The latest on the coronavirus pandemic from around the U.S. and the world.
ALBANY, N.Y. — Travelers from 34 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, must now quarantine for 14 days when they travel to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has expressed worry for weeks that infection rates in hard-hit New York could once again rise because of travel from high-risk states. Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press
Governors of New York and New Jersey announced Tuesday that Illinois, Minnesota, Puerto Rico and D.C. are now now on the list of states that face quarantine restrictions under a joint travel advisory issued last month.
The advisory includes states if their seven day rolling average of positive tests exceeds 10%, or if the number of positive cases exceeds 10 per 100,000 residents. The list has included Texas, California and Florida for weeks.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has expressed worry for weeks that infection rates in hard-hit New York could once again rise because of travel from high-risk states.
In New York, airport travelers from states on the joint advisory face a $2,000 fine if they leave the airport without filling out the form.
National teacher union supports strikes over reopening plans
One of the nation’s largest teachers union is authorizing its members to strike if their schools plan to reopen without proper safety measures in the middle of the global pandemic.
The American Federation of Teachers, which represents 1.7 million school employees, issued a resolution on Tuesday saying it will support any local chapter that decides to strike over reopening plans.
In providing its blessing, the union is also offering local chapters access to its financial and legal resources as they navigate a return to the classroom. Union officials declined to specify what financial assistance they would offer.
Although the measure says strikes should be considered only as a “last resort,” it lists conditions the organization wants met for schools to reopen. It says buildings should reopen only in areas with lower virus rates, and only if schools require masks, update ventilation systems and make changes to space students apart.
In announcing the measure, the union’s president blasted President Donald Trump for ordering schools to reopen even as the virus continues to surge. Randi Weingarten called Trump’s response “chaotic and catastrophic,” saying it has left teachers afraid.
“We will fight on all fronts for the safety of our students and their educators,” Weingarten said. “But if authorities don’t protect the safety and health of those we represent and those we serve, as our executive council voted last week, nothing is off the table.”
The union’s executive council approved the resolution Friday but announced it Tuesday at the group’s convention, which is being hosted online amid the pandemic.
The nation’s largest teachers union, the National Education Association, separately said its members will do “whatever it takes” to protect students.
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Fauci says Marlins’ virus outbreak could endanger MLB season
MIAMI — The Miami Marlins’ coronavirus outbreak could endanger the Major League Baseball season, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday, although he doesn’t believe games need to stop now.
More than a dozen Marlins players and staff members tested positive for COVID-19, and four games have been postponed, raising anew questions about MLB’s attempts to conduct a season.
“This could put it in danger,” said Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. “I don’t believe they need to stop, but we just need to follow this and see what happens with other teams on a day-by-day basis.”
Fauci made his comments on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Read the rest of this story here.
Swedish approach: Virus cases trend downward
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — While coronavirus cases increase in Europe, Sweden continues a downward trend after a much-debated approach kept large parts of society open.
Sweden’s chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell says “the curves go down, and the curves over the seriously ill begin to be very close to zero. As a whole, it is very positive.”
Swedish officials declined to implement strict lockdown measures widely adopted in Europe. Large gatherings were banned, but restaurants and schools for young children have stayed open. The Swedish government has urged social distancing, and citizens have largely complied.
Sweden on Tuesday reported two new deaths, bringing the confirmed toll to 5,702. There have been nearly 80,000 cases in the country of 10 million people.
Catalonia passes laws to cut down on street parties
MADRID — Drinking a beer in the streets of Barcelona or elsewhere in the Catalonia region could result in a fine from $3,500) to $17,600.
That is the new maximum fine as authorities crack down on street parties, mostly frequented by young people and widely blamed for a spate of coronavirus outbreaks in the northeastern region of Spain.
Regional government spokesman Meritxell Budó says the measure banning alcohol consumption outside licensed venues takes effect Tuesday.
Regional authorities last week shut nightclubs to help stop a spike in outbreaks. Young people subsequently started gathering at night to drink together in squares, parks and on beaches.
Dutch record rising infection numbers
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Dutch public health institute says 1,329 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last week, an increase of 342 from the previous week.
Nine people died, two more than the previous week. The death toll since the start of the outbreak stands at 6,145, though the true number in most countries is likely higher because of a lack of testing and data collection.
The institute says the number of tests carried in the last seven days rose by nearly 23,000, and the percentage of positive tests was unchanged at 1%. There are concerns in the Netherlands about new clusters of infections, particularly in the country’s second most populous city of Rotterdam.
The public health institute registered 133 active clusters in the country with an average size of nearly six people. It says, “the number of infection clusters as a result of contact with family members, friends, (at) parties, at work or through other leisure activities is rising.”
The government’s coronavirus outbreak management team is discussing whether to advise more widespread use of face masks. Currently, masks are only mandatory on public transportation.
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