20% of new Covid-19 cases in New York City are from travelers from states on quarantine list, mayor says
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a press conference in New York City on August 26. NYC Media
About 20% of the new Covid-19 cases across New York City are coming from people traveling from the 31 states on New York’s quarantine list, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.
The sheriff’s office has completed more than 3,000 vehicle stops, issued two citations and handed out more than 12,000 face coverings, the mayor said.
The mayor urged people coming in from one of these places to quarantine, saying in part, “You really have to quarantine, it’s the law.”
“If you don’t need to travel to one of those affected states, just don’t,” de Blasio added.
10:15 a.m. ET, August 26, 2020
Kenya eases Covid-19 restrictions as hotspots begin to "stabilize"
From CNN's Bethlehem Feleke in Nairobi
A woman walks in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, on July 15. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images
In a televised national address on Wednesday, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the easing of some Covid-19 restrictions as the country's infections have reached a “manageable level.”
Kenyatta lifted a ban on alcohol sales in hotels and restaurants saying, "hotspots like Nairobi and Mombasa have begun to stabilize," as a result of the majority of Kenyans adequately observing Covid-19 guidelines. The national positivity rate has fallen from 13% in June to 8% in August, the president noted, adding “we are reporting more recoveries than infections in some instances”.
Bars and nightclubs will remain closed, and a nationwide curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. local time will remain in place for another 30 days.
Despite the progress in major cities, Kenyatta warned the crisis is shifting to other counties with weaker health systems. “The new frontier of this invisible enemy is increasingly shifting to the counties and rural areas,” he said.
“We note the good progress we have made so far in fighting this enemy, but, this positive news is no license for us to drop guard and backslide from our path of responsibility.”
At least 213 people tested positive on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to at least 33,016 with 564 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.
10:02 a.m. ET, August 26, 2020
Airbnb will let employees work from home through August 2021
From CNN’s Brian Fung
The Airbnb logo is seen displayed on a smartphone on May 24, 2019. Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Airbnb is the latest company to signal that it is bracing for a long pandemic, telling employees they can work from home through next summer, even if their offices reopen before then.
The hospitality company said in a statement that it wants to give its workers “flexibility and choice.”
"We are offering this remote working extension to give employees the ability to plan further ahead and make the choices they need around school calendars, being closer to family, caring for vulnerable family members, and other personal decisions,” Airbnb said. "We are fortunate that our employees are able to perform their jobs from home, and we are supporting them as they do so."
10:31 a.m. ET, August 26, 2020
Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers viewer questions on the updated CDC guidelines
From CNN's Melissa Mahtani
In a shift that perplexed some doctors, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its Covid-19 testing guidelines to say some people without symptoms may not need to be tested, even if they've been in close contact with someone known to have the virus.
Previously, the CDC said viral testing was appropriate for people with recent or suspected exposure, even if they were asymptomatic.
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta is answering viewer questions on this latest guidance and the virus in general.
Watch here:
9:57 a.m. ET, August 26, 2020
Georgia state legislators "urge" Gov. Kemp to issue a statewide mask mandate
From CNN’s Lindsay Benson
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp speaks at a press conference on August 10 in Atlanta. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images
Democratic State Legislators in Georgia issued a press release Wednesday morning to "urge Gov. Brian Kemp to issue a statewide mandate requiring masks or face coverings in public."
“If we can prevent just one person from contracting COVID-19 or even one person from dying by mandating the wearing of masks statewide, why wouldn’t we do so? Perhaps doing so will help us get this pandemic under control," State Representative Rhonda Burnough said in the statement.
State Representative Shelly Hutchinson also said in the statement, “we now know that President Donald Trump’s White House Coronavirus Task Force has called for our governor to show leadership and implement a statewide mask mandate. This should not be controversial.”
9:30 a.m. ET, August 26, 2020
World Economic Forum in Davos rescheduled to summer 2021 due to coronavirus
From CNN's Rob North
Participants sit near a window during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, on January 23. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images
The World Economic Forum in Davos will be rescheduled next year due to coronavirus. The meeting, which is normally held in January, will now be held in the summer.
In a statement WEF said, “The decision was not taken easily, since the need for global leaders to come together to design a common recovery path and shape the “Great Reset” in the post-COVID-19 era is so urgent. However, the advice from experts is that we cannot do so safely in January.”
WEF will now hold a series of Davos Dialogues in the week of Jan. 25, where key global leaders can share their views on the state of the world in 2021.
9:21 a.m. ET, August 26, 2020
New Jersey gyms can reopen at 25% capacity starting in September, governor says
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday that gyms can reopen at 25% capacity on Sept. 1.
Masks will be required, the governor tweeted.
Read his tweet:
9:23 a.m. ET, August 26, 2020
Bed Bath & Beyond is laying off 2,800 employees
From CNN’s Jordan Valinsky
A customer enters a Bed Bath & Beyond store on July 9 in Larkspur, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Bed Bath & Beyond is eliminating 2,800 jobs effective immediately, as the troubled retailer tries to streamline its operations and shore up its finances amid the pandemic.
The significant reduction of corporate employees and retail workers will help Bed Bath & Beyond save $150 million in annual pretax cost savings, the company said Tuesday. As of February, the retailer had 55,000 employees, so the cuts amount to 5% of its total workforce.
Tuesday's "action forms part of a series of changes we are making to reduce the cost of our business, further simplify our operations and support our teams so we can emerge from the pandemic in an even stronger position," CEO Mark Tritton said in the statement.
Some background: Last month, Bed Bath & Beyond announced it was permanently closing 200 stores starting later this year. Brick-and-mortar stores continue to struggle as people shift their shopping online.
The company — which also operates Buybuy Baby, Christmas Tree Shops and Harmon Face Values — has about 1,500 stores. Nearly 1,000 of those are Bed Bath & Beyond locations.
Tritton was named Bed Bath & Beyond's CEO last October, joining the retailer from Target. In addition to the layoffs and store closures, Tritton is bolstering the company's digital efforts and launching new in-house brands next year.
8:44 a.m. ET, August 26, 2020
Catch up: What you need to know about the pandemic in the US today
From CNN's AJ Willingham
It's Wednesday morning in the US, where more than 5.7 million cases of coronavirus have been reported since the pandemic began, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
If you're just reading in this morning, here's a look at the latest updates from across the country:
Declining numbers and new hot spots: Coronavirus cases in the US are on the decline, but experts say the new reality may be "rolling hot spots," where parts of the country are affected by outbreaks while others trend down.
New testing guidelines: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its Covid-19 testing guidelines. The agency no longer recommends testing for most people without symptoms — even if they've been in close contact with someone known to have the virus.
