July 1 coronavirus news

California, the most populous US state and the first to implement a statewide lockdown to combat the coronavirus outbreak, continues to set records in cases.

The governor of the Golden State, who ordered bars in seven counties to close over the weekend, said he will announce more restrictions today.

As New York's daily case count continues to decline, California's numbers are going up.

The state currently has the second highest number of cases in the country with more than 222,000 coronavirus cases — about half of which are in Los Angeles County. On Tuesday, the state announced 6,367 cases, the second highest total for the state since the pandemic began.

Here is how California's cases and deaths compare to other states:

Here is how California and New York compare in total confirmed cases:

Los Angeles County has especially been hard-hit. Here is how the county's cases compare to other parts of the state:

US stocks bounced higher today on reports that drug maker Pfizer reported “positive data” from a Covid-19 vaccine trial, which led futures to turn positive just ahead of the opening bell.

Here's how the market opened:

Remember: It’s a shortened trading week, with the stock market closed for the Independence Day holiday on Friday. 

Ahead of the end of the week, investors will be focused on the jobs report, as well as jobless claims numbers, which will be released simultaneously tomorrow morning.

Switzerland will introduce mandatory masks on all public transport in the country as of next week, the Swiss Federal Council announces.

This is a step up from mask-wearing during rush-hour, the website of the council says.

Anyone 12 years old and older will have to wear the masks. 

Vice President Mike Pence is traveling to Phoenix, Arizona, today to meet with Gov. Doug Ducey about the state’s recent rise in coronavirus cases.

Cases have been spiking in Arizona, and last week, Ducey said the state's reopening plans are now “on pause” as a result. Ducey closed bars, gyms, movie theaters, water parks and tubing for at least 30 days. 

The latest numbers: Arizona has reported nearly 80,000 cases of coronavirus since the pandemic began and more than 1,600 deaths.

And here's a look at the new daily case counts in the state: 

Iraq on Wednesday registered 2,415 new coronavirus cases, according to the country's health ministry. 

Iraq now has more than 51,000 cases of coronavirus, according to the health ministry.

The health ministry also reported 107 new Covid-19-related deaths, which is also the highest daily tally recorded in the country since the pandemic began.

Officials in California and Florida — two states where coronavirus cases are jumping — are taking different approaches toward reopening amid spikes in infections. Both states saw their highest 7-day averages for new daily cases Monday, per John Hopkins University data.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told the reporters that there's no going back to stricter measures, meanwhile California Gov. Gavin Newsom hinted that on Wednesday he'll tighten restrictions this Independence Day weekend, especially at beaches.

As the holiday weekend looms, Newsom warned that family gatherings — where households tend to let down their guards mixing with extended family — are the greatest concern.

"It's not just bars, not just out in the streets with people protesting, and the like," Newsom said.

Newsom ordered bars in seven counties to close over the weekend and said he will announce more restrictions today.

Newsom has repeatedly promised that reopening the state comes with the ability to "toggle back" if necessary.

Responding to a reporter's question about the beaches being closed in Los Angeles County for the Independence Day weekend, the governor hinted that state beaches could be part of his announcement.

In Florida, DeSantis assured reporters that his state can deal with the uptick in cases and it's not necessary to shut down shops and restaurants.

DeSantis' message to Floridians, particularly the younger ones: Protect the vulnerable.

"You have a responsibility not to come into close contact with folks who could be more vulnerable," he said.

Here's how the seven-day average of new cases in California compares to Florida:

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says there is no plan at this time for a statewide mandate for face masks. 

During a press conference on Wednesday, Kemp said the issue of mask mandates is being "over politicized." The governor says they shouldn't need a mandate for people to do the right thing.

Kemp said he will continue to monitor the data on Covid-19 infections across the state, however he doesn't think a mandate will be necessary. 

However, while there's no mandate, Kemp is asking people to wear masks: The governor said he is traveling around the state today to encourage people to wear a mask when they're in public. He's also urging them to socially distance and wash.

Read which states are requiring people to wear masks when out in public here.

Surges in new Covid-19 infections have paused or rolled back reopening plans in at least 19 states as the nation's top infectious disease doctor offered a bleak warning: Americans need to take sensible measures to curb the spread or risk seeing 100,000 new cases a day.

Turning it around will take a coordinated, collaborative effort, he said at the hearing, not the "disparate responses" the nation has shown so far.

Only two US states — New Jersey and Rhode Island — are showing a downward trend in cases compared to the last week while at least 37 states have seen an increase in cases. At least 12 states of those states are seeing a 50% or more increase in cases.

Here's where cases are increasing across the US:

Peyton Chesser, a 23-year-old Texas resident who recently recovered from coronavirus, says she thinks the state opened too soon, and it’s been a challenge to sift through conflicting messages about the virus from federal and state officials.

“For me, it was hard to decide what is appropriate if some states are completely locked down and my state is almost operating at full capacity, it was hard to know exactly where the line stood, just because there was so much conflicting information that I was receiving," she added. 

Chesser said she doesn’t know exactly how she contracted the virus, as she largely stayed home and followed guidelines for months.

She said she was sick for about eight days, and she experienced a sore throat, skin sensitivity and a cough. She lost her sense of smell and taste about four days into the virus, but she never experienced a high fever while she was sick.

As the state has experienced a jump in cases, Gov. Greg Abbott has closed bars in an attempt to prevent large crowds from congregating.

“I think taking a step back has made a lot of other people realize how serious it really is. And so my message to everyone in general is just do your part and take care of everyone in the community,” Chesser said.