Utah reports record high number of new Covid-19 cases
From CNN’s Konstantin Toropin
A Salt Lake County Health Department's public health nurse performs a coronavirus anti-body test in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 25. Rick Bowmer/AP
Utah has reported a record high number of new Covid-19 cases — 850 — over the last 24 hours, state health data shows.
This is the highest daily case increase the state has reported, according to records that go back to early March.
The previous record for new Covid-19 cases was 729 reported on June 8.
Utah does not have a statewide mask order in place, but at least two counties, Salt Lake and Summit, have been given permission by Gov. Gary Herbert to enact countrywide mandates, according to CNN affiliate KSTU. There is also a new mandate for masks to be worn in K-12 schools.
The governor challenged his state’s residents to get Utah’s seven-day rolling average below 500 cases by August 1 by, in part, wearing masks.
3:20 p.m. ET, July 10, 2020
Union calls Disney's action "shameful" on eve of parks reopening
From CNN Cristina Alesci
A view of the Walt Disney World theme park entrance in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on July 9. Octavio Jones/Getty Images
The union representing about 750 Disney World performers in Florida blasted Disney on Friday, a day before the company reopens two of its Florida theme parks to the public.
“We continue to engage with Disney on their safety plan. It is shameful that Disney would rather pit workers against each other in a pandemic than agree to testing of their performers,” Actors’ Equity Association’s spokesperson Brandon Lorenz told CNN in a statement.
Some context: The comments are Actors’ Equity Association’s latest shot at Disney after filing a grievance against the company on Thursday.
The grievance alleges Disney is punishing its members, who entertain guests as they walk around the park and also perform in live shows, for Actors' Equity demanding coronavirus testing. The park is opening without their participation.
In response to the grievance, Disney suggested another reason for reopening in Florida without Actors’ Equity Association members. The company claims the actor’s union “rejected” safety protocol and has not made itself available to continue negotiations.
“Seven unions signed agreements to have their employees return to work, the Actors’ Equity rejected our safety protocols and have not made themselves available to continue negotiations, which is unfortunate. We are exercising our right to open without Equity performers,” Disney spokesperson Stephanie Corzett said in a statement to CNN on Friday.
3:07 p.m. ET, July 10, 2020
Rhode Island governor announces initiative to stabilize housing during coronavirus pandemic
From CNN’s Molly Silverman
Rhode Island Gov. Gina M. Raimondo speaks at a news conference giving a coronavirus update at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, Rhode Island on May 12. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo is rolling out an initiative next week to help people avoid eviction during the pandemic.
Raimondo said that she is thankful that Rhode Island has not had a massive spike in evictions, but is worried that once the $600 federal government benefit ends in July, this could change and the problem could get worse before it gets better.
The governor said the state has been working with the Rhode Island Judiciary Court, which is the court in charge of evictions. The state is also working with United Way to launch an eviction diversion effort called the Safe Harbor Housing Program.
"And this, it is my hope that this initiative will serve as an alternative to a traditional eviction process and will provide landlords and tenants an opportunity to work towards a solution outside of the court system to avoid evictions," Raimondo said.
Raimondo said the state will be directing $7 million of its CARES Act funding to this effort and that she expects hundreds of Rhode Islanders will be able to use that money to maintain stable housing.
3:03 p.m. ET, July 10, 2020
South Carolina bans alcohol sales in bars after 11 p.m. — but won't mandate masks
From CNN’s Eileen McMenamin
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster finishes his press conference at the State House in Columbia, South Carolina on July 10. Ken Ruinard/Imagn
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said bars and restaurants in the state will be banned from selling alcoholic beverages after 11 p.m. nightly.
McMaster announced said the new order — called the “The Last Call” executive order — is aimed at reducing the transmission of coronavirus, especially among young adults.
“Many of the young people in our state as well as around the country seem not to be taking the virus as seriously as they should. We hope that this will help all of us, particularly the younger generations, to realize just how serious this virus is and how much is at stake if we don't see these infection rates start dropping,” he said.
The order goes into effect at 11 p.m. tomorrow and does not apply to alcohol sold at convenience stores, grocery stores or wine and liquor stores.
Restaurants and bars that violate the order will be subject to ticketing, fines and ultimately could have their liquor licenses temporarily suspended or revoked.
“When engaging in certain social activities like eating or grabbing a drink out with friends, especially in enclosed indoor spaces, we are putting ourselves and others at greater risk of getting and spreading the virus," Director of Public Health Dr. Joan Duwve warned. "In these settings, people get close, they tend to talk louder over the music. And we know that this virus is spread really efficiently by people who are close to one another talking — the louder you talk the more efficiently it spreads — for 15 minutes or longer.”
Despite the new order on alcohol sales, the governor said he will not be implementing a statewide mask mandate, saying it’s very difficult to enforce and that the state is not one-size-fits-all.
“To issue a statewide (mask) mandate to be enforced by statewide authorities is impractical to do,” he said.
By contrast, when it comes to limiting the sale of beer and alcohol after 11 p.m., McMaster said, “We can enforce this, and we will. We intend to and we believe that this will help in reducing the spread of this virus."
2:56 p.m. ET, July 10, 2020
Florida's Miami-Dade County is seeing a 74% increase in Covid-19 hospitalizations
From CNN's Rosa Flores and Sara Weisfeldt
As President Trump visits Florida's Miami-Dade County today, the area is seeing a staggering increase in the number of Covid-19 patients being hospitalized in the past 13 days, according to the latest data released by Miami-Dade County government.
There has been a 74% increase in Covid-19 patients being hospitalized, an 88% increase in the number of intensive care unit beds being used and a 123% increase in the use of ventilators, data shows.
With regards to its positivity rate, county officials reported a 28% Covid-19 positivity rate on Friday, according to data released by Mayor Carlos Giménez's office.
Giménez's office has said the goal is to not exceed a positivity rate of 10%. The county has exceeded the 18% mark for the past 14 days. The current 14-day average is 25%, the data shows.
Remember: The positivity rate is the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of those overall who have been tested. So, as more and more people are being tested, the focus is shifting to the positivity rate — how many of those tested are actually infected.
3:03 p.m. ET, July 10, 2020
New Jersey reports that its rate of Covid-19 transmission has dipped below 1%
From CNN's Laura Dolan
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy listens to a question during a press conference in Trenton, New Jersey on June 26. Thomas P. Costello/USA Today Network/Sipa USA
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy reported that the daily positivity rate for Covid-19 tests in the state is 2.23%, which he said is an improvement over the last few days. That percentage is for tests conducted on July 6.
Murphy also announced the rate of transmission has dipped to 0.98%.
“Thank God, let’s keep it there,” Murphy said during his news conference Friday.
New Covid-19 cases have increased slightly to 367. That’s up from 335 announced on Wednesday. The total number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey since March 4 stands at 176,628.
The total number of Covid-19 deaths in the state is now 13,352, with probable deaths at 1,947.
The governor has urged residents to go out and get tested because he says the more testing, the more precise the number gets.
There are currently 244 Covid-19 testing sites across the state, and on Monday and Tuesday, the state partnered with Montclair to provide free coronavirus tests, Murphy said.
“The daily positivity and the rate of transmission, or RT, are the two most meaningful measurements we have of the spread of this virus across the state,” said Murphy. “Feeding into both of these metrics are the results of the coronavirus tests that are recorded every day.”
Note: The figures above were released by the New Jersey governor’s office and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.
2:44 p.m. ET, July 10, 2020
More than 300,000 coronavirus cases have been reported in California
From CNN's Cheri Mossburg
A public health nurse wearing personal protective equipment holds a Covid-19 test swab for a patient at a testing site in Concord, California on July 9. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images
More than 300,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in California, with 7,798 new cases reported today, according to state's Department of Public Health.
About 40% of the state's 304,297 reported cases have been recorded in Los Angeles County.
Hospitalization and intensive care unit rates continue to reach record highs with more than 6,000 patients currently being treated for Covid-19.
The number of deaths recorded in the last day is 140, bringing the state’s cumulative total to at least 6,851. The only day with a higher number of deaths was yesterday, when the state reported 149.
California’s positivity rate as a 14-day average is climbing and currently stands at 7.4% with people between the ages of 18 and 49 accounting for almost 60% of all cases. That age group makes up only about 43.5% of California’s population.
Note: These numbers were released by California Department of Public Health and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database, which is drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.
2:40 p.m. ET, July 10, 2020
Michigan governor requests extension of National Guard use through December
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess
In this file photo, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state during a speech in Lansing, Michigan on July 9. Michigan Office of the Governor/Pool/AP
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has sent a letter to President Trump requesting he authorize the use of Michigan National Guard forces through December 31, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
“The Michigan National Guard is a crucial part of the state’s emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the guard will be vital to our ongoing recovery as well," Whitmer said. “Beyond August 21, 2020, we will continue to require the Michigan National Guard to perform humanitarian missions across the state, such as helping run mobile screening facilities, testing, distributing food and medical supplies, ensuring resiliency of supply lines, disinfecting public spaces and supporting public safety when required.”
According to the statement, an extension of authority would also mean that many Michigan National Guard members will qualify for federal retirement and education benefits made available under the GI Bill.
2:19 p.m. ET, July 10, 2020
Florida governor: "School kids are not vectors of transmission"
From CNN’s Melissa Alonso
An exterior view of Country Club Middle School in Hialeah, Florida on July 07. Johnny Louis/Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking at a news conference Friday, said the cost of "not giving kids an option to be able to have in-person instruction is enormous."
DeSantis said reopening schools "should not be a political issue, it should be based on the facts and if we see that this is very low risk, and we see, I think overwhelmingly, in every study that the school kids are not vectors of transmission."
Schools have opened in other parts of the world and "have not seen major problems but you can always have an outbreak," said DeSantis.
"In terms of the risk level to school kids is very low, the cost of not at least giving them the opportunity if their parents want to do it" is "very, very high," DeSantis said.
