13 states set records for new virus infections
More than a dozen states have set records for the number of new COVID-19 cases in a week, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data shows.
Through late Sunday, 13 states – Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota and Wisconsin – had topped their own records for new cases in a seven-day period.
The U.S. has reported more than 7.7 million cases and 214,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins data. There have been more than 37.6 million confirmed cases around the world and more than 1 million deaths.
NYC protest leader arrested
Meanwhile, in New York City, a protest leader decrying new restrictions issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo was arrested Sunday in connection with an attack on a journalist covering the demonstration last week.
Heshy Tischler, a City Council candidate and activist in the Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Borough Park, is facing charges of inciting people to riot and unlawful imprisonment.
New York is working to stave off new hot spots that have cropped up in clusters in and around New York City in recent weeks, many of them in Orthodox communities. The new restrictions include limits to religious gatherings, and some have accused Cuomo of unfairly targeting Orthodox Jews with his new order.
“I understand the desire to hold large religious ceremonies. I understand that. I understand how important it is to their culture and to their religion. I also understand that it, as a matter of fact, jeopardizes human life,” Cuomo told reporters. “We know what happens. People get the virus, people get sick, people go into the hospital, people die. That is the trajectory.”
Cuomo said Sunday that the clusters make up less than 3% of the state’s population but account for almost 18% of all new cases in the past week.
Biden again tests negative for coronavirus
Democratic nominee Joe Biden again tested negative Monday, his campaign said. Biden has routinely been tested since sharing the debate stage with President Donald Trump last month. Trump was hospitalized for treatment for COVID-19 just days after the event. On Sunday, Trump claimed he no longer has COVID-19 even though the White House refuses to say whether he has tested negative for the disease.
UK’s Johnson unveils 3-tiered lockdown
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled his plan to curb a resurgence of the coronavirus with a three-level approach to lockdowns, extending more expansive shutdowns to the areas most affected.
Johnson said the plan would “simplify and standardize” British rules around restrictions, which had been localized. The new categories – medium, high or very high risk – allow for varying degrees of closures, limits or curfews in public gatherings, bars, restaurants, gyms, casinos and other high-risk settings.
Liverpool met the requirements to be considered “very high risk,” meaning all pubs, gyms, leisure centers and casinos are to close Wednesday.
Judge denies Republican effort to end Wisconsin mask mandate
A Wisconsin judge has blocked an effort by Republicans to end Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate at a time when cases are surging.
Judge R. Michael Waterman of St. Croix County on Monday denied the effort and ruled the governor has the power to issue multiple health emergency orders over the same pandemic. For now, the ruling hands a win to Evers, who has been challenged by Republicans over his ability to issue new health orders without legislative input.
Republican lawmakers say Evers has to use a process known as rulemaking to implement such health safety policies after a May state Supreme Court ruling in a lawsuit brought by GOP legislative leaders over Evers’ stay-at-home order.
The legislative leaders filed a brief in support of the lawsuit, which seeks to block Evers’ health emergency order and statewide mask mandate, instead of taking a vote to accomplish the same goal. GOP lawmakers have said they are pursuing the matter in court because taking a vote would imply the order is legal. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said they will appeal the decision.
China to test entire city of 9 million people
After nine cases of COVID-19 were detected in China’s Qingdao, all 9 million people in the city will get tested, state health officials said Monday.
Eight patients at Qingdao’s Municipal Chest Hospital and one family member have tested positive, sparking the new concern. The National Health Commission said the citywide testing would take place over five days.
Before the nine new cases, China hadn’t reported new virus cases in two months. However, the country has a practice of not reporting asymptomatic cases.