Coronavirus pandemic in the US

All registered voters in California will receive a mail-in ballot for the November election, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced during his daily pandemic briefing.

The state is not moving to mail-only, however, and in-person voting will remain an option.

“This election is slated to be the most consequential election of our lifetime,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “We remain committed to providing as many safe, in-person opportunities to as possible on and before Election Day.”

The postage on ballots will be pre-paid, Padilla added.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the reopening of barber shops, hair salons and nail salons in all counties currently in Phase I of the state’s reopening plan starting Monday.

DeSantis made the announcement on Twitter using a video message recorded by J Henry, the owner of J Henry’s Barber Shop in downtown Orlando. 

According to a graphic within the video, the reopening includes enhanced safety protocols such as wearing gloves and a mask.

See the tweet:

Asked if he considered wearing a mask during a ceremony with World War II veterans, President Trump said Friday afternoon, “No, because I was very far away from them.” 

What this is about: Earlier today, Trump participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the WWII Memorial to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.

Trump greeted the veterans — all in their 90s — from a distance and did not exchange handshakes or hugs.

Earlier, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked whether Trump gave any consideration to wearing a mask while meeting with the veterans, since a presidential valet recently tested positive for the virus.

“Well this President is regularly tested. This President will make the decision as to whether to wear a mask or not. I can tell you that those veterans are protected. They made the choice to come here because they’ve chosen to put their nation first. They wanted to be with their commander in chief on this momentous day,” McEnany said. 

“It was their choice to come here and I can tell you that the President always puts the safety of our veterans first,” she added.

See Trump honor VE Day with veterans:

More than two dozen California counties have reached out to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office to talk about lifting even more restrictions in order to reopen further.

Newsom plans to make more reopening announcements on a consistent basis, he said, and that will begin with subsequent guidelines coming on Tuesday.

Those guidelines will be issued by sector, with a frame of flexibility, and will provide clarification hand washing, sanitation, addressing need for pickups and how to make that safer for employees and customers.

Acknowledging deep anxiety people are feeling and a desire to reopen, Newsom said, “We will move through phase two together as a state.” 

Today, 70% of the state’s economy can reopen with modifications, Newsom indicated. It’s not 100% and won’t deliver the same revenue that companies are used to, and says “businesses may not thrive, but will survive” with the state’s support, the governor said.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduced the five-phase "Protecting Chicago" plan for reopening the city during a news conference Friday afternoon.

The five-phase outlines how and when businesses can safely reopen, employees can return to work and residents can resume recreational activities.

The first four phases require people to continue to social distance and wear face masks to help, Lightfoot said.

Here's a look at the phases:

All parades and festivals in Boston are canceled for the summer, up to and including Labor Day on Sept. 7, due to coronavirus concerns, Mayor Marty Walsh announced today.

Smaller events will be looked at by a “case by case basis,” Walsh said at a news conference Friday.

The city is looking for “creative alternatives” for the large-scale events that the city hosts, he continued.

"This is a hard public health decision, but it's the right one. I encourage people to rethink their events, and thank them for their work to inspire us, and help our communities get through this difficult time," he continued.

The city is encouraging organizers to host virtual events instead.

The investigative office reviewing the whistleblower complaint of former vaccine chief Dr. Richard Bright has determined there is reason to believe he had been removed as retaliation and is recommending he be reinstated during the investigation, Bright’s lawyers said Friday.

The Office of the Special Counsel “advised that in light of this determination, it would contact the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS”) to request that it stay Dr. Bright’s removal as Director of BARDA for 45 days to allow OSC sufficient time to complete its investigation of Bright’s allegations," Bright’s lawyers said in a statement.

President Trump confirmed that Katie Miller, Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary, is the staffer who tested positive for coronavirus. 

Trump never used Miller's last name in his remarks but later confirmed it was “a press person.”

The President said that Miller has not come into contact with him but noted that she has been in contact with Pence.

Watch CNN's latest reporting: 

President Trump predicted Friday that the coronavirus pandemic could kill “95,000 people ultimately” across the US — again subtly adding to the numbers he has been using.

More than 76,000 people have died due to the virus in the US already, according to a daily tally tracked by Johns Hopkins University. 

Speaking with Republican members of Congress, Trump said that mitigation efforts helped limit the number of deaths from the outbreak but, “We may be talking about 95,000 people ultimately, we may be talking about something more than that."

He added that one death from coronavirus is unacceptable “let alone perhaps a 100,000.”

Some context: Trump projected between 50,000 to 60,000 US deaths from the coronavirus at a White House press briefing on April 20.

During a Fox News town hall on Sunday, Trump suggested the number would be closer to 80,000 to 90,000 people.