Coronavirus US news summary: Saturday 20 June
Coronavirus live US: latest Covid-19 news - 20 June
US coronavirus latest: 17:00 PT / 20:00 ET on Saturday 20 June (02:00 CEST on Sunday 21 June)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 8,753,853 cases have been detected worldwide, with 463,281 deaths and 4,333,391 people have recovered.
In the USA, there have been 2,250,240 confirmed cases and 119,645 deaths with 617,640 people recovering from the virus.
Arizona continues to see rise in coronavirus cases
Consumers return to retail shopping at the Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday. Arizona is one of the 19 states in the US where new coronavirus cases are still on an upward trend. Governor Doug Ducey allowed individual Arizona cities to create their own policies about face-covering requirements and enforcement on Wednesday.
(Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP)
Trump 'death clock' at Tulsa rally
The Guardian's Oliver Laughland has tweeted this photo of a 'Trump death clock' that is driving around outside the venue for the American president's rally in Tulsa, which takes place amid concerns over the spread of the coronavirus - and in the wake of six campaign staffers testing positive for Covid-19.
As Laughland notes, the number of US coronavirus fatalities displayed is actually rather lower than the more widely estimated toll of around 120,000.
Trump campaign members test positive ahead of Tulsa rally
Six campaign staffers working on United States President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa today have tested positive for Covid-19, it has been confirmed.
“Six members of the advance team tested positive out of hundreds of tests performed, and quarantine procedures were immediately implemented," Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign’s communications director, said in a statement.
"No Covid-positive staffers or anyone in immediate contact will be at today’s rally or near attendees and elected officials."
$4,000 tax credit: what Trump says about coronavirus stimulus scheme
What does Trump say about the $4,000 travel tax credit?
An 'Explore America' tax-credit scheme would bid to kick-start the US tourism industry by allowing people in the country to claim back money on domestic travel.
Full details:
Florida registers another record rise
Florida has reported its biggest surge yet in coronavirus cases, reporting 4,049 new infections in the 24-hour cycle between Friday and Saturday. That’s 227 more than the previous day, which was also a record spike.
In total, there have been 93,797 coronavirus case in the US state, leading to 3,144 deaths.
Stimulus check US: millions at risk of missing out on payment
Millions in US at risk of missing out on stimulus check
Recent research has shown that as many as 12 million low-income Americans are in danger of not receiving their payment, despite being eligible.
Full details:
MLB closes all spring sites as Covid-19 spreads
(Reuters) With coronavirus infections on the rise in Florida and Arizona, Major League Baseball is closing all spring training sites to have them undergo thorough cleaning, multiple media outlets reported late Friday night.
Earlier Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants shut down their training facilities due to positive tests for the coronavirus, and the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels announced that players had contracted Covid-19.
The spread of the virus at baseball facilities coincides with statewide spikes in both Florida and Arizona.
US-bound Sahara sand storm could worsen Covid-19 symptoms
A massive sand storm from the Sahara desert is forecast to hit the southern US, Mexico and the Caribbean and could inflame coronavirus symptoms in patients.
$4,000 Travel Tax Credit: when could the stimulus be approved in US Congress?
Donald Trump's proposal would have to be included as part of the next federal stimulus bill, which is stalled as Democrats and Republicans joust over HEROES Act.
A supporter of US President Donald Trump chants 'USA' while waiting for Saturday's rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Trump's first campaign event since the coronavirus crisis began has drawn criticism due to social distancing concerns amid an upturn in cases across the USA after lockdown restrictions were eased. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
"The real concern is what is coming in the next week or two"
(Reuters) Troubling spikes in coronavirus infection rates were reported on Friday in several U.S. states, mainly in the South and West, a day before President Donald Trump was due to preside over an Oklahoma campaign rally that will be America's largest indoor gathering in months.
"Clearly the cases are rising rapidly. It's not just a matter of testing more," said Dr. Murtaza Akhter, an emergency room physician at Arizona hospitals, noting the lag time between a positive test and severe illness or death. "The real concern is what is coming up for us in the next week or two."
The World Health Organization considers positivity rates above 5% to be especially concerning, and widely watched data from Johns Hopkins University shows 16 states with average rates over the past week exceeding that level and climbing.
Four were averaging double-digit rates - Arizona at 17%, Alabama at 12%, Washington state at 11% and South Carolina at 10%. The dozen others were led by Utah, Texas, Mississippi, Florida and Georgia, all averaging rates of 7.5% or higher.
Spike in US cases
(AFP) The United States has registered a further 705 deaths from the coronavirus in 24 hours, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The country has experienced a coronavirus rebound in around 20 of its states. The epidemic has moved from New York and the northeast of the country to a broad band spanning the south and west.
The state of Florida recorded a new record of coronavirus cases on Friday with nearly 3,822 people infected in 24 hours, a figure downplayed by its governor who assures that most are asymptomatic young people.
Trump to push ahead with Oklahoma rally
Despite a rise in cases in the US, the president has no plans to cancel a re-election campaign rally in Oklahoma on Saturday.
Trump plays down new spikes
POTUS has suggested that there is no need to panic over Covid-19 infection rates. And why shouldn't you believe him?
The last time he said that, at the beginning of the pandemic, he justified its inaccuracy as it being his job to be a positive cheerleader. Oh!
Catch up
Here is a selection of some recent coronavirus-related stories making the headlines over the last 24 hours:
- Apple Set To Re-Close Some US Stores After More Coronavirus Outbreaks
- The US will have over 30,000 new coronavirus cases reported on Friday, for the first time since 1 May.
- Despite many states seeing a spike in cases, President Donald Trump has stated that the United States would not close businesses again
- "We've gone from worst to first" says NY governor Andrew Cuomo
- California, North Carolina and a string over other cities in the United States are starting to mandate the wearing of face masks
US Coronavirus news: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic as it affects the United States.
The number of cases and deaths continues to rise across the US with more than 2.2 million people having contracted the virus since the March outbreak