Florida reports nearly 4,000 new coronavirus cases, a record single-day increase
Guests get their temperature taken as they arrive at the Disney Springs shopping and dining district in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Wednesday, June 17. Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service/Getty Images
The Florida Department of Health is reporting an additional 3,822 cases of coronavirus on Friday, bringing the state total to at least 89,748 according to data released by the state.
Friday's numbers mark the highest number of reported cases in a single day the state has seen, according to to the Florida Department of Health.
The previous record was set just yesterday: Florida reported 3,207 additional coronavirus cases on Thursday.
On Thursday, the state of Florida had reported a total of 85,926 cases.
10:59 a.m. ET, June 19, 2020
DC will enter phase 2 of reopening on Monday
From CNN's Nicky Robertson
Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at a briefing on Wednesday, June 17. Pool
Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced in a statement today that the nation's capital will is set to enter phase two of reopening on Monday.
In phase 2 of reopening:
Nonessential retail can open at 50% capacity,
Restaurants can have indoor dining at 50% capacity.
Houses of worship are encouraged to hold virtual services, but are permitted to have up to 100 people, or 50% capacity. DC recommends that churches do not have choirs or singing.
Personal services, including nail care, tattooing and waxing will be permitted with certain restrictions in place.
Gatherings of more than 50 people are still banned.
According to the mayor's news release, the District’s reported data for June 18 includes 49 new positive coronavirus cases, bringing the District’s overall positive case total to at least 9,952.
The District reported three additional Covid-19 related deaths.
10:22 a.m. ET, June 19, 2020
Trump is holding a rally tomorrow in Tulsa. Here's why health experts are concerned.
From CNN's Kate Sullivan, Kristen Holmes and Ryan Nobles
Director of the Tulsa Health Department Dr. Bruce Dart speaks at a news presser. City of Tulsa/Facebook
Despite rising coronavirus cases in Oklahoma, President Trump is forging ahead to host a rally in Tulsa tomorrow that is expected to be attended by thousands.
Trump said in a Wall Street Journal interview that some people at the rally this Saturday may catch coronavirus, but added “it’s a very small percentage.”
Oklahoma is seeing a steady increase in its average of new confirmed cases per day. According to a CNN analysis of Johns Hopkins University data, Oklahoma averaged about 203 new cases per day over the week ending June 17, which is up approximately 110% from the previous seven-day period.
As of Thursday morning, Tulsa County currently has the most cases — 1,825 total — of any county in the state, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. New cases in Tulsa County have also been climbing, and the county is now seeing its highest seven-day average for new cases at 73.9, according to the Tulsa Health Department.
"Unfortunately, we continue to set new records in the number of cases reported in Tulsa County," Bruce Dart, the director of the Tulsa Health Department, said Wednesday at a news conference.
Dart noted Wednesday he recommended that the Trump rally be postponed "until it's safer, until the data tells us that it's not as large a concern," to have people in enclosed spaces.
The Tulsa rally is the President's first since coronavirus shut down the country and halted all in-person campaigning.
Local and campaign officials tell CNN that more than a million people have RSVP'd to the rally. A local official involved in planning said they expected 100,000 to show up at the Bank of Oklahoma Center on Saturday. The venue can hold just under 20,000.
Attendees will not be required to maintain social distance or wear masks, despite the Trump administration's top public health officials stressing the importance of both measures in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
Two days before the rally is set to take place, a spokesperson for the BOK Center said it had asked the Trump campaign to provide a written plan for safety measures for the event.
10:22 a.m. ET, June 19, 2020
Senior Trump adviser says he’d wear a mask to Tulsa rally
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Kevin Hassett, a senior adviser to President Trump, said he would “definitely” wear a mask if he were attending the President’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday.
If I were at the rally, I would wear a mask,” Hassett told CNN’s Poppy Harlow. “…I would definitely do it.”
Hassett, who advises the President on economic issues, said he receives data about the coronavirus every day for each state in the US. He says that data shows an increase in Covid-19 cases in about 18 states right now, but that the increase in cases is higher than hospitalizations.
“The spikes aren't necessarily correlated where we're seeing less social distancing and more economic activity,” Hassett claimed.
Oklahoma’s cases per day over the week ending June 17 is up approximately 110% from the previous seven-day period, according to a CNN analysis of Johns Hopkins University data.
A local official involved in planning the Tulsa rally said they expected 100,000 to show up at the campaign venue, which can hold about 20,000 people.
Watch:
10:12 a.m. ET, June 19, 2020
Ohio governor does not rule out another shutdown
From CNN's Haley Draznin
CNN
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWinesaid he has not ruled out another shutdown in the state, telling CNN's Poppy Harlow that officials have "some tools that we need to use first."
The governor noted that despite overall cases going down and hospitalizations hitting a plateau, the state saw a spike yesterday in Southwest Ohio – near the Dayton and Cincinnati areas.
De Wine said they are watching those spikes "over the next few days."
"We're moving in with a lot more testing and a lot more tracing. So that's a tool that we have. The other tool we have is the ability for me and the mayors and the health directors to communicate to people in the areas where we're starting to see a rise. And those counties where I talked about, we're starting to see a rise. So we have to communicate that to people so they can make the right decision and that is to be careful," DeWine said.
WATCH:
9:26 a.m. ET, June 19, 2020
These US states are seeing their highest average of new daily Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started
From CNN’s Liz Stark
Visitors enjoy Siesta Key Beach as the sun sets over the Gulf of Mexico in Sarasota, Florida on June 17. Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
Eight US states are currently seeing their highest seven-day averages of new coronavirus cases per day since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to a CNN analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The eight states are: Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.
Below is information about each of those states. This data includes new cases reported by JHU through June 18:
Arizona
Arizona averaged about 1,740 new cases per day over the week ending June 18, up about 45% from the previous 7-day period.
JHU data shows a significant increase in new reported cases in Arizona yesterday.
California
California averaged about 3,387 new cases per day over the last week, but it’s important to note that the rate of new cases in the state isn’t increasing as quickly as in some of these other places. This seven-day average is up roughly 12% from the previous seven-day period.
The state saw an all-time high in new reported cases yesterday, according to state health officials. The officials attributed the large number of cases to an increase in testing capacity and delayed testing results coming in from an earlier period, CNN reported.
Florida
Florida averaged about 2,408 new cases per day over the last week, up approximately 90% from the previous 7-day period.
CNN reported that Florida saw its highest number of new reported cases in a single day yesterday, according to the state health department. JHU data also shows a significant increase in new reported cases in Florida yesterday.
Nevada
Nevada averaged about 242 new cases per day over the last week, up roughly 26% from the previous 7-day period.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma averaged about 247 new casesper day over the last week. This is up approximately 140% from the previous 7-day period.
Oklahoma saw a significant increase in new reported cases yesterday, according to JHU data.
South Carolina
South Carolina averaged about 727 new cases per day over the last week, which is an increase of about 26% from the previous 7-day period.
Texas
Texas averaged about 2,657 new cases per day over the last week, up approximately 54% from the previous 7-day period.
Utah
Utah averaged about 370 new cases per day over the last week.
But it’s important to note that even though this is the largest 7-day average of daily new cases for Utah, the percentage change is relatively flat – up just about 6% – from the previous 7-day period.
9:03 a.m. ET, June 19, 2020
Pence to lead 2nd coronavirus task force meeting of the week, a day before Trump's Tulsa rally
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
US Vice President Mike Pence attends a roundtable meeting on seniors with US President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, DC on June 15. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Vice President Mike Pence will lead a closed-door meeting of the coronavirus task force today, the second meeting of the task force this week. They also met on Wednesday.
The meeting comes one day before President Trump's first campaign rally since the coronavirus pandemic ground American life to a halt, and as state are seeing spikes in cases.
CNN's Sanjay Gupta has noted that health experts worry the Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma could become a “super-spreader” type of event. Oklahoma is seeing a steady increase in its average of new confirmed cases per day. According to a CNN analysis of Johns Hopkins University data.
Trump said in Wall Street Journal interview that he would not seek to replicate widespread Covid-19 testing if there was a similar reemergence of the virus in the US.
“I personally think testing is overrated,” Trump told the WSJ, adding that more testing in the US let to an increase in confirmed cases that “in many ways, it makes us look bad.” Again, as out health unit has pointed out, it's not the testing that causes the outbreaks.
9:03 a.m. ET, June 19, 2020
"I don't think we can scale back how we've opened," Palm Beach official says as Florida Covid-19 cases spike
From CNN's Health Gisela Crespo
CNN
Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said Friday she doesn't think her county will shut down ad Covid-19 cases increase in Florida, but hopes they will put more precautions in place as they continue to reopen.
"I don't think we can scale back how we've opened, but we can simply slow down how we move forward and put these precautions in place, like wearing a mask," McKinlay said during an interview Friday on CNN’s New Day.
Palm Beach County commissioners will discuss making masks mandatory for the public on Tuesday, according to McKinlay. "I'm hoping my colleagues will agree with some of us who've made that ask," she said.
McKinlay said the public's resistance to wearing masks in public may come down to virus fatigue. "Florida opened up very quickly," she told CNN's Alisyn Camerota. "I think people thought that that was a return to normal."
Other counties in the state have moved to make masks a requirement. Orange County, Florida, Mayor Jerry Demings signed an executive order on Thursday mandating face coverings in the county, according to a statement from Demings.
Health experts are concerned Florida shows signs of becoming the next coronavirus epicenter. Florida reported 3,207 additional coronavirus cases on Thursday — the largest single-day count in the state since the pandemic, according to the state health department.
8:42 a.m. ET, June 19, 2020
Ex-White House chief of staff says the number of coronavirus cases is not the “right metric”
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
CNN
As the number of coronavirus deaths in the US approaches 120,000, former acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney says the "raw number of cases" is not the right metric to use.
“The critical number is this: It’s the ratio between the number of people who need intensive care — who need hospitalization — and the capacity of our health care system,” Mulvaney told CNN’s Jim Sciutto.
Information about Covid-19 changes every day, and as testing increases, there are more cases, he said.
“I’m not trying to minimize what the disease is; I’m trying to put it in perspective,” he said.
In early March, President Trump announced he was replacing Mulvaney as his acting chief of staff. He now serves as US special envoy for Northern Ireland.
At the CPAC conference in February, Mulvaney said Trump’s opponents were capitalizing on growing coronavirus concerns. “They think this is what’s going to be what brings down the President. That’s what this is all about,” he said during the conference.
When asked by Sciutto if he was wrong, Mulvaney said that the information that the administration was receiving from the CDC did not indicate the widespread growth of coronavirus.
Back then, he said they were comparing the novel coronavirus to other coronaviruses — SARS and MERS — which largely did not affect the US.
