July 2 coronavirus news

An ensemble forecast published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now projects nearly 148,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States by July 25.

This week’s national forecast relies on 24 individual forecasts from outside institutions and researchers. The new projections, published Thursday, forecast 147,865 deaths by July 25, with a possible range of about 139,000 to 161,000 deaths.

“For other states, the number of new deaths is expected to be similar to the number seen in the previous four weeks or to decrease slightly," the forecast adds.

Unlike some individual models, the CDC’s ensemble forecast only offers projections for the next month. The previous ensemble forecast, published last Wednesday, projected about 139,000 coronavirus deaths by July 18.

According to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases in the United States, at least 128,574 people have died in the US from coronavirus so far.

Peru's health ministry reported 185 new Covid-19 deaths on Thursday, bringing the country’s total to at least 10,045.

The ministry also reported 3,527 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the nationwide total to at least 292,004.

However, the ministry said that Thursday marks the sixth consecutive day when the number of people who have been discharged from hospitals is higher than the number of new cases. During the six-day period, a total of 22,291 people were discharged, the ministry said. 

"Peru today recorded one of its best dates in the fight against the pandemic," the ministry said in a statement. "This data confirms that although the spread of the new coronavirus continues, it is becoming smaller on a smaller scale" due to the efforts by authorities. 

The ministry said the trend indicates the measures adopted by the government to stop the spread of the virus are beginning to show a positive impact in controlling the pandemic.

Peru's Medical College reported on Thursday that at least 70 doctors have died from the virus in the country and 2,062 have been infected.

Miami, Florida, Mayor Francis Suarez said he is "extremely concerned" about the spread of coronavirus during the Fourth of July weekend if people don't take precautions.

Suarez said the city has seen cases spike after big weekends like Memorial Day and high school and college graduations. He said the city is taking measures to prevent that from happening again.

Suarez added that contact tracers have also found that the virus has been spreading from house parties. He said he agreed with Dr. Deborah Birx's recommendation earlier today that all Florida residents who attended mass gatherings get tested – even if they don't have symptoms.

"I absolutely would urge them to do that. I think what happens often times is we're seeing a lot, anecdotally, of one person getting sick and then the entire household gets sick," he said.

"I absolutely think that's a very wise decision for everyone to get tested," he added.

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The University of Alabama is responding to reports of so-called "Covid parties," saying it has been aware of the rumors "for weeks."

The university said it has conducted an investigation, but it was not able to identify any students who may have participated, according to a statement.

"Our students want a return to on-campus instruction and the extracurricular opportunities they enjoy, and we fully expect them to safeguard their personal health and safety and that of everyone at the university and in our city," the statement said.

The university added it is committed to the safety and well-being of the community and will enforce rules about on-campus activities "stringently" as well as follow up on any more information they receive.

The statement said the university plans to test all students before they return to campus.

Some background: Tuscaloosa City Council member Sonya McKinstry said at a meeting Tuesday that Fire Chief Randy Smith confirmed with local doctors that young people in the city are throwing parties with a payout if they catch coronavirus.

McKinstry said that tickets are sold to the party – and people that are Covid positive are invited. The goal is to be the first person to be confirmed by a doctor to have coronavirus, and you win the money made off the ticket sales.  

McKinstry says that there have been several parties in the city and surrounding area over the last three weeks, and probably more they don’t know about.

The average number of new coronavirus cases in San Francisco has doubled, according to the health department.

Comparing averages from June 13 to June 27, the average daily count of new cases has gone from 24 to 54.

Similarly, hospitalizations in San Francisco have increased more than 50%. Included in that rise are 18 patients transferred from San Quentin State Prison, and Fresno and Imperial counties. 

San Francisco Mayor London Breed said she has paused the city’s plans to reopen further, which was originally slated for June 29.

An 11-year-old boy from Miami-Dade County is the youngest person to die from Covid-19 complications, according to the Florida Department of Health. 

According to the latest health records, he is the third minor in Florida to die of complications from the virus. The others were a 16-year-old girl in Lee County and a 17-year-old boy in Pasco County. 

Records show the 11-year-old fatality is not a travel-related case but it's unclear if the child recently had close contact with anyone who had Covid-19. 

The latest numbers: As of last Friday, about 7,000 young people in Florida have tested positive for novel coronavirus.

Vice President Mike Pence said he’s heard “very sophisticated plans” to make sure the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida is a “safe and healthy environment” when it convenes late next month. 

Speaking at a news conference with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida on Thursday, Pence was asked if people in vulnerable populations should stay home and skip the RNC. He didn’t directly answer yes or no.  

“Our job right now is to do everything in our power to support the efforts of your governor and the people of Florida to bring these numbers down, and I believe we can,” Pence added.

Some context: The Florida Department of Health is reporting at least 10,109 additional coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the state total to approximately 169,106, according to data released by the state.

Thursday's data marks a new record daily high of infections in Florida since the start of the pandemic. 

Admiral Dr. Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health for the US Department of Health and Human Services, told the the House Select Committee on Coronavirus that “four states are counting for about 50% of our new cases, and they're very concerning to all in public health.” 

Those states are California, Arizona, Texas and Florida – who all posted record new cases this week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced pools across the state can open this Fourth of July weekend with some restrictions, according to a statement.

Pool capacity will be limited to 50% and the governor encourages pool-goers to practice social distancing and to respect the rules, the statement said.

"As we are getting ready to celebrate the Fourth of July, we must remember all the sacrifices New Yorkers have made to flatten the curve of the pandemic and be cautious in everything we do," Cuomo said. 

Cuomo said swimmers should wear a mask if they are not in a pool and cannot socially distance.

Visitors will also be asked to sign-in with contact information to make potential contact tracing easier, capacity will be limited to 50% and there can't be more than 10 people in a group, the statement said.

Arkansas is reporting 878 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, Dr. Nate Smith, the state's Department of Health secretary, said during a news conference on Thursday.

That’s the most Covid-19 cases the state has reported in a single day since the pandemic began, Smith said.

What the numbers looks like: At least 22,075 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state and at least 279 people have died from the virus, the health department said.