August 10 coronavirus news

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced the opening of two free testing sites in Aurora and Adams County on Monday that promise to deliver faster Covid-19 results after people complained they weren’t hearing back for more than a week. 

“A lot of the testing being done at the national labs was simply taking too long,” Polis said at a briefing at Water World in Adams County, which is now the location of a free testing site. “People weren’t hearing back for nine, 10 days.” 

The governor said the partnership with MAKO Medical will aim to provide “free, quick, easy testing.” Tests will take 15 minutes and the results should be available in two to four days, Polis added.

Polis, who got tested at the new site, stressed that these new sites are accessible to everyone.

“You don’t need appointments, you don’t need a doctor or primary caregiver, you don’t need a note,” he said.

Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,319 new cases today, for a total of 195,399. 

One new death was reported today, bringing that total to 7,637.

The seven day positivity rate for new cases is steady at 4.1%. 

IDPH reports that 1,481 people are hospitalized statewide with the virus, with 352 of those in intensive care units.

Note: These numbers were released by the Illinois 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.

At least 484 students and 21 staff members in the Cherokee School District have been quarantined since school began on Aug. 3, according to the school’s website. 

The district is reporting 25 positive cases among students and six cases among staff. 

The district has about 42,500 students, a spokesperson tells CNN. 

There are 22 schools in Mississippi that are reporting positive Covid-19 cases, State Health Director Dr. Thomas Dobbs said in a news conference.

Dobbs said there have been 19 cases reported among students and 15 cases among staff.

Last week, Gov. Tate Reeves ordered a two-week mask mandate for every county in the state, including in schools.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that President Trump’s unemployment proposal, which would require states to pitch in 25% of a $400 benefit, would cost the state approximately $700 million each week.

Newsom acknowledged that a $400 benefit rather than the current $600 weekly payment would be advantageous for those Californians who are otherwise looking at nothing.

He warned that it would add to the “enormous economic stress” already menacing the California's government.

“We are at peril of being in a position where we’re making false commitments, false promises,” Newsom said.

The US Food and Drug Administration will not compromise on the safety of a Covid-19 vaccine, even with the speed with which it must evaluate vaccine candidates, FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn told American Medical Association President Dr. Susan Bailey in an online conversation Monday.

Hahn acknowledged that because of the speed with which the agency is working, some experts have questioned if the FDA will compromise its scientific principles in reviewing clinical trial data.  

Hahn asked the doctors listening to the conversation to urge patients to take the vaccine once it is approved. He said that he has seen surveys that report a significant part of the public will be reluctant to get a Covid-19 vaccine. A CNN poll in May found one-third of Americans said they would not try to get vaccinated against Covid-19, even if the vaccine is widely available and low cost.

“We hope that you will urge your patients to take an approved vaccine, so that we can seek to establish widespread immunity,” Hahn said.

More context: There are 26 vaccines in human trials around the world with four in the United States. There are also 139 in preclinical trials around the world, according to the World Health Organization. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed to CNN that the Senate will be in session all week.

Most senators are gone and no votes are scheduled — with no stimulus deal to vote on.

Senators will have 24-hours notice to return if they have to vote.  

McConnell wouldn’t answer when CNN asked if he will be negotiating with Democrats this week. 

Lebanon has recorded 295 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the day the country’s government stepped down.

The resignation of the prime minister comes less than a week after a massive explosion in Beirut killed more than 160 people and sparked days of violent protests.

Lebanon has also recorded four new coronavirus deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Public Health. This brings the total number of cases in the country to 6,812 and the total number of deaths to 80.

Some background: Shortly before the ministry reported the rise in cases on Monday, Prime Minister Hassan Diab addressed the nation, announcing his resignation and that of his government in the wake of the deadly blast last week, which he called a "disaster beyond measure."

In an impassioned speech, Diab berated Lebanon's ruling political elite for fostering what he called "an apparatus of corruption bigger than the state."

In a Georgia state election board meeting Monday, the board passed an emergency rule to allow election officials to open and scan absentee ballots two weeks before election day, beginning Monday October 19.

This means election officials will have more time to process the increased number of absentee ballots the state expects to receive due to more people voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic.

Election officials will not be able to tabulate votes early, they will simply be allowed to open and scan absentee ballots before election day, according to the new rule. 

Originally, there was a one-week window where officials could begin processing ballots. This move could help the state tabulate results more quickly on election night.