Georgia governor extends public health state of emergency and renews Covid-19 restriction
From CNN’s Jennifer Henderson
In this Friday, July 17 file photo, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during a coronavirus briefing at the Capitol, in Atlanta. John Bazemore/AP
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed two executive orders extending existing Covid-19 safety measures and extending the Public Health State of Emergency, he said today in a press release.
The Public Health State of Emergency now runs through Sept. 10.
The executive order extending existing Covid-19 safety measures requires social distancing, bans gatherings of more than 50 people unless there is six feet between each person, requires sheltering in place for those living in long-term care facilities and the medically fragile, and outlines mandatory criteria for businesses, among other provisions. The order runs through Aug. 15.
In the release, Kemp encouraged Georgians to wear a mask, wash their hands often and practice social distancing to help flatten the curve.
There is no mask requirement in Georgia. Earlier this month Kemp rescinded local mask mandates and sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over her the mask requirement for the city.
12:22 a.m. ET, August 1, 2020
About 7% of participants in British study tested positive for coronavirus antibodies
From CNN Health’s Lauren Mascarenhas
Paramedic Jess Baddams poses while holding a blood sample during an antibody testing programme at the Hollymore Ambulance Hub of the West Midlands Ambulance Service in Birmingham on June 5. Simon Dawson/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
About 7% of participants in a British study tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, according to results from the first month of the nationwide study.
The test results, which indicate previous infection with coronavirus, ranged from 10.4% of Londoners to about 4.4% of people living in the southwest of England and Scotland.
The widespread United Kingdom serology, or antibody, study uses volunteers for a much larger, ongoing health study called the UK Biobank. UK Biobank has collected samples and health information from 500,000 volunteers for research.
The researchers have recruited more than 20,000 volunteers from regions across the UK for the coronavirus antibody study. They are being asked to provide monthly blood samples that the Oxford University-based Target Discovery Institute will test for the antibodies.
The first round of results focused on 17,776 participant samples, taken in May and June. Nationally, 7.1% were positive for Covid-19 antibodies, the researchers reported on the Biobank website. Just under 11% of people under 30 had antibodies, compared to 5.4% of those over 70.
The results confirm other studies that indicate Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups appeared to be hardest hit by Covid-19, which is consistent with findings from the United States.
Among Black participants, about 11.3% tested positive for antibodies, as opposed to 6.9% of White participants. Researchers noted that the differences between ethnic groups could not be fully explained by age or place of residence. But previous infection was also higher among those living in lower socioeconomic areas.
The team says that their continued research will provide insight into the way antibody levels change over time, hopefully answering questions about immunity, reinfection and the impact of stay-at-home orders.
12:22 a.m. ET, August 1, 2020
Indiana student tests positive for Covid-19 on first day of school
From CNN's Rebekah Riess
As an Indiana school district welcomed students to the 2020-21 academic year, one of their students tested positive for Covid-19 on the first day of class, according to a letter sent to parents.
The Hancock County Health Department notified Greenfield-Central Junior High School Thursday afternoon that one of their students, who had attended part of the school day, tested positive for Covid-19, Superintendent Harold Olin said in a letter.
Olin said the school enacted its "Positive COVID-19 Test Protocol" once school officials became aware of the positive result.
School officials immediately isolated the student within the school's clinic, and they examined the student's schedule, including transportation and extracurricular activities, to determine who had come in close contact.
