July 6 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Steve George, Tara John, Melissa Macaya, Meg Wagner and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 11:10 a.m. ET, July 7, 2020

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4:23 p.m. ET, July 6, 2020

Nearly 3,500 new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Kansas in the past 2 weeks

From CNN's Molly Silverman

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday's new coronavirus case numbers in her state show an increase of nearly 1,000 reported cases to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment since Friday.

There has been an increase of 14 clusters since last Wednesday, and seven of those active clusters are related directly to gatherings at bars and restaurants, Kelly said. This brings that state total of clusters to 235, with 118 of them considered active.

“There are no clusters at this time connected to barbershops, nail salons, or any other close contact service. That is not a coincidence,” Kelly told reporters Monday afternoon. “It is more proof that masks and hygienic business practices do indeed work."

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly answers questions from reporters about the coronavirus pandemic on July 2 at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kansas. John Hanna/AP

Kelly reported that Kansas has had nearly 3,500 new Covid-19 cases in the past two weeks, which is the steepest rate of increase the state has seen since the pandemic began. This brings the state's total case count to more than 16,000 cases, Kelly said.

There have been about 280 deaths from Covid-19 in the state, Kelly said.

The governor said the Kansas Department of Health and Environment recommended the state remain in phase three of its reopening.

4:00 p.m. ET, July 6, 2020

MLS star opts out of soccer tournament due to health concerns

From CNN's David Close

Carlos Vela of LAFC looks on during the round 16 match between Leon and LAFC as part of the CONCACAF Champions League 2020 at Leon Stadium on February 18 in Leon, Mexico. Leopoldo Smith/Getty Images

Carlos Vela, last season’s leading scorer in Major League Soccer, has decided to opt out of the league’s upcoming MLS is Back Tournament.

Vela said his decision to skip was based on the upcoming birth of a child. He said in a statement, "...it is in the best interest of the health of my family to stay home and be with my wife during what is a risky pregnancy."

Vela's team, the Los Angeles Football Club, said they support the decision.

“LAFC fully supports and respects the difficult decision Carlos and his family have made to not participate in the MLS Is Back Tournament," the team said.

The MLS is Back Tournament is slated to kick off on Wednesday. LAFC is scheduled to play their first game on July 13.

3:55 p.m. ET, July 6, 2020

Mississippi governor says he came in contact with state legislator who tested positive for Covid-19

From CNN's Pierre Meilhan

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves speaks during a televised address at the Governor's Mansion in Jackson, Mississippi, on June 30. Rogelio V. Solis/Pool/AP

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday he and his family have been tested for Covid-19 after a large number of legislators tested positive for the virus, including one of them who came in direct contact with him.

During a news conference in Jackson, Reeves said it was the “smart” thing to get him and family tested and that “hopefully, we will test negative.”

On the number of coronavirus cases in the state, the governor said 357 new cases were reported.

3:45 p.m. ET, July 6, 2020

Mitch McConnell: "No good argument for any of us to not be wearing a mask"

From CNN's Haley Byrd

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks during a press conference in the Hart Senate Office Building on June 30 in Washington, DC. Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell emphasized the importance of wearing face masks again on Monday afternoon.

“There is no good argument for any of us to not be wearing a mask. No good argument,” McConnell said at an event in Willisburg, Kentucky. “Because this going to take a while to get to the vaccine, and this coronavirus, as we've discovered, is not over.”

He said he isn’t suggesting a national mask mandate but “people ought to be told the responsible thing to do is to wear a mask.”

3:29 p.m. ET, July 6, 2020

Additional remdesivir to be distributed starting next week, HHS official says

From CNN's Wes Bruer

Vials of the drug Remdesivir lie during a press conference in Hamburg, Germany on April 8.

Additional remdesivir acquired by the federal government will begin to be distributed to hospitals across the United States beginning the week of July 13 and “in the same manner that was used for the donated lots of remdesivir,” according to a US Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson.

“This allocation is based on a state/territory’s proportion of the national total of patients admitted to hospitals with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. So, if state A has 10% of the national total of admitted patients with COVID-19, state A gets 10% of the remdesivir for a given distribution week. State/territorial health departments will determine which hospitals in their respective jurisdictions may purchase the drug and the volume hospitals may purchase,” the spokesperson said.

The hospitals will then determine which patients will receive the drug.

HHS will host conference calls every other week with US hospitals, which can begin requesting the antiviral from the supply of approximately 500,000 treatment courses secured by HHS from Gilead Sciences last month, according to the HHS website.

The spokesperson added that “the allocation and redistribution of any COVID-19 countermeasure will be a policy issue between HHS and the White House. Operation Warp Speed does not have any input on how the policy decision is crafted or implemented.”

3:16 p.m. ET, July 6, 2020

Here are the latest updates from some of the hardest-hit states across the US

Coronavirus cases are rising in most states across the US, with at least 32 states reporting higher rates of new cases this week compared to last week.

Here are the latest updates from some of the hotspots we're watching today:

Arizona: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego told ABC's "This Week" that her state "opened way too early" and attributed much of the surge in new cases to people between the ages of 20 and 44.
California: Beaches in the Los Angeles area were closed for the Fourth of July holiday weekend to help slow the spread of coronavirus. The state has also temporarily banned singing and chanting in places of worship, since signing has proven to be one way to spread a virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Florida: The state reported a new record high for the most coronavirus cases reported in a single day this weekend, and officials in Miami-Dade Country have closed some businesses, like gyms and dine-in restaurants, in an attempt to curb the spread. Meanwhile, a CNN investigation found state health authorities often failed to perform contact tracing — which has long been considered a key tool in containing coronavirus outbreaks.
Texas: Texas reported its second highest day of new cases over the weekend. The state opened "too early, too much," driving Houston hospitals to surge capacity in recent days, said Harris County government head Lina Hidalgo. The state is also grappling with a surge of Covid-19 cases in child care centers.

3:23 p.m. ET, July 6, 2020

California's coronavirus positivity rate grows to 6.8%

From CNN's Sarah Moon

Over a 14-day period, the coronavirus positivity rate in Californa has increased from 4.9% to 6.8%, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news conference on Monday.

Hospitalizations in California have also increased, Newsom added.

The state reported 5,699 new cases on July 5 and a 7-day average of 7,876 cases.

This includes the data that was suspended in Los Angeles County during the holiday weekend, Newsom said.

Here's a look at how new Covid-19 cases have progressed in the state over time, according to Johns Hopkins University data:

3:12 p.m. ET, July 6, 2020

California adds six more counties to its Covid-19 monitoring list

From CNN's Sarah Moon

Six more counties have been added to California’s Covid-19 monitoring list, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in a news conference on Monday.

On Thursday, there were 19 counties. There are 23 counties as of today, he said.

This is a list the state uses for technical assistance to engage local health officers in each county to help monitor Covid-19 and provide support, according to Newsom.

At least 265,180 cases of coronavirus have been reported in California and at least 32,219 deaths from the virus in the state, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases.

11:10 a.m. ET, July 7, 2020

Some Florida hospitals are about to hit capacity

From CNN’s Rosa Flores and Sara Weisfeldt

Hospitals in at least two Florida counties are about to hit capacity, according to data released by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), the state agency that reports on available hospital capacity among other aspects of long-term medical care in the US.

This comes as the Sunshine State continues to see a record number of Covid-19 cases. Florida set a record for most coronavirus cases in the US in a single day on Saturday, with a total of 11,458, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, and on Sunday, the state surpassed 200,000 Covid-19 cases.

Here is a look at hospital bed capacity in two Florida counties:

Clay County: The Kindred Hospital North Florida in Green Cove Springs in Clay County reports zero hospital beds available out of 40. Clay County has two other hospitals with 88 beds available out of 401 beds. According to the latest US Census data, the population of Clay County is more than 190,000.

Pinellas County: There are seven hospitals in this county with 10% or less hospital bed capacity available out of 16 hospitals:

Advent Health North Pinellas: 7% beds are available
St. Anthony’s Hospital: 2% beds are available
Morton Plant Hospital: 3% beds available
Northside Hospital: 1% beds available
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital: 7% beds available
Mease Countryside Hospital: 6% beds available
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Largo: 10% beds available

There are 533 hospital beds currently available in Pinellas County out of 2,391 hospital beds, according to AHCA. According to the US Census, the population of Pinellas County is more than 916,000.

Remember: The state of Florida does not release the daily number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals, only releasing hospital bed availability as referenced above. For a full list of hospital capacity in Florida, keep reading here.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post misstated the name of the agency that released the data. It was the Agency for Health Care Administration.