July 3 coronavirus news

North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services reported 2,099 new cases of coronavirus Friday, the state's highest single-day increase in new cases, according to a tweet from the agency.

Hospitalizations are also at a record high in the state, the tweet said. A statement from the agency said that 951 people are currently hospitalized. 

Here's a look at how the state's number of new cases have progressed, according to data from Johns Hopkins University:

At least 158 cases of coronavirus have been linked to one bar in East Lansing, Michigan, according to Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail. 

Two weeks ago, the number was just two cases, she told CNN’s Kate Bolduan. 

Crowding, shouting, long lines and drinking came “together into just a perfect storm,” Vail said.

These types of bar outbreaks are then spilling into graduation parties and summer gatherings. Vail said that 70% of new coronavirus cases in her county have been people in their 20s. 

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President Trump is set to hold a Fourth of July event at Mount Rushmore with 7,500 people and no social distancing in place tonight, which CNN medical analyst Dr. Celine Gounder calls “beyond irresponsible.” 

Trump continues to assert that coronavirus cases are rising in the US only because of increased testing.

“This is gaslighting on an enormous scale, and it means until people eventually get sick or their family members get sick … they won't believe it, and by then it will be too late,” Gounder said. 

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Venezuela will reimpose total lockdown measures next week as Covid-19 cases spread in the country, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced.

The measure was announced as part of a plan the country is implementing to fight the pandemic. 

The plan includes seven days of total lockdown, followed by seven days of relaxed lockdown. During that period, residents will be allowed to leave their homes and businesses will be allowed to partially reopen. That period will be followed by another seven days of total lockdown.  

However, 12 of 23 states in Venezuela, including the capital Caracas, will not be part of the plan and will remain on total lockdown. 

Speaking on the country’s state channel VTV,  Rodríguez said the past week has seen a record in both, the number of new daily cases and new deaths. 

As of Friday morning, Venezuela reported a total of 6,273 Covid-19 cases, according to data released by the government of embattled President Nicolas Maduro. June 27 and June 30 were record days for new cases, with 351 and 302 new cases, respectively. 

The death toll has reached 57, but critics argue the government does not have the capacity to register every single case, and that the number of victims by the pandemic is far higher. 

Zulia, the most populous state in Venezuela, has been hardest hit by the pandemic.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said there’s no reason against a statewide mask mandate, but it’s the “best bet” to leave orders up to mayors and county administrators.

Castor put a mandatory face mask order in place about two weeks ago, and she said the vast majority of people have been adhering to it. City government at this point has provided 400,000 masks to its residents, she said.

“The last thing we can afford is to be knocked backwards, and that's why I've encouraged everyone to wear a mask,” Castor said.

Other places in Florida, including Miami, Jacksonville and Palm Beach County, now require wearing masks in public as Covid-19 cases have spiked in the state. 

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Major League Baseball announced Friday in a statement that the 2020 All-Star game has been canceled.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were supposed to host it, but they will now host it the event in 2022. 

Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten said that "as excited as we were to host this year’s All-Star Game, we know that it will be worth the wait and that Dodger Stadium and Los Angeles will host a world-class event in 2022."

The Major League Baseball season resumed on Wednesday with players reporting to training and games are scheduled to start on July 23 or 24.

Arizona only has 156 intensive care unit beds remaining today as it fights off a surge of Covid-19 cases, state health data shows.

This is the lowest number of available beds the state has had available, according to records that go back to late March.

Currently, 1,520 of the state’s ICU beds are in use – that's 91% of its capacity, state data shows. At least 741 of those patients are being treated for Covid-19, the data shows.

The state also reported a record-high spike in emergency room admissions from Covid-19 patients today – 1,847 people. This a significant jump from the previous record high of 1,371 patients that was reported yesterday.

Earlier this week, in one of the most drastic rollbacks of reopenings yet, Arizona announced it was closing bars, gyms, movie theaters and other businesses for 30 days amid a "brutal" increase in Covid-19 cases, Gov. Doug Ducey said Monday. 

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump head to Mount Rushmore National Memorial on Friday to celebrate an early Fourth of July at a gathering of an estimated 7,500 people during a global pandemic.

No social distancing is planned for the event despite the record-high new coronavirus cases in the US.

There may be health screening for ticketed guests in one area, according to recreation.gov. A recording on the park's main telephone line Monday said: "There are no social distancing requirements in place at this time."

The 7,500 tickets for Friday's event are lower than the typical visitor flow during the busy summer season.

On normal days, 28,000 to 32,000 visitors come to Mount Rushmore during a 10-hour period. Amid the pandemic, the park never closed but visitation has been down to around 20,000 people, said Maureen McGee-Ballinger, Mount Rushmore's chief of interpretation and education.

Latest on the state's cases: Coronavirus cases in South Dakota currently remain stable, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, with 6,893 confirmed cases and 97 deaths as of Thursday  — but it remains to be seen how many attendees will travel from other states. Thirty-six states are currently experiencing a rise in new cases.

When mask mandates for Texas and Kansas go into effect Friday, at least 19 states and Washington, DC will have such requirements.

In a major change of heart, Texas won't allow people who are in counties with 20 or more active Covid-19 cases to go out without a face covering. About 95% of Texans live in those areas.

Texans younger than 10 and people who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask are exempted. Repeat violations can result in a fine, the order says.

These states have mandated masks when out in public:

At least 36 states are currently seeing a rise in new cases compared to the previous week, nine of them have increased by over 50%. They are Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alaska and Delaware.

Read more about the individual state mandates:

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These are the states requiring people to wear masks when out in public