6 Trump Staffers Test Positive For COVID-19 Ahead Of Tulsa Rally – NPR

A crowd of supporters wait for a Trump campaign rally on Saturday. This is the first political rally since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images hide caption

A crowd of supporters wait for a Trump campaign rally on Saturday. This is the first political rally since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Six campaign staffers working on the advance team for President Trump's rally in Tulsa, Okla., have tested positive for COVID-19, the campaign said Saturday. Trump is still attending the rally.

"Per safety protocols, campaign staff are tested for COVID-19 before events. Six members of the advance team tested positive out of hundreds of tests performed, and quarantine procedures were immediately implemented," Tim Murtaugh, the campaign communications director, said in a statement. He added that none of those staffers or anyone in immediate contact with them will attend the rally. "As previously announced, all rally attendees are given temperature checks before going through security, at which point they are given wristbands, face masks and hand sanitizer."

Those face masks, however, will not be required, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters during a briefing Friday afternoon.

"I won't be wearing a mask," she said. "It's a personal decision. I'm tested regularly. I feel that it's safe for me to not be wearing a mask, and I'm in compliance with CDC guidelines, which are recommended but not required."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone wear "cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain." The Trump campaign is requiring that everyone who attends the rally sign a waiver releasing the campaign and the president of any liability if guests are exposed to COVID-19.

This is the first Trump rally since the pandemic began spreading across the U.S. in February and comes amid a wide dispute over whether the rally should even take place. On Friday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected an appeal in a lawsuit filed this week by a group of Tulsa residents who were fighting to have organizers enforce social distancing measures. The lawsuit said that the rally could increase the spread of COVID-19, because it is held indoors at a 19,000-seat center in Oklahoma, a state that has seen a spike in the virus. Tulsa was also supposed to be under curfew for the weekend, but it was lifted on Friday.

"Last night, I enacted a curfew at the request of Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin, following consultation with the United States Secret Service based on intelligence they had received," Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a statement. "Today, we were told the curfew is no longer necessary so I am rescinding it."

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6 Trump Staffers Test Positive For COVID-19 Ahead Of Tulsa Rally - NPR

What a Negative COVID-19 Test Really Means – The Atlantic

Its still unclear how good COVID-19 tests are at finding these presymptomatic cases, but the timing of the test matters. As soon as the coronavirus finds its way into a new host, it hijacks cells to copy itself. The amount of virus builds over this time, peaking at or right before symptom onset, which can take two to 14 days but usually takes an average of five or six. Accordingly, public-health authorities have advised getting tested about four days after exposure.

Read: The protests will spread the coronavirus

This is a reasonable recommendation, given the knowns, but surprisingly little data exists on how early COVID-19 tests can detect infection before symptom onset. One model using COVID-19 cases from seven previously published studies suggests that the false-negative rate is 100 percent on day one of exposure, which falls to 38 percent on day five (when symptoms on average appear) and then a minimum of 20 percent on day eight. But in combing the literature, the researchers behind this model found only one case where a patient was tested before feeling sickas part of a cluster at a chalet in the French Alps. Moreover, the model doesnt address a whole other set of people who never develop symptoms at all. It gave no information about people who are permanently asymptomatic, Justin Lessler, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University who co-authored that study, told me.

More data are likely to come soon. On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration released recommendations for labs and manufacturers that want to validate COVID-19 tests in people who dont have symptoms. (Currently, no tests are FDA-authorized for screening asymptomatic people.) Testing large numbers of asymptomatic peoplesuch as by pooling samplesto identify potential silent carriers will also be an essential part of the reopening strategy for schools and businesses.

Read: COVID-19 can last for several months

For individuals, however, the FDA cautions that negative results do not rule out infection. It asks that asymptomatic tests include this statement: Negative results must be considered in the context of an individuals recent exposures, history, presence of clinical signs and symptoms consistent with COVID-19. And this, in the face of imperfect COVID-19 tests, is key to interpreting a negative result. It depends on your probability of having COVID-19 in the first place.

Consider again the decision to visit elderly relatives after a negative test. If you have symptoms or you work in a place where youre at high risk for exposure, then even with a negative test, you might want to think really hard about it, Steven Woloshin, a co-director of the Center for Medicine and Media at the Dartmouth Institute, explained to me. If youre at low risk because you live in some remote area, youre practicing social distancing, you always wear a mask, and you feel fine, a negative test is probably a true negative. So even with widespread testing, social distancing and masks will continue to be important for controlling the spread of COVID-19.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

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What a Negative COVID-19 Test Really Means - The Atlantic

OSDH: 478 new COVID-19 cases, another death reported Sunday in Oklahoma – Enid News & Eagle

ENID, Okla. The state COVID-19 numbers continue to increase, with 478 new cases and one death reported on Sunday, June 21, 2020, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

A Grady County woman in the 65 and older age group who tested positive for COVID-19 has died, according to OSDH data, bringing the overall total of deaths associated with the virus to 369.

There were two more cases in Northwest Oklahoma reported Sunday, one each in Kingfisher and Major counties, reported in Hennessey and Ringwood, respectively, according to OSDH data.

State numbers

There are 10,515 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma, an increase of 4.76% over Saturday's 10,037. Of those cases, 2,615 of those were active and 7,513, or 71.45%, were recovered, including 117 since Saturday's OSDH report.

Those numbers compare to a statewide cumulative total of 6,418 and 649 active cases just more than three weeks ago, according to May 30 OSDH data. The numbers have steadily climbed by 61% and 25%, respectively, since that time.

Cumulative totals of those testing positive in the state as of Sunday were 184 in the 0-4 age range, 573 in the 5-17 age range, 3,410 in the 18-35 age range, 2,342 in the 36-49 age range, 2,025 in the 50-64 age range and 1,981 in the 65 and older age range. The 18-35 age group continues to gain cases at a higher rate, with 228, nearly half the single day total, on Sunday.

The average age of those with COVID-19 is 44.8, according to OSDH data. Of those testing positive, 5,350, or 50.89%, have been female, and 5,091 or 48.42%, have been male. Seventy-four are listed as "unknown" gender, according to OSDH data on Sunday.

There has been a case of COVID-19 confirmed now in 76 of 77 counties, as OSDH data shows Shattuck in Ellis County has recorded its first case.

Of the overall 369 deaths in the state, 297, or 80.49%, have been 65 and older; 58, or 15.72%, have been in the 50-64 age group; 8, or 2.17%, have been in the 36-49 age group; and 6, or 1.63%, have been in the 18-35 age group. More men, 188 or 50.95%, than women, 181 or 49.05%, have succumbed to the virus, according to OSDH on Sunday. The average age of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 who have died is 75.1, according to OSDH.

Data shows deaths per county are 66 in Tulsa County; 65 in Oklahoma County; 40 in Cleveland County; 38 in Washington County; 17 in Wagoner County; 16 in Delaware County; 10 in Caddo County; 9 in Muskogee County; 8 in Osage County; 7 each in Creek, Greer, and Kay counties; 6 in Texas County; 5 in Comanche, Grady and Rogers counties; 4 each in Adair, Mayes, McClain and Pottawatomie counties; 3 each in Canadian, Jackson, Pittsburg, Seminole and Sequoyah counties; 2 each in Cotton, Lincoln, McCurtain, Ottawa, Pawnee and Pontotoc counties; and 1 each in Bryan, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Garfield, Garvin, Latimer, Leflore, Logan, Major, McIntosh, Nowata, Payne, Stephens and Tillman counties.

COVID-19 data released Sunday for Northwest Oklahoma counties shows Garfield with 55 cases, 46 recovered andone death, an86-year-old Garfield County woman, in April;Kingfisher with 19 cases, 12 recovered; Blaine with 14 cases, 10 recovered;Woodward with 12 cases, eight recovered; Major with eight cases, five recovered and one death, awoman in the 18-35 age group; Woods with five recovered cases;Grant with two recovered cases; and Alfalfa with one recovered case.

CumulativeCOVID-19 cases by city or townin Northwest Oklahoma include 52 in Enid (nine active); 10 in Woodward (three active); nine in Hennessey (six active); six each in Kingfisher and Watonga (one active); five each in Alva and Okarche (one active); four each in Fairview (one active); and Geary (one active); two each in Lahoma, Longdale (1 active) and Ringwood (one active); and one each in Cashion (1 active) Dover, Fort Supply (one active), Garber, Jet, Lamont, Laverne, Medford, Mooreland and Okeene, according to data released by OSDH on Sunday. Residents living in areas with under 100 in population or those with unknown addresses may be recorded as "other."

COVID-19 cases per county in Oklahoma as reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health Sunday, June 21, 2020. SOURCE: OSDH

COVID-19 cases per city in Oklahoma as reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health Sunday, June 21, 2020. SOURCE: OSDH

COVID-19 testing

State Health Department officials areencouraging Oklahomans to get testedfor COVID-19, saying recently that due to adequate supplies, residents no longer need to exhibit symptoms or report exposure to someone with the virus to get in line for testing.

Free testing for COVID-19 is ongoing at the Garfield County and other state Health Departments. Testing is by appointment only for Blaine County, 521 W. 4th, Watonga, (580) 623-7977; Garfield County, 2501 S. Mercer, Enid, (580) 233-0650; Grant County, 115 N. Main, Medford, (580) 395-2906; Kingfisher County, 124 E. Sheridan, courthouse annex room #101, Kingfisher, (405) 375-3008; Major County, 501 E. Broadway, Fairview, (580) 227-3362; Noble County, 300 Fir St., Perry, (580) 336-2257; Woods County, 511 Barnes St., Alva, (580) 327-3192; and Woodward County, 1631 Texas Ave., Woodward, (580) 256-6416. For a full list of county drive-through testing, go tohttps://coronavirus.health.ok.gov/drive-thru-testing. Some health department also advise the public to check their Facebook pages for more information regarding testing.

Emergency warning signs for COVID-19 are trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, bluish lips or face, according to the CDC. More information can be found athttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html.

Those with symptoms of COVID-19 should call ahead to local emergency rooms. Those with minor symptoms should contact their regular physicians.

Resources and information on COVID-19 can be obtained by calling 211 or going tohttps://covidresources.ok.gov/.

BREAKING NEWSon the COVID-19 threat and its impact is available athttps://www.enidnews.com/virusand isfree for all readers. That includes information on closings and cancellations.

Get full-access breaking news via text alerts at https://enidnews.com/textalerts.

For more local, state, national and global COVID-19 pandemic news, go tohttps://enidnews.com/news/covid19.

All breaking news is fully accessible on theEnid News & Eaglewebsite.

Information also can be found athttps://coronavirus.health.ok.gov/andhttps://www.cdc.gov/.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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OSDH: 478 new COVID-19 cases, another death reported Sunday in Oklahoma - Enid News & Eagle

TABC suspends West 6th Street bars permit for violating COVID-19 protocols – KXAN.com

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TABC suspends West 6th Street bars permit for violating COVID-19 protocols - KXAN.com

How PGA Tour pro Nick Watney’s positive COVID-19 test revealed the need for ongoing adjustments – ESPN

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- As illnesses go, Nick Watney likely proceeded like someone who simply was not at his best. He certainly was not violently ill Friday when he showed up at Harbour Town Golf Club. And despite warm, humid temperatures, he felt well enough to attempt to play the second round of the RBC Heritage.

But he knew something might be amiss due to the Whoop band he wears around his arm, a tool many golfers use as a way of regulating their health.

Watney, who tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday and withdrew from the tournament, relayed to Rory McIlroy via a text that an elevated respiratory rate via that band first told him "maybe I could have it.''

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And so Watney, 39, conveyed that to tour officials, consulted a physician, took another COVID-19 test -- he was negative for the one he took on Tuesday -- and then awaited the results at the course, while going about his business to prepare for the second round of the tournament.

It's fair to question why he was allowed to proceed in that manner, and perhaps that is a flaw in the PGA Tour's health and safety protocols as part of the coronavirus pandemic.

Why would you allow a symptomatic person to come to the course and practice?

Then again, doesn't Watney deserve credit for seeking medical attention when it's quite possible he could have tried to carry on and not said anything?

Therein lies the danger of banning someone who has "symptoms'' -- while also highlighting that no system can be perfect and there is some risk involved as sports attempt to come back after a lengthy shutdown.

"I hope not because it's not about yourself, right?'' McIlroy said when asked Saturday if he could see someone not reporting symptoms if they otherwise felt OK. "This virus isn't about ... most people that get it that are healthy are going to recover from it and be OK, but it's the people that you can infect. That's the big risk. I'd like not to think that people, if they were symptomatic, that they wouldn't report.''

And yet perhaps a player not in McIlroy's tax bracket might consider doing just that. Maybe he believes the risk is worth it, because he's in contention or needs the FedEx Cup points or sees an opportunity to make money after being denied that chance for so long.

There might be a hole in the PGA Tour's policy, but at least Watney took it upon himself to investigate.

"At this point, with who we have out here ... you have some older caddies out here, a lot of people out here. You have to err on the side of caution,'' U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland said. "Nick Watney is one of the nicest guys we have on tour. I hear he feels horrendous that he might infect someone else, which definitely wasn't the intent at all. I feel horrible for him, wish him the best.

"But for anybody's case, you better play it safe.''

As it stands now, the tour's policy allows a player who has been tested but not yet received a result to use practice areas. But he is not allowed to use the facilities, such as the locker room or clubhouse. Is that enough?

Perhaps a separate practice area could be set up. Maybe more of an emphasis on staying away from others until the result is known. While extreme, if as was the case on Friday when Watney was waiting for a result, hold his tee time so that there is not a rush to prepare and put yourself around others.

The tour also continues to stress to players and caddies their own responsibilities. It is not requiring them to stay in a specific hotel and it is not enforcing any lockdown orders away from the course. And depending on the area of the country the tour visits, outside variables come into play.

Carlos Ortiz told a story about the packed restaurants on Hilton Head Island, how he wanted to visit a few of them but ultimately decided to leave due to the crowds.

"It's a 30-minute wait and once you get in there, there's no social distancing, packed tables right by each other, kids running around,'' Ortiz said after shooting 63 at Harbour Town on Saturday. "Nobody wearing a mask. We talked about it on Tuesday when we saw it. We were like, "Oh, somebody's going to get corona here. It's crazy how busy it is here.''

Ortiz said he felt "paranoid'' when he learned of Watney's positive test.

"I think it's just a warning,'' he said. "We just need to be more careful.''

There is nothing to suggest Watney did anything but get unlucky. He did not test positive when he arrived on Tuesday. A few days later, he was feeling symptoms, and now the PGA Tour has its first COVID-19 case.

Watney, who has five PGA Tour victories, must now self-isolate in South Carolina for 10 days at the Tour's expense. There were 11 others the PGA Tour identified as having come in contact with him this week, all were tested on Friday, with the results negative.

McIlroy was not among those tested, feeling he was not close enough to Watney at any time to warrant it.

But he also knows this is a week-by-week endeavor. Positive tests are inevitable. Avoiding complacency remains the way for golf to continue safely.

"Starting up, people weren't nave,'' he said. "Statistically and looking at the numbers, someone was going to get it, and even being as careful as you can be, things happen, and you pick it up from somewhere.

"We're still in the middle of a pandemic. I think we've done really well to start golf again and get back up and play golf tournaments. I don't think anyone was blind to the fact that someone could catch the virus, and it's a shame that Nick did. But it's one case, and as long as it's contained to that and we move forward, we can keep playing.''

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How PGA Tour pro Nick Watney's positive COVID-19 test revealed the need for ongoing adjustments - ESPN

Cleveland ISD suspends all student activities after families test positive for COVID-19 – KHOU.com

CLEVELAND, Texas Cleveland ISD has suspended all student activities until next month after two families tested positive for coronavirus, according to a letter posted Saturday to the school district website.

The school district said the cases were linked to the band, cheer and athletic summer programs.

The district said all activities have been suspended until July 5.

Its unclear if that case is connected to the two families. Administrators said anyone who may have been exposed has been notified and their families.

The district plans to give another update next week.

Heres the full statement posted to the Cleveland ISD website:

"As we continue honest, factual and open communication within Cleveland ISD during COVID-19, this message is to notify everyone that Cleveland ISD has had two families with confirmed positive tests for COVID-19. These positive tests have been associated with band, cheer, and athletic summer programs. I have deemed it to necessary, in the best interests of all students and staff, to suspend all student activities through Sunday, July 5, 2020.An update will be provided during our Wednesday, June 24, 2020, Cleveland ISD Facebook Live program at 11 a.m. You can also contact Steve McCanless at smccanless@clevelandisd.org if you have any questions or concerns regarding COVID-19.

As always, the safety and health of our students and staff are the priority during this outbreak. Thank you for your support.Respectfully, Chris TrotterSuperintendent of Schools"

MORE COVID-19 NEWS ON KHOU.COM

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Cleveland ISD suspends all student activities after families test positive for COVID-19 - KHOU.com

Doctor Warns Of Risks In Rush To Embrace A COVID-19 Treatment – NPR

Early results of a new study from University of Oxford researchers show that dexamethasone improved survival in some patients with COVID-19. Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

Early results of a new study from University of Oxford researchers show that dexamethasone improved survival in some patients with COVID-19.

Earlier this week, researchers in the United Kingdom announced preliminary results from a clinical trial that showed a low-cost steroid called dexamethasone appeared to lower the risk of death in patients with COVID-19.

The researchers said the anti-inflammatory drug reduced the number of deaths in COVID-19 patients on ventilators or oxygen alone by one-third.

But details of the study did not accompany the announcement. And the announcement followed several prominent revisions in the advice that researchers have given around the coronavirus in recent weeks.

Which is why Dr. Kirsten Lyke, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, warns that a premature endorsement for the treatment can carry risks.

Lyke, who is running a coronavirus vaccine trial, said that, particularly when dealing with a new kind of virus, we "need to be extremely cautious" when rolling out treatments that have not gone through a rigorous vetting process.

"This is a press release, so they're going to basically give us sort of the bottom line," Lyke said about the dexamethasone announcement in an interview with NPR's Weekend Edition. "But there's a lot to unravel."

Dexamethasone has been successful at treating inflammatory conditions like arthritis and asthma. The research team behind the trial wanted to figure out whether the drug could also alleviate lung inflammation in COVID-19 patients.

"Many of us would like to see the peer review paper to understand how these people were randomized, who was not randomized. That's important to know," Lyke said.

But, in a world not pressured by a pandemic, a legit vetting process like that can take years, said Lyke. And she worries that a hasty embrace of the drug could do more harm than good.

"People really want to get results out quickly," she said. "But at the same time, if things are released too early or there's harm that occurs from the intervention, that really erodes public trust."

Lyke said researchers need to be mindful to avoid a scenario where, as was the case with the drug hydroxychloroquine, a treatment is championed before it has a chance to stand up to strict scientific scrutiny.

That wasn't the first instance of confusion over messaging related to the science around the coronavirus. For example, public health officials' guidance on whether the public should wear masks initially fluctuated until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recommended face coverings in April.

Lyke acknowledged the early mixed messaging was "frustrating" for researchers and the public alike, but reminded that one line of messaging around face coverings has been consistent.

"Typically, we say that using a mask doesn't necessarily protect you. It protects other people," she said. "It's really useless if you're the only one wearing it in a crowd. It has to be the entire crowd."

In order for such evidence-based health measures to work in the fight against the coronavirus, she said, everyone has to participate.

"There's a lot of individualism in the United States, but the pandemic and the virus don't really respect the individualism," said Lyke. "I think we need to really be stepping up as a group and protecting each other."

NPR's Elena Schwartz and Ed McNulty produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Emma Bowman produced the story for Web.

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Doctor Warns Of Risks In Rush To Embrace A COVID-19 Treatment - NPR

Clemson University & City officials announce increased COVID-19 detection within community – FOX Carolina

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Clemson University & City officials announce increased COVID-19 detection within community - FOX Carolina

CDC to conduct COVID-19 survey house-to-house in Manassas area – WTOP

The CDC will be conducting a survey in parts of Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William Co. in Virginia starting Monday in response to the coronavirus.

This article was written by WTOPs news partnerInsideNoVa.comand republished with permission. Sign up forInsideNoVa.coms free email subscriptiontoday.

As part of its COVID-19 response, the Centers for Disease Control will be conducting a survey in communities in Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County beginning Monday, June 22.

The survey is part of an effort to help stop the spread of the coronavirus in ZIP codes with more positive cases and in the Latino community, which has seen a disproportionate impact from the virus.

The three ZIP codes in the area of the city, 20109, 20110 and 20111, are among the top ZIP codesin the state for COVID-19 cases.

All three have seen cases more than double in the past month.

As part of the CDC study, a team will go house-to-house with a 30-question survey.

Questions will be related to health care and COVID-19. The survey is completely voluntary and no personally identifiable data will be collected.

The information collected will help the health professionals at the Prince William Health District and the CDC understand what resources are most needed by the community, the city release noted.

The CDC may also reach out by telephone as they are looking for some participants who have tested positive in the past.

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CDC to conduct COVID-19 survey house-to-house in Manassas area - WTOP

Fauci says US ‘still in the first wave’ as six states see record Covid-19 cases – The Guardian

Americas top public health expert has warned the nation it is still in the first wave of coronavirus infections and deaths, as six states report record numbers of new cases amid continued rapid easing of lockdown restrictions.

Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus taskforce, expressed worry about new hotspots for infections in major US states, while also advising that personally, I would not attend Donald Trumps first political rally in months, due on Saturday, in Oklahoma, where vast crowds are expected despite rising Covid-19 cases.

Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas reported record increases in coronavirus cases on Tuesday, while Nevada recorded its highest ever number of single-day cases.

In recent days North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama have reportedly set new highs in seven-day rolling average of Covid-19 cases, as many states have allowed some businesses and public spaces to reopen after months of restrictions.

As New York and other places are coming down, others are going up, Fauci, who is also the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Boston Globe about different areas seeing decreases or increases in new cases.

Obviously, were concerned about it.

Despite Oklahomas alarming rise in coronavirus cases a record 591 new cases were reported on Monday, and cases in the state rose by 68% last week Donald Trump will hold a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahomas second-largest city, on Saturday his first since March, when the pandemic took hold in the US.

Fauci said he personally would choose not to attend such an event due to the risk of contracting coronavirus. And he warned that talk of whether the US was now experiencing a second wave of Covid-19 cases was premature.

We are seeing infections to a greater degree than they had previously seen in certain states, including states in the south-west and in the south, Fauci told the Daily Beast. I dont like to talk about a second wave right now, because we havent gotten out of our first wave.

Oklahoma health officials are urging anyone attending the rally to get tested before arriving, and then to self-isolate afterwards and get tested again. People over 65 have been told to stay at home. The Trump election campaign will recommend the indoor audience wear masks, but is not going to mandate it.

The Oklahoma governor, Kevin Stitt, a Republican, said officials would try to make sure the event was as safe as possible. Ultimately, the president doesnt ask for permission before he goes to places, said Stitt on Wednesday.

The mayor of Tulsa, GT Bynum, also a Republican, said he would not attend the rally.

Vice-President Mike Pence has claimed the US has slowed the spread, and both Pence and the president have claimed the worrying increase in coronavirus cases is due to more testing.

Fauci said this was not true.

When you look at the number of hospitalizations, and you see some of the states say, Oh my goodness, Im having more hospitalizations than I had before, that cannot be due to increase in testing. That has to be due to increase in real cases, he told the Globe.

Hospitalizations are continuing to rise in the states reporting infection increases.

At Tucson medical center in Arizona on Monday, only one intensive care unit bed out of 20 was available.

ICU to be expanded, hopefully, in coming days, Dr Steven Oscherwitz, an infectious disease expert at the hospital, said in a tweet on Monday night. Not sure where people needing ICU care will be able to go, since most AZ [Arizona] hospitals are pretty full now.

Better contact your governor (quickly!)

I dont like to talk about a second wave right now, because we havent gotten out of our first wave

In Florida, 260 workers at the Orlando international airport tested positive for coronavirus, the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, said. DeSantis said almost 500 workers had been tested at the airport after two people contracted the virus.

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would monitor the impact of the mass anti-racism protests the city has seen before allowing more businesses to reopen.

Were all mindful we had a very unique situation with the protests, De Blasio said on Wednesday, according to NBC News.

In Oklahoma Trump supporters have been camping outside the rally venue for days, despite the risks.

Tulsa residents and business owners were thwarted in their attempt to block the rally, which will take place at the indoor, 19,000-capacity BOK Center, on Tuesday. Residents had filed a lawsuit in an effort to have the rally cancelled, to protect against a substantial, imminent, and deadly risk to the community, but a judge refused the request.

On Monday Trump who has previously lied about the number of people at his rallies and events said almost 1 million people had requested tickets for the event.

Fauci has warned people against attending the rally, which had originally been planned for Friday, a date which marks the end of slavery in the US, before the Trump campaign switched the date amid widespread criticism.

Asked if he would personally attend the campaign rally, Fauci said: No.

Im in a high-risk category. Personally, I would not. Of course not, he said. With regard to Trumps rallies, Fauci said outside is better than inside, no crowd is better than crowd and crowd is better than big crowd.

Tulsas chief public health officer, Bruce Dart, and the Tulsa World newspaper have urged Trump to cancel the rally.

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Fauci says US 'still in the first wave' as six states see record Covid-19 cases - The Guardian

Healthy teenager who took precautions died suddenly of Covid-19 – CNN

That call would be the beginning of a 12-day journey that would end in tragedy.

"I can't tell you how a perfectly healthy 16-year-old boy can be making his own peanut butter sandwich late Wednesday night, getting his own tea out the fridge and head up to bed like any other teenager in the state or in the country is doing. And then within 24 hours is fighting for his life," Dawn said.

Andre, an easygoing sophomore at Lawrence North High School, loved YouTube and knew everything about video games; for his birthday in April, he asked for a game that wasn't set to be released until December, and his parents planned on getting it for him when it was released. He also loved photography and annoying his siblings and excelled at basketball and bowling.

Born prematurely at 25 weeks, he and twin sister Abby spent months in the hospital before they were brought home and later adopted by Dawn and her husband, Johnny. Though Andre was diagnosed with moderate autism, his parents were fierce advocates and he thrived with a positive attitude and a smile on his face. "He always just flew through," said Dawn.

In fact, Andre was the only family member who did not leave the house at all. But the virus has proven to be a wily foe, circulating in some communities before public health officials realized it was there. It found vulnerable people like Andre Guest despite all recommended precautions.

After Dawn left for work that morning, Andre normally self-sufficient asked his dad for help getting a drink. Odd. At 1:30 p.m., when Johnny went to check on Andre, the teen said he was tired, but, Johnny said, "his speech was really slurred. He could still understand me and answer me." A short time later, when Andre fell down in the bathroom, Johnny called his wife.

By the time Dawn got home, Andre had lost the ability to grip objects, he had trouble standing, his head and eyes were rolling, he could not hold his body weight up, and he appeared confused. She called an ambulance, which rushed Andre to the nearest emergency room, which transferred the critically ill teen to Riley Hospital for Children.

Although Andre had no underlying medical conditions, the first thing doctors discovered was that he had developed Type 1 diabetes his blood sugar was a dangerous 1,500 milligrams per deciliter, more than 10 times normal. Type 1 diabetes frequently comes to light for the first time in the setting of an infection.

Because he had a fever and cough and was breathing hard, he was tested for Covid-19. Negative. But the doctors were having trouble controlling the teen's blood sugar usually fairly straightforward with an insulin infusion in a first episode of diabetes. At the same time, his temperature kept rising and his breathing deteriorated even with increasing supplements of oxygen. A second Covid test came back positive and he was moved to a Covid unit.

Johnny and Andre's two sisters were subsequently swabbed, and they, too, were positive, though they had only mild fevers and fatigue. Dawn, who was at the hospital with Andre, decided not to get tested because, according to Riley's policy, if she tested positive she would not be allowed back into the hospital until she tested negative twice.

A few days later, Andre was on a ventilator, and doctors, trying to understand and treat his quickly changing illness, even tried "proning" placing him on his stomach to improve lung capacity.

Still, his mother thought he'd survive. He was getting superb care, and his blood sugar was finally at normal levels suggesting the worst of the infection had passed. He was young and had always been resilient.

On the morning of April 27, that hope quickly evaporated. His blood sugar spiked. His arterial line began to clot, suggesting coagulation problems that have been a hallmark of the disease. He went into cardiac arrest and, despite chest compressions, succumbed.

Andre is among the small number of children who have died of Covid-19 and Indiana's first recorded victim under age 18.

"They were wonderful there," Dawn said. "Every nurse and every doctor. I can't complain. We just didn't get the results that we wanted."

Despite stay-at-home restrictions, Andre's death resulted in an outpouring of support from the community. Letters and cards arrived from teachers recollecting their favorite encounters with the teen.

More than 70 cars drove by the Guests' house to express their condolences in a memorial organized by Lawrence Township where Andre attended school.

Marion County Northeast Special Olympics retired Andre's team basketball jersey No. 54 and sent it to the family's home.

With this virus, "you are taking care of your community, as much as you're taking care of yourself. You have no idea if you're a carrier or if you've touched something that has it on there," said Dawn.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

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Healthy teenager who took precautions died suddenly of Covid-19 - CNN

Source of Beijing’s big new COVID-19 outbreak is still a mystery – Science Magazine

The Xinfadi Agricultural Wholesale Market in Beijing in February. The market was shuttered on 13 June after it became the center of a new COVID-19 outbreak.

By Dennis NormileJun. 17, 2020 , 4:55 PM

Sciences COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center.

Beijings confirmation of a COVID-19 case on 11 June ended a run of 55 days without reported local transmission. Since then, the outbreak has burgeoned and the city has responded with fierce determination to rein it in. As of today, it has tested 356,000 people, confirming 137 cases, according to a news report by Xinhua, the state-owned news agency. The city has locked down some residential compounds, closed all schools, and canceled hundreds of flights.

Virtually all of the infections have been linked to a massive wholesale food market that has been temporarily shuttered. The link to the market has triggered comparisons to the seafood market in Wuhan that played a role at the early stages of the pandemic, and speculation that the virus arrived in fish imported from Europe. But the real source of the outbreak is still a mystery.

Beijing reported its last case of local COVID-19 transmission in mid-April. The current outbreak began when a man with no history of recent travel visited a doctor on 10 June with a fever and chills. He tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and was hospitalized the following day. Officials think he or a close contact was infected at the Xinfadi Agricultural Wholesale Market, a massive 112-hectare complex housing 2000 stalls selling produce, seafood, and meat with 10,000 customers and workers visiting daily, according to Xinhua. This led to the massive effort to test market workers, customers, and even residents of nearby neighborhoods.

Authorities have reported that a number of surfaces in the market tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, including a cutting board in a booth handling imported salmona finding that has drawn lots of attention in the local media. There is no evidence coronaviruses infect fish, but one hypothesis is that infected workers in Europe contaminated the fish or its packaging during processing. Genomic sequencing shows the viral variant behind the new outbreak is related to strains China has found in people returning from Europe, according to a China Daily report that quotes Yang Peng, an official with the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control. In addition to seafood, Yang suggested imported meat as a possible source. But he acknowledged that a market employee or visitor may have picked up the virus elsewhere and simply spread it to other people at the market. Where exactly the virus came from is still uncertain,Yang said.

Dirk Pfeiffer, a veterinary epidemiologist at the City University of Hong Kong, doubts the virus arrived at the market in fish: I think it is much more likely, and therefore plausible, that it was brought to the market by infected humans.If the contaminated seafood hypothesis is true, other places handling European salmon should have seen outbreaks, adds epidemiologist Keiji Fukuda of the University of Hong Kong. The genomic sequence, which has not been made public yet, could offer more clues, he says.

Six months ago, many of the earliest COVID-19 cases were linked to another market, the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China. Such markets host dozens to hundreds of independent operators offering a range of meat, seafood, and produce, and sometimes live wild game. Many scientists believe SARS-CoV-2 likely originated in bats and may have passed through an intermediate host before jumping to humansperhaps at the Wuhan market.

But Pfeiffer says the meat and live animals sold at the markets may not be the only reason viruses spread there. The sheer volume of people passing through and working in the markets and the suboptimal hygienic conditions inherently represent an increased risk for amplification of virus.The humid, chilled air at markets may provide an environment in which viruses thrive.

The virus return to Beijing is another cautionary tale to not take anything about COVID for granted,Fukuda says. With the vast majority of the world population susceptible to infection and the virus still circulating, it is possible for any country, including [those] that have made major efforts to reduce transmission, to experience an outbreakhe says.

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Source of Beijing's big new COVID-19 outbreak is still a mystery - Science Magazine

Is Trump Trying to Spread Covid-19? – The New York Times

The data are now overwhelming, from here in the U.S. and all around the world, that this infection is a grave threat to the elderly and chronically ill, but generally mild for younger, generally healthy people, said Katz in an interview.

Its also clear that many of the worried projections about social determinants of health and the consequences of mass unemployment are confirmed. We have, indeed, seen rising rates of addiction, domestic violence and mental duress.

We also know much more now, Katz continued, about the risks of exposure. This virus is not transmitted all that easily. Many people with transient, ordinary exposures dont get infected because of low exposure dose, partial resistance to this pathogen, or both.

All of this provides actionable intelligence, Katz argued. We can and must do a far better job of protecting the frail and elderly, especially in nursing homes, and all of those with serious chronic disease, he said. Then the rest of us can go about our business, but with policies in place to regulate any interactions we might have with higher-risk people, so we protect them, and with reasonable precautions for our own sakes, like wearing masks, practicing social distancing and avoiding crowded indoor settings, that limit exposure to high doses of coronavirus and our ability to pass it along.

We also can see now with cases spiking in locations around the country that did not experience an early wave of infection and are now opening up haphazardly how right it was to warn about the dangers of just flattening the curve without a risk-stratification strategy, added Katz. A flattened curve delays cases, it does not prevent them, because no immunity has been developed.

To get back to normalcy requires widespread immunity to the coronavirus, which happens in only two ways.

One is a vaccine that is safe, effective, mass produced and universally distributed. That would be the best solution, and God willing, a vaccine will come in the fall and everyone can get back to work safely in subsequent months. But it may not, and we cant just keep the economy on hold.

Excerpt from:

Is Trump Trying to Spread Covid-19? - The New York Times

Covid-19 Is Bad. But It May Not Be the Big One – WIRED

Along with scientists, many others, including legislators, former health agency leaders, and members of past investigatory commissions, are now saying that well need something similar to make sense of the Covid-19 pandemic. At least five proposals to launch an inquiry have been circulated in the House of Representatives, according to an analysis by the Congressional Research Service.

Given the colossal catastrophe we've experienced, there needs to be something of that ilk as a way of pulling the country together and laying down in a very clear way what happens next, says J. Stephen Morrison, director of the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, DC, think tank. It needs to be done with investigative authority, and it's going to require exceptional leadership and speed.

We shouldnt think that, once we get to a vaccinewhenever that isand once were able to arrest this virus, that well be able to rest easy, Morrison continues. We are in a new era of more frequent, higher-impact, higher-velocity zoonotic threats.

The first task of any coronavirus equivalent of the 9/11 Commission would be simply to establish one narrative of the pandemic, because Americans have experienced its effects so differently depending on where they live. (New York, the hardest-hit state, has had more than 388,000 cases; Montana, with slightly more than 600 cases, has suffered least.) But just as with the World Trade Center attacks, examining how the US failed this year will require acknowledging the multiple ignored warnings, some from the federal government and others from academic research, that an overwhelming pandemic was on the way. (Within Morrisons CSIS, the Commission on Strengthening Americas Health Security predicted last November: The United States remains woefully ill-prepared to respond to global health security threats.)

But another part of the examination of 9/11 involved creating new structures in the government to stand up defenses against future attacks, such as the Department of Homeland Security. The already evident needs for preventing another pandemic catastrophe include shoring up deep stockpiles of supplies such as medications and personal protective equipment. Covid-19 might lead also to new federal initiatives or federal funding of academic initiatives. Last week, for instance, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, which in September 2019 wrote one of the reports predicting a coming pandemic, proposed that Congress create a national center for epidemic forecasting, a disease-prediction agency modeled on the federal entities that warn Americans against catastrophic weather in time to protect themselves.

The way this epidemic has gone has been the US government reaching out in an ad hoc way to modelers, who are mostly in universities or in the private sector, and getting them to answer questions on the fly, says Tom Ingelsby, the centers director and an infectious disease physician. We would never accept that for predicting hurricanes.

At the same time that they made that proposal, the Hopkins researchers also presented Congress with a plan for a $1.5 billion program, shared across multiple federal agencies, that could rapidly produce antivirals, vaccines, and diagnostic tests when theyre needed. That price tag indicates what one of the struggles of learning from Covid-19 is going to be: deciding how much money the country is willing to commit in advance to protect against threats whose arrival is unpredictable.

Its attitudes toward spending, after all, that helped turn the US Covid-19 response into a catastrophe. That includes both federal cutstake the National Security Council disbanding its global health security team and the White House slashing the CDCs budgetand private sector decisions, such as corporations offshoring mask manufacturing in order to reduce their labor costs.

Read all of our coronavirus coverage here.

Perplexingly, theres another facet of homeland security for which the US has no difficulty organizing long-term spending. The Department of Defense forecasts its weapons needs and designsand procures its jets and transport vehiclesover decades. It commits federal money years in advance of deploying anything it buys.

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Covid-19 Is Bad. But It May Not Be the Big One - WIRED

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Warns of Newly Discovered Potential Drug Interaction That May Reduce Effectiveness of a COVID-19 Treatment…

For Immediate Release: June 15, 2020

Espaol

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning health care providers about a newly discovered potential drug interaction related to the investigational antiviral drug remdesivir, which has received emergency use authorization for the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with severe disease.

Based on a recently completed non-clinical laboratory study, the FDA is revising the fact sheet for health care providers that accompanies the drug to state that co-administration of remdesivir and chloroquine phosphate or hydroxychloroquine sulfate is not recommended as it may result in reduced antiviral activity of remdesivir. The agency is not aware of instances of this reduced activity occurring in the clinical setting but is continuing to evaluate all data related to remdesivir.

In addition, the FDA revised the fact sheet for health care providers to clarify dosing and administration recommendations and to provide additional safety data and supporting data from clinical trials conducted by both the National Institutes of Health and the drug sponsor, Gilead Sciences Inc. The fact sheet for patients and caregivers was also updated to include additional information about possible allergic reactions and to alert patients to tell their healthcare providers if they are taking chloroquine phosphate or hydroxychloroquine sulfate.

Over the course of this unprecedented pandemic, the FDA has issued emergency use authorizations for a variety of medical products after evaluating the available scientific evidence and carefully balancing any known or potential risks against the benefits of making these products available during the current public health emergency. We understand that, as we learn more about these products, changes may be necessary based on new data such as todays updates for health care providers about a potential drug interaction and other important information about using remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients, said Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., acting director of the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. As we have done throughout the pandemic, the FDA continues to evaluate all of the emergency use authorizations issued and their related materials and will continue to make changes as appropriate based on emerging science and data.

Following an evaluation of the emergency use authorization criteria and the scientific evidence available, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) in May 2020 allowing for remdesivir to be distributed in the U.S. and to be administered intravenously by health care providers, as appropriate, to treat suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients hospitalized with severe disease. The safety and efficacy of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 continue to be evaluated, and preliminary clinical trial results have shown that on average, patients treated with remdesivir had more rapid time to recovery.

The EUA requires that fact sheets about using remdesivir in treating COVID-19 be made available to health care providers and to patients and caregivers. These fact sheets include information on possible side effects such as: increased levels of liver enzymes, which may be a sign of inflammation or damage to cells in the liver; and allergic reactions, which may include low blood pressure, high heart rate, low heart rate, shortness of breath, wheezing, angioedema (for example, lip or tongue swelling), difficulty swallowing, rash, nausea, vomiting, sweating, shivering and respiratory distress.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

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06/15/2020

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Warns of Newly Discovered Potential Drug Interaction That May Reduce Effectiveness of a COVID-19 Treatment...

Risk of COVID-19 exposure ‘higher than ever,’ as Utah reports 407 new cases and four deaths – Salt Lake Tribune

Editors note: The Salt Lake Tribune is providing free access to critical stories about the coronavirus. Sign up for our Top Stories newsletter, sent to your inbox every weekday morning. To support journalism like this, please donate or become a subscriber.

As Gov. Gary Herbert and leaders of the Utah Legislature touted plans to reopen the states economy past the coronavirus pandemic, new data from public health officials Wednesday served as a reminder that the virus isnt finished with Utah.

Utah had the third largest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases Wednesday, with another 407 Utahns confirmed to have contracted the virus and another four Utahns dying from it, the Utah Department of Health announced Wednesday.

The risk of exposure to COVID-19 is higher than ever in Utah, said Dr. Angela Dunn, the states epidemiologist, in a news conference. She urged people to continue to practice social distancing, frequent and proper hand-washing, using hand sanitizer and wearing masks.

Three of the new fatalities were in Salt Lake County, and were people between the ages of 60 and 85, Dunn said. One, a man, was in a long-term care facility, the other two a man and a woman were hospitalized at the time of their deaths. The fourth person who died was a man, between the ages of 18 and 60, who lived in Garfield County, and was hospitalized.

Those four people bring the states death toll from COVID-19 to 149. Dunn said UDOH follows national guidelines to determine whether a persons death is attributable to COVID-19, rather than other factors. The rule of thumb, she said, is whether that individual, if not for COVID-19, would not have died.

When asked if Utah has flattened the curve in COVID-19 cases, Dunn said, unfortunately, we have not hit that plateau. Utah has confirmed more than 200 cases per day for the last 21 days; before that streak, the state had topped 200 a day just once since the pandemic began.

The new cases reported Wednesday bring the states overall case count to 15,344.

Herbert used Wednesdays news conference to unveil volume 4 of the Utah Leads Together economic plan, much of which will be voted on in Thursdays legislative special session. He said public health officials had expected a rise in COVID-19 cases because of more abundant association, of people seeing more of each other, during the states gradual reopening.

Infection rates are not the only criteria to watch, Herbert added, noting that the number of hospitalizations and the mortality rate are also key indicators.

The state reported 29 more people hospitalized with COVID-19 since the previous days report. As of Wednesday, Dunn said, 147 patients still are in the hospital. The total number of hospitalizations since March is 1,102.

Labs in Utah have processed tests for another 2,992 people in a day, with the days rate of positive cases at 13.6%. The total number of Utahns tested since the pandemic began now sits at 278,692.

Dunn said the state is not using the COVID-19 antibody test produced by Chembio, which was recently used at drive-up testing stations in Draper, Riverton, Bluffdale and Vineyard. Local governments had secured the Chembio tests through newly registered company RapidScreen Solutions but the Food and Drug Administration revoked certification of the test Tuesday, citing problems with its accuracy.

RapidScreen Solutions screened 3,430 people from 63 Utah cities over seven days, and found 406 people (11.8%) who tested positive for one or both antibodies, a statement from the city of Draper said. Of the positive results, the city said, 47.4% reported no history of COVID-19 symptoms.

Salt Lake County continues to be particularly hard hit by COVID-19, according to Wednesdays numbers. In addition to three deaths, the states most populous county had 16 new hospitalizations and 193 new cases.

And demographic figures show Utahs minority communities suffering disproportionately from COVID-19. Just over two out of every 1,000 Caucasians have contracted the virus, compared with 14.5 out of every 1,000 Hispanic and Latino people in Utah, 12 out of every 1,000 Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, just over 7 out of every 1,000 African Americans, and 6.4 out of every 1,000 American Indian or Alaska native.

One example of that disparity is the outbreak at the JBS Beef Plant in Hyrum, where many of the employees are refugees and migrants and 287 of the nearly 1,400 employees who were tested for COVID-19 came back with a positive result. Dunn said the outbreak in Hyrum has made the leap from plant employees to the community at large. It is kind of a larger-scale response up there, she said.

We know this virus doesnt treat everyone the same, said Sen. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and president of the Utah Senate. Adams added that the economic plan the lawmakers will discuss Thursday is a way that we can open the economy and still protect the medically frail.

Herbert said the economic plan carries the simultaneous goal of saving peoples lives and protecting peoples livelihoods. He added, its a false choice to say we can only do one and not the other.

Adams expressed concern about the number of medical fatalities in the state, outside of COVID-19. Perhaps some people are hesitating getting preventive medical care, Adams said, adding that hospital visits are down, but the severity of those visits are up.

Herbert and other officials urged Utahns to continue to take personal responsibility to protect themselves and their communities.

For those who care about their neighbors, wear a mask, Herbert said. He cited a Salt Lake Tribune/Suffolk University poll, published early this week, that found 73% of likely voters in the upcoming Republican primary see wearing a mask as a sign of respect.

However, Utah is not considering stricter rules to enforce mask-wearing, Dunn said; officials instead are expecting people to do the right thing.

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Risk of COVID-19 exposure 'higher than ever,' as Utah reports 407 new cases and four deaths - Salt Lake Tribune

Gov. Beshear addresses protest shooting investigation, gives COVID-19 update – WSAZ-TV

FRANKFORT, Ky (WSAZ) -- Gov. Beshear gave an update Tuesday regarding the deadly shooting that occurred during a weekend protest as well as the latest on Kentuckys COVID-19 response.

Gov. Beshear announced 155 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the states total to 10,185.

Three new deaths were reported overnight in Kentucky. 442 Kentuckians have now passed away from COVID-19 complications.

Gov. Beshear says 253,585 have now received a coronavirus test.

3,275 have recovered from the virus in the commonwealth.

Regarding the deadly protest shooing that involved police officers and the National Guard, Gov. Beshear says he told the team investigating the death of David McAtee to be fast and thorough.

According to Cabinet Secretary J. Michael Brown, the autopsy report seems to indicate that McAtee died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Thirteen people were interviewed at the house, following the shooting. Officials say seven weapons were recovered by police at the home.

Video from interior and exterior cameras have been obtained from that location, Brown says.

All the weapons involved by police and the national guard were inventoried and Brown says they believe a total of 18 shots were fired by officials that evening.

Brown says the goal is to get all the facts, get them quickly and be able to present, as much as possible, a clear determination of what happened shortly after midnight on June 1.

The Governor said: Our commitment is the truth, no matter what that truth is good, bad, ugly our commitment is the truth. Thats what the people of Kentucky deserve. Thats what the families involved in this deserve. And thats what were going to ensure happens.

For more information about the deadly shooting: click here

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Gov. Beshear addresses protest shooting investigation, gives COVID-19 update - WSAZ-TV

The challenges of containing the spread of COVID-19 in jail for both inmates and staff – KELOLAND.com

Currently there are five cases of Minnehaha County Jail inmates with COVID-19, but there have been as many as six with the virus.

Once you add COVID-19 into the mix, those folks are still coming and going from jail and we still have very little control over whether or not theyre coming, Minnehaha County Sheriff Chief Deputy, Jeff Gromer, said.

Police officers screen people for COVID-19 before bringing them to jail. Those newly admitted are kept isolated in groups.

Once they get moved to housing, we move them to a particular housing unit thats been designated for new arrivals. We try to keep them in there for 14 days until we can determine theyre not going to have symptoms, or they do develop symptoms and obviously we are going to have to move them somewhere else, Gromer said.

Even with those measures, there are new cases.

Its one of those things that makes it so confusing and difficult, is that youll have a housing unit that has been fairly well isolated and all of a sudden, somebody will crop up with symptoms and its like, seriously, where did that come from? Gromer said.

Despite wearing PPE, eight of the jail staff have also tested positive. Some have since recovered.

Staff has to come and go every day. Staff has the same exposure as everyone else, every day, Gromer said.

The jail is not on lockdown, but the time that inmates are out of their cells has been reduced.

Once one group goes out and they shower and make phone calls and that kind of thing, and go back into their cellthey have to clean and sanitize that before they let the next group out. Its just a lot of work and it eats up a lot of the time of the day; which then is less time we can allow inmates to be out in that day area, Gromer said.

And that can lead to more unrest behind bars.

The jail environment is stressful under normal circumstances. Its more stressful for everybody involved now.

Gromer says the new Minnehaha County jail, which is set to open in July, will help ease a little of that stress with additional space.

The Minnehaha County Jail had to hospitalize one inmate with COVID-19 symptoms. He was released on a PR bond before being admitted to the hospital.

See more here:

The challenges of containing the spread of COVID-19 in jail for both inmates and staff - KELOLAND.com

People Are Avoiding The Doctor Due To COVID-19 Fears – Honolulu Civil Beat

Fear of contracting the new coronavirus is causing people across Hawaii to delay medical procedures, skip doctor visits and avoid hospitals.

Mia Taylor, director of community and post-acute care services for the Queens Health Systems, said a concerning number of patients are canceling or postponing preventative care procedures, such as physical exams, mammograms and colonoscopies.

People are also taking serious risks by neglecting important features of chronic disease management like eye exams, echocardiography and diabetic foot exams.

Were super worried about this because we just feel like it could be the next pandemic or tsunami, if you will, of people who have put aside some of these very important evaluations, Taylor said. As a result we feel like we may see this big uptick in complications associated with chronic disease.

Emergency room visits are down by about half across the state, in part because people are putting off treatment for medical emergencies due to fears of contracting COVID-19.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Many facilities halted non-emergency procedures when the virus invaded Hawaii in March. This month, with fewer new COVID-19 cases confirmed daily, many hospitals across the state are starting to bring them back.

But health care workers say some patients are continuing to defer medical care.

Hospital executives say the revenue usually generated by these non-emergency services has dipped significantly. And with some patients still too leery of the virus to visit a medical facility, its unclear when this revenue shortfall will recover.

Were doing a big radio, TV, and newspaper ad campaign announcing that we are open for business, Taylor said. This hospital is cleaner now than its ever been just with all the new CDC guidance, and we are doing everything we can to keep patients and staff safe.

Health care providers are concerned that patients may be taking serious, potentially life-threatening risks by delaying treatment and preventative care.

In one case, Taylor said a patient who refused to seek medical care outside his home called his physician because he wasnt feeling well and thought he might have a urinary tract infection. The physician prescribed antibiotics.

Later on, a worried family member called the physician to say that the patient still seemed very ill but could not be convinced to go to the emergency room.

A nurse was sent to the patients home and ended up having to call 911. The patient had a potentially life-threatening infection.

The primary care doctor felt very strongly that had we not intervened when we did the patient would have died, Taylor said.

Emergency room visits are also down statewide, with Maui Memorial Medical Center reporting a 50% drop in ER visits in April and so far in May when compared to the same period last year.

The Maui hospital was the site of the states largest COVID-19 cluster outbreak, which state health regulators say is now considered closed. All told, 38 health care workers and 14 patients were infected in the cluster.

The outbreak raised public safety concerns after staff interviewed by Civil Beat said the hospital was slow to require health care workers to wear personal protective equipment and also told some staff not to wear it.

An investigation by state health officials concluded that the outbreak appears to have been started by a hospital staff member who was allowed to work while feeling sick.

Maui Memorial, where a coronavirus cluster outbreak prompted public safety concerns, reported a 50% drop in ER visits in April and so far in May.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Health officials say plummeting ER traffic across Hawaii is partly owed to the fact there have been fewer accidents and injuries while many people have been sequestered at home. But they acknowledge that other patients are ignoring even severe mental health and medical symptoms because they are frightened to enter a hospital or doctors office.

ER traffic is also down by about half at Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital and Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital, where Dr. Travis Parker, the emergency room medical director, said some people are staying away from the ER out of a sense of duty.

I see a lot of people who come in with emergency-worthy symptoms and they apologize, Oh Im sorry Im here taking up your time, because they perceive that we are so busy dealing with COVID, Parker said. They think theyre doing their part by not coming in.

Dr. Laura DeVilbiss, medical director at Kokua Kalihi Valley, said one of her patients didnt want to come into the clinic so she met her virtually with telemedicine for a follow-up appointment. The patient was doing fine at the time, DeVilbiss said.

But later in the day the patient developed symptoms consistent with a heart attack.

When she knew she was having a heart attack, she went right to the ER, DeVilbiss said. I think people are going when they really, really need to, at least thats what were hoping.

People who rely on public transportation have also been resistant to coming into the clinic, she said, because they didnt want to get on a bus especially in March and April when the risk of exposure to the virus was higher than it is now.

Dr. Annie Nguyen, a psychiatrist in Kailua, said she has seen an uptick in patients who are adamantly refusing to seek urgent medical care.

When she cant convince them to go to the hospital, she tries to persuade them to visit their primary care provider. When all else fails, she urges them to at least see a doctor through telemedicine.

I try to stay in my scope because I cant tell if someone has a broken foot, Nguyen said. But its obvious if someone cant breathe or theyve got a bone sticking out or theyre bleeding profusely that they need to get to the ER right away and getting people to go during the pandemic is sometimes a struggle.

By contrast, doctors say hospital admissions for psychiatric problems are up at some Hawaii facilities as the economy unravels and many feel isolated by public health restrictions.

Yet at the same time, some people in the throes of a mental health crisis, including those who are suicidal or who have overdosed, are showing a reluctance to seek emergency care due to COVID-19 fears.

Dr. Tanya Gamby, a psychologist on Kauai, said three of her patients who are suicidal have refused to go to the emergency room since mid-March.

One of those patients, she said, was in urgent need of emergency medical attention. Gamby said she ended up having to call the police, who showed up and insisted that this person go to the ER.

It was definitely scary as a mental health professional knowing our procedures were not really working because nobody wanted to go to the hospital and I wasnt really wanting to send anyone there either, Gamby said. It felt like I had a double crisis on my hands.

The other two patients who refused to go to the ER were not in active crisis, Gamby said. Out of concern, she said she provided them with extra therapy and more frequent check-ins.

Dr. Adrianna Flavin, a psychologist on Maui, said some of her suicidal patients have similarly expressed an unwillingness to go to the ER until the risk of contracting COVID-19 subsides.

There was at least one person over the last two months where Ive said to them, If you are suicidal and you do develop a plan, I want to strongly encourage you to go to the hospital. It will be really important, and they said, Oh, absolutely not, Flavin said.

They wont do it and they were telling me that upfront. And it was only because of the virus that they wouldnt go.

In many cases, theres no suitable stand-in for in-person medical treatment.

But telemedicine can sometimes be a useful substitute for patients who need to see a doctor and are unwilling or unable to leave their homes.

However, not everyone has access to the technology that telemedicine requires: a computer, tablet or smartphone and a steady internet connection. Others might have this technology but dont know how to use it.

Mia Taylor, director of community and post-acute care services for the Queens Health Systems, worries that if patients are skipping preventive procedures, they may see a big uptick in complications associated with chronic disease.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Some providers have been visiting patients in their homes during the pandemic to teach them how to use telemedicine. Others have resorted to talking with patients over the telephone.

In some households, tech-savvy children who are home from school are providing their parents and grandparents with readily available tech support.

At Queens Health Systems, a new team is working to figure out how to augment telemedicine with self-monitoring tools like blood pressure cuffs, scales, thermometers and pulse oximeters. For people with chronic conditions, consistent monitoring of these vital signs can be critical.

The medical group recently partnered with the American Heart Association to distribute 80 bluetooth-enabled blood pressure cuffs to chronic disease patients so they can monitor key vital signs and discuss them with a doctor without leaving their home.

Its not ideal obviously for people with chronic conditions, Taylor said. Many of them were used to seeing their doctor every one to two months. But its definitely, I think, a viable surrogate until we can really get patients comfortable coming back in to their providers.

Want more information on COVID-19 in Hawaii? You can read all of Civil Beats coronavirus coverage, find answers to frequently asked questions or sign up for email newsletter updates all for free. And check out pictures of how community groups and volunteers have been helping out in our Community Scrapbook.

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People Are Avoiding The Doctor Due To COVID-19 Fears - Honolulu Civil Beat

Coronavirus daily news updates, June 2: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world – Seattle Times

Editors note: This is a live account of COVID-19 updates from Tuesday,June 2, as the day unfolded. Tofind resources and the latest extended coverage of the pandemic,click here.

As George Floyd protests continue in Seattle and throughout the state, experts and public health officials worry thatthe first large gatherings since the pandemic was declaredcould set back the regions recovery from the novel coronavirus.

In King County, which plans toapply to enter a modified Phase 1 of coronavirus recovery soon, health officials recommend that anyone who attends a group gathering should monitor their health for 14 days afterward. While they encouraged the public to continue staying home whenever possible, several top health officials said they understood the outrage communities of color are feeling and did not ask the public to refrain from attending protests.

Throughout Tuesday, on this page, well post updates from Seattle Times journalists and others on the pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the Pacific Northwest and the world. Updates from Monday can be found here, and all our coronavirus coverage can be found here.

The following graphic includes the most recent numbers from the Washington State Department of Health, released Tuesday.

Before the pandemic, Trevor Bedford was best known in a small circle of bioinformatics specialists who use rapid genomic analysis to monitor pathogens like the Ebola virus as they evolve and spread.

Bedford and his colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the virus-tracking project called Nextstrain were perfectly positioned to serve as a kind of central, scientific command when the novel coronavirus emerged, documenting the tendrils of contagion that followed air and transit corridors, and noting every mutation and genetic quirk along the way.

What had been a little-known field where computer technology and genetics intersected was suddenly a matter of global urgency.

BedfordsTwitter feed, which now has nearly 250,000 followers, has become a must-read for infectious disease experts and armchair epidemiologists. Health officials turn to the computational biologist and his colleagues for insight and analysis. When genetic sequencing of the first two cases in Washington state suggested the virus had been spreading silently through the community for six weeks and was poised for exponential growth, Bedford sounded the alarm Feb. 29 via a long Twitter thread spelling out his reasoning and helped galvanize the public health response.

Read the full story here.

Sandi Doughton

A Seattle-based factory trawler cut short its fishing season off the Washington coast after 85 of 126 crew tested positive for COVID-19 in screening results obtained Saturday,according to a statement released by vessel operator American Seafoods.

The test results for the FV American Dynasty are a somber finding for the North Pacific fishing industry, which has been trying to keep the novel coronavirus off the ships and out of the shore-based plants that produce much of the nations seafood.

The outbreak also underscores the toll coronavirus continues to take on the food processing industry across the nation. In Washington state, outbreaks in meat plants, fruit and vegetable fields and packing facilities prompted Gov. Jay Inslee to order new protections for agricultural and food processing workers.

Only if there were no signs that they were actively infected or contagious were they cleared to board their vessel, American Seafoods chief executive Mikel Durham said in a written statement.

Somehow, the virus still found its way on board.

Read the full story here.

Hal Bernton

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted Americas adversarial system of justice like nothing before it, chipping away at the bedrock guarantee of American jurisprudence the right to a trial by jury.

There has not been a jury trial in Western Washington perhaps in the entire state since early March. While the wheels of justice still turn some hearings are still held, arraignments and pleas are taken for the most part they are spinning in place.

The federal courthouses in Seattle and Tacoma have been shuttered by judicial order: Pretrial proceedings are done either by video, telephone or postponed. In the busier state courts, where locking the doors hasnt been an option, the daily docket call looks very different than it did just four months ago.

Some worrythat, as the weeks and cases pile up, the pandemic-caused delays threaten to turnone of our most revered legal maxims into something more like an accusation: Justice delayed is justice denied.In many cases despite efforts to ease jail populations there are citizens accused of crimes, innocent until proven guilty, who wait in custody, unsure when their case will ever be heard.

Read the full story here.

Mike Carter and Sara Jean Green

For months, researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar, a prestigious biomedical research center in Senegal, have been working to produce a low-cost, rapid, at-home test for the coronavirus the kind that countries across Africa and elsewhere have been most eager to have.

Now the coronavirus has infected a cluster of staff members at the institute, one of whom has died, according to its director, Dr. Amadou Sall. He did not say how many workers had tested positive, but local media reports said it was five.

People they have been in contact with have been isolated and the work is continuing, according to Cheikh Tidiane Diagne, a researcher at the lab.

The centers work has been crucial in efforts to contain the spread of the virus in West Africa: In the early stages of the outbreak, it trained laboratory staff from more than a dozen countries in how to test for the virus.

The New York Times

Members of the state education departments new 123-member work group, which recently formed to study school reopening options, met virtually on Tuesday to begin mapping out everything from transportation to school lunch in a world transformed by the novel coronavirus.

The work group is studying scenarios intended to help districts improve how theyll function next school year. When Gov. Jay Inslee closed school buildings statewide in mid-March, school districts worked independently to devise remote learning plans. But distance learning ended up uneven across the state. Families of students in special education say children arent getting services theyre legally entitled to. Homeless students and those from low-income homes are going without basic needs, such as hot meals and mental health support. Young children need extra help from parents to stay on task.

On Tuesday, much of the conversation centered on how reopening plans could best serve these children.

For example, the work group is studying a strategy that would rotate students through school buildings a few days a week. Under this scenario, work group members suggested, children who need extra support could come to school more often than their peers.

Another idea: In-person learning could be phased in, with the youngest learners, and those with extra needs, welcomed back first.

Read the full story here.

Hannah Furfaro

Of all the beats covered by The Chicago Tribune, perhaps none has a higher profile than the Cook County courthouse, the scene of real-life dramas like the trial of mob boss Al Capone and TV shows like The Good Wife and Hill Street Blues.

With 36 felony courtrooms, it is one of the nations busiest courthouses, brags The Tribune in its web bio of criminal courts reporter Megan Crepeau. She cranks out a story every day during a big trial, sometimes three if there is breaking news on other cases.

But this spring and summer, Tribune readers get no Crepeau for one week every month.She is one of dozens of Tribune employees intermittently idled to help the newspapers owners cut costs to stay solvent during the advertising drop-off caused by the pandemic. Colleagues fill in, but they have multiple responsibilities, which raises the question of who is keeping an eye on the judicial branch of government.

But even before the pandemic which The New York Times calculates has cost 38,000 media workers all or part of their jobs journalisms watchdogs were being pulled off their beats by an internal force: disinvestment.

Read the full column here.

Dean Miller, Seattle Times Free Press editor

Los mircoles, durante una hora y media, en la Escuela Media Franklin del Distrito Escolar Yakima se forma una fila de espera por comida.

Seis filas de automviles se forman en el estacionamiento de la escuela, dijo la directora Sherry Anderson, y la polica local ayuda a dirigir el trfico. En cada vehculo, padres y nios esperan recibir una provisin semanal de alimentos, un sustento en medio de una pandemia que afect a la comunidad industrial y agrcola de Yakima Valley en Washington.

La Escuela Media Franklin es una de las siete que ofrece este servicio en el distrito de 16,400 estudiantes. Yakima distribuy ms comidas que los distritos mucho ms grandes, de acuerdo con una encuesta que el estado hizo asus aproximadamente 300 sistemas escolares durante el cierre.

Laencuesta semanal, que pregunta sobre comidas, cuidado infantil, el aprendizaje remoto y la graduacin, ofrece una pequea ventana hacia la manera cmo Yakima y otros distritos tienen xito y enfrentan los problemas desde que las escuelas cerraron hace seis semanas. Desde que la Oficina del Superintendente de Instruccin Pblica (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, OSPI) cre la encuesta en marzo, entre 69 % y 83 % de los distritos respondieron en una semana.Es una de las nicas formas de rendicin de cuentas del gobierno estatal en los distritos escolares de Washington en este momento, pero no hay consecuencias por no responderla.

Dahlia Bazzaz

Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday extended a statewide eviction moratorium, intended to shield renters who have lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic from losing their homes.

The moratorium, which Inslee first issued in March and had extended once, had been scheduled to expire this week. It will now run through Aug. 1.

It prohibits, with limited exceptions, residential evictions and late fees on unpaid rent. It also requires landlords to offer residents a repayment plan, to catch up on unpaid rent.

"It is the intent of this order to prevent a potential new devastating impact of the COVID-19 outbreak," Inslee's proclamation says. "That is, a wave of statewide homelessness that will impact every community in our State."

The new measure also allows rent increases on commercial properties that were agreed upon before Washingtons state of emergency for the virus was first declared Feb. 29.

Read the full story here.

David Gutman and Joseph O'Sullivan

Concerns are mounting about studies in two influential medical journals on drugs used in people with coronavirus, including one that led multiple countries to stop testing a malaria pill.

The New England Journal of Medicine issued an expression of concern Tuesday on a study it published May 1 that suggested widely used blood pressure medicines were not raising the risk of death for people with COVID-19.

The study relied on a database with health records from hundreds of hospitals around the world. Substantive concerns have been raised about the quality of the information, and the journal has asked the authors to provide evidence its reliable, the editors wrote.

The same database by the Chicago company Surgisphere Corp., was used in an observational study of nearly 100,000 patients published in Lancet that tied the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to a higher risk of death in hospitalized patients with the virus. Lancet issued a similar expression of concern about its study on Tuesday, saying it was aware important scientific questions had been raised.

Associated Press

New York City contact tracers hired to contain the spread of the coronavirus reached out to all of the roughly 600 people who tested positive for the virus citywide on Monday, the first day of the program, and succeeded in reaching more than half of them, officials said Tuesday.

On Day 1 of the program, seeking to reach several hundred people and have what could be an hour conversation with each of them was a tall order, Dr. Ted Long, the head of the citys contact tracing program, said at a briefing. Long said the fact that the contact tracers actually got through to more than half of the new cases shows that the system were setting up is working.

The city has hired 1,700 people for its contact tracing effort and needs to reach 2,500 in order to meet Gov. Andrew Cuomos target for entering the first phase of the states four-step reopening process. The contact tracers are placing people infected with the virus in hotel rooms if they need to isolate themselves away from their families as well as reaching out to the close contacts of those who test positive for COVID-19.

Associated Press

State health officials confirmed 180 new COVID-19 cases in Washington on Tuesday, as well as five additional deaths.

The update brings the states totals to 22,157 cases and 1,129 deaths, according the state Department of Healths (DOH)data dashboard. The dashboard reports 3,543 hospitalizations in Washington.

So far, 368,799 tests for the novel coronavirus have been conducted in the state, per DOH. Of those, 6% have come back positive.

King County, the state's most populous, has reported 8,177 positive test results and 570 deaths, one of which was confirmed Tuesday, accounting for 50.5% of the state's death toll.

Michelle Baruchman

Indonesias government has decided not to participate in this years hajj pilgrimage to Mecca because of the coronavirus outbreak, an official said Tuesday.

Indonesian Religious Affair Minister Fachrul Razi said Saudi Arabia has not announced it will open the July hajj pilgrimage to other countries, and it is too late to prepare if it does so now. The government will not send the 2020 hajj pilgrimage, Razi said.

Indonesia, the worlds most populous Muslim nation, normally sends the largest contingent to the pilgrimage to Islams holiest cities, Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. It was expected to send 221,000 pilgrims this year.

Razi said pilgrimages held during past disease outbreaks resulted in tragedies in which tens of thousands of people became victims. In 1814 for example, when the Thaun outbreak occurred, also in 1837 and 1858 there was an epidemic outbreak, cholera outbreak in 1892 and during the meningitis outbreak in 1987, he said.

As of Tuesday, the Indonesian government has confirmed 27,549 COVID-19 cases, including 1,663 deaths.

The Associated Press

Parisians returned to the City of Lights beloved sidewalk cafes as lockdown restrictions eased Tuesday, but health experts expressed deep concerns as several Latin American countries opted to reopen their economies despite a rapid rise in coronavirus cases.

The post-lockdown freedom along Paris cobbled streets will be tempered by social distancing rules for the citys once-densely packed cafe tables. Paris City Hall has authorized outside seating areas only, with indoor seating off-limits until June 22. But the tiny tables will have to be spaced at least 1 meter apart, sharply cutting their numbers.

Its amazing that were finally opening up, but the outside area is just a fraction of the inside space, said Xavier Denamur, the owner of five popular cafes and bistros. Its a start.

But as Parisians reclaimed the rhythm of city life, health experts warned that virus cases are still rising in Latin America, the worlds latest COVID-19 epicenter.

Click here to learn more.

Menelaos Hadjicostis and Thibault Camus, The Associated Press

The National Library of Medicines database at the start of June contains over 17,000 published papers about the new coronavirus. A website called bioRxiv, which hosts studies that have yet to go through peer review, contains over 4,000 papers.

In earlier times, few people aside from scientists would have laid eyes on these papers. Months or years after they were written, theyd wind up in printed journals tucked away on a library shelf. But now the world can surf the rising tide of research on the new coronavirus. The vast majority of papers about it can be read for free online.

But just because scientific papers are easier to get hold of doesnt mean that they are easy to make sense of. Reading them can be a challenge for the layperson, even one with some science education.

Here's howyou should read coronavirus studies, or any science paper.

Carl Zimmer, The New York Times

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Coronavirus daily news updates, June 2: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world - Seattle Times