited capacity. Travelers landing at public airports may be asked to quarantine.

Source: juliannafunk / Getty Images

Colorado

> Population: 5.7 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 32,715 (24th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 574 (21st lowest)

Though there have been no travel restrictions for visitors entering Colorado as of July 1, people are asked to practice responsible tourism. The state is asking that travelers wear masks or other types of face covering when in public and near other people, keep 6 feet distance, and practice good hygiene.

Source: enfi / Getty Images

Connecticut

> Population: 3.6 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of June 29: 46,514 (17th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 1302 (5th highest)

Because of a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in Connecticut, the state requires, as of June 30, that travelers from 16 states — states that have a new daily positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents — to self-quarantine for two weeks. The 16 states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

24/7 Wall St. The Most Beautiful Attractions in the U.S.

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Delaware

> Population: 967,000

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of June 30: 11,510 (13th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 1190 (7th highest)

Face coverings are mandatory in Delaware when people are in public places, including outside. Physical distance of at least 6 feet is also required unless people are from the same household. Residents returning to Delaware from anywhere else are encouraged to get tested and self-quarantine until results are ready.

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

Florida

> Population: 21.3 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 152,434 (5th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 716 (19th highest)

Visitors from states with high infection rates are required to self-quarantine for 14 days or for the duration of their visit, whichever is shorter. Health screenings at airports and at roadside checkpoints are still set up. Face coverings requirements vary by county, though people are encouraged to always have a mask on when in public.

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

Georgia

> Population: 10.5 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 82,093 (9th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 780 (15th highest)

As of July 1, Georgia has not issued any travel restrictions. The state is simply asking for visitors to practice basic hygiene such as washing hands often, avoid close contact with people outside their household, wear a face covering, and practice social distancing.

Source: YinYang / Getty Images

Hawaii

> Population: 1.4 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 917 (the fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 65 (the lowest)

Starting Aug. 1, visitors who present a negative COVID-19 test — taken no more than 72 days before boarding a flight to Hawaii — will not have to quarantine for 14 days. Travelers who have chosen not to get pre-tested are required to self-quarantine. No coronavirus tests will be provided at airports.

Until Aug. 1, visitors as well as returning residents must self-quarantine for two weeks at a hotel or a motel, not in a vacation rental.

Source: mattalberts / Getty Images

Idaho

> Population: 1.8 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of June 30: 5,752 (9th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 328 (9th lowest)

Idaho is in phase 4 of reopening and currently there are no travel restrictions. Out-of-state visitors are no longer required, but are encouraged, to self-quarantine for two weeks. Visitors are asked to maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet from others, wash their hands often, and wear face coverings when social distancing is not feasible.

24/7 Wall St. These Are the Countries That Spend the Most Abroad

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Illinois

> Population: 12.7 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 143,185 (6th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 1124 (9th highest)

As of July 1, there were no travel restrictions for people arriving from other U.S. states. Visitors from countries with widespread, ongoing transmission have to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images

Indiana

> Population: 6.7 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 45,594 (18th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 681 (23rd highest)

As of July 1, there were no statewide travel restrictions for traveling to and from Indiana.

Indiana’s travel restrictions are enforced on a county basis. There are 11 counties in either advisories or watches, meaning travel or activities may be restricted in certain situations.

Source: LarryLindell / Getty Images

Iowa

> Population: 3.2 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 28,944 (25th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 917 (12th highest)

Iowa has not issued statewide travel restrictions as of July 1, though residents returning from out of state are strongly encouraged to self-quarantine for 14 days. Visitors are asked to follow CDC public health guidelines.

Source: ricardoreitmeyer / Getty Images

Kansas

> Population: 2.9 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 14,443 (16th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 496 (18th lowest)

People traveling to states with widespread transmission have to self-quarantine for 14 days. As of July 1, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has identified five such states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, and South Carolina. Travelers who have been on cruise or river ships, as well those arriving from abroad, also have to self-quarantine. The mandate does not apply to infrastructure sectors.

Source: alexeys / Getty Images

Kentucky

> Population: 4.5 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 15,642 (17th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 350 (12th lowest)

Kentucky’s interstate travel ban expired on May 22. As of July 1, there were no statewide travel restrictions in place.

Source: Jaimie Tuchman / Getty Images

Louisiana

> Population: 4.7 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 58,095 (15th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 1247 (6th highest)

As of July 1, Louisiana has not issued any travel restrictions. However, the state’s Department of Health has a list of considerations and guidance for travelers, including delaying travel plans and avoiding cruises.

Source: sara_winter / Getty Images

Maine

> Population: 1.3 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 3,253 (7th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 243 (7th lowest)

Maine requires people entering the state to self-quarantine for 14 days or present a negative COVID-19 test that is not older than three days. The mandate does not apply to residents of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images

Maryland

> Population: 6.0 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 67,918 (12th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 1124 (8th highest)

As of July 1, there were no statewide travel restrictions or requirements. However, people traveling out of the state for nonessential activities are encouraged to self-quarantine for two weeks upon returning to Maryland. Tourists are advised to contact businesses before arriving to make sure they are open.

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

Massachusetts

> Population: 6.9 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of June 30: 108,882 (7th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 1578 (4th highest)

Massachusetts requires that all travelers, including residents returning to the state, self-quarantine for 14 days. Beginning July 1, people arriving from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, and New Jersey are exempt from this mandate. Essential critical infrastructure workers are also exempt if they come to Massachusetts for work purposes.

Source: RudyBalasko / Getty Images

Michigan

> Population: 10.0 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 70,728 (11th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 708 (20th highest)

While Michigan has placed no statewide travel restrictions as of July 1, the military is barring service men and women from traveling to and from the state due to a recent increase in new coronavirus cases.

24/7 Wall St. The Middle of Nowhere in Every State

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Minnesota

> Population: 5.6 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of June 30: 36,303 (22nd most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 647 (25th highest)

Though it does not have any specific restrictions to residents or out of state visitors, Minnesota has encouraged travelers to “seek expert guidance and take routine precautions as outlined by the CDC” to make informed decisions.

Source: dszc / Getty Images

Mississippi

> Population: 3.0 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 27,247 (24th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 912 (13th highest)

As of July 1, Mississippi has not issued any travel restrictions. Residents and visitors are strongly encouraged to wear masks or other face coverings when in public and to stay at least 6 feet away from other people. Residents are advised to avoid nonessential business travel.

Source: f11photo / Getty Images

Missouri

> Population: 6.1 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 20,261 (21st fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 331 (10th lowest)

The state has not issued any travel restrictions. Also, any limits the Missouri State University had placed on university-related and sponsored travel back in March expired on June 30.

Source: miroslav_1 / Getty Images

Montana

> Population: 1.1 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 967 (3rd fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 91 (2nd lowest)

Montana lifted the 14-day quarantine requirement for out-of-state visitors on June 1. Health screenings in airports and train depots will continue. All travelers are encouraged to maintain social distance and clean objects and surfaces they touch.

Source: marekuliasz / Getty Images

Nebraska

> Population: 1.9 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 19,177 (20th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 994 (11th highest)

Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services recommends that residents quarantine for 14 days after returning from international travel. It also recommends that visitors self-quarantine for 14 days or the duration of their stay if they are staying less than two weeks.

Source: f11photo / Getty Images

Nevada

> Population: 3.0 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 18,456 (19th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 608 (23rd lowest)

Nevada has placed no travel restrictions on residents or visitors but it strongly discourages people who have COVID-19 and have not recovered yet — whether they have been tested or presumptively diagnosed — from traveling to the state. Face coverings and physical distance of at least 6 feet are highly recommended.

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

New Hampshire

> Population: 1.4 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 5,782 (10th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 426 (13th lowest)

New Hampshire officials are encouraging visitors to remain in their home state. Those who are traveling to New Hampshire for an extended period of time are asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Source: Creative-Family / Getty Images

New Jersey

> Population: 8.9 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 171,667 (3rd most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 1927 (2nd highest)

Travelers arriving in New Jersey by any method of transportation from a state with a high infection rate, which is based on a seven-day average number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, are required to quarantine for two weeks. As of June 30, these states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

Source: Dean_Fikar / Getty Images

New Mexico

> Population: 2.1 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 12,147 (14th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 580 (22nd lowest)

New Mexico recently tightened the statewide travel restrictions in response to a resurgence of new COVID-19 cases in the state. All out-of-state visitors and residents returning to New Mexico by plane or car must self-quarantine for 14 days. Essential workers are exempt from the public order. Face coverings are mandatory for all travelers and residents.

Source: spyarm / Getty Images

New York

> Population: 19.5 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 393,454 (the most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 2013 (the highest)

Everyone above the age of 2 is required to wear a face covering when in public, as long as they can medically tolerate it. A travel advisory requires visitors from states with a high infection rate to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. As of July 1, there were 16 states with a positive test rate of 10% (the tri-state area high infection rate criteria) — Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

Source: RickSause / Getty Images

North Carolina

> Population: 10.4 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 64,670 (13th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 623 (24th lowest)

North Carolina has no statewide travel restrictions. Some destinations, including state parks and forests, have various restrictions, and travelers are advised to check with each place before arriving. All travelers and residents are required to wear face coverings when in public, both inside and outside.

Source: rruntsch / Getty Images

North Dakota

> Population: 760,000

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 3,576 (8th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 470 (16th lowest)

Those who arrive in North Dakota from another country, or who traveled internationally in the past 14 days, are required to quarantine for two weeks, or until they have been in the U.S. for two weeks, whichever duration is shorter.

Source: TraceRouda / Getty Images

Ohio

> Population: 11.7 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 51,789 (16th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 443 (15th lowest)

Travelers to Ohio who intend to stay are asked to self-quarantine for two weeks. Health care and critical infrastructure workers are exempt from the advisory. People who have COVID-19, have tested positive for it, or exhibit symptoms of the disease are not allowed in Ohio.

Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images

Oklahoma

> Population: 3.9 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of June 30: 13,757 (15th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 349 (11th lowest)

Oklahoma recommends that people avoid nonessential travel, especially if they are at higher risk of illness or feeling unwell. Officials also recommend that people postpone international travel or any type of cruise. Anyone returning from a country that has had travel restrictions imposed should quarantine for 14 days after returning.

Source: simonkr / Getty Images

Oregon

> Population: 4.2 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of June 30: 8,656 (12th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 207 (6th lowest)

Though nonessential travel is still limited, there are no statewide bans for residents or out-of-state travelers. Visitors are asked to practice social distancing, wash hands frequently, and avoid public places if they have a fever or cough.

Source: f11photo / Getty Images

Pennsylvania

> Population: 12.8 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 86,606 (8th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 676 (24th highest)

Masks are required in all public places in Pennsylvania. As of July 1, there were no statewide travel restrictions on residents on visitors.

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

Rhode Island

> Population: 1.1 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 16,813 (18th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 1590 (3rd highest)

Out-of-state visitors as well as residents returning to Rhode Island from a state with a positive test rate of 5% or higher have to either quarantine for 14 days or present a negative test result for COVID-19 that is not older than 72 hours prior to arrival in Rhode Island. As of July 1, these states were Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington. The mandate applies to people coming from Puerto Rico as well.

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

South Carolina

> Population: 5.1 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 36,399 (21st most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 716 (18th highest)

People returning to or visiting South Carolina from a place outside the state, whether in the U.S. or abroad, with widespread community spread should self-quarantine for 14 days. Tourists from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New Orleans no longer have to self-quarantine. People who have been on a cruise are also advised to stay home for at least two weeks.

Source: JMichl / Getty Images

South Dakota

> Population: 882,000

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 6,764 (11th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 767 (16th highest)

As of July 1, South Dakota had no travel restrictions for visitors or residents. However, the state’s Department of Tourism points out that some routes through Tribal lands may be closed and tourists should check before traveling.

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

Tennessee

> Population: 6.8 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 43,509 (19th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 643 (25th lowest)

As of July 1, there were no travel restrictions in Tennessee.

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

Texas

> Population: 28.7 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of June 30: 159,986 (4th most)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 557 (19th lowest)

All air travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas have been lifted. Quarantine requirements for out-of-state visitors, including those from former hotspots like New York and New Jersey, have also been lifted.

Source: CodyHaskell / Getty Images

Utah

> Population: 3.2 million

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 22,217 (23rd fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 703 (21st highest)

Utah encourages travelers to reconsider nonessential travel to places with high infection rates. There are no restrictions on traveling to, from, and through the state, but people are advised to maintain social distancing and wear masks indoors.

Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

Vermont

> Population: 626,000

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of July 1: 1,208 (4th fewest)

> Cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people: 193 (5th lowest)

Anyone who lives in a county with fewer than 400 cases per million residents can travel to Vermont without having to self-quarantine for any period of time. Out-of-state residents coming from states with higher rates of infection have to either self-quarantine or show a negative test.

Every State’s Travel Guidance for Residents and Visitors

[anntyler3]

State Mask Laws: A Summary

Contemplating face-mask laws in the U.S. can be a dizzying exercise.

Many states require masks and some don't. And if states do require them, what does it mean? Who must wear the masks and where must they wear them? Who is exempt?

If there was one nationwide federal order that applied to every citizen, it would be much easier. But of course there isn't, and there are Constitutional reasons for that. Under the 10th Amendment, states have the primary power to deal with the spread of diseases within their borders.

Technically, the federal government could issue a nationwide mask mandate; but as the federal Congressional Research Service concluded in a recent legal analysis, neither the executive branch nor Congress have enforcement powers. And as that analysis concluded, ?(E)nforcing mask mandates has been a challenge even for states, which can leverage their state and local law enforcement apparatus to enforce such mandates."

So, to get a handle on the maze of mask mandates out there, we have no choice but to do it on a state-by-state basis.

The Lay of the Land

With Mississippi's passage of a statewide face-mask mandate on Aug. 4, a total of 34 states plus the District of Columbia now require the wearing of face masks in public.

While the remaining 16 states have not issued mandates, most have various advisories that encourage masks in public or allow municipalities to issue stricter rules.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), which offers a comprehensive state-by-state roundup, summarizes the mask-mandate states this way: ?(T)hey require masks in indoor public spaces such as restaurants and stores, on public transit and ride-hailing services, and outdoors when unable to maintain a distance of 6 feet from others."

Those are the elements that are common in mask-mandate states, but how do they differ? Making our way through AARP's list and the state orders themselves, we've picked out a few areas for closer inspection.

Age requirements. All states exempt children, but the ages vary. In Massachusetts and Connecticut, only children under age 2 are exempt. In Delaware, that age is 12.

Business requirements. In Washington state, businesses are required to deny entrance to unmasked visitors, and most employees are required to wear masks. In Pennsylvania, masks are required for employees, while customers of ?essential services" are required to be masked. Meanwhile, some non-mandate states do have limited requirements. Non-mandate Nebraska, for instance, requires staff and patrons at barber shops, salons, and personal-care businesses to be masked. And no matter what a state's rules are on face masks, businesses everywhere have the right to require them ? just as they have a right to require shirts and shoes.

Penalties. Massachusetts' order specifies a $300 fine for offenders. Violation of Michigan's face-mask order is misdemeanor subject to a $500 fine. Some cities and counties, meanwhile, are taking a harder line. People who are not properly masked are subject to $1,000 fines in Talbot County, Maryland; Laredo, Texas; and Nashua, New Hampshire, among others.

Exemptions. People with medical conditions are typically exempted if a mask interferes with breathing. Some, like Alabama, exempt people exercising in gyms as long as they maintain social distancing. Arkansas exempts people taking part in religious services, although facial coverings are encouraged. Indiana exempts people who are ?experiencing homelessness."

Meanwhile, in the No-Mandate States?

Even though 16 states lack mask requirements, many have taken steps to encourage mask use. Utah has a program to provide free masks to people who want them. In no-mandate New Hampshire, people in gatherings of 100 or more are required to wear masks.

Also, many of those states allow municipalities to require face masks, and many have done so. In no-mandate Missouri, for instance, Kansas City and St. Louis require them. In no-mandate Nebraska, Lincoln and Omaha do.

Governors in a couple of no-mandate states, however, have taken a hard line on municipal exclusions. One of them, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, battled openly with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over the issue, filing suit against the city. On Aug. 13, however, he dropped the lawsuit and allowed Atlanta and other cities that have 100 or more COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people to require masks in public if they choose.

A similar fight is currently brewing in Iowa, where Gov. Kim Reynolds claims that municipalities lack the power to require masks. Several Iowa cities, however, are moving to defy��Reynolds.

To find what the face-mask rules may or may not be in your state, the AARP site listed above contains links to state rules, orders, and other information.

Related Resources:

Mask Laws: From Legal to Wear to Illegal NOT to Wear (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)

No Shirt, No Mask, No Service? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)

Can Polling Places Mandate Masks? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)

Can a Business Kick You Out for Your Mask Design? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8246803 http://blogs.findlaw.com/law_and_life/2020/08/state-mask-laws-a-summary.html

[compare-wp10]

COVID travel issues didn't dissuade Americans from visiting hot spots

See on Scoop.it - COMPARE RISK COMMUNICATION

'Pragmatic and cautious': As some Americans avoid travel, others visit COVID-19 hot spots anyway USA TODAY Published 9:33 AM EDT Aug 10, 2020 Jacqui Slay, a 38-year-old stay-at-home mom of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, planned her family trip to Disney World in Florida a year ago. One month away from her scheduled tour in early September, she said she wasn't sure if she would go, citing recent record-high COVID-19 cases in Florida. “We’re kind of up in the air about it,” she said.  Slay is one of many Americans who faces a travel dilemma during the COVID-19 pandemic: Is it worth the risk to travel and escape the monotony of quarantine life, or is it better to wait until the country has the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, more under control?  A USA TODAY analysis of data from Trivago, a platform for searching and booking hotels, shows Americans have chosen a little of both. Although people aren’t quite ready to travel in full force again, they are still searching for domestic vacation destinations that have long been major draws — including in places where COVID-19 case counts are rising. Trivago measures hotel search volume, which reflects travel requests and booking queries based on users’ link clicks. Last month’s volume was off 73% from the same time in 2019.  It’s been up and down for months. After dropping 92% below 2019 levels in April, Trivago hotel searches started coming back in May and June as states reopened. Florida was among the states to progress the furthest back to normal booking levels, going from 95% below 2019 levels at the start of April to just 18% below normal in mid-June. In July, when the number of new coronavirus cases was rising sharply in dozens of states, would-be travelers pulled back. The number of searches for hotels slipped further below 2019 numbers compared to the number of searches in June. Yet Florida remained the country’s most-searched domestic travel destination, followed by California and Nevada. All three were major COVID-19 hot spots. Big heads up: State Department lifts March advisory on avoiding international travel amid COVID-19 pandemic Travel to hot spots Florida, California and Nevada are “very traditional summer places for domestic travelers,” said  Robertico Croes, a professor at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at University of Central Florida. He added theme parks in Florida and California are “very attractive, especially in the summer,” to tourists, and Las Vegas “is known for entertainment and casino gaming.”  “In general, especially when there is a crisis like this pandemic, people tend to be very conservative in terms of their travel behavior,” said Croes. “It means that they go to the places where they're familiar with.” In late May, Croes and his team surveyed nearly 2,000 American travelers across the country and found nearly two-thirds responded they would not travel within the next 12 months.  For people who expected to travel, 40% said they were likely to stay close to home and consider destinations with small numbers of coronavirus cases, but 27% of them were “daredevils,” who were less concerned about the coronavirus situation when picking destinations and willing to travel further.  Craig Haseman, a 49-year-old family medicine doctor of Evansville, Indiana, is one of the “daredevils.” In mid-July, he and 11 friends and family members drove about nine hours from Indiana to a vacation house in WaterColor, a resort community on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and spent a week there. When Haseman booked the rental about a month prior to the trip, after most states, including Florida, had begun reopening, he had no idea the virus cases would spike there during the very weeks for which his trip was planned. “When the numbers were going down everywhere, we went ahead and planned it,” Haseman said. “As we got close to time, we realized that the numbers were going up.” The group of Indiana travelers decided to stick with their plan, but “we just stayed with the people that we went with” to social distance, said Haseman. Susan Glasser, 50, and her husband of Nashville, visited Florida in a way that potentially exposed them to more people — by air.  They had originally planned a trip in January to Costa Rica for their 25th wedding anniversary in July but by June chose to cancel. “We are not overly frightened of coronavirus, but we are pragmatic and cautious enough,” Glasser said.  The pair took a quick flight to Jacksonville, Florida, instead and went to Amelia Island.  “We felt as safe as can be when traveling during COVID,” she said, complimenting The Ritz and Southwest Airlines for their safety protocol enforcement. So much so that Glasser is hoping to go on a family trip with their five children in September or October if they can get their schedules — and COVID-19 — to cooperate.  But for others, canceling altogether became the safest choice. Tracey Marshall-Underwood, a 44-year-old optometrist from Dover, Delaware, chose to “forgo our summer” in the name of safety for her family. They typically spend a week in Virginia Beach, Virginia, as well as attend the state fair and go to amusement parks. She bought a trampoline to keep her 13- and 10-year-old kids occupied outside the house instead. Tracey Marshall-Underwood bought a trampoline to keep her 13- and 10-year-old kids occupied outside the house. Courtesy of Tracey Marshall-Underwood In case you're doing domestic traveling: These states require travelers to self-quarantine or present negative COVID-19 test Some travelers avoiding hot spots Amy Fesmire, of Firestone, Colorado, opted to cancel her family’s summer vacation plans to South Carolina. They’ve been going to the same beach in Isle of Palms for about 22 years with another family. Fesmire said they didn’t feel comfortable flying right now and cited South Carolina’s coronavirus numbers for the concerns. New cases in the state were rising throughout the summer, though have since begun to fall; they opted to change plans around Father’s Day. “When I called to talk with someone there, she said that it was crazy and no one was wearing masks,” the 54-year-old second-grade teacher said. “My daughter-in-law is pregnant, so we didn’t want to take any chances.”  Amy Fesmire, of Firestone, Colorado, had to cancel her family’s summer vacation plans to South Carolina. They went to Yellowstone instead. Courtesy of Amy Fesmire Fesmire and her husband, three sons and daughter-in-law decided to visit Yellowstone National Park instead of South Carolina because they all could drive there; they arrived July 25 and left Aug. 1. They rented a lakehouse in Island Park, Idaho, made day trips into the park for sightseeing and wore masks wherever they went, including on hikes.  Travelers may also be contending with quarantine restrictions around the country or from their employers when deciding whether or where to travel.  Diana Snyder, a 34-year-old teacher of Jonas, Pennsylvania, received a list from her school of 18 states, including Florida, California and Nevada, that, if visited, would require her to quarantine for two weeks. “The coronavirus isn't really holding me back from going anywhere. … But I wouldn't go to any of those states because of the fact that I won't be able to go to work for two weeks … when the school starts back at the end of August,” said Snyder, who eventually drove with her family to upstate New York and camped near Lake Ontario for a week. Diana Snyder, of Jonas, Pennsylvania, and her family visited Niagara Falls while they camped near Lake Ontario in upstate New York. Courtesy of Diana Snyder US coronavirus map: Tracking the outbreak Some trips canceled by restrictions, others by choice Matthew Loraditch, a 35-year-old network engineer of Maryland, was supposed to be in South Africa with his parents for a 11-day trip in mid-July. Three months prior to his family trip, his international flight got canceled. South Africa began its lockdown in late March, when all its borders were closed and international flights prohibited. Months later, he canceled two more trips: a convention trip to Las Vegas scheduled in June, and a Disney World tour that was originally planned in March and rescheduled in September.   “I'm not doing anything now,” said Loraditch. Nevada saw a stronger recovery in travel interest in May and June – Las Vegas reopened casinos in early June – but the interest declined as the state’s outbreak worsened. Trivago data shows the hotel search level bounced back to just 26% below 2019 levels in mid-June after dropping to 94% below 2019 in the beginning of April. Then Nevada hotel searches dropped down back to 58% of 2019 levels at the end of July. Among the countless trips that have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a 37-year-old trip planner from Northern Virginia who specializes in booking and planning Disney tours, experienced 14 of them. Justin Rose said 10 families canceled their trips during Disney World’s shutdown between March and July, and when Disney World reopened its Florida parks starting July 11, four more families requested cancellations due to “concerns for COVID itself or concerns that the experience at Disney would not be what it was prior to the shutdown.”  “A lot of people plan their trips a year or two years in advance. They do all the pre-planning and go through all the excitement to build up to it, and then to have it be canceled last minute, out of their control, is really unfortunate,” said Rose, who has visited Disney parks about 30 times so far. For the rest of the calendar year, he has 10 other trips booked to Disney World in Florida. Before the shutdown, visitors may have faced long lines. Now, Rose said, “because the park is going to be so empty, you can see and do all things you want to do.” After lower-than-expected attendance amid the coronavirus pandemic, Disney is scaling back operating hours at the Magic Kingdom and several other Florida theme parks. José Miguel Polanco, a 27-year-old sales supervisor, lives in Peru but is currently in Brazil with his parents. Every year he goes back to the U.S. to visit family. This year, that couldn’t happen. José Miguel Polanco, a 27-year-old sales supervisor, lives in Peru but is currently in Brazil with his parents. Courtesy of José Miguel Polanco He was supposed to fly from Lima to Dallas, Texas, this past week, for a work event and then vacation. “First our company canceled the event and then Peru canceled all international flights,” he said. He was able to fly to Brazil on a humanitarian flight to be with his parents. His family had other trips planned this year, including one to the French Riviera in May and to Ecuador this August.  “There was no question on whether to cancel the trips, it just doesn’t feel right to be out and enjoying travel when there are so many people in the Americas suffering either from health or economic problems,” he said, noting he's had relatives sick with COVID-19 in Peru. Important to know: Is international travel allowed? See reopening dates for Canada, Mexico, Bahamas and other spots Wow: Disney lost nearly $5 billion while theme parks were closed due to coronavirus Published 9:33 AM EDT Aug 10, 2020

[automaticpostinfluencer]

‘Off The Charts’: Coronavirus Hot Spots Grow In Midwest

DETROIT (AP) — The coronavirus continued its unrelenting spread across the United States with fatalities doubling in two days and authorities saying Saturday that an infant who tested positive had died. It pummeled big cities like New York, Detroit, New Orleans and Chicago, and made its way, too, into rural America as hotspots erupted in small Midwestern towns and Rocky Mountain ski havens.

Elsewhere, Russia announced a full border closure while in parts of Africa, pandemic prevention measures took a violent turn, with Kenyan police firing tear gas and officers elsewhere seen on video hitting people with batons.

Worldwide infections surpassed the 660,000 mark with more than 30,000 deaths as new cases also stacked up quickly in Europe, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. leads the world in reported cases with more than 120,000. Confirmed deaths surpassed 2,000 on Saturday, twice the number just two days before, highlighting how quickly infections are escalating. Still, five countries have higher death tolls: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France. Italy has more than 10,000 deaths, the most of any country.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Saturday that an infant with COVID-19 died in Chicago and the cause of death is under investigation. Officials didn’t release other information, including whether the child had other health issues.

“If you haven’t been paying attention, maybe this is your wake-up call,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.

New York remained the worst-hit U.S. city. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said defeating the virus will take “weeks and weeks and weeks.” The U.N. donated 250,000 face masks to the city, and Cuomo delayed the state’s presidential primary from April 28 to June 23.

As President Donald Trump made his way to Norfolk, Virginia, to see off a U.S. Navy medical ship sent to New York City to help, he suggested imposing some kind of quarantine for New York and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, all hit hard by the coronavirus. But he later tweeted that he intended to issue a “strong travel advisory” instead.

It wasn’t entirely clear whether he had the power to impose such a quarantine for the three states, and the idea was met with confusion and anger from their governors. Cuomo said on CNN that it would be illegal, economically catastrophic and unproductive since other areas are already seeing a surge.

Still, some states without known widespread infections began to try to limit exposure from visitors from harder-hit areas.

Rhode Island National Guard troops were instructed to go door to door in coastal communities to find New Yorkers and advise them about a mandatory 14-day quarantine for people from the state.

And in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered anyone arriving from Louisiana to self-quarantine and said law enforcement officers would set up checkpoints to screen cars from the state.

Louisiana has surpassed 3,300 infections with 137 dead from COVID-19, according to the health department. Gov. John Bel Edwards said the region was on track to run out of ventilators by the first week of April.

Cases also have been rising rapidly in Detroit, where poverty and poor health have been problems for years. The number of infections surged to 1,381, with 31 deaths, as of noon Saturday. The city’s homeless population is especially vulnerable, officials said.

“At this time, the trajectory of Detroit is unfortunately even more steep than that of New York,” said Dr. Teena Chopra, the medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at the Detroit Medical Center.

“This is off the charts,” she said.

Chopra said many patients have ailments like asthma, heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. She also acknowledged that in Detroit, one of the nation’s largest African American cities, there is a distrust among some in the community of the medical system and government due to systemic racism.

“In Detroit, we are seeing a lot of patients that are presenting to us with severe disease, rather than minor disease,” said Chopra, who worried about a “tsunami” of patients.

Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Michigan, providing money for the outbreak. He has done the same for New York, Louisiana and Illinois.

Cases in Chicago and suburban Cook County accounted for about three-fourths of Illinois’ 3,026 total as of Friday. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot closed popular lakeshore parks after people failed to practice social distancing, despite a statewide shelter-at-home order.

The governor of Kansas also issued a stay-at-home order to begin Monday, as the virus takes hold in more rural areas where doctors worry about the lack of ICU beds.

A cluster of three counties in rural Indiana have surging rates of confirmed cases. One of them, Decatur, population 26,000, has 30 cases with one confirmed death and another suspected, said Sean Durbin, the county’s public health emergency preparedness coordinator. Several cases were traced to large gatherings earlier in the month, including a religious retreat and a high school basketball tournament.

The disease threatens to be devastating for close-knit communities where everyone knows everyone, Durbin said, adding that he was a friend of the person believed to have died from the virus as well as others currently in critical condition.

The county health department has already run out of personal protective equipment, Durbin said. The last supply from the federal stockpile arrived more than a week ago and contained just 77 N95 masks and two dozen face shields.

“I wish there was a stronger word for disappointed,” he said. “I’m calling on them to do better.”

Blaine County, Idaho, a scenic ski haven for wealthy tourists, now has around 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the highest rate per capita outside the New York area. Two people have died.

The virus continues to strain health systems in Italy, Spain and France. Lockdowns of varying degrees have been introduced across Europe, nearly emptying streets in normally bustling cities.

Germany has fewer deaths than some neighboring countries but has closed nonessential shops and banned public gatherings of more than two people until April 20. It still had its share of grim news: 12 residents of a nursing home in the northern town of Wolfsburg have died since Monday after being infected, news agency dpa reported.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte announced he had signed a decree freeing up 400 million euros ($440 million) for coupons and packages of food aid, to be delivered door-to-door if necessary.

“People are suffering psychologically. They’re not used to staying in their homes. But they are also suffering economically,” Conte said. Italy has almost completed a three-week lockdown, with no end in sight.

In Spain, where stay-at-home restrictions have been in place for nearly two weeks, the death toll rose to 5,812.

Another 8,000 confirmed infections pushed that count above 72,000 cases. But Spain’s director of emergencies, Fernando Simón, saw hope in that the rate of infection is slowing and figures “indicate that the outbreak is stabilizing and may be reaching its peak in some areas.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for a more vigorous response from the European Union. Spain, Italy, France and six other members have asked the union to share the burden of European debt, dubbed “coronabonds” in the media, to help fight the virus. But the idea has met resistance from other members, led by Germany and the Netherlands.

“It is the most difficult moment for the EU since its foundation and it has to be ready to rise to the challenge,” Sánchez said.

As the epicenter has shifted westward, the situation has calmed in China, where some restrictions have been lifted. Some subway service was restored in Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in December, after the city of 11 million had its virus risk evaluation reduced from high to medium.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and lead to death.

More than 135,000 people have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins.

Countries are still trying to bring home citizens stranded abroad. On Saturday, 174 foreign tourists and four Nepali nationals in the foothills of Mount Everest were flown out days after being stranded at the only airstrip serving the world’s highest mountain.

Indian authorities sent buses to the outskirts of New Delhi to meet an exodus of migrant workers desperately trying to reach their home villages amid the world’s largest lockdown, which effectively put millions out of work.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered his country’s borders fully closed as of Monday, exempting diplomats as well as residents of the exclave of the Kaliningrad region.

Irvine reported from Chicago. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed.

Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://ift.tt/2ueWXx8 and https://ift.tt/2wrCaXK

A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus

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Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost’s next chapter

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[covid19updater]

COVID19 Updates: 11/12/2020

New Zealand:  New Zealand partially shuts central Auckland over mystery Covid case LINK

World:  Ultrasound Imaging Findings of Acute Testicular Infection in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 LINK

Japan: logs record daily virus cases of over 1,600 amid resurgence LINK

World:  Younger Adults Caught in COVID-19 Crosshairs as Demographics Shift LINK

Romania:  Romanian health care workers demonstrate in a 'protest of exhaustion' LINK

US:  Experts worry 'COVID-fatigue' could be causing spike in cases LINK

World:  Covid-19 scare unfolds aboard first cruise to resume sailing in the Caribbean LINK

US:  White House coronavirus task force warns of 'accelerating community spread' LINK (Gee...ya think?)

UK:  Uk +33,470

Iowa:  Congresswoman-elect Ashley Hinson tests positive for COVID-19, will isolate LINK

NYC:  New York City is "preparing" to temporarily close schools immediately if the citywide seven-day positivity rate climbs over 3%, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. The seven-day positivity now stands at 2.6%.

US:  Costco drops medical exemption, will require all customers wear face coverings LINK

Pennsylvania:  At least 1,500 nurses in the Philadelphia area may be on the verge of going on strike LINK

Ohio:  'We know that masks work': Ohio governor reissues state mask order LINK

California: is now the second state to reach 1,000,000 confirmed cases

Illinois:  Stay-at-Home Advisory Issued for Chicago as City Reaches ‘Critical Point' LINK

Indiana:  Indianapolis restricting bars to 25% capacity and closing early beginning Monday.

Italy:  Italy hospital overrun by COVID-19 starts giving oxygen to people in cars, because there is no place no more...The situation in Italy is again dramatic: corona patients are even given oxygen in the hospital parking lot.  The dramatic images of overcrowded hospitals in Italy are back. A hospital in Naples even ventilates the patients in their car in the car park for the emergency admission because they have no beds left. "We ask for a national lockdown, or the health care system collapses," the doctors yell. The mayor of Palermo in Sicily fears an insurmountable bloodbath. "The health crisis in Naples is getting out of hand," said Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Thursday.

France: COVID update: Number in hospital surpasses first wave - New cases: 33,172 - Positivity rate: 18.7% (-0.8) - In hospital: 32,683 (+737) - In ICU: 4,899 (+96) - New deaths: 425 

Iowa:    Nov. 12: With 50% positivity rate, Iowa reports another 4,337 cases, 30 more deaths LINK

Georgia:  'They're scared': Demand for Georgia ICU nurses triples in 1 week LINK

US:  BREAKING: U.S. reports 150,000 new coronavirus cases, setting world record for 3rd day in a row 

Wisconsin:    90% of hospital beds and 92% of ICU beds currently occupied statewide. "We can't really convert more beds to create a 'surge buffer' because we don't have the ability to staff them. Ideal occupancy, in terms of efficiency, is normally in the 60-70% range so current occupancy rates are problematic." What caught my attention was, and to create context there's an overflow facility at the State Fair grounds in the Milwaukee area which, per the doctor speaking, "Is where we decant patients who only need 2-3 days more of care, perhaps some oxygen and dosing with Remdesevir (pardon my spelling) before discharge." I found the wine term "decant" interesting and I also thought the medication they're using would be useful information for those of you tuned in to the pharma aspects. 

Indiana:    Terre Haute, Indiana: Union Hospital "busting at the seams" Official: "We were preparing for D-Day ... now, we are seeing it" LINK

US:  Rep. Don Young, oldest member of Congress, tests positive for Covid-19 LINK

Ukraine:  Ukraine's President Hospitalized With COVID-19 LINK

Washington:  Providence Medical Center reports COVID-19 outbreak within hospital LINK

World:  Sixty-Day Outcomes Among Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 LINK