July 27 coronavirus news

By Nectar Gan, Adam Renton, Amy Woodyatt, Ed Upright, Meg Wagner and Melissa Macaya, CNN

Updated 12:02 a.m. ET, July 28, 2020
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11:05 a.m. ET, July 27, 2020

New York City's infection rate has dropped to 1%, mayor says

From CNN's Sheena Jones

People visit Domino Park in Brookyln, New York, on July 26.
People visit Domino Park in Brookyln, New York, on July 26. Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

New York City continues to meet the threshold to keep the city open and has dropped the city’s infection rate to 1%, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Here are NYC's key indicators for Monday, July 27:

  • 1% of people tested for Covid-19 have tested positive, according to De Blasio’s office, that number is down from the 2% previously reported. 
  • At least 54 people were admitted to the hospital suspected to have Covid-19 which is below the threshold to reopen. 
  • There are at least 286 people in ICUs being treated for Covid-19. 

One thing to note: The numbers listed were released by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’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. 

10:51 a.m. ET, July 27, 2020

Patients across 89 sites will be part of Phase 3 Moderna vaccine trial, Fauci says

From CNN Health's Jacqueline Howard

A nurse prepares a shot of a possible Covid-19 vaccine in Binghamton, New York, on July 27. The vaccine is developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna.
A nurse prepares a shot of a possible Covid-19 vaccine in Binghamton, New York, on July 27. The vaccine is developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna. Hans Pennink/AP

As the first Phase 3 clinical trial of a Covid-19 vaccine in the United States is underway, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said there will be dozens of sites nationwide where volunteers will be participating in the study.

"There are 89 sites distributed throughout the country," Fauci said during during a phone call with reporters on Monday. 

"They are widely distributed as a matter of fact in areas where there is clearly as of right now active infection going on," Fauci said. "I think we are going to get a good sampling of the activity of virus transmission that's currently going on in the country."

More on the trial: At least 30,000 adult volunteers are expected in the Phase 3 trial. The first patient was dosed at a site in Savannah, Georgia, on Monday.

The investigational vaccine was developed by the biotechnology company Moderna and NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Fauci said during the call that the launch of the Phase 3 trial marks a "truly historic event in the history of vaccinology."

10:39 a.m. ET, July 27, 2020

Governments with quick, honest Covid-19 responses should be praised, WHO official says

From CNN Health’s Naomi Thomas

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's health emergencies program, attends a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 3.
Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's health emergencies program, attends a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 3. Fabrice Coffrini/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's health emergencies program, said governments that react quickly and are honest about their countries’ Covid-19 situations should be praised.  

“The real judge and test of a country’s capacity and resolve is how quickly and how comprehensively does each country respond to those signals that the disease is back,” he said at a press briefing on Monday in Geneva.

“I think both Australia and Japan deserve a lot of praise for the way in which they’re trying to contain the disease sub-national or at community level,” Ryan added.

The WHO official said that what countries are really trying to do is “ensure that small numbers of cases and clusters don’t reignite sustained and efficient community transmission.”  

Governments should be praised, Ryan said, when they pick up on these clusters of cases and when they react quickly and demonstrate that they’re taking responsibility and communicating transparently. 

“In order to go on with your life, you have to believe that the government has this,” he said. “And if there is disease in another community, far away from you, if you trust that the government has got that under control you can get on with your life.” 

“We should refrain, I would hope, from overly criticizing governments who are actively seeking cases, actively doing surveillance, doing contact tracing, they’re trying to uncover the problem,” he said. “They’re trying to surface the issues and deal with the issues.” 

Ryan said that situations that should worry people are those where problems aren’t being surfaced, or are being glossed over, where everything looks good. 

“Because one thing is for sure with Covid, as it is with every infectious disease,” he said. “Just looking good does not mean things are good.”  

Ryan said that he would rather being in a situation with a government that is “honest and truthful about the situation on the ground,” that communicates what is happening and demonstrates that it can take action and react quickly. 

 

10:59 a.m. ET, July 27, 2020

Mike Pence is visiting Florida today. Here's the latest on the state's coronavirus outbreak.

Vice President Mike Pence attends a briefing on July 21 in Columbia, South Carolina.
Vice President Mike Pence attends a briefing on July 21 in Columbia, South Carolina. Meg Kinnard/AP

Vice President Mike Pence will head to Miami today to discuss a phase three coronavirus vaccine trial. He'll visit the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and hold a press briefing later today.

Florida has broken its record of new cases several times in recent weeks. Here's what we know about the pandemic in the Sunshine State:

  • More patients in hospitals: Covid-19 hospitalizations have jumped by nearly 80% since July 4, according to data from the state's Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
  • Some ICUs are full: At least 46 hospitals have reached ICU capacity and show zero ICU beds available, according to data released by AHCA. 
  • The state's youngest victim: Last week, a 9-year-old girl with no pre-existing conditions became the state's youngest coronavirus victim. Kimora "Kimmie" Lynum was taken to a local hospital to treat a "very high" fever, her family said. Kimmie's cousin and family spokesman Dejeon Cain said the hospital told the family to return home. After doing so, the young girl complained of not feeling well and collapsed, Cain said. She didn't have a detectable heartbeat.

Here's where each county stands on coronavirus cases:

10:09 a.m. ET, July 27, 2020

Miami Marlins home opener canceled due to Covid-19 positive tests, per reports

From CNN's Wayne Sterling

The Miami Marlins' home opening game against the Baltimore Orioles tonight has been canceled due to a number of players and staff testing positive for Covid-19, according to multiple reports. 

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, eight players and two coaches have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total cases on the team to at least 14.

Miami played their first three games of the shortened 60-game season in Philadelphia this past weekend, winning two of three.

The Marlins did not travel back to Miami after the three-game series ended Sunday as they remained overnight for more testing.

This is the first game to be canceled this season.

CNN has reached out to Major League Baseball and the Marlins for comment.

10:08 a.m. ET, July 27, 2020

The president of Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice tests positive for Covid-19

From journalist Rodrigo Pedroso in São Paulo

The President of Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Joao Otavio de Noronha, tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, according to the court’s press office.

Noronha is “asymptomatic and working from home” the press office told CNN via email.

Noronha, who is 63 years old, is the first high-rank official of the Brazilian judiciary to test positive for coronavirus.

He continues to be in charge of the court, which has adopted a working from home policy since the beginning of the pandemic in the country.

Trial sessions have been held by videoconference since May, according to the Court’s press office.

  

9:55 a.m. ET, July 27, 2020

White House says Trump and Pence at "no risk of exposure" after adviser tests positive for Covid-19

From CNN's Betsy Klein

The White House confirmed national security adviser Robert O'Brien has tested positive for coronavirus. In a statement, the White House said O'Brien has been working off-site and "there is no risk of exposure to the President or the Vice President."

Here's the statement:

"National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien tested positive for COVID-19. He has mild symptoms and has been self-isolating and working from a secure location off site. There is no risk of exposure to the President or the Vice President. The work of the National Security Council continues uninterrupted."
10:40 a.m. ET, July 27, 2020

Google to adopt work-from-home until at least July 2021

From CNN's Richard Davis

A Google office in New York is pictured on May 19.
A Google office in New York is pictured on May 19. Rob Kim/Getty Images

Google will extend its work-from-home stance until at least July 2021, according to a person familiar with the matter. 

The company had previously said most employees will be working remotely through the end of 2020, with some employees being allowed back into the office sooner. 

But the decision to extend the remote work policy well into next year indicates that one of the world’s largest tech companies is bracing for a long pandemic — and could prompt other businesses to follow suit. 

A Google spokesperson on Monday confirmed the company’s plans, citing an internal memo by CEO Sundar Pichai.

"In an email to employees,” the spokesman said, "Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote that 'To give employees the ability to plan ahead, we are extending our global voluntary work from home option through June 30, 2021 for roles that don’t need to be in the office.’”

The memo was independently obtained by CNN.

9:32 a.m. ET, July 27, 2020

Vietnam reports 11 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases linked to hospital

From journalist Isaac Yee

Vietnam reported 11 new locally transmitted cases of Covid-19 on Monday evening, all of which are linked to a hospital in the tourist city of Da Nang, according to Chinhphu, the official state-run newspaper of the Vietnamese government.

Of the 11 new cases, four are health care workers, according to Chinphu.

Da Nang, a popular resort city in Vietnam, has seen a recent increase in coronavirus cases since July 25 when a local man tested positive for the virus. Prior to that, Vietnam had gone 100 days without recording a single locally transmitted infection.

The recently confirmed cases led Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to demand that contact tracing be ramped up and large-scale testing conducted across the city.

Around 80,000 tourists – mostly domestic travelers – in Da Nang with be evacuated over four days due to the latest outbreak.

The state-run media outlet added that the country’s Ministry of Health has sent experts to Da Nang to help the city find the source of the infection and contain the outbreak.

The 11 new cases brings the total number of cases in Vietnam to 431. The death toll remains at zero.