Prison protest, Phoenix set for flyover, mask mandates: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said he would like to use a large portion of the state’s coronavirus relief funds to establish broadband through the state. Marsh said Tuesday that he hoped to put $800 million from an estimated $1.7 billion in federal relief dollars for broadband access. Alabama students are finishing the school year from home because of the pandemic. Marsh said distance learning would have been easier to accomplish if the state had better internet access. However, it is unknown if broadband access would fall under allowed expenditures of the federal relief act designed to address COVID-19 issues. Gov. Kay Ivey’s office said they will seek guidance on the issue. Where internet access is limited, school systems have had to come up with creative solutions such as installing mobile hot spots on school buses that will go out into neighborhoods.

Alaska

Denali National Park And Preserve: Officials have opened to public access a portion of the 92-mile road into Denali National Park and Preserve. Earlier this month, the park, citing travel restrictions imposed by state officials in response to coronavirus concerns, closed public access to the road. The restrictions have since been modified, and the National Park Service said the road will be open to mile marker 12. Further opening of the road is expected as conditions and staffing allow, the agency said in a release. The state last week eased restrictions on travel within Alaska to allow for recreational activities. When traveling, only household members are to be in a vehicle, and stops along the way are to be minimized. Denice Swanke, the park’s acting superintendent, said officials are considering ways to offer more access for private vehicles. Acting Park Service Regional Director Don Striker said that includes considering additional road lottery options.

Arizona

Glendale: More than a dozen U.S. Air Force and Arizona Air National Guard aircraft on Friday will conduct a flyover above metro Phoenix to honor health care workers and others responding to public needs during the coronavirus pandemic. Luke Air Force Base officials said 15 jets will begin the flyover at approximately 3:10 p.m. local time, and that it will last 50 minutes. Officials said the flight path will take the jets over Buckeye, Luke, Litchfield Park, Surprise, Waddell, Goodyear, Tolleson, Phoenix and Tempe before they fly over Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, Deer Valley, Glendale, Peoria, Sun City West, and El Mirage. Participating aircraft will include seven F-35A fighters and seven F-16 fighters from wings based at Luke and a KC-135 tanker from the Air Guard’s 161st Air Refueling Wing at Sky Harbor International Airport. According to an announcement by Luke officials, “residents along the flight path can expect a few seconds of jet noise as the aircraft pass overhead.“ Air Force Brig. Gen. Todd Canterbury said the participating military personnel are honored to extend heartfelt gratitude to health care workers and others fighting the outbreak. He added that participants want those watching the flyover to “enjoy the display of American airpower, resolve and pride while keeping frontline responders in their hearts.” Canterbury is commander of the 56th Fighter Wing based at Luke. Luke’s announcement advised residents to view the flyover from their homes and to maintain social distancing during the event. “They should also refrain from traveling to landmarks, hospitals and gathering in large groups to view the flyover,” the statement said.

Arkansas

Little Rock: The state will allow some overnight camping to resume at state parks, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday, the day before he plans to announce whether he’ll allow restaurants to reopen dining rooms closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hutchinson said the parks will allow camping beginning Friday for Arkansas residents in self-contained recreational vehicles. The parks will resume lodge and cabin rentals for state residents May 15 and reopen their restaurants, museums and shops. The park’s restaurants will have a limited capacity that will be set by the state Department of Health. A timeline wasn’t released for when the parks will reopen to other types of camping or to out-of-state visitors. Hutchinson plans to announce Thursday whether gyms can reopen and a decision on hair salons and barbershops on Friday. The governor said the May 15 reopening for the park’s restaurants doesn’t necessarily mean he’s considering the same date for lifting other restrictions. Arkansas was among a handful of states that didn’t issue a broad stay-at-home order, though the state has had other restrictions.

California

Newport Beach: The city won’t close its beaches, officials voted Tuesday, despite criticism by Gov. Gavin Newsome that weekend crowds threatened efforts to slow the coronavirus outbreak and reopen the state’s economy. The City Council voted 5-2 to reject a motion to close the beaches for the next three weekends, although city piers and the famous Wedge surfing spot are shut down. There will be additional enforcement of social distancing rules, officials said. The vote during a virtual meeting came after 80,000 people hit shores in the Orange County city last weekend when the first heat wave of the year sent temperatures soaring. Lifeguards said most people appeared to be obeying social distancing rules and maintaining 6 feet of distance between groups. Many recreational areas, from hiking trails to parks and playgrounds, have been shut down for weeks and tens of millions of Californians have been encouraged to avoid going out under various stay-at-home orders designed to limit contact that could spread COVID-19. Although most beaches in Los Angeles County have been closed since March, Southern California’s patchwork of state and local beaches meant that some remained open elsewhere. Some communities have worried that they will be overwhelmed by people driving from the sprawling region to get a sea breeze.

Colorado

Denver: Aspen has joined a few other Colorado communities in mandating that people wear masks in public. On Monday, the Aspen City Council approved a public health order that requires face coverings inside businesses open to the public, as well as outdoors whenever people cannot stay at least 6 feet apart. Children under 2 are exempt. Councilwoman Rachel Richards, who works at Aspen’s City Market, said people are not wearing face coverings while they shop in the grocery store, the Aspen Daily News reported. “It starts to feel silly that you are doing it but half of your customers aren’t,” she said. Earlier this month, nearby Glenwood Springs mandated that face coverings be worn by people doing any essential activities outside their home. The order is set to expire Friday. Last week, Wheat Ridge’s city manager issued an emergency order requiring anyone entering a business in the Denver suburb to wear a mask through May 30. City councilors backed the move and passed a resolution of their own requiring masks, city spokeswoman Sara Spaulding said Tuesday. The city first took action at the urging of grocery store workers, who are required to wear masks by a state health order and wanted to be protected from customers who were not wearing masks, she said.

Connecticut

Hartford: Disability rights advocates contend state officials haven’t done enough to ensure people with intellectual disabilities, including those who night need help because of communication barriers or altered mental status, are able to bring one support person with them if they need hospital care during the coronavirus pandemic. Although the Department of Developmental Services issued a letter Tuesday asking hospitals to allow the support people to accompany the patient, advocates argue it does not require hospitals to do anything, calling it an “inadequate half-step in the right direction.” They also said the letter, which was developed with the Department of Public Health and the Connecticut Hospital Association, doesn’t help people not served by DDS with cognitive, behavioral or communication disabilities. In most cases, visitors are barred from hospitals in Connecticut because of the pandemic.

Delaware

Dover: State officials are ramping up coronavirus testing in southern Delaware in the wake of community screenings that indicate widespread COVID-19 infection. Gov. John Carney described Sussex County as a “hot spot” for coronavirus after testing of more than 750 individuals in community screenings last week found that more than 35% were positive for COVID-19. The screenings did not require a person to have a doctor’s referral or show any symptoms of the disease. State officials are partnering with area hospitals to expand testing of high-risk populations. They consist of people with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, those living or working with someone who has tested positive, family members or housemates of poultry industry workers, and those with chronic medical conditions. Officials also plan to increase outreach and education efforts aimed at vulnerable populations in Sussex County. Those efforts will include phone alerts, billboard messages, printed materials and social media. Carney asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week to assist in community testing and contact tracing efforts. The CDC has sent an epidemiology team to Delaware to help quantify and stem the spread of the disease downstate, officials said.

District of Columbia

Washington: The District has decided to expand the criteria for priority coronavirus testing to grocery store workers, essential government employees and other workers who continue to report to work in the area, WUSA-TV reported.

Florida

Melbourne: Delta Air Lines has requested federal permission to suspend flights to and from Orlando Melbourne International Airport, citing dwindling passenger counts during the coronavirus pandemic. Delta officials asked to suspend service at Melbourne and these cities: Brunswick, Georgia; Pocatello, Idaho; Peoria, Illinois; Worcester, Massachusetts; Flint, Kalamazoo and Lansing in Michigan; and Hilton Head, South Carolina. From April 1 to April 22, Delta reported 14 daily passengers each way aboard Melbourne flights, the federal filing showed. “If the request is granted, Delta will work to reaccommodate customers; we also will provide pay protection for employees through Sept. 30, 2020. We continue to evaluate opportunities to take similar measures in other markets as needed,” Delta officials said in a statement provided by spokesman Drake Castañeda. Total passengers using the airport have plunged 51% year-over-year, tumbling from 53,776 passengers in March 2019 to 26,623 last month. From Sunday through May 16, Delta has scheduled only one daily arrival and one daily departure between Melbourne and Atlanta. Nearly all arriving flights are set for 11:35 a.m., with departing flights at 12:40 p.m. Last week, Delta announced “significant capacity reductions” for the June quarter compared with last year. Total system capacity dropped 85% — with domestic down 80% and international down 90%.

Georgia

Atlanta: Two men were hospitalized after drinking cleaning products hoping to prevent a coronavirus infection. Georgia Poison Control Director Gaylord Lopez told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the men in Atlanta, who had a history of mental health issues, are expected to recover after drinking the products over the weekend. Lopez said he does not know if the men ingested the cleaning solutions because of President Donald Trump’s musings on whether injecting disinfectants could treat the virus during a White House briefing last week. The statements provoked an intense outcry from health officials and prompted RB, the company behind Lysol, to release a statement urging people to avoid ingesting their products. The first man in Atlanta drank about 16 ounces of bleach on Saturday. He was treated in a hospital and has since been discharged from a psychiatric ward, Lopez said. Authorities did not reveal his identity but noted the man was in his 50s. A second man in his 30s was discharged after he guzzled a mixture of Pine-Sol, mouthwash, beer and pain medications on Sunday, Lopez said. At least two other people in Georgia have consumed household chemicals since the virus outbreak began and before Trump made his comments, the news outlet reported. The state’s poison center was made aware of the two men’s cleaning product consumption when hospitals treating them called seeking advice. Lopez said poison control also has seen a spike in other calls this year, involving people who have inhaled different household supplies while cleaning surfaces, and children poisoned when parents left them unattended while working from home. According to the CDC, calls to poison centers about disinfectants has increased 20% in the first three months of this year.

Hawaii

Honolulu: In an about-face, Gov. David Ige said he has agreed with the state’s mayors to allow florists to sell flowers starting Friday, which will enable them to deliver bouquets on Mother’s Day. Florists will be required to adhere to social distancing requirements to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, including wearing masks, limiting the number of customers in stores and making hand sanitizer available. The decision reverses an earlier announcement rescinding an exemption to the governor’s emergency rules that had been previously awarded to florists. Some florists said not being allowed to deliver flowers for Mother’s Day could cost them tens of thousands of dollars. Watanabe Floral in Honolulu planned to sell 1,000 arrangements via delivery without contact. The company said the state had told its management that Watanabe could sell flowers for one week only beginning May 4. “The minute we got the exemption, we turned on our website to accept orders and within the first 48 hours we had 500 orders already,” said Monty Pereira, general manager of Watanabe Floral. The company has experienced a 97% drop in sales since closing March 23.

Idaho

Boise: State Lottery Director Jeff Anderson said that ticket sales were down only about 5% last week, and that someone snagged $250,000 in one of the agency’s games. Buying a lottery ticket “does bring some sense of normalcy for folks, because things aren’t normal now for a lot of people,” Anderson said. Anderson also directs the State Liquor Division. He said some panic buying at state-operated liquor stores occurred in March during the coronavirus outbreak, but that has settled down because it became clear the stores will remain open. Idaho has been under a stay-at-home order since March 25. The order expires Thursday, and Republican Gov. Brad Little has suggested his four-stage plan to reopen the state by late June could start Friday.

Illinois

Springfield: The statewide stay-at-home order aimed at stemming the spread of the new coronavirus remains in place through May 30, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday, despite a judge’s ruling that the Democrat exceeded his authority with the executive decree. The state attorney general filed an intention to appeal Clay County Circuit Judge Michael McHaney’s ruling on Monday that the order violates civil liberties. The ruling was on behalf of Republican Rep. Darren Bailey of Xenia but it opens the door for more challenges. “This rule only applies to one person because it was only ever about one person,” Pritzker said. “This was a political stunt designed so that the representative can see his name in headlines, and unfortunately he has briefly been successful in that most callous of feats.” Rep. John Cabello, a Republican from Machesney Park, said that he plans to file a similar lawsuit but that his will benefit everyone in the state. The Rockford police detective said he believes people can take necessary precautions and live safely without government interference.“I want to see everyone get back to a normal, American way of life,” Cabello said.

Indiana

Westville: Dozens of motor vehicles circled the Westville Correctional Facility on Tuesday in a protest over the treatment of inmates during a coronavirus outbreak that has reached inside the prison’s walls. “I’m here trying to get justice for all the inmates up here,” Misty Weikel said from her car after driving from her home in Lafayette. A sign taped to her car read “Praying for inmates and guards.” Other vehicles circling the prison and honking horns also carried signs. Shouting and clapping could be heard from inside the prison during the protest and individuals were visible at several windows, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported. The Westville facility in LaPorte County has far outpaced other Indiana prisons in the number of coronavirus cases. The Indiana Department of Correction reported Tuesday 143 positive tests among inmates and 36 among correctional officers. DOC spokesman Dave Bursten placed the number of vehicles taking part in the protest at more than 70. Bursten challenged claims of improper handling of inmates, particularly during the outbreak of COVID-19 among the detainees and correctional officers. All but about 50 of the prison’s 3,100 inmates are given the privilege of electronic tablets, and all hourly and other restrictions have been lifted to allow greater access to their loved ones during the outbreak, he said. The prison continues to test inmates exhibiting coronavirus-type symptoms and is segregate ailing inmates, Bursten said.

Iowa

Iowa City: A team of experts advised Gov. Kim Reynolds last week not to relax social distancing rules, warning that doing so at this point could cause a second wave of infections and that Iowa could suffer “catastrophic loss of life” even under strict limits, according to documents released Tuesday. Days after receiving that warning, the Republican governor signed orders to partially reopen 77 of Iowa’s 99 counties and allow in-person church services and farmers markets to resume statewide. She said Monday that the state must learn to live with the new coronavirus and balance health and economic concerns. The warning came in a research paper authored by seven professors of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Iowa’s College of Public Health. The governor’s office released the paper Tuesday after Reynolds outlined her rules to reopen restaurants this week. Pat Garrett, a spokesman for Reynolds, said mitigation strategies remain in place even in the counties that are partially reopening, including bans on gatherings of more than 10 people. Researchers warned that their modeling found a huge degree of uncertainty in how the pandemic will unfold, “from relatively low fatalities to catastrophic loss of life.”

Kansas

Topeka: Kansas State University has launched coronavirus testing for students, faculty and staff. The university said it can test up to 270 people a day and is providing testing for students, faculty or staff who show coronavirus symptoms or who have been in contact with an infected person. The university in Manhattan is relying on a laboratory used for veterinary medical testing and the Biosecurity Research Institute set up to deal with foreign animal diseases.

Kentucky

Louisville: A woman who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus was arrested Monday after police said she refused a court order to self-quarantine and went inside a Kroger at Central Station. Kendra A. Burnett, 37, was arrested just before 10:30 a.m. at the Kroger after her mother told a Louisville Metro Police officer that she was violating a court order to self-quarantine, according to an arrest citation. Burnett is also a former employee at the Treyton Oak Towers senior living community in downtown Louisville which, as of Tuesday had seen 35 residents and 15 employees test positive for COVID-19 and 13 residents die from the virus. A spokesman for Treyton Oak Towers confirmed that Burnett worked for the senior living center from June 2019 until her dismissal on April 6, with no additional details given. On Monday, Burnett’s mother pointed her out to the LMPD officer as Burnett left the store, the citation said. The LMPD officer contacted the county attorney as well, who said Burnett had refused to self-quarantine about three times, according to the arrest report, which did not say when Burnett had tested positive for COVID-19. After she was arrested, Burnett kicked out the rear taillight of an LMPD vehicle as well as a door handle inside the vehicle, according to the arrest citation. Burnett was charged with five counts of first-degree wanton endangerment as well as one count each of contempt of court and second-degree criminal mischief. Burnett appeared for an arraignment hearing Tuesday morning, and she was released to home incarceration after a $5,000 bond was posted, court records showed. She is represented by a public defender, according to online court records, and her next court date was scheduled for June 3

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Republican state lawmakers bristling at Gov. John Bel Edwards’ decision to extend Louisiana’s stay-at-home order through May 15 are considering the extraordinary step of trying to override the Democratic governor’s emergency decision-making about the state’s coronavirus outbreak. While Edwards was in Washington for a Wednesday meeting with President Donald Trump about Louisiana’s response to the COVID-19 disease, some GOP legislators – primarily in the House – were trying to rally support for a rare legal maneuver that would allow them to overturn possibly some or all of the governor’s disaster orders and proclamations. “We’re all frustrated. It’s leading to conversations with the constituency back home and with the Legislature about whether the governor is making the right decisions for the state,” said Rep. Blake Miguez, leader of the House Republican delegation. Edwards’ announcement that he would maintain the order banning most public gatherings and shuttering certain businesses for another two weeks with only minor changes was a surprise to GOP lawmakers. They believed the governor appeared ready to start loosening restrictions as Louisiana showed statewide improvement in fighting the outbreak in one of the nation’s earliest hot spots for the virus, as unemployment skyrockets and businesses teeter on bankruptcy. Edwards told Republican legislative leaders only minutes before he announced his decision publicly, and he dismissed GOP lawmakers’ calls to consider a parish-by-parish or regional approach to reopening.

Maine

Rockland: The Maine Lobster Festival, which celebrates the state’s most beloved export, will not take place in 2020 because of fears about the new coronavirus. Organizers of the event said Tuesday they were “deeply disappointed” to have to shutter the event but ultimately determined the closure was unavoidable. The event draws thousands of people to coastal Rockland every summer. Author David Foster Wallace featured the festival in a magazine article that later became the title essay in his nonfiction collection “Consider The Lobster.” It’s popular because of lobster dinners and events such as the Maine Sea Goddess Pageant. “We will miss seeing our tens of thousands of guests, our thousand plus volunteers, our artists, vendors and business partners, and all of our local neighbors,” organizers said in a Facebook post.

Maryland

Baltimore: The state has released about 200 youths from juvenile detention facilities because of concerns about the new coronavirus. The Baltimore Sun reported Monday that nearly a third of the state’s detained juvenile population was reduced. The releases were announced by Maryland’s secretary of juvenile services during a virtual meeting of the House of Delegates’ Judiciary Committee. Secretary Sam J. Abed said the releases were in response to court rulings that emphasized the need to keep children safe during the pandemic.Those who were released were mostly being held on nonviolent and misdemeanor charges. Abed said that five youths in the state’s facilities have tested positive for the virus. All five have recovered. He also said that 11 staff members have been infected. Three have recovered.

Massachusetts

Boston: More cities are requiring residents and visitors to wear face masks or other facial covering when in public – or risk a $300 fine. Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera said a new order mandating the use of facial coverings took effect Wednesday. The Democrat said in a press release that the city continues to have some of the highest rates of coronavirus infections in the state. “Residents and anyone traveling to Lawrence for essential business will be required to wear a mask when outside or in public places, or face a hefty fine,” Rivera said. Lawrence joins Cambridge and Somerville in mandating the use of facial coverings in public spaces. The step is intended to help slow the person-to-person spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has resisted issuing a statewide mandate, but said his office is recommending the use of facial coverings, especially in areas where it is hard to maintain at least a 6-foot distance from others, like markets or pharmacies. He said he had no problem with mayors and other local officials creating tougher mandates, saying they have a better sense of what is happening in their communities.

Michigan

Holland: This western Michigan city usually attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year to see the city’s tulips. Officials are asking them not to – for now – as part of efforts to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. “I’m making a request that I never thought I would make – and I hope I never have to make again,” Mayor Nathan Bocks said Tuesday in a city-produced video. “Please do not come to Holland to see the tulips this year.” Holland is southwest of Grand Rapids. Full blooms in some of Holland’s tulip beds are expected by May 1. In a news release, Bocks also said the city looks forward to “welcoming visitors back to Holland soon and certainly to enjoy the tulips in 2021,” according to the Holland Sentinel. Holland announced in March that the Tulip Time Festival scheduled for early May was canceled. The festival draws about 300,000 to 500,000 people each year. “Our first responsibility is to keep our residents safe and asking visitors to stay home this year is the right but very difficult thing to do,” Bocks said.

Minnesota

Prior Lake: A 3-year-old girl who has been fighting cancer for two-thirds of her life got to celebrate on her last day of chemotherapy – with the help of some fire trucks and dozens of decorated cars. Family and friends couldn’t hold a party for Mabel Franks on Sunday because of social distancing restrictions, so they held a parade in her Prior Lake cul-de-sac. “We just felt we had to do something to let her know how proud we are and what a warrior and survivor she’s been,” said Joan Franks, Mabel’s grandmother. Mabel smiled and waved from her father’s arms as fire trucks and dozens of cars rolled by. Mabel had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and her mother, Meagan, said she has been receiving chemotherapy since she was 14 months old. KARE-TV reported that much of her chemotherapy came in the form of intravenous treatments, but her last treatment was a pill. Family members watched and cheered through video chat as she swallowed the medication. “I’m just really grateful and we’ve had an amazing support system as you can see,” Meagan Franks said after the parade, as she wiped away tears. “It’s very emotional.”

Mississippi

Jackson: The City Council voted 6-0 on Tuesday in favor of a resolution opposing a ban on open carry in the city. It comes three days after Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba announced the ban and issued an executive order suspending the practice in the city until at least Thursday. The mayor said he has the authority to do so under his civil emergency declaration to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus, which concerns the public health and safety of residents. The council resolution is largely symbolic and will not affect the mayor’s order. Lumumba said he intended to move forward in support of the order, now at odds with his council members and some state officials and representatives. On Tuesday, the Mississippi Justice Institute, on behalf of state Rep. Dana Criswell, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Southern District of Mississippi against the mayor’s order. Councilman De’Keither Stamps, and other council members at the meeting, said they shared the mayor’s concern over gun violence in the city, but feared an expensive, possibly insurmountable legal fight ahead. Stamps and Melvin Priester Jr. also said they believed the mayor should have consulted the council first with such a broad order. The council approved the hiring of an outside, independent attorney to represent the city in the lawsuit. The mayor’s office will pay for the legal fees of local attorney Deshun Martin.

Missouri

Eureka: The town is breaking ranks with the rest of St. Louis County and planning to reopen Monday, with its mayor telling residents the time has come to simultaneously deal with the new coronavirus while getting the economy back on track. Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is lifting his statewide stay-at-home order effective Monday, but Democratic St. Louis County Executive Sam Page has extended the county’s order until at least mid-May, citing concerns that reopening too soon could create a new wave of infections. Democratic leaders of the city of St. Louis, Kansas City and Jackson County also have extended stay-home orders through mid-May. Eureka, a city of 10,000 residents that is the home of Six Flags St. Louis, is the first St. Louis County community to break from the county mandate. “We can no longer follow the rules we are under without economic ruin,” Mayor Sean Flower wrote in a letter posted Tuesday on Facebook. “We are going to need to learn to both deal with the virus, while at the same time opening our economy, restoring our kids’ lives and opportunities, and taking care of our families and our country.” St. Louis County Executive Sam Page warned that Eureka businesses could risk legal complications if, for example, a worker or customer contracts the virus. He said the county will “certainly look at all of our legal options.”

Montana

Helena: None of Montana’s public school districts has taken Gov. Steve Bullock up on his offer to resume classes next week as the state relaxes its coronavirus restrictions, with some saying the risk is too great. Schools have the option to return to in-classroom instruction on May 7, as long as social-distancing guidelines are followed. Districts can choose to continue distance learning, as well, Bullock announced last week. The state Office of Public Instruction followed up on Wednesday with 11 pages of guidelines for schools to follow as they consider reopening. But of the 63 school districts that had either contacted state public education officials directly or stated their intentions publicly as of Wednesday, all said they would continue their remote learning programs for the rest of the spring semester, according to data compiled by the Office of Public Instruction. Schools in Glasgow and Libby said they would partially reopen just for students without internet access, and Troy schools planned to allow study halls for special education students. In a letter to families, Helena School District Superintendent Tyler Ream said Wednesday said schools are “unprepared and inadequately resourced” to prevent the risk of transmitting the virus.

Nebraska

Lincoln: Lincoln Public Schools has announced it will pay $80,000 to provide some 1,000 Wi-Fi hots pots for students without internet access at home who are now having to learn remotely – and mostly online – as classrooms have closed to slow the spread of COVID-19. The district is paying AT&T Mobility Holdings $80,000 for the two months of data through the phones provided by the company at no cost, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. The phones will provide up to 100 gigabytes of data a month to allow students to access Google Classroom through their school-provided laptops, LPS chief technology officer Kirk Langer said. The devices will be hooked up directly to laptops and won’t work on other devices or access any content not provided by the district. Langer said AT&T representatives reached out to the district and offered what other companies had not: the free phones and the ability to use the data without a contract. “We can discontinue at any time,” he said.

Nevada

Las Vegas: Mid-March casino closures in Nevada because of the coronavirus outbreak had a predictable effect, halting a streak of three $1 billion months in house winnings and costing the state half its usual amount of gambling taxes, regulators reported Wednesday. The statewide casino victory figure of $618 million was down 39.6% compared with March 2019, and the $37.1 million the state collected based on monthly figures was down nearly 54% compared with a year ago, the Nevada Gaming Control Board said. Casino winnings last month were the lowest in 22 years, board analyst Michael Lawton said, and April figures are expected to be much lower following a full month with gambling gone. The data showed the effect of Gov. Steve Sisolak’s order on March 17 for all 440 gambling licensees statewide to suspend activity to prevent gatherings of people who could spread the virus that causes COVID-19. Sisolak is expected Thursday to extend his stay-at-home directive, which also applies to non-essential businesses. The Gaming Control Board said casino winnings on the Las Vegas Strip were down nearly 46% in the year-to-year monthly comparison, and more than 55% in Reno.

New Hampshire

Concord: School districts are getting more flexibility to spend money during the coronavirus pandemic. Many communities have had to delay their annual meetings to approve district budgets because of the prohibition on large gatherings. Gov. Chris Sununu issued an emergency order Tuesday allowing districts to make reasonable expenditures in line with prior year spending and to go beyond the previous budget’s appropriations if necessary without holding a public hearing if they get approval from the state Department of Education. The order also gives the state commissioner of education the authority to waive or modify various assessment, evaluation and accountability requirements to accommodate remote instruction.

New Jersey

Trenton: Some drivers are demanding that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority postpone its $24 billion capital plan and proposed toll hikes until the coronavirus pandemic ends. Speakers at a virtual authority meeting on Tuesday were particularly averse to widening 14 sections of the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway because of air pollution concerns. Some environmental and transit group members also warned that expanding the number of lanes could lead to more traffic congestion, NJ.com reported. The authority is proposing raising tolls up to 36% on the New Jersey Turnpike and up to 27% on the Garden State Parkway. The additional revenue will help fund a long-term capital plan that includes several road-widening and bridge repair projects. Under the proposed rates, a passenger car traveling the length of the turnpike from southern New Jersey to New York City would pay $18.85, up from $13.85. Garden State Parkway tolls would rise from 50 cents to 65 cents in some places and $1.50 to $1.90 in others. No date has been set for the turnpike board to vote on the toll and capital plans.

New Mexico

Hatch: A chile farmer in southern New Mexico said his workers aren’t tending the fields because they’re worried about contracting COVID-19. KVIA-TV in El Paso, Texas, reported that Sergio Grajeda said fears over the novel coronavirus are keeping workers away from his chile farm in New Mexico’s Hatch Valley. Grajeda has more than 100 acres of pecans and chiles. He told the station he employs dozens of workers typically during the harvest. He had to tend to his own fields on Monday. New Mexico Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Kristie Garcia said the state has not yet received this specific complaint but has guidance online for farmers and workers to stay safe.

New York

New York City: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that antibody testing to show whether a person was previously infected with the coronavirus will be offered to 150,000 health care workers and first responders under a partnership with the federal Department of Health and Human Services. The testing will begin next week and will take place at the front-line workers’ workplaces, the mayor said.A positive antibody test does not guarantee immunity to the virus, and the mayor said health care workers and first responders should not let down their guard or shed protective equipment. Still, he said, a positive antibody test should offer some reassurance. “Anyone who has been infected and came through obviously had the ability to beat this disease,” de Blasio said. “Knowing you’ve been exposed to it is powerful information.”

North Carolina

Chapel Hill: The leader of North Carolina’s public university system – a former top government health official – said Wednesday that he plans to reopen campuses in the fall with precautions against COVID-19. Dr. Bill Roper, the interim president of the University of North Carolina System, issued an announcement that he expects to reopen classrooms across the system’s 17 public campuses for the fall semester, though with some limitations or modifications. Roper, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the reopenings will be contingent on continued testing and monitoring of virus trends. He said he was working with university chancellors on the specifics, which could include staggered academic calendars or reducing density of campus housing.

North Dakota

Fargo: Barbers, bartenders and baristas in North Dakota can return to work later this week, after Gov. Doug Burgum unveiled guidelines Tuesday for reopening certain businesses that have been closed to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. The plan to ease restrictions includes tough love for some types of businesses, such as limiting bars and restaurants to half-capacity, requiring barbers and cosmetologists to wear face masks and prohibiting some high-intensity fitness classes. Burgum had ordered all bars, restaurants, barber shops, beauty salons and health clubs shut down until Thursday. He said it’s unlikely that he will extend the order because he believes the state has made significant strides in containing the spread of COVID-19, even though the number of confirmed cases is still rising.

Ohio

Columbus: Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday clarified that high school graduations can’t be permitted if they amount to mass gatherings. The Republican governor said the most preferred option is a virtual ceremony conducted online, followed by a drive-in ceremony allowing students to arrive at designated locations at designated times to pick up a diploma, followed by gatherings of 10 people or fewer. “Mass gatherings can’t be held,” DeWine said Wednesday, correcting a statement a day earlier when he said graduation ceremonies would be up to schools as long as proper social distancing was followed. “While it’s time to graduate, it’s not time to have a graduation party,” he added. “That will have to wait.”

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: State Attorney General Mike Hunter requested an investigative audit of the state Health Department over the agency’s spending of state-appropriated funds. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Hunter’s request was related to the state’s coronavirus response, which the agency is leading. Hunter formally requested the audit of the State Department of Health in a letter to State Auditor & Inspector Cindy Byrd. “One of the duties of the Attorney General as the chief law officer of the state is to enforce the proper application of monies appropriated by the Legislature and to prosecute breaches of trust in the administration of such funds,” Hunter wrote. A spokesman for Hunter declined to elaborate on the request, but Hunter’s chief deputy warned the agency’s director, Gary Cox in a separate letter Tuesday about retaliating against employees who report “wrongful governmental activities” under the state’s Whistleblower Act. The request comes just days after the Associated Press reported the agency spent $2 million to acquire a malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump to treat patients with the coronavirus, despite warnings from doctors that more research is needed. Gov. Kevin Stitt’s secretary of health, Jerome Loughridge, said Tuesday that purchase was made during the “fog of war” in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic and before the release of studies that downplayed the effectiveness of the drug, hydroxychloroquine, to treat COVID-19.

Oregon

Silverton: Silverton Rotary Club members are used to asking local businesses to donate and sponsor their fundraisers. Now they’re turning the tables and giving back to businesses hurt by COVID-19. This month, the club created a Small Business Relief Fund, making a seed donation of $10,000 and asking other organizations to match that amount. Once $20,000 or more is raised, the fund’s committee will start giving small grants to Silverton businesses. “We care about our local business community,” said Rotary Club President Christy Wurster. “Our organization was a business-driven group when it originally started, so what better way to give back to our community than through a program like this?” In early April, a majority of the Rotary Club’s board voted to take money from endowment fund earnings and open a special account to aid local businesses struggling to make ends meet during the Coronavirus pandemic. Its members also reached out to the Kiwanis, Zenith, Lions and Elks clubs, asking for matching donations, as well as for volunteers to serve on the fund’s committee.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration plans to announce Friday which parts of Pennsylvania will begin seeing a step-by-step relaxation of coronavirus-related shutdown directives, although Wolf and administration officials did not project when the state will secure widespread mass-testing capacity. Meanwhile, one of the state’s hardest-hit areas, southeastern Pennsylvania, appears to be past its peak rate of increase in new coronavirus cases, Wolf’s secretary of health said, as the rate has slowed in recent days in many parts of Pennsylvania. Wolf, in a telephone news conference, didn’t estimate how long it will take to reach mass-testing capacity, and said his administration is working different “avenues” try to secure that capacity. His administration doesn’t have a “benchmark for where we need to be,” although widespread testing is of paramount importance as long as a vaccine is a long ways off, he said. On Friday, the administration will announce which regions or counties can see some relief from shutdown orders by moving from a “red” designation to a “yellow” designation, Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said. Those changes would take effect the following Friday, May 8, a previously announced date. Amid growing complaints from some parts of the state, Levine and Wolf both said Tuesday that a county’s designation is not necessarily tied to a wider region’s. Friday’s announcement will come with a benchmark for testing “that we’ll be shooting for,” Levine said. “It will be aspirational, that we would like to get to this much testing in those areas.”

Rhode Island

Warwick: The mayor of the state’s second-largest city announced Wednesday that he will lay off up to 50 municipal workers to make up for a pandemic-related decline in revenue. Mayor Joseph Solomon, a Democrat, said in an emailed statement that the layoffs were necessary because the city employees union refused a request to forgo a scheduled pay raise. Union head Walter Hartley confirmed to WPRI-TV that the majority of 190 city workers who participated in an online meeting last week voted to reject the mayor’s proposal.

South Carolina

Columbia: Three of the most conservative members of the state House sent a letter Wednesday to the House speaker, asking him to call lawmakers back to the Statehouse and end the governor’s emergency orders over the new coronavirus. The goal of the Republicans would be to let businesses reopen quicker than Gov. Henry McMaster’s plan, which he said is based on the advice of health officials. House Speaker Jay Lucas, also a Republican, refused to talk about the letter Wednesday through a spokeswoman. He has not set a date for the House to return. McMaster had originally faced criticism and pressure from one segment of lawmakers and the public that he didn’t close businesses quick enough in March to fight the spread of the virus. The letter showed that he is now facing complaints and pressure from legislators and business owners to his political right to reopen faster. McMaster has repeatedly said he wants to get South Carolina’s economy back on track. The governor ran in 2018 on his handling of the state’s economy with an unemployment rate falling to less than 3%. Since the shutdown, 14% of the state’s workers have applied for unemployment benefits.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: Traditional, dine-in restaurants have struggled during the coronavirus pandemic that has brought government limits on the number of customers that can be seated in their establishments at once, but business is booming for many fast-food chains and other restaurants where customers are in and out in minutes. “We are actually thriving through this,” said Andrew Ticknor, owner of Jersey Mike’s in Sioux Falls. “With our concept, if we never had to set out a table again we’d probably be just fine.” Ticknor credits his store’s success with some promotions done by the Jersey Mike’s corporation since the pandemic began. Driving a significant amount of traffic for the store was a 50% off sale for online orders in early March and for a time, 20% of revenues went to Feeding America. At one point, online orders were coming in so fast it “crashed our internet,” Ticknor said. Other fast-food places that didn’t run promotions tell the same story. Ted Miller, vice president of operations for the franchise group that owns the Taco John’s and Five Guys in Sioux Falls, said his stores have performed well. At Taco John’s, dining rooms have been closed, but the amount of revenue coming via drive-thru is on par with total sales during the same time last year. Initially, long drive-thru lines were keeping people away, he said. But that’s changed as people have began to assimilate to a new normal that the pandemic has brought, he said.

Tennessee

Nashville: State legislative staffers are being called back to work in Nashville after spending nearly six weeks working from home. Staffers are being asked to return to Cordell Hull, the state’s legislative office building, starting May 4. “In preparation for our return to operations at the Cordell Hull Building, your health continues to be of primary concerns to us,” said Connie Ridley, legislative administration’s director, in a Tuesday email. “Our Speakers receive regular updates from top health officials concerning conditions and will continue to provide you with relevant information.” The Republican-dominant Legislature is scheduled to return June 1 after abruptly recessing in March because of the coronavirus. Lawmakers passed a drastically reduced spending plan for the 2020-21 fiscal year in anticipation of potential shortfalls, but they might need to tweak it further. The building will remain largely closed to visitors and lobbyists unless they have appointments. Legislative staffers are asked to maintain social distancing guidelines and new cleaning procedures have been implemented. Meanwhile, roughly 23,000 of the state’s employees have been instructed to remain working from home until May 26.

Texas

Houston: A Houston medical diagnostic lab is now capable of testing thousands of blood samples for coronavirus antibodies. SynerGene Laboratories, a facility owned by Principle Health Systems, is offering a COVID-19 test developed by pharmaceuticals giant Abbott Laboratories. It tests for antibodies for the novel coronavirus and can detect whether a person has been exposed. What differentiates the test from other antibody screenings is that the Abbott Labs version is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Principle Health Systems CEO James Dieter said Tuesday. “There are a lot of tests on the market right now that are not, but Abbott did go through the painstaking process of getting FDA approval,” Dieter said. The lab performs daily calibrations on equipment and quality control checks test results for reliability, he said, and the lab could potentially process up to 500,000 coronavirus antibody tests per month. Dozens of blood tests are being marketed in the United States that are not entirely accurate or comparable to one another, according to a report released by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Even a small rate of false positives can substantially distort the understanding of how many people have been infected. It’s even possible false positives could outnumber real positives. The Food and Drug Administration is overseeing a validation process for ensuring that commercial tests are accurate. So far, the agency has authorized only four. Dozens of other tests are being marketed in the U.S. without such authorization. The Abbott Labs test received “Emergency Use Authorization” by the FDA, an expedited approval that can be used during a public health crisis. The company said it plans to ship millions of tests to labs nationwide.

Utah

St. George: Beach campers are no longer allowed at two Washington County state parks as part of an effort by park officials to limit crowds during the coronavirus pandemic. Gunlock State Park joined Sand Hollow on Tuesday in closing primitive or beach camping to visitors. The few regular campsites are still available, but they will be full through the weekend, according to park manager Jon Allred. “Right now we’re trying to keep people safe through COVID-19, we’re trying to allow room for people to go, but when we have campers on the beach it pretty much takes up the whole beach before day-use people can come,” Allred said. “We’re trying to serve more people and at the same time keep distance between the different groups.” Both parks reopened to all Utahns just over 10 days ago and since then they have seen an influx of visitors, both reaching capacity midday Saturday. Gov. Gary Herbert had issued an order limiting state parks to county residents only but that was lifted on April 17. Gunlock has a small area for beach campers, so this closure won’t affect too many people, Allred said. The goal of the change is to allow more residents to enjoy the park. Campers on the beach tend to spread out with equipment

Vermont

Montpelier: Statistics reported Wednesday by the Vermont Health Department showed the first day in weeks in which no new cases were reported of people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. The figures also showed that no one has died of COVID-19 in Vermont in a week. A total of 862 people have tested positive since the pandemic began for the virus that causes COVID-19 and 47 people have died. “It’s great news, but one day doesn’t create a trend and we have to look at the trend lines to see where we are going,” Gov. Phil Scott said during his regular coronavirus briefing. The welcome numbers came the same day that Scott and officials from the Vermont Health Department outlined a plan to triple the number of tests the state can conduct for the coronavirus over the next several weeks. The state also plans to increase the ability to trace the contacts of new cases of COVID-19 as part of an effort to prevent a resurgence of the disease. Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said the goal is to be able to conduct 1,000 tests per day.

Virginia

Richmond: Virginians will soon be able to have elective surgeries and dental checkups again as Gov. Ralph Northam announced that nonessential medical procedures could resume Friday. The governor said pet owners could also resume taking their animals to the vet for nonemergencies. The governor imposed a ban on nonemergency procedures last month to reserve capacity in the state’s health care system for coronavirus patients and personal protective equipment such as face masks for providers treating those patients. Northam said at a news conference Wednesday that the state has avoided a surge in hospitalized patients like in Italy and New York and is in a much better spot in terms of having enough supplies and capacity than it was a few weeks ago. Medical and dental officials cheered the decision. The state’s hospitals have pushed Northam to allow them to reopen for elective procedures as they grappled with lost revenue. Hospitals across the state have announced layoffs, furloughs and other measures to cut costs because of the ban. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association estimates that about 15,000 nonurgent inpatient and outpatient medical procedures have been canceled each week during the ban.

Washington

Seattle: A hospital industry group said patients in Washington are being hurt because they don’t have access to elective medical procedures that are restricted because of the coronavirus outbreak. The Washington State Hospital Association, saying facilities have plenty of capacity amid a decline in COVID-19 patients, is urging Gov. Jay Inslee to let elective procedures resume. The group sent a letter to Inslee on April 10 asking him to ease the restrictions that were put in place over worries COVID-19 patients would overwhelm the system. The Seattle Times reported that Cassie Sauer, the chief executive officer of the WSHA, said the organization renewed its request in a Tuesday phone call with Inslee. Sauer said many patients are suffering “while waiting to get the care they need. “ Inslee on Monday said his administration was working on a “hospital-specific” plan that would allow some elective surgeries to move forward if hospitals could demonstrate they had enough personal protective equipment. Sauer said that she is hopeful, after the Tuesday conversation with the governor, that there will be some action in loosening hospital restrictions in the next few days.

West Virginia

Charleston: Gov. Jim Justice said his coronavirus reopening plan is based on two things: science and math. But for a second straight day Tuesday, the Republican governor didn’t show his work on the reason behind loosening testing benchmarks as the state barrels toward lifting its virus restrictions – even as he made the case for openness. “I really truly believe that if you’re completely transparent and you see what needs to be done you’ll fix it greatly yourself,” Justice said. The Justice administration plan to reopen hinges on having the state’s positive testing rate below 3% for three days, reversing a previous goal to have cases decline for two straight weeks. Clay Marsh, a high-ranking West Virginia University health official leading the state’s virus response, has previously endorsed a two-week plan, as has the White House, which included the metric in a reopening road map distributed to governors. He later sought to clarify the switch at the governor’s daily news conference and on social media, saying the state has enough downward trend lines to adjust its criteria. West Virginia has seen no significant decline in the number of daily positive cases, according to state health data. Thirty-eight people have died in the state, with 12 fatalities recorded in the last week. Officials have also not given specific benchmarks on testing capacity or protective equipment they want to meet as part of the reopening plan. The lifting of restrictions is already underway, with hospitals moving to perform elective surgeries and testing of day care staff. If the state remains under the positive case rate threshold, state boards could allow dentists, physical therapists and other outpatient services to resume later this week.

Wisconsin

Madison: Gov. Tony Evers has ordered state agencies to reduce spending by 5% between now and July to save roughly $70 million, drawing praise Wednesday from Republicans who called for even more cuts in the face of steep revenue drops because of the coronavirus pandemic. Although the cuts will bring some savings quickly, they will barely make a dent in the estimated $2 billion budget hit Wisconsin will take over the next year. “This is a first step,” Evers said of the cuts, predicting a difficult year ahead. “These things are important. We think it’s one of our ways to get to a better place financially.” The University of Wisconsin announced furloughs across its campuses to address budget shortfalls, as have many private businesses, but none has been put in place yet for state employees. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos praised the 5% cut and said Evers should also consider freezing spending during the second year of the budget, which begins July 1.

Wyoming

Jackson: Some lodges and other offerings at Grand Teton National Park are not expected to open for the summer season to fight the spread of the new coronavirus, company officials said. The Grand Teton Lodge Company announced Tuesday that Jenny Lake Lodge and Jackson Lake Lodge are not expected to open this year and many other facilities’ opening dates have been postponed or canceled, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reported. “Unfortunately this summer will look very different than in years past, and we share the disappointment of our guests and employees, but prioritizing their health and safety remains our top priority,” company Vice President Alex Klein said. “For those who are not able to join us this year we hope to welcome you to the Tetons next summer.” The park remains closed to the public to discourage travel and tourism amid the pandemic. It is unclear when the park is expected to reopen. The convenience store and gas station at Colter Bay Village is the first scheduled to open on May 22, followed by the Gros Ventre Campground on May 29 and other services and facilities in June, officials said. Klein couldn’t be reached for details about the effects on the company’s workforce, but he did say he would not be able to house a large number of seasonal employees in shared dorms this summer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 50 States