Unaffected counties, closed swimming holes: News from around our 50 states
Alabama
Montgomery: Alabama Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey on Friday estimated that up to half of the state’s public school students will be attending classes remotely in the fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mackey said more than a quarter of students are in systems that are only doing remote classes for the first part of the year. He said as many as 15% to 30% of students will be choosing to do remote learning in school systems that offer the option, in addition to in-person classes. “My request for everybody is for patience. I know people are frustrated. I know people are in many cases scared. … But I promise you, there are thousands of educators who have the best interest of your children at heart. And it will be a struggle, and we will get through it,” Mackey said. He said the precautions taken by local school systems “will protect them as much as we can” but acknowledged there is risk.
Alaska
Anchorage: A seafood processing plant has found 56 employees tested positive for COVID-19, marking the latest outbreak in the industry, health officials said. The Anchorage Health Department announced Friday that testing was conducted July 17-22, and more workers could test positive, as 30 test results are still pending. The plant is owned by Copper River Seafoods and employs 134 workers, many who live in the city. “This is a concerning situation for the people of Anchorage,” said Bruce Chandler, disease control and prevention medical officer with the city health department. “With so many workers now testing positive, it is likely that this outbreak has been in progress for some time and that transmission has already occurred among family, friends and others in the community.” The city and state health departments have started contact tracing, and employees at the plant are being isolated, officials said.
Arizona
Phoenix: This year’s wildfire season has been extra challenging for firefighters, as crews have had to battle some massive fires around the state while dealing with changes in their routine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-pandemic firefighters had their own way of life including routine morning briefings, respectful handshakes and community meals. But now, every meal is prepackaged, and firefighters have to eat 6 to 10 feet apart, crew members wave at each other instead of shaking hands, and they attend virtual briefs on their smartphones or radios instead of massive, crowded in-person ones. On top of that, Arizona has had a tough wildfire season due to a wet winter and dry summer conditions that fed massive fires across the state. Efforts to mitigate COVID-19 cases among firefighters have been successful so far, according to fire officials, with only one crew member testing positive and since recovering.
Arkansas
Little Rock: Two state prison inmates have died while being treated for COVID-19, according to the Arkansas Department of Correction. One inmate, a man in his 80s serving a sentence at the Ouachita River Unit in Malvern for sexual assault, died at a Hot Springs hospital, and the second, a man in his 40s serving a burglary sentence at the East Arkansas Regional Unit at Brickeys, died at a hospital in North Little Rock, the department said Friday. Both men, whose names were not released, died Friday, the department said. Department spokesperson Cindy Murphy said more than 3,800 state prison inmates have tested positive for the virus, and 27 have died. The state health department said Friday that 37,249 cases and 394 deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported statewide. The true number of cases is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
California
Foresthill: Park officials have shut vehicle access to a pristine swimming hole in Northern California due to an influx of visitors to the “hidden gem” that has become a popular photo backdrop on social media. There are just 12 parking spots near Yankee Jim’s, a sliver of crystal clear water on the North Fork American River, about 35 miles west of Lake Tahoe, but last weekend California State Parks and Placer County authorities counted more than 300 vehicles parked near the rugged roads surrounding a one-way bridge overhead. Some vehicles blocked entry and exit points to the area, causing an hourslong traffic jam as drivers tried to turn around, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook posting Friday. Authorities said the scenic area has exploded in popularity thanks to social media postings. Authorities are struggling to control overcrowding at recreational sites as coronavirus cases continue to rise in many parts of the state.
Colorado
Grand Junction: Multiple high schools have said fall sports remain undecided as the state High School Activities Association awaits gubernatorial approval to move forward. District 51 Athletic Director Paul Cain said he has had multiple conversations with Association Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green in the past few weeks to discuss options to resume athletics this upcoming school year, The Daily Sentinel reports. “The commissioner has met with the governor and his staff multiple times this week and have made multiple revisions to the plan that is currently on the governor’s desk for approval,” Cain said. There is no timeline for Democratic Gov. Jared Polis’ decision. District 51 is in Mesa County and includes Central, Fruita 8-9, Fruita Monument, Grand Junction, Palisade and R-5 high schools.
Connecticut
Hartford: Gov. Ned Lamont on Friday signed an executive order that state union leaders predict will provide hundreds, possibly thousands, of front-line workers “presumptive eligibility” for workers’ compensation benefits if they contracted the coronavirus while on the job during the early days of the pandemic. The Democrat’s order came after weeks of demands by workers, union officials and some state legislators who were concerned that workers who were deemed as essential and got infected had no guarantee they’d qualify for compensation to cover lost wages and their medical care. Fewer than one-third of states have enacted such a policy, which shifts the burden of proof for coverage. “Our state owes a debt to all of the health care professionals, grocery store clerks, and other essential workers who served vital roles during the earliest and darkest stages of this public health crisis,” Lamont said in a statement.
Delaware
Dover: Twelve residents who tested positive for COVID-19 were incorrectly told they had tested negative, state public health officials acknowledged Friday. Officials confirmed the incorrect reports after a Bridgeville man was hospitalized with the virus Thursday after being told he had tested negative. Katey Evans said she didn’t know how long her husband, Kevin, will remain in the hospital. “He sounds like he’s improving,” she said. Evans said she, her husband and their three children went to get tested at a Walgreens pharmacy in Bridgeville after their 6-year-old daughter had tested positive. All were told a few days later that their results had come back negative. On Thursday, Kevin Evans, 41, was taken by ambulance to Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, where a check of the Delaware Health Information Network, a statewide patient information database, indicated that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
District of Columbia
Washington: Crowds of people gathered at Columbia Heights Civic Plaza on Saturday to continue to call on D.C. leaders to cancel rent during the pandemic, WUSA-TV reports. D.C. Tenants Union organized the gathering, which featured speakers addressing eviction and homelessness concerns. Though Mayor Muriel Bowser announced earlier this month that a moratorium on evictions in D.C. would be extended until Oct. 9, supporters at the rally said the threat of a potential crisis could grow even larger with bonus unemployment benefits possibly ending at the end of July. An online petition started by D.C. Tenants Union has gathered thousands of signatures and calls for the cancellation of rent and mortgages during the state of emergency plus one month. The effort also pushes for a two-year freeze on rent increases and a right to counsel in eviction cases.
Florida
Orlando: More than 9,300 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state Sunday, accompanied by an additional 78 deaths. As of Sunday, Florida had 423,855 coronavirus cases, an additional 9,344 cases from the previous day, and 5,972 total deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health. The number of new cases was lower than other days last week, but caseloads released on Sundays tend to be smaller because of the lack of workers entering data or in labs testing samples. The statewide median age of coronavirus patients in Florida was 40, the health department said. Almost 3.4 million Floridians have been tested for the virus. The new cases tested over the weekend had a positive rate of 11%, according to the Department of Health.
Georgia
Atlanta: The state reported more than 4,800 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus Friday, the highest one-day total since the start of the pandemic, capping a week that also saw the state report its highest-yet death toll. Those confirmed cases came with a new single-day high-water mark in overall tests conducted, at more than 45,000. Georgia Department of Public Health spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said the increase in total tests reported Friday “was from backlogs at a couple of the labs from last week.” The state has recorded more than 160,000 total confirmed cases, though experts say many more people are likely infected but never tested. There were 3,135 hospitalized with the virus in Georgia on Friday, nearly double the 1,570 people hospitalized July 1. Deaths have been rising sharply in the state. Last week saw Georgia report its second-, third- and fourth-highest death counts since the start of the pandemic.
Hawaii
Honolulu: Investigators with the state attorney general’s office arrested a 20-year-old woman after seeing videos of her dancing in a store and dining out when she was supposed to be obeying a traveler quarantine the state mandated to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. Anne Salamanca arrived in Honolulu on July 6, and four days later, the Hawaii Tourism Authority learned she was out in public, in violation of the 14-day quarantine, the state said in a news release Friday. The tourism authority informed attorney general special agents, who were shown videos of her dancing and dining. The state’s news release said Salamanca is from Birmingham, Alabama. She’s also a “social media influencer” in the Philippines who goes by Mika Salamanca and arrived from Manila, KITV reports.
Idaho
Boise: Gov. Brad Little said Thursday that there are too many coronavirus infections, and the state will remain in the fourth and final stage of his plan to reopen during the pandemic for at least another two weeks. The Republican governor also reemphasized his plan for state-local collaborations in dealing with the pandemic, allowing local leaders to determine restrictions as the state deals with a surge of infections. That means the state’s seven health districts and local officials will continue evaluating conditions in their areas and decide on restrictions with Little’s oversight. Little said he was visiting four of the state’s health districts Thursday to help them make decisions that would also include information from the state epidemiologist and the director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. He didn’t rule out at some point issuing a statewide face-covering mandate if infections rise to the point where the health care system is overwhelmed.
Illinois
Springfield: Just weeks away from the ringing of the schoolhouse bell, scores of people rallied at the state Capitol on Saturday against the state’s requirement that schoolchildren must wear face coverings this fall to discourage transmission of the highly contagious and potentially deadly coronavirus. In a state where the numbers of cases of COVID-19 are rising, the protesters took aim at Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s broadside last week that people who forgo face coverings are “the enemy.” “I don’t think all this pressure needs to be put on the kids,” said Adam Dunn of Decatur, whose kids are out of school. “They need freedom to go play, have a childhood.” The “Million Unmasked March” drew about 250 people, including a stalwart group of counterdemonstrators who periodically let loose their own shouted protests from across the street.
Indiana
Indianapolis: The state reported 860 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and eight deaths Sunday, a day ahead of a statewide mask mandate. The Indiana State Department of Health said Sunday that 62,372 people in the state have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. More than 2,706 people have died from it. Gov. Eric Holcomb has announced a statewide face mask mandate starts Monday, pointing to renewed growth in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations. The Republican’s executive order leaves it up to state and local health departments to enforce compliance. He dropped a criminal penalty from the mandate after criticism from some law enforcement officials and conservative lawmakers.
Iowa
Des Moines: Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation Friday extending an order that bars and restaurants require patrons to remain at least 6 feet apart to limit spread of the coronavirus. The proclamation also extends other requirements, including that bar and restaurant patrons each have seats at a table or bar and that operators maintain “increased hygiene practices.” In addition, the governor’s order extends existing rules for fitness centers, casinos, senior citizen centers and other businesses. Reynolds last week encouraged residents to wear masks in public but has declined to issue requirements that people wear masks. She also has said local officials don’t have the authority to institute mask orders. The governor noted she would not extend the suspension of a requirement that retailers accept empty cans and bottles for redemption of container deposits. The requirement that retailers take the containers resumed Sunday.
Kansas
Topeka: Some businesses in two western Kansas counties that have yet to report a single positive coronavirus case aren’t requiring customers to wear face masks, but they are asking whether they have traveled outside the county. Business owners in Rawlins and Wallace counties say they agree with local officials’ decisions to opt out of an order from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly requiring people to wear masks in public. In Wallace County, which borders Colorado, one restaurant posted on social media a graphic of a crossed-out man with a face mask. Kansas has reported more than 25,000 coronavirus cases since the pandemic reached the state. State officials have been alarmed at a resurgence of the virus over the past six weeks. But so far, Rawlins County, with about 1,500 residents, and Wallace County, with about 2,500, remain no-case islands on the state health department’s coronavirus map.
Kentucky
Louisville: Gov. Andy Beshear announced 836 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, breaking Friday’s record for the second-highest single-day total. “Today’s numbers continue a concerning increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in our commonwealth,” Beshear said in a news release. “We expect to take additional steps next week if the case numbers don’t stabilize.” There were also five new deaths Saturday, raising the state’s death toll to 696. “We know how to control this virus,” the governor said. “We’ve seen states like New York – which had hospitals overflowing with sick patients in March and April – now reporting a positivity rate of 1% or less. If they can do it, we can do it.” Beshear said wearing face coverings was critical to achieving that. Kentucky’s record for new coronavirus cases in a single day stands at 979, which came July 18. The Bluegrass State has seen an uptick in cases over the past couple of weeks.
Louisiana
New Orleans: The mayor shut down the city’s bars because of rising coronavirus numbers and has also forbid restaurants from selling alcoholic drinks to go. “The crowds just grow and grow and grow,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said at a livestreamed news conference Friday. “Even when we were allowing for takeout alcohol, some of the lines were so long they would become a gathering in themselves. And no mask-wearing and the like.” The city is also getting many complaints about large parties of maskless people outside houses, said Jennifer Avegno, head of the city’s health department. Cantrell warned short-term rental owners that big parties at their properties could cost their licenses. “I’m not playing around,” she said. The rule against all takeout sales of alcoholic drinks in a city where go-cups have long been a barroom feature took effect at 6 a.m. Saturday.
Maine
Augusta: A water district is collecting sewage samples for testing to determine the prevalence of the coronavirus based on what’s being flushed down the toilet. The Greater Augusta Utility District began collecting samples of sewage last week at its wastewater treatment plant. Those samples are being sent to a Massachusetts company that’s pioneering efforts to test for traces of the coronavirus in sewage collected from treatment plants. The data could provide information on how widespread the virus is in the local population and could aid local officials in their decision-making, the Kennebec Journal reports. Most data on the spread of the coronavirus currently comes from individual testing. The water district, using Keep Maine Healthy funding obtained by the city of Augusta, hopes to take advantage of another measure of the virus’s prevalence, or lack thereof, in a community.
Maryland
Baltimore: The state’s prison system has received more than 2 million pieces of personal protective equipment since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but advocates for workers and offenders say they’ve been hardly enough to stem the virus’s spread behind bars. The nearly 2.2 million items include gowns, gloves, hand sanitizer, surgical masks, and other face and eye protections, state prison spokesperson Mark Vernarelli told The Baltimore Sun. Patrick Moran, council president for the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, said the amount really isn’t that much because workers and inmates go through so much PPE in buildings where social distancing is virtually impossible. “That’s a big number. However, roughly 26,000 people are going through it every day, and some items are used daily or every other day,” Moran said. More than 1,100 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Maryland prisons.
Massachusetts
Boston: Travelers to Massachusetts, including residents returning home after out-of-state trips, face $500-per-day fines if they refuse to comply with a new executive order requiring them to quarantine for 14 days to control the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday. The order that takes effect Aug. 1 comes at the height of the summer tourist season and not long before tens of thousands of college students typically flock to the state for the start of fall classes. There are exemptions for people coming from low-risk states, which currently include New York, New Jersey, Maine and Hawaii, and for people who can prove they have had a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to arrival, the Republican governor said. There are also exemptions for people simply passing through the state, those who commute across state lines for work, and those traveling for medical treatment or to comply with military orders.
Michigan
Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has extended a ban on family visitors at nursing homes and congregate care sites through Aug. 31. There’s an exception for people who want to see someone in serious or critical condition or in hospice care. Whitmer’s office announced an extension of her previous order Thursday night. Facilities must make “best efforts” to help residents communicate with people by phone or electronic devices, Whitmer said. Some people in nursing homes and assisted living centers have only seen visitors through a window. “We must remain vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and protect our most vulnerable citizens from the spread of this virus. … I know seniors and their families are making sacrifices every day during this crisis,” Whitmer said. The Department of Health and Human Services has discretion to make exceptions to parts of the order, the governor said.
Minnesota
Minneapolis: State health officials are concerned about renewed pressure on the testing supply chain, which could affect the state’s response to a recent growth in cases and plans to continue to ramp up testing. Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said during a press call Friday that state officials have received reports of delays or reductions in testing supplies like reagents and pipettes from some health systems across the state, which rely on their own supply channels for weekly shipments of testing equipment. Testing supply shortages and delays may be contributing to longer wait times for results, which have gone from 24 hours to a few days. Minnesota has been acquiring testing supplies to augment health systems’ stocks and coordinating between testing sites to redistribute equipment to prevent further supply chain challenges. Malcolm said supply chain issues can affect the state’s ability to ramp up testing capacity and hinder the state’s response.
Mississippi
Jackson: The governor is setting new restrictions on bars and social gatherings to curb the spread of the coronavirus among a group he called “young, drunk, careless folks.” “Our bars must look more like restaurants and less like mobs of COVID-19 spread,” Gov. Tate Reeves said during a Friday afternoon media briefing. Reeves said cases of coronavirus have been rising steadily in people in their 20s who are not being responsible under the current regulations. Right now, bars and restaurants can be open in the state if they serve only 50% of their capacity for patrons. Under the new rules, they can still be open at 50% capacity, but people will need to be seated to order alcohol. Additionally, alcohol sales will cut off at 11 p.m. “We know that’s when these crowds, primarily of young people, throw social distancing out the window,” Reeves said.
Missouri
Springfield: A woman is suing the city over its decision to require face coverings, saying the health of others “is not my responsibility.” Rachel Shelton is asking the court to temporarily stop an ordinance and to rule that it violates her rights. The Springfield law follows a big spike in new confirmed cases of the coronavirus in southwestern Missouri and across the state. “Your health is not my responsibility,” Shelton said at a news conference Thursday. “Your emotional well-being is not my responsibility.” Springfield, Missouri’s third-largest city, is among several jurisdictions in the state that have begun requiring face coverings in many public places. Confirmed COVID-19 cases have risen sharply since Republican Gov. Mike Parson allowed the state to reopen for business in mid-June.
Montana
Billings: A senior home that has been pummeled by a coronavirus outbreak that infected nearly every resident has seen another death as the number of confirmed virus cases to date topped 3,000 statewide Friday. Health officials confirmed 129 additional cases of the virus, one of the highest daily totals yet. Yellowstone County, which includes Billings, again accounted for the highest number of new cases, with 40. Health officials also announced the first death from the virus in Glacier County – a woman in her 80s – bringing the number of fatalities in the state to 46. Glacier County includes much of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and parts of Glacier National Park. Canyon Creek Memory Care in Billings saw its 15th death Thursday. More than a quarter of the 59 residents living at the facility when an outbreak erupted three weeks ago have now died.
Nebraska
Omaha: The state continues to see high numbers of coronavirus cases, according to state health figures, as the prison system reported four additional staffers testing positive for the virus. The Lincoln Correctional Center, Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln, Omaha Correctional Center and the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln each reported a staffer testing positive for the virus, according to a news release late Thursday from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. All four were self-isolating at home, officials said. The announcement brings the total number of prison employees across the state to be infected with the virus to 37. Nebraska’s hospitals also showed signs of being affected by the rising case numbers. The state’s online virus tracker showed 34% of the state’s hospital intensive care unit beds available Friday, a drop of 4 percentage points since Monday. Available ICU beds also dropped to 35% from Monday’s 42%.
Nevada
Reno: A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court denied a rural church’s request late Friday to strike down as unconstitutional a 50-person cap on worship services as part of the state’s ongoing response to the coronavirus. In a 5-4 decision, the high court refused to grant the request from the Christian church east of Reno to be subjected to the same COVID-19 restrictions in Nevada that allow casinos, restaurants and other businesses to operate at 50% of capacity with proper social distancing. Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley argued that the hard cap on religious gatherings was an unconstitutional violation of its parishioners’ First Amendment rights to express and exercise their beliefs. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the liberal majority in denying the request without explanation.
New Hampshire
Concord: Gov. Chris Sununu on Friday vetoed a bill that would have raised the state’s minimum wage, saying it creates negative unintended consequences that are only “exacerbated” by the economic situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Sununu said in his veto message that a law can force an employer to pay a minimum wage, but it cannot force an employer to hire or retain a worker at that wage or to continue offering the same number of hours to that worker. “This bill would have meant fewer jobs and fewer available hours for our workers who are unemployed or underemployed. It would mean our employers who are fighting for survival would have one more burden placed on their backs as they try to recover,” he said in a statement. The bill would have raised the wage from $7.25 an hour to $10 an hour in 2021 and $12 in 2023. Sununu vetoed a similar bill last year.
New Jersey
Trenton: State officials provided more details Friday on the reopening of schools this fall, including that parents will be allowed to opt their children out from in-person learning without having to demonstrate a risk of illness or other special circumstance. The amended guidelines represent a shift from guidance released four weeks ago by Gov. Phil Murphy that required in-person instruction, though school districts were given latitude to decide the number of days students would be required to report in person and whether they could also use online learning. “All students are eligible for fulltime remote learning; eligibility cannot be conditioned on a family/guardian demonstrating a risk of illness or other selective criteria,” the guidance says. School districts must have clearly communicated policies on remote learning and procedures for students to transition back to in-person learning when ready, interim Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said Friday.
New Mexico
Santa Fe: Health officials say the state has 324 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 18,788. State data released Saturday by the state Department of Health also showed six new deaths from the novel coronavirus. The number of deaths in New Mexico related to COVID-19 now stands at 607. Bernalillo County led all counties in new cases with 93. Dona Ana County reported 64 new cases. The state said there were also three cases among federal inmates at the Cibola County Correctional Center, one case among federal inmates at Otero County Prison Facility and ten cases among Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement detainees at the Otero County Processing Center. There are 148 people hospitalized with the virus, 32 of them on ventilators, and 7,268 designated as having recovered, state health officials said.
New York
New York: More than 100 bars and restaurants in the New York City area were flagged for coronavirus social distancing violations over the weekend, and some now face the possible suspension of their liquor licenses, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday. The violations, for issues such as people crowding outside and workers not wearing masks, were handed out by a new state police and liquor authority enforcement task force inspecting establishments in the city and on Long Island, Cuomo said. The state’s liquor authority board will meet Monday to review the 105 violations and decide on the possible suspension of some licenses. Last week, the board yanked 10 licenses for social distancing violations. Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Cuomo said the state tallied three deaths from coronavirus Saturday, while hospitalizations for the disease fell to 637, the lowest total since mid-March.
North Carolina
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina school system officials have voted to keep tuition rates the same regardless of whether classes move online because of coronavirus concerns. Thursday’s split vote by the school system’s Board of Governors also keeps the same fees for athletics and student activities, news outlets report. “It is important that our universities continue to operate and provide instruction and essential services,” the board’s resolution said. “And the tuition and fees that we collect are important to sustaining this important mission not just for today’s students, but for the students who will attend our institutions in the future.” The vote comes as the school system continues to prepare for different scenarios for its budget amid the coronavirus pandemic, and as students and staff gear up to return to its campuses this fall, The News & Observer reports.
North Dakota
Bismarck: State health officials reported 124 new coronavirus infections Saturday but no new deaths. The number of new positive cases raises the statewide total since the pandemic reached North Dakota in mid-March to 5,736. North Dakota’s death toll from the coronavirus remained at 99 as of Saturday. The number of North Dakota patients currently hospitalized rose to 39 on Saturday, up two from Friday. There were 126 new recoveries reported, bringing the total number to 4,671 since the pandemic began.
Ohio
Columbus: Lawyers who volunteer as poll workers could earn continuing education credit hours in exchange, under a program announced by the Ohio Supreme Court and the state elections chief, as the state faces a poll worker shortage because of the coronavirus pandemic. To earn the four hours of credit under the initiative, participating attorneys must complete training at local election boards and work the entire voting day. Workers typically serve from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., when polls close. “I can think of no greater opportunity for lawyers in Ohio to give back to our state than to get involved on Election Day and help fill the urgent need for poll workers,” Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said. Ohio has about 44,000 licensed attorneys. They must earn 24 continuing education hours every two years.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City: The head of coronavirus response at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center said Friday that an increase in the number of younger Oklahoma residents dying as a result of the virus has become a worry. Although most of the 484 deaths reported in the state due to COVID-19 remain in the 65-and-older age group with nearly 80%, an increase in deaths among those 36-49 years old shows it can kill younger people as well and is more worrisome than an increase of nearly 5,000 in reported cases in the state during the past week, Dr. Dale Bratzler said. “What concerns me even more (than the increase in cases) is that in the past seven days 39 deaths have been reported, and while the majority of them are that age group of 65 and older, there have been a number of deaths in younger people this past week … in their mid-40s. So this virus can cause death in younger age group people,” Bratzler said.
Oregon
Portland: Nine more people in the state have died from COVID-19, the highest number of deaths reported in one day since the pandemic began, health officials said Friday. The newly reported deaths raised the state’s death toll to 282, according to the Oregon Health Authority. The authority also reported 396 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total to more than 16,100. An outbreak of 22 COVID-19 cases has been reported at Norris Blueberry Farm in Roseburg, health officials also said Friday. The case count includes everyone linked to the outbreak, officials said. The investigation started June 25, but the initial case count was below the threshold for public disclosure, officials said. In the month of July, Oregon has averaged about 315 cases a day, officials said last week, calling the numbers concerning.
Pennsylvania
Harrisburg: The many school districts across the state that have not settled on how and when they will restart instruction this fall will be making decisions in the coming weeks, and the pandemic plans that have been produced so far are all over the map. That’s by design, the state education secretary said Friday, as he encouraged districts to customize state-issued guidelines for their particular conditions. School districts must have a board-approved plan posted online before they can resume in-person instruction for the first time since Secretary Pedro Rivera and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf shuttered schools for the year in March. State guidelines call for 6 feet of social distancing “to the maximum extent possible,” a goal that may prove difficult.
Rhode Island
Providence: Gov. Gina Raimondo has enlisted the help of two pediatricians to reassure parents that it is safe to reopen the state’s schools Aug. 31 as she has planned. Her reopening plan has received pushback from parents, teachers and administrators who don’t think the coronavirus will be under adequate control by that date. Dr. Jim McDonald of the state Department of Health and Dr. Elizabeth Lange, former president of the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians, said during a live forum Thursday that while there is no way to make in-person learning risk-free, there are ways to minimize it. While there are risks with sending kids back to school, there are other risks in keeping them at home, Lange said. “Children are feeling the stress from the lack of a routine,” she said. “Kids are staying up all night. They are afraid to go outside. They are more sedentary. Getting back to a routine is very important.”
South Carolina
Columbia: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state pushed past 80,000 Sunday. The increase of 1,412 is the fewest new cases in more than two weeks, according to numbers released by the Department of Health and Environmental Control. Weekend numbers can sometimes vary because of delayed reporting. The number of new deaths confirmed from the respiratory illness rose by 25 to 1,436. Of the 7,500 total tests reported Sunday, 15.6% were positive. That’s lower than in recent days, but South Carolina continues to have one of the highest positivity rates among the states, a key indicator the state may not be doing enough testing to control the virus. The state says it has 96 mobile testing events scheduled over the next five weeks. Department officials continue to say they don’t have an accurate count of how many people are hospitalized with COVID-19 because of the transition to a new tracking system mandated by President Donald Trump’s administration.
South Dakota
Pierre: State health officials reported 105 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday but no deaths. The state has recorded more than 8,300 cases of the coronavirus, but about 88% of them have recovered. A total of 122 people have died over the course of the pandemic. The number of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 increased one to 46 on Saturday, while the number of active infections was at 876, up 69 from Friday. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
Tennessee
Nashville: The state’s attorney general says mask mandates are constitutionally defensible in an opinion that comes as some county mayors have moved to enact the requirements. Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III wrote in an opinion Friday that for more than a century, the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that “a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease which threatens the safety of its members.” Slatery wrote that courts can only overturn orders that have no “real or substantial relation” to protecting public health or are “beyond all question, a plain, palpable invasion of rights secured by the fundamental law.” When determining if a face mask mandate could be unconstitutional, Slatery concluded that the mandate doesn’t amount to a “plain, palpable invasion of rights secured by the fundamental law.”
Texas
Houston: Houston-area officials announced Friday that they have ordered all public and non-religious private schools not to reopen for in-person instruction until at least Sept. 8 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. On-campus instruction might be delayed further based on public health conditions, Harris County officials said. The announcement came as Texas continued to report a near-record number of deaths related to COVID-19. State health officials reported 168 COVID-19-related fatalities Saturday. “Right now, we continue to see a severe and uncontrolled spread of this virus, and it would be self-defeating to reopen schools as usual for in-person instruction,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.
Utah
St. George: Southwest Utah is seeing another drop in coronavirus cases, similar to the drop the five-county region saw the week before last, but officials want to see more before officially calling it a downturn. Southwest Utah Public Health Department Public Information Officer David Heaton noted late last week that it was too early to label the recent numbers an official trend. “We would want to see several more days of lower numbers to indicate a possible down turn,” Heaton said in a text message. “Anything recent wouldn’t be a contributing factor yet.” That sentiment remained true Friday. While the southwest region of Kane, Beaver, Garfield, Iron and Washington Counties counted 97 cases between Tuesday and Thursday – 29 on Tuesday, 37 Wednesday and 31 Thursday – the region added 78 cases Friday.
Vermont
Montpelier: Gov. Phil Scott on Friday issued an order requiring people in the state to wear masks in public as part of an ongoing effort to reduce the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Scott said the outbreaks hitting the South and West may be spreading back toward the Northeast and Vermont. “We are still in very good shape, but it is time to prepare,” the Republican said, noting it’s better to take precautions than to have to roll back the reopening, as has happened in a number of hard-hit states. Under the order that takes effect Aug. 1, all public and private businesses must display signs saying masks are required for anyone over age 2. Businesses are allowed to refuse service to people not wearing a mask. There are a number of exemptions, including people who are eating or drinking or engaged in strenuous exercise or those who have a medical exemption. People who do not wear a mask are not required to produce evidence of their condition.
Virginia
Richmond: The State Fair of Virginia has been canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports the fair’s organizers were unable to find a way to pull it off safely. Pam Wiley, director of communications for the Virginia Farm Bureau, said staff spent months trying to figure out ways to make the fair work within state health guidelines. They wanted everyone from fairgoers and vendors to staff and volunteers to be safe. Wiley said the last time the fair was canceled was during World War II. Before that it was during the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918. More than 245,000 people attended the fair last year. “We will be back in 2021,” Wiley said.
Washington
Olympia: A federal judge on Friday denied a request for a preliminary injunction against Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency coronavirus orders that had been brought by some Republican state lawmakers. Filed in May, the legal challenge contended that “the emergency has been contained” and that ongoing restrictions for businesses, workers and residents weren’t legally justified, The Seattle Times reports. The legal challenge was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Judge Benjamin Settle wrote in a court order dated Friday that federal lawsuits against state officials are allowed in certain instances in which the state official has a connection with the enforcement of an allegedly unconstitutional act. However, Inslee’s lawyers persuasively argued that while the governor issues emergency orders, other officials actually enforce those orders, Settle wrote.
West Virginia
Gary: The town has been without water service for several days after a pump broke, prompting concerns about a shortage of a precious resource during the coronavirus pandemic. Residents of the 563-customer system are having to scramble to get water for doing things as simple as washing their hands – a heightened priority during the COVID-19 scare. “Right now we’re currently in a health crisis due to the water outage,” city Treasurer Tracy Allison said. After a pump in the city’s water system broke last week, residents have been using creek water to flush toilets, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports. City officials have made donated bottled water available, local firefighters are making deliveries in communities hit by the outage, and water is being provided by tankers from the West Virginia National Guard and the city of Welch.
Wisconsin
Green Bay: Police are investigating threats made against city officials over a new mandate requiring face coverings in public buildings because of the coronavirus. Alderman Randy Scannell, who first proposed the mask ordinance, said one email called him a traitor who must die and indicated the sender would make sure Scannell would die. He said it appears multiple people are sending threatening emails to council members and city officials, including the mayor. Police Chief Andrew Smith said all 12 council members, regardless of how they voted on the ordinance, received at least one of the threats. Smith emailed all city officials, telling them to be vigilant, WLUK-TV reports. Council member Lynn Gerlach called the threats “unsettling” and took them as a sign of how much the mask issue has become a flashpoint.
Wyoming
Casper: The state Department of Corrections has a new acting director. Gov. Mark Gordon said in a statement that deputy director Dan Shannon would replace Bob Lampert, who announced his retirement last week after serving as director since 2003, KTWO-AM radio reports. Shannon has 34 years of experience in corrections and has been with the department since 2007. He has also served as prison division administrator and the warden of the Wyoming Women’s Center in Lusk. Lampert retired after a 46-year career in corrections, starting in 1974 in the Marine Corps in military police corrections. During his tenure, he worked to improve laws to aid offender success and employee safety as well as with various agencies on alternatives to incarceration. Authorities say the department has been performing well despite the challenges of COVID-19 and looming budget reductions.
From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Unaffected counties, closed swimming holes: News from around our 50 states
