Virus Outbreak, ADVISORY
While deaths are mounting rapidly in the U.S., the nation’s second surge in coronavirus cases appears to be leveling off, though experts say that the good news is driven by changes in a few large states and that cases are rising in many states. Indeed, few scientists are celebrating. Some are skeptical that improvements in states like Florida and Texas will endure. They are watching worrisome upticks across much of the country.
The AP plans the following coverage today of the virus outbreak. For up-to-the minute information, visit AP Newsroom’s coverage hub Find AP Virus Alerts here
SENT/DEVELOPING:
VIRUS OUTBREAK: While deaths from the coronavirus in the U.S. are mounting rapidly, public health experts are seeing a flicker of good news: The second surge of confirmed cases appears to be leveling off. SENT; developing. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.
US-ECONOMY: The coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy plunging by a record-shattering 32.9% annual rate last quarter and is still inflicting damage across the country, squeezing already struggling businesses and forcing a wave of layoffs that shows no sign of abating. SENT: 1020 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST and EUROPE ECONOMY: Germany’s economy took a massive hit during the pandemic shutdowns. Output shrank by 10.1% percent during the April-June period.; and MEXICO-ECONOMY: Preliminary government data shows that Mexico’s economic activity plummeted 17.3% in the second quarter compared to the previous as the economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic drove the country deeper into a recession.
FINANCIAL MARKETS: Wall Street closed broadly lower Thursday, but another indefatigable rise for big tech stocks helped the market trim its losses from earlier in the day. SENT: 1030 words, photos
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-AIR: Can the coronavirus spread through the air? Yes, it’s possible. The World Health Organization recently acknowledged the possibility that COVID-19 might be spread in the air under certain conditions. SENT: 230 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-IMPERIAL VACCINE: Scientists at Imperial College London say they are immunizing hundreds of people with an experimental coronavirus vaccine in an early trial after seeing no worrying safety problems in a small number vaccinated so far. SENT: 420 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP DELAY: President Donald Trump, lagging in the polls and grappling with deepening economic and public health crises, on Thursday floated the startling idea of delaying the Nov. 3 presidential election. The notion drew immediate pushback from Democrats and Republicans alike in a nation that has held itself up as a beacon to the world for its history of peaceful transfer of power. SENT; developing. With ELECTION 2020-TRUMP DELAY-REPUBLICANS: Republican officials in the states and on Capitol Hill are condemning President Donald Trump’s suggestion about postponing the November election.
OBIT-HERMAN CAIN: Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain has died after battling the coronavirus. He was 74. SENT: 990 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS: Frustrated congressional negotiators of a massive coronavirus relief bill are facing new pressure with Thursday’s brutal economic news and the approaching lapse in a $600 per-week COVID-19 jobless benefit. SENT; developing. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS-TESTING: Congressional leaders are under increasing pressure from lawmakers to boost testing for the coronavirus in the Capitol.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCHOOL MEALS: A coalition of educators, activists and philanthropists is urging Congress to expand emergency provisions that allow school districts nationwide to feed millions of children during the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 760 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FLORIDA: Health officials in Florida tallied a new record high in daily COVID-19 deaths for the third straight day. The state faces pressure to adopt new measures to combat the pandemic. SENT: 670 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TYSON FOODS: Tyson Foods says it plans to administer thousands of coronavirus tests per week at its U.S. facilities under an expanded effort to protect its workers. SENT: 560 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-WISCONSIN: Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has issued a statewide mask mandate amid a spike in coronavirus cases, setting up a conflict with Republican legislative leaders who oppose such a requirement and successfully sued earlier to kill a “safer at home” order. SENT: 560 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-COW CARETAKERS: When the coronavirus pandemic forced colleges to close and send students home, the University of Vermont panicked about who would take care of the school’s herd of dairy cows that had been tended by students. As word spread, dozens of alumni and students clamored to spend their spring and summer caring for the beloved cows. SENT: 520 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MEXICO: Mexico’s president says he is creating a central national purchasing agency for medicines, vaccines and medical equipment, amid persistent reports of shortages during and before the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 750 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRAZIL: Brazil’s first lady and a fifth member of President Jair Bolsonaro’s Cabinet have tested positive for the new coronavirus. SENT; developing.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-AFRICA-EID: As Muslims prepare for the Eid al-Adha holiday, consumers say the economic pressures of COVID-19 are making it harder to fulfill their obligation to buy an animal to slaughter. SENT: 590 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-GENERATIONS CLASH: An outbreak among 18- to 25-year-olds at a seaside resort on the Brittany coast is crystallizing fears that the virus is flaring again in France, on the back of vacationers throwing COVID-19 caution to the summer winds. SENT: 760 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ICONIC HOTEL: The bright yellow Hotel Holiday in downtown Sarajevo has seen good times and bad times in its 37-year history, and has become a symbol of survival in the once-turbulent Bosnian capital. Now, the boxy landmark is in danger once again, with the coronavirus pandemic leaving it with few guests. SENT: 580 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIETNAM: For 99 days, Vietnam seemed to have defeated the coronavirus. There wasn’t a single reported case of community transmission. But then a week ago, an outbreak began that has now grown to 43 cases in six parts of the country, including three of the largest cities, and forced authorities to reimpose restrictions many thought they had put behind them. And experts worry the outbreak could be much larger than currently known. SENT: 900 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA: Australia’s coronavirus hot spot, Victoria state, will make masks compulsory statewide after reporting a record 723 new cases. Includes developments from throughout Asia. SENT: 880 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-AUSTRALIA: Most of Victoria state's new cases are among vulnerable residents — those in nursing homes; and VIRUS OUTBREAK-SOUTHEAST ASIA: The United Nations is advising Southeast Asian nations to tackle inequality and green their economies to build a more resilient and inclusive future as they strive to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAUDI-HAJJ: Masked pilgrims have arrived at Mount Arafat, a desert hill near Islam’s holiest site, to pray and repent on the most important day of the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The global coronavirus pandemic has cast a shadow over every aspect of this year’s pilgrimage,SENT: 640 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BACK TO BASKETBALL: From the deaths of former commissioner David Stern and Kobe Bryant to a slew of stars passing through New York, Basketball writer Brian Mahoney was in the middle of one of his most eventful NBA seasons. Then his hometown was hard hit by the coronavirus. SENT: 830 words, photos.
ALSO:
ELECTION 2020-DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION: Democrats will meet for just two hours each night of their national convention next month in Milwaukee due to the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 230 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-EUROPEAN DEATHS: England suffered a more widespread coronavirus outbreak than its European neighbors and had the highest level of excess deaths during the pandemic. SENT: 340 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NATION'S CAPITAL: Public schools in the nation’s capital will open with full-time computer distance learning. Officials have abandoned their initial plans to use a combination of distance and in-person instruction. SENT: 320 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DETENTION CENTER: Virginia’s governor and two U.S. senators have urged President Trump to respond to the nation’s worst coronavirus outbreak that has occurred inside an immigrant detention center. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said 262 undocumented immigrants are being monitored at the privately owned Farmville Detention Center after testing positive for COVID-19. SENT: 250 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ABORTION PILL: The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to reinstate a rule that has required women to visit a hospital, clinic or medical office to obtain an abortion pill during the COVID-19 pandemic. SENT: 410 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FLORIDA: Two residents of the Florida Keys have been jailed for failing to quarantine after testing positive for the new coronavirus. Jail records show that 24-year-old Jose Interian and 26-year-old Yohana Gonzalez are facing charges of violating isolation rules for a quarantine and violating emergency management disaster preparedness rules. SENT: 180 words.
BRITAIN-FANS RETURN: Supporters will attend soccer in Britain on Friday for the first time since the country’s coronavirus lockdown four months ago. SENT: 360 words, photos.
INTERACTIVES/GRAPHICS:
-US cases county-by-county. Embed code can be found in Coverage Plan. A static graphic also will be available in AP Newsroom.
-State trends (table): Trends in new cases and positivity rates for each U.S. state over the past 14 days.
-Case count (table): Searchable table of confirmed cases, including recoveries and deaths, by country, updated each hour.
-Interactive breakdown of unemployment filings by state with time scale for each (going back as far as 2000)
-Virus Europe Spread (map): An auto updating European map tracking the total confirmed cases, recoveries and deaths from coronavirus.
Additional graphics and interactives include:
- Flattening the Coronavirus Curve (Chart): Chart compares the cumulative cases over time in some of the hardest hit countries by coronavirus.
-Virus Global Spread (table): Table of countries which have confirmed cases of the virus. Table also includes when the virus was initially reported and the number of deaths by country.
-Virus Global Spread (Map): Map of countries which have confirmed cases of the virus. Map also includes when the virus was initially reported and the number of deaths by country.
-Virus US State Map: State by state count of confirmed cases in the U.S.
-Virus US State Table: Table tracks the number of cases, recoveries and deaths for the US including its territories.
-Status of Cases Worldwide: Auto-updating once a day, this chart tracks the levels of active cases and deaths from COVID-19 around the world over time.
PHOTOS:
AP photos have moved from Britain, Belgium, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, China, various US, Latin America locations.
VIDEO:
AP video has moved from Greece, Britain, Bosnia, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan, Vietnam, Australia, various US, Latin America locations.