June 14 coronavirus news

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state reported 23 more deaths from Covid-19, the “lowest number ever.”

He explained that when the number gets this low it’s basically a question of how people are recording the cause of death across the nation because there may be situations where a person dies from multiple causes — Covid, cancer or heart disease, etc."

“We breathe a deep sigh of relief today,” Cuomo said, adding that the death count, among all the numbers, is the “one number we can’t fix.”

“On the numbers we are making really great progress” he added. 

He called today, "another great day in terms of achievement by New Yorkers.”

Hospitalizations are at its lowest point since the “horrific” journey began, he said. 

He added that Staten Island had an uptick in percentage of positive cases which he said could be an “aberration” but adds, “we’re watching it.”

The US Surgeon General on Sunday pushed back on the idea that face coverings infringe on freedoms – and said they’re important to slow the spread of coronavirus and reopen the economy. 

He said face coverings lead to less asymptomatic spread of the virus, which leads to more places opening sooner. 

“Exercise and promote your freedom by choosing to wear a face covering!” Adams said in the tweet, which also included a photo of him in a mask. 

What this is about: Public health officials have emphasized the importance of face coverings amid the country’s reopening, given that people without symptoms could unknowingly transmit Covid-19. The coverings are primarily to prevent people with the virus from infecting others.

Earlier guidance from US officials didn’t recommend widespread masking, but in April, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended face coverings for the general public in places where social distancing is difficult to maintain, like grocery stores. 

At the time, CDC cited growing evidence that people could spread coronavirus without feeling sick. 

Read Surgeon General Adams' tweet:

The UK reported 36 deaths due to Covid-19, the lowest daily coronavirus death toll since March, according to figures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on Sunday.

Trump campaign and Tulsa GOP officials say more than 300,000 people have expressed interest in attending President Trump’s rally in Tulsa. Since the rally site, the Bank of Oklahoma Center, only holds around 20,000 people, there are currently discussions about whether they will add a second event, the campaign and one official said. 

As for the potential of massive crowds gathering in a city that is in the middle of a coronavirus spike, there are currently no plans to practice social distancing at the rally according to one GOP official. 

The campaign has not responded to numerous requests for comment regarding what precautions it will take at the rally because of Covid-19.

The campaign and local organizers plan on the event being held in a packed arena. The GOP official told CNN that there were ongoing discussions among organizers and the campaign as to what precautions, if any, will be put place, including possible temperature scans for supporters before they’re allowed inside the arena. This official said a temperature check is consistent with what many businesses in the state are doing as they reopen. With the caveat that the plans are not finalized, the official told CNN that as of now masks would be optional, and noted that the President himself doesn’t like wearing a mask and it’s up to individuals to decide. 

Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday he was planning on attending the rally. When Jake asked Lankford if he was going to wear a mask, he responded that he had not decided yet. 

CNN's Ryan Nobles contributed to this report.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced his country will reopen its borders to people from other European Union countries – with the exception of Portugal - on June 21. 

“From then the obligation for travelers who enter our country to quarantine will disappear,” Sánchez said at a press conference on Sunday in Madrid.

The delay for reopening borders with Portugal was at the request of the Portuguese government, according to Sánchez. 

He also said external borders would not reopen until after June 30, and a list of “safe countries” would be drawn up for which restrictions would be lifted from July 1.

Spain is currently in a state of Emergency, closed to tourists, and international arrivals have to undergo a 14-day quarantine. The lifting of restrictions for other EU members will coincide with the end of the State of Emergency in the country. 

Some other EU countries, including France, are due to lift border restrictions with countries in the European Union on Monday June 15.  

Top Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow was asked by CNN's Jake Tapper this morning if people at President Trump's rally next week in Tulsa, Oklahoma, should wear masks.

"Well, okay. Probably so," Kudlow responded.

Kudlow added that the fatality rate for the coronavirus continues to be very low, calling that "the ultra key metric."

More context: President Trump is planning to hold a rally in Tulsa next Saturday, June 20. The site for the rally has cancelled or postponed all other events until at least the end of July "out of an abundance of caution," according to the arena's website.

The venue President Trump is slated to hold his first rally at since states began reopening has canceled or postponed all other events until at least the end of July due to COVID-19 concerns according to its website.

The BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. has a web page listing the 17 events cancelled or postponed "out of an abundance of caution."

Some events originally scheduled for this summer have been rescheduled to more than a year later.

The Associated Press first reported on the BOK Center’s event scheduling moves.

Ready or not, here comes a big week for reopening. France is lifting travel restrictions, New Jersey will allow outdoor dining, British shops plan on unlocking their doors and Greek museums will welcome visitors again. Here's what's on our radar:

Read today's coronavirus newsletter here:

RELATED

What you need to know about coronavirus on Sunday, June 14

Peru’s health ministry reported 190 new Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the country’s total to 6,498.

The health ministry also reported 4,383 new confirmed cases, bringing Peru's total number of cases to 225,132.

Peru has the second-highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths in Latin America, following Brazil, which has 850,514 -- just behind the US.

Latin America is now the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

Peru was one of the first nations in the region to take strict preventative measures, such as stay-at-home orders, curfews and border closings. 

But it also shares some of the weaknesses of its neighbors. Lockdown measures failed to hold. Many of Peru's poor have no choice but to venture outside their homes for work, food or financial transactions, leading to crowding in markets, on public transport and outside banks. 

Peru has historically spent less than the 6% of GDP on public health recommended by PAHO, according to an official at the Pan American Health Organization, despite efforts to dedicate more resources to the sector in recent years. The country spent 3.165% of GDP on public health in 2017, according to the World Bank. 

Peru also has under two hospital beds per 1,000 people, and oxygen is in short supply.