(Bloomberg) — Florida and Texas reported record numbers of virus deaths. Brazil surpassed 2 million cases as the virus spreads in the country’s poorer, remote areas.
The Republican presidential convention scheduled to take place in Jacksonville, Florida, will be scaled back. Colorado and Arkansas became the latest U.S. states to require masks. New York banned walk-up bar service as part of stricter penalties on bars and restaurants.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said many states reopened too quickly and called for “a time out.” The U.K. accused Russian state intelligence of trying to steal vaccine research.
Key Developments:
Global Tracker: Cases top 13.7 million; deaths near 588,000Childhood Covid-19 infections mount with schools eyeing openingsCovid cold war flares up with claims of Russian vaccine attackFewer Covid ICU deaths suggest care is improvingNew York launches national ad campaign to promote mask wearing
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Japan Suspends Bids for Program to Support Restaurants: Jiji (7:54 a.m. HK)
Japan’s agriculture ministry has decided to suspend bids seeking contractors for its “Go To Eat” campaign aimed at supporting eating establishments hit by the coronavirus outbreak, Jiji reports without attribution.
“It would make a bad impression if bids were started under the current circumstances,” Jiji quotes an unidentified government official as saying.
A separate “Go To” travel campaign to help ailing tourism industry came under fire out of concerns it would fuel the spread of infections. Japan’s government decided to exclude Tokyo, where infections are again surging, from the nationwide program.
Netflix Warns on U.S. Locations (6:20 a.m. HK)
Netflix Inc. said that while the company has resumed making shows in Asia and Europe, “current infection trends create more uncertainty for our productions in the U.S.” Other parts of the world such as India and some of Latin America “are also more challenging and we are hoping to restart later in the year in these regions,” Netflix said in a shareholder letter.
The company warned that “growth is slowing as consumers get through the initial shock of Covid and social restrictions.” Netflix shares plunged after its subscriber forecast missed estimates.
Fauci Calls for ‘Time Out’ on Reopening (5:54 p.m. NY)
Anthony Fauci said many states rushed too quickly to reopen without bringing the virus adequately under control, leading to the resurgence in states across the U.S. south and west.
“We’ve got to regroup, call a time out,” Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, said live in an interview with Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg said he was disappointed in the U.S. government’s response to the coronavirus, in particular in the undermining of advice from scientists about public-health measures like mask-wearing and failures of mass testing.“It’s really disappointing that we don’t have adequate testing, that the credibility of top scientists and the CDC are being questioned,” Zuckerberg said in the live interview on his Facebook page.
Fauci also told Zuckerberg that he expects results for a clinical trial on monoclonal antibodies by late summer or early fall.
Washington State Pauses Reopening (5:50 p.m. NY)
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee further curbed the state’s reopening, limiting social gatherings to 10 people in counties returning to normal business because of the rise in virus cases.
“Unless something changes we will have to make more decisions that are difficult,” Inslee, a Democrat, told reporters. “So we hope everyone bears down right now.”
On Tuesday, Inslee paused any new reopening for at least two weeks. The limits on social gatherings do not apply to weddings, funerals or religious services. The state’s department of health reports 43,046 cases and 1,421 deaths.
Brazil Tops 2 Million Cases (5:35 p.m. NY)
Latin America’s biggest economy reported 45,403 new cases of Covid-19 in a 24-hour period, pushing the number of infections to more than 2 million. The death toll rose by 1,322 to 76,688. Brazil trails only the U.S. on both counts.
Brazil has added 1 million cases in less than a month in a rapidly shifting outbreak. Wile official numbers have stabilized in places such as Sao Paulo, the richest state, the disease is spreading fast elsewhere. The World Health Organization has said that Brazil’s outbreak may not peak until August.
Texas Reports Record Deaths, Soaring Infections (5:07 p.m. NY)
Texas posted its worst day of Covid-19 fatalities and recorded more than 10,000 new cases for a third straight day. The death toll rose by 129, breaking the record of 110 set on Wednesday, according to state health department data.
The tally of new cases is closing in on the 300,000 mark. Governor Greg Abbott warned delegates at the state Republican convention that the worsening outbreak is leaving him with few options aside from shutting down the second-most populous U.S. state.
Officials across Texas are mobilizing overflow mortuary space as communities anticipate a surge in coronavirus deaths following Fourth of July festivities. The U.S. South and Southwest are contending with explosive outbreaks after relaxing controls.
CDC Extends Cruise-Ship Ban Through September (4:35 p.m. NY)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended its “no-sail order” for cruise ships through the end of September, preventing vessels from sailing in U.S. waters out of concern over the Covid-19 pandemic.
The move probably won’t dramatically change the timeline for the biggest cruise lines in returning to the seas. Last month, industry group Cruise Lines International Association said it would suspend voyages from U.S. ports until Sept. 15.
New Yorkers Urged to Avoid LabCorp, Quest Tests (4:15 p.m. NY)
New York residents should prefer in-state labs for processing coronavirus tests over companies such as Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings and Quest Diagnostics Inc., a state official said.
“While there have been reports of specifically LabCorp and Quest having much longer turnaround times due to the volume they are seeing from Arizona, Florida and other states, if you look at the labs that the state is using, the average lag time for tests that were run yesterday was about one to three days,” said Gareth Rhodes, an aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Almost 70% of tests in New York are processed by local labs, Cuomo told reporters. “The national labs are slowing on their turnaround time, that is a fact,” he said.
U.S. Infections Rise 2.1% (4 p.m. NY)
Coronavirus cases in the U.S. increased 2.1% as compared with the same time Wednesday to 3.54 million, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. The percentage gain was in line with the past’s week’s average of 2%. Deaths rose 0.7% to 137,897.
Florida posted a record 156 new deaths, pushing the total to 4,677. Cases rose 4.6% to 315,775, compared with an average increase of 4.4% in the previous seven days.Arizona reported 3,259 new cases, a 2.5% increase to 134,613 that was below the prior seven-day average of 2.8%. The state reported 58 new virus deaths, bringing the total to 2,492.Oklahoma cases rose 7.9% to 23,446, according to the data from Johns Hopkins and Bloomberg News.
Arkansas Issues Mask Mandate (2:47 p.m. NY)
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson orderered people to wear face masks in public, reversing course during a surge in coronavirus cases, the Associated Press reported. The Republican governor had resisted a statewide mask mandate and opposed issuing a stay-at-home order earlier in the pandemic, the wire service said.
Colorado Issues Mask Mandate (2:50 p.m. NY)
Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a statewide mask mandate for public indoor spaces, including stores, for anyone over 11 years old. The order takes effect at midnight, and will last at least 30 days.
“Look, in Colorado, there’s no shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service,” Polis, a Democrat, told reporters. “Very simple.”
Cases have increased by 40% over the last week, the Denver Post reported, and hospitalizations are also rising. The newspaper reports that Colorado has 38,155 cases and 1,601 deaths attributed to the virus.
California Deaths Climb (2:45 p.m. NY)
California reported another 8,544 new coronavirus cases, as the pandemic continued its rebound in the state. Although increased testing — with more than 122,000 people tested Wednesday alone — accounts for some of the rise in cases, deaths from the virus are also climbing. State officials recorded 118 deaths Wednesday, well above the 14-day rolling average of 84. The virus has now claimed 7,345 lives in the state.
In one hopeful sign, the number of Californians hospitalized with Covid-19 dropped by nine patients, after setting fresh records every previous day this week. Statewide, 6,777 people are hospitalized with the disease, including 1,897 people in intensive care.
Covid Depression Hits U.S. Cities (12:40 p.m. NY)
The majority of Americans in the largest metro areas felt down, depressed or hopeless last week, according to Bloomberg calculations from a new U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey, which collects data on how people’s lives have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some of the sunniest cities were the saddest, with high levels of depression reported in Phoenix, Los Angeles and Miami.
Russia Denies Vaccine Hacking (12:35 p.m. NY)
A Russian official denied accusations by the U.S., U.K. and Canada that state intelligence is hacking international research centers working to develop a Covid-19 vaccine.
“This whole story is an attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Russian vaccine by some of the people who are scared of its success,” said Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund, which is involved in research into a vaccine. “Because the Russian vaccine could potentially be the first to the market and it could potentially be the most effective vaccine out there.”
N.Y. Bans Walk-Up Bar Service (12:07 p.m. NY)
Walk-up bar service will be banned statewide in New York as part of additional restrictions and tougher penalties for violations in bars and restaurants, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
The new restrictions apply mostly to New York City: Any establishment that receives three violations will be closed for business, he said. “Egregious” violations can result in an immediately loss of a liquor license.
While New York City is on track to enter Phase 4 of reopening on Monday, there will be no additional indoor activity in the city because of compliance issues, the governor said.
Johnson & Johnson Discussing Vaccine Supply (11:55 a.m. NY)
Johnson & Johnson is in discussions with multiple countries and a charitable foundation to determine how much of its experimental coronavirus vaccine will be needed.
Chief Financial Officer Joseph Wolk said they are in talks with the European Union, Japan and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“We’re still trying to determine the volumes,” he said in an interview.
Florida Reports Record Fatalities (10:40 a.m. NY)
Florida posted a record 156 new Covid-19 deaths among residents, pushing the cumulative total to 4,677, according to a report Thursday.
Florida reported 315,775 Covid-19 cases on Thursday, up 4.6% from a day earlier, compared with an average increase of 4.4% in the previous seven days, according to the report from the state’s Department of Health, which includes data through Wednesday.
The new rate of people testing positive for the first time fell to 12.9% for Wednesday, from 13.6% on Tuesday.
Maryland Governor Criticizes Trump on Testing (10:20 a.m. NY)
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, criticized the Trump administration’s coronavirus response, saying it “bungled” coordinated nationwide testing by leaving it to unprepared states.
“The president was all over the place,” Hogan wrote in the Washington Post. “He avowed, falsely, that ‘anybody’ could get a test, even as my fellow governors were desperately pleading for help on testing. Then he shifted from boasting to blame.”
Florida Outbreak Forces Smaller Republican Convention (10:13 a.m. NY)
The Republican National Committee is scaling back its convention next month in Jacksonville, Florida, as cases of the coronavirus spike in the state and some officials said they would not be going out of concern for their safety.
For the first three days of the event, only party delegates will be allowed to attend. On the final day of the four-day event, when Donald Trump accepts the party’s nomination for president, the RNC will allow delegates, their guests and alternate delegates to attend, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel wrote in a letter Thursday to members.
U.K. Says Russians Are Trying to Steal Vaccine Research (9 a.m. NY)
The U.K. accused Russian state intelligence of hacking international pharmaceutical and academic research in a bid to win the race to secure a vaccine against Covid-19. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said vaccine and therapeutic sectors in multiple countries have been targeted, declining to list the names and number of institutions affected on security grounds.
Britain named the group responsible for the hacking as APT29, saying it is “almost certainly” part of Russian state intelligence. The group also goes by the name of Cozy Bear or The Dukes and has targeted U.K., U.S. and Canadian vaccine research and development organizations.
China’s Sinopharm Begins Mass Testing of Vaccine in UAE (9 a.m. NY)
Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm Group began the first mass trial of a coronavirus vaccine in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence and cloud computing firm G42 will carry out the trial. The company will test 15,000 people as part of the Phase 3 trial, a milestone in the vaccine testing process that is normally followed by mass production, officials said.
Chinese companies have had to look for places with active virus outbreaks to complete the final stage of human testing.
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