July 10 coronavirus news

By Nectar Gan, Steve George, Laura Smith-Spark, Ed Upright, Meg Wagner and Melissa Macaya, CNN

Updated 8:15 PM ET, Fri July 10, 2020
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11:56 a.m. ET, July 10, 2020

The US is in the middle of "a very serious problem," Fauci says

From CNN's Amanda Watts

Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks on June 30.
Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks on June 30. Al Drago/Pool/Getty Images

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the United States is in the middle of a “very serious problem.”

Speaking at the AIDS 2020 Conference, Fauci said Covid-19 is “a true historic pandemic.” 

At the conference, Fauci showed a heat map of how the cases across the world have risen since the beginning of 2020.

“What we saw before us was the somewhat frightening — but nonetheless real — emergence of a true global pandemic. It just went on and on and got worse and worse and worse and worse," he said of the map.

Referencing the dark red United States on the map, Fauci said, his home country "is in the middle — right now, even as we speak — in a very serious problem.” 

 

11:52 a.m. ET, July 10, 2020

Decision to reopen schools "must be based on evidence," infectious disease experts say

From CNN's Jacqueline Howard

Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Infectious disease experts in the United States are calling for decisions on reopening schools to be "based on evidence and available resources to address risks of infection and illness" in a new statement on Friday from the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association.

"While data indicate that children are less likely to develop serious illness due to COVID-19 and to transmit the disease, instances in which children have fallen seriously ill — including with multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) – and in which children have died, should raise concerns, given that much remains unknown about the dynamics of the new coronavirus," the statement from Dr. Thomas File, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Dr. Judith Feinberg, chair of HIV Medicine Association, said.

"In addition, teachers, school administrators and other adults critical to school operation may be more vulnerable, due to age or conditions carrying higher risks to severe COVID-19 disease and death. Flexibility must be provided for students, teachers and staff with underlying health conditions that place them at risk for complications from COVID-19," the statement said. "Provisions for at-risk students should include distance learning only, and for their at-risk teachers, the option to provide only distance education."

The statement also noted that policies for screening symptoms among students and staff should be in place prior to reopening and that plans on how to respond to the possible event of a student or staff member becoming sick.

"New funding for all school systems is essential, and it must be adequate to ensure safe conditions, including appropriate physical distancing, as well as sufficient quantities of masks and other personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer, and appropriate cleaning and disinfection of classrooms and surfaces in common areas, school buses and other community forms of transportation for students," the statement said.

"We will not gain control of this pandemic or successfully reopen the economy unless we protect people and public health first," the statement added. "The safety of our children, their families, teachers and other school staff must be guiding factors in all school reopening decisions, and no school should be forced to open in a situation that presents unacceptable risks."

11:46 a.m. ET, July 10, 2020

Michigan businesses will be required to refuse entry to people not wearing masks

From CNN's Elizabeth Hartfield

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during a press conference in Lansing, Michigan.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during a press conference in Lansing, Michigan. Michigan Office of the Governor via AP

Following an increase in Covid-19 cases in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order on Friday requiring a face covering to be worn in all indoor public spaces across the state, and most notably, requiring businesses to refuse service or entry to anyone not wearing a covering, the governor announced in a release.

Violating the order — which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. local time on Monday — could carry a $500 penalty.

Businesses are required to post signs instructing customers to wear a mask, and there are exemptions for people with medical conditions and children under the age of 5, as well as for when people are eating and drinking at a restaurant.

“The heroes on the front lines of this crisis have gone hours without taking their masks off every day – doctors, nurses, child care workers, grocery store workers. We owe it to them to wear our masks when we’re on a trip to the grocery store or pharmacy,” Whitmer said in the statement. 
11:48 a.m. ET, July 10, 2020

Asymptotic transmission "clearly complicates" contact tracing and isolation, Fauci says

From CNN's Amanda Watts

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, attends a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on June 30 in Washington, DC.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, attends a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on June 30 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP

Dr. Anthony Fauci said when it comes to coronavirus and its clinical manifestations, “We learn more about literally on a daily and weekly basis.” 

“Importantly — and this is evolved over the months, because it was not clear early on, and it's changed the way we think about transmission and control — in that about 40% to 45% of individuals infected are asymptomatic," Fauci said of coronavirus while speaking at the AIDS 2020 Conference.

Fauci also said that transmission from people who are either asymptomatic or not yet showing symptoms of the virus " clearly complicates" attempts to contact trace and isolate. 

11:20 a.m. ET, July 10, 2020

Florida records second-highest day of new Covid-19 cases

From CNN's Melissa Alonso

Vehicles wait in line at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site on July 8 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Vehicles wait in line at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site on July 8 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Wilfredo Lee/AP

Florida health officials on Friday reported at least 11,433 new Covid-19 cases and 93 deaths related to the virus, according to data posted on the Florida Department of Health website.

The new tally comes as President Trump is making his way to Florida for a fundraiser and a briefing on drug trafficking.

Today marks the second time the state's single-day tally of cases topped more than 11,000, according to CNN's count.

DOH reported 11,458 cases on July 4, according to CNN's tally. 

11:02 a.m. ET, July 10, 2020

Florida secures more nurses as Covid-19 surges

From CNN's Rosa Flores, Sara Weisfeldt and Melissa Alonso

Florida officials are securing 1,000 nurses for hospitals in the state as the new surge of Covid-19 cases test Florida’s hospital system, Jared Moskowitz, Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FLSERT), said in a tweet on Friday. 

On Thursday, FLSERT had already deployed 100 nurses to Jackson Health System in Miami-Dade County. Several more nurses were also deployed to Bay Care hospital system in Tampa.

"The nurses will allow these hospital systems serve more patients," FLSERT said in a Thursday tweet.

11:04 a.m. ET, July 10, 2020

Ohio mandated masks for 12 counties but does not need a statewide order, governor says

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine holds up a face mask while speaking with CNN on July 8.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine holds up a face mask while speaking with CNN on July 8. CNN

While masks have been a highly politicized issue on state level in many hotspots across the US, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has mandated masks in 12 counties where the coronavirus cases are trending upwards. However, he doesn’t think a statewide mandate is required yet. 

“We strongly recommend that everybody who goes in public, no matter what county they're in in Ohio, they should have a mask on. But mandating it takes it to the next level,” he said. “If we could get 80% of all Ohioans who would wear a mask out in public, keep the social distance, we'll knock this thing down.”

DeWine emphasized the importance of masks and social distancing in keeping the virus in control so people can continue to work and businesses can remain open.

“If this virus spikes up and people are scared, it isn't going to matter what I order or what I don't order as far as businesses are closing or not, people aren’t going to go to those businesses,” he said.

On the issue of reopening schools, DeWine is allowing districts to draw out their reopening plan as well as their solution model in case there is a spike in cases, saying that he would “love to see every kid back in school.”

He admitted that there may not be one simple approach to it but reiterated that it’s important to slow the spread in the coming days.

“Whatever you like to do in the fall is going to depend to a great extent on what we do in the next 30 days. We've got to slow this spread down,” he said. “We have it within our power.”

WATCH:

11:23 a.m. ET, July 10, 2020

Hybrid learning is the right approach, Detroit public schools superintendent says

From CNN’s Meridith Edwards

Detroit Schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti speaks about the transition to virtual learning on April 23 in Detroit, Michigan.
Detroit Schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti speaks about the transition to virtual learning on April 23 in Detroit, Michigan. Carlos Osorio/AP

Detroit Public Schools (DPS) are scheduled to open their doors for a scheduled start of summer classes on Monday. This is the first time schools will welcome back students for face-to-face instruction since districts closed their doors in response to the pandemic.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said he sees a “desperate demand for face-to-face learning” but stated that online learning is not the “one size fits all” approach.  

“The online learning wasn’t ideal and our children have fallen farther behind,” Vitti told CNN. 

Vitti said online instruction puts additional stress on working parents and could continue to leave behind thousands of students who don’t have the family support structure to navigate through virtual learning. Online learning caused kids to slip behind he said.

The district attacked the digital divide issue with a $23 million plan. By the end of July, every DPS child in the more than 50-thousand plus student population from K-12 will have a device and internet access. “It’s important for us in Detroit to meet parents and students where they are at right now.”

As a parent himself, he said he doesn’t question the concerns from teachers and parents. But he also doesn’t want to see students fall further behind. 

The district had more than 4,000 parents sign students up for summer school, which is all voluntary. More than half chose face-to-face instruction. In addition, they had more than 300 teachers sign up to teach in-person and only 180 spots. “We need to be flexible and listen to what works for each family," he said.

Vitti said he thinks offering both virtual and in-person instruction is the best solution. He said that opening schools is “very frustrating for superintendents and school boards across the country now because the conversation turned political and we are stuck in the middle.”

He said he continues to work closely with the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's task force. The 2020-2021 school year is still up-in-the-air but is set to begin Sept. 8.

“I continue to hope that the most practical and realistic plan is offer ed and we will follow the direction of the Gov. Whitmer for them right safety measures.”  

10:54 a.m. ET, July 10, 2020

These are the key things to consider before reopening US schools, according to professional associations 

From CNN's Naomi Thomas

Professional associations said that “educators and pediatricians share the goal of children returning safely to school this fall,” in a joint statement released Friday by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

They said they are committed to doing everything they can so that students have this opportunity.

“Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue reopening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff,” the groups said, while acknowledging that science should be used to drive the decision making.

They noted that decisions to reopen schools should include local school leaders, public health experts, educators and parents, and they must take into account things including community spread of Covid-19 and the ability of schools to adapt safety protocols.

“For instance, in schools in areas with high levels of Covid-19 community spread should not be compelled to reopen against the judgement of local experts,” the groups said in the statement. “A one-size-fits all approach is not appropriate for return to school decisions.”

The statement listed a number of reasons beyond education why returning to school is beneficial to students. These include learning social and emotional skills, healthy meals, and exercise and mental health support.

The statement also called on Congress and the administration to provide federal resources that schools will need to reopen.

Reopening safely, they said, will require new investments in schools and campuses, and they need to “ensure that inadequate funding does not stand in the way of safely educating and caring for children in our schools.”

They describe withholding funds from schools that do not open for in-person learning full-time “misguided approach,” and state that it would put schools who do not have adequate resources in a position that would threaten the health of students and teachers.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta discusses school openings this fall: