June 23 coronavirus news

President Trump is visiting Arizona today, despite ongoing concerns about an uptick in coronavirus cases in the state.

He will be participating in a border security roundtable in Yuma and head to a section of the border wall. Later in the day, he will be participating in an indoor rally in Phoenix.

Arizona is seeing a rise in new reported cases compared to the previous week, according to John Hopkins University data. Arizona is reporting 3,591 new cases of Covid-19 as well as 42 deaths from the disease over the last 24 hours, state data shows.

Today’s numbers are a new record high for both new daily cases and deaths since the state started posting data publicly in mid-March.

Arizona is also reporting that it conducted 15,940 new tests for the infection in the last 24 hours.

The state has been battling a surge in Covid-19 cases and had nine days in the last two weeks where there were more than 1,500 new cases being reported by Arizona’s Department of Health Services.

The state has also been reporting that more than 80% of its available intensive care hospital beds have been in use since last week.

Last Wednesday, Gov. Doug Ducey announced that the state would allow local communities to require masks in public if they choose, but would not issue a statewide order.

The coronavirus pandemic is more likely to lead to a baby bust in the United States rather than a baby boom, possibly leaving the nation with about half a million fewer births than otherwise would be expected, experts at the Brookings Institution and nonprofit March of Dimes predict.

Researchers at Brookings in Washington, DC examined data from previous economic studies on fertility in the United States during the recession of 2007-2009 and the 1918 influenza pandemic. After analyzing that data, along with other factors such as job losses during the coronavirus pandemic, the researchers predicted in a report published last week that the United States could see a drop of around 300,000 to 500,000 births due to Covid-19.

Dr. Rahul Gupta, chief medical and health officer at March of Dimes in New York, told CNN on Monday that he and his colleagues have come to a similar conclusion.

"When we started to do the math, we looked at the 1918 pandemic -- as did Brookings -- and we saw that there was about a 10% drop in fertility about nine to 10 months after peak mortality," Gupta said, "A drop in 10% or 15% or 20% in the next few years could really spell trouble."

According to the Brookings Institution, data from the recession suggests that the US birth rate dropped from about 69 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 2007 to 63 births per 1,000 women in 2012 -- marking a decline of about 9% or roughly 400,000 fewer births.

The Brookings team also found that in 1918, each spike in deaths due to the flu pandemic led an otherwise steady birth rate to fall roughly 21 births per 1,000 -- representing a 12.5% decline.

They also noted that the uncertainty and anxiety associated with the coronavirus pandemic, job losses and to some extent physical distancing, could play a role in a further decline of births. This is something that Gupta, a specialist in internal medicine and preventive medicine, said he has seen among his own patients.

"As I see my patients, I see more and more demands on family planning and contraceptives and other things, coupled with the economic forces and people losing their jobs," Gupta said, adding that the lives of many of his patients changed drastically, as they not only had to work from home but their home lives became hectic with their children having to stay home too.

This new research has some limitations, including that the findings are based on comparisons with two previous events and might not reflect the real nuances of the current coronavirus pandemic. "Some of these estimates are also dependent on what happens next," Gupta said. 

"For example, the fear factor could be addressed with a robust plan and call to action that prevents a second wave of Covid infections this fall. On the other hand, if you do get several waves like we saw in 1918, the situation could be even worse," Gupta said. "This pandemic and our response to it and the trust of the public in its government could have a consequential, long-term impact."

See full report from the Brookings Institution here.

New Jersey has seen an increase in the percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 between the ages of 18 and 29, state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said Tuesday.

In April that age group represented 12% of the state’s cases. This month they represent 22% of the cases.

Persichilli noted that while some of the increase can be attributed to increased testing, the trend was still concerning, and especially in light of the videos of large gatherings over the weekend along the Jersey Shore and at a bar in northern New Jersey. 

The Oklahoma City Fire Department reported Tuesday that 10 firefighters tested positive for Covid-19 and 55 have been placed into quarantine.

In total, 13 firefighters have tested positive since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the department. Oklahoma City employs nearly 1,000 firefighters.

The department said that seven of the nearly 650 firefighters who have been tested have had a positive antibody test. 

California is breaking records again, this time setting yet another daily high for confirmed coronavirus cases with at least 5,019 recorded Monday. This is the fourth daily case record in the state over the past week, according to data provided by California Department of Public Health.

Hospitalizations are also at their highest to date for confirmed cases, with more than 3,700 people currently receiving in-patient treatment. Those in intensive care — nearly 1,200 patients — are just below the all-time high for California which was recorded in April.

More than 3.4 million people have been tested for Covid-19 in California to date, and about 4.9% of those have tested positive for the virus.

More than 183,000 people in California have contracted coronavirus and more than 5,500 have died as a result, the data shows.

Amusement parks and water parks can open at 50% capacity in New Jersey on July 2, Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Tuesday, including the rides on boardwalks along the Jersey Shore.

Face coverings will be required for all staffs and attendees at the parks where practical.

Playgrounds will also be allowed to reopen on July 2. State officials will provide their timeline for the return of indoor recreation tomorrow, the governor said. 

Murphy warned that if businesses do not take proper precautions and the numbers continue to tick up, he will respond accordingly — though he did not announce any specific actions. 

The numbers: New Jersey reported 382 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday. The statewide total is now 169,734.

The state reported 57 new deaths on Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 12,914. Nearly half of those reported deaths — 6,248 — continue to be in long-term care facilities. 

England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, says he expects a “significant” amount or coronavirus to be circulating until at least 2021.

“I would be surprised and delighted if we weren't in this current situation through the winter and into next spring,” he said Tuesday in a press conference in Downing Street.

The UK Government today announced that in England, the two-meter social distancing rule is being reduced to one meter. However Professor Whitty says people should still maintain two meters where possible.

“A lot of the changes are about emphasizing things that we can do and it is really critical that individuals and firms take these really seriously,” he said, referring to mitigation strategies like avoiding sitting face-to-face.

“Because if we don't take them seriously then chains of transmission between households will be re-established.”

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) reported 1,356 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 51,595. 

There were 17 new deaths reported today, bringing the statewide total to 3,021.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said on Monday that due to the increase of positive cases, the state will stay in phase two for an additional 28 days. 

Middlebury College in Vermont will require strict testing and quarantining protocols for students upon arrival to campus as part of its initial decisions for the fall 2020 semester.

All students have to complete a 14-day quarantine at home before traveling to campus for their assigned move in date, according to a letter sent to the Middlebury community on Monday from President Laurie Patton. 

In partnership with Broad Institute, a medical research institution based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, all Middlebury students will go into "room quarantine" and will be tested for Covid-19 twice — once upon arrival to campus and a second time after seven days.

"Meals will be delivered to dorms during the quarantine period. Students will not be able to leave their rooms except to use the bathroom, get their meals from the dorm delivery point, or in case of a medical emergency," said Patton.

If students test negative, they will go from "room quarantine" to "campus quarantine," and can move around campus, while still following all physical distancing and safety protocols in place.

"However, for the health and safety of everyone, students will not be permitted to leave campus during this time," according to the plan.

The small liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, will also adjust its fall calendar to allow for a minimal amount of people coming and going from campus. The fall semester will begin on September 8, fall break will be canceled, and on-campus classes will end before the Thanksgiving holiday, with the final week of class and exams conducted remotely.

"This coming semester at Middlebury must be one of discipline and vigilance, without the same open boundaries and without many of the activities we are used to," said Patton.

Read more about the college's announcement here.