Theme parks, speedy clocks, rent relief: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Foley: An amusement park on the coast has joined the state’s push to reopen its economy amid the global pandemic. The Owa theme park said temperature checks on visitors and capacity limits were being used to help reduce the threat of the new coronavirus as it reopened over the weekend in Foley. It also said hand sanitizing stations have been added around the property. The park, which reopened Friday afternoon, is the latest attraction to reopen as Alabama tries to reinvigorate businesses that closed to avoid spreading disease. Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure in Bessemer reopened previously, and a statement posed on social media said its season passes are nearly sold out. Owa is owned by the Poarch Creek Band of Indians.

Alaska

Anchorage: Mayor Ethan Berkowitz signed an emergency order Friday implementing more stringent coronavirus-related restrictions on out-of-state travelers compared to state regulations. Travelers from outside Alaska are now able to avoid a statewide mandatory 14-day quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19, but the city of Anchorage has imposed additional regulations that limit some visitors’ interactions with residents, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Under the current state mandate, out-of-state travelers will need to show proof of their negative COVID-19 results upon arriving in Alaska. Once in the state, travelers are urged to limit interactions until 14 days have passed, until they test negative again in a second test taken seven to 14 days after arrival, or until they leave the state, whichever comes first.

Arizona

Flagstaff: Northern Arizona University will start and end the fall semester earlier this year to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the university said. President Rita Cheng announced in an email Thursday that classes will start Aug. 12 and end before Thanksgiving Day. The semester was previously scheduled from Aug. 24 to Dec. 11. “Our goal is to take advantage of a period of expected lower COVID-19 case rates, exceptional weather for encouraging outdoor activities, and lower rates of student travel, prior to any potential resurgence of the virus,” Cheng said. The university plans to increase cleaning and sanitation measures, require facial coverings in common areas, and maintain social distancing guidelines and protocols for testing and screening, Cheng said. All three state universities expect to resume in-person classes this fall and are working on plans to ensure a safe return.

Arkansas

Little Rock: State officials say they are working to double the size of Arkansas’ team of contact tracers – individuals who identify people who might have had contact with those infected by the coronavirus. Little Rock television station KATV reports State Secretary of Health Dr. Nate Smith said the current team of about 240 people is “stretched” as hundreds of new cases are identified each day. The increase in cases comes amid a surge in testing and increased spread of the virus among Latinos and younger people, state health officials said. The contact tracing team will be expanded in the coming weeks and months, Smith said at a news conference Friday. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Friday that he hoped the state’s growth in new coronavirus cases had begun to level off. The total number of people who have tested positive for the virus rose to 9,101, an increase of 450, health officials announced Saturday. A total of 154 people have died, up two from Friday.

California

Sacramento: The state will allow schools, day camps, bars, gyms and professional sports with modifications to begin reopening starting next Friday. Mark Ghaly, the state’s top health official, said the state plans to release guidance Friday for counties to follow to reopen a broad range of businesses that have been closed since mid-March because of concerns about spreading the coronavirus. The guidelines were not immediately available. The rules on schools and day camps will apply statewide. But only counties that have met certain thresholds on the number of cases, testing and preparedness will be allowed to start reopening the other sectors. Gov. Gavin Newsom has been moving the state through a methodical four-step process for reopening. Most of the new businesses are part of “Phase 3.” Nail salons will not be included in the list.

Colorado

Denver: Recreational activities in the state were given a boost late last week. The Colorado Department of Public Health released new guidelines to allow the opening of many recreational activities. The softening of guidelines still comes with restrictions in most areas as precautions against the spread of the novel coronavirus continue. The new guidelines come after draft guidelines were reviewed and after Gov. Jared Polis encouraged outdoor recreation while extending the safer-at-home order earlier last week. Among the changes: Rafting services can open, some adult and youth sports leagues can begin operations, and swimming pools can open.

Connecticut

Hartford: Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday that he is moving up the second phase of reopening many businesses and activities by three days so the changes don’t conflict with Father’s Day weekend. In a statement posted on Twitter, the Democrat said Phase 2 will now happen June 17 instead of June 20. That’s when movie theaters, tattoo parlors, spas, gyms, fitness studios, bowling alleys and amusement parks, and nail salons will be allowed to open again, and restaurants can resume indoor dining. Libraries and some youth sports programs will also be allowed to reopen. Bars, however, will not. On Thursday, state Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said the state is “targeting” June 20 to possibly allow up to 50-person outdoor events, such as weddings, with larger events to follow, possibly a month later. It’s unclear whether Lamont’s revamped executive order will affect those outdoor events.

Delaware

Dover: Gov. John Carney has formally extended Delaware’s state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic through the end of June. The emergency was first declared in mid-March and must be extended every 30 days. The emergency order includes requirements for residents to wear face masks in public and restrictions on business operations to limit spread of the virus. The state has for the past two weeks been lifting some of Carney’s original restrictions – reopening beaches, short-term rentals, retail businesses and dine-in services at restaurants with limited capacity. Many restaurants and businesses were allowed to reopen June 1, but it didn’t trigger the economic reawakening the state had hoped for, as many stores remained closed over fears of the coronavirus and looting. Churches were also allowed to resume services over the weekend, with many religious leaders saying they would implement social distancing rules.

District of Columbia

Washington: The trend for new coronavirus cases in D.C. has mostly been flat since reopening began, WUSA-TV reports. On Saturday the district announced 9,269 total cases of the virus as protests and crowds grew downtown amid a worldwide movement against police brutality and the killings of black men and women. D.C. has so far reported 483 deaths from the virus.

Florida

Orlando: Universal Orlando Resort, bars, movie theaters and other entertainment venues reopened with restrictions in most of Florida on Friday as the state took another step away from the economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Also allowed to reopen were bowling alleys, tattoo and massage parlors, and arcades in most of the state. Bars, theaters, concert halls and bowling alleys must limit their capacity to 50% of normal and keep groups at least 6 feet apart – restrictions restaurants statewide have been using. Massage, tattoo, tanning and similar parlors must employ masks, limit times in waiting areas and sanitize work areas between customers. Barbershops, hair stylists and nail salons have been operating under similar restrictions statewide. However, bars, movie theaters, and these other entertainment and personal services businesses remain closed in state’s three most-populous, hardest-hit counties – Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.

Georgia

Atlanta: Police could be spreading the coronavirus by spraying tear gas on demonstrators, an Emory University infectious disease specialist said Friday as the number of confirmed infections in Georgia surpassed 50,000. Mass arrests and confining people in small spaces also dramatically increase the risk of infecting others with the coronavirus, Dr. Jay Varkey said Friday. Tear gas and other chemical agents causes people to rub their eyes, putting demonstrators at risk of being infected, Varkey said. “When I see the wide use of things like tear gas or pepper bombs that by its nature cause people to immediately rub their eyes, that causes me tremendous consternation in terms of the risk of what that could cause in terms of infection transmission during a pandemic,” Varkey said. “From a public health standpoint, I don’t know whether law enforcement is actively looking at agents other than tear gas or pepper bombs. As a physician, do I think they should? Yes, absolutely.”

Hawaii

Wailuku: The electric company and the coronavirus are responsible for the state’s residents moving into the future faster than other Americans. Unprecedented declines in energy use and power generation during the pandemic created a slight electrical frequency disruption, The Maui News reports. The deviation has resulted in several reports of electric clocks running a few minutes fast on Maui. Hawaiian Electric said the reduced electricity use is largely a result of mass closures of hotels and other businesses across the state. The economic disruption followed the implementation in March of health and movement restrictions for residents and a mandatory quarantine for travelers arriving from outside the state. “We saw a significant reduction in use of electricity as tourism activities ceased, businesses closed, and thousands of residents stayed home to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Hawaiian Electric spokeswoman Shayna Decker said.

Idaho

Boise: More than 60% of the state’s coronavirus-related deaths are among residents of long-term care facilities like nursing homes, according to numbers released by the state Friday. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said that so far 25 long-term care facilities have reported COVID-19 outbreaks since the pandemic reached Idaho’s borders earlier this year. A total of 289 residents and staffers at the facilities were confirmed to have the illness, according to the report, and of them 52 people have died. Statewide, more than 3,000 people have contracted COVID-19, and 83 people have died, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare had previously refused to reveal facility-specific case numbers during the public health crisis. The Idaho Statesman newspaper in Boise warned last week that it would sue the department if it continued to withhold the records.

Illinois

Normal: As the state prepares to ease some restrictions designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus, an Illinois State University professor who has been developing models of the pandemic since January is urging caution. “Every model we look at agrees on one thing … it is too soon to remove the lockdown measures,” said Olcay Akman, who also serves as editor in chief of Letters in Biomathematics. The peer-reviewed journal publishes mathematics and statistics research related to biological, ecological, medical and environmental settings. The rates may differ, he said. For example, his model forecasts 170,000 coronavirus-related deaths nationwide by August; the Centers for Disease Control forecasts 147,000. Both agree on the value of restrictive measures, said Akman. “Illinois is one of the better states,” Akman said, noting that it took action, such as closing schools, more quickly than some states. “I think we’ll reap the benefit.”

Indiana

Indianapolis: Modified school days, more outdoor class time, mask-wearing, and health screenings for students and staff are among steps schools should consider before reopening from coronavirus closures under recommendations released Friday by the state Department of Education. All schools across the state closed in mid-March and shifted largely to online coursework. The guidelines are not mandatory, however, and the state is leaving the ultimate decision on resuming classes, sports and other activities to local schools. Specific social distancing recommendations outlined in the report include scheduling groups of students to attend in-person school on alternate days or half-days to minimize the number of students in school buildings. The education department also suggests keeping the same students and staff members together as much as possible and increasing space between student desks.

Iowa

Des Moines: State health officials are reporting five more deaths linked to the coronavirus outbreak and 151 new cases of the disease caused by the virus. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Sunday that 602 people have died with COVID-19 in the state, and 21,589 cases of the virus have been confirmed in the state since the outbreak began. Nearly half of Iowa’s coronavirus cases are located in four counties: Polk, Woodbury, Black Hawk and Buena Vista. State officials report that 12,764 of the 21,589 people who tested positive for the virus have recovered from their illness. The total number of people tested is 187,341.

Kansas

Topeka: Gov. Laura Kelly said Friday that her administration will consider using part of the state’s share of federal coronavirus relief funds to help people struggling to pay their rents or home mortgages because of economic problems tied to the pandemic. Kelly defended a May 26 decision to rescind an executive order that had banned landlords from pursuing new evictions or lenders from starting to foreclose on home mortgages. She said she had to lift the order because keeping it in place would have stressed lenders and businesses that rent homes and apartments. The governor rescinded the order as she lifted all statewide restrictions on businesses and left it to the state’s 105 counties to determine their own rules for checking the spread of the new coronavirus. “I want struggling Kansans to know that I understand how you feel and how fearful you remain for your future,” Kelly said, calling such a program “a top priority” during a Statehouse news conference.

Kentucky

Louisville: Gov. Andy Beshear announced Saturday that the state has 319 newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, 65% of which are from Jefferson County. Four new deaths were also reported, according to Beshear. Kentucky now has seen at least 11,287 cases of COVID-19 and 470 deaths. “The virus is still out there. I know we’re tired. I know we all just want to have a normal summer,” Beshear said. “But we’ve already saved so many lives as Team Kentucky, and we can’t let up now.” Meanwhile, in order to further limit the spread of COVID-19, Baptist Health Louisville is now requiring all patients, family members, visitors, staff and vendors to wear a face mask at all times when inside its facilities. “Since people can spread the virus before symptoms start, or even if they never have symptoms, wearing a face mask is one of the most practical ways to reduce the spread,” Baptist Health Louisville President Larry Gray said Friday in a news release.

Louisiana

New Orleans: Some businesses were slammed from the minute they reopened Friday after a 2 ¹/₂-month COVID-19 pandemic closure, while others waited for their first customers or even took another week to prepare. Bars, massage facilities, bowling alleys, recreational pools and tattoo shops in the state were allowed to reopen under an order signed Thursday by Gov. John Bel Edwards. Restaurants and other businesses that had been allowed to open in mid-May at 25% of capacity were allowed to expand to half-capacity Friday. The new rules will be in effect for at least three weeks, Edwards said. New Orleans, the state’s original outbreak hot spot, isn’t participating in the wider reopening. More time and data is needed to decide when that is safe, city officials said.

Maine

Portland: The most densely populated part of the city has the highest incidence of the coronavirus, and there’s a high rate of infection in neighboring communities as well, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control. Maine is the last state in New England to release local data about the virus. It had previously made only county-level information available. Lewiston had the largest total number of cases per ZIP code, with 203 positive tests for the virus, which came as no surprise to city officials. “We have long believed cases would be higher in Lewiston because of our dense neighborhoods and the regular travel between southern Maine,” Mayor Mark Cayer told the Sun Journal. The highest infection rates per capita were mostly in urban areas, with the exception of Medway, the Portland Press Herald reports. The Penobscot County community of 13,500 had 12 cases, ranking second per capita.

Maryland

Baltimore: The city on Monday will ease some stay-at-home directives prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young on Friday announced the restrictions will be lifted after the city experienced a 14-day drop in the number of new cases and deaths. But he warned that the directives could be imposed again if certain criteria are met, including a five-day increase in new cases. Starting Monday, barbershops and hair salons will be allowed to offer services by appointment only and host up to five people per 1,000 square feet. The city will also waive fees for tent permits to allow houses of worship to host services for up to 50 people outdoors. Child care providers and camps will be allowed to operate on a limited basis. Hotels and construction sites will be able to reopen if they put appropriate safeguards in place, while nonessential retailers will be allowed to offer curbside and delivery services. Restaurants can provide outside dining.

Massachusetts

Boston: Diners will be able to eat outside Monday, and retail stores, day camps and day care centers will be allowed to resume operations, during the next phase of loosening restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Charlie Baker announced. “Thanks to your hard work and your sacrifices, we’re bringing the fight to the virus, we’re moving forward, and Massachusetts is continuing to reopen,” Baker said Saturday at the Statehouse. There will be strict requirements for masks and social distancing for businesses that reopen Monday. Indoor dining will be remain off limits, Baker said. Day camps and child care facilities can open, but not overnight camps, Baker said. And hotels and motels will be allowed to accept all guests, not just essential workers, he said. Baker said he’s comfortable with moving forward with reopening the economy because the state has recorded a fall in the number of new cases and hospitalizations.

Michigan

Detroit: The state Supreme Court on Friday overturned orders that directed a barber to close his shop during the coronavirus pandemic, with one justice saying judges need to follow the “rule of law, not hysteria.” The Michigan appeals court made mistakes in telling a local judge to shut down Karl Manke’s shop in Owosso, 40 miles northeast of Lansing, the Supreme Court said. On May 4, Manke stopped complying with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order to keep barbershops and salons closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In response, the state suspended his licenses. It also got a preliminary injunction from the appeals court. But Justice David Viviano said the 2-1 injunction needed to be unanimous under Michigan court rules. In addition, he said there should have been a full briefing and oral arguments.

Minnesota

St. Paul: Gov. Tim Walz announced Friday a gradual reopening of indoor dining, gyms and entertainment venues during the coronavirus pandemic. Walz said the restrictions will loosen next Wednesday, but customers and employees still will be either strongly recommended or required to wear masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In a statement, Walz said the state is “now in a position to carefully turn the dial toward reopening society.” Restaurants can offer indoor dining while maintaining social distancing, requiring reservations and seating no more than 50% occupancy. Gyms, yoga studios, theaters, concert halls, bowling alleys and museums may open at 25% occupancy. Places of worship can increase their occupancy to 50%. Minnesota Chamber President Doug Loon said businesses across the state welcome the progress. But Loon urged the Democratic governor to accelerate the process and reopen all Minnesota businesses by June 19.

Mississippi

Batesville: A city-owned arena became a courtroom last week for the first felony criminal jury trial in Mississippi since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 100 prospective jurors answered their summons to appear in court at the Civic Center on June 1, Panola County Circuit Clerk Melissa Meek-Phelps said in a news release. Prospective jurors maintained social distancing by sitting with five empty seats between them and alternating empty rows. County personnel took temperatures of visitors as they arrived at the arena. Hand sanitizer and masks were provided for people entering the building. Anyone who was ill, had health conditions that could put them at risk for COVID-19, was over age 65, was a caregiver or had recently performed jury service was excused.

Missouri

Kansas City: Confirmed coronavirus cases are on the rise in the state, with triple-digit increases for three straight days last week in the Kansas City metropolitan areas, according to state health department data. The 290 new cases reported Thursday amount to the biggest single-day increase in Missouri since May 4, and the average number of new cases has been steadily increasing during the past three weeks, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Missouri reported another 196 new cases Friday, raising the total to 14,253. At least 799 people have died, an increase of 13 from Thursday. The number of new cases had been dropping since May 7, with a low of 135 on May 17, before the increase in positive test results resumed. Missouri’s top health official, Dr. Randall Williams, said that improved testing capacity of up to 12,000 tests a day might partly account for the increase but that other factors could be involved.

Montana

Helena: A man in his 60s has died from COVID-19, the Big Horn County health department said Friday. The state announced two new cases of COVID-19 from more than 1,200 tests performed Thursday. Both involve men in their 50s from Lewis and Clark County, which had not had a new case in eight weeks. Officials suspect one of the men contracted the disease from someone in Idaho and the other from a resident of another Montana county, county health officer Drenda Niemann told the Independent Record. In Gallatin County, health officer Matt Kelley said the eight new cases confirmed Wednesday were an indication of community spread but did not qualify as a reason to reimpose any restrictions on businesses or people’s activities. “It is reasonable to expect this trend to continue as Yellowstone National Park opens and more people come to the county from all over the nation,” he said, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports.

Nebraska

Omaha: More employees in the state’s prison system have tested positive for COVID-19, as official figures show the overall number of cases in the state surpassing 15,000. A news release Friday from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said two more state prisons employees tested positive last week for the virus, bringing the systemwide total to 18. One of the two new cases is a staff member at the state prison at Tecumseh. The second was attending a staff training academy. The department said it will notify others at both locations about the new cases. Department officials also are directing anyone who may have had close contact with the infected staff members to self-quarantine until they are cleared by a medical provider.

Nevada

Carson City: Fire officials preparing for a hazardous wildfire season in the state will be challenged by high temperatures, drought and the coronavirus. “Fire doesn’t really care that there’s a pandemic. We’re going to have to do our job, but we can minimize the risk,” Reno Fire Department Chief Dave Cochran said at a 2020 Fire Season Outlook conference Wednesday. Cochran, who also serves as Nevada Fire Chiefs Association president, said departments were aware that the virus could spread through their ranks. Firefighters in his department have already contracted it, he said, declining to provide additional details due to privacy concerns. Due to the nature of their work, firefighters can’t always adhere to CDC guidelines on face coverings and social distancing when deployed, Cochran said. But his departments and others throughout Nevada are adopting new protocols.

New Hampshire

Concord: Beaches are open again to sunbathers, and a lawsuit challenging the governor’s spending authority during the coronavirus pandemic is back on the docket. Restaurants can resume indoor dining June 15, but capacity will be limited in the four counties that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus, Gov. Chris Sununu said Friday. After being restricted to outdoor dining since May 18, restaurants will be allowed to offer indoor dining at tables spread 6 feet apart. Those in Rockingham, Hillsborough, Merrimack and Strafford counties will be limited to 50% capacity, however. The rules also apply to large, catered events such as wedding receptions, which will be limited to 50% of a venue’s capacity statewide. Though he joked about banning the Funky Chicken and the Macarena, Sununu said dancing will be permitted: “We are strongly discouraging it ... but I’m not gonna be the guy in Footloose who says, ‘No dancing in my town.’ ”

New Jersey

Trenton: The state’s motor vehicle offices will open June 15, and road testing and the issuance of new licenses can resume from the COVID-19 pause June 29, Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday. It’s the latest sector of the state’s economy to move toward reopening, following announcements on nonessential retail, salons, barbershops and outdoor dining, which will also resume June 15. Murphy also signed an extension of the state’s public health emergency order, which will remain in place for another month. Such orders expire automatically after 30 days. The renewed order means only that the state will continue to carry authority to act if the outbreak worsens again, Murphy said, but it does not mean the state will now halt reopening.

New Mexico

Las Cruces: The City Council has moved to ditch a proposed mandate backed up by misdemeanor penalties and instead will consider a resolution encouraging people to wear face coverings in retail and commercial businesses to help combat the spread of the coronavirus. City officials said the council tabled the proposed ordinance Friday in favor of holding a special meeting Monday afternoon to consider the resolution. The now-shelved ordinance would have generally required wearing masks or other face coverings with exceptions for eating, drinking and under certain other circumstances. Violations would have been a misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $500 and up to 90 days in jail. According to a statement released by the city Friday, the council “prefers voluntary compliance over enforcement and does not want the effort to be punitive.”

New York

Albany: “Socially distanced” outdoor graduation ceremonies with up to 150 people will be allowed beginning June 26 as coronavirus pandemic restrictions continue to be loosened, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday. There were 45 coronavirus-related deaths in the state Saturday, up slightly from 35 on Friday but down from a peak of more than 700 per day in April. Cuomo pointed to low numbers of positive tests in saying the state had successfully “bent the curve.” Meanwhile, New York City will enter the first phase of reopening Monday, with the rest of the state either already in or about to enter the second phase. Cuomo urged protesters who have been demonstrating against police brutality and racism to get tested, saying 15 sites would be dedicated to that so people could get results quickly. “I would act as if you were exposed, and I would tell people you are interacting with, ‘Assume I am positive for the virus,’ ” Cuomo said.

North Carolina

Durham: A young girl has died after a battle with the coronavirus. WRAL reports that Aurea Soto Morales died Monday after she was hospitalized for complications from COVID-19. The second grader from Durham had started feeling sick in late May and was rushed to the hospital after having a seizure. Relatives said her brain swelled before she went into a coma and eventually died. Family members said they want to spread the message that children are not immune to the virus and that people should take the pandemic seriously. “It just went down so quickly, and I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her,” said her sister Jennifer Jano Morales. “She liked being the boss of herself. She was very confident of herself. Every time we would take a picture, she would always strike a pose.” The girl’s elementary school principal, Victoria Creamer, said in a statement that Aurea was “a shining light wherever she went.”

North Dakota

Bismarck: Gov. Doug Burgum announced Friday that he’s easing restrictions on visitation at long-term care facilities that were put in place because of the coronavirus. Visitation to skilled nursing, basic care and assisted living facilities was suspended by executive order April 6. The amended order bases visiting rules on the prevalence of COVID-19 cases in the county and the number of active cases among residents. More than 40 facilities have been approved to begin the first phase of the plan, which includes group dining and activities such as bingo. In 14 days, if another round of testing shows no new active positives, they can begin indoor visitation. Starting immediately, the state is encouraging outdoor visitation by appointment, with appropriate social distancing and personal protective equipment, including masks. “We know the stress and strain of isolation is real,” Burgum said.

Ohio

Columbus: Casinos, amusement parks and racetracks will be allowed to open June 19, Gov. Mike DeWine announced during a briefing Friday as he responded to criticism of the state’s measured reopening plan. In addition, the annual Memorial golf tournament in the Columbus suburb of Dublin was approved to take place in mid-July. Outdoor theaters in the state also will be allowed to reopen, DeWine said, once they submit a plan as other businesses have done. “Early on I said we are not shutting down; we’re waking up,” Dr. Amy Acton, the state health director, said at the briefing. ”As we’re reopening, we’re also waking up. We have to be more intentional than we’ve ever been.” DeWine also touched on the criticism he has received for his cautious approach to reopening the state amid the coronavirus pandemic. “To those who say we should open Ohio with no restrictions, my answer to that is to do that in the midst of this pandemic makes absolutely no sense,” he said.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: The number of Oklahomans who have died after contracting the coronavirus is nearly at 350 after state health officials Sunday reported another death and more than 90 new cases. At least 7,150 people in Oklahoma have now tested positive for the virus, according to the State Department of Health. At least 348 people have died. Overall, new cases had been on a downward trend the past two weeks in the state. The true numbers are likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.

Oregon

Salem: Multnomah County officials submitted reopening framework to Gov. Kate Brown’s office Friday in the hope of beginning the first phase of the state’s plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions. If approved, restaurants in the county on Friday could once again offer dine-in service, gyms could open, personal services would be available by appointment, and the gathering size would increase from 10 people to 25. Multnomah, which is state’s most populous county, is the only county in Oregon that has not yet entered the first phase. “We have moved thoughtfully and deliberately to this day so that the sacrifices our communities have made since March will not be lost,” said Multnomah County Commission Chair Deborah Kafoury. The county has taken a slower and more deliberative approach to reopening during the pandemic due to size, density, diversity and health care capacity.

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia: A federal judge has approved a consent order requiring better access to soap, face masks and cleaning supplies to settle a portion of a lawsuit brought against the city seeking better coronavirus protections and improvements of other conditions for prisoners in the city’s jails. The consent order comes as the city announced it had completed about two weeks of testing all of the more than 3,800 asymptomatic prisoners housed in its jails for coronavirus, ultimately finding 223 positive cases. The city said the jails will move into their own yellow phase in the coming weeks as a result – meaning lockdown conditions will be eased, and prisoners will start to be allowed to leave their cells for more activities. The consent decree will require the city’s prison department to provide increased access to hygiene products by giving inmates free soap, clean towels, daily showers, access to cleaning products and four face masks each.

Rhode Island

Providence: Gov. Gina Raimondo on Friday extended a state of emergency and several other of her coronavirus-related executive orders for an additional month to prevent a resurgence of the disease. The state of emergency, which originally took effect March 9, was extended until July 5 so Rhode Island can remain eligible for federal resources, she said. “It just gives us the flexibility that we need in my administration to move quickly in order to make sure we meet the needs of the crisis,” she said. The order requiring everyone to wear face coverings while in public places when proper social distancing cannot be maintained was extended until July 4, the Democrat said at her daily news briefing. There are exemptions for very young children and people who for medical reasons cannot wear a mask.

South Carolina

Chesterfield: The sheriff and chief deputy in one rural county both have tested positive for COVID-19. Chesterfield County Sheriff James Dixon and Chief Deputy Chris Page will not return to the office for at least 14 days and until they are cleared by doctors, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Also, health workers are tracing anyone who came in extended contact with the men to encourage them to be tested. The sheriff’s office also is cleaning its office, all equipment and vehicles. Both Dixon and Rose said they got tested because they had symptoms of the coronavirus. South Carolina has seen a spike in cases in the past two weeks. The state saw a record 512 new cases Saturday to bring the total COVID-19 case count to more than 13,900, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. Also Saturday, seven additional deaths were reported, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to at least 545 people.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: The state has dropped plans to test an anti-malaria drug to prevent COVID-19, the partners in the study said Friday. The statewide tests were called off after a University of Minnesota study found that the drug hydroxychloroquine had no benefit over a placebo as a way to prevent COVID-19 in people exposed to the coronavirus. The drug hydroxychloroquine has attracted controversy after President Donald Trump promoted it as an antidote to COVID-19, but it was shown in studies not to help and even to be harmful to people hospitalized by the virus. Sanford Health, Avera Health and Monument Health were collaborating on the tests, which were sponsored by the state of South Dakota. Gov. Kristi Noem said last month the state was going ahead with plans to test small amounts of the drug. The South Dakota trial was in the early stages and had just recently opened for enrollment.

Tennessee

Nashville: State officials on Friday sought an appeal and an immediate pause to a court’s ruling last week that makes all of the state’s 4.1 million registered voters eligible to vote by mail during to the coronavirus pandemic. The state attorney general’s office filed the request in Davidson County Chancery Court to appeal and stay that court’s temporary injunction that expanded absentee eligibility Thursday. The state argued the ruling will impose a hefty financial burden on the state and counties, put election integrity at risk with the quick turnaround, and create further voter confusion. “Indeed, in the immediate wake of the June 4 injunction, voters are already reaching out to county election offices seeking guidance about absentee voting,” the state’s filing says. “But what happens if a voter applies for an absentee ballot based upon fear of COVID-19 and the temporary injunction that permits such an application is later reversed?”

Texas

Houston: Health officials said Friday that they are investigating an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus at a suburban Houston health care facility that has been quarantined after 14 deaths were reported. Harris County Public Health began investigating the outbreak April 21 after two people tested positive for the new coronavirus at the Oakmont Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center of Humble. The facility provides short-stay rehabilitation and long-term and hospice care to older patients. It looked like things were improving, but then officials learned that conditions had deteriorated and that COVID-19-related deaths and cases weren’t being quickly reported, said Dr. Umair Shah, the health department’s executive director. Officials weren’t told of eight of the 14 deaths until after May 27, Shah said. The facility had also failed to implement protocols and create a plan to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Shah said.

Utah

Salt Lake City: The state reported its largest single-day increase in the number of COVID-19 cases Friday, with many of those coming in connection with an outbreak at a meatpacking plant in northern Utah. Health officials are investigating the “ongoing outbreak” at the unnamed facility in the Bear River Health District, which covers Cache, Rich and Box Elder counties. One-third of the 439 cases reported Friday came from that area, and many of those are linked to the facility. “I expect to see additional cases of COVID-19 identified as part of this outbreak, both at the worksite and in the community,” Utah State Epidemiologist Angela Dunn said in a statement. “Many of the workers at this facility match the demographics of who we know are at the highest risk for infection.” Protecting workers can be especially challenging at plants that typically employ thousands of people who often work side-by-side carving meat, making social distancing all but impossible.

Vermont

Winooski: State health officials said Friday that they are expecting more positive cases of the novel coronavirus as testing continues in the city, where 34 cases have been confirmed. Speaking alongside city officials, Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said Friday that 93 lab tests remain pending, and additional tests are being conducted. “Really, the only way to stop an outbreak is to do it together,” Levine said during an outdoor news conference in Winooski. “Every single person is needed to keep this disease from spreading.” Vermont has had a low number of new virus cases, and while the 34 new cases reported Thursday was the largest-single day increase in weeks, health officials have been expecting outbreaks. Winooski, with a population of about 7,300 in 1.4 square miles, is considered one of Vermont’s most diverse and densely populated communities, and it’s home to many non-English speakers.

Virginia

Roanoke: As much of the state prepares to enter the second phase of reopening, a local movie screen manufacturer is poised to help businesses take precautions. Officials at Harkness Screens, wanting to help and also to preserve jobs, decided to shift gears and began making protective barriers, including freestanding screens encased in sturdy frames and floating screens that hang from the ceiling and can be used at service counters. Anthony Kelly, the company’s senior vice president for the Americas, said the company’s materials and processes were well-suited for making the products. “We see the protective barriers as being a key product in the short term to hopefully help with reopening, including movie theaters, but then also get back to what we’ve done for 90 years as well,” he said. The barriers could be useful in a number of environments, he said, including restaurants, offices, government buildings, factories and food processing plants.

Washington

Olympia: State officials announced Friday that seven counties have been approved to move to the third phase of the state’s four-stage reopening plan that eases COVID-19 restrictions and allows businesses to start to reopen, and six more counties have been approved to move to the second phase. King County – the state’s largest and home to Seattle – was approved to move to a modified Phase 1 and will now allow all outdoor recreation permitted in Phase 2, expand opening indoor fitness studios for one-on-one activities, allow restaurants to begin opening indoor seating at 25% of normal capacity, and allow hair stylists and other personal services at 25% capacity. Clark, Okanogan, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties were approved to move to a full Phase 2, which allows restaurants and taverns to reopen at half-capacity with limited table sizes, hair and nail salons and barbershops to resume business, and retail stores to reopen for in-store purchases at 30% capacity. It also allows additional outdoor recreation and gatherings with no more than five people outside of a person’s household.

West Virginia

Charleston: West Virginia University will require testing of all students, faculty and staff for the coronavirus before they can return to campus for the start of fall classes, the university announced last week. Students must wear masks on campus, including in class, when the fall semester begins Aug. 19, the university said in a news release. Students will go home for Thanksgiving and finish the semester’s classes online, the university said. The move is seen as a crucial step toward launching football and other fall sports. “We have given careful consideration to the wisdom of returning to campus while the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us,” West Virginia President Gordon Gee said in a statement. “However, it is clear our students want to be with their professors and fellow Mountaineers. We are taking every precaution and making every preparation possible so they can do that safely.” Faculty, staff and students must complete a coronavirus education course before Aug. 11, the statement said.

Wisconsin

Milwaukee: State health officials on Saturday reported 322 new cases of the coronavirus, a number that continued a downward trend of positive tests by percentage of total tests within a 14-day period. The update included 12 new deaths, increasing the total number to 645. The cumulative number of positive cases stands at nearly 20,600. The number of recovered cases has increased from 66% to 67%. Health officials said they have met four of six established criteria meant to help determine when they can “safely open Wisconsin.” Nearly 300 people in Milwaukee County have died after contracting the coronavirus, according to data from that county.

Wyoming

Cheyenne: State agencies must immediately cut spending and prepare for even deeper cuts while the state faces an unprecedented hit to revenue, Gov. Mark Gordon said last week. With more than a third of state revenue expected to vanish, agencies should prepare for a 20% spending reduction, Gordon said in a news conference Thursday. Even so, he said, spending cuts won’t be enough, and the state will need to look at tapping savings and finding new and/or additional revenue to patch up the budget. Meanwhile, the coronavirus has cost Wyoming the luxury of time to finally address years of gradually dwindling revenue, Gordon said. “Our time is now,” he said. Wyoming faces an up to $1.5 billion revenue drop over the next two years because of coronavirus-related fiscal woes.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Theme parks, speedy clocks: News from around our 50 states