New Jersey reports 156 new coronavirus cases and 18 deaths
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
The state of New Jersey reported an additional 156 positive cases of coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to at least 171,272.
The state reported 18 confirmed new Covid-19 deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to 13,138.
The daily positivity rate for June 25 was 1.92%, and “that is a good sign,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said.
The numbers “continue to fuel positive trends” but “only tell part of our story,” he said adding that he wants to continue to move down in ranking among US states with regards to patients in hospitals and death reports.
“Frankly, I'd never thought I’d say these words, if I could build a wall around us or around our region I would. But we cant so we have to rely on personal responsibility and the right behavior, the common sense for the common good," Murphy said.
Some context: Last week, the governors of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut announced a joint travel advisory asking people traveling to any of the three states from places where coronavirus cases are surging to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
3:14 p.m. ET, June 29, 2020
Vice President Pence talks to governors as Covid-19 cases surge across the country
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Washington, on June 26. Erin Scott/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Vice President Mike Pence spoke with the nation's governors today during a call regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a readout of the call, Pence "discussed best practices with our Nation’s governors on limiting the COVID-19 spread while keeping America open, including encouraging Americans to adhere to state and local guidelines and to wear face coverings when social distancing cannot be maintained.”
Dr. Deborah Birx, who joined the call from New Mexico, discussed “implementing tailored adjustments to reopening plans based on data, ensuring adequate hospital surge capacity, protecting the most vulnerable especially nursing home residents, deploying increased testing and resources to hot spots, and encouraging citizens follow social distancing guidelines.”
The readout echoes what many of the task force officials said at the task force briefing last Friday.
In addition to Pence and Birx, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Trump's economic adviser Larry Kudlow, Admiral Brett Giroir, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Rear Admiral John Polowczyk, and Eric Heighberger from the Federal Emergency Management Agency participated in the call.
3:00 p.m. ET, June 29, 2020
These Florida counties will close their beaches during July 4 weekend
From CNN's Allison Flexner
Beachgoers take advantage of the opening of South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, on June 10. Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images
Florida beaches from Palm Beach to Key West will be closed for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Here are the counties that have announced closures:
Monroe County
Monroe County, along with all municipalities in the Florida Keys, will be closing beaches beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, through the morning of Tuesday, July 7, according to Monroe County Public Information Officer Kristen Livengood.
The city of Key West said in a statement that its beach closure is being done “to avoid large crowds gathering during this Covid-19 pandemic. The closure dovetails with that of Monroe County’s beaches to help send a clear message of safety.”
In that statement, Key West city officials added that masks will be required inside establishments, though they can be removed – once people are seated – to eat in a complying restaurant. Masks are also required outdoors when people are unable to remain six feet from others, such as walking down a crowded sidewalk.
Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez says all beaches and parks in the county will close this Friday, through Tuesday, July 7. He warned the closure could be extended if conditions don't improve and people don't follow rules designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Broward County
Deputy County Administrator Monica Cepero issued an Emergency Order 20-19, which officially closes the beaches from 12:01 a.m. on Friday through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. The order also clearly identifies the entities authorized to enforce the closure and sets forth consequences for non-compliance, including civil and criminal penalties.
Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner told CNN on Sunday that he will also be issuing an order to close beaches under his jurisdiction.
"In consultation with our county administrator, we will be issuing an order tomorrow, tomorrow morning, that will close the Palm Beach County beaches throughout the entirety of the county for the holiday weekend," Kerner said.
"It is an unfortunate result, but public health remains the focus of the elected leaders of Palm Beach County," Kerner added. "Unfortunately, this Fourth of July will not be spent at the beach."
Kerner’s office tells CNN the closures will be from Friday until Sunday.
2:47 p.m. ET, June 29, 2020
New Jersey will "hit pause" on indoor dining for foreseeable future, governor says
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday the state “must hit pause” on the resumption of indoor dining, which was set to resume Thursday.
“Under our revised plan indoor dining will now be reset to resume at a later date to be determined," Murphy said.
The state does not want to experience spikes similar to what has been happening across the US. The governor said it brings him “no joy” to do this.
The “national situation compounded by instances of knucklehead behavior here at home are requiring us to hit pause on the restart of indoor dining for the foreseeable future," Murphy said.
The governor mentioned some instances in which establishments across the state have seen “overcrowding” and a “complete disregard for social distancing” and “very few, if any, face coverings.”
“Compliance is not a polite suggestion, it is required," Murphy said.
The governor also said shopping malls opened Monday to limited capacity as the state prepares for the reopening of outdoor amusement centers as well on Thursday along with indoor recreational facilities and museums and libraries.
2:45 p.m. ET, June 29, 2020
Vermont governor says he will not make masks mandatory right now
From CNN’s Joe Youorski
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott speaks during a press conference in Montpelier, Vermont, on March 13. Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/The Times Argus/AP
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said he does not want to issue a mask mandate right now.
Speaking at a news conference, Scott said enforcement has proven difficult in states that have made masks mandatory. He said he instead wanted to focus on education and guidance to get more people wearing face coverings and maintain physical distancing.
What the numbers say: The state has 1,208 total cases of Covid-19 and 56 deaths to date. There have been six new cases of Covid-19 in Vermont since yesterday, according to the state's online Covid-19 dashboard.
Both the governor and Dr. Mark Levine of the state health department said they are confident in Vermont's current approach to containing and mitigating coronavirus.
2:38 p.m. ET, June 29, 2020
Here are the latest coronavirus updates from Chile
From CNN's Ingrid Formanek
A healthcare worker holds a sample of a nasal swab after testing a passenger at a drive-thru new coronavirus testing site outside a supermarket in Santiago, Chile, on June 27. Esteban Felix/AP
Chile reported a total of 4,017 new cases of Covid-19 Monday, according to figures published by the country’s Ministry of Health on Monday.
The total number of infections since the start of the pandemic stands at 275,999, with 34,270 of those being active cases, the ministry’s figures show.
The 66 new deaths were reported Monday, according to the statistics.
Speaking at the government’s daily coronavirus briefing, Chile’s Health Minister Enrique Paris said the country is “maintaining a trend of emerging improvement.” In recent days, he has praised the “sacrifices” made by Chileans, saying their efforts are starting to show.
Chile has the third highest number of Covid-19 cases in Latin America.
2:27 p.m. ET, June 29, 2020
Here's how MLB will conduct its upcoming season
From CNN's David Close
People sit on a hill overlooking Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on what was supposed to be Major League Baseball's opening day, on March 26. Mario Tama/Getty Images
Major League Baseball revealed Monday a sampling of the unique on-field rules and procedures teams will adhere to starting this week. Players and staff are required to report to their teams this Wednesday.
Here are some of the guidelines:
MLB is encouraging players to not socialize or come within six feet of each other during games this upcoming season.
The league is banning spitting of any kind with chewing gum permitted as an alternative.
MLB says all personnel will be required to complete Covid-19 screening and testing before entering club facilities. Clubs can begin full workouts starting Friday with Opening Day games on either July 23 or 24.
The league has told all 30 clubs that they must submit coronavirus health and safety action plans for league approval.
Clubs are also being told that they need to physically expand dugout and bullpen spaces at their respective ballparks.
As for players socializing, the statement says that players on opposite teams should "not socialize, fraternize, or come within six feet of each other before the game, during warm-ups, in between innings, or after the game.”
New non-traditional rules will be in place when the season starts including the addition of a designated hitter in the National League and placing a runner on second base at the start of each teams’ extra-inning frame.
2:25 p.m. ET, June 29, 2020
Cirque du Soleil to file for bankruptcy due to coronavirus shutdown
From CNN’s Konstantin Toropin
Performers hold hands in 'One Night For One Drop' by Cirque Du Soleil in Las Vegas, on March 18, 2016. Mediapunch/Shutterstock
Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal-based entertainment company and one of the largest circus companies in the world, has announced it will file for bankruptcy protection in Canada and the US, according to a statement on the company’s website.
“With zero revenues since the forced closure of all of our shows due to Covid-19, management had to act decisively to protect the Company’s future,” Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, said in the statement.
As part of their restructuring plans, the troupe plans to fire about 3,480 previously furloughed employees following the halt in revenue caused by the government-mandated shutdowns in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The company says it currently employs “4,000 people, including 1,300 artists, who originate from nearly 50 countries” on its official website.
Cirque du Soleil has also received $300 million in new funding in an effort to "support a successful restart, provide relief for Cirque du Soleil's affected employees and partners, and assume certain of the company's outstanding liabilities," the statement said.
The company also hopes to raise at least $20 million from its largest backers through a "stalking horse" bid.
2:10 p.m. ET, June 29, 2020
Antiviral drug combo doesn't help coronavirus patients, UK study shows
From CNN's Maggie Fox
A combination of two HIV drugs did not help hospitalized patients better recover from coronavirus infections, UK researchers reported Monday.
The combination of lopinavir and ritonavir is being tested by several groups, but preliminary results from a large, ongoing UK study called the Recovery trial found the antiviral drugs did not help patients hospitalized for treatment for Covid-19.
How the study worked: The Recovery trial team had randomly assigned about 1,600 patients to get the combination, and compared them to 3,400 patients who got the usual care alone.
“There was no significant difference in the primary endpoint of 28-day mortality,” the team wrote on the Recovery website. About 22% of patients who got the two drugs died, compared to 21% of those who did not.
“There was also no evidence of beneficial effects on the risk of progression to mechanical ventilation or length of hospital stay,” the team added.
“Today, the trial Steering Committee concluded that there is no beneficial effect of lopinavir-ritonavir in patients hospitalized with Covid-19 and closed randomization to that treatment arm," they said.
What the study found: The results held among different subgroups of patients.
“These data convincingly rule out any meaningful mortality benefit of lopinavir-ritonavir in the hospitalized Covid-19 patients we studied,” the team concluded. “We were unable to study a large number of patients on invasive mechanical ventilation because of difficulty administering the drug to patients on ventilators. As such, we cannot make conclusions about the effectiveness in mechanically ventilated patients. Full results will be made available as soon as possible. “
The same study has found that hydroxychloroquine did not help coronavirus patients and found that the steroid dexamethasone did help.
