Pennsylvania reports 1,000 new Covid-19 cases for the 15th day in a row
From CNN's Julian Cummings
The Pennsylvania department of health reported 1,557 new cases of Covid-19, the 15th consecutive day the state has reported over 1,000 new infections of coronavirus.
The statewide number of total cases now stands at 184,872.
Additionally, Pennsylvania reported 33 new deaths related to Covid-19, bringing the statewide death total to 8,533.
The Pennsylvania department of health says that they are “seeing significant increases in the number of COVID-19 cases among younger age groups, particularly 19 to 24-year-olds.”
12:37 p.m. ET, October 20, 2020
Simulation suggests open windows and glass barriers might help reduce Covid-19 spread in classrooms
From CNN’s Sierra Jenkins
Sixth grade students at the Max Planck School in Kiel, Germany sit in their classroom during their first lesson after the autumn holidays on October 19. Gregor Fischer/picture alliance/Getty Images
Ventilation and student placement can affect how coronavirus particles move around a classroom, according to a study published on Tuesday in the journal Physics of Fluids. The study also found that removing some seats, opening windows, placing glass barriers on desks and focusing on hand hygiene may help to reduce spread of the virus.
The authors conducted 20 computer simulations of how particles could spread based on a classroom including nine students and an instructor and desks with and without glass screens on the front.
Each student’s placement went beyond the typical recommendation of 6 feet of separation – instead there was 7 feet and 10 inches between each person. The model’s floor plan consisted of three rows of three desks with an instructor at the front corner.
“Aerosol distribution in the room is not uniform and is strongly influenced by air conditioning layout,” said the authors, from the University of New Mexico.
Based on the simulation, the authors suggest removing the middle seat to reduce potential spread. Students in the back corners received two to three times fewer particles on average than other students, so those may be better positions for students at risk for Covid-19 complications, the study said.
The authors said opening windows while the air conditioning was on increased the particles exiting the room and decreased particles deposited on those in the room.
The study emphasizes the need for “efficient filtering in the air conditioning systems.”
Ventilation from air conditioning systems reduces the number of particles in the air. However, since air flow is often recycled, the authors said particles exiting the classroom “may pose greater risk to individuals in other rooms.”
Even with only nine students and distance between them, aerosol “is transmitted in significant quantities between students and from one student other students’ desks,” the study said, highlighting the need for hand sanitization.
In the simulations, glass screens on desks reduced the spread of small particles from one student to another, and the authors said they should be used. But effectiveness will vary depending on air conditioning and the source of the aerosol.
12:00 p.m. ET, October 20, 2020
New York City has not seen marked increase in Covid-19 deaths, officials say
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday, “The number of deaths has not been increasing markedly.“
“Our profound concern is to not let this challenge gather steam and not allow a second wave in the door," the mayor said.
“We are not seeing an increase in overall deaths and that’s been true over the last several weeks to several months” said Dave Chokshi commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Human Services.
“The total number of deaths per day is averaging in the single digits,” he added.
Hospitalizations and deaths lag an increase in cases, as was seen earlier this year, he reminded.
11:51 a.m. ET, October 20, 2020
UK Covid-19 death toll 3 times higher than the day before
From CNN's Hilary McGann in London
The UK recorded 241 new coronavirus deaths on Tuesday — more than three times the 80 deaths reported on Monday — according to the government's website.
In each case, the person died within 28 days of first testing positive for coronavirus, the government explained.
On Tuesday another 21,331 cases were reported in the UK.
11:44 a.m. ET, October 20, 2020
CDC "strongly recommends" mask-wearing on public transit
From CNN's Jacqueline Howard
People wearing face masks take the subway on September 10 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Passengers and operators of public transportation – includingairplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis and ride-shares – should wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, according to interim guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"CDC strongly recommends appropriate masks be worn by all passengers and by all personnel operating the conveyance while on public conveyances," according to the interim guidance on the agency's website, which appears to have been last reviewed on Monday.
People should wear masks that cover both the mouth and nose when waiting or, traveling on, or leaving public transportation, the CDC guidance advises.
"Conveyance operators transporting people should refuse boarding to anyone not wearing a mask and require all people onboard, whether passengers or employees, to wear masks for the duration of travel," it says – except when eating or in need of medical attention, for instance.
“Face masks help prevent people who have COVID-19, including those who are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic, from spreading the virus to others," the guidance said.
11:35 a.m. ET, October 20, 2020
2 hospitals updated Covid-19 visitation policies after religious discrimination complaints, HHS says
From CNN Health's Jacqueline Howard
Two hospitals have updated their visitation policies amid the coronavirus pandemic to accommodate designated support persons for people with disabilities, the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights announced on Tuesday.
The hospitals — MedStar Health System’s Southern Maryland Hospital Center and Mary Washington Healthcare in Virginia — made these updates to their policies around the same time they resolved separate religious visitation complaints, according to the Office for Civil Rights.
"These two hospitals have also updated their policies to allow for designated support persons to accompany people with disabilities in their hospitals," Roger Severino, director of the Office for Civil Rights, said during a phone call with reporters on Tuesday.
"This is a great result. I think we're seeing now that we've learned more and more about this virus, and what is necessary to keep people safe," Severino said. "So we're adapting to the circumstances and accommodating to make sure that nobody is left behind, including persons with disabilities, including persons of faith, and that we treat the whole person — mind body and soul — without sacrificing any one for the other."
11:30 a.m. ET, October 20, 2020
Speaker Pelosi and Treasury Sec. Mnuchin to speak again at 3:00 p.m. today about stimulus package
From CNN's Lauren Fox
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin will speak again today at 3 p.m. as the deadline approaches for them to reach an agreement on the stimulus.
This comes the day after members of the appropriations staff met yesterday to try to put into writing some of the areas where Pelosi and Mnuchin had gotten closer to an agreement.
According to two sources familiar with those talks, they did not go well. Part of the issue is that appropriators feel like they are working without the entire picture of what Pelosi and Mnuchin have actually agreed to.
11:23 a.m. ET, October 20, 2020
Florida reports more than 3,600 new coronavirus cases
From CNN’s Tina Burnside
Health care workers offer free COVID-19 testing from a Miami-Dade County mobile van outside of an early voting site on Monday, October 19. in Miami. Lynne Sladky/AP
The Florida Department of Health is reporting 3,662 new cases of Covid-19 and 86 additional deaths on Tuesday, according to the Florida Department of Health (DOH).
The state now has a total of 760,389 coronavirus cases, DOH data shows.
The resident death toll now stands at 16,308, DOH data also shows.
One thing to note: These numbers were released by Florida’s public health agency and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.
11:15 a.m. ET, October 20, 2020
New York City has a test positivity rate of 2.52%, mayor says
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
The percent of people who tested positive for Covid-19 citywide is at 2.52%, under the 5% threshold, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
The seven-day rolling average is 1.58%, he said.
The daily number of people admitted to hospitals for Covid-19 is at 62, under the 200 threshold. The confirmed positivity rate for Covid-19 for those patients is 19.7%
With regard to new reported cases on a seven-day average, with a threshold of 550 cases, NYC reports 496.
One thing to note: These numbers were released by the citys public health agency, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project
