July 4 coronavirus news

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued a countywide order prohibiting outdoor gatherings of 10 or more people, except for some Independence Day activities.

The order, which was issued on Friday, says fireworks displays/gatherings with more than 100 people are allowed only if people view the celebrations from inside a motor vehicle.

The order is in effect until at least 11:59 p.m. local time on Aug. 26. 

Other exceptions to this order include gatherings of 10 or more people at:

Harris County includes Houston, which has seen increased coronavirus cases in recent days.

At least two Harris County hospitals are "pretty much at maximum capacity," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said earlier this week.

Continuing his efforts to encourage Americans to wear a mask, presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden tweeted that as the nation marks Independence Day, that “one of the most patriotic things you can do is wear a mask.”

Some background: Biden has said if elected president, he would make wearing a face covering in public compulsory, furthering himself on the issue from President Trump, who has stressed that masks are voluntary and has flouted public health recommendations.

In May, Biden called President Trump "an absolute fool" for sharing a tweet that mocked the former vice president for wearing a mask.

Beaches in  the Los Angeles area are closed this holiday weekend as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the state — but that isn't stopping the most determined sunbathers.

Some would-be beachgoers laid out on the walkway near the closed Manhattan Beach yesterday.

Souther California official announced the beach closures, which began yesterday and run until Monday, earlier this week.

“We cannot risk having crowds at the beach this holiday weekend,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies are patrolling the beaches over the weekend, enforcing the closure. Violators could face a $1,000 fine.

Restaurants and bars across the country have reopened to the public. While the option is there, it's important to realize that eating out will increase your risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

If you still choose to eat at a restaurant or cafe to celebrate the Fourth, there are a few precautions you can take:

President Trump wished Americans a happy Fourth of July and referenced the coronavirus pandemic in a video message on the White House’s official Twitter page.

Trump said that four months ago, before the US got “hit with this terrible plague," the country was “doing better than any country had ever done in history, not just us, any country.” 

Watch the full message:

There were 726 more positive cases of Covid-19 yesterday across New York, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 

New York also reported an additional 11 deaths from the virus, a tweet from Cuomo said. 

There were 62,403 test taken yesterday, and a total of 1.16% tested positive, according to the tweet. 

Total hospitalizations fell to 844 across the state.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro vetoed on Friday parts of a law that requires people wear face masks in public during the pandemic.

The use of masks in shopping malls, stores, religious temples, educational establishments and other closed places where people gather will no longer be mandatory. 

Bolsonaro also vetoed fines for those not wearing masks in public sites, as well as to establishments that do not provide masks and hand sanitizer to employees.

However, states and municipalities have the authority to impose the use of face masks. In states like Sao Paulo and Rio, masks have been mandatory and those who don't wear them can be fined. 

Bolsonaro's move comes as the country surpassed 1.5 million cases on Friday. The country ranks second globally with the highest number of cases and deaths after the US. 

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage responded to social media critics who accused him of breaking UK quarantine rules, after he posted a photo of himself drinking at a pub Saturday following a recent trip to the US to attend a Trump rally.

In a tweet, Farage said: “To all those screaming and shouting about me going to the pub.... I have been back from the USA for 2 weeks and I have been tested — the result was negative. Sorry to disappoint you. Cheers!”

Farage faced a flood of critical comments after tweeting picture of himself holding a pint of beer Saturday — the first day pubs reopened in England after lockdown — with the caption “12 o’clock, first customer in. Love it.” 

Farage was in the US for President Trump’s Tulsa rally on Saturday June 20. UK quarantine rules state that anyone flying in from abroad has to self-isolate for 14 days. 

The state of Florida is reporting at least 11,445 new coronavirus cases today, the state's largest number of new coronavirus in one day. 

The previous Florida record for coronavirus cases was on Thursday, when the state reported 10,109 cases.  

The state also reported two new deaths on Saturday. 

There have been at least 190,052 total coronavirus cases reported in the state, and more than 3,700 people have died.