Coronavirus updates: New US cases hit single-day record; Texas, Florida are closing bars amid surge
June 26, 2020 in News by RBN Staff
![a person sitting at a table with a vase of flowers: In this file photo taken on May 22, 2020, A bartender pours drinks for customers at a bar in Austin, Texas. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered bars to close on June 26, 2020 amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the state. Abbott outlined a series of measures in an executive order aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 in Texas.]({"default":{"load":"default","w":"80","h":"53","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB160wd3.img?h=748&w=1119&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=2151&y=1060"},"dpi":1.4,"size3column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"42","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB160wd3.img?h=584&w=874&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=2151&y=1060"},"size2column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"42","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB160wd3.img?h=584&w=874&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=2151&y=1060"}})
© SERGIO FLORES, AFP via Getty Images In this file photo taken on May 22, 2020, A bartender pours drinks for customers at a bar in Austin, Texas. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered bars to close on June 26, 2020 amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the state. Abbott outlined a series of measures in an executive order aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 in Texas.Coronavirus cases are trending upward in about half of U.S. states, and several have reported record-breaking daily new case counts this week, according to Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. reported 39,972 daily cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, a new daily record, according to Johns Hopkins. Bing COVID-19 tracker: Latest numbers by country and stateBut the actual number of infections is likely 10 times the number of reported cases, said Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Thursday. That means officials estimate that 20 million Americans, or 6% of the nation’s 331 million people, have actually been infected, meaning the vast majority of the population remains susceptible.Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
Here are the most significant developments of the day:
- One day after pausing additional efforts to reopen Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday announced another round of restrictions, including closing bars and limiting restaurant occupancy. And in Florida, bars on Friday were prohibited from allowing alcohol consumption.
- The Coronavirus Task Force will have its first public meeting in almost two months at the Department of Health and Human Services. It will be led by task force head Vice President Mike Pence, the White House announced Thursday night.
- The Trump administration on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act, the same day the government reported that nearly half a million people lost their health insurance during the economic shutdown to slow the spread of COVID-19. If the court agrees with the administration, some 20 million Americans could lose their health coverage and protections for people with preexisting health conditions also would be put at risk.
- Breaking from earlier guidance, the CDC said Thursday that pregnant women may be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant women.
- Joe Biden said Thursday that if he becomes president, he “would do everything possible to make it required that people had to wear masks in public.”
- Last week, 1.48 million workers filed first time claims for unemployment insurance, the Labor Department said Thursday. That latest round of applications means a staggering 47.1 million Americans have made initial jobless benefits claims in just 14 weeks.
📈Today’s stats: Worldwide infections have surpassed 9.6 million, with more than 2.4 million in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 489,000 people have died worldwide, with more than 124,000 deaths in the U.S.
📰 What we’re reading: As states struggle to manage rising COVID-19 cases, the next two weeks are “critical” for coronavirus spread, Dr. Anthony Fauci says. We explain why.
Our live blog will be updated throughout the day. For first-in-the-morning updates, sign up for The Daily Briefing.
Florida bars must stop serving alcohol as state sees almost 9,000 daily cases
Florida is ordering bars to stop serving alcohol effective immediately.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation this morning announced on Twitter that it was suspending on premises consumption of alcohol at bars statewide.
Jonas Marquez, a spokesperson in the governor’s office, confirmed the news to USA TODAY.
The news comes as the state Friday smashed the daily record for new COVID-19 cases with 8,942 reported. That’s a 62% increase over the previous record of 5,508 reported Wednesday.
– Dave Osborn, Naples Daily News
