TOPLINE
With a record 40,401 new coronavirus cases reported in the United States just Thursday, and many parts of the south and west now face alarming peaks just weeks after starting to reopen, these states are now pressing the pause button.
People walk down the street carrying shopping bags from Old Navy and Macy’s as the city moves to Phase … [+]
KEY FACTS
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that all bars in the state should be closed (although they may remain open for takeaways and deliveries) and restaurants should limit capacity; That edict comes just a day after Abbott said Texas must stop any reopening while facing it. with registration case numbers; It also issued an Executive Order suspending elective surgeries in four counties to preserve the availability of hospital beds for Covid-19 patients.
Florida It will close the bars in an effort to mitigate a record peak in statewide cases, according to a Friday announcement by Halsey Beshears, secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards extended his state’s Phase 2 reopening Thursday for another 28 days; Louisiana originally planned to move to Phase 3 on Friday.
Idaho Governor Brad Little announced Thursday that the reopening would be stopped because the state had not yet met its own criteria: “We are hitting the brakes,” he said.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that he will delay the reopening of shopping malls, gyms and movie theaters, originally slated to open as early as Friday in some parts of the state, while the health department reviews more data on indoor virus transmission. .
North Carolina It will delay entry into the reopening Phase Three and continue in the “safer at home” phase for another three weeks, Governor Roy Cooper said Wednesday.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly this week recommended that the state remain in Phase 3 of its reopening plan for two more weeks; Kansas was originally supposed to begin lifting the Phase 3 restrictions on Monday.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Monday that the state’s interior bars would not be reopened on July 1 as scheduled.
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced last week that the reopening plans would stop: “Now is not the time to abandon these protective measures,” he said.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced a week-long hiatus to the state’s reopening plans on June 11, citing concerns about the increase in the number of cases in rural and urban areas; Utah Republican Governor Gary Herbert announced a similar hiatus that same week.
Crucial quote
During a Capitol Hill hearing on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested that states may need to reconsider their reopening plans as cases continue to rise across the country. “I wouldn’t necessarily say outright shutdown, but if someone goes from the gateway to Phase 1 to Phase 2 and gets into trouble in Phase 2, they may have to go back to Phase 1,” he said. . Fauci cited Texas, Arizona and Florida among the states that may need to consider these measures.
Tangent
Some major retailers and attractions are also closing on their own in the absence of renewed local restrictions. Disney announced Wednesday that its Disneyland resort in Anaheim, California would not reopen on July 17 as scheduled (although Disneyworld, in Florida, is still scheduled to reopen next month), and Apple announced this week that it will be closing again. its stores in the states where Covid -19 cases are on the rise (Texas, Arizona and Florida, among others).
Key background
As the outbreaks continue to worsen in various states, the Trump administration is considering pivoting to a new strategy that tests groups of people, the Washington Post reports. That would allow officials to screen more people with fewer resources and more quickly identify and isolate those infected.
Further reading
Texas has set a new record for coronavirus hospitalizations every day for 2 weeks (Forbes)
Fauci says Trump is considering changing the coronavirus strategy: group evidence (Forbes)
All 50 states have partially reopened now: this is how they could be asked to ‘re-close’ (Forbes)
California coronavirus hospitalizations increase 32% in 14 days (Forbes)
Mask Wars: As mandates grow, and coronavirus cases increase, some conservatives reject (Forbes)
