50 ★ States

ALABAMA Montgomery: Thousands of students across the state who’ve spent the coronavirus pandemic in virtual classrooms are returning to traditional instruction this week despite safety concerns and continuing school shutdowns tied to COVID-19.

ALASKA Juneau: The state Supreme Court on Monday affirmed a lower court ruling eliminating witness requirements for absentee ballots for the general election. Last week, Superior Court Judge Dani Crosby ruled enforcement of the witness requirements during the pandemic “impermissibly burdens the right to vote.”

ARIZONA Phoenix: Recent updates showed a decline in new coronavirus cases at Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University as of Monday. Grand Canyon University continued to see cases rise since resuming inperson classes last month.

ARKANSAS Little Rock: The number of coronavirus patients in the state’s hospitals has once again hit a record high, with 608 people hospitalized Monday, health officials said.

CALIFORNIA Palm Springs: Riverside County will remain in the red tier this week despite the fact that its COVID-19 metrics continued to worsen for the second week in a row and, under the state’s rules, qualified for a move back to the most strict level, purple, of California’s reopening plan. COLORADO Denver: Gov. Jared Polis has extended the statewide executive order he initially issued in July requiring mask-wearing indoors in an effort to help stop COVID-19’s spread.

CONNECTICUT Norwich: More than 400 nurses began a two-day strike Tuesday over what union leaders called low wages and struggles to get enough personal protective equipment. Dozens of nurses hit the picket line outside the William W. Backus Hospital amid a breakdown in contract talks and rising coronavirus cases in Norwich and other eastern Connecticut communities.

DELAWARE Dover: The state has announced two new deaths related to COVID-19. The Delaware State News reports the state’s total number of deaths is now 656.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington: Returning to school in the nation’s capital during the pandemic has proven to be an ongoing experiment in learning. Three-sided partitions were set up at Meridian Charter School to protect students against COVID-19 until administrators learned the enclosures wouldn’t do much to prevent spread of the virus. Now the cardboard is optional, but more than half the students still use them as organizers, taping up calendars, decorations and schedules.

FLORIDA Tallahassee: Former Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden, hospitalized last week after contracting COVID-19, says he is feeling better and hopes to go home soon. GEORGIA Atlanta: During their first debate, Democrat Jon Ossoff hammered Sen. David Perdue on his response to the coronavirus pandemic, while the Republican incumbent accused Ossoff of backing a “radical socialist agenda” – an assertion he sometimes backed with false claims.

HAWAII Honolulu: Demand for bigger homes, reduced inventory and low interest rates have helped Oahu’s housing market set a price record for a second straight month. Some real estate agents said extended emergency orders aimed at containing the coronavirus have caused many people to spend more time living and working at home, prompting purchases of larger accommodations.

IDAHO Boise: People who had their coronavirus relief checks wrongly denied or seized because they were behind bars now have a few more days to apply to receive the money. Earlier this year, the payments were taken away from 48 inmates and returned to the federal agency, said Idaho Department of Correction spokesman Jeff Ray.

ILLINOIS Macomb: Two Western Illinois University housing officers have been recognized by an international organization for their efforts in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Jessica Butcher and Bridget McCormick were recognized by the “Heroes Program” of the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International.

INDIANA Indianapolis: Health officials added 27 more coronavirus-related deaths to the state’s pandemic toll Tuesday as its COVID-19 hospitalizations and rates of new infections continue sharp increases.

IOWA Des Moines: The state passed the milestone of 100,000 coronavirus cases Monday and is on pace for a record number of new cases in October, state data shows.

KANSAS Lawrence: Even as the state recorded another record spike in COVID-19 cases, city health officials were hit with a lawsuit over an emergency health order that limits bar hours in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

KENTUCKY Frankfort: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s opponent, Amy McGrath, accused him of failing the country with the lack of another coronavirus relief package, while the Republican incumbent described himself as a powerful advocate for Kentucky, in a hard-hitting debate Monday.

LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: Grants offered by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s nonprofit organization to run elections amid the coronavirus pandemic have drawn the ire of state Attorney General Jeff Landry and are prompting efforts to rewrite Louisiana law. After Landry learned of the grant offer, the Republican warned local election officials not to pursue the money.

MAINE Portland: Businesses are dealing with a new set of guidelines designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in preparation for the cold winter months. The state has increased its limit on indoor seating to 50% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less, according to the office of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. The outdoor gathering limit remains 100 people, the office said. The state has also said indoor service at bars may resume Nov. 2.

MARYLAND Berlin: Very few positive developments have come from COVID-19, but new data suggests the pandemic could be a reason why Maryland state parks and Assateague Island National Seashore have shattered their previous attendance records. Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday that 17.1 million people have visited the state’s parks this year.

MASSACHUSETTS Boston: Gov. Charlie Baker unveiled a new $171 million initiative Monday that he said will help tenants and landlords cope with the fiscal challenges of the pandemic.

MICHIGAN Lansing: The state Supreme Court on Monday rejected Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s request to delay by 28 days the effect of its decision striking down a law she had used to keep intact sweeping orders designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

MINNESOTA Minneapolis: State health officials rolled back rules Monday that prevented many families from visiting their loved ones in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities because of the pandemic.

MISSISSIPPI Jackson: The state health officer said Monday that he’s troubled by the state’s recent rise in COVID-19 cases, including a significant increase in hospitalizations in the past week. Dr. Thomas Dobbs said six hospitals have no beds available in their intensive care units, and clinics are seeing an increasing number of patients with COVID-19 symptoms.

MISSOURI Columbia: More than 150 University of Missouri students have been caught using group chats to cheat on exams since many classes went online amid the pandemic. MONTANA Helena: Yellowstone County is limiting gathering sizes and urging bars and restaurants to enforce masking and distancing requirements, and the CEO of a Billings hospital warned that facilities and health care workers are overwhelmed as COVID-19 hospitalizations rise.

NEBRASKA Omaha: The state said Tuesday that 299 people were hospitalized with COVID-19. That’s just under the record of 305 people set last weekend but well above the spring peak of 232 set May 27. NEVADA Carson City: Caleb Cage, the state’s pandemic response director, said Monday that he tested positive for the coronavirus last week after developing flu-like symptoms the prior weekend.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord: Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force spoke Monday at Plymouth State University, which conducts weekly testing and only has one active case among its 3,500 students. But when told by a student about gatherings of more than 100 in basements, she said the school would need to be on guard as the weather begins to turn cold. NEW JERSEY Trenton: Indoor sports will be allowed to resume immediately, with restrictions, under an order signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday.

NEW MEXICO Albuquerque: People who have claimed unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic will soon be required to conduct weekly job searches, a requirement previously waived.

NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: A new state law directs $335 payments to go automatically to 2019 tax filers who reported having at least one child age 16 or under. Parents or guardians who didn’t make enough money last year to file a return must apply by Thursday to qualify.

NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck: Health officials said Monday that the number of active COVID-19 cases rose for the fifth straight day in the state that leads the nation in the number of new cases per capita in the past two weeks. There were 120 new active cases, for a total of 4,546.

OHIO Cincinnati: Gov. Mike DeWine says it’s halftime in the fight against COVID-19, and a vaccine could be available to most Ohioans by summer. “No one knows exactly if we’re in the middle – but probably not too far away from that,” he said.

OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: The City Council on Tuesday extended to Dec. 7 a requirement to wear masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

OREGON Klamath Falls: Nearly 60 incoming seasonal contract strawberry harvest workers for Planasa Oregon Operations LLC tested positive for the coronavirus before they started work about two weeks ago.

PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg: The state is extending the application deadline and changing the rules of a key rent and mortgage relief program in an effort to boost participation by landlords and keep more people in their homes during the pandemic, the governor announced Tuesday.

RHODE ISLAND Providence: Four bars have been temporarily closed for alleged noncompliance with regulations to control the spread of the coronavirus, state health officials say.

SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia: The state’s education superintendent said she has sent $43 million of protective equipment to more than 1,300 schools – fulfilling every item in their requests to help them open for inperson classes during the pandemic. And Superintendent Molly Spearman promised Tuesday that there is enough money left in the billions of dollars the federal government sent to South Carolina for pandemic aid to pay for whatever else schools need.

SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls: The state on Tuesday reported a jump in the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized, hitting 302, an all-time high during the pandemic.

TENNESSEE Manchester: The mayor of this small city where the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is held died Monday from COVID-19, officials said. Mayor Lonnie Norman was 79.

TEXAS El Paso: An ongoing wave of COVID-19 cases in the area prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to announce Monday that a surge team of medical professionals would be dispatched.

UTAH St. George: Coronavirus case numbers have been increasing across the state and especially in the southwestern region in recent weeks. There were 249 people hospitalized statewide Monday, with 64% of all intensive care hospital beds in use.

VERMONT Montpelier: The state still has some of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the country, and officials are hoping to be able to keep it that way even though many nearby states and counties are seeing their numbers increase. Officials said Tuesday that travel appeared to be one of the main routes of transmission and that many people were visiting during the fall foliage season.

VIRGINIA Charlottesville: The University of Virginia is giving students the option of receiving course credit without a letter grade. The Daily Progress reports the move is being made in the wake of students suffering stress, anxiety and internet connectivity troubles amid the pandemic.

WASHINGTON Seattle: A COVID-19 outbreak involving students at the University of Washington’s fraternities and sororities continues to grow with 238 positive cases as of Monday. Gov. Jay Inslee expressed frustration last week about the behavior on Greek Row “that is exposing all of us to great risk.”

WEST VIRGINIA Huntington: A health system is again banning visitors from its hospitals as community spread of the coronavirus increases in the region, network officials say. Mountain Health Network announced Monday that most visitors will not be allowed in its medical centers, news outlets report.

WISCONSIN Madison: The state has hit a pair of grim coronavirus milestones, with record highs for positive cases and deaths reported Tuesday. The state Department of Health Services reported 3,279 confirmed new cases, breaking a record of 3,132 set just five days earlier. There were 34 deaths reported, also a new high, bringing the total number of people who have died to 1,508.

WYOMING Casper: Low oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic continue to take a toll on the state’s economy, according to a new report. Last spring, a global oil price war and the pandemic caused many petroleum operators to halt drilling plans, shut in wells and lay off workers in droves.