Since Chinese officials locked down the city of Wuhan in January, there have been more than 13.5 million cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, across the planet.
More than 584,000 people have died from the disease, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Efforts to curb the outbreak have led to the global disruption of daily life and the economy, as schools and workplaces shuttered in hopes of slowing transmission. After months of precautions and lockdowns, governments have begun to reopen their economies.
HuffPost reporters around the world are tracking the pandemic and its effects.
Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below. (To see the latest updates, you may need to refresh the page. All times are Eastern. For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here.
Colorado Issues Statewide Mask Mandate — 7/17/2020, 7:30 a.m.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order Thursday that requires everyone 11 and older to wear a mask in indoor public spaces for at least the next 30 days, the Denver Post reported.
“Look, in Colorado, there’s no shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service,” Polis said. “Very simple.”
Prior to the governor’s order, nearly 40 cities and counties had already issued mask orders. But sheriff’s offices in two conservative counties said their deputies would not be enforcing the order.
COVID-19 cases have been increasing in Colorado for four straight weeks. State epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy said if the current trends continue, the state would run out of ICU beds in September.
— Liza Hearon
Boris Johnson Scraps UK ‘Work From Home’ Advice — 7/17/20, 6:20 a.m.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will scrap the government’s advice to “work from home if you can” from Aug. 1 – despite apparent misgivings from official scientists.
The decision on whether staff should work from home will instead be in the hands of employers.
Johnson dropped the advice that states “people who can work from home should continue to do so,” which was designed to limit the spread of coronavirus.
Johnson made the move in response to rising concern about the economic impact of people working from home and not spending money in shops, cafes and pubs in city centers.
But the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said on Thursday working from home remained a “perfectly good option” and there was “absolutely no reason” to change the advice. Read more
— Arj Singh
Nearly One-Third Of Florida Children Tested For COVID-19 Test Positive — 7/17/2020, 5:50 a.m.
Of the 54,022 people under the age of 18 who have been tested for COVID-19 in Florida, 16,797 of them, or roughly 31%, have tested positive, according to data from the state’s Department of Health. This compares with roughly 11% of everyone tested in the state who showed a positive result.
Cases in Florida have been rising at alarming rates the past few weeks, as Gov. Ron DeSantis pushes for schools to completely reopen in the fall. The Republican governor told mayors in south Florida — the state’s hardest-hit area for cases — that reopening schools is low risk.
— Nina Golgowski
‘Moment Of Truth’ As European Leaders Gather For Crucial Summit — 7/17/20, 4:30 a.m.
The 27 heads of the European Union will meet for first face-to-face talks since lockdowns this weekend as they seek to thrash out an economic recovery plan.
“It is a moment of truth and ambition for Europe,” French President Emmanuel Macron said as he arrived for the meeting in Brussels after weeks of tension over the scale and scope of the rescue fund.
At issue is the EU’s 2021-27 budget, envisaged at slightly above 1 trillion euros ($1.1 trillion), and an attached new recovery fund worth 750 billion euros meant to help rebuild the southern economies affected the most by the crisis.
HuffPost Spain reports (in Spanish) that despite significant efforts to come to an agreement, the positions of the different European leaders still remain distant. Most countries agree on the need to launch a recovery fund after coronavirus, but there are many nuances.
The stakes are high with EU economies in free fall and immediate relief measures such as short-time work schemes running out this summer, paving the way for what some fear will be an autumn of deep economic malaise and discontent.
That would risk damaging the EU, already struggling with the protracted saga of Brexit and bruised by past crises, from the financial meltdown to migration feuds. That in turn could expose it to more eurosceptic, nationalist and protectionist forces and weaken its standing against China, the United States or Russia.
The summit is scheduled to run for two days, though officials said it could spill into Sunday if an agreement remains elusive.
— Eduardo Loren and James Martin
France Brings Forward New Mask Rules — 7/17/20, 3:30 a.m.
France has accelerated plans to make it compulsory to wear face masks in enclosed public spaces after pressure from doctors and concerns about renewed flare-ups of COVID-19.
President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that mask-wearing would be mandatory in places such as shops from Aug. 1, citing signs that the coronavirus was “coming back a bit.”
But HuffPost France reports (in French) that Prime Minister Jean Castex has said the mask rules will now come into force “next week.”
Until now, it has been mandatory to wear face coverings only on public transport and in public spaces where social distancing is not possible.
Castex also raised concerns over the lower number of people being tested in France, claiming that while capacity was high, there were “psychological” obstacles that were discouraging people from being tested.
Official figures show the number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities has slowed in France since late May. The disease has killed more than 30,000 people in France and is spreading again in some areas.
— James Martin
AstraZeneca ‘Could Price Poor Out Of COVID Vaccine’ — 7/17/20, 3:15 a.m.
AstraZeneca could price poorer countries out of a British coronavirus vaccine in the future due to a loophole in the nonprofit agreement it signed with Oxford University, campaigners have warned – among them one of the first participants in the trial itself.
Volunteer Luigi Ceccaroni has demanded the details of a distribution deal between Oxford University and the pharma giant be made public, saying he fears the firm could still profiteer from the drug once the first global peak dies down. AstraZeneca said this week it was “too early to comment on pricing post-pandemic.”
In an open letter, Ceccaroni said there must be more transparency about the agreement between Oxford and AstraZeneca to ensure “free global access” to the vaccine. “The output of a publicly funded project should be open and free for everyone,” he told HuffPost UK.
In April, the University of Oxford – which has received tens of millions in government funding for its coronavirus vaccine research – announced a “landmark partnership” with the drug company. The two parties agreed to develop, manufacture and distribute the vaccine if it was successful, vowing to operate on a not-for-profit basis – during the pandemic.
On Thursday, news of promising results from the human trials of the Oxford trials was reported by the Daily Telegraph. According to the newspaper, researchers believe the jab could offer “double protection” against the virus, with blood samples suggesting the vaccine had stimulated the production of both antibodies and “killer T-cells” in volunteers.
— Jasmin Gray
India has become the third country in the world to record more than 1 million coronavirus cases, behind only the United States and Brazil, as infections spread further out into the countryside and smaller towns.
For India’s population of around 1.3 billion, experts say a million cases is still low and the number will rise significantly in the coming months as testing is expanded.
The last four months of the pandemic sweeping India have exposed severe gaps in the country’s healthcare system, which is one of the most poorly funded and has for years lacked enough doctors or hospital beds.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s health ministry reported that the country had passed 2 million confirmed infections and 76,000 deaths. Since late May, Brazil has recorded more than 1,000 daily deaths on average in a plateau that has yet to tilt downward.
However, HuffPost Brazil reports (in Portuguese) that a series of changes in the way the government reports coronavirus data has lead to doubts over the accuracy of the figures and to claims of underreporting.
Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro, who has played down its health risks and fought against social distancing orders, remains in quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus a second time.
Polls show Bolsonaro’s popularity has been sinking during the pandemic. The share of Brazilians that see his government as bad or terrible has risen to 44%, according to a late June survey by pollster Datafolha. That was up from 38% in April and 36% in December.
— James Martin
Virus Data Temporarily Disappears From CDC Website After White House Shifts Control To HHS — 7/16/20, 4:20 p.m. ET
Information on nationwide coronavirus hospitalizations briefly vanished from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s public website this week as the White House implemented a new and controversial method for hospitals to report their data.
Tables on the nationwide availability of hospital beds and ICU beds disappeared for around two days. The absence was first noticed Tuesday, according to a researcher contacted by CNBC.
Instead of reporting key data points on testing, cases and supplies directly to the CDC, the Trump administration instructed hospitals to report their numbers to the Department of Health and Human Services beginning Wednesday. Critics said this gives the president more control over the official statistics, which he could potentially manipulate for political gain.
The White House contends that the new policy will streamline and speed up the process of gathering up-to-the-moment information on how the coronavirus crisis is impacting the nation. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended it at a Thursday press conference, saying, “This is all about getting more data out there, not less data.”
The hospitalization data reappeared Thursday afternoon. HHS spokesperson Michael Caputo told Vice News that the CDC had been directed to make it public again.
— Sara Boboltz
Russian Hackers Trying To Steal COVID-19 Vaccine Research: Report — 7/16/2020, 10:10 a.m. ET
Hackers associated with Russia’s intelligence agency are trying to steal information from researchers conducting COVID-19 vaccine trials, the United Kingdom said Thursday.
Hacking group APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, is targeting academic and pharmaceutical research institutions involved in vaccine development, the Associated Press reported. It’s unclear whether any information was stolen, but officials said individuals’ confidential information has not been compromised.
“It is completely unacceptable that the Russian Intelligence Services are targeting those working to combat the coronavirus pandemic,″ U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement. “While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behavior, the U.K. and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health.”
The announcement was made by Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre in coordination with the United States and Canada.
Cozy Bear was one of two Kremlin-linked hacking groups that targeted the Democratic National Committee computer network ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Read more from the Associated Press here.
— Hayley Miller
Georgia Gov. Explicitly Bans Localities From Ordering People To Wear Masks — 7/16/2020, 7:30 a.m.
Gov. Brian Kemp banned Georgia’s cities and counties from ordering people to wear masks, voiding at least 15 localities’ orders on Wednesday. The Republican governor has been trying to encourage voluntary mask-wearing.
His move is likely to infuriate local officials in communities that had acted, like Atlanta and Savannah.
“It is officially official. Governor Kemp does not give a damn about us,” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson wrote on Twitter Wednesday night. “Every man and woman for himself/herself. Ignore the science and survive the best you can.”
Georgia has had nearly 128,000 confirmed infections and nearly 3,100 deaths overall as of Wednesday.
— AP
Australia Hints At Even Tighter Restrictions As New Cases Surge — 7/16/20, 4:50 a.m.
Australia’s most populous states will impose harsher restrictions on movement if a COVID-19 outbreak is not quickly bought under control, state premiers said on Wednesday.
Australia has been heralded as a global leader in containing COVID-19, its total death toll lower than what Florida reported on Tuesday alone. Even so, it has seen a surge in new cases, culminating with 10 days of triple-digit gains as of Wednesday.
Victoria state reported another 238 cases in the past 24 hours, even after reimposing a lockdown last week on about 5 million people in Melbourne, Australia’s second-biggest city.
Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews singled out a minority of people for defying lockdown orders — which require people to stay home except for a small number of permissible activities — warning restrictions could be extended.
More than 500 people have been fined for not abiding by the lockdown, including two men caught driving around to play the Pokemon GO video game, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said.
Nationally, Australia has now recorded about 10,500 cases, while the death toll rose to 111 on Wednesday after a woman in her 90s died from the virus.
— Reuters
American Airlines Warns 25,000 Employees Of Potential Layoffs – 7/16/20, 2:45 a.m.
American Airlines told 25,000 employees they may be furloughed in October due to the ongoing pandemic, the latest signal that the beleaguered air travel industry faces a long road to recovery.
“We hate taking this step, as we know the impact it has on our hardworking team members,” Doug Parker, the airline’s chief, wrote in a letter to employees obtained by The Washington Post.
The figure could impact nearly 30 percent of the airline’s staff.
United Airlines sent similar notices to 36,000 workers last week, even after the federal government allotted billions in grants to the industry meant to stave off financial ruin.
— Nick Visser
Rose Parade Canceled For First Time In 75 Years – 7/16/20, 2:45 a.m.
The Rose Parade will not be held on New Year’s Day 2021 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, officials said on Wednesday.
“Like most people, having never lived through a pandemic before ... our thoughts were that the parade was 10 months away and we would be fine,” David Eads, the chief executive of the Tournament of Roses, told The Los Angeles Times. He added that as the crisis worsened, “the reality of the pandemic set in.”
The Rose Parade has been held annually for more than 130 years, with only a brief hiatus during World War II between 1942 and 1945.
“We’re really disappointed that we’re not going to be able to do that again this year, but the health and well-being of all our participants and guests is our top priority,” Eads said Wednesday.
— Nick Visser
Pennsylvania Implements New Restrictions To Curb Rising COVID-19 Cases — 7/15/20, 4:05 p.m.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced new restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus on Wednesday, a day after the state health department said Pennsylvania was experiencing a spike in COVID-19 infections in younger people.
Wolf’s administration placed restrictions on restaurant capacities, alcohol sales and large gatherings.
As part of Wolf’s order, which takes effect Thursday, bars have to remain closed unless they offer dine-in meals, and customers can only consume food and beverages at a table or booth, not at the bar.
Restaurants can only operate at 25% capacity for indoor dining. Events and gatherings that take place indoors are limited to no more than 25 people, while outdoor events are limited to 250 people, including event staff.
All businesses are also encouraged to continue operating remotely, if possible.
“During the past week, we have seen an unsettling climb in new COVID-19 cases,” Wolf said. “When we hit our peak on April 9, we had nearly 2,000 new cases that day, with other days’ cases hovering around 1,000. Medical experts looking at the trajectory we are on now are projecting that this new surge could soon eclipse the April peak. With our rapid case increases we need to act again now.”
The state health department reported an additional 994 cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. The state total is currently 97,665 cases.
— Carla Russo
Oklahoma Governor, Who Has Resisted Statewide Mask Order, Tests Positive For COVID-19 — 7/15/20, 12:55 p.m. ET
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) said Wednesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first U.S. governor to contract the virus.
Stitt has been a major proponent of rapidly reopening businesses, and has resisted issuing a statewide mandate on wearing masks.
“We respect people’s rights ... to not wear a mask,” he said Wednesday during a virtual news conference. “You just open up a big can of worms.”
Stitt said he did not believe he had contracted the virus at President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa last month, which he attended.
In March, the governor was roundly criticized when he tweeted and then deleted a photo of himself and his family dining at a crowded restaurant.
— Marina Fang
Walmart To Finally Require All Customers Wear Masks — 7/15/20, 12:15 p.m. ET
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, will mandate that customers wear masks in its stores beginning next week.
“Currently about 65 percent of our more than 5,000 stores and clubs are located in areas where there is some form of government mandate on face coverings,” the company said in a statement. “To help bring consistency across stores and clubs, we will require all shoppers to wear a face covering starting Monday, July 20. This will give us time to inform customers and members of the changes, post signage and train associates on the new protocols.”
— Marina Fang
U.S. Reports Record Single-Day Spike In New Cases — 7/15/2020, 9 a.m. ET
The United States reported 67,417 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, a record of new cases in a single day and more than triple the number of new cases seen just one month ago, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.
Cases have been rapidly increasing in the country, particularly in Texas, California and Florida, which accounted for nearly half of all new cases in the country, CNBC reported.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday attributed the increase in cases to an increase in testing.
“Think of this: If we didn’t do testing, instead of testing over 40 million people, if we did half the testing, we would have half the cases,” Trump said at a press conference, per CNBC. “If we did another, you cut that in half, we would have, yet again, half of that. But the headlines are always testing.”
— Andy Campbell
Merck Chief Executive Ken Frazier said that lawmakers who were raising hopes for a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year were doing a “grave disservice to the public.”
In an interview with Harvard Business School last week, the big pharma executive pointed out that the company’s most recent Ebola vaccine took more than five years to produce.
“I think at the end of the day, we don’t want to rush the vaccine before we’ve done rigorous science. We’ve seen in the past, for example, with the swine flu, that that vaccine did more harm than good,” he said.
See more of his interview here.
— Nick Visser
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, has urged young Americans to “think about your societal responsibility” as coronavirus cases continue to rise in the U.S.
“There is no doubt that there are more infections and we know that because the percentage of the cases that are tested that are positive are increasing,” he said during a virtual conference hosted by Georgetown University on Tuesday. “Therefore, unequivocally, you’re seeing truly more new cases.”
While Fauci said he did not at all blame young people for wanting to return to normal life and socializing, he appealed to them to “not only think about your individual personal responsibility” but the potential risks they could pose to others if they fell ill and spread the virus while asymptomatic.
“We’re all in this together,” he said. “Everybody has a role in getting this pandemic under control.”
Asked by a Georgetown student about depoliticizing conversations around the outbreak, Fauci urged her to not “get involved in any of the political nonsense.”
“It’s a waste of time and a distraction,” he said, stressing that the virus cares not what your party affiliation is.
“The best thing you could do is protect yourself and fortify your colleagues in their attempts to protect themselves from getting infected,” he said.
— Dominique Mosbergen
Florida Reports 132 New Deaths, Breaking State’s Single-Day Record — 7/14/2020, 11:35 a.m. ET
Florida reported 132 new coronavirus-linked deaths on Tuesday, setting a grim new record of single-day COVID-19 deaths in the state. The previous high of 120 was set on July 9, according to Treasure Coast Newspapers.
The Florida Health Department added 9,194 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 291,629.
Florida has the third highest number of known infections of all 50 states, behind only New York and California, according to The New York Times.
Florida, one of the earliest states to reopen amid the pandemic, has seen a surge in cases in recent weeks. Roughly 4 million people who are 65 or older —a population that is particularly vulnerable to the virus — live in Florida.
― Hayley Miller
Louisiana AG Tests Positive For Coronavirus Ahead Of Pence Visit — 7/14/20, 11:25 a.m. ET
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19 and will not be able to greet Vice President Mike Pence when he arrives for his visit Tuesday.
“Out of an overabundance of caution with the Vice President coming to our state, I was tested for Cornavirus,” Landry wrote in an email obtained by local newspaper The Advocate. “Though experiencing no symptoms, I tested positive for COVID-19.”
Landry said he was taking unspecified medications.
Pence is scheduled to speak with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) and his health care team, as well as with higher education leaders, to discuss reopening schools and fall sports.
Last week, the conservative attorney general urged Louisiana schools to reopen in the fall without a mask mandate, arguing that it “creates a situation that may cross the line on liberty.” Edwards has ordered everyone in the state to wear masks in public and closed bars over the weekend in response to rising case numbers.
— Sara Boboltz