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Coronavirus live US: latest news - 1 August
USA coronavirus latest: 15:30 PT / 18:30 ET on Saturday 1 August (00:30 CEST on Sunday 2 August)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 17,703,272 cases have been detected worldwide, with 681,580 deaths and 10,430,690 people recovered.
In the US, there have been 4,608,206 confirmed cases and 154,145 deaths, with 1,438,160 people recovered from the virus.
Scroll through some of the recent coronavirus-related articles:
"Wrong!": Trump disagrees with Fauci on surging US case numbers
US President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to publicly disagree with Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, on the reason why coronavirus cases are continuing to surge in the States.
Testifying before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis on Friday, Dr Fauci said he believed the US’ rising case numbers were caused by the varying scope of the lockdowns imposed by each state.
"There are some states that did it very well, there are some states that did not," Fauci said, per CBS.
However, Trump yet again put forward his disproved claim that the US’ coronavirus figures are merely a reflection of the level of testing being carried out in the country, tweeting: "Wrong! We have more cases because we have tested far more than any other country, 60,000,000.
"If we tested less, there would be less cases. How did Italy, France & Spain do? Now Europe sadly has flare ups. Most of our governors worked hard & smart. We will come back STRONG!"
Second stimulus check: what's been proposed other than HEALS Act?
Second stimulus check: what's been proposed other than the HEALS Act?
As the coronavirus crisis continues, a number of proposals have now been tabled for a stimulus check to follow the payments sent out as part of the CARES Act.
Full details:
Ohio bars stop serving alcohol amid Fauci warning
Customers enjoy a last round of drinks at a bar in the Short North District in Columbus, Ohio. Governor Mike DeWine this week issued a statewide order for restaurants and bars to stop serving alcohol effective at 10pm on Friday.
Despite coronavirus cases spiking in midwest states like Ohio, many have still opted to go out to bars and breweries with friends. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious disease expert, warned that the midwest is the next hot bed for coronavirus infections in a recent press briefing.
(Photo: Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images/AFP)
Arizona congressman tests positive for Covid-19
Arizona congressman Raúl Grijalva has contracted Covid-19, it has been confirmed. The Democrat, who has now gone into self-isolation, tested positive on Friday, NPR has reported.
In a statement in which he said he was not suffering from any symptoms, Grijalva took aim at congressional Republicans who, he said, "routinely strut around the Capitol without a mask".
"While I cannot blame anyone directly for this, this week has shown that there are some Members of Congress who fail to take this crisis seriously," Grijalva said.
"Numerous Republican members routinely strut around the Capitol without a mask to selfishly make a political statement at the expense of their colleagues, staff, and their families."
NPR notes, for example, that Grijalva chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, which on Tuesday was attended by Republican congressman Louie Gohmert, who has repeatedly refused to put on a face mask in public.
WHO expects "lengthy" coronavirus pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the coronavirus pandemic is expected to be "lengthy" after its Emergency Committee met on Saturday to discuss the global effort to curb the spread of Covid-19.
"The Committee highlighted the anticipated lengthy duration of this COVID-19 pandemic, noting the importance of sustained community, national, regional, and global response efforts," the WHO said in a statement.
"The Committee encouraged all individuals, in particular young people, and communities to continue to play an active role in preventing and controlling transmission of COVID-19."
On Friday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke of the pandemic's expected long-term impact on the world, saying: "The pandemic is a once-in-a-century health crisis, the effects of which will be felt for decades to come."
Florida reports over 9,600 new cases
Florida has reported 9,642 new coronavirus cases, taking the hard-hit state’s total number of infections to 480,028 - second only to California in the United States.
There were 179 new deaths in Florida, bringing its death toll past the 7,000 mark. In all, there have been 7,022 coronavirus-related fatalities in the state.
Stimulus checks: Pelosi-Schumer in crunch talks with Trump aides
Pelosi-Schumer in crunch talks with Trump aides
The US economy is in desperate need of further support and as the Republican proposal - the HEALS Act - is negotiated, senior Democrats met with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Meadows.
Full story:
Drive-in circus entertains Californians as part of 'Concerts In Your Car' series
Performers with the Zoppe Italian Family Circus stand below the stage as another act performs during the world premiere of their drive-in circus held amid the Covid-19 pandemic in Ventura, California, on Friday.
It was the first time the historic traveling circus act, formed in 1842, had performed since the pandemic began. The event was part of the socially-distanced concert series 'Concerts In Your Car' held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP)
Follow the Three C's to Reduce Covid-19 risk
'I tell family and friends that, as a general rule of thumb, they should avoid the three C's: crowds, closed spaces with poor ventilation and close contact with anyone outside their household.
Crowds bring you into contact with many people who could have Covid-19 even if they're asymptomatic. The more people around you, the greater your chance of getting infected, particularly if you're in a hotspot area with a rising number of cases.'
Mary-Claire Roghmann, an infectious disease doctor and epidemiologist shares her advice.
'Trump is out of touch with suburban Ohio' - an opinion
'Currently, Delaware County is in the “orange” zone for coronavirus exposure and spread. Cases have spiked over the past few weeks, and families are being advised to limit their activities as much as possible. Our kids are missing out on so much, and the status of school in the fall is in limbo. It didn’t have to be this way. Unlike nearly every other country on the planet, the U.S. failed to prepare because our president refused to listen to public health experts and pretended the virus would just disappear.
'What we see on television is not the reality we live with. Trump should follow his own recommendation and read the materials provided to him by experts in their fields. He has access to the best minds in the world, but his top priority seems to be the ratings for his own reality show.
'Trump keeps pushing to reopen the economy, but we can’t fix our economy if we don’t get the virus under control first. Even worse, Trump and his Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are threatening to take funds away from schools if they don’t reopen fully. Everyone wants to see our kids back in school — trust me, working moms really want this — but local school districts should not be bullied into making decisions that are unsafe for teachers, students and our communities.'
Read Peg Watkins' full opinion piece here
Texas state's Tinderholt almost dies from Covid-19
Right-wing Texas state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, who pushed for reopening the state amid the coronavirus pandemic and compared the shutdown to “socialism,” says he thought he was going to die after recently testing positive for Covid-19.
“Though I am not quite back to 100% health, I am feeling much better and continue to self isolate and heal inside my home,” Tinderholt wrote on Facebook on Friday afternoon. “I praise the Lord for keeping my family safe and for sending an excellent medical professional who was not afraid to practice the medicine he felt was in the best interest of his patients.”
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Tinderholt’s treatment did not include hydroxychloroquine because doctors thought it would be too risky given that he has a titanium heart valve.
POTUS continues his testing mantra
Although the relative statistics don't actually bear this out, Donald Trump has taken to Twitter with his usual claim about testing and cases.
He'll be hoping that many of his followers don't bother digging into pesky things like facts.
HEROES and HEALS eligibility criteria
The Democrats have been pushing for the HEROES Act, while the Republicans now have their HEALS Act on the table. We look at the two sets of requirements and how they could affect the second stimulus check payment.
Blood type and Covid-19
You may have heard that your blood type can protect you against Covid-19, or make you more vulnerable. The science suggests that it can do both, a bit, but researchers say that it is too soon to make decisions about personal risk based on your blood group.
New Scientist takes a look...
Concerns rising over Covid-19 outbreaks at San Antonio nursing homes
Windsor Mission Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on the South Side is still being monitored.
U.S. Air Force veteran Teodoro Laurel lived at Windsor Mission Oaks and died of Covid-19 complications.
“He had started a very deep sense of loyalty to the United States of America for his service,” said Teodoro Laurel Jr., son of the veteran.
Laurel was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery last week.
“The biggest things that we’ve learned out of my dad and being taught from my father was being respectful and loyal to, not only your country but also your family,” Laurel Jr. said.
First coronavirus death of child In California confirmed
A Madera hospital has confirmed a pediatric patient has died from Covid-19, marking the first coronavirus-related death of a child in California, according to the state health department.
The child, a teenager receiving care at Valley Children’s Hospital, had prior underlying health conditions, according to the California Department of Public Health.
“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of this young person whose death is a tragic and powerful reminder of how serious Covid-19 can be,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, state health officer and director of the state health department.
Mixed response to chairman's Covid-19 'red zone' demand of Tennessee governor
U.S. Rep. Mark Green, a Tennessee Republican and physician, fired off a letter this week objecting to the directive from U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-South Carolina, chairman of the recently created Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, who had demanded the information on Wednesday.
Stimulus check: differences between CARES, HEALS and HEROES Acts
CARES, HEALS and HEROES Acts: the stimulus check triangle
As the American economy and households continue to struggle amid the pandemic, the Republicans' proposed HEALS Act is the latest step towards more aid.
Two jailed in Florida for ignoring quarantine
Two residents of the Florida Keys have been jailed for failing to quarantine after testing positive for the new coronavirus.
Jose Interian, 24, and Yohana Gonzalez, 26, are facing charges of violating isolation rules for a quarantine and violating emergency management disaster preparedness rules, according to jail records. They were arrested Wednesday in Key West, officials said.
The Miami Herald reports Interian and Gonzalez had been ordered by the health department to quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19, but neighbors said they were ignoring the order.
DeSantis approval plummets amid coronavirus surge
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has seen his approval rating nosedive in recent weeks as the state has become one of the new epicenters for the coronavirus pandemic.
A poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy released Friday shows that 45 percent of respondents said that they approved of DeSantis's job performance, while 49 percent disapproved.
This is a stark contrast from the last iteration of the survey in March, when 62 percent of Florida voters said that they approved of the job DeSantis was doing, with just 24 percent saying they disapproved.
New cases of Covid-19 in Florida have spiked in the past two months.
Stimulus check: Trump's 'way higher' payment not included in HEROES or HEALS proposals
Trump stands alone on 'way higher' stimulus payment
Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he envisaged a second round of stimulus checks could “go way higher” than the first tranche of $1,200 payments sent out under the CARES Act as Republicans and Democrats work towards consensus on the latest economic aid package.
However, the U.S. president failed to elaborate on his suggestion during an interview with broadcaster KMID in Texas and it remains unclear as to how any potential increase in a second wave of stimulus checks would be implemented amid a crushing economic downturn and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Russia plans mass vaccination from October, RIA reports
Russia is preparing to start a mass vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus in October, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Saturday, RIA news agency reported.
The minister, who did not give details about the vaccine to be used, said doctors and teachers would be the first to be vaccinated. A source told Reuters this week that Russia's first potential Covid-19 vaccine, developed by a state research facility, would secure local regulatory approval in August and be administered to health workers soon after that.
Russia's coronavirus death toll exceeds 14,000
Russia reported 95 new deaths from the novel coronavirus on Saturday, pushing its national tally to 14,058. Officials also reported 5,462 new cases of the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, pushing the country's tally to 845,443.
Health workers with PPE still at high risk of Covid-19 infection, study finds
A new study from King's College London has found that health workers wearing adequate PPE faced 3.4 times the risk of contracting the coronavirus compared to the general population, while minority health care workers had an even greater risk of testing positive.
"A little over 20 percent of front-line health-care workers reported at least one symptom associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with 14.4 percent of the general population; fatigue, loss of smell or taste, and hoarse voice were especially frequent," the researchers wrote.
Over 2.2m children infected with Covid-19 in U.S.
Contradicting President Donald Trump's claim that children are almost immune to the coronavirus, America's top infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci, said that "hundreds of thousands" of children have been infected.
Over 2.2 million US children have been infected with the novel coronavirus and more than 900 children have needed intensive care hospitalization until July 30, according to the public database COVKID Project.
U.S. records over 25,000 coronavirus deaths in July
U.S. coronavirus deaths rose by over 25,000 in July and cases doubled in 19 states during the month, according to a Reuters tally, dealing a crushing blow to hopes of quickly reopening the economy. The United States recorded 1.87 million new cases in July, bringing total infections to 4.5 million, for an increase of 69%. Deaths in July rose 20% to nearly 154,000 total.
The biggest increases in July were in Florida, with over 310,000 new cases, followed by California and Texas with about 260,000 each. All three states saw cases double in June. Cases also more than doubled in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, according to the tally. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York had the lowest increases, with cases rising 8% or less.
The United States shattered single-day global records when it reported over 77,000 new cases on July 16. During July, 33 out of the 50 U.S. states had one-day record increases in cases and 19 set records for their rise in deaths in 24 hours, according to a Reuters tally. After a rapid acceleration in cases, the outbreak appears to be stabilizing in Arizona, Florida and Texas.
Health officials are now concerned the outbreak has migrated to the Midwest from summer travel. (Open https://tmsnrt.rs/2WTOZDR in an external browser for a Reuters interactive graphic) The news that more states could be hard hit by the virus comes a day after the U.S. reported that gross domestic product collapsed at a 32.9% annualized rate in the second quarter, the nation's worst economic performance since the Great Depression.
U.S. coronavirus deaths rise by 1,453, biggest increase since May 27
U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus rose by at least 1,453 on Friday, the biggest one-day increase since May 27, to reach a total of 153,882, according to a Reuters tally. U.S. cases rose by at least 66,986 to a total of 4.58 million with some local governments yet to report.
The rise in deaths was the biggest one-day increase since fatalities rose by 1,484 on May 27. For July, U.S. cases rose by 1.87 million, or 69%, and deaths rose by 25,770, or 20%. In June cases rose by 835,000 and deaths by 22,322.
Pelosi says far from coronavirus deal; more talks with White House Saturday
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said talks with the White House on a coronavirus aid bill were far from a deal on Friday, as federal unemployment benefits that have been an essential lifeline for millions of Americans expired.
Asked why she rejected a proposal from Republican President Donald Trump's administration for a one-week extension of the $600 weekly jobless payment, Pelosi told reporters a short-term fix would be appropriate "if you are on a path" toward a deal. "We're not," Pelosi told a news conference.
Negotiations were to continue on Saturday between White House officials and congressional Democrats. Pelosi will host a meeting with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, an aide familiar with the planning said.
(Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP)
U.S. makes deal for 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine, deaths expected to rise
Two major drug companies will supply the U.S. government with 100 million doses of an experimental coronavirus vaccine, the Trump administration said on Friday, as the nation's top health agency predicted that fatalities would rise in the coming weeks.
The agreement calls for the U.S. government to pay French drug maker Sanofi and British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline up to $2.1 billion to supply it with enough vaccines for 50 million people, with the option to buy another 500 million doses.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control on Friday forecast between 168,000 and 182,000 total fatalities by August 22, predicting that deaths will rise fastest in Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Tennessee and Washington state.
$1,000 stimulus check: how much money would go to children and how much to adults?
$1,000 stimulus check: how much money would go to children and how much to adults?
On Thursday, a group of Republican senators proposed sending out $1,000 payments per individual amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Full details:
Trump vs TikTok: Microsoft could buy the Chinese social network
China slams Trump and U.S. over TikTok investigation
China accused the U.S. of "revealing its own hypocrisy" over Donald Trump's threat to ban the app or force it to sell its operations over national security.
Full story:
"I don't think it's dreaming": Fauci confident of vaccine in 2020
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, right, and Representative Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, wear protective masks while greeting each other with an elbow bump after a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing in Washington DC, on Friday.
At the hearing, titled 'The Urgent Need for a National Plan to Contain the Coronavirus', Dr Fauci said that America's high coronavirus case count has been caused by the fact that shutdowns in some parts of the country were not sufficiently comprehensive.
He bemoaned the US federal government’s decision to leave individual states to decide on the scope of the lockdowns they put in place, Politico has reported. "There were some states that did it very well, and there were some states did not," he said.
Fauci also said he was confident a vaccine against Covid-19 will be developed by the end of 2020. "I don't think it's dreaming," he said, adding: "I believe it's a reality."
(Photo: EFE/EPA/ERIN SCOTT / POOL)
Coronavirus live US updates: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live, United States-focused coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which as of 19:00 ET had registered over 17.4 million cases and 675,500 deaths worldwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. In the US, which has been by far the world's worst-hit country, there have been over 4.54 million cases, leading to nearly 153,000 fatalities.