Texas Cases Up by Record; California on Face Masks: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Texas registered a 3.6% rise in cases, the biggest one-day jump, as hospital admissions climbed for a record seventh straight day. California mandated masks for residents outside the home. Florida’s cases rose the most ever.

As cases surge in the Sun Belt, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he may order a quarantine for visitors from Florida. Brazil had a 2.4% rise in cases, pushing total infections to near 1 million.

The World Bank estimates students kept out of class by the outbreak may lose $10 trillion in earnings over their lifetime. JetBlue unveiled an aggressive plan to resume its flight schedule.

Key Developments:

• Virus Tracker: Global cases top 8.4 million; deaths exceed 450,000
• World girds for long, hard road back after 450,000 deaths
• U.S. meat plants deadly as ever, with no incentive to change
• Richest 25% of Americans cut spending the most during outbreak
• Covid-19 could erase more global wealth than financial crisis
• Colorful and emotional maps of a world changed by coronavirus

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Texas Cases Jump 3.6% (5:35 p.m. NY)

Texas reported 3,516 new cases, the biggest one-day rise, bringing the total to 99,851, according to state health department figures. Fatalities rose by 43, or 2.1%, to 2,105.

In Houston, the fourth-largest U.S. city, hospitalizations surged by 12% to 940 and have more than doubled since May 31, the data showed.

Brazil Cases Up 2.4% to Near 1 Million (5:15 p.m. NY)

Brazil reported a 2.4% increase in new cases, for a total of 978,142, according to data from state health agencies. The country registered 1,238 deaths, a 2.7% increase, bringing the total to 47,748. Sao Paulo state has 11,846 deaths, 192,628 confirmed cases.

Students Face $10 Trillion Loss (4:25 p.m. NY)

The current generation of students may lose $10 trillion in earnings over their lifetime due to pandemic-related school closures, the World Bank said in a report estimating the cost based on five months without classes. Virus shutdowns left 1.6 billion students out of school at the peak in April, and close to 7 million students may drop out of primary and secondary school as a result of the income shock of the pandemic, the development institution said.

The combination of being out of school and the loss of family livelihoods also may leave girls particularly vulnerable and worsen exclusion and inequality, especially for people with disabilities and other marginalized groups, the World Bank said.

Princeton, Northwestern Drop Test Requirement (4:20 p.m. NY)

Princeton and Northwestern universities temporarily suspended standardized testing requirements for students applying to start in 2021. Princeton is the last of the eight Ivy League schools to act.

More than 200 colleges -- including Stanford and Duke on Wednesday -- have shelved the SAT and ACT requirement, some for as long as three years, as the virus forced test centers to close.

U.S. Cases Rise 1.2% (4 p.m. NY)

Coronavirus cases in the U.S. increased by 25,606 from the same time Wednesday to 2.17 million, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. The 1.2% increase was in line with the average daily increase of 1.1% over the past seven days. Deaths rose 0.6% to 118,057.

• Arizona infections rose 6.1% or 2,519 cases -- the biggest daily increase -- bringing the total to 43,445, according to the state health department.
• California cases rose by 2.6%, or 4,084, to 161,099, its largest one-day jump in infections, according to the state’s website. Deaths rose by 1.6%, or 82, to 5,290.
• Florida reported 85,926 cases, up 3.9% from a day earlier, compared with an average increase of 3% in the previous seven days. Deaths reached 3,061, an increase of 1.4%.
• New York reported 618 new cases, for a total of 385,760, according to the state’s health department.

California Requires Masks Outside of Home (3:24 p.m. NY)

Californians will be required to wear masks in most situations outside the home, under guidelines issued Thursday by Governor Gavin Newsom. The statewide requirement comes as individual California counties have debated forcing their residents to wear masks, with Orange County rescinding its order after its top health official received death threats.

The new requirement covers people in stores, workplaces or outside in any situation where they can’t stay 6 feet away (1.8 meters) from others.

“Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered – putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease,” Newsom said in a statement.

Shopify, BlackBerry Team With Canada on Tracing (3:10 p.m. NY)

Canada is partnering with Shopify Inc. volunteers and BlackBerry Ltd. on a contact-tracing application for Covid-19 as cases in the country breached 100,000.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said users will be able to upload their test results voluntarily onto the app. All data will be kept anonymous, with no location or personal information collected.

The push for contact tracing comes as the pandemic reached a milestone in Canada: more than 100,000 cases. While the rate of new infections has been receding -- new cases in Ontario have been under 200 for five straight days -- the country now has about 8,255 deaths.

California Records Biggest Daily Increase (2:40 p.m. NY)

California reported 4,084 new confirmed virus cases, its largest ever daily increase. Total infections rose 2.6%, exceeding the seven-day average of 2%, to 161,099. The state had 82 additional deaths, for a total of 5,290. More than half of the new infections -- 2,115 -- came from Los Angeles County.

Governor Gavin Newsom has said infections will climb as testing increases, and has pointed to the state’s hospitalizations and intensive care stays as signs of stability. California had a 0.5% increase in hospitalizations Wednesday and a 0.9% rise in ICU patients, according to state data.

JetBlue Adds Routes (2:30 p.m. NY)

JetBlue Airways Corp. will add 30 domestic routes and restart some suspended flights in July and August in a bet on recovery after Covid-19 lockdowns all but erased travel demand.

The new routes, concentrated in the New York area but also include Florida and Philadelphia, are geared toward the “small signs” of a rebound in leisure travel, JetBlue said. The airline will operate more than half its typical summer capacity.

JetBlue’s decision to open new routes goes further than the capacity increases at other U.S. carriers, which are using a modest rebound in travel to restore flights they suspended earlier this year.

N.J. Malls Can Open June 29 (2 p.m. NY)

New Jersey shopping malls will reopen on June 29 after a three-month shutdown, with stores limited to 50% capacity and customers required to cover their faces, Governor Phil Murphy said. Food courts and open seating areas remain closed, along with theaters and arcades, he said.

Malls, a staple of the New Jersey lifestyle, were shut March 21, stunting state sales-tax revenue. Mega mall American Dream in the Meadowlands had opened an indoor ski slope and other attractions in March, but stores remained shuttered as the coronavirus took hold. Triple Five Group, which owns American Dream, missed a $7 million mortgage payment in June for its Mall of America in Minnesota.

Cuomo Mulls Action on Florida Travel (12:40 p.m. NY)

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he’s considering a 14-day quarantine for people who visit from Florida, a state where new infections are soaring. New York’s new cases are slowing.

In March, when New York cases were surging, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered self-quarantines of visiting New Yorkers. “I have experts who have advised me to do that,” Cuomo said. “I’m considering it now.”

Cuomo also said he is signing an executive order that will allow the state to immediately suspend the liquor license or shut down any bar or restaurant that violates reopening rules.

Italy Cases Up More Than Average (12:30 p.m. NY)

Italy registered 333 new cases, higher than the previous seven-day average of 295, based on figures released by the country’s Civil Protection authorities. The country has reported 238,159 cases since the end of February. Lombardy had 216 new cases, or 65% of all new cases, compared with the previous seven-day average of 232.

N.Y. Cases Rise 0.2%; Deaths at 29 (11:45 a.m. NY)

New York cases rose 0.2%, in line with the seven-day average, and positive results from testing fell to the lowest rate since the pandemic began, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. Hospitalizations were the lowest since mid-March.

New deaths were 29, up from 17 reported a day earlier, but Cuomo said the trend remained in the right direction. New York conducted 68,541 tests on Wednesday, of which 618, or a new low of about 0.9%, were positive, Cuomo said.

Cuomo also encouraged New York City businesses to reopen Monday as the next phase of restarting the economy begins.

Congress Mulls New Business Aid (11:35 a.m. NY)

U.S. lawmakers rolled out proposals to help restaurants and other small businesses still dealing with the outbreak, as a relief program is set to end on June 30 and Congress weighs more stimulus.

Legislation was introduced to create a $120 billion bailout fund for small food and beverage establishments, as well as a separate proposal to allow any remaining funds from the Paycheck Protection Program to be used for small firms that need the most help.

Montenegro Has New Cases (11:30 am. NY)

Montenegro, which declared itself the first “corona-free” nation in Europe on May 25, reported 13 new infections. Health authorities in the Adriatic republic said the new cases are “imported,” by foreign nationals visiting and Montenegro citizens returning with the virus.

NATO Readies for Second Wave (11:20 a.m. NY)

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is preparing for any second coronavirus wave by drawing up a new operational plan to help member countries; establishing a medical stockpile; and creating a fund to acquire medical supplies and services, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. “NATO is preparing to provide strong support to civilian efforts if that happens,” Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels after a video conference of the alliance’s defense ministers.

Texas Admissions at Record Pace (11:05 a.m. NY)

Texas hospitalizations for the virus rose for a seventh straight day, the longest streak of the pandemic, according to health department data. Hospital admissions rose 5% to 2,947 as of Wednesday morning, bringing the one-week increase to almost 50%, the figures showed.

Florida Cases Jump 3.9% (10:45 a.m. NY)

Florida reported 85,926 cases, up 3.9% from a day earlier, compared with an average increase of 3% in the previous seven days. Deaths among Florida residents reached 3,061, an increase of 1.4%.

Seen on a rolling seven-day basis, Florida’s new cases reached 16,857, the highest level ever. Cumulative hospitalizations rose by 188, or 1.5%, to 12,577.

The new rate of people testing positive for the first time fell to 8.8% for Wednesday, from 10.2% on Tuesday.

De Blasio: NYC ‘Ready’ for Next Phase (10:20 a.m. NY)

New York City expects at least 150,000 workers to return and outdoor dining to resume on Monday when when the second phase of reopening begins, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “I’ve talked to a lot of business leaders, they feel ready,” de Blasio said Thursday.

The phase includes the outdoor dining at restaurants, a key part of the economy. Plans include options for seating in curb lanes, on sidewalks, in backyards and patios, on “open streets” blocked to traffic and in plazas. The move will help an estimated 5,000 restaurants and 45,000 jobs, according to the mayor.

The next phase also includes offices, in-store retail, hair salons, barber shops, real estate industry and auto sales.

Fauci Says Football May Not Happen This Year (9:25 a.m. NY)

The 2020 NFL and college football seasons may have to be canceled this year if there is a second wave of the virus, said Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force. The National Football League season is scheduled to start Sept. 10.

“Unless players are essentially in a bubble -- insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day -- it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall,” Fauci told CNN.

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