June 12 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Steve George, Helen Regan and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN

Updated 0322 GMT (1122 HKT) June 13, 2020
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3:20 p.m. ET, June 12, 2020

More than 114,000 people have died from coronavirus in the US

Medical workers administer tests for the coronavirus to people in vehicles, Thursday, June 11, in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston.
Medical workers administer tests for the coronavirus to people in vehicles, Thursday, June 11, in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. Steven Senne/AP

At least 114,126 people have died from coronavirus in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases.

There has also been at least 2,033,003 cases of coronavirus in the US, according to the tally.

So far on Friday, Johns Hopkins reported 9,618 new cases and 308 deaths. 

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

3:41 p.m. ET, June 12, 2020

WHO concerned with uptick in cases as countries lift lockdowns

From CNN's Amanda Watts

WHO
WHO

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program, said they are "concerned that some countries are having difficulties in exiting the so-called lockdowns as they're seeing increases of cases again."

“First and foremost, most of the world right now is still very much in the throes of the first wave of this pandemic,” Ryan said during a briefing Friday, adding though that many countries have been able to flatten the curve and are slowly making their way out of lockdowns.

“We have to find the balance of controlling this virus against the damage economically and socially of controlling this virus: This is a difficult dilemma, " he said.

“There must be an alternative to lockdown because in the absence of lockdown, the virus will tend to spread again. So the question is, what have you got to replace lockdown with?” Ryan asked.

He pointed countries towards a strong public health system, testing and tracking cases, and educating the population to help as lockdowns are lifted.

“It's very easy for me to sit here and say that that is difficult to achieve in any circumstance,” he said. “But it is the only way to sustain the next number of months while we wait for other interventions. And again we have to say that we really hope we have an effective vaccine in time, but there are no guarantees.”

“We have to learn to live with the virus,” Ryan said. 

3:04 p.m. ET, June 12, 2020

Record number of Covid-19 cases reported in Arkansas in last 24 hours 

From CNN's Pamela Wessmann 

There have been a record number of Covid-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said during a news conference Friday.

“We have increased 731 cases in the last 24 hours, the largest increase in community cases and total cases since this pandemic began,” Hutchinson said. 

There were 10,816 cases on Thursday and now there were 11,547 cases, he added.

At least 207 of the newly identified cases were in correctional institutions while the rest are community cases, Hutchinson said.

2:49 p.m. ET, June 12, 2020

Georgia's film, TV and streaming production can resume, governor says

From CNN's Jamiel Lynch

The television, film and streaming production industry in Georgia is back open for business, according to a statement from Gov. Brian Kemp.

Kemp announced the industries plan to bring back and hire an estimated 40,000 production workers in the state for an expected 75 production projects that with invest over $2 billion into Georgia’s economy, the statement said. 

According to the statement, this announcement follows the “COVID-19: Georgia Best Practices for Film and Television” production guide for studios provided by the Georgia Film Office, that complements the safety protocols recently released by the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force, which will help to ensure a safe workplace environment and reduce the spread of the virus.

 

2:35 p.m. ET, June 12, 2020

Masks are not required — but recommended — in several California counties

From CNN's Stella Chan

People walk along Harbor boulevard in downtown Fullerton on Thursday, June 11,  in Fullerton, California. In an abrupt shift in health orders following weeks of debate over the use of face coverings to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, officials in Orange County announced that residents no long have to wear masks in public.
People walk along Harbor boulevard in downtown Fullerton on Thursday, June 11, in Fullerton, California. In an abrupt shift in health orders following weeks of debate over the use of face coverings to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, officials in Orange County announced that residents no long have to wear masks in public.

Several California jurisdictions do not require residents to wear masks in public as the state moves into various stages of reopening.

The Orange County health director recently resigned after receiving threats for her face coverings mandate. Yesterday, days after her departure, the interim health officer relaxed the order. Movie theaters, gyms, and hotels are reopening today in the county.

Riverside County ended the mandatory mask order in late April after their cases started to level off. The health department strongly recommends face coverings and some business can require it of patrons, according to Jose Arballo, Jr., public information officer for the county health department.

San Bernardino suggests several options to those who want to cover up and encourages people to do so.

“All individuals in San Bernardino County are strongly encouraged to use face coverings over their nose and mouth, such as scarves (dense fabric, without holes), bandanas, neck gaiters, or other fabric face coverings when in public, when working in or patronizing businesses, public agencies and nonprofit and faith-based organizations, within the County when feasible,” according the department of public health.

Fresno, Kern, and San Joaquin counties do not require a face covering, according to county health department sites.

Ventura County recommends mask wearing though municipalities can require it. The city of Ojai requires employees and customers at essential businesses to wear face coverings.

While not required in Sacramento County, health officials look to an "if you can, you should" approach to face coverings, according to the county public information officer. 

“In spite of recent re-openings, the virus risk is still here,” said Dr. Peter Beilenson, director of Health Services. “We have seen an increase in Covid cases and hospitalizations recently, in large part due to social gatherings, and to keep these cases down we need to remember to be sensible while we’re being sociable.” 

These eight counties are among the top 15 most populous in the state.

California has at least 143,646 coronavirus cases including 4,940 deaths.

2:00 p.m. ET, June 12, 2020

Reports: NBA sets coronavirus testing and player report dates ahead of season restart

From CNN's Jabari Jackson

The National Basketball Association has laid out its plans to conduct coronavirus testing as 22 teams prepare to restart the 2019-2020 season in July.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the league will require Covid-19 testing for teams from June 23 to June 30 as part of the league’s health and safety initiative to begin play.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that players from outside of the United States will need to report to their home team markets by June 15 while players in the states will need to report by June 22.

Both reporters say the league is now targeting July 30 as the start date to the season.

The NBA has not responded to CNN’s request for details regarding these reports.

1:58 p.m. ET, June 12, 2020

CDC officials "not confirming dramatic increases" in US hospitalizations

From CNN's Jacqueline Howard and Michael Nedelman

An ambulance is parked at Arizona General Hospital on Wednesday, June 10 , in Laveen, Arizona. The state is dealing with a surge in virus cases and hospitalizations.
An ambulance is parked at Arizona General Hospital on Wednesday, June 10 , in Laveen, Arizona. The state is dealing with a surge in virus cases and hospitalizations. Ross D. Franklin/AP

Officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would not confirm on Friday whether there have been striking increases in Covid-19 hospitalizations in certain states, but said they will "monitor very closely" that metric and others during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We’re not confirming dramatic increases in the number of hospitalizations, but this is something that is ongoing, and we will continue to monitor very closely," Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases, said during a call with reporters.

The agency uses a number of metrics beyond hospitalization and testing numbers to track the outbreak, including intensive care admissions and "emergency department utilization for Covid-like illness," Butler said.

"Because the test results in and of themselves only reflect a bit of the transmission that occurs. We know that some people don’t develop symptoms. We know that of those who develop symptoms, not everyone will be tested," he said.

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield added that expanded testing in certain “vulnerable populations” such as nursing homes may also be contributing to the increases.

Some background: On Wednesday, data that CNN aggregated from the Covid Tracking Project from May 25 to June 9 showed that the number of patients hospitalized due to coronavirus infection has gone up in at least a dozen states that are tracking hospitalization data: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.

1:50 p.m. ET, June 12, 2020

CDC's ensemble forecast now projects 130,000 US coronavirus deaths by July 4

From CNN Health’s Arman Azad

An ensemble forecast published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now projects more than 130,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States by July 4.

The rate of new deaths is expected to grow in some states, a sign the pandemic may be worsening in some regions — even as the country begins to reopen.

This week’s national forecast relies on 17 individual forecasts from outside institutions and researchers. The new projections, published Friday, forecast about 130,560 deaths by July 4, with a possible range of 124,260 to 139,880 deaths.

The previous ensemble forecast, published last Thursday, forecast 127,230 US deaths by June 27.

“The state-level ensemble forecasts suggest that the number of new deaths over the next four weeks in Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, North Carolina, Utah, and Vermont will likely exceed the number reported over the last four weeks,” the CDC says on its forecasting website.

“For other states, the number of new deaths is expected to be similar or decrease slightly compared to the previous four weeks.” 

Also on Friday, CDC officials reiterated the importance of social distancing, wearing face coverings in public and frequent hand washing.

"We know the pandemic is not over," Dr. Jay Butler, CDC's deputy director for infectious diseases, said during a call with reporters.

Note on the forecast: Unlike some individual models, the CDC’s ensemble forecast only offers projections for the next month.

 

1:25 p.m. ET, June 12, 2020

WHO: "It's very hard to fight this kind of virus in a divided world"

From CNN’s Amanda Watts

“The world is divided,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a news conference in Geneva today.

Addressing the coronavirus pandemic, Tedros said, “This is a very dangerous virus. And it's very hard to fight this kind of virus in a divided world.”

“The different measures that countries have taken to control the virus have turned the lives of many citizens upside down,” Tedros said.

Tedros said the impact on global health has been large, but some social impacts are even more serious. “Millions have lost their jobs, and we know many have lost their livelihoods,” he said adding a very small virus is creating havoc.

“This should be a humbling moment,” Tedros said. “We need to really reflect and see humility as the main way to get out of this problem for any individual person or any nation.”

Some background: President Trump has stood firm in his threats to halt funding to the organization. Last month he told the agency he will permanently pull US funding if it does not "commit to major substantive improvements in the next 30 days."