June 12 coronavirus news

Public transportation and travel can still be risky and people need to think twice before they leave home, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in new guidelines released Friday.

The public transportation guidelines, posted last month, remind people to wash their hands before and after using trains, buses, subways and other shared transport. “During travel, try to keep at least 6 feet (2 meters) from people who are not in your household — for example, when you are waiting at a bus station or selecting seats on a train,” they add. “Wear a cloth face covering when physical distancing is difficult.”

The new guidelines also remind people about existing advice on travel.

“COVID-19 cases and deaths have been reported in all 50 states, and the situation is constantly changing. Because travel increases your chances of getting infected and spreading COVID-19, staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick,” the CDC stresses.

Stay apart from others, wear a face covering, and try not to share objects – that’s the latest, updated advice from the US Centers for Disease control and Prevention for living daily life during the coronavirus pandemic.

The CDC released its latest versions of guidelines for people Friday with a reminder that the virus is still spreading.

“We know the pandemic is not over,”  Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director of infectious diseases and Covid-19 response incident manager, told a media briefing. 

The guidelines use everyday language and straightforward advice:

“It’s important that you and the people around you wear a cloth face covering when in public and particularly when it’s difficult to stay 6 feet away from others consistently,” the CDC said. “Choose outdoor activities and places where it’s easy to stay 6 feet apart, like parks and open-air facilities.”

Physical barriers such as plexiglass screens can also reduce the risk of spreading virus, the CDC said.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Friday that the state is putting a seven-day pause on further county reopenings statewide due to a spike in new Covid-19 cases.

"This is essentially a statewide yellow light," Brown said during a news conference.

She said that the state was aware there could be a spike in cases as restrictions were lifted. "Unfortunately, we are now seeing that happen in several parts of the state in both rural and urban Oregon," Brown said.

The state has put all applications by counties to move into the next phase of reopening on hold for the next week as a result, she said.

Twenty nine counties are currently in phase two of the reopening process. Three counties are in phase one and have not yet applied for phase two while three other counties are in phase one and have applied for phase two. Those applications are being put on hold for one week.  

The numbers: There were 178 new cases reported statewide Thursday, which is the highest total ever, Director of the Oregon Health Authority Pat Allen said during the news conference.

The number of newly reported cases increased by 75% in the week ending June 7, according to Allen.

There were 620 new cases of infection last week, an 18% increase from the prior week, Allen said. The percent of positive tests also rose from 1.9% to 3% in the 18,271 tests reported last week, Allen said.

The governor said the increases they are seeing are not concentrated in one area, but are all over the state.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reiterating the importance of social distancing, wearing face coverings in public and washing hands frequently.

Their announcement to keep following guidelines comes at a time when President Trump plans to hold a rally and has not been wearing a face covering in public.

"The good news is, nationally, we have been successful in flattening the curve, the number of new cases, each day has been relatively plateaued over a prolonged period of time," Butler said.

"But right now communities are experiencing different levels of transmission. And this is occurring as they gradually ease up on some of the community mitigation efforts, and gradually reopen," Butler said. "We continue to ask everyone to follow the guidance."

CDC officials plan to release more guidelines today.

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield also said during the call that continuing to follow this guidance remains critical.

"CDC’s Covid-19 response is now in its sixth month and while we’re making real progress we still have a lot of work ahead as we reopen America," Redfield said. 

The US Department of Transportation says it will make 100 million masks available, mostly at airports, but also at transit locations and Amtrak for passengers to use.

The agency describes them as “cloth facial coverings" and says they are intended to be supplemental to the masks travelers are required to bring on their own and are not guaranteed to be available.

Approximately 86.8 million coverings will be distributed to airports, and 9.6 million coverings will be distributed to 458 transit agencies and Amtrak for passenger use, the statement said.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has issued a new state of emergency Friday, as part of an executive order that also allows the reopening of bowling alleys and lifts restrictions on retail business capacity limits.

Previous limits on retail spaces required no more than five customers every 1,000 square feet, or no more than 20% capacity, whichever was less. That restriction has now been lifted, with no mandated reduced capacity.

The executive order also lifts the previous restriction on gatherings of more than 50 people on public property, since more public employees are returning to work.

This comes during a week when South Carolina has seen a large increase in daily new cases, including Thursday having the single largest daily increase in the state since the pandemic began. 

Brian Symmes, the governor's communications director, said the state acknowledges people have not been properly social distancing. Symmes said the governor has forcefully explained to residents that this is a dangerous and deadly virus, and that people need to take precautions.

But Symmes said that McMaster philosophically does not believe that government putting its thumb on the scales and making broad mandates that are largely unenforceable is the answer. The answer, Symmes said, is educating the public, which the governor and Department of Health and Environmental Control have done consistently.

He added that it is in the best interest of the business from a liability standpoint to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has paused the lifting of restrictions following spikes in Covid-19 cases over the past two weeks.

The governor said during a news conference Thursday that the increase in cases is “giving them pause.” 

The state will remain in the "yellow" phase of reopening with the exception of one county, Brooke Scheffler, public information officer for Herbert, told CNN in a text Friday. 

She also confirmed that Salt Lake City will remain in the "orange" phase, which is below yellow.

Utah’s state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn said in the news conference there was a “great spike in the growth rate of cases” after Memorial Day.

 Here are the numbers, according to Dunn:

“There are some parts of the state that are being hit harder than others, and there's localized outbreaks and hotspots, but by and large, we are seeing this increase in cases throughout the state,” Dunn said.

The governor said he “doesn’t want to take a step forward and then take a step backward.” 

Under yellow guidance, there are no economic activities that are categorically prohibited, Herbert explained.

"We've not gone down the road as many other states have done of identifying essential or nonessential businesses and services," he said. "We've had minimal restrictions for in house dining, public schools closing, which are not insignificant in its impact, but we have been listed as the fourth least restrictive state in America and addressing this pandemic, we've not closed down the economy."

Other states and cities — like Oregon and Nashville, Tennessee — have also announced delays in reopening plans due to elevated cases.

Judge Lina Hidalgo, the top elected official in Harris County, Texas — which includes the city of Houston — said the county saw its highest numbers of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations this week. 

Harris County is the third most-populous county in the US. Hidalgo, who serves as its chief executive officer, warned the county “may be approaching the precipice of a disaster” in a press conference yesterday.

Hidalgo said they are seeing the numbers increase as the state has started to reopen over the past few weeks.  

“I’ve always said I think the reopening timeline was a little too fast. I wouldn't have done it that quickly,” she said.

She said that while there is enough hospital space right now, it’s “alarming” that more than 15% of ICU space is being occupied by Covid-19 patients. 

She is working with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office and alerting the state on the latest numbers, she said. 

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Friday is day 104 of the Covid-19 crisis and the numbers are going down, with 42 deaths related to Covid-19 on Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Cuomo also said the state has the lowest rate of transmission saying, “the virus is spreading at the lowest rate of transmission in the state of New York of every state in America, that is incredible.” 

He went on to say, “we were the number one state in terms of infection, number one in the nation, number one on the globe, per capita, and now we are the last state in terms of rate of transmission, that is because New Yorkers stepped up, they were smart they were disciplined they did what they had to do and we need to stay there.”

Citing US states that have seen elevated numbers in coronavirus cases, the governor called it a "pivotal moment" in making sure this does not happen to New York.

"This is deja vu," Cuomo said. "They reopen and then the number goes up, which is common sense on one level."