Government

The Texas Tribune reports: Gov. Greg Abbott issued a nearly statewide mask mandate Thursday as Texas scrambles to get its coronavirus surge under control. The order requires Texans living in counties with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth while inside a business or other building open to the public, as …

Reuters reports: Florida shattered records on Thursday when it reported over 10,000 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase in the state since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally. Outbreaks in Texas, California, Florida and Arizona have helped the United States break records and send cases rising at rates not seen since April. In June, Florida infections rose …

The BBC reports: In remarks to BBC Radio’s “Today” on Thursday, Fauci compared the U.S. and Europe’s attempts to halt the spread of Covid-19. He noted that the U.S. has seen a number of “disturbing spikes” recently, which he connected to efforts throughout the country to start reopening. Fauci remarked that multiple countries in Europe went into a state of …

ABC News reports: California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new round of lockdown measures Wednesday, ordering 19 counties to close all indoor operations for several industries, including restaurants, as the state grapples with a resurgence of coronavirus cases. In addition to bars being forced to shut down temporarily, restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, family entertainment venues, zoos, museums and cardrooms must …

Newsweek reports: With novel coronavirus cases in Texas approaching nearly 161,900, hospitals in Houston, the county seat of Harris County, are moving patients to facilities outside the city in a bid to cope with the surge in COVID-19-related cases and lack of beds. Harris Health System, which operates Houston’s Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital and Ben Taub Hospital, has transferred patients …

The New York Daily News reports: Phase 3 is scheduled for NYC next Monday but Mayor de Blasio put the city’s reboot of indoor dining on hold indefinitely Wednesday, citing nationwide coronavirus surges and the heightened dangers of the indoor spread of the disease. “Indoors is the problem more and more. The science is showing it more and more,” de …

Arizona Central reports: Arizona’s state health director on Monday declared that hospitals could activate “crisis care standards” that guide the allocation of scarce resources to patients based on factors such as their likelihood for survival. The announcement by Dr. Cara Christ, the Arizona Department of Health Services director, immediately was met with criticism by advocates for people with disabilities who …

The Florida Phoenix reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated Tuesday that he’s not turning back his plans to reopen the state’s economy as the daily number of positive test results from COVID-19 edged up again above 6,000. “We’re not going back, closing things,” the governor said. The state reported 6,093 infections coming in overnight, pushing the total to 152,434 and the …

The Denver Post reports: Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday closed Colorado bars for in-person service — after allowing them to reopen at limited capacity on June 19 — due to the increasing spread of the novel coronavirus. The move comes as Colorado has seen COVID-19 cases increase in the past two weeks. Other states experiencing surges in infections have also …

Forbes reports: In a Tuesday hearing with the Senate Help Committee on the state of the coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he is “very concerned” about rise in coronavirus cases across the U.S. as the nation sees 40,000 new cases per day. “The numbers speak for themselves,” said Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. …

Click Orlando reports: On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health reported 6,093 new cases of COVID-19, approximately the same number as the day before, as well as 58 new deaths and 226 new hospitalizations. These new statistics bring the total number of coronavirus infections to 152,434 since the virus was first detected in the state on March 1, as well …

The Wichita Eagle reports: Gov. Laura Kelly said late Monday she is ordering Kansans to wear face masks in public spaces beginning July 3, as coronavirus cases surge upwards across the state and nation. The order, effective Friday, is almost certain to spark a backlash in the conservative state. Local leaders will confront a tough choice over whether they will …

The Washington Post reports: The House Monday passed the first significant expansion of the Affordable Care Act since its birth a decade ago, providing Democrats a high-wattage platform to castigate President Trump for his efforts to overturn the landmark law during a pandemic and an election year. The 234-179 vote, almost entirely along party lines, was a hollow exercise in …

Phoenix’s ABC News affiliate reports: Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey ordered bars, gyms, movie theaters, water parks, and tubing to close for at least 30 days on Monday, following weeks of steady increases in positive COVID-19 test results in the state. The order goes into effect Monday at 8 p.m., he said. Restaurant dining rooms, some bars, nightclubs, attractions, and movie …

Miami’s PBS affiliate reports: Spiking coronavirus numbers in the Florida Keys are causing consternation among public officials, and questions about whether the county will once again close to visitors. “We were fortunate for the time we had the checkpoint up and you saw what the results were. We did a really good job. The community was behind it,” Bob Eadie, …

New Jersey Online reports: New Jersey will not reopen indoor dining this week as planned in the first major reversal of the state’s Phase 2 coronavirus reopening plan, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday. Indoor dining was scheduled to resume Thursday along with several other big reopening steps including Atlantic City casinos, amusement parks, boardwalk rides and arcades ahead of the …

NBC New York reports: Gov. Andrew Cuomo hinted Monday he may slow the Phase III reopening process for New York City, which would mark a reversal of course for a governor who has consistently said all state regions are subject to the same reopening rules. Phase III, which Mayor Bill de Blasio has said the five boroughs are on track …

Bloomberg News reports: Prime Minister Scott Morrison signaled that Australia’s borders may remain closed to most international visitors until the middle of next year as the coronavirus crisis escalates across the world. Morrison was asked whether he shared the view of Qantas Airways Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce that there was little chance of traveling overseas for at least …

The Sacramento Bee reports: Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered bars to close in seven California counties Sunday because of escalating coronavirus rates, and recommended closures in eight others, including Sacramento. Bar closures are required in Los Angeles, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, San Joaquin and Tulare. Bar closures are recommended for Sacramento, Contra Costa, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Stanislaus …

Florida Today reports: The state of Florida added more than 8,000 new COVID-19 cases for the third day in a row Sunday. The number of new cases counted Sunday was 8,530, according to data from the Florida Department of Health. Saturday saw a record 9,585 new cases. Florida’s total number of novel coronavirus cases is now at 141,075. The state’s …