Coronavirus USA live updates: news summary for July 4th
Coronavirus live: USA latest news - 4 July 2020
US coronavirus latest: 15:45 PT / 18:45 ET on Saturday 4 July (00:45 CEST on Sunday 5 July)
According to the latest figures published by John Hopkins University, 11,169,802 cases have been detected worldwide, with 528,232 deaths and 6,010,342 people recovered.
In the USA, there have been 2,832,492 confirmed cases and 129,646 deaths, with 883,561 people recovered from the virus.
Trump again blames US case count on increased testing
President Donald Trump has repeated his disproved claim that the United States' surging coronavirus case count is merely a reflection of the increased testing being done in the country, tweeting: "Cases, Cases, Cases! If we didn’t test so much and so successfully, we would have very few cases."
Second stimulus check: when could it be approved, when would I get it?
When could a second stimulus check be approved and when would I get it?
US President Donald Trump has stated his support for a second coronavirus Economic Impact Payment, more commonly known as a stimulus check.
Full story:
Dave Barnes enjoys an Independence Day lunch with his wife Christy Barnes at an outdoor restaurant in Manhattan Beach, California, where beaches are shut due to a spike in Covid-19 cases in Los Angeles County. Beaches and indoor restaurant seating in Los Angeles County have been closed to help fight the spread of the coronavirus.
(Photo: Robyn Beck / AFP)
Coronavirus: Trump approves 5-week PPP extension for small business loan applications
Trump approves 5-week PPP extension
US President Donald Trump on Saturday signed off a deadline extension to 8 August for small businesses to apply for relief loans under the Payroll Protection Program.
Full details:
"One of the most patriotic things you can do is wear a mask"
Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has urged Americans to cover their faces to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, tweeting: "This Fourth of July, one of the most patriotic things you can do is wear a mask."
While current incumbent Donald Trump refuses to wear a mask and in May retweeted a post mocking Biden's appearance in a face covering, the former vice-president has said he would seek to make face masks mandatory were he to win November's election.
US "on the way to tremendous victory", says Trump
In a video address wishing Americans a happy 4th of July, US President Donald Trump has claimed that the country is "on the way to a tremendous victory", despite the States this week registering record daily rises in coronavirus figures.
"We have a country that’s really making a comeback," Trump said. "Four months ago […], we were doing better than any country had ever done in history […] and then we got hit by this terrible plague from China, and now we’re getting close to fighting our way out of it.
"Our country is coming back, our jobs numbers are spectacular. A lot of things are happening that people don’t quite see yet, but you’ll see over the next couple of months.
"I just want to wish everybody a tremendously happy 4th of July. We’re on the way to a tremendous victory. It’s going to happen and it’s going to happen big. Our country is going to be greater than ever before."
Florida shatters single-day record, topping 11,000 cases
Florida has again broken its single-day record for new coronavirus cases, reporting 11,458 fresh infections on Saturday. The figure represents a 13% rise on the state's previous high of 10,109, the Miami Herald has noted.
There have now been more than 190,000 Covid-19 cases in Florida, leading to over 3,700 deaths.
Who is Jimmie Johnson, the NASCAR driver who tested positive for coronavirus?
Jimmie Johnson tests positive
The seven-time Cup Series champion has become the first NASCAR driver to test positive for Covid-19 and will miss this weekend's Brickyard 400 opener.
How old is America on July 4th 2020 and which countries are the oldest?
It's a very different birthday for the US
July 4th: what is celebrated and why today?
4th July 2020 is different due to Covid-19
...but the history behind the special day never changes.
Mixed views on global coronavirus handling
According to this poll, Americans believe that Italy did a significantly worse job at dealing with the outbreak than the US or UK.
Another Covid-19 positive test in Trump circle
"After testing positive, Kimberly was immediately isolated to limit any exposure. She’s doing well, and will be retested to ensure the diagnosis is correct since she’s asymptomatic, but as a precaution will cancel all upcoming events. Donald Trump Jr was tested negative, but as a precaution is also self isolating and is canceling all public events."
July 4th 2020: Why it is called ‘Super Saturday’?
July 4th in UK 2020
Did you know that there is a different type of 'independence' being (sort of) celebrated in the United Kingdom today? Oh, the irony.
Key updates from around the world
Russia on Saturday reported 6,632 new cases of the novel coronavirus, raising the nationwide tally of infections to 674,515. The authorities said that 168 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 10,027.
India recorded its highest singe-day spike of coronavirus cases on Saturday, with over 22,000 new cases and 442 deaths, as infections rose in the western and southern parts of the country amid heavy monsoon rains.
Tokyo confirmed about 130 new cases of infections of the coronavirus on Saturday, a third consecutive day with more than 100 new cases, public broadcaster NHK reported. Cases in Tokyo have risen to a two-month high, driven by the spread of the virus in the capital's night spots. Tokyo on Friday reported 124 new cases, up from 107 the day before, partly due to increased testing among night life workers in the Shinjuku and Ikebukuro districts.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 422 to 196,096, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday. The reported death toll rose by 7 to 9,010, the tally showed.
A look ar Covid-19's impact on poverty
The novel coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the global economy, upending entire industries and leaving scores of people around the world without work, child care and — in many places — enough food on their tables.
July 4th: food ideas to celebrate Independence Day 2020
Happy July 4th: now is your table looking patriotic enough?
The celebrations are here, albeit within the new environment of Covid-19, and many people are looking for ideas to add the American touch to their tasty delights.
Here are a few to get you going...
Trump: "US under siege from 'far-left fascism"
Speaking beneath Mount Rushmore on the eve of American independence day, Donald Trump staged a defiant celebration of what critics say is white identity politics and warned the nation’s history is under siege from “far-left fascism”.
Lucky Brand files for bankruptcy as latest retail casualty of coronavirus
Apparel company Lucky Brand Dungarees is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it said on Friday, becoming the latest retailer to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic.
The firm said it had entered into a "stalking horse asset purchase agreement" with SPARC Group LLC, which owns brands such as Aeropostale and Nautica, for the sale of "substantially all" its operating assets.
Such a pact sets a starting bid or minimally accepted offer as a threshold for other potential buyers if they want to bid.
Lucky Brand estimated both assets and liabilities in the range of $100 million to $500 million, its filing in the U.S.
Bankruptcy Court of Delaware showed.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted sales across
all channels," the firm's interim chief executive, Matthew
Kaness, said in the statement.
31 MLB players test positive for COVID-19
Major League Baseball announced Friday that 31 players and seven staff members tested positive for coronavirus after taking the test.
Nervousness in Jersey Shore
In the past few hours, crowds have gathered on the Jersey Shore. And although people wear face masks, nervousness has gripped many people.
US Covid-19 cases rise by 53,000
The United States reported more than 53,000 new Covid19 cases on Friday and several states set new records, according to a Reuters tally. A surge in coronavirus cases has put President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis under the microscope and jeopardized reopening the economy, with some states closing high-risk businesses.
Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee all set single-day records for new cases on Friday, according to a Reuters tally. The daily U.S. tally stood at 53,483 late Friday, below the previous day's record of 55,405.
July 4th fireworks near me: what can I see and where?
Virtual or real, fireworks are still going off
The coronavirus pandemic has changed much of our normal life but it has not completely cancelled our Independence Day celebrations.
White House points finger of blame at China
"I want everybody right here today, as the day before America’s Independence Day, to understand where this virus started — with the Chinese Communist Party that is making us stay locked in our homes and lose our jobs. They spawned the virus. They hid the virus.
"They sent hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationalists over here to seed and spread the virus," White House economic adviser Peter Navarro said.
Peter Gallagher's coronavirus story
US actor Peter Gallagher, who played Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007, as well as starring in Law & Order, Grace & Frankie and Covert Affairs, has spoken about his experience.
How to celebrate July 4th safely during Covid-19
A guide to doing July 4th safely
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way many of us celebrate so we need to consider the alternatives to ensure Independence Day fun doesn't pass unnoticed.
Catch up
A look back at some of the stories that have been making the coronavirus headlines over the past 24 hours:
- Facebook said Thursday it would offer reminders to its users to wear protective masks
- The US isn’t in a second wave of coronavirus – the first wave never ended
- This year's Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic
- Dr. Fauci is calling for Americans to take responsibility for their personal roles in stopping the coronavirus
- The United States will not be included on a list of 50 countries whose travelers will no longer face a quarantine period on arrival in England.
US coronavirus latest: 19:00 PT / 22:00 ET on Friday 3 July (01:00 CEST Saturday 4 July)
According to the latest figures published by John Hopkins University, 10,982,099 cases have been detected worldwide, with 523,613 deaths and 5,816,375 people recovered.
In the USA, there have been 2,786,178 confirmed cases and 129,275 deaths, with 790,404 people recovered from the virus.
Hello and welcome to our live, rolling coverage of the coronavirus in the United States
Almost 11 million people globally have contracted the disease according to official figures, and well over half a million have lost their lives to the virus since it started to spread globally at the beginning of the year.
In the US, the first wave was believed to be over but that is obviously not the case. Texas, Florida, Arizona and California have seen a resurgence in new cases reaffirming fears that a second wave is a very real possibility.