Nail salons, strip club outbreak, Harvard from afar: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: The Alabama Department of Labor has created an appointment system for people to get in-person help with employment claims after people were sleeping overnight in a parking lot in the hopes of seeing someone. The department announced that beginning Monday it would take 300 appointments per day in Montgomery, though it cautioned that an in-person meeting does not guarantee that the issue will be resolved. The department said information about obtaining an appointment is available on its website. The Labor Department had been seeing people on the campus of Alabama State University, but the first-come, first-serve system meant people were lining up overnight in the hopes of seeing someone in the morning. News outlets showed lines of hundreds of people waiting with blankets and stadium chairs. Volunteer groups began distributing water to those waiting in line overnight.

Alaska

Anchorage: The Anchorage Department of Health released a list of businesses where people who later tested positive for COVID-19 spent extended periods of time. The health department named 19 locations in the Municipality of Anchorage, Palmer and Seward to which the coronavirus patients were traced on specific dates in mid- to late June. Several of the most popular bars in downtown Anchorage were on the list the city released Friday. Matt Tomter, owner of Matanuska Brewing’s Eagle River restaurant, which was on the list, said there is no evidence the two infected people said to have visited his establishment passed the virus to workers or other patrons. The city is unfairly singling out bars and restaurants, as officials have not named other types of businesses visited by infected people, he said. Tomter said ultraviolet air cleaning machines and sanitation protocols have been added to protect the restaurant.

Arizona

Tucson: Many of the state’s residents have raised concerns about how long insurance providers will cover video visits and telephone calls to doctors during the pandemic. The rate of infection in Arizona is still rising, and there is no vaccine, so many have received doctors’ advice or therapists’ help virtually, a method commonly known as telemedicine or telehealth, the Arizona Daily Star reports. Some providers have announced telemedicine visits will end sometime in July; others have extended visits until the end of September. Telemedicine has been helpful for physicians who collect a service fee, as it has enabled them to continue their practice, officials said. Virtual appointments cost less, as there are no supplies being used, but they can also take longer. Previously, telemedicine was not offered as regularly because of regulations imposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, but restrictions were loosened because of the pandemic.

Arkansas

Little Rock: If President Donald Trump decides to hold a campaign rally in Arkansas, the state will insist that all participants are socially distanced and wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday. Hutchinson’s comments on NBC’s “Meet the Press” follow Trump rallies in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and at an Arizona megachurch, as well as an Independence Day celebration at Mount Rushmore, where most of the thousands of participants flouted public safety guidelines on maintaining a safe distance and wearing masks. “You can’t stop every activity, but you have to be in a controlled environment in which you do protect yourself and others and take it seriously,” the governor said, adding that a lot of public celebrations for the July Fourth holiday were canceled in his state “to minimize that exposure.”

California

Sacramento: Two more death row inmates died Friday from apparent complications of the coronavirus in the midst of an outbreak that has infected about 40% of inmates at San Quentin State Prison, corrections officials said. Scott Thomas Erskine, 57, and Manuel Machado Alvarez, 59, died at outside hospitals. There have now been two dozen deaths from COVID-19 in California’s prison system, according to state figures. More than 2,600 inmates are listed as actively having the infection, along with nearly 500 employees. Nearly 1,400 of the 3,500 inmates at San Quentin have tested positive for the virus since officials transferred 121 inmates from the heavily impacted California Institution for Men in Chino on May 30 without properly testing them for infections. Until then, San Quentin had been virus-free. California lawmakers last week harshly criticized corrections officials, saying they botched their handling of the pandemic.

Colorado

Denver: A race track violated court-ordered social distancing requirements during an event attended by fans on the Fourth of July, a county health department said Sunday. Bandimere Speedway did not limit and manage the crowd size, implement social distancing requirements or adhere to state rules during the event, the Jefferson County Health Department said Sunday in a news release. The agency said it would pursue legal action for the violations that come as Colorado tries to slow the spread of COVID-19. The health department didn’t provide details for the violations but said the finding was based on what staff observed at the jet car nationals event. The race track in the town of Morrison said Friday on its Facebook page that it would only allow people to sit in every other row of the grandstands and asked attendees to practice social distancing. The track said masks would be optional.

Connecticut

Plainfield: Reports of serious crimes dropped so far this year in the city, though calls into the police department’s dispatch center skyrocketed as residents frequently reached out to police for nonemergency coronavirus pandemic-related issues. Though the overall number of service calls fielded by the Plainfeld police dispatchers nearly doubled this year compared to the same five-month period in 2019, the jumps centered around informational calls, alarm responses and 911 hang-ups, officials said. Family violence and overdose calls during the spring months – when heightened concerns over the coronavirus pandemic peaked – either dropped or stayed steady.

Delaware

Wilmington: Health officials say contact tracers have been in touch with about two-thirds of people in the state who’ve been infected by the coronavirus and their close contacts. But officials also say challenges remain as the state tries to reach more people to limit the virus’s spread. Contact tracing involves reaching out to people who have tested positive for the virus and tracking down the people with whom they have recently come into contact. Those people are then advised to quarantine for 14 days. Most of the tracing is done by phone. But many Delawareans are not answering or are afraid to provide information. Some could be lying. “In Delaware, we are doing better than some places,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, director of the Division of Public Health. “There are some for whatever reason we are unable to connect with.”

District of Columbia

Washington: Just a few days after the Nationals kicked off the post-pandemic season, Mike Rizzo, president of baseball operations and general manager for the team, is hitting the brakes, WUSA-TV reports. Rizzo canceled the scheduled team workout Monday because officials still haven’t received Friday’s coronavirus test results. “We cannot have our players and staff work at risk,” Rizzo said. The cancellation comes after the Nationals began summer training camp Saturday. Following training camp, a tentative 60-game regular-season start date is expected for later this month, July 23 or 24, with teams returning to empty stadiums. But Rizzo said that tentative plan is now in jeopardy.

Florida

Fort Lauderdale: The state recorded more than 6,300 new coronavirus cases and 48 more deaths Monday, according to Florida Health Department statistics. The state added 6,336 cases, raising the overall total to 206,447 since the state’s outbreak began March 1, and 3,880 people have died. More people are being tested: 45,000 a day, about double the figure of a month ago. But the increased testing only partly explains the spike, as the positivity rate for tests for the past week is now more than 18% – four times higher than a month ago, when the weekly average stood at 4.6%. A month ago, the state was averaging about 1,500 new coronavirus cases a day. Since the outbreak began, 30 Floridians have died a day from COVID-19, and that number has been rising, averaging 43 a day over the past two weeks.

Georgia

Atlanta: The metro area’s transit authority will provide disposable masks to riders to try to protect them from the coronavirus. As of Monday, MARTA customers can get a mask between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. on weekdays at rail stations and bus bays, the agency said in a news release. There is, however, no requirement to wear a mask in order to board buses and trains. Customers who want one should look for uniformed station agents or people wearing a red “Team MARTA” shirt. Each customer will select an individual mask from a tissue-like dispenser, the agency said. MARTA plans to distribute up to 2 million masks and could expand the program to weeknights and weekends depending on demand. “We appreciate those riders who are wearing masks and understand you may not have access to masks or there may be a day you forget yours,” MARTA CEO Jeffrey Parker said in a statement.

Hawaii

Honolulu: Pay cuts or furloughs for public employees in the state are inevitable if the federal government does not provide additional coronavirus relief funding, Gov. David Ige said. The Democrat said he plans to borrow federal money to navigate the state budget crisis resulting from the pandemic, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. Ige has outlined features of a new financial plan developed by his administration to cope with the pandemic, which triggered an abrupt economic shutdown and a steep dive in tax collections. But he warned more pain is anticipated in the state that relies heavily on tourism revenue. “The reality is that the European Union just shut down travel from the U.S.,” Ige said. “I mean, nobody wants travelers from the U.S. because the virus is raging, and two-thirds of our visitors come from North America.”

Idaho

Boise: State officials said late last week that new unemployment claims jumped 26% the previous week to about 5,500. The Idaho Department of Labor that it received about 1,100 more new claims compared to the week before that. Idaho’s unemployment numbers have been edging down under Republican Gov. Brad Little’s reopening plan during the coronavirus pandemic. But a spike in new infections in recent weeks has led to the closing of bars and the return of tougher restrictions in highly populated Ada County. Idaho’s unemployment rate is 8.9%, with about 80,000 people looking for work. The Labor Department on Wednesday said it had cleared 85% of 42,000 pending unemployment claims and expected to work through the remaining claims by mid-July.

Illinois

Chicago: Seven new state-run centers will open this summer to support small businesses. The Small Business Development Centers set to launch in July or already opened are in Chicago, Elgin and Joliet. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development said the $11.5 million effort brings the total number of centers statewide to 42. “With many Illinois businesses currently facing unprecedented burdens as a result of COVID-19 and recent civil unrest, our SBDC community partners can be a lifeline for businesses working to reopen safely,” said Michael Negron, acting director of the department. Business owners can get one-on-one confidential advice and assistance at the centers on many topics including education, training and business planning. The centers also have helped small businesses seek financial assistance during the coronavirus pandemic, which forced many to close or dramatically change day-to-day operations.

Indiana

Indianapolis: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, one of the nation’s largest museums of its kind, is opening to the general public this week for the first time since shutting down in mid-March during the pandemic. While it will open its doors Saturday, the museum management is putting a variety of measures in place to lower risks of infection, according to a museum news release. That includes setting visitor capacity at 3,000 and requiring the wearing of masks for everyone older than 2. The museum says it has also stepped up cleaning protocols and improved the circulation of air through the facility in a bid to stem any spread of the novel coronavirus. “We are firmly committed to doing everything within our power to make it safe for children, families, our staff and volunteers to return to the world’s largest children’s museum,” said the museum’s CEO, Jeffrey H. Patchen.

Iowa

Des Moines: Iowans younger than 40 are disproportionately testing positive for the coronavirus, and the counties with the state’s two largest universities are topping the trend. Statewide, those ages 18 to 40 made up 47% of all positive coronavirus tests as of early July, according to data from the Iowa Department of Public Health. In early March, only about a quarter of positive cases were among people 18 to 40, an agency spokeswoman said. In Johnson County, home of the University of Iowa, 70% of positive tests belong to that age group. In Story County, home of Iowa State University, more than 75% of positive tests are among 18- to 40-year-olds. Of Iowa’s more than 700 deaths, only 2% are among people in the 18-40 range. People 61 or older account for 88% of COVID-19 deaths, despite making up about 16% of positive cases. But a spread among younger Iowans can lead to a spread among older Iowans and those whose health is already compromised.

Kansas

Topeka: A county Republican Party chairman who owns a weekly newspaper apologized Sunday for a cartoon posted on the paper’s Facebook page that equated the Democratic governor’s coronavirus-inspired order for people to wear masks in public with the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Dane Hicks, owner and publisher of The Anderson County Review, said in a statement on Facebook that he was removing the cartoon after “some heartfelt and educational conversations with Jewish leaders in the U.S. and abroad.” Hicks is the GOP chairman for Anderson County. The state party chairman deemed the cartoon “inappropriate.” Gov. Laura Kelly, who is Catholic, called for it to be removed, and she and other critics called it anti-Semitic. The cartoon depicted Kelly wearing a mask with a Jewish Star of David on it, next to a digitally altered image of people being loaded onto train cars. Its caption is, “Lockdown Laura says: Put on your mask … and step onto the cattle car.”

Kentucky

Louisville: A car alarm blared shortly after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell began to speak at a food bank Monday morning, damping his speech about Congress’ recent efforts to provide relief to local communities during the coronavirus pandemic. McConnell had come to Dare to Care’s main warehouse to thank the team for the work they’ve done to supply people in need with meals at a time when unemployment rates have spiked to historic levels. McConnell also was there to highlight how the federal coronavirus rescue package provided federal funds that helped the food bank fulfill its mission under tough circumstances. He didn’t get far into his speech before the car alarm went off, interrupting his speech and making it difficult to hear him. When the noise didn’t stop right away, a couple of people closed some of the retractable warehouse doors to muffle the sound. Someone outside yelled, “Mitch doesn’t care!” before the doors shut.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Gov. John Bel Edwards is using much of the $50 million in discretionary education aid awarded to the state to help with the coronavirus response to buy computers and expand internet access for public school students. The Democrat has agreed to spend $32 million for the effort to bridge the digital divide at K-12 schools. Another $15 million will go to higher education, with two-thirds of that money paying to accelerate training for students to get them to work. About one-third of households in the state lack internet access, and others are dependent on weak signals. More than 1 in 4 public school students lacks access to a computer or tablet at home to help with distance learning, according to a state survey released in April. The gap was one of the major stumbling blocks to continued education after classrooms closed and is sure to be an issue again with some schools relying on remote learning when the school year begins in August.

Maine

Portland: Fewer tourists, declining restaurant sales and worker shortages could be problems for the state’s wild blueberry growers who are preparing to begin harvesting amid the pandemic. The Wild Blueberry Commission and other agricultural organizations have been working with state government to ensure that “we’ll have the immigrants and visas and the migrant labor workforce,” said Patricia Kontur, the director of programs for the commission. Denise Alexander, who with her husband owns Alexander’s Wild Maine Blueberries, told NewsCenterMaine that reduced restaurant sales will be challenging. But growers are hopeful locals will consume wild blueberries and support local farmers, she said. The Maine Center for Disease Control reported Sunday that two more Mainers have died, and 18 others have tested positive for new coronavirus.

Maryland

Baltimore: The city’s top prosecutor has dismissed nearly 600 open warrants for minor offenses as part of efforts to reduce the number of people entering jails amid the coronavirus pandemic. Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced last week that drug possession, paraphernalia possession, prostitution, trespassing and minor traffic offenses, among other lower-level crimes, would all be dismissed. The announcement came about three months after Mosby ordered her staff to stop prosecuting such cases in an action aimed at reducing the threat of coronavirus outbreaks in jails and prisons, according to The Baltimore Sun. Despite the order, some people were still being arrested on open warrants for failing to appear in court on offenses that the office no longer intended to prosecute, Mosby’s office said. Burglary, theft, drug sales and serious traffic offenses can still be prosecuted, her office said.

Massachusetts

Cambridge: Harvard University’s freshman class will be invited to live on campus this fall, while most other undergraduates will be required to learn remotely from home, the Ivy League school announced Monday. University officials decided to allow only 40% of undergraduates on campus in an effort to reduce density and prevent the spread of COVID-19. All freshmen will be invited, along with some other students who face challenges learning from afar. All classes will be taught online, however, regardless of where students live. Students living on campus would live in dorm rooms but continue taking their classes remotely, the university said. In deciding which students to invite, Harvard’s president said he “could not help but recognize the unique position that first-year students find themselves in, making the transition to college in these strange times.”

Michigan

Detroit: At least a dozen COVID-19 cases have been tied to a strip club near the city’s airport, public health officials said Sunday as they encouraged anyone recently at the venue to contact them. The announcement came as state public health officials reported no new deaths from the virus for the first time since the pandemic began. The state on Sunday did report 343 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 65,876 since the outbreak, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. In all, there have been nearly 6,000 COVID-19 deaths in Michigan. Twelve of the cases linked to the strip club were either patrons or employees of the Playhouse Club in Romulus, according to a news release from the Wayne County Public Health Division. One case involved a worker at a nearby restaurant, called Checkers, the county office said.

Minnesota

St. Paul: State Sen. Scott Jensen said he’s being investigated by the Minnesota State Board of Medical Practice for some public comments he made as a doctor about the coronavirus. In a video released Sunday, the Chaska Republican said the investigation related to his earlier criticism of the Minnesota Department of Health for following federal guidelines on when doctors should characterize deaths as due to COVID-19. Jensen said he was fearful the death toll might be inflated if each state’s allocation of federal funds depended on the number of coronavirus deaths. He said doesn’t know who filed a complaint with the board, and he felt “targeted.” Jensen said he will cooperate fully with the investigation, the Star Tribune reports. In the video, Jensen said the board is focused on two allegations: spreading misinformation about the death toll and providing “reckless advice” by comparing COVID-19 with the flu.

Mississippi

Jackson: A state Senate leader and a protest organizer are speaking out against Republican Gov. Tate Reeves’s tweet Sunday that the “liberal media” is ignoring new coronavirus cases that could have been caused by protests and blaming the state’s recent surge on holiday barbecue parties. You’re “being messy, loud, and wrong. per usual. … if you want to have dialogue, use it,” tweeted Maisie Brown, an 18-year-old from Jackson who helped organize a protest that drew thousands to the capital in June after the killing of George Floyd. She wrote that “this isn’t the time to be divisive & demonize people who got out to change. we were masked! up! where’s yours?” Mississippi Senate Minority Leader Derrick T. Simmons of Greenville said he doesn’t think the governor or anyone else can “for certain blame the increased number of COVID-19 cases on protests around the nation or in Mississippi.”

Missouri

Springfield: After months of relative calm, the state’s southwest corner is now a hot spot for the coronavirus. McDonald, Newton and Jasper counties see cases jump by double digits nearly every day. Local public health agencies are working overtime as they scramble to keep up. The coronavirus isolation unit in Joplin’s largest hospital is full, and officials in nearby Springfield worry about what that could eventually mean here. But unlike in other communities seeing spikes, many elected officials in far southwestern Missouri aren’t rushing to intervene. Late last month, the Joplin City Council narrowly struck down an ordinance to require masks. Officials in Carthage rejected multiple proposals to limit public gatherings and mandate public masking. And commissioners for hard-hit McDonald, Jasper and Newton counties say they’re still following Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s lead in “fully reopening” in an effort to get the economy rolling again.

Montana

Lincoln: The town held its annual Independence Day events in one of the few celebrations in the state not curtailed or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Fourth of July parade, rodeo and fireworks in Lincoln drew hundreds of people to the festivities dressed in red, white and blue Saturday, The Billings Gazette reports. Few of the attendees in the community about 300 miles northwest of Billings wore face masks to protect against possible COVID-19 infection. Trucks and all-terrain vehicles pulled floats as people threw candy to children, and American flags waved during the community parade. People entering the 68th annual Lincoln Open Rodeo at the local fairgrounds were stopped by two EMS workers in masks taking temperatures. Signs at the entrance said entry would be denied to those who were ill and urged attendees to observe social distancing.

Nebraska

Omaha: Another state prisons employee has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, officials said. A news release from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said the staffer is employed at the Lincoln Correctional Center and is self-isolating at home. The department said it will notify those who work and live in the Lincoln facility. Officials ask that anyone who may have had close contact with the staff member self-quarantine until cleared by a medical provider. The latest case brings to 21 the number of state prisons staffers who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Twenty have since recovered, the department said. On Sunday, Nebraska reported 167 new coronavirus cases, bringing the state’s total to 19,827 cases since the outbreak began. The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus in Nebraska remained at 284.

Nevada

Las Vegas: A member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe has been named as the state’s new tribal emergency response coordinator, amid a report that coronavirus testing and assistance has been slow to reach Native American tribes. Cassandra Darrough, an elected tribal council member who traces her ancestry to the Walker River Paiute Tribe, began work last month with the state Division of Emergency Management. She joined tribal health coordinator Crystal Harjo providing emergency management support to Nevada’s 27 tribal nations. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported recently that tribes in Nevada scrambled for weeks to acquire coronavirus testing materials and protective equipment after most other Nevada residents – including self-identified urban Native Americans – were able to obtain limited testing as early as mid-March.

New Hampshire

Concord: Hiking this summer during the coronavirus pandemic requires personal awareness, preparation and responsibility, New Hampshire Fish and Game’s law enforcement chief says. “This summer, people hiking must be aware of safe social distancing, their physical limitations, weather conditions, and they must know when to turn back,” Col. Kevin Jordan said in a statement. “This is not the time for challenging hikes or dangerous backcountry adventures in ever-changing weather conditions. It is imperative that people enjoying New Hampshire’s natural resources exercise a high degree of caution.” Jordan said unsafe and irresponsible behavior puts first responders at risk of injury and potential exposure to COVID-19 because social distancing becomes difficult to manage in search-and-rescue situations.

New Jersey

Trenton: The rate of transmission of COVID-19 in the state – the average number of people infected by each infectious person – has exceeded 1.0 for the first time in a month and a half, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. The Democratic governor said there were several outbreaks across the state that officials found to be directly tied to travel to other hot spots, including several cases linked to people who attended a wedding in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Visitors to New Jersey from South Carolina and 15 other states were asked last month to self-quarantine for two weeks. New Jersey Transit on Monday resumed full rail and light rail service after a break because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Also back Monday were youth day camps, in-person summer school and school graduation ceremonies, capped at 500 people and required to be outside.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: State health officials have reported an additional 203 coronavirus cases but no more known deaths as of Sunday. That puts the statewide total of confirmed COVID-19 infections at 13,256, with the death toll remaining at 513. The New Mexico Department of Health had reported 291 more cases Saturday and two more known deaths, both out of McKinley County. The state’s most populous county, Bernalillo, led all others with 65 of the additional cases reported for the day. In southern New Mexico, Dona Ana County reported an additional 38 cases. Health officials said there are 119 people hospitalized in New Mexico for COVID-19. That number may include individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 out of state, but are currently hospitalized in New Mexico.

New York

New York: Nail salons and dog runs were back in business Monday as the city entered a new phase in the easing of coronavirus restrictions, but indoor restaurant dining will be postponed indefinitely in order to prevent a spike in new infections. Mayor Bill de Blasio said about 50,000 more people will come back to work as the city enters Phase 3 of reopening, which in addition to nail salons includes tattoo parlors, indoor tanning, and sports such as basketball, volleyball and handball. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, said he was concerned about reports of large holiday gatherings over the weekend in New York City, on Fire Island and in some upstate locations, and he said local governments must enforce social distancing rules. “I understand people are fatigued,” Cuomo said. “We’ve been doing this for 128 days. I get it. But it doesn’t change the facts, and we have to stay smart.” He also announced the cancellation of the New York State Fair, which was scheduled for Aug. 21 through Sept. 7 in Syracuse.

North Carolina

Hendersonville: The City Council has asked the police department to enforce Gov. Roy Cooper’s mandate requiring that masks be worn in most public settings, but only when business owners blatantly disregard the requirement as it applies to their employees, receive a warning and then continue to ignore it. A 3-2 majority of the board came to the consensus during a Thursday meeting but did not formally vote on the guidance. Enforcement will mean a Class 2 misdemeanor citation, in accordance with Cooper’s executive order. Council decided criminal charges should only follow multiple complaints from citizens. Mayor Pro Tempore Jerry Smith Jr. voiced his support for empowering police to issue citations. He said he does not think it’s fair to business owners who are “doing the right thing” to allow other businesses to simply ignore the order.

North Dakota

Fargo: Mayor Tim Mahoney is easing restrictions on access to public buildings, many of which were closed to residents because of the coronavirus. Mahoney’s order will open all City Hall departments to the public and increase capacity in the city commission chambers from 25% to 50%, for a maximum of 125 people in the chambers at one time. All public library locations in the city will be open to the public. Thursday’s order also calls for buses in Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, to operate for free. The changes go into effect July 13. Fargo has been the COVID-19 hot spot in North Dakota, where most of Cass County’s 2,800 cases have been confirmed. The state’s interim health officer said the county has seen “significant improvement” because of proactive work by a governor-appointed task force, large-scale and focused testing events, and contact tracing.

Ohio

Columbus: A company partly owned by Gov. Mike DeWine is among those that received loans from a $600 billion-plus coronavirus aid program. The data released Monday shows DeWine Seeds-Silver Dollar Baseball received a loan under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program for a range of $150,000 to $350,000. The company owns the Asheville Tourists, a minor league baseball team in North Carolina, which was purchased by the governor’s family in 2010. DeWine’s son, Brian DeWine, currently serves as president of the baseball team. DeWine, a Republican, was touted for his early, aggressive response to the virus, while also getting pushback for his actions’ effects on the economy. The Paycheck Protection Program is the centerpiece of the federal government’s plan to rescue an economy devastated by shutdowns and uncertainty.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: State health officials on Monday reported 434 new confirmed coronavirus cases and four additional deaths. The latest cases reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health bring the total number of confirmed positive cases in Oklahoma to 16,362 and the death total to 399. The new deaths reported Monday were all individuals in the 65 and older age group and included two men in Tulsa County, one woman in McCurtain County and one woman in Noble County. A surge of confirmed new cases in recent weeks, particularly among young people, prompted mayors in Oklahoma City and Tulsa last week to impose new requirements that bar and restaurant workers wear masks while working.

Oregon

Salem: Now that Oregonians are required to wear masks in indoor public spaces to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the state’s workplace safety agency is preparing to handle enforcement. Gov. Kate Brown ordered people to wear face coverings as COVID-19 cases continue to rise sharply. She’s warned that tighter restrictions on businesses could return if Oregonians don’t take the mask requirement to heart. Oregon Occupational Safety and Health, commonly called OSHA, is already busy investigating thousands of COVID-19-related complaints at workplaces in the state. Since early March, Oregonians have filed roughly 5,500 workplace complaints related to the pandemic. They have reported a variety of concerns, including worries about a lack of space between people and lack of protective gear like gloves. Spokesman Aaron Corvin said the agency is expecting more complaints to come in because of Brown’s latest order.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: An additional 450 people in the state have tested positive for the new coronavirus, with nearly half the new cases coming from the Pittsburgh area, state health officials reported Monday. There were 218 new infections in Allegheny County, a virus hot spot that is home to Pittsburgh and 1.2 million people. Last week, county health officials announced a one-week ban on table service at bars and restaurants. Health officials have said many of those testing positive lately are younger people who frequented bars and restaurants or who traveled out of state to beach towns and other locales. Allegheny County also ordered the casino there to close and banned gatherings of more than 25 people for a week in an attempt to reduce the surge in new infections. Statewide, a single new COVID-19 death was reported Monday, raising Pennsylvania’s toll to 7,754 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Rhode Island

Providence: Providence Municipal Court, which handles disputes involving parking and traffic enforcement in the city, reopened Monday after closing in mid-March because of the coronavirus. Walk-in hearings for parking, red light and speed camera violations will be heard starting at 7:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, according to WJAR-TV. Moving violations will be heard on Tuesdays only for people who have a hearing scheduled. Only one person at a time is allowed in the courtroom to address the judge to maintain proper social distancing, and night court remains closed.

South Carolina

Greenville: Lavish Lounge, the Greenville County nightclub where two people were killed and eight others injured Sunday morning, was in violation of crowd restrictions that have been put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, investigators said. Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said his agency’s investigation indicates there were about 200 people inside the club at the time of the shooting. That’s more than the maximum capacity allowed in the business during statewide emergency restrictions. People were close together in the club, and social distancing was not being followed, Lewis said. Additionally, Gov. Henry McMaster has not lifted restrictions that say nightclubs must be shut down. Lewis said the club did not have a special exemption to the governor’s order.

South Dakota

Pierre: The state tallied 35 new confirmed infections of COVID-19 on Sunday but no new deaths. While the number of new cases reported daily has remained mostly constant over the past two weeks, the number of active cases reached above 900 for the first time since June 16, the Rapid City Journal reports. So far, 97 people have died from COVID-19, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. A total of 7,063 people have been confirmed to have COVID-19, but nearly 86% of them have recovered. There are currently 59 people in the hospital with the virus.

Tennessee

Franklin: Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson has issued an executive order declaring a public health emergency and requiring county residents to wear face coverings in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19. According to the order, businesses and facilities are also required to post signage at public entrances informing patrons of the requirement, as well as to enforce it. According to a news release Monday, Anderson said he believes it’s best for county residents to wear a mask in public places to ensure public health safety, after consulting with the county’s six mayors and Williamson County superintendents Jason Golden and David Snowden. The county experienced the highest increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases July 1 compared to previous weeks.

Texas

Corpus Christi: Nearly all inmates at the Nueces County McKinzie Jail Annex have contracted COVID-19, county officials said Sunday evening. The county reported that 87 of the annex’s 90 inmates tested positive for the virus. “Inmates and staff at the facility will be tested and quarantined as necessary,” a news release said. “Visitors, including family and any county employees, contractors or vendors who have recently been in the facility will be traced and contacted to assess their risk, with testing available for those at risk.” Staff and inmates will be tested this week. The 87 positives will be included in Monday’s COVID-19 numbers, Health Director Annette Rodriguez said.

Utah

Park City: One county in Utah beat back a spike of pandemic virus infections in the spring, and another saw its rate jump. Both trends showed up in their sewage. Across the U.S. and in Europe, researchers and health officials say they can track the course of a community outbreak of the new coronavirus by studying the waste flushed from its bathrooms. And that can provide a valuable addition to public health tools, they say. In Utah, wastewater from communities near a Cache County meatpacking plant that discovered 287 infected workers indicated an outbreak several days before it was officially reported. In contrast, sewage from Summit County showed a decline after officials imposed anti-virus measures, including asking tourists to stay away from its popular Park City ski area. The results of the monitoring in April and May helped persuade state officials to authorize a bigger monitoring effort that will include wastewater from 75% of Utah’s residents, said Erica Gaddis, director of the state’s Division of Water Quality.

Vermont

Montpelier: The state Department of Labor is warning residents to be vigilant amid the threat of unemployment insurance fraud and says it’s taking steps to monitor such activity. Fraudulent unemployment claims linked to identity theft happen when a person’s identity has been stolen and a fraudulent claim is opened in that person’s name. The identify theft likely happened months or years before the coronavirus pandemic as part of national or global data breaches, the Labor Department said. Vermonters are advised to check their mail and email regularly for communications from the Labor Department and other state agencies, monitor financial accounts, and consider placing a security freeze on their credit. Residents who believe a false claim has been filed with their personal information should contact the Labor Department immediately.

Virginia

Lynchburg: Students and faculty at the University of Lynchburg will be required to wear masks when campus reopens for the fall semester in August. Thanks to members of the university community, they’ll be provided hand-sewn, reusable cloth masks at no cost, The News & Advance reports. Michael Jones, associate vice president of communications and marketing for the university, said masks are vital to ensuring student and staff safety. Overwhelmed with the task of purchasing commercial masks for students, Jones said he came up with the idea of having the community make them. “I thought it could be a great way to engage our community, despite our being dispersed by COVID-19,” Jones said in an email. The university launched “Sewcial Hornets,” a project geared toward connecting alumni and other members of the university community and facilitating the sewing of masks.

Washington

Seattle: A second bus driver has died from complications related to COVID-19, according to a public transportation agency. King County Metro Transit said Mike Winkler, 71, died June 17 after several weeks fighting the virus, The Seattle Times reports. His domestic partner, Karla Mestl, said he contracted COVID-19 in March. Winkler drove buses for 32 years and worked most of his career out of the North Base in Shoreline. “Some people called him the godfather of North Base, or the grandfather of North Base,” retired Metro driver and friend Greg Patterson said. Winkler appeared gruff to some, but he was “a gentle soul and a very generous person,” said Mestl, who was also a bus driver. Winkler was preparing to retire this year, Mestl said. The announcement came after the deaths of Metro driver Samina Hameed, 59, in April and the March deaths of Community Transit driver Scott Ryan, 41, and Washington State Ferries dock employee Esther Bryant-Kyles, 64.

West Virginia

Charleston: Billionaire Gov. Jim Justice’s family businesses received at least $11.1 million from a federal rescue package meant to keep small businesses afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, according to data released by the Treasury Department on Monday. Justice, a Republican, is considered West Virginia’s richest man through ownership of dozens of coal and agricultural businesses, many of which have been sued for unpaid debts. At least six Justice family entities received the Paycheck Protection Program loans, including the governor’s lavish resort The Greenbrier, as well as The Greenbrier Sporting Club, an exclusive members-only club linked to the resort. The aid package is the centerpiece of the federal government’s plan to rescue an economy devastated by shutdowns and uncertainty.

Wisconsin

Madison: University of Wisconsin-Madison instructors are growing more worried that the campus can’t reopen safely this fall as the coronavirus continues to surge among young people. The university plans to reopen as scheduled, but classes with more than 100 students will be held online only, and all in-person instruction will stop at Thanksgiving to prevent students from bringing the virus back to campus following the break. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that UW-Madison’s chapter of the Association of American University Professors released a survey Thursday that found nearly half of respondents weren’t confident campus can reopen safely. Almost 60% said all instruction should be offered online only.

Wyoming

Jackson: The town will require people to wear face masks in many businesses to limit spread of the coronavirus. The Jackson Town Council approved the measure 5-0 in a special meeting Friday. Business owners frustrated about customers refusing to wear masks voluntarily pleaded with town councilors to pass the ordinance, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reports. The ordinance doesn’t apply outdoors except when people are waiting in line outside a business. The town ordinance could be replaced by a countywide order that Teton County has asked state officials to approve. Wyoming as of Monday had 1,634 reported confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus, including 1,172 who had recovered. Nine people were hospitalized, and 20 had died. The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported numbers because many people haven’t been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nail salons, strip club outbreak: News from around our 50 states