July 5 coronavirus news

There are 121 students at the University of Washington in Seattle who have tested positive for Covid-19, according to an updated joint press release from the University of Washington and Public Health Seattle & King County.

Of these students, 112 are residents of fraternity houses in the Greek Row section north of the campus, the release said. 

Students who tested positive but are not residents of those houses are close contacts of the residents, according to the release.

On July 3, the Interfraternity Council, a student-led governing board for UW fraternities, reported that at least 117 residents living in 15 fraternity houses self-reported positive tests, the release said.  

A pop up testing site was set up last week near Greek Row and has conducted nearly 1,300 tests as of this weekend, the release said. 

There are at least 2,852,807 cases of coronavirus in the US, and at least 129,718 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases.

So far on Sunday, Johns Hopkins University reported 13,371 new cases and 42 new deaths. 

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. 

The US currently has enough remdesivir if the epidemic does not get any worse, according to former US Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. 

Remdesivir, an antiviral that is the only drug that has US Food and Drug Administration emergency authorization for use in treating coronavirus infections, is one of only a handful of treatment options that will be available before the end of the year, Gottlieb said on Sunday on CBS.

For the supply to last, the drug should be reserved for very sick or hospitalized Covid-19 patients, according to Gottlieb.

More data: According to a study published in May by the New England Journal of Medicine, data showed remdesivir shortened the course of illness from an average of 15 days to about 11 days.

The maker of the drug, Gilead, later announced in a press release that remdesivir could also be helpful in treating moderate Covid-19 pneumonia. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott distributed over 400 cases of the antiviral drug remdesivir to 157 hospitals across Texas as part of the state’s sixth remdesivir shipment received from US Health and Human Services (HHS), according to a statement from the governor’s office.

The Texas Department of State Health Services deployed more than 600 medical staff and 16 ventilators to hospitals in the lower Rio Grande Valley region to distribute 448 cases of remdesivir on Saturday.

Texas hospitals have received 1,425 cases of remdesivir from the HHS thus far. 

More context: Covid-19 cases have been surging in Texas. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 8,258 new cases of Covid-19 in Texas on Saturday — the state's second-highest number of new cases reported in a single day.

An overnight camp with locations in north Georgia has closed after campers and staff tested positive for coronavirus.

YMCA Camp High Harbour said that they learned a counselor had tested positive for Covid-19 on June 24.

Camp High Harbor closed both its locations and the counselor was immediately sent home, according to a statement by Lauren Koontz, CEO and president of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta.

Parents were notified immediately, according to Koontz, and were given options to pick up their children between Wednesday and Saturday.

“We have since learned of additional positive Covid-19 test results of campers and staff, but cannot confirm a number,” Koontz said.

Around the region: At least 30 confirmed cases of the virus have been identified from camps at Lake Burton and Lake Allatoona, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

“This number can change as results are reported, or if an individual who tested negative, later develops symptoms,” officials told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

CNN has reached out to the Georgia Department of Health to confirm cases of the virus at the camp.

“In preparing for camp, we collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and the American Camp Association and followed the safety guidelines of the Executive Order from the state of Georgia,” Koontz said.

Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox announced on Sunday that two players tested positive for Covid-19. Both players are asymptomatic and have been placed in quarantine. 

The MLB resumed activity last week — games are scheduled to start on July 23 or 24.

"The health of our players and staff is our top priority, and the White Sox are adhering to all MLB health and safety protocols," the team added.

Japan recorded 277 new coronavirus cases Saturday, the Health Ministry said today, bringing the country's total number of cases to 20,234 (19,522 on land and 712 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship).

The number of infections has been climbing steadily over the past week, Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said Sunday.  

The ministry also said the total death toll for the country currently stands at 990 (977 on land and 13 on the cruise ship.)

Nishimura said that the resumption of a state of emergency is not necessary at this stage, describing the new cases as “light or asymptomatic” and not a burden to Japan’s healthcare system.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told ABC that the reopening of bars and restaurants in the city contributed to the spike in coronavirus cases.

Suarez compared the city’s enforcement policy on mandated face coverings to the need of wearing seatbelts.

“You know, if you get in a car accident, you know, there's a good chance that you'll walk away if you're wearing a seatbelt. The same thing with a mask. If people are wearing the masks in public, there's a very good chance that we're going to be able to slow down or stop the spread,” Suarez said.

The first violation for not wearing a mask is registered as a warning, the second violation is a $50 fine, then $150, and finally a $500 fine, Suarez explained.

Austin, Texas, Mayor Steve Adler told CNN it makes him "angry" to hear the President claim the coronavirus will “just disappear.” 

Adler, who is a Democrat, said that not having a clear message from the White House on wearing masks means there are more people who will not wear masks or social distance.

Adler added he was grateful that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a mandate on face coverings last week, but said he wished it had been earlier.

When asked if he wanted Abbott to issue a statewide stay-at-home order, Adler responded that he wants the governor to give mayors the power to issue stay-at-home orders locally. 

As coronavirus cases rise in Texas, Adler said that they may have to take “more drastic action” to reduce the numbers. He warned that if the upward trajectory of cases does not change for his city, then hospitals could be overrun within two weeks and intensive care units could be overrun within 10 days.