Airport number war, Navajo lockdowns, petition rules: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: A federal judge said the state cannot prohibit local officials from offering curbside voting during the COVID-19 pandemic and loosened restrictions on absentee ballots in three Alabama counties because of the health risk to voters. U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon entered the preliminary injunction Monday evening. Kallon ruled that the potential health risks to older and medically vulnerable voters in going to the polls, or getting absentee ballots witnessed or notarized, merited the changes. The judge lifted a statewide prohibition on curbside voting at in-person polling locations. He also waived requirements in Mobile, Jefferson and Lee counties for voters to get their absentee ballot notarized or witnessed by two adults and the requirement that absentee voters who are 65 and older or disabled mail in copies of their photo IDs. The ruling applies to the July 14 runoff election.

Alaska

Bethel: The city plans to increase the number of visitors participating in coronavirus screening tests at its airport by adding a financial incentive. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation said between 25% and 60% of passengers arriving at the Bethel airport volunteer for coronavirus testing, Alaska Public Media reports. Bethel officials hope to use some of the city’s $8.4 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to increase the percentage of passengers agreeing to airport testing to 100%. “Whether it’s a gift card, or a raffle ticket for some prize, but some kind of a financial incentive to catch people’s attention to go get tested,” City Manager Vincenzo Corazza said. The testing is voluntary, and an inducement with a monetary value could increase participation, Corazza said.

Arizona

Window Rock: The Navajo Nation is resuming lockdowns for at least the next two weekends as the number of coronavirus cases off the reservation increases, most notably in Arizona. Tribal President Jonathan Nez made the announcement Tuesday in a virtual town hall. He cited Arizona – which hit an alarmingly high new daily number of cases with nearly 2,400, almost double the previous record – in urging people to stay home. Businesses will be closed during the weekend lockdown. During its peak, the Navajo Nation sent the sickest patients from the reservation to larger hospitals in Arizona and New Mexico. That might not be an option if hospitals in Arizona become overwhelmed with patients, Nez said. “A second surge, a worse surge, may put a lot of pressure back on our health care system and our health care workers,” Nez said.

Arkansas

Fayetteville: The city is requiring face masks to be worn in most public places indoors to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Fayetteville City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance requiring the masks be worn, with some exceptions. The measure also requires businesses to provide masks to those who enter at minimal or no cost. The requirement comes as northwest Arkansas has been driving a dramatic resurgence in virus cases in the state. The number of active cases, meaning those excluding people who have died or recovered, has risen 160% in Arkansas since Memorial Day, and hospitalizations have more than doubled the same period. Gov. Asa Hutchinson has encouraged residents to wear masks to prevent the virus’s spread but has said he doesn’t see a need for it to be mandated.

California

Huntington Beach: The Vans U.S. Open of Surfing, a summer competition that draws thousands each year to Southern California, has been canceled because of the coronavirus. In announcing the cancellation, organizers cited “continued health concerns and current guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.” The event will return in 2021, organizers said. The surfing tournament is also a nine-day festival that packs the sand on the south side of the famed Huntington Beach Pier. It features skateboarders and BMX bike riders who show off their skills in front of big crowds. Since Vans took over sponsorship in 2013, the event has been more family-focused, offering movie nights and games for youngsters, the Orange County Register reports. The event coincides with inductions into the city’s Surfers’ Hall of Fame and the Surfing Walk of Fame.

Colorado

Denver: A bill to extend to-go alcohol sales made it through the state’s legislative hurdles and is headed to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk. If signed into law, SB20-213 would allow to-go alcohol to be purchased or delivered in Colorado until July 1, 2021. Born out of necessity this spring, to-go alcohol sales were made possible through an executive order from Polis on March 20, as restaurants and breweries struggled to make ends meet under the state’s weeks­long ban on in-person dining that began March 17, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Originally set to expire April 30, Polis’ order to allow to-go liquor sales with food orders was extended twice. The latest extension allows for to-go alcohol sales and delivery through June 30.

Connecticut

Hartford: A bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers gave Gov. Ned Lamont a list of issues Tuesday to be reviewed in an upcoming, independent third-party investigation into the preparation and response to the coronavirus inside nursing homes and assisted living centers. The detailed request by the Women’s Bipartisan Legislative Caucus includes questions about the prevalence of state inspections before and during the pandemic; cleaning policies at the homes; the handling of asymptomatic residents and new residents to a facility; staffing ratios before and during the pandemic; the availability of personal protective equipment; and numerous other issues. “We need to know what happened, what worked, what didn’t work and what could we learn from it,” said Rep. Rosa Rebimbas, R-Naugatuck, the group’s co-chairwoman. Lamont, who attended a news conference on the state Capitol steps with members of the women’s caucus, announced last week that he ordered the review.

Delaware

Wilmington: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the state’s health secretary has resigned from her position to work for Nemours Children’s Health System in Washington, D.C., the governor’s office announced Tuesday evening. Dr. Kara Odom Walker has served as secretary of Delaware Health and Social Services, the largest state agency, since February 2017. This summer, she will become Nemours’ senior vice president and chief population health officer. Officials said she “is leaving her position to fulfill a desire to pursue health care policy work at the national level.” The announcement comes at a time when Delaware has started to reopen its economy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In three months, more than 10,000 Delawareans have been infected with the virus, and more than 420 people have died. Gov. John Carney said he will nominate Molly Magarik, DHSS’ deputy secretary, to become the state’s new health secretary.

District of Columbia

Washington: Phase 2 of D.C.’s reopening is likely to kick in Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Wednesday. Originally, Phase 2 was expected to kick off Friday, WUSA-TV reports. While coronavirus transmission numbers have lowered – and there have been 13 straight days of community decline of the virus – one metric that still hasn’t been met is contact tracing capacity. According to Bowser, D.C. is at a 15.5% contact tracing capacity as of Monday. That percentage needs to increase to more than 90% for Phase 2 guidelines. According to the latest data, D.C. has been on a long-term downward trend in coronavirus cases since May 21. “We are going at the pace that we think the data says we should,” Bowser said. “If the data trends the way it currently is, I will make these guidelines in Phase 2 effective Monday.”

Florida

Orlando: Officials at the state’s busiest airport said Wednesday that only two workers out of 500 employees tested positive for COVID-19 over three days last week, and 132 employees overall have had the virus since the pandemic began, contradicting remarks Gov. Ron DeSantis made the day before. DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday, while talking about outbreaks around the state in the past week, that an airport in central Florida – which he didn’t identify – had tested 500 workers and that 260 cases had come back positive. “52% positivity rate on that one,” DeSantis said. But Phil Brown, CEO of Orlando International Airport, said in a statement Wednesday that last week’s rate of positive cases from the 500 workers tested last week was only 0.4%. His statement was issued to clear up “what can be a confusing mix of data for the traveling public,” he said.

Georgia

Atlanta: A revised version of the state budget for the upcoming year would cut $2.6 billion after Gov. Brian Kemp told lawmakers to reduce spending by 11%. The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday voted to advance House Bill 793, the budget for the year beginning July 1. It now moves to the full Senate for more debate. Under the plan, the state would spend less than $26 billion in state money, down from $28 billion originally projected. With federal funding, spending would be nearly double, including a boost in Medicaid funding that will help preserve the state-federal insurance program for the poor and disabled without cuts. Although the measure is less severe than the 14% reductions Kemp and top lawmakers originally were preparing, it will still mean service cuts, unpaid furloughs and layoffs across state government, K-12 schools, and state colleges and universities.

Hawaii

Wailuku: Hotel workers on Maui held a demonstration over the weekend calling on legislators and tourism industry officials to reopen the state to visitors while protecting employees. About 200 union members and supporters in 70 vehicles rode through Lahaina and Kaanapali during the event Saturday, The Maui News reports. Participants expressed concerns about health care coverage, adequate testing for COVID-19 and the availability of personal protective equipment. The caravan was organized by the Unite Here Local 5 hotel workers union. Workers demonstrated to express their belief the state’s vital tourism industry can reopen safely, Local 5 Key Leader Erin Kelley said. “Global travelers are looking to Hawaii as one of the safest places to travel, and we feel Hawaii should not waste this opportunity by not opening safely,” Kelley said. Tourism statewide plummeted following the March 26 start of a mandatory, 14-day self-quarantine for incoming travelers.

Idaho

Boise: Health officials in southwestern Idaho say a coronavirus outbreak linked to patrons at six Boise bars has spread to 34 confirmed cases. Officials said Tuesday that the infected bar patrons are mostly in their 20s and 30s, but they have also spread the illness to household members. Besides those six bars, health officials identified three additional Boise bars where infected individuals visited, plus another bar in Meridian. Russ Duke, director for Central District Health, which covers the area where the bars are located, said the virus is being unintentionally spread by people with no or mild symptoms. In eastern Idaho, officials reported an infected patron spent more than eight hours at a bar in Victor. In west-central Idaho, officials are tracking an outbreak from a grocery store in Washington County. On Saturday, Idaho moved into the fourth and final stage of Gov. Brad Little’s plan to return the state to regular activity during the coronavirus pandemic.

Illinois

Chicago: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Tuesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, has mild symptoms and is self-isolating on the advice of his doctor. Raoul, a first-term Democrat, said he was tested a day earlier after experiencing symptoms. “I am fortunate to be otherwise healthy and am following recommendations to protect those around me,” he said in a statement. Raoul’s disclosure comes as the number of cases in Illinois has been falling and as the state has been taking gradual steps to reopen amid stay-at-home orders. Also Tuesday, Chicago officials said all six city-run testing sites will provide free diagnostic tests to anyone who has participated in a large gathering that put them at high risk of exposure, including recent protests over policing. They encouraged anyone who has participated to get tested.

Indiana

Indianapolis: Twenty-four more residents have died from COVID-19, while the state’s total number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 41,000, state health officials said Wednesday. All but three of Indiana’s newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths occurred June 11 or later, the Indiana State Department of Health said. The 24 new deaths boosted Indiana’s confirmed pandemic death toll to 2,289 since the first fatality was reported in mid-March. The state agency has also recorded 186 fatalities considered coronavirus-related by doctors but without confirmation of the illness from test results. Those deaths give Indiana 2,475 confirmed or presumed deaths from the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. The state health department also reported 264 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, raising Indiana’s total to 41,013.

Iowa

Des Moines: Due to the novel coronavirus, the Iowa Juneteenth 2020 celebration will take place virtually Thursday through Saturday this weekend. The three-day, free, online event will include music, art, history, health tips and healing from home through DSM TV. “The first day, on the 18th, is going to be a banquet and award ceremony. Thursday and Friday, it goes from one to four,” said Iowa Juneteenth Observance’s event coordinator, MarKaus Ashworth. “Friday is a health day, so we have presenters from Wellmark; we will have a live yoga demonstration; we have a vegan cook coming through to do some demonstrations on how to prepare healthy meals, guest speakers and all that.” Ashworth, a rapper and entrepreneur, said Saturday will be dedicated to music from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kansas

Topeka: The State Finance Council on Tuesday unanimously approved $400 million that will be distributed to 103 counties to assist with the economic and health costs of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding proposal came from Gov. Laura Kelly’s SPARK task force, which has been charged with determining how federal COVID-19 relief funds will be allocated. Of the $400 million, SPARK proposed $350 million be distributed based on population, and the remaining $50 million be given to counties that have been hit the hardest. Money distributed during the first round of funding will begin this month. SPARK executive director Cheryl Harrison-Lee proposed that counties receive enough money to equate out to $194 per person. That standard was put in place by the federal government when it allocated money to the counties of Sedgwick and Johnson.

Kentucky

Louisville: Public swimming pools may open June 29 if they can meet stringent guidelines meant to control spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday. And groups of 50 could gather starting June 29 if they follow similar guidelines. Also Tuesday, the state reported 203 new cases of COVID-19, bringing Kentucky’s total confirmed cases to 12,829. Seven deaths from COVID-19 were reported Tuesday, for a total of 512 people who have died from the virus since it first surfaced in Kentucky in March. Beshear, in a statement, urged people to continue to work to prevent the spread of the virus by limiting contact with other people, washing hands frequently and wearing a mask. “We have come so far; we have sacrificed so much; we have shown so much compassion for one another,” Beshear said. “Let us continue to be good people because that’s what’s going to defeat the coronavirus.”

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Grocery store employees, nurses, bus drivers and other front-line workers who stayed on their jobs in the early days of Louisiana’s coronavirus outbreak could receive a one-time $250 state payment, under a bill that started advancing Wednesday in the state House. Democratic lawmakers are pushing the hazard pay proposal – paid out of $50 million in federal virus aid from Congress – in an ongoing special session focused largely on business recovery from the pandemic. They’re trying to broker a deal with Republicans who need some Democratic support to pass certain business tax breaks and other pro-business measures. The Ways and Means Committee sent the $250 hazard pay bill by House Democratic leader Sam Jenkins of Shreveport to the full House for debate without objection Wednesday, in a bipartisan show of support.

Maine

Portland: The state’s 16 counties are now in sync when it comes to reopening. Restaurants and fitness centers were allowed to begin welcoming guests inside in all of them Wednesday. Only 50 people are allowed in one room at a time; they also must be kept 6 feet apart, whether dining inside or outside. Also Wednesday, bars, breweries and tasting rooms were allowed to reopen for outdoor seated service, while gyms, nail salons and tattoo parlors were allowed to welcome guests inside if they choose to do so. Meanwhile, the number of people who’ve tested positive for the coronavirus dipped to the lowest in more than a month, more positive news as the state reopens, the Maine Center for Disease Control reported Tuesday. Nine people tested positive in the prior 24 hours, the lowest number since late April, officials said. No deaths were reported.

Maryland

Ocean City: The city has postponed its annual Fourth of July firework displays due to COVID-19. Ocean City’s postponement joins a growing list of events put on by Eastern Shore towns that have had to change their plans because of the pandemic. The event has been postponed, according to Ocean City’s website. In previous years, the town has had two fireworks displays that begin simultaneously near the Boardwalk on the southern end of town and farther north at Northside Park. The town hopes to still have the fireworks shows later in the summer, City Manager Doug Miller said during Monday night’s Ocean City Town Council meeting. The decision by the council comes a week after Berlin and Salisbury both postponed their Fourth of July fireworks shows.

Massachusetts

Boston: The state is offering free coronavirus testing this week for anyone who has attended large gatherings in recent weeks, including protests following the killing of George Floyd, Gov. Charlie Baker said. The testing, also offered Wednesday, will be available at no cost Thursday at 52 pop-up locations across the state. Some testing facilities are by appointment only. Some will take anyone who walks up, even without an appointment. “We certainly support peoples’ rights to express their views peacefully, but we need to keep up our fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 here in Massachusetts,” the Republican governor said, adding that test results will be provided confidentially. Any time large groups of people come together, there’s a risk for transmission of the virus, Baker said. He said some people with the virus do not show symptoms and could unwittingly spread the virus, so even those protesters who feel healthy should consider getting tested.

Michigan

Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday that K-12 schools can reopen for in-person instruction as long as the state’s successful containment of the coronavirus doesn’t lapse, subject to safety rules she will announce June 30. Schools closed in March and ended the academic year with online or other remote learning. The governor said schools may resume physical instruction during the fourth phase of her restart plan. All of the state is in that stage or, in northern Michigan, where COVID-19 cases and deaths are low, a step further along. School typically starts in late August or early September. A previously issued order by Whitmer gives districts more flexibility to adopt a year-round calendar for the 2020-21 school year or start before Labor Day as a way to help students catch up.

Minnesota

St. Cloud: Another 12 Minnesotans died from COVID-19, and 419 more people have tested positive for the disease, according to Wednesday’s report from the Minnesota Department of Health. Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties each reported two more cases of the virus and no new deaths Wednesday, according to the report. Stearns County has reported 2,109 cases and 19 deaths, Benton County has confirmed 193 cases and three deaths, and Sherburne County has reported 270 cases and three deaths. Statewide, the number of people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus reached 31,296 cases Wednesday, and 1,325 people have died, according to the health department. Of those total cases, 3,689 have required hospitalization, according to the report. As of Wednesday, 351 Minnesotans remain hospitalized with the virus, and 181 are in intensive care.

Mississippi

Jackson: Free coronavirus testing was conducted Tuesday at the Mississippi Capitol, a day after lawmakers were told that an employee in the building had tested positive for COVID-19. The Legislature remained in session. Some lawmakers, lobbyists and others in the Capitol have been wearing masks, but some have not. The Health Department said Tuesday that Mississippi had confirmed at least 20,152 cases and 915 deaths from the coronavirus as of Monday evening. The number of coronavirus infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick. The Health Department said Tuesday that at least 2,237 cases of the virus have been confirmed in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, with at least 466 virus-related deaths in those facilities.

Missouri

Columbia: State officials on Tuesday said they’re reinstating requirements for unemployment and food stamps that were waived because of the coronavirus pandemic. Anna Hui, director of the state’s labor department, said workers will need to comply with job search requirements to keep getting unemployment after July 4. She cited a study by the University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute for Economics that shows unemployment benefits, coupled with an extra $600 a week from the federal government, mean many workers nationally are getting more than they did while working. The study lists Missouri workers as getting on average 152% to 161% of their past wages in unemployment benefits. “We all know that a system that rewards individuals to be unemployed is unsustainable,” Hui said.

Montana

Helena: State health officials on Wednesday reported 18 more cases of COVID-19 and the death of a Big Horn County woman in her 30s, bringing the death toll in the state to 20. The latest death was the third in Big Horn County, which reported its first June 5. The 18 new cases mark the highest daily total since April 8. Officials said there were 73 positive tests from June 10 to 16, compared to 39 in the previous week. Five people remain hospitalized. Montana has reported a total of 23 new cases in the past two days. Eight were diagnosed in Custer County. Officials attributed the increase to reopening the state economy and increased testing. Gov. Steve Bullock and health officials have been stressing that the number of positive cases will likely increase further as the reopening continues. The state is now testing everyone who comes in close contact with people who have the virus, even if they’re asymptomatic.

Nebraska

Omaha: Another employee in the state’s prison system has tested positive for COVID-19, as health officials in eastern Nebraska announced a second child in the Omaha area has been diagnosed with a rare and serious inflammatory condition that’s linked to the new coronavirus. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said the latest prison staffer to be infected works at the Omaha Correctional Center and is self-isolating at home. The case brings the number of prison employees infected statewide to 20. Meanwhile, the Douglas County Health Department announced Tuesday that a teenage boy was briefly hospitalized in late May with the inflammatory condition and tested positive for COVID-19. Health officials said the boy had a brief history of a fever, sore throat and fatigue before he was hospitalized. It’s the third case of the condition in children recorded in the state.

Nevada

Reno: A rural Nevada church is asking a U.S. appeals court to overturn a federal judge’s refusal to strike down the state’s 50-person cap on religious gatherings as unconstitutional. Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley has filed formal notice of its appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco after a judge in Las Vegas rejected its second request last week for a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the hard cap. It also filed a new request to resume worship services, while the appeal is pending, under strict social distancing guidelines at 50% of the church’s capacity – the same limit placed on casinos and others to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The church in Lyon County east of Reno maintains the current cap violates members’ First Amendment right to express and exercise their beliefs because it “treats religious gatherings worse than similar secular gatherings,” including casinos, restaurants, taverns, gyms, bowling alleys, theme parks and arcades.

New Hampshire

Concord: The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, which has drawn more than 100,000 visitors during the three-day event in September, won’t happen this year because of the coronavirus, organizers said Wednesday. The Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce said it reached its decision after speaking with volunteers, vendors, state and local officials. “As much as we would love to continue our tradition, we just don’t feel the environment would be right and we just do not know if the state of affairs will return to normal by festival time,” the chamber said in a news release. Elsewhere, only 400 people will be allowed on Weirs Beach at any one time, less than 20% of its capacity of 2,200 people, the Laconia Parks and Recreation Commission voted. The Laconia Daily Sun reports the decision came Monday for the 450-foot-long beach, in compliance with social distancing guidelines. The beach opens June 27.

New Jersey

Trenton: Towns could close off streets and allow bars, restaurants and other businesses to allow eating, drinking and retail sales on roadways and sidewalks during the coronavirus outbreak under a bill before state lawmakers. The measure would allow towns to close off a street one or more days a week between Thursday and Sunday and restrict it to pedestrian access. The measure has already passed the state Senate and was advanced in an Assembly committee Wednesday. Bars and restaurants could move tables onto sidewalks or into roadways to serve food and alcoholic beverages to patrons, who would still be required to observe social distancing and use personal protective equipment, to be enforced by the municipality. Businesses would have to sign an agreement holding the municipality harmless for any claims arising from the activity.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: Multiple tribal casinos in the state have reopened despite recommendations from Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to remain closed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque, Ohkay Hotel Casino in Ohkay Owingeh and Taos Mountain Casino in Taos all have reopened with coronavirus-related precautions, The Santa Fe New Mexican reports. “All casinos are strongly, unequivocally encouraged to remain closed at this time, just like other entertainment facilities, due to the risk of COVID-19 spread,” governor’s office spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett said Tuesday. “Any entity opening a casino right now is exposing patrons and the community in which it is situated to enormous risk of infection and spread.” Tribal casinos are controlled by sovereign nations, so the state cannot prohibit them from reopening.

New York

New York: The city is on track to open more businesses and could enter the second phase of reopening Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. Cuomo, a Democrat, said the state Department of Health reported 17 coronavirus-related deaths in hospitals and nursing homes Tuesday. He also pointed to the gradual decline in rates of individuals testing positive: Fewer than 1% of results for roughly 60,000 individuals tested Tuesday for COVID-19 were positive. “This is one of the best days for New York since we have started this long journey into a dark night,” Cuomo said. The official coronavirus death toll includes at least 24,600 statewide and at least an additional 2,600 deaths in New York City, though officials have said the actual death toll is likely much higher. The number of deaths reported each day by state hospitals and nursing homes reached a peak of at least 800 in April.

North Carolina

Raleigh: Republican legislators on Tuesday advanced measures to allow more types of businesses shuttered under Gov. Roy Cooper’s COVID-19 executive order to reopen and to limit lawsuits by some who’ve contracted the virus. The full House voted to overturn Cooper’s orders that have kept bowling alleys and skating rinks closed, allowing them to bring customers indoors up to 50% of their fire capacity. They would have to adhere to social distancing rules and sanitizing standards. Another measure clearing the Senate Judiciary Committee would provide limited immunity to any business, government agency or nonprofit that takes reasonable steps to reduce transmission risks and lets patrons know about those actions. The House legislation is the latest effort by GOP lawmakers to speed up the incremental process by which the Democratic governor has eased restrictions on commerce and mass gatherings since early May.

North Dakota

Bismarck: A federal judge said he will not waive the state’s ban on electronic signature gathering for a group attempting to get a wide-ranging measure on the November ballot. North Dakota Voters First asked to allow online signature gathering because of the coronavirus pandemic. The group argued that the COVID-19 outbreak made it “impossible to comply” with the laws. In denying a motion for a preliminary injunction Monday, U.S. District Judge Peter Welte said the group was not likely to succeed on a First Amendment rights violation because petitioners have up to a year to collect signatures. The judge added that the state did not issue any stay-at-home orders and that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on May 1 “revoked nearly all the previously imposed pandemic-related restrictions.”

Ohio

Springfield: At least 200 employees in a vegetable plant in western Ohio have tested positive for the coronavirus, the governor said Wednesday. Gov. Mike DeWine announced that total during a briefing in Columbus. The Springfield News-Sun reports the Clark County Combined Health District recently tested 829 employees from the Dole Fresh Vegetables plant in Springfield. The testing was done in an effort to slow workplace spread after confirmation of the first employee with the virus in late April. Emma Smales, a health district spokesperson, said authorities are still investigating where and how the virus was being spread. Affected workers are quarantining, she said. Dole corporate spokesman William Goldfield said the Ohio plant will continue operating with additional safety measures, such as employee temperature checks before entering the plant.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: State health officials on Tuesday reported 228 new cases of the coronavirus and four additional deaths. The Oklahoma State Department of Health said the total number of cases in Oklahoma of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, is now at 8,645. The actual number of people who have contracted the virus is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick. The four new COVID-19-related deaths brought the state’s death toll to 363, while 6,765 COVID-19 patients have recovered, according to the department’s website. That was an increase of 137 on Tuesday.

Oregon

Salem: Oregon Health & Science University is working on a new approach to studying the spread of COVID-19 after health care experts from the state’s communities of color raised concerns that the original project’s design was flawed by racial biases. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the Key to Oregon study, a project by Oregon Health & Sciences University and the Oregon Health Authority, aims to survey 100,000 Oregonians and monitor them for COVID-19. One of the original goals was to recruit large numbers of participants from communities of color, to help identify outbreaks in those areas. But critics said the study would recruit few, if any, communities of color because of flaws in the study design. They said those flaws could have been avoided if experts from communities of color had been included from the beginning.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: The state’s highest court on Wednesday granted the Democratic governor’s request and took over a lawsuit by legislative Republicans that could end his pandemic shutdown order. The Supreme Court announced it will decide the case filed by Senate Republicans, seeking to enforce a resolution that both chambers passed last week to end the state-of-disaster emergency imposed by Gov. Tom Wolf in March. The case had been filed in Commonwealth Court, where Republicans hold a majority of the seats, but Democrats have a 5-2 edge on the Supreme Court. The order said that justices will decide the case based on filings that have been made in both courts and that they will “address the merits of the petitioner’s application in due course.”

Rhode Island

Providence: Several candidates for legislative office in the state filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the rule requiring the in-person collection of signatures to get on the ballot, saying it’s putting them at risk amid the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit filed in federal court by the ACLU of Rhode Island cooperating attorney Armando Batastini seeks to suspend the ballot qualification process for the 2020 election cycle and put in place other methods, like electronic signatures. The lawsuit says the current process “needlessly exposes candidates, their supporters, and the general public to risks associated with the Covid-19 pandemic with no justifiable countervailing government interest.” “Candidates should not face the impossible choice of risking infection to themselves, their families, or others to in order to appear on the ballot, nor should their supporters,” Steve Brown, executive director of the ACLU of Rhode Island, said in a statement.

South Carolina

Columbia: As coronavirus cases in the state have reached record numbers in recent days, leaders in the capital city are mulling a requirement that people wear masks in public. While not passing a formal ordinance, the Columbia City Council took up the notion during a meeting Tuesday, saying that members would take public comment on the idea and perhaps vote during a later meeting. The discussion came after several days of record-setting numbers of new coronavirus cases in South Carolina. On Tuesday, state health officials announced 595 new COVID-19 cases in the state, bringing the total number to nearly 20,000 since the outbreak began. In all, 607 deaths in the state have been attributed to the virus. Earlier this month, state health officials issued a joint statement with several health associations calling on South Carolinians to adhere to mask and social distancing recommendations.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: A key staff member at the state’s largest outdoor water park has tested positive for COVID-19. Wild Water West employees were notified Tuesday by park management that the aquatic and recreation facility’s head lifeguard has been diagnosed with the coronavirus that has kept many publicly owned water facilties throughout the state closed for the season. Wild Water West’s director of operations, Brian Rehnke, wrote in a message to employees that anyone who had been working in proximity to the individual should self-monitor for symptoms. “So if you have been in physical contact with him over the last couple days, or had been inside with him within a 6 foot distance for more than 10 minutes, you should self-monitor for the next 48 hours to make sure you don’t develop any symptoms,” Rehnke wrote.

Tennessee

Nashville: The state would become the latest to give health care providers, schools and businesses broad protections against coronavirus lawsuits under a proposal gaining traction inside the GOP-dominated Statehouse. House Republicans approved such a measure Tuesday despite objections from Democrats, who argued the bill was unnecessary. A separate bill had already passed the Senate last week. However, the House’s version tweaked the proposal, which means now the two chambers must negotiate on a final version. However, the concept is widely embraced by Republican Gov. Bill Lee and GOP lawmakers. Supporters argue employers need assurance they can open their doors without facing a wave of litigation. Critics counter that employees already face a high barrier to receiving restitution from businesses that may place them at risk.

Texas

San Antonio: Area officials on Wednesday ordered people to wear face masks in public when social distancing isn’t possible and warned that businesses could face fines of up to $1,000 for failing to comply with county health policies in the next five days. The executive order from Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff came amid heightened hospitalization rates as Texas continues to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg joined Wolff in a press conference to say they are concerned younger people will get infected with COVID-19 and take the virus home to older family members. People younger than 40 are showing the most infections in the area, the mayor said. The local order comes a day after Gov. Greg Abbott acknowledged that many Texans have become lax about wearing masks and social distancing as his statewide virus restrictions have been lifted.

Utah

Salt Lake City: The four Republicans in the race for governor clashed Tuesday over the response to a police-brutality protest that included the burning of a police car. Former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes said the National Guard should been called in sooner during the May 30 protest in Salt Lake City, the Deseret News reports. Businessman Thomas Wright also said Republican Gov. Gary Herbert’s order was “a little late.” Former ambassador and governor Jon Huntsman Jr. related the protests to his experiences in China and Russia, saying military on the streets was “an admission of failure” to meaningful talk to opponents. The three have also been critical of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as they seek to undermine Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, considered a front-runner along with Huntsman.

Vermont

Montpelier: The state is starting to ease restrictions on visiting hospital patients and senior citizens in long-term care facilities, Gov. Phil Scott said Wednesday. The initial rules for Vermont’s approximately 200 long-term care facilities require that visits be held outdoors and include no more than two visitors per day for each resident, Scott said during his regular briefing about the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I realize this step is small, but it’s meaningful,” Scott said. Assuming the number of cases of the virus in Vermont remain low, the restrictions will be further eased in the coming weeks, he said. One of the first restrictions imposed by the state in March as COVID-19 bore down was to prohibit visitors to senior care facilities. As it is, about half of the state’s 55 fatalities were in the care facilities.

Virginia

Richmond: Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday announced that the state will not be entering Phase 3 of the Forward Virginia reopening plan this week. He said the state’s numbers continue to look favorable, but it is necessary to gather more data before deciding when to move to Phase 3. He said that more time is important, especially since many states are experiencing new surges. Northam said he will share more details about what Phase 3 will look like at Thursday’s press briefing. The Virginia Department of Health is also changing how it will provide demographic data and will now be able to provide a more specific breakdown of cases, Northam said. There have been persistent challenges with recording demographic data, as Virginia Health Commissioner Norm Oliver has shared over the weeks of the pandemic.

Washington

Olympia: The state is facing a reduction in projected state revenues of about $8.8 billion over the next three years due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, new numbers released Wednesday show. The latest update by the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council is higher than the $7 billion predicted during an unofficial forecast that was prepared at the end of April. Lawmakers, who are expected to be called into a special session by Gov. Jay Inslee sometime this summer, must first contend with the impact on the approximately $53 billion two-year budget that ends mid-2021. That initial projected drop of state revenues – nearly $4.5 billion – means that after reserves and the state’s so-called rainy day fund are used, lawmakers will be left with a $1.4 billion shortfall that they’ll have to address through either cuts or new revenue.

West Virginia

Charleston: The state’s unemployment rate fell to 12.9% last month, buoyed by business reopenings during the coronavirus pandemic, according to figures released Tuesday. The state’s jobless rate dropped 2.1 percentage points in May as nonfarm employment rose 13,300 and a wave of businesses got the go-ahead from Gov. Jim Justice to resume operations. WorkForce West Virginia said the number of unemployed state residents fell by 23,400 in May, but the overall number remained high at 100,400. More than 250,000 unemployment claims have been processed in West Virginia since the pandemic forced widespread shutdowns in March. Nationwide, about 1.5 million laid-off workers applied for benefits in the first week of June alone. West Virginia added 8,800 jobs last month in leisure and hospitality, which includes restaurants, hotels, casinos, amusement parks, museums and other industries.

Wisconsin

Madison: Two population health studies are being launched to better understand where COVID-19 is in the state, identify communities at risk for a future outbreak and help prevent the spread of the virus, the state Department of Health Services announced Wednesday. The first study will be led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Survey of the Health of Wisconsin. It will determine the prevalence of people who have COVID-19 antibodies. The presence of antibodies indicates that a person had COVID-19 in the past, perhaps without realizing it. People who have participated in past SHOW research will be chosen from 10 randomly selected counties and the city of Milwaukee to form a representative state sample, said the group’s director, Kristen Malecki. The second study will test samples from wastewater treatment facilities, in both urban and rural areas, to determine the current concentration levels of virus genetic material found in sewage.

Wyoming

Casper: An increase in coronavirus cases in southwest Wyoming is connected to a public gathering where social distancing rules were not followed, a state health official said. The addition of three cases Tuesday brings Uinta County to 80 confirmed coronavirus infections, the state’s third-highest total, The Casper Star-Tribune reports. Dr. Alexia Harrist, the state health officer, said the new cases appear to be connected to a gathering at a public location, which she declined to identify except to say it involved young people. People at the gathering spread the virus to others who did not attend, Harrist said. The new cases include health care workers, which Harrist said can produce multiple unintended effects. “This situation illustrates how it doesn’t take much to really change the disease picture within a community,” she said.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Airport number war, Navajo lockdowns: News from around our 50 states