June 1 coronavirus news

Louisiana can move to phase two of its reopening on Friday, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday.

However, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that Orleans Parish will continue to stay in phase one.

For the rest of the state, under phase two, bars as well as spas will be able to reopen and restaurants and businesses that have been operating at 25% capacity, will be able to move to a 50% occupancy starting Friday.

“We still have work to do, we still have restrictions that have to be in place and as I said many times, we’re not going to be back to normal but we are moving in the right direction,” Edwards told reporters in Baton Rouge.

After more than a month of gradually easing lockdown measures, coronavirus infections continue to steadily decrease in Italy, according to data from the country's Civil Protection Service.

There were 178 new infections on Monday, the lowest recorded increase since February 26, bringing the total number of cases, including deaths and recoveries, to 233,197. 

The number of active cases stands at 41,367, a decrease of 708 compared to Sunday. The number of those in intensive care is 424, a decrease of 11 cases.

The total number of fatalities is 33,475, an increase of 60 people, according to Italy's Civil Protection Service.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order to extend the hazard pay for the city’s Covid-19 frontline employees, her office said Monday.

The nearly 5,400 eligible employees will receive an additional $500 a month through Sept. 30, according to the order.

Mexico has entered a new Covid-19 phase today, reopening certain sectors of the economy under its new plan deemed the “new normal.”

Mining, construction and the “fabrication of transport equipment” such as the auto parts industry are now considered essential as they slowly begin reopening with safety measures that factories and its employees must adhere to.

This comes as Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador begins a tour Monday in the state of Quintana Roo where Cancún is located, his first trip since late March.

The state is preparing to reopen the tourism sector among other activities.

During his press conference Monday morning held at Isla Mujeres, López Obrador addressed the importance of reactivating the national economy “for the good of the people,” while adding that this needs to be done cautiously and carefully.

The new phase also comes as Mexico’s newly reported cases and deaths continue to rise at the worst sustained levels since the outbreak began.

The death toll is expected to surpass 10,000 when new numbers are reported Monday evening. As of Sunday, Mexican health authorities reported 90,664 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 9,930 confirmed deaths.

At least 1,797,457 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the US and at least 104,584 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally.

Johns Hopkins reported 7,285 new cases and 203 deaths on Monday.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. 

The world famous Uffizi gallery in Florence will reopen on Wednesday, according to an announcement on its website.

It's the latest in the list of Italian monuments and museums to reopen as the country gradually lifts coronavirus restrictions.

Vatican Museums, which host the Sistine Chapel, have welcomed the public again starting Monday, as has the Coliseum, but under strict rules such as temperature checks for visitors, compulsory face coverings and maintaining distance during the visit.

Travelers from the European Union and the UK will be allowed to enter Italy without having to go into quarantine starting Wednesday, in a move the government has described as a "calculated risk."

Visitors were previously required to undergo a two-week quarantine before being allowed entry.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the Coronavirus Task Force, says that he has not spoken to or met with President Trump in two weeks, and that his contact with the President has become much less frequent. 

Their last interaction was May 18, when Trump invited Fauci to provide medical context during a teleconference with the nation’s governors.

The task force last met on May 28 and last held a White House press briefing on May 22.

A correctional officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation died Saturday after recently testing positive for Covid-19, according to the CDCR. 

The Riverside County Coroner will determine the exact cause of death for officer Danny Mendoza, 53. He had been with the department for 24 years and had most recently worked at the Norco correctional facility. 

By the numbers: The CDCR reported 309 positive cases total among staff. They reported 2,230 positive cases among inmates statewide including nine deaths, all at the men’s facility in Chino, California.

No new Covid-19 deaths were registered by Spain’s Health Ministry on Sunday, new data released on Monday shows.

The total Covid-19 death toll holds steady for a second day, at 27,127 since the start of the pandemic in Spain.

Speaking at the government’s daily coronavirus briefing, Simón said 15 out of Spain’s 17 regions reported between zero and two deaths over the last week.

The Health Ministry did report a rise of 79 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the cumulative total to 239,638.

Asked about reported parties that exceeded the sanctioned number of people allowed to socialize, where infections were detected, Simón responded by saying “these things worry me.” 

Simón said that localized reemergence cases of coronavirus in Spain are “controlled” due to the tracing and diagnosis by health authorities. However, he said he fears that activities, such as a drinking party attended by several hundred young people over the weekend in a small town south of Madrid, could constitute other points of the virus re-emerging.