July 28 coronavirus news

Vice President Mike Pence arrives at Miami International Airport on Monday.

Vice President Mike Pence held another weekly governors call Tuesday, the focus of which ranged from school reopening to vaccine development to what he described as “encouraging trends” in states experiencing rising cases. 

Dr. Deborah Birx, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Robert Redfield, Dr. Stephen Hahn, Adm. Brett Giroir, and Pete Gaynor were also on the afternoon call. 

Pence touted the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “very strong position” on returning to schools. 

Redfield, Pence said, would address CDC recommendations to get kids physically back into classrooms. 

Pence said the task force is “beginning to see encouraging trends” in Sun Belt states with rising cases, praising the governors of Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California for their mitigation efforts, and calling their situations “a good learning opportunity for states that may see emerging positive cases.”

He said he spoke with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Monday night and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this morning.

A man gets a flu shot in Washington, DC, in January.

At least two companies that make influenza vaccines have started shipping them out to doctors’ offices, pharmacies and other customers in the United States, but it’s too soon for people to think about getting one.

GlaxoSmithKline said Tuesday it started shipping some of the more than 50 million vaccines it expects to supply for this US flu season. Sanofi Pasteur, another pharmaceutical company, said last week it also started shipments for the US market, but did not say how many doses it expected to make.

Why this matters: US health officials say it will be more important than ever to get a flu vaccine this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. It will be hard enough for hospitals and doctors to deal with one fast-spreading and potentially deadly respiratory virus, let alone two. Plus, no one knows what might happen if people get infected with both viruses at the same time.

Because of this, Glaxo and Sanofi both say they are increasing their production to meet the expected growth in demand.

“GSK expects to supply more than 50 million doses of its influenza vaccines for the US market in the 2020-21 season, an increase from the 46 million it distributed during the 2019-20 influenza season,” the company said in a statement Tuesday.

But people will need to wait to get vaccinated.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says while it takes two weeks for a flu vaccine to take full effect, people should not get one in summer.

“Getting vaccinated early (for example, in July or August) is likely to be associated with reduced protection against flu infection later in the flu season, particularly among older adults,” the CDC says. 

The CDC recommends that just about everyone over the age of 6 months get a flu vaccine every year. The vaccine formulation changes from year to year to try to match the regular mutations of the virus and the changes in what’s circulating.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said today’s update in Covid-19 cases gives hope that the state “may be seeing a new plateau or stabilization.”

He added however that it is too early to come to that conclusion.

The state today reported 532 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, and a 5.08% positivity rate, which decreased for the first time in four days, the governor said.

Beshear said the state is likely to extend its facial covering mandate, previously issued July 9 for a 30-day duration.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said he’s concerned as thousands of young people come to Boston to start or continue their education in the fall.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Walsh said his administration has been working closely with educational institutions in Boston to understand new protocols and create plans of action in case anyone tests positive for coronavirus in various educational settings. 

“We’re helping colleges plan safe housing options for students to reduce their density on campus,” Walsh said.

The governor’s office issued guidelines in early July outlining for spaces like hotels to be used for temporary student housing to allow colleges the time and space to properly handle social distancing in light of the coronavirus pandemic.  

“We’re also working with the state on contract tracing efforts in partnership with all of our colleges along with testing,” Walsh said, emphasizing that these two elements will be “their most powerful tool in ensuring that the transmission rates remain low.”

Walsh said he’s meeting with several college presidents to discuss their opening plans and many of them have been planning different scenarios.

At least 1,244 people are currently hospitalized with Covid-19 in North Carolina– the highest number of hospitalizations in the state since the beginning of the pandemic, Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday.

The state also reported at least 1,749 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, the governor said in a briefing today.

Cooper said there have been at least 1,820 deaths in the state since the start of the pandemic. 

Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, said today is the highest day of statewide hospitalizations, but hospital space is still available. North Carolina has averaged around 29,000 tests per day over the past week. 

Cohen said North Carolina is seeing a direct correlation with the start of the statewide mask mandate and the stabilizing of trends in the state.

“Seeing glimmers of potential progress does not mean we can let up, it means it’s time to double down,” Cohen said.

Note: These numbers were released by Cooper, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

A foul ball sits inside Citizens Bank Park, where the Miami Marlins were playing the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

The Miami Marlins should follow the 14-day quarantine protocol when they return to South Florida, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez said Tuesday.

His remarks came just before Major League Baseball announced multiple postponements of upcoming games out of an abundance of caution after multiple Miami Marlins tested positive for Covid-19. 

“I would assume that they would follow the medical protocols and I would assume they also follow the law unless they have some kind of exemption,” he added. 

The mayor said he doesn’t see how MLB teams will be able to contain the spread of the virus among their ball clubs if players are allowed to go back into the community after their games. 

Giménez thinks the National Basketball Association has “the right formula” by putting teams in an enclosed environment, often referred to as a “bubble,” in which the participants live, practice and play all games. 

He also doesn’t expect the county to suffer additional economic hardship if the Marlins’ season were to get postponed.

“There’s no fans, so it’s all TV revenue,” Giménez said. “As far as the county is concerned, it has minimal impact on the county.”  

“They still owe us the rent, whether they play or they don’t,” he added. 

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks at a news conference on Tuesday.

Starting Friday, restaurants in North Carolina must stop selling alcohol after 11 p.m., Gov. Roy Cooper announced in a news conference today.

Bars will remain closed, Cooper said, adding that “we want to prevent restaurants from turning into bars after hours.”

The order will not apply to grocery stores, convenience stores or other entities permitted to sell alcohol for off-premises consumption, according to the governor.

Joe Biden arrives at his campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday.

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden told reporters Tuesday he has not yet been tested for coronavirus. 

“No, I have not,” said Biden, when asked by a reporter, “Have you been tested yet?” in the question and answer period of a news conference he hosted near his home in Wilmington, Delaware

The former vice president previously told CNN’s Jake Tapper on May 24 that he’d not been tested because had not experienced symptoms, adding that he was following medical experts’ advice — including keeping distance from his grandchildren when they visit and ensuring everyone who enters his home, including the Secret Service, wears gloves and masks.

“I have not been tested for the coronavirus,” said Biden at the time. “I have had, thank God, no symptoms that I’m aware of,” he added.

Biden, 77, is considered to be among those in a high-risk risk category, according to to CDC guidelines.

US markets closed in the red on Tuesday. After hopes for Washington’s next pandemic stimulus package boosted stocks at the start of the week, investors now worry that drawn-out negotiations will make it difficult to come to a deal. 

On top of that, earnings season continues to show that corporate America is struggling with the pandemic. Both McDonald’s and 3M missed analyst expectations in their results and were among the weakest Dow stocks of the day.

Here’s where the market closed today:

A view of Camara de Lobos, on the southern coast of Portugal's Madeira Island.

The Portuguese islands of Madeira will make wearing a mask mandatory in all public spaces, both indoors and outdoors, starting on Saturday, the regional government announced today.

Several groups of people will be exempt from the mandatory mask rule, including children up to the age of 10 and people who are “incapacitated, with the lack of ability to place or remove the mask.” 

The Madeira government also said it is giving every person who arrives a “free, beautiful mask from our region” to emphasize mask-wearing and to show visitors that Madeira has “its epidemiologic situation under control.”

The popular tourist destination, which is an autonomous region of Portugal off the northwest coast of Africa, has kept its number of coronavirus infections low, with only 105 confirmed cases. Of those, 97 are recovered cases and eight are active cases, according to the latest data from the regional government. 

At least 13 patients and 23 employees have tested positive for coronavirus at Baystate Health in Massachusetts.

These cases were related to an outbreak stemming from an employee who traveled to a hotspot in the US, as well as “simple lapses” in break rooms where people convened without masks and without appropriate social distancing, according to Mark A. Keroack, the president and CEO of the facility. 

An employee traveled to an area in the US that’s been identified as a hotspot and upon return was diagnosed with coronavirus, Keroack said in a statement earlier this week. 

Keroack also said staff convened in break rooms and removed their masks without observing proper social distancing protocols. 

“Baystate has reached out to all patients who received care on the unit during the time period of July 15-23, and they are being tested. Baystate has been conducting testing and contact tracing of employees who were working on the unit, as well as those employees who spent more than 15 minutes on the unit during this same time period.” 

The 36 people with the virus were identified by Monday morning.

“This event reinforces that COVID-19 is highly contagious and requires vigilance in order to contain its spread,” Keroack said. 

Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday.

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden lambasted President Trump on Tuesday saying he’s proven he is incapable of keeping Americans safe from harm.

“Donald Trump faces a real test and he’s failed it, the basic threshold of being President, the duty to care for the entire country, not just his re-election prospects,” said the former vice president in a speech Tuesday in Wilmington, Delaware.

“He’s shown that he can’t beat the pandemic and keep you safe,” continued Biden. “He can’t turn the economy around and get America back to work.”

Biden was speaking to introduce the fourth and final plank of a “Build Back Better” program, detailing his proposal to pump stimulus spending into Black and brown-owned businesses and advance first-time homebuyers a $15,000 refundable tax credit as part of an economic plan focused on racial equity.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver issued an executive order and public health emergency order today that will take effect at 12 a.m. Friday, affecting Virginia’s Hampton Roads area.

Under the new order, no alcohol will be allowed to be sold or consumed on site after 10 p.m., and all restaurants must close by midnight, the governor announced.

According to Northam, indoor dining in the area will now be limited to 50% capacity, along with food courts, breweries, wineries and distilleries.  

Additionally, all public and private social gatherings of more than 50 individuals will be prohibited, including indoor and outdoor parties, the governor said. 

The Miami Marlins play the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Phillies, on Sunday.

Major League Baseball has announced multiple postponements of upcoming games out of an abundance of caution after multiple Miami Marlins tested positive for Covid-19. The MLB statement says Marlins’ personnel who have tested positive for coronavirus are currently in isolation and are receiving care.

Here’s what was postponed, according to a statement from the MLB:

“As a result of these postponements, the Yankees will now play the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Wednesday and Thursday in order to create more scheduling flexibility later in the season. Additional rescheduling during the week of August 3rd will be announced later this week,” the statement said.

The MLB said that out of more than 6,400 tests conducted since Friday, July 24, no other on-field personnel has tested positive from any of the other teams.

“The realities of the virus still loom large, and we must operate with that in mind every day. We are confident that Clubs and players will act appropriately, for themselves and for others, and the data provides reason to believe that the protocols can work effectively,” the MLB said.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 4,293 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday.

The statewide Covid-19 case total is now 175,052. 

The public health agency also reported 54 new deaths. The total death toll for Georgia is now 3,563. 

There were 402 new Covid-19-related hospitalizations recorded on Tuesday.

Note: These numbers were released by the Georgia 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.

President Donald Trump wears a face mask Monday as he tours the Bioprocess Innovation Center in Morrisville, North Carolina.

Even as President Trump’s aides attempt to shift his focus back to coronavirus, the President continues to hear from a wide range of associates — including the CEO of a far-right television network — who are undermining the administration’s health experts and questioning their approach to the pandemic, people familiar with the conversations say.

While Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci are speaking again after going more than a month without meeting, the President is also hearing from outside allies and even some inside the administration who have offered him competing advice and sometimes bad information, worrying some of his advisers who had once hoped to turn a page in the coronavirus response.

Trump also continues to hear steady criticism of Fauci, who has resumed making television appearances after weeks off the national airwaves — earning him more irritation from Trump, according to the people familiar.

The competing voices spilled into public view when Trump retweeted a message late Monday critical of Fauci that claimed the infectious disease expert had “misled the American public on many issues.” Fauci appeared hours later on ABC to say he would continue doing his job, despite the President’s attacks.

A series of events earlier on Monday illustrated the dueling stream of voices influencing Trump as the outbreak continues to rage across the nation:

By Monday evening, Trump had taken the hydroxychloroquine message public, retweeting a series of videos that were later removed by Twitter for containing false and misleading information about mask-wearing and the unproven drug.

Fauci said on ABC he agrees with the Food and Drug Administration that “the overwhelming prevailing clinical trials that have looked at the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine have indicated that it is not effective in coronavirus disease.”

The mild rebuke from Fauci caused some Trump advisers to shake their heads, fearing another round of headlines pitting Trump against the well-respected disease expert. 

More on the Fauci-White House relationship: Last week, Trump said Fauci was a “nice guy” in an interview before his interviewer, Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports, said the doctor was “on my axe list because every time he talks and says the country should stay inside, my stocks tank.”

“Well, he’d like to see it closed up for a couple of years, but that’s okay because I’m president, so I say, ‘Well, I appreciate your opinion, now give me another opinion, somebody please,’ “ Trump responded.

Meanwhile, Navarro has sustained his attacks on Fauci, saying he doesn’t regret his unsanctioned op-ed and dinging the doctor for his first pitch last week at Nationals Park.

Asked by reporters at the White House on Tuesday about the continued attacks on Fauci, Navarro stormed away.

The City of Philadelphia has extended their ban on indoor dining until Sept. 1 due to Covid-19 concerns, the city’s Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley announced at a press conference on Tuesday. 

Farley spoke of clusters that have occurred in restaurants in other parts of the country and the state. Such clusters have not yet been reported in Philadelphia.

“There have been clusters in restaurants that have occurred across the country, and in other counties in Pennsylvania. Now, we’re not seeing clusters occurring in Philadelphia involving spread in restaurants, but then again, we haven’t allowed indoor dining here,” Farley said.

Oklahoma reported at least 1,089 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, bringing the total to at least 33,775 cases since the pandemic began.

This is the third day in a row that the state has reported more than 1,000 cases.  

A day after reporting zero deaths, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported at least 13 new deaths, bringing the state’s total to at least 509. State health officials said that none of those deaths came within the past 24 hours, though.

The health department also reports that at least 26,363 people have recovered from the virus.

Note: These numbers were provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Health and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project. 

CNN has learned that Russia intends to approve the world’s first coronavirus vaccine in less than two weeks, despite concerns about its safety, effectiveness and that the country has cut essential corners in development.

Russian officials tell CNN they are working towards a date of August 10 or earlier for approval of the vaccine, which has been created by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute. 

“It’s a Sputnik moment,” said Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, which is financing Russian vaccine research, referring to the successful 1957 launch of the world’s first satellite by the Soviet Union. 

But Russia has released no scientific data on its vaccine testing and CNN is unable to verify its claimed safety or effectiveness. Critics say the country’s push for a vaccine comes amid political pressure from the Kremlin, which is keen to portray Russia as a global scientific force. There are also wide concerns human testing of the vaccine is incomplete. 

Russians scientists say the vaccine has been quick to develop because it is a modified version of a vaccine already created to fight against other diseases. Russia’s defense ministry says that Russian soldiers served as volunteers in human trials. 

In recorded comments provided to CNN, Alexander Ginsburg, the director of the project says he has already injected himself with the vaccine.

Russian officials say the drug is being fast-tracked through registration because of the global pandemic and Russia’s own severe coronavirus problem. Russia now has more than 800,000 confirmed cases. 

“Our scientists focused not on being the first but on protecting people,” said Dmitriev, whose government fund is helping finance Russia’s vaccine program. 

 “Russia marshaled its leadership position in vaccine development and its proven Ebola and MERS vaccine platform to bring the first safe and efficient solution to the world’s biggest problem,” he told CNN previously.

The World Health Organization says there is no approved vaccine for MERS.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during the daily media briefing at the Office of the Governor of the State of New York on July 23 in New York City.

About 45 businesses in New York have had their liquor licenses suspended for “egregious violations” of coronavirus regulations, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office announced in a statement on Tuesday, including 12 suspensions over the weekend in New York City.

Over 100 business have been cited for violations – which can carry a fine of up to $10,000, according to the statement. 

A multi-agency task force conducted 644 compliance checks on Monday night and observed 26 additional violations, Cuomo’s office says.

“New Yorkers have worked hard to flatten the curve, but the bars and restaurants that ignore public health guidance are disrespecting their sacrifices which have saved lives while allowing us to sustain the reopening of our economy,” Cuomo said in the statement.

State Liquor Authority Chair Vincent Bradley said the SLA will continue to suspend licenses of those “who jeopardize lives” by violating the governor’s executive order.

“Our communities, as well as the majority of restaurant and bar owners and staff, have endured great sacrifices to bend the curve, and the SLA will not hesitate to take immediate action against those who threaten the progress our state has made,” Bradley said in the statement.

Today Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced his decision to limit all fairs to junior fair events only. This applies to all fairs starting on or after this Friday.

Going forward, only livestock competitions and other 4-H and FFA competitions for children and teenagers will be allowed. The state is also prohibiting rides, games and grandstand events in order to limit crowds.

Additionally, fairgrounds will be under a 10 p.m. local time curfew, with the exception of a show that might run later than that, according to DeWine.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, speaks during a news conference as Vice President Mike Pence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Don Soffer Clinical Research Center on July 27 in Miami.

At a roundtable in Orlando today with medical professionals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state has seen “positive development over the last few months, generating improved outcomes in patient recovery.”

Earlier today, Florida recorded 186 new deaths, breaking the previous record of 173 deaths on Thursday, according to data released by the Florida Department of Health. The statewide total resident death toll is at least 6,117 to date. 

DeSantis said the Covid-19 fatalities reported today were “probably reflective of infections and hospitalizations that have happened in the past, so it’s more of a lagging indicator.”

DeSantis explained, “whereas, I think the ED visits and some of the hospital censuses is probably more of a leading indicator about where things are trending. And so as you have fewer ED visits, as you have fewer Covid-positive patients in the hospital, we think and I’m pretty sure with what the good work they’re doing, you’ll see mortality decrease as well.” 

A new shipment of 20,000 remdisivir vials is expected to be distributed across Florida hospitals today

Medical professionals at today’s roundtable expressed concerned for non-Covid patients in need of treatment for other conditions keeping away from the hospital but ultimately need critical care. 

Hospital officials noted they have seen “a steady, but very consistent decline” in their census among Central Florida facilities. They peaked at 515 patients on July 19th. Today they are accounting for 406 patients. 

FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn speaks during a press conference at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine on July 27 in Miami.

Coronavirus is not known to spread through food or food packaging, US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said on Tuesday.

In pre-recorded remarks for the National Food Policy Conference, Hahn said that although there are still a lot of questions about Covid-19, “what we do know is that the virus is not known to be transmitted via food or food packaging. It is much more likely to be spread through person-to-person transmission.”

Hahn said that while the US food supply chain “remains strong,” the FDA and US Department of Agriculture are monitoring for potential nationwide and regional shortages.

The agency has also provided flexibility on things such as packaging and label requirements to “help clear new paths to the retail market” for food producers who found themselves with a surplus due to schools and restaurants closing, Hahn explained.

Kern County, situated in California’s Central Valley, reported 12 new deaths and 1,893 new coronavirus cases Tuesday morning, primarily due to delayed results from labs, public health director Matthew Constantine said this morning. 

Constantine said current modeling shows a slow increase in cases over time until a February peak which diminishes until next summer. He added that while intensive care units are nearing capacity, they are more limited by nurse staffing. 

“We’re actually talking about meeting with all the Central Valley counties that were identified by the governor and asking them what are we doing as a group because we all link together,” he said. 

More context: Gov. Gavin Newsom brought focus to the Central Valley on Monday and its eight counties as a state hotspot. The state is committing $52 million to the area comprising Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare counties.

“The rising community transmission rates we are seeing, particularly among Latinos in the Central Valley, are concerning. This is alarming and we are taking action,” said Newsom.

The money will be used to improve isolation protocols, testing protocols, and to enhance health care workers to provide more support and personnel. 

The county health department said last week it expects a large increase in positive reporting for the next few weeks, if not longer.

Kern County has a total of 16,896 cases and 135 deaths.

The entrance to the main Duke University campus is shown in Durham, North Carolina, on January 28, 2019.

Duke University is scaling down its plans for welcoming back students on campus for the fall semester due to the growing number of Covid-19 cases in both North Carolina and the country, according to a note sent Sunday to the campus community.

President Vincent E. Price said the decision was made to reduce the on-campus residential population by about 30% to provide a safe environment for students and staff. This marks a reversal of an earlier plan put out in June that would have welcomed back students from all years back to campus.

Juniors and seniors will be given the option of remote-learning for the fall, and will have first priority for campus housing in the spring, the note said.

According to the note, Duke’s plans for the spring semester are tentative “and will be based on the continuing course of the pandemic, medical guidance, prevailing local and national conditions, and our ability to conduct a safe and successful fall semester.”

Tal Zaks, chief medical officer of Moderna, says he expects the company’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate to be effective in those at risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from the virus. 

Though he said the data will ultimately prove whether it is effective for everyone, he said “there’s another more subtle explanation, which is, the more likely you are to get sick, the higher benefit typically people see from vaccines.” 

Zaks said that a quarter of the volunteers in the Moderna Phase 3 trial, which began Monday morning, are expected be elderly or those with significant underlying illnesses such as diabetes “because that’s the population we need to know we’re protecting, but that’s also the population where the event rate of significant disease is going to be likely higher, and so that’s the population where actually I expect to see if anything is greater benefit.”

Moncef Slaoui listens as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks about coronavirus vaccine development in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 15 in Washington, DC.

The US government’s Operation Warp Speed is accelerating every aspect of vaccine development apart from the two most important: safety and efficacy, according to Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the operation’s chief adviser, who explained how the program worked to develop, manufacture and distribute a successful vaccine, and to do all that quickly. 

Speaking during a prerecorded keynote interview for the Disease Prevention and Control Summit on Tuesday, Slaoui said that they are accelerating the process by “taking financial risk, running things in parallel and taking platform technologies that are predictable in their behavior, but not curtailing the understanding of safety and efficacy of the vaccine.”

Companies are modifying vaccine technologies that been tested already in people so they can move more quickly through the testing process, for instance. Plus, it is important to be able to speedily manufacture any new vaccine.

Secondly, the companies are “accelerating every single aspect of the development, except the two most critical ones, in terms of human safety and efficacy,” Slaoui said. 

All of this is being done for a portfolio of vaccines, Slaoui said, “because we want at least one of them to work. And, ideally, all of them to work.” 

Annette Chambers-Smith, director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, poses outside her office in Columbus, Ohio, on January 22.

The director of Ohio’s Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Annette Chambers-Smith, has tested positive for Covid-19, according to a statement released by the agency on Monday.

Chambers-Smith got tested on Friday after not feeling well during the week, the statement said.

Contact tracing is currently underway to identify any staff and personnel from the department that Chambers-Smith may have come into contact with, although the director has not physically been inside a prison since June 26, and has not been at the correctional facility’s Operation Support Center since last Tuesday.

Chambers-Smith is currently working from and managing her symptoms at home, which are mild at this time, the agency said.

Tighter coronavirus measures have been introduced in Oldham, a city in northern England, after a sharp rise in infections there, the City Council said in a statement on Tuesday. 

Residents are being asked not to receive social visits at home and to keep two meters apart from friends and family when seeing them outside, according to the statement.

Clinically vulnerable people whose shielding period was due to to end on July 31 are being asked to continue shielding until August 14, and care homes will not relax restrictions on visitors. Last week, some restrictions were dropped on care home visits in England, allowing one single visitor per resident.

The new guidance is being issued in order to avoid a local lockdown, the council said, after the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 increased from 26 in the week ending on July 17, to 119 in the week ending July 25, according to the statement. 

A “large number” of recent cases were in the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities — just over 65% cases in the last seven days, the council said on its website.

“We’re urging residents to continue to take the risk of coronavirus seriously and to stick to the guidelines,” said Councillor Arooj Shah, deputy leader of the Oldham Council.

“The best way to avoid infection is to limit contact with others as much as possible and to stay home wherever you can, including working from home. Limit contact with other people and respect social distancing where you do go out; keeping at least 2 meters from those not in your household and avoid shaking hands or hugging,” Shah added.

“We know that people across Oldham desperately want to see their friends and family, and get back to normal. But these restrictions are essential if we are to stop the spread of Coronavirus and prevent a strict local lockdown being put in place, as we have seen elsewhere in the country.”

The measures went into effect Tuesday and will continue for the next two weeks, the Oldham Council said in the statement. 

Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota Governor, speaks during an event at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota, U.S., on Friday, July 3, 2020. 

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Tuesday that schools in her state should be open. 

Noem cited a number of reasons including mental and emotional health, the limitations of remote learning, child abuse and neglect, as well as data that shows “children are at far greater risk of critical illnesses from influenza than they are Covid-19.”

She quoted from Toronto Sick Kids saying, “The evidence is mounting that children may be less susceptible to this virus and may be less likely to transmit that virus to other. They also said the risks of infection and transmission in children, which appear to be minimal, need to be balanced with harms risks of school closure, which is impacting their physical and their mental health. On balance it is recommended that children return to schools.”

Noem reiterated her position that she is against a statewide mask mandate and again cited Toronto Sick Kids saying, “It is impractical for a child to wear a mask for the duration of the school day.”

She said the most efficient way to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in children is for them to wash their hands. 

The governor said teachers who have underlying health conditions have options like social distancing, masking, washing their hands or teaching online. She said she is discouraging schools from setting case thresholds “because they will be calling off school all the time.” Noem said schools should instead focus on hospitalizations as they consider when cancellation may be necessary. 

Noem also said schools in her state can expect more state and federal dollars to better equip them as they re-enter the classroom in the era of Covid-19.  

A medical worker walks outside Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, on July 15.

The North Carolina Department of Health reported 1,244 new hospitalizations as a result of coronavirus infections, breaking the previous record of 1,228 cases on July 22, according to data released by the agency on Tuesday. 

In addition, the state recorded 1,749 additional Covid-19 infections, bringing the total to date to 116,087. 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during the daily media briefing at the Office of the Governor of the State of New York on July 23 in New York City.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo offered Major League Baseball the option of playing games in New York state if they’re having difficulty playing in other states, he said in his call with reporters Tuesday.

“Here’s my suggestion — I understand the challenge they’re facing. New York state could host any major league baseball game that any teams want to play and they could play those games in our stadiums,” Cuomo said.

Noting that New York state currently has one of the lowest Covid-19 infection rates in the country, Cuomo proposed that teams could fly into the state in private airplanes, go from the airport to the hotel where they would be quarantined and tested upon arrival, and then they could play ball in stadiums in the state assuming that they test negative. Afterwards, teams could then get on a plane and return home.

“We have the ability to do it. We have the testing resources to do it,” he said, noting it would be great for the state economy, as well as for New Yorkers and Americans.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott will issue an executive order later this week setting Sept. 8 as a universal start date for students to return back to school in the fall.

Scott said that he and Health Department Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine set a goal seven weeks ago to return to in-person instruction in the fall.  

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Levine said he is confident in opening schools.

The health commissioner said that if he were in Arizona, Texas, Florida or any other state facing high outbreaks of positive coronavirus cases, they would not be having the conversation about opening schools.

Levine cited studies carried out around the world showing no significant transmission of Covid-19 within schools, that younger children are less likely to transmit Covid-19 and that adults in a family are more likely to “be the index case in the affected family.”

“It is the youngest children up to age 9, who are not only at lowest risk, but stand to reap the most benefit from the in-person learning environment,” Levine said. He emphasized that there is not a clear cut one-size-fits-all approach to how schools plan to open and explained that each schools will be customizing solutions to fit their specific classroom and student body needs.

In conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, Levine issued a statement on Monday calling on schools in the state to prioritize in-person attendance for students in preschool through fifth grade.

An empty Covid19 testing center in a Milford, Pennsylvania Walmart parking lot on June 19.

Pennsylvania reported 1,120 new Covid-19 cases and 24 more deaths, according to data released Tuesday from the state’s Department of Health. This brings the total case count to 109,384 and total death count to 7,146.

More than half the deaths in Pennsylvania have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities to date. In nursing and personal care homes, there are 19,225 resident cases and 3,868 employee cases across 835 facilities. A press conference this afternoon aims to address testing initiatives in nursing homes. 

The health department is still seeing significant increases in the number of Covid-19 cases among younger age groups, particularly 19- to 24-year-olds

The health department also singled out case counts in specific counties including Allegheny, reporting an increase in 119 cases. This county previously took steps to counter a spike. Philadelphia county is reporting an uptick of 175 cases, and Delaware county is reporting an increase in 118 cases.

One thing to note: These numbers were released by the state’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.

Elected Mayor of La Paz Luis Revilla Herrero during a visit in the city of Medellin, Colombia on May 3, 2010. 

The mayor of La Paz, Bolivia, Luis Revilla Herrero, has announced that he and his wife MariCruz tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

Revilla said they are doing well and have almost no symptoms. 

“We are going to follow protocols, I will be isolated and working from home until I am discharged. Take care of yourself and please follow all social distancing rules,” Revilla tweeted.

Revilla has become Bolivia’s 16th government official infected with the virus since the pandemic started, including interim President Jeanine Áñez who announced she has recovered on Monday evening. 

The latest numbers: Bolivia reported 71,181 Covid-19 cases and 2,647 deaths Monday, according to the country’s health ministry. The Santa Cruz and La Paz regions have been most affected by the pandemic, according to the same data.

Attendees walk through the Las Vegas Convention Center January 10, 2020 on the final day of the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The Consumer Technology Association announced Tuesday that it will be hosting its flagship event, the Consumer Electronic Show, digitally in 2021. 

Some more context: CES is typically held in January in Las Vegas and showcases technology manufacturers, developers, and suppliers.

CTA said participants will still be able to hear announcements and insights from tech leaders online and have introduced a digital CES show floor where “you’ll be able to explore products and services, based on your interests and business, through dynamic product showcases or live demos.” There will also be networking opportunities offered through live interactions, meetups, and roundtable discussions, according to the announcement. 

CTA said they plan to return to host CES 2022 in person.

New Jersey state health officials are concerned that a house party packed with partygoers openly flouting the state’s Covid-19 crowd guidelines this weekend may lead to additional cases of coronavirus. 

Police officers took over five hours to break up event, which was hosted at a house rented through Airbnb in Jackson, New Jersey.

“The OCHD is certainly concerned that the gathering in Jackson on Sunday may lead to additional cases,” Brian Lippai, chief of administrative services and public information for Ocean County Health Department, told CNN in a statement Tuesday morning.

Medical workers wait for a vehicle at a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at the Mahaffey Theater on July 24, 2020 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Florida Department of Health is reporting 186 new deaths on Tuesday, breaking the previous record of 173 deaths on Thursday, according to data released by the state agency. 

At least 6,117 Florida residents have died to date. 

Miami Marlins take batting practice during a baseball workout at Marlins Park on July 16 in Miami.

Four additional members of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins have tested positive for Covid-19, according to ESPN and The Athletic. 

On Monday, 11 Marlins players and two coaches tested positive for coronavirus, ESPN reported. Within the last week, ESPN reports that the team has had 17 people test positive. 

CNN has reached out the Marlins and MLB for confirmation and an update on the team’s status. 

Here’s what MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said when he was asked if there was a point that would cause a shutdown of part or all of the league’s schedule:

A health care worker uses a picture to show how to use a nasal swab for a self administered test at the new federally funded COVID-19 testing site at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium on July 23 in Miami.

The state of Florida is reporting at least 9,230 new cases of Covid-19 and 186 additional deaths on Tuesday, according to data released by the Florida Department of Health. 

This brings the state’s total cases to 441,977 according to the state department of health. The statewide resident death toll is now 6,117.

Luis Negron, a Miami Beach code compliance officer, left, talks with women along Ocean Drive about wearing a protective face mask on July 24 in Miami Beach, Florida.

The City of Miami has issued at least 167 tickets to individuals not wearing masks in the city, Mayor Francis Suarez announced during a news conference on Tuesday. 

Suarez said of those tickets, 59 were written warnings, 41 were $50 tickets and 67 were $100 fines. 

In addition, Suarez said the city has inspected 552 businesses for compliance with coronavirus rules.

Of those business, 30 business have been closed. Eleven businesses were ordered to close for 24 hours, and 19 will stay closed for 19 days, Suarez said. 

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura speaks during an anti-coronavirus taskforce meeting of the western Japan prefectural government on July 28 in Osaka, Japan.

Japan’s second largest city Osaka and Aichi prefecture, where the country’s third largest city Nagoya is located, announced their highest numbers of daily Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, regional governors said.

The country’s latest figures: Japan reported at least 599 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, the country’s Health Ministry said in a statement Tuesday. The total number of infections in Japan stand at 31,673 as of Monday, with two additional deaths reported. 

The nationwide infection totals for Tuesday – including the record numbers reported in various prefectures – will be released Wednesday morning local time by the ministry of health.

Passengers check their flight information on screens at the Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat airport in El Prat de Llobregat on July 6.

Air traffic will not return to 2019 levels until 2024, later than previously predicted, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a news conference on Tuesday. 

Despite a slight upturn, air travel in June was surprisingly weak and a much faster rebound had been expected, IATA said.

There was almost no recovery in Europe and passenger numbers remain at all-time lows. Traffic is not growing as quickly as airlines are adding capacity, leading to greater cash burn.

IATA expressed concern business travel levels will never return to pre-Covid-19 levels. New technologies and working from home could mean businesses cut back permanently on travel. Over the next couple of years, cargo could replace business travel as a major source of revenue. 

 Testing is one of IATA’s preferred solutions to imposing quarantine, which it reiterated this week after the UK’s sudden decision to reintroduce such measures for travelers arriving from Spain. 

“We are in favor of introducing testing, especially between countries that have a different level of infection,” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO, said. “But we do not see for the moment the testing system ready to accommodate the constraints of air travel.”

US stocks fell at the opening bell in New York, retracing the prior session’s gains.

Stocks climbed Monday on hopes for Washington’s next pandemic stimulus package. But on Tuesday, investors are grappling with earnings again, with big consumer names like McDonald’s missing estimates.

Here’s how the market opened:

International Air Transport Association Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac speaks during the IATA global media day on December 8, 2014 in Geneva.

The airline industry wants testing for passengers on international flights to be funded by governments, the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Tuesday. 

IATA chief Alexandre de Juniac told reporters on a conference call that IATA believes testing “is very helpful” to prevent the spread of the coronavirus through travel, but it is concerned the cost of testing “could be a barrier to air travel if it was to be paid by the passengers.” 

The testing would be a “kind of insurance that passengers who are flying are not infected, and that would minimize significantly the rate of virus transmission.” 

Executives with four major airlines – American, United, British Airways, and Lufthansa – recently asked US and European governments to reopen transatlantic travel without quarantine periods with a testing program. Those four airlines are IATA members.    

A coalition of U.S.-based airlines is also pushing the US Transportation Security Administration to begin government-organized temperature checking program. 

Mariano Diaz of Real Madrid runs during a match between Real Betis Sevilla and Real Madrid at the Estadio Benito Villamarin on March 8 in Sevilla Spain.

Real Madrid forward Mariano has tested positive for Covid-19, the newly crowned La Liga champions announced on Tuesday.

“The player is in perfect health and is complying with the protocol of isolation at home,” the statement added.

The Spanish-born forward was an unused substitute for Real Madrid’s last match – a 2-2 draw in La Liga away at Leganes – on Sunday, July 19.

Real Madrid is scheduled to play at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League – Round of 16 tie on Friday, August 7.

Manchester City holds a 2-1 lead after the first leg which was played at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium in February before the pandemic caused the competition to be halted.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious disease, discussed the surges in southern states, and how to hopefully avoid future surges through careful reopening, on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.

“Obviously, the southern states that really had a major surge,” Fauci said, naming Florida, Texas, Arizona and California. “They appear, I hope, and it looks like they may be cresting and coming back down.”

Fauci said that what he was concerned about, and something that Dr. Deborah Birx has also mentioned, was other states, such as Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky, “that are starting to have that very early indication that the percent of cases regarding the number of tests you have – that the percent is starting to go up.”

“That’s a surefire sign that you’ve got to be really careful.” Fauci said.

“If you are trying to open up, please do it in a way that’s in accordance with the guidelines,” Fauci added.

If guidelines are followed carefully, as well as the fundamentals that Fauci outlined earlier – which include mask wearing, social distancing, closing bars in areas where there is viral activity, avoiding crowds and practicing hand hygiene – “I think we can prevent the surges that we’ve seen in the southern states,” he said. “Because we just can’t afford, yet again, another surge.”

When asked whether there should be a coordinated national strategy for reopening, as some state governors have said they will not go along with plans that have been laid out by the administration, and the President has said that some states should be thinking about reopening, Fauci said that the guidelines “the way we put them out some time ago, that really is the national strategy.”

These recommendations say that if you’re at a certain level, wait until you have a period of time over 14 days where it comes down, Fauci said, then continue to move through the phases, once the preceding one has been successfully achieved.

“Obviously, as you mentioned, some states are not doing that,” Fauci said. “We would hope that they all now rethink at what happens when you don’t adhere to that. We’ve seen it in plain sight in the southern states that surged, so we’ve got to get back to a very prudent advance from one stage to another.”

As the number of Covid-19 infections in Floridian children rise, the City of Miami in partnership with the University of Miami are offering free testing for children of all ages, according to a press release by the university.

The testing will be offered at Curtis Park using UM’s Pediatric Mobile Clinic. Testing is by appointment only from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time from Monday, August 3 through Friday, August 7.

We want to hear your biggest education concerns and any questions you may have for a special coronavirus podcast series starting Friday with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Share your thoughts below.

Pedestrians wearing face masks walk past a shop window in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday, July 28.

The President of the Madrid regional government, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the use of masks will be mandatory in Madrid in all indoor and outdoor spaces, including bar and restaurant terraces.

The number of people meeting at these terraces will be limited to just 10, the same limit should be observed at private parties and meetings as well. The new measures will take effect starting Thursday.

“Anyone attending will be registered and will have to provide ID an telephone numbers to ease tracing in case it is necessary,” she highlighted.

The health counselor for the region, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, explained at the news conference that there has been a change in trend, with 500 infections registered this weekend, most of them in people under the age of 40.

On that issue, Ayuso warned: “We are concerned about the behavior of many young people, not of all but of many, and it is important that they understand that they are also transmitters of the epidemic, that many have also fallen ill in these last few months, and above all, that they are putting in danger the lives of their neighbors, their relatives, but also their professional and academic future, if we continue having to fight the virus eternally”.

She made an appeal to young people in Madrid to join this cause and change the trend. 

Other measures: Ayuso also announced the creation of what she has called the “Covid record card,” similar to a vaccination card in which it will be registered whether a person has had the disease and has antibodies.

The objective is “to avoid confinement and be able to access gyms, museums, cinemas or any indoor place. The key is that people that can’t spread the virus can continue with their normal lives and take precautions to protect the most vulnerable”. 

These new measures taken by the capital mean that the use of masks are now mandatory in public places in the whole of Spain with the exception of the Canary Islands.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on June 30 in Washington, DC.

Following the announcement that the phase three clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine – developed by Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – has begun in the US, Dr. Anthony Fauci again said he is “cautiously optimistic” there will be an answer on whether a vaccine will work in the late fall or early winter.

Speaking Tuesday on Good Morning America, the nation’s leading expert on infectious disease explained the results from the phase one trial were “enough for us to see the kind of response that this vaccine induces in individual[s]. And it induced the level of antibodies – which are the proteins that fight the virus – at a level that was quite high, in the sense of what was comparable if not better than what we see in the recovery from natural infection.”

 “That’s really one of the issues when you’re dealing with vaccines. If you can induce a response that’s least as good as natural infection, that is a good predictor that you’re going to have a vaccine that works. Obviously, the proof of the pudding is you’ve got to do the trial,” Fauci added.

More on the trial: The investigational vaccine was developed by the biotechnology company Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. The trial is to be conducted at nearly 100 US research sites, according to Moderna. The first patient was dosed at a site in Savannah, Georgia.

The trial is expected to enroll about 30,000 adult volunteers and evaluates the safety of the Moderna/NIH vaccine and whether it can prevent symptomatic Covid-19 after two doses, among other outcomes.

Volunteers will receive either two 100-microgram injections of the vaccine or a placebo about 28 days apart. Investigators and participants will not know who has received the vaccine.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber slammed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a letter over what he calls an “unprepared and understaffed contact tracing operation.”

Only 17% to 18% of those testing positive with coronavirus in Miami-Dade County were contact-traced over the past two weeks, according to Gelber, adding that it was as low as 7% one day. 

Gelber said that while cases in the state seems to be leveling off, “they’re leveling off at a very, very, enormously high level.”

Gelber told CNN’s John Berman that there’s a “concern for embarrassment” from state and national officials, so they downplay the facts. 

Watch:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a visit to the Canal Side Heritage Centre in Beeston, England, on July 28.

There are signs of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Tuesday. 

Speaking to journalists about the UK’s decision to impose a 14-day quarantine on people returning from Spain, Johnson said: “What we had to do is take swift and decisive action where we think that the risk is starting to bubble up again.”  

“We all remember what happened last time. It’s absolutely vital therefore that we make the necessary preparations here in the UK as we are doing,” he added. 

Remember: At the start of the pandemic, the UK government was accused of acting too slowly to implement a lockdown or restrictions on travelers. 

Asked about the possibility that the length of the quarantine period may be reduced, Johnson said: “We are always looking at ways in which we can mitigate the impact of the quarantine, try to help people, try to make sure that science is working to help travelers and holidaymakers.” However, he added: “At the moment we’ve got to stick with the guidance we are giving.”  

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on June 30.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US’ top infectious disease expert, addressed a series of tweets by President Donald Trump which were taken down overnight on Monday – one of which touted hydroxychloroquine as a cure for coronavirus.

Fauci said there were other measures everyone should take to protect themselves, including wearing masks.

“We should all be wearing masks outside,” he said. “There are fundamental things we should be doing, particularly if you happen to be in an area where there’s viral activity.”

Fauci said that in addition to wearing masks, people should continue social distancing, avoid crowds and practice good hand hygiene.

The expert also said that officials should close bars in areas where there was evidence of viral activity.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 16.4 million people worldwide and caused more than 654,000 deaths. Here’s what you need to know today, from around the globe:

A man wearing a protective mask and suit walks down a street in La Paz, Bolivia, on Monday, July 20.

Bolivia’s government has issued a decree declaring that the country is in “state of public calamity” due to the economic impact of Covid-19, according to a statement released late Monday.

“We declare a public calamity across the territory of Bolivia in order to attend the urgent economic needs caused by the negative effects of the coronavirus [pandemic],” it states.

The decree allows the country’s government to ask for a loan from Bolivia’s Central Bank. It also allows the government to release more funds to help fight the pandemic. The additional funds have so far been blocked by the opposition-controlled Legislative Assembly led by former President Evo Morales’s party.

On Monday, Bolivia reported 71,181 Covid-19 cases, according to its health ministry. The death toll has reached 2,647. 

The virus has spread rapidly through the country’s political class.

At least 15 government officials have tested positive for Covid-19 since the pandemic started, including interim President Jeanine Áñez who announced she had recovered from the virus on Monday evening. 

A woman is seen holding a Selfridges shopping bag in London, on June 15.

Major UK department store chain Selfridges says it will shed 14% of its workforce as it faces its “toughest year” because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The retailer said it would axe 450 jobs as annual sales are set to be “significantly less” than last year.

Selfridges is reviewing all non-essential expenses and has paused a number of projects and initiatives.

Teachers and parents who are currently weighing their options when it comes to school reopenings in the middle of a deadly pandemic may have one additional challenge ahead: children who are fearful of returning to school.

Like the rest of us, children in the US have been told to stay inside, to wash their hands and to wear a mask for months now. For some kids, the restrictions, what they’ve heard on the news and their own personal experience with Covid-19 have made the outside world feel like a dangerous place.

On the rare occasion Jeremiah agrees to leave their East Harlem home, he must first peep through the window, declaring it safe when “there’s not that many people outside.”

Once out, Jeremiah wants to get back inside as quickly as possible. “Before when he was outside he wanted to explore, he wanted to see, now it’s all, ‘Let’s go and come back, Mama,’” added Israel.

Read the full article here.

Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria is pictured during the Adria Tour charity exhibition in Belgrade, Serbia, on June 14.

Tennis player Grigor Dimitrov says he’s unsure of competing at the US Open as he detailed the debilitating side-effects of catching Covid-19.

World No. 19 Dimitrov recorded a positive test in late June shortly after playing at an Adria Tour tournament in Croatia, an event organized by Novak Djokovic that was widely criticized after several players – including the world No. 1 – tested positive for coronavirus.

The Bulgarian has since returned to the court, competing at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in France last weekend where he lost to Feliciano Lopez and Richard Gasquet.

“The virus was hard on me,” Dimitrov told the Tennis Majors website.

“I stayed home for about a month … I think it’s different for everyone. I was not breathing well. I was tired. I had no taste, no smell. Everything you could possibly think of. So it was no fun.

Read more here.

Hong Kong has recorded a seventh straight day of total cases surpassing the 100 mark as the city continues to battle a third wave of coronavirus.

Officials recorded 106 new infections in the past 24 hours, according to the head of communicable disease branch of the Department of Health, Chuang Shuk-kwan, who spoke at a press conference on Tuesday.

Among the new infections, 98 are local transmissions and eight are imported cases. Out of the local cases, 48 are related to previous infections. The source of 50 cases are still under investigation.

On Monday, Hong Kong’s government announced the strictest social distancing measures the city has seen so far. 

The new restrictions, expected to take effect at midnight Wednesday local time, include limiting gatherings from up to four people to only two, expanding mandatory mask wearing from all indoor public places to outdoor public places as well, and a complete suspension of dining inside restaurants.

Hong Kong’s total count of Covid-19 cases is 2,885 and its death toll remains at 22, as of midnight Tuesday there.

Nearly 16.5 million cases of the novel coronavirus have been recorded worldwide, including at least 654,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Here’s the latest on the Covid-19 pandemic:

Germany’s Foreign Ministry has warned against travel to the Spanish regions of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarra.

The decision was taken due to high Covid-19 infection rates and local closures in the affected areas, the government said in an updated travel advisory.

Germany’s decision follows a similar move by British officials at the weekend, which has caused a rift between Madrid and London.

On Saturday, the UK advised against non-essential travel to mainland Spain. Its warning was extended on Monday to warn against non-essential travel to the Balearic and Canary islands. Travelers returning from the country will also have to quarantine for 14 days.

“The decisions that have been made by the United Kingdom are misfit,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday, during an interview with Spanish broadcaster TeleCinco.

“We wish them every success in managing this outbreak but we’ve seen a very sharp increase in cases in Spain,” UK minister for local government Simon Clarke said in response to Sánchez’s comments.

“A 75% increase in cases [was] reported between the middle of last week and the end of last week, that’s why we took the action that we have.”

Spain has recorded more than 272,000 coronavirus cases and 28,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Meanwhile, the UK has had more than 301,000 infections and its death toll stands at more than 45,000, according to JHU.

The United States has topped 4.2 million infections and 148,000 deaths since the pandemic began, and a leading expert says thousands more Americans could lose their lives in the coming months.

While there’s still no guarantee the vaccines being developed will prove effective, at least one vaccine trial in the US has entered its third phase. 

In the meantime, health officials are urging states to implement stricter measures after weeks of surges in new cases following reopenings that mostly began in May. Nationwide, there have been more than 1,000 deaths five times in the past week. And in hospitals throughout several states, doctors report more incoming patients and maxed out ICUs.

Read the full story:

Clinicians care for a COVID-19 patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at El Centro Regional Medical Center in hard-hit Imperial County on July 21, 2020 in El Centro, California. Imperial County currently suffers from the highest death rate and near-highest infection rate from COVID-19 in California. The rural county, which is 85 percent Latino, borders Mexico and Arizona and endures high poverty rates and air pollution while also being medically underserved. In California, Latinos make up about 39 percent of the population but account for 55 percent of confirmed coronavirus cases amid the pandemic.

Related article US could see 'further suffering and further death' if coronavirus isn't controlled, Fauci says

National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien attends a briefing on Enhanced Narcotics Operations at the US Southern Command on July 10 in Doral, Florida.

Editor’s note: Samantha Vinograd is a CNN national security analyst. She is a senior adviser at the University of Delaware’s Biden Institute, which is not affiliated with the Biden campaign. Vinograd served on President Barack Obama’s National Security Council from 2009 to 2013 and at the Treasury Department under President George W. Bush. The views expressed in this commentary are her own.

With coronavirus casualties at sickening levels, Americans learned on Monday that no one is safe from Covid-19 – not even the man who’s supposed to be keeping Americans safe. News that US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien has tested positive for the virus presents an immediate health risk within the walls of the White House while serving as a worrisome metaphor for the administration’s coronavirus crisis management more generally. If the government couldn’t keep a top-ranking official like O’Brien healthy, that doesn’t instill confidence it can do the same for us.

O’Brien’s Covid-19 diagnosis is a near-term health emergency. While others at the White House, including one of President Donald Trump’s personal valets, have tested positive in the past, O’Brien’s exposure is particularly alarming based on the personnel that he should be regularly engaging with, not to mention the close quarters he operates in. The nature of how the White House is structured, alongside the demands of O’Brien’s job, mean that critical US government personnel may have been exposed to the virus, including Trump himself. 

Typically, a national security adviser engages with the President, vice president, chief of staff, and other cabinet officials daily, including during the Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB) in the Oval Office, National Security Council meetings in the Situation Room (I’ve been in my fair share – the room is usually pretty packed), in-person foreign leader prep calls and more. I can tell you from experience: social distancing isn’t an option in a lot of these settings without extraordinary measures.

Read the full opinion:

National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien arrives for an event to announce US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on January 28, 2020. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Why the national security adviser's Covid-19 infection is a national security problem

The Red Cross says its consignment of protective equipment has arrived in North Korea to help people protect themselves against Covid-19, after the country announced its first publicly reported suspected coronavirus case last week.

The equipment has gone through quarantine and been released to the Red Cross Society in North Korea, according to a statement from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Some context: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened an emergency meeting Saturday after it was reported that a defector who fled the country three years ago had returned to the North Korean city of Kaesong, while possibly infected with coronavirus, according to state-run newswire KCNA.

Authorities in South Korea confirmed Monday that a defector had crossed the highly militarized border into North Korea. The South Korean Health Ministry said the man was not a known coronavirus patient or a close contact of one, but local police said the man was being investigated for a sex crime.

KCNA said the defector had symptoms of Covid-19, but did not confirm if he had been tested. Close contacts of the suspected case were being examined and quarantined, but KCNA warned of a “dangerous situation” developing in Kaesong that could lead to a “deadly and destructive disaster.”

Protesters deliver a petition to the New South Wales Parliament calling for immediate action and investigation for the 2015 death of Indigenous man David Dungay Jnr. on July 28 in Sydney.

New South Wales police in Australia arrested six people on Saturday in a “significant” operation to block a Black Lives Matter protest from going ahead on health grounds, according to Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Willing. 

The police operation is continuing, Willing said.

The protest in central Sydney on Tuesday was organized for 500 people to protest the 2015 death of Indigenous man David Dungay Jnr. It drew a small crowd after it was declared “unauthorized” by a NSW Supreme Court ruling on Sunday.

Five of those arrested were issued with a fine of 1,000 Australian dollars ($713) for breaches of the Covid-19 public health order that currently bans crowds of more than 20 people. 

The sixth arrestee was issued with a criminal infringement notice for foul language. 

In June, tens of thousands of protesters turned out for a similar Black Lives Matter demonstration in Sydney, after a successful appeal against a NSW Supreme Court injunction.

The coronavirus is “easily the most severe” public health emergency the World Health Organization (WHO) has ever faced, its director-general said Monday, as countries that previously appeared to have the pandemic under control recorded an uptick in cases.

Across the Asia-Pacific region, where countries were among the first hit by the virus and the first to contain it, there have been new and in some cases seemingly unexplained increases in the number of infections. Governments that had previously been lauded for their response to the pandemic now seem to be struggling.

All this is concerning news for those where the first wave of the virus has yet to come fully under control, let alone in the disaster zones of the United States and Brazil. It’s especially scary as there are only a few more weeks of summer left in parts of the northern hemisphere, and many epidemiologists expect the virus to peak again in winter.

What happened? Many of the most recent waves of the virus, in Hong Kong, Australia, China and elsewhere, have come as a surprise to officials. While there are a number of flaws to point out in various governments’ responses, the numbers did not explode until very recently – potentially because a more virulent strain of the virus had been introduced, or that cases were simply building up undetected and suddenly reached a tipping point.

Hard task ahead: The difficulty even countries in Asia-Pacific – the region of the world with perhaps the best coronavirus response – are having points to the potentially insurmountable task of getting the virus under control in other parts of the world, at least until a vaccine becomes available.

Read the full analysis:

Pedestrians wearing face masks walk across a road in Hong Kong on July 27, 2020. - Everyone in Hong Kong will have to wear masks in public from this week, authorities said on July 27, as they unveiled the city's toughest social distancing measures yet to combat a new wave of COVID-19 coronavirus infections. (Photo by Anthony WALLACE / AFP) (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Even countries that got coronavirus under control are now struggling, that's deeply concerning for the rest of the world

The United States recorded 56,336 new Covid-19 cases and 1,076 virus-related deaths on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally.

In total, at least 4,290,259 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the US, including at least 148,011 deaths, according to JHU.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.  

CNN is tracking US coronavirus cases here:

A video featuring a group of doctors making false and dubious claims related to the coronavirus was removed by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube after going viral online Monday.

The video, published by the right-wing media outlet Breitbart News, featured a group of people wearing white lab coats calling themselves “America’s Frontline Doctors” staging a press conference in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC.

US President Donald Trump shared multiple versions of the video with his 84 million Twitter followers Monday night despite the dubious claims running counter to his administration’s own public health experts. Spokespersons for the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

During the press conference, a speaker who identifies herself as a doctor makes a number of dubious claims, including that “you don’t need masks” to prevent spread of the coronavirus, and that recent studies showing hydroxychloroquine is ineffective for the treatment of Covid-19 are “fake science” sponsored by “fake pharma companies.”

The claims run contrary to multiple studies on the anti-malarial drug and advice from public health officials to prevent spread of the virus.

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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 26: In this photo illustration a pack of Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate medication is held up on March 26, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to many countries across the world, claiming over 20,000 lives and infecting hundreds of thousands more. U.S. President Donald Trump recently promoted Hydroxychloroquine, a common anti-malaria drug, as a potential treatment for COVID-19 when combined with the antibiotic azithromycin. "HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine," President Trump tweeted last week. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)

Related article Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube scrub platforms of viral video making false coronavirus claims

US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House on July 24 in Washington, DC.

US President Donald Trump and his allies on Capitol Hill are still fighting the pandemic they wish existed, rather than a virus that unfolds at its own pace and is oblivious to their artificial political and economic timetables.

Despite his supposed turn to taking the coronavirus more seriously, Trump on Monday warned some governors should be quicker in opening up their states, ignoring the fact his previous advice on such lines helped spark a surge in cases in the sunbelt.

New stimulus bill: The Senate Republican Party meanwhile split over a new $1 trillion stimulus bill, with some conservatives warning that maintaining federal unemployment benefits at current rates would deter a return to work as the virus rages and delay the restoration of economy.

Still, the impasse predated exceedingly difficult negotiations with Democrats and will inevitably degenerate into a hyper-partisan struggle given the stakes of the approaching election. But any delay could could see millions of Americans who lost jobs in lockdowns deprived of most of a $600 a week federal government lifeline – that has already paid out for the last time at previous levels.

It also emerged Monday that Trump’s national security adviser Robert O’Brien, who works in the President’s mask-free West Wing, tested positive for the coronavirus, in a sign of how flaunting basic precautions leaves no one safe from infection even if such steps are politically unpalatable.

Crisis continues: The machinations in Washington unfolded against a backdrop of a crisis that is nowhere near fading despite Trump’s upbeat rhetoric. While there are signs the latest explosion of sickness in southern and western states may be cresting, the situation remains dire. By late Monday night, the daily toll stood at 53,972 new infections and 581 reported deaths.

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President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, July 27, 2020, for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to Morrisville, N.C. to tour a biotechnology innovation center. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Related article Trump and GOP senators again put economic openings ahead of suppressing virus

A house party in New Jersey was so packed with partygoers openly flouting the state’s Covid-19 crowd guidelines this weekend that it took police officers over five hours to break it up.

The bust occurred on Sunday at around 8:30 p.m., when police officers arrived at a house in Jackson that was being rented out through Airbnb, according to a statement by Captain Steven Laskiewicz posted on the Jackson Police Department’s Facebook page.

Still, the party continued to grow, with the crowd surging to an estimated 700 people with well over 100 vehicles parked in the area, according to the statement.

It took police until 1 a.m. to fully clear the residence. The homeowner and two party organizers were each issued summons, the statement said.

Murphy’s executive order limits indoor gatherings to 100 people and outdoor gatherings to 500.

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Related article New Jersey governor condemns house party at a packed Airbnb with over 700 guests: 'Come on folks!'

Passengers wearing face masks queue up for check-in at the departures terminal of Da Nang International Airport in Vietnam on July 27.

Vietnam has suspended all domestic passenger flights to and from popular tourist destination Da Nang for 15 days, starting from Tuesday, according to Chinhphu, the official state-run newspaper of the Vietnamese government.  

This comes after the country reported 11 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases on Monday evening, including four healthcare workers. A total of 16 new cases had been reported in the past three days, the news report said.  

About 80,000 tourists are stranded in Da Nang. Earlier, domestic airlines were asked to increase the number of flights to evacuate them, but they had to depart before midnight Tuesday local time, according to Chinhphu.

Reemergence of the virus: Da Nang witnessed a surge in cases since July 25, after the country had reported no local infections for 100 days. Authorities suspended road passenger transport both within the city and to and from Da Nang, except for the transportation of patients, workers, experts for business establishments, food, and goods.  

Reimposed restrictions: In a series of social-distancing measures imposed from midnight Tuesday, residents in six districts of Da Nang are required to stay at home. They can go out for food, medicine, emergencies and work. When they are out, they are required to keep a distance of at least 2 meters from each other.  

A ban on gatherings of more than two people was imposed outside offices, schools, hospitals and other public places.  

The government of Australia’s Victoria state is transferring elderly care residents into public and private hospitals to protect them from Covid-19, Premier Daniel Andrews said Tuesday.

Around 200 patients have already been moved from aged care homes, where there are 769 active cases.

All but the most serious surgeries have been suspended to make space for the at-risk individuals.

Victoria announced 384 new Covid-19 cases from 18,521 tests conducted Monday, down on Sunday’s daily high count of 532.

There are 4,775 active cases in Victoria, among whom 414 are health workers.

The Victorian government believes that Covid-19 patients refusing to isolate are driving the spread of the disease, despite a stay-at-home order imposed on metro Melbourne and the neighboring Mitchell Shire. 

Soldiers employed to knock on the doors of Covid-19 patients to enforce quarantine and contact tracing are “sadly finding some people who are positive who are not at home, which is a real concern,” Andrews said.

Chinese epidemic control workers wear protective suits as they disinfect each other after performing nucleic acid swab tests for Covid-19 on citizens at a government testing site in Xicheng District on June 24 in Beijing.

China reported 68 novel coronavirus cases on Monday, including 64 locally transmitted infections, the country’s National Health Commission said on Tuesday morning.

This is the second consecutive day that China has reported the highest number of local cases since March 6. On Monday, the country reported 57 new local infections for Sunday.

Among the 64 locally transmitted cases reported on Tuesday, 57 were in Xinjiang, six in Liaoning, and one in Beijing. China also reported a further 34 new asymptomatic infections, which are not included in its overall tally.

The far western region of Xinjiang has seen a fresh coronavirus outbreak in its capital Urumqi since July 15, after nearly five months of no new cases.

The total number of confirmed infections across China now stands at 83,959, according to the National Health Commission. The death toll remains at 4,634.

Medical workers handle a test tube containing a coronavirus test swab on July 22 in Mexico City.

Mexico recorded 4,973 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the country’s total to 395,489.

On Friday, Mexico surpassed Peru’s total number of coronavirus cases, making it the country with the second highest number of infections in Latin America and sixth highest worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally.

Brazil, where cases have now surpassed 2.4 million, has reported the highest number of infections in Latin America.

The Mexican health ministry also recorded 342 new fatalities from the virus, bringing the country’s death toll to 44,022.

CNN is tracking worldwide Covid-19 cases here:

Nearly 7 million more children worldwide could suffer from acute malnutrition due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an analysis published Monday in the Lancet medical journal. 

Disruptions in mobility and food systems caused by even relatively short lockdowns will result in a decrease of nearly 8% of gross national income (GNI) per capita compared to pre-pandemic projections.

A drop in the GNI per capita is associated with a rise in acute malnutrition or child wasting, which is low weight for height and a strong predictor of mortality among children under five, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 

These projections suggest a 14% increase in the number of children under 5 with moderate or severe wasting, meaning an additional 6.7 million could be affected this year compared to pre-pandemic projections, UNICEF said.

Nearly 130,000 additional deaths from wasting in children under 5 are projected, with more than half of them occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Increased risk of malnutrition: Covid-19  “is expected to increase the risk of all forms of malnutrition,” the team at the Standing Together for Nutrition consortium wrote, adding their estimates are likely to be conservative as the duration of the pandemic is unknown. 

Nutrition services hit: Covid-19 has resulted in a 30% reduction of essential nutrition services in low and middle-income countries, leaders of four United Nations agencies said in accompanying comments. Some of these countries have seen a complete shutdown of these services during lockdown. The UN estimates a minimum of $2.4 billion is needed to treat and prevent child wasting. 

Call for urgent action: The UN called for five “urgent actions” to protect children’s right to nutrition during the pandemic, including maintaining school meals and expanding social protections that include diet services. 

Vaccine maker Moderna started its final, phase 3 trial of a coronavirus vaccine in the United States Monday, and this is the stage that can’t be sped up, a top vaccine expert said.

Development of a coronavirus vaccine has been extremely fast so far, Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics at the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told CNN.

But the last part, the Phase 3 trial, will have to be taken more slowly, he said.

“The proof is in the pudding. The Phase 3 trial’s the pudding and now you’re going to test hopefully 10, 15 or 20 thousand people that will get this vaccine, 15,000 people that will get placebo and you’ll see to what extent this is really safe and you’ll see to what extent it’s effective.”

Data on whether the Moderna vaccine prevents infection should be available by the end of the year, and, if all goes well, it should be available for use by early 2021, although the vaccination process will take months.

“I’m willing to wait to see the data,” Offit said.

Mitigate risk: Offit said the Phase 3 trial helps to mitigate any sense of risk. “If you test it on 10,000 or 15,000 people and you find that it’s safe, you can say it doesn’t have an uncommon side-effect problem,” he said. But very rare side-effects won’t become obvious until after the vaccine is on the market, he said.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech also said Monday they were about to start a phase 2/3 trial of their experimental coronavirus vaccine in the US.

Even as coronavirus cases increase across the United States – and as members of his administration encourage some states to reverse their reopenings – US President Donald Trump said Monday that some governors need to loosen restrictions.

The message doesn’t align with what members of the White House coronavirus task force have advised governors in states where cases are increasing. Health experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx have said states with spiking case counts should close bars and indoor restaurants, among other restrictions. 

Trump offered a more optimistic view, saying that rapid development of a vaccine and therapeutics to treat coronavirus would help spur an economic resurgence.

“I think the recovery’s been very strong,” Trump said.