U.S. Cases Rise 1.4%; Brazil Passes 1 Million Mark: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. coronavirus cases rose 1.4%, the biggest jump in six days, as California, Florida and Arizona set records and Texas outpaced its seven-day average, more signs the outbreak is worsening in the Sun Belt.

Brazil topped 1 million cases, second only to the U.S., after reporting record new daily infections. South Africa’s cases passed China, where the outbreak began.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s partnership with Clover Biopharmaceuticals started vaccine tests on humans. The head of the World Health Organization warned of “a new and dangerous phase.”

Key Developments:

• Global Tracker: Cases top 8.5 million; deaths exceed 456,000
• Revisiting relief funds as small business owners still struggle
• Masks are mandated even in red states, with cases soaring
• World girds for long, hard road back after 450,000 virus deaths
• Food inequality crisis deepens under pandemic’s pressure
• U.S. sports reopening plans run up against spike in cases
• Returning to offices could cost $18,000 per NYC banker

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Brazil Passes 1 Million Cases (5:05 p.m. NY)

Brazil exceeded 1 million coronavirus infections, the second nation to reach the mark, as the disease shows no sign of slowing in Latin America’s largest nation months after the first cases were recorded.

The country registered a record 54,771 cases on Friday, bringing the total to 1,032,913. The data compiled by Brazilian states also showed 1,206 fatalities, raising the toll to 48,954. In both counts, Brazil trails only the U.S., which had 2,206,333 on Friday, according to John Hopkins University data.

Brazil’s response, plagued by political infighting and mismatched quarantine orders, has made it harder for experts to pinpoint when the disease will peak in the nation of 210 million.

Texas Cases Outpace Average (4:40 p.m. NY)

Texas cases rose 3.5% to 103,305, outpacing the previous 7-day average of 2.9%. Hospitalizations rose for the eighth straight day to 3,148, up 6.8% from the day before. As of Friday, the state has reported 2,140 deaths.

While Texas Governor Greg Abbott has avoided issuing mask requirements, he’s begun letting local governments order businesses to require face coverings for patrons and employees. Counties for Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, which are adding Covid-19 cases at a record-setting pace, have issued such mandates, and Houston is expected to take action Friday.

U.S. Cases Rise 1.4%, Topping 7-Day Average (4 p.m. NY)

U.S. cases rose by 31,489 from the same time Thursday, to 2.21 million, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. The 1.4% increase was faster than the average daily increase of 1.1% for the past week, and the biggest percentage rise in six days. Deaths inched up 0.6% to 118,798.

Daily U.S. cases have increased by 20,000-25,000 a day for the past week.

• Cases in Arizona rose 7.5% to 46,706, according to the data from Johns Hopkins and Bloomberg News.
• Florida reported 89,748 cases, up 4.4% from a day earlier, compared with an average increase of 3.2% in the previous seven days. Deaths reached 3,104, an increase of 1.4%.
• South Carolina cases rose 5% and topped 1,000 for the first time. Total cases reached 22,608.
• California cases rose 2.7% to 165,416 while deaths increased 1.3% to 5,360, according to the state’s website.

South Africa Cases Pass China (3:45 p.m. NY)

South Africa reported new cases rose 4.6% on Friday, bringing the total to 87,715. The country now has more infections than China, where the disease emerged six months ago. The death death toll remains relatively low, at 1,831, and 55% of those who were infected have recovered, the Ministry of Health said.

Automakers Restart to Meet Demand (3:30 p.m. NY)

Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV will resume pre-pandemic factory schedules from June 22, racing to meet stronger-than-expected demand. General Motors Co. aims to be back to normal output by month’s end.

Ford is moving two weeks earlier than planned, a sign its supply base and workforce ramp up has gone smoothly. Once Fiat Chrysler restores a second shift at a Jeep Cherokee plant in Belvidere, Illinois, it will be back to previous production, a spokeswoman said.

Cruise Pause Extended to Sept. 15 (2:45 p.m. NY)

Major cruise lines agreed to suspend voyages from U.S. ports until Sept. 15, another setback for an industry trying to rebound from the pandemic. A no-sail order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was to expire on July 24.

“Although we are confident that future cruises will be healthy and safe, and will fully reflect the latest protective measures, we also feel that it is appropriate to err on the side of caution to help ensure the best interests of our passengers and crew members,” Cruise Lines International Association said.

California Has Biggest One-Day Rise (2:20 p.m. NY)

California reported 4,317 new cases on Friday, the biggest one-day jump of the pandemic, as total cases rose by 2.7% to 165,416. Deaths increased by 70, or 1.3%, top 5,360.

The increase in new cases has climbed for three straight days, according to the state’s website. Hospitalizations fell 0.3%, to 3,428, while patients in intensive care rose 0.8% to 1,128.

Ousted Captain Denied Post (2:15 p.m. NY)

The Navy won’t return the ousted captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt to the carrier hit hard by the coronavirus, according to two people familiar with the decision. Captain Brett Crozier will retain his rank, the people said.

Crozier was dismissed by acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly on April 2 for writing an impassioned memo beseeching the service to do more to remedy a dire situation. The memo leaked, and Modly said Crozier failed to keep his concerns within the chain of command.

Phillies Says 5 Players Infected (1:45 p.m. NY)

The Philadelphia Phillies confirmed five players and three staff at its Clearwater, Florida, baseball training facility tested positive for Covid-19 this week. The first case occurred Tuesday. The center has closed indefinitely to players, coaches and staff.

Eight staff members tested negative; 20 players, both major and minor leaguers, along with 12 more staff members, are being tested and awaiting results. None of the players or staff were identified.

Florida reported 3,822 new cases on Friday, the biggest jump of the pandemic.

Theater Chain Reverses on Masks (1:35 p.m. NY)

AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., facing customer outrage over its mask policy, reversed course and will require guests to wear face coverings when its theaters reopen next month. Chief Executive Officer Adam Aron said he got “intense and immediate outcry” from customers after the optional-mask policy was announced on Thursday. “Those who are unwilling to wear a mask will not be admitted or allowed to stay,” he said.

Within hours of AMC’s decision, Cineworld Group Plc’s Regal updated its policy to require customers to wear masks. For now, Cinemark Holdings Inc. and Marcus Theatres Corp. said they’ll stick to local guidelines but won’t oust customers who don’t cover their faces.

Mexico City Delays Reopening (1:30 p.m. NY)

Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum delayed the gradual reopening of Mexico City as Covid-19 cases sweep through the country’s capital. Reopening of street markets, restaurants, malls, department stores, hotels, church services and other establishments is now expected after June 28.

Apple Shuts Some Stores Again (12:45 p.m. NY)

Apple Inc. is again temporarily shutting 11 U.S. stores in Florida, Arizona, North Carolina and South Carolina after new cases spiked. Before the decision, Apple had reopened the majority of its U.S. locations, including many stores in New York City and Los Angeles. The company in March closed all shops outside of China to help curb the spread of the virus. Apple shares slid.

Oklahoma, Tulsa Cases Climb (12:30 p.m. NY)

Oklahoma reported 352 new cases on Friday, a 3.8% increase but lower than the record high 450 reached a day earlier, and giving the state one of the sharpest rates of increase in the U.S. Total infections reached 9,706.

On a seven-day rolling average, Oklahoma has the second-highest rate for daily cases, at 22%, behind only Montana’s 33%, according to Bloomberg data.

In Tulsa County, where the Trump re-election campaign holds a mass indoor rally on Saturday, new cases jumped on Thursday by 120 -- the most in a day -- to 2,070. New cases have climbed 25% since Monday, according to the county website. Health officials recommended delaying the event, expected to draw at least 100,000 people, as cases spike.

Global Cases Hit Daily Record, WHO Says (11:56 a.m. NY)

The global coronavirus pandemic is accelerating, with a record 150,000 cases reported Thursday, said World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Almost half of the new cases came from the Americas, where the outbreak continues to rage, Tedros said during the WHO’s daily briefing. The agency called on countries and citizens to remain vigilant, maintain social distancing efforts, cover coughs, stay home if sick and wear masks in public. All countries must commit to finding new infections, testing close contacts and isolating those who are sick, he said.

“The world is in a new and dangerous phase,” Tedros said. “Many people are understandably fed up with being at home. Countries are understandably eager to open up their societies and economies. But the virus is still spreading fast. It is still deadly and most people are still susceptible.”

Arizona Cases Soar 7.5% (11:40 a.m. NY)

Arizona reported a 7.5% jump in new cases on Friday, or 3,426, to bring total state cases to 46,689, the health department said. ABC-15 in Phoenix said the one-day rise was a record for the state, which is reopening businesses. The state reported 41 new deaths, raising the total to 1,312.

Florida Cases Rise Again (10:45 a.m. NY)

Florida reported 89,748 Covid-19 cases on Friday, up 4.4% from a day earlier, compared with an average increase of 3.2% in the previous seven days. Deaths among Florida residents reached 3,104, an increase of 1.4%.

Seen on a rolling seven-day basis, Florida’s new cases reached 18,777, the highest level ever.

Cumulative hospitalizations of Florida residents rose by 197, or 1.6%, to 12,774. On a rolling seven day-basis, they reached 1,068, the highest level since May 25.

The new rate of people testing positive for the first time climbed to 10% for Thursday, from 8.8% on Wednesday.

Restarting Sports ‘Essential’: Trump Aide (10:20 a.m. NY)

The restart of professional baseball, football, basketball and hockey is “essential” as the U.S. economy reopens and the Trump administration has had talks with league commissioners on the issue, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said.

“Everybody believes that it’s very important for the national morale,” Hassett said at the White House, noting the National Basketball Association’s plan to play on a campus in Florida, with tests for everybody, has been praised by health officials. “If the NBA is able to go down to Disney World and get it’s season going, then it will also be a demonstration to businesses all around the country about how to operate a certain campus safely.”

Senator to Wear Mask at Trump Rally (10 a.m. NY)

Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma said he will wear a mask while attending President Donald Trump’s re-election rally in Tulsa on Saturday, although organizers aren’t requiring attendees to cover their faces with masks that will be distributed at the event.

“I’ll be wearing a mask most of the time. I’ll have it off some of the time,” Lankford said Friday on “CBS This Morning.” “I assume that I’m going to have it on a lot of the time.”

Lankford compared the rally to “protests, like other events, like shopping, like malls that are open,” and people who are high risk should make sure “they are taking care of themselves.”

Virus Hit on Indonesia Worse Than Financial Crisis, Jokowi Says (5:37 p.m. HK)

The coronavirus pandemic has hit Indonesia harder than the Asian financial crisis more than two decades ago, as the outbreak has spared no sectors of the economy, according to President Joko Widodo. While damage from the financial crisis in 1998 was largely limited to Indonesia’s banking sector and large conglomerates, the pandemic has battered small and big businesses alike, Jokowi, as the president is commonly known, said in a statement.

U.K. Lowers Alert Level as Virus Transmission Reduced (5:37 p.m. HK)

The U.K. lowered its Covid-19 alert level by one rank to Level 3, reflecting the fact the coronavirus is no longer spreading exponentially in the community after almost three months of lockdown. According to government guidance, the new level allows for some relaxation of social-distancing measures -- something that had already been happening with the opening of non-essential shops this week.

Italy Had Coronavirus in Sewage as Early as December, Study Says (4:44 p.m. HK)

The coronavirus was present in Milan and Turin’s sewage systems as early as December, two months before the first Covid-19 cases were detected in Italy, a new study shows. “Traces of SARS-Cov-2 have been found in samples of waste water taken in Milan and Turin on Dec. 18 and in Bologna on Jan. 29,” said Giuseppina La Rosa, who led the research for a coming study from the country’s ISS National Health Institute. “More traces were detected in other test samples through January and February.”

Glaxo’s Vaccine Partnership With Clover Begins Human Tests (3:31 p.m. HK)

GlaxoSmithKline’s Covid-19 vaccine partnership with Clover Biopharmaceuticals started tests in humans, following a number of other programs in the sprint to try to halt the pandemic. Initial results from the study are expected in August, and a bigger efficacy trial is expected to start later in 2020, Glaxo said in a statement Friday.

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With assistance from Bloomberg