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.)
L.A. Mayor Says Utility Can Shut Off Water, Power At Properties Hosting Large Parties 8/5/20, 9:32 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that the citys Department of Water and Power (DWP) will cut off service to properties hosting large parties if people continue to gather illegally during the pandemic.
At a news conference Wednesday, Garcetti said that the Los Angeles Police Department will notify the DWP to turn off services if it catches and verifies properties repeatedly hosting large parties.
If LAPD responds and verifies that a large gathering is occurring at a property, and we see these properties offending time and time again, they will provide notice and initiate the process to request that DWP shut off service, Garcetti said.
The new regulations are designed to target large-scale gatherings run by people determined to break the rules, posing significant public dangers and a threat to all of us instead of small gatherings in private homes, according to the mayor.
The new rules take effect Friday night.
Garcetti announced the rules after police responded to a party that attracted hundreds of people to a mansion in the Hollywood Hills. The party ended in gunfire and one death.
In response to the party, the L.A. Department of Public Health on Wednesday issued a legally-binding health officer order banning large parties during the pandemic in order to protect the health and lives of county residents.
We urge every resident in Los Angeles County to follow the health officer order and avoid organizing and attending gatherings that include people outside their own household, the health department said.
Carla Russo
GOP Rep. Rodney Davis Latest Congressman To Test Positive For COVID-19 08/05/20, 7:45 p.m. ET
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) said Wednesday he had tested positive for COVID-19, the latest lawmaker to be infected with the virus as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc around the nation.
This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19, Davis said in a statement. Since the beginning of this pandemic, I have taken my temperature twice daily because serving in Congress means I interact with many people, and its my duty to protect the health of those I serve.
The lawmaker said he had a fever but no other symptoms and felt fine. Davis said he would postpone any public events and quarantine at home until he receives a negative test but will continue to work virtually.
My staff and I take COVID-19 very seriously, he added. My wife is a nurse and a cancer survivor, which puts her in an at-risk category like so many Americans. My office and I have always followed and will continue to follow CDC guidelines, use social distancing, and wear masks or face coverings when social distancing cannot be maintained.
Nick Visser
Biden Wont Attend Democratic National Convention In Milwaukee Over Coronavirus Concerns 8/5/20, 12:15 p.m. ET
Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee for the Democratic National Convention because of coronavirus concerns, and others slated to speak will also attend remotely, the DNC announced in a statement Wednesday.
Biden is expected to speak from his home state of Delaware, although the exact location has not yet been determined. President Donald Trump announced last month that he would not attend the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, as cases in the state have skyrocketed.
The decision to avoid in-person conventions comes as more than 150,000 Americans have died from the virus. Trump downplayed the death toll in an interview with Axios that aired Monday on HBO.
A thousand Americans are dying a day, interviewer Jonathan Swan told Trump.
They are dying. Thats true, Trump responded. And you it is what it is.
Sebastian Murdock
JetBlue Increases Airline Safety Measures Amid Coronavirus Surge 8/5/20, 12:07 p.m. ET
JetBlue Airways announced Wednesday that it will be increasing its safety measures to protect flight crews and passengers during the pandemic.
The airline said it will adjust its face covering policy effective Aug. 10, requiring all travelers older than 2 years of age to wear a covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey. JetBlue also said that it will not allow masks with vents or exhalation valves, and that face shields can be worn in addition to a face covering but not in place of one.
To encourage physical distancing during flights, the airline is blocking middle seats through Oct. 15 on larger planes and most aisle seats on smaller planes, except for those traveling together. JetBlues measures are similar to those of its competitor Delta, which requires all passengers and employees to wear a face mask, and blocks middle seats in all cases where parties of at least three are not traveling together.
The decisions by JetBlue and Delta differ from those of American Airlines and United Airlines, which lifted their bans on booking middle seats last month. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called the decision to allow passengers in middle seats a substantial disappointment.
According to CDC travel guidelines, viruses and other germs do not spread easily on flights because of how air circulates and is filtered. But the CDC added that social distancing is difficult on crowded flights, and you may have to sit near others (within 6 feet), sometimes for hours.
The International Air Transport Association recently said that the new surge of coronavirus cases in the U.S. and other countries, as well as job security concerns, have led to a more pessimistic recovery outlook for the airline industry. While airlines have seen a slight improvement in business since April, experts now believe air travel wont return to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2024.
Sanjana Karanth
Chicago Students To Start Year With Remote Learning As Schools Nationwide Grapple With Reopening 8/5/20, 11:25 a.m. ET
Chicago Public Schools announced Wednesday that students will participate in remote learning when the school year starts Sept. 8, as schools around the country experience issues with reopening during the pandemic.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the nations third-largest school district will keep its 355,000 students at home at least until the first quarter ends on Nov. 5, a change from its previous hybrid plan. The announcement came ahead of the Chicago Teachers Unions potential vote to strike over coronavirus concerns, but Lightfoot said her decision had little to do with the pressure from the union.
Health Commissioner Allison Arwady said Chicago is consistently averaging 277 COVID-19 cases per day with a 4.8% positivity rate, an increase from last months 200 daily case average with a 3.8% positivity rate.
In a perfect world, students would be in a classroom more, not less, CPS CEO Janice Jackson said. But unfortunately, that is not where we find ourselves today. It was evident that our families were not comfortable with the state of the pandemic and the national response.
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