Coronavirus pandemic: Updates from around the world

By Helen Regan, Jenni Marsh and Zamira Rahim, CNN

Updated 3:35 p.m. ET, June 21, 2020
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2:40 p.m. ET, June 21, 2020

Covid-19 cases in Arizona have nearly doubled in 2 weeks

From CNN's Melissa Alonso

Arizona health officials reported 2,592 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the statewide total to 52,390, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services website.  

Arizona's coronavirus cases have nearly doubled in 14 days. On June 7, the state reported 26,989 total cases, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally.  

There have been 1,339 coronavirus related deaths in the state since the start of the pandemic, Arizona's health website said.  

2:30 p.m. ET, June 21, 2020

Trump administration is preparing for possible second wave of Covid-19, adviser says

From CNN's Austen Bundy

CNN
CNN

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said the Trump administration is preparing for the possibility that a second wave of Covid-19 could hit the US in the fall. 

Navarro told CNN that the administration is “filling the stockpile in anticipation of a possible problem in the fall. We are doing everything we can beneath the surface, working as hard as we possibly can.”

“You prepare for what can possibly happen. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but of course you prepare," Navarro said regarding the chance of a second wave.

2:17 p.m. ET, June 21, 2020

Connecticut reports 40 new Covid-19 cases and 9 additional deaths

From CNN's Sheena Jones

The state of Connecticut has reported 40 additional Covid-19 cases and nine new deaths related to the virus, according to a statement from Gov. Ned Lamont’s office. 

Connecticut has a total of 45,755 Covid-19 cases and 4,260 deaths, the governor's office said.

1:53 p.m. ET, June 21, 2020

Italy records lowest increase in coronavirus deaths since the beginning of March

From CNN’s Nicola Ruotolo

Italy has recorded its lowest daily increase in deaths amongst coronavirus patients since March 2, the country’s Civil Protection Agency confirmed Sunday, with 24 additional deaths registered in the last 24 hours.

According to the latest data, the national coronavirus death toll now stands at 34,634, while the total number of active cases has fallen by 240 since Saturday, now totaling 20,972.  

2:19 p.m. ET, June 21, 2020

New York City will enter phase 2 of reopening on Monday, officials say

From CNN's Sheena Jones

A restaurant serves drinks to customers outside on Saturday, June 20, as New York City prepares for phase two of reopening.
A restaurant serves drinks to customers outside on Saturday, June 20, as New York City prepares for phase two of reopening. Cindy Ord/Getty Images

New York City is on track to enter phase two of Covid-19 reopening on Monday, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and spokesperson Freddi Goldstein.

The state continues to be “on the right path toward defeating the virus,” the governor said in a news release, noting that the state saw less than 1% positivity rate for the virus in the tests conducted Saturday.

"The Covid-19 pandemic isn't over, and as we reopen New York safely and incrementally, the state government will continue to provide timely information so that New Yorkers can make educated decisions for themselves and their families," the governor said.

New York state added 664 coronavirus cases, had 1,142 hospitalizations and 15 deaths across the state on June 21.

1:17 p.m. ET, June 21, 2020

Oklahoma's Tulsa County reports new daily high for coronavirus cases

From CNN's Melissa Alonso

Tulsa County, Oklahoma, reported a new record for daily coronavirus infections on Sunday, according to the county's health website. 

There were 143 new coronavirus cases reported in Tulsa County in the past 24 hours, the website said. 

This is the fifth day in a row the county has reported a new daily high for coronavirus cases in the county.

On Saturday, Tulsa County reported 136 new cases in a 24-hour period.

There are now 875 current active cases and 2,349 total cases in Tulsa County, the county's health website said. 

Oklahoma State Department of Health reported 478 new coronavirus cases in the state on Sunday. The total number of the positive cases now stands at 10,515, according to the state health website.  

Trump campaign rally: President Trump held his first rally since the coronavirus pandemic began on Saturday in the Oklahoma city where the 1921 Tulsa race massacre left up to 300 Black residents dead and the Black Greenwood District in ruins.

Thousands of people, many wearing MAGA hats and waving American flags, arrived at Tulsa's Bank of Oklahoma Center arena, while a group of protesters chanted "Black lives matter" near one of the site's entrances.

Six staffers working on the Tulsa event have tested positive for the virus, the Trump campaign said Saturday.

People attending the rally on Saturday were not required to wear masks and agreed to a disclaimer that states they acknowledge the "inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present."

12:39 p.m. ET, June 21, 2020

China halts poultry imports from Tyson Foods after reports of coronavirus cases among workers

From CNN’s Philip Wang and Hira Humayun

Chicken manufactured by Tyson Foods is seen at a supermarket in Shanghai in 2019.
Chicken manufactured by Tyson Foods is seen at a supermarket in Shanghai in 2019. Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

China halted poultry imports from top meat processor Tyson Foods on Sunday after hundreds of Tyson workers in the US tested positive for coronavirus.

On Friday, Tyson released a statement saying a total of 693 workers in the US were tested positive in coronavirus.

“Of the 3,748 team members who were tested onsite, 481 or 13% tested positive – of whom 455 or nearly 95% were asymptomatic – with wide variations among the percentage of positive cases at these facilities. This is in addition to 212 positive cases among team members identified by the Department of Health or when seeking care through their own health care providers," a statement from Tyson said.

China’s General Administration of Customs said imports of frozen chicken from Tyson Foods have been "temporarily suspended.” Products from the firm that have already arrived in China will be confiscated.

Authorities in China are moving swiftly to contain the second wave of coronavirus outbreak.

As of Sunday, Beijing has confirmed 227 coronavirus cases that have been traced to the city's Xinfadi market.

11:01 a.m. ET, June 21, 2020

More than 3,000 new Covid-19 cases reported in Florida on Sunday

From CNN's Melissa Alonso

The Florida Department of Health has reported 3,494 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the state total to 97,291, according to new data. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said cases are "shifting in a radical direction" toward populations in their 20s and 30s.

On Saturday, one day prior, reported cases were the highest for a single day in the state with 4,049, according to to the Florida Department of Health. 

10:27 a.m. ET, June 21, 2020

Ongoing issues with Covid-19 test is "not a joke," expert says 

From CNN's Wes Bruer

CNN
CNN

Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, says that President Trump’s comments on slowing down Covid-19 testing is very consistent with the White House’s policy in managing the virus, despite the administration’s claims the comments were a “joke.”

“This is incredibly frustrating for the millions of Americans who have gotten sick and have not been able to get tests. It’s got to be incredibly frustrating for people who’ve lost families in nursing homes, because we haven’t been able to test nursing home residents and workers, or meatpacking plant workers. This is unfortunately not a joke,” Jha told CNN on Sunday.

Jha said that the US death toll of more than 100,000 is largely due to the lack of Covid-19 testing infrastructure.

On Saturday: Trump, speaking at a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, said that when you increase testing for Covid-19, you find more cases.

“So I said to my people, slow down the testing, please,” Trump told the crowd.

After Trump made the comment, an administration official told CNN that the president was “obviously kidding” when he said that he asked for a slowdown in coronavirus testing.

Trump’s comments, Jha pointed out, come as many parts of the country are experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases.

“We have to remember, we are [in the] early days of this pandemic. Not only is it not fading out — this will be with us for at least another 12 months, and that’s the most optimistic scenario for having a vaccine,” Jha said.