June 8 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Steve George and Emma Reynolds, CNN

Updated 2:51 a.m. ET, June 9, 2020
11 Posts
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9:15 a.m. ET, June 8, 2020

The US now has more than 1.9 million cases of Covid-19

President Donald Trump pretends to take a Covid-19 test while holding a swab during his visit of the Puritan Medical Products facility in Guilford, Maine on June 5.
President Donald Trump pretends to take a Covid-19 test while holding a swab during his visit of the Puritan Medical Products facility in Guilford, Maine on June 5. Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

The United States now has at least 1,942,363 cases of coronavirus and 110,514 related deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

On Sunday, Johns Hopkins reported 22,302 new cases and 712 new deaths in the US.

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

New York remains the hardest hit state, with 378,097 cases and 30,374 deaths. New Jersey, California, and Illinois follow next.

2:59 a.m. ET, June 8, 2020

Mexican government official tests positive days after being seen with president

From CNN's Daniel Silva in Miami

Zoé Robledo, the director of Mexico's Institute of Social Security, announced on Sunday that he has tested positive for Covid-19 -- just two days after he was seen with the country's President.

Robledo said he would continue to do his do his work remotely, adding that he was closely following the instructions of his "extraordinary doctors" and that his case was being closely monitored and contact tracing was underway.

On Friday, Robledo spoke at President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's daily press conference, in the company of the nation's top security officials.

The President was on stage as Robledo spoke, as well as Secretary of Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval, Naval Secretary Rafael Ojeda and Secretary of Security and Civilian Protection Alfonso Durazo. 

The men were spaced apart several feet on stage, but none were wearing masks.  

9:15 a.m. ET, June 8, 2020

India's worst-hit state now has more cases than the whole of China

From CNN's Rishabh Madhavendra Pratap in New Delhi

Commuters are seen in a traffic jam during rush hour in Mumbai on June 8.
Commuters are seen in a traffic jam during rush hour in Mumbai on June 8. Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images

The west Indian state of Maharashtra now has a total of 85,975 coronavirus cases, including 3,060 deaths, the country's health ministry announced Monday.

The updated tally means Maharashtra now has more cases than all of China, which has 83,040 cases as of today, according to China’s National Health Commission.

Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra and home to about 18.3 million people, is the worst hit city nationwide. The city has reported 48,549 cases of coronavirus, including 1,636 deaths.

India's nationwide total stands at 256,611 cases, according to the country’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare -- of which, approximately a third are in concentrated in Maharashtra state.

Lifting restrictions: India entered the "Unlock 1" reopening phase today, which allows most economic activities to resume.

But Mumbai still has major restrictions in place, effective for schools, train services, cinemas, shopping malls, places of worship, and more spaces.

Only essential workers are allowed to move through Mumbai roads, while travel by rail or air is still prohibited unless specifically allowed by separate orders and standard operating procedures.

9:16 a.m. ET, June 8, 2020

With no active Covid-19 cases, New Zealand is lifting almost all its coronavirus restrictions

From CNN's Ben Westcott

Almost all coronavirus restrictions in New Zealand will be lifted tomorrow, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced, after the country reported no active cases.

Schools and workplaces will be able to reopen under the new "level 1" rules, with no limitations on gatherings or domestic travel.

However, social distancing is still encouraged, and Ardern said New Zealand's international borders will remain shut to non-residents to prevent new outbreaks. Residents arriving in New Zealand will still have to quarantine for two weeks.

New Zealand currently has no active coronavirus cases, and no positive cases reported in the past 17 days.

There has been no one receiving treatment in hospital for Covid-19 for the past 12 days and it has been 40 days since the last case of community transmission.

"This freedom from restrictions relies though heavily on the ongoing role that our border controls will play in keeping the virus out ... The virus will be in our world for some time to come," Ardern said at a press conference Monday.

Read the full story here:

9:20 a.m. ET, June 8, 2020

Pakistan coronavirus cases pass 100,000 

From CNN’s Sophia Saifi in Islamabad

A Catholic family wearing face masks arrives to attend Sunday prayers at the Mary Immaculate Church in Lahore, Pakistan on June 7.
A Catholic family wearing face masks arrives to attend Sunday prayers at the Mary Immaculate Church in Lahore, Pakistan on June 7. Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan’s total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has now crossed 100,000, according to the country’s ministry of health. 

According to the health ministry, Pakistan now has recorded 103,671 infections since the start of the pandemic, and 2,067 related deaths.

The country diagnosed 4,728 cases in just the past 24 hours, said the ministry.

Pakistan lifted its nationwide lockdown in early May, though the rate of new infections continues to rise -- which could be in part due to an increase in testing by the government. 

The country has conducted 705,833 tests as of Monday, with 22,650 tests conducted in the past 24 hours, said the ministry.

9:20 a.m. ET, June 8, 2020

New infections are still the biggest risk to the economy

From CNN's Anneken Tappe

The US economy is reopening and the labor market is bouncing back after dramatic losses during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown. But a major risk lies ahead.

The lion's share of economists participating in the June National Associate of Business Economics Outlook Survey -- 87% -- believe a second wave of infections could imperil a rebound and become the biggest danger to America's economy this year.

The pandemic has claimed more than 100,000 lives in the United States and forced the country to go into lockdown in March. Businesses shuttered and laid off millions of people, leading to the steepest job losses on record — 20.7 million — in April.

The labor market bounced back strongly in May, adding 2.5 million new jobs as states begin to reopen. But the staggered restart of the economy could lead to renewed spreading of the highly contagious virus. This could, in turn, lead to a second lockdown that would bring yet more economic pain.

Read the full story here:

2:47 a.m. ET, June 8, 2020

"Uncertainties" surround next year's Olympics, says Tokyo governor

From CNN's George Ramsay and Will Ripley

The Olympic Rings are displayed before the National Stadium in Tokyo on April 20.
The Olympic Rings are displayed before the National Stadium in Tokyo on April 20. Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images

The fate of next year's Olympic Games depends on Japan's handling of the coronavirus, according to the Tokyo governor.

Gov. Yuriko Koike said the Games could signify a "victory" over the pandemic, but admitted that more work is still needed to improve treatment and testing, and that organizers were contending with a number of uncertainties.

The Olympics were originally scheduled to begin in July, but the start date has been moved to July 24 next year amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

"The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are an important event that everyone has been waiting for," Koike told CNN's Will Ripley.

"The postponement cost a lot and, more than anything, we do not know what the coronavirus situation will be like in July next year. We have a few uncertainties here ... It costs a lot to begin with, we need understanding from the people of Tokyo for it. We must not spend too much. We have to make the Games safe for athletes and spectators."

Organizers said in December that the cost of hosting the Olympics was some 1.35 trillion yen ($12.35 billion), while sponsors, insurers and broadcasters have also committed billions to the Games.

Read the full interview here.

2:47 a.m. ET, June 8, 2020

CDC says it's "monitoring closely" the protests across America

From CNN Health’s Arman Azad

A man holds a mask over his face as thousands of people rally next to the Colorado State Capitol to protest the death of George Floyd on May 30, in Denver, Colorado.
A man holds a mask over his face as thousands of people rally next to the Colorado State Capitol to protest the death of George Floyd on May 30, in Denver, Colorado. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday said it’s closely monitoring the demonstrations happening across America.

The comments come amid concerns that the protests – like other gatherings – could spur additional coronavirus transmission.

“CDC and our federal partners are monitoring closely the demonstrations happening across America. Protests and large gatherings make it difficult to maintain our recommended social distancing guidelines and may put others at risk,” CDC spokesperson Kristen Nordlund said in a statement.

“It is too early to know what, if any, effect these events will have on the federal COVID-19 response. Every local situation is different. State and local officials will make decisions to protect public health and safety based on circumstances on the ground,” she said.

Earlier this week: CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said protesters should be evaluated and tested for coronavirus.

“We really want those individuals to highly consider being evaluated and get tested,” Redfield said Thursday at a House Appropriations hearing on the Covid-19 response.

 “I do think there is a potential, unfortunately, for this to be a seeding event,” he said – especially in metropolitan areas where there has been significant transmission.

Redfield also addressed the use of tear gas and similar chemical agents on protesters, saying these agents can cause people to cough -- which spreads respiratory viruses.

9:21 a.m. ET, June 8, 2020

New York mayor says the city could proceed with reopening on Monday

From CNN's Laura Ly

A virtually empty subway car leaves Union Square Station during what would normally be the morning rush hour in Manhattan on June 1, in New York City.
A virtually empty subway car leaves Union Square Station during what would normally be the morning rush hour in Manhattan on June 1, in New York City. John Moore/Getty Images

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city is within parameters regarding its Covid-19 data to proceed as planned with their phase one reopening on Monday.

The statewide thresholds to enter phase one include:

  • Having less than 200 people admitted to hospitals per day
  • Having under 375 intensive care unit patients across the city
  • Having less than 15% of city residents testing positive for Covid-19

As of Sunday, NYC hospitals have admitted 72 people due to Covid-19, 324 people remain in ICUs, and 4% of the city is currently testing positive for Covid-19, de Blasio said.

“That is what you’ve achieved together, that’s another way we’re going to move forward in this city,” de Blasio said.