Coronavirus updates: Texas schools may not reopen until October, Europe sees humiliating new wave of outbreaks

This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Wednesday, August 12, 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, en up-to-date statistics are here.

New York City is in Phase 4 of resume no, which includes zoos, botanical gardens, and professional sports (without fans). A look at prepared for the spread of coronavirus is here, and if you have ongoing questions about the virus, here’s us regularly updated coronavirus FAQ. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.

Here is the latest:

Some Texas school districts may not reopen for personal instruction until October, reflecting the severity of coronavirus outbreaks that plagued state hospitals last month.

“What the best strategy is determined by the school district is exactly the path that school district should follow,” Governor Greg Abbott said on Tuesday.

The announcement came on the same day that Texas was passing 500,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Although infections have shown signs of leveling in recent weeks, the state has a record high positivity rate, currently 20% as a 7-day moving average, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracking website. More than 9,300 people in the state have died from the virus.

Governor Abbott said bars, which were ordered to close at the end of June, could be reopened if the state could reach a positive rating of “well below 10%” and maintain it. He added that operators should also follow safety protocols regarding restricted meetings and wearing masks.

A Republican, Abbott was heavily criticized for pushing for the reopening of the state and undermining local mask orders. But in the face of a massive outbreak, he has been forced to take many of the measures he once opposed. Last month, Texas placed an order all over its face.

“The most important thing I can convey today is that although the numbers of COVID-19 have improved,” he said. “COVID-19 did not leave Jefferson County, did not leave Orange County, did not leave the state of Texas.”

“We are at a tipping point”: Europe looks set to rise in virus cases

Several major countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain, are seeing a spike in outbreaks, with extended masks bearing restrictions and warnings on public health.

The rise in cases is because many countries have tried to lift restrictions, including those traveling during what is normally the busiest tourist season. Similar to here in the United States, health officials have attributed many of the infections to young people and reported illegal parties and underground raves, such as beach masses and bargainers.

On Monday, the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention released an update, saying: “While many countries are now testing mild and asymptomatic cases, resulting in increased case reports, there is a real decline in cases in several countries as a result of physical distance measures. who are relaxed. “

Germany recorded 1,226 new cases on Wednesday, the highest level since early May. German health minister Jens Spahn said the clusters “were in almost every region of the country.”

France, which has reported an average of about 1,600 new infections per day over the past seven days, announced that it will increase police checks to enforce face mask rules as a social distance.

“We are at a point,” said a spokesman for the French government.

On Wednesday, organizers announced on Twitter that the Paris Marathon, scheduled for November 15, would be canceled.

Meanwhile, Spain overran the UK last week in most cases of coronavirus. The country currently has more than 326,000 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University database.

Spain, which was one of the early European hot spots, recorded 1,500 cases per day in the first 10 days of August, up from average caseloads of a daily average of 132 in June.

The UK reported 1,148 new cases on Tuesday, the highest daily total since 21 June. The country has undergone the deepest recession among any world economy, a quarterly decline of more than 20% in economic output. It is the worst performance since the registration of such economic indicators began in 1955.