Government

US Passes 10M COVID Cases, Global Total Passes 50M

Reuters reports: The United States became the first nation worldwide since the pandemic began to surpass 10 million coronavirus infections, according to a Reuters tally on Sunday, as the third wave of the COVID-19 virus surges across the nation. The grim milestone came on the same day as global coronavirus cases exceeded 50 million. The United states has reported about …

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Cuomo To Deploy National Guard To NYC Airports, Passengers Must Show Proof Of Recent Negative Test

The New York Daily News reports: National Guard troops will be deployed to New York airports to make sure arriving travelers have proof of recently testing negative for COVID-19, Gov. Cuomo said Friday. The deployment follows a sweeping new entry test policy announced a week ago after the Empire State abandoned its travel advisory that mandated travelers from coronavirus hotspots …

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Cuomo: Visitors To NY Must Show Negative COVID Test

The New York Daily News reports: Travelers arriving in New York from non-neighboring states will have to quarantine and undergo mandatory coronavirus testing as cases spike across the country, Gov. Cuomo announced Saturday. The governor said New York will require inbound travelers to show a negative COVID-19 test from three days or less before they arrive or be subject to …

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NYC Airports And PATH Train To Impose $50 Mask Fines

The New York Daily News reports: Mask up at the airport, in the bus terminals and on the PATH — or expect a $50 fine, the Port Authority said Thursday. The agency will begin Monday to impose the fines on those who refuse to wear masks at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports, on the PATH trains that link Manhattan to …

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Merkel Recloses Germany’s Restaurants And Bars

Bloomberg News reports: Chancellor Angela Merkel will impose the toughest restrictions on Germany since a national lockdown in the spring, closing bars and restaurants in Europe’s largest economy to regain control of the rapid spread of the coronavirus. The one-month partial shutdown, which will go into effect on Monday, is designed to keep most businesses operating, Merkel said Wednesday after …

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De Blasio To NYers: “Stay Home For The Holidays”

Gothamist reports: Mayor Bill de Blasio is urging city residents to stay put this holiday season, as the number of coronavirus cases nationwide surges to its highest level since the start of the pandemic. “I hate to say it, but I have to urge all New Yorkers to not travel out of state for the holiday,” de Blasio said during …

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With Hospitals Over Capacity, El Paso Imposes Curfew

El Paso’s ABC News affiliate reports: El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego on Sunday afternoon ordered a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew daily due to El Paso’s coronavirus crisis. The curfew will be in effect for both the county and city starting Sunday night and continuing for two weeks. Law enforcement agencies will enforce the curfew along with the …

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Former FDA Head Calls For National Mask Mandate

Scott Gottlieb writes for the Wall Street Journal: As a practical matter, it’s easier to wear a mask in the winter than the summer. A mandate can be expressly limited to the next two months. The inconvenience would allow the country to preserve health-care capacity and keep more schools and businesses open. Studies show widespread use of masks can reduce …

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Italian PM Orders Return To Lockdown Amid Surge

The Washington Post reports: Italy became the latest European country to announce new restrictions to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus on Sunday as countries across the continent continue to report surging infections. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the new restrictions as the country reported a record 21,273 cases on Sunday. Beginning Monday, restaurants and bars will be …

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Live Video: Senate Begins Marathon Debate On Barrett

Politico reports: The Senate cleared a key procedural hurdle Sunday for Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination for the Supreme Court, bringing the 48-year-old judge one step closer to confirmation to the high court. In a 51-48 vote, the Senate kicked off 30 hours of debate on Barrett’s nomination, setting up a final confirmation vote for Monday evening, just eight days before …

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Spain Declares Emergency, Imposes National Curfew

Euronews reports: The Spanish government on Sunday agreed to declare a new state of emergency, which would allow a curfew to be imposed across the country as it continues to battle a resurgence of coronavirus cases. An extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers was held in Madrid on Sunday morning “in order to examine the terms of a new …

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Lisa Murkowski Reverses, Will Vote To Confirm Barrett

CNN reports: Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced Saturday that she will ultimately vote yes on Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court of the United States. “I believe that the only way to put us back on the path of appropriate consideration of judicial nominees, is to evaluate Judge Barrett as we would want to be judged — on the …

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Florida Reports Highest New Cases In Two Months

The Tampa Bay Times reports: Florida added 5,558 coronavirus cases Thursday, the highest number recorded in a single day since August 15, excluding two days where health officials noted irregularities in reporting. Thursday’s caseload brings the total number of infections recorded statewide to 768,091, according to the Florida Department of Health. The weekly average number of cases jumped to about …

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US Sets New Daily Record With 77,640 COVID Cases

NBC News reports: The U.S. set a record Thursday as the number of new coronavirus cases rose to over 77,000, topping the previous record in July. Nationwide, 77,640 new cases were reported for the day, up from the previous record of 75,723 on July 29, according to NBC News’ tally. The record-breaking daily tally comes as the total number of …

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New York Reports Highest COVID Cases Since May

Axios reports: New York reported over 2,000 positive coronavirus cases on Wednesday — the most infections seen in the state since May, per COVID Tracking Project (CTP) and health department data. The big picture: Hospitalizations have been creeping back up in New York, alongside 38 other states. New York is currently seeing more than 900 hospitalizations a day, the CTP …

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San Francisco Eases Restrictions On Indoor Dining

The SFist reports: On Tuesday, Mayor London Breed announced that the city and county of San Francisco had moved into the least restrictive “yellow” tier in the state’s reopening framework, becoming the first Bay Area county to do so since the four-color pandemic-response rating system was created two months ago. And with this move, more businesses are going to get …

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Ireland To Impose Six-Week Nationwide Lockdown

The New York Times reports: The government of Ireland announced a six-week lockdown beginning Wednesday night, becoming the first European country to reimpose a national lockdown. The new measures, announced on Monday, are a dramatic U-turn for the government, which just two weeks ago fell short of imposing the highest level of restrictions despite advice from public health experts. Under …

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COVID-Related Hospitalizations Rising In 37 States

CNBC reports: Coronavirus hospitalizations are growing in a majority of U.S. states as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, warns that the world is not yet “on the road” to ending the pandemic. Coronavirus hospitalizations, like the so-called positivity rate and deaths, are a key measure because they help scientists gauge the pandemic’s severity. Covid-19 hospitalizations were …

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SCOTUS Rejects GOP Ploy On PA Absentee Ballots

The Associated Press reports: The Supreme Court will allow Pennsylvania to count ballots received up to three days after the election, rejecting a Republican plea. The justices divided 4-4 Monday, an outcome that upholds a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed election officials to receive and count ballots until Nov. 6, even if they don’t have a clear postmark. Republicans, …

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WH Quietly Urged TN Gov To Impose Mask Mandate

The Associated Press reports: The White House quietly told Tennessee early this week that “a statewide mask mandate must be implemented” to curb its growing spread of COVID-19, strong instructions that the White House and governor did not discuss publicly before the report emerged in a records request. The Oct. 11 state report for Tennessee, where Republican Gov. Bill Lee …

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