Changes in guidelines from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention continue to prompt backlash and confusion from medical experts.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said he was undergoing surgery and was not present at the task force meeting where these guidelines was discussed.
Also the number of new coronavirus cases may be falling in three Western states, but there is no holding back when it comes to testing.
California and Nevada say they are going to increase testing. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a deal that also will lower the costs of tests and lead to faster results. Oregon’s rate of positive coronavirus cases has fallen to the point that it almost meets Gov. Kate Brown’s threshold for reopening schools.
Nationally, economists estimate weekly unemployment claims will slightly dip from the 1.1 million who applied the week before.
A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data show new case records were set in Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and North Dakota, and also Guam. Record numbers of deaths were also reported in Alaska and Arkansas, Guam and Virgin Islands.
Some significant developments:
At the RNC, Vice President Mike Pence said the administration marshaled all its forces against COVID and had a “seamless partnership” with the nation’s governors.
Disneyland says it is ready to reopen as soon as it gets the go-ahead from California.
A stay-at-home order for the island O’ahu went into effect Thursday morning. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell says the order will last for two weeks.
📈 Today’s numbers: The U.S. has more than 5.8 million confirmed infections and nearly 180,000 deaths. Worldwide, there have been more than 826,000 deaths and 24 million cases, according to John Hopkins University data.
📰 What we’re reading: Can employers force their workers to get a COVID-19 vaccination? it’s a prickly subject.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN he was undergoing surgery and wasn’t present at the August 20 task force meeting where controversial updated guidelines were discussed.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated COVID-19 guidelines that now say people without symptoms “do not necessarily need a test” – even if they’ve been exposed to the coronavirus.
“I was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing recommendations,” Fauci said.
This account contradicts statements made by Dr. Brett Giroir, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health, who said during a news conference Wednesday that all top level experts had signed off on the new guidelines, including Fauci.
“I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern,” Fauci told CNN. “In fact it is.”
Researchers say a woman who was evacuated from Italy in March may have been infected by the coronavirus in an airplane bathroom on her flight back to South Korea.
The study comprised of roughly 300 passengers who underwent interviews, physical exams and temperature screenings before they were allowed on the aircraft, according to an early edition of an article scheduled to be published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Six passengers who had shown no symptoms before the flight tested positive for COVID-19 after landing. Eight days later, a 28-year-old woman tested positive after developing a cough, runny nose and sore muscles.
Researchers argued that because she quarantined for three weeks alone at home before the flight and did not use public transportation, it’s unlikely she contracted the virus before traveling.
They also said the woman wore a mask throughout the duration of the flight, except when in the restroom, which led scientists to believe that she must have been infected when using the same bathroom as the asymptomatic passengers.
“This study was one of the earliest to assess asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 on an aircraft,” study authors said. “Contact with contaminated surfaces or infected persons when boarding, moving or disembarking from the aircraft may play a critical role in inflight transmission of infectious diseases.”
LSU’s defense of its college football national championship is off to a rocky start, with just one month before the Tigers open their season. Positive COVID-19 tests or a risk of exposure to infected individuals have sidelined nearly the entire offensive line position group in quarantine, according to a report in the Baton Rouge Advocate.
Citing multiple people, the story by the Advocate said all but four members of the offensive line have either tested positive for the novel coronavirus or are isolating because of high-risk exposure. Players who test positive must isolate for 10 days and must be symptom free for at least 24 hours before returning to practice, according to SEC COVID-19 protocols. Individuals with high-risk exposure must quarantine for 14 days.
California will more than double its coronavirus testing to up to 250,000 people a day, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced. It has a $1.4-billion contract with a Massachusetts company aimed at providing faster results and lower costs. In reporting 6,004 new cases, Newsom tweeted Wednesday that the state continues to see “modest declines” in case counts.
Nevada, too, says the number of new cases has decreased since peaking above 1,400 on July 15. Officials say the decrease is due at least in part to the state’s face-covering mandate and limits on large gatherings. It is also increasing testing in its high-population areas of Reno and Las Vegas.
In Oregon, officials note not only that the case counts are falling, but that the rate of positive tests also has declined. It stands at 5.1%. If it falls to 5%, one of Gov. Kate Brown’s requirements for reopening schools will have been met.
Disneyland is ready to let the magic begin anew. All it needs is a go-ahead from California officials.
The head of Disney’s theme parks said Disneyland is ready to open once California releases its health and safety guidelines for theme parks, a move that’s been hampered by a more full retreat of cases of the coronavirus.
Orange County, where Disneyland resides, was removed on Sunday from a list of counties on California’s monitoring list for coronavirus.
Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has been fully open since July 15, after closing for nearly four months.
Though the number of Americans testing positive for the coronavirus may be ebbing in some cities, the economic damage drags on.
About 1 million workers filed initial applications for unemployment insurance last week, economists estimate, a slight dip from the 1.1 million who applied the week before.
The number seeking unemployment aid for the first time has been volatile, slightly dipping and rising, yet remaining stubbornly high – far above the previous record of 695,000 weekly claims set during an economic downturn in 1982.
The see-sawing numbers reflect the stops and starts occurring throughout the U.S. economy, as businesses gradually reopen in some parts, while others roll back or halt re-openings as COVID-19 cases spike.
On Facebook: There’s still a lot unknown about the coronavirus. But what we do know, we’re sharing with you. Join our Facebook group, Coronavirus Watch, to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19.
In your inbox: Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network. Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter.
Tips for coping: Every Saturday and Tuesday we’ll be in your inbox, offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times. Sign up for Staying Apart, Together.
Method Media Bermuda will present the documentary FABRIC: Portuguese History in Bermuda on Thursday, December 29 at the Underwater Research Institute of Bermuda.
A spokesperson said: “Method Media is proud to bring Bermuda Fabric: Portugal History to Bermuda for its 5th and 6th showing at the Bermuda Underwater Observatory. In November and December 2019, Cloth: A Portuguese Story in Bermuda had four sold-out screenings. Now that Bermuda has reopened after the pandemic, it’s time to bring the film back for at least two screenings.
“There are tickets Ptix.bm For $ 20 – sessions at 15:30 and 18:00. Both screenings will be followed by a short Q&A session.
Director and producer Milton Raboso says, “FABRIC is a definitive account of the Portuguese community in Bermuda and its 151 years of history, but it also places Bermuda, Acors and Portugal in the world history and the events that have fueled those 151 years.
“It took more than 10 years to implement FABRIC. The film was supported by the Minister of Culture, the Government of the Azores and private donors.
“Bermuda Media Method [MMB] Created in 2011 by producer Milton Raposo. MMB has created content for a wide range of clients: Bermuda’s new hospital renovation, reinsurance, travel campaigns, international sports and more. MMB pays special attention to artistic, cultural and historical content.
This is a fact or event of journalistic interest. This may be new or recent information. This also applies to the novelty of an already known situation.
Article
Mostly original text. Expresses the opinion of the author, but not necessarily the opinion of the newspaper. It can be written by journalists or specialists from different fields.
Investigative
A report that contains unknown facts or episodes with a pronounced denunciatory content. This requires special methods and resources.
Content commerce
Editorial content that offers the reader conditions for making purchases.
Analysis
This is the interpretation of the news, taking into account information that goes beyond the facts told. It uses data, brings events and scenario forecasts, as well as past contexts.
Editorial
Analytical text translating the official position of the vehicle in relation to the facts covered.
Sponsored
This is an institutional article on a topic of interest to the company sponsoring the report.
fact checking
Content that confirms the accuracy and authenticity of the disclosed information or facts.
Context
This is an article that brings subsidies, historical data and relevant information to help understand a fact or news.
special
An exciting report that details the various aspects and developments of this topic. It brings data, statistics, historical context, as well as stories of characters that are affected by or directly related to the topic in question.
Interview
A subject-specific approach in which the subject is presented in a question and answer format. Another way to publish interviews is through threads, where the interviewee’s answer is reproduced in quotation marks.
A text with detailed analysis and opinions on products, services and works of art in a wide variety of fields such as literature, music, film and visual arts.
Maestro Filipe Cunha, Artistic Director of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Braga, has been invited to conduct the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra, as announced today.
According to a statement sent by O MINHO, “he will be the first Portuguese conductor to conduct this orchestra in its entire history.”
In addition to this orchestra, the maestro will also work with the Lyceo Mozarteum de la Habana Symphony Orchestra.
The concerts will take place on 4 and 12 March 2023 at the National Theater of Cuba in Havana.
In the words of the maestro, quoted in the statement, “these will be very beautiful concerts with difficult but very complex pieces” and therefore he feels “very motivated”.
From the very beginning, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 will be performed by an Italian pianist (Luigi Borzillo), whom the maestro wants to bring to Portugal later this year. In the same concert, Mendelshon’s First Symphony will be performed.
Then, at the second concert, in the company of the Mexican clarinetist Angel Zedillo, he will perform the Louis Sfora Concerto No. 2. In this concert, the maestro also conducts Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.
“This is an international recognition of my work. An invitation that I accept with humility and great responsibility. I was surprised to learn that I would be the first Portuguese member of the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. This is a very great honor,” the maestro said in a statement.
“I take with me the name of the city of Braga and Portugal with all the responsibility that goes with it, and I hope to do a good job there, leaving a good image and putting on great concerts. These will be very special concerts because, in addition to performing pieces that I love, especially Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, I will be directing two wonderful soloists who are also my friends. It will be very beautiful,” concludes Filipe Cunha.