By Joshua Berlinger, Adam Renton, Zamira Rahim and Ed Upright, CNN
Updated 12:53 a.m. ET, August 8, 2020
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3:24 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020
Houston municipal courts to suspend all jury trials through September due to the pandemic
From CNN’s Pierre Meilhan
Houston has extended the suspension of all jury trials in its municipal courts through Sept. 30 because of the spread of Covid-19, the city said Friday.
The city came to this conclusion “due to changing circumstances regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and to encourage the health and safety of the public and court staff members,” according to a statement from the city.
The decision was also made in conjunction with the Texas Supreme Court’s order. The city added that its municipal courts remain open for all other proceedings.
By the numbers: Harris County, where Houston is located, has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Texas with over 80,000 cases so far.
3:13 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020
Georgia reports more than 4,100 new coronavirus cases
From CNN’s Dianne Gallagher and Pamela Kirkland
The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 4,177 new cases of Covid-19 and 92 deaths on Friday.
The statewide Covid-19 case total is now 209,004.
The total number of deaths attributed to Covid-19 in Georgia is now 4,117.
Note: These numbers were released by the Georgia Department of Public Health and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.
2:45 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020
US surgeon general: Do these 3 things to lower the positivity rate
From CNN's Gisela Crespo
Surgeon General Jerome Adams speaks during a round table on donating plasma at the American Red Cross national headquarters on Thursday, July 30, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP
US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams urged residents of Baltimore to take safety precautions to slow the spread of Covid-19 in that city.
In a news briefing with Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, Adams said people can lower the positivity rate with "three Ws."
"We don't need to wait for a vaccine. We don't need to wait for a miracle therapeutic. New York City and the state of New York have a positivity rate of less than 1% right now. And they've done it with three things – what I call my three W's," he said.
The three Ws, according to Adams, are:
"Wash your hands"
"Watch your distance – meaning stay at least six feet from others and avoid crowded places."
Adams reminded the public that Baltimore can lower its numbers of new coronavirus cases "in a matter of weeks" by following public health safety measures.
"It usually takes two to three weeks after you start doing the right thing before you see cases come down. And across the nation right now, we're actually seeing case numbers start to come down. But is another two to three weeks after that before you see hospitalizations go down, and another two to three weeks after that before you start to level off and come back down. I want everyone to understand that," he said. "As I look around the city, the majority of people are doing the right thing. We just need to stay the course and continue to normalize that positive behavior."
2:40 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020
France reports more than 2,200 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours
From CNN's Pierre Buet and Sharon Braithwaite
A medical technician administers a nasal swab to a woman People at a mobile testing site in Paris, Thursday, August 6. Michel Euler/AP
France's health ministry reported 2,288 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours and 9,330 over the past week.
"Indicators are worsening, which confirms a more active circulation of the virus on the whole territory," the ministry said in a news release on Friday.
A total of 30,324 people have died from coronavirus in France since the beginning of the pandemic. The ministry has reported 12 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Some details: The health ministry said 5,011 people are currently hospitalized for coronavirus symptoms, with 136 new admissions in past 24 hours. There are 383 patients in intensive care units, with 20 new admissions in the past 24 hours.
More than 5.3 million Covid-19 tests have been done so far, including 593,640 in the past seven days.
2:33 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020
California tops 10,000 coronavirus deaths
From CNN's Sarah Moon
California reported 142 new coronavirus deaths on Friday, bringing the statewide total to 10,011 deaths, according to data from the state's Department of Public Health.
While California has the highest number of cases in the nation, the death toll is still well below that of New York and New Jersey.
The state has a total of 538,416 positive cases, including 8,436 new cases added on Friday. The health department also warned that there has been an underreporting of cases due to issues with the state’s electronic laboratory reporting system.
The positivity rate over a 14-day period is now 6.1%, according to the health department.
Note: These numbers were released by the California Department of Public Health, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.
2:22 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020
Covid-19 vaccine before the election is "highly unlikely," senior administration official says
From Jim Acosta
French engineer-virologist Thomas Mollet looks at 24 well plates adherent cells monolayer infected with the Sars-CoV-2 virus at the Valneva SE Group headquarters in Saint-Herblain, France, on July 30. Jean-Francois Monier/AFP/Getty Images
It is "highly unlikely" a Covid-19 vaccine would be ready by election day, a senior administration official close to the coronavirus task force told CNN.
"Metaphysically possible. But highly unlikely," the official said.
The official added there is reason to be hopeful for a vaccine in the coming months as progress continues to be made.
"There will be lots to talk about, for sure," the official continued. "The trials are going very well."
A vaccine could come in early 2021, around inauguration day in January, said the official who also described that timeline as "optimistic."
More about vaccine timing: Last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he is cautiously optimistic that human trials of a coronavirus vaccine being developed by Moderna might show whether it’s both safe and effective by late fall or early winter.
Fauci — who as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases helps lead federal vaccine development efforts — has repeatedly said he hoped the vaccine could start to be available by early next year, and then widely available in the spring and summer of next year if things go well.
President Trump on Thursday suggested a vaccine could be available by Election Day, saying he is “optimistic that it’ll be probably around that date.”
2:24 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020
Fauci says he'll repeat the importance of public health principles "until I'm exhausted"
From CNN's Amanda Watts
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said he will continue to repeat himself “until I’m exhausted” on the importance of public health principles for fighting Covid-19.
Speaking during a webinar with the Brown School of Public Health, Fauci said there are five or six things every American can do to help bring Covid-19 case numbers down, which he calls the “fundamental principles.”
“Universal wearing of a mask, physical distancing, avoid crowds, outdoor better than indoor, washing your hands and hand hygiene – and if you're in a situation where it applies to you, stay away from bars,” he said. “I’m just going to repeat it again until I'm exhausted. Those things work."
Fauci said the message needs to be strong: The fundamental principles he outlines are not in conflict with opening up the country.
“If we can somehow get the country unified to do that together, I don't think we need to go into the fall and the winter thinking we're going to have a catastrophe. We could go into the fall and the winter, coming out of it looking good, if we do certain things," Fauci said.
2:35 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020
Massachusetts governor tightens restrictions indefinitely after "slight uptick" in Covid-19 cases
From CNN's Melissa Alonso
Governor Charlie Baker speaks during a state update on the coronavirus pandemic in Boston on July 24. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker indefinitely postponed the state's reopening plan and decreased the limits on gatherings after a "slight uptick in positive cases," he said Friday.
He also authorized state and local police to enforce shutdown orders.
"Due to that slight uptick in positive cases, we are indefinitely postponing step two of phase three in our reopening process," Baker said.
Baker said contact tracers have documented several pool parties, house parties and holiday celebrations with people not adhering to state guidance. "We cannot move forward at this time, or anytime soon in the near future," he said.
Additionally, Baker will sign an executive order that will reduce the limit on outdoor gatherings from 100 to 50 people starting Tuesday, he said.
The governor updated state restaurant guidance "to make absolutely clear that alcoholic beverages may only be served for on-site consumption if accompanied by food prepared on site," Baker said.
"Bars masquerading as restaurants also need to be closed," he said.
To execute the orders, a covert enforcement and intervention team has been created to ramp up enforcement in key communities, Baker said.
The state added 162 positive cases Friday and the seven-day positivity average saw a 0.4% increase, it currently stands at 2.1%, state health officials said.
More details: Baker said the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) and local government officials are cracking down on bars serving chips in an attempt to comply with food service requirements.
"One of the things that's come up a number of times, is that pretzels and potato chips meets the food service requirement. It clearly doesn't," Baker said.
"What we tried to do with the amendment of the order is make absolutely clear. You need to be serving food that's prepared on site and the people who are in your venue need to order and eat food if they're gonna order a drink," Baker said. "That is clearly not consistent with the spirit or the intent of what we put in place when we authorized outdoor dining and indoor dinning."
1:13 p.m. ET, August 7, 2020
More than 160,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the US
There are at least 4,895,868 cases of coronavirus in the US and at least 160,255 people have died from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.
So far on Friday, Johns Hopkins has recorded 12,286 new cases and 151 reported deaths.
The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
