Daily Archives: July 23, 2020

Megan Kent, 37, a medical speech pathologist who lives just outside Boston, first tested positive for the virus on March 30, after her boyfriend became ill. She couldnt smell or taste anything, she recalled, but otherwise felt fine. After a 14-day quarantine, she went back to work at Melrose Wakefield Hospital and also helped out at a nursing home.

On May 8, Ms. Kent suddenly felt ill. I felt like a Mack truck hit me, she said. She slept the whole weekend and went to the hospital on Monday, convinced she had mononucleosis. The next day she tested positive for the coronavirus again. She was unwell for nearly a month, and has since learned she has antibodies.

This time around was a hundred times worse, she said. Was I reinfected?

There are other, more plausible explanations for what Ms. Kent experienced, experts said. Im not saying it cant happen. But from what Ive seen so far, that would be an uncommon phenomenon, said Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

Ms. Kent may not have fully recovered, even though she felt better, for example. The virus may have secreted itself into certain parts of the body as the Ebola virus is known to do and then resurfaced. She did not get tested between the two positives, but even if she had, faulty tests and low viral levels can produce a false negative.

Given these more likely scenarios, Dr. Mina had choice words for the physicians who caused the panic over reports of reinfections. This is so bad, people have lost their minds, he said. Its just sensationalist click bait.

In the early weeks of the pandemic, some people in China, Japan and South Korea tested positive twice, sparking similar fears.

South Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated 285 of those cases, and found that several of the second positives came two months after the first, and in one case 82 days later. Nearly half of the people had symptoms at the second test. But the researchers were unable to grow live virus from any of the samples, and the infected people hadnt spread the virus to others.

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Can You Become Reinfected With Covid-19? It's Very Unlikely, Experts Say - The New York Times

New statewide mask orders were issued on Wednesday by the Republican governors of Ohio and Indiana and by Minnesotas governor, a Democrat. And city officials in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore issued new, tougher new mask orders as well.

The latest mask mandates came a day after Mr. Trump, who has long resisted wearing masks and at times even disparaged them, made his most robust call for wearing them yet, urging: When you can, use a mask. Some of the nations largest retail chains, including Walmart, Winn-Dixie and Whole Foods, have also moved to require customers to wear them.

Asked if he favored such mandates, Mr. Trump said Wednesday evening that it should be up to the governors I think all are suggesting if you want to wear a mask, you wear it, he said and that he would decide over the next 24 hours whether to require masks be worn on federal properties in Washington and at the White House.

But several more governors decided the time for masks had come.

Weve got to get this virus under control, Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio said Wednesday as he issued a statewide mask order that will take effect Thursday evening. Wearing a mask is going to make a difference.

We all want kids to go back to school, we want to see sports, we want to see a lot of different things, we want to have more opportunities in the fall, said Mr. DeWine, who had previously ordered people only in the states hardest-hit counties to wear masks. And to do that, its very important that all Ohioans wear a mask.

Gov. Eric Holcomb of Indiana, a Republican, said Wednesday that he would sign an order mandating masks in most public settings beginning Monday. As we continue to monitor the data, weve seen a concerning change in some of our key health indicators, he said on Twitter. Hoosiers have worked hard to help re-open our state & we want to remain open.

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Spike in U.S. Cases Far Outpaces Testing Expansion - The New York Times

Where in the U.S. the virus is under control

As of this week, coronavirus cases are rising in 41 American states, and in many regions the situation has never been worse. Hospitalizations are nearing a record national high and deaths are the highest they have been since late May.

But amid this devastating wave, one region has managed to get the virus under control: the Northeast. New cases there remain below their April peak, and the region has five of the countrys nine states with flat or falling case levels.

In just over two months, states along the East Coast from Delaware to Maine have gone from the countrys worst hot spot to something resembling Europe. As in Italy and Spain, the Northeast was devastated by a rush of infections and deaths, and state leaders responded after some initial hesitation with strict lockdowns and large investments in testing and contact tracing. Like their European counterparts, Northeasterners also mostly followed the rules, including wearing masks, and have supported tough measures to bend the curve.

If the trends in the United States continue, the differences between the Northeast and the rest of the nation may become so pronounced by the fall flu season that some experts say they may resemble two different countries: one with overwhelmed hospitals and ballooning cases, and another that continues to wrestle a little with the virus, but manages to keep its economy in OK shape.

An uncertain future. The coming months may be difficult for the U.S., as the latent effects of the spring shutdown come into view and the predicted flood of evictions begin. When the $600 a week in extra federal unemployment benefits expires at the end of the month, more than 200 million Americans will see their incomes drop, which may have a significant effect on the wider economy.

With more than 70,000 infections, the Philippines has the second-highest case count in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia. The nations death toll has surpassed 1,800, and health authorities have come under increasing pressure from citizens who have grown wary of their strongman president, Rodrigo Duterte.

Mr. Duterte recently empowered the police to go home to home searching for the sick, and has said that anyone not wearing a mask will be arrested.

We spoke to our colleague Jason Gutierrez, who is based in Manila, about whats happening. Our conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

What is the status of the virus in the Philippines?

The government hasnt really been upfront about whats happening. President Duterte just said that all we can do is wait for the experts in the United States or China to develop a vaccine and, apart from that, basically advised the public to follow the rules or risk getting arrested.

Our health ministry is seen by many as really inefficient. It lets President Duterte say what he wants to say and does not clarify it in public.

Whats it like in Manila?

People have to go through checkpoints, and the police go around some areas in fatigues, as if theyre going into battle. Some carry large firearms. Its worrying because its militarizing the response to the health problem.

In some areas, especially the impoverished parts of Manila, the situation is a bit dire. People are really afraid to leave their homes and are basically told to just wait it out for food and medical advice or risk being arrested.

What has the response been to President Dutertes saying the police would arrest people who didnt wear masks?

In a lot of places, you see people always wearing medical masks, so it makes you wonder.. Ironically, he does not wear a mask when he meets his officials, and he wore a mask only when he made that threat.

Militarizing the response is probably his way of telling the public that he is doing something.

How are the restrictions in the Philippines different from elsewhere in the world?

The authorities have been empowered basically just to pick up anyone because they have allegedly violated some rule, no matter how vague. So apart from worrying about the disease, people are worrying about their security.

A Filipino broadcast journalist and his friends were biking, and they were all wearing masks when they stopped to rest. He took off his mask to take a sip of water and was picked up.

Updated July 22, 2020

He was taken to a stadium where they take all the Covid-19 violators to listen to a seminar on the proper way of wearing a mask and doing all these medical things but theyre putting people in proximity, which heightens the risk of getting sick.

Its time for the weirdest baseball season in recent memory.

Major League Baseball returns on Thursday, looking a whole lot different from what teams planned for in spring training. With 60 games, no fans (for now) and a universal designated hitter, some teams will be in a better position than others. First up: Yankees vs. Nationals, and Giants vs. Dodgers.

Our baseball columnist looks at the upside and the downside of a delayed, shortened season for all 30 teams.

The entire sports world has had the ultimate timeout and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make improvements. How should each sport rethink itself moving forward? Our Sports desk has a few ideas: realign leagues with quick travel in mind; overhaul the way sports are watched; simplify the rules; and make fields and courts bigger. Wed also like to hear from you.

Arizona is recording more than 3,000 new cases a day on average this month double what it was in mid-June but some disease specialists are cautiously optimistic that the crisis may be retreating.

The annual banquet in Stockholm to celebrate the winners of the Nobel Prize has been canceled because of the pandemic.

The average number of daily new cases in Spain has more than tripled in the month since its state of emergency ended. The country now has 224 local outbreaks.

Heres a roundup of restrictions in all 50 states.

My husband and I started visiting old graveyards, searching for my maternal grandfathers ancestors. We found the weathered tombstone of my fifth great-grandmother, born in 1755, and the cemetery where my fifth great-grandfather, a Revolutionary War veteran, is buried. The headstones make fascinating reading, and theres no better place for social distancing.

Kathleen J. Corbalis, Galloway Township, N.J.

Let us know how youre dealing with the outbreak. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter.

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Remy Tumin contributed reporting.

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Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today - The New York Times

WASHINGTON Senate Republicans announced Wednesday evening that they have "reached a fundamental agreement" with White House negotiators on how to move forward with a coronavirus relief bill.

The tentative framework comes amid tension in the Republican Party over how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, which is forcing states to re-evaluate their plans to reopen and to address the growing numbers of cases and deaths.

The legislation remains fluid, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has indicated that he wants to keep the price tag at $1 trillion. Republicans aren't all on the same page, as some have denounced the cost amid a soaring national debt. But the latest talks show some signs of breaking an intraparty logjam that has kept negotiations at a dead stop for weeks.

After the third meeting this week, Sens. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., chair of the Appropriations Committee; Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., chair of the Rules Committee, emerged late Wednesday from the negotiating room with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows saying they are "completely on the same page" and "in good shape."

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

The new proposal will serve as a starting point for negotiations with Democrats, who have passed a $3.4 trillion bill in the House and have been pressuring the GOP to move quickly on new aid as COVID-19 cases and deaths rise in the United States.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was nonplussed Thursday morning when asked about the emerging Senate Republican bill. "What bill?" she said, according to a pool reporter. "Do they have a bill?"

The Republicans intend to release their plan Thursday, but in "a handful of bills now instead of just one bill," Blunt told reporters.

"So we'll have one appropriations bill, we'll have several authorization bills that explain in more detail how that appropriated money will be spent, and obviously there will be a bill that will talk about any money that is distributed in direct payments or any other way," he said.

Negotiators agreed on $16 billion for testing as part of the Republican proposal, but they plan to offer $9 billion in previously appropriated funds and $16 billion in new funding. The combination of funds is a compromise between the Trump administration, which wanted to zero out funding for testing, and Senate Republicans, who wanted $25 billion.

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Because the administration opposes running a national testing program, funding for testing would be focused on schools, day care centers, nursing homes and senior centers.

"I think it's helpful to get down to what we were really talking about a sense of the pre-eminent federal responsibility would be on the testing front and more clearly defining the $9 billion that had been set aside earlier that would absolutely be testing money, along with $16 billion that we add to that," Blunt told reporters.

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"I think the real focus of the federal responsibility for testing would be primarily focused on senior facilities, on schools and on child care centers with other testing assistance," he said.

As part of the preliminary agreement, Republican negotiators agreed to $70 billion for K-12 education for all schools on a per capita basis, with half of the money going to covering costs for schools that have reopened.

In addition, $30 billion would be doled out to colleges and universities not to be tied to reopening, a Senate aide confirmed. The last $5 billion would be for governors to allocate how they see fit.

McConnell indicated Tuesday that Republicans are preparing to send $105 billion so schools can "safely reopen" $5 billion more than what Democrats originally proposed. Democrats, however, are now calling for more than $400 billion in school funding.

"We've agreed on the school front on ways to get people back to school and encourage them to go back to ... school, as much as possible," Blunt said. "We'll have some money that will be distributed to all districts and other money distributed [to] districts that get back to school in a more traditional sense."

Mnuchin told reporters Wednesday that negotiators also agreed to provide Americans with another round of direct payments, which the administration has been pushing for weeks. The details, however, have yet to be settled upon.

Asked whether there is a consensus on an amount, Mnuchin said, "I'm not going to get into specifics right now, but there is an agreement."

It isn't clear at this point, however, whether the terms of the direct payments will mirror those of the initial package in March which Democrats want in a future aid package.

While Republicans spent most of Wednesday floating the idea of a short-term extension of enhanced unemployment insurance benefits, the White House seemed to cool to the proposal.

"We're really looking at trying to make sure that we have a comprehensive bill that deals with the issues," Meadows told NBC News. "Any short-term extensions would defy the history of Congress, which would indicate that it would just be met with another short-term extension."

The $600-a-week federal payment for jobless Americans is set to run dry at the end of the month, and with no extension, it could lag until Republicans come to a broader consensus.

And while the payroll tax cut, a top priority for the administration, was still up in the air on Wednesday, Mnuchin conceded Thursday morning that it would not be in the pending package.

"Problem with a payroll tax cut is it takes time" to deliver impacts, he said on CNBC, adding that "we're going to come back" to it but that the focus now is on other issues like direct payments and jobless benefits.

He said Republicans are "looking at 70 percent wage replacement" for unemployment insurance.

JulieTsirkin is an associate producer for NBC News' Capitol Hill team.

Leigh Ann Caldwell is an NBC News correspondent.

Sahil Kapur is a national political reporter for NBC News.

Garrett Haake, Kasie Hunt and Haley Talbot contributed.

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Senate GOP, White House reach tentative $1 trillion pact to break coronavirus aid logjam - NBC News

Despite the sharp uptick in cases he acknowledged and a US death toll that now exceeds 142,000, Trump declared that "it's all going to work out. And it is working out."

He suggested children do not transmit the coronavirus, though early evidence suggests children can and do. He attributed the recent rise in cases in part to racial justice protests, though early evidence suggests the protests did not cause a spike, and in part to migration from Mexico, though there is no evidence for this either.

Trump also claimed that he has done more for Black Americans than anyone else with the "possible exception" of President Abraham Lincoln. That is transparently ridiculous.

Here is a look at some of Trump's claims and the facts behind them.

Trump suggests Mexico to blame

In assigning blame for the uptick in coronavirus cases, Trump also suggested that Mexico was responsible, even though public health officials haven't publicly made this same accusation.

"Likely also contributing were also sharing a 2,000-mile border with Mexico, as we know very well, and cases are surging in Mexico, unfortunately," Trump said on Wednesday.

Referring to his proposed US-Mexico border wall, Trump added, "It was really meant for a different purpose, but it worked out very well for what we're doing right now and the pandemic."

Facts First: Trump didn't provide any evidence to back up his claims, and the nation's top public health officials aren't blaming Mexico for the US pandemic. Also, cases are spiking in states that don't share a border with Mexico -- like Florida, Louisiana and Idaho -- undercutting Trump's implication that border-crossers are bringing the disease into the US en masse. It's worth noting that the virus first flared in places such as Washington State, New York and New Jersey, thousands of miles away from the Mexican border.

After the briefing, CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta said there isn't medical evidence supporting Trump's assertions. "I don't think there's any data specifically on Mexico," Gupta said. "We actually looked up to see if there was any data on that, and I didn't find any."

There is also a logic problem with Trump's comments. On one hand, he's blaming Mexico for the US spike. But he's also saying that the border barriers have successfully kept out the virus.

Kids transmitting the virus

During Wednesday's briefing, Trump continued to advocate for schools opening in the fall. In support of this he claimed that "a lot of people" say children "don't transmit" coronavirus.

"They don't catch it easily, they don't bring it home easily," Trump added. "And if they do catch it, they get better fast."

According to one recent study from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children between 10 and 19 years old may transmit coronavirus just as much as adults.

"Although the detection rate for contacts of preschool-aged children was lower, young children may show higher attack rates when the school closure ends, contributing to community transmission of Covid-19," the study said.

As a result, even though children appear to be affected less commonly or severely than adults, returning to school still poses certain risks.

Protests and the rise in cases

Trump said there were a "number" of causes for the recent spike in coronavirus cases. He cited some uncontroversial possible contributors, such as Americans returning to bars and increasing their travel.

The first cause he listed, though, was the racial justice protests that swept the country following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May.

"Cases started to rise among young Americans shortly after demonstrations...which presumably triggered a broader relaxation of mitigation nationwide," Trump said.

Obama and Chicago

CNN's Kaitlan Collins noted that in 2016 Trump said that it was President Barack Obama's fault that homicides were up in Chicago. She questioned Trump, "Why was it the President's fault then and not your fault now?"

Trump claimed that Obama "was invited in and he did a poor job. President Obama could've gone into Chicago. He couldn't have solved the problem and he didn't."

Since his early days in office, Trump has suggested sending the National Guard to curb gun violence in Chicago. Chicago's history with the National Guard is tumultuous, most notably during the 1968 Chicago riots and later at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Chicago wants a federal presence in the city

After Trump announced plans to send a "surge of federal law enforcement" to Chicago this week after the city experienced more gun violence, he claimed that Chicago will "want us to go in, full blast."

"I think in their own way they want us to go in, full blast. There will be a time when they're going to want us to go in full blast, but right now we are sending extra people to help. We are arresting a lot of people that have been very bad," the President said.

Facts First: This is an overstatement and needs context. The mayor of Chicago, who has a testy relationship with Trump, has cautiously welcomed federal law enforcement into the city to help combat its gun violence, but noted that federal agents were not welcome to "terrorize our residents."

But by Tuesday, Lightfoot cautiously embraced Trump's federal law enforcement to help combat Chicago's gun violence so long as the agents remain focused on gun violence.

Trump and Black Americans

But Trump's response to Biden's assertion was also wrong.

Facts First: While we give Trump lots of latitude to express opinions, this one is simply ridiculous even if he is only comparing himself to previous presidents and excluding other Black heroes. It's absurd to say Lincoln is a "possible" exception; emancipating the slaves was obviously more important for Black Americans than anything Trump has done. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, monumental bills whose impact dwarfed the impact of any legislation Trump has signed.

CNN's Andrea Kane contributed to this fact check.

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Fact check: Trump falsely suggests kids don't transmit coronavirus and that US case surge is due in part to protests and Mexican migration - CNN

Editors note:This is a live account of COVID-19 updates from Wednesday, July 22 as the day unfolded. It is no longer being updated. Clickhereto see all the most recent news about the pandemic, andclick hereto find additional resources.

Most people in the United States are still highly susceptible to catching the new coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. As the virus silently spreads, scientists are scrambling to study its prevalence, broadcast the latest guidance, develop a vaccine and invent new ways to test people for antibodies.

In Washington state, most registered voters said in a new poll that they wear masks regularly and believe reopening should be at least paused for the time being.

Throughout Wednesday, on this page, well be posting updates on the pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the Pacific Northwest and the world. Updates from Tuesday can be foundhere, and all our coronavirus coverage can be foundhere.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) There were few bare faces among rush-hour commuters in Australias second-largest city on Thursday morning as Melbourne residents were largely complying with a new law making face coverings compulsory.

Melbourne and neighboring semi-rural Mitchell Shire are coronavirus hot spots that have been in lockdown for two weeks. Wearing a mask or face covering in public became mandatory for Melbournes 5 million residents from 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.

Melbourne residents are becoming increasing concerned by the pandemic while most parts of Australia have virtually no new cases and have relaxed restrictions. Victoria state, of which Melbourne is the capital, posted a 24-hour record 484 new cases on Wednesday. A state record five deaths was announced on Thursday.

Associated Press

When Bennie Aranas was being treated for COVID-19, video calls from his hospital bed were filled with more than 100 friends and family members.

At the end of the day, family needs to come together. Youre there for one another, said Aranas oldest son, Byron, describing a family of 40-plus nieces and nephews. And he truly was a family guy. Family first.

When Aranas tested positive for the new coronavirus at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, doctors asked his family if theyd like him to participate in their early clinical trials for remdesivir,the first drug shown to be effective against COVID-19.

Byron Aranas, 47, said he didnt know if his father had been given the drug or a placebo during that trial, but in the first week, his condition started improving.

Then, on the 11th day, his condition worsened. By the 12th day April 25 he was gone.

Read the full story here.

Elise Takahama

SACRAMENTO, Calif. California will spend $315 million more to buy hundreds of millions of protective masks as the coronavirus continues to ravage the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.

A new contract with Chinese manufacturer BYD will provide the state 120 million tight-fighting N95 respirator masks and 300 million looser-fitting surgical masks. Californias initial $1 billion deal with the company was signed in April.

The state will soon launch a competitive bidding process to try to get even more protective masks at lower prices and is encouraging manufacturers within the state to make equipment, Newsom said.

We decided to think outside the box, we did something big and bold, he said during a news conference at a Sacramento warehouse where masks and other protective equipment are stored.

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY Utah is among the many U.S. states battling a surge in coronavirus cases, but officials said Wednesday the Salt Lake City area is bucking the trend after the county issued a mandate a month ago for people to wear masks.

Theres no statewide mask order in Republican-led Utah, and face coverings remain contentious, as seen at a recent public meeting that was abruptly ended when dozens of people without masks packed the room.

After GOP Gov. Gary Herbert allowed Democratic leaders in Salt Lake County to impose their own mask rule, the countys share of cases in the state steadily declined despite its denser population.

The number of new cases reported daily in Salt Lake County is nearly down to levels seen in June. However, case numbers in the state as a whole have doubled in the same time frame.

Associated Press

The boom, boom, boom pattern of announcements from school officials this week sounded eerily similar to the one from five months ago, when districts extended building closures and decided to improvise schooling through a mix of online coursework and assignments on paper.

On Wednesday, several of King Countys largest school districts, including Seattle, said they intend to hold school remotely this fall. In other words, back to school will be back to screens.

In the spring and now, district leaders announcements were light on details. The difference: Decisions last school year were made in the thick of a pandemic. Since then, leaders have had months to prepare for the possibility that buildings couldnt reopen safely.

But many district leaders offered little insight this week into how they plan to improve the way they deliver online classes, particularly for students who were left out in the spring, such as those who receive special-education services and those who are learning English. This lack of detail comes at a time when many education leaders of color across Washington are raising serious concerns about inequity in schools generally, but particularly during school closures.

As of late Wednesday, the districts that had announced an online-only start to the school year included Auburn, Bellevue, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Northshore and Seattle.

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Dahlia Bazzaz, Hannah Furfaro and Paige Cornwell

As coronavirus cases surge in Kitsap County, in addition to other parts of the state, local health officials are urging residents to take united action to fight the outbreak.

We need everyones help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent additional hospitalizations and deaths in our county, Susan Turner, Kitsap Public Health District health officer, said in a Wednesday statement. Most community members and businesses are taking the threat of this illness seriously and we are grateful for their commitment. We have a long road ahead and we must work together to protect the health of all Kitsap residents."

The county has reported more than 180 new COVID-19 cases in the past month, reaching the highest levels its seen since the start of the pandemic, the statement said.

Hospitalizations are on the rise, multiple long-term care facilities are reporting new outbreaks and many recent cases have been linked to social gatherings, Kitsap County health officials said. Many of those who have tested positive, the statement said, have exhibited mild symptoms and didn't know they could infect others.

Health officials said they hope Kitsap County residents will diligently avoid crowds, social distance, wash their hands frequently, wear face coverings and get tested as soon as they start feel symptoms, the statement said.

Elise Takahama

Health officials warned Washingtonians in a blog post Tuesday that nearly the entire state is "on the path to runaway transmission rates of COVID-19," though some counties, like Yakima, provide bits of hope.

The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 is "higher now than it has ever been," and hospitalization rates are rising throughout the state, the Washington State Department of Health post said.

Data also shows the increase in the number of young adults testing positive is leading to an increase in the number of children and teens who are contracting the virus and "threatening to spread broadly into younger and older age groups," the post said.

Health officials did end on a positive note, however, by reminding Washingtonians that changing behavior can make a difference, referring to Yakima County's "sharp turnaround" in positive cases now that about 95% of people are wearing face coverings in public.

"You know what to do," the post said. "Each of us needs to make a conscious shift in the way we live our lives so that we can send our kids back to school in the fall and continue to reopen our businesses."

Elise Takahama

Relationship therapist Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman doesnt mince words when discussing strains the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on couples nationwide.

She tells of one husband-and-wife client duo and how the pandemic has driven them crazy when he comes home weekends from his high-stress,front-line medical worker jobhe took in another state to better make ends meet. Theyll quickly argue over something as minimal as controlling the television remote control, drink some wine and then watch the situation deteriorate.

Gottman and her husband, Dr. John Gottman, founders of The Gottman Institute and its Seattle-based Love Lab for relationship assessments, have accelerated plans to introduce an online version of their services for patients and therapists.

Their 3-year-old startup, Affective Software, is expected to complete final testing of personal computer and smartphone applications this fall in an effort to democratize what they say is low-cost therapy for millions of couples at risk for domestic violence, alcoholism and financial anxiety as the pandemic continues.

Read the full story here.

Geoff Baker

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump painted a wishful view Wednesday of the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, in which existing treatments can almost cure patients flooding hospitals, all schools will safely reopen this fall, and the countrys soaring cases are confined to a handful of states.

But the rosy assessment he issued at a White House news briefing alone at the lectern without any top public health experts was undermined by the alarming reality that on Wednesday, almost every metric showed just how badly America is losing its fight against the virus.

The number of daily deaths on Wednesday surpassed 1,100, the first time that mark had been reached since May 29. And total deaths in the United States since the start of the pandemic increased to more than 140,000.

Trumps optimistic outlook Wednesday contrasted with his reluctant acknowledgment on Tuesday that Americas situation will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better.

The Washington Post

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. As parts of the nation struggle with a worse coronavirus outbreak than during its high points last spring in other states, Illinois, where officials continue to congratulate residents for keeping the new virus in check, announced Wednesday an increasing number of newly confirmed infections.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his state public health director, Dr. Ngoze Ezike, made public pleas to wear masks when outside the home and continue physical distancing and conscientious hygiene to stem the spread of the highly contagious and potentially deadly coronavirus.

The state on Wednesday reported Julys highest one-day total at nearly 1,600 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, prompting a warning from the Democratic governor.

States including Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana and Texas have seen some July surges that surpassed what any of the hardest-hit states saw in April. Meanwhile, Illinois, which many believe was slower and more deliberate in re-opening its economy and reducing restrictions on social interaction, had kept numbers of new cases steady.

Associated Press

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Wednesday that she is expanding the states current COVID-19 mask order to also apply to children as young as 5 and that she is decreasing the allowed capacity of indoor venues from 250 people to 100.

The governor said these new mandates, which go into effect Friday, are necessary to help slow the increasing spread of coronavirus. On Tuesday, the total number of confirmed and presumptive virus cases in the state topped 15,000.

When we see the numbers rise, we must respond, Brown said.

Currently, anyone who is 12 years or older must wear masks inside public spaces and in outdoor areas where they can not stay six feet away from others. The mandate will now apply to anyone 5 years or older.

These younger children can be infected by COVID-19. These younger children live with families, said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, epidemiologist for the Oregon State Health Authority.

In conjunction with the mask expansion, Oregons Department of Education announced that students will be required to wear face coverings during in-person instruction if they return to the classroom in the fall. The department will distribute 5 million face coverings to school districts for students and employees to wear to help with the new requirement.

Read the full story here.

The Associated Press

To give businesses, shoppers and diners more room outside, the City of Seattle will soon waive permit costs for restaurants and retail stores that want to close streets near their establishments.

We must all fight the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in our region," Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a statement. "As we are seeing increasing cases from social gatherings and indoor dining, we can create additional opportunities for our restaurants and businesses to safely operate outdoors."

For qualifying businesses, the city will waive usual permit costs, but businesses will still have to cover other expenses like barricades and temporary no-parking signs. Those applying to close a portion of the street will have to demonstrate support from neighboring businesses and residents of proposed street closures, the mayors office said in a news release.

Its the latest effort to keep people outside as the city returns to shopping and dining. Last month, Seattle announced it would waive sidewalk permit fees to make it easier for restaurants to seat people outdoors.

So far, the Seattle Department of Transportation has received 92 applications for sidewalk cafs and curb space permits, the city said. The city has yet to release more details about which businesses will be eligible for the new street closure fee waivers. Businesses can start applying July 29.

Heidi Groover

State health officials confirmed 672 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths in Washington on Wednesday.

The update brings the states totals to 49,247 cases and 1,468 deaths, meaning about 3% of people diagnosed in Washington have died, according to the state Department of Health (DOH). The data is as of 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.

So far, 855,152 tests for the novel coronavirus have been conducted in the state, per DOH, with about 5.8% of those coming back positive. Over the week ending July 16, about 5.3% of tests in Washington have been positive.

In King County, the state's most populous, state health officials have confirmed 13,627 diagnoses and 638 deaths, accounting for 43.5% of the states COVID-19 death toll.

Brendan Kiley

Fearing another grim wave of nursing home deaths as COVID-19 cases rebound, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his administration will provide $5 billion to help facilities counter the virus.

The move follows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Bidens recent unveiling of a family caregiver plan that aims to greatly expand and subsidize alternatives to institutional care for frail older adults. Both men are competing for seniors votes against a backdrop of eroding political support for Trump among older Americans.

I want to send a message of support and hope to every senior citizen, Trump said at the White House. The light is starting to shine and we will get there very quickly.

The $5 billion announced Wednesday is part of a package, including efforts to facilitate ongoing testing of nursing home staff, providing states a weekly list of facilities with increased COVID-19 cases, and offering additional training and support for the homes.

Advocates and industry have been pressing the administration and Congress for weeks to provide more financial assistance and support for nursing homes. An earlier White House recommendation to test all residents and staff has had mixed results. Nursing homes already have received $4.9 billion from pandemic relief funds approved by Congress.

Read the full story here.

The Associated Press

When Sophie Cunningham, a guard for the WNBAs Phoenix Mercury, returned to training last week after a bout with COVID-19, she made an announcement that startled fans. She said she believed she had been infected twice once in March and then again in June or July.

They said you can only get it once, but Ive had it twice, she told reporters Thursday. Hopefully, Im done with it.

As the United States marks its sixth month since the arrival of the virus, Cunninghams story is among a growing number of reports of people getting COVID-19, recovering and then falling sick again assertions, that if proved, could complicate efforts to make a long-lasting vaccine, or to achieve herd immunity where most of the population has become immune to the virus.

Doctors emphasize there is no evidence of widespread vulnerability to reinfection and that it is difficult to know what to make of these cases in the absence of detailed lab work, or medical studies documenting reinfections. Some people could be suffering from a reemergence of the same illness from virus that had been lurking somewhere in their body, or they could have been hit with a different virus with similar symptoms. Their positive COVID-19 tests could have been false positives a not-insignificant possibility given accuracy issues with some tests or picked up dead remnants of virus, as authorities believe happened in hundreds of people who tested positive after recovering in South Korea.

You cant extrapolate those anecdotal, first-person observations to the entire population and make sweeping conclusions about how the virus works, said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University.

There is still not enough evidence, or sufficient time since the virus first struck to draw firm conclusions about how people develop immunity to COVID-19, how long it might last or what might make it less robust in some individuals than in others.

Read the full story here.

The Washington Post

Virtual instruction. Mandated masks. Physical distancing. The start of school will look very different this year because of the coronavirus and thats OK with the vast majority of Americans.

Only about 1 in 10 Americans think daycare centers, preschools or K-12 schools should open this fall without restrictions, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs. Most think mask requirements and other safety measures are necessary to restart in-person instruction, and roughly 3 in 10 say that teaching kids in classrooms shouldnt happen at all.

The findings are a sharp contrast to the picture that President Donald Trump paints as he pressures schools to reopen. The Republican president claims to have wide support for a full reopening, arguing that Democrats oppose it for political reasons.

Few schools, however, plan to return to business as usual.

Read the full story here.

The Associated Press

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Coronavirus daily news updates, July 22: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world - Seattle Times