June 25 coronavirus news

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a budget emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement from his office.

The state's budget has gone from a $21 billion surplus to a $54.3 billion deficit in a matter of months. It was decimated by the economic demands of the pandemic. 

The governor's proclamation clears the way for the state legislature to use a $16 billion rainy fund to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. Expenditures include personal protective equipment, medical equipment, and services to protect vulnerable populations.

California has been in a state of emergency since March 4 when the pandemic began to take hold in the state.

An appeals court has granted Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency stay to keep gyms in the state closed, court documents show. 

On June 19, a federal judge ruled that indoor gym facilities could reopen in the state after a lawsuit was filed by the League of Independent Fitness Facilities and Trainers (LIFFT). Whitmer appealed that ruling, court records show.  

“Today three Republican-appointed judges got it right: in the fight against a global pandemic, courts must give governors broad latitude to make quick, difficult decisions. The governor will continue to take the actions necessary to save lives,” a statement from the governor's office said.

Whitmer said she hopes to reopen gyms and other businesses during phase five by July 4, "if current trends continue," according her statement extending the state of emergency. 

Iraq on Thursday registered 2,437 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 39,193 cases of coronavirus. 

The health ministry also reported 107 new Covid-19-related fatalities, which is also the highest daily tally recorded in the country since the pandemic began, bringing the total to 1,437 deaths across the country. 

Portugal will bring back coronavirus stay at home orders for several areas of Lisbon, said Prime Minister António Costa on Thursday. 

The reinstated lockdown will apply to 19 boroughs in the Lisbon Metro Area, not including the capital city's downtown area, as local authorities fight a surge in Covid-19 infections in the city's outskirts.

Costa also announced that the rest of the country would continue to ease anti-coronavirus restrictions, transitioning from a "state of calamity" to a "state of alert," on July 1.

Several of President Trump’s campaign staffers are quarantining this week after attending his rally in Tulsa last weekend and interacting with several colleagues who later tested positive for coronavirus, CNN has learned.

After eight staffers tested positive, several of the campaign’s top officials decided to quarantine for the week instead of going into the office, two sources familiar told CNN. Staff had only recently returned to the office after months of working from home because of coronavirus restrictions. 

The fallout from Trump’s push to hold a rally with thousands of attendees has continued in the days since he returned from Tulsa. CNN reported last night that multiple Secret Service officers were also instructed to self-quarantine after two of their colleagues who were on site for the rally tested positive. 

Several of the campaign’s surrogates who traveled to Tulsa have also undergone coronavirus testing out of an abundance of caution, two sources said. Many of the surrogates — including lawmakers, former lawmakers and campaign advisers — traveled on a chartered plane together without wearing masks. Trump’s campaign had urged many of them to come so Trump could have a show of force for his return to the campaign trail. 

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser is urging residents to celebrate Fourth of July at home this year.

In a news conference Thursday morning, Bowser said that DC will still be in a public health crisis during the holiday, and that “our strong recommendation is that DC residents celebrate the Fourth of July at home or near their home in small gatherings.”

 “We have not eradicated the virus, we are still reporting new cases each day,” Bowser warned.

Although there has been a plateau in coronavirus cases, the government is “still not satisfied” with the number of cases, the mayor said. 

Bowser noted that the National Park service will still conduct the fireworks display at the National Mall, and that the District will continue to support the Park Service as they do yearly, but she added, “We hope that the crowds that come in non-pandemic years won’t materialize this year.” 

More measures — including road closures — for the firework display on the Mall will be announced next week.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced today that he will pause any further phases to reopen the state as Texas responds to the increase in Covid-19 cases. 

All businesses that were permitted to reopen under the previous phases can continue to operate at the level designated by the phase while still adhering to the minimum standard health protocols as stated by the Texas Department of State Health Services, according to a press release issued by the governor's office.

Here's what the governor said about the decision:

Where the state stands on reopening: Earlier this month, Abbott announced that the state was moving into its Phase III — meaning that "all businesses in Texas will be able to operate at up to 50% capacity, with very limited exceptions."

At least 29 states are seeing new coronavirus cases increase compared with the prior week. The nation's three most populous states — Texas, Florida and California —have set records for new Covid-19 cases.

CNN's John King reports that when it comes to the trajectory of the virus, other countries, including European Union nations, have had more success than the US in bringing the case numbers down. Meanwhile, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan, have flattened the curve.

Watch a break down of the latest US Covid-19 figures:

The Florida Department of Health is reporting at least 5,004 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the state's total to 114,018, according to data released on Thursday. 

Medical experts and elected officials have attributed Florida's rising numbers to a combination of more testing and more social contact as businesses reopen and, in recent weeks, to people's participation in large protests, although that has not been clearly established.

Watch CNN's Rosa Flores report on the ground from Florida: