July 29 coronavirus news

By Nectar Gan, Adam Renton, Melissa Macaya, Meg Wagner and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 12:40 p.m. ET, July 30, 2020
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7:18 p.m. ET, July 29, 2020

Early coronavirus spread came from 3 countries, analysis finds

From CNN's Maggie Fox

The earliest global spread of the novel coronavirus came from travel involving mostly three countries: China, Italy and Iran, researchers reported Wednesday.

Three-quarters of cases reported outside of China in January and February were linked to travelers from an affected country, mostly those three, a team at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

“Cases with travel links to China, Italy, or Iran accounted for almost two-thirds of the first reported Covid-19 cases from affected countries,” the CDC’s Dr. Fatimah Dawood and colleagues wrote in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

“Our findings suggest that travel from just a few countries with substantial SARS-CoV-2 transmission may have seeded additional outbreaks around the world before the characterization of Covid-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020,” Dawood added in a statement.

The team went through online reports from national ministries of health and other government agency websites, social media feeds, and news releases to tally up all coronavirus cases reported between December 31 and March 10.

Half of the early cases in Africa were linked to travel from Italy, they found. Travelers from Italy also carried the virus in a third of the earliest cases elsewhere in Europe and the Americas.

The analysis also showed that large gatherings were a source of spread.

“Four large clusters in our analysis, and large outbreaks reported elsewhere, have been linked with transmission in faith-based settings, highlighting the need to partner with faith-based organizations when designing and implementing community mitigation efforts,” the CDC’s Dr. Philip Ricks, who worked on the analysis, said in a statement. “Six healthcare-associated clusters were also identified, underscoring the need for strict infection prevention and control practices and monitoring health-care workers for signs of illness.”

While many studies have confirmed that the virus originated in China, genetic analysis shows that a new strain arose in Europe, likely Italy, early in the pandemic and that strain predominated in the US.

 

7:15 p.m. ET, July 29, 2020

Citations mount in Florida's Broward County in effort to reduce the spread of Covid-19

From CNN's Pierre Meilhan

The Broward County Sheriff Department carried out 25 arrests and issued 260 citations as part of an ongoing operation aimed at reducing the spread of Covid-19, the department said today.

The arrests and citations were part of an effort to prevent crime as well as crackdown on large gatherings and parties, the department added.

The operation followed several shooting incidents in connection to large party gatherings and the agency decided to take a “very aggressive stance” with “zero tolerance,” Sheriff Gregory Tony told reporters during a virtual news conference.

“This operation has been very pivotal in our ability not only just to break up the crime patterns that we're seeing, but also for helping reduce the spread of Covid-19,” Tony said.
7:24 p.m. ET, July 29, 2020

GOP congressman won't isolate after interacting maskless with Rep. Louie Gohmert last week

From CNN's Manu Raju

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speaks during a hearing on preparedness for and response to the coronavirus outbreak on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 11.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speaks during a hearing on preparedness for and response to the coronavirus outbreak on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 11. Patrick Semansky/AP

Last week, Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, was on the House floor interacting at length with Rep. Louie Gohmert who has since tested positive for Covid-19.

Neither men were wearing masks.

Today, Roy was in the House and wearing a mask. He said he isn't going to isolate and wasn't worried about contracting the virus.

"I'm not concerned," Roy said.

Roy says he's not concerned "anymore than the interactions with perfect strangers on an airplane with circulating air. With cotton masks on an airplane, where everybody is pretending like they're doing something noble to try to save people from a virus on a cylinder with 50 people on it flying through the air."

"My question to you all is how are people wearing a cotton mask on an airplane saving you from circulating virus on an airplane?" he added. 

Roy contended he's "happy to wear a mask" and is not skeptical of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but questioned whether a "thin piece of cotton" on someone's face — often with a valve — is enough to prevent the virus from spreading. He argued there are doctors who raise questions about the effectiveness.

"But my question here is we act like wearing this thin piece of cotton, then everybody gets the blessing that they're somehow saving everybody," he said.

6:55 p.m. ET, July 29, 2020

Georgetown University will begin fall semester online

From CNN's Elizabeth Stuart

Georgetown University.
Georgetown University. Shutterstock

Courses for all undergraduate and graduate students at Georgetown University will begin all online for the fall semester, according to a letter from university President John J. DeGioia.

He cited the acceleration of Covid-19 and increasing restrictions on travel between states for the move to online instruction in his letter Wednesday.

The decision marks a reversal for Georgetown, which earlier this month planned to welcome back about 2,000 undergraduate students to campus.

"This was a very difficult decision — and one that I know will disappoint members of our community who have been eagerly anticipating a return to campus," said DeGioia. "We plan to introduce in-person course elements as soon as health conditions permit."

DeGioia outlined the travel restrictions put in place by Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser, which require 14 days of quarantine for travelers from 27 states. 

"These developments indicate a strain on our public health framework," DeGioia said, adding that Maryland, DC, and Virginia have also been designated as "high-risk" areas by other states throughout the country.

7:18 p.m. ET, July 29, 2020

NBA commissioner says there's "no question" he'll end the season if virus poses risk to players

From CNN's Josiah Ryan

In this October 8, 2019 file photo, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a news conference near Tokyo.
In this October 8, 2019 file photo, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a news conference near Tokyo. Jae C. Hong/AP

NBA commissioner Adam Silver today said the leagues' fight to operate in a bubble amid a worsening pandemic in Florida is going well, but warned he is willing to end the season if he believes the virus poses a significant health risk to players or personnel. 

"No question," replied Silver, when asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer if he'd end the season if it was "the right thing to do."

"We have a panel of expert immunologists, infectious disease experts, public health experts and really they would make the decision frankly," he said. "It would not be a business decision."

Silver also outlined the extensive measures the league has put in place inside its so-called bubble in Orlando, Florida, saying there are nightly tests and players are expected to wear masks at all times except when they are on the court playing basketball. He also warned, however, the plan is not bulletproof. 

"We're protected in essence from the high case rate around us but it's not a hermetically sealed bubble of any kind ... [But] so far we've been in there for roughy three weeks and we've had zero cases," he said.

Watch more:

6:34 p.m. ET, July 29, 2020

New Mexico surpasses 20,000 Covid-19 cases

From CNN’s Andy Rose

New Mexico's coronavirus case count topped 20,000 on Wednesday after adding 352 new Covid-19 cases.

The state is now reporting a total of 20,136 coronavirus cases.

Some context: The milestone comes two days after New Mexico reported a new one-day record of confirmed cases, with 467.

Note: The figures above were released by the New Mexico 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.

6:23 p.m. ET, July 29, 2020

All lawmakers and staff will be required to wear masks in the House, Pelosi says

From CNN's Manu Raju

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi attends a news conference about the Child Care Is Essential Act and the Child Care For Economic Recovery Act at the U.S. Capitol on July 29 in Washington.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi attends a news conference about the Child Care Is Essential Act and the Child Care For Economic Recovery Act at the U.S. Capitol on July 29 in Washington. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has announced a new mandatory mask policy requiring all members and staff to wear face covering in the House.

"Members and staff will be required to wear masks in the halls of the House," she said during remarks on the House floor.

Lawmakers can take off their masks temporarily when they are speaking, Pelosi added.

Members and staff will not be allowed in the House if they don't wear masks. The speaker said she has the authority to direct the House sergeant-at-arms to tell members to leave if they aren't wearing a face covering.

6:22 p.m. ET, July 29, 2020

Florida's state-supported Covid-19 testing sites to temporarily close due to storm

From CNN's Pierre Meilhan

Healthcare worker Dante Hills, left, passes paperwork to a woman in a vehicle at a COVID-19 testing site outside of Marlins Park, Monday, July 27 in Miami.
Healthcare worker Dante Hills, left, passes paperwork to a woman in a vehicle at a COVID-19 testing site outside of Marlins Park, Monday, July 27 in Miami. Lynne Sladky/AP

Florida’s state-supported Covid-19 testing sites will temporarily close in anticipation of a potential tropical storm, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) announced Wednesday.

The agency said drive-thru and walk-up Covid-19 testing sites will temporarily close at 5 p.m. on Thursday in anticipation of impacts from potential tropical cyclone nine, the storm currently located at sea in the southeastern part of the Caribbean.

The FDEM said it made the decision “out of an abundance of caution to keep individuals operating and attending the sites safe. All sites have free standing structures including tents and other equipment, which cannot withstand tropical storm force winds, and could cause damage to people and property if not secured.” 

The storm is expected to begin impacting South Florida as early as Friday with heavy rains and strong winds, according to the agency.

All states-supported Covid-19 testing sites “will remain closed until they are safe to reopen, with all sites anticipated to be reopened at the latest by 8 a.m. on Aug. 5,” according to a FDEM statement.

6:03 p.m. ET, July 29, 2020

Minnesota continues to report a rise in Covid-19 cases

From CNN’s Janine Mack

Elizabeth Santoro, a medic with the Minnesota Air National Guard 133rd Medical Group, administers a free Covid-19 test at the Minneapolis Armory on Saturday, May 23.
Elizabeth Santoro, a medic with the Minnesota Air National Guard 133rd Medical Group, administers a free Covid-19 test at the Minneapolis Armory on Saturday, May 23. Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune/AP

Minnesota has 310 people who are currently hospitalized due to Covid-19, including 143 in intensive care units, according to the state’s Department of Health.

“The last time we had hospitalization and ICU, ICU usage, this high was a month ago,” said Kris Ehresmann, the director of Minnesota's Department of Health Infectious Disease. “The bottom line is that yet we're continuing to see more cases in bars and restaurants. So certainly the ones that you've heard about, but we've added many more."

The median age for these establishments are people in their 20s, Ehresmann said.

She added that the state is also seeing cases from social gatherings.

By the numbers: Minnesota has reported 52,947 positive cases of coronavirus and 1,589 deaths since the pandemic began, Ehresmann said.

“The ultimate success or failure of this coincides is largely in the hands of each and every individual Minnesota. No one in Minnesota is on the sidelines, but the fights are all directly involved and have choices to make every time,” she said.

Note: The numbers above were released by the Minnesota 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.