June 24 coronavirus news

By Julia Hollingsworth, Adam Renton, Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes, Zamira Rahim and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 12:02 a.m. ET, June 25, 2020
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12:40 p.m. ET, June 24, 2020

WHO: "Pandemic for many countries in the Americas has not peaked"

From CNN's Amanda Watts

Dr. Mike Ryan, World Health Organization executive director of the health emergencies program, said Wednesday that the Americas have not reached their coronavirus peak.

Particularly across Central and South America, Ryan said, “We've seen a steady and worrying continuation of trend — with many countries experiencing between 25% and 50% rise in cases over the last week.”

Ryan added many countries are still “suffering sustained community transmission.”

“Unfortunately, the pandemic for many countries in the Americas has not peaked. They are not reaching a low level of transmission within which we can achieve a sustainable exit from public health and social measures,” Ryan said at Wednesday's briefing.

Across the region, we will likely see a “sustained number of cases and continued deaths in the coming weeks,” he said.

Though Ryan said there is no way to predict the numbers, at this point the epidemic is “still intense” across a range of countries.

“I don't think anybody wants to go back to population-wide, society-wide lockdowns. But the only way, in some circumstances, to avoid that now is a very, very, very aggressive investment in our capacity to detect cases, confirm cases, quarantine contacts, and keep our communities onboard and willing — able without coercion — to support clear messaging and clear instructions and requests from government in a trusting environment,” Ryan said. 

12:24 p.m. ET, June 24, 2020

Yesterday marked the 3rd highest day for new coronavirus cases in the US

Yesterday marked the third highest number of new coronavirus cases reported in a single day in the US since the beginning of the pandemic 

This is based on the archive of numbers kept by Johns Hopkins University.

At least 34,720 cases were reported yesterday. The second highest number — 34,756 cases — was reported on April 9.

The highest number of new cases was reported on April 24, when at least 36,291 were recorded.

12:18 p.m. ET, June 24, 2020

WHO expects the world will reach 10 million coronavirus cases within the next week

From CNN's Amanda Watts

The World Health Organization expects the world will reach 10 million coronavirus cases within the next week.

“More than 9.1 million cases of Covid-19 have now been reported to WHO, and more than 470,000 deaths. In the first month of this outbreak, less than 10,000 cases were reported to WHO. In the last month, almost 4 million cases have been reported," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a briefing Wednesday.

He continued: “We expect to reach a total of 10 million cases within the next week. This is a sober reminder that even as we continue research into vaccines and therapeutics, we have an urgent responsibility to do everything we can with the tools we have now to suppress transmission and save lives.”

12:14 p.m. ET, June 24, 2020

New York currently has a 1.1% positivity rate, governor says

From CNN's Melanie Schuman

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said a non-political, statistic-based, phased reopening is the smart way to move forward.

“Now the proof is in the pudding because we’re seeing it all across the board. What New York is doing is counter to what you see across the nation. They are going up and we are going down,” Cuomo said, citing state statistics including a 1.1% positive rate.

There were 17 deaths Tuesday – 12 in hospitals and five in nursing homes in New York. That’s down from 27 the day before. There are 1,071 patients hospitalized, the lowest level New York has had since March 19, according to Cuomo.

More on the positivity rate: The state tested 51,444 people Tuesday, and had 581 positive cases, which is roughly 1.1%.

New York City is at 1.2%. Within the city itself, the Bronx is at 2.1 percent, the highest of all five boroughs. That’s an increase from 1.3 percent on Friday.

The Central New York region and Mohawk Valley Region at 2.3 percent.

Five regions across the state are expected to enter phase four by Friday. Indoor religious gatherings will be permitted in those regions with a capacity of 33% occupancy, a slight uptick from 25% currently.

Museums, higher education, professional sports can resume — all with limitations.

New York City, which began phase two earlier this week, is not among these regions nor is Long Island.

12:15 p.m. ET, June 24, 2020

More than 2,000 new Covid-19 cases reported in Iraq, health ministry says

From CNN’s Hamdi Alkhshali

A person sits by a tombstone at a cemetery for Covid-19 victims near the city of Najaf in Iraq on June 10.
A person sits by a tombstone at a cemetery for Covid-19 victims near the city of Najaf in Iraq on June 10. Ali Najafi/AFP/Getty Images

Iraq on Wednesday registered 2,200 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily tally recorded in the country since the pandemic began, according to the country's health ministry. Iraq now has a total of 36,702 cases of coronavirus.

The health ministry also reported 79 new Covid-19-related fatalities, bringing the total to 1,330 deaths across the country.

1:06 p.m. ET, June 24, 2020

After being on the front lines of Covid-19, this NYC paramedic is urging the public to wear a mask

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

New York paramedic Anthony Almojera urged the public to “just wear a mask,” saying the coronavirus is still circulating and the risk of exposure still remains high.

“We just went through hell trying to revive and take care of people and we don't want to go through it again,” FDNY EMS Lt. Almojera told CNN's Poppy Harlow.

Almojera also underlined the strain that Covid-19 has put on first responders.

“You felt every bit of that energy, and it took all of it out of you as a responder. To sit there and go into home after home trying to revive these people and console them; you know I always thought I had an unlimited amount of empathy. You know, as a paramedic, you have to have some of that, you think you have that. And Covid put that to the test. There is a limit," he said.

Almojera noted EMT workers have not just died from the coronavirus, bu he worries that the pandemic has also had mental health repercussions for first responders.

Two EMTs in New York have already committed suicide and others have expressed the desire to do so, he said.

“We're trying to manage [the coronavirus] crisis, and to have PTSD diagnosed, it takes 30 days after the event. We're not after the event. There's no time to heal," Almojera said.

Almojera adds that the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also needs to address better and equal pay for first responder.

“He's a mayor that preaches equality,” Almojera said. “We’re 54% minority, we're 38% women, we're the most diverse 911 workforce. You would think somebody who would preach equality and see the work that we do as a 911 service, with just the same dangers as the other two, would equalize us. That would be an easy win for him. It's the stroke of a pen.”

 “He can fix it tomorrow if he wanted to,” Almojera adds, saying that his EMT members come from the same minority communities that are adversely affected during the pandemic.

“The members I represent live in those communities. We live in East New York, Brooklyn and the Bronx and uptown and in Queens. We live here. We don't have the funds to buy a house in other places," he said.

Watch the interview:

12:03 p.m. ET, June 24, 2020

Arizona reports record number of daily Covid-19 deaths as hospital beds fill up

From CNN’s Konstantin Toropin

Arizona is reporting a record 79 new deaths from Covid-19 today, state data shows.

The 24-hour total is nearly double the previous high of 42 deaths in one day reported yesterday.

The record-breaking statistic comes on the heels of yesterday’s record high for new daily cases of the disease as well.

However, the state’s health agency does note that, since federal health officials have updated guidance for identifying Covid-19 deaths, the change “may cause the number of new deaths reported on our dashboard to increase more than expected for a few days.”

Arizona now says 88% of its ICU beds and 86% of its inpatient hospital beds are now in use as the state battles a surge in Covid-19 cases. Both are record highs since the state started reporting the statistics in late March.

Arizona’s Gov. Doug Ducey has said that he would not order a state-wide mask mandate. More than a dozen cities across the state, including Phoenix, the state’s largest city, have ordered residents to wear masks. 

However, it is unclear how or if these orders are being enforced.

 Phoenix’s mayor Kate Gallego, noted that “the goal of this policy is not to hand out citations,” in a statement released Monday. Phoenix Police also told CNN that they will “continue to lead with education” in a statement yesterday.

12:04 p.m. ET, June 24, 2020

New York governor: We don't want to see low Covid-19 numbers "reverse"

Gov. Andrew Cuomo makes an announcement in New York on June 24.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo makes an announcement in New York on June 24. NY1/Pool

Following his announcement that New York will institute a 14-day quarantine alongside New Jersey and Connecticut for travelers from states with high Covid-19 rates, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state's latest coronavirus deaths are about "as low as it's ever been" and he called the figures "great news."

The state reported 17 deaths yesterday, down from 27 reported on Monday.

The governor stressed that the state does not want to see these "numbers reverse."

"This is right about where the lowest numbers have ever been and again, that's more great news and again, we don't want to see these numbers reverse. The numbers of lives lost under three day average, again, is just about as low as it's ever been. All of the numbers are good. What we're doing works," Cuomo said.

He added that the state's approach to reopening following data "has been vindicated."

12:08 p.m. ET, June 24, 2020

These are the states currently included in the Northeast travel restrictions

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said any state that has a 10 people per 100,000 testing positive for coronavirus — or a 10% infection rate — will be subject to the newly imposed quarantine.

The numbers, which are on a seven-day rolling average, will be updated daily, so the states impacted could change day-to-day.

Today, there are nine states that meet the criteria for the 14-day quarantine. They are:

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Arizona
  • Florida
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Washington
  • Utah
  • Texas

WATCH: