WWII anniversary, liquor boom, tracking app: News from around our 50 states
Alabama
Montgomery: Halfway through the first quarter, the city’s public school system is preparing to reopen its doors to students for in-person instruction come October, with the plan to send families a survey in the next two weeks about their learning preference. The survey, focused on gauging how many families are interested in sending students back into classrooms, will be available Sept. 14-18. If students do return, the district will still offer virtual learning for those who are not comfortable with in-person instruction. Montgomery Public Schools is one of nearly two dozen districts across the state that chose to delay returning to school buildings for the first nine weeks of the year. MPS teachers have been working within the schools to conduct virtual lessons. A request to disclose whether any teachers have tested positive for COVID-19 or had to quarantine due to exposure since the start of the school year was not fulfilled by the district.
Alaska
Juneau: Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s decision to expand eligibility has prompted a rush of applications for small-business aid using federal coronavirus relief funds. The eligibility rule changes by the Republican governor prompted a wave of new applications Monday for the state-run program, KTOO reports. Under the previous rules, businesses were not eligible if they had received federal Paycheck Protection Program funds and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Dunleavy announced his administration was eliminating the restrictions Aug. 20. Businesses had applied for only $169 million of the $290 million budgeted for the program through Aug. 18. A total of $301.3 million had been requested after 812 businesses applied Monday for $55.6 million in expanded funding, said Julie Anderson, commissioner of the state Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.
Arizona
Tempe: Arizona State University has announced that some students living on campus will be moved “to reduce the density in the dorms” because of an increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases. There are 5,000 spaces available in residence halls to begin shifting students housing arrangements, officials said. The announcement came after the university reported that 775 students and 28 faculty members tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday, shortly after in-person classes started Aug. 20. Among the students, 428 live off campus, 323 are in isolation at the Tempe campus, and the remainder are in isolation at either the Glendale or downtown Phoenix campuses. “There’s not one event or one location or one activity that is contributing to the spread,” the university said in a statement. “Sometimes it’s just a couple of kids hanging out in a dorm room who take their masks off – it’s a very contagious disease, and it’s spreading.”
Arkansas
Little Rock: The number of active cases at the University of Arkansas’ Fayetteville campus jumped Wednesday to nearly 400. The school reported 185 new cases at its campus between Sunday and Tuesday, bringing its total number of active cases to 399. “I realize that part of college life is the socialization that goes on, but in today’s environment it is important to keep in mind the social responsibility you bear to the entire society,” said Dr. Jose Romero, the state’s health secretary. “Without your help, we cannot bring this pandemic under control.” UA has been conducting testing on its campus through Thursday, which Romero has said will give the state a better sense of how prevalent the outbreak is there. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he expected more than 1,000 test results from college students to come in over the next week.
California
Los Angeles: People experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County are testing positive for the coronavirus at rates far lower than among the population at large, a health official said Wednesday as he breathed a sigh of relief about the fate of the area’s most vulnerable residents. The percentage of homeless people who tested positive for COVID-19 was 1.87% as of Aug. 27, according to LA County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis. At least 1,589 cases of the coronavirus have been identified among the homeless population, with 41 deaths, he said. Los Angeles County’s overall positive rate is 10.2%, according to the Department of Health. Mel Tillekeratne, a leading Los Angeles homeless advocate, said he believes the reason for the lower rate may be that a majority – about 70% – of the county’s homeless live outside. In addition, LA’s homeless are increasingly conscientious about wearing masks to help prevent the spread of the virus, he said.
Colorado
Durango: A motorcycle rally plans to continue with its events scheduled for Labor Day weekend. Organizers for the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally say the three-day event will be scaled down due to coronavirus restrictions. Events have limited their capacity or been canceled altogether. The Hill Climb at Purgatory Resort and concerts at Sky Ute Casino Resort have been canceled. The Hooligan Dirt Dash, which typically draws about 1,500 people, will have a capacity of 100 people. John Oakes, an organizer, said the events will encourage social distancing and face coverings. “Typically, it was like a street party,” Oakes said. “But now, it will be like a seated restaurant.” The rally had not received a permit from the city of Durango to hold the event as of Tuesday, the Durango Herald reports. But Alex Wilkinson, the community events administrator for Durango, said the event should receive the green light in time for Friday.
Connecticut
Hartford: Gov. Ned Lamont’s new choice to oversee the Connecticut Department of Correction said Wednesday that he believes the agency is better prepared for a possible new surge of coronavirus infections this fall than it was months ago, when the pandemic began and “mistakes” were made. Angel Quiros, who will become the department’s first Hispanic commissioner, said prison officials have learned much more about the coronavirus since the spring. And some policies – such as isolating inmates who tested positive at the state’s maximum-security prison and not allowing them to shower because of ventilation concerns – have been changed. Quiros said the agency has been finishing a second round of mass testing, and the current infection rate is about 3%, compared to 9% earlier in the year.
Delaware
Wilmington: Latino children in the state have been infected with COVID-19 at a vastly disproportionate rate, an analysis of state data found. Between April and June, about 47% to 60% of children diagnosed with the illness were Latino, according to state data. Latinos make up about 16% of the child population in Delaware. Latinos of all ages, particularly those living in Sussex County, have the highest rate of infection among any racial group in the state – five times as high as white residents. That led to state health officials significantly increasing testing in Latino communities. Doctors began knocking on doors, urging people to get tested. Community advocates helped find alternate housing for those who needed to quarantine and organized groceries for those who couldn’t leave their homes. In the past month, the state has seen a significant drop in the number of new positive cases among Latino children, but the rate is still disproportionate.
District of Columbia
Washington: The district has seen far fewer tourists compared to the pre-coronavirus era, WUSA-TV reports. According to data released by Destination D.C., before the pandemic, the city welcomed about 24.6 million visitors, with visitation up 4.1% in 2019. The tourism supported about 78,266 jobs in the city and brought $8.2 billion in visitor spending and $896 million in local tax revenue to the district. With 10 consecutive years of significant visitation growth in the city, Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO of DDC, said he believes only about 11 million domestic visitors will travel to the city in 2020. That’s about 53% less than the previous year. Ferguson projected that if a vaccine is available as early as next year, and the economic impact of the pandemic doesn’t get worse, visitation could bounce back and climb to 20 million by 2022.
Florida
Miami: The highbrow Art Basel fair, known for glamorous parties and celebrity sightings, on Wednesday announced the cancellation of this year’s event amid the coronavirus pandemic. The prestigious December art fair draws collectors, socialites and celebrities from around the world to Miami. But the pandemic’s impact on international travel restrictions and other quarantine factors left little choice but to postpone the annual event until 2021, according to a statement from the organization. At the same time Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a new $13 million ad campaign to encourage Floridians to vacation in the state. The video ad encourages people to take advantage of the state’s golf courses, beaches, fishing and other outdoor activities. He made the announcement in Daytona Beach along with Visit Florida CEO and President Dana Young. DeSantis said it’s safe to visit theme parks and other Florida destinations.
Georgia
Atlanta: With more than 3,000 public university students and employees across the state testing positive for COVID-19 since Aug. 1, some schools are taking action to slow the spread of the respiratory illness. Georgia Tech is encouraging students to convert to single rooms, moving out roommates over coming weeks to reduce exposure to the coronavirus. Both Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia announced they are renting more off-campus rooms to isolate or quarantine students who have been infected or exposed to the virus. UGA reported 821 new infections for the week ended Saturday, a number that President Jere Morehead said Wednesday is “concerning.” He urged students to “continue to make every effort to prioritize their health and safety by taking the proper steps to avoid exposure to this virus.
Hawaii
Honolulu: When Japanese military leaders climbed aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, the battleship was packed with U.S. sailors eager to see the end of World War II. On Wednesday, the 75th anniversary of the surrender, some of those same men who served the United States weren’t able to return to the Missouri in Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor because of the world’s new war against the coronavirus. The commemoration initially was supposed to be a blockbuster event with parades, movie premieres, galas, and thousands of people honoring the veterans in their 90s or beyond, some who may be marking the milestone for the last time. Because of the threat of the virus, the ceremony was scaled down to about 50 people, with local veterans and government officials gathering on the USS Missouri in masks. The names were read of surviving WWII veterans, including 14 who were on the ship the day the Japanese surrendered.
Idaho
Boise: The state will remain in the fourth and final stage of reopening during the coronavirus pandemic for at least another two weeks, Gov. Brad Little said Thursday. Little said hospitalizations of those infected remain too high, but other areas, such as the positivity rate, are improving. He also encouraged getting flu shots, saying that flu patients combined with COVID-19 patients could threaten health care capacity. A shortage of medical supplies or patient beds could cause the state to fall back to more restrictions. “These variables threaten our health care capacity – the very thing we are trying to protect so that our economic rebound can continue,” Little said. Johns Hopkins University data through Wednesday shows Idaho has seen a total of more than 32,000 coronavirus infections and 372 deaths.
Illinois
Urbana: The University of Illinois is ramping up enforcement of restrictions on student activity after more than 330 COVID-19 cases in two days on the school’s Urbana-Champaign campus, school officials said Wednesday. In an email to students, Chancellor Robert Jones said he expects all undergraduates to “limit their in-person interactions to only the most essential activities” for the next two weeks. “These include things like taking twice weekly COVID-19 tests, attending class, purchasing groceries and food, going to work, engaging in individual outdoor activity, attending religious services and seeking medical attention,” Jones wrote. Meanwhile, Illinois State University in Normal is reporting about 1,025 students have tested positive for the coronavirus since the start of the fall semester two weeks ago, nearly 5% of the student body.
Indiana
Indianapolis: Health officials are warning Hoosiers to take coronavirus precautions seriously over the Labor Day weekend even as new statewide COVID-19 risk ratings show most counties with minimal or moderate virus spread. The new county-by-county map available on the Indiana State Department of Health’s website Thursday gives a red rating of high spread to only Martin County in rural southwestern Indiana. Seven other counties, including South Bend’s St. Joseph County, Muncie’s Delaware County and Terre Haute’s Vigo County, have orange ratings of moderate to high spread. The remaining 88 counties received yellow or blue ratings based on the number of new cases per 100,000 residents and the percentage of tests confirming COVID-19 infections. The map is meant as a guide for school leaders on whether to keep students in classrooms.
Iowa
Johnston: As the state sees some of the highest rates of coronavirus cases in the nation, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday that she will wait to determine whether her move to close bars in six counties slows the virus’s spread before considering additional steps. Reynolds said the soaring number of confirmed virus cases is largely due to infections among young people, especially those in the college towns of Iowa City and Ames. Reynolds said she would make $10,000 grants available to the bars, taverns breweries, wineries and other businesses that sell alcohol in those counties to help them get through another shutdown. She also said she supported Iowa State’s decision to allow 25,000 fans into a Sept. 12 football game, even as Ames sees some of the country’s highest rates of coronavirus infections. However, Iowa State announced a short time later that it had changed its plans and wouldn’t allow fans to attend. The game will be televised.
Kansas
Wichita: Amid intense pressure, the state’s largest school district has overturned its decision to call off all fall sports and activities because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Board of Education for the 50,000-student Wichita district reversed itself Tuesday after members were flooded with emails and phone calls pleading and demanding that sports be allowed to continue. The outcry included a massive demonstration at Wichita Northwest High School. Athletes also had stood outside the board’s meeting space holding signs and chanting following the initial Aug. 20 cancellation decision, The Wichita Eagle reports. District schools will only compete against each other during the regular season but would remain eligible for postseason play. Some of the state’s other large districts have called off fall sports, including Shawnee Mission and Kansas City, Kansas.
Kentucky
Frankfort: Gov. Andy Beshear signaled Wednesday that he expects to extend his mask mandate again later this month, saying the facial covering requirement is “more important than ever” amid efforts to reopen schools and protect the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a second straight day, the governor reported more than 800 new coronavirus cases in Kentucky. He said statewide cases appear to be “creeping up, and we need to watch it.” He later said the state is in “a dangerous place” in battling the outbreak. The state is approaching a total of 50,000 cases and nearing 1,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Beshear reported 18 more virus-related deaths Wednesday, raising the death toll to 36 in the past three days. Despite the high number of cases, the Democratic governor insisted his requirement that people wear masks in public is working and indicated the order will be extended again later in the month.
Louisiana
Baton Rouge: Gov. John Bel Edwards is asking a federal judge to order the state’s elections chief to broaden the use of absentee-by-mail voting for the fall elections because of the pandemic. The Democratic governor filed the request with the court Wednesday in an ongoing lawsuit by voting rights advocates seeking to widen mail-in balloting options for the Nov. 3 presidential and congressional election and a Dec. 5 state runoff. “The governor asks this court to protect the right to vote – and just as importantly, the health and safety of the people of Louisiana – by ordering the implementation of an election plan that sensibly addresses the current pandemic and safeguards constitutional rights,” wrote Edwards executive counsel Matthew Block. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, the Republican who manages Louisiana’s elections, has proposed a limited expansion of absentee-by-mail voting for those who are confirmed to have COVID-19.
Maine
Augusta: Democratic Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday extended a state of emergency for a sixth time during the pandemic. In a statement, Mills urged Mainers not to let “pandemic fatigue” allow them to become complacent, especially as students are returning to schools and universities across the state. “The outbreaks which we hear about in other states every day can sometimes feel far away from the relative safety of our state, but recent events prove that one little match can spark a fire that may be very difficult to put out,” she said, referring to outbreaks associated with a recent wedding in the Katahdin region. A state of civil emergency allows Maine to draw down critical federal resources and to deploy all available tools to contain COVID-19. Such orders are issued in 30-day increments.
Maryland
Baltimore: The mayor said Wednesday that the city won’t immediately follow some other parts of the state into the third phase of its coronavirus recovery plan. “We do not want to erase the gains we’ve made over the past month,” Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young said at a news conference, local media outlets report. Young said he anticipates moving Baltimore into the second recovery phase next week, which would allow restaurants to expand their indoor dining capacity. He said additional details would be announced at a later time. Young’s announcement came a day after Gov. Larry Hogan announced all businesses in Maryland would be able to open later this week under Phase 3. But any local jurisdiction can decide not to open as much as the state plan allows.
Massachusetts
Boston: Nearly 150 arts and cultural organizations are sharing in $815,000 worth of grants from the city’s Arts and Culture COVID-19 Fund, the city announced Thursday. The fund was established this summer with federal stimulus money to support small and midsized nonprofits to help them adapt their programs, spaces and operating models to comply with coronavirus regulations. “Supporting the organizations that bring transformative arts programming to every neighborhood in our city is imperative during this unprecedented time,” Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement. Boston’s arts and culture sector typically generates $1.35 billion in total economic activity, according to Americans for the Arts’ Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 report, but has been hit hard by the pandemic. The Mass Cultural Council reported that cultural nonprofits in Massachusetts have lost $425 million in revenue with 17,000 jobs.
Michigan
Detroit: A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday in favor of the state order mandating coronavirus testing for all farmworkers in Michigan. The court’s decision was cheered by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and immigrant advocates who say the order protects farmworkers, most of whom are Latino immigrants. In a 3-0 ruling, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request by farm owners in Michigan for a preliminary injunction to block the state order issued Aug. 3. In a lawsuit filed after the order, a group of farm owners had maintained that the state order unfairly targeted farms and was discriminatory because the workers affected are mostly Latino. But in its ruling Wednesday, the federal appeals court said that blocking “the testing ... poses a substantial risk of harm to others given that identifying and isolating COVID-19-positive workers limits the spread of the virus.”
Minnesota
Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota announced a plan this week for students to return to three of its campuses after the school’s decision to delay move-ins and in-person classes. According to the plan, sent via email to students, faculty and staff from University President Joan Gabel, students will be able to move into dormitories Sept. 9 at the Duluth campus, Sept. 15 at the Twin Cities campus and Sept. 18 at the Rochester campus. The plan comes after a decision last week by the university’s Board of Regents to delay residence hall move-ins and the start of most in-person classes at the three campuses for two weeks. The plan outlines four steps that become increasingly less restrictive over time, including limiting on-campus activities and movement, limiting access to campus facilities, and lifting curfews in later steps. All four steps emphasize students wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings.
Mississippi
Jackson: Republican Gov. Tate Reeves on Wednesday defended his practice of referring to the new coronavirus as the “China virus.” Reeves has used the phrase several times, including in social media posts. Reeves supports President Donald Trump, who has also used the phrase. During a news conference Wednesday, Reeves was asked about his use of the phrase, including whether such language could be used to bully people of Asian descent. “I don’t condone anyone bullying them,” Reeves said. “I don’t condone mask bullying, either.” Reeves added: “Had this virus not escaped from – however it occurred – from the lab in China, I don’t know that we’d be having the kind of conversations that we’re having all day, every day. And that’s just a fact.” Trump and some of his advisers have repeated the unsubstantiated theory about the virus originating in a virology lab in China.
Missouri
Kansas City: More than four months after state Attorney General Eric Schmitt sought to hold China and the Chinese Communist Party accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic, the lawsuit remains stalled in federal court. Neither the Chinese government, the Communist Party nor the officials named in the lawsuit have filed a response, KCUR-FM reports. Missouri served the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing with summonses July 17. Under U.S. law, a foreign state or agency has 60 days to respond after being served. That means the defendants’ deadline to respond could be as soon as late September. But because U.S. law generally grants foreign states immunity, most legal experts agree the case isn’t likely to go anywhere even if the defendants do respond. Chris Nuelle, a spokesman for Schmitt, declined to say what steps the attorney general’s office would take if China simply ignores the lawsuit.
Montana
Helena: Gov. Steve Bullock on Thursday announced a new loan program to spur economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus, as applications for unemployment assistance increased in Montana for the third consecutive week. Nearly 2,400 residents submitted new applications during the week ending Aug. 29, an increase of 3% from the previous week, according to figures from the U.S. Employment and Training Administration. Since mid-March, the state has processed more than 141,000 new claims. Nearly one-third of the state’s workforce has been unemployed at some point during the pandemic. The Montana Working Capital program will provide loans of up to $500,000 to businesses affected by the virus. It will utilize funds that were originally allocated to a loan deferment program, which allowed Montana businesses to defer payments on existing loans.
Nebraska
Omaha: The University of Nebraska at Omaha has quarantined four of its sports teams after some athletes tested positive for the coronavirus, and data shows the state approaching 400 COVID-19 deaths. UNO shut down workouts this week and quarantined members of its men’s basketball, women’s softball, men’s baseball and women’s volleyball teams, the Omaha World-Herald reports. That came after the results of 13 UNO athletes who were tested Friday came back positive for the virus. None of the UNO athletes who tested positive has shown any symptoms, UNO Chancellor Jeffrey Gold said Wednesday. The state’s online tracker shows that as of Thursday, nearly 35,000 people have tested positive for the virus, and 399 have died from it. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska has risen over the past two weeks from 256.43 new cases per day Aug. 19 to 318 new cases per day Sept. 2.
Nevada
Las Vegas: A state coronavirus contact-tracing application called “COVID Trace” launched last week should work well with a similar tool that Google and Apple are rolling out to alert people who might have been exposed to COVID-19, officials said Wednesday. “They actually run in parallel and complementary,” Julia Peek, deputy Nevada health administrator, said after reporting 20,000 downloads since the state app debuted Aug. 24 for Apple and Android phones. The free app is designed to let phones anonymously and automatically exchange data by Bluetooth and notify a phone user if they’ve been near someone who tested positive for COVID-19, if that person has granted permission and added their phone ID to a database of positive cases. Peek told reporters that widening the notification net should also help reach visitors to Nevada from states that don’t have similar COVID-19 tracing technology.
New Hampshire
Concord: State public health officials provided new guidance this week on when schools should switch teaching models based on community transmission of the coronavirus and its impact on individual schools. The guidance sets out criteria for rating the level of community transmission in a county or city as either minimal, moderate or substantial based on the percentage of positive tests, infections per capita in the previous two weeks and the number of new hospitalizations per capita during that time period. School districts also are advised to rate their level of school impact as low, medium or high based on the transmission within the facility, student absenteeism and staff capacity to conduct classes. Using those two levels, districts can consult a matrix that recommends an appropriate teaching model.
New Jersey
Paramus: The federal government has fined a state-run veterans’ home in the city more than $21,000 for mixing up the identity of a veteran who died from COVID-19 during the chaos of the pandemic in April and for shortcomings in infection control. Eighty-one residents of the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home and a nurse’s aide have died from complications of coronavirus, and four residents are currently hospitalized, according to the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which operates the home. The death toll is among the highest in the nation at any long-term-care facility. Two local congressmen have called for the home’s CEO, Matthew Schottlander, to resign, and one of the largest state veterans organizations, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, has asked for a criminal investigation into the deaths at Paramus and another state-run veterans’ home in Menlo Park.
New Mexico
Santa Fe: A top state health official warned Wednesday that COVID-19 infections are far more prevalent in low-income areas of the New Mexico, potentially straining Medicaid health care. Human Services Secretary David Scrase said an analysis of infection rates by census tract shows that highly impoverished areas have infection rates seven times higher than the most affluent zones. “This means Medicaid is going to see way more than its proportionate share of cases in the course of the pandemic,” he said. About 38% of New Mexico residents are enrolled in federally subsidized Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program for people living in poverty or on the cusp. Health officials are concerned that socializing over the Labor Day holiday weekend could lead to renewed surges in COVID-19 infections – citing the aftermath of Memorial Day and Independence Day holidays.
New York
Albany: Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he won’t let New York City reopen its restaurants for indoor dining until it comes up with a plan to make sure they are following regulations to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The governor said he thinks restaurants should open in New York City, but the state doesn’t have enough personnel to monitor the city’s 27,000-plus eateries. “These institutions are under dire economic circumstances,” Cuomo said Thursday. “And we know that compliance has to happen.” Cuomo is facing pressure from the restaurant industry, which has seen business plummet amid the pandemic and hundreds of workers seeking unemployment assistance. More than 300 restaurant owners who want to reopen have sued New York City and the state, seeking more than $2 billion, over the continued ban on indoor dining.
North Carolina
Raleigh: The Legislature finalized a plan Thursday to spend $1.1 billion of the state’s remaining COVID-19 relief funds from Washington, including direct cash payments to nearly 2 million families. The package – which also provides a $50 uptick in weekly unemployment benefits and more funds for virus testing, tracing and personal protective equipment – cleared its final legislative hurdle with a lopsided House vote. The measure, which cleared the Senate on Wednesday, now heads to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. Although many of his spending recommendations were ignored by Republican legislative leaders, Cooper has not publicly criticized the measure and has shown no signs of vetoing it. Money is also being spent to expand rural broadband, help struggling small businesses and recruit poll workers on Election Day. Families with at least one child will receive $335 in stimulus-style payments by mid-December.
North Dakota
Bismarck: The state set a near-record Thursday for the number of daily positive coronavirus tests and has increased its per-capita figures for the infection to the highest in the country. The state Health Department’s update showed that 360 of the 12,629 tests in the past day came back positive, with Cass, Grand Forks and Stark counties each reporting 60 or more positive cases. Of the 32 counties with positive tests, Grand Forks County led the way with 79. The counties of Burleigh and Morton, which have been monitored in recent weeks by a special task force, combined for 43 new cases. North Dakota recorded of high of 373 positive tests statewide Aug. 28. It now ranks first in the country in the number of new COVID-19 cases per capita in the past two weeks, according to figures from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Ohio
Columbus: Student coronavirus cases at Ohio State University jumped by nearly 400 since last week, according to data released by the university late Wednesday. Ohio State’s data dashboard showed 882 positive cases among students from Aug. 14 through Aug. 31. That’s about 3.13% of all students tested. Test results for Monday, the most recent 24-hour testing period for which data was available, showed higher positivity rates. Among on-campus students, 5.7% tested positive Monday. The same day, about 9.66% of students living off campus tested positive. In an email to the campus community, President Kristina M. Johnson said the 5.7% positivity rate among on-campus students Monday was a slight decrease from the 5.86% rate last Thursday, showing that students who were wearing masks and keeping distance were having an impact, she said. The 9.66% off-campus rate Monday “is not as encouraging,” she said.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City: The state reported 909 newly confirmed coronavirus cases Thursday and 14 more deaths due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported 61,027 cases and 835 deaths, up from 60,118 confirmed cases and 821 deaths Wednesday. The actual number of cases in Oklahoma is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick. The White House Coronavirus Task Force continues to recommend a statewide mask mandate, which Gov. Kevin Stitt has said he will not issue. The task force’s Aug. 30 report, released Wednesday by the health department, also calls for closing bars and limiting the number of people allowed inside restaurants. The department reported 8,745 active virus cases and said 51,447 people have recovered.
Oregon
Salem: The rate of positive coronavirus tests in the state dropped to 4.4%, the lowest it has been in two months, officials from Oregon’s health authority said Wednesday. The weekly amount of cases also continued to decline, decreasing 8.6% from the previous week. The Oregon Health Authority reported three new COVID-19-related deaths and 140 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the state total to 27,075. The state’s death toll is 468. The age group with the highest incidence of reported infection remains 20 to 29 years old. On Tuesday, Gov. Kate Brown announced she was extending her declaration of state of emergency for an additional 60 days ahead of Labor Day weekend. She also urged Oregonians to continue to follow coronavirus safety regulations during the holiday weekend, warning that celebrations could “sow the seeds of COVID-19 outbreaks” and “set us back for months.”
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia: Temple University announced Thursday that the majority of classes will shift online through the end of the fall semester amid rising numbers of coronavirus cases among students. In a statement attributed to the university’s president and provost, the university said it had tried in-person classes because students had overwhelmingly expressed a preference to come back to campus. But after talking to officials at the city Health Department, the university’s leadership decided to shift about 95% of classes online. Students living on campus can opt to leave by Sept. 13, and the university will refund charges for housing and meal plans. But officials said students will be allowed to stay, and services such as health services will remain in place. The cases at Temple have been the cause of a recent uptick in cases recorded in Philadelphia. The city has worked with the university’s health services department to conduct contact tracing.
Rhode Island
Providence: Three employees of the contractor that runs a state campground are temporarily off the job after one of them tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a statement Wednesday from the Department of Environmental Management. The employee who tested positive is part of a team that cleans restrooms at Burlingame State Campground in Charlestown. Because restrooms are closed while being cleaned, the staff has little interaction with public. The workers also wear gloves and masks. The worker, who learned of the positive test result Monday, worked four days while symptomatic, last working Sunday, the department said. The employee’s co-workers were tested Tuesday and will remain out of work until results come back. The state’s campgrounds reopened June 30 at limited capacity. At Burlingame, the state’s largest campground, the state reduced capacity by 15%.
South Carolina
Columbia: The state Senate agreed Wednesday to allow all voters to cast absentee ballots because of the COVID-19 pandemic but rejected a proposal by Democrats to allow ballots to be placed in drop boxes. Instead, absentee ballots will still have to be mailed in or dropped off in person at voting offices in each county if the bill is approved by the House and signed by the governor. The bill passed unanimously, but the drop box proposal and others, such as allowing early voting, were rejected by 24-16 or 25-16 votes on party lines, with Democrats on the losing side. Republicans spent only a few minutes arguing for their proposed changes during Wednesday’s session. Most settled on making small, careful changes that they said balanced safe voting with preventing fraud. Democrats said Republicans were risking the health of people in a state where almost 2,650 people have died from COVID-19.
South Dakota
Sioux Falls: The state has been named the worst in the nation for COVID-19 after a surge in cases in the past week. The state reported 2,152 cases in the past seven days, or 243 cases per 100,000 people. That’s the highest amount of cases per 100 in the nation, according to tracking done by The New York Times. By the Times’ count, Iowa is second and North Dakota third. The worst of the spread in South Dakota is in Clay County, home of Vermillion and the University of South Dakota, which has reported 205 cases in the past seven days. That’s 1,457 cases per 100,000 people, according to the Times, and puts Clay as the seventh-worst county in the nation. Other South Dakota counties that are seeing a surge: Potter (650 per 100,000), Gregory (526), Meade (487), Codington (486), Brookings (470) and Fall River (432).
Tennessee
Nashville: City officials are bracing for the likelihood they will see more violations of Metro’s public health orders, particularly as they look to expand what residents and businesses are allowed to do during the coronavirus pandemic. But the city is running out of people to enforce those rules. So Mayor John Cooper wants the ability to deputize additional city workers to help. The burden of the city’s mask mandate and other orders has stretched the capacity of the Metro Health Department, already tasked with testing, contact tracing and enforcing existing health regulations. Nashville council members will consider two pieces of legislation for final approval Sept. 15 that would broaden enforcement ability in certain Metro departments that already have permitting power and would extend citation authority to any city employee.
Texas
Austin: The state Supreme Court on Wednesday stopped, for now, a plan to send more than 2 million mail-in ballot applications to registered Houston-area voters before the November election. The temporary stay comes after GOP activists sued Harris County elections officials over intentions to send a mail ballot application to all registered voters in the state’s most populous county, regardless of whether they’re eligible to vote by mail. Texas generally limits mail voting to citizens with disabilities or those 65 or older and is one of the few states not allowing more people to vote by mail this year over COVID-19 fears. Texas’ GOP leaders have resisted calls to expand mail balloting, keeping them aligned with President Donald Trump who has claimed that making it more widespread could increase election fraud and uncertainty. There is no evidence of widespread fraud through mail-in voting.
Utah
Provo: An organization calling itself Utahns for Medical Freedom has filed a referendum to repeal a citywide mandate that would require people to wear facial coverings indoors and outdoors in public areas and at large gatherings during the pandemic. The group filed the referendum Tuesday, KSTU-TV reports. Mayor Michele Kaufusi previously vetoed the ordinance, but the Provo City Council overrode the veto last Thursday. City Recorder Amanda Ercanbrack said the referendum will not appear on this year’s ballot because the deadline has already passed. Utahns for Medical Freedom must now collect 3,200 signatures to qualify for the November 2021 ballot. Ercanbrack said the city would not implement a stay on the mandate until the petition has received enough signatures. The ordinance is currently in effect and set to expire Nov. 15.
Vermont
Rutland: Coronavirus testing clinics are being held in the city over three days as the state responds to an outbreak traced to a lodge. The Wednesday-through-Friday testing at the Rutland Regional Medical Center is in addition to the Vermont Health Department’s pop-up clinic that was held Wednesday at the Asa Bloomer state office building. Health officials are responding to an outbreak of at least 14 cases traced to people who attended or close contacts of people who attended a private party held Aug. 19 party at the Summit Lodge at Killington. Vermont officials say the lodge followed all the protocols, and officials have helped with the state investigation. In a statement, the Summit Lodge said no members of its staff are exhibiting symptoms of the disease, but two people will be tested as a precautionary measure.
Virginia
Richmond: The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority brought in $1.2 billion in revenue during the 2020 fiscal year in a nearly $120 million increase from the previous year, even as the coronavirus pandemic left restaurants and bars shuttered for months. It’s the second year in a row the liquor agency surpassed $1 billion in gross revenue, which was bolstered by retail sales with the switch to online ordering, curbside pickup and shipping amid the pandemic, the authority announced Wednesday. But the figures revealed the pandemic’s negative effects on licensed establishments such as restaurants and bars. The authority loosened restrictions to allow for delivery and takeout of alcoholic beverages and expanded patio access, but sales still dropped by 19% as retail sales increased by 18%, news outlets report, citing the data.
Washington
Seattle: State officials are providing nearly $100 million in rental assistance as a part of the federal coronavirus relief bill. The state Department of Commerce said its program focuses on preventing evictions by paying up to three months of rent to landlords of eligible participants. Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed off on the funding, which passes the state money through county governments. The county then contracts organizations that have a history of providing rental assistance, said Ted Kelleher, the managing director of the Housing Assistance Unit at the Department of Commerce. “I get calls, at least one an hour, from a person who is in a critical situation,” Kelleher said. “Everyone is working as fast as they can, faster than it’s ever happened before. He told KING-TV that the $100 million in coronavirus aid bill funding will not be enough but is a good start.
West Virginia
Morgantown: Two days after bars around West Virginia University were allowed to reopen, Gov. Jim Justice shut them down indefinitely Wednesday, citing crowds of unmasked students and an increase in positive coronavirus cases. “Please, kids, we have got to bear down here,” Justice said at a news conference. “You are absolutely running the risk of killing somebody.” Photos circulating on social media showed lines of people without masks outside Morgantown bars as some businesses advertised “Taco Tuesday” specials. WVU started classes last week. In a letter Wednesday, WVU President Gordon Gee said students must make “the right choices” in order for the campus to remain open during the pandemic. On Thursday, the university reported its highest number of daily coronavirus cases among students for the second straight day with 48 confirmed cases out of 408 tests given, for a positive case rate of 11.8%.
Wisconsin
Milwaukee: Milwaukee County has seen a six-week decline in positive COVID-19 cases, signaling that measures taken by the county and the city could be helping slow the spread of the disease. “I definitely believe that the mask ordinance is helping,” retiring city Commissioner of Health Jeanette Kowalik said. “When you look at other communities across the country, you could see the rates were better than the ones that didn’t have them.” A downward trend in average new cases per day began around the same time the mandate went into effect. The seven-day average in Milwaukee was at one of its highest points July 11 and has continued to drop every week since then. The focus on enforcing the mask ordinance in Milwaukee has been on businesses, which Kowalik said seems to work better than citizen-based enforcement.
Wyoming
Cheyenne: The Wyoming Public Defender’s office faces staffing losses that could severely affect its service to residents because of a 10% budget cut. State budget cuts eliminated about $3 million for the office that provides defense attorneys for court cases, The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports. State Public Defender Diane Lozano told the Legislature last year that her office was overburdened by heavy caseloads and struggled to retain attorneys. Lozano said in May that her office could no longer accept misdemeanor cases in Campbell County because of the overload and lack of attorneys for cases. When Lozano directed the Campbell County office to stop handling misdemeanors, 4.5 public defenders were handling the workload of 7.5 attorneys, a budget document said.
From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WWII anniversary, liquor boom: News from around our 50 states
