Coronavirus pandemic in the US

The city and county of Denver issued a public health order requiring people wear face coverings starting May 6, according to a statement released Friday.

They would be required to wear face coverings in certain public settings until further notice to reduce the spread of Covid-19, the statement said. 

"Residents and employees will be required to wear face coverings while inside of, or waiting in line to enter, certain businesses, facilities or locations — such as any retail or commercial business, at a bus stop or facilities offering health care services," the statement said.

Thousands of demonstrators took part in a protest in Huntington Beach against California Gov. Gavin Newsom's order to close all beaches in Orange County, the city's Police Chief Robert Handy said.

He said the crowd was peaceful for the most part and no arrests were made. 

Enforcement was light because officers did not have enough signage for a full beach closure when the governor's order went into effect today, the police chief said.

Once all the signage is in place, police will proceed with enforcement, Handy said. They will issue misdemeanor citations and make arrests if necessary, he added.

The Department of Homeland Security study on the effects of heat and sunlight on the coronavirus is undergoing the process for peer review and publication in scientific journals, according to the department. 

There is no written report as yet, although the results are being submitted for peer review and publication in scientific journals, a DHS spokesperson told CNN. 

DHS' Science and Technology Directorate has been studying the impacts of environmental conditions on the coronavirus, particularly the impacts of temperature, humidity, and sunlight on the virus.

The study came under increased scrutiny after President Trump suggested last week during a press briefing that the virus could be treated with sunlight, as well as whether disinfectants could be used to treat the virus in humans. 

During last week's briefing, William Bryan, acting DHS Science and Technology under secretary, discussed the experiments in which, he said, disinfectants like bleach and isopropyl alcohol quickly killed the virus. Trump then mused about whether disinfectants could be used to treat the virus in humans.

When asked why the department released the results before the final study, a spokesperson said, "We felt it important to share information on the emerging trends that are being identified in our tests," saying that the results are still undergoing a "rigorous scientific review."

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said today that he had planned to announce the reopening of certain businesses but decided against it after the state reported its largest increase new cases.

He said the number of cases increased after the state received new information on previous deaths and tests.

Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee said he will extend his stay-at-home order until May 31.

Inslee said the new executive order "will continue a ban on public gatherings."

"Many businesses will have to remain closed and that is why I'm extending the order through May 31," he said at his news conference.

Governors who are easing restrictions on businesses and residents are risking the lives of citizens, disaster experts said Friday.

Redlener and Joseph Fair, senior fellow in pandemic policy at Texas A&M University, warned in a report that no state or city should begin to reduce restrictions until coronavirus infections have been steadily decreasing for 10 days to two weeks, and not until enough tests are available to assess just how many people really are infected. So far, 31 states have announced plans or have started reducing restrictions imposed to help slow the spread of Covid-19.

Redlener said he sent the report on Friday to every governor, senator and member of Congress. 

“We clearly understand the need to reopen America’s businesses. People need the work and families desperately need the income and businesses need to survive. And people need to come out of isolation and resume the normal activities of social interactions, attending events and getting our children back to school,” Redlener wrote in a letter accompanying the report.

Testing is nowhere near where it should be, the report said.

“We do know that we are very far from doing enough diagnostic tests each week in the US,” Redlener and Fair write in the report. 

JBS USA and Tyson Foods have agreed to do a temporary shutdown of its facilities in Kentucky for a thorough cleaning, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.

He said Purdue Farms has not been as "helpful and as responsive" on the issue.

“We can't ask people to walk into a very dangerous situation, if we, and an employer aren't doing everything they can to make it safe," he said. “I continue to believe that if you have to shut down for three days, but it means that you can create a safer, healthier environment, that may keep you from having to shut down for multiple weeks or even a month."

President Trump said Friday he is generally supportive of Georgia's reopening efforts, but said he is upset with Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to open spas and tattoo parlors before meeting federal guidelines on such businesses reopening.

Last week, Trump said, "I told the governor of Georgia Brian Kemp that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities which are in violation of the phase one guidelines for the incredible people of Georgia." 

Trump has said that if he sees something “totally egregious” in terms of reopening states that he would step in but has not done so. 

Kemp's decision has drawn criticism from public health experts who have repeatedly stressed the dangers of relaxing social distancing measures too early.

Georgia hit its projected peak for daily deaths on April 7, according to an influential model often cited by the White House. But that same model, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, says that Georgia shouldn't start relaxing social distancing until after June 15 — when the state should be able to begin considering other measures to contain the virus, such as contact tracing and isolation.

The local health department in Orange County said there's an increase in coronavirus cases amid protests from residents to reopen the beaches.

OC Health Care Agency said there were 163 new cases confirmed in Orange County Friday, which is 22% higher that the previously recorded high for one day – 133 cases announced Thursday.

The news comes after hundreds of demonstrators gathered Friday in Huntington Beach, California, where, despite recommendations from public health officials that people socially distance, large crowds were packed shoulder-to-shoulder near the popular Huntington Beach Pier.

Most were not wearing masks.