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U.S. Cases Increase 0.7%; Plasma Dispute Escalates: Virus Update

Catch all the updates on the global coronavirus pandemic, here.

U.S. Cases Increase 0.7%; Plasma Dispute Escalates: Virus Update
An employee and an undergraduate carry a wastewater sample from a dorm sewage line to be tested for Covid-19 at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, U.S. (Photographer: Cheney Orr/Bloomberg)

Texas may lift restrictions on businesses as soon as next week as hospitalizations drop. California recorded the fewest new cases since June. New York City delayed its schools reopening in a deal with the teachers union.

A panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health undercut an emergency authorization issued just days ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, saying there’s not enough evidence to recommend use of convalescent plasma for hospitalized coronavirus patients.

Russia became the fourth nation to pass 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases, on the day when schools across the country reopened for the new academic year. European nations are facing a second wave with active cases rising in Spain and Italy.

Key Developments:

  • Global Tracker: Cases surpass 25.5 million; deaths exceed 852,000
  • U.S. supply shortages plague non-Covid testing too
  • Britain’s economy is counting on the return to school
  • American nurses say they’re short on masks, other protection
  • Conte revives big government spirit in virus-battered Italy
  • Vaccine Tracker: Where we are in the race for protection?

Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on coronavirus cases and deaths.

U.S. Cases Increase 0.7%; Plasma Dispute Escalates: Virus Update

White House Says CDC Will Halt Evictions (5:19 p.m. NY)

The Trump administration said it will use its quarantine authority to keep renters in their homes during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to prevent an eviction crisis that could worsen economic strains.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to temporarily halt evictions of consumers earning no more than $99,000 a year to prevent the virus from spreading, a senior administration official said Tuesday. The policy will take effect immediately.

The administration is acting unilaterally after failing to reach a deal with lawmakers over another round of stimulus relief funding, aimed in part at keeping renters in their homes.

Texas Hospitalizations Extend Decline (5:08 p.m. NY)

Texas’s Covid-19 hospitalizations fell to 4,144, the lowest since June 23, according to state health department data. The census has been dropping almost continually for the past two weeks and is now down 62% from the July 22 peak.

The Lone Star state added 4,116 new cases that brought the cumulative total diagnoses to 617,333, health department figures showed. Fatalities increased by 145 to 12,681.

Governor Greg Abbott signaled that he may lift restrictions on businesses as soon as next week as hospital admissions drop.

“Since my last orders in July, Covid numbers have declined, most importantly hospitalizations,” Abbott said in a tweet late Monday. “I hope to provide updates next week about next steps.”

Miami ICU Patients at Lowest Since June (4:30 p.m. NY)

Covid-19 patients in Miami-Dade’s intensive-care units and hospitals in general fell to the lowest since late June, according to a report from the county.

There are 208 Covid-19 patients in Miami-Dade’s ICUs as of Tuesday, down from 209 a day earlier, and the number of patients in hospitals fell to 786 from 800. The numbers were close to triple that a month ago. Miami-Dade, Florida’s biggest county, has been the hardest-hit area in the state.

Deaths among Florida residents reached 11,374, an increase of 187, or 1.7%, and the seven-day rolling total was under 1,000 for the eleventh straight day. Deaths often trail infections by weeks, and generally take even longer to be reflected in the data.

San Francisco to Open Hotels, Museums (4:15 p.m. NY)

San Francisco, performing better on virus metrics than other parts of California, plans to open hotels, indoor museums and outdoor entertainment in mid-September, along with elementary schools with approved safety plans, Mayor London Breed said. The city is working toward opening elementary schools without waivers as well as middle schools by mid-October, she said in a tweet.

Indoor salons, tattoo shops and massage parlors likely can resume business by the end of the month, the mayor said. The city today started personal services outdoors and opened indoor malls with limited capacities.

San Francisco is one of nine California counties considered “red,” the second-most restrictive measure in a four-tier system for reopening unveiled by Governor Gavin Newsom last week. Thirty-eight counties are in the tightest “purple” tier -- areas that comprise about 87% of the population.

U.S. Cases Rise 0.7% (4 p.m. NY)

Coronavirus cases in the U.S. increased 0.7% as compared with the same time Monday to 6.06 million, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. The increase matched the average daily gain of 0.7% over the past week. Deaths rose by 0.4% to 184,114.

  • Arizona reported 507 new cases, a 0.3% increase to 202,342 that was just above the 0.2% rise of the prior seven-day period. The state recorded 15 deaths from Covid-19, bringing the toll to 5,044.
  • California reported 3,712 new cases, the lowest daily tally since mid-June. The state reported an additional 85 deaths, bringing its total to 13,018.
  • West Virginia experienced a 2.6% increase in the number of cases from the same time yesterday, bringing the total to 10,513, according to the data from Johns Hopkins and Bloomberg News.

Fauci Warns on Rising Cases in Midwest (4 p.m.)

Anthony Fauci warned that as Covid-19’s spread in Sun Belt states is starting to ebb, “there are several states that are at risk for surging, namely North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois.”

In an interview Tuesday, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases urged residents to wear masks, socially distance, wash hands and avoid crowds.

“Those states are starting to see an increase in the percent positive of their testing; that is generally predictive that there’s going to be a problem,” Fauci said.

NIH Advisers Say Data Fail to Back Plasma Therapy (4 p.m. NY)

A panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health undercut an emergency authorization issued just days ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, saying there’s not enough evidence to recommend use of convalescent plasma for hospitalized coronavirus patients.

U.S. Won’t Join WHO-Backed Vaccine Effort: Report (4 p.m. NY)

The Trump administration won’t join a global effort to develop, manufacture and equitably distribute a coronavirus vaccine, in part because the World Health Organization is involved, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The plan, co-led by the WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, was of interest to some members of the Trump administration and is backed by traditional U.S. allies, including Japan, Germany and the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, according to the newspaper.

But the U.S. won’t participate, in part because the White House doesn’t want to work with the WHO, which President Trump has criticized over what he characterized as its “China-centric” response to the pandemic, the Post said.

U.S. Plans to Ship Abbott Tests to States (3:21 p.m. NY)

After purchasing 150 million new rapid Covid tests from Abbott Laboratories, the U.S. government plans to distribute “the overwhelming majority” to states, a top Trump administration official overseeing testing said.

Governors will be able to use the tests to help reopen schools and protect first responders, Brett Giroir told reporters. Distribution is to begin in mid-September, with states coping with natural disasters, such as Louisiana in the midst of hurricane season, first in line, he said.

Most will be shipped to governors, who can allot them “according to their distribution plans,” Giroir said. “We fully, fully want to support them in that.”

California Reports Fewest New Cases Since June (2:40 p.m. NY)

California reported 3,712 new virus cases, the lowest daily tally since mid-June. The increase was less than the 14-day average of 5,366 and reflects ongoing improvement in the state, where average daily infections exceeded 9,000 a month ago.

The average rate of positive tests over the past 14 days was stable at 5.3%, according to state health data. Hospitalizations from the virus decreased 0.7% to 3,849 patients, also the lowest since June.

Still, California reached a grim milestone, crossing 13,000 fatalities from the virus. It recorded an additional 85 deaths yesterday, bringing its total to 13,018.

First Doses Should Go to Health Workers, Group Says (12:45 p.m. NY)

The first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine should go to front-line health-care workers and first responders, followed by people at higher medical risk from the virus, said a group of scientists and academics advising the U.S. government.

The draft guidelines released Tuesday were developed by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Their recommendations will help U.S. health officials come up with a final plan to distribute a vaccine, once one is available.

The recommendations break the population into four groups, with the goal of targeting people both at high risk from the virus, and at risk of spreading it to others.

Group one includes front-line health workers and first responders, followed by people with health conditions that put them at risk as well as older adults in dense living settings. The group includes about 15% of the U.S. population, according to the report.

Nurses Say They’re Short Of Protection Supplies (12:05 p.m. NY)

Just days after President Donald Trump praised his administration’s ability to provide personal protective equipment for health-care workers, a national nurses group says their members continue to suffer from shortages.

In a survey of more than 21,000 nurses conducted by the American Nurses Association, a third reported that they were out of or short of N95 masks designed to offer maximum protection in a hospital setting. Almost 60% said they’re re-using single-use protective equipment for five or more days, and 68% said their facilities mandate re-using the supplies.

Arizona Sees Slight Uptick In Cases (12 p.m. NY)

Arizona on Tuesday reported 507 new cases, a 0.3% increase to 202,342 that was just above the 0.2% rise of the prior seven-day period. The state Department of Health Services recorded 15 deaths from Covid-19, bringing the toll to 5,044. The testing positivity rate jumped to 11.1% from 3.5% a day earlier.

Florida to Cut Ties With Quest (11:45 a.m. NY)

Florida’s health department and emergency management division are cutting ties with Quest Diagnostics Inc. Governor Ron DeSantis directed the divisions to sever ties with Quest over its “failure to follow Florida law and report all Covid-19 results in a timely manner,” according to a statement Tuesday from Florida’s joint information center on Covid-19. Quest shares were down as much as 4%.

Argentina Outbreak Worsens With 47% Positive (11:40 a.m. NY)

After more than five months of strict lockdowns, Argentina’s coronavirus crisis is only getting worse: Almost 47% of people tested get a positive result back. The World Health Organization suggests nations push the rate below 5% for several weeks before reopening their economies.

Argentina passed Chile to claim the 10th spot in most cases globally, with 417,735 infections and 8,730 confirmed deaths. Over the past week alone, cases have risen 9.9%, the most among the top 20 countries. India’s cases grew 9% in the period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

NYC Delays Schools Reopening (10:30 a.m. NY)

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he reached agreement with the teachers’ union to delay the start of the school year.

The opening will be Sept. 21 instead of Sept. 10, de Blasio said Tuesday at a press conference. The teachers union had said they would consider striking if health and safety measures weren’t in place.

N.Y. Adds Alaska, Montana to Quarantine List (10:10 a.m. NY)

New York state Alaska and Montana to its coronavirus travel advisory list, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday. Travelers coming to New York from a total of 30 hot spot states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, are required to quarantine for 14 days, according to the advisory.

The list includes areas that have a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average, or an area with 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average.

The number of Covid-19 cases in New York remains low, with 0.98% of the nearly 77,000 tests conducted on Aug. 31 found to be positive. There were 432 hospitalizations and three virus-related deaths, according to state data.

Greek Schools to Reopen Sept. 14 (10:05 a.m. NY)

Greece’s schools will reopen on Sept. 14, Education Minister Niki Kerameus said Tuesday. She called on parents who haven’t returned to urban centers from vacation to do so now and to restrict the movement of children ahead of the new school year in case any have the coronavirus but show no symptoms. “Our children are safer in school than in the streets or squares where they move around without rules, ‘’ she said.

The wearing of masks is mandatory in all enclosed spaces and outdoors when larger numbers of pupils gather. Masks will be distributed for free as well as individual water bottles for each student.

Brazil Economy Has Worst Quarterly Plunge (9:20 a.m. NY)

Brazil’s economy registered its biggest drop on record in the second quarter as measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus paralyzed activity from investments to family consumption.

Gross domestic product plunged 9.7% from the previous three-month period, more than the 9.2% median estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The economy contracted by 11.4% compared to a year ago, the national statistics agency reported on Tuesday. Both drops were the biggest of a series going back to 1996.

White House to Resume Public Tours (9:07 a.m. NY)

The White House will resume public tours on Sept. 12, according to a statement from the Office of the First Lady. The tours will only be held on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., after previously taking place five days a week. The number of guests will be limited to 18% of normal capacity, and safety measures including the use of masks and social distancing will be in place.

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