This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for Wednesday June 17th, 2020.   Dexamethasone, was proven in British clinical trials to reduce the risk of death in COVID-19 patients with severe lung damage. The steroid is currently on the market and widely available. CureVac, a German Pharmaceutical company, has received the green light to begin human trials for their vaccine candidate. This is the 11th potential vaccine to enter clinical trials worldwide. Earlier this week, the German Government purchased 23% of CureVac. A South Dakota company is working on a COVID-19 antibody treatment that comes from cow plasma. The CEO of SAB Biotherapeutics told CNN, the genetically engineered cows are producing antibodies that kill the virus in the lab. They expect to start human trials in July. 

Record daily cases were reported yesterday in Florida, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Carolina. The U.S. will extended land border restrictions with Mexico and Canada through July 21st. An Oklahoma judge denied an emergency motion to halt President Trump’s campaign rally, set for Saturday in Tulsa. Some lower risk inmates in California with less than 180 days left on their sentence will be released starting July 1st to lower the risk of exposure to COVID-19. 

China is limiting travel in and out of Beijing, after a new cluster of cases was to discovered. Schools and public attractions have been closed and there are temperature checks in neighborhoods around the city center reports The Washington Post. Over 300 households in Berlin, Germany have been put in to quarantine, as 57 new cases were discovered in the city. The President of Honduras and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19. He said he has only mild symptoms and will stay on the job.

The locations of hotspots and U.S and Country diagnoses in a moment.  

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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for Tuesday June 16th, 2020.   For the fourth day in a row, Texas reported a record number of hospitalizations for coronavirus, with 2,287. There are 91,727 confirmed cases in the state with 2,018 deaths. Texas has reported over 1,000 cases a day for the last 8 days. The highest was 2,500 on June 10th. The majority of cases are in and around Houston and Dallas. Houston officials have cautioned that if numbers continue to rise, the city may have to shutdown once again. On May 20th, The Washington Post ran an article noting that Dallas, Houston, Alabama and parts of Florida could see a second wave over the next month due to rapid reopening. The model cited was by PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Nearly one month later, Texas, Florida and Alabama have some of the steepest increases in the U.S. 

The FDA pulled its emergency authorization for Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. A CDC report notes that COVID-19 patients with underlying health conditions like heart disease and diabetes were 12 times more likely to die due of the virus. US Airlines will strictly enforce wearing a mask on board. Those who refuse, could be banned. The US Open Tennis Tournament relayed they hope to stay on schedule opening August 31st in New York. There will be no spectators. 

The World Health Organization noted that there have been more than 100,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported each day for the last two weeks. When the pandemic began, it took nearly two months to reach the 100,000 mark. After 3 weeks with no new cases, New Zealand has reported 2. The cases were from two women who recently entered the country from the UK to visit a dying relative. Greece will reopen to international tourists on Monday. 

The locations of hotspots and U.S and Country diagnoses in a moment.  

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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for Monday June 15th, 2020.   The Director of the Tulsa Health Department told The Tulsa World that he is “concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event” and that he is also “concerned about our ability to ensure The President stays safe as well” in relation to The President’s plan to hold a campaign rally at the 19,000 seat BOK center in Tulsa on Saturday. Oklahoma is 1 of 23 states where cases are on the rise. The state has 8,231 with 359 deaths. Friday with 222 cases reported and Saturday with 225 were the two highest case count days so far. Oklahoma City and Tulsa have reported the most cases with over 1500 each. If you look at cases per 100,000 residents, Texas County Oklahoma, in the panhandle, over indexes the rest of the state with 4,616. Guymon, the county seat and home to Seaboard pork processing plant, was hit hard in mid-May, with 654 cases tied to the plant. Recently, Tulsa, McCurtain, Payne, Mayes and Custer counties have seen faster rates of growth. 

COVID-19 cases continue to rise in a number of states including South Carolina and Alabama, both saw a record number of new cases on Sunday. Officials in Houston, have warned of a potential new lockdown as cases are on the rise there, reports CBS News. 

Beijing, China has reported a new cluster of cases that is reported to have started in the largest market in the city. They plan on testing more than 200,000 people who work in or have visited the market. Saudi Arabia recorded more than 4,000 cases Sunday. A record daily high. Thailand marked 21 days since the last local transmission of COVID-19 and lifted the nationwide curfew. Germany has lifted travel warnings for 27 countries in Europe. 

The locations of hotspots and U.S and Country diagnoses in a moment.  

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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for Friday June 12th, 2020.   Utah researchers have been studying whether sewage can alert health officials to an increase in cases, reports The Washington Post. Prior to a sudden surge in Cache County Utah, where 287 cases were detected at a meat packing plant, scientists found an increase in the virus in the wastewater. Researchers are hopeful that a community’s sewage, may provide a more accurate reading of the overall infection rate. Utah has 13,366 cases and 131 deaths. Cases peaked June 5th, with 522 new cases reported. Cache County, where the meatpacking plant with the recent cluster is, has 913 (287 tied to the plant). More than half of the state’s cases are in and around Salt Lake City. 

Oregon has implemented a “one week pause” in reopening according to The Governor. Puerto Rico will lift the majority of their restrictions next week. People signing up to attend a Trump campaign rally in Tulsa Oklahoma, are being met with a disclaimer, that they will not hold the campaign or venue liable if they are exposed to COVID-19.  

India reported nearly 10,000 cases yesterday, putting them as the 4th highest case count in the world behind the U.S, Brazil and Russia. The Prosecutor in Bergamo, Lombardy has launched an investigation in to the Italian Government’s handling of the virus in the region. With less than 40 COVID-19 cases reported last week, Australian Officials say the country has all but eliminated the virus. Almost all restrictions will be lifted in July. 

The locations of hotspots and U.S and Country diagnoses in a moment.  

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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for Thursday June 11th, 2020.   The U.S. has reported more than 2 million cases of COVID-19, globally, there are over 7.4 million cases. The global race for a vaccine continues.  Coronavirus Task Force Member Dr. Fauci, told CNN the U.S. Government will help fund three Phase III vaccine studies: Moderna, Johnson and Johnson and Oxford University/AstraZeneca. Good news from Johnson and Johnson. They are ahead of schedule and will begin Phase I early stage human trials on their vaccine in late July as opposed to September. If the vaccine is a success, they intend to have 600 to 900 million doses available by April 2021. The vaccine candidate from Oxford University/AstraZeneca is gearing up for Phase III, adding 10,000 participants in the UK, 30,000 in the U.S. and 2,000 in Brazil to monitor how well the vaccine works on the larger sample. Results are expected in August. If all goes well, there could be a vaccine by September. 

1.5 million Americans filed for first time unemployment benefits last week. The Governor of Maine has renewed their “state of emergency” for an additional 30 days. The University of Washington has updated their model to project deaths from the virus stabilizing in June and July, then increasing again in the Fall, with nearly 170,000 by October 1st.  In late May, two hairstylists in Springfield, Missouri, saw 140 clients, while they had the virus. The stylists and the clients wore masks, as of today, none of the 140 clients became infected. Pro Golf returns today, with the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. Disneyland in California will begin a phased reopening on July 17th.

The European Union has called out Russia and China for “making a concerted effort to spread disinformation” about COVID-19, reports The Washington Post. Russia has more than half a million positive diagnoses. Mumbai, India has surpassed 50,000 confirmed cases. 

The locations of hotspots and U.S and Country diagnoses in a moment.  

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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for Wednesday June 10th, 2020.   The State Health Director of Arizona, told hospitals to “fully activate” their emergency plans, as cases and hospitalizations there continue to rise. Arizona’s largest medical group announced that ICU’s are nearing capacity and patients needing ventilators have quadrupled in the last month. According to azcentral.com, the percentage of positive tests was 5% a month ago and was 12% last week. The Governor is attributing the rise to increased testing, state health experts disagree. Citing an increase in hospitalizations and noting that while testing has increased 100%, cases have increased by 108%. Arizona has 28,386 confirmed cases and 1.074 deaths. More than 50% of the state’s cases are in and around the Phoenix area. However, Yuma, Santa Cruz and La Paz counties are seeing faster rates of growth. 

Members of the DC National Guard, who had a presence at the protests in Washington, have tested positive for COVID-19. The Guard did not say how many, citing security reasons. The U.S. will reopen the consulate in Wuhan, China later this month. 

The World Health Organization sought to clarify remarks about asymptomatic transmission being rare, by stating “There is still too much unknown about this virus and still too much unknown about its transmission dynamics”. A study from the United Kingdom relays that if everyone would wear a mask in public, it could be enough to avoid a second wave of the virus and lockdowns, reports The Washington Post. In Brazil, the Supreme Court has ordered The President to resume releasing key COVID-19 information. The Administration had ceased doing so last week. 

The locations of hotspots and U.S and Country diagnoses in a moment.  

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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for Tuesday June 9th, 2020.   Executive or emergency orders in nearly 20 states afford nursing homes large scale immunity from lawsuits during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports The Washington Post.  Many of The Governors who called for the orders say they did it to protect frontline healthcare heroes like doctors, nurses and support staff. But in some states, like Connecticut, the orders also protect nursing homes and long-term care facilities from having to divulge information about a patients last few days. Adding to the challenges faced by care facilities and families, routine inspections have diminished and visitors are kept at a distance to protect the residents. According to The New York Times, more than 233,000 residents and employees in over 9,800 nursing homes and long-term care facilities have been infected. Over 44,000 of them have died, meaning nearly 40% of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. can be traced to these facilities.

Over the last 7 days, 14 states and Puerto Rico have reported their highest weekly average of COVID-19 cases. States include:  Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. Yosemite National Park reopens Thursday, they will limit the number of visitors and reservations are required. 

On Monday, a scientist from the World Health Organization, said COVID-19 was unlikely to be spread by people with asymptomatic cases.  Many medical professionals and health experts strongly disagree with the statement. Moscow greatly reduced lockdown restrictions yesterday and plan to almost fully reopen the city by June 23rd.  They city reported over 1500 new cases yesterday.  The U.N. General Assembly will not hold their yearly meeting in person for the first time in 75 years. 

The locations of hotspots and U.S and Country diagnoses in a moment.  

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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for Monday June 8th, 2020.  

Two studies published today in the medical journal “Nature” relay that lockdowns throughout the world may have saved millions of lives. One of the studies from U.C. Berkley says that the shutdowns may have prevented 285 million infections in China and 60 million in the U.S. New York City, one of the hardest hit cities in the world, will begin Phase 1 of reopening today. With subway service getting back to normal and construction, manufacturing and retail employees returning to work. New York City has had 211,728 cases and 21,323 deaths. The news has been positive lately with the city reporting an aggressive drop in the number of new daily infections. There were 777 new cases reported yesterday, at its peak on April 4th, the city reported 12,312 new cases. There is some concern that the recent protests may cause an increase in cases. The city is offering free testing to all residents and has hired contact tracers to contain virus growth. 

COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are creeping toward 2 million. Arizona’s largest health care system said that intensive care units are full.  The state has seen record daily new cases over the last week. 

The President of Brazil is limiting the information released to the public, as cases continue to rise there. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have crossed over 100,000 cases. Starting today, international passengers arriving in the United Kingdom, will have to quarantine for 14 days. New Zealand has removed all restrictions and fully reopened. Though international borders remain shut. They are the first industrialized nation to emerge from the pandemic, reports The Washington Post.

The locations of hotspots and U.S and Country diagnoses in a moment.  

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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for Friday June 5th, 2020.   A Tennessee judge ruled that all registered voters will be allowed to vote by mail. Prior to the ruling, Tennessee voters, needed to provide a reason they were unable to vote in person. Fear of exposure to COVID-19 was not an accepted reason. An appeal is expected to be filed, reports The Tennessean.  Cases are on the upswing in Tennessee. The state has 25,374 confirmed cases, 372 per 100,000 residents. Trousdale County, has 1,394 cases among the 7,800 residents. 14,562 per 100,000, the highest in the country.  Lake County Tennessee is second highest nationwide with 10,550 per 100,000. Three prisons in Tennessee have been tied to cluster outbreaks. The aforementioned Trousdale Turner Correctional Center with 1,315 of the counties 1,394 cases. Northwest Correctional in Tipton, Tennessee with 640 and Bledsoe County Correctional in Pikeville with 617.

Federal Health Officials will require labs to report demographic information when they report COVID-19 test results starting August 1st. The Director of the CDC testified that up to 100,000 contact tracers will be needed by September. He also said, the CDC continues to work with the World Health Organization, in spite of The President’s announcement that he was terminating the relationship. The NBA Board of Governors voted to restart the season, the plan now goes to the players union for approval. If it passes the season will resume on July 31st. 

In Guadalajara, Mexico, protests broke out over the death of a man who was detained by police for allegedly not wearing a face mask. The man died in custody, relays The Washington Post. Mexico recorded more than 4400 cases of COVID-19 yesterday, their highest daily total. England will require a face covering for anyone using public transportation, beginning June 15th.  The Prime Minister of Fiji said the nation is COVID-19 free, they have not had a new case in 45 days. 

The locations of hotspots and U.S and Country diagnoses in a moment.  

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This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for Thursday June 4th, 2020.  Pennsylvania schools can reopen July 1st, with strategies for safe operation. The states stay at home order will expire tonight at midnight.  With 77,871 confirmed cases and 5,742 deaths, Pennsylvania has the 6th highest case count in the United States. There are 608 cases per 100,000. Since May 1st, the numbers in the state have been declining. A look at Pennsylvania’s two largest cities, shows a wildly different experience with the virus. Prior to the lockdown, Pittsburgh was experiencing a flu outbreak and had 40% of cases in the state, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. With COVID-19, the majority of cases hit in and around the Philadelphia area, with Pittsburgh showing relatively low infection.   Pittsburgh has 1,952, the city’s highest daily case count was 204 on April 18th, on June 2nd they reported 14. In contrast, Philadelphia has 23,160, the highest daily case count was on April 30th with 1,749 (only 203 less than all of the cases in Pittsburgh). On June 2nd Philadelphia reported 463 new cases.  Both cities “stay at home order” went in to effect March 23rd. Pittsburgh peaked nearly two weeks earlier and with a much lower number than Philadelphia.  Pittsburgh began to lift restrictions May 15th. Philadelphia will do so tonight at midnight.

1.9 million Americans filed for first time unemployment benefits last week, the lowest since March. In an effort to assist small businesses, The Senate approved a bill relaxing the terms of the Paycheck Protection Plan. Delta airlines will test all 90,000 employees for COVID-19 antibodies. NBA team owners will vote today on a plan to restart the season.

Cases in Pakistan continue to rise. They have passed China and now have the 17th highest case count in the world. Japan is considering ways to “simplify” the Olympics in 2021, with smaller crowds and mandatory testing. Spain will open borders with France and Portugal on June 22nd. 

The locations of hotspots and U.S and Country diagnoses in a moment.  

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